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<DATE>8-1-08</DATE>
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<NAME>John Latta</NAME>
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<STC T="W">F591</STC>
<STC T="T">E1040_8</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99860770</BIBNO>
<VID>112895</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>The League illegal.
WHEREIN
The late <HI>Solemn League</HI> and <HI>Covenant</HI> is
Seriou&s;ly Examined, Schola&s;tically and Solidly
Confuted: For the Right informing of
Weak and Tender Con&s;ciences, and the
Undeceiving of the Erroneous.</P>
<P>Written long &s;ince in Pri&s;on, by
DANIEL FEATLEY <HI>D. D.</HI>
And never until now made known to the World.</P>
<P><HI>Publi&s;hed by</HI>
JOHN FAIRECLOUGH, vulg&ograve; FEATLEY,
<HI>Chaplain to the</HI> Kings mo&s;t Excellent Maje&s;ty.</P>
<Q><BIBL>PETR. CHRYSOL</BIBL>
<P>Magna debet e&s;&s;e in promi&s;sione di&s;cretio; quia inanis promi&s;sio
&s;aepe de amicis &s;ibi comparat inimicos.</P></Q>
<Q><BIBL>HEE. XI. 4.</BIBL>
<P>By it He, being dead, yet &s;peaketh.</P></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI>
Printed for <HI>R. Roy&s;ton</HI> at the <HI>Angel</HI> in <HI>Ivy-lane.</HI> 1660.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="frontispiece">
<PB REF="2">
<P><FIGURE>
<P>Re&s;urgam.</P>
<Q><BIBL>Tim: Cap: 4. v. 7.</BIBL>
<P>I have fought a good fight</P>
<P>I have fini&s;hed my cour&s;e</P>
<P>I have kept the faith.</P></Q>
<Q><P>I was in Pri&s;on, and ye came unto me</P>
<P>I was &s;ick, and ye vi&s;ited me:</P> <BIBL>Matt: 25. 36.</BIBL></Q>
<P>Siste gradum Viator;</P>
<P>Paucis te volo:</P>
<P>Hic &s;itus est <HI>Daniel Featlaeus;</HI></P>
<P><HI>Impugnator</HI> Papi&s;mi;</P>
<P><HI>Propugnator</HI> Reformationis;</P>
<P><HI>Instigator</HI> A&s;siduae-Pietatis</P>
<P>Tam <HI>Studio,</HI> Quam Exercitio</P>
<P>Theologus-<HI>In&s;ignis;</HI></P>
<P><HI>Di&s;putator</HI> Strenutts:</P>
<P><HI>Concionator</HI> Egregius</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">:</P>
<P>Facet&egrave; <HI>Candidus;</HI> Candid&egrave;. <HI>Facetus</HI><LB>
Omni-Memoria-Digni&s;simus<LB>
D. D. Featlaeus,<LB>
Qui<LB>
<HI>Natus</HI> Charltoniae <HI>educatu</HI> Oxo~:<LB>
Aetatis Suoe 65.<LB>
<HI>Obijt</HI> Chel&s;ei.<LB>
<HI>Scpultus fuit</HI> Lambethae<LB>
Aprilis 17 21<LB>
Anno Salutis<LB>
1645.</P>
</FIGURE></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Right Honorable
Sir Edward Hyde Knight,
Chancellor and &V;nder Trea&s;urer of his
Maje&s;ties Exchequer, Lord Chancellor of
England, and one of his Maje&s;ties
Mo&s;t Honorable Privy Coun&s;el.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>My LORD,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_IT is a &s;in as great to be <HI>in&s;en&s;ible</HI>
of our <HI>mercies,</HI> as to turn them
into <HI>wantonne&s;s.</HI> The <HI>be&s;t of
Kings</HI> is the <HI>ble&s;&s;ing</HI> of our <HI>Nati|ons;</HI>
who (in imitation of the
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Malach. 4. 2.</NOTE> <HI>Sun of Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI>) is <HI>ri&s;en</HI>
unto us with <HI>healing</HI> in his wings.
The <HI>rebellious</HI> are <HI>indemni&s;ied,</HI>
and their <HI>&s;ins</HI> made <HI>venial</HI> by it: the <HI>Loyal</HI> and <HI>chari|table</HI>
admire, and <HI>rejoyce</HI> in it. To that over-ruling
<HI>Providence</HI> therefore in the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> and <HI>chiefe&s;t</HI> place be|longs
the &s;acrifice of our prai&s;e, (who hath<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 13. 43.</NOTE> <HI>delive|red
his</HI> Royal <HI>&s;ervant from the &s;trivings of his people);</HI>
and in the <HI>next</HI> place to his <HI>in&s;truments.</HI> Among <HI>the&s;e</HI>
how much your Lord&s;hip hath merited. by your con&s;tant.
<HI>Attendance,</HI> your faithful <HI>Coun&s;els,</HI> and &s;uch un|&s;haken
<PB REF="3">
<HI>Allegiance,</HI> as hath neither been <HI>tainted</HI> with
<HI>Su&s;pition,</HI> nor <HI>tyred</HI> by <HI>Calamities;</HI> is too great and
high for <HI>me</HI> to calculate. Next to that <HI>private</HI> brazen
wall of your &s;erene <HI>Con&s;cience;</HI> you have the <HI>publique</HI>
te&s;timony of our mo&s;t Gracious <HI>Soveraign,</HI> to witne&s;s
your <HI>Fidelity:</HI> and it is written in golden Characters,
both <HI>in</HI> and <HI>for</HI> your eternal <HI>Honour.</HI> He hath entru&s;ted
you with the <HI>jewel</HI> of his <HI>Con&s;cience,</HI> in relation to the
<HI>&s;harper</HI> Laws; knowing that you are <HI>Tam Marti quam
Mercurio.</HI> As you are <HI>Juvenals</HI><NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Sat. 8.</NOTE> <HI>Lawyer,</HI>
<Q><L>Qui juris nodos, &amp; legum aenigmata &s;olvis:</L></Q>
So you are his Maje&s;ties <HI>Champion,</HI> and have excellent
<HI>skill</HI> at the be&s;t of <HI>weapons,</HI> the pointle&s;s, edgele&s;s <HI>&s;word</HI>
of <HI>Mercy.</HI> He hath entru&s;ted you with the <HI>great Seal</HI> of
his <HI>Indulgencies</HI> and <HI>Pardons;</HI> to the <HI>a&s;toni&s;hment</HI> of
the very <HI>Malefactors:</HI> that they may be <HI>&s;urpri&s;ed</HI> by his
<HI>gentlene&s;s</HI> even above <HI>hope,</HI> who had offended with|out
<HI>fear</HI> or <HI>&s;u&s;picion</HI> of this happy <HI>Revolution.</HI> He hath
en&s;tru&s;ted you with many <HI>encouragements</HI> and <HI>rewards</HI>
for the <HI>Loyaller</HI> and <HI>&s;ounder Clergy:</HI> yea and with a
<HI>conque&s;t</HI> of the <HI>erring,</HI> by the <HI>&s;treams</HI> of his <HI>Muni&s;i|cence.</HI>
And who more fit to be entru&s;ted with <HI>Con|&s;cience,
Mercy,</HI> and <HI>Bounty,</HI> then a per&s;on <HI>Religious,
Gentle,</HI> and <HI>Noble?</HI> Your <HI>own Con&s;cience</HI> is (accor|ding
to the famous<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">M. T. Cic. in Tu&s;c. qu. l. 2.</NOTE> Oratour) the greate&s;t <HI>Theatre of
Virtue:</HI> and your <HI>Liberality</HI> is <HI>Homer</HI>'s <HI>Nepenthes,</HI>
which <HI>cheers up</HI> the <HI>drooping Clergy.</HI> It is not long
&s;ince the <HI>Orthodox</HI> (but <HI>de&s;pi&s;ed</HI>) Divines, were al|mo&s;t
every where entertained by the <HI>Mu&s;hrome Ca|cotopian
Lords,</HI> and <HI>others,</HI> but with that <HI>&s;corn</HI> which
<PB REF="3">
<HI>Alexander</HI> threw upon the <HI>Cynick,</HI> when he &s;ent him
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Max. Serm. de benef.</NOTE> <HI>Di&s;cum o&s;&s;ibus refertum,</HI> a me&s;&s;e of <HI>Bare-bones.</HI> O
what a ble&s;&s;ed <HI>change</HI> both in <HI>men,</HI> and <HI>manners,</HI> do
we now admire! For as all that are ve&s;ted with a <HI>Legal</HI>
power, and (loathing the <HI>Idolatry</HI> of <HI>Avarice</HI>) &s;incerely
endeavour <HI>the Practice of Piety,</HI> do fo&s;ter the <HI>Levites,</HI>
and pour <HI>Oyl</HI> into their <HI>wounds:</HI> &s;o 'tis thought that
your Lord&s;hip more <HI>particularly</HI> doth &s;trive to <HI>out-vye</HI>
even <HI>Alexander Severus;</HI> who <HI>quarrelled</HI> with every
<HI>virtuous</HI> per&s;on that either asked <HI>nothing,</HI> or but <HI>little</HI>
of him; and his <HI>challenge</HI> &s;tands upon record in the&s;e
very words,<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Aelius Lam|grid.</NOTE> <HI>Quid e&s;t quod nihil petis? An me tibi
vis fieri debitorem?</HI> You have learned of <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI> &s;o to
favour <HI>the Sons of the Prophets,</HI> and their <HI>Relations;</HI>
as in &s;tead of rendring them but a poor moyty of the
Tithe of their Tithes (which was the <HI>pia fraus,</HI> and <HI>re|forming
&s;acriledge</HI> of our late <HI>Lay-preachers,</HI> and
<HI>Black-Saints</HI>); you make it much of your <HI>bu&s;ine&s;s</HI> to
<HI>fill their empty ve&s;&s;els</HI> with the <HI>Oyl</HI> of <HI>gladne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>The clear and winged <HI>fame</HI> of the&s;e your Noble <HI>Vir|tues</HI>
encourageth me to <HI>Congratulate</HI> them in the <HI>De|dication</HI>
of this <HI>little Book:</HI> and the rather, both becau&s;e
the <HI>Author</HI> (my be&s;t of Uncles) was not (I pre&s;ume)
unknown to your Lord&s;hip; and becau&s;e <HI>my &s;elf</HI> had the
honour to be your Lord&s;hips <HI>Contemporanian</HI> in our
Renowned <HI>Univer&s;ity</HI> of <HI>Oxford.</HI> Nor may I enter|tain
the lea&s;t <HI>diffidence</HI> of a Candid <HI>Acceptance;</HI> &s;ince
you &s;o well know, that<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Plut in apoph.</NOTE> <HI>Non e&s;t minus regium parvula
accipere, quam largiri magna. Artaxerxes</HI> di&s;dained
not a <HI>pitcher</HI> of <HI>water</HI> pre&s;ented by a <HI>Pea&s;ant.</HI> Here is,
<HI>my Lord,</HI> a little <HI>ewre</HI> filled with &s;uch precious <HI>water,</HI>
as hath virtue (I hope) to <HI>clean&s;e</HI> the <HI>&s;tains</HI> of a &s;edu|ced
<PB REF="4">
<HI>Con&s;cience;</HI> and to <HI>open the eyes</HI> of them that
were born, and have continued, <HI>blind.</HI> The <HI>Author</HI>
thereof penned it in a <HI>Pri&s;on:</HI> who&s;e <HI>honour</HI> it was that
he was<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">See his Life and d<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">ath in a bo<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">k entituled <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 word"></HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> <HI>Plundred, Seque&s;tred, Impri&s;oned,</HI> yea and
<HI>dyed,</HI> for his <HI>Religion</HI> and <HI>Loyalty.</HI> Full fifteen years
hath this Book continued a private and <HI>clo&s;e mourner</HI>
for the <HI>death</HI> of the <HI>Author,</HI> and the <HI>Here&s;ies</HI> of the
later <HI>times:</HI> and it had not yet appeared in the eye of
the world, but that I hope it will be <HI>&s;heltred</HI> under
your Lord&s;hips <HI>Pratronage. Mine</HI> it <HI>was,</HI> by the <HI>right</HI>
of an <HI>Executor:</HI> and <HI>Yours</HI> it is by the right of <HI>Dedi|cation.</HI>
The <HI>merit</HI> of the work will be <HI>improved</HI> by your
<HI>acceptance:</HI> the <HI>judicious,</HI> and <HI>&s;ober-minded</HI> will ble&s;&s;e
you for <HI>delivering</HI> it from the <HI>womb</HI> of <HI>Ob&s;curity:</HI> and
I &s;hall be obliged to &s;ub&s;cribe <HI>my &s;elf,</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>My LORD,</SALUTE>
<SIGNED>The humble&s;t<LB>
Of all your Servants,<LB>
<HI>John Faireclough,</HI> vulg&ograve;, <HI>Featley.</HI></SIGNED>
<DATELINE>London, <DATE>Aug&s;t.<LB>
4. 1660.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="publisher to the reader">
<PB REF="4">
<HEAD>The Publi&s;hers
<GAP DESC="foreign">,
OR
INTRODUCTION
To the en&s;uing BOOK.</HEAD>
<P>_SEcond Cogitations are reputed the
<HI>wi&s;er</HI> and <HI>better,</HI> becau&s;e we care|fully
weigh them in the &s;cales of
&s;olid <HI>judgement</HI> and &s;erious <HI>di&s;cre|tion.</HI>
The <HI>mi&s;ery</HI> of our late and wa|&s;ting
<HI>Maladies</HI> we have not forgot|ten:
for our <HI>Land</HI> was <HI>&s;ufieted with
bloud;</HI> and our <HI>garments</HI> were
<HI>rolled in bloud:</HI> we <HI>carryed our lives in our hands;</HI>
and our <HI>E&s;tates</HI> were expo&s;ed to <HI>rapine: Here&s;ies</HI>
and <HI>Schi&s;mes</HI> did <HI>eat</HI> like a <HI>Gangrene;</HI> and <HI>Religion</HI>
<PB REF="5">
was near <HI>lo&s;t</HI> in the Athei&s;m, Bla&s;phemy, Epicuri&s;m,
and Liberty of tho&s;e loo&s;er times. But <HI>Und&egrave; hoc re|pent&egrave;
commentum?</HI> Whence aro&s;e this &s;uddain <HI>fury?</HI>
Whence &s;prang this Epidemical <HI>Madne&s;s, Apo&s;tacy,</HI>
and <HI>Ruine? Perditio tua ex te, &ocirc; I&s;rael,</HI> &s;aith God by
his Prophet:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 13. 9.</NOTE> <HI>O I&s;rael, thou ha&s;t de&s;troyed thy &s;elf.</HI> And
mo&s;t true it is; for as in <HI>general</HI> our crying &s;ins pul|led
down the <HI>Vengeance,</HI> and ju&s;tifyed the <HI>Revenger:</HI>
&s;o there was &s;omething in <HI>particular</HI> of Covetou&s;ne&s;s,
Ambition, and cunning Malice which <HI>contrived</HI> and
managed our Civil Wars; but cannot ju&s;tifie the
<HI>Contrivers.</HI></P>
<P>Not to touch upon tho&s;e <HI>State affairs</HI> which were
meerly <HI>&s;uch;</HI> it may well become us now, as <HI>Chri|&s;tians,</HI>
in the plea&s;ant bowres of our quiet &s;olitude,
to &s;it down and <HI>re-view</HI> that pretence of <HI>Divinity,</HI>
and regulating of our <HI>Con&s;ciences,</HI> which plotted and
fomented our <HI>Rebellion;</HI> and put a <HI>glo&s;&s;e</HI> upon our <HI>In|&s;urrections.</HI>
To this purpo&s;e we finde in the Preface to
the Covenant, <Q><HI>That the</HI> Noblemen, Barons, Knights,
Gentlemen, Citizens, Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel, and
Commons of all &s;orts in the Kingdoms of <HI>England,
Scotland</HI> and <HI>Ireland,</HI> called to minde the treache|rous
and bloudy Plots, Con&s;piracies, Attempts, and
Practices of the enemies of God again&s;t the true Re|ligion,
and Profe&s;&s;ors thereof, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> e&s;pecially in the&s;e
three Kingdoms, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and how much their Rage,
Power, and Pre&s;umptions were of late, and at that
time, increa&s;ed and <HI>exerci&s;ed.</HI></Q> But who were the&s;e
<HI>enemies? Papi&s;ts:</HI> 'tis granted. But were the&s;e the
<HI>only enemies?</HI> Suppo&s;e they were (which yet cannot
<PB REF="5">
be yielded) how mu&s;t they be <HI>&s;uppre&s;&s;ed?</HI> By a <HI>Nati|onal
and Solemn League</HI> and <HI>Covenant:</HI> for thus we
were taught by our Neighbour <HI>Nation.</HI> I need not
therefore enquire, Who <HI>compo&s;ed</HI> our <HI>Covenant?</HI> or,
By what Authority it was <HI>Impo&s;ed,</HI> and <HI>pre&s;&s;ed?</HI>
Let it &s;uffice that This <HI>Covenant</HI> was concluded to be
<Q>the <HI>way,</HI> and the <HI>only way</HI> to <HI>advance</HI> the glory of
God, and the Kingdom of Chri&s;t; the honour and
happine&s;s of the King, and his Po&s;terity; and the
true publick Liberty, Safety, and Peace of the&s;e
<HI>Kingdoms.</HI></Q> Here were indeed <HI>&s;pecious Pretences;</HI>
and <HI>fair hopes,</HI> as full of <HI>confidence</HI> as the &s;imple people
could be hugged and dandled with.</P>
<Q><L>&mdash;Virgo formo&s;a &s;upern&egrave;.</L></Q>
<P>But did the <HI>Phy&s;ick</HI> work as the <HI>Phy&s;icians</HI> promi|&s;ed,
and the <HI>Patients</HI> expected? Did it produce any
of tho&s;e <HI>&s;aving effects,</HI> which the grave <HI>Dictators</HI>
a&s;&s;ured us it would? Surely no. It may well therefore
now become us their <HI>Patients (who &s;uffered many
things of many Phy&s;icians,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mar. 5. 26.</NOTE> <HI>and &s;pent all that we had,
and were nothing bettered, but rather grew wor&s;e</HI>) to
enter into a &s;erious <HI>con&s;ultation</HI> about that which they
contrived to be the <HI>Methodus medendi:</HI> and (&s;ince it
pretends to <HI>Divinity</HI>) to enquire whether it were in|deed
either <HI>lawful,</HI> or <HI>proper?</HI> If we truly de&s;ire a
Sober, Judicious, and Solid <HI>Re&s;olution;</HI> I pre&s;ume that
the en&s;uing <HI>Book</HI> will an&s;wer our <HI>doubts,</HI> and inform
our <HI>Con&s;ciences.</HI></P>
<P>I confe&s;&s;e that this <HI>Book</HI> might have <HI>&s;lept</HI> &s;till in
<HI>private,</HI> and &s;hould not have grown <HI>publick</HI> (e&s;pecial|ly
at <HI>this time</HI>), if the <HI>&s;pirit of contradiction</HI> were
<PB REF="6">
not now &s;o <HI>prevalent,</HI> and <HI>malice</HI> &s;o <HI>indu&s;trious.</HI> The
<HI>troublers of our I&s;rael</HI> enter upon the <HI>&s;tage</HI> again: and
<HI>furious</HI> men whom nothing will &s;atisfie, joyn in a new
and lawle&s;s <HI>Corporation;</HI> and &s;end up their <HI>Burge&s;&s;es</HI>
upon the <HI>errand</HI> of <HI>&s;currilous</HI> and <HI>factious Libelling.</HI> Is
this their <HI>Divinity,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Sen. de benef.</NOTE> to be thus <HI>unthankful? Mal&egrave; col|lata
mal&egrave; debentur,</HI> faith the quaint and Divine Phi|lo&s;opher.
Hath our <HI>God of peace</HI> &s;o lately <HI>beaten our
Swords into Plough-&s;hares, and our Spears into Pruning|hooks;</HI>
and mu&s;t we go to the <HI>uncircumci&s;ed Phili&s;tines</HI>
for a <HI>Smith</HI> to reduce them into <HI>weapons</HI> again? Hath
he not once again &s;ent us a <HI>King</HI> in <HI>mercy,</HI> and fitted an
incomparable <HI>head</HI> to the <HI>&s;houlders</HI> of our <HI>Kingdoms?</HI>
Are not our <HI>Scorpion</HI> &s;courges gently <HI>removed;</HI> our
<HI>Seque&s;trations</HI> taken off; our <HI>Religion</HI> re&s;tored; our
good <HI>old Lawes</HI> revived; and our <HI>propriety</HI> and ju&s;t
<HI>liberty</HI> recovered and enjoyed? Do we not &s;eem to
be ble&s;&s;ed with a well-grounded <HI>hope,</HI> that both <HI>King</HI>
and <HI>People, Church</HI> and <HI>Common-wealth,</HI> will peace|ably
<HI>repo&s;e</HI> and <HI>&s;olace</HI> them&s;elves in tho&s;e glorious and
mutuall <HI>tyes</HI> of a <HI>righteous Government,</HI> and a <HI>du|tiful
Obedience;</HI> a <HI>Religion pure and undefiled;</HI> and
&s;uch <HI>Love</HI> and <HI>Loyalty</HI> as may never be interrupted?
<HI>What meaneth</HI> then <HI>this bleating</HI> and <HI>lowing</HI> of the&s;e
<HI>&s;heep</HI> and <HI>oxen,</HI> and the hideous <HI>braying</HI> of unclean
bea&s;ts, <HI>in our</HI> Chri&s;tian <HI>ears?</HI> Mu&s;t our <HI>Mu&s;ick</HI> &s;top
upon a <HI>fret,</HI> and our <HI>Harmonie</HI> be di&s;turbed by &s;uch
har&s;h and unwelcome <HI>di&s;cords?</HI> Are we already <HI>&s;ick</HI>
of our <HI>ea&s;e,</HI> and <HI>weary</HI> of our <HI>mercies?</HI> Will <HI>Je&s;hu|run
kick</HI> as &s;oon as ever he <HI>waxeth fat?</HI> Alas, alas!
the <HI>moth</HI> endeavours to <HI>eat</HI> into our <HI>Garments</HI> again;
and the <HI>canker</HI> into our pure&s;t <HI>Gold.</HI> We daily &s;ee
<PB REF="6">
how the&s;e <HI>di&s;contents</HI> of <HI>ungrateful</HI> and <HI>irreligious</HI> Spi|rits
endeavour to <HI>bla&s;t</HI> our <HI>faire&s;t hopes,</HI> by di&s;turbing
our <HI>Peace,</HI> and renewing our <HI>contentions.</HI> The <HI>ambiti|ous</HI>
are di&s;contented, and want <HI>promotion:</HI> the <HI>mali|tious</HI>
are troubled; and want <HI>revenge:</HI> The <HI>needy
&s;ufferers</HI> are impatient and want <HI>preferment:</HI> the
<HI>heretical</HI> are vexed, and fear a <HI>Curb:</HI> and the <HI>&s;chi&s;|matical</HI>
are unquiet, and &s;u&s;pect a <HI>&s;ettlement.</HI> Too
many <HI>forget</HI> the mi&s;eries of <HI>war:</HI> too few are <HI>thank|full
for peace</HI> and <HI>truth;</HI> and <HI>the full &s;oul loaths the
honey-combe.</HI> That <HI>fooli&s;h fowl</HI> which &s;aved the
<HI>Capitol,</HI> hath moulted her &s;icker <HI>quils;</HI> and the
<HI>unwi&s;e</HI> turn them into gaping <HI>penns,</HI> to &s;crible <HI>&s;edi|tion.</HI></P>
<P>I have therefore <HI>awaked</HI> this book, that it may tell
the deluded world how <HI>un&s;afely</HI> we formerly credited
the <HI>croaking</HI> of &s;uch Egyptian <HI>Frogs:</HI> and hope that
<HI>are-view</HI> of our former <HI>contentions,</HI> grounded upon
the <HI>Covenant,</HI> will make us <HI>repent,</HI> and be <HI>Wi&s;e. De|liberandum
e&s;t di&ugrave; quod &s;tatuendum e&s;t &s;emel,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Se|neca:</HI>
We &s;hould &s;eriou&s;ly <HI>con&s;ider</HI> before we cer|tainly
<HI>decree;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 126. 5.</NOTE> and <HI>with good advice</HI> &s;hould <HI>make
war.</HI> Tho&s;e that <HI>&s;owed in our tears</HI> by their ha&s;ty <HI>Cove|nanting,</HI>
may thank them&s;elves if they <HI>reap</HI> not <HI>in</HI> our
<HI>joy.</HI> If their <HI>League</HI> was <HI>Illegal,</HI> and made their <HI>grapes</HI>
&s;o <HI>&s;owre;</HI> certainly to <HI>revive</HI> it (except in their <HI>&s;or|row</HI>)
is the way to continue their <HI>teeth on edge.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Aug. Serm. de Johan. Bap.</NOTE> <HI>Jura|vit
David temer&egrave;,</HI> &s;aith the Father, <HI>&s;ed non implevit
Jurationem, majore pietate: David</HI> was a grievous <HI>&s;in|ner,</HI>
when he became &s;o <HI>ra&s;h</HI> a <HI>&s;wearer:</HI> but he &s;hewed
more <HI>piety</HI> when he broke his <HI>Oath.</HI> Although &s;ome
<HI>few</HI> do &s;eek our <HI>di&s;turbance,</HI> and tho&s;e none of the
<PB REF="7">
<HI>be&s;t;</HI> yet we &s;ee and rejoyce that many <HI>Learned</HI>
and <HI>Con&s;cientious Covenanters</HI> retract their <HI>Errours.
Some</HI> there are who&s;e <HI>judgements</HI> are convinced
by the <HI>&s;yllogi&s;me</HI> of <HI>Con&s;cience: &s;ome</HI> who are cal|med
by the gentlene&s;s of <HI>Remi&s;sion:</HI> and <HI>&s;ome</HI> al&s;o
who are <HI>reclaimed</HI> by the Royal <HI>care</HI> and indulgent
<HI>tenderne&s;s</HI> of our mo&s;t <HI>gracious Soveraign;</HI> who ma|keth
the <HI>Children of the Bond-woman, Heirs with tho&s;e
of the Free-woman.</HI> I pre&s;ume that I need not to com|mend
the en&s;uing <HI>Book</HI> to any of <HI>the&s;e,</HI> unle&s;s to
<HI>confirm</HI> them in their <HI>conver&s;ion</HI> by <HI>&s;trength</HI> of <HI>Ar|guments;</HI>
that as their <HI>repentance</HI> is <HI>vi&s;ible,</HI> &s;o
their <HI>re&s;olves</HI> may be <HI>con&s;tant.</HI> But I greatly &s;u&s;pect
the <HI>inflexibility</HI> and <HI>pertinacious ob&s;tinacy</HI> of &s;ome
few of our <HI>di&s;&s;enting Brethren;</HI> whom peradventure
nothing will <HI>content</HI> but an <HI>illimited Power</HI> to <HI>Lord</HI>
it in their <HI>Pari&s;hes;</HI> and (a&s;&s;i&s;ted with their <HI>Con|federates</HI>)
to make their <HI>Con&s;i&s;tories</HI> as well the
<HI>Benches</HI> for <HI>&s;ecular Ca&s;es,</HI> as the <HI>Tribunals</HI> for <HI>Eccle|&s;ia&s;tical;</HI>
and all under a notion of <HI>The Power of
the Keyes.</HI> To the&s;e in <HI>particular</HI> (if &s;uch there are)
I do friendly recommend this following <HI>work;</HI>
hoping that when they feel the <HI>force</HI> of <HI>Argument</HI>
in their &s;trong <HI>convictions,</HI> they will not be a&s;ha|med
to <HI>confe&s;s</HI> their <HI>mi&s;takes,</HI> and <HI>&s;tudy to be quiet.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Author</HI> of this <HI>Book</HI> was known to be <HI>a burning
and a &s;hining light,</HI> untill <HI>malice</HI> and <HI>mi&s;chief</HI> &s;hut him
up in a <HI>Pri&s;on,</HI> and put out his <HI>Lamp.</HI> His <HI>Speech</HI> in
the <HI>A&s;&s;embly</HI> again&s;t this <HI>Covenant</HI> was at <HI>that time</HI>
&s;o <HI>di&s;ta&s;ted,</HI> that his <HI>impatient</HI> and too <HI>zealous Bre|thren</HI>
&s;uffered him not to render tho&s;e his <HI>Rea&s;ons</HI> in
<HI>defence of Epi&s;copacy</HI> which are added to this <HI>Work.</HI>
<PB REF="7">
When they therefore <HI>ha&s;tened</HI> to <HI>&s;wear</HI> the <HI>League,</HI> he
<HI>retired</HI> to his <HI>hou&s;e</HI> to <HI>grieve</HI> and to <HI>pray.</HI> Y from
that time forward he was neither <HI>&s;ecure</HI> in his <HI>&s;tudy,</HI>
nor <HI>&s;afe</HI> in his <HI>hou&s;e.</HI> It was his <HI>&s;eeming &s;in</HI> that he
&s;o freely delivered his <HI>con&s;cience;</HI> and his <HI>puni&s;hment
was Plundring, Seque&s;tring, Impri&s;onment,</HI> and <HI>Death.</HI>
While he continued a <HI>Pri&s;oner</HI> he compo&s;ed this
<HI>Book</HI> at the reque&s;t of a <HI>friend,</HI> and the <HI>importunity</HI>
of his <HI>Letter</HI> wherewith it begins. I &s;uppo&s;e that none
will <HI>gain-&s;ay</HI> the ob&s;ervation of the Father,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cyprian Se<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">n. l. 4. de im nort.</NOTE> <HI>Conflicta|tio
in adver&s;is probatio e&s;t veritatis.</HI> He was <HI>not a&s;ha|med
of his chain,</HI> becau&s;e he endured tho&s;e pre&s;&s;ures
as a <HI>faithful Son</HI> of that <HI>true Church</HI> whereof <HI>Ca&s;siod.</HI>
in <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 1. &s;aith, <HI>Novit Eccle&s;ia beneficia Domini; tri|umphat
de &s;uis cladibus; afflictione &s;emper augetur;
&s;anguine martyrum irrigatur; tri&s;titi&acirc; magis erigitur:
angu&s;ti&acirc; dilatatur; fletibus pa&s;citur; jejuniis reficitur;
&amp; ind&egrave; potius cre&s;cit und&egrave; mundus deficit.</HI> Let the
<HI>judicious</HI> and <HI>impartial Reader cen&s;ure</HI> it as he plea&s;eth:
I &s;hall end this <HI>Introduction</HI> with the words of <HI>Horace,</HI></P>
<Q><L>&mdash;Si quid novi&s;ti rectius i&s;tis,</L>
<L>Candidus imperti: &s;i non, his utere mecum.</L></Q>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="8">
<PB N="1" REF="8">
<HEAD>TO
My Reverend, and much e&s;teemed
Friend, D. F.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>SIR,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>THE Winde is &s;tormy, and the Sea
troubled; and we are to cut a way
through a narrow pa&s;&s;age between
two dangerous Rocks, wherein if we &s;teer not
warily and evenly, it cannot be avoided but
we &s;hall make &s;hipwrack on the one &s;ide, or
on the other; on the one &s;ide of Loyalty, and a
good Con&s;cience; on the other of Liberty, and
our E&s;tate. In this ca&s;e to whom &s;hould we
rather have recour&s;e, then to an antient and
skilful <HI>Pilot,</HI> who hath &s;ounded the depths of
Theological Controver&s;ies, and heretofore
hazarded his life to &s;ave others from drown|ing
in the <HI>Sea</HI> of <HI>Errors.</HI> Moreover, none in
my judgement &s;o fit to re&s;olve a Ca&s;e of
Con&s;cience, and that of greate&s;t impor|tance,
as a faithful Mini&s;ter of the Go&s;pel,
who hath &s;uffered for Con&s;cience. I pray Sir
be not &s;hie of your be&s;t advice; for if we
<PB N="2" REF="9">
mi&s;carry through want of your Direction,
all your excu&s;es will prove unexcu&s;able before
God. What though you have re&s;olved to con|ceal
your &s;elf, and you lie hid at this pre&s;ent in
the dark? Yet like a Chry&s;olite or Carbuncle
<HI>glowing</HI> with. Divine fire, you <HI>&s;hine</HI> the brigh|ter.
I intreat you therefore of all loves to ca&s;t
a careful eye upon the late <HI>Covenant;</HI> and in
the <HI>&s;ieve</HI> of the <HI>refined</HI> judgements of the &s;ub|tile&s;t
Ca&s;ui&s;ts to <HI>&s;ift it to the bran;</HI> and &s;end the
<HI>re&s;ult</HI> of your thoughts upon it to</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Ancient<LB>
And true affectionate Friend<LB>
<HI>E. G.</HI></SIGNED>
<DATELINE>From <HI>London</HI> this<LB>
<DATE>12. of <HI>February</HI><LB>
1643.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="3" REF="9">
<HEAD>TO
My Noble, and much Honored
Friend, E. G.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Worthy Sir,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>IN this tempe&s;tuous &s;ea&s;on (like that in <HI>Rome,</HI>
when as <HI>Livie</HI> relateth it <HI>rained bloud</HI> for
many dayes) the be&s;t coun&s;ell I can give is, That
you and all who are like you, (from who&s;e Prayers
<HI>offered up with &s;trong cryes heaven &s;uffereth
violence</HI>) would cry aloud with the Di&s;ciples
(when the &s;hip was covered with waves) <HI>Save us,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 8. 24, 25.</NOTE>
<HI>Ma&s;ter, we peri&s;h:</HI> that &s;o he being awaked by our
watchful devotion, may <HI>rebuke the winds and
the Seas,</HI> and re&s;tore unto us our former <HI>calm</HI> and
Halcyonian dayes. For particular directions how
to <HI>&s;teer</HI> your cour&s;e between the Rocks you menti|on,
upon which you are in danger to &s;plit either your
Con&s;cience, if you enter into this New Covenant;
or your E&s;tate, if you enter not into it; you can|not
expect them from me. For though I have for
many years &s;tudied the <HI>Compa&s;s</HI> of Gods word;
yet I am no Pilot. I have ever lived under the
<HI>hatches,</HI> and never &s;ate at <HI>helm</HI> in Church or
<PB N="4" REF="10">
Common-wealth. And if I &s;hould take upon me the
office of a <HI>Steerman;</HI> and you following my advice
&s;hould mi&s;cary; and be da&s;ht in pieces, or &s;unk in
your fortunes; in &s;tead of <HI>thanks</HI> from you, I
were like to receive <HI>cur&s;es</HI> from your family
and po&s;terity. Yea but I am (&s;ay you) a di&s;pen|&s;er
of the my&s;teries of &s;alvation; and it is requi|red
of a <HI>Steward,</HI> that he be found <HI>faithful:</HI> and
I have &s;uffered already for the te&s;timony of a good
Con&s;cience; and therefore ought not for any fear
or terrour <HI>conceal</HI> my judgement, or <HI>&s;tifle</HI> the
truth. I cannot deny my function; neither will I
betray my innocency; neither am I afraid of any
thing &s;o much herein as this; That if you make me
your <HI>Ca&s;ui&s;t,</HI> your ca&s;e will be &s;oon like mine; and
by <HI>gaining</HI> the truth you will be a <HI>lo&s;er.</HI> But I
check my &s;elf in the&s;e thoughts with the words
of our Saviour,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 16. 26.</NOTE> <HI>What will it advantage a man
to win the whole world, and lo&s;e his own
&s;oul?</HI> What will it avail the ma&s;ter of a Ship
to &s;ave his whole <HI>fraight,</HI> if he lo&s;e that pretious
<HI>pearl</HI> which the rich Merchant &s;old all that he
had to buy?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 13. 46.</NOTE> This peerle&s;s <HI>pearl</HI> no <HI>plunderer</HI> can
rob us of: this affordeth me a comfortable light in
the thicke&s;t darkne&s;s of melancholy thoughts.
Save for this, I account my &s;elf nothing <HI>worth</HI>
<PB N="5" REF="10">
at all. No <HI>carbuncle</HI> (as your love overpri&s;eth me)
but a dead <HI>coal</HI> now re&s;olving into a&s;hes: and as
I <HI>lie hid in the dark,</HI> &s;o I de&s;ire from this
ob&s;cure &s;tate to <HI>&s;teal</HI> into heaven; and in the
mean while <HI>Ita vivere ut nemo me vixi&s;&s;e &s;en|tiat;</HI>
&s;o to pa&s;&s;e through the&s;e <HI>angry</HI> and <HI>work|ing</HI>
&s;eas, that none may di&s;cern the <HI>print of my
Keel.</HI> Notwith&s;tanding, becau&s;e you charge me &s;o
deeply by all the <HI>ties</HI> of Chri&s;tian charity, which is
the <HI>bond</HI> of perfection; I will <HI>freely</HI> open my &s;elf
concerning the <HI>Engagement</HI> of our Con&s;cience in
the New Covenant; and return you not &s;o much a
<HI>punctual,</HI> as a <HI>poignant</HI> re&s;olution.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Yours to &s;erve you in the Lord
<HI>D. F.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="document">
<PB N="6" REF="11">
<HEAD>THE
COVENANT
Which cau&s;ed the&s;e
Scruples of Con&s;cience,
Here followeth.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Solemn League and Covenant, for
Reformation and defence of Reli|gion,
the honour and happine&s;s of
the King, and the Peace and Safety
of the three Kingdoms, England,
Scotland, and Ireland.</HEAD>
<P>WE Noblemen, Barons, Knights, Gentlemen, Citizens,
Burge&s;&s;es, Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel, and Commons
of all &s;orts in the Kingdoms of <HI>England, Scotland</HI>
and <HI>Ireland,</HI> by the Providence of God living under one King,
and being of one Reformed Religion, having before our eyes the
glory of God, and the advancement of the Kingdom of our Lord
and Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t, the honour and happine&s;s of the
Kings Maje&s;ty, and His Po&s;terity, and the true publick Liberty,
<PB N="7" REF="11">
Safety, and Peace of the Kingdoms wherein every one private
condition is included, and calling to mind the treacherous and
bloudy Plots, Con&s;piracies, Attempts, and practi&s;es of the Ene|mies
of God again&s;t the true Religion, and profe&s;&s;ors thereof in
all places, e&s;pecially in the&s;e three Kingdoms, ever &s;ince the Re|formation
of Religion, and how much their rage, power, and pre|&s;umption
are of late, and at this time increa&s;ed and exerci&s;ed;
whereof the deplorable e&s;tate of the Charch and Kingdom of
<HI>Ireland,</HI> the di&s;tre&s;&s;ed e&s;tate of the Church and Kingdom of
<HI>England,</HI> and the dangerous e&s;tate of the Church and Kingdom
of <HI>Scotland,</HI> are pre&s;ent and publick Te&s;timonies; We have
now at la&s;t, (after other means of &s;upplication, Remon&s;trance,
Prote&s;tations, and Sufferings) for the pre&s;ervation of our &s;elves
and our Religion from utter ruin and de&s;truction, according to
the commendable practi&s;e of the&s;e Kingdoms in former times, and
the Example of Gods People in other Nations; after mature
deliberation re&s;olved and determined to enter into a mutual and
&s;olemn League and Covenant, wherein we all &s;ub&s;cribe, and each
one of us for him&s;elf with our hands lifted up to the mo&s;t High
God, do &s;wear:</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>I.</HEAD>
<P>THat we &s;hall &s;incerely, really, and con&s;tantly, through
the Grace of God, endeavour in our &s;everal places
and callings, the pre&s;ervation of the Reformed Religion in
the Church of <HI>Scotland,</HI> in Doctrine, Wor&s;hip, Di&s;cipline
and Government, again&s;t our common Enemies; The Re|formation
of Religion in the Kingdoms of <HI>England</HI> and
<HI>Ireland</HI> in Doctrine, Wor&s;hip, Di&s;cipline and Government,
according to the Word of God, and the example of the
be&s;t reformed Churches: And &s;hall endevour to bring the
Churches of God in the three Kingdoms, to the neare&s;t con|junction
and uniformity in Religion, Confe&s;&s;ion of Faith,
Form of Church-Government, Directory for Wor&s;hip and
Catechizing; That we and our po&s;terity after us may as Bre|thren
live in Faith and Love, and the Lord may delight to
dwell in the mid&s;t of us.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="section">
<PB N="8" REF="12">
<HEAD>II.</HEAD>
<P>That we &s;hall in like manner, without re&s;pect of per&s;ons,
endeavour the extirpation of Popery, Prelacy, (that is,
Church-Government by Archbi&s;hops, Bi&s;hops, their Chan|cellours
and Commi&s;&s;aries, Deans, Deans and Chapters,
Archdeacons, and all other Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Officers depending
on that Hierarchy) Super&s;tition, Here&s;ie, Schi&s;me, Profane|ne&s;s,
and what&s;oever &s;hall be found to be contrary to &s;ound
Doctrine, and the power of Godline&s;s; le&s;t we partake in
other mens &s;ins, and thereby be in danger to receive of their
plagues, and that the Lord may be one, and his Name one in
the three Kingdoms.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>III.</HEAD>
<P>We &s;hall with the &s;ame &s;incerity, reality and con&s;tancy, in
our &s;everal Vocations, endeavour with our e&s;tates and lives,
mutually to pre&s;erve the Rights and Priviledges of the Par|liaments,
and the Liberties of the Kingdoms, and to pre&s;erve
and defend the Kings Maje&s;ties per&s;on and authority, in the
pre&s;ervation and defence of the true Religion, and Liber|ties
of the Kingdoms, that the world may bear witne&s;s with
our Con&s;ciences of our Loyalty, and that we have no
thoughts or intentions to dimini&s;h His Maje&s;ties ju&s;t power
and greatne&s;s:</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>IV.</HEAD>
<P>We &s;hall al&s;o with all faithfulne&s;s endevour the di&s;covery
of all &s;uch as have been, or &s;hall be Incendiaries, Malignants,
or evill In&s;truments, by hindring the Reformation of Re|ligion,
dividing the King from his people, or one of the
Kingdoms from another, or making any faction or parties
among&s;t the people, contrary to this League and Covenant,
that they may be brought to publick triall, and receive con|dign
puni&s;hment, as the degree of their offences &s;hall re|quire
or de&s;erve, or the &s;upream Judicatories of both King|doms
re&s;pectively, or others having power from them for that
effect, &s;hall judge convenient.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="section">
<PB N="9" REF="12">
<HEAD>V.</HEAD>
<P>And whereas the happine&s;s of a ble&s;&s;ed Peace betweene
the&s;e Kingdoms, denied in former times to our progenitors,
is by the good providence of God granted unto us, and hath
been lately concluded, and &s;etled by both Parliaments: we
&s;hall each one of us, according to our place and intere&s;t, en|deavor
that they may remain conjoyned in a firm Peace and
Union to all po&s;terity; And that Ju&s;tice may be done upon
the wilful oppo&s;ers thereof, in mannr expre&s;&s;ed in the pre|cedent
Articles.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>VI.</HEAD>
<P>We &s;hall al&s;o according to our places and callings in this
common cau&s;e of Religion, Liberty and Peace of the King|doms,
a&s;&s;i&s;t and defend all tho&s;e that enter into this League
and Covenant, in the maintaining and pur&s;uing thereof, and
&s;hall not &s;uffer our &s;elves directly or indirectly by what&s;oever
combination, per&s;wa&s;ion or terror, to be divided and with|drawn
from this ble&s;&s;ed Union and Conjunction, whether
to make defection to the contrary part, or to give our &s;elves
to a dete&s;table indifferency or neutrality in this cau&s;e, which
&s;o much concerneth the glory of God, the good of the
Kingdoms, and the honor of the King; but &s;hall all the dayes
of our lives zealou&s;ly and con&s;tantly continue therein, again&s;t
all lets and impediments what&s;oever; and what we are not
able our &s;elves to &s;uppre&s;s or overcome, we &s;hall reveal, and
make known, that it may be timely prevented or removed;
All which we &s;hall do as in the &s;ight of God.</P>
<P>And becau&s;e the&s;e Kingdoms are guilty of many &s;ins and provo|cations
again&s;t God, and his Son Je&s;us Chri&s;t, as is too manife&s;t by
our pre&s;ent di&s;tre&s;&s;es and dangers, the fruits thereof; We profe&s;&s;e
and declare before God and the world, our unfained de&s;ire to be
humbled for our own &s;ins, and for the &s;ins of the&s;e Kingdoms, e&s;peci|ally,
that we have not as we ought, valued the ine&s;timable benefit
of the Go&s;pel, that we have not laboured for the purity and power
thereof, and that we have not endeavoured to receive Chri&s;t in
<PB N="10" REF="13">
our hearts, nor to walk worthy of him in our lives, which are
the cau&s;es of other &s;ins, and tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions &s;o much abounding a|mongst
us; And our true and unfained purpo&s;e, de&s;ire, and endea|vour
for our &s;elves, and all others under our power and charge, both
in publick and in private, in all duties we owe to God and man,
to amend our lives, and each one to go before another in the example
of a reall Reformation, that the Lord may turn away his wrath
and heavy indignation, and e&s;tabli&s;h the&s;e Churches and Kingdoms
in truth and peace. And this Covenant we make in the pre&s;ence of
Almighty God the &s;earcher of all hearts, with a true intention to
perform the &s;ame, as we &s;hall an&s;wer at that great day, when
the &s;ecrets of all hearts &s;hall be di&s;clo&s;ed. Mo&s;t humbly be&s;eeching
the Lord to &s;trengthen us by his holy Spirit for this end, and to ble&s;&s;e
our de&s;ires and proceedings with &s;uch &s;ucce&s;&s;e, as may be deliverance
and &s;afety to his people, and encouragement to other Chri&s;tian
Churches groaning under, or in danger of the yoke of Antichri&s;tian
tyranny; to joyn in the &s;ame, or like A&s;&s;ociation and Covenant, to
the glory of God, the enlargement of the Kingdom of Je&s;us Chri&s;t,
and the peace and tranquillity of Chri&s;tian Kingdoms and Com|mon-wealths.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="document">
<PB N="11" REF="13">
<HEAD>The two fir&s;t clau&s;es of the Covenant, as they were
offered to the A&s;&s;embly, licen&s;ed, and entred into the
Hall book according to Order, September 4. 1643. and Prin|ted
at London for Philip Lane.</HEAD>
<P>1. THat we &s;hall all and each one of us, &s;incerely, readily
and con&s;tantly, through the Grace of God, endeavour
in our &s;everal places and callings, the pre&s;ervation of the true
Reformed Prote&s;tant Religion, in the Church of <HI>Scotland,</HI> in
Doctrine, Wor&s;hip, Di&s;cipline and Government <HI>according to
the word of God,</HI> and the reformation of Religion in the
Church of <HI>England (this Explication to be at the end of the
Covenant, as far as we</HI> do or &s;hall in our con&s;ciences conceive
to be according to the Word of God) according to the &s;ame
holy Word, the Example of the la&s;t Reformed Churches, and
as may bring the Church of God in both Nations to the
neere&s;t conjunction and Uniformity in Religion, Confe&s;&s;ion
of Faith, Form of Church-government, Directory for Wor|&s;hip
and Catechizing; that we and our Po&s;terity after us
may, as Brethren, live in Faith and Love.</P>
<P>2. That we &s;hall in like manner, without re&s;pect of per|&s;ons,
endeavour the Extirpation of Popery, Prelacy, Super|&s;tition,
Here&s;ie, Schi&s;me and Profanene&s;s, and what&s;oever
&s;hall be found to be contrary to &s;ound Doctrine, and the
power of Godline&s;s in both Nations, le&s;t we partake in other
mens &s;ins, and thereby be endangered to receive of their
plagues, that the Lord may be one, and his Name one in
both Kingdoms.</P>
<TAILNOTE>
<P>To which fir&s;t printed copy, the Doctors Speech delivered
in the A&s;&s;embly, relateth, pag. 48.</P>
</TAILNOTE>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="document">
<PB N="12" REF="14">
<HEAD>The two clau&s;es of the Covenant, as they were
altered and Printed by Order of the Hou&s;e of
COMMONS.</HEAD>
<P>1. THat we &s;hall &s;incerely, really and con&s;tantly, through
the Grace of God, endeavour in our &s;everal places
and callings, the pre&s;ervation of the reformed Religion in
the Church of <HI>Scotland,</HI> in Doctrine, Wor&s;hip, Di&s;cipline and
Government, <HI>again&s;t our common enemies,</HI> the Reformation
of Religion in the Kingdoms of <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Ireland,</HI> in Do|ctrine,
Wor&s;hip, Di&s;cipline and Government, according to
the Word of God, and the example of the be&s;t Reformed
Churches, and &s;hall endeavour to bring the Churches of God
in the three Kingdoms, to the neare&s;t Conjunction and Uni|formity
in Religion, Confe&s;&s;ion of Faith, Form of Church
Government, Directory for Wor&s;hip and Catechizing; that
we and our Po&s;terity after us, may, as Brethren, live in Faith
and Love, and the Lord may delight to dwell in the mid&s;t
of us.</P>
<P>2. That we &s;hall in like manner, without re&s;pect of per|&s;ons,
endeavour the extirpation of Popery, Prelacy, <HI>that is,
Church Government by Archbi&s;hops, Bi&s;hops, their Chancellours,
Commi&s;&s;aries, Deans, Deans and Chapters, Archdeacons, and all
other Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Officers depending on the Hierarchie,</HI> Super&s;ti|tion,
Here&s;ie, Schi&s;m, Profanene&s;s, and what&s;oever &s;hall be
found to be contrary to &s;ound Doctrine, and the power of
Godline&s;s; le&s;t we partake in other mens &s;ins, and thereby be
in danger to receive of their plagues, and that the Lord may
be one, and his Name one in the three Kingdoms.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="document">
<PB N="13" REF="14">
<HEAD>THE
League Illegall.</HEAD>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Que&s;t."> WHether is this Covenant &s;o grounded upon holy Scri|ptures,
and &s;o conformable to the Laws of the Land
yet in force, and &s;o con&s;onant to former Oathes and
Prote&s;tations, that a religious Chri&s;tian and Loyall Subject may
without &s;cruple of Con&s;cience, and danger of en&s;naring his &s;oul, enter
into it?</P>
<P>I an&s;wer Negatively.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> And although I had more then once, made a <HI>Covenant</HI>
with my &s;elf, <HI>Rebus &s;ic &s;tantibus,</HI> or rather <HI>jacentibus,</HI> never
to que&s;tion this Covenant; which the authority of both
Hou&s;es,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><P>Mr. <HI>Nye.</HI> p. 21. Our la&s;t refuge. <HI>Tabula po&s;t nau|fragium. Hender&s;ons</HI> Speech, p. 32. Were this Co|venant written on the pla&s;ter of the wall, over again&s;t the Pope, <HI>Be&s;hazzar</HI>-like in his &s;acrilegious pompe; it would make his heart to tremble, his countenance to change, his head and Miter to &s;hake, his joynts to loo&s;en, and all his Cardinals and Prelates to be a&s;toni&s;hed at it.</P>
<P><HI>E. W.</HI> his Preface to the Solemn League: It is the cleere&s;t that ever was penned here below; the finger of God is in it too. By help of that hand which wrote the Ten words fir&s;t, this was indicted and written &s;ure enough: for truly it is as the good Word of God.</P></NOTE> and <HI>Piety</HI> and <HI>Learning</HI> of the <HI>A&s;&s;embly of Divines,</HI>
hath commended as the Soveraign <HI>Remedy</HI> of all the <HI>Ma|ladies</HI>
of the times: yet becau&s;e my con&s;cience tels me
that it hath not approbation from the <HI>Three that bear record
in heaven,</HI> I dare not conceal tho&s;e Rea&s;ons which at the
fir&s;t made me doubt of the lawfulne&s;s of it, and in the end
put it out of doubt. The rea&s;ons propounding the naked
truth, without any clothing of art, or ornament of Rhetorick,
are the&s;e. <HI>Audi non phalerata, &s;ed fortia.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="14" REF="15">
<MILESTONE N="1"> Not to take advantage of <HI>prepo&s;terous order</HI> in &s;et|ting
down the parts of this Covenant, wherein he that run|neth
may read a double Soleci&s;m. (For in it the Church of
<HI>Scotland,</HI> precedeth the Church of <HI>England;</HI> and the Liber|ties
of the Subject are &s;et before the Royal Prerogative,
and Imperial Dignity of the Prince. Surely &s;uch a &s;acred
and venerable <HI>Evidence</HI> of fidelity, is a publick Covenant
made by two Nations, and &s;igned by the Name of the
great <HI>Jehovah;</HI> that in it both matter and method, phra&s;e
and order ought to be maturely advi&s;ed on: and not only
every period and line, but every word and &s;yllable therein
to be <HI>exactly &s;can'd,</HI> before the con&s;cience of millions of
men be charged with it. If we cannot brook or keep our
hands from tearing a Li&s;t, Catalogue, or Regi&s;ter, wherein
they who are many degrees below us, are yet ranked above
us, and named before us: can his Maje&s;ty take it well at
our hands, that we &s;hould accept of a Covenant <HI>hand over
head,</HI> wherein the <HI>members</HI> are &s;et above the <HI>head,</HI> and his
Soveraign Maje&s;ty &s;leighted; and that not only by mi&s;placing
his <HI>per&s;on,</HI> but limiting and re&s;training the <HI>pre&s;ervation of
his Per&s;on, and Authority to the defence of the true Religion, and
maintenance of the Liberties of the Kingdoms?</HI> What is this
but to <HI>indent</HI> with our Soveraign, and <HI>capitulate</HI> with our
<HI>head;</HI> as <HI>Ochan</HI> &s;ometimes did with the <HI>Emperor Frederick,
Defende me gladio, &amp; ego defendam te argumentis;</HI> Defend
me with thy Sword, and I will defend thee with my Pen?
If his Maje&s;ty will defend our <HI>Faith,</HI> we will bear <HI>faith</HI>
to him; if he will keep &s;afe our <HI>Pendants,</HI> we will &s;afe|guard
his <HI>Crown.</HI> Which limitation I except at, not that I
doubt but that there is and ought to be a mutual tie between
King and Subject; and that if he either de&s;ert the true
Faith, or infringe the Laws and ju&s;t liberties of his Sub|jects,
for which he pawned his Faith at his Coronation;
God will call him to an account for it: but this doth not
di&s;charge us of our Allegiance to him. Though he keep not
touch with us, yet we may not break with him; for he is,
(as <HI>Tertullian</HI> gives him his true <HI>dimen&s;ions,</HI> according to the
<HI>golden reed</HI> of the Sanctuary,) <HI>Solo Deo minor, caeteris omnibus
<PB N="15" REF="15">
major:</HI> and con&s;equently que&s;tionable for his breach of faith
before none but God. Alas, what a fickle e&s;tate and lamen|table
condition were princes in, if upon pretence that
they defend not that Religion which the people believe to
be true; or maintain not tho&s;e Liberties which they challenge
as their birthright; their royall Crownes may be expo&s;ed to
rapine, and their &s;acred per&s;ons to violence!</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Not to <HI>dive</HI> into the <HI>depths</HI> of State, nor anxiou&s;ly to 
enquire into the rea&s;on which moved the fir&s;t contrivers and
projectors of this League to &s;et it on foot at this pre&s;ent, and
pre&s;&s;e it with all earne&s;tne&s;s; I am per&s;waded that none will
denie that their main &s;cope and aime therein was, to en|gage
our brethren of <HI>Scotland</HI> in the pre&s;ent quarrell, for
pulling down Epi&s;copacie, and &s;etting up the Presbyterie;
and by this National and &s;olemne league to &s;trengthen their
partie, and foment this unnaturall war which hath alrea|dy
drained the wealth of the Kingdome: and is like to
draw out the life-blood al&s;o. <HI>Nemo tenetur divinare,</HI> &s;ay
the Canoni&s;ts; neither will I take upon me the office of a
<HI>Prophet</HI> to <HI>foretell</HI> the <HI>Cata&s;trophe</HI> of the&s;e <HI>Tragedies.</HI> Yet
&s;ure I am, this Queen of all <HI>I&s;lands</HI> never received &s;uch pre|judiced
and wrong, nor ever was &s;o near the <HI>brink of de&s;tru|ctions</HI>
when &s;he drew in forain Forces to defend her &s;elf a|gain&s;t
homebred Enemies: and I pray God we experimen|tally
interpret not the my&s;terie of <HI>Pharaohs</HI> dream concer|ning
the <HI>lean kine which eat up the fat, and yet were never a
whit the fatter.</HI> If there be a decree of Heaven, that the&s;e
two Nations &s;hall be drowned one in anothers blood, for the
<HI>crim&s;ons</HI> &s;ins of both not yet repented of: yet let not us
draw this mo&s;t fearfull judgement upon both Kingdomes by
the <HI>cord</HI> of an oath. But to argue &s;yllogi&s;tically.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> No Subjects living under a Chri&s;tian Prince who 
is a profe&s;&s;or of the <HI>true Religion,</HI> and a <HI>Defender of
the orthodox faith</HI> may enter into a publick and &s;olemne
covenant for the reformation of religion, without the con&s;ent,
(much le&s;&s;e again&s;t the expre&s;&s;e command) of their Soveraign.
<PB N="16" REF="16">
For &s;uch di&s;obedience and &s;leighting of their King cannot
&s;tand with the duty we ow him of fear and loyalty, in|joyned
Prov. 24. 21. <HI>My &s;on, fear the Lord and the King.</HI>
Eccle&s;. 8. 2. <HI>I advi&s;e thee to take heed to the mouth of the King, and
to the word of the oath of God.</HI> Rom. 13. 1. <HI>Let every &s;oul be
&s;ubject to the higher powers: who&s;oever re&s;i&s;teth the power, re&s;i&s;teth
the ordinance of God, and they that re&s;i&s;t, &s;hall receive to them&s;elves
damnation. V. 4. If thou do evil, fear; for he beareth not the &s;word
in vain.</HI> Prov. 16. 14. <HI>The wrath of the King is the me&s;&s;enger
of death.</HI> Prov. 19. 12. <HI>The Kings wrath is like the roaring
of a Lion.</HI> 1 Pet. 2. 13. <HI>Submit your &s;elves to every ordinance of
man for the Lords &s;ake; whether it be to the King as &s;upreme.</HI>
v. 17. <HI>Fear God, honour the King;</HI> Nor with the prayers
of the Church made for him, <HI>that we may &s;erve, honour, and
humbly obey him in God, and for God:</HI> Nor with the princi|ples
of right Rea&s;on; for the King is the &s;upreme head of the
Church, and <HI>Common-wealth,</HI> under Chri&s;t; and all his Sub|jects
<HI>conjunctim</HI> in Parliament, or <HI>divi&s;im,</HI> are but Members
of the &s;ame Body politick; and how &s;hould the members en|ter
into a covenant, or frame and devi&s;e it without the
head?</P>
<P>But the King is &s;o far from yielding his royall a&s;&s;ent to
this <HI>Covenant,</HI> that he &s;trictly forbids it; and that under the
pain of Trea&s;onin; his Proclamation printed at <HI>Oxford.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Ergo,</HI> we may not enter into this <HI>Covenant,</HI> nor entan|gle
our con&s;ciences with this new <HI>Oath.</HI></P>
<Q><P><MILESTONE N="1"> This Covenant we make with God: and in all things, e|&s;pecially
the things appertaining to God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Covenan|ters an&s;wer.</NOTE> we mu&s;t obey
God rather then man.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> We have the Kings <HI>vertua</HI> con&s;ent <HI>l</HI> thereunto: for though
he be not pre&s;ent in <HI>per&s;on</HI> at the Parliament, nor hath
given his royall a&s;&s;ent under his hand; yet this Parliament
is called and continued by his authority, and his con&s;ent is
<HI>vertually</HI> contained in the Votes of both Hou&s;es.</P></Q>
<P>It is a ruled ca&s;e in Divinity,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Reply.</NOTE> That we mu&s;t obey God ra|ther
then man, when God commandeth one thing, and man
<PB N="17" REF="16">
another: but when the commands of God and of his Vice|gerent
upon earth: <HI>cla&s;h</HI> not one again&s;t another, St. <HI>Bernards</HI>
doctrine is mo&s;t true, <HI>We mu&s;t obey him as God who is in the
place of God, in tho&s;e things which are not again&s;t God.</HI> When
St. <HI>Peter</HI> and St. <HI>John</HI> returned this an&s;wer to the Councell,
the Councell forbad that which God commanded. God
commanded the Apo&s;tles to preach Chri&s;ts re&s;urrection; and
the A&s;&s;embly of Prie&s;ts and Elders forbad them. This is not
the <HI>Covenanters</HI> ca&s;e: for where doth God command the <HI>En|gli&s;h</HI>
to &s;weare to pre&s;erve the <HI>Scotch Di&s;cipline</HI> and <HI>Liturgie,</HI>
which they them&s;elves have often varied? Or to abjure <HI>Epi|&s;copacie,</HI>
which was the only government of the Church for
more then 1500 years, and under who&s;e &s;hade Chri&s;tian
Religion mo&s;t flouri&s;hed, and the Church <HI>&s;tretched forth her
branches to the Rivers, and her boughs to the ends of the earth?</HI>
Where doth the Scripture warrant,<NOTE PLACE="marg">See <HI>Mr. Coleman</HI> his Sermon.</NOTE> (much le&s;s command) the
a&s;&s;ociation of two <HI>Kingdomes</HI> and joyntly taking up armes in
the quarrell of the Go&s;pell, and defending and propagating
religion by the &s;word?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> The calling of the Parliament by the Kings authority
doth not conclude his a&s;&s;ent to all the Ordinances of both
the Hou&s;es:  for if it were &s;o, why did this Parliament, after
they had voted the <HI>Militia,</HI> and the extirpation of Prelacie
and Pluralities, &s;end to his Maje&s;ty and humbly intreat his
royall a&s;&s;ent? nay, why in all Parliaments &s;ince the fir&s;t even
till this day, after both Hou&s;es had pa&s;t bills, did &s;till the Lords
and Commons lay them at his Maje&s;ties feet, be&s;eeching
him in humble&s;t manner to take them up, and &s;igne them
with his royall hand? and if he liked them, his an&s;wer hath
been, <HI>Le Roy vieut;</HI> if he di&s;ta&s;ted them, <HI>Le Roy s'avi&s;era.</HI> Did
the calling of a Parliament in the Kings name and by his
authority, vertually include or conclude his Royall a&s;&s;ent
to all the Acts; King <HI>Richard</HI> the 2d. had given his con|&s;ent
to his own depo&s;ing: for that Parliament wherein he was
depo&s;ed, was called in his name and by his Authority.</P>
<P>4. No Covenant, e&s;pecially publike and &s;olemn between
two Nations for reformation of Religion, may be taken
<PB N="18" REF="17">
without warrant from Gods word; for in every &s;uch Cove|nant
God is a partie, and his con&s;ent mu&s;t be both had and
known, which cannot be but from his word. Be&s;ide, this
Covenant is bound with an Oath, which is an Act of Religi|on,
and <HI>cultus latriae,</HI> that is a part of divine wor&s;hip; and if it
be not commanded by God, it is forbidden in Scripture un|der
the name of <HI>will-wor&s;hip.</HI></P>
<P>Moreover, that golden rule of the Apo&s;tle applyed by
by him to the u&s;e of things indifferent, &s;tretcheth al&s;o to
this ca&s;e of con&s;cience, What&s;oever Oath we take, or Co|venant
we enter into, not per&s;waded in Con&s;cience that we
have good ground for what we doe in &s;cripture, is &s;inne to
us.</P>
<P>But this Covenant hath no warrant for it in holy Scrip|ture:
for from the Alpha of Gene&s;is to the Omega of the Apo|calyp&s;e
there is no <HI>vola</HI> nor <HI>ve&s;tigium</HI> of &s;uch a Covenant as
this.</P>
<P><HI>Ergo,</HI> this Covenant mu&s;t not be taken by any, who de|&s;ire
to walk exactly before God according to the preci&s;e rule
of his word.</P>
<Q><P>There is warrant in Gods word both for the matter of
this Covenant,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Covenan|ters an&s;wer.</NOTE> and the form and manner of taking the oath.
For <HI>the matter</HI> we have a pattern of a Covenant taken for
the reformation of the fal&s;e, and pre&s;ervation of the true
wor&s;hip of God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Coleman &s;erm. <HI>p.</HI> 21.</NOTE> and the uniting of Kingdoms in the truth
thus reformed, 1 Sam. 18. 3. 4. 2 Kings 23. 5. 2 Chr. 25. 8.
9. 2 Chro. 30. <HI>Ezra</HI> 10. 2. And for <HI>the form and manner</HI>
of taking it by <HI>lifting up the hand,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Nye's Speech, <HI>p.</HI> 15.</NOTE> we have a precedent <HI>Apoc.</HI>
10. 50.</P></Q>
<P>None of the&s;e in&s;tances are <HI>ad Rhombum:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Reply 1.</NOTE> all tho&s;e Cove|nants
were made again&s;t idolatrie and other &s;ins expre&s;ly for|bidden
by the law of God; but this Covenant is again&s;t Pre|lacie
and &s;uch a form of wor&s;hip practi&s;ed in the Church of
<HI>England,</HI> as hath been ju&s;tified by the word of God, and un|an&s;werable
arguments drawn from Scripture by <HI>Whitgift</HI>
and <HI>Hooker</HI> in their an&s;wer to <HI>Cartwright, C<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">vell</HI> to <HI>Bar|row</HI>
<PB N="19" REF="17">
and <HI>Browne, Burges</HI> to <HI>Ames,</HI> and <HI>Ball</HI> to <HI>Can,</HI> and many
others.</P>
<P>In all tho&s;e Covenants the King had the main &s;troak, but
in this none at all.</P>
<P>1. For the Covenant mentioned, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 18. 3, 4 it comes
not home to our ca&s;e; for that was a private Covenant be|tween
two intimate friends, for the &s;afety of both their
lives, &s;ought after by a bloudy Tyrant: this is a National
Covenant between two Kingdoms, for the Reforming Re|ligion,
and &s;etling Peace; that was made by the true King
appointed by God, and anointed before this by <HI>Samuel,</HI>
again&s;t him who indeed held the Crown, but was rejected by
God him&s;elf; this is a Covenant made by Subjects again&s;t the
Commands of a mo&s;t gracious Prince.</P>
<P>2. For the Covenant mentioned 2 <HI>King.</HI> 23. 5. the text
&s;aith, <HI>King Jo&s;iah</HI> made this Covenant, that they &s;hould walk
after the Lord, and <HI>keep his Commandements, and his Te&s;timo|nies,
and his Statutes with all their heart,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>And that he put
down the Chemarims,</HI> &amp;c. There the King makes a Covenant,
and reforms a Church, and not the People; here the People
enter into a Covenant without the King, and they take up|on
them, again&s;t his command, to <HI>Reform,</HI> or rather <HI>Deform</HI>
the Church, by overthrowing the Hierarchy, and aboli&s;hing
Epi&s;copacy. <HI>Chius ad Choum,</HI> the&s;e things agree as well as
Harp and Harrow.</P>
<P>3. For the Covenant mentioned 2 <HI>Chr. 15. 8, 9. King
A&s;a</HI> gathered all <HI>Judah</HI> and <HI>Benjamin</HI> together to <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI>
where they offered to the Lord of the &s;poyles, and made
this Covenant, and in performance of this Oath or Cove|nant,
v. 16. <HI>he depo&s;ed Maacah</HI> his mother from her <HI>Regency,</HI>
becau&s;e &s;he had made an Idoll in a grove, and <HI>A&s;a brake
down</HI> her Idoll, and &s;tampt it, and burned it at the brook
<HI>Kidron.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="20" REF="18">
4. For the example of <HI>I&s;rael, 2 Chron.</HI> 30. who in the
dayes of <HI>Hezekiah,</HI> though they were under another King,
yet joyned with the men of <HI>Judah</HI> in keeping the Pa&s;&s;o|ver,
it yeilds no &s;upport at all to their tottering cau&s;e.
For</P>
<P>1. They entred not into any &s;olemn League with the
men of <HI>Judah,</HI> though for the pre&s;ent they joyned with them
in a Religious duty commanded by the Law.</P>
<P>2. What they did, they were invited to do by King <HI>Heze|kiah;</HI>
whereas the <HI>Scotch</HI> are not invited to this League with
the <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> by the King.</P>
<P>3. The King of <HI>As&s;hur</HI> forbad not the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> to joyn
with their Brethren of <HI>Judah</HI> in keeping the Pa&s;&s;over; but
the King forbids any of his Subjects to enter into this Co|venant.</P>
<P>4 The King who Reigned over the <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> was an
Idolater; but our King is a wor&s;hiper of the true God.
And albeit, in &s;ome ca&s;e and quarrel, the wor&s;hipers of the
true God may joyn with their Brethren of the &s;ame Reli|gion
in another Kingdom, in a Defen&s;ive League (though
the King being an Idolater, &s;hould forbid it) yet it follows
not, that they may do &s;o without the con&s;ent, and again&s;t
the command of a Chri&s;tian Prince, who is a profe&s;&s;or of the
true Religion.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, The <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> be&s;ides the invitation of King <HI>He|zekiah</HI>
to keep a &s;olemn Pa&s;&s;eover with the <HI>Jews,</HI> had the
expre&s;s command of God him&s;elf; whereas neither <HI>Engli&s;h</HI>
nor <HI>Scotch</HI> have any command from God expre&s;ly or im|plicitly,
to enter into this League for the Defence of the
Prote&s;tant Religion again&s;t Papi&s;t without the King, the
King him&s;elf undertaking, and that by mo&s;t &s;olemn Oathes
and Prote&s;tations to defend the &s;ame.</P>
<P>5. For the Covenant mentioned <HI>Ezra</HI> 10. 3. that was
meerly to remove a Scandal from the <HI>Jews,</HI> and to fulfil
the expre&s;s command of God, for putting away &s;trange
wives, &s;et down in the Law of <HI>Mo&s;es:</HI> in which ca&s;e no man
doubteth but a Covenant may be made not only without,
<PB N="21" REF="18">
but again&s;t the commandement of a Prince. Yet here the
<HI>Jews</HI> (be&s;ides the command of <HI>Nehemiah</HI> the Viceroy) had
the approbation of the <HI>Prince</HI> for making this <HI>Covenant:</HI>
for the King of <HI>Per&s;ia</HI> at this time favoured the <HI>Jews;</HI> and
contributed largely to the reedifying of the Temple; and
gave order to <HI>Ezra</HI> the Prie&s;t to adorn the hou&s;e of God,
and perform all things in his &s;ervice according to the Law,
Ezra 7. 10.</P>
<P>The la&s;t example <HI>Rev.</HI> 10. 5. is lea&s;t to our pre&s;ent
purpo&s;e: for the Angel there made no <HI>Covenant,</HI> but
only <HI>&s;ware</HI> by the living God, that <HI>time &s;hould be no more.</HI>
It is true he <HI>lifted up his hand;</HI> yet that no way helpeth the
Covenanters cau&s;e: for that might be a fit ge&s;ture in an
Angel menacing a fatal doom to the world, and the <HI>out|dating</HI>
of all time; which yet may not be thought &s;o fit a
ge&s;ture for men entring into a holy <HI>League</HI> for the pre&s;er|vation
of two Kingdoms. If they can, as the Angel did,
&s;tand upon the earth and the &s;ea at the &s;ame time; let them
al&s;o further imitate the Angel in <HI>lifting up their hands to
heaven,</HI> when they make their <HI>Covenant.</HI> How&s;oever for the
<HI>ge&s;ture</HI> we will not contend with them: I think it fitter
in taking this Oath, then after the u&s;uall manner, to <HI>lay the
hand upon the Bible;</HI> for this <HI>Oath</HI> and <HI>Covenant</HI> hath no
ground or foundation at all in that book: and the <HI>lifting
up</HI> of the <HI>hand</HI> very well expre&s;&s;eth the purport of this
<HI>Covenant,</HI> which is a <HI>lifting up</HI> of their <HI>hands again&s;t the Lords
anointed,</HI> and his <HI>Church:</HI> yet under pretence of <HI>defence</HI> of
the <HI>Kings per&s;on,</HI> never &s;o much <HI>endangered</HI> as by their
<HI>Armies;</HI> and of <HI>Religion,</HI> never &s;o <HI>profaned</HI> as by their
<HI>Reformadoes;</HI> and of the <HI>liberties</HI> of <HI>Subjects,</HI> never &s;o much
<HI>infringed</HI> as by <HI>arbitrary votes.</HI></P>
<P>Before we take this <HI>Oath</HI> of <HI>reformation,</HI> we mu&s;t de&s;ire
a <HI>reformation</HI> of the <HI>Oath:</HI> for it is full of <HI>ambiguities</HI> and
<HI>contradictions:</HI> whence I thus frame a fifth argument.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> 5. No <HI>ambiguous Oath</HI> ought to be taken, or <HI>Covenant</HI> &s;ign|ed:
for here one of <HI>Pythagoras</HI> golden Precepts taketh place,
<HI>Loquere cum lumine:</HI> all Ambiguities, Equivocations, or
<PB N="22" REF="19">
mental re&s;ervations (e&s;pecially in <HI>Leagues</HI> and <HI>Oathes</HI>) are
abominated by all <HI>Prote&s;tants.</HI> He that &s;weareth <HI>ambiguou&s;ly</HI>
&s;weareth not in <HI>&s;implicity</HI> of heart, nor can keep his Oath
<HI>&s;incerely</HI> and <HI>intirely.</HI></P>
<P>But in this <HI>Covenant</HI> and <HI>Oath</HI> there are many <HI>Ambiguities.</HI></P>
<P>For what is meant in the fir&s;t clau&s;e by <HI>common enemies?</HI>
Either the <HI>world,</HI> the <HI>fle&s;h</HI> and the <HI>Divel;</HI> which indeed
are (as it were) <HI>&s;worn enemies</HI> to all <HI>true Religion:</HI> or <HI>Papi&s;ts,</HI>
or <HI>Independents;</HI> who are both <HI>enemies</HI> to the <HI>Di&s;cipline</HI> and
<HI>Government</HI> of the <HI>Scotch</HI> Church.</P>
<P>In the &s;econd clau&s;e what is meant by <HI>Church govern|ment
by Archbi&s;hops, Bi&s;hops, &amp;c?</HI> either <HI>all government</HI> by
<HI>Bi&s;hops;</HI> or the <HI>pre&s;ent Government only,</HI> with the late <HI>Inno|vations</HI>
and <HI>abu&s;es</HI> thereof. If all <HI>government</HI> by <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI>
then in taking this <HI>Oath,</HI> we condemn not only the <HI>perpe|tual
Government</HI> of the <HI>Church</HI> from the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> time till
the <HI>reformation of Religion</HI> in the dayes of <HI>Hen.</HI> 8. but al&s;o
the <HI>reformed Churches</HI> in <HI>England, Ireland, Denmark, Sweth|land,
Poland, Saxonie,</HI> and other parts of <HI>Germany;</HI> where
either they have Archbi&s;hops and Bi&s;hops, or tantmount
Intendents, and Superintendents; If the <HI>pre&s;ent government</HI>
only, with <HI>innovations</HI> and <HI>abu&s;es;</HI> let them explain what
are the <HI>innovations</HI> and <HI>abu&s;es</HI> we &s;wear again&s;t: el&s;e we
cannot <HI>&s;wear</HI> in <HI>judgement.</HI> What is meant by <HI>Hierarchy?</HI>
the word &s;ignifieth <HI>holy Government,</HI> being derived from <GAP DESC="foreign">
<HI>holy,</HI> and <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>rule</HI> or <HI>government.</HI> And is it fit <HI>crudely,</HI> with|out
any <HI>glo&s;&s;e,</HI> to <HI>for&s;wear all</HI> holy Government?</P>
<P>In the third clau&s;e, what is meant by <HI>defending the Kings
per&s;on in the defence of the true Religion, and Liberties of the
Kingdoms?</HI> Is it a <HI>limitation,</HI> or not? If it be <HI>no limitation,</HI>
what doth it there?<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> There ought to be no idle, and (if I
may &s;o &s;peak) <HI>hang-by</HI> words in an <HI>Oath:</HI> for the Wi&s;eman
teacheth us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 5. 1.</NOTE> when we &s;peak to God, <HI>our words mu&s;t be few.</HI>
If it be a <HI>limitation,</HI> how doth this <HI>Covenant</HI> agree with
the <HI>Oathes</HI> of <HI>Supremacy</HI> and <HI>Allegiance;</HI> by which we
are ab&s;olutely bound to defend the Kings per&s;on, royal
Dignities and Prerogatives of the Crown, without any <HI>if</HI> or
<HI>of,</HI> re&s;triction or qualification?</P>
<P><PB N="23" REF="19">
In the fourth clau&s;e, what is meant by <HI>Malignants</HI> or
<HI>evill in&s;truments?</HI> a word never u&s;ed till of late in any Sta|tute,
Law, or Ordinance; and never &s;o much abu&s;ed as at this
day.</P>
<P>In the &s;ixth clau&s;e, how far extend the&s;e words, <HI>I will
a&s;&s;i&s;t and defend all tho&s;e that enter into this League and Co|venant,
in the maintaining and per&s;uance thereof?</HI> Doth it reach
to giving <HI>battle</HI> to the <HI>King,</HI> Seque&s;tring E&s;tates, plunde|ring
hou&s;es, and trampling all Laws under foot; and to
the ju&s;tifying all the outrages committed in the main|taining
and pur&s;uing this League? If not, why is it not <HI>cir|cum&s;cribed</HI>
with that <HI>limitation</HI> in the fir&s;t <HI>Prote&s;tation, By all
good and lawful means?</HI> or, &s;o far <HI>as lawfully I may?</HI> There
being &s;o many <HI>Amphibologies, Ambiguities,</HI> and <HI>riddles</HI> in this
<HI>Oath,</HI> we mu&s;t have &s;ome <HI>Oedipus</HI> of the <HI>Synod</HI> to read and
clearly expound them, before we can &s;afely engage our con|&s;cience
by Oath to perform them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="6"> No <HI>Covenant</HI> may be made,  or <HI>Oath</HI> taken, which imply|eth
in it <HI>contradictions;</HI> for in &s;uch an Oath or Covenant we
play fa&s;t and loo&s;e; &s;ay and un&s;ay; and overthrow the na|ture
of an Oath; and <HI>take Gods name in vain.</HI> The Schools
and ancient Doctors con&s;tantly maintain, that it exceedeth
even Divine Omnipotency to reconcile Contradictions;
which are among&s;t tho&s;e many things St. <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> &s;peak|eth
of, which <HI>God therefore cannot do, becau&s;e he is Omnipo|tent.</HI></P>
<P>But there are apparent <HI>contradictions</HI> in this <HI>Covenant,</HI> and
<HI>Gordian knots</HI> which cannot be untied. For,</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1"> Fir&s;t, It is &s;aid in the Preface, that the <HI>Noblemen, Barons&punc;</HI>
&amp;c. <HI>enter into this Covenant according to the commendable
practice of the&s;e Kingdoms in former times;</HI> and yet Mr. <HI>Nye</HI> in
his Speech, publi&s;hed by &s;pecial order of the Hou&s;e, upon the
very day the Covenant was read and &s;worn unto, and &s;ub&s;cri|bed
by the Honorable Hou&s;e of Commons, and Reverend
A&s;&s;embly of Divines, <HI>Sept.</HI> 25. &s;aith <HI>p. 12. That</HI> &s;uch an
Oath for <HI>matter,</HI> per&s;ons, and other circum&s;tances, hath <HI>not
<PB N="24" REF="20">
been in any age,</HI> or <HI>oath</HI> we read of in &s;acred or humane &s;to|ries.
And Mr. <HI>Coleman</HI> in his Sermon commanded to be
printed by the Commons of the Hou&s;e of Parliament, <HI>Sept.
ult. 1643. p. 18. Ask your Fathers, con&s;ult with the aged of our
times, whether ever &s;uch a thing were done in their dayes, or in
the dayes of their Fathers before them?</HI> And in his Epi&s;tle De|dicatory,
<HI>An Oath, if vain, makes the Land to mourn: an Oath,
if weighty, makes it rejoyce. This is a new thing, and not done in
our Land before; and I hope will have a new effect, not &s;een by our
people before.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> We are to &s;wear in the fir&s;t branch, That <HI>we will really
and con&s;tantly endeavour the pre&s;ervation of the reformed Religi|on
in the Church of</HI> Scotland, <HI>in Doctrine, Wor&s;hip, Di&s;cipline,
and Government:</HI> and yet in the &s;ame branch we &s;wear to
<HI>endeavour to bring the Churches of God in the&s;e three Kingdoms</HI>
(of which <HI>Scotland</HI> is one) <HI>to the neare&s;t conjunction and uni|formity
in form of Church Government, according to the Word
of God, and the example of the be&s;t reformed Churches.</HI> But this
cannot be done if <HI>Scotland</HI> be pre&s;erved in her pre&s;ent <HI>Di|rectory</HI>
for Wor&s;hip, Di&s;cipline and Government: for the
Government in the Church of <HI>England, Ireland, Denmark,
Swethland, Poland, Saxony,</HI> and in all the Churches of the
Ea&s;t (not &s;ubject to the Pope) is <HI>Epi&s;copal:</HI> and that is
proved to be mo&s;t <HI>conformable</HI> to the <HI>Word of God,</HI> by the
writings of <HI>Bil&s;on, Downham, Armagh,</HI> never yet an&s;wered by
any.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> We &s;wear in the &s;ame branch, That <HI>we will endeavour to
reform the Doctrine of the Church of</HI> England <HI>according to Gods
Word;</HI> and yet pre&s;erve the <HI>reformed Religion</HI> in <HI>Scotland</HI> in
<HI>Doctrine:</HI> whereas the <HI>Doctrine</HI> of the Church of <HI>England</HI> and
<HI>Scotland</HI> is all <HI>one;</HI> as appears by the Confe&s;&s;ion of the one,
and Articles of the other. All the difference between the
Church of <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Scotland</HI> is concerning <HI>Di&s;cipline</HI>
and <HI>Liturgie;</HI> not <HI>Doctrine,</HI> as it is di&s;tingui&s;hed from
them.</P>
<P><PB N="25" REF="20">
<MILESTONE N="4"> We &s;wear in the &s;econd branch, That <HI>we will endeavour 
the extirpation of Prelacy and Schi&s;ms:</HI> whereas <HI>Prelacy</HI> hath
been ever, and is, the <HI>&s;pecial,</HI> if not <HI>only</HI> means to extirpate
<HI>Schi&s;me.</HI> If <HI>Prelacy</HI> be taken away, &s;aith St. <HI>Jerome ad Luc.</HI>
and the preeminencie of one Presbyter above another; <HI>tot
Schi&s;mata erunt quot Sacerdotes.</HI> That is <HI>to extirpate Church-government
by Archbi&s;hops, Bi&s;hops,</HI> &amp;c. and yet in the third
branch we &s;wear to <HI>pre&s;erve the rights and priviledges of the
Parliament, and liberties of the Kingdoms:</HI> among which <HI>liber|ties</HI>
of the Kingdom of <HI>England,</HI> and <HI>priviledges</HI> of the Parlia|ment,
are the contents of <HI>Magna Charta,</HI> and <HI>Petition of
Right;</HI> in which the Government of <HI>Archbi&s;hops</HI> and <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI>
and the <HI>rights and priviledges</HI> of the <HI>Church</HI> are compri&s;ed.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5"> In the third branch we &s;wear to <HI>pre&s;erve and defend his Ma|je&s;ties</HI>
<HI>Per&s;on, and Authority, without any diminution of his
just power and greatne&s;s:</HI> and yet in the <HI>&s;ixth Article</HI> we
&s;wear to <HI>a&s;&s;i&s;t and defend all tho&s;e that enter into this League
and Covenant, in the maintaining and pur&s;uance thereof:</HI> where|as
it is known by their dayly practi&s;e, that they <HI>levie arms</HI>
again&s;t the <HI>King; &s;eize</HI> upon his <HI>Forts,</HI> Ships, Magazens,
and Revenues. How can a man take away the Kings Muni|tion,
and Ca&s;tles; and yet not weaken his power? How can
a man forcibly <HI>incounter</HI> and <HI>di&s;comfit</HI> an Army rai&s;ed by the
Kings power, and yet not dimini&s;h his power? How can
a man take away his <HI>Revenues,</HI> Hou&s;es, Parks, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and not
<HI>dimini&s;h</HI> his <HI>greatne&s;s?</HI> how can he give him <HI>battle,</HI> and yet
<HI>defend</HI> his <HI>Per&s;on?</HI> Therefore before we enter into this <HI>Co|venant</HI>
to make up all the breaches in the <HI>Church</HI> and <HI>Com|mon-wealth,</HI>
we mu&s;t make up the <HI>breaches in the Covenant</HI>
it &s;elf; before we <HI>reconcile</HI> and unite the three Kingdoms,
we mu&s;t endeavour to <HI>reconcile</HI> the contradictions in this
our Oath and <HI>Solemn League.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="7"> Either this <HI>League</HI> and <HI>Covenant</HI> confirmed by oath is <HI>free</HI>
and <HI>voluntary;</HI> or <HI>forced</HI> and <HI>compul&s;ory.</HI> If it be <HI>free</HI> and
<HI>voluntary,</HI> why is there annexed a mo&s;t &s;evere <HI>penalty</HI> to
<PB N="26" REF="21">
be inflicted upon all tho&s;e who <HI>refu&s;e</HI> to <HI>enter into it</HI> before
the fir&s;t of <HI>March?</HI> If it be <HI>forced</HI> and <HI>compul&s;ory,</HI> how is
it a <HI>Covenant?</HI> e&s;pecially with <HI>God,</HI> who re&s;pecteth not our
<HI>words,</HI> but our <HI>hearts?</HI> If it be a <HI>con&s;trained Oath</HI> impo&s;ed
upon us whether we will or no; then it is a <HI>heavy yoke</HI> laid
upon the <HI>Con&s;cience,</HI> incon&s;i&s;tent with our <HI>Chri&s;tian Liberty:</HI>
and the <HI>requiring</HI> it of us is not like to procure a <HI>ble&s;&s;ing</HI>
from Heaven to the Land, but to pull down the <HI>vials of Gods
vengeance</HI> upon it. If <HI>Tertullian</HI> could &s;ay, <HI>Non e&s;t Religionis
Religionem cogere,</HI> it is no religious act to force Religion:
we may <HI>&s;wear</HI> that &s;uch a <HI>con&s;trained Oath</HI> is no way accep|table
to God. Well it may be tearmed in <HI>our</HI> language a
<HI>League</HI> or <HI>Covenant:</HI> but in the <HI>language of Canaan</HI> it is not
&s;o. For <HI>Berith,</HI> a <HI>Covenant,</HI> comes from <HI>Bara,</HI> which &s;igni|fieth
<HI>eligere,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Buxtorfius;</HI> that is, <HI>to chu&s;e.</HI> Neither is it
any <HI>act of vertue</HI> in <HI>Ari&s;totles</HI> School: for <HI>virtus e&s;t habitus
electivus;</HI> a habit whereby we exerci&s;e our <HI>free choice.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="8"> None ought to &s;wear to that he <HI>knoweth not;</HI> for an <HI>oath</HI>
mu&s;t be taken in <HI>judgement, truth,</HI> and <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> Jer. 4 2.
A man cannot &s;wear in <HI>judgement,</HI> or <HI>judiciou&s;ly,</HI> who <HI>know|eth
not</HI> that to be <HI>true</HI> in an <HI>a&s;&s;ertory Oath;</HI> and <HI>hone&s;t</HI> and
<HI>righteous</HI> in a <HI>promi&s;&s;ary;</HI> which he &s;weareth unto. For if
that be <HI>fal&s;e</HI> to which he <HI>&s;weareth,</HI> he is <HI>perjured:</HI> and if it
be a <HI>di&s;hone&s;t</HI> thing which he promi&s;eth to do, he is <HI>unrighte|ous.</HI>
Be&s;ides, it is great precipitancy and <HI>ra&s;hne&s;s,</HI> to enter
into a Covenant <HI>blind-folded,</HI> and to <HI>&s;wear</HI> to maintain that
we <HI>under&s;tand not.</HI></P>
<P>But the &s;ubjects of <HI>England</HI> (at lea&s;t for the major part)
<HI>know not</HI> what the <HI>Scotch Di&s;cipline, Government,</HI> or <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI>
is: which notwith&s;tanding by this <HI>Covenant</HI> they are
bound to <HI>pre&s;erve,</HI> even with the <HI>hazard</HI> of their <HI>fortunes and
lives.</HI></P>
<Q><P>We do not &s;wear to <HI>ob&s;erve</HI> that Di&s;cipline,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Cove|nanters an|&s;wer.</NOTE> but to <HI>pre|&s;erve</HI>
it; I may <HI>pre&s;erve</HI> that which in point of con&s;cience I
cannot <HI>ob&s;erve,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mr. <HI>Ca&s;e</HI> &s;erm. <HI>p. 42. Ch.</HI> 10. 28.</NOTE> or at lea&s;t not &s;wear to <HI>ob&s;erve.</HI></P>
<P>The wives, &s;ons, and daughters in <HI>Nehemiah</HI>'s time took
a Covenant; who yet knew not in particular what that
<PB N="27" REF="21">
Covenant did bind them to.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mr. <HI>White</HI> in a Sermon at <HI>Lambeth.</HI></NOTE> Students in the Univer&s;i|ty
take an Oath to ob&s;erve the Statutes; Apprentices in
<HI>London</HI> to maintain the priviledges of the City; and all
of us in our late Prote&s;tation, the Liberty of the Subject;
and yet neither Scholars, nor Apprentices, nor we, know
in particular all the Statutes, and priviledges we &s;wear to
ob&s;erve and defend.</P></Q>
<P>The&s;e An&s;wers yield no <HI>&s;tay</HI> at all to <HI>&s;upport</HI> a <HI>weak</HI>
and doubting <HI>con&s;cience:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Reply 1.</NOTE> for &s;uch as our <HI>Oath</HI> is, &s;uch mu&s;t
be our <HI>knowledge:</HI> what we &s;wear to in <HI>general,</HI> we mu&s;t
know in <HI>general;</HI> whatwe &s;wear to in <HI>particular,</HI> we mu&s;t
know in <HI>particular.</HI> But in this <HI>Covenant</HI> we are &s;worn to
<HI>pre&s;erve the reformed Religion in</HI> Scotland, not only in <HI>gene|ral,</HI>
&s;o far as it is <HI>Protestaut;</HI> but in the <HI>particulars</HI> there|named
<HI>Doctrine, Di&s;cipline, Government,</HI> and <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI>
which we cannot do, if we know not what they are,
unle&s;s (as the Papi&s;ts believe, &s;o we &s;wear) <HI>fide impli|cit&acirc;.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Mr.  <HI>Ca&s;e</HI> gives us a Rhetorical <HI>Agnomination</HI> for a Logi|cal
<HI>Solution;</HI> a <HI>Jingle</HI> for a <HI>Di&s;tinction.</HI> It is true, that to
<HI>pre&s;erve</HI> and <HI>ob&s;erve</HI> is not all one. A thief that <HI>ob&s;erves</HI> a
<HI>Port-manteau</HI> or a <HI>cap-ca&s;e,</HI> behind a Traveller, doth not in|tend
to <HI>pre&s;erve</HI> it for him: yet as a man cannot <HI>ob&s;erve</HI> that
he <HI>&s;ees not;</HI> &s;o he cannot in <HI>judgement</HI> &s;wear to <HI>pre&s;erve</HI> what
he knows not.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> The wives,  &s;ons and daughters in <HI>Nehemiahs</HI> time, who
entered into that <HI>Covenant,</HI> knew in particular what it was;
namely, to put <HI>away their &s;trange wives:</HI> and the Text &s;aith
expre&s;&s;ely,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ch. 10. 28.</NOTE> that <HI>none</HI> took the <HI>Covenant,</HI> but <HI>&s;uch as under&s;tood
it:</HI> and therefore I confe&s;s I <HI>under&s;tand</HI> not how this example
is to the purpo&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> The ca&s;e is far different between the <HI>Statute</HI> Liberties of
this Kingdom,  and the <HI>Di&s;cipline</HI> and Government of ano|ther
Kingdom: Our Statute <HI>Liberties</HI> and <HI>Priviledges</HI> are
<PB N="28" REF="22">
in continual u&s;e; we <HI>know</HI> mo&s;t of them: and concerning
tho&s;e we <HI>know not,</HI> we may ea&s;ily inform our &s;elves out of
the Books of Statutes, and Records. But for the <HI>Scotch Go|vernment</HI>
of the <HI>Church</HI> and <HI>Liturgie,</HI> not one of a hundred
among the <HI>learned,</HI> nor one of a thou&s;and of the <HI>illiterate</HI>
vulgar, are in&s;tructed <HI>in it;</HI> neither can we know certainly
where to find it. For the <HI>Scotch</HI> have no Book of <HI>Canons,</HI>
or &s;et Form of <HI>Prayer</HI> ordered by their <HI>Church,</HI> and ratified
at this day by the <HI>Royal a&s;&s;ent,</HI> as we have</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5"> I cannot conceive any rea&s;on why the <HI>Subjects</HI> of <HI>Eng|land</HI>
&s;hould be bound by <HI>Oath</HI> to <HI>pre&s;erve the Di&s;cipline and
Liturgy of</HI> Scotland;  whereas the Subjects of <HI>Scotland</HI> are
not at all <HI>bound,</HI> nor to be <HI>bound,</HI> to pre&s;erve the <HI>Di&s;cipline</HI>
and <HI>Liturgy</HI> of the Church of <HI>England.</HI></P>
<P>It &s;eems altogether <HI>unrea&s;onable</HI> that we of <HI>this Realm</HI>
&s;hould be bound by <HI>Oath</HI> to pre&s;erve that <HI>Government</HI> and
<HI><MILESTONE N="6"> Form of Wor&s;hip</HI> in <HI>Scotland,</HI>  which <HI>Scotch</HI> them&s;elves are
not nece&s;&s;arily bound to ob&s;erve: For they have often, and
may &s;till, change it at their plea&s;ure. In the 18. year of <HI>Queen
Elizabeths</HI> reign, they conformed to the <HI>Church</HI> of <HI>England;</HI>
as <HI>Buchanan</HI> relateth in his <HI>Scotch</HI> &s;tory: after they conformed
to the Church of <HI>Geneva:</HI> upon which occa&s;ion <HI>Bancroft</HI> wrote
the Book entituled <HI>Engli&s;h-Scottizing and Scotti&s;h-Genevating.</HI>
In <HI>King James</HI> his Reign (<HI>of ble&s;&s;ed memory</HI>) they returned
in part to the <HI>Engli&s;h Form</HI> of <HI>Government:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">See the A&s;&s;em|bly at <HI>Perth.</HI></NOTE> but &s;ince of
late to the <HI>French.</HI> To <HI>&s;wear</HI> then to <HI>pre&s;erve them in their
Di&s;cipline, Government, and Wor&s;hip,</HI> is to <HI>&s;wear</HI> to keep a
<HI>Camaelion</HI> in one colour, which changeth colour every
hour.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="9"> No <HI>Engli&s;h man</HI> ought to enter into a <HI>Covenant</HI> which is
<HI>derogatory</HI> to the <HI>honour</HI> of the <HI>Church</HI> and <HI>Kingdom</HI> of <HI>Eng|land.</HI>
For he de&s;erves not to enjoy the &s;ingular <HI>priviledges</HI> and
commodities of this <HI>Land,</HI> nor &s;o much as <HI>breathe Engli&s;h air,</HI>
who will not &s;tand up for the honour of this Nation.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cic. off.</NOTE> <HI>Omnes
omnium charitutes patria complectitur.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="29" REF="22">
But this <HI>Covenant</HI> is many wayes <HI>derogatory</HI> to the <HI>honour</HI>
of <HI>England.</HI> For the Church of <HI>Scotland</HI> is not only <HI>&s;et be|fore</HI>
the Church of <HI>England</HI> in it; but is al&s;o propounded as
a <HI>pattern</HI> of a Church intirely <HI>reformed,</HI> not only in <HI>Do|ctrine,</HI>
but in <HI>Di&s;cipline</HI> al&s;o and <HI>Wor&s;hip;</HI> and there|fore
to be pre&s;erved in all three: But the Church of
<HI>England</HI> as an imperfect <HI>draught</HI> of a Church <HI>defective</HI> in
all; and con&s;equently to be <HI>reformed</HI> in all, according to
Gods Word, and the pattern of other reformed Churches:
whereas in truth the <HI>Church</HI> of <HI>England,</HI> as it was reformed
before the Church of <HI>Scotland;</HI> &s;o it was more <HI>exactly</HI> and
<HI>perfectly Reformed (pri&ugrave;s tempore, dic &amp; honore.</HI>) And no mar|vel;
&s;ith the Church of <HI>England</HI> was <HI>reformed</HI> by the au|thority
of the <HI>Prince,</HI> and the wi&s;dom of the <HI>State:</HI>
but the Church of <HI>Scotland</HI> by the zeal of <HI>private men.</HI>
The Church of <HI>England</HI> was reformed not only in <HI>D<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">ctrine,</HI>
but al&s;o in <HI>Di&s;cipline</HI> and <HI>Liturgy,</HI> conformably to the anci|ent
and be&s;t Churches: whereas the Church of <HI>Stotland,</HI>
though it imbraced Apo&s;tolical <HI>doctrine,</HI> yet it had not the
exerci&s;e of Apo&s;tolical <HI>di&s;cipline</HI> &s;ince the Reformation, till
King <HI>James</HI> of ble&s;&s;ed memory re&s;tored <HI>Epi&s;copal Govern|ment</HI>
there: where (they before writing after the copie &s;et by
<HI>Calvin</HI>) they had &s;et up the <HI>Presbytery,</HI> or government by
<HI>Lay Elders,</HI> unknown to any <HI>Elder age</HI> of the Church. But
how&s;oever the <HI>glory</HI> of the <HI>Engli&s;h Church</HI> of late hath been
<HI>eclip&s;ed</HI> in the eyes of many; yet by the te&s;timonies of the
be&s;t <HI>Reformed Churches</HI> beyond the Seas, in the Reign of Qu:
<HI>Elizabeth</HI> and King <HI>James,</HI> it may appear, that &s;he <HI>&s;hined</HI>
among all the <HI>Golden Candle&s;ticks</HI> &s;et in the We&s;tern and
Northern parts of Chri&s;tendom, <HI>velut inter<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">ignes Luna mi|nores.</HI>
She <HI>&s;upported</HI> all other <HI>Reformed Churches;</HI> and the
Church of <HI>Scotland</HI> by name; as their own Chronicles relate:
And how&s;oever &s;ome thing hath been que&s;tioned in the
<HI>Di&s;cipline</HI> and <HI>Liturgie</HI> of the Church of <HI>England</HI> by the
Scholars of <HI>Aerius</HI> the Heretick, oppo&s;ing all <HI>Eccle|&s;ia&s;tical
Hierarchy</HI> and <HI>Liturgie:</HI> yet the <HI>doctrine</HI> of the
Church of <HI>England</HI> hath been alwayes kept <HI>&s;arta
tecta;</HI> and held <HI>&s;ound</HI> and <HI>Orthodox</HI> by all that carryed the
<PB N="30" REF="23">
name of <HI>Prote&s;tants:</HI> and the <HI>Articles</HI> of <HI>Religion,</HI> together
with the <HI>Apology</HI> of Bi&s;hop <HI>Jewell,</HI> (wherein the whole Do|ctrine
of the Church of <HI>England,</HI> is compri&s;ed) are in&s;er|ted
into the <HI>harmony</HI> of <HI>Prote&s;tant Confe&s;&s;ions;</HI> and approved
by the &s;uffrage of all Orthodox Churches. To &s;wear
<Q>therefore to endeavour the <HI>reforming</HI> of the Church of
<HI>England</HI> in <HI>Doctrine,</HI> according to the Word of God,</Q> is
either to &s;wear <HI>actum agere,</HI> to do that which is done al|ready,
and &s;o to &s;wear <HI>vainly:</HI> or to &s;wear to <HI>pervert it,</HI> it
being &s;traight already; which is to &s;wear <HI>impiou&s;ly.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="10"> No &s;olemn <HI>Covenant</HI> (e&s;pecially confirmed by millions
of Oaths between two Kingdomes) ought to be made
without <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> and <HI>urgent</HI> occa&s;ion: for otherwi&s;e in &s;uch
a <HI>&s;olemn</HI> and <HI>publick manner</HI> to call God as it were from
heaven to atte&s;t with us, would be a <HI>taking of his Name in
vain.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Era&s;. Adag. <GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> Such <HI>Covenanting</HI> is like the ca&s;ting the <HI>holy anchor</HI>
among the <HI>Athenians,</HI> and the creating a <HI>Dictator</HI> among
the <HI>Romans;</HI> never to be acted or attempted, but in &s;ome
great <HI>exigent</HI> of &s;tate, to pre&s;erve it from imminent ruine
and de&s;truction.</P>
<P>But there is no &s;uch nece&s;&s;ity at this time of <HI>engaging</HI> both
Kingdoms, and <HI>locking</HI> them fa&s;t in &s;uch a <HI>League:</HI> for the
<HI>Popi&s;h party</HI> is at a <HI>lower ebb</HI> now in <HI>England</HI> then it hath
been heretofore; and his <HI>Maje&s;ty</HI> hath bound him&s;elf by
many <HI>Oaths</HI> (even &s;igned with the blood of his Redeemer
at the holy <HI>Communion,</HI>) to maintain the <HI>Prote&s;tant Religion;</HI>
and not only to <HI>enliven</HI> the Acts formerly made again&s;t <HI>Se|minary
Prie&s;ts, Je&s;uits,</HI> and <HI>Popi&s;h Recu&s;ants;</HI> but al&s;o to
give his <HI>royall A&s;&s;ent</HI> to any &s;uch <HI>further Acts</HI> as the wi&s;dom
of the <HI>Parliament</HI> and <HI>State</HI> &s;hould offer unto him, for the
advancement of the <HI>Prote&s;tant,</HI> and &s;uppre&s;&s;ing of the <HI>Romi&s;h
Religion.</HI> And as for the <HI>Priviledges of Parliament,</HI> and <HI>Liber|ties
of the Subject,</HI> there needs no entring into this <HI>New
League</HI> for their ratification and confirmation. For they
are &s;ufficiently e&s;tabli&s;hed by <HI>former Acts</HI> of Parliament un|repealed,
and by the late <HI>Prote&s;tation</HI> generally made by all
the Subjects of this Kingdom, <HI>May</HI> 5. 1641. The Rea&s;ons
<PB N="31" REF="23">
alleadged in the <HI>preface</HI> of the <HI>Covenant</HI> have &s;carce any
<HI>colour</HI> of <HI>truth;</HI> and not &s;o much as a <HI>&s;hadow</HI> of <HI>nece&s;|&s;ity.</HI></P>
<Q><P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;."> The fir&s;t is,   That other means of Supplications, Re|mon&s;trances,
Prote&s;tations, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> have proved uneffectual:
and therefore no remedy for a de&s;perate cure, but this
uniting of minds and &s;words with the &s;tronge&s;t tie of a
<HI>National Covenant.</HI></P></Q>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> Whereunto I an&s;wer,   That to all tho&s;e <HI>Supplications,
Remon&s;trances,</HI> and <HI>Prote&s;tations</HI> his Maje&s;ty hath given gra|cious
an&s;wers; and hath often heretofore, and of late, of|fered
honorable conditions of Peace; which have been re|fu&s;ed.</P>
<Q><P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Rea&s;."> The &s;econd is,   That for the pre&s;ervation of them&s;elves,
and their Religion, from utter ruine and de&s;truction, they
were con&s;trained to make this <HI>League.</HI></P></Q>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> Whereunto I an&s;wer,   That <HI>Religion</HI> and the <HI>Church</HI> are
in danger of <HI>ruine</HI> and <HI>de&s;truction,</HI> as well by the <HI>Anabapti&s;ts,
Browni&s;ts,</HI> and other <HI>Sectaries</HI> (who take this <HI>Covenant,</HI> and
have grown mo&s;t in&s;olent upon this <HI>new League,</HI>) as by
the <HI>Papi&s;ts:</HI> and that the greate&s;t fear of utterly <HI>ruining</HI>
and <HI>de&s;troying</HI> this <HI>Kingdom,</HI> is from the continuance of this
Civill and unnatural <HI>War,</HI> which is fomented by it.</P>
<Q><P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Rea&s;."> The third is,   The commendable practi&s;e of the&s;e
Kingdoms in former times.</P></Q>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> In this rea&s;on they plead <HI>Ob&s;ignatis tabulis;</HI>   they avouch
that which never hath been, nor can be produced; and the
contrary hath been proved before.</P>
<Q><P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Rea&s;."> The la&s;t rea&s;on is,   The example of Gods people in other
Nations.</P></Q>
<P><PB N="32" REF="24">
Whom they mean by the&s;e <HI>other Nations</HI> is expre&s;&s;ed in
the <HI>exhortation</HI> to the taking of this <HI>Solemn League and
Covenant,</HI> p. 5. namely, the <HI>Netherlands</HI> and <HI>Rochellers.</HI> But
as he in <HI>Plato</HI>'s Dialogue &s;aid, <HI>Exemplum &ocirc; holpes eget exemplo;</HI>
&s;o we may &s;ay of the&s;e, the&s;e are <HI>examples without example:</HI>
late <HI>practi&s;es</HI> in <HI>our age</HI> and <HI>memory,</HI> without any <HI>Precedent</HI> in
<HI>former ages</HI> and the <HI>be&s;t times</HI> of the <HI>Church.</HI> Neither yet are
they parallel to this: For the King of <HI>Spain</HI> (again&s;t whom
the <HI>Netherlands</HI>) and the <HI>French</HI> King (again&s;t whom the
<HI>Rochellers</HI> entred into a <HI>League</HI> Defen&s;ive and Offen&s;ive
with us) were <HI>per&s;ecuters</HI> of the true <HI>Prote&s;tant Religion,</HI>
and <HI>oppre&s;&s;ors</HI> of their known <HI>Liberty:</HI> whereas our <HI>gracious
Soveraign</HI> is a <HI>Profe&s;&s;or</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pell,</HI> and a <HI>Defender</HI> of the
<HI>Orthodox Prote&s;tant Faith,</HI> and a <HI>maintainer</HI> of the <HI>Priviledges</HI>
of <HI>Parliament,</HI> and <HI>Liberties</HI> of <HI>Subjects:</HI> as appeareth by his
Royal A&s;&s;ent to the <HI>Petition of Right.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="11"> Every one that <HI>&s;weareth,</HI> mu&s;t have an eye to the <HI>conditi|ons</HI>
of a <HI>&s;acred Oath</HI> &s;et down by the Prophet <HI>Jerem.</HI> 4. 2.
He mu&s;t &s;wear in <HI>truth, judgement,</HI> and <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;s;</HI> in
<HI>truth</HI> not fal&s;ly, in <HI>judgement</HI> not ra&s;hly, in <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> not
wickedly.</P>
<P>But no man can take this Oath in <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;s:</HI> for not
only <HI>Scripture,</HI> but even <HI>Nature</HI> teacheth every man, That it
is an <HI>unrighteous</HI> thing, if not <HI>impious</HI> and <HI>&s;acrilegious,</HI> to
di&s;anul, abrogate, and overthrow the la&s;t <HI>Wils</HI> and <HI>Te&s;ta|ments</HI>
of all the <HI>Founders</HI> of, and <HI>Benefactors</HI> to <HI>Bi&s;hopricks,
Deanaries,</HI> and <HI>Cathedral</HI> and <HI>Collegiate Churches;</HI> and to
<HI>alienate</HI> their <HI>revenues</HI> to another end then they intended;
e&s;pecially tho&s;e <HI>lands</HI> being <HI>dedicated</HI> to <HI>God;</HI> and that for
the <HI>maintenance</HI> of his <HI>true wor&s;hip,</HI> and not any <HI>&s;uper&s;titious</HI>
end. It is an unju&s;t thing to <HI>thru&s;t out</HI> a world of men
without any <HI>crime,</HI> or legal <HI>forfeiture,</HI> out of their <HI>dignities,
preferments,</HI> and <HI>E&s;tates,</HI> whereof they and their predece&s;&s;ors
have been <HI>legally po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed</HI> time out of mind. I appeal to
their own con&s;ciences, whether a man might <HI>lawfully
&s;wear</HI> to endeavour the <HI>extirpation</HI> of all the <HI>Judges</HI> of the
<PB N="33" REF="24">
Kings Bench, and Common Pleas, <HI>Barons</HI> of the Exchequer,
<HI>Serjeants</HI> at Law, <HI>Coun&s;ellours, Barre&s;tors,</HI> and <HI>Atturneys:</HI> or
of all <HI>Maiors, Sheriffs, Aldermen, Common-councel men, Ma|&s;ters</HI>
and <HI>Wardens</HI> of <HI>Companies, Sword bearers, Officers</HI> and
<HI>Beadles.</HI> I am &s;ure &s;uch an <HI>Oath</HI> were <HI>Votum devovendum,</HI>
and <HI>faedus faedum;</HI> not only an <HI>illegall,</HI> but a <HI>dete&s;tible</HI> and
<HI>execrable Oath.</HI> <MILESTONE UNIT="Obj."> And what can they alleadg to difference
<HI>this</HI> from <HI>&s;uch a one?</HI> If they &s;ay, <HI>Lord Bi&s;hops, Deans, Arch-deacons,</HI>
&amp;c. are no where mentioned in <HI>Scripture:</HI> no more
is there of <HI>Lord Maiors,</HI>or <HI>Lord chief Barons,</HI> &amp;c. <MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> Yea but
<HI>Magi&s;trates</HI> and <HI>Judges</HI> are named; though not with &s;uch
honorable titles. So are <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> and <HI>Deacons:</HI> and there is
as great a nece&s;&s;ity of <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Magi&s;trates,</HI> as <HI>civill;</HI>
of order in the <HI>Church,</HI> as in the <HI>City</HI> and <HI>State:</HI> of &s;ome
<HI>preferments</HI> and <HI>encouragements</HI> for <HI>Clergy men,</HI> and <HI>Civilians,</HI>
as for <HI>Common Lawyers.</HI> As this <HI>Oath</HI> cannot be taken in
<HI>righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> &s;o neither in <HI>judgement:</HI> for who can <HI>judiciou&s;ly
&s;wear</HI> to <HI>pre&s;erve the Doctrine, Di&s;cipline,</HI> and <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> of a
Nation, which he <HI>knoweth not?</HI> How can he &s;wear in <HI>truth</HI>
that he will indeavour to <HI>Reform the Doctrine</HI> of the <HI>Church
of England</HI> according to Gods Word, which he <HI>knoweth</HI> and
hath <HI>acknowledged</HI> in his former <HI>Prote&s;tation,</HI> and &s;ub&s;cribed
to the <HI>Articles</HI> of Religion, to be (as it is) <HI>conformable</HI> there-unto.
But the&s;e rea&s;ons have been touched before, and the
Readers &s;tomachis like to loath <HI>Cramben his coctam.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="12"> No <HI>Oath</HI> ought to be taken, or <HI>Covenant</HI> entred into, which 
is <HI>repugnant</HI> to the ju&s;t and whole&s;ome <HI>Laws</HI> of the <HI>King|dom</HI>
now in force. For to take &s;uch an Oath, is to <HI>&s;wear to
&s;in,</HI> and con&s;equently to <HI>&s;in</HI> in <HI>&s;wearing;</HI> unle&s;s they can make
<HI>di&s;obedience to the Laws</HI> of the land <HI>no &s;in.</HI></P>
<P>But this <HI>Covenant</HI> is <HI>repugnant</HI> to many <HI>Laws</HI> of <HI>England;</HI>
namely all tho&s;e Statutes and Acts of Parliament whereby
<HI>Epi&s;copal Government</HI> and <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Courts</HI> are e&s;tabli&s;hed
and regulated.</P>
<P><PB N="34" REF="25">
To this Argument it is an&s;wered by tho&s;e who have a<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Covenan|ters an&s;wer.</NOTE>
hand in pulling down that <HI>&s;acred order</HI> that hath <HI>laid holy hands</HI>
upon <HI>them:</HI></P>
<Q><P>That the Acts of Parliament are not like the Laws of
<HI>Medes</HI> and <HI>Per&s;ians,</HI> that cannot be altered: and in par|ticular
that all the former Acts pa&s;&s;ed in favour of <HI>Epi|&s;copacy,</HI>
are vertually <HI>repealed</HI> by that Ordinance of both
Hou&s;es, wherein it is re&s;olved, That <HI>Epi&s;copal Government</HI>
&s;hall be cut off <HI>root and branch.</HI></P></Q>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Reply"> But neither is this an&s;wer any way <HI>&s;atisfactory,</HI> nor better
then their former. For fir&s;t, The <HI>re&s;olution</HI> to make an <HI>Act</HI> is
not the <HI>enacting a Law.</HI> Many things may fall out between
&s;uch a <HI>Re&s;olution</HI> and the <HI>Execution</HI> thereof: in which <HI>interim</HI>
they who take this <HI>New Oath</HI> may ab&s;olutely <HI>for&s;wear</HI>
them&s;elves in breaking the <HI>Oath</HI> of <HI>Canonical obedience</HI> to
Bi&s;hops <HI>yet</HI> in being.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Though <HI>both Hou&s;es</HI> &s;hould concur to make &s;uch an <HI>Act</HI>
for the <HI>utter aboli&s;hing of Epi&s;copacy;</HI> yet till the <HI>Royal A&s;&s;ent</HI>
were gained thereunto, &s;uch an <HI>Ordinance</HI> could never be
<HI>improved</HI> to an <HI>Act of Parliament;</HI> much le&s;&s;e of force to
<HI>Repeal</HI> many <HI>former Acts.</HI> For as neither the <HI>King</HI> with the
<HI>Commons</HI> without the <HI>Peers,</HI> nor the <HI>King</HI> and <HI>Peers</HI> without
the <HI>Commons:</HI> &s;o neither the <HI>Peers</HI> and <HI>Commons</HI> without
the <HI>King</HI> can Make or Repeal any <HI>Act</HI> made by the Three
E&s;tates. For that which is <HI>E&s;tabli&s;hed</HI> by <HI>Authority,</HI> mu&s;t be
<HI>abrogated</HI> by <HI>equal Authority;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Era&s; Adag. de tripode dictum.</NOTE> and the concurrence of the
<HI>Three E&s;tates</HI> in their Votes is that golden <HI>tripos,</HI> out of
which we are to hear the Soveraign and authentical <HI>Oracles</HI>
of the <HI>Law.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="13"><HI>Contrary Oaths</HI> and <HI>Prote&s;tations</HI> may not be taken: for
they de&s;troy one the other; and he that taketh them is
like the <HI>Satyre</HI> in the Poet, who out of the &s;ame mouth
bloweth <HI>hot and cold.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jam. 3. 11.</NOTE> <HI>Can the fountain, &s;aith</HI> St. <HI>James, out of the
&s;ame place &s;end out &s;weet and bitter waters?</HI></P>
<P><PB N="35" REF="25">
But this <HI>new Covenant</HI> and <HI>Prote&s;tation</HI> is <HI>contrary</HI> to that
which was taken by both Hou&s;es, and all the Subjects of
this Kingdom, <HI>May</HI> 5. 1641. For in <HI>that</HI> we &s;wear to <HI>main|tain</HI>
the <HI>Priviledges of Parliament</HI> and <HI>Liberties of the Subject:</HI>
(and no man doubteth but <HI>Bi&s;hops, Deans, &amp;c.</HI> are <HI>Subjects;</HI>
and their <HI>liberties</HI> and <HI>priviledges</HI> are expre&s;ly mentioned
both in <HI>Charta Magna,</HI> and the <HI>Petition of Right:</HI>) But in
<HI>this</HI> we <HI>abjure</HI> all <HI>Prelacy;</HI> that is, <HI>Government by Archbi&s;hops,
Bi&s;hops, Deans, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="14"> No man ought to <HI>&s;ollicit</HI> (much le&s;&s;e <HI>inforce</HI> upon <HI>penal|ties</HI>)
any of the <HI>Clergy</HI> to take an <HI>Oath</HI> contrary to the 
<HI>Oaths</HI> they have formerly taken, both in their <HI>ordination,</HI>
and <HI>in&s;titution</HI> and <HI>induction</HI> into their Benefices; namely
the <HI>Oath</HI> of <HI>Canonical obedience</HI> to their <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI> and of
the Defence and Maintenance of the Priviledges of their
<HI>Sees.</HI></P>
<P>But &s;uch is the <HI>Oath</HI> compri&s;ed in this <HI>New Covenant:</HI>
Therefore it can in no wi&s;e be taken; at lea&s;t by any
<HI>Clergy,</HI> and <HI>Beneficed</HI> men.</P>
<Q><P>As for the&s;e <HI>Clergy men</HI> who pretend that <HI>they</HI> above
all others cannot <HI>Covenant</HI> to <HI>extirpate that Government,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The Covenan|ters an&s;wer.</NOTE>
becau&s;e they have (as they &s;ay) taken an <HI>Oath</HI> to <HI>obey</HI> the
<HI>Bi&s;hops in licitis &amp; hone&s;tis:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">See exhortation to the taking of the Solemn League, <HI>p.</HI> 4.</NOTE> they can tell, if they plea&s;e,
that they that have <HI>&s;worn obedience</HI> to the <HI>Laws</HI> of the
Land, are not thereby prohibited from <HI>indeavouring</HI> by
all lawful means the <HI>abolition</HI> of tho&s;e <HI>Laws,</HI> when they
prove <HI>inconvenient,</HI> and <HI>mi&s;chievous.</HI> And if yet there &s;hould
any <HI>Oath</HI> be found into which any <HI>Mini&s;ters,</HI> or others,
have entered, not <HI>warranted</HI> by the Laws of <HI>God,</HI> and the
Land: in this ca&s;e they mu&s;t teach them&s;elves, and others,
to call for <HI>Repentance;</HI> not <HI>pertinacy</HI> in them.</P></Q>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Reply"> No man <HI>ab&s;olutely</HI> &s;weareth <HI>obedience</HI> to the Laws of the
Land <HI>actively</HI> (for then every <HI>di&s;obedience</HI> to the Laws of
the Land &s;hould be <HI>perjury</HI>); but <HI>actively</HI> or <HI>pa&s;&s;ively;</HI> that
is, either to <HI>do</HI> that which is commanded by the Law, or pa|tiently
<PB N="36" REF="26">
to <HI>&s;ubmit</HI> to the <HI>penalty</HI> thereof. Which <HI>Oath</HI> not|with&s;tanding,
any Member of <HI>Parliament</HI> may move for the
abrogation of &s;uch a Law.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> I grant that, notwith&s;tanding any ingagement by former
<HI>Oath,</HI> a <HI>Member</HI> of the <HI>Parliament</HI> may move to have a
Bill preferred for the <HI>abolition</HI> of a <HI>Law;</HI> in ca&s;e it hath
proved <HI>inconvenient</HI> and <HI>mi&s;chievous.</HI> But &s;uch are not the
<HI>Laws</HI> by which <HI>Epi&s;copacy</HI> is <HI>e&s;tabi&s;hed,</HI> and &s;piritual <HI>Courts
regulated</HI> All the <HI>inconveniency</HI> and <HI>mi&s;chief</HI> in the <HI>Church</HI>
hath grown from the <HI>corrupt</HI> and <HI>ill execution</HI> of the <HI>Laws;</HI>
which may be removed by a <HI>Reformation</HI> of the <HI>Bi|&s;hops,</HI>
and inferiour <HI>Officers,</HI> without any change of the
<HI>Law.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> No man is prohibited from <HI>indeavouring</HI> the <HI>abolition</HI>
of any <HI>Law,</HI>by <HI>lawful</HI> means. But this entring into <HI>Co|venant,</HI>
and <HI>&s;wearing</HI> the <HI>extirpation</HI> of <HI>Bi&s;hops them&s;elves,</HI>
and <HI>abrogation</HI> of the <HI>Laws</HI> made in <HI>favour of them,</HI> without
and again&s;t the <HI>Kings Command,</HI> will never be proved a <HI>law|full
means</HI> of <HI>alteration</HI> of <HI>Laws,</HI> either by the Law of <HI>God,</HI>
or the <HI>Land.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> Whereas they <HI>li&s;pe,</HI>  but dare not <HI>&s;peak out,</HI> That the
<HI>Oaths</HI> which <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> take at their <HI>Ordination</HI> and <HI>In&s;ti|tution</HI>
are <HI>unlawful,</HI> and <HI>call for Repentance:</HI> I demand of
them, Whether they are yet unre&s;olved concerning the
<HI>unlawfulne&s;s</HI> of their Oaths taken at their <HI>Ordination?</HI> If
they are <HI>not re&s;olved,</HI> will they take a <HI>contrary Oath,</HI> and &s;o
run the hazard of <HI>Perjury?</HI> If their belief of the <HI>lawful|ne&s;s</HI>
of <HI>that Oath</HI> be pendulous and wavering; &s;o mu&s;t
needs be their belief of the <HI>lawfulne&s;s</HI> of their <HI>Ordinati|on,</HI>
and entring into the Mini&s;tery. For they <HI>hang both</HI>
upon the <HI>&s;ame &s;tring:</HI> if the one <HI>&s;lip,</HI> the other <HI>fals</HI>
down to the ground. Have they not <HI>&s;ub&s;cribed</HI> the <HI>Ar|ticles
of Religion,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Article 36.</NOTE> whereof one is, <HI>The ju&s;tification of the
forme of Con&s;ecration of Archbi&s;hops,</HI> and <HI>Bi&s;hops;</HI> and of
<HI>the Ordination of Prie&s;ts, and Deacons.</HI> Is it not an expre&s;&s;e
<PB N="37" REF="26">
<HI>Canon</HI> of the <HI>Apo&s;tle,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 13. 7.</NOTE> <HI>Obey them that have over&s;ight of you
in the Lord?</HI> and is there any <HI>colour</HI> of <HI>pretence</HI> to que&s;tion
the lawfulne&s;s of <HI>obeying</HI> them <HI>in
licitis &amp; hone&s;tis,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The Ordering of Prie&s;ts.</NOTE> that is, in things
lawful and hone&s;t? Let us hear
what they can&s;ay to this <HI>Dilemma.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> Will you reverently obey your Or|dinary, and other chief Mini&s;ters, unto whom the Government and Charge is committed over you, following with a glad minde and will their godly Admonitions, and &s;ubmitting your &s;elves to their godly judgements?</NOTE>
Either the form of <HI>Con&s;ecration</HI> of
Archbi&s;hops and Bi&s;hops, and <HI>Or|dination</HI>
of Prie&s;ts and Deacons,
confirmed together with the <HI>Ar|ticles
of Religion</HI> by Act of Parlia|ment,
is a <HI>lawful</HI> form,<NOTE PLACE="marg">An&s;w. <HI>I will &s;o do,</HI> the Lord being my helper.</NOTE> and agreable
to <HI>Gods word;</HI> or not. If <HI>lawful</HI> and
<HI>agreable</HI> to <HI>Scripture,</HI> then the <HI>Oath</HI>
they take at their <HI>Ordination</HI> to <HI>Obey their ordinary, and &s;ub|mit
to his godly Admonitions and ju&s;t Cen&s;ures, God being their
helper,</HI> bindeth their con&s;cience from taking <HI>this,</HI> in which
they vow their utter <HI>extirpation.</HI> If it be an <HI>unlawful</HI> form,
and <HI>repugnant</HI> to holy <HI>Scriptures,</HI> then no <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> or <HI>Mini|&s;ters</HI>
have been <HI>lawfully made,</HI> or by a lawful form, &s;ince the
fir&s;t <HI>Reformation</HI> in <HI>England:</HI> which to aver were to ca&s;t
&s;uch a fowl <HI>blurre</HI> upon the <HI>Church,</HI> as cannot be <HI>fetched</HI> out
with the <HI>tears,</HI> no nor with the <HI>bloud</HI> of tho&s;e who &s;o
&s;lander the <HI>Queen</HI> of all the <HI>reformed Churches.</HI></P>
<P>This <HI>Dilemma</HI> with the two <HI>horns</HI> of it, <HI>wounds</HI> them which
way &s;o ever they go.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1"> <HI>Some</HI> flie to an <HI>extraordinary Calling;</HI> but there they are 
&s;topt with a counter demand, <HI>viz.</HI> What <HI>miracles</HI> do they,
whereby they may prove their <HI>extraordinary Calling?</HI> for an
<HI>extraordinary Calling,</HI> mu&s;t be <HI>extraordinarily proved.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> <HI>Others</HI> &s;ay, <Q>That Oath was <HI>tyrannically</HI> impo&s;ed up|on 
them by the <HI>Bi&s;hops;</HI> and therefore bindeth not their
<HI>Con&s;cience.</HI></Q></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1"> But they cannot e&s;cape this way neither:  for <HI>Oaths</HI> im|po&s;ed
by a <HI>lawful Authority,</HI> though <HI>tyrannically</HI> abu&s;ed,
<PB N="38" REF="27">
binde the con&s;cience, if the <HI>thing</HI> promi&s;ed be <HI>lawful;</HI> not
becau&s;e &s;uch an Oath is <HI>impo&s;ed,</HI> but becau&s;e <HI>Gods name</HI> is
<HI>interpo&s;ed;</HI> by whom they ingage them&s;elves to the per|formance
of what they have &s;worn; &s;o it be not <HI>malum
in &s;e.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Be&s;ides,  it is not true that <HI>this Oath</HI> was impo&s;ed by
<HI>Bi&s;hops:</HI> for it was appointed by <HI>Act of Parliament,</HI> in which
the Articles are confirmed: neither are any Mini&s;ters <HI>infor|ced</HI>
to take <HI>Orders;</HI> but they <HI>offer</HI> them&s;elves to the <HI>Bi&s;hop,</HI>
and <HI>humbly de&s;ire him</HI> to lay his holy hands on them; and
<HI>freely</HI> and voluntarily &s;ubmit to the taking of this <HI>Oath</HI> of
<HI>Obedience</HI> to their <HI>Ordinary.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> A third &s;ort an&s;wer, <Q>That indeed they took the <HI>Oath</HI>
of <HI>Canonical obedience</HI> to their <HI>Bi&s;hops;</HI> but they have long
ago <HI>repented</HI> of &s;uch an <HI>Oath.</HI></Q></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1"> But the&s;e are <HI>cru&s;hed</HI> in their <HI>flight,</HI>  and driven to the <HI>wall.</HI>
For if they <HI>repent</HI> of that <HI>Oath</HI> taken at their <HI>Ordination,</HI>
they mu&s;t <HI>repent</HI> al&s;o of their <HI>Orders</HI> given them by <HI>Bi|&s;hops.</HI>
For their <HI>Orders</HI> were given them upon the un|dertaking
to <HI>perform</HI> that and other <HI>Conditions</HI> a&s;&s;ented to
by them, with this clau&s;e, <HI>&s;o God help me,</HI> or <HI>God being my
helper.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Again,  To <HI>repent</HI> of a <HI>lawful Oath</HI> taken (and &s;uch I have
proved it to be even now) is in plain <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> and down
right terms, To confe&s;&s;e them&s;eves <HI>perjured.</HI> And if &s;uch
an <HI>an&s;wer</HI> might pa&s;&s;e for <HI>currant,</HI> no <HI>Oath</HI> would be any
<HI>tie</HI> upon the <HI>con&s;cience:</HI> for they might &s;ay as the&s;e Mini|&s;ters
do, That they indeed <HI>took</HI> &s;uch an <HI>Oath;</HI> but they <HI>re|pent</HI>
the taking it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> A fourth &s;ort an&s;wer with &s;ome more <HI>colour</HI> of probabili|ty,
<Q>That the <HI>Oath</HI> made to <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> expired with them:
and that <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> now, if they are not <HI>dead,</HI> yet they are
<HI>dying,</HI> and breathing out their <HI>la&s;t ga&s;pe;</HI> for both Hou&s;es
have voted them down.</Q></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1"> But the&s;e <HI>Brethren</HI> &s;hould have weighed with them&s;elves, 
and <HI>communed with their own hearts,</HI> before they put their
<PB N="39" REF="27">
hands to this <HI>new Covenant,</HI> Whether the pre&s;ent <HI>Votes</HI> of both
<HI>hou&s;es</HI> can <HI>di&s;pen&s;e</HI> with a lawfull and &s;olemn <HI>Oath</HI> taken at
their <HI>Ordination,</HI> and &s;igned with <HI>Chri&s;ts bloud</HI> at the <HI>Communi|on;</HI>
which they immediately receive from the <HI>hands</HI> of the
<HI>Bi&s;hop,</HI> after he hath <HI>laid hands</HI> on them?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> 2. <HI>Dalo et non conce&s;&s;o,</HI>  granting that (in regard of tho&s;e
precedent <HI>votes,</HI> and this new <HI>Covenant</HI> taken by both <HI>Hou&s;es</HI>
for the extirpation of <HI>Epi&s;copacie,</HI>) Bi&s;hops might be &s;aid to be
<HI>dying:</HI> What then? doth this di&s;charge them of their <HI>Oath?</HI>
No more then it will a <HI>Wife</HI> for withdrawing her duty and
loyaltie from her <HI>Hu&s;band</HI> while he is a <HI>dying,</HI> and looking for
a good houre. The <HI>Ceremonial Law was dying</HI> as &s;oon as <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>
was <HI>born:</HI> yet till it was <HI>dead</HI> and <HI>buried</HI> too, both he and his
<HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> ob&s;erved it. Therefore till <HI>Epi&s;copacie</HI> is <HI>dead</HI> and <HI>bu|ried,</HI>
this Oath may not be lawfully taken by any <HI>ordained</HI> by
them. Nay nor <HI>then</HI> neither, by their leave: for how know
they whether it may not be <HI>revived</HI> and <HI>rai&s;ed up</HI> again by fu|ture
<HI>Acts of Parliament,</HI> in times as <HI>well affected</HI> to the <HI>Clergie</HI>
as the&s;e are <HI>ill?</HI> And if it be &s;o, the <HI>wounds of their Con&s;ciences
will bleed afre&s;h.</HI> No man can doubt but that <HI>Epi&s;copacie</HI> bet|ter
&s;orteth with <HI>Monarchie</HI> then <HI>Pre&s;bytery,</HI> or <HI>Independency;</HI>
and it is certain that <HI>Epi&s;copacie</HI> concurring with <HI>Royal Maje&s;ty,</HI>
and the Authority of the <HI>Peers,</HI> fir&s;t con&s;tituted <HI>Parliaments:</HI>
and it hath likewi&s;e been <HI>confirmed</HI> by <HI>Parliaments</HI> in all &s;uccee|ding
Ages. It is a <HI>plant</HI> which either <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> him&s;elf <HI>planted,</HI>
or his <HI>Apo&s;tles:</HI> as is demon&s;tratively proved in <HI>Bil&s;on</HI> his per|petuall
government of the Church; <HI>Downams</HI> an&s;wer to
<HI>Paul Bains;</HI> Dr. <HI>Reynolds</HI> his letter commented upon by the
Primate of <HI>Armagh;</HI> and Bi&s;hop <HI>Andrews</HI> his <HI>Opu&s;c.</HI> It <HI>&s;prung</HI>
up together with the <HI>go&s;pell</HI> in this Nation; and hath ever
&s;ince <HI>growne</HI> by it as a <HI>&s;uccour.</HI> They were <HI>Arch-bi&s;hops</HI> and <HI>Bi|&s;hops</HI>
who had a hand in <HI>platting</HI> the <HI>Garland</HI> of our <HI>peace</HI> and
<HI>&s;afety,</HI> by <HI>uniting</HI> fir&s;t the <HI>two Ro&s;es;</HI> and after adding the
<HI>thi&s;tle</HI> unto them. Nay they had the <HI>chief hands</HI> in <HI>planting</HI> the
<HI>reformed Religion</HI> in this <HI>Kingdome;</HI> and &s;ome of them <HI>watered</HI>
it with their <HI>bloud.</HI> If in this <HI>Covenant</HI> the <HI>Wow</HI> had been to
endeavour the removall of all <HI>Antichri&s;tian Prelates, Popi&s;h
Archbi&s;hops</HI> and <HI>Bi&s;hops, corrupt Chancellours, Arch-deacons</HI> and
<PB N="40" REF="28">
<HI>Officialls:</HI> that would have been no more then as it were <HI>pul|ling
off</HI> &s;ome <HI>withered buds</HI> from the <HI>rod of Aaron.</HI> But &s;imply
to <HI>abjure Prelacie</HI> (with an <HI>Engli&s;h glo&s;&s;e</HI> far wor&s;e then the
<HI>Scotch Text</HI>) that is <HI>Church Government by Archbi&s;hops, Bi&s;hops,</HI>
&amp;c. is either to <HI>bla&s;t</HI> with a poy&s;oned <HI>breath,</HI> or to <HI>pluck</HI> up
<HI>that rod</HI> which ever &s;ince the reformation hath happily <HI>bud|ded</HI>
in this <HI>Church;</HI> and to deprive us (&s;oe farr as in them ly|eth)
<HI>for ever</HI> of the goodly and fair <HI>Almonds</HI> it hath heretofore,
and no doubt will in &s;uccceding Ages <HI>bear,</HI> if they be not
<HI>nipt</HI> in the bud: Many glorious <HI>Martyres;</HI> &s;uch as were <HI>Cran|mer,
Ridley, Latimer, Hooper, Farrar, Philpot: Many</HI> noble
<HI>Champions</HI> of the reformed <HI>religion;</HI> as B <HI>Jewell, Bil&s;on, Andrews,
Abbot, Fr. White</HI> Dr. <HI>Reynolds, Nowel, Sutcliffe, Field:</HI> Many
eminnet <HI>Preachers;</HI> B. <HI>Mathews, King, Babbington, Felton,
Lake, Party</HI> Dr. <HI>Sinnewes, Thomp&s;on, Goodwin, Eedes, Boy&s;e:</HI>
Many munificent <HI>Patrons</HI> of <HI>Learning,</HI> and <HI>Religion; Foun|ders</HI>
of, or <HI>Benefactours</HI> to <HI>Vniver&s;ities, Schools, Colledges, Halls,</HI>
and <HI>Ho&s;pitalls;</HI> as <HI>Merton, Chichley, Wai<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">fleete, Wickham, Kemp,
Leichfield, Fox, Oldham, Grindall, Whitgift,</HI> G. <HI>Abbot,</HI> and di|vers
others.</P>
<P>Here if they ca&s;t in our di&s;h &s;ome <HI>Beckets,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob.</NOTE> and <HI>Gardiners,</HI>
and <HI>Bonuers,</HI> which were indeed <HI>bitter Almonds;</HI> we can ea|&s;ily
rid our hands of them.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sol.</NOTE> For it was not <HI>Prelacie,</HI> but <HI>Po|pery,</HI>
that <HI>imbittered,</HI> or rather <HI>poy&s;oned</HI> them: Which <HI>poy&s;on,</HI>
&s;ince the <HI>reformation,</HI> is drawn out, and taken away from
<HI>Epi&s;copacie</HI> in <HI>England,</HI> by the <HI>Oath</HI> at their <HI>Con&s;ecration,</HI> which
cutteth off all their dependencie from the <HI>Pope:</HI> and &s;ince <HI>that</HI>
none have given him a more <HI>deadly Wound</HI> then our learned
and every way accompli&s;hed <HI>V&s;hers, Mortons, Halls,</HI> and <HI>Pri|deauxes.</HI>
How&s;oever, was there not a <HI>Saul</HI> among the <HI>Prophets;</HI>
a <HI>Julian</HI> among the <HI>Emperours;</HI> a <HI>Judas</HI> among the <HI>Apostles,</HI>
a <HI>Diotrophes</HI> among the <HI>Elders;</HI> and a <HI>Nicholas</HI> among the <HI>Dea|cons?</HI>
and mu&s;t the&s;e mo&s;t &s;acred and divine <HI>Callings</HI> (like &s;o
many <HI>trees</HI> of <HI>Paradi&s;e,</HI> planted by God him&s;elf) be extirpa|ted
for (here and there,) &s;ome <HI>rotten</HI> or <HI>peri&s;hed fruit</HI> found at
&s;ome times upon the branches?</P>
<Q><L>De&s;ine paucorum diffundere crimen in omnes.</L></Q>
<P><PB N="41" REF="28">
Yea but manifold <HI>abu&s;es</HI> have crept into the eccle&s;ia&s;ticall
<HI>Courts;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob.</NOTE> <HI>Commutations,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Sol.</NOTE> <HI>delays,</HI> and <HI>exce&s;&s;ive fees.</HI> And have not
the like, or as bad in <HI>&s;ecular?</HI> Shall we then have <HI>no Con&s;i|&s;tories,</HI>
or <HI>Courts</HI> at all? The <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> (as it is objected but not
proved) have <HI>corrupted</HI> the <HI>Go&s;pell:</HI> and have not &s;ome <HI>Jud|ges</HI>
the <HI>Laws?</HI> Shall we then have no more <HI>Judges</HI> upon the
<HI>Bench?</HI> A <HI>Synod</HI> of <HI>Prie&s;ts</HI> and <HI>Elders</HI> condemned our <HI>Saviour;</HI>
and divers <HI>Councels</HI> have defined <HI>here&s;ies</HI> for <HI>Doctrines Defide,</HI>
and &s;et up <HI>Idolatry</HI> and <HI>Super&s;tition:</HI> &s;hall we then have no more
<HI>A&s;lembltes of Divines?</HI> Nay truth cannot be concealed: <HI>Rupto
jecore exibit caprificus.</HI> There have been &s;trange pa&s;&s;ages in
former <HI>Parliaments,</HI> at which our <HI>Archives</HI> and <HI>Records</HI> blu&s;h:
mu&s;t we therefore <HI>v<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">te down</HI> all <HI>Votes,</HI> and take away all <HI>Par|liaments?</HI>
God forbid. Let all tho&s;e who are now mo&s;t <HI>exa&s;|perated</HI>
again&s;t the <HI>reverend Fathers of the Church,</HI> and others
(as they tearm them) of the <HI>prelaticall Clergie;</HI> coole their
<HI>heat,</HI> and put <HI>water</HI> into their <HI>Wine,</HI> either with that precept
of our Saviour,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 7. 1.</NOTE> <HI>Judge not that ye be not judged, condemn not
that ye be not condemned: or that Item</HI> of the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Devoure not,
l<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t ye be devoured one of another:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal, 5. 15.</NOTE> or of that mode&s;t and ingenu|ous
confe&s;&s;iou of a devout <HI>Father, Toleramus, &amp; toleramur;</HI>
we mu&s;t <HI>bear with</HI> &s;ome things in the <HI>Clergie, for they</HI> mu&s;t
bear with more in the <HI>Laitie. Tolerari, &amp; non tolerare, e&s;t in|tolerabile:</HI>
He is of a mo&s;t <HI>intolerable</HI> nature and di&s;po&s;ition,
who expects that others &s;hould <HI>tolerate</HI> him in <HI>all things,</HI> and
he <HI>tolerate</HI> others in <HI>nothing:</HI> for &s;uch a di&s;po&s;ition is diame|trically
oppo&s;ite to the Apo&s;tles precept,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 6. 2.</NOTE> <HI>Bear ye one anothers
Burdens, and &s;o fulfil the Law of Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="13"> Noe Oath <HI>ought</HI> to be taken,  or Covenant made, which is a|gain&s;t
<HI>Charity;</HI> For <HI>Covenants</HI> and <HI>Leagues</HI> are made to <HI>con|firm</HI>
and <HI>&s;trengthen,</HI> not to <HI>weaken</HI> or any way <HI>loo&s;en</HI> tho&s;e na|tural
and civill <HI>tyes,</HI> whereby we are bound one to another.
<HI>Charitie</HI> is the <HI>end</HI> of the <HI>Law,</HI> and <HI>&s;umme</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pell;</HI> and
<HI>bond of perfection</HI> it &s;elf. As <HI>what&s;oever is not done out of faith,</HI> &s;o
what&s;oever is not done in <HI>Charity is &s;in.</HI></P>
<P>But this <HI>Covenant</HI> is <HI>again&s;t Charity,</HI> and <HI>offers violence</HI> to
<HI>Humanity</HI> it &s;elf. For by it we are bound to <HI>loo&s;e</HI> and <HI>untie</HI> all
<PB N="42" REF="29">
<HI>Bonds</HI> what&s;oever; whether, of <HI>affinytie,</HI> or <HI>con&s;anguinity</HI> or of
intimate <HI>friend&s;hip, cum qua mariuntur, et pro qua moriuntur ve|rae
amiciliae candidat.</HI> If our <HI>brother,</HI> or our <HI>&s;onne</HI> and <HI>daughter,</HI>
or the <HI>wife</HI> that lyes in our bo&s;ome, or our <HI>friend</HI> that is as
our own &s;oul, be a <HI>malignant;</HI> we are <HI>&s;worn</HI> by this <HI>Covenant</HI>
to <HI>detect</HI> them, and <HI>betray</HI> them to the <HI>&s;eve<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">itie</HI> of the <HI>clo&s;e
Committee,</HI> and barbarous cruelty of the <HI>Seque&s;trators,</HI> and
their in&s;truments. And <HI>Malignants</HI> (in the &s;en&s;e of them who
tender this Oath) are <HI>all &s;uch</HI> without exception, who <HI>&s;wim
again&s;t the &s;treame,</HI> or rather <HI>torrent,</HI> that bears all down be|fore
it; all who <HI>comply not</HI> with the times; all who <HI>complain</HI> of
the <HI>Liberties</HI> of <HI>Subject</HI> trencht upon, and their <HI>propriety inva|ded;</HI>
of <HI>Churches prophaned, monuments</HI> of the dead <HI>defaced;</HI> of
hundreds of able, and learned, and orthodox <HI>divines,</HI> of
irreprovable life and carriage, turned out of their <HI>benefices;</HI>
and illeterate <HI>Ignonoramus</HI>'s, and zealous <HI>beautifeux's</HI> &s;et in
their rooms; who <HI>preach</HI> as familiarly <HI>bla&s;phemie</HI> and <HI>trea&s;on,</HI>
as they pray <HI>Non-&s;en&s;e:</HI></P>
<P>La&s;tly, who make <HI>&s;cruple</HI> of the <HI>managing</HI> of this pre&s;ent
<HI>warr,</HI> whereby the <HI>Kings per&s;on</HI> and <HI>life</HI> is <HI>endangered.</HI> It is t<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">ue
they <HI>profe&s;&s;e</HI> to fight for <HI>King and Parliament:</HI> To <HI>re&s;cue</HI> the
one, and <HI>pre&s;erve</HI> the other. But as in the Civill broyles in
<HI>Italie</HI> a great Commander &s;ometimes &s;aid, <HI>My &s;word, though
it have a keen edge, and can divide between the bone and marrow;
yet it cannot di&s;tingui&s;h a Guelf from a Gibbeline:</HI> So it is mo&s;t cer|tain,
that the <HI>Canon</HI> or <HI>mu&s;quet</HI> bullet <HI>di&s;tingui&s;heth</HI> not between
<HI>King</HI> and <HI>Subject;</HI> much le&s;&s;e between the <HI>King</HI> his Head
and his Crown; his Per&s;on, and his power. The <HI>primitive
Chri&s;tians</HI> (though they de&s;ired nothing more then to glorifie
Chri&s;t by their <HI>death,</HI> who &s;aved them by his; and therefore
ran with as much alacrity to <HI>Martyrdome</HI> as to <HI>&s;ilver games</HI>
wherein <HI>prizes of infinite</HI> value were to be wonne: yet they)
could never be brought by any tortures or torments to <HI>di&s;|cover</HI>
any <HI>Christian</HI> to the <HI>heathen per&s;ecutors</HI> that &s;ought to be|reave
them of their <HI>e&s;tate, liberty,</HI> or <HI>life.</HI> But here by vertue
of this <HI>new Covenant,</HI> not only a Chri&s;tian <HI>Brother</HI> is bound by
a &s;trict <HI>Oath</HI> to <HI>detect</HI> another; but the <HI>&s;on</HI> his <HI>Father,</HI> the
<HI>Wife</HI> her <HI>Husband,</HI> the <HI>Daughter</HI> her <HI>Mother,</HI> the <HI>daughter in
<PB N="43" REF="29">
law</HI> her <HI>mother in law,</HI> the <HI>Servant</HI> his <HI>Ma&s;ter,</HI> the <HI>Tennant</HI> his
<HI>Landlord,</HI> the <HI>Schollar</HI> his <HI>Tutor,</HI> and the <HI>Pupil</HI> his <HI>Gaurdian:</HI>
and not to <HI>di&s;cover</HI> them only, but to be <HI>active</HI> al&s;o in <HI>bring|ing</HI>
them to &s;uch heavy <HI>Cen&s;ures,</HI> as they who have the <HI>Le|gi&s;lative
power</HI> in them&s;elves can inflict. What great <HI>out|cries</HI>
have been heard of late? what bitter <HI>invectives</HI> a|gain&s;t
the <HI>Oath</HI> commonly called <HI>ex officio;</HI> and that (as
it hath been u&s;ed in &s;ome Courts) not without cau&s;e? But
<HI>here</HI> is an <HI>Oath,</HI> not <HI>ex officio,</HI> but rather as it may be u&s;ed <HI>con|tra
officium;</HI> not <HI>of</HI> duty, but <HI>again&s;t</HI> the <HI>duty</HI> we ow by all
Laws of God and man to our <HI>Superiours, Inferiours,</HI> and
<HI>Equals. Bi&s;hops</HI> and their <HI>Chancellours</HI> were <HI>hardly</HI> thought
of, and <HI>&s;uffered</HI> much in the opinion of many, for pre&s;&s;ing
<HI>innocent Ceremonies,</HI> and <HI>Ve&s;tures;</HI> as the <HI>Cap, Surplice, Gro&s;&s;e</HI>
in Bapti&s;m, <HI>Ring</HI> in Marriage, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> upon all &s;uch of the <HI>Clergy</HI>
as were <HI>in&s;tituted</HI> and <HI>inducted</HI> into <HI>Benefices.</HI> What then
will be thought of <HI>them,</HI> who with <HI>greater Eagerne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Vi|olence,</HI>
under wor&s;e <HI>penalties,</HI> pre&s;&s;e upon the <HI>con&s;cience</HI> not
<HI>Ceremonies,</HI> but <HI>Oaths;</HI> nor upon a <HI>few</HI> of <HI>one calling,</HI> but
<HI>all &s;orts of men,</HI> not <HI>innocent,</HI> but <HI>nocent Oaths,</HI> to the grievous
<HI>wounding</HI> of their troubled <HI>&s;pirits,</HI> and utter <HI>ruine</HI> of their
<HI>E&s;tates?</HI></P>
<P>To conclude with the mo&s;t Chri&s;tian re&s;olution of <HI>Lactan|tius;
Religio defendenda e&s;t,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Divin. In&s;tit. lib. 5. c. 20.</NOTE> <HI>non occidendo, &s;ed moriendo; non
&s;aeviti&acirc;, &s;ed patienti&acirc;; non &s;celere, &s;ed fide. Nam &s;i &s;anguine,
&s;i tormentis, &s;i malo Religionem defendere velis; jam non defende|tur
illa, &s;ed polluetur. Nihil enim e&s;t tam voluntarium quam
Religio; in qu&acirc; &s;i animus &s;acrificantis aver&s;us e&s;t, jam &s;ublata
e&s;t, jam nulla e&s;t.</HI> The faire&s;t <HI>pretence,</HI> and mo&s;t plau&s;ible <HI>&s;cope</HI>
and <HI>end</HI> of them who fir&s;t Devi&s;ed and Framed this <HI>Oath,</HI> was
to engage the Subjects of <HI>England</HI> in a <HI>firm League</HI> with the
<HI>Scots,</HI> again&s;t the <HI>Popi&s;h party:</HI> that &s;o by their a&s;&s;ociated
<HI>Armes,</HI> they might the better <HI>Protect</HI> the <HI>Prote&s;tant Religion</HI>
in <HI>England;</HI> and <HI>Vindicate</HI> it, and <HI>Re&s;tore</HI> it in <HI>Ireland.</HI> But
what if it may be made good by authority of <HI>Scriptures,</HI> and
the <HI>te&s;timonies</HI> of all <HI>ages,</HI> that <HI>Chri&s;tian Religion</HI> approveth
not &s;uch a kinde of <HI>defence?</HI> That &s;uch a <HI>&s;trengthening</HI> of
<PB N="44" REF="30">
her cau&s;e is indeed the <HI>weakning</HI> it; and &s;uch a forcible <HI>pro|pugning</HI>
the Prote&s;tant Doctrine, a &s;trong <HI>oppo&s;ition</HI> to it, and
a real <HI>impugning</HI> it? Surely Mr. <HI>Coleman</HI> in his Sermon com|manded
to the Pre&s;&s;e by the Authority of the High Court
of Parliament, &s;aith as much <HI>terminis terminantibus;</HI> and
<HI>verish,</HI> not only <HI>di&s;ertis,</HI> but <HI>exertis, pag.</HI> 36. <Q>May the Re|formation
of Religion be brought in by Armes? I an&s;wer
Negatively; it may not. The Sword is not the means which
God ordained to propagate the Go&s;pel.</Q> Go and <HI>teach</HI>
all Nations; not go and <HI>&s;ubdue</HI> all Nations, is our Ma&s;ters
Precept. And <HI>Bo&s;quier</HI> truly ob&s;erveth, <Q>That Fi&s;h will not
be caught with a <HI>bloudy</HI> net: if they &s;pie but a drop of
<HI>bloud</HI> upon it, they will &s;wime away.</Q> Nay Chri&s;t him&s;elf
refu&s;ed to be re&s;cued by <HI>force of Armes;</HI> commanding <HI>Peter</HI>
to <HI>put up his &s;word;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat 26. 52.</NOTE> and adding withal, <HI>He that taketh up the
Sword, &s;hall peri&s;h by the Sword.</HI> And if the ancient <HI>Doctors</HI>
as well as <HI>Hi&s;torians</HI> may be believed, they &s;peak out, and tell
us, That <HI>Chri&s;tian Religion</HI> though &s;he <HI>could,</HI> yet never <HI>would</HI>
draw any other <HI>weapons</HI> in her defence again&s;t the Powers
that are Ordained of God, then <HI>prayers</HI> and <HI>tears:</HI> and there|fore
her <HI>&s;tyle</HI> was, (when &s;he had cau&s;e to <HI>weep</HI> and <HI>lament</HI>
for thou&s;ands of her children <HI>executed</HI> with mo&s;t exqui&s;ite
torments by bloudy Per&s;ecutours) in her <HI>Remon&s;trances</HI> to
the Emperours, <HI>Rogamus Augu&s;te, non pugnamus:</HI> We <HI>pro|&s;trate</HI>
our &s;elves at thy feet, O noble <HI>Emperour;</HI> we <HI>ri&s;e not</HI>
up in <HI>Armes</HI> again&s;t thee: For we have learned from our <HI>Ma|&s;ter,</HI>
That <HI>true and undefiled Religion before God is,</HI> to be <HI>de|fended,</HI>
not by the <HI>Sword,</HI> but by the <HI>Word;</HI> not by <HI>Re&s;i&s;tance,</HI>
but by <HI>Patience;</HI> not by <HI>Wickedne&s;s,</HI> but by <HI>Loyalty;</HI> not by
<HI>Killing,</HI> but by <HI>Dying.</HI> For if <HI>Religion</HI> be <HI>defended</HI> and main|tained
<HI>otherwayes,</HI> (as by <HI>laying wa&s;t</HI> Countries, <HI>Plundring</HI>
Cities and Villages, <HI>&s;laughtering</HI> men, and copious <HI>effu&s;ion</HI> of
<HI>bloud) &s;he will not be thereby defended, but defiled.</HI> God open
our eyes that we may &s;ee the way chalked out before us
in his <HI>word;</HI> and in <HI>this day of our vi&s;itation</HI> timely pur&s;ue
<HI>tho&s;e things that belong to our peace! Amen</HI> and <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>THE END.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="speech">
<PB N="45" REF="30">
<HEAD>D. F. his Speech before the A&s;&s;embly of Divines,
CONCERNING
The New LEAGUE and COVENANT.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>M. Prolocutor,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<Q><P>OUr Brethren of <HI>Scotland</HI> de&s;ire a Re&s;olution
from this A&s;&s;embly, concerning the Nece&s;&s;ity
and Lawfulne&s;s of entring into this New League:
and how can we re&s;olve them, if we be not re&s;ol|ved
our &s;elves, as &s;ome of us are not? I &s;hall
therefore humbly offer to your &s;erious con&s;idera|tion,
Whether it be not fit to qualifie the word
<HI>Prelacy,</HI> when it is ranked with <HI>Popery</HI> and <HI>Super|&s;tition,</HI>
after this manner; I will endeavour the
extirpation of Popery, and all Antichri&s;tian, Ty|rannical,
or Independent Prelacy? for otherwi&s;e
by abjuring Prelacy, ab&s;olutely &s;ome of us <HI>&s;hall
&s;wear</HI> to <HI>for&s;wear our &s;elves.</HI> For Prelacy, as al&s;o
Hierarchy, in the former and better ages of the
Church were taken in the better part; Hierarchy
&s;ignifying nothing but a holy Rule or Government;
and Prelacy the preeminence of one in the Church
above another. Prelation is a <HI>relatio di&s;quipa|rantiae,</HI>
and <HI>Praelati</HI> are <HI>Relati</HI> to tho&s;e over whom
<PB N="46" REF="31">
they are &s;et; who may be either the flock, or the
Pa&s;tors them&s;elves. If the Flock, in that &s;en&s;e all
that have charge of &s;ouls may be truly called <HI>Prae|lati,
viz. Gregi;</HI> for they are &s;et over them to be
their Over-&s;eers and Spiritual Rulers, <HI>Act.</HI> 8. 28.
1 <HI>Pet. 5. 2. Heb. 13. 17, 24. 1 Tim.</HI> 5. 17. In this
&s;en&s;e both St. <HI>Gregory</HI> and <HI>Bernard</HI> take the word;
<HI>Praelati non quae &s;ua &s;unt, &s;ed quae Domini, quae|rant:
&amp; non Pa&s;tores, &s;ed Impo&s;tores; non Do|ctores,
&s;ed Seductores; non Praelati, &s;ed Pilati:</HI> let
Prelates not &s;eek their own, but tho&s;e things which
are the Lords; <HI>now a dayes we have</HI> not Teachers,
but Seducers; not Shepherds, but Deceivers; not
Prelates, but <HI>Pilats:</HI> in which &s;entence, Teachers,
Pa&s;tors, and Prelates are ranged together, as &s;igni|fying
the &s;ame per&s;ons: In which elegant <HI>An|tanacla&s;is</HI>
you hear that Doctors, Pa&s;tors, and Pre|lates,
are a kind of <HI>Synonyma</HI>'s. In this &s;en&s;e if we
condemn Prelates, and Vote their Exterpation; we
&s;hall with one breath blow all the Divines that have
cure of Souls, not only out of this A&s;&s;embly, but
out of their Par&s;onages, and Vicaridges al&s;o. But if
<HI>Praelati</HI> are here in this Covenant taken in reference
to Pa&s;tors them&s;elves, and Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel;
and thereby &s;uch are meant only who are <HI>Praepo&s;iti
clero,</HI> &s;et over Clergy-men them&s;elves, as having
not only &s;ome precedency to, but authority over
the re&s;t: neither in this &s;en&s;e may we piou&s;ly &s;wear
the Eradication of them. For there are Cla&s;&s;es in
the <HI>Netherlands,</HI> Intendents and Super-intendents in
<HI>Germany;</HI> Pre&s;idents in the Reformed Synods in
<HI>France;</HI> and Ma&s;ters, Provo&s;ts, and Heads of Col|ledges,
<PB N="47" REF="31">
and Hals in our Univer&s;ities, who have a
kind of Prelacy, and Authority over the Fellows and
Students, whereof the major part are Divines, and
in holy Orders. Here I conceive it will be &s;aid, That
none of the&s;e are aimed at; but only <HI>Dioce&s;an</HI> Bi|&s;hops
already bani&s;hed out of <HI>Scotland.</HI> And Prelates
indeed they are in a more eminent degree; and if
Prelacy be re&s;trained to them, it is Epi&s;copacy that
is principally &s;hot at; to the Extirpation whereof I
dare not yield my Vote or Suffrage, le&s;t this New
Oath intangle me in perjury. For both my &s;elf, and
all who have received Orders in this Kingdom by
the Impo&s;ition of Epi&s;copal hands, have freely En|gaged
our &s;elves by Oath to obey our Ordinary, and
to &s;ubmit to his godly Judgement, and in all things
lawful and hone&s;t to receive his Commands. If then
we now &s;wear to endeavour the Aboli&s;hing of
Epi&s;copacy, we Swear to Renounce our Canoni|cal
Obedience; that is, as I apprehend, <HI>we &s;wear to
for&s;wear our &s;elves.</HI></P></Q>
<P>It is true that the Dr. was furni&s;hed with many other
Rea&s;ons for Epi&s;copacy, be&s;ides the&s;e; and of &s;ome he
gave a hint in the A&s;&s;embly it &s;elf upon other occa&s;i|ons,
as namely the&s;e that follow.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="document">
<PB N="48" REF="32">
<HEAD>Dr. Featley's
Sixteen Rea&s;ons
FOR
Epi&s;copal Government,
Which he intended to have delivered
in the A&s;&s;embly immediately after his
precedent Speech; but was not permitted.</HEAD>
<P>1. THat the name of <HI>Epi&s;copacy,</HI> even as it &s;ignifieth <HI>a degree</HI>
of Eminency in the Church, is a Sacred and Venerable
Title; fir&s;t in holy Scripture a&s;cribed to our ble&s;&s;ed Re|deemer,
who as he is <HI>Dominus Dominantium,</HI> Lord of Lords,
&s;o al&s;o,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 2. 25. <GAP DESC="foreign">. Act. 1. 20.</NOTE> <HI>Epi&s;copus Epi&s;coporum,</HI> Bi&s;hop of Bi&s;hops, the She|pherd
and Bi&s;hop of our &s;ouls: next to the Apo&s;tles,
who&s;e office in the Church is &s;tyled
by the holy Gho&s;t <HI>Epi&s;cope,</HI> a Bi|&s;hoprick,
<HI>Let another take his Bi|&s;hoprick;</HI>
though it be tran&s;lated,
Let another take his Office, yet the
Original &s;ignifies not an Office at
large, but an Epi&s;copal function; that
Office which <HI>Judas</HI> lo&s;t, and <HI>Mat|thias</HI>
was elected into; which was
the Office and Dignity of an A|po&s;tle:
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Ambro&s;. com. in Ephe&s;. cap. 4. v.</HI> 10. Apo|&s;toli &s;unt Epi&s;copi. <HI>Jerom. ad Marcel.</HI> Apud nos Apo&s;tolorum locum tenent Epi&s;copi. <HI>Cyp. c. 7. l.</HI> 3. Apo&s;tolos, <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">d e&s;t, Epi&s;copos, &amp; praepo&s;itos Dominus elegit. <HI>Augu&s;t. in P&s;al.</HI> 45. loco patrum erunt &s;ilii, id e&s;t. Apo&s;tolorum Epi&s;copi. <HI>Et ibid.</HI> Dilatatum e&s;t Evangelium in omnibus &s;inibus mundi; in quibus principes Eccle&s;iae, id e&s;t, Epi&s;copi &s;unt con&s;tituti.</NOTE> la&s;tly to tho&s;e whom the
<PB N="49" REF="32">
Apo&s;tles &s;et over the Churches, as namely, to <HI>Timothy</HI> and
<HI>Titus,</HI> who in the Sub&s;cription of the Apo&s;tles Letters, Di|vinely
in&s;pired, are &s;tyled Bi&s;hops in the re&s;trained &s;en&s;e of
the word 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. written from <HI>Rome</HI> to <HI>Timotheus,</HI> the fir&s;t
Bi&s;hop elected of the Church of <HI>Ephe&s;us;</HI> and to <HI>Titus,</HI> the
fir&s;t elect Bi&s;hop of the Church of the <HI>Cretians.</HI> How ancient
the&s;e Sub&s;criptions are, it is not certain among the Learned.
If they bear not the &s;ame date with the <HI>Epi&s;tles</HI> them&s;elves
(the contrary whereof neither is nor can be Demon&s;trated),
yet they are undoubtedly very ancient, and of great Autho|rity.
And in them the word <HI>Bi&s;hop</HI> cannot be taken at large
for any Mini&s;ter or Presbyter, but for a &s;ingular per&s;on in
Place or Dignity above other Pa&s;tors; for there were many
other Presbyters in <HI>Ephe&s;us,</HI> both before and be&s;ides <HI>Timo|thy,
Act.</HI> 20. 27, 28. and in the I&s;land of <HI>Creet</HI> or <HI>Candie</HI>
there mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity be more then one Pa&s;tor or Mini&s;ter.
Be&s;ides, St. <HI>Paul</HI> inve&s;teth <HI>Timothy</HI> in Epi&s;copal power,
making him a Judge of Presbyters, both to <HI>rebuke</HI> them,
1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5. 1 and to <HI>prefer</HI> and <HI>reward</HI> them, ver&s;. 17. and to
<HI>cen&s;ure</HI> them, ver. 19. <HI>Again&s;t an Elder receive no accu&s;ation,
but under two or three witne&s;&s;es;</HI> and giveth to <HI>Titus</HI> exp<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;ly
both <HI>pote&s;tatem ordinis &amp; juri&s;dictionis,</HI> of O<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">der and Juri&s;di|ction;
of Order in the&s;e words, <HI>Chap. 1. 5. That thou &s;hould&s;t
ordain Elders in every City;</HI> and of Juri&s;diction, <HI>I left thee in
Creet that thou &s;hould&s;t continue</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, to correct or red e&s;&s;e
the things that remained, or tho&s;e things which the Apo&s;tle
before intended to amend, but had not redre&s;&s;ed.</P>
<P>2. The Angels of the &s;even Churches, <HI>Apoc.</HI> 10. 20. were
no other in the judgement of the
be&s;t Learned<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Aug. Ep. 162. <HI>&amp;</HI> Comment in Apoc. hom. 2. Ambro&s;e 1 <HI>Cor. 11. 16. Occumenus, Arethas, Marlorat.</HI> Pareus in Apoc. c. 1. 2. Policarp. <HI>Epi&s;copus Smyrnae, One&s;imus Ephe&s;i, Antipas Pergami, &amp;c.</HI></NOTE> Commentators both
Ancient and Later, then the Bi|&s;hops
of tho&s;e Sees; for in tho&s;e
Provinces or Territories there can|not
be conceived to be le&s;&s;e then
many hundred ordinary Preachers
and Pa&s;tors; yet there were but &s;even preci&s;ely an&s;wering
to the &s;even golden Candle&s;ticks. Seven Candle&s;ticks, &s;even
<PB N="50" REF="33">
lights burning in them, the&s;e can be no other then &s;even
prime Pa&s;tors, who had the over&s;ight of the re&s;t: for the
Errors and Abu&s;es in all tho&s;e Churches are imputed to
them, and they reproved for not redre&s;&s;ing them, <HI>Chap.</HI>
2. 14. <HI>Thou ha&s;t them that maintain the Doctrine of</HI> Ba|laam;
and <HI>ver&s; 20. Thou &s;uffere&s;t the</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Edit, Teclae,</HI> it is <GAP DESC="foreign"> thy wif, which demon&s;trateth that the An|gell there &s;ignifieth one &s;ingular man of Authority in the Church, and not the whole Clergy of that place, <HI>Ep. ad Epi&s;c. Winton.</HI></NOTE> <HI>woman</HI> Jezebel <HI>to
teach,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>3. It is confe&s;&s;ed by <HI>Molinaeus,</HI> and other Learned Patrons
of Presbyterial Government them&s;elves, that Epi&s;copacy
is a plant, either &s;et in the Church by the Apo&s;tles them|&s;elves,
or their immediate Succe&s;&s;ors in the fir&s;t and be&s;t ages
of the Church; and is it agreeable to Piety to &s;wear the
Extirpation of &s;uch a plant?</P>
<P>4. It cannot be denyed, that when the Church mo&s;t
flouri&s;hed, and was of far larger extent then now it is, over
the face of the Chri&s;tian World; there was no<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Concil. <HI>Nice.</HI> Can. 5. Conc. <HI>Antioch,</HI> Can. 6. Concil. <HI>Sard.</HI> Can. 14. Conc. <HI>Chal.</HI> Act. 15. c. 29. <HI>Ignatius</HI> in Ep. ad Philad. <HI>Irenaeus</HI> l. 3. c. 3. <HI>Tertul.</HI> l. de bapti&s;mo. <HI>Eu&s;eb.</HI> l. 6. c. 40. <HI>Jerom</HI> ep ad Nepot. <HI>Optatus</HI> l. 1. cont. Par|men. <HI>Amb.</HI> in Eph. cap. 4. <HI>Ba&s;il</HI> Eph. 70.</NOTE> other Go|vernment
then Epi&s;copacy regulated by Divine precepts, and
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Canons: and &s;hall we &s;wear to Extirpate that
Government under the which the Church mo&s;t thrived and
&s;louri&s;hed? Shall we &s;wear again&s;t our Prayers, <HI>viz.</HI> for the
rooting out of that, upon which we are enjoyned to pray
God <HI>to pour down the dew of his ble&s;&s;ing?</HI> Surely the dew of
heaven burns not the root of any Plant upon earth, but wa|ters
it and makes it grow.</P>
<P>5. They were Bi&s;hops who had the chiefe&s;t hand, fir&s;t in
the plantation of Chri&s;tian Religion in the dayes of <HI>Lutius,</HI>
King of <HI>Britan;</HI> and after in the re&s;titution in the dayes of
<HI>Etheldred</HI> King of <HI>Kent;</HI> and in the Reformation of it in
the Reign of <HI>Edward</HI> the &s;ixth, and Queen <HI>Elizabeth:</HI> and is
<PB N="51" REF="33">
it a Religious act to eradicate that Government and Power
which both planted and pruned Religion it &s;elf?</P>
<P>6. Chri&s;t died not <HI>inte&s;tate;</HI> he made his la&s;t Will and
Te&s;tament, and by it bequeathed many Legacies to his
Church; and among them not onely Catholike Doctrine,
but Di&s;cipline al&s;o. This Di&s;cipline, if it be not Epi&s;copal
Government moderated by Evangelical and Apo&s;tolical
Rules, the whole Church is guilty of the lo&s;&s;e of a Sacred
and Precious Jewel; for certain it is out of Records of all
ages of the Church, that no other was ever retained or can
be found &s;ave this, before the Religious Reformer and Magi|&s;trates
of <HI>Geneva,</HI> having bani&s;hed their Popi&s;h Bi&s;hops,
were after a &s;ort nece&s;&s;itated to draw a new Plat-forme of
Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Di&s;cipline by Lay-Elders. Chri&s;t, as the Apo|&s;tle
teacheth us, <HI>was faithfull in the hou&s;e of God,</HI> as <HI>Mo&s;es:</HI> and
if <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> after his forty dayes &s;peech with God on the
Mount, received a Patern from God and delivered it to the
<HI>Jewes,</HI> not only of Doctrine but of Dicipline al&s;o, which
continued till Chri&s;ts coming in the fle&s;h; it cannot be
conceived, but that Chri&s;t left a Pattern of Government to
his Church, to continue till the end of the world: and doubt|le&s;&s;e,
his Apo&s;tles with whom he conver&s;ed forty dayes after
his Re&s;urection, &s;peaking of tho&s;e things which appertain to
the kingdom of God, <HI>Act.</HI> 3. 1. delivered that to the Church
which they received from their Ma&s;ter. What Government
or Di&s;cipline was that? There can be conceived but three
formes of Government; Epi&s;copal, mo&s;t conformable to
Monarchy; Presbyterial to Ari&s;tocracy, and Independent as
they tearm it, to Democracy. Presbyterial or Independent
it could not be, for Presbyterial is no Elder then the Refor|mation
in <HI>Geneva,</HI> and the Independent no Elder then <HI>New-England;</HI> whereas Epi&s;copal Government hath been time
out of mind, not in one but in all Churches. A and &s;ith it was
not fir&s;t con&s;tituted by any Sanction of a General Coun&s;el,
it follows nece&s;&s;arily, according to St. <HI>Augu&s;tins</HI> ob&s;ervati|on,
that it mu&s;t needs be an Apo&s;tolical In&s;titution. For
what not one Church, but all Churches, not in one age, but
<PB N="52" REF="34">
all ages, hath uniformly ob&s;erved and practi&s;ed, and no man can
define who, after the Apo&s;tles, were the beginners of it;
mu&s;t needs be &s;uppo&s;ed to be done by Order or Tradition
from them.</P>
<P>7. This form of Government was not only generally
received and embraced by Catholicks, but even by Here|ticks
and Schi&s;maticks; who though they &s;evered from the
Communion of the Church in Doctrine, yet not in Di|&s;cipline.
For the <HI>Novatians</HI> and <HI>Donati&s;ts</HI> had Bi&s;hops of
their own, from whom they took
their names; only<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Epiphanius</HI> Haere&s; 75. p. 295. <HI>Aug.</HI> ad quod vult Deum. <HI>A&euml;riani</HI> ab <HI>A&euml;rio</HI> quodam &s;unt nominati, qui cum e&s;&s;et Presbytr, dolui&s;&s;e fertur quod Epi&s;copus non patuit ordinari, dicebat Presby|terum ab Epi&s;copo nulla differentia debere di&s;corni. <HI>Hieron.</HI> in Tit.</NOTE> <HI>Aerius,</HI> who
&s;tood for a Bi&s;hoprick, and mi&s;&s;ed
it, out of di&s;content broached that
new Doctrine wherewith the heads
of our Schi&s;maticks are &s;o much
intoxicated, <HI>viz.</HI> That <HI>there ought
to be no di&s;tinction in the Church be|tween
a Bi&s;hop and a Presbyter:</HI>
and for this confounding tho&s;e Sacred Orders, was him&s;elf
ranked among Hereticks, and &s;tands upon record in the Bed|rolls
of them made by <HI>Epiphanius, Angu&s;tin,</HI> and <HI>Phila&s;trius.</HI>
It is true, he had other brands on him; but this was the pro|per
mark put upon him by tho&s;e ancient Fathers, who men|tion
this Tenet of his as Erroneous and Heretical. I grant
&s;ome of the ancient Doctors affirm, That in the beginning,
till the prevention of Schi&s;m made this di&s;tinction be|tween
Bi&s;hops and Presbyters, they were all one in
name, as now they are in tho&s;e e&s;&s;ential parts of their
function, <HI>viz.</HI> Preaching of the Word, and admini&s;tration
of the Sacraments. But <HI>Aerius</HI> was the fir&s;t who profe&s;&s;edly
oppugned the Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Hierarchy, maintaining, That
<HI>there ought to be no difference and di&s;tinction between Bi&s;hops and
Elders.</HI></P>
<P>8. This a&s;&s;ertion of <HI>A&euml;rius,</HI> as in the Doctrine thereof
it was defined by the Doctors of the Church to be Here&s;ie,
&s;o in the practi&s;e thereof it is condemned by the great
<PB N="53" REF="34">
Councel of <HI>Chalcedon,</HI> to be Sacriledge: To confound, &s;ay
they, the Ranks of Bi&s;hops and El|ders,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Con. 1. Art. 15. c.</HI> 29. Epi&s;copum in Pres|byteri gradum reducere e&s;t &s;acrilegium. Anatolius Con&s;tant. Epi&s;cop. dixit, ij qui dicuntur ab Epi&s;copali dignitate ad Presbyteri ordinem de&s;cendi&s;&s;e, &s;i ju&s;tis de cau&s;is con|demaantur, nec Presbyteri honore digni &s;unt.</NOTE> and to bring down a Bi&s;hop to
the inferior degree of an Elder, is
no le&s;&s;e then Sacriledge. Now I
would fain know how that comes
to be truth now, which was con|demned
for Here&s;ie; and to be
Piety now, which was branded for Sacriledge above 1200
agoe.</P>
<P>9. Neither were the Fathers of the Councel of <HI>Chalcedon</HI>
only zealous in this cau&s;e, which &s;o much concerned the
honour of the Church: but the other three al&s;o, who&s;e
authority St. <HI>Gregory</HI> held to be the next to the four
Evangeli&s;ts and the Doctrine thereof is after a &s;ort incor|porated;
into our Acts of Parliament, <HI>Eliz.</HI> 1. In the&s;e
Councels which all con&s;i&s;ted of Bi&s;hops, Epi&s;copacy it &s;elf
is almo&s;t in every Canon and Sanction either A&s;&s;erted or
Regulated</P>
<P>10. Next to the Primitive Church, we owe a reverend
re&s;pect to the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas; who
either have Bi&s;hops, as in <HI>Poland, Tran&s;ilvania, Den|mark,</HI>
and <HI>Swethland;</HI> or the &s;ame function is in Nature,
though not in Name: to wit, Intendents and Super-inten|dents;
as they would have them if they could, as I under|&s;tood
from many Mini&s;ters in <HI>France;</HI> or at lea&s;t approve of
them, as appeareth by the te&s;timony of <HI>Beza, Sadiel, Sculte|tus,</HI>
and others.</P>
<P>11. What &s;hould I &s;peak of the Articles of Religion
ratified by a <HI>Sequence</HI> of Religious Princes &s;ucceeding one
the other, and confirmed by Act of Parliament; to which
all Beneficed men are required under pain of lo&s;&s;e of their
livings, within a moneth to profe&s;&s;e their a&s;&s;ent and con|&s;ent,
in which, both the Power and Con&s;ecration of
Bi&s;hops and Mini&s;ters is expre&s;ly a&s;&s;erted, and their
<PB N="54" REF="35">
di&s;tinction from Presbyters? or of the Statute of <HI>Carlile,</HI>
the 15. of <HI>Edw.</HI> 2. and the fir&s;t of
Qu.<NOTE PLACE="marg">See <HI>Art. 36. &amp; l. de Con&s;ecrat.</HI> It is evident to all men reading holy Scriptures and an|cient Authors, that from the Apo&s;tles time there have been the&s;e three Orders in the Church of Chri&s;t, and that a Bi&s;hop ought to correct and puni&s;h &s;uch as are unquiet, criminous and di&s;obedient within his Dio|ce&s;s, according to &s;uch authority as he hath by the word of God.</NOTE> <HI>Eliz.</HI> with very many other
unrepealed Acts, in which Epi&s;co|pall
Government is either related
unto, or regulated and confirmed in
&s;uch &s;ort, that quite to aboli&s;h
and extirpate it would bring a
confu&s;ion, and make a &s;top as well
in Secular as Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Courts?
And therefore our zealous Reformers, if they think them|&s;elves
not too good to be advi&s;ed by the Great Coun&s;ellor,
ought to take heed how they ra&s;hly and unadvi&s;edly pluck up
the tares, as they e&s;teem them, of holy Canons and Eccle&s;i|a&s;tical
Laws, <HI>ne &s;imul eradicent &amp; triticum,</HI> le&s;t together with
tho&s;e tares (as they count them) they pluck up by the roots
the good wheat of many profitable and whole&s;ome Laws of
the Common-wealth and Acts of Parliament.</P>
<P>12. But if the Authority of both Hou&s;es could &s;oon cure
the&s;e &s;ores in precedent Acts of Parliament, yet how will
they make up the breaches in the Con&s;ciences of all tho&s;e,
who in the late Prote&s;tation and this New Covenant, have
taken a Solemn Oath to maintain the Priviledges of the
Members of Parliament, and the Liberties of the Subject? The
mo&s;t Authentical evidence whereof, are <HI>Charta Magna,</HI> and
the Petitionof Right; in both which the Rights of the Church
and Priviledges of Epi&s;copal Sees, are &s;et down in the Fore|front
in Capital Letters.</P>
<P>13. To &s;train this &s;tring a little higher, the power of gran|ting
<HI>Congedeliers,</HI> together with the inve&s;titute of Archbi|&s;hops,
Bi&s;hops, and Collation of Deanries, and Prebends,
with a &s;etled Revenue from the Fir&s;t-fruits and Tenths there,
is one of the <HI>faire&s;t flowers in the</HI> Kings Crown; and to rob the
imperial Diadem of it (con&s;idering the King is a Per&s;on mo&s;t
Sacred) is Sacriledge in a high degree; and not Sacriledge
only, but Perjury al&s;o in all tho&s;e who attempt it. For all
<PB N="55" REF="35">
Graduates in the Univer&s;ity, and men of Ranck and Quality in
the Common-wealth, who are admitted to any place of e|minent
Authority or Tru&s;t, take the Oath of Supremacy,
whereby they are bound to defend and Propugne all Pree|minences,
Authorities, and Prerogatives annexed to the
Imperial Crown; whereof this is known to be one inherent
in the King, as he is Supreme head of the Church within his
Realms, and Defender of the Faith.</P>
<P>14. Yet for all this, admit that Rea&s;on of State &s;hould
inforce the Extirpation of Epi&s;copacy thus rooted, as it hath
been &s;aid, both in the Royal Prerogative and Priviledge of
the Subject, and in the Laws of the Land; it is a golden
Maxim of Law, <HI>Po&s;&s;umus quod jure po&s;&s;umus,</HI> we can do no
more then lawfully we may. If Epi&s;copal Government mu&s;t
be overthrown, it mu&s;t be done in a
lawful way: not by Popular Tu|mults,
but by a Bill pa&s;&s;ed in Par|liament;
and that to be tendered to
his Maje&s;ty for his Royal A&s;&s;ent.
And how &s;uch a Bill can be pre&s;&s;ed
upon his Maje&s;ty, who hath taken
an Oath<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Vide, Record in Exchequer.</HI> I will pre&s;erve and maintain to you and the Churches com|mitted to your charges, all Canonical Pri|viledges, and I will be your Protector and Defender to my power, by the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of God, as every good King in his Kingdom in right ought to defend the Bi&s;hops, and Churches under their Government, &amp;c. Then laying his hand on the book on the Communion Table, he &s;aith, The things which I have before promi&s;ed, I &s;hall per|form and keep, &s;o help me God, and by the contents of this book.</NOTE> at his Coronation, to pre|&s;erve
Bi&s;hops in their Legal Rights,
I mu&s;t learn from our great Ma&s;ters
of the Law. For by the Go&s;pel, all
inducements to &s;in are &s;in; and &s;oli|citations
to perjury are tainted with that guilt: neither is
there any power upon earth to di&s;pence with the breach of
Oaths lawfully taken.</P>
<P>15. If we de&s;ire that this Church of <HI>England</HI> &s;hould flouri&s;h
like the Garden of <HI>Eden,</HI> we mu&s;t have an eye to the nur&s;eries
of good Learning and Religion, the two Univer&s;ities; which
will never be furni&s;hed with choice plants, if there be no
Prefe<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">ments and Incouragements to the Students there, who
for the far greater part bend their &s;tudies to the Queen of all
Profe&s;&s;ions, Divinity; which will make but a &s;low progre&s;&s;e,
<PB N="56" REF="36">
if Bi&s;hopricks, Deanries, Archdeaconries, and Prebendaries,
and all other Eccle&s;ia&s;tical dignities, (which, like <HI>&s;ilver &s;purs,</HI>
prick on the indu&s;try of tho&s;e who con&s;ecrate their Labours
and endeavours to the glorifying of God, in imploying their
talent in the Mini&s;tery of the Go&s;pel, be taken away. What
&s;ails are to a Ship, that are affections to the &s;oul; which if
they be not filled with the hope of &s;ome rewards, and de&s;erved
preferments, as a pro&s;perous gale of wind) our &s;acred &s;tudies
and endeavours will &s;oon be calmed: for,<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Cic. Tu&s;c. qua&s;t.</NOTE> <HI>honos alit artes;
omne&s;que incenduntur &s;tudio gloriae; jacentque ea &s;emper, quae apud
quo&s;que improbantur;</HI> Honor nouri&s;heth Arts; and all men are
inflamed with de&s;ire of Glory; and tho&s;e Profe&s;&s;ions fall
and decay, which are in no e&s;teem with mo&s;t men. And if
there are places both of great Profit, Honor, and Power pro|pounded
to State&s;-men, and tho&s;e that are learned in the Law,
like rich Prizes to tho&s;e that prove Ma&s;teries; &s;hall the pro|fe&s;&s;ors
of the Divine Law be had in le&s;&s;e e&s;teem then the Stu|dents
and Practicers in the Municipal? And &s;hall that Pro|fe&s;&s;ion
only be barred from entring into the <HI>Temple of honour,</HI>
which directeth all men to the <HI>Temple of Virtue;</HI> and hath be&s;t
right to honour by the Promi&s;e of God, <HI>Honorantes me hono|rabo,</HI>
tho&s;e that honor me, I will honor; becau&s;e they mo&s;t
honour God in every action of their function, which imme|diately
tendeth to his glory?</P>
<P>They will &s;ay;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob.</NOTE> That Epi&s;copal Government hath proved
inconvenient and prejudicial to the State; and therefore the
Hierarchy is to be cut down,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sol.</NOTE> root and branch. Of this argument
we may &s;ay, as <HI>Cicero</HI> doth of <HI>Cato</HI> his exceptions again&s;t
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Pro Mur. tolle nomen Catonis.</NOTE> <HI>Murena,</HI> Set a&s;ide the Authority of the Objectors, the Ob|jection
hath very little weight in it. For it is liable to many
and ju&s;t exceptions, and admitteth of divers Replyes.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t it is &s;aid, That Epi&s;copal Government is inconvenient
and mi&s;chievous, and prejudicial to the State: but it was
never proved to be &s;o.</P>
<P>Secondly, Admit &s;ome good proof could be brought of it;
yet if Epi&s;copacy be of Divine In&s;titution, as hath been pro|ved,
it mu&s;t not be therefore rooted out; but the Luxurious
&s;tems of it pruned, and tho&s;e additions to the fir&s;t in&s;titution
<PB N="57" REF="36">
from whence the&s;e inconveniences have grown ought to be
retrenched.</P>
<P>Thirdly, If Epi&s;copacy hath proved inconvenient, and
mi&s;chievous in this age, which was mo&s;t<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Statut. Edw. 3. Ann. 25. The Church of <HI>England</HI> was founded in the &s;tate of Prela|cy, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> for we ow to it our be&s;t laws, made in the <HI>Saxon</HI> times, and <HI>Charta Magna</HI> it &s;elf: The eni|on of the two Ro&s;es, <HI>York</HI> and <HI>Lanca&s;ter,</HI> the marriage with <HI>Scotland;</HI> and above all, the Plantation and Reformation of true Religion. See <HI>Vindication of Epi&s;copacy,</HI> pag. 23, 24. See al&s;o the Statute book of 16 <HI>Rich.</HI> 2. where the Commons &s;hew, That the Prelates were much profitable and nece&s;&s;ary to their Soveraign Lord the King, and the Realm, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></NOTE> beneficial and pro|fitable
in all former ages, the fault may be in the Maladies of
the Patient, not in the method of Cure. This age is to be
Reformed, not Epi&s;copacy Abrogated; that the Liberty and
loo&s;ene&s;s of the&s;e times will not brook the Sacred bands of
Epi&s;copal Di&s;cipline, is rather a proof of the integrity there|of,
then a true argument of any malignity in it to the State:
without which, no effectual<NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg"><HI>Jerome Adver&s;. Luc. c.</HI> 4. Eccle&s;iae &s;alus &agrave; &s;ummi &s;acerdot<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">s dignitate pendet, cui &s;i non exors quaedam, &amp; ab omnibus eminens detur prote&s;tas, tot in Eccle&s;ia efficientur Schi&s;mata, quot &s;acerdotes. <HI>Cypr. Ep.</HI> 3. Non aliunde Haere&s;es abortae &s;unt, aut nata Schi&s;mata, quan inde quod &s;acerdoti Dei non obtemperatur; nec unus in Eccle&s;ia ad tempus &s;acerdos, &amp; al tempus judex vice Chri&s;ti cogitatur.</NOTE> means or cour&s;e can be taken,
either for the &s;uppre&s;&s;ing Schi&s;maticks, or the continuation of
a lawful and undenyable &s;ucce&s;&s;ion in the Mini&s;tery.</P>
<P>16. La&s;tly, Though &s;ome of late think they have brought
gold, and &s;ilver, and precious &s;tones to build the hou&s;e of
God, by producing &s;ome &s;tuff out of Antiquity, to prove the
Ordination of Presbyters by meer Presbyters; yet being put
to the <HI>te&s;t,</HI> it proves meer tra&s;h: for there can be no in&s;tance
brought out of Scripture of any Ordination, without Impo&s;i|tion
of Apo&s;tolical or Epi&s;copal hands; neither hath prime
Antiquity ever approved of meer Presbyters laying hands one
upon another, but in Orthodoxal Councels revoked, ca&s;&s;ated,
and di&s;annulled all &s;uch Ordinations, as we may read in the
Apologies of<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Athana&s;. A|pol.</HI> 2. Colithus quidam presby|ter in Eccle&s;ia. Alexandrina alios Presbyte|ros ordinare prae&s;ump&s;erat; &s;ed re&s;ci&s;&s;a fuit ejus Ordination, &amp; omnes ab <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">o con&s;tituti Pres|byteri in laico|rum ordinem redacti. <HI>See</HI> Epiph. Haer. 75. <HI>The order of Bi&s;hops begets Fathers in the Church: but the order of Presbyters Sons in Bapti&s;m, but no Fathers or Doctors.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Athana&s;ius,</HI> and el&s;ewhere.</P>
<P>What &s;hall I need to add more, &s;ave the te&s;timony of all
Chri&s;tians of what denomination &s;oever under the Cope of
<PB N="58" REF="37">
heaven, &s;ave only the Mu&s;hrom Sect of <HI>Browni&s;ts</HI> &s;prung up
the other night, all who have given their name to Chri&s;t, and
acknowledge and have &s;ome dependence on either the Patri|arch
of <HI>Con&s;tantinople</HI> in the Ea&s;t, or of <HI>Rome</HI> in the We&s;t, or of
<HI>Mu&s;covia</HI> in the North, or of <HI>Alexandria</HI> in the South, toge|ther
with the <HI>Cophtie, Maronites, Abi&s;&s;ones,</HI> and <HI>Chine&s;es,</HI> not
only admit of Epi&s;copal Government, and mo&s;t willingly
&s;ubmit to it, but never had, or at this day have any other? Nei|ther
is this, or can it be denyed by our <HI>Aerians:</HI> but they tell
us, that the&s;e are Chri&s;tians at large, who hold many Errors
and Super&s;titions with the Fundament<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">ls of Chri&s;tian Doctrin:
their Churches are like <HI>oare</HI> not <HI>clean&s;ed</HI> from earth; like <HI>gold</HI>
not <HI>purged</HI> from <HI>dro&s;s;</HI> like thre&s;hed <HI>wheat,</HI> not <HI>fanned</HI> from the
<HI>chaffe;</HI> like <HI>meal</HI> not <HI>&s;ifted</HI> from the <HI>bran;</HI> like <HI>wine</HI> not <HI>drawn
off the lees:</HI> we are, &s;ay they, upon a Reformation, and the new
Covenant engageth us to endeavour the Reformation of the
Church of <HI>England</HI> in Doctrine, Wor&s;hip, Di&s;cipline, and Go|vernment,
according to the Word of God, and according to
the example of the <HI>be&s;t Reformed Churches.</HI> The <HI>be&s;t Reformed,</HI>
which are they? whether the remainders of the <HI>Walden&s;es</HI> and
<HI>Albigen&s;es</HI> in <HI>Piemont,</HI> and the parts adjoyning; or of the <HI>Ta|borites</HI>
in <HI>Bohemia;</HI> or of the <HI>Lutherans</HI> in <HI>Germany;</HI> or tho&s;e that
are called after the name of <HI>Calvin</HI> in <HI>France,</HI> and el&s;e where?</P>
<P>Fir&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">See al&s;o G. <HI>Ab|bot</HI> in his Tract of the Vi&s;ibi|lity of the Church, and in his An&s;wer to <HI>Hill.</HI></NOTE> for the <HI>Walden&s;es,</HI> the fore-runners of <HI>Luther,</HI> as he
him&s;elf confe&s;&s;eth, they had Bi&s;hops who Ordained their
Pa&s;tours; a Catalogue whereof we may &s;ee in the Hi&s;tory of
the <HI>Walden&s;es,</HI> fir&s;t written in <HI>French,</HI> and after tran&s;lated into
<HI>Engli&s;h</HI> by a learned Herald.</P>
<P>Secondly, for the <HI>Luther an</HI> Churches, they have Prelates
governing them, under the titles of Archbi&s;hops and Bi&s;hops
in <HI>Poland, Denmark,</HI> and <HI>Sw<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">thland;</HI>
but under the name of Super inten|dents
&amp; Intendents in <HI>Germany:</HI> and
as for their judgement in the point,
it is expre&s;ly fet down in the<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Apol. Confe&s;&s;. Augu&s;tan. c. de numero &amp; u&s;u Sacrament.</HI> Not &s;aepe prote&s;tati &s;umn<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;umma cum voluntate con&s;ervare politiam Ec|cle&s;ia&s;ticam, &amp; gradus in Eccle&s;ia factos etiam &s;umma authoritate: &s;cimus enim utili con&s;i|lio Eccle&s;ia&s;ticam di&s;ciplinam have mode quo veteres eam de&s;cribunt con&s;titutam.</NOTE> Apo|logy
of the <HI>Augu&s;tane</HI> Confe&s;&s;ion, in
the&s;e words, <HI>We have often prote&s;ted
our earne&s;t de&s;ires to con&s;erve the di&s;cipline of degrees in the
<PB N="59" REF="37">
Church by Bi&s;hops.</HI> Nay,<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Luther Tom. 2. p.</HI> 320. Nemo contra &s;tatum Epi&s;coporum &amp; veros Epi&s;copos, vel bonos pa&s;tores dictum putet, quiquid contra hos ty|rannos dicitur.</NOTE> <HI>Luther</HI> him&s;elf, who of all men
mo&s;t bitterly inveighed again&s;t the
Antichri&s;tian Hierarchy, yet puts
water into his wine; adding, <HI>Let
no man hereby conceive, that I &s;peak
any thing again&s;t the &s;tate of Bi&s;hops,
but only again&s;t Romi&s;h Wolves and Tyrants.</HI> Neither are the
<HI>Lutherans</HI> of another minde at this
day, witne&s;s their every-way ac|compli&s;hed
<NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gerard. de Mini&s;terio Eccle&s;.</HI> Nemo no|&s;trum dicit nihil imere&s;&s;e inter Epi&s;copum, &amp; Presbyterum; &s;ed agno&s;cimus di&s;tinctionem graduum propter <GAP DESC="foreign"> Eccle&s;iae, ut con|cordia con&s;ervetur.</NOTE> <HI>Gerard: None of us,</HI>
&s;aith he, <HI>affirmeth, That there is
no difference between a Bi&s;hop, or
Presbyter, or Prie&s;t; but we ac|knowledge
a difference of Degrees,
for good Order &s;ake, and to pre&s;erve Concord in the Church.</HI></P>
<P>Here, me-thinks, I &s;ee the <HI>Smectimnuans</HI> bend their brows,
and an&s;wer with &s;ome indignation: What have we to do
with <HI>Lutherans</HI> who have Images in their Churches, and Auri|cular
confe&s;&s;ion, and maintain Con&s;ub&s;tantiation, and Ubi|quity,
and interci&s;ion of grace, and many other Errors? We
are of <HI>Calvin,</HI> and hold with the Doctrine and Di&s;cipline of
<HI>Geneva,</HI> which hath no <HI>allay</HI> at all of Error and Super&s;tition,
but is like the pure Angel-gold.</P>
<P>Here though I might (as many have done) crave leave to
put in a Legal Exception again&s;t the authority of <HI>Calvin</HI>
and <HI>Beza</HI> in matter of Di&s;cipline, becau&s;e they had a hand
in thru&s;ting out the Bi&s;hop of <HI>Geneva,</HI> and the Lay Presby|terian
Government was the i&s;&s;ue of their brain; and we
know it is natural for Parents to dote upon their own Chil|dren
and accompt them far fairer and more beautiful then in|deed
they are: yet &s;uch was the ingenuity of tho&s;e worthy
Reformers, and &s;uch is the evidence and &s;trength of
Truth, that in this point, concerning the Abolition of
Epi&s;copacy in the Church of <HI>England,</HI> I dare chu&s;e them as
Umpires.</P>
<P><PB N="60" REF="38">
<HI>Fir&s;t, let</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Calv. de nece&s;&s;. reform. Eccle&s;iae.</HI> Talem nobis Hierarchiam &s;i exhibeant, in qua &s;ic emi|n<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">ant Epi&s;copi, ut Chri&s;to &s;ube&s;&s;e non recu&s;ent, ut ab i<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">o tanquam unico capite pendeant &amp; ad ip&s;um referantier, in qua &s;ic inter &s;e frater|nam &s;ocietatem colant, ut non alio modo quam e<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">us verit<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">te &s;int colligati; tum vero nullo non anathemate dignos fateor, &s;i qui erunt, qui noa eam reverenter, &s;ummaque obedientia ob|&s;ervent.</NOTE> Calvin <HI>&s;peak in his exqui&s;ite Treati&s;e concerning
the Nece&s;&s;ity of Reforming the
Church, the mo&s;t proper place (if
any were) clearly to deliver his
judgement in this Controver&s;ie;
where, having <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">ipt up the abu&s;es of
the</HI> Romi&s;h <HI>Hierarchy, in the end
thus he re&s;olves:</HI> Let them &s;hew us
&s;uch an Hierarchy, in which the Bi|&s;hops
may have &s;uch preheminency, that
yet they refu&s;e not them&s;elves to be
&s;ubject to Chri&s;t, that they depend upon him as the only Head, and
refer all to him, and &s;o embrace brotherly &s;ociety, that they are
knit together by no other means then his truth, and I will confe&s;s
they de&s;erve any cur&s;e, if there be any who will not ob&s;erve &s;uch
an Hierarchy with reverence and greate&s;t obedience.</P>
<P>After him, let us hear<NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg"><HI>Beza de grad. Mini&s;t. Evang. c. 18. Se&s;&s;.</HI> 3. Quod &s;i nunc Eccle&s;iae in&s;tauratae An|glicanae &s;uorum Epi&s;coporum &amp; Archi epi&s;co|porum authoritate &s;uffultae per&s;tant, quemad|modum hoc illis no&s;tra memoria contigit, ut ejus ordinis homines non tantum in&s;ignes Dei Martyres, &s;ed etiam prae&s;tanti&s;&s;imos Doctores &amp; Pa&s;tores habuerit, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Bezae</HI> in that very Book which he
wrote again&s;t <HI>Saravia,</HI> a Prebend of
<HI>Canterbury,</HI> concerning different
Degrees in the Clergy: <HI>but,</HI> &s;aith
he, <HI>if the Reformed Churches of</HI> Eng|land
<HI>remain &s;till &s;upported with the
authority of their Archbi&s;hops and Bi|&s;hops,
as it hath come to pa&s;&s;e in our
memory, that they have had men of
that rank, not only famous Martyrs,
but mo&s;t excellent Doctors and Pa&s;tours (which happine&s;s I, for my
part, wi&s;h that they may continually enjoy)</HI> &amp;c. Surely, he that
&s;o highly extolled our Bi&s;hops, and wi&s;hed that that Order
might, like the tree in the Poet, continually bring forth &s;uch
golden boughs and fruit, would not readily &s;wear to endea|vour
the utter Extirpation thereof.</P>
<TRAILER>THE END.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="proclamation">
<PB REF="38">
<BYLINE>BY THE KING.</BYLINE>
<HEAD>His Maje&s;ties Proclamation, forbidding the Tendring
or Taking of the late Vow or Covenant, devi&s;ed by &s;ome
Members of both Hou&s;es, to Engage His Maje&s;ties good
Subjects in the Maintenance of this odious Rebellion.</HEAD>
<P><HI>_WHEREAS</HI> We have lately &s;een a Vow or
Covenant pretended to be taken by &s;ome
Members of both Hou&s;es of Parlia|ment,
whereby after the taking notice
of a Popi&s;h and Traiterous Plot for the
&s;ubver&s;ion of the true Reformed Prote
&s;tant Religion, and the Liberty of the Subiect and to
&s;urprize the Cities of <HI>London</HI> and <HI>We&s;tmin&s;tr,</HI> They do
promi&s;e and covenant according to their utmo&s;t power
to a&s;&s;i&s;t the Forces pretended to be rai&s;ed and continued
by both Hou&s;es of Parliament, again&s;t the Forces rai+&s;ed
by Vs, and to a&s;&s;i&s;t all other per&s;ons that &s;hall take
the &s;aid Oath, in what they &s;hall do in pur&s;uance
thereof; which Oath as the &s;ame hath been taken
without the lea&s;t colour or ground, the Contrivers
thereof well knowing that there is no popi&s;h Army
<PB REF="39">
within this Kingdom, that We are &s;o far from giving
countenance to that Religion, that We have alwayes
given, and alwayes offered Our con&s;ent to any Act for
the &s;uppre&s;&s;ion of Popery, and the growth thereof; and
that the Army rai&s;ed by Vs is in truth for the nece&s;&s;a|ry
defence of the true Reformed Prote&s;tant Religion
e&s;tabli&s;hed by Law, the Liberty and Property of the
Subiect, and Our own Iu&s;t Rights according to
Law; all which being &s;etled and &s;ubmitted to or &s;uch
a free and peaceable Convention in Parliament being
provided for, that the &s;ame might be &s;etled, We have
offered and are &s;till ready to Disband our Armies:
and as the &s;aid Oath was devi&s;ed only to prevent
Peace, and to pre-engage the Votes of the Members of
both Hou&s;es (directly contrary to the Freedom and
Liberty of Parliament) and to engage them and Our
good Subiects in the maintenance of this horrid and
odious Rebellion; &s;o it is directly contrary, as well to
their natural Duty as to the Oaths of Allegiance and
Supremacy e&s;tabli&s;hed by Law, which obliges them to
bear to Vs Truth and Faith of Life, Members and
Earthly Honour, and to defend Vs to the utmo&s;t of
their powers again&s;t all Con&s;piracies and Attempts
what&s;oever, which &s;hall be made again&s;t Our Per&s;on,
Our Crown and Dignity and to do their be&s;t endea|vours
to di&s;clo&s;e and make known to Vs all Trea&s;ons
and Traiterous Con&s;piracies which &s;hall be again&s;t
Vs and to their power to a&s;&s;i&s;t and defend all Iuri&s;dic|tions.
Priviledges, Preheminences and Authority be|longing
to Vs, or united and annexed to the Imperial
Crown of this Realm. And whereas We are informed,
that &s;ome de&s;perate &s;editious per&s;ons do endeavour
to per&s;wade and &s;educe others of Our good Subiects
to take the &s;aith Oath, thereby to engage them and
<PB REF="39">
this Kingdom into a continuanee of the&s;e mi&s;erable
and bloudy di&s;tempers, We do therefore out of Grace
and Compa&s;&s;ion to our people, and that they may not
by any craft or violence &s;uffer them&s;elves to be &s;educed
again&s;t their Duty and Con&s;cience, warn them of their
natural Allegiance, and their Obligations by Oaths
lawfully admini&s;tred to them, and wi&s;h them to re|member
the great Ble&s;&s;ings of God in peace and plen|ty,
which the whole Kingdom hath received, whil&s;t
that Duty and tho&s;e Oaths were carefully ob&s;erved,
and the un&s;peakable mi&s;eries and calamities they
have &s;uffered in the breaking and violation thereof.
And we do &s;traitly Charge and Command Our loving
Subiects of what degree and quality &s;oever, upon
their Allegiance, that they pre&s;ume not to take the &s;aid
Seditious and Traiterous Vow or Covenant, which
endeavours to withdraw them from their natural Al|legiance
which they owe unto Vs, and to which they
are or ought to be &s;worn, and are bound by the known
Laws of the Land, albeit they are not &s;worn, and
engages them in Acts of High Trea&s;on by the expre&s;s
letter of the Statute of the <HI>25th.</HI> Year of King <HI>Edward</HI>
the third. And We do likewi&s;e hereby forbid and in|hibit
all Our Subiects to impo&s;e admini&s;ter or ten|der
the &s;aid Oath or Covenant: And if notwith&s;tan|ding
this Our Gracious Proclamation any per&s;on
&s;hall pre&s;ume to impo&s;e, tender, or take the &s;aid Vow
or Covenant, We &s;hall proceed again&s;t him or them
with all &s;everity according to the known Laws of the
Land.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Given at Our Court at <HI>Oxford,</HI> <DATE>the One and Twentieth
day of <HI>June,</HI> in the Nineteeth Year of Our Reign.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
<CLOSER>God Save the KING.</CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
