are all bound not only to the present Liturgie but also to the present Government both by their subscription and also by a vowed promise with a calling of God to witnesse and help thereunto As for the Act of Parliament whereby the Liturgy is confirmed in which Liturgy the Bishops by a prescribed Order more then once or twice are appointed to be prayed for it binds all the Subjects as well as Ministers It is the Law of the Kingdom established by Soveraign Authority and this Authority the Apostle saith we must be Subject unto both for fear of wrath and also for conscience sake This doth concern all the Subjects of the Kingdom but the Ministers Assembly men and all are yet somewhat further bound For at their Ordinations they have put it under their hands and that willingly and ex anima as they professed at least that the Book of Common Prayer containeth in it nothing contrary to the word of God and that they themselves will use the form in that Book prescribed and none othen And to this they have subscribed not once onely but again and again some of them when they took degrees in the Universities all of them when they were admitted into Orders both of Deaconty Priest hood and also at their severall Institutions to their Livings and admissions into Lectures as appears by the 36. Canon forementioned yet besides all this they made a vowed promise at their Ordination for a question being thus demanded of them will you reverently obey your Ordinary c This Answer was returned by them I will so do the Lord being my helper Now whether men that have so often bound themselves willingly and with all their heart and have lived accordingly some of them 20. some 30. some 40. yeers may lawfully endevour by the sword to free themselves from this bond or encourage others by the sword to procure a liberty for them or enter into a Covenant quite contrary to this bond is a case of conscience so deservedly considerable that all who have any conscience or do beleeve there is a Heaven or Hell to go to hereafter cannot but startle at the very first hearing of it that so much the rather because all Mimsters of the Kingdom have yet besides made another solemn Vow to their power to maintain quietnesse and Peace for at their Ordination this question being demanded of them Will you maintain and set forwards as much as lyeth in you quietnesse peace and love among all Christian people c The Answer they have all returned is this I will so do the Lord being my helper O God that art the helper of all them that do not forsake thee make them all that fear thee mindfull of their Vowes and carefull to perform them XV Whether the tampering so much with Oathes undertaking to dissolve some and impose others viz. new Covenants contrary to our former Oathes whereby the consciences both of Prince and people cannot but be insnared whether this doth seeme to argue any sincerity of zeal and purity of Religion or rather whether it doth not argue a wilfull purpose and resolution to compasse our own ends if possible though it be with the wrack of mens soules as well as of their Estates and Lives XVI Whether there be any reason or conscience the Clergy onely among all the Subjects of the Kingdom should be excluded from Voting about those Laws to the observance whereof it is expected they should be bound as well as the rest of the Subjects What a singular encouragement is here to be a Clergy-man in the Kingdom of England XVII Whether the Assembly of Divines at London have any lawfull calling Justly doubted for an ordinary calling all the Kingdom knows they have not they were not chosen by the voyces of the Clergy neither were they gathered together by the Kings will and Commandement without which there can be no such Ecclesiasticall Assembly as they themselves have put under their hands compare the third Article of subscription before mentioned with the 21. Article of Religion and it will easily appear and besides there is an Act of Parliament against such Assemblies as have not the Kings consent thereunto in the 25. of Henry 8. An ordinary calling then they have not an extraordinary by any supernaturall inspiration it is to be thought they will not assume to themselves and so they have no lawfull calling at all However the guides of the Kingdom they have taken upon them to be and therefore they may do well briefly and plainly to resolve these perplexing doubts with some Manifesto that we may know it is done or approved by them If we be misled woe be to us we shall perish in our iniquity Isay 9.16 but our blood shall be required at our watchmens hands Ezek. 3.18 XVIII Whether men lawfully possest of temporall Estates and having by their last will and Testament or any other lawfull means bestowed the same to the maintenance of the Clergy with fearfull curses some of them and imprecations on those that should divert it from that use whether those Estates can safely be alienated from the way which the Doners themselves devised without sacriledge True the curse causelesse will not come but that these curses are such who can say nay and if there were no curse yet who can say it is not sacriledge if Ananias and Saphira might not alienate what themselves had given who hath power to alienate that which is given by another man To rob Peter and pay Paul will not be sufficient to excuse the businesse A man had need be sure of his warrant before he take upon him to be a divider Luk. 12.14 XIX Whether we who endeavour to change the government of the Church that we may procure liberty of conscience yet exercise cruell Tyranny upon mens Consciences our selves by requiring them to joyn with us though there be so many scruples of conscience against it by plundering and imprisoning them if they will not joyn with us and by imposing new Covenants contrary to former Oathes whether we seeme not to the Malignants too justly to be guilty of deep Hypocrisie espying a mote that was in the Bishops eyes and not discerning the beam that is in our own XX Whether we that cryed out upon the Papists for endeavouring to bring in the Spaniards and upon the King for intending as we conceived to bring in the Danes be not unexcusable before God and man for doing that our selves in bringing in the Scots which we condemned in others Rom. 2.1 c Item whereas we complained of the Tyranny of the Bishops that many thereby were driven to forsake their Native Countrey and yet we by our cruelty shall do the self same are we not in this behalf also unexcusable many more such Items may be added XXI Whether it can stand with the quiet of Christian consciences to make such an effusion of Christian blood as now hath been spilt and yet is in
Certain considerable and most materiall Cases of CONSCIENCE wherewith divers wel-affected in this Kingdom are much perplexed the cleering whereof would worthily deserve the paines of the Assembly at London I. WHether there be any clear evidence of Scripture wherein the conscience of a Christian may safely rest for taking up of Armes against his Prince If it had not been forbidden there had been the lesse doubt but there being so many places of Scripture so evidently and so directly against it how shall ordinary capacities that are but ordinarily enlightned be sure that in joyning with the two Houses now at Westminster he doth not transgresse Gods Commandement and draw upon himselfe damnation There are three things pretended but they do not satisfie tender consciences First it is said This was is not against the King What it is in Gods fight God knowes but to any humane understanding it seemes to be against the King It was first undertaken to fetch the King to Parliament it is prosecuted still that we may obtain our desires of the King and when we send to Treat about Peace we send to Treat with the King and if the King should chance to miscarry by a Bullet in these Wars which God forbid who then that hath contributed any assistance to the Parliament could have any comfort in his soul that he were free from the guilt of killing the King A second pretence is That this is a defensive war Indeed if our Armies did alwayes retreat and go back from the King we should think so too but now when we see our Armies still pursue him as at first time also when we sent to fetch him to the Parliament it seemes to be against all sence and reason to count this War a defensive War Thirdly it is pretended A Parliament may do that which private men cannot do And that is certainly true without all doubt but yet the question doth still remain whether the two Houses which make not a full Parliament can lawfully take up Arms against their King It hath been alwayes observed in this kingdom That a Parliament cannot be till the King call it and if it cannot lawfully be without him it is not easie to be beleeved that it may lawfully Act without him much lesse against him and it seemes something strange that the King of his goodnesse having continued this Parliament should now be distressed by that unto which he himself hath given life And here it is to be considered from whence the Parliament hath that power which they have if it be said From the King without question he gave them not power to take up Armes against himself if it be said From the People which is in deed our Pachamentary doctrine our own doings do convince us for our hearts tell us That the people for the major part are Enemies to our proceedings else why have we sent for the Scots There is another thing pretended also at least amongst the vulgar whereby we would many of us quiet and still our consciences and yet it will not do It is said That the King and Parliament are one others expresse it thus to give it the better colour That the Parliament is a part of the King And that which is inferred thereupon is this That the Parliament can do nothing against the King and that whatsoever any man doth for the Parliament he doth for the King because the King and Parliament are one Now it is true indeed the King and Parliament are one one body politique whereof the King is head and so it is true too that the husband and the wife are one body whereof the husband is the head and the union between them is so neer that a neerer cannot be imagined between the King and Parliament and yet it follows not because the husband and the wife are one that it is impossible for the wife to miscarry her selfe towards her husband who knows not that there are some untractable women in the world that carry themselves most unchristianly towards their husbands both with froward words and crosse actions and if any man shall take the wifes part in such away it cannot be said of him he is for the husband and the wife for while he is for the wife in such a way surely he is against the husband So for the difference in hand though the King and Parliament be one it follows not that it is impossible for the Parliament to be disloyall and they carrying themselves in such a way whosoever shall be for them it cannot be said of him he is for the King and Parliament for while he is for them in such a way he must needs be against the King This inference therefore follows not Indeed thus we may rightly argue The husband and the wife are one therefore the wife ought not to be injurious and disloyall to her husband and so the King and Parliament are one therefore the Parliament ought not to be disloyall to the King this Argument will hold but we see the other holds not And as the only way for a man to shew himself a friend both to the husband and the wife in such a case as is mentioned and to make peace in the familie is to let the wife know her duty so the onely way for a man now to shew himselfe a friend both to King and Parliament is to let the Parliament know their duty and to endeavour to reduce them thereunto This comparison doth make the businesse plain onely in one thing the comparison holds not If the wife at any time pretends her husband doth her wrong there is a Judge on earth above them to end the strife namely the King or his Deputy But if at any time the Parliament conceives the King doth them wrong there is no higher Judge on earth to flie unto they must seek unto heaven by their Prayers and wait on the Lord for a redresse of their injuries II Whether he that offers violence to the Kings Person can be free from the sinne of Rebellion because he pretends to defend the Kings Power What violence hath been offered to his person is too evident The unworthy and dishonourable words that have been uttered of the King in Pamphlets in Declarations yea and in Pulpits also to humane reason seeme no small indignities but much more to be excluded from his Houses to have his Revenues with-held to be pursued with Armies and shot at with Bullets c. III Whether we do not oppose the Kings Power when we got about by force to diminish his Power As in Election of his Counsellors his negative voice c. IIII Whether the practice of any former Parliaments held in time of thick and dark Popery may be a sufficient warrant for Parliaments now to walk by Some former Parliaments have been too bold with Kings as our Chronicles shew neither may we think all that out Parliaments have done in that behalf to be lawfull because it is recorded in our
to the Kings Supremacy and now hold any coequall and coordinate power are not forsworn To him that is supream there can be no equall neither will it help to say The oath hath reference to forraign powers for though in the processe of it it hath reforence indeed to forraign powers yet in the beginning of it we do testific and declare in our consciences that the King is the onely supream Governor c. absolutely and generally without any exception or limitation at all and who can give us a power to understand the oath with a limitation when we have all taken it without a limitation IX Whether it be not contrary to the such to go about to Wrest the Militia out of the Kings hand when we have in the same oath of Supremacy declared in our consciences That the King is supre can Governor c. in all things or canses both spuituall and temporall If the Militia be a temporall businesse temporall or spirituall the King by this oath must be supream therein And here it is to be considered whether the Militia be not already sttled by Act of Parliament if yea why is not that course followed which by Law is prescribed if no why then it is to be thought it belongs to the Kings prerogarive which we have all bound our selves to maintain both by our oath of Alegiance and also by our late Protestation and indeed how can he else be a King for without it he cannot afford that Protection which he owes to his Subjects as he is their King X Whether all we that do not take up Arms in behalf of the King having taken the Oath of Allegiance to him be not forsworn The words of the Oath are these I will bear faith and true Allegiance to His Majesty his heirs and successors and him them will defend to the uttermost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoever which shall be made against him or their persons their Crown and Dignity c. These are the very words of the Oath now whether our disregard of his Commands our depraving his Government our fighting against his Armies our endeavour to take him captive in the sight of the Almighty will be esteemed as tending to the defence of his Person Crown and Dignity is such a scruple that the Malignants who take up Arms for him seem more directly to follow the words of the Oath and thinke that none do rightly perform this Oath but themselves Neither will it serve the turn to say That Oath was made to prevent all encouragements of Rebellion that might be brought from Rome for divers reasons shew that the intent of the Oath is to binde the Subjects to true Allegiance whatsoever encouragement from any power might be presented to them though because the Romanists or Papists were at that time principally suspected the Oath doth principally bend its Forces against them for first there was an Ancient Oath of Allegiance before which did binde the Subjects indefinitely that is generally to bear to their Soveraign truth and faith both of life and member without application to any particular power from whence Rebellion might be suspected and it were a vain thing to imagine that in an Oath newly framed there should be a gap left open to endanger the Prince which had been prevented in the old Secondly in this latter Oath we are bound to defend the Kings Person c. against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoever which shall be made by reason of any incouragement from Rome or otherwise Thirdly it is acknowledged by us in that Oath That neither Pope nor any other person whatsoever hath power to absolve us of this Oath or any part thereof whereby it is evident the Oath doth binde us to perfect Allegiance without digressing upon any occasion whatsoever XI Whether all we that have taken the Protestation to maintain the Priviledges of Parliament do not violate our Protestation so long as we joyn with the two Houses at Westminster It is one Priviledge of Parliament That none of the Members should be excluded thence or hindred from Voting there and that freely it is another priviledge that no forraigners Scottish Commissioners or others should have any power there whiles both these things are done and suffered by the two Houses at Westminster how are the priviledges of Parliament maintained by them and how do we keep our Protestation while we consent unto and joyn with them XII Whether a man who hath subscribed that there is nothing in the Book of Homilies contrary to the word of God as all Beneficed men and Lecturers have done as will appear if the 3. Article of subscription in the 36. Canon be compared with the 35. Article of Religion whether he that hath thus subscribed can joyn with the two Houses but that he must make not onely them but himself also guilty of Rebellion There be four Homilies against Rebellion or rather four parts of one Homilie wherein these wayes of taking up Arms against the Prince are wholly condemned and this must needs be consented to for sound and orthodox by all Ministers in the Kingdom or else they must say they subscribed meerly in a colour that they might hold a Lecture or a Benefice XIII Whether we all that have vowed by our late Protestation with our Lives and Estates to maintain the Doctrine of the Church of England as it is opposed to Popery do not violate our Protestation if we maintain not all the Doctrine contained in the Homily against Rebellion Who knows not that the Homilies against Rebellion were compiled purposely against Popery the Popish Priests in those dayes being so busie to stirre up Rebellion it being also one speciall point of Popery to justifie the Arms of Subjects against their Soveraign The fashood of such tenets and the iniquity of such practises is fully declared in the Homily against Rebellion and if any Doctrine may justly be said to be established in the Church of England surely this is one part of it because by Act of Parliament in the 13. of Elizabeth the Articles of Religion are confirmed among which Articles this is one viz. Article 35. That the Book of Homilies doth contain Godly and wholsome Doctrine c. The Doctrine then that forbids the taking up of Arms against the Prince is Godly Doctrine established in the Church of England by Act of Parliament and so established as opposite to Popery and if we maintain not this Doctrine what care do we take of our Protestation pay that which thou hast vowed Eccles 5.4 if we maintain not this Doctrine what care do we take of Acts of Parliament XIIII Whether those Ministers that have taken the oath of Canonicall obedience can safely take the new Scottish Covenant or yeeld to a change of the present Government of the Church of England so long at least as these Bishops are living And yet if the oath of Canonicall obedience be not enough see how the Ministers