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A84058 The equity of the Solemne League and Covenant iustified, against an infectious and libellous pamphlet: intituled, The iniquity of the late Solemne League and Covenant discovered. As it was lately sent from Oxford: and intercepted by the way to London. Written by way of caution to all those who either have or shall reade the said dangerous paper. 1644 (1644) Wing E3186; Thomason E39_20; ESTC R17157 7,410 13

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THE EQVITY Of the Solemne LEAGVE and COVENANT IVSTIFIED Against an Infectious and Libellous Pamphlet INTITVLED THE INIQVITY Of the late Solemne League and Covenant Discovered As it was lately sent from Oxford and intercepted by the way to London Written by way of Caution to all those who either have or shall reade the said dangerous Paper Printed for Iohn Field 1644. THE EQVITY OF THE SOLEMNE LEAGVE and COVENANT IVSTIFIED IT being my fortune to meet with a frivolous and groundlesse pamphlet penned as by the Title appeares on purpose to traduce the Equity and Justnesse of our Sacred Solemne League and Covenant and to poison the People with a misunderstanding thereof And being informed that many of the papers were by Malignants and other ill Members procured and dispersed abroad by stealth and in a clandestine way I thought my self bound by the duty I owe unto God and the publike obligations of this Covenant wherein I have a peculiar interest to take in hand to answer it and remove those scruples and ill-contrived stumbling-blocks which are cast in the way of those which have not as yet come in and subscribed to this holy Covenant I will not at all take notice of the bitternesse of the Traiterous and Seditious preamble which sufficiently sets forth the Constitution of the Author But considering that Oxford is the place from whence it came where all their Doctrine is railing I purposely passe it by and will in a facile moderate way betake my selfe to the ground work of the businesse It is pretended to be written to a gentleman of his own party now in Durance which desired satisfactiun upon the point who was intended to take the Covenant as a meanes to procure his liberty which before he absolutely resolved upon he desires information from this dangerous Counsellour who tels him if his resolution and advice may in time be herad it stands this upon these two points I. That no man can with a safe Conscience enter this Covenant by reason of the grosse and palpable Iniqvity of the Contents thereof II. That he who through his own ignorance and cunning of others hath been seduced or by their threats and menaces forced or by any other meanes brought to enter this Covenant with them is not bound to the performance of the Contents but having by the taking of it contracted their guilt of a grievous sinne it bound to a speedy repentance for the same These were notable convincing points indeed if they were proved But he cares not for the reality of proof so he may reduce his arguments to some specious frame for the maine scope or end which he pretends to by reasoning upon these two points is set downe in these two particulars First In the resolving and keeping a good conscience as he stiles it in the refusall of this Covenant by reason of the grosse and palpable Iniquity of the contents thereof Secondly For the recovery of the Conscience ensnared by entring this Covenant wherein is considered the not binding of it if taken which particulars if thou canst make good Tu Dominus Tu vir Tu mihi frater eris I shall most willingly Subscribe Thus far we have a fair porch to the building and which might take any man at the first fight But let us now make entry and see what furniture wee can finde within to entertaine a mans understanding He proceeds to frame Obiections against the severall Articles of the Covenant And the first thing he excepts against is that we are bound to endeavour the extirpation of Prelacie and Church-Government by Archbishops Bishops c. By the first and second Articles and not onely so but really and constantly to endeavour the same Now he bids him see the Iniquity of this Object 1. First he sayes here is sedition Subjects entring into a Covenant for a change of established government without and against their Soveraignes Command and Authority Answ I answer that this is not done against the Authority of our Soveraign but this covenanting against Prelacie is ordained and entred upon by those who have Soveraign Authority communicated unto them from the King in Parliament and by them it is commended unto the People to be sworne against as a government inconsistent with the good of the Kingdomes Out of what Lawes Divine or Civill and Nationall do you read that an Act of the grand Estates of a Kingdome lawfully convened may be called sedition Object 2. Secondly hee sayes Here is injustice to fellow-subjects Subjects entring a Covenant and binding themselves to do notorions wrong and injury to others that is to extirpate a company of men whose Function is of Apostolicall institution and hath continued in this Land from the first receiving of the Christian Faith whose immunities also and priviledges are undeniably most ancient and legall in this Kingdome Answ 1. First I answer That it could never be proved yet though there have been many papers vented pretending the probation of it that so much as regulated Episcopacie was of Apostolicall institution muchlesse Prelacie an order of a higher straine with all its Hierachicall Appurtenances both of them being held in the opinion of the most and best Protestants unquestionable and obvious to all men to be but of humane institution Answ 2. Secondly I answer Be it granted that their immunities and priviledges are ancient and legall within this Kingdome yet you must remember that those immunities and priviledges were at first conferred upon them by the favour and indulgence of the State in those dayes of the growing greatnesse of the Clergie why then may not the same power of the State in the ancient and legall Court of Parliament derived to their successors now lawfully assembled with as much reason deprive them of those immunities together with their greatnesse which have proved undeniably so prejudiciall to the Kingdome Answ 3. Thirdly I answer that our covenanting to extirpate Prelacie cannot be called injustice nor injury to our fellow-subjects by the same reason also Because the abolition of those accidentall priviledges the fruitfull p●rents of so many intolerable exorbitances is agreed upon by the Supreme Court of Justice the representative Body of the Nation which of it self is sufficient to annull the Hierarchie but because Authority is of little availment without the addition of forcible power in times of difficulty opposition rebellion of desperate Incendiaries therfore it was necessary that the loyall partee of the Land should be ingaged by Covenant to defend the Parliament in the prosecution of their most just proceedings to redresse the grievances of the Subject of which Prelacy is not the least as also for the chastizing of Delinquents And how is it possible that this Prelaticall government should be convenient for a State or Kingdome whereas 1. They have been burthensome in all ages what opposites in England have they been to our Kings till their interests were changed 2. Secondly all reformed Churches have expelled them as incompatible with