CERTAIN DISQUISITIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS Representing to the Conscience the unlawfulnesse of the Oath entituled A solemn League and Covenant for Reformation c. As also the insufficiency of the Arguments used in the Exhortation for taking the said Covenant Published by command OXFORD Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD Printer to the University 1644. CERTAIN DISQUISITIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS Representing to the Conscience the unlawfulnesse of the Oath entituled A solemn League and Covenant for Reformation c. We Noblemen Barons Knights Gentlemen Citizens Burgesses Ministers of the Gospell and Commons of all sorts in the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland 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 Iesus Christ the honour and happinesse of the Kings Majesty and His Posterity and the true publique Liberty Safety and Peace of the Kingdoms wherein every ones private condition is included and calling to mind the treacherous and bloody plots conspiracies attempts and practices of the enemies of God against the true Religion and professours thereof in all places especially in these three Kingdomes ever since the reformation of Religion and how much their rage power and presumption are of late and at this time increased and exercised whereof the deplorable estate of the Church and Kingdome of Ireland the distressed estate of the Church and Kingdome of England and the dangerous estate of the Church and Kingdome of Scotland are present and publique testimonies We have now at last after other meanes of Supplication Remonstrance Protestations and Sufferings for the preservation of our selves and our Religion from utter ruine and destruction according to the commendable practice of these Kingdomes in former times and the example of Gods people in other Nations after mature deliberation resolved and determined to enter into a mutuall and solemn League and covenant wherein we all subscribe and each one of us for himself with our hands lifted up to the most high God doe swear SEeing it hath pleased the composers of this Covenant to set it forth with an Introduction which containes that which it seems prevailed with them and they expect should work upon the three Kingdomes to take the following Covenant it will be behoofefull in the first place to reduce the conscience to a cleare and strict examination upon the contents of this Introduction and then if it shall find that all things therein be true and withall sufficient to that end for which they were premised viz. to inferre a necessity of swearing to all things contained in the following Articles the conscience will be directed to follow that dictate But if it fail in either of those we must betake our selves to other considerations to be guided by We will therefore sincerely propound the contents of the Preface as neer as may be according to its method joyning together matters of the same kind And then we shall find the discourse of the Preface to be resolved into these principles 1. The glory of God the advancement of the Kingdome of Iesus Christ the honour and happinesse of the King c. are to be aimed at and endeavoured 2. Especially when they are endangered 3. The meanes therefore necessary towards those ends are to be used which are either Supplication Remonstrance c. or making warre 4. The former are first to be used but if they faile then the latter These are the universall Maximes whereon by application to the present condition the taking of the Covenant is enforced The three first then being granted they subsume that having used the former and failing of successe we are all necessitated to use the latter viz. To swear to joyn with the Scots in Armes which is the generall and to those particulars after mentioned in the Articles That such joyning in armes is the generall end of the Covenant will appeare by comparing the sixt Article of the Covenant for mutuall assistance and defence of one another with the 14 Article of the Instructions wherein the imposers of this Oath appoint to be read publiquely at the time when the Covenant is read the Declaration of the Kingdomes of England and Scotland joyned in Armes for the vindication c. In which Declaration the taking this Covenant is made one of the grounds both of their confidence as they say that this warre wherein they are so deeply engaged is of God and of their resolution which they professe with courage and constancy unto the end to doe their part Whosoever therefore is not perswaded in his conscience either that all these meanes mentioned and all other such like have been used and have been rejected or upon supposition that they had yet doubts of the consequence viz. that such an Army may be leavied and such a warre managed cannot without deadly sinne though disengaged from oaths for any of the following particulars upon the former principles take this Covenant But not to insist hereon we will briefly run over the severall places of the Preface and consider the naturall intimations from them onely supposing for example the end of this Covenant to be the assistance or at least consent in this present joyning in armes applying it to men of the Church of England I A. B. living under the King This cannot reasonably be a motive to warre but obedience to him nor a motive to enter into a publique League Oath and Covenant not prescribed by Law without him much lesse against his expresse Proclamation forasmuch as an Oath for confirmation either assertory or promissory is to men for an end of all strife And a publique Oath propounded to a Nation or Nations is for the ending of publique strife and divisions and of any publique strife of a Nation or Nations under one King properly so called the King is the supreame Iudge in all causes as well Ecclesiasticall as civill as is evident by the Law of God 1 Pet. 2. And to us moreover by the Law of the Land 24 H. 8. c. 12. by the doctrine of the Church of England Art 37. the book of Homilies and establishâ—d Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy And therefore such an Oath and Covenant may not be entered into without and against the allowance of the King who is the supream Judge even in the supream Judicatory it selfe Being of the Reformed Religion established in the Church of England the very marke and Character of which as differenced from Popery and other Sects hath been chiefly that it hath alwaies maintained That it is not lawfull in any case not in the danger of their Religion for subjects to take up Armes against their lawfull Soveraign Having before my eyes the glory of God and the advancement of the kingdome of Iesus Christ Here the consideration of the mind requisite towards the judgement of conscience will be this whether by this warre considered with its circumstances the glory of God c. is more
apt to be advanced then by peace wherein although reason might easily conclude yet it will be much more certainly guided if we shal examine those precepts which Christ and his Apostles have laid down towards the accomplishment of those ends here proposed and try whether they doe suggest or intimate any thing towards such a warre If they doe not or if the contrary the conscience having before its eyes the glory of God c. will not be induced to take this course for the advancement of it For the rectification of conscience in this case it will be requisite to consider this warre to which we are enjoyned to contribute by whom and against whom it is undertaken Where if the conscience finde it to be unlawfull in the undertaking it cannot lawfully consent or assist viz. If it be no waies lawfull for such as we are moved to joyne with to take up Armes against such as we should be sworne to oppose If it might possibly be lawfull in the first undertaking it could no otherwise be but as it should be a necessary meanes to procure a just peace and the determination of conscience in this case will depend upon the consideration of the conjunctures of things at the undertaking and all the time of the continuance of this warre and if peace with truth might have been or may be established without it much more if this means shall be found opposite the conscience cannot without sin assent to this warre Here the mind is to examine the severall propositions motions overtures c. which have been and are made by both parties and according to them to judge The happinesse and honour of the King and his Posterity Here we are to consider whether or what this action of ours will contribute towards the honour and happinesse of the King and his posterity And because it is not easie to discover any foundation of such honour and happinesse c. besides that the managers of this party with whom they would have us to joyne have never particularly declared the way how these ends shall be or are advanced by their warre although it is one of their most common expressions the safest way at least the most naturall for the conscience is to raise a judgement of what is likely to ensue upon what hath preceded since these undertakings upon the same Principles where it is to consider whether his Honour or Contumely have beene increased by and since these warres And so for the happinesse of Himselfe and his Posterity consider whether if these men be upon the same designe with those who gave him battell at Edge-Hill Newbery c. what those designes made towards the happinesse of him and his Posterity The true publike Liberty Safety and Peace of the Kingdome If the Scots to whose assistance especially we are to be sworn should not hereby be able to conquer and prevail what will our taking of the Covenant advance the publike Liberty and Peace of the Kingdom according to the conceit of the enjoyners of the Covenant If they should consider how that can conduce to our Liberty unlesse thereby be meant freedom from our ancient Laws and from the setled happy government of Church and State whilst we may fear to be put under uncertain new ones Secondly Safety whether the danger of ruine doe not outweigh or equalize the hopes of safety Thirdly Peace whether this be the onely the likeliest or indeed any probable meanes of procuring Peace Seeing there are but two wayes obvious by which this course should procure it viz. Victory or reducing the King to yeeld to their desires Here the judgement of conscience will be grounded upon this Whether the King be no way but by force inclinable to a just Peace Wherein every ones private c. This is subordinate to the former immediately preceding Calling to minde the practices of the enemies of God against the true Religion c. Here we are to consider and reckon up who and of what sorts are the enemies of the Church of England of which we are and which is established by Law to which we have subscribed and what party in this quarrell is openly professed for it hath equally declared against all sorts of its enemies and which is not and accordingly c. Whereof the deploreable estate of Ireland c. Consider whether the true cause of this is to be referred both in the rise and progresse of it to the King or the malice of the Papists stirred up by those who they say had declared an intention of their utter extirpation and secondly where afterward the impediment of succour to those of our Religion lay The distressed estate of England whether that profession which is established by Law be distressed by the King or by Sectaries The dangerous estate of Scotland Wherein was their danger after all things were setled with them and who brought them into that danger that party which we should swear against or themselves After other meanes of Supplication Remonstrance Protestation and Suffering This which is here diâ—joyned from the rest of the motives and cast into a Parenthesis is indeed made the onely foundation of this way of proceeding and puts the onely case wherein such a way of covenanting c. can be imagined to be lawfull So that if these meanes have not beene both before and ever since the undertaking of this designe sincerely and effectually endeavoured by the intimation of this introduction it selfe this course is not warrantable and there are other principles of Scripture and our Religion which are to be examined if they have beene used such as inferre That it is not lawfull in any case whatsoever to resist with Arms the lawfull power by God set over us Now whether these means have been and are to used it will best appear by considering who hath sent the Messages for Treaty towards Peace what hath been declared by both parties of certainty and particularly touching Religion Law and Proviso's for tender Consciences and comparing together the severall Remonstrances Protestations and Sufferings Though all hitherto had beene used and rejected consider if the overture now lately made by the Kings party might not by the mercy of God be a meanes to produce Peace c. if the businesse be managed as it ought And according to the results of these the conscience must conclude For the preservation of our selves and our Religion The Religion wherein we are grounded and to which the Clergy hath subscribed in the Religion of the Church of England comprised in the Liturgy Articles Book of Ordination and Homilies of our Church confirmed by our 35. Article consider whether the Covenant be a meanes ordered in reason to preserve these from ruine According to the commondable practice c. If this Kingdome have done so that cannot resolve the conscience But consider whether ever in the like case the like warre was commenced if any one had been propounded the conscience would the more easily
our Church-government as it now stands in aggregate whether might this Oath be taken had they also been included Lastly is not their practise for whose satisfaction this Covenant should be taken a added to the common sense of mankind in the like manner of speaking or understanding such speeches evidence enough to us that we cannot take this Oath and Covenant unlesse we will swear to endeavour the extirpation of Church-government by Bishops If this be so we desire to know first whether it be lawfull for subjects to swear such a Covenant as directly contradicts the oath of their Soveraigne at his Coronation as this second branch of the Covenant doth binding us to endeavour the extirpation of the government of our Church by Bishops For that our Soveraign hath taken as contradictory Oath is evidently manifest by the last clause of the oath which the Kings of England take at their Coronation when after many other gracious promises wch the King makes to his people one of the Bishops reading to the King before the people concerning the Canonicall priviledges of the Church and beseeching him that he would be the Protectour and Defender of the Bishops the Churches under their government the King answereth in these words With a willing and devout heart I promise and grant my pardon and that I will preserve and maintain to you and the Churches committed to your charge all canonicall priviledges and due Law and Iustice and that I will be your Pretectour and Defender to my power by the assistance of God as every good King in his Kingdom in right ought to protect and defend the Bishops and Churches under their government Then the King ariseth and at the Communion Table makes a solemn Oath in the presence of the people to observe the premisses and laying his hand upon the book saith The things which I have before promised I shall perform and keep so help me God and the contents of this Book How can this Oath then for the extirpation of Church-government by Bishops be consistent with the Oath or Honour of our Soveraign which we have so solemnly protested to defend in the late Protestation How can we with a solemn Oath enter into such a Covenant to which we may neither swear without our Soveraigns consent nor yet can lawfully desire nor have his consent How sad were our condition were the King willing of himselfe to violate this Oath But what should we have to answer should we by taking such a Covenant this way necessitate so far as in us lies His sacred Majesty to violate his Oath so solemnly sworn at his Inauguration Secondly that to endeavour the extirpation of Church-government by Bishops is a sin against Divine Law all those Arguments and Authorities convince which prove that Bishops are of Apostolicall institution and unalterable and consequently Divine which we shall unfold in these Propositions First that their institution stands grounded upon our Saviours own Action and Institution of the Apostles Secondly that Christ and his holy Spirit by his Apostles appointed Bishops Thirdly that Christ the Sonne of God and the Holy Ghost afterward confirmed and approved Bishops and their Commission and power which the Apostles had appointed For the first we say their institution is grounded upon our Lords own instituting and ordaining twelve Apostles above seventy Disciples who saith to these his Apostles As my Father hath sent me even so send I you a St. Joh. 20. 21. As in other ends of his mission so how not in this which we know they did according to his pattern As he was sent by his Father therefore to ordain one order of Teachers of the Gospell superiour to another which we know because he did so ordain So also sent he his Apostles to ordain which accordingly they did and whatsoever they did by Christs example therein they did by his Commission here given in an imparity Bishops succeeding the Apostles above Presbyters subordinate as the seventy a That Bishops succeeded the Apostles in the ordinary part of their function as it is the judgement of the most ancient godly Fathers b that Bishops we say as contradistinct to Presbyters were the successours of the Apostles so is it manifest from Scripture since power Episcopall as it is now taken in this dispute which we shall prove to have been given by the Apostles to Bishops and to them onely after the Apostles was undeniably in the Apostles and for a while held in their own hands without communicating it to others That the Bishops were afterwards instituted by the Apostles themselves which so many ancient Authous have averred c And namely by the Apostolicall Authority of St. Paul and their institution part of holy Scripture is made good in that the power and Office of a Bishop as the word is now taken in the Ecclesiasticall notion is prescribed in the three Epistles of St. Paul to those two famous Church-governours Timothy and Titus particularly the Office and power of a Bishop as it is now taken contradistinctly to the Office of a Presbyter in these Texts 1 Tim. 1. 3. 1 Tim. 5. 19 20 21 22. 2. Tim. 1. 6. Tit. 1. 5 11. Tit. 3. 9. 10 and some others and these Texts thus interpreted by Antiquity d And as the office prescribed there is Episcopall so these two appointed to this prescribed office of a Bishop by St. Paul himselfe 1 Tim. 1. 3. 2 Tim. 1. 6. Tit. 1. 5. Yea by the holy Ghost say Chrysost. Theophyl Oecumenius by divine Revelation saith Theodoret of Timothy And that these two were Bishops according to the Ecclesiasticall notion of the word now used ancient Fathers plentifully witnesse b Moreover this superiority to office Episcopall to have been fixed and continued to the day of death is evident as from Church-history so also from 1 Tim. 6. 14. where {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is the same with {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the beginning of the Epistle 1 Tim. 1. 18. and includes in it the whole charge given by St. Paul to Timothy in this Epistle c From which Text also it is manifested that his Office prescribed was not personall onely but to descend by succession unto the comming of Christ d Thirdly this Office and power Episcopall that it was afterward approved and confirmed by the Sonne of God himselfe immediately and by the holy Ghost will be proved from Revel. c. 1. 2. 3. Where by the seven Stars the Angels of the seven Churches according to all reason from the Text it selfe and by the testimony of Antiquity e are seven Bishops of those seven Churches understood which Ecclesiasticall story mentions to have been in the Church long before this time as so many Angels and Apostles f of the Churches such as was Polycarp the Angell the Bishop of the Church of Smyrna made Bishop of that place by the Apostles themselves thirteen
an acceptation of those proffers for Treaty towards accommodation which he so often makes and in case they shall be by any pertinaciously refused joyn themselves with his Sacred Majesty in his just defence Having thus done with the Introduction it follows that we examine the Discourse it self which proceeds in this method First to propound the motives to perswade men to take the Covenant Secondly to answer the objections or scruples which might hinder c. Here before we begin to examine the strength of the motives themselves we observe the different apprehensions of the framers of it for whereas he who framed the Introduction did it seems imagine that the taking of the Covenant might be enforced from the positive Law of God and the Law of Nature the other who was to lay down the Motives was so farre from that as to esteem it necessary towards the same end in the first place to insinuate the example of themselves of the Assembly and others who had already taken it The strength of their perswasive Arguments is this First This Covenant is already taken by the two Houses of Parliament by the Assembly of Divines the City of London and the Kingdom of Scotland Secondly It hath been already seconded from Heaven by blasting the Counsels c. Thirdly It carries in it self such a convincing evidence of Equity Truth and Righteousnesse as may raise in all enflamed affections to take it which is proved because There is almost nothing in this Covenant which was not for substance either expressed or manifestly included in the Protestation of May 5. 1641. Ergo whosoever are not wilfully ignorant or miserably seduced must infallibly take this Covenant For the first of these Arguments First in generall we do not see how the example of either party can reasonably be alledged to direct the Conscience in any controversie Secondly we have reason to believe that farre the greater number both in the City of London and the Kingdom of Scotland could not take this Oath in judgement as being not able to discern of the righteousnesse or iniquity of some of the Articles especially that which concerns Episcopacy so that a chief strength of this Argument from Example consists in the example of themselves who are of the Assembly and made this Exhortation And then we conceive they cannot justly accuse us either of immodesty or presumption if we shall openly professe that they have not in this first Essay of theirs at least which we know to have been published given evidences of so great Judgement Learning or Integrity as may warrant or encourage us in matters of Religion and cases of Conscience to subscribe to the authority of their example To the second Argument which is That it hath been seconded from Heaven c. it cannot conclude to the Conscience till it be sufficiently proved neither can that be without a revelation of the Counsels of God which if the Composer of this part hath obtained it was requisite to the end propounded that he should have made it appear till when it may be beleeved that those instances where the signature of Gods Judgements may the most plainly have been discovered have fallen upon those who have had the greatest share in the raising and managing of those Arms for the maintaining of which this Covenant is ordained So then the whole force of their perswasion will depend upon the third Argument and the proof of it which to avoid any errour in examining shall be again propounded There is almost nothing in this Covenant which was not for substance either expressed or manifestly included in the Protestation May 5. 1641. Therefore this Covenant goeth forth in its own strength with such convincing evidence of Equity Truth and Righteousnesse as may raise in all not wilfully ignorant or miserably seduced inflamed affections to joyn in the Covenant Resp. 1. We are not able by all those wayes of reasoning to which we have hitherto been used to discover the inference which is here made If by the strength of their solid reason it may possibly be made to appear yet we are confident the dependence is so deep and secret that it ought not to the end for which this discourse is declared to be intended have been left unrevealed 2. Whereas the Argument of the evident Equity Truth and Righteousnesse of this is taken from the agreement of it with that Protestation we will assume the matter of that Protestation to have been in the judgement of this Assembly Equall True and Righteous from whence it will follow that if this should according to their principles either immediately or by necessary consequence contradict that Protestation therein they must confesse it to be unequall false or unrighteous and wherein soever it doth positively dissent from it there the Truth Equity and Righteousnesse of it must be confessed to be here no way proved this being premised let us compare together this Covenant and that Protestation There we protested that we would with our lives c. defend the Doctrine of the Church of England indefinitely which is undoubtedly contained in the 39. Articles which in the further Articles of impeachment Jan. 17. 1643. by the Commons assembled in Parliament against the Archbishop of Canterbury are stiled The 39. Articles of the Church England established by Act of Parliament and in the six and thirtieth of those Articles it is avouched that the Book of Consecration of Archbishops and Bishops and ordering of Priests and Deacons confirmed by Authority of Parliament doth contain all things necessary to such Consecration and Ordering and hath nothing in it ungodly This book asserteth that it is evident to all men diligently reading holy Scripture and ancient Authors that from the Apostles times there have been these Orders of Ministers in the Church Bishops Priests and Deacons which Officers were evermore bad in reverent estimation Wherefore we there protested with our lives c. to defend that it is not ungodly therefore not false Doctrine to say That diligent reading of the Holy Scriptures will help to make it evident that from the Apostles times there have been Bishops which could not be unlesse the Scriptures did testifie that in the Apostles times they were One of the Prayers also lex orandi lex docendi thus begins Almighty God giver of all good things which by thy Holy Spirit hast appointed divers orders of Ministers in thy Church mercifully behold this thy servant now called to the work and ministery of a Bishop and the elected Bishop is afterward required to professe That he is perswaded that he is truly called to this Ministration according to the will of our Lord Iesus Christ And by consequence we there did protest to defend that also and consequently upon their own principles it is unequall and unrighteous to swear to the extirpation of them Again in that Protestation there was nothing concerning the endeavouring the preservation of the Doctrine Discipline and Worship of the Church of
yeers before this book of the Revelation of St. John was written and Onesimus probably the then Bishop the Angell of the Church of Ephesus Their Office Power and Commission are there intimated to have been Episcopall and charged upon them by Christ in that five of the Angels are charged as blameable and accomptable for the faults of both Presbyters and people and therefore surely were trusted with authority over Presbyters and people to have corrected and censured them Particularly Episcopall power is intimated there chap. 2. of the Revel. vers. 20. and that power of excommunication is sufficiently grounded on the 14 verse Mr. Perkins in locum affirmeth Their mission to that office also as it is there confirmed by the Sonne of God and by the holy Spirit So also to have been at first from God is in their title implied For Angels sent forth for the Churches sake are never said in holy Scripture to be any's Messengers but Gods and if his Messengers or Angels then sent by him That their superiority was fixed not weekly or annuall is clear as from the Ecclesiasticall History of Polycarp and Onesimus so also from the Text it self c. 2. 10. Where the Angell of the Church of Smyrna as Angell of the Church is bidden to be faithfull in his Office surely untill death b Nor was it personall onely but describing the Office of the Angell of any Church in like laudable or blame-worthy state unto the comming of Christ as it is implied v. 24. 25. of the second chapter For what is said to them so long as there is any that hath an eare to hear he must hear c. 2. v. 3. Nor did the personall blameworthy carriage of the Angell of the Church of Sardis c. 3. v. 1 c. or of the Angell of the Church of the Laodiceans v. 14. 16. hinder Christs approbation of their Office who are in regard of their Office not of their personall Excellency stiled the Angels of the seven Churches and the Stars in the right hand of the Son of man both which stiles that they are there singularly appropriated to these successours of the Apostles ought not to seem strange since the twelve Apostles are confessedly meant by the crown of twelve Stars Apoc. 12. 1. And St Paul the Apostle of us Gentiles speaks of himself received as an Angell of God Galat. 4. 14. Summarily therefore out of holy Scriptures thus we reason Many Presbyters and Preachers in one Church and one chief having eminency and power over all Presbyters and people therein proveth the Office of a Bishop but so holy Scripture witnesseth were in Ephesus many Presbyters Act. 20. 17. or if they were Bishops in the sense now disputed some of them at least as Irenaeus thought l. 3. c. 14. we need go no further in the argument and more afterwards surely and yet one chiefe Pastor or Bishop over all such as was Timothy in his time and the Angel of that Church whosoever he was mentioned Rev. 2. 1. So also in the Church of Pergamus there were divers Teachers true and false c. 2. v. 13 15. one Angel Governour in chief v. 1. For be it that all the Presbyters of each of the Churches might well have been called Angels c yet that one among them in each Church in such a compatible community of name is so called by way of eminency proves an eminency in the one so called which must either be of personall excellency above all the rest and this who can shew us in the Angel of the Church of Sardis Laodicea or Thyatira or else and rather of Office and power so as Iohn Baptist was called an Angel Malac 3. who was more then a Prophet and St. Paul received as an Angell Gal. 4. 14. who was more then a Minister and our Saviour Christ is called Michael Apoc. 12. 7. with his Angels fighting under him One objection more we shall take notice of viz. the pretended necessity of understanding by each of the Angels there a collective body from c. 2. v. 10. 24. But this is manifestly clear to be no necessity at all from the like manner of speaking of the holy Ghost 2 Chron. 28. 1. to the 5. Compare and judge And therefore it is not lawfull without any necessary reason to depart from the literall and determinate individuation of one chief spirituall Church-governour in each of the seven Churches for otherwise as Tertullian speaks lib. de carne Christi cap. 13. Omnia periclitabuntur alitèr accipi quà m sunt amittere quod sunt dum alitèr accipiuntur Yea there is not onely no necessity but much in the Text which doth resist such an interpretation of a collective body for it should be either an Angel put for the whole particular Church and this cannot be seeing the Angels and the Churches are accurately distinguished c. 1. v. 20. Or an Angel put for the whole collection of the Presbyters but neither may this be admitted inasmuch as in the same 20 verse the Angels are called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} seven no more and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} stars not constellations as Suidas distinguisheth the words You have our reasons from these Scriptures why to us it seems that to swear to endeavour the extirpation of Church-government by Bishops is to swear to endeavour the extirpation of that whose Root is in holy Scripture and to swear to endeavour which we tremble to think of to wrest these Stars out of the right hand of the Sonne of man who is also the Son of God For in his right hand are they held the Angels of the Churches Revel. 1. 16 20. As Church-government by Bishops hath been evidenced by holy Scripture so was it also the judgement of the ancient godly Fathers that it was an institution Apostolicall and Divine {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} saith Theodoret l. 4. c. 18. by St. Cyprian ep. 55. the power of Episcopacy is exegetically called Ecclesiae gubernande sublimis divina potestas epist. 27. Dominus noster Episcopi honorem disponens in Evangelic And anon after ut omnis actus Ecclesiae per Episcopos gubernetur cum hoc itaque divina lege fundatum sit miror quosdam audaci temeritate c. epist. 65. Episcopos Praepositos Dominus elegit And anon after Deus Episcopos facit Athanasius epist. ad Dracontium saith that he who contemns the function of a Bishop {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and that the Office is of those things {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} c. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Ignat. epist. ad Magnes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Idem Ignat epist ad Ephes. Oecumen. c. 9. in Tim. 4. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Theophylact. and Oecumenius found Bishops upon Ephes. 4.11 and on Hebr. 13.17 Oecumenius and