E. Bishops are so little usesul to support the Regal Dignity which is founded upon a distinct Basis of its own that upon enquiry it will be found how none have been greater enemies to the True and Undoubted Soveraingty of Princes than some Bishops themselves for by their Officious and fcarce warrantable intermedling in Civil Affairs by their Absurd and Insignificant distinguishing between Civil and Ecclesiastical Causes of which last they have alwayes made themselves sole Judges they mangle the Kings Authority and as to Church-matters which may be extended as far as they please they leave the King nothing of Supremacy but the Name The Pope of Rome therefore who is the great Father of all such Bishops hath improved this Notion and Distinction so far that in ordine ad spiritualia he hath laboured to subject all Civil Empires unto his sole Jurisdiction E That Regall and Episcopal Power have different Foundations who Questions or that some Bishops have opposed some Kings But did they ever do 't as Bishops What fellowship hath Christ with Belial It were no less then Blasphemy to entitle Rebellion to the Function whereof God himself was the Author It concludes little for the Consistorians that some Bishops have been Enemies to Kings if they consider that we are yet to seek for the First Presbyterian Party that ever were Friends to them Concerning his Cavil at the Distinction between Civil and Ecclesiastical Causes 'T is the Law distinguishes and so the good mans Absurdity lashes upon the King not upon the Bishops He blames likewise their Officious and scarce warr antable intermedling in Civil Affaires Do they Challenge or Act by their own Power or by the Kings If only by Derivation either the King himself wants Power or They have it If they extravagate let him shew Where But do the Bishops Mangle the Kings Authority I hope not so much as the Schismatiques did both That and his Revenue nay and his Person too Were they Bishops or Presbyterians that Preach'd and Libell'd against the Late King that Seiz'd his Towns Seduc'd his People Levy'd a Warr against him Plunder'd Sequestred and Murther'd his Friends and never left the Chase till his Royall Bloud was spilt upon a Scaffold Were they Bishops or Presbyterians that in Ordine adspiritualia Contrived Acted and Warranted the Usurpations of the late Warr In fine the Memory is Fresh and bleeding still of a Presbyterian let him produce One Instance of an Episcopal Rebellion since the Reformation He tells us that the Pope of Rome is the great Father of such Bishops If the great Father of Slanderers and False-speakers had not stood at his Elbow he would never have said it But for Brevity sake let him bring me the most Pragmatical Jesuite that ever put Pen to Paper I 'll match him with a Presbyterian I do not mean for Wit and Learning but for the worst of Practices he 'll dare to Charge him with Nay let him strein the Papal Tyranny he so much declaims against to what pitch of Arrogance and Imposition he pleases I 'll bring him Presbyterian Claims and Presidents shall equall it and when That 's done let him shew any One Episcopal Position destructive to Regality and take the Cause for 't Now have a Care of him for sayes He F So that if the Bishop of Worcester's Râ—le bold good of Crimine ab uno Disce omnes i. e. That all men who are of a party may be judged of by the miscarriages of one then I must leave it to You to judge what all those Bishops â—at are of the Bishop of Worcester's complexion do reaâ—y drive at by the fatal example of that one Bishops Usurpation For F Soft and Fair I beseech you Sir The Rule holds very Good but not the Scandal The whole Party are to be Judg'd of by a Particular and nothing makes more Against the Animadverter or for the Bishop then the force of that Conclusion and his Retort unless he can prove the Usurpations of the One and clear the Innocence of the Other by which the Rest are to be measured Hear the Bishop in his own words for This Animal makes the Bishop say what he list and yet makes nothing on 't when h 'as done speaking of Mr. Baxter You have before seen the ingenuity and veracity you now see the humility and the modesty of the Man and indeed in proportion of the whole Party for Crimine ab uno Disce omnes But doth Mr. Baxter and the rest of his perswasion think indeed c. First take the Words in their proper Import and Common Acceptation Does the Whole Party necessarily Imply every Individual or rather the Influence of a Ruling Vote which denominates the Result to be the Act of such or such a Party extending virtually to every Particular but not Distinctly If Party had been Number he had said something 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes the Text Then answered All the People his Bloud be upon us and upon our Children which General expression evidently intended only the Prevailing Part. Now to his Crimine ab Uno disce Omnes Accipenunc Danaum Insidias says Aeneas et Crimine ab uro Disce Omnes It was not the Poets intention to brand every man that was a Greek for Simon 's sake but to shew the suitable Treachery of the People that made use of so treacherous an Instrument To say that the French are a Vain the Spaniard a Proud Nation does it give to understand that there 's not a Modest or an Humble man in the Country But This is time lost for the Bishop restreins his Application in the very next line to those of Mr. Baxters perswasion so that if Mr. Baxter be blame-worthy his Complicates are scarce Innocent and he that pretends to justifie either becomes an Advocate for no lesse then Schisme and Treason His Seditious Hint of the Bishops Usurpation and warping to the Church of Rome deserves rather a Lash then an Answer Yet if he makes out either I 'll bear it for him EXCâ—PTION II. A THat Assertion that the Bishop of Worcester and consequently every other Bishop is the sole Pastor of all the Congregations in his Diocess if it be at all defensible I am sure can be defended only by those Arguments which are commonly alledged to maintain the Popes Supremacy over all Churches whatever For since a Bishop can no otherwise discharge his duty berein than by providing Substitutes what hinders but the Bishop of Rome may as well oversee a million of Churches as the Bishop of Worcester five hundred Since if Deputation be lawfull more or lesse compasse and circuit of ground doth not at all alter the case A NEver in my Life did I meet an Easier Book to confute with Reason and a harder to handle with Civility a man must underderstand every thing he sayes the wrong way to make Truth on 't Indeed the Reverend Prelate sayes that it is the Bishop of
same Church therefore the less Laudable or what Proportion is there betwixt the Apostles Case and Our's Their business was to Preach the Gospel to all Nations and lay the Foundation of Christianity but our Dispute is only Whether or no we shall Obey their Delegates in Matters Indifferent Again the Bishop speaks of the English Church and State whose Interests are Commixt and Enterwoven to a degree of Inseverable complication His slight esteem of Uniformity swayes not at all with me when I consider That Notable and Divine saying of Sir Francis Bacon The outward Peace of the Church distilleth into Peace of Conscience And it turneth the Labours of Writing and Reading of Controversies into Treatises of Mortification and Devotion Concerning Circumstantials I think it much more suitable for the People to Obey than for the Church to Forbear and let them say what they please of Agreeing in Essentials when I see a perverse Posture I think it no breach of Charity to suspect a Froward Mind C And whereas the Bishop thinks he hath got some advantage by reviving the memory of our late Civil â—ars which were he either Christian or Man enough he would wish were eternally buried in silence I must to use his own Phrase tell him in his ear that our Wars did not arise from the separation of Conscieâ—tious dissenters but from the violence and fury of unconscioâ—able Imposers who would not allow their Brethren who desired nothing more than to live peaceaâ—ly by them that sob◠〈◊〉 which the Law of God commanded and no Law of Man could justly deprive them of C See now he Raves again were he either Christian or man enough c. still at the Memory of our late Warrs he Starts and Methinks looks as if that quarter of the House were Haunted But here he tells the Bishop a tale in his Ear and as arrant a Tale as ever he told in his Life The Violence and Fury of Unconscionable Imposers was the Cause of the Warr. He sayes In a Strict sense 't is Truth A Pack of Contriving Knaves drew in a Rabble of Believing Fools and against Conscience Law Honour and Gratitude Levy'd a War against the King because he would not give away his Crown and Betray his People This is the Short of All. See the Exact Collections and you shall find who Rais'd the Warr and upon what Pretense Alas the Brethren only desired to live Peaceably he tells us and to enjoy that Sober Liberty which the Law of God Commanded and no Law of Man could justly deprive them of The Scotch Rebellion was a Sober Liberty was it not So was the Plunder of Sir John now Lord Lucas and the Lady Rivers The Tumults Flocking to Whitehal and Westminster The Posting up of Those that would not Murther the Earl of Strafford The Cries of Crucifie him against That Learned and Reverend Prelate the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury The Defacing of Church-Windows and Monuments The Defaming Sequestring and Murthring of the King All Thâ—se were in our Animadverters opinion Sober Liberties Where â—oes the Law of God Command These Liberties so that no Law of Man as he pretends can justly hinder them His Sacred Majesty whom these Libertines Murther'd was of another Judgement Those with Me had I think cleerly and â—ndoubtedly for their Justification the Word of God and the Lawes of the Land together with their own Oathes Those on the other side are forc'd to flie to the shifts of some Pretended Fears and wild Fundamentals of State as they call them which Actually overthew the Present Fabrick both of Church and State c. These are the Words of that Blessed Martyr and in the same Meditation again I am Guilty in This Warr of nothing but This that I gave such Advantages to some Men by confirming their Power which they knew not how to use with That Modesty and Gratitude which became their Loyalty and my Confidence Here we see the Authority of a Nameless Libeller against Records Living Witnesses and the averment of a Dying Prince Put stay whether his accompt be True or False is but one part of the Question The Danger Scope and malice of it deserves another Look Hâ—re's first the Bloud of the Last Warr cast upon the Late King and Consequently the Regal Rights of the King Regnant expos'd to a Dispute for 't is express'd that the 〈◊〉 Diâ—enters were deny'd That Liberty which no Law of man could deprive them of which manifestly implies both the Oppression of the Late King and the Insufficiency of Monarchy it self as to the Ends of Government If That Warr was fair on the Peoples side Then so would another upon the same score be Now in which regard the very Hint is Seditious Further it casts a Dangerous reflexion upon the present Government These execrable Papers 't is odds his Majesty neither sees nor hears of and what a Scandal is it then under the Reign of the Son to see such Libelling Against the Ashes of the Father Hee 'll say perhaps he only tells what Caus'd the Warr without pretending to Defend it That shift may serve him to some purpose provided he was never formerly engag'd with the Faction if he was never Ambitious of testifying to the World his Real Esteem of the singular Worth and Eminence of the greatest Villein in Nature he 's the more capable of Mercy But does not what he is appear from the whole drift of his Discourse What does he but Defame the King under the Visor of his Animadversions upon the Bishop For what has the Bishop done without the Kings Authority Again under the Cloke of an Exception to One Bishop what does he but inveigh against the Church the Episcopâ— Dignity and Function and in fine why against the Bishops but only as the likelyest way to enflame the People by Degrees against the King Does not his Majesty enjoyn the Practice of Those Ceremonies which he condemns the Bishops for But what he drives at will more fully appear from that which follows D And whether the publick maintaining of the very same Positions and Practises may not in time beget the same Feuds and Animosities although this Bishop cares not yet I doubt not but His Majesty as he now doth so will alwayes graciously consider D These Four Lines well apply'd would settle the Nation in perfect happiness but in another sense then he intends them 'T is very true the Publique Mainteining of the very same Positions and Practices that rais'd the last War will most infallibly produce Another unless the Sticklers be a little better look'd to They Preach'd and Libell'd up an Army against our Late Sovereign are they not at it now again for Another Ceremonies and Lord Bishops were mighty Grievances They are so still And then the Kings Prerogative came in Play They are fairly offring at it Now to And what was the Event of All The Holy men Divided the Spoyle Overthrew the Government Murther'd the King Begger'd and
What Positions Observe it These are the very words he strikes at and terms so Virulent From Diversity grows Dislike from Dislike Enmity from Enmity Opposition and from Opposition first Separation and Schisme in the Church and then Faction Sedition and Rebellion in the State which is a progress very natural and I would we had not found it to be so by our own Experience c. So that unlesse the King will renounce the Right of his Fathers Cause the People are by This miserable Scribler animated to renounce his Majesty He makes broad Signes too to the people to stick to their Covenant Pag. 12. and Commits the Rest to Providence Let it not be said now that I force his Meaning and that his words in some places may be taken in a more Favourable Sense it suffices me that they faâ—ly bear This and the Worst which without Violence the Words will bear may with great Justice be apply'd to his Meaning Non quid dixerint sed quò spectarint videndum Libels are to be understood by their Hints rather than by their Words See first the main Scope of the Libell which is in This particular most undeniable to defame the Bishops Disaffect the People and Streighten the Power of the King Which Seditious Aime being taken for granted whatsoever may be therein understood in Favour of Mischief may be very Charitably Concluded for a Contrivance of it I Argue from These Reasons First his Concealment is a kind of Flight and tacitly amounts to a Proof against kim Next 't is agreed that his Intent is evill and the worst sense holds best Proportion with his Purpose Here are untoward Circumstances and yet There 's one more which in my Opinion outweighs all we have spoken of The Bishop thinks himself ill us'd by Mr. Baxter and the Animadverter steps between at the request we must Imagine of the Honourable He undertakes to say what he dislikes in the One what in the Other and in fine Many a Quarrel he picks with the Bishop dividing only in One Point from the Presbyterian That is in his own Terms As to the main Controversie I think the Bishop hath much the better of Mr. Baxter For if the Question between them was as Dr. Gunning and Dr. Pâ—arson do attest such a Command is so evidently lawful that I shall much wonder if Mr. Baxter did ever dispute it We see here what he means by the main Controversie and wherein the Libeller dissents from Mr. Baxter The Rest being only Tempest and Invective against the Bishop without the least hint of a blame upon the Other See now wherein they Agree which must needs be in every thing save That wherein they Differ that is in These following Positions the Animadverter and the Casuist are Hand and Glove TEN POSITIONS Which some say Restor'd the KING I. IF a Prince want such Understanding Goodnesse or Power as the People judge Necessary to the Ends of Government in the first Case he is Capable of the Name but not of the Government in the Second he Deposes himself in the Third the want of Power deposes him Theses 135 136 137. II. If a Prince in a Military State against his People be by them Conquer'd they are not Obliged to Restore him without some other Obligation then their Allegeance Thes. 145. III. If a Prince be injuriously Expell'd by what Power-soever that Resolves to Ruine the Common-wealth rather then he shall be Restor'd and if the Common-wealth may prosper without his Restoring That Prince is bound to resign his Government or if he Refuse the People are to judge him Incapable by Providence Thes. 147. IV. If a Prince be so long Out that the Nation cannot well stand without another Providence has dispossess'd the Former aâ—d we are to make a new Choyce Thes. 149. V. If a Prince be thrown out by 〈◊〉 Rebellion the strongest Rebel may ex Charitate undertake the Government The Case holds in Good Livings Thes. 150 VI. Any thing that is a sufficient sign of the will of God that This is the Person by whom we must be Governed is enough as joyned to Gods Laws to oblige us to consent and obey him as our Governour Thes. 153. VII And yet All the People have not this right of choosing their Governours but commonly a part of every Nation must be compelled to consent Thes. 159. VIII Those that are known Enemies to the Common good in the chiefest parts of it are unmeet to Govern or choose Governours else give us up to our Enemies or to Satan But such are multitudes of ungodly vicious men IX If a People bound by Oath shall dispossesse their Prince and Chuse and Covenant with another they may be Obliged by their Latter notwithstanding their former Covenaâ—t X. Though a Nation wrong their King and so quoad Meritum Causae they are on the worser side yet may he not Lawfully war against the Publick good on that accompt nor any help him in such a war because propter finem he hath the worser cause Thes. 352. That these Maxims brought in the King who questions A word now to the Rabbi's Doctrine Concerning the English Government 1. The real Sovereignty here amongst us was in King Lords and Commons Pag. 72. 2. The Law that saith the King shall have the Militia supposeth it to be against Enemies and not against the Common-wealth nor them that have part of the Sovereignty with him To resist him here is not to resist Power but Usurpation and private will in such a case the Parliament is no more to be resisted then He. Thes. 363. 3. If the King raise Warr against such a Parliament upon their Declaration of the Dangers of the Common-wealth the People are to take it as raised against the Common-wealth Thes. 358. 4. And in that Case saith he the King may not only be resisted but ceaseth to be a King and entreth into a State of Warr with the People Thes. 368. These with our Animadverter pass for unquestionable Fundamentals of Government but whether a doubting soul may be Compell'd to Kneel when it hath a mind to sit That 's a nice point indeed To passe over the Libellers Scandalous and Barefac'd Impostures His Rude and Impetuous Violences wee 'l only ask Why all this Fury and Contrivement against the Bishop Is 't as a Friend to a silenc'd Brother And the main cause Tho' by the Spite I should suspect a Personal Pique But there may be something else in 't too and if the man comes off at last say I 'm a Wizard No matter what it is Hee 's very much Offended And no matter for that neither Offended he is at the Stile I would he had quarreld it in a Better but at the Bishops Passion beyond measure Truly upon Perusal of it more then Once and weighing it Word by Word I can find nothing in the Language that does not very well beseeme the Pen and Dignity of a Prelate Yet there was Cause enough for a little Sharpnesse and here 's the Case in short The Bishop of Worcester finding the Parish of Kidderminster infected with Mr. Baxters Doctrine who Preach'd there without either Cure or License forbids him to Preach there any more and Preaches there himself to Disabuse them hinting the unfaithful dealing they had receiv'd from One in great Authority among them concerning the Kings Cause The Rites of the Church and the sinfulnesse of a Lawful Command because by Accident it might be the occasion of Sin c. Hereupon Mr. Baxter addresses to the Inhabitants of Kidderminster pretends that he was silenc'd for denying such a Position Which was not so but for Preaching without a License and charges the Bishop to have delivered in the Pulpit words tending to his Defamation and neither of Charity Truth nor Sobernesse This Scandal and some other Partial Relations short of and beyond the true State of the Matter were the occasion of the Bishops Letter where I must confesse the Bishop of Worcester may be thought thus far Severe to Mr. Baxter in that he hath foyld him by Proofs not to be denyed and by Reasons not to be answered THE END Books sold by H. Brome at the Gun in Ivie-lane A Geographicall Dictionary Justice Revived being the whole Office of a Countrey Justice of the Peace Mr. Mortons Rule of Life Books written by R. L'Estrange Esq The Holy Cheat. A Caveat to the Cavaliers A Modest Plea The Relaps'd Apostate or an Answer to the Presbyterian Liturgy State Divinity or A Supplement to the Relaps'd Apostate Imprimatur libellus hic cui titulus Pulpit-Conceptions Popular Deceptions or The Grand Debate resumed in the point of Prayer c. cum laude Dignissimi Authoris Approbavit ROBERTUS PORY S. T. P. Reverendmo in Christo Patri ac Domino Domino GULIELMO Archiepiscopo Cantuariensi totius Angliae Primati Metropolitano Sacellanus Domesticus Page 15. lin 19 20. read thus most apt for the present to promote D. E. A Shrewd one An Elegance An Elegance of D. E's The like of R. W. The Sâ—hismatique à la mode D. E. ☜ D. E. Presbyterianissimè ☞ D. E. D. E. D. E. D. E. Pag. 21. Mat. 27. 25. D. E. Pag. 2. 3. D. E. D. E. Act. 20. 28. 1 Pet. 5. 2. D. E. D. E. D. E. D. E. D. E. Publ. Worship Pag. 67. Except Pag. 8. D. E. D. E. ☜ Pag. 10. Pag. 11. D. E. D. E. D. E. D. E. D. E. Eâ— B◠〈◊〉 19. ☜ D. E. D. E. 1 Cor. 11. 23 24 25. D. E. D. E. D. E. Sâ—are broken Pag. 23. D. E. Pag. 33. D. E. Pag. 2. Pag. 9. Pag. 2. Pag. 5. Bishop of Worst Pag. 18. Animad Pag. 1. Destructive of all Kings The Case of the late King when he was Bouâ—t and Sold in 〈◊〉 The Case of the King and the Commons in 1650. Oliver Chosen by Proâ— Olivers taking the Government upon him was a deed of Charity Oliver by the Will oâ— God though not by the Grace of God The Cavaliers compell'd to consent and the Bretâ—ea to chuse For fear of the King and his Friends Presbyterian Absolution The King câ— do 〈◊〉 wrong with a Salâ— The King of England no Monarch The King has the Militia if the People please The People Judgâ— of the Kâ—g And may depose 〈◊〉 resist him as pleasure Quâ—
with an A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to take every thing for Oracle which a Bishops Passion distates But before I case you of your Trouble in reading this I will crave leave to give you a Taste of the Father's deep wisdom in two or three particulars A IN truth the man has great reason to recommend the Prosecution of the Cause to a better Advocate for what he has said will hardly do the Work either upon the Bishop or the World his Arguments being too Weak for the one Purpose and his Passion too Rank and Open for the other and any man that compares the Ground of his Displeasure with the Violence of it shall easily discern that his Trouble because he cannot find more faults is greater then his Desire of Reforming any and that he drives on a Factious Design against the Office of Bishops under colour of Taxing them of Misdemeanures Now to his Observations upon the Reverend Fathers deep wisdom as the pert Pedant playes upon it B 1. In that he declaims so fiercely as if he would crack his Girdle against all those who force all Communicants to come unto them and be particularly examined before they admit thâ—m to the Sacrament Indeed Sir this was an Imposition as no way Justifiable so for ought I can hear no where practised The Custom being that men were only once for all examined at their first coming to the Sacrament which the Bishop himself allows under other Names of being Catechised and Instructed It was therefore wisely done of the Bishop this cold weather to set up a Man of straw and then get himself heat by threshing it B The Reason of That Violence which he himself disallows we have no need to argue but for the Practice although I do not find it Authoritatively enjoyn'd yet that it was frequently us'd is only News I believe to the Animadverter Cartwright and diverse others presse the Necessity of Examination from 2 Chron. 35. 6. Now Examination sayes he being a part of Preparation it follows that here is Commandment of the Examination T. C. l. 1. p. 164. Only our Authour hearing from the Bishop that it borders upon Auricular Confession is content to waive it But This I hope will not be deny'd that by the Directory the Ignorant and Scandalous were not to be admitted to the Communion and how far they had Liberty to Enquire into the One and Conclude upon the Other I suppose no body doubts One Common Question among them was concerning the Instant of your Call A grave Inquisitour of the Party Ask'd a Fellow how many Folds Christ had in his Flock And for the Scandal nothing more ordinary then to deny the Sacrament for refusing the Covenant In the first Century sayes Mr. Cann of Scandalous and lewd Ministers are commonly reckon'd such as had call'd the House of Commons an unjust Court Hypocrites Schismatical and Pragmatical fellows a company of Factious fellows no Parliament that their proceeding against the Eaâ—l of Strafâ—ord was wrongful and unjust Enough upon this poynt only to the Bishops Cracking of his Girdle and Threshing a Man of Straw we do yield that the Force of the Phanatiques Tropes and Figures is not to be resisted C 2. It is me-thinks very politickly dâ—ne to exclaim against the poâ—r Covenant and in great zeal to wish all the Books which defend it were burnt by the Authors to save the Hangman a labour For here let his Adversary do what he can the Bishop will be too hard for him For if he takes no notice of the Covenant the Bishop clearly gains the Cause if he ventures to assert it he shall presently be consuted with a Confiscation So that under the shelter of this unanswerable Dilemma I leave him leâ—t I should be gored with the Hoâ—ns of it And this I speak Sir as one that though I never took but alwayes opposed the Covenant yet I have a very good opinion of many that did and withal a great Tenderness for the lawful part of an Oath after it is oâ— solemnly taken I will only add this That since that Oath hath been so generally taken even by those that were most active in his late Majesties service and several times ventured their lives to signalize their Loyalty I think the Ashes of it since it was burnt by publick Authority had much better have been suffered to rest quietly than thus to be blown up and scattered abroad by the Bishops furious breath when no occasion was given him so much as to mention it C See the peevish and groundless Insinuation of the Animadverter What Exclamations against the Poor Covenant What great Zeal I beseech ye No not so much as a Wisâ— The Bishop takes notice that some have had the Confidence Publiquely to own the Obligation of the Covenant even since it hath been condemn'd to be Burnt by the Parliament And truly sayes the Bishop I see no Reason why all those Books and Sermans which have been Preached and Printed in defence of the Covenant or to maintain the same or worse principles of Sedition then are in the Covenant should not be burnt also Nay I dare be bold to say that if the Authors of such Books and Sermons were not still of the same opinions and if they be God deliver us from suck Preachers if they were not still I say of the same opinions but did truly Repent of them and were heartily sorry for the horrible mischief they have done by them they would witâ— those converted Exoâ—cists Act. 19. 19. bring all those Conjuring Books of theirs together and so save the Hangman a Labour would publiquely burn them with their own hands c. These are the Bishops words at Length where 's the Distemper Nay who will oppose the Burning of all such Books but Those that justifie the Matter of them To what end are they kept in Beeing but by asserting one Rebellion to procure another Concerning the Politique Attaque of the Covenant under the Protection of a safe Dilemna the Bishop does not play the Casuist but notes the boldness of those People that blame the Resolution of a Parliament Touching the Good Opinion our Authour has of the Covenanters we do not question it Simeon and Levi and we understand what he means by the Lawful Part of an Oath after 't is once solemnly taken No Part of an Oath impos'd by an unlawful Authority how Lawful soever in it self can be reputed binding as part of such an Oath without the subsequent Allowance of the Supreme Magistrate If you swear to worship God Worship but for the Duty not for the Oaths sake for in swearing to an Usurper you do tacitly disown your Sovereign and your persuance of That Oath is but a Continuation of your Disobedience That divers of the Kings Party took the Covenant is often and Malitiously objected to us Some took it at first with good Opinion and Intentions and serv'd his Majesty according to those Intentions