Sovereign And methinks it is very Vnequal for Men that give no Quarter to Loyal Subjects to stand expostulating for Privileges to Revolters Here 's King and Parliament gone at First Dash A A Confederacy Authoriz'd at Next B A Papal Dispensation from Obedience C The King and Three Estates swallowed up in the Assembly D Subjects set above the Law E The Sovereignty vested in the Multitude F Parliaments subordinated to the Kirk G The King Himself Arraign'd and Judgments denounced against him H The Judges Degraded Courts of Justice silenc'd the Rabble passing Sentence on the Supreme Magistrate Deposing of Princes Justify'd I. This is all Plain enough without Exposition But we are Now about to be yet a little Plainer Sect. 9. Principles and Positions A THe Two Houses have Legal Power to Levy Monys Arms Horse Ammunition upon the Subjects even without or against the Kings Consent and to put into safe hands such Forts Ports Magazines Ships and Power of the Militia as are intended or likely to be intended to introduce a Tyranny not only when Arms are actually raised against them but when they discern and accordingly declare a Preparation made towards it Political Catechism Page 7.1679 B A King abusing his Power to the Overthrow of Religion Laws and Liberties may be controll'd and oppos'd And if he set himself to overthrow all these by Arms then they who have Power as the Estates of a Land may and ought to Resist by Arms because he doth by That Opposition break the very Bonds and overthrow all the Essentials of this Contract and Covenant This may serve to justifie the Proceedings of This Kingdom against the late King who in a Hostile way set himself to overthrow Religion Parliaments Laws and Liberties Douglase's Coronation Serm. Page 10.1951 C The Lords and Commons are as the Master of the House Calamy's Sermon Decemb. 25. 1644. Page 22. The Parliament whom the People Chuse are the great and only Conservators of the Peoples Liberties Ibid D The Parliament of the Commonwealth of England without the King 1651. were the Supreme Authority of this Nation Jenkins's Petition Octob. 15. 1651. E The Sovereignty here among Us is in King Lords and Commons Baxter's Holy Commonwealths Page 72.1659 F The Government of England is a Mixt Monarchy and govern'd by the Major part of the Three Estates assembled in Parliament Parliament Physick for a sin-sick Nation Page 111. G The Houses are not only requisite to the acting of the Power of making Laws but Co-ordinate with His Majesty in the very power of Acting Ahabs Fall Page 42. H Resolved That in case of Extream Danger and of His Majesties Refusal the Ordinance agreed on by both Houses for the Militia doth oblige the People and ought to be obeyed by the Fundamental Laws of This Kingdom Vote of both Houses March 15. 164â— Ex. Col. 112. I Resolved That when the Lords and Commons in Parliament which is the Supreme Court of Judicature in the Kingdom shall declare what the Law of the Land is to have This not only question'd and controverted but contradicted and a Command that it should not be obey'd is a high breach of the Priviledge of Parliament Ex. Col. 114. March 16. 1641. K The Lords and Commons in Parliament do declare That it is against the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom that any of the Subjects thereof should be commanded by the King to attend Him at His Pleasure but such as are bound thereto by special Service Ex. Col. 193. May 17. 1642 L The Towns Forts Treasure Magazine Offices and the People of the Kingdom and the whole Kingdom it self is entrusted unto the King for the Good and Safety and best advantage thereof and as This Trust is for the Use of the Kingdom so ought it to be menag'd by the Advice of the Houses of Parliament whom the Kingdom hath Trusted for That purpose Third Remonstrance May 26. 1642. Ex. Col. 266. M A Parliament may dispose of any thing wherein His Majesty or His Subjects hath a Right in such a way as that the Kingdom may not be expos'd to hazard or danger thereby Ibid. 267 N The Votes of the Lords and Commons in Parliament being the great Council of the Kingdom are the REASON of the King and of the Kingdom Ibid. 278. O Supreme Head and Governour over all Persons in all Causes as it is meant of singular Persons rather than of Courts or of the Collective Body of the whole Kingdom c. And to speak properly it is only in His high Court of Parliament wherein and wherewith His Majesty hath absolutely the Supreme Power and consequently is absolutely Supreme Head and Governour from whence there is no Appeal Remonstrance May 26. 1642. Ex. Col. 703. P The Kings of This Realm ought to be very tender in denying both Houses of Parliament any thing that concerns the Publick Government and good of the Kingdom and they ought to deny themselves and their own Understandings very far before they Deny Them and that upon this ground because they lie under the Obligation of an Oath to pass such Laws if they be Just and Good for the Kingdom And it must Then be a Tender Point for a Prince to judge otherwise of those Laws that are Represented unto Him as such by the Representative Body of the whole Kingdom Ibid. Pag. 715. No Presidents can be Bounds to the Proceedings of the Parliament Ibid. Pag. 726 Q A Parliament may dispose of any thing wherein the King or any Subject hath a Right in such a way that the Kingdom may not be endanger'd thereby And if the King being humbly sought unto by His Parliament shall refuse to joyn with them In such Cases the Representative Body of the Kingdom is not to sit still and see the Kingdom perish before their Eyes and of this danger THEY are Judges and Judges Superiour to all others that Legally have any Power of Judicature in This Kingdom Ibid. No Member of either House ought to be medled withal for Treason Felony or any other Crime without the Cause first brought before Them that they may judge of the Fact and Their leave obteined to proceed Ibid. The Sovereign Power doth reside in the King and both Houses of Parliament And His Majesties Negative Voice doth not import a Liberty for His Majesty to deny any thing as He pleaseth though never so requisite and necessary for the Kingdom Ibid. 727. R When there is certain appearance or grounded suspicion that the Letter of the Law shall be improv'd against the Equity of it that is the Publique Good whether of the Body Real or Representative then the Commander going against its Equity gives Liberty to the Commanded to refuse Obedience to the Letter Ex. Col. Pag. 152. S The Clause wherein we Swear the Preservation and Defence of the Kings Person and Authority doth lye under some restreint by That limitation In the Preservation and Defence of the True Religion and Liberties of the Kingdom To
up in Blood and One that never suck'd in any other Principles but Prerogative and Tyranny Ibid. Pag. 23. M. Charles the First rather chose to submit to the Justice of an Ax in a Hangman's Hand than to sway a Scepter with Equity None-such Charles Pag. 167. Notes on Sect. 5. YOu have here A the Strain and Spirit of a True Covenanting-Brother And they all sing the same Note For they do not only Abjure the Government but they Abjure Repentance too swearing never to make Defection to the Contrary Part But all the Days of their Lives Zealously and Constantly continue therein against All Opposition and promote the same accordingly to their Power against all Lets and Impediments whatsoever In B you find the Petitioner for Indulgence Excommunicating his Sovereign The Paraphrase of C is according to the Stile of This Age only crying No Tory No Courtier at an Election the branding of Honest Men with being Popishly affected and he that will not run Riot with the Rabble is made a Pensioner of France D. and E. Complaining of Persecution In F. you see what work the Doctor makes with the Defender of the Faith G H. I.K.L. are as so many Daggers in the Heart of Sovereignty it self But it is according to the Principles of the True Protestants of Munster that still begin with Religion and end with Treason Pray say if it be not a thousand pities now after all these Complements upon His Sacred Majesty and His Blessed Father that these High-flown Dissenters should not be taken into the Government When these People set up for Pillars of the Church it were a kind of Injustice not to Allow the Kings Judges to put in too for Ministers of State Sect. 6. The Presbyterians Opinion of the Covenant 1. BE astonished O Heavens and tremble O Earth Let the Sun it self be cloath'd in Blackness at this so horrid an Impiety What! Abjure such a Covenant A Covenant so solemnly taken A Covenant for the Matter of it so Religious so Holy c. And must This Covenant be Abjur'd now This Covenant Is not God's Own Word and God Himself too after a sort Abjured in That Act whoever are guilty of it c. The Highest of all Crimes imaginable a Crime that murthers Conscience that murthers Souls that murthers Religion it self a Crime against the First Table most immediately against the Sovereign God and the greatest of that Nature that Men can be guilty of Speeches of the three Regicides Pag. 5. and 6. The Cause says Bark stead lies in the Bosom of Christ and as sure as Christ rose the Cause will rise again Ibid. Pag. 16. I die cleaving to all those Oaths vows and Protestations that were imposed by the Two Houses of Parliament as owning them and dying with my Judgment for them Love 's Tryal Printed Aug. 1652. The convincing Demonstration that there lies no Obligation on me or any other Person from the Oath commonly call'd The Solemn League and Covenant is a Knot cut by the Sword of Authority while it cannot be loosed by Religious Reason Short Survey of the Grand Case Pag. 23.1663 O the Burning of the Covenant in England and the Causes of Wrath in Scotland shall certainly be follow'd with such a Fine and Fierceness of Indignation as shall make Authors Actors Abetters and Rejoycers thereat know what it is to give such an open defiance to the Almighty A Covenant Burnt and Burnt by Authority in the sight of Heaven with such Hell-black Solemnities where the great God is altera pars contrabens for Reformation of Religion according to his Word and Righteousness in walking before him is such a Sin as may make every Soul to tremble at the fore-thoughts of what God will do for vindicating his Glory from that Contempt thereby cast upon him I wish that the Burning of that City into Ashes where that Covenant was Burnt together with that None-such Plague and War may make them take warning ere it be too late who did this Wickedness O England England I fear I fear thy Woe hasteneth the Wrath of God is upon the Wing against thee both for breach of Covenant and wiping thy mouth as if thou hadst done nothing amiss Thou hast stood and seen thy Brothers Day Alas for thy Day when Others shall stand aloof from thee for fear of sharing in thy Judgments Poor Mans Cup c. Pag. 19. We shall not nor cannot enter upon the particular Declaration of that Grace Constancy and Courage by which the Lords Faithful Witnesses were sustein'd and did bear Testimony to the Word of his Truth the Holy Covenant and the Cause and Work of God Napthali Pag. 162. I bear my Witness unto the National Covenant of Scotland and Solemn League and Covenant betwixt the Three Kingdoms of Scotland England and Ireland These Sacred Solemn Publique Oaths of God I believe can be loosed nor dispensed with by no Person or Power upon Earth Napthali Pag. 207. I bear my Witness and Testimony to the Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government of the Church of Scotland by Kirk-Sessions Presbyteries Synods and General Assemblies Popery and Prelacy and all the Trumpery of Service and Ceremonies that wait upon them I do abhor I do bear my Witness unto the National Covenant of Scotland and Solemn League and Covenant c. The Testimony of James Guthrie Minister at his Death at Edinbourgh June 1. 1661. And so of every Man of the Party that Dy'd for the Rebellion in Scotland Notes on Sect. 6. BY This Covenant was designed the Subversion of the Government and by the force of This Covenant it was accomplish'd They do all of them assert the Obligation of it to the very Death and by virtue of This Covenant it is that they have Confederated afresh in Scotland to murther the King and all that serve under Him Now if This be their Principle let any Man consider the Consequence of admitting any Unrenouncing Covenanter by an Act of Special Grace into the Government after so full a Proof and Exposition of the Meaning of That Covenant and so frank a Declaration of their Resolution to make it good Sect. 7. Dissenters Liberty of Conscience THe Scots did not only resolve to take the Covenant themselves but enjoyn'd it throughout the whole Kingdom Sir Henry Vane's Speech at a Common Hall Octob. 27. 1643. Page 4. They enjoyned it upon the Penalties that those that should not take it or should defer it should be esteem'd Enemies to Religion to his Majesties Honor and to the good of the Two Kingdoms that they should have all their Rents and Profits Confiscate That they should brook nor enjoy any Office or Benefit in that Kingdom that they should be cited to the next Parliament to Answer the not taking of it and to be proceeded with there as Enemies to the State and to Religion and to receive such farther Punishment as by the King and Parliament should be put upon them Ibid. Page 5. And that particular
those that have been the great Actors in shedding Innocent Blood never think to gain their favour by sparing of them c. G. Cockaine's Sermon to the Commons Novemb. 29. 1648. D When Kings command unrighteous things and People suit them with willing complyance none doubts but the Destruction of them both is Just and Righteous Dr. Owen a Fast-Sermon Jan. 31. 1648. Pag. 5. A Great Mighty Potentate that had caused Terrour in the Land of the Living and laid his Sword under his Head brought to punishment for Blood Ibid. a Thanksgiving-Sermon Octob. 24. 1651. Page 6. E Praised be God who hath delivered us from the Imposition of Prelatical Innovations Altar-Genu-flexions and Cringings with Crossings and all that Popish Trash and Trumpery And truly I speak no more than what I have often thought and said The Removal of those Insupportable Burthens countervails for the Blood and Treasure shed and spent in these late Distractions c. W. Jenkins before the Parliament as they call'd it Sept. 24. 1656. Pag. 23. F Corbet says That he was now fully satisfi'd in his own mind of the Lawfulness of the Fact as well as of the Power by which it was done and that it was his Duty no longer to stand out but to joyn with his Brethren as an Actor in it or else he might become guilty of Unfaithfulness to the Cause of God and his Country c. Three Regicides Speeches 1662. Pag. 57. And as for that Necessary and Publique Act of Justice he did never repent at all that he had a hand in it Nor after all the Searchings of Heart about it did see cause so to do when at any time he had the most serious and calm Reflections upon it Pag 58. G The Parliament having wisely chang'd the Government to a Commonwealth and cut off that Hereditary Usurpation of Monarchy which was never either justly begun or continu'd The False Brother Pag. 34.1651 Notes on Sect. 13. IN A we have only Men of Blood pressing for Blood and nothing less than the Blood of a Tender a Religious a Protestant and their Native Prince will content them The War is now transferr'd from Popery to Tyranny The Masque is taken off and it is downright Treason and Blood that is Charged upon him by the Army And what was it but the Dissenting Pulpits that put these Diabolical Thoughts into their Hearts These Bloody Words into their Mouths and the very Swords into their Hands Who but the Godly Peaceable Ministers the Zealous Protestants as They make bold to call themselves and just such Protestants as Ministers to a Scruple Murther Blood Cruelty Tyranny says Brooks B and see then how this Parricidal Evangelist bellows for the Execution of Justice which was in English the King's Murther In C you have another of the Stamp pressing the same Point and upon the same Foundation too for shedding Innocent Blood with an Insinuation of no less than the Mind of God for their warrant In D you have one of our Re-reformers bestriding two Kings at a Step. And in E another of the same Tribe with the Rights of the Church in one Scale the Blood and Treasure of His Sacred Majesty and so many Thousands of his Loyal Subjects in the other and all too little to weigh against a Cross and an Altar F Is only a Defence of the Execution by a Regicide And in G the Change of Government approved by a Republican To wind up all now in a word The Presbyterians you see hold Toleration to be the Source of all Heresies utterly Unlawful Insufferable Impious and Destructive both of Church and State The Independent qualifies it with some Restrictions to their own advantage but Episcopacy and Presbytery find no Quarter They are at War among themselves upon an Inconsistency of Principles and openly profess their reciprocal Animosities to be matter of Conscience The Civâ—l Government passes with them for Tyrannical and the Ecclesiastical for Antichristian They stick to their Covenant to the Death and the Roman Papacy it self even in their own accounts of it is not more bloodily Rigorous in Impositions upon Conscience than the Papal Presbytery according to the Testimony of their Words and Actions The Imperial Authority of the Crown is wholly swallow'd up in the Transcendent Usurpations of the Kirk Their Positions are not only Ruinous to the Peace of This Government but to the very Being also of Government it self Their very Assembly of Divines did not only Animate the Sedition and Encourage the bringing of the Late King to the Block but several eminent Members of it pass'd an approbation of that Vnspeakable Villany after the Fact was committed and frighted the People in their Pulpits out of their Christianity and Allegiance into an Enthusiastick Rage after Confusion and Blood Sum up all This now and try if you can Reconcile These People in their Practices and Opinions even to their very Selves THE END