Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	end_n	good_a	unfeigned_a	1,203	5	10.8412	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56144	Canterburies doome, or, The first part of a compleat history of the commitment, charge, tryall, condemnation, execution of William Laud, late Arch-bishop of Canterbury containing the severall orders, articles, proceedings in Parliament against him, from his first accusation therein, till his tryall : together with the various evidences and proofs produced against him at the Lords Bar ... : wherein this Arch-prelates manifold trayterous artifices to usher in popery by degrees, are cleerly detected, and the ecclesiasticall history of our church-affaires, during his pontificall domination, faithfully presented to the publike view of the world / by William Prynne, of Lincolns Inne, Esquire ...	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1646 (1646)	Wing P3917; ESTC R19620	792,548	593

them all the dayes of my life so farre as they concerne me as any man hath and since I came into place I have followed them and byn as much guided by them as any man that sate where I had the honour to sitte And of this I am sory I have lost the testimony of the Lord Keeper Coventry and other Persons of Honour since dead And the Councell which attended at the Councell Board can witnesse some of them here present that in all references to the Board or debates arising at the Board I was for that part of the cause where I found Law to be and if the Councell desired to have the cause left to the Law well I might move in some cases Charity or Conscience to them but I left them to the Law if thither they would goe And how such a carriage as this through the whole course of my life in private and publique can stand with an intention to overthrow the Lawes I cannot yet see Nay more I have ever beene of opinion That Lawes binde the conscience and have accordingly made conscience of observing them and this doctrine I have constantly preached as occasion hath beene offered me and how is it possible I should seek to overthrow those Lawes which I held my selfe bound in conscience to keep and observe As for Religion I was borne and bred up in and under the Church of England as it stands established by Law I have by Gods blessing growne up in it to the yeares which are now upon me and to the place of preferment which I now beare I have ever since I have understood ought in my profession kept one constant tenor in this my profession with out variation or shifting from one opinion to another for any worldly ends And if my conscience would have suffered me to doe so I could easely have slid through all the difficulties which I have prest upon me in this kinde But of all diseases I have ever held a Palsey in Religion most dangerous well knowing and remembring that disease often ends in a dead Palsie Ever since I came in place I have laboured nothing more then that the externall publique worship of God so much slighted in divers parts of this Kingdome might be preserved that with as much decency uniformity as might be for I evidently saw that the publique neglect of Gods service in the outward face of it and the nasty lyeing of many places dedicated to that service had almost cast a dampe upon the true and inward worship of God which while we live in the body needs exteriall helps and all little enough to keepe it in any vigor And this I did to the uttermost of my knowledge according both to Law and Canon and with the consent and likeing of the people nor did any command issue out from mee against the one or without the other Further my Lords give me leave I beseech you to acquaint you with this also that I have as little acquaintance with Recusants as I beleeve any man of my place of England hath or ever had sithence the Reformation and for my kindred no one of them was ever a Recusant but Sir William Web grandchild to my Vnkle Sir VVilliam VVeb sometimes Lord Major of London and since which some of his Children I reduced back againe to the Church of England On this one thing more I humbly desire may be thought on That I am fallen into a great deale of obloquie in matter of Religion and that so farre as appeares by the Articles against me that I have indeavored to advance and bring in Popery Perhaps my Lords I am not ignorant what party of men have raised these scandalls upon me nor for what end nor perhapps by whom set on but howsoever I would faine have a good reason given me if my conscience stood that way and that with my conscience I could subscribe to the Church of Rome what should have kept me heere before my imprisonment to indure the libelling and the slaunder and the base usage that hath beene put upon me and these to end in this question for my life I say I would know a good reason for this First my Lords is it because of any pledges I have in the world to sway me against my conscience No sure for I have neither Wife nor Children to cry out upon me to stay with them And if I had I hope the calling of my conscience should be heard above them Is it because I was loth to leave the honour and profit of the place I was risen too Surely no for I desire your Lordships and all the world should know I do much scorn the one and the other in comparison of my conscience Besides it cannot be imagined by any man but that if I should have gone over to them I should not have wanted both honour and profit and suppose not so great as this I have here yet sure would my conscience have served my self of either lesse with my conscience would have prevailed with me more than greater against my conscience Is it because I lived here at ease and was loth to venture the losse of that not so neither for whatsoever the world may be pleased to think of me I have led a very painfull life and such as I would have been content to change had I well known how and would my conscience have served me that way I am sure I might have lived at far more ease and either have avoyded the barbarous Libelling and other bitter grievous scornes which have been put upon me or at least been out of the hearing of them Not to trouble your Lordships too long I am so innocent in the businesse of Religion so free from all practise or so much as thought of practise for any alteration unto Popery or any blemishing the true Protestant Religion established in England as I was when my mother first bore me into the world And let nothing be spoken but truth and I do here challenge whatsoever is between Heaven or Hell that can be said against me in point of my Religion in which I have ever hated dissimulation And had I not hated it perhaps I might have been better for worldly safety then now I am but it can no way become a Christian Bishop to halt with God Lastly if I had any purpose to blast the true Religion established in the Church of England and to introduce Popery sure I took a wrong way to it for my Lords I have staid more going to Rome and reduced more that were already gone then I believe any Bishop or Divine in this Kingdome hath done and some of them men of great abilities and some persons of great place and is this the way to introduce Popery My Lords if I had blemished the true Protestant Religion how could I have brought these men to it And if I had promised to introduce Popery I would never have reduced

at the Communion and in the Visitation of the sicke and in the second part in the Homily of Repentance As therefore in generall I doe acknowledge in the words of the aforesaid Homily that it is most evident and plaine that this Auricular Confession hath not his warrant of Gods Word that therefore being not led with the conscience thereof if we with feare and trembling and with a tru contrite heart use that kind of confession which God doth command in his word namely an unfeighned confession unto Almighty God himselfe then doubtlesse as he is faithfull and true hee will forgive us our sinnes and make us cleane from all our wickednesse so in the case of a troubled or doubtfull conscience I do conforme my opinion unto the direction of our Church which in her Liturgie doth exhort and require those whose Consciences are troubled with any weighty matter to a speciall confession so that they who cannot quiet their owne Consciences are to repaire to their owne or some other discreet and learned Minister of Gods word to open to them their griefe that so they may receive such ghostly Counsell advise and comsort as their consciences may be relieved and by the ministery of Gods word they may receive comfort and the benefit of absolution to the quieting of their Conscience and the avoyding of all scruple and doubtfullnesse But it is against true Christian liberty that any man should be bound to the numbring of his Sinnes as it hath beene used heretofore in times of Ignorance and blindnesse This I do acknowledge to be the Doctrine of the Church of England concerning Confession and to it I do ex animo subscribe and am heartily sory for what ever I have de-livered to the contrary Mr. Adams being backedby the Popish Heads refused to make this Recantation though just and faire professing he was not conscious to himselfe of any thing he had said in his Sermon contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England Whereupon at a full meeting of the Doctors it was put to the Vote Whether this Recantation should be enjoyned him or no Dr. Ward Dr. Bambridge Dr. Bacheroft Dr. Love Dr. Holdsworth and the Vicechancellor voted he should make this Recantation but Dr. Collins Dr. Smith Dr. Cumber Dr. Cosin Dr. Lany Dr. Martin Dr. Sterne and Dr. EDEN Voted that hee should not make it justifying even the use and necessity of Confession to a Priest necessitate medij to obtaine absolution and affirming that they would not Vote Master Adams had delivered any thing contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England in this point of Confession and thereupon acquitted him But the Vice-chancellor adjourning the businesse till another day when 12. Doctors only were present and Dr. Smith Dr. Cumber Dr. Martin and Dr. Eden who formerly acquited him absent by the helpe of Dr. Paske his voyce with much opposition voted that Mr. Adams should make the forementioned Recantation to which hee and those who Voted with him subscribed their hands Dr. Cosin Dr. Lany Dr. Beale Dr. Sterne and one more subscribed likewise their dissents thereunto When this was done all was done and Mr. Adams without making any submission or Recantation at all was dismissed and so encouraged that he resolved to maintain this his opinion in his Act questions The whole proceedings in this businesse together with the Copy of Mr. Adams his Sermon and the Recantation forementioned were sent up to London by Dr. Cosin and found by Mr. Prynne in the Archbishops Study endorsed with his owne hand thus Received Mach 16. 1637. Doctor Cosins his Letter about the proceedings of Brownrig Vicechancellor of Cambridge against Mr. Adams for his Sermon about Confession Ianuary 25. 1637. c. Who instead of censuring concurred with Dr. Cosins and the other Popish Doctors in protecting and justifying Mr. Adams in his grosse Popish Doctrines of Auricular Confession and Absolution which he endeavoured with all his might to introduce And no wonder for in his owne Diary he writ this memoriall with his owne hand June 15. 1622 I became CONFESSOR to the Lord of Buckingham and Iune 16. being Trinity Sunday he received the Sacrament at Greenwitch And all Courtiers know that hee was since for many yeares not only a privy Councellor but Confessor to his Majesty at least Commonly so reputed which made him so earnest to bring all others under the yoak of Confession since he had brought these Grandees under it Yea so farre had this Popish Tenet of the necessity of Confession and absolution by Priests prevailed among us by these authorized Bookes and Sermons generally preached for them that Bishop Mountague in his Printed Visitation Articles for the Diocesse of Norwich Anno 1638. made it a crime presentable in Ministers not to presse the Doctrine and practise of it upon the people at least-wise in the holy time of Lent as appeares by this memorable Article of his Tit. 7. Artic. 4. Doth the Minister especially exhort the Parishoners TO MAKE CONFESSJON OF THEIR SINNES TO HIMSELFE or some other learned grave and discreet Minister ESPECIALLY IN LENT against the holy time of Easter that they may receive comfort and ABSOLVTION so to become worthy receivers of such holy misteries How farre the Archbishops Agents and Emissaries urged exercised Popish Auricular Confession not only in England but Jreland too we shall instance but in one memorable example The Archbishop in his Paper of Remembrances to the Lord Deputie of Ireland when he first went over thither a Copy whereof Master Prynne met with in his Study made this speciall request to him in behalfe of one Mr. Croxton a young Minister and Creature of his I heartily pray your Lordship to take notice of one Mr. Croxton whom J send over with your letters to my Lord Mount Norris I hope he will prove so honest and so able a man as may do good service in those parts if God blesse him with life And I doubt not but as it shall fall in your way Your Lordship will bestow some preferment upon him for his maintenance for which I shall thanke you This Croxton arriving in Ireland the Lord Deputy upon this recommendation of the Archbishop received him with all due respect and promoted him to severall Ecclesiasticall preferments there as appeares by his Letters of thankes to the Archbishop wherein he gives him the Popes Titles Holinesse and most holy Father as if he were a Pope This Croxton being thus advanced to promote the Archbishops designes at Easter in the Yeare 1638. caused all his Parishioners to come up to the High-Altar at Goran where hee was Incumbent and there Sacramentally to make their Confessions to him which the Protestants in those parts deemed a most strang and scandalous act declaming much against it Yet this audacious Popel in knowing how acceptable this Popish Innovation was to the Archbishop the more to ingratiate himselfe in his favour in a vaunting manner certified His Grace by a

kinde of Zeale like the madde Prophetesse in the Poet have run into the open streets yea and searched private houses too to looke for such as spent those houres on the Lords Day in lawfull pastimes which were not destinate by the Church to Gods publike service and having found them out scattered the companie and brake the Instruments and if my memory faile me not the Musitians head too and which is more they thought that they were bound in Conscience so to doe c. And sect 9. p. 258. He most prophanely and scurrilously stiles the Lords-Day The NEW SAINT SABBATH And sect 13. pag. 269. c. hee concludes thus Nay which is more it was so publikely avowed and printed by one who had no calling to interpret lawes except the provocation of his own ill spirit That Dancing on the Lords-Day was an unlawfull pastime punishable by the Statute of 1 Carl. c. 1. which intended so he saith to suppresse Dancing on the Lords Day as well as Beare-Baiting Bull-Baiting Enterludes and common Playes which were not then so rise and common as dancing when this Law was made Things being at this height it pleased His Excellent Majestie Observing as hee saith himselfe how much his people were debarred of Recreation and finding in some Counties that under the pretence of taking away of abuses there had bin a generall forbidding not only of ordinary meetings but of the Feasts of the Dedication of Churches commonly called Wakes to ratifie and publish the Declaration of His Majesties Father before remembred Adding that all those feasts with others should bee observed and that all Neighbourhood and freedome with manlike and lawfull exercises be therein used commanding all the Justices of Assize in the severall Circuits to see that no man doe trouble or molest any of his Loyall and dutifull people in or for their lawfull recreations having first done their duty to God and continuing in obedience unto His Majestie and his Lawes and further that publication thereof be made by Order from the Bishops through all the parishes of their severall Diocesses respectively Thus did it please His Excellent and Sacred Majestie to publish His most pious and Religious purpose of opening to his Loyall people the liberty of the Day which the day allowed of and which all Christian States and Churches in all times before had never questioned withall of shutting up that doore whereat no lesse than Judaisme would in fine bave entred so in time have over-ran the fairest and most beautifull Church at this day in Christendome And certainly it was a pious and Princely Act nothing inferiour unto that of Constantine or any other Christian King or Emperour before remembred it being no lesse pious in it selfe considered to keep the holy dayes free from Superstition than to preserve them from Profanenesse especially considering that permission of lawfull pleasures is no lesse proper to a festivall then restraint from labour Nay of the two it is more ancient for in his time Tertullian tells us that they did diem Solis laetitiae indulgere devote the Sunday partly unto mirth and recreation not to devotion altogether when in an hundred yeares after Tertullians time there was no law or constitution to restraine men from labour this day in the Christian Church Yet did not his most Excellent Majestie finde such obedience in some men and such as should have beene examples unto their flockes as his most Christian purpose did deserve there being some so setled in the opinion of a Sabbath Day a day not heard of in the Church of Christ 40. yeares agoe that they choose rather to deprive the Church of their paines and ministrie than yeeld unto His Majesties just commands for whose sakes specially next unto my duty unto God my Soveraigne and the Church my Mother I have employed my time and Studdies to compose this History that they may see therein in briefe the practise of Gods Church in the times before them and frame themselves to do thereafter casting aside those errours in the which they are and walking in the way which they ought to travell which way when all is done will bee Via Regia the Kings High way as that which is most safe and of best assurance because most travellers by Gods people Our private pathes doe leade us often into errour and sometimes also into danger And therefore I beseech all those who have offended in that kind to lay aside their passions and their private interests if any are that way misguided as also not to shut their eyes against those truths which are presented to them for their information that so the King may have the honour of their due Obedience the Church the comfort of their labours and conformable ministry For to what purpose should they hope to bee ennobled for their sufferings in so bad a cause which neither hath the Doctrine of the Scriptures to authorize it or practise of the Church of God the best expositer of the Scripture to confirme and countenance it or to be counted constant to or in their first conclusions having such weak and dangerous premises to support the same since constancy not rightly grounded is at best but obstinacy and many times doth end in Heresie Once againe therfore I exhort them even in Gods name whose Ministers they are and unto whom they are to give up an account of their imployment and in the Kings Name whom as Gods Deputy they are bound to obey not for wrath only but for Conscience sake and in the Churches name whose peace they are to studdy above all things else and their owne names lastly whom it most concernes that they desist and goe not forward in this disobedience lest a worse mischiefe fall upon them For my part I have done my best so farre to give them satisfaction in this present point so farre forth as the nature of an History would permit as they might thinke it no disparagment to alter their opinions and desert their errors and change their resolutions since in so doing they shall conforme themselves unto the practise of Gods Church in all times and Ages This prophane Doctor in his Epistle before Doctor Prideaux his Lecture of the Sabbath and in his Moderate Answer to Master Burton pag. 50. to 56. 76. 80. 81. 110 112. hath many passages to the same effect against the Sabbaths morality the strict intire Sanctification of the Lords-Day in yea Justification of the Book of sports and of the Archbishops and Bishops silencing excommunicating censuting those who refused to read it to the people The like passages we meet with in Bishop Whites Doctor Primrose and Master Joronfides Treatises of the Sabbath in Christopher Dew his Innovations unjustly charged chap. 10. 11 12. in Edmund Reeve his Communion Booke Catechisme expounded wherein the Piety Necessitie and Vtilitie of His Majesties Declaration for sports is extolled above Elah pag. 90. to 108. that these Pages were afterwards torne out of the

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and good will and free grace of God and this we confirme from these places Luke 13. 32. John 15. 16. Rom. 11. 5. Eph. 1. 6. Idem on Matthew page 134. printed 253. written copy Some in opposition to Zanchies position of the perseverance of the Saints object this place to prove that those who are truly faithfull may fall wholly from faith and consequently may perish eternally Answ 1. First this is but a parable and insufficient to evert such a comfortable and well grounded Doctrine as this is concerning the perseverance of the faithfull Answ 2. Secondly This Parable was given onely to the Jewes and belongs principally unto them although it may be applied to such as they were as it appeares by our Saviours conclusion so shal it be with this wicked generation Answ 3. Thirdly by this Parable our Saviour would shew that destruction did hang over the heads of the Jewes and why not because they were once justified and endued with true faith and afterwards altogether lost it and fell from the grace of God but because they had received the law of God c. unto these words and this is the plaine and the direct meaning of our Saviour in this place and makes nothing against the preseverance of the faithfull or as though those who were once endued with true faith and truly freed from Satan might lose their faith wholly and fall into the hands and power of satan and perish eternally because nothing lesse then this can be deduced from this place Answ 4. Fourthly Melanchton c. unto the end which sinne he calleth a sinne against conscience and therefore it cannot be meant of those who are onely tempted by a humane temptation and sinne not out of contempt but of ignorance and infirmity as all the faithfull sinne In Doctor Jones his Comentary on the Hebrewes the Licenser expunged these ensuing passages touching Perseverance and against falling from grace Page 61. 146. Whom he graceth he graceth to the end whom he loveth he loveth unto the end pag. 445. What is it possible for men to fall from the grace of God out of the love and favour of God for ever for whom he loveth he loveth to the end John 13. 1 Hypocrits may fall away Luke 8. 13. 1 Cor. 10. 12. and even the elect themselves must be circumspect they must not set all at six and sevens but must watch over themselves that they fall not away Page 166. 167. there is a great aff●ity betwixt the elect and the reprobate simia quam similis the elect and reprobate have all one and the same gifts in substance but they differ in quantity measure and manner of receiving The elect have the Fountaine together with the streames and the root with the branches they with their knowledge zeale c. have Jesus Christ and a lively faith whereas the reprobate have the streame without the Fountaine the branches without the root the grasse on the house top and corns in the wall that sodainly withers and dyes so they fall from the knowledge they had and from the faith despise the holy Ghost make a mock of the word and despise the joyes of Heaven These gifts sink deeply into the hearts of the elect whereas they rest onely in the senses and braine of the reprobate they goe a little way into the heart of the reprobate and affect them for a time but as a corrupt stomacke casts up the meat againe though never so good so those defiled consciences spew up that againe which they tasted of the godly keep them and are nourished by them the reprobate have the knowledge of Christ swimming in their braine and their hearts are little affected they have speculativum cognitionem but not applicativam John 17. 3. they have a taste of true faith but not a true faith indeed they have fidem historicam hypocriticam temporarium meticulosam sed non justificantem they have spiritum illuminantem sed non sanctificantem they taste the word but eat not the word to be nourished by it they have a sight of Heaven as Balaam had so Moses had of the Land of Canaan but they ●●er not into Heaven they have gifts like them as counters are like gold but not the very gifts Page 252. God never takes his spirit from a man by whom we are sealed to the day of Redemption Page 319. the children of God may same grievously as Noah David Peter and others have done but they cannot sinne against the holy Ghost in themselves they may in regard of the corruption of their owne nature but in regard of Gods grace promise and covenant they cannot for whom Christ loveth he loveth to the end and none can take his sheep out of his hands yet let us not be high minded but feare and work out our salvation with feare and trembling all the dayes of our life 9. Passages expunged against Arminians Semi-pelagians and Arminianisme DOctor Peatly his Clavis Mystica page 90. What are the little Foxes but the Demipelagian cubs which will spoile our fairest clusters the Colledges of both Universities if in time they be not looked unto as they have done already in our neighbour Vine in the Low-countries Ibidem page 898. I told you before that this was a wet step and many here have slipt for some odiously object that unlesse we will grant universall grace and a power in the will of man to resist and frustrate the worke of the spirit in our conversion and that unlesse these Jewes had sufficient grace offered them to repent them of their sins and therby prevent this their finall overthrow the prediction of our Saviour was to no end and purpose nay that his teares over Jerusalem might seem like to those which Julius Caesar shed for Pompeyes death who yet himselfe procured it or might have hindred it if he would did not Christ say they foresee and decree the destruction of Jerusalem how then doth he bemoane it with teares 10. Passages deleted That men may be Assured of their salvation and that Assurance of it is attainable in this life IN Doctor Clerkes Sermons page 93 instead of these words was sure of his salvation the Licenser hath put in these words obtained salvation We find these clauses deleted by the Licenser in Doctor Jones his Comentary on the Hebrewes Written copy page 310. The Church of Rome introduceth a doubting saith we must never be assured of the forgivenesse of our sinnes the favour of God and kindnesse of his Sonne that is presumption yet the Scripture would have us come to God with assurance of faith why doubtest thou O thou of little faith he that doubteth is like the wave of the sea Ibid. page 335. In this description of faith and the whole commendation of it throughout this chapter say the Jesuits the Apostle knew not the speciall forged faith of the Protestants whereby these new Sectaries and their followers assure themselves of the remission

obliteterated and not suffered to passe the Presse transcends our capacities to apprehend but onely that they somewhat thwart the Papists 11. Passages deleted against Auricular Confession of our Sinnes to Popish Priests IN Doctor Clerks Sermons page 443. this passage is expunged Saint James is flat for that Auricular confession Apostolicall too was it not to the Priests that Iudas said peccavi confest he had sinned in betraying innocent blood In Master Wards Comentary on Matthew written copy f. 10. this is deleted First the Papists answer hereunto that the parts of repentance are three to wit first contrition or as some of them say Attrition secondly Auricular confession Thirdly Satisfaction of Merit Idem fol. 125. Secondly confesse and make knowne thy temptations to some pious and faithfull friend Here we blame Auricular popish confession first because it doth discover lascivious and wanton women secondly because it is ordinarily enjoyned and thirdly held to be a work deserving pardon opere operato But first if men not women would confesse themselves and secondly not alwayes but in a case of conscience when his corruptions are likely to prevaile against him yea thirdly not the sinnes committed already but onely the temptations and provocations and assaults unto sinne and fourthly not to confesse to every one but to some pious prudent discreet and grave friend or Minister c. we blame it not Idem fol. 227. Ans 4. A wounded conscience is of all burthens the heaviest to a circumcised heart thy sinnes be forgiven thee we see Christ here neither requires confession nor demands or reserves satisfaction of this sick man but wholly takes away his sinnes to teach us that Christ pardons our sinnes truly Heb. 8. 12. Ier. 31. 31. c. Isa 43. 25. Heb. 10. 17. Answ 4. Popish auricular confession we tax for three things namely first ob coactionem c. secondly ob enumerationem thirdly ob finem falsum because the end propounded therein by the Papists is false for they teach men to confesse their sinnes that by the peoples confession and the Priests absolution their sinnes may be taken away and pardoned by God opere operato even by the bare work wrought The Papists command Confession for these two ends viz. First that their confession may take away sinnes with God and this they labour and dispute strongly for and relate many fables to prove it if the studious Reader desire a view of their Fables he may find some in Antidot Anim pag. 145. Col. 3. 149. Col. 3. 2. they have worse ends of their confession then these and that is to reveale whores whoredomes and the like read Antidot Anim. p. 145. Col. 3. 4. Ibidem part 1. pag. 115. Quest 5. seeing that it is lawfull and in some cases requisite that some persons should sometimes confesse some sinnes unto their Pastors and that the Pastor should admonish and advise them hereunto as was shewed Mat. 3. 6. when their consciences are troubled with any sinne then whether ought Ministers to take an oath of secresie the rather to induce men to confesse freely An. There are two things here to be considered of for the resolution of this question viz. First whether it be lawfull And 2. whether it be expedient First we must consider whether it be lawfull to take such an Oath of secresie or not First I thinke no man denies except the Anabaptists that in generall it is lawfull by Gods law to take an oath either first assertory secondly promissory upon weighty cause though it be not before a Magistrate Secondly although the positive law threaten a Premunire to him who imposeth an oath without authority yet I know no danger to him who assumes it willingly and voluntarily But thirdly whether this particular Oath be against our lawes I want skill to determine for on the one side concealment in some cases makes a man accessary though after the fact and what may not be performed must not be promised especially by oath On the other side the ancient Canons of the Church forbid upon great penalty to reveale confessions and our Law 1. Eliz. confirme all the Canons that are not opposite to the Word of God as I suppose this not to be Secondly we must consider whether it be expedient or not to take such an Oath This is the greater Question and must be resolved by the grounds moving it for whatsoever is lawfull in this must be judged fit or unfit Hypothesi according to the fit or unfit circumstances which cloth it first therefore if first the confitent being burdened in conscience and desirous to unfold his sore be hindred by feare or shame of publike discovery and secondly if there be no other end in the pastor but to free him from this feare I see no reason why he may not by such a reverend protestation assure him of that whereto his own office and conscience bind him for as the Canons cōmands concealment so Zozomen speaking of the times within three hundred yeers of Christ saith such men as are burthened in conscience and desire to unfold their griefes must choose for their Confessor a man upright of life prudent and secretorum tenacem a faithfull concealer of secrets But Secondly if the Minister use such an oath as an assuring bait to draw unwilling men to confesse for the satisfying of his own curiosity or private ends non laudo it can neither be defended commended nor excused But Thirdly I must adde that seeing temptations lurk secretly in the heart it is safer to leave them to the hearts great searcher then to condemne them upon ungrounded suspition unlesse made evident by some disclosing circumstances wherein it is both more commendable and charitable to suspect a great deale too little then a little too much hoc est consilium fidele verax c. 12. Passages deleted against the Arbitrary Tyrannicall power of Kings disobedience to their unjust popish and wicked commands resisting their tyranny and the mortality of Kings IN Master Wards Comentary upon Matthew f. 324. in the written copy the Licenser obliterated this ensuing discourse on Mat. 22. 21. Give unto Caesar the things which are Caesars Quest Whether is it altogether unlawfull to resist civill power when it is wicked and unjustly oppresseth the Church and Common-wealth and compelleth Subjects to commit adultery and persecutes true Religion with fire and faggot Answ 1. First it is lawfull for Ministers to reprehend and rebuke the sinnes of all who are under their charge and consequently Kings Princes Peers and Magistrates when they offend as is evident both by the examples of the Apostles and Prophets and also from these places 1 Tim. 5. 20. 2 Tim. 4. 2. Heb. 13. 17. In which place it is said that Pastors shall give account for those Magistrates which perish under their charge Secondly it is lawfull for the inferiour and subordinate Magistrates to defend the Church and Common-wealth when the supreame Magistrate degenerates and falleth