One Lord one Faith one Baptism ver 6. One God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all 1 Thes 5.12 And we beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you ver 13. And to esteem them very highly in love for their work sake And be at peace among your selves 2 Thes 3.6 Now we command you Brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh disorderly and not after the Tradition which he received of us 1 Tim. 1.3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other Doctrine ver 5. Now the end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned ver 6. From which some having swarved have turned aside unto vain Janglings ver 7. Desiring to be teachers of the Law understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm ver 18. This charge I commit unto thee Son Timothy according to the Prophecies which went before on thee that thou by them mightest Warr a good warfare ver 19. Holding faith and a good conscience which some having put away concerning faith have made Ship-wrack 3.4 One that ruleth well his own House having his Children in subjection with all Gravity ver 6. Not a Novice lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the Condemnation of the Devil ver 10. And let these also first be proved then let them use the office of a Deacon being found blameless ver 14. These things write I unto thee hoping to come unto thee shortly ver 15. But if I tarry long that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the House of God which is the Church of the Living God the Pillar and Ground of Truth 5.1 Rebuke not an Elder but entreat him as a Father and the younger men as Brethren ver 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who Labour in the Word and Doctrine ver 21. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another doing nothing by Partiality ver 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man neither be partaker of other mens sins keep thy self pure 2 Tim. 1.6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the Gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands 2.14 Of these things put them in remembrance charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit but to the subverting of the hearers ver 15. Study to shew thy self approved unto God a work-man that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth ver 16. But shun Profane and Vain bablings for they will increase unto more ungodliness 3.6 For of this sort are they which creep into Houses and lead captive silly Women laden with Sins led away with divers Lusts ver 7. Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth ver 13. But evil Men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse Deceiving and being Deceived ver 16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness Titus 1.5 For this cause I left thee in Crete that thou should'st set in order the things that are wanting and ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee ver 10. For there are many Unruly and Vain talkers and Deceivers especially they of the Circumcision ver 11. Whose mouths must be stopped who subvert whole houses teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucre's sake ver 15. Unto the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled ver 16. They profess that they know God but in works they deny him being Abominable and Disobedient and unto every good work Reprobate 3.1 Put them in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers to obey Magistrates to be ready to every good work ver 2. To speak evil of no man to be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meekness unto all men ver 9. But avoid foolish Questions and Genealogies and Contentions and Strivings about the Law for they are unprofitable and vain ver 10. A man that is an Heretick after the first and second admonition reject ver 11. Knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being Condemned of himself Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you ver 24. Salute all them that have the Rule over you and all the Saints 7.7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better 9.6 Now when these things were thus ordained the Priests went always into the first Tabernacle accomplishing the service of God ver 7. But into the second went the High-Priests alone once every year not without blood which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people 1 Pet. 2.13 Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lord sake whether it be to the King as Supreme ver 14. Or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers and for the praise of them that do well ver 15. For so is the will of God c. ver 17. Honour all men Love the brother-hood Fear God Honour the King 3.17 For it is better if the will of God be so that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing 5.1 The Elders which are among you I exhort who also am an Elder c. ver 5. Likewise ye younger submit your selves unto the elder yea all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with Humility c. Jude v. 8. Likewise also these filthy Dreamers defile the Flesh despise Dominion and speak evil of Dignities ver 10. But these speak evil of those things which they know not but what they know naturally as brute Beasts in those things they corrupt themselves ver 17. But beloved remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ ver 18. How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts ver 19. These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit Rev. 2.1 Unto the Angel of the
which he hath polluted by Perjury let him have no Communion with Christian men nor Portion with the Just but let him be Condemned with the Devil and his Angels eternally together with his Complices that they may be tied in the Bonds of Damnation which were joyned in the Society of Sedition Con. 4.5.6.10 Can. 74. VVhosoever of us or of all the People through all Spain shall go about by any means of Conspiracy or Practice to violate the Oath of his Fidelity which he hath taken for the preservation of his Country or of the King 's Life or who shall attempt to lay violent hands upon the King or to deprive him of his Kingly power or by Tyrannical presumption Usurp the Soveraignty of the Kingdom let him be Accursed in the sight of God the Father and of his Angels and let him be made and declared a Stranger from the Catholique Church which he hath prophaned with his Perjury The Oath of Supremacy I A. B. do utterly testifie and declare in my conscience that the King's Highness is the onely Supreme Governor of this Realm and of all other his Highness's Dominions and Countries as well in all Spiritual or Ecclesiastical things or causes as Temporal and that no Forein Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to have any Jurisdiction Power Superiority Preheminence or Authority Ecclesiastical or Spiritual within this Realm and therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all Forein Jurisdiction Powers Superiorities and Authorities and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear Faith and true Allegiance to the King's Highness his Heirs and Lawful Successors and to my power shall assist and defend all Jurisdictions Privileges Preheminences and Authorities granted or belonging to the King's Highness his Heirs and Successors or United and Annexed to the Imperial Crown of the Realm So help me God and by the Contents of this Book The Oath of Allegiance I A. B. do truly and sincerely acknowledge profess testifie and declare in my conscience before God and the World that our Soveraign Lord King CHARLS is Lawful and Rightful King of this Realm and of all other his Majesty 's Dominions and Countries and that the Pope neither of himself nor by any Authority of the Church or Sea of Rome or by any other means with any other hath any Power or Authority to Depose the King or to dispose any of his Majesty 's Kingdoms or Dominions or to authorize any Forein Prince to invade or annoy him or his Countries or to discharge any of his Subjects of their Allegiance and Obedience to his Majesty or to give License or Leave to any of them to bear Arms raise Tumult or to offer any violence or hurt to his Majesty 's Royal Person State or Government or to any of his Majesty 's Subjects within his Majesty 's Dominions Also I do swear from my heart that notwithstanding any Declaration or Sentence of Excommunication or Deprivation made or granted or to be made or granted by the Pope or his Succestors or by any Authority derived or pretended to be derived from him or his Sea against the said King his Heirs or Successors or any Absolution of the said Subjects from their Obedience I will bear Faith and true Allegiance to his Majesty his Heirs and Successors and him and them will defend to the uttermost of my power against all Conspiracies and Attempts whatsoever which shall be made against Him his or their Persons their Crown and Dignity by reason or colour of any such Sentence or Declaration or otherwise and will do my best indeavour to disclose and make known unto his Majesty his Heirs and Successors all Treasons and Traiterous Conspiracies which I shall know or hear of to be against Him or any of them And I do further swear that I do from my heart abhor detest and abjure as Impious and Heretical this damnable Doctrine and Position That Princes which be Excommunicated or Deprived by the Pope may be Deposed or Murthered by their Subjects or any other whatsoever And I do believe and in conscience am resolved that neither the Pope nor any Person what soever hath power to Absolve me of this Oath or any part thereof which I acknowledge by good and full Authority to be Lawfully ministred unto me and do renounce all Pardons and Dispensations to the contrary And all these things I do plainly and sincerely acknowledge and swear according to these express words by me spoken and according to the plain and common sense and understanding of the same words without any Equivocation or mental Evasion or secret Reservation whatsoever And I do make this Recognition and Acknowledgment heartily willingly and truly upon the Faith of a Christian So help me God Two things in special are to be observed in this Oath 1. That the King receiveth his Authority onely from God and hath no Superior to punish or chastize him but God alone 2. That the Bond of Subjects in Obedience to his Sacred Majesty is inviolable and cannot be dissolved Bracton 20. years Chief Justice in the time of King Henry 3. There are under the King Free-men and Servants are Subject unto his Power as also whatsoever is under him and he himself is Subject to no Man but only unto God and no Man may presume Judicially to Examine his doings much less to Oppose them by Force and Violence St. Ambr. Kings are not bound unto Law because Kings are Free from the Bond of Crimes and are not called unto Punishment by any Law being Safe by the Power of Command Anonymus The people manifest the King to be their King but do not give unto him the right unto his Kingdome which is of the Lord's appointment By me Kings Reign The outward Unction not enferring upon Kings their Authority but used as a sign of Soveraignty So that the People making a King is not by giving him the Right of his Kingdome but by putting Him into the Possession of his Kingdome to Reign over them Succession and Lawfull Conquest are but Titles whereby Princes receive their Authority they are not the Original and Immediate fountain of their Authority Tertull. Inde illis est porestas unde spiritus Thence have Princes their Power whence their Spirit Irenaeus Cujus jussu nascuntur homines ejus jussu constituuntur Principes By God's Appointment By whose Appointment they are born Men by his Appointment are they made Princes God only makes them Kings and God only can unmake them and deject them from their Thrones King James's Royal assent to Church-Government We of our Princely inclination and Royal care for the maintenance of the present Estate and Government of the Church of England by the Laws of this our Realm now Setled and Established having diligently with great contentment and comfort read and consiâ—ered of all these their Canons Orders Ordinances and Constitutions agreed upon as is before Expressed and finding the same such as We
the Covenant from the nature of the thing doth include a Condition Now the King the Church of England the Church of Scotland nor the Parliaments of either Kingdom never gave any consent or Civil sanction to the Covenant but on the contrary have abolish'd all Laws made as illegall and unjust whereby we were bound to the keeping of it So that the Covenant doth not bind us nor our consciences to the observing of it otherwise no Laws could be altered by the Legislative Power The Unfeigned Assent and Consent of all Ministers I A.B. do here declare my unfeigned Assent and Consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book intituled The Book of Common-prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the Use of the Church of England together with the Psalter or Psalms of David Pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches and the form or manner of Making Ordaining or Consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons By the Parliament of England 1662. A Declaration or Acknowledgment to be Subscribed unto I A. B. do declare that it is not Lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King and that I do abhorr that traiterous Position of taking Arms by His Authority against His Person or against those that are Commissionated by him and that I will conform to the Liturgy of the Church of England as it is now by Law established And I do declare that I do hold there lies no Obligation upon me or any other person from the Oath commonly called The Solemn League and Covenant to endeavour any change or alteration of Government either in Church or State And that the same was in it self an unlawful Oath and imposed upon the Subjects of this Realm against the known Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom By the Parliament of Scotland 1662. A Declaration to be subscribed unto I A. B. do declare that it is unlawful for any to take up Arms against His Majesty or to enter in Leagues and Covenants without His Majesty And that all the late Acts of Committees and the two late Oathes called the Solemn League and Covenant and National Covenant are unlawful and no ways binding on any By the Parliament of Scotland Edinburgh Septemb. 5. 1662. A Declaration I Declare that I do judge it unlawful for Subjects upon pretence of Reformation or other pretence whatsoever to enter into Leagues and Covenants or to take up Arms against the King or those Commissionated by Him And that all these Gatherings Convocations Petitions Protestations and erecting and keeping Council-Tables that were used in the beginning and for carrying on of the late Troubles were Unlawful and Seditious And particularly that these Oaths whereof the one was commonly called The National Covenant as it was sworn and explained in the year one thousand six hundred and thirty eight and thereafter and the other entituled A Solemn League and Covenant were and are in themselves Unlawful Oathes and were taken by and imposed upon the Subjects of this Kingdom against the Fundamental Laws and Liberties of the same And that there lieth no Obligation upon me or any of the Subjects from the said Oathes or either of them to endeavour any change or alteration of the Government either in Church or State as it is now established by the Laws of the Kingdom 4. Incendiaries Malignants Because there are such expressions in the Covenant as are not to be found in any Oath that hath been taken in the Kingdom and for that the Laws of the Land are left out and not so much as once named 5. All Scripture-Covenanting from the Alpha unto the Omega thereof were commanded or chiefly acted by the Kings or the Chief Rulers and not one of the Covenants by the Elders of the People against or without the consent of the King 6. The Covenant is against Custome Usage Judicial Records and Acts of Parliament the King's Declarations and Proclamation and against all the Customs and Usages of all Nations in the world themselves being Judges and therefore ought not so much as to have been intended much less sworn unto Mr. Nye Such an Oath as for Matter Persons and other Circumstances the like hath not been in any Age or Oath we read of in Sacred or Human Story Iid. We are entring now upon a work of the greatest moment and concernment that ever was undertaken by any of Us or any of our Fore-fathers before us or our neighbouring Nations about us Henderson The Reformed Churches the Low-Countries our Noble and Christian Progenitors entred not into such a Solemn League and Covenant whence have we this Covenant then The dangers and pressures of the Kingdom of Scotland growing to greater extremity such as were entrusted with the Publick affairs of the Kingdom were necessitated to call a Convention of the Estates for considering of the present affairs And Commissioners were sent from both Houses of Parliament not from the King to consider with the Estates of the Kingdom of Scotland without the King what then Their consultations did in the end bring forth this Covenant When the Reformed Churches shall hear of this so neither the King nor the Reformed Churches were consulted with in this matter How then Salt-marsh The Covenant is a Divine Engine the godly have found out This is the first time the Sun saw such a confederation and therefore there should be as much Art used in preserving the Spirits of people as there was Art used in raising them up to this Height Coleman This is a new thing and not done in our Land before Ask your Fathers consult with the Aged of your times whether ever such a thing were done in their days or in the days of their fathers before them 7. 1643. 1641. The Covenant is diametrically opposite to the Protestation taken not long before wherein we have sworn That to our Power and as far as Lawfully we may we will oppose and by all good ways and means endeavour to bring to condign punishment all such as shall either by Force Plots Conspiracies or otherwise do any thing contrary to the true Reformed Protestant Religion established or against His Majesty's Royal Person Honor or Estate c. which was taken in Lawful things besides the Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacy which were taken Lawfully and in Lawfull things long before and so made all contrary Oathes unlawful to be afterwards either taken or kept St. Jerom. Now lay your hands upon your hearts consider and take the counsel of St. Jerom unto Ruffinus Never blush man to change thy opinion of the Covenant for neither you or I or any person living are of so great Authority as to be asham'd to confess they have erred Pym. As it is a crime odious in the nature of it to endeavour the alteration of the Government of the State so it is odious
the undermining the Tribunals of Judgment and the Wofull disturbance of Church and State which the proudest Non conformist cannot Balk but must confess it is a Truth and that they have walked within the Enormous confines of their own Exorbitant desires and even as Atheistical Nullifidians have not regarded the Blood of a King like riotous Ruffians eating and drinking and taking pleasure therein adjoyning Criticks to justle out the truth of the Lawfull absoluteness of Kingly power practizing as the Scenical jesters do fast and loose without a Cordial subjection and obedience but being Covetous cried give give for a King to whom no Antheme was more pleasant than possession of 80000 l. Diotrephes like seeking for the Pre-heminence yet pretending to have the self-denying Virtue but Demas like did embrace the present now and at the same time while they did profess themselves lofty Favourites took a Pattern of Religion from Raviliack and cared not for a King so much as a Wildred promise a Promise that made a King of never Dying Virtues and Bishops of never Dying Fame troublesome to their queasie Stomacks The Devil they had rather have for their Father and Confessour by whom they were led to follow the bright Beams of Corruscant Gold and Silver that had with them Authority to make them turn Turn-coats yet ceased not Parasitically to profess and swear they Loved the King with all their Saul at that very time the Friperers of Power and Government were telling them so much Money as made those Mercenary Pensioners bow before they would break though they had a King of Power in their Hands able for ever to have made them and three Kingdoms happy if these were not Ideots going in the Pride and Presumption of their Hearts after the Gods of Gold and Silver let all Generations judge whose Faith was Spun so broad and whose Consciences were without Measure as the Corn in Egypt without Number let any who have had so great Convincing reasons as we have had Judge how likely they should be the only feeling and faithfull Members that made so great a Defection from Duty and Allegiance or with what Confidence we should rely upon their Pargetting Profession whose Pandects and Plagiaries have made their Mountainous thoughts to swell higher than any Mountain in their barren Country being a people more Lapped than Nichodemus who was ignorant of the Mysteries of the Gospel and came by night to Jesus for Instruction but these who professed they knew Jesus to be Christ the King of Jews and Gentiles came by night to their Annointed Soveraign Lord and King not for instruction but to betray him and Judas like sold him for Money the root of all Evil. Now consider if God was so severely wrath with David a King for the Death of Urias the Hittite that Dyed in Warr with others of his Subjects that God did threaten Him that the Sword should not depart from his House And tell me nay tell the whole World whether you think Private persons Subjects sworn in Allegiance to their undoubted Lawfull King if they shall treacherously Murther their King will go Unpunished of God shall not his Sacred blood be upon their Heads upon the Heads of those that have Slain a righteous King upon the Heads of those that put the Sword of Warr by their side at a time of tenders of Peace Can such be guiltless O tempora O Mores it is hard to Kick against the Pricks By this very thing let it be known to all Generations ye were Sons of Belial ye that might have prevented the Murther and did it not ye are guilty His blood be upon you and your Children and the Innocent let them be free Thus far I hope I have kept a good Conscience in what I have done and hope so to keep it whatsoever I suffer for this my Integrity when I was a Child I did as a Child and took the Covenant being traiterously mis-led by them that did pretend Zeal and Piety for which transgression I humbly plead the forgiveness of Our Dread Soveraign Lord King Charls the First I willingly forgive such mens taking the Covenant who keep it within such bounds of Piety and Loyalty as can neither hurt either the Church my Self or the Publick peace Otherwise than thus I have not kept it and therefore with humble boldness lay hold upon and plead my right unto and in the Act of Indempnity given and granted by Our Dread Soveraign Lord and King Charls the Second as my Salvo against all the false Rumours and Reports gone out against me unto which I humbly add the Admission under Seal from the Right Reverend Father in God Gilbert by the Divine Providence Lord Bishop of London which I doubt not but they are sufficient Indempnities for my first Oath that ever I took 1643. being in Nonage and under Servitude when I took it And when enlarged into freedome I took the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy 1648. and since never took any Oath in any kind whatsoever but in Obedience to His Sacred Majesty And therefore let those that would retort upon me the Covenant consider the time when it was taken by me and under what Jurisdiction I then was remember that one Grand objection against our Rulers brought by all Non-conformists as a reason to enforce the taking of it viz. that they were Wicked but now are Justified which Objection brought as a reason did much prevail upon the Hearts of multitudes of Ignorant Men Women and Children and upon my Self amongst others But had we been able wisely to have considered that the wickedness of the Rulers if any such there were did not make the truths of God a Lye and his Commandments of none Effect it might have been a good Premonition to us that profess our selves the true Members of the Church to have taken heed we had not fallen and carefully to have minded those that made it their business to creep into mens affections with entising Words and under pretence of Religious opposing Ceremonies and established Government Kill'd the power of Godliness Nevertheless as I have so still I do acknowledge many Godly men to be amongst those that do not Conform and sound Religion yet not more sound Religion as some formerly and now would perswade than is in them that Conform although some might then and may now seemingly be of a more holy Conversation Howsoever that was and is the Error of the Person not of the Government or Doctrine of the Church yet such themselves being Judges cannot but have Regret upon their Spirits for those desperate falls they have had in the Opposing of the Doctrine of our Church and our established Government The fall of Contempt and Disobedience unto that Divine Commandment Curse not the King no not in thy thought The breach of four great Commandments the 5 6 9 10. their joyning Violence with that they called truth and Cruelty with that they called righteousness too evidently