Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	liberty_n	papist_n	protestant_n	1,212	5	9.6046	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86729	Digitus testium, or A dreadful alarm to the vvhole kingdom, especially the Lord Major, the aldermen, and the Common-Councel of the City of London. Or a short discourse of the excellency of Englands lawes and religion. Together, with the antiquity of both, and the famous Kings that England hath had to defend both the religion and the laws against the heathen Romish emperours, and against the Romish power, under Popes. With the several plots the Popes of Rome have used against the Kings of England, to throwe them down, and how of late he hath prevailed against the magistracy and ministery of England, his new designes, and manner of progress: together, with a serious view of the new oath or ingagement, with 22. queries upon the same. And also objections made against the non-subscribers thereof answered. Let the ingenuous reader take so much pains, as to read that incomparable peece of vindication of a treatise of monarchy by way of discovery of three main points thereof.	Hall, Henry, d. 1680, attributed name.; Hall, Edmund, 1619 or 20-1687, attributed name.	1651 (1651)	Wing H339A; Thomason E621_13; ESTC R206419	34,005	37

Digitus Testium OR A DREADFUL ALARM TO THE VVHOLE KINGDOM ESPECIALLY The Lord Major the Aldermen and the Common-Councel of the City of LONDON OR A SHORT Discourse of the excellency of Englands LAWES and RELIGION TOGETHER With the antiquity of both and the famous Kings that England hath had to defend both the Religion and the Laws against the Heathen Romish Emperours and against the Romish Power under Popes WITH The several Plots the Popes of Rome have used against the Kings of England to throwe them down and how of late he hath prevailed against the Magistracy and Ministery of England his new designes and manner of Progress TOGETHER With a serious view of the new Oath or Ingagement with 22. Queries upon the same And also Objections made against the non-subscribers thereof answered Let the ingenuous Reader take so much pains as to read that incomparable peece of vindication of a Treatise of Monarchy by way of discovery of three main points thereof LONDON Printed in the Year MDCL To the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of the City of London My LORD YOur eminency for the Profession of Religion and the lawfulness of your Office only invites us to dedicate these our papers to you not that they so much expect your protection as intend your instruction they only beg your serious perusal which may prove a happy corasive or otherwise leave you excuseless your Lordship certainly knowes that this day Michael and his Angels and the Devil and his Angels are in fight and the Dragon seemes to have got the better Now at such a time as it is a sin accursed with a bitter curse to stand a newter for 't is a seavenfold more accursed sin to fall from Michael and fight on the Dragons side if he that loves not the Lord Jesus shall be cursed with a bitter curse what shall befall that Professer who hateth the Lord Jesus and persecutes him in his Members Certainly that mans sin comes near to the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost The World may read his name written in Hell in great Characters the sin against the Holy Ghost may be committed in one Act it is a sin frequently committed in this age in England by Professors as there are certain straits in the narrow way to Heaven as repentance and self denial the which if a man passe he shall never fall away so there are certain precipices in the broad way to Hell the which if a man passe he shall never be able to return again though he heartily desire it Cain passed this precipice and Judas in betraying his Master and Esau in selling his Birth-right for pottage we are far from charging your Lordship as we are free from acquitting the men of these times of these damnable sins let God and your Conscience condemn or acquit you before whom ere long you must appear our design is only to unbowel that little bigbellied Viper of the Romish Conclaves hatching the Ingagement which like the Trojan Horse hath concealed in the belly of it the ruine of lawful Magistracy lawful Ministery and the lawful reformed Religion your Lordship knowes full well that these are three precious Jewels and your Lordship cannot but know as well if you please that this Ingagement is the designed ruine of them all How sad a progress it hath made already the sincere Protestants of the three Kingdoms to their sorrow know long since it hath been the design and endeavour of our inveterate enemy the Pope to extirpate Protestant Magistracy and Ministery but they never could effect it until this day and that principally by this Ingagement is not the Protestant race of Kings utterly banished this Kingdom by this Ingagement and are not all the Protestant Ministers now about to be turned with their Wives and Children out of their Estates and dwelling-Houses and banished at the pleasure of their tormenters and all by this Ingagement My Lord We beseech you to consider what Ministers they are that are persecuted for what and by whom they are persecuted your Conscience tells you my Lord that they are the Orthodox grave learned sincere zealous Ministery of England that by this Ingagement are persecuted and for what but only because they will not forsake a good Conscience and a just cause that Covenant Cause which they ingaged in which they must do in taking the Ingagement and that the contrivers of the Ingagement knew full well and for that end contrived it And who are they that put this in execution but they that entred into the same Covenant with us that pretended the same cause those whom we have with the hazard of our lives Estates and all we have preserved from ruine and been the cause of their promotion even those who make Lawes for our ruine these men out-law us these men sequestrate and imprison us these take away our Birth-rights from us and which is worst of all these are now about to banish our Ministery who have alwayes been our comfort and incouragement in times of affliction Woe unto us were ever poor Protestants so miserably deluded or were there ever such notorious grosse Hypocrites Apostate Pasters in the world are these the Saints that cryed out against persecution of tender Consciences is this the year of our liberty so much boasted of by many is this the removing of the yoak of oppression and Tyranny is this the year of throwing down Antichrist and propagating the Gospel of Jesus Christ when our chief Protestants both of the Parliament and City are inforced to look through prison Gates and the archest incendiaries of the Romish party are imbraced and consulted with and when our constant real zealous Covenant-keeping Ministery are they that must be banished with their Wives and Children as in the Irish Rebellion and Malignants and Sectarians Jesuites and prophane Fellows suffered to enjoy their liberties we appeal to your Conscience my Lord whether this year be the year of Jubilee with the Protestants or Papists are not all Oaths penalties Lawes and Statutes taken clearly off from the Papists and is not the Ingagement only designed as a snare to catch the sincere Protestant and to bring him under sequestration banishment out-lawry and what not The righteous Lord look upon our afflictions our unheard of afflictions that our Brethren are risen up against us and hate us and persecute us with a far more hatred then our open enemies and that without a cause The Lord judge betwixt us and our enemies this day if we have dealt deceitfully in the Covenant of our God then let God search it out and bring us to ruine but if we are persecuted for holding fast to our Covenant the Lord plead our cause we can with comfort and boldness say this in the midst of our afflictions Lord thou knowest our integrity this appeal our enemies cannot make Come forth my Lord from amongst the tents of these ungodly men lest you perish with them for their folly is made known to

men without remedie must our estates our livelihoods be taken away our wives ravished our children dis-inherited our goods rifled and must we have no remedy and all because we will not ●ump with men in their opinion Let all Europe judge between our enemies and us this day what have we done against them thus to provoke them who of us have lifted up our hands against them where are these of us that in any taxes are behind but we have payed it double and yet a thousand of our families are ruined by them they have taken away our offices and livelihoods they have suspended and imprisoned sundry of our Orthodox and Presbyterian Ministers and now have layed a snare to pluck them out of their Benefices and at last to drive them the kingdome as men unworthy to be protected Where is that liberty of conscience they so much pleaded for before they got to be supreme is not that forgot now Are not Mr. Edwards his words fulfilled who fore-warned the kingdom of that party which pleaded for Liberty of Conscience saying If ever they got power they would not grant liberty of conscience to others who now so much plead for it for themselves This is our comfort in our distresse that though on all hands we are hated and persecuted and repreached by our enemies yet for all this we have not dealt falsly in our Covenant and we can say more in our distresse to uphold our hearts then all our enemies Lord thov knowest our integrity We will onely adde one thing which indeed is no addition but a vehement reiteration that this new Ingagement may be explained according to our Queries or any other way to satisfie the rationall and sober minded part of the Kingdom and if possible the drawer of it up and first framer of it may be known This would give wonderfull satisfaction not onely to private men but Parliament men who know the framer of it and stop the mouthes of such who say that Sir Kelenem Digby and that patty that came with him from Rome into England about the time of the throwing down of the Lords and cutting off of the King framed this Ingagement against the Protestants and Covenanteers party as also to ruine the Parliament and Army This by many rationall men is much credited upon this ground because that the chief head-peeces of Rome were at the cutting off of the King here in England freely in oying their liberty such as Sir Kelenem Digby with his concealed Comrades besides Sir Iohn Winter Endimion Porter Esquire Walter Montague Esquire Sir Edw Ford all professed Papists and the most of them proclaimed Traytors some of them being of the blood of the gunpowder-traytors these had all their liberties to flant it in the City of London and Westminster Hall and were courted and gallantly entertained whiles above 40. of the notorious Hereticks in the Popes black book we mean stout Protestants whose names many of them were at the Covenant in Print were inforced to look through the grates of Prisons Sir William Waller Major Generall Brown Coll Coply and others being to this day deteined and not the least cause shown for it but only because they are Protestants many were inforced to make escapes and flye beyond Sea as Coll. Hollis Col Massy and severall Citizens of London so that all men that had observed the Popes designes since the Covenant was made against him in England concluded that now the designe of the Popes had taken effect and he had taken full revenge upon the Parliament of England for all their Injuries done unto him and his party Since which there onely remaineth of the Covenant keeping Presby●erian Ministery against which many Petitions have been made and put up to the House at Westminster some to take them down and some to take their means from them But now the last and grand designe is to put upon them the new Ingagement this hath scattered the Assembly of Divines in the first place hath shaken and cast out the Heads of Houses in both Universities and daily creepeth more and more upon the Protestant Ministers both in the City and Countrey clipping their estates and keeping them out of Livings and Benefices whereby very many of the godly Ministers with their Families are like to starve already these things make many Protestants imagine that the design is to pluck up all the sound Protestants in the Kingdom both of Magistrates and Ministers and so by degrees to eradicate the Protestant Religion and all to make way for Popery which hath already got stronger footing in the Kingdome then the Protestant Religion for all the oaths that were against their consciences are taken away and a new one set up well pleasing to the Papists onely offensive to the Protestants nay all Laws against the Papists are repealed and they restored to their ancient liberties in Q. Maries daies and worse Laws against the Protestants then in her daies Nor is this inconsistent with State policy for if it be true as it is beleeved and reported to be true that the designe is to set up Monarchy in another family they cannot do it without the alteration of Religion for the Protestants they are resolved to keep their Covenant and the Sectarians they are in no wise to be leaned upon by reason of their instability they are like Jackdaws that flye from Church to Church sometimes here sometimes there Heterogenious parts in an intire body are fit to throw down a government But unfit to erect another But the Jesuite he is both a Statesman and a staid man upon the Romish bottome and that party viz the Romish party are all allies in the Catholick cause so that he that will usurp a Monarchy his onely pollitique way is to joyn with that party who can befriend him in every Countrey For all Catholick Princes are bound by an Oath as much as in them lies to promote the Catholique cause and what Prince that is a Papist dares be assistant to a Protestant Prince against an usurper that hath promised the Pope to set up the Catholique cause and root out Protestants that Prince that should do so should be sure to be cursed whith bell book and candle at Rome nay what King durst refuse upon the Popes command to be assistant to the usurper against the true head being a Protestant we will say no more what others say either to tell of Sir Kenelem Digby his being sent to Rome or of Quarter-master Generall Watsons going after him or of his instructions what to agitate at the Popes Court or of the Popes designs in Ireland against the Protestants But we will desire the Author who ever he be or the power that put it forth that they will tell us what is the meaning of his new Ingagement and make it cleer to us that they can lawfully impose it and when the justnesse thereof in each particular shall be made out that it is for the glory of God the advancement of

Subjects or any other whatsoever And I do believe that neither the Pope nor any other can absolve me from this Oath and all these things I do plainly swear according to the plain and common sence and understanding of the same words without any equivocation or mental evation or secret reservation This Oath with the Oath of supremacy the supreme Authority of the Nation thought fit to impose upon all the Protestants and other subjects in the Kings Dominions The Protestants rejoyced that there were such Oaths whereby they might manifest their loyalty to their Soveraign Lord the King only the Papists refused it having and using no other plea but tenderness of Conscience and fear to offend the Church of Rome these Oaths distinguished Protestants from Papists a long time in England during which time the Kingdom indured much peace and prosperity but after the death of K. James K Charles succeeding him in the Throne and matching with one of the Popish Religion a gap was opened for Priests and Jesuites to enter into the Kingdom and Romish designs were set on foot for the setling of Jesuites in the Kingdom under the name of protestants the Pope granting dispensations and Jesuites writing books as Ortwinus and several others of the Church of Rome that it was lawful for a Roman-Catholique to make profession of the ●rotestant Religion to go to their Churches and outwardly comply with Protestants and yet be a sacred Catholique and that it was lawful vulpirare cum vulpibus to play the knave with a knave they are their own words Hereupon subtil Jesuites under the name of Protestants seated themselves in England undiscovered held correspondence with the Conclave of Rome and carried on the Popes design professing all obedience to the King but keeping their poysonous treason against him in their brests ready to spit in the Kings and his Posterities face when they had fit opportunity for they had learned their lesson within book that it is lawful to spoil an Heretique King of his Goods melius tamen est quod Authoritate judicis fiat but 't is better to do it by a Court of Justice this is not a new opinion of the Popes nor of the Jesuites though newly acted And this is another opinion of theirs that uxor Catholica viro haeretico bene volentiam reddere non tenetur that a Papists wife may refuse to submit to her Husband she may plot and conspire his death by the Popes Law and this is another Cardinals opinion whose Books are licensed Pater qui filium habet haereticum exh●reditare talem filium tenetur that the Father may disinherit his Son being a Protestant Simancha episcopus saith propter tonne haeresin patris filii non sunt sui juris by reason of the Fathers Heresie the same freed from his allegiance Nay they hold that Subjects may lawfully refuse to obey Protestant Princes saith Beliarmine Non licet Christianis tolerare regem haereticum That Christian Subjects ought not to tolerate a Protestant King to live for in the Papists sense they are the Hereticks With these poisonous opinions did many subtil Jesuites and Priests lie about the Court get into Vniversities and other places in the Kingdom under the name of Protestants many of them These with the Popes Nuncio having won the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury to their party as States-men conceived drove on a subtil design to overthrow the Government of the Kingdom by a Parl and so to pull down the Protestant Magistracy and all their wholsome Laws and by insinuating Altars Crucifixes Images and Image-worship with several other popish Ceremonies and imposing them on the Ministery of England thereby they intended at once to root out the Protestant Ministery and Protestant Religion This took effect according to the Popes desires so fully and raised the hopes of the Popish party so high that they resolved like Haman to destroy the Church in every of the Kings Dominions Scotland they intended to new-mould to the Popes model which Nation though poor and weak intemporals proved to the world that they were rich and strong in spirituals for they discovered the Popes designes and the English Jesuites the plots of the Spanish faction insomuch that the Protestant Nobility of England petitioned the King for a ●arl which was granted and the etcaetera Oath a Popish new Engagement on purpose devised to supplant the Protestant Ministery was utterly broken The Parl was by the gracious consent of the King established to sit until by their own Act they dissolved themselves This as it was great joy to the Protestants so it was exceeding terror to the Papists and Popish faction many of which fled beyond the Seas to Rome and other places Several others like subtil Foxes got on Sheeps-Cloathing and walked amongst the Separatists who during the Prelates tyranny were counted the most religious and zealous Protestants with these did they joyn and quickly learned their language fitting them in all things to a hair crying out against Antichrist the Pope of Rome Common Prayer or Antichrists Bible and Bishops as Antichrists brats this pleased the Separatists and no whit displeased the most of Protestants who too far lost their discretion through the violence of their blind passions who thought to much could not be said against Episcopal Government it had been so exceeding tyrannical hereby the subtil Jesuites under the name of zealous Protestants pluckt the Protestant Ministery and the Protestant Religion and the Protestant Magistracy as much into danger on the other hand as it had been before by the Popish Prelatick party for upon a true bottom did the Romish Sophists build a false Argument thus The Pope is Antichrist that 's true the Pope made Bishops say they and the Bishops made Ministers therefore the Ministers now were set down for Antichristian Ministers here the Devils Cloven foot appeared and mark what progress and advantage they made of this The next consequence was If Ministers be Antichristian then the Ordinances they administer are Antich Baptisme is Antich singing Psalms observing the Lords day meeting in Churches all this was Antichristian so that the Pope set up two designes for the miscarriage of that of Scotland for what with the Parl just and strict proceedings against the Popish party about the Court and what with their prevalency at Court with the Queen and the King designes by the Court factions were on foot to bring the Northern Army against the Parl to over-awe them as appears in the preamble of their Protestation made May 5. 1641. Thus whereas the designes of Priests Jesuites and other adherents to the See of Rome have of late been more frequently and boldly put in practice then formerly to the undermining and danger of the ruine of the true reformed Protestant Religion and the subversion of the fundamental Laws of England and Ireland by wicked plots and conspiracies and breach of Parliaments whereby the Kings Maj. person is indangered and an Army

open enemies in the field and were in great hopes of setling the Protestant Religion in purity and extirpating Popery out of the 3. Kingdoms at this time the Popes Politicians were got into the Parl Army under the name of Independents from which the King fled to the Scots The King being fallen into the Covenanters hands viz. the Scottish Army the Parl made speedy and seasonable applications to him at Newcastle offering to him Articles of agreement which news was forthwith carried to Rome whereupon the Pope and the Conclave of Rome were inforced to look about and change their designes projecting new wayes by contrary proceedings to effect one and the same end for whereas they had given order to the Catholiques in Ireland before to yield all assistance to the King against the Parl Seeing now the King was under the Parl power least he and his Parl should agree and so England and Ireland be lost the Pope played aforehand game sending his Army into Ireland commanding at this time all the Cathol quests renounce their allegiance to the King of England and from that day forward the Pope and all the Romish Politicians projected how to destroy both King and Parl and destroy the Reformation by the Covenanters so far carried on both in England and Scotland The task was hard at first view to destroy a Religious Parliament a victorious Army and an able pious and zealous Clergy was no small piece of work The Romish politicions therefore were inforced to fly to their last refuge of Hypocrisie and lies and like Euphrates Frog to change both shape and colour using the violent motion of Frogs from one extream to another from the extream of Tyranny to the extream of Anarchy from the extream of holy Orders to the extream of no ordination In plain tearms the Pope and his Counsel perceiving there was no probable way to get a Toleration for Catholicks in the Kingdom of England if the King Lords and Commons agreed consulted how to throw down King Lord and Commons and Assembly of Divines together with the Protestant Ministery That the chief Engines to effect this might be placed here in England and have sure footing free from the power of the Magistrates corrective and coercive power Independency was set up which five valiant Champions of the Popes had defended in the Assembly as long as they could and being there able to stand against truth no longer like Serpents hissed for all the viperous brood of Sectarious blasphemers or any Sect to creep into their bellies Hereby Independencie that bottomlesse pit and Independent congregations the very plot designed to destroy Religion in the Nethetlands by the Pope first enacted there by Hugh Peters the Popes hyerling became as so many nurceries of Jesuite and Popish Priests and so many dens of Theeves where they framed all their picklocks opinions and devilish destructive instruments to ruin the Magistracy and the Ministery For the propagating and facilitating of this design the chief of the Romish Politicians in Europe were sent to England where they all went under the name of dissenting brethren Independents tender consciens-men and great Enemies to Antichrist crying down with Antichrist calling the Pope Anti-Christ not that they thought so but that they might hereby carry an their design of throwing down the protestant Ministery undiscovered for this to this day is their great and chief argument The Pope is Anti-christ that 's true Antichrist making Bishops Bishops are Antichristian that in some sortis true also Antichristian Bishops making and ordaining Ministers Ministers of England are Antichristians Ergo down with the Ministery of England down with these black-coats down with Baals Priests down with them there is the design and there is the end of all They onely use the Argument to put in practice the conclusion they that presse the Argument and first framed it were far from thinking the Pope to be Antichrist or Prelatical Bishop eithe onely it was framed to destroy the Covenanteeres Ministery who abhor the Pope and long since renounced him and his adherents If it be well observed Indepency was but the wooden horse with a thousand Heresies in his belly brought into the Kingdom of England by the Romish Politicians and let forth as so many furies to sly in the face of the reformed Religion For he that views the Heresies of late sprung up amongst us cannot but see that against every one of the Assemblies 33. Articles they raised contrary Heresies and could the silly English Sectarians of their own heads without the help of Jesuits and Romish Casuists do all this 't is folly to think it The late Heretical Arguments are taken out of Cas●sts how subtilly did they devise liberty of conscience meerly to get free from the Magistrate and how vehemently did they preach peace for love and meeknesse and admonishing on e another in love and being tender of giving offence to tender cousciences whereas we plainly see they had war and murther and malice in their hearts onely thereby they Iull'd asleep secure and bleer-eyed Protestants who suffered these cheates to pick their pockets while they heard them cry Gentlemen look to your purses they cried out beware of Antichrist who brough him in be good to tender consciences while they carried under their sheeps cloathing the wolves teeth to wound tender consciences withall To tell how these subtilly crept into the Army who nourished and upheld them there would be too tedious Our end i● to shew that the setting up of Indepency was the Popes design to throw down the Covenanting party in England and those that opposed the Popish Religion Out of this bottomlesse pit came all that party which first taught Rebellion against the higher powers from the dens of Independensie arose that party that lest off the Covenant professed open hatred to it and them that took it with an intent to keep it That party that raised those Heresies against the true Religion having now got power put them in practice against true Religion They that held the opinion of being free from Magistracie under the Gospel now made themselves free They that held Magistrates Tyran's ●ow having got power used them as Tyrants these guifted brethren wete now high in the Army The chief men that were aimed at were those that stood most stoutly to their Covena●t The chief Protestants both in the House of Lords the House of Common and in the C●●● of London were the men shot at impeached imprisoned persecuted banished and some 't is to be feared poisoned This party laid hold of the King imprisoned him and when the two Houses of Lords and Commons sate freely and voted a Treaty with the King and when the King had agreed to extirpate Popery and establish the Protestant Religion in his three Kingdoms and to fettle Church-Government according to the primitive constitution and when upon a free and serious debate the Lords and Commons voted the concessions of the King to be a ground

intended to be brought up against the Parl to force them to condescend to the lusts of a Popish party Hereupon the first Protestation was framed and sent throughout the Kingdom no body refusing to subscribe it except Jesuitish Separatists J. A. B. do in the presence of Almighty God promise vow and protest to maintain and defend as far as lawfully I may c. Soon after this the breach between the King and the Parl. fell out the King giving too much ear to evil Councel and that Popish faction which was the ground of all the former persecution and the civil War the King raised an Army to defend himself and the Protestant Religion the Parl did the like upon the same grounds which at that time was doubtless real their end propounded was to defend Religion Law the Kings Maj. Person the Parl. priviledges and the Peoples Liberties The Parl cause seemed the best in most Protestants eyes at that time in regard the Courts designs were long before discovered to the Parl The Queens departure with the Crown-Jewels into Holland and the numerous flocks of Papists going to the King with all the corrupt part and guilty persons of the Kingdom which made haste to the King after his departure made the Protestants afraid what would become of Religion Parliament and the Kings person should that party about him have prevailed however they professed the Protestant Religion though many of them convicted Papists Hereupon the Lords and Commons made a second Vow and Covenant with this preamble Whereas the Lords and Commons now assembled in Parl have declared that there hath been and now is a Popish and Traiterus plot for the subversion of the true Protestant Reformed Religion and the liberty of the subject c. And after all this still perceiving the Popish party to increase grow great victorious bloudy and blasphemous the Lords and Commons professing to the World that they had nothing before their eyes but the glory of God the advancement of Christs Kingdom and the happiness of the King and his Posterity with the true publique liberty safety and peace of the Kingdom against the plots of the enemies they entred into the solemn League and Covenant containing 6. Articles which every Parl. man publickly and solemnly at the Chappel of St Margaret Westminster with his hand lifted up to Heaven in the sight of the Scots Commissioners and the whole Congregation did subscribe 1. That we will sincerely really and constantly through the grace of God indeavour in our several places and callings the preservation of the reformed Religion of the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government against our common enemies the reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland in Doctrine c. 2. That we will in like manner without respect of persons endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Superstition Heresie Schisme Prophaneness c. 3. With the same reality sincerity and constancy in our several places and Callings indeavour with our Estates and Lives mutually to preserve the Rights and Priviledges of Parl and the liberties of the Kingdoms and to preserve and defend the Kings Majesties Person and Authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdom that the World may bear witness with our Consciences of our loyalty and that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish his Majesties just power and greatness 4. We shall also with all faithfulness endeavour the discovery of all such as have been or shall be incendiaries or Malignants c. 5. And whereas the happiness of a blessed peace between the Kingdoms formerly denyedt our progenitors c. 6. We shall also according to our places c. This solemn League and Covenant being entred into by both Nations of England and Scotland made the deepest and strongest Politicians of the Roman faction to tremble yea as Mr. Hinderson the Reverend and Learned Minister of Scotland then Commissioner well foretold the news of this Covenant which was soon carried to Rome with the names of all the Subscribers made the Pope and his Conclave of Cardinals amazed and tremble insomuch that they doubled their diligence to work the destruction of the Covenanteers at this time The Duke of Lorane was solicited by Sir Kelem Digbies meanes who was then the Queens Agent for the English Affairs at Rome to help the King of England with an Army against the Covenanters in England Sir Kelenem Digby was the Popes right hand to promote and further all designs against the Covenanters party in England At the same time a Nuncio was forthwith sent from the Popes Court into Ireland there to make a Cessation with the Protestants and to further by all means possible the King of England against the Covenanters which was concluded with the Popes good liking as hath been confessed The old and sage Statesmen in Parl perceiving the designes of the Pope to drive furiously on towards the destruction of the Parl and Covenanters called in the Scots to their aid against the Popes designes The English A●my and Scots Army admitting no Officers or Souldiers in their Armies but such as took the Covenant the Covenanters through Gods providence beyond all expectation prospered in the field against their enemies and the Parl and Assembly of Divines prospered at Westminster and went on successively both of them being unanimous in the pulling down of Popery and Tyranny and establishing and maintaining the liberties of the Kingdom and Laws of the Realm and true Religion in Doctrine Discipline and Government for this purpose the Assembly of Divines first went over the Articles of faith drew them up after most deliberate serious and learned debates upon each of them and humbly presented them to the Parl under 33. heads 1. of the Scripture 2. of Gods Covenant and the holy Trinity 3. of Gods decrees 4. of Creation 5. of Providence 6. of mans fall and sin 7. of Gods Covenant with man 8. of Christ the Mediator 9. of free will 10. of effectual Calling 11. of Justification 12. Adoption 13. Sanctific●tion 14. saving faith 15. Repentance 16. good works 17. of perseverance 18. of assurance of grace 19. of the Law of God 20. Christian liberty liberty of Conscience 21. of religious worship and the Lords day 22. of lawful Oaths 23. of the civil Magistrate 24. of marriage and divorce 25. of the Church 26. of Communion of Saints 27. of the Sacraments 28. of Baptisme 29. of the Lords Supper 30. of Church-censures 31. of Synods and Councels 32. of the Resurrection 33. of the last judgement Then they regularly proceeded to settle Church-Government first proving Presbytery to be the Government which is most like to the primitive Government and coming nearest of all other Governments to Gods word next they drew up a Directory for Church-Government with an Orthodox learned and pious Catechisme and thus the Covenanters Magistracy and Ministry went on and prospered until they threw down their

for them to proceed upon to settle the peace of the Kingdom then even then this party against the Votes of the Supream Authority of this Nation and against their allegiance violently rushed in upon the houses pulled out and restrained one hundred and fifty imprisoned the chief Protestants and ablest States-men who were most violent against the Papists and left only a party remaining in the lower House such as themselves best liked of this party seized on the King caused him to be publiquely arraigned and at his own door at Noon in the view of all the people cut off his Head who was then the only Protestant King in the world and only because he resolved to root out Popery and establish true Religion according to the Covenant Since which time the same party having rid their hands of the Protestant Magistracy have oft printed Books against the Calling of the English Ministry which Books have been printed by Authority licensed and frequently taught and scattered amongst the people And they have again and again petitioned that Power which they set up if not to pull down Ministry States Preachers as they call them to take away their Estates their Tythes and Livings by which they and their families subsist and how far they have proceeded in England and Wales to ruine the Covenanters Ministry all the world may see But the chief Politicians amongst them conceiving that Design to be too short to reach all the Protestant Ministry as the Heads of Colledges and such men and being well assured by taking away Tythes they shall prejudice their own party equal with others have pitched upon a more Politick Design for the extirpation of the Covenanters which is by framing a contrary Oath to the Covenant and imposing it upon the Ministry hereby their own party escape the snare and only the Godly Faithful Loyal and Orthodox Ministers are taken they have taken their Tythes from them silenced some thrust out of their Livings many banished others imprisoned o●hers outlawed all the Covenanters and lastly have resolved to turn them this Winter out of all Cities Towns and Corporations Thus far have they proceeded by this Popish Engine to destroy the Protestants This New Oath so far as we can perceive is a meer Design to destroy the Parliament to destroy the Army to destroy the Ministery and the Kingdome 1. Mr. Lilburn seemeth rationally to prove that this new oath or ingagement cannot be intended to uphold the present power that inforceth the taking of it but to maintain the Liberties of the Common-wealth whose just Liberties and Ancient customes they confound and therefore by that ingagement men say that party justly are bound not to establish but to pull down any usurped power over the people 2 If Mr Lilburn who is a man very popular in the Kingdome having alwayes been a publick sufferer should as he conceives himself bound by that Engagement gather of Gentlemen Souldiers and other Commoners and free-born People of England a considerable Party to remove those out of the way whom he and his party conceive are Tyrannical and Opposers of the People and in their stead erect another Party who are the true chosen Representatives of the People whether he may not justly tax all the Engagers that resist him as Covenant-breakers and proceed against them accordingly and so consequently whether this doth not open a gap and a wide one to set up whom the People shall choose above the present House sitting and Engagement to be Assistants in such Parliament confounding Acts as 't is declared 2. As it is destructive to the Parliament so likewise to the Army For saith one part of the Army The present Government is by Representatives of the peoples choosing Saith another part The present Government is by that Party in the House of Commons who invited us to the City to pull down the King Lords and the greatest part of the Commons and by our Power enabled to make Acts and enforce the Kingdom to obey them Saith another part of the Army The present Government is the Councel of State and the Councel of War for that party in the House were not of our setting up only we suffured them to sit there and the Councel of war commanded them to act what they did therefore the Councel of War with the Councel of State erected by us are the present Government Whether all these several Parties especially if there should be clashing betwixt them may not by this Engagement conceive themselves in Conscience bound to maintain their several Parties as the present Government without King or Lords And thus 't is likely to prove destructive to the Army 3. 'T is absolutely destructive to the Protestant Ministry and the sound Protestants of the Kingdom For it makes them in the sight of all the people in the world guilty of the horrible and Jesuitical Designs and Practises of the cutting off of the King the throwing down of the House of Lords and excluding of the Covenant keeping Protestants for by subscribing that Engagement they testifie to God and the world that they approve of all that they have done as they say 2. They make themselves guilty of horrible Perjury for they did swear Allegiance to the King his Heirs and Successors to defend them against all Attemps and Conspiracies whatsoever Now this is directly to conspire the extirpation of the Kings Posterity 2. The Protestation is against it 3. Their Covenant directly opposeth the Engagement For therein they engaged to maintain the King Lords and Commons and in this Engagement they engage to they know not what without King and Lords So that if they engage they in their Consciences pull the guilt of Murther Treason and other foul Facts upon their head● and forswear themselves Or if they do not engage they are it seems to be stripe of their Estates protection of the Law and lies at the mercy of every Villain So that 't is absolutely destructive to the Ministry and the like may be said of the Protestants of the Kingdom Oaths say the Caseists and all other Divines ought to be plain and clear without equivocal terms or doubtful expression For every Oath or Engagement is given and taken to oblige the party that takes it to the performance of what he swore unto Now every wise man in taking an Oath proposeth first these two things 1. Who imposeth it 2. What it is that is imposed For that 's certain an unlawful or usurped Power cannot impose an Oath it is lawful Authority must impose it otherwise the Oath though good may justly be refused As the Gun-powder Traytors had their Design taken effect they had got into the Throne and imposed an Oath though lawful in it self upon the Barons Knights Citizens Gentry and Commons of England yet it would doubtless and ought to be rejected by them because the Authority was imposed which usurped it This must needs be so for otherwise a Master if over-powered by his servants is

Religion the establishment of lawfull Magistracy and the establishing and reforming of the State as the tenour of the Covenant runs we do again professe that we will with all joyfulnesse submit and subscribe thereunto But if upon cleer and manifest grounds it appear to be destrctive to the Parliament Religion Laws Liberty Kingdom and Army and a meer design to introduce Popery they will be so far from promoting it we hope that they will speedily remove it out of the way as a burdensome stone upon Christians consciences and the Kingdoms Gangreen We could wish them to take notice of the hand of God against it since is came forth the same night that the Act for the taking the Ingagement was printed the same night a dreadfull blow by powder which blew up 70. and odde persons and slew them all in the twinkle of an eye Lieut Coll Smith who was Sir Hardresse Wallers L Coll he that was the busie man in pulling the Members of the Commons House out of the House and imprisoning the Members he was blowed up in the midst of his cups and slain and since that one of the promoters of the Ingagement we tremble to mention it on Jan 30. through the terror of conscience and temptation of the devil hanged himself We cannot but take notice of Gods displeasure and wrath which breaks out daily amongst us in fires and murthers since this Ingagement came forth We therefore resolve as we hate perjury rebellion and treason not to touch with this Ingagement until upon evident grounds of humane reason or Divinity it be made clear that it is for the good of Religion Laws Magistracy and Ministery and this our resolution is so reasonable and just that we conceive none but unreasonable men and the enemies of Church and State Parliament Army and people will speak against it or oppose this our resolution Ob. There is one objection or false glosse which the Ingagers make and that is in the clause of the 3d. Article of the Covenant concerning the King that we covenanted with the Parliament to defend the King so far as he defended the Protestant Religion but if he act contrary then to bring him to Justice according to the Covenant that injoyns us to bring Delinquents to condigne punishment But say they the King was a great Delinquent and an enemy to the Protestant Religion A. To this we answer briefly 1. The two former Articles of the Covenant speak wholly of the preservation of the reformed Religion the 3d. Article speaks wholly of the preservation of the King and Parliament and kingdome which together with the preservation of Religion we covenanted to defend To defend his Majesties person in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the kingdom is not inserted conditionally as I will defend his person no longer then he shall defend Religion and the Laws If so then t was taken with the like condition to be subject to the Parliament and then it must necessarily follow that we the Subjects make our selves the Kings Judges and that man or party may revolt from the King and indevour to pull him down because he maintains not his Religion and therfore we renounce that Interpretation of that Clause as Jesuiticall We Protestants took it in this sence that we would together with our Religion preserve our King and Parliament absolutely And if they did act any thing con●rary to Religion or Law we were resolved to yeeld passive obedience and in no wise to resist the higher Powers But grant it which we will not that it had been meant conditionally so long as he preserves Religion how comes it that when the King had fully determined and yeelded to root out Popery and to establish the Protestant Religion in the three Kingdoms and to establish Church government and put the Militia in the Parliaments hands and when the Parliament voted his concessions a ground to proceed on to settle the Kingdom then he was snatched away and both King and Parliament thrown down This plea of theirs joyned with their practice would make any man beleeve the Ingagers flat Papists How can they say they sincerely maintain the rights and privileges of Parliament when they contradict their Votes and take the boldnesse to tell them they are all treacherous and lay violent hands on them and exclude them from sitting in the House and imprison them And how can they say they defended his Majesties person in the maintaining of true Religion when they cut him off even then when both the Houses of Parliament and He had even concluded the Treaty to root out Popery and establish the Protestant Religion What Subject especially hired servants dare presume to contradict the Parliaments Votes upon serious debate shall any one party of Subjects surmises out-weigh the grave and serious debates of a Parliament T is true subjects duty to submit to higher Powers not resist them But this was a resistance at that very time when all things were concluded in a manner for setling the kingdome in peace and true Religion So that they that upon this ground plead for the necessity of cutting off the King must plead it because he would no longer defend the Popish Religion And therfore from the Ingagers own Argument of cutting off the King we cannot subscribe to this Ingagement lest the world take us for most rank hypocrites vile Apostates and absolute Papists Reader the times are such that they will not admit such Papers to be perused and corrected to thy hand therefore be pleased to amend with thy pen these grosse mistakes of the Printer P. 1. l. 4. for and peace and religion r pure Religion and famous Princes to defend both l. 5. for Fortescus r. Fortescue l. 10. for disposing r. dispensing l. 11 for Ras r. res l. 16. for spoke r. speaks l. ult for faind r. found p. 2. l. 3. for matter for r. matter so for l. 6. for for r so l 7. for constitution r constituting l. 9. for conjunctions r conjunctim l. 10. for apax r. apex l. 12. for procession r processes l. 13. for divisions r divisim l. 14. for compunction r conjunctim l. 17. for limitations r. as for limitations for power have r power they have l. 33. blot out and the kingdom of England by King Lords and Commons p. 4. l. 3. for time r line l. 4. fer divided Henry r. divided Henry pvt out and l. 13. for laying t uniting l. 21. 22. put out whose antiquity is beyond all kings in the world l. 32. for ●00 r 1000. l. 34. blot out alwaies acknowledged and granted by the king p. 5. l. 21. for then r. the three l. 35. for vegative r. Negative l. 31. for publike r. politick p. 7. l. 2. for lover r honour l. 3. for their r your for give r grant l. 5. for 4. but r 4. N. 17. But l. 7. for accesse r excesse l. 10. for meaner r meanest l. 7. for is r as l. 19. for implies r imploys l. 34. for approves r appeals l. 35. for and infinition r ad infinitum p. 8. l. 1. for Giudas r Guildas l. 2. for at r. of l. 6. for ptesevitians r persecutions l. 8. for Entichion Heresies r Eutichian Hereticks for Popus r Popes l 15. for Lucious r Lucius l. 17. for righteous r. religious l. 19. for Helea r Helena l. 25 for up Christian r. up the first Christian l. 29. for Antichrisian r Antichristian l. 35. for intrapped r Religious l. 38. for got r Acted FINIS Fortes Com. Leg. Cap. 17. Smith C. W. p. 19. Fortes C. 18. Commend Legum Origen Hom. 4. Ezekel 〈◊〉 ●aus 15. 〈◊〉 4. ●●oss 〈◊〉 l. 5. Rom. 〈◊〉 ca. ●7