Obligation of the Covenant in the first and second year immediately after the Restoration of his Majesty both from Press and Pulpit Parties were made in the City and endeavoured to be made in Parliament for the owning of that Obligation It was with great confidence urged that it was A Publick and National Oath binding all Persons of this Nation whether they did swear it personally or not and all Posterity after us in their particular places and all that shall succeed into the Publick Places and Politick Capacities of this Kingdom to pursue the things covenanted for And this Obligation is for ever to remain and abide and by no Humane Act or Power to be absolved or made void as amongst others Mr. Crofton hath endeavoured to prove at large in his famous Writings on that Subject And to speak the truth if we once admit the Grounds which this Party of Men do go upon what he doth alledge hath great reason in it it being very evident that those Clauses which he doth produce out of the Covenant do suppose all Posterity to be involved in them And this he urgeth not as his own single Opinion but as the Sence of his whole Party and besides the Evidence of the thing he alledgeth The Testimony to the Truth of Jesus Christ and the Covenant by the London Ministers Dec. 14. 1647. several of which are at this present Preachers to the separated Congregations In which it is plainly declared That it is not in the Power of any person or persons upon Earth to dispence with or absolve us from it Nay the Power of Parliaments which in other cases is allowed to be large enough is in this bound up as Mr. Cr. tells us p. 139. That the Parliament consisting of Lords and Commons and that in their Publick Capacity as a Parliament the House of Commons assembled in their House and in formality of the Body of the Nation with their Speaker before them went unto St. Margarets Church in Westminster with the greatest Solemnity imaginable did as the Representative Body of the Kingdom swear this Covenant which as a farther Testimony that it was a National Covenant they caused to be printed with their Names subscribed and to be hanged up in all Churches and in their own House as a Compass whereby in conformity to right Reason and Religion to steer their then Debates and to dictate TO ALL THAT SHOVLD SVCCEED IN THAT PLACE AND CAPACITY what obligation did before God ly upon the Body of this Nation Those who plead for the removal of the Renunciation of the Covenant either they do believe that the Covenant doth oblige at this time or that it doth not oblige if they do believe that it doth not oblige why may they not declare that they do believe it not to do so One Reason may indeed be given why the Preachers themselves may believe the Covenant not to oblige and yet that they should by all means avoid the declaring that they do thus believe and that is this that they would have the People believe it to have an Obligation although themselves believe it to have none A Perswasion this which in some juncture of Affairs or other they may chance to make very great use of and that this may not be altogether incredible their Procedure hath not been one jot honester than this amounts to in another part of the Controversie between us It is well known that there are among them and not among the meanest of them who have believed the Liturgy and Ceremonies to be very Innocent and yet could be never brought to say one word to the People of this their belief But on the other side now if they are really perswaded that the Covenant doth carry a lasting Obligation along with it In that Case I shall not during that Perswasion of theirs desire them to renounce it but withall I must crave their leave to add this further that during that Perswasion of theirs I think it but reasonable that the Government should cast a very watchful eye over them And of this I shall give an account from the Covenant it self wherein there are so many things and of such fatal and universal consequence covenanted for that the whole Nation is highly concerned that no considerable Part of it should look upon themselves and every Body else as lying under the Obligation of the Oath of God to watch all opportunities wherein they may accomplish such great and publick mischiefs as will appear by a particular Consideration of the Thing it self ARTICLE 1. That we shall sincerely really and constantly through the Grace of God endeavour in our several Places and Callings the preservation of the Reformed Religion in 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 Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God and the Example of the best Reformed Churches And shall endeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdoms to the nearest Conjunction and Vniformity in Religion in Confession of Faith Form of church-Church-Government Directory for Worship and Catechizing That we and our Posterity after us may as Brethren live in Faith and Love and that the Lord may delight to dwell in the midst of us In which Article it is easie to observe many things lyable to very just and material Exceptions as first By what Authority can any private man in England if he keeps himself within his own Place and Calling intermeddle either in the Preservation or Alteration of the Religion and Government of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland Nay by what Authority can any Person in this Kingdom whatever be he in what Publick Capacity he will His Majesty only excepted or those who act by Commission from Him have any thing to do with the Concerns in that Kingdom And secondly this first Part of the Article may upon very good Grounds be supposed to be inconsistent with the remaining Parts of it For we are sworn to preserve the Doctrine Discipline c. of Scotland and withall to bring the three Kingdoms to the nearest Uniformity in Religion Confession of Faith form of Church-Government Directory for Worship and Catechizing So that Scotland must necessarily be our Pattern and yet in the same breath we are sworn to reform England and Ireland according to the Word of God and the Example of the best Reformed Churches And it is more than possible that our own Church as it is already by Law established or at least some other Church beyond the Seas may come altogether as near the Word of God as that of Scotland And what is to be done in that Case And in the third place all the other Dissenters whatever besides the Presbyterians are highly concerned to see that the Covenant is not looked upon as a thing of any obligation because that that is express for Uniformity and as such is
their love I cannot imagine who these should be unless those Saints who are above Ordinances And for my own part I must freely profess that for all the account which our Author hath given us of his three Contrivances of Comprehension Toleration and Connivance I cannot at all perceive but that Mr. Sterry's way of sorting out the several Ranks of Saints doth well suit with and is proportioned to it And here let any sober man judge whether the Settlement pretended for in the first of these three Proposals be not absolutely unsetled again in the two other But in the next place I must go on to consider a Pretence much oftner supposed than owned and that is this Suppose that the Terms of the Communion of the Church are not only inexpedient but really sinful if so then I shall readily grant that the Church ought not to be communicated with while the Terms of her Communion are such But in this part of the Argument I shall presume to say with some confidence and I hope without offence that however the Teachers of the separated Congregations may sometimes slily insinuate some such Jealousies into the Heads of their unwary Hearers yet it is not easie to find a considerable man amongthem who will not be ashamed to own it publickly or who doth himself really believe it Now though this Assertion may seem to carry something of uncharitableness in it because that the Separation from the Church is so avowed and pressed upon the People as if that it were highly necessary and that Communion with the Church was highly criminal at least in the Opinion of the Teachers It being a plain case that the People are wheedled into Separation upon the account that they suppose their Teachers know it to be unlawful Now as to this I must needs say it is shrewdly to be suspected that there is in this case a very great Cheat imposed by the Preachers and the People upon one another and by both upon the whole Nation because that it is as often evident as there is occasion for making it so that among the Pastors and the Flock there are not many who in a time of Tryal approve themselves to be in good earnest I have been credibly informed not to say that I am able to make it good that Mr. Calamy did before His Majesty and divers Lords of the Council profess that there was not any thing in the Constitutions of the Church to which he could not conform were it not for the scandalizing of others so that in his Esteem the Constitutions of the Church were in themselves Innocent and the whole Objection against them lay in the mistakes of other men Mr. Tombs the Leader of the Anabaptists hath writ a Book to shew the lawfulness of resorting to the Publick Congregations The Author which I before mentioned assures us in behalf of the Presbyterians that they not only maintain the Doctrine of the Church of England but likewise communicate in her Publick Worship in his second Discourse of the Religion of England pag. 17. By which acknowledgment we may take an estimate of the Honesty of their Separation Nay I shall venture to say thus much farther that the lawfulness of joyning in the Publick Worship is understood by the Layety as well as Clergy amongst them is evident from these three Things First that there are those Persons to be named who came to Church before the Act of Oblivion who never did since Secondly that immediately after the Act of Uniformity whilst the Hopes of Toleration were very uncertain there was a much greater Conformity both in the City of London and over the whole Nation than ever hath been since Thirdly that I have enquired and could never learn that there was so much as one example to be given of any one of all the Patrons or Proselytes of the Conventicles who did leave the smallest Office whatever rather than he would in obedience to a late Act of Parliament joyn in the Prayers and receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper according to the Order of the Church of England From which it doth appear plainly that in these mens esteem either there is no sin in communicating with the Church of England or else that these Gentlemen of so extreamly tender Consciences can deliberately commit a sin and that when they are performing the most solemn Act of Adoration of Almighty God and with all the shews of Devotion imaginable And seeing that these things are so is it not huge pitty that a setled Church and a Church in great Reputation over all the Reformed Parts of Christendom should be run down by a meer noise of Conscience when it is very plain that when ever there is a real Case put where Conscience ought to shew it self that then no such thing appears neither is there the least evidence that it is so much as thought upon If there be any Objection against the present Constitution it must be either against the Articles the Liturgy the Canons or the Ceremonies As to the Articles there is scarce so much as one Objection pretended against them farther than as they relate to the following Heads and if there were such an Objection could not easily be alleadged by the People as a just excuse for their Non-conformity because they are not at all concerned for to subscribe them unless they bring upon themselves a voluntary Obligation by some Act of their own as taking a Degree in the University But in this Point many words are needless for besides the Testimony of all Churches abroad we have at home two Witnesses beyond all exception to the Innocency and Honour of the Articles even the two late celebrated Advocates the one for Comprehension the other for Toleration The former assures us in the behalf of those whose Cause he pleads that they do receive the Doctrine of Faith contained in the Articles of Religion pag. 2. and again pag. 22. That they heartily embrace the English Reformation established by Law c. and that they do assent to the Doctrine of Faith contained in the Articles of the Church of England and worship God according to that Faith pag. 22. The Peace-offering doth likewise bear witness for us of that great esteem which is bore unto the Articles of the Church of England in all the Reformed Churches abroad and withal doth assure us in behalf of the Independents at home that as to all which is purely doctrinal in them they do fully embrace and constantly adhere to c. And accordingly he undertakes to profess in the name of them all We have no new Faith to declare no new Doctrine to teach no private Opinion to divulge no Point or Truth do we profess no not one which hath not been declared taught divulged and esteemed as the common Doctrine of the Church of England ever since the Reformation pag. 13. Thus far therefore our way is clear that the Doctrine of the Church is sound and esteemed to
and yet are enforced by the Civil Power upon the Practice and Consciences of men Now here with all due respect to that Learned Gentleman I shall desire him to take notice whether it be not an Excellency and a Felicity almost peculiar to the Church of England that in all her Constitutions her greatest Adversaries are forced to betake themselves to the scanning of a few Ceremonies to find a cause or to speak more properly a shew of Controversie and that himself in his own great Judgment hath not been able to find out any other flaw in the Matter of all her Laws as much soever as he doth mislike the Imposition of them As for the Cermonies themselves the Exceptions or at least the Clamours are very many That they are uncommanded by God that they are significant that they are Will-worship that they are teaching for Doctrines of God the Commandments of men and lastly that they do give scandal As to the Ceremonies being uncommanded by God I never heard of any man who pretended them to be otherwise and therefore it is most clear and certain that that Church doth not teach for Doctrines of God the Commandments of Men which doth own publickly that these are not the Doctrines of God but only the Commandments of Man And if any man doth mistake in this Case which is a thing incredible that any should do so but if there be such a one I am sure that the mistake is his own and not the fault of the Church For she hath taken care to prevent it in the Chapter of Ceremonies before the Common Prayers wherein she declares that the Ceremonies which are retained are retained for Discipline and Order which upon just Cause may be altered and changed and therefore are not to be esteemed equal with Gods Law But however this is plain in the nature of things that although among the Ceremonies no one in particular is necessary yet in general it is necessary so far as Order and Decency is necessary that some such there should be But in the next place there is an Objection supposed to be of much greater force and that is this That the Ceremonies are significant And here I must needs confess that if they could have alledged that the Ceremonies had been insignificant the Objection had been much more worthy of having some notice taken of it because that the very nature and whole use of Ceremonies doth consist in being significant And in this I appeal to all Mankind whether in any one Action Sacred or Civil any one Ceremony was ever instituted unless it were in order to the signifying denoting or expressing something by it Nor is thisall for the Church hath taken care not only to vindicate the Innocency but withal to declare the usefulness of the significancy of her Ceremonies in the fore-mentioned Preface That they are neither dark nor dumb Ceremonies but are so set forth that every man may understand what they mean and to what use they do serve so that it is not like that in time to come they should be abused And after all this methinks our Brethren of the Presbytery should for their own sakes have had a great care of making use of this Objection as being themselves as liable to it as any other Persons The Authors of the Admonition to the Parliament in Queen Elizabeths days Part 2. have recommended Sitting at the Sacrament upon this very superstitious score of Significancy as in our Case they always call it in these words As in the Old Testament eating the Paschal Lamb standing signified a readiness to pass even so in the receiving it now sitting after the example of Christ we signifie Rest that is a full finishing thorough Christ of all the Ceremonial Law and a perfect Work of Redemption wrought that giveth rest for ever And in our own dayes in that which by them was looked upon as a considerable Act of Divine Worship and Religious Adoration the entring into a Publick Solemn National Covenant with Almighty God as they phrase it The doing of this was prescribed with several Ceremonies uncommanded in Scripture and by themselves intended to be very significant as it to be found by every one who pleaseth to look in the Ordinance of Febr. 2. 1643. In this Case without referring us to any Book Chapter or Verse they thought it sufficient to say That it is ordered and ordained by the Lords and Commons in Parliament that the said Covenant be solemnly taken in all places and for the better and more orderly taking thereof that these Directions ensuing are appointed and enjoyned to be strictly followed Of which Directions the thirteenth is this the manner of taking it to be thus The Minister to read the whole Covenant distinctly and audibly in the Pulpit and during the time of reading thereof the whole Congregation to be uncovered which by the way is a much greater shew of Reverence than they have taken care for either at the reading of the Ten Commandements or our Saviour's Sermon upon the Mount and at the end of reading thereof all to take it standing lifting up their Right Hand bare Now I think that it is highly requisite for these men to consider with themselves whether every one of all their own Pleas of the Purity and Simplicity of the Gospel way of Worship without the mixture of humane Inventions and their bold surmises of invading the Throne of Christ by determining those things which Christ hath left free have any the least force against the Ceremonies of the Church which they have not against this prescribed Formality of their own in taking the Covenant But after all which is possible to be said in order to the clearing of the mistakes about the Ceremonies there is an Objection which is supposed not to be capable of any answer to be made unto it and that is this That be they what they will in themselves good men are offended at them they grieve thousands of the Godly Brethren and though we should grant such men to be mistaken yet we must not offend our weak Brethren The Case of Scandal hath been so often and so clearly stated that I shall say the less upon it and therefore instead of the Argument I shall rather choose to say something to the Persons who use it In the first place I shall readily grant that if any Persons are really offended at the use of the Ceremonies in their own way of understanding that word they must needs be very weak Brethren and I shall only ask them the old Question How long they will be weak And I shall profess my self to have no very honourable Opinion of the means of Knowledge the Opportunities of choyce Attainments which are to be had in the Conventicles If so be that those who are such weak Brethren as not to be got above such silly Scruples are looked upon to be sufficiently gifted to be Publick Teachers amongst them In the next place I shall ask
not less than absolutely inconsistent with Liberty of Conscience and as hard thoughts soever as the smaller Sects have entertained concerning the Bishops they are much more concerned to secure themselves against not a few nor the least Considerable among their own dear Brethren ARTICLE 2. That we shall in like manner without respect of Persons endeavour the Extirpation of Popery Prelacy that is Church-Government by Archbishops Bishops their Chancellors and Commissaries Deans Deans and Chapters Archdeacons and all other Ecclesiastical Officers depending on that Hierarchy Superstition Heresie Schism Profaneness and whatsoever shall be found contrary to sound Doctrine and the Power of Godliness lest we partake in other mens sins and thereby be in danger to receive of their Plagues and that the Lord may be One and his Name One in these Kingdoms As to the former part of this Article that which concerns the overthrow of the established Government of the Church I shall only say this that the Modesty of these men is in this case very admirable and there is no doubt to be made but that in any other Kingdom it would be thought to be so in that they do expect to be admitted into the Preferments of the Church and to be allowed to be publick Preachers in it and yet at the very same time they do desire to be excused from declaring that they are not of a Perswasion that there doth ly an obligation by Oath upon them themselves the whole Nation or to say no more at least upon some other Person who ought to be nameless to overthrow the whole frame of the Government of that Church which they desire to be admitted into the Preferments of and particularly of that Bishop by whose hands they are admitted I would fain know whether there be any other Part of the World where any Persons dare to demand of the present establishment that it would for their sakes so far relax it self in order to their admission into it Sure these menimagine that the Church is in a very great necessity of them that it cannot stand one moment without them when in the very Terms of their Admission they do demand no less than this that a new Law should be made on purpose whereby they may be privileged from declaring whether or no it is lawful for them to suffer the Church to continue two moments longer than there shall arise an opportunity wherein they may be able to overthrow it As for the remaining Part of the Article concerning Superstition Heresie Schism Profaneness and whatsoever shall be found contrary to sound Doctrine or the Power of Godliness c. I shall leave that to our Friends of the Presbytery and their Separating Brethren to dispute about it And it is clear enough that they are altogether as unlike to agree in those Particulars as I am with either of them As lovingly as ever they may look upon one another at present I am sure that the Covenant when opportunity serves will be found to be levelled as directly against the Conventicles as against the Cathedrals I shall observe no more in this Article besides the great Charitableness of the Conclusion That the Lord may be One and his Name One in the Three Kingdoms As if the Church of England followed after strange Gods and that those ordained by her were really no other than as they are often stiled according to the good manners which the People learn of too many such Preachers the Priests of Baal ART 3. We shall with the same Sincerity Reality and Constancy in our several Vocations endeavour with our Estates and Lives mutually to preserve the Rights and Privileges of the Parliament 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 hear witness with our Consciences of our Loyalty and that we have no thoughts and intention to diminish his Majesties Iust Power and Greatness This Article hath been very much and very much insisted on and gloried in for the seeming Loyalty of one Expression in it But in order to a right understanding let us consider how Affairs stood at that time It is well known that the Compilers and Enjoyners of this Covenant were at that very time in actual Arms I hope that it is no offence if I say in actual Rebellion against the King This very Covenant was a great Instrument by which they did carry on their Design then on foot against Him The King was betrayed and sold by one part of the Covenanters those from Scotland he was bought imprisoned and in effect deposed by another part of the Covenanters those in England and by the most Loyal of them even the Lords and Commons Assembled at Westminster who by their Votes of Non-address Febr. 17. 1647. which let us note was long before the Seclusion by the Army did declare First That they will make no farther Addresses or Applications to the King And in the fourth Vote That they will receive no more Messages from the King and do enjoyn that no Person whatever do receive or bring any Message from the King to Both or either Houses of Parliament or to any other Person which Votes they published with a Declaration wherein they lay down some few of those many Reasons as they express it why they cannot repose any more Trust in Him Nay long before that time when the Scots complained of some rigours used towards His Majesty as being contrary to the Covenant the House of Commons did return them this Answer Novemb. 18. 1646. We observe that you mention the Defence of the King twice from the Covenant but in both places you leave out in the preservation of the true Religion c. A main Clause without which the other ought not to be mentioned Which very Answer themselves did afterwards receive from their own Army in a Declaration from St. Albans Novemb. 18. 1648. Where they reminded their Masters of their own Doctrine The Defence of the King say they is to be understood with this restriction In the Preservation of c. or otherwise the whole Proceedings of Both Kingdoms in makeing and maintaining War against Him in Defence of Religion and Liberties are questionable for breach of Covenant since that way of preserving did probably tend to the destruction and was without any safe provision either for his Person or that Authority which can properly be called His or understood in Conjunction with His Person but that therein His Person might probably have been destroyed under the Sword or by a Bullet yea was ordinarily endeavoured to be so as well as the Persons of others in Arms with Him and that Authority of His was certainly opposed and endeavoured to be destroyed thereby instead of being defended Remonstrance from St. Albans P. 55. Indeed about the time of the King's Murther many of the Covenanters did declare themselves a
the hands of these Zealots the very same Return which the Prophet made to Ahab 1 King 20. v. 42. Thus saith the Lord Because thou hast let go a Man whom I have appointed to destruction therefore thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people The next thing which I shall observe in this Article is this That those Persons who covenanted together among other things to maintain the Liberties of the Kingdom have so far forgot themselves as that in that very Covenant they have set up an Arbitrary Government The Rule of condign punishment here set down is not any known Law no not so much as a new one of their own making but as the degree of their offences shall require or deserve or the Supreme Iudicatories of both Kingdoms respectively or others having power from them for that effect shall judge convenient By which words it is plain that they did not look upon it as sufficient to take an arbitary Power into their own hands but likewise did delegate it to as many else besides as they pleased ART 5. Whereas the happiness of a blessed Peace between the Kingdoms denied in former times to our Progenitors is by the good Providence of God granted to us and hath lately been concluded and settled by both Parliaments we shall each one of us according to our Place and Interest endeavour that they may be conjoyned in a firm Peace and Vnion to All Posterity and that Iustice may be done upon all wilful opposers thereof in manner expressed in the precedent Article According to the preceding Article i. e. as shall be judged convenient The Modesty of these men is very admirable in that they would out-face the World that England and Scotland were never at peace in former times or rather their Language is something mysterious that the Two Nations were never at Peace till they had involved them in a War But as in the former Article they were as I have shewed tender of the Liberty of the Subject so in this they have been very careful of the Authority of his Majesty in that they have taken upon them to make peace with another Kingdom without him and withal when that very Peace was nothing else besides their joyning Forces against him ART 6. We shall also according to our Place and Calling in this Common Cause of Religion Liberty and Peace of the Kingdoms assist and defend all those that enter into this League and Covenant in the maintaining and pursuing thereof and shall not suffer our selves directly or indirectly by whatsoever Combination Perswasion or Terrour to be divided and withdrawn from this blessed Vnion and Conjunction whether to make defection to the contrary Part or to give our selves to detestable Indifferency or Neutrality in this Cause which so much concerns the Glory of God the Good of the Kingdom and the Honour of the King But shall all the dayes of our lives zealously and constantly continue therein against all opposition and promote the same according to our power against all Letts and Impediments whatsoever And what we are not able of our selves to suppress or overcome we shall reveal and make known that it may be timely prevented and removed All which we shall do in the sight of God From which Article it it is plainly to be seen That those who do believe themselves to lie under the Obligation of this Covenant are and ought to be looked upon as a Party already formed and combined together against the whole Nation besides having a common Band to unite and tie them fast together And this is such an Union as they look upon as sacred and indissoluble And the Ends in order to which they are thus combined are in their esteem such as that nothing can excuse the least intermission in their pursuance after them besides an absolute Impossibility and even in that case it is lawful for them only to delay so long as to expect a more favourable season For they are according to this Article Never to be wrought over to so much as a detestable Indifferency or Neutrality in this Cause of God but zealously and constantly to continue therein against all opposition all letts and impediments whatsoever And having now laid down the Six Articles of the Covenant I shall only add a few of the last words of the large and solemn Conclusion of it wherein they pray God to bless their proceedings herein with such success as may be an encouragement to other Churches groaning under or in danger of the Yoke of Antichristian Tyranny to joyn in the same or like Association or Covenant to the Glory of God the Enlargement of the Kingdom of Iesus Christ and the Peace and Tranquillity of Christian Kingdoms and Common-wealths It hath been often said in the behalf of the Presbyterians that they did not engage in the late War under a less Authority than that of the Two Houses of Parliament What Authority the Two Houses of Parliament have in raising a War against the King shall be no part of this Enquiry nor whether the Lords and Gentlemen who at that time staid at Westminster were the Two Houses of Parliament Be these two things as they will although it is not unknown what may be said as to both those Cases yet however the Covenant hath informed us of another sort of Authority under which a War may be raised at any time against all the Kings in Europe Because in these words is held forth a publick Invitation to all Subjects whatsoever who do either really groan under or are in any danger of any thing which our folk have pleased to call or themselves shall chance to fancy to be a Yoke of Antichristian Tyranny to enter either into this or the like Association or Covenant Now I suppose that it is no easie task to make out that all Kingdoms have Parliaments endued with so large a share of the Soveraignty as that they have Authority to take up Arms against their respective Princes And if there were such Parliaments every where this Invitation is only made to the Christian Churches without taking the least notice of Parliaments nay with a full assurance that there were no such Parliaments to be taken notice of So that by this Doctrine the Church alone may enter into association against the State upon the score of Religion especially if it can but cry out Antichrist may engage the Subjects of all Europe against their Soveraigns be they Princes or Commomwealths I know very well that those who urge the taking away of the Declaration enjoyned concerning the renouncing of the Covenant have one evasion whereby to avoyd entring into the merits of the Cause and that is this The seeming unreasonableness of that Clause Also I hold that there lieth no Obligation upon me or any other Person from the Oath commonly called the Solemn c. Is it not unjust that one man should be bound to swear to the Obligations of another
same Liberty from their Impositions which they had both of them before joyned in desâ—â—ing from the National Settlement their Pretences were at least equal they had the same natural right to Freedom which any other men had they had the same Pleas of Christian Liberty and besides all this they had another very good title upon which they might expect Indulgence from the Presbyterians in Point of Merit the same Arguments the Sectaries shewed to be in common between them both and withall had this to add farther that their Arms added that assistance without which the Presbyterians could never have been able to have brought themselves into a condition to have enjoyed that Liberty as to themselves which the other Sects by their joynt concurrence did put them into a condition to grant and therefore very well deserved to have received from them But in those dayes their dear Brethren to whom they were much beholding for their joynt concurrence in Prayers and Arms their mutual Contributions of Blood and Treasure and whom at present they smile most sweetly upon did receive the harshest usage which was in their Power to give them and it was no small matter of publick complaint that they were not permitted to handle them with much greater roughness To omit many others there then came out a Book entituled Wholesome Severity reconciled with Christian Liberty Licensed by Ia. Cranford wherein we are told that Liberty of Heresie and Schism is no part of the Liberty of Conscience which Christ hath purchased for us but that under these fair Colours and handsome Pretexts Sectaries infuse their Poyson their Pernicious God-provoking Truth-defacing Church-ruinating and State-shaking Toleration To which Author I shall only add the more Publick Testimony to the Truth of Iesus Christ and to our Solemn League and Covenant as also against the Errours Heresies Blasphemies of these Times and the Toleration of them subscribed by the Ministers of Christ within the Province of London December 14. 1647. Which I have already mentioned but in this part of the Argument shall insist something more largely upon because they were such a Body of men as were looked upon as very considerable and sufficiently qualified to speak the sence of their whole Party to great advantage And besides that some of them are yet living and Preachers at this day to the separated Congregations about the Town Now I would â—ain know of these Gentlemen whether they are of the same Judgment now about Toleration as they were then if they are then methinks they should do very well to declare it and so much the rather because that by their behaviour one would guess that their minds were altered in that they do so far comply as to joyn Counsels and Interests with those whom formerly they bore testimony against Again if they are of the same mind about Toleration now as they were formerly then all the under Sects have great Cause in time to beware of them ought to look upon them as very false brethren who want nothing but opportunity to take away that Liberty which now indeed is common to them with the rest of their Brethren but they never intended it for any but themselves And on the other side if they are not of the same mind about Toleration now as they were formerly then they ought in all Honesty to declare to the World how much they were formerly mistaken in that they raised such fearful Outcries against that Toleration which is an innocent and an useful thing the giving of which is as it is now said the Duty and Interest of all Government is indeed no other than the permitting to us that Liberty with which Christ made us free or rather which is the Right of Nature the Common Birth right of all Mankind In the Preface to the aforesaid Testimony they tell us of the spreading Heresies and cursed Blasphemies of those Times which had born down the Authority of the Scriptures and our Solemn League and Covenant very fitly joynned And then they add But above all our Souls are wounded to think with whaâ— hope and industry a Toleration of all these Evils is endeavoured and with what a wellcomed boldness sundry odious Hereticks which in other places have been banished and branded with infamy do vent their poysonous Opinions amongst us as if they intended to make England a common receptacle of all the sinful Dregs of Foreign Countries as well as former Ages pag. 29. As if all the Errours Heresies Sects Schisms Divisions Looseness Prophaneness and Breach of Covenant among us were small matters what secret and publick Endeavours Projects Methods and Practices are there amongst us to bring in an universal boundless lawless abominable and intolerable Toleration to the filling up of the measure of our Iniquities and the pulling down God's fierce indignation upon this Nation and pag. 30. Instead of Vnity and Vniformity in Matters of Religion we are torn in pieces with destructive Schisms Separations Divisions and Subdivisions c. and instead of Extirpation of Heresie Schism Prophaneness we have such an impudent and general inundation of all these Evils that Multitudes are not ashamed to press and plead for a publick formal Vniversal Toleration And having thus shewed how great their Zeal was in this Case I shall likewise lay down their Reasons for it which with great earnestness they did express in these following Words pag. 32. A publick and a general Toleration will prove an hideous and complexive evil of most dangerous and mischievous Consequence if ever which God forbid it should be consented to by Authority for hereby First the Glory of the most high God will be laid in the very dust Secondly the Truth of Christ yea all the Fundamentals of Faith will be râ—â—ed to the very ground Thirdly all Christ's Ordinances Offices Worship Religion yea and the very Power of Godliness will be utterly overthroâ—â— Fourthly thousands and ten thousands of poor Souls which Christ hath ransomed with his own blood shall be hereby betrayed seduced and endangered to be undone to all eternity Fifthly Magistracy and Ministry and with them all Religious and comely Order in the Church and Commonwealth will be plucked up by the very roots Sixthly Reformation in Religion in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government shall be utterly made voyd Seventhly England shall be swallowed up with Sects Schisms Divisions Disorders and Confusions and become an odious sink and a common recâ—ptacle of all the prodigious Errours Lies Heresies and Blasphemies Libertinism and Profaneness in the World so that Rome it self shall not be a more odious puddle and cage of all abominatioâ—s and uncleannesses Eighthly the Godly shall sit down and lament among us Ninethly the wicked shall rise up and insult over us Tenthly all the Nations about us shall be amazed at us Eleventhly all the Reformed Churches shall be ashamed to own us they shall all cry out against us Is this England that Covenanted and swore to the most High God such
among all the Precepts which we meet with in the New Testament concerning Moderation Condescention bearing with one anothers Infirmities it is very evident that not any one of them hath any manner of Relation to our great Idol of Liberty of Conscience they being plainly given to private Persons many times in relation only to their own passions and where not so limited to certain Cases occasional emergencies and with a clear reference to their not having as yet time or opportunity of being sufficiently instructed But as for the Governours of the Church they are sufficiently called upon to watch over their respective Flocks and to take care that Wolves do not break in upon them they are called upon to exercise the whole power with which they were intrusted viz. the power of Excommunication a thing which comes so near the Question now in Debate that it was not seldom assisted with temporal penalties And though it is often suggested into his Argument that the Outward Sword can act no more upon the mind of men than upon a Ghost yet St. Paul 1 Cor. 5. 5. was of the Opinion that the Destruction of the Flesh a Phrase well known to signifie Diseases and such like inflictions on the Body was a very likely method by which the Spirit might at length come to be saved The Soul and the Body though of a distant Nature have so near an Union such Common Interests and so great an influence one upon another that what doth affect the one the other cannot choose but be so far concerned in as at the least to consider it And this is obvious to the most ordinary Experience and hath seldom failed of a great Effect whenever it hath been made trial of And if it were not so it would not only supercede all correction in religious Affairs but in Civil ones likewise Now that any such kind of Liberty of Conscience was brought into the World by the Revelation of the Gospel as that every one should henceforward without control profess and propagate what Opinion soever he either did really or would pretend to believe I take to be a thing so far from being according to to the Rule of the New Testament that I must profess my self to be very much mistaken if so be that this thing be not contrary not only to some few Texts but to a considerable part of the whole Design of it In the 4th of the Ephes. v. 14. we read of several Orders and Degrees of Men instituted and appointed for this very purpose that they might take care of the perfecting the Saints the work of the Ministry the edifying the Body of Christ that we be henceforth no more Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of men and cunning crastiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive Now is it credible that an unbounded Licence for all manner of Opinions was ever intended by St. Paul to be a thing to be looked upon as being according to the mind of Christ who tells us of a whole Order of Men appointed by Christ whose Duty it should be to take care that men should not be tossed to and fro and carried about with every Wind of Doctrine And this Consideration will be of so much the greater force both as to the Care which ought to be taken of Souls and withal as to the Ends of Government and all the purposes of humane Life If we do but keep in mind the Caution which is here given us by the Apostle that every thing is not Gold that glisters that fair pretences may have very ill Designs lodged under them The being tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine is it self certainly a very great Evil and of very ill consequence But the deluded persons themselves have one good Preservative against it when they are by such an infallible Authority forewarn'd and assured that this doth frequently come to pass by the slight of men and the cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive Now in this Case I would appeal to common Sense whether it be a thing adviseable upon the scores either of Piety or Prudence that such deceivers should have an unbounded Liberty to seduce all those whom at any time they shall be able to impose upon It is plain that St. Paul was so far from being of this mind that he calls upon the Ecclesiastical Officers in this case to make use of the highest Censures which they were entrusted with I wish they were cut off that trouble you Gal. 5. 12. Now I would fain know whether when this which our Apostle doth advise is done that according to the Rules of Scripture any one or more are cast out of the Communion of the Church upon the account of Corruption either in Doctrine or Manners it be agreeable to common Sense that this Person or Persons so cast out of the Church according to the Rules above supposed should in the same Kingdom nay in the same Parish have a right to set up another that being cut off as a rotten Member from one Church he may from thence assume the Privilege to create himself the Pastour of another which he no doubt will be forward enough to tell us is a much purer one Now the want of exercising the Censures of the Church in this very Case of false Doctrine we find to be a thing highly blame-worthy Rev. 2. 14. where it is said to the Angel of the Church of Pergamus I have a few things against thee because thou hast them who hold the Doctrine of Balaam and Ver. 15. Thou hast them who hold the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans Now the Governour of this Church is not charged in the least that he himself did hold these false Doctrines but that there are those within his Communion who do hold them as again the Complaint is renewed v. 20. to another Angel I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Iezebel which calleth her self a Prophetess to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to Idols From all which it is very plain that this Natural or Christian Right of propagating whatever Opinion men do chance or fancy or pretend to be of was a thing which St. Iohn was utterly unacquainted with and blames the Governours of the Church for suffering a false Prophetess to teach and seduce the Souls committed to their Charge And let any reasonable man consider with himself whether the condition of the Common people be not lamentably expos'd to innumerable and unaccountable Dangers if so be that by publick Authority they shall lie exposed to every one to deceive who can and will St. Paul 2 Ti 2. 17. gives us notice of some Hereticks of his time whose words do eat as doth a canker he names the Men and the Doctrines Hymeneus and Philetus who say that the Resurrection is past already overthrow the Faith of
a Reformation and Extirpation of Popery Prelacy Superstition Heresie Schism Prophaneness and whatever shall be found contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godliness and after so long a travel hath she brought forth an hideous Monster of Toleration And again pag. 33. Hath England heretofore had such a large share of Gospel-Enjoyments and doth she now render to the Lord for all his Benefits a detestable Toleration Dost thou thus reward the Lord O foolish England and unwise Twelfthly and to conclude seeing we have just cause to fear that if this Toleration be entertained among us the Righteous God of Heaven and Earth will be provoked to plague us yet seven times more and at last to translate his very Gospel and Kingdom from us unto another Nation Therefore upon all these Considerations we the Ministers of Iesus Christ do hereby testifie to all our Flocks to all the Kingdom to all the Reformed Churches as our great dislike of Prelacy Erastianism Brownism and Independency so our utter abhorrency of Anti-Scripturism Popery Arriâ—nism Socinianism Arminianism Antinomianism Anabaptism Libertinism and Familism with all such like now too rife among us It were endless to transcribe all which hath been said by the Presbyterians against Toleration and therefore it is not a little strange how much for some years they have endeavoured after it But sure their separating Brethren cannot be so forgetful of what hath been but so very lately past as not to cast a very watchful Eye over them to suspect their kindness and be hugely jealous of their present Concurrence with them it being not very credible that their Moderation is greater than formerly and that which makes all the difference is no other thing than this That their Power is not altogether so great It hath been no unusual thing in the World for men to unite in their Endeavours in order to very differing Ends to dissemble for a while their mutual Resentments and to have less kindness for those very Persons they do cabal with than for those whom they do cabal against A Common Interest for a while keeps them close together and out of that they each hope for their particular Advantages and both sides hug and applaud inwardly their own Arts and Dexterity in that they see the way chalked out how they shall be able to supplant their Friends as well as ruine their Enemies Thus the Presbyterians may at present joyn their endeavours in attaining that Liberty which they hope in time to take away not only from those whom they at present desire to grant it but likewise from those who now enjoy it together with them The Independents Anabaptists c. must needs remember how the Presbyterians bore testimony against that Toleration of them which they could not hinder They could no more endure those who fought on their side to dissent from them than they could those who fought against them Remember Gentlemen you all fought for Liberty of Conscience and yet your Fellow-soldiers would not allow you that which you shed your Blood for and for their own obtaining of which they were much more beholding to your Arms than to their own The Pretences of all the differing sorts of Dissenters are so vastly distant as to be utterly inconsistent and whatever Correspondence is between them at present it ought not to be looked upon either by themselves or any one else as any Union or Agreement which is of late made between them but merely as a Combination against that Settlement which they are all weary of and as soon as ever that is again overthrown we shall then see that all their old Quarrels will return as formerly The tender Consciences of divers sizes will immediatly fall as foully upon one another as ever they did Presbytery will be stiled the Yoke of Antichrist and Independency the Mother of Confusion the one will be stiled Egypt and the other Babel If any Particular Sect among them doth desire Indulgence and means nothing else besides a bare Permission to serve God in its own way If there were nothing else but this in the Case its Request then would with all Submission be put up single and by it self that so an account might be taken both of the Principles and of the Persons how innocent the one and how peaceable the other and what Influence either of them are like to have upon the present Settlement either of Church or State And surely it ought not to be looked upon either as unreasonable or assuming if the Government doth look upon it self as concerned to have a great regard to it self both in point of Duty and in point of Safety And in such an Enquiry as this the Quality Numbers and Temper of the Petitioners for such Indulgence are of no small Consideration And this way of Procedure that each single Sect should speak by and for its self and state its own particular Case is methinks the fairest Course which can be taken and such a one as those Dissenters who are conscious to themselves of no ill meaning should look upon as highly advisable for their own sakes It being very obvious to the most ordinary Prudence that it may be frequently advisable upon divers particular and material Considerations to indulge some kinds of Liberty to such and such sorts of Dissenters which is by no means fit to allow to others much less to allow promiscuously to all But to take that course which they have always done since his Majesties Restauration that they should all joyn in a common Cry as if they had one common Cause is very suspicious especially considering that they are divided among themselves in this very point of Liberty of Conscience notwithstanding their Unanimity in calling for it Some Rumours have of late been spread indeed all over the Town concerning such a kind of Comprehension as should leave no room for Toleration how well grounded such Reports have been I will not undertake it is but in vain to make an uncertain guess at what kind of Proposals may possibly be offered by some Persons and to fancy at all adventures who they are or may be who are in any likelihood to be concluded by them But because it is said publickly enough and by no mean Persons That the Presbyterians at least the chief and leading Men among them are ready now to enter into the Church upon some reasonable Abatements to be made unto them And when they are once gained the other Sects will not be considerable enough to expect that any Toleration should be allowed unto them If this be the Case as it is by some of themselves pretended to be then the Case is much altered from what it lately was Reformed Christianity in its Latitude which came out in 1667. and the Defence of it in 1668. are express not 〈…〉 only for Comprehension but likewise for Toleration and besides that for a Connivence also And a later Treatise entituled Indulgence not to be refused Comprehension humbly