Kingdom But let them not nourish carnal pride for His Kingdom was not to be here All which can be gathered from hence is That Christians as such cannot claim Secular Honors or if they have them they are not by reason of them to be supercilious toward but more useful to those who want them not to scorn but to help their Brethren This doth not all prove That if the Civil Magistrate at whose disposal Honours are will dignifie Clergy-men they may not accept it when it may be the concernment and the welfare of Church and State which are no such Enemies as that they cannot be administred to by the same Persons I wonder how so much is so securely built on this Text when it cannot be made out that Christ spake these words to the Apostles as in the capacity of Clergy-men That Clergy-men either as so or as Christians have not an eternal Right to Secular Honours I grant Christ bequeathed no such thing but that He any where made them uncapable if the Civil Magistrate who is the Fountain of Honour bestows any upon them I no where read He left those things as he found them to be bestowed as he whose right it was to dispose of them should see cause Christ would certainly have sharply and plainly reprehended such an Universal Custom had he intended to remove it But seeing He and his Apostles said nothing against it they certainly intended it to remain as before The Exception to the third Article is That there is a limitation put upon an absolute duty To defend the Kings Person and Authority in the preservation of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdom Though the King is really bound to those things yet his neglect of his duty doth not discharge us of ours To this Mr. Cr. replyes Those words are not a limitation of duty but a predication of the capacity the Parliament and People were in and so the meaning is We being in the preservation of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdom shall endeavour to preserve the King c. An Interpretation not to be made good by Grammar To which I must needs confess this though it may as easily be reconciled as to their Actions All Declarations and Sermons were but Satyrs against the King they represented Him equally an Enemy to God and Man Religion and Liberty upon which score they justified Violences as great as they would have his Crimes thought In short they had this pretence to deprive him of all power and that he was not fit to be trusted with any Let any man but ask himself what case the King was in what usage he had or might expect in those dayes he would readily grant this Interpretation of Mr. Cr. which is indeed as far from the sense of their words as truth of their actions to shew them to be as Loyal as he should be thought by Mr. Cr. friendly who should revile and persecute him all wayes imaginable for Non-conformity and then should thus manifest to all the world his tenderness to him should engage multitudes of his powerful and enraged Enemies in a Covenant to defend Mr. Cr. in defence of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England A Parenthesis would be in Mr. Cr. Eye a slender ground of our good will toward him This is not only the natural and practised meaning of that phrase but the confessed and owned one Mr. Cr. Legislators the Commons in Answer to the Scotch Commissioners 28. November 1646. p. 21. acknowledge and plead for this sense of those dangerous words They are to preserve the King c. Relatively viz. In the preservation of c. And frequently in that Declaration blame the Scots for mentioning the Preservation of the King and omitting that clause upon which they were bound to defend him This being then the natural and confessed meaning of those words and in Mr. Cr. own jugdement sinful p. 103. Because as he truly there urges Allegiance and so the preserving the Kings Person and Authority is an absolute duty founded in the Relation without regard to the Quality Piety or Impiety of the Person c. And this is a duty we are bound to God to perform If there were no more against the Covenant then this Mr. Cr. must acknowledge the Covenant to be as to the matter unlawful and so in his own esteem obliging to nothing but Repentance because it endeavours to bind us to to what he owns to be sin But if this which Mr. Cr. is ashamed to own either because he takes it not to be true or else not seasonable be not the true meaning of those words and the King for misusing his Authority is not to be deprived nay even then they swear to preserve it I will not say What meant that Resolve pleaded in the aforesaid Answer to the Scots p. 65. That until satisfaction and security be given to both Kingdoms the King was not to be admitted to come to them with Honor Freedom and Safety If to dispose of every thing in the Nation without and against his command be to preserve his Authority I wish They had been so preserved What mean the Votes of Non-Address 1647. Recalled I confess but let us consider it was when Affairs were so much changed that the Army was ready to give them the same Law they had given the King to defend them just so Nay I shall go on What means the Loyalty they so much brag of now The Isle of Wight Treaty All Offices Civil Military Peers Counsellours Iudges Marriage of his own Children in effect all the Regalia Call you this preserving his Authority Those horrid words are in themselves clear and if they had not been so their Opinions had made them so In the conclusion of this third Article p. 104. After the supposed Jeer of serious Casuists he tells us They must grant that where the words of an Oath seemingly doubtful may they must be taken in a good sense The Oxf. men were in this case of another mind where an Oath is so doubtful I am rather to refuse for fear it should engage me upon a sin and so I might be engaged to dishonour God for his own sake An Oath is to be taken in the sense of him that gives it otherwise it is no security but a cheat Shall I then strain a sense upon an Oath which the words offer not not to say will not admit and the Authors I am sure pursue not To the fourth Article The Exception is It will protect Impiety and necessitate Barbarism it layes a necessity on the Son to accuse his Father c. and makes way for those who are sick of their Fathers c. To which the Reply is p. 104. All penal Statutes for Felony Treason The Oath of Allegiance Supremacy the Protestation the Law Deuteronomy 13.6.7 8 9 10 11. do the same As to the Law of the Land it looks upon the harbour Criminals receive from near Relations in
King was but a Trustee and had broken his trust which tended to the Dissolution of Government That was fair to begin with Tended to c. i. e. The relation of King and Subjects was fairly going and why if but a Trustee and the Trust broken it may not be re-seized I could almost tell them I see no cause Sure it would sufficiently shew their intentions in case of the King but not at all better their own claim I would not have the House of Commons triumph too soon because as is very evident they had received their whole power and trust so both in the Judgement of him who called them and those who sent them they had basely betrayed it Again the King was not King in his personal but political capacity i. e. themselves against whom therefore to wage War was Treason according to this the cutting off the Kings Head cannot be Treason I shall not deal farther in this but only desire all those of them who would perswade themselves of their own innocency that they are at least thus far concerned that they employed and empowered those men who but for them never would have been able to accomplish nor in all likelihood to contrive that black Act and that after the King had often by rational and convincing Arguments shewed it to be the necessary result of their principles and proceedings And truely the Army were almost obliged in their own defence to pull down the King and Lawes they had so much offended that they could scarce hope for pardon nor at all be secured of it the King being once restored any farther then they were assured of the Kings regard to Honour and Conscience a thing the two Houses had very unworthily often declared to be none at all I cannot but observe how the Parliament thought to order the King by employing such men as would doe their work throughly They could not in discretion trust the King but could an Army and so betrayed themselves with a great deal of warinesse as it is very ordinary for men to ruine their own Interest by preferring it before their Duty And in that case the question is this Who knowes what is fittest to be done God who commanded this or themselves who contrived that And sure it cannot be otherwise expected but that God should declare those who take upon them to be wiser then him to be very Fools But in our case they did not more sacrifice their Religion and Allegiance to Craft and Interest then they did sacrifice that Craft and Interest to Passion and Humour and truely it frequently happens that they who change Government do neither mend it as to the Peoples advantage nor enjoy it as to their own The chief Instruments of prosperous Rebellion are usually the Avengers of it at once expound and chastise the vice set up a power which is indeed Arbitrary both in the rules and exercise of it when that they had pulled down one which was only called so it fared so with us The people had as little need to be fond of their Patriots as they of their Army Neither of us have cause to complain of any but our selves It was just with God to permit us our ruine when we were fond of it that after we had complained without a cause we should have cause to complain The Parliament and People both say they were unhappy let us see whether they were not as unwise beside the being dishonest We employed Mercenary Souldiers to secure our Liberties we expected that a victorious Army i.e. Legions of Indigent persons armed with power and want should secure propriety after having pulled down their Prince submit to their fellow-subjects having ventured Lives and Fortunes and their Souls too to get a Conquest having got it intend only to be called Good Boyes and then very mannerly retire to their old Trades and Beggery This was not very probable that after having beaten their Enemies their Friends should Vote them down Let the Parliament as they did tell them of duty themselves had employed against it they will obey their command by your own Example act according to the declared sense of the Houses interpreted by their practice And in earnest were it not that Sin and Vengeance are not laughing matters it would make one smile to hear a Rebel earnestly tell others of their Duty to him conscientiously state the obligation of an Oath to those himself had employed in breaking all Sir Iohn Hotham told his Majesty he would obey his Commands signified by both Houses of Parliament when the Army afterwards thought they had been Rebels long enough for other mens sakes and advantages it was time now to be so for themselves Had they then said they would obey the Resolves of the two Houses delivered by his Majesty could the most desperate Villain in that Assembly have retorted any thing but a Blush Is there any disparity here but what is to the disadvantage of the two Houses the King being their Head nor can they oblige at all without his consent when as to Militia Affairs the King needs not their Authority at all We would willingly forget their former Actions if they would suffer us but their desire to begin again appears by resuming now all other marks of distinction are worn out their so long laid aside Original Mark and Bond whereby to discern and engage their Party to know their strength and how to use it The nature of which being abundantly laid open by the Oxf. Reasons there needs no more to be said as to the strength of those Reasons and innocency of the Covenant then briefly to consider some passages in both which Mr. Crofton was willing to mistake ERRATA PAge 8. line 21. read whom the Carthaginians could not beat p. 10. l. 17. r. could not do till then p. 12. l. 19. add Our Representes in Parliament as to the exercise of that Power the Law vests in them which every one that knows the constitution of England knows to have bounds do legally bind us because we chose them and gave them authority for that purpose To consent for us But if they usurpe any other Power as the Milicia Reforming the Caurch in spite of the King c. the conclude not us at all We neither entrusted them with any such Power nor know of any such Power inherent in our selves to trust them with This being very clear to any but those that will not see in this sense I grant Thay by c. p. 12. l. 21. r. do consent and that p. 13. l. 9. r. that if he l 13. add Good Doctrine for the Rump p. 20. l. 4. r. and then to one which p. 24 l. 10 r. A Tenent which the Army raised upon the score of this Covenant learnt so well p. 32. l. 2. f. what r. which l. 8. f. to r. so p. 42. l. 14 after questioned add it as to that p. 43. l. 6. aft nothing add of it p. 45. l. 14.
Oath to any one we do necessarily break that part of it which was taken to another and in all probability observing in it any one is breaking it to both the other The Covenant obligeth us to reform England according to the best Reformed Church but determines not which it is as Mr. Cr. acknowledges The reason of which is clear because by that reservedness they engaged all Sects to them when by declaring their meaning they had engaged but one every one by this means who was for the Covenant the Covenant was for him and such ambiguity sure is not an Oath but a Iuggle But from this proceeds another Ambiguity Who are the common Enemies c. How shall I know who are Enemies to the best Reformed Church if I know not which is so Can I prosecute any as an Enemy to the best reformed as such and know it not or shall I tell him I know him to be an Enemy to I know not what Mr. Cr. p. 128. waves this Plea and assures us That the words plainly run to the Church of Scotland c. and Independents by their enmity to the Church of Scotland are our common Enemies This Explication I must needs say fits the meaning of the Covenanters and the no meaning of the Covenant In different Pages it is as in different States of Affairs one while the best Reformed Church is not determined another while it is plainly Scotland If Independents were common Enemies sure it was from the Presbyterians they received Arms and Authority There is a Contradiction alledged by the Oxf. men which I thought not to have considered which because Mr. Cr. professes not to see I shall shew it him out of himself It is We are bound absolutely and without exception to preserve and yet upon supposition to extirpate the present Religion in the Church of Scotland To which Mr. Cr. p. 131. That Supposition must be plainly expressed in the Covenant to make it a contradictâ—ry Oath which is not done The best way of proving a Contradiction is to lay the Propositions contended so to be together which will clearly if they are so shew themselves Thus then We are absolutely bound to preserve the Doctrine and Discipline c. of Scotland We are to bring the three Kingdoms of which Scotland is one to Uniformity in Doctrine and Discipline We are to reform 2. England and Ireland according to the best Reformed Church See the first Article of the Covenant The Covenant asserts not which are the best Reformed Churches but binds the Covenanters to reform England whatever shall appear to be the best Reformed Church Cr. p. 129. Thus then The first Proposition binds us to preserve the Doctrine and Discipline of Scotland absolutely The second to bring the English Church and the Scottish Church to an Uniformity in Doctrine and Discipline The third to reform England according to the best Reformed Church The fourth assures us that the Covenant asserts not Scotland to be the best Reformed Church but binds to reform England according to whatever shall appear to be so Now then if Scotland doth not appear to be the best Reformed Church the third Proposition binds me to alter what the first binds me absolutely to maintain If I am obliged to make the same thing exactly after several Patterns if they happen not to be exactly the same I must necessarily in following one differ so much from the other as I follow that which differs for to agree with what differs is sure so far to differ I perceive the Covenant is as it was at first urged to several men so as to comply with their several humors and interests The well-meaning and undiscerning Populacy they now as they did formerly before things were ripe engage to the Covenant and tell them those horrid Consequences deduced from it belong not to it but afterwards engage men to them by vertue of the Covenant they have taken whose Obligation never fully appears til due season Their first aim is at that part which is least guarded Religion which being that wherein most are least concerned is their first attempt Because the Church would not pull down the State the State must pull down the Church But what followed They who perswaded that the Nobles Prelates were nor good enough to be their Equals made it out that Coblers and Draymen were good enough to be their Masters And besides the Grandees who acted in that change the whole Party were as forward to own the other House as ready at any time to take the other Oath I very well know many will not in spite of Reason and Experience be perswaded but that reforming the Church is the sole aim of the Covenanters In the new sense of reforming the Church-Lands being already in their opinion disposed of Reformation must begin at the State and surely it is great pity but they who will not beware by the examples of others should be made examples to others The second Article of the Covenant is only talked of and that being the concernment of the Church others think themselves not interessed in But he who considers that they are in the sixth Article sworn never to be wrought off no not so much as to an indifferency or neutrality but zealously and constantly in despight of all impediments pursue all they have sworn And that in the fourth Article they swear to bring all to punishment who have been Malignants Which words signifie what they please and expresly all who have acted contrary to the Covenant and they to be punished as the Supream Iudicatories i. e. no doubt the two Houses who are no Court at all or others from them shall think fit will find the Cavaliers in an ill case nay all who at any time did any thing which was ever Voted Malignancy by the two Houses The rigour of whose Sentence they not being in a now capacity to pardon being dissolved must be now executed upon the first opportunity nor must they at all question the reasonableness or legality because the Rule is As they or any from them i. e. their Committees shall think convenient One thing I shall observe that though the Parliament may be trusted to act arbitrarily beside or against the Law which they are not yet that they may delegate such an extravagant power over Lives and Fortunes as is here mentioned to oothers though men of such Principles and Fortunes as our Committees were who were to make Offenders by whom they might thrive having nothing to grow rich with but an ill Conscience and other mens faults is such a Liberty of the Subject as destroyes all the trust Besides it is a rule in Law and Reason Offices of confidence and trust by our Representatives in Parliament are not cannot be delegated because that trust is only personal I have before observed That that Invitation in the conclusion to forraign Churches where there are no Parliaments with pretence of share in the Power must be to them confessedly as Subjects whom notwithstanding they absolve from their Allegiance Though it is not delivered in Scripture that freedom from a Master or Prince who is a Heathen is any part of that liberty wherein Christ hath installed us and so is seditious Having shewed it to be against Duty I will in a word shew it to be against our Interest It engages us to pursue by the way of the Sword as their Practice and the Invitation in the conclusion shews all we have sworn to all our dayes which is Whatever is contrary to the power of Godliness So then Every man is to slay his brother who commits any sin that deserves it so many Covenanters so many Commissioned Officers There is a Tribunal in every brest to condemn and execute both And if their Oath obligeth them to any thing it doth to this they being equally sworn to all the other Articles though that alone takes up all their thoughts What horrid effects there would follow hence themselves would quickly feel should they thus begin to assert the Covenant themselves would quickly find its edge They who set a house on fire themselves be soon made a part of that fire It is not then more dishonourable to God injurious to the King and the Nation then it would if pursued be quickly found to be to its most violent assertors All that is desired of them is they would either pursue the Covenant in all things or none that is deal equally and sincerely shew that they act out of the sense of an Oath not of a party or rather let the Covenant be buryed placed in the Regions of Rottenness and Forgetfulness and let them be quiet and suffer others to be so If any Reproofs seem in these Papers too sharp I wish the unreasonablâ—ness of those expressions may thus appear that few deserve them But then as few are concerned in them I should willingly make a distinction between those of the Presbyterian Iudgement and those of the Presbyterian Party and I hope themselves will concurre with me in it by making it appear that there are those who may approve that way of Government yet abhorr the usual way of promoting it The former may possibly be reclaimed by rational discourses the latter by nothing but severe Laws FINIS * By whatever Combination Perswasion c.
some cases as duty which it would severely and might justly punish in others not so related as a crime But not to stand on that at the very first reading this Article suggests a considerable difference from all the above-mentioned Instances In those I am only obliged to discover present guilt and endeavours which if not prevented may go on to the high dishonour of God and disturbance of the Publick Considerations if sincere much above any private or particular Obligements But this Covenant obliges to discover all who have been Malignants no consideration that the design is prevented or repented of and therefore serves not at all for Publick Security but may for private Ambition or Revenge There is another Exception which though Mr. Cr. pleases to slight I will be bold to say all the Earth cannot answer it viz. That it betrays inevitably The Liberty of the Subject We there swear to maintain in setting up an Arbitrary Power when all the Rule they are to go by is As they think convenient which Mr. Cr. answers by saying nothing to it He repeats indeed the other words As the Supream Iudicatories or others from them c. But saith not one word in answer to that expression wherein the malignity lies As they shall judge convenient Words fit only for those men to use who knew they had no Law on their side It might here not unseasonably be asked Who are the Supream Iudicatories Certainly the two Houses distinct from the King are so far from being the Supream that they are no Court at all nor is there in Law any style or form of their joynt Acts. To the fifth Article It is said first That there is a false Assertion These Kingdoms if Ireland be one as in the former Parliaments it is are not at Peace nor dare the men of Oxf. abusively thank God for a blessing they do not all believe and Mr. Cr. proves by no better Argument then that England Scotland entered in Covenant As to the Peace which was between England and Scotland made by both Parliaments I ask If the Power of War and Peace be not solely the Kings If so here is another of the Kings Prerogatives this Covenant preserved As to the second Remora Mr. Cr. asks where this Covenant is defective towards the Kings Rights c I might rather ask where it is not where it left him the Authority I do not say Name but Power of a King or the freedom of a Gentleman The very design of all their Proceedings which this Covenant was a main Engine to effect was perfect dethroning him when they made what the Law what their Wit the foundation of all their Power called but his Counsel his Controllers And this is a Truth so clear that they durst not for shame but call themselves his Subjects even when they exercised all but the Name of his Soveraign When they raised Armies to compel even then they made a resemblance of their duty by sending Petitions to beseech They could not be Rebels but in the style of Your Majesties Humble and Loyal Subjects assembled in Parliament Let Mr. Cr. shew me any thing that Law or Reason call a Right or Prerogative of the King and I shall quickly make it appear how they took it from the King and Mr. Cr. himself p. 98. hath proved the truth of the Maxime he so much rails at No Bishop no King by giving us just such a King as he hath allowed us Bishops To the Bishops he will allow the formality of the Chair and the KING for ought I perceive shall have no more The Lords and Commons Melthodi Majestatis causa apply themselves to him Well said though I would the Law had been cited for it The King poor Gentleman may sit uppermost whilest he is mannerly his assent shall be asked if he will first secure us he will never refuse If he doth he shall then be reminded where the Reason of the Kingdom nay and King too resides As in the Declaration about Hull in 1642. p. 36. I am so far reconciled to this absolute depriving the King of his Authority that I like it much better than the prety knack of sharing it between him and two equal Houses which would be the worst Government in the world It is in our Saviours judgment Hard to serve two Masters But this Nation should have served three co-ordinate Enemies whose Interests and consequently commands were thwarting Every Convention would be a wrastling match where each his business was to give another a fall The Contradictions the Oxf. men assign are so clear as nothing more I shall therefore say little to them because they best appear when they are nakedly considered One Ambiguity I shall pitch upon because it is the most considerable part of this Mystery of Iniquity The Oxf. men demand Which be the best Reformed Churches Because before they swear to make those Churches their pattern it were well certainly that they knew them To which Mr. Cr. p. 129. The Covenant asserts not which are the best reformed Churches but binds the Covenanter to the observation of whatever shall appear and be found the best reformed as the example to which he shall endeavour England may be confâ—rmed Very well Sir The Covenant asserts not which is the best reformed Church but binds me to reduce England to what shall appear the best reformed Church That possibly may appear to me either that already established in Old England or that devised for New England Possibly I may not find Classes or other canting knacks in the Word of God and then tell you in your own language I dare not own that for the Scepter of Christ which I believe nay can prove to be an Humane Institution I can tell where and when it came first up and that Policy was the very best and if any was that was the only justifiable Ingredient in all its constitution How shall I then reform England according to the Word of God and the best reformed Churches and yet according to the Scotch mode which I know to be neither Or if I am not bound to the Scottish pattern How shall I bring the three Kingdoms to Uniformity not only in Confession of Faith but Form of Church-Goverment Directory for Worship and Catechizing and how preserve that in Scotland which I swear to do and yet set up another in England which in that case I am sworn to also But because Mr. Cr. tells us p. 129. The Covenant hath not determined which is the best reformed Church c. I would fain know whether these three terms we are equally sworn to The Word of God the best Reformed Churches Uniformity with Scotland are three expressions of the same Rule or of different ones If of the same then it is not true what Mr. Crofton being put to his shifts sayes because it is expresly determined viz. Scotland If of different With what Conscience can we swear to all when by keeping our