the Covenant from the nature of the thing doth include a Condition Now the King the Church of England the Church of Scotland nor the Parliaments of either Kingdom never gave any consent or Civil sanction to the Covenant but on the contrary have abolish'd all Laws made as illegall and unjust whereby we were bound to the keeping of it So that the Covenant doth not bind us nor our consciences to the observing of it otherwise no Laws could be altered by the Legislative Power The Unfeigned Assent and Consent of all Ministers I A.B. do here declare my unfeigned Assent and Consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book intituled The Book of Common-prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the Use of the Church of England together with the Psalter or Psalms of David Pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches and the form or manner of Making Ordaining or Consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons By the Parliament of England 1662. A Declaration or Acknowledgment to be Subscribed unto I A. B. do declare that it is not Lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King and that I do abhorr that traiterous Position of taking Arms by His Authority against His Person or against those that are Commissionated by him and that I will conform to the Liturgy of the Church of England as it is now by Law established And I do declare that I do hold there lies no Obligation upon me or any other person from the Oath commonly called The Solemn League and Covenant to endeavour any change or alteration of Government either in Church or State And that the same was in it self an unlawful Oath and imposed upon the Subjects of this Realm against the known Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom By the Parliament of Scotland 1662. A Declaration to be subscribed unto I A. B. do declare that it is unlawful for any to take up Arms against His Majesty or to enter in Leagues and Covenants without His Majesty And that all the late Acts of Committees and the two late Oathes called the Solemn League and Covenant and National Covenant are unlawful and no ways binding on any By the Parliament of Scotland Edinburgh Septemb. 5. 1662. A Declaration I Declare that I do judge it unlawful for Subjects upon pretence of Reformation or other pretence whatsoever to enter into Leagues and Covenants or to take up Arms against the King or those Commissionated by Him And that all these Gatherings Convocations Petitions Protestations and erecting and keeping Council-Tables that were used in the beginning and for carrying on of the late Troubles were Unlawful and Seditious And particularly that these Oaths whereof the one was commonly called The National Covenant as it was sworn and explained in the year one thousand six hundred and thirty eight and thereafter and the other entituled A Solemn League and Covenant were and are in themselves Unlawful Oathes and were taken by and imposed upon the Subjects of this Kingdom against the Fundamental Laws and Liberties of the same And that there lieth no Obligation upon me or any of the Subjects from the said Oathes or either of them to endeavour any change or alteration of the Government either in Church or State as it is now established by the Laws of the Kingdom 4. Incendiaries Malignants Because there are such expressions in the Covenant as are not to be found in any Oath that hath been taken in the Kingdom and for that the Laws of the Land are left out and not so much as once named 5. All Scripture-Covenanting from the Alpha unto the Omega thereof were commanded or chiefly acted by the Kings or the Chief Rulers and not one of the Covenants by the Elders of the People against or without the consent of the King 6. The Covenant is against Custome Usage Judicial Records and Acts of Parliament the King's Declarations and Proclamation and against all the Customs and Usages of all Nations in the world themselves being Judges and therefore ought not so much as to have been intended much less sworn unto Mr. Nye Such an Oath as for Matter Persons and other Circumstances the like hath not been in any Age or Oath we read of in Sacred or Human Story Iid. We are entring now upon a work of the greatest moment and concernment that ever was undertaken by any of Us or any of our Fore-fathers before us or our neighbouring Nations about us Henderson The Reformed Churches the Low-Countries our Noble and Christian Progenitors entred not into such a Solemn League and Covenant whence have we this Covenant then The dangers and pressures of the Kingdom of Scotland growing to greater extremity such as were entrusted with the Publick affairs of the Kingdom were necessitated to call a Convention of the Estates for considering of the present affairs And Commissioners were sent from both Houses of Parliament not from the King to consider with the Estates of the Kingdom of Scotland without the King what then Their consultations did in the end bring forth this Covenant When the Reformed Churches shall hear of this so neither the King nor the Reformed Churches were consulted with in this matter How then Salt-marsh The Covenant is a Divine Engine the godly have found out This is the first time the Sun saw such a confederation and therefore there should be as much Art used in preserving the Spirits of people as there was Art used in raising them up to this Height Coleman This is a new thing and not done in our Land before Ask your Fathers consult with the Aged of your times whether ever such a thing were done in their days or in the days of their fathers before them 7. 1643. 1641. The Covenant is diametrically opposite to the Protestation taken not long before wherein we have sworn That to our Power and as far as Lawfully we may we will oppose and by all good ways and means endeavour to bring to condign punishment all such as shall either by Force Plots Conspiracies or otherwise do any thing contrary to the true Reformed Protestant Religion established or against His Majesty's Royal Person Honor or Estate c. which was taken in Lawful things besides the Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacy which were taken Lawfully and in Lawfull things long before and so made all contrary Oathes unlawful to be afterwards either taken or kept St. Jerom. Now lay your hands upon your hearts consider and take the counsel of St. Jerom unto Ruffinus Never blush man to change thy opinion of the Covenant for neither you or I or any person living are of so great Authority as to be asham'd to confess they have erred Pym. As it is a crime odious in the nature of it to endeavour the alteration of the Government of the State so it is odious
of Religion without any manifest known sin in the Manner of Worshipping of God or in the Matter and therefore our Government ought not to be Altered though Opposed by some that will not Conform because they are Commanded and yet confess Robinson Justific we ought and must obey the Ceremonies for the ends Commanded and as they tend to the Edification of our Selves and Others and that if they tend to the Edification of the Church and good Order they are Lawfull in the Commander Because the Officers of the Church as our Arch-bishops Bishops c. met together to Discuss and Consider of matters for the good of the Churches may be called a Church by the Judgment of the greatest Antagonist of the Church of England Robinson Because the Order of Bishops being of Divine Institution Ordination or Confirmation by the Apostles it follows that they are not of less Excellency than the Churches whose Servants they are but that the Churches are and ought to be in due proportion Inferior unto them The Man was not Created for the Woman but the Woman for the Man and as Ministers of the revealed Will of God they are infinitely above and Superior unto all saith our great Antagonist Robinson and for this Ambassage of God and Christ they are absolutely and simply to be Obeyed Because wearing the Surplice Cope Corner'd Cap Tippet Rotchet the use of the Ring in Marriage Signing with the Sign of the Cross in Baptism Kneeling Sitting or Standing in Divine Service are not Ceremonies in themselves but only when they are so Designed Appointed and Observed Dr. Burges A Bishop doth not wear the Judges Quoif the Counsellour a Surplice the Attourney a Ministers Garment a Lay man Parliament Robes an ordinary Citizen an Alderman's Badge it is one thing to wear a Garment to keep one Warm or for some other Service and another thing to wear it as a Distinctive cognizance of Authority of such and such a Degree Office Calling or Profession in which use it is a Ceremony otherwise not Dr. Burges a Ceremony external because internal actions of the mind being matters of substance cannot be duely called Ceremonies yet the institution or observation of an action or thing to express this or that to such an use as is Ceremonious makes it a Ceremony See Styleman's Peace-Offering Because meer Civility would teach though Religion were silent that men under Authority should obey and candidly forbear to intermeddle in matters of which they are not meet Judges though as Mint Annise and Cummin but Religion should teach them much more and put them in mind of the weighty things of the Law of Christ studying by all ways to gain some I became a Jew that I might gain the Jew saith that great Doctor of the Gentiles and was this by contradicting and gain-saying the Ceremonies of the Jewish Church Because God is a God of Order and Peace and hath ordained and commanded Peace and Unity between Ecclesiastical and Civil Power lest the Peace and Union both of Churches and Kingdoms be equally in danger of being broken Now that there is in the Church of England purity of Doctrine Order and Unity with Peace the Brethren themselves confess who do write about 1602. That in regard of the common grounds of Religion and of the Ministery we are all one we are all of one Faith one Baptism one Body one Spirit have all one Father one Lord and be all of one Heart against all wickedness Superstition Idolatry Heresie and that we seek with one Christian desire the advancement of the pure Religion Worship and Honor of God We are all Ministers of the Word by one Order we administer Prayers and Sacraments by one Form we preach one Faith and substance of Doctrine And we praise God heartily that the true Faith by which we may be saved and the true Doctrine of the Sacraments and the pure Worship of God is truly taught and that by publick Authority and retained in the Book of Articles Because the propounding of the true Doctrine the decision of Controversies making of Canons Orders Constitutions c. expedient and necessary to edification of the Church are Acts of Religion most proper to the Church and to make Laws to establish them to bestow Civil Gifts and Privileges upon the Church to ordain Civil Punishments for Offences committed against Christian Religion to erect Courts for the Cognizance of such Causes and the execution of the Laws is the peculiar and proper work of Christian Kings who are the onely Judges of their People Lambard Nevertheless Christian Kings though they may well do all these things without the help of the Church yet have they not done it but have made use of the Church for the more ample discharge of that great trust reposed in them Ut levior sit illis labor Because the Church hath power in Civil actions that draw scandal with them Ecclesiastically to censure yea the Church is to censure them Ecclesiastically in her members though the Magistrate pardon or pass them by except the Parties delinquent repent of them for then they are to be forgiven And what Usurpation is here upon the Magistracy The greatest enemy of the Church hath confessed this for a truth Robinson Because our Ceremonies are not immediate means of Worship neither do they terminate themselves in God who is worshipped Because the Church doth not give signification and effecting supernatural events to human Ceremonies as the Papists do K. James And no Church ought further to separate it self from the Church of Rome either in Doctrine or Ceremonies than she hath departed from her self when she was in her flourishing and best estate and from Christ her Lord and Head Because Ceremonies are ordained for those ends for which Rites may be ordained and are agreeable to those Rules which God's Word prescribes to wit Decency Order and Edification For Order and Uniformities sake Not any one Duty in all the Scripture so oft and so earnestly recommended as Unity which cannot be effected without some joint care to walk Uniformly in the Publick Worship of God Because the appointment of Ceremonies to be used as Ceremonies and not at all as Worship to God in themselves are no where condemned in the Scripture though not commanded Because our Ceremonies are of an indifferent nature and no Religion doth lie in the opposing of them but scandal and offence doth arise thereby causing even the good the Opposers might do to be evil spoken of and to become unprofitable Because our Ceremonies are not against Faith or a good life few and easie which Custome hath allowed and the not conforming to the Custom of a Church or State doth give occasion to Censures and Opinions and thereby cause suspition where a man might pass unquestion'd Because the Church of England never cast away all Ceremonies nor utterly abolish'd them but cast away all that which was properly Popish and corrupt in
A CENTURY OF REASONS For Subscription and Obedience to the Laws and Government of the Church of England both ECCLESIASTICAL and CIVIL With Reasons against the COVENANT Justifi'd by Scripture Confirmed by the Laws of the Kingdom the Right and Power of Kings Ecclesiastical and Human Authorities with an Harmony of Confessions â—o which is annexed the Office and Charge belonging to the Overseers of the Poor c. Rex solo Deo minor caeteris omnibus major Tertul. Who can lay his hands upon the Lords Annointed and be guiltless 1 Sam. 26.9 W. Wasse School-master in Little Britain near unto Christ-church London Printed by W.W. for R.H. at the Bible in Heart in Little Britain 1663. To the most High and Mighty Monarch CHARLS the II. By the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the True Catholick and Antient Faith c. Religious Renowned and most Gracious King THis Small Work that chiefly concerns Kings and perswadeth to Obedience unto them with all Humility and Submission I one of your meanest Subjects present unto your Sacred Majesty in whom Courtesie and Clemency with Authority are transcendently Eminent of whom O King of Peace I cannot but with the many ten-thousands of your Loyal and Royal hearted Subjects give in my Test that Your Sacred Majesty is not onely as David but as Solomon yea the Solomon of the world who having Reconciled Three Kingdoms to Your self at Home and most Nations of the World Abroad have also tied Peace to Your Sacred Person These Transcendent All-concluding and All-commanding Virtues fill Your Loyal and Royal Subjects hearts with confidence that our Eyes shall see in Your Peaceable days God's House finished and the Temples built again that have been destroyed And the rather have we this confidence sith that Your Royal Majesty hath broken down the Partition Wall of Rites and Ceremonies in the Church of England and in the Church of Scotland and now of Two made One And as it hath been usual to Unite Nations and common to call United Nations by one Name and in them to Establish but one Form of Government Ecclesiastical and Civil even so hath Your Sacred Majesty done whereby the Black Monarchy of the Prince of Darkness is now cast down for ever Most Serene and Powerful Prince the attractive Beauty of Your Government draws the very Hearts and Souls of Your Loyal and Royal hearted Subjects not onely to pay unto You what is due but also by a Practicable Example to go before others in Obedience for want of which many years past by and gone through unduely untempered Zeal multitudes of Your Subjects denied the Magistrates of their duty and Your Sacred Majesty the Head of all Government By means whereof for some small Differences a few Error-searching Singulars out-faceing and opposing Ever-famous Plurals uncharitably first set the House of God on fire and afterwards caused a General Conflagration throughout all Your Majesty's Dominions which without Art-exceeding Deploration cannot be remembred Therefore there is great reason why Your Sacred Majesty should beware of yielding hasty belief to the Robes of Sanctimony By their works you shall know them Most Dread Soveraign By this dimme Light of a small Candle I am come at Noon-day to give what Light I am able unto the dark corners where the Sun nor the Moon nor the Stars as yet appear notwithstanding the Eye-dazling lustre of them in the Firmament of our Church and State the Light of the least of them being able to guide the Wayless Traveller in the darkest night Great and Mighty King the Great God that hath made You thus Great and set You up the Oracle of Kings the Miracle of Ages and made You to Your Enemies as a Rock invincible against which they have and for ever shall dash themselves in pieces the same Great God give You the Conquest of all our Hearts and Wills that there may be an Harmony and Agreement of Soul and Spirit amongst all Your Subjects from Dan to Beersheba and that this entire Realm of Great Britain English Scottish and Welch now being framed into one happy Soveraignty it is the humble Prayer prostrate upon the knees of my heart that the Almighty Three in One would bring us to be perfectly One Your Majesty's Most Humble Loyal and Obedient Subject W. WASSE To the Right Reverend Father in God GILBERT By the Divine Providence Lord B p of LONDON Reverend Father in God THere is but one thing in the World hath moved me to this Publick Addressing my self unto Your Lordship and it is this The Misrepresentation of me and my Judgment concerning the Established Government of the Church of England by the False Government and the No-Government Faction and this onely occasioned from my Childish Non-conformity through their Instructions for which I humbly beg pardon for I did it ignorantly and since Years have taught me wisdom with the reasons which prove our Government Holy Just and Good as to the ends thereof being convinced as in duty bound and as an account of my Obedience which I owe I do in all Humility present unto your Lordship the Reasons of my Conformity Beseeching the. Merciful God and our Heavenly Father to increase his Graces more and more upon You to his Glory the Churches Freedom from Error and Heresie and Your Everlasting Comfort Your Lordship 's poor Beadsman to be commanded W. WASSE TO THE Right Honourable Sir John Robinson Knight and Baronet Lieutenant of his Majestie 's Tower of London and Lord Maior of the Honourable City of London AND To the Right Worshipfull Sir Richard Brown Knight and Baronet one of his Majestie 's Justices of the Peace and Major General of the same Right Honourable and Right Worshipfull IT is not the first nor second time I have Affected to make known the Uprightness of my Heart towards his Sacred Majestie 's Kingly Power the Ecclesiastical and Civil Government of the Church of England established in all his Majestie 's Dominions But never untill this time could I Effect it and I hope seasonably when the Grounds and Reasons are considered which with all Humility I offer in a particular manner unto Your Lordship and Worship and the rather unto you than to any other Citizens in as much as ye were so eminently Instrumental in the Restauration of his Sacred Majesty and since in His Preservation From whom I have received sufficient cause to give Publick testimony of my thankfull Heart which the whole Kingdome also hath and to whom I worthily Devote my Self who next under God and His Sacred Majesty have preserved me with the Loyal ten-thousands from Ruine and Destruction and unto whom the Power and Possession of my Person belongs and therefore none more meet than Your Lordship and Worship to whom I might after the retirement to my Books commit the Care of this small Compiled work which asserteth the Duty of Subjects unto Kingly Power Ecclesiastical and Civil Government especially the Duty
appellat quia Ceremoniarum ad eos Religionumque cura tutela pertinet The Spirit of God doth very often call Kings and Princes Priests because the cust dy and care of Ceremonies and of Religion belongs to them Bilson Kings and Princes before Christ subverted Idolls Reformed Religion in their Realms by their Princely Power and Zeal Stat. 25. Hen. 8. It was Enacted by Parliament That no Canons or Constitutions should be made by the Bishops c. and by them Promulgated without the King's Command Records of Convocation The Clergy were forced to give up their Power of Executing any old Canons of the Church without the King's consent had before Heylins History All former Constitutions Provincial and Synodal though hitherto in force by the Authority of the whole Western Church Stat. 25. Hen. 8. were Committed to the Arbitriment of the King and of sixteen Lay persons and sixteen of the Clergy appointed by the King to be Approved or Rejected by them according as they conceived them Consistent with or Repugnant to the King's Prerogative as Head of the Church or to the Laws of God c. Stat. 26. Hen. 8. Authority was allowed to the King to Repress and Correct all such Errors Heresies Abuses and Enormities whatsoever they were which by any manner of spiritual Jurisdiction might Lawfully be repressed c. any thing to the contrary notwithstanding Ibid. All manner of Jurisdiction Ecclesiastical was by Parliament acknowledged to belong to the King as Head of the Church So that no Bishop had any Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction but by under and from the King Stat. 37. Hen. 8. c. 17. Supreme Power of dispensing with any Ecclesiastical Constitutions is ascribed to the King and Parliament as recognized Supreme Head of the Church Stat. 25. Hen. 8. c. 21. and the Arch-bishop made the King 's Delegate so that in Case he should refuse two other Bishops might be named to Grant such Dispensations And after all the King and His Court of Chancery are made the last Judge what things in such Dispensations are repugnant to Scriptures and what not Stat. 37. Hen. 8. Though the King did not Personally himself Exercise the Power of the Keys yet this Right He claimed that no Clergy man being a Member of the English Church should Exercise it in His Dominions in any Cause or over any Person without the Leave and Appointment of Him the Supreme Head Nor any refuse to Exercise it whensoever He should require Stat. 32. It was Enacted that whosoever should teach contrary to the Determinations which were set forth by the King Hen. 8. c. 26. should be Deemed and Treated as a Heretick Stat. 2.5.6 E. 6. An Act is made in which the King and Parliament Authorize Bishops c. by Vertue of their Act to take Informations concerning the not using the Form of Common-prayer then prescribed and to Punish the same by Excommunication c. Confirmed by 1 Eliz. cap. 1. 5 Eliz. cap. 1. 23 Eliz. cap. 1. Because in doubtfull matters the resolution of the Major part must be obeyed Now it hath been resolved by many Kings and Princes that our Government is not repugnant to the Word of God from whose Judgment there is no appeal but only to God by Prayer Because Schism did grow out of and arise from Presbyterian Government in the purest time which caused the Churches then to out it and to establish Episcopacy as the best Antidote against Schism and for the Restauration and Maintenance of the Churches Peace which was by Succession from the Apostles if not of Divine Institution The Apostles of Christ ordained Bishops in the Church Bullinger 5. Ser. Now it seems a desperate course to use Presbyterian Government as a soveraign Antidote in our time Lloyds prim Epis which had the effect of Poison upon the Churches in the Apostles time Because Contention is a deadly Enemy to Charity and Holy-living Now the refusing of Subscription and Obedience to Church-Government must needs kindle Contentions and why will you thus Contend seeing that the Government by Bishops is the Government of Christ and what better Government can we expect from Man A Government most of the Godly have Conformed to Baxter Most of the Godly able Ministers of England since the Reformation have Judged Episcopacy Lawfull or most Fit and most of them did Subscribe and Conform to Episcopal Government as a thing not contrary to the Word of God but as instituted by the Apostles to which all or the most of the Ancient Fathers do agree so that it is very Evident that it is very Consistent with a Godly Life to Judge Episcopacy lawfull and fit or else so many hundred of Learned and Godly men would not have been of that mind Because they ought to be under the Obedience of all Laws Ecclesiastical and Civil which that Prince commands under whom they Live Division in Government makes Division in a Kingdome and a Kingdome divided cannot stand Omne regnum in se divisum desolabitur Because the Grandest opposers of the Government of the Church of England have ever been of Unconstant principles though Violently zealous in opposing Indifferent things Which if simply Unlawfull they were sin why then do they not contend against them as sinfull but as formerly they did so now they can dispense with them under their own Cure in the Person of another and Subscribe themselves if they might be Dispensed with as to a Compliance in their own Persons which by the Act they are Enjoyned Nor do we find any great Opposition in the time of the Reign of our Immortal Queen Elizabeth untill Her Majesty Commanded Her Bishops and Her Bishops by Her Authority Commanded due Obedience to the Government of the Church which doth manifest it was not nor is not Conscience that doth raise this Opposition against them as if Unlawfull but as not Convenient for them that have been and still are Braindistempered opposers of them Because no Persons for the reason of inconveniency ought to reject what Publick Authority hath allowed Sith that it is apparent that the Composers of our Divine Service-book made choice of the best things out of the most Ancient Liturgies of the Churches which Flourished long before the Birth of Antichrist Because it hath not been manifested unto the Church of England by any Irrefragable positions that the Government of the Church is Unlawfull or the Ceremonies thereof Impure for which impurity the Church should lay aside the Practice of them being Warranted by the Word of God or not Dissonant from it And that they are Unlawfull hath not nor cannot be Proved though Disallowed by some whose Approbation makes nor the Government of the Church of England ever a whit the more Lawfull though Consented unto by them Because we have the Truths of Doctrine Christian Ordinances and a Holy People of the Church of England exercising themselves in the Holy Duties
any particular Act but have Liberty to ordain such wholesome Laws Canons Orders Constitutions c. Ecclesiastical and Civil as are not repugnant to the Word of God which are binding to the Conscience and ought to be observed of every Man though not particularly enjoyned in the Scripture or written Word of God Because it is better to bear the Use of the Ceremonies and yield Obedience to the Government than occasion the Rending of the Church the Displeasure of our Governours the Loss of those Talents God hath entrusted any one with the Distress of a man's Family the Confirming of an error by Example and Condemning as Untollerable Sinfull and Unlawfull what God will Justifie as Lawfull in the Great Day For fear lest by my Disobeying the Lawfull Authority of a Christian Church and Magistrate whom I ought to obey for Conscience sake I Scandalize the weak or become an occasion to them that are weak to Contemn the Authority of the Magistrate and of the Church and the Ceremonies thereof which are appointed and by them thought convenient yea necessary that the External Glory of the Church should be in some measure proportionable to the Glory of the Kingdome Because as Subjects we are bound in Duty and Conscience to Submit which all may readily do with a free Conscience because whatsoever Laws are Imposed are Limited by the Word and the Law-makers are restrained from Commanding that which God Forbids Because the Peace of the Church is one of the sweetest rellished Mercies that we hold next unto the Graces of God's Spirit which by In-conformity is broken And the Punishment of the Omission or rather the refusal of Submission to the established Government is in respect of the neglect if not contempt of Lawfull Authority of the Churches Discipline and Peace and not because the meer Omission is Sin Because if the Ceremonies and established Government of the Church were Sinfull and Unlawfull why do Ministers themselves and not a few others who refuse to Conform to the Government in their own Persons quietly suffer it in their own Children do they not love the Salvation of their Children they shall be your Judges Because the Church of England receiveth its own Customs with difference from other Churches lest men should think that Religion is tied to outward Ceremonies which Customs our Clergy use as the Customs of the place wherein they Live Because those Laws which of their own nature are changeable be notwithstanding uncapable of change if he which gives them being of Authority so to do absolutely forbid to change them neither may they admit alteration against the Will of such a Law-maker Because Magistrates must Judge all causes and Govern the people whom all are to Honour Submit unto and Reverence in deed word and gesture as to the Lord Ainsworth For the Word of God is Committed to them and they therefore are called Gods And Subjection is due unto the King as to the Superiour unto the Governours as they are sent of him And this Subjection must be both openly and secretly even of Conscience and not for fear of wrath only And there is not a cause why either Princes should forsake their Places Titles Dignities or the People shake off their Subjection For seeing Magistracy is God's Ordinance none are meeter to Execute it to have his Word and Sword committed to them to carry his Titles and to Judge the people And seeing it is still his Ministery for the good of his people none can better perform this Duty and be Nursing Fathers and Nursing Mothers of the Church than Christian Kings in which Ministration they both maintain and conserve the true Religion of God according to his Word and reform things Amiss and also maintain Civil peace So that they are not only Ornaments of Common-wealths but their Safety and Strength under God and they are the Shields of the World to whom we owe Homage Service and Subjection and should allow them Maintenance pay them Tributes and other Duties in recompence of their Cares Labours and Imployments that so mutual Concord may all manner of ways be Conserved Because nothing is Commanded strictly to be observed but such things as are necessary and cannot be omitted without Disorder and Scandal unto the Obedience of which all have been and are still invited and sweetly drawn with yielding to the Conditions capacities and judgments of 〈◊〉 so farr forth as the Stamp which God hath set on those he hath called to Office and Command may be Preserved and not Debased And seeing that the Original occasion of Episcopacy doth very much commend it Lloyd it being brought in to Heal the evil of Schism and by preventing it for time to come to secure the Peace of the Church it should be the more acceptable to us From a desire by our example of Obedience to win others to the love of the Government and by our sweet behaviour to attract others to Virtue not to Disputations while they observe our Dispositions Manners Affections Aims and Intendments are to glorifie God and not being otherwise minded in all Humility to yield to reason not presuming upon our own strength but with patience bearing what is Commanded with all Long-suffering that we may be like our Heavenly Father Lest we seem to make our selves wiser than He. Because our Spiritual Governours are given unto us and set over us as those to whom the whole care of the Church belongeth and by whose Authority the honour of the Church is preserved which remaining safe Peace is safe therefore let us be followers of their Doctrine Living in Conformity to the Customs of the present times Imitators of wise Christians and such as are Patterns to be practised by considering that our Prince and Governours who are the true Patterns and Mirrours of God amongst us are not ignorant of any thing whatsoever which may tend to the quiet Religious and civil Government of us and the Kingdome Because Princes are Lords over Laws and enjoyn them to others of whom it is not Lawfull to invent or speak that thing which may turn to the Disgracing of the Laws and Government or Reproach of our Governours appointed by our Head and Superiour to whom we must and ought to yield Obedience by the Command of God in all causes whatsoever Because it is more meet that we follow the Counsel of many Learned Bishops who had the chiefest hand in Planting in the Restitution and Reformation of Religion in all Ages than that all of them should strike Sail to the fancies of a few inconsiderate Mushromes considering that the Power they have committed to them hath been and still is for the good of the Church and not for themselves which others that want Integrity Morality Charity Mercy and Judgment cannot exercise nor discharge suitable to the ends of Government Because the Churches abroad confess their Preachers have a great deal of wrong and injury offered them in that they are blamed as though they
have so deeply conceived a deep and strong perswasion of his Majesty's Princely Virtues and much renowned propension to Piety and Equity that they will urge their consciences to assent unto every thing which the King enjoyns as Right and Convenient Because abstaining from Christian Assemblies and publick Worship of God under pretence of employing their Talents for the good of the Church in private meetings is scandalous and an inductive to sin Because the Churches of God do hold with the Church of England the lawfulness of Absolution after satisfaction enjoyned by the Church when men have defiled themselves with Murther Idolatry or filthy Lusts and that formerly they were sever'd from mutual society and afterwards the Churches did not suddenly receive such offenders again though they did repent that it might be known that they did unfeignedly repent of their Murther Idolatry and filthy Lusts and ask pardon and for example sake that it might profit others for certain days Absolution was deferred 1 Cor. 5. that they might be seen to ask pardon publickly which publick satisfaction before the Church although in a sort Political yet may be referred to the Ecclesiastical Order and may altogether be distinguished from those punishments which are meerly Civil and from those which are to be inflicted by the Magistrate which the Churches doubt not is both acceptable to God and commodious for the edifying of the Church Because if a Minister be found guilty of crimen laesae Majestatis the King may punish whereupon by consequence will follow his falling from his Ecclesiastical Office and Dignity saith an Anonymus of Scotland And the Churches abroad with the Church of England say there must be publick Satisfaction and Absolution after Repentance before he can be received again into the Church of God because of Scandal given to the whole Church of God although the King do pardon him For as there ought to be diligent enquiry in the Synods touching the Life and Doctrine of the Ministers so those that offend are to be rebuked of the Seniors and to be brought into the way if they be not past recovery or else to be deposed and as Wolves to be driven from the Lord's Flock by the true Pastors if they be incurable For if once they be false Teachers they are in no wise to be tollerated saith the Harmony of Confessions And in publick Discipline saith the Church of Geneva it is to be observed that the Ministery pretermit nothing at any time unchastised with one kind of punishment or other And if Ministers shall do any thing which is Scandalous to the Congregation or punishable by Civil Authority then such a Minister shall be Suspended from his Ministery and it shall stand in the judgment of the Classis with us of the Bishops whether he deserves not to be deposed say the Synods of the Low-countries The sum of all to unsetled spirits is this to get a full perswasion of the mind concerning our establish'd Government and Governors because a full perswasion of the mind yea even where the judgment faileth touching matters not intrinsecally evil giveth rest to the conscience Especially when you have considered indeed that the judgment of all causes the deciding all controversies the censure of all men the sentence determining all actions are the Kings and in His performances rests the very Soul of the State and the life of a State 's flourishing whose Soul is of too fine and quick a Metall to love doing nothing And when the affections of the minds of men or any other humor usurps an overswaying Authority the body of the State languisheth and by refusing to obey men ruine one of the two best parts of man For whether a Prince cometh to Authority by Succession or just Election it is not lawful to practise against Him because he is the Lord 's Annointed The greatest motive to Moderation the onely stay of the reeling steps of Man's humanity and next unto that nothing should move us more to continue our Moderation than the great commiseration of our Prince towards us that were his enemies Arguments sufficient to make us love Him and not to contend with Him his Government or Governors much less to study to fetch the means of our supposed safety from false grounds which will prove a humor unsafe and most displeasing by the want of which Moderation we shall serve a wrong Master and by our strong affections and weak experience shew what folly governs us in resisting of His Authority Therefore let us give Him the love of our hearts it will make Him happy and us in Him For what we desire to make us happy and at peace is matter of thought onely without truth which kind of thoughts formerly hath led us into strange transgressions against a Divine Law besides other errors like wandring Empericks respiting pain and doubling the pain and danger afterwards or else like Women with child that like nothing but what is hard if not impossible to come by and so by an uncertain pleasure purchase certain loss and pain Wherefore let us hearken to the counsel of St. Chrysostom who observeth that the God of All hath given All but one House the world to be domesticos naturae The Houshold of Nature that Father of Lights hath light all but one Candle the Sun to be Filios lucis Just and unjust Children of that Light seeing he that spreadeth it out as a Curtain hath covered all but with one Canopy and roof of Heaven to be one Family of Love and seeing the Feeder of every living thing hath spread all but one Table the Earth at which Boord we are all Companions of one Bread and drink all of one Cup the Air doubtless this community of natural things should breed such a common Unity in nature as should make men in this common House to be of one mind and sons of one light and the family under one roof to walk in this House of God as familiar friends and companions at one Table to eat their meat together with singleness of heart And not with the Bramble affecting Superiority over the Cedars of Lebanon set on fire the Trees of the Forest or like that Wood in the Poet being shaken by the wind Sponte edidit ignem qui ipsam consumpsit Of it self gave fire which consum'd it all Which leads me to add a word or two unto you that will not conform Unto you I wish peaceable spirits with serious consideration of the Reasons which with me have prevailed to own and subscribe unto the establish'd Government of the Church of England notwithstanding those seeming Reasons Scriptures and Authorities brought by you to perswade that to subscribe and yield obedience to the established Government is sinful and unlawful and to joyn in Worship with the Church of England as it is now constituted a Church is to commit Idolatry But after long search and inquiry made I find your Scriptures Reasons and Authorities to fall short of
manifest by which things alone I might easily be Convinced of the Equity of an established Government and the Iniquity of them that did and do oppose it who knowingly so horribly did Violate God's own Laws which here I use as an Argument for my own lawfull and just Defence especially when I consider that the first Opposing of established Government was but the beginning of Evils which gave scope to Bloody Seditions And therefore by this my contending for the established Government with Subjection and Obedience to the King is that I may go the right way to meet Peace that I may be clear from the Blood of all men pure then peaceable From whence I inferr that it is better to Contend against you who have preferred your own Humors and Opinions before the Commandments of God and the King than to be at Peace with you You who have occasioned dangerous Schisms Seditions and Bloody warrs by which you clearly Evidence and Justifie the Authority of a Law in Church and State Under which Law had we acquiesced we had not been wrapped in such evil snares but by our Obedience removed much Evil and prevented the shedding of much Blood besides the good we might have done to others others whose Consciences by strange Doctrine and unparalleld Practice have been made Bold Erring Presuming Secure if not Seared who under a pretence of good Meaning attempted Unlawfull nay Sinfull nay Damnable actions which cannot be Justified or Excused For if a good meaning did or could justifie or excuse evil actions then they who killed the Apostles might be justified and excused because in so doing they thought they did God good Service How farr any of ye that have been Leaders in the Church of God through your good meaning if I may so say have been or are from Soul ruinating Scandal though ye might not intend any such thing let your own Consciences and the fearfull Effects of the late Warr give in Evidence for Conviction as it doth clearly manifest the danger of yielding to the first beginnings of Evil as also the danger of opposing established Government and teaching others so to do by Doctrine or Example Ye could not swallow Gnats of Ceremonies but Camells of Blood went down O Bellua Multorum Capitum These these things we should lay to Heart and be humbled for 〈◊〉 great Provocations and Defections from our Covenant made in Baptism our Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy for the breach of less Oaths than these we find the Romans branded from the time of the third Punick Warr our opposing of the established Government of the Church of England our loss of the Practice of Piety and this with all our Hearts and according to all our Powers to endeavour to help the wounded Church of Christ the cause of our Religion which suffers much at home and much abroad by our strange Doctrines Opinions and more strange Actions and this with the loss of our Credits and all that is dear unto us endeavouring all of us in our Places and Callings for the time to come to keep the Commandments of God and the King without declining unto the right hand or the left that so the Evils felt or feared for our former Disobedience and Rebellion may be removed and prevented and our Persons find acceptance with God through the only Merits and Mediation of our Great High Priest the Lord Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament to whom be Honour and Glory ascribed of us and all the Churches of God now and for evermore Scriptures whereby the fore-going Reasons are inforced Gen. 13.8 And Abraham said unto Lot Let there be no strife I pray thee between me and thee and between my Herd-men and thy Herd-men for we be Brethren Gen. 47.22 Only the Land of the Priests bought he not for the Priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them wherefore they sold not their Lands ver 26. And Joseph made it a Law over the Land of Egypt unto this day that Pharaoh should have the Fifth part except the Land of the Priests only which became not Pharaohs Ex. 20.13 Thou shalt not kill Numb 8.14 Thus thou shalt separate the Levites from among the children of Israel and the Levites shall be mine ver 16. For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel ver 18. For I have taken the Levites for all the first-born of the children of Israel ver 19. And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel 26.9 Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel to bring you near to himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them ver 10. And he hath brought thee near to him and all thy brâ—thren the sons of Levi with the and seek ye the Priesthood also Deut. 17.15 Thou shalt in any wise set him King over thee whom the Lord thy God shall chuse ver 18. And it shall be when he sitteth upon the Throne of his Kingdom that he shall write him a copy of this Law in a Book out of that which is before the Priests the Levites 23.21 When thou shalt Vow a Vow unto the Lord thy God thou shalt not slack to pay it for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee and it would be sin in thee Josh 1.17 According as we hearkned unto Moses in all things so will we hearken unto thee 6.19 But all the Silver and Gold and Vessels of Brass and Iron are consecrated unto the Lord they shall come into the Treasury of the Lord. Judg. 17.26 In those days there was no King in Israel but every man did that which was right in his own eyes 1 Sam. 15.17 And Samuel said When thou wast little in thine own sight wast thou not made the Head of all the Tribes of Israel and the Lord annointed thee King over Israel 16.9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by and he said Neither hath the Lord chosen thee 24.6 And he said unto his men The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my Master the Lord 's Annointed to stretch forth mine hand against him seeing he is the Lord 's Annointed 2 Sam. 5. And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-Gilead and said unto them Blessed be ye of the Lord that ye have shewed this kindness unto your Lord even unto Saul and have buried him ver 6. And now the Lord shew kindness and truth unto you and I also will requite you this kindness because ye have done this thing 1 King 7.51 So was ended all the work that King Solomon made for the House of the Lord 2 Chron. 15.8 9. And Solomon brought
the Lord's day by several Abuses and Misdemeanors in excess of Riot by Tipling Sporting Idling and Wandring about the Streets in the time of Divine Service and other unlawful and unwarrantable courses committed and continued both in your Parish and divers other parts of the City and Suburbs thereof by an Idle and Licentious sort of People to the great dishonor of God and profanation of his Day the scandal of our Religion and the conscientious Professors thereof and contempt of the Laws and Authority both Ecclesiastical and Civil These are therefore to require you duely and seriously to exhort and perswade those in Authority in your Parish and Congregation carefully to look after all such offenders in any kind whatsoever together with all those that Abet Receive or Entertain them and either present them unto Us that we may proceed against them or if the nature of their Crime and Offence require it return them to the Civil Magistrate that so by the Conjunction of Our Power and Authority such seasonable and timely Remedy may be used for prevention of the like disorders for the time to come as is fit and necessary in business of so serious and General concernment Given under our Hand and Seal the Twelfth day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand six hundred sixty and two And in the second Year of our Consecration Act. Mon. fol. 1521. There was set forth by the most Innocent King Edward the whole Church-Service with great Deliberation and the Advice of the best Learned men of the Realm and Authorised by the whole Parliament and Received and Published gladly by the whole Realm which Book was never Reformed but once and yet by that one Reformation it was so fully perfected according to the Rules of Christian Religion in every behalf that no Christian Conscience can be offended with any thing therein contained Dering against Haddon Look if any Line be blameable in our Service take hold of your advantage I think Mr. Jewel will accept it for an Article Our Service is good and godly every Tittle grounded upon Holy Scripture and with what face do you call it darkness But men are ashamed to seem guilty who always have been Judges or at least Accusers Anonymus The Papists of all Places their desires and attempts to recover England have been always and still are the strongest which in their sober moods many of them will acknowledge to have been the onely Nation that walk the Right way of sustifiable Reformation in comparison of others who have run headlong rather to a Tumultuous Innovation whereas that alteration that hath been in England was brought in with peaceable and orderly proceedings by General consent of the Prince and whole Realm Representatively Assembled in Solemn Parliament a great part of their own Clergy according and conforming themselves unto it What publick discussing and long deliberation did perswade them to be faulty that taken away The Succession of Bishops and Vocation of Ministers continued the Dignity and State of the Clergy preserved the Honor and Solemnity of the Word of God not abused the more Antient Usages not cancell'd no Humor of affecting contrariety but a charitable endeavour rather of Conformity with the Church of Rome in whatsoever they thought not gain-saying to the express Law of God which is the onely approveable way in all New Reformations Reasons against the Covenant Ursinus PRincipalis autem causa juramenti debet esse gloria Dei salus proximi privata publica The chief ends of an Oath are the Glory of God the safeguard and welfare as well private as publick of our Neighbours But the ends of the Covenant have not been answerable to these ends and therefore ought not to be kept nor observed though sworn unto For 1. The Covenant Cum verbo Dei pugnat fit de rebus adversis falsis incertis illicitis non necessariis impossibilibus levibus futilibus irrationabilibus absque necessitate The Covenant is not agreeable to the Word of God and is made of things preposterous false uncertain unlawful not necessary impossible light frivolous and unseasonable without necessity See Dr. Featly's League Illegal The Anti-Covenant Printed at Oxford 1643. Ursinus 2. Juramenta autem de rebus illicitis c. facta sive per errorem sive per ignorantiam sive per infirmitatem sive contra conscientiam non sunt servanda sed retractanda corrigenda poenitentiam agendo a malo proposito desistendo non autem in eo persistendo illud exsequendo Ps 15.6 Nam qui servat juramentum illicitum as is the Covenant bis peccat semel male jurando iterum malè juratum servando juxtaregulam Quod malè juratur pejus servatur Quae enim Deus prohibet ea nec jurata vult servari quae vetat promittere vel jurare ea tantò magis facere prohibet quanto facere quam promittere est gravius Illicitum enim non servatum minimè facit Deum testem mendacii quando quidem mali retractatio bona est ut retractatio juramenti Davidis quo juraverat se Nabalem perditurum cum familia c. Ursinus 2. Oaths made of Unlawfull things either by an Error or by Ignorance or through Infirmity or against the Conscience it is a sin to keep them And therefore such Oaths are to be Retracted and Re-called by Repenting and Surceasing a wicked purpose not to be continued by Persisting and Practising lest we add thereby sin unto sin For he that keeps an Oath made of Unlawfull things as is the Covenant heapeth sin upon sin both in that he Sware amiss and also in that he endeavoureth to do that which he Sware amiss according to the Common rule Ill sworn and Worse kept For what things God forbids those things he will not have Men either Sworn or Unsworn to perform And what he forbids us to will or promise or swear so much the more he forbids us to do the same how much the more grievous a thing it is to do them than to will or promise For an unlawful Oath being broken maketh not God witness of a Lie because the revoking of it is good as appears in the revoking of that Oath which David had made to destroy Nabal with all his houshold c. 3. Henderson Although no Human Power and Authority can dispence with a Lawful Oath Quia juramentum pertinet ad forum Divinum yet in some case as in the Covenant it cannot be denied but the Obligation of an Oath ceaseth Sublata causa tollitur effectus sublato relato tollitur correlatum Or when any Oath hath a special reference to the benefit of those to whom we swear or make the promise as the Covenant had first to the Church of Scotland and pretendedly to the Church of England Henderson if we have their desire or consent the Obligation ceaseth because all such Oathes and so