prodigiously to destroy the roots and branches of the royal stemm and though it was hatcht and contriv'd by a cunning hypocritical Crocodile and his bloudy Sycophants Cromwel yet as if Heaven and Earth God and man did abhor such an odious oath and combination how suddenly did it please God that his arme of providence should appear and incline the hearts not only of his loyal subjects but even of those who had been bitter Enemies to the royal throne to endeavour and cooperate for his Majesties restauration And now all these Withes and new Cords being broken by a Samsonian strength and influence from true Soveraignty are untwisted and unravel'd to an odium and a scorn And the Parliament hath judiciously and nobly determined and damn'd the covenant the Engagement and the oath of Abjuration to be illegal factious and seditious papers and all rational subjects may securely acquiess in their judgement and determination u Malum quod juramus facere non debemus implâ—â—â— D. Ber. de perjur ser 32. If this Collyrium clear not the eyes of all Protesters Covenanters Engagers and abjurators nor all these reasons reduce the phanatically deluded to their fidelity and allegiance to their King let them beware least the judgement as well as the sins of detestable perjury follow or fall upon them This is a horrid crime which the Schoolmen lay open to the world in this dress that x Perjurium est mondacium juramento firmatum Aurey Thes Eccles lib. 4. dist 39. perjury is a ly confirm'd and ratified by an oath and this is a most fearful aggravation And it is St. Hieroms resolution y Ius jurandum tres habet comites veritatem judicium justitiam Hieron super Hieremi 22. q. 2. that no oath is lawful unless it be attended with three indispensable concomitants viz. Truth Iudgement and Righteousnesse and where all or any of these three faile an oath is perjury St. Austin is more strict claring plainly z Cum sit vel putat falsum esse tamen pro vero jurat D. Aug. de ver Apost ser 28. that he is perjured that sweareth voluntarily what he knoweth to be false with a deceitful design or if he perfectly know it not thinketh it to be false The Fathers make an out-cry and declaim severely against this crime and call it Bellua detestanda a most detestable beast and filthy sin The schoolmen seem yet more severe then the Fathers a Iurans rerum quod putat esse falsum vel jurans falsum quod putat esse verum est perjurus T. Aquin. 22. ae q. 98 1.3 Aquinas determins that he who sweareth the truth which he thinketh to be false or swearing that which is false thinketh it to be truth is a perjured person Where the sin is so notorious the infamy and obloquies so odious and the judgements of the Eternal revenger so terrible and dangerous against perjured persons how careful should subjects be to recover themselves to the duty of loyalty and thereby to repair their credit and to vindicate themselves from eternal plagues and infamy The clouds thus dispersed by the beams of truth and rational arguments It is most evident that those subjects who started from their allegiance loyalty can neither plead excuse or merit for their tergiversation Apostacy as to any unlawful oaths wherewith their soules were insnared or intangled they are by the supream laws of God the laws of men discharghed absolved from them unless hardned with obstinacy they will as 't is in the Greek proverb b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. malum malo meditatur sophocles Aeneas Platonicus ad sin unto sin force one nail with driving another and to perjury adde wilful impenitency but better things may be hoped from all subjects who as men look on themselves as born for rational society or as Christians professing the truths of sacred religion and not longer adhering to self opinion or seditious faction be perfectly converted to be true cordial royalists remembring the caution and counsel the late royal c Εικον Βασιλικε cont 19. pag. 174. Martyr gave not to pretend a reformation and to force a rebellion nor to hearken or give credit to those parasitick preachers who dared to call those Martyrs who dyed fighting against their King the laws their oathes and the religion established But sober Christians know that glorious title of Martyrs can with truth be applied to those who sincerely preferred Gods truth and their duty in all particulars before their lives and all that was dear to them in this world who where religiously sensible of those tyes to God the Church and the King which lay on their souls both for obedience and just assistance By this time apostatiz'd and deluded subjects their eyes being as well opened with sad experience as bright beames of reason and truth may cleerly see their errours and more securely avoid their dangers But least as those who behold their faces in a glass they may upon aremoval utterly forget their features or complexions It may not prove improper to set before us those pure Christals of Piety Wisdome Religion Honour and Government which the customes and laws of former ages have conveyed to this present generation engaging both the King and people to their respective dutyes whereby the soveraign and all his subjects are comprehended under â—â—mental obligationds d Fidelis sermo retinet locum sacramenti Iuramento non egit veritas D. Ber. Serm. 32. This difference and distinction only admitted that glorious Princes of the imperial Crown of England have in their royal grace and voluntary condescention accustomed themselves to solemn oathes at their coronation but the Kings subjects are obliged by oaths setled formed and confirmed by laws to exhibit and perform their homage Fealty allegiance and Fidelity to their Kings as Gods annointed and in these high priviledges and prerogatives the Kings of England seem to have a more legal tye and soveraignty over their subjects then either the Crown of France or Spain whose subjects are commanded in greater vassalage and as brighter and leading stars that sacred oathes obligations are here presented which pious Kings and Queens have accustomed to take at their coronation when they sealed to their sacred vows in the communion and sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and then as better fitted have laid their hands on the blessed Evangelists bowing their heads have kissed the book the best eternal evidence of the affection of the heart and thus prepared they have usually received the Imperial Crown and Scepter with other Regalia and Emblems of royal Majestie from Gods altar as holding all their power and soveraignty from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords that God Angels and Men Heaven and Earth and the whole world and all ages to come may behold the pious integrity of Sacred Princes The Kings Oath at his Coronation L. Bishop of London
Kingdomes or Dominions or to authorise any Foreign Prince to invade or annoy him or his Countries or to discharge any of his Subjects of their Allegiance and obedience to his Majesty or to give license or leave to any of them to bear Arms raise Tumults or to offer any violence or hurt to his Majesties Royal Person State or Government or to any of his Majesties Subjects within his Majesties Dominions Also I do swear from my heart that notwithstanding any Declaration or sentence of Excommunication or Deprivation made or granted or to be made or granted by the Pope or his Successours or by any Authority derived or pretended to be derived from him or his See against the said King his Heirs or Successours or any Absolution of the said Subjects from their Obedience I will bear Faith and true Allegiance to his Majesty his Heirs and Successours and him and them will defend to the uttermost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoever which shall be made against his or their Persons their Crown and Dignity by reason or colour of any such Sentence or Declaration or otherwise and will do my best endeavour to disclose and make known unto his Majesty his Heirs and Successours all Treasons and Trayterous Conspiracies which I shall know or hear of to be against him or any of them And I do further swear That I do from my heart abhor detest and abjure as impious and heretical this Damnable Doctrine and Position That princes which be excommunicated or deprived by the Pope may be deposed or murthered by their Subjects or any other whatsoever And I do believe and in conscience am resolved that neither the Pope nor any person whatsoever hath power to absolve me of this Oath or any part thereof which I acknowledge by good and full Authority to be lawfully administred unto me and do renounce all pardons and dispensations to the contrary And all these things I doe plainly and sincerely acknowledge swear according to these expresse words by me spoken and according to the plain and common sense and understanding of the same words without any equivocation or mental evasion or secret reservation whatsoever And I do make this Recognition and acknowledement heartily willingly and truly upon the true faith of a Christian So help me God c. The Oath of Supremacy I A. B. Do utterly testifie and declare in my conscience that the King 's Highnesse is the onely Supream Governour of this Realm and of all other his Highnesse's Dominions and Countries as well in all Spiritual or Ecclesiastical things or causes as Temporal And that no Foreign Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or or ought to have any Jurisdiction Power Superiority Preeminence or Authority Ecclesiastical or Spiritual within this Realm And therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all Forraign Jurisdictions Powrs Superiorities and Authorities and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear Faith and true Allegiance to the King's Highnesse his Heirs and lawfull Successours and to my power shall assist and defend all Jurisdictions Priviledges Preeminences and Authorities granted or belonging to the Kings Highness his Heirs and successours or united and annexed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm So help me God and by the contents of this book These Platforms and models of Oathes as they are of holy use to unite our fidedelity to God and Man so they are of Divine Authority and seem to be influential from Heaven from whence we have the Sacred example so the Scriptures testifie Exod 33.1 Depart hence unto the Land which I swear unto Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Thus divine usage is very frequent with God Deut 1.8.34.35 Psal 95.9 Luk. 1.73 Heb. 6.13 Heb. 7.21 And as God pleased to confirm his promise with an Oath So King David Gods annointed voweth and sweareth calling on God and praying Lord remember David and all his Afflictions how he swear unto the Lord and vowed to the mighty God of Jacob. Psal 132.1 2. And Solomon his royal Son gave Counsel to all his subjects and all the world I counsel thee to keep the Kings commandement and that in regard of the Oath of God Eccles 8.2 Having now set fourth the sacred ☜ Oaths and obligations of the Kings and Queens of England and of some of the cheif Officers and Ministers of State together with the Homage of the Ecclesiastical Hirarchy and temporal Nobility and of the three great Officers of Court the Lord high Steward the Master of the Horse and the Lord Chamberlain by their Oathes as privy counsellors under whose immediate command and power all servants at Court are sworn to fidelity and obedience in their respective relations and ranks of order degrees and subordinations It is plain and easie to every rational subject to discern and see the most excellent form of Government that the prudence and piety of former ages hath conveyed to the English to this present time and we cannot do less then admire and magnifie the gracious providence and riches of Gods favours to the Kingdome of England who hath with the golden chain of harmonious Government so lincked Kings and Queens to himself and all their subjects and people to their soveraign Princes that no Kingdome under the canopy of Heaven hath a better frame of Government either for Church or State or the transaction of Ecclesiastick or civil concernments and affaires in which there is such an incementing concatenation by wholesome laws and customes for justice and the happy preservation of all the peoples Rights that as the King may sit as happily and securely on his Throne as any Monarch on earth so his people may as prosperously thrive under his gracious Government and reposing themselves under their own vines and figtrees as cheerfully enjoy the inestimable blessings of their own just rights and labours Milk and Hony with the overflowing favours of Peace and Plenty How great a crime must it then be to wrest or break one of the invaluable lincks of this golden concatenation which Soveraign Princes graciously please to strengthen and consolidate if possible by their sacred Oathes to God which cannot but indear and more oblige ingenuous subjects to greater exactness of duty and fidelity considering that these pious proceeding are more acts of Grace and voluntary and Princely condescentions flowing from the fountaines of their own royal goodness being methods of high degrees of kindness and love where words or promises and those at their royal wills and pleasure are to be looked on not only as certainties and assurances but as deeds and compleat performances The civil Law expecteth as much from Noble men and Persons of Honour that there words be equally esteemed as their deeds m Promissa nobilinm pro factis habentur And Iser c. 1. Tantum fidei legalitatis presumitur in Nobilibus ut si quicquam promiserint id per equesit certum ac indubitatum ac si jam factum esset And Iser c 1.
thus Homer honorably mentions Agamemnon n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer Iliad 18. the word was no sooner out of that great worthies mouth but it was his act and deed but Princes are of more sublime and higher qualities as being earthly Gods their words are more Sacred and Soveraign Thus Pylat though an inferiour Potentate toul'd the Jews quod scripsi scripsi And Servius commenting on those words of the Poet o Virgil. lib. 12. Aeneid Do quod vis bene inquit presenti usus est tempore nam promissio in Diis pro facto est I give what thou wilt the God did well to use the present tense as if the will and words of Princes were very Acts and Deeds but if any knot can binde faster then words or promises see the gracious dispositions and customes of the Kings of England offering up as in the beauty of holiness the sacrifice of pious resolutions to God Almighty in sacred oathes for their most Princely government And as Kings thus unite themselves by these most Sacred bonds to the King of Kings so their Officers and Ministers of State and servants of their Courts are engaged by special Oathes of Obedience and Fidelity and all their subjects are obliged by a national Law to swear to the Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacy no rank being to be excused at the age of Eighteen from these just and rational obligations unless the Lords and Peers of the Realm whose refined Honour being as equivalent if not more superlative doth as powerfully indear them to loyalty and true allegiance to their Princes it cannot then but be justly censured a crime of the highest nature to violate sacred bonds with treachery and infidelity and yet that soul sin may be presented more ugly when any in greater and neerer trust about the King as a Minister of his royal affairs or a sworn servant of his Court shall perfidiously or timorously forfeit his Faith which by duplicated Oathes being sealed on his Soul as a door more secure under a double lock ought to be more firm and not to be forced by any Art or Engine and if single perjury be so notorious a crime how horrid and hellish will it appear in the multiplication of false illegal perjurous and damnable Oathes The link and jonts of government thus reaching from Heaven to Eatth from God to Man and from the King of Kings to Kings and Princes on earth they thence graciously descend from royal thrones to the meanest and lowest of all their people who in a community participate of the blessings of Monarchy under the protection and Grace of their Prince and the benefit and provision of most excellent and wholesom laws against whose sacred Person as being Gods annointed or rules of government if any should be so traitterous or seditious as to dare to contrive or conspire they merit the severest degrees of punishment and though they be as near to the Crown in blood as Absalon to King David or as near in trust and Counsels as the grand oraculous politician Achitophel yet no relation or employment can so palliat the blaknesse of their offences but that all good subjects are obliged as Hushai the Archite to preserve their Prince in his royal Crown and dignity and to detect and discover dissipate and destroy all treacherous conspiraces and rebellious Treasons against their Prince This was the resolution and adventure of Noble Hushai who commanded by King David obeyed his royal pleasure and leaving the King in a deplorable sad condition addressed to the usurper and traitor Absalon and seemingly confederated with that unnatural Arch Traitor and Achitophel and his complices but God had so appointed that this loyal subject by his wisdom and fidelity intrapped Absalon to his merited ruine and so infatuated the Councels of Achitophel that the despairing Traitor hanging himself became his own executioner and the rebellious army being routed and totally defeated and Absalon hanged by the head in a tree King David was gloriously restored to the royal City of Hierusalem But least any presume to be loyall Hushites who cannot reasonably merit the opinion or Name of true Royalists and so not prove King Davids friends It is necessary that some characters and distinctions be intermitted for cleerer truth and plainer perspicuiry of what is dross what is sophisticated false and fained mettal and what in this point by the impartial touch stone is judged pure and perfect gold The story of this concernment is a sacred record written by the holy Prophet Samuel p 2 Sam. 15. which describes King Davids danger and deliverance his enemies and his friends presents to the world the undutifulness of an unnatural Son and the rebellious attempts of ambitious and traiterous subjects Absalon was the Arch traitor and Achitophel the cheif Counselour in this foul conspiracy and black Treason and the Prophet as if to forewarn the world from future delusion and infatuation of that kind describes the Traitors and Conspirators Traiterous crimes or marks 1. defamation or detraction First defaming and dishonoring the Kings government sowing sedition and disgracing the royal Courts of Iustice saying 2 Sam. 15.3 See saith Absolon thy matters be good and right but there is no man deputed of the King to hear thee This design was countenanced with the pompe and pride of a popular train 2 Sam. 15.1 to amaze or allure the vulgar 2 Popular pompe pride Absolon prepared Charriots and Horses and fifty men to run before him A great pretence to execute judgement 3 A pretence to do justice and execute judgement and do justice promoted this rebellion so the grand Impostor made way to advance his rebellion saying 2 Sam. 15.4 O that I were made Iudge in the land that every man that hath any suite or cause might come unto me as the Supream Magistrate and cheif Iustice And I would do him justice 4 Restless watching day and night vigilancy diligence and indefatigable industry and attendance to caress and court the people were active practises of this popular politician so Samuel sets forth the traitour in the 2 Sam. 15.2 Absolon rose up early and stood beside the way of the Gate 5 Flattery and adulation and when any man that had a controvercy came to the King for judgement then Absolon called unto him and with oily courtship quickly deluded common capacities and simple credulity this venemous and traiterous infatuation that so swelled the people with avarice and ambition was as epidemick and national as infectious and insnaring 6 Traiterous infection is usually epidmical For on this manner did Absolon to all Israel that came to the King for judgement 2 Sam. 15.6 Traitors usually pules every vain try all tempers and incline all humours to augment and corroberate their party and to effectuate their evil contrivances and machinations 7 Traitors are most courty crafty and fullest of dissimulation And as traitors lay their plots and