of God as much as in him lyeth The Oath The things that I have here promis'd I shall perform and keep so help me God and the Contents of this Book This Oath is published in King Charles the Martyr's Answer to a Remonstrance c. of the 26th of May 1642. The same Oath for matter you may find in an old Manuscript containing the Form of Coronation c. in the publick Library at Oxon. Is not this as firm and as great a Covenant as blessed King Josiah made who stood by a Pillar and made a Covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord and to keep his Commandments and his Testimonies and his Statutes with all their hearts c. and all the People stood to the Covenant 2 King 23. 3. So all the People of England and all his Majesty's Subjects bind themselves strictly by two Oaths called the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy to obey the King's Laws in all true Faith and Allegiance renouncing all Forreign Powers and declaring the King's Majesty Supreme Head and Governour in all matters as well Ecclesiastical as Temporal next under Christ in all these His Majesty's Dominions Thus do both Prince and People most unanimously and faithfully protest to stick to the Profession of the Protestant Religion as it is by Law establish'd being no other than the same as christ and his Apostles taught and the pure Times of the Primitive Church maintained in the first Centuries after Christ 2. For the purity justness and reasonableness of His Majesty's Laws whereby we are Govern'd the Common Civil and Ecclesiastical all the malice of our Adversaries cannot impeach them of the least savour of Idolatry or Impiety Prophaneness or Blasphemies as those of rebellious Israel under the Old did and of the Roman Papists under the New Testament do The Common-Law being certain reasonable Customs refined by succeeding Ages and gathered out of Divine Natural and Moral Principles our Civil and Canon-Laws being all grounded upon the Word of God and the Decrees of General Councils and the Sence of the Fathers in the first six-hundred years after Christ and in this it is as clear as the Sun at Noon-day that neither His Majesty nor his People can be charg'd for wickedness nor prophaneness in their Profession nor Laws 3. For the Doctrine which we reach it is briefly contain'd in the Creed call'd the Apostles Creed the Lords-Prayer and Ten Commandments and explain'd throughout the whole Bible we believe nothing we pray for nothing and we practice nothing as necessary to Salvation but what is plainly prov'd by evident Scriptures And as for the Government Discipline and Worship of our Church it is acknowledg'd by all Judicious Protestants to be the best constituted Church this day in the whole World and that in the main the Doctrine Discipline and Worship being so decently and excellently fram'd for edification that it makes all Men that duly observe it truly and soberly religious securing them as a Reverend Divine saith on the one side from the wild Freaks of Enthusiasm and on the other from the gross Follies of Superstition 4. As for any violence and cruelty we thank God the World is our Witness we can wash our Hands in Innocence none condemn'd to death for bare perswasions in point of Conscience or different Opinions in matters of Religion It is Fellons and Traytors because they have not the fear of God before their Eyes by the King's Law do dye His most Sacred Majesty being of that gracious and Lamb-like Disposition that he laboureth rather through tenderness to regain than through severity to compell Dissenters to Unity of Spirit and Uniformity in Religion 5. And lastly weigh our Practices I mean the Lives and Conversations of those that are true Sons and Observers of the Church we ingenuously confess that through our carelesness and want of more strictness in many things we do offend all but withall at our daily and publick as well as private Devotion we pray for true repentance and forgiveness and there 's not a Christian Man that hath a little Grain of Charity in him that will deny but that we through a certain though not so Universal as wish'd Obedience receive and submit to the Truth Will Law and Gospel of Jesus Christ To these things if I had time to amplifie I would nor do desire no more Credit than shall be due to the fair Evidence of clear Scripture and sound Reason the two Master Pillars of a good Cause Now upon these and other like grounds is founded the unmovable settled ends of our fixed hopes through Faith in our dear Saviour that we are not Sentenc'd with Idolatrous Israel under the Law are not nor shall be condemn'd with Antichristian Popery under the Gospel And I conclude this Point with that of our Saviour in Joh. 14. 27. Confiding that it is appertaining to us as much as to any other particular Church in the World for some have called the English Church the Primogenita of the Catholick and for certain it is a Member of the true Catholick and therefore may expect her Share in the Legacy of Christ Peace I leave with you Peace I give unto you not as the World gives give I unto you therefore let not your Heart be troubled neither let it be afraid And this leads me to the next Inference Sixthly The sixth Inference is from Christ's coming The Lord's goodness is so far extended to his beloved Spouse the true Church Catholick and to every Member thereof that in the greatest distress and confusions in the World Christ and his comforts will attend the faithful Job 5. 19 20 21 c. He will deliver thee in six troubles and in seven there shall no evil touch thee in Famine he shall redeem thee from Death and in War from the power of the Sword thou shalt be hid from the Scourge of the Tongue neither shalt thou be afraid of Destruction when it cometh What unspeakable comforts satisfaction and rejoycing all the holy Martyrs of Jesus have ever had in their sufferings will be too long to relate here He comes whose right it is and I will give it him I think you do evidently perceive and are fully satisfied by these things already said concerning this Text that there needs no further discourse to make all Men apprehend how free and plainly unspotted with the Charge and Curse here denounced against Jerusalem the present State of England stands The City of Jerusalem and Israel were curs'd mark as you have heard for breach of their Oath and Allegiance and further Rebellion to the King of Babylon though a Pagan King together with their Contempt of God's Word Idolatrous and Prophane Practises but the English Protestants are hated censured accus'd and persecuted by the Popish Faction for no other cause more than for bearing true Allegiance to the rightful and lawful King of their Realm and maintaining as by Oath they are bound that the Pope hath no power to
under the New Testament wrestless against Powers and Principalities that is men exercising Authority which he calls spiritual wickedness in high places Again in the 16th verse he tells you that you are to take the Shield of Faith which is able to quench all the fiery darts of the Wicked whereby you must understand that that wicked one hath fiery Darts with him to throw at the faithful and by fiery Darts you can think of nothing else but bloody Persecutions And lastly you may know that wicked party by his blasphemy prophaneness and coming after the working of Satan with all Powers and Signs and lying Wonders who opposing and exalting himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God So that in every particular when these are compared with the former Prince and People they are guilty of the same wickedness and prophaneness As thus Under the Old Testament 1. Those forsook the Law of the Lord. 2. Those despised holy things 3. Those followed the Idolatrous Practises of the Heathen World 4. Those deliver'd their Children to Maloch and shed Innocent Blood To Zedekiah and Israel in the Text it is said Thou prophane wicked Under the New Testament 1. These received not the love of the Truth 2. These sitting in the Temple of God shew himself that he is God 3. These exalt above God with signs and lying wonders after the working of Satan 4. These shoot Fiery Darts of Persecution To Antichrist and his Kingdom in the New Testament Thou man of sin and wicked 2 Thes 2. 3. 8. Now I will shew you how the Pope of Rome and the Roman Church resemble revolted Israel in their Apostacy and wickedness and will also declare how clear and free the King and Church of England are from this Charge Polanus saith That the Popish Canons and Decretals with the Lives and Practises of the Popes do expresly declare them to be Antichrist and Anti-Christ is defin'd to be a Man exercising Authority Head of the Universal Apostacy and Desertion of the Faith professing the Name of Christ yet opposing himself to Christ and his Doctrine That he is a Man exercising Authority no Man denys that he is Head of Universal Apostacy and opposeth Christ and his Doctrine I will plainly shew in my Application We are oblig'd to regard his Person as a Prince and a Prelate by the Laws of God and Nature i. e. to give honour to whom honour is due but it is his Vices and Corruption we cry out against and what the Scripture and judicious Divines ancient and modern of reformed Protestants have declar'd concerning him we may without malice or hatred speak of him and omitting all terms of honour he is an Idolater a Hypocrise a Blasphemer ambitious proud lawless and forbidding to marry covetous vain a Lyar a cruel Tyrant a Persecutor and Murderer of the Saints despising holy things and sitting in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God The Idolatry of the Church of Rome in worshipping the Pope as Supreme Head of the Universal Church and Images with the Relicks of Saints and their Invocations upon the Virgin Mary with the lifting up of the Host are as directly against the I. and II. Commandment as Blood shed is against the VI. and as palpable as it was with Israel who worshipp'd the Sun Moon and Planets He must have a good Hide saith Dr. Hall that can worship Martin ' s Boots George ' s Scabbard Crispin ' s Pareing-Knife Thomases her Shoo and Joseph's Breeches to equalize these Fopperies with the Son of God in point of worship as those do who fall before them and call upon them as Eraesmus complains is abominable Idolatry and horrible Impiety The Blood-shed of Rome is so sensibly known through all the Christian World that every Country can bear witness to it and no marvel the Holy Ghost compare her to a Woman clothed in Scarlet and drunk with the Blood of Saints The fiery Darts of this wicked-one have been so prevalent in Italy that at one time was condemn'd 16000 Protestants where 18 had their Throats and jugular Veins cut with a Butchers-Knife the Butcher putting it between his Teeth whilst he did rid his Hand of one and take the other In Queen Mary's days were several hundreds here in England burnt in the space of the two last years of her Reign 13 sometimes together 12. 10. 6. 5. and other numbers Bishops Preachers Gentlemen Tradesmen old and blind Men Cripples and poor Maids no sort of Christians could escape the fury of these bloody Persecutions And to speak of their Covetousness Oppression Prophaneness and Blasphemies which are so common will be too tedious for me to hint here in the corner of a Sermon therefore in a word I leave this point concerning the charge and say it may be well said Thou wicked and prophane Pope of Rome whose Day is come and thy Iniquity shall have an end remove the Diadem take away the Crown I will exalt him that is low and abase him that is high I will overturn overturn overturn it until he comes c. Inference the fifth from the Confusion of Judah and Jerusalem Crowns and Kingdoms cannot stand when God Almighty hath denounc'd their fall Witness the fall of all the mighty Monarchs of the World and therefore this Prophet expostulateth pathetically Can thy Heart endure or will thy Hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee I will overturn overturn overturn it and it shall be no more and who can say to God What dost thou The Beast with seven Heads and ten Crowns must fall and tumble down when God is pleas'd to toss them Whom the Lord shall destroy with the Spirit of his Mouth and consume with the brightness of his coming But as for the King and Church of England being free from the Charge they may be also concluded to be free from the Judgment in the sence of all charitable minds And that they are free from the Charge let every sober-minded Man weigh these Particulars 1. The King and the Church of England protest to maintain nor suffer for no other Faith but that which was once by Apostolical Tradition deliver'd to the Saints This Profession do both Prince and People by a mutual Oath and Covenant bind themselves to assert keep and uphold to the honour and glory of God as good King Josiah and his People in their days His Majesty as other Kings his Predecessors of blessed memory at their Coronation first promiseth being ask'd by the Arch-Bishops to keep and afterwards by Oath confirms the Laws and Customs of England namely the Laws Customs and Franchises granted to the Clergie by the glorious King St. Edward his Predecessor according to the Laws of God the true Profession of the Gospel and according to the Prerogatives of the Kings thereof and defend and uphold the same to the honour
A VINDICATION OF THE True Christian RELIGION In Opposition to the Abominations of POPERY IN A SERMON Upon Ezek. 21. 24 25 26 27. Being the Text appointed by the Pope for Master Whitebread one of the Popish Conspirators to preach upon the accomplishing of their Wicked Design for taking away the Life of his Most Sacred Majesty Wherein the King the Church together with his Majesties Laws Constitutions and true Protestant Subjects of England are clearly Justified and the Pope the Church and Popish Faction of Rome are justly charged to be guilty of the like Dreadful Curse in the New as hath been denounc'd against Revolted Israel in the Old Testament By J. Thomas Rect. of S. Nicholas Preached at Cardiffe Before the Bayliffs and Aldermen there Feb. 2. 1678 9. London Printed for Isaac Cleave at the Star next to Serjeants-Inn in Chancery-Lane 1679. Imprimatur W. JANE EZEK XXI 24 25 26 27. 24. Therefore thus saith the Lord because you have made your iniquity to be remembred in that your transgressions be discovered so that in all your doings your sins do appear because I say that ye are come to remembrance ye shall be taken with the hand 25. And thou prophane wicked Prince of Israel whose day is come when iniquity shall have an end 26. Thus saith the Lord God remove the Diadem and take away the Crown this shall not be the same exalt him that is low and abase him that is high 27. I will overturn overturn overturn it and it shall be no more until he comes whose right it is and I will give it him I Thought it not unseasonable being desir'd to explain this Text which as it is credibly reported was intended by the Popish Faction to Consummate and Cloak the horrible malice of their Bloody Conspiracy against the Life of his most Sacred Majesty but conceiv'd it useful and necessary to apply it to whom most properly it appertains as well for the justifying of his Royal Person and Satisfaction of all honest Protestants as also for the Reproof and Conviction of our Adversaries I shall proceed to handle this Text with all humility of mind faithful love to Truth and due regard to the Testimonies of the Holy Scriptures with the sense of the first General Councils and the Doctrine of the Fathers in the first five or six hundred years after Christ whereby you may evidently perceive and be fully satisfied that the King and Church of England who hold the true Apostolick Faith and bind themselves by Mutual Oaths to uphold and maintain the same are not sentenced with the dreadful Curse of God as was denounced against Judah and Jerusalem but that the Antichristian Pope of Rome that Man of Sin now of a long time reveal'd with all his bloody and Idolatrous Train the Ignatian Tribe have their Judgment denounc'd in the New Testament which lingreth not and their Damnation slumbereth not I observe with S. Augustine not the Monk that all Holy Writ is so tempered by the Holy Ghost that quod alibi obscurius alibi clarius explicitur one portion of Scripture explains another and that is acknowledged by all the Orthodox to be the most certain and undoubted Exposition Wherefore that this Text may be rightly understood the Matter therein contained must for it requires it be consulted of in our Bibles in the following particulars I. The Time when this Prophecy was declar'd II. The Causes wherefore this Prophecy was declar'd III. The Event being a dreadful Curse denounced Wherein observe 1. The Authority Thus saith the Lord. 2. The Charge Thou wicked and prophane 3. The Parties Prince and People 4. The Confusion I 'll overturn c. 5. The Duration Until he comes IV. The Promise annex'd Wherein observe 1. The Kingdom of Christ promised He comes 2. His Claim Whose right it is 3. Divine Institution I will give it him Of all these in order by Gods assistance with Inferences from and Application to the whole matter I shall conclude with the uses proper for our selves to make of it And first of the Time when 1. The Time when this Prophecy was made is easily known when we look upon Ezek. 1. 1 2 3. where the Prophet gives the World to understand expresly the Year the Month and the Day the Word of the Lord came unto him Now saith he it came to pass c. in the fourth month in the fifth day of the month which was the fifth year of King Jehoiakin's Captivity the Word of the Lord came unto Ezekiel the Priest in the Land of the Caldeans c. Compare this with 2 Kin. 24. 15 16 17. verses and there you shall find that this King Jehoiakin the King of Judah was carried away to Babylon in the eighth year of his Reign and the King of Babylon made Mattaniah his Fathers Brother King in his stead and changed his name to Zedekiah insomuch that by these places of Scripture it evidently appears that Ezekiel began to prophecy much upon the midst of King Zedekiah's Reign for he reigned eleven years For by that you see that the fifth of Jehoiakin's Captivity must be the fifth of Zedekiah's Reign The Text calls this time Iniquitas Termini by an Enallage for Terminus Iniquitatis when Iniquity shall have an end that is now is the time come that all the revolt and back-slidings of Judah and Jerusalem by Idolatry Blood-shed and Prophaneness is come to remembrance and it shall now end in Zedekiah's days who shall with the people be carried Captive unto Babylon 2. The Causes wherefore this Sentence was denounc'd are twofold the first is the provocations of the people moving and incensing Gods wrath against them and to this relates the first verse of the Text which saith you have made your iniquity to be remembred and in the 23. verse next before the Text it is said But he will call to remembrance the iniquity which according to the Original may be well translated Hereby you call to remembrance that is by this contempt and disdain which you cast upon my Word in the mouth of my Prophet which seemeth to you as a false divination ver 23. you do provoke me to call to remembrance all your wickedness and the iniquity of your forefathers for this obduration of heart against my Messenger and breach of Allegiance to the King of Babylon shews what you are ver 24. So that in all your doings your sins do appear because I say that you are come to remembrance that is by this your hardness of heart and contempt of the Prophets Doctrine you force me saith the Lord to remember your Idolatry Bloodshed Prophaneness and Apostasies in all kinds all which the Prophet sets down in the next Chapter Ezek. 22. 2. The second Cause here mentioned is God provoked and expressed in these words Ye shall be taken with the hand which seems as if it were the Instrumental Cause but indeed the King of Babylon was the Instrumental Cause of their Captivity to