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A78461 Certain considerable and most materiall cases of conscience, wherewith divers wel-affected in this kingdom are much perplexed, the cleering wherof would worthily deserve the paines of the Assembly at London. 1645 (1645) Wing C1688; Thomason E270_7; ESTC R212357 14,633 26

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to the Kings Supremacy and now hold any coequall and coordinate power are not forsworn To him that is supream there can be no equall neither will it help to say The oath hath reference to forraign powers for though in the processe of it it hath reforence indeed to forraign powers yet in the beginning of it we do testific and declare in our consciences that the King is the onely supream Governor c. absolutely and generally without any exception or limitation at all and who can give us a power to understand the oath with a limitation when we have all taken it without a limitation IX Whether it be not contrary to the such to go about to Wrest the Militia out of the Kings hand when we have in the same oath of Supremacy declared in our consciences That the King is supre can Governor c. in all things or canses both spuituall and temporall If the Militia be a temporall businesse temporall or spirituall the King by this oath must be supream therein And here it is to be considered whether the Militia be not already sttled by Act of Parliament if yea why is not that course followed which by Law is prescribed if no why then it is to be thought it belongs to the Kings prerogarive which we have all bound our selves to maintain both by our oath of Alegiance and also by our late Protestation and indeed how can he else be a King for without it he cannot afford that Protection which he owes to his Subjects as he is their King X Whether all we that do not take up Arms in behalf of the King having taken the Oath of Allegiance to him be not forsworn The words of the Oath are these I will bear faith and true Allegiance to His Majesty his heirs and successors and him them will defend to the uttermost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoever which shall be made against him or their persons their Crown and Dignity c. These are the very words of the Oath now whether our disregard of his Commands our depraving his Government our fighting against his Armies our endeavour to take him captive in the sight of the Almighty will be esteemed as tending to the defence of his Person Crown and Dignity is such a scruple that the Malignants who take up Arms for him seem more directly to follow the words of the Oath and thinke that none do rightly perform this Oath but themselves Neither will it serve the turn to say That Oath was made to prevent all encouragements of Rebellion that might be brought from Rome for divers reasons shew that the intent of the Oath is to binde the Subjects to true Allegiance whatsoever encouragement from any power might be presented to them though because the Romanists or Papists were at that time principally suspected the Oath doth principally bend its Forces against them for first there was an Ancient Oath of Allegiance before which did binde the Subjects indefinitely that is generally to bear to their Soveraign truth and faith both of life and member without application to any particular power from whence Rebellion might be suspected and it were a vain thing to imagine that in an Oath newly framed there should be a gap left open to endanger the Prince which had been prevented in the old Secondly in this latter Oath we are bound to defend the Kings Person c. against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoever which shall be made by reason of any incouragement from Rome or otherwise Thirdly it is acknowledged by us in that Oath That neither Pope nor any other person whatsoever hath power to absolve us of this Oath or any part thereof whereby it is evident the Oath doth binde us to perfect Allegiance without digressing upon any occasion whatsoever XI Whether all we that have taken the Protestation to maintain the Priviledges of Parliament do not violate our Protestation so long as we joyn with the two Houses at Westminster It is one Priviledge of Parliament That none of the Members should be excluded thence or hindred from Voting there and that freely it is another priviledge that no forraigners Scottish Commissioners or others should have any power there whiles both these things are done and suffered by the two Houses at Westminster how are the priviledges of Parliament maintained by them and how do we keep our Protestation while we consent unto and joyn with them XII Whether a man who hath subscribed that there is nothing in the Book of Homilies contrary to the word of God as all Beneficed men and Lecturers have done as will appear if the 3. Article of subscription in the 36. Canon be compared with the 35. Article of Religion whether he that hath thus subscribed can joyn with the two Houses but that he must make not onely them but himself also guilty of Rebellion There be four Homilies against Rebellion or rather four parts of one Homilie wherein these wayes of taking up Arms against the Prince are wholly condemned and this must needs be consented to for sound and orthodox by all Ministers in the Kingdom or else they must say they subscribed meerly in a colour that they might hold a Lecture or a Benefice XIII Whether we all that have vowed by our late Protestation with our Lives and Estates to maintain the Doctrine of the Church of England as it is opposed to Popery do not violate our Protestation if we maintain not all the Doctrine contained in the Homily against Rebellion Who knows not that the Homilies against Rebellion were compiled purposely against Popery the Popish Priests in those dayes being so busie to stirre up Rebellion it being also one speciall point of Popery to justifie the Arms of Subjects against their Soveraign The fashood of such tenets and the iniquity of such practises is fully declared in the Homily against Rebellion and if any Doctrine may justly be said to be established in the Church of England surely this is one part of it because by Act of Parliament in the 13. of Elizabeth the Articles of Religion are confirmed among which Articles this is one viz. Article 35. That the Book of Homilies doth contain Godly and wholsome Doctrine c. The Doctrine then that forbids the taking up of Arms against the Prince is Godly Doctrine established in the Church of England by Act of Parliament and so established as opposite to Popery and if we maintain not this Doctrine what care do we take of our Protestation pay that which thou hast vowed Eccles 5.4 if we maintain not this Doctrine what care do we take of Acts of Parliament XIIII Whether those Ministers that have taken the oath of Canonicall obedience can safely take the new Scottish Covenant or yeeld to a change of the present Government of the Church of England so long at least as these Bishops are living And yet if the oath of Canonicall obedience be not enough see how the Ministers
friends and Countrey-men slain by the sword but unexpressible also are the calamities under which they groan that are yet alive It is with them at London as once it was with Samaria the Metropolis when time was of the Kingdom of Israel They trusted in the Mountain of Samaria a strong place and being in safety and plenty themselves they took not to heart the affliction of Ioseph that is the miseries of their Brethren and Countrey-men that lived abroad in other parts of the Kingdom and for this cause there is a sharp judgement woe be to them denounced by the Prophet Amos 6.1.6 There is no place so strong that woe may not enter and therefore O God that art the God of mercy and delightest in the prosperity of thy people give unto our Parliament a desire to be like unto thy self and to put on bowels of mercy both towards themselves and towards their miserable yea now gasping Countrey that we may accept of and be contented with and thankfull for so much as we had under the Reign of Queen Elizabeth rather then out of a desperate resolution of having more to lose all and bring a totall desolation upon the whole Kingdom XXVIII Whether they that hold the head The head of the body politick and the head of the body mysticall are justly to be persecuted by us Iob saith no These are his words Ye should say why persecute we him seeing the root of the matter is found in me Job 19.28 Nay we should say why persecute we him that is the head of the body politick and holds the head of the body mysticall the root of the matter that is the profession of the true Christian Faith being found in him The true Circumcision that is the true Children of Abraham as the Apostle doth declare Phil. 3.3 are they who worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh And this is the Religion professed by the Church of England this is the doctrine of the Church That for salvation they depend onely on Christ Jesus and have no confidence in their own works And as for those Ceremonies used by them in the externall worship of God they have no confidence in them neither nor reckon them a part of the worship This may well be esteemed to be the root of the matter though Iob indeed applies this phrase peculiarly to the faith of the Resurrection through Christ which as being a particular is comprehended in this generall of imbracing Christ by Faith with all his benefits and to slur this profession the root of the matter with the odious imputation of Popery what is it lesse then Blasphemy and to pursue the professors of this Religion with the sword as Papists though neither Papists nor Brownists for their Religion are thus to be pursued what is it lesse then a bloody prosecution of the truth XXIX Whether in the sight of God and all indifferent men they are not to be accounted factious and seditious who by the power of the sword endevour any where the subversion of the Ancient government and known Laws contrary to the will and liking of the Supream Magistrate Indeed among us at this day they that are for Peace are esteemed factious and they that are for innovation even by the sword are accounted Peaceable the strangest paradox that ever was heard of But the counsell of the Holy Ghost is this and good it is for Christians to follow his counsell Fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change Pro. 24.21 The knitting together of these duties in this place is very observable for the Holy Ghost hereby shewes That they fear not God who fear not the King that one evidence of the want of the fear of God is to study or endeavour any innovation without or against the King with such he wishes us not to joyn and a reason he addes in the next verse for their calamity shall rise suddenly c. To the like purpose is that in Eccles 10.8 9. If this Scripture be Scripture still we know not how to joyn with the Parliament for an alteration against the Kings will nay besides these two places the Scripture doth frequently require subjection and forbids resistance who knows not those eminent places Rom. 13.1 2 5. Tit. 3.1 and 1. Pet. 2.13 14. We have all protessed to defend the priviledges of Parliament but that the Parliament hath any priviledge more then private men to walke contrary to the word of God or that they have any dispensation granted from walking according to Scripture rules is not yet made evident if this priviledge were once cleerly manifested we should never make any more doubt at all XXX Whether to have such thoughts as this I will go on in the way I have chosen even to the effusion of Rivers of blood though I see so many doubts doubts that seeme unanswerable though my conscience have no warrant out of Scripture for it whether this be not the resolution of a man whose salvation is desperate For the Apostle tells us that whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14.23 and whosoever doth wilfully continue in any sin is not yet in the state of Salvation for the Lord will not be mercifull to them that offend of malicious wickednesse XXXI Whether it be not more suitable to Christian Religion safer for a Christians soul upon these grounds even to suffer under the King if he should prove Tyrant or persecuter which upon many evidences we have good cause to hope he never will and should with our Prayers endeavour to obtain he never may rather then upon no grounds but bare feares and jealousies taken up by an implicit faith pinn'd upon the sleeve of a few men not priviledged from error contrary to Gods word to Acts of Parliament to subscriptions Oathes and Vowes to Rebell against him Vpon these considerations and such like many have fallen off already from the Parliament and unlesse some cleer satisfaction be hereunto speedily given if at least any satisfactory reason may be given how we should break all these sacred bonds and not be guilty it is to be thought many more will fall off Great is the truth and will prevaile And O thou that are the God both of truth and peace direct our hearts that we may understand the truth and incline our mindes to follow those things that make for Peace yea Lord grant unto us all with setled purpose and serious resolution to walke in those wayes that are most suitable to the Gospell as knowing that those are the wayes that make most for the glory of thy name and most for the comfort of our own otherwise erring and indanger'd soules Turpe haec opprobria nobis Et dici potuisse non potuisse refelli Satius est de media via recurrere quam semper currere male Be not deceived God is not mocked Gal. 6.7 FINIS 1645.