Religion dividing the King from his people or one of the Kingdoms from another making any Faction or parties amongst the people contrary to this League and Covenant that they may be brought to publike trial and receive condigne punishment as the degree of their offences shall require or deserve or the Supreme Judicatories of both Kingdoms respectively or other having power from them for that effect shall judge convenient V. And whereas the happiness of a blessed Peace between these Kingdoms denied in former times to our Progenitors is by the good providence of God granted unto us and hath been lately concluded and setled by both Parliaments we shall each one of us according to our place and interest indeavour that they may remain conjoyned in a firm peace and union to all posteritie And that Justice may be done upon the willfull opposers thereof in manner expressed in the precedent Articles VI We shall also according to our places and callings in this common cause of Religion Liberty and peace of the Kingdoms assist and defend all those that enter into this League and Covenant in the maintaining and pursuing thereof and shall not suffer our selves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination perswasion or terror to be divided and withdrawn from this blessed union and conjunction whether to make defection to the contrary part or to give our selves to a detestable indifferency or neutrality in this cause which so much concexneth the glory of God the good of the Kingdoms and the honour of the King but shall all the dayes of our lives zealously and constantly continue therein against all opposition and promote the same according to our power against all Lets and Impediments whatsoever and what we are not able our selves to suppress or overcome we shall reveal and make known that it may be timely prevented or removed All which we shall doe as in the sight of God And because these Kingdoms are guilty of many sins and provocations against God and his Son Jesus Christ as is too manifest by our present distresses and dangers the fruits thereof we professe and declare before God and the World our unfeined desire to be humbled for our own sins and for the sins of these Kingdoms especially that we have not as we ought valued the inestimable benefit of the Gospel that we have not laboured for the purity and power thereof that we have not endeavoured to receive Christ in our hearts nor to walk worthy of him in our lives which are the causes of other sins and Transgressions so much abounding amongst us And our true and unfeigned purpose desire and indeauour for our selves and all others under our power and charge both in publique and private in all duties we owe to God and man to amend our lives and each one to go before another in the example of a real Reformation that the Lord may turn away his wrath and indignation and establish these Churches and Kingdomes in truth and peace And this Covenant we make in the presence of Almighty God the Searcher of all hearts with a true intention to perform the same as we shall answer at that great day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed Most humbly beseeching the Lord to strengthen us by his Holy Spirit for this end and to bless our desires and proceedings with such success as may be deliverance and safety to his people and encouragement to other Christian Churches groaning under or in danger of the yoke of Antichristian tyranny to joyn in the same or like Association and Covenant to the glory of God the enlargement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and the peace and Tranquility of Christian Kingdoms and Commonwealths Subscribed by William Lenthal Speaker Sir Henry Vane junior and most now sitting Yet notwithstanding all these most solemn sacred legal Oaths this Protestation Solemn League and Covenant sweetly according with and ratifying each other the remaining Fragment of the Commons House sitting under the power of the Army not only violated them all in the Highest degree by their proceedings against the late King his Heirs and Successors to the Imperial Crown the Royal posterity Kingship Kingdom Lords House and their secluded fellow Members but also took upon them to suppress and set aside these Oathes yea to brand and stigmatize them for Vnlawfull Oathes to absolve themselves with all others from them and to set up an Ingagement of their own framing in diametrical Opposition against all and every of them imposed on all the three Nations with strictest severity by their New Knack of 6. September 1649. disabling all Freemen of this Nation to sue in any Court of Justice whatsoever or to enjoy any Civil Ecclesiastical or Military Office benefice augmentation trust or degree of Learning in the Vniversities or Innes of Court and debarring all Lawyers Attornies from their practice by a new kinde of Praemunire who should not take and subscribe this Engagement which the whole House of Commons having not the least legal Power to g administer any usual Oath to Witnesses or any person whatsoever in any case or Age had neither Authority nor Power to impose upon the Nation were it consonant to the precedent Oaths Protestation Covenant much less then the Vnparliamentary Conventicle sitting after the Kings beheading the Lords and Majority of the Commons forcible seclusion and the h Parliaments actual dissolution thereby when diametrically repugnant to all these legal Oaths and to the Petition of Right it self 3 Caroli complaining providing against the future administring of any Oath not warrantable by the Laws and Statutes of this Realm in precise Terms and whether this Engagement be not such let all Lawyers Divines and consciencious Englishmen resolve I do declare and promise That I will be true and faithfull to the Common-wealth of England as it is now established without a King or House of Lords All the Officers Souldiers of the Army and Garrisons through England and Ireland were the first men who subscribed it and returned their Subscriptions in Parchment-Rolls to their Journey-men and Creatures at Westminster who thereupon thought themselves and their Government though founded upon Bloud Treachery Perjury as lasting and perpetual as if it had been founded on a Rock and the sincerest Principles of Piety Justice Righteousness and general publick National consent But those very first Engagers to them when they had done their Drudgery and oppressed the Nation with doubled and trebled Taxes to support their bloody wars by Land and Sea against their Protestant King and Brethren of Scotland the Netherlands on the 20th of April 1653. i sodenly turned them out of Doors and power with force and highest contempt as persons wholy perverting the ends of Parliament oppressing the people making Gain the main of their Business and utterly impossible in that corrupt estate in the judgements of the most moderate men to come the instruments of our long desired Establishment And then setting up a
CONCORDIA DISCORS OR THE DISSONANT HARMONY OF Sacred PUBLIqUE OATHES PROTESTATIONS LEAGUES COVENANTS INGAGEMENTS lately taken by many TIME-SERVING SAINTS Officers without scruple of Conscience making a very unpleasant Consort in the Ears of our most faithfull Oath-performing Covenant-keeping God and all Loyal consciencious Subjects sufficient to create a dolefull HELL and tormenting Horror in the awakned Consciences of all those who have taken and violated them too successively without any fear of God Men Devils or Hell By WILLIAM PRYNNE Esq a Bencher of Lincolns-Inne Numb. 30. 2. If a man vow a Vow unto the Lord or swear an Oath to bind his Soul with a Bond he shall not break his word he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his Mouth Gal. 3. 15. Brethren I speak after the manner of men though it be but a mans Covenant yet if it be confirmed no man disannulleth or addeth thereunto Jer. 23. 10. Because of Swearing the Land mourneth the pleasant places of the wilderness are dryed up their course is evil and their force is not right Augustin de verbis Apostoli Sermo 30. Falsa Juratio exitiosa est vera juratio periculosa est nulla iuratio secura est Tantum mali habet juratio ut qui lapides colunt timeant falsum jurare per lapides Tu non times Deum praesentem Deum viventem Deum sâ—ientem Deum movenâ—em Deum in contemptores vindicantem Vis ergò longè esse a perjurio Jurare noli Chrys. Hom. 12. in Mat. 5. Nisi juramentuÌ„ interdicatur non possunt amputari perjuria Nemo est enim qui frequenter jurat non aliquando perjuret London Printed for Edward Thomas at the Adam and Eve in Little Britain 1659. The dissonant Harmony or sacred publick Oaths Protestations Leagues Covenants Engagements lately taken c. MAny are the publick Oaths Protestations Leagues Covenants which all English Subjects especially Judges Justices Sheriffs Maiors Ministers Lawyers Graduates Members of the Commons House and all publick Officers whatsoever by the Laws and Statutes of the Land have formerly taken to their lawfull Hereditary Kings a their Heirs and Successors to bind their Souls Consciences to bear constant Faith Allegiance Obedience and dutifull subjection to them and to defend their Persons Crowns and just Royal Prerogatives with their Lives Members Fortunes against all Attempts Conspiracies and Innovations whatsoever Which being almost quite forgotten by those who have formerly taken and as frequently violated them over and over in the highest degree if not abjured them by contrary late Oaths and Ingagements I shall present them in order to their own and others view that they may conscienciously review consider them afresh and bewayle their perjurious atheistical violations of them to prevent those temporal and eternal Judgments which otherwise may and will most certainly fall upon them our Nation too for the same 1. I shall begin with the antient Oath of Fealty a which every Person above 14. years old and every Tithingman was obliged to take publickly at the Court Leet within which he lived and was antiently taken afresh every year by all the Subjects under Edward the Confessor and William the first in substance at least though not in precise words I A. B. do swear that from this day forwards I will be faithfull and loyal to our Lord the King and his Heirs and will bear * Faith and Allegiance to him of life and of Member and of terrene honour against all people which may live and die And that I shall neither know nor hear of any thing which may tend to their hurt or dammage which I shall not withstand to my power So God me help 2. The second is the antient usual b Oath of the Maiors of LONDON and other Cities and Townes throughout England and of Bayliffs or other Chief Officers where there were no Maiors You shall swear That you shall well and loyally serve the KING in the Office of Maior in the City of London and the same City shall keep surely and safely to the use of our Lord the KING of England and of his HEIRS Kings of England and that the profit of the KING you shall advance in all things which belong to you to do And shall loyally preserve the Rights of the King and whatsoever belongeth to the Crown in the said City and you shall not assent to the Distresse nor to the concealment of the Rights nor of the Franchises of the KING And where you shall know the Rights of the KING of his CROWN be it in Lands in Rents or in Franchises or in Sutes to be concealed or substracted you shall do your best endeavour to regain the same And that if you cannot do it you shall tell it to the King or to those of his Counsel of whom you are certain they will inform the KING thereof And that lawfully and rightfully you shall treat the People of your Bailywick and do right to every one as well to Strangers as to Prives as well to the Poor as to the Rich in that which appertains to you to do and that neither for Honour nor for Riches nor for Gift nor for Promise nor for favour nor for hatred you shall not do wrong to any one that you shall disturb no mans Right nor shall you take any thing by which the KING may suffer losse or any Right shall be disturbed And that in all things which appertain to the Maior of the said City so to do you shall well and lawfully demean your self So God you help c. The like c Oaths in substance were taken by all Privy Counsellors of State Sheriffs of Counties Recorders of Towns Escheators Constables and other publick Officers of Justice and by most Freemen of Corporations in relation to the King and his Heirs and the Rights of the Crown 3. The third is the d Oath of all the Judges Barons of the Exchequer and Justices of the Peace prescribed by several Acts thus formed Ye shall swear That well and lawfully ye shall serve our Soveraign Lord the King and his People in the Office of Justice and that lawfully ye shall counsell the King in his Business and that ye shall not counsel nor assent to any thing which may turn him to dammage or disherison by any manner way or colour and that ye shall not know the dammage or disherison of him whereof ye shall not do him to be warned by your self or by other and that ye shall do even Law and Execution of Right to all his Subjects Rich and Poor without having regard to any Person And that you take not by your self or by other privilie or apertly Gift or Reward of Gold or Silver nor of any other thing which may turn to your profit unlesse it be meat or drink and of small value of any man that shall have any Plea or Process hanging before you as long as the same Process shall be
drinke Wine nor build house nor sow seed nor plant nor have any vineyard but dwell in tents all their dayes held themselves bound in duty conscience to obey it which God himself commends records rewards for others imitation Jer. 35. 1. to 15. who might in like sort oblige them by his Oath and Covenant Is a convincing gument that as the * Warranties Covenants Bends Contracts Feofments Grants Reservations of Rents Services Tenures in see by the Laws of England and other Nations firmly oblige mens Heirs Posterity Assignees Executors Administrators on both sides in succession and perpetuity So likewise their Oaths Covenants Protestations to their here litarie Kings their Heirs and Successors oblige them equally to them in Perpetuity and succession 7ly Because it is most evident by Gen. 3. 14 15. c. 4 5. Exodus 17. 16. c. 20. 5. c. 43. 7. 1 Kings 2. 33. 2 Kings 5. 27. Jer. 22 30. c. 36. 31. That Parents by their iniquities and transgressions may draw down and entayl the curses the judgements of God on them and their Posterityes after them to their prejudice Therefore they may much more oblige them by their Oaths Covenants to Obedience Loyalty Subjection to their hereditary Kings and their Heirs for their own particular and the m Publick good safety as well as Freehold and Copyhold Tenents in Honors Manors may oblige themselves their Heirs and Successors for ever by Homage Fealty Tenures Contracts to their Landlords their Heirs and Assignees for ever by the Common Statute-laws of our own and other Realms though they be no Soveraign Lords and Kings over them 8ly Because the Saints and Churches of God in all Ages have held themselves and their posterity bound in Duty and Conscience to pray to God for the life safety prosperity of their Kings and their Sons and Royal Posterity in all hereditary Kingdoms as is apparent by Ezra 6. 10 11. Psal. 72 1 2 15. 1 Sam. 11. 14. 2 Sam. 16. 16. 1 Kings 1. 25. 34 39. 2 Kings 11. 12. 2 Chron. 23. 11. Psal. 149. 2. Ezech. 9. 9. Dan. 2. 4. c. 3. 9. c. 6. 6. 21. Mat. 21. 5. 9. John 12. 13 15. 1 Tim. 2. 1 2 3. by all the antient modern Liturgyes Collects Letanyes Canons of the Churches of England Scotland Ireland France Spain and other hereditary Kingdoms The Testimony of sundry Fathers Councils Historians and our own Clause Rolls in the Tower n elsewhere quoted Therefore they may lawfullie oblige themselves and their Posterity by Solemn Oaths Covenants Protestations to obey protect and defend their and their posterities Royal Persons Crowns and Royalties 9ly To put this out of further question I shall only prest one Scripture president and testimonie more wherewith I shall conclude this point and that is the Historie of the Gibeonites recorded Josh. 9. 10. and 2 Sam. 21. 1. to 13. The Gibeonites a remnant of the Amorites with whom the Israelites by Gods express command were to make no peace nor covenant nor shew any mercy to but smite with the edge of the sword and utterly destroy Deut. 7. 1 2 3. c. 20. 16 17 18. circumventing Joshua and the elders of Israel by a stratagem of old bottles shooes bread clothes and a lying information that they came from a farr country to make peace and a league with them by reason of the glorious victories God had given and the miracles he had wrought for them thereupon without asking any advice of God or the Congregation or examining the truth of their information Joshua and the Elders of the Congregation entred into a league with them to let them live and sware unto them in the name of the Lord Within three dayes after they heard they were their neighbours and dwelt amongst them and they came unto their Cities the third day * But the children of Israel smote them not Because the Princes of the Congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel Hereupon all the Congregation murmured against the Princes But all the Princes said unto the Congregation We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel therefore we may not touch them This we will do unto them we will let them live lest wrath be upon us because of the Oath that we sware unto them And the Princes said unto them let them live as the Princes had promised them but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water to all the congregation And Joshua called for them and spake unto them saying Wherefore have ye beguiled us saying We are very far from you when you dwell among us Now therefore ye are cursed and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen and bewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God And they answered Joshua and said because it was certainly told thy servants how the Lord thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the Land and to destroy all the Inhabitants of the Land before you therefore we were fore afraid of our lives because of you and have done this thing And now behold we are in thine hand as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us do And so did he unto them and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel that they slew them not And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the Altar of the Lord even to this day in the place which he should chuse After this Oath and League the Princes and Congregation were so farr from slaying or suffering them to be slain by their enemies contrarie hereunto that when as 5. Kings soon after came up with all â—hâ—ir hosts and encamped against Gibeah to destroy is because they had made peace with Israel the Giheonite sending this message to Joshus the camp at Gilgal slack not thy hand from thy servants to come up to us quickly save us for all the Kings of the Amorites that dwell in the Mountains are gathered against us thereupon Ioshua and all the men of Warr with him went up from Gilgal all night and came upon their Enemies sodenly and smote destroyed them with a great slaughter delivering them from that danger About 395 years after this Solem Oath League King Saul out of his zeal to the children of Israel and Iudah sought to destroy all and slew some of those Gibeonites posterity contrary to this Oath and League For which 35 * years after its violation and 430 years after its first making God sent a famine in the Land for three years year after year upon this David inquiring of the Lord what was the true cause thereof The Lord answered him It was for Saul and for his bloudy house because they slew the Gibeonites who were not of the Israelites but of the remnant of the Amorites and the children of Israel had sworn unto them whereupon David called the Gibeonites and said unto
them What shall I doe for you and Wherewith shall I make the Attonement that ye may blesse the Inheritance of the Lord And they said unto the King The man that consumed us and devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel let seven of his sons be delivered unto us and we will hang them up in Gibeah of Saul which the Lord did chuse which being accordingly done after that God was intreated for the Land and removed the famine 2 Sam. 1. 1. to 15. Here we have an Oath and Covenant binding the Israelites their Governours Heirs and posterity in perpetuitie to the Gibeonites and their posteritie which I shall parallel with our forementioned Oaths Protestation Covenant to our hereditarie Kings their heirs and successors to prove them more obliging to us and our posterities than this Oath League of the Israelites to the Gibeonites in regard of these observable circumstances particulars not hitherto insisted on by any which I beseech God in mercie to set home effectually upon all our hearts spirits consciences both for our information reformation settlement and avoiding Gods avenging justice on us and our posterities for our transcendent perjuries breach of Oathes and Covenants to our Soveraigns 1. This Oath and Covenant with the Gibeonites Embassadors was procured by meer fraud circumvention misinformation and apparent falshood arising meerly from those to whom it was made and sworn yet it obliged the Israelites and their posteritie to the Gibeonites and their progenie in perpetuitie But the forementioned Oathes together with the Protestation and Solemn League and Covenant were made without any fraud circumvention misinformation or false suggestion upon grounds of loyaltie dutie justice prudence christianitie Religion and State-policie voluntarily propounded by the makers takers of them and ratified in full Parliaments Therefore they must needs be farre more valid obligatory to the whole English Nation and their posterities than this Oath Covenant to the Gibeonites 2. This League and Oath was made very sodenly rashly unadvisedly without any advice with God and the whole Congregation or examining debating the truth of the Gibeonites suggestion yet it bound them when once made But our Oathes Protestation League Covenant were all made enacted enjoyned upon long and serious debate mature deliberation in several successive Parliaments Therefore ours must be much more obliging than theirs 3ly This League Oath was made only by the Princes of Israel without the Congregations privitie assent or advice who were discontented with and murmured against them for it yet it obliged both the Princes people and their posterities But our Oathes Protestation League and Covenant were made not only by all our Princes Nobles Peers but likewise by the whole House of Commons in full Parliaments and assented to by the whole English Nation both in and out of Parliament the * Commons being the original movers promoters contrivers of all or most of them Therefore they must be much more obligatorie to us and our poâ—eriâ—ies than theirs 4ly Their League Oath was never ratified by any publique Law or decree of the whole Congregation and people of Israel in any publike Convention but only by Ioshua and the Princes alone yet they bound the whole Nation Ours have been approved ratified established perpetuated by sundry successive Acts Ordinances Votes of Parliament from time to time continuing still in their full legal force Therefore much more valid and binding to us and our posterities than theirs 5ly That Oath League was taken sworn only by the Princes themselves not by the Congregation and people of Israel yet they were all obliged by them Our Oaths Protestation League Covenant have been sworn taken not only by all our Princes Nobles Officers of State Iustices but likewise by all or most of the Commons people of the Land from time to time both in and out of Parliament Therefore much more obliging to us and ours than theirs 6ly This Oath League of theirs to the Gibeonites was never taken and entred into for ought appears but once and that sodeinly without any subsequent renovation or ratification But our Oathes Protestation League Covenant have been swore taken again and again by all Members of Parliament Officers of State Iustices Graduates Lawyers Ministers most Souldiers and others upon sundry emergent occasions both in and out of Parliament Therefore much more obligatory to us and our posterities then theirs 7ly This Oath League for ought wee read was not made explicitly in precise terms with the Gibeonites their heirs and posteritie for ever but only indefinitely with the Gibeonites then in being whose lives they spared as the words import yet because they were a People State Citie Body politick having a permanent succession it virtually and intentionally in their own and Gods account too extended not only to the Gibeonites then living but to their succeeding issues in Sauls time near 400 years after and all succeeding Generations as q perpetual National Leagues use to do But our Oaths League Covenant in direct terms extend not only to our Kings to whom they were first made and sworn but likewise to their heirs successors and Royal Posterity for ever see 1 Jac. c. 1. 3. Jac. c. 4. 7 Jac. c. 6. 1 Eliz. c. 1. 3. Therefore they must needs be more binding to us our Heirs and Posterities in present and succeeding Generations than their to the Gibeonites 8ly Their League Oath was only with foreign Pagans Strangers who became their mere slaves and bondmen in perpetuitie and had not the least power jurisdiction over them yet it bound them to strict observation Ours are made sworn to our own Christian natural Kings Princes Soveraigns of our own flesh bloud Nation to whom we are natural borne Subjects and owe all dutifull allegiance by the Laws of God Nature Nations Therefore much more obliging to and most religiously to be kept by us and our posterities after us than theirs 9ly Which is most considerable this their Oath League was made with such an idolatrous remnant of the Ammonites as God himself by express precepts had commanded the Israelites to make no League nor Covenant with upon any terms but utterly to destroy with the edge of the sword without mercie without saving any of them alive Exod. 23. 32. c. 24. 12. 13. Deutr. 7. 1 2 3 c. c. 20. 16 17 18. Psal. 106. 34. 35. yet notwithstanding having once entred into a League with and sworn to them in the name of the Lord that they should live though by their own fraud circumvention and misinformation God was so jealous of his own name honour glory so unwilling that his own people should perjuriously treacherously perfidiously break their Oathe Covenant sworn in his name r being the highest the most sacred inviolable Obligations securities that can be betweene God and men man and man Nation and Nation that he would rather have his positive judicial Law which Å¿ some conceive to
so hanging nor after the same cause And that ye take no fee as long as ye shall be Justice nor Robes of any man great or small but of the King himself And that you give none advice or counsell to no man great or small in no case where the King is party And in case that any of what estate or condition they be come before you in your Sessions with force and arms or otherwise against the Peace or against the forme of the Statute thereof made to disturbe execution of the Common-law or to menace the people that they may not pursue the Law that ye do their bodies to be arrested and put in prison And in case they be such that ye may not arrest them that ye certifie the King of their names and of their misprision hastily so that thereof he may ordain a coâ—â—venable remedy And that ye by your self nor by other privily nor apertly maintain any plea or quarrel hanging in the Kings Court or elsewhere in the Country And that ye deny to no man common right by the Kings Letters nor none other mans nor for none other cause and in case any letters come to you contrary to the Law that ye do nothing by such Letters but certifie the King thereof and go forth to do the Law notwithstanding the same Letters And that ye shall do and procure the profit of the King and of the Crown with all things where ye may reasonably do the same And in case ye be from henceforth found in default in any of the points aforesaid ye shall be at the Kings Will of Body Lands and Goods thereof to be done as shall please him as God you help and all Saints Anno 18 E. 3. Stat. 4. The next Oath is that of Supremacy made and prescribed to be taken by all Judges Justices Sheriffs Maiors Recorders Civil and Ecclesiastical Officers Barresters Benchers Graduates Ministers Attornies whatsoever and all Members of the Commons House before they ought to fit or vote therein by the Statutes of 1 Eliz. cap. 1. 5 Eliz. cap. 1. 17 Car. cap. 7. I A. B. do utterly testifie and declare in my Conscience That the Kings Highness is the only Supream Governor of this Realm and of all other his Highness Dominions and Countries as well in all Spiritual or Ecclesiastical things or causes as Temporal and that no forein Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to have any Jurisdiction Power Superiority Preheminence or Authority Ecclesiastical or Spiritual within this Realm and therefore I do utterly renounce all forein Jurisdictions Powers Superiorities and Authorities and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear Faith and true Allegiance to the Kings Highness his Heirs and lawfull Successors and to my Power shall assist and defend all Iurisdictions Privileges Preheminences and Authorities granted or belonging to the Kings Highness his Heirs and Successors or united and annexed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm So help me God and by the Contents of this Book 5. The 5th Oath of equal Latitude and Extent as the former of Supremacy is that of Allegiance prescribed by the Statutes of 3 Jacobi cap. 4. 7 Jac. c. 6. 17 Car. c. 7 tending only to the Declaration of such Duty as every true and well-affected Subject not only by Bond of Allegiance but also by the Commandement of Almighty God ought to bear to his Majesty his Heirs and Successors which Oath such as are infected with Popish Superstition do oppugn with many false and unsound Arguments the just defence whereof his Majesty King James hath heretofore undertaken worthily performed to the great contentment of all his loving Subjects notwithstanding the gainsayings of all contentious Adversaries And to shew how greatly his Loyal Subjects did approve the said Oath they prostrated themselves at his Majesties feet beseeching his Majesty that it might be enacted that the same Oath may be administred to all his Subjects The words whereof are these I A. B. do truly and sincerely acknowledge professe testifie and declare in my Conscience before God and the world That our Soveraign Lord King CHARLES is lawfull and rightfull King of this Realm and of all other his Majesties Dominions and Countries And that the Pope neither of himself nor by any of the Church or See of Rome or by any other means with any other hath any power or authority to depose the King or to dispose of any of his Majesties Kingdomes or Dominions or to authorize any forein Prince to invade oâ— annoy him or his Countries or to discharge any of his Majesties Subjects of their Allegiance and Obedience to his Majesty or to give licence or leave to any of them to bear Arms raise tumult 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 by the Pope or his Successors or by any Authority derived or pretended to be derived from him or his See against the said King his Heirs or Successors or any absolution of the said Subjects from their obedience I will bear Faith and true Allegiance to his Majesty his Heirs and Successors 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 Successors all Treasons and traiterous 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 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 do plainly and sincerely acknowledge and swear according to the 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 Acknowledgement heartily willingly and truly upon the true Faith of a Christian So help me God 6. To these Oaths I shall subjoyn the c Protestation made and taken in pursuance of these Oaths by all the Well-affected Members of the Lords and Commons House the last long Parliament and voluntarily taken by all the best affected
people throughout the Realm and by all or most Officers and Souldiers of the Army by their Authority We the Knights Citizens and Burgesses in the Commons House of Parliament finding to the great grief of our hearts that the designs of the Priests and Jesuites and other Adherents to the See of Rome have of late been * more boldly and frequently put in practise than formerly to the undermining and danger of the ruine of the true reformed Protestant Religion in his Majesties Dominions established And finding also that there have been and having just cause to suspect that there still are even during this sitting in Parliament * endeavours to subvert the Fundamental Laws of England and Ireland and to introduce the exercise of an Arbitrary and Tyranical Government by most pernicious and wicked Counsels Practises Plots and Conspiracies And that the long intermission and unhappy breach of Parliaments hath occasioned many illegal Taxations whereupon the Subject hath been prosecuted and grieved And that divers Innovations and Superstitions have been brought into the Church multitudes driven out of his Majesties Dominions jealousies raised and fomented betwixt the King and his people a Popish Army levyed in Ireland and two Armies brought into the bowels of this Kingdom to the hazard of his Majesties Royal Person the * consumpsion of the Revenues of the Crown and Treasure of this Kingdom And lastly finding a great cause of Jealousie that endeavours have been and are used to bring the English Army into a Mis-understanding of this Parliament thereby to * incline that Army with force to bring to passe those wicked Counsels have therefore thought good to joyn our selves in a Declaration of our united Affections and Resolutions and to make this ensuing Protestation I A. B do in the presence of Almighty God promise vow and protest to maintain and defend as far as lawfully I may with my life power and estate the true reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and Popish Innovations within this Realm contrary to the same Doctrine and according to the duty of my Allegiance His Majesties Royal Person Honour and Estate as also the power and privilege of Parliament The lawfull Rights and Liberties of the Subject and every person that maketh this Protestation in whatsoever he shall do in pursuance of the same And to my power and as far as lawfully I may I will oppose and by all good wayes and means endeavour to bring to condigne punishment all such as shall either by force practise counsels plots conspiracies or otherwise do any thing to the contrary in this present Protestation contained And further that I shall in all just and honourable waies endeavour to preserve the Vnion and Peace between the three Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland And neither for hope fear nor other respect shall relinquish this Promise Vow Protestation 7. The next in time is the Solemn League and Covenant taken in the most solemn manner with hands lifted up to heaven and subscribed by all Members of Parliament in England and Scotland by all Civil Military Officers Souldiers and well-affected persons in our three Kingdoms by f sundry special Ordinances of Parliament approving and ratifying the same A Solemn League and Covenant for Reformation and defence of Religion the Honour and Happiness of the King and the Peace and Safety of the three Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland WE Noblemen Barons Knights Gentlemen Citizens Burgesses Ministers of the Gospel and Commons of all sorts in the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland by the Providence of God living under one King and being of one Reformed Religion having before our eyes the glory of God and the advancement of the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the honour and happiness of the Kings Majesty and his Posterity and the true Publique Liberty Safety and Peace of the Kingdoms wherein every ones private condition is included and calling to minde the treacherous and bloudy plots Conspiracies Attempts and practises of the Enemies of God against the true religion and professors thereof in all places especially in these three kingdoms ever since the reformation of Religion and how much their rage power and presumption are of late and at this time increased and exercised whereof the deplorable estate of the Church and kingdom of Ireland the distressed estate of the Church and Kingdom of England and the dangerous estate of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland are present and publike Testimonies We have now at last after other means of Supplication Remonstrance Protestations and sufferings for the preservation of our selves and our religion from utter ruine and destruction according to the commendable practice of these kingdoms in former times and the Example of Gods people in other Nations after mature deliberation resolved and determined to enter into a mutual and Solemn League and Covenant wherein we all subscribe and each one of us for himself with hands lifted up to the most high God do swear I. THat we shall sincerely really and constantly through the Grace of God endeavour in our several places and callings the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God and the Example of the best Reformed Churches And shall endeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdoms to the nearest conjunction and uniformity in Religion Confession of Faith Form of Church-Government Directory for Worship and Catechising That we and our posterity after us may as Brethren live in Faith and Love and the Lord may delight to dwell in the midst of us II. That we shall in like manner without respect of persons indeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy that is Church-Government by Arch-Bishops Bishops their Chancellors and Commissaries Deans Deans and Chapters Archdeacons and all other Ecclesiastical Officers depending on that Hierarchy Superstition Heresie Schisme Profaneness and whatsoeuer shall be found to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godliness lest we partake in other mens sins and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues and that the Lord may be one and his Name one in the three Kingdoms III. We shall with the same sincerity reality and constancy in our several Vocations endeavour with our estates and lives mutually to preserve the Rights and Privileges of the Parliaments and the Liberties of the Kingdoms and to preserve and defend the Kings Majesties person and authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms that the world may bear witness with our consciences of our Loyalty and that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish his Majesties just power and greatness IV. We shall also with all faithfullness endeavour the discoverie of all such as have been or shall be Incendiaries Malignants or evil Instruments by hindering the reformation of