the Covenant from the nature of the thing doth include a Condition Now the King the Church of England the Church of Scotland nor the Parliaments of either Kingdom never gave any consent or Civil sanction to the Covenant but on the contrary have abolish'd all Laws made as illegall and unjust whereby we were bound to the keeping of it So that the Covenant doth not bind us nor our consciences to the observing of it otherwise no Laws could be altered by the Legislative Power The Unfeigned Assent and Consent of all Ministers I A.B. do here declare my unfeigned Assent and Consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book intituled The Book of Common-prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the Use of the Church of England together with the Psalter or Psalms of David Pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches and the form or manner of Making Ordaining or Consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons By the Parliament of England 1662. A Declaration or Acknowledgment to be Subscribed unto I A. B. do declare that it is not Lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King and that I do abhorr that traiterous Position of taking Arms by His Authority against His Person or against those that are Commissionated by him and that I will conform to the Liturgy of the Church of England as it is now by Law established And I do declare that I do hold there lies no Obligation upon me or any other person from the Oath commonly called The Solemn League and Covenant to endeavour any change or alteration of Government either in Church or State And that the same was in it self an unlawful Oath and imposed upon the Subjects of this Realm against the known Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom By the Parliament of Scotland 1662. A Declaration to be subscribed unto I A. B. do declare that it is unlawful for any to take up Arms against His Majesty or to enter in Leagues and Covenants without His Majesty And that all the late Acts of Committees and the two late Oathes called the Solemn League and Covenant and National Covenant are unlawful and no ways binding on any By the Parliament of Scotland Edinburgh Septemb. 5. 1662. A Declaration I Declare that I do judge it unlawful for Subjects upon pretence of Reformation or other pretence whatsoever to enter into Leagues and Covenants or to take up Arms against the King or those Commissionated by Him And that all these Gatherings Convocations Petitions Protestations and erecting and keeping Council-Tables that were used in the beginning and for carrying on of the late Troubles were Unlawful and Seditious And particularly that these Oaths whereof the one was commonly called The National Covenant as it was sworn and explained in the year one thousand six hundred and thirty eight and thereafter and the other entituled A Solemn League and Covenant were and are in themselves Unlawful Oathes and were taken by and imposed upon the Subjects of this Kingdom against the Fundamental Laws and Liberties of the same And that there lieth no Obligation upon me or any of the Subjects from the said Oathes or either of them to endeavour any change or alteration of the Government either in Church or State as it is now established by the Laws of the Kingdom 4. Incendiaries Malignants Because there are such expressions in the Covenant as are not to be found in any Oath that hath been taken in the Kingdom and for that the Laws of the Land are left out and not so much as once named 5. All Scripture-Covenanting from the Alpha unto the Omega thereof were commanded or chiefly acted by the Kings or the Chief Rulers and not one of the Covenants by the Elders of the People against or without the consent of the King 6. The Covenant is against Custome Usage Judicial Records and Acts of Parliament the King's Declarations and Proclamation and against all the Customs and Usages of all Nations in the world themselves being Judges and therefore ought not so much as to have been intended much less sworn unto Mr. Nye Such an Oath as for Matter Persons and other Circumstances the like hath not been in any Age or Oath we read of in Sacred or Human Story Iid. We are entring now upon a work of the greatest moment and concernment that ever was undertaken by any of Us or any of our Fore-fathers before us or our neighbouring Nations about us Henderson The Reformed Churches the Low-Countries our Noble and Christian Progenitors entred not into such a Solemn League and Covenant whence have we this Covenant then The dangers and pressures of the Kingdom of Scotland growing to greater extremity such as were entrusted with the Publick affairs of the Kingdom were necessitated to call a Convention of the Estates for considering of the present affairs And Commissioners were sent from both Houses of Parliament not from the King to consider with the Estates of the Kingdom of Scotland without the King what then Their consultations did in the end bring forth this Covenant When the Reformed Churches shall hear of this so neither the King nor the Reformed Churches were consulted with in this matter How then Salt-marsh The Covenant is a Divine Engine the godly have found out This is the first time the Sun saw such a confederation and therefore there should be as much Art used in preserving the Spirits of people as there was Art used in raising them up to this Height Coleman This is a new thing and not done in our Land before Ask your Fathers consult with the Aged of your times whether ever such a thing were done in their days or in the days of their fathers before them 7. 1643. 1641. The Covenant is diametrically opposite to the Protestation taken not long before wherein we have sworn That to our Power and as far as Lawfully we may we will oppose and by all good ways and means endeavour to bring to condign punishment all such as shall either by Force Plots Conspiracies or otherwise do any thing contrary to the true Reformed Protestant Religion established or against His Majesty's Royal Person Honor or Estate c. which was taken in Lawful things besides the Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacy which were taken Lawfully and in Lawfull things long before and so made all contrary Oathes unlawful to be afterwards either taken or kept St. Jerom. Now lay your hands upon your hearts consider and take the counsel of St. Jerom unto Ruffinus Never blush man to change thy opinion of the Covenant for neither you or I or any person living are of so great Authority as to be asham'd to confess they have erred Pym. As it is a crime odious in the nature of it to endeavour the alteration of the Government of the State so it is odious
J. Goodwin The Parliamentary Assembly in a Representative and Legal consideration is the whole Body of the Nation and of all the persons in it having the same Power and Authority by Law and in Conscience too to do every whit as much in every respect as the whole Nation and all the particular persons therein could have if they were met together All the Kingdom besides hath no such Power as they and things may be done very Lawfully and with a good Conscience by virtue of their Appointment and Command with the King's Consent which could not be done without it though a thousand times more men or persons than they are should command them Because the Council of the King consisteth onely of persons thereunto especially elected by Himself and thereunto sworn to serve Him with their faithful advice and counsel and whether they be Nobles or no it is not material seeing that the Calling cometh not by Birth Lambard but groweth by Election and be so incorporate with him as he speaketh by them and their Judgments are reputed to be His own Because the King and Governors substituted under him both Ecclesiastical and Civil excel in virtue by equity saving from injury and do maintain all in one indifferency of Right and Justice and therefore to be obeyed in what they shall command by all good Subjects J. Goodwin A man's consent to an Unlawful Power in an absolute and simple consideration is a meer Nullity and such a a Power never the more Lawfullized thereby Because the King in his own Kingdom is the onely Supreme Judge and bound by his Coronation Oath to be the onely Judge of his people as may appear by this one Question therein amongst others Lambard Facere fieri in omnibus judiciis tuis aequam rectam justitiam discretionem in misericordia veritate secundùm vires tuas Judiciis tuis vires tuas do more properly denote unto us his own doings than the doings of his subaltern Justices albeit their judgment be after a certain manner the Judgment of the King himself also from whence their Authority is derived Camero the Learned holdeth that in things pertaining to external order in Religion Kings may command what they will pro Authoritate and forbid to seek any other reason besides the Majesty of their Authority yea when they command frivola dura iniqua respectu nostri our consciences are bound not onely in respect of the end because scandal should possibly follow in case we obey not but also jubentis respectu because the Apostle bids us obey the Magistrate for conscience sake Eleutheriâ—s to K. Lucius Rex Dei Vicarius est in Regno suo The King is God's Vicar in his own Kingdom Because we have the testimony not onely of Antiquity but of Papists themselves in the days of Queen Elizabeth of ever blessed memory whose Church-Government was the same with ours now in being Guazzo If say they there be nothing to keep her meaning the Queen from Heaven but Her Religion no doubt but She shall go thither for I can tell you this that the most Learned men of the world are of this opinion that Her Religion is the high way to Heaven and if a Tree be known by its Fruits we doubt not but this Tree is good which bringeth forth such Fruits as the like are not to be found in the whole world again a Princess and now a Prince endued with such piety such purity c. that She and now He may be a pattern for all Princes to practise by Grave and Wise Counsellors referring all their thoughts and doings to God's glory their Prince's safety and their Country's commodity a well-disposed and orderly Commonalty ruled as much by Religion as Law obeying as well for conscience as fear continual peace and quietness which is a singular blessing of God and an undoubted sign that God liketh well of Her and now of His proceedings For as She so He banished Popery keeps the Ceremonies and maintaineth the Authority of Bishops To attempt to be the Authors of Combinations to extort by tumults the alteration of any part of the established Government Ecclesiastical or Civil is Treason and will lay such men open to the lash of the Law Stâ—w in vit H. 7. Bugnal Scot Heath and Kennington being Sanctuary men in St. Martins le Grand London had judgment to be hang'd drawn and quarter'd for setting up seditious Bills to the scandal of the King and some of his Council In vita Eliz. Penry Udal Barrow Greenwood Studley Billots and Bowdler were Condemned and three of them hanged for writing Treasonable and Seditious Books by which the Peace of the Kingdom might have been disturbed though no Rebellion followed Hollingshed in vit Eliz. Copping and Thacker were Hang'd at St. Edmonds-bury for publishing the Pamphlets writ by Robert Brown against the Book of Common-prayer How 's Chron. Mr. Williams Barrister of the Middle Temple was Executed in King James his Reign for writing a defamatory Book against the said King and his Posterity Because the Matter of Church-Government is far wide from every man's particular profession neither is it to be spann'd and fathom'd by the length and reach of ordinary discretion but requires great faithfulness gravity meekness and dexterity to restore Religion into her place and being placed there to keep it Because it is not a bare good intention or Zeal without knowledge that can justifie a good action much less an evil action it must be a mature knowledge that will warrant actions upon which our Customs are grounded now Customs are not to give place to men's Humors but men must resign their Humors to Custom nay to Government established by Law for our Government hath been long and often established and if there were a change we should never be at peace within our selves by reason of those humorous affections that are amongst us Because those that thwart the Government of the Church if left to themselves would be able to cross the King and encourage the people to Rebellion and thereby become unpeaceable proud obstinate disobedient self-will'd and contradict the Powers that be of God For can we expect Unity and Peace from those that have been so wofully divided amongst themselves and yet are unanimous against the Rites and Ceremonies Because it is a Jesuitical Opinion to hold that Princes must determine nothing in matters of Religion nor ought to encourage the Church For Riches tend much to strengthen the Clergy and preserve Religion but dissentions and divisions and exasperating of the King against the Bishops is the way to sow the seeds of another desperate War and by novelties and diversities make people grow weary and set loose to the practise of piety Paraeus Magistratus est Custos Religionis The Magistrate is the Keeper of Religion Cunaeus de Rep. Heb. Persaepe Spiritus Divinus Reges principesque Sacerdotes
of Religion without any manifest known sin in the Manner of Worshipping of God or in the Matter and therefore our Government ought not to be Altered though Opposed by some that will not Conform because they are Commanded and yet confess Robinson Justific we ought and must obey the Ceremonies for the ends Commanded and as they tend to the Edification of our Selves and Others and that if they tend to the Edification of the Church and good Order they are Lawfull in the Commander Because the Officers of the Church as our Arch-bishops Bishops c. met together to Discuss and Consider of matters for the good of the Churches may be called a Church by the Judgment of the greatest Antagonist of the Church of England Robinson Because the Order of Bishops being of Divine Institution Ordination or Confirmation by the Apostles it follows that they are not of less Excellency than the Churches whose Servants they are but that the Churches are and ought to be in due proportion Inferior unto them The Man was not Created for the Woman but the Woman for the Man and as Ministers of the revealed Will of God they are infinitely above and Superior unto all saith our great Antagonist Robinson and for this Ambassage of God and Christ they are absolutely and simply to be Obeyed Because wearing the Surplice Cope Corner'd Cap Tippet Rotchet the use of the Ring in Marriage Signing with the Sign of the Cross in Baptism Kneeling Sitting or Standing in Divine Service are not Ceremonies in themselves but only when they are so Designed Appointed and Observed Dr. Burges A Bishop doth not wear the Judges Quoif the Counsellour a Surplice the Attourney a Ministers Garment a Lay man Parliament Robes an ordinary Citizen an Alderman's Badge it is one thing to wear a Garment to keep one Warm or for some other Service and another thing to wear it as a Distinctive cognizance of Authority of such and such a Degree Office Calling or Profession in which use it is a Ceremony otherwise not Dr. Burges a Ceremony external because internal actions of the mind being matters of substance cannot be duely called Ceremonies yet the institution or observation of an action or thing to express this or that to such an use as is Ceremonious makes it a Ceremony See Styleman's Peace-Offering Because meer Civility would teach though Religion were silent that men under Authority should obey and candidly forbear to intermeddle in matters of which they are not meet Judges though as Mint Annise and Cummin but Religion should teach them much more and put them in mind of the weighty things of the Law of Christ studying by all ways to gain some I became a Jew that I might gain the Jew saith that great Doctor of the Gentiles and was this by contradicting and gain-saying the Ceremonies of the Jewish Church Because God is a God of Order and Peace and hath ordained and commanded Peace and Unity between Ecclesiastical and Civil Power lest the Peace and Union both of Churches and Kingdoms be equally in danger of being broken Now that there is in the Church of England purity of Doctrine Order and Unity with Peace the Brethren themselves confess who do write about 1602. That in regard of the common grounds of Religion and of the Ministery we are all one we are all of one Faith one Baptism one Body one Spirit have all one Father one Lord and be all of one Heart against all wickedness Superstition Idolatry Heresie and that we seek with one Christian desire the advancement of the pure Religion Worship and Honor of God We are all Ministers of the Word by one Order we administer Prayers and Sacraments by one Form we preach one Faith and substance of Doctrine And we praise God heartily that the true Faith by which we may be saved and the true Doctrine of the Sacraments and the pure Worship of God is truly taught and that by publick Authority and retained in the Book of Articles Because the propounding of the true Doctrine the decision of Controversies making of Canons Orders Constitutions c. expedient and necessary to edification of the Church are Acts of Religion most proper to the Church and to make Laws to establish them to bestow Civil Gifts and Privileges upon the Church to ordain Civil Punishments for Offences committed against Christian Religion to erect Courts for the Cognizance of such Causes and the execution of the Laws is the peculiar and proper work of Christian Kings who are the onely Judges of their People Lambard Nevertheless Christian Kings though they may well do all these things without the help of the Church yet have they not done it but have made use of the Church for the more ample discharge of that great trust reposed in them Ut levior sit illis labor Because the Church hath power in Civil actions that draw scandal with them Ecclesiastically to censure yea the Church is to censure them Ecclesiastically in her members though the Magistrate pardon or pass them by except the Parties delinquent repent of them for then they are to be forgiven And what Usurpation is here upon the Magistracy The greatest enemy of the Church hath confessed this for a truth Robinson Because our Ceremonies are not immediate means of Worship neither do they terminate themselves in God who is worshipped Because the Church doth not give signification and effecting supernatural events to human Ceremonies as the Papists do K. James And no Church ought further to separate it self from the Church of Rome either in Doctrine or Ceremonies than she hath departed from her self when she was in her flourishing and best estate and from Christ her Lord and Head Because Ceremonies are ordained for those ends for which Rites may be ordained and are agreeable to those Rules which God's Word prescribes to wit Decency Order and Edification For Order and Uniformities sake Not any one Duty in all the Scripture so oft and so earnestly recommended as Unity which cannot be effected without some joint care to walk Uniformly in the Publick Worship of God Because the appointment of Ceremonies to be used as Ceremonies and not at all as Worship to God in themselves are no where condemned in the Scripture though not commanded Because our Ceremonies are of an indifferent nature and no Religion doth lie in the opposing of them but scandal and offence doth arise thereby causing even the good the Opposers might do to be evil spoken of and to become unprofitable Because our Ceremonies are not against Faith or a good life few and easie which Custome hath allowed and the not conforming to the Custom of a Church or State doth give occasion to Censures and Opinions and thereby cause suspition where a man might pass unquestion'd Because the Church of England never cast away all Ceremonies nor utterly abolish'd them but cast away all that which was properly Popish and corrupt in
the undermining the Tribunals of Judgment and the Wofull disturbance of Church and State which the proudest Non conformist cannot Balk but must confess it is a Truth and that they have walked within the Enormous confines of their own Exorbitant desires and even as Atheistical Nullifidians have not regarded the Blood of a King like riotous Ruffians eating and drinking and taking pleasure therein adjoyning Criticks to justle out the truth of the Lawfull absoluteness of Kingly power practizing as the Scenical jesters do fast and loose without a Cordial subjection and obedience but being Covetous cried give give for a King to whom no Antheme was more pleasant than possession of 80000 l. Diotrephes like seeking for the Pre-heminence yet pretending to have the self-denying Virtue but Demas like did embrace the present now and at the same time while they did profess themselves lofty Favourites took a Pattern of Religion from Raviliack and cared not for a King so much as a Wildred promise a Promise that made a King of never Dying Virtues and Bishops of never Dying Fame troublesome to their queasie Stomacks The Devil they had rather have for their Father and Confessour by whom they were led to follow the bright Beams of Corruscant Gold and Silver that had with them Authority to make them turn Turn-coats yet ceased not Parasitically to profess and swear they Loved the King with all their Saul at that very time the Friperers of Power and Government were telling them so much Money as made those Mercenary Pensioners bow before they would break though they had a King of Power in their Hands able for ever to have made them and three Kingdoms happy if these were not Ideots going in the Pride and Presumption of their Hearts after the Gods of Gold and Silver let all Generations judge whose Faith was Spun so broad and whose Consciences were without Measure as the Corn in Egypt without Number let any who have had so great Convincing reasons as we have had Judge how likely they should be the only feeling and faithfull Members that made so great a Defection from Duty and Allegiance or with what Confidence we should rely upon their Pargetting Profession whose Pandects and Plagiaries have made their Mountainous thoughts to swell higher than any Mountain in their barren Country being a people more Lapped than Nichodemus who was ignorant of the Mysteries of the Gospel and came by night to Jesus for Instruction but these who professed they knew Jesus to be Christ the King of Jews and Gentiles came by night to their Annointed Soveraign Lord and King not for instruction but to betray him and Judas like sold him for Money the root of all Evil. Now consider if God was so severely wrath with David a King for the Death of Urias the Hittite that Dyed in Warr with others of his Subjects that God did threaten Him that the Sword should not depart from his House And tell me nay tell the whole World whether you think Private persons Subjects sworn in Allegiance to their undoubted Lawfull King if they shall treacherously Murther their King will go Unpunished of God shall not his Sacred blood be upon their Heads upon the Heads of those that have Slain a righteous King upon the Heads of those that put the Sword of Warr by their side at a time of tenders of Peace Can such be guiltless O tempora O Mores it is hard to Kick against the Pricks By this very thing let it be known to all Generations ye were Sons of Belial ye that might have prevented the Murther and did it not ye are guilty His blood be upon you and your Children and the Innocent let them be free Thus far I hope I have kept a good Conscience in what I have done and hope so to keep it whatsoever I suffer for this my Integrity when I was a Child I did as a Child and took the Covenant being traiterously mis-led by them that did pretend Zeal and Piety for which transgression I humbly plead the forgiveness of Our Dread Soveraign Lord King Charls the First I willingly forgive such mens taking the Covenant who keep it within such bounds of Piety and Loyalty as can neither hurt either the Church my Self or the Publick peace Otherwise than thus I have not kept it and therefore with humble boldness lay hold upon and plead my right unto and in the Act of Indempnity given and granted by Our Dread Soveraign Lord and King Charls the Second as my Salvo against all the false Rumours and Reports gone out against me unto which I humbly add the Admission under Seal from the Right Reverend Father in God Gilbert by the Divine Providence Lord Bishop of London which I doubt not but they are sufficient Indempnities for my first Oath that ever I took 1643. being in Nonage and under Servitude when I took it And when enlarged into freedome I took the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy 1648. and since never took any Oath in any kind whatsoever but in Obedience to His Sacred Majesty And therefore let those that would retort upon me the Covenant consider the time when it was taken by me and under what Jurisdiction I then was remember that one Grand objection against our Rulers brought by all Non-conformists as a reason to enforce the taking of it viz. that they were Wicked but now are Justified which Objection brought as a reason did much prevail upon the Hearts of multitudes of Ignorant Men Women and Children and upon my Self amongst others But had we been able wisely to have considered that the wickedness of the Rulers if any such there were did not make the truths of God a Lye and his Commandments of none Effect it might have been a good Premonition to us that profess our selves the true Members of the Church to have taken heed we had not fallen and carefully to have minded those that made it their business to creep into mens affections with entising Words and under pretence of Religious opposing Ceremonies and established Government Kill'd the power of Godliness Nevertheless as I have so still I do acknowledge many Godly men to be amongst those that do not Conform and sound Religion yet not more sound Religion as some formerly and now would perswade than is in them that Conform although some might then and may now seemingly be of a more holy Conversation Howsoever that was and is the Error of the Person not of the Government or Doctrine of the Church yet such themselves being Judges cannot but have Regret upon their Spirits for those desperate falls they have had in the Opposing of the Doctrine of our Church and our established Government The fall of Contempt and Disobedience unto that Divine Commandment Curse not the King no not in thy thought The breach of four great Commandments the 5 6 9 10. their joyning Violence with that they called truth and Cruelty with that they called righteousness too evidently
manifest by which things alone I might easily be Convinced of the Equity of an established Government and the Iniquity of them that did and do oppose it who knowingly so horribly did Violate God's own Laws which here I use as an Argument for my own lawfull and just Defence especially when I consider that the first Opposing of established Government was but the beginning of Evils which gave scope to Bloody Seditions And therefore by this my contending for the established Government with Subjection and Obedience to the King is that I may go the right way to meet Peace that I may be clear from the Blood of all men pure then peaceable From whence I inferr that it is better to Contend against you who have preferred your own Humors and Opinions before the Commandments of God and the King than to be at Peace with you You who have occasioned dangerous Schisms Seditions and Bloody warrs by which you clearly Evidence and Justifie the Authority of a Law in Church and State Under which Law had we acquiesced we had not been wrapped in such evil snares but by our Obedience removed much Evil and prevented the shedding of much Blood besides the good we might have done to others others whose Consciences by strange Doctrine and unparalleld Practice have been made Bold Erring Presuming Secure if not Seared who under a pretence of good Meaning attempted Unlawfull nay Sinfull nay Damnable actions which cannot be Justified or Excused For if a good meaning did or could justifie or excuse evil actions then they who killed the Apostles might be justified and excused because in so doing they thought they did God good Service How farr any of ye that have been Leaders in the Church of God through your good meaning if I may so say have been or are from Soul ruinating Scandal though ye might not intend any such thing let your own Consciences and the fearfull Effects of the late Warr give in Evidence for Conviction as it doth clearly manifest the danger of yielding to the first beginnings of Evil as also the danger of opposing established Government and teaching others so to do by Doctrine or Example Ye could not swallow Gnats of Ceremonies but Camells of Blood went down O Bellua Multorum Capitum These these things we should lay to Heart and be humbled for 〈◊〉 great Provocations and Defections from our Covenant made in Baptism our Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy for the breach of less Oaths than these we find the Romans branded from the time of the third Punick Warr our opposing of the established Government of the Church of England our loss of the Practice of Piety and this with all our Hearts and according to all our Powers to endeavour to help the wounded Church of Christ the cause of our Religion which suffers much at home and much abroad by our strange Doctrines Opinions and more strange Actions and this with the loss of our Credits and all that is dear unto us endeavouring all of us in our Places and Callings for the time to come to keep the Commandments of God and the King without declining unto the right hand or the left that so the Evils felt or feared for our former Disobedience and Rebellion may be removed and prevented and our Persons find acceptance with God through the only Merits and Mediation of our Great High Priest the Lord Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament to whom be Honour and Glory ascribed of us and all the Churches of God now and for evermore Scriptures whereby the fore-going Reasons are inforced Gen. 13.8 And Abraham said unto Lot Let there be no strife I pray thee between me and thee and between my Herd-men and thy Herd-men for we be Brethren Gen. 47.22 Only the Land of the Priests bought he not for the Priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them wherefore they sold not their Lands ver 26. And Joseph made it a Law over the Land of Egypt unto this day that Pharaoh should have the Fifth part except the Land of the Priests only which became not Pharaohs Ex. 20.13 Thou shalt not kill Numb 8.14 Thus thou shalt separate the Levites from among the children of Israel and the Levites shall be mine ver 16. For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel ver 18. For I have taken the Levites for all the first-born of the children of Israel ver 19. And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel 26.9 Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel to bring you near to himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them ver 10. And he hath brought thee near to him and all thy brâ—thren the sons of Levi with the and seek ye the Priesthood also Deut. 17.15 Thou shalt in any wise set him King over thee whom the Lord thy God shall chuse ver 18. And it shall be when he sitteth upon the Throne of his Kingdom that he shall write him a copy of this Law in a Book out of that which is before the Priests the Levites 23.21 When thou shalt Vow a Vow unto the Lord thy God thou shalt not slack to pay it for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee and it would be sin in thee Josh 1.17 According as we hearkned unto Moses in all things so will we hearken unto thee 6.19 But all the Silver and Gold and Vessels of Brass and Iron are consecrated unto the Lord they shall come into the Treasury of the Lord. Judg. 17.26 In those days there was no King in Israel but every man did that which was right in his own eyes 1 Sam. 15.17 And Samuel said When thou wast little in thine own sight wast thou not made the Head of all the Tribes of Israel and the Lord annointed thee King over Israel 16.9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by and he said Neither hath the Lord chosen thee 24.6 And he said unto his men The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my Master the Lord 's Annointed to stretch forth mine hand against him seeing he is the Lord 's Annointed 2 Sam. 5. And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-Gilead and said unto them Blessed be ye of the Lord that ye have shewed this kindness unto your Lord even unto Saul and have buried him ver 6. And now the Lord shew kindness and truth unto you and I also will requite you this kindness because ye have done this thing 1 King 7.51 So was ended all the work that King Solomon made for the House of the Lord 2 Chron. 15.8 9. And Solomon brought
appellat quia Ceremoniarum ad eos Religionumque cura tutela pertinet The Spirit of God doth very often call Kings and Princes Priests because the cust dy and care of Ceremonies and of Religion belongs to them Bilson Kings and Princes before Christ subverted Idolls Reformed Religion in their Realms by their Princely Power and Zeal Stat. 25. Hen. 8. It was Enacted by Parliament That no Canons or Constitutions should be made by the Bishops c. and by them Promulgated without the King's Command Records of Convocation The Clergy were forced to give up their Power of Executing any old Canons of the Church without the King's consent had before Heylins History All former Constitutions Provincial and Synodal though hitherto in force by the Authority of the whole Western Church Stat. 25. Hen. 8. were Committed to the Arbitriment of the King and of sixteen Lay persons and sixteen of the Clergy appointed by the King to be Approved or Rejected by them according as they conceived them Consistent with or Repugnant to the King's Prerogative as Head of the Church or to the Laws of God c. Stat. 26. Hen. 8. Authority was allowed to the King to Repress and Correct all such Errors Heresies Abuses and Enormities whatsoever they were which by any manner of spiritual Jurisdiction might Lawfully be repressed c. any thing to the contrary notwithstanding Ibid. All manner of Jurisdiction Ecclesiastical was by Parliament acknowledged to belong to the King as Head of the Church So that no Bishop had any Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction but by under and from the King Stat. 37. Hen. 8. c. 17. Supreme Power of dispensing with any Ecclesiastical Constitutions is ascribed to the King and Parliament as recognized Supreme Head of the Church Stat. 25. Hen. 8. c. 21. and the Arch-bishop made the King 's Delegate so that in Case he should refuse two other Bishops might be named to Grant such Dispensations And after all the King and His Court of Chancery are made the last Judge what things in such Dispensations are repugnant to Scriptures and what not Stat. 37. Hen. 8. Though the King did not Personally himself Exercise the Power of the Keys yet this Right He claimed that no Clergy man being a Member of the English Church should Exercise it in His Dominions in any Cause or over any Person without the Leave and Appointment of Him the Supreme Head Nor any refuse to Exercise it whensoever He should require Stat. 32. It was Enacted that whosoever should teach contrary to the Determinations which were set forth by the King Hen. 8. c. 26. should be Deemed and Treated as a Heretick Stat. 2.5.6 E. 6. An Act is made in which the King and Parliament Authorize Bishops c. by Vertue of their Act to take Informations concerning the not using the Form of Common-prayer then prescribed and to Punish the same by Excommunication c. Confirmed by 1 Eliz. cap. 1. 5 Eliz. cap. 1. 23 Eliz. cap. 1. Because in doubtfull matters the resolution of the Major part must be obeyed Now it hath been resolved by many Kings and Princes that our Government is not repugnant to the Word of God from whose Judgment there is no appeal but only to God by Prayer Because Schism did grow out of and arise from Presbyterian Government in the purest time which caused the Churches then to out it and to establish Episcopacy as the best Antidote against Schism and for the Restauration and Maintenance of the Churches Peace which was by Succession from the Apostles if not of Divine Institution The Apostles of Christ ordained Bishops in the Church Bullinger 5. Ser. Now it seems a desperate course to use Presbyterian Government as a soveraign Antidote in our time Lloyds prim Epis which had the effect of Poison upon the Churches in the Apostles time Because Contention is a deadly Enemy to Charity and Holy-living Now the refusing of Subscription and Obedience to Church-Government must needs kindle Contentions and why will you thus Contend seeing that the Government by Bishops is the Government of Christ and what better Government can we expect from Man A Government most of the Godly have Conformed to Baxter Most of the Godly able Ministers of England since the Reformation have Judged Episcopacy Lawfull or most Fit and most of them did Subscribe and Conform to Episcopal Government as a thing not contrary to the Word of God but as instituted by the Apostles to which all or the most of the Ancient Fathers do agree so that it is very Evident that it is very Consistent with a Godly Life to Judge Episcopacy lawfull and fit or else so many hundred of Learned and Godly men would not have been of that mind Because they ought to be under the Obedience of all Laws Ecclesiastical and Civil which that Prince commands under whom they Live Division in Government makes Division in a Kingdome and a Kingdome divided cannot stand Omne regnum in se divisum desolabitur Because the Grandest opposers of the Government of the Church of England have ever been of Unconstant principles though Violently zealous in opposing Indifferent things Which if simply Unlawfull they were sin why then do they not contend against them as sinfull but as formerly they did so now they can dispense with them under their own Cure in the Person of another and Subscribe themselves if they might be Dispensed with as to a Compliance in their own Persons which by the Act they are Enjoyned Nor do we find any great Opposition in the time of the Reign of our Immortal Queen Elizabeth untill Her Majesty Commanded Her Bishops and Her Bishops by Her Authority Commanded due Obedience to the Government of the Church which doth manifest it was not nor is not Conscience that doth raise this Opposition against them as if Unlawfull but as not Convenient for them that have been and still are Braindistempered opposers of them Because no Persons for the reason of inconveniency ought to reject what Publick Authority hath allowed Sith that it is apparent that the Composers of our Divine Service-book made choice of the best things out of the most Ancient Liturgies of the Churches which Flourished long before the Birth of Antichrist Because it hath not been manifested unto the Church of England by any Irrefragable positions that the Government of the Church is Unlawfull or the Ceremonies thereof Impure for which impurity the Church should lay aside the Practice of them being Warranted by the Word of God or not Dissonant from it And that they are Unlawfull hath not nor cannot be Proved though Disallowed by some whose Approbation makes nor the Government of the Church of England ever a whit the more Lawfull though Consented unto by them Because we have the Truths of Doctrine Christian Ordinances and a Holy People of the Church of England exercising themselves in the Holy Duties