CERTAIN DISQUISITIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS Representing to the Conscience the unlawfulnesse of the Oath entituled A solemn League and Covenant for Reformation c. As also the insufficiency of the Arguments used in the Exhortation for taking the said Covenant Published by command OXFORD Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD Printer to the University 1644. CERTAIN DISQUISITIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS Representing to the Conscience the unlawfulnesse of the Oath entituled A solemn League and Covenant for Reformation c. We Noblemen Barons Knights Gentlemen Citizens Burgesses Ministers of the Gospell 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 Iesus Christ the honour and happinesse 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 mind the treacherous and bloody plots conspiracies attempts and practices of the enemies of God against the true Religion and professours thereof in all places especially in these three Kingdomes 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 Kingdome of Ireland the distressed estate of the Church and Kingdome of England and the dangerous estate of the Church and Kingdome of Scotland are present and publique testimonies We have now at last after other meanes 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 Kingdomes in former times and the example of Gods people in other Nations after mature deliberation resolved and determined to enter into a mutuall and solemn League and covenant wherein we all subscribe and each one of us for himself with our hands lifted up to the most high God doe swear SEeing it hath pleased the composers of this Covenant to set it forth with an Introduction which containes that which it seems prevailed with them and they expect should work upon the three Kingdomes to take the following Covenant it will be behoofefull in the first place to reduce the conscience to a cleare and strict examination upon the contents of this Introduction and then if it shall find that all things therein be true and withall sufficient to that end for which they were premised viz. to inferre a necessity of swearing to all things contained in the following Articles the conscience will be directed to follow that dictate But if it fail in either of those we must betake our selves to other considerations to be guided by We will therefore sincerely propound the contents of the Preface as neer as may be according to its method joyning together matters of the same kind And then we shall find the discourse of the Preface to be resolved into these principles 1. The glory of God the advancement of the Kingdome of Iesus Christ the honour and happinesse of the King c. are to be aimed at and endeavoured 2. Especially when they are endangered 3. The meanes therefore necessary towards those ends are to be used which are either Supplication Remonstrance c. or making warre 4. The former are first to be used but if they faile then the latter These are the universall Maximes whereon by application to the present condition the taking of the Covenant is enforced The three first then being granted they subsume that having used the former and failing of successe we are all necessitated to use the latter viz. To swear to joyn with the Scots in Armes which is the generall and to those particulars after mentioned in the Articles That such joyning in armes is the generall end of the Covenant will appeare by comparing the sixt Article of the Covenant for mutuall assistance and defence of one another with the 14 Article of the Instructions wherein the imposers of this Oath appoint to be read publiquely at the time when the Covenant is read the Declaration of the Kingdomes of England and Scotland joyned in Armes for the vindication c. In which Declaration the taking this Covenant is made one of the grounds both of their confidence as they say that this warre wherein they are so deeply engaged is of God and of their resolution which they professe with courage and constancy unto the end to doe their part Whosoever therefore is not perswaded in his conscience either that all these meanes mentioned and all other such like have been used and have been rejected or upon supposition that they had yet doubts of the consequence viz. that such an Army may be leavied and such a warre managed cannot without deadly sinne though disengaged from oaths for any of the following particulars upon the former principles take this Covenant But not to insist hereon we will briefly run over the severall places of the Preface and consider the naturall intimations from them onely supposing for example the end of this Covenant to be the assistance or at least consent in this present joyning in armes applying it to men of the Church of England I A. B. living under the King This cannot reasonably be a motive to warre but obedience to him nor a motive to enter into a publique League Oath and Covenant not prescribed by Law without him much lesse against his expresse Proclamation forasmuch as an Oath for confirmation either assertory or promissory is to men for an end of all strife And a publique Oath propounded to a Nation or Nations is for the ending of publique strife and divisions and of any publique strife of a Nation or Nations under one King properly so called the King is the supreame Iudge in all causes as well Ecclesiasticall as civill as is evident by the Law of God 1 Pet. 2. And to us moreover by the Law of the Land 24 H. 8. c. 12. by the doctrine of the Church of England Art 37. the book of Homilies and establishâ—d Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy And therefore such an Oath and Covenant may not be entered into without and against the allowance of the King who is the supream Judge even in the supream Judicatory it selfe Being of the Reformed Religion established in the Church of England the very marke and Character of which as differenced from Popery and other Sects hath been chiefly that it hath alwaies maintained That it is not lawfull in any case not in the danger of their Religion for subjects to take up Armes against their lawfull Soveraign Having before my eyes the glory of God and the advancement of the kingdome of Iesus Christ Here the consideration of the mind requisite towards the judgement of conscience will be this whether by this warre considered with its circumstances the glory of God c. is more
have determined but seeing there hath not it must run over the Chronicles In the meane time in such cases as are found it may anticipate instances to the contrary as in Queen Maries dayes and those of Henry the 8. when there was more just reason in respect of Religion if there might be any then now is alleaged and other Arguments such as the Doctrine of the Church of England ever since the Reformation and the like to equipoize this which is asserted gratis and if after disquisition this be not found true the conclusion of the conscience will be according to those premisses According to the example of Gods people c. This is of the same nature with the former warrant and therefore the conscience upon this may proceed as upon that seeing they have not set downe which of Gods people in any age or place upon the like causes have taken the like course till this be represented to the conscience the safest way will be to examine what our Saviour himself and the Apostles and primitive Christians who were assuredly Gods people did hold and practice for doctrine and example in the like if there have ever been or a worse case them is proved or pretended And if they have not resisted or held it lawfull their Princes in the greatest persecutions and utmost danger of Religion and all that could be dear unto them it may raise a conclusion till some stronger reasons can be presented or the errour of these be cleared and taken off what is to be done when we are required to assist a warlike entrance of Subjects with all the other circumstances which attend this action of the Scots made onely upon a beleeved charity of helping their neighbours The summe of all is That if all and every of the materials of this Preface in as much as concernes the Premisses were true our consciences cannot assent to the consequence that it is lawfull for us as Subjects of the Church England though we had not sworn or subscribed to some particulars against which some of the Articles are contrived to assist the Scots or consent to them in this warre which assistance is the generall end of this Covenant Secondly there is not any one member which doth conclude any thing to our consciences to move us to take it neither in the complication doe they conclude Thirdly there is not any particular member of it which doth not either directly or by considerations naturally suggested by them and altogether unforced prevaile with us to the contrary So that till every one of these obstacles and scruples be taken off we cannot without violence to our consciences take this Oath That we shall sincerely really and constantly through the grace of God endeavour in our severall places and callings the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government against our common Enemies the Reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland 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 neerest conjunction and uniformity in Religion Confession of Faith Form of Church Government Directory for Worship and Catechizing 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 In the first Article are we to be sworne to endeavour the preservation of the Doctrine Worship and Discipline of the Church of Scotland absolutely or with this added as a restriction against our common Enemies By whom doe we not rightly conceive to be meant the common Enemies to the Churches of England Scotland and Ireland That those words against our common enemies are to be taken restrictively it may be thought because they otherwise should have been vainly added and that by common Enemies those are meant the necessity of the Grammaticall sense implies there having preceded no other division to which this community can referre besides that of England Scotland and Ireland in the Preface So that the word Our must referre to We in the beginning of the Preface whose onely distribution which can referre to common here is that of the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland Is not therefore the true sense of this part of the Article this viz. I will sincerely really constantly through the grace of God in my calling against those who are enemies for example both to the Articles of the Church of England and those of Scotland both to our Liturgy and their directory for worship both to our Church-Government and to Presbyteriall Government endeavour to preserve their Articles manner of worship and Presbytery If thus it be these things are to be considered If the imposers of this Oath are assured in their Conscience that the Doctrine Worship c. of the Church of Scotland can infallibly be proved out of the Word of God why would they have us sweare to endeavour in our calling of the Ministery to preserve it with a restriction against some men onely and not absolutely and indefinitely Whether is this so free from the scandall of respect of Persons as an oath for the impartiall defence of Truth doth require If they doubt it cannot be infallibly proved how can our Brethren of Scotland without spirituall Tyranny desire an Oath to be imposed upon us Ministers of the Gospell of another Church to endeavour sincerely really c. in our calling viz. by preaching disputing or otherwise the preservation of it thus far Secondly how can we take an Oath to endeavour the preservation of that Doctrine which we neither know what it is as it now stands nor are told in any Declaration or Exhortation to us nor were bound to know or search no opportunity offering it self How then can this Oath be by us taken in judgement Or since we doubt thus though in generall how can it not being of Faith be other then Sinne Whether are we not if any thing shall be by us hereafter found in the Doctrine of Scotland contrary to sound Doctrine bound to endeavour by the second Article to extirpate it and by the first to preserve it As for their Discipline and Government so much as we understand of it though otherwise we never interposed yet being now called to give our consent to it or reason to the contrary we professe it to be such as that we dare not binde our selves by Oath to endeavour its preservation constantly and indefinitely for all time to come till it be evidenced unto us that it hath been in any time before untill this our last age If it shall here be replyed that we are required to endeavour the preservation of their Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government onely against our common enemies that is of us of the Churches of England Scotland and Ireland and so the preservation of it onely so
farre as we all agree this we cannot conceive to be the adequate sense of those words especially according to the intention of the imposers For it is clear as we have already touched that our common Enemies are not onely they who are adversaries to us in that wherein we all three doe agree but those also who in such things wherein we differ amongst our selves are yet by opposing themselves to us all our common Enemies against whom therefore by this Oath we should be bound to preserve to each that also wherein we differ amongst our selves Moreover that that Sense is neither the onely nor the chief Sense intended by the Imposers we have cause to think because if so restrained our Brethren of Scotland in favour of whom we conceive this part of the Article to have been proposed would be no whit secured against the fears of innovations from England if we were onely sworn to preserve unto them those things wherein we all agree at the entring this present League and Covenant Thirdly we desire to know why our Brethren of Scotland should desire it to be imposed upon us by Oath to maintain the Articles of their Religion so far forth as hath been said since our Mother the Church of England never yet hath imposed upon us by Oath to preserve her own known Articles but hath testified her moderation to all in that she hath required subscription onely of all men which were admitted into holy Orders or Ecclesiasticall Benefice or to degrees in the University And yet this was lately judged since the sitting of this Parliament to be too harsh an imposition upon younger Students at their admission to degrees and the urging of it suspended And we know not whether ever it was in use before this age even in any not corrupted Church to command men to swear the maintaining the Articles of their Religion much lesse their Discipline and Church government As to the second thing in this first Article to which we are to swear How can any who are perswaded that there is nothing in the Doctrine of the Church of England which is not consonant to the Word of God without vanity swear to endeavour the Reformation of it according to the VVord of God especially since we have lately protested to defend that Doctrine of the Church of England And how can any who reverently beleeve this Church to be in respect of her Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government established by Law no lesse perfect then any of the Reformed Churches swear to endeavour its reformation in all those according to the example of the best reformed Churches And here by the way we cannot but take notice that this part of the Article is so framed as if there were nothing in the Doctrine c. of the Churches of England and Ireland to be preserved and nothing in theirs of Scotland to be reformed Moreover the best direction for Conscience in examining what is here meant by Reformation will be to consider those instances wherein in the following Articles is declared the Reformation and then if perswaded that there is any thing there exprest as instances of reformation which is not according to much more if against the Word of God how can we take this part of the Oath at least in the sense of the Imposers As touching the third thing an endeavour of Uniformity c. the considerations for direction of conscience will be the same with the second For we are required to swear to endeavour an uniformity and that in the reformation before mentioned and after that reformation so that in whatsoever sense or kind the reformation by them mentioned and after described is not to be undertaken in the same our endeavour for uniformity is not lawfull Lastly in the taking of this first Article we should as we conceive make our selves guilty either of rash swearing or of perjury and that from the necessary consequence of the complication of these two clauses wherein first we should swear to preserve the reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government against our common enemies And secondly to bring the Churches of the three Kingdoms to the neerest conjunction and uniformity in those particulars among ourselves If we endeavour in our callings but by prayer to alter any thing in the Church of Scotland wherein our enemies are theirs also though therein we differ amongst our selves we commit perjury because we swear to preserve it To effect therefore the neerest uniformity in those particulars in the three Kingdoms we are sworn to endeavour to bring the other two Kingdoms to the neerest conformity to the Church of Scotland Now how can we swear to regulate by a rule and to reform by a form which we fully know not and much lesse know to be a fit rule or form without rash swearing sure we are we cannot swear it in judgement and for ought we know not in righteousnesse That we shall in like manner without respect of persons endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy that is Church-government by Archbishops Bishops their Chancellours and Commissaries Deans Deans and Chapters Arch-deacons and all other Ecclesiasticall Officers depending on that Hierarchy Superstition Heresie Schisme Prophanenesse and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godlinesse lest we partake in other men 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 How can we swear to this part of the Covenant who doe believe that to endeavour the extirpation of Church-government by Bishops is an act utterly unlawfull for all severall places and callings and especially ours by the Law of God and this Land and to swear it much more sinfull And are we not here bidden to covenant and swear to endeavour the extirpation of Church-government by Bishops To us either the words are ambiguous and to ambiguities we may not swear or rather for we are loath to charge the words with ambiguitie the Grammatical sense according to which the Oath is to be taken speaks so for as to what we hear by some said that onely our Church-government in aggregato by all those Governours together in a collective sense taken formally is to be endeavoured to be extirpated and not each there mentioned first Such interpretation given out is private onely and not by the authority of the imposers and secondly those words and all other c. do manifest that all the formerly mentioned particulars in the parenthesis are to be construed distributively so farre forth as to the extirpation of them To omit that the word Prelacy there interpreted more properly agreeth to Arch-bishops and Bishops then to the rest there mentioned and a Prelacy they would be without them because preferred before Presbyters and if it no more were meant to ejure Bishops then Presbyters or Deacons since as well Presbyters and Deacons make up part of
Mark the first Bishop of Alexandria in Prooem. in Matth. who died six yeers before Saint Peter or S. Paul saith Saint Hierom. though therein he dissent from Irenaeus lib. 3. 35. yeeres before Saint Iames the Apostle besides therefore nine recorded as Bishops in holy Scripture Timothy and Titus Bishops of Ephesus and Crete and the seven of the seven Churches in Asia besides two Apostles Bishops viz. Iames of Ierusalem and a Peter of Antioch b and one Evangelist Mark of Alexandria c there are also nine other in all 21. recorded in holy Scripture all which except two of the seven Angels are there registred for Saints who if we will beleeve as credible records of Christians as any other humane Records whatsoever were Bishops before they died viz. Clemens d and e Linus made Bishops of Rome successively by Peter and Paul Evodius f Bishop of Antioch by Peter and Paul Dionysius the Areopagite Bishop of Athens g Archippus h Bishop of the Colossians Epaphroditus i Bishop of the Philippians Epaphras k Bishop of the Colossians Gaius l also Bishop of the Thessalonians Trophimus m Bishop of Arles To which you may adde the two and twentieth Antipas Bishop of Pergamus if we will beleeve Paraeus in Apoc. 2. proving it out of Arethas Caesariensis in Apoc. 1. and Onesimus Bishop of Ephesus n if he were not the forementioned Angel of the Church of Ephesus when Saint Iohn wrote his Revelation To omit to speak here of other Bishops who were Schollars and Auditors of the Apostles Ignatius of Saint Iohn o made Bishop of Antioch by Saint Peter Papias p Saint Iohns Schollar Bishop of Hierapolis Publius and Qâ—adratus q Bishops of Athens Disciples of the Apostles Simeon the son of Cleophâ—â— r Bishop of Ierusalem after Iames and the Kinsman of our Lord This order of Bishops which began though the first we read of in Scripture be Timothy and Titus in Saint Iames of Ierusalem or Saint Mark of Alexandria continued thorowout all the following ages of the Churches of God in which Bishops have been the most reverend Martyrs such as Ignatius Polycarp Irenaeus Bishop of Lions Cyprian of Carthage and more then 30. of the first Bishops of Rome successively both in Episcopacy and Martyrdom Of Bishops also especially did consist the first four generall Councels received by all the reformed Churches the confounders of the maine heresies touching the second and third persons in the blessed Trinity and by an Act of Parliament 1. Eliz. cap. 10. next to the canonicall Scriptures made the rule of judging Heresies who also in Councell gave judgement for the inviolable practice of the Church in this order the generall Councell of Nice providing Ne in unâ civitate duo sint Episcopi Cant. 8. The generall Councell of Constantinople adjudging to Bishops the power of Ordination Can. 2. and Can. 4. in the case of Maximus The generall Councell of Ephesus distinguishing betwixt the Bishop and the rest of the Clergy Can. 7. and confirming the Bishops jurisdiction Can. 5. The generall Councell of Chalcedon determining Can. 29. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} For as much then as in the first Article we are required to swear to endeavour the reformation of Religion according to the Word of God and the examples of the best reformed Churches surely we may not in the second Article swear to endeavour the extirpation of Church-government by Bishops and so to forsake the government grounded on the Word of God and to forsake the example of all the ages of the Primitive Churches then which we conceive no late reformed Church will pretend to be more pure and to whose examples they do or ought to endeavour to reform themselves But after all this it will be said that this government by Bishops is ejured onely as it interprets Prelacy which word if it have been translated Regimen Tyranicum the Translation as farre exceeds the truth of Grammar as the Prelates are accused to have exceeded their lawfull power forasmuch as Prelacy in its originall and acception of ancient Authors Praelati we say not elati imports but lawfull preeminence and power So is Timothy called by Gregory de Cura pastor p. 2. c. 11. Praelatus Gregi and the word Prelate is often honourably mentioned in our Lawes 9 Ed. 2. 24 Hen. 8. and is no more then the Title Praepositi mentioned also with honour by St. Cyprian Epist. 10. 55. 65. Augustin de civitate Dei l. 20. c. 9. or Antistites S. Cypr. ep. 69. Sancti Antistites S. August ep. 162. and divers words in Scripture used signifying equivalently such preeminence but let it not be told indeed in other Churches that any other is here abjured then Regimen Tyrannicum But are we warranted by the following stile of Hierarchy Doth that word import originally and anciently any other then a sacred government was it not accepted and approved in it selfe by Mr. Calvin lib. de necessitate Eccl. reformandae Talem si nobis Hierarchiam exhibeant in quâ sic emineant Episcopi ut Christo subesse non recusent c. ut ab illo tanquam uno Capite pendeant ad ipsum referantur c. tum verò nullo non anathemate dignos fateor qui non eam reverentèr summâque obedientiâ observent Moreover how can we in the same Article abjure Church-government by Bishops with Heresie Schisme and Prophanenesse as there it follows yea Prelacy even before Schisme and Heresie c. when as Bishops have been in all ages the chief confounders of heresie and heretickes such was Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria of the heresie of Arrius Cyril of Alexandria of the Nestorian heresie Caelestine Bishop of Rome Augustine Bishop of Hippo Prosper Bishop of Rhegium Fulgentius Bishop of Ruspi of the Palagian heresie and many more in all ages of the Church before and since Nor was there found any one Christian thorowout all the Primitive and purest times of the Church for above five hundred yeers after Christ who thought it fit to abolish Church government by Bishops much lesse to ejâ—re it save onely one heretick Aerius so censured by Epiphanius Haeres 75. and by Saint Augustine Haeres 53. whose speech savoured of madnesse saith Epiphanius for he had said What is a Bishop differing from a Presbyter a and the occasion of it Saint Augustine lets us know lib. de Haeres c. in Aerium Aerius being a Presbyter is said to have been vexed because he could not get to be ordained a Bishop and thence arose his envy Epiphanius witnesseth as much Haeres 75. Secondly as to Schism Saint Hierom the one and onely Father alledged as denying the divine Institution of Bishops yet held them necessary to represse Schism and then surely most necessary when Schism doth as in these our dayes most abound For avoiding of Schism Saint Hierom witnesseth Episcopacy was
personall consent and both Houses altered and changed Secondly we demand how far forth we are here to be sworn to endeavour the discovery of all that have been or shall be Malignants c. Is the son hereby ingaged to betray his father the wife her husband the servant his master and to accuse them as Malignants and evill Instruments by hindring the reformation If so hath the Law of God of Nature or of the Land ever commanded it except in the case of high Treason Where God enjoyned to the Jews the discovery of those who should entice them to serve other gods a sin surely as detestable and hainous as to be such as here are to be accounted Malignants c. by hindring the reformation of Religion thus we read Deut. 13. 6. If thy brother the son of thy mother or thy son or thy daughter or the wife of thy bosom or thy friend which is as thine own soul entice thee c. thou shalt not conceal him but thy hand shall be first upon him to put him to death where it may be observed That all the persons there by God so particularly recounted in the Text not to be concealed they are onely such as are in a collaterall equall degree as the brother not to conceal his brother the friend his friend or of some inferiority as the husband his wife the father his son But there is expressed no such injunction That the son was to reveal his father or the wife her husband so tender was the God of nature of the respects due to those by whom he hath bestowed upon us our Being Life and Livelihood or whom he hath made a head to others that he did not command inferiours should give in an accusation against such their superiours even in crimes which the Law judged should be punished with death Thirdly whereas we have in the late Protestation vowed to maintain the liberty of the Subject and also are required to bind our selves in this Covenant to preserve the same if the liberties of the Kingdoms include the liberty of the subject Yet contrary hereunto as we conceive we should bind our selves to endeavour that our fellow-subjects may be brought to punishment either such as their offence shall deserve or such as not onely the supream Indicatories of both Kingdoms but any other also having power from them for that effect shall judge convenient by which we should endeavour to put power arbitrary surely since it is not restrained according to the Lawes of our Land in some other then the supream judicatory viz. some deputed from them who may judge it covenient if what they shall judge convenient may be their rule as well sometimes to exceed the Letter of the Law made by the supream Judicatory as otherwhile to mitigate it Yea who may proceed against such Malignants where the Laws are wholy silent and neither have given name to their fault nor prescribed any punishment And whereas the happinesse 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 endeavour that they may remain conjoyned in a firm peace and union to all posterity and that justice may be done upon the wilfull opposers thereof in manner expressed in the precedent Articles Concerning the happy peace between these Kingdoms lately concluded we earnestly prayed and desired that it might have been continued and pray that it may be renewed and are sorry heartily that contrary to the Pacification made by His Majesty and both Parliaments and contrary to the solemn Faith given there is at this time a miserable War begun again between an Army of that Kingdom entring ours without and against his Majesties consent and Declaration and the Forces raised by His Majesty who we have heard hath much deprecated their entring in alledging vehemently that their late solemn Faith and Pacification So that shall it not be in us also Protestatis contraria facto to bind our selves in this Article as willingly we would to endeavour the continuance of a firm peace and union and in the next to assist and defend those who declare that in pursuit of this Covenant they now enter into this Kingdom with an Army which if we look to the late Act of Pacification and may for our selves judge and discern what it is since we are required to swear thereto appears in its self an action as contrary thereto as War to Peace So that this Covenant would bindus to endeavour that which it makes us to abjure 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 terrour 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 concerneth the glory of God the good of the Kingdoms and the honour of the King but shall all the daies 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 suppresse or overcome we shall reveal and make known that it may be timely prevented or removed All which we shall do as in the sight of God Whereas we are in the sixt Article required to Covenant in this common cause of Religion which is described in the first Article A reformation of Religion in England and Ireland that we wil assist and defend all those that enter into this League and Covenant against all opposition and that in the close it is implied that we should endeavour to do what we are able to suppresse and overcome whatsoever opposition we conceive it to be against the whole current of the Gospell of Christ the practise and Doctrine of all Primitive Christians whom the world hath ever esteemed for blessed Saints and Martyrs and lastly repugnant to the Doctrine of the best reformed Churches to which we here should swear to conform our selves to endeavour a Reformation of religion by force of Arms against the supream Magistrat's consent Secondly May we swear never to suffer our selves to be withdrawn by whatsoever perswasion from this League and Covenant since the reasons perswading us to it are in no wise Demonstrative What if hereafter we shall see better reasons and stronger motives to forsake it then we have now to take it or shall have then to keep it will not then our consciences better informed force us to break our Oath an Argument that we sinn'd in taking it or our Oath bind
so far as lawfully we may then so to swear it He that so swears swears with judgement against his judgement and to unrighteousnesse without truth and condemneth himself in that which he alloweth Thirdly to swear saving all former Oaths to what we judge to be opposite to our former lawfull Oaths is to delude both our former and present Oath to warrant that we may without scandall abjure in words not in heart what we have sworn before to keep because we have sworn before to keep and never to abjure it to make vain as far as in us lies the great and dreadfull name of God the wholsome end and use of Oaths and particularly to destroy the end of this present Covenant if the takers intend not what the Oath intendâ— and may also hereafter saving this present Oath swear to the contrary For the present be it considered that whereas this Oath is a League for unity if each may take it in their own sense its end will be none and we as far from joynt union of assistance as before For swearing to assist all who enter into this League if we think our selves bound to assist oâ—ely the takers in our own sense then we may happily be tied to assist none hereby for perhaps our own sense is peculiar and different from all others and probably from most for most take it in the common sense of the words Lastly if one end of this Covenant be that if it succeed it may be encouragement to other Christian Churches in like case to joyn in the same or like Association and Covenant we judge it necessary to admonish our selves and others that if in this we offend we also lay a stumbling-block of offence before the faces of so many Christian Churches now and hereafter who are here invited to follow our example Should we not therefore sadly consider whose example in this action we follow before we give and invite others to follow our example Ought we not wisely to fear lest by this we expose our brethren of the reformed Churches beyond the Seas to the jealousie of their severall Princes under whom they live and become guilty of the provocation of all those evils wherewith Princes in prevention of what is here suggested to their Subjects if not declared against by them may aggrieve our brethren of the reformed Religion And also have we not cause to question with our selves how the example of entring a covenant mutually to assist and defend one another when there is declared a joyning in Armes without and against the consent of the supream Magistrate how this example we say will make as is here said to the Peace and Tranquillity of Christian Kingdoms and Common-wealths Now the Lord of Peace himself give unto us and to all the Churches of God Peace alwaies by all means Amen An Exhortation to the taking of the solemn League and Covenant c. IF the power of religion or solid reason if loyalty to the King c. IF it had not been intimated that the Authors of this Exhortation were the Assembly of Divines as they are stiled in the 14 Article of the Instructions and expressed that the end of it was the satisfying of such scruples as may arise and that by the same Authority by which the Covenant it selfe is to be imposed it could not have given the conscience of any man either so much licence to examine the discourse with strictnesse and severity or so much satisfaction one way or other in the examination seeing there is scarce any other end of writing which necessarily obliges to a discovery of all the consequences and the principles of a discourse and there is no such outward encouragement to the conscience towards satisfaction as when it shall consider that it is examining an Exhortation and a Defence the Authors of which have been chosen the worke appointed and after the performance twice publiquely read and considered and lastly ordered to be published by them who are the managers of the Cause for which this Exhortation and Defence is made But this being the declared end and those the Authors it will not stand with the opinion of the faithfulnesse of those men towards the Cause it self to imagine that they reserve to themselves clearer and firmer principles upon which they are able to enforce the taking of the Covenant then those they have here expressed And consequently if upon just examination it shall appear that all the truth that is by them laid down is not sufficient to infer their Conclusion they may be more tender of those who are of different perswasion from themselves though they shall notwithstanding their endeavours persist in their opinion nay though they should hereby gain a degree of adhesion to it The conclusion which they would infer is the taking of the Covenant and the generall end of that as expressed in the Covenant it selfe and in all the Declarations which concern the same is in our calling the assistance of those of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland joyned in Arms c. against the Popish Prelaticall and Malignant party in a word to assist or comply with those English and Scottish Forces against the Forces raised by the Kings personall command This being the case wherein the scruples by them spoken of are supposed to be removed that their Arguments to that end might be effectuall it was necessary to their end that the present case should have been clearly and particularly laid down considering that the discovery of strong and not doubting presumption and supposall of that part which is defended though it might produce a degree of confirmation in those who are though not so strongly of the same opinion yet can it not in reason be reputed a means to take off scruple from a rationall adversary This being necessary in it self for a true and thorough resolution of conscience in the case it cannot be denied but their discourse is imperfect in it selfe and consequently they may as well have erred in assuming to themselves all that is holy and perfect and esteeming of the adverse party as of people bewitched and besotted hoodwink't and blinded c. nay as the dregs and scum of the people and in affirming the name and countenance of His sacred Majesty to be captivated and prostituted to serve all the lusts of such men and in setting in opposition the King and those that be faithfull in the Land But seeing that it is possible that a case may be so clear and plain to all men that it may without any great damage be omitted in a discourse made for the resolution of the conscience it will concern the conscience however impartially to set before its eyes the present question and then to examine the discourse of this Exhortation upon which the determination of conscience will naturally follow To propound the State of the question impartially though not according to the utmost truth of the case it will be enough if it be made