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A89791
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The excellency and lawfulnesse of the Solemne league and covenant. Set forth in a speech, or exhortation made by Mr. Phillip Nye to the Honorable House of Commons and reverend assembly of ministers at their taking the said Solemne league and covenant.
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Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.
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1646
(1646)
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Wing N1491; Thomason E318_7; ESTC R200550
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8,967
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8
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perswaded unto This Oath is such and in the matter and consequence of it of such concernement as I can truly say it is worthy of us yea of all these Kingdomes yea of all the Kingdomes of the World for it is swearing fearly and allegiance unto Christ the King of Kings and a giving up of all these Kingdomes which are his inheritance to be subdued more to his Throne and ruled more by his Scepter upon whose shoulders the government is laid and in the encrease of whose Government and peace there shall be no end Esa 9. Yea wee finde this very thing in the utmost accomplishment of it to have beene the Oath of the greatest Angel that ever was who setting his feet upon two of Gods Kingdomes the one upon the Sea the other upon the Earth lifting up his hand to heaven as you are to doe this day and so swearing Revel 10. The effect of that Oath you shall finde to bee this that the kingdomes of the world become the kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ and he shall reigne for ever Revel 11. His Oath was for the full and finall accomplishment this of yours for a graduall yet a great performance towards it That which the Apostles and Primitive times did so much and so long pray for though never long with much quietnesse enjoyed that which our Fathers in these latter times have fasted prayed and mourned after yet attained not even the cause which many deare Saints now with God have furthered by extreamest sufferings poverty imprisonment banishment death even ever since the first dawning of Reformation That and the very same is the very cause and worke that we are come now through the mercy of Jesus Christ not only to pray for but sweare to And surely it can bee no other but the result and answer of such prayers and teares of such sincerity and sufferings that three Kingdomes should be thus born or rather new borne in a day that these Kingdomes should be wrought about to so great an engagement then which nothing is higher for to this end Kings raigne Kingdomes stand and States are upheld It is a speciall grace and favour of God unto you Brethren Reverend and Honorable to vouchsafe you the opportunity and to put into your hearts as this day to engage your lives and estates in matters so much concerning him and his glory And if you should doe no more but lay a foundation stone in this great worke and by so doing engage posterity after you to finish it it were honour enough But there may yet further use bee made of you who now are to take this Oath you are designed as cheife master Builders and choyce Instruments for the effecting of this setled Peace and Reformation which if the Lord shall please to finish in your hands a greater happinesse on earth nor a greater meanes to augment our glory and crowne in heaven you are not capable of And this let me further adde for your encouragement of what extensive good and fruit in the successe of it this very Oath may prove to be we know not God hath set his Covenant like the Heavens not onely for duration but like also for extension The Heavens move and roule about and so communicate their light and heare and vertue to all places and parts of the earth so doth the Covenant of God so may this gift bee given to other Covenants that are framed to that patterne How much this solemne League and Oath may provoke other Reformed Churches to a further Reformation of themselves what light and heate it may communicate abroad to other parts of the world it is onely in him to define to whom is given the utmost ends of the earth for his inheritance and worketh by his exceeding great power great things out of as small beginnings But however this I am sure of it is a way in all probability most likely to enable us to preserve and defend our Religion against our common enemies and possible a more sure foundation this day will be laid for ruining Popery and Prelacie the cheife of them then as yet we have been led unto in any age For Popery it hath been a Religion ever dexterous in fencing and mounting it selfe by association and joynt strength all sorts of professors amongst them are cast into Fraternities and Bother-hoods and these Orders carefully united by Vow one with another and under some more generall notion of common dependency Such States also and Kingdomes as they have thus made theirs they endeavour to improve and secure by strict combinations and leagues each to other witnesse of late yeares that La Sainte ligue the holy league It will not be unworthy your consideration whether seeing the preservation of Popery hath been by Leagues and Covenants God may not make a League or Covenant to bee the destruction of it Nay the very rise of Popery seemeth to bee after such a manner by Kings that is Kingdomes assenting and agreeing perhaps by some joynt Covenant the Text saith with one minde why not then with one mouth to give their power strength unto the Beast and make war against the Lambe Revel 17. where you reade the Lambe shall overcome the Beast and possibly with the same weapons he is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings he can unite Kings Kingdoms and give them one minde also to destroy the Whore and be her utter ruine And may not this dayes work be a happy beginning of such able sed expedition Prelacie another common enemie that we Covenant and sweare against what hath it been or what hath the strength of it been but a subtile combination of Clergy-men foâ—med into a policy or body of their own invention framing themselves into Subordination and Dependency one upon another so that the interrest of each is improved by all and a great power by this meanes acquired to themselves as by sad experience wee have lately found The joynts and Members of this body you know were knit together by the sacred engagement of an Oath the Oath of Canonicall obedience as they called it You remember also with what cunning and industry they endeavoured lately to make this Oath and Covenant more sure for themselves and their posterity And intended a more publike solemn and universall engagement then since Popery this cause of theirs was ever maintained or supported by And questionlesse Ireland Scotland also must at last have been brought into this holy league with England But blessed be the Lord and ble sed be his good hand the Parliament that from the indignation of their spirits against so horrid a yoke have dashed out the very braines of this project and are now this day present before the Lord to take and give possession of this blessed Ordinance even an Oath and Covenant as solemne and of as large extent as they intended theirs uniting these three Kingdomes into such a league and happy combination as will doubtles preserve us and our
THE EXCELLENCY AND LAWFVLNESSE of the Solemne League and COVENANT Set forth in a Speech or Exhortation made by Mr. Phillip Nye to the Honorable House of Commons and Reverend Assembly of Ministers at their taking the said Solemne LEAGVE and COVENANT LONDON Printed by W. Wilson for Tho. Vnderhill at the signe of the Bible in Wood-street 1646. An Exhortation made to the Honorable House of Commons and Reverend Assembly of Ministers by M. Nye at their taking the Solemne League and Covenant Sept. 25. 1643. A Great and solemne worke Honorable and Reverend this day is put into our hands let us stir up and awaken our hearts unto it We deale with God as well as with men and with God in his greatnesse and excellencie for by him we sweare and at the same time wee have to doe with with God and his goodnesse who now reacheth out unto us a strong and seasonable arme of assistance The goodnesse of God procuring succour and helpe to a sinfull and afflicted people such as we ought to be matter of feare and trembling even to all that beare of it Jer. 33.9 Wee are to exalt and acknowledge him this day who is fearefull in praises sweare by that name which is holy and reverent enter into a Covenant and League that is never to be forgotten by us nor our posterity and the fruit I hope of it shall be so great as both we and they shall have cause to remember it with joy and such an Oath as for matter persons and other circumstances the like hath not beene in any age or Oath we reade of in sacred or humane Stories yet sufficiently warranted in both The parties ingaging in this league are three Kingdomes famous for the knowledge and acknowledgement of Christ above all the Kingdomes in the world to sweare before such a presence should mould the spirit of man into a great deale of reverence what then to be engaged to be incorporated and that by sacred Oath with such an high and Honorable Fraternity An Oath is to be esteemed so much the more solemne by how much greater the persons are that sweare each to other as in heaven when God sweares to his Son on earth when Kings sweare each to other so in this businesse where Kingdomes sweare mutually And as the solemnitie of an Oath is to be measured by the persons swearing so by the matter also that is to be sworne to God would not sweare to the Covenant of workes he intended not to honour it so much it was not to continue it was not worthy of an Oath of his but to the Covenant of grace which is the Gospel he sweares and repents not of it God sweares for the salvation of men and of Kingdomes And if Kingdomes sweare what subject of an Oath becommeth them better then the preservation and salvation of Kingdomes by establishing the Kingdome of a Saviour amongst them even our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who is a Mediator and saviour for Nations as well as particular persons The end also is great and honorable as either of the former Two is better then one saith he who best knoweth what is best and from whom alone every thing hath the goodnesse it hath Association is of divine Ofspring not only the being of Creatures but the putting of them together the cluster as well as the grape is the worke of God consort and harmony amongst men especially amongst Saints is very pleasâ—ng unto the Lord. If when but two or three agree and assent upon any thing on earth it shall bee confirmed in heaven and for this because they gather together in his name much more when two or three Kingdomes shall meet and consent together in his name and for his name that God may be one and his name one amongst them and his presence amidst them That prayer of Christs seemeth to proceede from a feeling sense of his own blessednesse Father that they may be one as thou in me c. Unity amongst his Churches and Children must needs therefore be very acceptable unto him For out of the more deepe sense desires are fetcht from within us the more pleas ng will be the answer of them unto us Churches and Kingdomes are deare to God his patience towards them his compassions over them more then particular persons sheweth it plainely But Kingdomes willingly engaging themselves for his Kingdome his Christ his Saints the purity of Religion his worship and Governement in all particulars and in all humility fitting downe at his feet to receive the law and the rule from his mouth what a price doth he set upon such Especially when as we this day sensible of our infirmity of an unfaithfull heart not steady with our God but apt to start from the cause if we feele the knife or the fire who binde our selves with cords as a sacrifice to the hornes of the Altar Wee invocate the name of the great God that his vowes yea his curse may be upon us if we doe not this yea though wee suffer for so doing that is if wee endeavour not so far as the Lord shall assist us by his grace to advance the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus Christ hereupon earth and make Jerusalem once more the praise of the whole world notwithstanding all the contradictions of men What is this but the contents and matter of our Oath What doe wee covenant What doe we vow Is it not the preservation of Religion where it is reformed and the Reformation of Religion where it needs Is it not the Reformation of three Kingdomes and a Reformation universall Doctrine Discipline and Worship in whatsoever the Word shall discover unto us To practise is a fruit of love to reforme a fruit zeale but so to reforme will be a token of great prudence and circumspection in each of these Churches And all this to be done according to Gods word the best Rule and according to the best reformed Churches the best interpreters of this Rule If England hath obtained to any greater perfection in so handling the word of righteousnesse and truths that are according to godlinesse as to make men more godly more righteous And if in the Churches of Scotland any more light and beauty in matters of Order Discipline by which their Assemblies are more orderly Or if to any other Church or person it hath been given better to have learned Christ in any of his waies then any of us we shall humbly bow and kisse their lips that can speake right words unto us in this matter and helpe us in the nearest uniformity with the word and minde of Christ in this great worke of Reformation Honorable and Reverend Bretheren there cannot be a more direct and effectuall way to exhort and perswade the wife and men of sad and serious spirits and such are you to whom I am commanded to speake this day then to let into their understandings the weight and worth and great importance of the worke they are