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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69753	The generall demands, of the reverend doctors of divinitie, and ministers of the Gospell in Aberdene, concerning the late covenant, in Scotland together, with the answeres, replyes, and duplyes that followed thereupon, in the year, 1638 : reprinted in one book, by order of Parliament.	Forbes, John, 1593-1648.; Henderson, Alexander, 1583?-1646.	1663 (1663)	Wing C4226; Wing C4225; ESTC R6298	125,063	170

thereto by prejudice then at satisfaction by searching of the Trueth This reason is grounded upon a mistaking for although our Demands at the first were intended for you onely yet afterwards we resolved to Print them as also our REPLYES the Printing whereof did nowayes depend upon your second Answeres not for love of contention nor desire of vict●ry GOD knoweth but for such reasons as we have expressed in our Preface to the unpartiall Reader whom we hope we have satisfied in this point Your other reason is that the grounds of your Answers to us have proven satisfactory to others who for Age and Learning are prime men of this Kingdom and to whome our modestie will not suffer us to preferre our selves Farre be it from us to be so presumptuous as to preferre our selves to so many Learned and worthy Divines and as farre be it from us to measure the soliditie and sufficiencie of your Answeres by the Habilities or Induments of these who have acquiesced in them If this your reason were good the Papists might more probablie accuse us of prejudice as indeed they unjustlie doe because their Answeres to our Arguments have proven satisfactorie to many thousands of those who for profunditie and subtilitie of wit are inferiour to none of the World but we regarde not this slender motive remembring these words of our Saviour I thanke Thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because Thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes even so O Father for so it seemed good in Thy sight Besides if ye compare the Divines Ancient and Moderne who are of our judgement with these who favour your opinion either in number or in the excellency of their gifts ye shall finde that in this the advantage is greatlie ours In the meane time ye shall know that we can bring far better reasons to free our selves of prejudice then these which ye have brought against us to wit the soliditie of our Arguments which have put you to such straits pardon us to say that which every one who have eyes may see that oft times ye doe not so much as attempt to answere them being glad to passe them by with the show of an Argument in contrarium or some other like shift our humble earnest attestations in calling GOD the onelie competent Iudge as witnesse of our sincerity in the inmost thoughts of our soul our seriously professed Resolution to concurre with you if we should get satisfaction from you the modestie ingenuitie and peaceablenesse of our writings to you and on the contrarie your too great disdainfulnesse and asperitie in your second Answeres bewraying not onelie the weaknesse of your mindes farre by our expectation but also the weaknesse of your cause to unpartiall Readers who ascrive this to the pungent force of our Arguments judging that they have made you somewhat more cholerike then you were before To this wee will adde the great reluctance which some of the most Iudicious Subscribents did finde in their Consciences before they subscrived your Covenant together with the Limitations and Reservations wherewith they subscrived it evidently arguing their strong apprehension of the dangerous ambiguitie and haske sounding of the words of the late Covenant so that even these who are now joined with you have been much affrighted with those things which terrifie us As for your Protestation in the end of your Epistle that ye can no more be brought to our minde then ye can be drawn from the profession of our Religion as it hath been reformed sworne c. Although this importeth no small prejudice possessing and over-ruling your minds yet looking to the invincible force of that Trueth which we mantaine we even yet hope that at last it shall prevaile with you espe●iallie considering that our con●roversie is not concerning the Reformed Religion whereunto we as sincerelie adheare as any whatsoever but concerning the equitie of that forme of Covenant which ye lateli● made Wishing you and all others to adheare truelie and sincerelie to the same true Religion and to all the dueties which in it are recommended to you we most humblie and earnestlie pray the Almightie GOD to pitie his Church in this Kingdom and to unite all our hearts in Trueth and Peace in these most dangerous dayes which although they be to you dayes of gladnesse as ye professe yet to those who love the peace of Sion and the tranquilitie of this Kingdome they are sad and melancholious dayes in respect of the blacke clowdes of GODS wrath hanging over our heads and threatning us with stormes of fearfull Calamities which we pray the Almightie GOD to avert THE FIRST DUPLY. IN our Disputes against the Papists which have been frequent and by GODS grace not unfruitfull as we have learned that to multiply objections against the Trueth is a thing easie as ye say but fruitlesse and vain so also we have learned that to multiply Evasions against solide Arguments brought for the Trueth is a thing no lesse easie but altogether unprofitable which we pray you take heed to How forcible are right words but what doth your arguing reprove JOB 6. 25. 2. Ye say that our objection against your calling and the warrand of your comming to us was framed and published in Print before it was proponed unto you and ere your Answere could be had Indeed our Demands were at the Presse at your comming that they might be in readinesse but were not published before your selves in your Sermons did publickly read them and dispute against them in audience of such of our People as were there present for the time albeit that written copie of them was delivered to you onely and not at that time communicated by us to any other 3. Your Authority which ye acclaim is neither from his Majestie nor warranded by Act of Parli●ment nor by the Lords of his Majesties Counsell nor by any Nationall Synode of this Kingdom nor by any Judicatory established in it And both in your first Answere as also now again ye professe that ye came not hither to us●rpe the Authority of any Civill or Spirituall Judicatorie As for your multitude which ye call almost the whole Kirke and Kingdom it being destitute of Authority foresaid maketh no warrand of ordinary calling Therfore ye seeme to pretend an extraordinary calling from GOD alleadging an extraordinary necessitie at this time which truely we see not in any such degree as may deserve and warrand so great a change from the received order which is publickly by Lawes established in this Kirke and Kingdom That saying of the Apostle Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good workes which ye alleadge for your extraordinary imployment importeth not an extraordinary calling but an ordinary duety to be performed by all Christians according to their Callings 4. The Word of GOD and the Canons of Counsells doe so permit to Pastors the care of the whole Kirke as they must

Commandements of our Superiours 45. Again ye say that when scandall of weak brethren may be feared the precept of Obedience is not obligatory in respect the thing commanded by our Superiours although it be in it self lawfull yet it becometh unexpedient in respect of the Scandall which may follow upon it Now say ye the ordinances of our Superiours are not obligatory when the things commanded by them are unexpedient We on the contrary say that when our Superiours require of us obedience to their lawfull commandements the precept of eschewing scandall is not obligatory in respect we ought not for Scandall causelesly taken omit necessary dueties which GOD in His Law requireth of us In which number we most justly doe reckon The duety of Obedience which we owe to the lawfull Commandements of our Superiours 46. As for that which ye say that when Scandall may be taken at the doing of the thing commanded then the thing commanded becommeth inexpedient and so ought not to be obeyed that ye be not more deceived by this errour we pray you marke that a thing comcomanded by our Superiours in Church or Policy may be two wayes inexpedient to wit either in respect of some particular Persons who through weaknesse or malice doe stumble at it or else in respect of the body in generall because it is contrary to Order Decency and Edification If the thing commanded be inexpedient the first way only we may indeed in such a case for eschewing the scandall of the weak forbear the practise of the thing commanded hîc nunc in some particular places and times providing alwise we doe this Without offence of our Superiours and without the scandal of others who by our forbearance may be made to vilipend the Authority of Lawes But we can not in such a case totally and absolutely deny obedience to a Law as we have already proven Neither is your Argument brought to the contrary valide in respect we ought more to look to the utilitie and benefite which the body of the Church may receive by the thing commanded and by our obedience to our Superioures then to the harme which some particular Persons may receive thereby 47. If the thing commanded be in our private judgement inexpedient the second way we ought not for that to deny obedience to the Lawes of the Church for when the inexpediency of a thing is questionable and probable Arguments may be brought pro and contrae concerning the expediencie of it we have sufficient warrand to practise it if the Church by her publick decree hath declared that she thinketh it expedient Your errour who are of the contrary minde is very dangerous and may prove most pernicious to the Church for it maketh the Church obnoxious to perpetuall Schisme and disconformity in matters of externall Policy in respect men ordinarily are divyded in judgement concerning the expediencie of these things Suppon then that in a Synode consisting of an hundreth Pastors threescore of them think this or that particular Ceremony to be expedient for the good of the Church and in respect of the plurality of their voices make an Act to be concluded for the establishing of it shall the remnant four●y who are of the contrary judgement deny obedience to the Act of the Synode because they are perswaded that the thing concluded is inexpedient and shal they by doing so rent the body of the Church Truely if we were all of your minde we should never have Peace nor Unity in this Church Ye will say perhaps that this our Argument is Popish and leadeth men to acquiesce without tryall or examination in the decrees of the Church We answere that in matters of faith the trueth whereof may be in●allibly concluded out of GODS word we ought not without tryall to acquiesce into the decrees of the Church And in this respect we dissent from the Papists who ascrive too much to the Authority of counsells as if their decrees were infallible But in matters of Policy if we be certaine that in their own nature they are indifferent and if the expediencie of them only be called in question seeing no certaine conclusion concerning their expediency can be infallibly drawn out of GODS word which hath not determined whether this or that particular Rite be agreable to order decency and edification we ought to acquiesoe into the decree or constitution of the Church although it be not of infallible Authority and that partly because it is impossible that otherwise we can agree in one conclusion concerning matters of this nature and partly because if we deny obedience to the decrees of the Church in such matters our disobedience shall prove far more unexpedient and hurtfull to the Church then our obedience can be 48. Seeing then whatsoever ye have hitherto said concerning the question proponed by us may be easily answered with a retortion of the Argument upon your selves that we may eschew all such Logomachie we must take some other course and try which of these two precepts is in it self of greater moment and obligation for thence we may collect which of these two precepts doeth obliedge us in the case foresaid the other giving place to it and not obliedging us at all in that case If ye say that the precept which forbiddeth us to doe that whereby our weak Brother may be scandalized is in it selfe more obligatory or doeth more strictly ty us to the obedience of it as being of greater moment ye must bring a solide reason for you which we think ye will hardly find We know ye say that the precept concerning Scandall is more obligatory and of greater moment because it concerneth the losse of the soule of a Brother But this reason is not valide first in respect our Brother if he be scandalized by our obedience to our superioures sinneth not by our default who doe obey for our carriage in giving obedience is such as may rather edifie our Brother Secondly the precept which forbiddeth disobedience concerneth the losse both of our own soules and of the soules of others who may be entysed to that sin by our denying obedience to the lawfull commandements of our superioures Thirdly if that precept of eschewing scandall causelesly taken doe so strictly obliedge us when our superioures require obedience of us it may happen that a man shall be in an inextricable perplexity not knowing whether he shall obey or deny obedience to the cōmandements of his superioures in respect he may fear the scandall of the weak whether he obey or deny obedience For as we said before many are most ready to be scandalized by our denying obedience to our superioures in thinges lawfull and otherwise expedient and that because we by nature are most unwilling to be curbed and to have our liberty restrained by the lawes of our superioures For this cause as Calvin judiciously noteth Instit. Lib. 2. Cap. 8. § 35. GOD to allure us to the duety of obedience to our superioures called all

GENERALL DEMANDS Concerning the Late COVENANT Propounded by the Ministers and Professors of DIVINITY in ABERDENE To some Reverend Brethren who came ●●ither to recommend the late Covenant to th●● and to those who are committed to their charge TOGETHER With the Answeres of those reverend Brethren to the said Demands As also The Replyes of the foresayd Ministers Professors to their Answers 1. PET. 3. 15. 16. Sanctifie the LORD GOD in your hearts and be readie alwayes to give an answere to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknes and feare Having a good Conscience that whereas they speake evil of you as of evill doers they may be ashamed that falslie accuse your good conversation in CHRIST ABERDENE Reprinted by JOHN FORBES Anno Dom. 1662. GENERALL DEMANDS Concerning the late Covenant Together with Answeres to them and Replyes to those Answeres THE FIRST DEMAND BY what Power or Warrand these our Reverend Brethren can sure of us or of our People subscription to this late Covenant not being sent by his MAJESTY or by the Lords of Counsell nor by anie Nationall Synode of this Kingdome nor by any Judicatorie established in it And how they can enforce upon us or upon our People who are no wayes subject unto them their Interpretation of the Articles of the Negative Confession In respect whereof as also in respect of that Band of mutuall Defence against all persons what-so-ever this late Covenant is substantiallie different from that which was subscribed by the KING and his Subjects Anno 1580 and 1581. ANSWERE VVEE are not come hither to usurpe the Authoritie of any Civill or Spirituall Iudicatorie or to enforce upon our Reverend Brethren and the People committed to their Charge the subscription of the late Covenant or the Interpretation of the Articles of that Confession which is called Negative or what-so-ever else of that kynde But are sent to represent unto them in all humility the present Case and Condition of this Kirke and Kingdome crying for help at their handes also and in Brotherlie love to exhort and intreat that they will be pleased to contribute their best Endeavours for extinguishing the common Combustion which by joining with almost the whole Kirke and Kingdom in the Late Covenant we trust they may lawfully doe without prejudice to the King's Majestie or to any lawfull Iudicatorie or to that Confession of Faith above mentioned Since the sound Interpretation and Application thereof to the Errours of our Times can make no substantiall change and the Band of Mutuall Defence wherein we obliedge our selves to defend the true Religion and the King's Majesties Person and Authoritie against all persons whatsoever is joined at first with the Confession of Faith Lyke as his Majesties Commissioner objecting That our Covenant was suspect to be an unlawfull Combination against Authoritie and to be the main hinderance of obtaining our desires hath accepted and was well pleased with our Declaration bearing That we have solemnlie sworne To the uttermost of our power with our Means and Lives to stand to the defence of the King's Majesty as of GOD'S Vice-gerent set over us for the maintenance of Religion and ministration of Justice REPLY VVE have Reverend Brethren sufficiently considered and examined your Answeres to our Demandes by which we expected full satisfaction to all our Scruples and doubts concerning the late Covenant But truelie in Modestie and Brotherlie Love we tell you that your Answeres what-so-ever you thinke of them your selves have not given us that satisfaction which we expected We know that some who rashly condemne every thing which is said or written contrary to the cause which they maintaine will boldly say of us that we have closed our eyes against a cleare and ingyring Light But first we say with Iob Our witnesse is in Heaven and our recorde is on high That LORD who only seeth the secrets of hearts knoweth that we love His Trueth and are ready so soone as it shall be shown unto us to embrace and professe it before the World Next we appeale to the Consciences of all impartiall Readers who shall have occasion to weygh and consider maturelie the weight of our Arguments and of these Answeres which it hath pleased you to give us wishing them yea most humblie and earnestly intreating them to judge both of your writtings and ours without prejudice or any partiall respect Yea we are confident that ye also o● whose love to the Trueth of GOD we are perswaded will after better advysement and more mature consideration of the matters debated acknowledge that we are not against the Trueth but for it The LORD open your eyes that you may clearly see that Trueth for which we stand WEE objected to you Reverend Brethren that you had not a Calling to urge us to the subscription of the late Covenant from anie acknowledged Authority or lawfull Judica●●rie established in this Church or Kingdome to which Objection ye answere no● here particularlie as we expected And whereas you say That you are come to exhort us and our People in all humilitie to joyne with you how is it that without our consent and against our will not having lawfull Authoritie which you seeme here not to acclaime to your selves you have publicklie preached to our People within our Congregation which is a thing rep●gn●nt to those places of Scripture in the which the Spirit of GOD recommendeth to Elders or Pastors the care of those Flockes Over which the holy Ghost hath made them overseers Acts 20. 28. 1. Pet. 5. 2 as also telleth us That the Pastors whom the Flocke must know and to whom they must submit themselves doe watch over the Soules of that Flock and must give account for them 1. Thessal 5. 12 Hebr. 13. 17. It is also con●rarie to the lawes of the Christian Church in all ages For by the ancient Canons Pastors are commanded to containe themselves within the limites of their own Charge and not to presume to exercise Pastorall Office in another Pastors Diocesse or Parioch without leave As also they forbid Pastors to receive to Divine Service anie man of another Pariochin that commeth in contempt of his own Pastor Concil Nicen. ● Oecum 1. Can. 16. Concil 2. Oecum Constantinop Can. 2. Concil Carthag 2. Can. 11. Concil Carthag 3. Can. 20. Concil Chalced. Oecum 4. Can. 13. Concil Nicen. 2. Can. 10. Concil Tribur Can. 28. Concil Nannet Cap. 1. 2. † 2. We did not without reason say That you and others of your Confederation enforce your Interpretation of the Negative Confession upon others seeing we heare that some Pastors and Prelates are forced to flee to forraygne Countreyes for fear of their 〈◊〉 because they have refused the said Interpretation and those 〈…〉 ave stayed in the Countrey dare scarcelie appear in the h 〈…〉 or streets and are threatned that their Stipends shall not 〈◊〉 unto them untill they subscrive your Covenant † 3. Whereas you doe

hominem had beene anticipated because it would not have been pertinent for them But ye are deceived for we have ever looked principally to these who were the first contryvers of the late Covenant or had speciall hand in it that is to your selves and to others who these many years bygone have opposed Pearth Articles and Episcopacie as Popish corruptions abjured in the old Covenant and consequently have in this late Covenant in the which that former Covenant is renewed by your own personall Oath abjured Pearth Articles and Episcopacie If then that other sort of Commissioners had come unto us we would have said to them that we can not swear the late Covenant because Pearth Articles and Episcopacie are in it abjured And this we would have proved by the like Argument ad hominem that is by an Argument grounded upon the judgement of the contrivers of the late Covenant as ye may easily perceive 20. Thirdly ye say that we have perceived the insufficiencie of our Argument because we objected this to our selves that seeing we think Pearth Articles and Episcopacie not to be abjured in the old Covenant we may subscrive the new Covenant in the which that old Covenant is reuewed Truely ye might have alleadged this if we had propounded that objection and had left it unanswered But we answered it and brought some reasons which ye wisely did passe by perceiving the force of them to show that we can not conveniently subscrive your late Covenant notwithstanding of our judgement of rather opinion of the meaning of the old Covenant We say opinion for to speak truely what we thinke we doubt and so doe others with us concerning the meaning of some parts of the old Covenant touching matters of Ecclesiasticall policy and have not so full a perswasion in our mindes concerning those parts as may be to us a warrand of our Oath 21. Fourthly whereas ye say that it was not for us to inquire in your private opinion concerning the meaning of the late Covenant in that part of it where it tyeth us to the inviolable observation of the old Covenant no● was it necessary for you to make it known to us We answere that we inquired not your private opinion but the common judgement of all those who with you these twenty years bypast have accused us of Perjury for the alleadged violation of the old Covenant sworne by our Predecessours And truely we had more then reason to doe so because we most justly feared that ye who have so oft accused us of Perjury for practising Rites and Ceremonies abjured as ye alleadge in the old Covenant sworn by our Predecessours would much more vehemently yea also with a greater show of probability accuse us of Perjury for violation of the old Covenant sworn and ratified by our selves in this late Covenant if we should stand to the defence of Pearth Articles in time to come It became us therefore for eschewing of this inconvenient to inquire of you and you also sincerely and plainly to declare to us whether or not we may subscrive and sweare the new Covenant as it includeth and ratifieth the old and yet be really free from all abjuration or condemning of Pearth Articles and Episcopacie And likewise whether or not ye and all others who are of your minde will hold and esteem us free from abjuration of them notwithstanding of our subscriving of your Covenant These Questions require a punctuall Answere For if our subscriving of your Covenant may either import a real abjuratiō of Pearth Articles or if it may make you to think that by vertue of our subscription we are really and indeed bound to reject them for ever neither can we with a good conscience subscrive your Covenant neither can ye with a good conscience require it of us 22. Fiftly from our refusing to subscrive the late Covenant in so far as it reneweth the old Covenant or little Confession because that Confessi● according to your Interpretation or conception of it importeth an abjuration of Pearth Articles ye collect first that upon this ground we would not have subscrived the late Confession any time bypast Secondly that we can not sweat the Confession of any Church no not the Articles of the CREED Petitions of the LORDS PRAYER nor Precepts of the ten COMMANDEMENTS in respect of the diverse Interpretations which men give of them We answere first that since the little Confession is not of Divine Authority and since the Humane Authority which it had hath these many years bygone ceassed as The Peaceable Warning lately given to the Subjects in Scotland proveth we would have refused our Subscription unto it ever since we heard that it importeth an Abjuration of all Rites and Ceremonies which were not received in our Church in the year 1681 except we had gotten some evidence to the contrary sufficiently satisfying our minds Secondly As for the Creed LORDS Prayer and ten Commandements your Argument taken from the varietie of mens Expositions of them is far from the purpose For since we are perswaded that the Author or Pen-men of them neither intended nor yet delivered any thing in them but Trueth and that their expression is authentick we are bound to embrace and receive them notwithstanding of the varietie of Interpretations which men give of them neither is it lawfull to us to refuse our Subscription or assent to them whatsoever be the judgement or assent of those who require it of us being alwise bound to acknowledge the infallible Authority of them even when we doubt of the true meaning of them Thirdly As for any of these later Confessions of Churches if the case be such as now it is in this particular of this late Covenant that is if we be not bound by any standing Law to subscrive it and if it be so lyable to the variety of Interpretatiōs that it may probablie import that which we think to be contrary to the Trueth and if these who require our Subscription be in our judgement Opposers of the Trueth in any point contained in that Confession and may make advantage of our Subscription alleadgeing that we are tyed by it to consent to their Doctrines or Practises we may justly in such a case deny our subscription to that Confession for the ambiguitie of it and much more may desire those who urge us to subscrive it to declare unto us before we give our Subscription Whether or not that Confession in their judgement will tye us to their Doctrines and Practises 23. Last of all In modestie as ye say but with a jesting complement ye present unto us a Dish of our own dressing ye mean the lyke Argument Ad hominem which is this The Rites and Ceremonies which are not abjured in the negative Confession are not abjured in this late Covenant But the Rites and Ceremonies which were concluded in Pearth Assembly are not abjured as ye say in the negative Confession made Ann 1581 therefore they are not abjured in this

late Covenant The first Proposition as ye say is evident because in the late Covenant we are bound no farther concerning the negative Confession but to keep it inviolable And therefore what Rites are not abjured there are not abjured here Likewise ye say that the second Proposition can no be denyed by us in respect these twenty years bygone we have thought our selves free of Perjurie notwithstanding the of Oath made 1581 and of our conforming our selves to the Ordinance of Pearth Good Brethren ye have retorted this Argument very weakly upon us For first we flatly denye the Major of your Syllogisme and withall doe repell the confirmation of it For although Pearth Articles were not abjured in the late Covenant in so far as it reneweth the negative Confession yet they may be and as it is already proven they are abjured in that other part of your late Covenant where ye vow and promise To recover the Liberty and Purity of the Gospell as it was established and professed before the foresaid Novations Next as for your Minor or Second Proposition wee suspend our Judgement of it untill wee bee better informed and advised doubting as we said before concerning the meaning of those parts of the old Covenant which concerne matters of Rite or Ceremonie Neither doeth the confirmation of your minor trouble us for we have thought our selves free of Perjury these twenty years bygone not for any certain perswasion which we had that Pearth Articles are not abjured in the old Covenant but because we did not personally swear that Covenant and are not tyed to it by the Oath of those who did subscrive it which we are ready to demonstrate by irrefragable Arguments Ye see then your Argument retorted upon us pearceth us not at all and the Reader may perceive that our argument hath been so forcibly thrown upon you that ye have not taken upon you to answere any part of it If ye had had evidence of the trueth for you ye would not only have retorted our Argument but also by answering it punctually shown that it straiteth not you and if ye had been exact Resolvers ye would not have gone about to have satisfied us with a naked Argument in contrarium 24. Before we leave this point that it may be known to all what reason we have to insist in this our Argument ad hominem and that we have proponed it not to catch advantage of you but to get satisfaction to our own mindes concerning the Covenant and your sincerity in urging us to subscrive it we will collect out of that which hath beene already said some interrogatories which we pray you to answer punctually if ye intend to give us satisfaction The first is whether or not your declaration of the extent of the late Covenant to wit that it extendeth not it self to the abjuration of Pearth Articles be not only vera true in it self but also verax that is consonant to your minde and to the minde of the chief contrivers of it The reason wherefore we propone this question ye will perceive by these that follow Secondly seeing ye and others the chief recommenders of the old Covenant have been ever of this minde that Pearth Articles and Episcopacy are abjured in it we aske whether ye all tying your selves by this late Covenant to the inviolable observation of the old Covenant have tyed your selves to it in all the particular points which ye conceived to be contained in it or only in some of them did ye by mentall reservation except any part of that old Covenant or in particular did ye except that part of it in the which perpetuall continuance in the doctrine and discipline of this Church is promised Or if that part was not excepted did ye put any new glosse upon it which it had not before And if ye did not whether or not ye renewing the Oath of perpetuall observation of the doctrine and discipline of this Church as it was Anno 1581 have not only really but also according to your own conception of that part of the old Covenant abjured all Rites and Ceremonies added to the discipline of this Church since the foresaid year and consequently the Articles of Pearth and Episcopacie Thirdly seeing ye so confidently averre that Pearth Articles are abjured in the old Covenant how can ye deny them to be abjured in the new Covenant except ye acknowledge a substantiall difference betwixt the old and new Covenant Fourthly if ye grant that they are really and indeed abjured in the late Covenant how can ye faithfully and sincerely say to us or to any other that they are not abjured in it Fiftly how can ye and all others who with you have really and also according to your own conception of the old Covenant abjured Pearth Articles and Episcopacie by renewing of it voice freely in the intended Assembly concerning these things seeing ye are tyed by your Oath to condemn and abrogate them Sixtly How can we concurre with you in an Oath wherein we are infallibly perswaded that ye have abjured Pearth Articles and Episcopacie Seventhly If we concurre with you in that Oath will ye not as we objected in our Reply but ye have not answered it think us bound by our Oath to condemn Pearth Articles and Episcopacie and will not ye thinke your selves bound in conscience to tell us and all others that which ye think to be trueth and may make much for your cause to wit that the words of the Covenant have but one sense and that in that one sense Pearth Articles are abjured 25. Ye and all others may now see how injustly ye said that we would have the Covenanters against their intention and whether they will or not to disallow and condemn Pearth Articles and Episcopall Government lest they be tryed in a free Assembly GOD knoweth how far we detest all such dealing and this vindication of our two Arguments we added also a third but ye have swallowed it brought by us to prove that Pearth Articles and Episcopacie are abjured in your late Covenant will sufficiently cleare us of this imputation to all unpartiall Readers 26. We did not only alleadge as ye say that your supplications to his Majesty were fully satisfied by the last Proclamation but grounding an Argument upon your Answere to our fourth Demand we reasoned thus If in all your supplications ye have only sought the removing of the Service Book book of Canons and new high Commission not complaining of any other Novations already introduced and seeing his Majesty hath granted this unto you what reason have ye to say that his Majesty hath not satisfied your supplications this our Argument ye have turned to a meere alleadgeance lest ye should have troubled your selves with answering it Whether or not we may forbeare the practise of Pearth Articles untill they be tryed in a free Assembly 27. We come now to the consideration of that which your Covenant by your own confession tyeth us to