Discipline as well as Doctrine and worship That you would go on vigorously in the prosecution of your late Solemne League and Covenant and the Ordinance of both Kingdomes published January 20 1643 and particularly for the thorough suppression and rooting out of all Sects Schismes and erroneous doctrines destructive to sound doctrine and the power of godlinesse and tending to libertinisme and disobedience to God and man That our Armies may be quickned to be more active follow opportunities which may be of unspeakable consequence That reproachers and scorners of godlinesse and conscience by nick-names may be questionable and severely punished by a law That you would be exceeding cautious of confiding in them about Treaties who keep no Faith That Arminianisme and Socinianisme the enemies to free grace and Romes Decoy-ducks to bring in Popery be timely throughly supprest That seandalous and Popish Magistrates that regard not the Execution of Justice be removed and approved just men fearing God and hating coveteousnesse and unrighteousnesse be placed in their roomes in all places That Contemners of your former good Orders be severely punished Wakes and unnecessiry Ale-houses and Play-houses the very nurcerics of vice and randevouz for all prophane wretches be suppressed That the joynt consent and happy concurrence of the Noble Peers with your House may be still continued Especially that they and you would use all possiole meanes and speed that His Royall Majestie may have a right understanding of your just desires and proceedings and would with the Prince be graciously pleased to returne to His Parliament All which I mention not to shew you what to do impute not such folly to your humble servant but in all humility to spread before your wisdoms what is by many thousands heartily desired humbly craved according as in your pious and deep wisdom shall seem most agreable to the rules of piety true Christian prudence and polity which surely will compleat the blessed work of Reformation begun make this a most slourishing Church and State amiable to our God glorious to our friends terrible to our enemies and make you and your Posterities renowned while this is a Nation And because your difficulties be very many and great therefore heare a word of encouragement from him who greatly honours you and your Assembly and whose duty it is ex efficio speciali to teach instruct exhort reprove c. The cause you are about is eminently good and of great importance God and all good men are on your side and though your adversaries be many mighty and politick yet God your Master whose work you are about is stronger and wiser then they all and one Jacob can do more with God for you then 400. Edowites can do against you And though our enemies should prevaile yet ten times * See my View of the Solemne League p 5. c. more yet cast not off your confidence in God but remember that when we are lowest then are we neerest deliverance and when our enemies are highest then are they neerest destruction And Honoured Worthies you have found God going along with you so scattering your enemies and furthering his worke even by their wicked plots and oppositions that you should now greatly dishonour God and the cause if you should suffer any thing to discourage you or make you feare the perfecting of the long and much desired work of Reformation in its due time only if Religion and the worship of God and the discipline of Jesus Christ be first setled then other evills how great soever will vanish away till then it cannot certainly be expected It is true it is not possible it should be done in a trice the greatnesse and exactnesse of the work the great deale of rubbish in the house of God both wretched persons and things and the great oppositions which great and good works meet with must of necessity make the work long Wherefore Noble Senators arme your selves with patience and resolution alwayes look as upon the work with one eye so at Gods glory and the publick good and upon Gods power wisdom goodnesse promise and faithfullnesse with the other regard not the person and face of any but Justice Gods glory and the Publike good and doubt not of a desired issue in due time which is the humble and hearty desire of him who is resolved to his utmost power and to the last breath God inabling by all means lawfull to maintain and defend the true reformed Protestant Religion against all Popery and Popish Innovations the Kings Majesties Person and Royall Posterity and Legall Authority the power and Priviledges of Parliament together with their persons in all their just and good proceedings the lawfull Rights and Liberties of the Subjects c. And endeavour the Reformation of Religion c. according to our late solemn league and Covenant against the enemies of God the King and State and shall till death remain Your daily Oratour at the Throne of Grace THO. MOCKET THE Nationall Covenant DEUT. 29.9 Keep therefore the words of this Covenant and do them that ye may prosper in all that ye do THese words of Moses from God to the people of Israel contain a further reason of the exhortation delivered in the former Chapter of performing Obedience to Gods Commandments which Reason or Argument is two-fold First From the consideration of Gods great and wonderfull mercies and benefits vouchsafed unto them in their deliverance out of Aegypt ver 2.3.4 In their Journey in the Wildernesse v. 5 6. and in the confines of the promised Land v. 7 8. Secondly from their Faith given or promise of Obedience made unto God intimated in the word Covenant in this verse Upon these two Grounds Gods goodnesse to them and their promise to him Moses doth in this Chapter presse them to Obedience in these words Keep therefore the words of this Covenant and do them The words of this Covenant is the Articles and Conditions which the people were by vertue of this Covenant bound to perform unto God This Covenant that is That Covenant which the people of Israel by Gods appointment made with God in the Land of Moab vers 1. which is there said to be another Covenant beside or differing from that which he made with them in Horeb on Mount Sinai where the Covenant was given Exod. 20. not in substance for so it is the same with that but in respect of the persons with whom even all those of Israel who were then unborn or unfit to enter into Covenant with God v. 14 15. And 2. In respect of the place this being neer the border of Canaan in the Country on the out-side of Jordan And thirdly In respect of the manner of revealing Christ who is in this more clearly revealed then on Mount Sinai The Propositions or Points of Doctrine naturally arising from these words are two viz. Doctr. 1. That a Covenant once made must be faithfully observed Or Covenanters must keep touch with God 2. That
shall blot out his name from under heaven and the Lord shall separate him to evill out of all the Tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the Covenant that are written in this book of the Law Mark the grand reason of all this fierce anger of the Lord against such vers 25. Because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God of their fathers For breaking of Covenant God caused Achan and all his to be stoned and burnt in the sire Iosh 7.11.15 and all Israel suffere I with him they could not stand before their enemies but were routed and smitten before th m. For this very thing Sauls breaking the Covenant made with the Gibionites though long before his time God punished all Israel with three yeers famine and in the end with the death of seven of Saith sons 2 Sam. 21. therefore also God rent the Kingdom from Solomon and gave ten Tribes to his servant Ieroboam 1 King 11 11. All these things give weight to this duty and the point in hand Thus we have seen it opened what a Covenant is what it is to keep it and how Also the point or duty cleerly proved That a Covenant once made may not be broken but must be carefully kept Thus of a Covenant in generall Now with the good leave of the great Assembly I will here take occasion to speak something concerning our Nationall Covenant Vow or Protestation in particular And here I will first set down the Protestation prudently commended to us by the Honorable House in these words I A. B. Do in the presence of Almighty God promise vow and protest to maintain and defend as far as lawfully I may with my life power and estate the true reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and popish Innovations within this Realm contrary to the same Doctrine And according to the duty of my Allegiance His Majesties Royall Person Honour and Estate As also the Power and Priviledges of Parliaments the lawfull Rights and Liberties of the Subjects and every person that maketh this Protestation in whatsoever he shall do in the lawfull pursuance of the same And to my power and as far as lawfully I may I will oppose and by all good wayes and means endeavour to bring to condigne punishment all such as shall either by force practice counsels plots conspiracies or otherwise do any thing to the contrary of any thing in this present Protestation contained And further that I shal in all just and honorable ways endeavor to preserve the union and peace betwixt the three Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland And neither for hope fear nor other respect shall relinquish this Promise Vow and Protestation Touching this Nationall Covenant or Protestation we may here observe and consider 1. What we here promise and vow to maintaine and so what we here renounce 2. What it is to maintaine and defend the true Protestant Religion 3. Why for what ends we entred into this Protestation 4. How far this promise and Protestation doth bind us First What we here promise vow and protest viz. divers things which I conceive are in number 7. And the First is to maintaine and defend with our lives power and estate The true Reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and Popish Innovations within this Realme contrary to the same Doctrine I will not set downe the principall Doctrines of the true reformed Protestant Religion and the Anti. See M Ley his book entituled A comparison betwixt the late Oath c. Protestant or Popish Doctrines and Innovations which we here protest against I will only set downe some Arguments and Reasons why we should with our lives power and estates maintaine and defend the true reformed Protestant Religion in the generall and consequently every particular branch and part of it against all Popery and Popish Innovations and every part and parcell of Popery and they are these 1. Because God hath commanded it and every one ought to make conscience of the commands of God and to his uttermost power observe and keep them JVDE v. 3. It was needfull for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith viz. the Doctrine of faith which was once delivered to the Saints Not only contend but contend earnestly with all vehemency and intention of spirit with all our might To this purpose also is that of the Apostle to Timothy 2 Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the forme of sound words which thou hast heard of me and 1 Cor. 16.13 Stand fast in the faith that is both in the doctrine and grace of faith And no lesse is pressed on us Levit. 18.4 5. Deut. 4.40 and 5.32 33. and 6.3 17. and in very many other places Ye shall keep my statutes my iudgemonts my ordinances and commandements And if we cannot without drawing guilt on our soules breake the lawfull just and good commands of superiours how much lesss may we breake the righteous lawes of God 2. Our eternall salvation is built upon this There is no other Religion no other way or meanes in the world by which we can be saved Acts 4.12 1 Cor. 15. â— By which also ye are saved if ye keep in memory or hold fast what I preached unto you If we deny renounce or forsake this never looke to goe to Heaven never hope to see the face of God with joy 3. Gods glory is greatly promoted and advanced hereby as by the deny all of the true faith or Religion he is greatly dishonoured it confirmes others in their idolatrous false or superstitious wayes and opens the mouths of the adversaries and wicked men to speake evill of and blaspheme the truth and good wayes of God 4. The true reformed Protestant Religion is the badge of the true Christian and true servants of God their Livery and Cognisance whereby they are distinguished from all I dolaters Pagans Mahumetans Papists and Jewes that still cleave to the Mosaicall Rights long since abolished by Christ Yea by the sincere embracing and profession hereof the true Christians and servants of God are distinguished from all hypocrites 5. The Gospell upon which the true reformed Protestant Religion which we professe and is established as the publick doctrine of this Church of England is undoubtedly built was confirmed by many miracles from Heaven and truly divine Look throughout the whole Book of God and see how many divine Ratifications there have been of the Gospell and consequently of the true Religion which we doe now publickly through Gods great mercy professe It is the same with that of the Apostles and people of God in those first primitive times and which our blessed Saviour himselfe taught professed and sealed with his bloud and this should be a great inducement to us to embrace maintain and defend it to the death 6. This hath been recommended to us by the
heare our cryes remove our grievances supply our wants settle our Religion and peace against the plots and doings of all publicke and private enemies of Church and State or our selves they beare the burden for us spend their time and strength imploy their gifts and engage their estates lives and all for us and therfore we are all deeply engaged to defend and maintaine them and all their just and honourable actions and sticke unto them to stand or fall with them therefore it is that very many thousands from most of the Counties in this Kingdome and Principality of Wales doe in their Petitions offer Themselves their Persons Lives and Estates to defend and maintain as the Kings Majesty so his Parliament in all their just proceedings for the publick good Thus we see there is great Reason why we should with our lives power and estates by all lawfull wayes and means maintaine and defend the true Reformed Protestant Religion the Kings Majesties royall Person Honour and Estate and the Parliament Those three cannot be separated without utter ruine or extreame danger to all three The Declaration of Parliament Jan. 17. 1641. Therefore whosoever goes about to separate and divide these the true Protestant Religion King and Parliament or doth give any councell or endeavour to set or maintaine division or dislike betweene the King and the Parliament is by both Houses of Parliament declared a publicke enemy of the State and peace of this Kingdome and shall be enquired of and proceeded against accordingly The Rebels in Ireland did most shamefully and impudently pretend and still doe in their Protestations and their Oath also to defend and maintaine the King and his Priviledges and Prerogative and yet notwithstanding their deepe vowes and solemn oaths they doe cleane contrary Can they possibly be thought to be and stand for the King that doe most barbarously destroy abuse and spoyle his best Subjects fire his Townes take his Castles Forts and Holds You may be assured that whatsoever the Papist and their adherents and abettours here do or may pretend they have the same spirit and principles and will doe as their brethren and confederates in Ireland have done if and so soon as they have power and opportunity It is a legall principle That the King is the head and the Parliament the representative body of the Kingdome so that he that goes about to divide these doth as he that cuts off the head from the body naturall or destroyes the body naturall and yet sayes he loves the head seekes to advance and honour the head I must therefore here say as our Saviour in another case These whom God hath joyned together let no man put asunder It was the policy and advice of a Machivilian to subdue an enemy Divide regna divide them and you may easily overcome them and rule over them A Faggot or bundle of sticks while tyed together there is no breaking of them but take them a sunder and then you may easily breake them all one after another So here while these 3. concurre together we need not feare all the adversaries in the world the Pope Spaniard French Papists c. but if these be divided by the cursed plots of the enemies looke for nothing but ruine or extreme dangers of ruine And therefore it hath been and is the cursed endeavour of our Adversaries to divide betwixt these between us and our Religion and betweene the King and the Parliament and betwixt the Parliamentary houses themselves to oppose one the other and so betwixt the King and his faithfull and most loyall people and Subjects But let it ever be our indeavour to joyne and keep these together and the blessing of him who is the God of peace and unity will rest upon us Magna Charta Petition of Right and the Statutes therin specified Also his Royal Majesty both bin pleased divers times in his Declaratiōs graciously to promise all his good Subjects that he will rule according to the established lawes of the Land a most Princely profession Fourthly we vow and protest to defend and maintaine the lawfull Rights and Liberties of the Subjects such are these That no man may breake open another mans house chamber dore study trunkes chests imprison or arrest his person or ceaze on any of his goods but by authority of Law That no tallage or aid shall be laid had or levied by the King or his Heires in the Realme without the good-will and assent in Parliament That no person shall be compelled to make any Lones to the King against his will That none shall be charged by any charge or imposition called a Benevolence without consent in Parliament and such like And there is reason for it for these are the glory of free-borne Subjects and that which doth difference us from slaves and vassals take away our Liberties and bring in an Arbitrary power that the Rulers will and pleasure must stand for a Law and then wherein doe we differ from the veriest slaves in the world it therefore concernes us to defend and maintaine our lawfull Rights and Liberties even nature and common equity binds us to it So that were there no Protestation made and taken yet we are bound as we are Christians by vertue of our Baptisme to defend and maintaine the true Protestant Religion against all Popery and Popish Innovations as Subjects to maintaine the King our dread Soveraignes Person Honour and Estate as good Common-wealths men the Power and Priviledges of Parliament and the lawfull Rights and Liberties of the Subject Fifthly and marke it well we are here bound by our solemne promise c. with our lives c. to justifie Defend and maintaine every person that maketh this Protestation in whatsoever hée shall doe in the lawfull pursuance of the same And there is great Reason for this also that we should mutually defend each other for if any suffer in a common cause as the defence and maintenance of the true Religion the Kings Majesties Person Honour and Estate the Power and Priviledges of Parliament c. all suffer in him and therefore all and every one should stand for him So did the Grecians and Barbarians when they went with Cyrus against the Persians Suid. as for themselves The very Heathens would not be wanting to their Country but in a common cause were willing to doe or suffer any thing even the greatest dangers and Christianity should not make more slow but forward to all civill duties tending to the publicke good upon better and higher grounds then nature can afford viz. out of conscience to Gods command true Christian love to our Brethren and Country c. Sixthly under the like engagement we promise vow and protest To oppose and hinder and by all good wayes and meanes indeavour to bring to condigne punishment all such as shall either by force practises councels plots conspiracies or otherwise doe the contrary of any thing in this present Protestation contained As for