to all the Reformed Churches how much our good King departed loved his Religion he would not grant peace to his Irish Subjects on the conditions they demanded advantagious to their Religion which if he had accorded he might have had Legions in stead of Regiments and not wanted neither the help of his Subjects nor their neighbours but rather then he would buy their assistance at that price he chose to sink and fall under the oppression of the Covenanters after this piety or humanity ought to have converted the enemies of the King if he had had to do with persons who had either the one or the other But if the Gentlemen at London lost their monies which they advanced upon the Irish affairs they have cause to complain of the Gentlemen at Westminster who made use of this money not to reconquer Ireland but to make war upon the King who had a great desire to terminate that business and would have gone in Person but not to serve the avaritious and barbarous intentions of these Merchants of blood but to recover his Rights and to restore a number of his exiled Subjects to their possessions Those ruined and remaining Families of the general Massacre cried aloud in the ears of the King and Parliament For to help them there was a generall Collection through the Kingdom and the Ministers by Order of Parliament were to excite the charity of the people to a liberal contribution which was done and great sums of money were raised for the Irish War But to what was the charity of many pious souls imployed to make War against the King The Armies which the cries of the poor exiled Irish had raised and were ready at their Port to be shipped were called back and conducted against his sacred Majesty and although many in those Troops had their Interests in Ireland they were constrained to forsake them for unknown Interests and an open Hostillity against their Soveraign 'T is no wonder then if part of those Troops at the battel of Keinton turned to the King and took a bloody revenge of so great injustice For what a most horrible tyranny was this to make them fight against their King in England whilest the throats of their wives and children were cutting in Ireland We earnestly beseech the Covenanters that whensoever they curse the Irish Rebellion they would remember these two things the one that the Scots shewed them the way having before made a Covenant for Religion and levied Arms to maintain it and obtained by this way all that they desired The Irish seeing this was the way to obtain the liberty of their Religion presently followed the example of their Neighbours and as a judicious Writer saith pleasantly That if the Scots had not piped the Irish had never danced Let them remember also that the Irish as wicked as they were had without comparison more reason for their rising then either the English or Scotch for it 's most certain that the Irish were held in with a bridle which had a ruder bit then the other Subjects of the King Many of the Irish for their former Rebellions were dispossessed of their Lands and although the sentence was just the loss nevertheless was sensible moreover they had not the free exercise nor liberty of their Religion the English nor Scotch cannot alledge any thing like these Hardly shall you find in any History a raign of fifteen years more flourishing peaceable and mild then the fifteen first years of the Reign of the late King notwithstanding all the grievances the Covenanters reckon up to his disadvantage There never shined more happy days upon England and Scotland In effect they were Nations sick of too much ease When Subjects undertake to criticise upon mysteries of State and come to quarrel amongst themselves for subtilties of Religion or points of Discipline it s a symptome of an easie yoke and of excess of ease and prosperity Moreover the Irish fought against men of another Religion and of another Nation they fought not against the Person of their King cut not the throats of their Brethren nor ruined those of their profession imposed not necessity of Conscience upon others but only demanded publick Liberty of Conscience for themselves although many amongst them contented themselves with lesse for by the Articles of peace in Septemb. 1646. the King gave them no Toleration for the publike exercise of their Religion Certainly therefore as those of Niniveh shall rise up in judgment against the Scribes and Pharisees so shall the Irish against the English and Scotch Covenanters Further our enemies are very unjust to complain that the King assailed to bring over Irish Armies into England since they in effect a year and half before had brought Armies of Scotch into England to serve them If they take the boldness to entertain the Armies of strangers within the Kingdome of their Soveraign shall it not be lawful for the King to defend his person and Kingdom with his own Subjects which in this quality are not strangers in respect of him but the Scotch are strangers in regard of the English Histories furnish nought parallel to this crime to have brought the Scots into England and to move them to come gave them part of the Kingdom of Ireland but its easie for them to give that which was none of theirs with the same right the Devil offered to Jesus Christ all the Kingdoms of the world for they can produce their Authority no other where This Nation abounding in men living in a barren Countrey will be easily induced to plant Colonies in a more fertile soil and who will believe that having their weapons in their hands and being in England backed with their forces from Scotland they will govern themselves at the devotion of those that sent for them and go no further then they are comanded there is danger least it happen as to the fountain of Lucian which a student in Magick with certain words he had learn'd of his Master sent to fetch water to which the fountain obeyed but the poor apprentise knew not the words to make it stay which in the mean while went and fetched water without ceasing till it filled the house up to the windows Certainly our Mutineers had the wit to make the Scotch come to their help and there needed no great charm to perswade a people which had nothing and had nothing to do to come and fish in troubled waters in their neighbours pond But I have great fear that those which caused them to enter upon their March were ignorant of the charm to stay them that they should go no further and that the Scotch will not have done when the English have done with them It was not then an action of judgment to cause the Scots to enter England without having power to make them return and to hinder their coming again much less an action of piety for God needs not the wickedness of men to advance his Kingdom it was an
they may then give it the name of Lex and in effect it is but a request before the pleasure of the King makes it pass into a Law and was never other before this present Parliament Therefore the English Lawyers call the King the life of the Law for though the King in Parliament cannot make any Law without the concurrence of the two Houses yet nevertheless it 's his Authority only that gives it the strength and Name of a Law and they are so far from having any Legal Authority in their Commands without the consent of the King that the customary right gives them not so much as a Name neither takes any Cognisance of them To say then that the Parliament hath declared this War lawful and that the Orders of Parliament are Laws is by an ambiguous term to abuse the ignorance of the people for by the Parliament they understand somtimes one House somtimes both and somtimes the King and both Houses together it 's thus that men understand them when they speak of the Supream Court of Parliament and of Acts of Parliament for the King was ever accounted the first of the three Estate without whom the two other had not power to conclude any thing lawfully for all their Authority is derived from him not only for a time but by a continual Influence which being interrupted the power of necessity ceaseâ—h These three togeâ—her have power to interpret the Laws to revoke them and to make others therein properly lies the Oracle of the Laws A Judicious Writer of the Royal party calls the union of the three Estates the Sacred Tripos from whence the Oracles of the Law are pronounced When any one of these three are separate from other the other two stagger and are lame nor cannot serve for a firm foundation for the safety of the State and satisfaction of the Subjects Conscience But let us assume the business higher you cannot more vex our Enemies than to tell them this Truth that the Monarchy which is at this day began by Conquest this is that which by no means they will endure to hear of but would perswade men that it began by an Election and Covenant which indeed had never any being but in their own Fancies If they would be believed for this they should then produce some Records For the bold conjecturers are less credible than all the Histories which assures us of three Conquests in this Kingdom since the Romans and Picts Namely that of the Saxons Danes and Normans Moreover those that would abolish this Office and Dignity destroy that of their own Laws for all the Lands of the Kingdom are held of the King by right of the Sword as appears by the nature of Homages and Services that the Lords of Fiefes owe to the King when William the Conqueror took possession of the Kingdome strengthening the Right of his Conquest by the last Will and Testament of Edward the Confessor he declared himself Master of all the Land and disposed of it according to his pleasure His Son Henry the first eased the People somwhat of the severe and unlimited Government of his Father and confirmed to the English their ancient priviledges which since after long and bloudy wars were anew confirmed and the Quarrel determined by that wise King Edward the first who having as much valour as wisdom in condescending to the Rights of his Subjects knew well how thereby to preserve his own for after all the Soveraignty of Kings remained inviolable and those prerogaâ—ives were preserved which were only proper to him who is not subject but to God alone Such also is the Court of Wards by which a great many Orphans of the Kingdom are in Wardship to the King and almost all the Lands appertaining to him until they be of Age. In this thing the Kings of England exceed all other Christian Princes This being such an essential mark of absolute Soveraignty that there cannot be a greater Certainly if this Monarchy had begun either by Election or Covenant the Subjects would never have given the King so vast a power over their Estates and Families Amongst the priviledges of the English these three are the principal That the King cannot make a Law without the consent of his Estates That no Law made in Parliament can be revoked but in Parliament and that the King can levy no moneys of his Subjects beâ—â—des his ordinary Revenues without the concurrence of the Two Houses in the intervals of Parliaments the King according to his Supream Power may make Edicts seem burdensom to the Subjects or to impair their Laws and Priviledges they humbly present them in the next Parliament the K. when the complaint appears just unâ—o him easeth them for to make their requests pass for Acts without the pleasure of the K. they cannot neither can the K. make new Acts in Parl. without their consent In the mean while the King makes not them partakers of his Authority but assembling them in Parliament he renders them capable to limit his Authority in Cases that appertain to their cognisance for there are many cases wherein they are not to meddle at all in the point of the Militia and for fear they should forget that even this power they have to limit the King comes from the Authority of the King and he can take it away from them when he pleaseth for when he breaks up the Parliament he retires to himself the Authority that he gave them to limit his and moreover if they stretch their priviledges beyond the pleasure of the King he hath power to dissolve the Parliament and after the word of the King is passed which dischargeth them and sends them away they have not power to sit or consult a minute Whence Bodinus well versed in the nature of the States of Christendome concludes the King of England to have Soveraign Authority The Estates of England saith he cannot be assembled nor dissolved but by the Edict of the Prince no more then in France and Spain which proves sufficiently that the Assemblies have no power of themselves to command or forbid a thing and he laughs at the ignorance of Bellaga who affirm the States of Arragon to be above their King and yet nevertheless confesseth the States cannot assemble nor separate without him Illud Novum planè absurdum That saith he is New and altogether a most absurd Doctrine And therefore it was that which occasioned them who had a design to overthrow Church and State to labour to draw a promise from his Majesty that the late long Parliament should not be dissolved without the consent of both Houses well knowing that without that granted the King when he pleased might have overturned their designs which they having obtained shewed by their Actions that they thought themselves then priviledged to do what they would without his Authority and thus it is with us at this day Yet so it is that they themselves do confess that this grant did
him that spake them like unto the bitings of the weasel who consumes his teeth by gnawing of steel Certainly when the Divines of France defend in their writings the Confession of Faith of his Majesty against the Doctors of the contrary Religion they account not that King a most mortal enemy of the Church That most holy Confession confirmed by the practice of that great Prince will serve as a bright shining light in the Church in after Ages and cover the memory of them who injured and reproached him with perpetual shame But for the present thâ—se rare Adages which curse the best of Kings and Royalty in general are gather'd as choice and golden sentences Witnesse this other which comes from the Authority of his Companion as great a liar as himself who hath this passage He erres not much who saith that there is in all Kings a mortal hatred against the Gospel they will not suffer willingly the King of Kings to govern in their Kingdomes yet God hath some amongst the Kings who pertain to him but very few it may be one in an hundred But since he is upon the number instead of counting a hundred Kings one after another let him account only a hundred years without going out of England and we intreat this good man to consider what Kings have raigned over this Kingdome within this hundred years and let him in good earnest tell us which of them he would leave to God and which he would give to the Devil let them consider the piety of him whom God hath made a Saint and they a Martyr let them find if they can in all his Kingdome a man more just and meek more temperate and religious and let envy and rebellion who finding nothing to bite at in the life of this Monarch burst asunder at his feet and hide themselves in their own confusion Let us say the same to the Observator upon his Majesties Declarations who speaking of all Kings now raigning but with a particular application to his Soveraign saith That to be the delight of mankind as Titus Vespasian is now a sordid thing amongst Princes but to be tormentors and executioners of the Publique to plot and contrive the ruine of their subjects which they ought naturally to protect is now accounted a work worthy of Caesar If reviling and speaking reproachful words against the King were blasphemy according to the stile of the civil Laws of Israel 1 King 21 10. then this impious person is a Blasphemer in the highest degree against the sacred Majesty of Kings and moreover exceeding ridiculous as well as wicked to appropriate this description to his King whose known piety justice and clemency deserved rather the title of the delights of mankind then that Emperour upon whom the love of the people conferred it The like I may speak of the Kings of France within these fifty years all the Lists of the French Kings furnisheth not such excellent Princes wherefore Aphorismes of Rebellion could never have been pronounced in an age more proper to give the Authors the lye The Lord rebuke these black souls who curse God in the person of his Anointed their sentence is written and their qualities painted out to the life by St. Peter 2 Pet. 2.10 11 12. who despise Dominions presumptuous self-willed they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities whereas Angels which are greater in power bring not railing accusations against them before the Lord but these are natural bruit beasts made to be taken and destroy'd speak evil of things which they understand not and shall utterly perish in their own corruption I might heap up many more passages of our enemies which teach murther rebellion and hatred of Kings in which they seem to dispute with the very Jesuites themselves this description of their devotion A seditious piety a factious Religion which would be Judge of the consciences of Princes who abhor their Religion because they hate their Government who make good subjects and good Christians to be things incompatible Whosoever would weary his patience and behold how ingenious the Covenanters have been even to exercise the patience of God and insult over the persons and authority of Kings let them read their Sermons which were daily printed by authority after they had preached them before the House of Commons wherein the filthy Torrent of seditious Eloquence and the fantasticalness of a Bastard Devotion were imploy'd to tear apieces the King to disfigure him in odious colours and stir up the people to all cruel and bloody courses against him out of which books we might collect thousands of Modern Authorities in favour of the wickedness of these times which passed from them as Doctrines of Religion but we esteem our selves worthy of a better imployment then to be poring on Carrion and stirring in sinks and puddles That which we have cited out of known Authors shall suffice to let the world see with whom we have to do and that we are call'd to the condition of S. Paul to fight with beasts CHAP. XII How the Covenanters wrong the Reformed Churches in inviting them to joyn with them with an answer for the Churches of France AS 't is the vice of those who are strucken with the Leprosie to endeavour to infect others so the Covenanters like to them labour by all means possible to spread abroad the poyson of their impiety Those who have preached and published their most infamous Doctrines which renders Christianity hateful both to Turks and Pagans were so bold as to address their publike Declarations to the Reformed Churches of France the Low Countryes and Switzerland as if they made profession of the same Doctrines they had the impudence to invite these so pure Churches to have society with them and to pray them to esteem the Cause of the Covenant that of all the Churches In this the Assembly of Divines at London were imployed by their Masters That which makes this Temptation less dangerous is That the Letter they wrote upon this subject to their Neighbours could very hardly be understood This Venerable Company of Divines of Consummate Knowledge and the Flower of Eloquence of that Party writ a Latine Letter to the French Flemens and Switzers wherein there wants nothing in the Outward but Language and Common sense a most worthy Cover for the Inward for so evil a drogue there needed not a Better Box. This Epistle amongst a ridiculous affectation of Criticismes Greek and Poetical phrases and many Rhetorical Figures is here and there fill'd with Solecismes Barbarismes and the like Grammar Elegancies like a foundred horse that goes up and down and it 's pity to behold hâ—w their Eloquence stumbles in Capriolinge This piece of Latine was much admired and many praises heaped upon the Authors and publick thanks by special command given to them by the House of Commons so much is knowledge valued in this Reformed party It 's likely many hands contributed to the composing of it for
change and abolish Ceremonies or Rites of the Church ordained onely by mans authoritie so that all things be done to edifying XXXV THe second Book of Homilies the severall titles whereof we have ioyned under this Article doth contain a godly and wholsome Doctrine and necessary for these times as doth the former book of Homilies which were set forth in the time of Edward the sixth and therefore we judge them to be read in Churches by the Ministers diligently and distinctly that they may be understanded of the people Of the Names of the Homilies 1 OF the right use of the Church 2 Against peril of Idolatry 3 Of repairing and keeping clean of Churches 4 Of good works first of Fasting 5 Against Gluttony and Drunkennesse 6 Against Excesse of Apparel 7 Of Prayer 8 Of the Place and Time of Prayer 9 That Common Prayers and Sacraments ought to be ministred in a known Tongue 10 Of the reverent estimation of Gods Word 11 Of Alms doing 12 Of the Nativity of Christ 13 Of the passion of Christ 14 Of the Resurrection of Christ 15 Of the worthy receiving of the Sacrament of the Body and Bloud of Christ 16 Of the Gifts of the holy Ghost 17 For the Rogation daies 18 Of the State of Matrimony 19 Of Repentance 20 Against Idlenesse 21 Against Rebellion XXXVI THe Book of Consecration of Archbishops and Bishops and ordering of Priests and Deacons lately set forth in the time of Edward the sixth and confirmed at the same time by authority of Parliament doth contain all things necessary to such Consecration and ordering neither hath it any thing that of it selfe is superstitious and ungodly And therefore whosoever are consecrated or ordered according to the Rites of that Book since the second year of the aforenamed King Edward unto this time or hereafter shall be consecrated or ordered according to the same Rites we decree all such to be rightly orderly and lawfully consecrated and ordered XXXVII THe Queens Majestie hath the chief power in this Realm of England and other her Dominions unto whom the chief government of all estates of this Realm whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Civil in all causes doth appertain and is not nor ought to be subject to any forreign Iurisdiction Where wee attribute to the Queenes Majestie the chiefe government by which titles we understand the mindes of some slanderous folkes to be oâ—fended we give not to our Princes the ministring either of Gods word or of the Sacraments the which thing the Injunctions also lately set forth by Elizabeth our Queen do most plainly testifie but that only prerogative which we see to have been given alwaies to all godly Princes in holy Scriptures by God himself that is that they should rule all estates and degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Temporall and restraine with the Civil sword the stubborne and evil deers The Bishop of Rome hath no Iurisdiction in this Realm of England The Lawes of the Realm may punish Christian men with death for heinous and grievous offences It is lawful for Christian men at the Commandment of the Magistrate to weare weapons and serve in the warres XXXVIII THe Riches and goods of Christians are not common as touching the right title and possession of the same as certain Anabaptists do falsly boast Notwithstanding every man ought of such things as he possesseth liberally to give almes to the poore according to his ability XXXIX AS we confesse that vaine and rash swearing is forbidden Christian men by our Lord Iesus Christ and Iames his Apostle So we judge that Christian Religion doth not prohibite but that a man may sweare when the Magistrate requireth in a cause of faith and charitie so it be done according to the Prophets teaching in justice judgment and truth The Contents Chap. 1. OF the Seditious Liberty of the new Doctrines which hath been the principal means of the Covenant p. 1. Chap. 2. That the Covenanters are destitute of all Proofs for their war made against the King p. 12. Chap. 3. Express Texts of Scripture which commands Obedience and forbids Resistance to Soverigns p. 23. Chap. 4. The Evasions of the Covenanters upon the Texts of Saint Paul Rom. 13. and how in time they refuse the judgment of Scripture p. 28. Chap. 5. What Constitution of State the Covenanters forge and how they refuse the judgment of the Laws of the Kingdom p. 40. Chap. 6. What Examples in the Histories of England the Covenanters make use of to authorize their actions p. 46. Chap. 7. Declaring wherein the Legislative power of Parliament consists p. 50. Chap. 8. How the Covenanters will be Judges in their own cause p. 63. Chap. 9. That the most noble and best part of the Parliament retired to the King being driven away by the worser p. 65. Chap. 10. A Parallel of the Covenant with the holy League of France under Henry the Third Pag. 71. Chap. 11. The Doctrine of the English Covenanters parallel'd with the Doctrine of the Jesuits p. 72. Chap. 12. How the Covenanters wrong the Reformed Churches in inviting them to joyn with them with an Answer for the Churches of France p. 81. Chap. 13. The preceding Answer confirmed by Divines of the Reformed Religion with an Answer to some Objections of the Covenanters upon this Subject p. 101. Chap. 14. How the Covenanters have no reason to invite the Reformed Churches to their Alliance since they differ from them in many things of great importance p. 115. Chap. 15. Of abolishing the Lyturgy in doing of which the Covenanters oppose the Reformed Churches p. 122. Chap. 16. Of the great prudence and wisdom of the first English Reformers and of the Fool hardinesse of these at present p. 132. Chap. 17. How the Covenanters labour in vain to sow Sedition between the Churches of England and France upon the point of Discipline Of the Christian prudence of the French Reformers and of the nature of Discipline in general p. 145. Chap. 18. How the Discipline of the Covenanters is far from the practise of other Churches p. 156. Chap. 19. That the Covenanters ruine the Ministers of the Gospel under colour of Reformation p. 163. Chap. 20. Of the Corruption of Religion objected to the English Clergy and the waies that the Covenanters took to remedy them Pag. 167. Chap. 21. An Answer to the Objection That the King made War against the Parliament p. 176. Chap. 22. Of the Depraved and Evil Faith of the Covenanters p. 184. Chap. 23. Of the Instruments both Parties made use of and of the Irish Affairs p. 207 Chap. 24. How the different Factions of the Covenant agreed to ruine the King and contributed to put him to death p. 226. Chap. 25. Of the cruelty of the Covenanters towards the good Subjects of the King p. 232. CHAP. I. Of the seditious Liberty of New Doctrines which hath been the principal means of the Covenant A Compleat History of our Affairs since
must touch it But I am constrained to it by the frequent Declarations of the Covenanters who have nothing so strong nor so frequent for to move the people to take up Arms against their King as to propose to them the example of the French Churches as a pattern which they ought and are bound to follow Would to God that in leaving us there they would have given us liberty to hold our peace but since they will not give over publishing abroad and making all places ring with our calamities the remembrance whereof we rather desire should be for ever buried since they impute the actions of some few to the generality of our Churches and even to Religion it self and since that they alledge our errors for to exhort us to return to them again and since they change the subject of our repentance and sorrow into rules for their imitation and into precepts of the Gospel Is it not now high time to speak and prefer the Interest of Gods Glory and of the Truth of his Word above the credit of men whatsoever they be yea and of our own too Let God be true and every man a Liar Rom. 3.4 Confess thy fault and give glory to the Lord God of Israel Jo. 7.19 Mr. Rivet was not ashamed to call these our stirrings culpam nostrorum the fault of his Country-men and this was spoken as a Champion of the truth to confess it so freely that it was both to our sin and dammage wherein as he himself declares he agrees with Monsieur du Moulin who in his second Epistle to Monsieur Balzak makes the same confession in equivalent terms Such was the Piety and ingenuity of these godly and learned persons that all their care and pains was to defend the Truth only and not their persons It would be a great honor for the Churches of France with one consent publikely to declare that they judge all wars of Subjects against their Soveraign unlawful and to exhort their Brethren of England to Obedience and fidelity to their Prince then for to preserve the credit of some of their party and suffer their actions to serve as snares to the weak consciences of their Neighbours and of pretext to those who labour to corrupt the Doctrine of the Gospel My self being a member of the Reformed Church of France doubt not but I shall be owned and approved to give an Answer for them to the Summons of a strange Covenant It s a very great affliction to us to behold the famous Churches of Great Britain to destroy themselves for controversies without necessity and which might have been easily composed And that which toucheth us most is the danger of the Truth which is much weakned by these divisions for it s to be feared that in your contending and striving one with another you over-turn not the Candlestick of the Gospel and that God being provoked takes not away his saving Light which was not given to lighten you one to fight against another We will not enter into the causes of your quarrels and could wish that you had left out the remembrance of ours and had not imployed the unforâ—unate actions of your poor Neighbours which anguish and terrour produced to serve as example to your people to take up Arms against their King They were but the lesser part of our Churches that were involved in that party The signal testimonies of our fidelity to the Crown ever since the reducing of Rochel and other places which were moved in our hands do efface the memory of the troubles moved in their behalf and the cause of these motions being equitably considered by sober and moderate spirits would beget pity rather then hatred For if just fear could justifie Arms against their lawful Soveraign those of our Religion who bare Arms in this occasion could represent to you that when the King demanded back again the places that he had granted them for their security they had great occasion to fear that with these places they should lose the security of their consciences and lives in which they were happily deceived For the late King who was as gentle in making use of a victory as valiant in gaining one ever laboured more to comfort than to punish and compassion stifling his anger made them know that the strongest place for the security of Subjects is the Clemency and Justice of their Soveraign Oh these Royal Vertues were eminently manifest in him whom God had given you for your King Who being the Defender of the Reformed Christian Faith and publishing his most holy Profession with such protestations which gave us full satisfaction we cannot see how you can alledge the example of our taking up of Arms should they be the most just of the world having not the same subjects of fear The security of your consciences and lives were without question But you are not the first whom ease and long prosperity hath carried to the same impatience to which others have been driven by affliction And since then ye address your selves to us to give you advice We beseech you consider that to take counsel of your Friends it must not be when their swords are in their hands and their enemies before them but when they are quiet and at peace 'T is not from our Souldiers but our Divines that you should enquire whether you should draw your swords against your Prince if you refer your selves to them they will all conclude for the Negative For whilst our Wars continued whereof you have too good a memory not one of all our Divines maintained those dangerous Maximes which is now defended by your Sermons and Writings They that say most for their Party excuse it and lay it upon necessity 'T is not from any of our Books that ye have drawn these vile Maximes That the Authority of the Sovereign Magistrate is of Humane Right That the people is above their King That the people gave the power to the Prince and may take it away when they please That Kings are not the anointed of the Lord That if the King fail in performing the Oath at his Coronation the Subjects are absolved from their Oaths of Allegiance That if the Prince falls from the Grace of God the people are loosed from their subjection That for to establish a Discipline which they account to be the only Kingdom of Jesus Christ Subjects may take up Arms against their Prince That Kings are to be judged before their Subjects That the Civil Government ought to be formed according to the pattern of the Ecclesiastical which is not Monarchical This Maxime tends to the abolition of Royalty in all States In all the Writings of our Divines ye find no such matters but such as teach Subjects Loyalty Humility Obedience and Patience All agree together with the ancient Christians and say that prayers and tears are the weapons of the Church We never spake of deposing our Kings and do not believe that any man living