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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67467	The life of Dr. Sanderson, late Bishop of Lincoln written by Izaak Walton ; to which is added, some short tracts or cases of conscience written by the said Bishop.	Walton, Izaak, 1593-1683.; Sanderson, Robert, 1587-1663. Judgment concerning submission to usurpers.; Sanderson, Robert, 1587-1663. Pax ecclesiae.; Hooker, Richard, 1553 or 4-1600. Sermon of Richard Hooker, author of those learned books of Ecclesiastical politie.; Sanderson, Robert, 1587-1663. Judgment in one view for the settlement of the church.; Sanderson, Robert, 1587-1663. Judicium Universitatis Oxoniensis. English.	1678 (1678)	Wing W667; ESTC R8226	137,878	542

allow'd him to furnish him with Books for that purpose I told him I believ'd he would and in a Letter to the Doctor told him what great satisfaction that Honourable Person and many more had reaped by reading his Book De Iuramento and ask'd him whether he would be pleased for the benefit of the Church to write some Tract of Cases of Conscience He reply'd That he was glad that any had received any benefit by his Books and added further That if any future Tract of his could bring such benefit to any as we seem'd to say his former had done he would willingly though without any Pension set about that work Having receiv'd this Answer that honourable Person before mention'd did by my hands return 50 l. to the good Doctor whose condition then as most good mens at that time were was but low and he presently revised finished and published that excellent Book De Conscientiâ A Book little in bulk but not so if we consider the benefit an intelligent Reader may receive by it For there are so many general Propositions concerning Conscience the Nature and Obligation of it explained and proved with such firm consequence and evidence of Reason that he who reads remembers and can with prudence pertinently apply them Hic nunc to particular Cases may by their light and help rationally resolve a thousand particular doubts and scruples of Conscience Here you may see the charity of that Honourable Person in promoting and the Piety and Industry of the good Doctor in performing that excellent work And here I shall add the Judgment of that learned and pious Prelate concerning a passage very pertinent to our present purpose When he was in Oxon and read his publick Lectures in the Schools as Regius Professor of Divinity and by the truth of his Positions and evidences of his Proofs gave great content and satisfaction to all his hearers especially in his clear Resolutions of all difficult Cases which occurr'd in the Explication of the subject matter of his Lectures a Person of Quality yet alive privately asked him What course a young Divine should take in his Studies to inable him to be a good Casuist His answer was That a convenient understanding of the Learned Languages at least of Hebrew Greek and Latin and a sufficient knowledge of Arts and Sciences presuppos'd There were two things in humane Literature a comprehension of which would be of very great use to inable a man to be a rational and able Casuist which otherwise was very difficult if not impossible 1. A convenient knowledge of Moral Philosophy especially that part of it which treats of the Nature of Humane Actions To know quid sit actus humanus spontaneus invitus mixtus unde habent bonitatem malitiam moralem an ex genere objecto vel ex circumstantiis How the variety of Circumstances varies the goodness or evil of humane Actions How far knowledge and ignorance may aggravate or excuse increase or diminish the goodness or evil of our Actions For every Case of Conscience being only this Is this action good or bad May I do it or may I not He who in these knows not how and whence humane Actions become morally good and evil never can in Hypothesi rationally and certainly determine whether this or that particular Action be so 2. The second thing which he said would be a great help and advantage to a Casuist was a convenient knowledge of the Nature and Obligation of Laws in general To know what a Law is what a Natural and a Positive Law what 's required to the Latio dispensatio derogatio vel abrogatio legis what promulgation is antecedently required to the Obligation of any Positive Law what ignorance takes off the Obligation of a Law or does excuse diminish or aggravate the transgression For every Case of Conscience being only this Is this lawful for me or is it not and the Law the only Rule and Measure by which I must judge of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of any Action It evidently follows that he who in these knows not the Nature and Obligation of Laws never can be a good Casuist or rationally assure himself or others of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of Actions in particular This was the Judgment and good counsel of that learned and pious Prelate and having by long experience found the truth and benefit of it I conceive I could not without ingratitude to him and want of charity to others conceal it Pray pardon this rude and I fear impertinent Scrible which if nothing else may signifie thus much that I am willing to obey your Desires and am indeed London May 10. 1678 Your affectionate Friend Thomas Lincoln ERRATA In the Preface Page the last after that read I. In the Life P. 20. l. 5. for renew r. review p. 26. l. 16. for warily r. rarely p. 30. l. 13. for relate r. dilate p. 37. l. 11. for cautious r conscious p. 58. l. 10 for inmate r. innate p. 63. l. 5. for predestination r. predestinarian p. 126. l. 4. for complying r. complaining p. 161. l. 1. for propositions r. prepossessions Bishop Sanderson's JUDGMENT Concerning SUBMISSION TO Usurpers LONDON Printed for Richard Marriott MDCLXXVIII Bishop Sanderson's JUDGMENT Concerning SUBMISSION TO USURPERS SIR WHEREAS you desire to know what my judgment and practice is concerning the using or forbearing the establish'd Liturgy either in whole or in part in the publick Service of God and Office of the Church If it be any satisfaction to your Friend I shall fully acquaint you what my practice is whereunto if my own Judgment be not conform I am without all excuse my own condemner and upon what considerations I have according to the variation of the times varied from my self therein So long as my Congregation continued unmixt with Souldiers as well after as before the Promulgation of the Ordinance of the two Houses for the abolishing of the Common Prayer I continued the use of it as I had ever formerly done in the most peaceable and orderly times not omitting those very Prayers the silencing whereof I could not but know to have been chiefly aim'd at in the Ordinance viz. three for the King and Queen and Bishops and so I did also though some Souldiers were casually present till such time as a whole Troop coming to Quarter in the Town with a purpose to continue a kind of Garison or Head-quarter among us were so enrag'd at my reading of it the first Sunday after they came that immediately after Morning Service ended they seiz'd upon the Book and tore it all in pieces Thence-forward during their continuance there for full six months and upwards viz. from the beginning of November till they were call'd away to Naseby Fight in May following besides that for want of a Book of necessity I must I saw that it also behoov'd me for the preventing of farther Outrages to wave the use of the Book for the time at

now grown both as numerous and as powerful as the former for though they differed much in many Principles and preach'd against each other one making it a sign of being in the state of grace if we were but zealous for the Covenant and the other that we ought to buy and sell by a Measure and to allow the same liberty of Conscience to others which we by Scripture claim to our selves and therefore not to force any to swear the Covenant contrary to their Consciences and loose both their Livings and Liberties too Though these differed thus in their conclusions yet they both agreed in their practice to preach down Common Prayer and get into the best sequestred Livings and whatever became of the true Owners their Wives and Children yet to continue in them without the least scruple of Conscience They also made other strange Observations of Election Reprobation and Free-will and the other Points dependent upon these such as the wisest of the common people were not fit to judge of I am sure I am not though I must mention some of them historically in a more proper place when I have brought my Reader with me to Dr. Sanderson at Boothby Pannel And in the way thither I must tell him That a very Covenanter and a Scot too that came into England with this unhappy Covenant was got into a good sequestred Living by the help of a Presbyterian Parish which had got the true Owner out And this Scotch Presbyterian being well settled in this good Living began to reform the Church-yard by cutting down a large Ewe Tree and some other Trees that were an ornament to the place and very often a shelter to the Parishioners who excepting against him for so doing were answered That the Trees were his and 't was lawful for every man to use his own as he and not as they thought fit I have hear'd but do not affirm it That no Action lies against him that is so wicked as to steal the winding sheet of a dead body after 't is buried and have heard the reason to be because none were supposed to be so void of humanity and that such a Law would vilifie that Nation that would but suppose so vile a man to be born in it nor would one suppose any man to do what this Covenanter did And whether there were any Law against him I know not but pity the Parish the less for turning out their legal Minister We have now overtaken Dr. Sanderson at Boothby Parish where he hop'd to have enjoy'd himself though in a poor yet in a quiet and desir'd privacy but it prov'd otherwise For all corners of the Nation were fill'd with Covenanters Confusion Comittee-men and Soldiers serving each other to their several ends of revenge or power or profit and these Committee-men and Soldiers were most of them so possest with this Covenant that they became like those that were infected with that dreadful Plague of Athens the Plague of which Plague was that they by it became maliciously restless to get into company and to joy so the Historian saith when they had infected others even those of their most beloved or nearest Friends or Relations and though there might be some of these Covenanters that were beguil'd and meant well yet such were the generality of them and temper of the times that you may be sure Dr. Sanderson who though quiet and harmless yet an eminent dissenter from them could not live peaceably nor did he For the Soldiers would appear and visibly disturb him in the Church when he read Prayers pretending to advise him how God was to be serv'd most acceptably which he not approving but continuing to observe order and decent behaviour in reading the Church Service they forc'd his Book from him and tore it expecting extemporary Prayers At this time he was advis'd by a Parliament man of power and note that lov'd and valued him much not to be strict in reading all the Common Prayer but make some little variation especially if the Soldiers came to watch him for then it might not be in the power of him and his other Friends to secure him from taking the Covenant or Sequestration for which Reasons he did vary somewhat from the strict Rules of the Rubrick I will set down the very words of Confession which he us'd as I have it under his own hand and tell the Reader that all his other variations were as little much like to this His Confession O Almighty God and merciful Father we thy unworthy Servants do with shame and sorrow confess that we have all our life long gone astray out of thy ways like lost sheep and that by following too much the vain devices and desires of our own hearts we have grievously offended against thy holy Laws both in thought word and deed we have many times left undone those good duties which we might and ought to have done and we have many times done those evils when we might have avoided them which we ought not to have done We confess O Lord that there is no health at all nor help in any Creature to relieve us but all our hope is in thy mercy whose justice we have by our sins so far provoked Have mercy therefore upon us O Lord have mercy upon us miserable offenders spare us good God who confess our faults that we perish not but according to thy gracious promises declared unto mankind in Christ Iesus our Lord restore us upon our true Repentance into thy grace and favour And grant O most merciful Father for his sake that we henceforth study to serve and please thee by leading a godly righteous and a sober life to the glory of thy holy Name and the eternal comfort of our own souls through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen In these disturbances of tearing his Service Book a Neighbour came on a Sunday after the Evening Service was ended to visit and condole with him for the affront offered by the Soldiers To whom he spake with a composed patience and said God hath restored me to my desir'd privacy with my wife and children where I hop'd to have met with quietness and it proves not so but I will labour to be pleas'd because God on whom I depend sees 't is not fit for me to be quiet I praise him that he hath by his grace prevented me from making shipwrack of a good Conscience to maintain me in a place of great reputation and profit and though my condition be such that I need the last yet I submit for God did not send me into this world to do my own but suffer his will and I will obey it Thus by a sublime depending on his wise and powerful and pitiful Creator he did chearfully submit to what God had appointed justifying the truth of that Doctrine which he had preach'd About this time that excellent Book of the King's Meditations in his Solitude was printed and made publick and Dr. Sanderson was

least in the Ordinary Service only I read the Confession the Lord's Prayer all the Versicles and the Psalms for the day Then after the first Lesson in the Forenoon Benedictus or Iubilate and in the Afternoons Cantate After the second Lesson also sometimes the Creed sometimes the Ten Commandements and sometimes neither but only sang a Psalm and so to Sermon But in all that while in the Administration of the Sacraments the Solemnization of Matrimony Burial of Dead and Churching of Women I constantly used the ancient Forms and Rites to every of them respectively belonging according to the appointment in the Book only I was careful in all the rest to make choice of such times and opportunities as I might do them with most secresie and without disturbance of the Souldier But at the Celebration of the Eucharist I was the more secure to do it publickly because I was assur'd none of the Souldiers would be present After their departure I took the liberty to use either the whole Liturgy or but some part of it omitting sometimes more sometimes less upon occasion as I judg'd it most expedient in reference to the Auditory especially if any Souldiers or other unknown persons hapned to be present But all this while the substance of what I omitted I contriv'd into my Prayer before Sermon the phrase and order only varied which yet I endeavour'd to temper in such sort that any person of ordinary capacity might easily perceivve what my meaning was and yet the words left as little liable to exception or cavil as might be About two years ago I was advertis'd but in a friendly manner by a Parliament man of note in these parts that at a publick Meeting at Grantham great complaint was made by some Ministers of the Presbyterian Gang as I afterwards found of my refractoriness to obey the Parliaments Order in that behalf The Gentleman told me withal That although they knew what my judgment and practice was yet they were not forward to take notice of it before complaint made which being now done in so publick a manner if they should not take notice of it the blame would lie upon them He therefore advised me to consider well what I had to do for I must resolve either to adventure the loss of my Living or to lay aside Common Prayer which if I should continue after complaint and admonition it would not be in his power nor in the power of any Friend I had to preserve me The effect of my then Answer was That if the case were so the deliberation was not hard I having long ago considered of the case and resolved what I might do with a good Conscience and what was fittest for me in prudence to do if I should ever be put to it viz. to forbear the use of the Common Prayer Book so far as might satisfie the letter of the Ordinance rather than forsake my Station My next business then was to be-think my self of such a course to be thenceforth held in the publick work in my own Parish as might be believed neither to bring danger to my self by the use nor to give scandal to my Brethren by the disuse of the establish'd Liturgy And the course was this to which I have held me ever since I begin the Service with a Preface and an Exhortation infer'd to make Confession of Sins which Exhortation I have fram'd out of the Exhortation and Absolution in the Book contracted and put together and exprest for the most part in the same words and phrases but purposely here and there transplac'd that it might appear not to be and yet to be the very same Then follows the Confession it self in the same Order it was enlarg'd only with the addition of some words whereby it is rather explain'd than alter'd The whole frame whereof both for the fuller satisfaction in that particular and that you may conjecture what manner of addition and change I have made proportionably hereunto yet none so large in other parts of the holy Office I have here under-written O Almighty God and merciful Father we thy unworthy Servants do with shame and sorrow confess that we have all our life long gone astray out of thy ways like lost sheep and that by following too much the vain devices and desires of our own hearts we have grievously offended against thy holy laws both in thought word and deed We have many times left undone those good duties which we might and ought to have done and we have many times done those evils when we might have avoided them which we ought not to have done We confess O Lord that there is no health at all nor help in any Creature to relieve us but all our hope is in thy mercy whose justice we have by our sins so far provoked Have mercy upon us therefore O Lord have mercy upon us miserable Offenders Spare us good Lord who confess our faults that we perish not but according to thy gracious promises declared unto mankind in Christ Iesu our Lord restore us upon our true Repentance into thy grace and favour And grant O most merciful Father for his sake that we henceforth study to serve and please thee by leading a godly righteous and sobèr life to the glory of thy holy Name and the eternal comfort of our own Souls through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen After the Confession the Lord's Prayer with the Versicles and Gloria Patri and then Psalms for the Day and the first Lesson After which in the Forenoon sometimes Te Deum but then only when I think the Auditory will bear it and sometimes an Hymn of mine own gathered out of the Psalms and Church Collects as a general Form of Thanksgiving which I did the rather because I have noted the want of such a Form as the only thing wherein the Liturgy seem'd to be defective And in the Afternoon after the first Lesson the 98 th Psalm or the 67 th then the second Lesson with Benedictus or Iubilate after it in the Forenoon and Afternoon a singing Psalm Then followeth the Creed with Dominus Vobiscum and sometimes the Versicles in the end of our Letany From our Enemies defend us if I lik'd my Auditory otherwise I omit the Versicles After the Creed and instead of the Letany and the other Prayers appointed in the Book I have taken the substance of the Prayer I was wont to make before Sermon and dispos'd it into several Collects or Prayers some longer and some shorter but new modell'd into the language of the Common Prayer Book much more than it was before And in the Pulpit before Sermon I use only a short Prayer in reference to the hearing of the Word and no more So that upon the matter in these Prayers I do but the same thing I did before save only that what before I spake without Book and in a continued Form in the Pulpit I now read out of a written Book broken into parcels and

of Obedience to our known Governours which is Debitum justitiae also and therefore more Obligatory than the other doth not impose that necessity upon us as hath been already shewn 2. Besides Arguments drawn from scandal in things neither unlawful nor setting the reason of Scandal aside inexpedient as they are subject to sundry frailties otherwise so they are manifestly of no weight at all when they are counterpois'd with the apparent danger of evil consequents on the other side For in such cases there is commonly equal danger if not rather something more of Scandal to be taken from the Example the quite contrary way We may see it in debating the point now in hand It is alledged on the one side That by laying aside the use of the Common Prayer men that are over scrupulous will be encourag'd to take a greater liberty in dispensing with the Laws to the despising both of Laws and Governours than they ought And why may it not by the same reason be as well alleg'd on the other side That by holding up a necessity of using the Common Prayer men that have tender Consciences may be induc'd to entertain scruples to their utter undoing and to the destruction of their people when they need not 3. But that in the third place which cometh up home to the business and taketh off the Objection clearly is this That in judging Cases of scandal we are not so much to look to the event what it is or may be as to the cause whence it cometh For sometimes there is given just cause of Scandal and yet no Scandal followeth because it is not taken Sometimes scandal is taken and yet no just cause given and sometimes there is both cause of Scandal given and Scandal taken thereat But no man is concern'd at any Scandal that happeneth to another by occasion of any thing done by him neither is chargeable with it farther than he is guilty of having given it If then we give Scandal to others and they take it not the whole guilt is ours and they are faultless If we give it and they take it we are to bear a share in the blame as they and that a deep share Vae homini Wo to the man by whome the offence cometh Matth. 18.7 But if they take offence when we give none it is a thing we cannot help and therefore the whole blame must lie upon them Wherefore if at any time any doubt shall arise in that case of Scandal How far forth the danger thereof may obligue us to the doing or not doing of any thing propos'd The Resolution will come on much the easier if we shall but rightly understand what it is to give Scandal or how many ways a man may become guilty of scandalizing another by his Example The ways as I conceive are but these four 1. When a man doth something before another which is in it self evil unlawful and sinful In which case neither the intension of him that doth it nor the event as to him that seeth it done is of any consideration For it matters not whether the doer hath an intention to draw the other into sin or not the very matter and substance of the action being evil and done before others is sufficient to render the doer guilty of having given Scandal though neither he had intention himself so to do nor was any other person actually scandaliz'd thereby because whatsoever is in its own nature evil is of it self and in its own nature scandalous and of ill Example Thus did Hophni and Phineas the Sons of Eli give Scandal by their wretched prophaneness and greediness about the Sacrifices of the Lord and their shameless abusing the Women And so did David also give great Scandal in the matter of Vriah 2 Sam. 12. 14. Here the Rule is Do nothing that is evil for fear of giving Scandal 2. The second way is when a man doth something before another with a direct intention and formal purpose of drawing him thereby to commit sin In which case neither the matter of the action nor the event is of any consideration For it makes no difference as to the sin of giving Scandal whether any man be effectually entic'd to commit sin or not thereby neither doth it make any difference whether the thing done were in it self unlawful or not so as it had an appearance of evil and from thence an aptitude to draw another by the doing of that by imitation which should be really and intrinsecally evil The wicked intention alone whatsoever the effect should be or what means soever should be us'd to promote it sufficeth to induce the guilt of giving Scandal upon the doer This was Ieroboam's sin in setting up the Calvos with a formal purpose and intention thereby for his own secular and ambitious ends to corrupt the purity of Religion and to draw the people unto Idolatrous Worship For which cause he is so often stigmatiz'd with it as a note of Infamy to stick by him whilst the World lasteth being scarce ever-mention'd in the Scripture but with this addition Jeroboam the son of Nebat which made Israel to sin Here the Rule is Do nothing a good or evil with an intention to give Scandal 3. The third way is when a man doth something before another which in it self is not evil but indifferent and so according to the Rule of Christian Liberty lawful for him to do or not to do as he shall see cause yea and perhaps otherwise commodious and convenient for him to do yet whereas he probably foreseeth that others will take Scandal and be occasioned thereby to do evil In such a case if the thing to be done be not in some degree prudentially necessary for him to do but that he might without very great inconvenience or prejudice to himself or any third person leave it undone He is bound in Charity to his Brother's Soul for whom Christ died and for the avoiding of Scandal to abridge himself in the exercise of his Christian Liberty for that time so far as rather to suffer some inconvenience himself by the not doing of it than by the doing of it to cause his Brother to offend The very Case which is so often so largely and so earnestly insisted upon by St. Paul See Rom. 14.13,21 Rom. 15.1 3. 1 Cor. 87 13. 1 Cor. 9.12 15 19 22. 1 Cor. 10.23.33 Here the Rule is Do nothing that may be reasonably forborn whereat Scandal will be taken 4. The last way is when a man doth somthing before another which is not only lawful but according to the exigencies of present Circumstances pro hic nunc very behoofful and even prudentially necessary for him to do but foreseeth that the other will be like to make an ill use of it and take encouragement thereby to commit sin if he be not withal careful as much as possibly in him lieth to prevent the Scandal that may be taken thereat For Qui non prohibet

Faith and Manners at this day firmly believed and securely practiced by us when by the Socinians Anabaptists and other Sectaries we should be called upon for our proofs As namely sundry Orthodoxal Explications concerning the Trinity and Co-equality of the Persons in the Godhead against the Arians and other Hereticks the number use and efficacy of Sacraments the Baptizing of Infants National Churches the observation of the Lord's Day and even the Canon of Scripture it self Thirdly In respect of our selves we are not satisfied how it can stand with the Principles of Iustice Ingenuity and Humanity to require the extirpation of Episcopal Government unless it had been first clearly demonstrated to be unlawful to be sincerely and really endeavoured by us 1. Who have all of us who have taken any Degree by subscribing the 39 Articles testified our approbation of that Government one of those Articles affirming the very Book containing the Form of their Consecration to contain in it nothing contrary to the Word of God 2. Who have most of us viz. as many as have entred into the Ministery received Orders from their hands whom we should very ill requite for laying their hands upon us if we should now lay to our hands to root them up and cannot tell for what 3. Who have sundry of us since the beginning of this Parliament subscribed our Names to Petitions exhibited or intended to be exhibited to that High Court for the continuance of that Government which as we then did sincerely and really so we should with like sincerity and reality still not having met with any thing since to shew us our errour be ready to do the same again if we had the same hopes we then had the reception of such Petitions 4. Who hold some of us our livelyhood either in whole or part by those Titles of Deans Deans and Chapters c. mentioned in the Articles being Members of some Collegiate or Cathedral Churches And our memories will not readily serve us with any Example in this kind since the world began wherein any state or profession of men though convicted as we are not of a Crime that might deserve Deprivation were required to bind themselves by Oath sincerely and really to endeavour the rooting out of that in it self not unlawful together wherewith they must also root out themselves their Estates and Livelyhoods 5. Especially it being usual in most of the said Churches that such persons as are admitted Members thereof have a personal Oath administred unto them to maintain the Honour Immunities Liberties and Profits of the same and whilst they live to seek the good and not to do any thing to the hurt hindrance or prejudice thereof or in other words to the like effect Fourthly In respect of the Church of England we are not satisfied how we can swear to endeavour the extirpation of the established Government no necessity or just cause for so doing either offering it self or being offered to our Understandings 1. Since all Change of Government unavoidably bringeth with it besides those that are present and evident sundry other inconveniences which no wit of man can possibly foresee to provide against till late experience discover them We cannot be sure that the evils which may ensue upon the Change of this Government which hath been of so long continuance in this Kingdom is so deeply rooted in the Laws thereof and hath so near a conjunction with and so strong an influence upon the Civil Sate and Government as that the Change thereof must infer the necessity of a great alteration to be made in the other also may not be greater than the supposed evils whatsoever they are which by this Change are sought to be remedied For there are not yet any come to our knowledge of that desperate nature as not to be capable of other remedy than the utter extirpation of the whole Government it self 2. Whereas the House of Commons have remonstrated That it was far from their purpose or desire to abolish the Church Government but rather that all the Members of the Church of England should be regulated by such Rules of Order and Discipline as are established by Parliament and that it was Malignancy to infuse into the people that they had any oother meaning We are loth by consenting to the second Article to become guilty of such Infusion as may bring us within the compass and danger of the fourth Article of this Covenant 3. Since it hath been declared by sundry Acts of Parliament That the holy Church of England was founded in the state of Prelacy within the Realm of England we dare not by endeavouring the extirpation of Prelacy strike at the very foundation and thereby as much as in us lieth co-operate towards the ruine of this famous Church which in all conscience and duty we are bound with our utmost lawful power to uphold Lastly In respect of our Obligations to his Majesty by our Duty and Oaths we are not satisfied how we can swear to endeavour the extirpation of the Church Government by Law established without forfeiture of those Obligations 1. Having in the Oath of Supremacy acknowledged the King to be the only Supreme Governour in all Ecclesiastical Causes and over all Ecclesiastical Persons having bound our selves both in that Oath and by our Protestation To maintain the King's Honour Estate Iurisdictions and all manner of Rights it is clear to our Understandings that we cannot without disloyalty and injury to him and double Perjury to our selves take upon us without his consent to make any alteration in the Ecclesiastical Laws or Government much less to endeavour the extirpation thereof unless the imposers of this Covenant had a power and meaning which they have openly disclaimed to absolve us of that Obedience which under God we owe unto his Majesty whom they know to be intrusted with the Ecclesiastical Law 2. We cannot sincerely and really endeavour the extirpation of this Government without a sincere desire and real endeavour that his Majesty would grant his Royal Assent to such extirpation Which we are so far from desiring and endeavouring that we hold it our bounden duty by our daily prayers to beg at the hands of Almighty God that he would not for our sins suffer the King to do an act so prejudicial to his Honour and Conscience as to consent to the rooting out of that estate which by so many branches of his Coronation Oath he hath in such a solemn manner sworn by the assistance of God to his power to maintain and preserve 3. By the Laws of this Land the Collation of Bishopricks and Deanaries the fruits and profits of their Lands and Revenues during their vacancies the first fruits and yearly tenths out of all Ecclesiastical Promotions and sundry other Priviledges Profits and Emoluments arising out of the State Ecclesiastical are established in the Crown and are a considerable part of the Revenues thereof which by the