unto their former obedience and that when you had possessed your selves of his Magazines and strongest Towns and Forts your selves for them off part have been defented foyled lost what you held put to great streights for Men and Money notwithstanding a rich and populous City wholly at your devotion will conclude certainly there is little encouragement for you to go on in your designes much lesse for other Churches to take example by you and to enter into League or Association against those powers God hath deputed over them and to joyn together in such attempts which tend so much to the dishonour of God the Scandalizing of the Profession of Iesus Christ and the ruine and overthrow of Christian Kingdoms and Common-wealths Sir you need not much wonder to see a writing come to your hand in this manner considering the Violence and Tyranny under which we live when it is almost Capitall to make any scruple or objection which may question the Infallibility of that great Court or be a means to retard their proceedings in the grand designe And we could not so much confide in you as to have recourse unto you and expresse our doubts by way of Conference when we hear of many that are so fiercely carried on in promoting of this Cause That they have vowed to betray their neerest friends that shall but speak to the prejudice of it Besides we are come neer to that passe that the Roman State was in Domitians time when as Tacitus writes ademptum esset per inquisitiones loquendi audiendique Commercium two men cannot without suspicion and danger talk together nor dare one neighbour disclose his doubts and ask the advice and counsell of another More then that we have by this means taken a more exact view of the severall branches of this Oath together with your explanation of the same If now you have any thing to return to these things which we much doubt we shall expect your Answer in some publique manner that so the benefit may redound to more and what you shall do in this kinde we shall accept with all Candour as it becometh Christians and Your Friends Courteous Reader BE pleased to take notice that before these Observations could with conveniency be conveyed into the hands of that Divine of the Assembly mentioned in the Title who by his explaining and pressing of this Covenant gave occasion to them he was taken out of this life yet as Charity bindes us we must hope that before his departure hence he had space and grace to repent of his errours and of this in speciall one of his last though doubtlesse none of his least commissions If these Animadversions upon that Covenant such as they are may be a means to keep any who are yet free from entring into a League so unlawfull so unchristian or to reduce any who through weaknesse have been drawn into it that so they might see and forsake their errour and not by obstinate persisting adde another offence unto the former He that collected them with that intention and now presents them to the Publique view will account so good effects an abundant requitall for his pains A Solemn League and Covenant for Reformation and defence of Religion c. WE Noblemen Barons Knights Gentlemen Citizens Burgesses Ministers of the Gospell and Commons of all sorts in the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland by the Providence of God living under one King and being of one Reformed Religion having before our eyes the glory of God and the advancement of the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the honour and happinesse of the Kings Majesty and His Posterity and the true publique Liberty Safety and Peace of the Kingdoms wherein every ones private condition is included and calling to minde the treacherous and bloody Plots Conspiracies Attempts and Practices of the Enemies of God against the true Religion and Professours thereof in all places especially in these three Kingdoms ever since the Reformation of Religion and how much their rage power and presumption are of late and at this time increased and exercised whereof the deplorable estate of the Church and Kingdom of Ireland the distressed estate of the Church and Kingdom of England and the dangerous estate of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland are present and publique Testimonies We have now at last after other means of Supplication Remonstrance Protestations and Sufferings for the preservation of our selves and our Religion from utter Ruine and destruction according to the commendable practice of these Kingdoms in former times and the Example of Gods People in other Nations after mature deliberation resolved and determined to enter into a mutuall and solemn League and Covenant wherein we all subscribe and each one of us for himself with our hands lifted up to the most high God do swear I. That we shall sincerely really and constantly through the Grace of God endeavour in our severall places and callings the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government against our common Enemies the Reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God and the Example of the best Reformed Churches And shall indeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdoms to the neerest conjunction and Uniformity in Religion Confession of Faith Form of Church-government directory for Worship and Catechizing that we and our Posterity after us may as Brethren live in Faith and Love and the Lord may delight to dwell in the middest of us II. That we shall in like manner without respect of persons indeavour the Extirpation of Popery Prelacie that is Church-Government by Arch-Bishops Bishops their Chancellors and Commissaries Deans Deans and Chapters Archdeacons and all other Ecclesiasticall Officers depending on that Hierarchy Superstition Heresie Schisme Prophanesse and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godlinesse lest we partake in other mens sins and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues and that the Lord may be one and his Name one in the three Kingdoms III We shall with the same sincerity reallity and constancy in our severall Vocations endeavour with our estates and lives mutually to preserve the Rights and Priviledges of the Parliaments and the Liberties of the Kingdoms and to preserve and defend the Kings Majesties Person and Authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms that the world may bear witnesse with our consciences of our Loyalty and that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish His Majesties just power and greatnesse IV. We shall also with all faithfulnesse endeavour the discovery of all such as have been or shall be Incendiaries Malignants or evill Instruments by hindring the Reformation of Religion dividing the King from his people or one of the Kingdoms from another or making any Faction or
embraced But yet it is fit to be examined whether or no you and the rest of the Confederacy are not guilty of laying snares scandals for your Brethrens Feet when that you may the sooner draw them into this League you perswade them It is no other but a Sacred Covenant such a one as Israel and their Governours made with God to receive his Laws and to be his people and such a Vow as we make in Baptisme to renounce the Devill and the other Enemies of our Salvation and to give up our selves in a constant and sincere obedience When it is as cleer as the Sun it is nothing else but a League amongst your selves for strengthning of your party for defending of that Cause they have undertaken and the main scope and intention is the subversion of the present established government And what need have we then poor people to look to our selves when we have gotten such pernicious guides for however we are now perswaded That this is nothing else but a Sacred Vow to reform and repent and give up our selves to be Gods People yet when as we shall have entred into this League we shall be pressed to those actions which we apprehend under the horrid shapes of Sedition Rebellion Unjustice Sacriledge We shall be urged then in a tumultuous way to root out Episcopacy which we have heard to have continued in all Christian Churches since the Apostles times and bekeve it to be very good if good men mannage it And this must be done too against the Authority of our Soveraign by taking up Arms which tend either to destroy him or else to compell him to consent whom notwithstanding we have heretofore sworn that we do acknowledge Supream in all causes both Ecclesiasticall and Temporall If you dare speak out Sir you cannot but confesse this to be the chief intention of this Solemn League and Covenant From thence to the Anatomizing of the body of this Covenant wherein you observe first the Preface secondly the Substance thirdly the Conclusion And in the Preface first the persons Covenanting We Noblemen Barons Knights Gentlemen Burgesses Ministers of the Gospell and Commons of all sorts Great names indeed and a goodly train to draw on more Company yet we suppose here are but genera singulorum not singuli generum some of all sorts not all by a great many God be thanked there be some right Noble and Christian Spirits that cannot withall the dread of Tyranny be frighted from their Allegiance to their Prince and care of discharging a good conscience towards God But will rather suffer the spoyling of their goods and the losse of all that is dear unto them then be induced to joyn in this Confederacy But yet we can spie no King amongst this goodly train and it seemes there is none indeed by such bold attempts as these are And hence grows the necessity of this League The quondam Subjects having broke assunder the bond of their Allegiance which tyes Subjects together amongst themselves and all unto their Prince hereupon they finde themselves to be somewhat too loose and so seek to binde themselves together again by this mutuall League Yet it is much that the King cannot be made to enter into League with these Noblemen Barons Knights and Burgesses against himself as well as he is heretofore feigned to take up Arms with them against himself But at last by chance the King comes in living under one King surely there was a fault in Printing for the King is under And being of one Reformed Religion We wonder Sir how all the Members of the Assembly can take this Covenant whilest this Clause is in or how all men in this great City should which for multiplicity of Religions is become another Amsterdam The next thing you fasten upon in the Preface is the generall ends which are four The first is the glory of God according to that of Luther In nomine Domini c. having before our eyes the glory of God There be a great number now a dayes who make fair pretences of having the glory of God before their eyes when their actions witnesse against them That they have not his fear before their eyes It is an usuall thing to see men row one way and look another And as usuall is that Solecisme which the Stage-player once committed who pointed to the earth when he spake of Heaven Was God ever more dishonoured then now he is in his Word Worship Ordinances in mens unchristian if not inhumane Carriages towards one another Well the world may be blinded but God is not mocked He will have his glory from us in the end without or beside our intention His Wisdom knows how to turn the sins of men and amongst them their hypocrisie to his glory But in this we onely condemn some mens actions we judge no mans heart let every one stand or fall to his own Master The next is the advancement of the Kingdom of Iesus Christ There is loud talking now of advancing the Kingdom of Iesus Christ and setting him upon his Throne of purpose sure to dazle the Peoples eyes with these glorious Titles which are put upon this present Cause The Kingdom of Christ as we conceive is this That Soveraignty and rule that Christ by the power of his Word and Spirit doth exercise in the hearts and lives of Christians beating down those sinfull lusts that oppose themselves and enclining the hearts of men to Faith and to Obedience so that when we give up our selves to be governed and ordered by his precepts then we submit to his Scepter and advance his Kingdom Now alas how is his blessed example in the most part sleighted how unworthily are those Pearls of his heavenly doctrine trampled under foot It were an argument of Malignancy now to presse upon the Conscience those rules of self-denyall of following Christ of making Peace of forgiving offences c. It is too mamifest there be many deprived some of liberty some of livelihood for no other crimes that the world can charge them with but thus seeking to advance the Kingdom of Iesus Christ Next comes in The honour and happinesse of the Kings Majesty witnesse those slanders we daily hear and read from Pulpits and Pamphlets which tend to no other end but to bring contempt and hatred upon that Sacred Majesty concerning whom we ought to make conscience of our thoughts The fourth and last of these godly ends is The Publique liberty safety and Peace of these Kingdoms What by entring into a League to engage the Kingdoms in a most desperate War and bringing in a forreign Nation to encrease our miseries A pretty riddle to preserve the Liberties and Peace of the Kingdoms by destroying them Next in order are the Motives or Inducements to this League this the first Calling to minde the treacherous and bloody Plots Conspiracies and Practises of the enemies of God against the true Religion What then must we cast out one Devill by another
nay by casting out one possesse our selves of seven worse we say nothing in defence of this sort of men we abhor their councells and say as old Iacob did concerning his two sons Gen. 49. My soul shall not come into their secret place nor be joyned with their assemblies Their wrath is fierce their rage is cruell their poyson is rank and deadly they are enemies enough and they bear a tyrannous hatred againstour Church but we could wish there were not other troublers of Israel besides them such as are among us but are not of us that oppose Rome and yet uphold her that by their attempts and practises excuse the practises of the Romish Synagogue and as if she were not impudent enough already adde more brasse to the forehead of that Whore of Balylon We wonder Sir what the Protestant Partie shall be able hereafter to object to the Popes Factors the Jesuits for their treacherous Plots for destroying Kings undermining States raising Sedition exempting Subjects from their obedience when as our present proceedings in that kinde may justly stop our mouthes and make us blush with shame as having equalled if not in some sort exceeded them You say What you do now is for Religion and the Gause of Christ and they as much That what they attempt is for Religion and the Catholique Cause and so the issue of the controversie will be the same Another motive is The deplorable estate of Ireland the distressed estate of England and the dangerous estate of Scotland For Scotland we know not nor hear of any dangers attending them besides Fears and Jealousies which being hansomely managed by the politique contrivers of this War may draw such dangerous consequents upon them as ours have done upon us For Ireland and England their condition is sad and lamentable and the course that is now taken is no means at all of curing them but of making their wounds more deep and gastly A third motive is The failing of other means Supplications Remonstrances Protestations And yet what one thing was ever denyed by His Majesty which was fitting for a King to give away or for Subjects to require All the security for Religion and Liberty that could conveniently be made was fairly offered The fourth and last motive is The practice of these Kingdoms in former times and the example of Gods people in other Nations It 's marvell you gave no instance in your Explanation it will be hard to finde one in all our Histories that may be a president for such a Covenanting as this we have heard of none more like it then that League of Association which the Anabaptists in Germany made for strengthning of themselves against opposition which they had cause to fear or that la sainte Ligue the holy League of late yeers in France and sure you will be ashamed to make either of those your pattern But as for the example of Gods people in other Nations you instance in the Covenants that Moses made and Ioshuah Iehoida Iosiah Nehemiah c. Custome of sinning how impudent it makes men to be strange that you should not be ashamed at length to make such gulls of poor simple people to delude them with such notorious falsities and so deceive them to their destruction and as strange that the people should endure any longer to be thus perniciously abused Let any man but of the meanest understanding search where these Covenants are registred and compate any of them with this Deut. 29. 2 Chron. 15.12 2 King 11. 2 King 22. Nehem. 9. he shall easily perceive a vast difference both for the manner and the matter In those Jewish Covenants we finde the whole Nation Covenanting and not some particular Faction The Prince or supream Magistrate as Moses and Ioshua were consent and call the people to their Covenant not some of the People bandye themselves together against their Prince and others of their fellow-Subjects In these Jewish Covenants the matter was so apparantly just and good that none could question it The matter of this Covenant seems so unjust to many and is of it self so dubious and suspicious that most men must be pressed and urged to it and threatned for refusall when indeed a Vow or Covenant should be voluntary To conclude as it may be collected from those places this is the sum and substance of the Covenants the Jewes made with God viz To be the Lords people to have nothing to do with Baal to abhor the Idolatry of the Nations to walk after the Lord and to keep his Statutes and his Iudgements with all their heart c. If this were the substance of this Covenant now enjoyned he were not worthy to live upon the earth that would refuse it It appears therefore sufficiently to every considering man how little reason there is from any of these motives to induce us to enter into this League or Covenant So from the Preface to that which you call the substance of this Covenant The first branch of the first Article whereof is this we shall endeavour in our severall places the preservation of Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government This you said was no more then desiring the good of Gods Church according to that Psal 122.7 8. And if that be all may they long enjoy it we shall pray for the peace of Jerusalem in generall in speciall for them they are our Brethren and Neighbours we wish them prosperity and shall seek to procure their welfare But we would fain be resolved of this Whether or no when we vow the preservation of Religion in the Church of Scotland as it is now established for Discipline and Governmens we do not binde our selves by Oath to preserve unalterably that which is alterable of it self and may be altered upon occasion if the necessity of the Church requires seeing it is held by all the soundest and most learned That forms of Discipline and Government may be altered at least in many things that appertain unto them and we finde by experience daily that some Lawes and Orders which were good at first afterwards do grow inconvenient The next branch in that first Article is The Reformation of Religion in England and Ireland In our Protestation we vowed to maintain defend the Doctrine of the Church of England now we swear to reform that Doctrine surely this is somewhat preposterous first we should have reformed it then after we knew what it was maintain and defend it This for ought we see is no better then the taking of Gods name in vain 1 we swear to maintain the true reformed Protestant Religion which might well seem a strange expression we used to know is by the name of Protestant which doth implie Reformed but it seems it is not enough Protestant till it be again Reformed and then it must be truly Reformed before it can come to the power and purity Then we must swear to reform it though which
be In the next place is Superstition That is as you say whatsoever it used in Gods worship without expresse warrant from the word This description is so large that a Gown or Surplice a Rayle about a Table a gesture of kneeling or standing up c. will come within the circumference of it and indeed most of you in your popular Sermons use to bring each of these under the lash of Superstion It had been right if you had said That whatforever is brought into the Church of God and held as a necessary part of his Worship without warrant from the Word that is Superstition So that 's a superstitious opinion which is hold by many of your partie when they make one gesture effentiall and necessary to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper namely Sitting and condemn the other of Kneeling to be Idolatrous Next to Supersitition is Haeresie Schisme c Here you instance in Socinianisme Arminianisme Antinoinianisme Anabaptisme There be some too as we hear in the holy Assembly that deny the Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son What call ye them must they passe for Orthodox But you gave no instance for Schisme yet never more plenty never was the bond of Communion of Saints broken into so many pieces because of a Rite or Ceremony when as yet we all agree in one Faith have received one Baptisme acknowledge and worship one God and Saviour Oh Sir Schisine was too near you to discern it well If you know what Schisme is namely the breach of Christian Unity and had but looked wishly upon your self you would have condemned your self Who can be more guilty of Schisme then your self and your Partie is You make and take a Covenant here which tends to make a new Schisme in the Church and State at least to make the old one wider and yet colour it over with a pretence of swearing against Schisme It is therefore worth the noting how well this Covenant is kept by those that have power to extirpate these evils that grow upon us To instance but in the Antinomians It is well known there be many that Preach that Doctrine and their Auditories frequented with multitudes of followers yet where is the endeavour of extirpation or any restraint at all where is any stopping of the mouthes of such as speak things they ought not No when we urge this we are told The time is not yet they serve for the present to advantage the Cause and promote the great designe in hand therefore must be born with But what a wicked policy is it in the mean time for any end whatsover to suffer so many souls to be poysoned with erroneous Doctrine when there is power to hinder it Thus where there is little Conscience made of taking Oathes there will be as little of keeping them Or it may be those who have learned to dispense with Oathes have also got that other Jesuiticall trick of equivocating and so they reserve when they take this Covenant that it shall not binde them ad semper to endevour the extirpation of Heresie and Schisme but onely prostaturerum when it shall be no longer advantagious and serviceable for their ends Now we come to the third Article that containes three things First To endevour to preserve the Rights and Priviledges of Parliaments They are like to be preserved and defended well enough by those that know them better then we do when they make it their priviledge daily to command our Estates and Lives Next The liberties of the Ringdoms And that will be an hard matter for us to do viz. to preserve our liberties when we shall have sworn to enslave our Estates and Lives to the arbitrary disposall of our fellow-Subjects Then because he is Minor universis in the last place comes in the Kings person and Authority which must be preserved and defended in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms and no further we suppose you mean it though you are loath to speak it out For if so be he stands not in defence of Religion and Liberties or if you conceive he doth not then your generall tenent is That he may be resisted and you confirm it by your practice God blesse His Majesty and send him a safer Guard then you have been or are like to be you have endevoured all you can to bring his Person and Authority too into a dangerous Estate And surely if he by whom Kings Reign and who will undoubtedly maintain those whom he hath made his Deputies had not been his speciall Guardian he had been long before this destroyed It follows That the world may bear witnesse of our Loyalty The world sees and good mens hearts lament the little Conscience that is left of Loyalty when they hear His Sacred Majesty reviled daily and made contemptible to the people both in jest and earnest by Pamphlets and Preachers Certainly they that know but in grosse what belongs to Royall Majesty cannot but see the Kings just Power and Greatnesse by this time much diminished Is not the power of Arms with which the Law hath entrusted him taken from him and so he is disabled of doing that which his Office doth chiefly call him to that is to protect and defend his Subjects so that in this one particular you will scarcely be able to justifie your Loyalty unlesse holpen out with some of those or such like distinctions which necessity hath taught this age to make use of to defend Rebellion So you can defend his Authority and yet destroy his Person resist him as a man not as a King ye can do that and more too you can defend Religion by courses utterly condemned in that Religion The fourth Article To endeavour the discovery of Incendiaries Malignants and evill Instruments c. And who are they such as divide the King from his people And such too as divide the People from their King Such as Sheba and Absalon were in Israel Now who are in more esteem with the City and Parliament then those who have been the chiefest Incendiaries of this War Strange it is that those who sound Alarms as far as Scotland and seek to engage this Kingdom more desperately in this unnaturall War should be judged good Instruments and Well affected and those that Pray and Preach and endeavour by all good means for Peace at home should be counted Incendiaries and Malignants It is our chief comfort that there is a time to come when the secrets of all hearts shall be manifest when every one shall receive according to his works Before that time the Peace-makers must not look for their promised blessing The fifth Article concerns The endeavouring that the Kingdoms may remain conjoyned in a firm Peace and Vnion to all Posterity God grant they may but yet the Scots invading this Land with an Army is thought by the wisest to be contrary to the Articles of Pacification and so no likely
Obedience to their spirituall Governours and their severall subscriptions to the present established government which implyed an approbation unlesse to pull down Prelacy you care not to uphold Popery by dispensation of Oathes as some of no small account amongst you did in the case of the Souldiers taken by the King at Brainceford Besides you must needs grant That the Oath of Canonicall Obedience bindes so long as Prelacy stands and Prelacy stands after this League or Covenant taken notwithstanding so many Barons Knights and Burgesses have vowed the extirpation of it for when they vow the extirpation of it that doth imply It is not yet extirpate nor abolished Well then suppose this which may very well be supposed that your Diocesan or Bishop shall command you by all means you lawfully may to countenance Episcopall Government and to uphold it and in your Sermons as occasion shall be to shew how agreeable it is to the word of God and to the first and purest times if you obey him not you are forsworn by reason of that Oath you made to obey him and his Successours in their lawfull and just Commands and on the other side if you do obey him you are forsworn too by taking this new League and Covenant wherein you have vowed the extirpation of Episcopacy It will trouble you Sir to winde your self out of this Dilemma But because shame will not suffer you to declaim with such violence and bitternesse as some of your Brethren do against that which formerly you have approved you told us in your Explanation you would say no more of this Government then was the censure of the Parliament in that Ordinance of theirs for calling an Assembly of Learned and Godly Divines And there is a four-fold Charge against Episcopacy yet God forbid that all the Charges there drawn up should be true First that it is evill But whether in se or in effectu you will not dispute you told us We will excuse you Sir We perceive you were not made for disputing that have learned to distinguish no better Whatsoever is evill in it self must needs be so in the effects For an evill Tree cannot bring forth good fruits you know who said it And whatsoever is evill in the effects is so in it self also by that known Maxime Quod efficit tale est magis tale So that if Prelacy be evill one way it must as necessarily be so the other And if it be not evill in se it is not at all evill and so you may well save the labour of disputing the question falls But to prove it evill some way or other you added this Certainly if it were good so many godly Ministers had not suffered under it To answer that First it is well enough known That when the Discipline of the Church or Laws of this Land though not to the height of severity have been executed against those whose tongues are the trumpets of Sedition it hath been their custome to cry out of Cruelty and Persecution and in the mean time to persecute worse with the sting of their tongue or pen those whom they conceived were the authors or occasioners of their punishment though deserved most justly by their breach of Order and Christian Unity And the miserable confusion of these times doth shew sufficiently how dangerous it would have proved to the State to have passed by such Incendiaries with connivence and indulgence Secondly suppose that some men in the Prelacy have unjustly vexed some Godly Ministers yet a Member of the Assembly as you are may we hope have so much skill as to distinguish the person from the Office and not to slander the calling with the imputation of that which is the fault of those that bear it But it hath been observed long since that amongst other devices you have to make this worthy calling others you use to rip up the faults of Governours with exceeding sharpnesse nay you impute all the faults and mischmeanours abounding in the world unto this form of Ecclesiasticall Government under which we live when as indeed these faults arise from humane frailty and the common depravation of our natures and have been and will be alwayes complain'd of more or lesse what form of Government soever shall take place And you may with the like shew of reason impute those errours and corruptions which we finde reproved by the Prophets in the common-wealth of Israel unto that form of Jewish Government of which you cannot deny God him self was authour as you may charge the Office of Episcopacy with those misdemeanours and abuses that are found among us But secondly It is charged by that Ordinance to be offensive and burthensome We verily think it is to those whose haughty mindes disdain to see any above themselves and whose stiffe necks can hardly endure to be yoked with any though the easiest kinde of Subjection and Obedience To such Monarchy it self is burthensome And if to satisfie their desires they should be suffered to cast off that any other Government would quickly be as burthensome Thirdly it is an hinderance to Reformation saith that Ordinance so say you No marvell indeed if Reformation be to extirpate Episcopacy What you seek to root out the Bishops and the Bishops seek what they can to uphold and maintain their calling This the Law of self-preservation teacheth that Supream Law that teacheth you also now to take up Arms against the King Fourthly it is charged to be prejudiciall to the State and Government of this Kingdom As wise a man as any Member of either House thought otherwise when he said No Bishop no King But how is it prejudiciall You endevour to shew us in your Explanation The state of this Kingdom say you is Parliamentary and the Parliament and Prelacy are not well consorted there is Antipathy between them Now you have confessed the truth by chance that the world may bear witnesse of your loyalty that you have no thoughts to diminish His Majesties just Power and Greatnesse No by no means though you exclude him from bearing the chiefest part in Government The government of this Kingdom you tell us is Parliamentary with which Prelacy is not well consorted So that the Bishops must needs be cast out for their Antipathy Let the King look to himself his turn will be the next But to end our Answer to this Charge Let this worthy Office be laden with all the slanders that envie can cast upon it let it be charged as deeply as the Earl of Strafford or the Archbishop of Canterbury yet you cannot be ignorant That the Antiprelaticall partie which you side with hath been often challenged to shew any Church since the time that the blessed Apostles were conversant upon earth that hath been ordered by any other but Episcopall Government besides some in these last times which for insolency pride and contempt of all good order are found to be the worst and they never yet were able to do it nor ever will
the Anabaptists in Germany shall finde that they scarce were exceeded by any living in that abundant humility strictnesse sanctity zeal devotion which appeared in them These were taken in the world as pledges of their harmlesse meaning and did rather procure them pity then provoice harsh usage The worst that understanding men conceived of them at first was onely this Oh quà m honestâ voluntate miseri errant with how good a meaning do these poor souls do evill yet afterwards what Vipers proved they both to Church and State This may suffice to shew that it is a false rule of judging a Cause by those that stand for it when as they may either deceive by hypocrisie or else be deceived by weaknesse But secondly you seem to be too unjust and Pharisaicall whilst you arrogate all Godlinesse unto your Partie What think you of those good men that are some of them at this present with the King some in prison some deprived of their goods and livelihood for making conscience of sedition and disloyalty yet have alwayes been reputed spotlesse and unblameable and are the same men still that ever they were and some of them are renowned in forraign countries for their learning and their piety And thirdly you look upon your selves with an over-partiall eye when you can see nothing but godlinesse and godly men on your side what think you Sir of Prince Griffith and Col. M. two godly Members indeed not to mention more these two are known well enough by their brave exploits otherwise we should be tender of their credits And for your Souldiers that fight for this holy Cause those who have had experience of their carriage in places where they have been Quartered do think they can scarce be exceeded by the most profane rabble in the Kingdom for drinking and swearing c. And for those that Preach for the Cause they most of them make a gain of godlinesse and so can easily put on a form of godlinesse In a word is there any man that will comply so far as to preach or fight or speak for the promoting of your designes any way discountenanced or discouraged let his impiety profanesse and deserts of severity be what they will It follows in this sixth Article I shall zealously constantly all the dayes of my life continue in this Covenant and seek to promote it against all opposition It were to be wished that this Zeal were not so much talked of unlesse it were better understood It is but a passion of the minde and so of it self as all passions are neither good nor evill And therefore it is used in a bad sense Zelos pikros bitter envying Iam 3.14 Zeloi Envyings Gal. 5.20 as often as in a good If it be without Charity it is but that which the Apostle calls bitter envying If without knowledge but blinde zeal and so apt to do much mischief howsoever able to do little good If without discretion it is but rashnesse and headinesse It were much safer therefore to teach the people how to moderate their Passions then to take care to stir them up To perswade them to be zealous and not together to instruct them how to regulate their zeal that it may be charitable just and orderly is but to teach them to be violent seditions tumultuous c. And when they are such do not many think themselves to be most zealous Did not Paul in the time of his ignorance think he breathed of the spirit when he breathed out threatnings against the Church Art 9. Did not Iehu bragge of zeal when his ambition led him forth to such attempts which God reckoned but as cruelty and injustice Hos 1.4 And is not most of the zeal of these times set on edge with desire of revenge pride or covetousnesse witnesse that greedinesse in the men of this generation and that unjust possessing themselves of the Estates the Lands and Livings of those whom they Maligne yet call them Malignants So when they stuffe their Prayers with Cursings and Bitternesse are they not thought to breath Zeal pure Zeal when they slander the footsteps of Gods anoynted load those that consent not in opinion with them with those hatefull names of Malignants Popishly affected expose them hereby to violence spoylings plundring when they profane the places of Gods publike worship tear in pieces the Service-books do such things as a Turke or Pagan would make conscience of are not these things accounted the blessed fruits of Zeal There is so much of this Zeal already as makes the jealousie of God to burn against us This Zeal may we justly rank in the number of those sins for which we are to acknowledge our selves to be truly humbled in the latter part of this Covenant But it may be feared the most are so far from being humbled that they account that which indeed is their shame to be their glory And therefore God may justly lash us into better mindes untill we see our selves there to be most guilty where we think we are most justified So to draw to a Conclusion The lastis the best part of all this Covenant and the most needfull namely To acknowledge our unfeigned desire to be humbled for our own sins and the sins of this Nation and to endeavour a reall Reformation of our selves others under our power and charge Here be certain Nationall sins reckoned up against the first table of the Law as that we have not as we ought valued the inestimable benefit of the Gospell nor laboured for the Power and Purity of it c. But if we look over again we shall finde other Nationall sinnes also amongst us against the second Table if we take Nationall in Doctor Taytoms sense In his Book against Prelacy for sinnes established by a Law So Disobedience of Subjects to that Ordinance God hath set over them of Children to their Parents Servants to their Masters are not these by new unheard of Votes and Ordinances made lawfull Is not Sacriledge Rapine Plundring Blood-shed speaking and receiving slanders established by a Law These are Nationall sinns therefore and such too as have a loud cry in the eares of the Almighty and lay such a guilt upon this Land that we cannot expect he should settle these Churches in Peace untill they be some way or other explated either by our repenting or his revenging And as for the Prayer in the close of all wherein you beseech God to blesse your endeavours with such successe as may be safety to his people and encouragements to other Churches to do the like He that shall duly observe the passages of Divine Providence on both sides since these broyles began how it hath fared with the King beyond all expectation to what strength he grew upon the suddain notwithstanding all the endevours to alienate the hearts of his Subjects from him what Victories he hath gotten what Towns he hath gained reducing the Northern and Western parts of this Kingdom