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
Parties amongst the people contrary to this League and Covenant that they may be brought to publique tryall and receive condigne punishment as the degree of their offences shall require or deserve or the supream Judicatories of both Kingdoms respectively or others having power from them for that effect shall judge convenient V. And whereas the happinesse of a blessed Peace between these Kingdoms denyed in former times to our Progenitors is by the good Providence of God granted unto us and hath been lately concluded and setled by both Parliaments we shall each one of us according to our place and interest indeavour that they may remain conjoyned in a firm Peace and Union to all Posterity And that Justice may be done upon the wilfull Opposers thereof in manner expressed in the precedent Article VI. We shall also according to our places and callings in this common cause of Religion Liberty and Peace of the Kingdoms assist and defend all those that enter into this League and Covenant in the maintaining and pursuing thereof and shall not suffer our selves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination perswasion or terror to be divided and withdrawn from this blessed Union and Conjunction whether to make defection to the contrary part or to give our selves to a detestable indifferency or neutrality in this cause which so much concerneth the glory of God the good of the Kingdoms and honour of the King but shall all the dayes of our lives zealously and constantly continue therein against all opposition and promote the same according to our power against all Lets and Impediments whatsoever and what we are not able our selves to suppresse or overcome we shall reveal and make known that it may be timely prevented or removed All which we shall do as in the sight of God And because these Kingdoms are guilty of many sins and provocations against God and his Son Jesus Christ as is too manifest by our present distresses and dangers the fruits thereof We professe declare before God and the world our unfeigned desire to be humbled for our own sins for the sins of these Kingdoms especially that we have not as we ought valued the inestimable benefit of the Gospell that we have not laboured for the purity and power thereof and that we have not endevoured to receive Christ in our hearts nor to walk worthy of him in our lives which are the causes of other sins and Transgressions so much abounding amongst us and our true and unfeigned purpose desire and endeavour for our selves and all others under our power and charge both in publique and in private in all duties we owe to God and man to amend our lives and each one to go before another in the example of a reall Reformation that the Lord may turn away his wrath and heavy indignation and establish these Churches Kingdoms in Truth and Peace And this Covenant we make in the presence of Almighty God the Searcher of all hearts with a true intention to perform the same as we shall answer at that great day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed Most humbly beseching the Lord to strengthen us by his Holy Spirit for this end and to blesse our desires and proceedings with such successe as may be deliverance and safety to his people and encouragement to the christian Churches groaning under or in danger of the yoak of Antichristian Tyranny to joyn in the same or like Association and Covenant to the glory of God the enlargement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and the peace and Tranquility of Christian Kingdoms and Common-wealths FINIS
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