Selected quad for the lemma: parliament_n
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A42771
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A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many usefull questions and cases of conscience are discussed and resolved ... / by Mr. George Gillespie ... ; published by Mr. Patrik Gillespie ...
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Gillespie, George, 1613-1648.; Gillespie, Patrick, 1617-1675.
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1649
(1649)
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Wing G761; ESTC R8829
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216,733
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306
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and this of the Covenant not so it will strengthen the calumnies cast upon the Parliament by the Malignant party that they have had no intention to setle Religion according to the Covenant but that they entred into the Covenant for bringing in the Scots to their assistance and for gaining the good opinion of the reformed Churches 10. It will also be a dangerous president to separat between the legislative power and the corrective or punitive power For if after the ordinance of Parliament injoyning and ordaining that the Covenant be taken universally throughout the whole Kingdome there be no sanction nor penalty upon these who shall refuse it let wise men judge whether this may not expose the authority of Parliament to contempt 11 I shal conclud with this Syllogisme That which is not only sinful in it self but a great dishonour to God a great scandall to the Church with all a disobedience to the lawfull Ordinance of authority may and ought to be punished by this Christian and reforming Parliament But their offence which still refuse to take the Covenant is not only sinfull in it self but a great dishonour to God a great scandall to the Church and with all a disobedience to the lawful Ordinance of Authority Therefore the offence of these who still refuse to take the Covenant may and ought to be punished by this Christian and reforming Parliament Objections answered 1. Object The Covenant ought not to be compulsory but free Good things grow evill when mens consciences are thereunto forced Answ. 1. An Ordinance injoyning the taking of it under a certain penalty were no other compulsion then was used by King Iosiah and others yea by this present Parliament upon their own Members and upon Ministers to be ordained as is evident by the passages above expressed The Parliament hath also by their Ordinance dated the 23. of August 1645. imposed the Directory of Worship under certain mulcts and penalties to be inflicted upon such as do not observe it or preach or write against it 2. T is no tyranny overmens consciences to punish a great and scandalous sin such as the refusing and opposing of the Covenant or a divyding from it althogh the offender in his conscience believe it to be no sin yea peradventur believe it to be a duety Otherwise it had been tyranny over the Conscience to punish those who killed the Apostles because they thought they were doing God good service Ioh 16 2. Thirdly if they who make this Objection be so tender of mens consciences why would they keep up an Army when there is no Enemy and continue taxes and burthens upon the exhausted Counties which are altogether against the consciences of the generality of people in the Kingdome If in these things they will have the conscience of any to be forced and in the Covenant the consciences of some left at liberty this is not fair and equall and it will be generally apprehended that such men study their own interest more then the Publick 2. Object The Covenant was occasionall and temporary being made upon the occasion of the prevalency and growing power of the Enemy as is mentioned in the narrative which fundation being taken away the superstructure cannot stand Answ. 1. Ex malis moribus bonae nascuntur Leges Shall wee therefore be no longer bound to obey and maintaine good lawes because the evils which gave occasion to their making have ceased 2. The Covenant doth in expresse words oblige us constantly and all the dayes of our lives to pursue the ends therein expressed So that to hold it but a Temporary obligation is a breach of Covenant 3. There is not any one of the ends of the Covenant which is yet fully attained The very Directory of Worship is not observed in most places of the Kingdome Neither is the abolitione of Prelacy and of the Book of common prayer yet established by Act of Parliament 4. If we had attained the ends of the Covenant which we have not yet non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta tueri and the recidivation may prove worse then the first disease 3. Object Some things in the Covenant are disputable for instance good and learned men differ in their opinions about Prelacy Answ 1. The oath of Supremacy was much more disputable and great disputs there were among good and learned men about it yet it hath been imposed upon all Members of Parliament 2. If the very materials of the Covenant be stuck at whether they be good in themselves there is the greater danger to leave all men to abound in their own sense concerning things of the highest consequence 4. Object The Army which hath served us so faithfully and regained our Liberties shall by this Ordinance loose their own greatest Liberty which is the Liberty of their consciences Answ 1. In the Ordinance and Instructions of Parliament dated the 2 Feb 1643. It was ordained that the Covenant should be speedily sent to my Lord Generall and the Lord Admirall and all other Commanders in Cheiff Governours of Towns c. to the end it may be taken by all Officers and Souldiers under their command I hope the Parliament did not here take from their Army the Liberty of their consciences 2. The Army must either take Lawes from the Parliament or give Laws to the Parliament If they will as the Parliaments servants submit themselves to the Ordinances of the Parliament which hath ever been professed they would doe then the objection is taken away But if they will be the Parliaments Masters or fellows and Independent upon the Parliament it self and at libertie to reject as they list so good or wholesome an Ordinance aâ—… the taking of the Covenant then God have mercy upon us if the Parliament doe not preserve their owne rights and priviledges with which the Kingdome hath entrusted them 3. If an Ordinance imposing the taking of the Covenant under a considerable penaltie be to the Army scandalum acceptum The not passing of such an Ordinance will be scandalum datum to the city of London and to many thousands of the godly and well affected of the Kingdome both Ministers and People who have faithfully adhered to and served the Parliament and will still hazard their lives and foâ—…tunes in pursuance of the ends of the Covenant yea a horrible scandall to the reformed Churches abroad whose hearts were once comforted and raised up to expect better things 4. God forbid there be any such in the houses of Parliament as would admit of deformation instead of Reformation and all maner of confusion in place of government Would not this be the ready way to banish all Religion and open a door for all sorts of Schisme and Haeresie And shal this be the fruits of the Labours blood and expences of the three Kingdomes in place of Reformation and Uniformity to admit of such a Liberty and horrible confusion Let it not be told in Gath nor published in Askelon least
Psal 104. Hath not God said that while the earth remaineth seed time and harvest and cold and heat and sommer and winter day and night shall not cease Gen 8 22. If there were not an uniformity in nature how could fair weather be known by a red sky in the evening or foul weather by a red and louâ—…ing sky in the morning Mat 16 2 3. If there be not an uniformity in nature why saith Salomon The thing that hath been it is that which shall be and there is no new thing under the Sun Eccl. 1. 9. is it not an uniformity in nature that the Stâ—…rk in the heavens knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Cran and the Swallow observe the time of their comming Ier. 8. 75. Is not that an uniformity in nature Io. 4. 35. There are yet foure mone hs and then cometh harvest As the Apostle saith of the members of the body which we think to be lesse honourable upon these we bestow more abundant honour 1 Cor. 12. 23 so I may say of these things in nature which may perhaps seem to have least uniformity in them such as the waxing and weaning of the Moon the ebbing and flowing of the Sea and the like even in these a very great uniformity may be observed As for Scripture presidents There was in the old Testament a marvelous great uniformity both in the substantialls and rituals of the worship and service of God For instance Num. 9. 3. 't is said of the Passeover ye shall keep it in his appointed season according to all the rites of it and according to all the ceremonies thereof shall ye keep it Exod. 12 49. One Law shall be to him that is homeborn unto the stranger that sojurneth among you Another instance see in the Sacrifices Levit first 7. chapters Another instance Act. 15 21. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him being raed in the Synagogues every Sabboth day A fourth instance in the courses and services of the Priests and Levits 1 Chron 23 24 25 26. Luke 1. 8 9. The like in other instances Of the Church of the new Testament it was prophesied that God would give them one way aswell as one heart Ier 32. 39. that there shall not onely be one Lord but his Name one Zack 14. 9. Wee are exhorted to walk by the same rule so farre as we have attained that is to study uniformity not diversity in those things which are agreed upon to bee good and right Phil. 3. 16. Doeth not the Apostle plainly intimat and commend an uniformity in the Worship of God 1 Cor. 14. 27. If any man speak in an unknown tongue let it beby two or at the most by three and that by course and let one interpret vers 33. for God is not the author of confusion but of peace as in all the Churches of the Saints vers 40. Let all things bee done decently and in order Hee limiteth the Prophets to that same number of two or three even as he limiteth those that had the gift of tongues vers 29. And was it not a great uniformity that he would have every man who prayed or prophesied to have his head uncovered and every woman covered 1 Cor. 11. Doeth not the same Apostle besides the Doctrine of faith and practicall duties of a Christian life deliver severall Canons to bee observed in the Ordination and Admission of Elders and Deacons concerning widows concerning accusations admonitions censures and other things belonging to Church policy a appeareth especially from the Epistles to Timothy and Titus And 1 Cor 16. 1 2. hee will have an uniformity between the Churches of Galatia and of Corinth in the very day of putting forth their charity Now concerning the colection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so doe you upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store c. In the ancient Church although there was not an uniformity in all particulars among all the Churches for instance in the point of fasting some fasting on the Sabbath some not some taking the Lords-Supper fasting some after meals which differences in fasting gave occasion to the old rule dissonantia â—…ejunii non dissolvit consonantiam fidei Although likewise there was a great difference between the custome of one Church and another in the time and manner of celebrating the Lords-Supper And in other particulars as Augustine Socrates and the Author of the Tripartite History record unto us Yet the Centuryes and other ecclesiasticall Historians shew us in every Century a great uniformity in those ancient times even in very many things belonging to Church government and forme of Worship Neither can any man doubt of the great uniformity in the ancient Church Who is not a stranger to the Canons of the ancient Councells And although Irenaeus and others justly blamed Victor Bishop of Rome for excommunicating the Churches of Asia and the Quartodecimans because of their disconformity in keeping of Easter yet the endeavoring of the nearest uniformity in that particular was so farre from being blamed that it was one cause though neither the sole nor principall of the calling and conveening the Councell of Nice which Councell did not leave it arbitary to every one to follow their owne opinion concerning Easter but by their Canon determined that it should not be keept upon the same day with the Jews that is upon the 14. day of the moneth CHAP. XVI Whether it be lawfull just and expedient that there be an ordinance of Parliament for the taking of the solemne League and Covevenant by all persons in the Kingdome under a considerable penaltie Or an answer returned to a Gentleman who had consulted a friend concerning this question FIrst of all that I may rightly deduce and state the matter of fact 't is to be remembred That the solemne League and Covenant hath been the strongest band of Union in this common cause of Religion and Liberty and that which the common enemies have mainly endeavoured with all their might to overthrow That the chief motive to engage Scotland was professed to be the Reformation of Religion and uniformity according to the Covenant That the League and Treaty between the two Kingdomes is in pursuance of the ends of the Covenant especially the aforsaid ends of Religion That the declaration of both Kindomes emitted to other Nations doeth hold forth to the world that our war is for the ends of the Covenant and that we should never lay down armes till these were obtained That by order of Parliament the Covenant was turned in Latine and sent abroad to the reformed Churches with letters from the Assembly of Divines That upon the former assurances the Church and Kingdome of Scotland the Parliaments of both Kingdomes the Assembly of Divines the city of London and many thousands in England have taken the Covenant and have sworne most solemnly