in the judgment of the Law To alter the setled frame and constitution of the Government is Treason in any State Cicero Aut undique Religionem tolle aut usquequaque conserva Either take away Religion clean or preserve it in all points whole and sound Bracton l. 1. c. 8. The material Sword is put into the hands of the King by Almighty God lib. 2. c. 24. By the material Sword is meant Power and Right to look to the defence and preservation of the Kingdom and it is no less than Treason to enter into any Association or Confederacy without the King's Consent or against His Will By the KING His Majesty's Proclamation forbidding the tendring or taking the late Vow or Covenant c. WHereas We have lately seen a Vow or Covenant pretended to be taken by some Members of both Houses of Parliament whereby after the taking notice of a Popish and Traiterous Plot for the subversion of the True Reformed Religion and the Liberties of the Subject and to surprise the Cities of London and Westminster They do promise and covenant according to their utmost power to assist the Forces pretended to be raised and continued by both Houses of Parliament against the Forces raised by Us and to assist all other persons that shall take the said Oath which Oath as the same hath been taken without the least colour or ground the Contrivers thereof well knowing that there is no Popish Army within this Kingdom that We are so far from giving countenance to that Religion that We have always given and always offered Our consent to any Act for the suppression of Popery and the growth thereof and that the Army raised by Us is in truth for the necessary defence of the true Reformed Protestant Religion established by Law the Liberty and Property of the Subject and Our Own Just Rights according to Law All which being setled and submitted to or such a free and peaceable Convention in Parliament being provided for that the same might be setled We have offered and are still ready to Disband Our Armies and as the said Oath was devised onely to prevent peace and to pre-ingage the Votes of the Members of both Houses directly contrary to the Freedom and Liberty of Parliament and to ingage them and Our good Subjects in the maintenance of this horrid and odious Rebellion so it is directly contrary as well to their natural Duty as to the Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacy established by Law which obliges them to bear to Us Truth and Faith of life Members and Earthly Honor and to defend Us to the utmost of their powers against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoever which shall be made against Our Person Our Crown and Dignity and to do their best Endeavours to disclose and make known to Us all Treasons and Traiterous Conspiracies which shall be against Us and to their power to assist and defend all Jurisdictions Privileges Preheminences and Authority belonging to Us or united and annexed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm And whereas We are informed that some desperate seditious persons do endeavour to perswade and seduce others of Our good Subjects to take the said Oath thereby to ingage them and this Kingdom into a continuance of these miserable and bloody distempers We do therefore out of Grace and compassion to Our people and that they may not by any craft or violence suffer themselves to be seduced against their Duty and Conscience warn them of their natural Allegiance and their Obligations by Oathes lawfully administred to them and with them to remember the great Blessings of God in Peace and Plenty which the whole Kingdom hath received whilst that Dâ—ty and those Oathes were carefully observed and the unspeakable miseries and calamities they have suffered in the breaking and violating thereof And we do streightly charge and command Our loving Subjects of what degree and quality soever upon their Allegiance that they presume not to take the said Seditious and Traiterous Vow or Covenant which indeavours to withdraw them from their Natural Allegiance which they owe unto Us and to which they are or ought to be sworn and are bound by the Laws of the Land albeit they are not sworn and engages them in Acts of High Treason by the express Letter of the Statute of the twenty fifth year of King Edward the Third And We do likewise hereby forbid and inhibit all Our Subjects to impose administer or tender the said Oath or Covenant And if notwithstanding this Our Gracious Proclamation any person shall presume to impose tender or take the said Vow or Covenant We shall proceed against him or them with all severity according to the known Laws of the Land Given at Our Court at Oxford the one and twentieth day of June in the nineteenth year of Our Reign God save the King Antiqua fert animus-dicere From his Majesty's command and because our Government hath been and stands established by Kingly power which power I am not to question but perform what is commanded for the King ruleth absolutely and commandeth his people at his pleasure as the World and all things contained therein are tied in subjection unto the will of the Highest King Because the Statutes and Acts of Parliament which banished Popery out of this Kingdom did establish our Church-Government with the Ceremonies as Lawful and if we through weakness or perversness make Lawful things to be Unlawful Baxter that will not excuse us in our disobedience our error is our sin and one sin will not excuse another sin Because the King as God's Vicegerent is bound to maintain and advance the true Religion so far forth as the light of Nature can manifest it or Divine Revelation doth make it known unto Him yea a Christian King is a Law-giver above the Ecclesiastical Law-makers for with Him is Wisdom Power Righteousness Meekness Justice and Judgment Therefore we ought to acquiesce in the unanimous Votes of the King's Majesty The Honorable Houses of Parliament And the Venerable Convocation and all Powers and Interests ought to be fully satisfi'd whether in the decision of Controversies in Religion making Ecclesiastical Canons c. or any the like Ecclesiastical matters because they are the conjunct Votes of all the concerned The General Assembly in Parliament is the Common-Council of the Realm called together by the King for advice in matters concerning the whole Realm of which Assembly Lambard some be Counsellors by birth as the Barons by Succession as the Bishops by Election as Knights and Burgesses the King as the Head to give life The Barony consisting of Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commonalty made up of the Knights and Burgesses be as the Body to deliberate confer and conclude So that forasmuch as every man from the highest to the lowest is there either in person or procuration therefore of right reason every man is said to be bound by that which doth pass from such an Assembly
appellat quia Ceremoniarum ad eos Religionumque cura tutela pertinet The Spirit of God doth very often call Kings and Princes Priests because the cust dy and care of Ceremonies and of Religion belongs to them Bilson Kings and Princes before Christ subverted Idolls Reformed Religion in their Realms by their Princely Power and Zeal Stat. 25. Hen. 8. It was Enacted by Parliament That no Canons or Constitutions should be made by the Bishops c. and by them Promulgated without the King's Command Records of Convocation The Clergy were forced to give up their Power of Executing any old Canons of the Church without the King's consent had before Heylins History All former Constitutions Provincial and Synodal though hitherto in force by the Authority of the whole Western Church Stat. 25. Hen. 8. were Committed to the Arbitriment of the King and of sixteen Lay persons and sixteen of the Clergy appointed by the King to be Approved or Rejected by them according as they conceived them Consistent with or Repugnant to the King's Prerogative as Head of the Church or to the Laws of God c. Stat. 26. Hen. 8. Authority was allowed to the King to Repress and Correct all such Errors Heresies Abuses and Enormities whatsoever they were which by any manner of spiritual Jurisdiction might Lawfully be repressed c. any thing to the contrary notwithstanding Ibid. All manner of Jurisdiction Ecclesiastical was by Parliament acknowledged to belong to the King as Head of the Church So that no Bishop had any Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction but by under and from the King Stat. 37. Hen. 8. c. 17. Supreme Power of dispensing with any Ecclesiastical Constitutions is ascribed to the King and Parliament as recognized Supreme Head of the Church Stat. 25. Hen. 8. c. 21. and the Arch-bishop made the King 's Delegate so that in Case he should refuse two other Bishops might be named to Grant such Dispensations And after all the King and His Court of Chancery are made the last Judge what things in such Dispensations are repugnant to Scriptures and what not Stat. 37. Hen. 8. Though the King did not Personally himself Exercise the Power of the Keys yet this Right He claimed that no Clergy man being a Member of the English Church should Exercise it in His Dominions in any Cause or over any Person without the Leave and Appointment of Him the Supreme Head Nor any refuse to Exercise it whensoever He should require Stat. 32. It was Enacted that whosoever should teach contrary to the Determinations which were set forth by the King Hen. 8. c. 26. should be Deemed and Treated as a Heretick Stat. 2.5.6 E. 6. An Act is made in which the King and Parliament Authorize Bishops c. by Vertue of their Act to take Informations concerning the not using the Form of Common-prayer then prescribed and to Punish the same by Excommunication c. Confirmed by 1 Eliz. cap. 1. 5 Eliz. cap. 1. 23 Eliz. cap. 1. Because in doubtfull matters the resolution of the Major part must be obeyed Now it hath been resolved by many Kings and Princes that our Government is not repugnant to the Word of God from whose Judgment there is no appeal but only to God by Prayer Because Schism did grow out of and arise from Presbyterian Government in the purest time which caused the Churches then to out it and to establish Episcopacy as the best Antidote against Schism and for the Restauration and Maintenance of the Churches Peace which was by Succession from the Apostles if not of Divine Institution The Apostles of Christ ordained Bishops in the Church Bullinger 5. Ser. Now it seems a desperate course to use Presbyterian Government as a soveraign Antidote in our time Lloyds prim Epis which had the effect of Poison upon the Churches in the Apostles time Because Contention is a deadly Enemy to Charity and Holy-living Now the refusing of Subscription and Obedience to Church-Government must needs kindle Contentions and why will you thus Contend seeing that the Government by Bishops is the Government of Christ and what better Government can we expect from Man A Government most of the Godly have Conformed to Baxter Most of the Godly able Ministers of England since the Reformation have Judged Episcopacy Lawfull or most Fit and most of them did Subscribe and Conform to Episcopal Government as a thing not contrary to the Word of God but as instituted by the Apostles to which all or the most of the Ancient Fathers do agree so that it is very Evident that it is very Consistent with a Godly Life to Judge Episcopacy lawfull and fit or else so many hundred of Learned and Godly men would not have been of that mind Because they ought to be under the Obedience of all Laws Ecclesiastical and Civil which that Prince commands under whom they Live Division in Government makes Division in a Kingdome and a Kingdome divided cannot stand Omne regnum in se divisum desolabitur Because the Grandest opposers of the Government of the Church of England have ever been of Unconstant principles though Violently zealous in opposing Indifferent things Which if simply Unlawfull they were sin why then do they not contend against them as sinfull but as formerly they did so now they can dispense with them under their own Cure in the Person of another and Subscribe themselves if they might be Dispensed with as to a Compliance in their own Persons which by the Act they are Enjoyned Nor do we find any great Opposition in the time of the Reign of our Immortal Queen Elizabeth untill Her Majesty Commanded Her Bishops and Her Bishops by Her Authority Commanded due Obedience to the Government of the Church which doth manifest it was not nor is not Conscience that doth raise this Opposition against them as if Unlawfull but as not Convenient for them that have been and still are Braindistempered opposers of them Because no Persons for the reason of inconveniency ought to reject what Publick Authority hath allowed Sith that it is apparent that the Composers of our Divine Service-book made choice of the best things out of the most Ancient Liturgies of the Churches which Flourished long before the Birth of Antichrist Because it hath not been manifested unto the Church of England by any Irrefragable positions that the Government of the Church is Unlawfull or the Ceremonies thereof Impure for which impurity the Church should lay aside the Practice of them being Warranted by the Word of God or not Dissonant from it And that they are Unlawfull hath not nor cannot be Proved though Disallowed by some whose Approbation makes nor the Government of the Church of England ever a whit the more Lawfull though Consented unto by them Because we have the Truths of Doctrine Christian Ordinances and a Holy People of the Church of England exercising themselves in the Holy Duties
are perswaded will be very profitable not only to Our Clergy but to the Whole Church of this Our Kingdome and to all the true Members of it if they be well observed Have therefore for Us Our Heirs and Lawfull Successors of Our especial Grace certain Knowledge and meer Motion Given and by these presents do Give Our Royal assent according to the form of the said Statute or Act of Parliament aforesaid to all and every of the said Canons Orders Ordinances and Constitutions and to all and every thing in them contained as they are before Written And furthermore We do not only by Our said Prerogative Royal and Supreme Authority in Causes Ecclesiastical Ratifie Confirm and Establish by these Our Letters Patents the said Canons Orders Ordinances and Constitutions aforesaid but do likewise Propound Publish and straightly Enjoyn and Command by Our said Authority and by these Our Letters Patents the same to be diligently Observed Executed and Equally kept by all Our Loving Subjects of this Our Kingdome both within the Province of Canterbury and York in all points wherein they do or may concern every or any of them according to this Our Will and Pleasure hereby signified and expressed and that likewise for the better Observation of them Every Minister by what Name or Title soever he be called shall in the Parish-Church or Chapel where he hath Charge Read all the said Canons Orders Ordinances and Constitutions once every Year upon some Sundays or Holidays in the afternoon before Divine Service dividing the same in such Sort as that the one half may be Read one day and the other another day the Book of the said Canons to be provided at the Charge of the Parish betwixt this and the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord God next ensuing straightly Charging and Commanding all Arch-Bishops Bishops and all other that Exercise any Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction within this Realm every man in his place to see and procure so asmuch as in them lieth all and every of the same Canons Orders Ordinances and Constitutions to be in all points duely observed not sparing to execute the Penalties in them severally mentioned upon any that shall wittingly or wilfully Break or Neglect to observe the same as they Tender the Honour of God the Peace of the Church the Tranquillity of the Kingdome and their Duties and Service to Us their King and Soveraign In witness c. By the King A Proclamation Declaring that the Proceedings of his Majestie 's Ecclesiastical Courts and Ministers are according to the Laws of the Realm WHereas in some of the Libellous Books and Pamphlets lately published the most Reverend Fathers in God the Lord's Arch-Bishops and Bishops of this Realm are said to have Usurped upon his Majestie 's Prerogative Royal and to have Proceeded in the High Commission and other Ecclesiastical Courts contrary to the Laws and Statutes of this Realm it was Ordered by his Majestie 's High-Court of Star-Chamber the Twelfth day of June last that the Opinion of the two Lords Chief Justices the Lord Chief Baron and the rest of the Judges and Barons should be had and Certified in those particulars viz. Whether Processes may not issue out of the Ecclesiastical Courts in the Name of the Bishops Whether a Patent under the great Seal be necessary for the keeping of the Ecclesiastical Courts and enabling Citations Suspensions Excommunications and other Censures of the Church And whether Citations ought to be in the King's Name and under his Seal of Arms and the like for Institutions and Inductions to Benefices and Correction of Ecclesiastical offences Whether Bishops Arch-Deacons and other Ecclesiastical Persons may or ought to keep any Visitation at any time unless they have express Commission or Patent under the great Seal of England to do it and that as his Majestie 's Visitors only and in his Name and Right alone Whereupon his Majestie 's said Judges having taken the same into their serious Considerations did Unanimously concurr and agree in Opinion and the first day of July past Certified under their hands as followeth That Processes may issue out of the Ecclesiastical Courts in the Name of the Bishops and that a Patent under the Great Seal is not necessary for the keeping of the said Ecclesiastical Courts or for enabling of Citations Suspensions Excommunications and other Censures of the Church and that it is not necessary that Summons Citations or other Processes Ecclesiastical in the said Courts or Institutions or Inductions to Benefices or Correction of Ecclesiastical offences by Censure in those Courts be in the King's Name or with the Style of the King or under the King's Seal or that their Seals of Office have in them the King's Arms and that the Stature of Primo Edwardi Sexti cap. 2. which Enacted the contrary is not now in Force And that the Bishops Arch-Deacons and other Ecclesiastical Persons may keep their Visitations as usually they have done without Commission under the Great Seal of England so to do which Opinion and Resolutions being Declared under the Hands of all his Majestie 's said Judges and so Certified into his Court of Star-Chamber were there Recorded and it was by that Court further ordered the Fourth day of the said Moneth of July that the said Certificate should be Enrolled in all other his Majestie 's Courts at Westminster and in the High Commission and other Ecclesiastical Courts for the satisfaction of all men That the proceedings in the High Commission and other Ecclesiastical Courts are agreeable to the Laws and Statutes of the Realm And his Royal Majesty hath thought fit with advice of his Council that a Publick Declaration of these the Opinions and Resolutions of his Reverend and Learned Judges being agreeable to the Judgement and Resolutions of former times should be made Known to all His Subjects as well to Vindicate the Legal proceedings of His Ecclesiastical Courts and Ministers from the unjust and scandalous Imputation of Invading or Entrenching on His Royal Prerogative as to settle the Minds and stop the Mouths of all unquiet Spirits that for the future they presume not to Censure His Ecclesiastical Courts or Ministers in these their Just and Warrantable proceedings And hereof His Majesty admonisheth all His Subjects to take Warning as they shall answer the contrary at their Perils Given at the Court at Lyndhurst the eighteenth day of August in the thirteenth year of His Majesty's Reign 1637. God save the King Primo Julii 1637. The Judges Certificate concerning Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction May it please your Lordships ACcording to your Lordships Order made in His Majesty's Court of Star-chamber the Twelfth of May last we have taken consideration of the Particulars wherein our Opinione are required by the said Order and we have all agreed That Processes may issue out of the Ecclesiastical Courts in the Name of the Bishops and that a Patent under the Great Seal is not necessary for the keeping of the said Ecclesiastical Courts or
the Lord's day by several Abuses and Misdemeanors in excess of Riot by Tipling Sporting Idling and Wandring about the Streets in the time of Divine Service and other unlawful and unwarrantable courses committed and continued both in your Parish and divers other parts of the City and Suburbs thereof by an Idle and Licentious sort of People to the great dishonor of God and profanation of his Day the scandal of our Religion and the conscientious Professors thereof and contempt of the Laws and Authority both Ecclesiastical and Civil These are therefore to require you duely and seriously to exhort and perswade those in Authority in your Parish and Congregation carefully to look after all such offenders in any kind whatsoever together with all those that Abet Receive or Entertain them and either present them unto Us that we may proceed against them or if the nature of their Crime and Offence require it return them to the Civil Magistrate that so by the Conjunction of Our Power and Authority such seasonable and timely Remedy may be used for prevention of the like disorders for the time to come as is fit and necessary in business of so serious and General concernment Given under our Hand and Seal the Twelfth day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand six hundred sixty and two And in the second Year of our Consecration Act. Mon. fol. 1521. There was set forth by the most Innocent King Edward the whole Church-Service with great Deliberation and the Advice of the best Learned men of the Realm and Authorised by the whole Parliament and Received and Published gladly by the whole Realm which Book was never Reformed but once and yet by that one Reformation it was so fully perfected according to the Rules of Christian Religion in every behalf that no Christian Conscience can be offended with any thing therein contained Dering against Haddon Look if any Line be blameable in our Service take hold of your advantage I think Mr. Jewel will accept it for an Article Our Service is good and godly every Tittle grounded upon Holy Scripture and with what face do you call it darkness But men are ashamed to seem guilty who always have been Judges or at least Accusers Anonymus The Papists of all Places their desires and attempts to recover England have been always and still are the strongest which in their sober moods many of them will acknowledge to have been the onely Nation that walk the Right way of sustifiable Reformation in comparison of others who have run headlong rather to a Tumultuous Innovation whereas that alteration that hath been in England was brought in with peaceable and orderly proceedings by General consent of the Prince and whole Realm Representatively Assembled in Solemn Parliament a great part of their own Clergy according and conforming themselves unto it What publick discussing and long deliberation did perswade them to be faulty that taken away The Succession of Bishops and Vocation of Ministers continued the Dignity and State of the Clergy preserved the Honor and Solemnity of the Word of God not abused the more Antient Usages not cancell'd no Humor of affecting contrariety but a charitable endeavour rather of Conformity with the Church of Rome in whatsoever they thought not gain-saying to the express Law of God which is the onely approveable way in all New Reformations Reasons against the Covenant Ursinus PRincipalis autem causa juramenti debet esse gloria Dei salus proximi privata publica The chief ends of an Oath are the Glory of God the safeguard and welfare as well private as publick of our Neighbours But the ends of the Covenant have not been answerable to these ends and therefore ought not to be kept nor observed though sworn unto For 1. The Covenant Cum verbo Dei pugnat fit de rebus adversis falsis incertis illicitis non necessariis impossibilibus levibus futilibus irrationabilibus absque necessitate The Covenant is not agreeable to the Word of God and is made of things preposterous false uncertain unlawful not necessary impossible light frivolous and unseasonable without necessity See Dr. Featly's League Illegal The Anti-Covenant Printed at Oxford 1643. Ursinus 2. Juramenta autem de rebus illicitis c. facta sive per errorem sive per ignorantiam sive per infirmitatem sive contra conscientiam non sunt servanda sed retractanda corrigenda poenitentiam agendo a malo proposito desistendo non autem in eo persistendo illud exsequendo Ps 15.6 Nam qui servat juramentum illicitum as is the Covenant bis peccat semel male jurando iterum malè juratum servando juxtaregulam Quod malè juratur pejus servatur Quae enim Deus prohibet ea nec jurata vult servari quae vetat promittere vel jurare ea tantò magis facere prohibet quanto facere quam promittere est gravius Illicitum enim non servatum minimè facit Deum testem mendacii quando quidem mali retractatio bona est ut retractatio juramenti Davidis quo juraverat se Nabalem perditurum cum familia c. Ursinus 2. Oaths made of Unlawfull things either by an Error or by Ignorance or through Infirmity or against the Conscience it is a sin to keep them And therefore such Oaths are to be Retracted and Re-called by Repenting and Surceasing a wicked purpose not to be continued by Persisting and Practising lest we add thereby sin unto sin For he that keeps an Oath made of Unlawfull things as is the Covenant heapeth sin upon sin both in that he Sware amiss and also in that he endeavoureth to do that which he Sware amiss according to the Common rule Ill sworn and Worse kept For what things God forbids those things he will not have Men either Sworn or Unsworn to perform And what he forbids us to will or promise or swear so much the more he forbids us to do the same how much the more grievous a thing it is to do them than to will or promise For an unlawful Oath being broken maketh not God witness of a Lie because the revoking of it is good as appears in the revoking of that Oath which David had made to destroy Nabal with all his houshold c. 3. Henderson Although no Human Power and Authority can dispence with a Lawful Oath Quia juramentum pertinet ad forum Divinum yet in some case as in the Covenant it cannot be denied but the Obligation of an Oath ceaseth Sublata causa tollitur effectus sublato relato tollitur correlatum Or when any Oath hath a special reference to the benefit of those to whom we swear or make the promise as the Covenant had first to the Church of Scotland and pretendedly to the Church of England Henderson if we have their desire or consent the Obligation ceaseth because all such Oathes and so
the Covenant from the nature of the thing doth include a Condition Now the King the Church of England the Church of Scotland nor the Parliaments of either Kingdom never gave any consent or Civil sanction to the Covenant but on the contrary have abolish'd all Laws made as illegall and unjust whereby we were bound to the keeping of it So that the Covenant doth not bind us nor our consciences to the observing of it otherwise no Laws could be altered by the Legislative Power The Unfeigned Assent and Consent of all Ministers I A.B. do here declare my unfeigned Assent and Consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book intituled The Book of Common-prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the Use of the Church of England together with the Psalter or Psalms of David Pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches and the form or manner of Making Ordaining or Consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons By the Parliament of England 1662. A Declaration or Acknowledgment to be Subscribed unto I A. B. do declare that it is not Lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King and that I do abhorr that traiterous Position of taking Arms by His Authority against His Person or against those that are Commissionated by him and that I will conform to the Liturgy of the Church of England as it is now by Law established And I do declare that I do hold there lies no Obligation upon me or any other person from the Oath commonly called The Solemn League and Covenant to endeavour any change or alteration of Government either in Church or State And that the same was in it self an unlawful Oath and imposed upon the Subjects of this Realm against the known Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom By the Parliament of Scotland 1662. A Declaration to be subscribed unto I A. B. do declare that it is unlawful for any to take up Arms against His Majesty or to enter in Leagues and Covenants without His Majesty And that all the late Acts of Committees and the two late Oathes called the Solemn League and Covenant and National Covenant are unlawful and no ways binding on any By the Parliament of Scotland Edinburgh Septemb. 5. 1662. A Declaration I Declare that I do judge it unlawful for Subjects upon pretence of Reformation or other pretence whatsoever to enter into Leagues and Covenants or to take up Arms against the King or those Commissionated by Him And that all these Gatherings Convocations Petitions Protestations and erecting and keeping Council-Tables that were used in the beginning and for carrying on of the late Troubles were Unlawful and Seditious And particularly that these Oaths whereof the one was commonly called The National Covenant as it was sworn and explained in the year one thousand six hundred and thirty eight and thereafter and the other entituled A Solemn League and Covenant were and are in themselves Unlawful Oathes and were taken by and imposed upon the Subjects of this Kingdom against the Fundamental Laws and Liberties of the same And that there lieth no Obligation upon me or any of the Subjects from the said Oathes or either of them to endeavour any change or alteration of the Government either in Church or State as it is now established by the Laws of the Kingdom 4. Incendiaries Malignants Because there are such expressions in the Covenant as are not to be found in any Oath that hath been taken in the Kingdom and for that the Laws of the Land are left out and not so much as once named 5. All Scripture-Covenanting from the Alpha unto the Omega thereof were commanded or chiefly acted by the Kings or the Chief Rulers and not one of the Covenants by the Elders of the People against or without the consent of the King 6. The Covenant is against Custome Usage Judicial Records and Acts of Parliament the King's Declarations and Proclamation and against all the Customs and Usages of all Nations in the world themselves being Judges and therefore ought not so much as to have been intended much less sworn unto Mr. Nye Such an Oath as for Matter Persons and other Circumstances the like hath not been in any Age or Oath we read of in Sacred or Human Story Iid. We are entring now upon a work of the greatest moment and concernment that ever was undertaken by any of Us or any of our Fore-fathers before us or our neighbouring Nations about us Henderson The Reformed Churches the Low-Countries our Noble and Christian Progenitors entred not into such a Solemn League and Covenant whence have we this Covenant then The dangers and pressures of the Kingdom of Scotland growing to greater extremity such as were entrusted with the Publick affairs of the Kingdom were necessitated to call a Convention of the Estates for considering of the present affairs And Commissioners were sent from both Houses of Parliament not from the King to consider with the Estates of the Kingdom of Scotland without the King what then Their consultations did in the end bring forth this Covenant When the Reformed Churches shall hear of this so neither the King nor the Reformed Churches were consulted with in this matter How then Salt-marsh The Covenant is a Divine Engine the godly have found out This is the first time the Sun saw such a confederation and therefore there should be as much Art used in preserving the Spirits of people as there was Art used in raising them up to this Height Coleman This is a new thing and not done in our Land before Ask your Fathers consult with the Aged of your times whether ever such a thing were done in their days or in the days of their fathers before them 7. 1643. 1641. The Covenant is diametrically opposite to the Protestation taken not long before wherein we have sworn That to our Power and as far as Lawfully we may we will oppose and by all good ways and means endeavour to bring to condign punishment all such as shall either by Force Plots Conspiracies or otherwise do any thing contrary to the true Reformed Protestant Religion established or against His Majesty's Royal Person Honor or Estate c. which was taken in Lawful things besides the Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacy which were taken Lawfully and in Lawfull things long before and so made all contrary Oathes unlawful to be afterwards either taken or kept St. Jerom. Now lay your hands upon your hearts consider and take the counsel of St. Jerom unto Ruffinus Never blush man to change thy opinion of the Covenant for neither you or I or any person living are of so great Authority as to be asham'd to confess they have erred Pym. As it is a crime odious in the nature of it to endeavour the alteration of the Government of the State so it is odious
Church of Ephesus write ver 8. And unto the Angel of the Church in Smyrna write ver 12. And to the Angel of the Church in Pergamos write ver 18. And to the Angel of the Church in Thyatira write 3.1 And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write ver 7. And to the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia write ver 14. And to the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans write ver 18. I counsell thee to buy of me Gold tried in the Fire that thou maist be rich and White raiment that thou maist be cloathed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear and annoint thine eyes with Eye-salve that thou mayest see Statutes PArl. 21. Edw. 1.1 Edw. 3. c. 2. 25. Edw. 3. c. 2. 12. Hen. 3. p. 23. 12. Hen. 7. c. 18. 19. Hen. 7. c. 1. 12. Hen. 8. 31. Hen. 8. c. 9.13 25. Hen. 8. c. 20. 2. Ric. 3.11 18. Hen. 8.1 Bracton c. 9.10 8. Eliz. c. 1. 25. Eliz. c. 3. Jacob 3.11 Canons 1604. Canon 33 34. 42 43 44 45 46 47.59 139 140 141. The End MAY 29. 1660. YE Angels great in power Protect Our Soveraign Charls the Lord's Elect. Let Monk be Blest with showers of Grace That hath Unveil'd His Royal Face Oh welcome welcome from Exile Your waiting Captives can't but Smile Our King by Wisdome hath Release Our suffering Charls the Prince of Peace All tongues without false hearts let Sing With warbling Notes God save the King MAY 30th HAst thou an Eye Then look on Majesty Three Kingdoms just Possessour In Seisin full In Re-assuming free Faith's fence and best Professour Let Heads and Tongues ' Mongst Salvage have their doom Their Heart-strings break with fear That Treason hatch Against our Spotless joy Or England ravish of her Kingly Sphere Instruments be Blest That opened our Eyes To see Deliverers that Catechize In Proditores September 1660. HEnce hence absent what is it your desire You Enginers Massacres to conspire Let only such as Love a Royal peace Such and their Fruit for evermore encrease Cease cease your thoughts contrive not Murders still Against a King of Peace ye worst of ill What ere you think our Duty is to Sing Glory to God Honour to the King God save the King W. W. THE OFFICE and CHARGE Belonging to the OVER SEERS OF The POOR Of Hospitals Bridewell and of Every Parish in pursuance of several Acts Of PARLIAMENT Give to him that asketh thee c. 35 Matth. 42. When I was an hungred yee gave me meat when thirsty ye gave me drink when a Stranger ye took me in when Naked ye Cloathed me when Sick ye visited me when in Prison ye came unto me 35 Matth. 35 36. The Poor yee shall have alwayes with you 12 John 8. Let all your things be done with Charity 1 Cor. 16.14 By W. Wasse School-master in Little Britain near unto Christ-church London Printed by W. W. for R. H. at the Bible in Heart in Little Britain 1663. THE OFFICE and CHARGE Belonging to the Overseers of the Poor c. Quest 1 WHat is the word Overseer Answ The Word Overseer is a distinction of Office a word of Antiquity not of Novelty a word of Excellency not of Indignity an Office beseeming the best of men not the worst of men 1 Chron. 23.4 Acts 20.28 Quest 2 What is an Overseer of the Poor Answ One placed over others to see unto them 1. To see what is to be done 2. To foresee how it may be done 3. To Oversee that it be well done 1. To imploy the Poor by Work 2. To Relieve the Poor by Money 3. To order by Discretion the wants of the Poor Quest 3 What men are fit to be Overseers of the Poor 1. Men of Honest Report 2. Men of Wisdom 3. Men of Wealth 4. Men of a good Conscience Quest 4 What men are not meet to be made Overseers of the Poor Answ 1. Such as complain of their being taxed too high for the Poor which give with grudging and pay with delaying 2. Such as will not be spake with at home when the Tax is to be gathered nor bring money to the Church to pay it but rather absent themselves from Church to defraud the Poor of their right 3. Such as spend all upon their Pride in Diet and Apparel beyond their degree but part with little to the Poor 4. Such as abuse the Overseers and out-face them to defraud the Poor 5. Such men as will pay no more then the Law compels them to alleging that there is a Law and by the Law they must live Quest 5 What should Overseers consider of in their Office Answ 1. To discharge their Office as in the sight of God who searcheth the heart and seeth all their actions 2. To avoid all malice and not to Tyrannize over the Poor The Naturalists observe that the Governour of the Bees is without a sting or useth it not though it have a sting 3. That their Office is not held by Patent but that they are as Tenants at will and as they do over-see so they shall be over-seen 4. That if any perish for want of succour through their neglect it is their sin 5. That what Beggars are licensed in the Parish according to the Law to continue them within their limits or else to punish them for their defaults 6. That if they shall tax ten shillings more by the week then is needfull and then give largely because there is enough it will but encrease the number of the Poor and nothing decrease the charge of the Parish 7. That they relieve not such as may forbear it because it is to nourish idleness to rob those that want it to wrong those that pay it and condemn them of oversight which dispose it 8. That to enquire after Poor is the way to procure Poor and some will sue to be Recorded for Poor that are able to contribute to the Poor and being Recorded raise scandal upon them if not the Curse of the Poor Quest 6 What is the Office of an Overseer Answ The Office of an Overseer is to Tax the Contributions for the Poor and receive the Donations and then discreetly to dispose thereof Taxing all men that are Inhabitants 1. According to Equality The middle sort not equal with the Rich and when every one is rated equally according to his Estate to see that every one pay their rates though there be sufficient besides for the Poor 1. For Example sake Lest others be backward in paying their due 2. For the good of the Inhabitants If any thing be left it will some what abate the taxation the year following Moreover if the weaker sort pay and the better able be undertaxed or forborn it is an injury 2. According to their Estates Which is not to be judged by reports that is the next way to make Poor maintain Poor For a man of 250 pounds Estate with no Children is