Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	apostle_n	church_n	doctrine_n	4,033	5	6.2595	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67901	A review of the Covenant, wherein the originall, grounds, means, matter, and ends of it are examined: and out of the principles of the remonstrances, declarations, votes, orders, and ordinances of the prime covenanteers, or the firmer grounds of Scripture, law, and reason, disproved.	Langbaine, Gerard, 1609-1658.	1645 (1645)	Wing L371; ESTC R210023	90,934	119

by the two Houses that they insist upon it twice in one lea●e of the same b Declaration Their c petitioning his Majesty to pas●e an Act for establishing a new Oath and that he would be pleased to enter into a more strict allyance with some neighbour Nations are sufficient convictions of their want of Authority in themselves either to impose a new Oath upon the Subjects of this Kingdome or to enter into a new League with those of another unlesse the consent of his Majesty be first obtained 3. I● any private Men Town City or County may lawfully take this Covenant of their own accord and free will● which is the way to ingratiate themselves the more then in other cases of the like kinde they may at any time of their own accord without any command from Superiours enter into a League of mutuall defence with other Countries and binde themselves by a solemne Oath to performance And then farewell not onely the ancient Authority of the King but that moderne Priviledge of Parliament which claimes that d no County can binde it selfe without their consent But if all the Kingdome be therefore bound to take this new Covenant because it comes to them as commanded by the two Houses though there were no Law for it before then must all our Histories be purged all our Law-bookes taught to speake another Language and all those Declarations revoked wherein the Lords and Commons of this Parliament so many e times disclaimed all power of making any new Lawes without his Majesties cons●nt CHAP. IV. The matter of the Covenant examined and proved first to be against Truth NExt to the Efficient we shall survey the materiall Cause of this Oath and allow it faire triall by the Lawes of God and the Land If it be endited upon the Text of Ieremie 4.2 It will be found guilty in the highest degree as destitute of all those conditions required to a lawfull Oath Truth Iudgement and Righteousnesse For the first though this be for the maine a Promissory Oath to the formall Truth whereof as such no more is required but that the meaning of the parties swearing be truly conformable to the words of their Oath that they truly intend to performe what they sweare yet is not the whole frame of it meerly promissory some assertions are interwoven either actuall or virtuall by way of implication which may be justly suspected for want of Truth and i● that be proved upon any one of them all the Covenanteers are ipso facto guilty of perjury I shall but point at some particulars I. Those words wherein they swear the Preservation of Religion in the Church of Scotland do imply that the Religion of that Church is in all the particulars there mentioned Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the word of God Which is justly doubtfull in some and flatly false in others 1. The Doctrine of that Church so farre as it is distinct from their opinions concerning Discipline and Government and other matters of practice I have no purpose to quarrell I acknowledge the ancient Articles of their publique confession for true but if by Doctrine they understand all the modern explanations and other doctrinall positions which have issued from their Generall As●emblies in later times I could bring more instances and more objections against the truth of these Doctrines then I know how to answer But I forbear to make the wound wider then necessity requires 2. As touching their manner of Worship if we should deny they would be hard put to it to prove those formes which they use in Marriage Baptisme the Lords Supper Publique Prayer Preaching Catechizing and other of Gods Ordinances to be according to his word 3. Much lesse their Discipline and Government by Classes and Assemblies higher and lower which they pretend to be iure divino and perpetuall Some of their ablest Scholars have acknowledged their moveable temporary Deacons not to be consonant to divine Institution And if we might be admitted to argue before equall judges we should go near to prove as much against their ruling Elders which first justled the Superintendents and since the Bishops out of that Church If they will submit to that rule the Presbytery in Scripture must submit to Episcopacy that at best was but a Delegacy under the Apostles who were in right the primitive Bishops and from whom ours challeng by undeniable succession II. When they swear the Reformation of Religion in England in Doctrine as well as Discipline according to the wo●d of God they falsly imply that our Doctrine is erroneus and not according to the word Which though it be scandalous to us is advantageous to the Covenanteers The Articles of our Church most true in themselves cannot be wire-drawne and forced to comply with their designes and therefore no wonder if they desire to have them altered They must therefore set the Diall by the Clock and seeing the present Doctrine of the Kingdome condemnes their practice and opinions they must so farre reforme it that it shall not contradict them When a new Assembly of Divines must be convented to tell the People such things are according to the word of God which all men knew to be contrary to the Law of the Land seeing the Royall assent could not be obteined to authorize a Convention of such Persons and in such an uncouth illegall way as was desired it was inavoydably necessary that the Doctrine of our Church in the 21. Article should be reformed which teacheth That Councells may not be gathered together without the commandment and will of Princes When they are resolved to extort those rights from their Soveraigne by force which he is unwilling to part with upon entreaty then 't is fit the 35. Article be reformed which confirmes the Homily against Rebellion as containing Godly and wholesome Doctrine and necessary for these times In truth never so necessary for any times as these the like whereof England never saw before When they have vowed the extirpation of Episcopall Government Root and Branch is it not high time to reforme the 32. Article which talks of Bishops Priests and Deacons much more the 36. which addes Arch-Bishops and confirmes the book of Consecration and Ordination When that Doctrine must be instilled into the people that the King is no more then the Prince of Orange or the Duke of Venice onely Maior singulis but minor universis and that when his command● and those of one or both Houses are different theirs must and ought to be obeyed as with whom the suprem power doth reside then surely a Reformation of the 37. Article is indispensably and eminently necessary by which the Subjects have been led into that dangerous and deadly Heresie that has cost so many thousand lives That the Kings Maiesty hath the chiefe power in this Realm of England unto whom the chiefe government of all not onely particular persons but Estates of this Realm whether

minor make a maior part or some of the present maior part may dye or be removed or be absent or alter their opinions and so vary the sense of the Houses especially in that great businesse of Reformation in Doctrine and Government con●erning which neither the two Houses nor their assistant Divines● as themselves b confesse are yet agreed Fourthly if it shall hereafter appeare that the major part at the time of their taking and imposing this Oath did understand it in one sense and the major part at the time of declaring shall expound it in another it must be doubted in whether sense it shall be obligatory And lastly if the greater part of Lords shall declare it in one sense and the greater part of the Commons in another whose Declaration must carry it Vpon the resolution of these doubts it will appeare that many well meaning Covenan●eers whiles they laboured for such a Reformation as themselves conceived to be according to Gods Word were zealously perjured by not endeavouring it in that sense which the Houses will declare was onely intended III. This maine doubt being premi●ed which has an influence upon all the rest I shall onely mention such others as I am perswaded the chiefe Covenanteers themselves are not agreed upon Where first I conceive in the top branch of this Covenant it is not onely doubtfull wherein the Doctrine and Discipline of Scotland consists which are here sworne to be preserved but how farre the preservation of them is intended and who are meant by common Enemies Since the ancient Confession of that Church has been so much improved by moderne explanations and all these confirmed by a Nationall Oath since their Discipline is such a mystery that many of themselves are not fully agreed upon it since their first and second Book of Discipline contain severall platformes and the Contents of those foure Volumes of the Acts of Generall Assemblies ratified at Glasgow are not yet published it is a hard case that any man should be forced to sweare to preserve what no body knowes IV. Next I cannot tell where to ●ix that Character of common Enemies which Master Hend●rson obscurely paraphraseth Syrians and Babylonians c and Master Nye more expresse but not more satisfactory tells us that Popery and Prelacy are the chiefe For considering Church government in England and Ireland is by Episcopacy and that of Scotland by the Presbytery this Covenant being supposed to be taken by all the three Kingdomes it followes that neither Papists nor Prelates are enemies to both Governments who stifly maintain the one to be of Divine or Apostolicall Institution but the Separatists are common Enemies who hold a distinct Forme of Pastorall and Independent Government to be ●niversally enjoyned by the Word of God and both Episcopacy and Presbytery to be humane inventions and Antichristian V. I am sorry I should be forced to question what is meant in the next Clause by the Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government of England Whether that which has been constantly avowed by this Church and accepted for such by other Nations Or if that Government be already abolished by the Votes of both Houses if the life and soule of that Discipline be taken from it by new Expositions made upon the late Act for taking away the High Commission if that Forme of Publique Worship the Book of Common Prayer be suspended by an Order if the ancient Doctrin● be already altered in part or in whole by the extemporary Declarations of an upstart Assembly if these Declarations that Order those Expositions those Votes be indeed binding to this whole Kingdome as the Covenanteers pretend they are it will be impossible for them or any man to affirme what is now the Doctrine Worship Government and Discipline of the Kingdome of England there being no Generall Forme left in which the Kingdome is any way required or supposed to agree and the particular Formes may be as many and different as the persons and opinions of the Reformers VI Those words following According to the Word of God are in themselves very materiall and the misapplication of them is a matter of great consequence I doubt whether they ought to be restrained to the Clause immediately foregoing touching Reformation of Religion in England and Ireland or {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} they must be extended to the preservation of Religion in Scotland too and so every Covenanteer be bound to maintain that the Scotch Discipline Church Government is according to the Word of God I am confident the Scots themselves do now intend them and will hereafter expound them in this sense and I raise that confidence upon these reasons First because the Generall d Assembly that Church with the assent and concurrence of the e Lords of Secret Councell in that Kingdome have declared to our two Houses that their Kirke-Goverment by Assemblies higher and lower is jure divino and perpetuall Secondly because in that forme of this Covenant which came from Scotland the words ran thus Preservation of Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God Now upon the other part there is equall reason to believe that not onely many particular English Covenanteers as possessed with an opinion of another Government but that our Lords and Commons at Westminster do not in this point concurre with the sense of the Scots For first they f declare in answer to that Declaration of Scotland that one Forme of Church Government will hardly be obtained in all his Majesties Dominions unlesse some way might be found for a mutuall debate in framing that one Forme Whence it must be collected that the Forme they aime at is not yet framed and therefore not that which the Scots practise Secondly their reforming that draught of the Covenant agreed upon in Scotland and reducing that Clause According to the Word of God to a more proper place and swearing in their new project of Reformation to have an eye not onely to Gods Word but to the example of other Reformed Churches without any expression of or restriction to that of Scotland do perswade with me that ou●English Covenanteers do not conceive the Scotish Discipline and Kirk-Government to be according to the Word of God VII Their Vow to extirpate whatsoever shall be found contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of godlinesse points at some new discovery not yet made I would be resolved who are designed for that inquisition how farre their Commission shall extend and by what rules they must pronounce what Doctrines are sound what rotten what they must take to be contrary to the power of godlinesse what not If Bishops be upon the file either because some have too much enlarged the Philacteries of their Authority or have been otherwise personally faulty or because Superiority and distinction of degrees amongst the Clergy are discovered already to be contrary to found Doctrine and the power

the Crosse notwithstanding he had power infinitely sufficient to repell all the violence of his enemies so did his Apostles follow him in the like example t rejoycing in their life time that they were counted worthy to be beaten for his name and Saint Paul reckons it for a speciall grace and favour to the u Philippians {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} c. that they not onely beleeved in in Christ but suffered for his sake and when they had finished their course and fought the good fight of Faith they gave up their lives a willing sacrifice in testimony of the Truth of their Religion Conformable to this patterne was the constant * Doctrine and Practice of the Primitive Church The most ancient Apologists for the Christian Faith use this as an Argument to prove the Religion of their Persecuters to be false and their own true● that stood in need of humane force to maintain it but theirs stood by the sole power of God Pudeat te eos col●re quos ipse defendi● pudeat tutelam ab ipsis expectare quos tu tueris Those good Christian● were content to trust God with the defence of his own Cause and indeed they durst do no otherwise their Religion enjoyned them not to kill but be killed for it Nor was this for want of ability but authority They who best knew their own strength professed to the face of their adversarie● that both for number and experience they were nothing inferiour It was in their power to have oppo●ed if their Religion would have permitted One of them makes Peter put this question to his Master Cur haberi praecipis gladium quem vetas promi Nisi fortè ut videaris potuisse vindicari sed noluisse Hence it came to passe that when both Swords were in a manner united after the Emperours were converted to the Christian Faith yet Heretiques were cut off by the Spirituall not by the Temporall The first Generall Councels of Nice Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon condemned those Arch-Traitors in Religion Arius Macedonius Nestorius Eutiches but not to death The Councell of Constance was the first that proceeded in that kinde against Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prague Lastly as the Harmony of Reformed Churches in their publique x Confessions does not admit of any division or violent resistance against the supreme Magistrate so has it been the constant Doctrine of all the Protestant Divines generally from Luther down till our times and more particularly of this Church of England as may be more fully seen in the Exhortation to obedience published in Edward the sixth's dayes and the Homily against Rebellion confirmed by the Articles of our Church under Queen Elizabeth The contrary Doctrine being ever reputed peculiar to the worst of Papists the Iesuites and the practice of it made a marke of Antichrist So as I dare averre these three last yeares have produced more seditious Pamphlets in that kinde within this one Kingdome then all the Christian world ever saw before to the shame of our Nation and scandall of our Profession 5. Fifthly this course of violence is contrary to all experience of former times by which it is found that Religion hath ever been better propagated by the sufferings of the true Professours than by force Persecution to the Church being like pruning to the Vine as it was first planted so has it been watered and fructified most by blood Sanguine fundata est Ecclesia sanguin●●r●vit Not by shedding the blood of others but willingly powring out her own The constant patience of Martyrs was the most winning Rhetoricke to perswade others to the Faith it being most likely those opinions should be true for which they so willingly laid down their lives at least common pitty is a powerfull Oratour to perswade with the People with whom the punishment makes the Martyr that he who suffers has a good Cause Whereas should he make resistance to defend himselfe or use violence to compell others that might be upon other ends of profit vaine glory revenge and what not The persecution in other places drove the Protestants hither in Edward the sixth'● dayes as to a common Sanctuary which much advanced the Reformation in England and the cruelty of the Papists under Queen Mary was disposed by the Providence of God to perfect the Reformation both in France and the Low-Countries whither no lesse that y thirty thousand strangers were banished from hence for Religion The flames of our English Martyrs did but give more light to the Truth of the Gospell which their Enemies thought by that meanes to suppresse their Fune●als were the most effectuall Sermons for the Peoples Conversion The bloody Massacre at Paris was y found to advance the Religion in France and the rigorous pressing of the Inquisition made way for casting Popery out of the Low Countries where the present Toleration of all Religions is acknowledged by the Lord a Brook for a speciall meanes that makes it flourish 6. Sixthly it is against that innate principle of the Law of nature Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne feceris Those who pleade most for extirpa●ion of Heretiques when it comes to be their own turne to be under the Crosse stand for Liberty of Conscience and declaime against persecution for Religion as a thing utterly unlawfull ●o the very Iesuites Cardinall Allen and Creswell in his Philopater And surely if we will not suffer i● from others we may not use it our selves 7. Seventhly 't is against the Law of our Land W● have alwayes deprecated that aspersion which ou● adversaries would cast upon it professing we do not punish any Heretiques with death but Seminaries for Sedition and Rebellion not for Religion And here I must observe that the Lords and Commons in Parliament primo Elizabethae confesse they had no meanes to free the Kingdome from the usurped power and authority of the Pope but with the assent of the Queenes Majesty so farre were they from thinking it lawfull to raise Armes for extirpation of Pop●ry when it was established by the Law of the Land 8. Eighthly it is against the common rules of prudence and Civill Policy to use that as a meanes to propagate which is more likely to tend to the extirpation of our Religion I speak of the Protestant which in the generality being not so populous as the Roman if we shall extirpate them he●e where we are stronger we must expect the same measure from them in other places where they are stronger and then in all humane probability our Religion is like to come to the worst in France Germany Poland and other Popish Dominions If they shall take the same course what can we have in equity to object against them Si quis quae fecit patitur is he not rightly served 9 Lastly it is utterly destructive to all Civill Government for if any be allowed to take up Armes for propagation or defence of their true

Covenanteers are the same that projected the Nineteene Propositions whence the World will conclude rather an ambitious desire in them to be exalted then any unfeigned desire to be humbled Besides it is not unknowne to the World that among other Sects which swarme in that great City where the Covenant is so generally taken the Antinomians for number are not contemptible of whose Creed this is a fundamentall Article That God sees no sinne in his elect such as they take themselves to be and they would think it a derogation to the satisfaction of Christ should they be guilty of an unfeigned desire to be humbled for their sinnes if any thus opinionated have taken this Covenant he makes the rest lyars as well as himselfe VII Lastly though it cannot be denyed but the present distresses and dangers of these Kingdomes are the fruits of their sinnes yet to unde●take as they here doe to determine for what sinne● in particular God is pleased to inflict these Iudgements upon us is an Act of State proper for such as are of Councell to the Almighty and should not be avowed by a solemne Oath without a speciall warrant by Revelation Besides I doe not find such a Harmony betwixt this Confession of sinnes here and that formerly published in the f Ordinance for Humiliation And it is not long since the Assembly informed their two Houses that impunity was the cause of those reigning sinnes Incest Adultery Fornication Blasphemy c. but they forbore to tell us who were the cause of that impunity were not they who pulled downe those Courts where such sinnes were punishable Amongst other provoking sinnes they make this one that we have not laboured as we ought for the purity of the Gospell I am affraid there is a bad designe lurks under these good words which the Covenanters are now in labour of probably the introducing of the long agoe pretended holy Discipline or some like Monster already Christened before it be borne by the name of Purity and Reformation If so then is it false that the not labouring for such a Purity is any cause of our present distresse For in all Queene Elizabeth and King Iames his Reigne and the first fifteene years of King Charles for fourescore years together though we wanted this pretended Purity yet we wanted not the happinesse of a blessed Peace Which in the Iudgement of our g English Solomon is a strong evidence that God was well pleased with that forme of Religion established by Law Yet was he informed then as Queene Elizabeth had been before by the frivolous suggestions of some light Spirits of divers errours both in Doctrine and Discipline which stood in need of Reformation Nor did we ever groane under the heavy hand of God as at this day till men of like humours upon the same grounds have reenforced those opinions by the Sword which their Predecessours failed to make good by Discourse These things if they be not all formally false because in some sense they may be true yet being not certainly true they are all guilty of a virtuall falshood because in some sense they are false and seeing no man can know in what sense he ought to sweare them now or shall be required upon his Oath to beleeve them hereafter he cannot therefore sweare them in truth and Iudgement CHAP. V. That this Covenant by reason of the many ambiguityes in it especially this Who shall be the authentique Interpreter of it cannot be sworne in judgement I. EVery Oath ought to be conceived in such familiar language as may be least obnoxious to misconstruction and though few or none can be so voyd of obscurity but a man disposed to quarrell with words may easily finde himselfe matter to work upon Yet in other Oathes all doubts of this nature may be quickly removed for when a Vow or an Oath is taken by any man of his owne accord he knowes in what sense he meant it at the time of emission and in that he is bound to make it good But when an Oath is imposed by the authority of another the taker is bound in that sense which the impo●er meant it so as it be not repugnant to the ordinary signification of the words and such as may rationally be presumed to be intended by that authority But if any man shall conceive the words of an Oath to be meant by the imposer in such a sense as he would not willingly swear but can frame to himselfe a different construction of them according to which onely he will take the Oath and resolves to be bound by it this will no more excuse him from perjury then if he should make all the Vowes and take all the Oathes in the world with an actuall intention not to be bound by any of them which is utterly contrary to the nature of all of them II. Vpon these premises I infer that the present Covenant cannot be sworne in judgement not so much because it is clogged with many doubtfull clauses which may be common to it with other Oathes as because it is infested with this one fundamentall doubt proper to it selfe Who sh●ll be the authentique Expositor of it It should seem here in England by their way of proposall at first not commanding it by Ordinance● but recommending it by their owne Example and a requiring the ministers to explain it to the people that the Members at Westminster desired it should be a free Vow and then every Covenanter must be his owne Interpreter not withstanding the many inconveniences that must ensue upon it For every man abounding in his owne sense instead of swearing union they shall sweare division and by their Vow to preserve all such as take the Covenant in the same words they shall be obliged to destroy all such as take it in a contrary sense to themselves But if this be an Oath imposed by the Authority of the remaining Members at Westminster for England the Convention of Estates for Scotland and I know not who for Ireland the clearing of all doubts must in equity depend upon the Imposers intentions This ministers occasion to many other doubts as first whether the States in Scotland and ours of England did not at first intend some materiall clauses in severall senses and whether hereafter their expositions may not interferre and neither being superiour to other what must be done Secondly whether all the Members of both or either House in England nay whether the greater part of them did upon the taking of the Covenant concur in the same sense if not it cannot be any way obligatory as according to the sense of the Houses Thirdly if there were a full agreement of the major part present in the same sense at the first taking yet hereafter when they shall come to expounding the major part then may declare themselves in an other sense then was first intended for either some other Members may come in by that time and concurring with the now

an alteration however veiled under the specious title of Reformation is a thing not onely directly contrary to the positive Constitutions of these Kingdomes and without warrant or example from divine Law but utterly against Scripture Reason the practice of the true Church of God in all ages the very nature of Religion it selfe and the common principles of civill Policie I might for methods sake parcell this Section and shew first that all force for Religion Secondly that all force against the King is unlawfull But because I find both swords united in the present undertakings of the Covenanteers I shall not divide them in my discourse 1. First That to labour the advancement of Religion by way of Force contrary to established Lawes and the Prince's will has no warrant by way of command or approbation from Gods word must be taken for granted till those who are otherwise minded can shew the contrary and will be needlesse to perswade if we prove in the second place that it is against expresse testimony of Scripture Our Saviour a professeth his Kingdome is not of this world and addes for then would my servants fight Which words as they evince that it is lawfull for Subjects to fight at the command of their temporall King for the maintenance of his wordly Estate so doe they insinuate that Christs Kingdome being Spirituall cannot must not be advanced by temporall Armes b The weapons of our Spirituall Militia are not carnall but Spirituall We have no command from Christ our spirituall Head to kill and slay the common enemies of our Religion but contrarywise to c pray for our persecutors not to resist evill Perhaps upon the same conceit o● Gods glory and advancement of their Religion they persecute us as we Vow to extirpat● them St Paul out of the abundance of Zeale d {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} did at first e persecute the Saints of God yet not without f authority from the Magistrate and therefore his case was different from this of the Covenanteers and he obtained pardon it was a sinne then because he did it ignorantly Our Saviour left it not untold to his Disciples and in them to the Church g that the time would come that whosoever killed them would think he did God service those very murtherers had the glory of God for their ends but that could not excuse their actions Heu primae scelerum causae mortalibus aegris Naturam nescire Dei They were truely ignorant of those meanes which God requires for the advancement of his Kingdome h These things they will doe because they have not known the Father nor me He will not have the i tares extirpate out of his field the Church till the time of harvest and by the proper reapers k M. Nye in his exhortation to the Covenant has made choyce of a text sufficient to break the neck of it He bids us be zealous as Christ was to cast out all he never cast out any by fire and sword but let us doe it in an orderly way and with the Spirit of Christ whose servants we are l The servant of the Lord must not strive sure then he must not kill and slay but be gentle to all men I hope Papists and Prelates may passe for men apt to teach not to inforce Patient not violent in meeknesse instructing not in fiercenesse consumeing destroying extirpating those that oppose If Seditions Tumults Insurrections Rebellion● must goe current for Discipline and Order if the takeing up of Armes defensive or offensive be a worke of patience and meeknesse if the Spirit ●f contradiction be more conformable to the Spirit of Christ then that of suffering the Lord be Iudge for amongst men great Authors are produced on both sides The cheife Covenanters m call it a Spirit of slavery and n advise all to make use of that defence which Nature teacheth every man to provide for But God in Scripture teacheth no such matter o he commands every man to be conformable to the image of his Sonne if we suffer with him that we may be also glorified with him 3. Thirdly this course is against the nature of Religion it selfe For Faith the soule of Religion is an inward act of the Soule which all the Tyranny in the world that the malice of the Divell can invent or the wit of man exercise can neither plant where it is not nor extirpate where it is It is the guift of God freely begotten in the hearts of men not by threat● and terrours not by torture● and Massacres but by the quiet still voyce of the word preached S●adenda non c●genda And therefore St Paul though a lawfull Governour in the Church flatly disclaimes any p domineering power over the Conscience A● for the outward profession of Religion neither is that subject to Force and violence A man may confesse Christ and his Faith in him as freely in bonds as at liberty as gloriously upon the Crosse as upon the throne Feare indeed may incline a weak conscience to dissemble his opinion but cannot constraine him to alter it Fire and Faggot are strong arguments of a weak cause undeniable evidences of cruelty in those that use them but slender motives of credibility to beget Faith in those that suffer by them Lastly for the externall free and publique practice of Religiou● duties that I grant may be restrained by the outward violence of man but when it is so it is not required by God who never expects to reap what he did not sow 4. Fourthly it is against the constant commendable practice of the true Church of God in all ages The Saducees tho●gh they denied the Resurrection and many other Truths in Religion were tolerated in the Church of the Iewes and our Saviour convinceth them by strength of argument not of armes The example of Christ and his Apostles is beyond all exception worthy our best imitation When many of his Disciples did apostate he used no violence to reduce them but mildly said unto the Twelve q Will yee also go away When the Samaritans who were of a different Religion neglected to entertain him because his face was towards Ierusalem the place of the true Worship he sharply r rebuked those sonne● of thunder who would have consumed them with a shower of fire When Peter thought to have defended him by force against a suddain assault made by the servants of the High Priest the Ministers to execute an unlawfull command but imployed by the lawfull Magistrate who by destroying the Master had no other intention but to extirpate that Religion which he had planted he commands him to s put up his sword for all that take the sword though it be in defence of true Religion yet if it be against the command of the lawfull Magistrate shall perish by the sword And as himselfe was content to suffer an ignominious Death upon

to the maintaining of an unnaturall Warre in the bowels of England The Covenanting Committees have committed more rapes upon the common Liberty in one yeare than all the Courts of Star-chamber and High Commission from their first Erection Iudges have been taken off the Bench by armed men and sent to Prison for refusing to do against their Oaths and conscience as Iudge Mallet Others have been so awed that they durst not do their duty and the better to hold a rod over them they have been impeached and committed for High Treason yet brought to sit upon the Bench again before any Triall or Sentence of Absolution as Iudge Bartlet Commands have been sent to prohibit their proceedings in severall particular cases Iustices and Iurors have been superseded from enquiring upon Routs and Tumults and the common Iustice of the Kingdome hath been obstructed by Ordinances prohibiting the holding of Assises notwithstanding the Generall Protestation for the free course of justice New Oaths are enforced upon the Subject without Law The usuall course of pricking Sheriffes not observed but mock-Sheriffes appointed by a new forged Broad Seale Master White and his assistants triumph in the Suspension Sequestration or Deprivation of many painfull learned and pious Ministers Many noble Personages and other Patriots are Parliament-men in name but the Power and Authority is wholly devolved upon a few whose resolutions and determinations if they be brought at all are onely brought into the House for countenance and execution not for debate and deliberation All military charges encreased and exercised Souldiers against their will daily pressed by Ordinance contrary to an Act made this Parliament Are we any whit the more secured in our persons or estates so long as the root of all these evils is not truly taken away but onely transplanted Which was acknowledged to be the Arbitrary Power formerly pretended to be in his Majesty but now usurped by the Covenanteers of taxing the Subiects without consent by Act of Parliament If the blow be the same it smarts as sore whatever hand inflict it To change our masters is not to be free If they truly confessed in the case of Hull it were in them an Act of high iniustice should they destroy mens properties when we see them daily do it must we call it therefore just They have urged against the King what holds strongest against themselves k If by Law they might charge the Subiect for defence of the Kingdome in time of danger they were ill advised that desired aide of the Subiect in such times and engaged themselves as we know they have done without a salvo jure for repayment Admitting it should be so that without this power of imposing Contributions it were impossible to defend the people it followes not that therefore they may impose such Contributions l If M. Pym's excuse be yet authentique the same Law that enables them to raise Force● for defence of the Kingdome enables them to impose Taxes for maintaining them otherwise that power were vaine and uselesse it will serve the King in good stead he it is who is entrusted with the power of defending the Kingdome he to whom the two Houses themselves sue for protection he to whom they confesse m All mens persons lands and monies are subiect for the publique good V. The last generall End of the Covenant is Peace it is true● the chiefe Covenanteers did once professe their detestation of a Civill Warre n If it might be avoided without alteration of Religion which they conceived to be the main End of their Enemies and such as would draw with it l●sse of Liberty and subversion of Law This now appeares to be their own main End for what else is intended by their Oath for Reformation of Doctrine and extirpation of the Government in our Church What was it that altered the Popish Religion into Protestantisme but Reformation And do not these aime at a greater alteration both in Doctrine Discipline Government and Worship than ever the Papists went about If they had been cordially affected to Peace we had never been driven to these sad extremities of war They might have had it before the Sword was drawn or a blow struck no new Religion was pressed upon them no Law denied which might conduce to the publique safety Since the warre begun severall Treaties for accommodation have been proffered to them the most rejected others made fruitles by them But if war be the onely meanes to procure Peace if weakening and impoverishing the Kingdome be the way to preserve it what hopes have we but in desperation May they not yet have Peace if they will embrace it with the same Religion the same old Lawes A gracious pardon is freely offered to all that will accept it The happinesse of a blessed peace concluded between the two Nations what hinders the continuance of it Extirpation of Church Government was no condition of that Pacification Certainly then these destructive wayes of the Covenanteers do not lead immediately to it but are they likely to end in Peace Yes when they have extirpated all opposers Vbi solitudinem fecerint pacem appellant Yet I doubt of that too The chance of Warre is uncertain they could not bring their ends about when they had more strength and lesse opposition which if they shall ever do they must know that Lawes made by the Sword are but short-lived they will be unmade so too Doe they hope so throughly to root up the Royall Vine and spoile the Branches that there will not be left {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} so much as to powre upon the Goates hornes There will never be wanting a Title to the Crown and justice or compassion or faction at home will finde and interest abroad will lend a sword to defend it Besides it will aske some time to extirpate Popery Prelacy Delinquents Malignants c. who being all declared Traitours and by this Covenant devoted to destruction sure they will sell their lives as deare as they can they can expect no worse by fighting than they must undergo by submitting it is more honourable to die by the sword than by the halter Moriendum victis moriendum deditis id solum refert novissimum spiritum per ludibrium contumelias effundant an per virtutem But say the Covenanteers should at last be masters of their most improbous desires the Kingdome by that time will be so exhausted of men and money and other necessaries by a long Warre and the consequents of it Plague Famine and Decay of Trade that it will be exposed for a prey to any stranger that shall thinke it worth invading who cannot want as faire a colour as the Scots either to interpose as Mediators to propagate their Religion to protect or rescue or revenge their injured friends Or if all other States should be asleep while our house is on fire what security can we have from our deare Brethren of Scotland who● though it