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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A11743 Reasons against the rendering of our sworne and subscribed confession of faith Warriston, Archibald Johnston, Lord, 1611-1663. 1638 (1638) STC 22036; ESTC S117024 3,004 4

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Reasons against the rendering of Our sworne and subscribed Confession of Faith 1. IF wee should render Our subscribed Covenant wee can not bee free of the great guiltinesse of Perjurie before GOD for as We were drawn by necessitie to enter into a mutuall Union and Conjunction amongst Our selves So are Wee bound not only by the Lawes of GOD and nature but by Our solemne Oath and Subscription against all dangerous or divisive motions by all lawfull meanes to promove and observe the same without violation and not suffer our selves by whatsoever suggestion allurement or terror directly or indirectly to be divided or drawn from it And it is too manifest that no motion can be more divisive upon the one side nor can we upon the other part more directly give way to division then willingly and with our own consent to render the band of our union and conjunction to be destroyed that no testimony thereof may be any more extant 2. We would distinguish except wee will deceave our selves between Res jurata that which is sworn and Jurati● our sweareing thereof for although all the generall and particular points contained in our subscribed Covenant were to be insert in another Covenant to be made by the expresse commandement of authority yet to rander our sworne Confession were both to passe from our swearing thereof as si res esset integra as if we had never sworne and subscribed and also to destroy that which we have beene doing as a thing unlawfull and to be repented of It were not only to make our oath to be no oath our subscription no subscription and our testimony no testimony but really to acknowledge and Confesse our selves in this to have beene transgressours so that we can neither clame any right to the promise of GOD nor think our selves obliged in any duety to GOD by vertue of that oath It must ever bee remembred that oaths and perjuries are multiplied not onely according to the diversity of the things that are sworne but according to the sweareing of the same thing at diverse times so oft as we sweare and subscribe the same thing by so many oaths and obligations are we bound unto GOD and consequently the rendering of our subscription is the renunceing of that individuall band and obligation although possibly by another we may stand bound or sworne 3. Our voluntary renewing of our Covenant with God carieth greater evidence of a free service to God then if it had beene done by expresse commandement of authority Because the power of God makeing his people so willing and the readinesse and sincerity of the people is so much the more manifest like as the LORD from heaven hath testified his acceptance by the wonderfull workings of his Spirit in the hearts both of pastors and people to their great comfort and strengthning in every duety above any measure that ever hath beene heard of in this land And therefore to give any token of recalling the same were unthankfully to misregard the work of God and to quite all the comforts and corroborations that the people of God have to their great joy experienced at this time 4. We have declared before God and the world that this our Covenant as it now standeth sworne and subscribed is lawful and necessary that it is done in obedience to the commandement of God conforme to the practise of the godly and according to the laudable example of our religious progenitors who by the like oath have obliged us to the substance and tenor of this And therefore if we should now by rendering our Covenant undo that which we have done we should deny the commandement of God condemne the examples in scripture and the practises in this kirk and precondemne all like commendable courses to be taken by posterity in the like exigence 5. No Covenant in things civile can be altered or rescinded without consent of the parties with whom it is made But Our Covenant is a religious Covenant made with GOD and amongst Our selves and therefore can not be rendered without the expresse consent of the meanest of all the subscribers who justly for their comfort may crave of Us all the benefite and performance thereof 6. There is no appearance that such as affect the prelats and their courses will be moved to sweare and subscribe all the parts of this Covenant As for instance To labour by all meanes to recover the former puritie and libertie of the Gospel as it was established and professed before the novations alreadie introduced or to declare that they undoubtedly to believe that the innovations and evils contained in Our Supplications Complaints and Protestations are abjured in the Confession of Faith as other heads of Poperie expressely contained therein 7. Although all the points of the subscribed Covenant were ratified by act of Parliament yet could we not render the subscribed Covenants Because acts of Parliament are changeable and of the nature of a civile ratification And it is necessarie that this Our Oath being a religious and perpetuall obligation should stand in vigour for the more firme establishing of religion in Our owne time and in the generations following 8. All the world may justly wonder at Our inconstancie and Our enemies who in their insolencie are readie to insult upon Us at the least occasion would not cease to mock at Us and traduce Us as perjured Covenant-breakers and troublers of the peace of the kirk and kingdome without any necessarie cause 9. Although We do not compare the Scriptures of God with a written confession of faith yet as the rendering of the Bible was the sin of the Traditores of old and a signe of the denyall of the truth contained therein so the rendering of Our Confession of faith so solemnly sworn and subscribed for staying the course of defection and for barring of poperie and all other corruptions of religion could be interpreted to be no lesse then a reall denyall of Our Faith before men in a time when GOD calleth for the Confession thereof 10. Many fair promises have beene made for not urging of articles already concluded and for not troubling us with any further novations which being believed have ensnared many and drawne them on to doe that which otherwise they would not have done all which promises have beene broken and denyed when the performance was craved And why shall We not expect the like in this case especially where the challenge will be found to be more hard and difficile Objections answered Ob. 1 IT may be objected that the Confession of Faith being confirmed by the Kings Authoritie were much to be preferred to this which seemeth to have no expresse commandement of authoritie Ans 1. Our Covenant wanteth not the warrand civile and ecclesiasticall which authorised the former Covenant 2. Although rash and unadvised oathes be unlawfull yet voluntary covenanting with God is more free service to God as hath beene said before then that which is commanded by Authoritie 3. We ought not to do ill that good may come of it and must resolve to choose affliction rather then iniquitie Ob. 2 The rendering of the whole copies of the subscribed Covenant were a ready meane to remove all feares of the Kings wrath against the subscribers Ans 1. It is more fearefull to fall in the hands of the living GOD. 2. They wrong the King who threaten his good subjects with his wrath for covenanting with God in defence of religion and of his Majesties Person and Authoritie 3. It were more righteous with GOD to turn his Majesties Heart and Hand against Vs for dealing thus deceatfully in his Covenant Ob. 3 If this be not granted his Majestie will grant neither Assemblie nor Parliament for establishing Religion and setling the peace of the kirk and kingdome Ans 1. The good providence of God so sensible in this whole work from the beginning will incline the heart of so just and gratious a King to deale more kindely and benignely with his good subjects 2. We have law reason and custome for craving and expecting of those lawfull remedies of the grievances and feares of the whole kirk and countrey Ob. 4 The end of the making of our Covenant was that We might be delivered from the innovations of religion which being obteined our Covenant should cease as having no further use Ans 1. As acts of Parliament against poperie did not abolish our former Confession of faith wherein poperie was abjured So Acts of Parliament to be made against these innovations can not make our Covenant to be unprofitable 2. Although the innovations of religion were the occasion of making this Covenant yet our intention was against those and against all other innovations and corruptions to establish religion by an everlasting Covenant never to be forgotten