The Fastening of Saint Peters Fetters, Tract · Section 3 · Subsection 2
Subſectio ſecunda.
Their exceptions to the Preface of the Covenant maketh no poſitive charge, yet ſuggeſteth ſundry falſhoods therein aſſerted, which they witneſs they could not acknowledge: As,
Firſt, 1 Exception by Oxford Reaſon.They were not able to ſay, that the rage, power and preſumption of the enemies of God (in the ſenſe there intended) is at this time encreaſed.
To which, Sir, I ſhould have then anſwered,
1. Anſwer Their ability to ſay it is of little moment, nor could we well judge it: for whether they were under any natural, wilfull, violent, or judicial incapacity, is not our part to determine: Others were able to ſay it: and if theſe reverend Fathers and Students did know it, though they were not able to ſay it, it was for us ſufficient. And therefore may I be bold further to enquire
2. Whether they were able to read the whole Sentence expreſſing the ſenſe (Of the enemies of God, whoſe rage, power, and preſumption was at this time encreaſed) here intended: and calling to mind the treacherous and bloody plots, conſpiracies, attempts, and practices of the enemies of God, againſt the true Religion, and Profeſſors thereof in all places, especially in theſe three Kingdoms, ever ſinte the Reformation of Religion, and how much their rage, power, and preſumption are of late, and at this time encreaſed: whereof the deplorable eſtate of the Church and Kingdom of Ireland, the diſtreſſed eſtate of the Church and Kingdom of England, and the dangerous eſtate of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland, are preſent and publick teſtimonies. Are not theſe full expreſſions of the ſenſe in which the enemies of God, whoſe ra… power, and preſumption were encreaſed, are to be underſtood? And is it rational or religious to enquire after, and ſuſpend a duty on jealouſie of a ſenſe intended, when we have the ſenſe plainly expreſſed? Is not this repugnant to the end of Speech (the Interpreter of the mind?
3. Were the Maſters, Scholars, and other Members and Officers of the Univerſity of Oxford, ſuch ſtrangers in the Proteſtant Iſrael, as not to know the Papiſts, and Popiſhly affected, were enemies of God, againſt true Religion, and the Profeſſors thereof in all places? Or ſo unacquainted at home, as not to know their plots, conspiracies, attempts, and practices, were especially againſt theſe three Kingdoms, (the moſt publick and potent profeſſors of true Religion) ever ſince the Reformation? Had they no notion of the Rebellions againſt King Edward the ſixth? Of the Treaſons, Plots, Conſpiracies, Roaring Bulls, and Raging Spaniſh Armado againſt Queen Elizabeth? Of the Gunpowder-Treaſon and other plots againſt King James? Of the Colledge of Propagators of the Catholick cauſe erected in Rome, under the Government of Cardinal Barbarin, and deſigned againſt theſe Kingdoms? Or of the grand Plot agitated by Con, or Cuneus, the Popes Nuncio in England, diſcovered by Andreas ab Habernefield, firſt to Sir William Boſwel His Majeſties Reſident in Flanders, and by him unto Laud late Archbiſhop of Canterbury, and ſince fully cleared and laid open by Mr. William Prynn in his Romes Maſter-piece, publiſhed in 1643. four years before their reaſons, and might have been profitable to their eye-ſight?
4. Did not this learned Univerſity judge it to be an high encreaſe of their Rage, Power, and Preſumption, to diſtribute their Jeſuits into ſuch ſeveral Orders, as ſhould be capable in any place or profeſſion to propagate their plots? To preſs upon the late King and Archbiſhop for a publick profeſſion of union with Rome? To boaſt openly of Englands returning to Popery? To tender a Cardinals Hat to the late Archbiſhop? To poiſon our Fountains the Univerſities, and our very people with Arminian and Popiſh doctrines publickly preached and printed, and Popiſh pictures publickly ſold, and bound up with our Teſtaments and Bibles? To provoke the High-Commiſſion cruelties, and Puritans diſcontents? To plot a plain Popiſh Service-book (with very little variation o… from the Maſs-book) and procure it to be by force and violence impoſed on the Church and Kingdom of Scotland, to the raiſing Mutinies, and ſtirring up the Bellum Epiſcopale, with pretence to yoke them, and intention to deſtroy the King and Proteſtant cauſe? To rebell openly in Ireland, and with rage and cruelty to murder and maſſacre the Proteſtants? To divide between King and Parliament in England, and poſſeſs themſelves of his Majeſties Garriſons and Armies, as under their command? To abet, adviſe, and effect the moſt barbarous murther of his late Majeſty, and our ſince confuſions? All which, and many the like, to have been the atchievements and accompliſhments of theſe enemies of God to true Religion. He that is in any meaſure obſervant of our affairs, can run and read. And are not theſe expreſſions of rage, power, and preſumption? let right reaſon judge.
2. Oxford Reaſons, ſecond exception.They cannot truly affirm, that they had uſed or given conſent to any ſupplication or remonſtrance to the purpoſes therein expreſſed.
To this, Sir, conſider,
That although they cannot affirm it, yet others can do it in truth, and with joy.
2. What are the purpoſes therein expreſſed? (not as before intended) ſhall we judge it from the Preface? It is the glory of God, and the advancement of the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, the honor and happineſs of the Kings Majeſty, and His Poſterity, the publick liberty, peace, and ſafety of the Kingdoms, wherein every ones private condition is included. For the End is the Argument which is urged to enforce the conſtancy to the Covenant; and in Article the ſixth it is expreſſed to be the glory of God, good of the Kingdoms, and the honour of the King; and theſe are the onelyonly purpoſes expreſſed in theſe particular acts propounded for the production of them, and ſhall we be ſo uncharitable, as to think the Gentlemen of Oxford to have been ſo void of piety towards God, love to their Country, or loyalty toward their King, as not to have uſed or given conſent to Supplication or Remonſtrance to theſe purpoſes therein expreſſed? Muſt we think them ſo ſpeechleſs, as not to pray to God, nor ſpeak to men for the effecting of theſe purpoſes expreſſed? No! I will rather preſume them modeſt, and not willing to publiſh their piety and zeal to good purpoſes: or paſſionately prejudiced againſt ſome one expedient propounded to the effecting of theſe purpoſes expreſſed, and thereby acted to confound the purpoſe and purſuing meanes: But,
3. Had not the Univerſity of Oxford Repreſentees in Parliament? If they did not ſit, were they violently excluded? Or, did they give their No to the Supplications or Remonſtrances to the purpoſes expreſſed in the Covenant? and if they did, were not theſe Supplications and Remonſtrances carried by the Majority of Votes? And is not the Negative ſo ſwallowed therein, that all perſons and bodies corporate through the Nation, did thereunto conſent? When we finde Oxford excepted, we will ſay they could not truly affirme, they gave conſent.
But 3dly, Oxford Reaſons third exceptionthey did not conceive the entring into ſuch a League and Covenant, to be a lawful, proper, and probable means to preſerve our ſelves and our Religion from ruine and deſtruction.
To this, Sir, we muſt enquire into the conceipt of theſe Gentlemen, and deſire to know whether it relate unto the quality of the Covenant, or the act of Covenanting? The particle Such, ſeems to carry it to the quality of the Covenant, in reſpect of the matter covenanted; which afterward is particularly and in its proper place excepted againſt: But the words of the Covenant ſuggeſted by this exception to be falſe, do relate unto the act of covenanting, as we have now at laſt for the preſervation of our Religion, determined to enter into a (not ſuch a) mutual and Solemn League and Covenant: And the place of this exception is in the beginning of their exceptions unto the Preface, which may be ſaid to be no part of the Covenant, and therefore admits not an exception to the quality of ſuch a Covenant: Moreover the next exception puts it out of doubt, that theſe words relate to the act of Covenanting, in which they profeſs they finde not in our Hiſtories any footſteps of a ſworn Covenant on any occaſion whatſoever. So that it ſeems to be the Act of covenanting by Oath, which they cannot conceive to be a lawful, proper, and probable means to preſerve Religion from ruine: Surely then Sir, the weather was very miſty about Oxford, and made their minds very muddy, that they could not conceive entring into Covenants, and Solemn Leagues, dictated by the light of nature, and directed by the Law of God, purſued and practiſed by all Nations, (and by Iſrael in the caſes of their Religion,) as the utmoſt of humane policy, and higheſt of ſecurity to their priviledges endangered, as a method detecting concealed enmity, debarring fraud, expreſſing affection, engaging conſcience, and animating reſolution, to be a lawful, proper, and probable meanes of ſecurity. If it be good and ſafe as to our Civil, I hope it is no leſs probable in our Religious concernments. If Sir, I had been to deale with one ſingle ſtudent, I muſt have told him, That he ſtarted this exception more like a Sophiſtical Diſputant, than a conſcientious Dubitant.
Fourthly, They could not believe the entring into this Covenant to be according to the commendable practice of theſe Kingdoms, 4th Exception in the Oxford Reaſons.or the example of Gods people in other Nations: for that they found not the leaſt footſtep in our Hiſtories of a ſworne Covenant ever entred into by the people of this Kingdom upon any occaſion whatſoever; nor could they readily remember any commendable example of the like done in any other Nation, but are rather told by the Defenders of the Covenant, that the world never ſaw the like before.
Whither Sir, Anſwer. will not prejudice carry men? I cannot but wonder to finde the Maſters, Students, &c. of Oxford, ſo much unacquainted with Hiſtories, as neither to finde in our own, or other Hiſtories, a commendable example of Entring into Covenant: I may not mind them of the Covenant made by the Nobles and people of Scotland among themſelves, and with Queen Elizabeth of England, under and againſt the Papal might, executed by the then Queen Regent; nor of the Netherlands confederacy and Covenant: Theſe will not ſeem commendable in their ſight now, though ſo judged when England became their protection, and encouraged, nay, defended them in them.
Let me therefore enquire whether they knew Iſrael to have been Gods people of another Nation, and that they entered into Covenant in the time of the Judges, in the dayes of Joaſh, Joſiah, Hezekiak, and Nehemiah, in times of danger and defection in their Civil and Religious concernments; And was their practice commendable?
2. Did our Gentlemen of Oxford never finde any footſteps in our Hiſtories concerning the Barons of Stamford, Anno 1225. aſſembled not only without, but againſt the Kings conſent, and covenanted each with other to demand the reſtitution of their Liberties; whereupon a Parliament was holden at Northampton to give them ſatisfaction? And again, did they never finde in our Hiſtories, how in Anno 1258. they Aſſembled at Oxford, agreed on Articles, viz. The confirmation of the Charter de Foreſta. 2. The eſtabliſhing of a Lord Chief Juſtice, who might judge them by Law. 3. The driving Aliens and Strangers out of England, and the like; and that they confederated by Oath, and gave their hands and mutual faith one to the other, Matth. Paris Hiſt. Aug. p. 940, 941, 952, 653.that they would not deſiſt to proſecute their purpoſe for loſs of money or Lands, nor love, nor hate, no nor yet for life of them, or theirs, till they had cleared England of Strangers, and procured laudable Laws: And under this Covenant they brought the Kings Brother, Richard King of Romans, and Earle of Cornwall, and cauſed him to ſweare upon the Holy Goſpels this formal Covenant:
Hear all men that I Richard Earle of Cornwal, ſwear upon the Holy Goſples, to be faithful and forward with you, to Reforme the Kingdom of England, hitherto by the counſel of wicked men ſo much deformed; and I will be an effectual coadjutor, to expell the Rebels and troublers out of the ſame: Both theſe our Hiſtories ſay, were in the time, and without the conſent of King Henry the 3d. Not to trouble our Reader with the like in the time of King John, King Richard the 2d, and other Princes; I muſt deſire the Gentlemen of Oxford to tell us, whether theſe were not people of England? and theſe be not viſible footmarks of ſome Covenant of the people of England on ſome occaſion? And if they ſhall queſtion whether they be commendable examples, let them pleaſe to obſerve the commendable Epethite our Hiſtorian gives upon the laſt of theſe Covenanters, calling them Angliae Republicae Zelatores: But, the defenders of the Covenant told them, that the world never ſaw the like before: I but, they did not tell them, that there are no footſteps of any Covenant made on any occaſion whatſoever: And if they had, were the Maſters and Students in Oxford reſolved into ſuch an implicite Faith, as to believe an Enemy? But I wonder theſe Maſters of Reaſon had ſo little Reaſon, as to conclude a general, from the conceſſion of a special: Their Margent explaineth the conceſſion of the defenders of the Covenant in theſe termes, Such an Oath for matter, perſons, and other circumſtances, the like hath not been in any Age or Oath we reade of in Sacred or humane Stories. Know they not that there is a vaſt difference between the general form of an Oath or Covenant, and thoſe ſpecial Qualifications which may circumſtance it? and that a diſſimilitude in the laſt, will not conclude that there never was a Sworn Covenant on any occaſion? but ſit verbum ſat ſapienti.
Thus Sir, notwithſtanding theſe learned Suggeſtions of the falſehood of the Preface, and in it of the aſſertory part of the Covenant, it yet continueth lawful, becauſe true; and is our encouragement and aſſurance, that the promiſſory part will be anſwerable: For as in rational concluſions, ſo I hope in Religious reſolutions we ſhall find à veris vera ſequuntur.