The Covenanters Plea Against Absolvers, Discourse · Postscript
A Poſtſcript to the ingenuous Reader.
REader, Leaſt any ſhould put a miſinterpretation upon what we have ſaid, we have thought fit to let thee know, that we have not ſeen our Papers ſince the third or fourth of October laſt, ſince which time (thou knoweſt) is come out His Majeſties gracious Declaration concerning Eccleſiaſtical affairs. In reference to which we crave leave to add a few words, that thou mayeſt know, that we are none of thoſe who deſire it may not paſs into an Act, or think our ſelves by the Covenant obliged to hinder ſo good a work.
The Covenant obligeth us in our callings to endeavour a Reformation according to the Word of God, &c. 2. To endeavour the extirpation of Popery, Prelacy, i.e. The Church-government by Archbiſhops, Biſhops, Archdeacons, Deans, Prebends, Chancellors, Commiſſaries. We ſuppoſe none dreams us to have covenanted againſt names, but things, viz. exorbitances of power either practiſed by theſe men, or with which they were inveſted.
There were two things in point of Diſcipline, wherein, as to practice at leaſt, the Adminiſtration of Church-Government here in England was heretofore apparently againſt. Gods Word; a third, wherein it was againſt right reaſon.
1. The firſt was, That perſons, not ordained, were truſted with the Keys of the Kingdom of heaven, viz. Excommunication, &c. Such were Chancellours, Commiſſaries, &c.
2. The ſecond was, That Prelates arrogated a ſole power to themſelves, both in Ordination, and in the Exerciſe of Juriſdiction.
3. That which was againſt Reaſon and Conſcience was, that the Biſhops charge was ſuch as an Angel from heaven could not have diſcharged with a good conſcience.
In matter of Worſhip, two things call'd for Reformation: 1. The frame of the Lyturgie, againſt which there were ſufficient exceptions. 2. The impoſed Ceremonies, thoſe we mean which were myſtical and Sacramental.
How far his moſt Excellent Majeſty hath taken care in theſe things is now evident to all; and we are moſt humbly thankful to his Majeſty, for his endeavours in it, and to our Brethren, for their endeavours with his Majeſty, relating to it; what his Majeſty hath already done, is a great evidence to us, that if hereafter it ſhall be made appear to His Majeſty, that ought yet remains to be farther done, in order to the fulfilling of the Ends of the Covenant, He who (under theſe Circumſtances) hath freely and honourably done this, will not be wanting to it, and we are not ſo haſty, as to think Hieruſalem can be built in a day. The God of Heaven requite into His Majeſties boſome a thouſand fold that love and tenderneſs to His People which He hath in this ſhewed; and we are fully aſſured, that it will be no grief of heart to His Majeſty that He hath thus far condeſcended.
As to the Common-Prayer, we profeſs our ſelves not againſt a Lyturgy; and we doubt not but His Majeſty will appoint ſuch perſons to review our Lyturgie as will agree in one, which ſhall not be liable to juſt exceptions; till that time His Majeſty grants a liberty.
But we can never be ſufficiently thankful for the liberty His Majeſty hath granted us, in reference to the Oath of Canonical Obedience, Subſcription, and the Ceremonies.
Though indeed, His Majeſty hath been pleaſed to deny ſomething of this liberty to Cathedralls, and to Colledges; yet we doubt not, but when His Majeſty ſhall truly underſtand, that the continuance of thoſe Ceremonies in both thoſe places, makes the generality of ſober and conſciencious people never come at Cathedral Churches, to attend the devotion which His Majeſty hath there provided dayly for them, and that were they abated, and, the Deans and Prebends enjoyned, in perſon, there to Expound Scripture, Preach, or Catechize, or read Divinity Lectures there daily, inſtead of meer doing that which every Child might do at home; and that not by themſelves neither, but oft times by mean perſons of no eſteem with ſober and good people. His Majeſty will quickly otherwiſe order things there, and not ſuffer ſo great a part of the Churches Revenue to be conſumed in ſuch a way, as is not like to be much profitable, while it is ſo little acceptable.
And when His Majeſty ſhall truly underſtand, by His faithful Miniſters of State, that the retaining the Ceremonies in Colledges makes many ſober, learned, and conſciencious young men leave the Univerſities, (at furtheſt, as ſoon as they can but get a degree) and many of His Subjects reſolve againſt breeding their Children there, as not thinking thoſe Ceremonies lawful; His Sacred Majeſty, who hath thus far expreſſed ſo great a tenderneſs to his People, will (as to theſe reſerved Caſes) alſo further provide for them.
In the mean time, though we muſt ſome of us profeſs our ſelves to be of the number of thoſe who dare not ſubmit our Children to an Education in our Univerſities (under thoſe circumſtances) yet we humbly ſubmit to his Majesties pleaſure: So we may ſit in our houſes and worſhip God in peace according to his Will; we ſhall be content to purchaſe that our liberty with the denial of our Children the liberty of ingenuous breeding, or at leaſt paying for it in ſome other places: hoping that his Sacred Majeſty will in time alſo take this thing into his mature deliberation.
But we muſt profeſs, that if His moſt excellent Majeſties gracious Declaration had in every tittle fully anſwered the utmoſt of our deſires, we ſhould have yet ſeen a need of ſome ſuch Diſcourſes as theſe are for theſe Reaſons:
1. To recover to our God the due Reverence which the World hath had, and ought to have for his Sacred Name: The Violation of Oaths is in Scripture called, A prophaning of the Name of the Lord, Num. 30.
2. That the World may know, that all the Divines in England are not ſo meanly verſed in Divinity, as to aſſert, or believe, thoſe Principles, concerning the diſſolving the bonds of Oaths, which ſome have lately vented amongſt us, and are, we are ſure, to be juſtified by no Father, School-man, Caſuiſt, or Textuary, that ever we heard of in the World.
3. For the ſecurity of his Majeſty, and all Princes, and Christian Magiſtrates; for we believe, that it will be evident to all that duly conſider it, that promiſory Oaths from their Subjects will be of little uſe to eſtabliſh their Thrones, if once their People believe, that they are diſcharged from their Oaths, 1. If their Oaths were againſt The Laws of the Church: Or 2. If they hinder greater good: Or 3. If they ſware through fear of loſing their Eſtates, elſe, &c. Or, 4. For an evil end: Or 5. That the ſame Power, or a greater than that which commanded them to ſwear, can in all Caſes diſcharge them. The Papiſt ſhall be free from the Oath of Supremacy by Principle, becauſe againſt the Laws of his Church; and as ſoon as ſeditious Subjects can but perſwade themſelves, that a greater good will come by Rebellion than by Obedience, and that the maintaining of a Monarchical Government is finis turpis; he ſhall plead, his Oath of Allegiance was a forced Oath, and there's an end of his duty, and his erroneous practice is juſtified by theſe erroneous Principles.
4. Finally, (to ſay nothing of the Vindication of our ſelves from our Antagoniſts reproaches) for the maintaining of humane Society, and keeping the bonds of truth between man and man in their perfect ſtrength; Of what uſe (as to this) aſſertory and promiſory Oaths are, every one knows: and we leave it to every reaſonable Chriſtian to judge of how little uſe they will be found to be if theſe Principles be once throughly drank in.
We ſhall only add, that ſince we read his Majeſties Declaration we are troubled that we have had any occaſion ſo much as to mention His Majeſties Declaration in Scotland, (though it was never in our ſecret thoughts to do it with any reflection upon his Majeſty,) the ſheets being ſome of them printed, we could not blot out what was written; what is ſaid was in the ſimplicity of our hearts.
That paper was commonly expoſed to ſale, without any check; as we knew not the Circumstances of his Majeſties firſt ſigning it, ſo neither knew we of the Printing of it, nor any thing, but that it was free for any to buy or read it; We are of the number of thoſe (we confeſs) who cannon think our conſciences diſcharged from the Covenant; Our Brethren, who have undertaken to abſolve us, continually alledge, that the Covenant, being taken without his Majeſties conſent, is void. There is a great ſhew in this Argument, if 1. The Lords and Commons aſſembled in Parliament have not a power in any caſes to require an Oath upon people, except 2. His Majeſty, or his Succeſſors (at firſt diſſenting) did not afterwards conſent. In either of theſe Caſes our Brethren know that Argument is of no value. We (not knowing the powers and priviledges of Parliament, nor willing to diſpute them; though to engage us to ſwear we were told they had ſuch a power) were not willing to inſiſt upon that Plea, (which muſt be made good by Preſidents, or Law principles, not proper for Divines) and therefore choſe to mention the latter as ſufficient to enervate that Argument, (for our Brethren, whatever they ſay, will not ſtand to juſtifie, that Juramentum metu extortum non obligat;) we heartily wiſh our Brethren would inſiſt upon that Plea no more, they know they have a full anſwer to it.
Having (good Reader!) thus far advertized thee, we have nothing to ſay, but only to pray, that God would give thee a good underſtanding in all things, and keep thee in awe of Oaths, as knowing that when once (as to the Religion of them) thou haſt got a maſtery over thy Conſcience, nothing will remain ſacred to thee, and the ſtrongeſt ligament of humane Society is broken; And this we dare aver, That he who feareth not an Oath, but can take every ſlight pretence to quit himſelf of the bond of it, can neither be a good Servant to God, nor a good Subject to his Prince, nor a good man to his Neighbour.
Bleſſed therefore is he who feareth alwaies, though the ſimple paſs on, and are puniſhed.
FINIS.