[ 1341 tiro' obflinacy cut off the Nation of the yens , I read not that they drew the Nation into an Oath or Covenant never to amend. When Chrifl came to fave the World, it was by a Covenant of Faith and Repentance. And if I fhould fee the World.once confederate in a Covenant never to believe, re- pent.and airiend,. I fhould call it.the Kingdom ofSatan, and thence date our Accounts Chronological, with a Regnante Diabolo , as in Francethey did a while, with a Reinante Chrifio. (of which Vide Blondellum). I do not fay that thefe old Nonconformifis were in the right , nor that Bucer did no whit over-value the Difcipline which he propofed to King Edward the Sixth nor that this Oath containeth all the forefaid guilt. But I fay , If I fhould prove fo , and vehture on it in uncertainty , when the Judz- ment of fo many Parliaments, Lawyers, Divines abroad and at home are againft fuch kind of Swearing : what a cafe fhould I bring my Soul into ? National Oaths, efpecially fuch as feem to me °to fix every Church-Office , from the Arch-Bifhop to the Official, if not the Apparitor , as unalterable in the very conítitution of the Kingdom , even putting them before the State, are Matters of greater Confequence than to be rafhly ventured on by me : Even the Long Parliament that made the filencing Acts, reftored not the Canon and Et cetera Oath of 1640. which bound Men never to confent to fuch Alteration of Church-Government, by Arch-bithops, Biflhops, Deans and chap. ters, Arch -deacons, 6-c. Chap. XXXIX. Point XXXVI. Of Szdfcri ing andSwear- ing agai ll the ` Folition as Traiterons of taking Arn?S r &y the I( nC s Authority againft thofe that are Comm f one e. byhim rn Pufuance offilch Comm/ ion. L. y Am fire you can have nothing againi ibis unlefs byforced Expofition of the words. M. I am fure that I abhor all forced Expofitions, and all Treafon, Rebellion and Sedition. But here, becaufe you are a Lawyer, I will come to you only,as a Client or Learner, intreat- ing you to refolve all the common Objeóions, that I may do what I do in Truth, Judgment and Righteoufnefs.. L.
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