many hundredlhourand Perjuries, andSvveating or Covenan- ting never to repent or endeavour that the Nationfhould repent ofheinous Chur,h-Corruptions, or amend them, and the nulli- fyingof the Ordination. and Miniftry of thoufands, and Un- churching almost all the Proteftant Churches, and more fuck like, a man fhould not play with Matters-of this moment, nor take God's dreadful Name in.vain, nor fort with theCon- fuming Fire. And I hope you grant,. that Words in Oaths and Impofitions, are to be taken in the propereft ufual fence, unlefs the Authors otherwife expound them. And you know that they have been fo far from expounding themotherwife, as that there twenty years they have refuted it, and in Scotland fen- tenc'd the Earl of Argyle to die for expounding them as fome would have us do. And what do Oaths or Covenants fignify, if the Takers may put what fence they will on them, and if the molt exprefs Univerfals, yea, the exprefs Excitations of all Ex- ceptions , may be taken in -a particular fence with Excep- tions,. fuch Swearers and Subfcribers give their Rules no fecurity. Is it not enough to tell you we will willinglyhand to Bifhop Sanderfon's.ownRules inhis Excellent PreleCtions de Yu-, ramento, for expounding Oaths and Promifes ? Such as thefe Exporitions of ftretchers, make Oaths to be none, viz. [It's unlawful] that is, againfk the King's Law but not aping God's [to takg Arms againg the King] viz. As., King, but fay the Papilts, when the Pope excommunicates and depofeth him, he is no King, [on any pretence whatfoever J that is, any tinjuft pretence [by his Authority apinghis Perfon]viz.. le is to be done byGods..:4uthority andnot by his,[or againfl. any Coma . miffioned by him,] viz. Lawfully Commiffioned, of which we are di- fcerning 'judges. The fame Imay fay of all the reft As A/renting and Confènting to all things, except many things : Swearing Cano- nical Obedience in Licitis Honeflisovhen we judge ten or twen- ty Canons, if not the very frame tobe illicita Inhonefla, &c. L. But asyou have faid that thofe Great Men, Grotius, and BL, fhop Jeremy Taylor were for prefitable Lying, fo you k:ow that Worthy Latitudinarian Dr. who was wont ro/ay, That if falfe Knaves would turn him out of his Miniftry and Living, by en - haring Impofitions, he would take the Words in the belt fence he could fubdue them to, whatever the Authors meant and ir was as Lawful for him to defend hiinfelf camnjl Knaves with his Tongue, as with his HandsandSword, 44/t H . 4 4
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