422 / 846
388
The
LIEE
of
the,`--
B.
I.
r. Thofe that
are
high
Prelatifs
fay,
r. For
Epifcopacy,
it
is
of
Divine
Initiuui-
.on, and
perpetual Ufage in the Church, and
neceffary to
Order
among
the
Cler-
gy
and People, and
of
experienced
Benefit
to this Land,and molt
congruousto Civil
Monarchy
; and
therefore
not to
be altered by any
;
no not
by
the King
and
Par-
liament,
if
they
fhould fwear
it
:
Therefore the Oath
called
the Et ratera Oath
was
formed before the
War,-
to
Swear all
Men to
be
true
to this
Prelacy, and not
to
Change
it.
2.
Thofe that
are
called
Conforming Presbyterians,
and
Latitudinarians, both
fay
that
our Prelacy
is
lawful,
though not
neceffary ; and
that
Mr. Edward
Stil
lingfleet's Irenicon
hath
well proved,
That no
Form
of
Church Government
is
of
Divine Inftitution. And therefore when
the Magiftrate commandeth any, he
is
to
be obeyed. But force they
grew up to Preferment,
they grow
to be
hot for
the
Prelacy.
§
287.
Andtherefore
as
to the Covenant, they
all fay,
r.
That
the
,End
of
it
was
Evil,
viz.
To
Change the Government
of
the
Church, without Law, which
was
fetled
by
Law. z.
That
the
Efficient Caufe
was Evil
or Null,
viz. That the
Impofers had no Authority to do
it.
3.
That
the Matter
was
Evil,
viz.
to extir-
pate, and changethe Government
of
the
Church
by Rebellion and Combination
a-
gainft the King.
4.
That
the
Swearers
All
in taking
it
was finful,
for the
forefaid
Reafons. ç.
That
the
King's Prohibition and difowning it did
nullifie
all
the
Sub-
¡efts Obligations,
if
any were upon
them,
by virtue
of
Numb.
3o.
6.
That
the
People being
all
Subje&s,
cannot endeavour the Change
of
Church Government
without the King. 7.
That
King
Eberle,
took
not that
fame
Covenant, but ano-
ther.
8.
That
he
was
forced to it.
9.
That
he was virtually pre-engaged to
the
contrary Matter, in that
he
was
Heir
of
the Crown, and
bound
to
take
the Coro-
nation Oath.
r
O.
That
to
cult
fo
many Men
as
the
Bithops
out of
all
their
Ho-
iours
and
Poffel&ons,
is
Injuftice, which none
can
be
obliged
to
do.
r
r.
That if
it
werelawful
before
to endeavour
an
Alteration
of
the Governmentof the Church,
yet now
it
is
not,
when King and Parliament
have made
a
Law againtt
ir.
Thefe
are Mr.
Fu/wood's
and Mr.
Stileman's
Pleas,
and the
Sum
of
all
that
I
have
heard
as
to that
Point.
§
288. But further,
as
to
the Interpretation
of
the
Words
of
the
Declaration
hereabouts, the Latitudinarians, and Conforming Presbyterians, and tome
of
the
Prelatilts
fay
as
followeth
:
r. That the Declaration includeth not
the
King
,
when
it
faith,
[There
brim obligation
en
me or any
other
perfon
]:
which they
prove, becaufe
that
Laws are made only for
Subje&s, and
therefore are
to
be
interpreted asfpeak-
ing only
of
Subjeóts. 2. Becaufe
the
King
is
meant
in the
Counterpart,or Oble
&,
viz.
the
Government of
the
State,
which
is
not
to
be
altered. z.
They
fay
that
it
is
only
Rebellions
,
or other
unlawful
Endeavours ,
that
are meant by the words
[
to
Endeavour]. 3.
They
fay
that
by
[any Alteration]
is
meant only
[
any
Effential
Alteration
j
and
not
[
any
Integral
or
Accidental Alteration
j
of the Government.
4. And
the leadingIndependents
have
taught them
alto
to
fay,
that
this
Covenant
was effentially
a
League,
between two Nations upon
a
certain occafion,whichthere-
fore
(if
ever it
did
bind)
is
now like an Almanack outof date,
Et
ceffat
obligatie
ceffantibm perferni,
materiâ.&
fine. ç.
They
principally argue
that
all
Mens words
are
to
be
taken charitative, in the moli honest and favourable fence
that they
will
bear:
mach more the King's and Parliament's
:
Therefore Charity
permicteth
us
not
to judge
them
fo
inhuman, irrational,
irreligious, and cruel
,
as
to command
Men
to
be
perjured, and to change
the
constituted Government,
by
prohibiting
King, Parliament, or
People,
to do
any
thing which
belonged
to
them
in their
places.
Thelè
are
the
Reafons for
the
lawfulnefs
of
declaring
against
the Obligation
of
the Covenant.
289.
3.
In
the
fame
Declaration it
is
profeffed,
That
[
it
is not
lawful,
on
any
pretence
whatfoever,
to
take
up
Arms againfl
the
King,
or any
Comn:P
seated by
bin]
&c.
Concerning
this,
they
are
alfb
divided among themfelves.
One
Party
fay,
That
this
is
true univerfally
in
the proper
fence
of
the
words.
The
ocher
fay,
That
it
is
to
be
undedfood
of
fuels as
are
legally Commi(faoned
by him only ; and
that
if
he
fhould
Commiflion two
orthreeMen, or
more, to
kill
the Parliament, orburnthe
City, or to
difpoffefs
Men
of
their
Freeholds
,
it
were lawful forcibly to
refill.
Or
if
the Sheriff
be
to
raife
the
Palle
Comitatur
in obedience
to
a
Decree
of
a
Court
of
justice, to put
a
Man into
poffeflion
of
his
Houk,
hemay do
it forcibly,
though
the
Defendant
be Commifíioned by
the
King to
keep
it.
Becaufe
they
fay
that
the Law
is
to
be taken
fano
fenfe,and
not
as
may lay the Law-givers under
fo
heavy
an
Accufa-
tìon,
as
the literal unlimited
fence would do.
4290.