268 1 he L IFE of the LIB.I. tual 'Infamy ! And what Matter of Reconciliation would it be to theguilty Pa- ` pifts , when weblame their impious Doctrinesthat have fuch a tendency ? How Mote would it leaveyour Majefty'sSubjeóts, that are once taught to break fuck ` tiered Bonds]] Till the Covenant was decried as an Almanack out of date, and its Obligation taken to be null, that odious Fabt could never have been per- ' petrated againtt your Royal Father : Nor your Majefty have been fo long expel- , ' fed fromyour Dominions. And the Obligation of the Covenant upon the Con- ` (defaces of the Nation, wasnot the weakeft Inffrument of your Return. . We . therefore humblybefeech your Majefty ( withgreater importunitythen we think we fhould dofor our Lives) that you will have Mercy on the Souls and Con- ', This en- r fciences of your People, [ " and will not urge or tempt them to this grievous ufrd ar Sin, nor drive them on the infupportable Wrath of the Almighty, whole Judg_ kfr óut of ment is at hand, where Princes and People muff give that account, on which the Copy ` the irreverfible Sentence willdepend : For the honour of our Religion, and of that was your Majelly§;Dominions, and Reign, we befeech you], fuffer us not to be pretested. ' tempted to the violatingof fach Solemn Vows : and this for nothing ! when.an ' Expedient isbefore you, that will avoid it without any detriment to the Church i ` nay, to its honour and advantage. ` The Prelacy which we difclaimed is [That of Diocefans upon the Claim ofa Superiour Order to aPresbyter, affirming the foie Power of Publick Admoniti- ' on of particular Offenders, injoyning Penitence, Excommunicating and Abbot- ' ving ( betides Confirmation) over fomany Churches, as neceffitated the Cor- ` ruption or Extirpationof Difcipline, and the thing f Humane Officers (as ` Chancellors, Surrogates, Officials, Commiffaries, Arch-Deacons) while the un- doubted Officers of Chriff ( the Paffors of the particular Churches) were hin- ` dered from the Exercifeof their Office]. C The Reftorationof Difcipline in the particular Churches, and ofthe Paftors to the Exercife of their Officettherein, andof Synodsfor neceffary Confultation and Communion ofChurches, and of the Primitive Prefidency or Epifcopacy for the avoiding of all (hewof Innovation and Diforder] is that whichwe hum- ' bly offer as the Remedy: befeeching your Maieffy, that if any thing afferted teem unproved, an Impartial Conference in your Majefty's hearing may be al- ` lowed us in order to a just Determination. Concerning the Preamble ieyour Majefly'r Declaration, we prefume only to tender theft Kegneftr. r. "`-, H A T as we are perfwaded it is not in Your Majefty's Thoughts to inti- 1 mate that we are guilty of the Offences which your Majeftyhere reciteth, fo we hope it will rather be a motive to the battening of the Nation's Cure, that our Unity may prevent Mens Temptations of that Nature for the time to come. 2. Though we have profeffed our willingnefs to fubmit to the Primitive Epif- copacy, and a Reformed Liturgy, hopingit may prove an Expedient to an hap- py iJnion, yet have we expreffed our diflike of the Prelacy and prefent Liturgy, while unreformed. And though Sacriledge and unjult Alienation of Church- Lands is a Sin that we deteft, yet whether in tome Cafes of true Superfluities of Revenues, or true Nece(lìtyof the Church, there may not be an Alienation which is no Sacriledge, and whether the Kings andParliaments have been guilty of that Crime that have made tome Alienations,are Points of high Concernment, of which we never had a Call to give our Judgment:And therefore humblybefeech yourMa- jelly, that concerning thefe Matters, we may not to our Prejudice be otherwife underllood, than as we have before and here expreffed. 3. That as your Majefty bath here vouchfafed -.us your gracious Acknowledg- ment of our Moderation, it might never be fair!, That a Miniítry.and Peopleof fuch moderate Principles, contenting to Primitive Epifcopacy and Liturgy, could not yet be received into the Settlement and countenanced Body of your People, nor poffefs their Stations in the Church, and Liberty in the Publick Worfhip of God. M And
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