P A R. T II. ReverendMr. Richard. Baxter. i}2 it --- prophane and re; fwearing? and. malicioar or unjuflaccufing, which indeed are fins ? for therein he was not miftaken. So if Men had (as they did not ) upon miftake make a Vow againft all Epifcopacy or Prelacy as a fin , and afterward difcover that one fort is a Duty, and the other a Sin, do they not remain obliged agáinfl that wherein they werenot miftaken ? 6. Laftly, Let it be noted, That though it be faid in the Declaration [ of] Go- vernment, yet it is added [in the Church] and not [ofthe Church]: which is as much againft them as the other is for them, feeming to intimate, that it is not the Form only Cogitative of the Church, which they here intend. § ;89. F. Some leading Independents fay, That it wadefential to this Vow to be al- fa aLeague : andas a League it is curd, by the collation of Perlin andOccafóns. This fhift they were put upon firft themfelves (being the firft that nullified there Bonds) that they might do what they didagainft theCovenant, and make it as an Alma- neck out of date. Attfw. r. Though as a Political Inflrumeut, it be called by one Name, A Solemn League and Covenant, and fo all the parts of it domakeone Inftrument, yet r. The formalityof it as a League, and as a Vow, aredifferent. z.And as a Vowto God, and a Moral A& of Man, there are in it as manydiltináVows as there are 114atters wawa. TheLeague is not the endof the Vow, but Reformation was the profeffed end ofboth, to which they were takenas co-ordinate means. And therefore it as a League it were ceafed, it followeth not that as a Vow it is fo : For Men are the par- ties in the League, but God is oneofthe Parties in the Vaw, andevery individual Par- fox is the other Party : And ifone Vow or Article fhould ceafe, it followeth not that all the reft do fo. 2. It is not proved that it ceafethas a League : Though it oblige us not to war, or to any thing againft the King or State; and though manyof thePerfonsbedead that took ir. For, t. War was not mentioned in the Covenant; much le& as the Duty of all the Covenanrers: lure it was never intended that all the Women mull fight. a. If it had, that was but one ofthe means there mentioned : and e- very Man bound himfelf [to endeavour inbú Place andCalling]; and that wasnot to fight, for all. ;. Therefore though the particular Occafions ceafe, thegeneral Caujee continueth (the need of Reformation ); and though no Man be bound to any unlawful means, it followeth not that there is no bound to lawful means : And thoughfome Perfons be dead, not only the Nations, but many individual Covenantersare living. } And in expref, Terms they bound themfelves [all the days oftheir lives zealouf- lyand conflantly tocontinue therein ] ; and therefore intended no fuch ceffation. g 390. 6. Laftly, TheLatitudinarians fay that the general Rule is, That all Say- ings are to be interpreted in the bellfence that the words will bear. Ergo - Anfw. In the beltfence which bath Evidence of Truth, Charity required'usto take all the words ofothers : But the queltion isfrrdl, Which is the,truefence? and noe . which is the bell. And if it canbe proved that another is either certainly or probabbi the true meaning ofany words, we muff not feign a betterfence , becaufe it is better. In the Cafe in hand, the Law-makers have plainly declared their own fence,by their Speeches, and Votes, and deliberate plain Expreffìons, and by another Alt (for Corporations.) IfI might takeall Oaths andStatutes in the belt fence which poffr- bly thole words may be ufed to exprefs, thanI could take almoll any Oath in the World, and difobey any Lawin the World under pretence of obeying it; and tell any Lie under the pretence of telling Truth, andJefuitical Equivocation would be but thecommon Duty of the Charitable. But Charity is not blind, nor will it prove a fit Cover for a Lie. He that knoweth the Parliament, and is but willing to know their fence, may know the miftakes of this pretended Charity: And efpecially Laws and Oaths are to be taken in the fence which is plaineft in the words, 119'. Betides all that is already faid, I (hall end this Subjedl with thisqueftion on the Non-fubfcribers part, Whether an Oath Both not bind Men in the fence of the Taken? (though they bebound to take it in thefence of the Impotent if theyknow it.) As if I had been commanded to fwear Allegiance to the King; and he that commandeth it Ihould mean Cromwell, or fame Ufurper, and I thought he had meant my rightful King , Am I not bound hereby to the King indeed? And if fo, Query further, Whether any Man fo well know the fence of every Man and Woman in England, Scotland and Ireland, as tobe able to fay that it was fo bad, that they arenot obliged to it ? And in what Age it was that all Minifters were forbidden to Preach the Gofpel hf Chriff, till they knew the Hearts of allthe Peo- Plb
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