The L 1 F E of the Part ll[ S. They think that Taxesand Subcdies may be raifed thus without Parliaments; and that all Men'sElates and Lives are at the meer will of the King, or the Lord Chancellor : For if any be Commiflioned to, take themaway, we have no remedy: For to fay that we have our -Anions againl them in the Courts of Jnlice is but to fay, that when all is taken away, we maycal away more if we had it. For what good will the Sentence of any Court dous, ifit pafs on our fide as longasaCom- milTon againit the Execution of that Sentence mull rich be refitted, unlèfs a piece of Paper beas goodas anElate? 9. And they think that by this Oath, we Swearto difobey theKing, ifat any time he command us to endeavour any alterationofthe Church-Government,as once by this Commifon to fome ofus, he did, about the Liturgy. t o. And they think that it is a ferving the Ambitionof the Ptelates, andan al- tering of the Government, to Swear neverto endeavour any alteration ofChurch- Government ; yea, and to put the Church-Government before the State-Govem- ment, and fo tomake thePrelacy as unalterableas Monarchy, and to twit/ it by an Oath into the unalterable Conlitution of the Government of theLand, and fo to difable the King and Parliament from ever endeavouring anyalteration ofit. For if the Subjefìs may not at any, time, nor by any means endeavour, the King will have none to execute his Will if he endeavour it. And if Divines, who Ihonld be the moll tender avoiders of Perjury, and all Sin, (hall lead the way in taking fach an Oath, who can expel that anyothers after them fhould feruple it ? And itwas endeavoured to have beenputupon theParliament. 1t. And they think that there is a great deal in the Englfh Diocefian Frame of Church-Government, which is very enful, and which God will have all Men in their placesand callingsto endeavour to reform (asthat the Bilbopofthe lowell de- gree, inlead of rulingone Church with the Presbyters, ruleth many hundred. i Churches, by Lay-Chancellors, who ufe the Keys of Excommunication and Abfo- lution, lac.) And they take it for an A&of Rebellion againft God, ifthey fhould Swear never to do the Dutywhich he commandeth; and fogreat a Dutyas Church- Reformation in fogreat a Matter : Ifit were butnever to pray, or never toamend a fault in themfelves, they durit not Swearit. 12. This -Oath to be the fame in Senfe, with the Et cætera Oath, in the Canons of 1640. _That we will never confent to analteration of the Government, by Arch- BJhops, Bi(hops, Deans, &c. And one Parliament voted down that, and laid a heavy chargeupon it; whichno Parliament finebath takenof: t 3. As the National VowandCovenant feemethagreatSnare to hinderthe Union oftheChurch amongus, in that it layeth our Union on an exclufionofPrelacy; and fo excludeth all thofe learned worthy Menfromour Union, who cannotconfent to that Exclufion; fo the laying ofthe Kingdoms and ChurchesUnion uponthe Englífh Prelacy, and Church-Government, fo as to exclude all that cannot confent to it, cloth feem asfirean EngineofDivifion. We think that ifour Unionhe centeredbut inChrit/ the King ofall, and in the King, as his Officer, and our Soveraignunder him, it maybe eafteand fore But if wemull allunite in theEngleFrame ofPrelacy; wemuff neverUnite. :. § t g, Thofe that take the Oath, do (asthofe that Subfcribe) refolve that they will underhand it in a lawful Senfe (be it trueor falfe) and fo to take it in that Senfe : To which end they fay that noliuminiquum eft- inLege p>afumendum, and that all publick Impofitions mull be taken in the bell Senfe that the Words will bear. And by force and ftretching, what words may not be well interpreted? But the Nonconformihsgo on other grounds, andthink that about Oaths Men muff deal plainly and fincerely, and neither Stretch their Confciences, nor the Words; nor interpret univerfal Terms particulary, but according to the true meaning of the Law-givers, as far asthey can underhand it; and where they cannot; accord- ing to the proper and ufual fgnification of the Words. And the Parliament them- felves tell us, Thatthis is the trueRule of interpretingtheir Words. Beyondwhich therefore wedare not ftretchthem. § 16. And therefore, 4.. They dare nottake the Oath, becaufe ifit be not to be taken in the properor ordinarySenfe ofthe Words, then they are fare that they cannot underlat it (foritdoth not pleafe the Parliament to expound it.) And Oaths mull-be takeninTruth, Judgment, and Righteoufnefs, andnotIgnorantly, when we know that we underhandthem not. § t7.The
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