Chap. VII. The H J S TQ R, Y of the PURITANS.. 651 fettle and declare the extent of the king's power, and the fubjefts K. Chhaarrlles I obedience. By declaring the facred order of kings to be of divine right, founded in the prime laws of nature and revelation, by which they condemned all other governments. By affirming that the king had an ab/blute power over all his fubjefts, and a right to the fubfrdies and aids of his people without confent of parliament. By affirming that fubjefts may not bear arms againd their king, either oWenfive or defenfive, upon any pretence whatfoever, upon pain of re- ceiving to themfelves damnation. By taking upon themfelves to define Tome things to be treafon not in- cluded in the datate of treafons. And la/lly, by inflicting a penalty on fuch of the king's fubjeds as fhall dare to difobey them, in not reading and publifhing the above- mentioned particulars ; in all which cafes it was averred that they had invaded the rights ofparliament, deroyed the liberty of the fubjehl, andfub. verted the very fundamental laws and con/litutions of England. Il. It was objeded againd the fecond canon, that they had of umed the legiflative power in appointing a new holy day contrary to the datate, which Pays, there fhall be fach and fuch holy days and no more, IV. It was objeded againd the fourth canon, that whereas the de- termination of herefy is exprefsly referved to parliament, the convocation had declared that to be hereefy which the law takes no notice of; and had condemned focinianifin in general, without declaring what was inclu- ded under that denomination, fo that after all it was left in their own breads, whom they would condemn and cenfure under that charac- ter. VI. It was objeded againd the fixth canon, that it impofed a new oath upon the fubjeht, which is a power equal if not fuperior to the making a new law. It was argued likewife againd the oath itfelf, that in force parts it was very ambiguous and doubtful, and in others direht- ly falfe andIllegal. We are to fwear in the oath, that we approve the doáirine, difcipline, Objection et- or governanent e/lablijhed in the church of England, and yet we are not garnf the Et told wherein that doctrine and difcipline is contained; whether by cætera oath. the dottrine of the church we are to underdand only the thirty-nine articles, or likewife the homilies and church catechifn; And by the difcipline, only the book ofcanons, or likewife all other ecclefiaftical or- ders not repealed by datute ; for it is obfervable that the words of the oath are, as it is eßablfhed, and not, as it is ejiablijhed by law. And the 4 0 2 ambi-
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