·2g:6 The HIS 1' 0 R Y of the PuRITANs; Vot. If. K. ~~ar:es I."of godl!nefs.. Nor can we fw~ar t~ th_e e~tirpation of it, becaufe, ( 1 .) ,~1 ·•• We believe It to be of apoftol1cal mfhtutwn. Or, (2.) At leofl: that ·« epifcopal arifl:ocracy bath a fairer claim to a divine infiitution tl:an any "other .form of church government. (3.) That epifcopal government cc ·has continued in the church without interruption for fifteen hundred '" years, therefore to extirpate it would give advantage to the papifts, who " are wont to charge us with a contempt of antiquity, and love of novel. " ty, and it would diminifh the jufl: authority due to the confent and prac– '" tice of the catholic church. (4.) Befides we can't fwear to the extir– " paring this government, becaufe we have fubfcribed the thirty-nine ar– " ticles, one of which fays, the book containing the form of corjccration " has nothing in it contrary to the word of God. We bave been ordain– " ed by bi£hops; we have petitioned the parliament for the continuance of '" them; and fame of us hold our livelyhoods, by the titles of deans, " deans and chapters, &c. (5 .) We are not fatisfied th at the inconve– " niences of the new gcvermnent will be leJs than the old, the hou(e of "commons having remonftrated [Dec. 15. 164r.] that it was far from " their purpofe to aboli!h this government, but only to regulate it, and " that it was a fign of malignancy to infu(e into the people that they had " any other meaning. Lajlly, In refpeCt of our obligation to his majefiy, ·« having acknowledged him to be fupreme governor in all caufes ecclefi– " af1ical, we cannot endeavour to extirpate this government wi thout the lb. P· · 197· " royal affent, which we are fo far from defiring, that we are continualry "praying, that the king may not be prevailed with to do an a a fo prejudi– « cial to his co1ljcience and honour, and which, hy his coronation oath, he " is bound to preferve. By the laws of the land there are fundry privile– ~' ges and emoluments arifing to the crown from the ecclefiafiical eltate, " which are a confiderable part of the revenue, which by the extirpation " of prelacy will be cut off'~ whereas we are bound by the oath of alle-. '' giance to maintain the king's honour and eflate, And after all, the " prelatical government is belt fuited to monarchy, in [omuch that king " _James ufed to fay, no bijhop, no king." OBJECTIONS to the third article. .l!gainjl the ~· We are ?iffatisfied with the limitation of ou: .loyalty in the~e words; third article. " 111 the prejervatzon and defence if tbe true re!zgzon, and ltbertzes if the lb. P• 201. " kingdom ; becaufe no fuch limitation is to be found in the oath of alie- ,, giance nor in the word of God; becaufe it leaves the duty of the fub– ·" jeCl: loofe, and the fafety of the king uncertain. The confcience ?f a paptll:
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