The HIS T 0 ·R Y oJ the PuRITANs. VoL. II· K. Charles I." fovereignty of that ·community refideth in. Upon the whole, fin~e ..._,~ " all jud~cial p~we: is :adically in the king, .who is th.erefore .calleci the "fountazlzif;ziftzce, It feems to us, that neither, the JUdges m inferior " courts, nor the lords and commons a[embled in parliament, may ex– " erc~fe any o~her power over tl;e _fubjeCl:s of this re~lm,. than fuch as by " their refpechve patents and wnts r[ued from the kmg, or by the efl:ab– " lifhed laws of the laJ:Jd, formerly a!Tented to by the kings of this " realm, cloes appear to be derived from them; by which writs, patents " and laws, it does not appear that the two houfes of parliament have any " power without the king, to order, command, or tranfaCl:; but only " with him to treat, confult, and advife, concerning the great affairs o£ " the kingdom." ObjeCiiGns to tht negative oath. lb. p. 243. Concerning the NEGA TI:VE OA TH'. They fay, " ' We cannot take it without giving up our liberties, with-– " out abufing our natural allegiance, and without diminution o£ his ma• '' jelly's ju!l: power and greatnefs."· Concerning the DISCIP LINE AND DIRECTORY', And dire<!a- ' ' Vle are not fatisfied to fubmit to the ordinance for e!l:ablilhing the di: 'Y· " reClory, becaufe it has not the royal alfent, and yet abrogates aCts of lb. P· 244· " parliament made by the joint coJ:Jfent of the king lords and commons, " e~ecially one, which annexes the whole power of ordering_all eccle– " fiJJl:ical matters for ever to the imperial crown of this realm; now we " are not fatidied that a. lefs power can have a ju!l: right to abrogate a '' greater. " If under tbe title of di{ciplii1e- be comprehended the government of " the chu r.ch alfo, we declare,, we cannot confent to the eradication of " a government of fuch reverend antiquity, which nas fr om time to time " been confirmed by the laws of the kingdom, and which the kings _at " their fucceffive coronations hav·e fworn to pre(erve. If the word dt{– " cipline be diflinguilbed- from govemment, as in the firfl article of the " covenant, yet are we not fatisfied to place fo much power in the lunas "of perfons (many of whom may be of mean qual ity) for the keeping " back thoufands of well meaning chriftians from the blelfed facramenr, " when faint Panl, in a, church abounding with fundry. errors and c?r– " ruptions in faith and manners, fatisfies himfelf with a general declaratJO~ " of the danger of unwonhy communicating, and enjoins every partl– '" cular perfon a fl!{ocamination,_ without empowering either miniflers " or
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