Chap. IX. ne HIs T 0 Ry. of the PuRITANS. 301 " or lay-_ elders to exclude any from the communion upon their exa- K. Charles J, . !647· " mwatwn. _ ~ " As to the direC!ory itfelf, we cannot, without regret of confcience, ~'and during the continuance of the prefent laws, confent to the taking " away the book if the common prayer, which we have fubfcribed, and " folemnly promifed to ufe no other, which we believe contains in it no– " thing but what is jufily defenfible; and which we think ourfelves able " to jufiify againfi all papifis and feCtaries. Belides, we look upon the " fiatute enjoining the ufe of the common prayer to be flill in force, and '' will always remain fo, 'till it {hall be repealed by the fame good and full « authority by which it was made; that is, by the free confent of king, '' lords and commons." By comparing thefe reafons with thofe of the parliament divines for Remarks.' taking the covenant, the reader will be capable of judging how far they are conclufive. l\1any of them are unquefiionably good; and had the confiitution remained entire, and the laws had their free and ordinary courfe, as in times of peace, moft of them would have been conduCive; but how far the necel1lty of th.: war, and the right of felf defence, will vindicate the extraordinary proceedings of parliament, I iliall not take upon me to determine for others. I am no advocate for the particulars of the covenant any more than for the high and arbitrary principles of government, contained in the univnjity's reafons.. The conJi:imces of men are not under the direCtion of their wills but of their judgments, and therefore; ought not to be confirained by oaths, protrftations, or covenants, to attempt thofe things in matters of religion, which their own heartsmull: condemn. Religion and civil government ftand on ·a difiinfr foundation, and are deligntd for very different ends ; the magifrrate may demand fecurity for men's peaceable fubmifiion.to the civil gov.ern ment,.but ought not to force them to be aCtive againll the light of their confciences in matters of religion, The univerfity's rfafons are not built upon thefe principles; for thofe gentlemen were as much for the.coercive power of the magift:rate in cafes of conkience as the puritans; and whereas they fay, the allegiance if the JubjeCl, and the proteflion of the king, are mt relatives; and that the king's inability to difcharge his duty does not abJolve the fobjeel from his, I ilia!! only obferv.e that upon thefe principles the crown can never be forfeited;. a coronation oath is of very little fignificance ;. nor may a nation fubmit to a conqueror even when they can re lift no longer. Inability alone in tbe prince I grant may not in all cafes abfolve us-from our allegiance, but tyranny, opprefiion, and open attempts to fubvert the whole conflitutiofl and laws of the country, certainly may: upon what other ground can we juflify the late revolution, and the prefent happy efiabliilirnent of th~; protefiant fu.cceilion ? When the Oxford divines at_the p_eriod of the re~ · w/ution>
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