The Lord will in a special manner, resent and revenge the posterities

breach of the oath of their father's covenant, Ezek. xvi. 59. "Thus

saith the Lord God, I will even deal with thee, as thou hast done, which

hast despised the oath, in breaking the covenant," which was the

covenant of their fathers. 4. They are national covenants, wherein king,

parliament, and people do covenant with each other, for the performance

of the respective duties of their several stations, either as to the

work of reformation, or as to the preservation of each others mutual

rights and privileges: so that they are national covenants made by men

with men; and these we find do oblige the posterity. Israel's covenant

with the Gibeonites did oblige the posterity, Josh. ix. 15, 19. and for

the breach of it many ages after, the posterity was plagued, 2 Sam. xxi.

1. Zedekiah was bound by his predecessor's covenant, though it was such

as made the kingdom base, yet in keeping it, it was only to stand.

"Shall he break the covenant, and be delivered? Thus saith the Lord, as

I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised and my covenant that he

hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head," Ezek. xvii.

12, 14, 15, 19. The apostle says even of human covenants, "Though it be

but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth or

addeth thereunto," Gal. iii. 15. that is, cannot do so lawfully much

less can one man disannul a nation's covenant. 5. They are national

attestations of God as a witness, for the perpetuity, as well as

fidelity of these sacred engagements. All such covenants, wherein the

holy name of God is invocated as witness, are owned of God as his (hence

the covenant betwixt David and Jonathan, is called the covenant of the

Lord, 1 Sam. xx. 8.) and Zedekiah's fault was the breach of the Lord's

covenant, Ezek. xvii. forecited. So likewise that covenant mentioned

Jer. xxxiv. 8, 9, 10. wherein the princes and people did swear to let

their Hebrew servants go free, is called God's covenant, verse 18. and

upon this account sorer judgments are threatened, verse 19, 20. "And I

will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not

performed the words of the covenant which they had made before

me----into the hands of their enemies." Certainly this did oblige the

posterity, at least not to recal these servants, and, it was always

morally obliging. So our national covenant, sworn with hands lifted up

to the most high God, being materially also binding, cannot be abrogated

by the posterity except the Lord renounce his interest in them; as long

as the witness liveth then, who claims them as his, they cannot be made

void; especially considering. 6. They are national covenants made with

God, as the other party contracting, in the matters of God, which none

can dispense with, or grant remissions in; and therefore they must

perpetually bind, until he loose them. And if even the posterity break

them, the Lord will make them that hate them to reign over them, and he

will bring a sword upon them to avenge the quarrel of his covenant,

Levit. xxvi. 15, 17, 25. Such were all the national covenants of the

Lord's people, renewed by Joshua, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Josiah,

Ezra, Nehemiah, for the breaches of which the Lord plagued the

posterity. It was for breach of their fathers covenant with God, that

the ten tribes were carried away captive, 2 Kings xvii. 15, &c. We have

already experienced the threatned judgments for covenant breaking, and

may look for more. 7. They are for their matter national covenants,

about things moral objectively, obliging to join ourselves to the Lord

in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten, Jer. l. 5. I might

easily demonstrate all the articles of the covenant to be morally

binding, but they are demonstrated sufficiently above, Head 1. Arg. 11.

therefore they are perpetually binding. 8. They are for their ends

national covenants, inviolably obliging. Which cannot be made void,

though they should be broken, because the ends of them are always to be

pursued, as is proved above, Head 1. therefore they are perpetual. 9.

They are for their formality national covenants, most solemnly sworn,

and subscribed by all ranks, with uplifted hands, with bended knees,

with solemn invocating the name of God, with solemn preaching, prayer

and praise, rendering themselves and the posterity obnoxious to the

curse, if they should break it. Now the solemnities of the oath do

aggravate the heinousness of the breach of it, as is clear from Jer.

xxxiv. 19. Ezek. xvii. 18. quoted above: the reason is, because of their

greater deliberation in the action, and because of the greater scandal

accompanying the violation thereof. Hence as they are national oaths and

covenants so solemnized, they are national adjurations, under the pain

of a national curse, not to break them nationally, which do make the

posterity obnoxious to it; as Joshua adjured Israel, saying, "Cursed be

the man that raiseth up, and buildeth this city Jericho," Josh. vi. 26.

which was fulfilled many generations after, in the days of Ahab, upon

Hiel the Bethelite, 1 Kings xvi. last verse. So the curse of introducing

abjured prelacy and popery, if it be let in, will be impendent on the

nation. All national covenants have a curse annexed, in case of a

breach, whenever it shall be: so in Nehemiah's covenant, 'They clave to

their brethren, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in

God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe

and to do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and his judgments

and statutes;' particularly not to enter into affinity with their

malignant enemies, Neh. x. 29, 30. which certainly did oblige the

posterity, because the thing was moral; so in our covenants we are bound

to the same things, and nothing but these: and therefore the posterity

is liable to the curse of perjury, for the breach thereof. 10. They are

for their legality national laws, being solemnly ratified by the

parliament and by the king, and made the foundation of their compact

with him at his inauguration, whereby they became the fundamental laws

of the government, and among the very laws and rules of governing,

which, though they be rescinded by a wicked law, yet make the rescinders

chargeable not only of perjury, in breaking a covenant, but of treason

and tyranny, in breaking and altering the constitution of the

government, and render them liable to the curse thereof: for they cannot

rescind that, nor escape its vengeance: whereof we have a speaking

pledge already, in that the rescinder of these covenants was so terribly

rescinded, and cut off by the hands of unnatural violence; God thereby

fulfilling that threatned judgment of covenant breakers, that he hath

broken his covenant shall be brought to destruction, and bloody and

deceitful men shall not live out half their days; Psal. lv. 20. last

verse. So Charles II. got not leave to live out half the days that he

projected to himself. 11. They are national engagements of an hereditary

nature, like that of Israel, Deut. xxix. 14, 15. which did oblige not

only the present, but the absent, 'not only them that stood there that

day before the Lord their God, but them that were not there that day.'

Grotius de jur. bel. lib. 2. cap. 6. gives these marks of hereditary

covenants, (1.) When the subject is of a permanent nature, and as long

as the same body remains: therefore as long as Scotland is Scotland,

whose people in their personal capacity, whose parliaments in their

parliamentary capacity, whose king in his princely capacity, did all

solemnly and sacredly engage in the covenant, it must be real and

perpetually obliging. (2.) When there is such a clause in the covenant,

as that it should be perpetual, there are many clauses in the solemn

league to this purpose. In Art. 1. are these words, 'That we, and our

posterity after us, may, as brethren, live in faith and love, and the

Lord may delight to dwell in the midst of us.' In the 5th Art. 'We shall

each one of us, according to our place and interest, endeavour that the

kingdoms may remain conjoined in a firm peace and union to all

posterity.' (3.) When it is such as is made for the good of the kingdom,

the covenant expresses its end, for the perpetual good of the kingdom,

'having before our eyes the glory of God, the advancement of the kingdom

of----Christ, the honour and happiness of the king and his posterity,

and the true public liberty, safety, and peace of the kingdoms; wherein

every one's private condition is included.' And again it is added, 'for

preservation of ourselves and our religion from utter ruin and

destruction.' All this is a public national good. (4.) The matter is

moral, about materially binding duties, and therefore it must be

hereditary, and of perpetual obligation. 12. Lastly, They are national

obligations, taking on public duties, by way of virtual representation

of the posterity. And they that think it irrational, that the father

should represent and involve the family, must resolve us how the

religious and civil covenants of Israel and Judah, made in Moses',

Joshua's, David's, Asa's, Joash's, Hezekiah's, Josiah's and Nehemiah's

days, did comprehend and bind as well the absent as the present, and

their posterity, yet unborn; as also, how the laws and contracts

continually passed by some do take in others, not personally consenting;

yea, how comes it to pass, that every succeeding generation is bound to

the laws, and must be obedient to the kings, that they did not make

themselves, no reason can be given, but because they are virtually

represented by, and included in their fathers. Now, if these arguments

prove our national covenants to be perpetually binding, and cannot be

dispensed with, then must these posterior oaths that are made in a

diametrical opposition to the covenants, and are condemned by the

covenants, be false and unlawful oaths; but the first is proved:

therefore these oaths so opposite to, and condemned by the covenants,

are false and unlawful. That they are opposite to the covenant, will

appear in the induction of all of them. And that, whatever they be

imposed by this party, they are condemned by the covenants, wherein we

are obliged to make no such transactions with them, will appear if we

consider these and the like expressions, 'That we shall neither

directly, nor indirectly, suffer ourselves to be divided by whatsoever

suggestion, allurement, or terror, from this blessed conjunction, nor

shall cast in any let or impediment that may stop or hinder any such

resolution, as shall be found to conduce for so good ends.' Which are

the words of the national covenant, clearly condemning oaths and bonds

given to malignants, which are divisive of them that adhere to, and

unitive with them that oppose the covenant, and impeditive of

resolutions to prosecute the ends thereof. So, in the solemn league and

covenant, Art. 4. 'We are obliged to oppose all such as make any faction

or parties amongst the people contrary to this league and covenant; but

by these oaths and bonds, such factions are made,' &c. And by Art. 6.

'We are obliged to assist and defend all those that enter into this

covenant (contradicted by all the latter oaths and bonds) and not to

suffer ourselves directly, or indirectly, by whatsoever

combination,----to be divided----from this blessed union,----whether to

make defection to the contrary part, or to give ourselves to a

detestable indifferency,' &c. Which we do, when we divide ourselves

from these that refuse these oaths, and make defection unto the party

that impose them. And in the solemn acknowledgment of sins, and

engagement to duties, 'We are sworn, sect. 6. to be so far from

conniving at, complying with, or countenancing of malignancy, injustice,

&c. that we shall not only avoid and discountenance these things, &c.

but take an effectual course to punish and suppress these evils.' All

which we counteract and contradict, when we take any of these oaths or

bonds.

In the second place, by a particular induction of the several kinds of

these oaths and bonds, the iniquity of each of them will appear; and the

complex iniquity of the smoothest of them, the oath of abjuration

compared with every one of them, will be manifest. And consequently the

honesty and innocency of sufferers for refusing them will be discovered.

1. The first in order, which was a copy to all the rest, was the

declaration, ordained to be subscribed by all in public charge, office,

or trust, within the kingdom: 'Wherein they do affirm and declare, they

judge it unlawful to subjects, upon pretence of reformation, or any

other pretence whatsoever, to enter into leagues and covenants, or take

up arms against the king,----and that all these gatherings,----petitions,

protestations----that were used----for carrying on of the late

troubles, were unlawful and seditious; and particularly that these

oaths,----the national covenant,----and the solemn league and

covenant, were and are in themselves unlawful oaths.' Here is

a confederacy required against the Lord, at which the heavens

might stand astonished; an unparalelled breach of the third command.

Which could no more be taken in truth and righteousness, than an oath

renouncing the bible; but it hath this advantage of the rest; that it is

somewhat plain, and the iniquity legible on its front. 1. That it is a

renouncing of solemn and sacred covenants, perpetually binding to moral

and indispensible duties, the wickedness whereof is evident from what is

said above. 2. It makes perjury of the deepest dye, the absolute

necessary qualification of all in public office, who cannot be presumed

capable of administrating justice, when they have avowed themselves

perjured and perfidious, and not to be admitted among heathens, let be

Christians, nor trusted in a matter of ten shillings money, according to

the laws of Scotland. 3. It renounces the whole work of reformation, and

the way of carrying it on, as a pretence and trouble unlawful and

seditious, which if it be a trouble, then the peace they have taken in

renouncing it, must be such a peace as is the plague of God upon the

heart, filling it with senselesness and stupidity in his last judgment,

because of the palpable breach of covenant; or such a peace, as is very

confident with the curse and vengeance of God, pursuing the quarrel of a

broken covenant. 4. It condemns the taking up arms against the king,

which shall be proven to be duty. Head 5. Besides, that hereby the most

innocent means of seeking the redress of grievances, that religion,

risings, law, and practice of all nations allows, is condemned. Yet, in

effect, for as monstrous as this oath is, the complex of its iniquity is

touched in the oath of abjuration; in which many of these methods of

combinations, risings and declarations of war against the king, and

protestations against his tyranny, which were used in the late troubles

for carrying on the reformation, are abjured; in that a declaration is

renounced, in so far as it declares war against the king, and asserts it

lawful to kill them that serve him: which yet, in many cases in the

covenanted reformation here renounced, were acknowledged and practised

as lawful, besides that it hath many other breaches of covenant in it,

as will be shewed.

II. The next net they contrived to catch consciences, was the oath of

allegiance and supremacy: 'Wherein they that took it for testification

of their faithful obedience to their most gracious and redoubted

sovereign, Charles king of Great Britain,----do affirm, testify, and

declare,----That they acknowledge their said sovereign, only supreme

governor of this kingdom, over all persons and in all causes; and that

no foreign prince----hath any jurisdiction, power, or superiority over

the same; and therefore do utterly renounce all foreign power,----and

shall, at their utmost power, defend, assist, and maintain his majesty's

jurisdiction foresaid,----and never decline his power----.' The iniquity

of this oath is very vast and various, 1. It is a covenant of allegiance

with a king, turned tyrant and enemy to religion, subverter of the

reformation, and overturner of our laws and liberties: and therefore

demonstrate to be sinful both from the first general argument against

oaths, and from head 2d. 2. It cannot be taken in truth, righteousness,

or judgment: because the words are general and very comprehensive, and

ambiguous, capable of diverse senses; when he is affirmed to be supreme

over all persons, and in all causes, and to be assisted, and maintained,

in that jurisdiction. Who can be sure in swearing such an oath, but that

he may thereby wrong others, wrong parliaments in their privileges,

wrong the church in her liberties, and which is worse, wrong the Lord

Jesus Christ, who is supreme alone in some causes? Can an oath be taken

in truth and righteousness, to assist him in all encroachments, upon

causes that are not subordinate to him? And in invading all those

privileges of subjects, which are natural, civil, moral, and religious?

For if he be supreme in all causes, then all these depend upon him, and

be subordinate to him. And can it be taken in judgment, and with a clear

mind, when it may be debated and doubted (as it may by some) whether the

obligation of it is to be considered, as circumstantiate and

specificate to the present object of it, supposing him a tyrant? Or in

a more abstract notion, as it might be rendered in the sense of its

first authors as it was taken in king James the VI's days, and as they

plead for taking the English oath of allegiance, as it was excepted by

the Puritans in queen Elizabeth's days? Whether it obliges to a king in

idea, and in a more general consideration, as one who is said never to

die? Or with reference to such an one as we have, a mortal man, and an

immortal enemy to all those precious interests, for preservation of

which he only received his kingship? Whether it must be taken in that of

the imposers, practically explained by their administrations? Or in any

other sense, alledged more legal? These would be clear, before it can be

taken with the due qualifications of an oath. 3. As for the civil part

of it, or ecclesiastical, no other examination needeth to be enquired

after, than what they give forth on their acts on record: the act of

supremacy (to be seen in the historical representation of the sixth and

last period,) senses the ecclesiastical part of it: and the act for

acknowledgment of his Majesty's prerogative does sufficiently sense,

explain and expound the civil part; declaring, 'That it is inherent in

the crown, and an undoubted part of his royal prerogative,----to have

the sole choice and appointment of all officers of state,----the power

of calling, holding, and dissolving parliaments and all conventions and

meetings of estates,----the power of armies, making of peace and war,

treaties and leagues with foreign princes or states, or at home by the

subjects among themselves:----and that it is high treason in the

subjects,----upon whatsoever ground to rise----in arms,----or make any

treaties or leagues----among themselves: without his majesty's authority

first interponed thereto; that it is unlawful to the subjects, of

whatsoever quality or function to convocate----themselves, for holding

of councils to treat, consult, or determine in any matters civil or

ecclesiastic, (except in the ordinary judgments) or make leagues or

bonds upon whatsoever colour or pretence, without his majesty's special

consent,----that the league and covenant, and all treaties following

thereupon, and acts or deeds that do or may relate thereunto, are not

obligatory,----and that none----should presume, upon any pretext of any

authority whatsoever, to require the renewing or swearing of the said

league and covenant,' &c. Whereby it appears, that all this screwing up

the prerogative to such a pitch is by the oath of allegiance to defend

all this jurisdiction justified: and so, these palpable encroachments on

the privileges of the Scots parliaments, that, by the fundamental

constitutions of the government always had a share in making laws, and

peace and war: these robberies of our natural privileges of defending

ourselves by arms, in case of the king's tyranny and oppression, and of

convocating for consultations about the best means thereof; and these

invasions upon our ecclesiastical privileges, in keeping general

assemblies for the affairs of religion for an affair newly happening,

always strenuously contended for as a part of the testimony; yea, all

these rescindings, repealings, and condemnings of the way and manner,

methods and measures, of promoting the covenanted reformation, are by

this oath explained, and by this act acknowledged to be parts of that

supremacy and jurisdiction to be defended and maintained: as likewise,

by many wicked acts since promulgated, which promote the supremacy to a

vast degree of absoluteness, which all do interpret what that supremacy

is which is sworn to be maintained, to wit, pure tyranny established by

law. See the many grievous consequences of this laid out at large, in

Apol. Relat. Sect. 10. 4. Here is absolute allegiance sworn to an

absolute power, paramount to all law, engaging to faithful obedience to

their sovereign, as supreme over all persons, and in all causes----and

to defend, assist, and maintain his said jurisdiction, and never to

decline his power: there is no restriction here on obedience, nor

limitation on the power, nor definition of the causes, nor

circumscription of the cases, in which that assistance, &c. is to be

given, whether they be lawful or not. Now, absolute allegiance to an

absolute power cannot be sworn by any man of conscience, nor owned by

any man of reason, as is proven, Head 2. Arg. 6. It cannot be lawful in

any sense, to swear such an oath to any mortal, nay, not to a David nor

Hezekiah: because to swear unrestricted and unlimited allegiance to any

man, were a manifest mancipating of mankind, not only to an ass-like

subjection, but to a servile obligation to maintain and uphold the

persons and government of mutual men, be what they will, turn to what

they will; it is known the best of men may degenerate: and by this no

remedy is left to redress ourselves, but our heads, hearts, and hands

all tied up under an engagement to defend, assist, and maintain

whosoever doth hold the government, manage it as he pleases. This reason

will also conclude against the English oath of allegiance, though it be

a great deal more smoothly worded, and seems only to require a rejection

of the Pope, and legal subjection to the king; yet, that comprehensive

clause makes it border upon absoluteness, I will bear faith and true

allegiance to his majesty's heirs and successors, and him and them will

defend to the uttermost of my power, against all conspiracies and

attempts whatsoever. There are no conditions here at all, limiting the

allegiance, or qualifying the object; but an arbitrary imposition of

true allegiance and defence, in all cases, against all attempts, (even

that of repressing their tyranny not excepted), not only of their

persons, but of their dignities, if this be not an illimited allegiance

to an absolute power, I know not what is. 5. Here is an acknowledgment

of the ecclesiastical supremacy resident in the king: which is the most

blasphemous usurpation on the prerogatives of Christ, and privileges of

his church that ever the greatest monster among men durst arrogate: yea,

the Roman beast never claimed more; and, in effect, it is nothing else

but one of his name of blasphemy twisted out of the Pope's hands by king

Henry the VIII. and handed down to queen Elizabeth, and wafted over to

James the VI. for that was the original and conveyance of it. The

iniquity whereof is discovered above, Head 1. Arg. 3. But further, may

be aggravated in these particulars, (1.) It is only a change of the

Pope, but not of the popedom; and nothing else but a shaking off the

ecclesiastical pope, and submitting to a civil pope, by whom Christ's

hardship is as much wronged as by the other: and hereby a door is opened

for bringing in popery (as indeed by this stratagem it is brought now to

our very doors) for by the act of supremacy he hath power to settle all

things concerning doctrine, worship, discipline or government, by his

clerks the bishops, having all the architectonic power of disposing,

ordering, and ordaining these, as he in his royal wisdom thinks fit.

(2.) By this church and state are confounded (whereof the distinction is

demonstrate above) making the magistrate a proper and competent judge in

church matters, not to be declined; whereby also he hath power to erect

new courts, mongrel judicatories; half civil, half ecclesiastic, which

have no warrant in the word. (3.) By this, many palpable and intolerable

encroachments made upon the liberties and privileges of the church of

Christ are yielded unto; as that there must be no church-judicatories or

assemblies, without the magistrate's consent, but that the power of

convocating and indicting assemblies do belong only to him, and the

power of delegating and constituting the members thereof, that he may

dissolve them when he pleases; that his presence, or his commissioners,

is necessary unto each national assembly; that ministers have no proper

decisive suffrage in synods, but only of advice; that the church

judicatories be prelimited, and nothing must be treated there, which may

be interpreted grating upon the prerogative, nor any thing whatsoever,

but what he shall allow and approve, without which it can have no force

nor validity; yea, by this a door should be opened unto the utter

destruction and overthrow of all church-judicatories, seeing he is made

the fountain of all church power. (4.) By this, the magistrate is made a

church-member as he is a magistrate, and so all magistrates as such are

church-members, even heathens. And yet, (5.) By this he is exempted from

subjection to the ministry, because they are made accountable to him in

their administrations, and in the discharge of their function are under

him as supreme. Yea, (6.) By this the magistrate is made a church

officer, having the disposal of the church's government. And not only

so, but (7.) By this he is made a church officer of the highest degree,

being supreme in all causes, to whom ministers in the discharge of their

ministry are subordinate. And so, (8.) By this the church of the New

Testament is made imperfect, so long as she wanted a Christian

magistrate, wanting hereby a chief officer; yea, and the apostles did

amiss in robbing the magistrate of his power. (9.) By this the

magistrate might exercise all acts of jurisdiction, immediately by

himself; seeing he can do it as supreme by his commissioners in

ecclesiastic affairs. (10.) Finally, by this oath the king is made the

head of the church, being supreme over all persons, and in all causes,

unto whom all appeals and references must ultimately be reduced, even

from church judicatories. Those things are only here touched they are

more apodictically confirmed above, and may be seen made out at large in

Apol. Relat. Sect. 12. But I proceed. 6. It is contrary unto the solemn

League and Covenant; into whose place, after it was broken, burnt,

buried, and rescinded, since they have remitted the subjects allegiance

by annulling the bond of it, they substitute and surrogate this in its

place: and therefore none can comply with the surrogation of the second,

except he consent to the abrogation of the first oath. All the

allegiance we can own according to the covenants, stands perpetually and

expresly thus qualified, viz. in defence of religion and liberty,

according to our first and second covenants, and in its own nature must

be indispensibly thus restricted: therefore to renew the same, or take

an oath of allegiance simply, purposely omitting the former restriction,

when the powers are in manifest rebellion against the Lord, is, in

effect, a disowning of that limitation, and of the sovereign prerogative

of the great God, which is thereby reserved and as much as to say,

'Whatever authority command us to do, we shall not only stupidly endure

it, but actively concur with, and assist in all this tyranny.' See Naph.

first edition, Pag. 177, 178. Vindicated at length by Jus Populi. chap.

11. By all this the iniquity of the Scots oath of allegiance and

supremacy may appear, and also that of the English oath of allegiance,

even abstract from the supremacy, is in some measure discovered; though

it is not my purpose particularly to speak to that: yet this I will say,

That they that plead for its precision from the supremacy annexed seem

not to consider the full import of its terms; for under the dignities,

superiorities and authorities, there engaged to be upheld, the

ecclesiastical supremacy must be included; for that is declared to be

one of the dignities of the crown there, as well as here; and hither it

was brought from thence. And therefore those Scots men that took that

oath there, and pled, that though the oath of allegiance in Scotland be

a sin, yet it is duty to take the oath in England, seem to me to be in a

great deceit: for the object is the same, the subject is the same, the

duty expected, required, and engaged into, is the same, and every thing

equal in both. Yet all this iniquity, here couched, is some way

comprehended in, and implied by the oath of abjuration: for the civil

part is imported in abjuring a declaration, for its declaring war

against the king, where it is clear, he is owned as king, and all part

with them that declare war against him being renounced, it is evident

the abjurers must take part with him in that war, and so assist and

defend him; for being subjects, they must not be neutral, therefore if

they be not against him, they must be for him, and so under the bond of

allegiance to him: the ecclesiastical supremacy is inferred from that

expression of it, where some are said to serve him in church, as well as

in state, which implies an ecclesiastical subordination to him as

supreme over the church.

III. The tenor of some other bonds was more smooth and subtile, as that

of the bond of peace; several times renewed and imposed, and under

several forms; but always after one strain; engaging to live peaceably,

whereby many were caught and cheated with the seeming fairness of these

general terms; but others discerning their fallaciousness, refused and

suffered for it. This in the general is capable of a good sense: for no

Christian will refuse to live peaceably, but will endeavour, if it be

possible, as much as lieth in them, to live peaceably with all men, Rom.

xii. 18. that is, so far to follow peace with all men, as may consist

with the pursuit of holiness, Heb. xii. 14. But if we more narrowly

consider such bonds, we shall find them bonds of iniquity. For, 1. They

are covenants of peace, or confederacies with God's enemies, whom we

should count our enemies, and hate them because they hate him, Psal.

cxxxix 21. It is more suitable to answer, as Jehu did to Joram, 2 Kings

ix. 22.----What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel,

and her witchcrafts are so many? than to engage to be at peace with

those, who are carrying on Babylon's interest, the mother of harlots and

witchcrafts. 2. This cannot be taken in truth, judgment, and

righteousness, because of the fallacy and ambiguity of the terms: for

there are diverse sorts of peace and peaceableness; some kind is duty,

some never. It must then be rightly qualified, for we can profess and

pursue no peace of confederacy with the enemies of God, not consistent

with the fear of the Lord, otherwise we cannot expect to have the Lord

for a sanctuary, but for a stone of stumbling, Isa. viii. 8,

12,----14.----No peace obstructing the gospel or testimony, or

abstracting from the duty of the day: no peace tending to sinful

security, Jer. viii. 11. No peace leading to slavish stupidity; no peace

prompting to preposterous prudence, in palliating sin, or daubing

defections with untempered morter; no peace inconsistent with truth;

they must go together, Zech. i. 19. No peace that may not be followed

with holiness, Heb. xii. 14. But it must be so qualified, that it be in

the Lord, in truth, in duty, contributing for the good of the church,

Psal. cxxii. 8, 9. and the fruit of that wisdom, which is first pure,

and then peaceable, James iii. 17. Now, all that know the imposers of

these bonds, will acknowledge that is not the peace they are seeking. 3.

If we further enquire into their meaning of living peaceably, and seek a

determinate sense of it from their acts and actings, it is plain they

mean such a peaceable living, as gives obedience to their wicked laws,

and is a compliance to their established courses: and it must be such a

peaceable living, as is opposite to their sense of sedition, rebellion,

schism, &c. Which they interpret every seasonable duty to be: and it

must be such a peaceable living, as they were presumed not to have been

observant of before; and whatever it be, must be opposite to that with

which they were charged as turbulent, and so contrary to all the duties

of our covenanted profession, as going to meetings, withdrawing from the

curates, &c. Which they interpret not to be peaceable living. 4. This is

contrary to our covenants, which oblige us to a constant contending

with, and opposition to them. Yet all this is engaged into in the oath

of abjuration, which abjures all war against the king, and all doing

injury to them that serve him, and consequently to peace, and living

peaceably with them.

IV. Of affinity to this were many other bonds of regularity, frequently

renewed and generally imposed, and that with unparalleled illegality and

rigour; sometimes by hosts of savage Highlanders; sometimes by circuit

courts, and by heritors upon their tenants, and with such unheard of

involvments, that the master or heritor was obliged for himself, his

wife, children, servants, tenants, and all under him, to live orderly;

which in some was more bluntly expressed, in others more flatly

explained, that they should keep the public ordinances, that is, hear

the curates, and not go to any seditious conventicles, (so they called

the persecuted meetings of the Lord's people for the worship of God) and

in others yet more impudently exacted, that they should not harbour,

entertain, or correspond with any that went to these meetings, but

discover and assist to the apprehending of them. There were several

forms of them from time to time, some longer, some shorter; but all of

them, first and last, were to the same sense and scope. And the most

favourably worded had much wickedness in them: for, 1. They are

covenants of order, and coming under the same rule with themselves,

which is nothing but their lusts and mischiefs framed into law, not

according to the rule of the word of God, but the iniquitous laws of

men. 2. They could not be taken in truth, judgment, and righteousness:

for either they were ambiguous, or their plain sense obliged to manifest

iniquities, to conform with all their enacted corruptions. 3. They are

clear breaches of covenant, which obliges to another kind of

orderliness, and to follow other rulers, and take none from them in the

matters of God. 4. They are impossible, and absurd; obliging masters to

bind for all under them, that could neither lie in their power, nor in

their duty, to restrain their liberty in these lawful things, and to

constrain and compel their consciences to sin. 5. They are unnatural and

cruel, obliging the takers to partake with them in their persecution of

the godly. 6. They were engagements to hear curates, which is proved to

be sin, head 1. throughout. 7. They were engagements to withdraw from

the meetings of the Lord's people, proved to be duty, head 4. Yet the

oath of abjuration is some way equivalent to this, in that it obliges

the abjurers to renounce disorderliness in their sense, and to do no

harm to the time-serving orderly clergy or laity, serving and

prosecuting their wicked orders.

V. Some other bonds of that nature, and oaths frequently put to

suffering people when taken prisoners, did require peaceableness and

orderliness, in this stile, that they should either tacitly or expresly

condemn some risings in arms, as at Pentland, Bothwel, &c. to be

rebellion against the king, and a sin against God, and engage never to

rise in arms against the king, or any commissionate by him, upon any

pretence whatsoever. The iniquity whereof is manifest: For, 1. This is a

covenant equivalent to a league offensive and defensive with them,

obliging never to offend or oppose them, nor to defend nor rescue our

brethren against and from their murdering violence. 2. This could not be

taken in truth, judgment, and righteousness: for who can tell how far

that may extend, upon any pretence whatsoever? This may oblige us to

make a stupid surrender of our lives, when the king turns so tyrannical,

as to send his cut-throats to demand them, or authorizes his bloody

papists to massacre us, them we must not resist upon any pretence. 3. It

is contrary to our covenants, that allow resistance in some cases, and

oblige to assist and defend all that enter under the bond thereof. 4.

This infers an owning of the present authority, as the irresistible

ordinance of God, and an obligation of living peaceably in subjection

under it; disproved above. To which I shall add a part of that forecited

letter of Mr. Rutherford's, the 63d in number of the third part of his

printed letters, which are a clear vindication of the principles and

practice of our conscientious sufferers on this point: 'There is a

promise and real purpose, (saith he) to live peaceably, under the king's

authority; but (1.) You do not so answer candidly and ingeniously the

mind of the rulers, who to your knowledge, mean a far other thing by

authority than you do: for you mean his just authority, his authority in

the Lord----in the maintainance of true religion, as in the covenant,

and confession of faith----is expressed from the word of God; they mean

his supreme authority, and absolute prerogative about laws, as their

acts clear, and as their practice is; for they refused to such as were

unwilling to subscribe their bond to add, authority in the Lord, or just

and lawful authority, or authority as it is expressed in the covenant;

but this draught of a petition yields the sense and meaning to them

which they crave. (2.) That authority for which they contend, is

exclusive of the sworn covenant; so that except ye had said, Ye shall be

subject to the king's authority in the Lord, or according to the sworn

covenant, you say nothing to the point in hand, and that sure is not

your meaning. (3.) Whoever promises so much of peaceable living under

his majesty's authority, leaving out the exposition of the fifth

command,--may, upon the very same ground subscribe the bond refused by

the godly, and so you pass from the covenant, and make all these bypast

actings of this kirk and state these years bypast to be horrid

rebellion, and how deep this guilt draws, consider.' 5. This would

infer, though the king should send and kill us, we must not resist, nor

defend our own lives: yet, being an oath against the sixth command,

which enjoineth natural self-preservation, it should be intrinsically

sinful; and 'tis all one to swear to non-preservation of self, as to

swear to self-murder. 6. I hope to make it appear in the fifth head,

that this is against the practice of nations, the law of nature, and the

word of God. Yet all this complex iniquity is clearly comprehended in

the oath of abjuration, in terms abjuring all war against the king.

VI. There were some other oaths, frequently obtruded upon people, for

refusing which they have suffered great cruelties, that can hardly be

described by any name; nor can their imposition have a parallel in any

age or place, for illegality, inhumanity, arbitrariness, and odiousness.

These were the oaths of inquisition, or things beyond all enquiry:

whereby people were pressed to answer the inquisitors, according to all

their knowledge of things they were interrogate upon, and delate and

discover intercommuned persons in their wanderings, or such whole names

were in their Porteous rolls, &c. And power was given to single

soldiers, to press these oaths upon whom they pleased. The iniquity of

which is monstrous: For, 1. This was the worst kind of combination with

these blood hounds, to abet and assist them in their pursuing after the

Lord's people: which is worse than to be bare consenters to such

wickedness, or to be onlookers to their affliction in the day of their

calamity; but like that sin charged upon Edom, that they delivered up

those of his that did remain in the day of distress, Obad. ver. 13, 14.

for these that took oaths, obliged themselves to do all they could to

deliver up the remnant that escaped; and if they did not, no thanks to

them; if they could not, their sin was in their willingness: it they

would not, and yet swore would contribute their help towards it, by

telling of all they knew, that was horrid perjury and false swearing. 2.

This could be no ways capable of the qualification of an oath; not only

because the matter is wicked and unnatural, to discover, may be, the

husband, or children, or nearest relations, to please men, or save their

own life, which was a great tentation; and therefore in it there could

be no deliberation in swearing: but also for the doubtful perplexity

confounding the mind, that they either could not, nor durst not tell of

all they knew, and yet swore to do it. 3. It is against the covenant,

which obliges to discover malignant enemies, and assist our covenanting

brethren, and not to discover them, and assist malignant enemies; which

is a perfect inverting the fourth and sixth articles of the covenant. 4.

It is contrary to clear precepts in scripture, to assist and defend our

brethren, to make our shadow as the night in the midst of the noon-day,

and hide the outcast, and bewray not him that wandereth, Isa. xvi. 3, 5.

The illegality of this imposition makes it very absurd, that every

pitiful officer or soldier should be empowered to impose and exact

oaths, and impanel and examine witnesses, about alledged criminals. Yet

the monstrousness of this oath serves to aggravate the oath of

abjuration; in that the abjurers do renounce their part of, and disown

the declarers of that abjured declaration, and so do as much as from

them is required, to give them up for a prey to their hunters; yea they

declare them murderers, in that they abjure their declaration as

asserting murder; and consequently they must be obliged to discover them

to their acknowledged judges.

VII. The abominable test comes next: which needs no other refutation

than to rehearse it; the substance whereof was a solemn swearing, 'That

they owned and sincerely professed the true protestant religion,

contained in the confession of faith, recorded in the first parliament

of king James VI.----and that they would adhere thereunto all the days

of their life,----and never consent to any change or alteration contrary

thereto,----but renounce all doctrines, principles, practices, whether

popish or fanatical, contrary thereto.----And they swear, that the king

is the only supreme governor of this realm, over all persons, in all

causes, as well ecclesiastical as civil,----and promises to bear faith

and true allegiance to the king's majesty, his heirs and lawful

successors, and to their power shall assist and defend all rights,

jurisdictions, prerogatives,----belonging to them----and

affirm----it----unlawful for subjects, upon pretence of reformation, or

any other pretence whatsoever, to enter into covenants----or to

convocate, conveen, or assemble----to treat, consult, or determine in

any matter of state, civil or ecclesiastic, without his majesty's

special command or to take up arms against the king, or these

commissionate by him----and that there lies no obligation on them, from

the national covenant, or solemn league and covenant----to endeavour any

change or alteration in the government, either in church or state, as it

is now established by the laws of the kingdom----and they shall never

decline his majesty's power and jurisdiction----and finally, they swear,

that this oath is given in the plain genuine sense and meaning of the

words, without any equivocation, mental reservation, or any manner of

evasion whatsoever.' This is the complement of a wicked conspiracy,

couching in its capricious bosom the complication of all their

mischiefs, comprehending all, and explaining all the former: which

indeed cannot be taken with any equivocating evasion, that can escape

either the stigma of nonsense and self contradiction, or the censure of

atheism and irreligion, or the sentence of divine vengeance against such

baffling the name of God. The best sense that can be put upon it, is

that which a poor sot expressed, when it was tendered to him, prefacing

thus before he took it, Lord have mercy upon my soul. For, 1. It is not

consistent with itself, there being such contradictions between that

confession of faith and the following part, that no man can reconcile,

some whereof may be instanced as follows; (1.) In the 11th art. of that

confession, intituled, of Christ's ascension, it is said, 'That Christ

is the only head of the church, and just lawgiver, in which honours and

offices, if men or angels presume to intrude themselves, we utterly

detest and abhor them, as blasphemous to our sovereign and supreme

governor Christ Jesus.' And a little before in that same article, it is

said, 'This glory, honour and prerogative he alone among the brethren

shall possess.' And in the 16th Art. of the kirk, 'Christ is the only

head of the same kirk.' And yet in the test, the king is affirmed to be

the only supreme in all causes ecclesiastical. (2.) In the 14th Art.

among good works are reckoned these: 'To obey superior powers and their

charges (not repugning to the commandment of God) to save the lives of

innocents, to repress tyranny, to defend the oppressed.' And among evil

works these are qualified, 'To resist any that God hath placed in

authority (while they pass not over the bounds of their office.') And

Art. 24th, it is confessed, 'That such as resist the supreme power,

doing that which pertains to his charge, do resist God's

ordinance,----while the princes and rulers vigilantly travel in the

execution of their office.' And yet in the test, true allegiance is

engaged into without any such limitations; and it is affirmed to be

unlawful, upon any pretence whatsoever, to convocate, &c. or to take up

arms against the king. (3.) In the 14th Art. 'Evil works are affirmed to

be, not only those that expresly are done against God's commandment, but

those also that, in matters of religion, and worshipping of God, have no

other assurance but the invention and opinion of men.' And Art. 18th,

among the notes of the true church, 'ecclesiastical discipline,

uprightly ministred, as God's word prescribes, whereby vice is

repressed, and virtue nourished, is one.' In Art. 20th. 'The voice of

God and constitution of men are opposed.' And yet in the test, they

swear never to endeavour any change or alteration in the government of

the church----as it is now established; whereof many things must be

altered, yea, the whole form and frame of it, if these propositions be

true, as they are. (4.) In the test, they swear never to consent to any

change or alteration, contrary to that confession, and that all

principles and practices contrary thereto are popish and fanatical (for

so they divide them into one of these disjunctively) then must all the

following principles in their test be renounced as such, seeing they are

contrary to that confession in some propositions or articles; and that

the government established by that confession was presbyterian, and this

established by the test is episcopal. 2. It comprehends all the former

oaths and bonds, which are cleared above to be sinful. Yet for as wicked

as it is, it must be some way homologated by the oath of abjuration,

excepting the contradiction that is in it; seeing all these oppositions

against the king, sworn against in the test, are abjured and renounced

in that oath of abjuration, in renouncing all declarations of war

against the king; for if any war can be undertaken against him, all

these kinds of opposition must be allowed, that are in the test sworn

against.

VIII. In the last place, I shall come to consider more particularly the

oath of abjuration itself; for refusing of which, the sufferings were

more severe (being extended even to death or banishment) though the

words be more smooth than in any of the former, which are these:

'I----do abjure, renounce, and disown a late pretended declaration,

affixed on several market crosses, &c. in so far as it declares war

against the king, and asserts it lawful to kill any that serve his

majesty in church, state, army or country.' That the taking of this oath

is a step of compliance, dishonourable to God, derogatory to the day's

testimony, contradictory to the many reiterated confessions of Christ's

worthy (though poor despised) witnesses, sealed by their blood, bonds

and banishments, encouraging and gratifying to the enemies of God,

hardening to backsliding brethren, offensive to the generation of the

righteous; stumbling to all, leaving a stain and sting upon the

conscience of the subscriber, I shall endeavour to make out by these

considerations.

1. Considering the party who imposed it; it must be looked upon as a

confederacy with them, being tendered upon all the subjects, as a test

of their incorporating themselves with, and declaring themselves for

their head, and siding with them and him, in this their contest and

contention with a poor remnant of the Lord's people, persecuted and

murdered by them for truth and conscience sake, who issued forth that

declaration against them, here abjured. Therefore let the party be

considered, imposing the oath with such rigour, and prosecuting the

refusers with ravenous rage, murdering and torturing all who did not

comply with them, declaring a war more formally and explicitely against

Christ as king, and all that will dare to assert their allegiance to

him; under an open displayed banner of defiance of him and his, than

even mortals durst espouse and avouch: the head of that treacherous and

truculent faction, both he who was first declared against in that

declaration, and he who hath by bloody and treacherous usurpation

succeeded to him, being such a monster for murder and mischief, tyranny,

oppression and perfidy, that among all the Nimrods and Nero's that past

ages can recount, we cannot find a parallel, by all law divine and

human, incapable of government, or any trust, or so much as protection,

or any privilege, but to be pursued by all, as a common enemy to

mankind: and his underlings, agents and complices, devoted to his lust,

and serving his wicked designs, in their respective offices and places

of trust under him, which by his nomination and sole appointment they

have been erected to, and established in, with the stain and indelible

character of perjury, the only qualification of their being capable of

any advancement, occupying by usurpation, intrusion and violence, the

public places of judicatories, and carrying all so insolently and

arbitrarily, and with an effrontery of wickedness and despight of all

reason, religion or justice, that they cannot but be looked upon as the

most pestilent and pestiferous plague that ever pestered a people: the

taking then of this oath, by them projected as a pest to infect

consciences, with, and pervert them to wicked, truth deserting and law

perverting loyalty, and imposed as a test of compliance with them and

coming off from that little flock whom they design to devour and

destinate to destruction; must be in their own esteem, as well as of the

generation of the righteous, to their satisfaction, and the others

sorrow, a real incorporating with them, an owning of their usurped power

as judges to administer oaths, giving them all obedience they required

for the time to their authority, and all the security they demanded for

the subscribers loyalty, an approving of all their proceedings in that

matter, and transacting, tampering, and bargaining with these sons of

Belial, out of fear, whereby a right is purchased to that common badge

of their owned and professed friends, who (upon taking that oath) had

from them a privilege and allowance to travel and traffic (where and how

they will) through the country, denied to all other that wanted that

badge; I mean the pass or testificate they got from them thereupon,

which was the mark of that secular beast of tyranny, no less pernicious

to the world than popery hath been to the church, and which was given to

all the takers of the oath, as a mark or tessera, that they were no

enemies to the government, as they call it. O base and unworthy livery!

for the suffering sons of Zion to put on the signature of the society of

her devourers. Hence, if covenants and confederacies, declaring we are

on their side, cannot be made with the enemies of religion, then this

oath could not be taken lawfully; but the former is proved above:

therefore the latter follows. This will yet more appear,

2. If we consider the party that set forth that declaration, whom the

proclamation against it represents so odiously and invidiously, whom the

oath imposed obliges us to condemn; being so represented, as if they

were maintainers of murdering principles, and perpetrators of

assassinating villanies, inconsistent with peace or any good government,

and therefore to be exterminated and destroyed out of the land, whom

therefore they prosecute and persecute so cruelly to the effusion of

their blood, under colour of law. 1. The takers of this oath must have

formally, under their unhappy hand, disowned and renounced them, and all

part or interest in them, or society or sympathy with them; who yet are

known to be the suffering people of God, more earnestly contending,

witnessing, wrestling for the faith and word of Christ's patience, and

have suffered more for their adherence to the covenanted reformation of

the church of Scotland, and for their opposition to all its deformations

and defections, than any party within the land: yet them have they

rejected as their companions, though with some of them sometimes they

have had sweet company and communion to the house of God, by abjuring

and condemning their deed which duty and necessity have drove them to.

2. Hereby they have presumptuously taken upon them, to pass a judgment

upon the deed of their brethren, before their murdering enemies? and

that not a private discretive judgment, but a public definitive sentence

(in their capacity) by the most solemn way of declaring it, that can be,

by oath and subscription under their hand; whereby they have condemned

all the sufferings of their brethren, who sealed their testimony in

opposition to this compliance with their blood, and finished it with

honoured joy, as foolish and frivolous profusion of their own blood,

nay, as just and legally inflicted and executed upon them, as being

rebels, of murdering principles and practices: for this cannot be

vindicated from a more than indirect justifying of all the murdering

severity executed upon them. 3. And hereby they have unkindly and

unchristianly lifted themselves on the other side against them, and take

part rather with their enemies than with them; for thus they used to

plead for it, when they pressed this oath upon them that scrupled it;

when any war is declared against the king, 'any of his majesty's

soldiers may question any man whom he is for, and if he be not for the

king, he may act against him as an enemy, and if they will not declare

for the king and disown the rebels, they are to be reputed by all as

enemies.' Which, whatever weakness be in the arguing, plainly discovers,

that they take the abjuring of that declaration, in that juncture, to be

a man's declaring of what side he is for, and that he is not for the

emmitters of that declaration, but for the king and his party: which, in

the present state of affairs, is a most dreadful owning of Christ's

enemy, and disowning of his friends. Hence, a disowning of the Lord's

persecuted people, and condemning their practice, and an owning of their

persecutors, and espousing their side of it, is a sinful confederacy;

but the taking of this oath is such, as is evident by what is said;

therefore it is a sinful confederacy.

3. Considering the nature, conditions, and qualifications of so solemn

and serious a piece of God's worship, and way of invocating his holy

name, as an oath is; it will appear, that the taking of this imposed

oath of abjuration, was a dreadful and heinous breach of the third

command, by taking his name in vain, in the worst sort, and so cannot be

holden guilty. I prove it thus: An oath which cannot be taken in truth,

judgment and righteousness, is a breach of the third command; but this

is an oath which cannot be in truth, judgment and righteousness: which

is evident; for, 1. It cannot be taken by any conscientious man in

truth, in sincerity of the heart, simplicity of the mind, singleness and

honesty in the intention, not putting any other sense than the imposer

hath, and which is the clear sense of it without oath and beyond it. For

if he take it according to the meaning, then he should swear it unlawful

ever to declare war against the king, and consequently never to rise in

arms against him upon any pretence whatsoever: for, if we may rise in

arms for our own defence, we make and must declare a defensive war. And

indeed, in themselves, as well as in their sense and meaning who imposed

them, these two oaths never to rise in arms against the king, and this

of abjuration, are one and the same. Then also should we swear it

unlawful, at any time, upon any occasion, or for any cause, to kill any

such as serve the king in church, state, army or country, either in

peace or war: for that is their thought, and the sense of the oath

itself, or what is beyond it: and in part, for their exemption and

immunity from all condign punishment, this oath was contrived. But in

fine, how can this oath be taken in truth; when it is not apparent,

either that the declaring of a war against the king, or killing some for

some causes (which shall afterwards be made appear to be lawful) that

serve him, are to be abjured and disowned? or that the declaration does

assert any such thing? And indeed it will be found to be a denying the

truth, and a subscribing to a manifest falsehood, invoking God to be

witness thereto. 2. This oath cannot be taken in judgment; that is, with

knowledge and deliberation, &c. All the terms of it have much of obscure

ambiguity, declaring a war, and killing any who serve the king, may be

constructed in several senses, good and bad, but here they are

indefinitely expressed, and universally condemned. Particularly that (in

so far as) hath several faces, and can never be sworn in judgment; for

if it denote a casuality, and signify as much as because or wherefore,

then all declarations of war against any that have the name of king

whatsoever, upon whatsoever grounds, and all killing of any serving him,

though in our own defence, must be universally condemned, for the

consequence is good as to every thing, if it import a restriction,

excluding other things in the declaration, but obliging to abjure only

that; then it implies also an affirmation, that these two things are

contained in it, which will not appear to the judgment of them that will

seriously ponder the declaration itself; if again it be a supposition or

condition, and to be interpreted, for if so be, then all that the

judgment can make of it is, that it is uncertain, and so the conscience

dare not invoke God as a witness of that which is uncertain whether it

be a truth or a lie. 3. This oath could not be taken in righteousness:

for the matter is not true, certainly known, lawful, possible, weighty,

necessary, useful, and worthy: it is not true, that the declaration

imports so far as it is represented in the oath of abjuration; neither

is it certainly known, but by collating these two together the contrary

will appear; neither is it lawful (if it were true that such assertions

were in it) to abjure all declarations of war against the king, and to

swear it unlawful ever to kill any, if he be once in the king's service,

in church, state, army, or country; nor is it possible to reduce this

assertory oath into a promissory one lawfully, as most part of such

oaths may and do necessarily imply; for when I swear such a thing

unlawful, it implies my promise, by virtue of the same oath, never to

practice it: But it is not possible (as the case stands) for a man to

bind up himself in every case from all declared war against the king, or

from killing some employed in his service; what if there be a necessary

call to join in arms with the Lord's people, for the defence of their

religion, lives and liberties, against him? what if he commands

massacre? Shall not a man defend himself? nor endeavour to kill none of

that murdering crew, because they are in his service? was ever a fool

so fettered? nor is it of such weight, to be the occasion of involving

the whole country in perjury or persecution, as by that oath was done;

nor was it necessary, in this man's time, to make all abjure a

declaration out of date, when the object of it Charles II. was dead, and

no visible party actually in arms to prosecute it; nor was it ever of

any use or worth, except it were implicitely to gratify their greedy

lusting after the blood of innocents, or the blood of silly souls

cheated by their snares, by involving them in the same sin of perjury

and conscience debauching false swearing, whereof they themselves are so

heinously guilty. But let them, and such as have taken that oath, and

not fled to Christ for a sanctuary, lay to heart the doom of false

swearers, 'the flying roll of the curse of God shall enter into their

house,' Zech. v. 4. 'Love no false oath, for all these are things that I

hate, saith the Lord,' Zech. viii. 17. 'The Lord will be a swift witness

against false swearers,' Mal. iii. 5. And let them sift their conscience

before the word, and set the word to the conscience, and these

considerations will have some weight.

4. If we consider this particular oath itself, and the words of it more

narrowly, we shall find a complication of iniquities in it, by examining

the sense of them as the imposers expound them. 1. Not only that

declaration, but all such in so far as they declare and assert such

things, are here renounced; and hereby many and faithful declarations

are disowned, that declare the same things. It is indeed pleaded by

some, that profess to be presbyterians, as it was also pretended by some

of the pressers of the oath themselves but in order to pervert and cheat

the conscience; that here is not required a disowning of the

apologetical declaration simpliciter, but only according to which, or

rather of a pretended one of their supposing, in so far as it imports

such things: but this is frivolous for that pretended one is intended by

the imposers to be the real apologetical declaration, which they will

have to be disowned, and cannot be distinguished from it: and though all

these assertions cannot be fastened upon that apologetical declaration,

but it is evident, that it is invidiously misrepresented: yet that same

is the pretended one which they require to be abjured in so far as it

asserts such things, which it does not: and if it be according to which

to be disowned, then that must either be according to that assertion of

killing any, &c. which is not to be found in it, and so it is not to be

disowned at all; or it must be according to the declaration of war

against the king, and so that which, or formal reason of disowning it,

will oblige to disown all declarations of war against the king, which

cannot be disowned. Others again object, that it is not required to be

disowned formally but only conditionally, taking and confounding in so

far, for if so be: but to any thinking man it is plain, this cannot be a

supposition nor yet a simple restriction (as they would give it out) but

an assertion, that such things are indeed imported in it; for so the

imposers think and say: and if it might pass current under that notion,

as a supposition, being equivalent to if so be, then under that

sophistical pretext, I might renounce the covenant, or the most

indisputed confession or declaration that ever was, in so far as it

contained such things; and so this equivocation might elude all

testimonies whatsoever, and justify all prevarications. 2. This must

condemn all defensive war of subjects against their oppressing rulers,

in that a declaration is abjured, in so far as it declares war against

the king: to press and persuade people to which, it was usually urged by

the imposers, that when a war is declared by rebels against the king,

then all the subjects are obliged to disown the rebels, or else be

repute for such themselves; and, when it was alledged the war was

ceased, because the object declared against was ceased, Charles II.

being dead, otherwise if a man be obliged to give his opinion about a

war declared against a king deceased and gone, then by the same parity

of reason, he must be obliged to give his opinion of that war of the

lords of the congregation (as they were called) against queen Mary, in

the beginning of the reformation, It was still replied by them, that the

rebellion continued, and all were guilty of it, that did not abjure that

declaration; whence it is evident, they mean, that every thing which

they call rebellion, must be disowned, and consequently all resistance

of superior, upon any pretence whatsoever, as many of their acts explain

it; yea, and it was plainly told by some of them, to some that scrupled

to take the oath, because they said they did not understand it, that the

meaning was to swear, never to rise in arms against the king. Against

this it hath been objected by several, that this was always denied by

presbyterians, that ever they declared war against the king expresly,

purposedly and designedly, but only against him by accident, when he

happened to be the adverse party; but this distinction will not be a

salvo to the conscience; for the object declared against, is either a

king or not; if he be not, then a declaration of war against him is not

to be abjured; if he be king, then he is either declared against as

king, and by himself, or as an oppressor, or an abuser of his power: the

first indeed is to be disowned; for a king, as king or lawful

magistrate, must not be resisted, Rom. xiii. 2. But the second, to

declare war against a king, as an oppressor and abuser of his power, and

subverter of the laws, hath been owned by our church and state many a

time, and they have opposed and declared war as purposedly against him,

as he did against them, and as really and formally as he was an

oppressor: sure he cannot be an oppressor only by accident: however this

hath been owned always by presbyterians, that war may be declared

against him who is called king. And therefore to abjure a declaration,

in so far as it declares war against the king, will condemn not only

that declaration, upon the heads wherein its honesty and faithfulness

chiefly consists, but all other most honest and honourable declarations,

that have been made and emitted by our worthy and renowned ancestors,

and by our worthies in our own time, who have formally, avowedly and

explicitely, or expresly, purposedly and designedly, declared their

opposition to tyranny and tyrants, and their lawful and laudable designs

to repress, depress and suppress them, by all the ways and means that

God and nature, and the laws of nations allow, when they did by law

itself depose and exauctorate themselves from all rule, or privilege, or

prerogative of rulers, and became no more God's ministers, but

Beelzebub's vicegerents, and monsters to be exterminated out of the

society of mankind. The honestest of all our declarations of defensive

war, have always run in this strain; and others, insinuating more

preposterous loyalty, have been justly taxed for asserting the interest

of the tyrant, the greatest enemy of the declarers, and principal object

of the declared war; which disingenious juggling and foisting in such

flattering and falsifying distinctions in the state of the quarrel, hath

rationally been thought one of the procuring causes or occasions of the

discomfiture of our former appearances for the work of God and liberties

of our country. 3. This must infer an owning of his authority as lawful

king, when the declaration disowning him is abjured, in so far as it

declares war against his majesty; for in this oath he is stiled, and

asserted to be king, and to have the majesty of a lawful king, and

therefore must be owned as such by all that take it; which yet I have

proved to be sinful above, Head 2. Against this it hath been quibbled by

some, that that declaration does not declare war against the king

expresly as king, who set forth the declaration. But this will not salve

the matter; for then (1.) It a subscribing to a lie, in abjuring a

declaration, in so far as it did declare a thing, which it did not, if

that hold. (2.) The enemies impose the abjuring and disowning of it, in

so far as it declares war against their king, who had none other but

Charles Stewart at that time, who was the king in their sense; and an

oath cannot be taken in any other sense, contradictory to the imposers,

even though by them allowed, without an unjustifiable equivocation. (3.)

Though he had been king, and had not committed such acts of tyranny, as

might actually denominate him a tyrant, and forfeit his kingship; yet to

repress his illegal arbitrariness and intolerable enormities, and to

repel his unjust violence, and reduce him to good order, subjects, at

least for their own defence, may declare a war expresly, purposedly and

designedly against their own acknowledged king; this ought not in so far

to be disowned; for then all our declarations emitted, during the whole

time of prosecuting the reformation, in opposition to our king would be

disowned; and so with one dash, unhappily the whole work of reformation,

and the way of carrying it on, is hereby tacitely and consequentially

reflected upon and reproached, if not disowned. (4.) It must infer an

owning of the ecclesiastical supremacy, when it asserts, that some do

serve the king in church, as well as in state; there is no distinction

here, but they are said to serve him the same way in both. And it is

certain they mean so, and have expressed so much in their acts, that

churchmen are as subordinate, and the same way subject to the king's

supremacy, as statesmen are; the absurdity and blasphemy of which is

discovered above. 5. This condemns all killing of any that serve the

king in church, state, army or country; for a declaration is abjured, in

so far as it asserts it lawful to kill any such; and so by this oath,

there is an impunity secured for his idolatrous priests and murdering

varlets, that serve him in the church; for his bloody counsellors, and

gowned murderers, that serve his tyrannical designs in the state; for

his bloody lictors and executioners, the swordmen, that serve him in

the army, whom he may send when he pleades to murder us; and for his

bloody just-asses, informers, and intelligencing sycophants, the

Zyphites, that serve him in the country: all these must escape bringing

to condign punishment, contrary to the 4th Art. of the solemn league and

covenant, and shall be confuted, Head 6. Against this it is excepted by

pleaders for this oath, that it is only a declared abhoring of murdering

principles, which no Christian dare refuse; and it may be taken in this

sense safely, that it is to be abjured, in so far as it asserts it

lawful to kill all that are to be employed by his majesty, or any,

because so employed in church, state, army or country, which never any

did assert was lawful: but though murdering principles are indeed always

to be declaredly abhorred, and all refusers of that oath did both

declare so much, and abhorred the thoughts of them; yet this invasion is

naught: for (1.) The declaration asserts no such thing, neither for that

cause nor for any other, but expressly makes a distinction between

persons under the epithet of bloody cruel murderers, and these only whom

it threateneth to animadvert upon. (2.) The only reason of their

declared intent of prosecuting these, whom they threaten to bring to

condign punishment, was, because they were so employed by the tyrant in

such service, as shedding the blood of innocents, murdering people where

they met them; and so that's the very reason for which they deserve to

be killed, and therefore foolish, impertinent, and very absurd to be

alledged as a qualification of the sense of that impious oath.

5. If we consider the proclamation enjoining this oath and narrating and

explaining the occasions and causes of it, all these reasons against it

will be confirmed; and it will further appear, that the proclamation

itself is indirectly approved. For though it might be sustained in the

abstract, that we may and must renounce such declarations founded on

principles inconsistent with government, and bearing such inferences as

are specified in that proclamation; yet complexly considered what they

mean by government, what sort of society that is, the security whereof

is said to be infringed by that declaration, and what is the scope of

that narrative; a renouncing of a paper contradictory thereto, must be

in so far a tacite approbation of that proclamation. For that oath,

which renounceth what is contrary to such a proclamation, does justify

the proclamation; but this oath renounces what is contrary to the

proclamation, and that only: therefore it justifies the proclamation. It

is intituled, as it was really designed, for discovering such as own or

will not disown the foresaid declaration, by them falsely nicknamed, a

late treasonable declaration of war against his majesty, and the horrid

principle of assassination. And the body of it discovers such hell-bred

hatred of, and malice against, that poor party, destinated, in their

design, to final and total destruction, and lays down such contrivances

for their discovery and ruin, that the heads and hearts of the inventers

and authors may seem to be possessed and inspired with the devil's

immediately assisting counsel, and the clerk's pen that drew it up to

have been dipt in the Stygian lake, and the gall and venom of hell:

representing the emitters, and abetters, and spreaders of that

declaration, and all who have been joined in any of their societies, and

all who either will own or scruple to disown the said declaration, in

the manner by them tendered and imposed, (which are the generality of

the most tender and conscientious christians in the land) under all the

vilest and most abominable and odious terms, their malice could invent;

as if they were 'insolent and desperate rebels, associated under a

pretended form of government, who had formerly endeavoured to disguise

their bloody and execrable principles, but now had pulled off the mask,

and who think it a duty to kill and murder all who do any manner of way

serve the present rulers, or bear charge under them, who maintain

principles inconsistent with all government and society, and tending to

the destruction of the lives of their loyal and honest subjects;

treacherous and assassinating principles, &c. Who now have declared

their hellish intentions, and for the better performance of their

mischievous designs, do lurk in secret, and are never discerned but in

the acts of their horrid assassinations, and passing up and down among

the king's loyal subjects, take opportunity to murder and assassinate,

like execrable rebels; and calling that declaration, an execrable and

damnable paper,' &c. All which are execrable and damnable lies, and

forgeries of the fathers of them, and a charge which all their sophistry

can never make out in any particular: yet by them amplified to a

swelling height of heinousness; and, among other circumstances,

aggravated, from their frequent refusing the reiterated offers of their

clemency, by which they understand their contempt of their presumptuous,

Christ-defying, and church-destroying indulgences, and their not

submitting to their insnaring and base indemnities, or their conscience

cheating bonds and oaths by them so finely bulked. From these impudently

pretended premisses, in their falsely forged viperous narrative, they

lay down their bloody methods and measures for prosecuting that poor

people, with all vigour of savage severity; ordaining, 'That whosoever

shall own that declaration, and the principles therein specified,'

(which is a larger dilatation of their meaning, than their pretended,

restriction, (in so far as, &c.) and gives a further discovery of the

intent of the oath, that gives a covert stroke to all the principles of

our reformation, which are reductively specified in that declaration)

'or whosoever shall refuse to disown the same----shall be execute to the

death; and commanding all subjects to concur, and do their utmost

endeavour to seek, search, delate, and apprehend all such, under the

severest penalties of the laws; and to difference the good from the

bad, (meaning their own associates and friends, from Christ's followers)

by discriminating signs, declaring it their pleasure, and requiring all

past the age of 16 years not to presume to travel without testificates

of their loyalty and good principles, by taking the oath of abjuration;

whereupon they are to have a testificate, which is to serve for a free

pass, with certification to all that shall adventure to travel without

such a testificate, shall be holden and used as concurrers with the said

rebels; commanding all heritors, &c. to give up the lists, of the names

of all under them, before the curate; declaring, if any shall refuse to

concur in such service, they shall be holden as guilty of the foresaid

crimes, and punished accordingly; and strictly prohibiting all to

harbour, lodge, or entertain any, unless they have such certificates,

under the same pain: and for encouragement to any that shall discover or

apprehend any to be found guilty as above said, ensuring to them the sum

of 500 merks Scots for each of them.' This is that hell hatched

proclamation, so grievous for its effects, so dreadful for its designs,

so monstrous for its absurdities, that the like hath not been seen:

whereby not only the country's interest and trade hath been prejudged,

by compelling all to have a pass in time of peace, and these to be

procured at exorbitant rates, oppressing poor people; not only common

hostlers and innkeepers are made judges, impowered to impose oaths upon

passengers for their passes, that they be not forged; but many

consciences couzened, cheated, wounded and insnared, and the whole land

involved in sin. But they that took this oath have approved and

justified this detestable, execrable, bloody proclamation, the spurious

spawn of the devil's venom against Christ's followers: for they gave all

the obedience to it that was required of them in their capacity, and

obedience justifies the law enjoining it; they have done all was

required, or could be done by them, to answer the design of it in their

circumstances; and consequently, by doing the thing prescribed, they

have justified the grounds upon which the rescript was founded, and the

methods by which it was prosecuted, which hath a dreadful medly of

iniquity in it. Hence, (1.) They have subscribed to all these odious

characters wherewith they branded that poor persecuted party, and

condemned them as insolent, desperate rebels, murderers, bloody

assassins, &c. (2.) In disowning that declaration, they have disowned

the principles therein specified, and consequently all the testimony

against this usurping faction of overturners of the work of reformation,

active and passive, that have been given and sealed by the eminent

servants of God, since this catastrophe, the principle of defensive

arms, and our covenants, and several others which are therein specified.

(3.) They have given their consent to all the concurrence therein

required, for seeking, searching, delating, and apprehending of these

people, and to all the cruel villainies committed against them. (4.)

They have taken on their prescribed discriminating sign of loyalty, and

of being repute by them men of good principles, that is, their friends,

men for the times: which is so sinful and scandalous, that it is

shameful to hint at them, and yet shameful to hide them.

6. If we consider the apologetical declaration itself, which is so

bespattered, and so odiously represented, and so rigorously enjoined to

be abjured; who will more narrowly look into it, and ponder and perpend

the purpose and scope of it, will see nothing that can be abjured

conscientiously in it, but the whole of it, laying aside prejudice and

invidious critical censoriousness, capable of a fair and acceptable

construction. The motives leading them to let it forth, being only their

desires and just endeavours to prosecute, and secure themselves in the

prosecution of holy commanded duties, and to keep a standing testimony

against the insolency of those that are given up of God, to lay out

themselves in promoving a course of profanity and persecution,

notwithstanding of all their viperous threatnings. Their measures being

none other, than the commendable precedents and examples of zealous and

tender hearted Christians, who have done the like, and our national and

solemn covenants, lying with their binding force indispensible upon all

of us, and obliging us to endeavour all that is there declared, as being

bound for ever to have common friends and foes with our covenanted

reformation, to all which they declare and avouch their resolved

adherence, and their own former declarations, disowning their allegiance

to, and authority of a man who had, by law itself, forfeited all

authority, by his intolerable tyranny, perjury, and perfidious breach of

trust, reposed and devolved upon him by covenant; by his overturning all

the fundamental constitutions of the government, perverting, inverting,

and everting all laws, all liberties, all privileges of church and

state, all establishments of our covenanted work of reformation, all

securities of our life and enjoyments whatsoever, usurping to himself an

absolute tyrannical civil supremacy, inconsistent with the safety or

freedom of the people; and a monstrous, blasphemous, ecclesiastical

supremacy; upon which considerations, to endeavour to make good their

freedom and emancipation from that yoke which they had cast off, they

behoved to resolve upon defensive resistance, against him and his bloody

emissaries; which war being declared before, they only in this

declaration testifyed their unanimous approbation of, adherence to, and

resolutions for prosecuting the same against him and his accomplices,

such as lay out themselves to promove his wicked and hellish designs: by

which war they do not mean a formed stated and declared insurrection

with hostile force, to break the peace of the nation, and involve all in

blood, but a resolved, avowed, constant, opposition to the murdering

violence, injustice, oppression, and persecution of this wicked faction,

now raging, rather than reigning, who have declared, and still

prosecute a declared war against Christ, bearing down his work and

interest in the land; 'And a constant endeavour, in opposition to them,

to pursue the ends of our covenants, in standing to the defence of the

glorious work of reformation, and their own lives; and, in the defence

thereof, to maintain the cause and interest of Christ against his

enemies, and to hold up the standard of our Lord Jesus Christ (meaning

the gospel and the word of our testimony,) whereunto they looked upon

themselves as bound and obliged by their holy covenants, being therein

dedicated to the Lord in their persons, lives, liberties, and fortunes,

for defending and promoving this glorious work of reformation,

notwithstanding of all opposition, that is or may be made thereunto, and

sworn against all neutrality and indifferency in the Lord's matters;

whereunto they beseech, invite and obtest, all them who wish well to

Zion, to a concurrence and concerting the same cause and quarrel.' In

maintaining of which opposition against such wicked enemies, because by

them they were restlessly pursued and hunted, and murdered wherever they

were found, neither could find any harbour or hiding place in any corner

of the country, for searchers, informers, and instigators, who still

stirred up the country to raise the hue and cry after them, and caused

them to be delivered up, and delated them to the courts of their

murdering enemies, whereby much innocent blood was shed; therefore, to

stop their career of violence and deter them from such courses, they

found it necessary to threaten them with more active and vigorous

opposition, and that they might expect to be treated as they deserved.

Wherein they are far from owning assassinating principles, or practising

assassinations; for they give only open and plain warning, and

advertisement to the world, of their necessitated endeavours to defend

themselves, and prevent the murder of their brethren, and can no way be

charged with asserting it lawful, to kill all employed in the king's

service in church, state, army, or country, as the proclamation in

viperous, invective calumny, misrepresents the declaration; but, on the

contrary, do jointly and unanimously declare, 'They detest and abhor

that hellish principle of killing such as differ in judgment from them,

and they are firmly and really purposed, not to injure or offend any

whomsoever, but such as are directly guilty of, or accessory to the

murder of their brethren.' Whom yet they mind not to assassinate or kill

tumultuarily, but to prosecute them with all the legal formalities, that

justice in their capacity, and the times disorder and distracted

condition will allow; expressly declaring, 'That they abhor, condemn,

and discharge all personal attempts upon any pretexts whatsomever,

without previous deliberations, common consent, certain probation of

sufficient witnesses, or the guilty persons confession.' Neither could

it ever be supposed, that they threaten all employed in the king's

service with this sort of handling, but some select and expressly

distinguished kind of notorious villains, men of death and blood, openly

avowing and vaunting of their murders: and these they distinguished into

several classes, according to the respective aggravations of their

wickedness: in the first, 'They place those that murder by command,

under pretext of an usurped authority, as counsellors, justiciary, and

officers of their forces, or bands of robbers, and not all, nor any of

these neither, but the cruel and bloody.' In the second class, they

threaten such as are actually in arms against them of an inferior rank,

and such gentlemen, and bishops, and curates, as do professedly and

willingly serve them to accomplish and effectuate their murders, by

obeying their commands, making search for these poor men, delivering

them up, instigating, informing, and witnessing against, and hunting

after them: and not all these neither, but such as cruelly prosecute

that service, to the effussion of their blood. Neither do they threaten

all equally, nor any of them peremptorily, 'But that continuing after

the publication of this their declaration, obstinately and habitually in

these courses (plainly declaring they intended no hurt to them if they

would hold up their hands) they would repute them as enemies to God and

the reformation, and punish them as such, according to their power, and

the degree of their offence; withal leaving room for civil and

ecclesiastical satisfaction, before lawful and settled judicatories, for

the offences of such persons, as their power may nor reach,' &c. And as

unwilling to be necessitated to such severe courses, and earnestly

desirous they be prevented, they admonish them with sorrow and

seriousness, of the sin and hazard of their wicked courses; and protest,

that only necessity of self preservation, and zeal to religion, lest it

should be totally rooted out by their insolency, did drive them to this

threatening declaration, and not because they were acted by any sinful

spirit of revenge. This is all that is contained in that declaration.

And if there be any thing here so odious and execrable, to be so

solemnly abjured, renounced, and abhorred in the presence of God, for

the pleasure of, and in obedience to the will of his and our enemies,

let all unbiassed considerers impartially weigh, or any awakened

conscience speak, and I doubt not but the sweating and subscribing this

oath will be cast and condemned.

I shall say nothing of the necessity, or conveniency, or expediency, or

formality of this declaration: but the lawfulness of the matter,

complexly taken, is so undeniable, that it cannot be renounced, without

condemning many very material principles of our reformation: only

success and incapacity is wanting to justify the manner, whole

procedure, formality, and all the circumstances of the business; if

either the declarers themselves, or any other impowered with strength,

and countenanced with success to make good the undertaking, had issued

out such a declaration in the same terms, and had prevailed and

prospered in the project, many, that have now abjured it, would approve

and applaud it. But passing these things that are extrinsic to the

consideration in hand it is the matter that they required to be abjured

and condemned, it is that the enemies quarrelled at, and not the

inexpediency or informalities of it: and it must be taken as they

propound it, and abjured and renounced by oath as they represent it; and

therefore the iniquity of this subscription will appear to be great, in

two respects; 1st, In denying the truth. 2dly, In subscribing to, and

swearing a lie. 1. They that have taken that oath have denied and

renounced the matter of that declaration, which is truth and duty, and a

testimony to the cause of Christ, as it is this day stated and

circumstantiate in the nation, founded upon former (among us

uncontroverted) precedents and principles of defensive wars, disowning

tyranny, and repressing the insolency of tyrants and their accomplices;

the whole matter being reducible to these two points, declaring a

resolved endeavour of breaking the tyrant's yoke from off our neck,

thereby asserting our own and the posterities liberty and freedom, from

his insupportable and entailed slavery; and a just threatening to curb

and restrain the insolency of murderers, or to bring them to condign

punishment: whereof, as the first is noways repugnant, but very

consonant to the third article; so the second is the very duty obliged

unto in the fourth article of our solemn league and covenant. But all

this they have denied by taking that oath. 2. By taking that oath, they

have sworn and subscribed to a lie, making it as they represent it,

abjuring it in so far as it declares, &c. and asserts it is lawful to

kill all employed in the service of the king, in church, state, army, or

country; which is a manifest lie, for it asserts no such thing. Neither

will any other sense put upon the words, in so far as salve the matter;

for as thereby the takers of the oath shall deal deceitfully, In

frustrating the end of the oath, and the design of the tenderers

thereof; and to take an oath in so far, will not satisfy, as Voetius

judgeth, de Pol. Eccl. p. 213. So let them be taken which way they can,

either for so much, or even as, or providing, it is either a denying the

truth, or subscribing a lie: and consequently these poor people suffered

for righteousness that refused it.