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A DECLARATION OF THE Presbiterians; Concerning His Maieſties Royal Perſon, And the Government of the CHURCH of ENGLAND. WITH Several Propoſitions touching the So­lemn League and Covenant, and the ſetting up of Biſhops.

LONDON: Printed for T. Dacres, 1660.

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A DECLARATION OF THE Presbyterians, CONCERNING His Majeſties Royal Perſon, and the Government of the Church of ENGLAND.

WHereas there hath aroſe ſeveral Diſputes touch­ing the great and weighty Concern of the Diſ­cipline of the Church of England, upon the ſence and ſolution of the Solemn League and Covenant, ſo far as it relates to the Govern­ment of the Church by Epiſcopacie: And whereas the ſence and very Letter of the Covenant is clear againſt the unjuſt and Anti-chriſtian frame of Government; ſo are they2 not againſt the abſolute extirpation of Prelacie; but it is the abuſe, not the thing; the adjuncts, hot the ſubiect; the defects and exceſſes, not its Fabrick, is covenanted againſt; but that they are willing to become inſtrumental, to cement the ſad differences in the Church; deſiring all ſuch who have adhered thereto to produce thoſe clear, pregnant, and conſtant beams of right reaſon, and true Religion, which ſhineth in the brightneſs and ſtability of Divine and humane Laws, which may be the Pillars of this truth, firm ſupports of duty, ſure bounds of obedience, and ſafe repoſe of Conſcience in this point; greatly darkned by the many diſ­putes of Biſhops andreſbyters, Papiſts and Proteſtants: nay by the poſſitive aſſertions of both Papiſts and Prote­ſtant Divines, and determinations of Schoolmen, who have concluded Biſhops and Preſbyters to be Miniſters ejuſ­dem ordinis, equal in Office and Authority, and in this ve­ry caſe of Government.

And we doubt not, but all on the contrary ſhall finde every conſcientious Covenanter enjoy the comfort of his accompliſhed Oath, whenn his place he hath ſeaſonably adviſed, humbly petition­ed, and lawfuly endeavoured, to remove Eng­lands old Hierachy; and to reſtore ſuch an Epiſ­copacy, to be exerciſed by the Officers of the Church in common and good order, as is neareſt the Scripture, primitive practice and perſwaſion of ſober, grave, pious, and learned men, ſuch as was the late Primate of Armah; but if either his moſt ſacred Majeſty, or any other in Authority fail in the exerciſe of their capacity to effect the ends of the5 Covenant, we hope it ſhall be no offence to mourn for their iniquity, and the iniquity of the Land; nor will it be inconſiſtent to that humble ſubmiſſi­on, a••ive or pſſive, we confes we all owe unto his moſt ſacred Majeſty: what ever ſhall be the e­ſtabliſhment in the Church (though never ſo cor­rupt, yet) whileſt conſiſtent with Salvation, though it may occaſion to my ſuffering, and a ſuſ­pence of my Miniſtry, by Gods grace it ſhall not effect in me, or ſuch on whom I have an influence, Schiſm from the Church, or reſiſtance of his Maje­ſties juſt Right and Authority; for whom as we have not ſuffered the laſt, ſo if God ſhould ſo farre leave him (which God forbid) we are ready by him to ſuffer the utmoſt, in adherence to the So­lemn League and Covenant, until it be diſcovered a band of iniquity, a ſnare and gin for Schiſm and Sedition to act by, to the diſhonour of God, and reproach of reformed Religion: Yet we cannot but moſt heartily pray for the honeſt and ingenu­ous reformation of Epiſcopacy beyond the for­mer defective or exceſſive conſtitution or execu­tion of it; which I doubt not will ſatisfie the ex­pectations of all that Covenanted.

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We confeſs every conſciencious Covenanter ow­eth his Juſtice and Duty;

1. To God, to approve, love, deſire, and uſe what is good, not being within his own power, and ex­cluded by his Oath or Covenant; may, and muſt, are things very indifferent.

2. To obey the King as chief Governour of Church and State enjoyning things lawful and ho­neſt (ſo not covenanted againſt) though not the very beſt.

3. To pitty the Biſhops and Fathers of the Church who have been there too injurious, or inju­riouſly uſed, and pull down all proud Prelates, and paternal Authority over Presbyters, which abuſe their Brethren, and debaſe their Miniſtry becauſe in a Black Coat.

4. To encourage Miniſters, and endeavour the reſcue of them from dividing Factions, and popu­lar inſolencies which have befallen them for want of the King, and Eccleſiaſtical Order, but may be enjoyed without a Biſhop advanced in power a­bove his Brethren.

5. Love to the Church, in indeavouring its uni­ty, peace, and proſperity in the ruine of Prelacy and Eſtabliſhmens of an Epiſcopacy and over-ſight duly conſtituted and carefully executed.

56. Care to his own ſoul, inward and eternall peace, not to be couzened by glones, courted by Rhetorical flouriſhes, noudgelled out of his Co­venant by moſt bitter ſufferings, but toleave unto it with care, conſtancy, and diligence, and take heed of all ſophiſtical ſolutions, and ſubtle reconciliati­ons, which endeavour to baffle the Covenant, and break in pieces the very power of Religious Bonds. And we can not but further declare, That Covenant-breaking is ſo direful a God-provoking ſinne, that we tremble to think of Englands leaſt tendency to it; whatever men fancie to themſelves of the Cove­nant being the Rock of his late Majeſties ſhip­wrack, it is viſible that the violation of it hath been the deſtruction of our late Uſurpers, who laid it a­ſide that they might leap into the Chair of State; and it cannot be denied to have been the chiefe and onely means of his Majeſties moſt juſt and honou­rable Reſtitution; and an adherencie to it (We doubt not) will prove the eſtabliſhment of his Roy­all Throne.

And to the end, that the Cauſe of the Covenant may be pleaded, We deſire it may be weighed in the ballance of Reaſon and Religion, whileſt we are reſolved to approve our ſelves no leſſe zealous in6 the Religious than he hath appeared in the Politi­cal or Civil part of the Solemn League and Cove­nant; and make it his care to giue God the things that are Gods, as Caeſar the things that are Caeſars.

And ſo

God ſave the KING.

FINIS.

About this transcription

TextA declaration of the Presbiterians; concerning His Maiesties Royal Person, and the government of the Church of England. With several propositions touching the Solemn League and Covenant, and the setting up of Bishops.
Author[unknown]
Extent Approx. 7 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images.
Edition1600
SeriesEarly English books online.
Additional notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A82213)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 119206)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 154:E1040[9])

About the source text

Bibliographic informationA declaration of the Presbiterians; concerning His Maiesties Royal Person, and the government of the Church of England. With several propositions touching the Solemn League and Covenant, and the setting up of Bishops. [2], 6 p. printed for T. Dacres,London :1660.. (Annotation on Thomason copy: "Aug. 21.".) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)
Languageeng
Classification
  • Church of England -- Government -- Early works to 1800.
  • Solemn League and Covenant (1643). -- Early works to 1800.
  • Presbyterianism -- Early works to 1800.

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Publisher
  • Text Creation Partnership,
ImprintAnn Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2013-12 (EEBO-TCP Phase 2).
Identifiers
  • DLPS A82213
  • STC Wing D739
  • STC Thomason E1040_9
  • STC ESTC R207899
  • EEBO-CITATION 99866918
  • PROQUEST 99866918
  • VID 119206
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