The faith, doctrine, and religion, professed, & protected in the realme of England, and dominions of the same expressed in 39 articles, concordablie agreed vpon by the reuerend bishops, and clergie of this kingdome, at two seuerall meetings, or conuocations of theirs, in the yeares of our Lord, 1562, and 1604: the said articles analised into propositions, and the propositions prooued to be agreeable both to the written word of God, and to the extant confessions of all the neighbour churches, Christianlie reformed: the aduersaries also of note, and name, which from the apostles daies, and primitiue Church hetherto, haue crossed, or contradicted the said articles in generall, or any particle, or proposition arising from anie of them in particular, heereby are discouered, laid open, and so confuted. Perused, and by the lawfull authoritie of the Church of England, allowed to be publique.

The errors, and aduersaries vnto this truth.

Many bee the aduersaries one way, or other crossing this truth. For

1. Some condemne all swearing, as did the Esseis, who deeme all swearing as bad as forswearing a 1.1; and doe the A∣nabaptistes, which will not sweare, albeit thereby both the glorie of God may bee much promoted, and the Church of Christ▪ or Common-weale, furthered b 1.2.

2. Others condemne some kind of Oathes, and will not sweare, though vrged by the magistrate, but when themselues thinke good. So the Papistes, no man (say they) ought to take an Oath to accuse a Catholicke (a Papist) for his religion c 1.3; & such as by Oathes accuse Catholickes (that is Papists) are damned d 1.4.

So the Puritans, oftentimes either will take none oath at all when it is ministred vnto them by authoritie, if it may turne to the molestation of their Brethren e 1.5, or if they sweare (find∣ing their testimonie will bee hurtfull to their cause) they wil not deliuer their mindes after they be sworne f 1.6.

3. Others, hauing taken the Oath doe fowlie abuse the same, as the Knights of the post, like the Turkish Seiti, & Chagi g 1.7, who for a Ducket will take a thousand false Oathes afore the magistrate; as also the Iesuits, who in swearing (which is little better then forswearing) doe vti scientia, that is cunning, and equiuocations h 1.8; as also doe they, who conscionablie, and religiouslie keepe not their faith, such are the forenamed Pa∣pistes. For (say they) An Oath taken for the furtherance of false religion (as they take the profession of all Protestantes to be i 1.9) bindeth not k 1.10. Againe, Faith is not to bee kept with Haeritickes l 1.11. Which assertion little differeth from the opinion of some Puritanes, who teach▪ that promise (or Faith) is not

to be kept, when (as perhaps by the not erecting of Presbyte∣ries in euerie parish) Gods honor, and preaching of his word, is hindered m 1.12.

Subiects be discharged from their Oath of allegeance, and may gather forces against their leige Soueraigne, if hee eter∣prise any thing to the hurt of his Realme, or of (the Romish) religion, was a determination of the Sorbonistes in a certaine conventicle of theirs at Paris n 1.13. And that magistrates, by their Subiects, may be brought vnder the obedience of Lawes, was a conclusion of certaine Scottish ministers in a priuate Conventicle of Edinburgh o 1.14.

Seditiosi non sunt qui resistunt principibus, politicum, aut ecclesi∣asticū statū perturbantibus. Nā qui resistit Principi seditioso, seditiosus non est, sed seditionem tollit, saith a Frenchman p 1.15: yea (saith an Englishman, whose workes by T.C. are highly approoued, and commended, Hunc tollant uel pacifice, vel cum bello, qui ea potesta∣te donati sunt, vt regni Ephori, vel omnium ordinum conuentus pub∣licus q 1.16: Subiects may not respect their oathes made vnto such Princes, which trouble the state of the Church, or Common-weale.

Finally, whatsoeuer Princes be (good, or bad) if they bee Women (say some), oathes of allegeance vnto them, are not to be kept. Their words be these.

First, (aswell the States of the kingdome, as the common people) they ought to remooue from honour, and authoritie, that monster in nature: so call I woman in the habit of man, yea a woman against nature raigning aboue man. Secondly, if any presume to defend that impietie, they ought not to feare, first to prononce, & then after to execute against thē (that is to say a∣gainst women gouernours) the sentence of death. If any man be afraid to violate the oath of obedience, which they haue made to such monsters, let them be most assuredly perswaded, that as the beginning of their oathes, proceeding from ignorance, was sinne: so is the obstinate purpose to keepe the same, nothing but plaine rebellion against God r 1.17.

Last of all, whereas euery minister of the word, and Sacra∣ments at his ordination doth sweare to obey his Diocesan in

all lawfull matters, certaine Gentlemen of the Puritane facti∣on, write thus vnto the Bishops of the Church of England, and printed the same, viz. The Canon law is vtterly void within the realme; and therfore your Oath of Canonicall obedience is of no force, and all your Canonicall admonitions not worth a rush s 1.18.

D. Hilar. contra Constantium August.

Non recipit mendacium veritas, nec patitur religio impietatem. The truth admits no lie; neither can religion abide impietie.

1. Tim. 1. v. 17.

Vnto the king everlasting, immortall, inuisible, vnto God onely wise (be) honour, (and) glory for euer, and euer, Amen.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Fard. of fa∣shions 2. part.
• b 1.2

  Confes. Basil. ar. 11. §. 1.
• c 1.3

  Test. Rhe. an. Act. 23.12.
• d 1.4

  Ibid.
• e 1.5

  Hooker of ec∣cles. pol. praef.
• f 1.6

  D. Sutcliff. ans. to Iob. Throck. p. 46. b.
• g 1.7

  Pol. of the Turk. emp. c. 24. p. 74.
• h 1.8

  Quodlib. p. 34.68. Garnets arraign.
• i 1.9

  Test. Rhem. an. Act. 20.1••.
• k 1.10

  Iuram•••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 propter falsam religionē praesti∣tum non obligat Bap. ••ickler. de iure magist▪ p. 11.
• l 1.11

  Concil▪ Cons••a.
• m 1.12

  Geneva an. Matth. ••.12. One of them hath deliue∣red that if the Prince doe hinder the building of the Church, the people may by force of armes▪ resist him. Ans. to the▪ Abstract. p. 94.
• n 1.13

  Mercur. Gal∣lobelg. l. 2. p. 86.
• o 1.14

  Bucchan. re∣rum Scotic. l. 17. p. 202. b.
• p 1.15

  Euseb. Phila∣delph. diall. 2. p. 57.
• q 1.16

  Dud. Fen. S. Theol. l. 5. c. 13.
• r 1.17

  Against the regim. of wo∣men 2. blas. p. 53. b.
• s 1.18

  The Gentle∣mens demāds vnto the Bi∣shops (printed an. 1605.) p. 46.