Evangelium armatum, A specimen, or short collection of several doctrines and positions destructive to our government, both civil and ecclesiastical preached and vented by the known leaders and abetters of the pretended reformation such as Mr. Calamy, Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Case, Mr. Baxter, Mr. Caryll, Mr. Marshall, and others, &c.

Out of Bishop Bramhall's Book against Mr. Hobs, call'd, The Catching of the Leviathan.

THE Obligation of a Subject to the Soveraign, lasteth no* 1.1 longer, than the power by which he is able to protect him, Bramhall, p. 517.

When in a war forein or intestine the Enemies get a final victory,* 1.2 so as (the forces of the Common-wealth keeping the field no longer,) there is no protection of Subjects in their Loyaltie, then is the Common∣wealth dissolved, and every man at liberty to protect himself by such cour∣ses as his own discretion shall suggest to him, p. 517.

He that hath no obligation to his former Soveraign, but that of an* 1.3 ordinary Subject, hath liberty to submit to a Conquerour, when the means of his life is within the guards and garrisons of his enemy, for it is then that he hath no longer protection from him. And concludeth,—That their total submission is as lawfull as a Contribution, p. 518.

That they who live under the protection of a Conquerour, openly* 1.4 are understood to submit to his Government: And that in the Act of receiving protection openly, and not renouncing it openly, they do ob∣lige themselves to obey the Laws of their Protector, to which in receiving protection, they have assented, p. 518.

If the Common-wealth come into the power of its enemies, so* 1.5 that they cannot be resisted, he who had the soveraignty before, is understood to have lost it, p. 517.

Security is the end for which men make themselves subjects to* 1.6 others; which if he in joy not, his subjection ceaseth, and he loseth not right to defend himself at his own discretion; neither is any man un∣derstood to have bound himself to any thing, or to have relinquished his right over all things, before his own security be provided for, p. 513.

It is manifest, that they do against Conscience, and wish the eter∣nal* 1.7 damnation of their Subjects, who do not cause such doctrine, and such worship to be exhibited to them, as they themselves do believe to conduce to their salvation, or tolerate the contrary to be taught and exhibited, p. 514.

No man is bound by his pacts, whatsoever they be, not to resist* 1.8 him, who bringeth upon him death or wounds, or any bodily damage, p. 514.

Seeing no man is bound to impossibilities, they who are to suffer* 1.9 corporal damage, and are not constant enough to endure it, are not obliged to suffer it. And more fully,—In case a great many men together have rebelled, or committed some other capital crime, for which every one of them expecteth death, whether have not they the liberty to joyn toge∣ther and assist and defend one another? Certainly they have, for they do but defend their lives with the guilty, as well as the innocent may do. There was indeed injustice in their first breach of duty, their bearing Arms subsequent to it, though to maintain what they have done, is no unjust Act, p. 514.

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Hobs his Lev. p. 114.
• * 1.2

  Lev.
• * 1.3

  Le. p. 190.
• * 1.4

  Le. p. 137.
• * 1.5

  Hobs de Civ. C. 7. Sect. 18.
• * 1.6

  Ci. C. 13. Sect. 3.
• * 1.7

  Ci. C. 13. Sect. 5.
• * 1.8

  Ci. C. 2. Sect. 18.
• * 1.9

  Le. p. 112.