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SEVEN

IRREFRAGABLE PROPOSITIONS,

CONCERNING

OATHS AND COVENANTS.

1.

No man may swear, or induce another man to swear, unlawfully,

2.

IT is no Lawful Oath, that is not attended with Truth, Justice, and Judgment; Jer. iv. 2: the First whereof requires, that the thing sworn be true; the Second, that it be just; the Third, that it be not undue and unmeet to be sworn and undertaken.

3.

A PROMISSORY Oath, which is to the certain Prejudice of another man's Right, cannot be attended with Justice.

4.

No Prejudice of another man's Right can be so dangerous and sinful, as that prejudice, which is done to the Right of Public and Sovereign Authority.

5.

THE Right of Sovereign Authority is highly prejudiced, when Private Subjects encroach upon it; and shall, upon suspicion of the disavowed intentions or actions of their Princes, combine and bind themselves to enact, establish, or alter any matters concerning Religion, without, and therefore much more if against, the Authority of their Lawful Sovereign.

6.

A MAN is bound, in Conscience, to reverse and disclaim that, which he was induced Unlawfully to engage himself by Oath to perform.

7.

No Oath is or can be of Force, that is made against a Lawful Oath formerly taken: so as he, that hath sworn Allegiance to his Sovereign, and thereby bound himself to maintain the Right, Power, and Authority of his said Sovereign, cannot, by any Second Oath, be tied to do ought that may tend to the infringement thereof: and, if he have so tied himself, the Obligation is, ipso facto, void and frustrate.

COROLLARY.

IF, therefore, any Sworn Subject shall, by pretences and persuasions, be drawn to bind himself by Oath or Covenant, to determine, establish, or alter any Act concerning Matter of Religion, without or against the Allowance of Sovereign Authority, the Act is unlawful and unjust; and the Party, so engaged, is bound, in conscience, to reverse and renounce his said Act: otherwise, besides the horrible scandal which he shall draw upon Religion, he doth manifestly incur the sin of the breach of the Third and Fifth Commandments.

TWO, AS UNDOUBTED,

PROPOSITIONS,

CONCERNING

CHURCH-GOVERNMENT.

1.

No man living, no history, can shew any well-allowed and Settled National Church in the whole Christian World, that hath been go verned otherwise than by Bishops, in a meet and moderate impa rity, ever since the times of Christ and his Apostles, until this Present Age.

2.

No man living, no record of history, can shew any Lay-Presbyter, that ever was in the Whole Christian Church, until this Present Age,

COROLLARY.

If men would as easily LEARN as Christian Wisdom can TEACH them, to distinguish betwixt Callings and Persons, betwixt the Substance of callings and the Not-Necessary Appendances of them, betwixt the Rules of Government and the Errors of Execution, these illraised Quarrels would die alone.

Da Pacem, Domine,

AMEN.

J. E.

EPISCOPACY BY DIVINE RIGHT,

ASSERTED.

BY

JOSEPH, BISHOP OF EXETER.

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