To sin by the sudden surprise of a Passion is too bad; but to study it, resolve it, and covenant it, is most dangerous: To engage a Mans self by Covenant to be once a Month drunk, or steal, or commit Fornication, is far worse than the bare Act.
XVIII. It is granted that Repentance is the condition of Forgiveness, and for a man to swear or covenant that he will never repent, or endeavour to amend, or alter any thing that is amiss, is to renounce Forgiveness.
XIX. It is granted that public, common, national Sins, are far worse than private and personal, in few; and if heinous, they are Prognostics of the sorest Judgments; and to promote them, is to be the Enemy of the Land.
XX. It is granted that if that prove Perjury, which some Dissenters fear is such, and the Kingdom should be stigmatized by it, there could scarce be any greater Shame and Danger befall the Land, to make it odious to GOD and Men, and Recorded as such to all Generations. As I said, The Oaths and Covenants to endeavour no Alteration in Church Government, is imposed on all Corporations, all Soldiers in the Militia, all Vestries, all Non-conformist Ministers that will take it, and all Ministers as to covenant in the Act of Uniformity: And he that (without accusing others) only studieth to be innocent of so mortal a (feared) Guilt, sure is therein excusable, if the fear of God, and the love of our Souls, and of the Church and State, be not an unexcusable Crime. Apply this no farther than I apply it.
⟨p. 211⟩XXI. There is so much written for a foreign Jurisdiction over England, in Church Affairs, by Arch-Bishop Laud, Arch-Bishop Bromhall, Dr. Heylin, Mr. Thorndike, Dr. Saywell, Bishop Gunning 's Chaplain (and many others) whose Words I am ready to produce) as may assure us that it is in the same Mens thoughts to introduce it as the only way to Concord, and that they therefore desire the Ejection and Ruin of such as we, because we are against it. And how far, and how soon God will let these men prevail, we know not: But we are past doubt, that to subject a Nation to a foreign Jurisdiction, is to stigmatize it with the most odious Perjury:
To sin by the sudden surprize of a Passion is too bad; but to study it, resolve it, and covenant it, is most dangerous: To engage a Mans self by Covenant to be once a Month drunk, or steal, or commit Fornication, is far worse than the bare Act.
XVIII. It is granted that Repentance is the condition of Forgiveness, and for a man to swear or covenant that he will never repent, or endeavour to amend, or alter any thing that is amiss, is to renounce Forgiveness.
XIX. It is granted that publick, common, national Sins, are far worse than private and personal, in few; and if heinous, they are Prognosticks of the sorest Judgments; and to promote them, is to be the Enemy of the Land.
XX. It is granted that if that prove Perjury, which some Dissenters fear is such, and the Kingdom should be stigmatized by it, there could scarce be any greater Shame and Danger befall the Land, to make it odious to GOD and Men, and Recorded as such to all Generations. As I said, The Oaths and Covenants to endeavour no Alteration in Church Government, is imposed on all Corporations, all Souldiers in the Militia, all Vesteries, all Non-conformist Ministers that will take it, and all Ministers as to covenant in the Act of Uniformity: And he that (without accusing others) only studieth to be innocent of so mortal a (feared) Guilt, sure is therein excusable, if the fear of God, and the love of our Souls, and of the Church and State, be not an unexcusable Crime. Apply this no farther than I apply it.
⟨p. 211⟩XXI. There is so much written for a foreign Iurisdiction over England, in Church Affairs, by Arch-Bishop Laud, Arch-Bishop Bromhall, Dr. Heylin, Mr. Thorndike, Dr. Saywell, Bishop Gunning 's Chaplain (and many others) whose Words I am ready to produce) as may assure us that it is in the same Mens thoughts to introduce it as the only way to Concord, and that they therefore desire the Ejection and Ruine of such as we, because we are against it. And how far, and how soon God will let these men prevail, we know not: But we are past doubt, that to subject a Nation to a foreign Iurisdiction, is to stigmatize it with the most odious Perjury:
