Qu: SIR, I pray tell me; is warre lawfull? and may I lawfully be a Souldier?

Ans. Yes, Warre is law­full; For God allowes it; Deut. 23.9. and He is stiled a man of warre: Exod. 15.3. And you may lawfully be a souldier: For Gods choicest Servants, Abraham, Ioshua, Sampson, Gideon, David, and many more were Souldi­ers: And you may safely follow their exam­ple, so that you have a lawfull calling to that Profession.

Qu. How may I be assured that I am lawful­ly called to this profession? and consequently may with a safe conscience take up Armes?

Ans. This you may know both Negative­ly and Affirmatively.

Qu. How Negatively?

Ans. By three Notes; 1. If you thrust your selfe into this calling, either without or against that education your Parents have given you, either without or against their allowance: For such Rashnesse Jacob chid his two sonnes, Simeon and Levi, Gen. 34.30. and blamed them, Gen. 49.7. If your Parents disallow and forbid you this calling, you are not lawfully called unto it.

2. If you enter into this Profession either without or against that Supreame Authority under which you live. For this fault were the children of Israell destroyed by the sword, be­cause they presumed to go up against the Ama­lekites when Moses their King forbad them. Numb. 14.42. If the King or those Magistrates that are appointed by Him doe forbid you, you are not lawfully called unto it.

3. If you take up Armes for your owne pri­vate ends, either for Coveteousnesse and to grow Rich thereby, or for Malice, and to be Revenged thereby, or for Sensuality and to de­light therein; you are not lawfully called un­to it; For saies the Psalmist, Scatter thou the People that delight in Warre: Psal. 68.30.

Qu. What then thinke you of those that now take up Armes against the King?

Ans. Why I thinke, yes I know they are [Page 3]Rebels; and I feare (without Gods great mer­cy and their owne Repentance) they shall be tormented with the Devill and his Angels.

Q. God forbid Sir; pray why censure you them so hardly?

Ans. Nay God will not forbid it; for he hath forbidden all men to Rebell; and hath threat­ned them that doe Rebell with Damnation, Ro. 13.2. Nor is there one example in the whole Bible of any one Rebell that ever died in the outward possibility of Salvation.

Qu. Sir, may not Subjects resist their King in any case, though He be an Hereticke, an Apo­state, or a Tyrant?

Ans. No, Subjects may not resist in any case: this is the doctrine of Jesuites and Puritans, but assure your selfe there is neither Precept nor Practise for it in the holy word of God; nor did the Primitive Christians ever dreame of it.

Qu. But if the King be such a one, and in­tends the Destruction of His People, what reme­dy have the Subjects?

Ans. Prayers and Teares: 1 Sam. 8.10, 18. let the King be never so bad they may not use other weapons against their King then Prayers and Teares.

Qu. Sir, It may be you speake of an Absolute [Page 4]Monarch; but I speake of the King of England; who, as some Divines and Lawyers have told me, is but a mixt Monarch, and may be curbed and resisted.

Ans. Did they tell you He is a mixt Mo­narch? are you sure on't? then they told you a Bull; and by their language you may perceive they are but boyes in Divinity, and but Smat­terers in law; for the Kings of England are Ab­solute Monarches, and not to be curbed by a­ny, not to be resisted by any: 24. Hen. 8. cap. 12.25 Hen. 8. either at home or abroad; If For­raigners doe it, they are publicke Enemies; If Domestickes doe it, they are Rebels.

Q. But the Subjects of England have suppo­sed they had such a Power; and upon that suppo­sition they have entred into a Holy League and Covenant, and bound themselves by Oath to Re­forme the King and Kingdome, even by Armes: are they not now bound to doe it?

Ans. No; For the Oath is unlawfull, and the end is ungodly.

Qu. How is the Oath unlawfull?

Ans. Because it is imposed without Autho­rity; because it is imposed against Authori­ty.

Qu. Why? Is it not imposed by Authority of Parliament?

Ans. No; because the King is absent; and none hath Power to impose an Oath, but he that hath power to draw the sword, i. e. the King. Or admit it as you say; Yet because that which you call the Parliament hath imposed this Oath, hath inforced this Covenant, not only without, but also against Supreme Autho­rity, i. e. the King; It is unlawfull.

Qu. How is the End ungodly.

A. Because it is to shed bloud, because they that take it, sweare that Assertively, the truth whereof they know not, viz. the Scots Religi­on in Doctrine and Discipline; and they sweare that Promissorily, which for ought they know is impossible, viz. the extirpation of Bishops, and the bringing of all those whom they call Delinquents (who are the best and major part of this Kingdome) to condigne punishment, i. e. to Ruine; and also for the extirpation of Popery, whereby they must divorce many Husbands and Wives, which is a thing dete­stable both to God and man. And this is plaine perjury.

Qu. But good Sir, for Gods sake what shall we then doe now that we have sworne?

Ans. What must you do? Why you must Repent; Repent even for taking this Oath; so farre must you be from performing this oath, [Page 6]or else you will add sinne unto sinne, the sinne of Perjury to the sinne of Rebellion; the sinne of Murther to the sinne of Perjury; and the sinne of Obstinacie to the sinne of Murther.

Qu. But Sir, I am bound in Conscience to performe that which I have so solemnely vowed, How else shall my Conscience be satisfyed?

Ans. Your Conscience may be satisfyedu­pon these foure irrefragable Maximes of Divi­nity.

1. A Sacrament of Piety must not be a Bond of Iniquity. i. e. Admit the Oath be an holy Oath; yet because thereby you have sworne to be Evill, viz. to fight against the King, which is to be a Rebell, you must desist. The Example of Herod proves this, Mat. 14.7.

2. A Sacrament of Piety must not be an Im­pediment of Piety, i. e. Admit the oath you have taken be an holy Oath, and the end you have taken it for, be an holy End, viz. Piety, simply to extirpate Popery, yet because it hinders a greater point of Piety, viz. Obedi­ence and Loyalty to the King, you must desist, The example of Saint Peter proves this, John 13.8. and so doth the Example of Saul. 1 Sam. 15.22.

3. Unjust Bonds are dissolved by Righte­ousnesse; i. e. Admit you were forced to take [Page 7]this Oath for feare of plundering, Imprison­ment, and the like; You are yet discharged from the performance of it, and bound only to Repentance for it: The Example of Jepthe comes neare this, Judic. 11.31, 40. and so doth that of the Elder sonne, Mat. 21.28. The example of Saul in slaying the Gibeonites proves it at full: 2 Sam. 21.1. and so doth that universally resolved Case. If Theives make me sweare not to discover them upon paine of death; I am yet bound to discover them.

4. Just vowes may be nulled and made voyd by the Superiour, i.e. Admit the vow you have made, the Covenant you have entred in­to be neither of Evill for an evill End, nor of E­vill to a good End, nor of Good to an evill End, but De Bono Bene, of Good for a good End; yet because the consent of the Superiour the King, is not to it, yea because he hath pub­lished his dissent against it, You are so farre from being bound by it, that you are free from it. Deut. 30.4.

Qu. Sir, If I have taken it, will you ab­solve me? If I have not taken it, can you di­rect me how I may take it with certaine Limita­tions, that so I may preserve both my Loyalty, and my Liberty together with my estate?

Ans. Noe, neither; I cannot absolve yous nor can any absolve you but God and the King; nor will God absolve you, untill you have made the King amends for the wrong you have done him by taking this oath; And there­fore 2^ly I dare not, indeed I dare not nor may, I give you any directions to take this oath by any limitations whatsoever: For it is a resolv­ed case in Divinity.

I confesse it is a hard case you are put unto, either Penury, or Perjury; If you take it not you must be plundered, and imprisoned; If you take it, you are Forsworne, and a Rebell; But better loose the world, then your soule.

Some men I confesse doe mince the matter, and say a man may take this oath and not be forsworne, by reason of his limitations and reservations, (which is but a Jesuiticall tricke) yet even they confesse that thus takeing the oath, is taking Gods name in vaine; Which who so doeth, you know God will not hold him guiltlesse. Exod. 20.7.

Qu. Sir, I have caused you a little to di­gresse, but I thanke you for that abundant satis­faction [Page 9]you have given me; I returne, and pro­mise to trouble you but in a few Quaeries more. What thinke you of them that fight for the King?

Ans. This I thinke of them; yes and am assured of it too, so they fight Conscienti­ously for the Cause without by-respects, of Riches, or Reward, or Revenge, If they die, they die Martyrs; for they dye for the Lord, Matt. 5.10. which is more then to dye in the Lord Apocal. 14.13. and are therefore bles­sed: If they live, they live honest men, the honour of their Country, and the glory of their Friends.

Qu. If your affirmative evidence be as good as your negative, you have not only disheartened me from them at Westminster, but you have also heartened me for the King: (and I hope many more with me) How may I affirmatively know that I am lawfully called to be a Souldier?

Ans. By three other notes, 1. If the ground be good, as either to maintaine the true Reli­gion; Therefore is warre against Antichrist commended, Apocal. 17. 16. or else to reco­ver that which the Enemy hath unjustly taken away, hence did the Israelites set upon the Philistims 1 Sam. 7.14. or else to punish such as have done publique wrong. Hence David made warre upon the Ammonites a Sam. 10.7.

Qu. How do any of these Grounds concerne this warre?

Ans. How? marry in each respect, 1. Those at Westminster have voted downe our ancient Religion, which we have justified against Pa­pists and Puritans, to be the truest Religion in the world, both for Doctrine and Discipline. 2. They have unjustly taken away whatsoe­ver belonged unto the King, His Magazines, and Forts, His Customes and Revenues. 3. They have done publicke wrong, not onely in taking away the Churches meanes, but the Church-mens lives also; not onely in taking away their and all other the Subjects Proper­ty, but their Liberty also; so that the ground of this warre on the Kings part is, To main­taine and Recover our Religion, our Property, and Liberty.

Qu. What is the second Affirmative Note?

Ans. If the End be good: as either to with­draw Enemies from some dangerous Plot; Thus God stirred up the Philistines to invade Israel: to draw Saul from pursuing David, 1 Sam. 23.27. or else to weaken the power of professed Enemies; To this end David set upon the enemies of Israel, 2 Sam. 8.12. or else to sub­due Rebellious Subjects that will not be go­verned by Law. Hence was Sheba and his fol­lowers [Page 11]beseiged by King David's men in Abell of Beth-Maachah, 2 Sam. 20.15. And what is the end of this warre on the Kings part, but that Rebels and other Delinquents may be gover­ned by law? Let the law take place, and the warre is done.

Qu. What is the third Affirmative note?

Ans. If the Execution be right, as 1. That you shed no more bloud then Necessity enfor­ces you; If the Enemies yeild you must spare them: Hence was that charge, If they make thee answer of Peace, &c. Deut. 20.11. & 2. If you slay not such as cannot hurt you, weake women, aged men, young children; Hence is that charge in Deut. 20.11. But the women, &c. And 3. If you put not such as you are for­ced to kill, to cruell torments; For Cruelty pro­vokes God to anger; witnesse the Sirians and the Ammonites, Amos 1.3, 13. (not but that Torments may be used in some cases: As 1. To finde out the Truth. Or 2. To requite like for like. Or 3. To punish insupportable wrongs. Or 4. For Breach of Faith.) And setting aside these Cases, let one be named, woman, old man, or child, that hath beene put to death, or any o­ther, souldier or whomsoever, that hath desi­red Peace or Quarter, that hath beene refused [Page 12]on the Kings part; I could name many on the other.

Qu. If such be my End, such my Ground, and such my Execution, may I then lawfully take up Armes and be a Souldier?

Ans. No, unlesse the King call you to it. For howsoever the foresaid Ground, End, and Exe­cution are required to make warre lawfull, yet you may not be a souldier, unlesse the King call you to it.

Qu. If the King invite me to it, may I then lawfully take up Armes?

Ans. Yes, you may, my life and soule for yours, you may, whether the Warre be Defen­five or Offensive, you may with a safe Consci­ence, yea and must undertake this profession.

Qu. One thing more I beseech you: Suppose the King hath neither such a Ground, nor such End, nor such Execution, may I yet safely be a Souldier under Him?

Ans. It is an odde and unmannerly supposi­tion you make: you would take it very ill if your Neighbour should not believe you upon your word; and why then doe you not beleive the King upon his Protestations! On my Con­science you may, and with my soule I beleive it. But admitting the supposition yet notwith­standing you are bound to fight for the King [Page 13]when He commands you; His unjust Com­mands herein make Himselfe onely guilty; your ready obedience will approve you In­nocent: So have all the Casuists that yet I have met with resolved it: and sure I am too the Lawes of this Land command it. Looke you else upon that Statute of 25 Edw. 3. c. 3. Edw. 2. Exilium Hugonis de Spens. 5 Ric. 2. c. 31. & 32. Speed lib. 9. c. 20. Speed lib. 9. c. 24.

Qu. Sir, I beseech you now you have made me a Souldier for the King, to furnish me with one forme of Prayer.

Ans. You have the Prayers of the Church, then which cannot be better; use them.

Qu. Sir, I confesse it; But they are Pub­licke Prayers, and so I shall use them: I desire one for mine owne private Devotion.

Ans. I am willing to satisfy you; If you cannot better furnish your selfe, use this: