Certaine irrefragable propositions worthy of serious consideration. By I.H. B. of Exon Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A02518 of text S103639 in the English Short Title Catalog (STC 12646B). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 6 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 7 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 A02518 STC 12646B ESTC S103639 99839388 99839388 3802 2240880641

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A02518) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 3802) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1069:26) Certaine irrefragable propositions worthy of serious consideration. By I.H. B. of Exon Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656. [6], 7, [1] p. Printed by M[iles] F[lesher] for Nath: Butter, London : MDCXXXIX. [1639] Dedication signed: Jos: Exon, i.e. Joseph Hall. Concerns oaths and covenants. Printer's name from STC. Reproduction of the original in Harvard University. Library. eng Church of England -- Government -- Early works to 1800. Oaths -- Early works to 1800. eebo Certaine irrefragable propositions worthy of serious consideration. By I.H. B. of Exon. Hall, Joseph, 1639 14 943 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 A This text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. 2005-01 Assigned for keying and markup 2005-03 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-04 Sampled and proofread 2005-04 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

Certaine IRREFRAGABLE PROPOSITIONS WORTHY OF Serious Consideration .

By J. H. B. of Exon.

LONDON , Printed by M.F. for NATH: BUTTER . MDCXXXIX .

TO MY DREAD SOVERAIGN , THE KINGS MOST Excellent MAIESTIE . May it please your Matie ,

AS one , whose heart ( amongst many thousands ) bleeds with the sad thoughts of the wofull Divisions of our deare Fellow-Subjects ; and unfainedly pitties the mis-guidance of those poore well-meaning soules amongst them , whose credulity hath heedlesly betray'd them into a zealous errour ; I have let fall these few Propositions ; which I have presumed to set downe , not as in the way of a Challenger ; for , most ( if not all ) of them are such , as be not capable of Contradiction , but rather of a faithfull Remembrancer to my dear Brethren , of those Points which they cannot but know , and yeeld : as well supposing , that nothing but meer want of consideration can be guilty of this perillous distraction , in them , who professe to love their King , and the Truth .

Now the good God of heaven open the eyes and hearts of us all , that we may both see , and be sensible of the invaluable blessing of our peace , and the happy freedome of his Gospel , which we doe comfortably enjoy under Your MAIESTIES sweet and religious Government , to the wonder , and envie of all other Nations ; and compose the hearts of all your Native Subjects to meet Your MAIESTIES most gracious indulgence , with all humble thankefulnesse .

And the same God forbid that any of us should be weary of our happiness : and be drawne to doe any act that may ( before all the world ) poure shame upon our holy profession ; whose chiefe glory it hath alwayes hitherto beene to render us still loyall and obedient , and in this very regard , to triumph over the false religion of our opposites . Such shall be ever the prayers of

Your Maties most humble , and faithfull Subject , and ancientest Chaplain , JOS: EXON .
Seaven irrefragable Propositions concerning Oaths and Covenants .
1.

NO man may sweare , or induce another man to swear unlawfully .

2.

IT is no lawfull Oath that is not attended with Truth , Justice , and Judgement , Jer. 4.2 . 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 meet to be sworn and undertaken .

3.

A Promissory Oath which is to the certaine prejudice of another mans right , cannot be attended with Justice .

4.

NO prejudice of another mans right can be so dangerous and sinfull , as that prejudice which is done to the right of publique and Soveraign Authority .

5.

THe right of Soveraign Authority is highly prejudiced , when private subjects incroach upon it ; and shall , upon suspicion of the disavowed vowed intentions , or actions of their Princes , combine , and binde themselves to enact , establish , or alter any matters concerning Religion , without ( and therefore much more if against ) the authority of their Lawfull Soveraign .

6.

A Man is bound in Conscience to reverse and disclaime that which he was induced unlawfully to ingage himselfe by Oath to performe .

7.

NO oath is , or can be of force , that is made against a lawfull oath formerly taken ; so as he that hath sworne Allegeance to his Soveraign , and thereby bound himselfe to maintain the right , power , and authority of his said Soveraign , cannot by any second oath , be tyed to doe ought that may tend to the infringement thereof : and if he have so tyed himselfe , the Obligation is , ipso facto , void and frustrate .

COROLLARIE .

IF therefore any sworne Subject shall by pretences and perswasions , be drawne to binde himselfe by Oath or Covenant , to determine , establish , or alter any act concerning matter of Religion , without , or against the allowance of Soveraign Authority , the act is unlawfull and unjust , and the party so ingaged is bound in conscience to reverse and renounce his said act : Otherwise ( besides the horrible scandall which hee shall draw upon Religion ) he doth manifestly incur the sinne of the breach of the third and fift Commandements .

Two , as undoubted Propositions , concerning Church-government .
1.

NO man living , no History , can shew any wel-allowed and setled nationall Church in the whole Christian World , that hath beene governed otherwise then by Bishops , in a meet & moderate imparity , ever since the times of Christ and his Apostles , untill this present Age.

2.

NO man living , no record of History can shew any Lay-Presbyter that ever was in the whole Christian Church , untill this present Age.

COROLLARIE .

IF men would as easily learne as Christian wisdome 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 ill-raised quarrels would dye alone .

Da pacem Domine , F.E.