Certaine queries concerning the danger of taking the late forced engagement: sent from the generall assembly of divines of the Kirk of Scotland, to their Presbyterian brethren the Mnisters [sic] of London.. Church of Scotland. General Assembly. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription B20334 of text R229636 in the English Short Title Catalog. 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. 6KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 B20334 Wing C4201IA Interim Tract Supplement Guide 190.g.12[150] ESTC R211236 ESTC R229636 ocm99888402

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 Early English books online text creation partnership. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. B20334) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 201720) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books; Tract supplement ; C26:3[150]) Certaine queries concerning the danger of taking the late forced engagement: sent from the generall assembly of divines of the Kirk of Scotland, to their Presbyterian brethren the Mnisters [sic] of London.. Church of Scotland. General Assembly. 1 sheet ([1] p.). s.n., [London : 1649?] Imprint from L (OPAC97). Arguments against taking the oath of October 11, 1649, pledging faith to the Commonwealth of England. Reproduction of original in the British Library.

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 eng England and Wales. -- Parliament -- Early works to 1800. Oaths -- England -- Early works to 1800. Scotland -- Church history -- 17th century. Great Britain -- History -- Commonwealth and Protectorate, 1649-1660 -- Early works to 1800. Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1649-1660 -- Early works to 1800. Broadsides -- England -- 17th century. eebo Certaine queries concerning the danger of taking the late forced engagement: : sent from the generall assembly of divines of the Kirk of Scotland, to Church of Scotland. General Assembly. 1649 1 1089 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. 2014-02 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2014-04 Sampled and proofread 2014-04 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2015-03 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
Certaine QUERIES concerning the danger of taking the late forced Engagement : Sent from the Generall Assembly of Divines of the Kirk of Scotland , to their Presbyterian Brethren the Mnisters of LONDON .

IT was ordered by the Parliament October 11 1649. that many men of quality , especially such as are imployed in any Office of Trust or Eminencie in the Land , should take this following Engagement .

I doe declare and promise , that I will be true and faithfull to the Common-wealth of England , as the same as now established without a King , and House of Lords .

It is thought that this Engagement ought not to be taken as being neither profitable , honourable nor honest , as appeares by these following Reasons . 1. The Parliament since it had power oppressed the People with unheard of Assessments , and unsupportable Excise . 2. There can be no expectation of any end thereof , as themselves intimate in their late Declaration against the Levellers ; for they say what is gotten by the Sword , must be kept thereby . 3. Under an endlesse Parliament we are all Slaves , and it is impossible to be otherwise , sitting the Legislative power ; for all mens lives , and estates depends on their Votes ; so that the Arbitrary power which they blamed the King for , they usurpe themselves . 4. To make our slavery more absolute , we are over-awed with the power of an Army , which we maintaine at our own charges to tyrannize all the Kingdome over . 5. The settling of our new Common-wealth , engages us in Warre with Forraigne Nations . 6. It hindreth Commerce and Trading with them , and is like to doe so more , and more . 7. It exposes our Seamen and Merchants to the danger of Pyrats , who under pertence of having Commissions from the King , they robbe all they meet with , to the undoing of many Families . 8. The Parliament all this time hath not , and doth intimate not obscurely that they will not settle any Church-Government , whereby a great gap is openned to licentious prophanesse , illegall marriages , and many other mischiefes and disorders . 9. They doe apparently connive at , or rather countenance all Opinions , whereby Blasphemies , Schisme , Errours , and Heresies abound , and the true Religion is in great danger to be lost . 10. None of all these inconveniences were under Monarchy , at least , not in such an height . 11. The King and Lords have as just right to their places , as Generall Cromwell hath to his Doublet , ( that was his owne expression ) and therefore it were unjust to deprive them thereof , now to assist such Injustice , and usurpation , and to engage for the maintenance of Usurpers is to render a mans selfe accessary to others mens sinnes . 12. This Engagement is contrary to our former Oathes of Allegeance , Supremacie , Obedience , Protestation , Covenant , &c. 13. It exposes us ( without Repentance ) to Gods Wrath , and fearfull Judgements , and to everlasting Damnation of Body and Soule . 14. To reject this Engagement , and re-establish the King , would be beneficiall . For First , It would put us into our former Condition , and Freedome . Secondly , It would take away our Oppressions , Assessments , and Excise . Thirdly , Wee should be freed from the slavery of the Army . Forthly , Peace would be setled at home , and abroad , which otherwise is never like to be . Fifthly , By that meanes Trading would be secured , and Pyracie would cease . Sixthly , The Church would be setled , and Religion preserved . Seventhly , Errours , and damnable Heresies , Prophanesse , and irreligious courses would be either avoyded , or punished Eightly , Men might thereby please God , and doe their duties to their King , keepe a good Conscience , love one another , observe their former Oathes , and escape Gods Wrath and Vengeance . 15. To take this Engagement would encourage the Parliament , in their present proceedings , which otherwise peradventure would comply with the King , whereby our ( otherwise everlasting ) miseries might be redrest . 16. To signe this Engagement ( for such as are contrary minded ) through hope , or feare , or any by-end is to wrong their King , betray their Countrey , beguile the Parmiament , damne their owne Soules , and Bodies , mocke GOD , and the World . 17. It is not lawfull to take any Oath , or Engagement without the Authority of Parliament . That was the ground this Parliament so insisted on against the Oath that was composed by the last Convocation , to be imposed upon the Clergy ; but this Epitome of the Commons House is no Parliament , which is thus proved by these six following Reasons , viz. First , A part of a part is not the whole . Secondly , No Parliament can last ( by Law , ) after the death of the King that called it . Thirdly , The King and the two Houses of Parliament makes one Body politique , which is therefore actually dissolved upon want of any of those three ; as King , Lords , and Commons . Fourthly , There can be no Parliament but in reference to parleying with the King : but that cannot be now there is no King . Fifthly , The Parliament sits onely by Vertue of the Writ of Summons , but that is voyded at the Kings decease , as experience confirmes . Sixtly , The House of Lords is an essentiall part of the Parliament , and now that being taken away , the Parliament cannot remaine .

By these ; and many such like Reasons it appeares , that this is no Parliament ; and therefore it cannot authorize any to take this Engagement : where upon it followes that no man ought to engage ; and that this Engagement cannot by any Conscientious man be subscribed thereunto .

FINIS .