A Challenge, by the Divines of the Army, to the Divines of Sion-Colledge: Concerning THE LEAGUE AND COVENANT.
IN your Exhortation for taking the Covenant, 'tis said; That Oathes not warranted by the Lawes of God and the Land, call for Repentance and not Pertinacy (in those that have taken them) and consequently, [...]ey are not to bee taken by others.
Hence we make this Quere:
By what Law of God and the Land, respectively, the Noble men, Barons, Knights, Gentlemen, Citizens, Burgesses, Ministers of the Gospell, and Commons of all sorts, in the kingdomes, of England, Scotland, and Ireland, are Warranted, without, and against, the Command of their Respective King, to enter into League, and to Sweare and Covenant, to Intermeddle of themselves Mutually in each kingdome in point of Religion, to Alteration (as in the first Article) And to Extirpation (as in the second Article) And in point of the Priviledges of the Parliaments and of the Liberties of the several Kingdomes, and of the person and Authoritie of the King in each kingdome (as in the third Article) And of the Conjunction of the kingdomes in a firme Peace and Union to all Posterity (as in the fift Article) And to assist and defend, in each kingdome, all those that adhere to them (as in the sixt Article) And to bring to condigne punishment, in each Kingdome, all that oppose them (as in the fourth Article) And lastly, To encourage the People of other States and Churches to joyne in the same, or like Association and Covenant (as in the Conclusion thereof.)
The Challenge upon the Quere.
NOw if you can cleerly set forth, The Law of God and the Land respectively warrantiug this Covenant, Wee also will readily take it: If you cannot (according to your owne Principles) Repent, that you have taken it, and exhorted others to take it, and that at this time you presse the observing and keeping of it.
How much better were it (after his Majesties return to the Parliament, which we both seeme to desire) That the differences in Religion be freely debated and stated by us in a publique Convention (as the Civill differences are like to be in Parliament) And all established according to the results of Truth and Justice, rather then to be prejudged by you, and your unwarranted, and to be repented of; English-Scottish-Irish Covenant.
As Jannes & Jambres withstood Moses, so doe you also resist the Truth: but you shall proceede no farther, for your folly shall be manifest to all men, as theirs also was. Tim. 1.3.9.
You are blind leaders of the blind, and if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the Ditch. Mat 15.13.
And let all your Party know, that after this Conviction, 'tis not as you Preach, Fidelity and Constancy; but as your Exhortation declares, Pertinacy and Obstinacy for them to pursue or owne this illegall and unjustifiable League and Covenant.
And if they sin wilfully after they have received the knowledge of the Truth, there remains no more Sacrifice for sins. But a certain fearfull looking for, of judgement and firy Indignation which shall devoure the Adversaries. Heb. 10.26.27.