Answer I have not the bookes to searth into those statutes, nor have I seene the petition of right But that the King may authorize vnder his great Seale the admi- nistring of an oath (as this hee doth) appeares in his making of Incorporations and giueing them power to sweare the members of them to the statutes of those In- corporations: The Oath against Simoney is thus authorized in King Ieames his booke of Canons Can 40, Oour Oath in the Vniversity, and in perticuler Colledges have noe other warrant. 2ly Suppose by the lawes of the Land the giving of such oathes ware vnlawfull yet I conceive, that the Statutes make such oathes preiudicall to those that administer and impose them, not to those that take them being imposed.

2 Answer. The clause of the oath to which this doubt refirrs, I conceiue to be this, I doe approoue the doctring and discipline or Goverment established in the Church of England, as containing all things necessary to salvation: By which words it appeares that ye doctrine of the church of England is by the oath acknowledged, to containe all fundamentall truthes, and not to be wanting or defectiue in any truth necessary to salvation: So that whether this clause respect only the 39 Articles, or any other publike and authorized explanation of any perticuler truth noe man can conceiue, that there is wanting eyther in the one or in the other any truth which is necessary to salvation, And further the Oath extends not 2ly when it is said that our doctrine conteines all things necessary to salvation, it is not to be thought, that we esteeme every truth taught and established by our church to bee necessary to salvati on, but onely yt in the body of sacred truth established in our church, there are all, and every necessary saveing truth conteined, though over, and above, there are many other profitable truthes acknowledged, and established, which are not of fundamentall necessity to salvation 3ly: By Discipline in the place are not vnderstood the Canons of the church, appointing rites, and ceremo- nyes for order, and decency, which the Church never intended to make vnchange able, as Appeares in the preface to the Common prayer booker concerning ceremo- nies, and in the 34 Article: And to prevent any mistake herein, and for clearing of the meaning of the word, Discipline, the other word Goverment was purposte- ly added for explanation, whereby this Synod vnderstood, the parte of Ecclesiasticall discipline, which consistes of the severall Governours, and officers of the Church, as Arch-Bishops, Bishops, Deanes, Arch-deacons, the abolishing of these gover- nours, the Synod intended to prevent by the Oath but not to make the Ca- nons concerning rites, and ceremonies vncapable of alteration.

3 Answer First, suppose that clause (all things necessary to salvation) referr onely to the doctrine of the Church expressed in the 39 Articles, yet the lawfullnes of the Oath hath warrent from thence being in the 36 Article ratified and authori- zed. 2ly I see not why wee may not conceive the sense of the words now in doubt to be taken conjunctim comprehending both doctrine, and discipline or goverment, for vnderstanding of which, we must grant that a lawfull ministery is in a great degree necessary to the being of A church to the preach- ing of the word, And administration of the Sacramtents. And in what degree the preaching of the word, And administration of the Sacraments, are necessary; in the same degree is A lawfull ministery necessary, soe that when we say, that the discipline, or goverment, of the church by Bishops containe some thinges necessary to salvation, wee only acknowledge that the Bishops are, and have power to ordaine A lawfull Ministery, Not but that other Churches have a lawfull Ministery allso, although not soe regularly, and according to the practise of the Primitive church established amongst them.

4 Answer First by consent is ment A p Active, operative consent concurring to alter the goverment of which implyes willingnesse, desire, endeavour, and vo- ting such A change 2ly, The promise of not giveing such consent to the altering of the goverment of the Church established by Arch-Bishops Bishops Deanes Archdeacons may well be conceived to be absolute, and not Conditio nall 3ly Hence it followes, not, that A man taking his Oath shall bee inforced to goe contrary to the Oath of Alegiance and supremacy, and to resist Authority, because there is A middle way betweene those two extremities of consenting, or resisting; Namely, in case such an alteration should be brought uppon the Church though I may not consent to it by vertue of this oath, nor yet oppose, and resist the Kinge when he shall doe it, by verute of any Allegiance yet I may patiently submitt to it./

5 Answer The Calling of Bishops hath much more evidence in Theology, and antiqui ty for the warrent of it, then the calling of Deanes, and Archdeacons, for which nothing is nor can bee alleadged, but onely Canonicall, and Ecclesiasti call constitution, yet they being usefull, and expedient helpes for the gover ment of the Church, and soe for A longe time approoved, the alteration and removeall of them may well bee provided against, together with the more principall and primitive goverment of Bishops./

6 Answer. I conceiue those wordes (as it stands now established) have reference of the Former legall establishment, of Episcopall goverment, before this Synod was call'd, The Synod adding noe other establishment, but requiring the oath of recognition, which is but an affirmation of what was formerly in being in the Church, And I swearing not to alter the goverment, As it is now established, That particle, Now, in all good construction, is Antecedent to the oath as being part of the matter uppon which the oath passeth, and soe is presupposed before the oath is taken, otherwise it is not actualy establisht by the oath till the oath be fully performed, and cosumate./

2ly These words, and as by right it ought to stand, are generall tearmes importing the lawfull appiontment of these severall officers, but not determi ning the spetiall right uppon which they are grounded, The like mode ration as the 36 Article of religion affirmes, That the consecration of Bishops is right, orderly, and lawfull, but descends not to any particular determination of the kinde of right, and yet wee subcribe to this Arti ticle, without questioning what is the speciall right upon which they are grounded, The like moderation doth the oath use, not vrging any particular acknowledgement of this, or that kind of right, but contents it selfe with generall repressions of right, and lawfullnes, and the oath running in gener- all tearmes, obliges noe man further then to the acknowledgement in gene- rall; according to the Kinges declaration before the Articles, where it is said, That the generall meaning of the Articles of the church is to be held without drawing the Article aside any way, or put any mans private sense; or Comont, to be the meaning of the Article, but it shall bee taken in the litterall or gramaticall sense,; soe that hee that holds the right- full establishment of this goverment in generall satisfies the oath.