1. The taking of this Oath seemes to establish the Legality of it, & to prepare way for the imposing of other new Oathes, wheras it is questionable whether any oath may be imposed not established, & appointed by Act of Parliament.

2. Taking of it may seeme to approue the exacting of it of all the persons of whom it is requi- red, many of whom cannot take it (probably in iudgment) as not being acquainted with the Doctrine, & Discipline of the church, nor the controversies concerning the same.

3. It is required we shold sweare All things necessary to salvation to be contained in the Doctrine, & Discipline of the Church of England, whereas It is not to declared what is to be accounted the Doctrine of the Church, the booke of Homilies haue beene disclaimed, the Articles claimed by the Armi nians, & others, & some of them corrupted. It hath not beene conceived by the Church, that any particular kind of Discipline was necessary to salvation, for The Presbyterians haue beene derided, & written against for making their Discipline a part of the Kingdome of xt. It is acknowledged, that the Reformed Churches that differre from us in Discipline, want nothing necessary to salvation, but that a man in those churches might be saved.

4. It is required not to sweare not to consent to the alteration of the Government by Arch bishops, Bishops &c, as it now stands established, & as by Right it ought to stand; which clause we dare not sweare to, & that for these causes. Because we iudge it unlawfull to sweare the perpetuation of any meere Ec clesiasticall Ordinance, which is subiect to such corruptions as may necessitate an al- teration, & such we iudge this Government to be (at least in part) for Archbishops Archdeacons, & Deanes, are but Ecclesiasticall, what ever may be sayd for Bishops. Bec. we haue taken the Oath of Supremacy, wher by we acknowledge the Kings Majesty, & his Successours, the Supreme Head of the Church, & Governour in Causes, & over persons as well Ecclesiasticall, as Civill, which this oath seemes to contradict, in that It binds from consenting to the alteration of the Government, so that if the king, or his Successours shold alter it, we cannot but dissent, & preach against them, as in the 8th Canon. It binds to acknowledge a furder right that Bishops &c haue in the Government of the Church then that which is given them by Law, mea- a divine right, as we are induced to beleiue because Many Bishops haue so declared themselues. In the 1st Canon they haue not given the King any power in Ecclesiasticall Causes saue only to call, & dis solue Councells. 2. nor over Ecclesiasticall Government, disclai ming only Papall, & Popular coactiue, & independant power, but not Episcopall, wheras the Controversies of this time did require a more precise, & open declaration of the point. It seemes to make more account of the Discipline, then of the Doctrine of the Church, for in that we abiure consent to any alteration, in this we abiure only endeavour to induce Popish errours only. This Clause is administred with an (&c) which we conceiue was never tendered in any Oath till now. We There are some things in the Discipline of the Church, which we haue iust ground to desire, & endeavour the alteration of, & therefore dare not abiure an the ac- cepting of an alteration, shold it be offerred, as that of the Bishop delegates his power to be officiated by his Chauncallour, wherby it comes to passe that the sentence of Excom which is incompatible with a meere lay-man (as our Church teacheth against the Presbyterians) is devolved upon a meere lay-man, & the plaister provided by the 13th Canon is too narrow for the sore, For the graue minister, to whom the pronouncing of the sentence belongs, is but the Chauncellors voice to speake what he decrees, and so the power of Excommunication is still in him.

5. The whole Oath is filled with so many ambiguities, as that we dare not take it.

6. The taking of it makes us approue of the synod, by which we there are induced, & tolerated divers Ceremonies contrary to the booke of Common prayer, which we haue subscribed unto, & must in this Oath (if we take it) abiure.

7. It is required That we take it Heartily, & Willingly, & yet they that refuse it are threatned with severe punishment, by which meanes it is to be feared many that are weake, may forsweare themselves.