h
full force against the new-fangled covenant, and he clearly proved the
injustice of an imposition, which could never be called law, while it
wanted the essentials which the constitution required; namely, the
assent of the three legislative powers. It threw a grievous burden upon
the conscience of those who took it, because, not content with binding
them to the new form of worship, it also required them to endeavour to
extirpate Prelacy, classing it with Popery, superstition, heresy,
schism, and profaneness. These may all be proved contrary to the word of
God; whereas, allowing that episcopacy is not actually prescribed by
Scripture, its greatest maligners have never been able to shew that it
is contrary to any rule or precept expressed or implied. No
conscientious man, therefore, could take this covenant, unless he
thought that Prelacy ought to be interdicted, and its maintainers
persecuted to extirpation.

On other branches of the oath, such as its pretext of defending the
King's person, while it justified raising armies to deprive him of his
lawful rights, and accusing the faithful adherents of the King as being
malignant incendiaries, and the cause of the nation's misfortunes, Dr.
Beaumont forbore to expatiate; as a clergyman, he was required chiefly
to look at the ecclesiastical tendency of this obligation, and on that
account he preferred poverty, bonds, or even death, to subscription.

Barton acknowledged that his party had gone too far, and hoped time
would soften their asperity, and reclaim those who had so loudly
complained of persecution, from continuing to be persecutors. He
enlarged on the beautiful simplicity of primitive worship, as described
in Scripture; talked of the mistakes which had proceeded from a
misapplication of the word Bishop in our translations, and complained
that the church was profuse in her ceremonies; that her forms were too
copious, redundant, and evidently copied from the Romish missal; and
that her terms of subscription were too minute and galling to tender
consciences.

Dr. Beaumont acknowledged that, like all human institutions, the church
of England, its Liturgy, and its authorised translation of Scripture,
were imperfect; but unless we admit fallibility as a justifiable motive
for rejecting whatever is of human origin, and withholding our obedience
to all governments, because there is something defective in them, this
objection must fall to the ground. The very nature of man,