he argument
as it is formed by the commissioners of that assembly, in their answer to
the observations of the committee of estates upon the assembly's
declaration, p. 7. "Every engagement in war, that is pretended to be for
religion, and hath in it a confederacy and association with wicked men,
enemies of true religion, is sinful and unlawful. But the present
engagement in war, as it is held forth in the public resolutions, is
pretended to be for religion, and yet hath in it a confederacy and
conjunction with wicked men, and enemies of true religion." Ergo, The
second proposition is evident from the two first sections.

The first proposition is proved from those scriptures forementioned. God
forbade conjunctions and confederacies with the enemies of his cause and
people, not only the Canaanites, (Exod. xxxiv. 12, 15, Deut. vii. 2.) and
other heathens, such was Asa his covenant with Benhadad, (2 Chron. xvi. to
ver. 10,) Ahaz his confederacy with the king of Assyria, (2 Kings xvi. 7,
10, 2 Chron. xxviii. 16,) but also with wicked men of the seed of Abraham,
as Jehoshaphat's with Ahab, (2 Chron. xviii. 3: "And Ahab king of Israel
said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth
Gilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy
people, and we will be with thee in the war," compared with chap. xix. 2.
"And Jehu the son of Hanam the seer, went out to meet him, and said to
king Jehoshaphat, Shouldst thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate
the Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord,") and with
Ahaziah, (2 Chron. xx. 35: "And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah
join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly,") which
being reproved for, he would not again join with Ahaziah, 1 Kings xxii.
49: "Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat: Let my servants
go with thy servants in the ships." But Jehoshaphat would not. And then
Amaziah's association with 100,000 of Israel, 2 Chron. xxv. 7, 8, 9, 10:
"But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of
Israel go with thee for the Lord is not with Israel to wit, with all the
children of Ephraim. But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle.
God shall make thee fall before the enemy, for God hath power to help and
to cast down. And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for
the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man
of God answe