imposed for upholding the
tyrant's usurpations, and suppressing all endeavours to preserve the
reformation."

And after the Lord was pleased in mercy to break the rod of oppression,
and burst the bands of that horrid tyranny from off his people's necks,
and to allow us a time of peace and ease; yet have we not made
conscience of keeping this our oath; but instead of all lawful means to
preserve the discipline and government of this church, there have been
frequent invasions made thereupon by the civil powers, exercising an
Erastian supremacy over her assemblies, by indicting, prorogueing, and
dissolving them at their pleasure, and in their name and authority;
whereby Christ's supremacy and kingly dignity was highly injured. And as
the state for their part have, contrary to this article, made these
usurpations upon the government of the church, so have backslidden
ministers in their stations shamefully succumbed to, been silent at, and
pleaded in defence of these usurpations, and have not zealously and
faithfully asserted their Master's prerogatives, and the privileges of
his church, sacrilegiously encroached upon by the magistrate. And people
likewise have, in their stations, been unconcerned about these wrongs
and injuries done to Christ, and have not used all lawful endeavour with
their superiors (which they own as such,) whether of church or state, in
order to reformation thereof, nor made faithful protestations against
them, when they could not obtain redress--and as the government of the
church has not been duly preserved; so there has been a want of constant
endeavours to preserve pure the doctrine of this reformed church; and
that ever since that fatal distraction of _public resolution principles_
began to creep into the church, which corrupted people in that doctrine
of abstaining from association with malignants and enemies to truth and
godliness, and so far prevailed that the avowed enemies of religion were
brought into places of greatest trust and authority. And these
associations have not been made only with the haters of religion at
home, but are also entered into with the enemies to the Protestant
religion abroad; and many backsliding ministers in the late times of
tyranny were very faulty in this point of not labouring to preserve the
purity of doctrine, either by express condemning of some important
truths then persecuted, or at least in being silent and not asserting
them, nor applying their doctrine to