meete for a Parochiall or Diocesian Church such as Geneua or Berne is not fit in all respects for the vniuersall or for a Nationall Church That at the beginning of the reformation sundrie circumstantiall Ceremonies were changed or abolished for Superstition which now tending to edification and preseruation of Gods worship from prophanenesse and to make conformitie and vnitie both with the Primitiue and reformed Churches may be lawfully and profitably receiued That antiquity in such things and vniuersall consent not repugnant to veritie is farre to be preferred to new and recent conceits and customes of priuate persons and Churches These things the Bishops would wish from their hearts had beene and were better pondered by brethren and that for such matters wilfull contradiction bitter contention and disobedience had not brought them vnder the censure of the Lawes and power of authoritie PP They haue broken the caueats made with their owne consent violated their promises and haue sought preheminence both in Church and Common-wealth with the ruine of others and renting of their mothers belly ANS Neither haue yee nor can yee alledge any promise made by them violated or caueat broken that hath not beene abrogated by posterior Acts of lawfull Assemblies as beeing contrary to the lawfull power of their calling Neither haue they sought preheminence in Church nor Common-wealth but that which according to Lawes Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall belongs to their Function The restitution whereof if they had not craued they had beene Traytors both to the Church and Common-wealth against the which some brethren standing out too contentiously haue inuolued themselues in vnnecessary troubles and haue pressed with you to rent the belly of their Mother the peace and vnitie of the Church with Schisme PP We haue notwithstanding beene so silent hitherto that the World hath iudged our silence rather slumbring and slouthfulnesse then true patience ANS If you be the man who is pretended to bee the penner of this Pamphlet your silence hath not beene so great as is heere alledged for both by writing and word yet haue bi◠euer vttering your miscontentment with great acerbitie against the persons and function of your brethren and his Maiesties good and godly intentions wherein yee haue studied more to please the World then to procure the weale of the Church with the honour of God and obedience of your Prince PP They are not satisfied with the wrongs alreadie committed but doe still prouoke vs with new irritant occasions ANS Many men of your humour are crabbed without cause who being in the gall of bitternesse count right wrong and good to be euill and seeke occasions where none are offered to spue out their choler PP And specially by obtruding vpon vs superstitious Wil-worships and polluted inuentions of men ANS What was concluded in a lawfull Assembly was not obtruded and by Gods grace in the answere to your Pamphlet it shall bee manifest that the Assembly hath condemned all polluted inuentions of men and all superstitious Wil-worships and that your selfe is a very superstitious Dogmatist of Wil-worship PP It behooueth vs therefore to set pen to paper and say somewhat for the surer stay and better information of Professors tenderly affected to the sinceritie of Religion least they bee deluded with the glorious name of a pretended and new Assembly or seduced with Temporizers swallowing vp all abominations or corruptions whatsoeuer ANS Let the Christian and gentle Reader consider what information good and sincere Professours may expect from such a poysonable pen that beginneth to fill vp the paper with such venemous words calling the lawfull meeting of the Church a pretended new Assembly his brethren of the Ministery Seducers Temporizers Swallowers vp of all abominations or corruptions whatsoeuer for whom wee answere Multi sint licet impotentis irae Pellem rodere qui velint caninam Nos hac à scabie tenemus vngues PP The meanes of printing and publishing are to vs verie difficile ANS The Quarter-masters and Collectours of the voluntary Contributions through Fyiffe Lowthiane Edinburgh and other parts of the Land for setting forth of this worke say that you haue no cause to complaine And if in times comming your paines bee as well recompenced this trade of penning printing and publishing shall bee more gainfull then your stipend was for your Ministery PP We wish therefore euery good Christian to take in good part our meane trauels ANS Although your trauels had no other fault but that they were meane yet your cessation from better businesse cannot be excused but they being withall seditious and pernicious no good Christian will take them in good part PP And not impute to vs the want of good will but of meanes if they be not serued hereafter continually after this manner Wee shall bee readie God willing for our owne part as need shall require and opportunitie will serue to defend the cause wee maintayne against any of our Opposites their Answeres or Replyes whatsoeuer worthy of answere ANS I hope no man who readeth this Pamphlet will impute to you the want of goodwill to doe euill that is of a wicked will to furnish fewell to the fire of dissention in the Church And if by your Thrasonicall boasts and brags you can perswade these whom for want of sufficient knowledge and faith yee delude and seduce with subtile Sophismes and superstitious feares to furnish meanes that is money for penning and printing as they haue done profusely for setting forth this Rapsodie there is no doubt but Answeres shall come forth vpon Answeres Defences vpon Defences Replyes vpon Replyes vntill yee haue wearied the World with your vanities PP We haue seene of late some Pamphlets which haue rather exposed their Authors to laughter and contempt then deserued any serious confutation ANS It is the nature of enuifull arrogance by contemning and laughing at others to hunt her owne prayse Sed facilis cuiuis rigidi censura cachinni PP In the Epistle before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Maiestie protesteth vpon his honour that hee misliketh not generally all Preachers or others who like better of the single forme of policie in our Church then of the many Ceremonies in the Church of England and are perswaded that their Bishops smell of a Papall Supremacie that the Surplice the Corner-cap and such like are the outward badges of Popish errors and that he doth equally loue and honour the Learned and graue men of these opinions ANS If yee had imitated this most Christian example of your gracious Soueraigne you would not for errour of wilfull opinion haue turned your loue into hatred and your reuerence into contempt of your brethren PP His Maiestie vseth this prouision that where the Law is otherwise they preasse by patience and wel-grounded reasons either to perswade all the rest to like of their iudgement or where they see better grounds on the other part not to be ashamed peaceably to incline thereunto laying aside all preoccupyed opinions ANS If
that whatsoeuer vse vnder the Law was proper to the Iewes Sabbath wherein now vnder the Gospell both Iew and Gentile haue interest remaynes yet proper to the Lords Day that succeeded thereto And in that respect this Day differs from all other Dayes being obserued not for policie and order only but for diuine institution and the religious vse whereunto it is appropriate that is to bee a memoriall First of the Creation as hath beene said because after our sixe dayes worke we rest on it being the seuenth as God did from the workes of the Creation Secondly of the Redemption because on it the Lord arose and perfected that worke and thirdly to be a signe of our sanctification namely that God who hath chosen and sanctified vs to be his people and whom we worship is God the Creator who in sixe dayes created the World and rested the seuenth and God the Redeemer who rose on this Day and hauing abolished sinne and death did bring in righteousnesse and life and God the holy Ghost by whose power hee did rise and by whose power we hope also to be raised againe Vnto this holy and religious vse this Day is appropriated whereunto no other Day besides can bee applyed That to conclude the Church hath power to appoint times for the publike worship of God and to appoint such a kind of worship as shee thinketh most expedient to bee vsed on these times for edification although shee hath no power to make the obseruation of any time a point of Gods worship or to appropriate thereto any part of his worship Finally to end this point of the power of the Church when the people are conuened in the ordinarie place and at the times appointed the Scripture hath not set downe whereat the Pastour should beginne how hee should proceed and wherewith hee should close vp this Seruice as whether hee should beginne with singing of Psalmes or praying or reading or preaching and when hee prayes with what petition he shall beginne what he shall subioyne next and so forth what order he shall obserue in baptizing and celebration of the Supper in Marriage in censuring of notorious offenders by Excommunication in Absolution and to bee short in all such other points of Doctrine Discipline and Diuine Seruice there is nothing particularly prescribed Although the substance of all be in the Word yet the order disposition forme and manner are left to be determined by the Church Many of which points are of farre greater moment then any of the Articles concluded at Perth Thus much for the power of the Church We come now to the extent of this power It is certaine that this power cannot reach to any thing essentiall or materiall in the worship of God but to the decencie and order only which is to bee obserued for edification in the circumstances aboue specified Let all things bee done decently and in order saith the Apostle The things themselues that are to be done are partly specified in that same Chapter where this rule is giuen and in the word else-where they are fully and particularly expressed and not left to be prescribed according to the will and iudgement of the Church but by this Precept a power is giuen only to the Church to prescribe the decent manner forme and order how they should be done And so to determine the circumstances which are in the generall necessary to bee vsed in diuine worship but not particularly defined in the Word So by warrant of this Precept the Church hath no power to forme new Articles of Faith new Precepts of Obedience new Petitions of Prayer new Sacraments or new Rites and Ceremonies such as Salt Oyle Spittle Chrisme Ashes holy Water Lights and innumerable such other things which cannot be reduced to any circumstances that in the generall are of necessary vse wherein the Church of Rome abusing her libertie hath laid vpon the Christian Church a burthen of Rites no lesse intollerable then the Legall Ceremonies yea and haue imposed them to bee obserued not onely as things belonging to policie and order but as parts of diuine worship which we of the reformed Church reiect esteeming all that to bee will-worship which men impose to be obserued as necessarie points of the seruice of God which himselfe hath ordayned in his Word Further because the Ceremonies and circumstances left to the determination of the Church cannot alwayes be one and the same by reason of the diuersity of Ages Times People and Nations touching them no constant Law can bee set downe as is acknowledged in the one and twentieth Article of the Confession of our Faith confirmed by Parliament but altered they may be and altered they should be when necessitie requires In which case Charitie sayes Caluine can best iudge what is most expedient Hanc si moderatricem patiemur salua erunt omnia The power of the Church being thus limited it is without controuersie that the Canons made by her touching the circumstances that in the generall are necessary for the worship of God ought to bee obeyed so long as they stand vnchanged or abrogated not because they contayne in them any substantiall or materiall part of Religion or that they haue in them any diuine Authoritie as the Commandements of God which in conscience bind to obedience but because in them an order is established tending to vnitie and peace whereby confusion scandall and Schisme is eschewed and because the power of the Church whereby these Lawes are made is the Ordinance of God and confirmed by the authoritie of his Word commanding vs to obey them that are set ouer vs in the Lord the Canons of the Church must be obeyed for reuerence of the Ordinance and Commandement of God which is the onely direct and immediate obiect of our conscience and the religious band that tyes vs to the obedience of euery humane ordinance for conscience sake But because many excuse their disobedience with a pretext of conscience I will shortly set downe the rules of conscience that by the Word of God we are obliged to follow in our actions The first is whatsoeuer is commanded or forbidden in the Word expresly or by necessary consequence ought to be obeyed The next is whatsoeuer is commanded or forbidden by the Lawes and Ordinances of our Superiours Ciuill or Ecclesiastique the same if it be not contrarie to Gods Word should be obeyed by reason of his expresse command Obey them that haue the rule ouer you and submit your selues Heb. 13. And againe Submit your selfe to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake 1. Pet. 2.13 To this appertaynes lawfull customs hauing the force of a Law where there is no written Law Thirdly touching things that are free and are neither determined by Ciuill nor Ecclesiasticall Constitutions we haue this rule Let euery man stand fully perswaded in his owne minde that he may doe or omit that which hee intends without the offence of God or his Neighbour but
In the thirteenth Councell of Toledo there sate and subscribed sixe and twentie Dukes and Earles In the fifteenth Councell thereof there sate and subscribed seuenteene Earles In the sixteenth there sate and subscribed sixteene Senators of whom the King sayes in his speech Quos huic Concilio nostra sereniâ—atis praeceptio vel opportuna inesse fecit occasio I might bring a large Catalogue of examples but these are sufficient to proue that which we haue in hand to wit that the number of Commissioners sent by his Maiestie iâ— warranted by the practice of all good Christian Princes in most ancient Synods yea it is certayne that Monarchs and Princes had euer these priuiledges vntill that the Popes tyrannie increasing did bereaue them of their right and exclude them from all Church assemblies And looke wee to the custome of our owne Church many Counsellours and Noble men haue had vote in Assemblies in name of his Maiestie In the Assembly holden at Edinburgh Anno 1563. Decemb. 25. besides the Superintendents Ministers and Commissioners of the Churches and Prouinces there were present nine Lords of the Counsaile Earles and Barons and because thereafter the Regent his Counsaile and Nobilitie did not assist the Assemblies so frequently as before an earnest Petition was made by the whole Assembly conuened in Edinburgh Anno 1573. March 6. to the Regent his Counsaile and Nobilitie to giue their presence and concurrence with the Church in their proceedings because such had beene the practice in Assemblies from the beginning of the reformation The truth whereof is manifest by the inscriptions set before the Acts of many assemblies wherein the Counsaile and Nobilitie are euer distinguished from Bishops Superintendents Ministers and Commissioners of Prouinces and Churches In the generall Assembly holden at Edinburgh Anno 1573. August 6. it was appointed Sess. 1. as followes Because it is vnderstood that certayne of the Nobilitie of this Realme and secret Counsaile are to repayre to this Assembly Therefore these whole Brethren ordaynes that the whole Nobilitie and Counsailors with the Commissioners of Townes Prouinces and Churches hauing power to vote shall sit within the inner barre of the Tolbuithe and all others without In the Assembly holden at Edinburgh Anno 1567. were present ten Earles and Lords of Baronies about the number of three and fiftie besides the ordinarie Commissioners of Townes and Churches Likewise in the Assemblies holden Anno 1563. Decemb. 25. Anno 1566. Iun. 25. Anno 1567. Iul. 21. Anno 1567. Decemb. 25. 1568. 1569. 1570. c. the Earles Lords and Barons are distinguished from Commissioners of Churches Prouinces and Townes And in the Assembly at Edinburgh 1563. Decemb. 25. the Lords of secret Counsaile with the whole Brethren of the Assembly appointed Master Iohn Woodlocke Superintendent of the West Moderator So as wee see the practice of our owne Church hath euer esteemed this free that his Maiestie at his pleasure or Regents in his minoritie should choose what number of Commissioners they liked PP At Edinburgh in Iuly 1568. it was ordayned that Barons should be chosen Commissioners in Synodall Assemblyes At Dundie in March 1597. after the full establishment of Presbyteries it was appointed in presence of his Maiestie that Barons should be chosen Commishioners with consent of Presbyteries and that one Baron onely should bee directed out of the bounds of a Presbyterie Neuerthelesse in this Assembly the Noble men and Barons had neither Commission according to the old act nor according to the new In the yeere of God 1568. it was ordayned that Burgesses should be chosen Commissioners by the Counsaile and Church Session of their Burge coniunctly And in the yeere 1597. that they should be chosen with consent of the Presbyterie Item that euery Burghe haue power to direct but one Commissioner except Edinburgh to whom it was permitted to direct two Neuerthelesse in this Assembly neither of the said Articles were obserued ANS The acts alleadged for choosing Commissioners of the Barons and Burghes were neuer so precisely kept in our Church as to exclude any of them that came thither without Commission from Presbyteries But such regard was euer had to Noble men and Barons of any note that if they were present they had their places with the first were allowed to giue their aduise and voyce in euery matter proponed and had thankes giuen them that vouchsafed their concurrence this is euident by all the Registers of our Assembly and so well knowne as none can deny it It grieues the Lybeller and the rest of that Sect to see the Nobles and Barons so ready at his Maiesties call and that that which sometimes serued them to good purpose in their tumultuous meetings is turned against themselues to wound them And by all good order in Church Assemblies none of the Lâ—iâ—all sort ought to haue place except they be called by the Prince his letters or assured by the Bishops to giue authoritie to the acts concluded Reade in Concilio Turracenens act 13. about the yeare 517. and Concil Tolet. where the order of Councells is set downe which order is pâ—efixed to the first Tome of the Councells yee shall finde this cleare For that which he sayes of the Commissioners of Burghes let this bee added That otherwise then by the Counsell of their owne Burghe they were neuer chosen which wee referre to the Townes themselues that know it PP At Montrosse 1600. it was statuted and ordayned that none of them who shall haue vote in Parliament in the name of the Church shall come as Commissioners to the generall Assembly nor haue any vote in the same vnlesse they be authorized with Commission from their owne Presbyteries to that effect This Act was neuer repealed no not at the pretended Assembly holden at Glasgow but by the same Assembly they stand countable to euery generall Assembly for their proceedings Howbeit the Presbyteries were spoyled of their authority in many things at the said pretended Assembly Yet of the power of election of Commissioners they were not spoyled neyther is there any other order of Election of Commissioners and Constitution of the members of the Assembly set downe by any Act of our Church then was established Anno 1597. Neuerthelesse in this Assembly they not only presented themselues without Commission but sate as Lords ouer-ruling it they had practised the Ceremonies against the established Laws before they were proponed to the Assembly they ought therefore to haue beene secluded and sharply censured but they vsurped the place both of Iudge and partie ANS This Act of MoÌ„trosse Assembly was past when these caueats were deuised to restrayne the immoderate power of Bishops in the Church and was yeelded vnto for satisfying the importunity of such as opposed to their restitution and keeping them quiet in the time but the Bishops now beeing restored by the Assemblies of the Church and by Acts of Parliament to the exercise of that lawfull power and Iurisdiction which euer they had in the Church that
despise the Lords Sabbath and instead thereof appoint some other as the Machomet hath done it were a presumptuous sinne But this wee are farre from acknowledging the Lords Day to bee holy by his institution and appointing the rest to bee kept only for his worship PP We come from priuiledge to fact as de iure none may so de facto none did appoint holy dayes vnder the Law but God and that eyther by himselfe or by some extraordinary direction Therefore none can bee allowed vnder the Gospell without the like warrant Seeing the times vnder the Gospell are not so ceremonious as the times vnder the Law ANS I answered before that if holy dayes bee taken for times whereunto God did appropriate the exercise of some particular forme of worship or for times clothed with some relatiue and respectiue holinesse as to bee signes or types of things to come God only may make dayes holy but if by holy dayes wee vnderstand times dedicated to Gods worship and the commemoration of his benefits as meete circumstances for Discipline Order and Policie such as our Diuines hold the holy dayes vnder the Gospell to bee I denie that either they might not or did not lawfully appoint such dayes vnder the Law or yet may not be appointed vnder the Gospell The answeres which you make to the dayes of Purim instituted by Queene Estther and Mordecai and the Feast of Dedication instituted by Iudas Mâ—cchaâ—aeus are not solid First where ye say that the obseruation was ciuill because Hospinian sayes they might haue wrought vpon the dayes of Purim his opinion in that is not probable seeing these dayes were instituted to bee dayes of feasting and ioy and sending of portions one to another and giftâ— to the poore because on them God had giuen rest to his people froâ— their enemies It is not probable when â—â—ch and 〈◊〉 did feast in remembrance of the rest that God had 〈◊〉 â—hem from their enemies that they did not rest and 〈◊〉 tâ—e dayes according to the Institution for the Text sayes exprâ—sly Est. 9.17 That they rested and kept a day of feastâ—ng and gladnesse with the which seruile labour sorts not Neiâ—hâ—r will it follow that these dayes were not kept for holy Festiuities albeit in them they might haue wrought some kind of labour for on the sixe dayes of the Passeouer and on the sixe dayes of the Feast of Tabernacles seruile worke was not vtterly prohibited but on the first and eight only yet all these dayes are called Festiuall and holy Finally dayes instituted for Documents and Memorials of holy things as of their Fasting and Prayers by which they obtayned deliuerance such as yee affirme these to haue beene cannot bee called nor counted Ciuill And Willet compares them not euill with the fift dayes of August and Nouember but hee does not say this as counting them Ciuill but because they were not diuinae sed Ecclesiasticae institutionis non mysterij sed politiâ—s and if ye thinke the fift of August and Nouember to be ciuill dayes in so farre as vpon them Commemoration is made of his Maiesties Deliuerances with Preaching Thankesgiuing and Prayer you are in a manifest errour for a day which is dedicated to diuine Seruice and the honour of God not to a ciuill vse cannot be esteemed ciuill but sacred and holy Againe where yee say that these dayes had more then humane warrant because it is thought that Mordecai was the Penman of the Booke of Esther and consequently a Prophet and that it appeares that these dayes might not haue beene altered by the Iewish Church which if they had bin of Ecclesiasticke Constitution might haue bin done thoughts and appearances are not sure probations to conclude a certaintie as yee doe of a more then humane warrant And if they had receiued from God any particular direction concerning them the Prophet of God would not haue omitted the same in the Historie A generall warrant they had such as the Church must haue for the determination of circumstances in the worship of God as that of the hundred and fifth Psalme Giue thankes to the Lord call on his Name make knowne his deeds amongst the people Sing vnto him sing Psalmes vnto him talke of all his wondrous workes that he hath done But to say that they had any particular warrant is to be wise aboue that which is written As to the Feast of Dedication yee answere first that if it were Anniuersary in Salomon and Zorobabels time Iudas Macchabaeus followed the example of these who had Propheticall direction and if it was not Anniuersary as first yee leaue it vncertaine yee thinke the saâ—e was an addition of the Pharisies who inlarged the glory of this Feast as they did their Phylacteries but this is a friuolous coniecture and the interpretation of Iunius words out of the Talmude is no better to wit that the Wisemen who decreed that the eighth dayes of that Feast should bee yeerely dayes of ioy were the Pharisies because they are called Sapientes Israelis for it behoued these that appointed the Festiuities not onely to bee Wisemen but men of Authoritie also And therefore it is more probable that the Wisemen in the Talmude were the Masters of the great Synagogue that had power to appoint such Festiuities But how would our Sauiour who censured the Pharisies for inlarging their Phylacteries and corrected the abuses of the Law brought in by them haue omitted such a grosse Errour and Superstition as the Institution and keeping of these holy dayes vnrebuked if it had beene a Pharisaicall Addition and not a lawfull Constitution Then yee teach your Reader a great cunning to play fast and loose in answering all the instances brought from the Iewish Church and that is whether hee grant or denie them to bee lawfull yet to eschew the dint of the Argument for if hee grant them to bee lawfull then he may flye to this refuge that the Iewes had extraordinarie directions which wee want as Prophets who were only Prophets by the Spirit vnto the dayes of Malachie Vrim and Thummim vnder the first Temple and in place thereof vnder the second a slender voyce sounding from Heauen called Bathcoll But if hee denie the same to haue beene lawfull then to alleadge that they were Pharisaicall Additions and that wee should not imitate the Pharisies and fond Iewes I assure my selfe that no honest-hearted man will either follow the Pharisies in their Superstition nor you in vsing such sophisticall euasions of which none will serue against the instances alledged for if yee say that the obseruation of the dayes of Purâ—m or Dedication were Pharisaicall Additions the exact diligence of our Sauiour in rebuking and correcting all such abuses and superstitious Nouations as were brought into the worship of God by the Pharisies will controll you And if ye say that they had extraordinarie directions yee speake without warrant of Scripture which is presumption in you to doe So it remaines for any
Rebellious to beare down the Truth his Maiesties Authority the Power of the Church and all that loue Order follow after peace To obuiate this his seditious and malicious purpose it was not onely expedient but necessary that this answere should bee made which by the grace of God shall giue such satisfaction to all good and vpright hearted men as they shall preferre the iudgement determination and lawfull Constitutions of the Church to the singularitie of their owne and other priuate mens opinions order to confusion peace to contention and vnitie to schisme aswell for the feare of God who hath giuen power to his Church to set downe Lawes for order and decencie and hath commanded vs to submit our selues thereto as for obedience to the sacred will of our most gracious Souereigne at whose instant and earnest desire these Articles being found lawfull were concluded and are now commanded to bee practised When Dauid would haue gone out against Absalon hee was stayed by the people who esteemed his life more worth then a thousand of theirs So should euery good Christian esteeme of the loue and fauour of the Prince towards the Church Salomon sayes that the wrath of a King is the Messenger of Death and like to the roring of a Lion which a Wiseman will pacifie and not prouoke and that his fauour is as the cloud of the latter raine and as the dew vpon the grasse The truth of this is manifest in the Stories of the Church what comfort the fauour of Constantine the Great did giue to the Christian Church may be seene by the barbarous and cruell persecutions of the Emperours that went before The euils troubles and calamities that the Church of England endured in the dayes of Queene Marie declared what benefit they enioyed by King Edward her Predecessor and Queene Elizabeth her Successor The beastly crueltie and massacres vsed in France vnder the Gouernment of the Predecessors of Henrie the Great hath made manifest to the World what wracke and misery the discontentment and offence of Princes and how great blessing and felicity their loue and fauour produces to the Church of God within their Dominions What need wee to goe further then the Scriptures for examples to this purpose therein wee see that as the Church decayed vnder wicked and idolatrous Gouernours so did it euer reuiue and flourish vnder religious and godly Kings We stand much vpon the offence of people and esteeme greatly of their fauour wherein I will not say we doe euill but should wee put their fauour and offence in ballance with the fauour and offence of him whom God hath annointed and appointed to be the nursing Father of this Church In whose loue we haue found by experience and daily findes greater benefite and good for the aduancement of true Religion then can bee expected from many thousands of our best Professors let be at their hands who in Religion like nothing well but contention whereby they make their aduantage one way or other as they are inclined delighting to fish as the Prouerbe is in troubled waters It is often obiected that the chiefe cause of our yeelding at Perth to the fiue Articles was the respect we had to the fauour of the Prince and the feare of his wrath against my selfe in particular it is falsly obiected by the penner of this Pamphlet that I confessed we had neither Reason Scripture nor Antiquitie for them yet to diuert the Kings wrath from the Church yeelding was best The truth is at that time I spake only of kneeling at the receiuing of the Communion and said no more then I haue set downe in print in that Treatise which I published for kneeling in the last words of the first Section of the first Chapter and in the first Section of the second Chapter at the beginning this was That neither Scripture Antiquitie nor Reason doe enforce any necessitie either for lying sitting standing or kneeling at the Sacrament and that all these gestures being indifferent I held it most expedient to yeeld and not to striue with our gracious Souereigne for a matter of that nature repeating this Verse Cedere maiori virtutis fama secunda est Illa grauis palma est quam minor hostis habet This I said at that time and so yet I thinke that to eschue the Prince his offence and to keep confirme and increase his loue and fauour towards the Gospell and the Church was a respect and cause great enough wherefore we should haue yeelded vnto his Maiesties desire in matters indifferent against the lawfulnesse whereof nothing hath beene or can bee obiected which is not and may not be easily answered Against the expediencie the feare of scandall was and is all that could be pretended which if wee were peaceably disposed might haue beene and yet may be very easily remoued and therefore such a feare ought neither to haue impedite our yeelding at that time nor our obedience now We are exhorted by the holy Ghost to feare God and obey the King Where obedience to the Prince may stand with Gods feare it ought to bee preferred by euery good Christian to all other respects and especially by the Pastors of the Church who should as lights goe before others both in doctrine and example chiefly when peace and vnitie may bee procured and preserued in Gods house by our obedience For vnitie wee should bee ready to lay downe our liues as well as for veritie which Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria writing to Nouatus affirmed saying Oportuerit etiam pati omnia ne scinderetur Ecclesia Dei erat non inferior gloria sustinere martyrium pro eo ne scindatur Ecclesia quà m est illa ne idolis immoletur Immo secundum meam sententiam maius hoc putâ— esse martyrium ibi enim vnusquisque pro sua tantùm anima in hoc verò pro omni Ecclesia martyrium sustinet That is to say It behoued thee to haue suffered all things that the Church of God should not haue been rent it had bin no lesse glorie to haue sustained martyrdome for this that the Churches vnitie might haue beene preserued then for refusing to sacrifice vnto Idols Yea in my minde this is a greater martyrdome for in that euerie man suffereth for his owne soule onely but here hee suffers martyrdome for the whole Church This was the iudgement of that holy Father who esteemed it a glorious martyrdome to suffer for the vnitie of the Church Contrariwise the Donatists did glorie in this that by their sufferings they entertained Schisme and diuision confirmed the hearts of the simple and supeâ—stitious in their errours acquired to themselues the renowne of Martyrs and thereby brought vpon the Church the imputation of persecution To whom S. Augustine answers That they complained most vniustly that they were persecuted by the Church because the Church was more heauily persecuted by them and thereupon in the eleuenth Tractate vpon S. Iohn sayes Albeit Ismael was cast out
gouernment was altered and the insolent domination of Prelates hath entered in by vnlawfull meanes amongst vs Popish Rites and superstitious Ceremonies haue followed and are like to preuaile vniuersally ANS The former gouernment is not altered that is either corrupted or abolished as you insinuate but is perfited by accession of the ancient order which hath beene euer in the House of God since the Apostolicall times and was embraced at the reformation in Anno 1560. and continued in our Church in the persons of Superintendents and Bishops till the yeare of God 1581. after that time it was borne downe till the yeare of God 1598. then it beganne to bee restored and hath entred in amongst vs by the conclusions of generall Assemblies and Acts of Parliament which none but lawlesse Libertines will esteeme vnlawfull meanes nor the function thereby established an insolent domination but the licentious who delight in confusion and detest order The Rites and Ceremonies which haue followed shall be better cleered by the grace of God from Superstition and Popery then this Pamphlet of yourâ— from Schisme and Heresie PP They haue verified in their persons their common tenent No Ceremony no Bishop ANS The tenent is true for where there is no Ceremonie there can be no externall worship of God more then a bodie can bee without dimensions and consequently where there is no Ceremony there can be no Church no Bishop no Pastor PP The liberty granted to our Church to indict and hold generall Assemblies from yeere to yeere and oftener prore nata was the chiefe bulwarke of our Discipline this bulwarke was broken downe to the end a more patent way might be made for their exaltation ANS So long as this liberty preserued the ancient Discipline and Gouernment of the Primitiue and Reformed Church in the persons of Super-intendents and Bishops it was a good bulwarke but when it was licentiously abused to ouerthrow that which it had formerly maintayned and to stop the way whereby it might be lawfully restored againe the licentious abuse was to be restrayned and order taken that it should not impede but further the worke for the which it was appointed PP When vote in Parliament the Needle to draw in the thred of Episcopall authoritie was concluded to the great griefe of the sincerer sort many protestations were made that no alteration in Discipline or Diuine Seruice was intended ANS That the Church which hath euer represented the third Estate of the Kingdome was restored in the persons of Bishops according to the fundamentall Lawes to haue vote in Parliament could bee a griefe to none sincerely affected either to the Weale of the Countrey or Church and as protestations were made that no alteration tending to corruption either in Discipline or diuine Seruice was intended so none hath followed but such as tendeth to the confirmation and perfection of both PP Many cautions and limitations were made to bound the power of the Minister voter in Parliament ANS The limitations and cautions which were agreeable to reason and might stand with the power of the person voter in Parliament according to Law haue beene inuiolably obserued PP They were ordayned to bee countable to the generall Assemblies for the manner of their entrie and behauiour in this new Office but like Bankrupts not being able to render account they laboured that no account should bee made at all that is that there should be no ordinary generall Assembly to take account ANS No man can bee lawfully ordayned to bee countable to these of his entry and behauiour in his Office who professe themselues enemies to the Office it selfe Such were the generall Assemblies which ye call ordinary consisting for the greatest part of the sincerer sort to whose great griefe you say the power to vote in Parliament was concluded reason therefore would that to such a Iudicatory no account should haue beene rendered at all Not because they were bankrupts as you calumniously alledge but for the professed enmity and iniquity of the Iudge whereof his Maiesty hauing proofe before when the ancient Gouernment of Bishops was abolished did now prudently prouide that no generall Assembly should be conuocate without his Highnesse speciall licence lest thereby the restitution of that Gouernment intended by his Maiestie and happily begun before his Maiesties preferment to the Crowne of England might in his absence bee crossed and ouerthrowne by the which prouidence of his Maiesties wisdome that plot was preuented and your purpose disappointed Hinc illae lachrimae and this is that causeth you to rage and raile PP Some few extraordinary Assemblies haue beene conuocated of late yeares at their pleasures and for their purposes and according to their deuice constituted as they thought good wherein they procured or rather extorted with terror and authority a sort of preheminencie aboue their Brethren ANS If ye call these extraordinary Assemblies which by his Maiesties License and Authoritie were conuocated the Councell of Nice and the most famous Councels of the Church must bee counted extraordinary And in these Assemblies no preheminence was granted to Bishops but such as Bishops had euer in the Primitiue Church and such as the Super-intendents and Bishops had before in our owne reformed Church which beeing lawfull in it selfe needeth neither by authoritie to be procured nor by terror extorted from godly prudent and peaceable Brethren PP They were Lords in Parliament Councell Session Exchequer Lords of Regalities Lords of temporall Lands Presenters to Benefices Modifiers of Ministers stipends grand Commissioners in the high Commission was it wonder then if so great Commanders commanded the Assemblies constituted as is said and carued to themselues a spirituall Lorship when c. ANS The power authoritie and credit which was expedient for the time to be in the persons of some Bishops was neither imployed nor needed to be imployed to command these Assemblies which were constituted of the most graue and godly brethren of the Church who against Law and conscience would not haue beene commanded either by Prince or Prelate Neither in these Assemblies did they carue to themselues any spirituall Lordship for they acknowledge no man to haue spirituall Lordship ouer the Church but the man the Lord Iesus him they preach the Lord and themselues the Seruants of the Church for him PP When their worthy brethren were banished imprisoned confined or detayned at Court that they might the more easily effectuate their purposes ANS Their worthy brethren I may truely say were banished imprisoned confined and detayned at Court sore against their wils who wish that good brethren then had beene and now were lesse addicted to singularitie of opinion and more inclined to the peace vnity of the Church And that they would put difference betwixt indifferent things in Discipline and doctrinall points and consider that in the one we must stand for veritie and in the other for expediencie which changeth with times places and occasions That the forme of gouernment
to bee present being asked enough was done for making good his reception in the place specially considering the Commissioners to the Assembly were not then knowne nor a roll made whereby to call them that had voyce particularly But this is his curiositie who gladly would find a fault euen where none was committed The said Master Iames Sandelands being admitted command was giuen to all that had enteresse in the said Assembly to giue in their commissions to him before the next sitting and nomination was made of certayne for the Conference according to the order kept in other Assemblies in which besides the Bishops Noble men Barons and Commissioners of Burrowes the most wise and learned of the Ministrie were named indifferently without any respect had of their opinions and priuate inclinations At this time it was moued by one That the libertie of the Church might bee kept in the choosing of a Moderator which the Archbishop of Saint Andrewes repressed saying to the proponer That he did not expect him to be a troubler of the Church and the businesse thereof and that the Assembly was met within the bounds of his charge wherein so long as he serued he trusted none would vsurpe at which he kept silence and streight wayes arose another who asked whether all the Noble men and Barons present should haue voyce or not and if the whole Ministers that were met there should haue voyces also The Archbishop of Saint Andrews answered that the order obserued in former Assemblies should here be kept and no Ministers haue voyce that lacked a commission But as for Noble men and Barons who were come thither vpon his Maiesties missiues he trusted none there would denie them voyce specially since in the Assembly that proceeded at Saint Andrewes it was one of the reasons they made for differring the conclusion of matters That none of the Noble men or Barons were then present to assist the proceedings of the Church It was desired also that the Articles to bee entreated might bee extended in such forme as his Maiestie desired them to passe and that some might be set apart to collect the reasons that should be proponed for or against the Articles that the whole Asâ—embly might haue the cleerer information To this it was answered that the conference was to consider of these things and what might serue best to prepare matters for the whole Assembly It appeared that their drift was to perturbe the Assembly with such motions in the beginning therefore the Archbishop requiring them to keepe silence commanded his Maiesties letter which was presented by Doctor Young Deane of Winchester and directed to the Assembly to be publikely read the Tenor of which Letter wee haue thought meete here also to insert His Maiesties Letter to the ASSEMBLY IAMES Rex RIght reuerend Fathers in GOD Right trustie Cousins and Coumsellors and others Our trustie and welbeloued subiects We greet you well Wee were once fully resolued neuer in Our time to haue called any moe Assemblies there for ordering things concerning the policie of the Church by reason of the disgrace offered vnto Vs in that late meeting at S. Andrewes wherein Our iust and godly desires were not onely neglected but some of the Articles concluded in that scornfull and ridiculous forme as We wish they had beene refused rather with the rest Although at this time Wee suffered Our selfe to be intreated by you Our Bishops for a new Conuocation and haue called you together who are now conuened for the selfe-same businesse which then was vrged hoping assuredly that you will haue some better regard of Our desires and not permit the vnruly and ignorant Multitude after their wonted custome to ouersway the better and more iudicious sort An euill which we haue gone about with much paines to haue amended in these Assemblies and for which purpose according to Godâ— Ordinance and the constant practise of all well gouerned Churches in all ages Wee haue placed you that are Bishops and ouerseers of the rest in the chiefest roomes You pleade much Wee perceiue to haue matters done by consent of the Ministers and tell Vs often that what concernes the Church in generall should be concluded by the aduise of the whole neither doe Wee altogether dislike your purpose for the greater consent there is amongst your selues the greater is Our contentment But We will not haue you to thinke that matters proponed by Vs of that nature whereof these Articles are may not without such a generall consent be enioyned by Our authoritie This were a misknowing of your places and withall a disclayming of that innate power which We haue by Our calling from God by the which We haue place to dispose of things externall in the Church as We shall thinke them to be conuenient and profitable for aduauncing true Religion amongst Our Subiects Therefore let it be your care by all manner of wise and discreete perswasions to induce them to an obedient yeelding vnto these things as in dutie both to God and Vs they are bound And doe not thinke that We will be satisfied with refuses or delayes or mitigations and We know not what other shifts haue beene proponed for Wee will content Our selues with nothing but with a simple and direct acceptation of these Articles in the forme by Vs sent vnto you now a long time past considering both the lawfulnesse and vndeniable conueniencie of them for the better furthering of pietie and religion amongst you And it should haue rather becommed you to haue begged the establishment of such things of Vs then that We should thus neede to be put to vrge the practise of them vpon you These matters indeede concerneth you of the Ecclesiasticall charge chiefly Neyther would Wee haue called Noble-men Barons and others of Our good Subiects to the determining of them but that We vnderstand the offence of Our people hath beene so much obiected wherein you must beare with Vs to say That no Kingdome doth breed or hath at this time more louing dutifull and obedient Subiects then We haue in that Our natiue Kingdome of Scotland and so if any disposition hath appeared to the contrarie in any of them the same We hold to haue proceeded from amongst you Albeit of all sorts of men yee are they that both of duetie were bound and by particular benefits obliged to haue continued your selues and by your sound doctrine and exemplarie life kept others in a reuerend obedience to Our commaundements What and how many abuses were offered Vs by many of the Ministrie there before Our happie comming to this Crowne though We can hardly quite forget yet We little like to remember Neither thinke We that any Prince liuing could haue kept himselfe from falling in vtter dislike with the Profession it selfe considering the many prouocations that were giuen vnto Vs But the loue of God and his truth still vpheld Vs And will by his grace so doe vnto the end of Our life Our patience alwayes in forgetting and
that is passed I haue liued to see this day a generall Synod once more of the Church of Scotland called by the authority and expresse command and pleasure of our Souereigne Lord the KING which is the only true and best meanes indeed vsed in all Ages for extirpating of all Sects Errors Heresies for the planting of truth and good order in the Church of Christ. And I pray God that all things at this meeting may by the direction of Gods good Spirit by your wisdomes be so carryed that you abridge not your selues and posterity of so great◠blessing and procure that not only these things which are now required but that other things more difficult bee enioyned and enforced vpon you vpon strict penaltie by Supreme Authority And therefore I desire as I am sent to that purpose with the Apostle Titus 3. to put you in remembrance that you bee subiect to Principalities and powers and that you bee obedient and ready to euery good worke to put you in remembrance that by the great blessing of Almightie God you haue to doe with so wise so potent so religious so learned a Prince the matchlesse Mirror of all Kings the nursing Father of his Church that he whose Wisedome and Authoritie is in the composing of all differences both Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill so much required respected and admired not only by his owne people of his other Kingdomes but by all good Christians of forrein Nations throughout the Christian world may not seeme to be neglected by you his natiue Subiects at home and you especially of the Ministerie who ought to be examples and patternes of obedience vnto others you whom he hath so infinitely obliged by his so great bountie and constant loue To put you in remembrance that as with no small disreputation vnto his Maiestie and diminution as it were of his Princely authoritie in the iudgement and sight of the World whose eyes are bent vpon these proceedings he hath granted you so long time by your Christian and godly endeuours with your seuerall flockes whom you are to leade not to be led by them to remoue as you promised both to his Maiesty being here amongst you and againe confirmed at your last generall Synod all those scandals which might be taken by the more ignorant and vnaduised sort of your people to whom all innouations though to the better may seeme at the first somewhat strange so that now you would bee carefull as much as in you lyeth to take away that more dangerous and open offence and scandall which by your delay and refusall of obedience you shall cast vpon the sacred person of our Soueraigne Lord the King the most constant and Zealous Protectour and Defender of that Faith and Truth which wee all professe and for the which he hath suffered such open gaine-saying of the Aduersaries thereof the limbes of Antichrist as if he◠who hath laboured so much to exalt the glorie of thi◠Nation farre aboue all his Predecessours in the eyes of the World now going about most of all to humble vs vnto our God and in performance of the act of greatest deuotion according to his owne example to bring vs vnt◠our Knees did in so doing any way vrge his Subiects to any thing which might sauour of Superstition or Idolatrie To remoue the scandall from those who are in authority amongst you and are set ouer you in the Lord who by their dutifull obedience vnto God and their Soueraigne haue alreadie both by their Doctrine and practise commended those things which now are required of you to b◠both lawfull and expedient To take away that scandal and aspersion which by the seeming reasons of your former refusall or delay you haue cast vpon others so glorious reformed Churches as if the holy Ghost and Spirit◠reformation had beene giuen onely and solely rested vpon you To remoue that notorious and publique scanda◠which by the fierie and turbulent spirits of some fe◠priuate men lyeth heauie vpon the feruent and zealou◠Professours of the glorious Gospel of Christ as if the also were disobedient vnto Magistracie and in this did seeme to ioyne hands with the maine vpholders and pillars of Poperie It hath wounded the Spirits of good men to heare it often spoken Nec dicatur vtinam ampliùs Gathi in plateis Aschelonis Nay to see it in Print that Herod and Pilate were now reconciled againe if not Contra Christum Dominum yet contra Christum Domini Lastly to preuent that lamentable miserie and calamitie which God in his iustice might bring vpon this Church in that you regarded not the blessed time of your visitation and despised the long suffering and great goodnesse of God and of so bountifull and gracious a Soueraigne And so to conclude for to stand now vpon the particulars were but actum agere and you need no gleanings after so plentifull an haruest or the light of a Candle being inlightned by the cleare beames of the Sunne with that of Naamans seruants 2. King 5. vnto their Lord and Maister Father if the Prophet had commanded thee a greater matter shouldest thou not haue done it c. So right reuerend Fathers and Brethren in Christ if our most gracious Soueraigne Lord who hath done so much for you had commanded you greater things so long as they might stand with the will of God and in no waies be repugnant vnto the same for in that case indeed the Apostles rule holds inuiolably true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That we must rather obey God then men should you not haue beene readie your selues and by your Doctrine and practise haue induced others to obedience much more then when he requireth of you but these few necessarie things necessary and expedient for the glorie of God for the aduancing of pietie amongst you for the honour and due satisfaction vnto our Soueraigne Lord the KING for the happy establishing of order peace vnion and loue amongst your selues and in these vnited Kingdomes Therefore let me beseech you in the bowels of Christ to giue all their due Quae Caesaris Caesari quae Dei Deo And as Constantine the Great as Eusebius hath it wrote vnto his Churchmen that troubled his peace and other weightie affaires with their contentious humours So let me intreat you in the behalfe of our CONSTANTINE Qui dum regat iubet Date illi dies tranquillos noctes curae molestiarum expertes That so he may with much ioy and contentment of heart yet once more as hee proposeth if not often visit your coasts and those places which his soule so loueth And that this poore Church and his natiue Kingdome may be made euer more and more happie by his comming and long peaceable and prosperous reigne And GOD and Men say Amen vnto it Amen Amen This Speech hee deliuered most grauely and with great affection to the contentment of all good and wise men And how falsly the Libeller charges him with bringing
of Rome to wit out of Spaine one out of Egypt eleuen out of Calabria one out of Dalmatia one out of Carthage one and out of France one so in the first generall Councell at Constantinople there were numbred an hundred and fiftie Bishops whereof only two or three are found to be out of all the Occidentall Nations In the first Councell of Ephesus there are numbred two hundred Bishops and only three out of the Occident In the Councell of Chalcedone were three hundred Bishops whereof of the Occidentall Countreyes only foure or fiue In the second generall Councell of Constantinople an hundred sixtie fiue Bishops and of these only ten or eleuen out of the Occident Now albeit in the Occidentall Empire there were many large Kingdomes and Prouinces wherein Christian Religion was professed yet these Councels notwithstanding the absence of such ceassed not to be acknowledged as generall or if this might be esteemed a iust cause to annull a Church Assembly what a doore should be opened to the Arrians Macedonians Nestorians Eutychians to reiect the Decrees of these famous Countreyes by the which their Heresies were condemned Lastly the obedience giuen by the Pastors of these Dioceses which you alledge to haue beene neglected testifieth their consent to the Acts and that they haue ratified them for their owne parts PP The generall Assembly the highest Iudicatorie Ecclesiasticall within this Realme hath euer after exhortation made by the last Moderator lited and lawfully elected a new Moderator according to diuers Acts continuate Custome and Practice of this Church The which Presbyters haue beene so regarded that the conuention holden at Perth by his Maiesties missiue the last of Feb. 1596. although frequented by his Maiesties presence with a great number of the Nobilitie Barones and Burgesses with the Commissioners from euery Presbytery was for the defect aforesaid no further acknowledged to bee a lawfull Assembly then the generall Assembly holden at Dundy the yeare following 1597. declared the same to be a lawfull extraordinary Assembly Neuerthelesse no Moderatour was lawfully elected in this Assembly but the place vsurped by him who had practised against the matter there proponed and not as yet determined and consequently who ought to haue beene secluded from any authoritie in respect of the preiudice committed by him ANS In this as in all the rest almost of their exceptions against the Assembly there is a false rule laid whereby to try the lawfulnesse thereof To wit the Acts and Custome of the Church of Scotland vnder Presbyteriall Gouernment which must not rule vs now seeing the true forme of Church-gouernment now restored is much different from the estate of these times It is true that when the Church was gouerned by a paritie of Ministers they choosed a Moderator by suffrage though without any warrant or example eyther out of Scripture or Antiquitie but being compelled thereto of necessitie in regard of that forme of Gouernment wherein no man had any ordinary prerogatiue aboue or before others but now the forme of Gouernment being altered and each man knowing his owne roome and station we are not tyed to obserue that custome but ought rather to follow the Constitutions and practice of the Primitiue Church which was ruled by the same forme of Episcopall Gouernment that now is established in this Land And it is manifest that euer while the Pope of Rome did tyrannically arrogate vnto himselfe and his Legats Presidencie in all Councels this course was obserued that eyther the Christian Prince himselfe when he was present was President as Constantine the Great in the first Councell of Nice and Constantine called Pogonatus in the third Councell of Constantinople or else by the Prince his permission and appointment the Bishop Metropolitan or Patriarch of greatest authoritie in these bounds where the Councell was holden who was alwayes acknowledged President except he himselfe were indited or condemned of Heresie then by the Emperours appointment and not by Election of the Councell a President was appointed as in the first Councell of Ephesus Cyrillus Bishop of Alexandria was appointed President by Theodosius the Emperour because both the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Antiochia who were of chiefe authoritie in these bounds were fauourers of the Nestorian Heresie which was there condemned And if we looke through the whole Ecclesiasticke History wee shall find this euer to haue beene the order yea in that Apostolike Councell Act. 15. according to the iudgement of the most learned both old and new Writers the Apostle Iames was there President as Bishop of Ierusalem Eusebâ—li 2. cap. 1. Theophil in Act. 15. Lyranus ibidem Dionysius Carthusianus ibid. Whittakerus de Concil Quaest. 4. And so is it probable out of the Text because hee pronounced the sentence in the conclusion of the action which is the speciall dutie of a Moderatour and according to the words of his sentence are the Synodicall Letters written to other Churches This exception therefore of not lyting or electing a Moderator being grounded vpon a Custome or Constitution now abolished in the place whereof hath succeded the commendable order alwayes obserued by the Primitiue Church in her purest times is not to bee respected and the example yee bring to qualifie this exception out of that Assembly at Perth Anno 1596. is not only insufficient to proue but likewise in many points false First because in the Acts of the Assembly there is no mention made of any exception taken against the Election of the Moderator Secondly that Assembly was acknowledged to be a lawfull Assembly by an expresse Act in the same Assembly Thirdly it was called extraordinary not for any exception taken against the Election of the Moderatour but because of the time and place to wit that the time and place appointed by the former Assembly was preuented vpon an extraordinary occasion by his Maiesties missiue Fourthly by the Assembly that followed at Dundy Anno 1597. it is acknowledged to be a lawfull Assembly without the addition of extraordinarie as appeares by the Acts thereof Session 7.14 Maij. PP By order established Acts standing in force and continuall Custome free of all Controuersie and Quarrell all and euery one of the ordinary members of a generall Assembly hauing place and power to vote or capable of moderation are and should bee authorized with lawfull Commissions from inferiour Assemblies viz. Presbyteries Burgesses and Vniuersities according to the Act made Anno 1573. Neuerthelesse the Bishops a great number of Noblemen and Barones and some Ministers hauing no lawful Commission presumed to carry themselues as lawfull members of the said Assembly ANS Because that which heere is summarily said is at greater length set downe in the Articles following I referre the Answer to that place PP Whereas the proceeding of the Assembly ought to bee free without preoccupation either with terrours or allurements this Assembly was preoccupyed with Sermons Letters Harrangues with allurements on the one side and terrours on the other ANS This