His Lordship brings nnto your doore As fine as here you make your selfe for the triumph out of every wing you plucke you will by by be at a losse for your victorie must then weare your blew cap without a feather For that you may know my meaning His Lordship can afford you no such pretie thing as the antichronisme you lay hold on He sayth not That statute of treason was in being in the yeare 1580. And his Printer you might see had done him so much right as to set a number 4. yeares older directlie against the place where it is mention'd His Lordships words are these Which ridiculous ordinance was maintain'd stiffelie by the succeeding Synods notwithstanding the statute That it should be treason to impugne the authoritie of the three Estates The plaine sense whereof is this The succeeding Synods to the yeare 1584. maintain'd it stiffelie And not onelie they but likewise the succeeding Synods afterward notwithstanding the statute then made That c. Yet not to be too literal That there should be three Estates to whom your brethren presented their Assemblie Acts as they did by the King them to be confirmed even before the yeare 1580. yet That to impugne the authoritie of the three estates or to procure the innovation or diminution of any of them should have no statute nor law to make it at least interpretative treason is a peice of politikes that Iapan nor Vtâ—…pia will never owne nor any man that is civiliz'd in submission to government beleeve The businesse of appeales we are to meet with in the chapter following so farre you shall have leave to travaile with the counterfeit credit of that untruth What you make here such a positive consent of Lundie the Kings Commissioner in that Assemblie even now went no farther then a suspense in silence where all you found was That it appear'd not he apposed And how that might be I there gave you my conjecture In the next Assemblie 1581. the Kings Commissioner Caprington was not so hastie to erect in His Majesties name Presbyteries in all the land The businesse was this The King sends him Cuningham with letters to the Assemblie at Glasgow to signifie That the thirds of the Ecclesiastical revenues upon the conference had between his Commissioners those which they had before sent from Dundee were not found to be the safest maintenance for the Ministrie they having been so impair'd in twentie yeares before that nothing of certaintie could appeare That thereupon had been drawn a diagrame of several Presbyteries whereby a division of the greatest parishes was to be made a uniting of the lesse to the end that the Ministers might be with more aequalitie maintained and the people more convenientlie assemble'd That His Maâ—…estie had determined to sent letters to several of his Nobilitie in the Countrey to command their meetings and counsel here about This he did not till the next summer nor was any thing effected diverse yeares after The conventions of the Ministrie were to be moderated by every Bishop in his Dioecesse who was by agreement to praeside in the Presbyteries with in his limits So that the modelling Presbyteries was onelie for setling a convenient revenue upon the Ministers so farre was it from abolishing Episcopacie that the Bishops were to have the managing the affaire It would not have cost you nor your printer much paines to have put in what hapened before the yeare 1584 The opposition against your abuse hereof by the Bishops Montgoinerie Adamson His Majesties discharging by proclamation the Ministers conventions Assemblies under paine to be punished as Rebeils publishing them to be unnatural subjects seditious persons troublesome unquiet spirits members of Satan enemies to the King the Commonwealth of their native Countrey charging them to desist from preaching in such sort as they did viz. against the authoritie in Church causes against the calling of Bishops c. removing imprisoning inditing them c. Which put you upon the desperate attempts of surprizing and restraining His Majestie 's person whereof otherwhere So that the King you see had very good preparatives to purge his Kingdome of such turbulent humours before Captain Stuart put him in minde to make use of that physike Which Captaine Iames was no such wicked Courtier when the saints in behalve of the Discipline set him up to justle with Esme Stuart Lord Aubignie for the nearest approach unto Royal favour This Parliament 1584. was summon'd with as loud a voyce as any other was as open as the sun at Edenburgh could make it Nor was Captain Stuarts crime about it such as to denominate his exile the vengeance of God which was wrought in the eyes of the world by your rebellion Nor his death by Dowglasse's high way murder aveng'd afterward in alike terrible destruction that in Edenburgh high street where sanguis sanguinem tetigit bloud touched bloud though I dare not as you doe judge for reward nor divine such ambiguous cruelties for money being no Priest nor Prophet as you are to the heires of those bloudie soulders in Micah chapt 3. I dare not say that it either was the fingar of God though he imploy not the hand of his power to restraine them Rev. ........... these acts of his Parliament the very next yeare were disclaimed by the King c. Ans. They were not disclaimed the 21 of December the next yeare when James Gibson being question'd for disloyal speaches about them before His Majestie his Councel very impudentlie told the King he was a persecutour for maintaining them and compar'd him to Ieroboam threatned he should be rooted out conclude that race His confidence was in the returne of the banish'd Rebel-Nobles who forced all honest men from the Court possessed themselves of His Majesties person acted all disorder in his name This was the regular restoring of Presbyterie Which to say was never more removed to this day in that sense you must speake it is to abuse the ignorance of some new convert you have got in the Indies who it may be at that distance know not that Bishops had the visible Church government in Scotland for about theirtie yeares together since that time Rev. The Warners digression to the the perpetuitie of Bishops in Scotland c. Ans. The perpetuitie of their order in that Kingdome is no disgression in this place where His Lordship shewes your practical contradiction in pulling downe Episcopacie with one hand yet seting it up though under the name of Superintendencie with the other The sequestring their revenue altering their names pruning off some part of their power he takes to be no root branch ordinance for the deposition of their office or utter extirpation of their order This he asserts to be the greatest injurie your malice could ever hitherto bring about therefore goes not one step
of ultimate appeale The alâ—…issimò either of the Parliament or Assemblie puts them not above the capacitie of Courts so makes them not coordinate with the King What allayes you have for government I know not therefore can not close with you in the terme till you give me an undisputable definition of the thing which you call a moderatâ—… Monarchie tell me in what part of the world I may finde it I know of none any where yet that inhibites appeales to the Kings person If the Empire may be the standerd to the rest the learned Grotius that had better skill in the lawes then you or I sayth That in causes of Delegacie semper appellatio consessa fuit ad Imperatorem si ex Imperiali jussione judicatum esset aut ad Iudicum quemcunque si ex judiciali praecepto which holds good against your general Assemblie if that judgeth caregali jussione that it doth so is cleare from your Assemblie Act April 24. 1578. wherein it petitioneth the King to set establish your policie a part whereof is your Assemblie judication That it is for the most part order'd to the King in his Courts is not any way to confine his power but to free him from frequent impertinencies unseasonable importunities of trouble or it may be a voluntarie but no obligatorie Royal condescension to avoyd your querulous imputation of arbitrarie partialitie tyrannie in judicature Therefore you injure the Bishop by converting his assertion into a negative confession As if when he sayth it is to the King in Chancerie he must needs acknowledge It can be neither to the King out of Chancerie nor to him there but with collaterall aequipotential Assistants Whereas your friend Didoclave complaines that our appeales are ever progressâ—… ab unico ad unicum wherein whether he mean'd an aggregate or personal unitie I leave you to interpret That an appeale is not permitted from your Lords of session or Parliament in Scotland is because whatsoever is regularlie determin'd there receives its ratification from the King But if one or other in their session without him should determine a case evidentlie undeniablie destructive to the rights of his crowne or liberties of his people whether His Majestie may not admit an appeale assume his coercive power to restraine their license I thinke no loyal subject in Scotland will controvert As touching your Assemblies King Iames tells you It is to be generallie observed that no priviledge that any King gives to one particular bodie or state within the Kingdome of convening consulting among themselves which includes whatsoever they doe when they are convened consulting is to be understood to be privative given unto them so the King thereby depriving himselfe of his owne power praerogative but onelie to be given cumulative unto them as the lawyers call it without any way denâ—…ding the King of his owne power authoritie This His Majestie alledged against the Ministers at Aberdene whom he accuseth not onelie of convening but acting after they were convened He particularlie mentions their setting downe the diet of the next Assemblie His Councel addes their endavour to reverse overthrow all those good orders godlie constitutions formerlie concluded for keeping of good order in their Church If you alledge that His Majesties Commissioner was not there then you grant me their acts are not justifiable without him And that all are not necessarilie with him I argue from the language of the Commission whereby they meet which limits them thus secundum legem praxim against which if any thing be acted upon appeale the Kings praerogative may rectifie it at pleasure if not any judge may praetend to be absolute then the King must be absolutelie nothing having committed or delegated all power from himselfe What civile law of Scotland it is that prohibites appeales from the General Assemblie you should doe well to mention in your next I know none nor did King Iames thinke of any when he cited his distinction from the Scottish Lawyers aswell as any other Where an Assemblie proceeds contrarie to the lawes of God man Which is not impossible while it may consist of a multitude men neither the best nor most able of the Kingdome the Bishop thinkes an appeale to a legal Court of delegates constituted by a superiour power might be neither unseeming nor unreasonable The law of old never intended they should be the weakest of all Court Where it hath so happened by your owne rule pag. 22. The Delegates not Delegacie are to be charged Such heretofore in England as imployed mercenarie officials for the most part were mercenarie Bishops if they had been cut to the core would have been found I doubt Disciplinarian in heart though Episcopal in title The Scots way of managing Ecclesiastical causes is not more just because more derogatorie to the right of the King And the late Martyr'd King found it not more safe therefore told Mr. Henderson plainlie the papacie in a multitude might be as dangerous as in one how that might be Gualter writ to Count Vnit-glupten in a letter Emergent hinc novae tyrannidis cornua paulatim cristas attollent ambitiosâ—… Ecclesiarum pastores quibus facile fuerit suos assessores in suas partes attrahere cùm ipsii inter hos primatum teneant He might have found the experiment of it in Scotland Nor can it be more satisfactorie to those rational men with whom the Bishops arguments are praevalent beside what else may be effectuallie alledged against it Allthough the two instances the Bishop brings for stopping appeales were accompanied with so many treasonable circumstances as might have enlarged his chapter into a volume deleted the credit of a Scotish Disciplinarian Assemblie out of the opinion of all the Cristians in the world Yet His Lordship thought good to furnish his reader with better authoritie from the second Booke of Discip. ch 12. which shall here meet you againe to crave your acquaintance From the Kirke there is no reclamation or appellation to any Iudge Civile or Ecclesiasticall within the Realme The reputation of the two Reverend Arch-Bishops Montgomerie Adamson depends not upon the sentence of a turbulent envious Synod much lesse any single malicious Presbyter in a pamphlet with whom we know 't is crime hainous enough to be a Bishop shall not want his vote to make them excommunicate Their manifold high misdemeanours are mention'd in the censure of the Presbyterie of Striveling for admitting Montgomerie to the temporalitie of the Bishoprike of Glasgow his owne for aspiring thereto Assemblie 1587. And of the other for taking the Kings commission to sit in Parliament 1584. In the last Act of which his commission is printed to register his guilt The principal of their evil patrons among the wicked States-men I meane next under the King to whom you yeild that praerogative at least is sayd to be
Papacie of a Knox a Buchanan a Melvin an Henderson such meeke lambes as no misbeleeving Iew can misdoubt them to be fore runners of his Messias who hath prae-inspired this good principle into their heads To bring their Kings rather then goe themselves to the slaughter And wheresoe'r they get power to teare out the throat of the â—…hearers and make them dumbâ—… never more able to open their mouthes against the know'n Dâ—…itie of their Presbyterie CHAPTER XIII The Bishops exceptions against the Covenant made good and this proved That no man is obliged to keep it who hath taken it IF I had not found the Reviewer a pretie round and plumpe Gentleman in blacke I might have misse-thought the habit of his bodie and conformation of his parts facilitating with some pleasure the operation of his physike to have enamourd him with the otherwise undecent metaphore of a vomit But Hippocrates praescribing to his constitution as J take it the other method for dejection of his humours I recollect with my selfe a triple cause that might at this time create his distemper in his penning force out this floud of gall upon his paper 1. His late fruitlesse voyage by sea might still sticke in his stomake having before been for many yeares accustomed to none but land waves of his raising the raging tumults and madnesse of the people 2. A violent agitation of his bodie the sixe Scotiâ—… Iehu's in zeale to the cause coaching it much too furiouslie about the Countrey 3. The abominable sight of his Majesties hand to diverse papers denying the very subject of this chapter the taking injoining or tolerating of the Covenant So a Doctour in the facultie nearest hand instructs me .... vomitum vulgò concitare traduntur .... violenta vehemens corporis agitatio insueta per mare navigatio .... imaginatio intuitus rerum abominabilium Beside the pleasing sent of an Irish designe then in hand might offend him which is a fourth cause he addes and I end with Odor rerum faetidarum c. As to the substance of the chapter wherein his Lordship hath taken the Palladium of Presbyterie without which the successe of his other attempts had been nothing the Reviewers stratagems for strength of reason he brings none are unlikelie to rescue it The Bishop is very sensible how deep the conscience of an oath stickes in men whose hearts are not hardened against religious impressions And how perjurie is abhorred among heathen who have conscientious feare of punishment from their God and a politike one too of shame before men To undeceive therefore such as fondlie fancie because their hands were lift up that their covenant's with heaven And because their eyelâ—…s are open that they walke not in darkenesse and the shadow of death He brings them first the reliefe of several propositions which when draw'n out will appeare to be these All oathes vowes covenants are not binding it being customarie among men to make the same bonds serve for iniquitie as justice tie up secret conspiracies with the publike liguments of communitie peace 2. Those that are not obligatorie may be broken viz where a greater judgement solveth the fallacie of a lesse or a beter conscience seekes to reduce rectifie a worse With what other false knots men are foolishlie entangled he demonstrates by the slight wherein the Covenant hath catch'd them Their deliverance is this if they will accept it from the hands of unquaestionable truth That Covenant which is devised by strangers to the dishonour of a Nation imposed by subjects wanting requisite power and that aswell upon their Soveraigne at aequals extorted by just feare of unjust sufferings is not binding But this is that Covenant Ergo. The majour thus put in forme the Reviewer will hardlie grant and yet dares not denie but sets his foot upon I know not what weaknesse and falsitie of the Minour the Commissioners of the Parliament of England as he calls them being among the number of the first and onelie framers thereof He must be wiser then Solomon that can know the way of a Serpent upon a rocke Yet the Presbyterian Scotish subtilitie is not such but that we may see whence if not by what gyres and uncertaine sinuations it came about and he that meetes it at Westaâ—…inster may welcome it from Edenburgh if he likes it Leagues and Covenants are no usuall abasement of English allegeance such copper coyne hath been no where so currant as since Knox was Mint-master in Scotland whose original inscription With the image of his rebellion is propagated in this counterfeit as he that delights in such medalls may see if he compares them This for the thing For the persons I denie them to be Commissioners on either side no King nor Clergie legallie assembled deputing them to that purpose nor indeed any of the Laitie but Rebells They that gave life to it Lords Commons or what you will or wheresoe r assembled were in the very act Traitours against the King and so no part of a Parliament in the Kingdome Whither they are called by His Majesties writ to consult about the defense not to covenant the destruction of the Kingdome and Church The lawfulnesse of whose constitution and authoritie was no farther acknowledged then it was lawfullie used and in that act absolutelie disclaimed the King sending for them onelie to discourse and treat with himselfe not to dispose and ordaine or enact any thing without him Therefore these men thus acting upon the praecedent advice and praescription of strangers foysted a Covenant devised by strangers how soever factiouslie denison'd in that Court But how strange the advice was will appeare beter by true storie then probable divination which being sent me in a leter from one well acquainted with these affaires of his owne countrey I will faythfullie communicate as it came unto my hands When the Commissioners came downe from the Parliament with their letter subscrived be some Ministers shewing that their blood was shed lyke water upon the ground for defense of the protestant relligione and the letter being red in the Assembly had no uther answer bot this Gentlemen wee are sorie for your case bot there is one thing in your letter Yee say yee fight for defense of the reformed relligione yee must not thinke us blind that wee see not your fighting to be for civill disputes of the law wherewhith wee are not acquante Goe home and reconcile with the King hee is a gracious Prince hee will receive you in his favour You can not say it is for the reformed relligione since yee have not begun to reforme your Church yee had thryven better if ye had done as wee did begun at the Church and thereafter striven to have gotten the civill sanction to what yee had done in the Church wee can not medle betwixt his Majestie and you Few dayes after Sir W. Ermin Master Hamden with the rest were invited by some
rout at London by that time being well inform'd what effectual weapons stones stooles such like as furie on a sodaine could furnish had been against blacke gownes white sleeves at Edenburgh before That any armie could at that time be raised when the Kings Forts Magazines Militia Navie were seizd into the hands of your Rebell brethren was a special marke of divine providence cleare in so happie successe as he that ran might then have read their ruine writ by the fingar of God had nor the blacke cloud of our sinnes eclips'd that light blotted out that handwriting shour'd downe vengeance upon our heads That such earnest pitifull entreaties should be made to strengthen the arme of flesh by Gods people in Gods cause after such divine revelation that this was the appointed time wherein Christs Kingdome was to be exalted on earth that the Saints should flourish laugh sing at the downefull of that man of sinne c. Is a note me thinkes that spoyles all the harmonie of the rest That upon such earnest entreaties the Scots were oblig'd to come in is not to be found among all those easie conditions made their double former returning in peace Their feare of a third warre to passe over their brethrens carkasses to themselves is a strong argument of their guilt that their advise some other assistance had passed over the late agreement made between His Majestie them to promote that horrid rebellion against him That so many intercessions with the King for a moderate reasonable accommodation had been used by them was a relique of Poperie they kept notwithstanding the reformation they had made they did truely supererogate in that worke no law of the three Kingdomes I take it making them umpires between the King his subjects nor is it yet revel'd to the world what divine authoritie they had as was pretended in their Remonstrance to come in the name of our Lord Master Iesus Christ to waâ—…ne the King that the guilt which cleav'd so fast to his throne soul was such as if not timeâ—…ie repented would involve him his postcritiâ—… under the wrath of the everliving God For how moderate how reasonable accommodation they mediated appeares in the 19 propositions to the substance of every one of which their unreasonable brethren adhaered to the end That they were at any time slighted rejected is a mere calumnie of the Reviewer ' he would have told us when where if he could That al they ask'd was not granted was upon unanswerable reasons which His Majestie render'd in his publike Declarations about the Treaties c. That they their fainting brethren were so easilie perswaded to enter into a Covenant together is no great mervaile His Majestie tells them Solemne leagues Covenants ...... are the common road used in all factions powerfull perturbations of state or Church ..... by such as ayâ—…e to subdue all to their owne will power under the disguizes of holie combinations The expresse articlâ—…s in the Covenant for the prâ—…servation of Royaltie c. are spun so fine woven so thin as that white vailâ—… can not hide the face of that blacke rebellious divel that is under it Whereof they being conscious that had been very well acquainted with the mysterie no lesse then an whole armie together conduct us to the perfect beholding the sweet countenance of this late Baal Berith as he lies We crave say they leave to beleeve that an accommodation with the King in the way termâ—…s you are upon or any at all as the case now stands that shall implie his restitution or shall not provide for his subjection to trial judgement would first not be just before God or man but many wayes evill Secondlie would not be safe 1. The Covenant engaging to the maters of religion publike interests primarilie absolutelie marke that with out any limitation after that to the preservation of the Kings person authoritie but with this restriction marke this too viz. In the preservation of the true religion liberties of the Kingdomes In this case though a Cavallier might make iâ—… a question yet who will not rationallie resolve it That the preceding maters of religion the publike interest are to be understood as the principal supreme maters engaged for that of the Kings person authoritie as inferiour subordinate to the other 2. That where persons joyning to make a mutuall covenant if the absent parties shall oppose it the maters contein'd in it surelie that person excludes himselfe from any claime to any benefit therefrom while he continues so refusing opposing So that you see notwithstanding the expresse articles for the preservation of Royaltie His Majestie may be brought to his trial all his posteritie too when the holie brethren can catch them be murder'd at their owne gates according to the expresse sense of severall articles in the Covenant for maintenance of religion libertie And what unkindnesse was here in the Scots to their King Besides whosoever will take the paines to compare the particulars in the Scotish Remonstrance which they brought in their hands when they came in upon the Covenant with those in the accursed Court proceeding against His late Royal Majestie may be able to doe Dorislaw Steel Cooke c. some litle courtesie in their credit pleade for them that they drew not up but onelie transscribed a charge brought long since from Edenburgh to London And yet what unkindnesse was here in the Scots to their King There is yet one thing more whereof upon this mention of Remonstrance Covenant I can not but advertize my reader having but lightlie touch'd upon it before That whereas the Scots in their Covenant confesse before God the world many sinnes whereof they were guiltie for which they desire to be humbled Viz. That they had not as they ought valued the inaestimable benefit of the Gospell That they had not laboured for the puritie power thereof That they had not endeavoured to receive Christ in their hearts marke that nor to walke worthie of him in their lives These men tell the King in their remonstrance That they come in the name of their Lord Master Iesus Christ to warne him about the guilt of I know not what sinnes they there heape together upon his soul. A very likelie storie to beleeve That Christ had sent them into England with this covenanting paper in their hands who had shut him out of doores very latelie would not receive him into their hearts Notwithstanding all the pretended glorious successe obteined more by the name then exploits of the Scotish armie the opposite partie was not so fullie subdued but that the multitude of garrisons beside Newarke which might have cost them deare surrender'd after His Majesties leaving Oxford make a
without a particular ratification thereof I might adde how ridiculous it is for you to make the power of your Assemblies so absolute yet trouble King Parliament so often with your importunate petitions to passe what is fullie ratified before that by their owne General Acts including that very particular for which you supplicate The debates about the second booke of Discipline I beleeve But that in the Assemblie 1590. the Kings consent to it was obtaind I can sooner admit upon undeniable authoritie then your Logike you pretend not to the perpetuitie of His Majesties personal praesence which was but some times it should seem not at that time of general consent Nor is your Act for subscription so cleare in the assurance you give us that His Majesties Commissioner was there you onelie take it for granted he was among the herd Nor so explicite in his positive consent you onelie collect it from a clowdie universal to serve your turne honour him with a primacie in suffrage Wherein you are a litle redundant in courtesie there having been a time when if His Majestie or His Commissioner siting in Assemblie should denie his voyce to any thing which appear'd unjust repugnant to his lawes yet iâ—… that were concluded by most voyces you would tell him he was bound jure divino to inforce obedience to your Act. The case for ought I know stood no otherwise here in this Assemblie Where to discountenance the testimonie you bring you have been told long before now That the superintendents of Angus Lothian Fiâ—…e c. George Hayes Commissioner from the North. Arbuthmoth of Aberdene others were dissenters from this Act about the discipline whereby His Majesties or His Commissioners consent becomes somewhat improbable to the authoritie whereof such men as they had in prudence submitted if not in dutie by their silence That States-men in Parliament oppos'd it is evident That the King ever endeavourd to get it passe is your single assertion Neque usquam fictum neque pictum neque scriptum If your Church did it was for want of worke for you told us even now To this a particular ratification of Parliament was unnecessarie What the Bishops opinion is about the pâ—…trimonie of the Chuch how farre by whom what part of it may be lawfullie alienated when just occasion is given I praesume His Lordship freelie faythfullie will declare In the meane time his chalenge against the Scotish Presbyterians is without hypocrise injustice Himselfe many other good Prelates having ever aesteem'd it a fault to call the annexing some part of the Church revenues unto the crowne a detestable sacriledge before God Nor can Mr. Baylie instance in any indefinite disputes including all that hath been or shall be given to the Church that have hapened since the first reformation between the Kings of England their Bishops Who had they found their Princes rapacious sequestratours would not have failed in their dutie modestlie to admonish them of the danger yet had it may be abstained from calling them theeves murderers peculiar termes characteristical of the Discipline-To which I thinke I shall doe no injustice if I assert that the revenues of Bishops Deanes Arch-deacons of Chapellries Friaries of all orders together with the sisters of the seenes abstracting from the favour of Princes no more belong to the Scotish Presbyters then they doe to the Mufties of the Turke The intention of the doners having never been that such strange catell should feed in their pastures Nor can M. Baylie shew me any law that makes him heir to Antichrist or a just inheriter of his lands Beside methinkes the weake stomack'd brethren should take checke at the meate offered unto idols any silken sould Presbyter be too nice to array himselfe in the raggeâ—… of Rome or be cloth'd at that cost that belong'd to the idolatrous Priesthood of Baal But it may be in the heate of Reformation they went to worke with the coyning irons which they more then once got into their possession with them altered thâ—… impresâ—…ion of the beast And the mattokes 〈◊〉 Which other armes being wanting they very often tooke in their hands were possiblie onelie to turne up the Church land whereever crop had been reap't by Antichrist that abominable glebe went downe to the center of the earth What he talkes about the Praelatical jus divinum their taking possessions by commands from Court without a processe requires his instance then he shall have his answer In the interim he playes the hypocrite in a question What if then the Disciplinarians had gone to advance that right to all jusdivinum when the Assemblie at Edenburgh did so April 24. 1576. But he sayth all the Scots can be challeng'd for is a mere declaration of their judgement simple right in a supplication to the Regents Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These Scots judgement was not allwayes in righteousnesse and their simplicitie in supplicates had many times more of the Lion then the Lambe Witnesse that to the Queen Regent 1559. where they declare their judgements freelie as true faithfull subjects they tell her yet this is the style of that declaration ......... Except this crueltie be stayed by your wisdome We shall be compelled to take the sword of just defense c. ...... If ye give â—…are to their pestilent counsel ...... neither ye neither yet your posteritie shall at any time after this finde that obedience faythfull service within this Realme which at all times ye have found in us In the assemblies supplications to the Lords of secret Councel May 28. 1561. the second article annexed to which was for the maintenance of the ministerie this Before ever these tyrants dumbe dogs Empire above us ....... we ..... are fullie determin'd to hazard life whatsoever we have recived of God in temporall things ........ And let these enemies of God assure themselves That if your Honours put not order unto them That we shall shortlie take such order That they shall neither be able to doe what they list neither yet to live upon the sweat of the browe December 25. 1566. They order requiring instead of Supplicating Churh censures to the disobedient Their sixt head of Church rents in the first booke of Discipline runnes very imperiouslie upon the must The Gentlemen Barons c. must be content to live upon their just rents suffer the Kirke to be restored to her libertie And Jul. 21. 1567. They tell them they shall doe it shall passe nothing in Parliament untill it be done That ever any assemblie in Scotland did make any other addresse to the Parliament for stipends then by way of such humble supplication I grant â—…is a great untruth Nor were onelie the thirds thus petition'd for but time after time all tithes rents whatsoever could be comprized under the patrimonie of the
the Earle of Arran who deserves that character for being second at that time in His Majesties favour he is sayd by your brethren to have taken them into the Parliament So that lay their commission Earle Arrans courtesie together which without the other had implied the pleasure of the King they tooke not without authoritie upon themselves as you sayd the Episcopal office nor place in that Parliament Whether the pride contempt of the Prelates or Presbyters were greater may be judg'd in the case of Arch-Bishop Montgomerie by the Assemblies slighting not onelie His Majesties letters but Messengers such as were two Heralds at Armes His Master of Requests who in the Kings name inhibiting their proceedings they send him word by Macgil they can salve their obedience yet goe through with the businesse Setting up Durie Belcanqual two Edenburgh Ministers to â—…aile against the Eâ—… Lâ—…nox when they are accus'd quitting them by their Ecclesiastike praerogative Putting their scholars at Glasgow in Armes occasioning bloudshed in resistance of the Principal Magistrates of that place against whom they afterward proceeded His Majestie summous them to his judicature at St. Andrewes they send their oratours instead of comming themselves The King exchangeth a promise of securitie for theirs of suspending the censure They admit the condition but collude with His Majestie leaving an underhand power with some select brethren to give sentence as occasion should serve When they get loose they contest with his Majestie by a serpent-supplicate which when it creepes at the foot wounds to the heart Tell him boldlie he playes the Pope takes a sword in his hand more then belongs to him The Earle of Arran demanding who dares subscribe such a paper Andrew Mâ—…lvin answers undauntedlie for himselfe some others for hast snatcheth the pen out of a scribes hand that was neare him writes his name exhorts his complices ro doe the like By letter to His Majestie they shew how farre His Majestie had been uninformed upon mâ—…information prâ—…judg'd the praerogative of Iesus Christ the liberties of his Church what becomes of the Kings when this is pleaded They enact ordaine that none should procure any such warrant or charge under the paine of excommunication Where K. Iames did acknowledge the aequitie of the Church proceedingâ—… in these cases I desire to be inform'd I am sure K. Charles 1. many yeares since hath writ That they did wickedlâ—…e that which they could not doe And that it is a very reproveable instance Which to have been ever his fathers opinion I have under the hand of one of the most learned knowing men eminent historians in your Kingdome As likewise that they did never confesse their crimes nor renounce their Bishop-rikes c but that they were most cruellie persecuted by that firebrand of schisme in the Kirke sedition in the state Andrew Melvin his subscribing Associates made so odious to the people by their excommunication that they suffered most grievous penurie in the end were sterved to death which did not quench the malice of their mercilesse enemies who after their death continued persecuting their names memories making them infamous by false supposititious recantations whereof they themselves were the authours publishers Others that acknowledge a word or two to this purpose that drops from Arch-Bishop Adamson say he did it when set on the racke by his hunger being faine to beg bread of his enemies who glad of the occasion sold their charitie by weight for his selfe seeming-conviction when they had it being too greedie to gaine damnation to themselves did sophisticate every syllable with a lie The Bishops in their Declinatour against the Assemblie of Glasgow if you remember well appeale to no general Assemblie otherwise then as it shall pleace His Majestie to constitute it personallie be present or by his Commissioner without whom they acknowledge no authoritie it hath They referre it to His Majestie to call one to repaire their injurie by way of humble desire or direction no way derogating from nor impairing his separate absolute praerogative to redresse all personallie if he please Their expressions relating to Royall power in this particular are such as follow So that they praeventing not proceeding by warrant of Royal authoritie May we not therefore intreat my Lord Commissioner His â—…race in the words of the Fathers of the fourth General Councel at Chalcedon Mitte foras superflues For discharge of our dutie to God to his Church to our sacred Soveraigne lest by our silence we betray the Church is right His Majesties authoritie our owne consciences And we most humblie intreat His Grace to intercede with the Kings Majestie that he may appoint a free lawfull Generall Assemblie to whom Dr. Rob. Hamilton by these praesents we give our full power expresse mandate to praesent the same in or at the sayd Assemblie or where else it shall be necessarie to be used where 's that Mr. Baylie with all submission obedience diâ—…e to our gracious Soveraigne His Majesties High Commissioner All which are clauses assertive of His Majesties supremacie over General Assemblies implie his power to take cognizance of their demeanour Though after all this compliance with your method countenancing a seeming pertinencie in your arguments I must seasonablie put you in minde that you are very much mistaken in the Bishops meaning here as otherwhere maintaine a blindeconflict which your selfe For allthough His Lordship often take advantage of your Assemblie proceedings as contrarie to your lawes justifiable establishment of the Ecclesiastike power in your Kingdome yet where there is a concordance of your practice with your rule if accompanied with inconvenience of state incroachment upon that just praerogative which Monarchs otherwhere doe or may assume if destructive to that libertie of the people which is given them by the Gospell Christian freedome sealed to them in their baptisme if disagreeing with the primitive practice for the first five or sixe hundred yeares after Christ you lie open to the force of his arguments though you ward the blow from falling upon your Church in its owne peculiar as constituded in your Countrey For his Lordships endeavour is not onelie though in part to shew how tyrannical your discipline is to your selves but how praejudicial destructive it may prove to us in England if through want of caution or a facile yeilding to your insolent attempts way should be made for you to propagate what you call the Kingdome of Jesus Christ but is indeed the tyrannie of Satan the second practice of Lucifers ambition To banish Gods Anoynted from the earth since he faild in his project of turning God himselfe out of heaven we be ensnared in the like Presbyterian slaverie with the Scots Therefore you see he entituled his booke A Warning to take â—…ced of the Scotish
time to enjoy your owne puritie peace which had cost you so deare The Bishops following grounds which he makes good to be de monstrative doe not therefore betray the weaknesse of because they adde strength to the praeceding What wind is in them you fâ—…llow too fast after and feed as greedilie upon as Ephraim on the East which turnes to the same bad nourishment in you both increasing lies and somewhat else which you may reade Hose 12. 1. And were the softest hand insensible of their substance they would praeponderate your answers which are as deceitfull upon the weights as he that made them and alltogether lighter then vanitie it selfe For not a proposition is there in prosyllogisme or syllogisme that is seemes you can denie though you scarce any where shew ingenuitie to grant For the second which you thinke so hard to prove let it be adventur'd thus He that by covenant disposeth of himselfe and armes contrarie to the established lawes which by the Kings right in him he is obliged to maintaine disposeth of them against that right But every Covenanter disposeth c. For the established lawes enjoine him to defend the Kings person without limitation or reference to religion at least not to fight against it which the Covenant by your practiâ—…e interpretation doth oblige to Where the power of the Militia refides His Majesties unanswerable Declaration for the Commission of array will best satisfie you And himselfe tells you trulie it is no lesse his undoubted right then is the crowne In the exercise of it though the Parliament be not excluded yet their power is never legallie considerable but when they are as the bodie with the â—…oul in statu conjunctâ—… with the King Defense of liberties hath no law to arme them against prâ—…rogative nor is there a cause imaginable impowering them to take up armes against a partic countenanced by the Kings praesence which can be according to no law but what is call'd such by rebellious people that offer violence to Royal right If any such there be let us have but one impraegnable instance and we 'll shake hands I beleeve you are not much in love with that old custome of the Frisians long before they became Presbyters who chose their Earle carying him upon their bucklers and crying alowd Haec est potestas Frisiae You can now adayes beter indoctrinate them according to the custome of your faction when praevalent which is to admit no new King but at the swords point and there to keepe him crying after this maner or somewhat like it in your proclamational libells Haec est libertas Presbyteriales Scotiae Yet your Commissioners when in the mood can praesent the hilt to his hand and argue with both houses as they did upon the new propositions why the power of the militia should be in the crowne asking How Kings otherwise can be able to resist their enemies and the enemies of the Kingdome protect their subjects keep friendship or correspondence with their allies asserting that the depriving them of this power rootes up the strongest foundations of honour and safetie which the crowne affords will be interpreted in the eyes of the world to be a wresting of the scepter and sword out of their hands So that the Bishops friends may take from yours aswell as from him the same demonstrable conclusion he layd downe And this for all the Kings acknowledgement which was never any of the Parliaments joint interest in his authoritie against his person which is the true case though you shamefullie conceale it Nor did His Majestie so put the whole Militia in their hands as to part with his right when he bound his owne from the exercise Nor was he sure he was not or might not seeme to be perjur'd for his courtesie which all Kings will not hazard though he layd the guilt or dishonour at their doores whither God hath brought allreadie a portion of their just punishment that constraind him saying I conceive those men are guiltie of the enforced perjurie if so it may seem who compell me to take this new and strange way of discharging my trust by seeming to desert it of protecting my subjects by exposing my selfe to danger or dishonour for their safetie and quiet Therefore what thoughts he had of your parties medling with the Militia may be best judg'd by his words How great invasion in that kinde will state rebellion in a Parliament when there 's any as there was none at that time nor since shall be told you when the Bishop gives you occasion to demand it Or if you can not stay so long I must send you againe to the judicious Digges to satiate your too curious and greedie appetite of such fare as will noâ—… well be digested in many stomackes To the nulling your Covenant by His Majesties proclamation you say nothing because it separates him from the partie to which you attribute all malignance and you know you can not securelie medle with him but in a croud In the Bishops second demonstration we must be beholding to you for giving what you can not keep with any credit which more awes you then conscience That where the mater is evidentlie unlawfull the oâ—…th is not binding The application of which up to your covenant will be justified when brought to the touch by Gods lawe or the Kingdome 's But you first summon it before reason which helpes you with no rule To lay aside what might be otherwise rectified were there cause for 't Nor any evidence that the burden of Bishops and ceremonies was so heavie as to presse you into the necessitie of a Covenant This his Lordship need not offer to dispute since the King ever offerd a regulation of that order and those rites by the primitive paterne wherein it otherwise differed then in a necessarie innocent compliance with the politike constitution of his Kingdome And the Church had render'd all rational satisfaction as well for the ceremonies reteined as those abolish'd And both by particular men most eminent in learning and judgement had been unanswerablie maintained in every graine or scruple that could be quaestion'd or complaind of Yet the praesent government how light soever is burdensome especiallie to men that looke for advantages by the change And the worst of men can seeme as serious in complaint as if their vertues had been the onelie martyrs to crueltie and the very common hackneyes for oppression Quid reliqui habemus praeter miseram animam came out which a sad sigh from Catiline before his bankrupt Comrades who had left no such subject for rebellion to rhetoricate on if their lives had been as good pawnes in the midst of their prodigalitie as their lands This your method of reformation whereof the Bishop complaines for which you plead custome failes not onelie in the maner but of the power the most material requisite to effect it And the high path way is noâ—… so
lawes appeares best by his vindication of just authoritie to them both against your disciplinarian incroachments His Lordship doth not forget by what authoritie your discipline is established though the extravagance of your practices stands not justified by that which you pretend to If your rule doth it doth not quit it selfe of censure in reference to its reception otherwhere because vested with the power of a civile law in Scotland nor is that law unalterable when a future Parliament may take into consideration the inconveniencies that accompanie it The Bishop need not be grieved being as ignorant as your selfe you are enough as King knowing as you would seem that His Majestie doth not at all question the justice because he doth not the legalitie of these sanctions Therefore his Lordship may thinke on speake on when he pleaseth more about this bussinesse yet vouch with out a marke loyaltie in his face nor for ought you draw from him need his veines be so emptie nor his stomake so sharpe set as to eate his former words much lesse be so desperate as to burne his whole booke the consistence of it with his toughts professions laying no slander upon the King his Royal Father of ignorance injustice the one having established the other offering to establish by your civile lawes such a Church discipline as is mentiond both having done it upon most unreasonable importunitie without any know'n inclination to or approbation of the same Farther what a slander this would prove upon your grounds beyond the irreverence toward any actions of a King which is haled hither in a forced consequence by the cords of your malice may be guessed by the Royal Father's confession in his solitude If any shall impute my yeilding to them the Scots as my failing sinne I can easilie acknowledge it but that is no argument to doe so agaiâ—… or much more For the Royal sonne His Majestie now being you say he hath not yet gone beyond an offer therefore His Martyr'd Fathers poenitential acknowledgement of his failing sinne join'd to your seasonable admonition That there can be no such actual concession but upon the peril of ignorance or huge injustieé except he ownes it aswell to be the religious dictate of his conscience as a poltike indulgence upon necessitie of state may probablie move him at leisure to deliberate whatsoever he shall determine to doe in this wherein God direct him for the best aswell for his owne sake as the saftie of his Kingdomes make him cautious hereafter how the importunitie of the mission gets ground upon his goodnesse when all his grants shall be so publikelie registred as conscientious acts by such barbarious pens deliver'd to posteritie as sealed with his soule The Bishops presumption in that which followes is none but what from the grounds of modest Christian charitie may be raised viz. That a knowing a just King such as your owne character renders him will acknowledge that contrarie to the dictates of his conscience which is proved contrarie to the lawes of God man And this may be proclaimed if not prohibited without being his Confessour or taking it from the Clerke of the closet in any whisper Nor doth your mistrust of reports beare authoritie enough to make His Majesties conscience passe for Presbyterian no more then that for a command or imposition by law which was by your petitionarie violence ravish'd from his passive innocencie into a grant So that you see in the very beginning you stumble at a strawe being to finde somewhat worse in your way you were best life your legs higher in your progresse How much the Disciplinarian Scots have contributed from the beginning toward the alteration of Religion in England is too large a storie to be inserted in this dispute Their old account the Rt Reverend Arch-Bishop Bancroft cast up in his Dangerous positions English Scotizing Discipline their later arreares ruu very high in the historie of our times beginning with his religious learned successour The losse of whose head is not more to be imputed to the peoples clamours then the Scotish papers Whatsoever they did before I hope they can not denie themselves to be one of the horned beasts which together with their English brethren make the supporters of the Presbyterian Rebells scutcheon in the Coveriant This in their remonstrance upon their last inroad into England when their fainting brethren with the cause were giving up the ghost they tell the King plainlie they shall zealouslie constantlie in their severall vocations endeavour with their estates lives to persue advance This pursuance was against the King Bishops which with the Convocation of divines are the true full representatives of the Church of England The assemblie of Divines were but locusts caterpillars brought together at Westminster by a Northerne wind The lawes of England convocate no such creatures nor in such a maner King Parliament were mere names had then there no real being so no breath to such a purpose nor those in the two Houses afterward more then the heads on the top of them in any politike capacitie to ordaine the abolition of Episcopacie Beside what the Assemblie did deliberate debate poor mechanike people 't is very well known'n they did as daylie labourers sacrilegious hirelings spend the thred of their time in your service payd the price of their souls for a sequestration or two the Covenanting brethren's pillage of the Church So that if they began the song you know by whom they were payd for their paines if they danc'd not after your pipe poor scraping wretches they came at your call howsoever you were in a medley together to be sure your Covenanting Divel had got you all into a circle will better distinguish you when he calls to you for his reckoning But by your favour good Sir His Majestie kept out for the very three yeares you mention told you plainlie he would make one in the practike harmonie of the Catholike Church That permission for it was no more necessitie extorted though he could not at that time get you all into Bedlam he thought in three yeares you would pipe dance your selves wearie then be content to give way to a better solemnitie of the Cathedral musike to come in In the meane time estates lives engag'd in the advancement of the Covenant by the sword the end thereof being to setle discipline was meâ—…ing with imposing upon our Church Quod erat demonstrandum The Bishop you see gives a shrewd guesse who they are you endeavour to brand with the name of Erastians how all Protestant Churches even such as are not Episcopal must be beholding to you for that title because they come not up to the rigour of your Discipline Wherein Erasttus flaterd the Magistrate to the prejudice of the just rights of
is about the head of the Church will be clearlie rendred when just Authoritie demands it but His Lordship thinkes not good to be catechiz'd by every ignorant Scotish Presbyter nor give answer to every impertinent question he puts in If your fingars itch to be handling the extrinsecal power in the Minister derivative from the supremacie of the King you were best turne over Erastus the learned Grotius after which I guesse we shall heare of you no more Your Assemblies are Arbitrarie but at Royal pleasure otherwise then as by your covenanting sword you cut of their relation to the King his great Councels So that your Kings were willing to accept had good reason to assume more then ever you would give them How you robd them of their right by your multipli'd rebellions see Scotish-Presbyterian selfe conviction in my Epitome of your storie If the Bishop had left this matter in generall your hue crie to be sure had gone after him for particulars His reasoning stands not to the courtesie of your indulgence being grounded upon the Acts of your Assemblies whose backes had been long since broke with the weight of no peckadillos in disputing but high mightie villanies in rebelling had it not the strength of the whole lay Presbyterie to support it Though by the way I must tell you The failings of your officers may be taken as naturall to inseparable from your office when having been so notoriouslie publike they passe without your censure or dislike So that this mote as much as you miskenne it will prove a beame in your eye of such consequence in this argument as you will scarce finde the way through the most hainous particulars that follow The first of which layes such a blocke in your way as you can not step over till you have as good as acknowledged one of the principal articles in that charge You confesse His Majestie did write from Stirling to the General Assemblie at Edenburgh 1579. that they should cease from concluding any thing in the discipline of the Church during the time of his minoritie And how well you obey'd it we may collect by what followes Vpon this desire dutifull subjects would have taken it for a command the Assemblie did abstaine from all conclusions that we shall see presentlie onelie they named a Committee to goe to Striveling for conference with His Majestie upon that subject Any man that is acquainted with your Assemblie logike will know that this clause with the onelie if it passe not for a conclusion caries the force of two praemises with it And he must be very ignorant in your storie that hath not found all your conferences with your Kings to have been contests Whether this was so or no I leave to the discretion of the reader when he sees what you say followed thereupon Immediatelie a Parliament is called in Octob. 1579. And in the first Act declares grants jurisdiction unto the Kirke .......... And declares that there is no other face of a Kirke nor other face of Religion then is praesentlie by the favour of God established within this Realme And that there be no other jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall acknowledged within this Realme then that whilke is shall be within the samen Kirke or that which followes therefrae concerning the praemises Now let us lay all this together The young King is resolved to have no medling with the discipline yet no sooner doth he see your Commissioners sweet faces but immediatelie a Parliament is called And in that Parliament your Discipline must have the primacie In the Acts And that leading Act must not onelie establish what you have at hand but upon the engagement of Regal Parliamentarie power purchase all future possibilities of your pleasure give your invention a patent to play the wanton There must be some witchcraft sure in your Committee by your relation a magicke spell to retrive on such a sodaine the Kings wandring affections to the Discipline But when I finde His Majestie professing that after ten yeares of age you never had his heart A brother of yours lamenting that for five yeares before this you had had a perpetual conflict with the Bishops ever got the worst That most of the Nobilitie upon several interests were at this time bent against you I am at a losse for the Kings libertie as much as for some other concurrent due authoritie in this Act reade nothing but your violence in these proceedings But let us see how you a namelesse friend of yours agree He tells us the letter that Dunkenson brought to this Assemblie had otherguede contents That the King onelie quickned your dispatch in consultation about some head of the discipline preparing your unanimous result for the consent of the Parliament that followes The Kings jealousie of your medling with these affaires he seemes to anticipate by two yeares of your account if there were any such thing whereof he doubts he sayth the King was better informed of the truth He farther complaines of two whole leaves about this businesse that were rent out of your publike records that ever since left posteritie in a cloud this was done in the yeare 1584. which he calls the houre of darknesse You say the authentike Registers are extant convince the Bishop to be heire of falshood Error caecut quâ câ—…pit eat All the truth that I can picke out of this confusion is That the King was disaffected to the Discipline That the Assemblie did not obey his command nor answer his desire with their silence And that what consent you say he gave in Parliament soon after was either forg'd or procured by constraint What followes concerning your rigour to the Papists many orthodoxe Christians comprehended in that title is easilie credited But you should have done well to have set downe the names Dominorum Consilii ex quornm deliberatione proclamation was made then we should have know'n how neare they were of kâ—…nn to your faction Some bodie tells us That the Ministers did deliberate Buchanan did act according to the maximes of loyaltie he publish'd That the Kings name was to it what else you pleased is not much to be doubted when you had got his person in your power For how short a time you could keep his inclination to the Discipline which was proclaim'd ap peares out of your storie of an Assemblie mans penning How cordiallie peremptorie the King was in his command how forward in subscribing whatsoever is in the Act for the short Confession of fayth And what good effects it wrought among the people you may take notice out of His Majestie speach in the Conference at Hampton Court wherein he shewes how ridiculous the thing was the person that drew it up I thinke it unfit to thrust into the booke every position negative .......... according to the example of Mr. Craige in Scotland
Discipline c. And were it not that you would clamour in your next pamphlet you were unanswer'd this advertisement might passe with any rational reader for a refutation of at least halfe your booke If I should prosecute you with the many appeales that have been made before the Bishops declinatour of the Assemblie at Glasgow I know you would runne to your cover of complaints pag. 20. of your booke What others have been since will be brought to your remembrance in such a flying roule as the Prophet Zâ—…charie mentions unlesse a gracious pardon be given you upon your knees when His Majestie shall by Gods assistance have power to chastise your rebelling cursing covenanting excommunicating imprisoning murdering decreeing the confusion of his Royal familie three flourishing Kingdomes in your Assemblies CHAPTER IV. Seditious Rebellious Ministers in Scotland seldome or never censur'd by the Assemblie HEre Mr. Baylie layes faster hold upon the title then the Bishops evidences in the Chapter because sedition rebellion are charg'd home to the conscience of the Presbyters their usual indemnitie imputed to the Discipline he would faine step over these publike enormities to personal vices against which by his leave the Ecclesiastike rigour is not such but it can admit of very frequent indulgences many times convert the guilt or shame of such haynous transgressions to the glorie of their Gospel a more certaine signe of the sinners election by grace according to John Knox's divinitie after proofe made against Paul Meffane The treason of Iudas the adulterie of David abnegation of Peter did derogate nothing from the glorie of Christs Evangel nor yet the doctrine which before they had taught but declared the one to be a reprobate the other to be an instrument in whom mercie must surmount judgement Nay if they find it advantageous to their discipline these declamers against adulterie bloud will make religious applications to any as they did to Murray their Regent-bastard murderer to say no more of him whom they made the greatest saint upon the earth the most eminent patron of their Church That your pulpits have been perduellionis plaustra the common stages for sedition treason I have made appeare upon an old item somewhere else And because you had not enough of them for the last old Comoedie you were to act how yow did mount it in halls schooles other profane places is deliver'd unto us upon Royal authoritie in his late Maejsties large Declaration 1639. Where is to be found such loyal doctrine as this One in Edenburgh upon his Majesties urging subscription to your owne Confession of fayth sayd It was an Italian a devellish device first to make them renounce God perjure themselves then afterward there was an intention to destroy their bodies so that this subscription imported no lesse then the destruction both of their bodies soules Rollocke did as much upon a scaffold in publishing a wicked rebellious protestation Another That though there were never so many Acts of Parliament against the Covenant yet it ought to be maintain'd against them all And Andrew Cant since charg'd His Majestie thus to his face Awake thow lumpe of day thow wast not sleeping when thow gavest out the bloudie commissione to Iames Graham Of all which I desire Mr. Baylie to name one that suffer'd any censured from a Synod what priviledge these or any other scandalous crimes had in England or Ireland the High Commission Civile censures can cleare But the Reviewers conscience can tell how many such tooke shelter under the wings of the Covenant who were threaâ—…ned processe if they subscrib'd not having done it passed for very zealous pious brethren in the cause Their names infirmities if Mr. Bayilie hath not I have charitie to conceale Or if I had not could their ordination be justified they accounted of our brotherhood I should thinke my selfe oblig'd to it under the penaltie of the 55. Canon of the Councel of Carthage Episcopus accusatores fratrum èxcommunicet si emendaverint vitium recipiat â—…s ad communionem non ad Clerum If he bear'd the like reverence to Antiquitie when he speakes so broadlie of the Bishop of Derrie he might bethinke himselfe of the 57. Canon Clericus maledicus maxime in sacerdotibus cogatur ad postuâ—…andum veniam si noluerit degradetur nec unquam ad officitsm absque satisfactione revocetur And to give His Lordship his due interest in the prudent provision of the Church I direct the reader to that in the Councel of Constantinople De accusatoribus Orthodoxorum Episâ—…oporum non admittendis which is to be found in the edition of Chr. Iustell where he shall see by how many clauses Mr. Baylie is excluded from being admitted to enter any accusation against him first by the Religion he professeth adjudg'd as bad as haeresie by the ancient Canons for decreeing in conventiâ—…les against the authoritie of Bishops antisynagontas tois kanoâ—…ikois â—…emin episcoposs .......... And whether upon the several grounds that follow an Oecumentical may not reject him hooâ—… kathybrisanta tous kanoâ—…as kai â—…n ecclesiastiken lymenamenon â—…axian as a reproachfull despiser of Canons a bane to the eutaxie of the Church let any of his aequitable compareâ—… consider Yet I thinke I shall breake no canon by retorting his quaestion his acts being so publike himselfe autocatacritâ—…s convinc'd under his hand in his booke Did the Reviewer never heare of a Presbyterian sibb to Mr. Baylie who to this day was never but may be in good time called to any account for flagrant scandals of such crimes even the same the Bishop mentions sedition treason which aswell in Scotland as in any other Kingdome are punishable by the Gallowes These crimes above any deserve civile cognizance from which as free as the Scotish Churchmen have been I dare undertake to prove out of their storie That there was hardlie ever Synod in Scotland Presbyterian I meane but was guiltie of Rebellion or bloud having ever made their covenants with death their agreement with hell having made lies their refuge under falshood hid themselves as they did Isai. 28. 15. So that Marianâ—… his disciples whether in Italic or Spaine or all the world over can not in aequitie have layd such devillish doctrines such publike murders of Princes Nobles to their charge Foedus umbraruâ—…s perit As constant a Covenanter as you are with the living I see the holiest league can not chaine up your furious malice against the dead Your naming Bishop Aderson For his sinne that blessed Martyr the L. of Canterburie for his patron speakes you a sonne of neither Christian charitie nor truth If Presbyterie had been as old as the Councel of Nice I perceive your sawcie fingars would have snatch'd the libells out of Constantines breast your zealous tongues that are made seven times
guidance of his pen you had forc'd him to write against his owne inclination sense If Mr. Adamson professed upon his death his repentance for lies slanders to which we have a contrarie tradition from some that were praesent he did no more then your great Declaratour Buchanan for his that were opposite to the other And how both these sort of lies that caried contradictions could proceed from the same spirit or their repentance have the same grace truth to reforme it I leave to your discerning spirit to reconcile or if you find them different to distinguish What the Bishop asserts Mr. Camdenâ—… faythfull register will justifie Ministri nonnulli in Scotiâ—… è pulpitis per circulos Reginam indigniscimiâ—… calumniâ—…s insectati ipss Regi Consiliariis asperrimè obtrectárunt corâ—…m comparere jussi sastidioso quodem contemptu abnuerunt quasi pulpitae à Regâ—… authoritate essent exemâ—…a Ecclesiastici non Principisi mperio sed Presbyteriâ—… subessent Tour Ministers raile against Queen King Councel with contempt scorne denie appearance upon summons stand upon Ecclesiastike priviledge are not censur'd by the Assemblie what is that but protected what both but as much as the Bishop out of the Declaration praetends to What nullitie in the law of your countrey you pleade can be taken for no answer to the Bishops second proofe who tells you the same reason may exclude aswell Magistrates as Commissaries because they have no function in the Kirke they are so excluded out of the 11 chapter of your 2. booke of Discipline which providing that all abuses may be removed dependances of the Papistical jurisdiction abolished regulates all by the Eldership of the Church in silence robs the Civile Magistrate of his power The strength of which argument you wave as you doe the 3. instances that follow scowre up an old rustie peice of Logike of your owne to fight with your shadow The Bishops consequence holding good That if those which have no function in the Kirke are not to be judges to ministers no jurisdiction remaineth in the Civile state whereby Ministers may be punished In England the Commissarie official were no ordinarie judges to depose excommunicate at their pleasure what reservations there were how limited was their power your friend Didoclave will acquaint you Which integritie prudence he calls a fucus fallacie because he had found no such native beautie of holinesse in his Church no such down-right dealing in the discipline The jurisdiction of Commissaries was reestablished in Scotland in Ecclesiastike causes to as great a latitude as formerlie by act of Parliament at Edenburgh June 4. 1609. Presbyterian Assemblies are easilie satisfied about any delinquencie against Kings And had not K. Iames at this time been absolute the brethren in feare what should become of their Euangel they had not proceeded so farre as they did in Gibsons case That many passed at other times with lesse notice nay with their authoritie to maintaine them I have shewed frequent enough out of their stories Delinquents of the Episcopal partie could get no such opportunies for absence When Gibson came about he praetended not onelie his feare for an excuse but his tender care of the rights of the Church This because more pertinent to the quaestion Mr. Baylie overlookes as he doth their purging him of his contumacic without acquainting his Maâ—…estie which the Bishop urgeth He were better be take himselfe to some other trade then that of reviewing Two or three such surveys will loose the Discipline more ground then Didoclave any other his unanswered Champions ever gaind them That no trial of Gibsons fault 〈◊〉 perfected though a fugitive was a testimonie of their forward dutie to the King Others beside the Bishops by the Synod of Glasgow have been excommunicated at as great a distance for their loyal expressions actions The Bishops fourth proofe I perceive hath much troubled the Reviewers eyes osper â—…à sâ—…k epi tous ophalmous Mr. Blackes case may very well seem odious Odit quod metuit It turnes his sto make so much that he findes not confidence enough to wipe of that filth which was spit upon the reputation of the Discipline by his speaches He is better imployd with his sieve his scissours about divining how his Lordship came by so many particulars of the storie but the guilt of his conscience makes his hand shake so all his witchcraft falls to ground For the Bishop to my knowledge may have his warrant for that relation somewhere else for ought he knowes recourse to some vocal oracles of that time beside some such registers as have not been raced by the sword of the Disciplinarian spirit nor cancell'd by the Clerke of the Assemblie in the darke Though that large most excellent volume compiled by the Rt. Reverend Arch Bishop having no tlong since happilie escaped the Scotish Inquisition may hereafter be a printed monument of the Disciplines shame an aeternal disgracè to the Rebellious Presbyterie his credit for all the Reviewers calumnies a lasting pillar to support the fayth of all posteritie that shall reade it Yet to take Mr. Blackes storie from his hand out of the register of truth the Doomsday booke of the Discipline as it lies Veniat invisum scelus Errorque in se semper armatus furor If the Kings countenance were changed his conscience was not which by his own confession so soon as ever his judgement was in the bloome tooke checke at the Religion as well as at the Rebellion in the Assemblie professing with our saviour that though he liv'd among you he was not of you That you make no medium between Presbyterian Popisâ—… is a piece of old Synodical malignancie which the trial of the orthodoxe partie in these times hath made out of date since being rejected banish'd by the one they neither finde nor sue for reception with the other saving into a toleration of their asyle but by the hand of the Allmightie are held up in their constancie between you both Yet your feares were not groundlesse when the Religious King went about to establish such publike workship as would have informed ignorance in a discoverie of your errour draw'n of all your conscientious rational disciples His Majesties civile favours to some Papists were not so strong evidences of his change as to wind up your Ministers to such a free warning nor gave them license to make such rebellioâ—…s applications If that be the use 't is time for Kings to search better into your doctrine see whether the toleration of that have not been the great sinne of our age which hath pull'd downe such judgements upon their heads This grace in your pastour is that which abounds by continuance in sinne And this fayth is nothing like St. Pauls shield being beaten by the Assemblie into a sword whereby they
endeavour to subdue Kingdomes but have no such commission as had Samuel the Prophets Mr. Blackes denial was too faint to absolve him his honest hearers if conforme to their English brethren might perchance be so wrapt in their night caps as their negative testimonie could not be very currant When he shew'd himselfe so willing to be tried by all the world he litle thought who might passe upon the verdict All the heathen had condemn'd him for the murder of moralitie he had met with a scurvie packe of hardhearted Godfathers among the Papists A brother of yours confesseth that somewhat Blacke had sayd though he hath no great minde to take notice what nor when He complaines of Rutherfort his accuser because oblig'd for private courtesies who deserves to be commended for praeferring publike dutie in that appeares to have been one of the most honest hearers there The Courtiers can not be blamed for intending to stop the mouthes of such Ministers as layd the Devil with his bairnes at their doores put them in afright that they should afterward be charg'd with keeping all the blacke brats of the Assemblie The advice of the Brethren was adjudg'd treason by the law of Scotland produc'd against the Abcrdene Ministers your Edenburgh Bibles have not one text to justifie that appeale The words layd to Mr. Blackes charge I hope will be confessed to be trulie seditious All the quaestion you make is whether he spake them or no which though doubtfull as it is not being proved before the Assemblie who gave this reason for his exemption from punishment They knew not with what spirit he was overruled must be acknowledg'd a mater of civile cognizance because no póint of religious aswell as the punishment if prov'd Constat Episcopos Presbyteroâ—… forum legibus non habere nec de aliis causis ....... praeter religionem posse cognoscere The Brethrens reason or rather mis-apprehension must not be made the measure of the lawes If the King yeided so much toward an amicable conclusion what can justifie the Presbyters in continuing the breach who say what you will were bound to subscribe a band for that silence which was required Pesâ—…imus est mos suggestum in scenam vertere dulcissimam Euangelii vocem in Comaediam veterem What the learned Grotius enlargeth upon this subject I will not transcribe but call upon you to answer being that which I assume to make good upon the same texts proofes he produceth The truth was you durst neither have advised Blacke to appeale nor your selves have shew'd such contumacie to the King but that you had felt the pulse of the people made it beate high in your behalfe This your brother confesseth though in Gypsie language calling it the great concord authoritie in the Church such as made the Courtiers to tremble though never so much in favour with the King Which concord when so magnified in your storie we know was ever a covenant to rebell awe the King aswell as the Court by your usurp'd authoritie of the sword Yet whatsoever is your practice profession by fits sometimes you are more ferious though seldome more loyal the result of your councel apparels it selfe in such a sentence as this Our obedience bindeth us not onelie reveâ—…entlie to speake write of our Soveraigne but also to judge thinke Which if the Edenburgh Ministers had practis'd they had not come under that severc sentence pronounced against them for raising a dangerous mutinie among the people If I would like you turne diviner I might easilie guesse out of what un printed register you have that prettie legend that followes which yet is not so decentlie dress'd as to make good the chast credit of the discipline Who was this villaine By whom was he Suborn'd A villaine They suborne without particular instance of either will not passe upon publike sayth If the Commotion was innocent why not approv'd If not approv'd how appeares it to be innocent The best way to have quit the Ministrie from being authours or approvers had been to be censurers but here they could keep silence without a band I can not yet let goe this singular storie my dutie forbids my charitie any where to favour you with my silence And because you are so prae udic'd against unprinted traditions I will give it you for the most part out of some printed registers I have met with King Iames desirous to set off his Court with what luster he could to foraigne Ambassadeurs had in a provident magnificence retrench'd some allowance formerlie issued for his Courtiers attendants contracted their tables to enlarge his owne entertainments For the managing of this somewhat else concerning his revenue he had appointed eight officers of State where of some were Papists but of know'n intergritie The Reformado Courtiers by way of scorne call'd these Octavians made an easie impression into their Ministrie by suggesting that they had a designe to introduce Poperie subvert the whole discipline of the Church After private conference a fast for the smiting with the fist of wickednesse soon after was kept at Edenburgh Balcanqual preacheth spares neither King nor Councel in his virulence infuseth all the unpleasing particulars he could thinke of to imbitter his Satyr humblie be seecheth the Edenburgh Citizens at a certaine houre to meet in the New Church tells them how much it concern'd their reformed Euaâ—…gel His reservednesse sharpend their expectation caus'd their punctual assembling almost to a man where they found their Ministers in a formal Synod having chosen a violent Presbyter Mr. Robert Bruce their Moderator Here Mr. Blackes sufferings were aggravated the Kings violating the praerogative of the Church One Watson comes in addes oyle to the flame remonstrates his late repulse at Court denial of accesse to the King being sent with some Rebell-supplicate from the Brethren The Moderator with as much malice as my be comments at large upon every instance in a speach Makes it Gods cause engageth the people to assert the libertie of his Gospel if not by petition by power Some Commissioners are sent to the King then in the Tolbuith who receiving some checke for their unjustifiable proceedings come backe with their angrie account to the Assemblie One Alexander Vaux being as the Presbyters had praedesign'd mounted up above the congregation by a pillar with stretched out arme cries The sword of God of Gideon bid them to follow him in the vindication of God his Church They take it out of his mouth in confusion clamour Arme Arme for God the Church They doe accordinglie rush violentlie into the streets beguirting the place where His Majestie was Mr. Thomas Hamilton afterwards Earke of Haddington takes an halberd in his hand with some of his friends keepes the multitude from entring Alexander Hume of Northborvick for the time Provest
he any legislative authoritie without it It is the argument of your own Commissioners who use to fetch their Syllogismes from the Assemblie therfore you that made it are best able to solve it Their or your words are these The quaestion is where in his the Kings Royal authoritie and just power doth consist And we affirme and hope it can not be denied That Regal power and authoritie is chieflie in making and enacting lawes and in protecting and defending their subjects which are of the very essence and being of all Kings And the exercise of that power are the chiefe parts and duties of their Royal office and function And the scepter and sword are the badges of that power Yet the new praeface compared with other parts of these new propositions takes away the Kings negative voice and cuts off all Royall power and right in the making of lawes contrarie to the constant practice of this and all other Kingdomes For the legislative power in some Monarchies is penes Principem solum .... in other .... by compact between the Prince and the People .... In the last the power of the King is least but best regulated where neither the King alone without his Parliament nor the Parliament without the King can make lawes .... which likewise is cleare by the expressions of the Kings answers Le Roy le veuâ—… and Le Roy sâ—…avisera So as iâ—… is cleare from the words of assent when Statutes are made and from the words of dissent that the Kings power in the making of lawes is one of the chiefest jewels of the croâ—…ne and an essential part of Soveraignitie .... somet mes the Kings denial had been beter then his assent to the desires of the Houses of Parliament .... If I had transscribed all the Reader had found the argument more full Out of this compared with what you write he may rest assured that in declaring at that time against the Parliaments debate which in truth was vindicating the Kings negative voice you were resolved against Regal Government And whatsoever since you have publish'd in a mocke proclamation had your Covenanting brethren kept their station in England the Crowne and Scepter if not condemn'd to the coyning house had been kept perpetual prisoners in Edenburgh Castle whither with funeral solemnitie you have caried them nor had there been any Royal head or hand kept above ground for their investment while your Rebells could catch them and procure sword or axe to cut them off But to follow you in your tracke If your lawes admitted not absolute reprobation by a negative voice they did praeterition by a privative silence which was all together as damnable to your Parliament bills they being made Acts by His Majesties touch with the top of his Scepter and those irrefragablie null'd which he pass'd by In what followes you shew more ingenuitie then prudence by acknowledging the ground whereupon you built your censure of this debate in Parliament as needlesse and impertinent because of the power it might put in the hand of the King to denie your covenanted propositions But alasse you graspe the wind in your fist and embrace an aâ—…ie cloud within your armes and like some fond Platonike are jealous over that jewel you never had The King of blessed memorie told you when he spake it to your brethren He would never foregoe his reason as man his Royaltie as King Though with Samson he consented to binde his hands and cut off his haire he would not put out his eyeâ—… himselfe to make you sport much lesse cut out his tongue to give you the legislative priviledge of this voice That you at best sit in Parliament as his subjests not superiours were call'd to be his Counsellers not Dictatours summond to recommend our advice not to command his dutie And what pretie puppets thinke you have you made your selves for so many yeares together to the scorne of all nations when you so formallie propounded to His Majestie to grant what you professe he had never any power to denie What comes next is one of the many springes you set to catch cockes but your lucke is bad or you mistaken in your sport I see if you were to make an harmonie of confessions you would be as liberal of other mens faith as of your own What the beliefe is of the warner and his faction about the absolute affirmative voice of any King you had heard more at large if you had fetchd your authoritie from any line in His Ld. booke for that demand Yet to keep up your credit that you may not mount to no purpose I will bring one who in spiritualibus at least shall take off this sublimate from your hands and pay you with more mysterie of reason then you have it may be found in any other of the faction Nulla in re magis â—…iucescit vis summi Imperii quà m quod in ejus siâ—… arbitrio quaenam religio publicè exerceatur idque praecipuum inter Majestatis jura ponunt omnes qui politica scripserunt Docet idem experientia Si enim quaeras cur in Anglia Maria regnante Romana Religio Elizabetha verò Imperante Evangelica viguerit causa proxima reddi non poterit nisi ex arbitrio Reginarum Going on in the Religion of the Spaniard Dane Swede he tells you ad voluntatem dominantinm recurretur Though I shall onelie give you this quaestion in exchange for your language of concluding and impeding If Parliaments have power ad placitum to conclude or impede any thing by their votes what part of making or refusing lawes is to the King If the Bishop had challeng'd you for nominating officers of the armie you are not without some such parrot-praters abroad as can tattle more truth then that out of your Assemblies Nor need you be so nice in a mater so often exemplified in Knox his spiritual brethren who as appeares manifestlie by their leters c. Were the chiefe modellers of all the militia in their time and His Ldp. having shewed you when your pulpit Ardelios incourag'd the seditious to send for though in vaine L. Hamilton by name and Robert Bruce dispatched an Expresse for him to be their head You are here charged onelie with not allowing such as the Parliament had named because not so qualified as you praetended That the State ever sent the officers they had chosen to doc over all the postures of their soules to discipline either their men or affections before you and to have your Consistorian judgement of their several qualifications and abilities is more I confesse then hitherto I have heard of That you put it to the last part of your answer relating to no part of the quaestion was but to shew what you beare in your armes That as plaine as you looke the crosse on the top of the crowne is the proper embleme of your Assemblie whom no civile mater can escape having a birthright
praevaile I pray let the Bishops be troubled no more with what all your flintie fac'd malice can not appropriate to the times or places of their government What hath been granted since you cast them out of the Parliament was by them that had no more power in one sense to giue then in another to denie Yet had all your demands meant no worse then you spake in that about the due sanctification of the day you might have let them sit still have had the Souters your friends reconcil'd and made a better mercate of those Royal concessions which met too farre unlesse your gratitude had been greater your unlimited reguests For the chalenge that followes The Bishop knowes so well the historiâ—… of that time that he is faine to leave a masse of horrour unstampt in his thoughts conceiving it uncapable of any due impression by his words And whosoever shall looke upon Scotland at that time shall finde it to be nâ—…fandi conscium monstri locum a place that had bred such an hideous monster as neither Hircania Seythia noâ—… any of her Northerne sisterhood would foster Not long before when the Queen was great with child of that Prince to whom you professe so much tendernesse soon after not valuing the hazard of that Royal Embryo you hale her Secretarie her principal servant of trust from her side and murder him at her doore Because the King would not take upon him the praerogative guilt of that cruel murder according to the instructions you had given him you finde him uselesse must have him too dispatchd out of the way which was done though not by the hands by the know'n contrivance of Murray in his bed his corps throw'n out of doores and the house blow'n up with gunpowder where he lay To get a praetense for seizing upon the yong Prince you make the Queen and E. Bothwell because her favourite principals in the murder of his father possesse the people with jealousie of the like unnatural crueltie intended to him Hauing got the Royal infant in your hands you not onelie null the Regencie of his mother you worke all the villanie you could thinke on against her person in his name and make him before he knew that he was borne act in your blacke or bloudie habits the praevious parts of a matricide in his cradle In order hereunto the Queen as you say was declared for Popeâ—…ie which requires some Presbyterian Rebell glossarie to explaine it there being no such expression to be found in the language of any orthodoxe loyal Christians in the world In this conjuncture of wiekednesse that no other way of safetie was conceivable for your Protesting and Banding religion but a continued rebellion no other to make sure of the infant King for your prisoner the Kingdome your vassal but by such a grand combination in treason may be granted at sight of your several praeceding desperate exploits For this end your General Assemblie might crave conference with such of the secret Councel who wereas publike Rebells as your selves That your advice was mutual whose end and interest was the same is not to be doubted saving that we may observe such godlie motions to spring first from the vertuous Assemblie as you confesse touching this Your call was in much more hast then good speed and your considerable persons conven'd a great deale more frequentlie then they covenanted Argile that did slept not wel the next night nor was he well at â—…ase the day after till he had reveald your treason to the Queen Knox tells you That the people did not joine to the lords and diverse of the Nobles were adversaries to the businesse Others stood Neuters The slender partie that subscribed your bond began to distrust were thinking to dissolve and leave off the enterprise a confessed casualtie gave up the Victorie with the Queenes person unhapilie into your hands This mixed extraordinarie Assemblie had litle sincere or ordinarie maners to call that a Parliament which was none having no commission nor proxie from their Soveraigne and to make it one chiefe article in their bond to deâ—…end or endeavour to â—…atifie those Acts which their Soveraigne would not when the lord St. Iohn caried them into France But they persisted in the same rebellious principle professing in â—…rminis that tender to have been but a shew of their dutifull obedience And that they beg'd of them their King and Queen not any strength to their Religion which from God had full power and needed not the suffrage of man c. They are Knox's words which were there no other evidence are enough to convince any your aequitable comparers That the just authoritie of Kings and Parliaments in making Acts or lawes is in consistenâ—… with the Presbyterian government Which is the summe of the controversie in hand No secret Councel especiallie if in open rebellion can impower an Assemblie to issue letters of summons when their Prince's publike proclamation disclaimes it The greatest necessitie can be no colour to that purpose Though what frivoulous ideas of great necessities the Presbyterie can frame we may judge by their late procedings in our time Your religion and liberties seem then to have been in no such evident hazard as you talke of if they were you may thanke your selves who had the Royal offer of securitie to both the Queen onelie conditioning craving with teares the like libertie of conscience to her selfe The life of the yong King was daylie indeed in visible danger from the hands of them who had murderd his father and ravished the crowne or Regencie from his mother but who they were I have told you In such an ambiguous time men of any wisdome other then that which is carnal and worldlie and so follie before God would have betaken them selves to their prayers teares men of courage and pietie would have waited the effects of providence and not so distrust fullie deceitfullie peic'd it with their owne strength From such lovers of Religion as contest covenant depose murder as rage ruin proscribe excommunicate Libra Râ—…ges Regionâ—…s Domme Good Lord deliver Kings countreyes from them all Fortis est ut morâ—… dilectio jura sicut infernus â—…ulatio Their love is strong as death in the letter their jealousie is cruel as the grave The coales thereof are coales of fire which have a most vehement flame No waters of widowes or orphans teares can quench it No flouds of innocent bloud can drowne it It 's not unlikelie the Praelates resolution may be That when a most wicked companie of villaines had deposed two Queenes and killed one King endeavourd to smother the â—…potlesse Majâ—…stie of a Royal Son with the fowle guilt of their injurie done to his Gracious Mother which they cast enviouslie upon his name And after these to draw a Nation and Church under the airie notion of a true Religion never establishd by Law of God nor man into a Covenanting Rebellion And
man that is their King The Reverend Warners opposition here to the Presbyterians maintaines no such subordination of the Church unto the state as makes her servile in performance of unjust commands And where Christ is found ruling in this case He bids Saint Peter put up his sword all his Disciples to denie themselves take up their crosse dâ—…ylie and follow him When the Presbyterians have as clere a Commission to prohibite festivals to affront Ambassadous proclaime fasts at such times when their Kings solemnize feasts as the Apostles had for the publication of the Gospell and teaching in the name of their Master that sent them Let them applie the text in the 5. of the Acts and I hope the Reader makes the incongruitie none of mine disregard the High Priests commands of a different Religion and obey God rather then man The contrarie wayes taken in Scotland by Church and state so King or Queen may he accounted head or Member of the later have not been so rare if the Historie of your foure last Princes be reviewed Against three of whom Pope Knox personallie and in his Synod made very frequent opposition which he bragges of in print I shall not need to number your rebellious Acts and papers against the fourth In the possibilitie of such cases which you tenderlie admit your modestie being great to acknowledge the fallibilitie of Assemblies the common rule of humane direction's very good had it been not onelie know'n by you but followed The difference upon disobedience to either is not fairlie repraesented temporal inconveniences in seditious tumults to the hazard of life often befalling men by the displeasure of the Church And by terrour or force a rescue from punishment legallie to be inflicted contrarie to the good pleasure of the state Your interdiction of festivals viz. Our Sâ—…viours Nativitie to be observed and Bishops to sit in Parliament when summon'd by the King seemes in your sense to implie no contrarietie of command and are therefore slighted as impertinent objections The other two you speake to but not answer Not the former but in a fallacie somewhat like that which Logicians call of composition and division The Magistrates that were to attend the French Ambassadours being not excepted in your indiction of the fast but included with the people and yet as excusable divided by you in the observance The truth of Church censure intended can be no calumnie the Major and Aldermen being cited and convented for their feasting nor had the processe fallen to ground but through the prudent delayes interposed by the King I must here put you in minde that your Brethren in Holland indict no fasts but by the Magistrates consent and your discipline being praetended to be the same you could not doe it at this time when the King commanded feasting without coordinating Soveraignities or which is worse abolishing his to ordaine your owne In your answer to the later instance you must cut the tails of your humble petitions and remonstrances which were tipt and turn'd up with defiances and threats under the notion of portents to the Kings person his familie And throw your covenant into the fire which engaged the takers in pursuance of your contrarie commands by opposing Acts and Persons of state too beyond a declaration of their dislike The watchman in Ezekiel whose example you counterfeit and whose authoritie you abuse was to warne when God brought the sword upon a land not to arme nor remonstrate when he sent it out The falshood of your Church-chasing and excommunicating persons in the late engagement were it any could at most be sayd but to be antidated by the Bishop we since daylie conversing with such persons who live not very comfortablie in these parts yet dare not returne home And your publike papers ranking them in 4. classes or divisions excluding them out of places of trust or power censuring them to sackcloth banishing excommunicating all that repent not for their active loyaltie as a sinne The Bishop chargeth no man with detracting from the freedome of the Parliament that engaged them He onelie anticipates by his answer such â—… probable praetense In the place where of since you frankelie give us the advantage of your confession in your next you must shew upon what sure grounds you protest preach warne declare against the power of the Kingdome in a free Parliament in publike Indicatories and armies which you confesse you did in your paper May 11. as 1 take it 1649. As likewise how your declaring of became censuring in judgement and your dissatisfaction transformed into a sentence The heâ—…pes of untruths when your spectatours wipe their eyes will be easilie discerned cast on your side of the way So that they will not wonder at your falsifying Histories of old-times when the relation of your latest know'n practices is by your fierie tongue branded with the ignominie of a lie The generation you speake of who keep up their credit according to the rate of too many mens idlenesse or in advertence can draw no clearer pedegree then from your Synod whose words can no more weigh with truth in the ballance then their teeth whence they are lightlie flow'n can with the Silesian boyes endure the touch CHAPTER X. No concord between Parliament and Presbyterie THe harmonie betwixt your Presbyterie and Parliament when any is discors concordia and but still musike at best such as once was made between Parma and Placentia by the concurrent identitie of the capital leters in their names So that when their Duke writ himselfe Dux P. P. and no more their ambition was silenced about prioritie in his title And if we looke any farther into yours we are encounterd caninaÌ„ literâ wish that mastiue leter which it may be mysticallie snarles as much against the name as your power assaults the authoritié of the other And when you take upon you the writing both at large your humilitie and Courtship is such as here ever to give praecedence unto your selves Your constitution must be look'd upon as no other then a caelestial quintessence Your end know'n to be compassing a temporall aswell as a spiritual tyrannie your daylie practice subduing swaying both scepters of Jesus Christs The Praelatical learning you see takes no higher flight then the next instance to prove the conclusion in hand And he whose fayth must be forced to credit such unanswerable arguments hath indeed litle or no common sense or reason in him but mistakes snow to be blacke because he lives in a dungeon goes upon hot coales and fceles not his benummed feet to be burnt the light in him is darknesse because of his evil eye quantae tenebrâ—… how great is that darkenesse S. Matth. 6. 23. What perpetual â—…arrings hath been between you I have otherwhore shewed which never failed but when you tamper'd with the strings tuned both instruments to your eare I see the late engagement often serv'd up
Primum instrumentum bene imperandi lingâ—… est secundum verò gladiâ—…s The sword is but the left hand instrument in the governing Kingdomes The tongue of the preacher is dextra teâ—…ibilis that of the right hand 〈◊〉 teacheth terrible things that by the menace of death which the sword can not reach to keepes subiects in obedience to their Soveraignes Therefore when once it hath a power with the people such as that of St. Bernard it had need be endued with the spirit of Saint Bernard for there is a tongue Quae conteris spiritum the perversenesse wherein is a breach in the spirit Prou 1â—… 4. And the proud meâ—… in the Psalmist promise themselves a victorie over Princes by the tongue â—…e will praevâ—…le Who because they are the mâ—…n that ought to speake just like you denie all supremaciâ—… Their first language is this Quis dominus Who is Lord over usi The Politician I spake of hath a discourse worth your reading wherein he shewes you how Mahomet stirred up the people against Heraclius the Emperour He sayth as much for Calvin your protoplast which whatsoever may be apologiz'd for him I am sure is inexcusable in Knox and you that are the workemanship of his hands This made Charles the good so prudent and resolute who being become too unhapie in nothing more then in suffering your Babel building to be finished in Scotland when he beheld the like worke of your fellow Rebell Architects in England would not exclude himselfe out of doores nor part with that power whereby he might best restraine the seditious exorbitances of Ministers tongâ—…s who with the keyes of heaven have so farre the keyes of the peoples hearts as they praevaile much by their oratorie to shut in and let out both peace and loyaltie While the Warner scoffes at your threats his meaning is to have deluded people to scorne them and know in your words that the thundrings of the Scotish aswell as that Roman Anti-Christ are but vanitie and â—…inde To tell them in a figure that hell and death are no more in your keeping then the gaole in the prisoners that walkes abroad in the streetes with his shaâ—…els about him but must render himselfe at the end of his covenant The Praelates proclamation of such Atheisâ—…e as this is a printed copie out of the original writ by the fingar of God in the 10. S. Matth. Whereby is to be banished out of the hearts of the people all feare of them which kill the bodie but are not able to kill the soul for all their kirke-bulls and censures that threaten it To the quaestion you close with I answer That Satan hath driven allreadie the first instruments of his Republike in Britaine into a very narow roome in the North where Cromwell and other his more usefull instruments at praesent are likelie to keep them till if God neither convert nor by a miracle otherwise confound them his worke being done he may lash them with whips of their owne making topt ' with Serpents heads and Scorpions tailes and at last deliver them to the worme that shall not die cast them into the fire that shall not be quenched and make their stinking memorie 〈◊〉 abâ—…orring unto all flesh The third part of the parallel hath been in every particular justified and were more instances requisite to evidence the truth they might be a numberlesse number of such imputations as you are never able to refute The charge which the Bishop subjoines is not so poore but that it enricheth his proofe with the best argument of your spiritual supremacie The daylie practice of the Parliaments of Scotland such as have been of late and heretofore when your Reformation tooke place constitutes no right confirmes no power of nominating commitees for intervalls Nor is there any inhaerent right in Courts to nominate interreigning Commissioners but by Royal favour in such as except their intertearming vacations are perpetual and standing not call'd by fits ad placitum Domini Regis no not in the Parliament it selfe Which to omit other proofes was the ground of this clause in their Act of oblivion 1641. That the peace to be now established may be inviolablie observed in all time to come It is agreed that some shall be appointed by His Majestie and the Parliaments of both Kingdomes who in the interim betwixt the sitting of the Parliaments may be carefull that the peace now hapilie concluded may be continued c. ... And it is declared that the power of the Commission shall be restrained to the articles of peace in this treatie As likewise of that fatal Act for perpetuating the last blacke Parliament in England which had probablie â—…e'r been required if it might have nominated a Committe of state that idol to which it now sacrificeth in bloud to sit till the next summons upon any inhaerent right in that Court. For the Iudicatories of your Church I am tired with telling you that no law of the Kingdome doth privativé authorize them to meet their Assemblie being illegal without the King or his Commissioner neither of which are to come upon course or at call And their power of appointing Committees hath as often been quastion'd and how often is that as it ever was executed without or against the positive consent or command of the King or Queen for the time And trulie the committees in the times of your late troubles were the Ambuscâ—…do wherein you lay closelie in wait to disturbe both Châ—…rch and state while your armed bodie in Parliament retired Whose frequent meetings were forced no otherwse then by the incessant zeale in their Members to persecute Religion and loyaltie Whose diversion from their particular charges for attendance on the publike rebellion was join'd with so great faâ—…cherie and expense to fullfill their lusts at other mens cost Which with all their heart they will in Sempiternâ—…m continue if feare of their neckes make them not at length slip out of the collar or their grey haires and withered carkasses after many a surfeit call them not to some other account or their Chiefe in whose service they made these necessarie meetings pay them not their necessarie wages in pertusum sactuluâ—… into a bag full of holes which shall never be filled no more then was the measure of the iniquitie they acted CHAPTER XI The Presbyterie cruel to particular persons IF King and Parliament be as they may very well incenced against the Presbyterie at fight of the Bishops reason more then out of sympathie with him in his anger his warning hath taken in part the effect that he wished and aim'd at Yet in vaine shall they vindicate all just authoritie to themselves if the people be kept in a servile observance of a tyrannous discipline pay their blinde obedience to the Kirke Therefore the Warner excedes no bounds in his rage but en largeth his bowels of pitie to them who for the most part having
a Cobler together while your prickeard Pastour keepes the goad in his hand to quick en their dull pace and drive them into Rebellious Covenants and so to their shame and destruction The Iudge in our Officials Court is to be no petie mercinarie lawyer but a Doctour that hath approved his skill in our Civile lawes before one of our learned universities thereby supposed to have beter abilities to judge then any Nobleman Gentleman Burgesse one or more except some select persons who by studie may have attained to some excellence in that facultie where with neither by birth nor education they are know'n to be ordinarilie qualified unlesse Dame nature in Scotland hath some faeminine moldsin every parish for your Elders or some Seraphical fathers to breed their children by the rod or institution of the Spirit But to returne to our Doctour From his single sentence appeale may be made to a Court of Delegates consisting of a number the most learned and in humane opinion the most up right law yers in the land Which can be taken for no miserable reliefe being the highest Court constituted by the authoritie of the King where if not His Majestie in person his immediate Commissioners are Iudges Your twice a yeare Synods seem somewhat unnecessarie if intended principallie for receiving appeales your Classical Presbyteries consisting of persons as you praetend of such sinceritie honour somewhere as I remember Didoclave tells us they have litle worke which if well examin'd hapeneth not so much by reason of the aequitable proceedings in inferiour judicatures as from the assurance which persons oppressed have to meet with the same measure from the same men that are the Members of your Synods who know well enough how to gratifie one another in the mutual ratification of the particular sentences pass'd before The Primitive Synods found other worke praeserving in their Provinces the puritie of doctrine uniformitie in practice trusting Bishops in their Dioceses except in singular cases with the censures of persons redresse of grievances Yet whatsoever convenience may be in it our Episcopal twice a yeare visitation may parallel If the chiefe Noblemen c have decisive voyces in your Synods they gaine that priviledge by their birth or estates to neither of which is inseparably annexed wisdome pietiâ—… learning the three gifts or spirits you require in your Iudges How farre private instructions and interests praevaile with your Presbyteries in their elections to exaucto rate all the good qualifications in the competition of Candidates the records of your Edenburgh Tables at the begining of this Rebellion can justifie Though were their Honourable heads gaged and concluded capacious to hold no lesse then a tunn of wisdome learning and their armes clasped upon the embrace of the whole sisterhood of zeale vertue and grace with all other abilities requisite to your Elders your Presbyteries full approbation and choyce could not authorize them to suffrage in a Synod whereto of old they had no admission but as in the Second Councel of Orange when sent thither by the King I shall not insist upon the comparison or disparitie between them inferiour Civile Court Judges in whom no parts are wanting to the execution of their place in whose choyce the Canon of their institution is observed All hopes of redresse by appeale from your Synods to a General Assemblie are crush'd in the shell by your underhand violence in election of Members and praelimitation of them that are chosen in their votes You remember the seven private directions sent to your Presbyteries before the Assemblie at Glasgow 1638. the fourth of which was That such as are erroneous in doctrine or scandalous in life be praesentlie processed that they be not chosen Commissioners and if they shall hapen to be chosen by the greater part that all the best affected both Ministers and Elders protest and come to the Assemblie to testifie the same By this tricke you not onelie praejudg'd or praecondemn'd the legal freedome in choyce but caus'd to be process'd all suspected to be of a different sense from that which you praedesign'd or praescrib'd to the Assemblie Thus the Presbyterie of Edenburgh put very many of their Ministers under processe begining with Master David Michel their proceeding against whom His Majesties Commissioner could not get deferred untill the meeting of the Assemblie Thus the Laird of Dun chosen Lay Elder for the Presbyterie of Brechen by the voyce but of one Minister and a few Lay Elders was accepted the Lord Carnaegie a Covenanter too but somewhat more moderate more lawfullie chosen by the voyces of all the rest was rejected There was another paper of instructions dated August 27. 1638. which is mors in olla the Collaquintada that spoyles all the pottage you bring us in this paragraph the Second of which is this Order must be taken that none he chosen ruling Elders but Covenanters and those well affected to the businesse so that parts for judgement wisdome pietie c are no considerable qualities in your Members of Assemblies when the Covenant and good inclinations to the businesse of rebellion can be found though but in Ideots Atheists The multitude of Burgesses Gentlemen is so great to some such good intent as this that you may praeponderate the Parliament in your laike votes and anticipate any just exception they can make against your Acts. The ground of their admission in your first reformation was a defect of Clergie which when once supplied had for 40. yeares possessed all the places till exchange was made at your Glasgow null Assemblie to doe the worke in hand The prime Nobilitie are not allwayes the men but such among them as are first in popular opinion and for that in your favour Your choyce of them is many times illegal when to serve your turnes you call them from one Presbyterie to another Yet when all is done you can pleade no praecedent from antiquitie for any more then a declarative consent no definitive sentence no decisive voyce the subscriptions in the Ancient Councels distinguishing the Clergie and Laitie in this maner Ego N. definiens subscripsi Ego N. consentiens subscripsi Those that at any time had greater priviledge if the words cited by your Bishop of Brechen must needs give it them Gloriosissimi edicunt Gloriesissimi Iudicos dixreunt were special Commissioners sent from the emperours not from any Presbyteries as he tells you and more to this purpose which you may answer as likewise what the Reverend Bishops objected in their Declinatour about Theodosius the yonger Pulcheria the Emperesse Martinius in the fourth General Councel of Chalcedon Master Andrew Ramsey undertoke an hard taske upon the top of his stool offering to prove the lawfulnesse of Lay Elders by Scripture Antiquitie Fathers Councels the judgement of all the Reformed Churches And therefore when His Majesties Commissioners offered to bring one into
the pit that should encounter him the cocke crowed no more and with the Brethrens good liking the controversie ceased Till afterward on good occasion a Member offering to prove there was no such thing in the Christian world before Calvins dayes the Moderatour learnedlie confuted him saying His father while he liv'd was of another minde The E. Argile who was surprized as he sayd at the sodain rupture of this Assemblie held the Members a litle while by the eares with his argument of convenience telling them He held it fit the Assemblie should consist of Lay-men aswell as Churchmen Take this with you Your Assemblie Ministers are chosen by the lay Elders your Moderatours some times are laymen a course not justifiable by law praecedent or reason The Kings Majesties person or in his absence his high Commissioner is there onelie you tell him to countenance not vote in your meetings and proesides in them for exernal order not for any intrinsecal power So that when you goe on calmelie in your businesse he findes litle to doe without Domitians flie-flap of more use by farre in a summer Synod then a Scepter among you which you often times wrest out of his hand and continue your meetings after he hath dissolv'd them You can denie him or his commissioner the sight of publike papers brought into the Court which libertie the meanest subject may challenge And when he hath any thing to object against suppositions or at best suspicious Registers the E. Rothes can tell him boldlie in your names he must speake it praesentlie if at al and because he doth not you wait no longer but pro imperio vote them to be authentike Beside to deminish as well the Kings state as authoritie you send Assessours or Assistants to your Elders and invest them with power aequivalent to his Councel This meeting thus disordered sits too long by a moneth when no more and Assembles too often when but once in a yeare The number of such Members no more hindereth an appeale then a multitude of Malefactours can sentence a necessitie of becoming their followers in doing evil Their wisdome is such as his to whom a wiser man tells us it is a sport to doe mischief Their eminencie like Sauls head and shoulders higher then the common people in Rebellion And their honour somewhat like Absoloms mule beares them up to the priviledge of the great oake in the wood for their hanging in beter aequipage then their fellowes So that beside the justice there 's an absolute necessitie of appeal to the Parliament or in that to the King from himselfe to himselfe who sits there as supreme here in no other capacitie but of your servant Which is farre more justifiable and necessarie then vour appeale from both Parliament and Assemblie to the bodie of the people which I tell you againe is the final appeale you make when Assemblies are not modell'd to vour minde The number and qualification of Knights and Burgessesis therefore large and as great in your Assemblie as Parliament that your power may be as large and great in the State as the Church and the Nobilitie sit in one by election because they sit in the other by birth and so in a condition to unite the counsels of both according to the instructions of some few Presbyters that by Sycophantike insinuations have got possession of their soules and by their Spiritual Scepter dominion of their suffrages Headie zeale craft and hypocrisie got in commission or Covenant together we finde by experience can fit them to judge in Ecclesiastike affaires when age wisdome and pietie are sentenc'd If ihe hundred choyce unparliamentarie pastours make up the oddes of some absent Noblemen it should seem you and the Nobilitie are even pares cum paribus Peeres alike in your honourable Assemblie Which they must not disdaine since Christ himselfe I meane not his Anoynted that you take to be out of quaestion goes but for a single Elder or Moderatour at most So Cartwright and his Demonstratour cajoles them together when he sayth If they the Princes and Nobles should disdaine to joine in consultation with poore men they should disdaine not men but Christ himselfe So that Christ being in his name made your Assembly Praesident or Prolocutour the King in his Commissioner your protectour the Nobilitie your awâ—…full subvoters or suffraganes I see nothing wanting can conciliaâ—…e a tyrannie to your Presbyterie nor keep your foot of pride from trampling as basely as may be upon the people But not to forget at last what you set in the front as first to be answered The Presbyterian course as you or I more trulie have describ'd it is not much more readie then the Praelatical because the benefit of appeale is to be had ordinarilie but once or twice in a yeare not much more solide because most of your Iudges can reasonablie be thought neither good Civilians nor Casuists not much more aequitable because as you order them many more of the laitie then Clergie In the second hurt your Nobilitie sustaine the Bishop lookes not upon the judgement of foreigne Reformed Devines you doe not say of Churches nor yet on their practice which I have know'n some time a great deale too sawcie with Princelie Patrons but upon the aequity of the thing upon the priviledge our Nobles in England enjoy the right yours have to the same by many yeares praescription and the lawes of your land The first will be found if the original be searched The right of patronage being by the due gratitude or favor of Kings Bishops reserved to such as either built Churches or endowed them with some considerable revenue as likewise for the encouragement of others to propagate meanes and multiplie decent distinct places for Christian conventions Hoc singulari favore sustinetur ut allectentur Laici invitentur inducantur ad constructionem Ecclesiarum The exercise hereof in Iustinian is expressed by the termes Epilegein or onomazein which signifies an addiction or simple nomination to stand good or be null'd at the â—…ust pleasure of the Bishop and therefore accounted no spiritual act in the Patron but a temporal annexed to that which is spiritual in the Bishop and therefore not simonaical as your brother Didoclave would have it Nor is there that absurditie he mentions of arrogating to one what belong to all the Members of the Church as is praetended but can never be proved Nor that danger in transmitting this right from one to another if the care of the first patron descend not with it which defect the care of the praesent Bishop must supplie Nor is it requisite he should be a Member of the same parish to which he praesents since the Bishop is head of the same diocese to whom That this is contrarie to the libertie of the Primitive and Apostolike Kirke to the order which Gods word craves and good order is onelie sayd but not argued in
the whole without exception His 〈◊〉 portract seale being not his when new stampt and set to publike writings by your hands then in actual rebellion against his person The securitie to your Religion and Liberties required were first enacted for an aequitable demand onelie by a Convention of Rebells at Edenburgh 1567. who had been partlie solicited partlie scared into a dubious consent with and by a Traiterous Assemblie who had in vaine posted away foure Caitiffe-Cursitours miscalled Commissioners to the more loyal Lords delared for the Hamiltons as likewise to the Neuters to depose their Queen and clog their future Princes's succession with this impious condition That all Princes and Kings hereafter in this Realme before their Coronation shall take oath to maintaine the true Religion now professed in the Church of Scotland and suppresse all things even their soules consciences contrarie to it and that are not agreeing with it This I take to be the fundamental law your Proclamation reflects upon foralas the other foundation of your solemne league and covenant lies not fathom deep a stripling of twelves yeares old can reach to the botom and evert both when he calls for that invisible law of God which approves much lesse enjoines this praerequiring satisfaction from a King For it is not Maitlands idle concession to Buchanan in his cursed dialogue upon Homers authoritie That there was a time when men liv'd lawlesse in Cottages and caves and at length by consent tooke a justifiable course of creating a King unto themselves that will reduce Royaltie to popular restrictions Such stuffe as this may be put off among Pagans that will hearken to the fable of Cadmus be wonne into a beliefe that the serpents teeth were sowed in so good a soile as that they all sprung up proper men of whose race we might have had some at this day if they had betoke themselves to the election of a King when for want of one they fell to civile dissensions destruction of themselves I demand as a Christian and as much might a Iew Who was the first King Whether he was not instituted by God Whether not with a decree touching primogeniture in the right of succession by the first borne to propagate his authoritie and office Whether any people in the world more or lesse in a bodie lawfullie assembled have been at a losse for a King to command them what law beside that of nature which if such as Saint Paul describes it is somewhat hard to distinguish from an original law of God and yet shall be sequester'd from our praesent dispute constituted them in a full capacitie to chuse one Who When Where Open Buchanans packe as big as it is begirt with no lesse then the cingle of the world and with out Ambiguons peradventures or affirmations involv'd in quaestionable circumstances lay me out one cleare instance to this purpose and when you have purchase a parallel among your selves Transmigration of Nations Navigations of discoverie design'd or contingent New plantations upon necessitie or pleasure Spontaneous secessions though by supreme authoritie approved Relegations and exiles Extinctions of lines Finallie whatsoever to be thought on that can separate a medley of men from a setled societe or make an Anarchie among People will when all are combin'd I beleeve litle disorder me in my hold So that to use the words of that valiant General or take the Kings from his mouth You declared him to be your King but with such conditions and provisos's as robbed him of all right and power For while you praetend to give him a litle which he must acâ—…ept of as from you you spoile him of all that power and authoritie which the law of God of Nature and of the Land hath invested him with by so long continued descent from his famous praedecessours For the nature of your demand the abolition of Episcopacie which you confesse to be a great one so great indeed as not to be granted but with a devastation of his conscience the Praelates were very unworthie of their miters if they pressed not his Majestie were it necessarie where is so free an inclination to denie you though they know well enough were your great demand yeilded you have one no lesse behind securitie of liberties and when both were had which God forbid they ever should be your crueltie and guilt would admit of no lesse after-satisfaction from him for England then from his Father for Scotland nor your raging Devill be otherwise satiated then with his bloud Therefore the advantage you take of his denial though you confesse upon other mens importunate instance makes your Praedestinarian Godships no lesse peremptorie in the immutabilitie of your decree to forme Commonwealths of Kingdomes and according to you Divinitie the meanes being as unalterablie destin'd as the end you resolve what you can and doe well to tell us so that he and all his familie shall perish Levia sed nimium queror Coelo timendum est regna ne summa occupet Qui vicit ima ...... For you that thus capitulate with Kings have nothing next to doe but to article with God Presbyterie admitting no Rival Regent much lesse any superiour will make way to its solitarie supremacie by ruine I ter ruina quaeret vacuo voles Regnare mundo Your patient surplicates were your Hage papers which most inquisitive men have heard or seen before this time Wherein you tell His Majestie his denial will constraine your people ... to doe what is incumbent unto them we know what you meane that fatal word being scarce to be met with but having Rebellion and Murder at its heeles Your Euangelist of the Covenant did not cant it to his Father but sayd plainlie Reformation may be though he wish'd it not left to the multitude whom God stirreth up to kill and slay without quaestion when Princis are negligent as they are when they yeild not their aequitable demandâ—… grant their patient supplicates lay their heads on the blocke and not doe but suffer as they would have them Lâ—…sa patientia fit furor Even in such meeke men as you patience upon denial can become furre and supplicates after some continuances commands And then he may have an offer of his or their Kingdome as you thinke fiter to style it but it must be with a resignation of his crowne their Lives and estates shall be Oretenus for his service when aurium tenus they are up to the eares in a good bargaine taking money with one hand and delivering him up with the other which is the issue to be expected upon the grant and nothing worse can be feared nor that if well thought on from the denial of your demands Therefore to conclude no miserie of King nor people should be so impolitikelie declin'd as to be desperatelie embraced And till the essentials of Scotish Presbyterie be changed which are undisputablie destructive to all Monarchs that come
of their friends to make a new addresse to the Assembly their friends in the Assembly after a second desire of a more gracious answere propounded this Will yee joine in covenant with us to reforme doctrine and discipline conforme to this of Scotland and yee shall have a better answere Sir W. Ermin the rest answered that they had not that in their instructions bot thanked the Assembly sayd they would represent it to the Parliament of England the friends in the Assembly told them there would be much time loosed ere they could go to the Parliament for their resolutione and thereafter to returne to Scotland and draw up a solemne league and covenant the danger was great and they were not able with all their forces to stand two moneths before the Kings armie bot we shall draw it up here and send up with you some noblemen gentlemen Ministers that shall see it subscribed which was done To proceed your Rebell Parliaments desires beside what may be gatherd from your papers were not as I have heard very humblie praesented by the persons many times that brought them And when your smoothest language is glossed upon as best it may be by your rude militarie Interpreters at more distance your negative will not hinder them of being impositions rather then supplications Religion and liberties in all the three Kingdomes were very sufficientlie secur'd by the lawes Scotish Presbyterie is no religion but rebellion in the principles and the libertie taken by it is license befitting no subjects and therefore not to be desired of a King For which if such a covenant or oath is but one maine peice of securitie as you confesse I leave to be judged if any judgement can comprehend the other maine pâ—…ices of vassalage for your safetie you yet farther expected from the crowne An authoritie to crave many leaves a libertie to resuse and be of no sufficience to impose upon the subject so long as during the contenuance of the Parliament Nor can you shew that uncontroverted law which gives validitie to an ordinance controverted by the King who assumes no power of politike impossible concessions such as treason felonie breach of peace are by name with us covenanting is such when against the Kings consent The last part of the demonstration is too true and so farre dishonourable as it blazons the cowardize of men well principled in their religion to God and loyaltie to their King who for the benefit of a litle fresh aire out of prison and a titular interest in an estate the revenues whereof must be excis'd contributed fift parted twentieth parted and particulated into nothing at the pleasure of the blew-apron'd men in the Citie and Committee plowmen in the Countrey would desperatelie cast their soules into the guilt and curse of a covenant which they utterlie detested and their persons into the slaverie of proud sinfull unreasonable men whom before it may be they fed with their charitie and commanded The nullitie of this oath upon the difference of heart and mouth is demonstrable The very taking it being so farre from obliging to be kept as it subjects them to the judgement of God because not done in truth nor in righteousnesse Isai 48. Nec vero ultrâ—… quam consensum est juramentum operatur secundum ipsum quae tunc actus deficit in substantia deficiente consensu quem defectum juramentum minimè supplet Say the lawyers And he that sweares to commit sacriledge and murder is as much bound by his oath which I would faine heare Master Baylie dictate from his chaire against them when they tell him Iuramentum non est vinculum iniquitatis The especial aggravation which he drawes from the Bishops ground is as especial a lie and as evident a falshood as ever came out of the mouth of man an irrecoverable shame to the whole Presbyterie That a Minister Professour their great champion commissioner should utter it when not onelie the penaltie of two pence hath been threatned but of sequestration and imprisonment hath been executed upon thousands and beside these because some particular must be instanc'd upon neare 100. fellowes of Colledges in one weeke banishment out of the Vniversitie of Cambridge this I can best justifie being one of the number Which was a leading case to Oxford when in their power and the feare of unjust suffering they threatned her first argument against their covenant Therefore let us leave the dishonour we were speaking of where we found it upon the head of our Nation in part who degenerated so farre as to take a covenant from the hand of strange rebells no otherwise their brethren then in the in quitie of maintaining hypocrisie and license both which they see with their selves now in thraldome to Atheisme and a mercenarie sword And beare about them the marke of Gods vengeance in the sight of us who survive to magnifie him in his justice saying Iustus Dominus in omnibus vijs suis sanctus in omnibus operibus suis. The Bishops second demonstration need be no beter then the first whereby you are convicted as bad as it is you dare not venture upon halfe of it but like a cunning old rat that hath before been catch'd by the taile in a trap will be nibling at the baite but not enter too farre with his teeth for feare his head goe for 't next This makes you so tender of dealing with the majour which if not well caution'd why doe not you denie it or attacke it on that side which you guesse weaklie guarded You pervert the minour though litle to your advantage The Bishop sayth not that in the Covenant you sweare the latelie devised discipline to be Christs institution but that you gull men with â—…it as if it were so imposing upon them the strictest oath to engage their estates and lives in the praeseruation and propagation of it which is as much as can be required for Christs institution or Euangel a title as strange as you make it often given your Discipline which allreadie I have touchd at Yet because here you so confidentlie put us upon the words of the Covenant somewhat not much unlike what the Bishop imputes I finde in the praeface ... having before our eyes the glorie of God and the advancement of the Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ .... whereby I charge your meaning to be the Presbyteriall Government of your Kirke if not I require you plainlie to denie it and to send me this proposition subscribed by your hand The plat forme of Discipline to which we sweare in the Covenant is not Christs institution Especiallie since your General Assemblie 1642. hath sayd That the Reformed Kirkes doâ—… hold without doubting their Kirke officers and Kirke Government by Assembles higher and lower c to be jure divino and perpetual Your brother-Presbyters in England That Presbyterian Government hath just and evident foundation
both in the word of God religious reason And the praeface to the English Directorie telling you That their care hath been to hold forth such things as are of divine institution in every ordinance Were it not to tire out my Reader I could shew this to be your language ever since your Discipline was framed thought so necessarie a truth that your denial must make Christ not so wise as Solon or Lycurgus if he left it as a thing mutable by men or now after so many ages of his Church to be put to the vote in their Parliaments and Synods So sayth a friend of yours in these words Equidâ—…m non novi neque credam Christum qui Dei sapientia fuit remp suam que omnium ' est perfectissima arbitrio stultorum hominum religuisse agitandam .... quod ne Solon quidem aut Lycurgus aljusve quis pium Legislator pateretur For that and the rest of your religion your Confession of faith sayth That you are throughlie resolved by the â—…ord spirit of God that onelie is the true Christian sayth Religion pleasing God c. ... Gods aeternal truth ground of your salvation .... Gods undoubted truth and veritie grounded onelie upon his written word Nay afterwards you protest and promise with your hearts under the same oath c that you will defend the Kings person and authoritie in the defense of Christs Euangel and liberties of your Countrey which is or if it be not speake the same with Religion and liberties in your league Besides all which otherwhere you blasphemouslie compare both your confessions with the old Testament and the New That which followes wherein you moderate the first article of your Covenant imposing an endeavour to reforme onelie according to the word of God with out introducing Scotes Presbyterie or any other of the best reformed unlesse it be found according to that paterne though it served to palliate all blemishes and deformities that were in it To invite possiblie some well meaning people into your fraternitie who like harmelesse bees relishing that sweetnesse litle thought what poyson they left behinde for other venemous insectiles to sucke out To furnish others withan excuse a petiful one for using so bad meanes to so good an end and when it undeniablie proves the contrarie the same it may be they intended crie they were mistaken though now they can not helpe it Yet it may be shewed to be a dubious frivolous limitation the same commendation your friends gave it when translated into an oath tenderd in behalfe of Episcopacie by the King First infirming that member and so fâ—…r disinabling it from beaâ—…ing part in the mater of an oath as subjection is required unto the reforming power in a Church Secondlie Quitting all that swore it of their engagement every moment if they see cleaâ—…lie or judge erroneouslie your reforming Principals to digresse from that path Thirdlie either supposing your reformed religion in Scotland to be allreadie conform'd to that paterne or else enjoining to sweare contradictions Lastlie If leaving every man to judge what is according to the word and to endeavour according to that judgement imposing an oath productive of confusion there being as many mindes as men scarce two united in one touching Doctrine Worship Discipline and government The first might be illustrated argued from the fallibilitie and uncertaintie in the Reforming power a maim'd Parliament an illegitimate Assemblie then siting whom I could not be assured to have the spirit of God so illuminating their mindes as whereby jointlie to judge the same reformation according to Gods word Secondlie as uncertaine should I bee setâ—…ng aside all partialitie and passion that they would declare what they so judg'd against many of whom if not the most having a well grounded praejudice whether just or no maters not if not know'n to me I could not sweare de futuro a conformitie to their acts In which cases wisemen advise us to abstaine .... Ten apochen tou omnynai prostattei peri toon endâ—…chomenoon kai â—…oriston tes â—…baseoos â—…chontoon to peras Hierocl in Carm. Pythag. and â—…urans praesumitur certioratus deliberatus accedere ad â—…ctum super quo â—…urat sayth the Lawyer The second is strengthned sâ—…fficientlie by your words which oblige the Covenanter no farther then he findes your great worke proceeding according to Gods word The successe whereof if no beter then in your Discipline and the Directorie will keep no man in his Covenant Gods word praescribing many parts of neither The Third is evident from the very clauses in the article where first an oath must be taken to praeserve the reformed religion in Scotland which if not according to Gods word is contradicted in the next that enjoines reformation onelie according to the word And if it be then that is â—…t wherewith a uniformitie must be made and yet you tell us there is no such word nor any such mater in the Covenant About the last let every man speake his minde as freelie as I shall mine That I hold no Presbyterian government Scotish or other according to Gods word That I have read of much dissension among your selves in former times and heard of some in later That all Papists all orthodoxe persons in the Church of England are jointlie for Episcopacie in the order as according to Gods word and separatelie for it in the jurisdiction and discipline neither holding all parts of it exemplified in the word so not applicable unto it both not the same extensive particulars in the ordinance and exercise of the Church Besides such as you call Socinians Sectaries separatists whether individual or congregational All which having distinct opinions of Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the word if not concentred in the sense of the House or Assemblie but left to their several endeavours are sworne among them to delineate a pretie implicated diagramme of a Church But for a farther answer to this article of your covenant I remit you to the solide judgement of the Vniversitie of Oxford As likewise to that of several learned men in the Vniversitie of Cambridge who joined in one minde published their refutation of the whole treacherous league A. 1644. Onelie I must adde what persons of knowledge integritie say they will make good That your Covenant came into England with some such clause as this We shall reforme our Church in doctrine and Discipline conforme to the Church of Scotland Whereof Master Nye his Independent friends fairlie cheated you making that be rased out and this inserted which we treat of By which tricke they have pack'd Presbyterie away and yet pleade with you in publike That they still keepe the Covenant and goe on to reforme according to Gods word The second ground of the Bishops demonstration is no evident errour it being an evident truth That the principal Covenanters Noblemen Gentlemen and Ministers in Scotland
protested to Marq. Hamilton His Majesties Commissioner 1638. when it was objected that their Covenant with their new explication was different from the sense of that 1580. because it portended the abolition of Episcopacie That is was not their meaning quite to abolish it but to limit it holding out in the most material point an identitie between them That they assured many who made the scruple and would not have come into their covenant unlesse they had so resolv'd them That they might sweare the same confessiâ—…n and et not abjure Episcopal government which the three Ministers in their first answer to the Divines of Aberdene positivelie affirmed That thus they abus'd many with an appeatance of identitie in the mater and similitude in the end And themselves frequentlie confessed that this Covenant was nothing but that general one applied to the particular occasions at that time It is as certaine that the Covenant of the Rebells in all the three Kingdomes 1643. was held out at least to them in Scotland that toke it to be the same with that they toke before otherwise then as it must be againe applied to a conjunction with their brethren of the other two Kingdomes Nor was there any other new emergent cause nor was that one for any new Covenant and you are not to multiplie solemne oathes and Covenants you sayd without necessitie Nor is there in this the sense of any one clause that is not in the other as it concern'd your owne Nation And the enemies with their practices against whom and which you fram'd it you professe to be the same though now increased in your praeface All which have elements enough beside an airie fancie to make up your grosse errour or affected falshood in denying so demonstrable a truth Yet that notwithstanding this imposture there is a real difference in the triplie respect which the Bishop speakes of was never hitherto denied as I know by any Episcopal writer which are many that occasionallie have mention'd it So that his Lordship 〈◊〉 not his owne vine but your fingars that will be medling with his worke for which he may expect and will have due thankes from his friends that rightlie understand him For howsoever indeed that short confession was at first not onelie draw'n up by the Kings command nor freelie subscribed with his hand but obtruded violentlie upon him being devised by a partie of seditious male-contented Noblemen and Courtiers made such by the Clergie that were worse against Esme Earle of Lenox who they hoped by this test would be discovered to be a Papist Yet the King made a very good vertue of necessitie and since he must impose it first upon his familie and afterward upon his subjects being supreme could and did it in his owne sense though it may be oppositie to theirs that made it the ambiguitie of the words tolerating both To which in that sense he praefixed his Royal authoritie whereas your later Covenant in yours was absolutelie against his sonnes That in his sense was for the lawes of the Realme the praeservation of Episcopacie This against them for its utter extirpation That to maintaine the religion established which he did to the uttermost of his power This to its destruction which it is in effecting though it spoiles in the casting that golden calfe you intended to set up So that the words themselves which doe not more flatlie contradict the Bishop then they are contradict by your workes are not so expresse for the Kings authoritie the law of the realme and religion established and wherein they are such an abstruse meaning have they as he that takes your league is ouoâ—… agâ—…n mysteria the dull creature that ignorantlie caries all the mysteries of your iniquitie on his backe In the next paragraph is nothing but a branch or two of your former wild discourse therein a nest of small birds chattering what we often heare to no purpose or never to lesse then here having no significancie at all in answer to the Bishops Memento which recognizeth Q. Elizabeths indulgence to whom your praedecessours scraped and whined for militarie assistance to say no worse undeservedlie had it without imposing the Discipline of England Whereas you to use the words of K. Ch. 1. are not to be hired at the ordinarie rate of auxiliaries much lesse borrowed or bestowed nothing will induce you to ingage till those that call you in have pawned their soules to you The Discipline Liturgie which you quarell with some times because different from the English was obtruded upon you by no other craft and force then a plaine legal injunction Deliberated on from the time of K. Iames's investiture in the crowne of England approved in a general Assemblie at Aberdene 1616. the Liturgie I meane the Discipline having been received long before read publikelie in the Kings chapell at Haly-rud-house ever since the yeare 1617. not onelie without dislike but with frequent assemblies of the Councel Nobilitie Bishops and other Clergie Iudges Gentrie Burgesses women of all rankes In several other places in the time of K Ch. 1. The alterations which were not of such moment as to be met with opposition were partlie made generallie approved by the Bishops and principal Clergie in Scotland who in the exercise of it were injoined to proceed with all moderation and dispense with such for the practice of some things conteined in the booke as they should finde either not well perswaded of them or willing to be informed concerning them or did hope that time and reason might gaine a beter beleefe of them How otherwise your Discipline was obtruded upon the English what free long and deliberate choyce they used beside the sighes and groanes of many pious soules hurried into prisons or disspersed in a miserable exile your owne Scots Cushi shall beare witnesse Who out of no ill meaning to your cause reveales the truth of your tyrannie from the beginning .... That upon your second coming in it was when some of our Nobles tooke occasion to supplicate for a Parliament which the King scarce durst denie for the Scotch armie nor the perpetuitie of it afterward for no other reason .... That when it came to armes the Scotes could not sit still in conscience honestie whereupon they sent a Commissioner from their Synod to the English Parliament 1642. to move them to cast out Bishops Then others to the King at Oxford to signe all propositions which because he would not doe they resolve to assist their brethren against him whom they call the common enemie The formalitie of an invitation was used to this purpose but their inclination and resolution had pass'd before And indeed your Assemblie 1642. confess'd an obligation lay upon them to encourage and assist so pious a worke but not as you doe here onelie out of brotherlie concernment but for securitie of yourselves because without it you could not hope for any long
consorting with his Fathers booke e Wherein is divine wisdome Counsel f Ps. 72. g Gods providence in ordering his commendations of this booke to proceed out of the mouth of the Reviewer h The Reviewers seasonable advertishment to the King a K. Ch. 1. no Presbyterian in heart noâ—…â—…ongue at Newcastle the Islâ—… of Wight b His papers to Mr. Henderson against it c No Bishop No King d Ovid. Met. lib. â—… sab 1. e The Reviewers false profession in publike contrarie to conscience vulgar knowledge f The 〈◊〉 speach now printed in effect No necessitie for the Scots to enter into a Covenant which is No oath of God but the Devil No wonder why the lovers of the King are no Covenanters a The Cheat of the Covenant b The Scot-Presbytirian open unkindnesse that is treason against the late King c Bishops in other Reformed Churches d The Revieâ—…ers in constancie a K. Ch. 1 never justified the Scotish contests b EikoÌ„n Basâ—…like Ch. 13. c The King may bring an armie to the Scotish borders d A lawe above Dunce law e Liturgie Canons contrarie neither to the lawes of God nor Scotland f The Reviewers brag K. Ch. 1. gave the Scotâ—… too easie conditions a He had good reason to raise a secound armie against them b The Scots successe at New bourne opened not a passage for them to London c The Pr. Scotish Rebellion copied by the English d K. Ch. 1 his raising an armie a signe of divine providence e The Rebells faint in their faith notwithstanding the revelations they pretend to f The Presb. Scots coming in no condition of the peace a Their guilt made them feare a third warre b Their worke of supererogation in interâ—…eding c Their Remonstrance d They mediate for no reasonable accommodation e Were never slighted nor rejected f Were justlie denjed g Covenants the common road for factions h Remonst about the Treaty in the Isle of wight The Covenant destructive to all the Royal line The charge against K. Ch. 1. taken out of the Pr. Scots Remonstrance The Presb. Scots wicked Impostours no messeangers of Christ. The Kings partie not subdued when His Majestie left Oxford The King not necessitated to cast himselfe upon the Scots He had promised all reasonable satisfaction before His Religious adhe rence to his old oathes The Kingâ—… presence migh best have composed the divisions in Scotland Isai. 32. 17. His garrisons surrendered upon the counter feit professions of the Pr. Scots They obâ—…ine no termes satisfactorie to the King Their injustice unkindnesse imprudence Their deliverie of the Kings person was a selling him to his Enemies They might have prevented the murder that followed Ier. 51. 7. They were not readiâ—… to the utmost of their power An old grudge the reason why they were not S. Matth. 27. 24. The Kings not granting all demands They beare the like grudge against K. Ch. 2. * In libro Cap. 1 The Reviewers politike flaterie Ecclesiast 12. 6. The unseasonablenesse of the Scots coming to the King at the Hague Iob 26. 9. Iob 16. 16. The seasonable successe of the Bishops Warning The Scotish Presbyterians an inconsiderable partie Sen Conâ—…rov Iob 8. The Bishops method apposite to his matter His proofe 〈◊〉 by tenets His allegations confirm'd by others The Reviewers rash uncharitable judgement about the ends of Mr. Corbes Arch-Bishop Maxwell His vanitie in mentioning the frequent impressions of his books His language more bitter then the Bishops his hast greater to vent it No regard wanting in the Bishop to Scripture nor reverence to th Reformed Churches Nor respect to the Magistrate and lawes The Bishop no slanderer of the King noâ—… his Royal Father Eikôn Basilikôn ch 17. The Reviewers seasonable advertissement about the Kings late offer to the Scots No resh presumption in the Bishop The Scots endeavours to impose their discipline upon England K. Ch. 1. in no harmonie with the Presbyterians All Protestants implied to be Erastians as well as the Episcopal by Mr. Baylie The Reviewer not acquainted with the late controversie between us the Papists No Canterburian designe but what was forged at Edenburg Basilikdor The Scotâ—… heretofore gave no so bad language to the English Bishops 1. Pet. 5. 2 Though they acted enough against their Bishops aâ—…â—…me Ierr. 8. 22. The crimes alleged not the grounds of K Ch. 1. his concessions against Episcopacle in Scotland Episcopacie in England not put downe by a legal Assemblie Parliament The Reviewer knowes not good logike when he meetes with it The Bishop not ignorant of the way of the Scotish Discipline The Reviewers Sophystrie The Bishops meaning about the Kings power in chusing Elders Ecclesiastike lawes The head of the Church Assembles are the Kings arbitrarie Counsâ—…s The Bishop had reason to instance in particulars The Assemblie contest with the King about his command Conf. at Hapt Court Aâ—…d Melvin Epist. ad Th. Bez. 1579. K. I his Nobilitie against the Discipline Vindic. Epist. Hieron Philadelph The Reviewer his brethren agree not in their storie Duo foliae dilaâ—… erata in ignem conjecta Geor. Con. De duplic stat Relig. apud Scot. lib. 2. ..... ministri cuÌ„ omnia ex suo suorumque arbitrio pendere savente annitente imprimis Buchananâ—… cernerent c. K. I. his dislike of the short Confession Many unjustifiable practices about it Vindie Epist Hieron Philadelph Archiepis Fan S. Andr. Pa. 1 77 Archiepis Fan. S. Adr. Epist. ad Theod. Bez The reason upon which the Nobilitie maintained Bishops Pseudo-Episcopatu The Presbyterie the Cause of the Nobilities keeping the revenue of the Church Episcopacie more then titular by the Covenanters acknowledgement The Bishop too courteous in passing over 27. yeares storie meane base abject persons who were never any way remarkable as men of great gifts Decl. of His Majesties Coâ—…nc Imperfect policie alterable at the Kings pleasure The Priviledge of Assemblies limited The Legal proceedings against the Aberdene Assemblerâ—… Their obstinacie The Church festivals abolished in Scotland by no just Authoritie The primitive Christians observ'd them Orat of the Protest of Scotl. to the Q. Reg. 1558. The Bishop not mistakeÌ„ in the Scottish Chronologie What kinde of Presbyteries were erected by K. Iames his Commissioners to what purpose Bishops to praeside in them Declar. 1582. The abuse of the Kings indulgence by the Presbyters The E of Arran no wicked Courtier His bloud reveng'd Bishop Bancroft Dang Posiâ—… b. 1. Gibsons bold speaches to the King Perpetuitie the Bishops in Scotland The Reviewers long reach for the antiquitie of Presbyters ...... facile est credere Victoreâ—… Pomificem .... in Scotia reperisse multos quos salutaribus undis expiaret alios quoâ—… Judaizantium in fecerat error G. Con. De dupl stat Rel. apud Scot. lib. 1. Multi ex Britonibus Christiani savitiam Diocletiani tiementes ad eos Scotos confugerant è quibus
that Church His Majestie having not expressed the least word or syllabe to that purpose The most that ever he yeilded was this For it should be considered that Episcopacie was not so rooted setled there in Scotland as t is here in England nor I in that respect so strictlie bound to continue it in that Kingdome as this for what I thinke in my judgement best I may not thinke so absolutelie necessarie for all places at all times Not so rooted setled not so absolutelie necessarie implies no act of everting the foundations both of Religion Government c. nor can such an act be so pleasing to Kings nor that order which is wholelie imployed therein win so much upon their affections judgements as to make them professe to the world they thinke it best as you see our King of blessed memorie hath done When England thereafter as you terme it did root out that unhappie plant they danc'd after the Scotish pipe though England was neither in that thing calld an assemblie nor in any full free Parliament that did it They were but a few rotten members that had strength enough then to articulate their malice in a vote but have since given up the ghost being cut downe by the independencie of the sword their presbyterie with them for a Stinking weed throw'n over the hedge or Severu's wall into Scotland where they their blew-bottle brethren are left to lie unpittied on the dunghill together The rest of the Reformed Churches otherwhere did never cast out what they never had such an happie plant as regular Episcopacie in their grounds those that have as some such I have told you there are carefullie keep it The one part hath been more wise in their actions the other more charitable to us in their words Let the Scots applaud or clap their hands when they please there is an act behind the plays ' not yet done CHAPTER II. The Scottish Discipline overthrowes the right of Magistrates to convocate Synods otherwise to order Ecclesiastical affaires THe Bishop doth not forget his challenge about the Magistrates right in convocating Synods But if Mr. Baylie's eyes be too old to see a good argument in an enthymem let him take it out of an explicite syllogisme which may fairlie be draw'n out of His Lordships first second paragraph in this Chapter MAJ. That Discipline which doth countenance the Church to convene within the Magistrates territories whensoever wheresoever they list To call before them whomsoever they please c doth overthrow the Magistrates right to convocate Synods to confirme their Acts c. MIN. But this new Discipline doth countenance the Church to convene within the Magistrates territories whensoever wheresoever they list c. Ergo CONCL. This new Discipline doth overthrow the Magistrates right to convocate Synods c. The Major his Lordship proves from that know'n Soveraignite of power wherewith all Princes States are indued From the warinesse of the Synod of Dort Can. 50. From that decree out of Ench. Cand smin Synods ought to be called by the supreme Magistrate if he be a Christian c. From the power the Emperours of old did challenge over General Councels Christian Monarches in the time of Poperie over National Synods The Kings of England over their Convocations The Estates of the Vnited Provinces From the professions of all Catholikes Protestants in France very particularlie liberallie the State of Geneva where the ordering of all Ecclesiastike affaires is assumed by the Seigniorie The Minor he takes for granted is know'n out of all the proceedings in the Presbyterie which from time to time have thus conven'd convocated themselves therefore His Lordship onelie intimates it in his first paragraph yet afterward proves it in part by an Assemblie meeting when it had been prohibited sitting after it was discharged by the King which the 20. Presbyters did at Aberdene Anno 1600. And all this with the Reviewer is to forget the challenge because he hath forgot his logike the new light hath dazeld the eye of his old intellectual facultie to discerne The truth of it is this was a litle too hot for Mr. Baylies fingars because it makes such cleare instances about the Synod of Dort Geneva wherein they differ from the Scotish Presbyterie which he will not owne because he every where denies therefore takes no notice of it as he goes Nor can any ignorance of the way of the Scotish Discipline be imputed to the Bishop who produceth so numerouslie the practical enormities thereof strikes at the very foundation as infirme because contrarie to the know'n lawes lawfull customeâ—… the supreme Magistrate dissenting disclaiming For what he pretends to have been unquestionablie authentike by vertue of Parliament Acts the Kings consent since the first reformation I have otherwhere successivelie evidenc'd up as farre as the unhappie beheading of Marie Queen of Scots in England to which the rest may be hereafter annexed to have no other strength then what rage violence could afford it The power which he sayth every man in Scotland gives the King without controversie to call extraordinarie Assemblies when he pleaseth takes not away in its hast the maine part of the Bishops objection implying no negative to this That the Presbyterie hath often extraordinarilie assembled without the Kings leave nay against his command nor will they be checkt in that rebellious license by his power What the Bishop meanes to speake of the Kings power in chusing Elders c. Mr. Baylie might know but that still he hath no mind to take notice That in the former paragraph His Lordship spake of a seigniorie a Civile Magistrate at Geneva to which at the end of the yeare are presented the Elders by that continued or discharged The Civile Magistrate in Scotland hath no more power in placing or displacing which before was calld continuing or discharging the Elders then in the election of the Emperour whose inhaerent right he conceives to be as good there as at Geneva therefore if the lawes do not expresselie provide it they are such he thinkes as tend to the overthrowing of that right This His Lordship meanes as part of that he was to prove being a clause in the title of his Chapter Your closing with the Parliament which the Bishop hath not mention'd is but to beget a wonder by making an hermaphrodite of the question which before was but single in your sexe You are not so united but that I can untwist you though against your will consider in this case the Presbyterie by it selfe The making of Ecclesiastike lawes in Scotland as for England it shall not be here disputed as desirous as you are to be wandring from home was never in justice nor with any Kings content referred so absolutelie to Ecclesiastike Assemblies as not to aske a ratification from the crowne What the Bishops minde
treaties ever pressed upon the King a number of propositions Ergo The Church may desire the granting of one I should be too courteous in casting up the numerous account of their rebellions aequal to their propositions keep out but a single unitie for you I shall chuse rather to tell you cautioning first for the falshood in the fundamental hypothesis That in cases of treatie the Church of Scotland is subordinate to one therefore hath no adaequate conditioning priviledge with the Parliaments of both Kingdomes especiallie in her peevish state of opposition to both Secondlie This proposition desired is the Trojan horse into which all the rest of your treason 's contrived there being no fraudulent possibilitie Ecclesiâ—…stike nor Politike which your Sinon Assemblie hath not cunninglie lodg'd in the bellie the winding entrailes the maeanders of the Covenant Your clause in the parenthesis when the bolts are off set at libertie tells us your meaning is this Let the Kings person children continue imprison'd His Queen Prince c. banished His revenue sequester'd his life be irrecoverablie endanger'd rather then those of the Scottish Presbyterian partie for the rest you can not excommunicate out of your nation though not in your covenant should run the hazard of their lives estates Which was the true result of your debate agreement That you heard no complaint when many of the thirtie propositions were pressed was because your eares were stopt against the lamentations of everie English Jeremie that wept for the slaine of the daughter of his people being such an Assemblie as the next verse describes you That an out crie as you call it is made when onelie one proposition is stucke upon is because that one streightneth the bands of your wickednesse layes heavier burdens upon the shoulders of innocencie will not let the oppressed goe free And then Gods Prophets are call'd upon to crie aloud not to spare to lift up their voyce like a trumpet c. This one was that the yeilding to which would most of all have violated His Majesties conscience in reference to which he tells you ' t is strange there can be no method of peace but by making warre upon his soul. Yet let the case be disputable your tender excusable at least in respect of the time which you say was not to be before His Majesties rescue but onelie before his bringing to London c. If so why was not His Majestie first rescued delivered out of the hands of the Sectaries then your proposition insisted on The Bishop tells you the reason out of Humble advice Edenb Jun. 10. 1648. viz. lest his libertie might bring your by gone proceedings about the league Covenant into quaestion All honest Christians loyal subjects though heathen are of the same beliefe with his Lordship whatsoever is their opinion in generall expect that you prove the innocence or justice of conditioning in this particular with your confess'd captive King Concerning the absolute soveraignitie of Kings you are otherwhere answer'd if not satisfied may finde more worke made you by the famous Grotius whose booke was manifestlie penned against you your usurping brother-Rebells of England bids defiance to all your Didoclaves Buchanans Brutus's of both nations till replied to But away with your counterfeit inclination to treaties which you ever abhorred like death fearing in that peace there could be no peace for your wicked selves therefore gave publike thankes to God for delaying your torments in the disappointment of that at the Isle of Wight aswell by your plots devices as by the Sectaries armed-force The holinesse of this religious proposition was but the blinde under favour of which you stalked made safer approaches to His Majesties murder by another never hitherto repeald immutablie design'd Nor are there many of your publike papers but forespake the destruction of his Royal Person and Familie unlesse he submitted to the tyrannie of your tearmes and whether that had quitted him as much from your judgement as it assuredlie had from his supremacie and crownes may be guessed by the experiment he made in his first too full fatal concessions which your own Parliament Acts have registred completelie satisfactorie to the demands or desires of all sorts of people in Scotland which too indulgent paternal goodnesse having turn'd into poison you regorg'd in his face by a foreigne invasion and a base mercenarie rebellion till like evening wolves you rent in peices and prey'd upon his person in the darke The proposition I meane is that for which one of your sectarian brethren calls God Angels and Men to judge of your dissembling in pressing a personal treatie when His Majestie formerlie desiring one you told him There having been so much innocent bloud of his good subjects shed in this warre by His Majesties commands and commissions .... you conceive that untill satisfaction and securitie be first given to both his Kingdomes His Majesties coming to London could not be convenient nor by you assented to What satisfaction you meane we know by your Discipline which makes murder unpardonable and then I pray what securitie could be taken but his life If the granting this one proposition you stand upon concerning Religion and the Covenant had draw'n after it as it seemes by your silence the satisfaction for bloud and securitie for your peace We may clearlie conclude your Religion was murder and no resting Canaan for your Covenant but in His Majesties death Which in effect was thus foretold him by that bold Henderson My soul trembleth to thinke and to foresee what may be the event if this opportunitie be neglested He would not use he said the words of Mordecai to Esther because he hoped beter things Whereas if his hopes faild him we may well argue he had us'd them as you doe that survive him in your endeavour that he and his fathers house should be destroy'd But that you take confession to be the Doctrine of Antichrist you mâ—…ght without an ironie put an câ—…ce to your own being criminous to the purpose in declaring against the Parliaments debates which if therfore needlesse and impertinent because you thinke or will have them thought to be so the Great Councel you make but a subordinate Eldership or Classe to the supreme Assemblie of your Kiâ—…ke You are not allwayes so modest as to keep your distance from your English Parliaments affaires We have for many yeares found you like loving beagles upon eithers concernment so closelie coupled in the slip of your Covenant as if when the game should be lost upon eithers default you meant to be truss'd up together for companie If it be proper to have any King in Scotland the proper place of debate about his negative voice is as well a free Parliament there as in England If your lawes admit not of that they admit of no King whose Regalitie consisteth in that nor hath