except that it was not so far extended against Tyranny because that Tyrant was not such an usurper nor such a violater of the fundamental constitutions of the Civil Government as these that we have had to do with all But as to the managing the Testimony they far out stripped their successors in this generation in conduct courage Prudence zeal as is above hintend in many instances to which we may adde some more When several plots of Papist Lords had been discovered conspiring with the King of Spain And they were by the Kings Indulgence favoured and some were also perswaded to treat with them famous Mr Davidson opposed with great resolution Declaring before the Synod of Lothian that it favoured much of defection in these dayes that such notorious rebells to God His Church the Country should be so treated with we should not rashly open a door to Gods Enemies without better proof of their manners nor were yet seen And when a convention in Falkland was consulting to call home these conspiring Traitors Mr Andrew Melvin went thither uncalled and when found fault with by the King for his boldness he answered Sir I have a call to come here from Christ His Church who have special Interest in this Turn and against whom this Convention is assembled directly I charge yow and your Estates in the Name of Christ His Church that ye favour not His Enemies whom He hateth nor go about to call home nor make Citizens of these who have traiterously sought to betray their City native Countrey with the overthroiw of Chists Kingdom And further challenged them of treason against Christ His Church the Countrey in that purpose they were about About the same time in a private Conference with the King he called the King Gods sillie vassal and taking him by the sleeve told him Sir yow and Church Countrey is like to be wracked for not telling the Truth and giving yow faithful Counsel we must discharge our duty or else be enemies to Christ yow Therefore I must tell yow there are two Kings and two Kingdoms There is Christ and His Kingdom whose subject King Iames the 6th is and of whose Kingdom he is not a King nor a Head nor a Lord but a member and they vvhom Christ hath called to vvatch over govern his Church have sufficient Authority and Power from Him which no Christian King should control but assist othervvise they are not faithfull subjects to Christ. Sir vvhen yovv vvere in your svvedling clouts Christ reigned freely in this Land in spight of all His enemies but novv the vvisdom of your Council vvhich is Devilish pernicious is this that yovv may be served of all sorts of men to your purpose grandour Iew Gentile Papist Protestant because the Ministers Protestants in Scotland are too strong control the King they must be vveakened brought lovv by stirring up a party against them and the King being equal indifferent both shall be fain to flee to him so shall he be well setled But Sir let Gods wisedom be the only wisdom this will prove meer mad folly for His curse cannot but light upon it so that in seeking both yow shall lose both To the like effect Mr Robert Bruce in a Sermon upon Psal 51. gives faithful warning of the danger of the times It is not we sayes he that are Partie in this cause no the quarrel is betwixt a greater Prince and them What are we but sillie men Yet it has pleased Him to set us in this Office that we should oppone to the manifest usurpation that is made upon His Spiritual Kingdom Is there a more forcible mean to draw down the wrath of God than to let Barrabas that nobilitate Malefactor pass free and to begin the war against Christ and His Ministry It puteth on the Copestone that so many of our brethren should not be so faithful as their Calling this Cause craveth Fy upon false brethren to see them dumb so faint hearted when it comes to the Chock Not only are they ashamed to speak the thing they think which is a shame in a Pastor but speak directly against their former Doctrin They will speak the Truth a while till they be put at but incontinent they will turn and make their gifts weapons to fight against Christ for there is none so malicious as an Apostate when he begins to slide back c. The same faithful witness because he would not preach as the King would have him against his oun conscience to justifie Proclaim the Kings Innocency in a forged conspiracy against him was put from his Church in Edinburgh and being requested in an insinuating manner to desist from preaching but for nine or ten dayes he condiscended at first thinking the matter of no great importance yet that night his body was cast in a fever with the terror of his conscience and he promised he should never obey their Commandment any more These were faithful men yet we find they challenge themselves in deep humiliation for their short comings defections at the renovation of the National Covenant March 30. 1596. the greatst solemnity ever had been seen in Scotland before that time so that the place might worthily have been called Bochim O when shall we see such a day when even the most faithful among us shall mourn over our far more aggravated defections but if they mourned then for these first degrees of declensions we may say quam gravius ingemiscerent illi fortes viri qui propter Ecclesiae Scoticanae Libertatem olim in acie decertarunt si nostram hanc ignaviam ne quid gravius dicam conspicerent I know notwithstanding of all this that some encourage themselves in a base Complyance with the present corruptions of our Church from the practise of these Worthies Alledging they did not scruple to hear join with Prelatical men dispensing the ordinances But this Objection will be easily refelled if we consider first the Period wherein they were but growing up to a more perfect Reformation and therefore might bear with many things which we cannot after we have been reformed from them They were then advancing and still gaining ground we are now declining and therefore should be more shie to lose what we have gained They had then of a long time enjoyed their Judicatories unto which they might recur for an orderly redress of such grievances that offended them and when they were deprived of them yet they were still in hopes of recovering them and so suspended their total secession from that corrupt Church untill they should recover them in the mean time still holding their right and maintaining their cause against these Invaders But we were at thevery first begining of this unhappy Revolution totally deprived of our Judicatories and denuded of all expectation of them in an ordinary way and of all place but what they are Masters of to contend with them
upon thee from the Lord. Whereunto is subjoined his dying Testimony to the same purpose wherein are these words But if there shall be a falling back to the sin of complyance with Malignant ungodly men then I look for the breaking out of the wrath of the Lord till there be no remedy This was the warning of a worthy dying Man. Notwithstanding of which many other warnings witnessings a course of complyance was commenced by the pulick Resolutioners and continued in to this day wherein that faithful warning of a dying servant of Christ is verified But before I leave this purpose I must obviate an objection that some make use of for strengthening themselves in their incorporations joinings at least in Worship with the corruptions of the time and for condemning conscientious withdrawers That the Godly in those dayes did not separate from the men of these complyances defections as many do now to wit the protesting party did not withdraw from the publick Resolutioners Associators with Malignants I answer first many these the most Godly tender did withdraw even from their oun Ministers and would have gone 40. or 50 myles to hear a faithful Minister at that time yea Ministers themselves in the case of intrusion of the unfaithful would have supplyed the Paroch as if the Church had been vacant and when they could not get access to the pulpit they preached in the fields on purpose to witness against and professedly to withdraw the people from such an unfaithful Intruder as might be instanced particularly for time place if need were But next The Church then though broken by division and under the subjection of strangers deprived of her General Assemblies yet was in a constitut Case enjoying the priviledge power order of Synods Presbyteries to whom the people offended with their Ministers might address themselves for an orderly redress and removal of these Scandals in an ordinary way and so they needed not assume to themselves that power to regulate their communion that in a broken State as now is must be allowed to them And besides both the Ministers at that time who were faithful though they might have proceeded to censure silence the corrupt party as they were obliged yet not only found it difficult by reason of the injury of the times but also thought it best to spare them And the people to bear them as burdens untill as they were still in hopes they should obtain a General Assembly to take order with them but now it is not so And then the defection was but begining and people did not know and could not expect it would go such a length and therefore could not fall upon the rigor of that duty which such disorders call for at first but if they had seen where these beginings would Land them at length I doubt not but they would have resisted those beginings in such a way as would have precluded this imputation of novelty upon our necessitated with drawings III. We have in this Period not only an Illustrious Testimony for the Principle but a continued and unintermitted putting into practice the duty of defensive Armes in resisting the Soverain power malversing abusing Authority to the destruction of the ends of it which resistence was avowed encouraged furthered by the General Assembly both for the defence of themselves and for the help of their Brethren in England Take one expression in their Solemn seasonable Warning to all ranks Feb. 12. 1645. Sess 18. Unless men will blot out of their hearts the love of Religion cause of God and cast off all care of their Country Lawes Liberties c. all being in visible danger of present ruine destruction they must now or never appear actively each one stretching himself to yea beyond his power It is no time to dally or to go about the business by halfs nor be almost but altogether zealous Cursed is he that doeth the work of the Lord negligently If we have been forward to assist our Neighbour Kingdoms shall we neglect to defend our oun Or shall the Enemies of God be more active against His cause than His people for it God forbid In another seasonable necessary warning Iuly 27. 1649. Sess. 27. They say But if his Maj. or any having or pretending power commission from him shall invade this Kingdom upon pretext of establishing him in the exercise of his royal power as it will be an high provocation against God to be accessory or assisting there to so it will be a necessary duty to resist oppose the same These Fathers could well distinguish between Authority and the person abusing it And were not so Loyal as now their degenerate Children are ambitious to shew themselves stupidly stouping to the shaddow thereof and yet will be called the only Asserters of Presbyterian principles But we find they put it among the Characters of Malignants to confound the Kings honour Authority with the abuse pretence thereof and with Commissions warrants Letters procured from the King by the Enemies of the cause Covenant as if we could not oppose the Latter without increaching upon the former But here an Objection or two must be removed out of the way before we go forward One is from the Third Atticle of the Covinant where there seems to be a great deal of Loyaltie obliging to defend the Kings Maj. his person Authority in the preservation defence of the true Religion Liberties of the Kingdoms that the world may bear witness with our consciences of our Loyaltie And that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish his Majesties just power greatness I Ans. There is indeed a deal of Loyaltie there and true Loyaltie because Lawfully limited being qualified with subordinate unto the preservation defence of the true Religion Liberties of the Kingdom as the makers of the Covenant do expound it in the Assembles declaration against the unlawful Eugagment Iuly ult 1648. Sess. 21. not that Reverse Loyaltie which makes duties to God conditional limited and duties to thee King absolute unlimited as our Loyalists do now And I wish others were free of it who have sworn Oaths of unlimited Alledgiances to maintain the King in any power unto which his force aspires and to justify this their Loyaltie will bring in this Article of the Covenant with a distorted sense reading it backward that we in the preservation defence of Religion must preserve defend the King As if Religion obliged to defend him do what he will. It were better such pretended Covenanters denyed the Covenant than to be such a reproach to it in wresting its genuine sense But I have adduced the sense of the best Interpreters of it the General Assembly Next when they entered under the bond of this Covenant they did it with a purpose to oppose all his invasions upon Religion the Liberty of the people and to
persons twice once to have their ears cut and be banished and after the lopping of their ears some have been re-examined and Sentenced to death and execute 23. They have Sentenced some and hanged them both in one day Others early in the morning both to surprize the persons that were to die and to prevent Spectators of the sight of their Cruelty Others have been kept in suspense till the very day hour of their execution 24. Not only have they murdered serious zealous Followers of Christ in taking away their Lives but endeavoured to murder their Names and to murder the Cause for which they suffered loading it with all Reproaches as Sedition Rebellion c. which was their peculiar Policy to bring the Heads of Sufferings to Points that are most obnoxious to mens Censure and accounted most extrinsick to Religion whereby they levelled their-designs against Religion not directly under that notion but obliquely in the destruction of its Professors under the odium reproach of enemies to Government 25. But chiefly they labour to murder the Soul defile the Conscience and only consult to cast a man doun from his excellency which is his integrity that is a Christians Croun and that they would rather rob him of as any thing either by hectoring or flattering him from the Testimony which they endeavour by proposing many offers with many threatenings in subtile termes And pretend a great deal of tenderness protesting they will be as tender of their blood as of their oun Soul which in some sense is true for they have none at all of their oun Souls and purging themselves as Pilate did and charging it upon their oun head 26. They will be very easie in their Accommodations where they find the poor man begining to faint and hearken to their overtures wherein they will grant him his life yeelding to him as cunning Anglers do with Fishes And to persuade him to some length in complying they will offer Conference sometimes or reasoning upon the Point to satisfie informe his Conscience as they pretend but really to catch him with their busked hook 27. If they have any hope of prevailing they will change a mans Prison and take him out from among the more strict fervent in the Cause that might sharpen strenghen his zeal and put him in among the more cool remiss 28. Sometimes they used to stage several together whereof they knew some would Comply to Tantalize the rest with the sight of the others Liberty and make them byte the more eagerly at their bait to catch the Conscience But when they had done all they could Christ had many Witnesses who did retain the Croun of their Testimony in the smallest Points till they obtained the Croun of Martyrdom and attained to the Croun of Glory Speaking boldly to them without fear or shame and disdaining their flattering Proposals but looking on them under a right notion as stated there in opposition to Christ whereby they found this Advantage that hence they were restrained from all sinful tampering with them or intertaining any discourse with them but what was suitable to speak to Christs enemies or doing any thing to save their life but what became Christs Witnesses who loved not their lives unto the death Of whom universally this was observed that to the Admiration of all the Conviction of many enemies the Confirmation of many friends the Establishment of the Cause and the Glory of their Redeemeâ— they went off the stage with so much of the Lords Counâ—enance so much Assurance of Pardon Eternal Peace so much hope of the Lords returning to Revive His Work and Plead His Cause again in these Lands that never any suffered with more meekness humility composure of Spirit and with more faithfulness stedfastness resolution than these Worthies did for these despised reproached Truths for which their surviving Brethren are now Contending Suffering while others are at ease PART III. THE PRESENT TESTIMONY Stated and Vindicated in its Principal Heads BY what is above premitted the Reader may see the Series Succession of the Testimony of Christs Witnesses in Scotland from time to time in all the Periods of that Church how it hath been transmitted from one generation to another Doun to our hands how far it hath been extended and what Increments it hath received in every Period how it hath been opposed by a Continued Prosecution of an hereditary War against Christ by an Atheistical Papistical Prelatical and Tyrannical faction and how it hath been concerted contended for maintained sealed actively passively by an Anti-pagan Anti-Popish Anti-Prelatical Anti-Erastian Anti-Sectarian and Anti-Tyrannical Remnant of the Followers Professors Confessors Martyrs of Christ in all Ages Now it remains in the third last Place to consider the Merit of the Cause as it is now Stated to see whether it will bear the weight of those great Sufferings wherewith it hath been sealed I hope all the Lovers of Christ who have an esteeâ— â—ven of His reproaches above all the Treasures of Egypt will grant that if these sufferings be Stated on the least or lowest of the Truths of Christs then they are not Misstated noâ— built upon a bottom that will not bear them or is not of that worth to sustain them For Certainly every Truth the least of Truths is of greater value than any thing that we can suffer the loss of for it yea of infinitely greater value than the whole world So that if I prove these Heads of Suffering to be Truths wherein Conscience is concerned the Cause will be sufficiently vindicated from the loadings lashings of such as prefer Peace to Truth ease to dutie who to Justify their oun backwardness detastable lukwarmness call some of them only State questions about things Civil and not Gospel-Truths and Heads to State suffering upon And if they be Truths Duties the Cause will some way be rendered more Illustrious that it is Stated upon the smallest hoofs hair-breadths of the Concerns of Christs Declarative Glory as being a greater witness of its Ouners Love Loyalty to Christ and of their pure tender zeal for His honour than if for more substantial fundamental Truths which a Natural Conscience may reclaim to Decline when for the meanest Circumstantials of Christs Truths they dare are ambitious to bestow their dearest blood But if the Complexe of them be impartially Considered no unprejudiced Arbiter will suffer himself to have such extenuating Impressions of the present Word of Patience Testimony of the suffering Remant in Scotland this day But it will appear to be a very weighty worthy Concern as any that either Men or Christians can be called to Witness for being the Priviledge of all mankind the Duty of all Christians and the Dignity of all Churches to assert It is for the Glory Croun Prerogatives and Imperial Regalia of the King of Kings with reference to His
Generall Assembly under the pain of excomunication Hereby they were awakened animated to a more vigorous Prosecution of the establishment of the House of God in its due Government In pursuance whereof the Assemblies from that time untill the year 1581. Did with much painfulness faithfulness attend the work untill by perfecting of the Second Book of Discipline they compleated their work in the exact Model of Presbyterial Government in all its Courts Officers Which was Confirmed Covenanted to be kept inviolate in the National Covenant subscribed that year by the King his Court Council and afterwards by all ranks of People in the Land. Whence it may be doubted whether the impudence of the succeeding Prelats that denyed this or their perjury in breaking of it be greater This was but the first brush a brisker assault followes Wherein for the better establishment of Prelacy that what it wants of Divine right might be supplyed by the accession of humane Prerogative and not only Diocesan but also Erastian Prelacy might be set up to destroy Christs Kingdom advance Sathans the Earle of Arran his wicked Complices move the King contrary both to the Word Oath of God to usurp the prerogative of Jesus Christ and assume to himself a blasphemous Monster of Supremacy over all Persons in all Causes as well Ecclesiastical as Civil But this also the faithful Servants of God did worthily valiantly resist and at the very first appearance of it gave in a Grievance to the King anno 1582. That he had taken upon him a spiritual Power which properly belongs to Christ as only King Head of the Church the Ministerie execution whereof is only given to such as bear office in the Ecclesiastical Government in the same so that in the Kings Person some men press to erect a new Popedome as though he could not be full King of this Commonwealth unless as well the spiritual as temporal Sword be put in his hand unless Christ be rest of His Authority and the two Jurisdictions confounded which God hath divided which directly tendeth to the wrack of all true Religion Which being presented by the Commissioners of the General Assembly the Earle of Arran asked with a frouning Countenance who dare subscribe these treasonable Articles Mr Andrew Melvin answered we dare will subscribe render our Lives in the Cause And afterward that same Assembly presented Articles shewing that seeing the spiritual Jurisdiction of the Church is granted by Christ and given only to them that by preaching teaching overseeing bear Office within the same to be exercised not by the injunctions of men but by the only Rule of Gods Word hereafter no other of whatsomever degree or under whatsomever pretence have any colour to ascribe or to take upon them any part thereof either in placing or displacing of Ministers without the Churches admission or in stopping the mouths of Preachers or puting them to silence or take upon them the judgment of tryal of Doctrine c. But in contempt contradiction to this and to prosecute exert this new usurped Power Mr Andrew Melvin was summoned before the secret Council for a Sermon of his applying his doctrine to the Times Corruptions whereupon he gave in his declinature against them as incompetent Judges and told them they were too bold in a Constitute Christian Church to pass by the Pastors Prophets Doctors and to take upon them to judge the Doctrine and to control the Ambassadors of a Greater then was there which they neither ought nor can do There are saith he Loosing a litle Hebrew Bible from his girdle my Instructions Warrant see if any of you can control me that I have past my injunctions For this he was decerned to be warded in the Castle of Edinbrugh but he being informed that if he entered in ward he would not be released unless it were for the scaffold he conveyed himself secretly out of the Countrey Hereafter when the Parliament 1584. had enacted this Supremacy and submission to Prelacy to be subscribed by all Ministers the faithful first directed Mr David Lindsey to the King desiring that nothing be done in Parliament prejudicial to the Churches Liberty who got the Prison of Blackness for his Pains And then when they could not get access for shut doors to Protest before the Parliament yet when the Acts were proclaimed at the Cross of Edinburgh they took publick Documents in name of the Church of Scotland though they were but two that they protested against the said Acts and fled to England leaving behind them reasons that moved them to do so And Mr Iames Melvin wrote against the subscribers at that time very pertinently Proving first that they had not only set up a new Pope so become Traitors to Christ and condiscended to that chief error of Papistrie whereupon all the rest depend but further in so doing they had granted more to the King than ever the Popes of Rome peaceably obtained c. And in the end as for those that Lamented their oun weakness feebleness he adviseth them to remove the publick slander by going boldly to the King Lords and shew them how they had fallen through weakness but by Gods power are risen again and there by publick note witness taken free themselves from that subscription and to will the same to be delete renouncing detesting it plainly and thereafter publickly in their Sermons and by their Declaration retractation in writ presented to the faithful manifest the same let them do with stipend benefice Life it self what they list This I insert because this Counsel is now condemned and when poor people offended with Ministers subscriptions of Bonds other Complyances desire acknowledgments of the offence they reject it as an impertinent imposition and plead they are not obliged to manifest any retractation but to an Ecclesiastical Judicatory To which I shall say nothing here but this is no novelty After this it is known what bickerings the faithful witnesses of Christ had in their Conflicts with this supremacy upon the account of Mr David Blacks Declinature which they both advised him to approved when he gave it in against the King Conncil as Judges of his Doctrine And the Commissioners of the General Assembly ordained all to deal mightily with the power of the word against the Councils encroachments for which they were charged to depart forth of Edinburgh After which he added a second Declinature Declaring there are two Jurisdictions in this realme the one Spiritual the other Civil the one respecting the Conscience the other externals c. Therefore in so far as he was one of the spiritual office-bearers and had discharged his spiritual Calling in some measure of grace sincerity should not nor could not be Lawfully judged for preaching and applying the word by any Civil power he being an Ambassadour Messenger of the Lord Jesus having his Commission from
the King of Kings and all his instructions set doun limited in the book of God that cannot be extended abridged or altered by any mortal wight King or Emperour And seeing he was sent to all sorts his Commission discharge of it should not nor cannot be Lawfuly judged by them to whom he was sent they being sheep not Pastors to be judged by the Word and â—â—t to be judges thereof in a judicial way The Interloquutor being past against him for this the Brethren thought it duty that the Doctrine of the Preachers should be directed against the said Interloquutor as against a strong mighty hold set up against the Lord Jesus and the freedom of the Gospel and praised God for the force unity of the Spirit that was among themselves And being charged to depart out of Toun they leave a faithful Declaration at Large shewing how the Liberties of the Church were invaded robbed But all this was nothing in comparison of their wrestlings for the Royalties of their Princely Master and Priviledges of His Kingdom against that Tyrants Insolencies after he obtained he Croun of England For then he would not suffer the Church to indict her oun Assemblies And when the faithful thought themselves obliged to counteract his Encroachments and therefore conveened in an Assembly at Aberdeen anno 1605. they were forced to dissolve and thereafter the most eminent of the Ministers there assembled were transported Prisoners to Black-ness Whence being cited befor the Council they decline their Judicatory And one of their Brethren Mr Robert Youngson who had formerly succumbed being moved in Conscience returned and when the rest were standing before the Council desired to be heard and acknowledged his fault and therefore howbeit not summoned by the Lords was charged by the Living God and compelled to compear that day to justifie that Assembly to the great astonishment of the Lords and comfort of His brethren He subscribed the Declinature with the rest And for this they were arraigned and condemned as guilty of Treason and banished Before the execution of which sentence Mr Welsh wrote to the Lady Fleming to this effect What am I that He should first have called me and then constituted me a Minister of glad things of the Gospel of Salvation these fifteen years already and now last of all to be a sufferer for His Cause Kingdom To witness that good Confession that Jesus Christ is the King of Saints and that His Church is a most free Kingdom yea as free as any Kingdom under Heaven not only to convocate hold keep her Meetings Conventions Assemblies But also to judge of all her affairs in all her Meetings Conventions among His members and Subjects These two points 1 That Christ is the Head of His Church 2 That she is free in her Government from all other jurisdiction except Christs are the special Cause of our imprisonment being now convict as Traitors for maintaining thereof We have now been waiting with joyfulness to give the last Testimonie of our blood in confirmation thereof If it would please our God to be so favourable as to honour us with that dignity After this the King resolving by Parliament to advance the estate of Bishops again as in the time of Popery without Cautions as before and further to establish not only that Antichristian Hierarchie but an Erastian Supremacy The faithful Ministers of Christ thought themselves bound in Conscience to protest And accordingly they offered a faithful Protestation to the Parliament Iulij 1606. obtesting that they would reserve into the Lords own hands that Glory which He will communicate neither with man nor Angel to wit to prescribe from His holy Mountain a Lively pattern according to which His oun Tabernacle should be formed Remembring alwise that there is no absolute undoubted Anthority in this world except the soveraigne Authority of Christ the King to vvhom it belongeth as properly to rule the Church according to the good pleasure of His oun vvill as it belongeth to Him to save His Church by the Merit of His oun Sufferings All other anthority is so intrenched vvithin the marches of Divine Command that the least overpassing of the bounds set by God Himself bring men under the fearful expectation of Temporal Eternal judgements If ye should authorize Bishops ye should bring into the Church the ordinance of man vvhich experience hath found to have been the ground of that Antichristian Hierarchie vvhich mounted up on the steps of Bishops preeminence until that man of sin came forth as the ripe fruit of mans vvisedome vvhom God shall consume vvith the breath of His oun mouth Let the svvord of God pierce that belly vvhich brought forth such a monster And let the staff of God crush that egg vvhich hath hatched such a Cockatrice And let not only that Roman Antichrist be thrown down from the high bench of his usurped authority but also let all the steps whereby he mounted up to that unlawful preeminence be cut down utterly abolished in this Land And beware to strive against God with an open displayed banner by building up again the walls of Iericho which the Lord hath not only cast down but also hath laid them under an horrible Interdiction execration so that the building of them again must needs stand to greater charges to the builders then the reedifying of Iericho to Hiel the Bethelite in the days of Ahab Yet notwithstanding of all opposition Prelacy was again restored in Parliament And to bring all to a Complyance with the same Presbytries Synods universally charged under highest pains to admit a constant Moderator without change which many refused resolutely as being the first step of Prelacy Upon this followed a great Persecution of the faithful for their Nonconformity managed by that Mongrel Monstrous kind of Court made up of Clergy-men Statesmen called the High Commission Court erected anno 1610. whereby many honest men were put violently from their charges habitations the Generality were involved in a great fearful Defection But the Copestone of the wickedness of that Period was the Ratification of the five Articles of Perth kneeling at the Communion private Communion to be given to the sick private Baptisme and Confirmation of Children by the Bishop and observation of festival dayes Which were much opposed testified against by the faithful from their first hatching anno 1618. to the year 1621. when they were ratified in Parliament at what time they were also witnessed against from Heaven by extraordinary Lightenings Tempest And against this the Testimony of the faithful continued till the Revolution anno 1638. Here we see how the Cause was stated in this Period and may gather also wherein it aggress and how far it differs from the present Testimony now suffered for under all rage reproach I. The matter of the Testimony was one with that that we are suffering for against Popery Prelacy Supremacy
Antichrists Interest And therefore having gotten the Supremacy devolved upon him by Law for which also he had the Popes dispensation to take it to himself for the time under promise to restore surrender it to him as soon as he could attain his end by it as the other Brother succeeding hath now done he would now exert that usurped power and work by infnaring policy to effectuate the end which he could not do by other means Therefore seeing he was not able to suppress the Meetings of the Lords people for Gospel Ordinances in house fields but that the more he laboured by violent courses the greater more frequent they grew he fell upon a more Craftie device not only to overthrow the Gospel and suppress the Meetings but to break the faithful and to divide between the Mad-cap the Moderate Fanaticks as they phrased it that he might the more easily destroy both to confirm the usurpation and to settle people in a sinful silence stupid submission to all the Incroachments made on Christs Prerogatives and more effectually to overturn what remained of the Work of God. And knowing that nothing could more fortifie the Supremacy than Ministers their homologating acknowledging it Therefore he offerd the first Indulgence Anno 1669. Signifying in a Letter dated that year Iune 7. His gracious pleasure was to appoint so many of the outed Ministers as have lived peaceably orderly to return to preach exercise other functions of the Ministrie in the Paroch Churches where they formerly served provided they be vacant and to allow Patrons to present to other vacant Churches such others of them as the Council should approve That all who are so Indulged be enjoyned to keep Presbytries and the Refusers to be confined within the bounds of their paroches And that they be enjoined not to admitt any of their neighbour Paroches unto their Communions nor Baptize their Children nor marry any of them without the allowance of the Minister of the Paroch and if they Countenance the people deserting their oun Paroches they are to be silenced for shorter or longer time or altogether turned out as the Council shall see cause And upon Complaint made verified of any Seditious discourse or expressions in the Pulpit uttered by any of the Ministers they are immediatly to be turned out and further punished according to Law And seeing by these orders all Pretences for Conventickles were taken away if any should be found hereafter to Preach without Authority or keep Conventickles his Pleasure is to proceed with all severity against them as Seditious persons Contemners of Authority To salve this in point of Law because it was against former Lawes of their oun and to make the Kings Letter the supreme Law afterwards and a valid ground in Law where upon the Council might proceed enact and execute what the King pleased in Matters Ecclesiastick he therefore caused frame a formal Statutory Act of Supremacy of this Tenor. That his Maj. hath the supreme Authority Supremacy over all Persons and in all Causes Ecclesiastick within his dominions and that by virtue thereof the ordering disposal of the external Government of the Church doth properly belong to him his successors as an Inherent right to the Croun And that he may settle enact emitt such Constitutions Acts Orders concerning the Administrating therof and Persons employed in the same and concerning all Ecclesiastical Meetings Matters to be proposed determined therein as he in his Royal wisdom shall think fit which Acts Orders Constitutions are to be observed obeyed by all his Maj. Subjects any Law act or custom to the contrary notwithstanding Where upon accordingly the Council in their Act Iuliâ— 27. 1669. do nominate several Ministers and appoint them to Preach and exercise the other functions of the Ministrie at their respective Churches there specified with Consent of the Patrons The same day also they conclude enact the forementioned Restrictions conform to the Kings Letter above rehearsed And ordain them to be intimat to every person who is by Authority foresaid allowed the exercise of the Ministrie These Indulged Ministers having that Indulgence given only upon these termes that they should accept these Injunctions and having received it upon these termes also as an essential part of the bargain Condition on which the Indulgence was granted accepted as many following Proclamations did expressly declare do Appoint Mr Hutcheson one of the number to declare so much In Acknowledging his Maj. favour Clemency in granting that Liberty after so long a restraint And however they had received their Ministrie from Jesus Christ with full Prescriptions from Him for regulating them therein yet nothing could be more refreshing on earth to them than to have free Liberty for the exercise of their Ministrie under the Protection of Lawful Authority And so they purposed to be have themselves in the discharge of the Ministrie with that wisdom that became faithful Ministers and to demean themselves towards Lawful Authority notwithstanding of their known judgment in Church affairs as wel becometh Loyal subjects And their prayer to God should be that the Lord should bless his Maj. in his person Government and the Council in the publick administration and especially in the Pursuance of his Maj. mind in his Letter wherein his singular moderation eminently appears Afterwards they issued out Proclamations reinforcing the punctual observation of the forementioned Injunctions and delivered them into the Indulged In the mean time though Cruel Acts Edicts were made against the Meetings of the Lords people in houses the fields after all these Midianitish wyles to suppress them such was the presence of the Lord in these Meetings and so powerful was His Countenance Concurrence with the Labours of a few who laid out themselves to hold up the Standart of Christ that the number of Converts multiplyed dayly to the praise of free Grace and to the great encouragment of the few hands that wrestled in that Work through all humane discouragment Therefore King Council was put to a new shift which they supposed would prove more effectual To wit because there was a great number of Non-conformed Ministers not yet Indulged who either did or might hereafter hold Conventickles therefore to remeed or prevent this in time coming they appoint ordain them to such places where Indulged Ministers were settled there to be confined with allowance to Preach as the Indulged should employ them thinking by this means to incapacitate many to hold Meetings there or elswere And to these also they give injunctions restrictions to regulate them in the exercise of their Ministrie And to the end that all the outed Ministers might be brought under restraint and the Word of God be kept under bonds by another Act of Council they Command that all other Ministers not Disposed of as is said were either to repair to the Paroch Churches where
Land of the violence of that beast of prey and attempted to cut him off which failing he then escaped but afterwards was apprehended and being moved by the Councils Oath and Act of Assurance promising his life he made Confession of the fact Yet afterwards for the same he was arraigned before the Justiciary and the Confession he made was brought in against him and witnessed by the perjured Chancellour Rothes and other Lords contrare to their Oath Act produced in open Court to their indeleble infamy whereupon he was tortured condemned executed But Justice would not suffer this Murder to pass long unrevenged nor that Truculunt Traitor Iamos Sharp the Arch-Prelat who was the occasion cause of it and of many more both before after to escape remarkable punishment the severity whereof did sufficiently compense its delay after ten years respite wherein he ceased not more and more to pursue persecute make havock of the Righteous for their duty until at length he received the just demerit of his perfidie perjury apostasie sorceries villanies and murders Sharp arrowes of the Mighty coals of Iuniper For upon the 3. of May 1679. several worthy Gentlmen with some other men of Courage zeal for the cause of God and the good of the Country executed righteous Judgement upon him in Maguâ— Moor near St Andrews And that same moneth on the Anniversary day May 29. the Testimony at Rutherglen was Published against that abomination of celebrating an Anniversary day kept every year for giving thanks for the setting up an usurped power destroying the Interest of Christ in the Land And angainst all sinful unlawful Acts emitted executed published prosecuted against our Covenanted Reformation Where also they burnt the Act of Supremacy the Declaration the Act Recissory c. in way of retaliation for the burning of the Covenants On the Sabbath following Iun. 1. A field Meeting for the Worship of God near to Loudoun-hil was assaulted by Graham of Claverhouse and with him three troups of horse Dragoons who had that morning taken an honest Minister and about 14 Country-men out of their beds and carried them along with them as Prisoners to the Meeting in a Barbarous manner But by the good hand of God upon the Defendents they were repulsed at Drumclogg and put to flight the Prisoners relieved about 30. of the Souldiers killed on the place and 3. of the Meeting and several wounded on both sides Thereafter the people retreating from the pursuit consulted what was expedient in that juncture whether to disperse themselves as formerly or to keep together for their necessary defence The result was that considering the craft cruelty of those they had to deal with the sad consequents of falling into their hands now more incensed than ever the evil effects that likely would ensue upon their separation which would give them access to make havock of all they judged it most safe in that extremity for some time not to separate Which Resolution coming abroad to the ears of others of their Brethren determined them incontinently to come to their Assistence considering their necessity and their oun lyableness to the same common danger upon the account of their endeavours of that nature elsewhere to defend themselves being of the same judgement for maintaining of the same Cause to which the were bound by the same Covenants and groaning under the same burdens they judged therefore that if they now with held their assistence in such a strait they could not be innocent of their Brethrens blood nor found faithful in their Covenant To which they were encouraged with the Countenance success the Lord had given to that Meeting in that defensive Resistence This was the Rise Occasion of that Appearance at Bothwel-bridge which the Lord did in His Holy Soveraignty confound for former Defections by the means of Division which broke that litle Army among themselves before they were broken by the Enemy They continued together in amiable amicable peace for the space of 8 or 9 dayes while they endeavoured to put out keep out every wicked thing from amongst them and adhered to the Rutherglen-Testimony and that short Declaration at Glasgow confirming it Representing their present purposes endeavours where only in vindication defence of the Reformed Religion as they stood obliged thereto by the National Solemn League Covenant and the Solemn Acknowledgment of Sins Engagment to duties Declaring against Popery Prelacy Erastianisme and all things depending thereupon Intending hereby to comprehend the defection of the Indulgence to witness against which all unanimously aggreed Until the Army encreasing the Defenders Daubers of that defection some Ministers and others came in who broke all and upon whom the blood of that Appearance may be charged The occasion of the breach was first When in the sense of the obligation of that Command when the host goeth forth against thine enemies keep thee from every wicked thing an overture was offered to set times apart for humiliation for the publick sins of the Land according to the practice of the Godly in all ages before engaging their enemies and the laudable precedents of our Ancestors that so the Causes of Gods wrath against the Nation might be enquired into confessed and the Lords Blessing Counsel Conduct to upon present Endeavours might be implored And accordingly the Complying with abjured Erastianisme by the acceptance of the ensnaring Indulgence offered by received from the Usurping Rulers was condescended upon among the rest of the grounds of fasting humiliation so seasonably necessarely called for at that time The Sticklers for the Indulgence refused the overture upon politick considerations for fear of offending the Indulged Ministers Gentlemen and provoking them to withdraw their Assistence This was the great Cause of the division that produced such unhappy destructive effects And next whereas the Cause was stated before according to the Covenants in the Rutherglen-Testimony Glasglow-Declaration wherein the Kings Interest was waved These Dividers drew up another large paper called the Hamiltoun-Declaration wherein they assert the Kings Interest according to the third Article of the Solemn League Covenant Against which the best affected contended protested they could not in Conscience put in his Interest in the State of the Quarrel being now in stated opposition to Christs Interests and inconsistent with the meaning of the Covenant and the practices of the Covenanters and their own Testimonies while now he could not be declared for as being in the defence of Religion Liberty when he had so palpably overturned ruined the Work of Reformation and oppressed such as adhered thereunto and had burnt the Covenant c. Whereby he had loosed the people from all obligation to him from it Yet that contrary faction prevailed so far as to get it published in the name of all whereby the Cause was perverted betrayed and the former
for the honour of their Master and the freedom of their Ministrie Whereupon as many poor People were stumbled and jumbled into many confusions so that they were so bewildered bemisted in doubts debates that they knew not what to do and were tempted to question the Cause formerly so servently contended for against all opposition then so simply abandoned by these that seemed sometimes valiant for it when they saw them consulting more their oun ease than the Concerns of their Masters Glory or the necessity of the poor people hungering for the Gospel and standing in need of Counsel in time of such abounding snares whereby many became a prey to all tentations So the more zealous faithful after several Addresses Calls Invitations to Ministers finding themselves deserted by them judged themselves under a necessity to discountenance many of them whom formerly they followed with pleasure and to resolve upon a pursuit prosecution of the duty of the day without them and to provide themselves with faithful Ministers who would not shun for all hazards to declare the whole Counsel of God. And accordingly through the tender Mercy of God compassionating the exigence of the People the Lord sent them first Mr Richard Cameron with whom after his serious solicitation his Brethren denied their concurrence and then Mr Donald Cargil who with a zeal boldness becoming Christs Ambassadours maintained prosecuted the Testimony against all the Indignities done to their Master and wrongs to the Cause both by the encroachments of Adversaries and defections of their declining Brethren Wherein they were signally countenanced of their Master And the Lords Inheritance was again revived with the showres of the Gospels blessings wherewith they had been before refreshed and enlightened with a Glance Glimpse of resplendent brightness immediatly before the obscurity of this fearful night of darkness that hath succeeded But as Christ was then displaying His beauty to His poor despised persecuted People so Antichrist began to blaze his bravery in the solemn shameful reception of his harbinger that Pimp of the Romish whore the Duke of York Who had now pulled off the Mask under which he had long covered his Antichristian Bigotrie through a trick of his brother constrained by the Papists importunity and the necessity of their favour recruit of their Coyn either to declare himself Papist or to make his brother do it whereby all the locusts were engaged to his Interest with whom he entered into a Conspiracy and Popish Plot as was discovered by many infallible evidences and confessed by Coleman his Secretary to Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey for which lest he should witness against him when Coleman was apprehended that Gentleman was cruelly murdered by the Duke of Yorks contrivance command Yet for all the demonstrations of his being a Bigot Papist that he had long given unto the world it is known what some suffered for saying that the Duke of York was a Papist and being forced to leave England he was come to Scotland to promots Poperie Arbitrary Government However thô the Parliament of England for his Poperie Villanie and his ploting pursuing the destruction of the Nation did vote his Exclusion yet degenerate Scotland did receive him in great pompe pride Against which the forementioned faithful witnesses of Christ did find themselves obliged to testify their just resentment and to protest against his succeeding to the Croun in their Declaration published at Sanquhair Iune 22. 1680. Wherein also they Disoune Charles Stewart as having any Right Title or Interest in the Croun of Scotland or Government thereof as being foreâ—aulted several years since by his perjurie breach of Covenant Usurpation on Christs Prerogatives and by his Tyranny breaches in the very Leges regnandi in matters Civil And declare a war with him and all the men of these practices homologating the Testimony at Rutherglen and disclaiming that declaration at Hamiltoun This Action was generally condemned by the body of lurking Ministers both for the matter of it and the unseasonableness of it and its apparent unfeasibleness being done by a handful so inconsiderable for number strength or significancy But as they had very great important reasons to disclaim that Tyrants Authority hinted in the Declaration it self and hereafter more fully vindicated so the necessity of a Testimony against all the Tyrannical Encroachments on Religion Liberty then current encreasing and the sin shame of shifting delaying it so long when the Blasphemous Supremacy was now advanced to its summity the Churches Priviledges all overturned Religion and the Work of Reformation trampled under foot the Peoples Rights Liberties destroyed and Lawes all subverted and no shadow of Government left but arbitrary Absoluteness obtruding the Tyrants will for Reason and his Letter for the Supreme Law witness the Answer which one of the Council gave to another objecting against their Proceedings as not according to Law what devil do ye talk of Law have not we the Kings Letter for it And all the ends of Magistracy wholly inverted while innocent honest People were grievously oppressed in their persons Consciences Estates And Perjuries Adulteries Idolatries and all impieties were not only connived at but countenanced as badges of Loyaltie and manifest monstrous Robbries Murders Authorized Judgement turned into gall and the fruit of Righteousness into hemlock do justify its Seasonableness And the ends of the Declaration to keep up the Standart of the Gospel and maintain the Work of Reformation and preserve a Remnant of faithful Adherers to it the nature of the Resolution declared being only to endeavour to make good maintain their Revolt in opposition to all who would pursue them for it and reinforce them to a subjection to that yoke of slaverie again and the extremity of danger distress that party was in while declared pursued as Rebells and intercommuned interdicted of all supplie solace being put out of their oun and by Law precluded of the harbour of all other habitations and so both for safety subsistence compelled by necessity to concur keep together may alleviate the Censure and stop the Clamour of its unfeasibleness But thô it is not the prudence of the managment but the justness of the Action that I would have vindicated from obliquies yet it wanted nothing but success to justify both in the conviction of many that made much outcry against it In these dangerous in his maintainance of the true Covenanted Religion which homage they cannot now require upon the account of the Covenant which they have renounced disclaimed and upon no other ground we are bound to them the Croun not being an inheritance that passeth from Father to son without the Consent of Tenants 3 Of the hope of their returning from these Courses Whereof there is none seeing they have so often declared their purposes of persevering ill thein And suppose they should dissemble a repentance
over all persons therein And that it is unlawful for Subjects on any Pretence or for any Cause whatsoever to rise in Armes against him or any Commissionated by him and that I shall never so rise in Armes nor assist any who shall so do And that I shall never resist his power or Authority nor ever oppose this Authority to his person but shall to the utmost of my power assist defend maintain him his heirs lawful successors in the exercise of their Absolute power Authority against all deadly And by the same absolute power giving his ful ample Indemnitie to all the foresaid sorts of People under the foresaid restrictions Here is a Proclamation for a Prince That Proclaims him in whose name it is emitted to be the greatest Tyrant that ever lived in the world and their Revolt who have disouned him to be the justest that ever was For herein that Monster of Prerogative is not only advanced paramount to all Lawes Divine humane but far surmounting all the lust impudence insolence of all the Roman Sicilian Turkish Tartarian or Indian Tyrants that ever trampled upon the Liberties of Mankind who have indeed demanded absolute subjectio◠surrender of their Lives Lands Liberties at their pleasure but never arrived at such a hight of arrogance as this does to claim absolute obedience without reserve of Conscience Religion Honour or Reason Not only that which ignorantly is called Passive never to resist him not only on any Pretence but for any Cause even thô he should command his Popish Ianizaries to murder massacre all Protestants which is the tender mercy burning fervent charity of Papists but also of absolute Active obedience without reserve to assist defend maintain him in every thing whereby he shall be pleased to exercise his absolute power thô he should command to burn the Bible as well as the Covenant as already he applauded Iohn Gib in doing of it and to burn and butcher all that will not go to Mass which we have all grounds to expect will be the end of his Clemency at last Herein he claims a power to command what he will and obliging subjects to obey whatsoever he will command A power to rescind stop disable all Lawes which unhinges all stabilitie and unsettles all the security of humane societie yea extinguishes all that remains of natural Liberty Wherein as is wel observed by the Author of the Representation of the threatening dangers impending over Protestants Pag. 53. It is very natural to observe that he allowes the Government under which we were born and to which we were sworn to be hereby subverted changed and that thereupon we are not only absolved acquited from all Allegiance to him but indispensably obliged by the ties engagments that are upon us to apply our selves to the use of all means endeavours against him as an Enemy of the People subverter of the legal Government But this was so gross and grievously gripping in its restrictions as to persons as to the place as to the matter allowed the Presbyterians in Preaching that it was disdained of all and therefore he behoved to busk it better and mend the matter in a Letter to the Council the Supreme Law of Scotland bearing date March 31. 1687. of this tenor Whereas we did recommend to yow to take care that any of the Presbyterians should not be allowed to Preach but such only as should have your Allowance for the same and that they at the receiving the Indulgence should take the Oath contained in the Proclamation These are therefore to let you know that thereby we meant such of them as did not solemnly take the Test but if nevertheless the Presbyterian Preachers do scruple to take the said Oath or any other Oath whatsoever and that you shall find it reasonable or fit to grant them or any of them our said Indulgence so as they desire it upon these termes It is now our will pleasure to grant them our said Indulgence without being obliged to take the Oath with power unto them to enjoy the benefite of the said Indulgence during our pleasure only or so long as yow shall find they behave themselves regularly peaceably without giving any cause of offence to us or any in Authority or trust under us in our Government Thus finding the former Proposal not adequately apportioned to his design because of its palpable odiousness he would pretend his meaning was mistaken thô it was manifest enough and mitigate the matter by taking away of the Oaths altogether if any should scruple it whereas he could not but know that all that had sense would abhor it yet it is clogged with the same restrictions limited to the same persons characterized more plainly and peremptorly with an addition of Cautions not only that they shall not say or do any thing contrare to the wel peace of his reign seditious or treasonable but also that they behave themselves regularly peaceably without giving any cause of offence to him or any under him which comprehends lesser offences than sedition or treason even every thing that will displease a Tyrant and a Papist that is all faithfulness in seasonable Duties or Testimonies But at length lest the difformity disparity of the Proclamation for the Toleration in Scotland and the Declaration for Liberty of Conscience in England should make his Pretences to Conscience suspect of disingenuity and lest it should be said he had one Conscience for England and another for Scotland therefore he added a third eke to the liberty but such as made it still an ill favoured patched project to destroy Religion true Liberty in another Proclamation dated at Windsor Iune 28. 1687. wherein he sayes Taking into our Royal Consideration the sinistrous Interpretations which either have or may be made of some Restrictions mentioned in the last we have thought fit by this further to declare that we will Protect our Arch-bishops c. And we do likewise by our Soveraign Authority Prerogative Royal and Absolute power suspend stop disable all penal Sanguinary Lawes made against any for Non-conformity to the Religion established by Law in that our Ancient Kingdom to the end that by the Liberty thereby granted the peace security of our Government in the practice thereof may not be endangered we hereby straitly charge all our Loving subjects that as we do give them leave to meet serve God after their oun way in private Houses Chappels or Places purposely hired or built for that use so that they take care that nothing be Preached or taught which may any way tend to alienate the hearts of our People from us our Government and that their Meetings be peaceably publickly held and all persons freely admitted to them and that they do signify make known to some one or more of the next Privie Councellors Sheriffs Stewards Bailiffs Justices of the Peace or Magistrats
goodness that if we shall at any time be otherwise represented your Maj. will not give credit to such information until yow have due cognition thereof and humbly beseeching that those who promote any dsloyal Principles practices as we disoune them may be looked upon as none of ours whatsover name they may assume to themselves May it please your most excellent Maj. graciously to accept of this our most hmble Address as proceeding from the plainness sincerity of Loyal thankful hearts much engaged by your Royal favour to continue our fervent Prayers to the King of Kings for Divine illumination conduct with all other blessings Spiritual Temporal ever to attend your Royal Person Government which is the greatest duty can be rendered to your Maj. by Your Maj. most humble mast faithful most obedient Subjects Subscribed in our Names and in the name of the rest of our Brethren of our Persuasion at their desire Which received this Gracious return The Kings Letter to the Presbyterians in his ancient Kingdom of Scotland We love yow well and we heartily thank yow for your Address we resolve to Protect yow in your Liberty Religion properties all our life And we shall lay doun such methods as shall not be in the power of any to alter hereafter And in the mean tune we desire yow to Pray for our Person Government To which may be added that kind Complement of the Chancellors Gentlemen My Master hath commanded me to tell yow that I am to serve yow in all things within the compass of my power These Gentlemen needed not to have been sollicitous that those who avouch an Adherance to the Covenanted Reformation and avow an opposition to Antichristian Usurpers which they call promoting Dislayal principles practices might not be looked upon as of their Confederacy for all that abide in the principles Practices of the Church of Scotland which they have deserted and that desire to be found Loyal to Christ in opposition to His and the Churches and the Countries Declared Enemy would count it a sin scandal laying them obnoxious to the Displeasure of the Holy Jealous God who will resent this heinous Indignity they have done unto His Majestie if they do not Address themselves unto Him for pardon of the iniquity of this Address which is the desire of those whom they disoune that they may find Grace to do so and a shameful Reproach exposing them to the Contempt of all of whom they expect Sympathie to be reckoned of their Association who have thus betrayed the Cause the Country These mutual Complements so like the Caresses of the Romish whore whereby she entyces the Nations to her fornication between the Professed Servants of Christ and the Vassals of Antichrist if they be cordial would seem to import that they are in a fair way of compounding their differences and to accommodate their oppositions at length which yet I hope will be irreconcileably maintained kept up by all true Presbyterians in whose name they have the impudence to give out their Address But if they be only Adulatory flattering Complements importing only a Conjunction of tails like Samsons foxes with a Disjunction of heads and hearts tending towards distinct opposite Interests then as they would suite far better the Dissmulations of Politicians than the Simplicity of Gospel-Ministers and do put upon them the brand of being men-pleasers rather than Servants of Christ so for their dissemblings with Dissemblers who know their Complements to be and take them for such they may look to be paid home in good measure heaped up running over when such methods shall be laid doun as shall not be in the power of any to alter when such designs shall be obtained by this Liberty and these Addresses that the after bought wit of the Addressers shall not be able to disappoint However the Address it self is of such a dress as makes the thing addressed for to be odious and the Addressers to forefault the respect merit the indignation of all that are friends to the Protestant Presbyterian Cause as may appear from these obvious Reflections 1. It was needful indeed they should have assumed the name of Presbyterians though it might have been more tolerable to let them pass under that name if they had not presumed to give forth their flatteries in the name of all of that Persuasion and to alledge it was at their desire which is either an illuding equivocation or a great untruth for though it might be the desire of the men of their oun persuasion which is a newly start up opinion that Interest hath led them to espouse yet nothing could be more cross to the real desires of true Presbyterians that prefer the Truth of the Cause to the external peace of the Professors thereof and call it the humble Address of Presbyterian Ministers for otherwise it could never have been known to come from men of the Presbyterian persuasion seeing the Contents of this Address are so clearly contrary to their known Principles It is contrary to Presbyterian Principles to Congratulate an Antichristian Usurper for undermining Religion and overturning Lawes Liberties It is contrary to Presbyterian Principles to justify the abrogation of the National Covenant in giving thanks for a Liberty whereby all the Lawes are called disabled therein confirmed It is contray to Presbyterian Principles to thank the King for opening a door to bring in Poperie which they are engaged to exstirpate in the Solemn League Covenant It is contrary to Presbyterian Principles to allow or accept of such a vast Toleration for Idolaters Hereticks as is evident above from all their Contendings against it which is also contrary to the Confession of faith generally ouned by Presbyterians as may be seen in the place forecited Chap. 20. Par. 4. It is contrary to Presbyterian Principles to consent to any Restrictions Limitations Conditions binding them up in the exercise of the Ministerial function wherewith this Liberty is loaded clogged whereby indeed they have the Liberty of the Publick peaceable exercise of it without any hazard of present Persecution but not without great hazard of sin and incurring the guilt of the blood of Souls for not declaring the whole Counsel of God which Addressers cannot declare if they Preserve an intire Loyaltie in their Doctrine as here they promise 2. There is nothing here sounds like the old Presbyterian strain neither was there ever an Address of this stile seen before from Presbyterian hands It would have looked far more Presbyterian like instead of this Address to have sent a Protestation against the now openly designed introduction of Poperie and subversion of all Lawes Liberties which they are Covenanted to maintain or at least to have given an Address in the usual Language of Presbyterians who used alwayes to speak of the Covenants and Work of Reformation But here never a word of these but of
Commission them we cannot hear without sin But the Prelatical Curats are such as we doubt to acknowledge Ministers of Christ cloathed with His commission Therefore we cannot hear them The Minor only needs probation These who neither have nor can have the Qualifications of a Minister of Christ nor the Lawful call of a Minister of Christ cannot be acknowledged with confidence to be Ministers of Christ cloathed with His commission But the Prelatical Curats are such Ergo. First they neither have nor can have the qualifications of Christs Ministers Since few of them have the personal as Christians far less the Ministerial as Officers mentioned 1. Tim. 3. 2-4 Tit. 1. 6-9 except it be to be husbands of one wife and if that do not make them Ministers they have nothing else especially four are wanting in all of them 1 Blamelessness and freedom from Scandal even such as affects the office besides other gross disorders in their life conversation obvious to the view of onlookers being men who have denyed the Faith and therefore unfit to have the priviledge of Church members in any well Goâ—erned Church being in the experience of all that know them signalized under the Characters of those that run unsent and from whom we are commanded to withdraw Causing the people to erre by their lies and by their lightness not sent of God Ier. 23. making the heart of the righteous sad and strengthening the hands of the wicked Ezek. 13. 22. See also Ezek. 34 2 3. Such as we are commanded to beware of Math. 7. 15 16. Such as we must mark avoid Rom. 16. 17 18. Phil. 3. 2. Disorderly walkers from whom we must withdraw 2 Thess. 3. 6. Covenant-breakers from whom we are commanded to turn away 2 Tim. 3. 3 5. They are not then Blameless and in shewing how fitly these aggree unto the persons now spoken of time needs not be spent such as know them can best Judge Hence such as either are not fit to be Church members or have all the Characters of such Officers from whom we are to withdraw cannot be acknowledged capable of the qualifications of the Ministers of Christ But such are the Curats Ergo 2 The qualification of Vigilancy cannot be found with them for all that know them will acknowledge that they neither do nor can in Preaching the word be instant in season out of season so as to make full proof of their Ministrie 2 Tim. 4. 1-5 Nay they can give no proof of their Ministrie at all further than may be competent to dumb Dogs that cannot bark Isa. 56. 10 11. for they nor no man can say that the diseased they have strenghtened or healed that which was sick c. Ezek. 34. 4. And it is known to all that know them that if ever there were any that assumed to themselves the name of Levites who departed out of the way and caused many to stumble at the Law and corrupted the Covenant of Levi and therefore were deservedly contemptible base before all the people Mal. 2. 8 9. they are the men Let any man judge then whether they have the qualifications of the Messengers of the Lord of hosts Hence they that can give no proof of their Ministry but that which proves them to be such whom the Lord condemns such who deserve to be contemned of all cannot be acknowledged to be qualified as the Lords Ministers But the Prelatick Curats can give no proof of their Ministry c. Ergo 3 The qualification of Aptness to teach is wanting yea incompatible with them not only such of them as are noted for ignorance of whom clearly that is verified they are blind watchmen they are all ignorant Isa. 56. 10. but even their Greatest Clerks Rabbies may fitly be called after the name of their forefathers whom Christ calls blind Leaders of the blind concerning whom he gives a Command to let them alone Math. 15. 14. Either generally they are discovered to be such Masters of Israel as know not these things Iohn 3. 10. being men not exercised in Religion and have not Learned the Truth as it is in Jesus or they are such as if they have had gifts or Grace yet now they are palpably blasted of God and so cannot profit the people at all being such as do not stand in Gods Counsel for then they should have turned the people from their evil way and so they are not apt to teach others when they are not taught of God but steal his words every one from their Neighbour clearly discovering they are not sent of Him Ier. 23. 21 22 30 32. And because they do not stand in Gods Counsel they cannot declare all the Counsel of God Act. 20. 27. For they can neither be apt to teach repentance towards God since they cannot be supposed to be sensible of these sins to be repented of for which the Land perisheth is burnt up like a wilderness Ier. 9. 12. for then they would first repent themselves of their oun Conformity with Prelacy of their breach of Covenant c. All that they can do in such a subject is to see vain foolish things and not to discover the Lands intiquity but to see false burdens causes of banishment Lam. 2. 14. Nor can they be apt to teach faith seing in many things they teach otherwise than Christ hath taught us in his word and consenâ— not to wholesome words and to the Doctrine which is according to Godlyness from such the Command is to withdraw 1. Tim. 6. 3-5 whose Mouths must be stopped when they teach things which they ought not Tit. 1. 9-11 which is undenyable to all that know what sort of stuff they Preach contrary to the word of God and the principles of our Covenanted Reformation Hence if none of them be apt to teach then none of them is fit to be heard But none of them is apt to teach Ergo It is true private Christians may not judge of the enduements qualifications of Ministers yet every private Christian hâ—th the judgment of discretion and that way may judge such an one if he appear qualified according to the rule of the word And may doubt if he be a qualified Minister Coram Deo wanting these qualifications which the word requireth Apol. Relation Sect 15. p. 283. Secondly They have not the Lawful Call of a Minister of Christ So much as an External Call of his Institution which I prove thus They that have Presentations from Patrons Collations from Prelats and no more for a Call have no Lawfull Call at all But the Curats have presentations from Patrons collations from Prelats and no more for a Call Ergo they have no Lawful Call at all The Minor cannot be doubted for in this Government the Ministers Mission Call Ordination and Relation to such a people over whom he is to officiate flowes all from the Prelate the Congregational Eldership hath not the least interest in it hence the
confirming of him and so a partaking of his sin in reference to others either strengthens them by that example to cast themselves in that snare which possibly may be their ruine or it grieves them and makes them sad who are tender of such things or gives occation to make all difference of that kind to be thought light of Hence If Hearing of the Curats be an offence or Scandal both in reference to Malignants and in reference to the Godly and in reference to the Posterity Then it must be avoided But the former is true which is evidenced by parts First in reference to Malignants it hardens encourages them in their opposition to the work of God and all backsliders Complyers with them in their Apostasie This strengthens their hands in their wicked courses when they see how they are countenanced by all and that there is no disrespect put upon them nor dissatisfaction evinced against their courses then they conclude that they are approven of all And this hardeneth them so that they never once think of the evil of their wayes Next in reference to the Godly it stumbles the truly tender by encouraging them to do contrare to their light conscience even when they are not clear to hear them then they are emboldened thereunto when they see others doing so and so it tends to the wounding of their Peace and makes them halt in the wayes of the Lord. Lastly with a reâ—erence to Posterity it would prejudge them very much Though now the honest party be not in a capacity to transmit the work of Reformation unto their Posterity in such a manner as were to be wished Yet they should do something for keeping fresh the memory of the good old cause by keeping up some footsteps of a standing Controversy for Zions Interest against the common enemy But now let all Joine with oune the Curats what appearance of this shall the Posterity see shall not they conclude that the day is lost the cause is gone when they see that this generation hath fled the fields or rather sold betrayed the cause by ouning countenancing complying with the enemy and no standing Testimony against these corruptions whereas if there were but this much of a standing difference betwixt the People of God the common Enemies of God to be seen Posterity shall in some measure be kept from being deceived and shall see the Interest of Christ not killed nor buried quick but living though in a bleeding condition and this will occasion their engaging for Christ and interesting themselves in the quarrel and it is far better to see the cause of Christ ouned though by suffering blood then sold betrayed by base flenching complying with Persecuters This Argument may also found iâ—ter a withdrawing from the Addressing Ministers who to the Great Scandal of Presbyterians give forth their Addresses in the name of all of that perswasion X. Our duty to themselves yea our greatest office of Love we owe to them in order to their conviction does oblige us to withdraw from them This may seem a Paradox yet it will be apparent if we search the Scriptures to see what we owe to Scandalous Brethren There we find it is a duty to endeavour by all Lawful means to shame them out of their sin And it is an argument of hatred when we do not rebuke our Neighbour or when we suffer sin upon him Lev. 19. 17. If we consider them then as neighbours friends we must use endeavours to take away their sin from them if we consider them not as such but as enemies then we must avoid them and not be mingled with them as I could adduce many Scriptures for that But I suppose all that will oppose my Thesis would have them considered as friends Well then if they be scandalous Brethren this is the way prescribed by the Apostle to deal with them in order not to suffer sin upon them that we should withdraw from them our Company and if we must withdraw our Company then also a fortiore we must deny them our Religious Communion for that must either be included there or necessarly inferred He writes not to keep Company if any man that is called a Brother mark that speciality be a fornicator or covetous or an Idolater or a railer or an extortioner with such an one no not to eat 1 Cor. 5. 11. And I presume they that know them best will grant that it would not be hard to prove that all the Curats in Scotland were chargable with some of these or at least Partakers with them And that if they were all impartially impannelled they would be rare ones whom an honest Jury would not bring in guilty of this lybel Then we are expressly Commanded in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to withdraw our selves from every brother that walketh disorderly and not after the received Tradiction and if any man obey not the word to note him and have no Company with him that he may be ashamed 2 Thess. 3. 6. 14. Sure neither their office nor their innocency can exempt them from these rules For either they must be considered as our brethren or not If not then we oune no Church Communion with them for that is only among brethren that are so in Sympathie affection affinity having one father and one mother If they be brethren Then all Scandalous brethren are to be withdrawn from But they are Scandalous brethren Therefore they are to be withdrawn from The Minor will not be doubted by any but such as are strangers to them who both in their Ministerial Personal Capacity are so scandalous to the Conviction of all that Profanness hath gone forth from them unto all the Land and they as much as ever the Profane Sons of Eli have made men to abhor the offering of the Lord 1 Sam. 2. 17. But even strangers that are unacquaint with their Personal Profligatness ignorance c. cannot be altogither ignorant of the Scandal of Prelacy Eâ—astianisme in which they are all involved of the Scandal of Apostasie Perjurie breach of Covenant which is their brand and the Nations bane that hath countenanced them And none can doubt but if our Church were dwely constitute and invested with the orderly power of Christ and in capacity to exerce improve it they would soon be censured every Soul of them as Scandalous as they have been also Previously sentanced as such by the Acts of our General Abssemblies This Argument levells also against all Complying Indulged Addressing Ministers who by these Courses have incurred the Character of disorderly Brethren XI Our faithfulness to God and to one another ingaged in our Covenants doth oblige us to turn away from them who have broken it and so classed themselves among these Truce-breaking Traitors who make our times Perillous from whom we must turn away 2 Tim. 3. 1-5 It appears from the foregoing deduction how
Covenants neither could they ever pretend any thing that might loose the obligation 8. That party in a Reformed Church which having overturned her Reformation hath shut out laid aside persecute away sound adherers thereunto both Ministers Professors will not admit Ministers to officiate but upon the sinful termes of complyance with their way are Schismaticks But the Prelats and their Curats are that party in this Reformed Church which having overturned her Reformation hath shut out laid aside and Persecute away sound adherers thereunto c. Therefore they are the Schismaticks to be withdrawn from and their way is the Schisme which we are bound to extirpate in the Covenant HEAD II. The Sufferings of many for Refusing to oune the Tyrants Authority vindicated THe other Grand Ordinance of God Magistracy which He hath in His Soveraign Wisdom Justice Goodness appointed ordained consecrated for the demonstration illustration vindication of His oun Glory and the Communication Conservation and Reparation of the Peace safety order Liberty and universal good of mankind is next to that of the Ministry of Greatest Concern wherein not only the Prudence Policie Propertie Libertie of men but also the conscience Duty Religion of Christians have a special Interest And therefore it is no less important pertinent profitable necessary for every one that hath any of these to care contend for keep or recover to inquire into and understand somthing of the institution constitution nature boundaries of the Sacred ordinance of Magistracy than into the holy ordinance of the Ministry So far at least as may consist with the sphere of every ones Capacity Station and may conduce to the satisfaction of every ones conscience in the discharge of the duties of their relations Every private man indeed hath neither capacity concern nor necessity to study the Politicks or search into the secrets or Intrigues of Government no more then he is to be versed in all the Administrations of Ecclesiastical Policy and Interests of the Ministry yet every mans Conscience is no less concerned in distinguishing the Character of Gods Ministers of Justice the Magistrats to whom he owes ounes allegiance that they be not usurping Tyrants everting the Ordinance of the Magistracy than in acknowledging the Character of Christs Ministers of the Gospel to whom he owes ounes obedience that they be not usurping Prelats or Impostors perverting the Ordinance of the Ministry The Glory of God is much concerned in our ouning keeping pure intire according to His will word both these Ordinances And our Conscience as well as Interest is concerned in the advantage or hurt profit or prejudice of the right or wrong observation or prevarication of both these ordinances being interested in the advantage of Magistracy and hurt of Tyrannie in the State as well as in the advantage of the Ministry and hurt of Diocesan or Erastian Supremacy in the Church in the advantage of Ltberty and hurt of slavery in the State as well as in the advantage of Religion and hurt of Profaneness in the Church in the profit of Lawes and prejudice of Prerogative in the State as well as in the profit of Truth and prejudice of Error in the Church in the profit of Peace and true Loyalty and prejudice of oppression and Rebellion in the State as well as in the profit of Purity Unity and prejudice of Defection Division or Schisme in the Church So that in Conscience we are no more free to Prostitute our Loyalty Liberty absolutely in ouning every Possessor of the Magistracy than we are free to Prostitute our Religion faith implicitely in ouning every Pretender to the Ministry This may seem very Paradoxical to some because so dissonant dissentient from the vulgar yea almost Universal and invetrate opinion Practice of the world that hitherto hath not been so precise in the matter of Magistracy And it may seem yet more strange that not only some should be found to assert this but that any should be found so strict and strait-laced as to adventure upon suffering and even to Death for that which hath hitherto been seldom scrupled by any that were forced to subjection under a yoke which they had no force to shake off and wherein Religion seems litle or nothing concerned for not ouning the authority of the present Possessors of the place of Government which seems to be a Question not only excentrick extrinsick to Religion but such a State question as for its thorny Intricacies difficulties is more proper for Politicians Lawyers to dispute about as indeed their debates about this head of Authority have been as manifold multiplied as about any one thing than for Private Christians to search into and suffer for as a Part of their Testimony But if we will cast off Prejudices and the Tyrannie of Custom and the bondage of being bound to the worlds Mind in our inquiries about Tyrannie and suffer our selves to Ponder impartially the importance of this matter And then to state the question right We shall find Religion Conscience hath no small interest in this business They must have no snall Interest in it if we consider the importance of this matter either extensively or objectively or Subjectively Extensively considered it is the Interest of all mankind to know and be resolved in Conscience whether the Government they are under be of Gods Ordination or of the Devils administration whether it be Magistracy or Tyrannie whether it gives security for Religion Liberty to themselves and their posterity or whether it induces upon themselves and entails upon the posterity slavery as to both these invaluable Interests whether they have matter of praise to God for the blessings mercies of Magistracy or matter of Mourning for the plagues miseries of Tyrannie to the end they may know both the sins snares Duties dangers Case Crisis of the times they â—ive in All men that ever enjoyed the mercy of a right Constitute Magistracy have experienced and were bound to bless God for the blessed fruits of it And on the other hand the world is full of the Tragical Monuments of Tyrannie for which men were bound bath to search into the Causes and see the effects of such plagues from the Lord to the end they might mourn over both And from the begining it hath been observed that as Peoples sins have alwayes procured the Scourge of Tyrannie So all their miseries might be refounded upon Tyrants encroachments Usurping upon or betraying their Trust and overturning Religion Lawes Liberties Certainly Mankind is concerned in point of Interest Conscience to inquire into the cause Cure of this Epidemick distemper that hath so long held the world in miserie and so habitually that now it is become as it were Natural to lye stupidly under it that is that old Ingrained Gangrene of the Kings Evil or Complyance with Tyrannie that hath long
where called and the year of redemption was a Iubile of joy so the freedom of release every seven years a great priviledge Ier 34. 9. but to be free of Government is a judgment Isai. 3. 4 5. it s threatened Israel shall abide without a King without a Prince Hos. 3. 4. In the Next place they cannot be ouned as Masters or Proprietors over the goods of the subjects thâ— in the case of necessity the King may make use of all goods in common for the good of the Kingdom For 1. The introduction of Kings cannot overturn natures foundation by the Law of Nature property was given to man Kings cannot rescind that 2. A man had goods ere ever there was a King a King was made only to preserve property therefore he cannot take it away 3. It cannot be supposed that rational people would choose a King at all if he had power to turn a greater Robber to preserve them from lesser Robberies oppressions would rational men give up themselves for a prey to one that they might be safe from becoming a prey to others 4. Then their case should be worse by erecting of Government if the Prince were proprietor of their goods for they had the property themselves before 5. Then Government should not be a blessing but a curse and the Magistrate could not be a Minister for good 6. Kingdoms then should be among bona fortunae the goods of fortune which the King might sell dispone as he pleased 7. His place then should not be a function but a possession 8. People could not then by their removes or otherwise change their Soveraigns 9. Then no man might dispose of his oun goods without the Kings consent by buying or selling or giving almes nay nor pay tribute for they cannot do these things except they have of their oun 10. This is the very Character of a Tyrant as described 1 Sam. 8. 11. he will take your sons c. Zeph. 3. 3. her Princes are roaring Lyons her Iudges are evening Wolves 11. All the threatenings rebukes of oppression condemn this Isai. 3. 14. 15. Ezek. 45. 9. Mic. 3. 2 3. Ahab condemned for taking Naboths vineyard 12. Pharaoh had not all the Land of Egypt till he bought it Gen. 42. 20. So the Land became Pharaohs not otherwise Yet giving and not granting that he were really a Master in all these respects Notwithstanding if he turn to pursue me for my life because of my fidelity to my Master his both will withdraw me from the service of the Supreme Universal Master I may Lawfully withdraw my self from his and disoune him for one when I cannot serve two Masters Sure he cannot be Master of the conscience Thirdly They cannot come under the conjugal relation though there may be some proportion between that and subjection to a Lawful Ruler because of the Mutual Covenant transacted betwixt them but the Tyrant Usurper cannot pretend to this who refuse all Covenants Yet hence it cannot be inferred that because the wife may not put away her husband Or renounce him as he may do her in the case of Adultery therefore the people cannot disoune the King in the case of the violation of the Royal Covenant For the Kings power is not at all properly a husbands power 1. The wife by nature is the weaker vessel but the Kingdom is not weaker than the King. 2. The wife is given as an help to the man but here the man is given as an help to the Common-wealth 3. The wife cannot limit the husbands power as subjects may limit their Soveraigns 4. The wife cannot prescribe the time of her continuing under him as subjects may do with their Soveraigns 5. The wife cannot change her husband as a Kingdom can do their Government 6. The husband hath not power of life death but the Soveraign hath it over Malefactors Yet giving and not granting his power were properly Marital if the case be put that the man do habitually break the Marriage Covenant or take another wife and turn also Cruel intollerable in compelling his oun wife to wickedness and put the case also that she should not get a Legal divorce procured who can doubt but she might disoune him and leave him for this case is excepted out of that Command 1 Cor. 7. 10. let not the wife depart from her husband meaning for mere difference in Religion or other lesser causes but Adulterie doth annual the Marriage relation See Pool Synopsis Critic in Locum So when a Prince breaks the Royal Covenant and turns Tyrant or without any Covenant committs a rape upon the Common-wealth that pretended relation may must be disouned Hence we see there is no relation can bring a King or Ruler under the object of the duty of the fifth Command except it be that of a fiduciary Patron or Trustee and Publick Servant for we cannot oune him properly either to be a Father or a Master or a husband Therefore what can remain but that he must be a fiduciary Servant Wherefore if he shall either treacherously break his trust or presumptously refuse to be entrusted upon terms conditions to secure be accountable for before God man Religion Liberty we cannot oune his usurped Authority That Metaphore which the learned Buchanan uses de Iure Regni of a Publick Politick Phisician is not a relation different from this of a fiduciary Servant when he elegantly represents him as entrusted with the preservation restauration of the health of the politick body and endued with shill experience of the Laws of his Craft If then he be orderly called unto this charge and qualified for it and discharges his duty faithfully he deserves and we are obliged to give him the deference of an honoured Physician But if he abuse his Calling and not observe the rules thereof and in stead of curing go about wilfully to kill the body he is entrusted with he is no more to be ouned for a Physician but for a Murderer 9. If we inquire further into the nature of this Relation between a King whose Authority is to be ouned and his subjects we can oune it only as it is Reciprocal in respect of Superiority Inferiority that is whereby in some respects the King is Superior to the people and in some respects the people is Superior to him The King is Superior Supreme as he is called 1 Pet. 2. 13. in respect of formal Soveraignty and executive Authority and Majestick Royal dignity resulting from the peoples devolving upon him that Power and constituting him in that relation over themselves whereby he is higher in place power than they and in respect of his Charge conduct is worth ten thousands of the people 2 Sam. 18. 3. and there is no formally regal Tribunal higher than his And though he be Minor universis yet he is Major singulis greater than any one or all the people distributively taken And
private Assassination therefore they are called Murderers by Amaziah his Son 2 King. 14. 5 6. but upon the matter it was the Justice of God which he deserved if it had been duely execute for the blood of the Sone of Jehojada the Priest 2 Chron. 24. 25. So Amon the Son of Manasseh for his walking in the way of his Father in Idolatry Tyranny and forsaking the Lord God of his Fathers was slain in his oun house by his Servants who conspired against him But though this was Justice also upon the matter and consonant to the Command for punishing Idolaters Murderers yet because defective in the manner and done by them that tooke too much upon them in a perfidious way of private Assassination Conspiracy therefore the People of the Land punished them for it 2 King. 21. 23. 24. But the repressing punishing of Amaziah is a more unexceptionable instance The people made a Conspiracy against him in Ierusalem and he fled to Lachish but they sent after him to Lachish and slew him there 2 King. 14. 19. after the time that he turned away from following the Lord 2 Chron. 25. 27. Which was according to the Command Deut. 13. which hath no exception of Kings in it This Action was not questioned either by the people or his Successor as the formentioned Conspiracies were His son Uzziah succeeding who did right consulted the Lord 2 Chron. 26. 4 5. did not resent nor revenge his Fathers death which certainly he would have done by advice of Zechariah who had understanding in the visions of God if it had been a transgression The famous faithful Mr Knox doth clear this passage beyond Contradiction in his conference with Lithingtoun Hence I take an Argument a fortiori If people may conspire concur in executing Judgement upon their King turning Idolater Tyrant Then much more may they Revolt from him But this example clears the Antecedent Ergo. 11. The same power priviledge of peoples punishing their Princes was exemplified in the Successor of him last mentioned to wit in Uzziah the son of Amaziah called Azariah 2 King. 15. when he degenerated into the ambition of arrogating a Supremacy in causes Ecclesiastick Sacred as well as Civil his heart was lifted up to his destruction for he transgressed against the Lord his God and went into the Temple of the Lord to burn Incense In which Usurpation he was resisted by Azariah the Priest and with him fourscore Priests of the Lord that were valiant men who withstood him and told him it did not appertain to him to take upon him so much and bade him go out of the Sanctuary or else it should not be for his honour Which indeed he stomacked at as an affront to be controled resisted but in thinking to resent it he was plagued of the Lord with leprosie which the Priests looking upon they thrust him out from thence And thereafter sequestred him from all Supremacy both that which he had before in things Civil and that which he was affecting in matters Sacred for he was made to dwell in a Several house being a leper the Law including here execute upon the King as well as the beggar and to resign the Government into his son Jothams hands 2 Chron. 26. 16-21 Where it appears he was not only excommunicated by a Ceremonial punishment but also deposed Judicially Whether he voluntarly dimited or not it is to no purpose to contend its evident that by the Law of God the actual exercise of his power was removed whether with his will or against it it is all one And that he was punished both by God and by men is undeniable Yea in this his punishment was very gentle and far short of the Severity of the Law for by the Law he should have been put to death for intermedling with these holy things interdicted to all but to the Priests under pain of death Numb 3. 10. Numb 18. 7. The stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death All were strangers that were not Priests Whence I argue If a Prince for his Usurpation beyond his line in things Sacred may by the Priests be excommunicated and by the people deposed then may a Prince not only Usurping a Supremacy as Charles did but an absolute power of overturning all things Sacred Civil as James doeth oppressing his subjects in all their Liberties be disouned a fortiori for that is less than deposing or dethroning But this Example clears the Antecedent Ergo See Knox discourse to Lethingtoun Lex Rex Quest. 44. § 15. pag. 461. Ius popul chap. 3. pag. 56. 12. What if I should adduce the Example of a Kings Rebellion against and Revolt from a Superior King to whom he his Fathers both acknowledged themselves subject Surely our Royalists and Loyalists would not condemn this and yet in justifying it they should condemn their beloved principle of uncontroled subjection to uncontrolable Soveraigns possessing the Government Ahaz became Servant to the Assyrian Monarch 2 King. 16. 7. yet Hezekiah his son when the Lord was with him and he prospered Rebelled against the King of Assyria and he served him not 2 King. 18. 7. Hezekiah was indeed a King but he was not Sennacheribs King he acknowledges himself his vassal and that he offended in disouning him vers 14. which certainly was his sin against the Lord to make such an acknowledgment for if his Fathers transaction with the Assyrian was sin then it was duty to break the yoke if the Lord was with him in that rebellion then it was his sin to acknowledge it to be his offence And to make good this ackowledgment it was certainly his sin to commit Sacriledge in robbing the House of God to satisfie that Tyrant By way of Supplement I shall adde that instance of repressing a mad furious Tyrant which all will acknowledge to be Lawful Nebuchadnezzar was both stricken of God with madness and for that was depelled from the Kingdom according to the heavenly Oracle The Kingdom is departed from thee and they shall drive thee from men Dan. 4. 31-33 Calvin sayes upon the place he was ejected as usually is done to Tyrants by the Combination of the nobles people Pool Synopsis Critic in Locum Thus he was unkinged for a time both by the just Judgement of God and by the intermediation of the just Judgement of men and could not be ouned to be King at that time when his nails were like birds Clawes and he could not tell his oun fingers They could not oune him to be the Governour then of so many Kingdoms when he could not Govern himself Hence though this is an instance of Heathens yet because they acted upon a rational ground it may be argued If Kings because of Natural madness when they cannot govern themselves may not be ouned Then also because of Moral madness when they will not govern but to the destruction of Kingdoms may not be ouned But
half Civil half Ecclesiastick which have no Warrand in the Word 3 By this many palpable intollerable encroachments made upon the Liberties priviledges of the Church of Christ are yeelded unto as that there must be no Church Judicatories or Assemblies without the Magistrates consent but that the power of convocating indicting Assemblies do belong only to him and the power of delegating constituting the members thereof that he may dissolve them when he pleases that his presence or his Commissioners is necessary unto each Nationall Assembly that Ministers have no proper decisive suffrage in Synods but only of advice that the Church Judicatories be prelimited and nothing musâ— be treated there which may be interpreted grating upon the prerogative nor any thing whatsoever but what he shall allow approve without which it can have no force nor validity yea by this a door should be opened unto the utter destruction overthrow of all Church Judicatories seeing he is made the fountain of all Church power 4 By this the Magistrate is made a Church member as he is a Magistrate and so all Magistrats as such are Church members even heathens And yet 5 By this he is exempted from subjection to the Ministry because they are made accountable to him in their administrations and in the discharge of their function are under him as Supreme Yea 6 By this the Magistrate is made a Church Officer having the disposal of the Churches Government And not only so but 7 By this he is made a Church Officer of the highest degree being supreme in all Causes to whom Ministers in the discharge of their Ministrie are subordinate And so 8 By this the Church of the new Testament is made imperfect so long as she wanted a Christian Magistrate wanting hereby a Chief Officer yea and the Apostles did amiss in robbing the Magistrate of his power 9 By this the Magistrate might exerce all Acts of jurisdiction immediately by himself seeing he can do it as supreme by his Commissioners in Ecclesiastick affairs 10 Finally By this Oath the King is made the head of the Church being supreme over all persons in all Causes unto whom all Appeals references must ultimately be reduced even from Church Judicatories Those things are only here touched they are more apodeictically confirmed above and may be seen made out at large in Apol. Relat. Sect. 12. But I proceed 6. It is contrary unto the Solemn League Covenant into whose place after it was broken burnt buryed rescinded since they have remitted the subjects allegiance by annulling the Bond of it they substitute surrogate this in its place And therefore none can comply with the surrogation of the second except he consent to the abrogation of the first Oath All the Allegiance we can oune according to the Covenant stands perpetually expressly thus qualified viz. in defence of Religon Liberty according to our first second Covenants and in its oun nature must be indispensably thus restricted Therefore to renew the same or take an Oath of Allegiance simply purposely omitting the former restriction when the powers are in manifest Rebellion against the Lord is in effect a disouning of that limitation and of the Soveraign prerogative of the Great God which is thereby reserved and as much as to say whatever Authority command us to do we shall not only stupidly endure it but actively concur with assist in all this Tyranny See Naph Prior edit Pag. 177. 178. Vindicated at length by Ius Populi chap. 11. By all this the iniquity of the Scots Oath of Allegiance Supremacy may appear and also that of the English Oath of Allegiance even abstract from the Supremacy is in some measure discovered though it is not my purpose particularly to speak to that yet this I will say that they that plead for its precision from the Supremacy annexed seem not to consider the full import of its terms for under the dignities superiorities Authorities there engaged to be upheld the Ecclesiastical Supremacy must be included for that is declared to be one of the dignities of the Crown there as well as here and hither it was brought from thence And therefore those Scots men that took that Oath there and plead that though the Oath of Allegiance in Scotland be a sin yet it is duty to take the Oath in England seem to me to be in a great deceit for the object is the same the subject is the same the duty expected required engaged into is the same and every thing equal in both Yet all this iniquity here Couched is some way Comprehended in implyed by the Oath of Abjuration for the Civil part is imported in abjuring a Declaration for its declaring war against the King Where it is clear he is ouned as King and all part with them that declare war against him being renounced it is evident the Abjurers must take part with him in that war and so assist defend him for being subjects they must not be neutral therefore if they be not against him they must be for him and so under the bond of allegiance to him The Ecclesiastical Supremacy is inferred from that expression of it where some are said to serve him in Church as well as in State which implies an Ecclesiastical subordination to him as Supreme over the Church III. The Tenor of some other Bonds was more smooth subtil as that of the Bond of Peace several times renewed imposed and under several forms but alwayes after one strain engaging to Live Peaceably Whereby many were caught cheated with the seeming saiâ—ness of these general terms but others discerning their faâ—laciousness refused and suffered for it This in the General is capable of a good sense for no Christian will refuse â—o Live Peaceably but will endeavour if it be possible as much as lieth in them to Live Peaceably with all men Rom. 12. 18. that is so far to follow Peace with all men as may consist with the pursuit of holiness 〈◊〉 12. 14. But if we more narrowly consider such Bonds we shall find them Bonds of iniquity for 1. They are Covenants of Peace or Confederacies with Gods enemies whom we should count our enemies and hate them because they hate Him Psal. 139. 21. It is more suitable to answer as Iehu did to Ioram 2 King. 9. 22. What Peace so long as the whoredomes of thy Mother Iezebel and her witchcrafts are so many than to engage to be at Peace with those who are carrying on Babylons Interest the Mother of harlots witchcrafts 2. This cannot be taken in Truth Iudgement Righteousness because of the fallacy ambiguity of the terms for there are diverse sorts of Peace Peaceableness some kind is duty some never It must then be rightly qualified for we can profess pursue no Peace of Confederacy with the enemies of God not consistent with the fear of the Lord otherwise
each other Math. 7. 12. All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to yow do ye even so to them We would have them helping us when we are oppressed so should we do to them when it is in the power of our hands to do it and not forbear to deliver them for fear the Lord require their blood at our hand Prov. 24. 11 12. But this cannot be done by meer subjection with out Resistence 3. There is no way to free our selves of the sin judgment of Tyrants by meer Passive subjection We find in the Scriptures people have been so involved and punished for the sins of Tyrants As the people of Iudah for Manasseh 2 King. 21. 11. c. Ier. 15. 4. whose sins if they had not been committed the judgments for them had been prevented and if the people had hindered them they had not smarted But being joyntly included with their Rulers in the same bond of fidelity to God and made accountable as joynt Principals with their Kings for that debt by their Mutual as well as Several engagments to walk in His Wayes they were lyable to be punished for their Rebellion Apostasie because they did not hinder it Hence some-what must be done to free our selves of their sin and to escape their Judgments But this can be nothing else but opposition to them by Resistence or else if we make any other opposition it will make us more a prey to their fury II. Secondly this Truth is Confirmed from the Common Practice of the people of God even under Persecution Whence I shall draw an Argument ab Exemplis which to condemn were impious and to deny were most impudent And for formes sake it may run thus What the people of God under both Testaments have frequently done in time of Persecution for defending vindicating or recovering their Religion Liberties may ought to be done again in the like Circumstances when these are in the like hazard But under both Testaments the people of God frequently in times of Persecution have defended vindicated or Recovered their Religion Liberties by defensive Armes Resisting the Soveraign powers that sought to dostroy them Ergo this may ought to be done again when these Religious Civil natural priviledges are in the like hazard to be destroyed by the violent encroachments of the Soveraign powers The Proposition cannot be denyed except by them that do profess themselves enemies to the people of God and condemn their most frequently reiterated practices most solemnly signally ouned of God to the confusion of their enemies to the conviction of the World that the Cause for which they contended was of God and to the encouragment of all the Patrons of such a Cause to hope that when it is at the lowest it shall have a Revival Glorious Issue It is true somtimes they did not Resist when either they were not in a Capacity or did not see a Call to such an Action but were extraordinarly Spirited of the Lord for Passive Testimonies under a suffering dispensation But 't is as true that many times they did Resist when the Lord capacitated called Spirited them for Active Testimonies And therefore if their Suffering under these Circumstances may be imitated by a people so stated Then also their Actions under these other Circumstances may be imitated by a people in the like case And by an impartial Scrutiny it will be found that the examples of their endeavoured Resistence will be litle inferiour if not superiour in number or importance to the examples of their submissive Sufferings in all ages Which will appear in the Probation of the Assumption by adduction of many Instances which I shall only cursorly glean out of that plentiful harvest that Histories afford 1. I need only to glance at that known famous History of the Maccabees of undoubted verity though not of Cannonical Authority In which according to Scripture Predictions we have a notable account of Heroick Interprizes Atchievments Exploits performed by them that knew their God and tendered His Glory and their Religion Countries Liberties above the Common Catechrestick notions of incontrollable irresistible Royaltie and absolute implicite Loyaltie that have abused the world in all ages We have there an account of the noble successful Resistence of a party of a few Godly zealous Patriots without the concurrence of Civil Authority or countenance of the Ephori or Primores regni against a King universally acknowledged subjected unto that came in Peaceably and obtained the Kingdom by flâ—ttâ—ries with whom the greatest part and those of the greatest note took part and did wickedly against the Covenant and Nations Interest and were corrupt by flatteries Yet a few Priests with the concurrence of some common Country-men did go to armes against him and them And the Lord did wonderfully assist them for a considerable time as was foretold by Daniel 11. This fell out under the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes and was happily begun by Mathias a Godly Priest and his five Sons who being commanded under severe Certifications to Worship according to the then Law and the Kings wicked lust did valiantly resist that abomination and went to defensive armes which while living he Patronized and when adying did encourage his sons to it by a notable Oration shewing what case his Country was in and what a duty dignity it was to redeem deliver it This was vigorously prosecuted by Iudas Maccabeus expressly for the quarrel of Religion Liberty against that mighty Tyrant all his Emissaries 2. To come to the History of the Gospel Dispensation It is true in that time of the Primitive Persecutions under Heathen Emperours this Priviledge of Self Defence was not much improved or contended for by Christians who studied more to play the Martyrs than to play the Men because in these Circumstances the Lord was pleased to Spirit for and call them unto and accept off their hands passive Testimonies while they were incorporate under a Civil relation with the Heathens in subjection to Governours who did not by open Tyrannie overturn their Civil Liberties only did endeavour to eradicate Religion which at that time had never become their Right by Law while they were scattered and out of Capacity and never could come to a separate formed Community by joynt Concurrence Correspondence to undertake a Declared Resistence while Religion was only a propagating through the Nations and the Lord Providentially did preclude the least appearance that might be of propagating it by any formed force being the Gospel of Peace designed to save and not to destroy Yet even then Instances are not wanting of Christians Resisting their Enemies and of Rescuing their Ministers c. As these are found on record 1. How some inhabiting Mareots with force rescued Dyonisiâ—â— of Alexandria out of the hands of such as were carrying him away about the year 235. 2. How about the year 310. the Armenians waged war against
stoping the Career of their Murders in a time of real extreame necessity the matter of the action being unquestionably Lawful their ends intentions really good commendable there being also a deficiency of others to do the work and themselves in some probable Capacity for it See Ius Popul Cap. 20. Pag. 410. Neither can it be denyed but true zeal may sometimes incite people to such exploits for the preservation of Religion Liberty their oun lives and Brethren all like to be destroyed by the impunity of beasts of prey This will be found very consistent with a Gospel Spirit And though this Principle be asserted and also put in practice all persons notwithstanding thereof would have sufficient securitie for their life except such as hath really forefeited their lives by all Law of God man. Those that are led by Impulses may pretend the imitation of extraordinary examples and abuse them yet hence it will not follow that in no case these extraordinary Examples may be imitated Shall the examples of good Magistrats executing Justice on Idolaters Murderers be altogether unimitable because Tyrants abuse them in persecuting the innocent If this arguing were good it would make all vertuous Actions in the world unimitable for these may be abused by pretenders See Ius Popul ubi supra Pag. 412. But it cannot be charged upon the Sufferers upon this head that they had nothing to give as the reasons of their Actions but pretexts of Enthusiasmes 5. Thô a man be really so Criminal as thaâ— he deserves death by the Law of God man yet it may be murder to kill him if we do not certainly know it and can prove it and convict him of it upon Tryal for no man must be killed indictâ or incognitâ causâ Thus even Magistrats may Murder Murderers when they proceed against them without probation or cognition according to Law far more private persons Thus the Abiezrites would have murdered Gideon not only unjustly for his duty of throwing doun the Altar of Baal but illegally because they would had him brought out that he might die without any further Tryal Iudg. 6. 29 30. So likewise the Iewes that banded bound themselves under a curse to kill Paul before he was tried would have Murdered him not only unjustly for his duty but illegally before he was tried Act. 23. 12. But this doth not condemn the Actions of those Sufferers in maintaining the necessary execution of Judgement upon persons who are Notorious Murderers yea professing a trade and prosecuting habitually a tract of continued Murdering the people of the Lord. 6. Thô it should be certainly known and sufficiently proven that a man is a Murderer c. Yet it were Murder for an inferiour under a relation of subjection to him to kill him as long as that subjection were acknowledged for whensoever the common mutual right or relation either Natural Moral Civil or Religious to the prejudice or scandal of the Church or State or particular persons is broken by killing any person that is Murder thô the person killed deserve to die As if a Subject should kill an acknowled King a Son by Nature or in Law should kill his Natural or legal father a Servant should kill his Master breaking these relations while their right tye were acknowledged as some of them must still be acknowledged as long as the Correlates continue in being to wit that of a father is not broken by his becoming a Murderer and to the danger detriment scandal of the Church State That were properly Assassination for Assassines are they who being subject to others either out of their oun head for their oun ends or by command of their Superiours kill their Superiours or such as they command them to kill as Alstedius describes them Theolog. Cas. cap. 18. de homicid reg 55. Therefore David would not kill Saul because he acknowledged him to be the Lords Anointed to whom he was under a relation of subjection and because he was his Master and Father in Law And because it would have tended to the hurt of the Kingdom and involved it in Combustions Contentions about the succession and prejudged his oun right as well as to the scandal of the people of God thô Saul deserved otherwise to be capitally punished So Ishbosheth was killed by Baanah Rehab 2 Sam. 4. 7. So Iozachar Iehozabad who killed Ioash 2 King. 12. 21. were punished as Murderers chap. 14. 6. because they were his servants and did assassinate him to whom they were subject So the servants of Amon were punished by the people as Conspirators against their King Master 2 King. 21. 23 24. though Amon deserved to have been punished as well as Amaziah was Hence generally it is observed by some that thô right be given to equals or Superiours to bring their nearest relations to condign punishment when they turn entycers to Idolatry Deut. 13. 6. Yet no right or jus upon any cause or occasion whatsoever is given to inferiours as Children c. to punish their fathers See Pool Synop. Critie in Locum However it be this cannot condemn the taking off of Notorious Murderers by the hand of such as were no way subject nor related to them but as enemies who in extreame necessity executed righteous Judgement upon them without prejudice of the true necessary chief good of the Church Commonwealth or of any particular persons just right security as Napthali qualifies it Pag. 22. 23. Prior edit 7. Thô the matter of the Action were just and the Murderer such a person as we might punish without any breach of relative obligations or duties Yet the manner may aggravate it to some degree of Murder if it be done Secretly when it may be execute publickly or suddenly precipitantly when it may be done deliberately without rushing upon such an Action or hurrying the Murderer to eternity as this also might have had some weight with David not to murder Saul secretly suddenly in the Cave or when he was sleeping So Ishbosheth and Ioâ—sh and Amoa were murdered Or if it be done subtilly when it may be performed in more plain fair dealing or teacherously under colour of friendship or cruelly without regard to humanity and especially when the Actors are at peace with the person whose blood they shed as Ioab shed the blood of war in peace 1 King. 2. 5. in killing Abner Amasa so craftily cruelly and Absalom made his servants Assassinate Amnon 2 Sam 13. 28 29. But this cannot be charged upon them who executed righteous Judgement as publickly deliberately and calmely as the extraordinary exigence of pressing necessity in extremity of danger could allow upon notorious Murderers with whom they were in open and avowed terms of hostility 8. Thô the manner also be inculpable yet if the principle and motive of killing even those that deserve to die be out of malice hatred rage or revenge for private
field for which he forebare and slew them not Ier. 41. 8. In this a man does nothing which under such circumstances is not only Lawful one of the main ends for which goods are given to him to wit the preservation of his life being thereby attained but it were a grievous sin and would conclude him guilty of self-murder not to make use of such a mean for preservation of his life which God hath put in his power and is in the case called for by His Precept But however force may warrant one to do that which may be done for shunning a greater evil of loss yet it is never sufficient to make one do that which is a greater evil than all the evil that can be said to be shunned For the evil shunned is suffering but the evil done to shun this is real and active Concurrence in manner measure method enjoyned by Law in strengthening the hands of those who have displayed a banner against all the Lovers of our Lord Jesus Christ A manifest chusing of sin to shun suffering and a saving of life with the prejudice of that in the preservation whereof he should be ready to lay doun all and be at a point to endure the worst this wicked world can make him suffer ere he be found guiltie in the matter of a Complyance of that nature And thô the rod of the wicked should seem to rest on his lot for his refusal and he be the object of their rage revenge for holding his integritie yet he shall be honoured as a faithful Witness helped to endure as seeing Him who is invisible and amidst all his sufferings sorrowes made to rejoice in the hope that when God shall lead forth these Workers of iniquity he shall not be found amongst the Company of these who have turned aside with them into their crooked Courses and for that shall be overturned crushed with them under the Curse that is hovering over their heads It s true a man should not cast himself and his family which if he provide not for he is worse than an Infidel upon sufferings either needlessly or doubtfully when he is not perswaded it is Trurh Duty he suffers for and of value sufficient to countervail the loss he may sustain for it But on the other hand in the present and all like cases it is highly of the concernment of all men to be careful circumspectly Cautions when the Case comes to be stated upon suffering or not suffering in examining well whether the Course whereby a man shuns suffering◠be of God and not to take Plausibilities for Demonstrations seeing the flesh is not only ready to inculcate that Doctrine spare thy self but is both witty of invention to plead for what will affourd ease and as unwilling to listen to what would if attended unto expose us to the malice rage of rigorous enemies It being alwise more becoming the Professors of the Gospel and the Followers of our Lord Jesus who must walk to Heaven bearing His Cross to abstain at all hazards when the case is doubtful than to rush forward upon an uncertainty when it is not evident they have Gods approbation for what they do Yea suppose a person erred to his oun hurt in the first case through weakness yet it will argue much more sincerity uprightness towards God and is done with less danger than in the other And as many as walk according to this Rule are like to have the Peace of the Israel of God to compense whatever of trouble or loss they may meet with in the world when others shall not have this bird of Paradise to sing in their bosome II. But shunning prolixity to come neare◠the point because perhaps some may alledge such Cases are not determined in the Scriptures nor can any Case be found paralel to these under Consideration from which we may gather the determination thereof Which I think indeed hard to find because in the wickedness of former ages such monstrous Exactions had never a Precedent for such declared ends so declaredly impudent I shall make some Suppositions and propose some Questions all of a piece and some way paralel to this under debate and leave any Conscience touched with the fear of God to answer 1. Suppose when our Lord Iesus and His Disciples were tossed upon the waves by the storm at sea and he was sleeping that then Herod or Pilate or the Chief Rulers had sent peremptory orders to all men to supply and furnish with such things as he had the men they imployed to capacitate them once for all and for ever to sink that floating bottom out of sight and that somewhat should be given to the Souldiers engaged in that Enterprise somewhat to the Pharisees fot perswading them to it and fynes to be exacted from the Recusants and Rewards to be given to such as should keep them in Custody that should fall in their hands either of them that refused to pay the Moyety prescribed or of such of them as should escape drouning In this Case would or durst any of the Lovers of Iesus comply with any of these demands and not rather chuse to perish with Him or in opposition to such wicked attempts Now hath not the Lord Jesus and all the Interest He hath in the Nation been imbarqued as it were in one bottom and floating like a wrack in the sea And have not these called Rulers in this Land in their rage against the Lords Anointed and the handful who adhere to Him sent their peremptory orders to pay a Cess for sinking His floating Interests and to pay the Curats for perswading to it and fynes for not concurring in it And rewards to Iaylors others that are appointed to oppress the Recusants Who durst concur then in this Complyance who had love to Christ in exercise and who had his friends in the same bottom imbarqued And besides seeing the Great God had the man of whom this is required bound with his oun consent under a Sacred Solemn Oath and under the penaltie of never seeing His face if he do not venture life fortune to preserve that precious Interest and all who are embarqued with it from perishing Shall he notwithstanding of this give what these enemies to Christ call for as His Concurrence to enable them to execute their wicked Contrivance Does any man think or dream that the pitiful Plea of what they call a Moral force will clear and acquit him before God from the guilt of a Concurrence in this Conspiracie while in the mean time he furnished whatsoever these Enemies demanded of him with this express Declaro that it was for this Cause exacted and for this end imposed Or can he think to be saved when they shall be sentenced who with so much deliberation despight have done this thing O let us consider the after reckoning And let us not with pretences distinguish our selves into a Defection or distract our selves into the