in the Assemblies as the Lawes allow albeit not such a Tyranny as Prelats would flatter him into it is true it was ever our wish and oft our happinesse to have the King or his Commissioner amongst us at these meetings we never did dispute their capacity no more was craved then the place of a civil President and this no man did ever deny either to him or them nor a power to propound what ever they thought expedient but some of your flattering Prelates doe ascribe to the Prince a power which neither we nor our Laws may owne You give him a power to call so many as he will without all Commission from any Church to voice in all Assemblies and by the multitude of their voices to carry all You give him also a power to hinder the Assembly to debate any matter which he mislikes were it never so necessary for the very being of the Church You give him a Negative Vote to stop any conclusion were it never so consonant to the Word of God yea an affirmative Vote to carry all things in the Assembly absolutely according to his owne minde The Assembly being but his Arbitrary Court in things spirituall by whose advice the Prince who is the supream judge in all causes does determine as he findes it expedient sometimes according sometimes contrary to their judgement Such a power no ordinary either Erastian or Prelate will willingly grant to any Prince upon earth but this was one of the late Canterburian extravagancies wherein your singular zeale did much help you to your Bishoprick What you adde of our pressing the King to execute all our Acts under the paine of Excommunication we have oft told you it is a great untruth for all Scotland knowes that the furthest we went ever with any Prince in our Assembly Acts was humbly to supplicate for their civill Sanction iâ— we obtain it we blesse God and them if we cannot by any prayers perswade we sit down in grief and wait patiently upon their good pleasure Our taking in of all things temporall upon some spirituall relation The Assembly alters no Laws but only supplicates the King and Parliament to alter such â—aws as confirm evident errors and forcing the King to change his Laws though never so prejudiciall to the State your report in this will be beleeved when you have gotten grace to forsake in some measure the Spirit that now leads you The matter here you aime at but keeps it in the clouds is the proceeding of the Assembly at Glasgow against your offices and persons According to the Lawes of Popiâ—â— times The Bishops were Lords of Parliament of Councell of Exchequer of Session The Assembly did finde all this contrary to the Word of God and therefore did discharge under the paine of the censures of the Church any Minister of the Word to take upon him these civill imployments I hope the hindering of persons meerly Ecclesiastick to drowne themselves in a sea of temporall affaires is not to take cognisance of all things temporall in ordine ad spiritualia The Assembly did supplicate the King and Parliament for the abolition of the Popish and corrupt Lawes which did countenance the ambition of the Clergy the Parliament finding the Assemblies supplication just joyned with them to deale with the King to passe it his Majesty for a time misled by the flattery of Prelates refused but at last seeing the earnestnesse and cleer equity of the Assembly and Parliament their desires he was perswaded to consent to these Acts wherein all Churchmen are forbidden to take upon them civill places This is it that you call the forcing of the King and Parliament to change the Laws for the great trouble of the State this is all the Assemblies tyranizing over the King and Parliament a meer supplication to alter Popish and corrupt Lawes which both the King and the State after a little debate did finde necessary to be done To the absurdities which you call monstrously grosse Your oftrepeated quarrell against ruling Eâ—ders is absurd p. 21.22 we have spoken already you are impatient that any ruling Elder that any Commissioner from Burroughs or Vniversities should voice in Church Assemblies your expresse reason is because concilium est Episcoporum see the mans absurdity no Minister more then a ruling Elder must voice at any Assembly the decisive voice there belongs only to Bishops yet any Lay men vested with the Bishops commission may very lawfully exercise all Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction over the whole Clergy of the Diocesse neither is there any Gentleman of the Shire not any Burgesse of the City nor any Student in the Vniversity to whom a Prelate can purchase a Letter from the King but he may sit and voice decisively in all spirituall causes as a constituent Member of the Generall Assembly as well as the Bishop himself this is the doctrine and was the practise of our Prelates in Scotland You are angry p. 22. Page 22 23 24 25 26. The Assembly and Parliament with us use not to differ that the acts of our Assemblies should get so ready obedience but the matters themselves are so clear that none uses to refuse them and it is the Law of the kingdome that the Assemblies determination in matters proper to its cognisance should be obeyed if any thing new be acted which requires a civill sanction the Commissioners of the Assembly supplicate the next ensuing Parliament for their ratification which for common is easily obtained the cleer equity of the matter purchases a ready grant If there happen to be cause why the Parliament should not be satisfied the Aslembly by their reasons is perswaded to be of the Parliaments minde no such unanimous Courts in the Universe as the Parliament and Generall Assembly of Scotland they never had any difference but what bad Courtiers and Prelates procured for their owne interests put these pests of the Church and State to a corner the King Parliament and Assembly shall never differ but alwayes concurre for the strengthening and comforting one another From your 22. page to 31. Your invectives against our first Reformation are wicked you heap together what ever extream malice can invent to bring disgrace upon the first and cheife resormers of Religion from Popery you openly avow your dislike of the first Reformation in Scotland you are not ashamed to proclaim all the Reformation both of Scotland France Holland and Germany and wheresoever the work was not done by the hand of the Soveraign Prince to have been Sedition and Rebellion The first thing you undertake to prove is That we give our Assemblies power to depose and kill Kings The Vindication of Iohn Knoâ— and the first Reformers of Scotland from base calumnies for this you alledge Martin mar Prelate whoyet says no such thing and though hedid what is that to us then you cite a number of passages out of Iohn Knox his writings but is it just that John Knox Assertions long
Generall Assembly were these actions either decreed or allowed by any Church meeting but the truth is you are gathering togither a confused masse of all the odious fables which you can either find or invent to the prejudice of Protestant Religion since it came first in Scotland to this day As for the Cardinalls slaughter Cardinall Beton by all Law and reason deserved death yet Knox did not defend the way of his slaughter all good men who heard it did heartily rejoyce at the judgement of God in taking away that cruell persecuter a most vicious wretch as Spotswood himselfe relates the story his crimes were many for which his life by all Law and reason was forfeit the suborning of a false Testament to King Iames the fifth for his owne advancement the burning quick by his owne Ecclesiastick authority the most holy Martyrs the marring with all his might the Reformation of Religion that such a man was removed in the indignation of God according to Mr. Wisheard the martyrs prophesie the whole Land did greatly rejoyce As for the manner of his slaughter that it was by the hands of privat men and not of the publick executiooner this no man did defend of Mr. Knox disallowing thereof Spotswood testifies expresly but that which troubles you is not the killing of a man but as you speake of a Preist of an Arch-Bishop of high dignity that is a Cardinall of Rome these circumstances are but poore agravations of that fact The other horrible fact at Edinburgh how detestable it was P. 31. An account of the tumult at Edinburgh for the Service-booke Let all the Isle judge When a company of base men were come to that height of insolency as to tread on the necks of the whole Kingdome as to make it an Act of high treason for the greatest of the Nobility to keep albeit very secretly in their Cabins a Copy of a Petition presented to his Majesty in person Vide the large Declaration against some new illegall usurpations of the Prelats to get Noblemen condemned to lose their heads only for this action and to avow in print the great Justice of such a sentence and the extraordinary favour in pardoning so high and treasonable an attempt When they became so extreamly malapert without so much as once acquainting the Church to bring in three or foure whole books full of Novations in Religion and withal to proclaime the absolute unlawfulnesse for the whole Land to make the smallest opposition if to morrow they should bring in upon the back of their former Novations the Masse in Latine or the A coran in Arabick when they came with a high hand to put in practice this their lawlesse Tyrannie that good zealous people whom you maliciously and falsly stile whoores and coale stealers should have their patience so far tempted as to break out in violence against you was it any wonder when atrocious injuries are multiplyed upon a Nation and by a few openly vicious and corrupt persons the current of Justice is stopped all the world will not be able to hold the passions of a people not totally subdued from breaking out into unjustifiable insolencies which a little Justice might easily have prevented What ever wrong might accompany the zeale of that very good people the reverend Answerers to the corrupt Doctors of Aberdeen doe openly disavow it and all of us were ever very well content that the whole action of that famous infamous day might have come to a perfect tryall That all persons according to their demerits might have suffered legall punishments That you and your associats the professed Authors of these popish books and violent introducers of them in our Church against all our Laws and Customes might have been brought to answer before your Judge competent a lawfull generall Assembly also that the interrupters of your shamefull usurpation might have come to an accompt for all their words deeds that day but you and your Colleagues knowing well your legall deserts would never bee pleased to come to any tryal You pressed very hard for some dayes that a number of very honest men and women might have bin put to bodily tortures and that all your abominable Novations might have been quietly without any scruple every where thereafter received upon these conditions your clemencie was content to intercede with his Majestie That the horrible and monstrous uprore might be pardoned but when this your overture was not hearkened unto your Antichristian furie broke out so high that nothing could satiate your rage but the destruction with an English Army of all your opposites in the whole Nation and the fastning upon the neck of the Country with undissoluble bands the yoke of a perpetuall slavery Though in opposition to this your horrid designe many thousands in both Nations be already destroyed though the King himselfe be brought in extream danger both of his Crown and person yet so matchlesse is your rage and that of your friends that unlesse your pride avarice and errors may be satisfied except Bishops books and a Turkish royaltie may be gotten established you are willing the King his Family the remnant of his people should all bee destroyed with you and turned into water to quench the fire of your ashes It 's a great mercy of God to these Lands that such unparalelled furies are not buried below the ground or beaten off to so remote corners that they may no more bee seene in the societies of men either of Church or State From your 32. page P. 32. Our Assemblies did ever deferre all loyall subjection to the King as a man distracted ye ramble up and downe backward and forward you rayell in so many things old and new that to follow you with any orderly cleere and distinct answer I think it impossible Your first gybe is at the power of the Generall Assembly which the King and Parliament has allowed unto it and whereof they are in a quiet possession to wit that in matters meerely Spirituall they are the last ordinary Iudges but if they should miscarry that the King and Parliament should not have power to make them reforme their errours it never came in any of our minds Your next calumny is that wee count it but a curtesie and no necessary duty to Petition for the civill sanction to our Acts and that if our Petitions bee not granted we are ready by Excommunication and rebellion to force the King and the State to our will These are but Symptomes of a spirit in which Excommunication has wrought its first effect I wish it might worke farther for your repentance and salvation For proofe of the Assemblies usurping over the King Mr. Hinderson is farr from all disloyall and papall humours you alledge first the late Sermon of the Scottish Pope at Westminister and then you run backe upon our first reformation It is true that Scottish Pope was the man whom the Generall Assembly made their instrument to deliver
Divine Right with the allowance of King James and K. Charles in divers Parliaments Concerning the discharge of Church meetings not authorized by Law the Commissioners did shew the King that Church meetings were necessary to be kept being mm Animadversions we offer Vs to prove by good Warrants of the Word of God that it is lawfull to the Ecclesiastiall Estate to Convocate Assemblies and to hold the same and to appoint and order place and time for convening of the same to troat upon such matters as concerne the Kirk affaires which no wayes impaireth your Majesties civill and royall jurisdiction but rather fortifieth and decoreth the fame cōmanded of God and being such means without which the Churches and societies of the Saints could not subsist in their necessary purity and order in the time of the greatest persecutions Christians did meet in their Assemblies both for worship and discipline though the imperiall Lawes did discharge such conventions In France and Poland where the Princes are enemies to Religion yet the Protestants are permitted to keep their Assemblies for Discipline greater and smaller of all sorts as they have occasion no lesse then their meetings for the Word and Sacraments His Majesty in his reply does not deny the Commissioners allegeance onely he required a intermission of the named meetings for a short time till the whole plat-forme of Church government according to the Word of God might be finished hereby nn The Kings Declaration My meaning and Declaration is that they shall cease while a setled Policie and Jurisdiction be established according to the Commission and line of Gods Word yeelding that he beleeved the Church ought to have its owne government according to the prescription of the holy Scripture to which he purposed to submit and agree as indeed he did the yeer following agreeing to that course which the Assembly at Saint Andrewes tooke with Bishop Adamson without all contradiction and ever thereafter permitting the Ministers without any interruption to enjoy all their Ecclesiastick meetings in peace yea some few yeeres after as oft I have said he did establish by Act of Parliament the whole plat-forme of government according to their mind which abode untouched till the evill advice of the English Prelats moved him to make some breaches in that wall which thanks be to God are now fully repaired King Charles in person having lately ratified in Parliament the meeting of all our Assemblies from the lowest to the highest so fully as our hearts could wish Beside the divine right of our Church meetings for Discipline the Commishoners did demonstrate to the King the good humane right thereof in Scotland producing to him an Act of his owne first Parliament for the nationall Assembly and finall determination of all Ecclesiasticall appeales therein oo Anamadversions concerning the generall Assembly of the Kirke there is an Act the first year of your highnesse reigne ratifying the authority thereof and decerning appellations to be devolved thereto as to the last judgement of matters concerning the Kirk his Majesty likewise could not but well remember that the whole modell of Presbyteries and their proceedings had been oft in debate before him and the Counsell Table also that some few yeeres before he had sent to the generall Assembly at Clasgow his expresse order for the erection of Presbyteries in all the Shires of the Kingdome pp The Acts of the generall Assembly Instructions to our trusty and welbeloved William Cunningham of Caprinton directed by us with the advice of the Lords of our secret Counsell to the generall Assembly conveend at Gasgow April 20. 1581. followes the List of 50. Presbiteries 12. Parishes or thereabouts making up one Presbitry whence the Church came to be in a very peaceable possession of all her Assemblies nationall provincial classicall and congregationall without any controlment onely in that houre of darknesse as generally then it was called there was a short eclipse but that did quickly passe over neither did any interruption of these Church meetings come thereupon However The reprinters of this Declaration seem to be contemners of Oaths Lawes and al rights divine and humane we cannot but observe the disposition of those who with so great care and zeale set out in this paper to the world for imitation the example of a Prince although in the hour of tentation out of the which he was immediately delivered for pulling down and discharging of Presbyteries and Assemblies when established by Law and quietly possessed by a cleere Right both divine and humane We trust the honourable Houses of Parliament are farre from their mind else we should have but small comfort though we should see the Ghurch government here setled both by Law and possession for it seems that the publishers of this Writ would have us to despaire of any security to keep whatever now may be gotten Oaths Covenants Lawes Possessions must be no stronger then bonds of flax and ropes of straw which the fire of these mens wrath when ever it comes upon them will easily burne and burst asunder but it is well that Princes and Parliaments are not capable to be miscarried by the private passions of so unconstant and perfidious persons The reasons of the Act doe follow for the putting downe of the Classicall Presbytery a great misbehaviour is alledged The Presbytery of Edinburgh took upon them to diswade the Feasting of the French Embassadour and did enter in Processe with the Magistrates who at the Kings desire contrary to their advice did keepe that Feast a long and odious story of that matter is here deduced and borrowed from hence both by Spotswood in his History and Maxwell in his Issachars burthen but the truth is this A full account of the French Banquet as I finde it extracted out of the Records of the Church of Scotland by a very reverend and faithfull hand That time was one of the most sad and dangerous seasons that this Isse hath seene it was but a little after the Massacres of France and a little before the Spanish Armada about the very instant when the Catholicke League was hatched for the rooting out of Protestant Religion and all Protestant Princes especially Queene Elizabeth At this time it was when two or three French Embassadours one after another came over from France to Scotland with Instructions from the chief contrivers of that unholy League qq Vide supra Also Spotswoods history lib. 6. fo 180. year 1585. then came that holy League as they called it to be discovered which the Pope the Spanish King with the Guises and others had made to extirpate reformed Religion the Queene of England understanding her selfe to be principally aymed at c. Also the Collection Monsieur de la Motfenellon and Maningvill were sent from the King of France to strengthen the Kings faction to procure Lenox his returne to withdraw the King from the Lords The Court was then very corrupt exceeding tyrannous
assistance and were ever in a possibility to be assisted by their Princes and Magistrates but if the Magistrate himself will turn Pope and take upon him to dispence the spirituall Jurisdiction one part thereof to civill Commissioners another part to the Congregationall Eldership a third to the Classis a fourth to whom he will and in the end as all did flow from him make all againe to returne by a finall appeale to himselfe when the servants of Christ are necessitate to oppose and preach against this usurpation of their Masters royall Prerogative and for their labour are persecute as opposers of the Magistrate to whom shall they flee for defence Thirdly The simpathy and antipathy of Bishops Erastians consider how in these intentions Prelacy and Erastianism are linked together it is true the genuine principles of Episcopacy doe overturne Erastianisme and Prelats where ever they conceive themselves bottomed and rooted in a Land will be loath to fetch their pedegree from any Princes will and Commission but will stand upon a divine institution or at least such an Ecclesiasticke right as depends not upon the Magistrates pleasure this was the case of the English Hierarchy of late Yet where Episcopacy is not so firmly grounded as it conceives it selfe immoveable and secure it is a very devout handmaid to Erastianisme and this was the condition of Prelacy in England when these intentions were written for at that time the Bishops were glad to keepe not onely their Civill but all their Ecclesiastick Courts in the name and by the Commission onely of the Prince deriving all their Jurisdiction and whatever they had peculiar above and differing from any Minister of their Diocesse from the Prince onely ascribing to him not onely an Architectonick but a truly Ecclesiastick power as a chiefe part of the royall Supremacy and Prerogative of the Crowne Adamson the very yeer before he wrote his intentions learned these Lessons in England from the Prelats and Courtiers of the Queen with whom he confessed at last to his griefe he had been too intimate albeit when he came to Scotland he thought it not expedient to vent to that people or possibly he was not perswaded in his owne mind of the whole body either of the Erastian or of the Episcopall maximes for in this Writ the Presbyterian Erastian and Episcopall maximes are so inconsiderately intermixed that the man seems not to have been very carefull how their contrary qualities should be so contemperated as the whol lump might not be dissolved by repugnancies It can be pretty well demonstrate how Episcopacy as it was for a long time in England may well stand upon an Erastian bottome also how handsomly the Erastian principles may in a short time bring back the Bishops Deanes and Chapters from their banishment Both agree against the Presbyterians but how a true and solid Apostolick Presbytery is compatible either with Episcopacy or a Magistraticall Popedome though there were not a Covenant I doe not conceive Our last remark upon the intentions is King James against all toleration either of heresie or schisme that however they be spotted with many and grosse both Prelaticall and Erastian errours yet they demonstrate so much orthodoxie and zeale remaining in these worst times among the Courtiers and Prelats of Scotland as will beare witnesse if it be not imitate against our times where much more piety and that upon stronger obligations is profest for first the King is made to avow his resolution to set up in the whole Kingdome Ecclesiasticall Assemblies for the suppressing of whatever by the Word of God should be found either heresie or schism qqq Kings Declaration p. 22. His Majesties intention is if any question of faith and doctrine arise to convocate the most learned godly wise and experimented Pastors that by conference of Scriptures the verity may be tryed and all heresie and schisme by that meanes be repressed but how many yeers shal we see both begin and end before the pittifull complaints of the godly both here abroad shall procure the least restraint to heresies or schisms which now in this Kingdom are become more grosse and impudent then ever in any Kingdome before or at this day in all the Kingdomes of the earth together This monstrous toleration cannot eschew to draw the displeasure of the God of truth upon the Authors fomenters and favourers thereof such a long indifferency and lukewarmnesse such a misregard of the truth of God such a connivence and compliance with errours of all kind in a people ever before famous for zeale is most mervailous Secondly Also contrary to our present hatefull Anatchy the King in that very houre of his darknesse is made to professe his intention to countenance all the ordinary Judicatories of the Church and in no wise to hinder any good order which from the Word of God in these meetings should be established rrr Ibid. His Majesties intention is not to derogate unto the ordinary judgement of matters of the Church by the ordinary Bishops their Counsels and Synods nor to hinder or stay any godly solid order grounded upon the Word of God Why then in our dayes of so great light should the whole Church lye still in a totall Anarchy did ever any Christian Nation for seven yeers without any compulsion abide without all Ecclesiastick government If men had taken a Commission from the Father of lyes and author of wickednesse to be his avowed agents in propagating errours vice and all mischiefes could they for their life invent a better meanes for furthering these designes then to continue this Anarchy then to be pragmatick and pregnantly instrumentall in putting one impediment after another in the way I hope there are many in the Parliament Assembly and Kingdome whose heart bleeds in their brest to see their hands so long tyed that they cannot get the hedge of the Church set up to keep out the devouring Beasts from the flock Thirdly Further he promises all assistance and â—untenance 〈◊〉 Church-Assemblies by these intentions we may see King James his resolution which so long as he was in Scotland he did indeed performe Not onely was he content that Ecclesiastick judicatories should proceed in all spirituall causes as the Word of God did warrant them but also he promises to countenance the superiour Assemblies of the Church with his owne royall presence and allowes to the meanest Church-meetings the assistance of the inferiour Magistrates and Church officers that their religious and just orders might not be contemned without deserved punishment Å¿Å¿Å¿ Ibid. It is his Majesties intention to assist this Assembly himself or by a Noble man of his Counsell his Deputy and for the keeping of good order in every Parish there shall be certaine appointed to be Censors of the manners of the rest who shall have his Majesties authority and Officers of Armes concurring for the punishment of vice These men are afraid of their owne
Apostates ibid. Caesaro papisme is an Antichristianisme worse then that of the Pope p. 33. Prelats and Erastians their Sympathy and Antipathy p. 34. King James against all toleration of heresies or schismes p. 35. Also much contrary to our present Anarchy p. 36. The retarders of government are enemies to themselves and to the welfare of England p. 37. The Recantaâ—ion of Patrick Adamson pretended Archbi of St. Andrews p. 37 Mr. Patrick Adamson's owne Answer and refutation of the Booke falsly called The Kings Declaration p. 41. Two pious and propheticall Letters of Mr. Jo. Welsh which he wrote out of his prison after the sentence of death was pronounced against him and other gracious Ministers for their testimony against Erastianisme Prelacy p. 45. The Authors out of which the chiefe testimonies of the subsequent Vindication are taken The Acts of Parliament printed at Edinborough by Robert Walgrave in the yeer 1597. The Acts of the second Parliament of King Charles printed at Edinborough by Robert Young 1641. The Acts of the generall Assembly at Edinborough 1632. printed at Edinborough by Evan Tyler 1642. One of the Registers of the Church of Scotland Manuscript A collection out of the Registers of the Church of Scotland by Mr. David Catherwood wherein beside other things are Mr. Andrew Melvils processe the Animadversions of the Commissioners of the generall Assembly upon Adamsons Declaration delivered to the King Also a Reverend Divines censure at that time upon the same Declaration Also King James his true Declaration Knox History Altare Damascenum Adamsons Recantation Mr. Welsh his Letters The Ecclesiastick History of Scotland written by John Spotswood pretended Archbishop of St. Andrewes licensed for the Presse under the hands of Secretary Stirling and Windebank Issachars Burden under the name of an Answer to a Letter c. Also Sacrâ— Sancta Regum Majestas both printed at Oxford 1644. by Mr. John Max well pretended Bishop of Rosse THE UNLOADING OF ISSACHARS BURTHEN WHen from divers good hands it was brought to me Issâ—chars burthen will stuâ—ble no solide and advised minde that Presbyteriall Government began to be evil spoken of by many to be suspected by some who hitherto had not been unfriends to it through the occasion of a late Pamphlet Intituled Issachars burthen which some Sectaries with all care and diligence doe put in the hands of the prime Members of both Houses of Parliament and others whom they conceive to have any influence in the affaires either of Church or State either of City or Countrey The word of the old Philosopher came in my mind a short sighted man is a quick judge who sees few things does soone and rashly give out his sentence That this namelesse Pamphlet printed by a Malignant at Oxford and reprinted by the industry of Sectaries at London should be able to open the mouth or touch the heart of any considerate man with the least suspition against the Government of the Reformed Churches seemes to me a little strange and will doe so as I suppose to others who shall be pleased to consider with me some circumstances of that writ first the Author secondly those whom he professes to taxe thirdly its Publishers fourthly the matters contained therein The Author of it is a man infamous an Excommunicate Prelate and inâ—endiagy The Author as uncontroverted fame since its first publication at Oxford makes manifest is Mr Iohn Maxwell late Bishop of Rosse from whose gracious pen a little after this did drop another piece of the like benigne quality Sacro-Sancta-Regum majestas they must be of a greater then ordinary credulity who can admit this mans testimony-against the Church of Scotland for by the most solemn judicatories of that Land he is declared infamous by the generall Assembly for many grievous offences he with some other Prelates were delivered into the hands of Satan but for more treasonable crimes this man by the Parliament of that Kingdome was declared an incendiary a Censure put upon no other Prelate but him alone These no more heavie then just sentences were so farre from bringing him to any shew of repentance A man obstinate and obdured in wickednesse that they filled his heart with bitternesse and rage to doe speak and write what ever masice hightned to the uttermost could dictate In that most scurrilous and invenomed Satyre Lysimachus Nicanor his pen was thought to be principall for this he got a warning from heaven so distinct and loud as any uses to be given upon earth to reclaime him from his former errours with his eyes did he see the miserable man Iohn Corbet who took upon him the shame of penning that rable of contumelious lies against his Mother Church hewed in pieces in the very armes of his poore wife this Prelate himselfe in the meane time was striken down and left with many wounds as dead by the hand of the Irish with whom he had been but too familiar All this did not humble his stout spirit so dangerous is it to be put in the hands of the Devill by the servants of God according to their Masters warrant for no sooner did he recover of his wounds but he went for Oxford of purpose to cast â—oyl in that flame in the first kindling whereof he had beene a prime instrument How little faith ought to be given to this man I might shew by seven years old Stories A man very corrupt in doctrine it s well known that he above all men living did move and encourage Canterbury to force upon Scotland the Liturgy and Canons what ever Popery or Tiranny is found in either he was a prime Author and full consenter thereto the erroneous Tenents of the Canterburian party especially their grosse Popery in the heads of Transubstantiation Iustification and Purgatory were according to his minde as the supplement of Ladensium Autocatacrisis demonstrates how neare he and his two most intimate friends Forbes and Synserfe were to the open profession of Popery does appeare by the avowed defection to Rome of their chiefe Scholars and most familiar dependents Forbes his Sonne Synserfe his brother Menteith the great Achates of all the three Bishops But leaving these elder stories The most malicious enemy to the Parliament of England that ever yet has written behold what new stuffe he layes out in his two Pamphlets in matters of State these are his maximes all resistance to Kings in any imaginable case of the most extreame Tyranny is simply unlawfull though the Religion Lawes Liberties of whole Kingdomes were totally subverted Let Princes doe what ever miseniese can come in the heart of the worst men subjects are to suffer all and have no right allowed by God to make any opposition farther then by teares and prayers (a) Sacro-Sanct p. 19. All opposition by force resisting of Kings by Armes whether in a defensive or offensive way is against God and unlawfull ibid. p. 66. They commit the highest Treasons against God man
make poor people die Traytors to both ibid. p. 68. fancying to themselves that they fight the Lords battels for Religion Liberties they dream they die Martyrs when they die Traytors to God and his Anoynted ibid. p. 132. They set the simple people upon Rebellion against God and his Anoynted to the destruction of State soul and body temporally and eternally That the defensive war of the Parliaments of both Kingdomes is a most reall Rebellion and Treason that all who have dyed in that quared are certainly damned that the Covenant is a damnable Conspiracy that all Covenanters are Traytors and Rebels both to God and the King that their Covenant puts them upon the principles of Ravtitack and Faux to kill Kings and blow up Parliaments (b) Vide supra a. also ibid. 63. This Covenant maketh every man to be armed with power and the way left to himselfe for ought wee know it may be Raviliacks way or Guido Faux his way ibid p. 7. For as bad as the Iesuite is in my conceiving the Puritan is worse That the Armes of the Irish Rebels were no more unjust then these of the British who opposed them that the Irish Cessation was lawfull and commendable (c) Ibid. Preface to Ormond you were assaulted with two of the worst extreames of opinions enraged both of them with the same degrees of madnesse That the Marquesse of Ormond for piety and prudence has not his match upon earth (d) Ibid. You whose piety is admirable whose wisdom and prudence is above the ordinary and all your equals so experienced in matters of State that it is a wonder to them who know you and incredible to them who have not been eye witnesses That for military vertue he is equall to Scipio Hannibal and Caesar (e) Ibid. Your heroicall Acts are worthy of the greatest Caesar you gained so much as their valiant Hannibâ—s and Scipios That the Legislative power is in the King alone That his Monarchy makes him above all Lawes and lets him be tyed to none but gives him power to alter and abolish them at his pleasure (f) Sacro Sanct. p. 180. One of the Sectaries principles wherby they intoxicate the Vulgar is that in a Monarchy the Legislative power is communicable to the subject ibid. p. 94. At the admittance of Saul God giveth to the subject Legem parendi Soveraignity is an undivided entity how can you share it among more To diminish any thing of this Pretogative is to destroy Monarchy to dethrone the King and to take his Crowne from him (g) Ibid p. 141. You totally destroy Monarchy and must say down right our gracious Soveragne is no Monarch p. 142. An impotent King is the same with no King For Parliamâ—nâ—s to meddle with any part of this power is a sacriledge which God will revenge (h) Ibid. p. 144. The worst bargaine ever subject made was at any rate to purchase a possession of the sacred Rights of Kings till these Kingdomes be purged of sacriledge so highly committed against God by wronging his Anointed and he be restored to his sacred Rights we need look for no effectuall blessings of God When through weaknesse or imprudence a Prince is cheated or enforced to give away to his Parliament any part of his power himselfe or any of his posterity when ever occasion offereth may lawfully take it back notwithstanding of any promise oath or law made to the contrary (i) Ibid p. 142. I doubt not to affirme but if any good Prince or his Royall Ancestors have been or are cheated out of their sacred Right by fraud or force he may at the first opportunity when God in his wise providence offereth occasion resume it You see with what a Statesman we have to doe A favorer of â—rosse Popery â—nd Arminiaâ—isme for his Religion heare a part of it Episcopacy is a necessary and fundamentall truth of Divine Institution and Commandement (k) Issachar p. 1. In the Edition of Oxford Episcopacy is the true necessary and perpetuall Government of the Church institute by Christ wee deceive our selves to expect deliverance from our troubles if wee subordinate fundamentals in Religion necessary truths to our civill good All Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction belongs to the Bishops alone by Divine Right no Presbyter ought to bee a member so much as of a Provinciall Assembly (l) Ibid p. 31. Now is forgotten that of the councel of Chalcedon concilium est Episcoporum and that old barbarous but Christian enough verse Ite foras laici non est vobis locus ici That the Kings consent to the abolition of Episcopacy in Scotland is the true and great cause of all the troubles which since that time hath befallen him and his subjects (m) Ibid p. 2. What peace hath King or Kingdome enjoyed here or in Ireland since Episcopacy by Law in Scotland was damned That Abots Priors and their Religious Houses of Monks and Fryers are lawfull in the Church (n) Ibid. p. 49. Abbots and Priors to Melvils time were nominate and admitted to Abbeys and Priories as Church men but this great Doctor found out another Divinity that for Abbots and Priors there was none such in the Word of God That Patriarcks and Cardina's are Church Dignities highly to be reverenced (o) Ibid p. 43. Cardinall Beton a Priest and Archbishop of so high Dignity That the Pope by Divine Right is as true a Bishop as any other Bishop in the world but by humane Ecclesiastick Right he is greater then any other (p) Sacro Sanct. p. 58. The Pope the Bishop of Rome hath no more by Divine Right except it bee in extent then the meanest Bishop in his Diocesse what hee may have by positive Ecclesiasticall right it s not pertinent for us now to examine Hierome compareth three of the meanest Bishops with three of the greatest Patriarcks Priviledged at that time by Ecclesiasticall Canons That Presbytery is worie then Popery and Iesuitisme that it were much better for any King to put his Dominions under the yoak of the Pope and Iesuites then of Presbyteries and Synods (q) Issachar Edition Oxford p. 30. The â—ing is in a worse condition under this soveraignty then under the Pope ibid p. 45. The Presbytery it or may be in time a mother of as much rebellion and treason as any Iesuitisme of the highest die if not more certainly Rome although a whore is not so bad nor so abominable That the first Reformation in Scotland France Holland Germany and where ever the supream Magistrate was not the Author and Actor of the worke was unorderly and sin ull an action seditious and treasonable a great cause of all the mischiefes that from that time to this have come upon the Churches (r) Ibid. p. 36. This gave life to that tumultuary Reformation we will never wrong Reformed Religion so much as to count of that as an orderly Reformation We
backs been very patient of such burthens but rather then to crouch under them they have kicked at their drivers and have taught their riders to be more warie then they were wont in overloading their poore Asses What is added in the Title The groundâ—esse calumnies of the title-page conâ—emptible that the Presbyteriall Government of Scotland is Tyrannicall and inconsistant with Monarchy that it is so much worse then Episcopacy as the bite of a Scorpion is worse then a Rod we shall believe it when the subsequent Treatise makes it good which doubtlesse shall bee done when the Author has demonstrate his assertion that Popery and Jesuitisme are burthens much more easie and rather to be chosen then the Scottish Presbytery in the meane while till the proofes come just men will allow us to take all this but for the bellowes of a stomack overcharged with firy and enraged humours In the Preface All the Liberâ—y he grants to â—eople is to be â—aves to Tyâ—ants to shew his skill in the Politicks he first sets down as two most friendly Companions the Royall Prerogative and the Liberty of the People but behold wherein here he insinuats and elsewhere at length proclaimes the knot and bond of their concord to consist The King by his Prerogative is the only Law-giver both for Church and State The people for all their Liberty by Divine Institution are appointed to obey and doe their services though both Church and State were never so injuriously oppressed by the cruellest Tyrants So our Parliaments our Church Assemblies our defensive Armes must all be buried together in one Pit This is the first ease that Issachars Asse gets of its burthen by the hand of this mercifull driver In the next two Paragraphs he advances the Royall Prerogative to an externall Episcopacy The discord aâ—t â—oncord of relates Eraâ—tians Indeâ—endents in â—e point of â—upremacy no man I know in this is his opposite but while he makes this externall Episcopacy no lesse then a true headship over the Church and the denyall of it in this sence to be a dethroning an uncrowning a stabbing a trampling under foot of Kings I know no living man agreeing with him herein It is certaine Queen Elizabeth and King James and their Bishops did reject this odious and Papall Prerogative of headship over the Church also how farre either your Erastian or Independent friends will goe along with you in the present discourse you will reckon at your leasure among your selves You tell the Erastians that Kings for all their Prerogative yet have no more power of Excommunication and Ecclesiastick censures then of preaching the Word and Administring the Sacraments you tell them also that the Royal Prerogative reaches not to the making of a Church Canon nor to the degrading or silencing of a Preacher but only to the calling of an Assembly of Divines for these works which are part of their proper and spirituall charge You tell your Independent friends that the Magistrate has power assigned to him by God to imprison and punish all who either by their Hereticall or Schismaticall Tenents trouble the peace of the Church It is like these morsells will not be a food of very easie digestion to their tender stomacks The next three Paragraphs are but meere invectives as justly you stile your own language The pubishing of this book is a grievous injury to the Parliament against the Parliaments of both Kingdoms for abolishing Episcopacy for defending their own lives and liberties against your Malignant Faction you make them all to be men without any conscience without all faith all Religion all honesty wicked and Rebellious Hypocrites shedders of innocent blood destroyers of many brave spirits and Ancient Families Authors of Massacres murders rapines Villaines more cruâ—ll and bloody then Turks or Infidels whom God will destroy as he did Core and his Complices for their insurrection against Moses and Aron May we not here marvell at your partiality who having seen with your eyes the practises of the Rebels in Ireland and of the Malignants at Oxford you should yet have the conscience to bestow all this good language upon us and no word of it in all your Writs upon them or shall we marvell at the Independents and Erastians wisdome who think it fit upon some mal contentment with their friends to make themselves blazers of such railing and cursed calumnies against themselves and their whole party or shall we marvell at the Parliament partence who permits the Rabshakehs of Oxford to walk peaceably upon the Streets of London and to be welcomed within every doore though openly they cast upon all our faces the excrements of the worst of their passions In the last two Sections of the Preface A Petition extremly unreasonable to believe an infamous mans word without any proefe there is a Prayer and a Prophesie we are prayed to believe and that without probations that all the following Histories are meere Gospel all most true and certaine of this so modest a desire we have a good reason given us fides non extorquetur vi sed ratione exemplis suadetur Ergo we must give up our beliefe and sorce our faith to assent to all that hereafter shall be said though neither Scripture Reason nor Authority be so much as alledged for it I take this Logick to be none of the best What is spoken of the Authors Gravity and Learning wee shall take it as we find it he is as others of the faction for learning neither with the first nor with the last but for effronted boldnesse he is second I dare say to none of them all as for piety none that ever knew him young or old will sweare him guilty of any such imputation That he was an eye witnesse of the Stories he relates is evidently falfe for all except a very few of his Relations are of things past before his birth at least before the yeares of his discretion and what he reports of our late troubles he did not see for then was he busie executing Canterburies commands in his Diocesse of Rosse an out corner of our Kingdome and so soon as that storme began to blow a little loud he quickly fled out of the Land whither he never yet returned being conscious of his deservings for of all the Scots Clergy he alone was declared Incendiary and him only did the justice of the Parliament of Scotland appoint to tread in the last footsteps of William Laud as he had done in the former with great joy The Prophesie is a Prediction of Englands totall destruction A false and mad prophesy if Episcopacy be not restored the warrant of this Prophesie is as good as the former prayer a Bishops jest in the Counsell of Trent and one of Esops Fables upon such grounds alone does this severe Prophet pronounce from the heaven Englands destruction were not a Scotish bit as he calls it very fit for the mouth The whole
Church does proceed not onely in foro interiori conscientsae but also exteriori â—cclâ—siae to censure as it finds cause Thus far you and the most Monarchik of the Prelates goe No Presbytery did ever enter in any process with a supream Magistrate that in doctrine any Presbyterian Divine went ever further I doe not know but in practise never one of them went so far Some Bishops have actually excommunicate the best of the Emperours upon their enormous Scandalls but that any Presbyterian did ever so much as begin a processe with any Prince when they had the greatest provocations thereto it cannot be shewed to this day The Church of Scotland notwithstanding all the crosse actions of King Iames or King Charles against them in overturning not only the accidentalls but many of the substantials of their Religion and in persecuting them without all cause with fire and sword and all the calamities of a bloody warre yet did they never so much as bethink themselves of drawing against any of them or any of their kindred or speciall servants the sword of Church censures The Church of France alwaies wholly Presbyterian when Henry the fourth one of their Members apostatised from them to the Pope did never so much as enter into a consultation of delivering him into the hands of Satan Without all peradventure Presbyterians are much more tender then any other Christians of what ever name to meddle with Magistrates by the censures of the Church In the next Paragraph you flee out againe upon the ruling Elders as if it were absurd for any of their coat to sit in Ecclesiasticall Judicatories all the ground of your quarrell is their want of an Episcopall Commission with this qualification you can admit any Lay-man not onely to sit in Ecclesiasticall Iudicatories but to sit there as sole and onely judge you can make them your Vicar generalls before whom all the Clergy of your Diocesse must stand to be examined and judged for the discharge of their duty in all Ecclesiastick administrations The Prelates have no question with the Presbyterians about the persons of Laymen as they call them whether they may be Members of Spirituall Courts but about their calling both grant the lawfulness of the thing but the Prelats doe found it upon a Commission from themselves The Presbyterians presse their calling from God and the Church according to Scripture What you object of Lay men moderating our Presbyteries and Assemblies All the moderat is of 〈◊〉 â—â—â—embly are preachers is no more then the ordinary practise of our Prelates how often has Sir Nathaniel Brent and other Gentlemen meerly Civilians sitting not only as Prolocutors but aâ— Vicar generalls and so only Iudges before whom the whole Clergy of the Diocesse of London or of Canterbury have appeared as my Lord Bishops subjects for their tryall and censure albeit in Scotland we never had any such custome as you object for the Moderators of our Church meetings doe begin and end with solemn prayers now ruling Elders have not a calling to pray publickly in the Church also they are but assistants in Discipline the principall charge lies upon the labourers in the Word and Doctrine we doe not allow to an Assistant the place of the Principall As for the men whom you name we grant none of them was in the Orders you speak of neither of Deacon Priest nor Bishop you meane preaching Deacons Orthodox men in Scotland as now in England doe reject all these Orders as Popish further I did never heare that any of the three persons you name did ever moderate any of our Assemblies their is no reason that for this or any thing else we should take your bare assertion or the word of any of your Coleagues for a sufficient proofe but giving all you alledge to be true the first man you name you confesse was a Reader now ye know at the beginning of our Reformation our Readers were Ordained to be truly Ministers to be Priests in your dialect for they did exhort and preach as they were able and celebrate the Sacraments The second man you name Mr Melvil was a Doctor of Divinity and so long as Episcopall persecution permitted did sit with great renoune in the prime chaire we had of that faculty George Buchanan had sometimes as I have heard beene a Preacher at St Andrewes after his long travells he was employed by our Church and State to be a Teacher to King James and his Family of his saithfu nesse in this charge he lest I believe to the world good andisati factory tokens the eminency of this person was so great that no society of men need bee ashamed to have been moderated by his wised me Your next exception against the Presbytery is for their Expectants Expectants are not Lay-Preachers these be the Sonnes of the Prophers who in their preparations for the Ministery at their first exercises for assay and tryall are heard in the Presbytery with this practise no reasonable man can finde fault it is naturally impossible for any without a miracle to attaine the habite of preaching but by divers Initiall and preparatory actions where can these be so fitly performed as in the Classes The Expectants are present in the Classes for their training not as Members for they doe not voyce in any matters of Discipline The true mystery of this controversie is that the Expectants are permitted to preach before the holy hands of a Bishop have conferred upon them the Order of a Deacon and so power to preach and baptize The Church of Scotland did alwayes reject this corruption as clearly contrary to Scripture Your gird at the Presbytery of Edenburgh is weak and unconsiderable The Presbytery of Edingburgh usurp no power over any other for that meeting has no power at all above the meanest Presbytery in the Kingdome notwithstanding of all the service which the gifts of the Members thereof may performe to any who are pleased to crave their advice It s not to be supposed but men of eminent gifts where ever they live must have an influence upon many others we doe remember it to our griefe that you and your Companions while you lived in that Presbytery which you mock did send forth your Episcopall Arminian and Popish poyson to all the corners of the Land East West South and North. That King Iames at Hampton Court Pag. 6. King Iames aversion from Presbytery and affliction to Episcopacy makes not this the better not that the worse and elsewhere did speak his pleasure of the Presbytery makes it nothing the worse his resolution to keep up Eiscopacy in England for his own ends moved him to discountenance what ever opposed it yet so that in his Basilicon doron at divers other occasions he gave luculent Testimonies to many Presbyterian Divines of his own acquaintance preferring them for grace and honesty before all those whom he could make willing to accept of Bishopricks The best Princes
Sabbath this to all the godly was a matter of griefe both particular persons and whole Presbyteries have oft regrated it and offered their Petitions to the Councel and Parliament for the remedying thereof but that they ever of themselves did attempt to make any change of Market dayes it is so false as any thing can be you our Prelates as you were taught by your Fathers in England were alwaies passionately desirous to have Sunday counted no Sabbath both by your doctrine and example you laboured to seduce the people to prophane that day with all kinde of publike pastimes all strictnesse about the Sabbath you cryed downe as Puritanick Iudaisme so long as your Kingdome stood this evill was remedilesse but so soon as we got your chaires and thrones as you call them overturned the first Generall Assembly thereafter made it one of their chiefe cares to cause draw a humble petition to the next ensuing Parliament for translating of the Markets of the cheife Burroughs from Munday to Wednesday The Parliament being purged of Episcopall Popish and Malignant Members who oft before had obstructed this gracious worke unanimously did agree to the Petition so that now blessed be God with the good liking of all and to the prejudice of none these market dayes are changed What follows of the Presbyteries violent transporting of Ministers from better places to worse at the pleasure of Noblemen Nor to transport Ministers at any mans pleasure I have known this done by Bishops and their High Commission for no men ever in Scotland did so much flatter the Nobles and assist them if they were resolved to oppresse a Minister as the Prelates but while the Presbyteriall government had any vigour that every man was in this fashion transported I take it to be exceeding false for by the Laws and practise of the Presbyrery disgracefull Transportations are of so great difficulty that since the Bishops were cast out from among us I did never hear of any for no man with us can be put from a better place to a worse but for a fault which as it puts him from one place so readily it will keep him from all others The knavish example he brings of this practise in the Presbytery of Couper They â—ever did dilapidate any benefice I take it to be a meer Episcopall invention no man with whom I have conferred ever heard of any such matter Spotswood the fountaine of his fables is here mute I am confirmed in this opinion by that which he makes the maine scope of the tale the Presbyteries consent to the dilapidation of a Personage such an action is so farre contrary to the rules of all our Presbyteries and to any practise that ever I heard that it makes me take all the rest but for a tale of Robin Hood The Bishops indeed when they professed their greatest zeale to recover all the Church rents out of the hand of the Laity were found to be but too ready to dilapidate unto Noblemen and others too much of the remnant of the Churches patrimony your selfe may remember what bargaine you made as I thinke with the Earle of Seaforth which you know was the first occasion of diminishing your reputation with your great Patron Land of Canterbury I am sure your Colleague Spotswood did sell the whole Abacy of Killwinning to the Noblemen and Gentlemen of Cuningham to the great prejudice and griefe of the University of Glasgow and the Ministers of the bounds who had great interest therein At the Parliament of Lithgow 1606. our good Bishops for their owne base ends did consent in the name of the Church though they had never so much as consulted here in that businesse to the greatest dilapidation that ever was heard of in Scotland the impropriation to Noblemen and Gentlemen at one time of no fewer then sixteen Abbacies every one whereof had incorporate the rents of a number of Parish Churches Too many pranks of this kinde have been plaid by the Prelates and Clergy men of their way but that ever any Presbytery was guilty of such sacrilegious tricks it will never as I imagine be proved What you speake of a Gentlemans confession in Testament of his griefe for deceiving good Ministers is to no purpose Page 12. Nor favour Gentlemen in their wickednesse did not Hypocrites deceive the Apostles but that Ministers did keep him from Church censures for his knowne uncleannesse you know there is no reason to beleeve you upon your bare word the Gentlemans hypocrisie was but small if his villanies were so open that justly he could be challenged for them For your last imputation I know that feuds in Scotland were frequent and lamentable They never did countenance any feud all these were the Prelates crimes also that King Iames labours in suppressing them were happy and successefull but that any Presbytery did ever entertain them it s a lye so grosse that for all your Cretian Art you are not able to bring so much as the colour of on instance to prove it I finde in Spotswood Letters of King Iames to Presbyteries and Synods for their assistance in that gracious work and it is certaine that all the Kings in Christendome had never been able to have abolished these feuds without the helpe of the Ministry Can you tell me of any Bishop that either did endeavour or had such power in the heart of any people as to promove that work one haires breadth I know that the chiefe Bishops for all their open fauning were yet ever esteemed so great haters of the Nobility and prime Gentry that they did little regard how many of them perished your selfe I think knowes that in the feud betwixt the Grahams and the Sandilands none was a better swordman then your Metropolitan Spotswood Your last Paragraph is but a recapitulation of these things which I hope I have demonstrate to be cleer untruths Your next head is of Provinciall Synods Page 13. Prelaticall principles take away the very being of Elderships and Assemblies upon these you are briefe and yet might have spared much of that you bring for the most hath no more relation to Provinciall Synods then to any other Church meeting In the beginning you make the Provinciall Synod to be an apish imitation of an ancient Provinciall Councell consisting of the Metropolitan and his suffragane Bishops intimating hereby what elsewhere you have published and in your declinator of the Assembly at Glasgow subscribed That the very constitution of all our Synods is vitious as consisting of Members whom reason and Antiquity does exclude all Iurisdiction belongs to Bishops a preaching Presbyter has no more to do with it then a ruling Presbyter without an Episcopall commission by vertue hereof a man of any coat may sit and voice in a Synod without this none but Bishops themselves may have place there That which you make the politick stratagem of the Gamaliels as you call them of our Land Presbytetians would not
best Governour that any King of Scotland did ever injoy this man did Huntly kill without any cause at all but his owne meere envy and malice for these crimes he was againe excommunicate the Earle of Argile at the Kings intreaty and direction persued him with an Army of ten thousand men many hundreds of these good subjects were killed by that Rebell when after Argiles deseat the King himselfe with his prime Nobles went out against him he with displayed banner went to the fields against the King all this Spotswood reports at length Let any conscientious man here be judge King Iames for his owne respects requires a conscientious Minister to consent and concurre with him to obtain from the next ensuing Assembly the absolution of such a man from the censure of Excommunication for this was the main question the honest Minister could not be perswaded to consent unto the relaxation of such a bloody obstinate Apostate confessed by all to be still imponitent from the censures either of Church or State As for the inconveniences his Majesty did alledge the dangers from the Papists of England if Huntly and the Popish party in Scotland were too much irritate was it any great crime for Mr. Bruce to differ in this from his Majesty and to tell him plainly that which was the opinion of all the good Ministers of Scotland though the ground of the Kings quarrell with them That it would prove his best policy to make fast with the Protestant party of England and over-sea renouncing all correspondency either with Papists or Prelates that if he walked upon this ground God and his right would carry him through all both seen and imagined difficulties The world long agoe is satisfied with the wisedome of this advice for it was quickly found that too much connivence and compliance with Papists did bring that Prince upon the very brinke of ruine for the Popish party of England finding themselves disappointed of their great hopes did run to the desperate attempts of the Powder-plot and other Treasons Also the keeping up of the Bishops was a great cause of all the mischiefes which since that time to this day have fallen either upon our Church or State It is true the words you ascribe to Mr. Bruce are very unmannerly but who will beleeve that ever any such phrases proceeded from the mouth of so grave and wise a man your only Author is Spotswood His testimony in this case ought not to be trusted but if you will looke to the matter of Mr. Bruce his counsell I subject it to the touchstone of the severest censurers Upon the fourth head of Generall Assemblies Page 18 19 20 21. The reason of the Authors malice against the generall Assembly you spew out the whole remnant of your gall the wrath of a child does kindle against the whip that scourges him I will not remember you of the dogs snarling at the stone that hath hit him The Generall Assembly for just causes did chastise you with their sharpest rod of Excommunication they did deliver you into the hands of the Father of lyes and Blasphemies if there were no more then what here you write it is a demonstration that the sentence of that Reverend Assembly against you is ratified in heaven and that God in his justice according to the word of his faithfull servant hath delivered your obstinate soule to be acted by that evill spirit who else could move you to blaspheme the crowne of Christ and the holy One of Israel by name and to make the holy Scriptures the ordinary channell through which your profane girds at the Generall Assembly must run What you bring the most of it is so impertinent and so remote from all relation to any Assembly and set downe in such confusion that the very effects though the cause were not knowne may evidence the distraction of your Spirit I shall handle the fieryest of your darts as they come from your furious hands You make us to ascribe to our General Assembly False and rayling slanders against the generall Assembly a jurisdiction universall and infallible you will have it to meddle with all affaires both Spirituall and Temporall you would make the world beleeve that all disobedience thereto is censured with excommunication and that it commands the King to punish iâ— estate body and life all who disobey otherwise that it causes the King himselfe to be dethroned and killed this often you repeat moreover you call this Assembly an untamed furious Beast you advise the King much rather to submit himself to the Pope then to be in the reverence therof what spirit makes you break out into such discourses your selfe will see if ever God give you repentance however it is evident that lyes and malice do here strive which shall predominate The Generall Assembly in Scotland hath no more power then what the Parliaments since the first Reformation have heartily allowed unto them they meddle with no temporall case at all It exercises no power but what the King and the Laws authorize and all the spirituall cases which to this day they have touched may be reduced to a few heads That every disobedience brings with it Excommunication is a wide slander we doe not excommunicate but for a grievous transgression joyned with extraordinary obstinacy This censure is so rare with us that a man may live long and before his death never be witnesse to it What civil punishment the State in their wisedome findes meet to impose on a person who contemnes the Ordinances of God let themselves be answerable But that the Assembly medles with any mans life or goods is like the rest of your Assertions and yet no more false then the other lye you have here That ever any Assembly of the reformed Churches upon the highest provocations did take it so much as in debate to excommunicate much lesse to dethrone any King its most false but the Spirit that leads you must be permitted to breath out his naturall aire and to lye according to his very ancient custome You object it once and againe that the Commissioners of Burroughs and Universities are received as Members in our generall Assemblies behold the greatnesse of this crime The Commissioners of Burroughs and Vniversities are all Elders out of every Classicall Presbytery we allow one ruling Elder to goe as Commissioner to that Nationall meeting and if there be a royall Burgh within the bounds we allow two and three if there be an University What would you say to the Parliament of England who appoints foure ruling Elders out of every Classis to accompany two Ministers to the Assembly though there be neither Burrough not University in the bounds of this we are carefull that whoever comes either from Cities or Universities be not only ruling Elders but also have an expresse approbation from the Eldership What you speak of the Kings presence in our Assemblies We ascribe to the King so much power
there was no controversie in the year 1580 betwixt the Church and the Court The privie counsell had subscribed all that book with some reservation about Church rents the Generall Assemblies oft did agree to it without any exception his Majestie himselfe in the fore named year did send to the Assembly with an expresse commissioner the platform of all the Presbiteries which therafter were erected over all Scotland which against all the Prelats assaults have ever stood firme to this day so your alleagencies are exceeding false that the Presbiteries were erected without the Kings authority and that in the yeare 1580 the Government of our Church was Episcopall these are putide thredbare lyes The Generall Assembly did never allow of Abbots and Priors as Churchmen and though they pressed the great unjustice that Popish Bishops and lay Abbots should 〈◊〉 in Parliament in name of the Church to vote as the third estate The Generall Assembly did never approve of Abbots and Priors Estate without any Commission from the Church yet it was never their intention to have any of their owne number appointed by themselves to vote in Parliament in name of the Church of Scotland For when King Iames a little before his going to England was very earnest with the generall Assembly to accept of that as a favour they forseeing the snare did resolutely reject it ever til his Maje by very great dealing did draw a plurality of an unadvised Assembly to embrace that power of voting in Parliament but with a nuÌ„ber of Caveats which wise men foresaw would never be kept That Master Melvil or any Presbitery of that Land had ever any hand in impropriating or disapidating any part of the Church Rent is farre from truth But that your good Colleagues the Prelats in the Parliament 1606. made a bargaine for alienating from the Church for ever no fewer then 16. Abbays at one time I declared before About that time what the practises of the disciplinarians aâ— London might be I doe not know but this is certaine that Mr. Cartwright and all the old nonconformists in England were our deare Brethren and made a waies the Government of the Church of Scotland the measure of their desires that betwixt us and the Antiepiscopall party here was never any difference till the unhappy Separatists and their Children the Independents did make it Your invenomed invective against the present Reformation of both Kingdomes as a monstrous deformation we let it lye in your owne bosome to keep you warme till you be pâ—eased to bring all of it abroad in that Anatomie which here you promise but we expect no performance till you first have had leasure as likewise you stand engaged by your word to put the foure Limbes unto that Gorgons head of your Turkish Monarchy which some yeares agoe you set up at Oxford P. 36. The Ministers in Scotland were wont to give the King seasonable Counsell but in all wisdome and humility In your 36. p. you run upon our Assemblies for appointing Ministers to Preach pertinent doctrine and advising them who did Preach to the King and State to speake a word in season for the wee ll of Sion at that time as I shew before their was a mighty designe to advance the Catholick League for the overthrow of Queene Elizabeth and all Protestants the prime Courtiers were diligent Agents herein the men who were trusted to be watchmen to the Kings person and Family if at such a time they should have beene silent they could not have answered it either to God or man You and your gracious companions who never had a mouth to divert a Prince from any evill course were yet loud trumpets of fury in the most of your Sermons and Prayers to inflame him against his two Puritan Parliaments of Britaine but to calme him towards his innocent and Catholick trusty Subjects of Ireland That any Assembly in Scotland ever challenged the sole power of indicting fasts is in the ordinary predicament of your assertions under the spece of palpable untruths P. 37.38 No affront was offered to the King by the fast at Edinburgh Of the feast at Edinburgh p. 37. I have given in the other Treatise a full accompt only I add here that in this your relation you makeit more false then any other of your friends who write thereof the King was neither invited nor present the originall of the motion was not from the King but the French Merchants for their owne ends the Magistrates of Edinburgh did not countenance the feast for of their foure Bailies three kept the fast the appointers of that abstinence were not the Ministers but the Magistrates and the Congregationall Eldership not the supreame but the lowest judicatory of the Church the Processe against the Magistrates and the Kings great Solicitation that it might be Superceeded ar meerly fabulous I have also given a large account of your next calumnie in the other Treatis If any should Preach Treason with us he is censurable both by Church and state no man in Scotland did ever maintaine that a Minister Preaching Treason might not be conveened and punished by the Magistrate according to the Lawes All Mr. Melvils plea was that a Minister of the Church of Scotland and a member of the University of St. Andrews being priviledged by the antient and late Lawes of the Kingdome was not necessitate at the first instance to answer before the privy counsell for a passage of his Sermon which most falsly was said to be treasonable The whole case I have opened at large else where The acts of Parliament you speake of warranting an unreasonable Supremacy were procured in the yeare 1584. by that insolent Tyrant Captain Iames and the Declaration upon them was penned by Bishop Adamson also both the Acts and the Declaration were recalled by the King and Parliament That any invectives against his Majesties person for these acts were spread abroad we doe deny it we think it very possible that much might both have been spoken and written against the matter of these acts but that any man was so unmannerly as to fall upon the King himselfe before we beleeve it we must have a greater evidence then a Prelates Testimony What you say of the fugitive Ministers The Erastian and Prelaticall principles brought great trouble on the Ministers of Scotland as Spotswood relates it was thus The acts of that Parliament 1584. were so bitter and grievous to all the gracious Ministers of Scotland that many of them fled out of the Kingdome and diverse of the prime laid downe their life as it seemes of meere greife Mr. Smeeton Principall Mr. of the Uniuersity of Glasgow and Mr. Arbuthnot of the University of Aberdeen both dyed that yeare all the Ministers of Edinburgh fled to England and the cheife of them Mr. Lawson went to London Adamson Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews at that time kept great correspondence with the Bishops of England who without any
they were not in a capacity to receave it till once they were an Assembly so with Lauristons good liking they did pray and chose their Moderator and Clerke thereafter they did receive and read the Letters discharging the Assembly to which they gave present obedience and did no more at all but appointed the next meeting according to the expresse act of Parliament Lauriston after the Assembly was dissolved was so officious as by a Lyon herauld with a publike Proclamation to command them to be gone this Proclamation most falsly he did antidate as if it had beene used before the Ministers sat downe hereupon the Ministers were convened before the secret Counsell for keeping of a Conventicle contrary to the Kings command they answered as Spotswood says that they had done nothing but according to the Laws both divine and humane That the Generall Assembly had right to meet in the great necessities of the Church and the Laws of Scotland gave them expresse warrant to meet Lauriston told them that the King might delay all meetings both of Church and State Parliaments and Assemblies so long as he pleased they replyed that they could doe nothing against the Kings mind so long as they followed the expresse order of his standing Lawes When the King and state has past an act for Trienniall Parliaments and the Commissioners of shires doe meet at the day appointed to fence a Parâ—iament according to Law and long uncontroverted custome if by evill Counsell the King should not only delay but by a Proclamation put of the meeting to an uncertaine and infinite time ought these Commissioners for following the instructions of their shires according to Law and custome be lyable to any censure the case now in hand is just the same The Ministers did plead further that the privie Councell was not a competent Judicatorie to the question what was a lawfull or unlawfull Assembly that by the Lawes of the Kingdome such questions were to be decided by a lawfull Generall Assembly and not elsewhere At that time Doctor Bancroft was Patron to the naughty Preacher of Scotland who were panting for Bishopricks and as after the conference at Hampton Court he had moved the King to crush the most of the gracious Brethren of England who could not submit to Episcopacie and its Ceremonies So then did he hasten a Message to the Councell of Scotland for the condemning all who adhered to the Assembly of Aberdeen of high Treason To maintaine a power in the Church to keep an Assembly or in the State to keep a Parliament whether to begin or to continue it when the King did discharge though the Law did expresly warrant it was to oppose the Royall prerogative and could be no lesse then the highest treason especially if any did decline the Judgement of the Privy Counsell or any other Judicatorie to which the King was pleased to referre the decision of this case though the nature of the thing and the Law did require the question to bee determined in another Court For this plea a number of gracious Ministers were condemned by an Assize to be executed as Traitours but thereafter as it were of great favour and speciall grace their lives were spared yet were they all presently banished never to returne to any of the Kings Dominions while they lived All the godly and wise in the Land did cry out upon this Act of the Candidats of Episcopacie as of the highest unjustice and Tyranny All the sufferers were men exceedingly beloved Mr. Welsh and Master Forbes their oppression but some of them were very eminent Master Forbes was a man of so great learning and prudence that in Germany both higher and lower yea with King Iames himselfe and King Charles he was held while he lived in singular reputation Master Welsh was a man altogether Apostolike of rare both learning and piety The fame of this mans zeale was so great that not only the Protestants of France but the very Popish Priests and Souldiers yea the prophanest of the Court and King Lewis himselfe at the very time of his hottest persecutions did much prize and reverence him yet so great was the rage of the Bishops against him that when in his old age and great sicknesse he came over to England and according to the direction of his Phisitians did supplicate to be permitted to breath a little in his naturall aire though he was altogether unable for preaching or making any more sturre in the world it was peremptorily denyed him unlesse he should give assurance of putting his necke under the Episcopall yoke not being able to doe this he was forced to dye out of hâ—â— Country a banished man Who would not have thâ—â—â—ht that the ruine of so many gracious men might haâ—â—â—â—lly satiate the malice of a few ambitious persons Bancroft a persecutor of the Scottish Presbiterians buâ—â—â— they were not content they proceeded farther in their cruelty they moved the King to call up to London a number of more Divines who for piety zeale and learning were of greatest reputation The pretext was faire and his Majesties Letter to them courteous he required them to come up to give him their best advice how the Church of Scotland might best be settled in peace but behold Bancrofts and the Scottish Episcopaturians fraud they are brought before the King and Councell and there are posed with a number of dangerous and insnaring questions to which they declined to answer yet being much pressed they gave in their mind in writing so humbly and prudently as was possible no quarrell could be picked against any of their words yet were they all arrested to stay at London till contrary to Law and the order of the Church and the heart of all the godly their adversaries were set downe in Scotland upon their Episcopall Thrones Mr. Andrew Melvil The undoing of Mr. Andrew and Mr. James Melvils a great Light to the Scottish Nation for his free speeches after great provocation against the English Bishops and Ceremonies to which he a stranger called up by the Kings friendly Letter did owe no subjection was kept prisoner three whole yeares and then was sent over to Sedan where he lived to his death a banished man His Nephew Mr. Iames Melvil for his excellent parts in great favour with the King but unable to comply with Episcopall designes was kept out of Scotland till his dying day the rest were at last sent home but all of them as Prisoners confined to certaine places These were the first fruits of the English Prelacie in Scotland but yearly thereafter that tree did bring forth such grapes of Gomorrha among us that the Land could be at no peace till it was cut downe yea plucked up by the rootes It might have satisfied the unnaturall malice of a very wicked child P. 41. Prelaticall calumnies to have bespattered the face of his innocent mother with the halfe of the former very injurious and false calumnies yet you
did enquire at the Noblemen how they durst conveene without his expresse warrant Lindsay by kind a zealous Spirit but ever most Loyall being in passion at this question that when their Lives and Religion as they conceaved were in extreame and present hazard they should be quarrelled for meeting in a peaceable manner only to draw a modest supplication did say that they durst doe more then meet to supplicate with these words his Majestie was offended but not in that degree as to cast downe his countenance on the Noble man therefore only he went away without giving any answer to their petition What here you add of your owne of craving justice against the Counsellors of laying hold upon some of their garments all is grosly false even Spotswood being Judge who had much better reason to know the Acts of that day then you who then was scarce borne but he was one of the most diligent of all the company to arme himselfe and all others he could especially his patâ—on Tarfichen The Messengers returning to them that sent them reported the matter as it was that his Majestie had not deigned them with any answer at all this did much increase the feare of the whole company while they are in consultation what to doe some without the doors suborned by the malecontent Courtiers did cry that Huntly and the Popish Lords were comming upon them to make a massacre Master Robert Bruce did what he was able to compose the people but amazement had stopped their eares all got to their Arms in which they did not continue a full half houre for before the Sermon ended it behoved to be nere ten and before they could conveene draw up their supplication goe to the King and returne doubtles it was more then eleven and long before twelve all the tumult was quieted the King on foot went downe the streets in peace to his dinner in the Abby and came up againe to Counsell before two of the clocke no violence at all was so much as offered to any man The people being frighted and apprehending upon very probable grounds a present surprise of their towne and persons run to their Arms for defence but finding no Enemie to appeare presently they laid aside their weapons without any compulsion either from the Hammer men or any other for such a poore resistance as all their opposits were able then to have made could have saved no man out of their hand to whom they had intended any reall harme No tumult in the world was ever more harmeles in the effects nor more innocent in the causes if you consider all those who did openly act therein What you speake of a Letter to Hamilton you are extreamely malitious therein when you have told us two great untruths first that the result of the Ministers deliberation was to goe to armes Secondly that they did conclude to pull the Counseliours from His Majesties side in both which Spoâ—swood who was present at all these Counsells is against you you will contradict him in this third also for he tells us that there was no word of any Letter to any man that day of the tumult but to morrow when at Court their was nothing heard but hanging of Ministers and Citizens heading of Noblemen and Barons razeing of the Towne of Edinburgh and plowing of it to be sowen with Salt then some Letters were appointed to be sent to Hamilton Bacleugh and others to come and countenance their Brethren that Religion might not be ruined this was all the direction as your Author setts it downe He says indeed that Master Robert Bruce wrot some more to my Lord Hamilton but who dare trust a Prelates word when his designe is to disgrace his enemy or if all were true what does the Letter of any particular Minister concerne the Church of Scotland or the Generall Assembly This was the 17. day of December the Courtiers and Prelaticall faction did exaggerate it to the most horrid rebellion that ever was upon the earth but how unjustly Queen Elizabeth by her wise Letters recorded by Speâ—swood does well declare It was indeed a most sad day to all the Godly but most joyfull to all their enemies for as they did insolently but too truly boast it paved them a very faire way to bring Prerogative to its Throne yea to set it up upon the highest pinacle of power they could desire and withall to make Bishops get upon their kicking horse which before would never receave them It put into the hand of the Prince a facility without any hazard of future resistance to doe in the Church and State what ever seemed good in his eyes Such advantages are exceeding sweet in the mouth and are swallowed downe with a great deale of greedinesse by those who long have been lying in waite to catch them but ere all bee done they become in the belly wormwood and gall as the royall family to our griefe but the Prelates and Malignant Courtiers to our good enough liking doe feele this day Wee are come at last to the end of your Calumnious stories which your selfe upon very good reason confesseth to be wearisome Mr. Iames Melvil vindicated from assisting of Bothuel against the King But yet before you can be drawne off you must hint at on another as false and malicious as any of the former Your Author in this and the rest of your narrations is only Spotswood whom in this wicked fable though you and he both would sweare it no intelligent Scotsman would beleeve Who will believe that Master James Melvil a most gracious and wife man very much in favour with the King more then any of those who then were hunting after Bishopricks that this faithfull man having in his hands the religious aimes and charitable contribution of the Country to the distressed towne of Geneva the City in the whole world which Scotland at that time loved best should send it to the Earle Bothwell to raise an Army against the King at a time when his Majestie was in so good tearmes with the Church as ever either after or before when the Towne of Edinborough was most ready for one word of the Kings mouth to run out presently with him and fight with Bothwell who then was much hated by all the godâ—y for his adulteries and other personall crimes and was knowne to bee confederate with the popish Lords against the Church and who lately in the eighty eight had been a forward perswader to invade England by Land as the Spaniards did by Sea that such a man should be assisted against the King and Town of Edinborough by any moneys much lesse by the almes gathered for Geneva and that al this should be done by Master Iames Melvil is such a calumnie as Satan could not fancie a falser but a farre more foolish lyar then either you or Spotswood might easily have contrived a more probable fable this is like the Tale of Beza's conversion to poperie of Calvins consultation to
forenamed Masters of the Court did much adde for the allaying whereof this Declaration was penned but to no purpose as Spotswood himself tels us m Spotswoods Story lib. 6. p. 177. This Declaration gave not much satisfaction so great was the discontent For no satisfaction was ever taken till both the Duke Chancellour Secretary and Archbishop Adamson were banished the Court and the acts of Parliament of their invention abolished as noxious and evill There was never any Warrant for Printing of this Writ What is here said of King James his command to publish this Declaration I do not find it verified in any Register either of the Church or Kingdome of Scotland that hath fallen in my hand but if any such command did come from him at that time of his minority and great tentation through the continuall evill offices of them that then managed his Counsels it were a case no more strange then these which often since we have seen in both Kingdomes many Proclamations and Declarations by false and wicked informations have been drawne from King James and King Charles and many other Princes which upon better advisement have been called in and buried the Proclamation concerning sports and playes upon the Sabbath the Service-Book and Book of Canons the Declarations of the Rebellion of the Parliaments of both Kingdomes we all know For my part I love not to rake out â—f the grave the carcases of these buried Writs for the infamy of the Prince or the prejudice of the Subject We shall sâ—y no more to the preface Pag 2. come to the interpretation of these offensive Acts of that Parliament at Edenburgh 1584. As for the first Act the explanation here made upon it did no way remove its offence for both the Act and its explanation attribute to the Ministers only the administation of the Word and Sacraments without any mention at all of any discipline this seems to have been one chiefe cause why the worshipfull Licenser was pressed with so much importunity to give his Imprimatur to this Writ as if this passage had been a demonstration of King James his Erastianisme but let the world take notice of the grossenesse of this mistake by this short information The Commissioners of the generall Assembly King James was far from Erastianisme were required by his Majesty at the Parliament of Lithgou 1585. to give him in the grounds of their grievances against the Acts of the Parliament at Edenbrugh 1584. here explained n Collection Master Andrew Melvill had been plaine with the King divers dayes at length the King desired the Ministers to exhibit in writ what exceptions they had against the Parliament held in Anno 1584. whereupon they exhibit to the King these animadversions following In their Animadversion upon the Act now in hand they did shew his Majesty that the power of Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction and Church-Censures did belong to them by divine right no lesse then the power of preaching the Word and Celebrating the Sacraments o Animadversions The power of the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven consisteth not onely in preaching and administration of the Sacraments but also in jurisdiction and removing of offences out of the Kirk of God and excommunication of the disobedient to be pronounced by these that are officers of the Church our warrants out of the Word of God for this part of the liberty of the Church we are to bring forth when your Majesty pleaseth Also that the Lawes of the Kingdome ever fince the Reformation did ratifie that their right p Ibid. This Act restricted the liberty granted byother Acts of Parliament of before concerning discipline and correction of manners which were established by a Law in the first yeer of your Majesties Reigne and that hitherto they had bin in peaceable possessioÌ„ thereof q Ibid. There is a spirituall jurisdiction where of the Office-bearers within the Kirk in this Realm have been in peaceable possession and use these twenty four yeer by past whereof followed no trouble but great quietnesse in the Kirke and Common-wealth The King in his Reply to this animadversion does not deny any of these Alleageances yea he declares under his hand that he did not intend to take from Church Officers any part of the Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction but onely so to regulate the execution of Discipline that some part thereof might be put in the hand of Prelates this was the onely point in controversie r The Kings Declaration the first Act maketh onely mention of the preaching of the Word Sacraments not thereby to abrogate any good further policy and jurisdiction in the Kirke but allanerly to remit a part thereof to the Acts ensuing and the most which as yet are not agreed upon nor concluded I intend God willing to cause to be perfected by a godly generall Assembly Whence it appeares how far his Majesty was from all Erastianisme though his affection to prelacy at that time was too great which yet he changed quickly thereafter as we shall see anon The explanation of the second Act The sum of the next Paragraph consists of a Narrative and Ordinance builded thereupon the Narrative has the alledged misbehaviours of some Ministers Master Andrew Melvile alone is named as joyning in conspiracies with Rebels against the King as Preaching seditious Doctrine and disclaining the King and Counsell of State for his Judges The Ordinance is concerning the Kings Supremacy divers things are here jumbled together confusedly and odiously to these two purposes by the Abbot of Dunfermeling Secretary for the time the Penner of this passage as Adamson the writer of the rest confesseth Å¿ Adamsons recantation The Secretary himselfe penned the second Act of Parliament concerning the power of Judicatories to be absolutely in the King and that it should not be lawfull for any Subject to reclame from the same under the penalty of the Act which I suppose was treason Concerning the first Master Melvill his worth Master Andrew Melvils case the Narrative is most untrue as I shall make good by undeniable evidence Master Melvil was an excellent Divine the principall professour of Divinity in the University first of Glasgow and then of S. Andrewes full of piety eloquence and learning of all sorts so eminent in zeale for the truth that his remembrance is yet very precious not in Scotland alone but in other reformed Churches his heroicke courage made him an eye-sore to the Masters of the Court whose wickednesse he and his Schollars according to their place and duty did masculously oppose From this it was and nothing else that an Accusation was invented against him as for seditious and treasonable words against the Kings Mother Queen Mary then prisoner in England When he came to his Answer upon his solemne Oath Cleer grounds for his justification he denied his Charge t The Collection I Master Andrew Melvill protest before God and his elect
unlawfull correction follow after according to the Word of God no man in Scotland did ever assert such things but the Question was as Spotswood himselfe states it Whether the Counsell was a competent Judge to Malter Melvils doctrine in prima instantia these were the expresse tearmes e Spotswoods Story fol. 175. yeer 1583. l. 6. he affirmed that what was spoken in Pulpit ought first to be tryed by the Presbytery and that neither the King nor Counsell might in prima instantia meddle therewith Master Melvill did protest for the liberties of the Church ratified by law avowing that as civil actiōs could not be called from before the ordinary Judicato ies to the Counsell Table though the King by his Letters should command it so causes meerly Ecclesiasticall should not be brought from the Presbyteries and Synods at least in the first instance He did also protest that the liberties of the Vniversity should not be violate for it was a priviledge of old conferred and very lately confirmed both by King and Parliament that no member of the University should be called before any Judicatory to the time their cause was heard and discussed within the University it selfe f Second Book of Discipline p. 25. Although Kings and Princes that be godly sometimes by their owne authority when the Kirk is corrupted and all things out of order place Ministers and restore the true service of the Lord after the example of some godly Kings of Juda and divers godly Emperours and Kings also in the light of the new Testament yet where the Ministry c. whether these Protestations were treasonable and dissonant from the Lawes and constant practice of Scotland will appeare more anon so much of the narrative The Ordinance pretended to be made upon occasion of Master Melvils misbehaviour What Supremacy is Irwfull was the Act of the Kings Supremacy over all persons That none should decline his Highnesse Authority Where it is to be observed that the contrivers of this Declaration while they endeavour to shew the occasion and rise of that second Act from Master Meloil and other Ministers their stirring up of people to Rebellion against their native King and their refuling to acknowledge the Soveraigne judgement for a godly quietnesse and order in the Common-wealth to appertaine to his Highnesse care and solicitude And it being professed in the same Declaration concerning that Act that his Majesties intention was onely to represse that immunity priviledge and exemption invented by the Pope to exempt himselfe and his Clergie from all judgement of Princes Yea the Declaration expressy waveth th Question of the Kings Supremacy in judging of cause Ecclesiasticall as not belonging to that present condition of affaires the Question being neither concerning heresies interpretation of Scripture the lawfull and ordinary Ecclesiasticall Judgement for preserving and maintaining Church Discipline nor concerning the power of Synods but concerning some of the Ministry joyning themselves as is there pretended to Rebels and disquieting the State These things considered it will appeare that as this Declaration infinitely wrongeth these learned and godly Ministers who were far from any disloyall doctrines or popish tenents concerning the immunity of Ministers from all judgement of Princes in matters belonging to quietnesse and order in the Common-wealth so it doth not cleerly hold forth that which peradventure was intended and is endeavoured in point of the Magistrate his supremacy in Ecclesiasticis by some who were very solicitous to have this Declaration reprinted whose principles suffer them not to rest satisfied with that measure of power which in a reformed and well constructed Church doth by the Word of God and by the Doctrine of the ancient and reformed Churches belong to the civill Magistrate in reference to Religion and causes Ecclesiasticall wherein also their power is further enlarged in extraordinary cases when the ordinary wayes and meanes of reformation cannot be had Some hopes it seemes there were to find in this Declaration another kind of Supremacy which is now the idol of many mifinformed minds which is also hightned farre above the moderate interpretations which were given by Doctor Bilson and Doctor Vsher I meane such a supremacy The Erastian Supremacy is more then a Turkish tyranny as makes the Magistrate the head and fountaine of all Jurisdiction Civill and Ecclesiastick which makes all powers within His Dominions to be but rivolets and streames derived from his Ocean making all the members of all Courts Spirituall and Civill to be but Commissioners at pleasure of the Prince putting all Lawes under his arbitrement and the Legislative power in his brest alone changing Parliaments into his arbitrary Counsels for matters of State as generall Assemblies for matters of the Church putting it in his free will to lay aside for ever both Parliaments and Assemblies and to set up in their places what Courts they thinke expedient for all causes of all persons that they may if so it be their pleasure commit the finall decision of all Ecclesiastick causes to some few Church and Statesmen of their owne nomination under the title of a High Commission or to two or three either of the Church or State under the name of Delegats or to any one Gentleman alone under the name of a Vicar generall also they may devolve the last determination of all civill causes upon a few favourites whether of the long or short Robe under the stile of a Star Chamber or Counsell Table or Cabinet counsell or private Juncto If this be the supremacy which the reprinters of the Declaration aime at we grant that many Prelats and Courtiers have alwayes been of their mind but I assure them the Scots Divines did ever abhorre such slavish maximes such a supremacy has alwayes been the fundamentall Law in the grand Segniors Port at Constantinople it has been for many yeers the possessed Prerogative of the French and Spanish Monarchs also from their example it has been the aime and endeavour not onely of other Kings but almost of all Princes and Soveraigne States how pettie soever so much is a sovereigne despotick and uncontroleable Domination naturally beloved by all who are in any neernesse or hope to attaine it But it is a morsell that has stuck with so many in the swallowing and poysoned so many in the digestion though swallowed downe that few who are wise will adventure any more to taste of it notwithstanding if the appetite of the publishers of this Writ will not be satisfied with any thing lesse then such a Supremacy let them be pleased to consider First If either King or Parliament admit of it it wil overthrow both and the whole Nation with them that this kind of supremacy will fall upon a subject where their harts wil be loath it should lodg it wil be found rather a part of the royall Prerogative then any Priviledge of Parliament and although according to their good friends last warning to the City the Crowne were broken
Pope to take in his hand both the Swords nnn Animadversions To confound the Jurisdiction Civill and Ecclesiasticall is that thing wherein all men of good judgement have justly found fault with the Pope of Rome who claimeth to himselfe the power of both the swords which is as great a fault to a Civill Magistrate to claime or usurpe and especially to judge upon doctrine errours and heresies he not being placed in Ecclesiasticall function to interpret the Scriptures the warrant hereof out of the Word of God we are ready to bring forth his Majesty did put it under his own hand that these things were far from his thoughts that he was no Judge either of doctrine or heresie or of the interpretation of Scripture that neither he nor his Parliament did meddle w th Excommunication that they had pronoūced the excommunication of Mountgomery to be null not as Judges of the cause but as witnesses of the informality of the processe he confessed that Jesus Christ was the onely head and Law-giver of his Church and that if he should claime to himself or his heirs any thing meerly Ecclefiastick which the Word of God has put in the hands of Church officers that if he or any man should suspend or alter any thing which the Word of God did remit onely to them he avowed that these attempts in himselfe or any other would be nothing else but as he speaks the sinne of Idolatry and a transgression against all the three Persons of the Trinity against the Father in not trusting the words of his Son against the Son in not obeying him but taking his place over his head ooo Kings Declaration Never shall I nor ever ought my Posterity acclaime any power or Jurisdiction in a matter meerly Ecclesiasticall as to the Commissioners not Ecclesiasticall they are joyned to give their advices and not to interpose their authority while Christ sayes Dic Ecclefias and one onely man did steale that dint against the Bishop of Glasgow in a quiet holl the Act of Parliament reduceth the sentence for informality and nullity of processe not as Judges whether the excommunication was grounded on good and just causes or not but as witnesses that it was unformally proceeded and to end shortly this my Declaration I mind not to cut away any liberty granted by God to his Church I acclaime not to my selfe to be judge of doctrine or true interpretation of Scripture my intention is not to discharge any Jurisdiction in the Kirke that is conforme to Gods Word nor to discharge any Assembly but onely that these shall be holden by my License and Counsellours my intention is not to meddle with excommunication neither acclaime I to my selfe or my heirs power in any thing that is meere Ecclesiasticall and not adiaphoron nor with any thing that Gods Word hath simply devolved in the hands of his Ecclesiasticall Kirk and to conclude I confesse and acknowledge Christ Jesus to be head of his Church and Lawgiver to the same and whatsoever persons doe attribute to themselves as head of the Church and not as members to suspend or alter any thing that the Word of God hath onely remitted to them That man I say committeth manifest Idolatry and sinneth against the Father in not trusting the words of his Son against the Son in not obeying him and taking his place against the holy Ghost the said holy spirit bearing the contrary record to his conscience against the holy Ghost because against the Spirits Testimony in his own conscience I hope they who are so earnest to have King James heard in this cause though in a false and suppositious Writ will be content to hear him in his true Declaration under his own hand The third part of the Writ containes an enumeration of his Majesties intentions The pretended intentions were not the Kings but the Prelats concerning them we need adde little to what is said onely consider first that Adamson the Author of the Writ assures us that there is nothing or little here of the Kings intentions ppp Recantation I have enterprized of meere remorse of conscience to write against a Book called The Declaration of the Kings Majesties intentions albeit it containeth little or nothing of the Kings intentions but of my own in the time of the writing thereof and the corrupt intentions of such as for the time were about the King and abused his minority in the whole Book is nothing contained but assertions of lyes ascribing to the Kings Majesty that whereof he was not culpable I grant I was more busie with some Bishops in England in prejudice of the discipline of our Kirke partly when I was there and partly since by mutuall intelligence then became a good Christian much lesse a faithfull Pastor being that he did here set downe onely his owne intentions and these of the Courtiers and Prelates at that time of their highest pride and greatest oppression of the religious party Secondly The Reprinters of this Writ seeme to bee perjured men and either hypocrits or Apostates the errours and faults that appeare in these intentiōs are of two kinds Prelaticall and Erastian For the first not onely the Author did recant them but also as we have now often said King James with the States Assembled in Parliament did expresly condemne them and at this time they stand condemned in the whole Isle by King Charles in his Parliament of Scotland and by both the Houses of the Parliament of England who ever now wil tak the patrociny of the Prelaticall war doth set his face against the King and Parliaments of both Nations and if he be a member of Parlia in either Nation whoaccording to his place must needs have sworn the National Covenant for his endeavor to establish what by his Covenāt he was boūd to his power to have extirpated Let him be cast with ignominy out of these honourable Senates as a false and perjured hypocrite planting by deed what by Oath and Covenant he promised to eradicat or else an Apostate repenting and retracting while now he is set in Parliament what at his entry upon oath he promised that he might be permitted to sit downe such perjured whether hypocrisie or apostacy cannot but be abominable both to God and all ingenuous men As for the Erastianisme of these intentions Cesaro-Papisme is Antichristianisme worse then that of the Pope whereby the Bishops are made pleni-potentiaries in the Church by vertue of a Commission from the Magistrate we have shewed at length how farre King James disclaimed this errour as a grievous sinne against the Father Son and holy Ghost for the thing it selfe makes the Magistrate head of the Church and fountaine of all Ecclesiastick Jurisdiction This Cesaro-papisme is an Antichristianisme so much worse then that of the Pope as more uncontrolable and remedilesse the servants of God in their wrastlings against the Antichistianisme of the Pope and Prelats had often times great
happinesse who retard impedit the erection of such a government The retarders of goverment are enemies to themselves welfare of England nothing will more conduce for the honour and welfare of the Land no mean will be more effectuall to keep all people in peace and obedience to the Lawes to promove the comfort of all who are truly pious then the hearty concurrence of the Church and State in setting up at last and maintaining the government of the reformed Churches according to the Word of God Beleeve it this discipline is neither hatefull nor terrible to any but to these alone who know it not or else are conscious to themselves of a wilfull and obstinate resolution to abide in some errour or vice without the controlement of any censure The Recantation of PATRICK ADAMSON sometime pretended Bishop of St. Andrewes directed to the Synod conveened at St. Andrewes April 8. 1591. BRETHREN UNderstanding the proceedings of the Assembly in my contrair and being now with-holden by sicknesse from presenting my selfe before you that I might give confession of that Doctrine wherein I hope God shall call me And that at his pleasure I might depart in the unity of Christian Faith I thought good by Writ to utter the same unto your wisdomes and to crave your godly wisdomes assistance not for the restitution of any worldly pompe or preheminence which I little respect but to remove from me the slanders which are raised in this Countrey concerning the variance of Doctrine especially on my part wherein I protest before God that I have onely a single respect to his glory and by his grace I shall abide herein unto my lives end First I confesse the true Doctrine of Christian Religion to be publickly taught and rightly announced within this Realme and detest all Popery and Superstition Like as blessed be God I have detested the same in my heart the space of thirty yeeres since it pleased God to give me the knowledge of the truth wherein I have walked uprightly as well here as in other Countries as the Lord beareth me record untill these last dayes wherein partly for Ambition and vain-glory to be preferred before my Brethren and partly for Covetousnesse to possesse the pelfe of the Kirk I did undertake this Office of an Archbishop wherewith justly the fincerest Professours of the Word have found fault and have condemned the same as impertinent to the office of a sincere Pastor of Gods Word And albeit men would colour the same and imperfections thereof with divers cloaks yet the same cannot be concealed from the spirituall eyes of the faithfull neither yet can the men of God when they are put to their conscience dissemble the same Next I confesse that I was in an erronious opinion that I beleeved the Government of the Kirk to be like unto the Kingdomes of the earth plaine contrary to the command of our Master Christ and the Monarchy whereby the Kirk is Governed not only to be in the person of our Saviour Christ as it is but in the Ministers who are nothing but vassals under him in an equality amongst themselves Thirdly that I married the Earle of Huntlie contrary to the command of the Kirk without the confession of his Faith and profession of the sincere Doctrine of the Word I repent and crave pardon of God That I travelled both by reasoning and otherwise to subject the Kirk-men to the Kings Ordinance in things that appertaine unto Ecclesiasticall matters and things of conscience I aske God mercy whereupon great enormities have falne forth in this Countrey That I beleeved and so taught the Presbyteries to be a foolish invention and so would have it esteemed of all men which is an Ordinance of Christ I crave God mercy Further I submit my selfe to the mercy of God and judgment of the Assembly not measuring my offences by my owne selfe nor by the infirmities of my owne ingyne but by the good judgement of the Kirk to the which alwayes I subject my selfe and beseech you to make intercession to God for me and to the King that I may have some meanes to live and consume the rest of this my wretched time for winning of whose favours which foolishly I thought thereby to obtaine I committed all these errors As where I am burthened to be the setter forth of the Book called The Kings Declaration wherein the whole order of the Kirk is condemned and traduced I protest before God that I was commanded to write the same by the Chancellour for the time but chiefly by the Secretary another great Courtier who himselfe penned the second Act of Parliament concerning the Power and Authority of Judicature to be absolutely in the King and that it should not be lawfull for any Subject to reclaime from the same under the penalty of the Act which I suppose was treason Item Where it is alledged that I should have condemned the Doctrine anounced and taught by the Ministry of Edinbrough concerning obedience to the Prince I confesse and protest before God that I never understood nor yet knew any thing but sincerity and uprightnesse in the Doctrine of the Ministry of Edinbrough in that point nor in any other Further I confesse I was the Authour of the Act discharging the Ministers Stipends that did not Subscribe these Acts of Parliament wherewith God has justly recompenced my selfe As for any violent course it is knowne well enough who was the Author thereof and my part was tryed at the imprisonment of Master Nicholl Dalgleish Master Thomas Jack and others Moreover I grant I was more busie with some Bishops in England in prejudice of the Discipline of our Kirk partly when I was there and partly by our mutuall intelligence since then became a good Christian much lesse a faithful Pastor Neither is there any thing that more ashameth me then my often deceiving and abusing of the Kirk heretofore by Confessions Subscriptions Protestations c. which be farre from me now and ever hereafter Amen Sic subscribitur Your brother in the Lord M. PATRICK ADAMSON As where your wisdomes desire to have my owne opinion concerning the Booke of the Declaration of the Kings intentions the same is at more length declared in the Confession which I have exhibited already wherein I have condemned all the whole Articles therein contained like as by these presents I doe condemne them As where ye require what became of the Books of the Assembly all which I had preserved whole unto the returning of the Lords and Ministry out of England And if I had not preserved them my Lord Arran intended to have made them be cast into the fire and upon a certaine day in Falkland they were delivered to the Kings Majesty the Bishop of N. accompanied with Master Henry Hamilton rent out some leaves and destroyed such things as made against our Estate and that not without my owne speciall allowance As for the Books which I have set forth I have set forth