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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05345	A full confutation of the covenant lately sworne and subscribed by many in Scotland; delivered in a speech, at the visitation of Downe and Conner, held in Lisnegarvy the 26th. of September, 1638. Published by authority.; Speech, delivered at the visitation of Downe and Conner, held in Lisnegarvy the 26th. of September, 1638	Leslie, Henry, 1580-1661.	1639 (1639)	STC 15497; ESTC S102367	22,621	42

not abjured in the Negative confession nor so much as mentioned If any man shall say That Episcopacy is included under the Popes wicked Hierarchy which there is denied he will prove himself ridiculous for it is well known unto all that ever looked into the Ecclesiasticall history that the Church was governed by Bishops 600 yeers before the Popes wicked Hierarchy began And as that government was not abjured so neither is it any innovation at all for it is evident that in the yeere 81. they had Bishops and it is yet to be seen registrate in the Books of Councell and subscribed by the Commissioners for the time how that but a little time before the publishing of that Confession the generall Assembly did agree with his Majesties Regents in his minority Kings declaration that the estate of Bishops which is one of the estates of Parliament should be maintained and authorized But about foure or five yeeres after about the yeere 83. the generall Assembly tooke upon them contrary to their own subscriptions to discharge the estate of Bishops and to declare the same to be unlawfull commanding all the Bishops in the kingdome to dimit their places and Jurisdictions under paine of Excommunication and in like manner commanding the King and his Councell under the like payne not to choose any others in their place But when that wise King saw their proceedings and how they took more upon them then ever the Bishops had done and under the pretence of their new discipline trod upon his Scepter labouring to establish an Ecclesiasticall tyranny of infinite Jurisdiction and perceiving withall that their new erected government was the mother of all faction confusion and rebellion And that it tended to Anabaptisme and popularity and to the overthrow of his State Crowne and kingdome 1584 he called a Parliament and by the consent of all his States hee overthrew their Presbytries and restored againe the Bishops to their places But indeed at that time the Sonnes of Zerviah were too strong for him that hee could never invest the Bishops with their full power and authority untill that happy time that his Majesty came unto the Crowne of England And then not long after by a free Generall assembly held at Glasgow he did not erect but ratify and confirme the estate of Bishops The acts of which Assembly were immediately after confirmed by Act of Parliament So that Episcopacy is no Innovation as is pretended in this last Oath And as for the 5. Acts of Perth Assembly they were never intended to be abjured in the Negative confession for there is no mention of any of them neither can they be comprehended under popish rites Kneeling at the Communion is no popish rite for I have upon another occasion proved it to be the gesture used in the Primitive Church at the receiving of the Sacrament And that the first that ever did sit after their fashion was the Pope to expresse his state So that we may justly charge them that the gesture which they use is abjured in that confession amongst the rest of popish rits The Five Holy-dayes established by the Assembly of Perth are not Popish rites but such as were observed in the Church since the dayes of the Apostles as may appeare by that bitter contention between the Easterne and Westerne Churches about the observation of Easter And as for the other three Articles for private Baptisme the Communion of the sick and Confirmation of Children There is no man in his right wits who will not acknowledge that they were in use many hundred yeeres before Popery was hatched and are in themselves things not onely lawfull and expedient but in some cases necessary But yet they will say that these things are abjured in generall termes when they sweare to continue in the obedience of the doctrine and discipline of that Kirk For answer wherunto I shall desire you to consider First that they say not they will continue in the present discipline of this Kirk as these new men doe interpret it but indefinitely that they will continue in the discipline of this Kirk Secondly albeit they had said so yet by the discipline we must understand that discipline which was established by authority and Law And not that which was violently brought in by some factious Ministers and their adherents Now I have shewed that Episcopall government was ratified and confirmed by divers Acts of Parliament but never dissolved by any and that their Presbyteriall government was put down by act of Parliament but never established by any Thirdly say that by discipline we should yeeld to understand that discipline which then was used though brought in by private authority Yet certainly it ●●s never their intent to sweare to maintaine that ●●scipline in all particulars without alteration or ad●●tion for such an oath had been simply unlawfull because that thereby they should have made a per●●●uall Law concerning ceremonies and rites which 〈◊〉 themselves and must be changeable according 〈◊〉 the Exigency of the times And so if that inter●●●tation which is now given of the words were ●●…e it would follow 1 That their negative Confession were directly ●●ntrary unto their positive Confession which is the ●nly true Nationall confession of the Church of Scotland For in that confession in the 20th Article touching matters of Policy and order they say Not that we thirk that one policy and one order in Ceremonies can be appointed for all ages times and places For ●s Ceremonies such as men have devised are but temporall ●o may and ought they to be changed when they rather suffer Supersition then that they edifie the Church using the ●ame So that by these mens Interpretation here is Confession against Confession The positive Confession declares matters of Policy and order to be alterable and such as upon occasion both may and ought to be changed But these men do so interpret the negative Confession and Covenant as if they were bound by an oath to preserve the same Orders that were used in the yeer 81. inviolably for ever 2 Such an Interpretation is against all right reason For the condition of the Church being changeable the same Orders cannot be convenient for her at all times As the same policy is not fit for the Church in all places so neither for one and the same Church at all times 3 Such an Interpretation shall condemne the practice of the ancient Church which did upon occasion often change her rites as namely dipping in Baptisme which she changed from once into thrice and again from thrice into once 4 It is contrary to the Judgement of all Divines Mr. Calvin tells us that In externall discipline and Ceremonies Christ would not particularly prescribe what we sho●… to follow Quod istud pendere a temporum varietate pravideret And again he saith That sometimes it profiteth and is expedient that there be a difference in these things lest men should think that Religion were tyed unto outward

A FULL CONFUTATION OF THE COVENANT Lately Sworne and Subscribed by many in Scotland Delivered in a Speech at the Visitation of Downe and Conner Held in Lisnegarvy the 26 th of September 1638. Published by Authority My sonne Feare the Lord and the King and ●…eddle ●o● with them that are Seditious Proverb 24.12 For Rebellion is as the sinne of Witchcraft 1 Sam. 15.23 LONDON Printed by John Raworth for George Thomason and Octavian Pullen and are to be sold at the Rose in St. Pauls Church-yard 1639. After the names of the Clergie were called the Visitor spake in this manner AND now my brethren of the Clergy and all you Gentlemen of the Laity I intreat your attention while I shall expresse my self in some things that concern my Pastorall charge Some things I have to say that concern the Clergie onely Some things that concern the Church-wardens And some what that doth concern both the Clergie and the Laity As for you of the Clergie There is generally a great fault in you in the neglect of Catechizing You know that you are bound to it by the Canons of the Church bound by an act in my first Visitation and though ye regard neither of these as I know many of you do not yet consider I beseech you that ye are bound to it in conscience for Catechizing is the easiest and most profitable way of instruction The Apostle calls it the doctrine of the beginnings of Christ Heb. 6.1 which must be layed before a man can be led forward unto perfection It is milk for babes whereas preaching is meat for men that are of age who have their wits exercised to discern both good and evill But you cannot abide to give milk Heb. 5.14 and are all for strong meat albeit there are many of you who are not well able to chew it This is the true cause of the ignorance of the people for they not having been instructed in the grounds of Religion are not able to understand any part of a Sermon It is one of the great stratagems of our adversary the devill that when he cannot draw men wholly from the service of God he makes them to single out some part of it and to magnifie that with a neglect of all other parts as namely Preaching amongst you which is grown to that esteem that it hath shuffled out of the Church both the publique prayers which is the immediate worship of God and this duty of Catechizing and is now accounted the sole and onely service of God the very Consummatum est of all Christianity as if all Religion consisted in the hearing of a Sermon Unto whom I may say in the words of the Apostle What Is all hearing Is the whole body an eare 1 Cor. 12. Or tell you in the words of a most Reverend prelate That if you be the sheep of Christ you have no mark of his sheep but the eare-mark And therefore to conclude this point If you will will not hereafter make conscience of this duty of Catechizing Then the conscience of my duty will inforce me to proceed against you according to the Canons of the Church As for the Church-wardens I have a double complaint against them One That whereas by their place they are to look unto the fabrick of the Church the greatest part of your Temples are kept no better then Hog-styes I know that it is one of the mysteries of iniquity in their Religion that God is most purely served when he is worshipped slovenly in a poor and homely cottage and that any cost is too much to be bestowed upon Gods service They are much like unto the officers of Julian the Apostate who when they saw the stately vessels of the Temple cryed out En qualibus vasis ministratur Mariae fil●o what stately plate is this for the Carpenters sonne But my second complaint is yet greater They are bound by their Oath to present all known disorders within their Parish especially them who do not repair unto the Church to hear Divine service and to receive the Sacrament according to the orders of this Church Yet they present none at all And indeed the Church-wardens especially in the A●ds and Claneboyes are of all others the most disorderly men the very ring-leaders of the separation and it is for that cause they are chosen that others may not be presented So that it seems unto me that too many of them in Scotland have entred in a mutuall bond to defend one another by Arms So their fellows in this Diocesse have entred in a mutuall bond to defend one another by their Oathes But here I tell them plainly that I will proceed against them First for the neglect of the repair of their Churches Next for their non-conformity Thirdly for not presenting notorious offenders And lastly for their perjury And if they think my authority too weak to overtake them in regard of the great Patronage and countenance they have I will deliver them over unto a Court that is able to deal with them My last complaint will hold me longer It strikes both against the Clergy and the Laity for their generall non-conformity and disobedience unto the Orders of this Church You of the Clergy have all Sworn subscribed and promised absolute conformity And yet when you come amongst your people you slide back and for a colour of obedience read some part of the Service it may be the Lessons and a few Collects as if it were left unto your power to mince the Service of God cutting and carving upon it as you please I must tell you that those who will not be tyed neither by oaths Subscriptions nor promises There is nothing will tye them but a coercive power But they of the Laity are yet worse they will hear no prayer at all While divine Service is reading they walke in the Church-yard and when prayer is ended they come rushing into the Church as it were into a Play-house to hear a Sermon But ere it be long I hope a course shall be taken that they who will hear no prayers shall hear no Sermon I know that the thing which doth encourage you in this your disobedience is the present Insurrection in Scotland You think and some of you do not stick for to speak it that they will inforce the King for to yeeld unto all their demands and amongst the rest procure unto you a liberty to live here as you list But deceive not your selves for howsoever in Scotland some thinke themselves strong enough to resist their Prince yet I thanke God you are not so many here but the Kings Laws and authority is well able to overtake you And be assured that their insolent opposition against our most Pious Prince will make you that are of their Faction to be more narrowly look'd unto here then otherwise you would have been for now that our neighbours house is on fire it is high time to look to our own And surely methinks

who is never worse then his word hath made his promise good for never were there so great Instruments for the propagation of the Gospel the inlargement of Christs kingdom and the procuring of the peace of the Church as Christian Kings have been and amongst them all never any more then our most gracious King that now is and his most renowned Father whom those men did so much oppose and traduce But what do I need to remember matters of old for the Children are worse then the fathers and their present practise now in Scotland doth surpasse all the in quities of their Fathers and will make them to bee forgotten Now Bishops and conformable Ministers whose persons had wont to be esteemed sacred are stoned beaten wounded and drag'd out of their Pulpits a thing which was never used by the Heathens against their Priests of what lewd condition or quality whatsoever And yet those are they who sweare to be good examples to others of all godlynesse sobernesse and of every duty they owe to God and man Now what Godlynesse Sobernesse or righteousnesse hath been in such proceedings the like wherof hath not been heard amongst the heathen Let all the world judge Before they had wont to assault us onely with their tongues which are sharper then arrowes and with their pens which are as light as Geese quils But now they are come as Tettullian sayes A stilo ad machaeram from words to blowes That we may say with Bernard Leones evasimus sed incidimus in Dracones We escapd the mouthes of Lyons but have fallen into a den of Dragons for these sure are Cerastes Fiery flying Dragons But would to God their madnesse had stayed here They have not onely done wrong unto Gods Prophets but also touched his annointed entring into a mutuall league and covenant against him arming his Subjects taking Oathes of them to maintain their cause blocking up his Castles refusing all his Majesties most gracious offers for peace and indeed proclaiming a plain defiance unto him Good God! Can they be Christians that do these things Or have they any warrant for this out of Gods word which commands us to be subject to Superiour powers and that for conscience sake even then when all Kings were enemies unto Christian Religion Or have they any example for those proceedings out of Pious antiquity The Christians in the Primitive Church when they were led as sheep to the slaughter all the day long and suffered the most exquisite torments that could be devised Yet would never take Armes for to resist the Prince but put on this resolution Arma nostra preces Lachrymae Yea when these persecuting Emperors had occasion of warre against the barbarous nations the Christians were the Emperours best and most faithfull Souldiers so terrible unto their enemies that they were called the thundering Legions And S Austin doth highly commend them for their faithfull service unto the heathen Emperours who did most cruelly spill their blood onely for their profession of Christ And let no man say it was for want of power that they did not defend themselves by armes for it is well known that if they had thought it lawfull to resist the Emperour by Armes they were of that number power and resolution that they had been able to have shaken the foundations of the Empire But now it seemes that these men of whom I speak have learned another Divinity and think that they are bound to stand to the defence of their dread Soveraigne the Kings Majesty his person and authority in the defence and preservation of the true religion as they have express●d in their late Printed confession of faith wherunto they have sworn so that they do plainly insinuate that they are no further bound to defend the Kings person and authority then he doth stand in the defence of the true Religion And that onely must be accounted the true Religion which they themselves do best like of If the King will not maintain that then for all this last Oath they are freed from their Alleigance wherein they have more then justified the Iesuites in all their rebellious practises and the Iesuites can well tell how to take advantage thereof for it is not long since a Iesuite wrote a Book in the defence of the Loyalty of their Order alledging that Protestants had allowed the rebellion of Subjects against Princes as much as any of their Order had done and gives instance in Buchanan Knox and Goodman But Andreas Rivetus a Professor of Leiden answering the Iesuite doth professe that all Protestants do condemne that doctrine and ascribes the rashnesse of Buchanan and Knox Praeferbido Scotorum ingenio ad audendum prompto And now it feares me that ere it be long another Iesuite shall publish a Book to prove that the present insurrection in Scotland is a greater rebellion then was the Papists Gun-powder-plot in regard that the Gun-powder-Treason was but the act of a few discontented Gentlemen and the thousand Papist in England not guilty of it but in the present Rebellion of the Puritanes they have ingaged a great part of that Kingdome and many who indeed know not what the matter meanes and so that this may be called the common sinne of that Sect whereas the other cannot be charged upon the Religion of the Papists But you will say it is Religion that moveth them What did ever the true Religion allow of rebellion Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum I know they pretend the defence of the nationall confession of their Church and the Oath received by their forefathers in the Yeere 1581 by the Kings example and commandement But if it be so I will subscribe their Covenant also which is the greatest curse I can lay upon my mortall enemy Therfore to take away that vaine pretence wherewith they blind you and many other simple people I will here make it evidently appeare First that that negative Confession wherunto they did swear in the yeere 81 is not the nationall Confession of the Church of Scotland and Secondly that the Oath which they have now administred is not the same which the King his Family States and Subjects did sweare at that time But Substantially different from it in many points And first that Negative Confession is not the nationall Confession of the Church of Scotland But the nationall Confession is that which twenty yeeres before being penned by Mr. Knox and his fellow-ministers and contayning the positive grounds of Divinity was approved by the Parliament held in the yeere 1560 and afterwards was ratified by a Parliament in the yeere 1567 and registred in the body of that Act of Parliament and so confirmed by a number of Parliaments since that time The same is likewise received into the body of the Confessions of all the reformed Churches and acknowledged for the Confession of the Church of Scotland But as for that Negative Confession consisting in the abjuring of Popish errors and penned by Mr.

And therefore he erected two golden Calves and said unto the people It is too farre for you to go up to Ierusalem These are the gods that brought you up out of the land of Egypt So those men intending to draw away the Kings Subjects from their Obedience and perceiving that if they should joyne with his Majesties good Subjects in the true and orderly worship of God that their heart would returne againe unto their Lord the King They have devised an Idol of their owne brain like Ioroboams Calves even their Presbyteriall discipline and cry that up as the only true worship of God And yet I hold not them all to be alike guilty but that many of them yea the farre greatest part have not as yet learned the deepnesse of Sathan We may distinguish them into three degrees The first sort are they who have contrived the plot are the ring leaders of the faction the seducers of others and so dogmatizing heretiques For these I can make no excuse but leave them as wilde Asses to be spoken within the moneth of their affliction The second sort and the far greatest number 2. Sam 15.11 are those who have been seduced by them like those Two Hundered who followed Absolon out of Jerusalem knowing nothing of his Treason They have been drawne to dance after their pipe though they understood not the Spring and have been carried head-long with it before they knew well what they did And all under Godly pretences For they were made to beleeve that the very state of Religion Church and Kingdome did depend upon this New Covenant and that all men were bound in conscience to defend the Nationall confession of faith and the Oath sworne by their forefathers Besides it is a plausible matter with the people to heare them depraved that are in authority but especially to understand of any liberty or power which may appertaine unto themselves Furthermore also it is not unknowne to any of Judgement how much the profession of extraordinary zeale and as it were contempt of the world doth worke with the multitude When they see men goe simply in the streets and bow down their heads like a bull-rush though their inward parts burne altogether with deceit wringing their necks awry shaking their heads as though they were in some present griefe lifting up the white of their eyes sometimes at the sight of some vanity as they walke when they heare them give great groanes Cry out against this sinne and that sinne not in them their hearers but in their Superiors and finally make long prayers under colour whereof they devoure not onely the houses of Widdowes but of married folkes too When I say the multitude do heare and see such kind of men They are by and by carried away with a marvellous great conceit and opinion of them and with such shewes have these Pharisaicall teachers drawne the multitude after them who have not their sences exercised to discerne between good and evill but judge onely by the outward appearance If they should judge them by their fruits they should find them to be very farre from the true Religion S. Iames hath given us a most full description of the true religion Iam. 3.17 The wisdome that is from above is first pure then peaceable Gentle and easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without judging and without hypocrisie Whereas Solomon describes wisedome to have built her a house with seven pillars So the Apostle describes this heavenly wisedome which is the true Religion by seaven properties neither of which will agree with their religion It is not Pure For therfore is the true religion called pure because it alloweth of nothing which is not in it selfe just lawfull and honest And hereby Lactantius proveth against the Gentiles the verity of the Christian religion But their Religion alloweth of many things which in themselves are neither Just lawfull nor honest as namely Vsury Sacriledge disobedience to lawfull authority and rebellion against Princes Againe is not peaceable for these men are the incendiaries of Christendome as if they had come to set fire upon the Earth Not gentle For they are more austere in their carriage then ever was Cato Not Easie to bee intreated for they will neither be perswaded by their friends nor commanded by their superiors to doe any thing but what they will squaring themselves by that old rule of the Do●atists Quod volumus sanctum est Not full of mercy and good fruits For they are all for sacrifice nothing for mercy All for the duties of the first Table neglecting the duties of the second Their faith hath drowned their charity For we have knowne them pull downe many Churches and yet build but a few Hospitalls Not without Judging For of all men living they are known to be the most rigid censurers of others And consequently they are not without Hypocrisie For that is the true note of an hypocrite when one as our Saviour saith can spy the mote that is in his brothers eye and not discerne the beame that is in his own And yet with their pretence of piety they have deceived a number of simple people But there is yet a third sort who have subscribed the Covenant against their conscience onely for fear of a Massacre which they had just cause to suspect when a Catalogue was taken up of the names what in every Parish of those who refused to subscribe And now I pray you what is become of their plea of Christian liberty For when we did presse them to conforme themselves unto the Orders of our Church they alleaged that it was contrary to Christian liberty to inforce men to the doing of any thing against their conscience and that a man should be fully resolved in his owne mind of the lawfulnesse of that which hee doth And yet we did urge men onely under payne of suspension and Excommunication and that after much patience and forbearance using withall all fair meanes to perswade them But they compell men to subscribe with them against their Conscience by Pike and Pistoll threatning no lesse unto the refusers then losse of life goods and lands By this ye may judge of the sincerity of their actions and what they would doe in other places if they should once gaine the power into their own hands All this paines have I taken to detect these men and their proceedings to the end that I might draw you off from their faction For who would be in love with that Religion whose bond is Perjury whose badge is Rebellion Therefore come out from amongst them and separate your selves Be not partaker with them in their sins lest you receive also of their plagues Manifest your dislike of them their proceedings by conforming your selves absolutely unto the Orders of this Church in all things and think not to halt any longer between God and Baal Neither be afraid of their power for howsoever they prosper for a time It is but a Summer storme Nubecula est cito pertransibit You may assure your selves that in end they will not prevaile 1 Sam. 2.10 For that God by whom Kings reigne will give strength unto his King and exalt the horme of his anoynted He will scatter the people that delight in Warre even make the hearts of the Canaanites to melt and their joynts to tremble Psal 91.16 But will satisfie the King with long life and shew him his salvation And now I have wearied both you and my self with a long Speech I know there are many here who thinke I have spoke too much But I could not have said lesse and manifest my fidelity to God and the King And if it be true which is grown unto a Proverb that Leves loquuntur curae ingentes stu●ent No man can expect that my Speech should be eloquent For I protest before God that I have spoken out of the grief of my heart and the very anguish of my Soul When I consider the fearfull afterclaps that are likely to ensue It fears me that our sinnes are come unto a full Maturity and that we are ripe for Gods Sickle to reap us I dare not say with St. Paul that I could wish my selfe Anathema or separated from Christ for my Country-men But I can say with a sincere heart that I could be content my life were given in a Sacrifice so that could procure the peace of the Church redeem his Majesties honor which is so deeply wounded and preserve my native Country from destruction And therefore I beseech all you who bear good will unto Sion that you would apply all your indeavours for quenching of this fire especially labouring to reclaim them who are committed to your charge And of some have Compassion Iude vers 22.23 making a difference and others save with fear Pulling them out of the Fire And let all of us be instant with God in Prayer lifting up our hearts and our hands to the heavens and beseeching him who is the Author of peace and lover of Concord that he would be pleased to open the eyes of that people and turne their hearts that they may acknowledge their duty to God and to his Vice-gerent Amen FINIS