because one Assembly will have it so But say our Brethren how shall Unity and Order otherwayes be preserved in the Church of God We Answer Very well because if the Sentence be unjust it ought to be recognized and repealed If it be just and of an inferiour nature If the persons will not submit they are after due procedure to be cast out as those that will not hear the Church and so both Unity and Purity both Order and Truth are preserved Will our Brethren under a pretext of Order destroy Christian-liberty and bring-in Popish-tyranny It is Christ's Order and the King of Saints Peace that every Believer have the judgment of discretion whether the Judicatories of the Kirk speak according to the Scriptures or whether they ought to obey or submit or gainsay or counteract and what Christ hath given them no man can take from them Their third Argument is taken from the judgement and practice of this and other Churches which as they affirm plead for this subordination and submission required by them in their Answer to the Queries of the 16. of November 1655. they say That this submission hath been established by the General Assemblies especially by the Assembly in Anno 1648. sess. 30. and practised by the General Assembly 1646. in the case of Mr. James Morison and the Presbyterie of Kirkwall And that it hath been the constant practice of all the Iudicatories and members of this Kirk ever since the late Reformation untill our present differences did arise And in their Paper of the 24. of Novemb. 1655. they do cite for proving of this submission the Act of the General Assembly 1647. concerning the hundred and eleven Propositions and the seventh head of doctrinâ—… therein contained And in the 39. page and 43. section of their Representation they are so confident as to tell the Brethren for the Protestation that their practice in matters of Discipline and Government was never heard of in this Church nor we believe say they in any Church where thâ—… Officers and constitution thereof were acknowledged to be agreeable to the Word of God but what-ever the superiour Iudicatories might do as they would be answerable notwithstanding an appeal yet the appealer and inferiour did alwayes submit and sist their proceedings till their cause waâ—… heard and tried And to confirm all this in the fifth page of their Declaration they tell us that both themselves and the prâ—…testing Brethren were solemnly engaged to this submission at their admission to the Ministery As to the judgment of our Church and of her General Assemblies we do deny that ever they were of this judgment or have declared any such thing but upon the contrary let the Confession of Faith presented unto the Parliament and ratified by them in the year 1567. bear witnesse Artic. 21. concerning the power and authority of Councils lawfully gathered the words are these So far as the Council proveth the Determination and Commandment that it giveth by the plain Word of God so sooâ—… do we reverence and imbrace the same But if men under the name of a Council pretend to forge unto us new Articles of our Faith or to make constitutions repugnâ—…ng to the Word of God then utterly we must refuse the same as the doctrine of devils which draweth our souls from the voice of our only God to follow the doctrines and constitutions of men In the beginning of the Reformation 1562. It is concluded by the whole Ministery in the Assembly held that year sess. 2. That Ministers shall be subject in all lawfull admonitions as is prescribed in the Book of Discipline Likewise it is provided in the Articles agreed upon by the Gen. Assembly held at Edinburgh in March 1570. sess. 2. concerning the Jurisdiction of the Kirk That the suspension and deprivation of Ministers and others admitted to functions in the Kirk charge of souls c. shall be for lawfull causes In the Book of Discipline agreed upon in divers preceding General Assemblies and recorded in the year 1581. by order of the Assembly held in April sess. 9. to the defence of which Discipline the King and Subjects of all ranks did then subscribe and swear which was also renewed in the year 1638. It is expresly declared chap. 7. concerning Elderships Assemblies and Discipline That Office-bearers are to be deposed for good and just causes deserving deprivation If it were needfull we could cite more of this kind We shall only adde other two testimonies from very late Assemblies of this Kirk The Assembly conveened at S. Andrews in Anno 1642. â—…ess 8. in the Overture for transplantation of Ministers do declare That no Presbyterie or Assembly should passe a sentence for transportation of any Minister till they give reasons for the expediency of the same both tâ—… him and his Congregation and to the Presbyterie whereof he is a member That if they acquiesce to the reasons given it is so much the better if they do not acquiesce yet the Presbyterie or Assemblie by giving such reasons before the passing of their sentence shall make it manifest that what they do is not pro arbitratu vel imperio only but upon grounds of reason And the Assembly conveened at Edinburgh in Anno 1647. in their brotherly exhortation to their Brethren of England do declare as followeth We would not say they have our zeal for Presbyteriall Government misunderstood as if it tended to any rigour or domineering over the flock or to hinder and exclude that instructing in meeknesse them that oppose themselves which the apostolicall rule holdeth forth or as if we would have any such to be entrusted with that Government as are found not yet purged either from their old profanenesse or from the prelatical principles and practices which were to put a piece of new cloath into an old garment so to make the rent worse or to put new wine into old bottles so to lose both wine and bottles From these passages impartially considered it is manifest that the General Assemblies have judged that as it is rigor and a domineering over the Lord's flock for the Judicatories of the Kirk to determine or do any thing pro arbitratu vel â—…mperio or without giving a reason thereof from the Word so when they do thus determine and judge there is no reason to submit thereunto or acquiesce therein As to what is cited by our Brethren from the Act of the General Assembly in Anno 1648. sess. 30. We answer That though the word justly be not expressed in the letter of the Act that being amongst the praecognita or praesupposita of all those that do make or require obedience to Laws that they make and mean of just Laws yet it is evident that it speaketh of those Ministers who being justly suspended or deposed from the function of the Ministery shall continue in the exercise of their Ministery or intromet with the stipends belonging to those Kirks they served at as doth
all sentences whether just or unjust or agreeable or repugnant to the Word of God should be asserted to be at all of kin or alliance to the divine Ordinance of Presbyterial Government which is a part of the sweet and gentle yoke of Jesus Christ that is far from tyranny and oppression The man who in a raving fit of a notional spirit first preached and afterward printed those shrewd comparisons betwixt the Northern Prâ—…sbyterie and the Roman Papacie may haply think himself now justified when he heareth so great pretenders to that Government minister by this new doctrine of theirs such ground for some parts of that comparison If Presbyterial Government hath as we do believe and assert it to have its foundation in the Testament of Jesus Christ upon whose shoulder the Government is then whatsoever is of the essence and being thereof must derive it self from the fountain of Christ's revealed Will about the Constitution and Essentials of that Government But we know no tittle in his Book that saith as our Brethren say or from which what they say in this matter can be deduced by good and necessary consequence to wit that it is essential to the Government which He hath appointed His House to be ruled by that all the Children of the House should submit unto and acquiesce in the Determination of the Governors without any counteracting though their Sentence be contrary to the Law and the Testimony and therefore till our Brethren prove thiâ—… they will give us leave to deny it We acknowledge that power and authority and subjection and submission are co-relatives and that the power and authority of the superiour can no more actually subsist without the subjection and submission of the inferiour than one relative can subsist withouâ—… its co-relative But all Church-power and authority is bounded by the Word of God and is for edification only And therefore all the subjection that is due thereunto is in the Lord only And when we are thus subject the power and authority is sufficiently acknowledged and preserved But say our Brethren without this submission which they plead for our established Judicatories would be nothing but consultative meetings But this we also deny because what is resolved and determined by Kirk-Judicatories in a right way doth not only bind by vertue of the intrinsecal lawfulnesse thereof â—…t being for matter God's Word and by vertue oâ—… the reverence that is due to the gifts and endowments of brethren and friends counselling right things which is all that can be attributed to a consultative meeting but also by vertue of a positive Law of God by which He hath commanded us to hear the Church and those that sit in Moses Chair and to be subject in the Lord to Church-Governours to whom He hath given a Ministerial and Official Authority and Power to assemble in His Name in the respective Courts appointed by Himself for governing His House according to the rule of His Word And therefore as they have Authority or a superiority of Jurisdiction which no consultative meeting hath So whosoever resisteth their power when put forth to edification and not to destruction doth not only sin by despising that Word of God which is the matter of their Decree and by despising the gifts and graces of their Brethren that are exercised in holding forth light unto them but doth also sin by resisting the Ordinance of God A Kirk-judicatory modelled according to the patern shewed in the Mount and cloathed with Authority from Jesus Christ and proceeding according to the Law and to the Testimony to which they ought to be subject God having commanded us so to do Their second Reason is That without this submission and subordination they do not see how Unity and Order can be continued in the Kirk It being in vain to think of a remedy by superiour Iudicatories without this the refusing thereof being the way to make all Union void So in their Answer to the Queries propounded upon their Overtures Novemb. 16 1655. And in their Represent pag. 39. sect. 4. and pag. 47. sect. 3. Answ. This is the very argument and language of the Advocates of the Sea of Rome whilst they plead the Popes visible headship and irrefragable authority and jurisdiction over the Church to which all ought to submit without gainsaying or counteracting the very thing that hath set up the Man of sin to sit aâ—… God in the Temple of God unto the enslaving both of the Word of God and the consciences of men by requiring of them subjection and blind obedience to his dictates without examining the same according to the light of the Word If according to the revealed Will of God there ought to be such a submission in all cases without counteracting What shall we say of the practices of the Prophets and Apostles and others of the Servants of God who have lived before us in corrupt times must all their preachings and other actings though most agreeable to the Word of God be condemned because they were contrary to the 〈◊〉 of the Church wherein they lived 〈◊〉 were indeed to set up a power over the Word 〈◊〉 God a power for destruction and not for 〈◊〉 That would indeed make a sinfull unity aâ—… order and teach a way to avoid persecution an readily to obtain peace with men but with 〈◊〉 losse of Truth and a good conscience The waâ—… to preserve Unity and Order in the House of Goâ—… is not to hearken to the counsels of flesh anâ—… bloud by setting up the will of man for a Laâ—… and establishing an arbitrary and tyrannicaâ—… power over consciences to which they shall bâ—… tyed to submit to iniquity and injustice for Goâ—… hath said that the 〈◊〉 of iniquity that frametâ—… mischief into a law shall have no fellowship witâ—… Him And therefore that may destroy Unity anâ—… Order it will not preserve it But to let the Worâ—… of God which is both the rule and bond of Unitâ—… and Order have place Gal. 6. 16. and Judicatories proceeding according to this is an effectua remedy actu primo and objective as in every Ordinance of Christ albeit actu secundo there is nâ—… efficacious remedy in either Word Sacraments Admonitions Suspension Deposition Excommunications Presbyteries Synods or any Ordinance the Church doth injoy or can exercise without the effectual blessing and influence of the Spirit of God who is the author and appointer oâ—… these and concurreth therewith upon the consciences of men according to the pleasure of His own will Shall persons sentenced unjustly submit Yes say our Brethren for preserving Unity and Order What remedy then say we for preserving the Truth They may appeal say they But say we they have appealed and have therein succumbed What remedy now No remedy but that at one stroke the precious Truths of God and interests of Jesus Christ must be born down and buried in oblivion And the Saints and Ministers of the Gospel be buried under the rubbish thereof
thereunto in the literall and genuine sense and meaning thereof which were propounded by the Brethren for the Protestation in the Conference at Edinburgh November 1655. as conducible and fit means to the making up of a solid Union and well-grounded Peace In the next place we desire it to be considered Whether these Overtures of Union and Peace propounded by these Brethren be not very unequall It hath been and is their manner to professe and print that they are willing to offer very equall tearms of Peace So in the ninth page of this Declaration That they have already offered that tâ—…ough they hold fast their own judgment yet they will not impose upon the Protesting Brethren their judgments in the matter of their first difference But these professions notwithstanding they do in sundry particulars impose upon their judgment As first in the matter of the Protestation They do require that these Brethren do declare that their Protestations against the two late controverted Assemblies and their Resolutions and Acts therunto relating shall not hereafter be made use of in any Judicatory of this Kirk for continuing as they are pleased to expresse it or holding up debates about the matter of our present differences So in their Paper of the sixteenth of November 1655. in the Conference at Edinburgh which in another Paper of the 24. of November at that Conference they expound thus That their meaning is that they shall not make use of these Protestations in any Judicatory to call in question and anul the Constitution and Authority of these two late Assemblies which if the protesting Brethren should consent unto would upon the matter make them to condemn their own judgement and infer their passing from and renouncing of these Protestations in so far as they might be a remedie against the corrupt Constitution of these two Assemblies in order to which they did conceive themselves bound in duty and conscience to make them yea it should with their consent make way to establish for the future the Constitution and Authority of these two Assemblies because it should with their own consent take out of the way all the legall barr that is standing against that Constitution and Authority Secondly What greater imposing can there be upon their judgements or what more unequal conditions of Peace can be propounded unto them then to require that they should engage themselves to an absolute and unlimited submission to the Sentences of the Kirk-judicatories especially when the Resolution Brethren are not only the plurality in most of the Judicatories but when many of them are not such for qualification and carriage as they ought to be What were this but to give-up their judgments and consciences unto the meer arbitriment and will of men to be imposed upon by them and ruled at their pleasure Thirdly How unequal a Proposal is it that the matters in difference shall be referred and submitted to the determination of the next General Assembly when most of the Ministers of the Land of whom that Assembly is in all probability to be made up how contrary to the Covenant and many Acts and Declarations of former uncontroverted Assemblies is already declared have engaged themselves many wayes for these Resolutions which are the ground of the difference These few particulars may make it appear that the Resolution Brethren do not walk with an equal and even â—…oot in their Proposals We mean they do not offer such tearms of Peace as are equally free of imposing upon either party or do equally yeâ—…ld as much as they require which we do not take notice of as if this were a commendable and approven way in the things of God we judge it but the effect of the wisdom of the flesh and to smell rankly of a carnal poltick spirit to half and divide the thiugs of God for making Peace amongst men But to discover that our Brethren do not walk up to their own professions in the matter of Union and Peace and that whilest they would make the Nation and the World believe that they offer equal Conditions and do not desire in any thing to impose upon their Brethren yet their Conditions are very unequal and that they would highly impose upon them But if the Overtures for Union and Peace propounded by these Brethren were insufficient and unequall only though upon these two branches there be just ground for the Protesting Brethren to deny them entertainment yet were they more tolerable if they did not involve injustice and iniquity which might be shewed in sundry particulars But this Answer having drawn to a greater length then was at first intended we shall now only speak to that one in which these Brethren assert the essence and being of Presbyteriall Government to consist and for denying of which they hold forth the Protesting Brethren as men that have receded from their former principles and have in their judgments and practises turned adversaries to the very being of the Government to wit That arbitary and unlimited submission to the Sentences of the Church-judicatories in matters of Discipline and Government which is required by these Brethren We have already spoke unto the state of the question and have shewed how far submission to the Sentences of the Judicatories of the Kirk is condescended and yâ—…lded unto by the Protesting Brethren as also how far it is urged and required by the Brethren for the Resolutions and what Reasons and Grounds they do bring for their judgement in that particular to which we have answered It now remaineth that we should bring these Reasons that seem to plead the unwarrantableness and iniquity of that Submission required by them that if they can conveniently satisfie therein they may be receded from or if otherwise that they may cease to urge that matter any further or at least that indifferent persons may know that it is not refused but upon weighty reasons Before we propound our Argument we shall premise some common and known truths concerning Church Judicatories and their Decrees and Sentences As 1. That to express it in Calvins words in the eight chap. of the fourth book of his Institutions whatsoever reverence or dignity is by the Spirit of God in the Scriptures given whether to the Priests oâ—… Prophets or Apostles or their successors all of it is given not properly to men themselves but to the Ministery wherewhtih they are clothed or to speak more expeditly to the Word the Ministery wherof is committed unto them Exod. 3. 4. Exod. 14. 31. Deut. 17. â—… Mal. 2. 46. Deut. 17. 10. Ezek. 3. 17. Ier. 23. 28. Ier. 1. 6. Matth. 28. 19. Acts 15. 10 c. 2. That as their Authority is founded upon and wholy derived from the Word of God so in the administration and exercise thereof thy are in all things to walk according to this rule Isa. 8. 19 20. Mal. 2. 6 7. Matth. 28. 19. 3. That Church-power is not a Lordly and Magisterialpower but a Lowly and Ministerial-power not
no reason of â—…quity in them but their own meer arbitrament and pleasure or though there be iniquity and injustice in them Dan. 11. 36. and when subjection without gainsaying is not only required of private and particular men but also oâ—… all inferiour Judicatories and even of these that are clothed with lawfull power and authority Was not this the State-tyranny that was formerly exercised and 〈◊〉 for by the Malignant-party to which there was publick opposition made by defensive Armes that are generally acknowledged by all sober men both Polititians and Divines to be a lawfull mean of a peoples preservation from the mine that is threatened by Tyranny And shall we now set up a Church-tyranny the meer will and abitrement yea the unjust Sentences of Church-judicatories for Laws and require absolute submission thereunto not only of private and single persons but of all inâ—…iour Judicatories not allowing the Congrâ—…gational-eldership once to whisper against what is resolved by the Presbyterie or the Presbyterie against what is resolved by the Synod or the Synod against what is resolved by the General Assembly If then the superiour Judicatories will tyrannize what remedy is there or if they become corrupt how shall the ruine of Religion or the persecution and oppression of these who desire to keep Faith and a good Conscience be avoided Have the Ministers and Saints and Courts of Jesus Christ received Religion and His Ordinances upon these tearms that if a superiour Court will have it so they shall all crouch down as Asses under the burden and let them without gainsaying they being now cudgel'd into silence by a sentence of suspension from the Sacrament or Deposition or Excommunication ruin Church and Ministers and Ordinances and Professors and all the precious interests of Jesus Christ And shall we say that such a submission is required in this case as though they ought to do nothing but weep and pray in secret How great tyranny is this and how remedilesse a way to ruin And yet this is the consequent of our Brethren's opinion If they tell us that there is no hazard of these things because the Church of Scotland is sound in Doctrine and Worship and Discipline and Government and that it is upon the account of the soundnesse of the Church-judicatories only that they challenge this submission as due unto them We desire 1. to know whether they will grant that such a submission as they do now plead for may be denied to Church-judicatories that are unsound and what degrees of unsoundnesse they will have them to fall into before this submission can be warrantably denied unto them It seems to us by our Brethrens judgement as long as they keep any thing of the being and authority of Kirk-judicatories though they be corrupt not only in the particular Determinations to which submission is required but in many things besides both in Doctrine and Discipline and Government this submission must be granted them because to deny it is to deny the very being and essence of the Government How this shall be avoided we do not see unlesse they say That a Church-judicatory that is unsound in any point of Truth doth lose its being and authority which we hope they will not say having in some of their Papers charged it as heterodoxie upon the Protesting Brethren 2. As we shall be glad that they will confine this submission to sound Judicatories upon the accompt of their soundnesse only so in the case of their so doing we do not see what this importeth more in the matter of submission than the Protesting Brethren are willing to yeeld to wit A submission to all sound Determinations and just Sentences of the respective Judicatories of the Kirk without any counteracting because if it be given to them upon that accompt only that they are sound then is it only to be given to them when they are sound and right in their resolutions and actings which the Protesting Brethren willingly yeeld and be like in some particular cases somewhat more We finde them in their last Paper in the Conference at Edinburgh November 25. 1655. professing that if the case were only of particular persons in things of more private interest and personal concernment and of Judicatories imploying their power to ediâ—…ication in the current of their actings they would not much contend about it But 3. the Protesting Brethren do deny thaâ—… the Church of Scotland is now sound It is their sad complaint that there is in the Church the pluâ—…ality of her Judicaâ—…ories very much practicalâ—… unsoundnesse not only because of their not improving the precious Ordinances of God for bearing down of the kingdom of sin and Satan and advancing the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ but also because of their abusing of them in many things for a carrying on of a course of defection from former integrity and purity and a course of persecution against godly Ministers and Elders and Professors in the Land who cannot be consenting to their backsliding courses therefore do these Brethren conceive that they have the more reason to refuse to engage themselves to an absolute submission to the Sentences of the Church Judicatories whilst the power is in such hands because it were to betray themselves and the Work and People of God to the lusts and will of men We conclude this debate of the nature of that submission that is due to Church-Judicatories with two testimonies of men who are deservedly acknowledged to be great and worthy asserters of Presbyteriall Government The first is of the Authors of the Divine-right of Church-Government who in the 15. Chap. of that book treating of the subordination of particular Churches to greater Assemblies for their authoritative judging and determining of causes Ecclesiasticall and the Divine right thereof do write thus It is granted say they that the highest Ecclesiasticall Assembly in the world cannot require from the lowest a subordination absolute and pro arbitrio i. e. at their own meer will and pleasure but only in some respect subordination absolute being only to the Law of God laid down in the Scripture We detest Popish tyrannie which claimeth a power of giving their will for a Law It is subjection in the Lord that is pleaded-for the streightest rule in the world unlesse the holy Scricpture we affirm to be regulam regulatam i. e. a rule to be regulated peace being only in walking according to Scripture Canon Gal. 6. ver. 16. The other is of our Country-man Mr. George Gillespie in his Assertion of the Government of the Church of Scotland the sec. part ch. 2. page 127. We must distinguish saith he betwixt a dependance absolute and in some respect a Congregation doth absolutely depend upon the holy Scriptures alone as the perfect rule of Faith and manners of Worship and of Church-Government for we accurse the tyrannie of Prelates who claimed to themselves autocratorick power over Congregations to whom they gave their Naked-will for a Law one of
the Church And so seem to lay claim to all the publick resolution party as its father Yet is it a thing very doubtfull whose it is or who do own it certain it is that it did not proceed from any Church-authority but from some persons in an extrajudicial capacity whether these were intrusted by their Brethren in the several parts of the Land for that effect themselves best know In the mean while they must give us leave to tell what we know that sundry of their Brethren in several parts of the Country do professe themselves strangers to the contrivement of it and disâ—…atis ed therewith some upon one accompt and some uâ—…on another And that a good while after it was published and going abroad in print as the Declaration of all that party many of them in sevâ—…rall parts of the Country were inquiring What is it and what saith it The truth is a Juncto of some few who use to meet at Eâ—…inburgh do in these things what they judge convenient and that they may not seem to take too much upon them they would make the world believe that all of their party do it whilest it is evident enough many of that party being witnesses that most of them are not priviâ—… to it and many of them are dissâ—…tisfied with it A thing hardly tolerable in a publick Declaration that pretendeth to speak the mind and judgment of the whole and that in matters of such concernment and contradiction And we have the more reason to take notice of this because though after the publâ—…shing of that Declaration it was conâ—…idently given out by some of the publick resolution Brethren and generally expected by these of the other judgment that it should have been owned by the Kirk-Judicatories of that judgment and tendred by them to the protesting Brethren in a judiciall way as containing fit means of union and peace Yet cannot we hear that the Presbyteries or Synods of that way have owned it or approven thereof yea sundry Synods being by men of the other judgement put to it to declare themselves whether they would own it or not did refuse some of them to declare themselves therein till the other Brethren should first declare themselves satisfied therewith which was in effect but to seek a shadow of some tolerable diversion thereby to wave the determination of the question upon which they would probably have divided in their votes and others of them would not do so much as to take the desire in consideration How then can the protesting Brethren own it as a Declaration of the other party or return any Answer to it upon that accompt as long as it is not able to fetch its descent but from a few private persons whose names also we are left to guesse at and is not only not owned by their Judicatories but by some not acknowledged and spoke against by other Brethren of that party These and such like considerations do sufficiently justifie the protesting party as to their sorbearing any common Answer to that unsavoury Paper Yet seing not a few of the other side do please themselves in the criminations contained therein as unanswerable and in the proposals of peace which it doth hold forth as very equal and reasonable whereby they heighten themselves in their own way and in groundlesse prejudices against others and endeavour to stumble such as are weak We trust that it shall be service not unacceptable to God nor unpleasant to the protesting Brethren nor unprofitable to those of the resolution-way nor unedifying to the Church and People of God if we shall give an Answer to that Paper not tracing it word by word or line by line but first by clearing innocent men and a good cause of these groundless prejudices that seem to be deeply rooted upon the spirits of the authors and owners of that Paper and are therein blazed abroad to the world against their Brethren 2. By discovering the insufficiency and inequality and iniquity of the proposals of peace that are made therein that if the Lord so will these miserable mistakes being removed they may see things as they are and attaining some right understanding thereof may be brought to allay their passions and cease from their persecutions and to redintigrate their affection to their Brethren and to proffer unto them such tearms of union and peace as do beseem the men of God who do indeed deny themselves and seek not their own glory but the glory of Him who sent them or if they will not see nor hearken yet we may according to our measure bear record unto truth and innocency And let unbyasâ—…ed persons know that the protesting Brethren are not men of that spirit and character whom that Paper pointeth forth Besides the inducements already mentioned there is one particular that hath in a special way prevailed on us to take notice of that Paper to wit that the authors thereof and of the late Representation do not only continue to plead for that absolute and unlimited submission to the sentences of the Church-Judicatories that was required by the resolution Brethren in the conference at Edinburgh Novemb. 1655. but carry it so high as to assert it to be of the very esâ—…ence and being of presbyterial Government by which instead of the sweet and gentle yoke of Jesus Christ in that Ordinance as it is delivered unto us in His Word they have laboured we fear to introduce into the House of God a Kirk-government that is too nigh of kin to that which is popish prelatical and tyrannical There could not have been a more unhappy assertion concerning the Government of the Kirk fallen upon and published in these times not only in order to the peace by them pretended it being sadly suspicious that there is no good intention under the oâ—…fer when the stronger party doth so much presse the absolute submission of the weaker to all their sentences whatsoever whether jusâ—… or unjust But also it being more than probable that men of a prelatical spirit will take hold thereof and presse it on as subservient to the re-introducing of their way and that those of the congregational and independant judgment will make use of it for rendring presbyterial Government hatefull and odious and bringing it in suspicion and jealousie with the godly And whether some of the resolution party who do retain their old love to the prelatical way or others of them who if good testimonâ—… maâ—… be credited did since the beginning of these differences professe their dislike of the subordination of Kirk Judicatories and their respect to the congregational way have for their own ends had hand in this thing we leave it to wise men to consider But now to proceed in our work The first and great prejudice which that Paper and as it seemeth these Brethren's spirits are filled with against the Brethren for the Protestaâ—…ion is That they do not only dissent from but also have it in their thought and
design to subvert and destroy the established Government of the Church of Scotland by Presbyteries and Synods and that their practices do manifâ—…stly tâ—…nd therâ—…unto The title and frontispiece of their Paper bearâ—…th them to be the Brethren who are for the established Government of the Kirk of Scotland And the other to be the dissenting Brethren which circumscriptions of the two parties in one sentence without terminating their dissent to any thing else is obviously liable to this construction That they do dissent from that Government In the beginning of the fifth page they say They did easily foresee that their way did manifestly tend to the overturning of the established Church-Government and a little downward in the same page That soon after and constantly to this day by their irregular practices contrary to all order they have bewrayed their small respect to the established Government and toward the close of that sâ—…ction that they expresly refused subordination and â—…ubmission to the Iudicatories of the Kirk a principle inconsistent with presbyterial Government in a constituted Church And having in the next page reckoned over some practices and proposals of the protesting Brethren they do thus conclude oâ—… them These projects say they we look upon as sâ—…tting up in esfect a new 〈◊〉 Iurisdiction and a Plant which is not of Gods planting and not only suspending the established Church-Government 〈◊〉 die but totally subverting it to make way for the projecters their domination in the Church and over their Brethren When we read and repeat these things we cannot but bemoan the blindnesse and weaknesse of the sons of men as they are now cloathed with corruption and a body of death Our Brethrens great quarrâ—…l and plea they professe to be from their zeal to maintain the Government of the House of God which to their apprehensions the other would subvert and destroy And if the protesting Brethren were to give an accompt of the grounds of their dissatisfaction with them in the proceedings wherein they have been forced to differ from them and to testifie against them or of these courses and practices which they call irregular and altogether disorderly and destructive to the Government We trust they can in the simplicity of their souls say That next unto the great End for which Government was appointed by Jesus Christ in His House to wit the edifying and building of His Body in those things that pertain to life and godlinesse the fear of the resolution Brethren their ruining of the Government of the Kirk of Scotland and other the precious Ordinances of God and the work of Râ—…formation by departing from the purity and genuine and primitive principles thereof and neglecting to improve the same to the ends for which they were appointed of God and abusing them oftentimes to contrary ends together with a deâ—…ire to preserve these things unto edification hath been and is the thing that most prevaileth upon them in all these mâ—…tters And what a sad thing is it that both having the confidence to say that they are one in their end and do design the same thing that yet the one of them should so far mistake their own way as to chooâ—…e means destructive to â—…heir own ends or which is worse that they should dissemble and mock God and abuse the world with making profession of one thing whilâ—…st the contrary is designed in their hearts and actâ—…d by their hands But how shall we perswade the resolution Brethrâ—…n that the other do not dissent in the matter of Church-government but do own Presbyteries and Synods as an Ordinance of Jesus Christ and as the Government appointed by Him who is faithfull over all the House of God as a Son For to say that they do professe for it and preach for it and plead and print for it and that they own and acknowledge themselves members of Presbyteries and Synods and give obedience unto and put in execution their just Sentences and that they do not professe nor preach nor print nor plead nor act for nor subject themselves unto any other Church-government Though these things be clear and evident and such as have been confirmed by the constant tenor of their way now for many years and is well known in all these three Nations Yet haply it shall not ransom them in this point from the bondage of their Brethrens jealousie Shall they then open their hearts unto them and take God who knoweth them to record upon their souls that so far as they have obtained mercy to know themselves and their own judgement in that which concerneth Church-government they do judge Presbyterial Government as it is holden forth in the second Book of Discipline and in the Acts of uncontroverted Assemblies of this Church and sworn to in the National Covenant and Solemn League and Covenant to be founded upon and agreeable unto the Word oâ—… God and the only Government warranted and appointed of God by which He would have His House to be ruled under the New Testament and hath no thought nor design of subverting or destroying the same or introducing any other into the House of God but conceive themselves bound both by vertue of the Institution and Commandment of God and by vertue of the solemn Oath of both Covenants and many tyes besides to endeavour the preservation thereof in its purity and power unto the end of their lives and that it may be continued in the House of God amongst their posterity and the generations that are to come If after all this our Brethren will not believe we know not what they can do or what they are bound to do more to perswade them but all this they have done already and must therefore possesse their souls in patience and commit the cause unto God who knoweth their hearts and all the thoughts thereof afar off These things do haply prevail so far upon the apprehensions and thoughts of some at least of these Brethren as to make them allow the protesting Brethren more charity than to think that they have changed their judgements concerning the Government or that they do entertain formal and direct intentions and a stated design to subvert and destroy the same We know that they have alwayes had that candid construction in the hearts of some of them though they have just cause to complain of others that no professions nor protestations nor actions of theirs could since our late differences gain so much credit with them as to vindicate them from some sâ—…ated design against the Government Or if they have a testimony in their consciences to the contrary yet they have judged it wisdom and for the advantage of their cause and weakning of their Brethren by presenting them in such a figure to endeavour to make the Nation and the World believe that it is otherwayes though we know nothing that they have gained thereby unlesse it be to make themselves at last to believe what they would have had others to believe and
so in the end to make them run quite away from their old friends as men to be scarred at like children really afrighting themselves with the things which they devised to afright others But let us come to that upon which they lay the stresse and weight of all these harsh constructions to wit their actings and irregular practices as they are pleased to call them being such as in their opinion are contrary to all order and do clearly tend to the subversion of the Government Of these they do reckon a great many in their Representation published at London which as to that head which yet taketh up a great part of that Book is so fraughted with groundlesse alleagances and grosse mis-representations we shall abstain from our Brethrens word of foul slanders of matters of fact some of them feigned and others reported with all the distortion that a prejudiced mind can reach that we do profess though proportionable and correspondent assertions and carriages in their Agent and his industrious spreading of it did make us conceive that it might be his yet untill now that they have owned it in a publick Declaration we could hardly be perswaded that it was theirs But we shall leave thâ—… full answering of these things to its proper place and shall now only speak to those particulars thaâ—… are shortly repeated in their Declaration And iâ—… the entry do desire our Brethren seriously to consider whether they have done well by their departing from their former principles in order to the Malignant party and hugging them in their arms and bringing them into the Judicatories of State and Kirk against a publick solemn Vow and Engagement sworn by the whole Land to the Lord to the contrary and by abusing the Government and turning the edge both of Doctrine and of Discipline from off them and against their Brethren and many of the Godly in the Nation to tempt them to cast at the Government and to fall upon means of defence that haply might have been prejudicial thereunto We do professe we do judge it a special mercy to this whole Church that these things have not prevailed upon the protesting Brethren to the designing and doing of that really wherewith they are unjustly charged and if God had not instructed them with a strong hand to the contrary who knows but corruption meeting with great provocations and strong temptations might have turned them aside to such unhappy purposes It shall be our Brethrens wisdom if they desire to preserve the Government to improve it to edification and for the comfort and encouraging of the Godly and purging of the House of God otherwise all their professing and pleading and appearing for it will do but little to commend it to men's consciences and if it have not a root there it is not like long to subsist in outward professions The first particular is as they call it The declining the Authority of the supream Church-Iudicatories of this Nation once and again They mean the Protestations against the two late pretended Assemblies at S. Andrews and Dundee and Edinburgh in both which the Government of the Church by Presbyteries and Synods National and Provincial is clearly asserted and an honourable testimony given thereunto by the protesting Brethren with distinct and full profession of their purpose and resolution to adhere thereunto Nor is there in â—…ny of these Protestations nor in any thing of theirs that hath been wâ—…itten or published in defence thereof one tittle that strikes against any thing that relateth to the intrinsecal constitution and being of the Government of the Kirk of Scotland but all the reasons of the Protestations against those meetings are upon the undue qualifications of and prelimitations made by persons assuming the exercise of Government with such other things as are altogether extrinseck to the Government it self they have learned to distinguish betwixt the Government of the Church and the male-administrations and Corruptions of the Church-Governors and not to condemn the one when they are necessarily called to give a testimony against the other Yea the duty and care they owe to the preservation of the Government constraineth them to testifie against the abusing and cortupting of it So did our fathers of old whose Protestations against corrupt National Church Assemblies are upon record to this day and so far have they been by men of sound judgments from being judged because thereof to be against the Government that they are honoured amongst the greatest patrons and preservers thereof The protesting Brethren do not acknowledge these two Meetings to be any of the supream Church-Judicatories in this Nation nor to have any Authority belonging unto them but look upon them as unfree and corrupt Assemblies for the reasons long ago published to the world that have not upon them the stamp of any of the Courts of Jesus Christ neither do they think that testifying against the corruptions of many of these that are now in the exercise of the Government of the Church is to dissent from or to do injury to the Government it self And we cannot but say whatever be our Brethren's intentions in studying some way to wrap up the Authority of these two Meetings and of that part of the Ministerial Church which is of their judgment as it were in the very being of the Government for this they seem to hint though it be not directly spoke in that word of the established Government and Iudicatories of this Kirk which they set in the frontispiece and carry along in their Paper as if the Government could not be owned nor subsist the Authority of these two Meetings being denied and the corruptions of men discovered and acknowledged We say whatsoever they do herein to please themselves and to amuse the ignorant yet the protesting Brethren do not so judge and the other by doing so make moe adversaries to the â—…overnment than there is just cause â—…he second particular which they alleage is Their planting of Congregations in a tumultuous and disorderly way without respect to the Iudicatories of the Kirk or to the just interest of the People of the Congregation and counteracting to the resolutions and determinations of the Iudicatories when any of them are pleased to be dissatisfied therewith To carry on the great things of God that do concern the Kingdom of His Son Jesus Christ and the eternal state of souls in a tumultuous and disorderly way though there were no more were a fault great enough but to do it upon no better foundations than meer pleasure and for no better ends but for serving of our own lusts were a very grievous and hatefull sin But let us see what cause there is â—…or this great charge The resolution Brethren did by those Resolutions of theirs taken in an occasional meeting of the Commissioners of the General Assembly many of that number receiving either no advertisement or else such as was out of time to keep the meeting in the year 1651. give their judgment
corrupt scandalous Ministers 〈◊〉 Elders wherewith the Judicatories of the Kirk many places of the Land are pestered and 〈◊〉 either do little or nothing to edification or 〈◊〉 too much to destruction We shall not for proof 〈◊〉 this repeat in this place those evidences of 〈◊〉 ing defection the truth of which is but too 〈◊〉 ble and can be attested by many sufficient 〈◊〉 ses But we would desire our Brethren and 〈◊〉 if they shall slight it seriously to consider these 〈◊〉 things 1. That this Church was but a few 〈◊〉 before these publick Resolutions recovered 〈◊〉 under the tyranny and corruptions of the 〈◊〉 and their adherents under which she had 〈◊〉 and languished for the space of about fourty years by reason whereof though a remnant was preserved through grace yet the body of the Ministery was become either insufficient as to their gifts 〈◊〉 corrupt in their judgment or scandalous in 〈◊〉 conversation 2. That it was oftentimes after the Reformation begun in the year 1638. not only by godly men in private but publickly by our General Assemblies in their publick Warnings and Declarations and Causes of Humiliation acknowledged that though there was an external forsaking of the prelatical way and engaging in the Covenant Yet that the sin of former defection and backsliding was by many still unrepented of that many did still remain either neutral and cold or backward and ill-affected to the work of God 3. That the General Assemblies in the progresse of Reformation did begin to be so sensible of the multitude of insufficient and scandalous men that did still remain in Presbyteries and Synods that they did judge Presbyteries and Synods not able to purge themselves and that therefore it was necessary to give Commission to some select Brethren nominated by themselves for visiting the bounds of Presbyteries and Synods with power to these Brethren to try and censure such Ministers and Elders as they found insufficient or scandalous 4. That these Brethren found so much work in many places of the Country as they were not able soon to overtake but after the continuing of their diligence by renewed Commissions for two or three years space the General Assembly upon the report of what was yet to do in places that had only been in part visited and in consideration of the condition of other places not yet visited did find it necessary to appoint select persons nominated by themselves for visiting most of the Presbyteriâ—…s and Synods in the Country with power to try and censure as aforesaid 5. That those almost general visitations of the whole Land albeit judged most necessary for purging of the Kirk of the multitude of corrupt or insufficient men whom Presbyteriâ—…s and Synods were either noâ—… able or not willing to censure was never kept because of the War immediatly following betwixt the two Nations 6. That few or none have since that time been purged-out by Presbyteries and Synods the zeal that was formerly in good men amongst them being in a great measure cooled in those who do adhere to the publick Resolutions and the endeavours of these who differ from them being opposed and rendred ineffectual by men of another spirit who have got up the head in the 〈◊〉 of the Kirk and have turned the stream of their publick actings into another 〈◊〉 to wit against those whom they call 〈◊〉 Brethren 7. That a great many of these 〈◊〉 who were formerly purged-out for the profanity and malignancy are again taken 〈◊〉 the Ministery without sufficient evidences of the repentance and have now no small hand in 〈◊〉 governing of things in sundry Presbyteries 〈◊〉 Synods we know their repentance is talked 〈◊〉 but we do as well know that it is but a meer tall some of them having made no 〈◊〉 at all of any of the offences for which they 〈◊〉 deposed others of them not having acknowledge all the particulars contained in their Sentence and most of them either prevaricating or extenuâ—…ting in the matter of their acknowledgments 〈◊〉 continuing to be what they were Sundry 〈◊〉 Brethren of the publick judgment bemoan with 〈◊〉 the taking-in of such and in such a way and 〈◊〉 not themselves professe to be what they were 〈◊〉 dare appeal themselves and others who bâ—…st knoâ—… them whether they did judge themselves justlâ—… deposed and have really repented of and changeâ—… their way as to the things for which they were deposed 8. That there is an universal groaninâ—… and sad complaint of the godly generally throughout the Land of the insufficiency and negligence and of scandalous and malignant corrupt carriagâ—… of many Ministers throughout the Land and of the proceedings of many Presbyteries and Synods that these seven or eight years past they have done little or nothing to edification and for promoving of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and the power of godlinesse Do they not generally be wail it that the meetings of many of the Judicatories of the Kirk are for most part rather matter of grievance and 〈◊〉 unto them than matter of comfort and rejoycing And if we shall set over against this that universal testimony that is given by the multitude of sâ—…andalous and disaffected malignant men in the Land to the Ministers of the publick judgment and to the most of Presbyteries and Synods of that way in most of their actings Doth it not say that there is prevailing corruption and defection in the Church and in her Judicatories What a strange change is it that profane malignant men in the Land who were known opposers and haters of Godliness and of the work of Reformation and of the Discipline and Government of the Kirk and to whom the name of the Kirk was wont to be hatefull and odious and her Judicatories terrible as an Army with Banners that now their ordinary plea should be the Kirk of Scotland and the General Assembly and the Presbyterie and the Synod and such and such Ministers And that the Godly in the Land should be filled with sorrow and put to open shame whilest through the prevailing corruptions and backslidings of men advantage is given to adversaries to fight against them with the weapons that were appointed unto them of God for their defence and comfort and for bearing down of the profane and ungodly The fourth thing whence they labour to conclude the protesting Brethren adversaries unto and projecters against the Government of the Church is as they represent it in the fifth page of their Declaration That they did break up the Conference for Union with 〈◊〉 in November 1655. â—…hiefly upon this accompt That they could not 〈◊〉 the Iudicatories of the Church of their just power 〈◊〉 devolve matters into the hands of an extrajudicial 〈◊〉 of equal numbers Which point they resumâ—… again and prosecute at length in the sixth and seventh pages of that Paper setting down the word of the protesting Brethren their Overture there anent in a distinct character and labouring 〈◊〉 hold forth the absurdity
Classes and Synods and therefore we wonder that our Brethren should cite such testimonies for confirmation of their new doctrine as do indeed make against it Neither have our Brethren been more happy in what they tell us in their Representation that this practice of ours in matters of Discipline and Government was never heard of in any Church where the Officers and constitution thereof were acknowledged to be agreeable to the Word of God What hath been heard of in this Church we have already told them and for other Churches we would desire them to look upon the story of the Church within the first four or five hundred years after Christ and see whether many of the worthy Servants of Christ who lived of old such as Athanasius c. did not refuse submission to Sentences and Decrees of Synods and counteract thereunto not only by preaching contrary to their Determinations but by preaching and exercising their ministeriall function after Sentences of Deposition and Excommunication passed against them and it will be but a poor shift for our Brethren to tell us that these Synods did not consist of Officers and of a Constitution agreeable to the Word of God because these worthy men had no exception against the Officers because of their office of Bishops or such like they being such themselves nor against the constitution but their exception was against the heterodoxie and iniquitie of their Decrees and Sentences upon which account they did refuse obedience and subjection thereunto and did counteract them to the utmost of their power and though because of their so doing they were then persecuted and reproached by many of their Brethren and of the Kirk-judicatories of these times aâ—… the fire-brands of the time and troublers of the peace of the Church yet hath their praise been amongst all sober and sound men in all the Churches of Christ throughout many generations and will be so to the end of the world And those who did persecute them for so doing are and will be justly condemned as men of a malignant spirit We remember to this purpose an observation of Osiander upon one of the Canons of a Council at Antioch in which it was decided That if any Ecclesiasticall persons should without the advice and letters of the Bishop of the Province and chiefly of the Metropolitan go to the Emperour to put up any grievance unto him he should be cast out not only from the holy communion but from his proper dignity which he had in the Church This Canon saith Osiander was composed against holy Athanasius for Athanasius being expelled by the Arians had fled to the Emperour Constantine the younger and bad from him obtained regresse to his own Church Now this Canon saith he is very unjust which forbiddeth that a Bishop or any other Minister of the Church being unjustly oppressed flie to his godly civil Magistrate since it was lawfull to the Apostle Paul to appeal to the Roman Emperour wicked Nero as the Acts of the Apostle witnesse but it may be seen in this place that Bishops were very soon seeking dominion saith he yea tyrannie over the Church and over their colleagues Hist. Eccl. Cent. 4. lib. 2. cap. 48. pag. 242. The last part of their alleagance that both the protesting Brethren and they were solemnly engaged to this submission at their admission to the Ministrie if it were meaned of such as were admitted by and gave engagements to the Prelates it hath indeed too much truth in it that many of their number and haply some of the other also did at their admission to the Ministrie give these engagements for absolute and implicit submission to their ordinary the Lord-Prelate to which the submission required by our Brethren as we shall afterwards shew is too neer a kin but that ever such an absolute unlimited submission was either required by Presbyteries or engaged into by intrants since the casting out of the Prelates we do deny and are confident that our Brethren can bring no relevant proof of it in the form and order of the electing of Ministers condescended upon in the Assembly at Edinburgh March 9. 1560. where Iohn Knox was Moderator sundry questions are ordered to be propounded to the intrant to the Ministrie which for ought we know are and no other for substance the same that have been propounded since the Assembly at Glasgow 1638 Among other things It is demanded of him if he will not be subject to the Discipline of the Church with the rest of his Brethren And the answer is That he doth most willingly submit himself to the wholesome Discipline of the Church yea to the Discipline of the same Church by which he is now called to this office and charge and that he doth in Gods presence and theirs promise obedience to all admonitions c. Now what doth this amount unto will our Brethren say to such a subjection as they contend for The subjection here spoken of is upon expresse supposall of sliding and offending upon his part who promiseth the subjection upon which case the protesting Brethren are as much for subjection to Discipline as the resolution Bretheren are But if they will extend it further and say that it is meaned of absolute subjection to the sentence of his Brethren whether he have osfended or not they may as well and with more colour of reason say that he is bound by his oath not only to give subjection but also obedience to all their admonitions whether just or unjust lawfull or unlawfull because there is no expresse limitation in the words of the oath these qualifications being as we said before amongst the praecognita and praesupposita of all such questions and answers and there being no need to expresse them except where there are grounds of jealousie As to the reasons and arguments which do plead against this submission so much contended for by the resolution Brethren we shall set them down when we come to speak of the iniquity of these Brethren their demands in order to Union and Peace The sixth thing that our Brethren bring in for attesting the protesting Brethren their projecting to subvert the Government of the Church is That some of them did endeavour to enervate the power of Church-judicatories by procuring an order puting the power of giving testimonie to intrants which is due to Presbyteries only who are authorized to judge of their call and to try and to ordain them in the hands of some select persons of their own choosing Declar. pag. 6. We do somewhat wonder at our Brethrens mentioning of this and that in a Paper pretending to earnest desires of Union and Peace 1. Because the whole Land and their consciences know that that order was not imbraced nor made use of by the protesting party in Scotland and that many of those whose names were in it gave their reasons why they were not clear in their consciences to close with it 2. Because it is well known to themselves that
the reverend Brother upon whom they would cast the blame in this matter and others of both judgements were required by the Lord Protector to go to London where being demanded he gave his opinion That seing there was a Court established in Scotland for disposing of the legall maintenance to such Intrants of the Ministrie as upon certificates should be approved of by the Judges of that Court whereby the Judges were left to an uncertainty whose certificates to receive It was therefore fittest in the present distractions of the Church that those certificate should be granted by a select number of both judgements which being embraced by my Lord Protector and his Council and an Ordinance passed for that effect and sent to Scotland When the reverend Brother did perceive that it was not accepted he laid it aside and did not prosecute iâ—… any further And we wish the Brethren for the publick Resolutions would follow the example of his condescendencie in the like cases But may iâ—… not be truely said that our Brethren have done much more themselves for enervating the power of Church-Judicatories and bringing the Ministrie into bondage by clandestine capitulations of theirs about Intrants to the Ministrie the effects whereof are so well known as we need not to mention them But say they in the next place When it pleased the Lord to break that snare their leading men have again of late attempted the utter ruine of this Church and of these who differ from them under the pretext of seeking a Commission for plantation of Churches they projected to have the power of disposing the legall maintenance of Ministers puâ—… in the hands of that Commission though they know such a power was never given nor assumed by such a Iudicatorie but that it is contrarie to the order established by the Law of the Land the great design therof being not only to call the Authority of the late Assemblies in question as they expresse in their desire but to have the maintenance put in the hands of men to their mind who were the proposers of the Overture that so they might discourage all who are opposite to them from the Ministrie What poor and weak premisses are heâ—…r to draw such a conclusion from That the protesting Brethren or their leading men have of late attempted the utter ruine of this Church and of those who differ from them When the civil powers were pleased to put in the hands first of a peculiar Court appointed for that end and afterwards into the hands of the Council the disposing of the legall maintenance of Ministers to such Intrants as upon certificates should be approven by them The protesting Brethren having represented the inconveniencie of this thing unto his Highnesse Council in Scotland and finding that they were not impowered to change that way did afterward by some of their number supplicate his Highnesse That as it is allowed to the Nation to be governed by her own Laws the like freedom may be given to the Church to be governed by her own uncontroverted Acts and Constitutions and that Intrants to the Ministery might have full access to their stipends and maintenance conform to the Laws of the Nation without any bonds or engagements of a civil nature directly or indirectly and that all the Acts of Parliamenâ—… which do relate to the liberties of the Kirk may be declared to be still in force and that there might be a Commission of able and godly men who know and understand our Church affairs nominated by his Highnesse which might exercise the power which was formerly in the Commission of Plantation of Churches in Scotland and also do the duty of the Civil Magistrate anent Ecclesiastick matters according to the Rules and Acts of uncontroverted Assemblies and Laws of the Land preceding the year 1651. Was there herein any thing faulty much lesse so hainously faulty as an attempt for the utter ruin of the Church and of the resolution Brethren Yes say they there was a project in it to have the power of disposing the legal maintenance of Ministers put into the hands of that Commission though such a power was never given nor assumed by such a Judicatory and is contrary to the order established by the Law of the Land But as the first part of the protesting Brethren their desire which we have already set down doth expresly bear That Ministers might have accesse to their stipends in such a way as iâ—… conform to the Laws of the Land So doth the last part expresly qualifie the power which they desire to be given to the Commission of Plantation of Kirks in the exercise of it that it might be according to Acts of uncontroverted Assemblies and the Laws of the Land It is neither falshood nor vanity for the protesting Brethren when they are charged as underminers of the Liberties of thiâ—… Kirk to say that in their essays for preserving and vindicating of these they have been nothing short if not somewhat beyond these men who challenge them And what though upon supposall of the purpose and resolution of the civâ—… powers not to alter the former way of disposinâ—… of the legall maintenance of Ministers they haâ—… desired that the disposing of Ministers maintenance might be in the hands of that Commissionâ—… was it a fault when they could not prevail to bring it in conformity to the Laws of the Land to desiâ—… that there might be a translation of the power in its exercise from one subject to another who being not necessarily diverted with multiplicity of affairs as the Council is might more conveniently attend it But say they the great design of this was to call the Authority of late Assemblies in question Supposing that to be true that the Authoritie of these Assemblies were not only called in question but pronounced null would that bring utter ruine to this Church and to those who plead for them do our Brethren think that the Church and themselves must stand or fall with the Authority of these late Assemblies We wish the Church and them too better foundations then such bowing walls and tottering fences But could not the Commission for plantation of Kirks have exercised that Power and the Authority of these Assemblies have also stood we see no inconsistencie between them Next say they The design was to have the maintenance put in the hands of men to their mind that so they might discourage all from the Ministrie who are opposit to themselves If our Brethren judge such discouragement to be so great a crime why have they so much practized it and framed the mischief thereof into a Law that none shall have liberty to be a Burser in a DivinityCollege or to wait upon a Family much lesse to be admitted to the Ministrie that doth not acknowledge the Constitution and submit to the Acts of these two late Assemblies But as concerning the men into whose hands the protesting Brethren would have had the disposing of the maintenance put
1650. and the pretended Assembly following against the opposers thereof 5. In regard of the authoritative approbation of many of these things by Provinciall Synods and Presbyteries many of which have made and past particular Acts for that effect 6. In regard of the execution of the Acts of the pretended Assemblies at Saint Andrews Dundee and Edinburgh against Ministers Elders and Expectants who adhere to the Protestation 7. In order to the taking-in of many disaffected and malignant persons and making them capable of Ecclesiastick priviledges and trust such having vote in Congregations in the Election of Ministers and Elders and sitting as Elders in Kirk-judicatories in a wrong way 8. They do continue in all these sad fruits and evidences of defection which the protesting Brethren did long ago represent to the several Synods and have since that time collected together in one And therefore the Authors of this Declaration do give their Readers but words and wrong the protesting Brethren when they tell them of tossing about a debate now so far removed out of the way and so do others of their party when they do discourse and write in such a strain as if there were no obstruction of Peace and of an Agreement from any thing pâ—…rtaining to these Resolutions that is now in being or that is urged by these who do adhere thereunto upon or against the protesting Brethren but that all the ground of the continuing of the difference is because the resolution Brethren will not quit their judgements and professe Repentance for what they have done When as besides repentance and changing of their judgment which though the protesting Brethren do wish and pray for and hold forth as their duty yet do they not make it a condition without which they will have no Union and Peace with them There be many things relating to these Resolutions that are still in being and are adhered unto and prosecuted by these Brethren that do prove hinderances and impediments of an Agreement betwixt them and the protesting Brethren which as it is partly manifest from what is already said so shall it more evidently and fully be made to appear when we shall take in consideration the Overtures of Union propounded by them in this Paper Another of their prejudices is That the protesting Brethren affect preheminence and would set up a domination of their party in this Church and over their Brethren Decl. pag. 4. pag. 6. If we should say that there is nothing of that root of pride and ambition in the protesting Brethren that took hold on our first parents in paradise and hath from them been derived unto all the posterity descended from them by ordinary generation and keepeth some footing in the best of men in whom a body of death dwelleth we should but flatter them and lie against the Truth there is no doubt as much of that bitter root in them as may be matter of bitter mourning and humiliation unto them before God neither will they we believe deny but that they would wish the whole Church of God in this Land and the Judicatories thereof to be of their judgment in these points of difference though we hope not upon the accompt that it is theirs but because they judge it to be of the Lord and consonant to the rule of His Word but that they do affect preheminence and would set up a domination of their party over the Church and over their Brethren We have confidence and clearnesse to deny it and have their works to witnesse the contrary Our Brethren do well know that in their judgments the Commission of the Generall Assembly 1650. is still in force and might they not if they had been a party affecting preheminence have exercised the Power contained therein these years past But how soon those of their number who are members thereof had with the advice of other Brethren of that judgement holden-forth the causes of the Lords controversie against the Land they did abstain and have hithertills abstained from acting in that capacity How frequently also have they offered unto the resolution Brethren that if they would by themselves alone and without them purge the House of God that it should satisfie them to look on and rejoyce in their work and if when they had long waited for it and saw them like to do nothing in it yea that most of them were adverse to it and were polluting in stead of purging Must it be an affecting of domination for Ministers and Elders in the House of God to propound such means and overtures as do carry in them some probability towards doing somewhat in that necessary work wherein they are yet still willing that the Resolution Brethren should have more than equal share with themselves It hath been ordinary for righteous men whose consciences could not suffer them to be silent and to couch under publick corruptions without bearing testimony against the same and endeavouring a remedy thereof to meet with such reproaches from oppressing and loose parties and persons that have stood in the way of Reformation that they would needs be judges and did take too much upon them and were seeking to set up themselves It being amongst the policies of Satan wherein not only the common world but even good men may sometimes through weaknesse and mistake be subservient unto him because he cannot finde in the outward carriage of those whom God calleth to witnesse against or pull down his kingdom sufficient ground of challenge by which they may be made odious to the world therefore he thinketh it for his advantage to charge them with inward abominations such as hypocrisie and ambition and covetousnesse and mischievous projects and designs c knowing that though they may justly deny these things yet they shall not be able easily to refute them there being alwayes somewhat in the most innocent and best actions of the best and most innocent men that may by an uncharitable judgment be construed to spring from such roots It remaineth in the last place that we should speak to those Proposals and Overtures of Union and Peace that are tendred to the Protesting Brethren and published to the world in that Declaration concerning which before we descend into particulars we offer these generall Observations 1. That in the very entry they lay such a stumbling-block in the way as seemes to render Union very hopeless For having spoken of the tearms of Union propounded by the Protesting Brethren and of the pretended injuries done by them to the Government they do the in eight page conclude thus For our part say they we resolve in the power of the Lord's grace never to accord therunto nor to recedâ—… from the estbalished Government be the hazard what it will that is in plain English We resolve never to condescend to any overture of purging of the Church that hath in it any circumstance out of the common road of doing it by the plurality of corrupt men in Presbyteries and
iniquity whereof we shall afterward discover But leaving these generall considerations we shall take notice of the insufficiencie inequality and iniquity of their proposals for Union and Peace First They are insufficient because 1. There is no remedie unlesse it be a mock-remedie holden forth therein as to the matter of the publick Resolutions and the corrupt constitution of the two pretended Assemblies at Saint Andrews and Dundee and Edinburgh for preventing the like corrupt constitution for the time to come which things they know to be two great grounds of the protesting Brethren their grievances These Brethren do in the conference at Edinburgh Novemb 8. 1655. propound and desire That the Acts of the Commission of the General Assembly 1650. concerning the publick Resolutions and their Declarations and Warnings and Acts resulting thereupon and the Declarations and Acts of the two late contraverted Assemblies of Dundee and Edinburgh and all other Declarations and Acts in Presbyteries and Synods that are the results thereof be rendered of none effect in order to censure past or to come and also so far as they do import or may be alleaged as the publick definitive judgement of this Kirk or of any of the Iudicatories thereof anent the matters contained therein and that they be not re-acted in any time hereafter Next that it be declared That the two controverted Assemblies at Saint Andrews and Dundee and Edinburgh shall be as to their constitution in the things protested and excepted against no precedent nor prejudice to the constitution of future Generall Assemblies Of all that is contained in these desires they do only proffer a cessation from the execution of these Acts whereby a barr is laid in the way to keep men who are not of their judgement from the Ministerie and that they shall agree that they be made void and null by the next Generall Assembly If it be said that they do also agree that the matter concerning the publick Resolutions be remitted to the Determination of a Generall Assembly It is true they do so and that is the mock-remedie we spoke of conceiving we have just reason to call it so not only because in the same place they will have it an Assembly according to the established order which being expounded according to the Acts of their two late Assemblies importeth an admitting of such only to be Members who do acknowledge the constitution and submit to the Acts of these Assemblies that ratified these Resolutions and the things relating thereunto all others by their established order being incapable to be chosen Members but also because they are sure to have an Assembly according to their mind the plurality of Presbyteries being of that judgement and the protesting Brethren being as they call them but a small number in comparison of these who are for the publick Resolutions But haply some will say That the resolution Brethren cannot without quitting of their judgement condescend that the publick Resolutions shall not hereafter be looked upon or acknowledged as the publick definitive judgement of the Kirk of Scotland We know that themselves do so say but of this we could never hear a satisfying reason from them and we believe men of more piercing judgements then we are shall hardly reach it Is the repealing of one Act of that Assembly to which they did vote and which they do still in their judgements approve as just and equitable upon the matter a quitting of their judgements more then the repealing of another to which they did also vote and do still approve of They are content for the peace of the Church to repeal these Acts that do relate to the censuring of such as do oppose these Resolutions and this they can do without condemning or quitting of their judgement And may they not also without condemning or quitting of their judgement for the peace of the Church repeal these Acts that declare these Resolutions to be the definitive sentence of the Kirk of Scotland this would not be a quitting or altering their judgments concerning the things themselves but only the taking-off the Synodicall or Juridicall tye not because of any error in the things themselves but upon other extrinsick considerations a thing very ordinary in Judicatories both Civil and Ecclesiastick And we believe unbyassed men will think that our Brethren who professe and publish the matter of the publick Resolutions to be a question so extrinsick to our Doctrine Worship and Government and a debate now so far removed out of our way are bound the rather so to do because our Doctrine Worship and Government can receive no prejudice by taking-off a Synodicall tye in matters of opinion that are so extrinsick thereto If our resolution Brethren do indeed judge them so extrinsick and yet will not herein condescend they give more then cause even to indifferent men to apprehend that all their professions for and pretensions unto Peace are but professious and pretensious or else that they mean to hold up the tottering foundations of these rotten Resolutions in order to some new fabrick that they intend to build thereupon when opportunity shall serve unto the producing of the like or worse divisions and persecutions in the Church then they have formerly brought forth Secondly These Proposals of theirs are unsufficient because they do contain or hold forth no effectuall means for purging of the Lords House of insufficient and scandalous and corrupt Ministers and Elders which is one of the main desires propounded by the protesting Brethren and one of the most necessary duties that lyeth upon the Church at this time there being so many of that sort in the Land they do in this particular give them a number of good words but when they are compared with their practices and performances they shall be found but words and no more they tell them that they do not contravert with them in this businesse having often professed their willingnesse to go about that work in the most strict way according to justice and the common rules of Church-Iudicatories in such cases and that they have not only often intreated them to unite upon this very account that the work of purging might be carried-on more effectually but have upon all occasions of any report of scandall or insufficiencie laid forth themselves to the utmost to try and examine the truth thereof and have not been wanting in inflicting due censure for any thing that at any time was found When we read these words our spirits were filled with astonishment and grief and what answer to return to such asseverations we do not know unlesse it be to commit the cause unto God who knoweth their way in these matters and whether they have made conscience of the work of purging these seven years past or have neglected and obstructed the same yea have in a great measure undone what was formerly done therein How few insufficient scandalous Ministers since the birth of these publick Resolutions to this day have been removed
relating thereunto in the literal and genuine meaning thereof By which we hope that unlesse they be taken for grosse dissemblers it doth manifestly appear that they are willing to six themselves and desirous also to have their Brethren who gave but a shie answer in this particular also fixed in the matter of the Government of the Church But secondly our Brethren having in that Conference overtured That all the members of this Kirk Ministers and People shall submit themselves to their Presbyteries and Synods respectively And if any be grieved with the Determination of Presbyteries they may appeal to the Synods And if any be grieved with the Determination of a Synod they may appeal to a General Assembly but that in the mean time the Sentences of Presbyteries and Synods are to be acquiesced unto until the Determination of the respective supream Iudicatories thereupon The protesting Brethren did quere upon this Article Whether the submission and acquiescence required in the same doth import a submission and acqutescence in every person in all cases even when the plunality of a Kirk-Iudicatory doth act contrary to the Word of God and imploy their power to destruction and not to edification and their Determinations doth necessarily infer present detriment to the Church and finding that by their Answers they did upon the matter require an absolute and unlimited submission to the Sentences of the Church-Judicatories whether just or unjust They did declare unto them That as they did not willingly desire to enter in any debate anent that matter conceiving it unexpedient to start and debate such questions at that time or to make any Declarations thereanent So they did conceive that such a submission hath not hithertils been required nor could warrantably be yeelded in such a way as it was then required especially there being to their sense and apprehension so much corruption in the plurality of Presbyteries and Synods whereof they professed themselves willing and ready to give the evidences And afterwards That they did not differ with their Brethren about what was cited by them in that Conference from the Acts of the General Assemblies of this Kirk concerning subordination and submission particularly from the Act of the General Assembly 1647. concerning the hundred and eleven Propositions and in the seventh head of doctrine therein contained but that they did not see how that which iâ— required by them is no other than that which is established by the General Assemblies of this Kirk because they require such a Declaration of subjection and submission to the Sentences of the Iudicatories of this Kirk as hath not hithertils been established by the uncontroverted Assemblies thereof to wit that which doth import a like submission to sentences whether just or unjust or of corrupt or uncorrupt Iudicatories and doth exclude Declinâ—â—â—or and contrary actings in every case which could not but probably put the People of God in a worse condition than they were before because it would take away from them the use of lawfull remedies and is contrary to the practice of the Apostle in the fourth and fifth of the Acts and to the practice of our forefathers in the time of former defections But because this point is of importance and stateth the Brethren for the Protestation in the apprehensions of the more rigid of the Resolutioners as adversaries to the very essence and being of Presbyterial Government therefore it is necessary in order to their vindication to speak more fully to it The Question so far as we can understand them in it is Whether such a submission be due from all the members of this Kirk Ministers and People to the Judicatories of the Kirk and from the inferiour to the superiour Kirk-Judicatories in matters of Government and Discipline as ought upon the sentence whether just or unjust of these Judicatories to sist the proceedings of the person or party grieved therewith and make them aquiesce thereunto untill the determination of the respective superiour Judicatory therein without any counteracting to the same unlesse it be to appeal unto and follow their appeal before the superiour Judicatory Upon this Question we find the Brethren for the Protestation in their last Paper at the Conference Novemb. 25. 1655. expressing their judgment thus We are willing to subject our selves to all the just sentences of the lawfâ—ll Assemblies of this Kirk and if the case were only of a few particular persons in things of more private interest and personal concernment and of Iudicatories imploying their power to edification in the current of their actings we should not much contend about it but when it is of a great number of godly Ministers and Elders and Professors throughout the Land who do desire to stand in the breach and to oppose the present course of defection and of Iudicatories the plurality whereof in many places do not act unto edification and for promoving the power of godlinesse but to the contrary it altereth the case The resolution Brethren without admitting these qualifications and restrictions upon the sentences or the persons sentenced and the grounds of their censure and without acknowledging any corruption in the Church-Judicatories are for the affirmative of the Question to wit subjection and submission to all the sentences of the respective Kirk-Judicatories just or unjust by all the members of this Kirk Ministers and Professors without any counteracting unlesse it be to appeal unto and prosecute their appeal before the superior Judicatorie as is evident from their Overturâ—… propounded unto the protesting Brethren Iune 〈◊〉 1655. and from the Papers that passed 〈◊〉 them thereupon in the Conference at Edinburgâ—… from November 8. till Novemb. 29. 1655. and froâ—… their late Representation pag. 39. sect. 43. anâ—… pag. 47. sect. 53. and from this present 〈◊〉 But let us examine their Reasons Their firsâ—… Reason is That such a submission is of the verâ—… essence and being of Presbyterial Government Our Brethren say they do strike at the very beinâ—… of Presbyterial Government c. Represent pag. 39â—… sect. 2. And again they declined also to engage themselves to that submission â—…o the Government and to observe that subordination of persons and Iudicatoriâ—… in matters of discipline which we were willing shoulâ—… be mutual And albeit we required nothing but 〈◊〉 is essential to Presbyterial Government Yet they diâ—… wholly decline it Represent pag. 47. sect. 3. Anâ—… in the fifth page of their present Declaration They expresly refused subordination and submission to thâ—… Church-Iudicatories to which we and they were solemnly engaged at our admission to the Ministery and which we were willing to renew for our parts and without which our established Iudicatories would be nothing but consultative meetings a principle inconsistâ—…nt with Presbyterial Government in a constituteâ—… Church Answ. It is to us and we believe will be to all sober and unbyassed men who understand the principles of Church-government new and strange doctrine That an absolute and unlimited subjection to
thou preach not the Gospel and hath commanded him to eat of His body and drink of His bloud and not to forsake the assembling himself with the Saints of God yet because men pro arbitratu imperio yea because of his adhering to the Truth of God which they have rejected and condemned hath forbidden him so to do That be shall not obey God this is a hard saying who can receive it It is also contary to clear Scripture precedents Ieremiah was often commanded by the Authority both Ecclesiastick and Civil to forbear speaking of the Word of the Lord yet did he give no subjection to the sentence either of the one or of the other but went on in his Ministrie notwithstanding of all the Inhibitions and Censures past against him Chap. 26. ch. 32. ch. 37. and ch. 38. Amos was commanded by Amaziah the Priest to prophesie no more at Bethel because it was the Kings Chappell and the Kings Court yet he did not submit but did counteract that commandment and did continue to prophesie in the Name of the Lord Amos 5. 13 14 15 16. Daniel was commanded to make no petition to any God or Man for thirtie dayes save to King Darius yet did he not submit but counteract by going into his house and opening his Chamber-window towards Ierusalem and kneeling on his knees three times a day and praying and giving thanks before His God as he did aforetime Dan. 6 6 7 8 9 10. The Iews did agree that if any man did confesse that Jesus was the Christ he should be put out of the Synagogue yet did the poor man whose eyes He had opened confesse Him openly and though he was actually cast out for doing of it yet did he not submit but went on to confesse Him still Joh. 9. 22 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38. The Apostles were commanded once and again by the Council at Ierusalem not to speak nor teach any more in the Name of JESUS but they told them that they could not but speak the things which they had seen and heard and that they ought to obey God rather then men and notwithstanding they were first threatened and afterwards imprisoned and thirdly beaten by them for so doing yet did they not submit nor forbear but daily in the Temple and from house to house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ Act. 4. 19 20 21. Act. 5. 17 18 29 40 42. Paul being accused first before Festus and afterwards before Felix the Roman Deputies That he was a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition amongst the Iews throughout the world and a ring-leader of the Sect of the Nazarens who also had gone about to profane the Temple Did not only appeal to Cesar but went on in his course and preached the Gospel and preached that the Iews killed the Lord Jesus and their own Prophets and persecuted the Apostles and pleased not God and were contrary to all men Act. 24. 5 6. Act. 25. 7 8 9 10. 1 Thess. 2. 15. 3. This submission dethroneth Jesus Christ who only hath power over the consciences of men to bind them by His Authority by attributing such a Power and Authority to Church-Judicatorics as doth bind mens consciences upon their meer arbitrement and pleasure for we must be subject because they will have it so though the reason why they command this subjection to wit our supposed delinquencie be a meer non ens and such as hath no foundation in truth and equity If it be told us that the conscience is not bound because the judgement is still left free and the outward acts only restrained We would have our Brethren to remember that some of themselves and others who did oppose conformity to the Ceremonies did tell the Prelats and their party when they used this defence against the argument taken from binding the conscience to wit That if the bare Authority of an Ecclesiasticall Law without any other reason then the will and pleasure of men be made to restrain us in the use of things which are in themselves indifferent then is Christian liberty taken away and if so in things indifferent how much more is it so in things necessary such as keeping fellowship with the Assembly of the Saints in publick Prayers and Praises and eating and drinking at the Table of the Lord and preaching the Gospel c the practice whereof are things commanded of God unto persons duely qualified and instructed thereunto If it be said That these things cease to be obliging duties to such a person hic nunc and that the sentence of the Church commanding him to abstain looseth him from the obedience that he doth otherwise owe unto the Commandment of God we desire a warrant from the Scripture of Truth for such Doctrine as that which preferreth the Commandments of men unto the Commandments of God and say That it is better to obey men than God Shall the sole will and meer pleasures of men loose a man from the obligation he oweth unto the Commandments of God If so let us no more blame the Pope for dispensing with divine Laws I cannot abstain from taking Christ's body and bloud or from preaching the Gospel saith the innocent man unjustly sentenced because I am thereunto called and commanded of God But saith the Synod or Kirk-judicatory We have commanded you to abstain and therefore you should abstain and may be satisfied in your conscience so to do because our Command looseth you from the Commandment of God Hence a fourth Argument 4. This submission concludeth a man under a necessity of sinning against God by omitting those necessary duties that are commanded him of God upon a non-relevant reason to wit the meer will and pleasure of men to whom God hath given no power against the Truth but for the Truth no power to destruction but to edification 5. If such a submission be due to the Judicatories of the Kirk in matters of Discipline and Government We do not see how it is not also due unto them in matters of Doctrine and Worship The authoritative and juridical power belonging to Classes and Synods is threefold Dogmatick Diatactick and Critick Dogmatick in reference to matters of Faith and Rules of Worship which God hath laid down and prescribed to us in His Word and the inconsistency of heresies errors and corruptions therewith Diatactick in reference to external order and policy in matters circumstantial relating to time place and persons the conveniency whereof is determinable by the light of Nature and Christian prudence and the general Rules of the Word such as these That we should do all to the glory of God to the edification of the Church and in order and decency c. Critick in reference to the repressing of Scandal Error Heresie Schism Obstinacie and Contempt and preserving of the Purity of the Truth and Holinesse of Conversation and Unity of Judgment and Affection in the Church of God by exercising the spiritual
censures of Admonition Suspension from the Sacrament of the Lord's-Supper Excommunication and Suspension and Deposition from the Ministery Now all these Powers being authoritative and in their determinations and exercise confined unto and circumscribed within the bounds of the Word of God for their rule and being given to the Church for edification and not for destruction We would desire from our Brethren a Reason why the Critick-power should be more binding than the other or why submission is due to an unjust sentence proceeding from the Critick-power whilest it is not due to any erroneous or corrupt Decree proceeding from the Dogmatick or Diatactick power Hath God put more honour and respect upon the last than upon the two first Or hath He given greater latitude in the exercise of the last nor of the two first or is the last binding by thâ—… meer will and arbitrement of men whilâ—…st the two fiâ—…st bind only when agreeable to the Word of God If our Brethren do so judge We desire to know where these foundations of difference betwixt these powers are written or what they do bring for them from the Book of God or how in reason they can consist when the last shall be contrary to the two first And if this submission be equally due to the judicatories of the Kirk in all the three then if they shall determine that Justification by Faith alone is an error That Communion under both kinds is not necessary That kneeling is a necessary gesture at the Sacrament That it is necessary to forbear working on Yuleday and to keep it holy and such like We are bound not to professe nor preach nor act conâ—…rary to these their determinations which were to be ashamed of and to deny the Lord Jesus and His Word before men and to bring upon our souls the dreadfull Gospel-curse of His denying and being ashamed of us before His Father and the Angels which are in Heaven Matth. 10. 33. Mark 8. 38. Luke 26. 6. But upon supposal that this submission were not due to the Decrees of the Church in matters of Doctrine Worship and external Order by vertue of the Dogmatick and Diatactick power in themselves yet the asserting of it in matters of Discipline shall also necessarily infer the asserting of it in matters of Doctrine and Worship and external Order The Commissioners of the Gen. Assembly 1650. did declare That a great company and faction of wicked men sons of Belial being subjects may and ought in the case of necessity be imployed in a Christian Army and Covenanted Nation for the defence of Religion and the Country And the Assembly at St. Andrews and Dundee in anno 1651. do by vertue of their Dogmatick-power approve of and ratifie this Doctrine and Declaration and do withall by their Critick-power appoint and ordain That whosoever will not submit to this Determination but shall oppose by professing or preaching otherwise shall be proceeded against with the censures of the Kirk We ask whether these censures being put in execution by suspension from the Sacrament against these who professe otherwise or by Suspension or Deposition from the Ministery against those who preach otherwise if this submission which is required being given to these censures will not necessarily infer that they must not continue to profess or preach any more so And if this by necessary consequence be not an absolute submission to the Dogmatick-power aswell as to the Critick Or let us take it in the case of Athanasius who was deposed and excommunicated for professing and preaching and pleading Jesus Christ to be the consubstantial Son of God or in the case of a person suspended from the Sacrament or deposed from the Ministery because of their professing and preaching against kneeling at the Communion Will not such submission to these sentences as excludes all counteracting unlesse it be to appeal necessarily infer submission to the Decrees themselves so as the person censured must be silenced and not professe nor preach nor plead any more for the one Truth nor against the other Error 7. To wave a little that which concerneth private and particular persons We offer it to consideration whether inferiour Kirk-judicatories are subordinate to the greater and superiour simply and absolutely because they are greater and superiour or because the inferiour have no intrinsical power given them by Jesus Christ but in and wiâ—…h subordination to the greater because greater If so it would seem that all the inferiour Judicatories of the Kirk Congregational-Elderships Presbyteries and Provincial Synods must befenced and act in the name and by vertue of the authority derived from the General Assembly as all those Civil Courts that have no intrinsick power in themselves but in and with subordination to the supream Civil Magistrate are fenced in his Name and act by vertue of his Authority Inferiour Kirk-judicatories being Ordinances of Jesus Christ have the promise made to them when they meet in His Name and do adhere to His Truth Mat. 18 18 19. And if so shall the sentence of the superiour Judicatory when wrong upon the matter oblige them to submission If a Presbyterie or a Synod with the consent of the Presbyterie do in an orderly way of procedure cast-out an heterodox and scandalous Minister Must they because the Synod or General Assembly doth sustain his unjust appeal be obliged in conscience again to receive him as a member of the Presbyterie or Synod and acknowledge him for a lawfull Minister of the Gospel or if they have in an orderly way of procedure admitted an able orthodoxe godly man to the Ministrie Must they because the superiour Judicatory commands them so to do cease to acknowledge him or own him for one of their number or as a Minister of the Gospel if so it seemeth to be an ill-grounded Truth that is commonly delivered by some Divines writing of Synods That the power of Synods is not corruptive privative or destructive to the power of Classical Presbyteries or single Congregations but perfective acumulative and conservative thereunto 8. What is denyed jure to oecomenick Councels and so lawfully called Prophets and Ministers of the Gospel to Nathan to David to Paul to an Angel from heaven Gal. 1. 8. cannot warrantably be given to General Assemblies If oecomenick Counsels lawfully called Ministers if Nathan if Samuel if Paul if an Angel teach or decree but according to the Word of the Lord we are to counteract and to contradict Gal. 1. 8. But though we or an Angel from heaven preach to you {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} beside what we have preached let him be accursed Gal. 1. 8. Therefore c. 9. What is proprium quarto modo to the Scripture of Truth it cannot warrantably be given to the Judicatories of the Kirk but not to be counteracted nor contradicted is proprium quarto modo to the Scriptures of Truth these being the only infallible rule in matters of Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government Isa. 8.