and before him his Father his Grandmother his great Grandmother did all to their cost Then in plain English what is this political Power to call Synods to preside in Synods and to ratifie Synods which these good men give to the Magistrate and magnifie so much I shall tell the truth It is a duty which the Magistrate ows to the Kirk when they think necessary to have a Synod convocated to strengthen their summous by a civil Sanction to secure them in comming to the Synod returning from the Synod to provide them good accommodation to protect them from dangers to defend their Rights and Priviledges To compel obstinate persons by civil Laws and punishments to submit to their censures and decrees What gets the Magistrate by all this to himself He may put it all in his eye and see never a whit the worse For they declare expresly that neither all the power nor any part of the power which Synods have to deliberate of or to define Ecclesiastical things though it be in relation to their own Subjects doth flow from the Magistrate but because in those things which belong to the outward man mark the reason the Church stands in need of the help of the Magistrate Fair fall an ingenuous confession they attribute nothing to the Magistrate but onely what may render him able to serve their own turns and supply their needs I wish these men would think a little more of the distinction between habitual and actual Jurisdiction After a School-master hath his license to teach yet his actuall Jurisdiction doth proceed from the Parents of his Scholars And though he enjoy a kind of Supremacy among them he must not think that this extinguisheth either his own filial duty or theirs Like this power of presiding politically in Synods is the other power which they give him of reforming the Church that is when the State of the Church is corrupted but not when it is pure as they take it for granted that it is when the Jurisdiction is in their own hands Although godly Kings and Princes sometime by their own Authority when the Kirk is corrupted and all things out of order place Ministers and restore the true service of the Lord after the example of some godly Kings of Judah and divers godly Emperours and Kings also in the light of the New Testament yet where the Ministery of the Kirk is once lawfully constituted and they that are placed do their office faithfully all godly Princes and Magistrates ought to hear and obey their voice and reverence the Majesty of the Son of God speaking in them Leave â—…his jugling who shall judge when the Church is corrupted the Magistrates or Church-men if the Magistrates why not over you as well as others If the Church-men why not others as well as you here is nothing to be answered but to beg the question that they onely are the true Church Hear another witnesse in evil and troublesome times and in a lap ed state of affairs when the order instituted by God in the Church is degenerated to Tyranny to the trampling upon the true Religion and oppressing the Professours of it when nothing is sound the godly Magistrate may do some things which ordinarily are not lawfull c. But ordinarily and of common right in Churches already constituted if a man flie to the Magistrate complaining that he is injured by the abuse of Ecclesiastical Discipline or if the Sentence of the Presbyteries displease the Magistrate either in point of Discipline or of Faith he must not therefore draw such causes to a civil tribâ—…nal nor introduce a Political Papacy And as the Magistrate hath power in extraordinary causes when the Church is wholly corrupted to reform Ecclesiastical abuses so if the Magistrate shall Tyrannize over the Church it is lawfull to oppose him by certain wayes and means extraordinary how ever ordinarily not to be allowed This is plain dealing the Magistrate cannot lawfully reform them but in cases extraordinary and in cases extraordinary they may lawfully â—…eform the Magistrate by means not to be ordinarily allowed that is by force of arms See the principles from whence all our miseries and the losse of our gracious Master hath flowed and learn to detest them They give the Magistrate the custody of both tables so they do give the same to themselves they keep the second table by admonishing him he keeps the first table by assisting them they reform the abuses of the first table by ordinary right of the second table extraordinarily He reforms the abuses against the second table by ordinary right and the abuses against the first table extraordinarily But can the Magistrate according to their learning call the Synod to an account for any thing they do can he remedy the errours of a Synod either in Doctrine or Discipline No if Magistrates had power to change or diminish or restrain the Rights of the Church the Condition of the Church should be worse and their liberties lesse under a Christian Magistrate than under an Heathen For say they Parliaments and supreme Senates are no more infallible then Synods and in matters of Faith and Discipline more apt to errâ—… And again the Magistrate is not judge of Spiritual causes controverted in the Church And if he decrâ—…e any thing in such businesses according to the wisdom of the flesh and not according to the rule of Gods Word and the wisdom which is from above he must give an account of it unto God Or may the supreme Magistrate oppose the execution of their disciplin practised in their Presbyteries or Synods by Laws or prohibitions No it is wickednesse If he do so far abuse his authority good Christians must rather suffer extremities than obey him Then what remedy hath the Magistrate if he find himself grieved in this case He may desire and procure a review in another National Synod that the matter may be lawfully determined by Ecclesiastical judgement Yet upon this condition that not withstanding the future review the first sentence of the Synod be executed without delay This is one main branch of Popery and a grosse incrochment upon the right of the Magistrate CHAP. III. That this Discipline robs the Magistrate of the last appeal of his Subjects The second flows from this The last appeal ought to be the Supream Magistrate or Magistrates within his or their Dominions as to the highest Power under God And where it is not so ordered the Common-wealth can injoy no tranquillity as we shall see in the second part of this discourse By the Laws of England if any man find himself grieved with the sentence or consistoriall proceedings of a Bishop or of his officers he may appeal from the highest judicatory of the Church to the King in Chancery who useth in that case to grant Commissions under the great Seal to Delegates expert in the Laws of the Realm who have
dayes did sue for aid and assistance from the Crown and Kingdom of England they did not go about to obtrude their owne Discipline upon them but left them free to choose for themselves The grounds which follow are demonstrative First no man can dispose that by vow or otherwise either to God or man which is the right of a third person without his consent Neither can theâ—…nferiour oblige himselfe to the prejudice of his Superiour contrary to his duty without his Superiours allowance God accepts no such pretences to seem obsequious to him out of the undoubted right of another person Now the power of Armes and the defence of the Lawes and protection of the Subjects by those Armes is by the Law of England clearly invested in the Crowne And where the King is bound in conscience to protect the Subject is bound in conscience to assist Therefore every English Subject owes his Armes and his Obedience to his King and cannot dispose them as a free gift of his owne nor by any act of his whatsoever diminish his Soveraignes right over him but in those things wherein by Law he owes subjection to his Prince he remaineth still obliged notwithstanding any Vow or Covenant to the contrary especially when the subject and scope of the Covenant is against the known Lawes of the Realm So as without all manner of doubt no Divine or Learned Casuist in the world dissenting This Covenant is either void in it selfe or at least voided by his Majesties Proclamation prohibiting the takirg of it and nullifying its obligation Secondly It is confessed by all men that that an Oath ought not to be the bond of iniquity nor doth oblige a man to be a transgressour The golden rule is in malis promissis rescinde fidem in turpi voto muta decretum To observe a wicked engagement doubles the sinne Nothing can be the matter of a Vow or Covenant which is evidently unlawfull But it is evidently unlawfull for a Subject or Subjects to alter the Lawes established by force without the concurrence and against the commands of the Supreme Legislator for the introduction of a forraign Discipline This is the very matter and subject of the Covenant Subjects vow to God and swear one to another to change the Lawes of the Realm to abolish the Discipline of the Church and the Liturgy lawfully established by the Sword which was never committed to their hands by God or man without the King against the King which no man can deny in earnest to be plain rebellion And it is yet the worse that it is to the main prejudice of a third order of the Kingdom the taking away whose rights without their consents without making them satisfaction cannot be justified in point of conscience Yea though it were for the greater convenience of the Kingdom as is most falsely pretended And is harder measure then the Abbots and Friers received from Henry the eight or then either Christians or Turkes do offer to their conquered enemies Lastly a supervenient oath or covenant either with God or man cannot take away the obligation of a just oath precedent But such is the Covenant a subsequent oath inconsistent with and destructive to a precedent oath that is the oath of Supremacy which all the Church men throughout the Kingdome all the Parliament men at their admission to the house all persons of quality throughout England have taken The former oath acknowledgeth the King to be the onely supreame hâ—…ad that is civill head to see that every man do his duty in his calling and Governour of the Church of England The second oath or covenant to set up the Presbyterian Government as it is in Scotland denieth all this virtually makes it a politicall papacy acknowledgeth no governours but onely the Presbyters The former oath gives the King the supream power over all persons in all causes The second oath gives him a power over all persons as they are subjects but none at all in Ecclesiasticall causes This they make to be sacriledge By all whiâ—…h it is most apparent that this Covenant was neither free nor deliberate nor valide nor lawfull nor consistent with our former oathes but insorced dâ—…ceitfull invalide impious rebellious and contradictory to our former ingagements and consequently obligeth no man to performance but all men to repentance For the greater certainty whereof I appeâ—…le upon this stating of the case to all the learned Casuists and Divines in Europe touching the point of common right And that this is the true state of the case I appeal to our adversaries themselves No man that hath any spark of ingenuity will denie it No English-man who hath any tolerable degree of judgement or knowledge in the laws of his countrey can denie it but at the same instant his conscience must give him the lie They who plead for this rebellion dare not put it to a triall at law they doe not ground their defence upon the lawes But either upon their own groundlesse jealousies and fears of the Kings intention to introduce Popery to subvert the lawes and to enslave the people This is to run into a certain crime for fear of an uncertain They who intend to pick quarrels know how to feign suspicions Or they ground it upon the successe of their arms or upon the Soveraigne right of the people over all lawes and Magistrates whose Representatives they create themselves whilest the poor people sigh in corners and dare not say their soul is their own lamenting their former folly to have contributed so much to their own undoing Or lastly upon Religion the cause of God the worst plea of all the rest to make God accessary to their treasons murthers covetousnesse ambition Christ did never authorise Subjects to plant Christian Religion much lesse their own fanâ—…ticall dreams or fantasticall deviles in the blood of their Soveraigne and fellow subjects Speak out is it lawfull for Subjects to take up arms against their Prince meerly for Religion or is it not lawfull It ye say it is not lawfull ye condemn your selves for your Covenant testifieth to the world that ye have taken up arms meerly to alter Religion and that ye bear no Allegiance to your King but onely in order to Religion that is in plain terms to your own humours and conceits If ye say it is lawfull ye justifie the Independents in England for supplanting your selves ye justifie the Anabaptists in Germany Iohn of Leyden and his câ—…ue Ye break down the banks of Order and make way for an inundation of blood and confusion in all Countreys Ye render your selves justly odious to all Christian Magistrates when they see that they owe their safety not to your good wills but to your weaknesse that ye want sufficient strength to cut their throats This is fine doctrine for Europe wherein there is scarce that King or State which hath not Subjects of different opinions and communions in Religion Or lastly if ye say it is lawfull for
claimed it none would have more opposed then the most zealous patrones of Episcopacy The injurious invectives which the Warner builds upon this his Erastian assertion wee passe them as Castles in their aire which must fall and evanish for want of a foundation Only before I leave this Chapter let the Warner take a good Sentence out of the mouth of that wyse Prince King James to testifie yet farther his minde against Erastianisme His Majestie in the yeare 1617 having come in progresse to visit his auncient Kingdome of Scotland and being present in persone at a publick disputation in Theologie in the Universitie of St. Andrews whereof also many both Nobles and Church-men of both Kingdomes were auditors when one of those that acted a part in the disputation had affirmed and went about to maintaine this assertion that the King had power to depose Ministers from their Ministeriall function The King himself as abhorring such flatterie cried out with a loud voice Ego possum deponere Ministri caput sed non possum deponere ejus officium CHAP. VII The Presbyterie does not draw from the Magistrat any paritie of his power by the cheate of any relation IN the seventh chapter the Warner would cause men believe many more of the Presbyteries usurpations upon the civill Magistrate The first is that all offences whatsoever are cognoscible in the consistory upon the case of scandals Ans. First the Presbyterie makes no offence at all to come before the consistory but scandall alone Secondly these civill offences the scandall whereof comes before the Presbytery are but very few and a great deale fewer than the Bishops officiall takes notice of in his consistoriall court That capitall crimes past over by the Magistrate should bee censured by the Church no society of Christians who have any discipline did ever call in question When the sword of the Magistrat hes spared a murderer an adulterer a Blasphemer will any ingenuous either praelaticall or popish divine admitte of such to the holy table without signes of repentance The Warners second usurpation is but a branch of the first that the Presbyterie drawes directly before it selfe the cognisance of fraud in barganing false measures oppression and in the case of Ministers brybing usury fighting perjury c. Ans. Is it then the Warners minde that the notorious slander of such grosse sins does not deserve so much as an Ecclesiastick rebooke Shall such persons without admonition be admitted to the holy communion Secondly the named cases of fraud in barganing false measures oppression come so rarely before our Church-judicatories that though these thirty yeares I have been much conversant in Presbyteries yet did I never see nor doe I remember that ever I heard any of these three cases brought before any church assembly In the persone of Ministers I grant these faults which the canons of the Church in all times and places make the causes of deprivation are cognosced upon in Presbyteries but with the good liking I am sure of all both papifts and praelats who themselves are free of such vices And why did not the Warner put in among the causes of church mens deprivation from office and benefite adultery gluttonny and drunkennes are these in his c. which he will not have cognoscible by the Church in the persons of Bishops and Doctors The Warners third challenge amounts to an high crime that Presbyterian Ministers are bold to preach upon these scriptures which speake of the Magistrats duty in his office or dare offer to resolve from scripture any doubt which perplexeth the conscience of Magistrats or people of Husband or Wife of Master or Servant in the discharge of their Christian duty one to another What ever hath been the negligence of the Bishop of Derry yet I am sure all the preaching Praelats and Doctors of England pretended a great care to goe about these uncontroverted parts of their ministerial function and yet without medling with the Mysteries of State or the depths of any mans particulare vocation much lesse with the judgement of jurisdiction in politicall or aeconomicall causes As for the Churches declaration against the Late engagement did it not well become them to signify their judgement in so great a case of conscience especially when the Parliament did propone it to them for resolution and when they found a conjunction driven on with a cleerly malignant partie contrary to solemne oathes and covenants unto the evident hazard of Religione and them who had been most eminent instruments of its preservation was it not the churches duty to give warning against that sinne and to exhort the ring leaders therein to repentance But our Warner must needs insist upon that unhappy engagement and fasten great blame upon the Church for giving any advice about it Ans. Must it be Jesuisitisme and a drawing of all the civill affaires to the Churches barre in ordine ad Spiritualia for an assembly to give their advice in a most eminent and important case of conscence when earnestly called upon in a multitude of supplications from the most of the Congregations under their charge yea when required by the States of the Kingdome in severall expresse messages for that end It seemes it s our Warners conclusion if the Magistrat would draw all the Churches in his jurisdiction to a most unlawfull warre for the advancement of the greatest impiety and unjustice possible wherein nothing could be expected by all who were engaged therein but the curse of God if in this case a doubting Natione should desire the assemblies counsel for the state of their soules or if the Magistrate would put the Church to declare what were lawfull or unlawfull according to the word of God that it were necessary heer for the servants of God to be altogether silent because indeed warre is so civill a busines that nothing in it concernes the soule and nothing about it may be cleered by any light from the word of God The truth is the Church in their publick papers to the Parliament declared oftner then once that they were not against but for an engagement if so that Christian and friendly treaties could not have obtained reason and all the good people in Scotland were willing enough to have hazarded their lives and estates for vindicating the wrongs done not by the Kingdome of England but by the sectarian party there against God the King covenant and both Kingdomes but to the great griefe of their hearts their hands were bound and they forced to sit still and by the over great cunning of some the erroneous mis-perswasions of others and the rash praecipitancy of it that engagement was so spoiled in the stating and mannaging that the most religious with peace of conscience could not goe along nor encourage any other to take part therein The Warner touches on three of their reasons but who will looke upon their publick declarations shall find many more which with all faithfullnesse were then propounded
a long time was willing to acknowledge the Parliaments jointe interest in the militia yea to put the whole militia in their hands alone for a good number of yeares to come so farre was his Majestie from the thoughts that the Parliaments medling with a parte of the militia in the time of evident dangers should be so certainly and clearly the crime of rebellion The Warners second demonstrative ground wee admit without question in the major that where the matter is evidently unlawfull the oath is not binding but the application of this in the minor is very false All that hee brings to make it appeare to be true is that the King is the supreame Legislator that it is unlawfull for the subjects of England to change any thing established by Law especially to the prejudice of the Praelats without their own consent they being a third order of the Kingdom otherwise it would be a harder measure then the Friers and Abbots received from Henry the eight Ans. May the Warner be pleased to consider how farre his dictats heere are from all reason much more from evident demonstrations That the burden of Bishops and ceremonies was become so heavy to all the three Kingdomes that there was reason to endeavour their laying aside he does not offer to dispute but all his complanit runnes against the manner of their removall this say I was done in no other then the ordinary and high path-way whereby all burdensome Lawes and customes use to be removed Doth not the Houses of Parliament first begin with their ordinance before the Kings consent be sought to a Law is not an ordinance of the Lords and Commons a good warrant to change a former Law during the sitting of the Parliament The Lawes and customes of England permit not the King by his dissent to stoppe that change I grant for the turning an ordinance to a standing Law the Kings consent is required but with what qualifications and exceptions wee need not heere to debate since his Majesties consent to the present case of abolishing Bishops was obtained well neere as farre as was desired and what is yet lacking wee are in a faire way to obtaine it for the Kings Majestie long agoe did agree to the rooting out of Episcopacy in Scotland he was willing also in England and Ireland to put them out of the Parliament and all civil courts and to divest them of all civil power and to joyne with them Presbyteries for ordination and spirituall jurisdiction yea to abolish them totally name and thing not only for three yeares but ever till he and his Parliament should agree upon some setled order for the Church was not this Tantamont to a perpetuall abolition for all and every one in both houses having abjured Episcopacy by solemne oath and Covenant the Parliament was in no hazard of agreing with the King to re-erect the fallen chaires of the Bishops so there remained no other but that either his Majestie should come over to their judgement or by his not agreing with them yet really to agree with them in the perpetuall abolition of Episcopacy since the concession was for the laying Bishops aside ever till hee and his houses had agreed upon a settled order for the Church If this be not a full and formall enough consent to the ordinance of changing the former Lawes anent praelats his Majestie who now is easily may and readily would supply all such defects if some of the faction did not continually for their own evill interests whisper in his eares pernicious counsel as our Warner in this place also doeth by frighting the King in conscience from any such consent for this end he casts out a discourse the sinshews whereof are in these three Episcopall maximes First that the legislative power is sollie in the King that is according to his Brethrens Cōmentary that the Parliament is but the Kings great counsel of free choyce without or against whose votes hee may make or unmake what Lawes he thinks expedient but for them to make any ordinance for changing without his consent of any thing that has been or instituting any new thing or for them to defend this their legall right and custome time out of mind against the armes of the Malignant party no man may deny it to be plaine rebellion II. That the King and Parliament both together cannot make a Law to the praejudice of Bishops without their own consent they being the third order of the Kingdome for albeit it be sacriledge in the Lords and Commons to clame any the smallest share of the legislative power this i◅ them were to pyck the chiefest jewel out of the Kings Crowne yet this must be the due priviledge of the Bishops they must be the third order of the Kingdome yea the first and most high of the three far above the other two temporall States of Lords and Commons their share in the Legislative power must be so great that neither King nor Parliament can passe any Law without their consent so that according to their humble protestation all the Lawes and acts which have been made by King and Parliament since they were expelled the house of Lords are cleerly voide and null That the King and Parliament in divesting Bishops of their temporall honour and estats in abolishing their places in the Church doe sin more against conscience then did Henry the eight and his Parliament when they put down the Abbots and the Fryers Wee must beleeve that Henry the eight his abolishing the order of Monks was one of the acts of his greatest Tyranny and greed wee must not doubt but according to Law and reason Abbots and priours ought to have kept still their vote in Parliament that the Monasteryes and Nunryes should have stood in their integrity that the King and Parliament did wrong in casting them down and that now they ought in conscience to be set up againe yea that Henry the eight against all reason and conscience did renounce his due obedience to the Pope the Patriarch of the West the first Bishop of the universe to whom the superinspection and government of the whole Catholick Church in all reason doth belong Though all this be heere glaunced at by the Warner and elsewhere hee prove it to be the declared mind of his Brethren yet we must be pardoned not to accept them as undenyable principles of cleare demonstrations The last ground of the Doctors demonstration is that the covenant is ane oath to set up the Presbyterian government in England at it is in Scotland and that this is contrary ◅o the oath of Supremacy for the oath of Supremacy makes the King the only supreame head and governour of the Church of England that is the civil head to see that every man doe his duty in his calling also it gives the King a supreame power over all persons in all causes but the Presbytery is a politicall papacie acknowledging no governours but
extraordinarie super infusions were rare have been heretofore attributed to such discourses principallie wherein the Canon of Scripture hath been interpreted by no private enthusiasme no partial addiction to one mans opinion how eminent soever for his gifts or good life but by the Catholike tradition of the Church that is the consent of most holie men in it throughout all ages and places as much danger having been from the Iewes may be now from Iudaizing Scots by bad gloffes as from haeretical Christians by Rhetorical discourses on Scripture eugloâ—…ttias…But what spirit or life hath been found in flat lectures consisting of noncohaerencies haesitancies tautologies c notwithstanding all the gapings and groanes or other aretifices used to put them ofs for divine exâ—…tasies and raptures let them speake that were aedified which I was not I assure you by What I heard from you and the brethren that brought the Scotish Euangel to us in this Countrey 7. Though the Canon bestrict the practice was not so much as at Court for bidding prayer before for after Sermon that for Christs holie Catholike Church and the Collects appointed are not such if you remember some it may be knowing his Majesties minde which now iâ—… published That he was not against a grave modest discrect and humble use of Ministers gifts even in publike…the beter to fit and excite their owne and the peoples affections to the praesent occasions Those that toke themselves obliged to keep to the leter of the rule were satisfied aswell in the reason as lawfullnesse of the command Being therefore well assured that the Lords prayer is as the Fathers call it oratis legitima a complete prayer comprehending the summe of what petitions soever were fit to be praesented to the Father which none knew beter then the Sonne That the people might be inform'd what at such a time they are to aske and what asking in fayth they might hope to receive the Minister commands them in the name of that particular Church to which they are to submit in all publike duties or so renounce her communion to pray for her after Christs holic Catholike Church for the King and his Royal familiâ—… His Councel all inserious Magistrates c. And because after the Lâ—…tanie and so many several prayers relating differentlie to those particulars he mentions it is neither necessarie nor convenient at all to doubte the time in repeting or paralleling the formes 〈◊〉 he calls upon them to joine with him in that short prayer which very effectuallie comprizeth all can be asked saying Our Father c. But as touching the Church limitation of us to the Pater noster before her approving the Gloria patri c after the sermon I see no more in it then in the 33. Canon of that Councel of Dort which I even now mentioned Praying for the welfare of soules departed a controversie yet depending between Protestants and Papists hath ever impudentlie and falselie been attributed to that Canon on purpose to delude poor people so rashlie opinionated of their Presbyters that told them so as they thought it derogatorie to their credit to search the truth Or so grosselie ignorant as unable to distinguish between praying God for the welfare of and praising him for the exemplarie lives of and the heavenlie reward conferr'd on the soules of the Saints departed Wherein nothing need be argued when those of a seeptical conscience will not be convinc'd and those that are praejudic'd will not be reform'd to such no more is to be sayd but si decipi volunt decipiantur For private prayer if personal the Praelates never hitherto praescribed any forme leaving people to themselves who are private to their owne wants and to the direction not injunction of their Priest But if congregational though but in Parlour or Closet no colour can be brought why an house should confute a Cathedral or extemporarie non sense take place of the ancient and well advised prayers of Holie Church You can not be more loth to confesse then I am hard to beleeve that you ever were guiltie of more conformitie to ancient Christians in your publike worship then opinions Yet when I consider what establishment our Religion received in Queen Elizabeths reigne what advancement your schisme unhapilie had by her misse placed assistance I can not satisfie my selfe how in policie or conscience a Princesse so fam'd for devotion and wisdome could professe and prosecute such seeming contradictions and without some humane assurance of your conjunction with her so liberallie contribute toward your praetended reformation to the utter demolition of her owne Therefore upon good enquirie I am faine to lay my dissidence aside and have where withall to confirme the Warner in his beleefe discovering first your negative Remonstrances and renunciations of Rome coincident with though more violent and particular then ours Your superintendents aequivalent to our Bishops And which as all in all upon Buchanans record your subscription to a communitie with us aswell in Ecclesiastike as Civile affaires This your Maintainer of the Sanctuarie tells us was done in the yeare 1â—…60 in the infancie or before it rather in the first conception of your Discipline Yea two yeares before that not long after your Lords and Barons professing Christ Iesus had subscribed your first Covenant in Scotland they convene in Counsel conclude on several heads whereof this is the first â—…t is thought expedient advised and ordained That in all pariâ—…hes of this Realme the Common prayer be read weeklie on Sunday and other Festival dayes publikelie in the parish Churches c. In the first oration petition of the Protestants of Scotland to their Queen Regent this was the first demand… That they might meet publikelie or privatelie to their Common prayers in their vulgar tongue And that this may not be set to the account of your Temporal Lords or some imperfect Members of your Clergie because I. Knox your Holie head was at this time disjointed from that sanctified bodie the same care is afterward taken for Kirkes in your booke of Discipline it selfe without any intimation of your purpose to tolerate it onclie for helpe and direction being a forme praescribed as liable to the peoples superstition as ours otherwise then as you approved the omission of it on publike sermon dayes And your Maintainer sayth without doubt it was the very booke of England Your Church having none of her owne a long time I would not have you mistaken no more then you would have the Bishop whom you so carefullie informe I feare against your conscience as if I imputed this to you for any more then a politike compliance to effect your owne ends by Q. Elizabeths armes which being in a good part accomplished you altered your Liturgie both in substance and use changed our prayers for worse and those you neither injoined by law nor supported by the generalitie of your practice Thus from petitioning
Ministers reject them proclaim a fast â—…ai e a tamult in Edenburgh Petition prefer Articles The King depa teth from the Citie removeth his â—…rts oâ—… Jâ—…uice the people repent tâ—…e Ministers persist and seek to ingage the Subjects in a Covenaâ—…t for â—…utuall defence One Mâ—… Waâ—…sh in his Sermon tells the people that the King was possessed with a devil yea with seven devils that the subjeâ—…s might lawfully rise and take the sword out of his hands The Seditious incouraged from the Pulpit send a letter to the Lord Hamilton to come and be their General He noblv refuseth and sheweth their letter to the King Hereupon the Ministers are sought for to be apprehended and flie into England The Tumult is declared to be trea on by the Estates of the Kingdom I have urged this the moâ—…e largely yet as succinctly as I could to let the woâ—…ld see what dangerous Subjects these Diâ—…ciplinarians are and how inconsistent their principles be with all orderly Societies CHAP. V. That it subjects the supreme Magistrate to their censures c. FOurthly they have not onely exempted themselves in their duties of their own function from the tribunal of the Sovereign Magistrate or Supreme Senate but they have subjected him and them yea even in the discharge of the Sovereign trust to their own Consistories even to the highest censure of Excommunication which is like the cutting of a member from the body Natural or the out-lawing of a Subject in the body politick Excommunication that very engine whereby the Popes of old advanced themselves above Emperours To discipline mâ—…st all the Estates within this Rcalm be subject as well Râ—…lers as they that are ruled And elswhere all mea as well Magistrates as Inferiours ought to be subject to the judgement of General Assemblies And yet again no man that is in the Church oâ—…ght to be exempted from Ecclesiastical censires What horrid and pernicious mischiefs do use to attend the Excommunication of Sovereign Magistrates I leave to every mans memory or imagination Such courâ—…es make great Kings become cyphers and turn the tenure of a crown copie-hold ad voluntatem Dominorum Such Doctrines might better become some of the Roman Alexanders or Bonifaces or Gregoâ—…ius or Plus Quintus than such great Professours of Humility such great disclaimers of Authority who have inveighed so bitterly against the Bishops for their usurpations This was never the practice of any orthodoâ—… Bishop St. Ambrose is mistaken what he did to Theodosius was no act of Ecclesiastical jurisdiction but of Christian discretion No he was better grounded David said Against thee onely have I sinned because he was a King Our Disciplinarians abhor the name of Authority but hugge the thing their profession of humility is just like that Cardinals hanging up of a fishers net in his dining room to put him in mind of his discent but so soon as he was made Pope he took it down saying the fish was caught now there was no more need of the net CHAP. VI. That it robs the Magistrate of his Dispensative power FIfthly all supreme Magistrates do assume to themselves a power of pardoning offences and offenders where they judge it to be expedient He who believes that the Magistrate cannot with a good conscience dispence with the punishment of a penitent malefactour I wish him no greater censure than that the penal laws might be duly executed upon him until he recant his errour But our Disciplinarians have restrained this dispensative power in all such crimes as are made capital by the judicial Law as in the case of Bloud Adultery Blasphemy c. in which cases they say the offender ought to suffer death as God hath commanded And If the life be spared as it ought not to be to the offenders c. And the Magistrate ought to prefer Gods expresse commandment before his own corrupt judgement especially in punishing these crimes which he commandeth to be punished with death When the then Popish Earls of Angus Huntley and Erroll were excommunicated by the Church and forfeited for treasonable practices against the King it is admirable to read with what wisdom and charity and sweetnesse his Majesty did seek from time to time to reclaim them from their errours and by their unfeigned conversion to the reformed Religion to prevent their punishment Wherein he had the concurrence of two Conventions of Estates the one at Falkland the other at Dumfermling And on the other side to see with what bitternesse and radicated malice they were prosecuted by the Presbyterics and their Commissioners sometimes petitioning that they might have no benefit of law as being excommunicated Sometimes threatening that they were resolved to pursue them to the uttermost though it should be with the losse of all their lives in one day That if they continued enemies to God and his Truth the Countrey should not brook both them and the Lord together Sometimes pressing to have their estâ—…es confiseaâ—…d and their lives taken away Alledging for their ground that by Gods Law they had deserved death And when the King urged that the bosom of the Church should be ever open to penitent sinners they answered that the Church could not refuse their satisfaction if it was truly offered but the King was obliged to do justice What do you think of those that roar out Justice Justice now a dayes whether they be not the right spawn of these Bloud-suckers Look upon the examples of Cain Esau Ishmael Antiochus Antichrist and tell me if You ever find such supercilious cruel bloud-thirsty persons to have been pious towards God but their Religion is commonly like themselves stark naught Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruel These are some of those incroachments which our Disciplinarians have made upon the rights of all supreme Magistrates there be sundry others which especially concern the Kings of Great Brittain as the losse of his tenths first-fruits and patronages and which is more than all these the dependence of his Subjects by all which we see that they have thrust out the Pope indeed but retained the Papacy The Pope as well as they and they as well as the Pope neither barrel better herrings do make Kings but half Kings Kings of the bodies not of the souls of their Subjects They allow them some sort of judgement over Ecclesiastical persons in their civil capacities for it is little according to their rules which either is not Ecclesiastical or may not be reduced to Ecclesiastical But over Ecclesiastick persons as they are Ecclesiasticks or in Ecclesiasticall matters they ascribe unto them no judgement in the world They say it cannot stand with the word of God that no Christian Prince ever claimed or can claim to himself such a power If the Magistrate will be contented to wave his power in Ecclesiastical matters and over Ecclesiastical persons as they are such and give them leave to
second their unreasonable rage was it not then necessary for the Scots to arme againe when they had defeate the Episcopall Army and taken New-castle though they found nothing considerable to stand in their way to London yet they were content to lie still in Northumberland and upon very meane tearnes to returne the second time in peace For all this the praelats could not give it over but raised a new Army and filled England with fire and sword yea well neere subdued the Parliament and their followers and did almost accomplish their first designes upon the whole Isle The Scots then with most earnest and pitifull entreaties were called upon by their Brethren of England for helpe where unwilling that their brethren should perish in their sight and a bridge should be made over their carcasses for a third warre upon Scotland when after long tryall they had found all their intercessions with the King for a moderat and reasonable accommodation slighted and rejected they suffered themselves to be perswaded to enter in covenant with their oppressed and fainting brethren for the mantainance of the common cause of Religion and liberty but with expresse Articles for the preservation of royalty in all its just rights in his Majestie and his posterity what unkindnes was heer in the Scots to their King When by Gods blessing on the Scotes helpe the opposit faction was fully subdued his Majestie left Oxford with a purpose for London but by the severity of the ordinances against his receivers he diverted towards Linn to ship for Holland or France where by the way fearing a discovery and surprise he was necessitate to cast himselfe upon the Scotes army at New-wark upon his promise to give satisfaction to the propositions of both Kingdomes he was received there and to New-castle here his old oathes to adhaere unto Episcopacy hindred him to give the expected satisfaction At that time the prime leaders of the English army were seeking with all earnestnes occasion to fall upon the Scots much out of heart and reputation by Iames Grahame and his Irishes incursions most unhappy for the Kings affaires Scotland at that time was so full of divisions that if the King had gone thither they were in an evident hazard of a present war both within among themselfes and without from England our friends in the English Parliament whom we did and had reason to trust assured us that our taking the King with us to Scotland was the keeping of the Sectarian Army on foot for the wracke of the King of Scorland of the Presbyterian party in England as the sending of his Majestie to one of his houses neer London upon the faith of the Parliament of England was the only way to get the Sectaryes disarmed the King and the people settled in a peace upon such tearmes as should be satisfactory both to the King and the Scots and all the wel-affected in England This being the true case was it any either unjustice unkindnes or imprudence in the Scots to leave the King with his Parliament of England was this a selling of him to his enemies the monyes the Scots received at their departure out of England had no relation at all to the King they were scarce the sixth parte of the arreares due to them for bygon service they were but the one halfe of the sume capitulat for not only without any reference to the King but by an act of the English Parliament excluding expresly from that Treaty of the armies departure all consideration of the disposall of the Kings person The unexpected evills that followed in the Armies rebellion in their seasing on London destroying the Parliament murthering the King no mortall eye could have forseen The Scots were ever ready to the utmost of their power to have prevented all these mischiefes with the hazard of what was dearest to them notwithstanding of all the hard measure they had often received both from the King and the most of their friends in England That they did not in time and unanimously stur to purpose for these ends they are to answer it to God who were the true Authors the innocency of the Church is cleered in the following treatise Among the many causes of these miseries the prime fountaine was the venome of Episcopall principles which some serpents constantly did infuse by their speaches and letters in the eares and heart of the King to keep him of from giving that satisfaction to his good subjects which they found most necessary and due the very same cause which ties up this day the hands of covenanters from redressing ali present misorders could they have the King to joyne with them in their covenant to quit his unhappy Bishops to lay aside his formall and dead Liturgie to cast himselfe upon the counsels of his Parliaments it were easy to prophecie what quickly would become of all his enemies but so long as Episcopall and malignant agents compasseth him about though all that comes neer may see him as lovely hopfull and promising a prince for all naturall endowments as this day breaths in Europe or for a long time has swayed a Scepter in Britaine yet while such unlucky birds nest in his Cabin and men so ungraciously principled doe daily besiege him what can his good people doe but sit downe with mournfull eyes and bleeding hearâ—…s till the Lord amend these otherwise remediles and insuperable evills but I hold heer least I transgresse to farr the bounds of an Epistle I account it an advantage to have your Lordship my judge in what heere and in my following treatise I spake of Religion the liberties of our country and the Royall Family I know non fitter then your Lordship both to discerne and decerne in all these matters Me thinks I may say it without flattery which I never much loved either in my selfe or others that among all our Nobles for constancy in a zealous profession for exemplary practise in publick and privat duties the mercy of God has given to your Lordship a reputation second to none And for a rigid adhaerence to the Rights and Priviledges of your Country according to that auncient disposition of your most Noble Family noted in our Historians especially that Prince of them Georg Buchanan the Tutor of your Grand-Father I know none in our Land who wil pretend to goe before you and for the affairs of the King your interest of blood in the Royall Family is so well known that it would be a strange impudency in me if in your audience I durst be bold wittingly to give sinistrous information Praying to God that what in the candid ingenuity true zeale of my spirit I present under your Lordships patrociny unto the eye of the World for the vindication of my mother Church and Country from the Sicophantick accusations of a Stigmatised incendiary may produce the intended effects Hague this 28 May 7 Iunie 1649. I rest your Lordships in all Christian duety R. B. G.
ever more guilty of that fault then the praelats of England and Ireland did they ever censure their own officialls for the pronouncing of that terrible sentence most profanly against any they would had it been for the non-payment of the smallest summes of mony As for the Scotes their doctrine and practise in the point of excommunication is as considerat as any other church in the world that censure in Scotland is most rare and only in the case of obstinacy in a great sin what ever be their doctrine in generall with all other Christians and as I think with the praelaticall party themselves that the object of Christian doctrine Sacraments and disciplin is one and the same and that no member of Christ no sone of the Church may plead a highnes above admonitions and Church censures yet I know they never thought it expedient so much as to intend any processe of Church animadversion against their Soveraigne To the worlds end I hope they shal not have againe greater grievances and truer causes of citation from their Princes then they have had already It may be confidently beleeved that they who upon so pregnant occasions did never so much as intend the beginning of a processe against their King can never be supposed in danger of any such proceeding for time to come How ever we love not the abused ground of the Warners flattering of Princes to their owne great hurt is it so indeed that all the sins of princes are only against God that all Kings are not only above all lawes of Church and State but when they fall into the greatest crimes that the worst of men have ever committed that even then their sins must not be against any man or against any law such Episcopall doctrin spurrs on princes to these unhappy praecipies and oppressed people unto these outrages that both fall into inextricable calamities CHAP. VI. It grieves the Praelats that Presbyterians are faithfull Watchmen to admonish Princes of their duty THE sixth Chapter is spent on an other crime of the Presbytery it makes the Presbiters cry to the Magistrat for justice upon capitall offenders Ans. What hes Presbytery to doe with this matter were it never so great an offence will the Warner have all the faults of the praelaticall faction flow from the fountaine of Episcopacy this unconsequentiall reasoning will not be permitted to men below the degrees of Doctors But was it a very great crime indeed for Ministers to plead the cause of the fatherlesse and widowes yea the cause of God their Master and to preach unto Magistrats that according to Scriptures murtherers ought to die and the Land bee purged from the staine of innocent blood when the shamefull impunity of murther made Scotland by deadly feuds in time of peace a feild of warre and blood was it not time for the faithfull servants of God to exhort the King to execute justice and to declare the danger of most frequent pardons drawne from his hand often against his heart by the importunity and deceitfull information of powerfull solicitors to the great offence of God against the whole land to the unexpressible griefe and wrong of the suffering party to the opening also of a new floodgate of more blood which by a legall revenge in time easily might have been stopped Too much pitty in sparing the wilfull shedders of innocent blood ordinarlie proves a great cruelty not only towards the disconsolat oppressed who cry to the vicegerents of God the avenger for justice in vaine but also towards the soule of him who is spared and the life of many more who are friends either to the oppressor or oppressed As for the named case of Huntly let the world judge whether the Ministers had reason often to give Warning against that wicked man and his complices Beside his apostacy and after-seeming-repentance his frequent relapses into avowed popery in the eighty eight he banded with the King of Spaine to overthrow the religion and government of the whole Iland and after pardon from time to time did renew his treasonable plots for the ruine of Britain hee did commit many murders he did invade under the nose of the King the house of his Cousin the Earle of Murray and most cruelly murdered that gallant Nobleman hee appeared with displayed Banner against the King in person he killed thereafter many hundreds of the Kings good people when these multiplyed outrages did cry up to the God of heaven was is not time for the men of God to cry to the judges of the earth to doe their duty according to the warrant of many Scriptures what a dangerous humour of flattery is this in our Praelats not only to lull asleep a Prince in a most sinfull neglect of his charge but also to cry out upon others more faithfull then themselves for assaying to breake of their slumber by their wholesome and seasonable admonitions from the word of God The nixt challenge of the Scotes Presbyters is that they spoile the King of his Tythes first fruits patronage and dependence of his subjects Ans. The Warner understands not what he writes the Kings Majestie in Scotland never had never craved any first fruits the Church never spoiled the King of any Tythes some other men indeed by the wickednesse most of Praelats and their followers did cousin both the King and the Church of many Tythes but his Majestie and the Church had never any controversie in Scotland about the Tythes for the King so far as concerned himselfe was ever willing that the Church should enjoy that which the very act of Parliament acknowledgeth to bee her patrimony Nor for the patronages had the Churh any plea with the King the Church declared often their minde of the iniquity of patronages wherein they never had from the King any considerable opposition but from the Nobility and gentry the opposition was so great that for peace-sake the Church was content to let patronages alone till God should make a Parliament lay to heart what was incumbent for gracious men to doe for liberating congregations from their slavery of having Ministers intruded upon them by the violence of Patrones Which now at last blessed be God according to our mind is performed As for the dependence of any vassals upon the King it was never questioned by any Presbyterian in Scotland What is added in the rest of the Chapter is but a repetition of that which went before to wit the Presbyters denying to the King the spirituall government of the Church and the power of the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven such an usurpation upon the Church King James declared under his hand as at length may be seen in the Historicall vindication to be a sinne against the Father Son and Holy Ghost which puts in the hand of the Magistrat the power of preaching and celebrating the Sacraments a power which since that time no Magistrat in Britaine did assume and if any would have
Ans. Heer were no so contrary commands but both were obeyed the people did kepe the humiliation and some of the Magistrats that same day did give the banquet to the frensh Ambassadours as the King commanded that for this any Church censure was intended against them it is a malitious calumny according to the author of this fable his owne confession as at length may be seen in the unloading of Issachars burden As for his second instance the difference of the Church and State about the late ingagement we have spoken to it in the former chapter at length the furthest the Church went was by humble petitions and remonstrances to set before the Parliament the great danger which that ingagement as it was stated and mannaged did portent to religion the Kings Person whole Kingdom when contrary to their whole some advices the ingagement went on they medled not to oppose the act of State further then to declare their judgement of its unlawfulnesse according to the duty of faithfull watchmen Ezek. 33. It is very false that the Church has chased any man out of the country or excommunicated any for following that engagement or have put any man to sackcloath for it unto his day Neither did ever any man call the freedome of the late Parliament in question how unsatisfied soever many were with its proceedings When the Warner heapes up so many untruths in a few lines in things done but yesterday before the eyes of thousands we shall not wonder of his venturing to lye confidently in things past long before any now living were borne but there are a generation of men who are bold to speake what makes for their end upon the hope that few wil be at the pains to bring back what hes flowne from their teeth to the touchstone of any solide tryall CHAP. X. The Nature of the Presbytrie is very concordant with Parliaments IN the tenth chapter the Warner undertakes to shew the antipathy of Presbyteries to Parliaments albeit there bee no greater harmony possible betwixt any two bodies then betwixt a generall assembly and Parliament a Presbyterie and an inferior civill court if either the constitution or end or dayly practise of these judicatories be looked upon but the praelaticall learning is of so high a flight that it dare undertake to prove any conclusion yet these men are not the first that have offered to force men to beleeve upon unanswerable arguments though contrary to common sence and and reason that snow is black and the fire cold and the light dark For the proofe of his conclusion he brings backe yet againe the late engagement how often shall this insipide colwort be set upon our table Will the Warner never be filled with this unsavory dish The first crime that here the Warner marks in our Church against the late Parliament in the matter of the ingagement is their paper of the eight desires upon this he unpoureth out all his good pleasure not willing to know that all these desires were drawne from the Church by the Parliaments owne messages and that well neare all these desires were counted by the Parliament it self to be very just and necessary Especially these two which the wise Warner pitches upon as most absurd for the first a security to religion from the King upon oath under his hand and seale where the question among us was not for the thing it self but only about the time the order and some part of the matter of that security And for the second the qualification of the persons to be imployed that all should be such who had given no just cause of Jealousy no man did question but all who were to have the managing of that warre should be free of all just causes of Jealousy which could be made appeare not to halfe a dossen of Ministers but to any competent judicatory according to the lawes of the Kingdome The Warner has not been carefull to informe himselfe where the knot of the difference lay and so gives out his owne groundlesse conjectures for true Historicall narrations which he might easily have helped by a more attentive reading of our publick declarations The second fault he finds with our Church is that they proclaime in print their dissatisfaction with that ingagement as favourable to the malignant party c. Ans. The Warner knows not that it is one of the liberties of the Church of Scotland established by law and long custome to keep the people by publick declarations in their duty to God when men are like to draw them away to sin according to that of Esay 8. v. 12. 13. What in great humility piety and wisedome was spoken to the world in the declaration of the Church concerning that undertaking was visible enough for the time to any who were not peremptor to follow their owne wayes and the lamentable event since has opened the eyes of many who before would not see to acknowledge their former errours but if God should speake never so loud from Heaven the Warner and his party will stoppe their cares for they are men of such gallant Spirits as scorne to submit either to God or men but in a Romane constancy they will be ever the same though their counsels wayes be found never so palpably pernicious The third thing the Warner layes to the charge of our Church is that they retarded the leavies Ans. In this also the Warner shewes his ignorance or malice for how sore soever the Levy as then stated mannaged was against the hearts of the Church yet their opposition to it was so cold-rife and small that no complaint needs bee made of any retardment from them So soone as the commanders thought it expedient there was an Army gotten up so numerous and strong that with the ordinary blessing of God was aboundantly able to have done all the professed service but where the aversion of the hearts of the Church and the want of their prayers is superciliously contemned what mervaile that the strongest arme of flesh bee quickly broken in peeces The fourth charge is most calumnious that the Church gathered the country together in armes at Mauchline moor to oppose the expedition Ans. No Church man was the cause of that meeting a number of yeomen being frighted from their houses did flee away to that corner of the Land that they might not be forced against their conscience to goe as souldiers to England while their number did grow and they did abide in a body for the security of their persons upon a sudden a part of the Army came upon them some Ministers being neare by occasion of the communion at Mauchlin the day before were good instruments with the people to goe away in peace And when the matter was tryed to the bottom by the most Eagle-eyed of the Parliament nothing could be found contrary to the Ministers protestation that they were no wayes the cause of the peoples convening or fighting at
beleeve But that in the Assemblie 1590. the Kings consent to it was obtaind I can sooner admit upon undeniable authoritie then your Logike you pretend not to the perpetuitie of His Majesties personal praesence which was but some times it should seem not at that time of general consent Nor is your Act for subscription so cleare in the assurance you give us that His Majesties Commissioner was there you onelie take it for granted he was among the herd Nor so explicite in his positive consent you onelie collect it from a clowdie universal to serve your turne honour him with a primacie in suffrage Wherein you are a litle redundant in courtesie there having been a time when if His Majestie or His Commissioner siting in Assemblie should denie his voyce to any thing which appear'd unjust repugnant to his lawes yet it that were concluded by most voyces you would tell him he was bound jure divino to inforce obedience to your Act. The case for ought I know stood no otherwise here in this Assemblie Where to discountenance the testimonie you bring you have been told long before now That the superintendents of Angus Lothian Fife c. George Hayes Commissioner from the North. Arbuthnoth of Aberdene others were dissenters from this Act about the discipline whereby His Majesties or His Commissioners consent becomes somewhat improbable to the authoritie whereof such men as they had in prudence submitted if not in dutie by their silence That States-men in Parliament oppos'd it is evident That the King ever endeavourd to get it passe is your single assertion Neque usquam sictum neque pictum neque scriptum If your Church did it was for want of worke for you told us even now To this a particular ratisication of Parliament was unnecessarie What the Bishops opinion is about the patrimonie of the Church how farre by whom what part of it may be law fullie alienated when just occasion is given I praesume His Lordship freelic faythfullie will declare In the meane time his chalenge against the Scotish Presbyterians is without hypocrise injustice Himselfe many other good Prelates having ever aesteem'd it a fault to call the annexing some part of the Church revenues unto the crowne a detestable sacriledge before God Nor can Mr. Baylie instance in any indefinite disputes including all that hath been or shall be given to the Church that have hapened since the first reformation between the Kings of England their Bishops Who had they found their Princes rapacious sequestratours would not have failed in their dutie modestlie to admonish them of the danger yet had it may be abstained from calling them theeves murderers peculiar termes characteristical of the Discipline-To which I thinke I shall doe no injustice if I assert that the revenues of Bishops Dcanes Arch-deacous of Chapellries Friaries of all orders together with the sisters of the seenes abstracting from the favour of Princes no more belong to the Scotish Presbyters then they doe to the Mufties of the Turke The intention of the doners having never been that such strange catell should feed in their pastures Nor can M. Baylie shew me any law that makes him heir to Antichrist or a just inheriter of his lands Beside methinkes the weake stomack'd brethren should take checke at the meate offered unto idols any silken sould Presbyter be too nice to array himselfe in the ragges of Rome or be cloth'd at that cost that belong'd to the idolatrous Priesthood of Baal But it may be in the heate of Reformation they went to worke with the coyning irons which they more then once got into their possession with them altered the impression of the beast And the mattokes shoucls Which other armes being wanting they very often tooke in their hands were possiblie onelie to turne up the Church land whereever crop had been reap't by Antichrist that abominable glebe went downe to the center of the earth What he talkes about the Praelatical jus divinum their taking possessions by commands from Court without a processe requires his instance then he shall have his answer In the interim he playes the hypoctite in a question What if then the Disciplinarians had gone to advance that right to all jusdivinum when the Assemblie at Edenburgh did so April 24. 1576. But he sayth all the Scots can be challeng'd for is a mere declaration of their judgement simple right in a supplication to the Regents Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These Scots judgement was not allwayes in righteousnesse and their simplicitie in supplicates had many times more of the Lion then the Lambe Witnesse that to the Queen Regent 1559. where they declare their judgements freelie as true faithfull subjects they tell her yet this is the style of that declaration …Except this crueltie be stayed by your wisdome We shall be compelled to take the sword of just defense c. …If ye give eare to their pestilent counsel…neither ye neither yet your posteritie shall at any time after this finde that obedience faythfull service within this Realme which at all times ye have found in us In the assemblies supplications to the Lords of secret Councel May 28. 1561. the second article annexed to which was for the maintenance of the ministerie this Before ever these tyrants dumbe dogs Empire above us…we…are fullie determin'd to hazard life whatsoever we have recived of God in temporall things…And let these enemies of God assure themselves That if your Honours put not order unto them That we shall shortlie take such order That they shall neither be able to doe what they list neither yet to live upon the sweat of the browe December 25. 1566. They order requiring instead of Supplicating Churh censures to the disobedient Their sixt head of Church rents in the first booke of Discipline runnes very imperiouslie upon the must The Gentlemen Barons c. must be content to live upon their just rents suffer the Kirke to be restored to her libertie And Jul. 21. 1567. They tell them they shall doe it shall passe nothing in Parliament untill it be done That ever any assemblie in Scotland did make any other addresse to the Parliament for stipend then by way of such humble supplication I grant is a great untruth Nor were onelie the birds thus petition'd for but time after time all tithes rents whatsâ—…ever could be comprized under the patrimonie of the Church were demanded as insolentlie as could be which meetes me every where in their storie as frequentlie as Mr. Baylies dissembling falsifying in his Review In the last instance the Bishop denies not but there was a time when a kinde of Presbyteries was legallie approv'd receiv'd And this I presume he will admit to be after the Assemblie 1580. About which allreadie you have indeed alledged more untruth then you
with reference to no unlawfullnesse but inconvenience retracted that too in his too late yet seasonable repentance afterward Though for what His Lp. objects were there too after Acts of Parliament to ratifie the substance of what the Kirke repraesents no one of them thereby justifies the circumstance of Ministers mutinous protesting against lawes made in houres of darkenesse upon what misinformation soever which is treason against man and excusable by no formal obedience toward God This for the Bishop to publish being one of the Governers of that Church which strangers plot what they can to seduce into the same rebellion with their owne is no contemning of law but discharging his conscience and dutie in his place By the next storie the Bishop will gaine a more perfect discoverie of your resembling those grievous revoiters in Jeremie who walke with slanders being brasse iron Who bend your tongue like a bowe for lies and yet when the true case is know'n be accounted by Solomon but a fool for your labour In King James's minoritie who stole his name though they ner had his heart to act by it the most unnatural oppresion of that most gallant Queen his vertuous and gracious mother to murder and banish many noble assertours of the reformed orthodoxe religion lawes appeares upon publike record in your storie This one Capt. Iames Stuart very noblie with standing your divellish temptations to have him maintaine a distructive dissention at Court with Esme Stuart E Lenox a faythfull subject most deserving favourite of the Kings improving that litle interest you helpt him to to a more Christian conjunction in love and loyaltie and a double vigilancie over the Kings person exposed too often to your treacherous designes is unlikelie to have any better character at your hands then what you commonlie give to persons of such sidelitie and honour His advancement to the titles estate of E. Arran Chancellar of Scotland was partlie in reward of his guardian care over him whom somwhat else beside sicknesse had made unfit for the management of either Yet were not these taken by force But on free session then desperate to whom if the King were nearest in bloud not to mention a third which your zealous professours commonlie finde him his Majestie had a double title to his lands a power undisputable to dispose of the Chancellars office at his pleasure What beside Capt. Iames's unheard of oppressto is which dirt his zeale for religion contracts when it passeth through the uncleane chanell of any Presbyters mouth troubled the Nobilities Patience the reader may finde somewhat more trulie and impartiallie related not onelie in the Apocriphal histories of the two Rt. Reverend Arch-Bishops of Canterburie and Saint Andrewes but even in the Canonical tradition of Philadelphs Vindicatour who praemiseth some repulse your Church Delegates had about their querulous petitions A difference that fell out between E. Lenox Gowrie about some point of honour to revenge which he calls Murre Glame and diverse other disquiet discontented spirits into a confaederacie whom you call a number of the prime best affected nobiiitie which improper title he more ingenouslie declines in a peice of Rethorical ignorance putting his hand more modestlie before his eyes as loth to looke on their sinfull rebellious demeanour Qualcscunque fuerint plerique eorum non multum laberabo … qualis quisque corum suerit nescio applies the blinde mans speach ' in the 9. of Saint Iohn to the authours of the miracle in this change And beside the mere boast no violence you rejoyce in confesseth diverse of the Kings servants were wounded among the rest William Stuart the newes whereof brought Capt. Iames thither Who was not chaced away by their strong breath but clapt up into a castle by their power the Kings guard being before remov'd from him and His Majestie taken by Gowrie and his conspiratours into custodie The E. Lenox banished into France where with in a short time he died whether by griefe principallie or his sicknesse he defines not He addes That the Heads of this faction sent the Abbot of Paslet to your Assemblie at Edaenburgh for their approbation who what soever they did afterward at that time onelie thanked God for deliverance viz from the imminent instice of the law to which most of their Members were lyable durst not approve the businesse or appeare to doe it at least put up a non'sense petition to God praying him it were well done after it was done and whether well or ill then unalterable by their prayers or indeed by devine power whose omnipotencie is not limited when denied to make good moral contradictions to pleasure an hypoeritical Assemblie He speakes nothing of the Kings sending to his Councel or judicatories to declare the act of the Lords convenient and lawdable for which he expected no reasonable mans credulitie nor patience unlesse so farre as to spit it backe into his face Nor yet of His Majestics entreating the Assemblie but of their sending Delegates to him The answer he gave them if any or such as the Vindicator hath helpt us to is much different from yours and though not extorted by the terrour of death which may well be suspected by the successive treasonable attempts of the same Gowrie and his sonne afterward gives litle approbation of the fact being onelie his acknowledgement of a blessing from God for delivering his person and the Commonwealth from mischiefe by which doubtlesse he meant the happie praeservation of his life So that I againe appeale to your aquitable comparers what historical truth we are likelie to have of your penning when seting one Disciplinarian brother against another without consulting unprinted records we can confute you line by line among your selves The letter His Majestie sent to Q. Elizabeth was forced Regem invitum compulerunt sayth Camden where by he allowed no more that act for good service then he would have done a thiefe for taking but his purse when he might likewise have had his life But to proceed Capt I'ames shortlie after crept not in but was calld Revocatur Aranius sayth your brother Therevenge whether obtaind by him or no was but the justice of the law executed with litle severitie upon any but moderated by the mercie of a gracious King and tenderd to all upon submission But traitourous Assemblies giving universal allowance for possible misfortunes had ever an aftergaime of treacherie in reserve Therefore the Ministers running at this time into a voluntarie exile was upon the apprehension of their guilt diffidence even in the word of a King for their impunitie if not rather a designe to make His Majestie secure and so to praepare for the treason at Striveling that followed few moneths after where not onelie Capt I ames was chac'd away but the Kings life endangerd for which Gowrie very justlie payd his owne These their actions were ratified by no Parliament but a partie nor
too lavish then close handed and promis'd more upon the necessitie then thought on then some conceived in justice or conscience could he performed Securitie upon oath under hand and seale the Bishop tells you were harder termes then an Vsurers to a Bankrupt and it may be you tooke His Majestie for no other having goten though by no morgage his kingdomeâ—… in your possession And knowing what he had contracted with God before you would not part with them but upon the surest interest of his soul. If the quaestion were not for the thing that it should seeme you tooke for granted And then what methodical and scrupulous traytours doe you blazon your selves to be to leave him languishing in a gaole while the order and some particle of the securitie must be thought an The qualification of the persons to have the managing of the warre being approved by the Parliament the highest Court in the Kingdome no law intimates an Assemblie or Indicatorie competent to reverseit So that the Bishop hath sufficientlie inform'd himselfe that the knot of the differtnce lies onelie in some bulrush which you looke for to litle purpose And having attentivelie read your publike declarations drawes out of them no groundlesse conjecture but an infallible assurance that no Historie mentions such Pharisaical Rebells upon the earth The Warner knowes very well that what you call the libertie of the Church is in truer language the license of the many schismatical hypocrites that disturbe it who by long custome of blaspheming God in guilded rhetorike and a spiritual figure translating his holie word but perverting the sense to sinfull ends in publike declarations have withdraw'n poor people from their dutie to their King into such feares confoederacies as the prophet Esai had in the place that you cite warning from the Lord with a strong hand instructions not to walke in The three Graces you bragge of had too many snakes dangling about their eares to be mistaken for other then the thre infernalfuries which they were Your humilitie was pride and arrogancie to the height attributing more to your private fancies then to the publike counsels of a free parliament the undenied repraesentative of the Kingdome Your pietie was but the will worship of your owne imaginations that you chaileng'd And your wisdome craftinesse wherin you will be taken in the end by your froward counsel caried headlong to your destruction The visibilitie of this might encourage the Engagers to run any adventure rather then to follow you in your wayes Such of them as since the disaster have crouched to an acknowledgement of their loyaltie for an errour are poore Spirited fooles that have their eyes onelie in the ends of the earth are never likelie to be in the number of them who obteind a good report through fayth in their sufferings nor receive the promise of some beter thing that God had pro vided for them Did an Angel from heaven blow his trumpet and proclaime God speaking in your declarations the Warner and his partie were bound to stop their eares Or if the Prince of the power of the aire should clothe such wicked language in lightning or pervert some Boanerges to speake it in thunder by terrour to worke in children of disobedience we have Saint Pauls praescript to pronounce a double anathema against him Accursed Accursed let him be and in submission to God in his messenger the Apostle such men of gallant spirits should we be as in a Christian constancie or Romane if you will have it rather to perish with this last breath in our mouthes then by hearkening to counsels or walking in wayes so palpablie pernicious to Church and state with the ruine of both let the breath of our nostrils the Anoynted of the Lord be taken in their pits If the margin and text of your following paragraph were not so neare neighbours in my hast I might chance to have made no comparison and so escaped the contradiction between them No offer to stopthe leavic in the one and opposition so coldrife and small in the other will I thinke be reconciled by no logike but that which makes degrees varie species or argues from the third to the second adjectand according to the vulgar proverbe makes that not to be at all which is litle or nothing to the purpose To the substance of your answer By enquirie I finde your oppsition as hot as your fervent zeale and abilities could make it and if your actions drew in the same yoke with your words you that sweated it out in earnest beseechments exhortations and threats sate not still to see the effects of your papers but armed your selves to the worke of retardment if not to the retracting the designe Some few lines in a Declaration and warning from the Commission of your General Assemblie are enough to keep the Bishop from ignorance a transscript of them as they lie to discharge him from the malice you impute… We doe earnestlie beseech and exhort all who live in this land that as they tender their solemne obligation and oath both by the National Covenant and by the solemne league Covenant as they love the honour of Iesus Christ and the Gospell…Nay as they wish to eschew the heavie wrath and indignation of the Lord That they doe not give any countenance nor connivence to these wicked men in their wicked way much lesse to joyne with them in counsel or in armes And because it lies upon us to be faythfull in our station therefore as we have allreadie given warning unto these men that unlesse they doe speedilie destst from their evil way and repent that we will proceed aganist them with the dreadfull sentence of excommunication…if any shall hereafter joine with them we will be necessitated impartiallie to proceed against them with the highest censures of the Kirke… If this be coldrife and small opposition what tall fellowes are you when you are warme I Know nothing you could well doe beyond it unlesse with C. Caesar you would be so mad as in Homers language challenge Iupiter to an encounter em ' anaeir ' e ego se which you are likelie enough to doe if it succeeded with him as Seneca Supposed Non puto parum momenti haue ejus vocem ad incitandum conjuratorum anlmos addidisse The Armie gotten up so numerous and strong which the Commanders thought sooner expedient and had sooner levied but for you was probablie able to have done what service they professed but the aversion of the hearts of the Church declaring it selfe in diabolical curses and supercilious discouragement divided the hearts and enfeebled the hands of a faint people It was a strange sympathie in the hearts of your yeomen that in the midst of their fright made them flee to the same corner of the land Their consciences are not commonlie of such a tender touch but when scarified by their Clergie So that it will be
the infinite extent the interminate divisibilitie of your power In the booke that he cites is the greatest censure of the Church praescribed and more methodicallie then mercifullie shewed how a small offence or sclaunder may justlie deserve excommunication by reason of the contempt and disobedience of the offender Pag. 60. And lest any should thinke that the osfenses named are not so hainous as that of the Corinthians incest whence you take your paterne and Saint Pauls authoritie for your processe you give such to understand that mercie and favour may rather be granted to any other sinne then to the contempt of wholesome admonitions and of the just and law full ordinances of the Church Pag. 80. Which if as you say it never procured the smallest censure you have been a great deale too profuse of your pardons Where you professe your obligations so great to the performance of the commandement of God Or if you thinke it not such may be justlie required by any Erastian to render a reason why that ignis fatuus that foolish spirit of bondage walkes in your Discipline from generation to generation while they laugh at the calamitic you threaten and moâ—…ke when your feare cometh upon the people But he that knowes you will never mistake you for such meeke lambes in this mimike disguise of lions when he findes you aswell preying as roaring And how any the most charitable man will have just cause to complaine of your rigour let your aequitable comparers judge observing with me but one passage of multitudes in your forme that one which speakes you the most savage petitioners that ever invocated the name of Christ whom you humblie beseech for feare his mercie that is written to be above all his owne workes should be above that of yours the inhumanitie you are about that whatsoever in his name you pronounce in earth meaning the sentence of excommunication though but for susspicions and jealousies if not confessed to be as real faults as any peevish brother shall construe them he Would ratifie the same in heaven Which can not be paralleld in the Turkish Aicaron nor among all the superstitions rites and cruel offices of the heathen per formed to the most bloudie most insatiate of divels who doth nothing else but goe about seeking whom he may devoure Where as if this be your slacknesse wherewith sectaries charge you which you are soric you are not able to refute it should seem you are sorie there are no more hells then one no pluralitie of soules in your single Impaenitents no imaginable protraction of punishment beyond aeternitie for the execution of your censures The Sabbath recreations which the Bishop sayth are voyd of scandal are likelie to be at most but those mention'd in the booke of toleration so much decried by the brethren of your faction among which were no stage playes nor in my memorie any allowed to be acted on Sundays and so not frequented by his friends The greater license on the Sabbath Kirmasses you slide over without any of that zeale which His Lordship prophesieth though your selfe have been a spectatour of it in these Countreys So that in your owne words which I am a frayd will too often be mistaken for mine and bring upon me the imputation of a sloven If the Aposteme in your lowest gut had not chang'd places with your braines your words had been wiser and your unsavourie breath which you too often eructate somewhat sweeter The debate among some of your sect Whether in Scotland or no which is not expressed about starch and cuffes may very well passe upon the credit of the Warner that asserts it your putting him upon the poofe makes me guesse you are not in a readinesse to denie it Howsoever we know the curses of the Laundrie have been through two or three descents a traditional legacie to the brethren of your order in England for the counterscuffles they made about the former And the debate on the later hath produc'd an injunction to your Societie somewhere else to cast away those litle idolatroue ragges which could scarce be taken for any reliques of Rome their gloves too it may be upon better reason lest the cleanlinesse of their hands might beget a jealousie of some superstition in washing them before their publike officiating on their unhandsome distributing of the word What litle latitude of discretion you allow how your superiours must be your slaves or pupils in the attire aswell of their bodies as sules is evident by your preaching and articling against the apparell even of the Ladies of Honour that waited upon your Queenes Majestie three sundrie dayes when she rode in great state and solemnitie to the Tolbuith in Parliament time Ao 1563. Of the second oppression which the Bishop objects you give up a very imperfect account leaving the greatest weight to he as heavie as it can upon the head of your Synods in calling the Magistrate fool for his mercie and knave for his briberie which you onelie suspect because he is not as rigid as your selves In enjoyning publike satisfaction after the Defendant hath given it at an assize c. What you bring is litle to the purpose and if it were hath been packt away with its answer long a goe Wherewith yet if gou will not be satisfied you must be set to reviewe Erastus and answer him When he tells you of old no notice was taken of your double formalitie viz of crime and scandal so as to subject the delinquent for the same fact to the censure of two distinct Courts Civile and spiritual He calls ad raucedinem usque for one text or example in Scripture to justifie it He proves out of St. Austin c. That the Church used the spiritual sword onelie when the temporal was not in Christian hands He puts you to make good your maine consequence That if the Magistrate doth not his dutie an Assemblie Court is required to constraine him or as youe Liturgie speakes to admonish him and that too as the Bishop urgeth when he hath discharg'd it according to his Iudgement and conscience From your proceedings of this kinde His Lordship drawes 3. observations which you cannot denie and yet dare not acknowledge and therefore say nothing but worke in a whimzie of his excursions upon his owne friends not any of whom approve the injustice the irrationalitie much lesse imitate the cueltie of your practice The Popish Praelates are not so neare allied unto the Doctour nor doe they need to be taken into his protection The English are and can vindicate themselves against you for admitting to the holie table with signes of repentance without Ecclesiastike publike satisfaction murtherers that are either quit by their jurie or have their pardon sealed by the King whores that either are spared out of hopes of amendment or have had the whip at Bridewell and theeves burn'd in the hand at Newgate
or idolatrie of Rome That you have made doth but magnisie her and oblige you had you any Christian charitie or justice to thanke God for praeserving so much of his word worship in her service what the Bishop intends when effected will warrant our Church upon your principles in most parts of her Lâ—…turgie when shewed consonant to the most publike sormes of Protestant Churches though 't is hard for Fathers to aske advice or borrow authoritie of their children for Ancients to heare wherein Iob was mistaken That with the yong men is wisdome and with the shortnesse of dayes understanding The King and the many well minded men I beleeve were never deceived by our Doctours who I can not thinke ever affirmed they were as much fâ—…r preaching in their practice and opinion as the Presbyterians So much as to set aside praying for sermonizing as your 〈◊〉 Booke Discipline doth telling us That what day the publike sermon is they could neither require nor greatlie approve that the Common prayers be publikeliâ—… used I require the name of any that sayd the life and soul of the Liturgie was preaching without which it could not be intire in its parts That he must never goe in and out of the House of God without ringing his bells a fit alussion the nord of exhortation Interpratation and praeferring the nams given the Temple by some of the â—…ewes Domus expositionis before that by God Domus Orationis Though it may have been the fruitlesse practice of some to quit themselves as they hop'd of the disreputation you brought them as ignorant and laziâ—… to preach somewhat more often then formerlie till they found their ringing the bells was to scare the people from Church and doubling their paines reform'd not their opinions nor reduc'd them to their duties They that prayed without booke before and after their sermons came not up to the Presbyterians opinion that it is a childish thing to doe otherwise Nor to their practice To bawlke the first and second service of the Church What they either assirmed or did in this kinde might bemore to shew your grâ—…sse â—…ifsimulation at all times in making if such a difficult businesse to talke then to personate their owne in this of their affliction which when you have brought them to the lowest shall never seduce them so to decline the enâ—…ie of the people as by profaning the House of God sooth them in their eâ—…rour styling those aivine ordinances which in your maner or frequencie of use being both without praecept are but humane Canons and Acts and for most part in the mater consist of strise sâ—…ditions and haeresies the workes of the â—…lesh or the Divel that dictates them So that you may see if your eyes be not full of somewhat else while you are spâ—…rting yourselves with your owne deceivings their tenet remaines the same that it wâ—… and themselves readie enough in this season as unfiâ—… as you thinke it to ring as low'd aâ—… you will in the eares of the world That for Divine service in publike people need no more but the râ—…oding of the Liturgie Which is beter furnish'd with pious petitions occurring to all visible necessitiâ—…s and for others emergent the Church keepes a reserve and in due time ever affords a recruit then any set or extemporarie prayer that er came out of Presbyters mouth 2. Sermons on weeke dayes if not festivals wheron a commemoration of Saints dâ—…parted is necessarie for Historical instruction and for imitation exemplarie maâ—… belayd aside by Christians that have no more time to spare from their honest callings then they ought to spend in the application and practice of what they heard on the Sunday in meditation upon God his attributes and workes c in the serious examination of their lives and very particular sâ—…rutinie of their actions secret publike good bad indifferent or mixt in sorting or parselling their sinnes of mission commission weaknesse praesumption and in private repenting weeping praying praysing In conferring closelie with holie men chieflie their Priest and pastour of their soules laying open before him their doubts distractions infirmities perverse inclinations Invisiting the sicke strengthning the weake considering the poore and placing charitie with prudence condoling with and comforting the afflicted Composing controversies reconciling differences designing and enterprising Heroicke exploits for the just advancement and honour of the King and publike advantage of Countrey Citie or Parish whereof they are Members Finallie acting all of which these are not halfe that concernes them in their publike and private capacitie And when all is done not before in what leisure's redundand let them in Gods name call for a weeklie or daylie sermon and where the Priest hath discharg'd as much more of his dutie and findes in himselfe abilities to compose such an one as with confidence or rather conscience he can speake it let them have it 3. That Sundayes afternoon Sermon is well exchanged for catechizing children instructing them in their principles of Religion and acquainting them with the doctrine and discipline of the Church to which they ought to adhaere when they come to their choyce at yeares of discretion which is the custome of some Presbyterian Churches abroad and either hath or should have been tong since of the Scots 1. Book Disc Before noon must the word be preached and Sacraments ministred and afternoon must the yong children be publikelie examined in their Catechisme in the audience of the people 4. That on the Sunday before noon sermon is very convenient abuses being redressed and must be while and where enjoined Yet in Nations converted to Christianitie by the preaching of the Apostles or Apostolical men and so fullie confirmed as no reasonable feare may be of their apostacie since the infallible spirit is not cooperative with all if with any and where as among the Presbyterians the noxious spirit of delusion in the mouthes of very many preachers it 's farre from being necessaire to salvation that care must be had lest it bring damnation to the hearers 5. That where some learned Scholars or honest industrious Ministers not at pleasure but publike appointment on festivals dayes make a sermon or have an oration for litle difference need be about the name and it may be 't were beter to have lesse in the thing it would be short not exceeding an houre according to the Court paterne which is likelie to be the best in the Kingdome and for the most part hath come nearest the most approved example of the primitive Fathers as may be seen by their sermons and homilies that are exstant And it should seem Presbyterie aswell as Episcopacie hath found some inconvenience in Sermons that were longer which produced the 34. Canon in the Provincial Synod at Doâ—…t 1574. Ministri 〈◊〉 animâ—… loâ—…gis conciâ—… quas ultra horam non extendent 6. That spirit and life for adification since
forCommon prayer to your Queen you came about at length to condemning it among your selves This for the Historie of your hypocritical conformitie with us to worke your owne designe and inexcusable defection from us when that was done Touching your feigned approbation of set formes for rules and for use in beginners I am to aske you 1. What institutions their can befor improvement of supernatural gifts What formes for progresse in extraordinarie graces 2. If there be such why they serve not aswell for the benefit of tongues as utterance and whether the Apostles before the day of Pentecost had any praeparative to that descent of the spirit upon them if they had not the difference of persons not diversifying the donation where or to whomsoeverGod intends it why we are to looke about for helpes unto this purpose 3. Whether this sword of the spirit can not aswell cut the tongue as pierce the heart Whether God can not without helpes aswell indite words as mater and make the tongue become the pen oâ—… a readiâ—… writer That your set formes were published onelie for Ministers that are beginners thereby endeavouring to attaine a readinesse to pray in their familie not in the Church I take for an evasion scarce thought upon before now The gift of prayer which you take gratis without a proofe I can afford you to be â—…rdinarilie no other then the forme which Christ bestowed upon his disciples The use of that hath ever hitherto been continued by their successours in the frequent repetition of the words and analogie of all their enlargements unto the sense The greatest comfort that can be had by this is in a cheerfull submission to the judgement of that Church in whose communion I adventure my salvation the greatest libertie in the exercise of her words which in Christian humilitie and common reason I am to conceive more apposite then mine owne Herein I rest the beter satisfied when I see my common adversaries in this dutie so to fluctuate in their senses and like raging waves in a conspiracie to shipwrake others breaking mutuallie themselves by the uncertaine violence of their motion and so in the end forming out nothing but their shame Master Baylie renouncing aswell formes composed by themselves as praescribed by others Master Knox praescribing such a seâ—… prayer unto himselfe and so praemeditating the words he was to speake that when quaestioned he could repeat what er he say'd Their brethren abroad sometime strictlie enjoining a forme compiled by others Omnes Ministri unans formam publicam in Ecclesia precandi tenebunt…ideoquâ—… alia forma breviâ—…r post concionem recitanda composita est At other times leaving their Ministers to a libertie of a set prayer composed by themselves or one depending on the dictate of the spirit Minister prâ—…ces vel dictante spiritu vel certa sibi proposita formula concipiet The 4. wrongs that are praetended from our Liturgie to redound upon A Giver A Receiver A Gift and A Church being Relatives in this businesse are inseparable by nature and must fall to ground with the falsitic of the supposition upon which they hang But what injuries are multiplied upon all by the extemporarie license of Presbyters in their prayers Our Blessed Soveraigne K. Ch. 1. hath enumerated the affectation â—…mptinesse impertinence rudenesse conâ—…usions flatnesse levitie obscuritie vaine and ridiculous repetitions the senclesse and oft times blasphemous expressions all these burthened with a most taedious and intolerable length…Wherein men must be strangelie impudem and flaterers of themselves not to have an iusinite shame of what they so doe and say in things of so sacred a nature before God and the Church after so ridiculous indeed profane a maner Nec potest tibi 't is Master Baylie I meane who hath been guiltie of most in my hearing istares contingere aliter quam si tepudere desieris perfrices fronâ—…em oportet ipsete non audias But I referre him to the rest of what K. Ch. 1. Briestie but solidelie hath writ and what more at large Master Hooker to whom I may challenge all the Scotish Presbyterie for an answer So great a cloud of witnesses encompassing the Scotish Presbyterie and giving in evidence against her as the mother of mischief too many yeares in three Kingdomes your arme is too weake to lay aside the weight of those wicked actions that must be charged on her backe and the sinne of sacriledge Royal that so easilie bâ—…sets her The Parliament of Scotland sure â—…quivocates in denying that they have stripped the King of his justrights I speake to His Majestie now reigning His â—…ather having unanswerablie argued for himselfe because they never hitherto acknowledged him invested with any but the name to which bare inheritance they knew him borne without the charitie of their breath which he must have had without their sounding trumpet proclaiming this for their almes as hypocrites in their markets But to come close to you This Parliament of Scotland had it been such as it was not upon the murder of the â—…ather ought to have been stripped of all it selfe then no just rights no more but such as a deadman hath to his robes and being a breathlesse carkasse could require nothing at the hands of the Sonne The courses to which he was stirred up and keeped on out of natural dutie by no factious advice were howsoever they succeded praeservative of his Fathers and himselfe and destructive to no people but the workers of iniquitie that with their owne hands plucked downe miserie upon their heads The bloudshed brings bloudguiltinesse upon them that first opened the veine from which he had no need to be purged with hysope that was cleane nor washed whose conscience in that particular was whiter then the snow Yet being by your scarlet Parliament imputed to him whose impure eyes can bâ—…hold nothing but iniquitie in others and whose wicked mouthes are wide open to devoure the man that is more righteous then themselves the satisfaction they required could be in order to no exercise of his Royal government nor dare they take any by the rules of your Discipline which must have bloud for bloud but a slavish subjection of his life and erowne to sentence without mercie which had been though fewer in number yet as full in your meaning and as effectual aequitable demands Allthough this be a replie unanswerable to your praetense Yet I must not leave you without discovering your diminutive forgerie in Parliament Proclamations putting parts of his Royal Government where they the whole without exception His name portract seale being not his when new stampt and set to publike writings by your hands then in actual rebellion against his person The securitie to your Religion and Liberties required were first enacted for an aequitable demand onclie by a Convention of Rebells at Edenburgh 1567. who had been partlie solicited partlie scared into a
their negligence is inexcusable and their dulnesse pitiable yet that your act of cruel jurisdiction is justified by no divine command nor Catholike example If never any for simple ignorance were excommunicated in Scotland You must be rebuk'd for transgressing your rule and failing in your dutie as your Kirke pleaseth thus to declare it In sufferable we judge it that men be permitted to live and continue in ignorance as Members of the Kirke Whether greater tyrannie were exerciz'd in the High Commission Courts or your Consistories your aequitable comparers by this time are not to seeke What excesse on your side hath been evidenc'd is here resumed onelie to aggravate your floud of boundlesse crueltie by the many heads from which it issues and the cataracts it powres upon the poor people in every parish The Bishops playd indeed the Rex in that their Court because they acted in it by authoritie and deputation from the King But you and your Brethren playd the Rebells to the purpose when you first rioted then rebell'd and covenanted before er you supplicated to suppresse it K. Ch. 1. by his grace and too fluent charitie praevented the violence intended by your Parliament though he found no thankes nor yet acceptance at your hands His proclamation being rudelie encountred with a rebellious protestation read by Iohnston The King Anticlerical Parliament in England that alasse joind hands in a maner yet searce agreed to throw downe the other about their eares without which the Praelates had no power lesse then no reason if it might be to let it fall have not onelie covered the poor Bishops with the ruine of that Court but since hands and hearts were divided the laborious Lords and Commons without him have pull'd the Fabrike of both Houses and of Monarchie upon themselves The Congregational Eldership a thing wheresoever more to be jeerd at and lesse endured then a Commission is enjoy'd with so much more comfort among other of the Reformed then in Scotland as we are eye witnesses of lesse authoritie rigour in it And while I am writing this Replie one of the Reformed Presbyters your Countreyman ingenuouslie confesseth to me that he thinkes in his conscience the present Kirke tyranniem Scotland he speakes it indeed rather of the practice then rule ofâ—…se â—…se Scotish Elderships taken out of Holie scripture can not be very Particâ—… 〈◊〉 many cases Their Acts of superiour judicatories doe not can nâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…pecific interpretative Scandals nor in all occurring pofsibiâ—… proportion corporal punishments or pecuniarie mulcts in the arbitrement of which lies the tyrannie of this petie Aristocratie and most ridiculouslie many times used in cutting haifethe haire shaving beards c. as before now hath been objected by others that having I beleeve seen it better know it In the abuses by such censures and difficultie of some cases when appeale is made to a Synod the Biâ—…op tells you which you observe not that the shortnesse of its continuance can afford the condition of the persons will afford litle reliefe Your dozen of the most able pious plow men in many parishes with an unexperienc'd illiterate Pastour praesiding in their Councel are no very reverend Iudges in many cases Aud what pitifull creatures they must be of necessitie in some places may be guessed untill this quaestion be answer'd which is sent you from another Countreyman of yours an honest able Divine Whether you have not heard of Câ—…untres Churches in Scotland especiallie amongst the Saints of Argiâ—…e where not three hapâ—…e not one in the whole parish could reade Amphictyonum consessus A very honourable bench A Senate that no doubt would strike greater amazement but upon other reasons then the Romane if any foraigner should behold them In that you say the Episcopal way is to have no discipline at all in any congregation you are somewhat more hard hearted then your brethren Who acknowledge some of the functional rubbish of your Temple building Elders and Deacons upon the shoulders of our Church wardens Sidemen and Collectours part of whose charge is to observe maners inquire out ill livers admonish the scandalous and praesent them to the ordinarie To direct them in this dutie the Bishops articles are disspersed and an Audit held of their account at every visitation The officials pleasure regulates not their information which is to be as impartial as an oath can make it His conscience commonlie is not to large though his learning and wisdome be of greater extension then the Elders What power he exerciseth is by law and custome In correctionis negotijs alia quidem sacient omnia excommunication is more niselie and conscientiouslie excepted quae de jure possunt solent fieri Constit. 1571 To the Presbyterian tendernesse of medling with domestike infirmities some what is sayd allreadie which the Answerer by leter thus avoucheth It is certaine that a foolish man revealing foolishlic his faults to his wise the zealous wife upon some quarelling betwixt her and her husband hath gone to a good Minister revealed what was told her and the honest impertial Minister hath convented the man charged him with his sinne and made him confesse satisfie and doe penance publikelie Here the flagrant scandal was onelie the fire or furie that broke out of a weake womans breast into a pragmatical Presbyters eares whose heade is no sanctuarie for spiritual secrecies but his curiositie the mine that under workes the foundation of private families and palaces too where of that of Mary Queen of Scots may be a formidable and lamentable example and when jealousies faile of materiall truth in the discoverie to blow them up with malicious calumnies what they can For suits and differences incident between Pastour and flocke Lay Elder and his neighbour the passion upon which perverts blindes the eyes of the wisest men that are your Congregational or Classical Iudges you passe quietlie by it as having nothing to say for it These are the great injuries and hurts which make the Scotish Discipline Scandalous to all the Reformed world being prov'd destructive to the just praerogative of Kings the power of Parliaments the libertie of subjects enslaving all orders of men where it takes place to the arbitrarie jurisdiction of a corrupt Synod and that commonlie moderated by the usurped Papacie of a Knox a Buchanan a Melvin an Henderson such meeke lambes as no misbeleeving Iew can misdoubt them to be fore runners of his Messias who hath prae-inspired this good principle into their heads To bring their Kings rather then goe themselves to the slaughter And wheresoe'r they get power to teare out the throat of the thearers and make them dumbe never more able to open their mouthes against the know'n Deitie of their Presbyterie CHAPTER XIII The Bishops exceptions against the Covenant made good and this proved That no man is obliged to keep it who hath taken it IF I had not found the Reviewer a
onelie of the other title supreme head and accept his explication of it which yeilding you in your contracted sense that might securetie afford him more capital priviledges without encroachment upon Christ or his Holie Curch supreme Governer takes in what your Presbyterie will never grant him all power imperative Legislative judicial coactive all but functional imediate and proper to the ordination or office of the Minister which for ought J know if he finde an internal call 〈◊〉 a supposition drawing neare a possibilitie then likelihood and assurance to have a double portion of Gods gracious power and assistance in both administrations he not onelie may but must exercise as did Moses and Melchisedech saving that without a divine institution in this spiritual function his supremacie exempts him not from submitting his head under the hands of holie Church and taking our Saviours commission with the benediction from her month That Scotish Presbyterie is a Papacie the Bishop requires not to be granted upon his word but to be taken before Publike notaries upon your owne the political part whereof consists in the civile primacie which at least by reduction you very considentlie assume The Bishops contradiction which is searce so much as verbal will be easilie reconciled by the words of the oath which he reflects on and his argument good against you untill without reserves limitations or distinctions you simplie acknowledge the King supreme over all persons in all causes which would be a contradiction to this clause in your booke of Discipline The poâ—…er Ecclesiastical stoweth immediatelie from God and the Mediatour Iesus Christ and is spiritual not having a temporal head in the earth but onelie Christ the onelie spiritual King and Governer of his Kirke Lasthe No Presbâ—…terian is there in Scotland but counts it sacriledge to give the King what belongeth unto the Church And whatsoeu'rit is they quit in Ecclesiastike causes is not unto the King but to King and Parliament and the power in both when it informes an Act or statute call'd but accessorie by the Aderdene Assemblers and that we may no longer doubt whom they account supreme dutie and subjection from the Prime which though spoken by them but of their meeting must be meant of all causes consultable in their Synods and is as sensibie a truth as words without ambiguitie can render it Our of all which hath been sayd it must necessarilie follow that your Covenant hath all the good qualities computed which needs no arithmetical proofe by weight or measure the praemises over being coextended with and counterpoiz'd by the conclusion What you rathlie if not praesumtuouslie pronounce of the Bishops judgement doth but vilisie your owne Qui citò deliberant sacile pronunâ—…iant Had you brought a judgement to the contrarie of any learned Casuist to whom his Lordship appeales or any Divine of note in Europe which he calls for your answer had been somewhat more serious and solide But here your oracles of learning are all silent We sinde it not avowed by your especial brethren of Holland and France by no approbatorie suftrages of Leyden and â—…trecht…Omnium flagitiosorum aâ—…que facinorosorum circum se tanquant stipatorum catevâ—… habet A guard is hath but a blake one such as Catilines league and how can it have beter wherein is sworne a conspiracie as bad The Bishops following vapours meeting with no suneshine of law or reason to dissipate them will not so vanish upon a litle blast of your breath but that they 'll returne in showers of confusion upon your head Your secret will to asteribe good intentions to the King hath by some of your packe been very straâ—…gelie revealed in their expressions touching Kings whoss very nature they have declared originallie antipathetical to Christ. This Didoclave avowes as planilie as he can And when objected by His Grace of Saint Andrewes with your proverbial yet mystical appendix of their obligation to the Creatuor not to Christ the Redecmer for their crownes is so slovenlie answered by Philadelphs Vindicatour as any man may reade your good wil in his words measure the sense of your Synods by his lines your good opiniâ—…n of the intentions of K. Charles 1. Beside what you imputed to his Praelates may be guested by what sometimes in print you have assiribâ—… unto his person An unworthie fellow your Countrey man that comes runing in hast with the message of your good meaning in his mouth sayth His infamous Barbarous intentions were executed by â—…eathing his sword in the bowels of his people And this not onctic himselve not impeding conniving at and giving full Commission for in Scotland and Ireland but in England looking upon with much delight while it was done And that so faire were negotiations and treaties from retracting him that it was in publike declared he sayth not byany Praelatical partie that he would never defist from this enterprise of persecuting Church and Commonwealthso long as he had power to pursue it Concerning the good intentions of Charles the second beside what jealousies you expresse by the scrupulous conditions in your proclaemation your Haghe papers are instancies of your willing asseriptions which call his answer strange whereby the distance is made greater then before and farre lesse offered for religion the Covenant and the lawes and liberties of your Kingdome then was by his Royal Father even at that time when the difference between him and you was greatest…So that it will constraine you in such an extremitie to doe what is incumbent to you I have allreadie told you the usual consequences of that cursed word and what good intentions you are in hand with when you utter it Tyrannie and poperie are twinnes engendred between your jealousie malice to which Independencâ—…e is more likelie to be the midwife then Praelacie and if by that hand they get deliverie at last will besure to pay Presbytesie their dutie when they can speake The painted declarations caries beter sense to them that rightlie understand them which I am sure is not prajudicâ—…d by any paraphrase of the Bishops Though agere pocniuntiam Be good councel where well placed ' yet egisse non paniundum requires it not If the conâ—…ience of the Court continue to be managed by the principles of the Prâ—…lates the hearts of the mist understanding shall if they will be satisfied withall moral and siducial assurance to have that Religion praeserved which shall by reason and authoritie aswell divine as humane in every particular justifie it selse against all right or left handed sects and factions guiltie of superstition or prosanâ—…sse those lawes observed which appeare now to have constituted the most indifferent mnoâ—…uous government in the world Whereas if the conscience of the Court be deluded once into Presbyters hands it will need none of our angrie wishes to be made sensible of the change when to be sure it must take religion like a desperate patient from a sullen physician
they answer That those who made them were theeves murtherers had no power so to alienate the common Good of the Kirk They desire that all such Estates may be anulled and avoided that all Collectours appointed by the King or others may be discharged from intermedling therewith and the Deacons permitted to collect the same yea to that height of madnesse were they come as to define and determin in their Assembly judge whether it be not a modest constitution for a Synod That the next Parliament the Church should be fully restored to its Patrimony and that nothing should be past in Parliament until that was first considered and approved Let all Estates take notice of theâ—…e pretensions and designs If their project have not yet taken effect it is onely becauâ—…e they wanted sufficient strength hitherto to accomplish it Lastly by their own Authority under the specious title of Jesus Christ King of kings and Lord of lords the onely Monarch of his Churcâ—… and under pretence of his Prerogative Royal they erected their own Courts and Presbyteries in the most parts of Scotland long before they were legally approved or received as appeareth by their own Act alledging that many suites had been made to the Magistrate for approbation of the Policy of the Kirk which had not taken that happy effect which good men would crave And by another act acknowledging that Presbytertes were then established Synodically in most parts of the Kingdom And lastly by the Act of another General Assembly at Edenburg ordaining that the Discipline contained in the acts of the General Assembly should be kept as well in Angus and Mernis as in the rest of the Kingdom You see sufficiently in point of practice how the Disciplinarians have trampled upon the Laws and justled the civil Magistrate out of his Supremacy in Ecclesiastical affairs My next task shall be to shew that this proceeds not from Inanimadvertence or Passion but from their Doctrine and Principles First they teach that no persons Magistrates nor others have power to Vote in their Synods but onely Eccl siâ—…tical Secondly they teach that Ecclesiastical persons have the sole power of convening and convocating such Assemblies All Ecclesiastical assemblies have power to convene lawfully together for treating of things concerning the Kirk They have power to appoint times and places Again National Assemblies of this Countrey ought alwayes to be retained in their own liberties with power to the Kirk to appoint times places Thus they make it a Liberty that is a Priviledge of the Church a part of its Patrimony not onely to convene but to convocate whomsoever whensoever wheresoever Thirdly for point of Power they teach that Synods have the judgement of true false Religion of Doctrine Heresies c. the election admission suspension deprivation of Ministers the determination of all things that pertain to the Discipline of the Church The judgement of Ecclesiastical matters causes beneficiary matrimonial and others Jurisdiction to proceed to excommunication against those that rob the Church of its patrimony They have legislative Power to make rules and constitutions for keeping good order in the Kirk They have power to abrogate and abolish all Statutes and Ordinances concerning Ecclesiastical matters that are found noisom and unprofitable and agree not with the time or are abused by the people And all this without any reclamation or appellation to any Jâ—…dge Civil or Ecclesiastical Fourthly they teach that they have these priviledges not from the Magistrate or People or particular Laws of any other Countrey The Magistâ—…ate can not execute the censares of the Church nor prescribe any rule how it should be done but Ecclesiastical power floweth immediatly from God from the Mediatour Jesus Christ And yet further The Church cannot be governed by others than those Ministers and Stewards set over it by Christ nor otherwise than by his Laws And therefore there is no power in earth that can challenge to it self a Command or Dominion upon the Church And again It is prohibited by the Law of God and of Christ for tho Christian Magistrate to invade the Government of the Church and consequently to challenge to himself the right of both Swords spiritual and temporal And if any Magistrate do arrogate so much to himself the Church shall have cause to complain and exclaim that the Pope is changed but the Papacy remains So if Kings and Magistrates stand in their way they are Political Popes as well as Bishops are Ecclesiastical Whatsoever these men do is in the Name of our Lord Jesus and by Authority delegated from him alone Lastly they teach that they have all this Power not onely without the Magistrate but against the Magistrate that is although he dissent send out his prohibitions to the contrary Parliamentary ratifications can no way alter Church canons concerning the worship of God For Ecclesiastical Discipline ought to be exercised whether it be ratified by the civil Magistrate or not The want of a civil Sanction to the Church is but like Lucrum cessans non damnum emergens As it addes nothing to it so it takes nothing away from it If there be any clashing of Jurisdictions or defect in this kind they lay the fault at the Magistrates door It is a great sin or wickednesse for the Magistrate to hinder the exercise or execution of Ecclesiastical Discipline Now we have seen the pernicious practices of their Synods with the Doctrines from which they flow it remains to dispel umbrages wherewith they seek to hide the uglinesse of their proceedings principles from the eyes of the world We say they do give the Christian Magistrate a political Power to convocate Synods to preside in Synods to ratifie the Acts of Synods to reform the Church We make him the keeper of both tables Take nothing and hold it fast here are good words but they signifie nothing Trust me whatsoever the Disciplinarians do give to the Magistrate it is alwayes with a saving of their own stakes not giving for his advantage but their own For they teach that this power of the Christian Magistrate is not private and destructive to the power of the Church but cumulative and onely auxiliary or assisting Besides the power which they call abusively authoritative but is indeed ministerial of executing their decrees contributing to their setlement they ascribe to the Magistrate concerning the Acts of Synods that which every private man hath a judgement of discretion but they retain to themselves the judgement of Jurisdiction And if he judge not as they would have him but suspend out of conscience the influence of his political power where they would have him exercise it they will either teach him another point of Popery that is an implicite faith or he may perchance feel the weight of their Church censures and find quickly what manner of men they be as our late gracious King Charls