the King of Kings and all his instructions set doun limited in the book of God that cannot be extended abridged or altered by any mortal wight King or Emperour And seeing he was sent to all sorts his Commission discharge of it should not nor cannot be Lawfuly judged by them to whom he was sent they being sheep not Pastors to be judged by the Word and â—â—t to be judges thereof in a judicial way The Interloquutor being past against him for this the Brethren thought it duty that the Doctrine of the Preachers should be directed against the said Interloquutor as against a strong mighty hold set up against the Lord Jesus and the freedom of the Gospel and praised God for the force unity of the Spirit that was among themselves And being charged to depart out of Toun they leave a faithful Declaration at Large shewing how the Liberties of the Church were invaded robbed But all this was nothing in comparison of their wrestlings for the Royalties of their Princely Master and Priviledges of His Kingdom against that Tyrants Insolencies after he obtained he Croun of England For then he would not suffer the Church to indict her oun Assemblies And when the faithful thought themselves obliged to counteract his Encroachments and therefore conveened in an Assembly at Aberdeen anno 1605. they were forced to dissolve and thereafter the most eminent of the Ministers there assembled were transported Prisoners to Black-ness Whence being cited befor the Council they decline their Judicatory And one of their Brethren Mr Robert Youngson who had formerly succumbed being moved in Conscience returned and when the rest were standing before the Council desired to be heard and acknowledged his fault and therefore howbeit not summoned by the Lords was charged by the Living God and compelled to compear that day to justifie that Assembly to the great astonishment of the Lords and comfort of His brethren He subscribed the Declinature with the rest And for this they were arraigned and condemned as guilty of Treason and banished Before the execution of which sentence Mr Welsh wrote to the Lady Fleming to this effect What am I that He should first have called me and then constituted me a Minister of glad things of the Gospel of Salvation these fifteen years already and now last of all to be a sufferer for His Cause Kingdom To witness that good Confession that Jesus Christ is the King of Saints and that His Church is a most free Kingdom yea as free as any Kingdom under Heaven not only to convocate hold keep her Meetings Conventions Assemblies But also to judge of all her affairs in all her Meetings Conventions among His members and Subjects These two points 1 That Christ is the Head of His Church 2 That she is free in her Government from all other jurisdiction except Christs are the special Cause of our imprisonment being now convict as Traitors for maintaining thereof We have now been waiting with joyfulness to give the last Testimonie of our blood in confirmation thereof If it would please our God to be so favourable as to honour us with that dignity After this the King resolving by Parliament to advance the estate of Bishops again as in the time of Popery without Cautions as before and further to establish not only that Antichristian Hierarchie but an Erastian Supremacy The faithful Ministers of Christ thought themselves bound in Conscience to protest And accordingly they offered a faithful Protestation to the Parliament Iulij 1606. obtesting that they would reserve into the Lords own hands that Glory which He will communicate neither with man nor Angel to wit to prescribe from His holy Mountain a Lively pattern according to which His oun Tabernacle should be formed Remembring alwise that there is no absolute undoubted Anthority in this world except the soveraigne Authority of Christ the King to vvhom it belongeth as properly to rule the Church according to the good pleasure of His oun vvill as it belongeth to Him to save His Church by the Merit of His oun Sufferings All other anthority is so intrenched vvithin the marches of Divine Command that the least overpassing of the bounds set by God Himself bring men under the fearful expectation of Temporal Eternal judgements If ye should authorize Bishops ye should bring into the Church the ordinance of man vvhich experience hath found to have been the ground of that Antichristian Hierarchie vvhich mounted up on the steps of Bishops preeminence until that man of sin came forth as the ripe fruit of mans vvisedome vvhom God shall consume vvith the breath of His oun mouth Let the svvord of God pierce that belly vvhich brought forth such a monster And let the staff of God crush that egg vvhich hath hatched such a Cockatrice And let not only that Roman Antichrist be thrown down from the high bench of his usurped authority but also let all the steps whereby he mounted up to that unlawful preeminence be cut down utterly abolished in this Land And beware to strive against God with an open displayed banner by building up again the walls of Iericho which the Lord hath not only cast down but also hath laid them under an horrible Interdiction execration so that the building of them again must needs stand to greater charges to the builders then the reedifying of Iericho to Hiel the Bethelite in the days of Ahab Yet notwithstanding of all opposition Prelacy was again restored in Parliament And to bring all to a Complyance with the same Presbytries Synods universally charged under highest pains to admit a constant Moderator without change which many refused resolutely as being the first step of Prelacy Upon this followed a great Persecution of the faithful for their Nonconformity managed by that Mongrel Monstrous kind of Court made up of Clergy-men Statesmen called the High Commission Court erected anno 1610. whereby many honest men were put violently from their charges habitations the Generality were involved in a great fearful Defection But the Copestone of the wickedness of that Period was the Ratification of the five Articles of Perth kneeling at the Communion private Communion to be given to the sick private Baptisme and Confirmation of Children by the Bishop and observation of festival dayes Which were much opposed testified against by the faithful from their first hatching anno 1618. to the year 1621. when they were ratified in Parliament at what time they were also witnessed against from Heaven by extraordinary Lightenings Tempest And against this the Testimony of the faithful continued till the Revolution anno 1638. Here we see how the Cause was stated in this Period and may gather also wherein it aggress and how far it differs from the present Testimony now suffered for under all rage reproach I. The matter of the Testimony was one with that that we are suffering for against Popery Prelacy Supremacy
advanced that the Government of the Church by Congregational Elderships Classical Presbyteries Provincial National Assemblies is aggreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westmnster and voted concâ—uded in both houses of Parliament After this the Malignants in England being crushed in all their Projects the King renders himself to the Scots in New castle by whom because by Covenant they were not obliged to defend him but only in defence of Religion Liberty which he had been destroying and they defending because in this war he did directly oppose oppugne these conditions under which they were only to defend him and therefore they had all alongst carried towards him as an enemy as he to them And because by the same Covenant they were obliged to discover render to condign punishment all Malignants Incendaries of whom he was the chief and to reâ—ain the Peace Union of the Kingdoms which could not be retained in maintaining their destroyer And to assist mutually all entered into that Covenant which he was fighting against he was delivered up into the English and kept under restraint in the Isle of Wight untill he received his just demerit for all his oppressions Murders Treachery Tyranny being condemned execute Ianuar. 30. anno 1648 9 Which fact though it was protested against both before after by the Assembly of the Church of Scotland out of zeal against the Sectarians the executioners of that extraordinary Act of Justice yet it was more sor the manner than for the matter and more for the motives ends of it than for the grounds of it that they opposed themselves to it and resented it For they acknowledged remonstrated to himself the Truth of all these things upon which that sentence execution of Justice was founded And when a wicked Association Unlawful Engagment was on foot to rescue him they opposed it with all their might Shewing in their Answers to the Estates that year 1648. and Declarations Remonstrances the sinfullness destructiveness of that Engagment that it was a breach of the Commandments of God of all the Articles of the Covenant Declaring withal they would never consent to the Kings Restitution to the exercise of his Power without previous assurance by solemn Oath under his hand seal for settling of Religion according to the Covenant By which it appears they were not so stupidly Loyal as some would make them Yet indeed it cannot be past without regrate that there was too much of this plague of the Kings-evil even among good men which from that time forth hath so infected the heads hearts of this Generation that it hath almost quite extinct all Loyaltie to Christ and all zeal for Religion Liberty Then it began to infuse diffuse its Contagion when after the death of Charles the first in the year 1649. they began after all that they had smarted for their trusting these treacherous Tyrants and after that Grace had been shewed them from the Lord their God by breaking these mens yokes from from off their necks and puting them again into a Capacity to act for the good of Religion their oun safety and the peace safety of the Kingdom to think of joining once more with the people of these abominations and taking into their bosoms these Serpents which had formerly stung them almost to death Hinc ilâ—â— lachrimae en origo Scaturigo nostrae defectionis There was indeed at that time a Party faithful for God who considering the many breaches of the Solemn League Covenant and Particularly by the late Engagment against England did so travel that they procured the Covenant to be renewed with the Solemn Acknowledgment of sins Engagment to duties which was Universally subscribed sworn through all the Land wherein also they regrete this tampering with Malignants And therefore the Lord did mightily save defend them from all their Adversaries subdued them at Stirling and in the North. They did also give warning concerning the young King that notwithstanding of the Lords hand against his Father yet he hearkens unto the Counsells of these who were Authors of these Miseries to his Father by which it hath come to pass that he hath hitherto refused to grant the just necessary desires of the Church Kingdom for securing of Religion Liberty And it is much to be feared that these wicked Counsellers may so far prevail upon him as to ingage him in a war for overturning the Work of God and bearing doun all those in the three Kingdoms that adhere therto Which if he shall do cannot but bring great wrath from the Lord upon himself throne and must be the cause of many new great Miseries Calamities to these Lands And in the same warning by many weighty reasons they prove that he is not to be admitted to the exercise of his power without security for Religion Liberty And when the bringing home of the King came to be voted in the Assembly there was one faithful witness Mr Adam Kae Minister in Galaway protested against it fore shewing fore telling what mischeef misery he would bring with him when he should come These things might have had some weight to demur the Nation from medling with that perfidious Traitor But all this serves only to aggravate the sin shame of that distraction which hath procured all this destruction under which the Land mourns to this day That notwithstanding of all these Convictions warnings yea and discoveries of his Malignancy Treachery inclinations to Tyranny They sent Commissioners and concluded at Treaty with him at Breda During which Treaty the Commissions which he had sent to that bloody villain Montrose his Cut throat Complices to raise an Armie wast invade the Countrey with fire sword the second time were brought to the Committee of Estates discovering what sort of King they were treating with Whereupon after serious Consulting not only together but with the Lord And after many debates what to do in such a doubtfull case wherein all was in danger the Estates concluded to break off the Treaty and recall their Commissioners To which intent they sent an Express with Letters to Breda which by providence falling into the hands of Libberton a true Libertine false betrayer of his trust Country was by him without the knowledge of the other Commissioners delivered unto the King who consulting the Contents of the Packet with his Jesuitical Hypocritical Cabal found it his interest to play the fox being disappointed at that time to play the Tyger and dissemble with God man. And so sending for the Commissioners he made a flattering speech to them shewing that novv after serious deliberation he vvas resolved to comply vvith all their Proposals Where upon the poor cheated Commissioners dispatch the post back with Letters full of praise joy for the satisfaction they had received The Estates perceiving themselves
others that touch the Majestie of God doth not appertain to Kings chief Rulers only but also to the whole body of the people and to every member of the same according to the vocation of every man and according to that possibility occasion which God doth minister to revenge the injury done against His Glory And that doth Moses more plainly speak in these words of the same Chapter If in any Citie which the Lord thy God giveth thee thou shalt hear this bruite there are some men sons of Belial Plain it is that Moses speaks not nor giveth charge to Kings Rulers Judges only but he commands the whole body of the people yea and every member of the same according to their possibility And who dare be so impudent as to deny â—his to be most reasonable just For seeing God had delivered the whole body from bondage and to the whole multitude had given His Law and to the twelve tribes had distributed the Land of Canaan was not the whole every member addebted to confess the benefits of God and to study to keep the possession received which they could not do except they kept the Religion established put out iniquity from amongst them To the carnal man this may seem to be a rigorous severe judgement that even the Infants there should be appointed to the cruel death and as concerning the City and spoill of the same mans reason cannot think but that it might have been better bestowed than to be consumed But in such cases let all creatures stoup and desist from reasoning when Commandment is given to execute His Judgment I will search no other reasons than the Holy Ghost hath assigned first that all Israel should fear to commit the like abomination And secondly that the Lord might turn from the fury of His anger Which plainly doth signifie that by the defection Idolatry of a few Gods wrath is kindled against the whole which is never quenched till such punishment be taken upon the offenders that whatsoever served them in their Idolatry be brought to destruction c. I have inlarged so far upon this Period that it may appear there is nothing now in Controversy between the suffering reproached party now in Scotland and either their Friends or Enemies which could fall under our Reformers inquiry but they have declared themselves of the same sentiments that are now so much opposed And therefore none can condemn the present heads of suffering except also they condemn the Reformers judgment and consequently the imputation of novelty must fall PERIOD IV. Containing the Testimony of the first Contenders against Prelacy and Supremacy from the year 1570. to 1638. HItherto the Conflict was for the Concerns of Christs Prophetical Priestly Office against Paganisine Popery But from the year 1570. And dounward the Testimony is stated and gradually Prosecuted for the Rights Priviledges Prerogatives of Christs Kingly Office which hath been the peculiar Glory of the Church of Scotland above all the Churches in the Earth that this hath been given to her as the word of her Testimony and not only Consequentially Reductively as all other Churches may challenge a part of this dignity but Formally Explicitely to contend for this very head The Headship Kingship of Iesus Christ the Prince of the Kings of the Earth and His Mediatory Supremacy over His oun Kingdom of Grace both visible Invisible This is Christs supremacy a special radiant Jewel of His Imperial Croun which as it hath been as explicitely incroached upon in Scotland by His Insolent Enemies as ever by any that entered in opposition to Him so it hath been more expressly witnessed and wrestled for by His suffering Servants in that Land than in any place of the world This was in a particular manner the Testimony of that Period during the reign of King Iames the Sixth as it hath been in a great measure in our day since the year 1660. Which as it is the most important Cause of the greatest Consequence that Mortals can contend for So it hath this peculiar Glory in it that it is not only for a Truth of Christ of greater value then the standing of Heaven Earth but also it is the very Truth for which Christ Himself died considered as a Martyr And which concerns Him to vindicate maintain as a Monarch The Witnesses of that day made such an high account of it that they encouraged one another to suffer for it as the greatest Concern being a witness for Christs Glorious free Monarchie which as it is the end of the other two Offices so the Testimony is more Glorious to God more honourable to His Son and more Comfortable to them then the Testimony either for His Prophetical office or for His Priesthood because His Kingdom was specially impugned at the time As Mr Forbes Mr Welsh write in a Letter to the Ministers at Court. The Corruptions Usurpations wronging this Truth that they contended against were Prelacy and the Kings Supremacy in Ecclesiastical matters which will be usefull to hint a litle how they Prosecuted the Conflict When Sathan whose Kingdom was then declining by several instruments means both by force fraud did endeavour to put a stop to the Reformation by reintroducing the Antichristian Hierarchy of Prelacy when he could not reestablish the Antichristian Doctrine of Popery he left no means unessayed to effectuate it And first he began to bring the name Bishop in request that was now growing obsolete odious by reason of the abuse of it as it ought to be still for though the name be found in the Scriptures yet neither is that Catechrestical application of it to Prelats to be sound nor was there any other reason for the translation of it after that manner except it were to please Princes seeing the native signification of it is an Overseer proper and common to all faithfull Pastors And indeed his first essay reached litle further then the bare name for they were to be subject to tryed by Assemblies and hardly had so much power as Superintendents before But it was a fine Court-juggle for Noblemen to get the Church revenues into their hands by restoring the Ecclesiastical titles and obtaining from the titulars either Temporal Lands or Pensions to their dependers so they were only Tulchan Bishops a Calfeskin to cause the Cow give milk Yet though this in our day would have been thought tollerable The faithful Servants of Christ did zealously oppose it Mr Knox denunced Anathema to the Giver and Anathema to the Receiver And the following Assembly condemned the office it self as having no sure warrant authority nor ground in the Book of God but brought in by the folly corruption of mens invention to the overthrow of the Church and ordained all that brooked the office to dimit simpliciter and to desist cease from preaching while they received de novo admission from the
except that it was not so far extended against Tyranny because that Tyrant was not such an usurper nor such a violater of the fundamental constitutions of the Civil Government as these that we have had to do with all But as to the managing the Testimony they far out stripped their successors in this generation in conduct courage Prudence zeal as is above hintend in many instances to which we may adde some more When several plots of Papist Lords had been discovered conspiring with the King of Spain And they were by the Kings Indulgence favoured and some were also perswaded to treat with them famous Mr Davidson opposed with great resolution Declaring before the Synod of Lothian that it favoured much of defection in these dayes that such notorious rebells to God His Church the Country should be so treated with we should not rashly open a door to Gods Enemies without better proof of their manners nor were yet seen And when a convention in Falkland was consulting to call home these conspiring Traitors Mr Andrew Melvin went thither uncalled and when found fault with by the King for his boldness he answered Sir I have a call to come here from Christ His Church who have special Interest in this Turn and against whom this Convention is assembled directly I charge yow and your Estates in the Name of Christ His Church that ye favour not His Enemies whom He hateth nor go about to call home nor make Citizens of these who have traiterously sought to betray their City native Countrey with the overthroiw of Chists Kingdom And further challenged them of treason against Christ His Church the Countrey in that purpose they were about About the same time in a private Conference with the King he called the King Gods sillie vassal and taking him by the sleeve told him Sir yow and Church Countrey is like to be wracked for not telling the Truth and giving yow faithful Counsel we must discharge our duty or else be enemies to Christ yow Therefore I must tell yow there are two Kings and two Kingdoms There is Christ and His Kingdom whose subject King Iames the 6th is and of whose Kingdom he is not a King nor a Head nor a Lord but a member and they vvhom Christ hath called to vvatch over govern his Church have sufficient Authority and Power from Him which no Christian King should control but assist othervvise they are not faithfull subjects to Christ. Sir vvhen yovv vvere in your svvedling clouts Christ reigned freely in this Land in spight of all His enemies but novv the vvisdom of your Council vvhich is Devilish pernicious is this that yovv may be served of all sorts of men to your purpose grandour Iew Gentile Papist Protestant because the Ministers Protestants in Scotland are too strong control the King they must be vveakened brought lovv by stirring up a party against them and the King being equal indifferent both shall be fain to flee to him so shall he be well setled But Sir let Gods wisedom be the only wisdom this will prove meer mad folly for His curse cannot but light upon it so that in seeking both yow shall lose both To the like effect Mr Robert Bruce in a Sermon upon Psal 51. gives faithful warning of the danger of the times It is not we sayes he that are Partie in this cause no the quarrel is betwixt a greater Prince and them What are we but sillie men Yet it has pleased Him to set us in this Office that we should oppone to the manifest usurpation that is made upon His Spiritual Kingdom Is there a more forcible mean to draw down the wrath of God than to let Barrabas that nobilitate Malefactor pass free and to begin the war against Christ and His Ministry It puteth on the Copestone that so many of our brethren should not be so faithful as their Calling this Cause craveth Fy upon false brethren to see them dumb so faint hearted when it comes to the Chock Not only are they ashamed to speak the thing they think which is a shame in a Pastor but speak directly against their former Doctrin They will speak the Truth a while till they be put at but incontinent they will turn and make their gifts weapons to fight against Christ for there is none so malicious as an Apostate when he begins to slide back c. The same faithful witness because he would not preach as the King would have him against his oun conscience to justifie Proclaim the Kings Innocency in a forged conspiracy against him was put from his Church in Edinburgh and being requested in an insinuating manner to desist from preaching but for nine or ten dayes he condiscended at first thinking the matter of no great importance yet that night his body was cast in a fever with the terror of his conscience and he promised he should never obey their Commandment any more These were faithful men yet we find they challenge themselves in deep humiliation for their short comings defections at the renovation of the National Covenant March 30. 1596. the greatst solemnity ever had been seen in Scotland before that time so that the place might worthily have been called Bochim O when shall we see such a day when even the most faithful among us shall mourn over our far more aggravated defections but if they mourned then for these first degrees of declensions we may say quam gravius ingemiscerent illi fortes viri qui propter Ecclesiae Scoticanae Libertatem olim in acie decertarunt si nostram hanc ignaviam ne quid gravius dicam conspicerent I know notwithstanding of all this that some encourage themselves in a base Complyance with the present corruptions of our Church from the practise of these Worthies Alledging they did not scruple to hear join with Prelatical men dispensing the ordinances But this Objection will be easily refelled if we consider first the Period wherein they were but growing up to a more perfect Reformation and therefore might bear with many things which we cannot after we have been reformed from them They were then advancing and still gaining ground we are now declining and therefore should be more shie to lose what we have gained They had then of a long time enjoyed their Judicatories unto which they might recur for an orderly redress of such grievances that offended them and when they were deprived of them yet they were still in hopes of recovering them and so suspended their total secession from that corrupt Church untill they should recover them in the mean time still holding their right and maintaining their cause against these Invaders But we were at thevery first begining of this unhappy Revolution totally deprived of our Judicatories and denuded of all expectation of them in an ordinary way and of all place but what they are Masters of to contend with them
that way therefore must keep our selves free of their Communion But next if we consider their practise we shall find these Worthies vvere not such Conformists as our Complyers vvould make them What if vve find among them Meetings that vvere Called Counted as Seditious Schismatick as Ours are novv vve find a field Meeting yea a General Assembly at Dumfermling vvithout against the Kings vvarrant vvhen the â—ports vvere shut against them anno 1585. But that is not so pat to the purpose as that vve find Private-Meetings at Edinburgh and that in the very time of publick Service in the Churches discharged by open Proclamation anno 1624. vvherein it is charged that they had no respect to the ordinary Pastors contemned impugned their Doctrine disobeyed controlled their Discipline abstained to hear the Word preached and to Participate of the Sacraments And long before that vve find the sincerer sort scrupled to hear Bishop Adamson not withstanding that he vvas absolved in the Assembly And that aftervvards the doubt being proponed to the Assembly if it be a slander to a Christian to absent himself from the Sermons of them that are suspended from all function in the Ministry The Assembly Ansvvered there is no slander in the Case but rather it is slanderous to resort And why is not this ground to think it slanderous or scandalous to resort to them who deserve to be suspended all of them by a Spiritual cognizance and some of them to be suspended Corporally for their villanie when there can be no access orderly to do it And the rather because we find in this Period that sometimes Ministers were so faithful zealous against the Corruptions of the Ministry that they decerned Ministers to be suspended for far smaller faults than many now could exempt themselves from viz. if they were not powerful Spiritual if they did not apply their Doctrine to Corruptions if they were obscure too Scholastick before the people cold wanting zeal flatterers dissembling at publick sins for flattery or fear c. As we may read in the Advice of the Brethren deputed for penning the Corruptions in the Ministery anno 1596. I wish our silent prudent Ministers now would consider the justness of this Censure and what ground people have to be offended at such censurableness But not only this may answer the false imputation of Conformity on these witnesses of Christ at that time but I shall set down a part of a Letter of one of the banished Ministers at that time discovering his mind about hearing these men that were then serving the times Mr Iohn Welsh writing to Mr Robert Bruce what my mind is concerning the root of these branches the bearer will shew yow more fully They are no more to be counted Orthodox but Apostates They have fallen from their Callings by receiving an Antichristian and bringing in of Idolatrie to make the Kingdom culpable and to expose it to fearful Judgments for such an high perfidie against an Oath so solâ—mnly enacted given And are no more to be counted Christians but strangers Apostates Persecutors And therefore not to be heard any more either in publick or in Consistories Colledges or Synods for what fellowship hath light with darkness We see then as to that part of the Testimony they were not dissonant to the vvitness of the present reproached sufferers II. As the matter manner of their Testimony against all the invaders of the Churches priviledges did speak forth a great deal of sincere pure zeal so their practice was conform shewing forth a great deal of strictness and aversness from all sinfull Complyances even with things that would be now accounted of very minute inconsiderable consequence and for which honest sufferers now are flouted at as fools When that Oath was formed for acknowledging the Supremacy there was a Clause added which might have been thought to salve the matter according to the Word of God. I fear many now would not stand to subscribe with such a qualification Yet the faithful then perceived the Sophistrie that it made it rather worse affirming that that brat of Hell was according to the word of God And therefore though there were several eminent men to perswade them to it both by advice example yet they could not in conscience Comply And pleaded also from the illegality of that imposition that they should be charged with the subscription of Laws a thing never required before of any subject if they offended against the Laws why might they not be punished according to the Laws When many honest faithful Patriots for their attempt at Ruthven to deliver the Countrey from a vermine of Villains that abused the King to the destruction of the Church Kingdom were charged to crave Pardon take remission they would do neither judging it a base condemning of duty which puts a brand upon our sneaking Supplicators Petitioners Pardon-mongers as unworthy to be called the race of such Worthies who scorned such baseness and choosed rather to endure the extremity of their unjust Sentences of Intercommuning Banishment c. And when the Earle of Gowrie accepted of a Remission he afterwards condemned himself for it and desired that his old friends would accept of his friendship to whom he had made himself justly suspected Mr Black when he had the same favour offered to him refused altogether left so doing he should condemn himself and approve the Courts Proceedings And the Brethren confering with the Councellors craving that some penalty should be condiscended unto for satisfying his Majestie in his honour would not condiscend to any how light soever lest thereby they should seem to approve the Judicatorie their Proceeding The Imprisoned Ministers for declining the Council had it in their offer that if they would without any confession of offence only submit themselves to his Majestie pro scandalo accepto non dato they should be restored to their places But it pleased God so to strengthen them that they stopped their Mouths and convinced them in their Consciences that they could not do it without betraying of the Cause of Christ. Again in another case we have Instances of such strictness as is much scorned now a dayes The Ministers of Edinburgh were committed to ward for refusing to pray for the Queen before her execution in Forthringam Castle 1586. they refused not simply to pray for her but for the preservation of her life as if she had been innocent of the crimes laid to her charge which had imported a condemnation of the proceedings against her Afterwards in the year 1600. the Ministers of Edinburgh would not praise God for the deliverie of the King from a pretended Conspiracy of the Earle of Gowrie at that time of which they had no credit nor assurance and would not crave Pardon for it neither For this Mr Robert Bruce was deprived of the exercise of his Ministry and never obtained it again in Edinburgh But
Clergy as he shall nominate in the external Government of the Church the same consisting with the standing Lawes of the Kingdom shall be valide effectual And in the same Act all Lawes are rescinded by which the sole power Jurisdiction within the Church doth stand in the Church Assemblies And all which may be interpreted to have given any Church power Jurisdiction or Government to the Office bearers of the Church other than that which acknowledgeth a dependence upon subordination to the Soveraign power of the King as Supreme By which Prelats are redintegrated to all their priviledges preheminencies that they possessed anno 1637. And all their Church power robbed from the Officers of Christ is made to be derived from to depend upon and to be subordinate to the Croun prerogative of the King whereby the King is made the only fountain of Church power and that exclusive even of Christ of whom there is no mentioned exception And his vassals the Bishops as his Clerks in Ecclesiastiks are accountable to him for all their administrations A greater usurpation upon the Kingdom of Christ than ever the Papacy it self aspired unto Yet albeit here was another display of a banner of defyance against Christ in altering the Church Government of Christs Institution into the humane Invention of Lordly Prelacy in assuming a power by prerogative to dispose of the external Government of the Church and in giving his Creatures patents for this effect to be his Administrators in that usurped Government There was no publick Ministerial at least united Testimony against this neither Therefore the Lord punished this sinful shamful silence of Ministers in His holy Justice though by mens horrid wickedness when by another wicked Act of the Council at Glasgow above 300 Ministers were put from their Charges and afterwards for their Non-conformity in not Countenancing their Diocesan Meeting and not keeping the Anniversary day May 29. The rest were violently thrust from their labours in the Lords vineyard and banished from their Parishes and adjudged unto a nice strange Confinement twenty miles from their oun parishes six miles from a Cathedral Church as they called it and three miles from a Burgh whereby they were reduced in to many inconveniencies Yet in this fatal Convulsion of the Church generally all were struck with blindness baseness that a Paper-Proclamation made them all run from their posts and obey the Kings Orders for their ejection Thus were they given up because of their forbearing to sound an alarm charging the people of God in point of Loyaltie to Christ and under the pain of the Curse of the Covenant to a wake and acquit themselves like men and not to suffer the enemie to rob them of that Treasure of Reformation which they were put in possession of by the tears prayers blood of such as went before them instead of those prudential fumblings fisflings then since so much followed Wherefore the Lord in His holy righteousness left that enemie against whom they should have cried contended and to whose eye they should have held the Curse of the Covenant as having held it first to their oun in case of unfaithful silence in not holding it to his to cast them out of the House of the Lord and dissolve their Assemblies and deprive them of their priviledges because of their not being so valiant for the Truth as that a ful faithful Testimony against that Encroachment might be found upon record Nevertheless somewere found faithful in that hour pour of darkness who kept the Word of the Lords patience and who were therefore kept in from that tentation which carried many away into sad shamful defections though not from suffering hard things from the hands of men only these who felt most of their violence found grace helping them to acquit themselves suitably to that dayes Testimony being thereby prevented from an Active yeelding to their impositions when they were made passively to suffer force However that season of a publick Testimony was lost and as to the most part never recovered to this day The Prelats being settled readmitted to voice in Parliament they procure an Act Dogmatically condemning several Material parts points of our Covenanted Reformation to wit these positions That it was lawful for Subjects for Reformation or necessary self defence to enter into leagues or take up Armes against the King And particularly declaring that the national Covenant as explained in the year 1638. and the Solemn league Covenant were are iâ— themselves unlawful Oaths and were taken by imposed upon the subjects of this Kingdom against the fundamental Lawes Liberties thereof That all such gatherings petitions that were used in the begining of the late troubles were unlawful seditious And whereas then People were led unto these things by having disseminated among them such principles as these That it was lawful to come with petitions Representations of grievances to the King That it was lawful for people to restrict their Allegiance under such such limitations and suspend it untill he should give security for Religion c. It was therefore enacted that all such positions practices founded thereupon were treasonable And furder did enact that no person by writing praying preaching or malicious or advised speaking express or publish any words or sentences to stir up the people to the dislike of the Kings prerogative Supremacy or of the Government of the Church by Bishops or justifie any of the deeds actings or things declared against by that Act. Yet not withstanding of all this subversion of Religion Liberty and restraint of asserting these Truths here trampled upon either before men by Testimony or before God in mourning over these Indignities done unto Him in everting these all the parts of Reformation even when it came to Daniels case of confession preaching praying Truths interdicted by Lavv fevv had their eyes open let be their vvindovvs in an open avouching them to see the duty of the day calling for a Testimony Though aftervvards the Lord Spirited some to assert demonstrate the Glory of these Truths duties to the vvorld As that Judicious Author of the Apologetical Relation vvhose Labours need no Elagium to commend them But this is not all for these men having novv as they thought subverted the Work of God they provided also against the fears of its revival making Acts declaring that if the outed Ministers dare to continue to preach and presume to exercise their Ministrie they should be punished as seditious persons requiring of all a due acknowledgment of hearty complyance with the Kings Government Ecclesiastical Civil And that who soever shall ordinarly wilfully withdraw absent from the ordinary Meetings for Divine Worship in their ouâ— Churches on the Lords day shall incur the Penalties there insert Thus the sometimes Chast Virgin whose name was Beulah to the Lord the Reformed Church
visible Kingdom of which the Government is layd upon His shoulders against the heaven-daring Usurpations encroachments made thereupon both as He is Mediator King Head of the Church and as He is God Universal King of the world As He is Mediator it is His Peculiar Prerogative to have a Supremacy Sole Soveraignty over His oun Kingdom to institute His oun Government to constitute His oun Lawes to ordain His oun Officers to appoint His oun Ordinances which He will have observed without alteration addition or diminution untill His Second Coming This His Prerogative hath been is invaded by Erastian Prelacy Sacrilegious Supremacy and now by Antichristian Poperie which have overturned His Government inverted His Lawes subverted His Officiers Perverted His Ordinances As He is God Universal King it is His in communicable Property Glory not only to have Absolute Illimited Power but to invest his Deputed Ministers of Justice with His Authority Ordinance of Magistracy to be administred in subordination to Him to be regulated by His Lawes and to be improved for His Glory the good of Mankind This Glory of His hath been invaded by Tyrants Usurpers arrogating to themselves an Absolute Power intruding themselves without His investment into Authority in a Rebellion against Him in opposition to His Lawes and abusing it to His dishonour and the destruction of Mankind Against both which Encroachments the Present Testimony is stated in a Witness for Religion Liberty to both which these are destructive This will appear to be the Result Tendency of the Testimony in all its parts opposed by the Enemies of Religion Liberty and the end of all their oppositions to bring it to this Crinomenon who shall he King Iesus or Cesar Let any seriously search into all their Proclamations Edicts against Religion Liberty this will be found to be the soul sense of them practically Really speaking to this purpose especially since this man came to the Throne J. R. JAmes the 7 2 by the V. of G. King of Scotland England France Ireland Defender of the Antichristian faith To'all sundry our good subjects whom these presents do or many concern Greeting We having taken into our Royal Consideratiâ—n the many great inconveniences which have happened in that our Ancient Kingdom of Scotland especially of late years through the persuasions of the Christian Religion the great heats animosities betuixt the Professors therof and our good faithful subjects whose faith Religion is subject subservient to our Royal will the Supreme Law Reason publick Conscience to the disappointment of our Projects restraint of our pleasures and Contempt of the Royal power Convertingâ— true Loyaltie absolute subjection into words names which we care not for of Religion Liberty Conscience the Word of God thereby withdrawing some to the Christian faction from an absolute implicite subjection to us our will as if there were a Superiour Law to which they might appeal And considering that these Rebellious Christians do never cease to assert maintain strange Paradoxes such Principles as are inconsistent with the glory interest of our Government as that the Authority of Kings should be hem'd in with Limits and that their Acts Actions are to be examined by another rule than their oun Authority to make them Lawful that somethings in the Kingdom are not subject to the Kings Authority That there is a Kingdom within a Kingdom not subordinate to the King And that there is another King Superior to the Supreme whom they will rather obey than us And that we must either take Laws from Him or otherwise we are not Magistrats And Considering also their Practices are Conforme to their Principles They will not obey our Lawes but the Lawes of Another inconsistent with ours and will calculate their Religion according to His Lawes and not according to ours And continually make their Addresses to and receive Ambassadours from a Prince whom we know not whom our Predicessors of truely worthy memory did crucify One Iesus who was dead whom they affirm to be alive whose Government they alledge is Supreme over all Kings Whom they acknowledge but as His Vassals Being now by favourable fortune not only brought to the Imperial Croun of these Kingdoms through the greatest difficulties but preserved upon the throne of our Royal Ancestors which from our Great founder Nimrod of Glorious Memory and our Illustrious Predecessors Pharaoh Nebuchadnezzar Herod the Great Nero Caligula c. of blessed pious Memory hath been ever opposite to and projecting the Destruction of that Kingdom of Christ Do after their Laudable example resolve to suppress that Kingdom by all the means might we can use because His Government is hateful to us His yoke heavy His sayings are hard His Lawes are contrary to our lusts Therefore we will not let this man reign over us we will break His bonds and cast away His Cords from us And advance exerce our Soveraign Authority Prerogative Royal Absolute Power which all our subjects are to obey without reserve And as by virtue of our Supremacy whereby we are above all but such as we are pleased to subject our selves to settled by Law and Lineally Derived to us as an Inherent right to the Croun we have Power to order all matters of Church as well as State as we in our Royal wisdom shall think fit All Laws Acts of Christ to the contrary notwithstanding And accordingly in our Royal wisdom have overturned the plat-form of that Government which Christ hath instituted razed all Courts fenced in His Name and severely interdicted all Meetings of His subjects and intertainment of His Ambassadours many of whom in contempt of Him that sent them we have punished according to Law for negotiating His Affairs in our Kingdoms without our pleasure requiring Allegiance obedience to Him after we had exauctorated Him we have also established our Right Trusty Entirely beloved Clerks in Ecclesiastick affairs and their underlings by our Authority to have the Administration of the business of Religion and impowered our Right Trusty well beloved Cousins Counsellers to Compell all to submitt to them by Finings Confinings Imprisonment Banishment Oaths Bonds and all Legal means So now having prosecuted this war against Christ to this length that we have no fears of a Rally of His forces again so often beaten we are now engaged with other Antichristian Princes to give our Power to our holy Father Antichrist so far as may serve his purpose to oppse Christ in his way but we reserve so much to our seeves as may encroach upon Him in our Capacity And therefore we have thought fit to restore to Antichrist our Ecclesiastical Supremacy from whom we borrowed it and for which we have no use at present But we resolve to maintain prosecute our Soveraign Authority Prerogative Royal and
Church but in a way of Dependence upon subordination to Christ as King who ascending far above Principalities Powers appointed gave the Gifts of the Ministry Eph. 4. 8. 11. and set them in the Church 1. Cor. 12. 28. and gave them commission to go teach the Nations by virtue of that all Power that was given to Him in Heaven Earth Math. 28. 18 19. If then they take a new holding close with a new Conveyance of the Ministrie and of the Power to exercise the same from a new Architectonick usurped Power in the Church encroaching on Christs Royal prerogative we dare not Homologat such an affront to Christ as to give them the respect of His Ambassadours when they become the servants of men and subject even in Ministerial functions to another Head then Christ for then they are the Ministers of men by men and not by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead because they do not hold the Head Col. 2. 19. Hence those that receive derive their Church-Power from and are subordinate in its exercise to another Head then Christ Jesus should not be received and subjected to as the Ministers of Christ in His Church But the Prelats their curats do receive derive their Church Power from are subordinate in its exercise to another Head then Christ Therefore they should not be received c. The first Proposition cannot be denyed The Second is proved thus Those officers in the Church Professing themselves such that derive their Church-Power from are subordinate in its exercise to a Power truly Architectonick Supreme in the Church to wit the Magistrate beside Christ Do derive their Power from are subordinate in its exercise to another Head than Christ Jesus But so it is that Prelats their Curats do derive c. Ergo The Major is evident for whosoever hath a Supreme Architectonick Power in over the Church must be a Head to the same and the fountain of all Church Power The Minor is also clear from the foregoing Historical Deduction manifesting the Present Prelacy to be Gross Erastianisme for the disposal of the Government of the Church is declared by Law to be the Croun right and an inherent perpetual Prerogative and thereupon the Bishops are restored to the Episcopal function And it is expressly Declared that there is no Church Power in the Church-office bearers but what depends upon is subordinate unto the Supremacy and authorized by the Bishops who are declared accountable to the King for the Administration By virtue of which Ecclesiastick Supremacy He put excomunication spiritual Censures consequently the Power of the Keyes into the hands of Persons meerly Civil in the Act for the High Commission Hence it is clear that as the fountain of all Church Government he imparts his Authority to such as he pleases and the Bishops are nothing else but his Commissioners in the exercise of that Ecclesiastick power which is originally in Himself and that the Curats are only His under Clerks All the stress will lie in proving that this Monster of a Supremacy from which the Prelats their Curats have all their Authority is a Great Encroachment on the Glory of Christ as King which will appear if we briefly consider these Particulars 1. It usurps upon Christs Prerogative who only hath all undoubted right to this Architectonick Magisterial Dominion over the Church His oun Mediatory Kingdom not only an Essential right by His Eternal Godhead being the Everlasting Father whose goings forth hath been of old from Everlasting Isa. 9. 6. Mic. 5. 2. in recognizance of which we oune but one God the Father and one Lord by whom are all things we by Him 1. Cor. 8. 6. But also a Covenant-right by Compact with the Father to bear the Glory rule upon His Throne by virtue of the Counsel of Peace between them both Zech. 6. 13. A Donative right by the Fathers Delegation by which He hath all power given in Heaven in Earth Math. 28. 18. and all things given unto His hand Iohn 3. 35. and all judgment Authority to execute it even because He is the Son of man Iohn 5. 22 27. and to be Head over all things to the Church Eph. 1. 22. An Institute right by the Fathers inaugaration who hath set Him as King in Zion Psal. 2. 6. and appointed Him Governour that shall rule His people Israel Math. 2. 6. An Acquisite right by His oun purchase by which He hath merited obtained not only subjects to Govern but the Glory of the Sole Soveraignty over them in that relation A name above every name Phil. 2. 9. which is that He is the Head of the Church which is as much His Peculiar Prerogative as to be Saviour of the body Eph. 5. 23. A Bellical right by Conquest making the people fall under Him Psal. 45. 4. and be willing in the Day of His power Psal. 110. 3. and overcoming those that make war with Him Rev. 17. 14. An Hereditary right by Proximity of blood Primogeniture being the first born higher then the Kings of the Earth Psal. 89. 27. and the first born from the dead that in all things He might have the preeminence Col. 1. 18. An Elective right by His peoples choise surrender having a Croun wherewith His Mother Crouned Him in the day of His Espousals Cant 3. ult By all which undoubted Titles It is His Sole incommunicable Prerogative without a Copartner or Competitor Coordinate or subordinate to be Iudge only Lawgiver King in Spirituals Isa. 33. 22. to be that one Lawgiver Iam. 4. 12. who only can give the power of the keyes to His officers which Comprehends all the power they have Math. 16. 19. to be that one Master over all Church officers who are but brethren Math. 23. 8 10. in whose Name only they must perform all Church Acts and all Parts of their Ministry and not in the Name of any Mortal Math. 28. 18. 19. Math. 18. 20. from whom only they receive what ever they have to deliver to the Church 1. Cor. 11. 23. To be the only Instituter of His Officers who hath set them in the Church 1. Cor. 12. 28. and gave them to the Church Eph. 4. 11. whose Ambassadours only they are 2. Cor. 5. 20. from whom they have authority for edification of the Church 2 Cor. 10. 8. 2 Cor. 13. 10. in whose Name only they are to assemble and keep fence their Courts both the least Math. 18. 20. and the Greatest Act. 15. But now all this is usurped by one who is not so much as a Church member let be a Church Officer as such for the Magistrate is neither as he is a Magistrate otherwise all Magistrats would be Church members Hence they that have all their power from a meer usurper on Christs Prerogative who is neither member nor officer of the Church have none
at all to be ouned or received as His Lawful Ambassadours But the Prelats their Curats have all their power from a meer usurper on Christs Prerogative who is neither Member nor officer of the Church Ergo 2. It confounds the Mediatory Kingdom of Christ with subjects it to the Kingly Government of the world removes the Seripture Land Marks Limits between civil Ecclesiastick Powers in making the Governours of the State to be Governours of the Church and denying all Church Government in the hands of Church officers Distinct from independent upon the civil Magistrat which clearly derogats from the Glory of Christs Mediatory Kingdom which is altogether distinct from not subordinate to the Government of the world both in the Old Testament in the New. For they have distinct fountains whence they flow civil Government flowes from God Creator Church Government from Christ the Lord Redeemer Head King of His Church whose Kingdom is not of this world Iohn 18. 36. though for this end He came into the world that He should have a Kingdom there vers 37. They have distinct Objects civil Government hath a civil object the out ward man Church Government a Spiritual object men considered as Christians In the Old Testament the matters of the Lord are clearly distinguished from the matters of the King 2 Chron. 19. ult In the new Testament there are matters of Church Cognizance which do not at all belong to the civil Magistrate as in the case of offence they must tell the Church not the civil Magistrate Math. 18. 15. 20. In the case of Excommunication the Church is to act by virtue of the power of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 5. 4 5. not by the Magistrats power In the case of Absolution the Church is to Iudge what Punishment is sufficient and what evidence of repentance is sufficient to remove it 2 Cor. 2. 6. 7. So in the case of Tryal ordination of Ministers c. None of these belong to the Magistrate They have distinct Natures The civil is a Magisterial the Ecclesiastick is a Minsterial Government the one is the power of the sword the other of the Keyes The one put forth in Political Punishments the other in Ecclesiastick Censures In the Old Testament the Magistrats power was Coactive by death banishment Confiscation c. Ezra 7. 26. The Church by puting out of the Synagogue interdiction from Sacred things c. In the New Testament The Magistrats power is described Rom. 13. to be that of the sword by punishment the power of the Church only in binding Loosing Math. 16. 19. They have distinct Ends the end of the one being the good of the Common wealth the other the Churches Edification In the Old Testament the end of the civil Government was one thing and of the Church another to wit to warn not to trespass against the Lord in that forecited 2. Chron. 19. 10. In the New Testament the end of Magistratical power is to be a terror to evil works a praise te the good Rom. 13. 3. but the end of Church power is Edification 1 Cor. 5. 5. 2 Cor. 10. 8. 2. Cor. 13. 10. They have distinct Courts of officers In the Old Testament the distinction of the civil Ecclesiastick Sanhedrin is known where there were distinct causes Persons set over them to judge them respectively 2. Chron. 19. ult In the New Testament we find officers given unto the Church 1 Cor. 12. 28. with no mention of the civil Magistrate at all And Church-Assemblies distinct from Parliaments or senats yea when the Magistrate was an Enemy determining questions that did not belong to the Magistrate at all Act. 15. we have Rulers distinct from the Rulers of the Common wealth 1 Thess. 5. 12. whom we are to obey and submit our selves as those who are accountable to Christ only for to whom else can they give account of souls Heb. 13. 17. we have Rulers inferiour to Labourers in word doctrine not to be honoured so much as they Sure these cannot be civil Rulers 1 Tim. 5. 17. we have Rulers commended for trying Impostors which were not Magistrats Rev. 2. 2. And others who are rebuked for suffering Hereticks ibid. vers 14 15 20. which supposes they had Authority to do it yet distinct from not depending on the Magistrate Besides from this confusion of the two Governments together and making the Supreme Magistrate to be Supreme Governour of the Church would follow many absurdities as that They who are not Church members should be Church officers even Heathen Magistrats yea women should be Church officers and none should be chosen for Magistrats but such as have the qualifications of Church officers Sic Apol. Relat. Sect. 12. pag. 190. Rectius Instruen Confut. 1 Dial. chap. 6. pag. 50. Hence they that in deriving their Authority do confound the tuo Governments civil Ecclesiastick and take it all from a meer civil power cannot be ouned as having any Authority of Christs Institution But the Prelats their Curats in deriving their Authority do confound the tuo Governments civil Ecclesiastick and take it all from a meer civil power This same Argument equally militates against hearing the Indulged Ministers who have taken a Licence warrand from the Usurper of this Supremacy because it is highly injurious to Christs Headship very contrary to to Presbyterian Principles clearly Homologatorie of the Supremacy plainly Prejudicial to the power of the people very much establishing Erastianisme Sadly obstructive destructive to the good of the Church wronging our cause ground of suffering Strengthening the Prelats hands contradictory to our Covenants Prejudging the Meetings of Gods people and heinously Scandalous offensive As is clear by unanswerably poven in the History of the Indulgence IV. There is a necessity that any man whom we may Joine with as a Minister must not only be a minister and a Minister cloathed with Christs commission then when we Joins with Him but He must also have a right to administer there where we Ioin with Him. Else we can look upon him no otherwise than a thief a robber whom Christs sheep should not hear Io. 10. 1-5 Now the Prelats Curats though they should he accounted acknowledged Ministers yet they have not a right to officiate where they have intruded themselves Hence we have several Arguments as 1. They who have no just Authority nor right to officiate fixedly in this Church as the proper Pastors of it ought not to be Received but withdrawen from But the Prelats their Curats have no just Authority or right to officiate in this Church as her proper Pastors Therefore they ought not to be received but withdrawen from All the debate is about the Minor which may thus be made good They who have entered into do officiate fixedly in this Church without her Authority Consent have no right so to do But the Prelats
according to the sworn Covenant yow say nothing to the point in hand that sure is not your meaning 3 whoever promises so much of peaceable living under his Maj. Authority leaveing out the exposition of the 5. Command may upon the very same ground subscribe the bond refused by the Godly and so yow pass from the Covenant and make all these bypast Actings of this Kirk State these years by-past to be horrid Rebellion and how deep this guilt drawes consider 5. This would infer though the King should send and kill us we must not resist nor defend our oun lives yet being an Oath against the Sixth Command which enjoineth Natural self preservation it should be intrinsecally sinful and it s all one to swear to non-preservation of self as to swear to self Murder 6. I hope to make it appear in the 5. Head that this is against the practice of Nations the Law of Nature and the Word of God. Yet all this Complex iniquity is clearly comprehended in the Oath of Abjuration in terminis abâ—uring all war against the King. VI. There were some other Oaths frequently obtruded upon people for refusing which they have suffered great cruelties that can hardly be described by any name Nor can their imposition have a paralel in any age or place for illegaltty inhumanity arbitrariness odiousness These were the Oaths of Inquisition or Super inquirendis Whereby people were pressed to answer the Inquisitors according to all their knowledge of things they were interrogate upon and delate discover Intercommuned persons in their Wanderings or such whose names were in their Porteous Rolls c. And power was given to single Souldiers to press these Oaths upon whom they pleased The iniquity of which is monstrous for 1. This was the worst Kind of Combination with these blood-hound to abett assist them in their pursuing after the Lords people Which is worse than to be bare consenters to such wickedness or to be onlookers to their affliction in the day of their Calamity but like that sin charged upon Edom that they delivered up those of His that did remain in the day of distress Obad. vers 13. 14. for these that took Oaths obliged themselves to do all they could to deliver up the Remnant that escaped and if they did not no thanks to them if they could not their sin was in their willingness if they would not and yet swore would contribute their help towards it by telling of all they knew that was horrid perjury false swearing 2. This could be no wayes capable of the qualifications of an Oath not only because the matter is wicked unnatural to discover may be the husband or Children or nearest relations to please men or save their oun life which was a great tentation and therefore in it there could be no delibaration in swearing but also for the doubtful perplexity confounding the mind that they either could not or durst not tell of all they knew and yet sware to do it 3. It is against the Covenant which obliges to discover Malignant enemies and assist our Covenanting Brethren and not to discover them and assist Malignant enemies which is a perfect inverting the fourth sixth Articles of the Covenant 4. It is contrary to clear precepts in Scripture to assist defend our Brethren to make our shaddow as the night in the midst of the noon day and hide the Outcast and bewray not him that wandereth Isai. 16. 3. 5. The illegality of this imposition makes it very absurd that every pitiful Officer or Souldier should be impowered to impose exact Oaths and impannel examine Witnesses about alledged Criminals Yet the monstrousness of this Oath serves to aggravate the Oath of Abjuration in that the Abjurers do renounce their part of disoune the Declarers of that abjured Declaration and so do as much as from them is required to give them up for a prey to their hunters yea they declare them Murderers in that they abjure their Declaration as asserting Murder And consequently they must be obliged to discover them to their acknowledged Judges VII The Abominable Test comes next which needs no other refutation than to rehearse it the substance whereof was a Solemn Swearing that they Ouned sincerely professed the true Protestant Religion contained in the confession of faith recorded in the first Parl. of K. Iaemes the 6 and that they would adhere thereunto all the dayes of their life and never consent to any change or alteration contrary thereto but renounce all Doctrines principles practices whether Popish or Fanatical contrary thereto And they swear that the King is the only Supreme Governour of this Realme over all persons in all causes as well Ecclesiastical as Civil and promise to bear faith true allegiance to the Kings Maj. his heirs Lawful successors and to their power shall assist defend all rights jurisdictions prerogatives belonging to them And affirme it unlawful for subjects upon pretence of Reformation or any other pretence whatsoever to enter into Covenants or to convocate conveen or assemble to treat consult or determine in any matter of State Civil or Ecclesiastick without his Maj. special command or to take up Armes against the King or these Commissionate by him And that there lies no obligation on them from the National Covenant or Solemn League Covenant to endeavour any change or alteration in the Government either in Church or State as it is now established by the Laws of the Kingdom and they shall never decline his Maj. power jurisdiction And finally they swear that this Oath is given in the plain genuine sense meaning of the words without any equivocation mental reservation or any manner of evasion whatsoever This is the Complement of a wicked Conspiracy couching in its Capicious bosome the Complication of all their Mischiefs comprehending all explaining all the former which indeed cannot be taken with any equivocating evasion that can escape either the Stigma of nonsense self contradiction or the censure of Atheisme irreligion or the sentence of Divine vengeance against such baffling the Name of God. The best sense that can be put upon it is that which a poor Sot expressed when it was tendered to him prefacing thus before he took it Lord have mercy upon my Soul. For. 1. It is not consistent with itself there being such contradictions between that confession of faith and the following part that no man can reconcile Some whereof may be instanced as followes 1 In the 11. Art. of that confession entituled of Christs Ascension it is said that Christ is the only Head of the Church Just Lawgiver in which Honours Offices if man or Angels presume to intrude themselves we utterly detest abhore them as blasphemous to our Soveraign Supreme Governour Christ Jesus and a litle before in that same Article it is said this Glory Honour prerogative He alone among the Brethren
time the Witness for Christ is in a great measure killed Other Churches which are keeping contending for the word of Christs patience are so wasted almost worn out with Persecutions afflictions calamities that after they have been are so much daylie killed for the Word of God the Testimony of Jesus it may well be said there hath been is a great slaughter of the Witnesses And it were hard to determine which of them can give the largest most lamentable account of their sufferings or which of them have had the greatest most grievous experiences of the Treachery Truculency Violence Villanie of Atheistical Papistical Enemies whether the Reformed Church of France howling under the paw of that devouring Lyon the French Tyrant or the Protestants of Hungary under the tearing Clawes of that ravenous Eagle the Tyrant of Austria or those of Piedemont under the grassant Tyranny of that litle Tyâ—er of Savoy The accounts they give in print the reports they bring with them in their flight from their respective Countreyes the litle Hints we have in Gazetts News Letters must needs enforce a conviction if not extort a Compassion of the greatness of their pressures that with such a parity that it is doubtful which preponderats I shall not make comparisons nor aggravate nor extenuate the sufferings of any of the Churches of Christ beyond or below their due measures But will presume to plead that Scotland another Ancient sometimes famous Reformed Church be enrolled in the Catalogue of suffering Churches besides these mentioned and crave that she may have a share of that Charity Sympathy which is the demand desire of afflicted Churches of Christ from all the fellow members of that same body And so much the rather is this her due that whereas among all the rest of the Churches Christs witnesses are killed in some particular respect each of them have their own proper complaint of it some upon the account of Persecution some of defection division c. Of this it may be said in all respects both the witnesses of Christ and a witness for Christ are killed with a witness This is the Case of the sometimes Renouned famous faithful fruitful Reformed Covenanted Church of Scotland famous for unity faithful for verity fruitful in the purity of Doctrine Worship Discipline Government which now for these 27 years past under the Domination of the late Tyrant present Usurper of Brittain hath been so wasted with oppression wounded with Persecution rent with Division ruined with defection that now she is as much despised as she was before admired And her Witness Testimony for Reformation is now as far depressed suppressed in obscuritie as it was formerly declared depredicated in glory honour And yet which should move the greater commiseration her witnessings wrestlings Tryalls Tentations have not been inferiour in manner or measure quality or continuance to any of the forementioned Churches thô in extent not so great because her precinct is not so large whereby the number of her oppressed murdered Children could not be so multiplyed though her Martyrs be more and the manner of their Murder more illegal than can be instanced in any of them during that time A particular enumeration or enarration whereof cannot be here exhibited but is referred reserved to a peculiar Treatise of that Subject which ere long the world may see Only I shall give a compendious account of the kinds causes grounds and Heads of their sufferings who have been most slighted least sympathised with though they have sustained the greatest severities of any and inend endeavour to vindicate the Merit of their Cause in the most principal heads upon which their sufferings have been stated Whereby it will appear to impartial men that will not be imposed upon there hath been yet is a great grievous some way uparalleled Persecution in Scotland at least inferiour to none Which hath not hitherto been culy considered with any proportion to the importance thereof But thô this be the Scope it is not the summe of what is intended in this Discourse The Method I have proposed to prosecute it withall will discover it Which is 1. To give a brief summary account of the Series Succession success result of the several Contendings of the Witnesses of Christ against His Enemies in Scotland from time to time that it may appear whether or not the present sufferings as now stated can be condemned if the former be approven 2. To rehearse some of the chief means methods measures that the Popish Prelatical Malignant saction have managed for the ruin of this witnessing Remnant some of the most signal steps of sufferings sustained by from these within these 27 years by which it will appear that the Persecution in Scotland hath been very remarkable though litle regarded both in respect of the injustice illegality inhumanity of the Persecutors in respect of the innocency Zeal ingenuity of the Persecuted 3. To clear the state vindicate the merit of the cause of their sufferings as to the most material heads of it that are most controverted at this time In the first of these I must study all compendious brevity as may consist with the clearing of my Scope which is not to enlarge an Historical deduction of the rise result progress prosecution occasion continuation of every Controversie the Church hath had with her several Adversaries in several Periods But only to hint at the chief Heads of their contendings with a design to make it appear that the most material Heads of sufferings that are now condemned as new nice notions have been transmitted from age to age from the beginning even to this present time through all the Periods of this Church PERIOD I. Comprehending the Testimony of the Culdees IT is not without reason reckoned among the peculiar prerogatives of the renouned Church of Scotland that Christs conquest in the conversion of that Nation is one of the most eminent Accomplishments of Scripture Prophecies of the propagation of His Kingdom in the New Testament Dispensation Not only because it was when called out of Gentile Paganisme among the rudest of Heathen Nations in the ackowledgment of all among the uttermost parts of the Earth which were given to Christ for His inheritance possession Whereunto He had hath still undoubted right by His Fathers grant by His oun purchase and took Infeofment of it by a glorious conquest of that Land which the Roman Armes could never subdue erected His victorious Trophees there whither their Triumphs could never penetrate obtaining thereby accomplishing that predicted Song of praise From the uttermost parts of the Earth have we heard Songs even Glory to the righteous Which gives us grounâ— to expect that however Christs Interest there be now very low and like to be
pattern of purity strictness in opposition to all degrees of conformity complyance with the Corruptions of the time and laid down such Rules Constitutions as might regulate us in our Contendings about present Defections and teach us what account to make of them and how to carry towards them which if adverted unto would evince how manifest manifold the declinings of many have been from the late Reformation that yet pretend to adhere unto it and how Justifieable the aversation abstraction of the present reproached suffering party is from all these defections and the daubings of them because so much deviating declining from the attained Reformation I need not repeat how Prelacy and all the parts pendicles of that Antichristian Hierarchy were abjured in the National Covenant and condemned in the Acts of Assemblies and reabjured in the solemn League Covenant and in the solemn Acknowledgment of â—ins Engagment to duties where also we came under Sacred Inviolable Engagments to endeavour the extirpation thereof Which doth clearly file the present Countenancing submitting to the Prelatick Curats in receiving ordinances from them among the grossest of defections being altogether inconsistent with these Acts and Constitutions Covenant-obligations to extirpate them as much as the countenancing of Popish Priests were inconsistent therewith being both equally Covenanted to be extirpated Next though in this Period Tyrannie being in its Retrograde Motion Erastian Supremacy was not so much contended for and therefore not so much questioned as formerly being held exploded with exsecration out of doors out of doubt yet the Testimony was still continued against it in the uninterupted maintaining of the Churches Priviledges and freedom of Assemblies against all Encroachings of Adversaries And therefore the embracing of the late detestable Indulgences were as Contrary to the Actings of this as to the Testimonies of the former Period against the Supremacy from which they flow Yea many Particulars might be instanced wherein the Accepters had declined from the Covenanted Reformation then prosecuted not only in their Confederating with Malignant Usurpers for the pretended benefite of them by which if there had been no more they are obnoxious to the Censure of the Church standing registred in an Act of Assembly ordaining all persons in Ecclesiastick office for the like or lesser degrees of Complyance yea even for procuring protections from Malignant Enemies to be suspended from their office all exercise thereof At Edinb 1646. Sess 14 Nor only in their taking sinfull Instructions from them restricting them in the exercise of their Ministry but in admitting themselves by their patronage to be by them presented to their prelimited preimposed Congregations which involves them in the iniquity of the Abolished Patronages condemned by the Assembly for that the Ministry of such so presented is made too much to depend upon the will pleasure of man and such an imposition is Destructive of the Church peoples Liberties obstructive of the Gospels freedom faithful plainness and occasion of much base flattery partiality And in subjecting to homologating fortifying a Sacrilegions Supremacy overturning the Intrinsick power of the Church contrare to the Covenant obliging to the Preservation of the Government as well as to the Doctrine of the Church in the first Article thereof And in their suffering themselves either directly or indirectly either by Combination persuasion or terror to be divided withdrawn from that blessed Union Conjunction which they were obliged to maintain promove according to the 6th Art. of the Solemn League Covenant And in their strengthening the Erastian Usurpations of Enemies encroaching upon the Churches Liberties and Christs prerogatives against which wer are engaged expressly in the Solemn Acknowledgment of sins and Engagment to duties where also we have these words Art. 2. Because many have of late laboured to supplant the Liberties of the Church we shall maintain defend the Church of Scotland in all her Liberties Priviledges against all who shall oppose or undermine the same or encroach thereupon under any pretext whatsomever Next we have many Demonstrations of the zeal strictness of these Servants of Christ in their Synodical determinations of Censures to be past upon many Ministerial Corruptions which will condemn the present course of covering countenancing them and commend the Contendings of a poor reproached party against them in their consciencious abstracting from them Of which determinations I shal rehearse some Among the Enormities Corruptions of the Ministrie in their Callings this is one § 4. 5. Silenee in the publick Cause Some accounting it a point of wisedom to speak ambiguously whereof the remedie is § 15. That beside all other scandals Silence or Ambiguous speaking in the publick Cause be seasonably Censured Gen. Ass. at Edinb Iunij 13. 1646. There is indeed an Act against withdrawers from Ministers but in the self same Act they are charged to be diligent in fulfilling their Ministrie to be faithful in Preaching declaring the whole Counsel of God and as they have occasion from the Text of Scripture to reprove the sins errors and press the duties of the time And in all these to observe the Rules prescribed by the Acts of Assembly wherein if they be negligent they are to be Censured Gen Ass. Edinb Aug. 24. 1647. Sess. 19. Then there is that Act August 3. 1648. Sess. 26. for Censuring Ministers for their silence and not speaking to the Corruptions of the time Calling it a great Scandal through some Ministers their reserving not declaring themselves against the prevalent sins of the times appointing that all that do not apply their Doctrine to these Corruptions which is the Pastoral Gift and that are cold or wanting of Spiritual zeal Dissembling of Publick sins that all such be Censured even to deprivation for forbearing or passing in silence the Errors Exorbitancies of Sectaries in England or the defections current at home the plots Practises of Malignants the Principles Tenents of Erastianisme And if they be found too sparing general or ambiguous in their applications reproofs and continuing so they are to be deposed for being pleasers of men rather than servers of Christ for giving themselves to a detestable indifferency or Neutrality in the Cause of God for defrauding the souls of people yea for being highly guilty of the blood of Souls in not giving them warning And in that seasonable necessary warning of the Gen. Ass. Edinb Iuij 27. 1649. Sess. 27. we are taught how they resented the unfaithfulness of Ministers continuing in defections and how we are to look upon them carry to them where they say It is undenyably true that many of the evils wherewith this Church Kingdom hath been afflicted in our age have come to pass because of the negligence of some and corruptions of others of the Ministrie And the course of backsliding was carryed on untill it pleased God to stir
up the spirits of these few who stood in the Gap to oppose resist the same and to begin the work of Reformation in the Land since which time the silence of some Ministers the complyance of others hath had great influence upon the backslidings of many amongst the people who upon the discovery of the evil of their way complain that they got not warning or that if they were warned by some others held their peace or did justify them in the course of their backsliding we can look upon such Ministers no otherwise than upon these that are guilty of the blood of the Lords people and with whom the Lord will reckon for all the breach of Covenant defection that hath been in the Land The Priests lips should preserve knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts but such as are departed out of the way and have caused many to stumble at the Law therefore hath the Lord made them contemptible before all the people according as they have not kept His wayes but have been partial in His Law because they have lost their savour He hath cast out many of them as unsavoury salt Further more to evidence the Purity power of zeal burning blazing in these dayes in their Contendings against Publick Enemies on all hands I shall instance some of their Acts Testimonies clearly condemning the manifold Complyances of this Generation and which may contribute somewhat to Justifie the reproached preciseness of a Remnant standing at the furthest distance from them There is an Act for Censuring the Complyers with the publick Enemies of this Church Kingdom Gen. Ass. Edinb Iunij 17. 1646. Sess. 14. where they judge it a great scandalous provocation grievous defection from the publick cause to comply with these Malignants such as Iames Graham then was in any degree even to procure Protections from them or to have invited them to their houses or to have drunk Iames Graham his health or to be guilty of any other such Gross degrees of Complyance censured to be suspended from the communions ay while they acknowledge their offence And yet now for refusing these degrees of complyance for not having the protectior of a Pass from the wicked courts of malignant enemies by taking a wicked oath and for refusing to drink the Kings health a greater Enemy then ever Iames Graham was some poor conscientious people have not only been murdereâ— by Enemies but mocked condemned by professores There is an Act likewise declaration against all new oaths or bonds in the common cause imposed without consent of the Church Gen. Ass. Edinb Iuly 28. 1648. Sess. 18. Enjoining all the members of the Church to forbear the swearing or subscribing any new oaths or bonds in this Cause without Advice concurrence of the Church especially any negative oaths or bonds which may any way limit or restrain them in the duties whereunto they are obliged by National or Solemn League Covenant Yet now for refusing Oaths not only limiting in Covenanted duties but contradicting condemning many material Principles of the Covenanted Reformation many have not only lost their Lives but also have been condemned by them that are at ease having a wider conscience to swallow such baits It is known how pertinacious the most faithful in those dayes were in their contendings against Associations in any undertaking for the cause with persons disaffected to the true state thereof I need not give any account of this were it not that now that Principle is quite inverted and poor Adherers to it for their abstracting substracting their concurrence with such promiscuous Associations are much hated flouted therefore I shall give some hints of their sentiments of them In their Answer to the Committee of Estates Iulij 25. 1648. Sess. 14. the Gen. Assembly sayes It was represented to the Parliament that for securing of Religion it was necessary that the Popish Prelatical Malignant party be declared Enemies to the cause upon the one hand as well as Sectaries upon the other and that all Associations either in forces or counsels with the former as well as with the latter be avoided And in their declaration concerning the Present dangers of Religion especially the unlawful Engagment in War Iulij ult 1648. Sess. 21. They say suppose the ends of that Engagment be good as they are not yet the means wayes of Prosecution are unlawful because there is not an equal avoiding of rocks on both hands but a joining with Malignants to suppress Sectaries a joining hands with a black devil to beat a white devil They are bad Phisicians who would so cure one disease as to breed another as evil or worse we find in the Scriptures condemned all Confederacies Associations with the Enemies of true Religion whether Canaanites Exod. 23. 32. and 24. 12 15. Deut. 7. 2. or other heathens 1. King. 11. 1 2. More Arguments against Associations may be seen in that excellent discussion of this useful Case Concerning Associations Confederacies with Idolaters Infidels Hereticks or any other known enemy of Truth or Godliness by famous Mr G. Gillespie published at that same time whereunto is appended his Letter to the commission of the General Assembly having these golden words in it words fitly spoken in that season when he was a dying at the begining of the Publick Resolutions Having heard of some motions beginings of complyance with these who have been so deeply engaged in a war destructive to Religion the Kingdoms Liberties I cannot but discharge my conscience in giving a Testimony against all such complyance I know am perswaded that all the faithful witnesses that gave Testimony to the Thesis that the late Engagment was contrary destructive to the Covenant will also give Testimony to the Appendix that complyance with any who have been active in that Engagment is most sinful unlawful I am not able to express all the evils of that complyance they are so many But above all that which would highten this sin even to the Heavens is that it were not only a horrid backsliding but a backsliding into that very sin vvhich vvas specially pointed at punished by the prevailency of the Malignant party God justly making them thorns scourges vvho were taken in as friends Alas shall we split twice upon the same rock yea run upon it when God hath set a beacon on it yea I may say shall we thus out face out dare the Almighty by protecting His our Enemies by making peace friendship with them when the anger of the Lord is burning against them I musâ— here apply to our present condition the words of Ezrah 9. 14 O happy Scotland if thow canst now improve not abuse this Golden opportunity but if thou help the ungodly love them that hate the Lord wrath upon wrath and wo upon wo shall be
Witnesses did gradually ascend to the pitch it is novv arrived at I. These Enemies of God having once got footing again with the favour and the fawnings of the foolish Nation went on fervently to further and promote their wicked design and meeting with no opposition at first did encourage themelves to begin boldly Wherefore hearing of some Ministers peaceably Assembled to draw up a Monitory Letter to the King minding him of his Covenant Engagments promises which was though weak yet the first witness warning against that Heaven-daring wickedness then begun they cruelly incarcerate them Having hereby much daunted the Ministry from their duty in that day for fear of the like unusual outragious usage The Parliament conveens Ianuar. 1. 1661. without so much as a Protestation for Religion Liberty given in to them And there in the first place they frame take the Oath of Supremacy Exauctorating Christ and investing His usurping Enemy with the spoils of his robbed Prerogative acknowledging the King only supreme Governour over all persons in all Causes and that his power Iurisdiction must not be declined Whereby under all persons all Causeâ— All Church Officers in their most properly Ecclesiastick Affairs Concerns of Christ are comprehended And if the King shall take upon him to judge their Doctrine Worship Discipline or Government he must not be declined as an incompetent Judge Which did at once enervate all the Testimony of the 4th Period above declared and laid the foundation for all this Babel they have built since and of all this war that hath been waged against the Son of God and did introduce all this Tyrannie absolute power which hath been since carried to its Complement and made the Kings Throne the foundation of all the succeeding perjurie Apostasie Yet though then our Synods Presbytries were not discharged but might have had access in some Concurrence to witness against this horrid Invasion upon Christs Prerogative and the Churches Priviledge no joint Testimony was given against it except that some were found witnessing against it in their singular Capacity by themselves As faithful Mr Iames Guthrie for declining this usurped Authority in prejudice of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus suffered death and got the Martyrs Crown upon his head And some others for refusing that Oath arbitrarly imposed were Banished or Confined when they had gained this Bulwark of Christs Kingdom Then they waxed more insolent and set up their Ensigns for signs and broke doun the carved Work of Reformation with axes hammers In this Parliament 1661. They past an Act Rescissorie whereby they annulled declared void the National Covenant the Solemn League Covenant Presbytrial Government and all Lawes made in favours of the Work of Reformation since the year 1633. O horrid wickedness both in its nature so attrocious to condemn rescind what God did so signally seal as His oun Work to the conviction of the world and for which He will rescind the Rescinders and overturn these Overturners of His Work and make the curse of that broken Covenant bind them to the punishment vvhom its bond could not oblige to the duty Covenanted And in its design end so base detestable for nothing but to flatter the King in making way for Prelacy Tyranny Popery and to indulge the licenciousness of some debauched Nobles who could not endure the yoke of Christs Government and to suppress Religion Righteousness under the ruines of that Reformation But O holy astonishing Justice thus to recompense our way upon our own head to suffer this work cause to be ruined under our unhappy hands who suffered this Destroyer to come in before it was so effectually secured as it should not have been in the power of his hand whatever had been in his heart swelled with enmity against Christ to have razed ruined that Work as now most wickedly he did and drew in so many into the guilt of the same deed that almost the whole Land not only consented unto it but applauded it by approving countenancing another wicked Act framed at the same time by that same perfidious Parliament for an Anniversary Thanksgiving commemorating every 29. of May that Blasphemy against the Spirit Work of God and celebrating that unhappy Restauration of the Rescinder of the Reformation which had not only the concurrence of the universality of the Nation But alas for shame that it should be told in Gath c even of some Ministers who afterwards accepted the Indulgence one of which a Pillar among them was seen scandalously dancing about the bonefires And others who should have alarmed the whole Nation quasi pro aris focis to rise for Religion Liberty to resist such wickedness did wink at it O how Righteous is the Lord now in turning our Harps into mourning Though alas we will not suffer our selves to this day to see the shining Righteousness of this Retribution And though we be scourged with Scorpions brayed in a Mortar our madness our folly in these irreligious frolicks is not yet acknowledged let be lamented Yet albeit neither in this day when the Covenant was not only broken but Cassed declared of no obligation nor afterward when it was burnt for which Turks Pagans would have been ashamed afraid at such a terrible sight and for which the Lords Anger is burning against these bold burners and against them who suffered it and did not witness against it was there any publick Testimony by protestation or Remonstrance or an publick witness though the Lord had some then and some who came out afterward with the Trumpet at their mouth whose heart then sorrowed at the sight And some suffered for the sense they shewed of that Anniversary abomination for not keeping which they lost both Church Liberty It s true the ordinary Meetings of Presbytries Synods were about that time discharged to make way for the exercise of the new power conferred on the four Prelats who were at Court reordained Consecrated thereby renouncing their former Title to the Ministry But this could not give a discharge from a Necessary Testimony then called for from faithful Watchmen However the Reformation being thus rescinded razed and the House of the Lord pulled doun then they begin to build their Babel In the Parliament anno 1662. by their first Act they restore reestablish Prelacy upon such a foundation as they might by the same Law bring in Poperie which was then designed and so settled its Harbinger Diocesan Erastiar Prelacy by fuller Enlargment of the Supremacy The very Act beginneth thus For as much as the ordering disposal of the external Government of the Church doth properly belong to his Maj. as an Inherent right of the Croun by virtue of his Royal Prerogative Supremacy in Causes Ecclesiastick what ever shall be determined by his Maj. with advice of the Arch Bishops and such of the
of Scotland did now suffer a violent villanous rape from a vermine of vile Schismatical Apostates obtruded imposed upon her instead of her able painful faithful succeseful Pastors that the Lord had set over her and now by their faintness the Enemies force robbed from her And none now allowed by Law to administer the Ordinances but either Apostate Curats who by their Perjurie Apostacy forfaulted their Ministry or other Hirelings Prelatâ— Journey-men who run without a Mission except from them who had none to give according to Christs Institution the seal of whose Ministry could never yet be shown in the Conversion of any sinner to Christ but if the tree may be known by its fruitâ— we may know whose Ministers they are ut ex ungue Leonem by their Conversions of Reformation into Deformation of the Work Cause of God into the similitude of the Roman beast of Ministers into Hirelings of their Proselytes into ten times worse children of the Devil then they were before of the power of Godlyness into formality of Preaching Christ into Orations of Morality of the purity of Christs Ordinances into the vanity of mens Inventions of the beautiful Government of the House of God for Edification to a Lordly preheminence Domination over consciences in a word of Church State Constitutions for Religion Liberty all up side doun into wickedness slavery These are the Conversions of Prelacy But now this astonishing blow to the Gospel of the Kingdom introducing such a Swarm of Locusts into the Church And in forcing a Complyance of the people with this defection and that so violently rigorously as even simple withdrawing was so severely punished by severe Edicts of fyning other arbitrary punishments at first what did it produce did it awaken all Christs Ambassadours now to appear for Christ in this clear clamant case of Confessing Him and the freedom Purity of His Ordinances Alas the backwardness bentness to backsliding in a Superseding from the duties of that day did make it evident that now the Lord had in a great measure forsaken them because they had forsaken Him. The standart of the Gospel was then fallen and few to take it up The Generality of Ministers Professors both went Conformed so far as to hear the Curats contrary to many points of the Reformation formerly attained contrare to their Covenant Engagments and contrare to their oun principles practice at that same time scrupling and refusing to keep the Bishops visitations and to Countenance their Discipline power of Iurisdiction because it was required as a Testification of their acknowledgment of Complyance with the present Government And yet not scrupling to Countenance their Doctrine usurped power of Order required also by the same Law as the same Test of the same Compliance submission It s strange that some yet doe plead for persisting in that same Complyance after all the bitter Consequents of it Other Ministers Lay altogether by in their retired recesses waiting to see what things would turn to Others were hopeless turned Farmers Doctors others more wyllie staid at home Preached quietly in Ladies Chambeâ—â— But the faithful thought that this Tyrannical ejection did 〈◊〉 or could not unminister them so as they might not Preaâ—â—â— Gospel where ever they were as Ambassadours of 〈◊〉 but rather found themselves under an indispensible necessity to Preach the Gospel and witness for the freedom of their Ministry and make full proof of it in preaching in season out of season and thereupon as occasion offered preached to all such as were willing to hear but at first only in private houses and that for the most part at such times when Sermons in publick surceased a superplus of Caution But afterwards finding so great difficulties and Persecutions for their house Meetings where they were so easily attrapped were constrained at last to keep their Meetings in the fields without shelter from cold wind snow or rain Where testifieing both practically particularly against these Usurpations on their Masters Prerogatives and witnessing for their Ministerial freedom contrary to all Law-Interdictions without any Licences or Indulgences from the Usurper but holding their Ministry from Jesus Christ alone both as to the Office exercise thereof they had so much of their Masters Countenance success in their labours that they valued neither hazards nor hardships neither the contempt of pretended Friends nor the Laws nor threatnings of Enemies adjudging the penalty of death it self to Preachers at Field Conventicles as they called them Now having thus overturned the Church Government by introducing Prelacy to advance an absolute Supremacy the effects whereof were either the Corruption or Persecution of all the Ministrie Encouragment of profanity wickedness the enerease advancment of Popery Superstition Error cruel impositions on the Conscience and oppressions for Conscience sake by the practices of cruel Supra-Spanish Inquisitions and all manner of outcryes of outragious violence villany The King proceeds in his design to pervert evert the wel modelled moderated Constitution of the State Government also by introducing advancing an Arbitrary Tyranny the effects whereof were an absolute Mancipation of Lives Liberties and estates unto his lust pleasure the utter subversion of Lawes and absolute impoverishinâ—â— the people For effectuating which he first procâ—â— lasting Imposition of intollerable Subsidies Taxatiâ—â— to impoverish that he might the more easily enslave the Nation Next a further recognizance of his Prerogative in a subjection of persons fortunes whole strength of the Kingdom to his absolute arbitrement in a Levy of Militia of 20000 footmen 2000 horsemen sufficiently armed with 40 dayes provision to be ready upon the Kings call to march to any part of his Dominions for opposing whatsoever invasion or insurrection or for any other service The first sproutings of Tyrannie were cherished by the cheerfull stupid submission generally yeelded to these exorbitances under which they who suffered most were inwardly Malecontents but there was no opposition to them by word or Action but on the contrary generally people did not so much as scruple sending out or going out as Militia-men never adverting unto what this Concurrence was designed demanded and given for Nor what an accession it was in the nature influence of the mean it self and in the sense intention of the Requirers unto a Confederacy for a Complyance with and a Confirmation strengthening of Arbitrary Tyrannie After the fundamental constitutions of both Church State are thus razed rooted up to confirm this Absolute Power he contrived to frame all inferior Magistrats according to his mould And for this end appointed that all persons in any publick Trust or Office whatsoever should subscribe a Declaration renouncing abjuring the Covenants whereby Perjurie was made the chief indispensible qualification and Conditio sine qua non of all that were
they were or to some other Paroches where they may be ordinary hearers and to declare condiscend upon the Paroches where they intend to have their Residence After this they assumed a Power to Dispose of these their Curats as they pleased and transport them from place to place whereof the only ground was a simple Act of Council the Instructions alwayes going along with them as the constant Companion of the Indulgence By all which it is apparent what ever these Ministers alledge in vindication of it to cover its deformity in their Balmes to take away its Stink and in their Surveyes to gather Plaisters to scurf over its Scurveyness viz. that it was but the removal of the Civil restraint And that they entered into their places by the Call of the People a meer mock pretence for a Prelimited imposition whereby that Ordinance of Christ was basely prostituted abused And that their Testimony Protestation was a Salvo for their conscience a meer Outopian fancy that the Indulgers with whom they bargained never heard of otherwise as they did with some who were faithful in testifying against their Encroachments they would soon have given them a Bill of Ease It cannot be denyed that that doleful Indulgeâ—â—e both in its Rise Contrivance Conveyance Grant Acceptance End Effects was a Grievous Encroachment upon the Princely Prerogative of Jesus Christ the only Head of the Church whereby the usurpers Supremacy was Homologated bowed to complyed with strengthened established the Cause Kingdom of Christ betrayed His Churches Priviledges surrendered His Enemies hardened His Friends stumbled and the Remnant rent ruined in that it was granted deduced from the Kings Supremacy and conveyed by the Council in that according to his pleasure he gave and they received a Licence warrant to such as he nominated Elected and judged fit qualified for it and fixed them in what particular Paroch he pleased to assign under the notion of a Confinment in that he imposed and they submitted to restrictions in the exercise of their Ministry in these particular Paroches inhibiting to Preach elswhere in the Church And with these restrictions he gave and they received instructions to regulate direct them in their functions All which was done without Advice or Consent of the Church And thereupon they have frequentlie been called coveened before the Counciâ— to give acâ—ount of their Ministerial exercise and some of them sentenced silenced deposed for alledged disobedience This was a manifest Treason against Christ which involved many in the actual guilt of it that day and many others who gaped after it could not obtain it and for more at that time since in the guilt of Misprision of Treason in passing this also without a witness Thus in holy judgement because of our Indulging Conniving at the usurper of Christs Throne He left a great part of the Ministers to take that wretched Indulgence and another part instead of remonstrating the wickedness of that deed have been left to palliate plaister Patronize it in keeping up the Credit of the King Councils Curats wherein they have shewed more zeal than ever against that wicked Indulgence Yet the Lord had some Witnesses who prettie early did give significations of their resentment of this dishonour done to Christ as Mr William Weer who having got the Legal Call of the People and discharging his duty honestly was turned out And Mr Iohn Burnet who wrote a Testimony directed to the Council shewing why he could not submit to that Indulgence inserted at large in the History of the Indulgence Where also we have the Testimony of other ten Ministers who drew up their Reasons of Non-Complyance with such a snare And Mr Alexander Blair who upon occasion of a Citation before the Council for not observing the 29 of Maij having with others made his appearance and got new Copies of Instructions presented to them being moved with zeal and remembering whose Ambassadour he was told the Council plainly that he could receive no Instructions from them in the exercise of his Ministry otherwise he should not be Christs Ambassadour but theirs and herewith lets their Instructions drop out of his hand knowing of no other Salvâ— or manner of Testifying for the Truth in the CaseØ› for which he was imprisoned died under Confinement But afterwards the Lord raised up some more explicite Witnesses against that defection All this Trouble was before the year 1673. About which time finding this device of Indulgences proved so steadable for his Service in Scotland he was induced to try it also in England which he did almost with the same or like success producing the same effects of defection security unfaithfulness The Occasion was upon his wars with the Dutch Which gave another demonstrative discovery of his Treacherie Popish perfidie in breaking League with them and entering into one with the French to destroy Religion Liberty in Britain Wherein the King of France assures him an Absolute Authority over his Parliaments and to reestablish the Catholick Religion in his Kingdoms of England Scotland Ireland to Compass which it was necessary first to abate the pride power of the Dutch and to reduce them to the sole Province of Holland by which means the King of England should have Zeland for a retreat in case of need and that the rest of the Low Countries should remain to the King of France if he could render himself Master of it But to return to Scotland While by the forementioned Device he thought he had utterly suppressed the Gospel in house field Meetings he was so far disappointed that these very means Machins by which he thought to bury it did chiefly contribute to its revival For when by Persecution many Ministers had been chased away by illegal Law-Sentences many had been banished away and by their ensnaring Indulgences many had been drawen away from their duty and others were now sentenced with Confinements Restraints if they should not choose fix their residence where they could not keep their Quiet Conscience both they were forced to wander and disperse through the Country and the People being tired of the cold dead Curats and wanting long the Ministrie of their old Pastors so longed hungered after the Word that they behoved to have it at any rate cost what it would which made them entertain the dispersed Ministers more earnestly and encouraged them more to their duty By whose Endeavours through the mighty power presence of God and the Light of His Countenance now shining through the Cloud after so fatal fearful a darkness that had over-clouded the Land for a while with such a resplendent brightness that it darkened the Prelatick Locusts and made them hisse and gnash their tongues for pain and dazeled the eyes of all Onlookers the Word of God grew exceedingly and went through at least the Southern borders of the Kingdom
that endeavour the defect of which through their former supineness gave no small encouragment to the Enemies They considered also what would be the consequence of that War declared against all the Faithful of tâ—e Land with a displayed banner prosecuted with fire â—word and all acts of horrid hostility published in printed Proclamations written in Characters of blood by barbarous souldiers so that none could enjoy Gospel Ordinances dispensed in Purity but upon the hazard of their lives And therefore to prevent frustrate these effects they endeavoured to put themselves in a posture And hereunto they were encouraged by the constant experience of the Lords countenancing their endeavours in that posture which alwayes proved successful for several years their enemies either turning their backs without disturbance when they observed them resolve defence or in their assaultings repulsed So that there was never a Meeting which stood to their defence got any considerable harme thereby Thus the Lord was with us while we were with Him but when we forsook Him then He forsook us and left us in the hands of our enemies However while Meetings for Gospel Ordinances did continue the wicked Rulers did not cease from time to time to encrease their numerous â—ands of Barbarous Souldiers for suppressing the Gospel in these field-Meetings And for their Maintinance they imposed new wicked arbitrary Cesses Taxations professedly required for suppressing Religion Liberty banishing the Gospel out of the Land and preserving promoting his Absoluteness over all Matters Persons Sacred Civil Which under that tentation of great suffering threatened to Refusers and under the disadvantage of the silence unfaithfulness of many Ministers who either did not condemn it or pleaded for the peaceable payment of it many did comply with it then and far more since Yet at that time there were far more Recusants in some places especially in the Western Shires than Complyers And there were many of the Ministers that did faithfully declare to the people the sin of it Not only from the illegality of its imposition by a convention of overawed and prelimited States but from the nature of that imposed Complyance that it was a sinful transaction with Christs declared Enemies a strengthening the hands of the wicked an Obedience to a wicked Law a Consenting to Christs Expulsion out of the Land and not only that but far worse than the sin of the Gadarens a formal Concurrence to assist His Expellers by maintaining their force a hiring our Oppressours to destroy Religion Liberty And from the fountain of it an Arbitrary power domineering over us and oppressing overpressing the Kingdoms with intollerable exactions That to pay it it was to entail slaverie on the posterity And from the declared end of it expressed in the very Narrative of the Act viz to levy maintain forces for suppressing dispersing Meetings of the Lords people and to shew unanimous affection for maintaining the Kings Supremacy as now established by Law which designs he resolved and would be capacitate by the Granters to effectuate by such a Grant which in effect to all tender Consciences had an evident tendency to the exauctorating the Lord Christ to maintain Souldiers to suppress His Work murder His Followers yet all this time Ministers Professors were unite and with one soul shoulder followed the Work of the Lord till the Indulged being dissatisfied with the Meetings in the fields whose Glory was like to overcloud obscure their beds of ease and especially being offended at the freedom faithfulness of some who set the Trumpet to their mouth and shewed Iacob his sins Israel his transgressions impartially without a clock or cover they began to make a faction among the Ministers and to devise how to quench the fervour of their zeal who were faithful for God. But the more they sought to extinguish it the more it brake out and blazed into a flame For Several of Christs Ambassadours touched affected with the affronts done to their Princely Master by the Supremacy and the Indulgence its Bastard brood brat began after long silence to discover its iniquity and to acquaint the people how the Usurper had invaded the Mediators Chair in taking upon him to depose suspend silence plant transplant His Ministers where when how he pleased and to give forth warrants Licences for admitting them with Canons Instructions for regulating them in the exercise of their Ministrie and to arraign censure them at his Courts for delinquencies in their Ministry pursuing all to the death who are faithful to Christ and maintain their Loyaltie to His Lawes and will not prostitute their Consciences to his lusts and bow doun to the Idol of his Supremacy but will oune the Kingly Authority of Christ. Yet others and the greater number of dissenting Ministers were not only deficient herein but defended them joyned with them and pretending prudence prevention of Schisme in effect homologated that deed and the practice of these Priests Ezek. 22. 26. teaching advising the people to hear them both by precept and going along with them in that Erastian Course And not only so but condemned censured such who preached against the sinfulness thereof especially in the first place Worthy Mr Walwood who was among the first Witnesses against that defection and Mr Kid Mr King Mr Cameron Mr Donald Cargil c. who sealed their Testimony afterwards with their blood yet then even by their Brethren were loaden with the reproachful Nicknames of Schismaticks blind Zeaâ—ots Iâ—suits c. But it was alwayes observed as long as Ministers were faithful in following the Lord in the way of their duty Professors were fervent And un-under all their Conflicts with Persecuters the courage zeal of the lovers of Christ was blazing and never out-braved by all the enemies boastings to undertake brisk Exploits which from time to time they were now and then essaying till defection destroyed and division diverted their zeal against the Enemis of God who before were alwayes the object against which they whetted the edge of their just Indignation Especially the insulting insolency insolent villanie of that publick Incendiarie the Arch-Prelate Sharp was judged intollerable by ingenuous Spirits because he had treacherously betrayed the Church Nation and being imployed as their delegate to oppose the threatened introduction of Prelacy he had like a perjured Apostate and perfidious Traitor advanced himself into the place of Primate of Scotland and being a member of Council he became a chief Instrument of all the Persecution and main Instigator to all the bloody violence cruelty that was exerced against the people of God by whose means the letter sent doun to stop the shedding of more blood after Pentland was keptâ— up until several of these Martyrs were Murdered Therefore in Iulij 1668. Mr Iames Mitchel thought in his duty to save himself deliver his Brethren and free the
Machinations of Adversaries to crush it and all the Methods of Backsliding Professors to quench it And the mean which most effectually preserved it in life vigour was the expedient they fell upon of Corresponding in General Meetings to consult informe confirme one another about common duties in common dangers for preservation of the Remnant from the destruction contagion of the times and propagation of the Testimony Laying doun this General Conclusion for a foundation of Order to be observed among them in incident doubtful cases emergent Controversies that nothing relative to the publick and which concerns the whoâ—e of their Community be done by any of them without harmonious consent sought after rationally waited for and sufficient deliberation about the best means manner In the mean time the Duke of York as Commissioner from his brother held a Parliament wherein he presided not only against all righteous Lawes that make a bloody avowed Papist incapable or such a Trust but against the Letter of their oun wicked Lawes whereby none ought to be admitted but such as swear the Oaths yet not only was he constitute in this place but in the whole Administration of the Government of Scotland without the taking any Oath which then he was Courting to be entailed Successor and heir of the Croun thereof And for this â—nâ— made many pretences of flatteries and feigned expressions of love of doing many acts oâ— kindness to that ancient Kingdom as he hath made many dissembling protestations of it since for carrying on his oun Popish Tyrannical designs But what good-will he hath born to it not only his acts actings written in Characters of the blood of Innocents declare but his words do witness which is known when and to whom he spake when he said It would never â—e wel til all on the southside of Forth were made a hunting field However in that Parliament anno 1681. he is chiefly intended and upon the matter by a wicked Act declared legal lineal Successor and a detestable Blasphemous and Self-contradictory Test is framed for a Pest to Consciences which turned out of all places of Trust any that had any remaining measure of common honesty And when some was speaking of a bill for securing Religion in case of a Popish Prince the Dukes answer was notable that whatsoever they intended or prepared against Papists should light upon others whereby we may understand what measures we may expect when his designs are ripe And to all the Cruel Acts then before made against the People of God there was one superadded regulating the execution of all the rest whereby at one dash all Civil Criminal Justice was overthroun and a foundation laid for Popish-Tyranny that the Right of Iurisdiction both in Civil Criminal Matters is so inherent in the Croun that his Maj. may judge all Causes by himself on any other he thinks fit to commissionate Here was Law for Commissionating Souldiers to take away the lives of Innocents as was frequently exemplified afterwards and may serve hereafter for erecting the Spanish Inquisition to murder Protestants when he thinks fit to commissonate them Against which wicked Encroachments on Religion Liberty the Faithful thought themselves obliged to emit a Testimony And therefore published a Declaration at Lanerk Iannary 12. 1682. Confirming the preceeding at Sanquhair and adding reasons of their Revolt from the Government of Charles the Second 1. For cutting off the neck at one blow of the noble Constitution of Church State and involving all Officers in the Kingdom in the same perjurie with himself 2. For exalting himself into a sphere exceeding all measures Divine humane Tyrannically obtruding his will for a Law in his arbitrary Letters so that we are made the reproach of Nations who say we have only the Law of Letters instead of the Letter of the Law. 3. For his constant adjourning dissolving Parliaments at his pleasure 4. For his arrogantly arrogated Supremacy in all Causes Civil Ecclesiastick and oppressing the Godly for Conscience duty 5. For his exorbitanâ— Taxings Cessings grinding the faces of the poor dilapidating the rights revenues of the Croun for no other end but to imploy them for keeping up a Borthel rather than a Court. 6. For installing a successor such an one if not worse as himself contrare to all Law Reason Religion and framing the Test c. And in end offer to prove they have done nothing in this against our Ancient Lawes Civil or Ecclesiastick but only endeavoured to extricate themselves from under a Tyrannous yoke and to reduce Church State to what they were in the year 1648 and 1649. After which Declaration they were more condemned by them that were at ease than ever and very untenderly dealt with being without any previous admonition reproached accused and informed against both at home abroad as if they had turned to some wild unhappy Course For which Cause in the next General Meeting they resolved to delegate some of their number to forreign Churches on purpose to vindicate themselves from these Calumnies and to represent the justness of their Cause and the sadness of their Case and provoke them to some Sympathie abroad which was denied at home And withall to provide for a Succession of Witnesses who might maintain the Testimony which was then in appearance interrupted except by Martyrdom Sufferings Therefore by that means having obtained access for the instruction of some young men at an University in the United Provinces in process of time Mr Iames Renwick received Ordination there and came home to take up the Standart of his Master upon the ground where it last was left and to carry on the Testimony against all the oppositions of that day from open Enemies backsliding Professors an undertaking more desperate-like than that of Unus Athanasius contra totam orbem and like that of a Child threshing doun a Mountain Which yet against all the outragious rage of ravening Enemies ranging ravaging hunting chasing pursuing after him through all the touns villages cottages woods moors mosses mountains of the Country and against all the scourge of tongues contradictions condemnations obliquies reproaches cruel mockings of incensed Professors and generally of all the Inhabitants of the Land he was helped to prosecute by many weary wanderings travells and traversings through the deserts night day Preaching Confering Catechising mostly in the cold winter nighrs in the open fields until by the Blessing of God upon his labours not only was the faithfull Witnessing Remnant that joyned in the Testimony further cleared confirmed and encouraged and their number much encreased by the coming in and joyning of many others to the fellowship of their settled Societies but also many others in but as soon as it grew dark all hope lost they dispersed every man shifting for himself only a few keeping together all the nixt day had a skirmage with a
persons twice once to have their ears cut and be banished and after the lopping of their ears some have been re-examined and Sentenced to death and execute 23. They have Sentenced some and hanged them both in one day Others early in the morning both to surprize the persons that were to die and to prevent Spectators of the sight of their Cruelty Others have been kept in suspense till the very day hour of their execution 24. Not only have they murdered serious zealous Followers of Christ in taking away their Lives but endeavoured to murder their Names and to murder the Cause for which they suffered loading it with all Reproaches as Sedition Rebellion c. which was their peculiar Policy to bring the Heads of Sufferings to Points that are most obnoxious to mens Censure and accounted most extrinsick to Religion whereby they levelled their-designs against Religion not directly under that notion but obliquely in the destruction of its Professors under the odium reproach of enemies to Government 25. But chiefly they labour to murder the Soul defile the Conscience and only consult to cast a man doun from his excellency which is his integrity that is a Christians Croun and that they would rather rob him of as any thing either by hectoring or flattering him from the Testimony which they endeavour by proposing many offers with many threatenings in subtile termes And pretend a great deal of tenderness protesting they will be as tender of their blood as of their oun Soul which in some sense is true for they have none at all of their oun Souls and purging themselves as Pilate did and charging it upon their oun head 26. They will be very easie in their Accommodations where they find the poor man begining to faint and hearken to their overtures wherein they will grant him his life yeelding to him as cunning Anglers do with Fishes And to persuade him to some length in complying they will offer Conference sometimes or reasoning upon the Point to satisfie informe his Conscience as they pretend but really to catch him with their busked hook 27. If they have any hope of prevailing they will change a mans Prison and take him out from among the more strict fervent in the Cause that might sharpen strenghen his zeal and put him in among the more cool remiss 28. Sometimes they used to stage several together whereof they knew some would Comply to Tantalize the rest with the sight of the others Liberty and make them byte the more eagerly at their bait to catch the Conscience But when they had done all they could Christ had many Witnesses who did retain the Croun of their Testimony in the smallest Points till they obtained the Croun of Martyrdom and attained to the Croun of Glory Speaking boldly to them without fear or shame and disdaining their flattering Proposals but looking on them under a right notion as stated there in opposition to Christ whereby they found this Advantage that hence they were restrained from all sinful tampering with them or intertaining any discourse with them but what was suitable to speak to Christs enemies or doing any thing to save their life but what became Christs Witnesses who loved not their lives unto the death Of whom universally this was observed that to the Admiration of all the Conviction of many enemies the Confirmation of many friends the Establishment of the Cause and the Glory of their Redeemeâ— they went off the stage with so much of the Lords Counâ—enance so much Assurance of Pardon Eternal Peace so much hope of the Lords returning to Revive His Work and Plead His Cause again in these Lands that never any suffered with more meekness humility composure of Spirit and with more faithfulness stedfastness resolution than these Worthies did for these despised reproached Truths for which their surviving Brethren are now Contending Suffering while others are at ease PART III. THE PRESENT TESTIMONY Stated and Vindicated in its Principal Heads BY what is above premitted the Reader may see the Series Succession of the Testimony of Christs Witnesses in Scotland from time to time in all the Periods of that Church how it hath been transmitted from one generation to another Doun to our hands how far it hath been extended and what Increments it hath received in every Period how it hath been opposed by a Continued Prosecution of an hereditary War against Christ by an Atheistical Papistical Prelatical and Tyrannical faction and how it hath been concerted contended for maintained sealed actively passively by an Anti-pagan Anti-Popish Anti-Prelatical Anti-Erastian Anti-Sectarian and Anti-Tyrannical Remnant of the Followers Professors Confessors Martyrs of Christ in all Ages Now it remains in the third last Place to consider the Merit of the Cause as it is now Stated to see whether it will bear the weight of those great Sufferings wherewith it hath been sealed I hope all the Lovers of Christ who have an esteeâ— â—ven of His reproaches above all the Treasures of Egypt will grant that if these sufferings be Stated on the least or lowest of the Truths of Christs then they are not Misstated noâ— built upon a bottom that will not bear them or is not of that worth to sustain them For Certainly every Truth the least of Truths is of greater value than any thing that we can suffer the loss of for it yea of infinitely greater value than the whole world So that if I prove these Heads of Suffering to be Truths wherein Conscience is concerned the Cause will be sufficiently vindicated from the loadings lashings of such as prefer Peace to Truth ease to dutie who to Justify their oun backwardness detastable lukwarmness call some of them only State questions about things Civil and not Gospel-Truths and Heads to State suffering upon And if they be Truths Duties the Cause will some way be rendered more Illustrious that it is Stated upon the smallest hoofs hair-breadths of the Concerns of Christs Declarative Glory as being a greater witness of its Ouners Love Loyalty to Christ and of their pure tender zeal for His honour than if for more substantial fundamental Truths which a Natural Conscience may reclaim to Decline when for the meanest Circumstantials of Christs Truths they dare are ambitious to bestow their dearest blood But if the Complexe of them be impartially Considered no unprejudiced Arbiter will suffer himself to have such extenuating Impressions of the present Word of Patience Testimony of the suffering Remant in Scotland this day But it will appear to be a very weighty worthy Concern as any that either Men or Christians can be called to Witness for being the Priviledge of all mankind the Duty of all Christians and the Dignity of all Churches to assert It is for the Glory Croun Prerogatives and Imperial Regalia of the King of Kings with reference to His
Absolute Power foresaid against Christ and without subordation to Him from whom as we sought none so we received no Power by His Warrant Grant and against whom we mind to manage it to the utter most of out power Yet reflecting upon the Conduct of the four last Reigns how after all the frequent pressing endeavours that were used in each of them to reduce our Kingdoms to Antichrist the Subjects of Christ were so stubborn that the success hath not answered the designe We must now change our Methods alitle and tollerate that Profession of Christ which we cannot yet get overturned His Subjects being so numerous but alwayes upon these termes that they take aspecial care that nothing be Preached or taught among them which may be a Testimony for Christs Prerogatives in opposition to our Usurpation or may any way tend to alienate the hearts of our People from us or our Government or Preach his Truths which we have condemned as Seditious Treasonable under the highest pains these Crimes will import Hereby we shall establish our Government on such a foundation on the ruine of Christs as may make our subjects happy and unite them to us by Inclination as well as Duty in a belief that we will not constrain Conscience in matters of meer Religion for which we have a Dispensation from our holy-Father and also from our oun Absoluteness to be slaves to this Promise no longer then consists with our Interest And which we have power to Interpret as we please And would have all to understand that no Testimony for Christs Supremacy against our Encroachments thereupon shall be Comprehended under these Matters of meer Religion â—or which the Conscience shall not be constrained But we will have the Consciences of such Subjects of his that dare assert it brought to a Test probation how they stand affected in this Competition betuixt us this King Iesus and see whether they will oune or decline our Authority because not of him nor for him nor to him but against him all his Interests Our will is therefore that all who will Countenance any other Meetings of His Subjects than we have allowed or connive at them shall be prosecuted according to the utmost severity of our Lawes made against them which we leave in full force vigour notwithstanding of the Premises And for this effect we further Command all our Iudges Magistrats Officers of our Forces to prosecute all these Subjects Followers of Christ who shall be guilty of treating with or paying homage to that exauctorated King of theirs in their Assemblies with His Ambassadours in the Fields with the utmost rigor as they would avoid our highest Displeasure for we are confident none will after these Liberties freedoms we have given to all without reserve to serve God Publickly in such a way as we by our Soveraign Authority Prerogative Royal Absolute Power foresaid have prescribed allowed presume to meet in these Assemblies except such whose Loyaltie to Christ doth alienate them from us our Government As also under the same Certifications by the same Soveraign Authority Prerogative Royal Absolute Power foresaid We charge impower warrand Authorize against all hazards Hell excepted all our foresaid Judges Officers in their respective places to Prosecute execute our Lawes against all that may be suspected or convicted of their Adherence to Christ or be found guilty of ouning their Allegiance to Him as their Liege Lord by Solemn Covenant which we have caused burn by the hand of the hangman and declared Criminal to oune it or shall be found guilty of declining Allegiance to us our Absolute Authority stated in opposition to Him His or of maintaining that pernicious Principle inconsistent with our Government that their lives are their oun which they will preserve without surrender to our Mercy All which we Command to be executed to death or banished as Slaves as shall be found most conducible to our Interest And to the end the few that remain of that way may be totally exterminated we straitly Command all our Souldiers Horse Foot to be ready upon order to march make search pursue follow seise apprehend kill slay cause to perish all such whether they shall be found at Meetings or in their wanderings wherever they may be apprehended And ordain all our good Subjects to be assistent to these our Forces in prosecuting this War against Christ and his Followers and Contribute their best help encouragement in giving them their required Maintinance duely paying the Cess Locality imposed for that end And that they shall not dare to Countenance Converse with resett harbour supply or keep any manner of Correspondence with any of these Traitors that adhere to Christ under the pain of being found airt part with them and obnoxious to the same Punishments to which they are lyable But on the contrary to Assist our Forces to apprehend and raise the Hue Cry after them wherever they shall be seen that they may be forthwith purswed seised cut off destroyed which we order to be instantly done upon the place where â—â—ey or any of them are apprehended that without any delay or mercy to age or sexe c. On the other hand if any will take a look of the Declarations Testimonies of the other Party without prejudice or stumbling at some Expressions which may be offensive to Criticks he will find the Scope Strain of them to have this Importance WE a Poor Company of Persecuted reproached despised Christians who indeed have not many wise men among us after the flesh not many mighty not many noble but are a few foolish weak base despised nothings in the world Yet having this Ambition to be His called chosen faithful Souldiers who is King of Glory King of Heaven King of Saints King of Nations King of Kings whose Kingdom is Everlasting Universal Considering the many insolent indignities affronts reproaches cast upon His Name Glory and the many Usurpations Encroachments Invasions made upon His Croun dignity by a Pestilent Generation of His Atheistical Papistical Prelatical Tyrannical Enemies who have rebelled against Him and have renounced corrupted subverted His Royal Government both in the Church in the world both in His Kingdom of Grace and of Power Do bear Witness Testimony against these Rebels from the Highest to the Lowest And assert the Interest Title of our Princely Master and oune Allegiance absolute obedience to Him and His Government to which He hath all undoubted right An Essential right by His Eternal God head being the Everlasting Father whose goings forth have been of old from Everlasting A Covenant right by Compact with the Father to bear the Glory and rule upon His Throne by virtue of the Council of Peace between them both A Donative right by the Fathers right of Delegation by which He hath
solemnly these Nations were engaged both to keep out put out this Generation of Prelatists now prevailing The obligation of which yet lyes upon all the Inhabitants of the Land with a binding force both in regard of their forme and object and end Hence if the Curats be Covenant breakers and we also in ouning them then we cannot oune them without sin But the Curats are Covenant breakers and we also in ouning them Ergo The Minor may be manifest by an indiction of all the Articles of the Solomn League Covenant broken by them and all that oune them 1. That Doctrine worship discipline Government in the 1. Ar sworn to be preserved propagated was the Presbyterian then established which our Church was in possession of which they have opposed their ouners resiled from and have not maintained 2. We are engaged in 2. Art. to endeavour the extirpation of Prelacy and its dependents which is diametrically opposite to ouning of Curats can we oune them whom we are bound to abhor and submit to them whom we are bound to extirpate Surely this were to rebuild what we have destroyed see Napht. p. 104. And since in relation to Poperie Heresie Schisme this Article obliges us to disoune not to hear Papists Schismaticks why not also in relation to Prelatists who are the greatest Schismaticks 3. They have established homologated an Erastian Supremacy to the Prejudice of true Religion and the Liberties of the Church Kingdom and their ouners have abetted contenanced the same and not preserved either the Liberties of Church or Kingdom contrary to the 3. Art. 4. They have not only concealed Countenanced Malignant Enemies to this Church Kingdom but have themselves been reall Incendiaries hindering the Reformation of Religion making factions Parties amongst the People contrary to this League Covenant And their hearers are so far from bringing them to Condign Punishment that they have strengthened their hands in their avowed opposition to the Covenants contrary to the 4 Art. 5. They have broken our Conjunction in firme peace union and yet their hearers have not marked avoided these Causers of Divisions contrary to Scripture and the 5 Art. 6. Instead of assisting defending all these that entered into this League Covenant c. they have been the greatest Persecuters of all them that adhered to it And their ouners have suffered themselves by combination or perswasion or terror to be divided withdrawn from their suffering Brethren and have made defection to the contrary part and given themselves to a detestable indifferency in this cause contrary to the 6. Art. 7. Instead of humbling themselves for their sins and going before others in the example of a real Reformation they have obstinately defended their breach of Covenant and have been Patrons Patterns of all deformations And their ouners hearers have not repented of that neither when they countenance such Covenant-breakers profane persons nor of their not labouring for the purity power of the Gospel when they seek it from such impure hands Neither do they go before others in Reformation when they are such bad examples of defection contrary to the conclusion of the Covenant This Argument will also strike against hearing of such Ministers that have made themselves guiltie of the same or equivalent breaches of Covenant XII Finally for Unions sake and to avoid Schisme in the body we must withdraw from them This may seem another Paradox but it is apparent if we consider that there should be no Schisme in the body but that the members should have the same care one for another 1 Cor. 12. 25. And that for to prevent remede this the Apostle beseeches us to mark them which Cause Divisions offences contrary to the Doctrine which we have learned avoid them Rom. 16. 17. Now then if the Prelats and their Curats be Schismaticks Separatists and dividers then we must avoid withdraw from them But so it is that the Prelats their Curats are Schismaticks Separatists and dividers Therefore we must avoid withdraw from them The Minor I prove from all the Constituents of a formed Schisme Separation sinful division 1. They that start out from under due relations to a Church and from her Ministry are Schismaticks Separatists dividers But the Prelats and their Curats have started out from under due relations to the Covenanted Church of Scotland from her Ministry in being so unnatural rebellious Children as have broken their Mothers beauty bands order Union razed her Covenanted Reformation in doctrine worship Discipline Government 2. These who withdraw from the Communion of a true Church and therefore are Censureable by all her standing acts are Schismatical Separatists But the Prelats and their Curats have withdrawn from the Communion of the true Church of Scotland and therefore are censureable by all her standing acts in that they have made a faction Combination repugnant to the Communion of this Church and all her established order 3. Those who Separate from a Church whose Principles Practices are subservient to that Churches true Union Communion and right establishment are properly Schismaticks But the Prelats and their Curats have Separated from this Church whose Principles practices are subservient to its true Union Communion and right establishment for they could never yet impeach or challenge any Principle or practice contrary to the word of God or not subservient to true Union order but their Principles practices are stated in opposition to her purity Reformation 4 Those who innovate the worship Government ouned established in a true Church are Schismaticks But the Prelats and their Curats have innovated the worship Government of the true Church of Scotland in bringing a Doctrine new odd and not the voice of this Church and their worship over and above the corruption adhering to it is the worshiping of an innovating party contrary to our Churches established order 5. They that make a rent in the bowels of the true genuine Church are the Schismaticks But the Prelats and their Curats have made a rent in the bowels of this Church and have caused all the divisions in this Church 6. Those that divide themselves from the fellowship of a pure Church either in her Ministry Lawful Courts Ordinances are the Schismaticks But the Prelats and their Curats have divided themselves from the fellowship of this pure Church in her Ministry Lawful Courts Ordinances in that they have caused the ejection of her Ministry dissipation of her Assemblies and subversion of her pure Ordinances 7. Those that break union with such to whom they were under obligations to adhere are Schismatical dividers But the Prelats and their Curats have broken Union with such to whom they were under obligations to adhere both from the antecedent morally obliging duty and from the superadded obligation of the
Cause doth require may upon the very same Principles again joine associate for our better defence Preservation as we did at first enter into Societies Naph P. 150. yet whatever we may do in this case We are not for presumptuous Assumptions of Authority which maleversers have forefaulted Neither are we for new erections of Government but are for keeping the Societie of which we are members intire in an endeavour to have all our fellow members united unto God to one another in Religion Liberty according to the bond of the Solemn League Covenant Certain it is that Greater Societies under one Government may in some cases make a Secession divide into Lesser without sedition or else how would there be now so many distinct Common-wealths in the world seeing at first all was under one head and how comes it to pass that there are so many Kingdoms in Europe when it can be instanced when all or the most part were under on Roman Emperour But this in our Circumstance is no way expedient neither was it ever in Projection But our aim is to abstract our selves inoffensively and maintain our rights that remain unrobbed and to adhere clossly to the fundamental Constitutions Lawes Laudable Practices of our native Kingdome 11. We oune the obligation of our Sacred Covenants unrepealably indispensibly binding to all the duties of Christian subjection to Magistrates But we deny that hereby we are bound either to maintain Monarchy especially thus perverted nor to oune the Authority of either of the two Monarchs that have Monarchized or Tyrannized over us these 27 years past For as to the first we assert that that which is in its oun nature Mutable cannot be simply sworn unto to be maintained preserved but Hypothetically it most else it were simply sinful since it were to make things in their oun nature and in the Providence of God changable unchangable yea it were a doun right swearing not to comply with but to spurn against the various vicisitudes of Divine Providence the great Rector of the Universe And it is unquestionable that when things alterable unalterable are put in the same Oath to make the Engagment Lawful the things must be understood as they are in their oun nature and no otherwise else both the Imposer the Taker grievously transgress the former in taking upon him what is in the power of no Morta and a Contradicton to the Prerogative of the Immorta God and the other in ouning that power as just Hence when these two fall to be in the same Oath they must be so understood as it may not be made a snare to the conscience of the Sweaer For it may fall so out in the Providence of God that the Preservation of both is in all respects made impossible And an adhesion to the one may so far interfere with the Preservation of the other as if the Mutable and that which hath no objective obligation be stuck to the other which with the loss of all Interests we are to maintain must be abandoned yea that which was sworn to be maintained as a mean only a mutable one too may not only cease to be a mean but may actually destroy the main end and then it is to be laid aside because then it inverts the order of things Hence also it may be questioned if it were not more convenient to leave out those things that are alterable in themselves out of the same Oath with things unalterable and put them in a distinct Oaths or Covenant by themselves as we see Iehojadah did 2 King. 11. 17. He made a Covenant between the Lord and the King the people that they should be the Lords people between the King also the People Here are two distinct Covenants the one made with God about things eternally obligatory wherein King people engage themselves upon level ground to serve the Lord and Joash the King his treacherous dealing with God in that matter brought the Curse of that Covenant upon him The other Covenant was Civil about things alterable relating to Points of Government Subjection And as he by virtue of that prior Covenant had obliged himself under the pain of the Curse thereof to carry as one Covenanted to God with the people and so not to Tyrannize over his brethren So the people by virtue of that same Covenant were to yeeld obedience but in nothing to acknowledge him as having power or Authority to countermand Gods Command Neither had it been an act of disloyaltie to have broken doun his Groves which he had with the addition of the guilt of Perjurie set up and to have bound his ungrateful hands from the blood of the Gracious Zechariah A perfect parallel to our Case under the former dominator save that it was out-done as to all dimensions of wickedness by him To speak more plainly the Religious part of our Covenant is of an Eternal obligation but as to the Civil part it is impossible it can ever be so unless it be well Cautiously understood that is unless instead of any species of Government as Monarchy c. we put in Magistracy it self For this is that power which is of God but Monarchy c. is only a humane Creature about the creation whereof men take a Liberty according to what suits them best in their present Circumstances And as to this Species of Monarchy men are never left at Liberty to cloath therewith any inept or impious Person And they are perfectly loosed from it 1. when that Species of Government becomes opposite to the ends of Government and is turned Tyranny especially when a legal establishment is pretended then it affects with its contagion the very species it self The house is to be pulled doun when the Leprosie is got into the walls foundation 2. when as it is exercised it is turned inept for answering the end of its erection and prejudicial to the main thing for which Government is given to wit the Gospel and the coming of Christs Kingdom hence it is promised to the Church Isai. 49. 23. Kings shall be nursing fathers to the Church And Isai. 52. 15. It is promised to the Meâ—iator that Kings shall shute their mouths I. e. never a word in their head but out of reverence respect to His absolute Soveraignty they shall take the Law from Him without daring to contradict far less to take upon them to prescribe in the House of God as they in their wisdom think fit 3. when Providence without any sinful hand makes that species impossible to be kept up without the ruine of that for which it was erected when things come to this push pinch whosoever are cloathed with the power are then under an obligation to comply with that alteration of providence for the safety of the people else they declare themselves unworthy of rule and such who would sacrifice the interest of the people to their particular interest in
shall be found to conduce for so good ends Which are the Words of the National Covenant clearly condemning Oaths Bonds given to Malignants which are divisive of them that adhere to and Unitive with them that oppose the Covenant and impeditive of resolutions to prosecute the ends thereof So in the Solemn League Covenant Art. 4. We are obliged to oppose all such as make any faction or parties amongst the people contrary to this League Covenant but by these Oaths Bonds such factions are made c. And by Art. 6. we are obliged to assist defend all those that enter into this Covenant contradicted by all the later Oaths Bonds and not to suffer our selves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination to be divided from this blessed union whether to make defection to the contrary part or to give our selves to a detestable indifferency c. Which we do when we divide our selves from these that refuse these Oaths and makes defection unto the party that impose them And in the Solemn Acknowledgment of sins Engagment to duties We are sworn § 6. to be so far from conniving at complying with or countenancing of Malignancy Injustice c. that we shall not only avoid discountenance these things c. but take an effectual course to punish suppress these evils All which we counteract contradict when we take any of these Oaths or Bonds In the Second place by a Particular induction of the several kinds of these Oaths Bonds the iniquity of each of them will appear and the Complex iniquity of the smoothest of them the Oath of Abjuration compared with every one of them will be manifest And consequently the honesty innocency of Sufferers for Refusing them will be discovered I. The first in order which was a Copy to all the rest was the Declaration ordained to be subscribed by all in publick Charge office or Trust within the Kingdom Wherein they do affirme declare they judge it unlawful to Subjects upon pretence of Reformation or any other pretence whatsoever to enter into Leagues Covenants or take up armes against the King and that all these Gatherings petitions protestations that were used for carrying on of the late troubles were unlawful seditious And particularly that these Oaths the National Covenant and the Salemn League Covenant were and are in themselves unlawful Oaths Here is a Confederacy required against the Lord at which the Heavens might stand astonished an unparalelled breach of the Third Command Which could no more be taken in Truth Righteousness than an Oath renouncing the Bible but it hath this advantage of the rest that it is some what plain And the iniquity legible on its front 1. That it is a renouncing of Solemn Sacred Covenants perpetually binding to Moral indispensable duties the wickedness whereof is evident from what is said above 2. It makes perjurie of the deepest dye the necessary sine qua non qualification of all in publick Office who cannot be presumed capable of administrating Justice when they have avowed themselves perjured perfidious and not to be admitted among heathens let be Christians nor trusted in a matter of ten shillings money according to the Laws of Scotland 3. It renounces the whole Work of Reformation and the way of Carrying it on as a Pretence and trouble unlawful seditious Which if it be a Trouble then the Peace they have taken in renouncing it must be such a Peace as is the plague of God upon the heart filling it with senslessness stupidity in His just Judgement because of the palpable breach of Covenant or such a Peace as is very consistent with the Curse vengeance of God pursuing the quarrel of a broken Covenant 4. It condemns the taking up armes against the King which shall be proven to be duty Head 5. Besides that hereby the most innocent means of seeking the redress of Grievances that Religion Risings Law practice of all Nations allowes is condemned Yet in effect for as monstrous as this Oath is the Complexe of its iniquity is couched in the Oath of Abjuration in which many of these Methods of Combinations Risings Declarations of war against the King and Protestations against his Tyranny which were used in the late Troubles for carrying on the Reformation are abjured in that a Declaration is renounced in so far as it Declares war against the King and asserts it Lawful to kill them that serve him Which yet in many cases in the Covenanted Reformation here renounced were acknowledged practised as Lawful besides that it hath many other breaches of Covenant in it as will be shewed II. The next Net they contrived to catch Consciences was the Oath of Allegiance Supremacy Wherein they that took it for testification of their faithful obedience to their most gracious redoubted Soveraign Charles King of Great Britain do affirme testifie Declare that they acknowledg their said Soveraign only supreme Governour of this Kingdom over all persons in all Causes And that no forreign Prince hath any jurisdiction power or superiority over the same and therefore do utterly renounce all forreign power and shall at their utmost power defend assist maintain his Majs jurisdiction foresaid and never decline his power The iniquity of this Oath is very vast and various 1. It is a Covenant of Allegiance with a King turned Tyrant and enemy to Religion Subverter of the Reformation and overturner of our Laws Liberties and therefore demonstrate to be sinful both from the first General Argument against Oaths and from Head. 2. 2. It cannot be taken in Truth Righteousness or Iudgement beause the words are general very comprehensive and ambiguous capable of diverse senses when he is affirmed to be supreme over all Persons and in all Causes and to be assistest maintained in that jurisdiction Who can be sure in swearing such an Oath but that he may thereby wrong others wrong Parliaments in their Priviledges wrong the Church in her Liberties and which is worse wrong the Lord Jesus Christ who is Supreme alone in some Causes Can an Oath be taken in Truth Righteousness to assist him in all encroachments upon Causes that are not subordinate to him and in invading all those Priviledges of Subjects which are Natural Civil Moral Religious for if he be supreme in all Causes then all these depend upon him be subordinate to him And can it be taken in Iudgement and with a clear mind when it may be debated doubted as it is by some whether the obligation of it is to be considered as circumstantiate specificate to the present Object of it supposing him a Tyrant or in a more abstract notion as it might be tendered in the sense of its first Authors as it was taken in King Iames the 6. his dayes And as they plead for taking the English Oath of Allegiance as it was accepted by the
practical expression of it by the hands of all But the reason they give why they are so offended at it is that they look upon it as the Spring of all the errors of Presbyterians and a Notion that destroyes them Which indeed will be found to have a necessary connexion with many of the Truths that they contend for this day as it hath been the necessary methode of deâ—ending them What practices of this kind hath been and what were the occasions inducing or rather enforcing to these Defensive Resistences here to be vindicated as to the principle of them is manifested in the Historical Representation Shewing that after the whole body of the Land was engaged under the bond of a Solemn Covenant several times renewed to defend Religion Liberty and in special manner the Magistrats of all ranks the Supreme whereof was formally admitted to the Government upon these terms he with his Associates conspiring with the Nobles to involve the whole Land in perjury Apostasie overturned the whole Covenanted Work of Reformation and thereby not only encroached upon the Interest of Christ and the Churches Priviledges but subverted the fundamental Constitution of the Kingdoms Government and pressed all to a submission unto and complyance with that Tyranny Apostasie erected upon the ruines thereof Yet the Godly Faithful in the Land sensible of the indispensable obligation of these Covenants resolved to adhere thereunto and suffered long patiently for adherence unto the same until being quite out wearyed by a continued tract of Tyrannical oppressions arbitrarly enacted by wicked Laws and illegally executed against their oun Laws and cruelly prosecuted even without all colour of Law in many unheard of barbarities when there could be no access for or success in complaining or getting redress by Law all Petitions Remonstrances of Grievances being declared seditious treasonable and interdicted as such they were forced to betake themselves to this last remedy of Defensive Resistence intending only the preservation of their Lives Religion Liberties which many times hath been blessed with success and therefore zealously contended for as an inamissible Priviledge by all well affected to the Cause of Christ and Interest of their Country because they found it alwayes Countenanced of the Lord until the cause was betrayed by the Treachery and abandoned by the Cowardice of such as were more Loyal for the Kings Interests than zealous for Christs and the Countries for which the Lord in His holy Jealousie discountenanced many repeated endeavours of this nature Cuting us off and puting us to shame and would not go forth with our Armies But because the duty is not to be measured by and hath a more fixed Rule to be founded upon than providence therefore the Godly did not only maintain the principle in their confessions Testimonies but prosecute the practice in carrying armes making use of them in the defence of the Gospel and of themselves at Field-Meetings which were alwayes successfully prosperous by the power presence of God. This Question is sufficiently discussed by our famous learned invincible Patrons Champions for this excellent priviledge of Mankind the unanswerable Authors of Lex Rex the Apologetical Relation Napthali Ius populi Vindicatum But because facile est inventis addere I shall subjoine my mite And their Arguments being various and volumniously prosecute and scattered at large through their books I shall endeavour to collect a Compend of them in some order The two first speak of a Defensive war managed in a Parliamentary way And the two last of Resistence against the abuse of a Lawful power when there is no access to maintain Religion Liberty any other way which does not come up so closs to our case nor is it an adequate Antithesis to the Assertions of our Adversaries who say that it is no wayes Lawful in any case or upon any pretence whatsoever to Resist the Soveraign power of a Nation in whomsoever it be resident or which way soever it be erected I shall consider it more complexely extensively and plead both for Resistence against the abuse of a Lawful power and against the Use Usurpation of a Tyrannical power And infer not only the Lawfulness of Resisting Kings when they abuse their power as is demonstrate unanswerably by these Authors but the expediency necessity of the duty of Resisting this Tyrannical power whensoever we are in a Capacity if we would not be found treatherous Covenant-breakers betrayers of the Interest of God and the Liberties of the Nation and of our Brethren together with the posterity into the hands of this Popish Implacable Enemie and so bring on us the Curse of Meroz and the Curse of our Brethrens blood crying for vengeance on the heads of the shedders thereof and upon all who being in case came not to their rescue and the Curse of posterity for not transmitting that Reformation Liberty whereof we were by the valour of our fore-fathers put left in possession I shall not therefore restrict my self to the State of the Question as propounded ordinarly viz. Whether or not when a Covenanted King doth really injure oppress invade his Subjects Civil Religious Rights or unavoidably threatens to deprive them of their dearest nearest Liberties and sends out his Emissaries with armed violence against them and when all redress to be had or hope by any Address or petition is rendered void or inaccessible yea addressing interdicted under severe penalties as treasonable Then in that case may a Communitie of these Subjects defend themselves their Religion Liberties by armes in resisting his bloody Emissaries But to bring it home to our present case and answer the Laxness of the Adversaries position of the uncontrollableness of every one that wears a Crown I shall State it thus Whether or not is it necessary duty for a Community whether they have the Concurrence of the primores or Nobles or not to endeavour in the Defence of their Lives Religion Laws Liberties to Resist Repress the Usurpation Tyranny of Prevailing Dominators using or abusing their power for subverting Religion invading the Liberties and overturning the foundamental Laws of their Country I hold the Affirmative and shall essay to prove it by the same Arguments that conclude this Question as usually stated Which will more than evince the Justifyableness of the Sufferings upon this Head. In prosecuting of this Subject I shall first premit some Concessory Considerations to clear it And Secondly bring Reasons to prove it First for clearing of this Truth and taking off Mistakes these Concessions may be considered 1. The Ordinance of Magistracy which is of God is not to be Resisted no not so much as by disobedience or non-obedience nay not so much as mentally by cursing in the heart Eccles. 10. 20. but a person cloathed therewith abusing his power may be in so far Resisted But Tyrants or Magistrates turning Tyrants are
that cryed Crucifie Iesus were Murderers of Christ Or by procuring it as Haman was guilty of the intended murder of the Iewes Or Concurring therein as Ioab was guilty of Uriahs death as well as David and Iudas of Christs by betraying him Or by the Patrocinie thereof defending sparing the Murderers when called by Office to punish them as David was guilty in not punishing Ioab Ahab in patronizing the Murder of Naboth Or by Consenting thereunto as Saul consented to the death of Stephen or by knowing permitting conniving at it as is condemned Prov. 24. 11 12. Whether this be done under colour of Law as Pilate Murdered our Lord Herod killed Iames or without all colour by Absolute power as Herod the Ascalonite murdered the Infants or whether it be done by purpose as Ioab murdered Abner Amasa or without previous purpose yet with knowledge of the Action in the perpetrating of it as men may do in passion when provoked beside their purpose or in a Tumult without intending it before hand yet that is Murder Barabas committed Murder in the Insurection For as for Casual killing contrary to intention without knowledge that 's no breach of the Command And whatever may be said of necessitated delivering up the Innocent pursued by a potent Enemy to deliver the City from his fury or of prefering our oun life to our innocent neighbour in a case when both cannot be preserved and by preserving the one Lawfully the other happens to lose his life I do not medle with these Cases But since this is taken for granted by Casuists I infer if it be Lawful that an innocent man die in case of necessity that others may be preserved Then much more is it Lawful that the nocent wo are guilty of murdering the Righteous all these wayes above specified and actually prosecuting their murdering designs by these methods should rather be made to die than the Righteous be destroyed But of this sort of Murder taking away the life of the Righteous none hath the impudence to accuse that Reproached people 2. Thô a man kill an innocent unwittingly unwillingly besides his knowledge and against his will yet he may be guilty of sinful homicide if he was obliged to know that he was in hazard of it and neglected to consider lest a man might be killed by what he was doing as if a man should shoot at random when he doth not know but some may be killed thereby or if one were hewing with an axe which he either knew or might have known to be loose and the head not well fastened to the helve did not advertise those about him of it if by flying off it happened to kill any person he were not innocent but if he knew not without any inadvertency then he were guiltless Deut. 19. 5. See Durham on 6. Com. So if a man built a house without battlements he should bring blood upon his house if any man fell from thence Deut. 22. 8. But of this the question is not 3. Thô a person be not altogether innocent nor to be reckoned among the Rigtheous but suppose him wicked profane and engaged in an evil Course dishonourable to God prejudicial to the Church Kingdom and very injurious to us Yet it may be Murder to kill him if he be not guilty of Crimes that deserve death by the Law of God for the life of man is not subjected to the arbitrement of any but His who is the Author of life death It s necessary to all to obey the Law Thow shalt not kill without exception but such killing as is approven by the Author of the Law as saith Amesâ—de Consciencia cap 31. quest 2 Hence this people so much reproached with extravagant Actions do abundantly clear themselves of that imputation of being of the mind to kill all that differ from them which was the impudent forgerie of the father of lies in their Informatory Vindication Head. 2. Pag. 54. We positively disoune say they as horrid Murder the killing of any because of a different perswasion or opinion from us albeit some have invidiously cast this odious Calumny upon us And it is as clear they that took the Oath of Abjuration swore a lie when they abjured the Apologetical Declaration in so far as it asserted it was Lawful to kill all imployed in the Kings service when it asserted no such thing as is shewed above Head. 3. To think so much let be to declare it far more to practise such a thing against all that served the King or any meerly because they served him or because they are in a wicked Course or because they have oppressed us were abominable for these things simply do not make men guilty of death to be punished Capitally by men according to the Law of God. But when they are stated in such opposition to us and serve the Tyrants Murdering Mandats by all those wayes above specified then we may by the Law of God and Nature and Nations destroy slay and cause to perish and avenge our selves on them that would assault us and are seeking our destruction as it was Lawful for the Iewes to do with Hamans Emissaries Esther 8. 11 13. 9. 1 2 5. This Charge then cannot reach the Case 4. Thô Murderers and such as are guilty of death by the Law of God must be punished by death for he that sheddeth mans blood by man must his blood be shed Yet it may be Murder for a man to kill another because he thought him so Criminal and because he thought it his duty being moved by a pretended Enthusiastical Impulse in imitation of the extraordinary Actions of such as were really moved by the Spirit of God. As when Iames Iohn would have commanded fire to come doun to consume the Samaritans the Lord rebuked them saying ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of for the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Luk. 9. 54-56 Such impulses had need to be well examined for ordinarly they will be found not consistent with a Gospel Spirit which is alwayes averse from act of Cruelty Blind zeal sometimes may incite men to fearful work yea the persecuters have often most of that Spirit as our Lord foretells the time cometh that whosoever killeth yow shall think that â—e doth God service Iohn 16. 2. Paul in his Pharisaical zeal breathed out slaughter against the disciples And Satan can drive men under several colours to act such things as he did the Bours in Germany and Iohn of Leyden and his followers whose practices are deservedly detested by all that have any spark of Christianity or humanity for if this were espoused as a Principle there would be no security for mens lives But hence it cannot be concluded that God may not animate some to some rare Enterprises for the cutting off of Tyrants and their bloody Emissaries Incendiaries Destroyers of innocent people and puting an end to and
Christs declared Enemies and do partake of Unitive Confederacies with them which are demonstrated to be sinful Head 3. Arg. 1. in gen Pag. Certainly such bargains cannot be discretive exacted and complied with by Persons no wayes incorporate together being only overcome by meer force since they are not only demanded and granted Acknowledgements of that Power that imposes them as legally Lording over them but obediential submissions to these wicked Laws that enacts them which is a formal justifying of these Laws For Laws cannot be obeyed except they be justified seeing Laws unjust and unjustifyable cannot be obeyed Therefore seeing the Payment of the Cess Locality Fynes stipends fees c. is an obediential Complyance with the Laws that enjoyn them that obedience can no more be justified than the Laws enacting such Payments which none can justify but he that is an enemy to those things for opposing which they are exacted If then Complyances with the wicked Impositions exactions of Arbitrary Dominators enemies to the Work People of God be in Scripture condemned then such Payments cannot be justified But such Complyances are condemned and cannot be approven This was Issachars brand that being a strong Ass he couched between burdens and bowed his shoulder to bear and became a servant to Tribute Gen. 49. 14. This was Asa's folly that he so far Complyed with Benhadad as to give money to take his help 1 King. 15. 18. Condemned by the Prophet Hanani 2 Chron. 16. 7. c. much more if he had given it to help him It s one of the instances of the Evil that Menahem did in the sight of the Lord 2 King. 15. 18 2c that when Pul the King of Assyria came against the Land he gave him a thousand talents of silver that his hand might be with him which he exacted of Israel This was certainly evil in the sight of the Lord for if the Confederacy was evil then this price to procure it was evil also And if Menahems exaction was evil then Israels Complyance was evil also for thus Ephraim was oppressed broken in judgement because he willingly walked after the Commandment Hos. 5. 11. It was also a part proof of Ahaz's Confederacy with Tiglith-Pileser King of Assyria that he sent money to him 2 King. 16. 8. Which to all the fearers of the Lord is condemned discharged Isai. 8. 12 13. Which if it was evil then also Hezekiahs Complyance with Sennacherib giving him money and offering to bear that which was put on him 2 King. 18. 14 15. was evil And also Iehojakims taxing the Land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharoh 2 King. 23. 35. was sinful to the Exacter and likewise to the Complyers These were all sinful Complyances and Confederacies with the wicked making their peace with them to whom they payed them Therefore all Peace-making payments by way of Unitive aggreement with the wicked must be sinful And accordingly in the time of Montrose the Gen. Ass. made an Act for Censuring the Complyers with the Publick Enemies of this Church Kingdom Iun. 17. 1646. Sess. 14. See Part. 1. Per. 5. Pag. 82. 5. Where these Exactions are extorted only as badges of bondage without Consent unto the Law imposing them it s a Case more suitable for lamentation then Censure that she that was Princess among the Provinces should become tributary Lam. 1. 1. But when they are Acknowledgemens of the Lawgivers and an exact obedience to the Law and voluntary agreement bargain with them strengthening them to the prosecution of their Mischiefs they cannot be free of the Imposers sin It was the sin of the men of Shechem and a proof of their hearts inclination to follow Abimelech that they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver enabling him to kill threescore ten persons and to hire vain light persons to follow him which they payed as an acknowledgement of his usurped Power Iudg. 9. 3 5. for which afterwards fire came out of the house of Abimelech devoured them Certainly a voluntary consent into a Mischief is a partaking with the sin of it a consent unto Theft is a partaking with it Psal. 50. 18. But if there be any consent unto a Mischief it must be when the person agrees it be done against himself and voluntarily subjects himself to the force of the Law imposing it and not only does not oppose or witness against the doing of it against others but yeelds to its reaching himself and gives what is demanded to strengthen the Robbers to exercise their Robberie over all As the Payer of the Cess Fynes Fees c. gives all the consent required of him to these Mischiefs framed into Law not only to rob himself but the Church Nation of its dearest Treasure the Gospel for the punishment of ouning which and as means to remove it these Payments are exacted But the Plea of the payers is that they are constrained to it and they do it against their will. Ans. 1 He who sayes he understands this that the Payer of these Exactions can purge himself of the guilt of them is like to buy an after wit at a dear rate Can it be thought by any man of knowledge conscience that so remote a force makes the deed unvoluntary whereby the payer is purged from the guilt of accession to the Imposers deed whom hereby in this very Imposition he ounes as his Representatives 2. The payment cannot be involuntary for the Law enjoyning it being the publick declared will of the Nation requires no other voluntareness but obedience and judgeth no other thing involuntareness but disobedience So that the Law being fatisfied it absolves the Satisfier from all transgression and looks npon all who yeeld obedience as equally willing and equally out of the reach of its appended penaltie in case of disobedience Neither are we to please our selves with other fancies fictitious unwillingness when real obedience is yeelded whereby the Law is satisfied and the Law-maker capacitated thereby to act all his intended Mischiefs For to be unwilling to part with money in the Case as it is no vertue in it self so I suppose there are few who will be sollicitous to purge themselves of this And to be unwilling from some struglings of light conscience is such an unwillingness as aggravates the guilt of the Giver and makes it more heinous in the sight of God and hateful in the eyes of all tender men The Law enjoyning such payments takes no notice of such reluctancies only requireth obedience and when that is yeelded the Law is satisfied as to the voluntareness of the Action and must construe the Agent a willing walker after the Command and a voluntary Complyer with the publick will of the Nation 3. It must be simply really truly a voluntary deed when there is Deliberation and Election The Law requiring these payments being promulgate every man must be supposed to put the question