about it Ans Must it be Jesuitisme and a drawing of all the civill affaires to the Churches bar in ordine ad Spiritualia for an Assembly to give their advice in a most eminent and important case of conscience when earnestly called upon in a multitude of supplications from the most of the Congregations under their charge yea when required by the States of the Kingdom in severall express messages for that end It seems it s our Warners conclusion if the Magistrate would draw all the Churches in his jurisdiction to a most unlawful war for the advancement of the greatest impiety and unjustice possible wherein nothing could be expected by all who were engaged therein but the curse of God if in this case a doubting Souldier should desire the Assemblies counsell for the state of his soul or if the Magistrate would put the Church to declare what were lawfull or unlawfull according to the Word of God that it were necessary here for the servants of God to be altogether silent because indeed war is so civill a business that nothing in it concerns the soul and nothing about it may be cleared by any light from the Word of God The truth is the Châ—rch in their publick papers to the Parliament declared oftner then once that they were not against but for an engagement if so that Christian and friendly treaties could not have obtained reason and all the good people in Scotland were willing enough to have hazarded their lives and estates for vindicating the wrongs doâ—e not by the Kingdom of England but by the Sectarian Party there against God the King Covenant and both Kingdoms but to the great grief of their hearts their hands were bound and they forced to sit still and by the over great cunning of some the erronious mis-perswasions of others and the rash precipitancy of it that engagement was so spoyled in the stating and mannaging that the most religious with peace of conscience could not go along nor encourage any other to take part therein The Warner touches on three of their reasons but who will look upon their publick declarations shall find many more which with all faithfulness were then propounded by the Church for the rectifying of that action which as it stood in the state and management was cleerly foretold to be exceeding like to destroy the King and his friends of all sorts in all the three Kingdoms The irrepairable losses and unutterable calamities which quickly did follow at the heels the mis-belief and contempt of the Lords servants and the great danger Religion is now brought unto in all these Kingdoms hath I suppose long agoe brought grief enough to the heart of them whose unadvised rashness intemperate fervor did contribute most for the spoiling of that designe The first desire about that engagement which the Warner gives to us concerns the security of Religion In all the debate of that matter it was agreed without question upon all hands that the Sectarian Party deserved punishment for their wicked attempts upon the Kings person contrary to the directions of the Parliaments of both Kingdoms and that the King ought to be rescued out of their hands and brought to one of his Houses for perfecting the Treaty of Peace which often had been begun but here was the question Whether the Parliament and Army of Scotland ought to declare their resolutions to bring his Majesty to London with honor freedome and safety before he did promise any security for establishing Religion The Parliaments of both Kingdoms in all their former Treaties had ever pressed upon the King a number of Propositions to be signed by his Majesty before at all he came to London was it then any fault in the Church of Scotland to desire the granting but of one of these propositions concerning Religion the Covenant before the King were brought by the new hazard of the lives and estates of all the Scotish Nation to sit in his Parliament in that honor and freedom which himself did desire There was no complaint when many of thirty propositions were pressed to be signed by his Majesty for satisfaction and security to his people after so great and long desolations how then is an out-cry made when all other propositions are postponed and only one for Religion is stuck upon and that not before his Majesties rescue and deliverance from the hands of the Sectaries but only before his bringing to London in honor freedom and safety This demand to the Warner is a crime and may be so to all of his belief who takes it for a high unjustice to restraine in any King the absolute power by any condition for they do maintain that the administration of al things both of Church and State doth reside so freely and absolutely in the meer wil of a Soveraign that no case at any time can fall out which ought to bound that absoluteness with any limitation The second particular the Warner pitches upon is the Kings negative voyce behold how criminous we were in the point When some most needlesly would needs bring into debate the Kings negative voice in the Parliament of England as one of the royall Prerogatives to be maintained by our engagement it was said that all discourse of that kind might be laid aside as impertinent for us if any debate should chance to fall upon it the proper place of it was in a free Parliament of England that our Laws did not admit of a negative voice to the King in a Parliament of Scotland and to press it now as a Prerogative of all Kings besides the reflection it might have upon the rights of our Kingdom it might put in the hand of the King a power to deny all and every one of these things which the Parliaments of both Kingdoms had found necessary for the setling the peace in all the three Dominions We marvel not that the Warner here should tax us of a great error seeing it is the belief of his faction that every King hath not only a negative but an absolute affirmative voice in all their Parliaments as if they were nothing but their arbitrary counsels for to perswade by their reasons but not to conclude nor impede any thing by their Votes the whole and intire power of making or refusing Laws being in the Prince alone no part of it in the Parliament The Warners third challenge against us about the ingagement is as if the Church had taken upon it to nominate the Officers of the Army and upon this he makes his invectives Answ The Church was far from seeking power to nominate any one Officer but the matter was thus When the State did require of them what in their judgement would give satisfaction to the people and what would encourage them to go along in the ingagement one and the last part of their answer was that they conceived if a War shall be found necessary much of the peoples encouragement would depend upon the qualification
or Synode in Scotland did so much as assay to impede or repeale the proceedings of any the meanest civill Court I did never heare it so much as alledged by our adversaries Serious catechising is no Episcpall crimeâ— The next injurie is against all Masters and â—istresses of families whom the Presbytery will have to be personally examined in their knowledge once a yeare and to be excommunicate if grosly and willfully ignorant Answ If it be a crime for a Minister to call together parcels of his congregation to be instructed in the grounds of Religion that servants and children and where ignorance is suspected others also may be tryed in their knowledge of the Catechisme or if it be a crime that in family-visitations oftener then once a yeare the conversation of every member of the Church may be looked upon we confesse the Ministers of Scotland were guilty thereof and so farre as we know the generality of the Episcopall faction may purge themselves by oath of any such imputâ—tion for they had somewhat else to doe then to be at the paines of instructing or trying the Spirituall State of every sheep in their flocks we confesse likewise that it is both our order and practise to keepe off from the holy table whom we finde grosly and wilfully ignorant but that ever any for simple ignorance was excommunicate in Scotland Church sessions are not high commissiones none who knowes us will affirme it The last whom he will have to be wronged by the Presbyte y are the common people who must groane under a high commission in every parish where ignorant governors rule all without Law medling even in domesticall jarres betwixt man and wife Master and Servant Answ This is but a gybe of revenge for the overthrow of their Tyrannous high Commission-Court where they were wont to play the Rex at their pleasure above the highest subjects of the three Kingdomes and would never give over that their insolent domineering court till the King and Parliaments of both Kingdomes did agree to throw it downe about their eares The thing he jeâ—â—es at is the congregationall Eldership a jâ—dicatory which all the Reformed doen joy to their great comfort as much as Sâ—otland They are farre from all arbitrary judications their Lawes are the holy Scripture and acts of superior Church jâ—dicatories which rule so clearely the cases of their câ—gnisance that rarely any difficulty remaines therein or if it doe immediately by refâ—rence or appeale it is transmitted to the Classes or Synode The judges in the lowest Eldersâ—â—â— as we have said before are a dozen at least of the most able and pious who can be had in a whole congregation to joyne with the Pastors one or more as they fall to be but the Episcopall way is to have no discipline at all in any congregation only where there is hope of a fine the Bishops officiall will summon before his own learned and conscientious wisedome who ever within the whole dioces have fallen into such a fault as he pleaseth to take notice of as for domistick infirmities Presbyterians are most tender to meddle therein they come never before any judicatory but both where the fault is great and the scandal thereof flagrant and broken out beyond the wals of the family These are the great iniuries and hurts which the Church discipline has procured to all orders of men in the whole reformed world when Episcopacy has been such an innocent lambe or rather so holy an Angell upon earth that no harme at all has ever come by it to any mortall creature a misbeleeving Jew will nothing misdoubt this so evident a truth CHAP. ULT. The Warners exceptions against the Covenant are full of confidence but exceeding frivolous THough in the former Châ—pters the Warner has spewed out more venome and gall then the bagge of any one mans stomack could have beene supposed capable of yet as if he were but beginning to vomite in this last Chapter of the covenant a new flood of blackes poyson rusheth out of his penne His undertaking is great to demonstrate cleerâ—y that the covenant is meerly void wicked and impious His fiâ—st clear demonstration is that it was devised by strangers imposed by subjects who wanted requisite power and was extorted by just feare of unjust suffering so that many that tooke it with their lips never consented with their hearts Ans This cleer demonstration is but a poore and evill argument the Major if it were put in forme would hardly be granted but I stand on the minor as weake and false for the Covenant was not devised by strangers The Covenant was not dishonourable to union the Commissioners of the Parliament of England together with the Commissioers of the Parliament and generall assembly of Scotland were the first and onely framers thereof but they who gave the life and being to it in England were the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament at Westminster by the Kings call and at that time acknowledged by his Majestie without any question about the lawfulnesse of their constitution and authority these men and that Court were not I hope great strangers in England The Covenant was not imposed upon the King but the Parliament of both Kingdomes made it their earnest desire unto his Majestie that he would be pleased to joyne with them in that Covenant which they did judge to be a â—aine peece of their security for their Religion and liberties in all the three Kingdomes As for their imposing of it upon the subjects of England an ordinance of Parliament though the King consent not by the uncontroverted lawes of England is a sufficient authority to crave obedience of all the subjects of England during the continuance of that Parliament The last part of the demonstration is dishonourable indeed to the English Nation if it were true it was no dishonour to England to joyne with their brethren of Scâ—tland in a Covenant for maintainance of their Religion and Liberties but for many of the English to sweare a Covenant with their lippes from which their heart did dissent and upon this difference of heart and mouth to plead the nullity of the Oath and to advance this plea so high as to cleer demonstration this is such a dishonour and dishonesty that a greater cannot fall upon a man of reputed integrity especically when the ground of the lye and pe ju y is n evident falshood for the Covenant was not extorted from any flesh in England by feare of any unjust suffering so far wâ—s it from this that to this day it could never be obtained from the Parliament of England to enjoyne that Covenant upon any by the penalty of a two pence The Warners second demonstration is no better then the first the ground of it is Covenanters were not deceived but understood what they sware â—hat all oathes are void which have deceipt and errour of the substantiall conditions incident to them This ground had
Oâ—dinance to a standing Law the Kings consent is required but with what qualifications and exceptions wee need not here to debate since his Majesties consent to the present case of abolishing Bishops was obtained well neere to as farre as was desired and what it yet lacking wee are in a faire way to obtaine it for the Kings Majestie long agoe did agree to the rooting out of Episcopacy in Scotland hee was willing also in England and Ireland to put them out of the Parliament and all civil Courts and to divest them of all civill power and to joyne with them Presbyteries for Ordination and spirituall jurisdiction yea to abolish them totally name and thing not onely for three yeares but ever till he and his Parliament should agree upon some setled order for the Church was not this Tantamont to a pertuall abolition for all and every one in both houses having abjured Episopacy by solemne Oath and Covenant the Parliament was in no hazard of agreeing with the King to re-erect the fallen chaires of the Bishops so there remained no other but that either his Majestie should come over to their judgement or by his not agreeing with them yet really to agree with them in the perpetuall abolition of Episcopacy since the confession was for the laying Bishops aside for ever till hee and his houses had agreed upon a settled order for the Church If this be not a full and formall enough consent to the Ordinance of changing the former Lawes anent praelats his Majestie who now is easily may and readily would supply all such defects if some of the faction did not continually for their owne evil interests whisper in his eares pernicious counsell as our Warner in this place also doeth by frighting the King in conscience from any such consent The praelats would flâ—tter the King into a Tyranny for this end he casts out a discourse the sinews whereof are in these three Episcopall maximes First that the legislative power is soly in the King that is according to his Brethrens Commentary that the Parliament is but the Kings great councel of free choyce without or against whose votes hee may make or unmake what Lawes he thinkes expedient but for them to make any Ordinance for changing without his consent of any thing that has been instituting any new thing or for them to defend this their legall right and custome time out of minde against the armes of the Malignant party no man may deny it to be plaine rebellion II. The praelates take to themselves a negative voice in Parliament That the King and Parliament both together cannot make a Law to the prejudice of Bishops without their owne consent they being the third order of the Kindome for albeit it be sacriledge in the Lords and Commons to claime any the smallest share of the legislative power this in them were to pyck the chiefest jewel out of the Kings Crowne yet this must be the due priviledge of the Bishops they must be the third order of the Kingdome yea the first and most high of the three farre above the other two temporall States of Lords and Commons their share in the Legislative power must be so great that neither King nor Parliament can passe any Law without their consent so that according to their humble protestation all the Lawes and Acts which have been made by King and Parliament since they were expelled the house of Lords are cleerly void and null Wee must grant that the King and Parliament in divesting Bishops of their temporall honour and estates The praelats grieve that Monks and Friers the Pope and Cardinals were casten out of England by H. in abolishing their places in the Church doe sin more against conscience then did Henry the eight and his Paliament when they put down the Abbots and the Friers We must beleeve that Henry the eight his abolishing the order of Monks was one of the acts of his greatest Tyranny and greed we must not doubt but according to Law and reason Abbots and Priours ought to have kept still their vote in Parliament that the Monasteryes and Nunryes should have stood in their integrity that the King and Parliament did wrong in casting them downe and that now they ought in conscience to be set up againe yea that Henry the eight against all reason and conscience did renounce his due obedience to the Pope the Patriarch of the West the first Bishop of the universe to whom the superinspection and government of the whole Catholick Church in all reason doth belong Though all this be here glaunced at by the Warner and elsewhere wee prove it to be the declared mind of his Brethren yet we must be pardoned not to accept them as undenyable princâ—ples of cleare demonstrations The just supremacy of Kings is not prejudged by the Covenant The last ground of the Doctors demonstration is that the Covenant is an Oath to set up the Presbyterian government in England as it is in Scotland that this is contrary to the Oath of Supremacy for the Oath of Supremacy makes the â—ing the onely supreame head and Governour of the Church of England that is the civill head to see that every man doe his duty in his calling also it gives the King a supreame power over all persons in all causes but the Presbytery is a Politicall Papacie acknowledging no governour but only the Presbyters it gives the King power over all persons as Subjects but none at all in Ecclesiastick causes Ans Is there in all this reasoning any thing sound First what article of the Covenant beares the setting up of the Presbyterian government in England as it is in Scotland II. If the Oath of supremacy import no more then what the Warners expresse words are here that the King is a civill head to see every man doe his duty in his calling let him be assured that no Presbyterian in Scotland was ever contrary to that supremacy III. That the Presbytery is a Papacy and that a politicall one the Warner knowes it ought not to be granted upon his bare word IV. That In Scotland no other governors are acknowledged then Presbyters himselfe contradicts in the very next words where hee tells that the Scots Presbytery ascribs to the King a power over all persons as subjects V. That any Presbyterian in Scotland makes it sacriledge to give the King any power at all in any Ecclesiastick cause The Warnerâ— insolent Vanity it is a senselesse untruth The Warners arguments are not more idle and weake then his triumphing upon them is insolent for he concludes from these wife and strong demonstrations that the poore covenant is apparently deceitfull unvalide impious rebellious and what not yea that all the learned divines in Europe will conclude it so that all the Covenanters themselves who have any ingenuity must grant thus much and that no knowing English man can deny it but his own conscience will give him the lie
Answ If the Warner with any seriousnesse hath weighed this part of his own write and if his minde go along with his pen I may without great presumption pronounce his judgement to be none of the most solide His following vapours being full of aire we let them evanish only while he mentioneth our charging the King with intentions of changing the Religion and government we answer that we have been most willing alwaies to ascribe to the King good intentions but withall we have long avowed that the praelaticall party have gone beyond intentions to manifest by printed declarations and publick actions their formed designe to bring Tyranny upon the States and popery upon the Churches of all the three Kingdomes and that this very write of the Warners makes it evident that this same minde yet remaines within them without the least shew of repentance So long as the conscience of the court is mannaged by men of such principles it is not possible to free the hearts of the most understanding from a great deale of Jealously and feare to have Religion and lawes still overturned by that faction But the Wa ner commands us to speake to his Dilemma The covenant is not for propagating of Religion by armes whither we thinke it lawfull or unlawfull for subjects to take armes against their prince meerely for Religion We answer that the reasons whereby he thinks to conclude against us on both sides are very poor If we shall say it is unlawfull then he makes us to condemne our selves because our covenant testifies to the world that we have taken up armes meerly to alter Religion and that we beare no alleagiance to our King but in order to Religion which in plaine terms is to our own humours and conceits Ans There be many untruths here in few words first how much reality and truth the Warner and some of his fellowes beleeves to be in that thing which they call Religion their own heart knownes but it can be no great charity in him to make the Religion of all covenanters to be nothing but their own humours and conceits Secondly it is not true that Covenanters beare no alleagiance to the King but only in order to Religion III. The Parliament of England denied that they took uâ— armes against their King though to defend themselves against the popish pralaticall and malignant faction who were about to destroy them with armes IV. They have declared that their purpose was not at all to alter Religion but to purge it from the corruption of Bishops and ceremonies that too long had beene noxious unto them V. They have oft professed that their rames were taken for the defence of their just liberties whereof the preservation and reformation of Religion was but one The other horne of his Dilemma is as blunt in pushing as the former If we make it lawfull saith he to take up armes for Religion we then justifie the independents and Anabaptists wee make way for any that will plant what ever they apprehend to be true Religion by force and to cut the throat of all Magistrates who are in a contrary opinion to them that it is a ridiculous partiality for any to priviledge their owne Religion as truth and Gospell The Warners black Atheisme Answ Whether will these men go at last the strength of this reason is black atheisme that there is no realty of truth in any Religion that no man may be permitted to take his Religion for any thing more but his owne apprehension which without ridiculous folly he must not preferre to any other mans apprehension of a contrary Religion this is much worse then the pagane Scepticisme which turned all reality of truth into a meer apprehension of truth wherein their was no certainty at all this not onely turnes the most certaine truths even these divine ones of Religion into meer uncertaine conceptions but which is worse it will have the most orthodoxe beleever so to think speake and act as if the opinions of Independents Anabaptists Turks Jewes Pagans or grosse Atheists were as good true and solide as the beleefe of Moses or Paul were of the truths revealed to them from heaven Secondly we say that subiects defence of their Religion and liberties established by Law against the violent usurpation of Papists Prelats or Malignants is not the planting of Religion by armes much lesse is it the cutting of the throats of all Magistrates who differ in any point of Religion * The Praelats condemne the defensive armes of the Dutch and French Protestants III. In the Iudgement of the prelaticall party the defensive armes of the Protestants in France Holland and Germany must be as much condemned as the offensive armes of the Anabaptists in Munster or of the sectaries this day in England Can these men dreame that the World for their pleasure will so farre divest themselves of all Religion and reason as to take from their hande so brutish and Atheisticall maximes * The Praelats decline the judgement of counsels The Praelats overthrow of the foundation of Protestant Religion He concludes with a wish of a generall councell at least of all protestant Churches for to condemne all breachers of seditious principles Ans All true covenanters goe before him in that desire being confident that he and his fellowes as they have declined already the most solemne assemblies of their own countries upon assurance of their condemnation so their tergiversation would be as great if they were to answer to an oecumenick Synod What I pray would the Warner say in a councell of protestant for the practise of his party pointed at in his last words I meane their purging the Pope of Antichristianisme of purpose to make way for a reconciliation yea for a returne to Rome as this day it lyes under the wings of the Pope and Cardinals * The Praelats are still peremptory to destroy the King and all his Kingdomes if they may not be restored Also what could they answer in a Christian councel unto this charge which is the drift of this whole Book that they are so farre from any remorse for all the blood and misery which their wickednesse most has brought on the former King and all his Kingdomes these eleven yeares that rather then they had not the Covenant and generall assembly in Scotland destroyed as an Idol and Antichrist they will chuse yet still to imbroyle all in new calamities This King also and his whole Family the remainder of the blood and Estates in all the three Kingdoms must be hazarded for the sowing together of the torne mytres and the rejecting of the fallen chayres of Praelats If Bishops must lie stil in their deserved ruines they persevere in their peremtory resolution to have their burials sprinckled with the ashes of the royall Family and all the three Kingdomes FINIS
devotion was among them by way of essayes as it were to frame the heart of the Son by the fingers of the dying Father to piety wisedome patience and every virtue but ever and anon to let fall so much of their owne ungracious dew as may irrigat the seeds of their prelaticall Errors and Church interest so farre as to charge him to presevere in the maintainance of Episcopall governement upon all hazards without the change of any thing except a little p. 278. and to assure that all Covenanters are of a faction engaged into a Religious rebellion who may never be trusted till they have repented of their Covenant and that till then never lesse loyalty justice or humanity may be expected from any then from them that if he stand in need of them hee is undone for they will devoure him as the Serpent does the dove These and the like pernicious maxims framed by an Episcopall hand of purpose to separate for ever the King from all his covenanted subjects how far they were from the heart language and writings of our late Soveraigne all who were aquainted with his cariage and most intime affections at New-Castle in the Isle of Wight and thereafter can testify But it is reason when the Prelates do frame an Image of a King that they should have liberty to place their owne image in its forehead as the statuary of old did his in the Boss of Pallas targe with such artifice that all her worshipers were necessitat to worship him and that no hand was able to destroy the one without the dissolution and breaking in peeces of the oâ—her yet our Prelats would know that in this age their be many excellent Engyneers whose witty practicks transcend the most skilfull experiments of our Auncestors and whatever may be the ignorance or weaknes of men wee trust the breath of our Lords mouth will not faile to blow out the Bishop from the Kings armes without any detriment at all to royalty Allwayes the wicked and impious cunning of these craftmen is much to be blamed who dare be bold to insert and engrave themselfes so deeply in the images of the Gods as the one cannot be intended to be picked out of the other more then the Aple from the eye unles the subsistence of both be But in hazard The other matter of his railing against us is the solemne league and covenant The only crime of the Covenant is that it extirpate prelacy when this nimble quick enough Doctor comes aflicted with all the reasons the whole University of Oxford can afford him to demonstrat it as he ptofesses in his last Chapter to be wicked false void and what not we find his most demonstrative proofs to be so poore and silly that they infer nothing of his conclusion To this day no man has shewed any errour in the matter of that covenant as for our framing and taking of it our adversaries drave us thereunto with a great deale of necessity and now being in it neither their fraud nor force may bring us from it againe for we feare the oath of God After much deliberation we found that covenant the soveraigne meanes to joyne and keep together the whole orthodox party in the three Kingdomes for the defence of their Religion and liberties which a popish prelaticall and malignant faction with al their might were overturning who still to this day are going on in the same designe without any visible change in the most of their former principles And why should any who loves the King hate this covenant which is the straytestry the world can devise to knit all to him and his posterity if so be his Majesty might be pleased to enter therein but by all meanes such a mischief must be averted for so the root of Episcopacy would quickly wither without any hope of repullulation an evill far greater in the thoughts of them who now mannage the conscience of the Court then the extirpation of Monarchy the eversion of all the three Kingdomes or any other earthly misery The Bishops are most justly cast out of England As for the third subject of the Warners fury against us our unkindnes to the late King if any truth were in this false challenge no other creature on earth could be supposed the true cause thereof but our unhappy Prelats all our grievances both of Church and Sate first and last came principally from them had they never been authors of any more mischief then what they occasioned to our late Soveraigne his person family and Dominions this last dozen of yeares there is abundant reason of burying that their praeter and Antiscripturall order in the grave of perpetuall infamy But the truth is beside more ancient quarrels since the dayes of our fathers the Albigenses this limb of Antichrist has ever been witnessed against Wicklise Huss and their followers were zealous in this charge till Luther and his disciples got it flung out of all the reformed world except England where the violence of the ill-advised princes did keep it up for the perpetuall trouble of that land till now at last it hath well neer kicked downe to the ground there both Church and Kingdome The Scots were never injurious to their King As for the point in hand we deny all unkindnes to our King whereof any reasonable complaint can be framed against us Our first contests stand justified this day by King and Parliament in both Kingdomes When his Majestie was so ill advised as to bring down upon our borders an English army for to punish our refusing of a world of novations in our Religioâ— contrary to the laws of God and of our country what could our land doe lesse then lie down in their armes upon Dunce law for their just and necessâ—ry defence when it was in their power with ease to have dissipat the opposite army they shew themselves most ready upon very easy conditions to goe home in peace and gladly would have rested there had not the furious Bishops moved his Majestie without all provocation to break the first peace and make for a second invasion of Scotland only to second their unreasonable rage was it not then necessary for the Scots to arme againe when they had defeat the Episcopall Army and taken New-castle though they found nothing considerable to stand in their way to London yet they were content to lie still in Northumberland and upon very meane tearms to return the second time in peace For all this the Prelats could not give it over but raised a new Army and filled England with fire and sword yea well neere subdued the Parliament and their followers and did almost accomplish their first designes upon the whole Isle The Scoâ—â— then with most earnest and pitifull entreaties were called upon by their Brethren of England for helpe where unwilling that their brethren should perish in their sight and a bridge should be made over their carcasses for a third warre upon
assembled in Parliament of England concurre without a disordering opinion when the King himself for perfecting the harmony offers to add his voice for three whole years together In the remainder of the Chapter the warner layes upon the Scots three other crimes First That they count it Erastianisme to put the Government of the Church in the hand of the Magistate Aâ—s The Doctors knowledg is greater then to be ignorant that all these goe under the name of tne Erastians The elder prelats of Englaâ—d were Erastians and more but the younger are as much anti-Erastian as the most rigid of the Presbytery who walking in Erastus ways of flattering the Magistrate to the prejudice of the just rights of the Church run yet out beyond Erastus personall tenets I doubt if that man went so far as the Doctor here and elsewhere to make all Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction but a part of the Magistrats civill power which for its Execution the supreme Governours of any state may derive out of the fountain of their supremacy to what ever hands civill or ecclesiastick themselves think fit to commit it Let the Doctor adde to this much knowledge but a little ingenuity and he shall confesse that his brethren the latter Bishops who claim Episcopacy by Divine Right are all as much against this Erastian Cesaro-papisme as any Presbyterian in Scotland The Elder Bishops indeed of England and all the Laws there for Episcopacy seem to be point blank according to the Erastian errors for they make the Crown and Royall Supremacy the originall root and fountain whence all the iscipline of the Church did flow as before the days of Henry the Eight it did out of the Popes headship of the Church â—under Christ However let the Doctor ingeniously speak out his sence and I am deceived if he shall not acknowledge that how grosse an Erastian so ever himself and the eldest Bishops of England might have been yet that long agoe the most of his prelaticall friends have become as much opposite to Erastianisme as the most rigid of the Presbyterians The other crime he layes to the charge of the * The Scots first and greatest crime is irreconciliablenesse with Rome Scots is that they admit no latitude in Religion but will have every opinion a fundamentall Article of Faith and are averse from the reconcialition of the Protestant Churches Ans If the Warner had found it seasonable to vent a little more of his true sense in this point he had charged this great crime far more home upon the head of the Scots for indeed though they were ever far from denying the true degrees of importance which do cleerly appear among the multitude of Christian truths yet the great quarrel here of the Warner and his friends against them is that they spoyled the Canterburian designe of reconciling the Protestant Churches not among themselves but with the Church of Rome When these good men were with all earnestness proclaiming the greatest controversies of Papists and Protestants to be upon no fundamentals but onely disputable opinions wherein belief on either side was safe enough and when they found that the Papists did stand punctually to the Tenets of the Church of Rome and were obstinately unwilling to come over to England their great labour was that the English and the rest of the Protestants casting aside their needless belief of problematick truths in piety charity and zeal to make up the breach and take away the schism should be at all the pains to make the journey to Rome While this designe is far advanced and furiously driven on in all the three Kingdoms and by none more in Ireland then the Bishop of Derry behold the rude and plain Blue-caps step in to the play and mar all the Game By no art by no terrour can these be gotten along to such a reconciliation This was the first and greatest crime of the Scots which the Doctor here glances at but is so wise and modest a man as not to bring it above board The last charge of the chapter is that the Scots The Scots were ever anti-episcopal keep not still that respect to the Bishops of England which they were wont of old in the beginning of Q. Elizabeth's Reign Ans In that Letter cited by the Warner from the general Assembly of Scotland 1566. Sess 3. there is no word of approbation to the Office of Episcopacy they speak to the Bishops of England in no other quality or relation but as Ministers of the word the highest stile they give them is Reverend Pastors and Brethren the tenour of the whole Epistle is a grave and brotherly admonition to beware of that fatall concomitant of the most moderate Episcopacy the troubling of the best and most zealous servants of Christ for idle and fruitless Ceremonies How great a reverence the Church of Scotland at that time carried to Prelacy may be seen in their Supplication to the secret Councel of Scotland in that same Assembly the very day and Session wherein they writ the Letter in hand to the Bishops of England The Arch-bishp of S. Andrews being then usurping jurisdiction over the Ministry by some warrant from the State the Assembly was grieved not only with the Popery of that Bishop but with his ancient jurisdiction which in all Bishops popish and protestant is one and the same That jurisdiction was the only matter of their present complaint and in relation thereto they assure the Councel in distinct terms that they would never be more subject unto that usurped Tyranny then they would be to the Divel himself So reverend an opinion had the Church of Scotland at that time of Episcopal Jurisdiction The Prelates lately were found in the act of introducing Popery into the Church and Tyranny into the Kingdom But suppone that some fourscore yeers ago the Scots before they had tasted the fruits of Protestant Bishops had judged them tolerable in England yet since that time by the long tract of mischiefs which constantly have accompanied the order of Prelacy they have been put upon a more accurate inspection of its nature and have found it not onely a needlesse but a noxious and poysonous weed necessary to be plucked up by the root and cast over the hedge Beside all its former malefices it hath been deprehended of late in the very act of everting the foundations both of Religion and Government of bringing in Popery and Tyranny in the Churches and States of all the three Kingdoms Canterburian self-conviction cap. 1. And for these crimes it was condemned killed and buried in Scotland by the unanimous consent of King Church and Kingdom when England thereafter both in their Assembly and Parliament without a discording voice had found it necessary to root out that unhappy plant as long ago with great wisdom it had been cast out of all the rest of the reformed Churches had not the Scots all the reason in the world to applaud such pious just and
necessary resolutions of their English Brethren though the Warner should call it the greatest crime CHAP. II. The Presbyterians assert positively the Magistrates right to convocate Synods to confirm their acts to reform the Churches within their Dominions IN the second Chapter the Warner charges the Scots Presbytery with the overthrowing the Magistrates right in convocating of Synods When he comes to prove this No controversie in Scotland betwixt the King and the Church about the convocating of Synods he forgets his challenge and digresses from it to the Magistrates power of chusing Elders and making Ecclesiastick Laws avowing that these things are done in Scotland by Ecclesiastick persons alone without consent of the King or his Councel Ans It seems our Warner is very ignorant of the way of the Scots Discipline the ordinary and set meetings of all Assemblies both Nationall and provinciall since the first reformation are determined by Acts of Parliament with the Kings consent so betwixt the King and the Church of Scotland there is no question for the convocating of ordinary Assemblies for extraordinary no man in Scotland did ever controvert the Kings power to call them when and where he pleased as for the inherent power of the Church to meet for discipline as well as for worship the warner falls on it hereafter we must therefore passe it in this place What he means to speak of the Kings power in chusing Elders or making Ecclesiastick Laws himself knows The Warners Erastian and Tyrannick principles hated by the King his Majestie in Scotland did never require any such priviledge as the election of Elders or Commissioners to Parliament or members of any incorporation civil or ecclesaistick where the Laws did not expresly provide the nomination to be in the Crown The making of Ecclesiastick Laws in England as well as in as in Scotland was ever with the Kings good contentment referred to Ecclesiastâ—â—k Assemblies but the Warner seems to be in the mind of those his companions who put the power of preaching of administring the Sacraments and Discipline in the supreme Magistrate alone and derives it out of him as the Head of the Church to what Members he thinks expedient to communicate it also that the Legislative Power aswel in Ecclesiastick as civil Affairs is the property of the King alone That the Parliaments and general Assemblies are but his arbitrary Councels the one for matters of State the other for matters of the Church with whom or without whom hee makes Acts of Parliament and Church-cannons according to his good pleasure that all the Offices of the Kingdom both of Church and State are from him as he gives a commission to whom he will to be a Sheriff or Justice of Peace so he sends out whom he pleaseth to preach and celebrate Sacraments by vertue of his Regal mission The Warner and his Erastian friends may well extend the Royal Supremacy to this largenesse but no King of Scotland was ever willing to accept of such a power though by erroneous flatterers sometime obtruded upon â—â—m se Canterburian self conviction cap. ult The Warners ignorant and false report of the Sâ—â—ts proceedings The warner wil not leave this matter in generall he discends to instance a number of particular incroachments of the Scots Presbyters upon the Royal authority we must dispence in all his discourse with a small piccadillo in reasoning he must be permitted to lay all the faults of the Presbyterians in Scotland upon the back of the Presbytery it self and if the faylings of Officers were naturall to and inseparable from their Office mis-kennning this little mote of unconsequentiall argumenting we will go through his particular charges The first is that King James anno 1579 required the generall Assembly to make no alteration in the Church-policy till the next Parliament but they contemning their Kings command determined positively all their discipline without delay and questioned the Arch-Bishop of S. Andrews for voting in Parliament according to the undoubted Laws of the land yea 20 Presbyters did hold the generall Assembly at Aberdeen after it was discharged by the King Ans The VVarner possibly may know yet certainly he doth not care what he writes in these things to which he is a meer stranger the authentick Registers of the Church of Scotland convinces him here of falshood Bishops were abolished and Presb teries set up in Scotlanâ— with King Iames consent His Majesty did write from Stirling to the Generall Assembly at Edenburg 1579. that they should cease from concluding any thing in the discipline of the Church during the time of his minority upon this desire the Assembly did abstaine from all conclusions only they named a Committee to go to Striveling for conference with his Majestie upon that Subject What followeth thereupon I. Immediately a Parliament is called in October 1579 and in the first Act declares and grants jurisdiction unto the Kirk which consists in the true preaching of the word of Jesus Christ correction of manners and administration of the true Sacraments and declares that there is no other face of Kirk nor other face of Religion then is presently by the favour of God established within this realm and that there be no other jurisdiction Ecclesiastical acknowledged within this Kingdom then that which is within the samen Kirk or that which flowes therefrom concerning the premisses II. In April 1580 Proclamation was made ex deliberatione Dominorum Consilii in name of the King charging all Superintendents and Commissioners and Ministers serving at Kirks To note the names of all the Subjects aswel men as women suspected to be Papists or and to admonnish them to give Confession of their faith acording to the form approved by the Parliament and to submit unto the discipline of the true Kirk within a reasonable space and if they fail that the Superintendents or Commissioners present a role or catalogue of their names unto the King and Lords of secret Counsel where they shall be for the time between and the 15 day of July next to come to the end that the acts of Parliament made against such persons may be execute III. The short confession was drawn up at the Kings command which was first subscribed by his royal hand and an act of Secret Counsel commanding all subjects to subscribe the same as it is to be seen by the Act printed with the Confession wherein Hierarchie is abjured that is as hath been since declared by National assemblies and Parliaments both called and held by the King Episcopacy is abjured IV. In the assemblies 1580 and 1581 that Confession of faith and the second book of discipline after debating many praeceding yeares were approved except one chapter de diaconatu by the Assembly the Kings Commissioners being alwayes present nor finde we anything opposed them by him yea then at his Majesties special direction about fifty classical Presbyteries were set over Scotland which remain unto this day was there here any
attempt of the royal authority About that time some noble men had got the revenues of the Bishop-ricks for their private use and because they could not enjoy them by any legal right therefore for eluding the Law they did effectuate that some Ministers should have the title of this or that Bishoprick and the revenues were gathered in the name of this titulare or tulchan Bishop albeit he had but little part e. g. Robert Montgomery Minister at Sterline was called Arch-Bishop of Glasgow and so it can be instanced in other Bishop-ricks and Abbacies Now this kind of praelats pretended no right to any part of the Episcopal office either in ordination or jurisdiction when some of these men began to creep in to vote for the Church in Parliament without any Law of the State without any commission from the Church the General assembly discharged them being Ministers to practise any more such illegal insolencies with this ordinance of the Church after a little debate King James at that time did shew his good satisfaction The innocency of the much maligned assembly of Aberdeen But the Warner here jumps over no less then twenty seven years time from the assembly at Edingburgh 1579. to that at Aberdeen 1605. then was King James by the English Bishops perswasion resolved to put down the general assemblies of Scotland contrary to the Lawes and constant practice of that Church from the first reformation to that day The act of Parliament did bear that once at least a year the assembly should meet and after their business was ended they should name time and place for the next assembly When they had met in the yeer 1602 they were moved to adjurn without doing any thing for two whole years to 1604 when then they were conveened at the time and place agreed to by his Majestie they were content upon his Majesties desire without doing any thing to adjourn to the next year 1605 at Aberdeen when that dyet came his Majesties Commissioner offered him a Letter To the end they might be an Assembly and so in a Capacity to receive his Majesties Letter with the Commissioners good pleasure they sate down they named their Moderator and Clark they received and read the Kings letter commanding them to rise which they obeyed without any further action at all but naming a dyet for the next meeting according to the constant practise of Scotland hereupon by the pernicious counsel of the Arch-Bishop Banckroft at London the King was stirred up to bring sore troubles upon a number of gratious Ministers This is the whole matter which to the Warner here is so tragick an insolence that never any Parliament durst attempt the like See more of this in the Historicall vindication * Christmas and other superstitious festivals abolished in Scotland both by Church and State The next instance of our Presbiteryes usurpation upon the Magistrate is their abolition before any statute of Parliament thereupon of the Church festivals in their first book of discipline Ans Consider the griveousness of this crime in the intervall of Parliaments the great Councel of Scotland in the minority of the Prince entrusted by Parliament to rule the Kingdom did charge the Church to give them in write their judgement about matters Ecclesiasticall in obedience to this charge the Church did present the councel with a write named since the first book of discipline a which the Lords of councel did approve subscribe and ratifie by an Act of State a part of the first head in that write was that Christmas Epiphany Purification and other fond feasts of the Virgin Mary as not warrented by the holy Scriptures should be laid aside Was it any encroachment upon the Magistrate for the Church to give this advice to the privy councel when earnestly they did crave it the people of Scotland ever since have shewed their ready obedience to that direction of the Church founded upon Scripture and backed from the beginning with an injunction of the State His third instance of the Church of Scotlands usurpation upon the Magistrate is The friends of Episcopacy thryves not in Scotland their abolition of Episcopacy in the assembly 1580 when the Law made it treason to impugne the Authority of Bishops being the third estate of the Kingdom Ans The Warner seems to have no more knowledge of the affaires of Scotland then of Japan or Utopia the Law he speaks of was not in being some years after 1580 however all the general assemblies of Scotland are authorised by Act of Parliament to determin finally without an appeal in all Eclesiastick affairs in the named assembly Lundie the Kings Commissioner did sit and consent in his Majesties name to that act of abolition as in the next assembly 1581 the Kings Commissioner Caprinton did erect in his Majesties name the Presbyteries in all the Land it is true three years thereafter a wicked Courtier Captain James Stuart in a shadow of a close and not summoned Parliament did procure an act to abolish Presbyterie and erect Bishops but for this and all other crimes that evil man was quickly rewarded by God before the world in a terrible destruction these acts of this Parliament the very â—â—â—t year were disclaimed by the King the Bishops were put down and the Presbytery was set up again and never more removed to this day The Warners digression to the perpetuity of Bishops in Scotland to the acts of the Church and State for their restitution is but to shew his ignorance in the Scots story what ever be the Episcopall boasting of other Nations yet it is evident that from the first entrance of Christian Religion into Scotland Presbyters alone without Bishops for some hundred years did govern the Church and after the reformation there was no Bishop in that Land but in tittle and benefice till the year 1610 when Bancroft did consecrate three Scots Ministers all of them men of evil report whom that violent Commissioner the Earl of Dunbar in the corrupt and nul assembly of Glasgow got authorised in some part of a Bishops office which part only and no more was ratified in a posterior Parliament Superintendents are nowhere the same with Bishops much less in Scotland where for a time only til the Churches were planted they were used as ambulatory Commissioners and visitors to preach the word and administer the Sacraments for the supply of vacant and unsetled congregations The second book of discipline why not at all ratified in Parliament The fourth instance is the Churches obtruding the second book of discipline without the ratification of the State Ans For the Ecclesiastick enjoyning of a general assemblies decrees a particular ratification of Parliament is unnecessâ—ry general acts of Paâ—liament commanding obedience to the acts of the Church are a sufficient warrant from the State beside that second book of disciplin was much debated with the King and at last in the General assembly 1590 his consent was obtained unto
it for in that assembly where unanimously the subscription of the second book of disciplin by all the ministers of the Kingdom was decryed his Majestie some time in person always by the Chancelor his Commissioner was present and in the act for subscription Sess 10 Augusti 8. it is expresly said that not only all the Ministers but also all the Commissioners present did consent among which Commissioners the chancelor his Majesties Commissioner was chief But neither the King nor the Church could get it to passe the Parliament in regard of the opposition which some States-men did make unto these parts thereof which touched on their own interest of unjust advantage this was the only stick The Warners hypocrisy calling that a crime which himself counts a vertue The next instance of the Churches encroachment is their usurpation of all the old rents of the clergy as the Churches patrimony and their decerning in an assembly that nothing in the next Parliament should passe before the Church were fully restored to her rents Ans Consider here the Warners hypocrisie and unjustice he challenges the Presbyterians for that which no Prelate in the world did ever esteem a fault a meer declaration of their judgment that the Church had a just right to such rents as by Law and long possession were theirs and not taken away from them by any lawfull means What if here they had gone on with the most of the prelatical party to advance that right to a jus divinum what if they had put themselves by a command from Court into the possession of that right without a processe as divers of the Warners friends were begun lately to do in all the three Kingdoms But all that he can here challenge the Scots for is a meer declaration of their simple right with a supplication to the Regent his Grace that he would indeavour in the next Parliament to procure a ninth part of the Churches patrimony for the maintenance of the ministry and the poor of the Country for all the rent that the Churches then could obtain or did petition was but a third of the Thirds of the Benefices or Tithes That ever any Assembly in Scotland did make any other addresse to the Parliament for stipends then by way of humble supplication it is a great untruth The last instance is the erecting of Presbyteries through all the Kingdom by an Act of the Church alone Answ I have shewn already the untruth of this Allegation the proof here brought for it is grounded only upon an ambiguous word which the Warners ignorance in the Scotish Discipline and Presbytery though the main subject of his Book permits him not to understand The Presbyteries were set up by the King after the Assembly 1580 but the second Book of Discipline of which alone the citation speaks how-ever injoyned by many Assemblies yet it could never be gotten ratified in any parliament only because of those parts of it which did speak for the patrimony of the Church and oppugne the right of patronage How well the Warner hath proved the Presbyterian practices to be injurious to the Magistrate we have considered The Warner a gross Erastian possibly he will be more happy in his next undertaking in his demonstrations that their doctrinal principles do trample on the Magistrates Supremacy and Laws Their first principle he takes out of the second book of Discipline Chap. 7. That no Magistrate nor any but Ecclesiastick persons may vote in Synods Ans Though I finde nothing of this in the place cited yet there is nothing in it that crosseth either the Laws or the Kings Supremacy for according to the Acts of Parliament of Scotland both old and late and the constant practice of that Church the onely members of Presbyteries are Ministers and ruling Elders Is it the Warners minde to vent here his super-Erastianism that all Ecclesiastick Assemblies Classical Provincial National are but the arbitrary courts of the Magistrate for to advise him in the execution of his inherent power about matters Ecclesiastical and for this cause that it is in his arbitrement to give a decisive voice in all Church Assembles to whom and how many soever he will Though this may be the Warners minde as it hath been some of his friends yet the most of the prelatical party will not maintain him herein How-ever such principles are contrary to the Laws of Scotland to the professions also and practices of all the Princes and Magistrates that ever have lived there Prelaticall principles impossibilitate all solid peace betwixt the King and his Kingdoms But the Warner here may possibly glance at another principle of his good friends who have been willing lately to vent before all Brittain in print their elevating the supremacy of Soveraigns so far above Laws that whatever people have obtained to be established by never so many Assemblies and Parliaments and confirmed with never so many great seals of ratification and peaceably enjoyed by never so long a possession yet it is nothing but commendable wisdom and justice for the same Prince who made the first Concessions or any of his successors whenever they find themselves strong enough to cancel all and make void what ever Parliaments Assemblies Royall ratifications and the longest possession made foolish people beleeve to be most firm and unquestionable To this purpose Bishop Maxwel from whom much of this VVarning is borrowed doth speak in his Sacro-Sancta regum Majestas Though this had bin the Cabin-divinity of our Prelats yet what can be their intentions in speaking of it out in these times of confusion themselves must declare for the clear consequent of such doctrine seems to be a necessity either of such Warners perpetuall banishment from the Courts and ears of Soveraigns or else that subjects be kept up for ever in a strong jealousie and fear that they can never be secure of their Liberties though never so well ratified by Lawes and promises of Princes any longer then the sword and power remains in their own hand to preserve what they have obtained Such Warners so long as they are possessed with such maximes of state are clear everters of the first fundations of trust betwixt Soveraigne and Subjects they take away any possibility of any solid peace of any confident settlement in any troubled State before both parties be totally ruined or one become so strong that they need no more to feare the others malecontentment in any time to come Our second challenged principle is that we teach the whole power of convocating assemblies to be in the Church Erastian Prelats evert the legal foundations of all Government Ans The Warners citations prove not that we maintain any such assertion our doctrin and constant practise hath been to ascribe to the King a power of calling Synods when and wheresoever he thought fit but that which the Warner seems to point at is our tenet of an intrinsicall power in the Church to meet as
general assembly IN this Chapter the challenge is that there are no appeals from the general Assembly to the King as in England from the Bishops Courts to the King in Chauncery Appeales in Scotland from a generall Assemâ—ly were no lesse irrational then illegall where a Commission uses to be given to delegats who discusse the appeals Ans The warner considers not the difference of the Government of the Church of Scotland from that which was in England what the Parliament is in the State that the general assembly is in the Church of Scotland both are the highest Courts in their own kinde There is no appeal any where in moderate Monarchies to the Kings person but to the King in certain legall Courts as the Warner here confesseth the appeal from Bishops lies not to the King in his person but to the King in his Court of Chancery As no man in Scotland is permitted to appeal in a civill cause from the Lords of Session much lesse from the Parliament so no man in an ecclesiastick cause is permitted by the very civil Law of Scotland to appeal from the general Assembly According to the Scots order and practice the King in person or else by his high Commissioner sits as usually in the generall Assembly as in Parliament But though it were not so yet an appeal from a generall Assembly to be discussed in a court of Delegats were unbeseeming and unreasonable the one court consisting of above two hundred all chosen men the best and most able of the Kingdom the other but of two or three often of very small either abilities or integrity who yet may be more fit to discern in an Ecclesiastick cause then a single Bishop or his Official the ordinary Trustee in all acts of Jurisdiction for the whole Dioces But the Scots way of managing Ecclesiastick causes is a great deal more just safe and Satisfactory to any rational man then that old Popish order of the English where all the spirituall Jurisdiction of the whole Dioces was in the hand of one mercenary Officiall without all relief from his Sentence except by an appeal as of old to the Pope and his Delegats so thereafter to the King though never to be cognosced upon by himself but as it was of old by two or three Delegats the weakest of all Courts often for the quality and ever for the number of the Judges The Churches â—â—st severity aâ—â—inst Montâ—â—mery Aâ—â—mson was â—proven by â—â—e King and â—â—e parties â—â—mselves Two Instances are brought by the Warner to prove the Church of Scotlands stopping of appeals from the generall Assembly to the King the cases of Montgomery and Adamson if the causes and events of the named cases had been well known to the Warner as he made this chapter disproportionably short so readily be might have deleted it altogether But these men were infamous not onely in their Ministeriall charges but in their life and conversation both became so insolent that contrary to the established order of the Church and Kingdom being suborned by wicked Statesmen who in that day of darkness had well neer brought ruine both to King and Countrey would needs take upon them the Office of Arch-Bishops While the Assembly was in Process with them for their manifold and high misdeameanors the King was moved by them and their evil Patrons to shew his high displeasure against the Assemblies of the Church they for his Majâ—sties satisfaction sent their Commissioners and had many conferences whereby the pride and contempt of these Prelats did so encrease that at last they drew the sentence of Excommunication upon their own heads the King after some time did acknowledge the equity of the Church proceedings and professed his contentment therewith both these unhappy men were brought to a humble confession of their crimes and such signs of repentance that both after a renunciation of their titulary Bishopricks were re-admitted to the function of the Ministry which they had deserted Never any other before or after in Scotland did appeal from the generall Assembly to the King the late Excommunicate Prelate in their declinator against the Assembly of Glasgow did not appeal as I remember to the King but to another Generall Assembly to be constitute according to their own Popish and Tyrannicall principles CHAP. IV. Faulty Ministers in Scotland are lesse exempted from punishment then any other men THe Warner in his fourth Chapter The pride of Prelats lately but never the Presbytery did exempt their fellows from punishment for their civill faults offers to prove that the Scotish Discipline doth exempt Ministers from punishment for any treason or sedition they can act in their Pulpits Answ This challenge is like the rest very false The rules of the Church Discipline in Scotland obliges Churchmen to be subject to punishment not only for every fault for which any other man is lyable to censure but ordains them to be punished for sundry things which in other men are not at all questionable and whatever is consuâ—able in any they appoint it to be much more so in a Minister It is very untruâ— that the Pulpits in Scotland are Sanctuaries for any crime much lesse for the grievous crimes of sedition and treason Let the Warner remember how short a time it is since an Episcopall Chaire or a Canonicall Coâ—t did priviledge in England and Ireland from all censure either of Church or State great numbers who were notoriously known to be guilty of the foulest crimes Was ever the Warâ—â—â—â— companion Bishop Aderton challenged for his Sodomy so long as their common Patron of Canterbury did rule the Court did the Warner never hear of a Prelate very sibb to Dâ—ctor Bramble who to this day was never called to any account for flagrant scandals of such crimes as in Scotland are punishable by the Gallows the Warner doth not well to insist upon the Scots Clergy exempting themselves from civill punishments no where in the world are Churchmen more free of crimes deserving civill Cognisance then in Scotland and if the ears and eyes of the World may be trusted the Popish Clergy this day in Italy and Spaine are not so challengeable as the Prelaâ—icall Divines in England and Ireland lately were for many grossâ— misdemeanors The Warner is injurious to the Ministers of Holland But why does the Warners anger run out so far as to the Preachers in Holland is it because he knoweth the Church D scipline in Holland to be really the same with that he oppugnes in the Scots and that all the Reformed Churches doe joyn cordially with Scotland in their rejection of Episcopacy is this a ground for him to slander our Brethren of Holland Is it charity for him a stranger to publish to the World in print that the Ministers in Holland are seditious Orators and that they saucily controll the Magistrates in their Pulpits Their crime seems to be that for the love of Christ their Master they are
King of his Tythes first Fruits Patronage and Dependence of his Subjects Ans The Warner understands not what he writes The Kings Majesty in Scotland never had never craved any First fruits The Church never spoiled the King of any Tithes some other men indeed by the wickedness most of Prelates and their followers did cozen both the King and the Church of many Tythes but his Majesty and the Church had never any controversie in Scotland about the Tythes for the King so far as concerned himsef was ever willing that the Church should enjoy that which the very Act of Parliament acknowledgeth to be her patrimony Nor for the patronages had the Church any plea with the King the Church declared often their mind of the iniquity of patronages wherein they never had from the King any considerable opposition but from the Nobility and Gentry the opposition was so great that for peace sake the Church was content to let patronages alone till God should make a Parliament lay to heart what was incumbent for gracious men to do for liberating Congregations from their slavery of having Ministers intruded upon them by the violence of Patrons Which now at last blessed be God according to our mind is performed As for the dependence of any vassalls upon the King it was never questioned by any Presbyterian in S otla d. K. James avowes himself a hatâ—â— of Eâ—â—stianâ—sm What is added in the rest of the Chapter is but a repetition of that which went before to wit the Presbyters denying to the King the spirituall Government of the Church and the power of the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven such an usurpation upon the Church King James declared under his hand as at length may be seâ—n in the Historicall vindication to be a sin against the Father Son and Holy Ghost which puts in the hand of the Magistrate the power of Preaching and celebrating the Sacraments a power which since that time no Magistrate in Britaine did assume and if any would have claimed it none would have more opposed then the most zealous Patrons of Episcopacy The injurious invectives which the Warner builds upon this his Erastian assertion we pass them as Castles in their ayr which must fall and evanish for want of a foundation Only before I leave this Chapter let the Warner take a good Sentence out of the mouth of that wise Prince King James to testifie yet farther his mind against Erastianisme His Majestie in the year 1617 having come in progress to visit his ancient Kingdom of Scotland and being present in person at a publick disputation in Theologie in the University of St. Andrews whereof also many both Nobles and Church-men of both Kingdoms were auditors when one of those that acted a part in the disputation had affirmed and went about to maintaine this Assertion that the King had power to depose Ministers from their Ministeriall function The King himself as abhorring such flattery cried out with a loud voice Ego possum deponere Ministri caput sed non possum deponere ejus officium CHAP. VII The Presbytery doth not draw from the Magistrate any part of his power by the cheat of any relation IN the seventh Chapter The Presbytery cognosceth only upon scandals and that in fewer civill things then Bishops courts were wont to meddle with the Warner would cause men believe many more of the Presbyteries usurpations upon the Civil Magistrate The first is that all offences whatsoever are cognoscible in the Consistory upon the case of scandal Ans First the Presbytery makes no offence at all to come before the Consistory but Scandall alone Secondly these civil offences the scandall whereof comes before the Presbytery are but very few and a great deal fewer then the Bishops Official takes notice of in his Consistorial Court That capitall crimes past over by the Magistrate should be censured by the Church no society of Christians who have any discipline did ever call in question When the sword of the Magistrate hath spared a Murderer an Adulterer a Blasphemer will any ingenuous either Prelaticall or Popish Divine admit of such to the holy Table without signs of Repentance The Warners second usurpation is but a branch of the first that the Presbytery draws directly before it self the cognisance of fraud in bargaining false measures oppression and in the case of Ministers bribing usury fighting perjury c. Ans Is it then the Warners mind that the notorious slander of such grosse sins does not deserve so much as an Ecclesiasticall rebuke Shall such persons without admonition be admitted to the holy Communion Secondly the named cases of fraud in bargaining false measures oppression come so rarely before our Church-judicatories that though this thirty years I have been much conversant in Presbyteries yet did I never see nor doe I remember that ever I heard any of these three cases brought before any Church Assembly In the person of Ministers I grant these faults which the Canons of the Church in all times and places make the causes of deprivation are cognosced upon in Presbyteries but with the good liking I am sure of all both Papists and Prelates who themselves are free of such vices And why did not the Warner put in among the causes of Church-mens deprivation from Office and Benefice Adultery gluttony and Drunkenness Are these in his c. which he will not have cognoscible by the Church in the persons of Bishops and Doctors The Warners third challenge amounts to an high crime that Presbyterian Ministers are bold to preach upon these Scriptures which speak of the Magistrates duty in his Office or dare offer to resolve from Scripture any doubt which perplexeth the conscience of Magistrates or People of Husband or Wife of Master or Servant in the discharge of their Christian duty one to another What ever hath bin the negligence of the Bishop of Derry yet I am sure all the preaching Prelates and Doctors of England pretended a great care to goe about these uncontroverted parts of their Ministeriall Function and yet without medling with the Mysteries of State or the depths of any mans particular vocation much less with the judgment of jurisdiction in Political or Aeconomical causes The Châ—rcâ—es pâ—oceedings in tâ—e late engagement â—leered from mistâ—kes As for the Churches declaration against the Late engagement did it not well become them to signifie their judgment in so great a case of conscience especially when the Parliament did propone it to them for resolution and when they found a conjunction driven on with a clearly Malignant Party contrary to solemn oathes and covenants unto the evident hazard of Religion and them who had been most eminent instruments of its preservation was it not the Churches duty to give warning against that sin and to exhort the ring-leaders therein to repentance But our Warner must needs insist upon that unhappy engagement and fasten great blame upon the Church for giving any advice
of the Commanders to whom the managing of that great trust should be committed for after the right stating of the War the next would be the carying on of it by such men who had given constant proof of their integrity To put all the power of the Kingdom in their hand whose by-past miscariages had given just occasion to suspect their designes and firmness to the interest of God before their own or any other mans would fill the hearts of the people with jealousies and fears and how wholsome an advice this was experience hath now too clearly demonstrated To make the world know our further resolutions to meddle with civill affaires the Warner is pleased to bring out against us above 80 years old stories and all the stuff which our malicious enemy Spotswood can furnish to him from this good Author he alledges that our Church discharged Merchants to traffique with Spaine and commanded the Change of the market-dayes in Edenburgh Ans Both these calumnies are taken off at length in the Historical Vindication After the Spanish Invasion in the year 88 many in Scotland kept correspondence with Spaine for treacherous designs the Inquisitors did seduce some and persecute others of our Merchants in their traffique the Church did deale with his Majesty to intercede with the Spanish King for more liberty to our Countrey men in their trading and in the mean time while an answer was returned from Madril they advertized the people to be wary how they hazarded their souls for any worldly gaine which they could find about the Inquisitors feet The Church meâ—led not with the Munday Marâ—et buâ— by way of supplication in Parliament As for the Market days I grant it was a great grief to the Church to see the Sabbath day profaned by handy labor and journeying by occasion of the Munday-markets in the most of the great Towns for remedy hereof many supplications have been made by the Assembly to the Parliament but so long as our Bishops sate there these petitions of the Church were alwaies eluded for the Prelates labor in the whole Island was to have the sunday no Sabbath and to procure by their Doctrine and example the profanation of that day by all sorts of playes to the end people might be brought back to their old licentiousness and ignorance by which the Episcopall Kingdom was advanced It was visible in Scotland that the most eminent Bishops were usual players on the Sabbath even in time of divine Service And so soon as they were cast out of the Parliament the Churches supplications were granted and acts obtained for the carefull sanctification of the Lords day and removing of the Markets in all the Land from the Munday to other days of the week The Church once for safty of the infant Kings life with the concurrence of the cret Counsel did call an extraordinary meeting The Warners next challenge of our usurpation is the Assembly at Edenburgh 1567 their ratifying of Acts of Parliament and summoning of all the Countrey to appeare at the next Assembly Ans If the Warner had known the History of that time he would have chosen rathet to have omitted this challenge then to have proclaimed to the world the great rottenness of his own heart At that time the condition of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland was lamentable the Queen was declared for Popery King James his Father was cruelly without any cause murthered by the Earl of Bothwel King James himself in his infancy was very neare to have been destroyed by the murtherer of his Father there was no other way conceivable of safety for Religion for the Infant King for the Kingdom but that the Protestants should joyn together for the defence of King James against these Popish murtherers For this end the general Assembly did crave conference of the secret Counsel and they with mutual advice did call for a meeting of the whole Protestant Party which did convene at the time appointed most frequently in an extraordinary and mixed assembly of al the considerable persons of the Religion Earls Lords Barons Gentlemen Burgesses and Ministers and subscribed a bond for the revenge of King Henries death and the defence of King James his life This mixed and extraordinary Assembly made it one of the chiefe Articles in their bond to defend these Acts of the Parliament 1560. concerning Religion and to endeavour the ratification of them in the next ensuing Parliament As for the Assemblies letter to their Brethren for so frequent a meetting at the next extraordinary Assembly it had the Authority of the secret Counsel it was in a time of the greatest necessity when the Religion and liberties of the land were in evident hazard from the potent and wicked counsels of the Popish Party both at home and abroad when the life of the young King was dayly in visible danger from the hands of them who had murthered his Father and ravished his Mother Lesse could not have been done in such a juncture of time by men of wisdom and courage who had any love to their Religion King and Countrey but the resolution of our Prelates is to the contrary when a most wicked villain had obtained the connivance of a Queen to kill her husband and to make way for the killing of her Son in his Cradle and after these murders to draw a Nation and Church from the true Religion established by Law into Popery and a free Kingdom to an illegal Tyranny in this case there may be no meeting either of Church or State to provide remedies against such extraordinary mischiefs Beleeve it the Scots were never of this opinion What is subjoyned to the next Paragraph of our Churches presumption to abolish Acts of Parliament By the laws customs of Scotland the assembly procedes the Parliament in the â—foâ—mation of Ecclesiastical abuses is but a repetition of what is spoken before Not only the laws of Scotland but equity and necessity refers the ordinary Reformation of errors and abuses in Religion to the Ecclesiasticall Assemblies what they find wrong in the Church though ratified by acts of Parliament they rectifie it from the word of God and thereafter by Petition obtaines their rectification to be ratified in a following Parliament and all former Acts to the contrary to be annulled This is the ordinary Method of proceeding in Scotland and as I take it in all other States and Kingdoms Were Christians of old hindred to leave Paganisme and embrace the Gospel till the Emperial Laws for Paganisme and against Christianity were revoked did the Oecumenical and Nationall Synods of the Ancients stay their reformation of heresies and corruptions in Religion till the laws of State which did countenance these errors were cancelled Was not Popery in Germany France and Britaine so firmly established as Civill Laws could do it It seems the Warner here doth joyn with his brother Issachar to proclaim all our Reformers in Britaine France and Germany to be Rebels
for daring by their preachings and Assemblies to change these things which by Acts of Parliaments had been approved before new Parliaments had allowed of their reformation Nevertheless this plea is foolishly intended against us for the Ministers protestation against the Acts of Parliament 1584 establishing in that houre of darkness iniquity by a Law and against the Acts of the Assembly of Glasgow declaring the unlawfulness of Bishops and Ceremonies which some Parliaments upon Episcopal mis-information had approved both these actions of the Church were according to former Laws and were ratified afterward by Acts of Parliament yet standing in force which for the Warner a private man and a stranger to challenge is to contemn much more grosly the Law then they do whom here he is accusing of that crime The Church part in the road of Ruthven cleâ—red By the next Story the Warner wil gain nothing when the true case of it is known In K. Jame's minority one Capt. James Stuart did so far prevail upon the tender and unexperienced years of the Prince as to steal his countenance unto Acts of the greatest oppression so far that James Hamelton Earl of Arran the next to the King in blood in his health a most gallant Prince and a most zealous Professor of the true Religion in time of his sickness when he was not capable to commit any crime against the State was notwithstanding spoyled of all his livelihood and liberty his Lands and honor with the dignity of high Chancelor of Scotland were conferred on that very wicked Tyrant Captain James a number of the best affected and prime nobility impatient of such unheard-of oppressions with meer boasts and no violence at the road of Ruthven chased away that unhappy Chancelor from the Kings person this his Majesty for the time professed to take in so good part that under his hand he did allow it for good service in his letters to the most of the Neighbor Princes he dealt also with the secret Counsel and the chief Judicatories of the Land and obtained from them the approbation of that act of the Lord as convenient and laudable pormising likewise to ratifie it in the next ensuing Parliament When the Lords for their more aboundant cleering required the Assembles declaration thereupon the Ministers declined to meddle at all with the case but the Kings Majesty sent his Commissioners to the Assembly entreating them withall earnestness to declare their good liking of that action which he assured them was for his good and the good both of Church and Kingdom for their obedience to the Kings importunity they are here railed upon by the wise Warner It is true Cap. James shortly after crept in again into Court and obtained a severe revenge against the authors of that action before a Parliament could sit to approve it but within a few months the same Lords with some more did at Striveling chase again that evill man from the Court whither he never more returned and this their action was ratified in the next Parliament and so stands to this day unquestioned by any but such as the Warner either out of ignorance or malice I am weary to follow the Warner in all his wandrings The interest of the general assembly of Scotland in the reformation of England at the next leap he jumps from the 1584 to the 1648 skipping over in a moment 64 years The Articles of Stiveling mentions that the promoving of the work of Reformation in England and Ireland be referred to the general Assembly upon this our friend doth discharge a flood of his choller all the matter of his impatience here is That Scotland when by fraude they had been long allured and at last by open violence invaded by the English Prelates that they might take on the yoke of all their corruptiones they were contented at the earnest desire of both the houses of Parliament and all the wel-affected in England to assist their Brethren to purge out the leaven of Episcopacy and the Service Book with all the rest of the old corruptions of the Engish Irish Churches with the mannaging of this so great and good an Ecclesiastique work the Parliament of Scotland did intrust the general assembly No marvail that Dr. Bramble a zealous lover of all the Arminianisme Popery and Tyranny of which his great Patron Dr. Lade stands convicted yet without an answer to have been bringing in upon the three nations should be angry at the discoverers and dis-appointers of that most pious work as they wont to style it What here the Warner repeats it is answered before as for the 2 Stories in his conclusion The violent apprehenâ—â—â— of Masse-Priests in their act of Idolatry râ—proved by the Warner which he takes out of his false Author Spots-wood adding his own large amplifications I conceive there needs no more to be said to the first but that some of John Knocks zealous hearers understanding of a Masse-Priest at their very side committing Idolatry contrary to the Laws did with violence break in upon him and sease upon his person and Masse-cloathes that they might present him to the ordinary Magistrate to receive justice according to the Law This act the Warner wil have to be a huge Rebellion not only in the actors but also in Iohn Knocks who was not so much as present thereat What first he speaks of the Assemblies convocating the people in arms to be present at the tryall of the Popish Lords and their avowing of that their deed to the King in his face we must be pardoned to mistrust the Warner herein upon his bare word without the relief of some witness and that a more faithfull one then his Brother in evill Mr. Spots-wood whom yet here he doth not profess to cite Against these Popish Lords after their many treasons and bloody murders of the Lieges the King himself at last was forced to arme the people but that the generall Assembly did call any unto Arms we require the Warners proof that we may give it an answer CHAP. VIII The chief of the Prelates agree with the Presbyterians about the Divine right of Church-iscipline THe Warners challenge in this Chapter is That we maintaine our discipline by a Iure divino and for this he spews out upon us a Sea of such Rhetorick as much better beseemed Mercurius Aulicus then either a Warner or a Prelate In this challenge he is as unhappy as in the rest it is for a matter wherein the most of his own Brethren though our Adversaries yet fully agree with us that the discipline of the Church is truly by divine right and that Jesus Christ holds out in Scripture the substantials of that Government whereby he will have his house to be ruled to the worlds end leaving the circumstantials to be determined by the Judicatories of the Church according to the general rules which are clear also in the word for matters of that nature In this neither Papists nor the
Commons of a Kingdome who are oppressed by Episcopall officials have no other remedy but to goe attend a Committee of two or three civilians at London deputed for the discussing of such appeales The Presbyterian course is much more ready solide and equitable if any grievance arise from the sentence of a Presbytery a Synode twice a yeare doth sit in the bounds and attends for a weeke or if need be longer to determine all appeales and redresse all grievances now the Synode does consist of all the Ministers within the bounds which ordinarily are of diverse whole shires as that of Glasgow of the upper and nearer ward of Clidsedaile Baerranfrow Lennox Kile Carrick and Cunninghame also beside Ministers the constant Members who have decisive voyce in Synodes are the chiefe Noblemen Gentlemen and Burgesses of all these shires among whom their be such parts for judgement as are not to be found nor expected in any inferiour civill Court of the Kingdome yet if it fall out so that any party be grieved with the sentence of a Synode there is then a farther and finall appeale to a Generall assembly which consist of as many Burgesses and more Gentlemen from every shire of the Kingdome then come to any Parliament Besides the prime Nobility and choisest Ministry of the land having the Kings Majestie in person or in his absence his high Commissioner to be their praesident This meeting yeerly or oftner if need be sits ordinarily a month and if they thinke fit longer the number the wisedome the eminency of the members of this Court is so great that beside the unjustice it were a very needlesse labour to appeal from it to the Parliament for as we have said the King or his high Commissioner sits in both meetings albeit in a different capacity the number and qualification of Knights and Burgesses is ever large as great in the assembly as in Parliament onely the difference is that in Parliament all the Nobility in the Kingdome sit without any election and by vertue of their birth but in the Assembly onely who for age wisedome and pieâ—y are chosen by the Presbyteries as fittest to judge in Ecclesiastick affaires but to make up this odds of the absence of some Noblemen the assembly is alwaies adorned with above an hundred of the choisest Pastors of the whole land none whereof may sit in Parliament nothing that can conciliate authority to a Court which can be found in the Nation is wanting to the generall assembly how basely so ever our praelats are pleased to trample upon it The second alleadged hurt All questions about pattronages in Scotland are now ended which the Nobility have from the Presbytery is the losse of their partonages by congregations electing their Pastors Answ However the judgement of our Church about patâ—onages is no other then that of the Reformed divines abroad yet have our Presbyteries alwâ—ies with patience endured patrons to present unto vacant Churches till the Parliament now at last hath taken away that grievance The possessors of Church-lâ—nds were ever feared for Bishops but never for the Presbyâ—ery The Nobilities next hurt by the Presbytery is their losse of all their impropriations and Abey-lands Ans How Sycophantâ—ck an accusation is this for who knowes not how farre the whole generation of the praelaticke faction doe exceed the highest of the Presbyterians in zeale against that which they call Sacriledge never any of the Presbyterians did attempt either by violence or a course of Law to put out any of the Nâ—bility or Gentry from their possessions of the Chu ch-lands but very lately the threats and vigorous activity of the p aelats and their followers were so vehement in this kinde that all the Nobility and Gentry who had any interest were wackned to purpose to take heed of their rights In the last Parliament of Scotland when the power of the Church was as great as they expect to see it again though they obtained the abolition of patronages yet were the possessors of the Church-lands and tythes so little harmed that their rights thereto were more cleerly and strongly conformed then by any praeceding Parliament The fourth hurt is that every ordinary Presbyter will make himselfe a Noblemans fellow Ans No where in the World doe gracious Ministers though meane borne men receive more respect from the Nobility then in Scotland neither any where does the Nobility and Gentry receive more duely their honour then from the Ministers there That insolent speech fathered on Mr. Robert Bruce is demonstrat to be a fabulous calumny in the historicall vindication However the Warner may know that in all Europe where Bishops have place it has ever at least these 800 yeares beene their nature to trample under foot the hâ—ghest of the Nobility As the Pope must be above the Emperour so a little Cardinal Bellarmin can tell to King James that he may well he counted a companion of any Ilander King were the Bishops in Scotland ever content till they got in Parliament the right hand and the nearest seates to the throne and the doore of the greatest Earles Marquesses and Dukes was it not Episcopacy that did advance poore and capricious Pedants to strive for the white staves and great Seales of both Kingdomes with the prime Nobility and often overcome them in that strife In Scotland I know and the Warner will assure for England and Ireland that the basest borne of his Brethren has ruffled it in the secret councell in the royall Exchequer in the highest Courts of Justice with the greatest Lords of the Land it s not so long that yet it can be forgotten since a Bishop of Galloway had the modesty to give unto a Marquesse oâ— Aâ—gile tantum non a broad lye in his face at the Councell table The Warner shall do well to reckon no more with Presbyters for braving of Noblemen The nixt hee will have to be wronged by the Presbytery are the Orthodox Clergy The Prelatâ— continue to annull the being of all the Reformed Churches for their want of Episcopacy Ans All the Presbyterians to him it seemes are heterodoxe Episcopacy is so necessary a truth that who denies it must be stamped as for a grievous errour with the character of heterodox The following words cleere this to be his minde they lâ—se saith hee the comfortable assurance of undoubted succession by Episcopall ordination what sence can be made of these words but that all Ministers who are not ordained by Bishopâ— must lie under the comfortlesse uncertainty of any lawfull succession in their Ministeriall charge for want of this succession through the lineall descent of Bishops from the Apostles at least for want of ordination by the hands of Bishops as if unto them onely the power of mission and ordination to the Ministry were committed by Christ because of this defect the Presbyterian Ministers must not onely want the comfort of an assured and undoubted calling to the Ministery but may very well
agoe bin put from such impudence It was the late labour of the Prelats by all their skill to disgrace Preaching and Praying without booke to cry up the Liturgy at the only service of God and to idolize it as a most Heavenly and Divine peece of write which yet is nought but a Transcript of the superstitious breviary and idolatrous missall of Rome The Warner would doe well to consider and answer after seven years advisement Mr Bailie his pararell of the Service Booke with the Missall and Breviary before he present the world with new paralells of the English liturgy with the directories of the Rerormed Churches It is so indeed that all Preaching and Praying without Booke is but a pratting of non-sence everlastingly why then continues the King and many well minded men to be deceived by our Doctors while they affirme that they are as much for Preaching in their practise and opinion as the Presbyterians and for Prayer without book also before and after Sermon and in many other occasions it seemes these affi mations are nothing but grosse dissimulation in this time of their lownesse and affliction to decline the envy of people against them for their profane contempt of Dâ—vine ordinances for we may see here their tenet to remaine what it wâ—s and themselves ready enough when their seaâ—on shall be fitter to ring it out loud in the eares of the World that for Divine Service people needs no more but the reading of the Liturgy that Sermons on week dayes and Sundayes afternoon must all be laid aside Vide ladensium cap. 7. that on the Sabbath before noone Sermon is needlesse and from the mouths of the most Preachers very noxious that when so â—e leaâ—ned Schollars are pleased on soâ—e festivall dayes to have an Oration it woâ—ld be short and according to the Court paterne without all Spâ—rit and life for edification but by all meanes it must be provided that no word of prayer either before or after be spoken except only a bidding to pray for many things even for the welfare of the soules departed and all this alone in the words of the Lords Prayer If any shall dare to expresse the desi es of his heart to God in privat or publick in any words of his oâ—n framing he is a grosse Puritan who is bold to offe to God his own nonsence rather then the ancient and well advised prayers of the holy Church The Waâ—ner is here also mistaken in his beliefe that ever the Church of Scotland had any Liturgy they had and have still some formes for helpe and direction but notice eâ—er in any of them by Law or practise they do not condemne the use of set formes for Rules yeâ— nâ—t for use in â—ee nâ—eâ—s who are thereby endeavouring to attaine a readinesse to pray in their family our of their own heart in the words which Gods Spirit dytes to them but for Ministers to suppresse their most comfortable and usefull gift of prayer by tying their mouth unto such formes which themselves or others have composed we count it a wrong to the giver and to him who has received the gift and to the Church for whose use that was bestowed Episcopall Warrants for clandestin marriages rob Parents of their childdren In the next place the Warner makes the Presbytry injurious to parents by marying their children contrary to their consent and forcing them to give to the d sobedient as large a portion as to any other of their obedient children and than it is no marvail the Scots should doe these things who have stripped the King the father of their Country of his just rights Ans By the Warners Rule all the actions of a Nation where a Presbyteâ—y lodges must be charged on the back of the Presbytery II. The Parliament of Scotland denyes that they have stripped the King of his just Rights while he was stirred up and keeped on by the prelaticall faction to courses destructive to himselfe and all his people after their shedding of much bloud before the exercise of all parts of his Royall government they onely required for all satisfaction and security to Religion and Liberties the grant of some few most equitable demands The unhappy Prelats from the beginning of our troubles to this day finding our great demande to runne upon the abolition of their Office did ever presse His Majesty to deny us that satisfaction and rather then Bishops should be laid aside they have concluded that the King himselfe and all his family and all his three Kingdomes shall perish yet with all patience the Scots continâ—e to supplicate and to offer not onely their Kingdome but their lives and estates and all they have for His Mâ—je â—es seâ—vice upon the grant of their few and easy demands but no misery eâ—ther of King or people can overcome the desperate obstinacy of Prelaticall hearts As for parents coâ—seâ—t to the mariage of their childreâ— how tenderly it is provided for in England it may be seen at length in the very place cited It was the Bishops who by their warrants for clandestine mariages and dispensations with mariages without warrant have spoyled many parents of their deare children with such abhominations the Presbytery was never acquainted all that is alleadged out of that place of our discipline is when a cruel parent or tutor abuses their authority over their Children and against all reason for their owne evill ends perversely will crosse their Children in their lawfull and every way honest desires of mariage that in that case the Magistrates and Ministers may be intreated by the grieved childe to deale with the unjust parent or tutor that by their meditation reason may be done I beleeve this advice is so full of equity that no Church nor State in the world will complaine of it but how ever it be this case is so rare in Scotland that I professe I never in my life did know nor did hear of any childe before my dayes who did assay by the authoritative sentence of a Magistrate or Minister to force their parents consent to their marriage As for the Warners addition of the Ministers compelling parents to give portions to their children that the Church of Scotland hath any such cannon or practise it s an impudent lye but in the place alledged is a passage against the sparing of the life of adulterers contrary to the Law of God and for the excommunication of Adulterers when by the negligence of the Magistrate their life is spared this possibly may be the thorne in the side of some which makes them bite and spurne with the heele so furioâ—sly against the Authors and lovers of so severe a discipline The Presbyteries next injury is done to the Lawyers Synods and other Ecclesiastick Courts revoke their Sentences Ans No such matter ever was attempted in Scotland frequent prohibitions have beene obtained by curtisan Bishops against the highest civill judicatories in England but that ever a Presbytery
need to be much better cautioned then here it is before it can stâ—nd for a major of a clear demonstration but how is the minor proved behold how much short the Warners proofes are of his great boastings His first argument is grounded upon an evident falshood that in the Covenant we sweare the lately devised discipline to be Christs institution Answ There is no such word nor any such matter in all the Covenant was the Warners hatred so great against that peece of write that being to make cleare demonstrations against iâ— he would not so much as cast his eye upon that which he was to oppugne Covenanters sweare to endeavour the reformation of England according to the word of God and the best reformed Churches but not a word of the Scots Presbytery nor of any thing in any Church even the best reformed unlesse it be found accorcording to the paterne of Gods holy word The second ground of his demonstration is also an evident errour The Warner unwittingly commends the Covenant that the covenant in hand is one and the same with that of King James Answ Such a fancy came never in the head of any man I know much lesse was it ever writen or spoken by any that the Covenant of King James in Scotlaâ—d 1580 should be one and the same with the Covenant of all the three Kingdomes 1643 whatsoever identit es may appeare in the matter and similitude in the ends of both but the grossest errors are solide enough grounds for praelaticall clear demonstrations Yet here the Warner understands not how hee is cutting his owne veines his friends in Scotland will give him small thanks for attributing unto the nationall Covenant of Scotland that Covenant of King James these three properties that it was issued out by the Kings authority that it was for the maintenance of the Lawes of the realme and for the maintenance of the established Religion time brings adversaries to confesse of their own accord long denyed truthes But the Characters which the Warner in prints upon the solemne league and Covenant of the three Kingdomes wee must bâ—â— pardoned to controvert till he have taken some leasure to prove his wilde assertions First that the league is against the authority of the King secondly that it is against the Law and thirdly that it is foâ— the overthrow of Religion The man cannot think thâ—t any should beleeve his dictats of this kinde without p oofe since the expresse words of that league doe flatly contradict him in all these three positions His gentle memento that Scotland when they sued for aid from the crowne of England had not the English discipline obtruded upon their Church might here have beene spared was not the English discipline and liturgy obtruded upon us by the praelats of England with all craft and force did we ever obtrude our disciplin upon the English but when they of their owne free and long deliberate choice had abolished Bishops and promised to set up Presbytery so far as they had found it agreeable to the word of God were wee not in all reason obliged to encourage and assist them in so pious a worke The King did not clame the sole and absolve possession of the militia In the next words the Warner for all his great boasts finding the weaknes of all the former grounds of his second demonstration he offers three new ones which doubtles will doe the deed for he avowes positively that his following grounds are demonstrative yet whosoever shall be pleased to gripe them with never so soft an hand shall finde them all to be but vanity and winde The first after a number of prosyllogismes rests upon these two foundations first that the right of the militia resides in the King alone secondly that by the covenant the militia is taken out of the Kings hands and that every covenanter by his covenant disposes of himselfe and of his armes against the right which the King hath unto him Answ The Warner will have much adoe to prove the second so that it may be a ground of a clear demonstration but for the first that the power of the militia of England doth reside in the King alone that the two houses of Parliâ—ment have nothing at all to doe with it and that their taking of armes for the defence of the liberties of England or any other imaginable cause against my party countenanced by the Kings presence against his lawes must â—e a together unlawfull if his demonstration be no clearer hen the ground whereupon he builds it I am sure it will not be visible to any of his opposits who are not like to be convinced of open rebellion by his naked assertion upon which alone he layes this his mighty ground Beleeve it he had neede to assay its reliefe with some colour of an argument for none of his owne friends will now take it of his hand for an indemonstrable principle since the King for a long time was willing to acknowledge the Parliaments joynt interest in the Militia yea to put the whole Militia in their hands alone for a good number of yeares to come so farre was his Majestie from the thoughts that the Parliaments medling with a part of the Militia in the time of evident dangers should be so certainly and clearely the crime of rebellion The Warners second demonstrative ground wee admit without question in the major that where the matter is evidently unlawfull the oath is not binding but the application of this in the minor is very false All that hee brings to make it appeare to be true is that the King is the supream Legislator that it is unlawfull for the subjects of England to change any thing established by Law especially to the prejudice of the Praelates without their own consent they being a third order of the Kingdome otherwise it would be a harder measure then the Friers and Abbots received from Henry the eight The change of lawes in England ordinarily begin by the two houses wâ—thout the King Ans May the Warner be pleased to consider how farre his dictates here are from all reason much more from evident demonstrations That the burden of Bishops and ceremonies was become so heavy to all the three Kingdomes that there was reason to endeavour their laying aside he does not offer to dispute but all his complaint runnes against the manner of their removall this say I was done in no other then the ordinary and high path-way whereby all burdensome Lawes and customes use to be removed Doth not the Houses of Parliament first begin with their Ordinance before the Kings consent be sought to a Law is not an Ordinance of the Lords and Commons a good warrant to change a former Law during the sitting of the Parliament The Lawes and customes of England permit not the King by his dissent to stoppe that change The King did really consent to the abolition of Bishops I grant for the turning an