are not void of Errours the greatest mistake of this wise Prince was in his too great affection towards Episcopacy the Presbyterian Nobles and Divines in Scotland set him in his Infancy upon his Throne when his life and Crown without their cordiall assistance was given by all men for gone in all his great feares from Spaine or any where else at home or abroad so long as he remained in Scotland his recourse was only to them and notwithstanding of the very hard measure which oft they had received and still feared from him yet did they never faile to support him in his need neither ever had they any difference with him but that which flowed from the unhappy fountaine in hand Had it been the will of God that this otherwise very wise Prince at his first comming into England had cast over the hedge of that Church the evill weed of Bishops and their Ceremonies he had certainly procured much greater peace to his own minde and in all probability prevented the huge mischiefes which from this neglect above all other causes doe this day overwhelme his house and all his Kingdomes What here you subjoyn to prove the pride of the Presbytery and the state it kept with King Iames is an ill conceived bob Page 7 8. No Presbytery did ever keep any state with the King when the Prince was pleased to honour them with a Message was it not better manners and greater civility for them to returne an answer by some of their owne number then by his Majesties owne Messengers had they sent their mindes otherwise how much more would the Prelatick Courtiers have cryed out upon their saucinesse and pedantick Rusticity The next Tale you tell us is The Presbytery is very tender of the fame of all persons though the Magistrate punish strumpets of the Presbyteries severity and unjustice in bringing shame upon many yong women on groundlesse suspicions of putting them in prison till they confesse their secret sins in forcing them to clear themselves by oathes in the Congregation of needlesse jealousies This tale is delated with many odious circumstances but consider first that you shoot your Arrowes at the wrong Butt You may remember the Classicall Presbytery uses not to meddle with any such matters its true the Congregationall Eldership by clear Divine Right and consent of all differing parties take notice of the manners of the whole flocke if pregnant presumptions of fornication be delated to the Eldership by any Officer they will send to admonish the parties deferred but first in private with all discretion and tendernesse if secret admonitions be contemned and persons willfully will continue in a scandalous behaviour then will they call them before the Eldership and after earnest request if nothing else can do it will at last ordaine them to eschew conversing together in private and suspect places but for calling of any before the Eldership upon light presumptions for prisons for feeding with bread and water for troubling of families it s but a Prelatical calumny This indeed is true some known whores and strumpets when they have brought forth children in fornication and refuse absolutely to name the Father or when they give up such men as all know to be innocent the Magistrate will put them in prison for some time and if a flagrant scandall of fornication arise upon persons who desire themselves to be cleered they will be admitted to purge themselves by their oath in the Eldership or in the Congregation as the flagrancy of the Scandal or the parties themselves do require but what is all this to these odious fables here related it seems you were angry at another matter which I will here speak out for you Scotland however subject to many sins It does not curiously inquire in secret faults but knowne crimes it doth not passe by yet I dare say is much more free of fornications and adulteries among people of any fashion then any Nation I know or have heard of this makes the conversation of persons there to be free and without all suâ—picion except on very good ground but if such crimes be clear there is no sparing of any person of what ever quality all are called to an account that is the matter which seems to burn you Your bosome companion Mr. Menteth having deboshed a prime Lady in his flock when no secret advertisement could break off that wickednesse though a child or two were brought forth the honourable friends of the Knight who was wronged could keep no longer patience but did openly crave justice whereby Menteth was cast out of the Church and Kingdome and the Adulteresse diâ—â—â—ced from her Husband at this and the like procedure you are grieved your meeknesse would have all such abominations covered and remedied only by Auricular confession That this Epiâ—copa l indulgence flowes from no merciful disposition it app ars well by their ordinary rigour pressing the most gracious Minister and others for the smalâ—est opposition to any of their Traditions with their Oaths ex Officio and casting them upon their meere pleasure into the closest prisons and greatest afflictions well may the malevolence of Enemies declame against the severity of Presbyteries and paint them out as most cruell and intollerable inquisitions but beleeve it they that know and have seen them either in France Holland or Scotland can assure that the fault if any be fals upon the other hand of too great indulgence no man is called before them but for a notorious fault persons of any tollerable civility or circumspection use not to be called all their life time to any account of their behaviour if the Presbytery were able to give so satisfactory an answer for its to great meeknesse unto the Sectaries challenge as it can to the Prelates for its too great strictnesse I should be very glad What is subjoynd of the Presbyteries medling with Trade and commerce of dischargeing men to persue for their debts Page 9 10. The Presbyteries meddle not with matters of trade or debt and Landlords to sue for their Rents are stories so true as the father of lies is wont to dite to his obedient children Possibly in the eighty eight yeare of God when the Spaniards were comming to destroy the Land some godly persons had disswaded their Neighbours to carry victuals to Spaine at that time and some men may have had scruple of conscience for sending of waxe and furnishing of immediate materials for Idolatry I beleeve also that gracious Ministers have given private counsel to rigorous exacters of their Rents and unmercifull persuers of their debts But that ever any Presbytery in Scotland did take cognizance of any such matters to the uttermost of my best knowledge is an Episcopall that is a manifest and malicious untruth The same I say of your next story They never took upon them to change a Market day the Munday markets in some chiefe Towns were an evident occasion of prophaning the Lords holy
the worst of all your Mothers children must have leave to poure more of your excrements upon her head From your page 41. to the 46. you would make the world believe that the Church of Scotland does excommunicate good men and tender consciences for a dissent in the smallest points of Religion and does persecute for such differences with all the rigour of temporall afflictions Secondly you affirme that the Assemblies of that Church take upon them to make Traitours whom they will and to cast out of the Court whether the King will or not the greatest and best men with whom they are displeased Thirdly that these Assemblies doe alter the Lawes of the Kingdome at their pleasure Surely if strangers who know not the Constitution and customes of that Church were disposed to believe all you say they could not but by your relations he brought to a very evill opinion of your mother whom you an unnaturall son so vildly slander but it is good that men here are so rationall as not to take upon trust the naked assertions of a malicious enemie The discipline of Scotland is farre from all rigour and Tiranny For the first a complaint of rash Excommunication and persecution therupon is very impertinent from your mouth it is not so long that yet it can be forgotten since you and your Colleagues did allow your Officialls and others to excommunicate good people for trifles yea for no offence at all but their zeale to God and the good of their Country your Cannons in all the three Kingdomes are extant your cruelties are fresh in imprisoning banishing Pilloring stigmatizing the worthiest men for contradicting you in any one of your numerous ceremonies and traditions As for the Church of Scotland that it did ever meddle to trouble any in their goods Liberties or persons it 's very false what civill penalties the Parliament of a Kingdome thinkes meet to inflict upon those who are refractory and unamendable by the censures of a Church the state from whom alone these punishments doe come are answerable and not the Church That Excommunication in Scotland is inflicted upon those who cannot assent to every point of Religion determined in their confession there is nothing more untrue for wee know it well that never any person in Scotland was Excommunicate only for his difference of opinion in a Theologick tenet Excommunication there is a very dreadfull sentence and therefore very rare these last forty yeares so farre as I have either seen or heard there has none at all been Excommunicate in Scotland but some few trafficking Papists and some very few notoriously flagitious persons and five or six of you the Prelates for your obstinate impenitency after your overturning the foundations both of our Church State and one most rigid and pragmatick Brownist who for all that could be done or said would needs make it his worke to perswade all he was able by discourse Letters and spreading of books that in Scotland there was neither a Church nor any Ministery nor any Ordinance In Scotland wee count the spirituall Judgement of Excommunication most heavie but any temporall inconvenience that follows upon it is not very considerable for first there is not any civill hazard at all to any excommunicate man who will suffer himselfe to be brought to any measure of repentance Secondly were they never so impenitent ther is no harme can come to them as I remember a whole yeare after the long processe and finall sentence of ExcoÌ„munication Thirdly after a yeares coÌ„tumacy though the Letter of the Act of Parliament be heavy yet I appeale to any who has lived in Scotland among the very few whom they have knowne Excommunicate how many did they ever heare to have been hurt in their goods imprisoned or banished I am sure that Huntly Arrole and Angus and the other popish Lords though for their plotting to undermine the State their persons after Excommunication have been secured yet no penny of their estates went to the Kings Exchequer or to the hands of any of their unfriends but as the ordinary custome is upon the pretext of a small composition what ever the Letter of the Law takes from them it is all put in the hand of such of their friends whom they doe most trust Scotlands guilt may well be too much indulgence but of any excessive rigour towards spirituall oftenders they will bee condemned by none that knowes them P. 42.43.44 A narration of the roads of Ruthven and Stirling Your other imputation that our generall Assembly takes upon it to be judge what is Treason and who are fit to bee Counsellours nothing is more false But here you doe us the favour to prove your Alleageance by a long story to which I have given a full answer in the other Treatise At that time of King James minority Spotswood himselfe being witnesse our State was miserably misguided the Tyrannie of Captaine Iames supported too much by the favour of the Earle of Lennex was very grievous both to Church and State I touch but upon one instance The greatest subject of the Kingdome and at that time neerest to the King in blood was Iames Hamilton Earle of Arran a very gracious and most brave man before his sicknesse without any fault at all so much as alleaged for he was uncapable at that time of any crime being vinted with a distemper that made him keep his house and hindred him from meddling with any affaires of State yet was he spoiled by the fraud and violence of Captaine Iames Stewart of all his Lands and honour This violent oppressour was made Earle of Arran and Chancelour of the Kingdome At that time the designe was cleere and confessed to bring Queen Mary out of her prison in England to set her againe upon her Throne to advance the Catholique League which then was newly made betwixt the Guises King Iames his grand Uncles and the King of Spainâ— for the destroying Queen Elizabeth and the whole Protestant party For the preventing of these mischiefs the prime Nobility found it absolutely necessary to have the advancers of these counsels removed from the minor King What ever fault was in this action the Assembly is unjustly charged therewith Their advice was never sought thereto only halfe a yeare after it was done his Majesty sent a speciall Command to the Assembly for their approbation thereof for as by divers of his Letters to all the neighbour Princes he did signifie his good liking of that action so in all the great Courts of the Kingdome hee required it to be approved The privy Councell the convention of Estates the generall Assembly by his Majesties expresse Commission did all assent to his will It is true Captaine Iames so soon as he crept in againe into Court did change the young Kings mind but the event of that alteration was a more horrible confusion both of Church and State The Earle of Gowry was beheaded as a littâ—e before the Earle
AN HISTORICALL VINDICATION OF THE Government of the Church of Scotland From the manifold base calumnies which the most Malignant of the Prelats did invent of old and now lately have been published with great industry in two Pamphlets at LONDON The one intituled Issachars burden c. written and published at Oxford by John Maxwell a Scottish Prelate Excommunicate by the Church of Scotland and declared an unpardonable Incendiary by the Parliaments of both KINGDOMS The other falsly intituled A Declaration made by King James in Scotland concerning Church-government and Presbyteries but indeed written by Patrick Alamson pretended Archbishop of St. Andrews contrary to his own conscience as himselfe on his Death-bed did confesse and subscribe before many Witnesses in a Write hereunto annexed By ROBERT BAYLIE Minister at Glasgow Published according to Order London Printed for Samuel Gellibrand at the Brasen-Serpent in Pauls-Churchyard 1646. For his Reverend and wel beloved Brother Master ROBERT BLAIRE Minister of St. Andrewes THat I give to you an account of this my present taske it is no more then what often I have done in my other studies with your good acceptance and my great profit When I look back as frequently I doe with a delightfull remembrance towards those yeers of my childhood and youth wherein I did sit under your Discipline my heart blesses the goodnesse of God who in a very rich mercy to me did put almost the white and razed table of my spirit under your hand after my domestick instructions which were from mine infancy to be engraven by your labours and example with my first most sensible and remaining impressions whether of piety or of good letters or of morall vertue What little portion in any of these it hath pleased the Lord of his high and undeserved favour to bestow upon me I were ungratefull if I should not acknowledge you after my Parents the first and principall instrument thereof I cannot deny that since the eleventh yeer of mine age to this day in my inmost sense I have alwayes found my selfe more in your debt then in any other mans upon earth Among the many blessings wherein God kath made you instrumentall towards me this was one not the least that by your gracious and most loving discourses you so seasoned my childish heart with an early love towards the ancient oppressed Discipline of our Church and the Patrons therof that no after tentations were ever able totally to extinguish it You did so replenish me with narrations of the more then ordinary graces of many both in Scotland and England who had lived and dyed in opposition to Episcopall usurpations that my spirit was ever thereafter kept in a reluctancy and a kind of aversnesse from the Prelaticall wayes I confesse after you to my exceeding great griefe and losse were taken away from my head and I came to be set at the feet of other Masters especally Mr. Cameron and Mr. Struthers my very singular friends and excellent Divines as our Nation has bred I was gained by them to some parts of conformity which if the Lords mercy had not prevented might have led me as many my betters to have run on in all the errours and defections of these bad times but thanks to his glorious name who held me by the hand and stopped me at the beginning and first entry of that unlucky course who before I had put my hand to any subscription or was engaged in any promise or had practised any the least Ceremony in my Flock did call me to a retreat The remainder of your ancient instructions and the sight of your sufferings the happy fellowship and sweet society of that most precious man Master Dickson of old yours and now my most gracious Colleague were to me strong retractives and wholesome antidotes against all the infections of the ayre wherein I did live till the Lord sent to me and many others that soveraigne remedy of all the Episcopal Gangreen the gracious ungracious Service-book So soon as that came into my lands together with some late writs of the Canterburian and Court Divines which I did carefully look into as the true and just Commentaries both of that Book and all the rest of the proceedings of that party which then did manage the publick Counsels both Ecclesiastick and Civill of Britaine I did conclude that their Designe was wicked that their intentions were cleer to corrupt the Church and to enslave the State that all their former innovations were but introductory meanes and adminicles for these ends Whereupon I resolved by the grace of God upon all hazards to contradict and oppose so far as it was lawfull for me to move in my spheare all not onely their late grosser but also their former more subtill and plausible corruptions This ever since has been the greatest part of my labour and thanks to God not without some fruit especially to such who had stumbled more or lesse upon the block of conconformity which was the condition as you know of the farre most part in the whole Isle At this time I did not think of any farther contest with that party the hand of God by the Counsels and Forces of the Parliaments and by the labours of many gracious Divines of both Kingdomes having so broken and defeated that enemy that there was no more feare and scarce any thought of him among us yet behold an unexpected necessity of one bout more with him The wofull Anarchy wherein the perversnesse of some few men by the permission and heavy plague of God has for too many yeers kept the Church of England has produced such a multitude of heresies and schismes as no heart in the which is the least sparkle of love to God or of zeale to his truth can behold without a great deale of griefe and compassion and now also with some piece of indignation For to many of those seduced soules upon their feare and presage of some controlement and restraint of their liberty to beleeve what they list and preach what they beleeve if once any government were set up in the Church they become angry with all whose conscience pousses them after so long patience to presse for some setling of our so great and unheard of confusions And because in this desire the Scots are with the first according to their interest which they have bought at a very deare rate there ore upon them with the first the passions of those misled people does oftentimes break out It were long to tell you of the manisold not onely unexpected unkindnesses but very injurious contumelies which from this fountaine have flowed out upon our whole Nation all which we have entertained with so great wisdome and meeknesse as the Lord did furnish so much the rather that we did find this folly and unjustice as much resented by the wiser of their own Country-men as we could have wished Beside that this generation of men have served the Assembly of Divines at Westminster the
make poor people die Traytors to both ibid. p. 68. fancying to themselves that they fight the Lords battels for Religion Liberties they dream they die Martyrs when they die Traytors to God and his Anoynted ibid. p. 132. They set the simple people upon Rebellion against God and his Anoynted to the destruction of State soul and body temporally and eternally That the defensive war of the Parliaments of both Kingdomes is a most reall Rebellion and Treason that all who have dyed in that quared are certainly damned that the Covenant is a damnable Conspiracy that all Covenanters are Traytors and Rebels both to God and the King that their Covenant puts them upon the principles of Ravtitack and Faux to kill Kings and blow up Parliaments (b) Vide supra a. also ibid. 63. This Covenant maketh every man to be armed with power and the way left to himselfe for ought wee know it may be Raviliacks way or Guido Faux his way ibid p. 7. For as bad as the Iesuite is in my conceiving the Puritan is worse That the Armes of the Irish Rebels were no more unjust then these of the British who opposed them that the Irish Cessation was lawfull and commendable (c) Ibid. Preface to Ormond you were assaulted with two of the worst extreames of opinions enraged both of them with the same degrees of madnesse That the Marquesse of Ormond for piety and prudence has not his match upon earth (d) Ibid. You whose piety is admirable whose wisdom and prudence is above the ordinary and all your equals so experienced in matters of State that it is a wonder to them who know you and incredible to them who have not been eye witnesses That for military vertue he is equall to Scipio Hannibal and Caesar (e) Ibid. Your heroicall Acts are worthy of the greatest Caesar you gained so much as their valiant Hannibâ—s and Scipios That the Legislative power is in the King alone That his Monarchy makes him above all Lawes and lets him be tyed to none but gives him power to alter and abolish them at his pleasure (f) Sacro Sanct. p. 180. One of the Sectaries principles wherby they intoxicate the Vulgar is that in a Monarchy the Legislative power is communicable to the subject ibid. p. 94. At the admittance of Saul God giveth to the subject Legem parendi Soveraignity is an undivided entity how can you share it among more To diminish any thing of this Pretogative is to destroy Monarchy to dethrone the King and to take his Crowne from him (g) Ibid p. 141. You totally destroy Monarchy and must say down right our gracious Soveragne is no Monarch p. 142. An impotent King is the same with no King For Parliamâ—nâ—s to meddle with any part of this power is a sacriledge which God will revenge (h) Ibid. p. 144. The worst bargaine ever subject made was at any rate to purchase a possession of the sacred Rights of Kings till these Kingdomes be purged of sacriledge so highly committed against God by wronging his Anointed and he be restored to his sacred Rights we need look for no effectuall blessings of God When through weaknesse or imprudence a Prince is cheated or enforced to give away to his Parliament any part of his power himselfe or any of his posterity when ever occasion offereth may lawfully take it back notwithstanding of any promise oath or law made to the contrary (i) Ibid p. 142. I doubt not to affirme but if any good Prince or his Royall Ancestors have been or are cheated out of their sacred Right by fraud or force he may at the first opportunity when God in his wise providence offereth occasion resume it You see with what a Statesman we have to doe A favorer of â—rosse Popery â—nd Arminiaâ—isme for his Religion heare a part of it Episcopacy is a necessary and fundamentall truth of Divine Institution and Commandement (k) Issachar p. 1. In the Edition of Oxford Episcopacy is the true necessary and perpetuall Government of the Church institute by Christ wee deceive our selves to expect deliverance from our troubles if wee subordinate fundamentals in Religion necessary truths to our civill good All Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction belongs to the Bishops alone by Divine Right no Presbyter ought to bee a member so much as of a Provinciall Assembly (l) Ibid p. 31. Now is forgotten that of the councel of Chalcedon concilium est Episcoporum and that old barbarous but Christian enough verse Ite foras laici non est vobis locus ici That the Kings consent to the abolition of Episcopacy in Scotland is the true and great cause of all the troubles which since that time hath befallen him and his subjects (m) Ibid p. 2. What peace hath King or Kingdome enjoyed here or in Ireland since Episcopacy by Law in Scotland was damned That Abots Priors and their Religious Houses of Monks and Fryers are lawfull in the Church (n) Ibid. p. 49. Abbots and Priors to Melvils time were nominate and admitted to Abbeys and Priories as Church men but this great Doctor found out another Divinity that for Abbots and Priors there was none such in the Word of God That Patriarcks and Cardina's are Church Dignities highly to be reverenced (o) Ibid p. 43. Cardinall Beton a Priest and Archbishop of so high Dignity That the Pope by Divine Right is as true a Bishop as any other Bishop in the world but by humane Ecclesiastick Right he is greater then any other (p) Sacro Sanct. p. 58. The Pope the Bishop of Rome hath no more by Divine Right except it bee in extent then the meanest Bishop in his Diocesse what hee may have by positive Ecclesiasticall right it s not pertinent for us now to examine Hierome compareth three of the meanest Bishops with three of the greatest Patriarcks Priviledged at that time by Ecclesiasticall Canons That Presbytery is worie then Popery and Iesuitisme that it were much better for any King to put his Dominions under the yoak of the Pope and Iesuites then of Presbyteries and Synods (q) Issachar Edition Oxford p. 30. The â—ing is in a worse condition under this soveraignty then under the Pope ibid p. 45. The Presbytery it or may be in time a mother of as much rebellion and treason as any Iesuitisme of the highest die if not more certainly Rome although a whore is not so bad nor so abominable That the first Reformation in Scotland France Holland Germany and where ever the supream Magistrate was not the Author and Actor of the worke was unorderly and sin ull an action seditious and treasonable a great cause of all the mischiefes that from that time to this have come upon the Churches (r) Ibid. p. 36. This gave life to that tumultuary Reformation we will never wrong Reformed Religion so much as to count of that as an orderly Reformation We
you over to the Divel and therfore your rage against him for that necessary and good service is great out of his Sermon you dare cite nothing and it is well known that no or thodox Divine in any of the reformed Churches is more willing to give to Soveraign Princes all their due then that most worthy man is and ever has been In your scoffe of a Scottish Pope the smoke of ignorance goes up with the fire of malice these many years for your old stinging you have bin removed to dark Cavernes though sometimes for a Breathing you have cropen out to Oxford Dublin but had your crimes permitted you to have walked a little either at Lond. or Edinburgh or any where in this Isle where the Sun of Truth Justice did shine or any where over Sea where the affaires of this Isle with any ingenuity use to be represented you would not have called that most gracious man a Pope For how ever you have declared your selfe for Scottish Cardinalls and a Pope over the whole Church Catholick through al the world and all who know you will beare you witnesse that in Scotland so proud and arrogant a Prelate did not breath in our dayes yet the venerable divine whom you slander is so farre from the note you would put upon him that a more modest and humble spirit of so great parts and deserved authority with all the greatest of the Isle lives not this day in the reformed Churches But it is our first Reformation that chiefely grieves you Our first reformation was authorized by Parliament you continually breake out upon that and repeate very oft the same most bitter slanders The reformation in Scotland as has been said began long before the yeare 1558. when the Queens Mother was not yet come to the government in the yeare 1542. the Protestant Regent Duke Hamilton with the consent of Parliament did then authorize it and set it on foot albeit the compleat and publick Reformation of the whole Land was not till the yeare 1560. when the Parliament convened by the authority of our Soveraigne and after ratified by her did authorize it fully Her delay for a little to ratifie that Parliament makes nothing against its validity especially since now for fourscore and five yeares it has stood firme as one of our most happy Parliaments not questioned by any but some few eminently malignant Papists and Prelates That which here you scorne in Knox is a truth uncontroverted by any reasonable man that Religion has its own proper intrinsecall strength from God its only Author that Princes and states may and ought as servants to God their Lord make way for it in their Dominions by their good Lawes but this does not adde any more internall truth and strength to Religion then it has of it selfe before the Magistrate confirmed it and which it cannot lose although the Magistrate doe cry it downe and persecute it for errour Concerning the debates in the yeares 1558. and 1559. betwixt Queen Regent and the States for the just Liberties of the Kingdome for both agreed that this was the chiefe quarrell we repeat not what we have said before What you being from the thirty third p. to 39. P. 33.34.35 Episcopaâ—â—e was never â—pproved by any lawfull Assembly in Scotland I have met with it a most all in my answer to the other Treatise In the yeare 1571. a Committee of the generall Assembly at Leeth deceived by some prime Courtiers too much engaged unto the Prelates of England did advise to set up Bishops in the Church of Scotland with the name and some shadow of the things which then were in England but the thing it selfe a sole power of Ordination and Jurisdiction over the whole Diocesse in one mans hand they never dreamed of Yea the very name and shadow whereto that Committee was drawne was never allowed of by any act of a lawfull generall Assembly for the very next Assembly did disclaime it and ever after the matter was in debate till both name and thing was totally exploded Your discourse of the Negative confession and Church-government in the yeare 1580. and 1581. and of the platforme of Presbiteries as set up by Mr. Melvil without the Kings Authority with much stuffe of this kind demonstrates your mind to calumniate with a great deale either of ignorance of the times or malicious resolution to lye In the yeare 1580. some prime Courtiers The short confession of Faith was subscribed by King James 〈◊〉 the year 1 〈◊〉 and others truly popish in their heart yet for their own ends was content to dissemble and to abjure popery with their owne equivocations and mentall reservations The King desiring to stop all starting holes caused Mr. Craige the Pastor of his Familie to draw up a confession every particular rejecting expresly the most of the Romish errours this King James himselfe did Signe and permitted none to live at his Court who did not sweare it he ordained it also to goe through the whole Land Towards this confession scornfully called negative the Prelaticall party did ever carry an evill eye for it was a stronger barr against popery and their intended innovations then their designes could well admit The whole sixe yeares before that Confession The Presbiterian government was fully agreed to before that 〈◊〉 the Generall and provinciall Assemblies were much exercised in perfiting the second booke of discipline wherein the whole body of the Presbiterian Government is fully set downe nothing in our Church did ever passe with so great deliberation nor with greater unanimity In the year 1578. it was all agreed unto in the Generall Assembly Mr. Melvill was a gracious instrument in that worke but all the Divines of the Kingdome did joyne with him therein With the states they had some controversie but not for the matter of Government in this the Harmony betwixt the Church and State was full but for the Church Patrimony wherein the King did joyne heartily with the Assembly against the Court and wherein your selfe cannot but beare witnes to the honesty of the Divines at that time For it was their mind that Church rents ought not to be impropriat to Courtiers nor given to Prelats nor serve the ambition and avarice of any Church-men but ought to be imployed for the Honorable and comfortable maintenance of all that served at the Altar and for the reliefe of the poore and strangers and what was above to go to the publicke uses of the state But in this gracious designe the cunning first of the Court and after of the Prelates did Crosse both the King and the Assembly so that for peace they behoved to yeild albeit upon occasion both his Majesty and the Church did often protest for their rights The King and his Counsell did set up the Presbyteries over all the Land at the same time But for any parts of the Presbiteriall Government which in that Booke of discipline was set downe
complaint of the Scottish Ambassadour were able easily to get an affront put upon a Presbiterian fugitive but if ye will beleeve Spotswood Mr. Lawson was a man so eminent both for piety and prudence that it can hardly be supposed any thing could escape him in preaching which might deserve the Queenes displeasure how ever that excellent man did dye at that time in London as it seemes martyred by the injuries of the Scottish and English Prelates which doubtles did helpe to bring downe that vengeance upon the Prelaticall State in England which our eyes now doe behold For the further evincing of the intollerable miscarriages of the General Assemby P. 39. The case of Iames Gibson you bring three other stories p. 39.40 all are faults alleadged against single Mininisters which were they never so great and true ought not to be laid upon the Assembly but see how all are misreported the first concernes Iames Gibson a zealous Country Minister who Preaching in a very troublesome time spoke more rashly of the King then became him the words that you ascribe to him we may not take them at your hand for in the same matter by Spotswoods owne Testimony you are guiâ—ty of a great untruth you avow that the King caused complaint to be made to the Assembly of this man But by no intreaty could obtaine any punishment to be inflicted upon him Spotswood says the contrary that the Assembly did proâ—ounce the mans words to be slanderous and therefore suspended him from his Ministry and while they were in further agitation of his cause that he fled into England doubtles for feare of his life what became of him thereafter I know not only I have read in a good Author that what here you insinuate of his favouring Hacket and Copinger is a very false calumny The next you speak of is Mr. Master David Black his case David Blacke Minister of St. Andrews a man of great piety and prudence his name is yet very savoury in that Towne though there be in it some three or foure thousand people yet so great was the zeale wisdome and diligence of Mr. Blacke that during all the time of his Ministry there no person was seen either to beg or prophane the Sabbath day in all that Congregation This man being delated to the secret counsell by a very naughty person that in a Sermon he had spoken disgracefully of the King was willing to have appeared and cleered himselfe of that calumny but finding that it was not his person which was aimed at but a quarrell with the whole Church in him sought for by the misleaders of the Court he thought meet to appeale not simply from the King but from the King and secret counsell to the King and Generall Assembly as to the proper and competent Judge appointed by the Law for matters of Doctrine While this question is in agitation a great storme did fall upon the Church from the seventeenth day of December which made Mr. Blacks cause be laid aside yet a little thereafter for to please the King the Commissioners of the generall Assembly did passe upon that gracious man a sentence severe enough removing him from St. Andrews to some obscure corner where he passed the rest of his dayes P. 40. A cleaâ—e vindication of the assembly at Aberdeen in the yeare 1605. Your third story is of the Ministers who went to Aberdeen the year 1605. upon them you make a tragick Narration a guâ—â—ty of the most treasonable rebellion Your rashnes is great at these times to bring up to the sight these things which for the honour of many did lye long buried but since it is your wisdom to make the world know whereof with your friends advantage they might have been ignorant the matter was this It was the custom of Scotland ever from the Reformation to keep generall Assemblies twice or at least once every yeare After some debates in the yeare 1592. it became a Law and an Act of Parliament agreed to unanimously by the King and States and accordingly it was practised without any interruption that the Generall Assembly should meet at least once a yeare and appoint when all other actions were ended the day and place for the next yeares meeting In the yeare 1602. the Assembly in the Kings presence and with his advice did appoint the day and place of their next meeting in the yeare 1603. His Majestie at that time going to England tooke upon him to prorogat the Assembly till the same day and place of the yeare following 1604. of this prorogation there could be no necessity but his Majesties meere pleasure When the Dyet of the yeare 1604. did come the affaires of the Church did greatly call for an Assembly yet it was his Majesties will to make a second prorogation 〈◊〉 the fifth of July 1605. This was much to the hurt griefe and feare of all the godly yet they indured it but when the Dyet of the yeare 1605. was come His Majestie did not only prorogate the third time but also made the day of the next meeting â—â—tertaine and inderinite This gave an allarme to the whole Kingdome all the world did see the Kings designe to bring the English Eâ—iscopacie and all their Ceremonies upon the Church of Scotland also the mistery of popery was then working vehemently a mighty faction of popish Lords were still countenanced among us immediate correspondence with the Pope by the chiefe States-men was much surmised and afterward was found to be too true Scotland had no considerable Bâ— warke either against English or Romish corruptions but their generall Assemblies if these were removed the poore Church lay open to the inundation of what ever Antichristianisme the Court was pleased to send in The generall Assembly besides its divine right was grounded upon so good Lawes as Scotlanâ couâ—d afford but â—o that at the end of the present Assembly the Dyet of the next should alwayes be appointed however his Majesties designe to put downe the generall Assembly was evidently seen by aâ— intelligent men yet so long as he prorogate it to a certaine day men were quiet but so soon as he commanded the third dyet to be deserted and that to an uncertaine and infinite time they to whom the welfare of the Church was deare did awaken and found it necessary to keepe the Dyet appointed in the second prorogation at Aberdeen Iuly 2. or 5. 1605. The Commissioners of the Presbiteries in their way to Aberdeen advised with Chancellor Seaton the prime Magistrate of the Kingdome in the Kings absence and were incouraged by him to goe on yet so soon as any of them came to the place A Gentleman the Lord of Lauristone came to them with a warrant from the King and privy Counsell and discharged them to keepe any Assembly there yet the will of the King and Counsell was not intimated to them in convenient time for when the King and Counsells Letter was presented they shew
of Morton sundry Gentlemen of good quality most innocent were hanged many of the prime Noblemen Gentlemen and Ministers were forced to flee for their lives out of the Kingdome till all of them joyning together did ride in Armes to Stirling and by violence though without hurt to any mans person did the second time remove those Courtiers and for ever after kept them from the King to the full quieting both of Church and State This Rode of Stirling was much more cried out upon by the wicked Prelates and Courtiers then the former of Ruthven yet was it approved for good service to the King and State not only as the former by the privie Counseâ—l and convention of States but also by the ensuing Parliament and so it remaines unquarrelled unto this day Your third complaint is P. 45. The Assembly repeales no lawes but supplicates the Parliament to recall their ratifications of Ecclesiasticall corruptions that the generall Assemblies doe alter what the Law has established all your examples hereof are The Votes of the late generall Assembly at Glasgow condemning the civill places of Church-men pronouncing the very office it selfe of Bishops to be unlawfull in the Church and crying downe the high Commission Court Here you fall upon the Parliament of England as fooles and Traitours for letting themselves bee perswaded by the Scots to swallow downe their wicked Covenant To all this our Apologie is briefe what ever power our generall Assembly possesses is all well allowed by the King and Parliament The acts of that Assembly you complaine of are all ratified by the State the order of our proceeding is appointed by Law all matters Spirituall and Ecclesiastick are first determined by the generall Assembly if the nature of the things require a civill Sanction the Votes of the Assembly are transmitted to the Parliament if a Generall Assembly have voted an Errour or any thing that 's wrong and that corruption hath been ratified by an Act of Parliament a Posterior generall Assembly recognosces the matter and finding an errour in Religion notwithstanding of the prior votes both of the Assembly and Parliament does condemne it and appoints Commissioners to represent the reasons of their vote to the next Parliament with an humble supplication to annull these Acts and Laws which did confirme the condemned corruption This has been the method of proceeding in Scotland since the first erection of a generall Assembly in this way were all the Errours of Popery first condemned in the Assembly before the Parliament did recall their old Lawes whiâ—â—â—â—nfirmed them The forme of this proceeding established by the Parliament it selfe does not import any subordination either of the lawes or the Parliament to the Assembly P. 46. It meddles with no civill Courts At this place p. 46. you bring us another story whereupon you make tragick out-cryes of the Assemblies insolent usurpations it seems you thought that this your book should never have come from Oxford into the hands of any Scottish man who knew the Custome of the Judicatories of Scotland I doe marvell much at your impudence that you should speake of the Assemblies incroaching upon the Lords of Session or medling with any Civill cause which the Law commits to any temporall Judicatory there is no better harmony in the world then alwayes has been in Scotland between the civill and Ecclesiasticall Judicatories no interfeiring was ever among them but what the Bishops made You indeed in your high Commission did take causes both civill and Ecclesiasticall to your Cognisance from all the Courts of the Kingdome and did at your pleasure without and contrary to all known Lawes finally determine them without any appeale but to the King by whom you were sure ever to be best beâ—eeved For the story in hand The case of Mr. John Graham I am content Spotswood be Judge as he relates it the matter was thus Mr. Iohn Graham one of the Lords of Session or Judges of the Common Pleas a very false and dishonest man intended an action against some poore men to put them from their Lands for to effectuate his purpose he seduced a publique Notary dwelling at Stirling and perswaded him to subscribe a false Writte upon the which the poore men by a decree of the Lords of Session were removed from their possessions The oppressed soules cryd out of their injurie and intended action against the Notary for his false Writ they got him arrested and imprisoned The Minister of the bounds Mr. Patrick Simpson whom King James and all Scotland knew to be a most learned zealous and pious Pastor as was in the whole Isle dealt with the Prisoner to confesse the truth after some conference he confessed all and declared how Mr. John Graham had sent his Brother to him with a false Writte which hee did subscribe an assize was called the poore Notary upon his own cousession was condemned and hanged Mr. John Graham as covetous and false so a most proud man would not rest satisfied but presently summoned Master Patrick Simpson to appeare before the Lords of Session as a seducer of the honest Notary to lye against his owne life Mr. Patrick was ready to cleare his own innocencie whereof all were well perswaded but shamefully wronged by an impudent man in his good name he caused cite him before the Assembly as a slanderer of a Minister in the work of his calling the Lords of Session not content that any of their number should be called before the Assembly for any action depending in their Court did send som of their number to the Assembly for to debate the whole matter The Assembly told them that they would not meddle with any thing that was civill nor which belonged to their Court that they intended to take no notice of their decrees at Mr. John Grahams instance to cast the poore 〈◊〉 out of their Land whether it was right or wrong nor the notaries Instrument wherefore he was hanged whether it was true or false They told them also that whatsoever they had to say to Mr. Patrick Simpson hee was to answer them as they should thinke fit in due time and place the Assemblies question was alone about the slander of one of their Members whom Mr. Iohn Graham did openly challenge as a Seducer of a Notary to beare false witnesse They had cited Mr. John Graham before them to make this good that so they might censure Mr. Patrick Simpson as a man unworthy of the Ministry or if Mr. John Graham's challenge was found a meere calumny that he might bee brought to repentance for it in acknowledging of his wrong Let any equitable man judge how insolent the Assemblies proceeding in this action was for a time there was some controversie about this matter betwixt the Assembly and the Session but at last all was amicably composed and God decided the question with the violent death and publick disgrace of Mr. Iohn Graham What ye subjoyne of King Iames trouble to the
shedding of teares I take it for your meere invention P. 47. The greaâ— controversie betwixt the King and the Church was about the infinite extent of the Prerogative for Spotswood the fountaine of all your stories who never failes to relate to the full what ever is meete to draw any envy upon the good Ministers who opposed the Episcopall designes makes no mention at all of King Iames teares I grant he reports that advice of the Chancellour and some such reply to it as you speake of but how tâ—uly I cannot tell onely this is most certaine that what ever difference King Iames had with the Ministers it was alone about the great Idoll of his Prerogative to do as a Monarch in Church and State what he thought convenient with his prerogative in matters of State they did never meddle but his designe to bring Bishops and Ceremonies in the Church as they conceived against law and reason the most honest of the Ministry did ever oppose it to their power albeit in a humble and warrantable way others for their own gain and advancement did yeeld to his desires and assisted him with all their power to advance his Prerogative so high as to do without any resistance all his pleasure both in Church and State But the Lord now has cleered that controversie and has made the righteousnesse of these oppressed men shine as the light and the basenesse of these flatterers appeare in its owne base and vile colours Concerning his Majesties discourses at the Conference of Hampton Court The Presbiterie is a great barre to keep out Democracy and Tyrannie both from Church and State we confesse they cannot be very favourable to any who opposed Episcopacy which these of your Coat long before that time had made him believe was the maine pillar of his Throne and had perswaded him to looke upon all that was disaffected thereunto as enemies to his Crowne But how farre you are here mistaken in fastning upon Presbiteriall government any furtherance of Democracy not reason alone but now also ample experience makes it evident there is not such a barre this day as both friends and foes doe well know against the Sectaries designes to bring in a popular government in the Church as Presbitery And if your rules be right enemies to Democracie in the Church will never be instruments to bring it in to the State If Presbitery could be partiall towards any one civill Government more then another It is 〈◊〉 singular help both to Parliaments Iust Monarchie its similitude and consanguinity with the constitution of a Parliament might make it suspected to be inclinable to the rights of that Court more then a Prince or the multitude could desire but the truth is it medles not to the prejudice of any civill Government which it finds established by Law but what ever that be it supports it to its power and how serviceable it has ever been to Monarchy in Scotland examples both of old and late doe demonstrate Who were the prime instruments of settling King Iames in his infancy upon his Throne who kept him into his Throne against all the assaults of his potent enemies to whom in all his great straits had he ever his recourse during his abode in Scotland to no other but to the Presbiterian Nobles Gentry Ministers if these had been disposed to have changed the government of the state there was oft no considerable impediments upon earth to have opposed them but such a desire never entered into their thoughts And of later times when the Presbitery in Scotland hath attained its highest aimes and is in capacity as you say to make what factions it will when its provocations to aâ—ger were as great as readily can be againe and the madnes of you Malignant Prelates had laid the Crowne in Scotland very low at such a season did the least disloyalty appeare in any of the Presbiterian side were not they and they only the men which setâ—ed that throne which you had caused to shake and astened the Crowne upon that head from whence you hands by your extreame unjustice pride and folly had weâ— nere pulled it away And at this very houre when you and all your friends are able to make no helpe at all to releive not only the King and his house but the Royalty it selfe from that extreame hazard of ruine wherein you alone both have cast them and with all your hearts would stil continue them upon some phantastick hope which yet you have of attaining all your former desires or else to revenge your disappointments though all the world should perish At this time when you have cast the Crown the Throne and Scepter in the dust who is able who now is willing to save the King or to keepe Monarchy on foote I hope albeit your dementation be great yet even you must see and confesse that it is the Presbiterians and these alone by whose hearts and hands this worke must be done which indeed your goodnes and wisdome has made extreamely difficult and well nere unfeasible You fall very needlesly on Mr. Catherwood the Author of that Booke altare darna scenum P. 18. Mr. Catherwoods vindication a man of greater worth then all the Prelates that ever Scotland bred put them all in one Durst ever any or all of you looke that man or his Booke in the face you had long twenty yeares leasure to answer but was ever the courage among you all to assay it I doe not love to speake or when it is spoken by others to defend any thing that may rub upon authority yet when sycophanticall Prelates make it their worke to bring most honest and gracious men in disgrace with Princes for some incomodious phrases which in the heat and current of large discourses have escaped their pens who shall but vindicate their innocency from such flaterers accusations Is it a crime for Master Catherwood to write that in all Kings naturally their is a hatred to Christ what doe you here intend to censure are not all men naturally enemies to God unto this natural Corruption that is CoÌ„mon to all flesh does not great places in the world especially Crowns and Throns adde many provocations from which poverty and meannes gives exemption what would you here reprove speake out plainly your Pelagian tenet deny originall sin make it one of the Royall Prerogatives in vertue of the Crowne to be naturally gracious and an advancer of Christs Kingdome The other word you make your adversary to say albeit you professe you speake per cur is that King Iames was a most insense enemy to the purity of Religion If such tearmes were ever expressed of what thinke you must they be understood what is the subject of that speech and of the whole Booke wherein you say it stands Is it not of the Government of the Church and the English Ceremonies alone to say that King Iames was a great friend to these and agreat
forenamed Masters of the Court did much adde for the allaying whereof this Declaration was penned but to no purpose as Spotswood himself tels us m Spotswoods Story lib. 6. p. 177. This Declaration gave not much satisfaction so great was the discontent For no satisfaction was ever taken till both the Duke Chancellour Secretary and Archbishop Adamson were banished the Court and the acts of Parliament of their invention abolished as noxious and evill There was never any Warrant for Printing of this Writ What is here said of King James his command to publish this Declaration I do not find it verified in any Register either of the Church or Kingdome of Scotland that hath fallen in my hand but if any such command did come from him at that time of his minority and great tentation through the continuall evill offices of them that then managed his Counsels it were a case no more strange then these which often since we have seen in both Kingdomes many Proclamations and Declarations by false and wicked informations have been drawne from King James and King Charles and many other Princes which upon better advisement have been called in and buried the Proclamation concerning sports and playes upon the Sabbath the Service-Book and Book of Canons the Declarations of the Rebellion of the Parliaments of both Kingdomes we all know For my part I love not to rake out â—f the grave the carcases of these buried Writs for the infamy of the Prince or the prejudice of the Subject We shall sâ—y no more to the preface Pag 2. come to the interpretation of these offensive Acts of that Parliament at Edenburgh 1584. As for the first Act the explanation here made upon it did no way remove its offence for both the Act and its explanation attribute to the Ministers only the administation of the Word and Sacraments without any mention at all of any discipline this seems to have been one chiefe cause why the worshipfull Licenser was pressed with so much importunity to give his Imprimatur to this Writ as if this passage had been a demonstration of King James his Erastianisme but let the world take notice of the grossenesse of this mistake by this short information The Commissioners of the generall Assembly King James was far from Erastianisme were required by his Majesty at the Parliament of Lithgou 1585. to give him in the grounds of their grievances against the Acts of the Parliament at Edenbrugh 1584. here explained n Collection Master Andrew Melvill had been plaine with the King divers dayes at length the King desired the Ministers to exhibit in writ what exceptions they had against the Parliament held in Anno 1584. whereupon they exhibit to the King these animadversions following In their Animadversion upon the Act now in hand they did shew his Majesty that the power of Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction and Church-Censures did belong to them by divine right no lesse then the power of preaching the Word and Celebrating the Sacraments o Animadversions The power of the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven consisteth not onely in preaching and administration of the Sacraments but also in jurisdiction and removing of offences out of the Kirk of God and excommunication of the disobedient to be pronounced by these that are officers of the Church our warrants out of the Word of God for this part of the liberty of the Church we are to bring forth when your Majesty pleaseth Also that the Lawes of the Kingdome ever fince the Reformation did ratifie that their right p Ibid. This Act restricted the liberty granted byother Acts of Parliament of before concerning discipline and correction of manners which were established by a Law in the first yeer of your Majesties Reigne and that hitherto they had bin in peaceable possessioÌ„ thereof q Ibid. There is a spirituall jurisdiction where of the Office-bearers within the Kirk in this Realm have been in peaceable possession and use these twenty four yeer by past whereof followed no trouble but great quietnesse in the Kirke and Common-wealth The King in his Reply to this animadversion does not deny any of these Alleageances yea he declares under his hand that he did not intend to take from Church Officers any part of the Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction but onely so to regulate the execution of Discipline that some part thereof might be put in the hand of Prelates this was the onely point in controversie r The Kings Declaration the first Act maketh onely mention of the preaching of the Word Sacraments not thereby to abrogate any good further policy and jurisdiction in the Kirke but allanerly to remit a part thereof to the Acts ensuing and the most which as yet are not agreed upon nor concluded I intend God willing to cause to be perfected by a godly generall Assembly Whence it appeares how far his Majesty was from all Erastianisme though his affection to prelacy at that time was too great which yet he changed quickly thereafter as we shall see anon The explanation of the second Act The sum of the next Paragraph consists of a Narrative and Ordinance builded thereupon the Narrative has the alledged misbehaviours of some Ministers Master Andrew Melvile alone is named as joyning in conspiracies with Rebels against the King as Preaching seditious Doctrine and disclaining the King and Counsell of State for his Judges The Ordinance is concerning the Kings Supremacy divers things are here jumbled together confusedly and odiously to these two purposes by the Abbot of Dunfermeling Secretary for the time the Penner of this passage as Adamson the writer of the rest confesseth Å¿ Adamsons recantation The Secretary himselfe penned the second Act of Parliament concerning the power of Judicatories to be absolutely in the King and that it should not be lawfull for any Subject to reclame from the same under the penalty of the Act which I suppose was treason Concerning the first Master Melvill his worth Master Andrew Melvils case the Narrative is most untrue as I shall make good by undeniable evidence Master Melvil was an excellent Divine the principall professour of Divinity in the University first of Glasgow and then of S. Andrewes full of piety eloquence and learning of all sorts so eminent in zeale for the truth that his remembrance is yet very precious not in Scotland alone but in other reformed Churches his heroicke courage made him an eye-sore to the Masters of the Court whose wickednesse he and his Schollars according to their place and duty did masculously oppose From this it was and nothing else that an Accusation was invented against him as for seditious and treasonable words against the Kings Mother Queen Mary then prisoner in England When he came to his Answer upon his solemne Oath Cleer grounds for his justification he denied his Charge t The Collection I Master Andrew Melvill protest before God and his elect
Angels that I spoke nothing in that Sermon or any other Sermon made by me tending to the slander or dishonour of the Kings Majesty my Sovereigne any wayes but in the contrary exhorted always all his highnesse Subjects to obedience and reverence of his Majesty whom God in his mercy hath placed lawfull King and supream Magistrate in the Civill government of the Country and most earnestly have prayed at all times and specially in the foresaid Sermon for the preservation and prosperous estate of his Majesty also I protest before God that neither in that Sermon nor any other I spoke these words the King is unlawfully promoted to the Crown or any words sounding thereunto for I put never in question his Majesties lawfull Authority and for his cleering he produced three famous testificats the first under the hand of all the Masters and Regents of the University the second under the hand of all the Magistrates and Common counsell of Saint Andrewes the third under the hands of the whole Classicall Presbytery of the bounds who all were his frequent hearers and the most of them had been present at the challenged Sermon all of them did testifie the Charge to be a vile calumny and that he had spoken no such words as were alleaged w The Collection Whatsoever is laid to our Brothers charge as it is false and fained of it selfe so it is forged of the Devill and his instruments to bring the faithfull servants of God in contempt for as we were continuall and diligent Auditors of his Doctrine so we beare him faithfull record in God and in conscience that we heard nothing out of his mouth neither in Doctrine nor Application which tended not directly to the glory of God and to the establishment of your Majesties Crowne and whensoever the occasion offered it selfe in speciall to speake of your Majesty we heard him never but in great zeale and earnest prayer recommend your Majesty unto his protection exhorting alwayes all manner of Subjects to acknowledge their obedience even to the meanest Magistrate also that both in his Pulpit and Chaire and ordinary discouse it was his custome to presse so much loyalty and obedience as any duty did require x Vide supraw. The witnesse brought in against him did depose nothing to his prejudice though the Chancellour Captaine James his spightfull enemy did sit in the Counsell as his Judge Yea if Spotswood may be trusted he was not found guilty of any the least part of his challeng but the sentence against him proceeded alone upon some alleaged rash words to the King in the heat of his defence y Spotswoods History yeer 1583. fol. 175. be burst forth in undutifull speeches which unreverend words did greatly offend the Counsell thereupon was he charged to enter his person in Blacknesse As for his conscience of any conspiracy he denied it upon Oath neither was any witnesse brought in to say any thing upon that alleageance if any more were needfull for the cleering of his innocence Adamsous Oath and Subscription is extant wherein he condemnes this part of the Narative of falshood and justifies Master Melvill as a most just and honest man z Adamsons Recantation in the second Act there is mention made of Master Andrew Melvill and his Sermon wrongfully condemned as factious and seditious albeit his Majesty hath had a lively tryall of that mans fidelity from time to time true it is he is earnest and zealous and can abide no corruption which most unadvisedly I attribute to a fiery and salt humour which his Majesty findeth by experience to be true for he alloweth well of him and knoweth the things that were alleaged upon him to have been false and contrived treacheries His flight no Argument of guiltinesse yea King James himself when the Commisssioners of the Church did complaine to him of these slanderous imputations did promise them under his hand that they should be rescinded a Kings Declaration always how soone the whole Ministers of Scotland shal amend their manners the foresaid Act shall be rescinded It is true that Master Melvill when he was sentenced did flee to England for his life the time being so evill that according to Spotswoods Relation the King by the practises of the Courtiers in his minority was forced b Spotswoods Story lib. 6. fol. 244. yeer 1600. Your Father said the King I was not the cause of his death it was done in my minority and by a forme of justice to permit and oversee too often the execution of divers good innocent men yet how little displeasing Master Melvils flight was to the King a short time did declare for within a few moneths he returned and was restored both to his Charge and the Kings favour c Vide supra the Collection and Recantation z wherein he did constantly continue till the death of Queen Elizabeth did call his Majesty to the Throne of England A maine cause of the extirpation of Prelacyin England a day very joyfull to both Kingdomes but most sorrowfull to the Church of Scotland for so soon as the English Prelates got King James amongst them they did not rest till Master Melvill and the prime of the Scots Divines were called up to London and onely for their necessary and just defence of the truth of God and liberties of the Church of Scotland against Episcopall usurpations were either banished or confined or so sore oppressed that griefe did break their heart and brought the most of them to their graves with sorrow the whole Discipline of the Church of Scotland was overthrowne to the very great trouble and disquieting of the Church and Kingdome This violence did lye silent under the Prelates Chaires for many yeers but at last blessed be God it has spoken to purpose it has moved the Heavens and shaken the earth to the tumbling of all these Antichristian Tyrants in the three Kingdomes with their seats of pride into the gulph of ruine whence we hope there shall be no more emersion Master Melvils Declinator and Protestation cleeâ—ed The last thing objected to Master Mervill is his declinator of the King when the state of the Question is knowne this will appeare no great crime for the Question was not Whether Ministers be exempt from the Magistrates jurisdiction nor Whether the Pulpit puts men in a liberty to teach treason without any civill cognizance and punishment since the Reformation of Religion d Second Book of Discipline cap. 1. The Ministers should assist their Princes in all things agreeable to the Word Ministers are subject to the judgement and punishment of the Magistrate in externall things if they offend The Answer to the Declaration whereas it is said it is his Majesties intention to correct and punish such as seditiously abuse the Chaire of truth and factiously apply the Scripture to the disturbing of the Common-wealth surely his Majesties intention is good providing true tryall goe before
their abolishing of Episcopacy their indicting of solemne Fasts the desert of these crimes we will see when the particulars are opened The Road of Ruthven was a Remonstrance made to his Majesty by a number of the prime and best affected of the Nobility The generall Assemblies approbation of the Road of Ruthven very innocent against the insupportable tyrannies of some few Courtiers to the extream hazard of the Kings person the Church and whole Kingdome His Majesty yet minor was content to follow the Remonstrants advice the men complained of were removed from Court the action of the Noble-men was declared by the King and his Counsell to have been good and acceptable service bbb Collection His Majesty seemed to be well pleased and gave sundry significations of his good liking of that action as of good service done to him by attestations in his Princely word they should never be challenged by Act of Privy Counsell by Act of solemn convention of Estates by publike Proclamations at Market Crosses needfull by desiring the English Ambassadours to testifie to the Queene his owne and his Estates good liking by two legations sent to her Majesty signed by his owne hand and the Counsels by his command to the Ministers in chiefe places to signifie his consent and apprsbation to the people the convention of estates made that same Declaration ccc Vide supra bbb the Kings the Counsels the States approbation of this fact was solemnly proclaimed in the next Market places of the chiefe Burroughs ddd Vide supra bbb at his Majesties desire the Ambassadours of England and France did write so much to their Masters eee Vide supra bbb and it was also promised that the next generall Assembly and Parliament for the Noblemens greater security should give their ample approbations When the generall Assembly came the Noblemen petitioned them for their approbation at the first the Assembly declined to meddle with that matter fff Collection When the Authors of the enterprize sought the approbation of the generall Assembly it was answered that the matter was civill nothing pertaining to them It was replyed that the King and Counsell Estates had approved it and that the King had agreed an Act of approbation should be made in the Assembly whereupon Master James Lauson and Master David Lindsay were directed to his Majesty who after conference with his Majesty and Counsell reported their approbation and the Kings contentment that an Act should passe as was desired but when the Petitioners insisted alleaging it was the Kings pleasure they should take that matter into consideration they sent two of their number to the King to understand his mind his Majesty did not onely fignifie to those Messengers his defire that the Assembly should declare their approbation of that Action at Ruthven ggg Vide fff but also he did send two Commissioners of his owne to require the Assembly in his name to declare so much hhh The Collection The Tutor of Pitcur and Colonell Stuart Commissioners from the King reported that they had speciall command to assent in his name and so the Assembly approved but not till approved before and desired to approve Could the Assemblies obedience to the Kings expresse command be a treason of so high a nature as did merit not onely the persecution of their persons but the abolition of the Court it selfe for ever yet the Prelats and Courtiers rage did intend no lesse for when Captaine James had got againe into the Court whence he had been banished he wrought so upon the minor King that the Noblemen and Gentlemen who had procured his removall at Ruthven were some of them executed as Traitors others forfeit and banished many of the best Ministers were forced to flee for their life not one Pastor durst stay in Edenborough but all fled out of the Kingdome iii Vide supra Such stormes has Satan oft stirred up in Scotland by his instruments yet gracious men there by faith and patience by wisdome and active courage did wrestle through and alwayes in the end prevailed they got the Church the Kingdome the person of the Prince ever at last rescued from the bonds and snares of oppressing Sycophants The memory of our Predecessors sufferings and successes does much encourage us in these evill dayes and permits us not in the greatest tempests to faint but makes us to walk with hope in the midst of despaire for the like glorious issue however this was the sad condition of Scotland for some time till the oppressed Nobility did come to Stirling in a greater number and with a sharper Remonstrance then they had used at Ruthven At their first appearing before the Towne The Road of Stirling the instruments of mischiefe did flee the King and his good people Noblemen Gentlemen Ministers and others were presently reconciled though the authors of these frequent misunderstandings did escape by flight the sword of publick Justice yet did the private judgements of God quickly find them out and sweep them off the face of the earth with their ruine peace and prosperity did flow in both upon Church and Kingdome The other great crime imputed to the generall Assembly It could be necrime in the generall Assembly to vote down Episcopacy is That they had voted downe Episcopacy and had professed the unlawfulnesse of prelaticall Jurisdiction both in the Church and State which prior Assemblies had approved of To this I answer that the crime cannot be very great for any Church meeting especially a generall Assembly to declare their judgement in a point of Religion of great and generall concernment and whether this their judgement was erroneous when they condemned the office of Episcopacy affirming it to be unlawfull for a Minister of the Gospell to be a Lord of Parliament and Counsell to be a Chancellour Secretary Treasurer of a Kingdome or any Officer of State or to take upon him alone the power of Ordination and spirituall Jurisdiction which the Word of God never gives to one ordinary Officer but alwayes to a number joined in a Presbytery the whole Isle thanks be to God now does cleerly see That ever the Church of Scotland or any lawfull Assembly thereof did approve of Episcopall jurisdiction What favour the Earle of Morton procured to Episcopacy at the conference at Lâ—eth 1572. was by the generall Assemblies disclaimed it is alleaged without any ground We grant the Earl of Morton in that necessary correspondence which he did always keep with Queen Elizabeth was entangled in a greater familiarity and affection to the English Prelats then was convenient and at their desire did assay in a conference of some Statesmen and Ministers of his speciall acquaintance in the yeer 1572 at Leeth to have set up in Scotland a kind of Episcopacy but that plant was so strange to our climate that it could take no root in our ground for so much offence was taken in the very next
assistance and were ever in a possibility to be assisted by their Princes and Magistrates but if the Magistrate himself will turn Pope and take upon him to dispence the spirituall Jurisdiction one part thereof to civill Commissioners another part to the Congregationall Eldership a third to the Classis a fourth to whom he will and in the end as all did flow from him make all againe to returne by a finall appeale to himselfe when the servants of Christ are necessitate to oppose and preach against this usurpation of their Masters royall Prerogative and for their labour are persecute as opposers of the Magistrate to whom shall they flee for defence Thirdly The simpathy and antipathy of Bishops Erastians consider how in these intentions Prelacy and Erastianism are linked together it is true the genuine principles of Episcopacy doe overturne Erastianisme and Prelats where ever they conceive themselves bottomed and rooted in a Land will be loath to fetch their pedegree from any Princes will and Commission but will stand upon a divine institution or at least such an Ecclesiasticke right as depends not upon the Magistrates pleasure this was the case of the English Hierarchy of late Yet where Episcopacy is not so firmly grounded as it conceives it selfe immoveable and secure it is a very devout handmaid to Erastianisme and this was the condition of Prelacy in England when these intentions were written for at that time the Bishops were glad to keepe not onely their Civill but all their Ecclesiastick Courts in the name and by the Commission onely of the Prince deriving all their Jurisdiction and whatever they had peculiar above and differing from any Minister of their Diocesse from the Prince onely ascribing to him not onely an Architectonick but a truly Ecclesiastick power as a chiefe part of the royall Supremacy and Prerogative of the Crowne Adamson the very yeer before he wrote his intentions learned these Lessons in England from the Prelats and Courtiers of the Queen with whom he confessed at last to his griefe he had been too intimate albeit when he came to Scotland he thought it not expedient to vent to that people or possibly he was not perswaded in his owne mind of the whole body either of the Erastian or of the Episcopall maximes for in this Writ the Presbyterian Erastian and Episcopall maximes are so inconsiderately intermixed that the man seems not to have been very carefull how their contrary qualities should be so contemperated as the whol lump might not be dissolved by repugnancies It can be pretty well demonstrate how Episcopacy as it was for a long time in England may well stand upon an Erastian bottome also how handsomly the Erastian principles may in a short time bring back the Bishops Deanes and Chapters from their banishment Both agree against the Presbyterians but how a true and solid Apostolick Presbytery is compatible either with Episcopacy or a Magistraticall Popedome though there were not a Covenant I doe not conceive Our last remark upon the intentions is King James against all toleration either of heresie or schisme that however they be spotted with many and grosse both Prelaticall and Erastian errours yet they demonstrate so much orthodoxie and zeale remaining in these worst times among the Courtiers and Prelats of Scotland as will beare witnesse if it be not imitate against our times where much more piety and that upon stronger obligations is profest for first the King is made to avow his resolution to set up in the whole Kingdome Ecclesiasticall Assemblies for the suppressing of whatever by the Word of God should be found either heresie or schism qqq Kings Declaration p. 22. His Majesties intention is if any question of faith and doctrine arise to convocate the most learned godly wise and experimented Pastors that by conference of Scriptures the verity may be tryed and all heresie and schisme by that meanes be repressed but how many yeers shal we see both begin and end before the pittifull complaints of the godly both here abroad shall procure the least restraint to heresies or schisms which now in this Kingdom are become more grosse and impudent then ever in any Kingdome before or at this day in all the Kingdomes of the earth together This monstrous toleration cannot eschew to draw the displeasure of the God of truth upon the Authors fomenters and favourers thereof such a long indifferency and lukewarmnesse such a misregard of the truth of God such a connivence and compliance with errours of all kind in a people ever before famous for zeale is most mervailous Secondly Also contrary to our present hatefull Anatchy the King in that very houre of his darknesse is made to professe his intention to countenance all the ordinary Judicatories of the Church and in no wise to hinder any good order which from the Word of God in these meetings should be established rrr Ibid. His Majesties intention is not to derogate unto the ordinary judgement of matters of the Church by the ordinary Bishops their Counsels and Synods nor to hinder or stay any godly solid order grounded upon the Word of God Why then in our dayes of so great light should the whole Church lye still in a totall Anarchy did ever any Christian Nation for seven yeers without any compulsion abide without all Ecclesiastick government If men had taken a Commission from the Father of lyes and author of wickednesse to be his avowed agents in propagating errours vice and all mischiefes could they for their life invent a better meanes for furthering these designes then to continue this Anarchy then to be pragmatick and pregnantly instrumentall in putting one impediment after another in the way I hope there are many in the Parliament Assembly and Kingdome whose heart bleeds in their brest to see their hands so long tyed that they cannot get the hedge of the Church set up to keep out the devouring Beasts from the flock Thirdly Further he promises all assistance and â—untenance 〈◊〉 Church-Assemblies by these intentions we may see King James his resolution which so long as he was in Scotland he did indeed performe Not onely was he content that Ecclesiastick judicatories should proceed in all spirituall causes as the Word of God did warrant them but also he promises to countenance the superiour Assemblies of the Church with his owne royall presence and allowes to the meanest Church-meetings the assistance of the inferiour Magistrates and Church officers that their religious and just orders might not be contemned without deserved punishment Å¿Å¿Å¿ Ibid. It is his Majesties intention to assist this Assembly himself or by a Noble man of his Counsell his Deputy and for the keeping of good order in every Parish there shall be certaine appointed to be Censors of the manners of the rest who shall have his Majesties authority and Officers of Armes concurring for the punishment of vice These men are afraid of their owne
doubt not but it was attended with much sedition faction and Rebellion p. 41. I daily heartily bewail that too too much idolised Reformation if Knox and his complices had kept in the way of the old Martyrs we had bin more happy sure I am the great and more then ordinary sinnes in them and us and our forefathers have brought us to be plunged in these miseries God so punishing the sins of that first Reformation by this second spurious Reformation All controversies of Religion ought to be decided by the writs of the fathers (s) Sacro sanct p. 59. Would God both sides in this and other controversies would submit to the judgement and determination of the holy Fathers It is but precise Puritanisme to refuse the Apocrypha books (t) p. 39. If our strait laced brethren would be pleased to cast an eye upon Apocrypha I refer them to Ecclesiasticus It is presumption for any man upon earth to meddle with the questions of Election and Predestination (u) Sacro sanct p. 105. These Seraphicall Doctors make so bold with almighty God as to unfold the secrets of Predestination and to define who are the Elect and who the Reprobate All necessity takes away Freedome from the Will (x) Ibid. p. 91. The first act of mans will necessarily fertur in summum bonum this is actus necessarius non liber not so free as it may choose or reject it is elicited by force constraint or necessity the Schoolmen doe rightly teach that the Sacraments conferre grace by some extrinsecall supervenient power (y) Ibid. p. 121. Schoolmen do confesse that the Sacraments doe not confer grace vi naturali physica inhaerente but vi morali supernaturali superveniente mens sins are washed away by doing of Pennance (z) Ibid. p. He was forced to flee and with 40. years penance and repentance wash away that guiltinesse Ministers are Priests (aa) It s high time for Prince and Priest to strengthen one another all who have adhered to the Parliament are Sectaries and mad ones (bb) Ibid. p. 38. No moderate Sectary if any such be p. 68. People thus madded by mad Sectaries and Shebaes By this little taste of the mans Spirit we may see their wisedome who bring in such a witnesse to testifie against the Reformed Churches It is strange that any gracious Englishman should be apt to hear slanders against the Church of Scotland and how good friends they are either to the Parliament or to the true Religion who recommend this writer with so loud praises to the diligent perusall of simple people The 2d circumstance I offered was the object of this calumnious writ whom does it undertake to defame the Church of Scotland It is possible for any gratious Englishman to applaud this injury Who did so heartily concurre and so much assist the first planting of the Church of Scotland as that renounced Queen Elizabeth and the state of England Scotlands old obligations to England our History tells us that in all the assaults of that Church from the Popish and Prelaticall party we were not only comforted by the encouragements of the English Anti-episcopall Divines Cartwright Hildersham and all the rest of the old Non-conformists cordially sympathizing with us but also the Queene and State by continuall Letters and many gracious Embassages did ever support our cause and assist us when we needed both with Armies and Monies knowing that notwithstanding of all our differences with the Prelates yet we were most firme for the Protestant cause and welfare of England against all Enemies both at home and abroad When lately the Canterburian designes were on foot to change the Religion Englands late of ligations to Scotland and inslave the state of all the three Kingdomes to an absolute and Turkish Monarchy or at least such a tyranny as this day is exercised by the French and Spanish Kings did not Scotland at that time when no party at all in England nor Ireland would or durst appeare take their lives in their hands and with courage for the liberty of the whole Isle set their fâ—ces against these Popish Tyrants did they not with such piety prudence moderation and valour mannage that common cause that the blessings of all England and of all Protestants yea of all in Europe of what ever profession who loved the just liberty of the subject did rest upon their heads Thereafter when that wicked faction glad to be rid of them and to give them all their desires according as they were pleased to dâ—mand them did turne their Armes from them upon the good subjects of England and Ireland and in both had well neer accomplished their design Ireland having no considerable Army to oppose the barbarous murtherers and the Army that was after some faint opposition joyning with the Rebells against the Parliament In England the North and West being totally lost the Kings great and victorious Armies ready to swallow up the remnant no friend upon earth appearing for the gracious party their lamentable and desperate condition was by their Commissioners with sighs and teares represented to Scotland Where their Brethren were so touched with compassion that laying aside all thoughts of hazard which was extreamly great they resolved to ingage all they had life wealth peace and what else is deare for to rescue the English out of the pit of their visible imminent and otherwise unavoidable ruine They sent to Ireland an Army of ten thousand well appointed men who banished the Barbars out of Vlster where they were strongest and out of the most of Conaught keeping so much of that Isle in possession of the English as made it easie for them when ever they thought fit to regaine the rest They sent into England a gallant well-armed governed company of twenty thousand effective who by Gods blessing themselvs alone did ruine the Kings main greatest Army under New-castle and joyning with others of the Parliaments forces at Long-Marston did so break and defeat the prime of all the rest of the Kings forces met together that they were never afterable to bring to the fields any Army very considerable either for number or courage Much occasion of action was not thereafter afforded yet the keeping quiet of all the new conquests by North Trent and the holding the neighbouring Associations in awe til the Parliaments forces at their leasure did take up the rest of the country was no small service In these actions the Scots did spend very much precious blood many of them did endure much hardship both in England and Ireland and at home by the Pestilence by a prevailing Enemy by intestine discouragements and divisions all flowing from their friendship with England they were overwhelmed with greater miseries then their fathers had seen for many hundred yeares and which grieved them more then all things else they were entertained by too many of them for whom they suffered all these
there was no controversie in the year 1580 betwixt the Church and the Court The privie counsell had subscribed all that book with some reservation about Church rents the Generall Assemblies oft did agree to it without any exception his Majestie himselfe in the fore named year did send to the Assembly with an expresse commissioner the platform of all the Presbiteries which therafter were erected over all Scotland which against all the Prelats assaults have ever stood firme to this day so your alleagencies are exceeding false that the Presbiteries were erected without the Kings authority and that in the yeare 1580 the Government of our Church was Episcopall these are putide thredbare lyes The Generall Assembly did never allow of Abbots and Priors as Churchmen and though they pressed the great unjustice that Popish Bishops and lay Abbots should 〈◊〉 in Parliament in name of the Church to vote as the third estate The Generall Assembly did never approve of Abbots and Priors Estate without any Commission from the Church yet it was never their intention to have any of their owne number appointed by themselves to vote in Parliament in name of the Church of Scotland For when King Iames a little before his going to England was very earnest with the generall Assembly to accept of that as a favour they forseeing the snare did resolutely reject it ever til his Maje by very great dealing did draw a plurality of an unadvised Assembly to embrace that power of voting in Parliament but with a nuÌ„ber of Caveats which wise men foresaw would never be kept That Master Melvil or any Presbitery of that Land had ever any hand in impropriating or disapidating any part of the Church Rent is farre from truth But that your good Colleagues the Prelats in the Parliament 1606. made a bargaine for alienating from the Church for ever no fewer then 16. Abbays at one time I declared before About that time what the practises of the disciplinarians aâ— London might be I doe not know but this is certaine that Mr. Cartwright and all the old nonconformists in England were our deare Brethren and made a waies the Government of the Church of Scotland the measure of their desires that betwixt us and the Antiepiscopall party here was never any difference till the unhappy Separatists and their Children the Independents did make it Your invenomed invective against the present Reformation of both Kingdomes as a monstrous deformation we let it lye in your owne bosome to keep you warme till you be pâ—eased to bring all of it abroad in that Anatomie which here you promise but we expect no performance till you first have had leasure as likewise you stand engaged by your word to put the foure Limbes unto that Gorgons head of your Turkish Monarchy which some yeares agoe you set up at Oxford P. 36. The Ministers in Scotland were wont to give the King seasonable Counsell but in all wisdome and humility In your 36. p. you run upon our Assemblies for appointing Ministers to Preach pertinent doctrine and advising them who did Preach to the King and State to speake a word in season for the wee ll of Sion at that time as I shew before their was a mighty designe to advance the Catholick League for the overthrow of Queene Elizabeth and all Protestants the prime Courtiers were diligent Agents herein the men who were trusted to be watchmen to the Kings person and Family if at such a time they should have beene silent they could not have answered it either to God or man You and your gracious companions who never had a mouth to divert a Prince from any evill course were yet loud trumpets of fury in the most of your Sermons and Prayers to inflame him against his two Puritan Parliaments of Britaine but to calme him towards his innocent and Catholick trusty Subjects of Ireland That any Assembly in Scotland ever challenged the sole power of indicting fasts is in the ordinary predicament of your assertions under the spece of palpable untruths P. 37.38 No affront was offered to the King by the fast at Edinburgh Of the feast at Edinburgh p. 37. I have given in the other Treatise a full accompt only I add here that in this your relation you makeit more false then any other of your friends who write thereof the King was neither invited nor present the originall of the motion was not from the King but the French Merchants for their owne ends the Magistrates of Edinburgh did not countenance the feast for of their foure Bailies three kept the fast the appointers of that abstinence were not the Ministers but the Magistrates and the Congregationall Eldership not the supreame but the lowest judicatory of the Church the Processe against the Magistrates and the Kings great Solicitation that it might be Superceeded ar meerly fabulous I have also given a large account of your next calumnie in the other Treatis If any should Preach Treason with us he is censurable both by Church and state no man in Scotland did ever maintaine that a Minister Preaching Treason might not be conveened and punished by the Magistrate according to the Lawes All Mr. Melvils plea was that a Minister of the Church of Scotland and a member of the University of St. Andrews being priviledged by the antient and late Lawes of the Kingdome was not necessitate at the first instance to answer before the privy counsell for a passage of his Sermon which most falsly was said to be treasonable The whole case I have opened at large else where The acts of Parliament you speake of warranting an unreasonable Supremacy were procured in the yeare 1584. by that insolent Tyrant Captain Iames and the Declaration upon them was penned by Bishop Adamson also both the Acts and the Declaration were recalled by the King and Parliament That any invectives against his Majesties person for these acts were spread abroad we doe deny it we think it very possible that much might both have been spoken and written against the matter of these acts but that any man was so unmannerly as to fall upon the King himselfe before we beleeve it we must have a greater evidence then a Prelates Testimony What you say of the fugitive Ministers The Erastian and Prelaticall principles brought great trouble on the Ministers of Scotland as Spotswood relates it was thus The acts of that Parliament 1584. were so bitter and grievous to all the gracious Ministers of Scotland that many of them fled out of the Kingdome and diverse of the prime laid downe their life as it seemes of meere greife Mr. Smeeton Principall Mr. of the Uniuersity of Glasgow and Mr. Arbuthnot of the University of Aberdeen both dyed that yeare all the Ministers of Edinburgh fled to England and the cheife of them Mr. Lawson went to London Adamson Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews at that time kept great correspondence with the Bishops of England who without any
they were not in a capacity to receave it till once they were an Assembly so with Lauristons good liking they did pray and chose their Moderator and Clerke thereafter they did receive and read the Letters discharging the Assembly to which they gave present obedience and did no more at all but appointed the next meeting according to the expresse act of Parliament Lauriston after the Assembly was dissolved was so officious as by a Lyon herauld with a publike Proclamation to command them to be gone this Proclamation most falsly he did antidate as if it had beene used before the Ministers sat downe hereupon the Ministers were convened before the secret Counsell for keeping of a Conventicle contrary to the Kings command they answered as Spotswood says that they had done nothing but according to the Laws both divine and humane That the Generall Assembly had right to meet in the great necessities of the Church and the Laws of Scotland gave them expresse warrant to meet Lauriston told them that the King might delay all meetings both of Church and State Parliaments and Assemblies so long as he pleased they replyed that they could doe nothing against the Kings mind so long as they followed the expresse order of his standing Lawes When the King and state has past an act for Trienniall Parliaments and the Commissioners of shires doe meet at the day appointed to fence a Parâ—iament according to Law and long uncontroverted custome if by evill Counsell the King should not only delay but by a Proclamation put of the meeting to an uncertaine and infinite time ought these Commissioners for following the instructions of their shires according to Law and custome be lyable to any censure the case now in hand is just the same The Ministers did plead further that the privie Councell was not a competent Judicatorie to the question what was a lawfull or unlawfull Assembly that by the Lawes of the Kingdome such questions were to be decided by a lawfull Generall Assembly and not elsewhere At that time Doctor Bancroft was Patron to the naughty Preacher of Scotland who were panting for Bishopricks and as after the conference at Hampton Court he had moved the King to crush the most of the gracious Brethren of England who could not submit to Episcopacie and its Ceremonies So then did he hasten a Message to the Councell of Scotland for the condemning all who adhered to the Assembly of Aberdeen of high Treason To maintaine a power in the Church to keep an Assembly or in the State to keep a Parliament whether to begin or to continue it when the King did discharge though the Law did expresly warrant it was to oppose the Royall prerogative and could be no lesse then the highest treason especially if any did decline the Judgement of the Privy Counsell or any other Judicatorie to which the King was pleased to referre the decision of this case though the nature of the thing and the Law did require the question to bee determined in another Court For this plea a number of gracious Ministers were condemned by an Assize to be executed as Traitours but thereafter as it were of great favour and speciall grace their lives were spared yet were they all presently banished never to returne to any of the Kings Dominions while they lived All the godly and wise in the Land did cry out upon this Act of the Candidats of Episcopacie as of the highest unjustice and Tyranny All the sufferers were men exceedingly beloved Mr. Welsh and Master Forbes their oppression but some of them were very eminent Master Forbes was a man of so great learning and prudence that in Germany both higher and lower yea with King Iames himselfe and King Charles he was held while he lived in singular reputation Master Welsh was a man altogether Apostolike of rare both learning and piety The fame of this mans zeale was so great that not only the Protestants of France but the very Popish Priests and Souldiers yea the prophanest of the Court and King Lewis himselfe at the very time of his hottest persecutions did much prize and reverence him yet so great was the rage of the Bishops against him that when in his old age and great sicknesse he came over to England and according to the direction of his Phisitians did supplicate to be permitted to breath a little in his naturall aire though he was altogether unable for preaching or making any more sturre in the world it was peremptorily denyed him unlesse he should give assurance of putting his necke under the Episcopall yoke not being able to doe this he was forced to dye out of hâ—â— Country a banished man Who would not have thâ—â—â—ht that the ruine of so many gracious men might haâ—â—â—â—lly satiate the malice of a few ambitious persons Bancroft a persecutor of the Scottish Presbiterians buâ—â—â— they were not content they proceeded farther in their cruelty they moved the King to call up to London a number of more Divines who for piety zeale and learning were of greatest reputation The pretext was faire and his Majesties Letter to them courteous he required them to come up to give him their best advice how the Church of Scotland might best be settled in peace but behold Bancrofts and the Scottish Episcopaturians fraud they are brought before the King and Councell and there are posed with a number of dangerous and insnaring questions to which they declined to answer yet being much pressed they gave in their mind in writing so humbly and prudently as was possible no quarrell could be picked against any of their words yet were they all arrested to stay at London till contrary to Law and the order of the Church and the heart of all the godly their adversaries were set downe in Scotland upon their Episcopall Thrones Mr. Andrew Melvil The undoing of Mr. Andrew and Mr. James Melvils a great Light to the Scottish Nation for his free speeches after great provocation against the English Bishops and Ceremonies to which he a stranger called up by the Kings friendly Letter did owe no subjection was kept prisoner three whole yeares and then was sent over to Sedan where he lived to his death a banished man His Nephew Mr. Iames Melvil for his excellent parts in great favour with the King but unable to comply with Episcopall designes was kept out of Scotland till his dying day the rest were at last sent home but all of them as Prisoners confined to certaine places These were the first fruits of the English Prelacie in Scotland but yearly thereafter that tree did bring forth such grapes of Gomorrha among us that the Land could be at no peace till it was cut downe yea plucked up by the rootes It might have satisfied the unnaturall malice of a very wicked child P. 41. Prelaticall calumnies to have bespattered the face of his innocent mother with the halfe of the former very injurious and false calumnies yet you
opposite to the contrary which yet the Parliaments of both Kingdomes now and the rest of the reformed Churches ever did professe was truth and a part of the purity of Religion the affirmation of so much I hope will not be found a very monstrous crime P. 48.49 The Commissioners of the generall Assembly unjustly slandered though you beleeve Episcopacy to be so fundamentall a truth that all its opposits must needs be most properly Hereticks In the remnant of your Booke from the page 48. to the 53. you make your declamatioÌ„s against the CoÌ„missioners of the Generall Assembly you will have them to be the fountaine of all the Treasons Seditions Rebellions of the Land but you should do well to prove this rather then to say it for you know that your assertions have no faith and deserve none in Scotland reason you can have none in the nature of the thing for all established Courts either in Church or State have naturally a power in themselves to make Committees for the furthering of that worke which the Lawes of the Kingdome put in their hands It is true Committees under that name were not early knowne in Scotland the name and a part of the thing we learned from our Neighbours of England but so soon as the Generall Assemblies did thinke meet to appoint some of their number to be a standing Committee to their next meeting the expedient was unanimously embraced and liked of by none so well after a little tryall as by King Iames and the State I did never heare any hurt charged upon these Committees but one that by the Kings extraordinary diligence with some of them they were seduced to lay some ground stones whereupon Episcopall Chaires were afterward set downe but what here you lay to their charge is evidently false Queen Regent was suspended from her authority by the state before there was any Generall Assembly in Scotland Queen Mary was put from the Government and King Iames established therein by the Parliament the Nobility at Ruthven did persuade King Iames to send the Duke of Lenox back to France and remove Captaine Iames from Court before any Commissioners of a Generall Assembly were so much as thought upon Being of necessity must precede all operation It is folly to charge crimes upon a Committee before it had any existence but all these your discourses are used as a preface and introduction to that grand Common place of the bitterest invectives of all your friends the 17. day of December which you make the topstone and close of all your calumnies That much tossed matter P. 50.51.52 A full account of the 17. day of December as I find it in Spotswood and others much more worthy Authors was this After the miscarriage of the Spanish designe upon this Isle in 88. the Popish faction of Scotland did still keep correspondence with Philip and his Ministers both in Spaine and West Flanders Agents Letters Monies were ever going betwixt them great hopes yearly of a new Navy which fayling the Iesuits moved Huntly and his complices to enterprise by themselves these things were all discovered Queen Elizabeth who in all the popish designes was primely aimed at did send frequent advertisements of their plots which by intelligencers in Rome and Spaine she came to understand The Generall Assembly did excommunicate Huntly the head of that turbulent faction The King denounced him Rebell he was often relaxed from the sentence both civill and Ecclesiastick yet he ever relapsed and entered in new conspiracys for the overthrow of the Religion and Kingdome The man was very bloody powerfull and active After Chancellour Maitlands death the prime Courtiers were knowne Papists and drew the Kings mind to receive Huntly againe into favour contrary to the Supplications of all his well-affected Subjects and the manifold Letters of the Queen of England these same Courtiers under pretence of mannaging the Kings rent did graspe into their hands all the Offices of State and favours of the Prince to the extreame discontent of the most of their fellow Courtiers Besides all this they made it their chiefe designe to kindle the Kings wrath against the most zealous of the Ministry they brought matters to such a passe in the beginning of December 1596. that the King in displeasure did Command by Proclamation the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly to dissolve and goe out of Edinborough they presently obeyed the charge So what ever followed thereafter is unjustly charged upon that Committee which long before the seventeenth day was dissolved and gone out of Towne On the sixteenth day Huntly who had killed the Earle of Murray had defeat Argyles Army had come to the fields against the King in person conspired with the Spaniard to bring in the Armado solicited often the Prince of Farma for a new Navy plotted the taking of the King and killing of the Chancellour in his presence This man though both banished and excommunicate comming boldly to Court put all Edinburgh in a just feare So much the more as in the morning oâ— the sevententh day some of the Kings chiefe Servants and Bedchamber men who it seems indeed had a reall intention to raise some trouble against the Octavians by whom they were spoyled of their places and meanes did informe the Ministers and others of Huntlies privie conference with the King the evening before till midnight this afterward was found to be but feigned by them yet it was most true that by these mens misinformations that very night the King by Proclamation as he had done before with the Commissioners of the Geneâ—all Assembly commanded in the morning of the 17 Twenty foure of the cheefe and most zealous Citizens of Edinburgh to depart the Towne All these things falling out together put the people in extreame feare of a present Massacre by the hands of Huntly of the popish Courtiers and their faction To prevent this mischiefe Mr. Balcanquall whom it fell to preach that day after Sermon desired the cheefe of them who were present to stay for advisement what was needfull to be done for their owne safety in the meeting nothing at all was resolved upon but a humble supplication to his Majestie that they might be in security from the dangerous plotts of the Papists That the Lady Huntly an excommunicate Papist might be removed from Court and sent home That three of the Counsellours knowne papists and correspondents with Rome as their Letters thereafter found with the Pope did prove might not vote at the Counsell Table in the causes of Ministers That the Citizens banished out of Edinburgh without the allegeance of any cause might be returned to their houses This most innocent Petition was sent to his Majestie by two noble men Lindsay and Forbes two Barons Bargeny and Blachan and two Ministers Master Robert Bruce and Master William Watson Master Robert Bruce did speake to his Majestie so humbly and with so much reason that he gave no offence but when his Majestie
change the Sabbath day of Luthers conference with the Devill When you have over-wearied both your selfe and us P. 53.54 A Declaration upon all the 12. Articles imputed to us you will yet adde as a mantissa and appendix two other points first you set down the twelve Articles of our Creed Since you are so good at the confessing of your Neighbours I would gladly know what your own faith may be what you ascribe here to us ye doe it without any ground either of reason or Authoritie your simple assertions must be the very Articles of your Creed Some yeares agoe we did see a book called Ladonsium Autocatacrisis wherein by formall and expresse testimonies not the articles of your faith for you are an avowed paucifidian but such opinions as you and your companions did preach and print are set down at large Wherein it was demonstrate that you and your bosome friends in Aberdeen and Edinburgh did hold grosser Arminianisme Popery and Tiranny then the worst of the Canterburians in England also in the beginning of this Treatise we did see under your owne hand such a confession of your faith as few of the most malignant of your party will have the impudence to subscribe it with you But be your faith what it may for it is like that times and occasions may make you hide or open yea vary and change as you find it most convenient for your purpose I am content freely to tell you my mind in all these Articles as you stile them of our Creed I never heard of the first but in your Pamphlet no Presbiterian ever dreamed of any necessity to change the government of the State that it might be conforme to the Church but many Episcopall and all Erastians doe hold the government of the Church to bee a matter of so indifferent arbitrary and changeable a nature that it may well comply and ought to be conformed to the model of every State wherein it requires to be entertained The true tenet of all approved among us so farre as I know is that the government of the Church and State are two really distinct policies both ordained of God which without his displeasure may not bee confounded nor ought not to encroach one upon another That the wrath of God will be on that Church and on these Church-men who for any advantage they apprehend can come either to the Church or to themselves will go to trouble or change any civil State be it Monarchy Aristocracie Democracy or what ever els which by the just lawes of any people is setled in a Land on the other side that God will be angry with every State and all those Statesmen who for the advancement of their owne or the States interest will goe to impede trouble or change that government of the Church which Christ in his Testament has left to his servants unto his second comming For the second we doe maintaine a parity among Ministers courting it an Antichristian ambition for any one to make himselfe Lord Bishop over the rest but this is farre from any Democracy for wee put all the Ministers of a Kingdome under the jurisdiction of a Nationall Assembly the rules whereof use to be so just and exact that where they are reverenced there is no danger of any popular confusion much lesse then where Episcopall either Tiranny or Obligarchy does prevaile For the third to our Consistories we give no Independent power these with us are all subordinate to Classicall Presbiteries and to our Nationall Assemblies wee give no power to meddle with any temporall things at all nor any Legislative power about things spirituall When they have past their Votes upon a matter spirituall according to the rules of the word of God If any Law or civill Sanction bee needfull they supplicate the Magistrate whom they never presume to command to be an executioner of their Decrees these be but your calumnies only they intreat him to make such Laws as hee finds the equity of the matter in his own conscience to require You indeed professe an inthronization of Bishops and give to them not only a directive power over the King but an authoritative to excommunicate him and if he to save his Crowne will be content that his Parliaments doe with your Thrones and Myters what they thinke expedient you print to the world that this shall bring a remedilesse and perpetuall ruine both on the King and his people themselves and their posterities For the fourth the Lawes of Scotland allow to the Generall Assembly a power to Judge of all divine truths and heresies so that if they find popish Episcopall or what ever Errours established by Acts of Parliament yet they are authorized to proceed to give their sentence from the word of God not of the Law but of the Errour to which Church-men in their ignorance have procured a Sanction as for the Law the Parliament when they sit take it into their owne consideration never any Assembly of the reformed Church dealt either with Prince or Parliament for the reclaiming of a Law otherwise then by humble supplication What you speake of a corrective power the Church of Scotland did ever disclaime it all compulsion by outward inconvenients they remitted ever to the State As for the censures of the Church no faction ever has been more prodigall of them both in doctrine and practise then you and your gracious Brethren the Prelats For the fifth we exeem no Minister who preaches Treason from the cognisance and punishment of the Magistrate only by the Laws of our Kingdome the judgement of Ministers doctrine in the first instance belongs to the Ecclesiastich Judicatory For the sixth we pretend no power to make the Magistrate adde the civill Sanction to any of our Assemblies Decrees further then his own conscience the Justice of the thing the former Laws of the Land the humble and earnest desire of the Subjects does plead for but you before your Tippets and Rotchets be laid aside will permit three Kingdomes to be consumed with fire and sword without any remedy unlesse your thrones may bee re-established King and people must be destroyed for ever And this you tell us must be and shall be but in many things wee have found you false prophets and feare not your causelesse curses For the seventh we maintain no power of the Church to reforme and preserve Religion but such as does well consist with that duty which God has laid upon the Magistrate both for the reformation of Religion and preservation of it when it is reformed For the eight wee maintaine that the sins of the Magistrate does not excuse the people for their neglect of any duty that God has laid upon them and when Superiours are resolved to live and dye in Idolatrie we thinke that every inferiour Magistrate and every person is obliged to keepe himselfe free of corruption and so farre as he is able to reforme his owne soule but not to be a publick
reformer of a Country without a lawfull calling For the ninth all the Covenants of our Land are warranted by Acts of Parliament and how ever by the misinformation of Prelats the King for a time judged them illegall yet at last he found them just and necessary according to the Laws and Customes of the Kingdome wee indeed doe maintaine when a handfull of wicked Prelats doe seduce a Prince to destroy himselfe and whole Kingdomes that in that case it is lawfull for the Nobles and States of a Land to stand upon their guard and wee cannot subscribe to these prime fundamentall Articles of your faith That the Supremacie of Britaine is so farre exalted above all Law divine and humane that the Parliaments of both Kingdomes for their most necessary defensive Armes are to be condemned by God and all men for Traitors and Rebels yet your good friends the Idolatrous murtherers of Ireland must be registred to posterity for good Catholick subjects No marvell you beleeve all this when you professe your advice to all Princes rather to admit of the worst whordomes of Rome the very Jesuitisme of Raviliack and Faux then of the Presbiteriall government Behold whither despite may carry the spirit of an excommunicate Prelate For the tenth our Assemblies meddle not with questions of State if the originall of royalty be so from heaven that men on earth had never any hand in making of a King if in any immaginable case a King be censurable such questions were never proposed so much as for debate in any Assembly of Scotland unhappy Bishops who must needs prophane the Crowns of Kings by making their Soveraignty and mysterious Prerogatives their ordinary quodlibets to be tossed as Tennis balls in their common discourse Sermons and Pamphets It was a very unhappy day for the Kings of Britaine when the feet of Prelats got first leave to touch the threshold of the Court and their evill eyes to behold the Jewels of the Crown or their soule hands to touch the hemme of the royall Robes such infaust harppies polute all things though most sacred to which they approach For the eleventh though it never came to be scanned in any Assembly yet I know no honest man of Scotland that makes question of the thing The King and Parliament has inacted the lawfulnesse of our late defensive Armes but the Acts of that Parliament are not much to your mind for they cast you out of your native Country as a prime incendiary unfit to breath more in that Aire The twelfth is but to make up the number being the same with the former The conclusion of your Articles is but a malicious railing invective very sutable to your mouth it 's contrary to reason and experience as oft wee have said before but you cannot spare Tauttologies The second part of your Appendix is your Postscript P. 55.56 No shadow of Episcopacie remaines in any well reformed Church wherein you make a large muster of your Episcopall Territories and tell us that the major part of the reformed Churches in Christendome doe retaine Episcopacie also that the removall thereof from England is the fountaine of all our present Sects you may know that all our Heresies and Sects did breed under the wings of Episcopacie the reason why now they appeare so thick in publick is not the removall of Episcopacie but the retarding of Presbiteriall government and the plague of our too too long annarchie That your Episcopacie is to be found in any reformed Church is a great untruth we grant it is to be seen in your Easterne and Westerne Churches the first of your Catalogue but you would speake a little more plainly that people may understand your mind what Westerne Church is this that you propone unto us for a patterne of Episcopacy is it any other then the good old Mother Church of Rome which many of you cry up for so true a Church that all Protestants are Shismaticks for their needlesse separation-there-from and that among Princes those are most happy who shall heale that breach and once againe make us all to be one under our holy Father the Pope the first Bishop of Christendome whom all the Bishops in Britaine and in the whole world ought by a good Ecclesiastick right to reverence as the first Patriarch the constant moderator of all Oecumenick Counsells Your Easterne Churches are those of Greece and Asia whose corruptions albeit not like to these of Rome yet are so many and grosse as none but such as you will propone them for patternes of imitation In the rest of youâ— Catalogue you are pleased to play the Herauld and Cosmographer of purpose to terrifie simple people by the many names of your large territories You know the world scornes the Rodomontades of Spain their King must not be stiled as his neighbours of France and great Britaine but he will be called the King of Castile the King of Arragon the King of Portugall the King of Leon and a large caetera of many Kingdomes yet all in Spaine Might you not have said that Episcopacie was continued in all the Lutheran Churches of Germany which will not make the third part of that Country deducing the Calvinists and Papists In your great vanity you reckon up the Earldome of Henneberg Lenning and these that follow to the number of Thirteene as if they were all great and considerable Provinces and yet put them all together they will scarce make up one fifth part of some English shires But for the matter are the Lutheran Churches esteemed by any well advised Protestants the best reformed whereof our Covenant speaks It seems the worse Churches be reformed you like them the better for they are so much neerer to your best beloved in Rome but true Covenanters are not of your mind Further what you speake of the Lutheran Churches is altogether false That in Germany or any where else among Protestants any thing which you call Episcopacie is to be sound I marvell if you should beleeve it for I pray where-ever except in England did any Protestants spoile all Pastors of all power both of Ordination and Jurisdiction to put it in the hand of one Prelat to be exercised either by himselfe or by any depute Ecclesiastick or civill as he thought fittest The Dutch Superintendens are as like to English Bishops as an Emperour in the dayes of Fabius Maximus The Dutch Superintendents are very farre from the English Bishops when the Senate ruled all to an Emperour in the dayes of Tiberius or Nero when an absolute Prince I will not say a Tirant did governe all at his pleasure The name is one but the things are essentially different and so farre distant as the East is from the West While you cast your selfe upon the Smectymnians and will still raile upon our Covenant we desiderate your piety but while you appeale to Calvin and Beza for your Episcopacie we misse your Common sence All the Episcopacie which ever you had or
ever aimed at was most immoderate and the most moderate Episcopacie that can be conceived is a meere human invention which has no ground at all in the word of God which in all times and places has proved unhappy to the Church and which at this time is talked of by some for no other end but to be a new beginning and step to such a Prelacie as may be serviceable to the Prince as before for the advanceing of his Prerogative in Church and State above all Law and reason How ridiculous is it to heare most immoderate spirits talke of moderation to speake of a moderate Episcopacie a moderate Popedome a moderate Tyranny is to tell us of a chast Bordell an honest cousinage a meeke murther and such like repugnancies men now are no more childish to be couzened by your distinctions out of their Covenant FINIS Good Reader BEE intreated to pardon sundry literall faults and many mispunctations and some other grosser typographicall faults which corrupt the sence An ANSWER to the DECLARATION AS Every passion when too much stirred The opposites of Presbytery blinded with malice have hurt themselves and no others by the reprinting of this Declaration has a power to send up vapours and mists for darkning the light of the minde so especially anger and malice doe dazle and blinde the eye of reason Too much wrath devests men so farre of understanding as to make them take up such Armes against an Enemy which cannot hurt him but fail not to pierce themselves and their best friends with dangerous wounds The opposites of Presbyteriall government be they Independents or Erastians or who ever when after all other devices they thinke fit for the helpe of their cause to reprint here and put in the hand of people the old and forgotten calumnies formerly invented and spread by the SCOTS excommunicate Prelates by such weapons they will not be able to effect what they intend yet by such practises they cannot faile in the heart of intelligent beholders to wound their owne reputation proclaiming either grosse ignorance or very malicious fraud in this their offer to abuse the simplicity of people with writs which are fraughted with most notorious lyes Concerning the Title This writ of Adamsons is paralell to Balcanquals large Declaration A Declaration made by King JAMES in Scotland They who have acquaintance with the SCOTS affaires of that time doe know this writ to have no more relation unto King JAMES then the late large Declaration had to King CHARLES both carry the name of Kings but the specious pretence of a royal title was not able to save the true Authors of either from the just censure which they deserved by such false and malicious slandering of their Mother-Church and native Country Doctor Balcanquall for his wicked service in penning that large Declaration in King CHARLE's name was condemned as a Lyar and Incendiary and so stands registred both in that generall Assembly a The Generall Assembly at Edinburgh 1639. p. 9. the Assembly resenting the great dishonour done to God our King this Church and â—â—â—ole Kingdome by the Book called A larg Declaration have collected some amongst many of its false grossâ— and absurd passages They did supplicate to have Toâ—â—or Balcanquall the knowne Author cited for exemplary punishment and Parliament of Scotland b The secord Parliament of Kin Charles p. 29. the Booke called Al arge Dâ—craration was found to be full of lyes and known untruths and therefore the Parliament ordaines the Authoâ—s and spreaders thereof to be most severely punished to discourage all such underminers of his Majesties throne and abusers of his royall name by prefixing the same to such scandalous and dishonourable Treatises ibi p. 126. the Act against the five incendiaries Doctor Walter Balcanquall c. which King CHARLES by the advice of his Houses here did lately ratifie c Second Parliament of King Charles p. 72. whereunto it was an wered by the English Commissioners that his Majesty doth in the name of a King promise to publish the said Acts as is above specified The Bishop Adamsor for the like disservice in King James pretended Declaration does not also remaine in the Records of the Assemblies and Parliaments of Scotland â—ignmatized with the same Note of perpetuall infamy nothing impeded but his publicke Declaration of repentance That King James Adamson confesseth himself to be the Author notwithstanding of all his favour to Episcopacy was neither the Author nor approver of this Declaration I demonstrate thus First Master Patricke Adamson upon his death-bed put it under his hand with a solemn Oath that he himselfe was the Author of that Wryt which hee had drawne by the direction of the Chancellour and Secretary two very wicked Courtiers d The recantation of Patrick Adamson Bishop of St. Andrewes Whereas I am burdened to be the setter forth of the Booke called the Kings Declaration wherein the whole order of the Church is condemned and traduced I protest before God that I was commanded to write the same by the Chancellour for the time but chiefly by the Secretary another great Courtier contrary to the minde of the King o King Iames did disclaim it Secondly when the Commissioners of the generall Assembly the very next yeere at the Parliament of Lithgow did complaine to the King of the many false and wicked aspersions of that Declaration His Majesty did take such notice of their grievances that with his owne hand he did write a new Declaration much differing from the former which he told them was not his but the Archbishops e These animadversions and supplications being presented to his Majestie by the Ministers the King tooke paines himselfe by the space of foure and twenty houres to take him to his Cabinet and with his owne hand both wrote and penned this Declaration following word by word Ibid. the Bishop of St. Andrewes his own Declaration c. Thirdly What ever in it is contrary to Presbytery is condemned by posterior Parliaments the Acts of Parliament upon which this Declaration is grounded and which it doth interpret were all annulled some few years thereafter and the Presbiterian government which this writ tendeth to disgrace was compleatly set up by the King and States of Parliament to the great joy of the whole Land f Twelfth Parli of King James the 6. 1592. Act 1. our Soveraigne Lord and Estates of this present Parliament ratifies and approves the generall Assembly appointed by the said Kirke and declares that it shall be lawfull to the Kirk and Ministers every yeere at the least and ofter pro re nata as occasion and necessity shall require to hold and keepe generall Assemblies and also ratifies and approves the Synodall and Provinciall Assemblies to be holden by the said Kirk and Ministers twice every yeere as they have beene and are presently in use to doe within every Province of this Realm as also
ratifies and approves the Presbyteries and particular Sessions appointed by the said Kirke with the whole Jurisdiction and discipline of the same Kirke agreed upon by his Majesty in conference had by his Highnesse with certaine of the Ministers conveened to that effect also determines and declares the said Assemblies Presbiteries and Sessions their jurisdiction and discipline to be in all times comming most just and good notwithstanding of whatsomever Statutes Acts Canons civill or municipall Lawes made in the contrary Item the Kings Majestie and Estates declares that the 129. Act of the Parliament holden at Edinbrough the 22. of May 1584. shall no wayes be prejudiciall nor derogate any thing to the priviledge that God has given to the Spirituall Officers in the Kirke concerning heads of Religion matters of Heresie Ezcommunication collation deprivation of Ministers or any such like essentiall Censures specially grounded and having warrant of the Word of God Also abrogates Cassis and Annuls the Act of the same Parliament 1584. yeere granting Commission to Bishops and other Judges constitute in Ecclesiasticall causes to receive his Highnesse Presentations to Benefices to give collation hereupon and to put order in all Ecclesiasticall causes his Majestie and Estates declares this Act to be expired and in time comming to be null and therefore ordains all Presentations to be directed to the particular Presbiteries More needs not be said for the confounding and filling with shame the faces of them No more is needfull for a satisfactory Answer who in the reprinting of this Pamphlet could have no other intention but to grieve and disgrace them whom by word they call Brethren but in heart and workes they evidently maligne as enemies without any cause Adamson the true Father confesseth it to be a Bastard and supposititious birth wholly composed of lyes and slanders King James disclaimes it and puts a new Declaration in its place the States of Parliament in King James his presence and with his open allowance abolished the Acts whereupon it was founded rooting out Episcopacy which it dothplant and building up Presbyteries and Synods which it professeth to demolish Yet for more abundant satisfaction The points of the wryt let us consider its particular parts It containes first a Preface Secondly an explanation of foure Acts of the Parliament at Edinbrough Pag. 1. It is hazardous for a 〈◊〉 Prince to take â—pon himself â—the faults of â—his Officers 1584. Thirdly an enumeration of some foureteene intentions ascribed to the King In the Preface there is a narrative of the causes of the subsequent Declaration all resolves upon the alledged Lyes of some evill affected persons labouring to impaire his Majesties honour and fame Upon this we remark that the late unhappy tricke of Courtiers and Prelâ—tes is no lesse ancient then this Declaration it was the ordinary custome of these ungrate and imprudent men to charge the backe of the King with their owne faults the bones of Kings are supposed by Sycophants to be so strong that no burden is able to bow much lesse to breake them As King Charles has ever been â—â—o ready and willing to take upon himselfe the guilt of his servants upon what ever hazard the same was his Fathers condition yet with this difference King James was willing to beare his Servants burdens till he found they pinched but so soone as they began to presse him any thing sore he was so wise and just to himselfe and others that he laid them alwayes over upon the neck of those whom in reason it concerned to beare them The people had an high esteeme of Ki. Iames his vertues About that time the fame of Kings James his Learning Piety and personall vertues did florish at home and abroad the wel-affected who chiefly are aymed at were so far from impairing his personall reputation that in their very censure of this Declaration they give unto him an excellent testimony g Vide An Answer to the Declaration Their indignation was onely against the Court and upon just grounds But at that same time his Court was so exceedingly corrupted that the good men in the whole Isle both English and Scots did lament it Captain James Stuart by his cunning crept up to be Chancellour became so insolent a Tyrant that neither the greatest nor the most innocent had security either of their life or Estate h Spotswoods History lib. 6 p. 179. â—eere 1584. this severity was universally disliked but that which shortly ensued was much more hatefull Ibid. Maines and Drumwhassill were hanged the same day in the publick street of Edenborough the Gentlemens case was much pittied Maines his case especially all that were present in their hearts did pronounce him innocent these cruell and rigorous proceedings caused such a feare as all famiâ—iar society was in a manner left no man knowing to whom be might safely speake Arran in the meane time went on drawing into his owne hand the managing of affairs for he would be sole and supream over all Ibid. p. 177. Master Andrew Pullert Master Patrick Galloway Master James Carmichal Ministers were denounced Rebels and fled into England Master Andrew Hay compeered and nothing being qualified against him was upon suspition confined to the North the Ministers sent Master David Lindsay to the King with their supplication but Arran sent him prisoner to Blacknesse where he was detained forty seven weeks The Ministers of Edenborough hearing of this for sook their charge and fled into England so as Edenbrugh was left without any Preachers Master Robert Pont likewise flying was denounced Rebell The best Ministers were forced to leave the Kingdome The Duke of Lennox whose power with the King was greatest had lately come over from the Guisians in France though the man himself was of a very good and meeke nature yet he had his instructions and dependance from the Authors and instruments of the French Massacres he made it his worke to further the interest of France to the prejudice of England he corresponded with the French and Scots Traffiquers for Queene Maries deliverance out of prison yea for her returne to the throne of Scotland in an association with her Son k The Collection Sir Esme Stuart was sent by Queen Mother of France and the Guisians to seduce the young King to subvert Religion violate the amity between England and Scotland to procure an invasion for the delivery of the Queen of Scots then in captivity to make the King content to be associate with her in the government to alienate his heart from the Ministry he had his continuall intelligence and instructions from France These things which all the Writers of that time do record did so fill the hearts of all good people with feares for changes both of Religion and Lawes that neither English nor Scots did spare to expresse them in their ordinary discourses l Vide supra h. Unto this frightment of the people the Acts of Parliament procured by the
in pieces and the whole royall Prerogative devolved upon the head of the Parliament yet the aforementioned supremacy is so high an injustice that no gracious member of either House would ever be perswaded to touch it though it were put in their fingers for beside the everting of all the Lawes whereupon Monarchy since the first foundation has stood it would so shake the groundstones of all the Lawes of the Kingdome as would hazard the overthrow no lesse of the Parliament then of the King and with them all the Judicatories and rights of the Land our unhappy Brovilons fit for nothing so much as to confound all things would be in a faire way to bring the whole Church and State to such a Chaos and hodge podge as no creature without Gods extraordinary assistance should ever againe be able to bring their confusions to any tolerable order Secondly The Supremacy here mentioned favours Episcopacy but not Erastianisme they should doe well to consider that whatever supremacy is aimed at in the Writ yet the Erastian designe will not be much helped thereby for it is expresly provided therein that the ordinary Ecclesiastick Judicatories shall cognosce all Ecclesiasticke causes g Printed Declaration p. 3. Neiis it his Majesties intention to take away the lawfull and ordinary judgment of the Church but rather to preserve encrease and maintaine the same and as there is in the Realme Justices Constables Sheriffes Provosts Bailiffes and other Judges in temporall matters so his Majesty alloweth that all things may be done in order and a godly order may be preserved in the whole Estate the Synodall Assemblies by the Bishops or Commissioners for the places vacand to be convened twice in the yeere to have the Ordering of matters belonging to the Ministry and their estate no word at all to import that any civil Commissioners may determine upon any affaires meerly Ecclesiasticall it is true that the ordinary Judicatories here named are put under the foule feet of the Prelats and this seems to have been the maine aime both of the Act and of its interpretation yet hereby the Erastian principles are nothing furthered for as by the Covenant and Laws of both Kingdomes the roots of Episcopacy are now pluked up so it s well knowne that neither Presbiterians nor Independents were ever more zealous for the establishing of Ecclesiastick jurisdiction by a divine right in the hand of Church Officers then the Episcopall party at least those of them who understood and minded their owne principles Thirdly King James against the Erastians if all this will not satisfie we desire those who hold out this passage as advantageous for the Ecclesiastick power of the Magistrate in prejudice of the Presbytery to know that when the Ministers did complaine to King James of this seeming prejudice he gave them his owne Declaration which he promised should be as authentick as that Act of Parliament hh Kings Declaration Now I say and declare which Declaration shall be as authentick as the Act it selfe that I for my part shall never neither my Posterity ought ever cite summon or apprehend any Pastor or Preacher for matters of Doctrine in Religion salvation beresies or true interpretation of the Scriptures but according to my first Act which confirmeth the liberty of Preaching the Word Ministration of the Sacraments I avow the same to be a matter meere Ecclesiasticall and altogether impertinent to my calling therefore never shall I nor never ought they I meane my Posterity to acclaime any power of jurisdiction of the foresaid which caused their griefe and much more authentick then Adamsons Interpretation of that Act assuring them that neither himselfe nor any of his successors should ever claime the Cognizance nor the power to determine in any cause meerly Ecclesiasticall ii Vide sapra hh avowing that Ecclesiastick Jurisdiction did belong onely to the Church officers which neither himselfe nor any of his heires should ever crave nor ever ought to crave as belonging to them King James revoked what here is published Finally we desire them to know if Princes promises and Declarations under their hands seeme not to them sufficient security that whatever in the present passage does appeare to spoile the Church Assemblies of a full and plenary Jurisdiction was all recalled and past from by King James the very next yeer for he did consent unto that transaction of Archbishop Adamsons whereby the Arch-prelate devests himselfe of all jurisdiction and submits himselfe to the authority of the Assembly renouncing all liberty of appeale to any other person or Judicatory in the earth kk Spotswoods History lib. 6. p. 184. yeer 1586. A transaction was made in this sort That the Bishop by his hand writing should labour to carry himselfe as a moderate Pastor ought labouring to be the Bishop described by Saint Paul submitting his life and Doctrine to the Judgement and censure of the generall Assembly without any reclamation provocation or appellation from the same in any time comming what should have moved the King to hearken to a mediation so prejudiciall both to his owne authority and the Episcopall jurisdiction cannot well be conjectured whatsoever the reason was the Bishop did set his hand to the things proposed by the Assembly But to stop all mouths which from Scotland would bring any colour of warrant King Charles also for an Erastian Supremacy in the last Parliament of Scotland which was ratified by King Charles with the hearty consent of his good Subjects of England the finall determination of all Ecclesiasticke Causes whatsoever is referred to the Nationall Assembly as to the onely proper and competent Judge ll Second Parliament of K. Charles Act 4. p. 6. 8. The Kings Majesty having graciously declared that it is his royall will and pleasure that all questions about Religion and matters Ecclesiasticall be determined by the Assemblies of the Church and that for preservation of Religion generall Assemblies rightly constitute as the proper and competent judge of all matters Ecclesiasticall hereafter be kept yeerly and oftner pro renata as also that Kirk Sessions Presbyteries and Synodall Assemblies be constitute and observed according to the order of this Kirk which Act the estates now convened by his Majesties indiction raâ—ifies approves and confirmes in all points and gives thereunto the strength of a Law and Act of Parliament whoever will call this Act of Parliament into question must be content to have the King and his Parliaments of both Kingdoms for their first and chiefe opposites The explanation of the next Act is also large and confused The sum of the next Paragraph it contains a discharge of all Church Assemblies and meetings not authorized by Law particularly it discharges the Nationall Assemblie and Classicall Presbytery upon the allegeance of some enormous practises of these two meetings Consider first the discharge and then its reasons Church-assemblies established in Scotland on a
generall Assembly after that conference at the name of Episcopacy kkk The Acts of the Assembly third Session of the Assembly at Perth 1572. In the heads agreed upon at Leeth are found certaine names as Archbishop c. which were thought scandalous and offensive to the ears of many of the Brethren appearing to sound towards Popery therefore the whole Assembly with one voice protests that they intend not by the using of any such names to consent to any kind of Popery or Superstition and wishes rather the said names to be changed into others that are not slanderous nor offensive And likewise protests That the said heads agreed upon be onely received as an interim till further and more perfect Order may be obtained at the hands of the Kings Majesty Regent and Nobility for the which they will presse as occasion shall serve and ever after at any shadow of the thing that the following Assemblies did not rest till both â—â—e name and thing till both the shadow and all the parts of the substaÌ„ce were disavowed They had indeed for a time some wrastling with the Court about this matter yet at last as I have said in the yeer 1592. they got the King and Parliament perswaded to passe such Acts as did cast out of our Church and State Episcopacy both root and branch substance and shadow As these Acts of Parliament were first made by King James and the States of Scotland and now also ratified by King Charles so both the Houses of the Parliament of England cannot but approve thereof having joyned themselves by Oath and Covenant with Scotland to extirpate the unhappy root of Episcopacy which has been the great cause of the most mischiefes which in this last Age hath befallen Brittaine The third crime for which the general Assembly behoved to be put down It was no fault in the Assemblies that they called to Fasting was their indicting of soleme Fasts in which seditions tumults against the King were promoved consider that the quarrell is not simply for the Fasts but their evill use to raise seditions and tumults certainly that custome of our Church wherby from the beginning of the Reformation to this day every Church meeting from the general Assembly to the smallest Congregationall Eldership had power as they found cause to indict a publick Fast within their owne bounds is very innocent and necessary for the well being of the Church As for the alleaged abuse of these Fasts to sedition and tumults Guilty Consciences hate Fasts without cause it is a meer calumny the matter I beleeve was this About the time of the penning of this Writ the â—â—alous Ministers in all their exercises especially in the dayâ—â— of publick Fasting did make mention in their Sermons and Prayers of the wickednesse of the Land for which the wrath of God was much feared by the godly the Leaders of the Court conscious of their owne guiltinesse took themselves to be particularly pointed at and for this did hate extreamly every zealous Preacher as if all their Sermons and Prayers had been invectives for stirring up of the people against them while in truth these gracious men did nothing but their duty containing themselves within the lines of all needfull moderation but to wicked men in their pride and impatience the least touch of the Word of God is an intolerable wound The explanation of the last Act The sum of the next Paragraph containes the maintainance of Episcopacy in the highest degree it puts in the hand of the Bishop the whole spirituall Jurisdiction of his Diocesse to be exercised by him alone although with the advice of some few whom he shall please to choose for his Counsellours it imports that all his Jurisdiction flowes from the King and in the exercise thereof it makes the Bishop answerable onely to the King and them whom his Majesty shall appoint in an Assembly of his owne framing it makes the Bishops also Lords of Counsell and Parliament Upon this passage I marke first The Reprinters of this De claration make no conscience of their Covenant the conscience and honour of these men who with so great importunity required the reprinting of this Declaration and to make its operation the more effectual in the hearts of simple people would be at the cost to change the language thereof to set it downe first in Scotch and then in English a piece of paines so farre as I know never taken with any other Writ this diligence demonstrates the mens humour I can hardly say whether more scornfull of the Scots and their language or passionately desirous to disgrace that Church though it were with the exalting of Episcopacy and if as I suppose they have taken the Covenant this encreaseth my wonder how any who have solemnly sworne to defend the reformation of the Church of Scotland and to endeavour the extirpation of Prelacy can in a sudden become so zealous and put themselves to so great pains in disgrace of the Scottish reformation to advance Presacy If either Independency or Erastianisme have power to let loose the Reines of conscience so far we confesse the Scots have been too simple in beleeving that Oathes and Covenants in plaine matters which admit no ambiguity nor plurality of senses had beene farre straiter bonds among all who had the estimation of honest men and in whom there could be found the least sparkle of any ingenuity or truth Consider secondly that King James as I have said did give it under his hand to the Commissioners of the Church the yeer following that this Declaration was none of his but the work of Adamson of Saint Andrewes lll Vide supra and that this man at last was convinced of his errour confessing upon Oath and subscription Episcopacy to be a grosse corruption a stirrop for the Pope to ascend to his Antichristian saddle an errour which he had learned and wherein from time to time he was entertained by the English Prelates mmm Adamsons Recantation The last Article contained the establishing of a Bishop which hath no warrant in the Word of God but is grounded upon the policy and invention of man whereupon the primacy of the Pope or Antichrist is risen which is worthy to be disallowed and and forbidden Thirdly whatever here is said of Bishops is not now controverted in the Parliaments of both Kingdomes and in the solemne League of both Nations it is expresly condemned as all doe confesse if any anti-covenanting Malignant require a further debate when they will they may have a hearing and an answer Fourthly when the Commissioners of the church did declare to King James King James his ful and honest Declaration against Erastianisme that the government of the Church was not a Matter civill which did belong to the Magistrate to exercise and that it was unlawfull for his Majesty to appoint any of his Commissioners to governe the House of God that this were with the
appeare and she shall quickly appeare with him in the glory and happinesse of a consummate Marriage But I must remember my selfe I know I have been greatly strengthned and sustained by your prayers honourable Lady and dearly beloved in our Lord Jesus continue I pray you as ye have begun in wrestling with the Lord for me that Christ may be magnified in my mortall body whether living or dead that my soule may be lifted up to those third heavens that I may taste of those joyes that are at the right hand of my heavenly Father and that with gladnesse I may let my spirit goe thither where my body shall shortly follow Who am I that he should first have called me and then constitute me a Minister of glad tidings of the Gospell of salvation these sixteen yeers already and now last of all to be a sufferer for his cause and Kingdome To witnesse that good confession The matter of this gracious mans suffering was the very controverfie now in hand betwixt us and the Erastian Statesmen that Jesus Christ is the King of Saints and that his Church is a most free Kingdome yea as free as any Kingdome under heaven not onely to convocate hold and keep her meetings Conventions and Assemblies but also to judge of all her affaires in all her meetings and conventions amongst her members and Subjectsd. These two points first that Christ is the head of his Church secondly that she is free in her government from all other jurisdiction except Christs These two points I say are the speciall cause of our imprisonmeÌ„t being now convict as traitors for their maintainance we have been waiting with joyfulnesse to give the last testimony of our blood in confirmation thereof if it would please our God to be so favourable as to honour us with that dignity yea I doe affirme that these two points above written and all other things which belong to Christs Crowne Scepter and Kingdome are not subject nor cannot be to any other authority but to his owne altogether so that I would be most glad to be offered up upon the sacrifice of so glorious a truth But alas I feare that my sinnes and the abuse of so glorious things as I have found deprive me of so faire a Crowne yet my Lord doth know if he would call me to and strengthen me in it it would be the most glorious day and gladdest houre I ever saw in this life but I am in his hand to doe with me whatsoever shall please his Majesty It may suffice me that I have had so long a time in the knowledge of the Gospell and that I have seen the things I have seen and heard the things I have heard and that through Gods grace I have been so long a witnesse of those glorious and good newes in my weak ministery and that my witnessing hath not been altogether without fruit and blessing so that I hope at that great day I shall have him to be my Crown my glory my joy and my reward and therefore boldly I say with Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace not in a peaceable dying but by rendring up to him my spirit in stamping of this his verity and in sealing the same with my blood I have fought a good fight and have finished my course 2 Tim. 9.7 I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but to all them also that love his comming Now is the prophesie at hand to be fulfilled which these two worthy servants of the Lord Master George Wishart and Master John Knox my Father in Law spake which was That Christ should be crucified in this Kingdome againe but glorious should his resurrection be e This strange Prophesie of Knox and Wishart is here explicat and mervailously enlarged by this divine man the first part thereof whereupon alone be here infists has been performed lately in every tittle before our eyes the second part of Christs glorious resurrection and our glorious deliverance we expect shall be as punctually performed in the Lords good time as Master Knox with his owne hand upon the Margin of Calvins Harmony upon the Passion did write which is yet extant But alas for the Kingdome my testimony now doth not differ from that of many before this time who said That the Judgement of Scotland should be blood this Kingdome shall be drowned in blood a furbished and glittering sword is already drawne out of the scabbard which shall not returne untill it be made drunke with the blood of the men within this Land f More blood shed by the sword in Scotland the other yeere then for many Generations before first the heavy intestine sword and then the sword of the stranger g This indeed was the Lords method with us the blood shed in our first troubles at the Bridge of Die and divers parts of the North from the Castles of Edinborough and Dunbartan and in the South was onely by the intestine sword but the great bloodshed in our present troubles was for the most part by the sword of strangers the barbarous Irish Rebels having their Commission from Ireland O dolefull Scotland well were he that were removed far from thee that his eyes might not see nor his eares heare all these evils that are to come upon thee h Never so great a flight in Scotland as the other yeer the mâ—st considerable persons fled away to England or Ireland or some corners and strong holds of the Land for the safety of their lives neither the strong man by his strength nor the rich man by his riches nor the Noble man by his blood shall be delivered from the judgements there is a great sacrifice to be made in Bosrah in thee O Scotland of the blood of all sorts in the Land Videf. Ephraim shall consume Manasseh and Manasseh Ephraim Jsaiah 9.21 Brother against brother and every man in the judgement of the Lord shall be armed to thrust his sword in the fide of his neighbour k Thus indeed it was among us under the standard of the enemy many of our Brethren Kinsmen and Neighbours did fight and by their hands much of our blood was spilt and all for the contempt of the most glorious Gospell and that blood which was offered to thee O Scotland in so plentifull a manner that the like thereof hath not been offered to any Nation Therefore thy judgement shall be the greater but the Sanctuary must be begun at and the measure is not yet fulfilled till the blood of the Saints be shed then the cryes will be great and will not stay tili they bring the Lord downe from Heaven his Throne to see if the sinnes of Scotland be according to the cry thereof neither shall there be any Subject in the Land from the greatest to the