the King is to destroy his Monarchike government to dethrone him and make him no King to subject him to his people and make them his masters or at least collegs in the Empire (l) Joannes Wemius pag. 18. Quo casu dicerâ—m non proprie esse regnum sed aristocratiam vel democratiam Ibid. pag. 23. Hoc esset ex rege non regem eum facere Ibid. p. 38. Quod si alicubi non habeat rex potestatem leges serendi nisi ex populi in comitiis consensu sic fundamentaliter limitato propriè Rex non est ac non tam acceptans est populus quam cum Rege ut collega Regem ferens ibid. pag. 53. Non est imperium illud vere Monarchicum sed principatus quidam imperans ille non Monarcha aut Rex sed tantum Princeps ut Venetorum dux residente in optimatibus aut populo imperii summa But thanks be to God that our gratious Prince hath so oft declared himselfe to bee farre from all such thoughts yea that my lord of Canterburie himselfe is forced whiles to let drop from his fingers cleane contrare maximes (m) Relat. of the Conference pag. The statute Lawes which must binde all the Subjects can not bee made but in and by Parliament the supreame Magistrate in the civill state may not abrogat Lawes made in Parliament Ibid. pag. 158. Tiberius himself in the cause of Silanus when Dolabella would have flattered him into more power than in wisedome he thought fit then to take to himself he put him off thus No the Lawes grow lesse when such power enlargeth nor is absolute power to bee used where there may be an orderly proceeding by Law Even in no imaginable case they will have tyrants resisted Lastlie they teach us in the matter of resistance first that do the Prince what he will he may never be resisted by any or all his Subjects that not only a private man must give over all defence though most innocent of his own life against the Prince though his most unjust violence (n) Ioannes VVemius p. 21. Teneri videtur subditus seipsum fame perimere ut principem salvaret propter conservationem boni publici singulis a dempta est adversus principem quae naturalis dicitur iuris defensio seu iniuriae depulsio but the whole state can do nought without rebellion against God but flee or suffer when the Prince whether by him selfe or his officers doth destroy the true religion established by all Laws and the liberties of the land dear bought of old peaceably brooked in many ages also the lives of many thousands of the best Subjects without the pretence or colour of any just cause (o) Canterb. relat Pag. 205. vvhere the foundations of the faith are shaken by princes there their ought to be prayer and patience but no opposition by force Aberdeens duplys pag. 25. The way for all Christian Subjects to conquer tyrants and the remedy provided in the New Testament against all persecutions is not to resist powers which God hath ordained lest we be damned but with all meeknesse to suffer that we may be crowned It is evident by Scripture that it is unlawfull for Subjects in a Monarchicall estate to take armes for religion or for any other pretence without warrand from the Prince The renowned Thebaean legion of 6666. Christian souldiers without making resistance as they had strenth to have done suffered themselves rather to be slaine for their Christian profession by the Officers of Maximinian the Emperours executors of his cruell commandements against them Corbet pag. 42. For your examples from reformed churches since we live not by examples but by Lawes I will not stand upon them from facts to prove the lawfulnesse of resisting is ridiculous none of those by resisting gained so much as by suffering as experience too late doeth show Againe that all this subjection must be used not only to our native King but to any forraine usurper who can get footing among us and it were the Kings of Spaine as their predecessors the hereticall Gothish Kings got footing in the Romane Impyre (p) Aberdeens Duplys pag. 29. Such was the doctrine and practice of many other great lights which shined in the days of Iulian the Apostate and in the dayes of the Arrian Emperours and Gothick Arrian Kings That even against them the States of a Land with a good conscience could use no defence though before their eyes they should see them execut the cruell tyrannies of Nebuchadnezar put out the eyes of the King kill his children lead himself and his Nobles away to a far land in fetters Though with Nero (q) Corbet pag. 26. Qui Mario Cajo Casaeri qui Augusto ipse Nerom qui Vespasianis vel patrivel filio ipsi Domitiano crudelissimo ne per singulos ire necesse sit qui Constantino Christiano ipse apostatae Iuliano Ibid. pag. 36. If the Iewes in the dayes of Assuerus had beene of this new Scottish humour when an utter extirpation was intended by Haman both of themselves and their religion they would have taken Ames but their prayers and teares were their defence in their greatest extremity for their mere pleasure they should set the royall city in a faire fire or execute the plot of Haman by murthering all the seed of the Iewes all zealous Protestants up and downe the Land in one day Such maximes exceedingly opposite to the honour of God the safetie of the Kings person and crowne the welfare of the people these men cause to bee printed and let them go about without any censure at these times when by royall decreers they have pulled into their hands the full commandement of all the Presses and the absolute jurisdiction over all the Book-sellers shops in the Kingdome and kythes frequently their zeale against any Books that give but the least touch to their mitres by inflicting no lesse censure then fire upon the Books pilloring and nose-sliting on the Authors and whipping thorow the streets on the carriers All these extraordinary prerogatives VVat they give to Kings is not for any respect they have to Majestie but for their own ambitious and covetous ends whereby the faction advanceth supreame Magistrats so nere unto God and their favorits so far above the skyes (r) Ioannes VVemius in his preface to the Duke of Buckinghame Reges in diviniorem sortem transcripti cute specie tenus homines reipsa boni genii censendi sunt in quos ut humanos loves divini honoris offines pene consortes oculos animosque nostros defigi convenit Tu Heros nobilissime coruscas velut inter ignes Luna minores quem in summo augustioris gloriae solstitio divina prorsus virgula constitutum nemo potest diffiteri seeme to flow not from any love they carie either to their crownes or the royall heads that bear them but meerlie out of their self-respect
though the remainder of the Nobilitie and Gentrie in the Land should be sent over by him some to worke in fetters in his Mines of Peru others in chayns to row all their dayes in his gallayes in the Mediterrane for all these or any other imaginable acts of tyrannie that could escape the wicked head of any mad Nero of any monstrous Caligula these men doe openly take upon them to perswade that no kinde of resistance for defence can bee made by the whole States of a Land though sitting in Parliament with a most harmonious consent no more then the Jewes might have done against Nabuchadnezar or the Christians of old against the Pagane Emperours or the Greeke Church this day against the grand Signieur in Constantinople that all our forbeares both English and Scots in their manifold bickerings against the misleaders of their Prince against the tyrannizing factions of Court were ever Traitours and Rebels and ought to have loosed their head and Lands for their presumption to defend their Liberties against the intollerable insolencies of a pack of runnigate Villanes for their boldnesse to fasten the tottering Crowne upon the head of their Kings all such Services of our Antecessours to King and Countrie were treacherous insurrections If for all these their crimes I make speake before you no other witnesses then our owne tongue Armes needlesse taken in so evill a cause can not but end in an untimeous repentance I trust they shall not remaine in your mindes the least shaddow of any scruple to beleeve my allegations nor in your wills the least inclination to joyne with the Counsells of so polluted and self-convicted persons And if to men whose open profession in their printed Bookes let be secret practises leads to so wicked ends so farre contrarie to the glorie of God to the honour and safetie of our King to the well of us all whether in Soule Body Estate Children or any thing that is deare to us yee would lead your armes against us we beleeve the Lord of Hosts the righteous judge would be opposite to you and make hundreds of your men in so evill a cause flee before ten of ours Or if it were the profound and unsearchable pleasure of the God of Armies to make you for a time a scourge to beate us for our manifold transgressions yet when ye had obtained all the Prelates intentions when wee for our others sins were tred under your feete wee would for all that hope to die with great comfort and courage as defenders of the truth of God of the Liberties and Lawes of our Countrie of the true good and honour of the Crown and Royall Familie All which as we take it one of the most wicked and unnaturall faction that ever this Isle did breed are manifestly oppugning yet certainly we could not but leave in our Testament to you our unjust oppressors the legacie of an untimous repentance for when ye have killed thousands of us banished the rest out of the isle when on the back of our departure your sweete Fosters the Bishops have brought the Pope upon you and your Children or when a French Spanish invasion doth threaten you with a slavish conquesh Wil ye not then all above all our gracious Prince regrate that Hee hath beene so evill advised as to have put so many of his brave Subjects to the cruell sword who were very able and most willing to have done him noble service against these forraine usurpers Would not at such a time that is too likely to be at hand if our Prelates advises now be followed both his Majestie and all of you who shall remaine in life bee most earnest recallers not onely of your owne Countrie-men many thousands whereof ye know have lately by Episcopall tyrannie beene cast out from their homes as farre as to the worlds end among the savadge Americans but also the reliques of our ruine from their banishment with as great diligence as in time of Fergus the second the inhabitants of this Land did recall our ancestors when by the fraud force of a wicked faction they were the most part killed and the rest sent over sea in banishment It were better by much before the remeedilesse stroke be given to be well advised then out of time to sigh when the millions of lost lives when the happinesse of our true Religion when the liberties of both the nations once throwen away by our owne hands can not againe be recovered To the end therefore that such lamentable inconveniences may be eshewed In this nick of time very poore wittes without presumption may venture to speake to Parliaments and your Honours the more animate to deny your power to those who now possiblie may crave to have it abused against us without cause beside numbers of pressing reasons wherewith I doubt not every wise man amongst you is come well enough instructed by his owne considerations and which I trust shall be further presented in plentie by these of our Nation who have ever beene at the head of our affaires whom God hath still enabled to cleare the justice and necessitie of all our proceedings hitherto to the mindes of all save our infatuat adversaries whom superstition and rage hath blinded If it might be your Honours pleasure when all the rest hath ended I could wish that even unto me a little audience were given my zeale to the truth of God to the peace of this Isle to the honour of our deare gracious Soveraigne imboldneth me to offer even my little myte of information This is a period of time when the obstinate silence of those who are most obliged by their places and guifts to speake must open the mouth of sundrie who are not by much so able verie babes yea stones must finde a tongue when Pharisees deny their testimonie to Christ Dumbe men will gett words when a Father when a King let be a whole Kingdome by the wickednesse of a few is putt in extreame perrill of ruine An Asse will finde language when the devouring Sword of an Angell is drawne against the Master Nothing more common then the speaches of very Oxen before any calamity of the Common-wealth The clâ—iking of Geese did at a time preserve the Capitoll Amicla was lost by too much silence The neglect of the voice of a Damosell the contempt of Cassandraes warning the casting of her in bands for her true but unpleasant Speach did bring the Troyane Horse within the walls and with it the quick ruine both of the Cittie and Kingdome I hope then that the greatnesse of my undertaking may purchase mee a little audience An offer deserving a little audience For I offer to make you all see with your own eyes and heare with your owne eares the Canterburians to declare by their owne tongues and write downe under their owne hands their cleare mindes to bring into our Church Arminianisme and compleet Poperie and in our State a slaverie no
the rest to our acerâ—st and sibbest sister of England as it were in a table divers of these errours which our partie first by craft and subtilitie but now by extreame violence of fire and Sword are labouring to bring upon us to the end that our deare Brethren understanding our sufferings in the defence of such a cause may bee the more willing at this time to contribute for our assistance from God the helpe of their earnest Prayers and for ever hereafter to condole with the more hearty compassion any misery which possibly may befall us in such a quarrell All our plea is but one cleare syllogisme Albeit truely our hopes are yet greater then our feares if we could become so happie as once to get our plea but entered before our Prince for we can hardlie conceave what in reason should hinder our full assurance of a favorable decision from that Sacred mouth whose naturall equitie the World knowes in all causes whereof hee is impartially informed since our whole action is â— uâ—ht but one formall argument whereof the Mâ—j r is â—he verdict of our judge the Minor shal be the open and â—â—â—wâ—d Testimonie of our partie need we feare thâ—â— either our judge or partie will bee so irrationall as to vâ—nture upon the denyall of a conclusion whereof both the premisses is their owne open profession Our Major is this The Major thereof VVho ever in the Kings Dominions spreads abroad Poperie or any Doctrine opposite to the Religion and Lawes of the Land now established ought not to bee countenanced but severely punished by the King This Major the King hath made certaine tâ— us in his frequent most solemne asseverations not onely at his coronation both here and in England in his proclamations both here and there (a) Neither shall we ever give way to the authorizing of any tâ—â—ng wherby any innovation many steal or creep into the Church but shall preserve that unitie of doctrine discâ—pline established â—n Q. Elizabeths reign wherby the Church of England have stood flouâ— sâ—ed since Proclam dissolving the Parl of England 1628. and therefore oâ—ce for all we have thought fit to declare and hereby to assure all our good people that we neitâ—er were are nor ever by the grace of God shall bee slained with popish superstition but by the conâ—tarie are resolved to maintain the true Protestant Christian religion already professed within this our ancient Kingdom We neither intend innovation in religion or lawes proclam â—une 8. 1638. to free al our good subjects of tâ—e least suâ—pition of any intent on in us to innovate any thing either in religion or lawes and to sati fie not onely their desires but even their doubts We have discharged c. proclam Septemb 22. 1638. and to give all his Maj. people full assurance that he never intended to admit any alâ—eration or change in the true religoÌ„ pofessed wiâ—â—in this kingdome and that they may be truely and fully satisfied of the realitie of his intentions and integritie of the same his Maj. hath been pleased to require command all his good Subjects to subscribe the confession of Faith formerly signed by his dear Father in anno 1580. and it is his Maj will that this be insert and registrat in the books of Assembly as a testimony to pâ—steritie not only of the sinceritie of his intentions to the said true religion but also of his resolution to maintaine and defend the same and his Subjects in the proâ—ession thereof proclam Decemb. 18. 1638. but also in his late large declaration oftimes giving out his resolution to live and die in the reformed protestant religion opposite to all Poperie to maintaine his established lawes and in nothing to permitt the enervating of them Yea this resolution of the king is so peremptor publickly avowed thâ—t Canterburie himselfe dare not but applaud thereto (b) If any Prelate would labour to bring in the superstitions of the Church of Rome I doe not onely leave him to Gods judgement but if his irreligious falshood can bee discovered also to shame and severe punishment from the State and in any just way no maÌ„s hands should bee sooner against him then mine in his Starre chamber speech who can seeme more foreward then he for the great equitie to punish condignlie all who would but mind to bring in any Poperie in this Isle or assay to make any innovation in Religion or Lawes Wee beleeve indeed that my Lord Canterburie doth but juggle with the world in his fair ambiguous generalities being content to invegh as much against poperie and innovation as we could wish upon hopes ever when it comes to any particular of the grossest poperie we can name by his subtile distinctions and disputations to slide out of our hands But wee are perswaded what ever may be the jugling of sophisticating Bishops yet the magnanimous ingenuitie the royall integritie of our gracious Soveraigne is not compatible with such fraudulent equivocations as to proclaime his detestation of poperie in generals and not thereby to give us a full assurance of his abhorring every particular which all the orthodox Preachers of this Isle since the reformation by Queene Elizabeth and King Iames allowance hath ever condemned as popish errours Our Major then wee trust may be past as unquestionable Wee subjoyne our Minor The Minor But so it is that Canterburie and his dependars men raised and yet maintained by him have openly in their printed bookes without any recantation or punishment to this day spread abroad in all the Kings Dominions doctrines opposite to our Religion and Lawes especially the most points of the grossest poperie In reason all our bickering ought to be here alone This Minor I offer to instruct and that by no other middes then the testimonie of their owne pens If J doe so to the full satisfaction of all who know what are the particular heads of the reformed Religion and what the Tenets of Poperie â—pposite thereto what are the Lawes standing in all the thrâ—e Dominions and what the contrarie maximes of the Turkish Empire wherewith Matchivelists this day every where are labouring to poyson the eares of all Christian Princes for enervating the Lawes and Liberties of their Kingdomes I hope that reason and justice which stand night and day attending on either side of King Charles Throne will not faile to perswade the chearfull embracement of the conclusion The conclusion which followes by a cleare and naturall necessitie from the forenamed premisses to witt that Canterburie and his dependars in all the three Dominions ought not to be countenanced by the King but severally punished Let be that for their pastime a bloodie hazardous warre should be raised in so unseasonable a time for the undoing of that countrie and church which God hath honoured with the birth and baptisme both of his Majesties owne person and of his renowned Father and to the which both of them as
principem legem legislatoris non Consiliarii esse non ex vi consensus consilii habiti sed ex regia legislatoris â—i obligantem Ibid. pag. 38. Non erubescimus Iuristaturum reiicere opinionem qui volunt in monarchiis non obligare legem nisi à populo acceptetur cum monarcha sit legislator lex lata qualex obliget adeo ut ad eam acceptandam cogendi sint subditi post legis a monarchae lata publicationem temporisque quoà d populi notitiam pervenat sufficientis lapsum potest sine ulla acceptatione publica legis observatio praecisem ingeri Heylyns antid pag. 66. The declaration of his Majesties pleasure in the case of S. Gregorie is to be extended to all other cases of the same nature It is a maxime in the civill law Sententia Principis ius dubium â—eclarans ius facit quoad omnes Item Quodcunque imperator per epistolam constituit vel cognoscens decrevit legem esse constat Id. in his moderate answere pag. 29. Only these commands of the King are to bee refused which are directly against Scripture or include manifest impietie Hee learned this from his opposite the Lincobishire Minister pag. 68. I say that all commands of the King that are not upon the clear and immediat inference without all profylogismus contrarie to a cleare passage of the word of God or to an evident Sun-beame of the law of nature are precisely to bee obeyed nor is it enough to finde a remote and possible inconvenience that may ensue 2. When he is pleased to call a Parliament it is his due right by his letter to ordaine such Barrons to be Commissionars for the Shires and such Citizens to bee Commissionars for Burrowes as hee shall bee pleased to name (f) Ioannes Wemius pag. 23. Baronum ut civium ad Comitia delegatos non ita absolute à Baronum vel Civium delectu pendere volumus ut non possit rex quos ille maxime idoneos censuerit eligendos nominare praesertim cum pro legibus ferendis ijsque quae administrationis sunt publicae statuendis Comitia indictae sunt in quibus liberum denegare regi arbitrium quos aestimarit prudentissimos quibuscum deliberet sibi in Concilium ascâ—scendi esset ex rege non regem eum facere statuumque voluntati ad regiae depressionem eminent à nimis subjectum 3. That he may lawfully exact when he hath to do what portion of his Subjects goods hee thinks meet and by himselfe alone may make such Lawes for exactions in times to come as seemes to him best (g) Joannes Wemius pag. 19. Omnia fatemur quae in regno sunt regis esse qua rex est id est qua paternus regni dominus adeoque qua postulat ipsius qua rex est aut publica regni conditio posse regem de singulorum bonis disponere praesertim ubi omnes in regno terrae in feuda concessae fuerint à rege aliquod penes se dominium retinente Id. pag. 17. Licet non de jure omnium bona exigendo tamen de jure in omnes leges ferendo sine omnium consensu statuere potest Montag orig pag. 320. Omni lege divina naturali vel politica licite semper reges principes suis subditis tributa imposuerunt licitè quoque exegerunt cum ad patriae reipublicae desensionem tum ad ipsorum familiae honestam procurationem Hanc doctrinam accurate tuetur Ecclesia Anglicana in qua sacerdotes licet magis gaudere soleant debeant immunitatibus tamen frequentius exuberantius libentius quam Laici decimarum decimas subsidia annatas primitias solvunt 4. That no Subject of his Kingdome can have any hereditarie jurisdiction but any jurisdiction that either any of the Nobilitie or any other Magistrate or officer possesseth they have it alone during his pleasure that at his presence the power of all others must cease and at his death evanish and be quite exstinguished till by his successors by new gift it be renewed (h) Joannes Wemius pag. 136. Cum regis sit in suo regno judices magistratus constituere qui ipsius sint in judicando jubendo vicarli potest tex jubendi judicandique jus ac magistratus judicesque constituendi potestatem inferioribus concessam prout regno utile esse visum ei fuerit abutentibus auferre nulla proprie est sub Rege patrimonialis haereditaria jurisdictio rege solo jurisdictionem tanquam propriam habente aliisque quibus eam non dat sed communicat tanquam depositam accipientibus Igitur non ut terras ita jurisdictionem simpliciter ut loquuntur privative rex alienare potest nisi rex esse desinat Ibid. pag. 157. Si judices sint principum vicarii nulla est eorum principe presente potestas cum solius absentis teneat quis locum si quae est alicubi aliquando videatur non nisi jus est â—â—dicium regium volente Rege declarandi ut ita ex judicam ore proferatur Regis sententia Ibid. pag. 17. In statuum caetu non tam judicantibuâ— ipsis quam assistentibus imperium exercet rex quandoquidem praesente jurisdictionis sente evanescat aboram omnium jurisdicâ—â—o derivata ut fluviorum perditum nomen potestas cum in mare discenderint Ibid. pag. 143. Principus occasis evanescit judicum omnium tam ordinariorum quam delegatorum jus Negari non potest tam apud Romanos quam alios in usu fuisse ut qui in demortuorum succederent locum reges quamprimum regnorum gubernacula capesserent magistratuum judicumque jurisdictionem confirmarent ut ostenderetur extinctis regibus nullam esse inferiorum authoritatem nisi successorum edicto confirmentur saltem patientia tacite approbentur 5. That Scotland is a subdued Nation that Fergus our first King did conquer us by the sword and establish an absolute Monarchie for himself and his heires giving to us what Lawes hee thought meetest (i) Corbet p. 45. There was no law in the Kingdom of Scotland before the kings gave it For before Fergus his days we were genus hominum agreste sine legibus sine imperio He and his successors gave lawes Ibid. Fergus did conquere us 6. That al the Lands in Scotland were once the Kings propertie and what thereof hath beene given out for service yet remaines his owne by a manifold right (k) Corbet pag. 45. Fergus and his successors divided the whole land which was their owne and distinguished the orders of men and did establish a politick government This is cleare ex archivis regiis ubi satis constat regem esse dominum omnium bonorum directum omnes subditos esse ejus vassallos qui latifundia sua ipsi domino referant accepta sui nempe obsequii servitii praemia 7. That to deny any of the named parts of this power to
without all occasion to keepe your selfe off the Irish oath â—ff these Scottish Ministers whom yee did banish from Ireland off the excessive praises of your patron the Deputie These and such other passages of your booke lift up your maske and lead any who will under the shaddow of the Jesuites hart to behold D. Leslies head that upon it without mistaking may be cast all the garlants of honour which the penning of so brave a piece in so necessary a time doth deserve But whoever you bee whether Leslie or Maxwell or Michell The laÌ„ds griefe is the CanterburiaÌ„s joy or who else of the faction certainly yee are a mirrie man in a very unseasonable time When the whole Yle is in sadnesse and dule in feare and trembling ye are upon your congratularie Epistles And why not These are the dayes yee have panted long for fire and Sword is your Element rather then Episcopall honour should lye in the dust fire water heaveÌ„ hel must all goe thorow other yet who knoweth but your singing in so foule weather may end in mourning to you and jot to all those who now are weeping for that black storme which ye his Grace your Prince have raised in our clemat If wee in one point our adversaries in an hundreth are Iesuited The onely point wherein yee make Covenanters draw neare to Iesuitisme is in their doctrine of the civill Magistrate which ye branch out in 16 particulars Is it not then your mind that whoever leaveth the Protestants in one head of doctrine doth give to the Iesuites matter of congratulation and a good ground to expect their totall apostasie to the popish religion This is the onely scope of your whole booke What then doe you thinke of your fellowes whom I have assayed to convince by their owne testimonies of a defection from the Protestantâ— to the worst of the Iesuites not in one head but so exceeding many that very few contraverted heads doe remaine wherein they are not joyned long agoe with the Jesuites Shall partialitie so farre predomine with you that we Covenanters for conformitie with Jesuites in one point alone must be reputed Apostates from the reformed church of Rome yet ye Canterburians though ye declare your conformitie with Rome in twentie in an hundreth yea well neare in all the contraverted heads of Doctrine yet no man without a great dash to a charitie may begin so much as to doubt of your full Protestanisme That one point wherein ye make us Iesuited is the doctrine of the Magistrate This to you is the head of the Protestant Faith and all their other teners but members following that head your practice is very consonant to this your profession for your new doctrine of the Magistrate is the first and most beloved article of your Creed which above all other ye preach and presse with extreame violence Your new stamped oath of alleadgeance and Supremacie whereby yee would set up the King in a place so farre above the ty of all Lawes divine and humane as his royall heart hath ever abhorred to be maâ—e such an idol Good Princes in this are like the Saints in glory all which giveth to them a degree of honour exceeding the Sphere of man and entrenshing upon Gods proper glorie they esteeme them as they are indeed nothing but flattering effronters of their sacred persons That which ye call the head of all Protestant Religion The bounds of Princes power and peoples subiectioÌ„ are points of state not oâ— Religion readily doth not concerne Religion at all Religion indeed doth oblige the conscience to give unto all Magistrates their due honour and obedience but the bounds and limits of that obedience which is the onely point ye speake off Religion meddleth not with them till the civill Lawes of States Empires have clearly defined them No Religion will oblige a Spaniard to be so farre subject to King Philip as a Grecian slave must be to the Great Turke neither doth any Religion equall the Polonish Subjection to their King with the Spanish to theirs Doth any Religion oblige the Electours of Germanie to be so much subiect to their Emperour as the Nobles in Pole are to their King or so little subject as the Venetian Senate is to their Duke or the States of Holland is to the Prince of Orange The civill Lawes and Customes set downe the limites both of the Soveraignes commanding and the subjects obedience Religion causeth these march-stones conscienciously to bee kept when once Policie hath fixed them It seemeth ye intend to make England quit their Priviledgâ— and burn their magna charta to make Scotland bury their Assemblies Parliaments that a blank may be put in Canterburies hand to write down what Lawes he will for the Church and State of both the Nations But thankes be to God that King Charles doth live to be judge betwixt you and us in so materiall a question Yee tell us further in your preambles The present danger of this Yle to fall in hands of the Pope Spaniard before ye come to your first paralell of Pope Vrbans hope to make Scotland return to Rome yee might have told us further from your companion Con who is more acquainted with Vrbans secrets then other men that the Pope hath a pretty confidence to joyne England to Scotland that so the reduction of the whole Yle your Iâ—eland with it to the Sea of Rome may be set up as an eternall trophee to the honour of this pâ—pes family Surely the ground-stones of this hope are laid on so deepe plots that except the hand of God and the king in this present Parliament pull them up Pope Vrban for all his age may yet live to putt the triumphall cope stone upon that building We grant you also that the Pope and Jesuites as yee say â—re hovering above the head of us all to fall upon the prey of â—ll Britaine when both parties which your mallice will compell to fight are wearied with mutuall wounds in this prophecie we thinke you but too true divines specially if ye will adde which all without the gift of prophecie may see to be consequent that when the Pope hath gotten the soules of those who out-live this warre for his part his Sons the French or Catholik King will not be quiet except for their share they gett the bodies The most hated of the covenanters proceedings their covenant it self is approved by the king the goods and liberties of all this poore Yle Your other gybes at the Covenanters proceedings yee might have holden in if the honour of the King had any wayes been deare unto you the worst of all our actions even that which ye were wont to proclaime our most vile and hellish rebellion Sedition Treason and what else ye could devise is now by our gracious Prince after a full search of it to the very bottome not onely absolved of all crime but so farre approved that by act of Assembly Counsell
noble gentle-man Generall Leslie Generall Leslies vindication cannot escape the scrapes of your empoysoned peâ— Ye are on a stage playing the part of a Fuâ—ioso who ever commeth in your way the first dirt and stones ye can grip must flie at their faces When ye have searched that great personage from his birth to his old age nothing can yee espy in all his life whereupon to fasten your tuske but that which among all Nations as well barbarous as civill hath ever beene reputed a marke of honour and matter of gloriation When ye have curiously eyed that excellent piece from top to toe your malice can espy no blemish but a skar of an old most honourable wound which maketh him the more glorious with all who understand the tearmes of true honour and the dearer to every one who hath any spark of affection toward that service wherin that wound among many more was received by him But ye your like cannot hold in the passion of your soule but must vent your hatred malice your disdainfull indignation against all the valarous acts of any in the reformed religion against the popish partie whether in these dayes or the dayes of our forfathers Ye cannot dissemble your passionate affection to the side of Q. Marie at our first reformation rather ere your loyal heart had played the pranks of the rebellion the treason and what not of our ancestours ye would have joyned with the enemies of our Churcâ— State for the cutting off of the blessed root of King Charles race for the setling upon the throne of Britaine after the dispatch of Q. Elizabeth K. Iames these hereticall Schismaticks the posteritie of Iohn of Austria of the Duke of Northfolke or of any whom it should have pleased the Pope the Catholick King the Duke of Guise to have matched with Q Marie Thus dâ—e ye and your faction stand affected toward the former age neither is your minde any better toward this present The Dâ—tch Princes the head of their league that true Heroâ— â—hat wonder of the world the K. of Swaine must all be to you but villanes traitours who for their zeale to the reformed Religion Liberties of Germanie durst be so peart as to lift up armes to stop that very far advanced reformation of Ferdinand The wounds that famous Leslâ—e did get in this cause must be slandered and made a matter of reproach to you your like but it is good that men of honour doe think of you your language as it is Who is acquainted with the world abroad they know full well that Leslies most valarous very wise happie deportments in the wars over Sea have brought more true glorie to our NatioÌ„ then the cariage of any man who went out of our Land these manie ages Certainly this brave Souldiers late conduct of our Nation in the time of the greatest danger that our land did see this hundreth yeares was so full of wisedome stoutnesse moderation successe that his memory will be fragrant blessed in all generations to our posteritie This sight of that mans vertues did draw to him so much love from all that followed his Campe so much honour from all the English Nobilitie that served in the opposite armie that we may say truely There liveth not in this Yle a gentle-man of comparable reputation with all sorts of men except alone of you in the faction by whose hearts to be hated by whose pens to be defamed it is an increase of contentment praile of all honest men But being unable to stand any longer upon your dung hill least I be suffocat with the stink therof I must turn my back flie leaving you to dwell upon these your excrements if so be ye cannot be drawn from them to die be buried therin only my parting a little of one purpose which so oft in your whole writ ye inculcate Ye will have us in the doctrine of Episcopacie we agree in our Tenets of Episcopacie with all the reformed abroad to differ from all other reformed Churches yet it will appeare to those who goe not beyond the very passages your selfe doth bring in this matter that betwixt us any reformed Church there is no discrepance at all For that Episcopacie which ye maintaine beside the manifold unhappy accidents that use to hang both upoÌ„ the persons and office which your selfe will scarce defend hath into it essentially the power of ordination all Ecclesiastick jâ—risdiction annexed that by a divine right to the person of one man in a whole diocesse that ever any reformed divine except some few that but lately in England did approve let be commend such an office it is so false as any thing can be That kind of episcopacie wherof the divines ye alleadge speak off is so farre from the present English and late Scotish one as light is from darknesse as reformed doctrine from grosse Poperie contrarie both to the word of God all sound antiquitie Beside even that kinde of Episcopacie which they seem not much to oppose is such an office as they make to be no way necessary in any Church but removeable out of all to which they thought never meet to give any footing in their own churches but at the beginning did cast it out and to this day have carefullie holden it at the doore This ye cannot be ignorant is the known practice let be the doctrin of al the reformed churches over Sea of all their divines without the exception of one man Doe ye think that any of them will be offended with us for following their owne example for casting out that which they have rejâ—cted before us upon lesse occasions For it is certain that Episcopacie is no way so opposite to the discipline of any reformed church as to that discipline which many Assemblies Parliaments have setled in our land it is certain that no church over Sea hath ever been halfe so much grieved with that unhappie office as ours oft times hath beene we all know that from it alone hath flowed all the miseries schisms dangers wherwith our church since the reformation hath been vexed none of us is ignorant that this â—ffice was the only horse wherupon our later novations of Perth articles high CoÌ„mission Leiturgie Canons came riding unto us And now the world may see that it is only Bishops that threaten this whole Yle with the danger of the most cruell warre it saw these 500 yeares That any reasonable man will blame us for our firm resolution to oppose their re-entrie among us for ever we doe not â—ear for beside that our whole land is al utterly impatient of their but theÌ„ our last two generall Assemblies articles of our late Pâ—rliament with our Princes approbatioÌ„ have ordained their office to be abjured by our whole nation with solemne oaâ—h subscriptioÌ„ As for our neighbour churches in Engâ—aÌ„d Ireâ—aÌ„d though hitherto we have been mâ—st sparing to meddle with any thing which concerneth them yet now since ye put us so hardly to it we canÌ„ot dissemble any loÌ„ger our hearty wishes that since the bishops there beside the manifold evils that is in tâ—e â—ffice which they doe use defend the needlesnes of iâ— since I say their bishops have been the first fountain of all our churches trouble since they are the prime instrumeÌ„ts which now infect this Yle with Arminianisme popery since they have raised yet doe further so hot a persecutioÌ„ against our whole natâ—oÌ„ in Iâ—land as no reformed church to this day hath ever beeÌ„ acquainted with since after our full agreemeÌ„t with our gratious king neighbour natioÌ„ of Eng aÌ„d they without any cause that yet we know or can hear tel of have been the bellows to kindle the wrath of our king against us to stir up a most blodie war for the undoing if God prevent it not first of the most flourishing churches in these dominioÌ„s theÌ„ of the whole reformed elâ—where we professe it our wish to God that the king his present parliameÌ„t might seriously coÌ„sider if it were not for the good of the crown for the welfare of their natioÌ„ for the peace of their church that EnglaÌ„d after the exaÌ„ple of all the reformed should rid theÌ„selvs at least of their bishops trouble as they did of old without any repentance to this day of their Abbots Monks This we conceive would much increase the joy and prosperitie of all the three Dominions FINIS