same also by consequence and moreover deprive us of the prayers of the Church and the comfortable use of the blessed Sacrament Thou canst deliver us to a Pursevant or commit us to the Black Rod they can deliver us over to Sathan and commit us to the prince of darknesse Thirdly for priviledges the priviledges of Parliament extend not to treason felony or breach of peace but they may talke treasoâ— and act treason in their pulpits and Synods without controlment They may securely commit not onely petilarâ—iny but Burglary and force the dores of the pallace Royall They may not onely break the peace but convocate the Subjects in armes yea give warrant to a particular person to conveen them by his letters missives according to his discretion in order to religion Of all which we have seen instances in this discourse The priviledges of Parliaments are the Graces and Concessions of man and may be taken away by humane Authority but the priviledges of Synods they say are from God and cannot without Sacriledge be taken away by mortall man The two Houses of Parliament cannot name Commissioners to sit in the intervalls and take care ne quid detrimenti capi at resâ— publica that the Common-wealth receive no prejudice But Synods have power to name vicars Generall or Commissioners to sit in the intervalls of Synods and take order that neither King nor Parliament nor people do incroach upon the Liberties of the Church If there be any thing to do they are like the fox in Aesops fables sure to be in at one end of it CHAP. XI That this Discipline is oppressive to particular persons TOwards particular persons this Discipline is too full of rigour like Dracos lawes that were written in blood First in lesser faults inflicting Church censures upon slight grounds As for an uncomely gesture for a vain word for suspition of covetousnesse or pride for superfluity in raiment either for cost or fashon for keeping a table above a mans calling or means for dancing at a wedding or of servants in the streets for wearing a mans hair ala mode for not paying of debts for using the least recreation upon the Sabbath though void of scandall and consistent with the duties of the day I wish they were acquainted with the practise of all other Protestant Countries But if they did but see one of those kirmessâ—s which are observed in some places the pulpit the consistory the whole Kingdom would not be able to hold them What digâ—adiations have there been among some of their sect about starch and cuffes c. just like those grave debates which were sometimes among the Franciscans about the colour and fashion of their gowns They do not allow men a latitude of discreâ—ion in any thing All men even their Superiours must be their slaves or pupils It is true they begin their censures with admonition and if a man will confesse himself a delinquent be sorry for giving the Presbyters any offence and conform himself in his hair apparrell diet every thing to what these rough hewen Cato's shall prescribe he may escape the stool of repentance otherwise they will proceed against him for contumacy to Excommunication Secondly this discipline is oppressive in greater faults The same man is punished twice for the same crime first by the Magistrate according to the lawes of God and the land for the offence then by the censures of the Church for the scandall To this agrees their Synod Nothing forbids the same fault in the same man to be punished one way by the politicall power another way by the Ecclesiasticall by that under the formallity of a crime with Corporall or pecuâ—iary punishment by this under the formallity of scandall with spirituall censures And their book of discipline If the civill sword foolishly spare the life of the offender yet may not the Kirk be negligent in their office Thus their Liturgy in expresse termes All crimes which by the law of God deserve death deserve also excommunication Yea though an offender abide an assise and be absolved by the same yet may the Church injoyn him publick satisfactiâ—â— Or if the Magistrate shall not think fit in his judgement or cannot in conscience prosecute the party upon the Churches intimation the Church may admonish the Magistrate publickly And if to remedy be found excommunicate the offender first for his crime and then for being suspected to have corrupted the judge Observe first that by hook or crook they will bring all crimes whatever great and small within their Jurisdiction Secondly observe that a delinquents triall for his life is no sufficient satisfaction to these third Cato's Lastly observe that to satisfie their own humor they care not how they blemish publickly the reputation of the Magistrate upon frivolous conjectures Thirdly adde to this which hath been said the severity and extreame rigour of their Excommunication after which sentence no person his wife and family onely excepted may have any kinde of conversation with him that is excommunicated they may not eate with him nor drink with him nor buy with him nor sell with him they may not salute him nor speak to him except it be by the license of the Presbytery His children begotteâ— and born after that sentence and before his reconciliation to the Church may not be amitted to baptisme untill they be of age to require it or the mother or some speciall frind being a member of the Church present the childe obhorring and damning the iniquity and obstinate contempt of the Father Adde further that upon this sentence letters of horning as they use to call them in Scotland do follow of course that is an outlawing of the praty a confiscation of his goods a putting him out of the Kings protection so as any man may kilâ— him and be unpunished yea the party excommunicate is not so much as cited to hear thâ—se fatall Letters granted Had not David reason to pray Let me fall into the hands of the Lord not into the hands of men for their mercies are cruell Cruill indeed that when a man is prosecuted for his life prehaps justly prehaps unjustly so as appearing and hanging are to him in effect the same thing yet if he appear not this pitifull Church will Excommunicate him for contumacy Whether the offender be convict in judgement or be fugitive from the Law the Church ought to proceed to the sentence of Excommunication as if the just and evident fear of death did not purge away contumacy CHAP. XII That this Discipline is hurtfull to all orders of men LAstly this Discipline is burthensome and disanvantagious to all orders of men The Nobility and Gentry must expect to follow the fortune of their Prince Vpon the abatement of Monarchy in Rome remember what dismall controversies did presently spring up between the Patricii and Plebei They shall be subjected to the censures of a raw heady novice and a few ignorant Artificers
to order Ecclesiasticall Affairs and reforme the Church within their Dominions ALl Princes and States invested with Sovereignty of power do justly challenge to themselves the right of Convocating Nationall Synods of their own Subjects and ratifying their constitution And although pious Princes may tollerate or priviledge the Church to convene within their territories annually or triennially for the exercise of Discipline and execution of constitutions already confirmed neverthelesse we see how wary the Synod of Dort was in this particular yet he is a Magistrate of straw that will permit the Church to convene within his territories whensoever wheresoever they list to convocate before them whomsoever they please all the Nobles all the Subjects of the Kingdome to change the whole Ecclesiasticall pollicy of a Commonwealth to alter the Doctrine and Religion established to take away the legall Rights and Priviledges of the Subjects to erect new Tribunals and Courts of Justice to which Sovereigns themselves must submit and all this of their own heads by virtue of a pretended power given them from Heaven contrary to known Laws and lawfull Customs the Supreame Magistrate dissenting and disclaiming Synods ought to be called by the Supreame Magistrate if he be a Christian c. And either by himself or by such as he shall please to choose for that purpose he ought to preside over them This power the Emperours of old did challenge over Generall Councels Christian Monarchs in the blindnesse of Popery over Nationall Synods the Kings of England over their great Councels of old and their Convocation of later times The Estates of the united Provinces in the Synod of Dort this power neither Roman Catholick or Protestant in France dare deny to his King None have been more punctuall in this case then the State of Geneva where it is expresly provided that no Synod or Presbytery shall alter the Ecclesiasticall pollicy or adde any thing to it without the consent of the civil Magistrate Their Elders do not challenge an uncontrolable power as the Commissioners of Christ but are still called the Commissioners of the Signiory The lesser Councel names them with the advise of the Ministery their consent is not necessary The great Councel of 200. doth approve them or reject them At the end of the year they are presented to the Signiory who continue them or discharge them as they see cause At their admission they take an Oath to keep the Eccesiasticall Ordinances of the civil Magistrate The finall determination of doctrinall differences in Religion after conference of and with the Ecclesiasticks is referred to the Magistrate The Proclamations published with the sound of Trumpet registered in the same Book do plainly shew that the ordering of all Ecclesiasticall affairs is assumed by the Signiory But in Scotland all things are quite contrary the civil Magistrate hath no more to do with the placing or displacing of Ecclesiasticall Elders than he hath in the Electoral Colledge about the Election of an Emperour The King hath no more legislative Power in Ecclesiasticall causes than a Cobler that is a single Vote in case he be chosen an Elder otherwise none at all In Scotland Ecclesiasticall persons make repeal alter their Sanctions every day without consent of King or Councel King Iames proclaimed a Parliament to be held at Edenburgh and a little before by his Letter required the Assembly to abstain from making any Innovations in the Policy of the Church and from prejudging the decisions of the States by their conclusions and to suffer all thâ—ngs to contiâ—ue in the condition they were untill the approaching Parliament What did they hereupon They neglected the Kings Letter by their own Authority they determined all things positively questioned the Arch-Bishop of St Andrews upon their own Canons For collating to benefices and Voting in Parliament according to the â—ndoubted Laws of the Land Yea to that degree of sawcinesse they arrived and into that contempt they reduced Sovereigne Power that twenty Presbyters no more at the highest sometimes but thirteen sometimes but seven or eight dared to hold and maintaine a General Assembly as they miscalled it after it was discharged by the King against his Authority an Insolence which never any Parliament durst yet attempt By their own Authority long before there was any Statute made to that purpose they abolished all the Festivals of the Church even those which were observed in memory of the Birth Circumcision Resurrection and Ascension of our Saviour By their own Authority they decreed the abolition of Bishops requiring them to resigne their offices as not having any calling from Gods Word under pain of Excommunication And to desâ—st from Preaching untill they had a new Admission from the Generall Assembly And to compleate their own folly added further that they would dispose of their possessions as the Churches Patrimony in the next Assembly which ridiculous Ordinance was maintained stifly by the succeeding Synods notwithstanding the Statute that it should be Treason to impugn the Authority of the three Estates or to procure the innovation or diminution of â—â—y of them Which was made on purpose to controll their vain presumption Notwithstanding that themselves had formerly approved and as much as in them lay established Superintendents to endure for terme of life with their numbers bounds salaries larger than those of other Ministers indewed with Episcopall power to plant Churches ordaine Ministers assign Stipends preside in Synods direct the censures of the Church without whom there was no Excommunication The world is much mistaken concerning Episcopacy in Scotland for though the King and Parliament were compelled by the clamours and impetuous violence of the Presbyters to annex the temporalities of Bishops to the Crown yet the Function it self was never taken away in Scotland from their first conversion to Christianity untill these unhappy troubles And these very temporalities were restored by the Ad of restitution and their full power was first established Synodically and afterwards confirmed by the three Estates of the Kingdome in Parliament By their own Authority when they saw they could not prevaile with all their iterated indeavours and attempts to have their book of discipline ratified they obtruded it upon the Church themselves ordaining that all those who had born or did then beaâ—â— any office in the Church should subscribe it under pain of Excommunication By their own Authority or rather by the like unwarrantable boldness they adopted themselves to be heirs of the Prelates and and other dignities and orders of the Church suppressed by their tumultuous violence and decreed that all tythes rents lands oblations yea whatsoever had been given in former times a should be given in future times to the service of God was thâ— Patrimony of the Church and ought to be collected and distributed by the Deacons as the Word of God appoints That to convert any of this to their particular or
their Subjects They allow them some sort of judgement over Ecclesiastical persons in their civill capacities for it is little according to their rules which ever is not Ecclesiasticall or may not be reduced to Ecclesiasticall But over Ecclesiastick persons as they are Ecclesiasticks or in Ecclesiasticall matters they ascribe unto them no judgment in the world They say it cannot stand with the Word of God that no Christian Prince ever claimed nor can claime to himself such a power If the Magistrate will be contented to wave his Power in Ecclesiasticall matters and over Ecclesiasticall persons as they are such and give them leave to do what they list and say what they list in their Pulpits in their Consistories in their Synods and permit them to rule the whole Commonwealth in order to the advancement of the Kingdome of Christ. If he will be contented to become a subordinate Minister to their Assemblies to see their decrees executed then it may be they will become his good Masters and permit him to injoy a part of his civill power When Sovereigns are made but accessaries and inferiours do become principals when stronger obligations are devised than those of a Subject to his Sovereign it is time for the Magistrate to look to himself these are prognosticks of insuing storms the avant curriers of seditious tumults When Supremacy lights into strange and obscure hands it can hardly contain it self within any bounds Before our Disciplinarians be well warmed in their Ecclesiasticall Supremacy they are beginning or rather they have already made a good progresse in the invasion of the temporall Supremacy also CHAP. VII That the Disciplinarians cheat the Magistrate of his Civill Power in order to Religion THat is their sixt incroachment upon the Magistrate and the verticall point of Jesuitism Consider first how many civil causes they have drawn directly into their Consistories and made them of Ecclesiasticall cognisance as fraud in bargaining false weights and measures oppressing one another c. and in the case of Ministers bribery peâ—jury theft fighting usury c. Secondly Consider that all offences whatsoever are made cognoscible in their Consistories in case of scandall yea even such as are punishable by the civill Sword with death If the civill Sword foolishly spare the life of the offender yet may not the Kirk be negligent in their office which is to excommunicate the wicked Thirdly They ascribe unto their Ministers a liberty and power to direct the Magistrate even in the Managerie of civill Affairs To governe the Commonwealth and to establish civill Laws is proper to the Magistrate To interpret the Word of God and from thence to shew the Magistrate his duty how he ought to governe the Commonwealth and how he ought to use the Sword is comprehended in the office of the Minister for the holy Scripture is profitable to shew what is the best governement of the Commonwealth And again all the duties of the second Table as well as the first between King and Subject Parents and Children Husbands and Wives Masters and servants c. are in difficult cases a subject of cognisance and judgement to the Assemblies of the Kirk Thus they are risen up from a judgment of direction to a judgement of Jurisdiction And if any persoâ—s Magistrates or others dare act contrary to this judgement of the Assembly as the Parliament and Committee of Estates did in Scotland in the late expedition they make it to be an unlawfuâ—l ingagement a sinfuâ—l War contrary to the Testimonies of Gods servants and decree the parties so offending to be suspended from the communion and from their offices in the Kirk I confesse Ministers do well to exhort Christians to be careâ—ull honest industrious in their speciall callings but for them to meddle pragmatically with the mysteries of particular Tradâ—s and much more with the mysteries of State which never came within the compasse of their shallow capacities is a most audacious insolence and an insufferable presumption They may as well teach the Pilot how to steer his course in a tempest or the Physician how to cure the distempers of his patient But their highâ—st cheat is that Jesuiticall invention in ordiâ— ad spiritualia they assume a power in worldly affairs indirectly and in order to the advancement of the Kingdome of Christ. The Ecclesiasticall Ministry is conversant spiritually about civill things Again must not duties to God whereof the securing of Religion is a main one have the Supreame and first place duties to the King a subordinate and second place The case was this The Parliament levied forces to â—ree their Kings out of prison A meet civill duty But the Commissioners of the Assembly declare against it unlesse the King will first give assurance under hand and seal by solemne oath that he will establish the Covenant the Presbyterian Discipline c. in all his Dominions and never indeavour any change thereof least otherwise his liberty might bring their bygone proceedings about the League and Covenant into question there is their power in ordine ad spiritualia The Parliament will restore to the King his negative voice A meer civill thing The Commissioners of the Church oppose it because of the greâ—t dangers that may thereby come to Religion The Parliament name Officers and Commanders for the Army A meer civil thing The Church will not allow them because they want such qualifications as Gods word requires that is to say in plain terms because they were not their confidents Was there ever Church challenged such an omnipotence as this Nothing in this world is so civil or political wherein they do not interest themselves in order to the advancement of the kingdom of Christ. Upon this ground their Synod enacted that no Scotish merchants should from thenceforth traffique in any of the dominions of the King of Spain until his Majesty had procured from that King some relaxation of the rigour of the Inquisition upon pain of excommunication As likewise that the Munday market at Edâ—nburgh should be abolished It seems they thought it ministered some occasion to the breach of the Sabbaâ—h The Merchants petitioned the King to maintain the liberty of their trade He grants their request but could not protect them for the Church prosecuted the poor merchants with their censuers untill they promised to give over the Spanish trade so soon as they had perfected their accounts and payed their Creditors in those parts But the Shoemakers who were most interested in the Munday markets with their tumults and threatenings compâ—lled the Ministers to retract whereupon it became a jest in the City that the Souters could obtain more at the Ministers hands than the King So they may meddle with the Spanish trade or Munday markets or any thing in order to Religion Upon this ground they assume to themselves a power to ratifie Acts of Parliament So the assembly at Edenburgh enacted That the Acts made in the
profane use of any persoâ— is detestable Sacriledge before God And elsewhere Gentleâ—â—â— Barons Earls Lords and others must be content to live 〈◊〉 their just rents and suffer the Kirk to be restored to her Liâ—erty What this Liberty is follows in the same place all things given in hospitality all rents pertaining to Priests Chanteries Colledges Chappetries Frieries of all orders the Sisters of the Seens all which ought to be retained still in the use of the Kirâ— Give them but leave to take their breath and expect the rest Tâ—â— whole revenâ—es of the temporalities of Bishops Deans and Anâ—Deans Lands and all rents pertaining to Cathedrall Kirks Then supposing an Objection that the Possessours had Leases and Estates they answer That those who made them were thieves and murtherers and had no power to alienate the common Good of the Kirk They desire that all such Estates may be anulled and avoided that all Collectours appointed by the King or others may be discharged from intermedling therewith and the Deacons permitted to collect the same yea to that height of madnesse were thâ—y come as to define and determine in their Assembly judge whether it be not a modest constitution for a Synod That the next Parliament the Church should be fully restored to its Patrimony and that nothing should be pâ—st in Parliament untill that was first considered and approved Let all Estates take notice of these pretensions and designs If their project have not yet taken effâ—ct it is only because they wanted sufficient strength hitherto to accomplish it Lastly by their own Authority under the specious title of Iesus Christ King of Kings and Lord of Lords the only Monarch of his Church and under pretence of his Prerogative Royall they erected their own Courts and Presbyteries in the most parts of Scotland long before thâ—y were legally approved or received as appeareth by their own Act alledging that many suites had been made to the Magistrate for approbation of the Policy of the Kirk which had not taken that happy effect which good men would crave And by another Act acknowledging that Presbyteries were then established Synodically in most parts of the Kingdome And lastly by the Act of another Generall Assemâ—ly at Edenburg ordaining that the Discipline contained in the Acts of the Generall Assembly should be kept as well in Agnus and Mernis as in the rest of the Kingdome You see sufficiently in point of practice how the Disciplinarians have trampled upon the Laws and justled the civill Magistrate out of his Supremacy in Ecclesiasticall Affaires My next â—ask shall be to shew that this proceeds not from Inanimadvertence or Passion but from their Doctrine and Principles First They teach that no persons Magistrates nor others have power to Vote in their Synods but only Ecclesiasticall Secondly They teach that Ecclesiasticall persoâ—s have â—he sole power of convening and convocating such Assembles All Ecclesiasticall Assemblies have power to convene lawfully together for treating of things concerning the Kirk They have power to appoint times and places Again Nationall Assemblies of thiâ— Countrey ought alwayes to be retained in their own Liberties with power to the Kirk to appoint times and places Thus they make it a Liberty that is a Priviledge of the Church a part of its Patrimony not only to convene but to convocate whomsoever whensoever wheresoever Thirdly For point of Power they teach that Synods have the judgement of true and false Religion of Doctrine Heresies c. the election admission suspension deprivation of Ministers thâ— determination of all things that pertain to the Discipline of the Church The judgement of Ecclesiasticall matters causes benâ—ficiary matrimoniall and others Iurisdiction to proceed to excommunication against those that rob the Church of its Patrimony They have legislative Power to make rules and constitutions for keeping good order in the Kirk They have power to abrâ—gate and abolish all Statutes and Ordinances concerning Ecclesiasticall matters that are found noisome and unprofitable and agree not with the time or are abused by the people And all this without any Reclamation or Apellation to any Iudge Civill 〈◊〉 Ecclesiasticall Fourthly They teach that they have these priviledges not from the Magistrate or People or particular Laws of any other Countrey The Magistrate can not execute the censures of the Church nor prescribe any rule how it should be done but Ecclesiasticall power floweth immediately from God and from the Mediatour Iesus Christ. And yet further The Church cannot be governed by others than those Ministers and Stewards set over it by Christ nor otherwise than by his Laws And therefore there is no power on earth that can challenge to it self a Command or Dominiâ—â— upon the Church And again It is prohibited by the Law of God and of Christ for the Christian Magistrate to invade the Government of the Church and consequently to challenge to himself the right of both Swords spirituall and temporall And if any Magistrate do arrogate so much to himself the Church shall have cause to complain and exclaime that the Pope is changed but the Papacy remains So if Kings and Magistrates stand in their way they are Political Popes as well as Bishops are Ecclesiasticall Whatsoever these men do is in the Name of our Lord Iesus and by Authority delegated from him alone Lastly They teach that they have all this Power not only without the Magistrate but against the Magistrate that is although he dissent and send out his prohibitions to the contrary Parliamentary ratifications can no way alter Church Canons concerning the Worship of God For Eccclesiasticall Discipline ought to be exercised whether it be ratified by the civill-Magistrate or not The want of a civill Sanction to the Church is but like Lucrum cessans non damnum emergens As it addes nothing to it so it takes nothing away from it If there be any clashing of Jurisdictions or defect in this kind they lay the fault at the Magistrates doore It is a great sinne or wickednesse for the Magistrate to hinder the exercise or execution of Ecclesiasticall Discipline Now we have seen the pernicious practices of their Synods with the Doctrines from which they flow it remains to dispel umbrages wherewith they seek to hide the ugliness of their proceedings and principles from the eyes of the world We say they do give the Christian Magistrate a politicall Power to convocate Synods to preside in Synods to ratifie the Acts of Synods to reform the Church We make him the keeper of both Tables Take nothing and hold it fast here are good words but they signifie nothing Trust me whatsoever the Disciplinarians do give to the Magistrate it is alwayes with a saving of their own stakes not giving for his advantage but their own For they teach that this power of the Christian Magistrate is not private and destructive to the power of the Church but
robs the Magistrate of the last appeale of â—iâ— Subjects THe second flows from this The last appeal ought to be the Supreame Magistrate or Magistrates within his or their Dominions as to the highest Power under God And where it is not so ordered the Common-wealth can injoy no tranquility â—s we shall see in the second part of this discourse By the Laws of England if any man find himself grieved with the sentence oâ— consistoriall proceedings of a Bishop or of his Officers he may appeal from the highest judicatory of the Church to the King iâ— Chancery who useth in that case to grant Commissions under the great Seal to Delegates expert in the Laws of the Realme whâ— have power to give him remedy and to see Justice done In Scotland this would be taken in great scorn as an high indignity upon the Commissioners of Christ to appeal from his Tribunal to the judgement of a mortal man In the year 1582. King Iames by his Letter by his Messenger the Master of Requests and by an Herald at Arms prohibited the Assembly at Saint Andrews to proceed in the case of one Mongomery and Mongomery himsâ—lf appealed to Caesar or to King and Councel What did our new Matters upon this They sleighted the Kings Letter his Messenger his Herald rejectâ—d the Appeal as made to an incompetent Judge and proceeded most violently in the cause About four years after this another Synod held at Saint Andrews proceeded in like manner against the Bishop of that Seâ— for Voting in Parliament according to his conscience and for being suspected to have penned a Declaration published by the King and Parliament at the end of the Statutes notwithstanding that he declined their judicature and appealed to the King and Parliament When did any Bishops dare to doe such acts There need no more instances their Book of Discipline it sâ—lf being so full in the case From the Kirk there is no reclamation or appellation to any Judge Civil or Ecclesiastical within the Realm CHAP. IV. That it exempts the Ministers from due Punishment THirdly If Ecclesiastick Persons in their Pulpits or Assemblies shall leave their Text and proper work to turn Incendiaries Trumpeters of sedition stirring up the people to tumults and disloyal attempts in all well-ordered Kingdoms and Commonwealths they are punishable by the Civil Magistrate whose proper office it is to take cognizance of Treason and Sedition It was well said by a King of France to some such seditious Sheba's That if they would not let him alone in their Pulpits he would send them to preach in another climate In the Vnited Provinces there want not examples of seditious Oratours who for controlling their Magistrates too sawcily in the Pulpit have been turned both out of their Churches and Cities without any fear of wresting Christs Scepter out of his hand In Geneva it self the correction of Ecclesiastical persons qua tales is expresly reserved to the Signiory So much our Disciplinarians have ouâ—-done their pattern as the passionate writings of heady men out-do the calmer decrees of a stayed Senate But the Ministers of Scotland have exempted themselves in this case from all secular judgement as King Iames who knew them best of any man living witnesseth They said He was an incompetent Iudge in such cases and that matters of the Pulpit ought to be exempted from the judgement and correction of Princes They themselves speak plain enough It is an absurd thing that sundry of them Commissaries having no function of the Kirk should be Iudges to Ministers and depose them from their rooms The reason holds as well against Magistrates as Commissaries To passe by the sawcy and seditious expressions of Mr Dury Mr Mellvill Mr Bâ—lcanquâ—ll and their impunity Mr Iames Gibson in his Sermon taxed the King for a Persecutor and threatned him with a curse that he should die childless and be the last of his race for which being convented before the Assembly and not appearing he was onely suspended during the pleasure of his brethren he should have been suspended indeed that is hanged But at another Assembly in August following upon his allâ—gation that his not appearing was out of his tender care of the Rights of the Church he was purged from his contumacy without once so much as acquainting his Majesty The case is famous of Mr David Blake Minister of St Andrews who had said in his Sermon That the King had discovered the treachery of his heart in admitting the Popish Lords into the Countrey That all Kings were the Devils barns that the Devil was in the Court and in the guiders of it And in his prayer for the Queen he used these words We must pray for her for fashion sake but we have no cause she will never do us any good He said that the Queen of England Queen Elizabeth was an Atheist that the Lords of the Session were miscreants and bribers that the Nobility were degenerated godless dissemblers and enemies to the Church that the Councel were holly glasses Cormorants and men of no Religion I appeal to all the Estates in Europe what punishment could be severe enough for such audacious virulence The English Ambassadour complains of it Blake is cited before the Councel The Commissioners of the Church plead That it will be ill taken to bring Ministers in question upon such trifling delations as inconsistent with the liberties of the Church They conclude that a Declinatour should be used and a Protestation made against those proceedings saying It was Gods cause wherein they ought to stand to all hazâ—rds Accordingly a Declinatour was framed and presented Blake desires to be remitted to the Presbytery as his Ordinary The Commissioners send the Copie of the Declinatour to all the Presbyteries requiring them for the greater corroboration of their doings to subscribe the same and to commend the cause in hand in their private and publick prayers to God using their best credit with their flocks for the maintenance thereof The King justly incensed herewith dischargeth the Commissioners Notwithstanding this Injunction they stay still and send Delegates to the King to represent the inconveniences that might ensue The King more desirous to decline their envy than they his judgement offers peace The Commissioners refuse it and present an insoâ—ent Petition which the King rejects deservedly and the cause was heard thâ— very day that the Princes Elizabeth now Queen of Bohemia wâ—s Christened The witnesses were produced Mr Robert Ponte in the name of the Church makes a Pretestation Blake presents a second Dâ—clinatour The Councel decree that the cause being treasonable is cognoscible before them The good King still seeks peace sends Messengers treats offers to remit but it is labour in vain The Ministers answer peremptorily by Mr Robert Bruce their Prolocutor That the liberty of Christs Kingdom had received such a wound by this usurpation of the Rights of the Church that if the lives of Mr Blake
Parliament at Edenburgh the 24 of August 1560 without either Commission or Proxie from their Sovereign touching Religion c. should have the force of a publick Law And that the said Parliament so far as concerned Religion should be maintained by them c. and be ratified by the first Parialment that should happen to be kept within the Realm See how boâ—d they make with Kings and Parliaments in order to Religion I cannot omit that famous summons which this Assembly sent out not onely to entreat but to admonish â—ll persons truly professing the Lord Jesus within the Realm as well Noble-men as Barons and those of other estates to meet and give their personal appearance at Edenburgh the 20 of Iuly ensuiâ—g for giving their advice and concurrence in matters then to be proponed especially for purging the Realm of Popery establishing the policy of the Church and restoring the patrimony thereof to the just possessours Assuring such as did absent themselves that they should be esteemed dissimulate professours unworthy of the feâ—lowship of Christs flock who thinks your Scotish Disciplinarians know not how to ruffle it Upon this ground they assume a power to abrogate and invalidate Laws and Acts of Parliament if they seem disadvantagious to the Church Church Assemblies have power to abrogate and abolish all statutes and ordinances concerning Ecclesiastical matters that are found noysom and unprofitable and agree not with the times or are abused by the pâ—ople So the Acts of Parliament 1584 at the very same time that they were proclamed were protesied against at the market crosse of Edenburgh by the Ministers in the name of the â—irk of Scotland And a liâ—tle before whatsoever be the Treason oâ— iâ— pugniâ—g the authority of Parliament it can be no Treason to obey God rather than man Neither did the General assembly of Glasgow 1638 c. commit any treason when they impugned Episâ—opacy and Perth-Arâ—icles although ratified by Acts of Parliament and standing laws then unrepealed He saith so far true than we ought rather to obey God than man that is to suffer when we cannot act but to impugn the authority of a lawfull Magistrate is neither to obey God nor man God commands us to die innocent rather than live nocent they teach us rather to live nocent than die innocent Away with these seeds of sedition these rebllious principles Our Master Christ hath left us no such warrant and the unsound practise of an obscure Conventicle is no safe patern The King was surprized at Ruthen by a company of Lords and other conspirators this fact was as plain Treason as could be imagined and so it was declared I say declared not made in Parliament Yet an Assembly Generall no man gain saying did justify that Treason in order to Religion as good and acceptable service to God their Soveraign and native Countrey requiring the Ministers in all their Churches to commend it to the people and exhort all men to concurre with the actors as they tendred the glory of God the full deliverance of the Church and perfect reformation of the Commonwealth threatning all those who subscribed not to their judgement with Excommunication We see this is not the first time that Disciplinarian Spectacles have made abominable Treason to seem Religion if it serve for the advancement of the good Cause And if were well if they could rest here or their zeale to advance their Ecclesiasticall Soveraignty by force of Armes and effusion of Christian blood would confine it self within the limits oâ— Scotland No those bounds are too narrow for their pragmaticall spirits And for busâ—e Bishops in other mens Diocesses see the Articles of Sterling That the securing and setling Religion at home and promoting the work of Reformation abroad in England and Ireland be referred to the determination of the General Assembly of the Kirk or their Commissioners What is old Edenburgh turned new Rome and the old Presbyters young Cardinals and their Consistory a Conclave and their Committees a Juncto for propagating the faith Themselves stand most in need of Reformation If there be a mote in the eye of our Church there is a beam in theirs Neither want we at home God be praised those who are a thousand times fitter for learning for piety for discretion to be reformers then a few giddy innovators This I am sure since they undertook our cure against our wills they have made many fat Church-yards in England Nothing is more civill or essentiall to the Crowne then the Militia or power of raising Armes Yet we have seen in the attempt at Ruthen in their Letter to the Lord Hamilton in their Sermons what is their opinion They insinuate as much in their Theorems It is lawfull to resist the Magistrate by certain extraordinary wayes or meanes not to be ordinarily allowed It were no difficult task out of their private Authors to justifie the barbarous acts that have been committed in England But I shall hold my selfe to their publike actions and records A mutinous company of Citizens forced the gates of Halyrood-house to search for a Priest and plunder at their plrasure M. Knox was charged by the Councell to have bin the author of the sedition and further to have convocated his Mâ—jesties Subjects by Letters missivâ— when he pleased He answered that he was no preacheâ— of Rebellion but taught people to obey their Princes in the Lord I seâ—â— he tâ—ught them likewise that he and they were the competâ—nt judges what is obedience in the Lord. He confessed his convocating of the Subjects by vertue of a command form the Church to advertise the brethren when he saw a â—ecessity of their meeting especially if he perceived Religion to be in peril Take another instance The Assembly having received an answer from the King about the tryall of the Popish Lords not to their contentment resolve all to convéne in Armes at the place appointed for the tryall whereupon some were left at Edinburgh to give timely advertisement to the rest The King at his return gets notice of it calls the Ministers before him shewes them what an undutifull part it was in them to levy Forces and draw his Subjects into Armes without his warrant The Ministers pleaded That it was the cause of God in defence whereof they could not be deficient This is the Presbyterian wont to subject all causes and persons to their Consistories to ratifie and abolish civill Lawes to confirm and pull down Parliaments to levy Forces to invade other Kingdoms to do any thing respectively to the advancement of the good cause and in order to Religion CHAP. VIII That the Disciplinarians challenge this exorbitant Power by Divine Right BEhold both Swords spirituall and temporall in the hands of the Presbytery the one ordinarily by common right the other extraordinarily the one belonging directly to the Church the other indirectly the one of the Kingdom of Christ the other for his
Subject must be divided into two and the one half given to the one and the other half to the other For the Oracle of Truth hath said that one man cannot serve two masters But in Scotland every man must serve two Masters and which is worse many times disagreeing Masters At the same time the Civill Magistrate hath commandâ—d the Feast of the Nativity of our Saviour to be observed and the Church hath forbidden it At the same time the King hath summoned the Bishops to sit and Vote in Parliament and the Church hath forbidden them In the year 1582. Monsieur-le-mot a Knight of the Order of the Holy Ghost with an associate were sent Ambassadours from France into Scotland The Ministers of Edenburgh approving not his Message though meerly Civill inveigh in their Pulpits bitterly against him calling his White Crosse the badge of Antichrist and himself the Ambassadour of a Murtherer The King was ashamed but did not know how to help it The Ambassadours were discontented and desired to be gone The King willing to preserve the ancient Amity between the two Crownes and to dismisse the Ambassadours with content requires the Magistrates of Edenburgh to feast them at their departure so they did But to hinder this feast upon the Sunday preceding the Ministers proclame a â—ast to be kept the same day the Feast was appointed and to detaine the people all day at Church the three Preachers make three Sermons one after another without intermission thundring out curses against the Magistrates aud Noblemen which waited upon the Ambassadors by the Kings appointment Neither stayed they here but pursued the Magistrates with the censures of the Church for not observing the Fast by them proclaimed and with much difficulty were wrought to abstaine from Excommunicating of them which censure how heavy it falls in Scotland you shall see by and by To come yet neerer the late Parliament in Scotland injoyned men to take up Armes for delivery of their King out of prison The Commissioners for the Assembly disallowed it and at this present how many are chased out of their Country How many are put to publike repentance in sackcloth how many are excommunicated for being obedient to the Supreme Judicatory of the Kingdom that is King and Parliament Miserable is the condition of that people where there is such clashing and interfereing of Supreme Judicatories and Authorities If they shall pretend that this was no free Parliament First they affirm that which is not true either that Parliament was free or what will become of the rest Secondly this plea will advantage them nothing for which is all one with the former thus they make themselves Judges of the validity oâ— invaidity of Parliaments CHAP. X. That this Dicipline is most prejudiciall to the Parliament FRom the Essentiall body of the Kingdom we are to proceed to the representative body which is the Parliament We have already seen how it attributes a power to Nationall Synods to restrain Parliaments and to abrogate their Acts if they shall judge them prejudiciall to the Church We need no other instance to shew what small account Presbyteries do make of Parliaments then the late Parliament in Scotland Not withstanding that the Parliament had declared their resolution to levy forces vigorously and that theâ— did expect as well from the Synods and Presbyteries as from all other his Majecties good Sujects a ready obedience to the commands of Parliament and Committee of Estates The Commissioners of the Assembly not satisfied herewith do not onely make their proposalls that the grounds of the Warre and the breaches of the Peace might be cleared that the union of the Kingdomes might be preserved that the popish and prelaticall party might be suppressed that his Majesties offers concerning Religion might be declared unsatisfactory that before his Majesties restitution to the exercise of his Royall power he shall first engage himself by solemn Oath under his hand and Seal to passe Acts for the settlement of the Covenant and Presbyterian Government in all his Dominions c. And never to opposâ— them or endeavour the Change of them An usurer will trust a bankrupt upon easier tearms then they will do their Soveraign and lastly that such persons onely might be intrusted as had given them no cause of jealousie which had been too much and more then any Astates in Europe will take in good part from half a dozen Ministers But afterwards by their publick Declaration to the whole Kirk and Kingdom set forth that not being satisfied in these particulars they do plainly dissent and disagree and declare that they are clearly perswaded in their consciences that the Engagement is of dangerous consequence to true Religion prejudiciall to the Liberty of the Kirk favourable to the Malignant party inconsistent with the union of the Kingdom Contrary to the word of God and the Covenant wherefore they cannot allow either Ministers or any other whatsoever to concurre and cooperate in it and trust that they will keep themselves free in this businesse and choose affliction rather then iniquitie And to say the Truth they made their word good For by their power over the Church-men and by their influence upon the people and by threatening all those who engaged in that action with the censures of the Church they retarded the Levies they deterred all preachers from accompanying the Army to do divine offices And when Saint Peters keyes would not serve the turn they made use of Saint Pauls sword and gathered the countrey together in arms at Machleene-Moore to oppose the expedition So if the high court of Parliament will set up Persbytery they must resolve to introduce an higher court then themselves which will overtop them for eminency of authority for extent of power and greatnesse of priviledges that is a Nationall Synod First for authority the one being acknowledged to be but an humain convention the other affirmed confidently to be a divine institution The one sitting by vertue of the Kings writ the other by vertue of Gods writ The one as Councellers of the Prince the other as Ambassadours and Vicars of the Sonne of God The one as Burgesses of Corporations the other as Commissioners of Jesus Christ. The one judging by the law of the land the other by the holy Scriptures The one taking care for this temporall life the other for eternall life Secondly for power as Curtius saith ubi multitudo vana religione capta â—st melius vatibus sâ—uis quam ducibus paret where the multitude is led with superstition they do more readily obey their Prophets then their Magistrates Have they not reason Pardon us O Magistrate thou threatenst us with prison they threaten us with hell fire Thy sentence deprives us of civill protection and the benefit of the law so doth theirs indirectly and withall makes us strangers to the common-wealth of Israel Thou canst outlaw us or horn us and confiscate our estates their keyes do the