no moment 'T is answered I grant that this reduction is indeed given out to be the design of the alteration offered But seeing it is in the Supremacie more then in the Papacie in itself considered that the strength and complement of all corruption in Ecclesiastick Government and the very end and design of Prelacie itself doth lye and that the present offer of this Presidencie is only a Politique draught â—ending by the engadging of these who justly reclaim to sit act in its Courts to the more compendious and sure establishment of the same Supremacie and rendering of its influences more effectual it is evident that its project may possibly appear a more covert but is in truth raâ—her a more dangerous part of the same mysterie If then this fixed Praeses at first set up in the Church be a thing unwarrantable and anti-scriptural that the Episcopus Praeses offered to us must be much more such cannot be controverted in as much as there are several material differences betwixt the one and the other all aggravating against the present proposal as this short comparison of the two doth abundantly hold out The Episcopus Praeses in ancient times was at least in the beginning chosen by the Presbyterie over which he presided and consequently was by them censurable as also he did only preside over one and that oftentimes a very small Classis the taking of the election from the Presbyters the exempting the then Episcopus Praeses from their controll and the superinduction of Metropolitans and Arch-bishops being all posterior inventions whereas the Praeses poposed to us is to be nominat and appointed by his Majesty and for any thing we know by him only deposable or removable As also the least of them is to be over many Presbyteries or Classes whereof any one is by far too large for a conscientious Gospel oversight and two of them over several Synods not to mention their extrinsick and absurd secularities clearly incompatible both with the nature and work of their office Which differences to be both certain and material it were easie for me to make out But since our rejecting of this Prostasia doth proceed upon far more solid and comprehensive grounds I shall not urge them Only that I may a little recreat my Reader the returne made at Pasely by a worthie Doctor to that disparitie of the present Praeses his being nominat by the King is very observable and after he had meenly declared the manners of old elections and how the People sometime aswel as the Presbyters had an interest therein and having made his answer that the Church did then appoint and choose this Praeses for want of a Christian Magistrat with no better consequence then iâ— one should alledge that for the same reason the Church did then and the Magistrat might now ordain Ministers he proceeded to prove the lawfulnesse of his Majesties appointment and nomination partly from the prerogative of universal Patron competent to him jure coronae and by Act of Parliament and partly because that an inferior Patron by presenting a Minister to the Kirk of his presentation doth thereby make him a Proestos over the parochial Elders Was not this grave and judicious reasoning But seeing the right of patronage is in it self a civil right though indeed a sad incumberance to the Church only respecting the benefice by vertue whereof the Patron conferreth no Ecclesiastick power or any thing pertaining to the office but in that regard referres the person presented intirely to the tyral of the Church which alone admitts him to the function and conveys to him any Ecclesiastick power thereto competent I only wish the Doctor that reflection and sobrietie as may hereafter prevent such flegmatick mistakes The next argument against this fixed presidencie and why we can not consent unto it I take from the Oath of God that is upon us not that I account these Covenants to be the main if not the only ground of Scrupling as the Bishop alledgeth to be by many of us pretended No I am more perswaded that there is nothing sworne to or renounced by us in these ingagements which is not antecedently either duety or sin then to be in love with their Arguments who from the determination that may arise from an oath in things within our power do thence conclude against Episcopacie as in it self a thing indifferent and by our oath only abjured But seing Covenant-breakers do now turne Covenant-interpreters and it is the authors own undertaking to prove that a fixed presidencie is not contrary to this our oath and seing that the same oath doth indeed superadde a special obligation as we shall afterwards hear I shall first shew that this Episcopus preses is by us abjured and then review the authors observations in the contrary And as to the first it is not from the Solemn League and Covenant that we do only or yet principally conclude in this matterâ— no he who remembereth what I said in the beginning concerning our Reformation in the year .1638 and our renewing of the National Covenant with the explication thereto subjoined whereby having found Preâ—byterian government with an equal paritie to be the government appointed by the Lord in his House and that the same was formerly established by Oath in this Land and having then restored it we bind our selves constantly to defend and adhere to the true Religion as then reformed from the novations and corruptions that had been introduced whereof the government of the Church by Bishops and their constant Moderatorship were reputed to be a part and to labour by all lawful means to recover the purity and liberty of the Gospel as it was professed before the forsaid novations he I say who remembereth these things will easily grant that it is upon this Oath that our chief obligation depends and it is to it that we are to referre our ingagements by the League and Covenant whereby we are bound to preserve the reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Discipline Worship and Government so that the second Article of the League binding to the extirpation of Popery Prelacie c. And whatsoever shall be found contrary to â—ound Doctrine and the power of godlinesse whatever respect it may have to England and Ireland for the future yet as to Scotland it must more forcibly inferre an abjuration of all these things already found to be such whereupon it most evidently followethâ— that Presbyterian government with its exact paritie being then the thing sworn by us to be preserved and Episcopacie in all its degrees abjured as novations contrary to Truth and Godlinesse this fixed Presidencie offered and our consenting thereto is directly contrary to these Oaths and Ingagements But now let us consider what the Papers say unto this point And first we are told That notwithstanding the many irregularities and violent wayes of pressing and prosecuting oâ— it yet to them who remain under the conscience of its
furious storme that broke off and destroyed the branches the root of the Kingdome was by this bond made sure until the time of our restitution wherein it made the first and most airly appearance so the remembrance of these things may yet be ground of hope that the Lord will arise aud have mercy upon Zion and in place of the Babel-confusions wherewith these Masters of confusion and rebuilders of Babilon do upbraid us cause his work appeare unto his Servants and his glory unto their Children In the last place the Author saith He heareth that some take the Romish Hierarchie in the National Covenant for the same with our present Episcopacy and that by vertue of the Gloss of Glasgow which yet he saith doth grosly corrupt the Text For the Romish Hierarchie is the Romish Hierarchie and no other nor hath any man or assembly of men even such as have most of the spirit in them power to bind a sense upon the words so different from and opposite to their clear and genuine signification I cannot here in the close insist on all the impertinencies hudled up in these few lines though by the Romish hierarchie abjured in the National Covenant there is no doubt meaned not only Romes proper hierarchie usurping and pretending to a domination over us but also all such like corruption in Ecclesiastick government whether in its rise growth or consummation under which it is manifest that the controverted Episcopacy as being the first workings of that mystery must necessarily be comprehended Yet it was not by this clause alone of this Covenant that this Episcopacy was conceived to be abjured amongst us in as much as the argument that may be gathered from it for this abjuration is both cumulative and concludent above exception viz. that albeit that it doth principally relate to heads of doctrine and the maintainance of the truth therein contrary to the errors of poperie yet it doth also extend itself against all manner of Superstition corruption and therefore doth not only reject the Popes worldly monarchy and wicked Hierarchie whereby without question all the degrees occasions tendencies either of worldly domination or undue Elation of Christs Ministers over his flock or among themselves are disclaimed but thereby we do expressly joine our selves to the Church of Scotland as then reformed in doctrine faith religion and discipline promising and swearing by the great name of the Lord our God that we shall continue in the obedience of the doctrine and Discipline of this Kirk and shall defend the same according to our vocation and power all the dayes of our lives Under vvhich heads especially that of Discipline according to the usual phrase of these times as it is vvithout controversy that the Government then in being vvas contained so if vve consider that the taking and subscribing of this Covenant in the year 1581. and 1590. was designedly enjoined by the general Assembly for the confirmation of Presbiterian Government then completly perfected and unanimously agreed to in the year 1581. and universally setled and established in the year 1590 it is not possible that in this matter any shadovv of scruple should remain I might here adde for a further evidence that when within a few years thereafrer King Iames and his Court-faction took upon them to innovat that forme by the introduction of Kirk-commissioners and constant Moderators or fixed presidents the faithâ—ul who opposed these courses did as it appeares by their writings and publick protestations yet extant very freely testify against them as perjurious defections and breaches of the oath of God which is an undeniable proof of the sense wherein it was taken But the plain and obvious account of this oath which I have already exhibit is more then sufficient to vindicat the consonancy and soundness of that interpretation made by the forementioned Assembly against the author's identick and ridiculous reasoning to wit that therefore the Romish hierarchy in that Oath cannot contain the present episcopacy because forsooth the Romish hierarchy is the Romish hierarchy And no less ignorant and lascivient confidence whereby he goeth about not only impudently to decry a most certain and cleare explication as gross and shameful but impertinently to defie or mock the Spirit of the Lord and all thereby conducted I might in this place moreover subjoine that admitting for the Author 's more ful redargution that the Assembly had lapâ—ed in their exposition yet seeing it was materially agreeable to truth we are thereunto bound by our sacred oath not so much assertorie of the justness of the explanation as positivè renouncing the thing therein contained this error in the manner could not by any rule dissolve the force of our oath but the certainty and lawfulness of our abjuration by this oath both of Prelacy and Episcopacy and all their aspyring degrees hath been already by me so largely and evidently declared that any addition were altogether superfluous As for what the Author tells us in the last place that the Presbyterian brethren in former times did not think themselves by that Coveâ—ant oblidged to Separate from the Synods wherein Bishops presided as their practices do evidence I am persvvaded I have so abundantly cleared the difference of their case from ours and thereby reconciled their and our practices in a most agreeable consistency that the very simple noticing of this reflection may almost be accounted an excess I might here adde that if Presbyterian government were offered to be truly restored upon its own properâ— foundation and no thing imposed beside this constant President both eligible deposible by the Courts wherein he moderats the practice of vvithdravving would be liable to more probable exceptions but seeing the very lovvest condescendence that probably can be conjectured is immensly distant from this hypothesis and the exigence of a teâ—timony flovving from our present unrepented backslidings vvith the far more probable ensuing of evill then good upon a conjunction vvith the persons and in the other circumstances obvious in our present condition doe according to these grounds and rules declared in my first Discourse still persvvade to a humble tender prudent and vvitnessing separation I do here put a period to these debates FINIS
an inquirie And therfore omitting to preface any thing upon the first proposal of this Treatie and the methods of its prosecution that have since been practised I shall take its termes from their most assured warrant viz. the Articles lately given in at Paseley to the Mimisters there conveening under the title and of the tenor following Articles proposed by the Bishop of Glasgow to the dissenting Brethren 1. THat if the dissenting Brethrâ—n will come to Presbyteries and Synods they shall not only not be oblidged to renounce their own private opinion anent Church-government and swear or subscribe any thing thereto But shall have libertie at their entrie to the said meeting to declare and enter it in what form they please 2. That all Church affairs shall be managed in Presbyteries or Synods by the free vote of Presbyters or the major part of them 3. If any difference fall out in the Diocesian Synods betwixt any of the Members thereof it shall be lawfull to appeal to a Provincial Synod or their Committy 4. That Intrants being lawfully presented by the Patron and duely tryed by the Presbyterie there shall be a day agreed on by the Bishop and Presbytrie for their meeting together for theiâ— solemn ordination and admission at which there shall be one appointed to preach and that it shall be at the Parish Church where he is to be admitted except in the case of impossibility or extream inconvenience And if any difference fall in touching that affair it shall be referable to the Provincial Synods or their Committy as any other matter 5. It is not to be doubted but my L. Commissioner his Grace will make good what he offered anent the establishment of Presbyteries and Synods and we trust his Grace will procure such security to these Brethren for declaring their judgement that they may do it without any hazard in contraveening any Law and that the Bishop shall humbly and earnestly recommend this to his Grace 6. That no Intrant shall be engadged to any Canonical Oath or Subscription to the Bishop and that his opinion anent that Government shall not prejudge him in this but that it shall be free for him to declare These being the conditions offered in order to the intended Accommodation it is evident that for a due understanding of their import we ought first to know what is the nature of these Meetings called Presbyteries Synods and Provincial Assemblies to which the Brethren are invited And for that end we must not only transpose the fifth Article to the first place and supplie it with such other probabilities as may be had but also arise a little higher to remember the changes that we have lately seen and from what and to what they have carried us For seing our joyning in the present Presbyteries and Synods with or under Bishops as they are offered to be reduced is that which is principally demanded of us it is so little possible without this previous examination rightly and fairly to define the case in contratraversie that I can hardly acquit the preposterousness and deficiencie in the Articles of a greater error then a common mistake The thing then which comes first to be noted in point of fact and which I shall represent with that truth and impartiality that I hope none shall deny it is that this Church having in the Year 1638. abrogat and abjured the Government of the Kirk by Bishops and set up Presbyterian Government in its purest simplicity and paritie we together with the renewing of the National Covenant solemnly engadged Constantly to adhere unto and defend the true Religion then established in Doctrine Worship and Government contrary to all the novations and corruptions from which it was at that time reformed and to labour by all means for the purity and liberty of the Gospel as it was established and professed before these novations After which time the Church in our acknowledgement did enjoy a Ministrie and Government truely Ecclesiastick committed to them by and depending upon our Lord Iesus Christ alone as King in Zion and Head of his Church Thereafter by an Act Rescissorie it was declared and statute by both King and Parliament in the Year 1640. and 1641. agreeably to the Oath formerly taken that the sole and only power and jurisdiction within this Kirk did stand in the Kirk of God as it was then reformed and in the General Provincial and Ptesbyterial Assemblies with the Kirk Sessions established by Act. P. 1592. in like manner by the Solemn League and Covenant entred into in the Year 1643. the whole Kingdome doth again swear to the preservation of the Reformed Religion of the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government and to extirpate Popery Prelacie Schism Superstition Profannesse and whatsoever shall be found contrary to sound Doctrine and the Power of Godliness Which engagement we are bound all the dayes of our life zealously aud constantly to continow in against all opposition and to promove the same according to our power Thus matters stood both in obligation and general observance until the Year 1661. At which time the Parliament then sitting having prepared their way by exalting of the prerogative in opposition to and for the overthrow of the practices of bygone times specially that of entering into Leagues and Bonds they at one blow rescinde all Parliaments after the year 1633. and the Government of the Church being thereby wholly deprived of the civill sanction and its continowance by another Act permitted and declared to be only precarious during the Kings pleasure Afterward all Ecclesiastick meetings in Synods Presbytries and Sessions are by proclamation the 9 Ianuary 1662. discharged untill they should be authorized and ordered by the Archbishops and Bishops then nominat by his Maiestie upon their entering into the Government of their respective Sees By which means the former Government being overturned and razed unto the very foundation at least as much as the wit and power of man could effectuat the next thing that offers is the new structure and frame that is raised in its place And in the year 1662. the Parliament again meeting by their first Act for re-establishing of the Government of the Church by Bishops laying it for the ground That the disposal of the external Government of the Church doth properly belong unto his Majestie as an inherent right of the Crown by vertew of his Supremacie They do thereby redintegrat the estate of Bishops not only to their places in Parliament and their accustomed dignities and priviledges but also to their Episcopal function Presidency in the Church and power of Ordination Censures and all Church-discipline to be performed by them with the advice of such of the Clergie as they should find to be of known loyalty and prudence And for removing of all scruples the Parliament doth furder rescinde all former Acts by which the sole and only power and jurisdiction within this Church doth stand in the Church and
yet I am assured that as in it self it is most sound and rational so it may testifie on our part a most fair and ingenuous candor in asmuch as although the Englishes did first seek to us and willingly freely ingaged with us to the maintainance of the reformation whereunto we had then attained yâ—t in the confidence of the truth wherein it was bottomed and that it might appeare to the world how little we were either addicted to any thing as our own or inclined to abuse and impose upon their distress we agreed to Covenant to the endeavours of their reformation not precisely according to our example though vve vere fully persvvaded of its divine vvarrant but according to the unerring rule of the word of God to which we vvere alwayes and are still ready to submit all our ingagments and persvvasions and the example of the best reformed Churches the best arbiter of all exterior indifferences Now after this cause follows the obligation to Uniformity in these termâ—s And shall endeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdomes to the nearest conjunction and uniformity c. Which being the part of our Oath whereon our Author doth at present trifle I shall not trouble my Reader to rectifie his misrepresentation as if it were the common work of uniformity and not Englands particular Reformation that were referred to the Word of God But seeing by the obvious tenor of the whole Article the preservation of the reformed Religion in Scotland and the Reformation of England and Ireland according to the Word of God are premised as midses conducing and tendencies certainly concentring in this conjunction wished for I am confident every ingenuous man must acknowledge both the consistency of our Oath and the vanitie of our adversaries sophistrie And therefore it is answered 1. That suppose the intended uniformity and conjunction did require an alteration yet seeing the disconformity of either part maketh place for it even perfection it self imperfection by reason of their disconformity are capable of such a designe the necessity of an alteration to be made on both parts cannot be thence inferred So that the Author's conclusion from the unalterableness of Scotlands frame that the Article of uniformity is illusorie and in plain terms a perfect cheat is pitifully claudicant and unworthy of both his judgment and gravity 2. Although that the things Covenanted to be preserved in Scotland as being very acuratly tried and convincingly found to be agreable to the word of God are in effect both from their vvarrant and our Oath unalterable yet seeing that by reason of our sublunary state there are several external circumstances attending the worship aswell as the discipline and Government of the Church neither positively determined by the vvord of God nor comprehended in this our Oath for preservation that in these there is a latitude on all parts left to the improvement of providence and gratification of charitie for the more easie and happie obtaining of the uniformitie Covenanted is in itself evident and the very subject and intendment of this last clause as to any thing which may be thereby imported over above what the preceeding parts of the article do contain But 3. The palpablâ— fallacie of the Author's objection is that he falsely supposeth not only that the word of God may in order to uniformitie call for an alteration in Scotlands frame covenanted to be preserved but that even the swearers of this oath did thereto referre as not being fully ascertained and ultimatly determined as to the congruitie of that very establishment which in the same article they sweare to mantain whereas it is manifest from the tenor of the article and all other circumstances that as we in Scotland were assuredly perswaded that the things whereunto we had attained and which we sweare to preserve were according to the word of God and England also by concurring with us in the same ingagement did thereunto assent so it was in the same common perswasion that we engadged to endeavour Englands reformation according to the same rule and did in the holding and not altering of these obligations with a just accommodation of undetermined circumstances jointly vow and hope for the above mentioned uniformitie 4. As the certain conformitie of Scotlands then reformation to the word of God doth directly contradict the Authors supposition and the alterableness of the then constitution of Government in so far as we are sworn to preserve it is very consistent with the vowed uniformitie whereby the Authors argument is utterly ruined so we do constantly acknowledge the same word of God to be the supreme and unerring rule whereunto we heartily submit and therefore if the Author can shew that this rule either upon the account of uniformity or any other doth require an alteration of that Government whereunto we are bound it is in vain to redargue us from pretended inconsistencies in the words and contexture of our Oath seeing this is a direct and plain method by vvhich vve are most vvilling to be tryed The Author addes that if no hoofe or hair of the Scottish modell can be altered though both Scripture the example of the best reformed Churches and the vowed uniformity should require it then ought it in stead of according to the vvord of God c. to be rather according to the present forme of the Church of Scotland But 1. Waving the fraud and scorn of the Author's hoofes and haires vvhereof it is certain that his fixed Presidency unless so far as it is an excrementitious superfluity can be called none vvhy doth the Author cavil If the Scripture and the example of the best Reformed Churches do require an alteration of our modell let him shevv it and there is an end 2. I have already given a cleare account vvherefore the ingagment in the Covenant to Reformation in England did referre to the word of God c. rather then to any particular example 3. If upon the matter Englands covenanted Reformation in Discipline Government according to the Word of God c. do in effect resolve in an exact conformity to our then constitution doth it therefore follow that this part of our Oath is either a cheat or an abuse God forbid the Rule is too sacred to give ground to such a consequence And certainly the Author's second thoughts will correct his rashness But the Author subjoines that how this understanding of the Rule of Englands Reformation according to the VVord of God as certainly introductive of the then Scottish model would have past with our English Brethren and particularly with these present at the framing of that Covenant may easily be imagined It is answered 1. The question here mainly agitat is neither how the Englishes understood the ingagment of the Covenant in order to their own Reformation nor yet what may be its real import but plainly what we stand bound to by vertue of that article obliging us to preserve the Reformed