unjust he is not bound to submit to it And therefore if he be in probale capacity he will think it his duty to fall upon the Magistrate pull the Sword out of his hand call in to his assistance whom he may raise violent seditions against the Magistrate and what may he not do for his own deliverance Thus under this colour all evil-doers are encouraged to use violence against the Magistrate and let this Libeller consider how he will stop the gap which he hath opened to confusion the matter according to his mind being referred to each particular person to judge of the justice of his own suffering and his discretive judgement anent this must determine him to resist as he is able when he thinks himself wronged shall not this be a source of continual seditions and violent insurrections against the Magistrate even when he proceeds most justly Again how can Magistrates in doing their duty be secured from violence according to this mans way or from continual insurrections of persons pretending their innocency It is in vain to say Let Magistrates rule rightly and not oppress and then Subjects will do their duty for albeit be true faithful and just Magistrates may in the way of their duty expect from God that he will incline the hearts of their Subjects to repay duty to them yet in the holy permissive providence of God it comes often to pass that the best Princes are not best used by their Subjects God thus teaching good Princes to rule in his fear and righteousness with an eye to his will and with respect to that crown of Life whatever hard measure they have from seditious people How often is it found that Subjects are unruly and seditious even against good Magistrates Some crossing of the will of a froward and furious party may move them to fancy their Prince a Tyrant and as one that is an injurious and intolerable Oppressour whereupon they account themselves free to offer violence to him under the cloak of self-defence and goes on from resistance to revenge if they can have the upper-hand over him and will not cease the fury of evil consciences instigating them till they ruine the Prince whom they have greatly provoked in order to self-preservation from what they â—eâ—â— from him and they will be ready even to mock Justice in destroying him for saving of themselves as they call it but the end is the destruction of their souls and bodies for such wickedness Let Histories be looked into it will be found that hardly did ever people resist a Prince with violence but in end the matter came to revenge if they had power neither could they rest but in his ruine And also it will be found that oft-times the best Princes have been worst used or at least as evil as the naughtiest Princes Look to the Roman Emperors while they were Pagans how many amongst them who were good as Heathens might be came under the same or worse fate by the unjust violence of their Subjects with these who were the worst Princes Look to Christian Emperors and Kings how many of them who were truly good were oppressed and destroyed by their Subjects sometimes inflammed with superstition which they called Religion and superstitious respect to the Roman See the Sentences whereof were accounted as Oracles in these dark times and sometimes wrought upon by seditious Ring-leaders buzzing into their ears great abuses done to them in the matter of their Liberties Yea amongst our own Kings some of the best have been as evil used by prevailing parties amongst the people as some of the worst When once that gap is opened and people taught that any party of them strong enough may get up against the King and all Magistrates when they judge them to deal wrongously and injuriously with them the reverence of Soveraignty is lost the evil wit of a seditious Party can soon paint the best King as a black and ugly Tyrant and under that form waken up others to conspire to his destruction which should make all the fearers of God rather to endure some acts of real Tyranny then by their Doctrines or Practices of resistance open a door to the destruction of good Kings by a party not of their spirit but lurking under their pretences and to the continual dissolution concussion and desolation of humane Societies It is good for us to hold close to that necessary distinction which all sound Divines have held of obedience or subjection active and subjection passive where the former cannot be given for fear of sinning against God the Magistrat's superior and who should be obeyed rather than any man in the world the latter if we stay within his Dominions and with-draw not from under his Soveraignty putting our selves under the protection of another soveraign Power is necessary And so the Apology p. 376 377. acknowledged this to be necessary when active obedience could not be given but Naphtali Pag. 28. repents of this moderation and contradicts the Apology calling this submission brutal though it be upon rational grounds and the fierce violence against Magistrates is rather brutal â—verâ—ing That none pleads for this submission who have not prostituted their conscience to absolute obedience to Princes arbitrements and avowing that illimited obedience is more rational then illimited subjection and that they are but flatterers that have renounced conscience who plead against obedience in all things to the Powers and yet will plead for passive submission In this Category must all they stand who have owned the sound Doctrine of this Distinction and these are the soundest Divines that ever we had in the Church of God yea the Apologist himself if he be worthy to be named with these escapes not this blow Good God! To what times are we reserved to see so certain truths that may be reckoned among the immovables of Religion and the ancient land-marks removed by an up-start furious Crue who by their new Principles as false as new seek to confound both Church and State The lawfulness of private mens counter-acting and violent resistance to a whole Church and a whole State is a main Article of their new Faith and to do so is one of their new Commandments added to God's But the Libeller is all alongs much in pressing violent resistance to all powers from the highest to the lowest and of the whole body of the people by any party thereof though the far minor and lesser part in the cause of Religion his Religion in the hypothesis debated in the times is the external form of Church-government about which he sayes all the zeal of the godly should be concentred a low zeal God knoweth that hath no higher objects And laying down grounds some true some false concerning Religion he labours to animate any party that think themselves able to violent all Magistrates and the body of the people about this and to strengthen themselves by combinations threatning Gods judgements against them who do not combine for
people ought to reform themselves from all real corruptions in the Worship of God and keep themselves pure from abominable things every one is bound to amend one and so all will be more easily amended yea no man should say Am I my Brothers keeper but by faithful instruction warning reproof strive to save others from the evils of the times and places wherein they live But 4. That there lyes upon the people with the Magistrate a joynt obligation of publick reforming and using the avenging or punitive Sword in amending things amiss against the will of all Magistrates or even turning that Sword in a violent way against him or that such obligation lyes upon one part of the people against all Magistrates and their fellow Subjects as to violent them in matters of Religion or which they account Religion it is utterly denyed acting in a publick co-active way or by the use of the vindicative and punitive Sword For Reformation in a co-active way is so fully and only the Magistrates duty that whoever will intrude into it being persons of meer private capacity they stain Religion and brings scandal on it by their Rebellion Though the result of the work be good the manner is evil God needs no mans sin to help him in his work nor will he ever impute it as sin to private persons that they did tolerate with grief what they could not amend nor that they did forbear violent forcing the Magistrate to their mind supposing them in the right If in a way God hath set me in I cannot without manifest schisme and sedition and leaping beyond the limits of my calling do a good work I am to leave it to God to do it in his own cleanly way it is well if I keep my self pure mourning for abominations done and praying to God against them and using all charitable and fraternal means becoming a private Christian and thus my tolerating of what I cannot amend shall not be my sin albeit it is sin in them who have a publick Power and do not reform but connive at abuses As no part of a people or private persons have power to usurp the Office of a Minister to preach minister Sacraments c. So no private persons can lawfully under whatsoever pretence of good intentions meddle with the Magistrates work or intrude in the publick actings only competent to his place who is the Minister of God invested with Authority by him Far less can they in case of his deficiency or opposition use the vindicative or punishing Sword against him for not being of their Religion supposing â—t to be true nor against their fellow-fellow-subjects but all this is according to this mans mind The great mistake in all this matter is that the Magistrate and People are as to Covenant with God or engagements to him for advancing his Truth looked upon as two debitors bound in a Band conjunctly and severally for one sum so that in the deficiency of the one the other must pay all and hath power to stresse the deficient So they think there is a joynt and equal obligation betwixt Princes and People as touching the publick promoting of Religion If the Magistrate be deficient they must do it yea and fall on him for his deficiency But there is no such joynt obligation it is true the Magistrate in his place is bound in a publick way to advance Religion the people are also bound in their private capacities and callings to advance Religion and to serve the Magistrate therein as he employes and calls them But there is no such joynt obligation of King and People unto God that either of them should be so bound for the other that if the one be deficient the other party contracting becomes therefore obliged to the duty to which the deficient party is obliged or becomes guilty if he intrude not in the part of their duty Nor is there a mutual tye on both to force one another to their duty Qui diversimode obligantur ad diversa non sunt correi in promittendo The case betwixt the King and People in the religious Covenant with God is like the case of two men binding in one band for their several moieties of a sum if the one be deficient the other is not stressed for it nor is the payer bound to force the deficient by vertue of the band If the People reform themselves and keep themselves pure from abominations the Magistrates deficiency which they tolerate with grief shall not be imputed to them because God gives them not a calling to intrude into the Magistrates office or to use the reforming Sword or vindicative and puniing acts of it which only are committed to the Magistrate The King indeed is bound both as a Christian to own Religion for his own souls good and as a King to use his magistratical Power to force his Subjects to the use of external means of Religion which is all he can do and if he do this and meet with the insuperable stubbornesse of an evil people the guiltinesse lyes not on him but on them But upon the people there lyes no obligation to force the King or their fellow subjects to external means of Worship and Religion because that is not within the verge of their calling only they are to keep themselves pure and to use all moral means usable by persons in their station to move others to embrace true Religion And having done this they discharge themselves sufficiently and may commit the rest to God The late Covenant it self doth only bind private persons in their places and callings which certainly are private and to be managed by private means to endeavour reformation and doth not bind any number of meer private persons to pull the Sword out of the Magistrates hands when they think he useth it otherwise then he should and then they would have him use it It is not can never be the place and calling of meer private persons and the minor or far minor part of the People to use the vindicative punishing and reforming Sword against all Magistrates reckoned by them as Apostates and against all the body of the Land If the Covenant be passive of such Commentaries as this man puts upon it that whatever any private party accounts Reformation they may use the vindictive punishing Sword against all of all degrees that stand in their way to advance the same we have little reason to be in love with it and just cause to cast it by till it be cleared of such corrupt glossâ—â— But let us now consider the civil Covenant betwixt the King and the People Napht. touches on it on the forecited places and the Author of L. R. puts forth his strength such as it is upon this matter avowing that the King is not King but Covenant-wise and conditionally and that by Covenant the people have a civil claim against him may punish him and have a right to a coactive power over him in Courts set up
discretion of the sufferers of prejudice by it were they never so few in comparison of the whole body of the people they may pronounce upon the same and according to their discretive judgement of the injurious perverting of Government determine their actions for renouncing or revolting from the society in which and Government under which they are and nothing should hinder them from this but want of probable capacity to through their work as he often speaks So wise and cautious must his followers be though not conscientious that in working a mischief they light not upon a mischief Good God! to what times are we reserved wherein the unmeasurable audaciousness of men dare present such poyson to a Christian People and to attempt the breaking them in pieces by such Doctrines which both Religion and sound Reason abhorres Dare this Libeller say that this is a fundamental constitution of political Societies that at the arbitrement and lust of any minor part of private persons pretending a perversion of the ends of Government a pretence that will never be wanting to malecontents and malapert wicked ones even katherines and highlandish theeves and it is real to them if they themselves be admitted Judges they may make secession from the Society in which they are embodied and renounce their obligation to the Government thereof Is not such a principle rather contra-fundamental to all humane combined Societies and were it at first entring of the Society expresly proposed that when ever any minor party should account the ends of Government perverted they should be at their primaeve liberty again to break off from all the magistratical Order and from society with the major party of these with whom they are combined Would not the overture of such a condition be rejected with indignation and upon just reason for that were to open a gap to continual seditions divisions and fractions And all rational men would judge it were better not to joyn in society with such men then to joyn in such termes Again suppose there be a breaking off from a magistratical Power and major part of a society upon pretension which will never be wanting to cover sedition and confusion such is the corruption of men of a perversion of the ends of Government the party making secession may haply meet with that same measure they gave to the Community wherewith they were formerly joyned For when they have combined and embodied themselves in a Society if a minor party arise amongst themselves with the same accusations against them which they had against the body they did separate from Must not that same party have the same priviledge of Primaeve liberty to combine and erect a corporation by themselves which they claimed before will not they plead that the obligation to the Government and Society ceaseth and they are free to erect a new one And where shall there be a stand till humane Societies be miserably broken in pieces which seems to be Satans design by this Mans Doctrine Further can this assertion subsist that neither alledgiance or fidelity nor obedience is to be given unto any created power but in defence of Religion and Liberty That obedience is not to be given unto any Creature on earth against Religion or the Revealed Will of God shall be easily granted we abhorre the very thought of so doing Again it shall not be said that obedience is to be given to Powers against the Liberty competent to us as Subjects and consistent with Soveraignty yet so that the measure of that Liberty must not be made by every private mans will but by the Declarature of the Parliament representative of the Subjects which best knows what thereunto belongs But to say that all not only obedience but alledgiance and fidelity due to any created power is indispensibly restricted to this qualification in Defence of Religion and Liberty viz. of the subject is a most false assertion It is known that a restriction excludes all other cases which are not in the restrictve proposition included now it is certain there may be cases wherein we ought to obey the Magistrate and yet the act of obedience cannot be properly and directly said to be either in defence of Religion or the Liberty of the Subject there may be some causes that properly concern his own honour wherein defence of Religion is not concerned the Magistrate perhaps not being of our Religion and far less defence of the Liberty of the Subject unless by a very remote and unnecessary consequence yet am I bound to him in causes concerning his honour this made the Ministers that disputed with the Doctors of Aberdeen decline to acknowledge that clause of the first Covenant in defence of Religion c. to be limitative or restrictive of duty to the King affirming it onely to be specificativen aming duties to him in some respects or in respect to some things not excluding others Yea the General Assembly 1639. will not have that clause in the Covenant restrictive for in their supplication to the Commissioner and Council they speak thus We have solemly sworn and do swear not only our mutual concurrence and assistance for the cause of Religion and to the utmost of our power with our Means and Lives to stand to the defence of our Dread Soveraign His Person and Authority in the preservation of true Religion Liberties and Laws of this Kirk and Kingdom but also n. b. in every cause that may concern His Majesties Honour shall concur with our friends and followers as we shall be required c. So Duty and Obedience to the King is there extended beyond what is expresly mentioned in the Covenant in defence of Religion and Liberties But further as to the point of Alledgiance or Fidelity that is another matter then Obedience Alledgiance to a King imports owning him as Lawful and Rightful King and that none others have power over him together with fidelity to his Person Crown and Dignity against all conspiracies and treason Obedience is the result of this acknowledged Soveraignty where commands appear lawful A man may keep Alledgiance and Fidelity to the King albeit sometimes there may be commands given which cannot be obeyed because of Gods countermand many learned Priests and Papists in England took the Oath of Alledgiance when first it was emitted and injoyn'd albeit they thought they could not give obedience to the King as to matters of Religion But this man is plain in his assertion that no Alledgiance is due to the King except with this restriction in defence of Religion And as he said a main part of his Religion is to erect Presbytery and root out Prelacy So that if Presbytery be not defended people are taught to renounce Alledgiance to the King How contrary is this to the Confession of Faith cap. 23. S. 4. Difference in Religion doth not saith the Confession make void the Magistrates just and legal Authority nor free the people from their due obedience to him But this
Yet now that this piece is in our hand it with its fellowes deserves some consideration and what shall be said shall be reduced to these heads viz. The Libellers endeavour to confound humane Societies and to overthrow Magistracy His injurious revilings of the Kings Majesty Parliament Council Commission Judges Town of Edinburgh c. His reproaches against the Ministery of the Church and all ranks thereof with his unsound Doctrines anent their Callings and Stations His endeavours to dissipate the Church of Christ in this Land and therein to state a perpetual schisme His Damnable pride and contempt of all others His tragical complaints of persecution and vain glorying in the Martyrs of his way In touching upon these the most material things of his book shall be spoken to in the following part of this treatise withall for the Reader 's edification we shall now and then turn aside to usefull digressions As 1. Concerning his Majesties Supremacy in Church affairs which this Libeller calls falsly an usurpation of the Crown of Christ 2. Concerning the Covenants and obligation thereof and the falsly alledged perjury in owning Episcopacy 3. Concerning the warrantableness of the Episcopal office falsely called by the Libeller Antichristian usurpation 4. Concerning the lawfulness of the calling of the present Ministery of Scotland whom he calls Thieves Wolves c. 5. The sinfulness of stating a separation from our Church-assemblies which he calls Curats Conventicles Those things being with any satisfaction spoken to once for all for Who can endure that profusion of pretious time as to be alwayes drawing the rug-saw of contention about such matters will contribute to clear our judgements and allay our animosities The Lord give us understanding in all things and blesse us with truth and peace THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. THe Libeller his endeavours to confound and dissolve humane Societies and to overthrow Magistracy in this Land Page 1. CHAP. II. Of violent resistance to the Powers ordain'd of God by meer private persons their Subjects Page 12. CHAP. III. That such as are invested with sacred and inviolable Soveraignty have divine exemption and priviledge of impunity from their own Subjects Page 71. CHAP. IV. Anent the following of Phineas fact of heroick or extraordinary impulsions and concerning some courses taken at our first Reformation and their exemplariness Page 104. PART I. CHAP. I. The Libeller his endeavours to confound and dissolve humane Societies and to overthrow Magistracy in this Land GOD Almighty having made Man a rational Creature and fit for society 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Philosopher speaketh hath appointed besides aeconomical Societies the coalition of people into greater Bodies consisting of many Families under one Political Government for mutual help to be given by men one to another in their necessities for protection both of the whole Body and of every Member interessed in the Society and for the procuring of the good and happiness of all in this life and in a better That these Societies might be orderly regulated in their acts the God of order hath appointed superiour Powers and Heads over the multitudes of men in several bounds of the world where he hath disposed their habitations Magistracy God's Ordinance is that golden clasp and band that holds together humane Societies in a consistent unity that mens corruptions may not dash them one upon another as pot-sheards to their mutual ruine and general confusion Magistracy is as the vital Spirits of humane Societies without which they were but as dead carcasses it is as the Nerves and Sinews in the Body without which there could be no right motion Hence there are no Nations so barbarous but by natural instinct and the dictates of reason are led together into politick associations for their subsistance in general for the mutual help one of another and for the protection of the weaker against the violence and wrongs of the stronger And by a divine instinct great multitudes of men embodyed together are brought to humble themselves and submit to Magistracy of one sort or another which is not a meer device of wise men but an holy Ordinance of the only wise God Vocatio est saith Calv. lib. 4. inst cap. 20. S. 4. non modo sancta legittima coram Deo sed sacerrima in totâ mortalium vitâ longè honestissima Now albeit the Lord hath not by any precept particularly determined the bounds of every embodyed political Society there being some greater some lesser acting under their several Heads and Soveraign Magistrates Yet when politick Bodies are setled in voluntary associations or what ever way in the course of Divine Providence they have been reduced to live under the same Laws and Authorities and have continued long in the union of a common interest under the protection of Magistracy to break off from the body in seditious secessions cannot but be displeasing to God And they are no other then Firebrands confounders of humane Society fighters against God and his Ordinance who working upon the advantages they have from peoples discontentments upon whatever pretence do instigate them either to cut off themselves from the body of the Common-wealth whereof they are Members or to fall with violence upon the whole body though they be the far lesser part thereof or to invade the inviolable by Subjects Majesty of the supreme Authority which bears the sacred impress of God How far this Libeller goeth this way shall appear by his Tenets This Libeller's mind is plainly this That when the ends of Government are manifestly perverted the injured persons one or moe obligation thereunto ceaseth the band thereof is dissolved they are liberate from it and do relapse into their primaeve liberty and priviledge and as the similitude of their case and exigence of cause doth require may upon the very same principles again associate and joyn for their better defence and preservation as they did at first enter into Societies Thus he Pag. 16. Pag. 150. And further he avows That not only no obedience but no alleagiance n. b. is to be given to any created Power on earth but with this restriction in defence of Religion and Liberty according to the Covenants Pag. 177. And what Religion he means in application to the hypothesis of the Times he explains plainly Pag. 54. where he sayes The extirpation of Prelacy is the main covenanted Religious Duty in the endeavour whereof all the zeal of the faithful should be concentred And as to the liberty of the Subjects the determining of what it is must not be referred to the Subjects Representatives in Parliament For saith he Pag. 102. The Parliament under pretence of vindicating and declaring the Kings just Right and Prerogative have wholly corrupted and innovated the well-tempered and firm constitution of our ancient Government and utterly subverted the liberty of the Subject Pag. 95. So that what this liberty is must be referred to the private discretive judgement of every man and this must determine him to
his Acts of violent resistance and vindication of liberty according to the Covenant And in reference to the case of the Nation in these Times the man is so far transported as to teach the people That their liberty is so far lost that they are reduced to the condition of a most insupportable and unnatural conquest which should be a most just cause and provocation to all ingenuous Spirits and good Patriots to undertake the asserting of their own liberty upon the greatest peril Page 116. And that the pressures and grievances of the Nation by reason only of that Court of Commission for executing the Laws anent Church matters do far exceed all the pressures and injuries of that Spanish inquisition whereupon the United Provinces have justified and approved their revolt from the King of Spain Page 126. So that this mans design is clear from his words to dissolve and confound this Kingdom to move them who will be taken in his snare to renounce Allegiance to the King to revolt from him as having better cause then the United Provinces had to revolt from the King of Spain to combine themselves in new Societies to their own mind they being now relapsed into their primaeve liberty and the obligation to the Government being loosed and that every man and every Party as they find themselves strong enough should upon their own discretive judgement of what is their due civil Liberty as well as what is right Religion and upon their greatest peril undertake not only violent resistance of all powers above them but valiant vindication of Religion and Liberties and reforming what they think amisse vi armis even to the punishing all and whatsoever person that will oppose them in their way The particulars shall be after spoken to but now more generally we consider his fundamental Doctrines of confusion That the true ends of instituting civil Government are the true happiness of People here and hereafter and the glory of God and that Magistrates and Governours are oblieged to prosecute these ends no judicious Christian will question All the question is anent the Duty of the fearers of God in the case of the perversion of the ends of Government by these in whose hand it is whether when this perversion is manifest the band and tye to the Government ceaseth as to the persons injur'd thereby and whither this be the case as matters are now stated that private persons or any number of them are for the present suppos'd perversions of the ends of Government disoblieged from all tyes to the same and relaps'd into their primaeve liberty and priviledge to combine in Societies which are to their mind as at first they did associate themselves in the political bodies whereof now they are members for their own good and preservation As for the general position or affirmative resolution to the former question it is undoubtedly both unchristian and unreasonable When was there at any time greater perversion and straying from the ends of Government then was in the times of many of the holy Prophets of God and in the times of Christ his holy Apostles and the primitive Christians who were both replenish'd with much light to know their duties and much zeal to act for the honour of God against all perils and dangers whatsoever lying in their way Government was perverted by manifest Idolatry and horrid Tyranny many monsters of men possessing the thrones of Soveraignty yet look over all the sacred Writings of the holy Prophets look to the history of the life and actions of Christ and his Apostles or to the history of the great Lights of the primitive Church for many hundreds of years and see if any of the teachers taught such doctrine that in case of the manifest perversion of the ends of Government people did relapse into their primaeve liberty and priviledge to combine with whom they pleased to forsake the union with these political bodies with which they were conjoyn'd or that they were liberated from the obligation and band to the civil order and Government under which they were or if that was the sense of any of the godly zealous Christians and fearers of God in these times who alwayes keeped themselves pure from sinning against God refusing obedience unto mens unlawful Commandments but the Doctrine of these new Christians never came in their hearts that they should make secessions from the civil Societies wherein they lived so long as they keep'd within the bounds over which such or such Government was and account all their obligation to abused Government dissolved Yea upon the contrary as there are never to be found amongst the people fearing God any such rentings of the States and Common-wealths they lived in approven of God or injoyn'd by his Prophets in his name So in reproving sins and menacing judgements against these in Authority albeit they grievously abused their places yet the Prophets Apostles and Christ also studied to preserve respects to the Soveraignty and Powers set over People and while they warn'd all from the highest to the lowest to amend their wayes they guarded against seditious dissolutions of the Common-wealth on any pretext never prescribing rebellion and revolting the greater sin as the cure of Tyranny or irreligiousness in the Actings of Powers What abusers of Government and perverters of the ends thereof were Tiberius Claudius Nero Domitian c. yet Christ will have Caesars due given him and his Apostles presse subjection to them Honor to be given them Tribute to be paid to them Prayers to be made for them not for destroying them and their Government but for preserving their Persons and sanctifying their hearts that they might govern rightly and peaceably a Prayer Point-blank contrary to endeavours to disturbe their Kingdoms by seditious courses to dissolve and dissipate them and to take vengeance on their persons So that they must needs be the disciples not of Christ or Paul or Peter but of Judas of Galilee and of Theudas Acts 5.36 37. who upon account of perversion of Government teach any part of the people to dissolve and confound the Societies whereof they are members and that the obligation being loosed from the Government they may break off from it and erect themselves in new Combinations and Societies with whom they think best If this may passe for good divinity the grand enemy shall never want opportunity of casting Fire-balls in humane Societies and working confusion and every evil work But as this position is very dissonant from Religion so it is no less to sound reason for it hath a clear tendency to the breaking and crumbling in pieces of all humane political Societies all Commonwealths and Kingdoms of the World which no wit of Man can preserve from dissolution if once this Principle be drunk into the hearts of People and sink there For by this mans opinion the judgement of the perversion of the ends of Government in tyranny oppression c. is alwayes put over to the
reject the Government and the Society of the Common-wealth to erect themselves into new separate and politick Bodies Or that may perswade them as the case stands they are relapsed into their primaeve liberty like the Fishes of the Sea that have no Ruler Or that now being liberate they are free as they were at first to combine themselves in new Societies as they see fit It must surely be some great thing that should warrand such great actions It were too much to question their judgement to assert that they indeed think that because the moderate Episcopacy and inspection of some Ministers over others in several parts of the Land to hold them to their duties established by former Laws is now re-established by the King with consent of his people in Parliament the lawfulness of which shall be afterwards spoken to That therefore this and legal courses for carrying on of this is sufficient ground for so unnatural a rupture although the King should not for the pleasure of an inconsiderable party recede from owning and prosecuting his just Laws concerning this experience having abundantly taught that giving way to evil humours and unreasonable demands is but a mean to provoke to greater insolencies But under such pretensions against a lawful way surely something lurketh that doth not yet appear For supposing a change of the established way it is folly to think the matter should there rest this man and his party are of another spirit then to be satisfied with such low matters were they according to his mind for all alongs in his Naphtali and Apology Prerogative is the mark that is shot at as well as Prelacy as we shall see the one is as great an eye-sore as the other And were all other quarrels that seemed to touch upon Religion laid aside yet is not the battel done without retrenchment of Royal Prerogative even in civil things which as well as in Ecclesiastical is disputed down in the Apology but most weakly and foolishly And still also the liberty of the Subject should be a subject of controversie wherein this high-flown man his Party and complices will not have the Parliament to be Judge what is the true Liberty of the People consistent with Soveraignty or what not for this man sets forth the late Parliament as the great betrayers of the Liberty of the People but every Covenanter must make his discretive judgement his rule to determine his actings for the Liberty of the People And if there be any Party in sufficient capacity to take the fields they will and must according to their discretion carve out the measure of the Subjects Liberties which it is like will be large enough at least toward themselves if not toward others and will account themselves bound by Covenant according to their own interpretation to fight to death for what they count Liberty and to forsake the Government and Society of others in the Land though they be the far lesse part and erect new Combinations of their own under new Heads that they may injoy their Covenanted Liberty which the perverted Government deprives them of and from which therefore they are loosed and liberated for ever and reduced to their primaeve liberty to choose Government and Societies as best liketh them Oh miserable confusion that men of perverse spirits strive to drive this poor Nation into Were Episcopacy out of â—he Nation and out of the World there have been and are in this Time such pestilent Principles vented by perverse Teachers tending to the perpetual disquietness of the State of the Kingdom that if People be possessed with the same there is no security for the most just and justly acting Authority nor any rest nor peace amongst people but continual stirrings are to be looked for as there are occasions of Fire-brands to inflame them But it is to be hoped that the wise and godly management of the present Government continued will in time wear out that irreverence to Soveraign Authority and unquietness of a seditious humor that hath too much prevailed by the principles and practices of many in these Times CHAP. II. Of violent resistance to the Powers ordain'd of God by meer private persons their Subjects THe point of violent resistance to the Supreme Magistrate by Subjects hath been hotly and violently debated both elsewhere and in those Lands upon sad occasions The more moderate Asserters of it do not give the liberty of so doing unto meer private persons nor against Princes integrae Majestatis or who have come to their Kingdoms without pactions of restraint put on them by the people nor do they at all grant the liberty of this resistance but in the case of immanest Tyranny and extreamest Cruelty against the Body or most considerable part of the Body of the Common-wealth or such like or in case of sudden personal extra-judicial illegal invasions importing irreparable losse of life c. wherein judicious Royalists will not much differ from others nor do they grant a liberty to proceed beyond the bounds of inculpata tutela innocent and harmlesse self-defence for if either there be a preventive invasion of the Magistrat or a succeeding revenge if he be brought under all agree that this exceeds moderamen inculpatae tutelae so men are not properly self-defenders but Magistrate-invaders And whatever power of defence is allowed to inferiour Magistrates with the People yet that meer Subjects or private persons should take on them power of judging or punishing the Supreme Magistrate or punishing him it is abhorrent from the common sense of Christian and Learned men But this Libeller goes a great length for not only doth he allow the body of the People with inferiour Magistrates to make violent resistance to the King whensoever they think he wrongs them but allows any part of the People only requiring that they make sure that they are in probable capacity to carry through their matters to rise in Arms and make violent resistance to all the Magistrates supreme and subordinate yea and against all the major part of the people And albeit Magistrates act according to Laws agreed upon by the representatives of the people yet this man allows any part of the People though no Magistrate be amongst them to take Arms against all Magistrates and violently resist them when they think their Laws either unjust or the punishments executed unjust and he maintains that passive subjection to unjust Laws and Punishments where there is power to make active violent resistance is a greater sin then active obedience to unlawful Commands of Magistrates This seems strange Doctrine but more and worse will be seen in the following Chapter But that he may get no wrong look upon his own words referring what he speaks of punishing Magistrates to the following Chapter There is saith he Page 8. a necessity of Convocations and Combinations not only without but even against Authority and it is sufficiently warranded before God and all men for necessary and just ends Again
the power of self-defence Page 14. as he calls violent resisting the Magistrate is competent to all men by the instinct of pure nature and is the principal rule of righteousness and a priviledge competent to all men separately and joyntly not needing any other prerequisite but intollerable injury and is compleated in exercise by a probable capacity to encourage to it And to suffer injury under ptetext of the good of the Common-wealth is for the delusion of an empty name and for the lusts of others really to deprive a mans self of all share and benefit in it Page 15. propelling by force injuries done in the cause of Religion is the justest quarrel that men in their primaeve liberty could be engaged into And Page 16 17. Combinations for assistance in violent opposition of the Magistrate when the ends of Government are perverted which must be referred to the discretion of them who minds insurrection are necessary by the Law of Nature of Charity and in order to Gods glory and for violation of this duty of delivering the oppressed from Magistrates judgements comes upon people And Page 18 19. not only power of self-defence but vindicative and reforming power is in any part of the people against the whole and against all Magistrates and if they use it not judgement comes on supposing their capacity probable to bear them forth and they shall be punish'd for their connivance and not acting in way of vindication of crimes and reforming abuses And Page 28. they are but Flatterers and Men that have renounced Conscience who say that absolute subjection in suffering may be given to Authority abusing their power and not absolute obedience to their Commands and whatsoever reason saith he pleads for absolute subjection in suffering will far more rationally and plausibly infer unlimited and absolute obedience Absolute obedience may be more rationally yeelded then absolute subjection to suffering Page 157. to resist and rise up against persons abusing Authority is to adhere to God and Page 155. The late rising was altogether lawful righteous and necessary But what needs insisting on his justifying of any number of private persons rising up and resisting the whole Magistrates and Body of the People when ever they think they have cause seing this is the main scope of his Book and more too even to state them in a punitive power of all who are against them and a power to pull down all Authorities that are in their way as after shall more clearly appear But upon this point of resistance which he lispeth out as innocent harmless self-defence it is fit we should now abstracting from the other questions of private persons vindicative and punitive power till the next Chapter speak somewhat It is the subtilty of Sathan and of mans corruption that most horrid sins and crimes are covered under very smooth termes and cloaked with some Vizard of Vertue or with something so plausible and sweet to self-nature that few there are who will not own it Innocent self-defence and a mans preservation of his own beeing is so plausible a Plea that every one in any vexation that comes upon them from any justly or unjustly are much inclined to take hold of it It is true the God of nature who hath given a beeing to all creatures hath also given them inclinations and propensions to preserve themselves against opposition destroying nature the very inanimate creatures have this Fire preserves and defends it self against water when it is cast upon it there is a fight between the two contrary qualities of these creatures the fire with a noise resisting the water that it be not quenched with the contrary qualities of that creature So also are the sensitive creatures the beasts are carried impetu naturae to oppose every thing that tends to their destruction and to preserve their own beeing untill they be over-powered And all this self-defence is without sin for they being onely under natures Law and not under any Legal restraints of the exercise of their self-defending power by Gods word nor under any rule of reason in the exercise thereof do and may to the uttermost in all cases endeavour their self-preservation and nothing can hinder them from it but major vis and a Physical force greater then theirs is And this self-defending or preserving power and propension God hath given also unto Men yet otherwise then to inanimate creatures or unto beasts for these being under no other Law or Order but that of meer Nature that onely seeks its own preservation and labours in self-defence alwayes against all things afflicting nature caec◠impetu that self-defence is alwayes sinless But Mans natural propension to defend himself is subordinated unto and limited by the higher Laws of Reason and Grace and regulated by respects to the eternal good of the Soul in following duties to God albeit with vexation and trouble upon the outward man a rational and gracious man will advert lest in self-preservation as to his body or outward state he bring not on self-destruction as to his Soul It was wisely said by Thomas 2◠2◠quest 70. art 4. ad 1. Ideo Homini data est Ratio and I may add Gratia ut eá ad quae natura inclinat non passim sed secundum rationis vel gratia ordinem exequatur ideo non quaelibet defensio sui est licita sed quae fit cum debito moderamine It is too gross Divinity to bring arguments from Beasts who being under no Law of Reason nor Grace to limite their propensions may alwayes in all imaginable cases defend themselves with force to perswade men that they may do the like and that their propension for their external preservation is no more under any restraining rule to stop the exercise of it then that of Beasts is There are many cases of Rational and Gracious restraint of the exercise of that natural propension for self-preservation upon Men which are not upon Beasts For 1. the Libeller it is hoped will not allow self-defence of violent and forcible defence not of moral we do here alwayes speak or violent resistance of the Magistrate when Men are not in probable Capacity to mend themselves or when it is seen to be to no purpose In this case he will say it is no fault for a Man not to use violent resistance because Reason tells him it is to no purpose self-defence of a rational creature should not be meerly natural but rational it is natural to a Man to defend himself as it is to a Beast but not in the same way not alwayes when a Beast upon which there is no restraint of reason may do it It will not be denyed that the obligation of violent self-preservation ceaseth when a Man is put out by a Physical-force of all probable Capacity to help himself 2. A Man who is justly condemned to death both according to a just Law and by a just process according to the Law though he were in
lead him to own a meer democracy which is the worst of Governments as the only lawful Government he placeth and fixeth the unpunâ—shable Soveraignty there Kings and Parliaments may be according to him punished by the people but they have a Power attended with impunity from men if they erre God must amend that onely we see where we are and that the resolution of all supreme Power is upon the people under God according to these mens tenets the rabble of the multitude against King and all Nobles and Rulers are instated in the Soveraignty under God yea Napht. goes further giving to any part of meer private persons power over King and all Magistrates and Nobles to judge depose and punish them or the major part of the people if there be strength enough and that uncontrollably upon their own judgement of discretion as we have heard and will hear further But now ventum est ad triarios we come to the great Guns whereby Napht. and his witnesses L. R. and the Apol. strives to batter down Gods order and to make soveraign Powers in the case of abuse of Power punishable by their inferiors and subjects a thing which all the Lords and Superiors in Scotland had need to look to for with as good reason may their tennents and vassals be exhorted to rise against them and take order with them when they think they do them wrong as subjects may be exhorted to rise against their King Lex Rex harps much upon the Covenant betwixt the King and the people and betwixt both together with God quest 14. and 40. asserting That the King is only a King conditionally and Covenant-wise that this Covenant giveth the people a coactive Power over the King to punish him if he fail in his duty and that if it be not performed on his part although it be but a tacite and implicite Covenant the people for their part are loosed from the Covenant These and many such Doctrines consequent on these he hath in these questions But Naph out-stripes his leader for albeit he also harpes upon that supposed Covenant p. 19. p. 30. and elsewhere laying much of the stresse of resistance against and revenge upon the King abusing his power upon that rotten foundation Yet he goes a greater length then L. R. doth for L. R. takes the Covenant as the warrand for the body of the people with their Rulers of inferior degree to resist and punish the King but Napth pleads the Covenant for any party of meer private persons to rise against resist throw down King and all Magistrates Supreme and Subordinate and in their Phineas-like motions to use the vindicative punishing reforming Power of the Sword especially in case of defection in matter of Religion such as he thinks the cause now to be And the great stresse of the business is still laid upon these Covenants tacite and virtual or expresse and it is pleaded the people or any part of the people have by that Covenant a joynt obligation with the King and all Magistrates lying upon them to use a vindicative and reforming Power in case of defection in Religion yea even against all back-slidden Rulers and the plurality of an apostate Nation There is a two-fold Covenant they talk of as the foundation of all humane Societies 1. the religious joynt Covenant between the King or Soveraign and people with God 2. The civil Covenant betwixt the King and the people Concerning the former it is Naph mind p. 18. That albeit the care of Religion toward God in a vindicative and punishing way and reforming it c. lyeth upon the King or Magistrates mainly he should have said onely for none can produce a commission but the Powers ordained of God for using the vindicative punitive and reforming Sword about which the question is now but only the Magistrate Yet there is a joynt obligation lying upon the people and every party thereof to vindicate and reform Religion in a publick punitive way even against all Magistrates and Nobles if they be the principal perverters and patrons of abominations and against the plurality of the people for sayes he 18. p. Idolatry perjury c. ought by all meanes n. b. to be suppressed restrained and severly punished So that if any part of the people do think the Magistrates all of them or the plurality of the people Patrons of abominations as in the present case he challenges them to be any private party that think they have power enough may slee to the vindicative punishing and reforming Sword and fall upon all Rulers and others whom they think to be in a defection and will boldly say that in truth they are so This is the mans fine Doctrine he conceals not his own intentions and his parties upon the account of the Apostasie which they now fansie to fall with bloody cruelty on all Magistrates and people too who stand in their way he shews his bloody teeth but God will knock out the teeth of this sanguinary Faction as he hath done Yea Naph runs yet higher for upon the conceit of setting up Government for Truth and Relâ—gion and Gods Worship as the main ends P. 16. he asserts The cessation of the obligation to the Government when there is a perversion in that great design of it and a returning of people to their primaeve liberty as he often speaks to erect Governments to their mind and to combine with whom they will as before we heard Concerning these things we say 1. That albeit it be Gods holy will that in erections of Civil Government his Truth sincere Worship and Glory in these should be mainly minded and intended by men and it is mens duty so to do yet it is clear that in many places de facto it is not so although men profess in the general aiming at Truth and right Worship yet there are aberrations in the particular 2. Albeit there be in the point of Truth and the Worship of God which de jure should be principally cared for in Government a notable perversion and swerving that doth not at all invalidate the Authority or Government nor break the obligation thereunto although it be injurious to favourers of Truth and right Worship For God so far regards the keeping of humane Societies in tolerable order that albeit the great duties of advancement of his Truth and Worship be not minded by Rulers yet he will not have the Common-wealths where justice between man and man is maintained for his Glory although Religion not minded as it ought to be casten loose nor will have men think themselves loosed from obligation to the Government albeit there be perversion in the managing thereof as to Religion for neither must they be heard who hold That civil Dominion is grounded on Grace nor they who say That infidel heretical or excommunicate Magistrates fall from their power or that the Subjects obligation to them ceaseth 3. It shall be easily granted that the people and every one of the
reason that these who are Plaintifes shall be judges of the Party they complain of more then the party or Prince Judge to them Is not this a perversion of all judgement that in one and the same body politick the accuser and Judge shall be coincident in the same persons or person And they shall use the punishing Sword over all Rulers to whom God never committed it the notions of original fountaine virtual royalty in the people which they may render formal effectual and actual when they see fit are but high flown unregardable fancies of the masters of confusion All magistratical Authority is originally and fountally in God alone whose Minister the Magistrate is and not the peoples although for the peoples good whatever interests people may have in instrumental application of the power to such or such persons sometimes Government is not in the people virtually though wrongously sometimes they usurp it No man hath the Power of the Sword over his own life nor over the life of his neighbours as he is a private man not invested with magistratical Authority and so cannot transmit that to another which he hath not himself None have this avenging Power of the Sword over mens lives but the Magistrate alone whom people by Gods law are bound to choose if they want one in their Societies and Combinations but whomever they designe they do not empower him it is God by his Ordinance that doth this the Power is from God not from them albeit the application of the person to the Power or of it to him be instrumentally and dispositively by the peoples act where they have liberty for such acts 5. Though it be true that all Covenants and Contracts amongst men embodied in a Society brings each of the contracters under a Law-claim in case of failing coram Judice proprio before his own and competent Judge yet it is not true that any Contracts betwixt man and man in one and the same Society gives the party keeping contract coactive Power over the party breaking it is true the Judge hath a coactive Power to lay forth in behalf of the keeper against the breaker but that is not the keeper his coactive Power but the Judges employed for his good the one party is not Judge of the other but the Magistrate is Judge over both Now there is no Judge over all Magistrates nor the supreme Magistrate before whom a complaining people can plead wrong done to them This complaint lyes before God only to take order with it And it must needs be a strange assertion to say as some do that it leads Kings to Atheisme to tell them They are countable to God only whereas this leads them genuinly to stand in awe of God and the lesse fear they have from men to be in greater dreador of more terrible strokes from God if if they do wrong ordinarily where there is much fear of mans punishments there is lesse fear of Gods but when it is told Princes the more exemption they have from man the more terribly will God handle them if they do wrong this may make the highest and stoutest hearts to tremble at the dreadful vengeance by the hands of the living God which will strike a deeper stroke then creatures can 6. To provoke people to go about the medling with the advancing Religion actibus Imperatis which is the Magistrates part and not only actibus elicitis is but a ruining of all order God hath set the imperate acts for advancing Religion are not to be done but by these to whom God hath given the Empire It is not his will that people run out of their rank and calling to serve him more then it was his will that Saul or Vzziah offered sacrifice or incense the works were good in themselves but the workers were not warranded to do the same extraordinary necessities are more easily pleaded then justified as ground sufficient for actions whereto there is no extraordinary call If Magistrates be deficient as to their imperat acts in advancing Religion private persons are sufficiently discharged if they keep themselves pure and do what possibly they can for advancing Religion in their private capacities and by their elicit acts Nor shall they be involved in guiltiness for not intruding in the Magistrates office or doing his duty wherein he hath failed If a mans eyes be put out his ears or other senses will go as far to supply that defect for the good of the body as may be yet cannot help the body by elicit acts of seeing So whatever length private persons may go for the good of the body they must not go to exercise and exert formally acts Magistratical upon whatever pretence of extraordinary need which will never be wanting to a people enflamed with a seditious spirit August Lib. 2. contra literas Petiliani Auferenda idola non potest quispiam jubere privatis Lact. instit S. 20. Defendenda est Religio a privatis omnibus non occidendo sed moriendo c. It is a dangerous and destructive tenent to be held forth to be believed by people That in all cases whither concerning Religion or Liberty when they account the Magistrate to pervert the Government that they are eatenus and so far even as they had no King and that the royalty hath recurred to themselves and they may act and exercise it formally as if they had no King at all which is the express Doctrine of L. R. p 99.100 And more intolerable is Naphtali who grants this not only to the body of the people and inferiour Magistrates but to any the least meer private part of the people against the whole body and against all Magistrates supreme and subordinate Where or when shall confusions end if these Doctrines have faith or free passage CHAP. IV. Anent the following of Phineas fact of heroick or extraordinary impulsions and concerning some courses taken at our first Reformation and their exemplariness THat every man should walk in his own calling with God 1 Cor. 7.20 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love the honour to be quiet and do his own business 1 Thes 4.11 yea ambitiously contend as the word bears it so to do is agreeable to the mind and will of the God of Order it is a godly ambition to act within the precincts of our own calling but Sathan striving to make men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disorderly and unsubject to these whom God hath set over them under several colours of extreme necessity the lawfulness of the matter of actions in themselves the goodness of ends and intentions the want or deficiency of others to do the work mens own probable capacity to do it doth often drive men out of their ranks and stations to act such things whereof God will say I never required them at your hands in your hands they are evil quia ego non jussi and because sometimes God hath given extraordinary callings or incited men by
it is the place and calling of private persons to reform or remove them and step in and occupy their places Thus the profane Juglar if he will deservedly take the stile which he undeservedly gives his opposites p. 54 makes a Welch-mans hose of the words of the Covenant to provoke people to intrusion in the Magistrates office Who ever heard of such a thing that these words in our places and callings do not restrict private mens endeavours to wayes fit for their places and callings What a strange exigesis or explication as he calls it is that of our endeavours in our places and callings to reform i. e. That we shall go out of our places and callings to reform and being private men shall occupy the Magistrates place and remove him and punish him or that private men only did swear conditionally to act in their places and callings so long as they in eminency acted in their places and callings for Religion with a reserve to run out of our places and callings when they deserted and abused theirs What Jesuitical jugling in the matter of the Oath is this This is a new discovery this man hath given us of the deceitful ambiguities of the Covenant to help us out of love with it The words saith he are exegetick and ampliative exegetick thus I swear in my calling and place all dayes of my life to endeavour c. i. e. When I see cause I swear I shall flee out of my place and calling to do so good a work and will not be restricted to it But how are they ampliative the vain Orator would tell us Are the words that bind to do in our places and callings oblieging to a duty more amply and extensively then they import viz. That we should stretch our selves beyond our line and intrude in places God hath not called us unto How intolerable is this abuse offered to the Covenant and Gods people too in such vain and senseless glosses O! But he builds much upon the practice of our first Reformers and Phineas fact must justifie that and that must justifie all modern insurrections As to the work of Reformation of Religion at first in this Land it is our desire to speak honourably of it so far as we can with truth Blessed be God for that great work of bringing in his Truth amongst us and delivering us from the dark and miserable bondage of antichristian Tyranny and he who delivered us keep us from returning to that house of Egyptian bondage But we cannot holding to the truth justifie all courses that were used then for carrying on the work of Reformation neither are we much concerned so to do If some instruments thereof were guilty of sedition or sacriledge or self-seeking while the work of God was in hands what is that to us who own the result of the work as good great and glorious through the Lords marvelous operation If sinful courses were then used by men the mercy of God in the result of the work was to us the more marvelous and the fuller of glorious Grace that God did not for the disorders of instruments disappoint the work and leave us destitute of the Gospel-light We may say as the blind man in the Gospel who had his eyes opened said Whether he was a sinner that opened his eyes or not he knew not but this he knew that whereas he was blind now he did see Joh. 9.25 So whither they who were instrumental in our Reformation sinned in their way or not we are not much concerned to enquire But we know that through Gods good guiding a merciful work in the result was wrought to them and to us which work we own and cleave to and will through grace do so to the end it is an ordinary matter for the all-wise providence of God to bring forth out of mens dark and disorderly actings great works of light and order The Saviour of the world was crucified by wicked hands yet the result was the redemption of the world How many Ministers go to hell for their unsincere handling of Gods Word and miscarriages in their life yet God makes use of his own Ordinance in their hands to bring Souls to Heaven notwithstanding of their corrupt manner of dealing in his holy things A leprous hand may sow good seed but he were a fool of the first magnitude who would either make a panegyrick in praise of a leprous hand or perswade all that sow good seed to have such hands Heirs of glory may be gotten in bastardy or fornication and adultery and yet these are not good but evil Let God be glorified who in his wisdom brings order out of confusion and light out of darkness But let us not stand superstitiously upon the justifying of all their deeds that went before us nor indeavour to imitate and follow the same further then they are according to Gods mind Be ye not as your fathers is a good rule when fathers fall off and deviate from the rule of God's will we are not to live by examples but by precepts and if we will look to examples we want not these of the primitive Christians to set before us whose practices in bringing in Religion into the world wherein they never used any undutiful resistance to or violence upon Magistrates is more regardable by us then any precedents in these dregs of time and in the end of this corrupt world Some have said Religion would never have been reformed if violence had not been used upon Magistrates but why should men take on them to limite God Hath he not shewed his power in several parts of the world in working on the hearts of supreme Magistrates and causing them to go before others in reformation of abuses and could he not so do also elsewhere without the aid of popular tumults which are but evil examples to the posterity But men are too apt to be bold in ante-verting Gods way and to follow their own carnal prudence and affections in that which they are set upon and thereupon when they prosper to fancy a divine approbation of their way so self-loving are men ordinarily But let it be so that much of the way of these who were at first instrumental in the Reformation in this Land were justifiable upon the account of purging the Church from the horrid grossness of idolatry corruption of doctrine tyranny and usurpation over poor Souls wherewith the man of sin had for many ages defiled and burthened the poor Church and upon the account of the open hostility to the Truth wherein Magistrates then stood together with the inbringing of forraign furious forces upon us even to the heart of our Land How unlike was the case then to what it is now And how unable is the case now to bear the burthen of a conclusion for such practices as then were used Seing we can avow it in the presence of God that we contend for that same Faith and Religion that our Predecessors stood for against the powers of that time and will maintain the same against all Novators who upon account of a piece of Church-order allowed by our Reformers now re-established instigate any private persons who have power enough to destroy all Magistracy and Order in the Land because of the owning thereof and to occupy their rooms as N. clearly doth And then forsooth this man and his complies shall be in their places and callings according to the Covenant as he expones it when they get in to the Chair of Government and all our Nobles and Magistrates driven into corners or made to lacky these purely mortified States-men In the Pictland-hill business an Essay for this was made but the party magnis excidit ausis They had thoughts to repair their losses and to make themselves rich by a pure Reformation getting all the interests of the Kingdom at one clap into their hands though perhaps they would have forced us to believe that all their external gains had been but accidental consequences of their heavenly designs But God rolled out of the way such a stumbling and snare to many which might have arisen from their success it was infoelix scelus and so escaped the reputation of a Vertue and of an heroical Exploit FINIS Dr. Whitgift and Mr. Hookers Lex Rex p. 344. Apol. p. 162. Lex Rex p. 322. Naph pag. 17 18 19. Napht. p. 19.