Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	good_a	king_n	subject_n	3,003	5	6.4581	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69753	The generall demands, of the reverend doctors of divinitie, and ministers of the Gospell in Aberdene, concerning the late covenant, in Scotland together, with the answeres, replyes, and duplyes that followed thereupon, in the year, 1638 : reprinted in one book, by order of Parliament.	Forbes, John, 1593-1648.; Henderson, Alexander, 1583?-1646.	1663 (1663)	Wing C4226; Wing C4225; ESTC R6298	125,063	170

they be not used as slaves but like subjects like men not like beasts that they may be convented by Lawes before judges not murdered in corners by Inqusitors This is also the judgement of Rivetus in his Commentarie Psal. 68. which being looked upon by you will furnish a full answere to what ye have cited at length from his Iesuita Vapulans For betwixt Jesuiticall treasonable and pernitious doctrine and practises against Princes and Magistrats refuted by him and the loyall and sound doctrine of Protestants your selves know the difference and opposition like as it is cleare as the Sunne by that short Confession by the Application thereof to the times in this present Confession by our publicke Protestation and by the Declaration exhibited to his Majesties Commissioner that we meane not only mutuall concurrence and asistance in the cause of Religion but also to the uttermost of our power to defend the KINGS Majestie his Person and Authority We would be glade that ye and others were witnesses to our private Prayers and the most secret of our thoughts and affections concerning our loyaltie to our dread Soveraigne so should ye either cease to write in this sort against us or be forced to write against your own Consciences 3. When we justifie our Conventions and Covenants from their purposed ends we meane not only the last and most remote ends but the nearest and immediate and if nothing in these can merite just censure the Conventions and Covenants no more in that which ye call the Object nor in their ends can be culpable what Aspersions have been put upon our Reformation and Reformers by the malice of our Adversaries can not be unknown to you But we wish that your engynes and penns may be better imployed then to joine with them in so bad a cause which we expect also from your prudence considering the people and place where ye live To the Third YEE doe well and wisely that ye search not curiously into the myndes of Princes and Reasons of State but whether all his Majesties subjects be satisfied with the last Proclamation needeth no deep search For although possiblie some had been more pleased with a Proclamation commanding the Service Booke such especially who neither will see no errours in it or have publickly professed that they have been groaning for it yet the Protestation of the Supplicants against it as it giveth most humble and hearty thanks to His gracious Majestie for what is granted so it testifieth upon undenyable evidences that the Proclamation is not a satisfaction of our just desires for first the Proclamation supposeth the Service Booke to be no Innovation of Religion 2. That it is not contrary to the Protestant Religion 3. That the Proclamation giveth not order for discharging all the Acts made in favours of the Service Booke especially that of the 19 of February which giveth unto it so high Approbation as serving for mantaining the true Religion and to beat out all Superstition and no wayes to be contrary to the Lawes of this Kingdom but to be compyled and approved for the universall use and edification of all His Majesties Subjects 4. It is so farre from disallowing the said Booke that it putteth us in feare that it shall be prest in a faire and legal way and therefore notwithstanding the Proclamation the necessity of Covenanting which containeth nothing contrary to the Acts of Parliament nor to the duety of good Subjects but is the largest Testimony of our Fidelity to GOD and loyaltie to our KING whatsoever it may seem to you to import doeth yet continue that His Majestie may be pleased to grant the full satisfaction of our reasonable Petitions and that our Religion and Liberties may be preserved for afterwards Whosoever professe themselves to be perfectly satisfied with the Proclamation doe proclaim in the ears of all the Kingdom that they are better pleased with the Service Booke and Canons then with the Religion as it hath beene professed in this Land since the Reformation To the Fourth VVEE were assured that your Demand proceeded from a Mistaking and therefore according to our knowledge did ingenuously for your satisfaction expound unto you the minde of the Subscrivers but finde now that we have laboured in vain at your hands from which we have received this Reply unto which concerning the first Miss-interpretation we answere 1. That although we doe neither use threatnings nor obtrude our Interpretation upon you as bearing any obligatory Power yet pardon us that we march you not and put you not in the Ballance with the greatest part of the Kingdom both Ministers and others in whose name we recommend this Interpretation unto you by all faire Means and force of Reason and in so doing wee are so farre from the breach of our Solemne Vow and Promise that we esteeme this to be no small proofe of that godlinesse and righteousnesse wherein we are bound by our Covenant to walke 2. The autori●ative judgement of our Reformers and Predicessors is evidenced not onely by the Confession of Faith ratified in Parliament but also by the Books of Discipline Acts of Generall Assemblies and their own Writs wherein if ye will ye may find warr●nd for this Interpretation and in respect whereof it is publick ratione medii besides those midses of Scripture of Antiquity and of the Consent of the Reformed Kirks which are named for midses by you Concerning the 2 Missconstruction it is no marvell that Prejudices and Preconceived Opinions possessing the minde make men to fall upon Interpretations of their own but in the South parts of the Kingdom where many learned and judicious men both Pastors and Professors were assembled at the first subscriving thereof we remember of none that did fall into that Misstake And the two sorts of Novations such as are already introduced and such as are supplicated against are so punctually distinguished that there is no place left to Ambiguitie but on the contrary the Novations which we promise to forbeare for a time onely cannot be supposed in the following words to be abjured for ever as Popish Novations 2. Upon a new examination of the words ye perceive that the Articles of Pearth and Episcopacy are condemned as erronious Corruptions because we promise to labour to recover the former purity libertie of the Gospell unto which our Answere is that it appeareth that you will have all the Covenanters against their intention and whether they will or not to disallow and condemn the Articles of Pearth and Episcopall Government lest they be tryed in a Generall Assembly but it is knowne to many hundreds that the words were purposelie conceived for satisfaction of such as were of your judgement that we might all joine in one heart and Covenant for establishing Religion and opposing Erroures And for your Argument whether the Articles of Pearth and Episcopacy be against the purity and liberty of the Gospel or not which is not determined by these words of the Covenant but

it according to your own grounds none of you will say that ye have sworne the perpetuall approbation and practise of these things which ye esteeme to be indifferent whatsoever bad consequent of Popery and Idolatrie Superstition or Scandall should follow thereupon we speake here only of things indifferent in your own judgement for ye have declared before that ye thinke the Ministration of the Sacraments in private places no more indifferent therefore can not forbeare the practise of these although your Ordinary and other lawfull Superiours should will you to doe so wherein Pearth Assembly for which you stand is wronged by you two wayes 1. That ye differ in judgement from them about the indifferencie of the five Articles and next that at the will of your Ordinary and we know not what other lawfull Superiours ye are ready to forbeare the practise of these things which the Assembly hath appointed to be observed What Oaths ye have given at your admission we know not because there is no Ordinance made Civill or Ecclesiastick appointing any such Oath and because the Prelats who arrogated that power presented to the intrants diverse models of Articles to be subscrived dealing with some more hardlie and with others more favourably according to their own diverse motivs considerations For some immediatly after Pearth Assembly without any warrand from the Kirke or Parliament were made to sweare at their Admission that they should both in private and publick maintaine Episcopall Jurisdiction and in their private and publicke Prayers commend the Prelates to GODS mercifull Protection that they should subject themselves to the Orders that presently were in the Kirke or by the consent of the said Kirke should be lawfully established The word lawfully was not in the Principall first subscrived as we have learned and if it had been exprest it is all one for the Superiours were judges to this lawfulnesse and unlawfulnesse We will not labour to reconcile every Oath given by Ministers at their entry with the present Covenant but wish and exhort rather that they may be recalled and repented of as thinges for which they can not answere before a generall Assembly To the Fourteenth IF the words of the Covenant be plaine concerning the meere forbearance and speake nothing of the unlawfulnesse no mans thoughts can make a change 2. By this Reply ye wrong your selves in forging from the words of the Covenant impediments and drawing stumbling blockes in your own way to hinder your subscription ye wrong the subscryvers in changing the state of the question and in making a divorce betwixt Religion and the KINGS Authority which the Covenant joineth together hand in hand and most of all ye wrong the KINGS Majesty in bringing him upon the stage before his Subjects in whose mindes ye would beget and breed suspicions of opposing the trueth of making innovation of Religion and of dealing with his Subjects contrary to his Lawes and Proclamations and contrary to the Oath at his Coronation We are not here seeking inscitiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or starting hole of ignorance or of the smallest disloyalty of affection but would willingly decline that for the present which neither his Majesties wisdome nor the prudence of Statsmen nor the modesty of good subjects will allow you or us to dispute The Crowns and Scepters of Kings would be more tenderly touched then the ordinary subjects of Schoole disputes The naked naming and bare proposall of certaine suppositions such as some are made by you can not but reflex upon Authority and sound harsh in the eares of all his Majesties good subjects who wish that he may long and prosperously reigne over us 3. His Majesties most honourable privy Counsell hath proven more favourable to this cause of maintaining the reformed Religion then many Pastors whom by reason of their place and Calling it beseemed to goe before others and although according to their wonted custome they gave warrand to make his Majesties Proclamation yet on good groundes remonstrated unto them by the Supplicants they willingly refused their approbation thereof hoping that his Majesty should be moved to give greater satisfaction thereafter and this is not our saying but a publicke doing before many honorable witnesses of which number some were directed unto you whose report ye have no reason to call in question 4. It becometh us to judge charitably of the intentions of our Superiours and most of all of the intentions of our dread Soveraigne Yet if that hold good which the supplicants have offred to prove that the Service Booke and Canons containe a reall innovation of Religion we must judge otherwise de conditione operis of the matters contained in the Booke then de intentione operantis of his Majesties intention although the intention of the Prelates their Associates the Authors contrivers of the Bookes be most justly suspected by us 5. It is no delight to us and can be but small comfort to you to mention the wrongs which by you are done to us all who have joined in this Covenant and doe adhere to the Religion as it was reformed in this land in your estimation writings we are Rebellious perjured hereticks schismaticks blind guydes seducers miserable interpreters ignorants shal such men as these be your reverēd Brethren Is this your meeknesse and charity Is this the duety ye expect from us But setting these aside ye have wronged us in with-holding your hand and help from so good a Cause of purging Religion and reforming the Kirke from so many grosse abuses and opposing all those who have modestly laboured for Reformation Your speaches in private in your chambers beds of sicknesse and in your missives and in publicke at tables and in Synods which are come to our knowledge we wish rather should be remembred and repented of by your selves then be recited by us who desire not to worke you any trouble 6. Although there be a perpetuall harmony betwixt the Word and Works of GOD far contrary to that which we finde to be amongst the Children of men yet often it commeth to passe that the Word and Warnings of GOD which we heare with our ears are not believed till we behold with our eyes the plaine Cōmentaries thereof in His Works Many Proofs and notable Documents have been observed of the Finger of GOD in the Worke in hand the Characters of the great Works of GODS more then ordinary Providence since the beginning are legible here Then did the LORD begin this work when the Adversary was raised to a great hight and become intollerably insolent The beginnings were small and in the eyes of the World contemptible such as use to be the beginnings not of the works of men but of the Magnificke works of GOD the power of GOD sensible in the hearts of many and manifested by the joy the tears and cries of many thousands at the solemne renewing of this Covenant hath been a matter of admiration and amazement never to be

defence thereof and every one of us of another in that cause of maintaining Religion and the KINGS foresaid Authority and to appoynt and hold meetings to that end like as our Proceedings have beene in themselves most necessary and orderly means agreable to the lawes and practise of this Kirke and Kingdom to be comended as reall duties of faithfull Christians loyall subjects and sensible members of the body of the Kirke and Kingdome and tende to no other end but to the preservation of Religion and maintainance of the KINGS Authority To your interrogatoures which ye seeme to propone rather to be snares to us then for satisfaction to your selves we answere once for all in generall that if this were the opportunitie of that disputation we shall be found to deny nothing unto Authority of that which the word of GOD the law of Nature and Nations the Acts of Parliament these Royalists sound Divines and loyall Subjects give unto Kings and Princes GODS Vice-Gerents on Earth and that not from respect to our selves but to the Ordinance of GOD by whom Kings reigne But seeing so oft and so instantly you presse us in this point ye force us mutually to propone to you such Questions as it may be ye will have no great delight to answere 1. We desire to understand of you whether ye allow or disallow the Service Booke and booke of Canons if ye disallow them as an innovation of Religion why have ye not either joined in supplication with the rest of the Kingdome or made a supplication of your own against them or some other way testified your Dislike Next whether it be pertinent for men of your place and Qualitie to move Questions of State touching the Power of Princes and Liberties of Subjects after His Majesties Commissioner and wise States-men have received Satisfaction of the Subjects for suppressing such motions as yours 3. Whether doe the Subscrivers more tender His Majesties honour by supposing his constancy in profession of Religion and equitable Disposition in ministration of Justice or ye who suppose he shall fall upon his Religious and Loyall Subjects with force of Armes contrary to both 4. Whether the joyning of the whole Kingdom in the Subscription of the Covenant or the entertaining of Division by your writing preaching and threatning of your People otherwise willing to joine be a more readie meane to settle the present Commotions of the Kirke and Kingdom 5. If the Prelates and their Followers labouring to introduce Popery in the Land make a Faction by themselves or as the Guisians in France did abuse His Majesties name in execution of the bloody Decrees of Trent which GOD forbid we aske Whether in such a Case the lawfull defence of the body of the Kingdom against such a Faction be a resisting of the Magistrate and a taking Armes against the KING If ye affirme it to be is not this to take part with a Faction seeking their own ends against the common-wealth of the Kirke and Kingdom and honour of the KING If ye say not Why then sinde ye fault with our Protestation of defending the Religion Liberties and Lawes of the Kingdom of the Kings Authority in defence thereof and every one of us of another and in that cause as if it were an unlawfull Combination against Authority 6. Whether doe ye think Christian Magistrats to be of so absolute unbounded power notwithstanding of any promise or paction made with the Subjects at their Coronation or of any Law made for establishing their Religion and Liberties that there is nothing left but suffering of Mar●yrdome in the case of publick Invasion of their Religion and Liberties If ye thinke that any defence is lawfull why misconstrue yee the Subscrivers of the Covenant If not how can ye be free of Flattery and of stirring up Princes against their loyall Subjects for such ends as your selves know best We verily believe that ye shall report small thanks either of so good and just a KING or of so duetifull Subjects for entering within these Lists It is enough that such Questions be agitated in the Schooles and that with as great prudency and as circumspectly as may be To the Tenth FIrst ye take us in our fourth Replye to be the penners of the Covenant and yet will rather wrest the words of it to your owne meaning then receive the Interpretation thereof from us for wee prejudge not your liberty of conception of that short Confession but permit it to your selves whatsoever may be the private meaning of some who have sub●crived yet there is nothing in the late Interpretation that c●ndemneth the Articles of Pearth and Episcopacy as Popish Novations Ye may voice and reason in an Assemblie as freely concerning them and give your judgement of them without prejudice notwithstanding of your Oath according to your own grounds as you would have done at the Assembly of Pearth 2. We hop● ye be not so ignorant of the estate of the Kirke neither will we judge so uncharitably as to thinke you so corrupt that in your opinion there is nothing hath entred in the Kirke since that time designed by you beside Episcopacy and the Articles of Pearth which can be thought prejudiciall to the Liberty and Purity of the Gospell To the Eleventh FIrst ye finde fault with us that we have not upon this occasion given you that testimony which we owe to you of your sincerity in professing the trueth and therefore to supplie our defects have taken an ample Testimony to your selves of paines in disputing in wrytting and preaching against Popery in processing of Papists and in doing all thinges which can be expected from the most zealous of frequent prayer to GOD of humbling your selves before him of your holinesse of Life and Conversation c. which have made us who were desirous to heare that Testimony rather at the mouths of others that we might be no more challenged as deficient in that kinde but give unto you your deserved praise to inquire in matters whereupon if we would believe the report of others wee heare that for all your pains Papists and Persons Popishly affected are multiplied and Papistry increased in your towne more then in any other town of the Kingdom no lesse under your Ministrie then any time before since the Reformation that there be in private houses Messes Crucisixes and other monuments of Idolatry that ye have not many converts from Popery that Jesuits and Priests are countenanced there that your People at home and your Magistrats abroad complain that ye are but too sparing of your pains in preaching and often fill your places with Novices but this we are sparing to believe and wish that the not imploying of your Tongues and Pennes in the defence of the Service Booke and Canons which are so pestred with Popery if the seeds of Romish Heresie Superstition Idolatry and Papall tiranny come under that censure and your willingnesse to joyne with the Kirke and Kingdom

ye throw against us with plain profession to work us discontentment thereby we shal here make an answere to them in meekness and evident demonstration of our peaceable disposition Questions Answered 7. YOur first Question concerning the Service-Book and book of Canons is nowise pertinently proponed to us If we did urge upon you the said books of Service and Canons as ye doe now the Covenant upon us we should particularly and punctualy declare our mind concerning them 8. To your second Question we answere that it is our duety to enquire carefully what is incumbent upon us by the Law of GOD and man towards our Prince We doe not move questions of state but doe answere to your propositions resulting upon matters of state and we doe labour as it well becommeth all good Subjects to be well informed before we put our hand to any thing which concerneth our due obedience to our Prince As for that which here again ye alleadge of his Majesties Commissioner and wise States-men as having received satisfaction from you we referre you as before to our Answere made thereto in our first Duply 9. To your third Question we answer our assertion concerning the unlawfulnesse of Subjects their resisting the Authority of free Monarchs by force of Arms even although they were enemies to the Trueth and persecuters of the professors thereof can not in the judgement of any reasonable man import that we have the least suspition of our KING that either he shall change his Religion or shall fall upon his religious and loyall Subjects with force of Armes We have often declared in these our Disputs that we are fully perswaded of our KINGS Majesties constancy in profession of the true Religion and equitable disposition in ministration of Justice And in testification hereof we rest satisfied with his Majesties Proclamation against which ye have protested 10. To your fourth Question we answere because that we doe esteem subscription to your Covenant neither to be warrantable by GODS word nor to be a convenient mean for pacification we hold it our duety both to with-hold our hands from it and to dehort our people from it 11. To your fift Question we answere 1. We hold it a wrong ●upposition which ye make that the Prelates and their followers are labouring to introduce Popery and to make a faction 2. We know our gracious KING to be so just and so wise and so ripe in yeares and experience that he will no● suffer any of his Subjects to abuse his Majesties name in the execution of any injustice 3. To make resistance by force of Arms against the KINGS publick standing Lawes and against his Majesties publick Proclamations is not in our judgement a convenient or lawfull way for defending of the Religion of the Liberties and Lawes of the Kingdom and of the KINGS Authority but on the contrary it bringeth scandall upon our profession See our Reasons in our second Duply 12. To your sixt Question we answer that in all free Monarchies there is nothing left to subjects in the case of persecution by their own Soveraigne Princes but patient suffering with Prayers and Tears to GOD or fleeing from their wrath as we have at length proved in our second Duply This doctrine did the people of Alexandria learne of their holy Bishop Athanasius as is evident by their own words in their Protestation subjoined to the Epistle of Athanasius ad vitam solitariam agentes If say they it be the commandement of the Emperour that we be persecuted we are all ready to suffer Martyrdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tom. 1. Oper. Athanas. Pag. 868. Edit Paris 1627. As for the nature of the Government of this Kingdom of Scotland read the Book of King JAMES the sixt of blessed memory entituled The true Law of free Monarchies and the Preface of the first Book of Regiam Majestatem where it is expresly said of the KING of Scotland that He hath no Superiour but the Creator of Heaven and Earth Ruler of all things This our Answere neither proceedeth from flattery neither from any intention to stirre up Princes against their loyall Subjects nor from any aime at other worldly ends as ye doe uncharitably judge but from our due fidelity to our KING from our true love to our Countrey and from our upright desire to the Glory of GOD and the comfort of our own Souls in the Day of our Accounts The X. DUPLY. ALthough we take you to be of the number of those who penned the late Covenant yet pardon us to call your Glosses of it in question so long as ye doe not satisfie our Arguments which prove them to be contrary to the very words of your Covenant We have shown in our Replyes and now again in our fourth Duply that the words of the Covenant import a perpetual adherance to the who●e externall Policy of the Church as it was Anno 1581 and the removing of Pearth Articles and Episcopacy as of things contrary to the Liberty and Purity of the Gospell Whence we still inferre that these who have sworn the Covenant are tyed by their Oath to vote against Pearth Articles and Episcopacy and consequently can not without prejudice either dispute or give out a decisive sentence concerning them in the intended Assembly 2. Ye say ye will not judge so uncharitable of us as to think us so corrupt that in our opinion since the time designed by us nothing hath entered into the Church beside Episcopacy and the Articles of Pearth which can be prejudiciall to the liberty and purity of the Gospell We are glad that although ye judge uncharitably of us yet ye judge not so uncharitably and although ye think us corrupt yet ye think us not so corrupt as not to be sensible of these things We told you our minde before in our fourth Duply concerning these abuses which ye think to have been occasioned by Pearth Articles and now we tell you that if Pearth Articles and Episcopacy for these their alleadged consequents be altogether removed the benefite which ye think our Church may receive by removing of them shall not in any measure equall her great losses The XI DUPLY. VVEe complained in our Demand of the uncharitablenesse of your Followers who calumniate us as if we were favourers of Popery And to show how unjust this calumnie is we declared that we are ready to swear and subscrive our nationall Confession of Faith ratified and registrated in Parliament to which Declaration we have now added our Oath which we did swear when we received the degree of Doctorate in Theologie and have solemnly again renewed it Pag. 81. 82. In your Answer to that Demand ye slighted our complaint and did not so much as once mention it which made us in our Reply to complain also of you who have shown your selves so unwilling to give us that testimony of our sincerity in professing the Trueth which all who know us think to be due to us We expected that in

the 12 Tables these words are applied to this purpose This is observed by KING Iames of blessed memory in his often mentioned Book of the true Law of free Monarchies For albeit sayeth he that I have at length proved that the KING is above the Law as both the author and giver of strength thereto yet a good King will not onely delyte to rule his Subjects by the Law but even will conforme himself in his own actions thereunto alwayes keeping that ground that the health of the cōmon-Wealth be his chiefe Law And where he seeth the Law doubtsome or rigorous he may interpret or mitigate the same lest otherwise summum jus be summa injuria But this sentence doth nowayes warrand Subjects to refuse obedience to standing Lawes against the will of the Supream Law-giver who is a speaking Law For this were to open a doore to all confusion which would not prove the safety but the ruine of the Common-Wealth As for that which ye said before of the Generall Band and Confession of Faith and which here again ye doe alleadge for your Covenant we have signified our opinion thereof in our preceeding Duply The responses and verdicts of Juris-Consults concerning your Covenant are not known to ●s nor yet the reasons and inducements which moved them to give out their declaration in your favoures as ye alleadge Of Obedience due by Subjects to Authoritie 5. The point touching Royall Authority is not so full of thorns and rocks as ye give out if men would be pleased unpartially to hold the plain and patent way laide before us by holy Scripture and by Orthodox Antiquity and by many Eminent Divines in the reformed Church and learned Politicks which we shall here make manifest after the vindication of those three famous Theologues Whitaker Bilson and Rivet whom ye would have the Reader to esteem favourers of your opinion 6. Doctor Whitakers words against William Raynold translated into English out of the Latine Edition at Oppenheme Anno 1612. Pag. 51. are these He relateth the timults and troubles which were raised for Religion in Germany France and Boheme as if that one thing were sufficient to condemne them because once they did oppose themselves and resisted the violence offered to GODS Trueth and to themselves Whereas notwithstanding Fayth Oath and publicke Edicts finally the Lawes themselves gave them warrand to doe the same I will not say more of this matter which is nowise pertinent to the present purpose especially seeing not onely their just Apologie but also the Edicts of the Princes themselves have liberated them from the crime of Rebellion By these words of Doctor Whitaker which ye have cited the Reader may easily perceive that he doth nowayes mantain or allowe taking of Armes by Subjects without warrand of the publick Lawes and approbation of the Prince but excuseth what was done in those warres by the allowance of the Lawes and Edicts of Princes 7. So also Doctor Bilson in his Book entituled The true differēce betwixt Christian subjection and unchristian Rebellion Printed at Oxford Anno 1585 Pag. 382. in the wordes cited by you declareth evidently that he speaketh of such Republickes and States as have defences warranded by fundamentall Covenant in that Government But what is that Doctors minde concerning the duetie of Subjects in a free and absolute Monarchy is evident by his own words in that same book Pag. 380 where disputing against a Jesuit he sayeth Warre for the Catholick Religion is both lawfull and honourable you say you must adde of the Subjects against their Prince or else you range cleane besides our question We strive not what causes may lead Christian Princes to make Warre on their Neighboures but whether it be lawfull or tollorable for the Subject to beare Armes against his naturall and absolute Prince You prove which is nothing to our purpose But Sir in this enterprize the person must b● respected as well as the cause Be the cause never so just if the person be not authorized by GOD to draw the Sword they be no just nor lawfull Warres Private men may not venter on Warres unlesse they be directly warranded by him that hath the Sword from GOD. And again in that same Book Pag. 502 Our Saviour for teaching his that they should be brought before Kings and Rulers and put to death and hated of all men for His Name sake addeth not as you would have it and he that first rebelleth but he that endureth to the end shall be saved and again Not with violence restrain them but in patience prossesse your own souls This is the way for all Christian subjects to conquer tyrants this is the remedy provided in the new Testamēt against all persecutions not to ●esist powers which GOD hath ordained lest we be damned but with al meeknes to suffer that we may be crowned And Pag. 513. he showe●h that manifold formes of Common-wealthes make diverse men speake diversly of the Magistrats sword And Pag. 518 he pleadeth that the Subjects in England have not that lawfull warrand to draw the sword without consent of their Prince as the Germans have without consent of the Emperour and this discourse he prosecuteth in ●ome following pages 8. The same is the meaning of Doctor R●vet as we take it in his commentarie upon the Psalm 68. where he distinguisheth between an absolute principality and such a principality as is only conditionall pactionall conventionall Of this second sort are to be understood his words of just and necessary defence But of the absolute principality speaking in that same place he recommendeth to Subjects rather suffering of martyrdome And this to be his meaning appeareth more clearly by his last declaration concerning this question in his late treatise entituled Iesuita Vapula●s where being pressed by an advesary he handleth this question of purpose In the mean time we wonder very much that ye have not directly answered to these remarkable wordes of Doctor Rivet alleadged by us in our Reply wherein he plainly averreth that the doctrine of Bu●han●●● Knox and Goodman concerning Subjects resisting their lawfull Princes is not approved by any sound Protestant We expected from you a full and particular Answere and now againe we would gladly heare whether ye approve the judgement of Rivet concerning that doctrine of these writers or not 9. Thus having vindicated these three divynes which ye alleadge for you we come now to those testimonies which we promised for clearing of the plainness of the way touching Authority First it is evident by holy Scripture that it is unlawfull for Subjects in a Monarchicall estate such as is this Kingdom of Scotland to take Armes for Religion or for any other pretence without warrand and power from the Prince and Supreame Migistrate For the Scripture teacheth us that the Sword belongeth onely to the KING and to them who are sent by him Rom. 13. 1. Pet. 2. 13. 14. That we ought to keep the KINGS commandement and that

give place sometimes to other more weighty and more pressing dueties as the saving of a stranger may be omitted for saving my father or my brother or my son out of the same danger when I am able onely to save one of them And many such like examples doe occurre yet it is never lawfull to condemn or oppugn such Dueties as evill or superstitious or scandalous in themselves neither to rank them amongst things in themselves indifferent 16. Hence we doe inferre that notwithstanding of the necessity of those of the Pearth Articles which we call necessary yet sometims the practising of them may become not necessary and the omission thereof not sinfull publick authority necessity of the peace of the church so requiring Some time indeed the omission of a thing prescrived by an affirmative Divine or Humane Law may befaultlesse But it is never lawfull for Subjects to transgresse the negative part of the divine Precept by resisting with force of Arms that power whereunto GOD hath subjected them and to which he hath forbidden them to make such resistance Neither is it at any time lawfull for Pastors and Teachers to teach erronious Doctrine 17. Ye doe attribute to us as a great absurdity that at the will of our ordinary and other lawfull Superiours we are ready to forbear the practise of these things which the Assembly hath appointed to be observed And this ye inferre from the necessity of administration of the Sacraments sometimes in private places according to our judgment Certainlie ye will have much adoe to make good by right Logick this your inference from such an Antecedant But to speak of the matter of the Consequent for satisfaction to the Reader we find no such absurdity in it as ye seem to proclaim For if some Dueties appointed by divyne Law give place sometimes to other weighty dueties such as is the keeping of publick peace and good order as we have already shown much more may a thing notwithstanding of any humane Law appointing it to be observed befor these respects omitted at the will direction of those superiours to whom we ow our obedience required by that humane law who have power to dispence with our practise in that part The XIV DUPLY. IF the words of the Covenant be plaine say ye concerning the meer forbearance and speak nothing of the unlawfullness no mans thoughts can make a change But we have given our reasons which justly move us to require greater plainness neither have we as yet received satisfaction concerning those reasons 2. In our 14 Reply we said that your Band of mutuall defence against all persons whatsoever may draw subjects perhaps to take Aimes against their King which God avert cōsequently from that loyaltie of obedience which they ow to their Soveraign ours except ye declare and explaine your selves better then ye have hitherto done To this ye answer that by this Reply we doe a threefold wrong one to our selves another to the subscrivers the third to the Kings Majesty But ye have not directly answered to the point proponed by us 3. The wrong which ye say we do to our selvs is in forging from the words of the Covenāt impedimēts drawing stumbling blocks in our own way to hinder our subscriptiō This your wrongous asseveratiō we justly deny protesting as we have often done that we do walk sincerly in this matter according to our light not forging to our selvs impedimēts nor drawing stumbling blocks in our own way but clearly showing the impediments and stumbling blocks which the contryvers of the Covenant have laide in our way by their very incommodious expression irreconciliable in our judgement with your exposition 4. Ye say we wrong the subscrivers in changing the state of the Question and in making a divorce betwixt Religion and the KINGS Authority which the Covenant joineth together hand in hand We doe nowise wrong the subscrivers when we propone uprightly our just scruples as we in our consciences doe conceive them whereby we are moved to with hold our hands from that Covenant whereof one is the fear of unlawfull resistance to Authority if we should hold to that Covenant howsoever ye will not suffer to hear patiently this objection because in your Covenant ye doe professe the conjunction of Religion and the KINGS Authority which profession of yours doeth not sufficiently serve for a full answer to our objection against those other words of that same Covenant whereupon our scruple did arise To clear this we wish you to answere directly to this our present Demand whether or no in case of disagreement which Godavert think ye that the Covenanters as obliedged by vertue of their Covenāt to make open resistāce by force of Arms If ye think they are obliedged to make resistance then we desire your Answer to the Reasons and testimonies broght in our 2. Duply proving the unlawfulnes of such resistāce But if ye think that they be not oblidged thē declare it plainly 5. But most of all ye say we wrong the Kings Majesty in bringing him upon the stage before his subjects in whose minds we wold as ye do 〈…〉 alleadge beget and breed suspitions of opposing the true 〈…〉 aking innovation in Religion and of dealing with the s 〈…〉 contrary to his Lawes and Proclamations and contrary to the Oath at his Coronation We answer ●e have not brought but have found his Majesty upon this unpleasant stage opposing himself openly to your Covenant with solemn protestations against all suspitions of opposing the trueth or making innovation of religiō or dealing with the subjects contrary to his lawes proclamatiōs or contrary to the oath at his co●●natiō this his Majesties declaratiō against which ye have protested we have willingly received do truely believe it 6. What the most honourable Lords of his Majesties privy Counsell have done cōcerning his Majesties last proclamation upō what motives their Hs. themselves do know his Majesties high Cōmissioner hath publickly declared in his printed Manifesto contrary to some of your asseveratiōs cōcerning the proceeding of that honorable boord 7. Ye profess here that it becōmeth you to judge charitably of his Majesties intentions altho ye disallow the Service Book and Canons as containing a reall innovation of Religion and doe affirme that the intention of the Prelats their associats the Authors and contrivers of the books is most justly suspected by you We have told you already that concerning the matters contained in those books it is not now time to disput the books themselvs being discharged by his Majesties proclamation and a royall promise made that his Majesty will neither now nor herafter press the practise of the forsaid Canōs Service book nor any thing of that nature but in such a fair legall way as shall satisfie all his Majesties loving subjects that his Majesty neither intendeth innovation in Religion or Lawes As for the intentions of his sacred

Majesty we do heartily thankfully acknowledge them to be truely conforme to his Majesties gracious declaration in that his last Proclamation And indeed it becommeth both you and us to think s● of them Neither do we take upon us to harbour in our breasts any uncharitable suspition concerning the intētions of those others of whom ye speak seeing they stand or fall to their own Master and the thoughts of their hearts are unknown both to you and us and in a matter uncertaine it is surest to judge charitably Yea we have ma●●y pregna●● Arguments to perswade us that those reverend Prelates and their Associates had no such intention as ye judge 8. Ye make mention of three wrongs done by us to you the one in the Warning whereof ye have an answer already given in our 12. Duply where ye did use great exaggerations then either the intentiō of the warner did merit ●● became your chartiy and profession And by your repetition of it in th●● place ye show that ye have too great delight to dwell upon such expostulations wheras theologicall reasons of the matter in controversie would better become you in such a Disput. The second wrong is that as ye alleadge we have wronged you in with-holding our hand and help from so good a cause of purging Religion reforming the Kirk from so many gross abuses and opposing all those who have modestly laboured for Reformation But certainly the wrong is done to us by you in that ye do without warra●● of Authority obtrude upon us and those cōmitted to our charges the swearing of an Oath which is against our own consciences and because of our just refusall opposition ye do wrong us also in misinterpreting our pious and upright meanings and in making and stirring up collaterall and personall quarells against us and threatning us therwith Thus if GOD by his special grace did not uphold us might we be driven by worldly terrours to do against the light of our own consciences 9. The third wrong wherwith ye charge us and for the which ye do infinuate that we may fear trouble is as ye alleadge in our speaches in publick and private and in our missives c. Hereunto we answer ●● in our former Replyes that whensoever it shall please you to specifie these speaches we hope to give you and all peaceably disposed christians full satisfaction and to clear our selves of that imputation so that none shall have just reason to work us any trouble In the mean time if our ing●nuity would permit us as it dothnot to think it a decent course to make use of hearkeners and catchers of words and to wait for the haulting of our Brethren some of your own speaches might be represented unto you wherein ye would finde weaknesse 10. As for these owtward or externall Arguments which ye bring here to prove your Covenanting to be the work of God from the success of your enterprize from the multitude of subscrivers and from their contentment from their good carriage which we wold wish in many of them to be more charitable and peaceable and so more christian then it is we cannot acknowledge to be a Cōmentary written by the Lords own hand as ye pretend in approbation of your Covenant unless ye first clearly show us the text or substance of your Covenant to be written in the holy Scriptures in all points therof especially in those points wherin ye and we do controvert and which only at this time can be pretended against us seeing we make oppsition only in those points And we wish heartily that leaving these weak nots of Trueth to the Papists chief acclaimers of them amongst christians that we speak nothing of aliens from christianity ye would be pleased to adhere with us into the holy Scriptures as the only sure perfect rule of true Religion and the heavenly Lamp which God hath given us to show us the way of trueth peace wherin the GOD of Trueth and Peace direct all our steps for JESUS CHRIST our Saviour who is our Peace To him be Glory for ever Amen JOHN FORBES of Corse Doctor and Professor of Divinitie in ABERDENE ROBERT BARON Doctor and Professor of Divinitie and Minister in ABERDENE ALEXANDER SCROGIE Minister at old Aberdene D. D. WILLIAM LESLIE D. D. and Principall of the KINGS Colledge in ABERDENE JA SIBBALD D. of Divinitie and Minister at ABERDENE AL ROSSE D. of Divinitie and Minister at ABERDENE FINIS Lōd edit ann 1616 pag. 200. 201. XII Tabularum fragmenta de officio consulis Regio imperio duo sunto iique praeeundo indicando consulendo praetores judices cōsules appel lantor militiae summum jus habento ne mini paren to Salus populi suprema lex esto a Quid ergo turbamini volens nunquam vos deseram coactus repugnare nō novi Dolere potero potero slere potero gemere adversus arma milites Gothos quoque La●rhymae mea arma sunt Talia enim munimenta sunt sacerdotis Aliter nec debeo nec possum resistere b Non ego mi vallabo circumfusione populorum Rogamus Auguste non pugnamus Tradere Basilicam non possum sed repugnare non debeo Interest enim quibque causis quibusque authoribꝰ homines gerenda bella suscipiant ordo tamen ille naturalis mortalium pa●i accomodatus hoc poscit ut suscipiendi belli authoritas atqu● consilium penes Principem sit Aug. Lib. 22. contra Faustum Cap. 75. Hugo Grorius de jure belli pacis l●b 1 cap. 4. num 6. Averroe● 5. Metaphys comment 6. See Hugo Grotius de Iure belli pacis Pag. 66. where he citeth sundry anciēt Authors Rivet in his Iesuita vapulans Cap. 13. Ambrose in obitum Val●tiniani See Doctor Field in his 3. book of the Church Cap. 32. Altare Da mascen p. 828. and 853. Re-examination of the Assemblie of Pearth pag. 227. In regulis juris in sexto Reg. 42. Gregorie Nazianz. Orat. 40. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Upō these wordes Nicetas his Interpreter speaketh thus Baptismum suscipe quamd●u minime circum te pugnant is qui te baptismi aqua tingere parat qui poecuniarum tuarum haeres futurus est Ille videlicet studiose age●s atque contendens ut ea quae ad vitae exitum necessaria sunt suppeditet hoc est ut te salutari aqua tingat dominicum corpus impertiat hic contra ut testamento haeres scribatur Consilium Nicenum Can. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Balsamon his wordes are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Altare Da ma●cen p. 341. disp against the English Popish Ceremonies Part. 3. Cap. 1. See thē Dispute against the English Popish Ceremonies part 3. cap 7. sect 5. The late Confession of Helvetia cap. 27 Confession of Bohem. cap. 15. English Confession art 15. Cōfession of Auspurg art 15. art 7. Confession of Wirtemberg art 35. Confession of Sweveland cap. 14. Calvin Institut lib. 4. cap. 10. §.