force of Reason from the high respects which wee owe to Religion to our King to our Native Countrie to our selves and to the posteritie which hath beene to some a greater constraint than any externall violence and we wish may also prevaile with you To the second WEE perceive that you passe in silence that which wee answered concerning the preventing of trouble which by all appearance had beene too sensible to many before this time if the Conventions censured by you had not beene kept we desire that yee would heere declare your selves whether yee would have rather received the Service booke Booke of Canons and other Trash of that kynd tending to the subversion of Religion and to the prejudice of the Liberties of the Kingdomâ—… than to have conveened in a peaceable manner to present Supplications to his Majestie for averting of so great evilis Neither doe yee speake a word of the saying of K. Iames which ought to bee regarded both for the witnesse sake who is of so great authoritie and for the testimony which containeth so great reason For shall not the whole bodie of a Kingdom stirre pro aris 〈◊〉 or shall our Religion be ruined our light bee put out and all men hold their peace We told you also that the first part of the Act of Parliament 1585 is relative to another Act in Queene Maries time which specifieth what sort of Leagues and Bands are forbiddin and setteth us free from the breach of the Act but yee have answered nothing to this and still dispute from the Act of Parliament rather than from othergrounds better beseeming your 〈◊〉 and Ours and in this will so precilelit adhere to the Letter of the Law that you will have no Meetings withhout the Kings consent even in Case of the preservation of Religion of his Majesties Authoritie and of the Liberties of the Kingdome which wee are sure must bee contrarie to the reason and life of the Law since the safetie of the People is the soveraigne Law Although it bee true also that for our Covenant we have the consent of Authoritie pressing upon all the Subjects in the Generall Band and Confession of Faith formerly subscribed for maintenance of the Religion their Subscription and Oath as a note of their soundnesse in Religion and of their loyaltie and fidelitie to the King and his Crown wherin Iuris-Consults more skilled in this kynd than we need to be have given their Responses verdicts in favour of us and our Cause 2. The poynt touching Authoritie is so full of Thornes and Rockes useth to bee so vehemently urged to pro cure envye agaynst the Gospell of CHRIST and can so hardly bee disputed and discussed except in a large Treatise to the satisfaction of King's and Kingdomes and all having interest that for the present wee onelie wish you to heare the testimonies of two great Divines the one is Whitaker in his Answere to Master Reynolds preface pag. 6. Stirres and tumults for matters of Religion Reynold rehearseth that have beene in Germanie France Bohemia as though it were sufficient for their condemnation that they once resisted and did not by and by admitt what-so-ever violence was offered either to GOD'S Trueth or to them-selves contrarie to Promise to Oath to publick Edicts to Law whereby they were warranted to doe as they did more of this matter will I not answere beeing of another nature and cleared long since from the cryme of Rebellion not only by just just defence of their doing but also by the Pro clamations and Edicts of Princes themselves The other is Bilson in his Booke of Christian subjection in defence of the Protestants in other Countreyes against the objection of the Iesuit pag. 332 affirming that subjects maye defend their Antient and Christian Liberties covenanted and agreed upon by those Princes to whom they first submitted themselves and were ever since confirmed and allowed by the Kings that have succeeded they may require their owne right save their own lyves beseech that they bee not used as slaves but lyke Subjects lyke men not lyke beasts that they maye bee convented by Lawes before Iudges not murdered in Corners by Inquisitors This is also the judgment of Rivetus in his Commentarie PSAL. 68 Which beeing looked upon by you will furnish a full answere to what yee have cited at length from his Iesuita vapulans For betwixt Iesuiticall treasonabe pernitious doctrine and practises agaynst Princes and Magistrates refuted by him and the loyall and sound doctrine of Protestants your selves knowe the difference and opposition lyke as it is cleare as the Sunne by that short Confession by the Application there-of to the tymes in this present Confession by our publicke Protestation and by the Declaration exhibited to his Majesties Commissioner that wee meane not onely mutuall concurrence and assistance in the cause of Religion but also to the uttermost of our power to defend the King's Majestie his Person and Authoritie Wee would bee glad that yee and others were witnesses to our private prayers nd the most secret of our thoughts and affections concerning our loyaltie to our dread Soveraigne so should yee either cease to write in this against us or bee forced to write against your own Consciences 5 When wee 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 yee call the Object nor in their ends can bee culpable what Aspersions have beene put upon our Reformation and Reformers by the malice of our Adversaries can not bee unknowne to you But wee wish that your ingynes and pennes maye bee better imployed than to joyne with them in so badde a Cause which we expect also from your prudence considering the people and place where yee live To the third Yâ—…E doe well and wisely that you search not curiouslie into the myndes of Princes and Reasons of State but whether all his Majesties Subjects bee satisfied with the last Proclamation needeth no deepe search For although possibly some had beene more pleased with a Proclamation commanding the Service Booke such especiallie who either will see no errours in it or have publicklie prosessed that they have beene groaning for it yet the Protestation of the Supplicants against it as it giveth most humble and heartie thankes to his gratious Majestie for what is granted so it restifieth upon undenyable evidences that the Proclamation is not a satisfaction of our just desiâ—…es for first the Proclamation supposeth the Service Booke to bee no Innovation of Religion 2. That it is not contrare to Pro testant-Religion 3. That the Proclamation giveth not orâ—…r for discharging all the Acts made in favours of the Service Booke especially that of the 19 of Februarie which giveth unto it so great Approbation as serving for maintaining the true Religion and to beate
out all Superstition and no wayes to bee contrarie to the Lawes of this Kingdome but to bee compyled and approved for the universall use and edification of all his Majesties Subjects 4. It is so farre from disallowing the sayde Booke that it putteth us in feare that it shall bee prest in a faire and legall way and therefore notwithstanding the Proclamation the necessitie of Covenanting which containeth nothing contrarie to the Acts of Parliament nor to the duetie of good Subjects but is the largest Testimonie of our Fidelitie to GOD and loyaltie to our King whatsoever it maye seemeto you to import doeth yet continue that his Majestie maye bee pleased to grant the full satisfaction of our reasonable Petitions and that our Religion and Liberties may bee preserved for afterwards Who-so-ever professe themselves to be perfectly satisfied with the Proclamation doe proclame in the eares of all the Kingdome that they are better pleased with the Service book and anons than with the Religion as it hath beene prosessed in this Land since the Reformation To the fourth VVEE were assured that your Demand proceeded from a Mistaking therefore according to our knowledge did ingenuously for your satisfaction expound unto you the mind of the Subscribers but find now that we have laboured in vain at your hands from which we have receiued this Reply unto which concerning the first Missinterpretation wee answere 1. That altho we do neither use threatnings nor obtrude our Interpretation upon you as bearing any obligatorie power yet pardon us that wee match you not and put you not in the Ballance with the greatest part of the Kingdome both Ministers and others in whose name we recoÌ„mended this Interpretation unto you by all faire meanes and force of Reason and in so doing wee are so farre from the breach of our solemne Uow and Promise that wee esteeme this to bee no small proofe of that godlynesse and righteousnesse wherein wee are bound by our Covenant to walke 2. The authoritative judgment of our Reformers and Predecessors is evidenced not onlie by the Confession of Fayth ratified in Parliament but also by the bookes of Discipline Acts of generall Assembllies and their owne Writs wherein if yee will ye may find warant for this Interpretation and in respect whereof it is publick ratione medij besides these midses of Scripture of Antiquitie 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 pre-conceived opinions possâ—…ssing the mynd make men to fall upon interpretations of their own but in the South parts of the Kingdome where many learned and judicious men both Pastors Professors were assembled at the first subscribing thereof wee remember of none that did fall into that Misstake And the two sorts of Novations such as are alreadie introduced and such as are supplicated against are so punctually distinguished that there is no place left to Ambiguitie but oâ—… the contrarie the Novations which wee promise to forbeare for a time onlie can not bee supposed in the following words to bee abjured for ever as Popish novations 2. Vpon a new examination of the words yee perceive that the Articles of Pearth and Episcopacie are condemned as erronious corruptions because we promise to labour to recover the former puritie libertie of the Gospel 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 condemne the Articles of Pearth and Episcopall Governament lest they bee tryed in a generall Assembly But it is knowne to manie hundreths that the words were purposely conceived for satisfaction of such as were of your judgement that we might all joyne in one heart aâ—…d Couenant for establishiâ—…g Religion and opposing errours And for your Argumeâ—…t whether the Articles of Perth and Episcopacie bee against the puritie and liberty of the Gospell or not which is not determined by these words of the Covenant But it cannot be denyed first That if in a free Assembly they bee found to bee â—…gainst the puritie and libertie of the Gospell â—…hey ought to bee abolished in the meane time it beeing left free by the words of the Covenant to all who will to stand to the defence of their lawfulnesse Secondly how can it be denyed that manie corruptions contrarie to the puritie and libertie of the Gospell were they never so innocent in themselves have accompanyed these Novations such as the superstitious observing of Dayes â—…eriation and cessation from worke on those Dayes Feasting guysing c. manie grosse abuses have entred in the Sacrament upon kneeling before the elements and upon the lawlesse usurpation of Prelates in respect whereof even they who allow Pearth Articles and Episcopacie may sweare to recover the puritie of the Gospell And thirdly who can bee so great a stranger at home as to denye that manie corruptions of Poperie and Arminianisme have entred in the Kirke and have beene vented and defended in Schools and pulpits by reason whereof wee are bound everie one of us according to the measure of our light to labour for recovery of our former Puritie And therfore if you had cast your eyes upon the condition of this 〈◊〉 Kirk as yee have pryed narrowlie into the Expressions of the Covenant yee might have spared both your owne labour and ours and not laboured to skarre both your selves and others with this shadow In your Argument ad hominem you should have considered that whatsoever bee our judgment as wee are particular persons yet at this time wee were to bee taken as Commissionars from the whole companio of Subscribers who about this point are of different judgments and if some of your owne judgment had either come alone in our place or had beene joyned in Commission with us we had anticipate your Objection and this yee have beene forced to see and so yourselves in propnunding your Objection have answered your owne Syllogisme in making us to say that yee may sweare and subscribe seeing ye thinke not these thinges to bee abjured in that Oath made Annâ—… 15â—…1 neyther was it for you to inquire in our private Opiniâ—… nor necessarie for us to make it knowne but to have conceived of our mindes according to our Commission and the will of those that sent us Your Arguments neede to bee no impediments unto your swearing of the Covenant For upon your grounds you would not have sworne the Short Confession any time by past yea yee can not sweare the Confession of anie Kirke nay not the Articles of the Crâ—…d because of the diverse Interpretations of the Article of Christs descenâ—… into Hell or swearing them in Scotland and England yee behoved to sweare them in diverse senses There be some words of the Lord's prayer as Give us this day our daylie bread and of the x Commands as the wordes of the 4 Command which are diversly
given concerning the foresayd aspersions and Calumnies wee having no Commission to declare the mindes of others in this point or to give Documents for our own private judgement doe heartilie disallow everie Wrong of that kynd As for the Apologie of Doctour Iohn Forbes of Corse seeing the Wrong hath beene done not unto some few particulare persons such as ye say have been wronged by some of the people but unto the bodie of the Kingdome consisting of Noble-men Barons c. who are highlie offended thereby it were in us Presumption and without the bounds of our Calling to take upon us to receive any Declaration of that kynd especiallie wherein so manie things are reprooveable as first That his bitter speaches were occasioned by some printed bookes affirming that Episcopacie and Perth Articles were antichristian and abominable Supposing it were true did he think the Noble-men and whole Covenanters to be the Authors of those Bookes And was this dealing agreeable to that Christian meeknesse so much requyred of us before The Wryters of those printed Bookes are not the first who have spoken so For Master Knox spared not in a Letter of his to call this Kneeling A Diabolicall invention Secoudly The swearing of forbearance of the practise of Perth articles the coÌ„firmation of the said doctrine which wee neither deny nor affirme to bee imported in the olde Covenant but onelie in the interpretation thereof wee de clare That Promise is onely made to forbeare for a tyms doth not deserve so bitter a censure as this Apologie beareth upon us 3. If the King's Majestie Councell or the subjects of Scotland had asked his opinion and advice hee he might have used the greater libertie 4. It is ill apologized to call it an holy indignation worse defended since it is such a wrath as worketh not the righteousnesse of GOD. 5. Whereas hee desireth to be accounted in the number of these qui proficiendo scribunt scribendo proficium wee could wish that hee had profited better by writing than hee hath done by wryting his Irenicum first now this his Warning after his Irenicum for which if hee make no better Apologie than confessing asperitis of wordes proceeding from an holy indignation it will come to passe of his Apologie as it fared with his Irenicum unto which was applyed fitly what was spoken in the lyke case Aut fabrum forceps aut ars ignara fefellit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluit cudere cudit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. Whereas yee desire us to doe the lyke if yee meane of us personallie wee have declared our judgement and shall bee carefull to approve our selves to GOD and the consciences of all men in everie such duetie and if yee meane us and those that sent us wee shall not faile to to report unto them what yee desire altho our Commission from you had beene more acceptable if yee had spoken more reverently of our Confession and Covenant than yee have beene pleased to doe in the wordes of your desire and had put your hand unto the Covenant which would presently have joyned us in a greater Affection and made way for union in judgement and perfect peace which is the desire of our Soules To the thirteenth YEe pretended a threefolde Scandall which should follow upon your Subscription 1. The scandall of dissenting from other reformed Kirkes and famous Divines 2. The scandall of dissenting from Anthoritie 3. The Scandall of Perjurie Wee answered That the controverted words of the Covenant being rightly conceived interpreted according to their true meaning not after the glosse which yee have put upon them doe put you out of danger of all the three Scandalls which yee seeme to acknowledge of the first two and maye by the lyke reason acknowledge of the third of Perjurie We dispute not of the lawfulnesse of the Oath given at your Admission by what Authoritie it was exacted with what conscience it was given nor how yee can answere for the scandall risen thereupon but conceaving it according to your owne grounds none of you will saye that yee have sworne the perpetuall Approbation and Practise of those things which yee esteeme to bee indifferent what-soever bad consequent of Poperie Idolatrie Superstition or scandall should follow thereupon wee speake heere onely of thinges Indifferent in your owne judgement for yee have declared before that yee thinke the Ministration of the Sacraments in piivate places no more indifferent and therefore cannot forbeare the practise of these altho your Ordinarie and other lawfull Superiours should will you to doe soe wherein Pearths Assembly for which you stand is wronged by you two wayes 1. That yee differ in judgement from them about the indifferencâ—…e of the five Articles and next that at the will of your Ordinarie and wee knowe not what other lawfull Superiours yee are readie to forbeare the practise of these thinges which the Assembly hath appointed to bee observed What Oathes you have given at your admission wee know not because their is no ordinance made Civil or Ecclesiasticke appointing any such oath and because the Prelates who arrogated that power presented to the intrants diverse models of Articles to bee subscribed dealing with some more hardlie and with others more favourably according to their owne diverse motives and considerations For some immediately after Pâ—…rth Assembly without anye warrant from the Kirke or Parliament were made to sweare at their admission that they should both in private and publicke maintaine Episcopall Iurisdiction and in their private and publicke prayers commend the Prelats to Gods mercifull Protection that they should subject themselves to the Orders that presently were in the Kirk or by the consent of the said Kirke should bee lawfullie established The word lawfullie was not in the Principal first subscribed as wee have learned and if it had beene exprest it is all one for the Superiors were Iudges to this lawfulnesse and vnlawfulnesse Wee will not labour to reconcile everie Oath given by Ministers at their entry with the present Covenant but wish and exhort rather that they may bee recalled and repented of as thinges for which they cannot answere before a generall Assembly To the fourteenth IF the words of the Covenant bee plaine concerning the meere forbearance speake nothing of the vnlawfulnes no man's 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 blocks in your own way to hinder your Subscription yee wrong the subscribers in changing the state of the question in making a divorce betwixt Religion and the Kings Authority which the Covenant joyneth together hand in hand and most of all ye wrong the Kings Majestie in bringing him upoÌ„ the Stage before his subjects in whose minds ye wold beget breed susspitions of opposing the Trueth of making innovation of Religion of dealing with his subjects contrary to his laws Proclamations cotrary
THE ANSVVERES OF SOME BRETHREN OF THE MINISTERIE TO THE REPLYES OF THE MINISTERS and Professours of Divinitie in ABERDEENE CONCERNING THE LATE COVENANT 2 CHRON. 15. 15. And all IVDA rejoyced at the Oath For they had sworne with all their heart and sought Him with their whole desire and Hee was found of them Printed the yeare of God 1638. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THat you maye know our Proceedings how wee are brought upon the Stage and conâ—…rie to our expectation are put in print Comming to Abeâ—…dede on Fryday the afternoone wee received the Demands of our Reverend Brethren that night late and for the greater expedition without delay wee returned our summarie Answers on Saturday at night On the Lords Day following wee desired to expresse our-selves to the People in presence of the Ministerie but the Pulpits and Kirks were altogether refused and therefore in the most convenient place wee could have sub dio and at such houres as were vacant from the ordinarie exercises of publicke Worship wee delivered our Message in the Audience of manie After our last Sermon towards Evening wee found that our labour was not in vaine in the LORD for diverse persons of speciall note both for place and wisedome with willing heart great readinesse of minde did publickly put their hands to the COUENANT Having the weeke following seene some parts of the Countrey where besides the Presbyteries Alford and Deare who had subscribed before the Moderator diverse of the Presbyterie of Aberdene the Presbyterie of Turreff after they were satisfied in some scruples did also subscribe wee returned the next Saturday to Aberdene where finding that some others had subscribed that week we resolved to preach upon the morne That night wee received a Reply unto which before our returne home wee have made an Answere All these we desire may bee unpartially considered and if it shall please the LODD that any light shall come from our labour unto thy minde let it bee ascribed not unto us who neither had time nor helps for such a taske but to the brightnesse of the Trueth and Cause it selfe and to the Father of Lights to whom bee all Glorie VVHat did prodeed from our Penne in our Answâ—… to the D. D. of Aberdeene concerning the late Declaration given to his Majesties Commissioner did flow from minds filled with a zeale to the peace of this Kirk Kingdome and from our earnest desires of a perfect harmonie betwixt the King and his Subjects against all Mistakings This zeale of ours wee confesse made us studie more how to decline and to keepe our selves from touching such of the D. D. demands as were thornie than howe to walke safely through them And likewise to make manifest to his Majesties good Subjects in all places whether the D. D. demands and our answeres should happen to come That matters inclined to pacification and were in a faire way off setling for which peaceable intentions we could conceive nothing to bee more behovefull than by word and write to make knowne to all men the forsaid declaration which his Majesties loyall Subjects presented to his Majesties Commissionar for clearing their Covenant of all unlawfull Combination against Authoritie And by so doing to stoppe the mouthes of our Adversaries and to stay all their obloquies In using of this meane it was far from our thoughts to wound anye man or to write anye word which might give the smallest offence to the meanest of his Majesties Subjects Hoping rather that these our proceedings should have beene more acceptable to Authoritie more approven of the wife and men of understanding and more aggreable unto the minds of such as are for peace than rashly and unadvisedly to have gone on in a Dispute of State questions which hardly at any time hath beene profitable for peace and which at this time seemed to us to say no further most unseasonable impertinent Yet knowing that it were not only base and shamefull but in our persons and in our proceedings in this cause a very great incongruitie and in it selfe sinfull to speake wickedly for GOD and to talke deceitfullie for him for that were as one man mocketh another so to mocke him Iob. 13. 7. 9. and to make iniquitie a meane to promove pietâ—…e a policie which wee have not learned as if GOD could bee served with our sinnes Wee have made heere a briefe relation of the reasons grounds where-upon wee have in our answeres confidently affirmed that his Majesties Commissionar did accept and was well pleased with the late Declaration 1. His G. was most earnest to have the late Covenant so solemnely sworne and so universally subscribed to bee rendred or rescinded and did propone plausible reasons for that effect But this by such strong impediments as were at that time represented and are now extant in print being impossible to us to doe except wee wold sin highly against God His G. afterward declared that the Kings Majesty was most willing to indict an Assembly call a Parliament but that our Covenant in the clause of mutuall defence was a combination against Authoritie and that we had sworne to defend one another in our owne private quarrells aswel as in the cause of Religion This his G. desired to bee removed as a maine hinderance of the obtaining of our desires and without the removall whereof an Assembly and Parliament could not be indicted When this motion of a Declaration was first proponed to the severall meetings the greater part was against it because no Declaration containing â—…ye thing contrarie to the Covenant could bee granted and an explanation of the Covenant the meaning whereof seemed to be plaine enough would no more please than the Covenant it self but by the earnest dealing of some Noblemen of his Majesties Counsell sent from the Commissioner with some Commissioners sent from everie meeting It was thought meet in end that a Supplication containing a Declaration should bee formed which at last his G. did receive at the hands of the Supplicants and upon the receiving thereof promised to deale with the Kings Majestie for obtaining a free Assembly and Parliament which he refused to undertake without this Declaration Thus by the very nature and course of our Proceedings about this point it is manifest that the Declaration was at least in this farre satisfactorie to the Commissioner himselfe that hee did promise to mediate for an Assembly and Parliament which was both the summe of our desires and the onely end of this Declaration So that no man could in any reason think that we should have wronged him in affirming that his G. did accept and was well pleased with that Declaration since upon the sight receiving and hearing thereof he promised to doe his best endeavours with his Majestie for obtaining what was petitioned by us which before and without it his G. had utterly refused to doe 2. The three Noble-men of his Majesties Counsell who were imployed by his G. about this Declaration did
examined in an Assembly 2. Ye call some of those novations necessarie but without warrant of that Assembly which concluded them as indifferent all the rest ye will have to bee laudable thus by progresse of time things formerly indifferent become necessarie and what was but lawfull before and had much adoe to gaine that reputation is now become laudable where yee plainely discover the cause of your unwillingnesse to subscribe not so much to bee the commandement of Authoritie as the necessitie and excellencie of the things commanded Till yee therfore change this opinion ye cannot promise forbearance neither upon our dealing nor at the commandement of Authoritie altho forbearance should serve for the peace of the Kirk Kingdome To the eight FIrst Wee remit the Reader to our Answere and your Reply which we hope shall be fouud no Confutation 2. We observe That ye have not answered our argument for our swearing the Defence of the King and his Authoritie with a specification which yee call a limitation wherin we have followed the Confession of Faith ratified in Parliament the King's Confession and Act of Parliament upon which yeewill not doe well to fasten so foule imputations and put so hard Constructions as yee doe upon us for inserting in our Covenant what they have said before us If our specification be right why censure you it If it bee wrong why fasten you not your censures upon the Fountaine from which it is derived The Loyaltie of our intentions to maintaine the Kings person and honour is fully expressed that it hath given content to those who are nearest his Majestie and wee should wrong not onely them but also the Covenant and the Subscribers thereof if wee should make new Declarations to others of greater distance who wrong both the King and them-selves in craving them 3. To doe with a doubting Conscience is a grievous sinne but to make and multiplie doubtes for hindering a good worke and to oppose against a shyning Light is no lesse grievous Ye spake before of a limitation now ye have added Precislie as if the naming of our Duetie were the excluding of all other Dueties We all by our Oath of Alleadgeance by his Majesties Lawes and by other Obligations acknowledge that wee owe many other dueties to the King which were verie impertinent to expresse in this Covenant 4. What kynd of Conference yee meane whether by word or writ we know not but while we were amongst you yee know what notice yee were pleased to to take of us and wee have no delight to resent it To the nynth FIrst Wee are ashamed to draw the Rug-saw of Contention to and fro in a continuall Reciprocation concerning the serbearance of Pearth Articles and therefore forbearing to doe so any more wee referre the Reader to our former Answeres 2. We doe not affirme that the only Reason why Knâ—…eling was appointed was because all memorie of Superstition was past There be indeed other Reasons expressed in the Act but such as the authors therof may bee ashamed of as both perverting the Text. Psal. 93 as making Kneeling to bee necessarie in everie part of GOD's Worship and as giving matter to many Treatiseâ—… proving kneeling before the Elements to be idolatrie according to the Act unto which wee now referre you but this wee say which is manifest by the Act it selfe that in the case of present Superstition or feare thereof all other Reasons had not beene forcible to enforce kneeâ—…ing then nor can have force to continue kneeling now This feare hath beene great this yeere by past throughout the kingdome by reason of the manie Superstitions of the Service booke which it may bee yee no more acknowledge than yee doe the superstitious disposition of the people because they are not that which they were at the time of Reformation 3. Wee would heare what Malice it self can say against the words of the Protestation That it shall bee lawfull uno us to defend Religion and the Kingâ—… Aâ—…ritie in defence thereof and everie one of 〈◊〉 of anotâ—… 〈◊〉 that cause of maintaining Religion and the Kings forsaid Authoritie and to appoynt and hold Meetings to that end lyke as our Proceedings have beene in themselves most necessarie and orderly meanes agreeable to the Lawes and pâ—…ise of this Kirk and Kingdome to be commended as Reaâ—… Dueties of faythfull Christians loyall Subjects and sensible members of the bodie of the Kirke and Kingdome and tend to no other ende but to the preservation of Religion and maintenance of the King's Authoritie To your Interrogator which yee seeme to propone rather to be snares to us than for satisfaction to your selves we an swere once for all in generall That if this were the opportunitie to that Disputation wee shall bee found to deny nothing unto Authoritie of that which the worde of GOD the Law of Nature and Nations the Acts of Parliament chiefe Royalists sound Divines and loyall Subjâ—…s give unto Kinges and Princes GOD'S Viâ—… 〈◊〉 earth and that not from respect to our selves â—…t to â—…e Ordinance of GOD by whom Kings reignâ—… But seeing so oft so instanly you presse us in this point yet force vs mutually to propone to you such Questiâ—… 〈◊〉 it may bee yee will have no great delight to answereâ—… We desire to understand of you Whether yee allow or disallow the Service booke and booke of Canons If ye disallow them as an innovation of Religion why have ye not either ioyned in Supplication with the rest of the Kingdome or made a Supplication of your owne against them or some other way testified your dislyke Next Whether it bee 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 wise States-men have received satisfaction of the Subjects for suppressing such motions as yours 3. Whether doe the Subscribers more tender his Majesties Honour by supposing his constancie in profession of Religion and equitable disposition in ministration of Iustice or yee who suppose hee shall fall upon his religious and loyall Subjects with force of Armes contrarie to both 4. Whether the joyning of the whole Kingdome in the subscription of the Covenant or the intertaining division by your wrytting preaching and threatning of your people otherwise willing to joyne bee a more readie Meane to settle the present Coâ—…tions of the Kirke and Kingdome 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 bloodie Decrees of Trent which GOD forbid wee aske Whether in such a Case the lawfull defence of the bodie of the Kingdome against such a Faction bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Mâ—…rate and a taking Aâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…g If ye â—…firme it to be is not this to take pâ—…t with a â—…tion seeking their owne endes against the Common-wealth of â—…he
Kiâ—…ke and Kingdome and Honour of the â—…ing If yee say 〈◊〉 Why then find you fault with our Prâ—… 〈◊〉 of defending the Religion Liberties and 〈◊〉 of the Kingdome of the Kings Authoritie in defence thâ—…of and everie one of us of another in that cause as if it were an unlawfull combination against Authoritie 6. Whether doe yee thinke Christian Magistrates to bee of so absolute and undoubted power notwithstanding of the Promise or paction made with the Subjects at their Coâ—…ion or of any law made for the establishing their Religion Liberties that there is nothing left but â—…ering of Martyrdâ—… in the câ—…se of publick 〈◊〉 of their Religion and Liberties If ye thinke that any Defence is lawfull why â—…isconstrue yee the Subscribers of the Covenant If not how can you be free of flatterie and of stirring up Princes against their loyall Subjects for such ends as yourselves know beâ—… We â—…lie believe that yee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thankes either of so good just a King or of so â—…uetiefull Subjects for entering within these Lists It is enough that such Questions bee agitâ—…ed in the Schooles and that with as great prudencie â—…s circumspectly as may bee To the tenth FIrst yee take us in our 4 Repâ—… to bee the penners of the Covenant and yet will rather wrest the wordes of it to your owne meaning than receive the Interpretation thereof from us for wee prejudge not your libertie of conception of that short Confession but permit it to your selves whatsoever may bee the private meaning of some who have subscribed yet their is nothing in the late interpretation that condemneth the Articles of Pearth and Episcopacie as Popish Novations Yee may voyce reason in an Assembly as freelie concerning them and give your judgement of them without prejudice notwithstanding of your Oath according to your owne grounds as you would have done at the Assembly of Perth 2. We hope yee bee not so ignorant of the estate of the Kirke neither will wee judge so uncharitablie as to think you so corrupt that in your opinion there is no thing hath entred in the Kirke since that time designed by you beside Episcopacie and Articles of Pearth which can bee thought prejudiciall to the libertie and puritie of the Gospell To the eleaventh FIrst yee finde fault with us that wee have not upon this occasion given you that testimonie which wee owe to you of your sinceritie and professing the Trueth therefore to supplie our defects have taken an ample Testimonie to your selves of paines in Disputing in wryting and preaching against Poperie in processing of Papists and in doing all things which can bee expected from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of frequent prayer to GOD of humbling your selves before Him of your holinesse of Lyfe and Conversation c. which have made us who were desirous to heare that Testimonie rather at the mouthes of others that wee might bee no more challenged as deficient in that kynde but give unto you your deserved praise to inquyre in matters where upon if wee would believe the report of others wee heare that for all your paynes Papists and persons popishly affected are multiplyed and Papistrie increased in your towne more than in any other towne of the Kingdome and no lesse under your Ministrie than any time before since the Reformation that there be in private houses Mosses Crucifixes and other monuments of Idolatrie that yee had not manie convers from Poperie that Iesuites and Priests are countenanced there that your People at home and your Magistrates abroad complayne that yee are but too sparing of your paines in preaching and often fill your places with Novices but this wee are sparing to believe and wish that the not imploying of your Tongues and Pennes in defence of the Service booke and Canons which are so pestred with Poperie if the seedes of Romish Heresie Superstition Ido latrie and Papall tyrannie come under that censure and your willingnesse to joyne with the Kirk and Kingdome in Fasting an Humiliation had beene also Testimonies of your sinceritie against Poperie 2. The laudable meanes of preaching praying c. which wee wish may be still in all faythfulnesse used by you maye verie well agree with the renewing of our Covenant with God aod both beeiug joyned have in a short time past produced more powerfull effects to the comfort of manie thousandss than all our prayers and preaching have done for a long tyme before which testifie That as it is warranted by the Word of GOD so the motion hath proceeded from GOD. All the Arguments and subtilities that can be devised will never make a People who at this time have found GOD dwelling and working in their hearts to think the contrarie 3. The naturall inclination of people to Poperie and the perswasion of others of their disposition maye make the people to conceive other wayes of the Service booke and Canons that ere it be long they may bee brought in in a fair and legall way and therefore it is necessarie for preventing of those and other Evills of that kynde that the Subjects joyne in a Covenant both for themselves and their Posteritie To the twelfth FIrst Wee have ever preached according to our measure and have given example of Reverence to Authoritie and the LORDS Service but wee neither acknowledge the usurped authoritie of Prelates for lawfull Authoritie nor the Service Booke for the LORDS Service And therefore it was so much the more intolerable for the Prelates without Authoritie from the Kirke or Parliament to bring in the Service booke into GOD'S owne House upon the LORD' 's owne Day Which maketh it nothing strange that people zealous of the Trueth and of the Service of GOD were stirred up to oppose and wee are verie confident that those that have opposed doe beare as loyall respect to the Kings Majestie and will bee as loath to provoke him to just wrath as their Opposites are In the meane tyme why doe yee not acknowledge that the children were higher provoked to wrath by the Prelates whom yee account Reverend and holie Fathers 2. As the preservation of our owne private Possession from invasion of others belongeth to our selves under the Kings protection so the keeping of GODS House from pollution and Superstition belongeth to Authoritie to the Communitie of the Faithfull and to everie one in his owne Place and Order 3. We told you before That wee did no more allow Violence of that kind nor wee did allow the foule Aspersions of Rebellion â—…eresie Schisme Perjurie put upon the Noble-men and remnant Covenanters And where yee aske of us Why these tumults are not publickly by us condemned and rebuked Wee aske againe of you why yee did not condemne and rebuke such dealing since that it is no lesse Transgression both against the sixth and nynt Command than the other is against the sixt And whereas yee are now so peremptorie in drawing a Declaration from us answerable to that which yee have
to the Oath at his Coronation We are not here seeking inscitiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a starting hole of ignorance or the smalllest disloyalty of affection but would willingly decline that for the present which neither his Majesties wisdome nor the prudence of Statesmen nor the modestie of good Subjects will allow you or us to dispute The Crowns and Scepters of Kings would be more tenderlie tonched than the ordinarie Subjects of Schoole Disputes The naked naming bare rpoposall of certaine suppositions such as some are made by you cannot but reflex upon Authoritie sound harsh in the eares of all his Majesties good Subjects who wish he may long and prosperously reigne over us 3. His Majesties most honourable privie Counsell hath proven more fauourable to this cause of maintaining the reformed Religion than many Pastors whom by reason of their place Calling it beeseemed to goe before others altho according to their wonted custome they gave warrant to make his Majesties Proclamation yet on good grounds remonstrated unto them by the Supplicants they willinglie refused their Approbation therof hoping that his Majestie should be moved to give greater satisfaction thereafter and this is not our saying but a publicke doing before many honourable witnesses of which number some were directed unto you whose report yee have no reason to call in question 4 It becommeth us to judge charitably of the intentions of our Superiors but 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 Canons containe a reall innovation of Religion wee must judge otherwise de conditione operis of the matters contained in the book than de intentione operant is of his Majesties intention altho the inten tion of the Prelats their associats the Authors and Contrivers of the Bookes be most justly suspected by us 5. It is no delight to us and can bee but small comfort to you to mention the wrongs which by you are done to us all who have joyned in this Couenant doe adhere to the Religion as it was reformed in this Land in your estimation and wrytings we are rebellious perjured hereticks schismaticks blind guides seducers miserable interpreters ignorants shall such men as these bee your reverend Brethren Is this your meeknesse charitie Is this the duetie ye expect from us But setting these aside yee have wronged us in with-holding your hand and helpe from so good a Cause of purging Religion reforming the Kirke from so many grosse Abuses and opposing all those who have modestlie laboured for Reformation Your speaches in private in your chambers beds of sicknes in your missives in publicke at tables and in Synods which are come to our knowledge wee wish rather should be remembred repented of by your selves than bee recited by us who desire not to work you any trouble 6. Altho there be a perpotuall harmonie betwixt the Word and Workes of GOD sarre contrarie to that which wee find to bee amongst the children of men yet often it commeth to passe that the Word and Warnings of GOD which we heare with our eares are not believed till we behold with our eyes the plaine Commentaries thereof in his Works Many Proofs and notable Documents have beene observed of the Finger of GOD in the Worke in hand the Characters of the gaeat Workes of GOD'S more than ordinarie Providence since the beginning are legible heere Then did the LORD bgin this work when the Adversaries were raised to a great hight and become intolerably insolent The beginnings were small and in the eyes of the world contemptible such as use to bee 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 manifested by the joy the tearesand cryes of many thousands at the solemne renewing of this Covenant hath beene a matter of admiration and amazement never to bee forgotten to many wise and ancient Pastors and Professors who did also finde an unwonted flame warming their owne breasts the plots and workings of the adversary have wrougâ—… against their own projects have served â—…or our endes mâ—…e than all that have beene thought or done by our selves that wee may justly say what they devysed for evill the LORD hath turned to good manie thousands conveened diverse times in one place have beene kept in such order quyetnesse without the smallest trouble in such sobernesse temperance without excesse or riot that hardly can History furnish a Paralell what effectes there bee already throughout the Land of Pietie in domestick worship in observing the exercises of Religion in publick of sobernesse in dyet and appatrell of righteousnesse and concord wee trust shall be sensible by the Blessings of GOD upon us and shall be examplarie to the Posteritie These wee present unto you and unto all as a Commentary written by the LORD' 's owne hand wishing againe that neither yee nor others bee sound fighting against GOD Who so is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving kindnes of the Lord. Psal 107. 43. Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see hee ashamed for their envy at the people Is. 26. 11. Master Alexander Henderson Minister at Leuchars Master David Dickson Minister at Irwin