to the end people might be brought back to their old licentiousnes and ignorance by which the Episcopall Kingdome was advanced It was visible in Scotland that the most eminent Bishops were usual players on the Sabbath even in time of divine service And so soone as they were cast out of the Parliament the Churches supplications were granted and acts obtained for the carefull sanctification of the Lords day and removing of the mercats in all the land from the Munday to other dayes of the week The Warners nixt challenge of our usurpation is the assembly at Edinburgh 1567 their ratifying of acts of Parliament and summoning of all the country to appeare at the nixt assembly Ans. If the Warner had knowne the history of that time he would have choysed rather to have omitted this challenge then to have proclaimed to the world the great rottennesse of his own heart at that time the condition of the Church and Kingdome of Scotland was lamentable the Queen was declared for popery King James's Father was cruelly without any cause murthered by the Earle of Bothwell King James himselfe in his infancy was very neare to have been destroyed by the murtherer of his Father there was no other way conceivable of saftie for Religion for the infant King for the Kingdome but that the Protestantes should joine together for the defence of King James against these popish murtherers For this end the generall assembly did crave conference of the secrete counsel and they with mutual advise did call for a meeting of the whole Protestant party which did conveen at the time appointed most frequently in an extraordinary and mixed assembly of all the considerable persons of the Religion Earles Lords Barrons Gentlemen Burgesses and Ministers and subscribed a bond for the revenge of King Henryes death and the defence of King Iames his life This mixed and extraordinary assembly made it one of the chiefe articles in their bond to defend these Actes of the Parliament 1560 concerning religion and to endeavour the ratification of them in the nixt ensuing Parliament As for the assemblies letter to their Brethren for so frequent a meeting at the nixt extraordinary assembly it had the authority of the secret counsel it was in a time of the greatest necessity when the Religion and liberties of the land were in evident hazard from the potent and wicked counsels of the popish party both at home and abroad when the life of the young King was daily in visible danger from the hands of them who had murthered his Father and ravished his Mother Lesse could not have been done in such a juncture of time by men of wisedom and courage who had any love to their Religion King and country but the resolution of our praelats is to the contrary when a most wicked villaine had obtained the connivance of a Queen to kill her husband and to make way for the killing of her Son in his Cradle and after these murders to draw a nation Church from the true Religion established by Law into popery and a free Kingdome to an illegall Tyranny in this case there may be no meeting either of Church or State to provide remedies against such extraordinary mischiefes Beleeve it the Scotes were never of this opinion What is subjoined in the nixt paragraph of our Churches praesumption to abolish acts of Parliament is but a repetition of what is spoken before Not only the lawes of Scotland but equity and necessity referres the ordinary reformation of errours and abuses in Religion to the Ecclesiasticall assemblies what they find wrong in the Church though ratified by acts of Parliament they rectify it from the word of God and thereafter by petition obtaines their rectification to be ratifyed in a following Parliament and all former acts to the contrary to be annulled This is the ordinary Methode of proceeding in Scotland and as I take it in all other States and Kingdomes Were Christians of old hindred to leave paganisme and embrace the Gospell till the emperiall lawes for paganisme and against Christianity were revoked did the oecumenicall and National Synods of the auncients stay their reformation of heresies and corruptions in religion till the lawes of State which did countenance these errors were cancelled Was not popery in Germany France and Britaine so firmely established as civil lawes could doe it It seems the Warner heer does joyne with his Brother Issachar to proclaime all our Reformers in Britaine France and Germany to be Rebells for daring by their preachings and Assemblies to change these things which by acts of Parliaments had been approven before new Parliaments had allowed of their reformation Neverthelesse this plea is foolishly intended against us for the Ministers protestation against the acts of Parliament 1584 establishing in that houre of darknes iniquity by a law and against the acts of the Assembly of Glasgow declaring the unlawfulnesse of Bishops and ceremonies which some Parliaments upon Episcopall mis-information had approven both these actions of the Church were according to former Lawes and were ratified afterward by acts of Parliament yet standing in force which for the Warner a privatman and a stranger to challenge is to contemne much more grossly the law then they doe whom here he is accusing of that crime By the nixt Story the Warner will gaine nothing when the true case of it is knowne In King Iames minority one Captaine Iames Stuart did so farre prevail upon the tender and unexperienced yeares of the Prince as to steale his countenance unto acts of the greatest oppression so farre that Iames Hamelton Earle of Arran the nixt to the King in blood in his health a most gallant Prince and a most zealous professor of the true Religion in time of his sicknes when he was not capable to commit any crime against the State was notwithstanding spoiled of all his lively hood and liberty his Lands and honour with the dignity of high Chancelor of Scotland were conferred on that very wicked Tyrant Captain Iames a number of the best affected and prime nobility impatient of such unheard-of oppressiones with meere boasts and no violence at the road of Ruthven chased away that unhappy chancelor from the Kings persone this his Majestie for the time professed to take in so good part that under his hand he did allow it for good service in his letters to the most of the Neighbour princes he dealt also with the secrete counsel and the chiefe judicatories of the land and obtained from them the approbation of that act of the Lords as convenient and laudable promising likewise to ratify it in the nixt ensuing Parliament When the Lords for their more abundante cleering required the Assemblies declaration there upon the Ministers declined to medle at all with the case but the Kings Majestie sent his Commissioners to the Assembly entreating them withall earnestnesse to declare their good liking of that action which he assured them was for his
Reader makes the incongruitie none of mine disregard the High Priests commands of a disterent Religion and obey God rather then man The contrarie wayes taken in Scotland by Church and state so King or Queen may he accounted head or Member of the later have not been so rare if the Historie of your foure last Princes be reviewed Against three of whom Pope Knox personallie and in his Synod made very frequent opposition which he bragges of in print I shall not need to number your rebellious Acts and papers against the fourth In the possibilitie of such cases which you tenderlie admit your modestie being great to acknowledge the fallibilitie of Assemblies the common rule of humane direction's very good had it been not onelie know'n by you but followed The difference upon disobedience to either is not fairlie repraesented temporal inconveniences in seditious tumults to the hazard of life often befalling men by the displeasure of the Church And by terrour or force a rescue from punishment legallie to be inflicted contrarie to the good pleasure of the state Your interdiction of festivals viz. Our Saviours Nativitie to be observed and Bishops to sit in Parliament when summon'd by the King seemes in your sense to implie no contrarietie of command and are therefore slighted as impertinent objections The other two you speake to but not answer Not the former but in a fallacie somewhat like that which Logicians call of composition and division The Magistrates that were to attend the French Ambassadours being not excepted in your indiction of the fast but included with the people and yet as excusable divided by you in the observance The truth of Church ceâ—…sure intended can be no calumnie the Major and Aldermen being cited and convented for their feasting nor had the processe fallen to ground but through the prudent delayes interposed by the King I must here put you in minde that your Brethren in Holland indict no fasts but by the Magistrates consent and your discipline being praetended to be the same you could not doe it at this time when the King commanded feasting without coordinating Soveraignities or which is worse abolishing his to ordaine your owne In your answer to the later instance you must cut the tails of your humble petitions and remonstrances which were tipt and turn'd up with defiances and threats under the notion of portents to the Kings person his familie And throw your covenant into the fire which engaged the takers in pursuance of your contrarie commands by opposing Acts and Persons of state too beyond a declaration of their dislike The watchman in Ezekiel whose example you counterfeit and whose authoritie you abuse was to warne when God brought the sword upon a land not to arme nor remonstrate when he sent it out The falshood of your Church-chasing and excommunicating persons in the late engagement were it any could at most be fayd but to be antidated by the Bishop we since daylie conversing with such persons who live not very comfortablie in these parts yet dare not returne home And your publike papers ranking them in 4. classes or divisions excluding them out of places of trust or power censuring them to sackcloth banishing excommunicating all that repent not for their active loyaltie as a sinne The Bishop chargeth no man with detracting from the freedome of the Parliament that engaged them He onelie anticipates by his answer such a probable praetense In the place whereof since you frankelie give us the advantage of your confession in your next you must shew upon what sure grounds you protest preach warne declare against the power of the Kingdome in a sree Parliament in publike Iudicatories and armies which you confesse you did in your paper May 11. as I take it 1649. As likewise how your declaring of became censuring in judgement and your dissatisfaction transformed into a sentence The heapesof untruths when your spectatours wipe their eyes will be easilie discerned cast on your side of the way So that they will not wonder at your falsifying Histories of old times when the relation of your latest know'n practices is by your fierie tongue branded with the ignominie of a lie The generation you speake of who keep up their credit according to the rate of too many mens idlenesse or in advertence can draw no clearer pedegree then from your Synod whose words can no more weigh with truth in the ballance then their teeth whence they are lightlie flow'n can with the Silesian boyes endure the touch CHAPTER X. No concord between Parliament and Presbyterie THe harmonie betwixt your Presbyterie and Parliament when any is discors concordia and but still musike at best such as once was made between Parma and Placentia by the concurrent identitie of the capital leters in thier names So that when their Duke writ himselfe Dux P. P. and no more their ambition was silenced about prioritie in his title And if we looke any farther into yours we are encounterd caninâ literâ wish that mastiue leter which it may be mysticallie snarles as much against the name as your power assaults the authoritié of the other And when you take upon you the writing both at large your humilitie and Courtship is such as here ever to give praecedence unto your selves Your constitution must be look'd upon as no other then a caelestial quintessence Your end know'n to be compassing a temporall aswell as a spiritual tyrannie your daylie practice subduing swaying both scepters of Jesus Christs The Praelatical learning you see takes no higher flight then the next instance to prove the conclusion in hand And he whose fayth must be forced to credit such unanswerable arguments hath indeed litle or no common sense or reason in him but mistakes snow to be blacke because he lives in a dungeon goes upon hot coales and feeles not his benummed seet to be burnt the light in him is darknesse because of his evil eye quantae tencbrae how great is that darkenesse S. Matth. 6. 23. What perpetual iarrings hath been between you I have otherwhere shewed which never failed but when you tamper'd with the strings tuned both instruments to your eare I see the late engagement often serv'd up is enough a lone to take off your stomake yet that insipide colewort must be set upon your table while your table contimues a snare to eatch your selves withall and that bill of fare though but one dish repeted till it choke the rebellious guerts of the Assemblies your paper of eight desires contained 8. very insolent demands in place of that submission which the Parliament sent for I can not say expected What justice and necessitie may be in them was not at any time by you nor by any at that time to be expostulated to the retarding that more just and necessarie designe If the Parliament counted upon any it reckoned withall the satisfaction it had render'd Wherin it had been rather
dubious consent with andby a Traâ—…terous Assemblie who had in vaine posted away foure Caitiffe-Cursitours miscalled Commissioners to the more loyal Lords delated for the Hamiltons as likewise to the Neuters to depose their Queen and clog their future Princes's succession with this impious condition That all Princes and Kings hereaâ—…ter in this Realme before their Coronation shall take oath to maintaine the true Religion now prosessed in the Church of Scotland and suppresse all things even their soules consciences contrarie to it and that are not agreeing with it This I take to be the fundamental law your Proclamation reflects upon foralas the other foundation of your solemne league and covenant lies not fathom deep a stripling of twelves yeares old can reach to the botom and evert both when he calls for that invisible law of God which approves much lesse enjoines this praerequiring satisfaction from a King For it is not Maitlands idle concession to Buchanan in his cursed dialogue upon Homers authoritie That there was a time when men liv'd law lesse in Cottages and caves and at length by consent tooke a justisiable course of creating a King unto themselves that will reduce Royaltic to popular restrictions Such stuffe as this may be put off among Pagans that will hearken to the fable of Cadmus be wonne into a beliefe that the serpents teeth were sowed in so good a soile as that they all sprung up proper men of whose race we might have had some at this day if they had betoke themselves to the election of a King when for want of one they fell to civile dissensions destruction of themselves I demand as a Christian and as much mighta â—…ew Who was the first King Whether he was not instituted by God Whether not with a decree touching primogeniture in thâ—… right of succession by the first borne to propagate his authoritie and office Whether any people in the world more or lesse in a bodie lawsullie assembled have been at a losse for a King to command them what law beside that of nature which if such as Saint Paul describes it is somewhat hard to distinguish from an original law of God and yet shall be sequester'd from our praesâ—…nt dispute constituted them in a full capacitie to chuse one Who When Where Open Buchanans packe as big as it is begirt with no lesse then the cingle of the world and with out Ambiguons peradventures or assâ—…mations involv'd in quaestionable circumstances lay me out one cleare instance to this purpose and when you have purchase a parallel among your selves Transmigration of Nations Navigations of discoverie design'd or contingent New plantations upon necessitie or pleasure Spontaneous secessions though by supreme authoritie approved Relegations and exiles Extinctions of lines Finallie whatsoever to be thought on that can separate a medley of men from a setâ—…ed societe or make an Anarchie among People will when all are combin'd I beleeve litle disorder me in my hold So that to use the words of that valiant General or take the Kings from his mouth You declared him to be your King but with such conditions and provisoâ—…s as robbeâ—… him of all right and power For while you prâ—…ctend to give him a litle which he must actept of as from you you spoile 〈◊〉 of all that power and authoritie which the law of God of Nature and of the Land hath invested him with by so long continued deâ—…cent from his famous praedeccssours For the nature of your demand the abolition of Episcopacie which you confesse to be a great one so great indeed as not to be granted but with a devastation of his conscience the Praelates were very unworthie of their miters if they pressed not his Majestie were it necessarie where is so free an inclination to denie you though they know well enough were your great demand yeilded you have one no lesse behind securitie of liberties and when both were had which God forbid they ever should be your crueltie and guilt would admit of no lesse after-satisfaction from him for England then from his Father for Scotland nor your raging Devill be otherwise satiated then with his bloud Therefore the advantage you take of his denial though you confesse upon other mens importunate instance makes your Praedestinarian Godships no lesse peremptorie in the immutabilitie of your decree to forme Commonwealths of Kingdomes and according to you Divinitie the meanes being as unalterablie destin'd as the end you resolve what you can and doe well to tell us so that he and all his familie shall perish Levia sed nimium queror Coclotimendumest regna ne summa occupet Qui vicit ima… For you that thus capitulate with Kings have nothing next to doe but to article with God Presbyterie admitting no Rival Regent much lesse any superiour will make way to its solitarie supremacie by ruine I terruina quaeret vacuo volcâ—… Regnare mundo Your patient surplicateâ—… were your Hage papers which most inquisitive men have heard or seen before this time Wherein you tell His Majestie his denial will constraine your people… to â—…oe what is incumbent unto them we know what you meane that fatal word being scarce to be met with but having Rebellion and Murder at its heeles Your Euangelist of the Covenant did not cant it to his Father but sayd plainlie Reformation may be though he wish'd it not left to the mulâ—…de whom God â—…rreth up to kill and slay without quaestion when Princes are negligent as they are when they yeild not their aequitable demandâ—… grant their patient supplicates lay their heads on the blocke and not doe but suffer as they would have them Laesa patientia fit furor Even in such meeke men as you patience upon denial can become furie and supplicates after some continuances commands And then he may have an offer of his or their Kingdome as you thinke fiter to style it but it must be with a resignation of his crowne their Lives and estates shall be Oretenus for his service when aurium tenus they are up to the â—…ares in a good bargaine taking money with one hand and delivering him up with the other which is the issue to be expected upon the grant and nothing worse can be feared nor that if well thought on from the denial of your demands Therefore to conclude no miserie of King nor people should be so impolitikelie declin'd as to be desperatelie embraced And till the essentials of Scotish Presbyterie be changed which are undisputablie destructive to all Monarchs that come among them true Praelatical hearts can not be trulie considerate or loyal if they be not obstinatâ—… in this perswasion and beleefe The place cited to which you send us for a view of your tender care in providing the parents consent to the mariage of their children gives us a full prospect of your tyrannie over Nature whose throne is usurped whose praerogative trampled
dayes did sue for aid and assistance from the Crown and Kingdom of England they did not go about to obtrude their owne Discipline upon them but left them free to choose for themselves The grounds which follow are demonstrative First no man can dispose that by vow or otherwise either to God or man which is the right of a third person without his consent Neither can theâ—…nferiour oblige himselfe to the prejudice of his Superiour contrary to his duty without his Superiours allowance God accepts no such pretences to seem obsequious to him out of the undoubted right of another person Now the power of Armes and the defence of the Lawes and protection of the Subjects by those Armes is by the Law of England clearly invested in the Crowne And where the King is bound in conscience to protect the Subject is bound in conscience to assist Therefore every English Subject owes his Armes and his Obedience to his King and cannot dispose them as a free gift of his owne nor by any act of his whatsoever diminish his Soveraignes right over him but in those things wherein by Law he owes subjection to his Prince he remaineth still obliged notwithstanding any Vow or Covenant to the contrary especially when the subject and scope of the Covenant is against the known Lawes of the Realm So as without all manner of doubt no Divine or Learned Casuist in the world dissenting This Covenant is either void in it selfe or at least voided by his Majesties Proclamation prohibiting the takirg of it and nullifying its obligation Secondly It is confessed by all men that that an Oath ought not to be the bond of iniquity nor doth oblige a man to be a transgressour The golden rule is in malis promissis rescinde fidem in turpi voto muta decretum To observe a wicked engagement doubles the sinne Nothing can be the matter of a Vow or Covenant which is evidently unlawfull But it is evidently unlawfull for a Subject or Subjects to alter the Lawes established by force without the concurrence and against the commands of the Supreme Legislator for the introduction of a forraign Discipline This is the very matter and subject of the Covenant Subjects vow to God and swear one to another to change the Lawes of the Realm to abolish the Discipline of the Church and the Liturgy lawfully established by the Sword which was never committed to their hands by God or man without the King against the King which no man can deny in earnest to be plain rebellion And it is yet the worse that it is to the main prejudice of a third order of the Kingdom the taking away whose rights without their consents without making them satisfaction cannot be justified in point of conscience Yea though it were for the greater convenience of the Kingdom as is most falsely pretended And is harder measure then the Abbots and Friers received from Henry the eight or then either Christians or Turkes do offer to their conquered enemies Lastly a supervenient oath or covenant either with God or man cannot take away the obligation of a just oath precedent But such is the Covenant a subsequent oath inconsistent with and destructive to a precedent oath that is the oath of Supremacy which all the Church men throughout the Kingdome all the Parliament men at their admission to the house all persons of quality throughout England have taken The former oath acknowledgeth the King to be the onely supreame hâ—…ad that is civill head to see that every man do his duty in his calling and Governour of the Church of England The second oath or covenant to set up the Presbyterian Government as it is in Scotland denieth all this virtually makes it a politicall papacy acknowledgeth no governours but onely the Presbyters The former oath gives the King the supream power over all persons in all causes The second oath gives him a power over all persons as they are subjects but none at all in Ecclesiasticall causes This they make to be sacriledge By all whiâ—…h it is most apparent that this Covenant was neither free nor deliberate nor valide nor lawfull nor consistent with our former oathes but insorced dâ—…ceitfull invalide impious rebellious and contradictory to our former ingagements and consequently obligeth no man to performance but all men to repentance For the greater certainty whereof I appeâ—…le upon this stating of the case to all the learned Casuists and Divines in Europe touching the point of common right And that this is the true state of the case I appeal to our adversaries themselves No man that hath any spark of ingenuity will denie it No English-man who hath any tolerable degree of judgement or knowledge in the laws of his countrey can denie it but at the same instant his conscience must give him the lie They who plead for this rebellion dare not put it to a triall at law they doe not ground their defence upon the lawes But either upon their own groundlesse jealousies and fears of the Kings intention to introduce Popery to subvert the lawes and to enslave the people This is to run into a certain crime for fear of an uncertain They who intend to pick quarrels know how to feign suspicions Or they ground it upon the successe of their arms or upon the Soveraigne right of the people over all lawes and Magistrates whose Representatives they create themselves whilest the poor people sigh in corners and dare not say their soul is their own lamenting their former folly to have contributed so much to their own undoing Or lastly upon Religion the cause of God the worst plea of all the rest to make God accessary to their treasons murthers covetousnesse ambition Christ did never authorise Subjects to plant Christian Religion much lesse their own fanâ—…ticall dreams or fantasticall deviles in the blood of their Soveraigne and fellow subjects Speak out is it lawfull for Subjects to take up arms against their Prince meerly for Religion or is it not lawfull It ye say it is not lawfull ye condemn your selves for your Covenant testifieth to the world that ye have taken up arms meerly to alter Religion and that ye bear no Allegiance to your King but onely in order to Religion that is in plain terms to your own humours and conceits If ye say it is lawfull ye justifie the Independents in England for supplanting your selves ye justifie the Anabaptists in Germany Iohn of Leyden and his câ—…ue Ye break down the banks of Order and make way for an inundation of blood and confusion in all Countreys Ye render your selves justly odious to all Christian Magistrates when they see that they owe their safety not to your good wills but to your weaknesse that ye want sufficient strength to cut their throats This is fine doctrine for Europe wherein there is scarce that King or State which hath not Subjects of different opinions and communions in Religion Or lastly if ye say it is lawfull for
his person was faine to put away his friends of greatest trust the Chancellor Treasurer Baron Humes c. but within a moneth repents him appeales to his Nobles by their advice recalls them yet permits Bothwell to depart The Ministers are angrie that the Papists are not persecuted by fire sword They assemble without the Kings order call together the Barons Burgers Bothwell enters againe with 400. Horse as farre as Leith makes proclamation summons all in to defen'd religion put away evil Counsellers sends it to the Synod at Dunbar which favour'd it The same day he marcheth against 3000. of the Kings forces neare Edenburgh fainteth in his businesse and gets away to the borders Queen Elizabeth sets out a proclamation against him yet presseth the King for proscription of Papists The Lords are but few that meet expresse some reluctance at it The Ministers Burgers are many which vote it take their armes downe out of the windowes c. Argile is sent against them beaten The King drawes toword them permits three of Huntley's houses to be pull'd downe Huntley escapes to his Aunt in Sutherland thence into France These were Huntley's notorious crimes multiplied outrages which cryed up to the God of heaven Out of which let the world judge what reason the Ministers those mercifull men of God had to give such warning crie to the Iudges of the earth to shed his bloud That appearance with display'd banner against the King in person should be made an article against him by Mr. Baylie a loyal peaceable assertour of ten yeares armed rebellion in three Kingdomes I dare not adventure my spleen to discourse on but in Mr. Baylies language hope by his good advise the Prelates will no more Lull ' Princes asleep in such a sinfull neglect of their charge but breake off their slumber by wholesome seasonable admonitions from the word of God such as that Prov. 10. A wise King seatercth the wicked bringeth the wheel over them Or what other texts their Lordships better know applicable to the most just necessarie chastisment of schismatikes Rebells About E. Angus Errol you thinke your selfe not concern'd to make answer because your brother Presbyter Mr. Rob. Bruce gave King Iames leave to recall them but with this considerable sentence against E. Huntley Well Sir you may doe as you list But chuse you you shall not have me the E. Huntley both for you Pretie humble soules who can weigh downe the chiefest Earles in the ballancing of a state In the next paragraph you dawbe with untemper'd morter such as can never keep the Kings right to any Ecclesiastike revenue the claime of the Discipline together For having comprehended in the patrimonie of the Kirke all things without exception given or to be given to that the service of God All such things as by law or custome or use of Countreys have been applied to the use utilitie of the Kirke 2. book Disc. ch 9 And call'd them theeves murderers without exception of persons that alienate any part of this patrimonie 1. books Disc 6. head you are the innocent dove that here bring us newes That the Church never spoyld the King of any tithes while those birds of spoyle your forefathers have left him neither eare nor straw to possesse But to deale with you at your owne weapon in your words If the King never had any first fruits then as the Bishop sayth you are the Popes that with-held it by you that were the Reformers was that point of papacie maintained If he neither had nor demanded to what purpose toke you such paines to obtaine in favour of the Church to have it declar'd in Parliament That all benesices of cure under Praelacies shall in all time coming be fee of the first yeares fruits fift penie the Ministers have their significations of presentation past at the Privie seale upon His Majesties owne subscription his secretaries onelie without any payment or caution to his Treasurer for the sayd first fruits fift penie About tithes you say His Majestie the Church had never any controversie in Scotland How agrees this with your Declaratour in his appendix to the maintenance of your sanctuarie When the minor-age of a good King had been abused to the making of a law whereby the most of these rents first fruits Tithes the lands belonging to Bishoprikes were annexed to the crowne the Church very earnestlie do labour for restitution never gave over till these lawes were repealed If you review your records you will finde in the yeare 1588. that you had a plea with which you call an earnest suit to His Majestie about patronages such considerable opposition as put you upon inhibiting all commissioners Presbyteries to give collation or admission to any person praesented by authoritie from the King And to omit many a greater you had before with the Queen Anno 1565 The Nobilitie Gentrie were more beholding to your impotencie then patience for peace What gracious men yon have shewd your selves since your Rebell-Parliament got that incumbent power into your hands your congregations would speake if they durst whom you feed with the bread of violence with that you cover them as a garment So that whether the Presbyterie be not as good patrons of the people as they are vassals to the King need never more be quaestion'd in Scotland Whether by the wickednesse of Praelates or Presbyters the King Church were cousin'd of the tither will appeare by them that bragg'd most when they were most endanger'd by the sequestring the other patrimonie from the Church which I finde to be the Presbyters that could not keep councel but boasted they had given a seasonable blow unto the Bishops That legitimate power in the Magistrate the Bishop pleades for King James never declared to be a sinne against Father Son or Holy Ghost nor did ever the patrons of Episcopacâ—…e oppose it That changeling you here substitute in the roome calls you Father by the ridiculous posture in which it stands your friend Didoclave had more ingenuitie then to inferre a claime to the power of preaching celebrating the Sacraments upon the power of iurisdiction over Ecclesiastical persons derived upon the King from his praedecessours in England given them by a statute Verba statuti de jurisdictione non de simplici functionum sacrarum administratione intelligenda esse quis dubitat The well grounded consequences which you call Castles in the aire will hereafter batter your Presbyterie to the ground when Princes shal retract their too liberal indulgence take a courageous resolution to claime their own relie upon Gods providence to maintaine it King Iames had given you the practical meaning of his wise sentence seven yeares before he spake it at St. Andrews For as you may very well remember when His
chalenge that followes The Bishop knowes so well the historie of that time that he is faine to leave a masse of horrour unstampt in his thoughts conceiving it uncapable of any due impression by his words And whosoever shall looke upon Scotland at that time shall finde it to be nefandi conscium monstri locum a place that had bred such an hideous monster as neither Hircania Seythia nor any of her Northerne sisterhood would foster Not long before when the Queen was great with child of that Prince to whom you professe so much tendernesse soon after not valuing the hazard of that Royal Embryo you hale her Secretarie her principal servant of trust from her side and murder him at her doore Because the King would not take upon him the praerogative guilt of that cruel murder according to the instructions you had given him you finde him uselesse must have him too dispatchd out of the way which was done though not by the hands by the know'n contrivance of Murray in his bed his corps throw'n out of doores and the house blow'n up with gunpowder where he lay To get a praetense for seizing upon the yong Prince you make the Queen and E. Bothwell because her favourite principals in the murder of his father possesse the people with jealousie of the like unnatural crueltie intended to him Hauing got the Royal infant in your hands you not onelie null the Regencie of his mother vou worke all the villanie you could thinke on against her person in his name and make him before he knew that he was borne act in your blacke or bloudie habits the praevious parts of a matricide in his cradle In order hereunto the Queen as you say was declared for Poperie which requires some Presbyterian Rebell glossarie to explaine it there being no such expression to be found in the language of any orthodoxe loyal Christians in the world In this conjuncture of wickednesse that no other way of safetie was conceivable for your Protesting and Banding religion but a continued rebellion no other to make sure of the infant King for your prisoner the Kingdome your vassal but by such a grand combination in treason may be granted at sight of your several praeceding desperate exploits For this end your General Assemblie might crave conference with such of the secret Councel who were as publike Kebells as your selves That your advice was mutual whose end and interest was the same is not to be doubted saving that we may observe such godlie motions to spring first from the vertuous Assemblie as you confesse touching this Your call was in much more hast then good speed and your considerable persons conven'd a great deale more frequentlie then they covenanted Argile that did slept not wel the next night nor was he well at ease the day after till he had reveald your treason to the Queen Knox tells you That the people did not joine to the lords and diverse of the Nobles were adversaries to the businesse Others stood Neuters The slender partie that subscribed your bond began to distrust were thinking to dissolve and leave off the enterprise a confessed casualtie gave up the Victorie with the Queenes person unhapilie into your hands This mixed extraordinarie Assemblie had litle sincere or ordinarie maners to call that a Parliament which was none having no commission nor proxie from their Soveraigne and to make it one chiefe article in their bond to defend or endeavour to ratifie those Acts which their Soveraigne would not when the lord St. Iohn caried them into France But they persisted in the same rebellious principle professing in terminis that tender to have been but a shew of their dutifull obedience And that they beg'd of them their King and Queen not any strength to their Religion which from God had full power and needed not the suffrage of man c. They are Knox's words which were there no other evidence are enough to convince any your aequitable comparers That the just authoritie of Kings and Parliaments in making Acts or lawes is in consistent with the Presbyterian government Which is the summe of the controversie in hand No secret Councel especiallie if in open rebellion can impower an Assemblie to issue letters of summons when their Prince's publike proclamation disclaimes it The greatest necessitie can be no colour to that purpose Though what srivoulous ideas of great necessities the Presbyterie can frame we may judge by their late procedings in our time Your religion and liberties seem then to have been in no such evident hazard as you talke of if they were you may thanke your selves who had the Royal offer of securitie to both the Queen onelie conditioning craving with teares the like libertie of conscience to her selfe The life of the yong King was daylie indeed in visible danger from the hands of them who had murderd his father and ravished the crowne or Regencie from his mother but who they were I have told you In such an ambiguous time men of any wisdome other then that which is carnal and worldlie and so follie before God would have betaken them selves to their prayers teares men of courage and pietie would have waited the effects of providence and not so distrust fullie deceitfullie peic'd it with their owne strength From such lovers of Religion as contest covenant depose murder as rage ruin proscribe excommunicate Libra Reges Regiones Domme Good Lord deliver Kings countreyes from them all Fortis est ut 〈◊〉 dilectio jura sicut infernus amulatio Their love is strong as death in the letter their jealousie is cruel as the grave The coales thereof are coales of fire which have a most vehement flame No waters of widowes or orphans teares canquench it No flouds of innocent bloud can drowne it It 's not unlikelie the Praelates resolution may be That when a most wicked companie of villaines had deposed two Queenes and killed one King endeavourd to smother the spotlesse Majestie of a Royal Son with the fowle guilt of their injurie done to his Gracious Mother which they cast enviouslie upon his name And after these to draw a Nation and Church under the airie notion of a true Religion never establishd by Law of God norman into a Covenanting Rebellion And a free kingdome under a legal Monarchie into an illegal oppressive tyrannie That in this case there ough to be a general meeting of Church and state to vindicate Majestie lawes libertie and provide remedies against such extraordinarie mischiefes That the Presbyterian Scots never were nor will be of this opinion I take your word and beleeve it Take this supplement with you That E. Bothewell should kill the King to make way for Poperie and Murray before endeavour to hinder his mariage with the Queen under a praetense of a designe by that then to bring it in which historie relates will cost some paines to reconcile Errours and abuses in
Ministers reject them proclaim a fast â—…ai e a tamult in Edenburgh Petition prefer Articles The King depa teth from the Citie removeth his â—…rts oâ—… Jâ—…uice the people repent tâ—…e Ministers persist and seek to ingage the Subjects in a Covenaâ—…t for â—…utuall defence One Mâ—… Waâ—…sh in his Sermon tells the people that the King was possessed with a devil yea with seven devils that the subjeâ—…s might lawfully rise and take the sword out of his hands The Seditious incouraged from the Pulpit send a letter to the Lord Hamilton to come and be their General He noblv refuseth and sheweth their letter to the King Hereupon the Ministers are sought for to be apprehended and flie into England The Tumult is declared to be trea on by the Estates of the Kingdom I have urged this the moâ—…e largely yet as succinctly as I could to let the woâ—…ld see what dangerous Subjects these Diâ—…ciplinarians are and how inconsistent their principles be with all orderly Societies CHAP. V. That it subjects the supreme Magistrate to their censures c. FOurthly they have not onely exempted themselves in their duties of their own function from the tribunal of the Sovereign Magistrate or Supreme Senate but they have subjected him and them yea even in the discharge of the Sovereign trust to their own Consistories even to the highest censure of Excommunication which is like the cutting of a member from the body Natural or the out-lawing of a Subject in the body politick Excommunication that very engine whereby the Popes of old advanced themselves above Emperours To discipline mâ—…st all the Estates within this Rcalm be subject as well Râ—…lers as they that are ruled And elswhere all mea as well Magistrates as Inferiours ought to be subject to the judgement of General Assemblies And yet again no man that is in the Church oâ—…ght to be exempted from Ecclesiastical censires What horrid and pernicious mischiefs do use to attend the Excommunication of Sovereign Magistrates I leave to every mans memory or imagination Such courâ—…es make great Kings become cyphers and turn the tenure of a crown copie-hold ad voluntatem Dominorum Such Doctrines might better become some of the Roman Alexanders or Bonifaces or Gregoâ—…ius or Plus Quintus than such great Professours of Humility such great disclaimers of Authority who have inveighed so bitterly against the Bishops for their usurpations This was never the practice of any orthodoâ—… Bishop St. Ambrose is mistaken what he did to Theodosius was no act of Ecclesiastical jurisdiction but of Christian discretion No he was better grounded David said Against thee onely have I sinned because he was a King Our Disciplinarians abhor the name of Authority but hugge the thing their profession of humility is just like that Cardinals hanging up of a fishers net in his dining room to put him in mind of his discent but so soon as he was made Pope he took it down saying the fish was caught now there was no more need of the net CHAP. VI. That it robs the Magistrate of his Dispensative power FIfthly all supreme Magistrates do assume to themselves a power of pardoning offences and offenders where they judge it to be expedient He who believes that the Magistrate cannot with a good conscience dispence with the punishment of a penitent malefactour I wish him no greater censure than that the penal laws might be duly executed upon him until he recant his errour But our Disciplinarians have restrained this dispensative power in all such crimes as are made capital by the judicial Law as in the case of Bloud Adultery Blasphemy c. in which cases they say the offender ought to suffer death as God hath commanded And If the life be spared as it ought not to be to the offenders c. And the Magistrate ought to prefer Gods expresse commandment before his own corrupt judgement especially in punishing these crimes which he commandeth to be punished with death When the then Popish Earls of Angus Huntley and Erroll were excommunicated by the Church and forfeited for treasonable practices against the King it is admirable to read with what wisdom and charity and sweetnesse his Majesty did seek from time to time to reclaim them from their errours and by their unfeigned conversion to the reformed Religion to prevent their punishment Wherein he had the concurrence of two Conventions of Estates the one at Falkland the other at Dumfermling And on the other side to see with what bitternesse and radicated malice they were prosecuted by the Presbyterics and their Commissioners sometimes petitioning that they might have no benefit of law as being excommunicated Sometimes threatening that they were resolved to pursue them to the uttermost though it should be with the losse of all their lives in one day That if they continued enemies to God and his Truth the Countrey should not brook both them and the Lord together Sometimes pressing to have their estâ—…es confiseaâ—…d and their lives taken away Alledging for their ground that by Gods Law they had deserved death And when the King urged that the bosom of the Church should be ever open to penitent sinners they answered that the Church could not refuse their satisfaction if it was truly offered but the King was obliged to do justice What do you think of those that roar out Justice Justice now a dayes whether they be not the right spawn of these Bloud-suckers Look upon the examples of Cain Esau Ishmael Antiochus Antichrist and tell me if You ever find such supercilious cruel bloud-thirsty persons to have been pious towards God but their Religion is commonly like themselves stark naught Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruel These are some of those incroachments which our Disciplinarians have made upon the rights of all supreme Magistrates there be sundry others which especially concern the Kings of Great Brittain as the losse of his tenths first-fruits and patronages and which is more than all these the dependence of his Subjects by all which we see that they have thrust out the Pope indeed but retained the Papacy The Pope as well as they and they as well as the Pope neither barrel better herrings do make Kings but half Kings Kings of the bodies not of the souls of their Subjects They allow them some sort of judgement over Ecclesiastical persons in their civil capacities for it is little according to their rules which either is not Ecclesiastical or may not be reduced to Ecclesiastical But over Ecclesiastick persons as they are Ecclesiasticks or in Ecclesiasticall matters they ascribe unto them no judgement in the world They say it cannot stand with the word of God that no Christian Prince ever claimed or can claim to himself such a power If the Magistrate will be contented to wave his power in Ecclesiastical matters and over Ecclesiastical persons as they are such and give them leave to
do what they list and say what they list in their Pulpits in their Consistories in their Synods and permit them to rule the whole Common-wealth in order to the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ. If he will be contented to become a subordinate Minister to their Assemblies to see their decrees executed then it may be they will become his good Masters and permit him to injoy a part of his civil power When Sovereigns are made but accessaries and inferiours do become principals when stronger obligations are devised than those of a subject to his Sovereign it is time for the Magistrate to look to himself these are prognosticks of insuing storms the avant curriers of seditious tumults When supremacy lights into strange and obscure hands it can hardly contain it self within any bounds Before our Disciplinatians be well warmed in their Ecclesiastical Supremacy they are beginning or rather they have already made a good progresse in the invasion of the temporal Supremacy also CHAP. VII That the Disciplinarians cheat the Magistrate of his Civil Power in order to Religion That is their sixt in croachment upon the Magistrate and the verticall point of Jeâ—…uitisine Consider first how many civil causes thev have drawn directly into their Consistories and made them of Ecclesiastical cognisance as traâ—… in Bargaining false wâ—…ights and measures opp essing one another c. and in the case of Ministers bribery perjury theft fighting â—…sury c. Secondly consider that all offences whatsoever are made cognoscible in their Consistoâ—…ies in case of candal yea even such as are punishable by the civil sword with death If the civi sword foolishly spate the life of the offender yet may not the Kirk be negligent in their office which is to excommunicate the wicked Thirdly they ascribe unto their Ministers a liberty and power to direct the Magistrate even in the Managerie of civil affairs To govern the Common-wealth and to establish civil laws is prope to the Magistrate To interpret the word of God and from thence to she v the Magistrate his duty how he ought to govern the Common-wealth and how he ought to use the Sword is comprehended in the office of the Minister for the holy Scripture is profitable to shew what is the best government of the Common-wealth And again all the duties of the second table as well as of the first between King and Subject parents and children husbands and wives Masters and servants c. are in difficult cases a subject of cognisance and judgement to the Assemblies of the Kiâ—…k Thus they are risen up from a judgement of direction to a judgement of Jurisdiction And if any persons Magistrares or others dare act contrary to this judgement of the Assembly as the Parliament and Committee of Estates did in Scotland in the late expedition thev make it to be an unlawfull ingagement a sinfull War contrary to the Testimonies of Gods servants and decâ—…ce the parties so offending to be 〈◊〉 sperâ—…ed from the communion and from their offices in the Kirk I confesse Ministers do well to exhort Christians to be carefull honest indust ious in their special callings but fo them to meddle pragmatically with themysteries of particular trades and much more with the mysteries of State which never came within the compasse of their shallow capacities is a most audacious insolence and an insufferable pre umption They may as well teach the Pilot how to steer his course in a tempest or the Physitian how to cure the distempers of his patient But their highest cheat is that Jesuiticall invention in ordine ad spiritualia they assume a power in worldly affairs indirectly and in order to the advancement of the kingdom of Christ. The Ecclesiastical Ministery is conversant spiritually about civil things Again must not duties to God whereof the securing of religion is a main one have the Supreme and first place duties to the King a subordinate and second place The case was this The Parliament levied forces to free their King out of prison A meer civil duty But the commissioners of the Assembly declare against it unlesse the King will first give assurance under hand and seal by solemn oath that he will establish the Covenant the Presbyterian discipline c. in all his Dominions and never indeavour any change thereof least otherwise his liberty might bring their bygone proceedings about the League Covenant into question there is their power in ordine ad spiritualia The Parliament will restore to the King his negative voice A meer civil thing The commissioners of the Church oppose it because of the great dangers that may thereby come to Religion The Parliament name Officers and Commanders for the Army A meer civil thing The Church will not allow them because they want such qualifications as Gods word requires that is to say in plain terms because they were not their confidents Was there ever Church challenged such an omnipotence as this Nothing in this world is so civil or political wherein they do not interest themselves in order to the advancement of the kingdom of Christ. Upon this ground their Synod enacted that no Scotish merchants should from thenceforth traffique in any of the dominions of the King of Spain until his Majesty had procured from that King some relaxation of the rigour of the inquisition upon pain of excommunication As likewise that the Munday market at Edenburgh should be abolished It seems they thought it ministered some occasion to the breach of the Sabbath The Merchants petitioned the king to maintain the liberty of their trade He grants their request but could not protect them for the Church prosecured the poor merchants with their censures untill they promised to give over the Spanish trade so soon as they had perfected their accounts and payed their Creditors in those parts But the Shoemakers who were most interested in the Munday markets with their tumults and threatenings compelled the Ministers to retract whereupon it became a jest in the City that the Souters could obtain more at the Ministers hands than the King So they may meddle with the Spanish trade or Munday markets or any thing in order to Religion Upon this ground they assume to themselves a power to ratifie Acts of Parliament So the assembly at Edenburgh enacted That the Acts made in the Parliament at Edenburgh the 24 of August 1560 without either Commission or Proxie from their Sovereign touching Religion c. should have the force of a publick Law And that the said Parliament so far as concerned Religion should be maintained by them c. and be ratified by the first Parliament that should happen to be kept within that Realm See how bold they make with Kings and Parliaments in order to Religion I cannot omit that famous summons which this assembly sent out not onely to entreat but to admonish all persons truly professing the Lord Jesus within the Realm
to take Huntley in favour if you doe I will oppose You shall choose whether you will lose Huntly or me for us both you cannot keep It is nothing with them for a pedant to put himselfe into the ballance with one of the prime and most powerfull Peers of the Realme The poor Orthodox Clergy in the meane time shall be undone their straw shall be taken from them and the number of their bricks be doubled They shall lose the comfortable assurance of an undoubted succession by Episcopall Ordination and put it to a dangerous question whether they be within the pale of the Church They shall be reduced to ignorance contempt and beggery They shall lose an ancient Liturgy warranted in the most parts of it by all in all parts of it by the most publike formes of the Protestant Churches whereof a short time may produce a parallel to the view of the world and be enjoyned to prate and pray non-sence everlastingly For howsoever formerly they have had a Liturgy of their owne as all other Christian Churches have at this day yet now it seems they allow no prayers but extemporary So faith the information from Scotland It is not lawfull for a man to tye himself or be tyed by others to a prescript form of words in prayer and exhortation Parents shall lose the free disposition of their own children in marriage if the childe desire an husband or a wife and the parent gainst and their request and have no other cause then the common of men have to wit lack of goods or because the other party is not of birth high enough upon the childes desire the Minister is to travail with the parents and if he finde no just cause to the contrary may admit them to maerriage For the work of God ought not to be hindered by the corrupt affections of worldly men They who have stripped the father of their Countrey of his just right may make bold with fathers of families and will not stick to exclude all other fathers but themselves out of the fifth commandement The doctrine is very high but their practise is yet much more high The Presbyteries will compell the wronged parent to give that childe as great a portion as any of his other children It will be ill newes to the Lawyerrs to have the moulter taken away from their Mills upon pretence of scandall or in order to Religion to have their sentences repealed by a Synod of Presbyters and to receive more prohibitions from Ecclesiasticall Courts then ever they sent thither All Masters and mistresses of families of what age or condition soever must come once a year before the Presbyter wish their housholds to be examined personally whether they be fit to receive the Sacrament in respect of their knowledge and otherwise And if they suffer their children or servants to continue in wilfull ignorance What if they cannot help it they must be excommunicated It is probable the persons catechised could often better instruct their Catechists The common people shall have an High-Commission in every parish and groan under the Arbitrary decâ—…ees of ignorant unexperienced Governours who know no Law but their own wills who observe no order but what they list from whom lyes no appeale but to a Synod which for the shortnesse of its continuance can afford which for the condition of the persons wil afford them little relief If there arise a private jar between the parent and the child or the husband and the wife these domesticall Iudges must know it and censure it Scire volunt secreta doâ—…us atque inde timeri And if there have been any suit or difference between the Pastor and any of hi flock or between Neighbour and Neighbour be sure it will not be forgotten in the sentence The practice of our Law hath been that a Iudge was rarely permitted to ride a circuit in his owne countrey least private interest or respects might make him partiall Yet a Country is much larger then a Parish and a grave learned Iudge is presumed to have more temper then such home-bred fellowes Thus wee see what a Pandoras box this pretended holy Discipline is full of manifold mischiefes and to all orders of men most pernicious CHAP. XIII That the Covenant to introduce this Discipline is void and wicked with a short Conclusion BVt yet the conscience of an Oath sticks deep Some will plead that they have made a Covenant with God for the introduction of this Discipline Oaths and Vowes ought to be made with great judgement and broken with greater My next task therefore must be to demonstrate this clearly that this Covenenant is not binding but meerly void and not onely void but wicked so as it is necessary to break it and impious to observe it The first thing that cracks the credit of this new Covenant is that it was devised by strangers to the dishonour of cur Nation imposed by Subjects who wanted requisite power upon their Soveraign and fellow-subjects extorted by just feare of unjust sufferings So as a may truly say of many who took this Covenant that they sinned in pronouncing the words with their lips but never consented with their hearts to make any vow to God Again error and deceit make those things voluntary to which they are incident especially when the errourâ—…s nor meerly negative by way of concealement of truth when a man knowes not what he doth but positive when he beleeves he doth one thing and doth the clean contrary and that not about some inconsiderable accidents but about the substantiall conditions As if a Physitian either out of ignorance or malice should give his Patient a deadly poyson under the name of a cordial and bind him by a solemn oath to take it the Oath is void necessary to be broken unlawfull to be kept if the patient had known the truth that it was no cordiall that it was poyson he would not have swom to take it Such an errour there is in the Covenant with a witnesse to gull men with a strange unknown lately devised platforme of Discipline most pernicious to the King and Kingdom as if it were the very institution of Christ of high advantage to the King and Kingdom to gull them with that Covenant which King James did sometimes take as if that and this were all one whereas that Covenant issued out by the Kings Authority this Covenant without his Authority against his Authority that Covenant was for the Lawes of the Realm this is against the Lawes of the Realm that was to maintain the Religion established this to overthrow the Religion established But because I will not ground my Discourse upon any thing that is disputable either in matter of Right or Fact And in truth because I have no need of them I sorgive them these advantages onely with this gentle memento That when other forraign Churches and the Church of Scotland it self as appeares by their publike Liturgy used in those
this without and before any Parliament must be very consistent with conscience honor and all good reason Yea to bind up the soule of the most sweet and ingenuous of Princes in their chaines of their slavery for ever they have fallen upon a most rare trick which hardly the inventions of all their praedecessors can pararel They rest not satisfied that for the upholding of their ambition and greed they did harden our late Soveraigne to his very last in their Errours and without compassion did dryve him on to his satal praecipice unles they make him continue after his death to cry loud every day in the eares of his Son in his later will and testament to follow him in that same way of ruine rather then to give over to serve the lu◅ts of the praelaticall clergy They have gathered together his Majesties last papers and out of them have made a book whereupon their best pens have dropped the greatest eloqution reason and devotion was among them by way of essayes as it were to frame the heart of the Son by the fingers of the dying Father to piety wisedome patience and every virtue but ever anone to let fall so much of their own ungracious dew as may irrigat the seeds of their praelaticall Errors and Church interest so farre as to charge him to perseveer in the maintainance of Episcopall governement upon all hazards without the change of any thing except a little p. 278. and to assure that all Covenanters are of a faction engaged into a Religious rebellion who may never be trusted till they have repented of their Covenant and that till then never lesse loyalty justice or humanity may be expected from any then from them that if hee stand in need of them hee is undone for they will devoure him as the Serpent does the dove These and the like pernicious maximes framed by an Episcopall hand of purpose to separat for ever the King from all his covenanted subjects how farr they were from the heart language and wrytings of our late Soveraigne all who were aquainted with his carriage and most intime affections at New-Castle in the Isle of Wight and thereafter can testify But it is reason when the Praelats doe frame an image of a King that they should have liberty to place their owne image in its forheade as the statuary of old did his in the Boss of Pallas targe with such arti◅ice that all her worshipers were necessitat to worship him and that no hand was able to destroy the one without the dissolution and breaking in peeces of the other yet our Praelats would know that in this age there be many excellent Engyneers whose witty practicks transcend the most skilfull experiments of our Auncestors and what ever may be the ignorance or weaknes of men wee trust the breath of our Lords mouth will not faile to blow out the Bishop from the Kings armes without any detriment at all to royalty Allwayes the wicked and impious cunning of these craftsemen is much to be blamed who dare be bold to insert and engrave themselfes so deeply in the images of the Gods as the one cannot be intended to be picked out of the other more then the Aple from the eye unles the subsistance of both be put in hazard The other matter of his rayling against us is the solemne league and covenant when this nimble and quick enough Doctor comes assisted with all the reasons the whole University of Oxford can afford him to demonstrat it as he professes in his last Chapter to be wicked false void and what not wee find his most demonstrative proofes to be so poor and silly that they infere nothing of his conclusion To this day no man has shewed any errour in the mater of that covenant as for our framing and taking of it our adversaries drave us thereunto with a great deale of necessity and now being in it neither their fraud nor force may bring us from it againe for we feare the oath of God After much deliberation we found that covenant the soveraigne meanes to joyne and keep together the whole orthodox party in the three Kingdomes for the defence of their Religion and Liberties which a popish praelaticall and malignant faction with all their might were overtarning who still to this day are going on in the same designe without any visible change in the most of their former principles And why should any who loves the King hate this covenant which is the straytestty the world can devise to knit all to him and his posterity if so be his Majestie might be pleased to enter therein but by all meanes such a mischiefe must be averted for so the roote of Episcopacy would quickly wither without any hope of repullulation an evill farr greater in the thoughts of them who now mannage the conscience of the Court thē the extirpation of Monarchy the eversion of all the three Kingdomes or any other earthly misery As for the third subject of the Warners fury against us our unkindnes to the late King if any truth were in this false challenge no other creature on earth could be supposed the true cause thereof but our unhappy praelats all our grievances both of Church and State first and last came principally from them had they never been authors of any more mischiefe then what they occasioned to our late Soveraigne his person family and Dominions this last dozn of yeares there is abundant reason of burying that their praeter and Antiscripturall order in the grave of perpetuall infamy But the truth is beside more auncient quarrels since the dayes of our fathers the Albigenses this limb of Antichrist has ever been witnessed against Wickleif Huss and their followers were zealous in this charge till Luther and his disciples got it flung out of all the reformed world except England where the violence of the ill advised princes did keep it up for the perpetuall trouble of that land till now at last it hath well neare kicked downe to the ground there both Church and Kingdome As for the point in hand we deny all unkindnes to our King whereof any reasonable complaint can be framed against us Our first contests stand justified this day by King and Parliament in both Kingdomes When his Majestie was so ill advised as to bring downe upon our borders an English army for to punish our refusing of a world of novations in our Religion contrary to the lawes of God and of our country what could our land doe lesse then lie downe in their armes upon Dunce law for their just and necessary defence when it was in their power with ease to haue dissipat the opposit army they shew themselves most ready upon very easy conditions to goe home in peace and gladly would have rested there had not the furious Bishops moved his Majestie without all provocation to breake that first peace and make for a second invasion of Scotland only to
second their unreasonable rage was it not then necessary for the Scots to arme againe when they had defeate the Episcopall Army and taken New-castle though they found nothing considerable to stand in their way to London yet they were content to lie still in Northumberland and upon very meane tearnes to returne the second time in peace For all this the praelats could not give it over but raised a new Army and filled England with fire and sword yea well neere subdued the Parliament and their followers and did almost accomplish their first designes upon the whole Isle The Scots then with most earnest and pitifull entreaties were called upon by their Brethren of England for helpe where unwilling that their brethren should perish in their sight and a bridge should be made over their carcasses for a third warre upon Scotland when after long tryall they had found all their intercessions with the King for a moderat and reasonable accommodation slighted and rejected they suffered themselves to be perswaded to enter in covenant with their oppressed and fainting brethren for the mantainance of the common cause of Religion and liberty but with expresse Articles for the preservation of royalty in all its just rights in his Majestie and his posterity what unkindnes was heer in the Scots to their King When by Gods blessing on the Scotes helpe the opposit faction was fully subdued his Majestie left Oxford with a purpose for London but by the severity of the ordinances against his receivers he diverted towards Linn to ship for Holland or France where by the way fearing a discovery and surprise he was necessitate to cast himselfe upon the Scotes army at New-wark upon his promise to give satisfaction to the propositions of both Kingdomes he was received there and to New-castle here his old oathes to adhaere unto Episcopacy hindred him to give the expected satisfaction At that time the prime leaders of the English army were seeking with all earnestnes occasion to fall upon the Scots much out of heart and reputation by Iames Grahame and his Irishes incursions most unhappy for the Kings affaires Scotland at that time was so full of divisions that if the King had gone thither they were in an evident hazard of a present war both within among themselfes and without from England our friends in the English Parliament whom we did and had reason to trust assured us that our taking the King with us to Scotland was the keeping of the Sectarian Army on foot for the wracke of the King of Scorland of the Presbyterian party in England as the sending of his Majestie to one of his houses neer London upon the faith of the Parliament of England was the only way to get the Sectaryes disarmed the King and the people settled in a peace upon such tearmes as should be satisfactory both to the King and the Scots and all the wel-affected in England This being the true case was it any either unjustice unkindnes or imprudence in the Scots to leave the King with his Parliament of England was this a selling of him to his enemies the monyes the Scots received at their departure out of England had no relation at all to the King they were scarce the sixth parte of the arreares due to them for bygon service they were but the one halfe of the sume capitulat for not only without any reference to the King but by an act of the English Parliament excluding expresly from that Treaty of the armies departure all consideration of the disposall of the Kings person The unexpected evills that followed in the Armies rebellion in their seasing on London destroying the Parliament murthering the King no mortall eye could have forseen The Scots were ever ready to the utmost of their power to have prevented all these mischiefes with the hazard of what was dearest to them notwithstanding of all the hard measure they had often received both from the King and the most of their friends in England That they did not in time and unanimously stur to purpose for these ends they are to answer it to God who were the true Authors the innocency of the Church is cleered in the following treatise Among the many causes of these miseries the prime fountaine was the venome of Episcopall principles which some serpents constantly did infuse by their speaches and letters in the eares and heart of the King to keep him of from giving that satisfaction to his good subjects which they found most necessary and due the very same cause which ties up this day the hands of covenanters from redressing ali present misorders could they have the King to joyne with them in their covenant to quit his unhappy Bishops to lay aside his formall and dead Liturgie to cast himselfe upon the counsels of his Parliaments it were easy to prophecie what quickly would become of all his enemies but so long as Episcopall and malignant agents compasseth him about though all that comes neer may see him as lovely hopfull and promising a prince for all naturall endowments as this day breaths in Europe or for a long time has swayed a Scepter in Britaine yet while such unlucky birds nest in his Cabin and men so ungraciously principled doe daily besiege him what can his good people doe but sit downe with mournfull eyes and bleeding hearâ—…s till the Lord amend these otherwise remediles and insuperable evills but I hold heer least I transgresse to farr the bounds of an Epistle I account it an advantage to have your Lordship my judge in what heere and in my following treatise I spake of Religion the liberties of our country and the Royall Family I know non fitter then your Lordship both to discerne and decerne in all these matters Me thinks I may say it without flattery which I never much loved either in my selfe or others that among all our Nobles for constancy in a zealous profession for exemplary practise in publick and privat duties the mercy of God has given to your Lordship a reputation second to none And for a rigid adhaerence to the Rights and Priviledges of your Country according to that auncient disposition of your most Noble Family noted in our Historians especially that Prince of them Georg Buchanan the Tutor of your Grand-Father I know none in our Land who wil pretend to goe before you and for the affairs of the King your interest of blood in the Royall Family is so well known that it would be a strange impudency in me if in your audience I durst be bold wittingly to give sinistrous information Praying to God that what in the candid ingenuity true zeale of my spirit I present under your Lordships patrociny unto the eye of the World for the vindication of my mother Church and Country from the Sicophantick accusations of a Stigmatised incendiary may produce the intended effects Hague this 28 May 7 Iunie 1649. I rest your Lordships in all Christian duety R. B. G.
ever more guilty of that fault then the praelats of England and Ireland did they ever censure their own officialls for the pronouncing of that terrible sentence most profanly against any they would had it been for the non-payment of the smallest summes of mony As for the Scotes their doctrine and practise in the point of excommunication is as considerat as any other church in the world that censure in Scotland is most rare and only in the case of obstinacy in a great sin what ever be their doctrine in generall with all other Christians and as I think with the praelaticall party themselves that the object of Christian doctrine Sacraments and disciplin is one and the same and that no member of Christ no sone of the Church may plead a highnes above admonitions and Church censures yet I know they never thought it expedient so much as to intend any processe of Church animadversion against their Soveraigne To the worlds end I hope they shal not have againe greater grievances and truer causes of citation from their Princes then they have had already It may be confidently beleeved that they who upon so pregnant occasions did never so much as intend the beginning of a processe against their King can never be supposed in danger of any such proceeding for time to come How ever we love not the abused ground of the Warners flattering of Princes to their owne great hurt is it so indeed that all the sins of princes are only against God that all Kings are not only above all lawes of Church and State but when they fall into the greatest crimes that the worst of men have ever committed that even then their sins must not be against any man or against any law such Episcopall doctrin spurrs on princes to these unhappy praecipies and oppressed people unto these outrages that both fall into inextricable calamities CHAP. VI. It grieves the Praelats that Presbyterians are faithfull Watchmen to admonish Princes of their duty THE sixth Chapter is spent on an other crime of the Presbytery it makes the Presbiters cry to the Magistrat for justice upon capitall offenders Ans. What hes Presbytery to doe with this matter were it never so great an offence will the Warner have all the faults of the praelaticall faction flow from the fountaine of Episcopacy this unconsequentiall reasoning will not be permitted to men below the degrees of Doctors But was it a very great crime indeed for Ministers to plead the cause of the fatherlesse and widowes yea the cause of God their Master and to preach unto Magistrats that according to Scriptures murtherers ought to die and the Land bee purged from the staine of innocent blood when the shamefull impunity of murther made Scotland by deadly feuds in time of peace a feild of warre and blood was it not time for the faithfull servants of God to exhort the King to execute justice and to declare the danger of most frequent pardons drawne from his hand often against his heart by the importunity and deceitfull information of powerfull solicitors to the great offence of God against the whole land to the unexpressible griefe and wrong of the suffering party to the opening also of a new floodgate of more blood which by a legall revenge in time easily might have been stopped Too much pitty in sparing the wilfull shedders of innocent blood ordinarlie proves a great cruelty not only towards the disconsolat oppressed who cry to the vicegerents of God the avenger for justice in vaine but also towards the soule of him who is spared and the life of many more who are friends either to the oppressor or oppressed As for the named case of Huntly let the world judge whether the Ministers had reason often to give Warning against that wicked man and his complices Beside his apostacy and after-seeming-repentance his frequent relapses into avowed popery in the eighty eight he banded with the King of Spaine to overthrow the religion and government of the whole Iland and after pardon from time to time did renew his treasonable plots for the ruine of Britain hee did commit many murders he did invade under the nose of the King the house of his Cousin the Earle of Murray and most cruelly murdered that gallant Nobleman hee appeared with displayed Banner against the King in person he killed thereafter many hundreds of the Kings good people when these multiplyed outrages did cry up to the God of heaven was is not time for the men of God to cry to the judges of the earth to doe their duty according to the warrant of many Scriptures what a dangerous humour of flattery is this in our Praelats not only to lull asleep a Prince in a most sinfull neglect of his charge but also to cry out upon others more faithfull then themselves for assaying to breake of their slumber by their wholesome and seasonable admonitions from the word of God The nixt challenge of the Scotes Presbyters is that they spoile the King of his Tythes first fruits patronage and dependence of his subjects Ans. The Warner understands not what he writes the Kings Majestie in Scotland never had never craved any first fruits the Church never spoiled the King of any Tythes some other men indeed by the wickednesse most of Praelats and their followers did cousin both the King and the Church of many Tythes but his Majestie and the Church had never any controversie in Scotland about the Tythes for the King so far as concerned himselfe was ever willing that the Church should enjoy that which the very act of Parliament acknowledgeth to bee her patrimony Nor for the patronages had the Churh any plea with the King the Church declared often their minde of the iniquity of patronages wherein they never had from the King any considerable opposition but from the Nobility and gentry the opposition was so great that for peace-sake the Church was content to let patronages alone till God should make a Parliament lay to heart what was incumbent for gracious men to doe for liberating congregations from their slavery of having Ministers intruded upon them by the violence of Patrones Which now at last blessed be God according to our mind is performed As for the dependence of any vassals upon the King it was never questioned by any Presbyterian in Scotland What is added in the rest of the Chapter is but a repetition of that which went before to wit the Presbyters denying to the King the spirituall government of the Church and the power of the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven such an usurpation upon the Church King James declared under his hand as at length may be seen in the Historicall vindication to be a sinne against the Father Son and Holy Ghost which puts in the hand of the Magistrat the power of preaching and celebrating the Sacraments a power which since that time no Magistrat in Britaine did assume and if any would have
by the Church for the rectifying of that action which as it stood in the state and management was cleerly foretold to be exceeding like to destroy the King and his friends of all sorts in all the three Kingdomes The irreparable losses and unutterable calamities which quickly did follow at the heeles the misbeleefe and contempt of the Lords servants and the great danger religion is now brought unto in al these Kingdomes hes I suppose long agoe brought griefe enough to the heart of them whose unadvised rashnes and intemperate fervour did contribute most for the spoiling of that designe The first desire about that engagement which the Warner gives to us concernes the security of religion In all the debate of that matter it was aggreed without question upon all hands that the Sectarian party deserved punishment for their wicked attemptes upon the Kings persone contrary to the directions of the Parliamentes of both Kingdomes and that the King ought to be rescued out of their hands and brought to one of his houses for perfecting the treaty of peace which often had been begunne but here was the question Whither the Parliament and Army of Scotland ought to declare their resolutiones to bring his Majestie to London with honour freedome and safty before he did promise any security for establishing Religion The Parliaments of both Kingdomes in all their former treaties had ever pressed upon the King a number of propositions to be signed by his Majestie before at all he came to London was it then any fault in the Church of Scotland to desire the granting but of one of these propositions concerning Religion and the covenant before the King were brought by the new hazard of the lives and estats of all the Scottish nation to sit in his Parliament in that honnor and freedome which himselfe did desire There was no complaint when many of thirty propositions were pressed to be signed by his Majestie for satisfaction and security to his people after so great and long desolations how then is an out-cry made when all other propositions are postponed and only one for Religion is stuck upon and that not before his Majesties rescue and deliverance from the hands of the sectaries but only before his bringing to London in honor freedom and safety This demande to the Warner is a crime and may be so to all of his beleefe who takes it for a high unjustice to restraine in any King the absolute power by any condition for they doe mantaine that the administration of all things both of Church and state does reside so freely and absolutly in the meere will of a Soveraigne that no case at any time can fall out which ought to bound that absolutnesse with any limitation The second particular the Warner pitches upon is the Kings negative voyce behold how criminous we were in the point When some most needlesly would needs bring into debate the Kings negative voyce in the Parliament of England as one of the royall praerogatives to bee maintained by our engagement it was said that all discourse of that kynde might bee laid aside as impertinent for us if any debate should chance to fall upon it the proper place of it was in a free Parliament of England that our Lawes did not admit of a negative voyce to the King in a Parliament of Scotland and to presse it now as a prerogative of all Kings besides the reflection it might have upon the rights of our Kingdome it might put in the hand of the King a power to deny all and every one of these things which the Parliaments of both Kingdomes had found necessary for the setling the peace in all the three dominions Wee marvail not that the Warner heere should taxe us of a great errour seeing it is the beleefe of his faction that every King hath not onely a negative but an absolute affirmative voyce in all their Parliaments as if they were nothing but their arbitrary counsels for to perswade by their reasons but not to conclude nor impede any thing by their votes the whole and intire power of making or refusing Lawes being in the Prince alone and no part of it in the Parliament The Warners third challenge against us about the ingagement is as if the Church had taken upon it to nominate the officers of the army and upon this he makes his invectives Ans. The Church was farre from seeking power to nominate any one officer but the matter was thus when the State did require of them what in their judgement would give satisfaction to the people and what would encourage them to goe along in the ingagement one and the last parte of their answer was that they conceived if a Warre shal be found necessarie much of the peoples encouragement would depend upon the qualification of the commanders to whom the mannaging of that great trust should be committed for after the right stating of the Warre the nixt would be the carying on of it by such men who had given constante proofe of their integrity To put all the power of the Kingdome in their hande whose by past miscariadges had given just occasion to suspect their designes and firmenesse to the interest of God before their owne or any other mans would fill the hearts of the people with jealousies and feares and how wholsome an advice this was experience hath now too cleerly demonstrate To make the world know our further resolutiones to medle with civile affaires the Warner is pleased to bring out against us above 80 yeares old stories and all the stuffe which our malicious enemy Spotsewood can furnish to him from this good author he alledges that our Church discharged merchants to traffique with Spaine and commanded the change of the mercat dayes in Edenburgh Ans. Both these calumnies are taken of at length in the Historicall Vindication After the Spanish invasion of the yeare eighty eight many in Scotland kept correspondence with Spaine for treacherous designes the Inquisitors did seduce some and persecute others of our merchants in their traffique the Church did deale with his Majestie to interceed with the Spanish King for more liberty to our country men in their trading and in the meane time while an answer was returned from Madrile they advertised the people to be warry how they hazarded their soules for any worldly gaine which they could find about the inquisitors feet As for the mercat dayes I grante it was a great griefe to the Church to see the sabbath day profaned by handy labour and journeying by occasion of the munday-mercats in the most of the great tounes for remedie heerof many supplications have been made by the Assembly to the Parliament but so long as our Bishops satte there these petitiones of the Church were alwayes eluded for the praelats labour in the whole Iland was to have the sunday no Sabbath and to procure by their Doctrine and example the profanation of that day by all sorts of playes
The fourth hurt is that every ordinary Presbyter wil make himselfe a Noblemans fellow Ans. No where in the World does gracious Ministers though meane borne men receive more respect from the Nobility then in Scotland neither any where does the Nobility and gentry receive more duely their honour then from the Ministers there That insolent speach fathered on Mr. Robert Bruce is demonstrat to be a fabulous calumny in the historicall vindication How ever the Warner may know that in all Europe where Bishops have place it hes ever at least these 800 yeares been their nature to trample under foot the highest of the Nobility As the Pope must be above the Emperour so a little Cardinal Bellarmin can tell to King Iames that hee may well be counted a companion of any Ilander King were the Bishops in Scotland ever content till they got in Parliament the right hand and the nearest seates to the throne and the doore of the greatest Earles Marquesses and duks was it not Episcopacy that did advance poore and capricious pedants to strive for the whyte staves great Seales of both Kingdomes with the prime Nobility and often overcome them in that strife In Scotland I know and the Warner will assure for England and Ireland that the basest borne of his brethren hes ruffled it in the secreet counsel in the royall Exchequer in the highest courts of justice with the greatest Lords of the Land it s not so long that yet it can be forgotten since a Bishop of Galloway had the modesty to give unto a Marquise of Argile tanta mont to a broadly in his face at the counsel table The Warner shall doe well to reckon no more with Presbyters for braving of Noblemen The nixt hee will have to bee wronged by the Presbytery are the orthodoxe clergy Ans. All the Presbyterians to him it seemes are heterodoxe Episcopacy is so necessary a truth that who denies it must be stamped as for a grievous errour with the character of heterodox The following words cleere this to be his mind they losse saith hee the confortable assurance of undoubted succession by Episcopall ordination what sence can be made of these words but that all Ministers who are not ordained by Bishops must lie under the confortlesse uncertainty of any lawfull succession in their ministeriall charge for want of this succession through the lineall descent of Bishops from the Apostles at least for want of ordination by the hands of Bishops as if unto them only the power of mission and ordination to the Ministry were committed by Christ because of this defect the Presbyterian Ministers must not only want the confort of an assured and undoubted calling to the Ministry but may very well know and be assured that their calling and Ministry is null The words immediatly following are scraped out after their printing for what cause the author lest knoweth but the purpose in hand makes it probable that the deletted words did expresse more of his mind then it was safe in this time and place to speake out it was the late doctrine of Doctor Brambles prime friends that the want of Episcopall ordination did not only annuall the calling of all the Ministers of France Holland Zwit-zerland and Germany but also did hinder all these societies to be true Churches for that popular Sophisme of the Jesuits our praelats did greedily swallow where are no true Sacraments there is no true Church and where is no true Ministry there are no true Sacraments and where no true ordination there is no true ministry and where no Bishops there is no true ordination and so in no reformed country but in England and Ireland where were true Bishops is any true Church When Episcopacy comes to this height of elevation that the want of it must annull the Ministry yea null the Church and all the Reformed at one strock is it any mervaill that all of them doe concurre together for their own preservation to abolish this insolent abaddon and destroyer and notwithstanding all its ruine have yet no disconfort at all nor any the least doubt of their most lawfull ordination by the hands of the Presbytry After all this was writen as heer it stands another copie of the Warners book was brought to my hand wherin I found the deleted line stand printed in these distinct tearmes and put it to a dangerous question whither it be within the payle of the Church the deciphering of these words puts it beyond all peradventure that what I did conjecture of the Warner and his Brethrens minde of the state of all the reformed Churches was no mis-take but that they doe truely judge the want of Episcopall ordination to exclude all the Ministers of other Reformed Churches and their flocks also from the lines of the true Church This indeed is a most dangerous question for it stricks at the root of all If the Warner out of remorse of conscience had blotted out of his book that errour the repentance had been commendable But he hes left so much yet behind unscraped out as does shew his minde to continue what it was so that feare alone to provoke the reformed heere at this unseasonable time seemes to have been the cause of deleting these too cleare expressions of the praelaticall tenet against the very being and subsistence of all the Protestant Churches which want Episcopacy when these mē doe still stand upon the extreame pinacle of impudency and arrogance denying the Reformed to be true Churches and without scuple averring Rome as shee stands this day under the counsel of Trent to be a Church most true wherin there is an easy way of salvation from which all separation is needlesse and with which are-union were much to be desired That gracious faction this day is willing enough to perswade or at least to rest content without any opposition that the King should of himselfe without and before a Parliament though contrary to many standing Lawes grant under his hand and seale a full liberty of Religion to the bloody Irish and to put in their hands both armes Castles and prime Places of trust in the State that the King should give assurance of his endeavour to get all these ratified in the nixt Parliament of England these men can heare with all moderation and patience but behold their furious impatience their whole art and industry is wakned when they heare of any appearance of the Kings inclination towards covenanting Protestants night and day they beate in his Majesties head that all the mischieves of the world does lurke in that miserable covenant that death and any misfortune that the ruine of all the Kingdomes ought much rather to bee imbraced by his Majestie then that prodigious Monster that very hell of the Covenant because forsooth it doth oblige in plane tearmes the taker to endeavour in his station the abolition of their great Goddesse praelacy The nixt hurt of Ministers from the Presbytry is that by it they
are brought to ignorance contempt and beggery Ans. Whither Episcopacy or Presbytry is the fittest instrument to avert these evills let reason or experience teach men to judge The Presbyteriall discipline doth oblige to a great deale of severer tryalls in all sort of learning requisite in a divine before ordination then doth the Episcopall let either the rule or practise of Presbyterian and Episcopall ordination be compared or the weekly Exercises and monthly disputations in Latine upon the controverted heads be looked upon which the Presbytry exacts of every Minister after his ordination all the dayes of his life for experience let the French Dutch and Scots divines who have been or yet are be compared with the ordinary generation of the English Clergie and it will be found that the praelats have not great reason so superciliously to look downe with contempt upon their Brethrens learning I hope Cartwright Whitaker Perkins Reynolds Parker Ames and other Presbyterian English were inferior in learning to none of their opposits some of the English Bishops has not wanted good store of learning but the most of them I beleeve wil be content to leave of boasting in this subject what does the Warner speake to us of ignorance contempt and Beggery does not all the world know that albeit some few scarce one of twenty did brook good benefices yea plurality of them whereby to live in splendor at Court or where they listed in their non-residency neverthelesse it hath been much complained that the greatest parte of the priests who had the cure of soules thorow all the Kingdome of England were incomparably the most ignorant beggerly and contemptible clergy that ever have been seen in any of the reformed Churches neither did we ever heare of any great study in the Praelats to remeed these evils albeit some of them be provident enough for their owne families Doctor Bramble knowes who had the skill before they had sitten seven yeare in their charge to purchase above fifeteen hundred pounds a yeare for themselves and their heirs what somever The third evil which the Ptesbytery brings upon Ministers is that it makes them prat and pray nonsence everlastingly Ans. It is indeed a great heartbrake unto ignorant lazy and unconsciencious Ministers to be put to the paines of preaching and prayer when a read service was wont to be all their exercise but we thought that all indifferently ingenuous men had long agoe been put from such impudence It was the late labour of the praelats by all their skill to disgrace preaching and praying without booke to cry up the Liturgy as the only service of God and to idolize it as a most heavenly and divine peece of write which yet is nought but a transcript of the superstitious breviary and idolatrous missall of Rome The Warner would doe well to consider and answer after seven years advisement Mr. Bailie his pararell of the service with the missall and Breviarie before hee presente the world with new paralels of the English liturgy with the directories of the Reformed Churches Is it so indeed that all preaching and praying without book is but a pratting of non-sence everlastingly why then continues the King and many well minded men to be deceived by our Doctors while they affirme that they are as much for preaching in their practise and opinion as the Presbyterians and for prayer without book also before and after sermon and in many other occasions it seemes these affirmations are nothing but grosse dissimulation in this time of their lownesse and affliction to decline the envy of people against them for their profane contempt of divine ordinances for wee may see heere their tenet to remaine what it was and themselves ready enough when their season shall be fitter to ring it out loud in the eares of the World that for divine service people needs no more but the reading of the liturgy that sermons on week dayes and Sundayes afternoon must all be laid aside that on the Sabbath before noone Sermon is needlesse and from the mouths of the most Preachers very noxious that when some learned Schollars are pleased on some festivall dayes to have an oration it would be short and and according to the Court paterne without all Spirit and life for edification but by all meanes it must bee provided that no word of prayer either before or after be spoken except only a bidding to pray for many things even for the welfare of the soules departed and all this alone in the words of the Lords prayer If any shall dare to expresse the desires of his heart to God in privat or publick in any words of his own framing hee is a grosse Puritan who is bold to offer to God his own nonsence rather then the auncient and well advised prayers of the holy Church The Warner is heer also mistaken in his beleefe that ever the Church of Scotland had any Liturgy they had and have still some formes for helpe and direction but no ty ever in any of them by law or practise they doe not condemne the use of set formes for rules yea nor for use in beginners who are thereby endeavouring to attaine a readinesse to pray in their family out of their owne heart in the words which Gods spirit dytes to them but for Ministers to suppresse their most confortable and usefull gift of prayer by tying their mouth unto such formes which themselves or others have composed wee count it a wrong to the giver and to him who has received the gift and to the gift and to the Church for whose use that was bestowed In the nixt place the Warner makes the Presbytry injurious to parents by marying their children contrary to their consent and forcing them to give to the disobedient as large a portion as to any other of their obedient children and that it is no mervail the Scots should doe these things who have stripped the King the father of their country of his just rights Ans. By the Warners rule all the actions of a nation where a Presbytry lodges must be charged on the back of the Presbytry II. The Parliament of Scotland denyes that they have stripped the King of his just rights while he was stirred up and keeped on by the praelaticall faction to courses destructive to himselfe and all his people after the shedding of much blood before the exercise of all parts of his royall government they only required for all satisfaction and security to religion and liberties the grant of some few most equitable demands The unhappy Praelats from the beginning of our troubles to this day finding our great demande to runne upon the abolition of their office did everpresse his Majestie to deny us that satisfaction and rather then Bishops should be laid aside they have concluded that the King himselfe and all his family and all his three Kingdomes shall perish yet with all patience the Scotes continue to supplicat and to offer not
of Scotland were the first and only framers thereof but they who gave the life and being to it in England were the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament at West-Minster by the Kings call and at that time acknowledged by his Majestie without any question about the lawfullnes of their constitution and authority these men and that Court were not I hope great strangers in England The covenant was not imposed upon the King but the Parliaments of both Kingdomes made it their earnest desire unto his Majestie that he would be pleased to joyne with them in that Covenant which they did judge to be a maine peece of their security for their Religion and liberties in all the three Kingdomes As for their imposing of it upon the subjects of England an ordinance of Parliament though the King consent not by the uncontroverted lawes of England is a sufficient authority to crave obedience of all the subjects of England during the continuance of that Parliament The last part of the demonstration is dishonorable indeed to the English Nation if it were true it was no dishonour to England to joyne with their brethren of Scotland in a Covenant for mantainance of their Religion and Liberties but for many of the English to sweare a covenant with their lippes from which their heart did dissent and upon this difference of heart and mouth to plead the nullity of the oath and to advance this plea so high as to a cleer demonstration this is such a dishonour and dishonesty that a greater cannot fall upon a man of reputed integrity Especially when the ground of the lie and perjury is an evident falshood for the covenant was not extorted from any flesh in England by feare of any unjust suffering so far was it from this that to this day it could never be obtained from the Parliament of England to enjoyne that covenant upon any by the penulty of a two pence The Warners second demonstration is no better then the first the ground of it is that all oathes are void which have deceipt and errour of the substantiall conditions incident to them This ground had need to be much better cautioned then heere it is before it can stand for a major of a clear demonstration but how is the minor proved behold how much short the Warners proofes are of his great boastings His first argument is grounded upon an evident falshood that in the Covenant we sweare the lately devised discipline to be Christs institution Ans. There is no such word nor any such matter in all the Covenant was the Warners hatred so great against that peece of write that being to make cleare demonstrations against it hee would not so much as cast his eye upon that which he was to oppugne Covenanters sweare to endeavour the reformation of England according to the word of God and the best reformed Churches but not a word of the Scotes Presbytery nor of any thing in any Church even the best reformed unlesse it be found according to the paterne of Gods holy word The second ground of his demonstration is also an evident errour that the covenant in hand is one and the same with that of King Iames. Ans. Such a fancy came never in the head of any man I know much lesse was it ever writen or spoken by any that the Covenant of King Iames in Scotland 1580 should bee one and the same with the Covenant of all the three Kingdomes 1643 whatsoever identities may appeare in the matter and similitude in the ends of both but the grossest errors are solide enough grounds for praelaticall clear demonstrations Yet heere the Warner understands not how hee is cutting his own vines his friends in Scotland will give him small thanks for attributing unto the nationall Covenant of Scotland that Covenant of King Iames these three properties that it was issued out by the Kings authority that it was for the maintenance of the Lawes of the realme and for the maintenance of the established Religion tyme brings adversaries to confesse of their own accord long denyed truthes But the Characters which the Warner inprints upon the solemne league and Covenant of the three Kingdomes wee must bee pardoned to controvert till he have taken some leasure to trie his wilde assertions First that the league is against the authority of the King secondly that it is against the Law and thirdly that it is for the overthrow of Religion The man cannot think that any should beleeve his dictats of this kind without proofe since the expresse words of that league do flatly contradict him in all these three positions His gentle memento that Scotland when they sued for aid from the crowne of England had not the English discipline obtruded upon their Church might heer have been spaired was not the English discipline and liturgy obtruded upon us by the praelats of England with all craft and force did we ever obtrude our disciplin upon the English but when they of their owne free and long deliberate choice had abolished Bishops and promised to set up Presbytery so far as they had found it agreable to the word of Cod were wee not in all reason obliged to encourage and assist them in so pious a work In the nixt words the Warner for all his great boasts finding the weaknes of all the former grounds of his seconde demonstration he offers three new ones which doubtles will doe the deid for he avowes positively that his following grounds are demonstrative yet whosoever shal be pleased to grip them with never so soft an hand shall find them all to be but vanity and wind The first after a number of prosyllogismes rests upon these two foundations first that the right of the militia resides in the King alone secondly that by the covenant the militia is taken out of the Kings hands and that every covenanter by his covenant disposes of himselfe and of his armes against the right which the King hath into him Ans. The Warner will have much adoe to prove this second so that it may be a ground of a clear demonstration but for the first that the power of the militia of England doth reside in the King alone that the two houses of Parliament have nothing at all to doe with it and that their taking of armes for the defence of the liberties of England or any other imaginable cause against any party countenanced by the Kings presence against his lawes must be altogether unlawfull if his demonstration be no clearer then the ground where upon he builds it I am sure it will not be visible to any of his opposits who are not like to be convinced of open rebellion by his naked assertion upon which alone he layes this his mighty ground Beleeve it he had need to assay its releefe with some colour of ane argument for none of his owne friends will now take it of his hand for ane indemonstrable principle since the King for
only the Presbyters it gives the King power over all persons as subjects but none at all in Ecclesiastick causes Ans. Is there in all this reasoning any thing sound First what article of the covenant beares the setting up of the Presbyterian government in England as it is in Scotland II. If the oath of supremacy import no more then what the Warners expresse words are here that the King is a civil head to see every man doe his duty in his calling let him be assured that no Presbyterian in Scotland was ever contrary to that supremacy III. That the Presbytery is a papacy and that a politicall one the Warner knowes it ought not to be graunted upon his bare word IV. That in Scotland no other governors are acknowledged then Presbyters himselfe contradicts in the very nixt words where he tells that the Scots Presbytery ascribes to the King a power over all persons as subjects V. That any Presbyterian in Scotland makes it sacriledge to give the King any power at all in any Ecclesiastick cause it is a senselesse untruth The Warners arguments are not more idle and weake then his triumphing upon them is insolent for he concludes from these wise and strong demonstrations that the poor covenant is apparently deceitfull unvalide impious rebellious and what not yea that all the learned divines in Europe wil conclude it so that all the covenanters themselfes who have any ingenuity must grant this much and that no knowing English man can deny it but his owne conscience will give him the ly Ans. If the Warner with any seriousnesse hath weighed this part of his owne write and if his mind goe along with his pen I may without great presumption pronounce his judgment to be none of the most solide His following vapours being full of aire we let them evanish only while he mentioneth our charging the King with intentions of changing the Religion and government we answer that we have been most willing alwayes to ascribe to the King good intentions but withall we have long avowed that the praelaticall party have gone beyond intentions to manifest by printed declarations and publick actions their former designe to bring Tiranny upon the States and popery upon the Churches of all the three Kingdomes and that this very write of the Warners makes it evident that this same minde yet remaines within them without the least shew of repentance So long as the conscience of the court is mannaged by men of such principles it is not possible to free the hearts of the most understanding from a great deale of Jealousy and feare to have Religion and lawes still overturned by that factione But the Warner commands us to speake to his Dilemma whither we think it lawfull or unlawfull for subjects to take armes against their prince meerly for Religion We answer that the reasons whereby he thinks to conclude against us on both sides are very poor if we shall say it is unlawfull then he makes us to condemne our selfes because our covenant testifies to the world that we have taken up armes meerly to alter Religion and that we beare no alleadgance to our King but in order to Religion which in plaine tearmes is to our owne humours and conceits Ans. There be many untruthes here in few words first how much reality and truth the Warner and some of his fellowes beleeves to be in that thing which they call Religion their owne heart knowes but it can be no great charity in him to make the Religion of all covenanters to be nothing but their owne humours and conceits Secondly it is not true that Covenanters beare no alleadgance to the King but only in order to religion III. The Parliament of England denied that they took up armes against their King though to defend themselves against the popish praelaticall and malignant faction who were about to destroy them with armes IV. They have declared that their purpose was not at all to alter Religion but to purge it from the corruptions of Bishops and ceremonies that to long had been noxious unto them V. They have oft professed that their armes were taken for the defence of their just liberties whereof the preservation and reformation of Religion was but one The other horne of his Dilemma is as blunt in pushing as the former If we make it lawfull saith he to take up armes for Religion we then justify the independents and Anabaptists wee make way for any that will plant what ever they apprehend to be true Religion by force and to cut the throat of all Magistrats who are in a contrary opinion to them that it is a ridiculous partiality for any to priviledge their own Religion as truth and Gospell Ans. Whether will these men goe at last the strength of this reason is blak atheisme that their is no realty of truth in any Religion that no man may be permitted to take his Religion for any thing more but his owne apprehension which without ridiculous folly he must not praeferre to any other mans apprehension of a contrary Religion this is much worse then the pagane Scepticisme which turned all reality of truth into a meer apprehension of truth wherein their was no certainty at all this not only turnes the most certaine truths even these divine ones of Religion into meer uncertaine conceptions but which is worse it wil have the most orthodoxe beleever so to think speake and act as if the opinions of Independents Anabaptists Turks Jews Pagans or grosse Atheists were as good true and solide as the beleefe of Moyses or Paul were of the truths revealed to them from heaven Secondly we say that subjects defence of their Religion and liberties established by Law against the violent usurpation of Papists Praelats or Malignants is not the planting of Religion by arms much lesse is it the cutting of the throats of al Magistrats who differ in any point of Religion III. In the judgement of the praelaticall party the defensive armes of the Protestants in France Holland and Germany must be al 's much condemned as the offensive armes of the Anabaptists in Munster or of the sectaries this day in England Can these men dreame that the World for their pleasure will so farre divest themselves of all Religion and reason as to take from their hands so brutish and Atheisticall maximes He concluds with a wish of a generall counsel at least of all protestant Churches for to condemne all broatchers of seditious principles Ans. All true covenanters goe before him in that desire being confident that he and his fellowes as they have declined al ready the most solemne assemblies of their owne countries upon assurance of their condemnation so their tergiversation would be al 's great if they were to answer to an oecumenick Synod What I pray would the Warner say in a counsel of protestants for the practise of his party pointed at in his last words I meane their
they could So that this straight tie can in some cases we see play fast loose the strictnesse of it whereof we have had so sad an experiment will be found onelie by the hands of the holie leaguers for such we know were the newnam'd Independents at first to bind Religion Majestie Loyaltie to the blocke then lay the axe to the root of them all stifle them from repullulating if they can Therefore they that manage the conscience whether of Court or Citie or Countrey doe well if they possesse their Religious votaries with a particular full sense of the inevitable miserie that will follow them if they be catchd in this noose advise them to whip all such sawcie beggars such Whying Covenanters from their gates The next taske of the Reuiewers Engineer-ship is to draw an out worke about the open unkindnesse treason pretilie qualisied in the terme against the observe he sayth not our late King which he makes of so large a compasse that all the Presbyterian credit he can raise will never be able to maintaine it for an houre which this skillfull officer foreseeing despaire puts him first upon a salie where the Ghosts of Wicklisfe Husse Luther with a brazen piece of falshood his Disciples are draw'n out to assault his dangerous enemie in his trench For which he knowes as well as I can tell him there are other parts of the Reformed world beside England those of Luthers Disciples that keep up Episcopacie to this day And forgetting in part what he hath sayd allreadie minding lesse what he shall babble otherwhere about the businesse he tells us here 't is the violence of ill advised Princes which when he pleaseth he makes the Policie of the Bishops themselves that hath kept up this limbe of Antichrist he meanes the Episcopal order in England Since the first Reformation whence hath come the perpetual trouble in our land the Historie of the Schismatical Puritanâ—… will sufficientlie satisfie any man that will search And how the Church Kingdome are now at last come so neare the ground the Disciplinarian practices will evidence But the Scotish Presbyterie that gave the first kicke at the miter hath since lift up the other leg against the Crowne may chance to catch the fall in the end having now much adoe to light upon its feet Having made his retreat he begins to endeavour the maintaining of his masterpiece by degrees tell us Their first contests stand justified this day by King Parliament in both Kingdomes Ans And must so stand I say not jufied till King Parliament meet once againe in either to consider whether with out a new ratification by their favour your after contests make not a just forfeiture of their gracious condescension to your first His Majestie of ever blessed memorie hath told you His charitie Act of Pacification sorbids him to reflect on former passages Which argues some such passages to have been as were not very meritorious of his favour And though his Royal charitie may silence it doth not justisie your contests by that Act. The borders of Scotland being as well His Majestics as yours though you keep to your Presbyterian style which affords no proprietie to others then themselves yeilds very litle communitie to Kings the King our borders I hope it was free for him to move toward them as he pleas'd If your resistance to the Magistrates he deputed made him for the securitie of his person come attended with an armie for his guard or if the rod axe could inflict no paenal justice by vertue of the judge's word upon a banded companie of miscreants at home therefore sent abroad to crave the regular assistance of the sword no lawes of God nor your Countrey dictates any just or necessarie defense which is nothing but an unjustifiable rebellion Nor can Dunce law so justifie your meeke lying downe in your armes but that if the King would have made his passage to you with his sword you might have justlie been by a more learned law helpt up with a halter about your necke The novations in Religion were not such a world but that two words Liturgie Canons may compasse it What was in them contrarie to the lawes of God hath a blanke margin still that requires your proofe that any were to the lawes of your Countrey will never be made good having the King Lords of the Counsel I meane those of your Kingdome that did approve them The power in your armie to dissipate the Kings is but a litle of Pyrgopolynices breath The easie conditions given you to retreat may be attributed to His Majesties mercie aversenesse from bloud not to his apprehension of your power The Kings second coming toward you with an armie was upon no furious motion of the Bishops who had no stroke in his Councel for warre but upon the fierie trial you put him to by that many flagrant provocations wherewith you other incendiaries nearer home daylie environ'd him who fearing the precedent accommodation by peace might afford respite for a farther more particular discoverie of the principal actours in contributers toward the late warre expose many considerable brethren to a legal trial notwithstanding the agreement contracted impatient ambition having allreadie been too much impeded by observing the easie conditions you mention made the first breach according to the right account first rais'd a militarie power which His Majestie had very good reason to suppresse The successe you had by your first impression upon part of His Majesties Armie at New-bourne your easie purchace of the Towne of New-Castle was not such as cleard the passage to London without the farther hazard of which you were too well payd for your stay in Northumberland instead of a rod that was due you caried too honourable a badge at your backes of His Majesties meekncsse when the second time you returned in peace What passed after your packing away to the raising of the new armie you speake of you may reade blush if you have any grace in the former part of His martyr'd Majesties booke if you have none you may as I beleeve you doe laugh in your slovenlie slecve to see your prompt scholars come to so good perfection copie your owne rebellion to the life The Bishops then were litle at leisure to looke abroad to any such purpose being happie if they could get an house for their shelter from the threats stones that flew very thicke about their cares the rabble rout at London by that time being well inform'd what effectual weapons stones stooles such like as surie on a sodaine could furnish had been against blacke gownes white sleeves at Edenburgh before That any armie could at that time be raised when the Kings Forts Magazines Militia Navie were seizd into the hands of
your Rebell brethren was a special marke of divine providence cleare in so happie successe as he that ran might then have read their ruine writ by the fingar of God had not the blacke cloud of our sinnes eclips'd that light blotted out that handwriting shour'd downe vengeance upon our heads That such earnest pitifull entreatics should be made to strengthen the arme of flesh by Gods people in Gods cause after such divine revelation that this was the appointed time wherein Christs Kingdome was to be exalted on earth that the Saints should flourish laugh sing at the downefull of that man of sinne c. Is a note me thinkes that spoyles all the harmonie of the rest That upon such earnest entreaties the Scots were oblig'd to come in is not to be found among all those easie conditions made their double former returning in peace Their feare of a third warre to passe over their brethrens carkasses to themselves is a strong argument of their guilt that their advise some other assistance had passed over the late agreement made between His Majestie them to promote that horrid rebellion against him That so many intercessions with the King for a moderate reasonable accommodation had been used by them was a relique of Poperie they kept notwithstanding the roformation they had made they did truely supercrogate in that worke no law of the three Kingdomes I take it making them umpires between the King his subjects nor is iâ—… yet revel'd to the world what divine authoritie they had as was pretended in their Remonstrance to come in the name of our Lord Master Iesus Christ to warne the King that the guilt which cleav'd so fast to his throne soul was such as if not timelie repented would involve him his postcritie under the wrath of the everliving God For how moderate how reasonable accommodation they mediated appeares in the 19 propositions to the substance of every one of which their unreasonable brethren adhaered to the end That they were at any time slighted rejected is a mere calumnie of the Reviewer ' he would have told us when where if he could That al they ask'd was not granted was upon unanswerable reasons which His Majestie render'd in his publike Declarations about the Treaties c. That they their fainting brethren were so easilie perswaded to enter into a Covenant together is no great mervaile His Majestie tells them Solemne leagues Covenants… are the common road used in all factions powerfull perturbations of state or Church… by such as ayme to subdue all to their owne will power under the disguizes of holic combinations The expresse articles in the Covenant for the praeservation of Royaltie c. are spun so fine woven so thin as that white vaile can not hide the face of that blacke rebellious divel that is under it Whereof they being conscious that had been very well acquainted with the mysterie no lesse then an whole armie together conduct us to the perfect beholding the sweet countenance of this late Baal Berith as he lies We crave say they leave to beleeve that an accommodation with the King in the way termes you are upon or any as all as the case now stands that shall implie his restitution or shall not provide for his subjection to trial judgement would first not be just before God or man but many wayes evill Secondlie would not be safe 1. The Covenant engaging to the maters of religion publike interests primarilie absolutelie marke that with out any limitation after that to the preservation of the Kings person authoritie but with this restriction marke this too viz. In the preservation of the true religion liberties of the Kingdomes In this case though a Cavallier might make it a question yet who will not rationallie resolve it That the preceding maters of religion the publike interest are to be understood as the principal supreme maters engaged for that of the Kings person authoritie as inferiour subordinate to the other 2. That where persons joyning to make a mutuall covenant if the absent parties shall oppose it the maters contein'd in it surelie that person excludes himselfe from any claime to any benefit therefrom while he continues so refusing opposing So that you see notwithstanding the expresse articles for the preservation of Royaltie His Majestie may be brought to his trial all his posteritie too when the holie brethren can catch them be murder'd at their owne gates according to the expresse sense of severall articles in the Covenant for maintenance of religion libertie And what unkindnesse was here in the Scots to their King Besides whosoever will take the paines to compare the particulars in the Scotish Remonstrance which they brought in their hands when they came in upon the Covenant with those in the accursed Court proceeding against His late Royal Majestie may be able to doe Dorislaw Steel Cooke c. some litle courtesie in their credit pleade for them that they drew not up but onelie transscribed a charge brought long since from Edenburgh to London And yet what unkindnesse was here in the Scots to their King There is yet one thing more whereof upon this mention of Remonstrance Covenant I can not but advertize my reader having but lightlie touch'd upon it before That whereas the Scots in their Covenant confesse before God the world many sinnes whereof they were guiltie for which they desire to be humbled Viz. That they had not as they ought valued the in aestimable benefit of the Gospell That they had not laboured for the puritie power thereof That they had not endeavoured to receive Christ in their hearts marke that nor to walke worthie of him in ' their lives These men tell the King in their remonstrance That they come in the name of their Lord Master Iesus Christ to warne him about the guilt of I know not what sinnes they there heape together upon his soul. A very likelie storie to beleeve That Christ had sent them into England with this covenanting paper in their hands who had shut him out of doores very latelie would not receive him into their hearts Notwithstanding all the pretended glorious successe obteined more by the name then exploits of the Scotish armie the opposite partie was not so fullie subdued but that the multitude of garrisons beside Newarke which might have cost them deare surrender'd after His Majesties leaving Oxford make a great flame in the Burning bush which your zealous friend Iohn Vicars hath kindled You will hardlie perswade any your judicious comparers of this your preface with the many treacherous practices you had used that His Majestie in the greatest necessitie would not have chosen rather to have cast himselfe into the mercilesse yet more
mercisull armes of the sea then without the strongest deliberate engagement into the perfidious more fluctuating armie of the Scots Nor yet had all your underhand oathes promises prevaild for the unhappie credulitie of a most pious prudent King if some better credit in all likelihood had not interposed it selfe which it may be was more deceiv'd then it deceived Therefore your storie about London Lin Holland France is a greater circuit then his Majestie toke in his designed journey to Newarke The promise of satisfaction that caried him thence to New-Castle might have long before been his conduct to London if Religion Reason might have been permitted to goe along which him That he gave not what you expected that is to say his Royal soul to the Divel his old oathes might very well hinder him for I pray tell me why a King as well as a Rebell may not feare the oath of God It is not unlikelie that the prime leaders of the English armie were at that time wearie of your companie who fill'd the best of their quarters did least of your service Nor that you were out of heart as wel as reputation by the signal victories to a mitacle all most obteined against you by not your companion good Sir James Grahame but the Thrice renowned Marquesse Montrosse whose proceeding had been most successefull happie may they still be for His Majesties affaires If there were such divisions in Scotland what could better compose thém then the personal presence of the King but this was not according to the Kingdomes libertie meant in the third article of the covenant In the preservation of which that is so farre as you thought fit to make consistent with which in the defense of what they call the true Religion which you tooke for granted he never intended to complie with you had fworne to defend the Kings Majesties person that is one of the forenam'd expresse articles to that purpose The hazard of a warre weighed heavier in the balance of your counsels then the hazard of his Royal person in the hands of his irrecoucileable enemies forgeting that the â—…orke of righteousnesse in performance of your promises would have been a more lasting peace the effect of that righteousnesse quietnesse assurance for ever The sectarian Armie which you scarce durst have call'd so at that time had otherworke then to goe into Scotland but that your hollow-hearted professions to the King who was in no very indifferent case to make sure conditions of advantage to himselfe made him order the surrender of his garrisons into their hands So you sav'd His Majestie from the racke to bring him to the scaffold And you with your Brother-Presbyters escap'd the like torture then but if you goe on to stretch your conscience till it cracke we shall see as well the punishment as the guilt of that murder glowing at your heart After two such accidental confessions wherein your Armie demonstrativelie shew'd themselves either false foolishlie credulous or cowards at best you reckon up several conveniences of His Majesties being in one of his houses neare London when it had been ever before pretended to the poor deluded people that he was to be brought to his Parliament in London And this you did upon the fayth of that Parliament which you say kept up a sectarian Armie against you A very good argument to prevaile with you for their credit Upon such termes as should be satisfactorie to the King particularlie mentioned in the paper deliverd to the King by the Committe of Estates upon the 15 of May 1646. noted in that of Iune 8. to the speaker of the House of Peers subscribed By his affectionate friends humble servants Lauderdail Iohnston Henrie Kennedie your owne potent good Lord c. That if His Majestie should delay to goe about the readiest wayes meanes to satisfie both his Kingdomes they would be necessitated for their owne exoneration to acquaint the Committee of both Kingdomes at London that a course might be taken by joint advice of both Kingdomes for attempting the just ends expressed in the solemne league Covenant By which His Majestie was to bring satisfaction to them you not as you say to receive termes satisfactorie to himselfe Wherein because he made not what hast was required you exonerated your selfe of all the malice you had unto his person made an end of his dayes which was just the end you aim'd at in the Covenant This being the true case you aske Whether it were any injustice Yes to imprison his person by confining him to an house to weaken his power by robbing him of his garrisons Whether any unkindnesse Yes to give up your native King who you confesse cast himselfe on your protection to them who were so far from affording him any of his palaces neare London that it was death for any man to harbour him in his house What imprudence it was let the best politician of you all speake because ablest to judge Or the worst who by this time can evidence how besotted you were to your utter disrepute destruction What advantage at that time you had to lay the fairest colour upon the foulest fact that ever you committed win the world by an after-game into an high opinion of your trust What to gaine the length of your line in the libertie of Religion or lawes And as for wealth honour you might upon such a merit in all likelihood have had what the vastest ambitious Helluo could aske or three luxuriant Kingdomes could yeild you Whereas now you have ript up your false hearts throw'n your guilt in the face of the sun so that the sound of your rebellion is gone into all lands your treacherie travailes in a poverbe even to the ends of the earth Your Religion hath many times since struggled for life which the mercie or temporizing subtilitie of your sectarian enemie hath preserv'd your lawes have taken their libertie from his sword He deteines at this time the wages of your wickednesse in his house your honour not long since kissed his foot by fower Commissioners humblie waited on him to his doores But you come to a closer question Whether the deliverie of the Kings person were a selling of him to his enemies Ans It may be such for all that you say against it Your Masters are not allwayes wont to pay your arreares upon single service I hinted even now that your miscariages of late have cut you off a good sume that is behind which by Ordinance of Parliament is to be disposed otherwayes Let the capitulation have been in reference to what it will the Act of what you call the English Parliament exclude the disposal of the King we know that was the subject of many papers that pass'd between you which were penned with so much collusion cunning that any broker might
he that is read in your opinions actions will take it for granted that you must pay the acknowledgement of your Presbyterie to the Sanhedrin your sects conversion to the lewes If you will impudentlie crowd it into the companie of the first Christians that came into Scotland you can not denie but that for some part of the Centuries you speake of it was confin'd to the monkes colls never came to clamour at the Court the poore Culdiis with a great deale more humilitie pietie then the Covenanters caried it in their cowles Rev. … after the reformation there was no Bishop in that land Ans. The reformation you meane began the day before or after the Greeke Calends if you will helpe me to an account of the one I shall know how to order the aera of the other Many yeares confusion there was of Poperie Presbyterie Superintendencie The reform'd Episcopacie could never get ground till King James set it forward then it went not far before it met with your violent encounter by Sword Covenant which never suffered the crowne nor Miter to stand long unshaken till both were held up by the Armes of England the Kings person secure at a distance to command you That ever such a thing as reformed Presbyterie according to the Canon in your Discipline had the free positive consent of King Parliament without which it can not legallie passe for the Religion of your Kingdome I denie to be visible any where in your storie Rev. … till the yeare 1610. Ans. That yeare did indeed complete the Episcopal power which King James had by degrees piouslie industriouslie promoted many yeares before Rev. … When Bancrost did consecrate three Scots Ministers c. Ans. A brother of yours tells us they were consecrated by Bishop Abbot As evil as their report was the men were not so bad as their names need be in charitie conceled They were Iohn Spotswood Andrew Lamb Gawin Hamilton Bishops of Glasgow Brechen Galloway Who enjoy now their reward in heaven for the râ—…viling they had on earth it being for Gods sake his Church according to our Saviours promise St. Matth. 5. 11. The first was a man for zeale to the Church fidelitie to the King prudence in Government constancie under affliction singular inimitable indeed for his excellent gifts onelic hatefull to the Disciplinarians though especiallie because he through long experienec was of all Scotish men best acquainted with ablest to detect their crosse wayes to the King all Soveraigne Magistracie He died piouslie peaceablie at Westminster in the second yeare of this rebellion was buried in the Abbey Church The second was a great assiduous preacher even when he was blinde through extreme age He also died in peace with the good report of all except these calumniatores who hold that no Bishop can be an honest man whose invention is so rich of nothing as reproaches against better men then themselves The third was a reverend Praelate of great parts singular learning a most constant preacher who lived in peace died in his bed Rev. … that violent Commissioner the Earle of Dunbar Ans. His violence did not carie him beyond his Commission because he executed that upon the rebellious Aberdene Assemblers would not take off some of his kindred or acquaintance who were in the jurie that deliberatelie cast them in their verdict nor intercede for their stay in Scotland being desir'd you here meet with him at the Synod of Glasgow Which being at large prov'd legitimate in every circumstance required by law is in vaine condem'd as null by your faction Nor was it corrupt in any more then three members of about 140. who being rotten drop of from the close union harmonious suffrage of the rest Rev … got authorized in some part of the Bishops office Ans. I hope you will not denie that Bishops were authorized to ordaine in this Synod And into how many particulars their power of jurisdiction was branched your brother very pittifullie complaines… jurisdictio in omnibus offendiculis sive in doctrina sive in moribus … Armantur … potestate exauctorandi ministros suspensionis censuram irrogandi excommunicationem decernendi c. you may reade the rest then tell us what part of their office was left out Rev. Superintendents are no where the same with Bishops much lesse in Scotland Ans. That they are aequivalent to Bishops is evident by the conformitie in their offices power The particulars whereof His Lordship recites out of the fourth sixt heads of your 1. Book Discipl To which upon my Review I could adde some more if those were not enough Their ambulatorie commission was no other then our Bishops ambulatorie visitation If your onclic in the time before have any influence here exempt them from all duties in their visitation but preaching the word c. you cut of three parts of their injunction in the Discipline If they were onelie as you say for a time it concerneâ—… you to tell us where they ceas'd denie there were any since or ever shall be more but upon some future new plantation in your Churches Being pressed about obtruding your Discipline you tell us For the Eâ—…clesiastike enjoyning of a general Assemblies decrees a particular ratisication of Parliament is unnecessarie Which holds not where the particular decrees of your Assemblie transgresse the general intent of that Act whereby you are authoriz'd to meet That relates to the times and matters to be treated of In the former you are limited to custome or praescription In the later to the doctrine discipline receiv'd Which are therefore ratified in such Acts together with your Assemblies Presbyterie Sessions that obedience might be render'd upon the visible conformitie of your decrees injunctions to that rule But to make any Act of Parliament so general as to ratisie at adventure all possible arbitrarie commamds of your Assemblie to the altering of the doctrine or discipline established were to praecontract affinitie with all sects haeresies to enter into an implicite league or Covenant with the Devil about his worship so it may be de futuro ad placitum Synodi generalis Let me put this case suppose a general Assemblie should by an Ecclesiastical decree enjoyne the canons of that Antichristian government against which you praetend your discipline is framed Whether or no is that injunction authentike upon the general A of Parliament for their Assembling without a particular ratification thereof I might adde how ridiculous it is for you to make the power of your Assemblies so absolute yet trouble King Parliament so often with your importunate petitions to passe what is fullie ratified before that by their owne General Acts including that very particular for which you supplicate The debates about the second booke of Discipline I
anomia ergapiria the very shops or Laboratories of rebellion The Church is not dissolv'd where dissipline's not executed if it were it should be where it is at the pleasure of the Magistrate suspended To imagine a final ineapacitie of meeting by perpetual succession of Tyrants hath litle either of reason or conscience it assaults the certitude of fayth in Gods promises advanceth infidelitie in his providence But to give you at length your passe from this paragraph Such as you in a schismatical Assemblie may have frequentlie in Scotland pinn'd the character of erroneous upon an upright Magistrate a Disciplinarian rebell to save his credit call'd a Royal moderate proclamation a tyrdnous edist The Bishops third allegation you finde too heavie therefore let fall halfe of it by the way You have too good a conceit of your Parliaments bountie though had they been as prodigal as you make them it litle becomes you to proclaime them bankrupts by their favour Their Acts were allwayes ratified by your Princes any which whom tell me one wherein this right Royal was renounc'd of suspending seditious Ministers from their office or if cause were depriving them of their places It were a senselesse thing to suppose that the Bishop would denie to the Church a proprietie to consult determine about religion doctrine haeresie c. Yet its likelie His Lordship allowes it not in that mode which makes her power so absolute as to define consummate authorize the whole businesse by her selfe He hath heard the King to be somewhere accounted a mixt person thinkes it may be that the holie oyle of his unction is not onelie to swime on the top be sleeted off at the pleasure of a peevish Disciplinarian Assemblie but to incorporate with their power The lawes of England have not been hitherto so indulgent of libertie to our Convocation but that the King in the cases alledged did ever praedominate by his supremacie And the Parliament hath stood so much upon priviledge that if Religion fetch'd not her billet from West-minster the could have but a cold lodging at St. Pauls The booke of Statutes is no portable manual for us whom your good brethren have sent to wander in the world yet I can helpe you to one An. 1. Eliz. that restor'd the title of supreme to the Queen withall provided that none should have authoritie newlie to judge any thing to be haeresie not formerlie so judged but the High Court of Parliament with the assent of the Clergie in their Convocation Where the Convocations assent by the sound should not be so determinative as the Parliaments judgement which right or wrong here it assumes As touching appeales because you will have somewhat here sayd though it must be otherwhere handled No law of Scotland denies an appeale in things Civile or Ecclesiastike to the King One yet in force enjoines subjection unto them the Act of Parliament in May 1584. which was That any persons either spiritual or Temporal praesuming to decline the judgement of His Majestie His Councel shall incurre the paine of treason What you call a complaint is in our case an appeale what taking order is executing a definitive judgement without traversing backe the businesse to Ecclesiastike Courts or holding over the rod of a coercive power to awe them into due regular proceedings I confesse this the Presbyters in Scotland never made good by their practice Their appeales were still retrograde from the supreme Magistrate his Councel to a faction of Nobles or a seditious partie of the people Such is that of Knox printed at large Or which in effect is the same The Scotish Assemblies when they had no power appeald to providence when they had whereupon they might relie unto the sword In case of Religion or doctrine if the General Assemblie which is not infallible erre in judgement determîne any thing contrarie to the word of God the sense of Catholike Antiquitie the King may by a court of Orthodoxe Delegates consisting of no more then two or three Prelates if he please receive better information of truth establish that in his Church Or which often hapens in Scotland If the Presbyters frame Assemblie Acts derogatorie to the rights of his Crowne prejudicial to the peace of his people the King may personallie justifie his owne praerogative and keep the mischiefe they invented from becoming a praecedent in law This doth not the word of God nor any aequitie prohibite The judgement of causes concerning deprivations of Ministers in the yeare 1584 you would have had come by way of appellation to the General Assemblie there take final end but this you could not make good within yourselves nor doe I finde upon your proponing craving it was then or at any time granted you by the King Two yeares before you adventurd not onelie for your priviledge in that … but against the Magistrates puting preachers to silence…hindering staying or disannulling the censures of the Church in examining any offender Rev. In the Scotes Assemblies no causes are agitated but such as the Parliament hath agreed to be Ecclesiastike c. Ans If any Parliament have agreed all causes of what nature soever to be Ecclesiastike by reduction so of the Church cognizance you have that colour for your pragmatical Assemblies but if you admit of any exception you have for certaine transgressed yourlimits there being no crime nor praetended irregularitie whatsoever that stood in view or came to the knowledge of the world that hath escaped your discussion censure not been serv'd up in your supplicates to be punished Rev. … No processe about any Church rent was ever cognosced upon in Scotland but in a Civile Court Ans. Your imperious though supplicatorie prohibition 1576. I allreadie mention'd In the Assemblie at Edenburgh April 24. 1576. You concluded…That you might proceed against unjust possessours of the patrimonie of the Church…by doctrine admonition last of all if no remedie be with the censures of the Church In that at Montrosse June 24. 1595. About setting Benefices with diminution of the rental c. you appointed Commissioners with power to take oaths call an-inquest of men of best knowledge in the Countrey about to proceed against the Ministrie with sentence of deposition Master Tho. Craig the Solicitour for the Church to pursue the Pensiionars in Caitnes for reduction of their pensions If in no particular you actuallie proceeded to Church censures It was because you foresaw they would not restraine the corruption no more of the laitie then the Clergie then your menasing petitions sometime obtein'd strength from some partial or pusillanimous Parliament or when you praevail'd not you wrapt this up with the rest of your discipline put all to the processe of a warre And this was you know the mysterious sense of Knox's method upon good experience praescrib'd on his death bed First
What the Bishop asserts Mr. Camdens faythfull register will justifie Ministri nonnulli in Scotia è pulpitis per circulos Reginam indignissiâ—…is calumnus insectati ipsi Regi Consiliariis asperrimè obtrectárunt coram comparere jussi fastidioso quodam contemptu abnuerunt quasâ—… pulpisa à Regnm authrritate essent exempta Ecclesiastici non Principiâ—…i mperio sed Presbyterio subessent Your Ministers raile against Queen King Councel with contempt seorne denie appearance upon summons stand upon Ecclesiastike priviledge are not censur'd by the Assemblie what is that but protected what both but as much as the Bishop out of the Declaration praetends to What nullitie in the law of your countrey you pleade can be taken for no answer to the Bishops second proofe who tells you the same reason may exclude aswell Magistrates as Commissaries because they have no function in the Kirke they are so excluded out of the 11. chapter of your 2. booke of Discipline which providing that all abuses may be removed dependances of the Papistical jurisdiction abblished regulates all by the Eldership of the Church in silence robs the Civile Magistrate of his power The strength of which argument you wave as you doe the 3. instances that follow scowre up an old rustie peice of Logike of your owne to fight with your shadow The Bishops consequence holding good That it those which have no function in the Kirke are not to be judges to ministers no jurisdiction remaineth in the Civile state whereby Ministers may be punished In England the Commissariâ—… official were no ordinarie judges to depose excommunicate at their pleasure what reservations there were how limited was their power your friend Didoclave will acquaint you Which integritie prudence he calls a fucus fallaeiâ—… because he had found no such native beautie of holinesse in his Church no such down-right dealing in the discipline The jurisdiction of Commissaries was reestablished in Scotland in Ecclesiastike causes to as great a latitude as formerlie by act of Parliament at Edenburgh June 4. 1609. Presbyterian Assemblies are easilie satisfied about any delinquencie against Kings And had not K. Iames at this time been absolute the brethren in feare what should become of their Euangel they had not proceeded so farre as they did in Gibsons case That many passed at other times with lesse notice nay with their authoritie to maintaine them I have shewed frequent enough out of their stories Delinquents of the Episcopal partie could get no such opportunies for absence When Gibson came about he praetended not onelie his feare for an excuse but his tender care of the rights of the Church This because more pertinent to the quaestion Mr. Baylie overlookes as he doth their purging him of his contumacie without acquainting his Majestie which the Bishop urgeth He were better betake himselfe to some other trade then that of reviewing Two or three such surveys will loose the Discipline more ground then Didoclave any other his unanswered Champions ever gaind them That no trial of Gibsom fault was perfected though a fugitive was a testimonie of their forward dutie to the King Others beside the Bishops by the Synod of Glasgow have been excommunicated at as great a distance for their loyal expressions actions The Bishops fourth proofe I perceive hath much troubled the Reviewers eyes osper tà suk epi tous ophalmous Mr. Blackes case may very well seem odious Odit quod metuit It turnes his stomake so much that he findes not confidence enough to wipe of that filth which was spit upon the reputation of the Discipline by his speaches He is better imployd with his sieve his scissours about divining how his Lordship came by so many particulars of the storie but the guilt of his conscience makes his hand shake so all his witchcraft falls to ground For the Bishop to my knowledge may have his warrant for that relation somewhere else for ought he knowes recourse to some vocal oracles of that time beside some such registers as have not been raced by the sword of the Disciplinarian spirit nor cancell'd by the Clerke of the Assemblie in the darke Though that large most excellent volume compiled by the Rt. Reverend Arch Bishop having not long since happilie escaped the Scotish ' Inquisition may hereafter be a printed monument of the Disciplines shame an aeternal disgrace to the Rebellious Presbyterie his credit for all the Reviewers calumnies a lasting pillar to support the fayth of all posteritie that shall reade it Yet to take Mr. Blackes storie from his hand out of the register of truth the Doomsday booke of the Discipline as it lies Veniat invisum scelus Errorque in se semper armatus suror If the Kings countenance were changed his conscience was not which by his own confession so soon as ever his judgement was in the bloome tooke checke at the Religion as well as at the Rebellion in the Assemblie professing with our faviour that though he liv'd among you he was not of you That you make no medium between Presbyterian Popish is a piece of old Synodical malignancie which the trial of the orthodoxe partie in these times hath made out of date since being rejected banish'd by the one they neither finde nor sue for reception with the other saving into a toleration of their asyle but by the hand of the Allmightie are held up in their constancie between you both Yet your feares were not groundlesse when the Religious King went about to establish such publike worship as would have informed ignorance in a discoverie of your errour draw'n of all your conscientious rational disciples His Majesties civile favours to some Papists were not so strong evidences of his change as to wind up your Ministers to such a free warning nor gave them license to make such rebellious applications If that be the use 't is time for Kings to search better into your doctrine see whether the toleration of that have not been the great sinne of our age which hath pull'd downe such judgements upon their heads This grace inyour pastour is that which abounds by continuance in sinne And this fayth is nothing like St. Pauls shield being beaten by the Assemblie into a sword whereby they endeavour to subdue Kingdomes but have no such commission as had Samuel the Prophets Mr. Blackes denial was too faint to absolve him his honest hearers if conforme to their English brethren might perchance be so wrapt in their night caps as their negative testimonie could not be very currant When he shew'd himselfe so willing to be tried by all the world he litle thought who might passe upon the verdict All the heathen had condemn'd him for the murder of moralitie he had met with a scurvie packe of hardhearted Godfather among the Papists A brother of yours
Ahabs the Independent Syrians push'd no otherwise then in mockerie and sport while his loyal subjects should be too seriouslie scatered on the hills as sheep that have no shepheard to enfold them If the misbeliefe contempt of whom you call the Lords servants the great danger unto which you make religion be brought were the onelie losses sustain'd in the last armies misfortune let those workers of iniquitie perish that to the ruine of soules endeavour to repaire them What griese of heart or repentance hath shew'd it selfe in those persons you say contributed to the spoiling but must meane unlesse you condemne your selves such as were forward in promoting that designe whether in a politike hypocrisie or which can hardlie be rationallie afforded then a misguided sinceritie will find it to be poenitenda poenitentia a hard retreat from the guilt shame of that botomlesse penance you praescrib'd them unlesse their judgement be as their sinne the same with his who sold his birth-right as they theirs to their libertie for a morsell of bread a poor inconsiderable temporal subsistence may finde no place of repentance though they secke it carefullie with teares Should all the Disciplinarian hands be cut off that were not held up to the agreement of bringing by a warlike engagement the Sectarian partie â—…in England to punishment David Lesley would have but a left-handed armie His Majestie might relie upon halfe his securitie aswell for his crowne as his religion They who to gaine their arreares so easilie I must say traitourouslie parted with that Royal person are not to be credited as men so unanimouslie resolv'd with hazard of lives estates upon his rescue Nor can any man whose faith as not resolv'd into aire so readie to engender with the faint breath of every dissembler beleeve that they would with such hazard make a long march to the Isle of Wight who would not with lesse conduct His Majestie a day or two from Holmebie But had you been at that trouble had Victorie strewed roses in your way when you should have with pleasure regain'd the rich purchase you went for I preceive you had been at a losse for a chapman a great uncertaintie where to dispose it untill you had got one For first you talke of bringing the King to one of his houses to perfect the treatit Then of bringing His Majestie to London with honour freedome safetie Next of bringing him to sit in his Parliament with what honour freedome himselfe should desire And all these with in the extent of a few lines which make three degrees of doubt in the Saints even after their debate of that matter universal agreement not to be quaestion'd But let us suppose the last best of the three in your purpose your avant Curriers on horsebacke to hasten it I see you are pleas'd to call them backe with a quaestion to which I pray tell me where the Lords servants or loyal subjects of Christs Kingdome e'r made a like Yet you shall have your answer by by though you shew not the like civilitie to the Bishop who seemes to state his quaestion thus Whether when the Parliament Armie of Scotland had declar'd their resolutions to bring His Majestie to London c. without conditioning for a promise of securitie for establishing at best a controverted religion any legitimate full Church Assemblie ought an illegitimate imperfect Clerical combination or Conventicle could in ordine ad spiritualia declare against the engagement call for the Kings hand seale oath to establisp a cut throat covenant to the ruine of his person posteritie Religion Lawes Libertie Monarchie whatsoever His Majestie was by a solemne oath indispensable peswasion of conscience obliged with the hazard of life Kingdomes to maintaine In answer to yours take this The Parliament armie of Scotland in declaring their resolutions c. did what they ought that according to your own principles for you had the securitie of His Majesties Royal word more then once for establishing your Religion in Scotland according to the treaties that had been perfected between the two Kingdomes If you intended the like courtesie to England your Parliament Armie had it consisted of none but the Saints were in no capacitie to take it being no part of the principals concer'd in the benefit nor deputed by England to capitulate for it Therefore their rescuing His Majesties person out of the Sectaries hands had been the untying of his puting him in a posture to give The bringing him to his Parliament in London where likewise your own Commissioners resided had been the seting him in sight of such as were to aske receive Which is the same kind of Logike you us'd in your answer to both Houses of Parliament upon the new propositions of peace the 4. bills to be sent 1647. Where I finde your opinion judgement to be this That the most aequal fairest just way to obtaine a well-grounded peace is by a personal treatie with the King that his Majestie for that end be invited to come to London with honour freedome safetie For which you offer 6. reasons 1. The sending of your propositions without a treatie hath been often essayed without successe… Of those propositions this ever was one To promise securitie for establishing religion And what better successe could now be exspected 2… His Majesties proesence with his Parliament must be the best â—…if not the onelie â—…remedie to remove our troubles This remedie the Parliament Armie intended to helpe you to 3… Without a treatie or giving reasons for asserting the lawfullnesse expedience of the propositions to be praesented they may be aesteemed impositions This proposition was to be sent without a treatie being neither lawfull nor expedient for the many reasons His Majestie had formerlie render'd I remit the Reader to your paper for the rest a great deale more of selfe contradiction with somewhat worse which one of the new English Lights hath discover'd in his answer But you shake of that like an old serving-man which had done your drudgerie in his youth bestow your liverie on the Parliaments praecedent which providence beleeve me will save you but litle Your argument's this The Parliaments of both Kingdomes in all their former treaties ever pressed upon the King a number of propositions Ergo The Church may desire the granting of one I should be too courteous in casting up the numerous account of their rebellions aequal to their propositions keep out but a single unitie for you I shall chuse rather to tell you cautioning first for the falshood in the fundamental hypothesis That in cases of treatie the Church of Scotland is subordinate to one therefore hath no adaequate conditioning priviledge with the Parliaments of both Kingdomes especiallie in her peevith state of opposition to both Secondlie This proposition desired is the Trojan horse into
with reference to no unlawfullnesse but inconvenience retracted that too in his too late yet seasonable repentance afterward Though for what His Lp. objects were there too after Acts of Parliament to ratifie the substance of what the Kirke repraesents no one of them thereby justifies the circumstance of Ministers mutinous protesting against lawes made in houres of darkenesse upon what misinformation soever which is treason against man and excusable by no formal obedience toward God This for the Bishop to publish being one of the Governers of that Church which strangers plot what they can to seduce into the same rebellion with their owne is no contemning of law but discharging his conscience and dutie in his place By the next storie the Bishop will gaine a more perfect discoverie of your resembling those grievous revoiters in Jeremie who walke with slanders being brasse iron Who bend your tongue like a bowe for lies and yet when the true case is know'n be accounted by Solomon but a fool for your labour In King James's minoritie who stole his name though they ner had his heart to act by it the most unnatural oppresion of that most gallant Queen his vertuous and gracious mother to murder and banish many noble assertours of the reformed orthodoxe religion lawes appeares upon publike record in your storie This one Capt. Iames Stuart very noblie with standing your divellish temptations to have him maintaine a distructive dissention at Court with Esme Stuart E Lenox a faythfull subject most deserving favourite of the Kings improving that litle interest you helpt him to to a more Christian conjunction in love and loyaltie and a double vigilancie over the Kings person exposed too often to your treacherous designes is unlikelie to have any better character at your hands then what you commonlie give to persons of such sidelitie and honour His advancement to the titles estate of E. Arran Chancellar of Scotland was partlie in reward of his guardian care over him whom somwhat else beside sicknesse had made unfit for the management of either Yet were not these taken by force But on free session then desperate to whom if the King were nearest in bloud not to mention a third which your zealous professours commonlie finde him his Majestie had a double title to his lands a power undisputable to dispose of the Chancellars office at his pleasure What beside Capt. Iames's unheard of oppressto is which dirt his zeale for religion contracts when it passeth through the uncleane chanell of any Presbyters mouth troubled the Nobilities Patience the reader may finde somewhat more trulie and impartiallie related not onelie in the Apocriphal histories of the two Rt. Reverend Arch-Bishops of Canterburie and Saint Andrewes but even in the Canonical tradition of Philadelphs Vindicatour who praemiseth some repulse your Church Delegates had about their querulous petitions A difference that fell out between E. Lenox Gowrie about some point of honour to revenge which he calls Murre Glame and diverse other disquiet discontented spirits into a confaederacie whom you call a number of the prime best affected nobiiitie which improper title he more ingenouslie declines in a peice of Rethorical ignorance putting his hand more modestlie before his eyes as loth to looke on their sinfull rebellious demeanour Qualcscunque fuerint plerique eorum non multum laberabo … qualis quisque corum suerit nescio applies the blinde mans speach ' in the 9. of Saint Iohn to the authours of the miracle in this change And beside the mere boast no violence you rejoyce in confesseth diverse of the Kings servants were wounded among the rest William Stuart the newes whereof brought Capt. Iames thither Who was not chaced away by their strong breath but clapt up into a castle by their power the Kings guard being before remov'd from him and His Majestie taken by Gowrie and his conspiratours into custodie The E. Lenox banished into France where with in a short time he died whether by griefe principallie or his sicknesse he defines not He addes That the Heads of this faction sent the Abbot of Paslet to your Assemblie at Edaenburgh for their approbation who what soever they did afterward at that time onelie thanked God for deliverance viz from the imminent instice of the law to which most of their Members were lyable durst not approve the businesse or appeare to doe it at least put up a non'sense petition to God praying him it were well done after it was done and whether well or ill then unalterable by their prayers or indeed by devine power whose omnipotencie is not limited when denied to make good moral contradictions to pleasure an hypoeritical Assemblie He speakes nothing of the Kings sending to his Councel or judicatories to declare the act of the Lords convenient and lawdable for which he expected no reasonable mans credulitie nor patience unlesse so farre as to spit it backe into his face Nor yet of His Majestics entreating the Assemblie but of their sending Delegates to him The answer he gave them if any or such as the Vindicator hath helpt us to is much different from yours and though not extorted by the terrour of death which may well be suspected by the successive treasonable attempts of the same Gowrie and his sonne afterward gives litle approbation of the fact being onelie his acknowledgement of a blessing from God for delivering his person and the Commonwealth from mischiefe by which doubtlesse he meant the happie praeservation of his life So that I againe appeale to your aquitable comparers what historical truth we are likelie to have of your penning when seting one Disciplinarian brother against another without consulting unprinted records we can confute you line by line among your selves The letter His Majestie sent to Q. Elizabeth was forced Regem invitum compulerunt sayth Camden where by he allowed no more that act for good service then he would have done a thiefe for taking but his purse when he might likewise have had his life But to proceed Capt I'ames shortlie after crept not in but was calld Revocatur Aranius sayth your brother Therevenge whether obtaind by him or no was but the justice of the law executed with litle severitie upon any but moderated by the mercie of a gracious King and tenderd to all upon submission But traitourous Assemblies giving universal allowance for possible misfortunes had ever an aftergaime of treacherie in reserve Therefore the Ministers running at this time into a voluntarie exile was upon the apprehension of their guilt diffidence even in the word of a King for their impunitie if not rather a designe to make His Majestie secure and so to praepare for the treason at Striveling that followed few moneths after where not onelie Capt I ames was chac'd away but the Kings life endangerd for which Gowrie very justlie payd his owne These their actions were ratified by no Parliament but a partie nor
If her Majestie complained that this was done without her Majesties commandement so had all that God had blessed within the Realme from the beginning of this action meaning the Presbyterian Reformation That he was a watchman both over the Realme and over the Church of God gathered within the same by reason whereof he was bound in conscience to blow trumpet publikelie so oft as ever he saw any appearance of danger either of the one or of the other This Act thus related the Bishop will have what you can not disprove to be a huge rebellion not onelie in the Actours but also in Iohn Knox who was praesent if not in person by full consent and approbation To breake open the Royal Palace to bring any delinquent to trial is according to no law but what your Rebellious Assemblie hath framed That this Priest saying Masse within the Liberties of the Court did contrarie to law the Queen having ever reserved that priviledge to her familie remaines yet to be proved You did the like to the Arch-Bishop of Saint Andrewes which Camden tells you was permitted by law and though you had Murrays authoritie for it accounts you no better then Rebells for your paines… Servidi Ecclesiae Ministri Moravij authoritate suffulti vim facerent impune sacerdoti qui missam in aula quod lege permissiâ—…m erat doe you marke it celebrârat Iohn Knox's confession which I gave you under his hand may be the harbinger to lodge credit enough to the next storie that followes in any man that knowes what superstitious observers your Assemblies have been of all the principles and praecedents he gave them Nor need you be so coy in taking upon you here the defense of their Convocating the people in armes which you are forc'd to do other where as well as you mince it into god'lie directions and conscientious advertisement and upon lesse colourable occasions approve it every where when done Though Mr. Spotswood's testimonie can not be refused in the particular evidence he gives in yet I 'll be confined for once to your owne brother in Evill that confutes him When his Grace relates the Ministers commanding the people to armes Your brother playes the Critike upon the word but grants the matter in controversie between them and justifies it from the danger that was at hand from the Popish Lords whom he makes Conspiratours with Spaine Hortate sunt nam jubere aut imperare non poterant quod â—…um in tanto periculo constitutae essent respublica Ecclesia illus vitio vertendum non est When his Grace sayth planilie The King praefixed a day for their trial the menacing libells put up in the name of a national Synod the tumultuarie meeting of the faythfull deferr'd it and made the onelie remedie a necessitie of his remitting their exile Your brother denies not one clause of all this but onelie moderates the termes and enlargeth in some particular circumstances that aggravate the fact viz. That they appointed a fast this I hope was done by the Assemblie That they moved the King to appoint a day for their trial the Barons those of Perth not to admit them which advice or injunction they followed till they had received letters from the King which because they obey'd the brethren tooke pet armes for the defence of religion by whose advice let any man judge That the King commanded the Conspiratours to submit themselves in a small number to a judical proceeding That upon the 12. of November they met at Edenburgh The Conspiratours pleade by their lawyers c. Propound their conditions The King declares in a speach the inconveniences very likelie to followe if the Lords were not restored That an Ast of oblivion was voted which offended the brethren What Seditious Sermons and actions ensued appeares undeniablie in your storie Let this be compared with the Bp of Derries relation That the King was forced to take armes come upon a fatal necessitie by your rebelling when your importunitie praevaild not How farre he pursued them What acts of grace he afterward vouchsafd them you there fore conceale because it confutes what your imperfect historie imports CHAPTER VIII The divine right of Episcopacie better grounded then that praetended in behalfe of Presbyterie HAd I any hopes to keep you in your wits when you were revived I would here sprinkle a litle cold water pitie upon your faynting spirits who any man may see are giving up the ghost by your grasping and catching at what you finde within reach and not liking the lookes of that spirit which appeares readie at hand to conduct you would have you care not whether Anti-Christian Bishop or Papist to secure you His Lp. having remonstrated at large your exorbitand power here summarilie shewes how by the divine right you praetend to this sore is incurable your selves incorrigible and how Princes must necessarilie despaire of recovering or keeping thairs while Christs Kingdome is yours and you have Christs Scepter in your hand The streame of divine Rhethorike and reason he brings for it you and your Companie whom the prophet Isai. Describes to be a troubled sea that can not rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt hope invisiblie to swallow To which if Mercurius Aulicus must be initled Let Britannicus be more properlie to yours whom I have often heard to be a Common lawyer but must now take him for some classical divine since you have grac'd him so much as to serive most of his mater language into your booke How unhappie soever you make the Bishop in this chalenge as in the rest he caries fortune enough in his argument to confute you Misero cui plura supersunt Quam tibi faelici post tot quoque funera vinâ—…et Those of his brethren who stand for the divine right of the Discipline of the Church doe it chieflic in reference to that power of order and the distinction they finde of Bishop from inferiour Presbyters in the text They that draw in the other power of jurisdiction relate onelie to what they finde practic'd by the Apostles or by God in them going under the name of excommunication and the keyes How many circumstancials must passe for substancials when determind by the judicatories of your Church and be made adaequate in divine right to the general rules to which you reduce them need not here to be numberd being scatered every where in this discourse and very obvious to the Reader in your storie But in answer to what the Bishop objects of geting both swords spiritual and temporal into your hands the one ordinarilie by common right the other extraordinarilie the one belonging directlie to the Church the other indirectlic the one of the Kingdome of Christ the other for his Kingdome in order to the propagation of religion and to let the Papist a lone whom out of what mysterie I know not you very often me thinkes call to your assistance I pray name
of the Kingdomes They subjoining in that oath their best endeavour to disclose to His Majestie c all treasons and traitourous conspiracies c. You having not a syllable to that effect in your covenant lest you should be obliged to betray your selves who are resolved to continue principals in such practices against him and his Royal familie to the last They charitablie forgeting all revenge against any of His Majesties partie that had fought against their confoederacie you cruellie combining expresselie to bring to publike triall all such as had been any way instrumental opposers of your Covenant They embracing in the armes of Christian communion their quondam enemies now fellow subjects of a different religion you baselie butchering them with unexemplified crueltie 1. with your material sword axe or halter in their bodies your civile in their estates your spirituall what may be by your excommunication in their soules The aggravations you bring against His Majesties agreementare First That it was with persons so bloudie which as it can not be wholelie excused in them so ought it of all men least to be objected by you whose religion hath passed from the Castle of Saint Andrewes to the House at Westminster in a red sea path made for you neither by Moses's rod nor Eliah's mantle under the conduct of no civile no prophetical power fenced on both sides with bloud of different complexions the bloud of Popish and orthodoxe Praelates the bloud of Princes addicted to several Religions So that God doubtlesse will have a controversic with you who as the Prophet Hose speakes by swearing and lying have broke out into rebellim and bloud toucheth bloud The bloud of the Cardinal hath touched the bloud of the Arch-Bishop The bloud of Queen Mary the bloud of King Charles and more then that which you may heare of otherwhere Touching the crueltie of the Irish I remit you to what our Royal Martyr hath writ with much Christian indifference Ch. 12. of Eâ—… Buoâ—… where you may take notice principallie of these clauses I would to God the Iâ—…ish had nothing to alledge for their imitation against those whose blame must needeâ—… be the greater by how much protestant principles are more against all rebellimagainst Princes then those of Papists … I beleeve it will at last appeare that they who first began to embroyle my other Kingdomes and who 〈◊〉 pray you were they are in great part guiltie if not of the first leting out Yet of the not timelie stopping those horr'd essusions of bloud in Irland To omit what â—…is Majestie intimated before That their oppressive feares rather then their malice engaged them and you know how profuse you are of bloud when you treate of the doctrine of selfe praeservation Secondlie you are troubled at the full libertie of Religion he granted them which if you er saw the articles extended no farther them the remission of poenal statutes not to the restitution of Churches Church Livings but what they had then in possession not to any jurisdiction but what they exerciz'd at that time for which an expresse caution was taken in the very first article of the treatie And in the last but one their Regular Clergie were restrain'd to their pensions and confind to the praecincts of their Abbâ—…ys and Monasteries which are explain'd to be within the Walls Mures and ancient fences of the same No charitable benefactour having libertie to exercize one maine point of their Religion by laying a foot of land unto their Convents But had it been as full as you fâ—…ncie iâ—… because you make your owne case many times the same with that of your brethren abroad I pray directlie answer me Why a Papist may not have as free libertie as a Iew And Whether according to your conscience be more Antiâ—…Christian a Cloyster or a Synagogue Thirdlie You object the Armes Castles and prime places of trust in the state he put in their hands Whereas if the case were politicallie disputed Whether the Militia were safer in the hands of Papists or Presbyterians I beleeve the former would carie it upon the greater securitie though not generallie the greatest they give in their principles and the greater experimentall assurance in many places of trust they have often rendred Princes in their discharge And had the prime Castle and place of Trust in that Kingdome been theirs and no armes nor command in the Armie been the others a tolerablee freedome of religion being granted them it is not improbable that Noble Marquesse last yeare had either not been forc'd to hazard a siege for his reentrance or at least not betrayd into an inevitable unhapie necessitie of retreat What they demanded or had the 9. Article of agreement will informe you That upon the distribution conferring and disposing of the places of command honour profit and trust … no difference should be made between them and other his Majestie subjects Here 's no exception against Malignants nor persons disafected to the cause but that such distribution should be made with aequal indifferencie according to their respective merits and abiliues By which qualification all disloyal demeriting persons are made obnoxious to a just exception at any time Those that continued in possession of His Majesties Cities Garrisons within their quarters are to be commanded ruled and governed in chiefe upon occasion of necessitie as to the Martial and militaire affaires by such as His Majestie or his chiefe Governer or Governers of that Kingdome for the time being should appoint And where any garrison c. might be endangerd by restoring to their possessions estates the Litizens freemen Burgesses former inhabitans they were not to be admitted but allowed a valuable annual rent for the same as in the 7. Article was provided touching those of Corke Youghall and Dungarvan Finallie in all that agâ—…eement no condition is found That His Majestie or His Lieutenant should be governed by a Popish Parliament at Dublin when it might be in Civile nor by a Clerical councel or Assemblie at Kilkennie in Ecclesiastical affaires Fourthlie That the King gave assurance of his endeavour to get the articles ratisied in the next Parliament of England was to ratifie at praesent their confidence in him for which he can not be blamed unlesse you would have Kings sport like boyes with changeable knots in their treaties or what you scornefullie charge them all with when you thinke on 't like children play at checkstone with their promises and oathes That His Majestie did this of himselfe is false if mean'd exclusive of his Councel That he did it without a Parliament which he could not have and before it which his urgent necessities could not stay for is justifiable by that law which will never pleade for your pardon Salus populi suprema lex Nor is that currant law contraire to any standing law in such an exigence as his unlesse there be one as there is none that injoines him
extraordinarie super infusions were rare have been heretofore attributed to such discourses principallie wherein the Canon of Scripture hath been interpreted by no private enthusiasme no partial addiction to one mans opinion how eminent soever for his gifts or good life but by the Catholike tradition of the Church that is the consent of most holie men in it throughout all ages and places as much danger having been from the Iewes may be now from Iudaizing Scots by bad gloffes as from haeretical Christians by Rhetorical discourses on Scripture eugloâ—…ttias…But what spirit or life hath been found in flat lectures consisting of noncohaerencies haesitancies tautologies c notwithstanding all the gapings and groanes or other aretifices used to put them ofs for divine exâ—…tasies and raptures let them speake that were aedified which I was not I assure you by What I heard from you and the brethren that brought the Scotish Euangel to us in this Countrey 7. Though the Canon bestrict the practice was not so much as at Court for bidding prayer before for after Sermon that for Christs holie Catholike Church and the Collects appointed are not such if you remember some it may be knowing his Majesties minde which now iâ—… published That he was not against a grave modest discrect and humble use of Ministers gifts even in publike…the beter to fit and excite their owne and the peoples affections to the praesent occasions Those that toke themselves obliged to keep to the leter of the rule were satisfied aswell in the reason as lawfullnesse of the command Being therefore well assured that the Lords prayer is as the Fathers call it oratis legitima a complete prayer comprehending the summe of what petitions soever were fit to be praesented to the Father which none knew beter then the Sonne That the people might be inform'd what at such a time they are to aske and what asking in fayth they might hope to receive the Minister commands them in the name of that particular Church to which they are to submit in all publike duties or so renounce her communion to pray for her after Christs holic Catholike Church for the King and his Royal familiâ—… His Councel all inserious Magistrates c. And because after the Lâ—…tanie and so many several prayers relating differentlie to those particulars he mentions it is neither necessarie nor convenient at all to doubte the time in repeting or paralleling the formes 〈◊〉 he calls upon them to joine with him in that short prayer which very effectuallie comprizeth all can be asked saying Our Father c. But as touching the Church limitation of us to the Pater noster before her approving the Gloria patri c after the sermon I see no more in it then in the 33. Canon of that Councel of Dort which I even now mentioned Praying for the welfare of soules departed a controversie yet depending between Protestants and Papists hath ever impudentlie and falselie been attributed to that Canon on purpose to delude poor people so rashlie opinionated of their Presbyters that told them so as they thought it derogatorie to their credit to search the truth Or so grosselie ignorant as unable to distinguish between praying God for the welfare of and praising him for the exemplarie lives of and the heavenlie reward conferr'd on the soules of the Saints departed Wherein nothing need be argued when those of a seeptical conscience will not be convinc'd and those that are praejudic'd will not be reform'd to such no more is to be sayd but si decipi volunt decipiantur For private prayer if personal the Praelates never hitherto praescribed any forme leaving people to themselves who are private to their owne wants and to the direction not injunction of their Priest But if congregational though but in Parlour or Closet no colour can be brought why an house should confute a Cathedral or extemporarie non sense take place of the ancient and well advised prayers of Holie Church You can not be more loth to confesse then I am hard to beleeve that you ever were guiltie of more conformitie to ancient Christians in your publike worship then opinions Yet when I consider what establishment our Religion received in Queen Elizabeths reigne what advancement your schisme unhapilie had by her misse placed assistance I can not satisfie my selfe how in policie or conscience a Princesse so fam'd for devotion and wisdome could professe and prosecute such seeming contradictions and without some humane assurance of your conjunction with her so liberallie contribute toward your praetended reformation to the utter demolition of her owne Therefore upon good enquirie I am faine to lay my dissidence aside and have where withall to confirme the Warner in his beleefe discovering first your negative Remonstrances and renunciations of Rome coincident with though more violent and particular then ours Your superintendents aequivalent to our Bishops And which as all in all upon Buchanans record your subscription to a communitie with us aswell in Ecclesiastike as Civile affaires This your Maintainer of the Sanctuarie tells us was done in the yeare 1â—…60 in the infancie or before it rather in the first conception of your Discipline Yea two yeares before that not long after your Lords and Barons professing Christ Iesus had subscribed your first Covenant in Scotland they convene in Counsel conclude on several heads whereof this is the first â—…t is thought expedient advised and ordained That in all pariâ—…hes of this Realme the Common prayer be read weeklie on Sunday and other Festival dayes publikelie in the parish Churches c. In the first oration petition of the Protestants of Scotland to their Queen Regent this was the first demand… That they might meet publikelie or privatelie to their Common prayers in their vulgar tongue And that this may not be set to the account of your Temporal Lords or some imperfect Members of your Clergie because I. Knox your Holie head was at this time disjointed from that sanctified bodie the same care is afterward taken for Kirkes in your booke of Discipline it selfe without any intimation of your purpose to tolerate it onclie for helpe and direction being a forme praescribed as liable to the peoples superstition as ours otherwise then as you approved the omission of it on publike sermon dayes And your Maintainer sayth without doubt it was the very booke of England Your Church having none of her owne a long time I would not have you mistaken no more then you would have the Bishop whom you so carefullie informe I feare against your conscience as if I imputed this to you for any more then a politike compliance to effect your owne ends by Q. Elizabeths armes which being in a good part accomplished you altered your Liturgie both in substance and use changed our prayers for worse and those you neither injoined by law nor supported by the generalitie of your practice Thus from petitioning
draw up a solemne league and covenant the danger was great and they were not able with all their forces to stand two moneths before the Kings armie bot we shall draw it up here and send up with you some noblemen gentlemen Ministers that shall see it subscribed which was done To proceed your Rebell Parliaments desires beside what may be gatherd from your papers were not as I have heard very humblie praesented by the persons many times that brought them And when your smoothest language is glossed upon as best it may be by your rude militarie Interpreters at more distance your negative will not hinder them of being impositions rather then supplications Religion and liberties in all the three Kingdomes were very sufficientlie secur'd by the lawes Scotish Presbyterie is no religion but rebellion in the principles and the libertic taken by it is license befitting no subjects and therefore not to be desired of a King For which if such a covenant or oath is but one malne peice of securitie as you confesse I leave to be judged if any judgement can comprehend the other maine peices of vassalage for your safetie you yet farther expected from the crowne An authoritie to crave many leaves a libertie to refuse and be of no sufficience to impose upon the subject so long as during the contenuance of the Parliament Nor can you shew that uncontroverted law which gives validitie to an ordinance controverted by the King who assumes no power of politike imposible concessions such as treason felonie breach of peace are by name with us covenanting is such when against the Kings consent The last part of the demonstration is too true and so farre dishonourable as it blazons the cowardize of men well principled in their religion to God and loyaltie to their King who for the benefit of a litle fresh aire out of prison and a titular interest in an estate the revenues whereof must be excis'd contributed fift parted twentieth parted and particulated into nothing at the pleasure of the blew-apron'd men in the Citie and Committee plowmen in the Countrey would desperatelie cast their soules into the guilt and curse of a covenant which they utterlie detested and their persons into the slaverie of proud sinfull unreasonable men whom before it may be they fed with their charitie and commanded The nullitie of this oath upon the difference of heart and mouth is demonstrable The very taking it being so farre from obliging to be kept as it subjects them to the judgement of God because not done in truth nor in righteousnesse Isai 48. Nec vero ultra quam conseâ—…sum est juramentum operatur secundum ipsum quae tunc actul deficit in substantia desiciente consensu quem defectum juramentum minime supplet Say the lawyers And he that sweares to commit sacriledge and murder is as much bound by his oath which I would faine heare Master Baylie dictate from his chaire against them when they tell him Iuramentum non est vinculum iniquitatis The especial aggravation which he drawes from the Bishops ground is as especial a lie and as evident a falshood as ever came out of the mouth of man an irrecoverable shame to the whole Presbyterie That a Minister Professour their great champion commissioner should utter it when not onelie the penaltie of two pence hath been threatned but of sequestration and imprisonment hath been executed upon thousands and beside these because some particular must be instanc'd upon neare 100. fellowes of Colledges in one weeke banishment out of the Vniversitie of Cambridge this I can best justifie being one of the number Which was a leading case to Oxford when in their power and the feare of unjust suffering they threatned her first argument against their covenant Therefore let us leave the dishonour we were speaking of where we found it upon the head of our Nation in part who degenerated so farre as to take a covenant from the hand of strange rebells no otherwise their brethren then in the in quitie of maintaining hypocrisie and license both which they see with their selves selves now in thraldome to Atheisme and a mercenarie sword And beare about them the marke of Gods vengeance in the sight of us who survive to magnifie him in his iustice saying Iustus Dominus in omnibus vijs suis sanctus in omnibus operibus suis. The Bishops second demonstration need be no beter then the first whereby you are convicted as bad as it is you dare not venture upon halfe of it but like a cunning old rat that hath before been catch'd by the taâ—…le in a trap will be nibling at the baite but not enter too farre with his teeth for feare his head goe for 't next This makes you so tender of dealing with the majour which if not well caution'd why doc not you denie it or attacke it on that side which you guesse weaklie guarded You pervert the minour though litle to your advantage The Bishop sayth not that in the Covenant you sweare the latelie devised discipline to be Christs institution but that you gull men with it as if it were so imposing upon them the strictest oath to engage their estates and lives in the praeseruation and propagation of it which is as much as can be required for Christs institution or Euangel a title as strange as you make it often given your Discipline which allreadie I have touchd at Yet because here you so confidentlie put us upon the words of the Covenant somewhat not much unlike what the Bishop imputes I finde in the praeface… having before our eyes the glorie of God and the advancement of the Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ… whereby I charge your meaning to be the Presbyteriall Government of your Kirke if not I require you plainlie to denie it and to send me this proposition subscribed by your hand The plat forme of Discipline to which we sweare in the Covenant is not Christs institution Especiallie since your General Assemblie 1642. hath sayd That the Reformed Kirkes doâ—… hold without doubting their Kirke officiers and Kirke Government by Assembles higher and lower c to be jure divino and perpetual Your brother-Presbyters in England That Presbyterian Government hath just and evident foundation both in the word of God religious reason And the praeface to the English Directorie telling you That their care hath been to hold forth such things as are of divine institution in every ordinance Were it not to tire out my Reader I could shew this to be your language ever since your Discipline was framed thought so necessarie a truth that your denial must make Christ not so wise as Solon or Lycurgus if he left it as a thing mutable by men or now after so many ages of his Church to be put to the vote in their Parliaments and Synods So sayth a friend of yours in these words
Equidem non novi neque credam Christum qui Dei sapientia suit remp suam que omnium est perfectissima arbitrio stultorum hominura religuisse agitandam… quod ne Solon quidem aut Lycurgus aljusve quis pium Legislator pateretur For that and the rest of your religion your Confession of faith sayth That you are throughlie resolved by the â—…ord spirit of God that onelie is the true Christian sayth Religion pleasing God c… Gods aeternal truth ground of your salvation… Gods undoubted truth and veritie grounded onelie upon his written word Nay afterwards you protest and promise with your hearts under the same oath c that you will defend the Kings person and authoritie in the deferse of Christs Euangel and liberties of your Countrey which is or if it be no speake the same with Religion and liberties in your league Besides all which otherwhere you blasphemouslie compare both your confessions with the old Testament and the New That which followes wherein you moderate the first article of your Covenant imposing an endeavour to reforme onelie according to the word of God with out introducing Scotes Presbyterie or any other of the best reformed unlesse it be found according to that paterne though it served to palliate all blemiâ—…hes and deformities that were in it To invite possiblie some well meaning people into your fraternitie who like harmelesse bees relishing that sweetnesse litle thought what poyson they left behinde for other venemous insectiles to sucke out To furnish others withan excuse a petiful one for using so bad meanes to so good an end and when it undeniablie proves the contrarie the same it may be they intended crie they were mistaken though now they can not helpe it Yet it may be shâ—…wed to be a dubious frivolous limitation the same commendation your friends gave it when translated into an oath tenderd in behalfe of Episcopacie by the King First infirming that member and so far disinabling it from bearing part in the mater of an oath as subjection is required unto the reforming power in a Church Secondlie Quitting all that swore it of their engagement every moment if they see clearlie or judge erroneouslie your reforming Principals to digresse from that path Thirdlie either supposing your reformed religion in Scotland to be allreadie conform'd to that paterne or else enjoining to sweare contradictions Lastlie If leaving every man to judge what is according to the word and to endeavour according to that judgement imposing an oath productive of confusion there being as many mindes as men scarce two united in one touching Doctrine Worship Discipline and government The first might be illustrated argued from the fallibilitie and uncertaintie in the Reforming power a maim'd Parliament an illegitimate Assemblie then siâ—…ng whom I could not be assured to have the spirit of God so illuminating their mindes as whereby jointlie to judge the same reformation according to Gods word Secondlie as uncertaine should I bee seting aside all partialitie and passion that they would declare what they so judg'd against many of whom if not the most having a well grounded praejudice whether just or no maters not if not know'n to me I could not sweare de futuro a conformitie to their acts In which cases wisemen advise us to abstaine …Ten apochen tou omnynai prostattei peri toon endcchomenoon kai aoriston tes ecbaseoos echontoon to peras Hierocl in Carm. Pythag. and Iurant presumitur certioratus deliberatus accedere ad actum super quo jurat sayth the Lawyer The second is strengthned sâ—…fficientlie by your words which oblige the Covenanter no farther then he findes your great worke proceeding according to Gods word The successe whereof if no beter then in your Discipline and the Directorie will keep no man in his Covenant Gods word praescribing many parts of neither The Third is evident from the very clauses in the article where first an oath must be taken to praeserve the reformed religion in Scotland which if not according to Gods word is contradicted in the next that enjoines reformation onelie according to the word And if it be then that is it wherewith a uniformitie must be made and yet you tell us there is no such word nor any such mater in the Covenant About the last let every man speake his minde as freelie as I shall mine That I hold no Presbyterian government Scotish or other according to Gods word That I have read of much dissension among your selves in former times and heard of some in later That all Papists all orthodoxe persons in the Church of England are jointlie for Episcopacie in the order as according to Gods word and separatelie for it in the jurisdiction and discipline neither holding all parts of it exemplified in the word so not applicable unto it both not the same extensive particulars in the ordinance and exercise of the Church Besides such as you call Socinians Sectaries separatists whether individual or congregational All which having distinct opinions of Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the word if not concentred in the sense of the House or Assemblie but left to their several endeavours are sworne among them to delineate a pretie implicated diagramme of a Church But for a farther answer to this article of your covenant I remit you to the solide judgement of the Vniversitie of Oxford As likewise to that of several learned men in the Vniversitie of Cambridge who joined in one minde publîshed their refutation of the whole treacherous league A. 1644. Onelie I must adde what persons of knowledge integritie say they will make good That your Covenant came into England with some such clâ—…use as this We shall reforme our Church in doctrine and Discipline conforme to the Church of Scotland Whereof Master Nye his Independent friends fairhe cheated you making that be rased out and this inserted which we treat of By which tricke they have pack'd Presbyterie away and yet pleade with you in publike That they still keepe the Covenant and goe on to reforme according to Gods word The second ground of the Bishops demonstration is no evident errour it being an evident truth That the principal Covenanters Noblemen Gentlemen and Ministers in Scotland protested to Marq. Hamilton His Majesties Commissioner 1638. when it was objected that their Covenant with their new explication was different from the sense of that 1580. because it portended the abolition of Episcopacie That it was not their meaning quite to abolish it but to limit it holding out in the most material point an identitie between them That they assured many who made the scruple and would not have come into their covenant unlesse they had so resolv'd them That they might swearc the same confession and yet not abjure Episcopal government which the three Ministers in their first answer to the Divines of Aberdene positivelie affirmea That thus
they abus'd many with an appearance of identitie in the mater and similitude in the end And themselves frequentlie confessed that this Covenant was nothing but that general one applied to the particular occasions at that time It is as certaine that the Covenant of the Rebells in all the three Kingdomes 1643. was held out at least to them in Scotland that toke it to be the same with that they toke before otherwise then as it must be againe applied to a conjunction with their brethren of the other two Kingdomes Nor was there any other new emergent cause nor was that one for any new Covenant and you are not to multiplie solemne oathes and Covenants you sayd without necessitic Nor is there in this the sense of any one clause that is not in the other as it concern'd your owne Nation And the enemies with their practices against whom and which you fram'd it you professe to be the same though now increased in your praeface All which have elements enough beside an airie sancie to make up your grosse errour or affected falshood in denying so demonstrable a truth Yet that notwithstanding this imposture there is a real difference in the triplie respect which the Bishop speakes of was never hitherto denied as I know by any Episcopal writer which are many that occasionallie have mention'd it So that his Lordship cuts not his owne vine but your fingars that will be medling with his worke for which he may expect and will have due thankes from his friends that rightlie understand him For how soever indeed that short confession was at first not onelie draw'n up by the Kings command nor freelie subscribed with his hand but obtruded violentlie upon him being devised by a partie of seditious male-contented Noblemen and Courtiers made such by the Clergie that were worse against Esme Earle of Lenox who they hoped by this test would be discovered to be a Papist Yet the King made a very good vertue of necessitie and since he must impose it fiâ—…st upon his familieand afterward upon his subjects being supreme could and did it in his owne sense though it may be oppositie to theirs that made it the ambiguitie of the words tolerating both To which in that sense he praefixed his Royal authoritie whereas your later Covenant in yours was absolutelie against his sonnes That in his sense was for the lawes of the Realme the praeservation of Episcopacie This against them for its utter extirpation That to maintaine the religion established which he did to the uttermost of his power This to its destruction which it is in effecting though it spoiles in the casting that golden calfe you intended to set up So that the words themselves which doe not more flatlie contradict the Bishop then they are contradict by your workes are not so expresse for the Kings authoritie the law of the realme and religion established and wherein they are such an abstruse meaning have they as he that takes your league is ouos agoon mysteria the dull creature that ignorantlie caries all the mysteries of your iniquitie on his backe In the next paragraph is nothing but a branch or two of your former wild discourse therein a nest of small birds chattering what we often heare to no purpose or never to lesse then here having no significancie at all in answer to the Bishops Memento which recognizeth Q. Elizabeths indulgence to whom your praedecessours scraped and whined for militarie assistance to say no worse undeservedlie had it without imposing the Discipline os England Whereas you to use the words of K. Ch. 1. are not to be hired at the ordinarie rate of auxiliariâ—…s much lesfe borrowed or bestowed nothing will induce you to ingage till â—…hose that call you in have pawned their soules to you The Discipline Liturgic which you quarell with some times because different from the English was obtruded upon you by no other crast and force then a plaine legal injunction Deliberated on from the time of K. Iames's investiture in the crowne of England approved in a general Assemblie at Aberdene 1616. the Liturgie I meane the Discipline having been received long before read publikelie in the Kings chapell at Haly-rud-house ever since the yeare 1617. not onelie without dislike but with frequent assemblies of the Councel Nobilitie Bishops and other Clergie Iudges Gentrie Burgesses women of all rankes In several other places in the time of K Ch. 1. The alterations which were not of such moment as to be met with opposition were partlie made generallie approved by the Bishops and principal Clergie in Scotland who in the exercise of it were injoined to proceed with all moderation and dispense with such for the practice of some things conteined in the booke as they should finde either not well perswaded of them or willing to be informed concerning them or did hope that time and reason might gaine a beter beleefe of them How otherwise your Discipline was obtruded upon the English what free long and deliberate choyce they used beside the sighes and groanes of many pious soules hurried into prisons or disspersed in a miserable exile your owne Scots Cushi shall beare witnesse Who out of no ill meaning to your cause reveales the truth of your tyrannie from the beginning… That upon your second coming in it was when some of our Nobles tooke occasion to supplicate for a Parliament which the King scarce durst denie for the Scotch armie nor the perpetuitie of it afterward for no other reason… That when it came to armes the Scotes could not sit still in conscience honestie whereupon they sent a Commissioner from their Synod to the English Parliament 1642. to move them to cast out Bishops Then others to the King at Oxford to signe all propositions which because he would not doe they resolve to assist their brethren against him whom they call the common enemie The formalitie of an invitation was used to this purpose but their inclination and resolution had pass'd before And indeed your Assemblie 1642. confess'd an obligation lay upon them to encourage and assist so pious a worke but not as you doe here onelie out of brotherlie concernment but for securitie of yourselves because without it you could not hope for any long time to enjoy your owne puritie peace which had cost you so deare The Bishops following grounds which he makes good to be de monstrative doe not therefore betray the weaknesse of because they adde strength to the praeceding What wind is in them you follow too fast after and feed as greedilie upon as Ephraim on the East which turnes to the same bad nourishment in you both increasing lies and somewhat else which you may reade Hose 12. 1. And were the softest hand insensible of their substance they would praeponderate your answers which are as deceitfull upon the weights as he that made them and allsogether lighter then vanitie it selfe For
not a proposition is there in prosyllogisme or syllogisme that is seemes you can denie though you scarce any where shew ingenuitie to grant For the second which you thinke so hard to prove let it be adventur'd thus He that by covenant disposeth of himselfe and armes contrarie to the established lawes which by the Kings right in him he is obliged to maintaine disposeth of them against that rights But every Covenanter disposeth c. For the established lawes enjoine him to defend the Kings person without limitation or reference to religion at least not to fight against it which the Covenant by your practike interpretation doth oblige to Where the power of the Militia resides His Maâ—…esties unanswerable Declaration for the Commission of array will best satisfie you And himselfe tells you trulie it is no lesse his undoubted right then is the crowne In the exercise of it though the Parliament be not excluded yet their power is never legallie considerable but when they are as the bodie with the soul in stain conjunctâ—… with the King Defense of liberties hath no law to arme them against praerogative nor is there a cause imaginable impowering them to take up armes against a partic countenanced by the Kings praesence which can be according to no law but what is call'd such by rebellious people that offer violence to Royal right If any such there be let us have but one impraegnable instance and we 'll shake hands I beleeve you are not much in love with that old custome of the Frisians long before they became Presbyters who chose their Earle carying him upon their bucklers and crying alowd Haecest potestas Frisiae You can now adayes beter indoctrinate them according to the custome of yourfaction when praevalent which is to admit no new King but at the swords point and there to keepe him crying after this maner or somewhat like it in your proclamational libells Haec est libertas Presbyteriales Scotiae Yet your Commissioners when in the mood can praesent the hilt to his hand and argue with both houses as they did upon the new propositions why the power of the militia should be in the crowne asking How Kingâ—… otherwise can be able to resist their enemies and the enemies of the Kingdome protect their subjects keep friendship or correspondence with their allies … asserting that the depriving them of this power rootes up the strongest foundations of honour and sasctie which the crowne affords will be interpreted in the eyes of the world to be a wresting of the scepter and sword out of their hands So that the Bishops friends may take from yours aswell as from him the same demonstrable conclusion he layd downe And this for all the Kings acknowledgement which was never any of the Parliaments joint interest in his authoritie against his person which is the true case though you shamefullie conceale it Nor did His Majestie so put the whole Militia in their hands as to part with his right when he bound his owne from the exercise Nor was he sure he was not or might not seeme to be perjur'd for his courtesie which all Kings will not hazard though he layd the guilt or dishonour at their doores whither God hath brought allreadie a portion of their just punishment that constraind him saying I conceive those men are guiltic of the enforced persurie if so it may seem who compell me to take this new and strange way of discharging my trust by seeming to desert it of protecting my subjects by exposing my selfe to danger or dishonour for their safetie and quiet Therefore what thoughts he had of your parties medling with the Militia may be best judg'd by his words How great invasion in that kinde will state rebellion in a Parliament when there 's any as there was none at that time nor since shall be told you when the Bishop gives you occasion to demand it Or if you can not stay so long I must send you againe to the judicious Digges to satiate your too curious and greedie appetite of such fare as will not well be digested in many stomackes To the nulling yourCovenant by His Majesties proclamation you say nothing because it separates him from the partie to which you attribute all malignance and you know you can not securelie medle with him but in a croud In the Bishops second demonstration we must be beholding to you for giving what you can not keep with any credit which more awes you then conscience That where the mater is evidentlic unlawfull the oath is not binding The application of which up to your covenant will be justified when brought to the touch by Gods lawe or the Kingdome 's But you first summon it before reason which helpes you with no rule To lay aside what might be otherwise rectified were there cause for 't Nor any evidence that the burden of Bishops and ceremonies was so heavie as to presse you into the necessitie of a Covenant This his Lordship need not offer to dispute since the King ever offerd a regulation of that order and those rites by the primitive paterne wherein it otherwise differed then in a necessarie innocent compliance with the politike constitution of his Kingdome And the Church had render'd all rational satisfaction aswell for the ceremonies reteined as those abolish'd And both by particular men most eminent in learning and judgement had been unanswerablie maintained in every graine or scruple that could be quaestion'd or complaind of Yet the praesent government how light soever is burdensome especiallie to men that looke for advantages by the change And the worst of men can seeme as serious in complaint as if their vertues had been the onelie martyrs to crueltie and the very common hackneyes for oppression Quid reliqui habemus praeter miseram animam came out which a sad sigh from Catiline before his bankrupt Comrades who had left no such subject for rebellion to thetoricate on if their lives had been as good pawnes in the midst of their prodigalitie as their lands This your method of reformation whereof the Bishop complaines for which you plead custome failes not onelie in the maner but of the power the most material requisite to effect it And the high path way is not so ordinarie as you can name the Parliament that ever trod in it before We in England having no such custome nor indeed any where the true Churches of God as to alter religion and government without the King To your quaestion which ever shelters fraud in universals I particularlie answer and to our purpose 1. That the Houses of Parliament are not to begin with an ordinance for a covenant or oath to change the lawes of the Realme to abolish the Discipline of the Church and the Liturgie lawfullie established by the sword which are the Bishops words before the Kings consent be sought to that beginning much lesse when his dissent is foreknow'n of that
aâ—… much abjured Presbyterie that praetends for Royaltie by the engagement that hath renounc'd it as you Episcopacie by the Covenant may they condition for their owne confused Jndependencie three yeares and as much longer as till you and they agree may they tell you that can never be because they are engag'd and in no hazard to reerect the roten stooles of English Scotizing repentance the corrupt classes of your Presbyters which the same sword hath ten times more justlie cut downe then it set them up But I see your full and formal consent findes no such good footing in your fallacie and therefore falls at length to a possibilitie of defect which you praesume with much facilitie to have supplied His Majestie that now is hath much to thanke you for that at the first you will make him as glorious a King as you made not his Royal father but after so many yeares experience of his reigne That being at libertie not onelie in his person from your prisons but in his reputation from the clogges of those calumnies you cast upon the guiltnesse innocencie of his Praedecessour you will advance him beyond all those sufferances that were Solemne praeparations to his murder and in primo imperij momento as in ultimo you did before hold him by the haire onelie not as yet permit the Independent hand to cut his throat untill forsooth he hath taken breath to supplie that wherein his too scrupulous too pusillanimous father fainted And then crowne him with ribbons and flowers for the fater sacrifice of the two by the giving up his honour and salvation beyond a life the onelie leane oblation of Charles the first But may His Majestie say you easilie supplie what his father travaild for without satisfaction to the uttermost limits of reason and conscience beyond the farthest excusable adventures of any Praedecessours in his three Kingdomes or out of them hazarding allmost to despaire his memorie with pious posteritie especiallie at that distance as shall not repraesent distinctlie every angle of the necessitie he was driven to and his soul to no other assurance of pardon then what the integritie of his repentance not so infalliblie haereditarie as his miseries and his glorious martyrdom afterwards helpt him to Would he thinke you so readilie but for a whisper of pernicious counsel in his eares passe by unregarded his fathers charge to persevere in the orthodoxe religion of England and hearken to the Devill of Rebellion whom he knowes well enough though turnd into a Angel of Reformation Can he so easilie after three or fower weekes conference at the Haghe with two ignorant Presbyters and but twice as many leaden headed Laikes have his reason convinc'd his consience satisfied which is Royal Father could not in so many yeares conversation with the ablest Divinâ—…s devout consultations had with the Living God himselfe by his prayers and his dead Yet livelie oracles of the Holie Word in his watches Or would he so readilie without it give up his Fathers invincible reserve to the irrcparable injurie of the Church his people his heire or successour in his Kingdomes Was he requir'd and intreated by Charles the first as his Father and his King in case he should never see his face againe not to suffer his heart to receive the least checke against or disaffection from the true Religion established in the Church of England And can he so easilie even while that pretious bloud hath dyed his garments in purple and being the Defender's of the fayth speakes the same language and calls every morning he puts them on for the same vengeance as once did the firstborne of the faythfull cast such requests and requisites behind him quit the true Christian guard he is charg'd with and desert all his constant subjects that must persevere in their religious profession according to the puritie of our canon Will he rather then want weare a crowne which is not wortb taking up or enjoining upon such dishonourable unconscionable termes And will he so readilie beare the infamous brand to all posteritie of being the first Christian King in his Kingdome who consented to the oppression of Gods Church and the Fathers of it exposing their persons to penvrie and their sacred functions to vulgar contempt Will he so easilie because his treasure exhausted his revenâ—…e deteind be tempted to use such prosane reparations if not acting consenting to perjurious and sacriligious rapines Or will he so readilie instead of huckes give holy things unto sivine and the Church's bread not onelie the crumbes of it unto dogs This his Royal Father durst not for feare a coale from Gods alter should set such a sire on his throne and his consience as could hardlie be quenched Nor in all likelihood will this ever obsequious sonne whom you call I hope in expectation of no such concessions the most sweet and ingenious of Princes unlesse such furies as you fright his conscience away while his tongue doubleth in an uncertaine consent having from your pens practices nothing but insuperable horrour and inevitable destruction in his sight Where in if ever you unhapilie praevaile may the same Royal tongue be seasonablie touch'd with a coale of a beter temper before the unquenchable fire of despaire catch hold of his soul or that of vengeance of his throne May it call for the fountaine of living waters to wash away the bloud of his slame subjects whose soules lie under the altar crying aloud for judgement and quaestioning its delay May that ountaine deriue it selve into the head and heart of this otherwise innocent King and day and night flow out at his eyes in torrents of teares for himselfe in no soloecisine the Virgin Father of his people And may at last his robes be wash'd white in the bloud of the Lambe and God wipe away all teares from his eyes Having payd in dutie this conditional devotion which I wish as frivolous and needlesse as your praesumption is malicious unlikelie I proceed to vindicate the Bishops discourse which J can not see how in sense may be sayd to fright the Kings conscience by asserting his right and undeniable praerogative the sinewes whereof you would shrinke up into nothing The Legislative power is not here stated or determined by his Lordship onelie the King call'd supreme Legislatour which he is What comment tries have been made of it to the praejudice of the right and custome of Parliaments shall be spoken to when you tell us which of his brethren and what in their writings it is you meane No right nor custome can be adjusted to them in your case which is vowing to God and sweating one unto another to change the lawes of the Realme c. by the sword without and against the King different from the sense of your Commissioners who would have the Legislative power aswell as the Militia to be the Kings For that power
in doses of Covenants and propositions not to be disputed and like a bedlam have lawes given it with a whip The Bishop drawing toward the end of his discourse puts all the controversie upon trial by that quaestion which if once categoricallie answered would spare much oyle and inke for the future giving the Magistrate to know that it is not the pen but his sword whereby this difference must be decided But these spiders of Presbyterie will aswell be spinning webs as spitting poyson though so thin as can't conceale the uglie shape of their soules nor that bay which contines the intrinsecal venome of their cause Though had they the reputation of no beter Artists then Master Baylie the Pallas of Praelacie need not enter on the encounter but that of Magistracie might in scorne more then envie teare such wicked worke in peices before their face and in justice mixed with some litle mercie to beget repentance execute Arachne's condemnation in the fable upon the authours Of the multitude of untruths which the Reviewer here recriminates upon the Bishop that we may by one take a judgement of the rest the want of charitie is very unjustlie made the first which he should have done well to have supplied in himselfe and not so senselesselie to intimate a non realitie of religion in those reverend Fathers who beside the visibilitie in their practice hereto fore and of their Christian patience in being Martyrs and Confessours for it of late ever made a profession of that fayth which was consonant to Scripture as interpreted in the primitive purest times of Holie Church Whereas the censure his Lordship makes of the Presbyterian phantasme is principallie because in their very covenant appeares no reformation intended but according to the word of God without mentioning any rule or authoritie for the interpretation of that word beside their owne humours conceits And the example of the best Reformed Churches which best must be that which seemes so unto them whether the rest yeild to it as such or no if indeed they meane any as it may be wel thought they doe not but themselves who are so superciliouslie singular from them all as they disdaine to heare of a inclioration to be had from their example and such Tyrants over us as they give us no other law nor reason but their pleasure for the reformation they impose speaking to us in the language of the Pelagians to the Catholikes Nobis authoribus nobis principibus nobis expositoribus damâ—…ate quae tenebatis tenete quae damnabatis reijeite antiquam fidem paterna instituta Majorum deposita recipite quaenam illa tandem Horreo decere sunt enim tam superba ut mihi non modo adfirmari sed ne reselli quidem sine aliquo piaculo posse videantur The second untruth he sayth is That Covenanters beare no ailegeance to the King but onelie in order to Religion which notwithstanding is the particular limitation in the Covenant and when all was granted them but a particle of that by Charles I. they denied to returne to their allegeance without it And the Crowne of his successour our gracious Soveraigne still hangs out of his reach by that thred which their proclamation tells him in effect shall for ever keep it off till he consent To the third I replie That the Rebell Parliaments verbal denial makes the Bishop speake no untruth who will tell them as the King himselfe did That his person was invaine excepted by a parenthesis of words when so many hands were armed against him with swords the Canon knew no respect of persons The praetenses of a Popish Praelatical and matignant faction are wip'd away by His Majestie in that chapter to which I require a Scotich replie The fourth is grounded upon a very false supposition which sometimes they will not grant us nor should we though too many have out of mistake too often grant it them viz. That saving Bishops and ceremonies the religion of Scotizing Presbyterians and Catholike English Christians is the same where as there is neare if not fullie fundamental difference in the acception of several articles in our Creed so that though we say the same words we can not trulie be sayd to be of the same beleife in these at least Christs descent into hell The Holie Catholike Church The communion of Saints The forgivenesse of sinnes Besides several other accessorie tenets where in we thinke they detract from the mercie if not the justice of God reveled in Christ and the ordinarie use of his graces restored by our redenâ—…ption without respect of persons unto men But if here for their pleasure they will have the true Church counterfeit Kirke be the same otherwise then as they are differenced by the corruptions of Bishops and ceremonies why tried they not the experiment of purging these with the alteration of the rubrike and their persons without change of the Liturgie for a Directorie and the abolition of their office As their great Pope Henderson once confessed in the Earle of Arundel's tent when General in the North. That Bishops might have been tolerated in Scotland if their persons had been such as they ought And the Reviewer himselfe when he wondred why the Doctours of Aberdene would not subscribe the covenant being asked by a friend of his if he thought Episcopacie and the articles of Perth unlawfull made this answer He never thought nor ever would thinke them so Whence may be conjectur'd their modest meaning to be this That had the Episcopate in Scotland been seasonablie entailed to their tribe so farre as they could have hindred what they pretie well promoted their covenanting tables at Edenburgh had been taken downe and no armie raised to purge Malignants out of the Kirke 5. The Reviewer sayth their armes were taken for defense of just liberties whereof religion was but one But then it was one and that the principal or else when they had the Militia granted them to defend the rest why stood they upon that which is an argument that merelie for that were there nothing else in controversie they might aswell take as keepe up armes But what shuffsing was in this businesse hath been discovered by another That about liberties Master Digges hath learnedlie consuted Nor will the Reviewer and all his complices be able to instance in any one law of the three Kingdomes that justifieth the subjects against the supreme power in defece of any liberties by their armes Saint Austin and all good Christians were of another minde Ita a plebibus Prinâ—…ipes a servis domini serendi sunt ut sub exercitationc tolerantiae susâ—…ineantur temporalia sperentur eterna Which I therefore cite not as if I took it to be the Covenanters case who did and might have continued to enjoy all just liberties without any such defense Yet had they not they should have ponder'd many beter politike maximes
enthusiasmes who give out for Michael the Archangels revelations what counterfeit impostures Morpheus puts of to them in their dreames Touching a general Councel with a wish for which His Lordship piouslie concludes No Covenanters goe before him nor will set one step after him in that desire who most uncharitablie make three parts of fower in the Christian world Antichristian and so no constitutive members of such a meeting An occumenicke Synod of Protestants would un doubtedlie condemne them which is most shamefullie praejug'd to approve of the rebellion and murder in their Covenant Nor can their Principals in honour be silent at such an horrid impious praesumption publickelie printed imputed to them The Bishops ae his brethren have declined no solemne assemblies of their owne countreyes those so called were factious schismatical conventicles illegallie gatheâ—…ed composed of such mushromes as how numerous soeuer durst noe admit of twentie Praelatical Divines into debate lest they should be squeez'd into a litle spungie earth winde their originals having no substantial worth or abilities to support them You need not pray the Warner to speake unto the question you put since you have his answer before hand without asking viz. That its worth the enquiring even in such an Oecumenicke synod whether the markes of Antichrist doe not agree as eminentlie to the Assemblie General of Scotland as to the Pope He mentions some that plainlie doe meanes it may be as much of all the rest To the charge in a Christian Councel they would answer That they are able to evidence before God the World That all bloud miserie drawn from brought upon the former King his Kingdomes must be cast upon the Covenant General Assemblie in Scotland who will never cease to embroyle all in new calamities untile they be destroyed That if this King his whole familie resolve not to prosecute Gods cause which the former did with much Christian courage unto the death they hazard the tearing their crownes into more peices then the miters the demolition of their thrones beneath that of the Praelates chaires To conclude all The Reviewers breath though violent enough becomes in vaine so definitive as to perpetuate persecutions against the providence of God whom the Bishops looke upon as a potent Protectour of Kings a mercifull repairer of the breach made in his Church by their owne ruines Their resolutiâ—… may be justlie peremptore to persevere in their opinion of the Scotish Presbyterian crueltie to be such That as they have burjed their Bishops alive conniv'd at if not countenancd the Massacring their Kings so their endeavour will not be wanting to scater the ashes of tâ—…e Royal familie three Kingdomes on their graves Though their consistorian fourmes repenting stooles with other luggage be next cast into the flames first kindled by themselves The mysteries of their religion being murder dead monuments such as never made those heathen the summe of whose devotion Clemens of Alexandria comprehended in two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS Errours to be amended Epist. Ded. pag. 3. line 18. Reade she or her Ancients Ans. to Ep'Ded p. 2. l. 8. for common shoare r. com fewer Ibid. l. 9. for power r. paper p. 3. l. 6. for and r. c. p. 6. l. 16. for comfort r. confort l. 38. for burning r. warning p. 7. l. 18. for both r bold l. 36. for must r. most p. 8. l. 20. r. deceitfull lovers of themselves there are p. 9. l. 35. r. two or three such words as p. 11. l. 32. for late r. babe p. 16. l. 13. for Reviewer r. Reviewes Acolut p. 8 l. 13. for own r. owned p. 13. l. 30. for otherguede r. otherguesse p. 19. l. 37. for literal r. liberal p. 20. l. 8. for apposed r. opposed p. 21. l. 15. it delcatur p. 22. margin for Chaldaeos r. Culdaeos p. 26. l. 10. for then r. they l. 11. for all r. a. p. 29. l. 1. for Hierambieorum r. Hierarchicorum l. 25. for buselie r. basilie p. 31. l. 30. for in that r. that is l. 41. for anomia ergapiria r. anomias ergasteria p. 37. l. 17. for stake r. sticke p. 38. l. 19. for acknowledge r. acknowledged p. 40. l. 2. for reasonable r. treasonable p. 45. l. 19. for Vnitglupteu r. Vuygeastein p. 48. l. 36. After Oecumenical adde Councel p. 53. l. 37. for asgle r. aire p. 59 l. 24. for acconsequential r. unconsequential p. 60. marg for to excom r. no excom p. 60. l. 29. for too rigid r. to rigid p. 64. l. 32. for halls r. heeles p. 68. l. 20. for triel r. Ariel p. 72. l. 11. for then r. them p 73. l. 3. for as r. is p. 78. marg for vicitie r. nicitie p. 80. marg for 493. r. 1593. p. 81. l. 34. r. though but in the time Ibid. marg r. The Bishops Sunday toleration p. 48. l. 10. pro libra r. litera Ibid. l. 12. for jura r. dura p. 85. l. 19. for papists r. pupills l. 33. for its r. in p. 86. l. 14. for coloural r. colourable Ibid. marg r. Scotish Presbyterian reformation from c. p. 87. l. 7. for latewarmnesse r. lukewarmnesse l. 13. for too r. 100. p. 88. l. 1. for session r. cession l. 14. for Murre r. Marre marg for Ruthuer r. Ruthuen p 92. l. 21. for servidi r. fervidi p. 94. l. 9. for scrive r. transscribe p. 57. l. 1. for then r. them p. 101. l. 39. for superintended r. superintendent p. 11. for masters r maters marg for contracted r. confuted p. 117. l. 14. guerts r. Masters p. 121. l. 6. for indiscreet r. in discreet p. 122. marg fuos r. suo p. 126. l. 9. for on r. or p. 127. l. 31. r. from whom I expect c. p. 142. l. â—…9 for cession r. succession l. 40. for successis r. successio p. 145. l. 40. for Autoraniei r. Autouranici p. 148. l. 39. for r. c. p. 149. marg for sudunt…astragatus r. sudunt astragalis p. 152. l. 35. for pallea r. paleae for Affltu r. Afflatu with no point before it p. 127. marg for togodaedali r. logodaedali p. 153. marg for odificentur in rumam r. aedificentur in ruinam p. 155. l. 41. for manitates r. inanitatis p. 157. l. 16. for if r. it l. 41. for mission r. omission p. 159. l. 40. for doubte r. double p. 162. l. 14 for forming r. foming p. 163. l. 1. for too r. so p. 165. l. 13. susplicates r. supplicates pag. 169. l. 6. r. to the Bishop pag. 175. l. 83. for to r. so large Ibid. marg for a estes quos sidem ea vocant r. testes quos sidemen vocant for minus r. munus p. 177. margâ—…for spirationes r. conspirationes p. 175. for many leaves r. may leave p 180. l. 5. for quae r quia p. 181. l. 26. for quis pium r. quispiam p. 182. marg
Bishop Adamsons lying libel Though alwayes in England yet never in Scotland had Commissarie any jurisdiction over Ministers Iames Gibson was never absolved by the Church from his Proces Master Blacks appeale from the counsel cleered The tumult of the seventeenth day of December was harmelesse and no Minister guilty of it The praelats ordinarly but the Presbytery never were for rash excommunications The Praelats flatter Princes to their ruine The Scots Ministers preaching for justice was just and necessary Huntlyes notorious crymes Never any question in Scotland betwixt the King and the Church for Tythes and patronages King James avowes himselfe a â—…ater of Erastianisme The Presbytery cognosceth only upon scandals and that in fewer civil things then the Bishopscourts were wont to meddle with The Churches proceedings in the late engagement cleered from mistakes The Church medled not with the manday mercat but by way of supplication to Parliament The Church once for safty of the infant Kings life with the concurrence of the secrete counsel did cal an extraordinary meeting By the lawes and customes of Scotland the Assembly praecieds the Parliament in the reformation of Ecclesias-tical abuses The Church parte in the road of Ruthven clecred The interest of the generall assembly of Scotland in the reformation of England The violent apprehension of Masse-Priests in their act of idolatry reproved by the Warner The Warner and his Praelatical Erastian brethren are obliged by their owne principles to advise the King to lay aside Episcopacy and set up the Praesbytery in all his dominions The praelaticall party were lately bent for Popery The Praelats professe now a willingnes to abolish at least three parts of the former Episcopacy The portion of Episcopacy which yet is stuck to cannot be kept up upon any principle either of honour or conscience The smallest portion of the most moderat Episcopacy is contrary to scripture The Praelats unable to answer their opposits Prelacy was ever grievous to Scotland There is no Lordship but a meer service and ministry in the Pastors of the Church The Warner is ful of calumnious untruths The eight desires of the Church about the ingagement were just and necessary It is one of the liberties of the Church of Scotland to publish declarations The leavy was never offered to be stopped by the Church The Church was not the cause of the gathering at Mauchlin Moore The assembly is helpfull and not hurtfull to the Parliament The apointment of comittees is a right of every court as well Ecclesiastick as civil There is no rigour at all in the Presbytery Crimes till repented of ought to keep from the holy table Excommunication in Scotland is not injurious to any The Warners outrage against the Presbytery The Praelats were constant oppressors of the Nobility and gentry The way of the Scotes Presbytery is incomparably better then that of the English Episcopacy All questions about patronages in Scotland are now ended The possessors of Church lands were ever feared for Bishops but never for the Presbytery The praelats continue to annull the being of al the reformed Churches for their want of Episcopacy The Praelats are so baselie injurious to all the reformed Churches that their selses are ashamed of it The generality of the Episcopal clergy have ever been covered with ignorance beggery and contempt The Praelats continue to hate preaching and prayer but to idolize a popish service Vide ladâ—…nsium cap. 7. Episcopall warrants for clandestin marriages rob Parents of their children Serious catechising is no Episcopal crime Church sessions are not high commissiones The Covenant was not dishonourable to union Covenanters were not deceived but understood what they sweare The Warner unwittingly comends the Covenant The King did not clame the sole and absolute possession of the militia The change of lawes in England ordinarly beginne by the two houses without the King The King did really consent to the abolition of Bishops The Praelats would flatter the King into a Tyranny The praelats takes to themselves a negative voice in Parliament The Praelats grieve that Monks and Friers the Pope and Cardinals were casten out of England by Henry the eight The just supremacy of Kings is not prejudged by the Covenant The Warners insolent vanity The covenant is not for propagating os Religion by armes The Warners black Atheisme a The Praelats condemne the defensive armes of the Dutch Frensh Protestants b The Praelats decline the judgement of counsels c The Praelats overthrow the foundatioÌ„s of Protestant Religion d The Praelats are stil peremptorie to destroy the King and all his Kingdoms if they may not be restored My reason for refuting his Epistle The Rewiewers vanitie in giving titles inconsistent with the praesent condition practice of his Lord. The Earle of Cassils no late Illuminate No credit for his samilie to be commended by Buchanan Very Improper to style Buchanan Prince a Legitimi regni gravissima pestis Praet ad Dial. de jur Reg. b The Reviewers sermon divinttie c He may well count it an advantage to have the E. Cassils his judge d An honour for the Bp. to be calld by the Rev unpardonable incendiaire The Rev's uncleanlie language Aristoph Plut. The active boldnesse of the Scotish Presbyterians in Holland c a The three headed monster in controversie b Sen. Her Fur. c The Scotish Discipline vrey different from that in Holland France d No Reformed Church calls regular Episcopacie Antichristian e Many emincnt persons in those Churches have approv'd of it Vindic of K. Ch. p. 125. Apost Instit of Episcopacie Episcopal declinations different from Episcopacie Presbyteria aberrations the same with Presbyterie The praesent concernment greater to reveale the Scotish Discipline the refute old adversaries of Episcopacie a Sr. Claud Somays likelie to be no great friend to the Discipline b He offe red no dispute with the Kings Chaplaines about Episcopacie They transgresse not the dutie of their place by informing the Kings conscience about The Primitive Doctrine Discipline Eikôn Basiliké cap. 14. Praeservation of the Church a Pardoning the Irish tolerating their Religion b Eikôn Basilikè conscience honour reason law c Inclining his mind to the Counsels of his Father d Cant. 4 4. e Eikôn Basilikè penned wholely by K. Ch. 1. not a syllable of it by the Bishops f God not they the supporter of the Matyr'd King a The hard-hearted Scotish Presbyterians b Holmebie the fatal praecipice to K. Ch. 1. c Endeavours to make it such to K Ch. 2. d His best way to praevent it is consorting with his Fathers booke e Wherein is divine wisdome Counsel f Ps. 72. g Gods providence in ordering his commendations of this booke to proceed out of the mouth of the Revicwer h The Reviewers scaesonable advertishment to the King a K. Ch. 1. no Presbyterian in heart nor tongue at Newcastle the Isle of Wight b His papers to Mr. Henderson against it c
purging the Pope of Antichristianisme of purpose to make way for a reconciliation yea for a returne to Rome as this day it lyes under the wings of the Pope and Cardinals Also what could they answer in a Christian counsel unto this charge which is the drift of this whole Book that they are so farre from any remorse for all the blood and misery which their wickednes most has brought on the former King and all his Kingdomes these eleven yeares that rather then they had not as the Covenant and generall assembly in Scotland destroyed as an Idoll and Antichrist they wil chuse yet still to imbroyle all in new calamities This King also and his whole Family the remainder of the blood and Estats in all the three Kingdomes must be hazarded for the sowing together of the torne mytres and the reerecting of the fallen chayres of Praelats If Bishops must lie still in their deserved ruines they perseveer in their peremptory resolution to have their burials sprinckled with the ashes of the royall Family and all the three Kingdomes FINIS ERRATA GOod Reader the Authors absence from the Presse the whole time of the impression and the Printers unacquaintance with the English language has occasioned not onely many mispunctations and literall faults but also diverse grosser Errata such as the following which thou art intreated to mend with thy Pen PAg. 4. lin 23. for had read hath pag. 9. lin 8. for Provincionall read Provinciall p. 11. l. 30. for whereby r. where p. 15. l. 19. for pairt r. part p. 20. l. 19 for can r. doth l. 30. for potestant r. Profestant pag. 22. l. 19. for these r. the. p. 23. l. ult for over r. or for trusted r. trustee p. 27. l. 4. for impatien t r. impatient l. 18. dele and. p. 28. in marg for commissarie r. commissaries l. 14. for and r. or l. 29. for chardge r. charge p. 31. l. 1. for chardges r. charges l. 25. for citation r. irritation p. 32. l. 10. for praecipies r. praecipices p. 35. in tit of chap. 7. for paritie r. part p. 36. l. 2. for scandals r. scandal p. 37. l. 2. for benefiter benesice p. 38. l. 10. for nation r. souldier l. 11. for their souls r. his soule p. 48. c. 8. l. 4. dele Ans. p. 49. l. 18. for Warner r. Doctor p. 51. l. 13. for the r. his p. 52. l. 16. for treasure r. Bishop p. 55. in tit of chap. 9. for their r. the. p 56. l. 31. for Christ r. Christ his l. 32. for point blank to r. point blanck contrare to p. 59. l. 1. dele and. l. 1. for unpoureth r. vapoureth l. 17. for where r. heere p. 65. l. 5. for continues r. continue l. 6. for are r. is p. 66. l. 3. for to r. so l. 9. for warned r. warmed p. 67. l. 16. for in r. to p. 68. l. 5. for or r. which l. 16. for last r. nixt p. 70. l. 18. for lest r. best l. ult for null the Church and r. the verie being of p. 71. l. 1. for Reformed r. Reformed Churches p. 73. l. 23. for charge r. chaire p. 74. l. 6. for service r. service book l. 28. dele and. p. 75. l. 16. dele and to the gift p. 76. l. ult for haths r. hath p. 78. l. 24. for doszen r. dozen p. 82. l. 5. for inprints r. imprints p. 84. l. 9. for complanit r. complaint p. 85. l. 7. for aside ever r. aside for ever l. 16. for sinshews r. sinews ΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΟΣ OR A SECOND FAIRE WARNING To take heed of the SCOTISH DISCIPLINE In vindication of THE FIRST Which the Rt. Reverend Father in God THE Ld. BISHOP OF LONDON DERRIE Published A. 1649. Against a schismatical seditious REVIEWER R. B. G. One of the bold Commissioners from the REBELLIOVS KIRKE IN SCOTLAND To His Sacred MAJESTIE K. CHARLES the SECOND when at the HAGE BY RI. WATSON Chaplane to the Rt. honble THE LORD HOPTON HAGH Printed by SAMUEL BROUN English Bookeseller 1651. To the R. Honorable the LORD HOPTON Baron of Straton c. One of the Lords of His Majeties most honourable Privie Councel Mr LORD VPon discoverie of a late motion in some sheetes I found my booke to have been hitherto but in a trance which receiving as I thought but knew not from whence a mortal wound before it appeared in the encounter I gave over long since for downe right dead buried in the presse When it recovered spirits enough to crave my hand I could not denie it so small a courtesie as to helpe it up In that it lookes not so vivide and fresh complexioned as heretofore it might it shares but in the ordinarie effects of such misse-fortune If resuming what it was speaking a twelve-moneth since be censured for impertinencie to these times it may be laughed at by some for prophesying of things past the possibilitie of their successe the fault may be theirs that disordered the leaves when well suited and the failing not mine who undertoke not against all changes of mindes or alterations of counsels or preventions of causes running on then visiblie to the same issues I assign'd them in my conjecture But these exceptions My Lord though they clip the fringe neither unshape nor shorten the garment I intended as the proper guise for Scotish Presbyteric to be seene in the very same with that wherein the Rt. Reverend Bishop of London Derrie had well clad her soone afterward not onelic undecentlie discompos'd but rent in pieces by the rudenesse of an angrie furie one of those sixc evil spirits that haunted in the night of sorrow with both tempting and torrisying apparitions His Royal MAjESTIE and your H. H. at the Hage From whose praevailing violence no rescue could be offered but by repelling the tempest of his language wherewith he thought to keepe all Antagonists at a distance and by blowing in his face the fire stinking sulphure of his breath If your Lordship please to passe a litle through the smoke and take no offense at the smell which in a neare approach will be found to be litle of my making Truth reason will be beter discerned in a readinesse to entertaine you as some longer traine of Authoritic had likewise if Fathers Councels in this pilgrimage of ours had been to a just number within my reach and some later Writers at the pleasure of my call The stand or at least some impediment in the march of these Bloudie Presbyters which this forlorne hope will in some likelihood cause for a time may by your Lordship unpraejudic'd be taken for an hapie augurie of the absolute defeate unquaestionablie to follow if occasion require by a greater strength and that under the conduct of beter experience in these polemical affaires In the interim though I humblic crave the honour and power of your patronage wherof from your integritie and constancie in Gods cause the Kings I praesume I assume not the boldnesse to
constitute your Lordship any partic in the libertie I take beyond forward expressions to declare what may be thought some singularitie in my sence If any small Politician whose conscience is squared by no religion at all but what plainlie lies in the image-worship of his temporal designes will be which I must looke for to be quaestioning the prudence of my speaches I thanke God he hath no priviledge to give judgement against the sinceritie of my thoughts I can no longer conceale My Lord how much I am troubled to see our Churches diffusive charitie mistaken the precious balme which she ever liberallie poured into the wounds of her neighbours cast by some of their hands like common oyle upon her domestike flames purposelie to consume her And the skirt she often spread over their nakednesse cut of with an unhandsome intent to laugh at her shame had she not an under garment of innocencie to praevent them To behold after so many yeares cantonizing our Religion amongst Protestant Congregations of different opinions reconcil'd in nothing but or nothing more then in a negative to the Papist our selves in the end at a sad losse for protection or indeed free permission from any now neceslitated to seeke it This makes me so many times in this discourse turne her away from all new names and professions arising whether from protestations or Covenants to the unconsoederate Catholike Christianitie among the Ancients where she is sure to have the safest sanctuarie of truth for her doctrine practice though she can expect no armed assistance from the dead to maintaine the distressed Members of her communion If this must be interpreted a schismatical inclination let me be left in my hold upon the hornes of this altar while others rise from their knees to sit downe out of good felloship at the Tables and drinke of all waters they care not what so draw'n from a cisterne of the Reformed forsaking or vilifying for the time that clearer Chrystal fountaine of their owne Whereas would they enter as they are quaestionlesse obliged an unanimous resolution to demand every where the publike exercise of their canonical devotion they would either upon the grant reape more comfort in continuing the worship of their Fathers or upon unworthie denial more reason to scruple at such a facile conjunction with them who disclaiming their prayers can not be thought serious when they praetend an harmonie in that faith by which they are exhibited unto God And to put your Lordship in minde of a late instance delivered on good credit who maligning our persons mocking at our calamities in their Scholes are very unlikelie so to alter their mindes as to turne their Barbarous reproach into any brotherlie kisse or Christian welcome when they step but the next doore into their Temples I confesse My good Lord this Magisterial advice may beter become the mouth of some Elder Pastour who is likelie to have more sheep wandring from his fold then he who can scarce properlie be said to have had any in his charge yet none such I hope hath reason to take amisse my modest endeavour while he is otherwise imployed to recover those I finde stragling within my call It being upon due consideration to be feared that after some few yeares if there must be yet more of our miserable dispersion with out an universal industrious circumspection of yong and old as we have broken our pipes we may throwe away our whistles and fold up our time with our armes in a comfortlesse discourse about the flockes we once had which now alas are got into other pastures Invite strangers to fight for our Churches while our owne Congregations are instituted to forget the holinesse in the separation of such places the sacred distance of the meanest from worke-or ware-houses and the fairest from Piatz'as of pleasure or Exchanges for their bargaines If what I speake My Lord be truth I shall not hearken to them that may tell me it is misse placed my conscience suggesting that the climate season hath too often been heretofore neglected If false I have a spunge as readie as ever I had a pinne to wipe out all but my shame which shall be set forth at your Lordships pleasure in an English sheet though it never will be brought unto the Scotish stoole to do its penance In attendance on which sentence if neither your Lordships approbation nor pardon must be expected I stoup downe to acknowledge my selfe aswell in submission to your censure as execution of your commands MY LORD Your Lordships Most humblie devoted servant RI WATSON D. Hieron Praefat. in Lib. Esdr. Legant qui volunt qui nolunt abjiciant Horat. quae nivali pascitur Algido Devota quercus inter ilices Aut crescit Albanis in herbis Victimae Pontisicum secures Cervice tinget AN ANSWER TO THE EPISTLE DEDICATORIE HAd Mr. Baylie contein'd himselfe within the limits of an Epistle I had there left him to canonize his Living Lord all his familie with what dexteritic he pleas'd to rubb his honourable head piece into a good conceit of his Review But since the great Diana in his booke so gloriouslie bespangled with the counterfeit Alchymie of the late Scotish Storie is lead hither to be magnified by any superstitious inadvertent reader his Lordships hand made use of onely to hold the candle by the false light of his name pretended vertues the better to commend Her Godesse-ship to publike view I can not passe by without looking in to see the sight spend my verdict upon the motions that attend it And that His Lordship may not be mistaken to stand altogether for a shadow I first cast my eye upon the potent Lord Iohn must plainly tell his admirer Mr. Baylie he had better deserved the honour of this title if he had imploy'd his power as he was in dutie by oath oblig'd in the vindication of His Majestie His Royal Father of ever blessed memorie as he hath most dishonourablie impotentlie against them both Nor is it much for his credit in the head of this Epistle to be styled one of His Majesties Privie Councel in the heart of His Kingdome to be one of the publike conspiracie against him of a Lord justice general to become a special Injusticiarie in his countrey The Reviewers long experience of his sincere zeale c. argues him to be none of the late illuminates gives us some hopes the he hath proceeded upon the dictates of his conscience though unhappilie erroneous long habits though at first contracted by the perversenesse of the will by perpetuitie becoming very essicacious in imposing fallacies upon the understanding so that he which doth ill may hereby be aswell perswaded that what he doth is good as he that often tells a lie hath at length himselfe believ'dit to be a truth His rigid adhaerence to the praetended rights priviledges of his Countrey being professed haereditarie
Religion the ordinarie reformation whereof is referred to your Ecclesiastical Assemblies are such onelie as appeare to be peccant against the ordinarie rule or canon by just authoritie established But that the Canon it selfe should be alterable at the pleasure of subjects in a combined Assemblies declining their subordination to a superiour power in King and Parliament and making them selves not onelie absolute to act but supreme to praescribe is contradictorie to all law and aequitie nor can any necessitie countenance it What you finde wrong in the Church according to your method must be no other then that which had been formerlie decreed in some of your Assemblies which must implie a fallibilitie in their application of the rule This errour when you goe about to rectifie from the word of God you may chance to have no clearer evidence then your praedecessours nor the people assurance that your eyesight is better So that for ought they know one blinde Assemblle may leade another by the hand and both with their followers fall into the ditch Beside It may so hapen that religious Acts answerable to the word may be offensive to some wicked Assemblie that have not the feare of God before their eyes These if they have the power to be sure they want not perversenesse to abolish for which I finde no cautionarie restraint in your discipline For after you have praetended to rectifie if upon your dissembling petition a following Parliament refuseth to ratifie that you have power to abolish and establish what you please I finde every where confessd by your faction And this indeed as you say is your ordinarie method of proceeding in Scotland but in no other Reformed Countrey who every where attribute to the Magistrate an Architectonike power in the Church and but a ministerical or instrumental to any Synod or Assemblie Videlius and other your brethren of note on this subject making you Bellarmines papists though when your Kings stand publikelie in opposition against you for the maintenance of their right 't is quaestionable whether his most plausible reasons will as well priviledge you in his doctrine The legal method of England you know well enough is otherwise and therfore can not ad mit of your Discipline without altering the fundamental lawes the most essential part of gouverment in our kingdome The three foolish unlearned quaestions that follow tell us you are in the mind to gender strises rather then according to Saint Pauls counsel follow righteousnesse fayth charitie or peace To the first I answer Christians of old before the Emperial lawes for paganisme were revoked were more or lesse hindred from embracing the Gospell according to the zeale rigour remissenesse or clemencie of the Emperours that reigned Those that obeyd not their commands suffer'd their punishments resisted no powers reversed no lawes Nay it s as high a trial as can well be instanc'd when Maximilian Diocletian publishd an edict to demolish their Churches and burne their Bibles because one was found that in great in dignation tore the paper in peices being condemned to die all Christians that heard it approved the sentence and commended the justice of the pagan Magistrate in his execution To the second thus The oecumenical and National Sâ—…nods of the ancients had ever the praesence or authoritie of the Emperour without which they reformed no haeresies nor corruptions in religion Who by ratifying their canons did cancel all the lawes of state which did protect those errours When this could not behad but with praejudice to religion the Emperours them selves being draw'n in by the haeretikes to their partie they onelie declared their different opinion submitted to censure were disspersed in exile nor did they countermand by the terrour of excommunication and cursing but when summond by the Emperour to rectifie any abuses in the Church This may be seen in the time of Constantius addicted to the Arians To your third I answer thus The civile lawes in Britanie I meane for our part in it whereby Poperie was established were annull'd by the King whom we make absolute in that power If the reformation begun by Hen 8. be thought clogg'd with any seeming violence sacriledge or schisme which some ties on his conscience that requir'd a more deliberate solution and some indirect passionate procedings give the Papists a kinde of coloural argument to object I see not how you are justified that imitate it nor we bound to susteine the inconveniences that attend it who may fairlie make the reigne of K. Edward our epoch and from him in his first Parliament fetch our authoritie for the change On your side of Britain I finde naught but a continued rebellion in the reforming partie as you meane it till K. Iames grew up to a judgement of discerning and some resolution of restraining Nor till that time though I hope well of many thousand persons under a Presbyterian persecution can I in reason quit the praevalent part of your Church from a succession in schisme For Germanie and France I have no more to do at this time to be their judge then their advocate seeing no where His Lp. joyning with his brother Issachar in impleading then for rebellion All you can logicallie collect is such a major as this They who reforme according to the Presbyterian Scotish metâ—…od by abolishing Acts of Parliament in a surreptious or violent Synod by framing Assemblie Acts for religion and giving them the authoritie of Ecclesiastical lawes without or against the consent of the Magistrate cheate the Magistrate of his civile power in order to religion If you will needs be assuming in behalfe of your brethren in Germanie and France they must put you to prove it or quit them selves of your conclusion as they can In the meane time I see your pasture is bad that you turne your catell so often grazing abroad For the foole in the next line you send to the Bishop I guesse it may be his minde to have him return'd by the creature that caries his brother Issachaâ—… burden expecting a wiser answer by the next paper Mercurie you imploy which can not be without bringing to light that law that praeauthoriz'd the Ministers protestation against the Acts of Parliament 1584. And that Act of Parliament since the null Assemblie of Glasgow yet standing in force that made Bishops and ceremonies vnlaw full The former beside the contradiction it caries with it devolving the legislative power upon the Kirke which according to you can keep the Parliament in awe not by petitioning but protesting and so ratifie or null all lawes declared at her pleasure The latter beside the long perseverance in sinne it imputes to the Latin and Greek Churches as well before as after the corruption in either the late warmnesse to all Reformed Churches abroad which never hitherto in any National Assemblie declared regular Episcopacie and ceremonies unlawfull outdoing the very Act of abolishing which his Majestie in Parliament ratified
Court Divsnes and evil Counsellers at this and so doth the most able and faythfull Ministers with the Men of God that are Covenanters in this age of whom every mans experience can frame a character enough to scare away his credit to the reputation you would give them There need no question be preposed when the Bishops were by full authoritier einstated in part of their unquaestionable right To a great deale more in the yeare 1606. When by Act of Parliament their government was styled the ancient and fundamental policie… Declared that they being the Third Estate had been indirectlie abolished… That it never had been mean'd by His Majestie and His Estates that they should any wayes be suppressed That they had been onelie brought into contempt and povertie… That His Majestie with expresse advice and consent of the sayd whole Estates in Parliament doe repone restore and redintegrate the sayd Estate of Bishops it sayth not to their order to their ancient and accustomed honour dignitees praerogatives priviledges c. This was completed in the yeare 1610. when a kinde of Episcopacie was set up as neare the primitive paterne as the growing reformation would beare in the Assemblie of Glasgow excepting the two Members I told you of no otherwise corrupt then as it may be flie-blow'n by your breath and tainted by your naming under which not the Church but the Kirke of Scotland did heavilic groane as it allwayes doth when it hath not libertie to vent sedition in the pulpit and act rebeilion in the field which the best and most learned of your preachers the Aberdene Assemblers practiced in part and wish'd well to the rest Anno 1606 till the yeare 1637. when if they had met with an English Pharach for rigour as they did with a Moses the meeker man of the two he would have appointed â—…e masters that should have toke away the straw and spoyl'd their designe of fiering the house set them making of brickes and building him treasure â—…ties while they were pulling downe temples râ—…uning Palaces he had kept them from soaking of the yoke of Ecclesiastike and Civilegovernment brought divine justice to their doores while they brought him to beare the burden of a most inhumane most unjust judgement at his owne praesaerv'd his Children subjects from sighing and hanging their harpes upon willowes in a strange land while they sate under our vines and keept us out of the shadow of our owne figge trees cut up the root while he lopped the branches strake off the head while he clipped the eare cast out of Britaine what with regreet of conscience he tolerated in Scotland himselfe then his Church had continued like a treeplanted by the water side and had brought forth more fruit in due season His leafe had not wither'd whatsoever he had done had in all likelihood prosperd But he hath overcome them if not in doing in suffering being more then conquerour when those briars thornes are bundled up for the fire he shall have given him to eate of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God CHAPTER IX The Commonwealth is a monster when Gods Soveraignitie in the Presbyterie contradicts the Kings THe Reviewer all this while having made a poor shift to save the credit of the Kirke and spent his time in sewing a few figleaves together to cover the shame of a sinfull disobedience against Gods command in the Civile Magistrate which every puffe of wind rends in pieces and scaters before the face of innocencie and truth he here tries his skill to patch contradictions together … pergit pugnantia secum Frontibus adversis componere… and makes a parti coloured coate for his two headed monster which may aswell in time out doe the seven-headed dragon if more crownes scepters can befound wherewith to invest it as it hath allreadie the hundred-handed Gyant in pulling downe as many powers and dominions as it could reach metamorphozing the Paradise of Kingdomes into the forest of Commonwealths and changing men that should be good subjects into scorpions or in serpentes Regulos such serpents cocketrices as will not be charmed into any obedience The Presbyterians ministrie under Christ being a tyrannie over Christians quits them not of coordinating two Soveraignies in a state Nor doth the Praelates maintaining an hierarchie in the Church make them at all guiltie of that fault since the former acknowledge no superieur in Ecclesiasticis but God the later attribute aswell a spiritual as Temporal supremacie to their King The spiritual Lordspip Domination c the Bishops exercise over his subjects in his name but the Presbyterians theirs in the name of the Prince of all Kings whose Minister he is aswell as they and call all opposition against them a warre against Iesus Christ. Nay rather then faile when they can catch His Majestie in a closet Andrew Melvin shall tell him he must know he lies at their mercie Publice Rex nos parcimus tibi That there are two Kings in Scotland fac memineris duosesse in Scotia Reges one of the Church which must have the praecedence too and another of the Common-wealth That by his leave which is to say without it they must meet at their pleasure have a care of the Church whereof he is no head but a Member no nursing Father as the Scripture vainlie calls him but the elder sonne or at most brother of the Kirke And that this is spoken with good authoritie too summa cum authoritate shall the Vindicatour publikelie print that all may know it The contrarietie of commands when issuing from Masters aequallie to be observed can not but breed distraction in the servant and where Ianus hath not a twoo-fac'd generation must needes much unfixe him in his advertence Christs particular and extraordinarie commands if all to all and at all times to be publish'd with out special commission oblige not his Ministers publikelie imperiouslie to prohibite others of his anoynted which may be mistaken to contradict them If they unhapilie fall out contrarie one to other the holie Scriptures no where command so to obey God as activelie to disobey that is to rebell against the man that is their King The Reverend Warners opposition here to the Presbyterians maintaines no such subordination of the Church unto the state as makes her servile in performance of unjust commands And where Christ is found ruling in this case He bids Saint Peter put up his sword all his Disciples to denie themselves take up their crosse daylie and follow him When the Presbyterians have as clere a Commission to prohibite festivals to assront Ambassadous proclaime fasts at such times when their Kings solemnize feasts as the Apostles had for the publication of the Gospell and teaching in the name of their Master that sent them Let them applie the text in the 5. of the Acts and I hope the