made divide from the Catholick Church in all Ages they pervert and alter the nature of the Gospel and teach another Gospel than what is to be found in Scripture And p. 64. If you will take their the Presbyterians word for it they are the only true Godly and who only have a sense of Religion and the practice of it I hope he hath not these Assertions by Information and therefore must bear the blame himself of such notorious Falsehoods which it is impossible for any intelligent Man who hath long conversed in Scotland not to know to be such What is said of the Councils leaving the Case of the Clergy to the determination of the Parliament is strangely improved viz. That it is the Vindicator's Doctrine that the Council may stop and dissolve the Laws He would think it Vanity indeed If I should impute the making of such an inference to his Ignorance in the due way of Arguing wherefore I leave the Reader to ascribe it to what he thinketh most probable Only I may adventure to say it is absurd to infer the approbation of a Fact or the asserting of a Legal Power for doing that Act from a bare Narrating that such an Act was done Which is all that the Vindicator can be Charged with about that deed of the Council § 25. Tho' our Author is pleased to take no notice of the most material passages in the Book that he refuteth and which most directly promote the design of it Yet he is very exact in picking up here and there a word dropt on the by tho' of lesser importance which himself reproacheth in his Antagonist and which might more deserve the imputation of a creeping Genius then any thing he taketh notice of p. 55. to fix it on another When one of the Pamphleteers refuted by the Vindicator had called out Church Meetings for Discipline Presbyterian Clubs in Contempt he is told we have us Clubs for drinking Hence the Apologist wisely inferreth He insinnateth that the Clergy had Clubs for drinking Which yet he doth not endeavour to disprove There might be proof enough of Clubs for drinking among some of them It was never said nor thought by us that all of them are guilty that way When a matter of Faâ—t is denied that Dr. Robison and Mr. Malcolm made application to Presbyterian Judicatures to be received to a share of the Government He will not affirm the truth of that passage but he confidently averreth as certainly known that if he Dr. Robison had so done he had been rejected because he was one of the Ministers of Edinburgh And he telleth us what I nor I think none else never knew That the Party had determined to break through all Obstacles of Justice and Decency rather than suffer any of the Episcopal Clergy or any who had made any advances of complyance to continue in Edinburgh And proveth this by the case of Mr. Willkie This Diviner by a kind of scientia media can tell not only what hath been and what should be but what will be in futuris contingentibus conditionatis Yea he taketh upon him to tell of some resolutions taken that never were so much as moved or determined in any Church Assembly The instance he bringeth doth overturn and falsifie all that he here saith For Mr. Willkie who once complyed is to this day preaching in Edinburgh hath a publick Church and a Congregation in it is received by the Presbyterian Church to a share of the Government and sitteth constantly in the Presbytry and other Meetings In the very next p. 27 he chargeth the Vindicator with that which hath all the marks of a deliberate and willful Lie because he misrepresenteth as is alledged a matter of Fact that he might have known What then must we think of this Author who not only affirmeth what every one knoweth to be false in matter of Fact but magisterially determineth contrary to manifest and known Truth about Mens purposes and inclinations He would do well to be more sparing of his Censures lest they recoil on himself § 26. He will omit the Clownish buffoonry in the 4 th page and it was wisely done For nothing of that kind can be instanced But he telleth us p. 26. of Epithets given by the Vindicator to his Adversary impudent Slanderers Villains this he often observeth but pointeth to no place nor do I remember it Successours of Judas Iscariot Rabshakes And mocking is all the observation that he maketh on what he is offended at If he had pleased to point to the places I should have considered them but I am confident to say that where the Reader meeteth with any such words he will find that they are occasioned by some Story told or some imputation laid on Presbyterians that is either openly false or sufficiently disproved and there is no harm in giving things their true names But if he can shew that ever I gâ—ve such Names to Episcopal Men in commune as he often doth to the Presbyterians I shall bear all the blame that he shall please to load me with Is it not strange that he speaketh with such Commotion and Indignation on occasion of such words used on just grounds while this is his own ordinary Dialect And that against his Adversaries in general I shall give instances in particular parts of his Book which he thought not fit to favour us with Vanity Partiality Sophistry are imputed to his Adversary as the Ornaments of the Title Page of this Apology Enthusiastick pretences ad page of the Contents They have made Lies their refuge p. 1. Truth doth not please their unless it be dressed up in all the Colours of Falsehood ibid. Presbyterians never forgive any Injury p. 5. The body of the people in the West are Cunning Avaritious and Dissembling beyond measure ibid. In their the Presbyterians Divinity things lawful in their nature yes things necessary become unlawful when once commanded by lawful Authority p. 6. Sullen and desperate Incendiaries p. 12. They think that they who act against them act against their own light ibid. They justifie one Crime by another And justifie their Tyranny from Success as the Turks do p. 13. They date their Conversion from the time they forbear to hear the Curates p. 15. It is insinuated that we think Snivelling necessary to make a great Saint Many of the Ministers are Scandalous Some Adulterers Some Fornicators Some Blasphemers Whole Families Incestuous ibid. No sin was preached against but Malignancy and the Kings Prerogative Royal was possessed by the Kirk p. 17. Sub finem They fancy the Covenant to be the Tenure by which Kings hold their Crowns p. 19. Margine They who defended the Convention of Estates are called Vagabond Russians p. 26. A Presbyterian had rather be accused of Adultery Sodomy and Incest then to be thought Ignorant p. 31 ad finem The Spirit of Contradiction eats out the Vitals of his Soul and ever and anoâ—â— puts him upon silly and extravagant
For we do not pretend to any knowledge in these but what we build on Scripture and Reason we plead no immediate Revelation If he can prove our Grounds to be insufficient he may conclude our Opinions false but not that they are Enthusiastick All the Divines that I have read on that subject take Enthusiasm for a pretension to immediate Revelation or Inspiration or Instinct or Afflatus of things that they who pretend to it can give no other ground for And even Plutarch calleth it Instinctus divinus de defect Oracul c ' 67. If he can either prove that we pretend to this or that we bring no other grounds for what we affirm let him brand us with Enthusiasm at his pleasure That all the subdivisions of Dissenters in England are for Anniversary Holy days is so well known to be false that I wonder he should insinuate so much without blushing That the Anniversary day for the burning of London is observed by them all with Fasting and Prayer is not true for any thing that I know And if it were true will he also say that they have sequestred that day from all Civil Employment and dedicated it to Religion If he say not this the Case is not paralell to what we now debate about § 35. His conclusion of what he had discoursed is That it is dangerous if not impious to separate from the Church in these excellent Constitutions that are received from the beginning and in all Countries where the name of Jesus hath been worshipped Such Constitutions and Solemnities have been derived from the Apostles or Apostolick times Here are big words If the strength of his forgoing Reasons were but proportioned to the confidence of his Assertion our Cause must fall to the ground But the Reader will judge whether any one word of this Thrasâ—nick triumph be true or have sufficient foundation in what he hath proved He telleth us but I know not to what purpose that the knowledge of Christ doth not extinguish the light of Reason Therefore such Constitutions as the reason of all Mankind is agreed in have nothing in them contrary to the purity of our Religion It is tedious to refute or to read such loose Arguings of which the meanest Logician might be ashamed We deny not the use of Reason in Religion viz. For understanding what is revealed and for drawing Native Consequents from these great truths But that the use of Reason is to appoint new Ordinances or Means of Grace that Christ hath not appointed we deny And if our Author do not assert that he saith nothing for his Holy days And if he do not prove it his Argument is insignificant For Holy days are such means if we may believe this Author who speaketh of them as the means of propagating the Christian Faith That these Constitutions are agreed on by all Mankind is a supposition as far from Truth and from Modesty as any thing can be He hath not yet done with this subject but falleth on it afresh in a discourse two pages long which he calleth a short digression Wherein any thing that looketh like Argumentation hath been many times to far greater advantage proposed by others of his way and as often answered by Men of our side So that I wonder that so high a pretender is not ashamed so to trisâ— Some things indeed he hath that are new viz. Some Historical passages which are as far remote from Truth as Darkness is from Light Let us hear the particulars He pleadeth p 41. that Anniversary Solemnities may be used in the Worship of God tho' they have been abused to the Worship of Idols A. We have better Arguments against these and other Human Ceremonies than from the abuse of them by Papists and Pagans But even this wanteth not its weight only we never used this Argument against the use of things necessary and therefore the Author doth unwisely mention the Sun and the Seasons the use of which we must not lay aside whoever abuse them But of things that are of no necessity such as all Human Ceremonies are acknowledged to be by the most Learned of the Patrons of them Our Argument hath yet greater strength if we consider not only that the Holy day now debated about was kept by the Heathens in Honour of Julius Caesar and hence called Yule in Scotland And is still abused by many Superstitious Fopperies among the Papists But is generally by the far greater part of the Protestant Observers of it spent in Idleness Feasting and Playing and by very many it is horribly profaned by all manner of Excess and Debaucheries It is a wonderful confidence Do we not see saith he all Nations agree in this that Publick Solemnities and Anniversary Festivities and Fasts are necessary to the Being and Beauty of Religion So p. 41. and p. 42. we ought to remember that the stated Festivals and Fasts of the Church do preserve and increase our Mortification ibid. The stated periods of Fasting oblige the most stubborn and impenitent to think of his Soul and the visible practices of the Church preach Repentance more effectually and make more lasting impressions then the loose and indefinite Homilies of Self conceited Men. And p. 43 he imputeth to the neglect of Fasting among Protestants the hinderance of the Reformation of the Grecian Churches And ibid. The publick seasons of Devotions are the Catechism of the People A few Remarks to expose these flights of his Fancy First What could be more said of the Word and Sacraments and other Ordinances instituted by Christ What greater Elogies are given to them in Scripture For indeed he saith as much as Christmass and other Holy dayes are the power of God to Salvation 2. This is contary to the Sentiments of all that ever wrote on this subject Who agree that these Ceremonies are indifferent things And yet he will have them necessary and that not only to the beauty of Religion but to the being of it 3. Then it seems there was no Religion in the Apostolick Church nor among the Waldenses nor in Geneva and several other Reformed Churches I add not the Presbyterian Church of Scotland in all the Ages of it because he will hardly allow any thing of Religion to be among us This is his Christian Charity of which he talketh He doth indeed damn all them to Hell who observe not Christmass He is the first of this Opinion and I hope he shall be the last 4. If all this were true it were impossible that Irreligion Impenitency or Immorality could be at least be frequent and abundant in a Church where these forms are used Which I hope none will say who have lived in England or in Scotland or in the Romane Communion It is but suitable to his Genius to vilisie the Preaching of Presbyterians as the loose and indefinite Homilies of Self conceited Men But it had been fit to have told us whether there be any Preaching that can equal these forms in
in concurrence with the King and Estates of the Nation whether the King did really think what he expressed or what he acted was the effect of his restraint it was not their part to consider He quarreleth also with the Ministers appointing a Fast when the King desired the Magistrates of Edinburgh to Feast the French Ambassadours These Ambassadours came to overturn what the States of the Nation called by the King had concluded and were odious to the Nation The King was moved to appoint this Entertainment by some Merchants who Traded with France The Fast was appointed by the Session of Edinburgh the Presbytry was free of it as was afterward publickly declared § 53. Mr. Andrew Melvil's declining of the King as Judge in prima instantia of what is preached by Ministers in publick which he bringeth as an accusation against the Presbyterians p 61. is as far from the purpose as what was formerly observed It doth not shew any step of the prevalency of Presbytry and Episcopacy per vices which is pretended to be the design of the Manuscript For the thing it self I shall not give my Opinion but only relate the Grounds all edged by him on which he built this his practice which were not only the word of God but Acts of Parliament and a late Conference betwixt some Lords of the Privy Council and some Ministers and the practice ensuing thereupon that when a Minister is delated for any thing spoken in Preaching or Prayer he is first to be tryed by his Ordinary whether Provincial or General Assembly Also he pleadeth the Priviledge of the University of St. Andrews lately confirmed by his Majesty that when Offences were committed in the University by Masters or Students the Rector and his Assistants should be Judges in prima instantia p. 61.62 He heapeth together a great multitude of reproaches against Mr. Andrew Melvil and others of the faithful Servants of God who could not comply with the actings of the Court nor designs of some about it to overturn the Religion setled in the Nation but he giveth so indistinct an account of things and so partially that there is no other way to answer what he saith but by a full History of these times which it is needless for me to transcribe The Reader may be satisfied of this Authors unfair dealing even out of Spotswood's History though his account of things might in some things be examined But more fully out of Calderwood and Petrie I do not deny but that in the years 1585 and some that followed there were great Animosities in Church and State one Party endeavouring to preserve the reformed Religion and the Discipline of the Church that had been used in Scotland from the Reformation and was practised in almost all the Reformed Churches The other Party labouring to overturn the one and to weaken and undermine the other And it is like these heats did drive both Parties to some Excesses and undue Practices But unbyassed Men will see that the Presbyterian Party shewed all respect to Authority even when they could not comply with its Injunctions and what they did that is by some constructed Unpeaceableness was from the aw of God obliging them to appear in their Stations for his Ordinances I except the imperfections and overlashes that sinful Men are liable to in managing that Zeal which is for God I never thought that good Men did always manage a good Cause with that perfection of discretion that is to be wished He concludeth this Accusation of the Brethren p. 62. with an account of his design which is to shew the ground of their dislike of Parity And as before setteth in opposition to it Scripture Apostolick Practice Fathers Councils and all well established Christian Churches and that there is no imaginable warrant for it from any of these This is partly answered above For what he addeth to what he had said before of well established Churches he doth wisely in putting the Emphasis on Well and therefore putteth that word in another Character For if we object most of the Churches of the Reformation he will deny them to be Well Established because they want Bishops Whatever they have beside to commend them If we should muster up all the miscarriages of the Episcopal Party and the Immoralities of Ministers and People that hath been among them and the Pride Tyranny and Oppression of the Bishops and the steps by which that interest hath been managed in Scotland and should give a just Character of the States-men and Church-men by whom it hath been carried on It is like we might give a ground of our dislikes of Episcopacy not inferiour to what he mentioneth and much more weighty with all the true Lovers of serious Religion but this way of Arguing is not what we lay much weight on in debate with our Adversaries Tho' I doubt not but that there is reason to think that that which is Christs Institution is usually found to be a more effectual mean for advancing true Religion in the Church than that which is a device of Man § 54. Our Author near the end of p. 62. maketh a great Concession as he seemeth to imagine when he telleth us that in 1591 1591 and 1602. The King being so often brought into danger and trouble by the Seditions of Mr. Andrew Melvill and his fiery Complices did consent to grant a great deal of Jurisdiction to Presbytries Synods and General Assemblies Here I take notice 1. That when he cannot get the Truth denied he endeavoureth to smother it for not only a great deal of Jurisdiction was granted to the Presbyterian Church 1592 but all Church Power that any Presbyteriaâ— did lay claim to was by Law settled on the Presbyterian Church Judicatories and none at all wiâ—â— either given or left to Bishops For what else can be understood by ratifying all immunities and Freedoms whatsoever given and granted by his Highness his Regents in his Name or any of his Predecessours and at the same time ratifying and approving General Assemblies appointed by the saiâ— Kirk and Synods and Presbytries and particular Sessions as the words of the Act of Parliamenâ— are Moreover that Act is conceived in a stile that supposeth Presbytry to be then and to have been before the Government established in the Church of Scotland while it giveth those Libertieâ— to the True and Holy Church presently established within this Realm His pretense that this was a force on the King to prevent Seditions is a groundless assertion For the King had often shewed dislike of the one way and the other and was for either of them as his interest led him not being convinced of the Jus Divinum of either way The story he telleth of Chancellour Maitland's advice to settle Presbytry in hope that they would make themselves odious was but his Opinion anâ— in this he proved no true Prophet That there was no Act for the abolishing Episcopacy as p. 63. iâ— was no wonder for it
was as needless as when it is appointed a Tree shall be cut up by the Roots another injunction be given that the Tree shall fall Was not Episcopacy effectually rooted up in Scotland when all Church Power was put in the hand of Church Judicatories where all Memberâ— acted in Parity That a Bishop baptized Prince Henry is an odd Argument to prove that Episcopacy was the Government of the Church of Scotland If the King was pleased to chuse a Man who oncâ— exercised Episcopal Jurisdiction for that service especially when Ambassadours were present some of which lived where Episcopacy was exercised it doth not follow that either this Bishop or any other of his Character did govern the Church It is said without all warrant p. 63. That when three Lords were tried the Ministers would needs order the Process and stirred up the Rabble to back them nor would they disband tho' prohibited by Proclamation from King and Council The true History is some Popish Noblemen were known all the Nation over to be guilty of dangerous plotting against the Reformed Religion and designs to ruin the Professors of it They had Friends at Court so that they had too much advantage to carry on their designs All the found Protestants in the Nation observed this and saw the danger that they and the true Religion was in wherefore a Meeting of Barons Ministers and Burgesses which when challenged by the King for their meeting offered to make it appear that it was with sufficient warrant and advice from his Majesty did petition the King that those Lords might be brought to Tryal which was appointed to be done the Protestants resolved to meet before hand to appoint some to prosecute the Criminals which they did Neither can it be made appear that any violence was offered to any Person and all that Spotswood saith of it is p. 399. that great Companies came to Edinburgh without mention of Arms or Violence And indeed the danger was such as it is no wonder that they who had Zeal for the true Religion were forward to cry for Justice when they evidently saw that all Methods were used for palliating the matter land protecting these Criminals to the manifest hazard of Church and State The Issue was the Convention called by the King for trying these Lords referred the matter to a Commitee where they allowed some Ministers whom they named to be present and to propose what they should think fit Here is nothing of Ministers ordering the Process nor of a Rabble in Arms. § 55. After all this our Author doth still maintain that in the years wherein Presbytry had moâ—â— the ascendent yet Bishops did exist by Law enjoyed their Rents and Preached in their Churches foâ— which he produceth many passages out of the Records of Parliament It is well our debate is come to this issue if this be all that he would prove he shall not find us to oppose him Our question is only whether the Protestant Church after her Reformation was governed by Bishops or by Presbyters acting in Parity I know that long after the Reformation even Popish Bishops sat in Parliament enjoyed their Temporalities And that in 1572 an image of Bishops was restored and also oâ— Abbots and Priors but even their pretended Power that they then got was soon taken away Anâ— that many States-men who reaped most of the profits of these places made a great stickle to hold up that image yea and to give them more power in the Church than was due But that in these times Bishops had ruling Church power except in 1572 as is said I utterly deny Wherefore most of his Citations are wholly beside the purpose I shall then only examine such of them as seem to make against what I have asserted He saith p. 64. That the Authority of the Bishops is owned by Act 63. Parl. 5. Jac. 6. Ann. 1575 of which none of our Histories do take any notice And the Act it self is anent the visitation of Hospitals all that is said of Bishops is that they and other Commissioners of Diocesses shall visit Hospitals I hope here is no Church power allowed them In the year 1579 Act 71 Parl. 6. Jac. 6. there is no more said but that young Noblemen or others who had been out of the Country for their breeding shall at their return go to the Bishop or Superintendent or Commissioner of the Kirk Neither is this any governing Authority over the Church The two following Citations are only to shew that Bishops continued 1581 so that of 1587 and several others of his Quotations design no more but that Bishops existed by Law sat in Parliament some were presented to rich Benefices All which is wide from the purpose He saith that 1584 Act 132 Parl. 8. Jac. 6. the Bishops Authority is fully owned It is indeed said in that Act That Ministers may be deprived by the ordinary Bishop of a Diocess or others the Kings Majesties Commissioners to be constituted in Ecclesiastical Causes Where it is evident that Church power is placed in the King rather than in the Bishop Who can by this Act do nothing but as he is the King's Commissioner even in censuring of Ministers If this be a full owning of Episcopal power let him enjoy it This making them the King's Bishops not Christ's nor is there any thing beside in that Act which alloweth them any Church power But we have another Answer to this Quotation That Parliament saith Spotswood p 333 was declared Current at that time for the more speedy dispatch of business whereas the former was in October 1581 and is called in the Records the seventh Parl and this is called the eighth Parliament which is inconsistent with its being Current or the former Parliament yet subsisting But some things were to be done that could not pass in a full Parliament and therefore as Calderwood hath it p. 155 there was no intimation by Proclamation before the meeting of it nor reasonable time granted according to the accustomed order It was almost ended before it was heard of The Lords of the Articles were sworn to keep secret the matters to be treated One of whom tho' he would not reveal particulars wrote to a Minister that the whole intent of that Parliament was against the Kirk and the Discipline of it These are the Methods by which Episcopacy and Erastianism behoved to be supported in these times when they could have no Countenance from the Church nor from the Nation § 56. He next citeth a Conference at Falkland 1596 where some Articles were agreed on about some Ministers having Vote in Parliament and that these were confirmed by an Assembly at Montross 1600 and there some Bishops Elected for Diocesses It is not to be denyed that there was a working toward Prelacy among some Courtiers and Ambitious Churchmen about that time And one of their Methods was to get some Ministers to Vote in Parliament the tendency of this was seen and the thing opposed