Papacie of a Knox a Buchanan a Melvin an Henderson such meeke lambes as no misbeleeving Iew can misdoubt them to be fore runners of his Messias who hath prae-inspired this good principle into their heads To bring their Kings rather then goe themselves to the slaughter And wheresoe'r they get power to teare out the throat of the â—…hearers and make them dumbâ—… never more able to open their mouthes against the know'n Dâ—…itie of their Presbyterie CHAPTER XIII The Bishops exceptions against the Covenant made good and this proved That no man is obliged to keep it who hath taken it IF I had not found the Reviewer a pretie round and plumpe Gentleman in blacke I might have misse-thought the habit of his bodie and conformation of his parts facilitating with some pleasure the operation of his physike to have enamourd him with the otherwise undecent metaphore of a vomit But Hippocrates praescribing to his constitution as J take it the other method for dejection of his humours I recollect with my selfe a triple cause that might at this time create his distemper in his penning force out this floud of gall upon his paper 1. His late fruitlesse voyage by sea might still sticke in his stomake having before been for many yeares accustomed to none but land waves of his raising the raging tumults and madnesse of the people 2. A violent agitation of his bodie the sixe Scotiâ—… Iehu's in zeale to the cause coaching it much too furiouslie about the Countrey 3. The abominable sight of his Majesties hand to diverse papers denying the very subject of this chapter the taking injoining or tolerating of the Covenant So a Doctour in the facultie nearest hand instructs me .... vomitum vulgò concitare traduntur .... violenta vehemens corporis agitatio insueta per mare navigatio .... imaginatio intuitus rerum abominabilium Beside the pleasing sent of an Irish designe then in hand might offend him which is a fourth cause he addes and I end with Odor rerum faetidarum c. As to the substance of the chapter wherein his Lordship hath taken the Palladium of Presbyterie without which the successe of his other attempts had been nothing the Reviewers stratagems for strength of reason he brings none are unlikelie to rescue it The Bishop is very sensible how deep the conscience of an oath stickes in men whose hearts are not hardened against religious impressions And how perjurie is abhorred among heathen who have conscientious feare of punishment from their God and a politike one too of shame before men To undeceive therefore such as fondlie fancie because their hands were lift up that their covenant's with heaven And because their eyelâ—…s are open that they walke not in darkenesse and the shadow of death He brings them first the reliefe of several propositions which when draw'n out will appeare to be these All oathes vowes covenants are not binding it being customarie among men to make the same bonds serve for iniquitie as justice tie up secret conspiracies with the publike liguments of communitie peace 2. Those that are not obligatorie may be broken viz where a greater judgement solveth the fallacie of a lesse or a beter conscience seekes to reduce rectifie a worse With what other false knots men are foolishlie entangled he demonstrates by the slight wherein the Covenant hath catch'd them Their deliverance is this if they will accept it from the hands of unquaestionable truth That Covenant which is devised by strangers to the dishonour of a Nation imposed by subjects wanting requisite power and that aswell upon their Soveraigne at aequals extorted by just feare of unjust sufferings is not binding But this is that Covenant Ergo. The majour thus put in forme the Reviewer will hardlie grant and yet dares not denie but sets his foot upon I know not what weaknesse and falsitie of the Minour the Commissioners of the Parliament of England as he calls them being among the number of the first and onelie framers thereof He must be wiser then Solomon that can know the way of a Serpent upon a rocke Yet the Presbyterian Scotish subtilitie is not such but that we may see whence if not by what gyres and uncertaine sinuations it came about and he that meetes it at Westaâ—…inster may welcome it from Edenburgh if he likes it Leagues and Covenants are no usuall abasement of English allegeance such copper coyne hath been no where so currant as since Knox was Mint-master in Scotland whose original inscription With the image of his rebellion is propagated in this counterfeit as he that delights in such medalls may see if he compares them This for the thing For the persons I denie them to be Commissioners on either side no King nor Clergie legallie assembled deputing them to that purpose nor indeed any of the Laitie but Rebells They that gave life to it Lords Commons or what you will or wheresoe r assembled were in the very act Traitours against the King and so no part of a Parliament in the Kingdome Whither they are called by His Majesties writ to consult about the defense not to covenant the destruction of the Kingdome and Church The lawfulnesse of whose constitution and authoritie was no farther acknowledged then it was lawfullie used and in that act absolutelie disclaimed the King sending for them onelie to discourse and treat with himselfe not to dispose and ordaine or enact any thing without him Therefore these men thus acting upon the praecedent advice and praescription of strangers foysted a Covenant devised by strangers how soever factiouslie denison'd in that Court But how strange the advice was will appeare beter by true storie then probable divination which being sent me in a leter from one well acquainted with these affaires of his owne countrey I will faythfullie communicate as it came unto my hands When the Commissioners came downe from the Parliament with their letter subscrived be some Ministers shewing that their blood was shed lyke water upon the ground for defense of the protestant relligione and the letter being red in the Assembly had no uther answer bot this Gentlemen wee are sorie for your case bot there is one thing in your letter Yee say yee fight for defense of the reformed relligione yee must not thinke us blind that wee see not your fighting to be for civill disputes of the law wherewhith wee are not acquante Goe home and reconcile with the King hee is a gracious Prince hee will receive you in his favour You can not say it is for the reformed relligione since yee have not begun to reforme your Church yee had thryven better if ye had done as wee did begun at the Church and thereafter striven to have gotten the civill sanction to what yee had done in the Church wee can not medle betwixt his Majestie and you Few dayes after Sir W. Ermin Master Hamden with the rest were invited by some
how many true lovers of the King but too deceitfull lovers of themselves who through feare or covetousnesse hoping to praeserve their estates liberties have been cosin'd into this courteous Covenant then by their jealous or wanton masters have been stript naked turnd out to beg their bread regaine their souls credit as 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 qualified 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 Wickâ—…iffe 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 Episcopacic to this day And forgetting in part what he hath sayd allreadie minding lesse what he shall bâ—…bble 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 â—…ecreat 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 forbids 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 justifie your contests by that Act. The borders of Scotland being as well His Majesties 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 Liiurgie 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 meeknesse 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 sleeve 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 eares the rabble
is about the head of the Church will be clearlie rendred when just Authoritie demands it but His Lordship thinkes not good to be catechiz'd by every ignorant Scotish Presbyter nor give answer to every impertinent question he puts in If your fingars itch to be handling the extrinsecal power in the Minister derivative from the supremacie of the King you were best turne over Erastus the learned Grotius after which I guesse we shall heare of you no more Your Assemblies are Arbitrarie but at Royal pleasure otherwise then as by your covenanting sword you cut of their relation to the King his great Councels So that your Kings were willing to accept had good reason to assume more then ever you would give them How you robd them of their right by your multipli'd rebellions see Scotish-Presbyterian selfe conviction in my Epitome of your storie If the Bishop had left this matter in generall your hue crie to be sure had gone after him for particulars His reasoning stands not to the courtesie of your indulgence being grounded upon the Acts of your Assemblies whose backes had been long since broke with the weight of no peckadillos in disputing but high mightie villanies in rebelling had it not the strength of the whole lay Presbyterie to support it Though by the way I must tell you The failings of your officers may be taken as naturall to inseparable from your office when having been so notoriouslie publike they passe without your censure or dislike So that this mote as much as you miskenne it will prove a beame in your eye of such consequence in this argument as you will scarce finde the way through the most hainous particulars that follow The first of which layes such a blocke in your way as you can not step over till you have as good as acknowledged one of the principal articles in that charge You confesse His Majestie did write from Stirling to the General Assemblie at Edenburgh 1579. that they should cease from concluding any thing in the discipline of the Church during the time of his minoritie And how well you obey'd it we may collect by what followes Vpon this desire dutifull subjects would have taken it for a command the Assemblie did abstaine from all conclusions that we shall see presentlie onelie they named a Committee to goe to Striveling for conference with His Majestie upon that subject Any man that is acquainted with your Assemblie logike will know that this clause with the onelie if it passe not for a conclusion caries the force of two praemises with it And he must be very ignorant in your storie that hath not found all your conferences with your Kings to have been contests Whether this was so or no I leave to the discretion of the reader when he sees what you say followed thereupon Immediatelie a Parliament is called in Octob. 1579. And in the first Act declares grants jurisdiction unto the Kirke .......... And declares that there is no other face of a Kirke nor other face of Religion then is praesentlie by the favour of God established within this Realme And that there be no other jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall acknowledged within this Realme then that whilke is shall be within the samen Kirke or that which followes therefrae concerning the praemises Now let us lay all this together The young King is resolved to have no medling with the discipline yet no sooner doth he see your Commissioners sweet faces but immediatelie a Parliament is called And in that Parliament your Discipline must have the primacie In the Acts And that leading Act must not onelie establish what you have at hand but upon the engagement of Regal Parliamentarie power purchase all future possibilities of your pleasure give your invention a patent to play the wanton There must be some witchcraft sure in your Committee by your relation a magicke spell to retrive on such a sodaine the Kings wandring affections to the Discipline But when I finde His Majestie professing that after ten yeares of age you never had his heart A brother of yours lamenting that for five yeares before this you had had a perpetual conflict with the Bishops ever got the worst That most of the Nobilitie upon several interests were at this time bent against you I am at a losse for the Kings libertie as much as for some other concurrent due authoritie in this Act reade nothing but your violence in these proceedings But let us see how you a namelesse friend of yours agree He tells us the letter that Dunkenson brought to this Assemblie had otherguede contents That the King onelie quickned your dispatch in consultation about some head of the discipline preparing your unanimous result for the consent of the Parliament that followes The Kings jealousie of your medling with these affaires he seemes to anticipate by two yeares of your account if there were any such thing whereof he doubts he sayth the King was better informed of the truth He farther complaines of two whole leaves about this businesse that were rent out of your publike records that ever since left posteritie in a cloud this was done in the yeare 1584. which he calls the houre of darknesse You say the authentike Registers are extant convince the Bishop to be heire of falshood Error caecut quâ câ—…pit eat All the truth that I can picke out of this confusion is That the King was disaffected to the Discipline That the Assemblie did not obey his command nor answer his desire with their silence And that what consent you say he gave in Parliament soon after was either forg'd or procured by constraint What followes concerning your rigour to the Papists many orthodoxe Christians comprehended in that title is easilie credited But you should have done well to have set downe the names Dominorum Consilii ex quornm deliberatione proclamation was made then we should have know'n how neare they were of kâ—…nn to your faction Some bodie tells us That the Ministers did deliberate Buchanan did act according to the maximes of loyaltie he publish'd That the Kings name was to it what else you pleased is not much to be doubted when you had got his person in your power For how short a time you could keep his inclination to the Discipline which was proclaim'd ap peares out of your storie of an Assemblie mans penning How cordiallie peremptorie the King was in his command how forward in subscribing whatsoever is in the Act for the short Confession of fayth And what good effects it wrought among the people you may take notice out of His Majestie speach in the Conference at Hampton Court wherein he shewes how ridiculous the thing was the person that drew it up I thinke it unfit to thrust into the booke every position negative .......... according to the example of Mr. Craige in Scotland
not an obstinate perversenesse in your will Et quis vos judices constituit who made you that are parties Arbitratours If at any time the ancient Christians assembled it was where no Imperial edict restrain'd them And then the learned Grotius tells you Non opus fuisse venia ubi nulla obsturent Imperatorum edicta What private conferences they had in the times of heathenish persecution you know by their apologies were voy'd of suspicion which yours never were but 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 incapacitie 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 tyranous 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 aboâ—…t 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 fleeted 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 she 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 〈◊〉 decline the judgement of His Majestie His Councel shall incurre the painâ—… 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 〈◊〉 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 determine 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 praejudicial 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 déprivations 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 your limits 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 Penssionars in Caitnes for reduction of their
of ultimate appeale The alâ—…issimò either of the Parliament or Assemblie puts them not above the capacitie of Courts so makes them not coordinate with the King What allayes you have for government I know not therefore can not close with you in the terme till you give me an undisputable definition of the thing which you call a moderatâ—… Monarchie tell me in what part of the world I may finde it I know of none any where yet that inhibites appeales to the Kings person If the Empire may be the standerd to the rest the learned Grotius that had better skill in the lawes then you or I sayth That in causes of Delegacie semper appellatio consessa fuit ad Imperatorem si ex Imperiali jussione judicatum esset aut ad Iudicum quemcunque si ex judiciali praecepto which holds good against your general Assemblie if that judgeth caregali jussione that it doth so is cleare from your Assemblie Act April 24. 1578. wherein it petitioneth the King to set establish your policie a part whereof is your Assemblie judication That it is for the most part order'd to the King in his Courts is not any way to confine his power but to free him from frequent impertinencies unseasonable importunities of trouble or it may be a voluntarie but no obligatorie Royal condescension to avoyd your querulous imputation of arbitrarie partialitie tyrannie in judicature Therefore you injure the Bishop by converting his assertion into a negative confession As if when he sayth it is to the King in Chancerie he must needs acknowledge It can be neither to the King out of Chancerie nor to him there but with collaterall aequipotential Assistants Whereas your friend Didoclave complaines that our appeales are ever progressâ—… ab unico ad unicum wherein whether he mean'd an aggregate or personal unitie I leave you to interpret That an appeale is not permitted from your Lords of session or Parliament in Scotland is because whatsoever is regularlie determin'd there receives its ratification from the King But if one or other in their session without him should determine a case evidentlie undeniablie destructive to the rights of his crowne or liberties of his people whether His Majestie may not admit an appeale assume his coercive power to restraine their license I thinke no loyal subject in Scotland will controvert As touching your Assemblies King Iames tells you It is to be generallie observed that no priviledge that any King gives to one particular bodie or state within the Kingdome of convening consulting among themselves which includes whatsoever they doe when they are convened consulting is to be understood to be privative given unto them so the King thereby depriving himselfe of his owne power praerogative but onelie to be given cumulative unto them as the lawyers call it without any way denâ—…ding the King of his owne power authoritie This His Majestie alledged against the Ministers at Aberdene whom he accuseth not onelie of convening but acting after they were convened He particularlie mentions their setting downe the diet of the next Assemblie His Councel addes their endavour to reverse overthrow all those good orders godlie constitutions formerlie concluded for keeping of good order in their Church If you alledge that His Majesties Commissioner was not there then you grant me their acts are not justifiable without him And that all are not necessarilie with him I argue from the language of the Commission whereby they meet which limits them thus secundum legem praxim against which if any thing be acted upon appeale the Kings praerogative may rectifie it at pleasure if not any judge may praetend to be absolute then the King must be absolutelie nothing having committed or delegated all power from himselfe What civile law of Scotland it is that prohibites appeales from the General Assemblie you should doe well to mention in your next I know none nor did King Iames thinke of any when he cited his distinction from the Scottish Lawyers aswell as any other Where an Assemblie proceeds contrarie to the lawes of God man Which is not impossible while it may consist of a multitude men neither the best nor most able of the Kingdome the Bishop thinkes an appeale to a legal Court of delegates constituted by a superiour power might be neither unseeming nor unreasonable The law of old never intended they should be the weakest of all Court Where it hath so happened by your owne rule pag. 22. The Delegates not Delegacie are to be charged Such heretofore in England as imployed mercenarie officials for the most part were mercenarie Bishops if they had been cut to the core would have been found I doubt Disciplinarian in heart though Episcopal in title The Scots way of managing Ecclesiastical causes is not more just because more derogatorie to the right of the King And the late Martyr'd King found it not more safe therefore told Mr. Henderson plainlie the papacie in a multitude might be as dangerous as in one how that might be Gualter writ to Count Vnit-glupten in a letter Emergent hinc novae tyrannidis cornua paulatim cristas attollent ambitiosâ—… Ecclesiarum pastores quibus facile fuerit suos assessores in suas partes attrahere cùm ipsii inter hos primatum teneant He might have found the experiment of it in Scotland Nor can it be more satisfactorie to those rational men with whom the Bishops arguments are praevalent beside what else may be effectuallie alledged against it Allthough the two instances the Bishop brings for stopping appeales were accompanied with so many treasonable circumstances as might have enlarged his chapter into a volume deleted the credit of a Scotish Disciplinarian Assemblie out of the opinion of all the Cristians in the world Yet His Lordship thought good to furnish his reader with better authoritie from the second Booke of Discip. ch 12. which shall here meet you againe to crave your acquaintance From the Kirke there is no reclamation or appellation to any Iudge Civile or Ecclesiasticall within the Realme The reputation of the two Reverend Arch-Bishops Montgomerie Adamson depends not upon the sentence of a turbulent envious Synod much lesse any single malicious Presbyter in a pamphlet with whom we know 't is crime hainous enough to be a Bishop shall not want his vote to make them excommunicate Their manifold high misdemeanours are mention'd in the censure of the Presbyterie of Striveling for admitting Montgomerie to the temporalitie of the Bishoprike of Glasgow his owne for aspiring thereto Assemblie 1587. And of the other for taking the Kings commission to sit in Parliament 1584. In the last Act of which his commission is printed to register his guilt The principal of their evil patrons among the wicked States-men I meane next under the King to whom you yeild that praerogative at least is sayd to be
praevaile I pray let the Bishops be troubled no more with what all your flintie fac'd malice can not appropriate to the times or places of their government What hath been granted since you cast them out of the Parliament was by them that had no more power in one sense to giue then in another to denie Yet had all your demands meant no worse then you spake in that about the due sanctification of the day you might have let them sit still have had the Souters your friends reconcil'd and made a better mercate of those Royal concessions which met too farre unlesse your gratitude had been greater your unlimited reguests For the chalenge that followes The Bishop knowes so well the historiâ—… 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 nâ—…fandi conscium monstri locum a place that had bred such an hideous monster as neither Hircania Seythia noâ—… 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 you 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 Popeâ—…ie 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 wiekednesse 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 wereas publike Rebells 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 â—…ase 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 deâ—…end or endeavour to â—…atifie 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 â—…rminis 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 consistenâ—… 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 frivoulous 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 Râ—…ges Regionâ—…s Domme Good Lord deliver Kings countreyes from them all Fortis est ut morâ—… dilectio jura sicut infernus â—…ulatio 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 can quench 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 â—…potlesse Majâ—…stie 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 nor man into a Covenanting Rebellion And
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 Iames was chaâ—…'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 stand they justified by any butsuch as were the actours The action at Ruthuen being with the advice of the three Estates Assembled in Councel judge and published to be treason in December 1583. And not onelie M. Baylie declar'd a Traytour but all they that disclaime not his booke which justifies that treasonable attempt by Act of Parliament 1584. cap. 7. If the Bishop had traced your Assemblie rebellions by their annual succession and not jumpt from the yeare â—…4 to 48 he might have made it 58. before he got up to your Articles of Striveling You have not hitherto kept such even pace with His Lp. as that you can with credit say your selfe wearie If you speake in good earnest as I observe you in some journeys short winded I despaire of your companie in the 64. yeares travell still behind for which I thought to call upon you hereafter In the meane time since I meet with you at Striveling I will take you by the hand till I bring you in sight suppos'd you are not peevishlie bent to walke blind fold of the praecipice you tend to in your entrance upon the justification of that article which referres the worke of Reformation abroad in England and Ireland to the determination of the Generall Assemblie of your Kirke If you wet your foot by the way you may thanke your selfe the Bishop opens no sluce onelie turnes that streame of choler upon you which you on the least occasion let goe like a torrent upon the Pope and his Conclave of Cardinals at Rome The fraud used to allure you if any was pia fraus a devout slight to bring you into the concent of the primitive Christians and the violence offered by the English praelates was onelie with the sufferance of heaven which they thought peradventure to take by the force and servencie of their prayers which they often put up for your conversion from schisme and for your communion in religion with themselves If a god'lie Kings conscientious command with the mature advice and fre subordination of the Reverend Fathers of your Church be no lesse then invading your Consistorie the Bishops floud of choler ran somewhat too gentlie in asking you whether old Edenburgh were turned new Rome whereas he might have in reason demanded whether your Presbyterships be not so absolute as to barracadoe your brasen gates and not suffer him that hath the keyes of hell and death to come in Whatsoever was the yoke and by whomsoever imposed between that and your contented compliance without any violence or invasion no quaestion with the earnest desires of the well affected in England you should in honestie have left some vacant roome for a more ingenuous impartial hand to insert the time of taking of this yoke from your hard neckes with the several Acts of Pacification that followed it And that clause in the publike Act of Parliament wherein the well affected in Scotland professâ—…d His Majestie parted a contended King from a contended people And then have put it to your aequitable comparers what travaile and paines it concern'd you to take in purging ouâ—… the leaven of Episcopacie in the English Irish Churches when you should have been purging the leaven of malice out of the Scots The managing of which great good worke became such a Parliament to instruct such an Assemblie to undertake who studie that destrâ—…ction which like hell is never full and so the eyes of such men are never satisfied .... haâ—… magis gloriam Captant si stantibus ruinam non si jacentibus elevationem operentur 〈◊〉 ipsum opuâ—… non de suo propriâ—… 〈◊〉 venit sed de veritatis â—…structione The Arminianisme and Poperie whereof Doctour Laud stands convicted hath had several appeales to Scripture and Fathers which is as much as you can shew us for your Creed his Tyrannie to the lawes and highest authoritie in our Church aequivalent with the most your discipline can praetend to A conviction of these I dare promise you will not stand long with out an answer In the interim while your Northwinde is set to drive away the first and the latter â—…ine dropt downe fron those clouds of heaven the Apostles and Prophets successours to them both to make good Solomons similitude the Bishops angrie countenance is seasonablie though in effectu allie bentâ—… against your back biting tongue Your discoveries are your unskilfull mistakes of rockes for firme land your disappointment delayes of Gods worke who will in his owne time accomplish it And though too great a number in the Christian flocke follow such as you for their bellwether or leading ramme they will flie as fast from you when they espie you in your proper shape to be a wolfe Photinus was serv'd so who had a great deale more wit learning eloquence to seduce them Nam erat ingenij viribus valens doctrinae opibus excellens eloqâ—…io praepâ—…tens sayth Vincentius yet this doome befell him soon after quem antea quasi arietem gregis sequebantur eundem 〈◊〉 veluti lupum fugere câ—…eperunt What is answered by you before is replied to and aggrovated The two stories that follow have those authours whose truth is more currant with you then Spots woods though his hereafter will shew it selfe more valide then yours or any others whatsoever The former is penn'd at large by Iohn Knox enough in conscience to render him the authour of that sedition here mentioned He sayth not his zâ—…alous hearers understood of a Priest at Masse and immediatelie brake in but consulted how to redresse that enormitie and by agreement appointed those to waite on the Abbey who you say with violence brake iâ—… and sez'd upon his person and Masse clothes That Madam Baylie your Namesake Mistris to the Queenes Dountibures as he scoffinlie calls her posted out with deligence to the Comptroller the Lord of Pittarrow .... cried for his assistance to save her life and the Queenes Palace That he tooke with him the Provost Baylies That Armstrong and Cranston were summond to finde suretie 〈◊〉 underlie the law the. 24 Octob for a fore thought felonie praetended murder and for invading the Queenes Majesties Palace of Halyrud house and spoliation of the same That he writ to the brethren in all quarters
importing an earnest endeavour unto the last against final apostacie not impossible And the reason in the next verse â—…mplying an hazard of the energie of grace which onelie supports a Saint from his fall I demand yea or no a direct answer to this Whether if a Phineas had come and taken David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the act with Bathsheba the point of his speare had been assuredlie blunted or his hand held by an Angel from heaven Whether if so this extraordinarie miracle had not been wrought in order to the accomplishment of somewhat praefix't to the oeconomie of Gods Royaltie upon earth in his person Whether the like case or capacitie can in such be reasonablie suppos'd incident to all that you call Saints and what securitie they have from all casualties all attempts in the very moment of sinne to destroy them The general promises can be no protection in such cases some it may be are not so general as to be made applicable to all which well scann'd incline to the peculiar concernment of them to whom they were made and of whom onelie they seeme to be mean'd But in points of this nature whatsoever the Warners friends have avowed you exception against them is the same with that against the expresse words of the Church in the Assemblie at Glasgow 1638 draw'n from what she professd That infants baptiz'd have all things necessarie to salvation This you may take as the summe of that which the Bishop knew to have been with much moderation reason often answerd to your sore challenge Your slight replies thereunto being indeed but squibâ—… and crackers for children to sport with had not the armes of sinfull men the Kings â—…rtillerie been rebelliouslie us'd as a more unanswerable argument to force them The following position His Lp. nowhere will dispute nor doth laugh at That Christ as King of his Church hath appointed lawes for governers of the same Who and what these are in the general Saint Paul hath left in his letters to the first Christians which they and their successours have kept for us that come after He takes you for usurpers tyrants who crosse to these lawes for pride filthie lucre make your selves not onelie Lords over Gods heritage but commanders of subjection from Kings 2. b. Disc ch 1. Pro Rege Regum Domino Dominantium preibyteria nobis Synodos supponenâ—…es The consequence hereupon That Acts of Synods must be Christs laweâ—… where Synods make themselves Dictatours of his pleasure and repraesentatives of his person is no other follie then what the Logical rules of Relatives praescribe us which if your Sophistrie decline I must referre the Reader to the like expressions so frequentlie us'd in your publike papers in the several contests that Knox had with your Queenes their Councels in defense of your discipline And to come somewhat nearer in your very praeface before the booke it selfe where your Reformed Kirke is call'd the spoâ—…se of Iesus Christ the rules of her discipline in the language of Scripture The Lords lawes and commandements .... the heavenlie proportion of divine discipline And at last compared to the booke of Gods covenant that lay hid in the Temple Under the name of which Discipline we are admonished is to be understood Beside the two bookes the Acts Constitutions and practices agreed upon and recorded in the Registers of the General and provincial Assemblies c. And a brother plainlie asserts That your Discipline in the general which we denie to have any other authoritie then your votes is as immutable as the Scripture I finde you now here such a Master of Rhethorike and language as to take your judgement in comparing of styles If the Bishop hath borrowed the Iâ—…suites invectives or any from the Pagan philosophers he could not beter bestow them then on you that are neither good Protestants nor Christians His declamations against your noveltie will be regarded by such as take universalitie and perpetuitie for two discretive markes of Christs Kingdome government which must not be limited to a rebellious schismatical Centurie in one Countrey The antiquitie you boast of is founded upon as great a mistake of the Gospell as was the sadduces of the law you both erre not knowing the Scriptures Yet that being your plea I will urge the Bishops argument no farther concerning the change and difformitie of your discipline which may be prov'd in particulars not twice romov'd from your essentials themselves but appeale with you to Caesar who calling to his Councel the Primitive Fathers the most publike spirits most unbyassed Interpreters may by the tributarie assistance if his Majestie please of as many Bishops or Doctours as sectarian Presbyters after a faire scholastike discussion discerne the truth decide the controversie and according as he findes Christs scepter was swayed among Catholike Christians by deputation of one part or other abolish the Rebell Vsurper at his pleasure But Annunciare or imperare aliqued Christianis Chatholicis praeter id quod acceperunâ—… nunquam licuiâ—… nusquam licet nunquam licebit To declare or command a beliefe of divine right in that which hath not been received in Gods Church never was no where is nor will it at any time be law full Your dearth of matter renders you taedious in the rest of the paragraph and the course faire wherewith you entertaine your reader flesh bloud and limbes of an English Bishop makes you suspected here to have been at a stand to have layd your spiritual scribling aside till you went to market and fetcht these carnal expressions from the â—…ambles My Lord of Derrie and his friends in citing authoritie and pressing reason for their order have dealt so farilie wrought so effectuallie as for all the stripping your sleeves and the other hocas pocaâ—… trickes that he tells you of you will finde no cleanlie conveyance of your Presbyterie into the heads of any your judicious comparers nor will their eares be chain'd by your brazen hypocrisie to maintaine it Your too curious anatomie of English Episcopacie touching which you interrogate will onelie countenance them in a demand not otherwise intended of a Scripture warrant for Scottish Presbyterie as such disciplining excommunicating deposing I shall doe no wrong if I adde what I prove justifying praysing God for the death if not the murder of Kings renouncing the name butacting every one a double part of a lord in Parliament not onelie voycing in but imperiouslie overruling all Acts of State all elections of principal officers in order to conscience for praevention of scandal keeping a lower Commission Court in every Towne parish forcing every Bayliffe and provest to be your creature A Presbyterie bold'lie ordaining without a Bishop and gulling the people into a foolish conceit of Gods call in them when 't is their Iving spirit that hath praepossess'd them For Iet the people call or praesent whom they will
with heathen and publicanes a voluntarie declination of whose companie was no scandal to the charitie Christians professed any civile office out of common humanitie left arbitrarie and not censur'd if tend'red Fiftlie whether binding and loosing vers 18. Be asserted with reference to this Church and not rather to the Apostles as your friend Erastus will have it or more probablie to any partie against whom the trespasse was committed Potestatem tribuit Apostolis sayth Saint Hierom. Ou gar monon hosa lyousin hoi hiereis eisi lelymena all hosa kai hemeis hoi adikethentes and Theophylact. And si fratrem habes pro Ethnico publicano ligasti illum in terra si correxeru fratrem solvisti eum in terra Saint Austin which seemes to be the proper meaning of the place After all which I expect you should make some apologie for your brethren abroad that in the yeare 1563. Sept. 6. excommunicated Iohn Morell the Frenchman for writing this doctrine burn'd his booke and interdicted under a great poenaltie the reading any copie of it that might escape them The third 1. Cor 5. appeares not evidentlie to put the porter of jurisdiction in a companie of men met together Theophylact taking it for a modest condescension in Saint Paul to joine the Corinthians with himselfe whose solitarie power was absolute Hina me doxe authades Kai autous proslambanei Kâ—…inoonous And the context importing the sentence such as it was to be but declarative in them them by the vertual praesence of the Apostles spirit and judicial in Saint Paul who had passed it before ede Kekrika sayth he vers 3. Though it will trouble you to prove that here was any jurisdiction exerciz'd delivering to Satan being probablie but a desertion of the partie peccant using no intercession in his behalfe but leaving him naked for Satan to assault him with corporal torments which prodigious punishment was usual in thâ—…se times Excommunication it can not be because it limits his censure to the destruction of the flesh deprives him not of the Sacraments the want whereof is destructive to the spirit The twelfth verse addes no strength to your argument the sense seeming to be onelie this I have nothing to doe to judge them that are without but leave them to God I have to doe to judge them that are within worthie of deliverance up to Satan And ye judge them that is deliver them up when ye are gathered together my spirit As he had sayd vers 4. So it is Saint Pauls spirit that is principal in this jurisdiction and the companie of men met together but his delegates or assistants convocated at his pleasure To Your assumption I likewise answer That the Bishop is as much the Church as Saint Paul in this case and hath as much of the ordinarie power transmitted to him So that you see it requires not the Doctours learning but the search of his Acolythus and servant to satisfie you if you will be with antiquitie reason Which being done you may send more scirptural arguments against Episcopacie by your brethren of the next Commission Touching those you have brought allreadie you need not be so confident in calling for their answer unlesse they were somewhat better The visible leisure is in none but such as you your courteous Disciples in England have procured to be imprison'd in severall goales of both Kingdomes others having businesse enough by shifting from one place to another to secure their persons and save their lives from your crueltie The poor prisoners have few visible helpes to that purpose If you will finde courage or conscience enough to undertake their free accesse to the Fathers and other authours that are visiblie necessarie to that purpose I have enough left still to assure you in the name of them that have more learning then they boast of that whatsoever becomes of your punie Clerkes Master Parker and Didoclave who may be easilie turn'd of with some carefull quotations and references to a multitude of bookes allreadie printed Master Blondels magazine of antiquitie shall be seiz'd on and what in it is upsie Scotch which is not all for the presbyterie you bragge of shall in spight of your power be rescued for the true owners that is the Bishops For your meracle of learning the most noble Somais we wish he may worke more such wonders as he hath of late and send his petie advocate a new blew bonnet at parting trimmed with a distick begining if he pleaseth Ille ego qui quondam for his fee. Were publike masters of fact as mysterious as the intrigues in your spiritual Iunto and Consistorian Caballs some Endor oracle must perchance have been consulted and one of your blacke guardant Angels been superstitiouslie worship'd or ceremoniouslie waited upon for revelation But when the bookes of the dead are before their day opened by your hands and their workes of darknesse registred by your pennes the warner may every where without an ironie proclaime his knowledge in your storie as great as his strictest search and as certaine as your rash confession could create King Iames's 55 quaestions so troubled the Scotish divines that they finding their plea of divine right and immutabilitie of their discipline to be disputed the Perth Assemblie indicted principallie for that purpose to divert the King if not otherwise to praevent his multiplving such problemes to which David Blackes processe the businesse about the banish'd Lords may be annexed they rais'd a desperate sedition on the 17. of December which allreadie is discours'd on Their if you meane the Synods answer was not so round but that they first protested parlied about their priviledge at the conference with His Majestie and the Estates required time to returne reason vote resolve in all points If thereafter the propounders were speachlesse in the businesse it might be because the Synod caried it for the King and determined the problemes in his sense which for ought I know is that the Bishop meanes by yeilding the bucklers without any opposition The maner and time might very well perplexe them being in a free Synod and meeting with their bold contestation for David Blacke Nor were they troubled onelie at the Erastian Praelatical Counsellers about the King but at Patrike Galloway and Iames Nicolson of late Saints but now it should seem become Apostate presbyters in the Synod The quaestions put by the King were not captions and carping at the parts of Church discipline but a just controversie raised about the whole fairlie propounded freelie discussed deliberatelie resolved to the satisfying his conscience and silencing schismatical scruples for the future I have often told you no statutes of Parliament nor Acts of any but factious Assemblies authorisd your Discipline though were it ratified as you would have had it by any other set your jusdininum aside and fetch not your praecedent from the Medes and Persians a power
if it succeeded with him as Seneca Supposed Non puto parum momenti hanc ejus vocem ad incitandum conjuratorum animos addidisse The Armie gotten up so numerous and strong which the Commanders thought sooner expedient and had sooner levied but for you was probablie able to have done what service they professed but the â—…version of the hearts of the Church declaring it selfe in diabolical curses and supercilioâ—…s discouragement divided the hearts and enfeebled the hands of a faint people It was a strange sympathie in the hearts of your yeomen that in the midst of their fright made them flee to the same corner of the land Their consciences are not commonlie of such a tender touch but when scarified by their Clergie So that it will bâ—… no calumnie to conjecture what spirit gave them wings and directed their flight to the rebellious meeting at Manchlin moor Their growing number and abiding there in a bodie for the securitie of their persons made no partie for nothing toward the deliverance of the Kings and their danger being onelie to be forced by the Parliament to goe souldiers into England for that purpose the quaestion is what violence was therein offered to their conscience and if any by what law or praecept divine or humane the Assembliecan countenance them in armes though but in a defensive posture to withstand it In which had that part of the Armie that sodainly came upon them cut them off it might have stood for an act of civile justice more then militarie furie kept the rest in peace and much conduc'd toward an after securitie to themselves The communion at Mauchlin layd to the publike Fast appointed in termiâ—…is for the apostacie of the Parliament might occasion some of your Ministers coming thither to as good a purpose as his to the Kirke of St. Andro who pray'd to Allmightie God that he would carie through the good cause against all his enemies especiallie against Kings Devills and Parliaments Coloured clothes and pistols were no proper accoutrement for your Kirke-men wherein to celebrate the Sacrament of Christian charitie and peace Nor were they the good instruments with the people to goe away to run away they might be afterward that had lead them in bands and troupes into the battail For Presbyterian Scotish Ministers to protest against any rebellion wherein they act needes no eagle ey'd Parliament man to discover it at the bottome as a peice of effronterie very common among them and proper to their profession which is very ridiculouslie dissâ—…mbled in this case when diverse of them were taken prisoners fighting desperatelie for the cause complain'd of to the Commissioners of the Kirke who were so farre from inflicting any censure or giving them admonition that they approved what they had done and justified them in the fact Which I see here you dare not ex professo but fawlter in your judgement about the meeting pleading the securitie of their persons as a faire apologie for the yeomens a biding in a bodie and yet mentioning the Ministers protestation which is litle beter then a condemnation of their convening fighting in the field The Bishops parallel betwixt the Generall Assemblie and Parliament casts the cloake of maliciâ—…snesse upon your owne shoulders in the abuse of your libertie whereby you refuse to submit your selfe to the ordinance of man for the Lords sake otherwise then as it is ratified in your Synods for when the Presbyterians lay the authoritie of both Courts upon a divine foundation they make themselves the chiefe corner stone usurping the proper place of Jesus Christ in the one and of his anoynted in the other telling him and all Magistrates among whom Parliaments are to be numbred he ought to be subject to the Kirke spirituallie and in Ecclesiasticall government .... that he ought to submit himselfe to the discipline of the Kirke if he transgresse in maters of conscience and Religion So that when they talke of obedience for conscience sake to their lawfull commands they take cognizance what is conscience and law and at their owne arbitâ—…ement many times oblige subjects on the same principles to rebell calling this the justifiable revenge of the Magistrates contempt against the authorite of God resident in them The Bishop 〈◊〉 as not at Ministers that cariâ—… themselves aâ—… the Ambassadours of Christ that deliver not more theâ—… is in the Commission or instructions they receiv'd but thinkes they have no priviledge above the Angels who are not dâ—…inantes but ministraâ—…tes spiritus That they are a 〈◊〉 rather to warme indiscreet zeale and devotion then consume in the fervour of violence and passion That God rarelie tempers brimstone with the breath of his messengers That he sets the time names the extraordinarie case when his words shall be fire in the mouâ—…es of 〈◊〉 prophets his people 〈◊〉 that it should devoure them He likes you should judge according to the rule of Scripture so you follow that rule and keepe in subjection to good lawes He commends your caring for life aeternal not your leaguing and covenanting in order to that for the death temporal of your brethren He judgeth you according to the rule of Scripture to be shâ—…sselic impious that counterfeit a care of life aeternal whither bloodâ—…hirstie Presbyters are never likelie to enter but have a portion with their fellow hypocrites otherwhere That make holie Scripture not onelie of private but perverse interpretation and God the authour of all the wickednesse you act by the authoritie of his word who boast of an Ambassie from Christ when who so blinde as these servants who so deaâ—…e as these messengers you say he sent who are lead by a Spirit that doth the workes of the flesh from top to botome mentiâ—…'d by St. Paul Galat. 4. Who would gull the world out of all but a forme or propertie of religion who make your selves not Ministers but Masters of Christ commanding imperiouslie the spirit he sends downe who make a trade of Scripture and for wordlie gaine parsel out eternal life to whom you please The second part of the Bishops parallel I see puts you to a stand and the quaestion What shall be made ... argues you some what suspended in your thoughts whether as much should be made of it as you meane and the people commended for obeying their Ministers how seditious soever more then their Magistrates that command them If all the power such Ministers have with the people be built on their love to God what pitie is it that rebellious structure should have such a religious foundation When it riseth high he is no good states man that doth not demolish it knowing that what God and conscience constraine 〈◊〉 but perswade to imploy to his good the Divel without any or with one that 's erroneous may tempt them to aedifie to his ruine It is not amisse sayd applied by him that writ of the spanish Monarchie
determined by his Lordship onelie the King call'd supreme Legislatour which he is What commentaries 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 sweaâ—…ing 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 that can not constitute can abrogate no lawes But they will tell you in constituting the King can not be excluded And we inferre that no more he can be in repealing If your minde serve you to engage farther in this dispute you were best answer the learned Grotius 8. chap. De Imper. Sum. Pot. to which I promise you my replie In the next place as if you were moderating a matachin dance from seting the King and Parliament at oddes you turne both their faces and powers against the Praelates whom I doe not finde His Lordship puting in competition with the King about the right of making lawes but aggravating the injurie done them by your partie in the Parliament and appealing to their conjcience with what justice they could covenant against the rights of a third order of the Kingdome without either their satisfaction or consent If the whole Repraesentative of the Kingdome have thus priviledg'd the Bishops one lame part can not deprive them of it Their prioritie and superioritie hath been so ancient that no Lords no Commons would scruple at it but such as likewise at the original supremacie of their King And therefore you may know the bill against their priviledges was five times rejected in the upper House the beter Court of honour of the two and when the sixt time it was caried by a few voyces it was when the most honourable persons were forced to be absent Their share in the Legislative power hath been so great that since any was allotted them your forefathers never heard of a law made in Parliament without them The King may passe what he pleaseth and what he doth so is a law The two Temporal States with his bare name without his power can make none nor yet having it as they account it derived from his Regalitie not his person Ius enim ferendarum legum sive generalium sive specialium summa potestas communicarâ—… alteri potest â—… se abdicarâ—… non potest What one or th' other passe to the injurie of persons fundamentallie concern'd be it law can not be justified in conscience which is all J take to be urged by the Bishop But what would you have sayd if there had been such a law in behalfe of Episcopacie in England as there hath been in spaine That no King could reigne which is more then a Parliament sit and vote without the suffrage of the Bishops Which made Ervigius upon the resignation of Bamba that turn'd Monke call a Councel of them at Toledo to have a confirmation of his crowne And the time hath been in England when a difference fell between Edward and Ethelred about succession to K. Edgar a devolution of it unto the arbitrement of the Bishops The humble protestation of the twelve Bishops rudelie menaced and affronted did not pronounce the lawes acts after their recesse null and of none effect in derogation to the praerogative of the King either solitarie or in conjunction with what persons soever he pleas'd to make his Legislative Councel but in saving to themselves their rights and interests of siting and voting in the House of Peeres the violation of which they conceived to invalidate a Parliament at least without the Kings passing a rescissorie Act and an Act of new constitution Because in law and practice it is usual to any who conceive themselves praejudg'd even in those things where Acts of Parliament passe against them to protest Which if you remember were the words and part of a long plea to another purpose though upon the same advantage of the Bishops right in Scotland used by those your Countreymen that alike intended their ruine but could not colourablie offer at it without the Act anext the constitution of the Parliament Whether the Bishops being a third order of the Kingdome and by that craving their share in the Legislative power be more humble then the Presbyters who take themselves to be absolute without King and two states in making all Ecclesiastike lawes and against King two states in abrogating all civile statuter Ordinances concerning Ecclesiastical maters that are found nâ—…ysome and unprofitable and agree not with the time .... And censuring punishing all persons King and Parliament not excepted I file up with the other references to your â—…quitable comparers let them be the Lords and Commons you here pleade for You may chuse whether you will grant what the Bishop takes as demonstrable That his brethren had harder measure from the thing call'd King and Parliament then the Abboâ—…s and Friars from Henry 8. When he devested them of their estates Your consecuâ—…orie Beleefe hath no article made up out of any of the Bishops words Who though he could not keepe intruders out of his palace and possessions meanes to have no such troublesome inmates in his minde And since you have sequestred him from his gardens keepes out of your reach a Tarasse to exspatiate in his thoughts He commends your eyes that can see so distinctlie such Platonical Idea's as never had existence yet when you draw too neare commands you to your distance with the same answer that Bacchus did Hercules in the Comoedie for all his club Me ton emon oikei noun echcis gar oikâ—…ian The Bishops last reasoning is as sound as those before and in all is there a connexion of those parts which any demonstrative integral can require To your first impeachment by quaestion I answer That article of the Covenant beares the seting up of the Scotish Presbyterian government in England which is for a uniformitie in both Kingdomes if taken with the next that extirpates praelacie viz. Church government by Bishops For when Praelacie is downe I pray what remaines according to your principles but Presbyterie to set up As for Scotish Presbyterie you have often told us 't is the same with that of all Reformed Churches And if alltogether be not according to the Word of God after so many yeares Synods Conferences and Letters what blinde Covenanters you are to sweare a league of life death upon the like or more uncertanitie of future discoverie by a few unskilfull persons whose petiâ—… phantastike lights put together must be made a new imaginarie milkie way surpassing in a fermed singularitie of splendour any among the greater truer luminaries
in the firmament of the Church But I have allreadie shewed how in vaine you aequivocate about that clause which hath cost your friend Rutherford and others so much paines What the oath of supremacie imports is evident by the words in it The varietie of sences to catch advantages like side windes in paper sailes which are subject to rend in pieces being the poor policie of Presbyters that dare not stand to the adventure of plaine dealing supreme Governer of this Realme c. Aswell in all spiritual or Ecclesiastical things or causes as temporal Which the Bishops you see conceald not though you gratifie your selfe with the observation onelie of the other title supreme head and accept his explication of it which yeilding you in your contracted sense that might securetie afford him more capital priviledges without encroachment upon Christ or his Holie Curch supreme Governer takes in what your Presbyterie will never grant him all power imperative Legislative judicial coactive all but functional Imediate and proper to the ordination or office of the Minister which for ought â—… know if he finde an internal call â—… a supposition drawing neare a possibilitie then likelihood and assurance to have a double portion of Gods gracious power and assistance in both administrations he not onelie may but must exercise as did Moses and Melchisedech saving that without a divine institution in this spiritual function his supremacie exempts him not from submitting his head under the hands of holie Church and taking our Saviours commission with the benediction from her mouth That Scotish Presbyterie is a Papacie the Bishop requires not to be granted upon his word but to be taken before Publike notaries upon your owne the political part whereof consists in the civile primacie which at least by reduction you very confidentlie assume The Bishops contradiction which is scarce so much as verbal will be easilie reconciled by the words of the oath which he reflects on and his argument good against you untill without reserves limitations or distinctions you simplie acknowledge the King supreme over all persons in all causes which would be a contradiction to this clause in your booke of Discipline The power Ecclesiastical floweth immediatelie from God and the Mediatour Iesus Christ and is spiritual not having a temporal head in the earth but onelie Christ the onelie spiritual King and Governer of his Kirke Lastlie No Presbyterian is there in Scotland but counts it sacriledge to give the King what belongeth unto the Church And whatsoeu'rit is they quit in Ecclesiastike causes is not unto the King but to King and Parliament and the power in both when it informes an Act or statute call'd but accessorie by the Aderdene Assemblers and that we may no longer doubt whom they account supreme dutie and subjection from the Prince which though spoken by them but of their meeting must be meant of all causes consultable in their Synods and is as sensible a truth as words without ambiguitie can render it Out of all which hath been sayd it must necessarilie follow that your Covenant hath all the good qualities computed which needs no arithmetical proofe by weight or measure the praemises ever being coextended with and counterpoiz'd by the conclusion What you rashlie if not praesumtuouslie pronounce of the Bishops judgement doth but vilifie your owne Qui citò deliberant facile pronunciant Had you brought a judgement to the contrarie of any learned Casuist to whom his Lordship appeales or any Divine of note in Europe which he calls for your answer had been somewhat more serious and solide But here your oracles of learning are all silent We finde it not avowed by your especial brethren of Holland and France by no approbatorie suffrages of Leyden and Vâ—…recht .... Omnium flagitiosorum atque facinorosorum circum se tanquam stipatorum catervus habet A guard is hath but a blake one such as Catilines league and how can it have beter wherein is sworne a conspiracie as bad The Bishops following vapours meeting with no suneshine of law oâ—… reason to dissipate them will not so vanish upon a litle blast of your breath but that they 'll returne in showers of confusion upon your head Your secret will to asscribe good intentions to the King hath by some of your packe been very strangelie revealed in their expressions touching Kings whoss very nature they have declared originallie antipathetical to Christ. This Didoclave avowes as planilie as he can And when objected by His Grace of Saint Andrewes with your proverbial yet mystical appendix of their obligation to the Creatuor not to Christ the Redeemer for their crownes is so slovenlie answered by Philadelphs Vindicatour as any man may reade your good wil in his words measure the sense of your Synods by his lines your good opinion of the intentions of K. Charles 1. Beside what you imputed to his Praelates may be guessed by what sometimes in print you have asscribâ—…d unto his person An unworthie fellow your Countrey man that comes runing in hast with the message of your good meaning in his mouth sayth His infamous Barbarous intentions were executed by sheathing his sword in the bowels of his people And this not onelie himselve not impeding conniving at and giving full Commission for in Scotland and Ireland but in England looking upon with much delight while it was done And that so faire were negotiations and treaties from retracting him that it was in publike declared he sayth not by any Praelatical partie that he would never desist from thîs enterprise of persecuting Church and Commonwealth so long as he had power to pursue it Concerning the good intentions of Charles the second beside what jealousies you expresse by the scrupulous conditions in your proclaemation your Haghe papers are instancis of your willing asscriptions which call his answer strange whereby the distance is made greater then before and farre lesse offered for religion the Covenant and the lawes and liberties of your Kingdome then was by his Royal Father even at that time when the difference between him and you was greatest ..... So that it will constraine you in such an extremitie to doe what is incumbent to you I have allreadie told you the usual consequences of that cursed word and what good intentions you are in hand with when you utter it Tyrannie and poperie are twinnes engendred between your jealousie malice to which Independencie is more likelie to be the midwife then praelacie and if by that hand they get deliverie at last will besure to pay Presbyterie their dutie when they can speake The painted declarations caries beter sense to them that rightlie understand them which I am sure is not praejudic'd by any paraphrase of the Bishops Though agere poenitentiam Be good councel where well placed ' yet egisse non poenitendum requires it not If the conscience of the Court continue to be managed by the principles of the Praetates the
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 see a bargaine was driving between craftie merchants till having clapt hands the one brought his rich commoditie to Holmâ—…bic the other pay'd his money at Non-Castle The unexpected evil for I must alter the number admit of none but the murder of the King that followed which no mortal eye could foresce any mortal heart might fore feare the well affected brethren have prevented if they pleas'd The Armies rebellion is very nonsignificant language from your pen unlesse figurativelie expressing the vengeance of God upon that rebellious citie which with her golden cup had made the Land drunke the Nations mad with the abundance of her wine What you call destroying the Parliament was but the plucking up throwing out of the way that rotten root the stocke fairest branches whereof had been cut downe by the keen axe of a violent vote long before How readie these Scots which the Reviewer must vindicate were to the utmost of their power to have prevented the mischiefe in the murder of the King what hazard they ran of what was dearest to them appeares by their hast to come in to Duke Hamiltons partie the large contributions they gave toward the raising an armie to that purpose To make good the proverbe Murder will out the next words implie the Reviewers confession The hard measure they had often receiv'd from the King stucke then in their stomakes would not out till now with their malice impostumated in his bloud That they did not in time unanimouslie stirre to purpose for that end they are indeed to answer it to God who were the true authours thereof And who they were let the Scotish pulpits I meane not their Presbyters speake out The innocencie of the Church is not cleard in the following treatise to be so much as Pilates they can not wash their hands in it nor their mouth They made the tumults they never asked what evill he had done this Royal bloudwill be upon them upon their children But here comes up a second part of their venemous vomit for though they cast the temptation upon the serpent they charge the original sinne upon the King The King gave not his good subjects satisfaction by granting all their demands which they found most necessarie due This they say by the mouth of the Reviewer was the cause of the many miseries if there be any connexion was the cause why they stirred not in time what 's the meaning of this but Caiphas's expedit It is very expedient very necessarie he die for these people thankes good Presbyter Scot pay this debt of satisfaction in his bloud Which conclusion is no sooner dispatched but like very logical Rebells they fall presentlie on making a new syllogisme prepare a second argument of the axe The very same cause ties up this day the hands of Covenanters could they have that is they can not have the young King to joyne with them in their covenant to quit his unhappie Bishops to lay aside his formal dead liturgie the satisfaction to his good subjects which they finde necessâ—…rie due He hath drawn some what beside his limbes from the loynes of his father though the serpent hath not reach'd him the fruit of the forbiden tree he hath transmitted as much malignance in the barke Ergo when they get him into their hands which God forbid t is but talking a litle with the Pharisees Priests taking the money according to the covenant They have made the premises may then sit at home with their hands in their pockets being well assur'd the conclusion must follow quia expedit It is very expedient another man because another King which the hand of heaven powerfullie prevent To draw him into the net this decoy ducke courts His Majestie with more truth then good meaning for he puts it into a parenthesis I'observe that when hereafter it shall be left out the Scotish Reviewer Remonstrances may not jarre in their expressions A lovelie hopefull promising Prince for all naturall endowments as this day breathes in Europe or for a long time has sway'd a Sâ—…epter in Britaine And yet this lovelie Prince without taking the Covenant c. shall not breath nor sway the scepter in Scotland With which some other ungracious principles a nest of these unluckie Northeme birds did latelie besiege him not in his cabin for his fathers worke lay upon their hands when he was there they wanting then the iron instrument to cut the silver cord of his life but in his Royal bedchamber at the Hague And going home it should seem by the weeping crosse they the good people because they can doc no more sit downe with mournfull eyes till occasion be administer'd that by Dunce law which holds as well against the sonne as the Father they can doc no lesse then lie downe in their armes for their just necessarie defense But they hold here 't is time I thinke for they have transgress'd toâ—… farre the bounds of an epistle CHAPTER I. The Scots bold address with the Covenant to K. Ch. 2 Their partie inconsiderable The Bishops method language matter asserted The quaestion in controversie unawares granted by the Reviewer WHile Sixe walking Images the pretended Commissioners of the Church Kingdome of Scotland that is to say a selected packe of the most zealous disciplinarian faction which had fairlie wrought the destruction of both were with the greatest impudence that ever was heard of pressing into His Majesties sad most disconsolate retirement at the Hague when he held backe the face of his throne had spread his cloud upon it When his face was foule with weeping on his eyelids the shadow of death While with the highest crueltie that could be instead of condoling his most lamentable afflictions beyond the tyrannie of Jobs comforters they were going about not onelie to lay open in his sight but to thrust violentlie that bloudie axe the Covenant I meane which had cut off his Royal Fathers head into his hands This reverend resolute Prelate steps in between them the Court throwes in their eyes the guilt not onelie of their late actions but of their old Antimonarchical as well as Anâ—…iprelaticall government it selfe not so much hoping to amuze them or stop them in their progresse to the King whose adamantine face elephantine feet he knew would breake through all the briars thornes that the hand of truth could cut out of that Northerne wildernesse of errour lay though ne'r so thicke in
who with his I renounce abhorre his detestations abrenunciations did so amaze the simple people that they not able to conceive all those things utterlie gave over all falling backe to Poperie or remaining still in their former ignorance These are the Kings words about Mr. Craige the Authour his Confession which you may compare with the Act you pretend to at your leisure The approbation of the Assemblie was but the harmonie of a faction such being excluded as were not prejudged approvers or if praesent overaw'd by a praevalent partie in their vote as much as other Ministers abroad by Philadelphi Vindicatours confession in their consent Quâ—…s credat quenquam qui rem sacram administrabat ....... ausum fuisse calculo suo non probare Or if they were free did approve it they did it in that sense that many Orthodoxe persons did sweare or subscribe it ........... in eam confessionem jurâsse neminem Presbyteriorum regimini alligat Which King Ch. 1. in his large Declaration tells you to be consistent with Episcopacie is unquaestionablie true Or it may be the register of your approvers was handled as the roll of subscribers wherein were a great many more names then had been hands ............. adde Episcopos nunc sedentes magnam partem Ministrorum subscriptiones illas inficiari The opposition Of the Kings Commissioner it may be was ingrossed in the two leaves torne out of your publike records if not left out as impertinent to the proceedings of that Assemblie If he gave a passive consent by his silence it was in conformitie to his Masters subscription command which you mention'd The direction of His Majestie for the 50. Classical Assemblies was specializ'd by your power which did direct him The erecting of them was with no intent to pull downe Episcopacie as may be in effect gather'd from your words For if they remaine to this day the same stood while the Bishops were in power as subordinate chapters or consistories unto them These some Noble men you speake of were most of the Nobilitie as your Brother Andr. Melvin doth acknowledge .......... reluctantibus nobilium plerisque And these did not now erect of new a titular Episcopacie but maintained that which had been legallie established And this they did not onelie to hold fast their Ecclesiastical revenue but upon other more conscientious grounds as he ingenuouslie confesseth Viz. To keep the state of the Kingdome entire from being rent in pieces sublato enim Episcopatu I l'e leave the lie for his heires to licke up regni statum convelli To praeserve Majestie due to the King constitutis Presbyteriis regiam Majestatem imminui And by asserting his right to some Church revenues to prevent the utter exhausting of his exchequer ......... bonis Ecclesiasticis ........... restitutis Regis aerarium exhauriri causantur That the Nobilitie enjoyed so much of the revenue beside what was payd in to the King came upon the perpetual divisions rais'd by the Presbyterie in the Kingdome which perturbing ever the establishment of the Episcopal order voting them to have no more right to the meanes then they had to the office the learned at least prudent Nobilitie having better assurance that neither power nor meanes belong'd de jure to the brethren of the discipline it is not unlikelie till the controversie should be ended they framed a kind of plausible argument to continue the steward ship in themselves Yet in the meane time by your leave they did effectuate more then a title to this tulâ—…han Bishop And this kind of Prelates pretended right to every part of the Episcopal office exerciz'd much more then you mention'd Which having been made good against you in several volumes I shall onelie bring an undeniable argument by producing confitentes reos the whole packe of Covenanters of all orders qualities aswell Ministers as others Who in their publike bill or Complaint upon which an Act of the Presbyterie of Edenburgh passed Octob. 24. 1638. have these words Whereas the office of a Bishop as it is now used within this Realme was condemned by the booke of policie by the Act of the Assemblie holden at Dundee Anno 1580. Whereof these are the words For asmuch as the office of a Bishop as it is now used commonlie taken within this Realme hath no sure warrant from Authoritie c. Hence I argue thus The office of a Bishop now used in the yeare 1580. the office of a Bishop now used in the yeare 1638. is ex confesso the same But the office of a Bishop 1638. consisted in the power of ordination jurisdiction Ergo so did the office of a Bishop 1580. And as much is implied by the Act of that Synod which condemnes expresselie the power as well as the title of Bishops that with reference to the persons of the Bishops then living that had executed this power were to lay it downâ—… or become excommunicate Therefore you shew us but the halfe face in your discovrse about their voting in Parliament Into which imployment they crept not but came upon confidence of better authoritie then any general Assemblie could give them as shall be proved hereafter particularlie in the case of Rob. Montgomerie Arch-Bishop of Glasgow whom you name That there was some debate takes of somewhat from the Kings forwardnesse in commanding subscribing directing in special That he shew'd hi good satisfaction I beleeve not when you publish it with a blancke Reviewer But the Warner heere jumps over no lesse then 27. yeares time c. Ans. The Bishop undertooke no continued historie of your Disciplinarian rebellions Therefore in passing over 27. yeares he sav'd himself a trouble but hath done too great a courtesie for you unlesse you were more thankefull for his silence Though indeed this signal rebellious Convention of a few stubborne ignaro's at Aberdener shewes to what an height maturitie of mischiefe your other sucking Conspiracies had come to if Royal presence had not been at hand to suppresse their growth nip these blacke boutefeus in the buâ—… That King Iames at that time was by his English Bishops perswasions resolv'd to put downe the general Assemblies of Scotland is disavowed in words by publike proclamation bearing date the 26. Septemb. in act by appointing one to be holden at Dundee the last Tuesday of Julie Yet if he had with the grave advice consent of his three Estates your Church lanes constant practice must have strooke saile as it afterward did unto the supremacie of that power Himselfe telling you That no Monarchie either in Civillor Ecclesiastical policie had then attained to that perfection that it needed no reformation Nor that infinite occasiouâ—… might not arise whereupon wise Princes might foresee for the benefit of their 〈◊〉 just cause of alteration For what immediatelie followes take His Majesties answer out of a Declaration penned with
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 beleeve But that in the Assemblie 1590. the Kings consent to it was obtaind I can sooner admit upon undeniable authoritie then your Logike you pretend not to the perpetuitie of His Majesties personal praesence which was but some times it should seem not at that time of general consent Nor is your Act for subscription so cleare in the assurance you give us that His Majesties Commissioner was there you onelie take it for granted he was among the herd Nor so explicite in his positive consent you onelie collect it from a clowdie universal to serve your turne honour him with a primacie in suffrage Wherein you are a litle redundant in courtesie there having been a time when if His Majestie or His Commissioner siting in Assemblie should denie his voyce to any thing which appear'd unjust repugnant to his lawes yet iâ—… that were concluded by most voyces you would tell him he was bound jure divino to inforce obedience to your Act. The case for ought I know stood no otherwise here in this Assemblie Where to discountenance the testimonie you bring you have been told long before now That the superintendents of Angus Lothian Fiâ—…e c. George Hayes Commissioner from the North. Arbuthmoth of Aberdene others were dissenters from this Act about the discipline whereby His Majesties or His Commissioners consent becomes somewhat improbable to the authoritie whereof such men as they had in prudence submitted if not in dutie by their silence That States-men in Parliament oppos'd it is evident That the King ever endeavourd to get it passe is your single assertion Neque usquam fictum neque pictum neque scriptum If your Church did it was for want of worke for you told us even now To this a particular ratification of Parliament was unnecessarie What the Bishops opinion is about the pâ—…trimonie of the Chuch how farre by whom what part of it may be lawfullie alienated when just occasion is given I praesume His Lordship freelie faythfullie will declare In the meane time his chalenge against the Scotish Presbyterians is without hypocrise injustice Himselfe many other good Prelates having ever aesteem'd it a fault to call the annexing some part of the Church revenues unto the crowne a detestable sacriledge before God Nor can Mr. Baylie instance in any indefinite disputes including all that hath been or shall be given to the Church that have hapened since the first reformation between the Kings of England their Bishops Who had they found their Princes rapacious sequestratours would not have failed in their dutie modestlie to admonish them of the danger yet had it may be abstained from calling them theeves murderers peculiar termes characteristical of the Discipline-To which I thinke I shall doe no injustice if I assert that the revenues of Bishops Deanes Arch-deacons of Chapellries Friaries of all orders together with the sisters of the seenes abstracting from the favour of Princes no more belong to the Scotish Presbyters then they doe to the Mufties of the Turke The intention of the doners having never been that such strange catell should feed in their pastures Nor can M. Baylie shew me any law that makes him heir to Antichrist or a just inheriter of his lands Beside methinkes the weake stomack'd brethren should take checke at the meate offered unto idols any silken sould Presbyter be too nice to array himselfe in the raggeâ—… of Rome or be cloth'd at that cost that belong'd to the idolatrous Priesthood of Baal But it may be in the heate of Reformation they went to worke with the coyning irons which they more then once got into their possession with them altered thâ—… impresâ—…ion of the beast And the mattokes 〈◊〉 Which other armes being wanting they very often tooke in their hands were possiblie onelie to turne up the Church land whereever crop had been reap't by Antichrist that abominable glebe went downe to the center of the earth What he talkes about the Praelatical jus divinum their taking possessions by commands from Court without a processe requires his instance then he shall have his answer In the interim he playes the hypocrite in a question What if then the Disciplinarians had gone to advance that right to all jusdivinum when the Assemblie at Edenburgh did so April 24. 1576. But he sayth all the Scots can be challeng'd for is a mere declaration of their judgement simple right in a supplication to the Regents Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These Scots judgement was not allwayes in righteousnesse and their simplicitie in supplicates had many times more of the Lion then the Lambe Witnesse that to the Queen Regent 1559. where they declare their judgements freelie as true faithfull subjects they tell her yet this is the style of that declaration ......... Except this crueltie be stayed by your wisdome We shall be compelled to take the sword of just defense c. ...... If ye give â—…are to their pestilent counsel ...... neither ye neither yet your posteritie shall at any time after this finde that obedience faythfull service within this Realme which at all times ye have found in us In the assemblies supplications to the Lords of secret Councel May 28. 1561. the second article annexed to which was for the maintenance of the ministerie this Before ever these tyrants dumbe dogs Empire above us ....... we ..... are fullie determin'd to hazard life whatsoever we have recived of God in temporall things ........ And let these enemies of God assure themselves That if your Honours put not order unto them That we shall shortlie take such order That they shall neither be able to doe what they list neither yet to live upon the sweat of the browe December 25. 1566. They order requiring instead of Supplicating Churh censures to the disobedient Their sixt head of Church rents in the first booke of Discipline runnes very imperiouslie upon the must The Gentlemen Barons c. must be content to live upon their just rents suffer the Kirke to be restored to her libertie And Jul. 21. 1567. They tell them they shall doe it shall passe nothing in Parliament untill it be done That ever any assemblie in Scotland did make any other addresse to the Parliament for stipends then by way of such humble supplication I grant â—…is a great untruth Nor were onelie the thirds thus petition'd for but time after time all tithes rents whatsoever could be comprized under the patrimonie of the
of Edenburgh Roger Maâ—…kmath whom the King ordinarilie called his Barliffe raise what power they can upon a sodaine the honest Hammermen come in to their assistance They demand first whether the Kings person be in safetie then by a mixture of faire words menaces make the rowt quit the place but not their riot for they by by rallie in the Mercate place The Captaine of the Castle turnes some canon upon the Towne by that militarie argument praevailes with them to disband The King is safelie guarded to his palace at Halyrud Howse For all this Bruce sends abroad his writs to callâ—…in the Nobilitie to their succour some of whom had in zeale abetted the late tumult The Lord Forbes payd his fine for going into the street The Lord Hamilton hath an invitation to be General should have had his commission from the Synod no quaestion if he had signified his acceptance He very noblie loyallie delivers up his letter to the King detects the Rebellious project of the Discipline Some of the Ministers are sent for convicted obtaine pardon of the King but no actual oblivion from any his good subjects who ever after detested that disloyal sect branded the 17. day of December with the indeleble infamie of that prodigious attempt How like this lookes to an halfe houres tumult or petie fray How ignorant were the People how innocent the commotion How free the Ministrie from being authours or approvers Let the Reviewers aequitable comparers determine CHAPTER V. The Discipline exempts not the supreme Magistrate from being excommunicate TVatim agis The Bishop argues about excommunicating Kings you answer about censuring officials that pronounce sentence for non-payment of money wherein yet you are not more impertinent then malicious For you know well enough that sentence was not executed for that but for obstinacie against the power commands of the Church Wherein if any officials inconsideratelie proceeded it must not bring in quaestion the more deliberate prudence of them that made the constitution to that purpose The rash praecipitancie of the Scotish Presbyterian rule practice though many times very reprovable in the later I finde not heere in the Bishops allegation nor of what magnitude the sinnes are for which they excommunicate though we have know'n a desertion of the Brethren in conspiracie against their Prince or a glance through their fingars an interpretative neutralitie hath been made the great sinne threamed with this censure Neither the Praelatical partie nor any orthodoxe Christians in the world come into your communion in the point of excommunicating their Kings nor comprehend them within the object of their Discipline by which though they have kept the sonnes of the Church in a filial awe yet ever reserv'd a paternal priviledge for their Kings the Nursing Fathers of the same Imperatoria unctione toâ—…litur poenitentia And the learned Grotius assures us that the Kings of France for many ages have expresselie challenged this exemption for themselves Ne possint excommunicati Rev ........ did never so much as intend the beginning of a processe against their Kings c. Ans. Christian prudence admits no such charitable glosses upon the Scotish intentions where is no colour of ambiguitie in their words In which if the King be a man or a Magistrate he must be necessarilie included made subject aswell to Church animadversion as admonition If Mr. Baylie hath a perspective for the thoughts of all his praedecessours he may enjoy the pleasure of such spiritual reviewes or revelations to himselfe but can have no demonstrative evidence to propagate the like confidence among others True causes of citation of Princes to an Assemblie is the peculiar language of the Discipline no such truth is implied in this truer text of Scripture Where the word of a King is there is power who may say unto him what dost thou The beginning of the next verse is not the Scotish Assemblie in answer to that quaestion What these true causes have been I have partlie manifested out of their storie their owne Registers justifying their successive meeknesse indulgence wherein though no King may be found excommunicate because their spiritual sword wanted luster and brightnesse to strike such amazement into Princes as to make them let fall the temporal one out of their hands yet not any one of them hath there been since the Assemblies were possess'd of their infernal commission but have been personallie threatned imprison'd depos'd or murdered they should have tasted the meeknesse of the Discipline in them all if the season had served they could have catch'd or kept them in their power Against which universal experience whether Mr. Baylie's single word may be taken for the future securitie of His Majestie his successours I submit with silent reverence to be debated in their Councel Rev. We love not the abused ground c. Ans. We are as litle in love with the Reviewers affronting of Kings as they with what he calls the Warners flatering of Princes To the quaestion he so magisteriallie propounds St. Ambrose notwithstanding his Act to Theodosius makes answer upon that speach of David cited by the Bishop addes the reason in such language as Mr. Baylie will not heare from any Canterburian-Praelate Quod nullis ipsi Reges legibus tenebantur quia liberi sunt Reges a vinclis delictorum The same is to be found in Isiodore Pelus And Tertulian to this purpose many hundred yeares before Presbyterie was hatch'd Sciâ—…nt Imperatores quis illis dederit imperium ..... sentiunt Deum esse solum in eujus solius potestate sunt a quo sunt secundi post quem primi ante omnes super omnes Deos homines And because the Reviewer calls this doctrine Episcopal let him take St. Hieroms note too by the way Rex ipse David alium non timebat This Catholike doctrine praeserves the Majestie of Princes de jâ—…re inviolable from the insolencie of Assemblies Where the abuse of it spurres them on to any dangerous praecipiâ—…es they are to stand or fall unto themselves The poor oppressed people would many times worke out their deliverance by prayers patience if the outragious Presbyters did not thrust them downe with the hazard if not destruction of their persons dash all civile government in pieces CHAPTER VI. Kings may sometime pardon capital offenders which the Disciplinarians denie As they doe their Royal right to any part of the Ecclefiastike revenue WEre your reasoning as methodical as the Bishops I should not be so in every Chapter at a losse to find out more to what then what to answer having hitherto met with none but Socrates's three darke principles in your booke tò chaos touti kai tas nephelaâ—… kai ten glottan confusion clouds tongue which among them have made such a mist in your own eyes such a clatering in your eares as you
can neither see nor heare a good logical argument brought before you We that are above this disturbance at a distance observe his Lordship laying out the doctrine of your Discipline for so I 'll speake for once received by you all then illustrates it by your practice where in if he had roome enough he would muster up so many particulars as with an c. might conclude an inductive universal Though the other way of acconsequential arguing hath been thought tolerable in Mr. Baylie no Doctour as I take it as not long since in his uncharitable mention made of Bishop Aderton his slander against the two reverend Bishops of Downe London Derric The Ministers rigour vindictive pleading hath ever multiplied in Scotland the widowes fatherlesse the deadlie feuds having been ever continued received by them when they saw it tend to their advantage so that the bloud shed by murderers of their making may be trulie aesteem'd the seed of their Church Which duelie considered demonstrable in their storie should deterre any cautelous Christian from their communion who by that partaking in their guilt can exspect from heaven no benefit of his prayers Gods curse in the Prophet concerning them nearer then any ministrie in the world When ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not heare Your hands are full of bloud The historie of that time though very partiallie falselie related by the Reviewer were it not can not justifie the insolence in their discipline wherein they do not occurre to the inconvenience praetended the impunitie of murder procur'd then by some importunate powerfull solicitours but despightfullie scratch out the image of God in his Anoynted pull downe his praerogative attribute of mercie which hath a season of priviledge above justice if that passe with Mr. Baylie for any of his workes What I meane I collect from this clause In the feare of God we signifie unto your Honours that whosoever perswades you that ye may pardon where God commandeth death deceives your souls provokes you to offend Gods Majestie Where not onelie the act of impunitie is condemn'd but all power to pardon in any case denied Which God never practis'd himselfe nor exacted in the rigour from his Kings Beside the case hath been know'n when the Presbyters themselves became the powerfull sollicitours to the King drew a pardon for murder from his hand against his heart as they did from K. Ch. 1. for Mr. Thomas Lambe a preaching brother who stab'd a young man of Leith with a ponyard betwixt Leith the Abbey of Haliryd House upon the Lords day in the afternoon in the time of the Assemblie Parliaments sitting To whom the King used this speach Ministers must be pardoned though slaughterâ—…rs 〈◊〉 other men must suffer for a words speaking reflecting upon one Mr. Iohn Stuart who suffer'd for saying that Argile had spoken about deposing the King How they professed their Church to be reformed by the murder of David Rizio the King called â—… weake man because he would not vouch it I have shewed more particularlie in their storie Yet I hope Mr. Baylie who is too rigid when he comes next in the Rebell-Commission will be no sollicitour for any act of oblivion That if the King gives not what satisfaction they finde necessarie due he the other bloud-hounds will articulate their crie into justice justice or lie downe in their armes to execute it themselves even upon His Majestie himselfe for he hath allreadie encircled him within the object of the Discipline may be fairlie collected from hence as from what he told us in his Epistle That you may preach unto Magistrates that according to Scriptures murderers ought to die even Erastus will grant you Yea that in some cases you may rebuke exhort admonish threaten denounce judgements aswell as preach promises according to the examples of the Prophets But he puts you in minde that this they did onelie under impious Kings no Davids no Salâ—…mons no more must you assume this libertie under Iâ—…me's Charle's pious prudent just Kings If you should have an unhappie occasion to exercise it under other you must goe no farther no excommunication which is order'd in your Discipline He calls for your texts he answers your arguments he helpes you to instances of Ioab whose murder could not safelie be punished of Absalom whose for some reason was neglected He demands whether these men went not into the Temple nor communicated in the Sacraments with this impunitie about them I have no way to be rid of you but as Mr. Selden they say was of the whole packe of your clamouring brethren at London who layd Erastus booke open before them bid them answer him Which dismounted their tailes put a gag in their mouthes so that I heare he was never troubled with them afterward E. Huntley's case hath been caried to the mint comes now out with a new stampe of the Assemblie at a losse till their Father behind them scatters his kindnesse among his prodigal sonnes bids them lavish out his inexhaustible stocke of calumnies as they please What the Bishop hath granted you about the guilt of the three Lords I have no commission to retract What you aggravate about E. Huntley's apostacie after seeming repentance frequent relapses doth at the worst but argue his adhaerence in heart to the Romish religion This added to his banding with the King of Spain which you pricke into some blanke papers subscribed with his hand the rest taken out of Dr. Kerre's pocket as he was shiping over upon your excommunicating banning picke out of some other such as litle could be made of at that time when it should have been most advantageous is not enough to justifie that rigour alleadged by the Bishop The truth of what followes shall be left to the ingenuitie of your judicious aequitable comparers by laying your relation to that of more authentike historians whose record is this Bothwell after many murders misdemeanours having broke prison endeavours to get the King Chancellar Maitland into his power to which end he sets fire to both their chambers by violence makes his entrance into the Queenes For this some of his complices were hang'd the Kings proclamation publish'd against him prohibites any man to harbour him The Earle Huntley upon the Chancellars intreatie raiseth some power to surprice him with which he besets Earle Murray's house where Bothwell was entertaind Murray in defense of him slaine For this soon after was E. Huntley imprison'd till having put in caution to appeare at a publike trial he had his libertie given him to goe home Murray's friends had not patience to wait the leisure of the law but worke revenge upon all advantages they could get Bothwell having been this while conceal'd in
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 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 oppression 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 fidelitie 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 oppressions 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 nobilitie 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 Qualescunque 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 reioyce 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 justice 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 hypocritical 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 not patience unlesse so farre as to spit it backe into his face Nor yet of His Majesties 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 obtained by him or no was but the justice of the law executed with litle severitie upon any but moderated by the mercie of a
requiring their assistance on the day of their trial That his letter was intercepted and sent to the Queen whereupon he was summond before the Queen and Councel That when he made his appearance His clients the Brethren of the Towne followed in such number 〈◊〉 the inner Close was full and all the staires even to the chamber doore wher they sate That he confessed his vocation of the Queenes leiger c. That if in thâ—… he had been guiltie he had â—…st offended since he came last in Scotland demanding Sawcilie what vocation of Brethren had ever been to that day unto which hâ—… pen had not served That he told the Queen 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 Morâ—…vij authoritate suffulti vim facerent impune sacerdoti qui missam in aula quod lege permissum 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 conscientions 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 juberâ—… aâ—… imperare non poterant quod cum in tanto periculo constitutâ—… essent respublica Ecclesia illâ—… vitiâ—… 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 Act 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 carieâ—… fortune enough in his argument to confute you Miscro cui plura supersunt Quam tibi faelici post tot quoque funera vincet Those of his brethren who stand for the divine right of the Discipline of the Church doe it chieflie 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 circumstanciais must passe for substancials when determind by the judicatories of your Church and be made adaequate in
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 dâ—…ylie and follow him When the Presbyterians have as clere a Commission to prohibite festivals to affront 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 Reader makes the incongruitie none of mine disregard the High Priests commands of a different 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 Sâ—…viours 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 censure 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 sayd 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 â—… probable praetense In the place where of 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 free Parliament in publike Indicatories and armies which you confesse you did in your paper May 11. as 1 take it 1649. As likewise how your declaring of became censuring in judgement and your dissatisfaction transformed into a sentence The heâ—…pes of 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 their 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 caninaÌ„ 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 fceles not his benummed feet to be burnt the light in him is darknesse because of his evil eye quantae tenebrâ—… how great is that darkenesse S. Matth. 6. 23. What perpetual â—…arrings hath been between you I have otherwhore 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
great flame in the Burningbush 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 mercifull 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 satiâ—…faction 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 miracle 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 â—…o make consistent with which in the defense of what they call the trâ—…c Religion which you tooke for granted he never intended to complie with you had sworne to defend the Kings Majesties person that is one of the forenam'd expresse arâ—…icles 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 irreconcileable enemies forgeting that the worke 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 Vpon 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 advicâ—… 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 poverbâ—… 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
the Earle of Arran who deserves that character for being second at that time in His Majesties favour he is sayd by your brethren to have taken them into the Parliament So that lay their commission Earle Arrans courtesie together which without the other had implied the pleasure of the King they tooke not without authoritie upon themselves as you sayd the Episcopal office nor place in that Parliament Whether the pride contempt of the Prelates or Presbyters were greater may be judg'd in the case of Arch-Bishop Montgomerie by the Assemblies slighting not onelie His Majesties letters but Messengers such as were two Heralds at Armes His Master of Requests who in the Kings name inhibiting their proceedings they send him word by Macgil they can salve their obedience yet goe through with the businesse Setting up Durie Belcanqual two Edenburgh Ministers to â—…aile against the Eâ—… Lâ—…nox when they are accus'd quitting them by their Ecclesiastike praerogative Putting their scholars at Glasgow in Armes occasioning bloudshed in resistance of the Principal Magistrates of that place against whom they afterward proceeded His Majestie summous them to his judicature at St. Andrewes they send their oratours instead of comming themselves The King exchangeth a promise of securitie for theirs of suspending the censure They admit the condition but collude with His Majestie leaving an underhand power with some select brethren to give sentence as occasion should serve When they get loose they contest with his Majestie by a serpent-supplicate which when it creepes at the foot wounds to the heart Tell him boldlie he playes the Pope takes a sword in his hand more then belongs to him The Earle of Arran demanding who dares subscribe such a paper Andrew Mâ—…lvin answers undauntedlie for himselfe some others for hast snatcheth the pen out of a scribes hand that was neare him writes his name exhorts his complices ro doe the like By letter to His Majestie they shew how farre His Majestie had been uninformed upon mâ—…information prâ—…judg'd the praerogative of Iesus Christ the liberties of his Church what becomes of the Kings when this is pleaded They enact ordaine that none should procure any such warrant or charge under the paine of excommunication Where K. Iames did acknowledge the aequitie of the Church proceedingâ—… in these cases I desire to be inform'd I am sure K. Charles 1. many yeares since hath writ That they did wickedlâ—…e that which they could not doe And that it is a very reproveable instance Which to have been ever his fathers opinion I have under the hand of one of the most learned knowing men eminent historians in your Kingdome As likewise that they did never confesse their crimes nor renounce their Bishop-rikes c but that they were most cruellie persecuted by that firebrand of schisme in the Kirke sedition in the state Andrew Melvin his subscribing Associates made so odious to the people by their excommunication that they suffered most grievous penurie in the end were sterved to death which did not quench the malice of their mercilesse enemies who after their death continued persecuting their names memories making them infamous by false supposititious recantations whereof they themselves were the authours publishers Others that acknowledge a word or two to this purpose that drops from Arch-Bishop Adamson say he did it when set on the racke by his hunger being faine to beg bread of his enemies who glad of the occasion sold their charitie by weight for his selfe seeming-conviction when they had it being too greedie to gaine damnation to themselves did sophisticate every syllable with a lie The Bishops in their Declinatour against the Assemblie of Glasgow if you remember well appeale to no general Assemblie otherwise then as it shall pleace His Majestie to constitute it personallie be present or by his Commissioner without whom they acknowledge no authoritie it hath They referre it to His Majestie to call one to repaire their injurie by way of humble desire or direction no way derogating from nor impairing his separate absolute praerogative to redresse all personallie if he please Their expressions relating to Royall power in this particular are such as follow So that they praeventing not proceeding by warrant of Royal authoritie May we not therefore intreat my Lord Commissioner His â—…race in the words of the Fathers of the fourth General Councel at Chalcedon Mitte foras superflues For discharge of our dutie to God to his Church to our sacred Soveraigne lest by our silence we betray the Church is right His Majesties authoritie our owne consciences And we most humblie intreat His Grace to intercede with the Kings Majestie that he may appoint a free lawfull Generall Assemblie to whom Dr. Rob. Hamilton by these praesents we give our full power expresse mandate to praesent the same in or at the sayd Assemblie or where else it shall be necessarie to be used where 's that Mr. Baylie with all submission obedience diâ—…e to our gracious Soveraigne His Majesties High Commissioner All which are clauses assertive of His Majesties supremacie over General Assemblies implie his power to take cognizance of their demeanour Though after all this compliance with your method countenancing a seeming pertinencie in your arguments I must seasonablie put you in minde that you are very much mistaken in the Bishops meaning here as otherwhere maintaine a blindeconflict which your selfe For allthough His Lordship often take advantage of your Assemblie proceedings as contrarie to your lawes justifiable establishment of the Ecclesiastike power in your Kingdome yet where there is a concordance of your practice with your rule if accompanied with inconvenience of state incroachment upon that just praerogative which Monarchs otherwhere doe or may assume if destructive to that libertie of the people which is given them by the Gospell Christian freedome sealed to them in their baptisme if disagreeing with the primitive practice for the first five or sixe hundred yeares after Christ you lie open to the force of his arguments though you ward the blow from falling upon your Church in its owne peculiar as constituded in your Countrey For his Lordships endeavour is not onelie though in part to shew how tyrannical your discipline is to your selves but how praejudicial destructive it may prove to us in England if through want of caution or a facile yeilding to your insolent attempts way should be made for you to propagate what you call the Kingdome of Jesus Christ but is indeed the tyrannie of Satan the second practice of Lucifers ambition To banish Gods Anoynted from the earth since he faild in his project of turning God himselfe out of heaven we be ensnared in the like Presbyterian slaverie with the Scots Therefore you see he entituled his booke A Warning to take â—…ced of the Scotish