vel cultus religionis conformitas quia finguli principes quod ipsis melius videbitur flatuent quoruÌ„ decretis siro sistatur perpetua erunt besla This power being granted to Kings then Unitie of faith and worship and conformity of religion will not remaine lorg in one province or kingdome because every Prince will ordaine that which see meth best in his eyes To whose decrees if resistance be made there will follow perpetuall warre But this power being granted to the Church which cannot erre in her Synodicall acts there shall ever be Unity of faith depending upon the infallibility of Church Assemblies For I see in the seventh place that you do acknowledge the infallibilitie of generall Councels or Assemblies For that Assembly which you did hold at Glasgow lately Covenanters inâ—â—â—at for Deâ—â—nsive § 7. is to you so infallible that long time before you doe professe that you did swear for judgement and practice to adhere to the determination of it And now of late Julii 1. 1639 do protest before God and the world that you will still adhere to it And you have good reason so to do for if generall Assemblies may erre then say we â—â—lâ— de auâ—â—â— coâ—â—â— or Cap. 4. Possent merito revocari in dubium omnes damnatae hareses concilia nullo honore digna essent All heresies which are condemned may againe be called in question and our Assemblies esteemed worthy of no honour And therefore you may justly feare upon this ground that your Assembly might erre and that you may be branded with errour in your decrees and have all called in question again which you have condemned As for us of Rome condemne your Assemblies who will we shall never doe it but rather desire that you may still appoint the same Commissioners for your future assemblies therein to confirme all which they had decreed in the former for your acts of abjuring Episcopacie the Articles of Perth Service book Book of Canons pleaseth us very well howbeit we doe not throughly approve the reason of your acts You have thrust away and excommunicated your Bishops because you think them Antichristian so doe we excommunicate your Bishops because they are Antichristian But you think them Antichristian because you make it an Article of your Negative faith that they are a part of the Popish Hierarchie And we thinke them Antichristian because they are not so neither doe they acknowledge the Pope for their Head but doe declaime against him and the greatest wound that ever we have received is from such Bishops as they are as Cranmet Latimer Ridley Hooper Jowell Bâ—lson Andrewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stupor mundi Whitgift Babington Abbots King Downame Ussher Morton Davenant Montague Hall White and that Arch-enemie of yours and ours Canterbury with divers others whom I like not to recite In this particular King James is opposite to us both because as Becanus well observeth he holdeth Recan de prim Reg. Angl. ca. 7. Jacobi Regis praesa monit that Bishops have their jurisdiction immediately from God while he saith Episcopos esse in Ecclesia debere tanquam institutionem Apostolicam ac ordinationem proinde divinam contra Puritanos contraque Bollarminum semper sensi qui negat Episcopos à Deo immediatè suam jurisdictionem accepisse Sed nihil mirum à Puritanis cum stare cum Jesuitae nihil aliud quà m Puritano-papistae sunt I ever thought that Bishops ought to bee in the Church as an Apostolicall institution and therefore a divine ordinance against Puritans and against Bellarmine who deny that Bishops have their jurisdiction immediately from God but no marvell that Bellarmine takes the Puritans part seeing Jesuits are no other thing but Puritan-papists And in that same place the King sheweth that from a generall Councell convocated by Christian Princes for the settling of Religion he would have Jesuits and Puritans excluded whom he calleth by a common title novitios furiosos incendiarios and sayes Ibidem Mihi praecipuus labor fuit dejectos Episcopos restituere Puritanorum anarchiam expugnare My chief labour was to restore the Bishops that were cast downe and to overthrow the anarchie of Puritans Wee thanke you also for removing the Articles of Perth for they were not rightly established for your Church did esteeme those ceremonies to be onely things indifferent commended and commanded by Authoritie for Decency and Order The not observation whereof was held no damnable sinne if it were without contempt of Authority and without the case of scandall and at the most your Church did hold that those ceremonies were onely significant and not operative as we hold But if they had been rightly established you should have observed them as things necessary to salvation and as parts of Gods worship which under paine of damnation ought to be performed and that they are sâ—gns operater working grace in those who observe them And therefore seeing your Church did not hold this opinion of them they aâ—e not Popish Ceremonies and so not ours and whatsoever you have more that is not ours we request you to abjure it The condemning also of the Service-book is most acceptable unto us because it is not our Masse-book and that you may see how much we hate it Be it known to you that by venue of the Popes Bull many yeers agoe we will suffer no Roman Catholike to goe to the Church so long as the Service-booke is reading either in England or Ireland and yet we will permit them to goe to their Sermons and of all Sermons we sympathize best with yours So that it seemeth a most unfortunate booke having both us and you for its enemies And since I am fallen upon this point let me relate an Historie that passed between a Covenanter an Anticovenanter as it was reported to me concerning this booke that you may make yâ—ur use of it The Covenanter demanded the cause why he could refuse to joyne with them in a Supplication to his Majestie against the book of Common Prayer seeing there were so many hands of able Ministers subscribing the same and obliging themselves to make it good that it was 1. Superstitious 2. that it conteineth the maine essentiall parts of the Masse 3. that it openeth a doore to let in all Poperie The Anticovenanter answered thus or to this effect Because such unjust aspersions are cast upon that poore Book which doth not containe so many Lines as it doth suffer Lyes hated be all that love not truth Papists and Puritans striving who shall speake most against it I shall bee so farre from becomming a causlesse enemy to it that I cannot deny it my friendship and helping hand But because you are so furious and I for speaking but one word in its favour have beene hotly persecuted with tongues and hands too it will be better to be possessed with a Lethargie then to appeare in defence of this Lyturgie which the most part even of the Ministrie hath
's easie to help that keepe those under who are not zealous in your cause let them not be acquainted with your mysteries nor be chosen Commissioners for assemblies if there be any matter of importance to be commended to the people send either conjunctly or severally some zealous ministers to their pulpits to rouze up the multitude and put the like edge upon such cold-rise ministers and if they become not more zealous put them in feare of Deprivation If you feare any division among the Commons it 's likely that some of them have seene the Kings extraordinary savour toward them but you ought to be carefull that they see not the Kings Proclamations and if any have seen them let them be perswaded that his Majesties Proclamations have this only end to divide them and then to destroy them and that all other faire promises shall have no reall performances Be not you behind the King in your promises to them also and howbeit you have a hundred thousand pound to take of them yet be not suddaine but by delaying put them in hope that you will never exact it For if you goe now to exact it it will make them repine and grumble and say instead of Salâ—mons easie yoke we are oppressed with Rehoboams heavie burdens and so make a rupture and returne every man to his tent and in the end submit themselves to their Salomon againe And especially let the ruling Elders command their ruled Elders or ministers to be diligent in season and out of season to keepe the multitude in their zealous humour for if they doe not uncessantly blow upon them they will be like mare mortuum and never be moved Cease not to possesse them with an evill opinion of all that oppones themselves to your courses either by word or writing make them believe that all that writ against your confederacie are unnaturall enemies to their Countrie and that it is not against your faction which they doe but against Church and Kingdome and suffer no man to deny this to be a Nationall quarrell or to call it a Faction and all that refuse to cast in their lot with you call them the cursed inhabitants of Meroz that will not help you against the mightie And let all that follow their King be called the Kings faction according to the example of your progenitors who called all that followed the Queen a faction which they would punish as Traitors whensoever God should put the sword of justice in their hands Knox. hist of the Church of Scotland pag. 364. that is when they should find themselves able to depose the Queen as they did and represse her Subjects There is another thing which I desire you to remember to try where those ministers that have beene most opposite to our doctrines and practises have had their residence in the ministerie that you may place able and zealous men for our cause in those same places to build up the people which they have destroyed This worke is well begun by you in bringing Henderson from the Countrie to the town of Edinburgh Dikson to Glasgow and Rhetorfort and Blair who could not get libertie to vent our Doctrine elsewhere to S. Andrews and in particular let them bee carefull over the studients in Colledges â—uo semel est imbuta recens servabit odorem testa diu And as for those who like the men of Succoth and the inhabitants of Meroz refused to joyne with you it s well that you did not take the th rnes of the wildernesse and bryers to teach them to beat downe their houses this may content them albeit you restore not their goods which you tooke while you plundered their houses Though they be busie seeking it yet you are not bound according to our rules Nullus tenetur cum vitae periâ—ulo Tolet. lb. 5. cap. 37. aut famae rem alterius restituere sunt enim vita fama nobili oris ordinis quam res No man is bound 01 with the danger of his life or good name to restore another man his goods againe for life and a good name are of a more noble order then goods are for albeit there be no danger of your life to restore every man his owne yet your name is not safe for if you restore to each man his goods againe at least it will be a tacite acknowledging of your robberie and that is hurt some to a good name But some say that it is a matter of conscience to restore a mans goods againe which is better then a good name yea the way to recover a good name but I refer this to the schooles I have some matter of expostulation with you but I will be loth to do it now who have begun to congratulate with you for that sweet Harmonie both in opinions and reasons which is of late grown up amongst us Rome was not builded in one day we must not look that at the first you can receive all our doctrine though in a short time you have profited much Et vos conversi convertite fratres Master Cant could preach at Glasgow in what need England and Ireland standeth of the Covenant where some have their eares cut for the defence of the truth and are groaning under the tyrannie of the whore of Babel And since so it is you should pitie the blindnesse of those people who have not a learned man in England or Ireland to lead them but the blind leadeth the blind But I perceive you are not negligent herein your Ironicall preterition is most notable while you say Answer to the Mâ—â—quesse of Hamiltons declaration We do not meddle with the Kirks of England or Ireland but recommend to them the patterne showne on the Mount But what patterne of the mount is this I pray you is it the Patterne showne by you on Dunce hill called by your preachers mount Sion with an armie against the face of your King if it be so it s a worthie patterne that requireth imitation But if the Patterne on the mount be the Patterne of your discipline you doe well herein to imitate your progenitors for they were desirous to have Episcopacie throwne downe in England as you are now or as wee are desirous for their pride is so great that the least of them sayes that they have no more dependance from the Pope then he from them that their calling and place is of as great power and authoritie as his is within his diocesse thus limitating the universall Bishop as if hee were onely a Diocesian Yea they are not ashamed to say that all the Popish bishops are but equivocally called Bishops and univocally are the Popes slaves for as they have their power and authority from the Pope so are they tyed to his obedience by oath Romans pentifici veram obedientiam spondeo acjuro Form Iuâ—â— Bulla Pii 4. I promise and sweare to give true obedience to the Pope of Rome So that as the Bishops of Apulia
apud omnes gentes ad omnem posteritatem excusabit nos ne nobis imputari possit quod episcoporum authoritas labefactetur Here againe wee will have it testified that we shall willingly keep still the Ecclesiasticall and Canonicall policy if so be the Bishops will forbeare to rage against our Churches This is our will and it shall excuse us before God among all Nations to all posterity that it cannot be imputed to us that the authority of Bishops is decayed Ibid de potest Eccles And againe in that same confession they say Saepe jam testati sumus noâ— von solùm potestatem Ecclesiasticam quae in Evangelio instituta est summâ pietate venerari sed etiam Ecclesiasticam politiam gradus in Ecclesia magnopere probare quantum in nobis est conservare cupere non detractamus authoritatem Episcoporum modò non cogant facere contra mandatum Dei. Hac votuntas liberabit nos coram Deo judicio universâ—â— posteritatis né jâ—dicomur reâ— hujus schismatis quod initio excitatum est injustâ damnatione doctrinae Lutheri We have already oftimes testified that we not onely with the greatest piety that can be do reverence that Ecclesiasticall power instituted in the Gospell but also do very much approve the Ecclesiasticall policie and degrees in the Church and desire to keep it as much as we can We do not refuse the authority of Bishops if so be they doe not compell us to do against the Command of God This our will shall deliver us before God and in the judgement of all our posterity that wee bee not judged guilty of that Schisme which at the beginning was raised by the unjust condemning of the Doctrine of Luther O how farre do those Covenanters differ from those Reformers How can they cleare themselves before God the Reformed Churches and the ages to come who have made this great Schisme They not onely have condemned that which all reformed Churches do commend but also study to hatch the cockatrice egge and bring forth serpents Schismes and Rebellions in other calme Churches who live at peace Looke now farre these Reformers did tender Episcopacio as much do these Covenanters hate it It is not sufficient to them to have thrust from them without any cause their Bishops except it be that the Bishops have carried themselves to them as David did to Adonijah 1 King 1.6 And his father did not displease him at any time in saying Why hast thou done so by which too gentle dealing they gave them occasion to rise up against them but they themselves must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 busie Bishops in another mans Diocesse yea be universall Bishops within the Kings Dominions by their seuslesse yet malicious libels and letters to his Majesties good Subjects in England and Ireland labouring to produce the like Disorders among them that they should not remaine alone filthy and deformed in the Church of God Howbeit all good and learned men even among those who have not Episcopall government doe declare their dutifull and reverent respects to Bishops yet for the accomplishing of their bad ends it hath beene their chief labour first and last to make Bishops most odious and contemptible to all men Thus Cant at Glasgow in his Sermon because the Bishop of Glasgow did dwell in the Castle neare to the Cathedrall Church told the people that Satan had his dwelling among them and Antichrist had a nest among them and cried pull downe pull downe Antichrists nest with many other expressions more worthy of the speaker than of the Hearers there wanted nothing to draw the multitude to the perpetrating of a mischief against that old reverend Father but that God suffered not any to be a head to the furious multitude Thus they have too obsequiously observed the direction of their book entituled Sions Plea pag. 196. Sions Plea Where it 's said Ministers and Magistrates mast labour and cause others to labour for an holy hatred of Prelates and their brethren with an holy hatred to dash the braines of the Babylonish Prelacie against the stones And according to Luke 19.27 But those mine enemies that would not that J should raigne over them bring hither and slay them before me And strike that Hazael in the fifth rib yea if father or mother stand in the way away with them Strike the Basiliske veine for nothing but this will cure the plurifie of this our state This is a notable policie and as well learned by the Covenanters as taught by their masters and have made such proficiencie herein that they stand in more need of a bridle than of a spurre they have by lies and calumnies with the changeable multitude so prevailed that they have not so much as any being among them but as they say Have swept the dirt and dust out of Gods house and sent them to the land of Nod. But yet Thanks be to God notwithstanding of their throwing stoneâ— at them they have not dasht their braines against the stones and for Haâ—aelâ— fift rib they have onely smote a Bishops coach-horse And as for this Basiliske veine which they would have striken it 's of a higher nature than the killing of Bishops for it 's borrowed from the Iesuites who by that phrase understand the killing of Kings and Princes Wherefore one of them said Erratum valac fuissâ— in fisto Bartholomai Carol. Scribâ—n quòd scciâ— non fâ—â—rit vena Basilica id est quòd parcitum fuit regi Navarra principi Condensi It was a great sault that in the feast of Bartholomew the Basiliske veine was not striken that is to say that the King of Navarre and the Prince of Coâ—diâ— was let alone But they have done as much as they can to strike at this Basiliske veine through the Bishops sides For I remember when at the beginning of these disorders many did ask why they did make the Bishops their adversaries and complaine upon them since they did never require any thing but by warrant of his Majesties authority whom they ought to obey it was usually answered Some man must be whipped and rather the Bishops than any God knowes how foule a Commenter this might suffer And as for those calumnies filthy ballads which these men set out to the disgrace of themselves rather than of those whom they hate they deserve no other answer than that of the Prophet The vile person will speake villany and his heart will worke iniquity Esa 3â— 6 to practise hypocrisie and to utter errour against the Lord c. And in particular this sentence doth justy appertaine to that vile person Alexander Sempill who for whoredome drunkennesse and all kinde of Licentiousnesse hath not a second in Scotland and now by meanes of whorish Women Prov. 6.16 is brought to a piece of bâ—ead and extreme poverty having nothing left but a decrepit body an intoxicate braine and railing tongue so that I wonder who could be so base
our holy Father Pope Vrban the 8. anno 1631. Quia novum ordirâ—m instituerunt assumpto Jesuitissarum nomine qua per multa opera sexus Bulla Vâ—ban Papae 8. Roma edita 1631. ingenii imbecillitati modestiae muliebri virginali presertim pudori minimè comementia attentarunt exercuerunt Because they did institute a new order assuming the name of Iesuitisses who have attempted and exercised many works which do not become the weaknes of their sex and ingenie nor the modestie of women and especially most unbeseeming virginall shamefastnes The like case may befall your societie if it be not prevented if your Leâ—kie and his Collegues be not authorized it 's to be feared that the societie of those Sisters shall get a down-fall I have heard of the great controversie betweene him and some ministers of Sterling shire and that the matter was debated in your assemblie but what was done I was not fully informed only I heard of your moderation that you thought it not fit to discharge his new societie by act of assembly but by way of counsell but he rejects your counsell and though hee hath not an ordinary calling yet he tels that he hath an extraordinary calling from God and bids you behold it in the fruits of his labours But I am most of all affraid for our selvs though we have an ordinary calling and authority for our order We are so hated both by friend and foe at home and abroad that wee are daily perplexed especially since the â—dnulling of the Jesuinssaes order upon which some Poet by way of prophesie as is thought made those verses with a fiat Foemineus sexus sociis immixtus Iesu Transcendit sexus munia foeminci Non tulit hanc labem VRBANI vigilantia Papae Suppressit Socias mox Sociosque premet We have suffered already great hurt in divers places being hunted to and fro as if we were Malefactors And I doubt not but you know how weake we are in France we dare not deny the King of France his Supremacie and must acknowledge his Dominion to be independent in respect of men and that the King holds his Kingdome by vertue of Prov. 8.15 Per me reges regnant by me Kings raigne The Doctors of the Vniversity of Paris have done us much evill 2 Tim 4.14 the Lord reward them according to their workes They have condemned some of the workes of our Father Becanus in their Vniversities and have published the same to the world whether the Pope would or no and are also become Court-Parasites And their chiefe labour is by their doctrine in contradiction to you and us to corrupt all especially Noblemens children that come to their Vniversities and at least once a yeare make every one of them under their hands to professe the Kings independent power and authority Therefore now our holy League is wholly dead and death feeds upon it in the grave Psal 49.14 and we are become vile and herein are turned Saduceans to deny the resurrection of our holy League or any such insurrection so long as such doctors as the Sâ—rbonists shall thus infect the land and make noble and ignoble such Court Parasites But your case is far better than ours at this time for you have put away from your Vniversities such as withstood you and have placed such men in your Vniversities of Glasgow and S. Andrewes and Edenburgh who will cause the schollers to drink such a full draught of our doctrine that they shall vomit out all which your adversaries taught them We are not so happie our enemies prevaile daily against us But yours are dying especially the Archbishop of S. Andrewes to whom we wished no better death nor more honourable buriall then that Martyr and brother of our Societie Iohn Ogleby got whom he caused to be hanged at the Crosse of Glasgow because he stood to the defence of our doctrine which he brought within the compasse of Treason by the lawes of your kingdom which I pray you to abrogate D. Baron that great enemy of ours is also dead as they say in persecution At this we do both rejoyce as if we had found a great spoyle We had also great credit according to our hearts desire at Constaminople and among the Galathians and divers parts in the East but by the meanes of the King of great Brittane c. his ambassador and Cyrillus Patriarch of Constantinople who is of the Religion of the Church of England and disclaims the Popes jurisdiction even as the Bishops of England do We are all banished the Turks bounds and a Shipfull of us was sent home to Italy from Constantinople Since wee cannot get libertie to remain in the East we purpose to come to you in the West where there is neither Patriarch nor Bishop to trouble us as Cyrillus did at Constantinople But if King Charles follow the direction of his Father King Iames our common enemie your case will bee little better then ours was at Constantinople For after he hath directed his son to beware of Puritans as most pestilent followes both in Church and policie whom neither the Kings favours and bountie nor their own promises and oaths can make faithfull and loyall but being above measure arrogant they belch out nothing but calumnies and seditions and contrary to the Word of God follow their owne dreames and conceits as the only rule of their conscience he sayes most pathetically Basilic doron pag. 148 Testor illum magnum Deum nec testamentum condenti fas est mentiri nunquam inter montanos aut limitancos nostros latronos majorem ingratitudinem aut per fidiam reperiri posse quam inter hos phanaticos nebulones nee paterec si pacatè vivere decreveris ut hi eadem tecum patria fruautur nisi fortè patientiae experienda ergo ut Socrates vixit cum Xanthippo I take the great God to witnesse as if I were making my testament and it is not lawfull for him that maketh a testament to lye that there can never be more unthankfulnesse or perfidiousnesse found among our High-land and bordering robbers then among those brain-sicke villaines Neither do thou suffer them to enjoy that same countrey with thee if thou purpose to live peaceably unlesse perchance for the exercise of thy patience as Socrates lived with Xantippe This is a dreadfull advise and our case is so miscrable that it is our lot and destinie to be like Ishmael the wild man whose hands were against every man and every mans hands against him But let us not be dismaied not our hearts melt nor our hands be faint Gen. 16.12 but let us joyne hand in hand together Virtus unita fortior And we shall speake with the enemy in the gate And the righteous shall be delivered out of trouble and the wicked shall come in his stead Prov. 11.8 I have many other things to write to you which I will delay til I have the opportunity to write a second Epistle which shall be so soone as I heare what fruits this first Epistle shall produce Which I pray you cause to be printed among you for your common good because I could not get many copies sent to you being so far from you beyond sea If AS's Bridles was thought worthy to be printed by your authority in contempt of the Bishops why may not this my Epistle be printed for the edification of your Societie Let it not offend you that I have not railed in this my Epistle against authority in Church and policie for our Society hath been so oft reproved for railing that I doe now begin to forbeare it for the honour of our Order neither will we permit infamous Pasquils longer to come forth and it were good that you did so too and let us speak home to the purpose convincing our adversaries with evident reasons and make their errours and heresies known to the world rather then to vent our spleen against them with calumnies This doth but open the mouth of our adversaries but that will stop it this makes disgrace return upon our selves but the other makes us gracious If we raile when we should reason we get no answer but increpet te Dominus But when we reason without railing we beget in them dissentiendi pudorem veritatis timorem A bashfulnes to dissent from us and a reverence of the truth which in time will bring forth a profession of it Farewell From my study at Basileopolis The first of Ianuary 1640.