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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A41901 The great grievance of Scotland, the mother and nurse of many evils to church and state. Together with a rational proposal, a suitable expedient, and the proper remedy. 1689 (1689) Wing G1705; ESTC R218497 12,778 27

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Capacity as formerly they said they were but the Church Commissioners for Sitting in Parliament to see that nothing there was concluded to the prejudice of the Church away with such unfaithful Trustees who neither regard a Commission from Church or State as not minding the good of either but would Cloak a Bastard Office with whatsoever pretence might best serve their turn but if his Majesty as our Kings formerly used to send a Commissioner to genera Assembles would be pleased to intrust and appoint some Noblemen or Worthy Gentlemen to be present at all Provincial and if it were thought needful Classical Meetings to see that Ministers kept themselves within their own Sphere and did not medle with Civil and State Affairs and for Maintaining a good understanding between Church and State the sweet effects and Fruits thereof might from Day to Day appear this course as it would prove to all intents and purposes more effectual for the Magistrates Security then Prelacy so it would be 1. An easie 2. A Cheap 3. A Safe and 4. A Lawful and 5. Laudable Expedient For 1. No difficulty appeareth in the thing 2. One Prelates Rent might Defray the Expence of all these Commissioners for who would refuse that Employment tho' they had but a small or no Allowance which would be rather an Honour then Onus And why should any Complain more then Elders formerly who had no Sallary notwithstanding their Attendance at Synods and Presbyteries and as Commissioners would not refuse to Attend these Meetings so faithful Ministers would heartily Welcome them being glad to have such Witnesses of their Integrity 3. Herein appeareth no hazard And 4. What can be Objected against such an overture which is not only so Plausible Seasonable and Rational But also 5. Complyeth with the constant Practice of the Church since the Magistrate became Christian except where Pope or Domineering Prelates have Exploded the Magistrates Inspection and Care of Ecclesiastical Matters and Persons and is no other then what was offered by the Waldenses to prevent the Calumnies of their Adversaries and was lately renewed by the French Protestants who in a Treatise with their King desired * Mr. Clerk from Mr. Mamard's Golden Apples pag. 90. that some one or other might be Deputed by him to be present at their Assemblies for preventing of State Jealousies and Vulgar Calumnies for which my Author Citeth John the 3.21 and much commendeth the Prudence and Candour of these Holy Men for making such a Proposal which to this Day hath place there and * De Polit. Eccles cap. 10. Banosius commends it as being no less expedient and profitable for the Church then desirable by the Magistrate and needful for Establishing a good Order Maintaining a good understanding and for preventing dangerous Jealousies and mistakes on either Hand If any Object the Eccentrical Motions of Church-men during the late Intestine War that doth not Quadrate with the present Case and doth not plead against but for this overture which then could have no place but since not a few Object the over-reachings and miscarriages of that time against the Government on which we find a Divine Impress such would consider that one Swallow makes not the Summer and for that one instance in Presbyters Mr. Pryn will furnish you with Hundreds in the Prelates to speak nothing of the great Prelate the Pope his Treading under Foot his Father the Emperour and making him not only hold his Stirrup but bow the Back and become a Foot-Stool for his Holiness while he Mounted up on his Horse 2. Who knows not that the Prelates then were the bane of Contention and whoever were Instruments they were the Cause and Occasion of these Tumults and being in the Chair did not could not prevent but their Place and Power brought on those Evils 3. Were not Parliaments and Civil Courts as deeply Involved in these as any Church Judicatory yet how Ridiculous were it from thence to Infer there should be no Parliament nor Civil Judicatories It is said his late Majesty Charles I. a gross Vulgar Errour to impute to or revenge upon the Function the faults of times or persons which Seditions and Popular Principle and Practice all Wise Men abhor whatever may be said against Persons and Administrators who abuse their Power and Trust yet that maketh not against the Office and Ordinance whether Civil or Sacred if good and in it self Lawful but if the Abuses be as it were inseperable and the Office it self were Apocryphal both which as to Prelacy hold the Plea is Concludent I have Read of a Contingens raro plerumque vel ad utrumlibet but a Contingens semper seemeth to be a Repugnancy for what is semper must be necessarium per se and not contingent and by accident and that there the fault is in the Bone may easily be made appear for a Minister of the Gospel cannot have a Stomach to digest a Lordly Prelacy with its Concomitants till his temperature be so vitiate that it incline and dispose to all the fore-said Distempers 4. These things did appear while the differences continued between the King and his Subjects O but to see Presbyterian Government in exercise under his Majesty's Eye and Protection how good and pleasant were it How Beautiful then would Ordinances be How orderly Church Meetings How would Love and Concord abound when thus the occasion of Jealousies and Animosities were cut off Such as know any thing in History or what is now done in those places where the Prelates domineer know how the Mitre always doeth encroach on the Magistrate and Civil Powers which begetteth such distraction that often it breaketh forth into Tumults and Civil Wars But where is there such Order Beauty and Concord as in the Presbyterian Churches How exactly do they walk How tender are they of the Magistrates Authority not in the least encroaching on his Power and Priviledges Who can give but one Instance of any such Miscarriage in Presbyteries or Synods in France Holland and other Reformed Churches And wo's me that we only among the Nations who disown the great Prelate should be made to graon under the Hierarchical Yoke for though in some other Churches there be Super-Intendents yet they have no Civil Power Title or Place nay they have no Ecclesiastical Preheminence over their Brethren no power to censure them no Negative Voice in Judicatories c. yea and are nothing but meer Presidents in Synods and during the intervalls of these they in nothing differ from other Ministers So that the Government there may be called Presbyterian and in Swedland where they did sit in Parliament but otherwise differed not from other Superintendents Now as I am Informed they are cast off the State and are not permitted to Sit or Vote in any Civil Court Where ever the Prelate hath any Power or Civil Function that place will soon be made sensible of his unfitness and that he was not Created for such a work