acting most rationally and only recovering her own Right when at any time she expell'd Prelacy together with all its Innovations § 9. There is yet another Advocat of the Party whose look is more stout than his Fellows We shall try if his reason be answerable to his confidence I mean A M. D. D. I shall design him D. M. The Author of a late Book call'd An Enquiry into the New Opinions chiefly propagated by the Presbyterians in Scotland Who in opposition to the Defender of the Vindication of the Church Scotland handles the same Argument at large and supposes as a main Ground of his Discourse that his Antagonist denies that there is any force in Argumento negativo To require saith D. M. that a matter of Fact be attested by competent Witnesses is in the language of our Author to raze the Foundation of all History He spends therefore about 14 pages to prove that a negative Argument in some Cases may have place But vainly seeing the Author of the Vindication does not once insinuat that a negative Argument can in no Cases be us'd or that to require competent Witnesses in a matter of Fact is to raze the Foundation of all History Yea he believ'd that there were Witnesses so competent for his Assertion that no Argument whither negative or of whatsoever kind else shall ever be able to darken their Testimony and that we have as good ground for our ancient Church her being without Bishops as for any other part of our Nations Antiquities And indeed the Argument the Apologist whom D. M. would vindicat us'd levels at all parts of our ancient History no less then at the thing under debate The Argument was There were none that lived near that age that wrote the History of it and the Monks who wrote any thing were extreamly ignorant Now this if it do any thing to the Author's purpose equally shakes and overthrows all parts of our ancient History seeing with the like force and success it may be brought against any of ' em Justly therefore repones the Defender of the Vindication that this is at one blow to raze the Foundation of the History of our Nation and that of most others and to make them all to be Fools who have enquired into these Antiquities that concern our Nation and others such as Fordon Major Beda Usher c. whereto all D. M. rejoins is that many collateral proofs may be brought from the Roman Historians that the Scots inhabited that part of Britain long before the imaginary period of his Presbyterian Church And the manner of reckoning the Scotish Genealogies at their Marriages their Births and other remarkable Solemnities was an infallible conveyance of true constant and perpetual Traditions Their Bards whose Science it was to repeat those Genealogies upon solemn Occasions to celebrat their greatest Atchievements in verse could not add one to the number of their Kings but upon the Death of his Predecessor But in all his Discourse there is wrapt up a concession of all the Defender of the Vindication charg'd on the Apologist seeing he evidently intimats that unless it be assertin'd some other way nothing in any of our Countries Historians merits any credit And to confirm this I except saith he against all the three viz. Fordon Major and Boethius that none of 'em could be a competent Witness in Affairs of that nature at so great a distance from their own time unless they had named the Authors and Records upon whose Testimony their Relation was founded As to his mentioning of collateral Proofs c. it is a meer Sham seeing if once we yeeld with him that no credit is due to any of our Monuments now extant except what is confirm'd by some exotick Records how sorry an account have we of any of our Antiquities of whatsoever kind which forraign Testimonies notwithstanding may if compar'd with our Writers give light to our Histories I 'm sure moreover notwithstanding of whatsoever old Traditions or Bard's verses are mention'd all or surely most of these now being lost or tho' extant mostly unintelligible our Royal Line could never be asserted without ascribing to our Writers both the reach and integrity of able and faithfull Historians And yet D. M. is not afraid to compare his Apologist negative Argument to another of Eusebius lib. 3. Where saith D. M. by this very Argument he overthrows the authority of several Books that some would impose upon the Church meerly because they were not duely attested and none ef the Ancients brought any Testimonies from them But Eusebius saw and perus'd these Ancients who either directly or occasionally mention'd all the Canonical Books and so justly their silence overthrew the Authority of the Spurious and baffl'd the credit of their Imposers but has D. M. or his Apologist seen or perus'd all the Monuments from which our Historians took their materials and which were lost long before either of them were born Can they from these Records tho' they would fain do 't rub shame upon all the Historians of our Countrey as a creu of lying Forgers seeing then that this is impoâ—â—ible to be done and that as the Advocat has solidly made out they were men of sufficient Candor and Reputation seeing they us'd many ancient Reeords now lost and were of sufficient Discretion and Knowledge to distinguish genuine from fictitious seeing they relate what we plead for with no less unanimity and concord than they do any thing else and either profess or sufficiently enough intimat that they brought all their Composours from ancient Records seeing that their Judgement is confirm'd by unsuspected Forerunners both ancient and modern yea and suffrages of all mankind who had ever any occasion to speak of this matter seeing what they relate is so far from being fabulous that our ancient Church-government they mention is sufficiently attested and acknowledg'd by the fiercest of our Adversaries to be truly Apostolick and seeing lastly as we have heard Prelacy for a long time after Palladius was of far less bulk and power in Scotland than in other Churches the Apologists negative Argument has just as much consanguinity with that of Eusebius as is between a down-right Paralogism and a solid Deduction yea I averr moreover that considering Prelacy was then at its Ela in Scotland and none of our Historians at least before Buchanan were Presbyterian nor could reap any Advantage by disobliging the Prelats any one of their Testimonies alone might give sufficient ground to believe that what they said was well founded on good and ancient Records § 10. But after a long and as himself truly says needless digression he comes to examine our Testimonies and will have Boethius to contradict the rest alledging that his meaning is not that Palladius was the first Bishop but only the first sent from Rome but of Boethius already Here D. M. falls foul on Blondel as a corrupter of Boethius because he said as out of him that the
only from these titular Bishops and Rent-gatherers to the Courtiers supported with all the might Wit and Artifice of an awfull gripping politick Regent and no few other potentand subtile Courtiers driving their own ends as has already appeared and is most evident from the best accounts now extant of these Affairs and this is the undoubted Cause why the six Collocutors at the Assembly in August 1575. think it not expedient presently to answer directly to the Question of the Function of Bishops But he who stilleth the noise of the Seas the noise of their waves having restrain'd these impetuous Tempests how cordially did our Church proceed to the utter extirpation of Prelacy Forsamekle they are the words of the Assembly holden at Dundee Anno 1580. July 12. Sess. 4. as the Office of a Bishop as it is now used and commonly taken within this Realme hath no sure warrant authority or good ground out of the Book and Scriptures of God but brought in by the folly and corruption of mens invention to the great overthrow of the true Kirk of God the whole Assembly of the Kirk in one voice after liberty given to all Men to reason in the matter none opponing themself in defence of the said pretended Office findeth and declareth the samine pretended Office used and termed as is above said unlawfull in the self as having neither fundament ground nor warrant in the word of God c. And in all this our Church as she clearly here expresses did nothing save what she was oblig'd to do by her own Principle in the first Book of Discipline which affirms that all thing necessary for the instruction of the Church is contain'd in the Books of the Old and New Testament And that whatsoever is without express commandment of God's Word is to be repress'd as damnable to Salvation Our Reformers therefore except our Adversaries say which even impudence it self dare not say that they believ'd the Hierarchy to be founded on the express command of God's Word were bound by this their Principle to oppose it as a manifest corruption and according to this Principle whensoever Prelacy by force of the secular arm and fraud of serpentine policy and as one well words it by terrors and allurements crosses and commodities banishment and benefices for by other means it could never be admitted overwhelm'd this Land and discover'd the Hypocrisie or Gallio-like Disposition of many all the true Lovers of our Reformation still then had in greater or lesser measure as their love was to this truly Protestant yea truly Catholick and Christian Principle of our Reformers their Feasts turned into Mourning their Songs into Lamentation their Tears for Meat and their Harps hang'd on the Willows And now suppose that our Reformers in that unstable condition of our Church and very first rudiments of Protestancy had in some of their Doings or Saying afforded some colour or appearance either for the scruples of the curious or the quirks and cavils of the captious does not pray this most unanimous most clear and every way most unexceptionable Act of our most full and free Generall Assembly that consisted for the far greater part of the very same Men who were the Actors and Promoters of our first Reformation most fully open our Remormers their minds shew their ultimat tendency and scope and finally for ever determine the present Controversie § 8. He hath more to say of John Knox I return therefore to attend him His next Plea is with Calderwood about Beza's Letter to Knox where he denies that Beza wrote being inform'd by Knox of the Courts intention to bring in Bishops and adds that if any thing of Knox ' s Sentiments can be collected from Beza ' s Letter it seems rather he was for Prelacy than for Presbytry For Beza saith he seems clearly to import that Knox needed to be caution'd against Prelacy Beza's Words are But I would have you my dear Knox and the other Brethren to Remember that which is before your eyes that as Bishops brought foorth the Papacy so false Bishops the relicts of Popery shall bring in Epicurism to the World They that desire the Churches good and safety let them take heed of this Pest and seeing ye have put that Plague to flight timously I heartily pray you that Ye never admit it again albeit it seem plausible with the pretence or colour of keeping unily which pretence deceiv'd the ancient Fathers yea even many of the best of ' em Where Beza without giving any proof thereof clearly supposes as a thing believed by Knox no less than by himself that the Bishops whom some were then labouring to introduce into Scotland were false Bishops the relicts of Popery which had already been once driv'n out of Scotland and on this supposition as any Orators use to do from Principles common to themselves and these to whom they are speaking he admonish'd him and the rest to beware of this Plague Certain it is then if we believe Beza that he knew if by a Letter from Knox or otherwise concerns not the matter in hand that Knox judg'd the Bishops then to be introduc'd to be no others than were the Popish Bishops whom Knox and his fellow Reformers had lately expuls'd Scotland and both sorts of Bishops to be equally false and Anti-christian And now consider this Letter of Beza written near the same time with that of Knox to the Assembly and the disinterested shall soon perceive that the former explains the latter and sufficiently shews what Knox meant by the Tyranny mention'd therein Moreover whosoever finds so much against Episcopacy in Beza even tho' it had been spoken by him without any relation or respect to Knox and remembers how universal and firm Concord was between these excellent Persons Qui duo corporibus mentibus unus erant will easily conclude that Knox bore but small kindness to Prelacy § 9. He comes next to prove Knox was not for Parity Had he been saith he so perswaded how seasonable had it been for him to have spoken out so mnch when he was brought before King Edward ' s Council The Question was then put to him whether he thought that no Christian might serve in the Ecclesiastical Ministration according to the Rites and Laws of the Realm of England Yet he answer'd nothing but that no Minister in England had Authority to separate the Lepers from the whole which was a chief part of his Office Plainly founding all the unlawfulness of being a Pastor of the Church of England not only the unlawfulness of the Hierarchy which he spoke not one word about but on the Kings retaining the chief Power of Ecclesiastical Discipline As if Knox had judg'd nothing in the Church of England unlawfull but the King 's retaining the Ecclesiastical Discipline in his own hand which all Men even Episcopals no less than Presbyterians know to be an arch and palpable untruth Does not as for example our Assembly Anno 1566.
never repealed by any succeeding Parliament But we are informed by the same R. Coke d that by the 1. Tac. 25. the Marian Act was repealed and so that of Edward revived And now to see him who pretends to be a Minister of the Gospel whose Office is only Ministerial and spiritual exercised only in spiritual things without reaching Men's Bodies inflicting only Rebukes and such verbal punishments to see such I say keeping Courts altogether Civil and inflicting corporal mulcts and Punishments after the manner of Worldly Potentats but especially when all this is done in their own Name would really make the indifferent Beholder averre that such imitated to the Life his Romish Holiness and believed much better his Doctrine of his receiving both spiritual and temporal Sword than that of our Saviour whereby he prohited his Apostles and their Successours all such earthly Grandure and despotick Power as resembles the Lordship and Dominion of worldly Princes § 3. But their Maxime not only intimats that Prelacy well accordeth with Mouarchy but also that any other Form of Church-government is destructive thereof Which how they will evince I know not How they can shew that Presbytrie with which I am only here concerned is destructive of or in the least inconsistent with Monarchy I cannot perceive They can I am sure neither deduce their Inference from the Practice of Presbyterians nor the Principles of Presbytrie Not from the first for though they load them as if they had been the Cause of many Civil Broyls and Calamities and especially of these ensuing the Year 38. We may justly yea with the allowance of the Hierarchie's greatest Favourers reject the Charge and send it home to the Prelats who by their attempting to introduce into the Church a Mass of Romish Superstitions and their Pride and Tyranny exercised on all sorts were become unsupportable to both Nobility and People B. Laud Montegue and such Papaturients were then earnestly labouring the reintroduction of a Mass of Romish Leaven into England though there were but too much there already which had never been cast â—ut Take one Instance or two in the words of R. Coke a high Church-of-England-man and no Lover of Presbyterians I 'm sure The Bishops saith he of the Province of Canterbury in their own Names enjoin the removal of the Communion-table in the Paroch Churches Vniversities from the body of the Church or Chancel to the east of the Chancel cause Rails to be set about the Table and refuse to administer the Sacrament to such as shall not come up to the Rails receive it Kneeling that the book of Sports on Sundays be read in Churches and enjoin Adoration I do not find that Adoration was ever enjoined before nor any of the forenamed Injunctions in any Canon of the Church Our Bishops were of the same mettal with these Innovatours in England and their most docile Schollars Laud therefore and his Faction apprehending that we would make but a small resistance against them to whom England was likely to yeeld prepared for us all her Cup with some other additional Drugs more Romish than what was obtruded on the English Witness the Form in the Administration of the Sacrament which as R. Coke acknowledges was the same in the Mass. But seeing the knowledge of the state we were in when the Nation entred into a Covenant and opposed that Stream of Romish Abominations contributes not a little to repell their fierce charges of Rebellion and Sedition the Reader will pardon me though at some length I transcribe a Passage from one who is beyond suspicion of being partial in favours of Presbytrie Covenant or ought of that nature I mean Dr. Burnet The Bishops saith he therefore were cherished by him the King viz. with all imaginable expressions of kindness and confidence but they lost all their Esteem with the People and that upon divers Accounts The People of Scotland had drunk in a deep prejudice against every thing that savoured of Popery This the Bishops judged was too high and therefore took all means possible to lessen it both in Sermons and Discourses mollifying their Opinions and commending their Persons not without some reflections on the Reformers But this was so far from gaining their Design that it abated nothing of the Zeal was against Popery but very much hightned the rage against themselves as favouring it too much There were also subtile Questions started some Years before in Holland about Predestination and Grace and Arminius his Opinion as it was condemned in a Synod at Dort so was generally ill reported of in all reformed Churches and no-where worse than in Scotland but most of the Bishops and their Adherents undertook openly and zealously the Defence of these Tenets Likewise the Scotish Ministers and People had ever a great respect to the Lord's-day and generally the Morality of it is reckoned an Article of Faith among them but the Bishops not only undertook to beat down this Opinion but by their Practices expressed their neglect of that Day and after all this they declared themselves avowed Zealots for the Liturgy and Ceremonies of England which were held by the Zealous of Scotland all one with Popery Vpon these Accounts it was that they lost all their Esteem with the People Neither stood they in better Terms with the Nobility who at that time were as considerable as ever Scotland saw them and so proved both more sensible of Injuries and more capable of resenting them They were offended with them because they seemed to have more interest with the King than themselves had so that Favours were mainly distributed by their Recommendation they were also upon all Affairs nine of of them were Privy Counsellers divers of them were of the Exehequer Spotswood Arch-Bishop of S. Andrews was made Chancellour and Maxwell Bishop of Ross was fair for the Treasury and engaged in a high rivalry with the Earl of Traquair then Treasourer which tended not a little to help foreward their Ruine And besides this they began to pretend highly to the Titles and Impropriations and had gotten one Learnmonth a Minister presented Abbot of Lindoris and seemed confident to get that state of Abbots with all the Revenue and Power belonging to it again restored into the hands of Churchmen designing also that according to the first Institution of the Colledge of Justice the half of them should be Churchmen This could not but touch many of the Nobility in the quick who were too large sharers in the Patrimony of the Church not to be very seusible of it They were no less hatefull to the Ministry because of their Pride which was cried out upon as unsupportable Great Complaints were also generally made qf Simoniacal Pactions with their Servants which was imputed to the Masters as if it had been for their advantage at least by their allowance They also exacted a new Oath of Intrants besides what was in the Act of Parliament for obedience to
of Mentz who only informs us that the Heresie of Aërius consisted in despising Sacrifices for the Dead From all which to me it 's more than probable that there 's no ground to believe that ever Aërius Arrianiz'd Section VII No Diocesan Bishops in several Ancient Churches THo' their Argument brought from Antiquity be already satisfi'd we shall yet give some Instances of Churches which for several Centuries were really without Diocesan Bishops St. Patrick the Irish Apostle is commonly said to have ordain'd several hundreds of Bishops in Ireland who I 'm sure could not be Diocesans Dr. Maurice being displeas'd with this Instance rejects Nennius the Author from whom we have the account of St. Patrick's ordaining 365 Bishops as fabulous But it 's not in their accounts of the numbers of Bishops but of the Deeds and Miracles wrought by Bishops and others of their Saints that the fabulousness of the Writers of these times is commonly to be observ'd He next quarrels with the common reading of that Author alledging that He speaks only of the Bishops in France and Britain in communion with St. Patrick not of his Irish Bishops But I think we may in such critical Learning give Bishop Vsher the Preference who neither judg'd this Book fabulous nor its common reading to be suspected And this account of the great number of Ancient Irish Bishops is strongly confirm'd by what Clarkson cites out of Bernard and Baron shewing that there were well nigh as many Bishops as Churches This the Doctor passes over in silence which was scarce fair enough dealling Neither can the Doctor 's ordinary salvo viz. that the Practice was not generally approv'd nor of primitive Constitution here serve them for whatsoever differ'd from the Roman Model was presently made a Novelty And tho' Bernard and Lanfranc dislike the Practice of having so many Bishops yet they adventure not to instance any time wherein the Irish had been rul'd by a few Diocesans And lastly the Authors most regardable herein inform us that this Practice of having so many Bishops had place even in St. Patrick's time and meer infancy of the Irish Church § 2. Most visible footsteps of this also appear in the African Church during the time of Cyprian for in that Council of Carthage where he presided there was no smal number of Bishops conveen'd tho' doubtless there were many moe Bishops in Africk who could not be all Diocesans seeing few then were Christians in Africk save a small part of the Roman Colonies only Yea the hamlets and villages these Bishops had for their Jurisdictions are so obscure that the learn'd Pamelius is at a stand where to place them And long after in the time of the Vandalick Persecution as Victor Vticensis relates there were in the Zeugitan or proconsular Province alone 164 Bishops others reckon moe Now this was but a small part of what the Romans possess'd in Africk and few beside the Roman Colonies were at that time Christian for the Moors or old Africans who beside what they had in the Cities possess'd almost the whole Country are by the same Victor without exception call'd Gentiles and many of the Romans themselves had not yet imbrac'd Christianity Now subduce from that small number of the Zeugitan Province who were Christians the many Arrians and other Hereticks and Schismaticks whom these Bishops did not reckon as a part of their Flocks and surely there shall scare be found so many as to make up above 164 Parishes Dr. Maurice tells us that all the African Bishops in Cyprian's time could not have suppli'd the Dioceses of one Province in the V or VI Century Which if true is a strong Confirmation of what we plead for viz. that they then were nothing less than Diocesans seeing as is now evident there were even in the fifth Century but a very small number of Christians in Africk compar'd with the rest of the Inhabitans And in Cyprian's time it may well be judg'd that there were some hundreds of Bishops in the Roman Africk But in such Cases not the extent of Bounds but number of Souls is to be considered Wherefore he should be a wild Reasoner that should conclude from Africa's having a dozen or such a number of Bishops or Pastors for surely there were but few at the entry of Christianity that there needed be no more afterward and so make that number the Standard to discern how many Bishops by primitive Right were to be plac'd in all Africa And this is a Kin to what he says elsewhere that tho' there were Bishops in small Towns this was not the primitive State of the Church it may be indeed nor yet at the first entry of the Gospel were there Bishops in most part of the great Towns but was this for fear of Multiplication of Dioceses no surely but these few were all could be then gotten The substance of his Answer here is that Africa was most large fertile popolous The first of which is readily granted but the second not so easily much of these Regions being more fertile of sand and Serpents than of Corn and Wine and this in part discredits the third seeing so much as was barren is not to be suppos'd Popolous wherefore it 's surprising to find him making the Old Roman Africk more Popolous than France is now He supposes that Africk had but 500 Bishops and yet might have 40000 villages But I answer that if the villages were considerable and had Christian Inhabitants for otherways this is nothing to this purpose then had Africk 40000 Bishops for H. Thorndick acknowledges that Bishops in Africk were so plentifull that every good village must needs be the Seat of an Episcopal Church Which words of H. Thorndick are cited by Clarkson but dissembl'd by the Doctor In the mean while I can find nothing which can shake what I have said above or overturn as for example what I have noted from Victor's words and oblige me to lessen my substraction Add to what is said the words of Dr. Burnet In St. Augustin's time saith he it appears from the journals of a Conference he had with the Donatists that there were about five hundred Bishopricks in a small tract of ground But we need not cross Seas in pursuit of ancient Churches free of Diocesans seeing our Country Scotland affords us so luculent a proof of our Assertion The words of Prosper Aquitanicus in his Chronicle annex'd to that of Eusebius and Hierome are most clear and cogent Palladius saith he is ordain'd by Pope Coelestine for the Scots that had already believ'd in Christ and is sent to them to be their first Bishop Never was a passage of any Historian more universally believ'd than this of Prosper which Beda◠and a MS. Chronicle of Scotland in the Library of Glasgow yea the whole stream of Historians repeat and approve but none more amply and plainly than Cardinal Baron whose words are
and other places no small number of excellent Men to Scotland who doubtless did no small service to God therein and especially in the time of Fincormachus when as all observe a great many fled hither who were famous both for Life and Doctrine yea long before this even in the time of Tertullian our Church was well known to much of the Christian World as appears from his clear Testimony The places of Britain saith he to which the Romans could not yet pass are notwithstanding subject to Christ. And if any have called Scotland barbarous or not well reform'd before the coming of Palladius Sir George learn'dly refutes them and names severals and among them even Stannihurst otherways an enemy to our Nation who have done it and he well observes that the reason why some speak of us as then not well enough reform'd was because of our want of agreement with the Church of Rome § 6. As to the last part of the Bishop's discourse saying that it was not permitted to Monks to meddle with the matters of the Church c. And wherein he is seconded by St. Asaph who falls foul on Presbyterians on this account as if they were darkners of all Church History c. They should know that as our Historians call'd these Monks they also call'd them Priests sometimes Presbyters or Bishops or Doctors and frequently Culdees Our people saith Boeth also began most seriously at that time to embrace the Doctrine of Christ by the guidance and exhortation of some Monks who because they were most diligent in Preaching and frequent in Prayer were call'd by the Inhabitants Worshippers of God which name took such deep root with the common People that all the Priests even to our time were commonly without difference call'd Culdees i. e. Worshippers of God Elsewhere this Author call'd these Teachers and Guides indifferently Priests Monks and Culdees Thus also speaks the best of our Historians some of whom we have heard calling them Presbyters and Admistrators of the Sacraments Hence 't is clear that when they call them Monks the word is not to be taken in the later Popish sense for a Layhermite for these our primitive Pastors were only call'd Monks by reason of their strictness of life and frequent retirement to Devotion when the publick work of the Ministry did permit it and perhaps also divers of them abstain'd from Marriage that they might keep themselves free from the World and its care without urging this on others as was the practice of the famous Paphnutius in the council of Nice From all which I conclude that before the coming of Palladius we had a settl'd Church without the least umbrage of their Hierarchy § 7. I add that long after that it had but very slender footing here seeing according to Spotswood they had no distinct Titles or Dioceses whose words are neither had our Bishops auy other Title then that of Scotorum Episcopi or Scotish Bishops whereby they were distinguish'd before the days of Malcomb the III who first divided the Country into Dioceses appointing to every Bishop the limits c. Yea after most strict search for a long time posterior to Palladius he can scarce find the least footsteps of Episcopacy And again long it was after the distinction of Dioceses before they were admitted to any civil Places or Votes in Parliament Hence nothing is more certain than that for many Ages the Church of Scotland knew nothing of their Hierarchy the first Rudiments whereof were bronght from Rome which was sent packing thither again when we renounc'd our obedience to Anti-christ § 8. Take but one other particular and I take leave of the Advocat he 's much displeas'd with St. Asâ—ph terming him a Caresser of Fanaticks for affirming that in consequence of this our Argument taken from the confess'd Practice of our primitive Church we might reasonably conclude that when we covenanted against Episcopacy we had only us'd our own right and thrown out that which was a confess'd Innovation in order to the restoring of that which was our primitive Government A notable and never to be forgotten Concession of so learn'd an Adversary as is this Bishop Let 's hear what the Advocat returns him It will not follow saith he that because our Church in its infancy and necessity was without Bishops for some years therefore it was reasonable for Subjects to enter into a solemn League and Covenant without and against the Consent ef their Monarch and to extirpat Episcopacy settl'd then by Law and by an Old Prescription of 1200 years at least But this most unfair Representation of our Arguments antecedent is I trust now sufficiently discover'd wherefore I have nothing to do here with it not yet am oblig'd to evince the consequence he denies seeing 't is not to be accounted ours but his own who made the antecedent Of the Grounds why the Nation entred into a Covenant I also discours'd already In the mean while I can't but take notice of his settling Episcopacy by Prescription a Romish Argument which whatever it may do in Law has no place here His Prescription I 'm sure essentially differs from that of Tertullian against the Heresies of his time seeing he liv'd in a very early Age when especially if ever Prescription could have place in the Church and the Doctrines which he defended were generally and uninterruptedly held by the Pastors even from the Apostles times and more ancient than the Heresies against which he prescribes whereas in the present case all things are clean contrary For as the Advocat himself here supposes the original of Scotish Episcopacy is several Ages posterior to that of the Apostles so that if the Argument could militat for either Party it serv'd well the Church of Scotland against Prelacy and not at all e contra But tho' things had been quite otherwise there had been no fear of harm from their Prescriptions seeing as Vincentius Lerinensis admonishes In refutation of inveterat Errors we must recurr to the sole authority of the Scriptures And Optatus Milevit plainly asserts that Christ's Testament abundantly suffices to determine all and every particular Controversie among Christians Thus we see how pleasant a spectacle these two Champions afford us the Bishop forms the Major Proposition and asserts on supposition of the Antiquity of our Royal Line and veracity of our Historians that our Church acted with reason enough and was only recovering her own Right when she cashier'd Prelacy The Advocat in attempting to disprove this the Bishop's Proposition has only giv'n such prevarications and elusions as most strongly confirm all the dis-interested of the truth thereof As for the Minor Proposition that our ancient Royal Line is not forg'd but real and our historical Monuments most true and credible the Advocat himself to the conviction of all the unbyass'd in both his Books makes appear It remains therefore as a conclusion of undoubted verity that our Church was
most learn'd of the Episcopal Perswasion acknowledg'd the truth of our Assertion on supposition that any credit is to be given to our Historians with whom also joins the learn'd Dr Stillingfleet So saith he if we may believe the great Antiquaries of the Church of Scotland that Church was governed by their Culdei as they called their Presbyters without any Bishop over them for a long time He gives also instances of other ancient Churches without Diocesan Bishops § 13. It had been more manly therefore and honest for D. M. to have at least attempted a refutation of Dr. Stillingfleet than to have dar'd his Adversaries to bring but one example of Churches without Diocesan Bishops seeing he knew there were store already giv'n even by Episcopals no less than Presbyterians which hitherto stand unanswered Let them also chaw their cude on that famous and well known Distinction of a first and second primitive Church acknowledged by Semeca and others even Popish Divines notic'd by Vsher and embrac'd by Stillingfleet in the former whereof Diocesan Episcopacy was not yet come in fashion nor was any such thing as a Difference either in Name or Office between Bishops and Priests or preaching Presbyters then in Being From all which judge with what brow D. M compares the account of our ancient Church-government to a supposed Fiction of the King of China and his Presbyterian Lady And by this dealling of D. M. I am put in mind of another piece of his Art who averres that all brought by Salmasius and Blondel to prove that Hierome was for the Scriptural and Apostolick Identity of of Bishop Presbyter and whatsoever is said by them for Presbytry is refuted by D. Pearson in his Vindicâ—ae Ignatianae I must not saith D. M. transcribe the acurat and unanswerable Dissertations of several learned Men who have sufficiently exposed the Writings of Blondel and Salmasius on this head particularly the incomparable Bishop of Chester vind St. Ignat. But no where did ever Dr. Pearson ingage with these Authors on this subject nor does he any such thing only he has some few excursions which touch not the marrow of the Controversie and therefore is nothing to D. M's purpose whether the advantage be yeelded to Salmasius and Blondel or to Dr. Pearson He abuses also some passages of Hierome to prove him self-repugnant but all such depravations had been by Iunius and others against the Papists and by Stillingfleet in his Irenicum clearly discover'd the places unanswerably vindicated even before he wrote his Vindiciae which their vindications of Hierome as also many other defences of the same Author brought by Salmasius and Blondel he scarce once adventures to handle But he has vindicated Ignatius they will say and this is enough But suppose that he had as really evinced these Epistles to be the genuine Work of Ignatius as he 's groundlesly pretended to have don 't yet so far is their inference from being good that as we shall hear the quite contrary follows viz. that in the Ignatian age Bishops were all one with the Pastors of single Congregations Hence it appears that this was one of D. M's pious Frauds to skarr his vulgar Reader for others he could not hope to catch thereby from the New Doctrine of Presbytry Section VIII Prelacy opposite to the Principles of our Reformers I Said when we renounc'd our Obedience to Anti-christ we sent amongst the rest of the Romish leaven Prelacy packing thither which tho' we had no more Arguments our Confession of Faith compil'd by our Reformers clearly evinces We detest say they Antichrist's worldly Monarchy with his wicked Hierarchy Of which Hierarchy as is acknowledg'd by the Council of Trent Bellarmine the Bishops make a principal part And the Episcopal Office with its distinction belong solely to their Hierarchy otherwise they confess there 's no Difference between Bishop and Presbyter At them therefore these words of the Confession must especially level And his subtility who would save the Prelats from this blow by seeking the foundation of a distinction where 't is not as if by the word Wicked the Confession pointed at another Hierarchy which is Pious must be reckon'd by all the disinterested to nigh of kin to his pericranium who to save another part of Romanism made a fair distinction between Lawfull and Vnlawfull Idolatry I say it can be no otherwise here for to speak truth their Hierarchy is nothing save the Corruption of Church-government and pride of her Governours rais'd by certain stories and tending towards the Papacy as its highest pinacle whereof both name and notion owe their Original to one who indeed was not the Father of lies yet in lying came so near him as readily any copy to its Original I mean the false Areopagite whose whole Book may really be term'd a fardel of Fictions Moreover this Confession was compil'd in the year 1581. when Prelacy had been unanimously by the whole Assembly in the preceeding year cast out of the Church And for many succeeding Assemblies their Declaration of their dislike and hatred of Prelacy and approbation of this Confession went hand in hand with whom then in both of these the King's Majesty join'd For the Assembly at Glasgow 1581. consisting for the most part of such as voted and were present in the Assembly at Dundie in the preceeding year when Prelacy had in terminis been renounc'd and ejected declares that they meaned wholly to condemn the whole estate of Bishops as they are now in Scotland and that this was the meaning of the Assembly at that time The King's Commissioner presented to this Assembly the Confession of Faith subscribed by the King and his houshold not long before together with a plot of the Presbytries to be erected which is registrat in the Books of the Assembly with a Letter to be directed from his Majesty to the Noble-men and Gentle-men of the Country for the erection of the Presbytries consisting of Pastors and Elders and dissolution of Prelacies and with an offer to set forward the Policy untill 't were establish'd by Parliament The King's Letter subscribed by his hand to the Noble-men and Gentle-men was read in open audience of the whole Assembly This Assembly ordain'd also that the Confession of Faith be subscribed as being true Christian and faithfull And in the Assembly 1595. amongst other things of the same tendency it was cleared that Episcopacy was condemn'd in these words of the Confession His Wicked Hierarchy See store of irrefragable proofs of this our Assertion in the Acts of the Assembly at Glasgow 1638. Sess. 16. § 2. They only bewray their ignorance if not worse while they give out that our Church in her first Reformation had Bishops as the word is now taken under the name of Superintendents For tho' this were true all they shall gain hereby would only be the fastening of a self-contradiction on Mr. Knox and the rest of these most honourable Instruments
as if what any man either by Fraud or Force is made seemingly to yeeld to were to be taken for his true and genuine Sentiments I thought this kind of reasoning had been peculiar to a Spanish Inquisitor or French Converter Or that they were bad Men continues he a hard construction For then Hierome of Prague who was forc'd and so many of the choice Fathers of the Council of Arminum who were trick'd to admit in appearance something contrary to their true Sentiments shall all be bad men That the Ministers at this Convention at Leith dealt most unwarily and some of 'em also with too little integrity is beyond scruple But that all of 'em or most of 'em were poor covetous Rogues c. neither Petrie nor any of his Perswasion ever affirmed He adds that the Courts Arguments for the Leith-establiment were mainly Politick for they turn'd not Theologues to perswade Episcopacy's Divine Institution from Scripture c. Well then there was little true Piety no consulting of Conscience or the Word of God in the Matter And if some of the Ministry as he says were taken with these politick and state Reasons they in so far fell from their own Principle viz. That in the Books of the Old and New Testament all things necessary for the instruction of the Church and to make the Man of God perfect are contain'd and sufficiently express'd But the Clergy saith he had found that the new Scheme of the first Book of Discipline had done much hurt to the Church As if the old Popish Scheme under which the Churches goods by God's Law destinated for the promoval of piety and learning and sustaining of the poor were consum'd and debauch'd in upholding the grandour and luxury of a spurious ecclesiastick Nobility could have been really more profitable to the Church than that of the Book of Discipline on of the prime designs whereof was the bestowing of the Church Revenues for these their true uses to which God's Law had appointed them Or as if Pastors Schools and Poor can in no place be provided for where the Romish Church-policy is wanting But The six Commissioners saith he that treated with the State at Leith were sensible Men and far from being Parity-men Just so far from being Parity-men that most of 'em in an Assembly 1580. July 12. deliberately found and declared Episcopacy unlawfull in it self He intimats that the Courts motive for the Leith-establishment could not be their desire to possess the Churches Patrimony An untruth as we have now seen too bare fac'd to need more refutation His proof hereof is of the same stamp viz. Had the Clergy fall'n so suddenly from their constant claim to the Churches Revenues did that which moved them to be so earnest for this meeting with the State miraculously slip out of their minds Seeing not the Church but the Court-politicians as is evident with desire to circumveen her chiefly procur'd that meeting and if these Delegates were either the only or first men who by sinistrous Artifices fell into a bad Compact then let him exclaim with admiration of this matter what follows is yet odder viz. Was it not as easy for the Court to have possessed themselves of a Bishoprick an Abbacy a Priory c. when there were no Bishops as when there were For he 's to be pitied if he be ignorant that the Courtiers having no Law-title thereto had no hope save under covert of their own Creatours these titular Bishops of any peaceable and secure possession of the Churches Revenues But an undoubted Assembly saith he own'd the Leith convention as an Assembly and its Authority as the Authority of an Assembly and for several years after that establishment at Leith beside which there was no other fond for owning them for Bishops Bishops were present and as such were obliged to sit and vote in general Assemblies and many Acts of subsequent Assemblies put this matter beyond all probability of ever being controverted as the Assembly in August 1574. which petitioneth the Regent that Stipends be granted to Superintendents in all time coming in all Countries destitute thereof whether it be where there is no Bishop or where there are Bishops who cannot discharge their Office as the Bishop of St. Andrews and Glasgow And that his Grace would provide qualified Persons for vacant Bishopricks But this tho' it be his prime Argument is soon removed our Church knew that divers Ministers and others had been allur'd or aw'd to that agreement She knew that 't was only made for the Interim and for the Interim only did she tolerate it with a full resolution to have a more perfect Order And as for the words In all time coming there 's not a syllabe of them in the Act he cites Nor indeed any where else of all the Acts of these Assemblies She knew also that during that Interim 't was impossible to get that which had been the Revenues of Popish Bishops other Church Rents out of the Regent and other Courtiers their hands In the mean while the vast number of unplanted Churches weakness of the Ministry in divers parts and unsettlement even unto that time of the Churches Affairs allow'd for a space the continuance of Evangelistick Superintendents or Commissioners who were to be in almost perpetual motion and travels and therefore needed much larger maintainance then did fixed Pastors which large maintainance the Church being thus strip'd of her Patrimony could not afford to the number that was needfull On these and such Grounds the Church indulged to that Convention the name of an Assembly tolerated in these Tulchans the name of Bishops And seeing they had got more Rent then was giv'n to ordinary Ministers allowed them to exercise the Labour and Travel of Superintendents or Commissioners And thus the Church made the best she might of that their unlawfull Bargain And tho' which he also objects some Assemblies allow Bishops to conveen and proceed against delinquents command Ministers by their Letters to admonish concerning persons to be excommunicated it helps him nothing seeing the very Acts he cites give no less power to Superintendents yea to Commissioners whom yet the Church used even after she had declared Episcopacy unlawfull in it self So far is our Churches tolerating for a space these Tulchans from being any Argument that she believ'd not the Divine Right of Parity But how appears't saith he that our Church receiv'd the Leith Articles only for an Interim out of a dislike to Episcopacy And there were other things in the Articles which required amendment But sure these Articles were without any exception receiv'd and tolerated only for the Interim and how well these Court-bishops were liked is already made manifest and our Churches subseqnent actings declare which never rested but still wrestled against the storms of both Power and Policy untill they were sent packing 'T is true as he says the Church met with Opposition but that this was
and Practice of John Knox who as our Author grants compil'd the first Book of Discipline wherein the Appointment and Duties of Superintendents are set down § 14. And indeed that Knox was truly Presbyterian is so manifest that untill now when Men have broke the bonds of all modesty and abandon'd themselves to averr every thing to be as they would have it was in neither hand call'd in question but Enemies no less than Friends either more indirectly or more plainly acknowledg'd it This was the Policy saith Spotswood desired to be ratifi'd It had been formed by John Knox partly in imitation of the Reformed Churches of Germany partly of that which he had seen in Geneva c. Nothing then from England which flatly contradicts our Author who throw no small part of his Book pretends to prove that all was taken especially from England Now what was the Government of the reformed Churches of Germany and Geneva I think few are ignorant And elsewhere Many good Men saith Spotswood have disliked some of Knox ' s Opinions as touching the Anthority of Princes and the Form of Government which he laboured to have established in the Church The Prelat indeed here as his custom is delivers the Truth as sparingly as may be yet not so but both Presbyterians can perceive and Hierarchicks must confess what is wrapt up in this forced Confession And while he endeavours yet more to obscure it by impertinently adding that Knox was alwayes urging the Obedience of Ministers to their Superintendents he only hereby shews that he was loath the World should know that he had been forc'd to Confess that Knox was really a Presbyterian But their own dearest Friends and Brethren gave Testimony against them Knox say they was of the Consistorian stamp These sc. Gilby Goodman and Whittingham led the dance in England Knox in Scotland and at this day our Presbyterians do but write after their Copy professing the same Principles pretending the same Scruples and beyond doubt proposing the same end Let me be understood likewise by Presbyterians to intend these of the Scotish Race to whom we are beholden for our Discipline That Faction first advanc'd it self by popular Tumult and Rebellion Knox learned the Trick of it at Geneva and brought it into Scotland I forbear to cite others see in lieu of many Heylin's History of the Presbyterians who is most ample to this purpose I only Note how various Methods have been us'd to destroy our Reformed Religion The Papists when the Divine Light of the Gospel began to break throw their Babilonish Foggs to other means for extinguishing thereof added that of lying reproaching and bespattering most odiously our first Reformers endeavouring to ridicul and expose together with their Doctrine their Discipline also and Government which they saw like to obtain amongst most of the reformed and which sometimes in scorn they named after Geneva but they were open and profess'd Enemies and so the Net was laid in sight of the Bird A new Squadron must be added who under the name of Protestant may better manage the Romish Design Tuta frequensque Via est per amici fallere nomen These in the mean while with open mouth proclaim'd this Truth that Knox and the rest of our first Reformers in Scotland were no less than Calvin Beza and such transmarine Propagators of the Gospel truly Presbyterian and as they scornfully spoke fiery Zelots of tâ—e new holy Genevan Discipline And on this very account threw upon them all the Iniquity Aspersion and Infamy their black Art could invent or the spirit of Lies and Malice suggest Yet with all good Men and true Protestants they effected nothing save to bring themselves into just suspicion of being masked Romanists some of 'em therefore of late find it there interest to alter their Method to forbear somewhat to utter their wonted Calumnies and Malice against the persons of our Reformers for as for speaking any good of 'em we shall most rarely find them do it or if ever 't is done with so much coldness and lameness and with such mixtures of detraction that they appear content that the Reader believe them not and resolved to pull back with the one hand what they were compell'd to give with the other and in the mean while averr with an unparallel'd confidence that these our Reformers were never for the Genevan way as they call it were never for Parity of Pastors or Presbyterian Government that so they may the more securely follow the steps of the former and vent their splene at both Government and Discipline and yet be less obnoxious to suspicion of driving Rome's interest But 't is to be hop'd they shall not speed well seeing herein they only endeavour to darken the Sun to contradict what 's known and believ'd all Europe-over And loudly finally to give the lie to their own dearest Friends § 15. Now to their second Objection which is from the Superintendents which together with whatever else they advance from this Argument we having thus evinc'd that Knox whose Judgement is confessedly of such moment in the present Case was truly Anti-prelatick might without just blame have neglected it melts quite away if we remember that this practice was only a temporary expedient during the unsettl'd condition of the Church The Objection dwindles also to nothing on this account that tho' our Reformers had design'd the perpetual use of Superintendents yet these toto coelo as they say differ'd from Diocesan Prelats so that notwithstanding hereof the Government was really Presbyterian or without ought that can be call'd Imparity The former of these our Answers is plainly set down in the first Book of Discipline If the Ministers say our Reformers whom God hath endowed with his singular Graces amongst us should be appointed to several places there to make their continual residence that then the greatest part of the Realm should be destitute of all Doctrine which should not only be the occasion of great murmur but also be dangerous to the Salvation of many And therefore we have thought it a thing most expedient at this time that from the whole number of Godly and learned Men now presently in this Realme be Selected ten or twelve for in so many Provinces we have divided the whole to whom Charge and Commandment should be given to Plant and Erect Kirks to set order and appoint Ministers as the former Order prescribes to the Countries that shall be appointed to their care where none are now This was but too plain and therefore is much curtail'd by Spotswood as our Author who dwells long on this Objection from Superintendents cannot deny He therefore takes a new Way and thus glosses the Passage If I mistake not saith he the true gloss of this Period will amount to no more than this that because there were then so few Men qualifi'd for the Office of Superintendency tho' ten or twelve were by far too small
a number for the whole Kingdom yet at that time they thought it expedient to establish no more and tho' when the Church should be sufficiently provided with Ministers it would be highly reasonable that the Superintendents should have Places appointed them for their continual residence yet in that juncture 't was necessary that they should be constantly travelling throw their districts to Preach and Plant Churches c. To establish his gloss he says the Compilers of the first Book of Discipline viz. Mr. J. Winrame John Spotswood J Willock J. Douglas J. Row and J. Knox were still of prelatical Principles But tho' this were as true as 't is false the quite contrary would rather follow viz. that they had resolv'd to change afterward the Superintendents for Diocesan Bishops To prove they were Prelatists he says three of them were Superintendents begging the Question as if Superintendent and Bishop were one and the same But Douglas died Arch-bishop of St. Andrews But is 't strange that he who in favours of a Tulchan Bishoprick had a stomach able to deject Simoniacal Pactions and durty Bargains made no bones of sacrificing his former Principles to his interest But Spotswood was a constant Enemy to Parity as appears from his Son's account of him But his Son says not so much Moreover which quite spoils our Author's Cause he makes without naming any other John Knox the Author of that Book of Policy yea he averrs that in his Father's Judgement the Old Policy was undoubtedly the better than the New John Row defended the lawfulness of Episcopacy at the Conference appointed by the General Assembly 1575. But J. Row no less then the other Collocutors in their Report to that Assembly tho' for the iniquity of the time not in so many words yet really condemn'd Prelacy and was also a Member of that Assembly which with one voice found and declar'd the Office unlawfull in it self Judge then of his confidence who yet adventures hence to conclude that he was a Prelatist He adds out of Knox that Superintendents and Overseers were nominated that all things in the Church might be carried with Order and well which reason for establishing Superintendents saith our Author will continue to hold so long as the Church continues But let him once prove that Knox speaks of the constant and ordinary Church regimen and guidance and not of the settling and ordering of a Church little more then in fieri and as yet not all sufficiently constitute otherwise we have a meer Paralogism At the Admission of Spotswood continues he John Knox asserted the necessity of Superintendents and Overseers as well as Ministers the necessity I say not the bare expediency in the juncture The words are first was made a Sermon in the which these Heads were handled first the necessity of Ministers and Superintendents or Overseers c. We have indeed here the necessity of Superintendents mention'd but that it arose above an expediency we do not hence learn That Knox asserted the necessity of Superintendents as well as Ministers or an equal necessity of the one and the other can by no means be inferr'd Yea who can with our Author believe that tho' any People had aboundance of sufficient and lawfully ordain'd Ministers yet in Knox's Judgement if Superintendents were wanting such a People could no more be counted a Church than if they had no Minister at all He brings also some Expressions out of the first Book of Discpiline as After the Church shall be established and three years are past no Man shall be called to the Office of a Superintendent who hath not two years given a Proof of his faithfull Labours in the Ministry of some Church Such passages indeed suppose some continuance of Superintendents tho' no perpetuity For our Reformers could never think that within three years or thereabout the Church should be fully established few or no Churches to be planted unto which full settlement the forecited passage of the Book of Policy allows the use of Superintendents This Book of Discipline saith our Author supposeth that Superintendents and Colledges were to be of equal continuance for the Superintendent was still to be at the choosing and installment of Principalls and Rectors c. But this his Argument he himself overthrows The Assembly saith he May 27. 1561. addresseth to the Council that special and certain Provision might be made for the maintainance of the Superintendents Ministers Exhorters and Readers c. Now who sees not that this Address speaks after the same manner concerning all these so that using our Author's way of arguing we should inferr that our Reformers thought the Exhorter which confessedly was a kind of Function purely temporary was no less to be perpetual than the Superintendent yea or the Minister And the Assembly at Edinburgh December 25. 1565. appointed Mr. Knox to pen a comfortable Letter in their Name to encourage Ministers Exhorters and Readers to continue in their Vocation c. From these and the like Acts he may as well conclude the equal duration of Exhorters and Ministers as he inferrs from the Book of Policy the equal duration of Superintendents and Colledges He would next prove from the account of the Election and Admission of Superintendents prefix'd to the old Psalms that according to our Reformers this was an Office distinct from that of other Pastors of Divine Institution and so perpetual The Order and Form saith he for admitting a Superintendent and a Minister was all one and there was nothing in it importing the one Office to be temporary more than the other But therefore there 's nothing elsewhere importing so much is a clear non sequitur In the mean while from what he grants 't is plain that the Superintendent wanted the very specific difference of a Diocesan Bishop wherefore tho' they us'd this Phrase The Office to which God call'd him and this Question to the People Will ye not acknowledge this your Brother for the Minister of Christ Jesus your Overseer and Pastor Will ye not maintain and comfort him against all such as wickedly would rebell against God and his Holy Ordinance And that Petition Send unto this our Brother whom in thy name we have charged with the chief care of thy Church within the bounds of L. c. They can thereby mean no other Office no other Ordinance of God and for kind no other Charge than what 's giv'n to every particular Pastor For we find mention'd the chief of the Apostles in Labour viz and Care who yet were all equal Neither is it strange that they thus set apart him who was for the time found needfull in these dark times and places to plant and erect Churches preach perpetually where there were none and in a word in several things compleatly to imitate the ancient Evangelist Thus Paul and Barnabas were separated with a solemnity of Fasting Prayer and Imposition of Hands And yet the Work or
he superintended and let him use it as he pleased yet neither can the Imparity be counted considerable not the harm he could do very hurtfull for within half a year at most for there was a General Assembly twice at least every year they had a prospect of a General Assembly to right their wrong wherein every Pastor was to have no less Power than any Superintendent and no less capable to sit judge and censure the Superintendent than the Superintendent was on the other hand to exerce the like Power over him yea any Minister in the Assembly such sometimes as were none was as fair to be chosen Moderator as any Superintendent By the frequency of these Assemblies it came to pass that few or no matters of importance were determin'd in the inferiour Synods but came thither for their final Decision Wherefore if we narrowly look on these times we shall find that the Superintendents were rather appointed as Observers and Delators of Matters to the Assembly than any proper Judges thereof save when a special command was giv'n him to cognosce on such and such particular Matters He was frequently also charged with execution of the Assemblies Determinations all which was common to him with other Commissioners to whom the Assembly gave the like Charge and sent them not rarely to these very Provinces where there were Superintendents with equal Power and Authority to that of the Superintendent Sometimes they ordain'd Causes to be handled by the Superintendent with the assistance of these Commissioners sometimes by the Commissioner with the assistance of the Superintendents which Commissioners were sometimes Ministers of another Province and sometimes of that Province wherein was the Superintendent with whom they were join'd with equal Power Authority From all which 't is evident how much they are taken with the humor of cavilling who dare to ascribe to the Superintendents any real Superiority or Power over other Pastors or any thing repugnant to a compleat Parity But there is yet more even in his own Synod he could do nothing contrary to the Majority for he was to act nothing without the Synods Consent neither could he impede ought done by the Majority for he had no negative vote Yea he was made subject to the Tryal and Censures of the Synod of the very province where he superintended And here our Author is compell'd to acknowledge that there was a considerable difference between Superintendents and Bishops and indeed 't was considerable with a witness and so considerable that it really sets them on even ground with each Pastor of the word He adds that this was a great wrong and error in the Constitution and on this ocasion has a long invective against our Reformers in speciall Knox counting them Children Idiots Ungovernable and of bad Principles and spares not to flegg at all Scots men or Scotch mettal as he speaks But this is but a kicking against the pricks He knows all this helps him nothing nor is to the present Question which is not de jure but de facto what our Reformers freely and joyntly did Not on what grounds they did so He next retorts that according to the book of Discipline the Elders are allow'd to admonish correct and with the consent of the Church and Superintendent depose their Minister But First tho our Reformers had spoken just alike of the Elders and Ministers as they did of the Synod and Superintendent their words will not bear the like inference the power they give to the Elders could certainly be a spurr to the Ministers and yet they might be sure the few Elders of one parish would never make so bold with their Minister as the whole Synod might with their Superintendent Secondly There is no such allowance giv'n to the Elders concerning their Minister as to the Synod over their Superintendent the former much act only with the consent of the Kirk and Superintendent but nothing of this injoyn'd to the latter Yea our Author himself will have the power of Deposition to be a prerogative of the Superintendent and no doubt he or the Commissioner did in the Churches name execute her sentence To Depose therefore here and that with allowance of the whole context of that 8 head of Discipline which he cites is nothing else than to delate to the Church and Superintendent the crimes of the Minister and in their own sphere assist them in that action He adds he hath no where found that de facto the Superintendent was judged by his own Synod And it may be so for litle do we find of any thing was then done by provincial synods every thing of moment being left to the General Assemblies which were then most frequent Such a Constitution adds he inferrs no such thing as Parity among Church-Offices Those who maintain that the King is inferior to his Subjects in their Collection are not yet so extravagant as to say he is not Superior to every one of them in their Distribution But where Superiors or Equalls can be gotten the Men of this Principle will freely yeeld that none who are Inferiours in the Distribution ought to judge the Actions of their Superiours providing other Judges can be had who in this Case cann't there being but one King only in a Kingdom Hence they believing that none may live lawless think the King's Actions are cognoscible by these who are his Inferiours but altering their capacity in the Collection But is it so in the Case of the Superintendent whereof there were severals not one only as there is one commonly King in a Kingdom Seeing then he was to be judged by the Synod notwithstanding that there were other Superintendents in the Church 't is evident they counted every Brother in the Ministry his equal § 19. But the Superintendents saith our Author had a stock of prerogatives above other Pastors But be it so yet notwithstanding hereof if we suppose which I trust at the narrowest search shall appear the truth of what we have now adduc'd and the self consistency of the actings of our Reformers whom he would fain set at variance with themselves whatsoever Prerogatives he has really brought can never prove that the Superintendent had any Dominion over other Pastors or that they acted not in a true and real Parity so that from what is now said these his pretended Disparities are prevented and remov'd For example he tells us that Superintendents had a larger district were nominated by the Council elected by the Nobility and Gentry 't was not so with the Paroch Ministers But the Commissioners had no less districts and were appointed by the General Assembly which I 'm sure is of no less weight in the case than the Councils Nomination even tho' the Gentlemens Election be added thereto and yet who in his Wit will take him for any other Officer than is every Parish-minister or fall into the rovery of our Author who calls these Commissioners
temporary Bishops Paroch-ministers by the first Book of Discipline head 8 were deposeable by the Superintendent and the Elders of their Parishes The Superintendent was to be Judged by the Ministers and Elders of the whole Province But the fraud is palpable the words of the Book of Discipline are that if a Minister be worthy of Deposition the Elders of his Parish may with consent of the Kirk and Superintendent depose him Where you see the Kirk or Minister and Elders of the Province are no less interested in the Deposition of a Minister than in the judging of a Superintendent He suppress'd therefore all mention of the Kirk which even Spotswood whom he cites expresses to the end he might make his Reader believe no Minister save the Superintendent only had any power in Deposition of Ministers But privat Ministers saith he were to be admitted by their Superintendents but the Superintendents by the Superintendents next adjacent and the Superintendents had the Power of Ordination The first Book of Discipline and several Acts of the Assemblies But had only the Superintendents the Power of Ordination yea not only was there no plurality of Superintendents present at the Action but also John Knox who was no Superintendent ordain'd or admitted Spotswood Superintendent of L. yea every particular Minister when commissionated by the Assembly had no less Power of Ordination or any other thing whatsoever than is either in the Book of Discipline or any where else giv'n to the Superintendent Neither might any one particular Minister while he was a Commissioner more than the Superintendent be translated from one district to another without the Counsel of the whole Church or Assembly neither were there meaner Qualifications requisite in any Commissioner And I think Knox who was never a Superintendent was in these not inferiour to any of ' em But he had a living five times so much as another Minister But then I 'm sure he had five times as much to do with it being perpetually to Travell Preach and Exhort far and wide c but if this Rule had been keep'd our Bishops had got five times less than any other Minister for rarely did they any such Duty either at home or abroad In the mean while The Power of Riches and the baseness of Poverty maketh not a Bishop either higher or lower But Superintendents saith he were constant Members of General Assemblies had Power to Visit and to try the like c. of the Ministers of all the Churches of the Diocess and were to try those who stood Candidates for the Ministry had Power of granting Collations on Presentations But whatsoever he had of these belong'd also to every particular Pastor when commissionated by the General Assembly but tho' the Superintendent or Commissioner is only nam'd in such Cases as in trial of the Candidats granting Collations Deposition of Ministers c. He is to be understood as the Moderator and mouth of the Synod where he Superintended for Example the Assembly in the case of transportation chargeth the Ministers to obey the Voice and Commandment of their Superintendent and yet by the very same Act none can be translated without the Consent of the most part of the Elders and Ministers of Kirks conveen'd in the Synodal Assembly and yet from this very Act he adventnres to conclude the Canonical Obedience of Pastors to their Superintendents But he had Power to nominal Ministers to be Members of the General Assembly For Assembly 1562. 't was ordain'd that no Minister leave his Flock for coming to the Assembly except he have Complaints to make or be complain'd off or at least be warn'd thereto by the Superintendent And the L. Glamis in a Letter to Mr. Beza saith that after the Reformation it fell out by custom that the Bishops and so many of the Ministers Pastors and Elders as the Bishops appointed came to the General Assembly But touching what he alledges as said by the L. Glamis I can find it no where save in the Works of Saravia and Beza's Answer to Glamis his second Question wherein these words are found neither meets with nor presupposes any such Clause But be it that L. Glamis said so what will they hence infer he says indeed that this came to pass after the Reformation but how long 't was after the Reformation before this was practis'd he says not ' T was saith he receiv'd by Custom by no Decree of the Church then or Acts of the Assembly And lastly he speaks of Bishops not of Superintendents And I never find that any about these times gave Superintendents the name of Bishops and so this makes nothing for our Author's purpose Wherefore if ever L. Glamis had any such Expression whereof I much doubt in my mind he mean'd it of the Tulchans who for some space after the Leith-convention made some steps toward such a Superiority otherwise all the accounts we have of these times and in special the Acts of our Assemblies demonstrat that there was no such Power or Priviledge giv'n to any then in Scotland yea so much our Author himself presently proves and overturns this his own Argument by citing another out of the Assembly July 1563 1568 he should have said viz. Anent the Order hereafter to be used in General Assemblies They all voted and concluded as followeth viz. that if the Order already received pleases not by reason of the plurality of Voices it be reformed in this manner First that none have place to Vote except Superintendents Commissioners appointed for visiting the Kirks and Ministers brought with them presented as Persons able to reason and having knowledge to judge with the aforenamed shall be joined Commissioners of Burghs and Shires together with Commissioners of Vniversities Secondly Ministers and Commissioners shall be Chosen at the Synodal-convention of the Diocess by the Consent of the rest of the Ministers and Gentlemen that shall conveen at the said Synodal-convention c. From this Act 't is clear that the former in 1562. has only been mention'd never concluded or at least cass'd and repeal'd by some intervenient Assembly otherways there had been no place or ground for the Act of 1568. which presupposes that ev'n these that were not at all thus Chosen at the Synod were free to come and Vote at the Assembly So far was this liberty from being put in the Superintendent or Commissioner's Power And indeed from this Act 't is most evident and 't is left on Record also by the Vindicatour of Philadelphus that before the time of this Act all Ministers who pleased were free to Vote at the Assemblies yet with our Author Petrie must be a mixer of lies for saying so much But Calderwood saith our Author leaves out intirely these words brought with them i. e. with the Superintendents and Commissioners of Kirks presented as Persons able to reason and having knowledge to judge whereby the Power of Superintendents and Commissioners for visiting of
seeing as Blondel at large shews the phrase natively yealds only this sense viz. Polycarp and the rest of the Presbyters of that Colleage And thus D. M. may as well inferr Peter's Superiority and Power over the rest of the Apostles from Acts 2. 37. To Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Moreover Blondel demonstrats how on diverse accounts Polycarp without any Eminency and Power over the rest may be particularly nominated rather than others as because he was first in Order and Years But I insist not herein but referr to Blondel who hath nervously baffl'd this their pitifull Coujecture D. M. adventures to ingage with nothing of what he saith and yet is not asham'd to bring to the Field so blunted a weapon I pass also D. M.'s two Arguments for Polycarp's Diocesan Episcopacy drawn from the pretended Succession of Diocesan Bishops in Smyrna and the Epistles of Ignatius mention'd by Polycarp having overthrown both of 'em already and proceed to the Testimony of Hermas who thus speaks Thou shalt write two Books thou shalt send one to Clement and one to Graptes and Clement shall send it to foraign Cities for to him this is permitted and Graptes shall admonish the Widows and Orphans but thou shalt read it with or relate it unto the Presbyters in this City who govern the Church Where we see that not any one Bishop but a Colledge of Presbyters call'd doubtless afterward by the same Author Bishops govern'd the Church of one City Yet D. M. pretends to find here a palpable Evidence of Episcopacy For saith he the sending of the Encyclical Epistle to foraign Cities is insinuated to be the peculiar Priviledge of Clement then Bishop of Rome But if he conclude from this place of Hermas that Clement had any Power over these to whom he was to send that Book or Epistle as for Clement's being Bishop of Rome it 's so far from being insinuated here that the quite contary is from this very place most evident he may as well inferr from Col. 4. 16. that they had Power over the Laodiceans whither they were to send and cause to be read the Apostle's Letter Secondly D. M. ascribing to the Bishop of Rome Power over foraign Cities erects a Pope rather than a Bishop But I 'll assure him he came not in so early for seeing there was undoubtedly one Bishop at least in every particular City so soon as there were any in the World this place of Hermas if it bear D. M's Inference and give a Power to Clement over foraign Cities insinuats nothing of a Bishop's Dignity above Presbyters but of the power of one Bishop over another or rather of a Pope over other Churches A falshood most unanimously exploded by Cyprian Jerome Augustine and the rest of the Ancients D. M. seeks also for his Prelacy in these words of Hermas viz. The Earthly Spirit exalts it self and seeks the first seat Some contend for Principality and Dignity But what if Hermas had said that some contended to get an Empire and Popedome over the whole Church would D. M. hence conclude that it was lawfull or then practised in the Church or when the Apostles contended who should be the greatest Had Christ before that time assured them of the lawfulness of such an Office and told them that they were to have one to be a Prince over the rest By no Logick therefore can it be inferred for Hermas his words that a chief Seat or Principality for both are one and the same with Hermas was then either exercised or held lawfull Again tho' both had been then in Custome no Power of one over the rest can be hence concluded seeing the chief Seats are given to the Moderators of Synods and other Presidents of Assemblies who have no primacy of Power but only of Order And again The polished and white Stones saith Hermas are the Apostles and Bishops and Doctors and Deacons who walked in the Clemency of God aâ—d exercised the Office of a Bishop and taught and served And Such are some Bishops that is Governours of the Churches and these who have the Charâ—e of the Services § 7. In both places saith Blondel he makes only two Degrees that of the Bishops who governed the Churches and that of the Deacons who had the charge of the Services for it 's acknowledged by all that the Doctors are all one with the Bishops when they are said to have performed the Office of a Bishop and that the Apostles as they are opposed to Bishops were placed above the whole Clergy This repons D. M. is Tergiversation with a Witness and a fraudulent Trick in Blondel since Presbyters in the primitive Church are frequently distinguished by the Name of Doctors and Blondel's Commentary is a manifest violence offered to the Text for Doctors are not said to have performed the Office of a Bishop but to have taught and this is very agreeable to their Character being so much imploy'd by their respective Bishops in teaching the Catechumeni and the natural position of these words will allow of no other meaning Which Answer D. M. hath learned from the Practice of our late Bishops during whose Epocha the Buffund might have hid himself well nigh the whole year from the Bishop's fury in the Bishop's pulpit seeing he scarce ever came thither to play the Doctor or ought else As for the Ancient and true primitive Bishops they perpetually preach'd or taught saith Le Moyn Moreover the Fathers generally take Pastor Bishop and Doctor for one and the same as Chrysostome Theophylact Theodoret Sedulius and after them Aquinas Haymo Benedictus Justinianus with others on Ephes. 4. 11. Of the same mind are Hierome Augustine and Anselm and the pretended Clemens Romanus cited by Gratian and Benedictus Justinianus and the Fathers of the Council of Carthage Of the same Mind are the ablest of our Episcopals as Field Hammond and Heylen So truly did Blondel say that Bishop and Doctor is universally taken for one and the same Neither was ever the Presbyter either in Cyprian or any other Ancient called Doctor in opposition to the Bishop but to other Ecclesiastick Presbyters who taught not of whose existence as was before touched we have most sufficient assurance But D. M. in contradiction to the Apostle would have a Bishop who is no Teacher or Preacher like the Droll who said he mett with Priests who were no Clerks And seeing with Hermas there are but two Orders of Church-men and Bishops and praesides Ecclesiarum Church Governours are reciprocal Terms taken for one and the same and seeing that his Presbyters are expresly term'd Church-Governours it 's most evident that he takes Bishop and Presbyter for one and the same and that the word Doctor is purely exegetick or explicative of the word Bishop and that both of them which I 'm sure is not unfrequent in all sorts of Authors evidently signifie one and the same thing § 8. I now
threatning Emulation Hatred and mutual Enmity proudly usurping Principalities or Prelacys as so many places of Tyrannicall Domination To this time doubtless did the Nicene Fathers look in their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ancient Customes that they mention which will be denyed by none who remember that even things of a very late date used then to be called ancient and which is yet more they were wont to pretend Apostolick Authority and Tradition for every one of their Innovations For this their Pride and Superstition and such Vices God sent a long and most grievous Persecution after which it might have been reasonably thought they would have returned to the Humility and Simplicity of the Gospell and Apostolick Age. But so far were they from this that the Gangren began faster than ever to consume the Vitals of Chrsitianity and having got a Christian Emperor to indulge and enrich them they quickened their Pace and in the gadiness of Pride and giddiness of Superstition extravaging without bounds in this Declension they piece and piece laid aside the Scripture and in the model of their Government and Worship eyed and followed three patterns the Jewish Policy Ceremonies and Temple where there was one High-Priest the magnificent and splendid Government of the Roman Empire over which there was one Head one Emperor And lastly the way of the Roman Pagan Priests in which there was also at Rome a Pontifex Maximus or High-Priest over all the many Degrees of Priests in the Empire and so in process of time it came to pass that he who by his first Institution was design'd to be a Pastor of a Flock or Congregation and to imitate the Apostolick Simplicity and Humility turned to be the great Antichrist the son of Perdition and grand Emissary and Lieutennant of the red Dragon and these who were ordain'd to be his Fellow-Pastors and Ministers of the Gospel became his Underlings and Slaves in that Apostacy and being martial'd into a thousand Ranks and Orders proved so many Squadrons of hellish Locusts so that scarce in any part of the Creation of God was there ever a more sad and direfull Depravation if it were not when our first Parents fell into the Cloutches of the old Serpent or when the Sons of God became his greatest Enemies and those morning Stars the beautifull Angels turned into infernal Firebrands black and abominable Devils Most observable notwithstanding yea and adorable is Divine Providence in this that even in the growth and increase of this black Apostacy the Church in Opinion and Doctrine at least still held fast the great and capital Articles of Christianity as the sufficiency of the Canonicall Books of Scripture the Doctrine of the holy Trinity of free Grace of Justification by Faith in Christ's Blood c. Their great sin lay not in the Defect but in the Excess by superadding to these golden Foundations a heap of hay and stuble the wild Fancies of Apostatising Brains And in process of time equalizing yea and preferring them to these Divine and most necessary Truths comprehended in the Books of the Old and New Testament Then it was when tho' they still acknowledged the Identity of Bishop and preaching Presbyter or Pastor of a Congregation they must among'st the rest of their novell Foppereis raise one Bishop or High-Priest as they spoke over a number of other Pastors and Churches whose Ordination and Consecration must be accompani'd with a dale of Alloy suitable to this their humane and unwarrantable Institution He must have a Cudgell put in his hand to signifie his Rule and Authority over the People and a Ring to signifie his Pontifical Honour and the hidden Mysiereis wherewithall he is intrusted The Bishop being consecrated shaven and anointed it was his proper Work and Office to erect and consecrate Churches to make their Chrism or Holy Oyl For the Art of Besmearing was pretty early in the Church no later at least than their Diocesan and therewith to anoint the forehead Eyes and Ears of the Baptized to receive the Penitents and perform such greasy businesses about them These and the like Actions were reserved as the special Ornament and Badges of the High-Priest's Honour And indeed hitherto they acted congruouly for 't was but meet that their own Antichristian Inventions the Institution whereof never came into God's mind should be appropriated to their own Church-Officer whom God never appointed Caetera conveniunt sed non levis error in uno est For they debased and polluted God's Ordinance I mean the Ordination of Pastors which they threw in among their Trash and left likewise to their Bishop or High-Priest as a part of his peculiar Province Superstitionists sometimes for such Fooleries deprave the Scripture which Dr. Lightfoot one of the learn'd est of the Church-of England Divines observes and baffles Here saith he Episcopacy thinketh it hath an undenyable Argument for Proof of its Hierarchy and of the strange Rite of Confirmation c. And this is very like another Practice for Antiquity also not a white lower than their Diocesan they made another fixed Church-Officer whom they called an Exorcist His Office was to dispossess and cast out Devils Now surely such an ordinary Church-Officer was never appointed by God and therefore 't is most likely that some of those Exorcists needed some to have casten the Devils out of themselves or at least to have giv'n them a a round doze of Hellebore no less then did any of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Patients But seeing they made such a Church-Officer and the dispossessing of Devils was among'st the greatest and most miraculous Works that ever was practis'd even by the greatest Apostles It may be thought that this Exorcist was one of their highest Church-Officers a Metropolitan certainly Arch-Bishop or Patriarch but he was none of these yea he was no Bishop no Presbyter no Deacon no Sub-Deacon yea not so much as an Acolyth that is a Candle-carier for they us'd in fair-day-light and Sun-shine to light Candles in the Church to obey and fulfill as they said that Scripture John 1. 9. That was the true Light which lighteneth every Man that cometh into the World This Exorcist was yet a degree lower than their Candle-Carier and therefore was plac'd in the very rear and tail of all their Clergy So dangerous yea and unaccountable were many of their Actings but especially in the matter of Church-Office-bearing Moreover I appeal to all the judicious and conscientious if out of a conscientious desire of conforming to the primitive Church our Adversareis make such a horride noise bussle and Schism for their Hierarchy For suppose it to be as true as I hope by this time to all the unbyassed it 's manifested to be false that in all points they could vouch their Hierarchy to be warranted by the true primitive Church and the Government of the one intirely like that of the other yet do they not desert her in many other things
cap. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p Vir maximus Epiphanius sed quem res arguit ipsa levibus auditiunculis nescio unde acceptis facilè nimis aliquando fidem habuisse q Haeresi 39. vel 59. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r Epistola 50. ad Bonifacium s Ibidem t Tom. 6. Haeresi 69. u Lib. 3. Page 101. x Epist. 74. y Haeresi 25. Aërii ab Aërio quodam sic appellati sunt qui astinentiis vacant c. z Haeresi 27. sive 47. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Hist. Eccles. Lib. 4. Cap. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. b Lib. 1. Cap 30. c Haeresi 55. sive 75. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d Eusebius Eccles. Hist. Lib. 4. Cap. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. e Epiphanius Haeresi 55. sive 75. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 f Ibidem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 g De instit cler Lib. 2. Cap. 58. Aëriani ab Aërio quodam nuncupati sunt hi offerre sacrificium prâ— defunctis spernunt a Defence of Diocesan Episcopacy Page 153. b Of the Religion of the Irish. Page 59. c Primitive Episcopacy Page 40. d Lib. 1. Vnde factum est ut post obitum Carthaginis Episcopi Zeugitanae procensulari Provinciae Episcopos interdiceret ordinarios quorum erat numerus 164. e Page 164. f Page 185. g Page 165. h Right of Churches review Page 153. i Conferences Page 348. k Ad Scotos in Christum credentes ordinatur à Papa Caelestino Palladius primus Episcopus mittitur l Edit Lovan Fol. 15. m Ann. 429. numb IV. Primum verò eam gentem à Coelestino Papa Episcopum habuisse Palladium omnes consentiunt n Ibid. Ex his autem habes quibus redarguas asserentes Sedulium Christianum Poëtam quem tantopere Gelasius laudat habuisse praeceptorem Hildebertum Scotorum Archi-episcopum Etenim cum ipse Sedulius ad Theodosii Imperatoris tempora referatur quo modo usus esse potuit Hildeberto Scotorum Archi-episcopo Paerceptore si nullus adhuc ordinatus erat in Scotia Archi-episcopus Palladius absque controversia primus dicatur ejus Gentis Antistes o Lib. 3. Cap. 8. Ante cujus Palladii sc. adventum habebant Scoti Fidei Doctores ac Sacramentorum Ministratores Presbyteros solummodo vel Monachos ritum sequentes Ecclesiae primitiva p De gestis Scotorum Lib. 2. Per Sacerdotes Monachos sine Episcopis Scoti in fide erudiebantur q Fol. 132. Erat Palladius primus omnium qui apud Scotos sacrum egere Magistratum à summo Pontifice Episcopus creatus quum antea Populi suffragiis c. r Scotland's soveraignty asserted Page 134. s Lib. 3. Cap. 4. Habere autem solet ipsa Insula Rectorem semper Abbaâ—tem Presbyterum cujus Juri omnis Provincia ipsi etiam Episcopi ordine inusitato debeant esse subjecti juxta exemplum primi Doctoris illius qui non Episcopus sed Presbyter extitit t Ibid. Vnde praefatam Insulam ab eis in possessimem Monasterii faciendi accepit Neque enim magna est sed quasi Familiarum quinque c. u Hist. Pag. 7. x Hist. Page 4. y Contra Judaeos Cap. 7. Loca Britannorum Romanis inaccessa Christo tamen subdita z Lib. 6. Fol. 95. v. 40. Coeperi nostri eo tempâ—re Christi dogma acuratissimè amplexari Monachorum quorundam ductu adhortatione qui quia sedulo prâ—dicationi vacarent essentque frequentes in oratione ab incolis Cultores Dei sunt appellati invaluit id nomen apud vulgus in tantum ut Sacerdotes omnes ad nostra pene tempora vulgâ— Culdaei i. e. Cultores Dei sine discrimine vocitarentur a Hist. Page 4. b Book 1. c Cap. 39. Caeterum dilatatae inveteratae Haereses nequaquam c. d Page 227. Et sequentibus e Defence of the Vindication of the Church of Scotland Page 36. f Fol. 95. Pontificem inter se communi suffragio deligebant c. g Ann. 431. Numb 191. Perductum quoque fuisse ad Hiberniam Insulam sed citò morte subduectum ex hac vita migrasse ex Probo qui res gestas S. Patricii scripsit dictum est superius Hibernorum quidem conversionem Deus S. Patricio reservavit h Ibid. Hoc eodem anno sub iisdem Consulibus Sanctus Prosper missum ait Palladium ordinatum primum Episcopum ad Scotos perductum quoque fuisse ad Hiberniam c. i Numb 4. Magno honore prosequentes ejus Reliquias in Mernia Scotiae Provincia collecatas k Numb 5. Porro eandem Ecclesiam nobilissimam hoc nostro saculo Deus tentati permisit ut Christianae constantiae praeclarissimum specimen ederet cum inter alios Martyres habere etiam meruit quod nulla hactenus Christiana Gens habuit ipsam Reginam Catholica Fidei eximium Decus ornamentum diutissimâ consessione in carcere ante probatam nobiliori coronâ Martyrii auctam l De historicis latinis Page 229. m Vide Usserii Brit. Eccles. Antiquates Page 799. n Irenicum Part 2. Ch. 7. o Antiq. Brit. Eccles. Page 809. p Iren. Part 2. Ch. 6. q Page 39 40. a De Sacramento ordinis Can. 6. b De Clericiâ— Cap. 11. c Fuller lives of the Divines d Pag. 24. Et sequentibus e Fund Charter Pag 26. Spotswood Hist. Pag. 316. e Hist. Page 257 258. f Century 16. Page 371. g Cald. Hist. Page 261. h Hist. Page 385. i Ms. Hist. Vol. 2 Page 340. k History of the Houses of Douglass and Angus Page 320. l Page 333. m Page 354. n Page 358. o Page 192. p 1 Book of disc head 1. q Calderwood's Ms. Hist. Vol. 2. Page 597. r See Spotswood Hist. Page 260. s Cald. Ms. Hist. Vol. 2. Page 354 t See Page 457. u See our Author Pages 207 208. x Cald. Ms. Hist. Vol. 2. Page 597. y Page 28. Et sequentibus z Epist. 79. Sed istud mi Knoxe sicut Episcopi Papatum pepereunt ita psendespiscopos Papatus reliquias Epicureismum terras invecturos c. a Hist. Pages 198 199. b Cald. Page 3. c Holy Cheat. Pages 31 32. d First Book of Discipline head first e Can. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 f Can. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 g Sozomen Lib. 1. Cap. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h Socrates Lib. 1. Cap. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i Spotsw Hist. 153. 174. k Cald. Ms. Hist. Vol. 2. Page 143. l Vide Epist. 206. Coxo gregalibus suis. m Heylin's Cosmography Page 305. n Page 108. Et sequentibus o Hist. Page 174. p Hist. Pag. 266. q See L'estrange holy Cheat. Page 31. r Pag. 133. s Head 5. t Hist. Page 158. u Pages 143 sequentes x Page 174. y Page 344. z Cald. Ms. Hist. Vol. 2. Page 489. a Ibid. Page