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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17585	Quæres concerning the state of the Church of Scotland	Calderwood, David, 1575-1650.	1638 (1638)	STC 4362; ESTC S118326	6,560	16

QUAERES CONCERNING The state of the Church OF SCOTLAND DEUT. 27. 18. Cursed be hee that maketh the blinde to goe out of the way and all the people shall say Amen Re-printed in the yeare 1638. Quaeres concerning the state of the Church of Scotland QUAERES I. WAS there ever any Realme since Christs Incarnation professed Christian religion so universally through all the parts thereof even to the utmost corners in such puritie both for doctrine discipline and publick worship with such libertie and for so many yeares together as our realme hath done In the Apostles dayes we read not of whole cities let be kingdōes to have professed the name of Christ. Soone after the departure of the Apostles sundrie corruptions entred into the Church and the mysterie of iniquitie which was working under ground in their time was advanced by little and little till it came to the full ripenesse Neither was there any Nation free from the open profession of Paganisme the first 300 years Since Constantines time that Christianitie began to prevaile above Gentilisme there hath been no Church which hath not been defiled with much superstition corrupted with many errors till the dayes of late Reformation From the first time of reformation to this houre no reformed Church hath spred it self so universally through any Kingdome with such puritie of profession but either their profession is not so universall being intermingled with Papists Anabaptists Lutherians or not so poore as in our neighbour Church II. WAS there ever any Nation which sealed their profession with Oaths Covenants and Subscriptions so universally and so oft as our Church hath done How often hath the Confession of Faith called the Kings Confession been subscribed by persons of all Estates through the Realme or by particular persons from time to time as occasion was offred to require their subscription A more fearfull oath cannot be conceaved then is taken in the end of that Confession in these words Promising and swearing by the great name of the Lord our God That we shall continue in the obedience of the doctrine and discipline of this Church shall defend the same according to our vocation and power all the dayes of our lives under the paines conteined in the Law and danger both of Body and Soule in the day of Gods fearfull judgement This is the Promissorie oath The Assertorie oath where upon it is grounded is this We therefore willing to take away all suspition of hypocrisie and of such double dealing with God and his Church protest and call the Searcher of all hearts for witnesse That our mindes and hearts do fully agree with this our Confession Promise Oath and Subscription So that we are not moved for any worldly respect but are perswaded only in our consciences through the knowledge and love of Gods true Religion printed in our hearts by the holy Spirit as we shall answere to him in the day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed To underly the paines conteined in the Law and danger both of Body and Soule in the day of Gods fearful judgement and to answere to him in the day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed are not lightlie to be considered but to be pondered deeply and ever to be remembred specially when we have to do with this our Confession III. I Appeale to every mans conscience Whether we have adhered to all the generall and particular clauses of this our Confession or not When we say in this Confession that we detest and abhor the Antichrist his five bastard Sacraments with all his Rites Ceremonies and false Doctrine added to the ministration of the true Sacraments without the word of God his cruell judgement against Infants departing without the Sacrament his absolute necessity of baptizing do we not protest that we will abhor and detest confirmation one of the five bastard Sacraments kneeling which is a Rite added to the ministration of the Supper without the warrand of Gods Word and invented by the Antichrist private Baptisme which is grounded upon the necessity of baptisme and doubting of the Salvation of all Infants dying unbaptized When we protest we abhorre and detest his dedicating of dayes do we not condemn observation of aniversary holy dayes And when wee protest wee detest and abhor not only his own worldly Monarchie but also his wicked hierarchie Do we not condemne the degrees of Bishops and Archbishops When wee say we abhor and detest all contrarie religion and doctrine to wit to the former Confession mentioned immediately before and the Christian faith receaved beleived and defended by the Church of Scotland but chiefly all kinde of Papistrie in generall and particular heads even as they are now damned and confuted by the word of God and Kirk of Scotland Doe wee not condemne Archbishops Bishops Holy dayes kneeling Confirmation private Baptisme seeing all these particular heads were damned by our Church either in the former Confession the first or second Book of Discipline and Acts of generall Assemblies before the said Confession was sworne to and subscribed and if any preased to practise them after they were damned the censures of the church was inflicted upon them Have we not of late failed in all these particulars and consequently violated our oathes promises and subscriptions underlying the danger both of body and soule in the day of Gods fearfull judgement unlesse we repent which we cannot seriouslie do except we recover so far as in us lyeth what is lost to the losse of any temporall thing whatsoever to the spending of the least drop of our blood and defend what is yet reserved whole and sound with the same hazard For what is that hazard or losse in comparison of all the paines conteined in the Law and danger both of body and soule in the day of Gods fearfull judgement Let no man deceive himselfe thinkeing to deceave God with evasions and shifts The Searcher of all hearts knoweth what was thy meaning when thou saydest We call the Searcher of all hearts to witnesse that our mindes and hearts do fully agree with this our Confession Promise Oath and Subscription And what was the meaning of the Church of Scotland with which thou protested thou would not use double dealing was too manifest both in practise preaching and the authentick Records aboue mentioned And put the case the particular heads above specified had been a matter indifferēt howbeit they were not so esteemed by our church yet who can deny but thus far at least was intended to eschew all occasions and provocations to tyrannie and superstition and therefore the oath howbeit in a matter indifferent was lawfull and so remaineth as long as they remaine occasions and provocations to tyrannie and corruption yea as long as the forbearance of them is not proved to be a sinne For great regard should be had even to a rash oath if it be not or prove not unlawfull for the reverence we ought to carry to the great

name of God Remember of the breach of the oath made unto the Gibeonites IIII. IOyning all the three former Quaeres together I aske If ever a Realme professing Christian Religion so universally in such puritie with such Libertie for so many years together and sealing their profession with such solemne promises oathes and subscriptions if there were any such to be found in any Historie that did make such defection as if they did if the heavie judgement of God did not overtake them Or secluding the consideration of our oathes subscriptions and solemne Covenants I aske If any of the Reformed Churches in any realme or Province professing the Gospell in the same puritie and so many yeares as we have done hath made so great defection as many of us have done Have they returned to their vomit taken up that which they rejected and condemned remaining still a reformed Church and not overturned with force of armes If not then suppose we had never sealed our profession with such solemne seales our defection is singular and our punishment will be examplarie unlesse we repent recover what is lost and defend what remaineth uncorrupted V. WHereunto doth this defection tend Doth it not tend first to perfite conformitie with the English Church then at last will it not end in full conformitie with the Romane Kirk The intent of the first is professed by his Majestie in expresse termes extant in print and therefore be not deceaved with the promises and protestations of our usurping and pretended Prelats As for example They will say to you his Majestie careth neither for He Saint nor Shee Saint but for dayes dedicat to Christ. They lie For his Majestie observeth both he and She Saints dayes as well as dayes dedicat to Christ. So howbeit you could digest both a Christmas Preaching a Christmas Pye which once ye lothed ye must and shall ere it be long do as much for Saint Bartholomew Virgin Mary the Innocents all the rest of their Saints for five Ceremonies ye shall have fiftie yea a hundred All the Relicts of Rome which are lying like stincking filth in their Church shall be communicated to us the paterne of their altar their Service their Hierachie and Romish policie shall be set up in our Church This defection tendeth yet further to wit to conformitie with Rome What meaneth the Bishop of Spalato in the Preface before his fifth Book to exhort his Majestie to proceed as he hath alreadie begunne to restore the Christian church to unitie Papist Lutherian formalist and Calvinist must then be all reconciled together united in one How I pray you are we united to the English Church We must yeeld all to them they would not yeeld any thing at all to us no not a hoofe sayd Whitgift Bishop of Canterberrie neither are they urged to yeeld any thing unto us But we are unmercifully dealt with to yeeld unto them Shall we for conformitie with the Lutherian the next day except of his monstrous opinions and other fond ceremonies after the same manner and the third year for reconciliation with Rome drink of the diep of her abhominations Or how shall that great worke come to passe neither England nor Rome giveth the least token of their comming towards us Yea wee must play the fooles and turne our face to them and take our journey first to England then to Rome The Bishop of Spalato hath not ridden all the foordes of Tweed well whatsoever is intended this our conformitie will of it self tend in the end to full Poperie For suppose wee should give place to these disturbers of our church who for their own gaine and glorie have laide aside all respect to Gods glorie the gaining of soules and the well of their Brethren yet Poperie should increase more mightilie as it hath done in our neighbour Church VI. WHether our conformitie end at last in conformitie with Rome or not What reason have we to leave our conformitie with the poore Apostolicall churches or the best reformed Churches in forraine Nations Brightman compareth our church and the rest of the best reformed to the godly church of Philadelphia the English to the glorious and luke warme church of Laodicea Shall we cast off our conformity with Philadelphians and conforme to Laodiceans Is not their church government the same that it was this day 100. years since in time of the grossest darkenesse and blindedesse Archbishops Bishops Archdeacons Chancelours Officials Commissaries exercising Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction in their spirituall courts as they did in time of Poperie excluding both Preaching and ruleing Elders from the Governement of their owne Parishes and the joynt governement of the church excommunicating suspending depryving by their owne sole authoritie medling with Testamentarie and other causes not belonging to Ecclesiasticall Consistories the Bishop taking to himself the sole administration of spirituall Iurisdiction over many hundreth churches yea deputing the same to Civilians Chancelours and Officialls and medling with the administration of civill Affaires as best beseeming his Grandeur This Bishop is not Pauls Bishop nor yet the Bishop which was first erected in the Ancient Church He differeth as far from him as the Consull in a Senate doth from a King or Monarch So seeing he is neither the divine nor humane Bishop He must be that Satanicall brought in by the Antichrist It were wearisome to goe through the calling and functions of their Suffraganes Deanes Canons and Prebanderies Organists Singing boyes Pistlets Gospellers Preists Deacons who are halfe Priests their Fasts their Eawes their Feast-dayes their crossing Kneeling Bishopping Houseling of the sicke Baptisme by supposition private Baptisme copes capes Tipets Surplices Rochets Churching of women Marriage toyes Funerall rites the gestures waried superstisiously at Service the forme of their Prayers and the rest of their Ceremonies It sufficeth that the best worthiest among them hath continually pleaded against them that they had never quyet possession in their own church that they were disused in many Congregations in the latter years of Queen Elizabeth of worthie memorie till they got strength againe immediatly after the Kings Coronation that they are obtruded onely by authoritie not liked off by many of the Formalists themselves who do temporise only with a bad conscience how shall wee then conforme to a church enthraled and under bondage How many times have the Godlie among them put up their Prayers to God and prefered petition to King and Parlament for the church policie of Scotland and the libertie of that pure Profession which we have enjoyed many years and shall that our glorious Garland be stamped underfoot The morning clouds which eclipsed the beginning of their Reformation remaine unscattered to this day and shall they be suffred to come within our horizon Not in our morning but after many years at the noone tyde of our day to obscure the glorious Gospell which hath shined to us in as cleare and pure brightnesse as ever to any nation Consider the charges