and promised for their parts to be quiet yet do not you so till your King shall performe all your demands From that which hath been done by you 5.6 and repeated by me I see other two errours banished which I conjoyn for brevities sake lest my Epistle should encrease to a Treatise viz. That the King is no more to be President nor supreme Governour in causes Ecclesiasticall It is the folly of your Divines to make the Moderator of your Assemblies to be unto the King or his Delegate in Assemblies as the Chancelor in the Parliament is to the King or his Deputy in Parliaments But I extoll your courage who now conclude with us Bellarminâ— Ad Regium officium pertinet ut legibus edict is suis â—am fidem teneri quam sacerdotes tenendam docent c. It s the duty of Kings by their Lawes Edicts to cause that faith to be kept which the Priests teach should bee kept For the spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets But is Saul also among the Prophets Is it true that the Anticovenanter sayes that in your Ecclesiasticall judicatories called 1 Sessions 2 Presbyterles and 3 Synods there wil be in the first sometimes twelve sometimes sixteene in some places 24. Lay-Elders for one Priest Secondly in your Presbyteries Lay-elders of equal power and number Thirdly in your Synods as many Lay-elders with their Assessors as there is Priests all which Lay-elders have as great power in matters of Doctrine and Discipline as the Priests themselves to judge and passe Definitive sentence c. But I trust it is not so for I heare that they are offended to be called Lay-elders and will be called Ruling-elders and Ecclesiasticall persons and so I doubt not but they have received orders from you And therefore seeing Ecclesiasticall persons among you have the managing of Church-affaires the civil Magistrate must be content to execute what you decree neither ought he to judge otherwise then you judge neither can he hinder you to make Lawes in the Church For as Stapleton sayes very learnedly with you Oves non possunt judicare pastores Let the sheep-heards judge of the sheep who must follow them as Christs sheep heard his voyce and followed him Therefore you have most valiantly shaken off that yoke of the Kings supremacie in causes Ecclesiasticall Novembâ— 29. 1638. Proâ—â—t in Juhi 1638 5 5. and at the Crosse of Glasgow proclaimed to the world against the Kings Proclamation for raising the Assembly that your Assemblies are the supreme judicaterie in all causes ecclesiasticall and since supreme its independent from the King 〈◊〉 appeale from 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Câ—â—â—â—â—ll â—oâ—â—e generall Assembly and Parliament 〈…〉 3. and your reason is good for that which is superiour cannot be subject to that which is inferiour Now as Bellarmine also sayes Regimen Ecclesiasticum sublimius est Politico The Ecclesiasticke government is higher then the Politicke for Principatus politieus institutus est ab hominibus de jure gentium at principatus ecclesiasticus est à solo Deo de jure divino The Politicke Government is institute by men and of the Law of Nations but the Church Government is from God alone and of Divine institution Therefore you conclude right that the king hath no more power to appoint officers in the Church then you have power to appoint officers of state for his Court. In Zions Plea pag. 289. You answer well to the Protestants objection thus If any object the Magistrates interposed anthority it 's quickly answered That his power is not to weaken any ordinance of God but for guarding and making good all Gods ordinances with the Sword And in your protestation at Edenburgh 18. December 1638. you bring from your Booke of Discipline a full and perfect description of the Kings authority in Church matters which is this To assist and maintaine the discipline of the Kirk and punish them civilly who will not obey the censures thereof And in your answer to the Marquesse of Hamilton his Declaration you say That the Supreme Magistrate as a Son of the Kirke ought to receive the true meaning of the Kirke and cause it to be received by those whom God hath subjected unto him Yea it is so fâ—rre from being a prerogative due to the Supreme Magistrate to bee Supreme governour in causes Ecclesiasticall that it is a favour granted unto him to have any precedencie in Synods without voycing except hee would become a ruling Elder and have accommission to come Therefore it is most remarkable which you say in your Protestation 29. Novem 1638. at Glasgow After 39 Nationall Assemblies of this Nationall Church where neither the Kings Majesty nor any in his name was present At the humble and earnest desire of the Assembly His Majesty graciously vouchsafed His presence either in His owne Royall person or by a Commissioner not for voiting or mukiplying of voyces but as Princes and Emperours of old in a Princely manner to countenance that meeting and to preside into it for externall order c. And this is all that wee grant to Emperors and Princes in our Disputes against Protestants And I pray you what Royalist can answer the Arguments which you have borrowed from us all their answer is that they exclaime that you do borrow your Arguments from your enemies yet not so great enemies as they suppose for the Jesuite is called the Popish Puritan and the Puritan is called the Protestant Jesuite and I trust that the like may be said of us which is said of Christ and Franciscus Turs lâ—â— Exue Franciscum tunica laceroque cucullo Qui Franciscus â—rat jam tibi Christus erit Francisci exuviis si qua licet indue Christum Jam Franciscus â—rit qui tibi Christus â—rat And wee are both by Papists and Protestants though unjustly branded with these vile Epithers Ludavâ—de Câ—â—zam to bee called Holy Divels the Standard-bearers of persidionsnesse the Architypes of Rebellion the Bellows of Sedition the Emissaries of the Divel the Kings evill and the Incendiaries of the whole world c. and our Thuan is so farre out of Love with us that hee sayes our Societie is Nata Magistratum convellere nata ministris Subtrahere obsequium Praesulibusque suum But albeit there were some odâ— between us what is that to them since they bee good for you who found fault with him who said Mutemus clypeos Danaumque insignia nobis Aptimus Dolus an virtus quis in hoste requirat Who can blame you while you say Protestat 18 Novemâ—â— 1638. that if Princes shall have such power in Assemblies and in matters of Religion then all Religion and Church-government should depend absolutely upon the pleasure of the Prince and hee may change it as he will So sayes learned Stapleton in his dispute against the Protestant Doctrine Posita hac potestate nec in una provincia velregno din erit fidei unitas
gods and men But I like not to trouble my selfe with such men but proceed to another head Which is concerning the power of your Discipline in temporall things wherein is a question whether our or your discipline the chiefe Commander in the Camp royall have the greatest power You do learnedly hold Answer to the Marquess Hamillons Declaration that the Kings high Court of Parliament cannot hinder you to make Lawes Ecclesiasticall seeing your Ecclesiasticall government is independent Yea you doe hold that your Assemblies may repealâ— and adnull even the Ecclesiasticall lawes that are confirmed in Parliament so that upon your re-calling them the sanction of the Parliament is nullitated and of no effect Your own words are Emphaticall Ibidem Albeit acts of generall Assemblies bâ—â— ratified in Parliament yet a generall Assembly may re-call those confirmed acts which being adnulled the civil ratification and sanction falls ex consequenti Certainely I dare promise you the Popes blessing for this most learned Thesis for now a door is opened to let in all Popery whether the King will or no so that I trust as I said at the beginning our Union shal be full For since your Assemblies have such power over Parliaments as to adnull all ecclesiasticall lawes confirmed therein as you have done already with Episcopacy and the articles of Perth which stand ratified and confirmed by divers acts of Parliament then it shal be easie for you at any Assembly when or where you wil to repeal and adnull all the ecclesiasticall lawes ratified and confirmed by Act of Parliament in favour of the Protestant Religion and to establish new lawes for our Roman Religion in stead of it though the King Parliament and Councell should resist you You haue good reason for it for as Bellarmine sayes Bâ—ll de â—lericis lib. 1. cap. 29. Habet se potestas ecclesiastica ad secularem quomodo Spiritus se habet ad carnem quam regit moderatur aliquando cohibet Caro autem nullum habet imperium inspiritum neque illum ulla in re dirigere vel judicare vel coercere potest Sic igitur potestas ecclesiastica quae spiritualis est as per hoc naturaliter seculari superior secularem potestatem cum opuâ— est dirigere judicare coercere potest ipsam verò à seculari dirigi vel coorceri nullâratione permittitur The ecclesiasticall power is to the secular power as the spirit is to the flesh which rules moderates and sometimes restrains But the flesh hath no command over the spirit neither can it direct or judge or restrain it in any thing So then the ecclesiasticall power which is spirituall and therefore naturally superiour to the secular may direct judge and restrain the secular power when it is needfull But by no reason is it permitted to bee directed or restrained by the secular power and therefore when your King did by his Proclamation discharge your Assembly at Glasgow which ought to direct him and not bee cohibited or restrained by him you did well to sit still and adnull divers acts of Parliament And in your Protestation against the Kings Proclamation for raising your Assembly Protestat Novemb. 29. 1638. as it was your wisdome not to enter into direct action with his Majesty so it was your courage to summon all the Lords of his Majesties Councel who consented to the Proclamation to appear before the Parliament the 25 of May 1639. There to be punished for giving the King evill councell viz to raise the Assemblies When the K. commands one thing by acts of Parliament or by his Proclamations you may protest against the same and command the contrary in your protestations and acts of Assemblie for as we say well Autor lib. ad persâ—cuâ— Angl. fol. 336. pâ—â—et ecclesia praposites facultas est amplissiâ—a interdicendi nobis ne reges obedientâ—â absequio nestre honoremus These that are set over us in the Church have a very large power given them even to interdict us that we honour not our Ks. with our obedience So the Councell of Trent coÌ„mands all to receive the decrâ—â—â— without regard to their Princes consent and denounceth ex communication in case of refusall requires an oath of obedience approveth violence in rooting out of heresie ordains the Inquisition for them Therfore when the King by his Proclamation did command that the Covenant of K. James as it was in 1581. yeer of God should be subscribed you by your authority did prohibite any to subscribe it but will have your own subscribed For this cause in your general Assembly you have set down An act discharging subscription to the Covenant which was subscribed by the Kings Commissioner and Lords of the Councell which his Majesty in his marginall note calls a traitorous act You have another excellent Act discharging all Printers in Scotland to print any thing in Ecclesiasticall affaires without the warrant of Jhonsâ—on your Clerk You have Acts also concerning mills salt pans and market dayes on Munday and Saturday And especially your Assembly hath adnulled his Majesties Court of high Commission all this we see in the Index of your Acts all is well done though it encroach upon the civill power for in temperalibus Ecclesia non solù◠praecipit dirigit Odoard VVest in Sanctuâ—r juris Pontis â— 6 sed coercet disponit virtute potestatit gubernativa In temporall things the Church not only commands directs but restrains dispones by vertue of her gubernative power And you know we do not maintain a direct power in temporall things but an indirect power in ordius ad spiritualia for we stand not upon words when we are sure of the matter it self and may bring all temporality within the compasse of our power But I pray you why did you forget to adnull the Acts of Parliament that doe ratifie the Kings Supremacy especially in spirituall things since you have adnulled other Acts of Parliament why have you prejudged your selves so much as to leave those acts for Supremacie uncancelled If you had remembred the complaint of your holy brethren in former times you would not have forgotten this but as you have de facto taken it away so de jure you would have declared the same an unlawfull act for as your predecessors said If the King have supreme power in causes Ecclesiasticall Thinus addition to Holinshed pag 446. then there is nothing left of the whole antient forme of Justices and policies in the spirituall estate but a naked shadow I goe on to a tenth Parallel which is your dispensation with oaths even with the oath of Allegeance and Supremacy with the oath of Canonicall obedience You will not upbraid us again with this as if we were only enemies and traiters to Kings For we dispence with no Subjects oath of Allegeance so long as they defend the religion but if they either fall from the religion themselves or will not defend
Hypocrisie while you said Practise of Prelates Peace was by those men kept inviolate for which of them ever dealt disorderly or tumultuously who ever of them in word or deed gave out any just suspicion of unpeaceable dealing nay have they not in their ministery in their examples striven for peace more then any for this cause as your Buchâ—n wel observeth with us Paul writing to the Romans sayes Let every soule be subject to superior powers Buch deâ—ure reg pag 5â— Ibid. pag. 56. Paul saies hee writes this in the infancy of the Church there were but few Christians then not many of th m rich or of ability so as they were not ripe for such a â—uâ—pose as if a man sh uld write to such Christians as are undâ—r the Lurke in substance poore in courage feeble in stâ—ength unarmed in number few and generally subject to al kinaâ— of injuries would he not write as Paul did So as the Apostle did respect the men h wrote unto and his words are not to be extended to the body or people of a Common-wealth or whole city And he tels us in this case 〈◊〉 bid pag. 57. if Paul were alive and did see wicked Kings raigning in Christian Common-wealths Paul would say That he accounted no such for Magistrates he would forbid all men for speaking unto them and from keeping them Company he would leave them to their subjects to be punished Rel. lib. 3. de Pont. cap. 7. neither would he blame them if they accounted no such longer for their Kings And as Bellarm. sayes Talis consensu omnium potest into debet privari suo dominio Si hoc priscis temporibus minus factum sit causa est quia deerant vires Such a King by the consent of all may yea ought to be deprived of his dominion if this in old times was not done the cause was because they had no strength But now the times are changed Hac atas alios mores postulat this age requireth other manners spare not big words tell the head its sick presse the people to armes too strike the Basiliske veine since nothing but that will cure the plurisie of your estate Covenanters informe for Defensive 5.2 Your strength is great yea so great that you professe your selves invincible if you kâ—epe unitie and veritie that is the doctrine which I congratulate Certainly you have an invincible Generall your head Lesley And as there is great union between us in doctrine and practice so I perceive a great similitude between both our Generals our Ignatius Loyola and your Lesley As for their birth I cannot compare them for neither Maphaeus nor Ribadeneira nor Valderana nor Becanus nor any that writes his life tels us who were his parents so that it seems pater Ignatii fuit dubii generis mater communis generis As for his life Maphaeus in Vuâ— Jgâ—at lib. 1 cap. 2. we deny not the truth for as our own writers say of his childhood satis constat cum in pueritià profanos admodum hausisse spiritus It is certain that in his childhood he drew in very prophane spirits And in adolescentià militiae ac vanitati sese dedit In his childhood he gave himself to wars and vanity Ribad de vit Ignâ—â—â— lib. 1. c. 〈◊〉 being ready to serve any man for his pay so that our Ribadencira caleth him Vanitatis vile mancipium A vile slave of vanity But at Pompeiopolis being couragiously fighting his leg was sore wounded and it was good for him Beâ— in for acâ—epto hoc luculento vulnere ad Deum conversus est Having gotten this great wound he was converted to God and his leg was amended but yet non nihil claudicavit seà honestâ— Ribad lib. 4. ap 18. quod ambulan li moderatione tegeretur He halted a little but decently and which he might hide by the moderation of his walking and become the founder and generall of our holy Society All this hath hapned to your Generall in his childhood youth-hood in his wound in his halting in his conversion and becomming Generall of your holy Society But from the halting of both our Generals the Anticovenanters draw an ominous conclusion that wee are like Israel in the daies of Elias halting betweene God and Baal and running creeked courses But notwithstanding of our halting they shall find that we can run and give them matter enough to worke on They have so sensibly found it so in our Generall Ignatius that all in our Church who are not of our order wish that he had never beene hurt in warre that so he might have there remained and never turned home where in peace he doth more hurt then he did in warres for abroad say they hee fought against the common enemy but at home he raiseth and fostereth seditions and treasons against Princes The same do many of you say of Lesley and apply that to him which our men speake of our Loyola Quam bello plus pace noces ad otia versus Crudelis animum vertis ad insidias Scotia in media conscripto milite regnas Diraque fraterno nomine bella geris But I pray you as we have followed our Generall Ignatius his command by yeelding up our selves our wils and judgements cacâ obedientiá as he did require so do you with your Generall in following his command and directions And so much rather I require this of you because I heare there are divisions among you 1 Cor. 11.18 and partly I believe it for there must be also heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest But you may amend this breach consider wisely where the division is likeliest to bee and prepare your salve for every mans sore and your bait for every mans humour If it be among the Nobilitie then extoll and praise what they have done tell that all mens eyes are upon them as the noble reformers of the Land let them heare of the noble facts of their progenitors commend perseverance and shew them what cowatdize is and what infamie will follow to yeeld to their Prince Put them in remembrance of that noble sentence of ours Toâ—it lib. 5. cap. 6 Si nobilis invasus posset vitam servare fugieâ—do non tenetur si inde infamiam contraâ—â—â—t fugere sâ—d hostem occiderâ— potest If a noble man being invaded may save his life by flying yet he is not bound to fly if he contract infamie thereby he is rather bound to kill his enemy much lesse to yeeld Let the women in the streets continue to preserre those young Davids ten times above their Prince and still pray for them And if there be any of the Nobilitie of greater worth tell them that the whole businesse depends upon them and that you will doe all by their direction and that they shall bee made immortal by recording their acts to posterity to come If you seare division in the ministery it
's easie to help that keepe those under who are not zealous in your cause let them not be acquainted with your mysteries nor be chosen Commissioners for assemblies if there be any matter of importance to be commended to the people send either conjunctly or severally some zealous ministers to their pulpits to rouze up the multitude and put the like edge upon such cold-rise ministers and if they become not more zealous put them in feare of Deprivation If you feare any division among the Commons it 's likely that some of them have seene the Kings extraordinary savour toward them but you ought to be carefull that they see not the Kings Proclamations and if any have seen them let them be perswaded that his Majesties Proclamations have this only end to divide them and then to destroy them and that all other faire promises shall have no reall performances Be not you behind the King in your promises to them also and howbeit you have a hundred thousand pound to take of them yet be not suddaine but by delaying put them in hope that you will never exact it For if you goe now to exact it it will make them repine and grumble and say instead of Salâ—mons easie yoke we are oppressed with Rehoboams heavie burdens and so make a rupture and returne every man to his tent and in the end submit themselves to their Salomon againe And especially let the ruling Elders command their ruled Elders or ministers to be diligent in season and out of season to keepe the multitude in their zealous humour for if they doe not uncessantly blow upon them they will be like mare mortuum and never be moved Cease not to possesse them with an evill opinion of all that oppones themselves to your courses either by word or writing make them believe that all that writ against your confederacie are unnaturall enemies to their Countrie and that it is not against your faction which they doe but against Church and Kingdome and suffer no man to deny this to be a Nationall quarrell or to call it a Faction and all that refuse to cast in their lot with you call them the cursed inhabitants of Meroz that will not help you against the mightie And let all that follow their King be called the Kings faction according to the example of your progenitors who called all that followed the Queen a faction which they would punish as Traitors whensoever God should put the sword of justice in their hands Knox. hist of the Church of Scotland pag. 364. that is when they should find themselves able to depose the Queen as they did and represse her Subjects There is another thing which I desire you to remember to try where those ministers that have beene most opposite to our doctrines and practises have had their residence in the ministerie that you may place able and zealous men for our cause in those same places to build up the people which they have destroyed This worke is well begun by you in bringing Henderson from the Countrie to the town of Edinburgh Dikson to Glasgow and Rhetorfort and Blair who could not get libertie to vent our Doctrine elsewhere to S. Andrews and in particular let them bee carefull over the studients in Colledges â—uo semel est imbuta recens servabit odorem testa diu And as for those who like the men of Succoth and the inhabitants of Meroz refused to joyne with you it s well that you did not take the th rnes of the wildernesse and bryers to teach them to beat downe their houses this may content them albeit you restore not their goods which you tooke while you plundered their houses Though they be busie seeking it yet you are not bound according to our rules Nullus tenetur cum vitae periâ—ulo Tolet. lb. 5. cap. 37. aut famae rem alterius restituere sunt enim vita fama nobili oris ordinis quam res No man is bound 01 with the danger of his life or good name to restore another man his goods againe for life and a good name are of a more noble order then goods are for albeit there be no danger of your life to restore every man his owne yet your name is not safe for if you restore to each man his goods againe at least it will be a tacite acknowledging of your robberie and that is hurt some to a good name But some say that it is a matter of conscience to restore a mans goods againe which is better then a good name yea the way to recover a good name but I refer this to the schooles I have some matter of expostulation with you but I will be loth to do it now who have begun to congratulate with you for that sweet Harmonie both in opinions and reasons which is of late grown up amongst us Rome was not builded in one day we must not look that at the first you can receive all our doctrine though in a short time you have profited much Et vos conversi convertite fratres Master Cant could preach at Glasgow in what need England and Ireland standeth of the Covenant where some have their eares cut for the defence of the truth and are groaning under the tyrannie of the whore of Babel And since so it is you should pitie the blindnesse of those people who have not a learned man in England or Ireland to lead them but the blind leadeth the blind But I perceive you are not negligent herein your Ironicall preterition is most notable while you say Answer to the Mâ—â—quesse of Hamiltons declaration We do not meddle with the Kirks of England or Ireland but recommend to them the patterne showne on the Mount But what patterne of the mount is this I pray you is it the Patterne showne by you on Dunce hill called by your preachers mount Sion with an armie against the face of your King if it be so it s a worthie patterne that requireth imitation But if the Patterne on the mount be the Patterne of your discipline you doe well herein to imitate your progenitors for they were desirous to have Episcopacie throwne downe in England as you are now or as wee are desirous for their pride is so great that the least of them sayes that they have no more dependance from the Pope then he from them that their calling and place is of as great power and authoritie as his is within his diocesse thus limitating the universall Bishop as if hee were onely a Diocesian Yea they are not ashamed to say that all the Popish bishops are but equivocally called Bishops and univocally are the Popes slaves for as they have their power and authority from the Pope so are they tyed to his obedience by oath Romans pentifici veram obedientiam spondeo acjuro Form Iuâ—â— Bulla Pii 4. I promise and sweare to give true obedience to the Pope of Rome So that as the Bishops of Apulia