therefore when first his Maiestie perceiued an intended nouation in Church-gouernement his Highnesse discharged it and protested against it by his letter registred in the Bookes of generall assembly An. 1579. â—ul 7. What can you finde out of all this why Episcopall authoritie should not be restored againe or rather see you not many reasons that should moue vs to receiue it 7 As for your alleadged oath whereby you make the simpler sort beleeue that our Church hath abiured Episcopall gouernement the strength of your cause is in it but it shall be knowne to be as weake as the rest of your defences For first of all an Oath should be defended by the lawfulnesse of the thing that is sworne and it is no good ground in Diuinitie to defend the thing that is sworne by pretence of the sacred authoritie of an Oath This order you keepe not Secondly since the most part of Preachers in our Church gaue no Oath for Discipline at all for mine owne part it was neuer required of mee and I know there 〈◊〉 many others in the same estate What reason is it that the Oath of some albeit they had made it as you say which will not be found should binde others that made it not Thirdly when it was appointed by act of Parliament An. 1572. Ianuar. 26. that the confession of faith which therein at length is exprest should be sworne and subscribed by all Church-men the gouernement which then was in our Church was Episcopall for the Oath and subscription is ordained to be made in presence of the Archbishop Superintendent or Commissioner of the Diocie as the words of the Act plainly imports so that this Oath makes no renunciation of Episcopall authoritie but rather ratefies and approues it Fourthly concerning the latter Negatiue confession whereof it is most likely you meane what will you finde there against Episcopall gouernement Nothing at all it is a good confession many Pastors professours of our Church haue sworne it subscribed it Othere say you an Oath is conceiued against Hierarchie Mr. Dauid speake as the truth is Now Rahel takes the Idols and hides them in Cammels litter Now Rachel blushes for shame Now Mr. Dauid steales away the chiefe words of the confession and hides them for feare they should tell the truth and shame him will you say M. Dauid Hath our Church renounced Hierarchie simply all sacred authoritie all order all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say it not for shame there are the words looke what we haue renounced these are the verie words of the Oath We detest and refuse the vsurped authoritie of that Romane Antichrist his worldly Monarchie and wicked Hierarchie Therefore saith Master Dauid we detest all Hierarchie Why mutilate you the words and why falsifie you the words which you bring by a corrupt sense of your owne which I will proue was not the Subscribers minde Will you condemne Episcopall gouernement vnder the name of Papall vsurped worldly wicked Hierarchie Is it ignorance hath moued you who would thinke you were so ignorant or if you know better what malice is this to beare downe a good thing vnder an euill name Were not Bishops in the Church before a Pope vvas in Rome at least before Antichrist was hatched in it Haue any sort of men in the Church done more suffered more to destroy Antichrists Kingdome then Bishops yet you will haue all Bishops Antichristian Let vs first see the iudgement of the Fathers of our owne Church plat contrarie to M. Dauids it may be he will reuerence them and thinke shame of his owne folly when M. Iohn Knox got license from our generall assembly to goe into England they wrote a Letter with him of this tenour The Superintendents and Commissioners of the Church of Scotland to their brethren the Bishops and Pastors in England that haue renounced the Romish Antichrist and doe professe the Lord Iesus with them in sinceritie the perpetuall encrease of the holy Spirit See it registred in our assembly Bookes An. 1566. M. Dauid did our Fathers esteeme Episcopall gouernment Antichristian Hierarchie Do they not plainely disioyne them writing to Bishops that had renounced the Romish Antichrist O but it will be said Our Church was then in her infancie it may be you make them all Infants all the worthie learned and vnspotted Superintendents of our Church Iohn Willok Superintendent of the West Iohn Winram of Fyfe Iohn Spotswood of Lowthian Iohn Erskin of Din Superintendent of Angus Iohn Row Superintendent of Galloway make Infants also of M. Knox M. Craig M. Lyndsay M. Hay with many more I cannot name present at the writing of that Letter all these may well be Infants where a man of your experience comes out but beleeue me wee haue not seene many such olde men in our Church since Now as this sense which you make of the word Hierarchie is against the minde of our first Fathers so is it against the minde of the swearers and subscribers and are you not a foule abuser to inforce vpon them a sense whereof they thought neuer This is cleere as the light For why did not his Maiestie sweare and subscribe that confession of Faith This was his royall and most Christian oath offered to God in defence of his truth Did not his Highnesse there and at many other times professe openly a renunciation of that wicked Hierarchie Will you inferre vpon this that his Maiestie therefore abiured Episcopall gouernement I dare appeale to your owne knowledge hath not his Maiestie kept one constant iudgement concerning Church-gouernement euer from his young yeeres doth not the inhibition of nouation in Church-gouernement cleere this doth not the publike printed Declaration of his Highnesse intention proue it doth not all his Highnesse speeches and actions before the subscription since the subscription declare his Highnesse approbation of Episcopal gouernement and yet you would make it to be beleeued of the people that his Highnesse renounced Episcopall gouernement when his Maiestie renounced Hierarchie vsurped Papall wicked this or else a worse must be the drift of your language Truly you may thanke God you haue to doe with a clement and gratious king And that this same which is his Highnesse mind of that Article is also the minde of most part of the ancient teachers and other brethren learned godly vnspotted who haue well deserued of the Church present by fidelitie in their ministrie will bee cleared also I will not goe about in any inordinate manner to seeke subscriptions to this purpose but when it shall be required by order in the Church you will finde a cloud of witnesses standing against you to improue this calumnie of yours yea many times in my younger yeeres haue I heard famous and auncient Fathers of our Church who haue seene the first beginnings thereof affirme that our Church could not consist vnlesse Episcopall gouernement were restored againe this they spake when there was no appearance of it and when Episcopall
good of his Brethren as if I had so spoken of my selfe confirmes me in that which I perceiued before that you are but a vaine discourser pleasing your selfe in Argutijs silly fectlesse and impertinent conceptions and speeches And therefore being loath to wearie the Reader and my selfe both any longer with your Battâ—log-Tautolâ—gies I presently commit them to the South winde to be carried away from your Peele-house at Preston with the remaâ—ent smoke of your pannes to the water of Forth and so bid farewell to Mr. Dauid in his furie and now turne mee to speake with him in his more sober minde THE ADMONENT VVHat is there then to be done here will you say euen this certainely as you said sometime your selfe If you haue gotten new light which you had not before communicate it to others your Brethren that they also may follow you in their hearts and know they yeeld to you in a good conscience c. Let bitternesse be remoued let the cause with calmnesse and meeknesse be considered THE ANSVVERE NOw at length M. Dauid the euill blood begins to fall from your heart God be thanked and you are come to some coolnes suppose not kindly enough yet of your former Feauer wherein you raged yet it puts vs in hope you may recouer of this disease betime what you haue here said I receiue â—buijs vlnis any light I haue I will willingly communicate bitternesse â— agree be remoued Perit enim iudicium vbires transit in affectum I wish therefore perturbate and preiudicat affection may be laid by It is onely these two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that fights against Episcopall gouernement To be short I embrace all your conclusion and euery condition of it except onely where you will me not to disguise my speech by sought out sentences and oâ—tentation of reading to iuggle the iudgement of the simple I must warne you that whether your word stand for a iâ—gulator or a deceiuing Iugler your deede comes too soone against your protestation euen now you craued bitternesse may be remoued and you cannot leaue it but to vse your owne Prouerbe A Wolfe will be a Wolfe Naturam expellas furcalicet vsque recurret And as to my manner of writing I cannot change it I want not my owne reasons neither haue you any cause to complaine of it Now we goe to the question THE ADMONENT I Goe from all that long disputation 1. Whether Bishops be lawfull 2. Whether they were and how they were in the Primitiue Church which you claime to 3. How they were in our owne Church at the beginning or leaues it to a fitter time and alledgeth how euer these things were they are not lawfull now to vs 1. In respect of our oath since our oath 2. in respect of our Discipline more profitable for vs. THE ANSVVERE NOw Mr. Dauid hauing of a long time trauelled with wickednesse and conceiued mischiefe at length bringeth forth a lye When all is reckoned and counted the matter comes to iust nothing Et magno conatu murem tandem peperisse videtur Who could haue looked but that Mr. Dauid who so largely and liberally hath condemned Bishops in word would haue brought at least one argument against them hee doth it not but rather destroyes all that hee hath said before You cannot eschew this you haue multiplyed words and by most sharp Inuectiues haue condemned Episcopall gouernment you haue called it tyrannie and vnlawfull in it selfe and now you remit the lawfulnesse or vnlawfulnesse of it to be disputed Truely good man you haue wronged the partie and abused the Reader for according to reason you should haue disproued Episcopall gouernment before you had condemned it but after that you haue condemned it is it not your shame to remit it to further reasoning In the one you haue shewed superfluitie of malice mouing you to speake euill of it in the other penurie of knowledge that you haue no reason to iustifie you in the condemning of it Thus haue you shewed your selfe in initio confident em in facto timidum one that feareth to fight but is bold to bragge You will not simplie giue ouer the combat but declines it farely for this time and puts it off to a better time but in my minde a better time could you neuer haue had then this seeing you haue gathered your friends and haue mustered you Armie and ordered it out of your ripest wits in sixe sheetes of paper before you what a shame is it that in so feeble manner you should turne your backe and leaue all that you haue sent and said before You haue braued a Bishop in presence of your friends now hee stands before you and you dare not looke him in the face nor strike one stroke at him in this quarrell that the office of a Bishop is vnlawfull in it selfe But to pursue you euen to the vttermost point wherevnto you haue fled in this also you shew your selfe weake yea ridiculous for now you haue drawne all your speech to this Assertion and I pray the iudicious Reader to consider it Howsoeuer Episcopall Gouernment in it selfe be lawfull or vnlawfall to other Churches or sometime lawfull in our owne Church yet it is not lawfull now A Paradoxe indeede I thinke Mr. Dauid speakes not simplie but grants it by concession But taking it as hee giues it let vs heare it ouer againe Though Episcopall gouernement in it selfe were lawfull lawfull to other Churches lawfull once to our owne Church yet now it is not lawfull To proue this Mr. Dauid brings two Reasons which had neede to be very strong it being a strange Position they haue to defend but the Reader shall by Gods grace see it made plaine that there is no more truth worth nor value in his two Reasons then in the rest of his Assertions And since the whole weight of the Controuersie stands vpon these two Reasons I set them downe truely to you as Mr. Dauid hath set them downe to mee The first REASON We may not receiue Bishops because the oath in conceiued word is against Hierarchie The second REASON In respect of our receiued Discipline more profitable for our Church The Confutation of these reasons BEfore I come to a iust examination of these Reasons I will onely present a view of their weaknesse to the Reader in these words In the Confession of faith sworne and subscribed by the Preachers and Professors of this Land they haue abiured the Popes wicked and worldly Hierarchie Mr. Dauid leauing out the differences of Papall wicked worldly makes mention onely of Hierarchie which in it selfe signifies an authoritie or imperatiue power in things sacred Who will abiure this but to declare their meaning they added these three differences Papall worldly wicked but Mr. Dauid to declare how hee distrusts his owne cause deceiueth the simple by putting in into his Reason the Word Hierarchie onely By this any indifferent Reader may see that Mr.
their Religion This cannot be but the bolt of some enemie or the birth of the braine of some friend ouer-farre miscaried with opinion If it hath done euill to any it is an argument their light is weake for why doth diuersiue of externall gouernment import a difference in Religion Are there not many famous Churches in Europe flourishing this day vnder the Episcopall gouernment haue not many Bishops themselues beene honoured with the honour of Martyrdome and sealed the truth of the Gospell with their blood since the reformation of Religion Latmer Ridley Cranmer and many moe in our neighbour Church may stand for examples I will beseech all such weake Christians to take none offence where it is not giuen Ad vâ—itateâ— fidei sufficit vt â—adem sit doctrina Euangelij Sacramentorum administratio It is sufficient for the vnitie of faith that the Doctrine of the Gospell and Sacraments be one and the same in other externall things there may be diuersitie yea often times the diuersitie of times and states of people will require a diuersitie of externall things for the furtherance of the worke of edification 7 The Apostles did all teach one and the selfe-same Doctrine but did not all gouerne their Churches in one and the selfe-same manner for Iames and Peter among the Iewes tolerated Circumcision which Paul among the Gentiles would not doe yea the Disciples of S. Peter and S. Iohn testifie how these blessed Apostles kept the Feast of the Passâ—ouer on diuers dayes as both Eusebius and Socrates doe write yet was this diuersitie no impediment to the propagation of the Gospell by them both It is euer to be considered what the worke of edification requires For that kinde of externall gouernment which some Churches of Christ hath and others hath not shall there be entertained a Schisme in our Church and an vnnecessarie and vnkindly contention betweene a Christian people and their most Christian King Since to speake in most modest termes to giue contentment to such as are not contentious there is no question of Faith in the Church of Scotland Christian people might be ignorant of this disputation about Discipline come to heauen neuerthelesse if so it might please some of their Pastors neither is there a question betweene good euill but betweene good and better betweene two whereof either of them haue had their course to be when the other was not euen in this same Church I doubt not the iudicious Reader will consider this Wisedome shall be iustified of her children 8 But here I know it is obiected by men euen of moderate mindes if such gouernment were better vsed and these who haue receiued it did more good with it then it would soone purchase credit to it selfe and be the better liked These men I see haue nothing against the thing it selfe but against the vse of it by which kinde of argument now commonly it is impugned To these it were sufficient to answere that Artisicum errata artibus attribuâ—â—â— mon sunt the errors of Artisans are not to be ascribed to the Arts themselues or to such as more wilfully reason in this manner to answere as Naziâ—â—zen did the Eunomians Cum in se â—ihil prâ—â—â—â—ij habeant in nostra illud 〈…〉 Where in themselues they haue no strength they seeke it in our imbecillitie Et de malorum in 〈◊〉 sciutilla flammam exâ—â—tant ad 〈…〉 afflandâ— tollunt vt longè 〈◊〉 Babiloâ—â—â—â— superet Of a little sparke of euill in vs they kindle a great fire by blowing vpon it with their secret surmisings and publike reproches till they make the flame which they haue raised out of a sparke to mount vp higher then the furnace of Babel thus is it the manner of men to blame readily where they loue not 9 But to goe further with them as with all reason I require that the faults of persons be not imputed to their Offices so with my heart doe I wish in all that are imployed with Ecclesiasticall authoritie so moderate a behauiour that no offence should be giuen to the weake nor cause of contradiction to the contrary minded but that as Iosephs preferment tending to the good of all his brethren forced them who enuied it at the first to thanke God for it at the last euen so credit may be conquest to vs in the hearts of them that feare God by feruent and faithfull aduancement of the Gospell of Christ Iesus We should neuer forget that warning which Ierome gaue to a certaine Bishop Rusticus Narbonensis vide ne minor inueni ar is in Chrisâ—◠〈…〉 in hoe seculo Take heede that thou be not found lesse in Christ then thou art named in this world thou art called a Bishop so liue that Christ that great Archbishop may approue thee for one 10 But yet by some carnall and contentious spirits who liue as if they were Demi-gods and in their tongues God had set his tribunall or had made them Iudges of the consciences of their brethren it is obiected published and carried from hand to hand in a Libell as full of lies as lines thatâ— corrupt respects of gaine glory hath moued me to embrace it a fearefull crimination if I were as guiltie of it as they are bold to affirme it I know it is a horrible sinne to abuse an holy calling to filthie luere the Apostle said that godlâ—nesse is great gaine that is to say that great gaine is godlinesse Questum 〈◊〉 piâ—tatem It is a peruerse order Terrena coelestibus â—ercari to buy earthly things with heauenly where the spirituall Ministriâ— teacheth vs to exchange earthly things for heauenly such impietie as this will be punished with a worse leprosie then that of Gehazi And no losse abhominable is it to abuse it to vaine-glory and affectation of honour it is a grosser idolattie then that of the Israelites who of the gold and siluer which they reserued from the Lord made a Baal to themselues 11 To such I will answere as Augustine did to Petilian I am a man appertaining to the floore of Christ if I be good I am there as corne if I be euill I am there as chaffe Sed non est huius areae ventilabrum lingua Petitiani But your Petulant tongue like the tongue of Petilian is not the fanne of this floore If any man thinke hee knowes me better then I doe my selfe let him giue iudgement as he pleaseth and others beleeue him as they list if they will credit me of my selfe my witnesse is in heauen and my conscience within me beareth me record that I was not moued with gaine or glorie and I trust to declare it by Gods grace But what Bene sibi conscius non debet falsis moueri nec putare plus esse Ponderis in alieno coâ—â—itio quam in suo testimonis Hee that hath in himselfe a good conscience should not be moued with false conceptions in others nor esteeme that there
of what spirit these railings haue proceeded Saint Iames saith that the wisedome which is from aboue is pure peaceable gentle easie to be entreated no oath of conscience can entreate Mr. Dauid It is full of mercie he is so full of malice that hee runnes ouer for who will say but that the house is full of smoake when it commeth out at the dore and window It is without iudging he is bold to iudge the most secret things It is without Hâ—pocrisie hee at one time kisseth and killeth with Ioab The same man whom at one word hee cals A beloued Brother at the next word hee cals An abhominable man a false Teacher c. His mouth is full of bitter enuie and strife his tongue set on fire of Hell would set on fire the course of Nature yea the whole Church if hee could this wisedome descends not from aboue but is earthly sensuall and diuellish saith S. Iames. Loe where you are Mr. Dauid see by what Decree you are condemned in this doing not mine but the Apostles Is not this the monstrous birth of your Viperous minde Looke backe to it againe and see if it be well faced or not Thinke you not shame of it or otherwise will nothing content you except yee be the Basiliske king of Serpents and crowned as chiefe of railers But let vs examine more narrowly and see what truth is in him You will first haue mee to confesse an error why not I daily doe it who knoweth the errours of his life Errare possum Haereticus esse nolâ— Wee are men and may fall into errour from Heresie Grace will keepe vs and mine heart abhorres it But are you Mr. Dauid and your fellowes free from errour Homo iuste sanctâ—le tune sine macula Holie one tell mee are you without blemish Dic mihi noue Pharisae nomine duntaxat pure Is it so I hope you will thinke shame to be a new Pharisie pure in name onely Audes tu mundum te dicere qui etsi operibus mundus esses hoc solo verbo immundus fieres Dare the Catharan Nouatian Donatist say he is cleane albeit in regard of his workes he were cleane yet this same proud word would make him vncleane But I thinke Mr. Dauid will confesse error also why then casts he the first stone at mee O forsooth Mr. Dauid is a common Christian and I am a Preacher But may not a good and faithfull Preacher commit an errour To cite a testimonie of Scripture not out of the right place is an errour to draw a sense out of the words not consonant to the course of the Text suppose agreeable to the Analogie of Faith is an errour to say that Timothie placed in Ephesus was an extraordinarie Euangelist seeing it is plaine hee was setled there as an ordinarie Bishop may be an errour but no Heresie to say that Papall Hierarchie came out of Episcopall authoritie is an errour for it is not the proper cause of the other but who will call it Haeresie or falsifying of Gods message And many other waies not needfull to be repeated may Preachers commit errour which yet are not Heresies God forbid they so were O but it is an higher Commission which this Legate from the Legion hath brought against mee Hee is to accuse mee of many points of Treason against the most high God for so hee reckens them out You haue taught erronious doctrine false doctrine and deceiued others Auoid Sathan thou art shamelesse in lying You haue falsified Gods Message Goe behinde mee Sathan you are diuellish in railing You haue prophaned the chaire of veritie The Lord rebuke thee Sathan Mr. Dauid this is not you I will neuer thinke the good man of Gods-Croft hath said this no it is but subtle Satan abusing the sillie Serpent Vas es alius te vtitur organum es alius te tangit The Apostle leades vs to this consideration We wrastle not with â—lesh and bloud but with Principalities Powers and spirituall Wickednesses In this you are but Satans Serjeant Is est qui omnia peccata nostra rimatur diligentia inuidiâ— It is hee that searcheth all our sinnes with the watchfull eye of Enuie I am onely sorie that you are thus abused by him and haue learned Ex vno multa facere so cunningly to calumniate and to imploy your engin to make a mountaine of a mote if you could finde it yet you would seeme modest and professe you are loath to touch but can you be more malicious and if yee can I defie you For I must tell you many a time hath Satan troubled mee with his grieuous accusations so much more fearefull then yours in that they were internall I haue appealed and drawne him before the highest Tribunall and there sundrie absoluitorie Decrees hath my God giuen mee against his false imputations by many glorious victories hath the God of peace trampled Sathan vnder my feete And now you come in as it were vpon a new factorie from him to charge me againe with the same criminations and pursue mee before the Iudicatorie of men Sillie man why haue yee done this Seeing I haue endured the roaring of a Lyon thinke you that I will be commoned for the biting of a Flea Euen Satan himselfe as false as he is knowes and if hee could speake any truth hee might tell you that you are here miscarried from the truth I am no prophaner of the Chaire of Veritie I haue gone to the Pulpit in much feare and trembling I neuer went to it vnsanctified by Prayer and the best part of that houre of preparation haue I spent lying vpon the ground on my face with teares and cries begging the Lords mercifull assistance And after greatest humiliation I haue found his most comfortable presence I am forced to vtter that which I thought neuer flesh should haue knowne for answering this shamelesse Accuser who chargeth mee as a prophaner of the Chayre of Veritie And as for false Doctrine you are the first aduersarie among Professors that euer charged any in our Church with it Is any Article of Faith denyed because the gouernment which you would haue is denyed Are they all false Teachers who stand for defence of Presbyteries against Episcopall Gouernment or will you haue them false Teachers who stand for the maintenance of Episcopall gouernment Doth the one of them so esteeme of the other You will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Doctor of the Law but vnderstand not what you speake nor what you affirme Can you call it false doctrine which impugnes not any article of Faith Know you not that Preachers are the lawfull Iudges of true and false Doctrine Spiritus Prophetarum subijcitur Prophetis You are no Prophet nor Preacher God called you not to that honour yet your pride causeth you to stretch your selfe beyond your line and to giue out against a Preacher a decree of false Doctrine You would haue it a matter of Faith least
corruption in mee hath had any secret respect to these Idols beleeue mee my heart is not priuie vnto it I know there is no man in whom the seede of all sinne is not If I come to be examined before God I will protest with Dauid Lord enter not into iudgement with mee for in thy sight shall no flesh be iustified I know not mine owne soule many euils are in it which are hid from mee for God is greater then the conscience and knoweth many things of vs which our owne conscience knoweth not But so farre forth as a man can know himselfe in this whereof I am accused I may answere you boldlie My lips haue spoken no wickednesse and my tongue hath vttered no deceit It was not the loue of Gaine or Glorie that hath wrought this change of my minde In this you haue wrongfully and now after mine Apologie and oath of Conscience wickedly accused mee God forbid I should iustifie you vntill I die I will neuer take mine innocencie from my selfe I will keepe my righteousnesse and will not forsake it mine heart shall not reproue mee of my dayes This is Mr. Dauid the right application of this example But now you proceede THE ADMONENT NOW to looke backe but euen a little vpon this that wee haue alreadie said what is this wee see standing at the very entrie Is it not Fame and is not that a great Idoll as euer was in the World the cause of huge Idolatrie and yet haue you reared it vp here openly in a publike place THE ANSVVERE SVrely if you were not like an Idoll of the Nations that hath eyes and sees not I am sure you would not speake as you doe You complained in the preceding Section Alas we are blinde and truely you are much blinder then I supposed you had beene and now you say you see an Idoll and what an Idoll Fame Mr. Dauid it is but your dimme sight which causeth you to take one thing for another you are like that blinde man of whom wee reade in the Gospell when hee saw men hee thought hee had seene trees for his eyes were not yet well opened Stay a little iudge not out of your darke sight Pray IESVS to touch your eyes againe and you shall see more clearely what you thought to haue beene an Idoll and called so it is not so indeede it is a more excellent yea a most necessarie thing for a good name is as a precious Oyntment it is to be chosen aboue all riches Salomon said so hee saw as well as you and S. Paul will haue a Bishop well reported of euen of them which are without but if a good name had beene an Idoll hee would not haue so necessarilie required it Now you returne againe to your former blasphemous railings refuted by mee repeated now by you for so well is Mr. Dauid pleased vvith the tune of this Song that hee must sing it ouer oftner then once THE ADMONENT ANd that inconstancie with how blushfull things is it shielded how too like to Rahels Idols in her blushfull confession seeing for the eschewing thereof 1. Errour must be confessed 2. Erronious Doctrine 3. Rash affirming of vncertainties 4. Headinesse 5. Papisticke implicite faith 6. Falsifying of Gods Message 7. Prophaning the Chayre of Veritie 8. Carelesnesse of Calling THE ANSVVERE AND a mighty strong winde rent the Mountaines and brake the Rockes but the Lord was not in the winde and after the winde came an earth-quake but God was not in the earth-quake and after the earth-quake came fire but God was not in the fire Mr. Dauid now againe gathers his breath bends vp his bowels to bring out a mightie blast of winde out of the Desart and Wildernesse of a a barren heart against me not vnlike the winde wherewith Satan ouer-threw Iobs house and children at one blow so would this Reuiler ouer-turne my Name Ministrie Conscience and all with this one stroke and violent charge Many furious fierie and mightie boistering words of winde hath hee blasted out vpon mee but God is not in them I will abide with Elijah till the Lord come in a soft and peaceable voyce he speaketh peace to the hearts of his Saints The Lord will looke on mine affliction and doe me good for his cursing this day The refutation of them see Sect. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. c. Certainely it is euill more then enough to see men degenerate into beasts through the want of reason but it is much worse to see a man become a Diuell by abusing his reason so maliciously that they Qui Angeli sily Dei esse debeant ne hoc quidem vt homines esse videantur sibi reseruarunt who should be Angels and Sonnes of God reserue not so much modestie to themselues as whereby they may seeme to be men or to put difference betweene them and beasts yea rather worse then beasts euery beast hath some one euill qualitie of the owne but you will finde a man so beastly that in him they are all collected in one Irascitur vt Serpens pungit vt Scorpio insidiatur vt Vulpes imo quasi Diabolus atrocia suscipit bella in fratrem And this hating abhorring deuouring one of another argueth it not saith the Apostle a carnall man yea truely Non humanae mansuetudinis sed immanitatis est belluarum it is beastly barbaritie and not that mansuetude which becommeth men The Lord who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manure by his grace the heart of Theagrius and all our hearts that these thornes and bryers may be rooted out of them and like a ground blessed of the Lord they may bring forth the spirituall fruit of Meeknesse Truth and Loue. Now you proceede to improue my Reasons and ere euer you doe it you take a Decree to your selfe to call them ridiculous and fectlesse but what is it which may not be labefacted by words THE ADMONENT THE first is to comfort the King for that you insinuate that his Maiestie may haue the comfort of his Subiects Alas what say you take you on a Bishopricke to comfort the King who will beleeue you and that it is not rather to comfort your selfe THE ANSVVERE YOV dispute with words not comely and with talke that is not profitable Shall a wise man speake words of the winde how vnlike your words are vnto mine the iudicious Reader will consider by reading mine Apologie My reason I doubt not will be thought weightie of all honest hearts this it is Seeing we haue a Christian King sustaining contradiction of the Aduersarie for the Gospels sake it is no reason his Highnesse should be grieued with the contradiction of his people also specially for a matter not so materiall as you would make it for a point of Discipline not of Faith wherein his Maiestie doubtlesse hath the best end of the cause also Is there no pittie nor compassion to such a Father of the Church and Common-wealth Shall his
Maiestie be loadned with burdens at all hands grieued with enemies and grieued with Subiects also This is my reason it moued mee then it moueth me yet and made mee to resolue that I would not be contradictorie to his Maiestie in any cause for the which I dare not giue my life and I trust such a cause shall neuer fall into the heart nor hand of the Lords annointed This was my resolution long ere any motion of a Bishopricke was made to mee God knoweth it men know it thinke you and yours what yee like to the contrarie Now this reason you answere this way Who beleeues you that you tooke on a Bishopricke to comfort the King and not rather to comfort your selfe Is not this thinke you a iust confutation yet wee must take this for a sufficient proofe that Mr. Dauid saith the contrarie who may not see that in stead of reasoning you raile you shame your selfe you answere not mee It is very well knowne I sought not a Bishopricke I thinke in this I shall haue no accuser to charge mee with Ambitus and after that his Maiestie vnrequired vnknowne or vnlooked for of mee had out of his Maiesties owne free pleasure presented mee vnto it there interceeded more then eighteene weekes before that I accepted it I would not haue done so but griped more greedily at it if I had so farre regarded my selfe as you alledge Mr. Dauid I ought you no quittance neither make I any vnto you but of the very truth of mine heart I declare to such as feare God that if the respects of dutie I owe to his Maiestie and this Church had not beene stronger in mee then any respect I had to my selfe I should neuer haue accepted it This is the truth calumniate as you will You goe yet on THE ADMONENT BVT here you all commonly insult and runne out vpon it and haue euer the King the Kings Maiestie in your mouth whom we all reuerence THE ANSVVERE ANd doth this offend you Mr. Dauid is it not good reason we should haue his Maiestie in our mouths yea and in our hearts also as a singular blessing of God bestowed vpon vs for whom wee cannot be thankefull enough to our God whose fatherly loue and care and entire affection toward his people wee are neuer able to recompence no remembrance no care no seruice no obedience here can be sufficient And then that you may seeme to say something you pray THE ADMONENT TOuching his Maiestie whom the GOD of Heauen blesse in his owne person and posteritie to the worlds end and send him better comforters then any of you Bishops be THE ANSVVERE A Man that boasts of false liberalitie is like vnto Clouds without raine What your affection to his Maiestie is we are not to examine his Maiestie can best discerne it of any man but as for your prayer we say Amen to it Euen the God of heauen send his Maiestie better comforters for his Highnesse is worthy of better then the best of vs are indeede Yet this is some good that there is no want of good will in vs we wish from our hearts we were better then we are more able to glorifie God t edifie his Church to serue his Maiestie then we are And albeit we cannot doe the good which we would yet his Maiestie shall not want the good which wee may and of his Princely equitie we doubt not but his Highnesse will accept good will in part of payment And as for you Mr. Dauid if your affection to his Maiestie be so sincere as you pretend then let me demand of you in these words which Zadok and Abiathar got in commission to aske the Elders of Israel Why are yee behinde to bring the King againe to his owne house or in plainer termes and meeter for our purpose Why render you not his Maiestie all the comfort and contentment you may Or if the light of your minde in this question permit you not seeing it is but your priuate iudgement and your selfe but a priuate man why take yee vp a publike banner against his Maiestie why shew yee your selfe an open contradictor and a partie speciall seeing this is not your calling and you haue no commission for it It would fit you better to be more sparing of your words and more liberall in your deedes to proue your affection to your Soueraigne which now by your needlesse medling you haue called more in doubt then it was before And now to declare what you meane by better comforters you fall out into a commendation of our brethren contrarie minded in Church-gouernment THE ADMONENT GOe you beyond them who stand for our Discipline eyther in affection or in action or in praying or in praysing by word by writ by tongue by pen to honour him to the world within his owne countrie without to forraine Nations you know you haue not done it not can any Bishop of Scotland doe it beyond them THE ANSVVERE PRoud hautie and scornefull is his name that worketh wrath in his arrogancie What neede you to take this paines out of your pride to worke wrath among Brethren it will not be for you Mr. Dauid you shall long commend them before you offend vs. If so be the change of Court could content you I wish it were good comforters good counsellors may they be to his Maiestie you will finde no Bishop of Scotland to hinder it but by all meanes willing to procure it but more impertinent are your comparisons which follow THE ADMONENT VVIll you enter into comparison with them in any thing or can you preferre your selues Come let 's see and let vs try it but a little What can you say you loue him so doe they you pray for him so doe they c. THE ANSVVERE AS the coale or wood maketh fire so is a contentious man apt to kindle strife A false witnesse that speaketh lies and him that raiseth vp contentions among brethren doth the soule of the Lord abhorre What needes I pray you such words or how are they for the purpose of our argument Doe any of vs disesteeme of their gifts in my iudgement you had commended them better and forborne comparisons You derogate from them when you compare them with others inferiour to them in good Is there no way to aduance them but to set them on the backes of their brethren Is not this higher pride then to ride on a beast at Parliament I doubt not it is against their will but you haue mounted them so in the conceit of your vaine minde Why doe you not consider that there is in the Church diuersitie of gifts but the same spirit The Lord is a wise dispenser of his gifts who hath not giuen all vnto any one If there be one endued with a gift which another wants looke againe when yee will and you shall see hee wants some gift that another hath Dauid an excellent Prophet yet hee needed a Nathan to waken him
vs beleeue that his Maiestie is on your side of this argument And as to my words are they not plaine that vpon condition they had a Christian King professing the Gospell with them they would be loath to discord with him for this matter of externall gouernement though indeede M. Dauid you plainely declare a contrarie disposition in you that ere your opinion of Church-gouernement stand not out you had rather stand at debate vvith a Christian King all your dayes This is the point but after your fashion you flie it Then you conclude THE ADMONENT THus are these causes no causes the sixe not making one sufficient The former which you call falsly-imputed causes remaine vnconuict of falshood vnrefuted for these and euill declined what will follow therefore and what must on the pretending of them I leaue to be considered not listing to diue any further And in the end of your answere to my second reason to this same purpose say you Beleeue me in this I cannot beleeue that euer you were that childe to take on a Bishoprick for these causes if you had not another cause I thinke it should haue laid long in the dunghill before you had put out your finger to take it vp c. THE ANSVVERE FAlse ballance are an abhomination to the Lord but a perfect weight pleases him he that condemneth the iust and absolues the guiltie are both alike abhomination to the Lord. M. Dauid now takes a decree to himselfe but vpon such false premises as makes it a decree of no strength nor value Hee iustifies againe the lying Libeller and imputes to me Gaine and Glorie hee renewes the former-confuted calumnies to shew himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ac Hyperivertigine laborare Hee willeth me to beleeue him that he beleeues not that such causes moued me He craues to be beleeued and will not beleeue an other But M. Dauid I will not stand with you I beleeue you that you can hardly beleeue any good of me your faith may well be strong but your charitie is colde your loue little if you had any since it beleeues all things you would beleeue me in one thing You tell mee ouer againe that all men whom you know thinke as you thinke I told you also I know you are all men but as honest godly and conscientious as you or they either beleeue mee and know I haue spoken the words of truth Any thing you haue in this Libell to contradict the cause you will finde it by Gods grace answered with reason where you fall to inuectiues against the person and against all reason vsurpe the iudicatorie of my soule conscience and affection I will still appeale to that supreame and onely Iudge of conscience protesting in his presence you haue lied against my soule enforcing vpon it a foule crime of corrupt loue of Gaine and Glorie whereof when I haue examined my selfe more then tenne times I finde mine heart free so farre as in regard of humane infirmitie a heart may be and the true causes mouing mee are declared in my former Apologie But to conclude this point vvith you by your fruits you haue declared what you are No man gathers Grapes of thornes nor Figges of thistles your words void of loue your raylings full of spight your iudging without warrant your pert affirming without truth witnesses cleare enough though you were the best of your band you are but a Brier no Figge-tree no Vine-tree in the Lords Vineyard if in these you continue And you know that Briers and pricking Thistles are the curse of the earth God make you better THE ADMONENT ALway this same weakenesse of reason to say no further bewrayes the selfe euery where through the whole body of this Apologie and among the rest most euidently in that point that you take libertie to make your selfe your owne Antagonist for we know none other THE ANSVVERE IN the remanent Sections of this Inuectiue we haue lesse order I finde none but more falshood manifest for now Mr. Dauid casts himselfe loose reeling vp and downe at his pleasure beating the ayre fighting against his owne shadow or else carping at my words and misconstruing them to his owne minde He complaines I make my selfe mine owne Antagonist albeit the contrarie be euident my first aduersarie was a lying Libeller I gaue my defences according to his accusations and now Mr. Dauid comes in to make all good that he hath said and hee will be my partie no way prouoked there-vnto by mee nor vrged by any necessitie except that Erostratus some way must be renowned He will be a busie-bodie Fedem in alieno choro ponere medling with other mens matters Not vnlike one that takes a Dogge by the eare so is he that meddles with strife that belongs not to him but I hope his owne wickednesse shall reproue him Hee entreates me not to reiect his admonitorie but to read it to pleasure him I haue wearied my selfe intermitting my better studies now these fortie dayes for reading and refuting of it this seauen yeares I spent not so much time with so little vantage to my selfe except that it may doe good vnto others I haue beene seeking fruit in horto Tantali for in all his admonitorie I cannot finde a line to make a man either more godly or more learned And this part of it where-vnto now wee enter containes no other but fierie inâ—ectiues in personam needlesse repetitions idle discourses for matter many of them false all of them fectlesse for order nothing else but a confused Chaos and in a word a building of small stickes standing vpon rotten posts In the examination whereof since he prouokes me to it I will not insist as in the former onely in the by-going will strike the post and let the building fall Hee first complaines that I haue not clearely enough declared the change of my minde concerning Church-gouernement what motiues what reasons wherefore and where-vnto I haue changed And about this it would wearie any man to read how he repeates and multiplies words Sect. 14. 15. 17. 20. An answere to them all see out of this Treatise In your 16. Section you lay downe a ground as graunted by mee vvhich I neuer gaue you that I thought our Church-gouernement 1. Anarchie 2. Confusion 3. Not allowed by God 4. Disallowed by God And heere you haue heaped vp a heape of words vpon a dreame and false conception of your owne braine you haue begotten it and you would father it vpon me the ground being false that cannot stand which you haue built vpon it I know there was order in our Church but such as needed helpe to hold out carnall diuision the mother of confusion the beginnings whereof in many parts were more then euident but then say you THE ADMONENT VVHere was the dutie of a Preacher your courage your boldnesse why cried you not an Alarum against such an enemie THE ANSVVERE TRuly Mr. Dauid there were so many false Alarums cried
in our Church for disturbance of the peace thereof by men of your humour abusing the simplicitie of some Pastors that it was needlesse to me to crie any more yea of purpose I fled it and thanke God I euer delighted to handle my Text for edification of the hearers in the matter of saluation and had no pleasure in digressions or other discourses yea not in an open rebuke of the sinnes of them who were not present to heare me Neither is it any reason that euerie vveakenesse seene in the State or in the Church should be proclaimed in Pulpit incontinent you cannot be ignorant that many things are rather to be tollerated then mended with vntimely remedies Ne dum volumus importune ruimis subuenire alias maiores multo videamur parare Mr. Dauid we haue had more then enough of this stuffe among vs Men that will suffer no Bishops and yet in Presbyteries will either gouerne all or else nothing goes right yea some as if they were Episcopi Episcoporum sit in their land-ward Pulpits as in chaires of censure giuing out iudgement of King State Church Countrey and all ranks of men condemning them in the hearts of their hearers with iniust and vntimely rebukes that neuer come to the knowledge of them vnto whom they are directed this is a proud vsurpation couer it with the cloake of zeale who will which for my part I neuer approued yet this is one of the Alarums Mr. Dauid cries for THE ADMONENT TO take vp things then in grossest and simplest manner you misliked Episcopall gouernement say you because you feared tyrannie libertie and other euils should follow on it what is this to say that you misliked it not for it selfe but for the consequences of it THE ANSVVERE SInce it is notoriously knowne and I haue plainely confessed that I misliked Episcopall gouernement what needes all this enquirie of the causes of my misliking Sure it is I misliked it vpon misconception Now I know it but I knew it not then and is it any reason that I should for this be restrained from embracing a clearer light when God offers so that you take here but needlesse paines and yet you will be doing and to proue that I misliked Episcopall gouernement for the vnlawfulnesse of the Office it selfe which you will neuer be able to make good you bring foure arguments The first from a priuate speech of mine spoken to a friend at the Parliament in Perth which this way you repeat THE ADMONENT VVHether you behaued your selfe so or not let it be weighed by this little suruey of your speech first priuate then publike in priuate I will cite but one said to haue beene in Perth at their first riding there Let vs goe said you to your friend and see these proud Prelates ride which friend of yours afterward as is reported at your first riding in Parliament being come to Edenburgh and demanded of you wherefore hee was come in detestation of you answered you with your owne words hee was come to see the proud prelates ride I know others report this somewhat otherwise and that it was a Bishop that repeated your words in Edenburgh to that same your friend concerning you to giue you a meeting for that you said of him in Perth THE ANSVVERE NOW Mr. Dauid comes in to giue the Reader a proofe of his skill in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for lacke of Canonicall probations he turnes him to Apocrypha and makes vp a tale here so ridiculous by his owne narration as may make men maruell what hath made a reputed wise man so foolish hee saith I spake it to a friend in Perth and a Bishop heard it was I so inconsiderate as to speake that in my priuate house that time I was not out of it that a Bishop might heare in the streetes Why name you not the friend vnder generals you may say what you list yet you distrust your selfe for you say the tale which you bring here was said to haue beene in Perth said to haue beene what certaintie is here is this ground good enough say your selfe and indeede in the next word you shame your selfe It is say you otherwise reported yet you make them both all one in effect that is in truth both of them false and fectlesse Is this solid reasoning thinke you Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici Without wood the fire is quenched and without a tale-bearer strife ceaseth Haue you no matter wherewith to fill vp your paper but a tale of hee said and she said and you cannot tell who said it You will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Iudge to iudge mee and is ignorant of the Law for it stands in all ages a Law to a Iudge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he should not iudge by hearing and yet hee will receiue against me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a vaine report Thou painted wall thou sittest to iudge mee according to the Law and smitest mee against the Law yet wee must vnderstand that Mr. Dauid is a learned man who will denie this that knowes him and how euer this subiect seeme small yet his skill is the greater to make such a long and learned Commentarie vpon so little a matter and seeing hee hath taken this paines vpon it wee must all thinke it worthy of the reading or else wee doe him great wrong for so hee saith himselfe THE ADMONENT THe words of the fable are short and seeme to import little but let vs consider them they may giue vs light perhaps and perhaps no sufficient to this matter concerning all these chiefe points whether it was feare of euill to come or euils present you spake of whether vncertaine feare or certaine sight c THE ANSVVERE HItherto haue wee heard Mr. Dauid his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now followes his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it a cunning and most eloquent Orison vpon a fabulous narration How euer the matter seeme little Mr. Dauid warnes you hee can make it much Nouit tenuiter diducere and can out of it draw many prettie Quiddities and Illatiues vpon whethers and what ifs and can shew himselfe a Rhethorician vpon Niff naffes Mr. Dauid is no grosse spinster giue him the grossest stuffe you may get hee can twine it small so skilled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that of little hee can make much yea and could if neede required secare cuminum not vnmeete to be Steward to some Italian Lord that would haue many dishes vpon small allowance but that it were a losse to take such a good engine from the Schooles wherein if he continue the world will see that Scotus subtilis is reuiued in him againe But howeuer it be I pittie you that you should not haue some better subiect to trye your wits vpon for you shall beleeue me who euer reported this tale vnto you in speaking of it was but a lyar the thing it selfe is a false fiction you haue not done Christianly to
and not onely consented vnto it but the more I looked into it the more I loued it reioycing at the preferment of Preachers for this end and in honouring of them esteemed my selfe honoured And if the subscribed Supplication hath that in it which you affirme that the office of a Bishop is slanderous in the Church which I can hardly thinke that any learned or well aduâ—sed Preacher will affirme then I make it knowne vnto you it neyther had nor hath any approbation of mine This being the simple truth I doubt not but the indifferent Reader will thinke any ouer-sight that hath escaped mee very easily excused Your fourth Argument now followeth THE ADMONENT MIght I not adde also the Assemblies of Dundie 1580. at which it is likely you were as being within your twenty yeeres that you haue beene a Pastor where the office of a Bishop is called folly corruption mans inuention vnlawfull c. THE ANSVVERE IT is shame to see you alledge such notorious falsehoods I was not at that Assembly yea I was no Minister then at all being but twelue yeeres old I was newly taken from the Grammer Schoole in Dunbar and entred into the Colledge in S. Andrewes With many such false lies as these fighteth your Fellowship against mee which yet are currant for truth in your Colledge of Doâ—atists whose Spirit I iustly called alying Spirit for notoâ—ious â—alshoods are carried among you in secret from tongue to tongue and receiued in your meetings for vndoubted truths This I could qualifie by sâ—tting downe a particular catalogue of your â—alumnies but I will not at this time I haue onely to â—raue of sucâ— as feare God that howsoeuer many spare not to carie Satan in their tongue by false reports that they also lodge him not in their eare by hearing and receiuing a false accusation for this is required of them who shall dwell in the tabernacle of God and rest in his holy mountaine that they receiue not a false report against their neighbour and therefore rests assured that they vvill reserue an eare to heare mee before they condemne me These are the foure pillars of your great building so rotten in themselues that they fall as soone as they are touched with the finger and what then becommeth of your long discourses inferred vpon them Are they not Bullatae nugae bellering bablings watrie bels easily dissipate by the smallest winde or rather euanishes of their owne accord THE ADMONENT HOw is your change then and what causes are of it This had neede to haue beene cleerely shewed declâ—red and proued c. THE ANSVVERE IN this Section you returne againe improbitate muscae to the point from which euen now you haue beene repelled and you are not ashamed to be tedious to your Reader Eaâ—â—em semper canenâ—â— Cantilenam Still demanding how is your change It were more time you should bethinke you how to change your talke or if still you will multiply words in vaine I contend no more in that which I haue answered alreadie There be foure things saith Salomon which cannot be satisfied the graue the barren wombe the earth and the fire Whether you be the fourth of these for your fierie humour or a fifth to be ioyned to them for a hunger you haue and I cannot satisfie I rest resolued to take no more paines vpon you for this part of our question Two things onely you haue here which must be answered In the first you would proue that I haue much more cause to feare the euils may follow Episcopall gouernement now then I had before and your reason is THE ADMONENT CAn any humane carefulnesse suffice vnto that care it is true Princes haue long eares but other mens eares they haue many eies as Argus yet are they the eies of others and these others may be brought a sleepe by some cunning Mercurius Can his Maiestie in such distance see the whole proceedings of Prelates the whole and naked truth of things by such informers by themselues or their agents doth he now know the deepenesse of misteries euen the scurfe of many actions shall he hereafter The pride that may be that tyrannie libertie as it happens to grow their neglects sloathes bribes partialities how much lesse fore-see how they shall be eschewed c. THE ANSVVERE MAster Dauid you should haue aduised with your warrant before you had reuiled your Rulers you haue opened your mouth and giuen out false accusations Are you able to qualifie them but thou louest all words that may destroy O deceitfull tongue if you were put to probation vnder paine of suffering punishment due to these sinnes it would goe hard with you Neither can it be well when euery man takes libertie to accuse such as are in authoritie either in Common-wealth or Church and is not able to make it good that yet they goe away not the lesse without controlement what you sâ—eake concerning feare I confesse if that may please you I am neuer without feare Euen the most pure Doctrine the most perfect Discipline who can secure himselfe that none euill shall follow it Since in Paradise in the state of innocencie a Serpent followed Adam and Euah and corrupted them We are vpon earth like Passengers on the Sea were the winde and weather neuer so faire yet are they not without feare till they come to their harbourie because they know there may be a change and shall wee get vpon earth a state exempetd from feare or is it possible to set downe that forme of gouernement in the Church of the which wee may be sure without all feare none euill shall follow it Is none euill to be feared to follow Presbyteriall gouernement what you haue enquired of the one let me aske of you the other can all the faults offences sloaths of Presbyteries in not assembling to the weekely exercise with diuisions disobediences be knowne to his Maiestie it is more apparant the faults of one are sooner knowne sooner dilated sooner corrected then the ouer-sights of manie neither is it likely that Bishops shall escape with their smallest offences so long as you and such as you are their captors and inspectors dogging them at the heeles treading after them in all their foot-steps glad when you may heare or see any weakenesse in them that you lay hold vpon greedily making much of little that you may disgrace them Is not this to imitate Satans nature is it not contrarie to the conditions of elect Angels they reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner you with Satan reioyce at their fall it doth you more good then your meate or drinke to heare any blame you may impute to a Bishop God forgiue you But to returne sure it is no carefull no conscionable man can liue in any state without feare for why Satan seekes most carefully and cunningly to corrupt Offices most excellent and most profitable for the Church and the greater good be in them so long as they abide good the greater euill
manner of man hee is and woe will be to him that would bring such a shame vpon Israell without a cause if hee repent not As for mee I thanke God I was neuer stained with couetousnesse nor filthy lucre I defie all flesh Lord gather not thou my soule with the sinners nor my life with bloudie men in whose hand is wickednesse and their right hand is full of bribes but I will walke in mine innocencie redeeme me and be mercifull to me my foote stands in vprightnesse therefore will I praise thee O Lord in the Congregation Now you goe on THE ADMONENT TOuching our Church and Bishops being in it before you were borne if so be so is Popple among Wheate before it be shorne of great auncientnesse Coâ—uall springing vp with it and in the ground perhaps before it And incontinent You will finde it difficult enough to proue that Bishops were receuied in our Church wittingly willingly by choyse and free consent c. THE ANSVVERE IF I proue it not without difficultie and make it plaine to the iudicious indifferent Reader let mee be blamed Your refuge that Bishops were in our Church as Popple among Wheate will not relieue you for you will finde them planted in this soyle watred nourished and defended by the best Fathers of our Church In your scorning of vniting or revniting Bishops and Presbyters Weedes as yee call it with wine speaking oft-times so barbarously for want of better you doe but shew your selfe most worthy to be scorned as ignorant of all Antiquitie which could very well informe you that a Bishop without a Presbyterie is an head without a bodie and a Presbyterie without a Bishop a body without an head Where by a Presbyterie I vnderstand that which Ignatius cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Consistorie of a Bishop subordinate to him afterward called his Chapter because they were instar Capituli Episcopo which serue for assistance of him in waightie matters as also to take care that the possessions of the Bishopricke should not haue beene dilapidated Then is it well when they both goe together euery one in their owne place to doe the worke of God But no maruell Mr. Dauid denies that Bishops were in the Primitiue church or that our owne church once allowed them for hee is bold to denie that any Father or Brother of our present Church approueth the Office of Bishops but esteemes it as followeth THE ADMONENT 1 THe Office of a Bishop is vnlawfull in it selfe 2. More vnlawfull in this Church of Scotland 3. Vnprofitable in it importing tyrannie and is it selfe tyrannie 4. Doth and shall import more libertie and loosenesse of life in it selfe and in the Countrey with Papistry senslessenes Atheisme some that thought wel of it in the beginning thinke worse of it now Consider the experience in boldning Papists in so vnlookt for manner so many witnesses in our chiefe Towne since Bishops got gouernment as was not nor durst not be in all Scotland when Presbyteries had gouernment Now Corruption flowes and ouer-flowes the whole Country and defaceth the face of a most beautifull Church THE ANSVVERE MAster Dauid continues yet in his humour adhuc in Aegiptum euagatur patitur se in Assyriam pertrahi framing himselfe to the manners and fashions of Egypt and Assur hee raileth against Israell forgetting all pietie and modestie and truth that becommeth the holy people whereof hee professeth himselfe to be one Hee denyes that any eyther Father or Brother of the Ministrie in Scotland allowes the office of Bishops except it be Bishops themselues this is a notorious vntruth hee still affirmes it is vnlawfull and vnprofitable but vpon what reason wee will see when we come to the Question If yee had spoken this out of knowledge that the Episcopall Office in it selfe is vnlawfull and tyrannicall you would haue giuen some reason for it but when you come to the point you shew your selfe a coward turnes your shield on your shoulder and farely flyes the combat You would seeme a great Captaine and make your fellowes beleeue that you were matchlesse but strike not one stroke to defend their cause or hurt the contrarie but if crying may win the field then should be beare away the victorie for still hee cries it is vnlawfull tyrannicall and what not the reason is Mr. Dauid saith so and any silly wife could say as much to a cause as you doe here for you bring but words and so could shee suppose hardly so many as you In your other speeches you shew your selfe so full of malice that before you want doung to cast on the face of your Brethren whom you seeke to disgrace you had rather rake it out of the bellie of your Mother for what say you Is not the whole Church ouerflowed with Papistrie God forbid but rather the deluge of waters which was before is begunne to fall See you not the tops of many mountaines discouered and by all appearance if the Lord by the care of a prudent Prince had not prouided this remedie of Episcopall authoritie it might well haue fallen out as you say that the spawne of Papistry would haue ouer-flowed all Otherwise tell mee what would you haue done to preuent it Excommunicate them so might you quickely haue equalled the sicke wiâ—â— the whole or 〈◊〉 haue infected the whole with the sicke What else could you doe vnlesse it had beene to draw the matter to the needlesse hazard of a battell as seemes by you words They durst not say you what is it to keepe a man that hee dare not The Ecclesiastique sword you know was contemned the 〈◊〉 sword that is the last remedie praised be God wee haue a better all your Physicke is violent Cut off cut off but a prudent Prince in more moderate manner can effectuate peace giue authoritie to truth and falshood fals to the ground And where you say that the face of a most beautifull Church is defaced meaning the Church of the first towne in the Kingdome how vnrighteous vndutifull and inconsiderate are you Is it your pleasure to spit in the face of your Mother delight you to vncouer her shame if you could finde it and where you cannot is it your sport to blacke her face with the soote of your calumnie and then call enemies to looke vpon it What say you Mr. Dauid to the Church of Edenburgh Is it not still a Mother Church Is not the way of God truely taught in it Hath it not learned and famous Preachers of whom you are vnworthie Is there any defection in it from any point of truth How then defaced By Masses say you said in it Were they publicke You dare not affirme it Were they stollen in secret You cannot denie it and yet discouered by the vigilant care of their Bishop and Pastors Thankes to God such abhomination dare not be auouched there Is this a defacing of that Church No it is a detracting of yours no defacing of
Dauid deales not truely nor faithfully nor like a man defending a good cause but fore-seeing that these words would destroy his Assertion of purpose he leaues them out His second Reason is without reason and against the very rules of reasoning This is Petitio principij he begs the question and takes it for a principle which is the Controuersie it selfe as shall appeare in our improbation I will not be presumptuous to dispute that which is concluded alreadie and past in a Law Onely to cleare the proceedings of our Church from the wrongfull imputations of malecontents I giue an Answere to all their Obiections in these Positions following 1 Episcopall gouernment in it selfe is lawfull and of all other hath best warrants in the Word Mr. Dauid hath declined this question yet will I giue to him and others such light in it as God hath giuen mee 2 No Church since the dayes of Christ vnto our Fathers dayes was without Episcopall Gouernment and Mr. Dauid cannot shew one instance to the contrarie for howsoeuer in some reformed Churches Superintendents were placed the name being onely changed the matter remained 3 The Church of Scotland in her purest estate enioyed the Gospell with Episcopall gouernment for the space of twentie yeeres as may be proued out of the Monuments of our Church for there you will finde by Acts of generall Assemblie Ministers ordained to be subiect to Superintendents A Law craued from the Lords of secret Counsell for punishment of such as disobeyed Superintendents Power to hold Assemblies twice in the yeere giuen to Superintendents Power to transport Ministers giuen to Superintendents Power of diuorcements taken from Ministers and giuen to Superintendents Power to admit â—inisters and depose them giuen to Superintendents No religious Bookes to be printed but by adâ—ise of Superintendents This was the order of our Church all the dayes of Iohn Knox c. Here you obiect first that the offices of Bishops and Superintendents are not one and why I am sure you know in power of signification they are one in power of Iurisdiction they are declared to be one by Act of generall Assemblie Anno 1573. what power a Superintendent had by the law of our Church that same power a Bishop had by the same Law And those Countries which had Bishops of the reformed Religion president ouer them were neuer committed to the care of Superintendents but the Bishops exercised all points of Iurisdiction partaining to them vvithout any contradiction made to them by our Assemblies To â—ay yet further there was appointed by the generall Assemblie some Commissioners to be assembled with other Commissioners appointed by the Regent and Lords of Councell to entreat of Ecclesiastique Iurisdiction establish it Commissioners for the church beside sundrie Superintendents were Mr. Iohn Knox M. Iohn Craig M. Iohn Row M. Dauid Lindsay with others that were in the yeere 1564. The same Commission renued againe by the Church Anno 1567. and againe 1568. a Supplication from the Asâ—emblie to the Regent M. Iohn Willok Superintendent of the West being then Moderator was directed desiring that such as were appointed by the Lords of his Highnesse Councell and by the Church might meet for setling church-Iurisdiction After this in euery assemblie the same sute is renued till at length An. 1571. the gouerâ—ment of Bishops is ratified by act of assemâ—lie Thus M. Dauid you see Bishops willingly recâ—iued into our Church Your other Obiection is Superintendents had their Office from the Church did their Office by aduise of their Brethren and were countable to the Church for it Tell me I pray you what else see you in Bishops Their Office and power is from the Church their temporall preferment their rent and maintenance is conferred by the King yea good reason it is that his Maiestie haue the nomination of a Bishop out of lytes of honest men giuen in by the Church What nouation is here You will finde the nomination of Superintendents referred to his Highnes Counsell in his Maiesties minoritie becausâ— they gaue them their maintenance see Act of Assemblie An. 1562. Againe Superintendents did by aduise good reason see the Law prescribed to Bishops of olde An. 1573. that no Bishop admit any Minister without aduâ—se of three well qualified Ministers of the bounds The same stands now and can you say that any Bishop in our Church stands against this except onely that where the Law bindes them to vse the aduise of three they vse the aduise of sixe or tenne or thirteene if they may get them What can you say against this Mr. Dauid See you not here a constant forme of gouernment in our Church See you any other Bishops now then were in the dayes of Iohn Knox Here say you Superintendents were changeable but you should haue cleared your selfe not deceiued the simple people vnder ambiguitie of words Tell the truth were any of them changed in their time or was there any cause might haue taken from them the office of a Superintendent but such as might haue also depriued of the Office of Preaching and all other offices in the Church In which case Superintendents Bishops and Pastors both might and should lawfully be deposed but God be praised such examples feil not out in our Church Oh but Superintendents were subiect to their Brethren Here also you luâ—ke vnder the shadow of doubtfull speeches Will you say that Superintendents were subiect to the censure of Ministers ouer whom they had the inspection The contrarie is true our Fathers foresaw the perill of that and exempted them from it reseruing them to be iudged by the generall Assemblie as I haue cleared before and doubtlesse there could be no order where such as should correct the faults of others are put vnder the censure of thosâ— that should be corrected by them You still reply there is now say you no generall Assemblie to censure them but you may know that the same Law which restoreth the Iurisdiction of Bishops ratifieth also generall Assemblies howbeit in a reformed State the power to call it belongs to the Christian Magistrate and seeing it is the Parliament of the Church the great Ecclesiastique Councell of the Church the calling of it except vpon very vrgent occasions proueth often more hurtfull then helpfull but where great and weightie causes require it you may be sure the Prince will not refuse it But your great grudge is here that Bishops are not vnder the power of Ministers to be cast out of their places by pluralitie of voices You dreame of an assemblie that would finde the authoritie vnlawfull and depose them all but you are deceiued our Ministrie are not so affected they see the necessitie and vtilitie of this calling they who disliked it at the first are now brought by reason and experience to allow it and where you will finde one discontented with it I warrant you tweâ—tie who are pleased with it and thanke Goâ— for it Speake no more
in word you might now make it knowne by your deedes But now my fourth reason you gaine-say in this manner THE ADMONENT THe fourth to enduce Bishops ad remedium Schismatis that is to say the Authors of Schisme for the remedie of Schisme if this be not mockerie I know not what is mockerie for are not Bishops the onely Authors of Schisme in our Church Were they not the first occasion formers mouers forgers ftirrers vp and yet entertainers of it It was not till they came put them away and it is gone loe the right remedie of our Schisme c. Mâ—tter not therefore these suspitious words which you professe to speake lesse of for duties sake THE ANSVVERE SHall men hold their peace at thy lies and when thou mockest others shall none make thee ashamed It was Ieromes iudgement that Episcopall gouernement vvas brought into the Church inremedium Schismatis and I said the like rupture now required the like remedie This argument you vnloose not with your tongue but your teeth biting at that after the manner of beasts which offends you not answering it with reason What is mockerie say you if this be not mockerie Is it mockerie to say that a Bishop was brought in inremedium Schismatis since it is Ieromes saying charge him as a mocker and not me and after your owne manner trample all men vnder your feete be they auncients or recents that agrees not with your humour this vvas Ieromes Iudgement but when wee come to the point Episcopall gouernement will be found elder then Ieromes dayes and maintained by greater authoritie where-vnto also that I doe him no wrong I thinke his owne words shall leade vs. But say you there was no Schisme till Bishops came they haue made it not remedied it This double calumnie is answered very well by affirmation of the contrarie and where you vrge mee not to vtter such suspitious words as to say the lesse I speake for duties sake the more I leaue to be considered of them who know the truth heereof Mr. Dauid you may prouoke as you please and tempt as you will but you shall neuer preuaile to make mee vncouer nakednesse which should rather be concealed and couered And if of weakenesse I were moued so to doe yet as Calanus the Indian Philosopher said to Alexander what praise were it to you to force me to doe that which I like not Where Bishops are reuerenced there is a comely vnitie pleasant to see such as should be in the Familie of God mutuall loue among brethren and of them all loue and reuerence to their Bishop as vnto their Father This haue I seene and haue reioyced in it What needlesse diuision hath beene before is knowne also but shall not be knowne for me to them who know it not Now you proceede to the improbation of my first Reason by sixe Interrogatories THE ADMONENT NOw of the fift what shall I say when you haue searched all the question is about Ierusalems wall whether it should be round or foure-squared euill searched certainely who searcheth well will finde more to-wit the first question is whether the wals that are built already should be pulled downe and built in another fashion Secondly which are strong built with stone and lime at the least I might say with brasse and Iron bands already if they should be pulled downe and built with sand and grummell THE ANSVVERE BOth these questions are resolued with one answere Let the auncient wals of our Church-gouernment stand where they decaied let them be repaired not with sand and grummell of promiscuall regiment these are weake defences for a besieged Citie but with Episcopall Authoritie which is able to procure greatest reuerence to Ecclesiastique Censures which otherwise by the impietie of this age men would draw into contempt and make them but like the Spiders Web hauing some strength to hedge in the weaker but easily broken through by the stronger And this the Aduersarie findes in experience that the wall which they haue besieged so long is stronger now then euer it was where-through many of their chiefe Captaines are moued to forsake their Campe and enter themselues into the Citie And if our good Ezechia had not thus carefully repaired the wall doubtlesse you had felt the weakenes of it long ere now the charge being so great that was giuen by the enemie and I may well say that all those who are not bewitched with some sinister conceit finde peace procured to the Citie in her owne bowels and greater strength against the common enemie so that others also of the meaner sort who oft before contemned our greatest censure of Excommunication in all parts of the Kingdome are faine now to render themselues obedient to Discipline this is a knowne truth howsoeuer Mr. Dauid would obscure it THE ADMONENT BVT if the question be light and of so small importance as you would make it seeme by that fashion of speaking as a difference onely betweene round and square why is so much trouble so much strife such trauell such charges â—â—ugre the indwellers with such compulsion of the worke men better let it stand as it stands then trouble all the Countrey or hurt a simple Labourer if there were no more c. THE ANSVVERE INdeede because you are the people onely Wisedome must remaine with you If the good man of Gods-Croft counsell had been craued and his consent obtained all should haue gone well But Mr. Dauid for all your malecontentment it is better then you apprehend it your errour proceeds from the wrong vptaking of the question if you had to do with your companion or the Controuersie were onely among the workemen themselues then to speake as you haue done were somewhat tolerable suppose-not absolutely best But here Mr. Dauid you haue to doe with your Master with your Soueraigne Lord with whom it becomes you not to stand vpon as good And here the question is feeing the great Maister of the worke vnder God with aduise of many skilfull and worthy workemen will haue the wals repaired and of circular made quadrangular knowing this to be best for the safetie of the Citie and that vpon his owne expences not troubling the whole countrey vnlesse you and your Diocie be the whole not maugre the indwellers but with consent and approbation of the most wise and auncient inhabitants in it Whether is it meeter that the rest of the Worke-men here should follow him or otherwise resist him and tell him to his face they will not doe it for him and not content onely to with-draw their owne seruice in this worke and obedience from him will not suffer if they may stay it any of their fellow-workemen to serue him in that worke or if any will doe murmure and grudge against them speake euill of them and esteeme them for enemies and so make a fearefull diuision in the Citie for a needlesse cause But to leaue the Parable and to speake plainely seeing a Christian
King requires the wall to be repaired and that vpon reason yea forced thereunto of necessitie is it not better that Pastors and people in this should obey their King then otherwise by refusing and resisting should procure and continue a needlesse debaite betweene a Prince of such knowledge and pietie and his people betweene a King and his Church and betweene faithfull zealous godly and learned Pastors among themselues And now Mr. Dauid thinke shame that you professe to haue so great respect to a simple Labourer but no respect to a singular King no more then if hee had not to doe with the worke at all rather then a simple Labourer be hurt say you let the building stand rather then a singular King be offended say I let the wall be renued Where pride is where fectlesse and needlesse contention is whether with you or vs I leaue it to the consideration of the Christian and iudicious Reader What regard the auncient Fathers of our Church had to his Maiestie in his minoritie how loath any way to make his Highnesse regent and the Lords of Counsell their partie by giuing them any cause of offence the monuments of our Church can witnesse But now the pleasure or displeasure of a Christian King in his old age is nothing regarded yea it is maintained for an Axiome that Christ his Kingdome is dishonoured when helpe is sought from the arme of a Christian King I thanke God what euer my minde was in Church-gouernment I knew not I loued not such foolish pride Then I thought out of simplicitie that euery mans minde had beene like mine owne seeing I see it is otherwise and far otherwise they must excuse me to mislike in them that which I neuer loued in my selfe that is a proud conceit of singular sinceritie a disdaine of others a delight in needlesse contention and a misregard of a Christian King of whom we haue neuer esteemed as we should and as time will force other ages to acknowledge Your third interrogatorie now followeth THE ADMONENT VVHether the wals should be retained in that estate wherein they are built and as they are after the direction of him who is both Lord and chiefe builder a cunning master of the worke or if wee should cast them downe and build them againe after the pleasure of the Prentises and conceit of the Labourers THE ANSVVERE MAster Dauid is so forward in his owne purpose that he forgetteth his speech or else his tongue runnes before and tarries not on his minde A labourers office is the basest of any who are imployed in a building Mr. Dauid came neuer to this honour as to bee a Labourer in Gods house yet hee dishonours it so farre that where in the former Section hee said hee will rather haue the Master of the worke albeit hee were a King offended then a Labourer be offended now hee saith the Master of the worke his word should bee a Law and a Laboures conceit should not be regarded Doe you not here proclaime your inconfiderate folly But now to your Interrogatorie take this for an answere Your question is out of question to vse your owne words in this you are your owne Antigonist you shall haue none of vs your contradictor turne your question into an Assertion wee assent to it Let the Tabernacle be built after the patterne which God shewed Moses in the Mount let the forme of Church-gouernment be learned from Christ and his Apostles let the auncient Fathers of the primitiue Church be followed where they are followers of Christ and such as will doe otherwise let them be accounted Nouices Prentises ignorant Builders whose conceit may not should not be a warrant in so great a workemanship Your fourth Question followeth THE ADMONENT IF we should pull downe the wals quite with our owne hands and dismantle the towne wholy THE ANSVVERE THis is as needlesse a question as the former and nothing else but an idle conception of your owne braine yea worse then Idlenesse an exceeding great malice that because the Citie is not gouerned after your humour you will encourage the enemie to besiege it and signifie to them by your warning Peece that the towne is dismantled and hath no wals to hold them out Is not this to encourage them boldly to set on But though such vnnaturall Mutiners as you would betray it bewraying the weakenesse of it to the aduersarie your euill hart may foome out your owne shame and procure your selfe the iust reward of such vile treason but the Lord for his names sake will protect the Citie build vp the wals thereof and loue it still And now if any truth Mr. Dauid remaine in you concerning this matter tell mee doth this Citie want any wall that euer it had or rather are not the Towers and strengths of the wall fortified that the Samaritanes Tobie Sanballat and their complices grudge and murmure to see Ophell Mariamne Phaselus built vp againe To be plaine with you wants there any Ecclesiastique Session want wee Synods Prouinciall or Nationall Is any censure of Admonition Suspention or Excommunication taken away they are rectified roborated but not remoued how then say you the towne is dismantled Your fift Interrogatorie followeth THE ADMONENT YEa in effect if wee should receiue in the Plague that hath proued so that hath beene cast out and cut off for corruption THE ANSVVERE SPeake more sparingly if you meane not to proue a pestilent man in the Church You call Episcopall gouernment a pestilence so you say but you proue it not Much take you in this Treatise vpon your tongue as if it were a sufficient warrand for all your Assertion The goodman said it for if you come to probation how hath it as you say proued a Pestilence the common argument you thinke is knowne well enough that the Episcopall degree was a step to Antichrist then must you graunt it was in the Church before Antichrist yea truely long before Papall tyrannie was hatched which is the worldly and wicked Hierarchie our Church hath abiured Episcopall gouernement was in the Church and you haue no more reason to condemne Episcopall superioritie although as you alledge Papall primacie had come of it then you haue to condemne Veritie because Heresie came of it per accidens If man had neuer beene ordained sinne by man had not come into the world if the word of truth had not beene preached the people of heresie had not followed if there were not a bodie there should not be a shadow if there had neuer beene a Bishop there should neuer haue beene a Pope as you say What then because sinne is euill is the man made by God not good because Heresie is abhominable is not Veritie approuable because the shadow is a vaine thing is the bodie so because the Pope is a Plague in the Church is the Bishop so also If this be a proofe of your best Logicke what will the rest be But say you it hath beene cast out of the