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A57865
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A vindication of the Church of Scotland being an answer to five pamphlets, the titles of which are set down after the preface / by the author of the former vindication in answer to ten questions.
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Rule, Gilbert, 1629?-1701.
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1691
(1691)
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Wing R2232; ESTC R22719
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77,003
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86
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A VINDICATION OF THE Church of SCOTLAND BEING AN ANSWER TO Five Pamphlets The Titles of which are set down after the Preface By the Author of the former Vindication in Answer to the Ten QUESTIONS Licensed and Entered according to Order Psal. 31 18. Let the lying Lips be put to Silence which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuosly against the Righteous Psal. 55.3 They cast Iniquity upon me and in wrath they hate me Psal. 63.11 But the mouth of them that speak Lies shall be stopped Gregor Lib. 18. Moral Nonnunquam pejus est mendacium meditari quam loqui Nam loqui plerumque precipitationis est meditari vero Studiosae pravitarie Augustin contra Parmen L. 4. Quisquis vel quod porest corrigit vel quod non potest Corrigere salvo pacis vinculo excludit vel quod salvo pacis vinculo excludere non potest equitate improbat is pacificus est Printed at Edingburgh and Reprinted at London for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns near Mercers-Chappel in Cheap-side 1691. The PREFACE THe Wrestlings of the Church of Scotland have been manifold and of long continuance Jacob and Esau have been long strugling in her womb many Changes have gone over her sometimes the one Party prevailing and sometimes the other If there were no more at bottom of this strife then is pretended there might be some hope of Peace If not by Oneness in Opinion and practice yet by yeilding so far as Conscience can allow and mutual forbearance in that wherein we cannot unite But the Enmity between the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent as it began with the World it self so it is like to have no more early Exit I am sure Lying Railing and malicious Reproaches instead of Argumentive Confutations are not conducive to peace This Conduct cannot convince them that are otherwise minded nor can it render that way Lovely for the sake of which it is used to one who is influenced either by Religion or Reason But it tendeth to render the Cause that is so managed Suspicious yea to disparage and Blacken a good Cause in the Eyes of the Sober and rational part of Mankind It is a bad Cause that must be so supported and a worse Soul that will use such a weapon Yea men of a good temper will not listen to such Discourses but abhor them Nor will they auribus aliquem calumniari as Simonides speaketh It hath been an old stratagem of Satan to disparage Truth or the right wayes of God either by misrepresenting or disguising the Opinions of them who own them or drawing strange and absurd Consequences from what they hold Or imputing that to them that they never said nor thought Or by raising and venting Calumnies against the Persons and Actions of them whom they would expose Thus did the Heathens against the Jews and against the the Christians For the former enough to this purpose may be seen in Joseph contra Apion lib. 1.2 And the Antient Histories of the Church are full of the Latter And the Apologies of Tertullian and others were occasioned by them It was also the way of Papists against Protestants Yea our Lord in days of his flesh suffered the same and the very footsteps of these Enemies of Truth do these Authors tread with whom I have now to do As will appear in our progress It is a woeful work for men to employ their Wit in and their time about The Devil hath his Name from this practice not only in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but also in the Syriack N. T one that feedeth on Calumnies It is strange that Veracity is become as much a stranger among Protestants as among Jesuits Heathens would be ashamed of such Intemperance of the Tongue as some Divines use and that in Debates about Religious things It is Unmanly as well as UnChristian to tell a Lye tho' for never so good a Cause or on never so good a design Plutarch de Liber Educand Mentirienim servile est Et dignum apud omnes Homines odio ac ne mediocribus quidem servis ignoscendum Is it any wonder that we hesitate about some things related by Antient Historians when so much false History is with such effronted Boldness written about the things that we all know and about which we could be proper Witnesses and could Swear them to be Lyes before a Judge Or that we can have little perswasion of what we Read or hear about remote Nations When things acted among our selves are so falsly represented Woe to Posterity if the Lying Stories that some have Printed and with bold Impudence avouched pass with them for Authentick Histories Not only the Writings of Jesuits but these of some discontented Prelatists are able to turn the succeeding Ages into absolute Scepticisme about all the Transactions of former times Sect. 2. Our Opposities in the Debate that I now manage have not only loaded as with reproach without just cause given for their obloquie and clamours But they have shewed their aversion from Peace with us And that by the methods unbecoming men of Candor and Integrity as well as Lovers of Peace We are not ignorant of the measures that were the result of deep consults both in this Nation and at London when open Spire and Malice was not able to effect what they designed that the several Parishes should address the King for their Ministers to be continued with them even while it was evident that many of them regarded not the Civil Authority of the Nation now setled and others by the Leudness of Conversation made themselves unworthy to be in the Holy Function of the Ministry and when this attempt did not succeed it was concerted at London and advice about it written by Dr. Canaries to Mr. Lesk to be communicated to the rest of the Party That they should yeild seigned Obedience to the Presbyterians at present because their other Methods could not take at that time In pursuance of this addvice two adresses were prepared for the Commission of the General Assembly in which as little Wit as Candor appeared It was evident by them that the Addressers did not intend nor desire to be received into a share of the Government with Presbyterians And these Papers were so ill contrived that it was visible to all that no blame could reflect on the Presbyterians by refusiing to admit them on the terms that they proposed For their Lesson was conned for them One of them was offered to the Commission of the Assembly that was for the South part of Scotland by Mr. Alexander Less the 17. day of July 1691. In his own Name and of several others in the North. He was told by the Commission That they could not receive nor consider his Address because he and they in whose Name he made application to the Commission lived in the North and that the Commission had no Power from the Assembly to meddle with any Affairs in that part of the
about matters of fact contained in the Pamphlets that I Answer were to be expected and they came in very slowly many of them after this Work was almost finished For which blanks behoved to be left in several places of the Book and some of them not come to this day But the Reader must judge of the veracity and candor of some of the things charged on us by what he may observe in the rest of them Sect. 6. I have treated the Adversaries I deal with as Brethren desiring rather to exceed then come short in Civility and fair dealing with them though they use us as Enemies I hope calling things by their true Names will not be reckoned inconsistent with that moderation and calmness that becometh a Disputant I have called nothing Lies nor Calumnies nor Spite but what is manifestly such and is made appear to be such If any sharpness of Stile be used how could it be shunned Even the Disciples of Zeno would forget their Apathia when lashed with such virulent pens as my Adversaries use but I hope there is nothing in the strain of this writing that is beyond the bounds of the Apostles injunction Tit. 1.13 of reproving sharply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to argue the case cuttingly As the strength of Argument should wound a bad cause so a Petulant and Effronted Adversary is not to be handled with that softness of stile that is fit for such as are more modest The truth of matters of fact asserted in this Treatise is not to be taken from me but from them who are my Informers Few of them I pretend to personal knowledge of therefore not my veracity is pledged for them but that of others If I have here asserted any thing that I cannot bring credible Witnesses for let me be blamed But if they have deceived or been deceived which I hope shall not be found I am not to answer for that Neither do I build on hearsay or common talk which is the best Foundation of many of the Assertions of my Adversaries But for many things I name the witnesses of what I affirm In some of them I bring the Testimonies of them who had sworn these things before a Judge and where the names of Witnesses are for Brevities sake omitted it is in matters of lesser moment and sufficient Testimony shall be given of things when it shall be required I hope the Reader will find by this Examination of the Railing Accusations brought against us that the Church of Scotland hath given no just cause of Clamour to her Enemies nor of dislike to our Rulers during the time in which our Observers do fix blame upon us which is to the end of the General Assembly 1690. What the King and Parliament and Council and before them the Convention of Estates did that hath displeased this Party that I deal with I have also Vindicated from unjustice and oppression and breach of promise that this pretended Loyal Party charge them with For what was Acted by the injured and enraged Rabble who in their own Persons or in their Relations had suffered intolerable and Barbarous favorities from these men I am far from approving or excusing Only I affirm that many of the things they are charged with are Lies and Calumnies Others of them Truths so disguised as none can own them for truths I also shew that the Actings of the Rabble were not to be compared in Cruelty and Savage Barbarity with what they suffered from that Party whom they attempted to rid themselves of when they got opportunity And what was done by the Episcopal party was done under colour of Law or connived at by them in Power and was at the instigation of Church-men What was done by the Rabble was their deed alone Neither Rulers nor Ministers nor the sobere sort of the People did either approve it or was partaker in their Deeds Sect. 7. I have in a former paper pleaded for the Presbyterian Church of Scotland against an Adversary much of the same Temper with these I now deal with whose ten questions and answers to them I have examined I now examine five other Pamphlets The first two were injoyned me to answer the rest being of the same strain and coming to hand while I was busie with these and some Persons of the best quality for rank and for Religion desiring it of me I thought fit to give my help such as it is to this labouring Church in opposing all these efforts of enraged Malice If truth and the ordinances of God be thereby Vindicated and weaker ones helped to stand against the shock of impudent Calumnies and if any who gave too ready an ear to misrepresentations of our Affairs be better informed I have my design When I first read and considered these Pamphlets I hoped such a work would be needless for among our selves most of their Assertions are known to be Lies yea some of their own party have regretted that such Lies should be spread and it was hoped that strangers would not suffer themselves to be imposed upon by such vile stories while the Propagators of them had not the wit to personate Historians but did openly vent such spite and inveterate Malice as the condiment of what they set before the Readers that might ruine all pretences they could make to Veracity with them who wisely consider what they hear or read But we see the world is so stated that silent innocency may soon be run down by bold Calumnies And therefore this Vindication was on after thoughts judged to be needful I do not pretend to vindicate Presbyterians from all blame I know they are subject to like passions as other men they are Sinners and have need of a Saviour And their publick Actings as well as personal Conversation are short of perfection There are many things among us that may be mended or better done And we are endeavouring to bring things into better order and do not think that thus it must be because thus it hath been Yet we are not afraid to compare our Church order with that which our Opposites are so fond of Nor that they can charge us with such mis-managements as we can charge them with or as can infer any notable detriment to the great design of the Gospel and advancing of Truth and Holiness I meet in these Papers with Variety of purposes and frequent Co-incidencies To have enlarged in Discourse upon all these subjects would have swelled this work unduely Wherefore I behoved in many places to give short answers which yet may be understood by an attentive Reader Especially if he compare the passages that are replyed to which I could not alwayes fully Transcribe with what is said in answer to it If any thing be not touched it is either not material or is before met with or it is so plainly false and absurd that every one may see it I have not willingly overlookt any thing that might reflect any blame on the cause that