others from concerting that same necessary witness in the season thereof And for this end he will change both matter manner in managing the War. He will not now persecute for the old Controverted heads of Poperie with fire faggot as formerly for refusing to worship Our Lady or the blessed Sacrament of the Altar These weapons Engines are so worn out of use that they will not work now as they did before And that old Baud of Babylon is become so ugly and out of date that he does not believe her beauty can be so bewitching except she put on a new busk But her Eldest Daughter the Prelatical Church of the same Complexion with herself except that she is coloured with Protestant paint is fitter for his service to allure our Land into fornication And who will not be entyced must be forced to Communion with her by finings confynings exactions extortions impositions of Oaths c. Religion must be litle concerned here for there is Preaching enough and of Protestant Doctrine too and without the Monkie-Tricks Montebank showes fopperies of English-Popish Ceremonies Lyturgical services What would they be at Is it not better to yeeld to this than to fall into the hand of the Scotish-Spanish-Inquisition that will rack the Purse the Body Conscience and all This is one Complex head of suffering and thought a very small one by many But now finding this would not do his business yet it looked too like Religion still He hath therefore invented a new Machin He will not now Persecute nor force the Conscience at all so good natur'd is the Devil and his Lievetenant grown in their old age for matters of meer Religion Nay if we may believe him who when he speaketh a lie speaketh it of his own he hath not done it this long time but only in all the violent Courses exercised against these Sufferers he hath been Magistratically chastising the disobedience rebellion of a few turbulent Traitors who would not oune the Government And thus under the notion of Rebellion disouning Authority he hath had access success to destroy almost an innumerable number of honest innocent faithful fruitful lovers of Christ who though indeed they have had their sufferings stated upon those points yet I doubt not shall be found among the followers of the Lamb and Confessors and Martyrs of Christ who haue overcome by the blood of the Lamb the word of their Testimony not loving their lives unto the Death whose blood is crying for vengeance against the shedders thereof And He will make inquisition for it when He comes to overturn overturn take His own right for which they have been Contending Nevertheless this is a prejudice too prevalent with many to misregard the Case Cause of these Contenders or any thing that can be said to represent them favourablie And all these disadvantages difficulties discouragements together considered would soon cool my Courage and at first blush make me leave off before I begin were I not persuaded that it is the Cause of Christ these reproached people are suffering for and that their great sufferings reproaches are both alike unjust from both which the Lord vvill vindicate them bring forth their righteousness as the light their judgment as the noon day â—n His oun time In confidence of vvhich depending on his Conduct I shall undertake as briefly as is possible for me to represent their case and clear the Cause so far at least as concerns their Contest vvith their pesecuting Enemies vviâ—h vvhom I only deal at present it not being my purpose to descend particularly into their necessitated Contendings vvith Complying Brethren partly because they vvould make the volume to excresce unto too great a bulk because they are to be seen elsevvhere yet in effect these also are not only here narratively deduced but vvhatever is odious in them is vindicated vvhat is difficult in some measure enodated But it may be expected and desiderated that I should give a distinct deduction of all the Steps of this woful defection against which a great part of the Testimony hath been stated but I would have the Reader advertised I touch only that part of the Testimony which hath been sealed by severe sufferings from enemies It were a Task transcending my Capacity and a Theme wherein I have no pleasure besides that it is inconsistent with my Leasure to inlarge upon such a sad and shameful subject Though the world indeed is at a loss that they that would do it cannot and they that would should do it will not And it is a greater loss not only to Scotland but also to the whole Christian world that what hath been done in this kind already cannot see the light or rather that the Church of Christ is deprived of its light which through the injury of the times the disingenuous Prudence of some who suffer themselves to be imposed upon by the Patrons of Defection is embezilled suppressed I mean that excellent faithful History of Defection the posthumous work of famous Mr. M'ward whose praise is in the Churches which if they that have it in keeping would do themselves the honour and the world the happiness of publishing it there would be no more need to discover from whence to what and how that Church hath fallen degenerate nor so great dissicultie in that indisputable indispensable duty that such a day calls for in searching trying our wayes to the end we may turn again to the Lord Nor any necessity for my poor essay to invite incite the people of the lord to take Cognizance Compassion of poor perishing Scotland I wish that they who have it may consult more their oun duty and credit and what they owe to the memory of the dead the Churches edification the dayes Testimony and the honour of Christ than to continue robbing the world of such a Treasure wich I doubt not to call Treason against Christ Sacriledge against the Church stick not to tell them if they will not publish it the world must knovv there was such a thing done But it not being my design now to detect or reflect upon all the defections of that declining by declensions divided by divisions almost only not destroyed Church I shall medle with them no further than what is necessary to clear the cause refering the knowledge and account of them either to the Notoriety of the grossest of them or to the more particular enarration of them to be found in papers emitted published by the Contenders against them Of vvhich one is of this same years edition entituled The Informatory vindication of a poor wasted misrepresented Remnant c. In vvhich may be evident that notvvithstanding of all this darkness distress defection division under vvhich the Church of Scotland hath been so long is still labouring there is yet a poor
the party who are represented as the Wild folk of Scotland the design of this Treatise is to hold forth the History of their manifold Chases the Craft keenness Cruelty of their hunters and the goodlyness of the words of their Testimony Which by reason of the likeness of the Testimony of former Periods with the present and that the latter may be vindicated by the former is resumed from the beginning of the Church of Scotlands wrestlings against the Enemies of Christ and deduced through all the most signal steps of this long propagated and hereditary War. And lest my words should not be goodly enough nor my notions grateful to the Criticks of this age who cast every thing as new and nice which is someway singular and not suited to their sentiments that it may appear the Cause here cleared and vindicated is not of yesterday but older than their Grandfathers who oppose it I dare avouch without vanity there is nothing here but what is confirmed by Authors of greatest note repute in our Church both ancient modern namely Buchanan Knox Calderwood Acts of General Assemblies Cawses of Wrath Lex Rex Apologetical Relation Napthali Ius Populi History of the Indulgence Banders disbanded Rectius Instruendum and some other Authors much respected whose Authority more alwayes repelled by rage than ever yet resisted by reason though I value more than all the vain oblatrations of the Opposers of this Testimony and think it sufficient to confute all imputations of its Novelty and to counterballance the weight that may be laid on the Contradictions of the greatest that treat on this subject Yet I do not lay so much stress on the reason of their Authority as on the Authority of their reason which is here represented with that Candor and Care that lest any should cavil that they are wrested or wronged when made to speak so patly to the present Controversies I have chosen rather to transcribe their words than to borrow their matter dressed up in my own except where the prolixity multiplicity of their Arguments as clearly demonstrating that which I adduce them for as that for which they were primarly intended did impose the necessity of abridging them which yet is mostly in their oun words though reduced into a Syllogistical forme But this obloquie of Novelty being anticipated when I reflect on the helps I have collected from so many hands I am rather afraid the Truths here delivered be comtemned as obsolete and antiquate than cast at for new speculations However I am content yea it is my ambition that nothing here be looked upon as mine but that it may appear this is an old Plea and that the party here pleaded for who are stigmatized with many singularities are a people who ask the old paths and the good way that they may walk therein and though their paths be not now much paved by the frequency of passengers and multitude of Professors walking therein and albeit it must indeed be confessed the word of their Testimony is some way singular that the same things were never the word of Christs patience stated as heads of suffering before yet they are not untroden paths but the same way of Truth which hath been maintained by the witnesses of Christ in all the Periods of our Church and asserted by the greatest Confessors though never before sealed by Martyrs As for the Arguments I bring to clear confirm them whether they be accounted mine or borrowed from others I am very indifferent if they prove the point they are brought for which I hope they will be sound to do But of this ◠am confident there is nothing here can be condemned untill some one or more of those grave Authors be confuted and when that is done which will be ad Calendas Graecas or against the 30. of February there is something besides here which will challenge Consideration The design then of this work is of great importance even no less than to essay the discussing the difficulties of all our Conflicts with open Enemies about the present state of the Testimony the vindicating of all the heads of sufferings sustained thereupon these 27 years past the proposing of the right state of the Testimony for the Interest of Christ not only of this but of all former Periods with an account of the propagation prosecution of the witnessings wrestlings and sufferings for it from time to time to the end it may appear not only how great the sufferings have been since this fatal Catastrophe and overturning of the Covenanted Reformation and unhappie restauration of Tyrannie and Prelacie but that the grounds upon which they have been stated are not niceties and novelties as they are reproached and reputed by many but worthie and weighty Truths of great value and validity and of near affinity unto Conformity with the continued series and succession of the Testimonies in all former Periods So that in this litle Treatise must be contained a Compendious Historie of the Church of Scotland her Testimony in all ages a vindication of the present state of it yea in effect a short Epitome of the substance of those famous forecited Authors as far as we need to consult them concerning the Controversies of the present time with Adversaries Which is much and perhaps too much to be undertaken in so small a volume But considering that many who are concerned in this Cause yea the most part who concern themselves about it are such who have neither access nor time nor capacity to revolve the voluminous Labours of these Learned men for light in this Case I have done my best to bring them into one body of a portable bulk with as great brevity as could consist well with any measure of perspicuity Not medling with any thing but what I thought might some way conduce to clear some part of the present Testimony Every undertaking of this nature cannot but be lyable to several disadvantages that are unavoidable this hath many discouraging and difficult One is that it shall be exposed to the Common fate of such representations to be stigmatized as a seditious Libel and so may be sent to the flames to be confuted and to enflame the fury of these firebrands already hell-hot into the utmost extremity of rage against the Author that ever Cruelty it self at its fullest freedom did exert against Truth and reason arraigned and cast for Sedition and Treason The only Sanctuary in such a Case is in prospect of this to have the greater care that nothing be spoken but what the Speaker may dare to affirm in the face of Cruelty it self A Second common disadvantage is obvious from the Consideration of the humor of the Age wherein fancy hath greater force than faith and nothing is pleasing but what is parasitical or attempered to the palat of the Greatest not of the best And naked Truth without the fairdings of flatterie or paintings of that pâkiness which is commonly applauded as
time the Witness for Christ is in a great measure killed Other Churches which are keeping contending for the word of Christs patience are so wasted almost worn out with Persecutions afflictions calamities that after they have been are so much daylie killed for the Word of God the Testimony of Jesus it may well be said there hath been is a great slaughter of the Witnesses And it were hard to determine which of them can give the largest most lamentable account of their sufferings or which of them have had the greatest most grievous experiences of the Treachery Truculency Violence Villanie of Atheistical Papistical Enemies whether the Reformed Church of France howling under the paw of that devouring Lyon the French Tyrant or the Protestants of Hungary under the tearing Clawes of that ravenous Eagle the Tyrant of Austria or those of Piedemont under the grassant Tyranny of that litle Tyâ—er of Savoy The accounts they give in print the reports they bring with them in their flight from their respective Countreyes the litle Hints we have in Gazetts News Letters must needs enforce a conviction if not extort a Compassion of the greatness of their pressures that with such a parity that it is doubtful which preponderats I shall not make comparisons nor aggravate nor extenuate the sufferings of any of the Churches of Christ beyond or below their due measures But will presume to plead that Scotland another Ancient sometimes famous Reformed Church be enrolled in the Catalogue of suffering Churches besides these mentioned and crave that she may have a share of that Charity Sympathy which is the demand desire of afflicted Churches of Christ from all the fellow members of that same body And so much the rather is this her due that whereas among all the rest of the Churches Christs witnesses are killed in some particular respect each of them have their own proper complaint of it some upon the account of Persecution some of defection division c. Of this it may be said in all respects both the witnesses of Christ and a witness for Christ are killed with a witness This is the Case of the sometimes Renouned famous faithful fruitful Reformed Covenanted Church of Scotland famous for unity faithful for verity fruitful in the purity of Doctrine Worship Discipline Government which now for these 27 years past under the Domination of the late Tyrant present Usurper of Brittain hath been so wasted with oppression wounded with Persecution rent with Division ruined with defection that now she is as much despised as she was before admired And her Witness Testimony for Reformation is now as far depressed suppressed in obscuritie as it was formerly declared depredicated in glory honour And yet which should move the greater commiseration her witnessings wrestlings Tryalls Tentations have not been inferiour in manner or measure quality or continuance to any of the forementioned Churches thô in extent not so great because her precinct is not so large whereby the number of her oppressed murdered Children could not be so multiplyed though her Martyrs be more and the manner of their Murder more illegal than can be instanced in any of them during that time A particular enumeration or enarration whereof cannot be here exhibited but is referred reserved to a peculiar Treatise of that Subject which ere long the world may see Only I shall give a compendious account of the kinds causes grounds and Heads of their sufferings who have been most slighted least sympathised with though they have sustained the greatest severities of any and inend endeavour to vindicate the Merit of their Cause in the most principal heads upon which their sufferings have been stated Whereby it will appear to impartial men that will not be imposed upon there hath been yet is a great grievous some way uparalleled Persecution in Scotland at least inferiour to none Which hath not hitherto been culy considered with any proportion to the importance thereof But thô this be the Scope it is not the summe of what is intended in this Discourse The Method I have proposed to prosecute it withall will discover it Which is 1. To give a brief summary account of the Series Succession success result of the several Contendings of the Witnesses of Christ against His Enemies in Scotland from time to time that it may appear whether or not the present sufferings as now stated can be condemned if the former be approven 2. To rehearse some of the chief means methods measures that the Popish Prelatical Malignant saction have managed for the ruin of this witnessing Remnant some of the most signal steps of sufferings sustained by from these within these 27 years by which it will appear that the Persecution in Scotland hath been very remarkable though litle regarded both in respect of the injustice illegality inhumanity of the Persecutors in respect of the innocency Zeal ingenuity of the Persecuted 3. To clear the state vindicate the merit of the cause of their sufferings as to the most material heads of it that are most controverted at this time In the first of these I must study all compendious brevity as may consist with the clearing of my Scope which is not to enlarge an Historical deduction of the rise result progress prosecution occasion continuation of every Controversie the Church hath had with her several Adversaries in several Periods But only to hint at the chief Heads of their contendings with a design to make it appear that the most material Heads of sufferings that are now condemned as new nice notions have been transmitted from age to age from the beginning even to this present time through all the Periods of this Church PERIOD I. Comprehending the Testimony of the Culdees IT is not without reason reckoned among the peculiar prerogatives of the renouned Church of Scotland that Christs conquest in the conversion of that Nation is one of the most eminent Accomplishments of Scripture Prophecies of the propagation of His Kingdom in the New Testament Dispensation Not only because it was when called out of Gentile Paganisme among the rudest of Heathen Nations in the ackowledgment of all among the uttermost parts of the Earth which were given to Christ for His inheritance possession Whereunto He had hath still undoubted right by His Fathers grant by His oun purchase and took Infeofment of it by a glorious conquest of that Land which the Roman Armes could never subdue erected His victorious Trophees there whither their Triumphs could never penetrate obtaining thereby accomplishing that predicted Song of praise From the uttermost parts of the Earth have we heard Songs even Glory to the righteous Which gives us grounâ— to expect that however Christs Interest there be now very low and like to be
except that it was not so far extended against Tyranny because that Tyrant was not such an usurper nor such a violater of the fundamental constitutions of the Civil Government as these that we have had to do with all But as to the managing the Testimony they far out stripped their successors in this generation in conduct courage Prudence zeal as is above hintend in many instances to which we may adde some more When several plots of Papist Lords had been discovered conspiring with the King of Spain And they were by the Kings Indulgence favoured and some were also perswaded to treat with them famous Mr Davidson opposed with great resolution Declaring before the Synod of Lothian that it favoured much of defection in these dayes that such notorious rebells to God His Church the Country should be so treated with we should not rashly open a door to Gods Enemies without better proof of their manners nor were yet seen And when a convention in Falkland was consulting to call home these conspiring Traitors Mr Andrew Melvin went thither uncalled and when found fault with by the King for his boldness he answered Sir I have a call to come here from Christ His Church who have special Interest in this Turn and against whom this Convention is assembled directly I charge yow and your Estates in the Name of Christ His Church that ye favour not His Enemies whom He hateth nor go about to call home nor make Citizens of these who have traiterously sought to betray their City native Countrey with the overthroiw of Chists Kingdom And further challenged them of treason against Christ His Church the Countrey in that purpose they were about About the same time in a private Conference with the King he called the King Gods sillie vassal and taking him by the sleeve told him Sir yow and Church Countrey is like to be wracked for not telling the Truth and giving yow faithful Counsel we must discharge our duty or else be enemies to Christ yow Therefore I must tell yow there are two Kings and two Kingdoms There is Christ and His Kingdom whose subject King Iames the 6th is and of whose Kingdom he is not a King nor a Head nor a Lord but a member and they vvhom Christ hath called to vvatch over govern his Church have sufficient Authority and Power from Him which no Christian King should control but assist othervvise they are not faithfull subjects to Christ. Sir vvhen yovv vvere in your svvedling clouts Christ reigned freely in this Land in spight of all His enemies but novv the vvisdom of your Council vvhich is Devilish pernicious is this that yovv may be served of all sorts of men to your purpose grandour Iew Gentile Papist Protestant because the Ministers Protestants in Scotland are too strong control the King they must be vveakened brought lovv by stirring up a party against them and the King being equal indifferent both shall be fain to flee to him so shall he be well setled But Sir let Gods wisedom be the only wisdom this will prove meer mad folly for His curse cannot but light upon it so that in seeking both yow shall lose both To the like effect Mr Robert Bruce in a Sermon upon Psal 51. gives faithful warning of the danger of the times It is not we sayes he that are Partie in this cause no the quarrel is betwixt a greater Prince and them What are we but sillie men Yet it has pleased Him to set us in this Office that we should oppone to the manifest usurpation that is made upon His Spiritual Kingdom Is there a more forcible mean to draw down the wrath of God than to let Barrabas that nobilitate Malefactor pass free and to begin the war against Christ and His Ministry It puteth on the Copestone that so many of our brethren should not be so faithful as their Calling this Cause craveth Fy upon false brethren to see them dumb so faint hearted when it comes to the Chock Not only are they ashamed to speak the thing they think which is a shame in a Pastor but speak directly against their former Doctrin They will speak the Truth a while till they be put at but incontinent they will turn and make their gifts weapons to fight against Christ for there is none so malicious as an Apostate when he begins to slide back c. The same faithful witness because he would not preach as the King would have him against his oun conscience to justifie Proclaim the Kings Innocency in a forged conspiracy against him was put from his Church in Edinburgh and being requested in an insinuating manner to desist from preaching but for nine or ten dayes he condiscended at first thinking the matter of no great importance yet that night his body was cast in a fever with the terror of his conscience and he promised he should never obey their Commandment any more These were faithful men yet we find they challenge themselves in deep humiliation for their short comings defections at the renovation of the National Covenant March 30. 1596. the greatst solemnity ever had been seen in Scotland before that time so that the place might worthily have been called Bochim O when shall we see such a day when even the most faithful among us shall mourn over our far more aggravated defections but if they mourned then for these first degrees of declensions we may say quam gravius ingemiscerent illi fortes viri qui propter Ecclesiae Scoticanae Libertatem olim in acie decertarunt si nostram hanc ignaviam ne quid gravius dicam conspicerent I know notwithstanding of all this that some encourage themselves in a base Complyance with the present corruptions of our Church from the practise of these Worthies Alledging they did not scruple to hear join with Prelatical men dispensing the ordinances But this Objection will be easily refelled if we consider first the Period wherein they were but growing up to a more perfect Reformation and therefore might bear with many things which we cannot after we have been reformed from them They were then advancing and still gaining ground we are now declining and therefore should be more shie to lose what we have gained They had then of a long time enjoyed their Judicatories unto which they might recur for an orderly redress of such grievances that offended them and when they were deprived of them yet they were still in hopes of recovering them and so suspended their total secession from that corrupt Church untill they should recover them in the mean time still holding their right and maintaining their cause against these Invaders But we were at thevery first begining of this unhappy Revolution totally deprived of our Judicatories and denuded of all expectation of them in an ordinary way and of all place but what they are Masters of to contend with them
Commissioners were sent from both Houses to Scotland earnestly inviting to a nearer union of the Kingdoms and desiring Assistance from this Nation to their Brethren in that their great distress And this by the good hand of God produced the solemn League Covenant of the three Kingdoms first drawen up in Scotland and approven in the Assembly at Edinburgh and afterward embraced in England to the terror of the Popish and Prelatical party and to the great comfort of such as were wishing and waiting for the Reformation of Religion and the recoveries of Just Liberties The tenor whereof did import their sincere constant endeavours in their several places Callings for preservation of the Uniformity in Reformation in Doctrine Worship Discipline Government The extirpation of Popery Prelacy Error Profâ—nity the preservation of the Rights Liberties of the people and of the Magistrats Authority in defence of the true Religion and Liberty the discovery punishment of Incendaries the retaining of the Peace Union of the Kingdoms the mutual assistance defence of all under the bond of this Covenant and the performing all duties we owe to God in the amendment of our Lives and walking exemplarly one before another This is that Covenant comprehending the purpose of all Prior and the Pattern of all posterior Covenants to which Christs witnesses did always adhere for which the present witnesses do suffer contend That Covenant which the Representative of Church State in the three Nations did solemnly Subscribe Swear for themselves posterity of which the obligation either to the duty or the punishment continues indispensibly on the Generation which for the moral equity oâ— its matter the formality of its manner the importance of its purpose the holyness of its solemn Engagment and the Glory of its Ends no power on Earth can Disannul Disable or Dispense That Covenant which the Lord did Ratifie from Heaven by the conversion of many thousands at their entering under the bond of it securing establishing unto them and all the faithful the blessings priviledges therein expressed and avouching Himself to be their God as they had avouched themselves to be His people That Covenant which in all the Controversies it hath occasioned did never receive a greater confirmation than from the malice opposition of its Adversaries That Covenant which malignants do malign deny and Sectaries scorn lay aside as an Almanack out of date which hath been many ways traduced reproached by enemies and yet could never be reflected on by any Serious in this Land without a honourable fragrant remembrance Especially that Retortion of Adversaries of the rigor of its imposition upon Recusants to justifie their cruelty upon its Asserters now is to be refelled not with confutation of its importance but with disdain of its impudence For who were the Recusants but wicked enemies to God and Church Nation who for their malignancy were then to be prosecuted not for their scrupling at a Covenant but for their contumacious Contempt of a Law This was no violence done to their conscience for as they had none and could not pretend to any so they were never troubled for that but for their opposition conspiracy against the common cause However it went through at that time And that the Covenanted Reformation in a nearer conjunction betwixt the united Churches might be promoted the Parliament of England called an Assembly of Divines at Westminster and desired the Assembly of Scotland to send thither their Commissioners which accordingly nominated elected Mr Alexander Henderson Mr Robert Dowglas Mr Samuel Rutherford Mr Robert Balzie Mr George Gillespie Ministers And Iohn Earle of Cassils Iohn Lord Maitland and Sir Archbald Iohnstoun of Waristoun Ruling Elders to Propone Consult Treat conclude in all such things as might conduce to the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Heresie Schism Superstition Idolatry and for the settling of the so much desired union of the whole Island in one forme of Church Government one Confession of Faith one common Catechisme one Directory for the Worship of God. Forces were also sent to assist the Parliament of England which were favoured with great success in their Entreprizes till that War was ended by the total overthrow of Tyranny at that time and all its upholders But that Popish Prelatical Malignant faction being brought much under in England attempted not unlike the Syrians who thought the God of Israel was not God of the Hills Valleyes both to try the fortune of War in Scotland under the conduct of that Treacherous truculent Traitor Montrose gathering an Army of wicked Apostates Irish Murderers who prevailing for a time did punish in the Justice of God the Hypocrisie self-seeking of such in this Land whose hearts were not upright in His Covenant at length was defeat at Philiphaugh in the year 1645. yet certain it is that they had Commission warrant from the King as the Assembly that year Feb. 13. remonstrates it to himself Warning him in the name of their Master the Lord Jesus Christ that the guilt which cleaved to his throne was such as whatsoever flattering Preachers or unfaithful Counsellors might say to the contrary if not timely repented could not but involve himself his Posterity under the wrath of the Everliving God for his being guilty of the shedding of the blood of many thousands of his best Subjects for his permitting the Masse other Idolatry in his family Dominions c. At the same time also the Assembly did zealously incite the Parliament to a speedy course of Justice against these Incendaries Murderers as the only mean of cleansing the Land from that deluge of blood then current and of appeasing the wrath of God and solemnly seasonably warned all ranks to applaud the Glory Righteousness of that Judgment of the sword in the hands of these Apostates Murderers and to search to understand the Language of that Dispensation wherein many Publick sins breaches of Covenant are pointed at as the Causes of that desolation And the Covenant it self is there very Encomiastically vindicated We are so far from repenting of it say they that we can not mention it without great joy thankfullness to God as that which hath drawn many blessings after it and unto which God hath given manifold evident Testimonies for no sooner was the Covenant begun to be taken in England but sensibly the condition of affairs there was changed to the better and our forces sent into that Kingdom in pursuance of that Covenant have been so mercifully manifestly assisted blessed from Heaven that we have what to answer the enemy that reproacheth us concerning that business that which may make iniquity it self to stop her mouth but which is more unto us than all victories the Reformation of Religion in England Uniformity therein between both Kingdoms a principal end of that Covenant is so far
of the God of Truth and Scorn of all our holy Engagments Which defection did not only cause for a long time an incurable Division the first of that kind and most permanent of any that ever was in the Church of Scotland by reason of the surcease of General Assemblâ—es stoped hindered by the yoke of the Sectarian Usurpation but also was the spring source of all our defections since all flowing from fomented by that same spirit that fostered that And for that since that time the Lord hath been contending with this Church Nation bringing us under the bondage of these Malignant Enemies whom we suffered them then to encourage introduce And both at that time since that time the Lord never countenanced an Expedition where that Malignant Interest was taken in unto the state of the quarrel Upon this our Land was invaded by Oliver Cromwel who defeat our Army at Dumbar where the Anger of the Lord was evidently seen to smoke against us for espousing that Interest And remarkable it is how in that very day where in the Publick Resolutions were concluded in the Assembly at St Andrews the Lord then shed the blood of His people at Ennerkeithing so as that the Assembly having in great hast hurried through this Approbation were all made to run for it and Adjourn themselves to Dundie where they met and compleated that step of defection And afterwards it s known what a peculiar vengeance fell upon that City where this deed was done beyond all the Cities of the Nation Next an Army being raised according to these unhallowed Resolutions and the Lord puting remarkable Discountinance upon them in their attemptings at home as was manifest in their attemptings at Torewood c. They march into England and there did the Lord continue by His leaving our Army to the Sword to preach that Doctrine to the world Iosh. 7. 10 11 12. Israel hath sinned and transgressed the Covenant have taken the accursed thing and dissembled also and have put it even amongst their oun stuff therefore the Children of Israel could not stand before their enemies but turned their backs before their Enemies because they were accursed Neither will I be with yow any more except ye destroy the accersed thing from among yow An army of near 30000 was totally routed at Worcester and the Achan the Cause of the overthrow was forced to hide himself in the Oak and thence to transport himself beyond sea where he continued a wandering fugitive in Exile till the year 1660. In the mean time the Sectarian Army here prevailed till after the usurper Cromwel his death the false Monk then General with a Combination of Malignants and Publick Resolutioners did machinate our misery and effectuated it by bringing home the King to England from his banishment Wherein he was habituate into an implacable hatred against the Work of God. Yet though since the Kings first reception into Scotland our declensions were still growing untill they produced this fearful Revolt from God wherein the Nation is now involved there was still a faithful Remnant of Ministers Professors zealous for the Cause keeping their Integrity who in their Remonstrances Testimonies witnessed against both their Malignant Enemies and their backsliding Brethren the Resolutioners and also against the Sectarians their Invaders whose vast Toleration Liberty of Conscience which they brought in to invade our Religion as they had invaded our Land and infect it with their multifarious Errors was particularly by the Synod of Fife and other Brethren in the Ministery that joined themselves to them Testified against and demonstrated to be wicked intollerable Now to see how far the present Testimony is Conâ—irmed by the witnesses of this Period we may resume some Reflections on it I. They impartially carried on the Testimony against Prelacy and the Popish Prelatical Malignant faction on the one hand and the Sectarians on the other without ever waving the Testimony against either or at the least winking at the one to weaken the other both which Testimonies they though of so great importance that they could not dispense with but faithfully maintain both in their witnessings warnings In that seasonable necessary Warning Declaration concerning present imminent dangers given at Edinb Iuly 27. sess 27. They say first of the Sâ—ctaries That prevailing Party of Sectaries in England who have broken the Covenant and despised the Oath of God corrupted the Truth subverted the fundamental Government Look upon us with an evil eye as upon these who stand in the way of their Monstrous new fangled devices in Religion Government and though there were no Cause to fear any thing from that party but the Gangren infection of those many damnable abominable errors which have taken hold on them yet our vicinity unto and dayly Commerce with that Nation may justly make us afrayed that the Lord may give up many in this Land into a spirit of delusion to beleeve Lies because they have not received the Love of the Truth In that same warning they say we are not so to have the one of our eyes upon the Sectaries as not to have the other upon Malignants they being an Enemie more numerous more dangerous than the other not only because experience hath proven that there is a greater aptitude inclination in these of our Land to comply with Malignants than Sectaries in that they carry on their wicked designe under a pretext of being for the King but also because there be many of them in our oun bovvells By vvhich vve may see hovv impartially they opposed both and that this cannot be condemned in the Testimonies of the present Sufferers except the Assembly be condemned And because many novv a dayes have extenuating notions of those debates against Prelacy Sectarianisme about the Government of the Church c. and condemn these that vvould adhere to suffer for the Punctilio's of it as rigid nicetie I shall for seeing vvhat account the Assembly had of them cite their vvords in a Letter to the Assembly of divines at Westminster Dated Edin Iune 18. 1646. The smallest say they of Christs Truths if it be Lavvfull to call any of them small is of greater moment than all the other businesses that ever have been debated since the begining of the vvorld to this day but the highest of honours and heaviest of burdens is put upon yovv to declare out of the Sacred Records of Divine Truth vvhat is the Prerogative of the Croun extent of the Scepter of Jesus Christ vvhat bounds are to be set betvveen Him Ruling in His House and povvers established by God on Earth hovv by vvhom His House is to be Governed and by vvhat vvayes a restraint is to be put on these vvho vvould pervert His Truth and subvert the faith of many II. In the manner of maintaining this Testimony these famous Fathers while faithful for God gave us a perfect
upon thee from the Lord. Whereunto is subjoined his dying Testimony to the same purpose wherein are these words But if there shall be a falling back to the sin of complyance with Malignant ungodly men then I look for the breaking out of the wrath of the Lord till there be no remedy This was the warning of a worthy dying Man. Notwithstanding of which many other warnings witnessings a course of complyance was commenced by the pulick Resolutioners and continued in to this day wherein that faithful warning of a dying servant of Christ is verified But before I leave this purpose I must obviate an objection that some make use of for strengthening themselves in their incorporations joinings at least in Worship with the corruptions of the time and for condemning conscientious withdrawers That the Godly in those dayes did not separate from the men of these complyances defections as many do now to wit the protesting party did not withdraw from the publick Resolutioners Associators with Malignants I answer first many these the most Godly tender did withdraw even from their oun Ministers and would have gone 40. or 50 myles to hear a faithful Minister at that time yea Ministers themselves in the case of intrusion of the unfaithful would have supplyed the Paroch as if the Church had been vacant and when they could not get access to the pulpit they preached in the fields on purpose to witness against and professedly to withdraw the people from such an unfaithful Intruder as might be instanced particularly for time place if need were But next The Church then though broken by division and under the subjection of strangers deprived of her General Assemblies yet was in a constitut Case enjoying the priviledge power order of Synods Presbyteries to whom the people offended with their Ministers might address themselves for an orderly redress and removal of these Scandals in an ordinary way and so they needed not assume to themselves that power to regulate their communion that in a broken State as now is must be allowed to them And besides both the Ministers at that time who were faithful though they might have proceeded to censure silence the corrupt party as they were obliged yet not only found it difficult by reason of the injury of the times but also thought it best to spare them And the people to bear them as burdens untill as they were still in hopes they should obtain a General Assembly to take order with them but now it is not so And then the defection was but begining and people did not know and could not expect it would go such a length and therefore could not fall upon the rigor of that duty which such disorders call for at first but if they had seen where these beginings would Land them at length I doubt not but they would have resisted those beginings in such a way as would have precluded this imputation of novelty upon our necessitated with drawings III. We have in this Period not only an Illustrious Testimony for the Principle but a continued and unintermitted putting into practice the duty of defensive Armes in resisting the Soverain power malversing abusing Authority to the destruction of the ends of it which resistence was avowed encouraged furthered by the General Assembly both for the defence of themselves and for the help of their Brethren in England Take one expression in their Solemn seasonable Warning to all ranks Feb. 12. 1645. Sess 18. Unless men will blot out of their hearts the love of Religion cause of God and cast off all care of their Country Lawes Liberties c. all being in visible danger of present ruine destruction they must now or never appear actively each one stretching himself to yea beyond his power It is no time to dally or to go about the business by halfs nor be almost but altogether zealous Cursed is he that doeth the work of the Lord negligently If we have been forward to assist our Neighbour Kingdoms shall we neglect to defend our oun Or shall the Enemies of God be more active against His cause than His people for it God forbid In another seasonable necessary warning Iuly 27. 1649. Sess. 27. They say But if his Maj. or any having or pretending power commission from him shall invade this Kingdom upon pretext of establishing him in the exercise of his royal power as it will be an high provocation against God to be accessory or assisting there to so it will be a necessary duty to resist oppose the same These Fathers could well distinguish between Authority and the person abusing it And were not so Loyal as now their degenerate Children are ambitious to shew themselves stupidly stouping to the shaddow thereof and yet will be called the only Asserters of Presbyterian principles But we find they put it among the Characters of Malignants to confound the Kings honour Authority with the abuse pretence thereof and with Commissions warrants Letters procured from the King by the Enemies of the cause Covenant as if we could not oppose the Latter without increaching upon the former But here an Objection or two must be removed out of the way before we go forward One is from the Third Atticle of the Covinant where there seems to be a great deal of Loyaltie obliging to defend the Kings Maj. his person Authority in the preservation defence of the true Religion Liberties of the Kingdoms that the world may bear witness with our consciences of our Loyaltie And that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish his Majesties just power greatness I Ans. There is indeed a deal of Loyaltie there and true Loyaltie because Lawfully limited being qualified with subordinate unto the preservation defence of the true Religion Liberties of the Kingdom as the makers of the Covenant do expound it in the Assembles declaration against the unlawful Eugagment Iuly ult 1648. Sess. 21. not that Reverse Loyaltie which makes duties to God conditional limited and duties to thee King absolute unlimited as our Loyalists do now And I wish others were free of it who have sworn Oaths of unlimited Alledgiances to maintain the King in any power unto which his force aspires and to justify this their Loyaltie will bring in this Article of the Covenant with a distorted sense reading it backward that we in the preservation defence of Religion must preserve defend the King As if Religion obliged to defend him do what he will. It were better such pretended Covenanters denyed the Covenant than to be such a reproach to it in wresting its genuine sense But I have adduced the sense of the best Interpreters of it the General Assembly Next when they entered under the bond of this Covenant they did it with a purpose to oppose all his invasions upon Religion the Liberty of the people and to
Witnesses did gradually ascend to the pitch it is novv arrived at I. These Enemies of God having once got footing again with the favour and the fawnings of the foolish Nation went on fervently to further and promote their wicked design and meeting with no opposition at first did encourage themelves to begin boldly Wherefore hearing of some Ministers peaceably Assembled to draw up a Monitory Letter to the King minding him of his Covenant Engagments promises which was though weak yet the first witness warning against that Heaven-daring wickedness then begun they cruelly incarcerate them Having hereby much daunted the Ministry from their duty in that day for fear of the like unusual outragious usage The Parliament conveens Ianuar. 1. 1661. without so much as a Protestation for Religion Liberty given in to them And there in the first place they frame take the Oath of Supremacy Exauctorating Christ and investing His usurping Enemy with the spoils of his robbed Prerogative acknowledging the King only supreme Governour over all persons in all Causes and that his power Iurisdiction must not be declined Whereby under all persons all Causeâ— All Church Officers in their most properly Ecclesiastick Affairs Concerns of Christ are comprehended And if the King shall take upon him to judge their Doctrine Worship Discipline or Government he must not be declined as an incompetent Judge Which did at once enervate all the Testimony of the 4th Period above declared and laid the foundation for all this Babel they have built since and of all this war that hath been waged against the Son of God and did introduce all this Tyrannie absolute power which hath been since carried to its Complement and made the Kings Throne the foundation of all the succeeding perjurie Apostasie Yet though then our Synods Presbytries were not discharged but might have had access in some Concurrence to witness against this horrid Invasion upon Christs Prerogative and the Churches Priviledge no joint Testimony was given against it except that some were found witnessing against it in their singular Capacity by themselves As faithful Mr Iames Guthrie for declining this usurped Authority in prejudice of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus suffered death and got the Martyrs Crown upon his head And some others for refusing that Oath arbitrarly imposed were Banished or Confined when they had gained this Bulwark of Christs Kingdom Then they waxed more insolent and set up their Ensigns for signs and broke doun the carved Work of Reformation with axes hammers In this Parliament 1661. They past an Act Rescissorie whereby they annulled declared void the National Covenant the Solemn League Covenant Presbytrial Government and all Lawes made in favours of the Work of Reformation since the year 1633. O horrid wickedness both in its nature so attrocious to condemn rescind what God did so signally seal as His oun Work to the conviction of the world and for which He will rescind the Rescinders and overturn these Overturners of His Work and make the curse of that broken Covenant bind them to the punishment vvhom its bond could not oblige to the duty Covenanted And in its design end so base detestable for nothing but to flatter the King in making way for Prelacy Tyranny Popery and to indulge the licenciousness of some debauched Nobles who could not endure the yoke of Christs Government and to suppress Religion Righteousness under the ruines of that Reformation But O holy astonishing Justice thus to recompense our way upon our own head to suffer this work cause to be ruined under our unhappy hands who suffered this Destroyer to come in before it was so effectually secured as it should not have been in the power of his hand whatever had been in his heart swelled with enmity against Christ to have razed ruined that Work as now most wickedly he did and drew in so many into the guilt of the same deed that almost the whole Land not only consented unto it but applauded it by approving countenancing another wicked Act framed at the same time by that same perfidious Parliament for an Anniversary Thanksgiving commemorating every 29. of May that Blasphemy against the Spirit Work of God and celebrating that unhappy Restauration of the Rescinder of the Reformation which had not only the concurrence of the universality of the Nation But alas for shame that it should be told in Gath c even of some Ministers who afterwards accepted the Indulgence one of which a Pillar among them was seen scandalously dancing about the bonefires And others who should have alarmed the whole Nation quasi pro aris focis to rise for Religion Liberty to resist such wickedness did wink at it O how Righteous is the Lord now in turning our Harps into mourning Though alas we will not suffer our selves to this day to see the shining Righteousness of this Retribution And though we be scourged with Scorpions brayed in a Mortar our madness our folly in these irreligious frolicks is not yet acknowledged let be lamented Yet albeit neither in this day when the Covenant was not only broken but Cassed declared of no obligation nor afterward when it was burnt for which Turks Pagans would have been ashamed afraid at such a terrible sight and for which the Lords Anger is burning against these bold burners and against them who suffered it and did not witness against it was there any publick Testimony by protestation or Remonstrance or an publick witness though the Lord had some then and some who came out afterward with the Trumpet at their mouth whose heart then sorrowed at the sight And some suffered for the sense they shewed of that Anniversary abomination for not keeping which they lost both Church Liberty It s true the ordinary Meetings of Presbytries Synods were about that time discharged to make way for the exercise of the new power conferred on the four Prelats who were at Court reordained Consecrated thereby renouncing their former Title to the Ministry But this could not give a discharge from a Necessary Testimony then called for from faithful Watchmen However the Reformation being thus rescinded razed and the House of the Lord pulled doun then they begin to build their Babel In the Parliament anno 1662. by their first Act they restore reestablish Prelacy upon such a foundation as they might by the same Law bring in Poperie which was then designed and so settled its Harbinger Diocesan Erastiar Prelacy by fuller Enlargment of the Supremacy The very Act beginneth thus For as much as the ordering disposal of the external Government of the Church doth properly belong to his Maj. as an Inherent right of the Croun by virtue of his Royal Prerogative Supremacy in Causes Ecclesiastick what ever shall be determined by his Maj. with advice of the Arch Bishops and such of the
of Scotland did now suffer a violent villanous rape from a vermine of vile Schismatical Apostates obtruded imposed upon her instead of her able painful faithful succeseful Pastors that the Lord had set over her and now by their faintness the Enemies force robbed from her And none now allowed by Law to administer the Ordinances but either Apostate Curats who by their Perjurie Apostacy forfaulted their Ministry or other Hirelings Prelatâ— Journey-men who run without a Mission except from them who had none to give according to Christs Institution the seal of whose Ministry could never yet be shown in the Conversion of any sinner to Christ but if the tree may be known by its fruitâ— we may know whose Ministers they are ut ex ungue Leonem by their Conversions of Reformation into Deformation of the Work Cause of God into the similitude of the Roman beast of Ministers into Hirelings of their Proselytes into ten times worse children of the Devil then they were before of the power of Godlyness into formality of Preaching Christ into Orations of Morality of the purity of Christs Ordinances into the vanity of mens Inventions of the beautiful Government of the House of God for Edification to a Lordly preheminence Domination over consciences in a word of Church State Constitutions for Religion Liberty all up side doun into wickedness slavery These are the Conversions of Prelacy But now this astonishing blow to the Gospel of the Kingdom introducing such a Swarm of Locusts into the Church And in forcing a Complyance of the people with this defection and that so violently rigorously as even simple withdrawing was so severely punished by severe Edicts of fyning other arbitrary punishments at first what did it produce did it awaken all Christs Ambassadours now to appear for Christ in this clear clamant case of Confessing Him and the freedom Purity of His Ordinances Alas the backwardness bentness to backsliding in a Superseding from the duties of that day did make it evident that now the Lord had in a great measure forsaken them because they had forsaken Him. The standart of the Gospel was then fallen and few to take it up The Generality of Ministers Professors both went Conformed so far as to hear the Curats contrary to many points of the Reformation formerly attained contrare to their Covenant Engagments and contrare to their oun principles practice at that same time scrupling and refusing to keep the Bishops visitations and to Countenance their Discipline power of Iurisdiction because it was required as a Testification of their acknowledgment of Complyance with the present Government And yet not scrupling to Countenance their Doctrine usurped power of Order required also by the same Law as the same Test of the same Compliance submission It s strange that some yet doe plead for persisting in that same Complyance after all the bitter Consequents of it Other Ministers Lay altogether by in their retired recesses waiting to see what things would turn to Others were hopeless turned Farmers Doctors others more wyllie staid at home Preached quietly in Ladies Chambeâ—â— But the faithful thought that this Tyrannical ejection did 〈◊〉 or could not unminister them so as they might not Preaâ—â—â— Gospel where ever they were as Ambassadours of 〈◊〉 but rather found themselves under an indispensible necessity to Preach the Gospel and witness for the freedom of their Ministry and make full proof of it in preaching in season out of season and thereupon as occasion offered preached to all such as were willing to hear but at first only in private houses and that for the most part at such times when Sermons in publick surceased a superplus of Caution But afterwards finding so great difficulties and Persecutions for their house Meetings where they were so easily attrapped were constrained at last to keep their Meetings in the fields without shelter from cold wind snow or rain Where testifieing both practically particularly against these Usurpations on their Masters Prerogatives and witnessing for their Ministerial freedom contrary to all Law-Interdictions without any Licences or Indulgences from the Usurper but holding their Ministry from Jesus Christ alone both as to the Office exercise thereof they had so much of their Masters Countenance success in their labours that they valued neither hazards nor hardships neither the contempt of pretended Friends nor the Laws nor threatnings of Enemies adjudging the penalty of death it self to Preachers at Field Conventicles as they called them Now having thus overturned the Church Government by introducing Prelacy to advance an absolute Supremacy the effects whereof were either the Corruption or Persecution of all the Ministrie Encouragment of profanity wickedness the enerease advancment of Popery Superstition Error cruel impositions on the Conscience and oppressions for Conscience sake by the practices of cruel Supra-Spanish Inquisitions and all manner of outcryes of outragious violence villany The King proceeds in his design to pervert evert the wel modelled moderated Constitution of the State Government also by introducing advancing an Arbitrary Tyranny the effects whereof were an absolute Mancipation of Lives Liberties and estates unto his lust pleasure the utter subversion of Lawes and absolute impoverishinâ—â— the people For effectuating which he first procâ—â— lasting Imposition of intollerable Subsidies Taxatiâ—â— to impoverish that he might the more easily enslave the Nation Next a further recognizance of his Prerogative in a subjection of persons fortunes whole strength of the Kingdom to his absolute arbitrement in a Levy of Militia of 20000 footmen 2000 horsemen sufficiently armed with 40 dayes provision to be ready upon the Kings call to march to any part of his Dominions for opposing whatsoever invasion or insurrection or for any other service The first sproutings of Tyrannie were cherished by the cheerfull stupid submission generally yeelded to these exorbitances under which they who suffered most were inwardly Malecontents but there was no opposition to them by word or Action but on the contrary generally people did not so much as scruple sending out or going out as Militia-men never adverting unto what this Concurrence was designed demanded and given for Nor what an accession it was in the nature influence of the mean it self and in the sense intention of the Requirers unto a Confederacy for a Complyance with and a Confirmation strengthening of Arbitrary Tyrannie After the fundamental constitutions of both Church State are thus razed rooted up to confirm this Absolute Power he contrived to frame all inferior Magistrats according to his mould And for this end appointed that all persons in any publick Trust or Office whatsoever should subscribe a Declaration renouncing abjuring the Covenants whereby Perjurie was made the chief indispensible qualification and Conditio sine qua non of all that were
of Burgh Royal what place or places they set a part for these uses with the names of the Preachers provided alwayes that the Meetings be in houses and not in the open fields for which now after this our Royal grace favour which surpasses the hopes equalls the very wishes of the most zealously concerned there is not the least shadow of execuse left Which Meetings in the fields we do hereby strictly prohibite forbid against all which we do leave our Lawes Acts of Parliament in full force vigour notwithstanding the premises and do further command all our Judges Magistrats Officers of forces to prosecute such as shall be guilty of the said field Conventicles with the utmost rigour for we are confident none will after these Liberties freedoms given to all without reserve to serve God in their oun way presume to meet in these Assemblies except such as make a pretence of Religion to cover their treasonable designs against our Royal person the peace of our Government This is the Royal Charter for security of the Protestant Religion intended to secure it so that it shall not go much abroad again in Lieu of all the Lawes Constitutions Oaths Covenants wherewith it was formerly confirmed This is the only patent which the Royal Dâties the Moderate Presbyterians have now received to ensure their enjoyment of it durante beneplacito during his pleasure whose Faith is as absolute over all ties of promises as his power from whence it flowes is over all Lawes whose chiefest principle of Conscience is that no Faith is to be kept to Hereticks Here is the Liberty which is said to surpass the hopes and equal the wishes of the most zealously concerned holding true indeed of too many whose hopes wishes zeal are terminate upon peace rather than Truth ease rather than duty and their own things rather than the things of Christ But as for the poor wild Wanderers it some way answers their fears and corrosponds with their jealousies who put the same interpretation upon it as on all the former Indulgences Indemnities Tolerations proceeding from the same fountain designed for the same sinistrous ends with this which they look upon as more openly obviously Anti-christian and therefore while others are rejoicing under the bramble-shadow of it they think it a cause of weeping matter of mourning not because they do not share of the benefit of it but because they are afraid to share of the Curse of it For which cause thô a freedom be pretended to be given to all without reserve to serve God in their own way they think it necessary to reserve to themselves the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free and to serve Him in His Way thô interdicted by men and to take none from Antichrist restricted with his reserves And do look upon it as a Seasonable Testimony for the Cause of Christ and the Interest of the Protestant Religion and the Lawes Liberties of the Country all overturned subverted by this Toleration to keep their Meetings as in former times in the open fields whither their Tyranny hath driven them And let them call these Meetings covered treasonable designs against the Government on pretence of Religion I trust it shall be made evident in the Conviction of all that know Religion that their designs are to preserve it in opposition to the Tyranny that goes about all these wayes to suppress it Though I must suspend the Reasons of their keeping their Meetings in the fields till I come to discuss that Case in its oun place Here I shall only say none that is acquainted with their Circumstances which are as dangerously stated as ever by reason of the Constant Persecution of Cruel enraged Enemies incessantly pursuing them without relenting notwithstanding of all this pretence of Clemency tenderness to Conscience but may know they can neither have safety secrecy nor conveniency in houses for fear of their entrapping enemies and none will blame them that after so many discoveries of their truculent treachery they dare not trust them And besides they think it sinful scandalous inconvenient to seem to homologate this Toleration the wickedness whereof they are convinced of from these Reasons I. Considering the Granter in his personal Capacity as to his Morals they look upon him as a person with whom they cannot in Prudence communicate in any transaction of that nature First because being in his Principles practice professedly treacherous yea obliged to be both perfidious cruel by that Religion whereunto he is addicted he cannot be trusted in the least concerns let be those of such momentous consequence as this without a stupid abandoning of Conscience Reason Experience Since both that known principle that no Faith is to be kept to Hereticks which is espoused by all Papists does to them justify all their lying dissimulations equivocations treacheries imaginable and that Lateran Canon that enjoyns Kings to destroy exstirpate Hereticks under pain of excommunication does oblige him to be cruel besides what deep engagments he is known to be under by Oaths Promises to the Pope both in his exile and while a subject and since he came to the Croun which make him to all Considering persons to be a person of that Character whose deceitful dainties are not to be desired and that when he speaketh fair is not to be beleeved for there are seven abominations in his heart Of which open affronted Lies we have a sufficient swatch both in his Proclamation for Scotland and Declaration for England where he speaks of his constant resolves of uniting the hearts of Subjects to God in Religion to their Neighbours in Christian Love and that it never was his principle to offer violence to any mans Conscience or use invincible necessity against any man on the account of his persuasion and that their Property was never in any case invaded since his coming to the Croun and that it hath been his constant sense opinion that Conscience ought not to to be constrained nor People forced in matters of meer Religion To which his uninterrupted endeavours to divide us from God and from on another that he might the more easily destroy us and his constant encroachments upon Lawes Liberties Properties and all Interests of men Christians for Conscience sake do give the lie manifestly And it must be great blindness not to see and great baseness willingly to wink at that double faced equivocation in matters of meer Religion by which he may elude all these flattering promises of tenderness by excepting at the most necessary indispensable duties if either they be such wherein any other Interest is concerned beside meer Religion or if their troubles sustained thereupon be not altogether invincible necessities Hence the plain falsehood doubleness of his Assertions as to what is past may give ground to conclude his intended perfidie in the promises of
briefly plainly We do not usuâ—p a judgment in the case pretending no more Authority over them in our private Capacity than we allow them to have over us that is none at all Nor can we admit that they should be both Judges party for then they might challenge that prerogative in every case and strengthen themselves in an incontrollable immunity impunity to do what they pleased But we appeal to the fundamental Lawes of the Kingdom aggreeable to the word of God to Judge and to the whole world of impartial Spectators to read pronounce the judgment Lâ—x Rex Quest. 24. Pag. 213. sayeth in answer to this There is a Court of Necessity no less than a Court of Justice And the fundamental Lawes must then speak and it is with the people in this extremity as if they had no ruler And as to the doubtsomness of these Lawes he sayeth 1 As the Scriptures in all fundamentals are clear expone themselves actu primo condemn Heresies So all Lawes of men in their fundamentals which are the Law of Nature Nations are clear 2 Tyranny is more visible intelligible than Heresie and it s soon discerned The people have a Natural Throne of Policy in their conscience to give warning materially sentence against the King as a Tyrant where Tyranny is more obscure and the thread smal that it escape the eye of man the King keepeth Possession but I deny that Tyranny can be obscure long 7. I shall grant that many things are yeeldable even to a Grassant Dominator Tyrannical Occupant of the place of Magistracy as 1. There may be some cases wherein its Lawful for a people to yeeld subjection to a Lawless Tyrant when groaning under his overpouring yoke under which they must patiently bear the inâ—â—â—nation of the Lord because they have sinned against Him until He arise plead His oun Cause execute judgment in the earth Mic. 7. 9. until which time they must kiss the rod as in the hand of God and oune adore the holyness Soveraignty of that Providence that hath subjected them under such a slavery and are not to attempt a violent ejection or excussion when either the thing attempted is altogether impracticable or the means manner of effectuating it dubious unwarrantable or the necessary Concomitants consequents of the cure more hurtful or dangerous than the disease or the like As in many cases also a man may be subject to a robber prevailing against him So we find the people of Israel in Egyt Babylon c. yeelded subjection to Tyrants But in this case we deny two things to them 1 Allegiance or active voluntary subjection so as to oune them for Magistrats 2 Stupid Passive obedience or suffering without resistence For the first we owe it only to Magistrats by virtue of the Law either Ordinative of God or Constitutive of man. And it is no Argument to infer as a mans subjecting himself to a Robber assaulting him is no soild proof of his approving or acknowledging the injury violence committed by the robber therefore a Persons yeelding subjection to a Tyrant a Publick robber does not argue his acknowledging or approving his Tyranny oppression For the subjection that a Tyrant requires and which a Robber requires is not of the same nature the one is Legal of subjects which we cannot oune to a Tyrant the other is forced of the subdued which we must acknowledge to a Robber But to make the Paralell If the Robber should demand in our subjecting our selves to him an ouning of him to be no robber but an honest man as the Tyrant demands in our subjecting our selves to him in ouning him to be no Tyrant but a Magistrate then we ought not to yeeld it to the one no more than to the other For the Second to allow them Passive obedience is in-intelligible Non-sense a meer Contradiction for nothing that 's meerly passive can be obedience as relative to a Law nor can any obedience be meerly passive for obedience is always active But not only is the inaccuracy of the Phrase excepted against but also that position maintained by many that in reference to a yoke of Tyranny there is a time which may be called the proper season of suffering that is when suffering in opposition to acting or resisting is a necessary indispensible duty and resisting is a sin For if the one be an indispensible duty the other must be a sin at the same time But this cannot be admitted For though certainly there is such a season of suffering wherein suffering is Lawful laudable necessary and all must lay their account with suffering and litle else can be attempted but which will encrease sufferings yet even then we may resist as well as we can and these two Resistence Suffering at the same time are not incompatible David did bear most patiently the injury of his Sons usurpation when he said let the Lord do to me as seemeth Him good 2 Sam. 15. 26. ch 10. 12. and betaketh himself to fervent prayers Psal. 3. and yet these were not all the weapons he used against him Neither did he ever oune him as a Magistrate We are to suffer all things patiently as the Servants of the Lord and look to Him for Mercy relief Psal. 123. 2. but we are not obliged to suffer even in that season as the slaves of men Again suffering in opposition to resistence does never fall under any moral Law of God execept in the absolutely extraordinary Case of Christs passive obedience which cannot fall under our deliberation or imitation Or in the case of a positive Law as was given to the Iewes to submit to Nebuchadnezzar which was express peculiar to them as shall be cleared That can never be commanded as indispensible duty which does not fall under our free will or deliberation but the enemies will as the Lord permits them as the Case of suffering is That can never be indispensible duty which we may decline without sin as we may do suffering if we have not a call to it yea in that case it were sin to suffer therefore in no case it can be formally indispensibly commanded so as we may not shift it if we can without sin Suffering simply the evil of punishment just or unjust can never be a conformity to Gods preceptive Will but only to His Providential disposal it hath not voluntas signi for its rule but only voluntas beneplaciti All the Commands that we have for suffering are either to direct the manner of it that it be Patiently Chearfully when forced to it wrongfully 1 Pet. 2. 19 20. or Comparatively to determine our choise in an unavoidable alternative either to suffer or sin and so we are commanded rather to suffer than to deny Christ Math. 13. 33. and we are commanded upon these termes to follow Christ to take up His Cross when He layes
Kings are to be honoured that are ouned to be Kings really It may be alledged by some that Elisha was an extraordinary man and this was an extraordinary action and therefore not imitable I shall grant it so far extraordinary that it is not Usual to carry so to persons of that figure and that indeed there are few Elisha's now not only for his Prophetick Spirit which now is ceased but even in respect of his Gracious Spirit of zeal which in a great measure is now extinguished He was indeed an extraordinary man and this Action did demonstrate much of the Spirit of Elias to have been abiding with him But that this was unimitable these reasons induce me to deny 1 Prophets were subject to Kings as well as others as Nathan was to David 1 King. 1. 32 33. every soul must be subject to the higher powers that are of God 2 All the Actions of Prophets were not extraordinary nor did they every thing by extraordinary inspiration that was peculiar to Christ that He could Prophecy do extraordinary acts when He pleased because He received the Spirit not by measure and it rested upon Him. 3 this particular Action carriage was before he called for the Minstrel and before the hand of the Lord came upon him vers 15. Ergo this was not by inspiration 4 The ground of this was Moral Ordinary for hereby he only shewed himself to be a person fit to abide in the Lords Tabernacle and an upright walker in whose eyes a vile person is contemned Psal. 15. 4. and a just man to whom the unjust is an abomination Prov. 29. 27. What further can be aledged against this instance I see not And I need draw no Argument by Consequence it is so plain 7. This same Jehoram after many signal demonstrations of the power of God exerted in the Ministry of His Servant Elisha which sometimes did extort his acknowledgment and made him call the Prophet his father 2 King. 6. 21. yet when in the strait siege of Samaria he was plagued with famine for his Idolatry in so much that the pitiful Mothers were made to eat their oun tender Children became so insolent a Tyrant that being incensed into a madness of outragious malice against the Prophet Elisah that he sware God do so to him more also if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat should stand on him that day accordingly he sent a messenger to execute it But the Prophet from a Principle of Nature Reason Law as well as Grace and by the Spirit of a man as well as of a Prophet stood upon his defence and encouraged those that were with him to keep out the house against him saying See ye how this son of a Murderer a proper style for such a Monster of a King hath sent to take away mine head ... 2 King. 6. 32. This is a strong Argument for self defence but I improve it thus If Tyrants may be opposed as sons of Murderers Murderers themselves and no otherwise to be accounted then under such a vile Character then can they not be ouned as Kings But here is an example for the first Ergo 8. This mans brother in Law of the same name Iehoram the son of Iehoshaphat who had the Daughter of Ahab to wife and therefore walked in the way of the house of Ahab gives us another instance He turned Apostate Tyrant and Abimelech-like or if yow will Yorklike slew his brethren and diverse also of the Princes of Israel Moreover he made high places in the Mountains of Iudah and caused the Inhabitants of Ierusalem to commit â—ornication and compelled Iudah thereto For which Cause of his intollerable insolency in wickedness Libnah one of the Cities of Priests in Iudah Revolted from him 2 King. 8. 22. because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers 2 Chron. 21. 10. which was the motive impulsive Cause of their disouning him and is not to be detorted to that restricted Cavil of Royalists understanding it only as the Meritorous or procuring Cause of his punishment loss sustained thereby for it is not so said of the Edomites who revolted at the same time as it is mentioned in another Paragraph Neither of the Philistims Arabians Ethiopians whose spirit the Lord stirred up against him These were also a punishment to him Nor would it found very suitably to be said that they opposed him because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers for that would insinuate some influence that his Apostasie had on them as certainly it could not but have on the Lords Priests that dwelt in Libnah who understood by the Law of God what was their duty to do with Intycers or Drawers or Drivers to Idolatry And when they were not in capacity to execute the Judgement of the Lord this was the least they could do to Revolt Here then is an example of a Peoples Revolt from a Prince and disouning Allegiance to him because of Apostasie Tyranny 9. In this Kingdom of Iudah after long experience of a Succession of Hereditary Tyranny in many wicked Kings the people after they had long smarted for their lazie Loyaltie in their stupid abandoning forgetting foregoing this Priviledge of disouning Tyrants and keeping them in order began at length to bestir themselves in their endeavours to recover their lost Liberties and repress Tyrants Insolencies on several occasions Wherein though sometimes there were extravagances when Circumstances did mar the Justice of the Action and some did go beyond their sphere in tumultuary precipitations yet upon the matter it was Justice and in conformity to a Moral Command One impregnable witness of this we have in the pious Plot of Iehojada the Priest who being but a Subject as all Priests were as the deposition of Abiathar by King Solomon 1 King. 2. 27. proveth entered into an Association with the inferior Rulers to choose make a new King and notwithstanding that the Idolatress She-Tyrant Athaliab who had the Possession of the Government cried Treason Treason at the fact they had her forth without the ranges slew her 2 King. 11. 14-16 This was according to the Law Deut. 13. And approven by all Interpreters even Mr Pool in his Synopsis Critic though alias Superlatively Loyal yet approves of this and sayes she was an incurable Idolatress and therefore deserved to be deposed by the Nobles of the Kingdom And quotes Grotius in Loc. saying she reigned by meer force no right and therefore justly repressed by force for the Hebrewes were to have Brethren for their Kings but not Sisters Deut. 17. 15. Hence if Tyrants may be forcibly repressed then may they peaceably be disouned But this example comfirms that Ergo 10. The Sacred History proceeds in the Relation how this same Joash the Son of Ahaziah after he degenerated into Murdering Tyranny was slain by Jozachar Jehozabad 2 King. 12. 20 21. But that was by his oun Servants in
compact with the men in power to procure Liberty upon bond to answer again and cannot be called necessitated or if it be it is but a necessitated sin It must be voluntary because it is an act of the will and the will cannot be forced It s the Consent of the will and the Consent cannot but be voluntary in so far as it is a Consent and by this whereas before their so procured Liberty they were prisoners by Constraint now when they must return to prison they are prisoners by Consent It s the prisoners Choise whether he will come out upon these terms or not and every Choise in so far as it is a Choise is elective voluntary It s put to the mans choise whether he wil continue under the Cross and continue his Testimony for the cause or surcease from it for a time the Latter in the case is chosen It s the prisoners desire and petition to transact with them in these terms for Liberty without which no benefit of any such bond can be procured and every desire is voluntary Yea it is a formal Compact Capitulation with them binding obliging these bonders by their oun word writ at least to be at their Call Command not by Compulsion force now but by the Moral obligation of their oun compact Now every such compact is voluntary And therefore if all voluntary Covenants Confederacies Aggreements be discharged in Scripture then this bond of Compearance also must be discharged The Judgement of famous Mr Rutherfoord of a draught of a petition to have been presented to the Committee of Estates by those Ministers who were prisoners in the Castle of Edinburgh will confirm what is said we find it in the Third part of his Letters Numb 63. where are these words I am straitned as another suffering man but dare not petition this Committee 1. Because it drawes us to Capitulate with such as have the advantage of the mount the Lord of disposing for the present and to bring the matters of Christ to yea and no yow being prisoners and they the powers is a hazard 3. This Aggreement with the Enemies for Liberty upon these terms is sinful For it is not only an acknowledgment of a wicked power in ouning transacting with them as Judges who can free them and bind them as prisoners by Law which is disproved above But it is a binding themselves over to a pacqued perverse Law-perverting Judicatory not as prisoners by forcible constraint but a willing consent ackowledging the Legality of their imprisonment and obliging themselves to observe it when demanded yea it is a Covenanted bonded obedience to a wicked Law for it is a wicked Law to exact from a Sufferer for Truth his re-entrie to prison for no crime but his duty As also it is a justifying of a wicked sentence for it is a wicked sentence that an innocent man shall return to prison when they please which is justified when they bind themselves to obey it This is nowise like a mans going to the Gibbet on his oun feet for the man does not bind himself to do that neither is it exacted of him as an obedience to a Law nor is it given forth as a part of his sentence Only he chooseth it for his oun ease But if all these did concur it were unlawful for a Martyr for Righteousness to obey such a Law or voluntarly to submit to such a wicked sentence Neither is it of any pertinency to urge that it is Lawful for a man to submit so far to a Robber as to bind himself to return to him against such a day with another purse to him For this is a necessitated bargain to give what a man hath and promise more to save his life and is like a mans casting his goods out at sea to save the ship The other is not so but elective This is only a Choise of the least of two evils of suffering but the other is a choise of one of two evils which is sin which cannot come under a Christians election at all This is a compact with the Robber which is still discretive and nowise unitive of the Robber him in any bargain of concord or consederacy or acknowledged subjection only a passive surrender to his greater force as an enemy But the other is unitive as between Rulers Ruled This is not any obedience to a Law nor is the mans purse required to be given or promised under that notion as the other is I shall here also subjoin some more of that foresaid Letter of Mr Rutherfoords In the 2 place sayes he A speaking to them in writ and passing in silence the sworn Covenant the cause of God which is the very present Controversie is contrary to the practice of Christ and the Apostles who being accused or not accused avouched Christ to be the Son of God and the Messias and that the dead must rise again even when the Adversarie mistated the question Now plain it is that neither in the bonds nor petitions is there any word of the cause or Testimony suffered for 4. As it is sinful so it is very scandalous in several respects in that at least it hath the appearance of evil which Christians should abstain from 1 Thes. 5. 22. and seems to be a voluntary subjecting themselves to their Impositions at least of that to return to prison again a willing acknowledgment of their unjust Usurpations a spontaneous consenting to their Mischiefs framed into a Law exacted under the Notion of a Law A gratifying of the enemies of Religion and pleasing them more than any thing a prisoner can do except he should wholly deny the cause and therefore chiefly always this overture is most acceptable from those that durst give any Testimony because they look upon it as some indication of their fainting or falling from it or of their wearying of the Cross of Christ of which they are very glad And an offending and making sad the hearts condemning the practice of some truly tender zealous Confessors of Christ who have had strong tentations to make such transactions and durst not yeeld so far for a world yea it is certainly an Argument of faithless fear impatient wearying of the Cross because of the fury of the Oppressor which the Lord taxeth when the Captive hasteneth that he may be loosed and that he should not die in the pit nor that his bread should fail which is a dishonour to Him who hath promised to bear their charges and hath given them many encouragments to trust that He will open a door in His oun time way see Isai. 51. 13 14. Of this Rutherfoord addeth in that forecited Letter Silence of the cause of God which Adversaries persecute seems a tacite deserting of the cause when the state of of the Question is known to beholders and I know the Brethren intend not to leave the cause And a litle after
sayes he The draught of that petition which yow sent me speaks not one word of the Covenant of God for the adhering to which yow now suffer and which is the Object of mens hatred and the destruction whereof is the great work of the times and your silence in this nick of time appears to be a not confessing of Christ before men and yow want nothing to begen an uncleanly deliverance but the profession of silence which is professed by all that petition for such a bond when their address transaction speaks no more in favours of the cause than if they denied it It is plainly a coming out of prison without a Testimony which cannot consist with faithful zealous suffering for Christ and is far from the choise of Christs Witnesses who overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of their Testimony recorded Heb. 11. 35. who were tortured not accepting deâ—iverance that they might obtain a better resurection 5. As it is Scandalous so it is very inconvenient unsuitable for the Confessors of Christ. In that not only they may be ignorant and much troubled to know what underhand â—ealings their friends may use sometimes to procure that Liberty without acquainting them and how odiously their Act of deliverance may be worded registred to the prejudice of the cause which they dare not testify against afterwards when they do know it for fear of many inconveniencies But also it cannot be vindicated from being a dishonourable shifting and puting off or casting off the Call of a Testimony and confessing either an inconstancy or impatience or unreadiness or want of resolution to confess or profess the Testimony for Christ without some respyte to gather new defences for it Whereas Christs Witnesses should be ready always to give an Answer to every man that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them 1 Pet. 3. 15. And besides they involve themselves into the incumbrances of a doubtful suspence about the event whereas if they keep their first resolution condition with cheerfullness aloof from such bargains they know the utmost they have to fear or hope from men But now as it is Hard for them to come off without some sinful engagment and to continue any measure of faithfulness when they are out for fear of being soon called again so they bring themselves into many sad difficulties how to behave and cast themselves into many tentations unadvoidably However except of late a precedent of this practice can hardly be instanced among the Sufferers of Christ in former times but on the contrary many have refused such offers I shall only name one In the persecution of Qeen Mary of England Dr Sands Prisoner at London had the offer of Liberty upon the terms of such a bond finding bail to appear when he should be called but refused it absolutely and when a Gentleman without his knowledge having procured it by giving a thowsand pound Bond for him brought him forth and required his consent and observance of the obligation he would not consent to give any security and denied his resolution to observe it in the least whereupon the Gentleman very courteously told him he would stand to his hazard This was far more like the innocency of the dove but this new prudence resembles more the wisdom of the serpent Finally as for Iasons business which is so much harped upon by these Bonders 1 These were Rulers that he had to deal with all and not raging Tyrants 2 They were indifferent Arbiters between Iason and the Lewd fellowes that troubled him and not both Judge party he gave no security to his persecuters as these Bonders do but to the true Judges of the cause who impartially took cognizance of it from whom Iason might did expect right 3 This was before he was Prisoner being as free as his accusers and having the Law as free for him as it was for them whereby he could vindicate himself and abide the Law and be absolved by it which does not answer the case of Prisoners actually ingaged in called to a Testimony for Christ when there is no Law but what is established in opposition to Christ. 4 In the Original it is when they got satisfaction from him that is when he so cleared himself that they could not fasten any transgression upon him then they absolved him 2. All these Oaths solemn Securities that have been imposed in these times are dreadful heinous breaches of the Third Command by taking His Name in vain in the worst sort whereby the takers cannot be holden guiltless For it is impossible such Oaths Bonds however they be constructed can ever be taken with these requisite qualifications necessary to be observed in all Oaths and consequently in all Solemn promises or Bonds that are mentioned once for all Ier. 4. 2. where one that sweareth must do it in Truth in Iudgement in Righteousness 1. They cannot be taken in Truth which is a necessary qualification in all Oaths according to the definition of a true Oath Which is a Solemn Invocation of God for Confirmation of some true Lawful grave and weighty Useful worthy business wherein He is attested appealed unto that He as the only Searcher of hearts may give His Testimony to the Truth of the thing and punish the Swearer if he swear not in Truth And this Swearing in Truth does import require both Sincerity of the heart filled with Reverence and the awful apprehension of a present God And Simplicity of the mind well informed of the genuine meaning of the Oath that we have clear uptaking of it and take it not implicitely but with our oun understanding And also singleness honesty of the intention that it be not to deceive by puting any other sense than the imposer hath or will allow when he understands it So the meaning must be clear and such as may be obviously gathered from the Words and according as they are supposed to be understood by others especially them that exact the Oath for if they mean one thing and we another Gods Name is profaned and the end of the Oath frustrate and so all equivocations mental reservations are condemned As all Divine treating on Oaths teach and worthy Mr Durham particularly on the Third Command who Asserts that though we could devise some other meaning that might seem to make for us yet if that was not meant at first tendering but otherwise understood by him that did take it it will not absolve from the guilt of perjurie for an Oath is stricti juris and will not admit on any respct or account of interpretations prejudicial to the Native Truth of it lest it should be found to be according to Psal. 24. 4. a swearing deceitfully And afterwards he sayes Much less will it exempt a man from guilt that in swearing he had a meaning of the words contrary to what in common sense they bear and in the
given to us to remember Lots wife turned into a Pillar of Salt to season us lest the stink of our Destruction and what may follow upon it be all that the posterity get for a warning not to tread our paths As for the few that have suffered upon this Head they have been so discruciated with perplexities in their Conflicts with the rage of Enemies and reproach of Friends and fear of these snares attending every lot or occupation they could put themselves in that they have been made to desire death as their best refuge and only retreat wherein they may find rest from all these rackings For in no place could they escape the reach of some of these Impositions nor the noise of their clamarous Contendings of Arguments that pleaded for it But some have had more Love to Christ and His Interests than language to plead for Him and more resolution to suffer than learning to dispute for His Cause And where pure zeal for Christ and love to His bleeding Interests in a time when He is crucified afresh and put to open shame and the Concurrence of all is required to help forward the War against Him is in integrity vigor it will burn with its flame those knots that it cannot in hast loose And chuse rather to lie under the imputation of being zealous without knowledge than lose or let go such an opportunity of witnessing a good Confession yea when it could do no more expire with an Ichabod in its mouth But shortly to come to the point I shall 1. Permit some Concessions 2. Propose some paralel Questions 3. Offer some Reasons to clear it 1. I shall willingly grant in the General concerning paying of Exactions Impositions or Emoluments 1. They are to be paid to these to whom they are due As Tribute Custom is to be paid to the Powers ordained of God and for this Cause that they are Gods Ministers attending continually upon this very thing Rom. 13. 6 7. So Stipends and all outward Encouragments are due to Ministers of the Gospel who sow Spiritual things and should reap these carnal things 1 Cor. 9. 11 12. Fynes also and all legal Amercements for Delinquencies against just Laws must be payed Deut. 22. 19. And whatsoever is due by Law to Officers appointed by Law for keeping Delinquents in Custody As all Debts whatsoever But Tyrants Exactions enacted exacted for promoving their wicked designs against Religion Liberty Hirelings Salaries for encouraging them in their intrusions upon the Church of God Arbitrary Impositions of pecuniary punishments for clear Duties And extorted hirings of the subordinate instruments of Persecuters oppressions are no wise due and cannot be debt and therefore no equity to pay them 2. It s Lawful to pay them when due and debt either by Law or Contract even thô they should be afterward abused and misimproven to pernicious ends But these payments for such wicked ends either particularly specified expressed in the very Act appointing them or openly avouched by the Exactors are of another nature than Impositions fundamentally appointed for the publick good and the after misapplication thereof made by such as are entrusted therewith is no more imputable unto the Land or Payers than is the theft of a Collector stealing or running away with the same without making Count or reckoning to Superiours It is then a foolish thing to say that former Impositions were peacably payed thô we saw and were convinced that their use was perverted and they were used against the good of the Land and Gods people For no such thing was laid doun as the ground or declared as the end of these exactions but what fell out was by the personal abuse and perversion of those in power which was rheir oun personal fault and posteriour to the legal engagment and submission to the payment thereof by the Land in their Representatives 3. It s Lawful to pay them sometimes even when fundamentally and Originally from the first Constitution of them they were not due but Illegally or Usurpatively challenged exacted if afterwards they were by dedition or voluntary engagment legally submitted unto by the true Representatives But not so when they were never either Lawfully enacted or legally exacted or voluntarly engaged by the Representatives except such as represented the enslavement of the Nation and betrayed the Country Religion Liberty Property and all precious Interests and declaredly imposed to further the destruction of all Nor can any with reason say that this Case is but like the Case of the people of Israel under the feet of Enemies paying to them of the fruits of their Ground as was regrated lamented by Nehemiah Chap. 9. 36 37. For so they must say the Exactions now in debate are their Redemption-money and by these they purchase their Liberty of Life Lands and oune themselues to be a people under Conquest And yet they cannot deny but they are both exacted payed as Tests of their Allegiance as Subjects and Badges of their Loyaltie Obedience But this is answered before Head 2. Conces 7. § 2. Pag. If any should object the practice of Christ thô otherwise free yet paying Custom lest He should offend It is fully solved ibid. Head 2. Conces 9. Pag. Here it s sufficient to hint 1 That which made â—hem marvel at His wise Answer was that He left the Title unstated and the Claim unresolved whether it belonged to Cesar or not and taught them in the general to give nothing to Cesar with prejudice to what was Gods which condemns all the Payments we speak of which are all for carrying on the War against God. 2 Cesar was no Tyrant nor Usurper at this time because they had legally submitted themselves unto several Cesars successively before 3 It was lest He should offend But here it will be evident that the offence scandal lyeth upon the other hand of paying the Exaction And it is against all Religion to say that both the doing and refusing to do the same Act can give offence But 4 make the Case like ours and I doubt not to call it Blasphemy to say that Christ would have payed or permitted to pay a Taxation professedly imposed for levying a War against Him or banishing Him and His Disciples out of the Land Or to fill the mouths of the greedy Pharisees devouring widowes houses for their pretence of long Prayers Or that He would have payed or suffered to pay their Extortions if any had been exacted of Him or His Disciples for His Preaching or working Miracles Or if help or hire had been demanded for encouraging those that rose to stone Him for His good deeds 4. It is Lawful to pay a part to preserve the whole when it is extorted only by force threatenings and not exacted by Law when it is a yeelding only to a lesser suffering and not a consenting to a Sin to shift suffering The Objection of a man being seised by a Robber transacting with
be preserved among the poor Remnant and propogate in their power purity to the posteritie Happy he who shall be found so doing now when the Dragon and his Angels are drawn into the fields and have proclaimed the War and published to the world the Causes thereof So that now this General having laid aside all his old disguises doeth in his true shape march upon the head of his black Legions who wear his badge colours and fight under his banner standart III. In the last place with all possible brevity I shall offer some Reasons against Complyance with these Exactions in Cumulo 1. To pay these Impositions upon such declared Accounts for such declared Causes and for such declared ends would condemn the Contendings Sufferings of many eminently Godly especially in our day who have refused them Of these Questions Sufferings thereupon among the Godly in former times we cannot instruct much for such insolent Impositions as to all the dimensions of their heinousness were never heard before But we want not Examples of the Saints refusing to give their money and other such things to wicked men either to comply with their wicked demands obey their wicked Laws encourage their wicked courses or furtheir their wicked designs In Scripture we find Paul would not give Felix money that he might be loosed thô he sent for him often for that end Act. 24. 26. Mr Durham in his exposition of the Revelation Chap. 6. vers 9. Lect. 6. Pag. gives an account that when in the persecution of Dioclesian the Persecutors sought but the Bibles poors coats money or Cups wherewith they served to be given them as some Evidence of their ceding But they refused to accept deliverance upon these terms yea when the Souldiers partly wearieing to be so bloody partly desirous of seeming victory over Christians did profess themselves content to take any old paper or clout in place of the Bible they refused to give any Ecvola as it was called from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or cast-away clout yea when Souldiers would violently pluck such things from them against their wills they would follow them professing their Adherence unto the Truth and that they had not any way willingly delivered these things as it is to be seen in Baronius An. 303. pag. 748. It is reported of one Marcus Arethusius who was put to torment under Iulian because he would not build the Idol Temple which he had formerly demolished when they were content to accept some part of the Expenses from him and to spare his life he refused to give obolum or one half penny Sozom. Lib. 5. 9. Cent. Mag. Cent. 4. pag. 797. and 833. By which and many other instances we may see how resolutly the primitive Saints held fast their Testimonies from which especially they were called Martyrs or witnesses and by which often not only many weak ones were strengthened but also many Persecuters convinced and made to cry out Certainly great is the God of the Christians while as they saw that no Allurments on the one side nor Terrors on the other could make them loose their grips but still Truth and Christ were born witness unto and well spoken of by them It will not be unnecessary here to consider some of Mr. Durhams observations in the fourth Lecture for clearing thereof he adduced these matters of fact Such as Obs. 7. That the giving of a Testimony by outward Confession of the Truth when called for is necessary and commendable as well as soundness of faith yea it is oftentimes the outward testifieing of the Truth before men more than the faith of it before God that bringeth on suffering And there was nothing more abhorred in the primitive Christians than dissembling of a Testimony to evite suffering as appeareth in Augustins writings de mendacio contra mendacium and the writings of others to that purpose Obs. 8. That every Truth of the word may be a ground of suffering warrantably For the least thing that hath a Truth in it as well as the more concerning fundamental Truths is the word of God and so can not be dispensed with by His people Obs. 9. Every Truth in the word hath an outward Testimony joined to it and sometimes may be called for upon very great hazards Obs. 10. When it is called for this Testimony or confession to any Truth befor men is no less necessary and ought as peremptorily to be held and stâ—ck to as the former Therefor it is called Rom. 10. Confession unto Salvation And called for by a peremptorie certification Matt. 10. 32. 33. Obs. 11. That these who are sound in the Faith of the word will be also exceeding tonacious of their Testimony in Scripture and in primitive times we will find the Saints sticking at and hazarding themselves on things which appear of very small moment yet were to them of great concernment because of the Testimony which was involved in them which they would not let go Such was Mordecai Ester 3. Daniel 6. his not shutting of his windowes Yea further in his lately printed Sermons on Matth. 16. 24. Serm. 7. pag. 155. the same Author saith There is not in some respect a more and a less in the matter of duty and in the matter of Truth or in respect of Suffering And a little after § 5. he sayes We would not limit sufferings for Christ to things simply Lawful or unlawful for it may be sometimes for things indifferent in their oun nature which yet being so so circumstantiated to us may draw on suffering a thing may be indifferent Lawful to some which to others stated under such such circumstances may be counted a receding from some part of a just Testimony even thô the matter be not such in it self and in its oun nature yet it may be so circumstantiate to some persons as it may be lyable to that Construction if they shall recede from or forbear it as in the Example of Daniel who suffered for opening his windowes which was a thing indifferent in it self and not essential to his worshiping of God but he finds himself bound in conscience and that on very just ground to do as he was wont to do before and that on the manifest hazard of his life left his malicious enemies should have it to say that he receded from his duty that he thought more shame now or was more afraid now than before to worship the true God. How worthy Mr Knox argueth for withholding Emoluments from the false Bishops and Clergy may be seen before part 1. per. 3. pag. 28 29. The general Assembly in their Declaration dated Jullij ult 1648. concerning the then unlawful engadgement in a War against England plainly positively Dehorteth all members of the Kirke of Scotland from contributing any assistence thereunto expressed as followeth That they do not concur in nor any way assist this present engadgement as they would not partake in other mens sins
removed that might stand in the way of the Reception they have prepared for their Mistris the Babylonish lady the Mother of Harlots they now demand these payments as their wages and Hire for their labour Which to pay now is more than a justifying seeing it is a rewarding them for their work And to pay these Pimps and to purchase their peace thereby is worse than to bring the hire of a whore into the House of the Lord Deut. 23. 18. since it is a hyring them to bring the whore into the House of the Lord. O how hath Scotland plaid the Harlot with many Lovers Is this the zeal we should have had to our Covenanted husband and the honour of His House that we have not only suffered His Enemies to come in and take Possession of it but Consented to their invasion and not only Consented but Invited them to come in and not only Invited them but Prostitute our Estates Consciences also to their Arbitrary Lusts and not only plaid the harlot with them but hyred them also when they had done And for this the Lord may say to Scotland as He said to His People of old They give gifts to all whores but thow givest thy gifts to all thy Lovers and hirest them that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredome And the Contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms in that thow givest a reward and no reward is given unto thee therefore thow art contrary Ezek. 16. 33 34. There Israel is taxed for hyring the Assyrians But let it be considered and enquired into in the History how this was What evidence can be given of this in their Transactions with them Was only that they were entysed or did entyse them into a Communion with their Idolatry It is true Ahaz may be an instance of that in his sending the pattern of the Altar he saw at Damascus 2 King. 16. 10. And it cannot be denyed but in several respects they did partake with the Assyrians in their Idolatrie which was their Adulterie But what could be their hire they gave them for it if it was not their Taxations they payed and money they sent unto them as Ahaz did vers 8. and Hezekiah also thô a good man 2 King. 18. 14 15. Which can no more be justified than Asa's paying to Benhadad It was then their Confederacies and the hire of them the Lord calls the hire they gave unto their lovers With this also Ephraim is charged that he hyred lovers Hos. 8. 9 10. of this we have instances in Menahems giving to Pul a thousand Talents of silver and exacting it of the People 2 King. 15. 19. 20. And in Hoshea his becoming servant to Shalmanesar King of Assyria and giving him presents 2 King. 17. 3. If then hyring wicked men in Confederacies to help the Lords People be a hyring of lovers so much condemned in Scripture what must a hiring of them to hurt them and rewarding them after they have done and when they formally seek it for such work be but a giving the reward they seek to slay the Innocent Deut. 27. 25. and a voluntary yeelding that which they take Ezek. 22. 12. Which if it be sin in the Takers cannot be justified in the Givers but will render both obnoxious to the Indignation of a provoked God in the day when He shall begin to Contend for the wrongs He hath got both by the Work and the wages Now let all the Acts for the Cess and Continuation thereof and other Acts Edicts for fines forfeitures be considered in their just import according to the trwe meaning of the Enacters and the Causes for which they exact them and will have them Complyed with It will be found they were both declared intended improved and accordingly approved by the Complyers Not only as Helps but as Hyres for our Oppressours and Destroyers and for such as have been and are more destructive and explicitely declared Enemies to Christs Interests People in Scotland than ever the Assyrians were to the Church in the old Testament The Cess was not only a help but a hire to the Tyrant His Complices for suppressing Meetings for Gospel Ordinances Especially the Continuation of it from time to time was humbly unanimously chearfully heartily offered for themselves and in name of and as representing this Kingdâ—m as a hire for the doing of it and an encouragment to suppress what remained of these Conventicles The Localitie was intended as a help to the Souldiers in their quarterings upon this account But afterwards being expressly discharged to be furnished without payment according to the current rates of the Countrie Act. 3. Parl. 3. K. Char. 2. Aug. 20. 1681. The Contribution of it gratis must be interpreted for a reward of their service Fines are appointed not only for a punishment of Contraveeners of their wicked Laws but for a hire to their most violent Executers Stipends for a hire to their Hireling Curats And fees as a hire to Iaylors to keep the Lords People in bondage By which hyres these destroyers have been rewarded by them whom they have destroyed and for which the righteous Lord will reward both 8. Let it be considered how far these submissions are short of and how clearly these Complyances are inconsistent with that duty which lies upon us with reference to them Our obligation to God and our Brethren doth indispensibly bird us to a Contrary carriage If it bind us in our Station Capacity to an Active renitency It doth much more bind us up from such Complyances Neither is it imaginable how Moral force can ever justify our doing that deed we are obliged by all imaginable bonds yea if in any probable Capacity by the utmost of real force to counteract Can we give them that which they require and by which they are enabled to murder our Brethren which we are so indispensibly obliged to rescue our Brethren Prov. 24. 11 12. to relieve the oppressed Isai. 1. 27. to loose the bonds of wickedness to undo the heavy burdens to let the oppressed go free and to break everâ— yoke Isai. 58. 6. What do we owe to these Enemies but seeing they have constitute themselves by these Acts implacable Enemies to Christ His People Interests in habitu not only plainly importunately to pray that He would overturn them but to oppose their Course to the uttermost of our power and to concur to wrest that power out of their hands And since they will needs make the whole Nation a Curse they are so far from being to be complyed with that for these Exactings Exactions they are to be looked upon and carried unto not only as these who have sold themselves to work wickedness but endeavour also to engage with themselves all in the same guilt and expose them to the same Curse And therefore that the Anger of the Lord may be turned away from His people every one in his
Dragon and his Lievtennant Trustees and their Lictors is thereby gained and they are foiled while I fight overcome by my not loving my life in the present case unto the death 2. I do by my example encourage my Brethren to stand fast and withstand in this evil day 3. I hereby transmitt to Posterity a Pattern for imitation and so propogate an opposition to this Course to succeeding generations 4. I hereby so to speak engage God to arise appear to plead His oun Cause and His Peoples For when we out of love to Him and zeal for His Interests take our lives in our hands or expose our substance as a prey in witnessing for Him then He is engaged to oune us and to plead His Cause taking the quarrel then to be against Himself Hence it is that when He puts on the Garments of vengeance for cloathing and goes forth to meet them who in their risings up against His People run upon the bosses of His Buckler His Arm is said to bring salvation to Himself Isai. 59. 16 17. and Isai. 63. 5. This keeps a man in case to Pray against such a Partie Whereas a Complyance with them in the least degree will wound a mans faith and weaken His Confidence so that he cannot wrestle with God to prevail For that wherein his strength lay a good Conscience being sinned away in vain doeth he essay when he hath cut his oun hair to shake himself as at other times Alas If by keeping a due distance from his enemies we were in case to play the Samsons or Iacobs on our knees this Enemy who think it their stability to stand upon the ruines of Christs Interest should not stand long upon their feet He who would have his prayer heard Thy Kingdom come should make his Practice in a conformity thereto speak this plain language If I perish I perish but Comply I will not For it s not necessary that I live or have an estate but its necessary I should witness a good Confession against the wrongs done to Christ. 6. This keeps a man in case either to Act for God with advantage if an opportunity be put in his hand or to Suffer as under His supportings and the shinings of His face whereby even while dieing he becomes an Ornament to his Profession gives a dash to the Enemy and so becomes more than a Conquerer 12. Let us consider the matter of Scandal in the present case and remember whose words these are Wo to the World because of offences and Wo to him by whom offences â—ome And it will appear the payers of these Exactions become highly guilty before God. 1. In stumbling hardening this Partie of Enemies For thô there was never a Partie before them in the Nation and I much doubt if ever a Partie can come after them to outdo them who had so many evidences of Plagues poured upon their hearts that He may pour furth His wrath cause His fury to rest upon them And that in His spotless Justice He will rain snares upon them that thereafter He may rain fire brimstone a horrible tempest as the portion of their Cup when He shall come to plead His oun Cause yet we would beware lest we do any thing that may embolden them or make them bless themselves in this their stated opposition to Christs And because we know not but some of the Elect may for a time be carried doun with the Current of this impetuous opposition to Him and may concur actively for a season in promoving this Course we ought even upon this supposition so to witness and so to keep a distance from all apparent or interpretative Complyance with what they contrive carry on as they may by beholding our stedfastness be provoked to consider their oun Course that considering at last how their feet go doun to death and their steps take hold on hell they may hasten their escape from the Company of His Enemies lest they be consumed with the fire of His Indignation if found congregate with the men of these God-provoking practices 2. By paying what is required I stumble also offend my weak Brethren while by my example they are encouraged to rush into the same Complyance O let every man whose Practice may be pleaded as a Pattern remember that Word and who spoke it It were better that a Mistone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the midst of the sea than offend any of these litle ones 3. Sufferers for refusing this payment are offended when the payer doth not only encourage the Persecuters to proceed with rigor rage against him as a peevish froward Malecontent but does what in him lies to wound the heart weaken the hands of such a faithful Witness Whereas if the poor Sufferer saw himself by a Joynt Testimony ouned by his Brethren he would be comforted strengthened become more confident in the Conflict 4. In paying these things the Complyers either by their Example lay a snare for the posterity to whose knowledge their Carriage may come and so in stead of leaving them a Pattern of contending earnestly for the faith they spread a net for their feet yea pave them a way to defection Apostasie Or else they engage the Great God out of zeal to His oun Glory and tenderness to His People who shall succeed for preventing of their following of such Progenitors wherein they have not been followers of Him fully to give such a Testimony against their untenderness and set such marks of displeasure upon their Course that the thoughts of turning aside with them and following their steps shall be terrible to all that hear of it leâ—t for such a Complyance they fall as they did for falling from their oun stedfastness into the hands of the living God. But Alas for the Posterity under whose Curse we are like to go off the stage because of our not having done what we ought yea what we might both for transmitting pure Ordinances unto them and for not transcribing in our Pactice the noble Example of our zealous Heroick Ancestors who valiantly resisted vvhen violently attacqued and by their valour wrestled us into a State of Liberty Well if we leave those that shall succeed us such an Example as this He is like to make us such an Example as will fright the following Generations and force them to serve themselves heirs to them who have gone before us who did acquit themselves as the good Souldiers of Jesus Christ and not to us the debt of whose declensions defections cannot be payed without the destruction of those who shall serve themselves heirs to us But Alas who does think on what he owes to the poor Posterity Or who doth make Conscience to preserve for them that precious Treasure put in our Custodie and judges it more necessary than to live to leave the Tract of a way of Contending zealously for God and the Preservation of His Interests and the Propogation of His oun pure Ordinances to the Posteritie shining so clearly by suffering blood as the way-faring man and they who shall come after though fools need not erre therein Our only Comfort is that the Lord who shall see His seed and must prolong His dayes will make His pleasure prosper and preserve some to be Witnesses of it to His Praise FINIS
contended against by Professors and is really the same with the Condition of the Cautionary Bond in the Indulgence after Bothuel of which see Pag. 129. And further they must be openly publickly held and all persons freely admitted to them which is for the informing trade exposing to all the inconveniences of Iesuites and other Spies Flies their delations in case any thing be spoken reflecting on the Government a great tentation to Ministers 4 The worst of all is upon ther matter of Preaching which is so restricted limited that nothing must be said or done contrare to the well peace of his reign seditious or treasonable And in case any treasonable speeches be uttered the Law is to take place against the guilty and none other present providing they reveal to any of the Council the guilt so committed as in the former Proclamation And in the last it is further declared that nothing must be Preached or taught which may any way tend to alienate the hearts of the People from him or his Government Here is the price at which they are to purchase their freedom a sad bargain to buy Liberty sell Truth which yet hardly can be so exactly paid but he may find a pretence for retrenching it when he pleases for if a Minister shall Pray for the overturning of a throne of iniquity or for confounding all that serve graven Images and for destruction to the Pope and all that give their power to that beast there will be something said against the well of his Government Or if any shall hear this and not delate it then the same pretence is relevant Or if he shall Preach against the Kings Religion as Idolatry and the Church of Rome as Babylon and discharge his Conscience Duty in speaking against the Tyrannie of the times Or let him Preach against any publick sin faithfully a Popish Critick or Romish Bigot shall interpret it to be an alienation of the Peoples hearts from the King his Government But who can be faithful and Preach in season out of season now but he must think it his duty to endeavour to alienate the hearts of the People from such an Enemy to Christ and his absolute Tyranny so declaredly stated against God What Watchman must not see it his indispensable Duty to warn all People of his Devilish designs to destroy the Church Nation and Preach so that People may hate the whore and this Pimp of hers Sure if he Preach the whole Counsel of God he must Preach against Poperie Tyrannie And if he think this Indulgence from Absolute Prerogative granted accepted on these termes can supercede him from this faithfulness then he is no more the Servant of Christ but a pleaser of men Therefore since it is so clogged with so many restrictions so inconsistent with duty so contrary to Scripture so clearly violatory of Covenant-Engagements so cross to the constant Contendings Constitutions of this Church and Acts of Ass. See Pag. 80. c. it were a great defection to Accept of it 11. Considering the Scandal of it they dare not so offend the generation of the Righteous by the Acceptance and dishonour God disgrace the Protestant Profession wrong the Interest thereof and betray their native Country as thus to comply with the Design of Antichrist and partake of this cruel tender mercy of the beast who hath alwayes mischief in his heart and intends this as a Preparative for inducing or inforcing all that are hereby lulled asleep either to take on his Mark or bear the Marks of his fiery fury afterwards For hereby forreign Churches may think we are in a fair way of reconciliation with Antichrist when we so kindly accept his Harbingers favours And it cannot but be very stumbling to see the Ministers of Scotland whose Testimony used to be terrible to the Popish and renouned through all the Protestant Churches purchasing a Liberty to themselves at the rate of burying betraying the Cause into bondage restraint and thus to be laid by from all active open opposition to Antichrists Designs in such a season The world will be tempted to think they are not governed by Principles but their oun Interest in this juncture seeking their oun things more than the things of Christ And that it was not the late Usurpation upon overturning of Religion Liberty that offended them so much as the Persecution they sustained thereby but if that Arbitrary Power had been exerted in their favours tho with the same prejudice of the Cause of Christ they would have complyed with it as they do now Alas sad dolorous have been the Scandals given taken by from the Declining Ministers of Scotland heretofore which have rent racked the poor Remnant and offended many both at home abroad but none so stumbling as this And therefore the tender will be shie to medle with it 12. Considering the Addresses made thereupon with such a stain of foulsome blasphemous flatteries to the dishonour of God the reproach of the Cause the betraying of the Church and detriment of the Nation and exposing themselves to the contempt of all the poor Persecuted Partie dare not so much as seem to incorporate with them I shall set doun the first of their Addresses given forth in the name of all the Presbyterian Ministers And let the Reader judge whether there be not Cause of standing aloof from every appearance of being of their number It is dated at Edinburgh Iulj 21. 1687. of this tenor To the Kings most excellent Majestie The humble Address of the Presbyterian Ministers of his Majesties Kingdom of Scotland We your Maj. most loyal subjects the Ministers of the Presbyterian persuasion in your Ancient Kingdom of Scotland from the due sense we have of your Maj. gracious surprising favour in not only puting a stop to our long sad sufferings for Non-conformity but granting us the Liberty of the Publick Peaceable exercise of our Ministerial function without any hazard As we bless the Great God who hath put this in your Royal heart do with all find our selves bound in duty to offer our most humble hearty thanks to your Sacred Majestie the favour bestowed being to us and all the People of our Persuasion valuable above all our earthly comforts especially since we have ground from your Maj. to beleeve that our Loyaltie is not to be questioned upon the account of our being Presbyterians who as we have amidst all former tentations endeavoured so we are firmly resolved still to preserve an intire Loyaltie in our Doctrine Practice consonant to our known Principles which according to the Holy Scriptures are contained in the Confession of faith generally ouned by Presbyterians in all your Maj. Dominions and by the help of God so to demean our selves as your Maj. may find cause rather to enlarge than to diminish your favours towards us throughly perswading our selves from your Maj. justice
goodness that if we shall at any time be otherwise represented your Maj. will not give credit to such information until yow have due cognition thereof and humbly beseeching that those who promote any dsloyal Principles practices as we disoune them may be looked upon as none of ours whatsover name they may assume to themselves May it please your most excellent Maj. graciously to accept of this our most hmble Address as proceeding from the plainness sincerity of Loyal thankful hearts much engaged by your Royal favour to continue our fervent Prayers to the King of Kings for Divine illumination conduct with all other blessings Spiritual Temporal ever to attend your Royal Person Government which is the greatest duty can be rendered to your Maj. by Your Maj. most humble mast faithful most obedient Subjects Subscribed in our Names and in the name of the rest of our Brethren of our Persuasion at their desire Which received this Gracious return The Kings Letter to the Presbyterians in his ancient Kingdom of Scotland We love yow well and we heartily thank yow for your Address we resolve to Protect yow in your Liberty Religion properties all our life And we shall lay doun such methods as shall not be in the power of any to alter hereafter And in the mean tune we desire yow to Pray for our Person Government To which may be added that kind Complement of the Chancellors Gentlemen My Master hath commanded me to tell yow that I am to serve yow in all things within the compass of my power These Gentlemen needed not to have been sollicitous that those who avouch an Adherance to the Covenanted Reformation and avow an opposition to Antichristian Usurpers which they call promoting Dislayal principles practices might not be looked upon as of their Confederacy for all that abide in the principles Practices of the Church of Scotland which they have deserted and that desire to be found Loyal to Christ in opposition to His and the Churches and the Countries Declared Enemy would count it a sin scandal laying them obnoxious to the Displeasure of the Holy Jealous God who will resent this heinous Indignity they have done unto His Majestie if they do not Address themselves unto Him for pardon of the iniquity of this Address which is the desire of those whom they disoune that they may find Grace to do so and a shameful Reproach exposing them to the Contempt of all of whom they expect Sympathie to be reckoned of their Association who have thus betrayed the Cause the Country These mutual Complements so like the Caresses of the Romish whore whereby she entyces the Nations to her fornication between the Professed Servants of Christ and the Vassals of Antichrist if they be cordial would seem to import that they are in a fair way of compounding their differences and to accommodate their oppositions at length which yet I hope will be irreconcileably maintained kept up by all true Presbyterians in whose name they have the impudence to give out their Address But if they be only Adulatory flattering Complements importing only a Conjunction of tails like Samsons foxes with a Disjunction of heads and hearts tending towards distinct opposite Interests then as they would suite far better the Dissmulations of Politicians than the Simplicity of Gospel-Ministers and do put upon them the brand of being men-pleasers rather than Servants of Christ so for their dissemblings with Dissemblers who know their Complements to be and take them for such they may look to be paid home in good measure heaped up running over when such methods shall be laid doun as shall not be in the power of any to alter when such designs shall be obtained by this Liberty and these Addresses that the after bought wit of the Addressers shall not be able to disappoint However the Address it self is of such a dress as makes the thing addressed for to be odious and the Addressers to forefault the respect merit the indignation of all that are friends to the Protestant Presbyterian Cause as may appear from these obvious Reflections 1. It was needful indeed they should have assumed the name of Presbyterians though it might have been more tolerable to let them pass under that name if they had not presumed to give forth their flatteries in the name of all of that Persuasion and to alledge it was at their desire which is either an illuding equivocation or a great untruth for though it might be the desire of the men of their oun persuasion which is a newly start up opinion that Interest hath led them to espouse yet nothing could be more cross to the real desires of true Presbyterians that prefer the Truth of the Cause to the external peace of the Professors thereof and call it the humble Address of Presbyterian Ministers for otherwise it could never have been known to come from men of the Presbyterian persuasion seeing the Contents of this Address are so clearly contrary to their known Principles It is contrary to Presbyterian Principles to Congratulate an Antichristian Usurper for undermining Religion and overturning Lawes Liberties It is contrary to Presbyterian Principles to justify the abrogation of the National Covenant in giving thanks for a Liberty whereby all the Lawes are called disabled therein confirmed It is contray to Presbyterian Principles to thank the King for opening a door to bring in Poperie which they are engaged to exstirpate in the Solemn League Covenant It is contrary to Presbyterian Principles to allow or accept of such a vast Toleration for Idolaters Hereticks as is evident above from all their Contendings against it which is also contrary to the Confession of faith generally ouned by Presbyterians as may be seen in the place forecited Chap. 20. Par. 4. It is contrary to Presbyterian Principles to consent to any Restrictions Limitations Conditions binding them up in the exercise of the Ministerial function wherewith this Liberty is loaded clogged whereby indeed they have the Liberty of the Publick peaceable exercise of it without any hazard of present Persecution but not without great hazard of sin and incurring the guilt of the blood of Souls for not declaring the whole Counsel of God which Addressers cannot declare if they Preserve an intire Loyaltie in their Doctrine as here they promise 2. There is nothing here sounds like the old Presbyterian strain neither was there ever an Address of this stile seen before from Presbyterian hands It would have looked far more Presbyterian like instead of this Address to have sent a Protestation against the now openly designed introduction of Poperie and subversion of all Lawes Liberties which they are Covenanted to maintain or at least to have given an Address in the usual Language of Presbyterians who used alwayes to speak of the Covenants and Work of Reformation But here never a word of these but of