vs beleeue that his Maiestie is on your side of this argument And as to my words are they not plaine that vpon condition they had a Christian King professing the Gospell with them they would be loath to discord with him for this matter of externall gouernement though indeede M. Dauid you plainely declare a contrarie disposition in you that ere your opinion of Church-gouernement stand not out you had rather stand at debate vvith a Christian King all your dayes This is the point but after your fashion you flie it Then you conclude THE ADMONENT THus are these causes no causes the sixe not making one sufficient The former which you call falsly-imputed causes remaine vnconuict of falshood vnrefuted for these and euill declined what will follow therefore and what must on the pretending of them I leaue to be considered not listing to diue any further And in the end of your answere to my second reason to this same purpose say you Beleeue me in this I cannot beleeue that euer you were that childe to take on a Bishoprick for these causes if you had not another cause I thinke it should haue laid long in the dunghill before you had put out your finger to take it vp c. THE ANSVVERE FAlse ballance are an abhomination to the Lord but a perfect weight pleases him he that condemneth the iust and absolues the guiltie are both alike abhomination to the Lord. M. Dauid now takes a decree to himselfe but vpon such false premises as makes it a decree of no strength nor value Hee iustifies againe the lying Libeller and imputes to me Gaine and Glorie hee renewes the former-confuted calumnies to shew himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ac Hyperivertigine laborare Hee willeth me to beleeue him that he beleeues not that such causes moued me He craues to be beleeued and will not beleeue an other But M. Dauid I will not stand with you I beleeue you that you can hardly beleeue any good of me your faith may well be strong but your charitie is colde your loue little if you had any since it beleeues all things you would beleeue me in one thing You tell mee ouer againe that all men whom you know thinke as you thinke I told you also I know you are all men but as honest godly and conscientious as you or they either beleeue mee and know I haue spoken the words of truth Any thing you haue in this Libell to contradict the cause you will finde it by Gods grace answered with reason where you fall to inuectiues against the person and against all reason vsurpe the iudicatorie of my soule conscience and affection I will still appeale to that supreame and onely Iudge of conscience protesting in his presence you haue lied against my soule enforcing vpon it a foule crime of corrupt loue of Gaine and Glorie whereof when I haue examined my selfe more then tenne times I finde mine heart free so farre as in regard of humane infirmitie a heart may be and the true causes mouing mee are declared in my former Apologie But to conclude this point vvith you by your fruits you haue declared what you are No man gathers Grapes of thornes nor Figges of thistles your words void of loue your raylings full of spight your iudging without warrant your pert affirming without truth witnesses cleare enough though you were the best of your band you are but a Brier no Figge-tree no Vine-tree in the Lords Vineyard if in these you continue And you know that Briers and pricking Thistles are the curse of the earth God make you better THE ADMONENT ALway this same weakenesse of reason to say no further bewrayes the selfe euery where through the whole body of this Apologie and among the rest most euidently in that point that you take libertie to make your selfe your owne Antagonist for we know none other THE ANSVVERE IN the remanent Sections of this Inuectiue we haue lesse order I finde none but more falshood manifest for now Mr. Dauid casts himselfe loose reeling vp and downe at his pleasure beating the ayre fighting against his owne shadow or else carping at my words and misconstruing them to his owne minde He complaines I make my selfe mine owne Antagonist albeit the contrarie be euident my first aduersarie was a lying Libeller I gaue my defences according to his accusations and now Mr. Dauid comes in to make all good that he hath said and hee will be my partie no way prouoked there-vnto by mee nor vrged by any necessitie except that Erostratus some way must be renowned He will be a busie-bodie Fedem in alieno choro ponere medling with other mens matters Not vnlike one that takes a Dogge by the eare so is he that meddles with strife that belongs not to him but I hope his owne wickednesse shall reproue him Hee entreates me not to reiect his admonitorie but to read it to pleasure him I haue wearied my selfe intermitting my better studies now these fortie dayes for reading and refuting of it this seauen yeares I spent not so much time with so little vantage to my selfe except that it may doe good vnto others I haue beene seeking fruit in horto Tantali for in all his admonitorie I cannot finde a line to make a man either more godly or more learned And this part of it where-vnto now wee enter containes no other but fierie inâ—ectiues in personam needlesse repetitions idle discourses for matter many of them false all of them fectlesse for order nothing else but a confused Chaos and in a word a building of small stickes standing vpon rotten posts In the examination whereof since he prouokes me to it I will not insist as in the former onely in the by-going will strike the post and let the building fall Hee first complaines that I haue not clearely enough declared the change of my minde concerning Church-gouernement what motiues what reasons wherefore and where-vnto I haue changed And about this it would wearie any man to read how he repeates and multiplies words Sect. 14. 15. 17. 20. An answere to them all see out of this Treatise In your 16. Section you lay downe a ground as graunted by mee vvhich I neuer gaue you that I thought our Church-gouernement 1. Anarchie 2. Confusion 3. Not allowed by God 4. Disallowed by God And heere you haue heaped vp a heape of words vpon a dreame and false conception of your owne braine you haue begotten it and you would father it vpon me the ground being false that cannot stand which you haue built vpon it I know there was order in our Church but such as needed helpe to hold out carnall diuision the mother of confusion the beginnings whereof in many parts were more then euident but then say you THE ADMONENT VVHere was the dutie of a Preacher your courage your boldnesse why cried you not an Alarum against such an enemie THE ANSVVERE TRuly Mr. Dauid there were so many false Alarums cried
THE BISHOP OF GALLOVVAY HIS DIKAIOLOGIE Contayning a iust Defence of his former APOLOGIE Against the iniust Imputations of Mr. DAVID HVME O what a griefe that hauing to doe with Enemies wee are forced to fight with Friends LONDON Printed by Thomas Snodham for Iohn Budge and are to be sould at the great South-dore of Paules and at Brittaines-Bursse 1614. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER AS I was on my iourney from LONDON homeward in the Moneth of May last I was ouertaken not farre from Darnetoune by our Country-man Mr. Dauid Hume Goodman of Gods-croft After we had saluted one another we fell incontinent to a conference of Church-gouernment hee excused himselfe that his leasure serued him not at that time to stay in our companie his vrgent affaires forcing him to post before but hee promised to send mee his doubts in writing and I promised him if it pleased the Lord an answere The point I tooke in hand to proue was that no substanciall point of Discipline was changed in our Church For Ecclesiasticke Synods vsed before are retained still the censures of Admonition Suspension Excommunication yea the Admission and Deposition of Pastors or what euer else pertaynes to the matter of Discipline these are not remoued but rectified and roborated in that the power to moderate and exercise these censures is not left free to euery one but restored againe to the Bishop to be vsed with aduise of his Brethren thus keepe wee still the same Discipline but more orderly vsed 〈◊〉 dined at Darneroune and parted in louing manner with all brotherly kindnes we ouertooke him againe at Dunbar where not finding his former humanitie I maruelled what it could be or from whom it câ—me that so small a change of the soile should make so great a change of the affection for in the one hee was most kinde where with reason he might haue beene more strange and in the other most strange where of dutie hee both might and should haue beene more kindly Since that time I fore-gathered not with him and I expected nothing but kindnesse from him and that the question should haue beene quietly and peaceably disputed by writing among our selues till now that he hath begunne the publike warre He had sent me some missiue Letters written by him to some others crauing resolution of his doubts concerning Church gouernment And as I was dispatching an Answere to him I was forced to plead for my Conscience by APOLOGIE against a lying Libeller which here Mr. Dauid against all dutie and reason hath publickely impugned First because I stood â—ound by promise to giue an answere to himselfe and reason would hee should haue expected it yea doubtlesse he had gotten it long ere now in more quiet and louing manner if he had not interrupted me Secondly I had written nothing against Mr. Dauid I touched him not in my Apologie and no other way gaue I him any cause to write against mee Thirdly hee being a priuate man it cannot be but a great Presumption to condemne by publike writing a Church-gouernment established by Law and that without knowledge if himselfe be true for he professeth to seeke instruction concerning it yea without eyther calling or lawfull commission Fourthly before euer he sent this Refutation of this Apologie to me or had discharged with me he published sundry Copies of it to be seene and read of others which in our Prouerbe we call Treason vnder trusting Fiftly his whole Admonitorie Treatise is full of Inuectiues in personam without regard of modestie yea of that feare of God which becommeth a Christian bringing nothing or else very little ad propositum Thus hath Mr. Dauid kept no faire warre with mee but hath very farre ouer-seene himselfe and wronged mee which that the indifferent may know I haue here published his Admonition in his owne words and mine answeres I haue omitted no materiall thing in it onely words of needlesse repetition wherein hee abounds If hee had contented himselfe to iustifie the Libeller in tramping my Name my Conscience my Ministrie vnder his feete it had beene a proofe of my patience great enough But where without reason or truth he will beare downe a common cause and increase offences in the hearts of simple people I cannot of conscience suffer it vnanswered specially seeing vnder pretence of impugning mee hee directly impugneth it If my heart in this had reproued mee of my wayes I might haue lurked in secret and past ouer the Libeller and him also with silence but an honest conscience feareth not the light but rather reioyceth in it Onely I craue of the modest minded Christian that if my speeches in the Answere at any time be sharper then becommeth it be imputed to humane infirmitie whereunto the loue of the cause and knowledge of mine owne innocencie hath carryed mee not want of loue toward him or others It is no pleasure to mee to offend any man if any such haue escaped mee I will not excuse my selfe in that which the wise godly and indifferent Reader shall thinke may iustly be reprehended Thine in the Lord W. B. of Galleway THE BISHOP OF GALLOWAY HIS APOLOGIE THere are two things requisite in a man that would doe good in a publike calling the one is a good Conscience the other a good Name the first commends him to God and obtaines a blessing to his labours the next commends him to men and procures him the greater credit to effectuate the good which hee hath intended for the which said Philo Sicut bonum ac honestum esse ita videri aâ— haberi prâ—dest As it is a good thing to be good and honest so is it also good that we should be esteemed good Nonitaque est â—â—gligenda fama restum ad custodian tuâ—â— ad dignitatem vitae vtilissimâ— A good name therefore is not to be neglected considering it is a singular helpe both for the custodie and dignitie of our life for this cause hath it alway beene one of Sathans customable policies who stands at the right hand of Iehâ—shuah to resist him in well doing to staine the Name where he cannot corrupt the Conscience that by disgraâ—ing the instruments he may destroy at least diminish the good which faine they would doe Hoc est Diaboli 〈…〉 seruos Dei mendacio laceret falsis 〈…〉 qui conscientiae suâ— luce clarescunt falsis ruâ—oribus sordidentur This is the worke of the Diuell to strike the seruants of God with the scourge of a lying tongue to abase their honest name in the hearts of others by wrongfull conceptions and by false reports to defile them who are honest in regard of their owne consciences 2 It is a difficult thing to liue in a publike calling and not to be calumniated So long as our Sauiour liued a priuate life we reade not that he was either tempted by Satan or traduced by men but from the time that by Baptisme he was consecrate to doe the great worke of the
my selfe and doe yet the third time cry for an Athanasâ—us But till the Lord send this I make knowne vnto you that you haue no cause to wrest my vvords against my Brethren of the Ministrie what euer their iudgement or opinion be concerning Church-gouernement I would be loath to speake of them as you haue alleadged and therefore because I see the heat of contention in you is yet encreasing remember that when I speake of men of your humour your sort your band your fellowship I meane of such as the Libeller and you haue declared your selues to be Men that sets by loue for a liking of their opinion that spares not to forsake the bounds of modestie yea and Christianitie debating their priuate iudgement with contention rayling lying backe-biting this is Satans armour and is not meere to be vsed in defence of the cause of God but now this first part of your Paralogie containing raylings against my name you conclude this way THE ADMONENT LOe Brother what I thinke right concerning your name THE ANSVVERE THis is the second and yet the last time that you vse any word of meekenesse and loue they stand alone in this your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thinkes shame of the rest As hee that faigneth himselfe madde casts firebrands arrowes and mortall things so dealeth the deceitfull man with his friend saith am not I in sport Mr. Dauid in a furie without rithme or reason strikes all that are about him friend or foe as you will heare and then will mend all with a word I am but in sport and am your brother Salomon sayth that this is to play the deceiuer THE ADMONENT YOur fame is in a hard case very hard to be cleared from some blemish c. Thus stands it with your fame which I cannot see how it shall be remedied And againe Chiefely that Idoll Fame which you trauaile so to maintaine beleeue me there is no remedie downe it must and best by your selfe your owne hand may pull it downe more easily others must more rudely Thinke not your Apologies will doe the turne Palmodies must doe it THE ANSVVERE GOod Mr. Dauid be not so sodaine be appeased but a little and I will pay you to the vttermost farthing if I doe not then pull all downe at your pleasure A righteous man saith Salomon hath compassion ouer his beast but the mercies of the wicked are crueltie Mr. Dauid why wil you be so cruell as at one stroke to slay both my selfe and my name yea to burie my name ere I be dead my selfe and that without anie pittie or compassion If you had anie loue you would haue mourned at least a little ouer it because once it did good once it smelled well Though there be not a Tribe cut off from Israel and euen they were sorie for it which had done it yet is there a man in your conceit cut off from Israel and you insult in the doing of it yea and haue triumphed with your complices during this interim of a none answere neither can you keepe it close but in your pride proclaime it that you haue slaine a man Yet it is but the Amalekites daunce your pray will quickly be taken from you what you thought you had done you will finde it vndone It but fareth with you as Philo saith it did with Cain Then Cain arose against his brother Abel and slew him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom slew he not Abel no hee slew himselfe It seemes saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an incredible Paradoxe yet is it true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abel is taken away in the foolish minde of Cain but he liues in God a blessed life and my name which in your conceit is past remedie I suppose with you it is perished cleane in Preston and you haue buried it there neuer to rise againe yet I am a man that beleeues the resurrection of the dead euen of them who are dead buried in Preston also But Mr. Dauid know you not that the Sunne shines clearely in some parts euen when it is obscured in others I am sure you cannot be ignorant of this that when the Sunne is obscured by clouds or smoake in Preston yet other parts of the Kingdome sees it clearely enough and there also where it is obscured for a time it will shine againe Who sent a winde and draue the Locusts of Egipt into the red Sea Who scattered the smoake that came from the bottomlesse pit to darken the Sunne Is it not the Lord who soweth light for the righteous hee brings to light things that are hid in darknesse I will still walke in the innocencie and simplicitie of mine heart and not spare to speake to men what I haue beene taught of God nothing moued either with your calumnies or other mens contempt And of these men that haue despised me shall I be had in honour when God shall plead my cause execute iudgement for me and bring me forth into the light But now as Satan in the tempting of Iob proceeded from a small tentation to a greater so Mr. Dauid not content to trample my name vnder foote at his pleasure makes corruption also vpon my conscience Hee iustifies the former Libeller in plaine termes and will needes haue mee guiltie of a corrupt loue vnto gaine and glorie for these are his words THE ADMONENT MEn searching what should haue moued you to change your minde lights onely on these two Gaine and Glorie as the onely appearant for what could you euen say your selfe if you saw diuers Hammers hammering a vessell and it endured them all and broke not till the golden Hammer come and so soone as it hits the vessell leapes asunder at the first stroke what would you thinke but that the golden Hammer had broken it c. THE ANSVVERE AS athorne in the hand of a drunkard so is a Parable in the mouth of a foole saith Salomon for a drunkard taking a thorne in his hand to strike others hurteth himselfe with it and a foole pierces himselfe with the Parable wherewith he thinkes to pricke another Mr. Dauid this false supposition of yours is answered by another which is true what if the vessell was broken or euer the golden Hammer touched it if they vvho could best see being neerest vnto it saw that it was so if the change was made or euer the Bishopricke came is he not a lyer that will say the golden Hammer did it What euer you had said of the cause it selfe or of my name might haue beene somewhat excusable these are things externall but how take you this boldnesse to iudge another mans conscience Who art thou that iudgest another mans seruant hee standeth or falleth to his Master My cause you thinke you know perfectly to be euill my name it pleases you to terme a vaine Idoll which you will haue pulled downe though the smoke of your pride darken your minde so
yet the most modest will encline to it Perceiue you not how you reele and roue and knowes not what you say Doth not one of your words dash and destroy another They suspend their iudgement say you and yet they encline to this as most apparent Sober men will not affirme it say you yet the most modest will and why forsooth Because saith Mr. Dauid It is most appearant I pray you doe sober and modest men encline their iudgement to and fro by appearance and since as you say Most modest men suspends their iudgement why are you not one of those most modest men why praecipate you and giues out rash iudgement O but sâ—y you you knew no change till the Bishopricke came What of that you knew it not nor your complices therefore it was not It was knowne clearelie enough to such as vvere familiar with mee it was knowne openlie in the Synods of Fyffe yea vnto manie that desired not to know it it vvas made knowne euerie day in the Presbyterie of Perth from the time that once the Episcopall gouernement was receiued againe by order of the Church by act of generall assemblie with approbation of his Maiestie I resolued to conforme my selfe and from that time declared it in communing reasoning disputing honouring Bishops priuatelie publicklie all that I could and willinglie would haue liued content all my daies to haue giuen honour to anie Brother of the Ministrie aduanced to that office rather then receiued it This is the verie truth though it was not published in Preston nor knowne to Mr. Dauid And where you say that Gaine and Glorie are the onelie apparant causes and most modest men enclines to them as most apparant and that whatsoeuer can be seene of men outwardlie makes all against me Now God be thanked it is but apparantlie and it is but the thought and sight of men and that of your men it is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mans day mans iudgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of such men whose iudgement I set little by my reason is because by their owne confession it is but iudgement by appearance Will Christian Religion teach you to iudge by appearance Is not this the praise of our Lord who as he is a Prince of Saluation so stands hee also for a Paterne of righteousnesse vnto vs Hee shall bring out iudgement in truth why bring you out iudgement in vntruth he iudges not by the hearing of the eare why doe you giue iudgement vpon report hee iudges not by appearance and you spare not to condemne the conscience of your brother hauing no reason for you but appearance Is not this too weake a probation for so strong a calumnie Who may not see malice hath moued you no light hath led you you haue bewrayed by your speech the weakenesse of your cause the wickednesse of your heart which God forgiue you Now you conclude this point THE ADMONENT VVHo can say that will say any thing at all but it is the golden Hammer hath done the turne THE ANSVVERE HOw long will you vexe my soule and torment me with words you haue now tenne times reproached me and are not ashamed you are impudent towards mee Haue you forgotten what you said euen now Were not these your words Sober men will not say it modest men enclines to it but by appearance Yet now you will make vs beleeue that such as will say any thing can say no otherwise but as you say Mr. Dauid Mendacem oportâ—it esse memorem Frequently you bragge of this that all men whom you know thinke as you thinke and so with the terrible shew of your associates like an Armie of the stuffed skinnes of Indian Elephants you would afray vs. I am sure when your great multitude mustred vnder generall titles comes to be viewed they will be found as I haue said For doubtlesse godlie modest learned men howsoeuer they be minded concerning the cause it selfe will no way approue your carnall debating of it nor yet allow that which you haue said they will be loath I warrant you to come vnder your standard neither will they thinke their cause strengthened but dishonoured by your Patrocinie Thus will you be found but like Chaucers Cooke busie where you neede not taking paines for which no side will giue you thanks And these being remoued from you who with their iudgement in Church-gouernement retaine inward sobrietie and brotherlie loue vvith meekenesse the remanent that will stand vp with you to maintaine your carnall and contentioâ—s raylings will trie as I haue said Your great Vniuersalitie will be reduced to a small fellowship of strait-shod Gentlemen and to speake as it is A Diocie of Donatists of whom you may read what hath beene the iudgement of the godlie Horum spiritus homicida mendax Who thinke there is no Church no Religion no Conscience but with the men of their opinion and if any man be otherwise minded then forsooth hee is not a Brother you must keepe no companie with him you must not salute him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor walke in the streete or way with them Fie vpon this pride what should such wickednesse doe in Sion away with it to Shinar meeter for Barbarians of Moroco then for Christians of the beloued I le In Africk it dwelt of olde I would wish if I might lawfullie it were there againe and this Church were quit of it Now in the third roome Mr. Dauid in most furious manner inuades my Ministrie not vnlike that fourth fearefull and terrible beast which Daniel saw in the vision with iron teeth deuouring breaking in pieces stamping vnder feet all â—â—at is before him Now he speweth out the superfluitie of his malitiousnesse and vvith most false and horrible calumnies he chargeth me THE ADMONENT ERrour must be confessed 2. Erroneous Doctrine yea false Doctrine 3. Rash affirming of vncertainties 4. Inconsideratenesse temeritie headinesse 5. Inconstancie 6. Papisticall implicite faith 7. Falsefying of Gods message speaking that whereof he had no warrant from him 8. Prophaning the chaire of veritie 9. Carelesnesse and sloath in your calling that in a great high and speciall question of it being so long a Pastâ—r you neuer searched to know the truth of that point THE ANSVVERE O Lord false witnesses are risen vp against mee they charge me with things which I know not O righteous God who trieth the hearts and the reines and hast proued and visited mine heart in the night plead thou my cause and let the lying lips be made dumbe which cruelly spightfully and proudly speake against the righteous The answere which our Sauiour gaue his Disciples when they willed him to bring fire from heauen vpon the Samaritanes is not vnproper here for Mr. Dauid for hee hath here multiplied against me so many grieuous imputations as if they were true might iustly make me worthie both of fierie wrath from God and of all indignation from man But M. Dauid you know not
manner of man hee is and woe will be to him that would bring such a shame vpon Israell without a cause if hee repent not As for mee I thanke God I was neuer stained with couetousnesse nor filthy lucre I defie all flesh Lord gather not thou my soule with the sinners nor my life with bloudie men in whose hand is wickednesse and their right hand is full of bribes but I will walke in mine innocencie redeeme me and be mercifull to me my foote stands in vprightnesse therefore will I praise thee O Lord in the Congregation Now you goe on THE ADMONENT TOuching our Church and Bishops being in it before you were borne if so be so is Popple among Wheate before it be shorne of great auncientnesse Coâ—uall springing vp with it and in the ground perhaps before it And incontinent You will finde it difficult enough to proue that Bishops were receuied in our Church wittingly willingly by choyse and free consent c. THE ANSVVERE IF I proue it not without difficultie and make it plaine to the iudicious indifferent Reader let mee be blamed Your refuge that Bishops were in our Church as Popple among Wheate will not relieue you for you will finde them planted in this soyle watred nourished and defended by the best Fathers of our Church In your scorning of vniting or revniting Bishops and Presbyters Weedes as yee call it with wine speaking oft-times so barbarously for want of better you doe but shew your selfe most worthy to be scorned as ignorant of all Antiquitie which could very well informe you that a Bishop without a Presbyterie is an head without a bodie and a Presbyterie without a Bishop a body without an head Where by a Presbyterie I vnderstand that which Ignatius cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Consistorie of a Bishop subordinate to him afterward called his Chapter because they were instar Capituli Episcopo which serue for assistance of him in waightie matters as also to take care that the possessions of the Bishopricke should not haue beene dilapidated Then is it well when they both goe together euery one in their owne place to doe the worke of God But no maruell Mr. Dauid denies that Bishops were in the Primitiue church or that our owne church once allowed them for hee is bold to denie that any Father or Brother of our present Church approueth the Office of Bishops but esteemes it as followeth THE ADMONENT 1 THe Office of a Bishop is vnlawfull in it selfe 2. More vnlawfull in this Church of Scotland 3. Vnprofitable in it importing tyrannie and is it selfe tyrannie 4. Doth and shall import more libertie and loosenesse of life in it selfe and in the Countrey with Papistry senslessenes Atheisme some that thought wel of it in the beginning thinke worse of it now Consider the experience in boldning Papists in so vnlookt for manner so many witnesses in our chiefe Towne since Bishops got gouernment as was not nor durst not be in all Scotland when Presbyteries had gouernment Now Corruption flowes and ouer-flowes the whole Country and defaceth the face of a most beautifull Church THE ANSVVERE MAster Dauid continues yet in his humour adhuc in Aegiptum euagatur patitur se in Assyriam pertrahi framing himselfe to the manners and fashions of Egypt and Assur hee raileth against Israell forgetting all pietie and modestie and truth that becommeth the holy people whereof hee professeth himselfe to be one Hee denyes that any eyther Father or Brother of the Ministrie in Scotland allowes the office of Bishops except it be Bishops themselues this is a notorious vntruth hee still affirmes it is vnlawfull and vnprofitable but vpon what reason wee will see when we come to the Question If yee had spoken this out of knowledge that the Episcopall Office in it selfe is vnlawfull and tyrannicall you would haue giuen some reason for it but when you come to the point you shew your selfe a coward turnes your shield on your shoulder and farely flyes the combat You would seeme a great Captaine and make your fellowes beleeue that you were matchlesse but strike not one stroke to defend their cause or hurt the contrarie but if crying may win the field then should be beare away the victorie for still hee cries it is vnlawfull tyrannicall and what not the reason is Mr. Dauid saith so and any silly wife could say as much to a cause as you doe here for you bring but words and so could shee suppose hardly so many as you In your other speeches you shew your selfe so full of malice that before you want doung to cast on the face of your Brethren whom you seeke to disgrace you had rather rake it out of the bellie of your Mother for what say you Is not the whole Church ouerflowed with Papistrie God forbid but rather the deluge of waters which was before is begunne to fall See you not the tops of many mountaines discouered and by all appearance if the Lord by the care of a prudent Prince had not prouided this remedie of Episcopall authoritie it might well haue fallen out as you say that the spawne of Papistry would haue ouer-flowed all Otherwise tell mee what would you haue done to preuent it Excommunicate them so might you quickely haue equalled the sicke wiâ—â— the whole or 〈◊〉 haue infected the whole with the sicke What else could you doe vnlesse it had beene to draw the matter to the needlesse hazard of a battell as seemes by you words They durst not say you what is it to keepe a man that hee dare not The Ecclesiastique sword you know was contemned the 〈◊〉 sword that is the last remedie praised be God wee haue a better all your Physicke is violent Cut off cut off but a prudent Prince in more moderate manner can effectuate peace giue authoritie to truth and falshood fals to the ground And where you say that the face of a most beautifull Church is defaced meaning the Church of the first towne in the Kingdome how vnrighteous vndutifull and inconsiderate are you Is it your pleasure to spit in the face of your Mother delight you to vncouer her shame if you could finde it and where you cannot is it your sport to blacke her face with the soote of your calumnie and then call enemies to looke vpon it What say you Mr. Dauid to the Church of Edenburgh Is it not still a Mother Church Is not the way of God truely taught in it Hath it not learned and famous Preachers of whom you are vnworthie Is there any defection in it from any point of truth How then defaced By Masses say you said in it Were they publicke You dare not affirme it Were they stollen in secret You cannot denie it and yet discouered by the vigilant care of their Bishop and Pastors Thankes to God such abhomination dare not be auouched there Is this a defacing of that Church No it is a detracting of yours no defacing of
therefore when first his Maiestie perceiued an intended nouation in Church-gouernement his Highnesse discharged it and protested against it by his letter registred in the Bookes of generall assembly An. 1579. â—ul 7. What can you finde out of all this why Episcopall authoritie should not be restored againe or rather see you not many reasons that should moue vs to receiue it 7 As for your alleadged oath whereby you make the simpler sort beleeue that our Church hath abiured Episcopall gouernement the strength of your cause is in it but it shall be knowne to be as weake as the rest of your defences For first of all an Oath should be defended by the lawfulnesse of the thing that is sworne and it is no good ground in Diuinitie to defend the thing that is sworne by pretence of the sacred authoritie of an Oath This order you keepe not Secondly since the most part of Preachers in our Church gaue no Oath for Discipline at all for mine owne part it was neuer required of mee and I know there 〈◊〉 many others in the same estate What reason is it that the Oath of some albeit they had made it as you say which will not be found should binde others that made it not Thirdly when it was appointed by act of Parliament An. 1572. Ianuar. 26. that the confession of faith which therein at length is exprest should be sworne and subscribed by all Church-men the gouernement which then was in our Church was Episcopall for the Oath and subscription is ordained to be made in presence of the Archbishop Superintendent or Commissioner of the Diocie as the words of the Act plainly imports so that this Oath makes no renunciation of Episcopall authoritie but rather ratefies and approues it Fourthly concerning the latter Negatiue confession whereof it is most likely you meane what will you finde there against Episcopall gouernement Nothing at all it is a good confession many Pastors professours of our Church haue sworne it subscribed it Othere say you an Oath is conceiued against Hierarchie Mr. Dauid speake as the truth is Now Rahel takes the Idols and hides them in Cammels litter Now Rachel blushes for shame Now Mr. Dauid steales away the chiefe words of the confession and hides them for feare they should tell the truth and shame him will you say M. Dauid Hath our Church renounced Hierarchie simply all sacred authoritie all order all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say it not for shame there are the words looke what we haue renounced these are the verie words of the Oath We detest and refuse the vsurped authoritie of that Romane Antichrist his worldly Monarchie and wicked Hierarchie Therefore saith Master Dauid we detest all Hierarchie Why mutilate you the words and why falsifie you the words which you bring by a corrupt sense of your owne which I will proue was not the Subscribers minde Will you condemne Episcopall gouernement vnder the name of Papall vsurped worldly wicked Hierarchie Is it ignorance hath moued you who would thinke you were so ignorant or if you know better what malice is this to beare downe a good thing vnder an euill name Were not Bishops in the Church before a Pope vvas in Rome at least before Antichrist was hatched in it Haue any sort of men in the Church done more suffered more to destroy Antichrists Kingdome then Bishops yet you will haue all Bishops Antichristian Let vs first see the iudgement of the Fathers of our owne Church plat contrarie to M. Dauids it may be he will reuerence them and thinke shame of his owne folly when M. Iohn Knox got license from our generall assembly to goe into England they wrote a Letter with him of this tenour The Superintendents and Commissioners of the Church of Scotland to their brethren the Bishops and Pastors in England that haue renounced the Romish Antichrist and doe professe the Lord Iesus with them in sinceritie the perpetuall encrease of the holy Spirit See it registred in our assembly Bookes An. 1566. M. Dauid did our Fathers esteeme Episcopall gouernment Antichristian Hierarchie Do they not plainely disioyne them writing to Bishops that had renounced the Romish Antichrist O but it will be said Our Church was then in her infancie it may be you make them all Infants all the worthie learned and vnspotted Superintendents of our Church Iohn Willok Superintendent of the West Iohn Winram of Fyfe Iohn Spotswood of Lowthian Iohn Erskin of Din Superintendent of Angus Iohn Row Superintendent of Galloway make Infants also of M. Knox M. Craig M. Lyndsay M. Hay with many more I cannot name present at the writing of that Letter all these may well be Infants where a man of your experience comes out but beleeue me wee haue not seene many such olde men in our Church since Now as this sense which you make of the word Hierarchie is against the minde of our first Fathers so is it against the minde of the swearers and subscribers and are you not a foule abuser to inforce vpon them a sense whereof they thought neuer This is cleere as the light For why did not his Maiestie sweare and subscribe that confession of Faith This was his royall and most Christian oath offered to God in defence of his truth Did not his Highnesse there and at many other times professe openly a renunciation of that wicked Hierarchie Will you inferre vpon this that his Maiestie therefore abiured Episcopall gouernement I dare appeale to your owne knowledge hath not his Maiestie kept one constant iudgement concerning Church-gouernement euer from his young yeeres doth not the inhibition of nouation in Church-gouernement cleere this doth not the publike printed Declaration of his Highnesse intention proue it doth not all his Highnesse speeches and actions before the subscription since the subscription declare his Highnesse approbation of Episcopal gouernement and yet you would make it to be beleeued of the people that his Highnesse renounced Episcopall gouernement when his Maiestie renounced Hierarchie vsurped Papall wicked this or else a worse must be the drift of your language Truly you may thanke God you haue to doe with a clement and gratious king And that this same which is his Highnesse mind of that Article is also the minde of most part of the ancient teachers and other brethren learned godly vnspotted who haue well deserued of the Church present by fidelitie in their ministrie will bee cleared also I will not goe about in any inordinate manner to seeke subscriptions to this purpose but when it shall be required by order in the Church you will finde a cloud of witnesses standing against you to improue this calumnie of yours yea many times in my younger yeeres haue I heard famous and auncient Fathers of our Church who haue seene the first beginnings thereof affirme that our Church could not consist vnlesse Episcopall gouernement were restored againe this they spake when there was no appearance of it and when Episcopall
they differ from him a particular answere is here returned vnto them The Authors of them I know not their names are suppressed the first and the third goe together and seemes to be some Preachers of Fyffe they reckon out some sundry indwellers of Fyffe to proue a certain alleagance concerning the late Bishop of S. Andrewes their intelligence also with Perth bordering with that Prouince from which reports of my Sermons are so easily carried vnto them insinuates also the same but for their persons be what they will the matter is all one Great brags were made be Mr. Dauid of many answeres and many Inquisitors that were to search mine Apologie before they came some great thing was expected but no such thing is found doubtlesse they haue manifested the weakenesse of their cause that so many labouring about one thing haue not brought among them all so much as one argument to defend it An Answere to the first THE first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he is vnacquainted with mee onely hath heard mee teach oftentimes and beene as sundry others were comforted thereby for which hee thankes God for truely the glorie of that good which God worketh by the ministrie of his weak Seruants belongs vnto himselfe for wee are not able of our selues so much as to thinke a good thought And to the end that such as haue gotten good by my Ministrie may be further confirmed I thought it my dutie after I had considered the matter of Church-gouernement rightly to informe them that there is no cause why our Church should thus be diuided for it And I may and now doe with a good warrant of the word and mine owne conscience say to it I should not I will not I dare not be an author nor maintainer of diuision in our Church for it If any will let them doe it vpon their owne perill wherein I will be loath to communicate with them In your third Sect. you mislike the boldnes of others that vsurpe the Iudicatorie of other mens consciences I wish the like moderation had beene vsed of the rest of your Complices This onely you say that albeit God be onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher of the heart yet men may iudge of other men by their fruits whereunto I willingly agree for it is the rule of our Sauiour By their fruits you shall know them If a man condemne the life of another let him disproue it by his euill deedes or if hee will impugne the opinion let him doe it by strength of reason but to vsurpe the Iudicatorie of an other mans conscience is it not intollerable presumption yet commonly practised by your Complices for whom it were good they remembred Nazianzen his warning Multa versanda sunt animo priusquam aliâ—m iraepiet atis condemnes Sect. 8. You graunt that from the beginning of reformation till the yeere 1575. Our Church contented themselues with Bishops and Superintendents why then is it counted so odious a thing that Bishops should be in it now You affirme also that I can bring no warrant for Episcopall gouernment neyther from Gods word nor practise of the primitiue Church for the first three hundred yeeres The Answere you will finde in my Reply to the last Opponent Sect. 11. You alledge that they who assembled at Glasgow came vpon priuate missiues from his Maiestie and vpon promises of gaine Mr. Dauid obiected that before and I answered it in my Dikaiologie onely you adde that I know it to be so but if you hope to make your Assertion good you shall doe well to vse some other probations for in truth I know not any such thing Sect. 16. The argument I vsed mistaken by you concerning the Apostles dispensation of Circumcision shall be cleared in mine answere to the last Opponent who also impugnes it Sect. 17. 18. You would proue that you are not the Authors of Schisme but Bishops why because they haue departed from the gouernment whereunto you stand say you but this middes will not draw on that conclusion For wee stand to the gouernment of our first Fathers confessed by your selfe from the which who so shall be found to haue departed let the blame be theirs Sect. 19. Your alledging of the growth of Papistrie now that was not before is as I told you a Sophisme A non causa pro causa Kingdomes and Churches haue their owne periods of times whereinto sinnes long contracted before doe bring iudgement vpon them which honest and godly men cannot hold off By this same reason Daniell and Ezekiell might be blamed for Babels Captiuitie which the sinnes of former ages had procured It were but folly for you or vs eyther to charge one another with the causes of this wrath There are none of vs free by our sinnes wee haue deserued iudgement God giue vs grace ioyntly to preuent it by vnfained repentance in all holines and loue Sect. 28. You charge mee for comparing my brethren of the Ministrie to Shimeies if I had so done I were worthie to be blamed but in truth you haue mistaken mee God forbid My words are plaine against the Libeller and such as hee who if in their calling they were laborious as I did hope to giue them example if they were acquainted with mee they should finde no time for such idle toyes and I maruell how men can so farre misconstrue my words for I affirmed plainely that I was perswaded no well aduised Christian would fight with such armour as lying Libels and if no common Christian will doe it farre lesse euer thought I that a Christian Preacher would doe it And where you say they are very idle if they be not more laborious then I my answere is let the Worke beare witnesse And so fare you well in the Lord. Edenburgh Nouemb. 24. 1613. An Answere to the second THE second to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commeth in like a swaggerer breathing out many brawling speeches without either truth or modestie â—he shoots his fectlesse bolt and hideth himselfe which is the fashion of a feeble coward hee conceales his name but by his speech may be discerned to be some Lucius Blastus a furibund but a figuline fellow loadned with railings lyings fabulous fictions wherewith he ouer-burdens himselfe I leaue him where I found him vexing himselfe with his owne anger tumbling and weltring in the puddle of his tumultuaâ— thoughts whereof hee cannot rid himselfe bragging most vainely but bringing nothing that may be counted worthie of an answere saue onely that for lacke of any other thing wherewith to charge me Hee carps at my Commentarie vpon the eight to the Romanes and passing by as the manner of enuious men is all the good that is in it hee findes fault with the Grammaticall construction of the seauenth verse A great matter indeede I thanke the Lord these labours of mine published in twelue or thirteene seuerall Treatises hath done good to the Church and howsoeuer they be disesteemed by you and some of