they answer That those who made them were theeves murtherers had no power so to alienate the common Good of the Kirk They desire that all such Estates may be anulled and avoided that all Collectours appointed by the King or others may be discharged from intermedling therewith and the Deacons permitted to collect the same yea to that height of madnesse were they come as to define and determin in their Assembly judge whether it be not a modest constitution for a Synod That the next Parliament the Church should be fully restored to its Patrimony and that nothing should be past in Parliament until that was first considered and approved Let all Estates take notice of theâ—…e pretensions and designs If their project have not yet taken effect it is onely becauâ—…e they wanted sufficient strength hitherto to accomplish it Lastly by their own Authority under the specious title of Jesus Christ King of kings and Lord of lords the onely Monarch of his Churcâ—… and under pretence of his Prerogative Royal they erected their own Courts and Presbyteries in the most parts of Scotland long before they were legally approved or received as appeareth by their own Act alledging that many suites had been made to the Magistrate for approbation of the Policy of the Kirk which had not taken that happy effect which good men would crave And by another act acknowledging that Presbytertes were then established Synodically in most parts of the Kingdom And lastly by the Act of another General Assembly at Edenburg ordaining that the Discipline contained in the acts of the General Assembly should be kept as well in Angus and Mernis as in the rest of the Kingdom You see sufficiently in point of practice how the Disciplinarians have trampled upon the Laws and justled the civil Magistrate out of his Supremacy in Ecclesiastical affairs My next task shall be to shew that this proceeds not from Inanimadvertence or Passion but from their Doctrine and Principles First they teach that no persons Magistrates nor others have power to Vote in their Synods but onely Eccl siâ—…tical Secondly they teach that Ecclesiastical persons have the sole power of convening and convocating such Assemblies All Ecclesiastical assemblies have power to convene lawfully together for treating of things concerning the Kirk They have power to appoint times and places Again National Assemblies of this Countrey ought alwayes to be retained in their own liberties with power to the Kirk to appoint times places Thus they make it a Liberty that is a Priviledge of the Church a part of its Patrimony not onely to convene but to convocate whomsoever whensoever wheresoever Thirdly for point of Power they teach that Synods have the judgement of true false Religion of Doctrine Heresies c. the election admission suspension deprivation of Ministers the determination of all things that pertain to the Discipline of the Church The judgement of Ecclesiastical matters causes beneficiary matrimonial and others Jurisdiction to proceed to excommunication against those that rob the Church of its patrimony They have legislative Power to make rules and constitutions for keeping good order in the Kirk They have power to abrogate and abolish all Statutes and Ordinances concerning Ecclesiastical matters that are found noisom and unprofitable and agree not with the time or are abused by the people And all this without any reclamation or appellation to any Jâ—…dge Civil or Ecclesiastical Fourthly they teach that they have these priviledges not from the Magistrate or People or particular Laws of any other Countrey The Magistâ—…ate can not execute the censares of the Church nor prescribe any rule how it should be done but Ecclesiastical power floweth immediatly from God from the Mediatour Jesus Christ And yet further The Church cannot be governed by others than those Ministers and Stewards set over it by Christ nor otherwise than by his Laws And therefore there is no power in earth that can challenge to it self a Command or Dominion upon the Church And again It is prohibited by the Law of God and of Christ for tho Christian Magistrate to invade the Government of the Church and consequently to challenge to himself the right of both Swords spiritual and temporal And if any Magistrate do arrogate so much to himself the Church shall have cause to complain and exclaim that the Pope is changed but the Papacy remains So if Kings and Magistrates stand in their way they are Political Popes as well as Bishops are Ecclesiastical Whatsoever these men do is in the Name of our Lord Jesus and by Authority delegated from him alone Lastly they teach that they have all this Power not onely without the Magistrate but against the Magistrate that is although he dissent send out his prohibitions to the contrary Parliamentary ratifications can no way alter Church canons concerning the worship of God For Ecclesiastical Discipline ought to be exercised whether it be ratified by the civil Magistrate or not The want of a civil Sanction to the Church is but like Lucrum cessans non damnum emergens As it addes nothing to it so it takes nothing away from it If there be any clashing of Jurisdictions or defect in this kind they lay the fault at the Magistrates door It is a great sin or wickednesse for the Magistrate to hinder the exercise or execution of Ecclesiastical Discipline Now we have seen the pernicious practices of their Synods with the Doctrines from which they flow it remains to dispel umbrages wherewith they seek to hide the uglinesse of their proceedings principles from the eyes of the world We say they do give the Christian Magistrate a political Power to convocate Synods to preside in Synods to ratifie the Acts of Synods to reform the Church We make him the keeper of both tables Take nothing and hold it fast here are good words but they signifie nothing Trust me whatsoever the Disciplinarians do give to the Magistrate it is alwayes with a saving of their own stakes not giving for his advantage but their own For they teach that this power of the Christian Magistrate is not private and destructive to the power of the Church but cumulative and onely auxiliary or assisting Besides the power which they call abusively authoritative but is indeed ministerial of executing their decrees contributing to their setlement they ascribe to the Magistrate concerning the Acts of Synods that which every private man hath a judgement of discretion but they retain to themselves the judgement of Jurisdiction And if he judge not as they would have him but suspend out of conscience the influence of his political power where they would have him exercise it they will either teach him another point of Popery that is an implicite faith or he may perchance feel the weight of their Church censures and find quickly what manner of men they be as our late gracious King Charls
Grotius that had better skill in the lawes then you or I sayth That in causes of Delegacie semper appellasio conscssa fuit ad Imperatorem si ex Imperiali jussione judicatum esset aut ad Iudicum quemcunque si ex judiciali praecepto which holds good against your general Assemblie if that judgeth earegali jussione that it doth so is cleare from your Assemblie Act April 24. 1578. wherein it petitioneth the King to set establish your policie a part whereof is your Assemblie judication That it is for the most part order'd to the King in his Courts is not any way to confine his power but to free him from frequent impertinencies unseasonable importnnities of trouble or it may be a voluntarie but no obligatorie Royal condescension to avoyd your querulous imputation of arbitrarie partialitie tyrannie in judicature Therefore you injure the Bishop by converting his assertion into a negative confession As if when he sayth it is to the King in Chancerie he must needs acknowledge It can be neither to the King out of Chancerie nor to him there but with collaterall aequipotential â—…ssistants Whereas your friend Didoclave complaines that our appeales are ever progressus â—…b unico ad unicum wherein whether he mean'd an aggregate or personal unitie I leave you to interpret That an appeale is not permitted from your Lords of session or Parliament in Scotland is because whatsoever is regularlie determin'd there receives its ratification from the King But if one or other in their session without him should determine a case evidentlie undeniablie destructive to the rights of his crowne or liberties of his people whether His Majestie may not admit an appeale assume his coercive power to restraine their license I thinke no loyal subject in Scotland will controvert As touching your Assemblies King Iames tells you It is to be generallie observed that no priviledge that any King gives to one particular bodie or state within the Kingdome of convening consulting among themselves which includes whatsoever they doe when they are convened consulting is to be understood to be privative given unto them so the King thereby depriving himselfe of his owne power praerogative but onelie to be given cumulative unto them as the lawyers call it without any way denuding the King of his owne power authoritie This His Majestie alledged against the Ministers at Aberdene whom he accuseth not onelie of convening but acting after they were convened He particularlie mentions their setting downe the dies of the next Assemblie His Councel addes their endâ—…vour to reverse overthrow all those good orders godlie constitutions formerlie concluded for keeping of good order in their Church If you alledge that His Majesties Commissioner was not there then you grant me their acts are not justifiable without him And that all are not necessarilie with him I argue from the language of the Commission whereby they meet which limits them thus secundum legem praâ—…im against which if any thing be acted upon appeale the Kings praerogative may rectifie it at pleasure if not any judge may praetend to be absolute then the King must be absolutelie nothing having committed or delegated all power from himselfe What civile law of Scotland it is that prohibites appeales from the General Assemblie you should doe well to mention in your next I know none nor did King Iames thinke of any when he cited his distinction from the Scottish Lawyers aswell as any other Where an Assemblie proceeds contrarie to the lawes of God man Which is not impossible while it may consist of a multitude men neither the best nor most able of the Kingdome the Bishop thinkes an appeale to a legal Court of delegates constituted by a superiour power might be neither unseeming nor unreasonable The law of old never intended they should be the weakest of all Court Where it hath so happened by your owne rule pag. 22. The Delegates not Delegacie are to be charged Such heretofore in England as imployed mercenarie officials for the most part were mercenarie Bishops if they had been cut to the core would have been found I doubt Disciplinarian in heart though Episcopal in title The Scots way of managing Ecclesiastical causes is not more just because more derogatorie to the right of the King And the late Martyr'd King found it not more safe therefore told Mr. Henderson plainlie the papacie in a multitude might be as dangerous as in one how that might be Gualter writ to Count Vnit-glupten in a letter Emergent hinc novae tyrannidis cornua paulatim cristas attollent ambitiosi Ecclesiarum pastores quibus facile fuerit suos assessores in suas partes attrahere cùm ipsii inter hos primatum teneant He might have found the experiment of it in Scotland Nor can it be more satisfactorie to those rational men with whom the Bishops arguments are prevalent beside what else may be effectuallie alledged against it Allthough the two instances the Bishop brings for stopping appeales were accompanied with so many treasonable circumstances as might have enlarged his chapter into a volume deleted the credit of a Scotish Disciplinarian Assemblie out of the opinion of all the Cristians in the world Yet His Lordship thought good to furnish his reader with better authoritie from the second Booke of Discip. ch 12. which shall here meet you againe to crave your acquaintance From the Kirke there is no reclamation or appellation to any Iudge Civile or Ecclesiasticall within the Realme The reputation of the two Reverend Arch-Bishops Montgomerie Adamson depends not upon the sentence of a turbulent envious Synod much lesse any single malicious Presbyter in a pamphlet with whom we know 't is crime hainous enough to be a Bishop shall not want his vote to make them excommunicate Their manifold high misdemeanours are mention'd in the censure of the Presbyterie of Striveling for admitting Montgomerie to the temporalitie of the Bishoprike of Glasgow his owne for aspiring thereto Assemblie 1587. And of the other for taking the Kings commission to sit in Parliament 1584. In the last Act of which his commission is printed to register â—…his guilt The principal of their evil patrons among the wicked States-men I meane next under the King to whom you yeild that praerogative at least is sayd to be the Earle of Arran who deserves that character for being second at that time in His Majesties favour he is sayd by your brethren to have taken them into the Parliament So that lay their commission Earle Arrans courtesie together which without the other had implied the pleasure of the King they tooke not without authoritie upon themselves as you sayd the Episcopal office nor place in that Parliament Whether the pride contempt of the Prelates or Presbyters were greater may be judg'd in the case of Arch-Bishop Montgomerie by the Assemblies slighting not onelie
onelie of the other title supreme head and accept his explication of it which yeilding you in your contracted sense that might securetie afford him more capital priviledges without encroachment upon Christ or his Holie Curch supreme Governer takes in what your Presbyterie will never grant him all power imperative Legislative judicial coactive all but functional imediate and proper to the ordination or office of the Minister which for ought J know if he finde an internal call 〈◊〉 a supposition drawing neare a possibilitie then likelihood and assurance to have a double portion of Gods gracious power and assistance in both administrations he not onelie may but must exercise as did Moses and Melchisedech saving that without a divine institution in this spiritual function his supremacie exempts him not from submitting his head under the hands of holie Church and taking our Saviours commission with the benediction from her month That Scotish Presbyterie is a Papacie the Bishop requires not to be granted upon his word but to be taken before Publike notaries upon your owne the political part whereof consists in the civile primacie which at least by reduction you very considentlie assume The Bishops contradiction which is searce so much as verbal will be easilie reconciled by the words of the oath which he reflects on and his argument good against you untill without reserves limitations or distinctions you simplie acknowledge the King supreme over all persons in all causes which would be a contradiction to this clause in your booke of Discipline The poâ—…er Ecclesiastical stoweth immediatelie from God and the Mediatour Iesus Christ and is spiritual not having a temporal head in the earth but onelie Christ the onelie spiritual King and Governer of his Kirke Lasthe No Presbâ—…terian is there in Scotland but counts it sacriledge to give the King what belongeth unto the Church And whatsoeu'rit is they quit in Ecclesiastike causes is not unto the King but to King and Parliament and the power in both when it informes an Act or statute call'd but accessorie by the Aderdene Assemblers and that we may no longer doubt whom they account supreme dutie and subjection from the Prime which though spoken by them but of their meeting must be meant of all causes consultable in their Synods and is as sensibie a truth as words without ambiguitie can render it Our of all which hath been sayd it must necessarilie follow that your Covenant hath all the good qualities computed which needs no arithmetical proofe by weight or measure the praemises over being coextended with and counterpoiz'd by the conclusion What you rathlie if not praesumtuouslie pronounce of the Bishops judgement doth but vilisie your owne Qui citò deliberant sacile pronunâ—…iant Had you brought a judgement to the contrarie of any learned Casuist to whom his Lordship appeales or any Divine of note in Europe which he calls for your answer had been somewhat more serious and solide But here your oracles of learning are all silent We sinde it not avowed by your especial brethren of Holland and France by no approbatorie suftrages of Leyden and â—…trecht…Omnium flagitiosorum aâ—…que facinorosorum circum se tanquant stipatorum catevâ—… habet A guard is hath but a blake one such as Catilines league and how can it have beter wherein is sworne a conspiracie as bad The Bishops following vapours meeting with no suneshine of law or reason to dissipate them will not so vanish upon a litle blast of your breath but that they 'll returne in showers of confusion upon your head Your secret will to asteribe good intentions to the King hath by some of your packe been very straâ—…gelie revealed in their expressions touching Kings whoss very nature they have declared originallie antipathetical to Christ. This Didoclave avowes as planilie as he can And when objected by His Grace of Saint Andrewes with your proverbial yet mystical appendix of their obligation to the Creatuor not to Christ the Redecmer for their crownes is so slovenlie answered by Philadelphs Vindicatour as any man may reade your good wil in his words measure the sense of your Synods by his lines your good opiniâ—…n of the intentions of K. Charles 1. Beside what you imputed to his Praelates may be guested by what sometimes in print you have assiribâ—… unto his person An unworthie fellow your Countrey man that comes runing in hast with the message of your good meaning in his mouth sayth His infamous Barbarous intentions were executed by â—…eathing his sword in the bowels of his people And this not onctic himselve not impeding conniving at and giving full Commission for in Scotland and Ireland but in England looking upon with much delight while it was done And that so faire were negotiations and treaties from retracting him that it was in publike declared he sayth not byany Praelatical partie that he would never defist from this enterprise of persecuting Church and Commonwealthso long as he had power to pursue it Concerning the good intentions of Charles the second beside what jealousies you expresse by the scrupulous conditions in your proclaemation your Haghe papers are instancies of your willing asseriptions which call his answer strange whereby the distance is made greater then before and farre lesse offered for religion the Covenant and the lawes and liberties of your Kingdome then was by his Royal Father even at that time when the difference between him and you was greatest…So that it will constraine you in such an extremitie to doe what is incumbent to you I have allreadie told you the usual consequences of that cursed word and what good intentions you are in hand with when you utter it Tyrannie and poperie are twinnes engendred between your jealousie malice to which Independencâ—…e is more likelie to be the midwife then Praelacie and if by that hand they get deliverie at last will besure to pay Presbytesie their dutie when they can speake The painted declarations caries beter sense to them that rightlie understand them which I am sure is not prajudicâ—…d by any paraphrase of the Bishops Though agere pocniuntiam Be good councel where well placed ' yet egisse non paniundum requires it not If the conâ—…ience of the Court continue to be managed by the principles of the Prâ—…lates the hearts of the mist understanding shall if they will be satisfied withall moral and siducial assurance to have that Religion praeserved which shall by reason and authoritie aswell divine as humane in every particular justifie it selse against all right or left handed sects and factions guiltie of superstition or prosanâ—…sse those lawes observed which appeare now to have constituted the most indifferent mnoâ—…uous government in the world Whereas if the conscience of the Court be deluded once into Presbyters hands it will need none of our angrie wishes to be made sensible of the change when to be sure it must take religion like a desperate patient from a sullen physician
change the whole Ecclesiastical pollicy of a Common-wealth to alter the Doctrine and Religion established to take away the legall rights and privileges of the Subjects to erect new tribunalls and courts of Justice to which Sovereigns themselves must submit and all this of their own heads â—…ue of a pretended power given them from heaven contrary to kâ—…own laws and lawfull customs the Supreme Magistrate dissenting disclaiming Synods ought to be called by the supreme Magistrate if he be a Christian c. And either by himself or by such as he shall please to choose for that purpose he ought to preside over them This power the Emperours of old did challenge over General Councels Christian Monarchs in the blindnesse of Popery over National Synods the Kings of England over their great Councels of old and their Convocation of later times The Estates of the united Provinces in the Synod of Dort this power neither Roman Catholick or Protestant in France dare denie to his King None have been more punctual in this case then the State of Geneva where it is expressely provided that no Synod or Presbytery shall alter the Ecclesiastical pollicy or adde any thing to it without the consent of the civil Magistrate Their elders do not challenge an uncontrolable power as the Commissioners of Christ but ate still called the Commissioners of the Signiory The lesser Councel names them with the advise of the Ministery their consent is not necessary The great Councel of 200 doth approve them or reject them At the end of the year they are presented to the Signiory who continue them or discharge them as they see cause At their admission they take an oath to keâ—…p the Ecclesiastical Ordinances of the civil Magistâ—…ate The finall determination of doctrinal differences in Religion after conference of and with the Ecclesiasticks is referred to the Magistrate The proclamations published with the sound of trumpet registered in the same book do plainly shew that the ordering of all Ecclesiastical affairs is assumed by the Signiory But in Scotland all things are quite contrarie the civil Magistrate hath no more to doe with the placing or displacing of Ecclesiastical Elders than he hath in the Electoral Colledge about the Election of an Emperor The King hath no more legislative Power in Ecclesiastical causes than a Cobler that is a single Vote in case he be chosen an Elder other wiâ—…e none at all In Scotland Ecclesiastical persons make repeal alter their Sanctions eyery day without consent of King or Councel King Jonâ—…s proclaimed a Parliament to be held at Edenburgh and a little before by his letter required the Assembly to abstain from making any Innovatioâ—…s in the Policy of the Church and from prejudging the decisions of the States by their conclusions and to suffer all things to continue in the condition they were until the approcâ—…ing Parliamâ—…nt What did they hereupon They neglected the Kings letter by their own Authority they determined all things positively questioned the Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews upon their own Canons For collating to benefices and Voting in Parliament according to the undoubted Laws of the Land Yea to that degâ—…ee of sawcines they arrived and into that contempt they reduced Sovereign power that twenty Presbyters no more at the highest sometimes but thirteen sometimes but seven or eight dared to hold and maintain a General Assembly as they miscalled it after it was discharged by the King against his Authority an Insolence which never any Parliament durst yet attempt By their own Authority long before there was any Statute made to that purpose they abolished all the Festivals of the Church even those which were observed in memory of the Birth Circumcision Resurrection and Ascension of our Saviour By their own Authority they decreed the abolition of Bishops requiring them to resign their offices as not having any calling from Gods word under pain of Excommunication And to desist from preacbing until they had a new admission from the General Assembly And to compleat their own folly added further that they would dispose of their possessions as the Churches Patrimony in the next Assembly which ridiculous Ordinance was maintained stifly by the succeeding Synods notwithstanding the Statute that it should be Treason to impugn the Authority of the three Estates or to procure the innovation or diminution of any of them Which was made on purpose to control their vain presumption Notwithstanding that themselves had formerly approved and as much as in them lay established Superintendents to endure for term of life with their numbers bounds salaries larger than those of other Ministers indewed with Episcopal power to plant Churches ordain Ministers assign Stipends preside in Synods direct the censures of the Church without whom there was no Excommunication The world is much mistaken concerning Episcopacie in Scotland for though the King and Parliament were compelled by the clamours and impetuous violence of the Presbyters to annex the temporalities of Bishops to the crown yet the Function it self was never taken away in Scotland from their first conversion to Christianity until these unhappy troubles And these very temporalities were restored by the Act of restitution and their full power was first established Synodically and afterwards confirmed by the three Estates of the Kingdom in Parliament By their own Authority when they saw they could not prevail with all their iterated indeavours and attempts to have their book of discipline ratified they obtruded it upon the Church themselves ordaining that all those who had born or did then bear any office in the Church should subscribe it under pain of Excommuication By their own Authority or rather by the like unwarrantable boldnesse they adopted themselves to be heirs of the Prelates and other dignities and orders of the Church suppressed by their tumultuous violence and decreed that all tythes rents lands oblations yea whatsoever had been given in former times or should be given in future times to the service of God was the patrimonie of the Church and ought to be collected and distributed by the Deasons as the Word of God appoints That to convert any of this to their particular or profane use of any person is detestable Sacriledge before God And elsewhere Gentle-men Barons Earls Lords and others must be content to live upon their just rents and suffer the Kirk to be restored to her libertie What this libertie is follows in the same place all things given in hospitalitie all rents pertaining to Priests Chanteries Colledges Chappelries Frieries of all orders the Sisters of the Seens all which ought to be retained still in the use of the Kiâ—…k Give them but leave to take their breath and expect the rest The whole revenues of the temporalities of Bishops Deans and Arch-Deans lands and all rents pertaining to Cathedrall Kirks Then supposing an objection that the Possessours had Leases and Estates
to meet when an erroneous Magistrat by his Tyrannous edict commands them to doe so let him call up Erastus from the dead to be disciplined in this new doctrine of the praelats impious loyalty The third principle is that the judgment of true and false doctrine of suspension and deprivation of Ministers belongeth to the Church Ans. If this be a great heresie it is to be charged as much upon the state as upon the Church for the acts of Parliament give all this power to the Church neither did the lawes of England or of any Christian state popish or protestant refuse to the Church the determination of such Ecclesiastick causes some indeed doe debate upon the power of appeales from the Church but in Scotland by the law as no appeale in things civill goes higher then the Parliament so in matters Ecclesiastick none goes above the generall assembly Complaints indeed may goe to the King and Parliament for redresse of any wrong has been done in Ecclesiastick Courts who being custodes religionis may by their coercive power command Ecclesiastick Courts to rectifie any wrong done by them contraire to Scripture or if they persist take order with them But that two or three praelats should become a Court of delegats to receave appeales from a generall assembly neither Law nor practise in Scotland did ever admit nor can the word of God or any Equity require it In the Scotes assemblies no causes are agitat but such as the Parliament hath agreed to bee Ecclesiastick and of the Churches cognisance no Processe about any Church rent was ever cognosced upon in Scotland but in a civill Court it s very false that ever any Church censure much lesse the highest of excommunication did fall upon any for robbing the Church of its patrimony Our fourth challenged principle is that wee maintain Ecclesiastick jurisdiction by a divine right Ans. Is this a huge crime is there divine in the world either Papist or Potestant except a few praelaticall Erastians but they doe so If the Warner will professe as it seemes hee must the contradiction of that which he ascribes to us his avowed tenet must bee that all Ecclesiastick power flowes from the Magistrat that the Magistrat himself may execute all Church censures that all the Officers appointed by Christ for the governement of his Church may bee laid aside and such a kind of governors bee put in their place as the Magistrate shal be pleased to appoint that the spirituall sword and Keies of heaven belong to the Magistrate by vertue of his supremacy al 's wel as the temporall sword and the Keies of his earthly Kingdome our difference heere from the Warner will not I hope be found the greatest heresie Our last challenged principle is that wee will have all our power against the Magistrat that is although hee dissent Ans. It is an evill comentare that al must be against the Magistrate which is done against his consent but in Scotland their is no such case for all the jurisdiction which the church there does enjoy they have it with the consent of the Magistrat all is ratified to them by such acts of Parliament as his Majestie doth not at all controvert Concerning that odious case the Warner intimats whither in time of persecutiō when the Magistrat classheth with the Church any Ecclesiastick disciplin be then to be exercised himselfe can better answer it then we who with the auncient Christians doe think that on all hazards even of life the church may not be dissolved but must meet in dens and caves and in the wildernes for the word and Sacraments and keeping it selfe pure by the divine ordinance of discipline Having cleered all the pernicious practises and all the wicked Doctrines which the Warner layes upon us I think it needles to insist upon these defenses which he in his aboundant charity brings for us but in his owne way that he may with the greater advantage impugne them only I touch one passage whereupon he make injurious exclamations that which Mr. Gilespie in his theoremes wryts when the Magistrate abuses his power unto Tyranny and makes havock of all it is lawfull to resist him by some extraordinary wayes and meanes which are not ordinarily to bee allowed see the principles from which all our miseryes and the losse of our gracious Master have flowed Ans. Wee must heere yeeld to the Warner the great equity and necessity that every doctrine of a Presbyter should be charged on the Presbytery it selfe and that any Presbyter teaching the lawfulnesse of a Parliaments defensive armes is tantamont to the Churches taking of armes against the king These small unconsequences wee must permit the Warner to swallow downe without any stick however wee doe deny that the maxime in hand was the fountaine of any our miseryes or the cause at all of the losse of our late Soveraigne Did ever his Majestie or any of his advised counsellers declare it simply unlawfull for a Parliament to take armes for defence in some extraordinary cases however the unhappines of the Canterburian Prelats did put his Majestie on these courses which did begin and promote all our misery and to the very last these men were so wicked as to refuse the lousing of these bands which their hands had tyed about his misinformed conscience yea to this day they will not give their consent that his Majestie who now is should say aside Episcopacy were it for the gayning the peaceable possession of all his three Kingdomes but are urgers of him night and day to adhaere to their errours upon the hazard of all the miseries that may come on his person on his family and all his people yet few of them to this day durst be so bold as to print with this Warner the unlawfulnes of a Parliaments armes against the Tyranny of a Prince in any imaginable case how extraordinary soever CHAP. III. The Lawes and customes of Scotland admitte of no appeal from the generall assembly IN this chapter the challenge is that there are no appeales from the generall Assembly to the King as in England from the Bishops Courts to the King in Chauncery where a Commission uses to be given to delegats who discusse the appeales Ans. The warner considers not the difference of the Government of the Church of Scotland from that which was in England what the Parliament is in the State that the generall assembly is in the Church of Scotland both are the highest courts in their owne kind There is no appeale any where in moderat Monarchies to the Kings person but to the King in certaine legall courts as the Warner here confesseth the appeale from Bishops lyes not to the King in his person but to the King in his court of Chauncery As no man in Scotland is permitted to appeale in a civil cause from the Lords of Session much lesse from the Parliament so no man in an Ecclesiastick cause is permitted by
the verie civil Law of Scotland to appeale from the general assembly According to the Scots order practise the King in person or else by his high Commissioner sits al 's usually in the generall assembly as in Parliament But though it were not so yet an appeale from a generall assembly to be discussed in a Court of delegats were unbeseeming and unreasonable the one Court consisting of above two hundred all chosen men the best and most able of the Kingdome the other but of two or three often of very small either abilities or integrity who yet may be more fitt to decerne in an Ecclesiastick cause then a single Bishop over his officiall the ordinary trusted in all acts of jurisdiction for the whole dioces But the Scots way of managing Ecclesiastick causes is a great deale more just safe and Satisfactory to any rationall man then that old popish order of the English where all the spirituall jurisdiction of the whole dioces was in the hand of one mercenary officiall without all reliefe from his sentence except by an appeale as of old to the pope and his delegats so therafter to the King though never to be cognosced-upon by himselfe but as it was of old by two or three delegats the weakest of all courts often for the quality and ever for the number of the judges Two instances are brought by the Warner to prove the Church of Scotlands stopping of appeals from the generall Assembly to the King the cases of Montgomery and Adamson if the causes and events of the named cases had been wel knowne to the Warner as he made this chapter disproportionally short so readily he might have deleted it al together Both these men were infamous not only in their Ministeriall charges but in their life conversation both became so insolent that contrary to the established order of the Church Kingdome being suborned by wicked statesmen who in that day of darknes had wel neer brought ruine both to King and country would needs take upon them the office of Arch-Bishops While the assembly was in proces with them for their manifold and high misdeameanors the King was moved by them and their evill patrons to shew his high displeasure against the assemblyes of the Church they for his Majesties satisfaction sent their Commissioners and had many conferences whereby the pride and contempt of these prelats did so encrease that at last they drew the sentence of excommunication upon their own heads the King after some time did acknowledge the equity of the Church proceedings and professed his contentment their with both these unhappy men were brought to a humble confession of their crimes and such signes of repentance that both after a renunciation of their titulare Bishopriks were readmitted to the function of the ministry which they had deserted Never any other before or after in Scotland did appeale from the generall assembly to the King the late excommunicat praelats in their declinatour against the assembly of Glasgow did not appeale as I remember to the King but to another generall assembly to bee constitute according to their own Popish and Tyrannical principles CHAP. IV. Faulty Ministers in Scotland are lesse exempted from punishment then any other men THE Warner in his fourth Chapter offers to prove that the Scottish discipline doth exempt Ministers from punishment for any treason or sedition they can act in their pulpits Ans. This challenge is like the rest very false The rules of the Church discipline in Scotland obliges Churchmen to bee subject to punishment not only for every fault for which any other man is lyable to censure but ordaines them to bee punished for sundrie things which in other men are not at all questionable and what ever is censurable in any they appoint it to be much more so in a Minister It is very untrue that the pulpits in Scotland are Sanctuaries for any crime much lesse for the grievous crimes of sedition and treason Let the Warner remember how short a time it is since an Episcopall chayre or a canonicall coate did priviledge in England and Ireland from all censure either of Church or State great numbers who were notoriously knowne to be guilty of the foulest crimes Was ever the Warners companion Bishop Aderton challenged for his Sodomy so long as their commune patrone of Canterbury did rule the court did the warner never heare of a prelate very sibb to Doctour Bramble who to this day was never called to any account for flagrant scandals of such crimes as in Scotland are punishable by the gallows the Warner doth not well to insist upon the Scots Clergie exempting themselfe from civill punishments no where in the world are Churchmen more free of crimes deserving civil cognisance then in Scotland and if the ears and eyes of the world may be trusted the popish clergy this day in Italy and Spaine are not so challengeable as the praelaticall divines in England and Ireland lately were for many grosse misdemeanors But why does the Warners anger run out so farre as to the preachers in Holland is it because he knoweth the Church disciplin in Holland to be really the same with that he oppugnes in the Scots and that all the reformed Churches doejoyne cordially with Scotland in their rejection of Episcopacy is this a ground for him to slander our Brethren of Holland Is it charity for him a stranger to publish to the world in print that the ministers in Holland are seditious oratours and that they saucily controll the Magistrats in their pulpits Their crime seemes to be that for the love of Christ their master they are zealous in their doctrin to presse upon the Magistrat as well as upon the people the true practise of piety the sanctification of the sabbath day the suppression of heresy and shisme and repentance for the sins of the time place wherein they live This is a crime whereof few of the Warners friends were wont to be guilty of their shamefull silence and flattery was one of the great causes of all the sins and calamities that have wracked the three Kingdomes the streame of their sermons while the enjoyed the pulpit was to encourage to superstition and contempt of piety to sing asleepe by their ungracious way all that gave eare unto them The man is impatien t to see the Pastors of Holland or any where to walk in another path then his own and for this cause would stirre up their Magistrats against them as it was his and his Brethrens custome to stirre up the Magistrats of Britan and Ireland to imprison banish and heavily vex the most zealous servants of God only for their opposition to the praelats profanity and errours The Warner I hope has not yet forgotten how Doctor Bramble and his neighbour Lesly of Down did cast out of the Ministry and made flee out of the Kingdome men most eminent for zeale piety and learning who in a short time had
guilt of which you would gladlie runne into dens caves or move the hills mountaines to cover you In the meane time in vaine you hope to have any the anâ—…nt Christians companie Who in times of their persecution never held publike Assemblies in their Edenburghs Imperial Cities never arm'd themselves to maintaine the divine ordinance of the Discipline Though had they done it litle would their praecedent availe you the just imposition of a Christian King being very unlike the heathen Emperous persecution Nor was the Presbyterie that divine ordinance of Discipline practiz'd by the persecuted in the wildernesse Mr. Baylie in this time by his affected diversions devious mazes having run himselfe halfe out of breath begins to thinke on the shortest way home to finde which he takes a large leape over the hedge by vertue of some Disciplinarian priviledge passeth two whole pages of consequence unanswer'd Perit libertas nisâ—…tlla contemnis quae jugem imponunt yet not so cleare but that one bramble hath catch'd him by the sleeve if the truth were known I beleeve many more have prick'd him to the heart for one of most danger I advise him to seeke out a timelie remedie stand to the charitie of his aequitable comparers for the rest 't is that sharpe quaestion which the Bishope propounds Who shall judge when the Church is corrupted the Magistrates or Church-men If the Magistrates why not over you aswell as others If the Church-men why not others aswell as you Mr. Gilespies Theorem because pressing such downright rebellion he without any brotherlie love leaves on the shoulders of a single Presbyter will not afford one fingar of the Presbyterie to ease him though the tantamout be not so unconsequential as to need a stake to helpe it downe in a swallow It being very well know'n that if Mr. Baylie should not tantamont in this businesse the Assemblie brethren would give him a drench in the Scotish horne send him to grasse with the long-eard creatures as being no fit companie for the late more rational rebells in a Synod The consequence if it must need be such from one particular denied by none to a universal affirmative as strange as it lookes may be made good by the new Disciplinarian logike Mr. Baylie himselve having more then once profess'd an identitie in the Scotish with the Reformed disciplines abroad in the harmonie of which I finde such a canon as this Si Minister donum habet aliquid ad aedificationem conscribendi illud typis non mandabit quin prius a classe examinetur probetur From the Classe he knowes it takes a remove to the provincial Synod thence to the national Assemblie Now if the Reviewer will not tell us in what Assemblie Mr. Gilespie was censur'd or this theoreme of his disavow'd because it will be such a singular case as never was heard of Rebellion disclaim'd in a Scotish Presbyterian Assemblie otherwise then in a Catholike mist which never drops in any particulars he shall have the reputation of catching this unconsequence for once But as the Bishops sayth Take nothing hold it fast if he can Beside he knowes there are many other such theoremes of Mr. Gilespies upon which the Bishop hath built many high accusations which the Discipline must acknowlege must be meant to be of that number which had the approbatorie suffrages of the Vniversities in Holland viz. Leyden Vtrecht or else he spake litle truth and as litle to the purpose in his Epistle Yet to helpe him to somewhat of better authoritie He is desir'd to take notice That the substance of this theoreme was not declin'd in a protestation made he knowes by whom in Edenburgh Parliament 1558. In the dutifull letter to the Queen Regent from the faythfull Congregation of Christ Iesus in Scotland 22. May 1549. In another from the Lords of the Congregation 2. Jul. 1559 In an answer to the Queenes proclamation by the Lords Barons other brethren of the Congregation 1559. In a declaration of the Lords against another proclamation of the Queenes 1559. To all thesé 't is undeniable that the Assemblies adhaer'd or indeed rather the Lords c to them In the Church Assemblie's supplication 28. May 1561. In the vote of the whole Assemblie 1563. In the Superintendents Ministers Commissioners letter to the Bishops and Pastours in England they write If authoritie urge you farther ye ought to oppose your selves boldlie not onclie to all power that dare extol it selfe against God but also against all such as dare burthen the consciences of the faythfull they mean'd the same opposition themselves made in Scotland In the seventh article fram'd by the Assemblie 1567. Beside what was very particularlie pressed by Knox in Sermons Conferences letters c all acknowledge the sense of several Assemblies But all these authorities are absolet the several ends of such speaches actions being long since accomplish'd in Scotland However M. Baylie denies that the maxime in hand was the fountaine of any our late miseries or the cause at all of the losse of our Soveraigne Fati ista culpa est nemo fit fato nocens If he had but in kindnesse delivered his meaning at large quitted aswell his independent brethren of their bloudie performance in the fift act as he doth the Presbyterian properties that caried on the rebellion in the foure first of the Tragoedie they might have masked merrilie together in their antike disguises of innocencie pointed out to some sillie credulous spectators the guilt of this horrid murder in the starres But I shall reach him a ladder where by he may ascend to the top of this truth not aninch higher then Edenburgh Crosse what else he wants when he comes there to doe justice accordinglie as he shall be enlightned upon his owne selfe for his share in this maxime unpardonable mischiefe The first step hereof begins neare the ground with the meane baser sort of the people who on the 23. Jul. 1637. when by his Blessed Majesties command the service booke was to be read in Edenburgh Great Church fell into the extraordinarie wayes of clapping hands cursing outcries throwing stones at the windowes aiming at the Bishop with a stool Continuing this hubbub in the streets besetting the counsel house whether the reverend learned worthie Bishop of Galloway was forced to flie for his refuge Their outcries being commonlie such as this God defend all those who will defend Gods cause God confound the service booke all the maintainers of it of whom the King must needs be mean'd to be one who had expressclie authoriz'd it Vpon this follow two extraordinarie petitions one in the names of the Noblemen Gentrie Ministers Burgesses against the service booke booke of Canons which being not answerd to their mind at Sterlin otherwhere themselves in protesting did the same thing which they had call'd the uproare
for homonymus subscribentiam r. homonymoos suscribentium p. 185. for momfeia r. monscia Aristoph p. 187. l. 38. for up to r. unto p. 188. l. 14. for which r. with p. 191. l. 14. for guittnesse r. guildesse p. 155. l. 15. for fermed r. feigned l. 34. for neare r. nearer a possibilitie then likelihood p. 157. l. 13. for faire r. farie marg for Cosque r. Eosque p. 198. l. 11. for bay r. bag l. 35. for inclioration r. melioration marg for vide r. vive for se short causes r. see short conses p. 200. l. 40. for Anabaptists r. Abaptists p. 201. l. 16. for were r. mere TO THE READER I Am necessarisie to advertise you That if you be notvery conversant in the R d Bishops Warning and his adversaries Review before you enter upon my replie you will in the end be as unsatisfied about the true state of the controversie as all the way offended at the incohaerence of the paragraphs or periods in the booke there being to ease the Printer not much to advantage me very litle inserted that mine relates to which notwithstanding is penned as if you had the other perpetuallie in your sight The credit I claime to have given to several historical circumstances of a Countrey which I yet never saw wherewith I could not be furnished from printed bookes is upon the sufficient assurance I have of the fidelitie and abilitie in such persons as are natives whom I consulted as oracles in many cases and received their answer in no darke ambiguitie of words But layd downe positivelie in their papers which if their indifference had been the same with mine I should have published with their names whereby to put out the envious mans eye and keep curiositie from a troublesome impertinencie in enquirie I shall make no apologie at all to you for my engagement in the dispute having allreadie done it where more due I shall brieflie this for some tantologie much indecencie and levitic in my language Desiring the first may be imputed to some necessitie I was cast upon by the Reviewers frequent repetitions and some difficultie to recollect what expressions had passed from me with the sheetes most of which I was to part with successivelie as I pennd them at several distances of time and place reteining no perfect copie in my hands The second is that dirt which did sticke like pitch unto my fingars while I was handling the fowle Review and so hath defild my booke The third came from no affectation to be facetious for which I am litle fitted yet thought I might as well sport it as a Divinitie Professour in his chaire who having it seemes made hast to the second infancie of his age or reassumd his first would never it may be have been at quiet unlesse I had rocked him in his cradle or play'd a litle with his rattle The strange misse-takes many times introduced by his ignorance of our tongue that in my absence praepared all for the presse are rectified with references to the pages where Which amendments in favour of your selfe aswell as justice unto me should be at first transplanted to their several colonies by your pen. The Greeke leters that have lost their grace by the Latin habits wherein they are constrained to appeare being crowded here and there out of all significancie and order so left at large have their authoritie made good to the full sense of the commission they brought with them every where by the English Interpreter or Paraphrast when you meet them Which intimated I have no greater courtesie to crave from you if one the Revievers impartial and aequitable comparers then to hearken to truth and reason and to signifie what you finde here dissonant from either which I promise you shall be acknowledged or amended Adieu Your R. W. A Table of the Chapters CHAPT I. THe Scots bold addresse with the Covenant to K. Ch. 2. Their partie inconsiderable The Bishop's method language and matter asserted The quaestion in controversie unawares granted by the Reviewer Page 1. II. The Scotish Discipline overthrowes the right of Magistrates to convocate Synods and otherwise to order Ecclesiastical affaires 10. III. The last appeale to the Supreme Magistrate justisiable in Scotland 41. IV. Seditious Rebellious Ministers in Scotland seldome or never censured by the Assemblie 47. V. The Discipline exempts not the supreme Magistrate from being excommunicate 57. VI. Kings may sometime pardon capital offenders which the Disciplinarians donie As they do their Royal right to any part of the Ecclesiastike revenue 59. VII The Presbyterie cheates the Magistrate of his civile power in ordine ad spiritualia 65. VIII The divine right of Episcopacie beter grounded theâ—… that pratended in behalfe of Presbyterie 93. IX The Commonwealth is a monster when Gods Soveraignite in the Presbyterie contradicts the Kings 113. X. No concord between Parliament and Presbyterie 116. XI The Presbyterie cruel to particular persons 124. XII The Presbyterie a burthen to the Nobilitie Ministrie and all Orders whatsoever 130. XIII The Bishops exceptions against the Covenant made good this proved That no man is obliged to keep it who hath taken it 176. An Alphabetical Principal Table of the Contens A. THe Disclplinarians rebellious proceedings in their persecution of Arch. Bp. Adamson Pag. 43 Poenitent adulterers not necessarilie to be put to death 169 Litle aequitie in the Reviewers debates treaties 190 Alteration in Religion or Church Government unsave sinfull while conscience is doubtfull 95 They may be feared to be unchristian that call us Antichristian 145 Trivial debates among Scotish Presbyters about apparell 125 The Reviewer dares not speake out to the Bishops quaestion about taking armes for religion 198 That Libertie no justifiabie praetenses for taking armes 201 The Pr Scots that did no more excusable then the Anabaptist in Germanie â—…00 They are planters of their misse-named Religion by armes 202 K. Ch. 1. had just cause to march with an armie toward Scotland Ans. to Ep. Ded. 9 The Pr. Scots had none for their invading England Ibid. 11 Their General Assemblies Disobedience to the Kings command 1â—…79 12 The incohaerent excuses therof 13 The rebellious Assemblers at Aberdene 1605. 16 Appeales in Scotland to the King 32 And so the ultimate of them every where elce 41 The proceedings against them no other then legal 17 Wherein the E. Dunbar caried himselfe impartiallie and noblie 23 Assemblies summoning the people in armes upon the trial of Popish Lords 92 Collusion and violence in the election of Members for Assemblies 133 Why so many Burgesses and Gentlemen in them 134. 135 B. TReason by statute to impugne the authoritie of Bishops being one of the three Estates 19 Bishops perpetuall in Scotland 21 The calumnie against the three Bishops consectated by the Arch-Bishop of Canterburie refuted 22 How the Difference hapened between the E. Argile the Bishop of Galloway 141 Our Bishops contest not with King and Nobles 140
power to give him remedy and to see Justice done In Scotland this would be taken in great scorn as an high indignity upon the Commissioners of Christ to appeal from his Tribunal to the judgement of a mortal man In the year 1582 King James by his letter by his messenger the Master of Requests and by an Herald at Arms prohibited the Assembly at Saint Andrews to proceed in the case of one Mongomery and Mongomery himself appealed to Cesar or to King and Councel What did our new Masters upon this They sleighted the Kings letter his Messenger his Herald rejected the Appeal as made to an incompetent Judge and proceeded most violenlty in the cause About four years after this another Synod held at Saint Andrews proceeded in like manner against the Bishop of that See for Voting in Parliament according to his conscience and for being suspected to have penned a Declaration published by the King and Parliament at the end of the Statutes notwithstanding that he declined their judicature and appealed to the King and Parliament When did any Bishops dare to doe such acts There need no more instances their book of Discipline it self being so full in the case from the Kirk there is no reclamation or appellation to any Judge Civil or Ecclsiastical within the Realm CHAP. IV. That it exempts the Ministers from due punishment THirdly if Ecclesiastick persons in their Pulpits or Assemblies shall leave their text and proper work to turn incendiaries trumpeters of sedition stirring up the people to tumults and disloial attempts in all well ordered Kingdoms and Common-wealths they are punishable by the civil Magistrate whose proper office it is to take cognisaâ—…ce of treason and sedition It was well said by a King of France to some such seditious Shebas that if they would not let him alone in their Pulpits he would send them to preach in another climate In the united provinces there want not examples of seditious Oratours who for controlling their Magistrates too sawcily in the Pulpit have been turned both out of their Churches and Cities without any fear of wresting Christs Scepter out of his hand In Geneva it self the correction of Ecclesiastical persons qua tales is expresly reserved to the Signiory So much our Disciplinarians have out-done their pattern as the passionate writings of heady men out-do the calmer decrees of a stayed Senate But the Ministers of Scotland have exempted themselves in this case from all secular judgement as King James who knew them best of any man living wirnesseth They said he was an incompetent judge in such cases and that matters of the Pulpit ought to be exempted from the judgement and correction of Princes They themselves speak plain enough It is an absurd thing that sundry of them Commissaries having no function of the Kirk should be judges to Ministers and depose them from their rooms The reason holds as well against Magistrates as Commissaries To passe by the sawcy and seditious expressions of Mr. Dury Mr. Mellvill Mr. Ballcanquall and their impunity Mr. James Gibson in his sermon taxed the King for a persecutor and threatened him with a curse that he should die childlesse and be the last of his race for which being convented before the Assembly and not appearing he was onely suspended during the pleasure of his brethren he should have been suspended indeed that is hanged But at another Assembly in August following upon his allegation that his not appearing was out of his tender care of the rights of the Church he was purged from his contumacy without once so much as acquainting his Majesty The case is famous of Mr. David Blake Minister of St. Andrews who had said in his sermon that the King had discovered the treachery of his heart in admitting the Popish Lords into the countrie That all Kings were the devils barus that the devil was in the Court and in the guiders of it And in his prayer for the Queen he used these words we must pray for her for â—…ashion sake but we have no cause she will never do us any good He â—…aid that the Queen of Englanâ—… Queen Elisabeth was an 〈◊〉 eist that the Lords of the Session were miâ—…creants and bribers that the Nobility were degenerated godless dissemblers and enemies to the Church that the Councel were holly glasses cormorants and men of no Religion I ap eal to all the Estates in Europe what punishment could be evere enough for such audacious virulence The â—…ish Ambassadour complains of it Blake is cited before the Councel The Commissioneâ—…s of the Church plead that it will be ill taken to bring Mâ—…ers in question upon such trifling delations as inconsistent with the liberties of the Church They conclude that a Declinatour should be used and a Protestation made against those proceedings saying it was Gods cause wheâ—…ein they ought to stand to all hazards Accordingly a Declinatour was framed and presented Blake desires to be remitted to the Presbytery as his Oâ—…dinary The Commissioners send the copie of the Declinatour to all the Presbyteries requiring them for the greater corroboration of their doings to subscribe the same and to commend the cause in hand in their private and publick prayers to God using their best credit with their flocks for the maintenance thereof The King justly incensed herewith dischargeth the meeting of the Commissioners Notwithstanding this Injunction they stay still and send Delegates to the King to represent the inconveniences that might insue The King more desirous to decline their envy than they his judgement offers peace The Commissioners refuse it and present an insolent petition which the King rejects deservedly and the cause was heard the very day that the Princâ—…sse Elisabeth now Queen of Bohemia was Christened The witnesses were produced Mâ—… Robert Ponte in the name of the Church makes a Protestation Blake presents a second Decliâ—…atour The Councel decree that the cause being treasonable is cognoscible before them The good King still seeks peace sends messengers treats offers to remit But it is labour in vain The Ministers answer peremtorily by Mr. Robert Brace their Prolocutor that the liberty of Christs Kingdom had received such a wound by this usurpation of the rights of the Church that if the lives of Mr. Blake and twenty others had been taken it would not have grieved the hearts of good people so much as these injurious proceedings The King still woos and confers At last the matter is concluded that the King shall make a Declaration in favour of the Church that Mr. Blake shall onely make an acknowledgement to the Queen and be pardoned But Mr. Blake refuseth to confesse any fault or to acknowledge the King and Councel to be any judges of his Sermon Hereupon he is convicted and sentenced to be guilty of false and treasonable slanders and his punishment referred to the King Still the King treats makes propositions unbeseeming his Majesty once or twice The
second their unreasonable rage was it not then necessary for the Scots to arme againe when they had defeate the Episcopall Army and taken New-castle though they found nothing considerable to stand in their way to London yet they were content to lie still in Northumberland and upon very meane tearnes to returne the second time in peace For all this the praelats could not give it over but raised a new Army and filled England with fire and sword yea well neere subdued the Parliament and their followers and did almost accomplish their first designes upon the whole Isle The Scots then with most earnest and pitifull entreaties were called upon by their Brethren of England for helpe where unwilling that their brethren should perish in their sight and a bridge should be made over their carcasses for a third warre upon Scotland when after long tryall they had found all their intercessions with the King for a moderat and reasonable accommodation slighted and rejected they suffered themselves to be perswaded to enter in covenant with their oppressed and fainting brethren for the mantainance of the common cause of Religion and liberty but with expresse Articles for the preservation of royalty in all its just rights in his Majestie and his posterity what unkindnes was heer in the Scots to their King When by Gods blessing on the Scotes helpe the opposit faction was fully subdued his Majestie left Oxford with a purpose for London but by the severity of the ordinances against his receivers he diverted towards Linn to ship for Holland or France where by the way fearing a discovery and surprise he was necessitate to cast himselfe upon the Scotes army at New-wark upon his promise to give satisfaction to the propositions of both Kingdomes he was received there and to New-castle here his old oathes to adhaere unto Episcopacy hindred him to give the expected satisfaction At that time the prime leaders of the English army were seeking with all earnestnes occasion to fall upon the Scots much out of heart and reputation by Iames Grahame and his Irishes incursions most unhappy for the Kings affaires Scotland at that time was so full of divisions that if the King had gone thither they were in an evident hazard of a present war both within among themselfes and without from England our friends in the English Parliament whom we did and had reason to trust assured us that our taking the King with us to Scotland was the keeping of the Sectarian Army on foot for the wracke of the King of Scorland of the Presbyterian party in England as the sending of his Majestie to one of his houses neer London upon the faith of the Parliament of England was the only way to get the Sectaryes disarmed the King and the people settled in a peace upon such tearmes as should be satisfactory both to the King and the Scots and all the wel-affected in England This being the true case was it any either unjustice unkindnes or imprudence in the Scots to leave the King with his Parliament of England was this a selling of him to his enemies the monyes the Scots received at their departure out of England had no relation at all to the King they were scarce the sixth parte of the arreares due to them for bygon service they were but the one halfe of the sume capitulat for not only without any reference to the King but by an act of the English Parliament excluding expresly from that Treaty of the armies departure all consideration of the disposall of the Kings person The unexpected evills that followed in the Armies rebellion in their seasing on London destroying the Parliament murthering the King no mortall eye could have forseen The Scots were ever ready to the utmost of their power to have prevented all these mischiefes with the hazard of what was dearest to them notwithstanding of all the hard measure they had often received both from the King and the most of their friends in England That they did not in time and unanimously stur to purpose for these ends they are to answer it to God who were the true Authors the innocency of the Church is cleered in the following treatise Among the many causes of these miseries the prime fountaine was the venome of Episcopall principles which some serpents constantly did infuse by their speaches and letters in the eares and heart of the King to keep him of from giving that satisfaction to his good subjects which they found most necessary and due the very same cause which ties up this day the hands of covenanters from redressing ali present misorders could they have the King to joyne with them in their covenant to quit his unhappy Bishops to lay aside his formall and dead Liturgie to cast himselfe upon the counsels of his Parliaments it were easy to prophecie what quickly would become of all his enemies but so long as Episcopall and malignant agents compasseth him about though all that comes neer may see him as lovely hopfull and promising a prince for all naturall endowments as this day breaths in Europe or for a long time has swayed a Scepter in Britaine yet while such unlucky birds nest in his Cabin and men so ungraciously principled doe daily besiege him what can his good people doe but sit downe with mournfull eyes and bleeding hearâ—…s till the Lord amend these otherwise remediles and insuperable evills but I hold heer least I transgresse to farr the bounds of an Epistle I account it an advantage to have your Lordship my judge in what heere and in my following treatise I spake of Religion the liberties of our country and the Royall Family I know non fitter then your Lordship both to discerne and decerne in all these matters Me thinks I may say it without flattery which I never much loved either in my selfe or others that among all our Nobles for constancy in a zealous profession for exemplary practise in publick and privat duties the mercy of God has given to your Lordship a reputation second to none And for a rigid adhaerence to the Rights and Priviledges of your Country according to that auncient disposition of your most Noble Family noted in our Historians especially that Prince of them Georg Buchanan the Tutor of your Grand-Father I know none in our Land who wil pretend to goe before you and for the affairs of the King your interest of blood in the Royall Family is so well known that it would be a strange impudency in me if in your audience I durst be bold wittingly to give sinistrous information Praying to God that what in the candid ingenuity true zeale of my spirit I present under your Lordships patrociny unto the eye of the World for the vindication of my mother Church and Country from the Sicophantick accusations of a Stigmatised incendiary may produce the intended effects Hague this 28 May 7 Iunie 1649. I rest your Lordships in all Christian duety R. B. G.
CHAP. I. The proelaticall faction continue resolute that the King and all his people shall perish rather then the praelats be not restored to their former places of power for to set up Popery Profanity and Tirranny in all the three Kingdomes WHile the Comissioners of the Church and Kingdome of Scotland were on their way to make their first addresses to his Majestie for to condole his most lamentable afflictions and to make offer of their best affections and services for his comfort in this time of his great distresse it was the wisedome and charity of the praelaticall party to send out Doctor Bramble to meet them with his Faire Warning For what else but to discourage them in the very entry from tendering their propositions and before ever they were heard to stop his Majesties eares with grievous praejudice against all that possibly they could speake though the world sees that the only apparent fountaine of hope upon earth for recovery of the wofully confounded affaires of the King is in the hands of that Antipraelaticall nation but it is the hope of these who love the welfaire of the King and his people of the Churches and Kingdomes of Britain that the hand of God which hath broken all the former devices of the Praelats shall crush this their engine also Our warner undertaketh to oppugne the Scotes discipline in a way of his owne none of the most rational He does not so much as pretend to state a question nor in his whole book to bring against any maine position of his opposites either Scripture father or reason nor so much as assay to answer any one of their arguments against Episcopacy onely hee culs out some of their by-tenets belonging little or nothing to the maine questions and from them takes occasion to gather together in a heape all the calumnies which of old or of late their knowne enemies out of the forge of their malice and fraud did obtrude on the credulity of simple people also some detorted passages from the bookes of their friends to bring the way of that Church in detestation without any just reason These practises in our warner are the less pardonable that though he knowes the chiefe of his allegations to bee but borrowed from his late much beloved Comerads Master Corbet in his Lysimachus Nicanor and Master Maxewell in his Issachars Burden yet he was neither deterred by the strange punishments which God from heaven inflicted visibly on both these calumniatores of their mother Church nor was pleased in his repeating of their calumnious arguments to releeve any of them from the exceptions under the which they stand publickly confuted I suppose to his own distinct knowledge I know certainly to the open view ofthousands in Scotland England and Ireland but it makes for the warners designe to dissemble here in Holland that ever he heard of such books as Lysimachus Nicanor and Issachars Burden much lesse of Master Baylies answer to both printed some yeares agoe at London Edinburgh and Amsterdam without a rejoinder from any of that faction to this day How everlet our warner be heard In the very first page of his first chapter wee may tast the sweetnes of his meek Spirit at the verie entrie he concludeth but without any pretence to an argument there or else where the discipline of the Church of Scotland to be their owne invention whereon they dote the Diana which themselves have canonized their own dreams the counterfeyt image which they faine hath fallen down from Iupiter which they so much adore the very quintessence of refined popery not only most injurious to the civill Magistrat most oppressive to the subject most pernicious to both but also inconsistent with all formes of civill governement destructive to all sorts of Policy a rack to the conscience the heaviest pressure that can fall on a people So much truth and sobernes doth the warner breath out in his very first page Though he had no regard at all to the cleare passages of Holy Scripture whereupon the Scotes doe build their Anti-Episcopall tenets nor any reverence to the harmony of the reformed Churches which unanimously joyne with the Scotes in the maine of their discipline especially in that which the Doctor hates most therein the rejection of Episcopacy yet me thinks some little respect might have appeared in the man to the authority of the Magistrat and civil Lawes which are much more ingeminated by this worthy divine over all his book then the holy Scriptures Can hee so soon forget that the whole discipline of the Church of Scotland as it is there taught and practised is established by acts of Parliament and hath all the strength which the King and State can give to a civil Law the warner may wel be grieved but hardly can he be ignorant that the Kings Majestie this day does not at all question the justice of these sanctions what ever therefore be the Doctors thoughts yet so long as hee pretends to keep upon his face the maske of loyalty he must be content to eat his former words yea to burne his whole book otherwise hee layes against his own professions a slander upon the King and His Royal Father of great ignorance or huge unjustice the one having established the other offring to establish by their civill lawes a Church discipline for the whole nation of Scotland which truly is the quintessence of Popery pernicious and destructive to all formes of civill governement and the heaviest pressure that can fall on a people All the cause of this choler which the warner is pleased to speake out is the attempt of the Scotes to obtrude their discipline upon the King contrary to the dictats of his own conscience and to compell forraigne Churches to embrace the same Ans. Is it not presumption in our warner so soone to tell the world in print what are the dictats of the Kings conscience as yet he is not his Majesties confessor and if the Clerk of the Closet had whispered some what in his earâ—… what he heard in secret hee ought not to have proclaimed it without a warrant but we doe altogether mistrust his reports of the Kings conscience for who will beleeve him that a knowing and a just King will ever be content to command and impose on a whole Nation by his Lawes a discipline contrary to the dictats of his owne conscience This great stumble up on the Kings conscience in the first page must be an ominous cespitation on the threshold The other imputation had no just ground the Scotes did never medle to impose any thing upon forraigne Churches there is question of none but the English and the Scotes were never so presumptuous as to impose any thing of theirs upon that Church It was the assembly of divines at Westminster convocat by the King and Parliament of England which after long deliberation and much debate upanimously concluded the Presbiterian discipline in all the
ever more guilty of that fault then the praelats of England and Ireland did they ever censure their own officialls for the pronouncing of that terrible sentence most profanly against any they would had it been for the non-payment of the smallest summes of mony As for the Scotes their doctrine and practise in the point of excommunication is as considerat as any other church in the world that censure in Scotland is most rare and only in the case of obstinacy in a great sin what ever be their doctrine in generall with all other Christians and as I think with the praelaticall party themselves that the object of Christian doctrine Sacraments and disciplin is one and the same and that no member of Christ no sone of the Church may plead a highnes above admonitions and Church censures yet I know they never thought it expedient so much as to intend any processe of Church animadversion against their Soveraigne To the worlds end I hope they shal not have againe greater grievances and truer causes of citation from their Princes then they have had already It may be confidently beleeved that they who upon so pregnant occasions did never so much as intend the beginning of a processe against their King can never be supposed in danger of any such proceeding for time to come How ever we love not the abused ground of the Warners flattering of Princes to their owne great hurt is it so indeed that all the sins of princes are only against God that all Kings are not only above all lawes of Church and State but when they fall into the greatest crimes that the worst of men have ever committed that even then their sins must not be against any man or against any law such Episcopall doctrin spurrs on princes to these unhappy praecipies and oppressed people unto these outrages that both fall into inextricable calamities CHAP. VI. It grieves the Praelats that Presbyterians are faithfull Watchmen to admonish Princes of their duty THE sixth Chapter is spent on an other crime of the Presbytery it makes the Presbiters cry to the Magistrat for justice upon capitall offenders Ans. What hes Presbytery to doe with this matter were it never so great an offence will the Warner have all the faults of the praelaticall faction flow from the fountaine of Episcopacy this unconsequentiall reasoning will not be permitted to men below the degrees of Doctors But was it a very great crime indeed for Ministers to plead the cause of the fatherlesse and widowes yea the cause of God their Master and to preach unto Magistrats that according to Scriptures murtherers ought to die and the Land bee purged from the staine of innocent blood when the shamefull impunity of murther made Scotland by deadly feuds in time of peace a feild of warre and blood was it not time for the faithfull servants of God to exhort the King to execute justice and to declare the danger of most frequent pardons drawne from his hand often against his heart by the importunity and deceitfull information of powerfull solicitors to the great offence of God against the whole land to the unexpressible griefe and wrong of the suffering party to the opening also of a new floodgate of more blood which by a legall revenge in time easily might have been stopped Too much pitty in sparing the wilfull shedders of innocent blood ordinarlie proves a great cruelty not only towards the disconsolat oppressed who cry to the vicegerents of God the avenger for justice in vaine but also towards the soule of him who is spared and the life of many more who are friends either to the oppressor or oppressed As for the named case of Huntly let the world judge whether the Ministers had reason often to give Warning against that wicked man and his complices Beside his apostacy and after-seeming-repentance his frequent relapses into avowed popery in the eighty eight he banded with the King of Spaine to overthrow the religion and government of the whole Iland and after pardon from time to time did renew his treasonable plots for the ruine of Britain hee did commit many murders he did invade under the nose of the King the house of his Cousin the Earle of Murray and most cruelly murdered that gallant Nobleman hee appeared with displayed Banner against the King in person he killed thereafter many hundreds of the Kings good people when these multiplyed outrages did cry up to the God of heaven was is not time for the men of God to cry to the judges of the earth to doe their duty according to the warrant of many Scriptures what a dangerous humour of flattery is this in our Praelats not only to lull asleep a Prince in a most sinfull neglect of his charge but also to cry out upon others more faithfull then themselves for assaying to breake of their slumber by their wholesome and seasonable admonitions from the word of God The nixt challenge of the Scotes Presbyters is that they spoile the King of his Tythes first fruits patronage and dependence of his subjects Ans. The Warner understands not what he writes the Kings Majestie in Scotland never had never craved any first fruits the Church never spoiled the King of any Tythes some other men indeed by the wickednesse most of Praelats and their followers did cousin both the King and the Church of many Tythes but his Majestie and the Church had never any controversie in Scotland about the Tythes for the King so far as concerned himselfe was ever willing that the Church should enjoy that which the very act of Parliament acknowledgeth to bee her patrimony Nor for the patronages had the Churh any plea with the King the Church declared often their minde of the iniquity of patronages wherein they never had from the King any considerable opposition but from the Nobility and gentry the opposition was so great that for peace-sake the Church was content to let patronages alone till God should make a Parliament lay to heart what was incumbent for gracious men to doe for liberating congregations from their slavery of having Ministers intruded upon them by the violence of Patrones Which now at last blessed be God according to our mind is performed As for the dependence of any vassals upon the King it was never questioned by any Presbyterian in Scotland What is added in the rest of the Chapter is but a repetition of that which went before to wit the Presbyters denying to the King the spirituall government of the Church and the power of the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven such an usurpation upon the Church King James declared under his hand as at length may be seen in the Historicall vindication to be a sinne against the Father Son and Holy Ghost which puts in the hand of the Magistrat the power of preaching and celebrating the Sacraments a power which since that time no Magistrat in Britaine did assume and if any would have
to the end people might be brought back to their old licentiousnes and ignorance by which the Episcopall Kingdome was advanced It was visible in Scotland that the most eminent Bishops were usual players on the Sabbath even in time of divine service And so soone as they were cast out of the Parliament the Churches supplications were granted and acts obtained for the carefull sanctification of the Lords day and removing of the mercats in all the land from the Munday to other dayes of the week The Warners nixt challenge of our usurpation is the assembly at Edinburgh 1567 their ratifying of acts of Parliament and summoning of all the country to appeare at the nixt assembly Ans. If the Warner had knowne the history of that time he would have choysed rather to have omitted this challenge then to have proclaimed to the world the great rottennesse of his own heart at that time the condition of the Church and Kingdome of Scotland was lamentable the Queen was declared for popery King James's Father was cruelly without any cause murthered by the Earle of Bothwell King James himselfe in his infancy was very neare to have been destroyed by the murtherer of his Father there was no other way conceivable of saftie for Religion for the infant King for the Kingdome but that the Protestantes should joine together for the defence of King James against these popish murtherers For this end the generall assembly did crave conference of the secrete counsel and they with mutual advise did call for a meeting of the whole Protestant party which did conveen at the time appointed most frequently in an extraordinary and mixed assembly of all the considerable persons of the Religion Earles Lords Barrons Gentlemen Burgesses and Ministers and subscribed a bond for the revenge of King Henryes death and the defence of King Iames his life This mixed and extraordinary assembly made it one of the chiefe articles in their bond to defend these Actes of the Parliament 1560 concerning religion and to endeavour the ratification of them in the nixt ensuing Parliament As for the assemblies letter to their Brethren for so frequent a meeting at the nixt extraordinary assembly it had the authority of the secret counsel it was in a time of the greatest necessity when the Religion and liberties of the land were in evident hazard from the potent and wicked counsels of the popish party both at home and abroad when the life of the young King was daily in visible danger from the hands of them who had murthered his Father and ravished his Mother Lesse could not have been done in such a juncture of time by men of wisedom and courage who had any love to their Religion King and country but the resolution of our praelats is to the contrary when a most wicked villaine had obtained the connivance of a Queen to kill her husband and to make way for the killing of her Son in his Cradle and after these murders to draw a nation Church from the true Religion established by Law into popery and a free Kingdome to an illegall Tyranny in this case there may be no meeting either of Church or State to provide remedies against such extraordinary mischiefes Beleeve it the Scotes were never of this opinion What is subjoined in the nixt paragraph of our Churches praesumption to abolish acts of Parliament is but a repetition of what is spoken before Not only the lawes of Scotland but equity and necessity referres the ordinary reformation of errours and abuses in Religion to the Ecclesiasticall assemblies what they find wrong in the Church though ratified by acts of Parliament they rectify it from the word of God and thereafter by petition obtaines their rectification to be ratifyed in a following Parliament and all former acts to the contrary to be annulled This is the ordinary Methode of proceeding in Scotland and as I take it in all other States and Kingdomes Were Christians of old hindred to leave paganisme and embrace the Gospell till the emperiall lawes for paganisme and against Christianity were revoked did the oecumenicall and National Synods of the auncients stay their reformation of heresies and corruptions in religion till the lawes of State which did countenance these errors were cancelled Was not popery in Germany France and Britaine so firmely established as civil lawes could doe it It seems the Warner heer does joyne with his Brother Issachar to proclaime all our Reformers in Britaine France and Germany to be Rebells for daring by their preachings and Assemblies to change these things which by acts of Parliaments had been approven before new Parliaments had allowed of their reformation Neverthelesse this plea is foolishly intended against us for the Ministers protestation against the acts of Parliament 1584 establishing in that houre of darknes iniquity by a law and against the acts of the Assembly of Glasgow declaring the unlawfulnesse of Bishops and ceremonies which some Parliaments upon Episcopall mis-information had approven both these actions of the Church were according to former Lawes and were ratified afterward by acts of Parliament yet standing in force which for the Warner a privatman and a stranger to challenge is to contemne much more grossly the law then they doe whom here he is accusing of that crime By the nixt Story the Warner will gaine nothing when the true case of it is knowne In King Iames minority one Captaine Iames Stuart did so farre prevail upon the tender and unexperienced yeares of the Prince as to steale his countenance unto acts of the greatest oppression so farre that Iames Hamelton Earle of Arran the nixt to the King in blood in his health a most gallant Prince and a most zealous professor of the true Religion in time of his sicknes when he was not capable to commit any crime against the State was notwithstanding spoiled of all his lively hood and liberty his Lands and honour with the dignity of high Chancelor of Scotland were conferred on that very wicked Tyrant Captain Iames a number of the best affected and prime nobility impatient of such unheard-of oppressiones with meere boasts and no violence at the road of Ruthven chased away that unhappy chancelor from the Kings persone this his Majestie for the time professed to take in so good part that under his hand he did allow it for good service in his letters to the most of the Neighbour princes he dealt also with the secrete counsel and the chiefe judicatories of the land and obtained from them the approbation of that act of the Lords as convenient and laudable promising likewise to ratify it in the nixt ensuing Parliament When the Lords for their more abundante cleering required the Assemblies declaration there upon the Ministers declined to medle at all with the case but the Kings Majestie sent his Commissioners to the Assembly entreating them withall earnestnesse to declare their good liking of that action which he assured them was for his
of Scotland were the first and only framers thereof but they who gave the life and being to it in England were the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament at West-Minster by the Kings call and at that time acknowledged by his Majestie without any question about the lawfullnes of their constitution and authority these men and that Court were not I hope great strangers in England The covenant was not imposed upon the King but the Parliaments of both Kingdomes made it their earnest desire unto his Majestie that he would be pleased to joyne with them in that Covenant which they did judge to be a maine peece of their security for their Religion and liberties in all the three Kingdomes As for their imposing of it upon the subjects of England an ordinance of Parliament though the King consent not by the uncontroverted lawes of England is a sufficient authority to crave obedience of all the subjects of England during the continuance of that Parliament The last part of the demonstration is dishonorable indeed to the English Nation if it were true it was no dishonour to England to joyne with their brethren of Scotland in a Covenant for mantainance of their Religion and Liberties but for many of the English to sweare a covenant with their lippes from which their heart did dissent and upon this difference of heart and mouth to plead the nullity of the oath and to advance this plea so high as to a cleer demonstration this is such a dishonour and dishonesty that a greater cannot fall upon a man of reputed integrity Especially when the ground of the lie and perjury is an evident falshood for the covenant was not extorted from any flesh in England by feare of any unjust suffering so far was it from this that to this day it could never be obtained from the Parliament of England to enjoyne that covenant upon any by the penulty of a two pence The Warners second demonstration is no better then the first the ground of it is that all oathes are void which have deceipt and errour of the substantiall conditions incident to them This ground had need to be much better cautioned then heere it is before it can stand for a major of a clear demonstration but how is the minor proved behold how much short the Warners proofes are of his great boastings His first argument is grounded upon an evident falshood that in the Covenant we sweare the lately devised discipline to be Christs institution Ans. There is no such word nor any such matter in all the Covenant was the Warners hatred so great against that peece of write that being to make cleare demonstrations against it hee would not so much as cast his eye upon that which he was to oppugne Covenanters sweare to endeavour the reformation of England according to the word of God and the best reformed Churches but not a word of the Scotes Presbytery nor of any thing in any Church even the best reformed unlesse it be found according to the paterne of Gods holy word The second ground of his demonstration is also an evident errour that the covenant in hand is one and the same with that of King Iames. Ans. Such a fancy came never in the head of any man I know much lesse was it ever writen or spoken by any that the Covenant of King Iames in Scotland 1580 should bee one and the same with the Covenant of all the three Kingdomes 1643 whatsoever identities may appeare in the matter and similitude in the ends of both but the grossest errors are solide enough grounds for praelaticall clear demonstrations Yet heere the Warner understands not how hee is cutting his own vines his friends in Scotland will give him small thanks for attributing unto the nationall Covenant of Scotland that Covenant of King Iames these three properties that it was issued out by the Kings authority that it was for the maintenance of the Lawes of the realme and for the maintenance of the established Religion tyme brings adversaries to confesse of their own accord long denyed truthes But the Characters which the Warner inprints upon the solemne league and Covenant of the three Kingdomes wee must bee pardoned to controvert till he have taken some leasure to trie his wilde assertions First that the league is against the authority of the King secondly that it is against the Law and thirdly that it is for the overthrow of Religion The man cannot think that any should beleeve his dictats of this kind without proofe since the expresse words of that league do flatly contradict him in all these three positions His gentle memento that Scotland when they sued for aid from the crowne of England had not the English discipline obtruded upon their Church might heer have been spaired was not the English discipline and liturgy obtruded upon us by the praelats of England with all craft and force did we ever obtrude our disciplin upon the English but when they of their owne free and long deliberate choice had abolished Bishops and promised to set up Presbytery so far as they had found it agreable to the word of Cod were wee not in all reason obliged to encourage and assist them in so pious a work In the nixt words the Warner for all his great boasts finding the weaknes of all the former grounds of his seconde demonstration he offers three new ones which doubtles will doe the deid for he avowes positively that his following grounds are demonstrative yet whosoever shal be pleased to grip them with never so soft an hand shall find them all to be but vanity and wind The first after a number of prosyllogismes rests upon these two foundations first that the right of the militia resides in the King alone secondly that by the covenant the militia is taken out of the Kings hands and that every covenanter by his covenant disposes of himselfe and of his armes against the right which the King hath into him Ans. The Warner will have much adoe to prove this second so that it may be a ground of a clear demonstration but for the first that the power of the militia of England doth reside in the King alone that the two houses of Parliament have nothing at all to doe with it and that their taking of armes for the defence of the liberties of England or any other imaginable cause against any party countenanced by the Kings presence against his lawes must be altogether unlawfull if his demonstration be no clearer then the ground where upon he builds it I am sure it will not be visible to any of his opposits who are not like to be convinced of open rebellion by his naked assertion upon which alone he layes this his mighty ground Beleeve it he had need to assay its releefe with some colour of ane argument for none of his owne friends will now take it of his hand for ane indemonstrable principle since the King for
only the Presbyters it gives the King power over all persons as subjects but none at all in Ecclesiastick causes Ans. Is there in all this reasoning any thing sound First what article of the covenant beares the setting up of the Presbyterian government in England as it is in Scotland II. If the oath of supremacy import no more then what the Warners expresse words are here that the King is a civil head to see every man doe his duty in his calling let him be assured that no Presbyterian in Scotland was ever contrary to that supremacy III. That the Presbytery is a papacy and that a politicall one the Warner knowes it ought not to be graunted upon his bare word IV. That in Scotland no other governors are acknowledged then Presbyters himselfe contradicts in the very nixt words where he tells that the Scots Presbytery ascribes to the King a power over all persons as subjects V. That any Presbyterian in Scotland makes it sacriledge to give the King any power at all in any Ecclesiastick cause it is a senselesse untruth The Warners arguments are not more idle and weake then his triumphing upon them is insolent for he concludes from these wise and strong demonstrations that the poor covenant is apparently deceitfull unvalide impious rebellious and what not yea that all the learned divines in Europe wil conclude it so that all the covenanters themselfes who have any ingenuity must grant this much and that no knowing English man can deny it but his owne conscience will give him the ly Ans. If the Warner with any seriousnesse hath weighed this part of his owne write and if his mind goe along with his pen I may without great presumption pronounce his judgment to be none of the most solide His following vapours being full of aire we let them evanish only while he mentioneth our charging the King with intentions of changing the Religion and government we answer that we have been most willing alwayes to ascribe to the King good intentions but withall we have long avowed that the praelaticall party have gone beyond intentions to manifest by printed declarations and publick actions their former designe to bring Tiranny upon the States and popery upon the Churches of all the three Kingdomes and that this very write of the Warners makes it evident that this same minde yet remaines within them without the least shew of repentance So long as the conscience of the court is mannaged by men of such principles it is not possible to free the hearts of the most understanding from a great deale of Jealousy and feare to have Religion and lawes still overturned by that factione But the Warner commands us to speake to his Dilemma whither we think it lawfull or unlawfull for subjects to take armes against their prince meerly for Religion We answer that the reasons whereby he thinks to conclude against us on both sides are very poor if we shall say it is unlawfull then he makes us to condemne our selfes because our covenant testifies to the world that we have taken up armes meerly to alter Religion and that we beare no alleadgance to our King but in order to Religion which in plaine tearmes is to our owne humours and conceits Ans. There be many untruthes here in few words first how much reality and truth the Warner and some of his fellowes beleeves to be in that thing which they call Religion their owne heart knowes but it can be no great charity in him to make the Religion of all covenanters to be nothing but their owne humours and conceits Secondly it is not true that Covenanters beare no alleadgance to the King but only in order to religion III. The Parliament of England denied that they took up armes against their King though to defend themselves against the popish praelaticall and malignant faction who were about to destroy them with armes IV. They have declared that their purpose was not at all to alter Religion but to purge it from the corruptions of Bishops and ceremonies that to long had been noxious unto them V. They have oft professed that their armes were taken for the defence of their just liberties whereof the preservation and reformation of Religion was but one The other horne of his Dilemma is as blunt in pushing as the former If we make it lawfull saith he to take up armes for Religion we then justify the independents and Anabaptists wee make way for any that will plant what ever they apprehend to be true Religion by force and to cut the throat of all Magistrats who are in a contrary opinion to them that it is a ridiculous partiality for any to priviledge their own Religion as truth and Gospell Ans. Whether will these men goe at last the strength of this reason is blak atheisme that their is no realty of truth in any Religion that no man may be permitted to take his Religion for any thing more but his owne apprehension which without ridiculous folly he must not praeferre to any other mans apprehension of a contrary Religion this is much worse then the pagane Scepticisme which turned all reality of truth into a meer apprehension of truth wherein their was no certainty at all this not only turnes the most certaine truths even these divine ones of Religion into meer uncertaine conceptions but which is worse it wil have the most orthodoxe beleever so to think speake and act as if the opinions of Independents Anabaptists Turks Jews Pagans or grosse Atheists were as good true and solide as the beleefe of Moyses or Paul were of the truths revealed to them from heaven Secondly we say that subjects defence of their Religion and liberties established by Law against the violent usurpation of Papists Praelats or Malignants is not the planting of Religion by arms much lesse is it the cutting of the throats of al Magistrats who differ in any point of Religion III. In the judgement of the praelaticall party the defensive armes of the Protestants in France Holland and Germany must be al 's much condemned as the offensive armes of the Anabaptists in Munster or of the sectaries this day in England Can these men dreame that the World for their pleasure will so farre divest themselves of all Religion and reason as to take from their hands so brutish and Atheisticall maximes He concluds with a wish of a generall counsel at least of all protestant Churches for to condemne all broatchers of seditious principles Ans. All true covenanters goe before him in that desire being confident that he and his fellowes as they have declined al ready the most solemne assemblies of their owne countries upon assurance of their condemnation so their tergiversation would be al 's great if they were to answer to an oecumenick Synod What I pray would the Warner say in a counsel of protestants for the practise of his party pointed at in his last words I meane their
purging the Pope of Antichristianisme of purpose to make way for a reconciliation yea for a returne to Rome as this day it lyes under the wings of the Pope and Cardinals Also what could they answer in a Christian counsel unto this charge which is the drift of this whole Book that they are so farre from any remorse for all the blood and misery which their wickednes most has brought on the former King and all his Kingdomes these eleven yeares that rather then they had not as the Covenant and generall assembly in Scotland destroyed as an Idoll and Antichrist they wil chuse yet still to imbroyle all in new calamities This King also and his whole Family the remainder of the blood and Estats in all the three Kingdomes must be hazarded for the sowing together of the torne mytres and the reerecting of the fallen chayres of Praelats If Bishops must lie still in their deserved ruines they perseveer in their peremptory resolution to have their burials sprinckled with the ashes of the royall Family and all the three Kingdomes FINIS ERRATA GOod Reader the Authors absence from the Presse the whole time of the impression and the Printers unacquaintance with the English language has occasioned not onely many mispunctations and literall faults but also diverse grosser Errata such as the following which thou art intreated to mend with thy Pen PAg. 4. lin 23. for had read hath pag. 9. lin 8. for Provincionall read Provinciall p. 11. l. 30. for whereby r. where p. 15. l. 19. for pairt r. part p. 20. l. 19 for can r. doth l. 30. for potestant r. Profestant pag. 22. l. 19. for these r. the. p. 23. l. ult for over r. or for trusted r. trustee p. 27. l. 4. for impatien t r. impatient l. 18. dele and. p. 28. in marg for commissarie r. commissaries l. 14. for and r. or l. 29. for chardge r. charge p. 31. l. 1. for chardges r. charges l. 25. for citation r. irritation p. 32. l. 10. for praecipies r. praecipices p. 35. in tit of chap. 7. for paritie r. part p. 36. l. 2. for scandals r. scandal p. 37. l. 2. for benefiter benesice p. 38. l. 10. for nation r. souldier l. 11. for their souls r. his soule p. 48. c. 8. l. 4. dele Ans. p. 49. l. 18. for Warner r. Doctor p. 51. l. 13. for the r. his p. 52. l. 16. for treasure r. Bishop p. 55. in tit of chap. 9. for their r. the. p 56. l. 31. for Christ r. Christ his l. 32. for point blank to r. point blanck contrare to p. 59. l. 1. dele and. l. 1. for unpoureth r. vapoureth l. 17. for where r. heere p. 65. l. 5. for continues r. continue l. 6. for are r. is p. 66. l. 3. for to r. so l. 9. for warned r. warmed p. 67. l. 16. for in r. to p. 68. l. 5. for or r. which l. 16. for last r. nixt p. 70. l. 18. for lest r. best l. ult for null the Church and r. the verie being of p. 71. l. 1. for Reformed r. Reformed Churches p. 73. l. 23. for charge r. chaire p. 74. l. 6. for service r. service book l. 28. dele and. p. 75. l. 16. dele and to the gift p. 76. l. ult for haths r. hath p. 78. l. 24. for doszen r. dozen p. 82. l. 5. for inprints r. imprints p. 84. l. 9. for complanit r. complaint p. 85. l. 7. for aside ever r. aside for ever l. 16. for sinshews r. sinews ΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΟΣ OR A SECOND FAIRE WARNING To take heed of the SCOTISH DISCIPLINE In vindication of THE FIRST Which the Rt. Reverend Father in God THE Ld. BISHOP OF LONDON DERRIE Published A. 1649. Against a schismatical seditious REVIEWER R. B. G. One of the bold Commissioners from the REBELLIOVS KIRKE IN SCOTLAND To His Sacred MAJESTIE K. CHARLES the SECOND when at the HAGE BY RI. WATSON Chaplane to the Rt. honble THE LORD HOPTON HAGH Printed by SAMUEL BROUN English Bookeseller 1651. To the R. Honorable the LORD HOPTON Baron of Straton c. One of the Lords of His Majeties most honourable Privie Councel Mr LORD VPon discoverie of a late motion in some sheetes I found my booke to have been hitherto but in a trance which receiving as I thought but knew not from whence a mortal wound before it appeared in the encounter I gave over long since for downe right dead buried in the presse When it recovered spirits enough to crave my hand I could not denie it so small a courtesie as to helpe it up In that it lookes not so vivide and fresh complexioned as heretofore it might it shares but in the ordinarie effects of such misse-fortune If resuming what it was speaking a twelve-moneth since be censured for impertinencie to these times it may be laughed at by some for prophesying of things past the possibilitie of their successe the fault may be theirs that disordered the leaves when well suited and the failing not mine who undertoke not against all changes of mindes or alterations of counsels or preventions of causes running on then visiblie to the same issues I assign'd them in my conjecture But these exceptions My Lord though they clip the fringe neither unshape nor shorten the garment I intended as the proper guise for Scotish Presbyteric to be seene in the very same with that wherein the Rt. Reverend Bishop of London Derrie had well clad her soone afterward not onelic undecentlie discompos'd but rent in pieces by the rudenesse of an angrie furie one of those sixc evil spirits that haunted in the night of sorrow with both tempting and torrisying apparitions His Royal MAjESTIE and your H. H. at the Hage From whose praevailing violence no rescue could be offered but by repelling the tempest of his language wherewith he thought to keepe all Antagonists at a distance and by blowing in his face the fire stinking sulphure of his breath If your Lordship please to passe a litle through the smoke and take no offense at the smell which in a neare approach will be found to be litle of my making Truth reason will be beter discerned in a readinesse to entertaine you as some longer traine of Authoritic had likewise if Fathers Councels in this pilgrimage of ours had been to a just number within my reach and some later Writers at the pleasure of my call The stand or at least some impediment in the march of these Bloudie Presbyters which this forlorne hope will in some likelihood cause for a time may by your Lordship unpraejudic'd be taken for an hapie augurie of the absolute defeate unquaestionablie to follow if occasion require by a greater strength and that under the conduct of beter experience in these polemical affaires In the interim though I humblic crave the honour and power of your patronage wherof from your integritie and constancie in Gods cause the Kings I praesume I assume not the boldnesse to
see a bargaine was driving between craftie merchants till having clapt hands the one brought his rich commoditie to Holmebie the other pay'd his money at New-Castle The unexpected evil for I must alter the number admit of none but the murder of the King that followed which no mortal eye could foresce any mortal heart might fore scare the well affected brethren have prevented if they pleas'd The Armies rebellion is very nonsignificant language from your pen unlesse figurativelie expressing the vengeance of God upon that rebellious citie which with her golden cup had made the Land drunke the Nations mad with the abundance of her wine What you call destroying the Parliament was but the plucking up throwing out of the way that rotten root the stocke fairest branches whereof had been cut downe by the keen axe of a violent vote long before How readie these Scots which the Reviewer must vindicate were to the utmost of their power to have prevented the mischiefe in the murder of the King what hazard they ran of what was dearest to them appeares by their hast to come in to Duke Hamiltons partie the large contributions they gave toward the raising an armie to that purpose To make good the proverbe Murder will out the next words implie the Reviewers confession The hard measure they had often receiv'd from the King stucke then in their stomakes would not out till now with their malice impostumated in his bloud That they did not in time unanimouslie stirre to purpose for that end they are indeed to answer it to God who were the true authours thereof And who they were let the Scotish pulpits I meane not their Presbyters speake out The innocencie of the Church is not cleard in the following treatise to be so much as Pilates they can not wash their hands in it nor their mouth They made the tumults they never asked what evill he had done this Royal bloudwill be upon them upon their children But here comes up a second part of their venemous vomit for though they cast the temptation upon the serpent they charge the original sinne upon the King The King gave not his good subjects satisfaction by granting all their demands which they found most necessarie due This they say by the mouth of the Reviewer was the cause of the many miseries if there be any connexion was the cause why they stirred not in time what 's the meaning of this but Caiphas's expedit It is very expedient very necessarie he die for these people thankes good Presbyter Scot pay this debt of satisfaction in his bloud Which conclusion is no sooner dispatched but like very logical Rebells they fall presentlie on making a new syllogisme prepare a second argument of the axe The very same cause ties up this day the hands of Covenanters could they have that is they can not have the young King to joyne with them in their covenant to quit his unhappie Bishops to lay aside his formal dead liturgie the satisfaction to his good subjects which they finde necessarie due He hath drawn some what beside his limbes from the loynes of his father though the serpent hath not reach'd him the fruit of the forbiden tree he hath transmitted as much malignance in the barke Ergo when they get him into their hands which God forbid t is but talking a litle with the Pharisees Priests taking the money according to the covenant They have made the premises may then sit at home with their hands in their pockets being well assur'd the conclusion must follow quia expedit It is very expedient another man because another King which the hand of heaven powerfullie prevent To draw him into the net this decoy ducke courts His Majestie with more truth then good meaning for he puts it into a parenthesis I'observe that when hereafter it shall be left out the Scotish Reviewer Remonstrances may not jarre in their expressions A lovelie hopefull promising Prince for all naturall endowments as this day breathes in Europe or for a long time has sway'd a Scepter in Britaine And yet this lovelie Prince without taking the Covenans c. shall not breath nor sway the scepter in Scotland With which some other ungracious principles a nest of these unluckie Northerne birds did latelie besiege him not in his cabin for his fathers worke lay upon their hands when he was there they wanting then the iron instrument to cut the silver cord of his life but in his Royal bedchamber at the Hague And going home it should seem by the weeping crosse they the good people because they can doe no more sit downe with mournsull eyes till occasion be administer'd that by Dunce law which holds as well against the sonne as the Father they can doe no lesse then lie downe in their armes for their just necessarie defense But they hold here 't is time I thinkâ—… for they have transgress'd too farre the bounds of an epistle CHAPTER I. The Scots bold address with the Covenant to K. Ch. 2 Their partie inconsiderable The Bishops method language matter asserted The quaestion in controversie unawares granted by the Reviewer WHile Sixe walking Images the pretended Commissioners of the Church Kingdome of Scotland that is to say a selected packe of the most zealous disciplinarian faction which had fairlie wrought the destruction of both were with the greatest impudence that ever was heard of pressing into His Majesties sad most disconsolate retirement at the Hague when he held backe the face of his throne had spread his cloud upon it When his face was foule with weeping on his eyelids the shadow of death While with the highest crueltie that could be instead of condoling his most lamentable afflictions beyond the tyrannie of Jobs comforters they were going about not onelie to lay open in his sight but to thrust violentlie that bloudie axe the Covenant I meane which had cut off his Royal Fathers head into his hands This reverend resolute Prelate steps in between them the Court throwes in their eyes the guilt not onelie of their late actions but of their old Antimonarchical as well as Antiprelaticall government it selfe not so much hoping to amuze them or stop them in their progresse to the King whose adamantine face elephantine feet he knew would breake through all the briars thornes that the hand of truth could cut out of that Northerne wildernesse of errour lay though ne'r so thicke in their way as to set the marke of that beast in their forhead which destroyes root branch of Religion Lawes of Regall Apostolical government yea of the libertie of the people that all well affected to any of these or themselves might have seasonable warning to get out of their way or gather strength to hunt
reference to its reception otherwhere because vested with the power of a civile law in Scotland nor is that law unalterable when a future Parliament may take into consideration the inconveniencies that accompanie it The Bishop need not be grieved being as ignorant as your selfe you are enough as King knowing as you would seem that His Majestie doth not at all question the justice because he doth not the legalitie of these sanctions Therefore his Lordship may thinke on speake on when he pleaseth more about this bussinesse yet vouch with out a maske loyaltie in his face nor for ought you draw from him need his veines be so emptie nor his stomake so sharpe set as to eate his former words much lesse be so desperate as to burne his whole booke the consistence of it with his toughts professions laying no slander upon the King his Royal Father of ignorance injustice the one having established the other offering to establish by your civile lawes such a Church discipline as is mentiond both having done it upon most unreasonable importunitie without any know'n inclination to or approbation of the same Farther what a slander this would prove upon your grounds beyond the irreverence toward any actions of a King which is haled hither in a forced consequence by the cords of your malice may be guessed by the Royal Father's confession in his solitude If any shall impute my yeilding to them the Scots as my failing sinne I can easilie acknowledge it but that is no argument to doe so agaiâ—…e or much more For the Royal sonne His Majestie now being you say he hath not yet gone beyond an offer therefore His Martyr'd Fathers poenitential acknowledgement of his failing sinne join'd to your seasonable admonition That there can be no such actual concession but upon the peril of ignorance or buge injustice except he ownes it aswell to be the religious dictate of his conscience as a poltike indulgence upon necessitie of state may probablie move him at leisure to deliberate whatsoever he shall determine to doe in this wherein God direct him for the best aswell for his owne sake as the saftie of his Kingdomes make him cautious hereafter how the importunitie of the mission gets ground upon his goodnesse when all his grants shall be so publikelie registred as conscientious acts by such barbarious pens deliver'd to posteritie as sealed with his soule The Bishops presumption in that which followes is none but what from the grounds of modest Christian charitie may be raised viz. That a knowing a just King such as your owne character renders him will acknowledge that contrarie to the dictates of his conscience which is proved contrarie to the lawes of God man And this may be proclaimed if not prohibited without being his Confessour or taking it from the Clerke of the closet in any whisper Nor doth your mistâ—…ust of reports beare authoritie enough to make His Majesties conscience passe for Presbyterian no more then that for a command or imposition by law which was by your petitionarie violence ravish'd from his passive innocencie into a grant So that you see in the very beginning you stumble at a strawe being to finde somewhat worse in your way you were best life your legs higher in your progresse How much the Disciplinarian Scots have contributed from the beginning toward the alteration of Religion in England is too large a storie to be inserted in this dispute Their old account the Rt Reverend Arch-Bishop Bancroft cast up in his Dangerous positions English Scotizing Discipline their later arreares ruu very high in the historie of our times beginning with his religious learned successour The losse of whose head is not more to be imputed to the peoples clamours then the Scotish papers Whatsoever they did before I hope they can not denie themselves to be one of the horned beasts which together with their English brethren make the supporters of the Presbyterian Rebells scutcheon in the Covenant This in their remonstrance upon their last inroad into England when their fainting brethren with the cause were giving up the ghost they tell the King plainlie they shall zealouslie constantlie in their severall vocations endeavour with their estates lives to persue advance This pursuance was against the King Bishops which with the Convocation of divines are the true full representatives of the Church of England The assemblie of Divines were but locusts caterpillars brought together at Westminster by a Northerne wind The lawes of England convocate no such creatures nor in such a maner King Parliament were mere names had then there no real being so no breath to such a purpose nor those in the two Houses afterward more then the heads on the top of them in any politike capacitie to ordaine the abolition of Episcopacie Beside what the Assemblie did deliberate debate poor mechanike people 't is very well know'n they did as daylie labourers sacrilegious hirelings spend the thred of their time in your service payd the price of their souls for a sequestration or two the Covenanting brethren's pillage of the Church So that if they began the song you know by whom they were payd for their paines if they danc'd not after your pipe poor scraping wretches they came at your call how soever you were in a medley together to be sure your Covenanting Divel had got you all into a circle will better distinguish you when he calls to you for his reâ—…koning But by your favour good Sir His Majestie kept out for the very three yeares you mention told you plainlie he would make one in the practike harmonie of the Catholike Church That permission for it was no more necessitie extorted though he could not at that time get you all into Bedlam he thought in thrce yeares you would pipe dance your selves wearie then be content to give way to a better solemnitie of the Cathedral musike to come in In the meane time estates lives engag'd in the advancement of the Covenant by the sword the end thereof being to setle discipline was medling with imposing upon our Church Quod erat demonstrandum The Bishop you see gives a shrewd guesse who they are you endeavour to brand with the name of Erastians how all Protestans Churches even such as are not Episcopal must be beholding to you for that title because they come not up to the rigour of your Discipline Wherein Erasttus slaterd the Magistrate to the prejudice of the just rights of the Church concernd you aswell to prove as to mention then to have draw'n a parallel of the like flaterie in the Bishop Your doubting argues you ignorant or negligent confirmes my beleefe that you have travail'd as litle in Erastus's doctrines as his wayes gone no farther then the title of his booke What His
on He sayth not That statute of treason waâ—… in being in the yeare 1580. And his Printer you might see had done him so much right as to set a number 4. yeares older directlie against the place where it is mention'd His Lordships words are these Which ridiculous ordinance was maintain'd stiffelie by the succeeding Synods notwithstanding the statute That it should be treason to impugne the authoritie of the thrce Estates The plaine sense whereof is this The succeeding Synods to the yeare 1584. maintain'd it stisfclie And not onelie they but likewise the succeeding Synods afterward notwithstanding the statute then made That c. Yet not to be too literal That there should be three Estates to whom your brethren presented their Assemblie Acts as they did by the King them to be confirmed even before the yeare 1580. yet That to impugne the authoritie of the three estates or to procure the innovation or diminution of any of them should have no statute nor law to make it at least interpretative treason is a peice of politikes that Iapan nor Vtopia will never owne nor any man that is civiliz'd in submission to government beleeve The businesse of appeales we are to meet with in the chapter following so farre you shall have leave to travaile with the counterfeit credit of that untruth What you make here such a positive consent of Lundie the Kings Commissioner in that Assemblie even now went no farther then a suspense in silence where all you found was That it appear'd not he apposed And how that might be I there gave you my conjecture In the next Assemblie 1581. the Kings Commissioner Caprington was not so hastie to erect in His Majesties name Presbyteries in all the land The businesse was this The King sends him Cuningham with letters to the Assemblie at Glasgow to signifie That the thirds of the Ecclesiastical revenues upon the conference had between his Commissioners those which they had before sent from Dundee were not found to be the safest maintenance for the Ministrie they having been so impair'd in twentie yeares before that nothing of certaintie could appeare That thereupon had been drawn a diagrame of several Presbyteries whereby a division of the greatest parishes was to be made a uniting of the lesse to the end that the Ministers might be with more aequalitie maintained and the people more convenientlie assemble'd That His Majestie had determined to sent letters to several of his Nobilitie in the Countrey to command their meetings and counsel here about This he did not till the next summer nor was any thing effected diverse yeares after The conventions of the Ministrie were to be moderated by every Bishop in his Dioecesse who was by agreement to praeside in the Presbyteries with in his limits So that the modelling Presbyteries was onelie for setling a convenient revenue upon the Ministers so farre was it from abolishing Episcopacie that the Bishops were to have the managing the affaire It would not have cost you nor your printer much paines to have put in what hapened before the yeare 1584 The opposition against your abuse hereof by the Bishops Montgoinerie Adamson His Majesties discharging by proclamation the Ministers conventions Assemblies under paine to be punished as Rebells publishing them to be unnatural subjects seditious persons troublesome unquiet spirits members of Satan enemies to the King the Commonwealth of their native Countrey charging them to desist from preaching in such sort as they did viz. against the authoritie in Church causes against the calling of Bishops c. removing imprisoning inditing them c. Which put you upon the desperate attempts of surprizing and restraining His Majestie 's person whereof otherwhere So that the King you see had very good preparatives to purge his Kingdome of such turbulent humours before Captain Stuart put him in minde to make use of that physike Which Captaine Iames was no such wicked Courtier when the saints in behalve of the Discipline set him up to justle with Esme Stuart Lord Aubignie for the nearest approach unto Royal favour This Parliament 1584. was summon'd with as loud a voyce as any other was as open as the sun at Edenburgh could make it Nor was Captain Stuarts crime about it such as to denominate his exile the vengeance of God which was wrought in the eyes of the world by your rebellion Nor his death by Dowglasse's high way murder aveng'd afterward in alike terrible destruction that in Edenburgh high street where sanguis sanguinem tetigit bloud touched bloud though I dare not as you doe judge for reward nor divine such ambiguous cruelties for money being no Priest nor Prophet as you are to the heires of those bloudie soulders in Micah chapt 3. I dare not say that it either was the fingar of God though he imploy not the hand of his power to restraine them Rev. … these acts of his Parliament the very next yeare were disclaimed by the King c. Ans. They were not disclaimed the 21 of December the next yeare when James Gibson being question'd for dis loyal speaches about them before His Majestie his Councel very impudentlie told the King he was a persecutour for maintaining them and compar'd him to Ieroboam threatned he should be rooted out conclude that race His confidence was in the returne of the banish'd Rebel-Nobles who forced all honest men from the Court possessed themselves of His Majesties person acted all disorder in his name This was the regular restoring of Presbyterie Which to say was never more removed to this day in that sense you must speake it is to abuse the ignorance of some new convert you have got in the Indies who it may be at that distance know not that Bishops had the visible Church government in Scotland for about theirtie yeares together since that time Rev. The Warners digression to the the perpetuitie of Bishops in Scotland c. Ans. The perpetuitie of their order in that Kingdome is no disgression in this place where His Lordship shewes your practical contradiction in pulling downe Episcopacie with one hand yet seting it up though under the name of Superintendencie with the other The sequestring their revenue altering their names pruning off some part of their power he takes to be no root branch ordinance for the deposition of their office or utter extirpation of their order This he asserts to be the greatest injurie your malice could ever hitherto bring about therefore goes not one step out of his way to let you know That Bishops have been perpetual in your Church Nor doe you out of yours but keep the same path of truth you began in in acquainting us with the antiquitie of Presbyters who it should seem are terrae filii that sprung up in Scotland like so many mushromes the next night after Christianitie came in Though
What the Bishop asserts Mr. Camdens faythfull register will justifie Ministri nonnulli in Scotia è pulpitis per circulos Reginam indignissiâ—…is calumnus insectati ipsi Regi Consiliariis asperrimè obtrectárunt coram comparere jussi fastidioso quodam contemptu abnuerunt quasâ—… pulpisa à Regnm authrritate essent exempta Ecclesiastici non Principiâ—…i mperio sed Presbyterio subessent Your Ministers raile against Queen King Councel with contempt seorne denie appearance upon summons stand upon Ecclesiastike priviledge are not censur'd by the Assemblie what is that but protected what both but as much as the Bishop out of the Declaration praetends to What nullitie in the law of your countrey you pleade can be taken for no answer to the Bishops second proofe who tells you the same reason may exclude aswell Magistrates as Commissaries because they have no function in the Kirke they are so excluded out of the 11. chapter of your 2. booke of Discipline which providing that all abuses may be removed dependances of the Papistical jurisdiction abblished regulates all by the Eldership of the Church in silence robs the Civile Magistrate of his power The strength of which argument you wave as you doe the 3. instances that follow scowre up an old rustie peice of Logike of your owne to fight with your shadow The Bishops consequence holding good That it those which have no function in the Kirke are not to be judges to ministers no jurisdiction remaineth in the Civile state whereby Ministers may be punished In England the Commissariâ—… official were no ordinarie judges to depose excommunicate at their pleasure what reservations there were how limited was their power your friend Didoclave will acquaint you Which integritie prudence he calls a fucus fallaeiâ—… because he had found no such native beautie of holinesse in his Church no such down-right dealing in the discipline The jurisdiction of Commissaries was reestablished in Scotland in Ecclesiastike causes to as great a latitude as formerlie by act of Parliament at Edenburgh June 4. 1609. Presbyterian Assemblies are easilie satisfied about any delinquencie against Kings And had not K. Iames at this time been absolute the brethren in feare what should become of their Euangel they had not proceeded so farre as they did in Gibsons case That many passed at other times with lesse notice nay with their authoritie to maintaine them I have shewed frequent enough out of their stories Delinquents of the Episcopal partie could get no such opportunies for absence When Gibson came about he praetended not onelie his feare for an excuse but his tender care of the rights of the Church This because more pertinent to the quaestion Mr. Baylie overlookes as he doth their purging him of his contumacie without acquainting his Majestie which the Bishop urgeth He were better betake himselfe to some other trade then that of reviewing Two or three such surveys will loose the Discipline more ground then Didoclave any other his unanswered Champions ever gaind them That no trial of Gibsom fault was perfected though a fugitive was a testimonie of their forward dutie to the King Others beside the Bishops by the Synod of Glasgow have been excommunicated at as great a distance for their loyal expressions actions The Bishops fourth proofe I perceive hath much troubled the Reviewers eyes osper tà suk epi tous ophalmous Mr. Blackes case may very well seem odious Odit quod metuit It turnes his stomake so much that he findes not confidence enough to wipe of that filth which was spit upon the reputation of the Discipline by his speaches He is better imployd with his sieve his scissours about divining how his Lordship came by so many particulars of the storie but the guilt of his conscience makes his hand shake so all his witchcraft falls to ground For the Bishop to my knowledge may have his warrant for that relation somewhere else for ought he knowes recourse to some vocal oracles of that time beside some such registers as have not been raced by the sword of the Disciplinarian spirit nor cancell'd by the Clerke of the Assemblie in the darke Though that large most excellent volume compiled by the Rt. Reverend Arch Bishop having not long since happilie escaped the Scotish ' Inquisition may hereafter be a printed monument of the Disciplines shame an aeternal disgrace to the Rebellious Presbyterie his credit for all the Reviewers calumnies a lasting pillar to support the fayth of all posteritie that shall reade it Yet to take Mr. Blackes storie from his hand out of the register of truth the Doomsday booke of the Discipline as it lies Veniat invisum scelus Errorque in se semper armatus suror If the Kings countenance were changed his conscience was not which by his own confession so soon as ever his judgement was in the bloome tooke checke at the Religion as well as at the Rebellion in the Assemblie professing with our faviour that though he liv'd among you he was not of you That you make no medium between Presbyterian Popish is a piece of old Synodical malignancie which the trial of the orthodoxe partie in these times hath made out of date since being rejected banish'd by the one they neither finde nor sue for reception with the other saving into a toleration of their asyle but by the hand of the Allmightie are held up in their constancie between you both Yet your feares were not groundlesse when the Religious King went about to establish such publike worship as would have informed ignorance in a discoverie of your errour draw'n of all your conscientious rational disciples His Majesties civile favours to some Papists were not so strong evidences of his change as to wind up your Ministers to such a free warning nor gave them license to make such rebellious applications If that be the use 't is time for Kings to search better into your doctrine see whether the toleration of that have not been the great sinne of our age which hath pull'd downe such judgements upon their heads This grace inyour pastour is that which abounds by continuance in sinne And this fayth is nothing like St. Pauls shield being beaten by the Assemblie into a sword whereby they endeavour to subdue Kingdomes but have no such commission as had Samuel the Prophets Mr. Blackes denial was too faint to absolve him his honest hearers if conforme to their English brethren might perchance be so wrapt in their night caps as their negative testimonie could not be very currant When he shew'd himselfe so willing to be tried by all the world he litle thought who might passe upon the verdict All the heathen had condemn'd him for the murder of moralitie he had met with a scurvie packe of hardhearted Godfather among the Papists A brother of yours
confesseth that somewhat Blacke had sayd though he hath no great minde to take notice what nor when He complaines of Rutherfort his accuser because oblig'd for private courtesies who deserves to be commended for praeferring publike dutie in that appeares to have been one of the most honest hearers there The Courtiers can not be blamed for intending to stop the mouthes of such Ministers as layd the Devil with his bairnes at their doores put them in afright that they should afterward be charg'd with keeping all the blacke brats of the Assemblie The advice of the Brethren was adjudg'd treason by the law of Scotland produc'd against the Aberdene Ministers your Edenburgh Bibles have not one text to justifie that appeale The words layd to Mr. Blackes charge I hope will be confessed to be trulie seditious All the quaestion you make is whether he spake them or no which though doubtfull as it is not being proved before the Assemblie who gave this reason for his exemption from punishment They knew not with what spirit he was overruled must be acknowledg'd a mater of civile cognizance because no point of religious aswell as the punishment if prov'd Constat Episcopos Presoyteros forum legibus non habere nec de aliis causis … prâ—…eter religionem posse cognoscere The Brethrens reason or rather mis-apprehension must not be made the measure of the lawes If the King yeided so much toward an amicable conclusion what can justifie the Presbyters in continuing the breach who say what you will were bound to subscribe a band for that silence which was required Pessimus est mos suggestum in scenam vertere dulcisâ—…imam Euangelii vocem in Comaediam veterem What the learned Grotius enlargeth upon this subject I will not transcribe but call upon you to answer being that which I assume to make good upon the same texts proofes he produceth The truth was you durst neither have advised Blacke to appeale nor your selves have shew'd such contumacie to the King but that you had felt the pulse of the people made it beate high in your behalfe This your brother confesseth though in Gypsie language calling it the great concord authoritie in the Church such as made the Courtiers to tremble though never so much in favour with the King Which concord when so magnified in your storie we know was ever a covenant to rebell awe the King aswell as the Court by your usurp'd authoritie of the sword Yet whatsoever is your practice profession by sits sometimes you are more serious though seldome more loyal the result of your councel apparels it selfe in such a sentence as this Our obedience bindeth us not onelie reverentlie to speake write of our Soveraigne but also to judge thinke Which if the Edenburgh Ministers had practis'd they had not come under that severe sentence pronounced against them for raising a dangerous mutinie among the people If I would like you turne diviner I might easilie guesse out of what un printed register you have that prettie legend that followes which yet is not so decentlie dress'd as to make good the chast credit of the discipline Who was this villaine By whom was he Suborn'd Avillaine They suborne without particular instance of either will not passe upon publike fayth If the Commotion was innocent why not approv'd If not approv'd how appeares it to be innocent The best way to have quit the Ministrie from being authours or approvers had been to be censurers but here they could keep silence without a band I can not yet let goe this singular storie my dutie forbids my charitie any where to favour you with my silence And because you are so praejudic'd against unprinted traditions I will give it you for the most part out of some printed registers I have met with King Iames desirous to set off his Court with what luster he could to foraigne Ambassadeurs had in a provident magnificence retrench'd some allowance formerlie issued for his Courtiers attendants contracted their tables to enlarge his owne entertainments For the managing of this somewhat else concerning his revenue he had appointed eight officers of State where of some were Papists but of know'n intergritie The Resormado Courtiers by way of scorne call'd these Octavians made an easie impression into their Ministrie by suggesting that they had a designe to introduce Poperie subvert the whole discipline of the Church After private conference a fast for the smiting with the fist of wickednesse soon after was kept at Edenburgh Balcanqual preacheth spares neither King nor Councel in his virulence infuseth all the unpleasing particulars he could thinke of to imbitter his Satyr humblie beseecheth the Edenburgh Citizens at a certaine houre to meet in the New Church tells them how much it concern'd their reformed Euaugel His reservednesse sharpend their expectation caus'd their punctual assembling almost to a man where they found their Ministers in a formal Synod having chosen a violent Presbyter Mr. Robert Bruce their Moderator Here Mr. Blackes sufferings were aggravated the Kings violating the praerogative of the Church One Watson comes in addes oyle to the flame remonstrates his late repulse at Court denial of accesse to the King being sent with some Rebell-supplicate from the Brethren The Moderator with as much malice as my be comments at large upon every instance in a speach Makes it Gods cause engageth the people to assert the libertie of his Gospel if not by petition by power Some Commissioners are sent to the King then in the Tolbuith who receiving some checke for their unjustifiable proceedings come backe with their angrie account to the Assemblie One Alexander Vaux being as the Presbyters had praedesign'd mounted up above the congregation by a pillar with stretched out arme cries The sword of God of Gideon bid them to follow him in the vinaication of God his Church They take it out of his mouth in confusion clamour Arme Arme for God the Church They doe accordinglie rush violentlie into the streets beguirting the place where His Majestie was Mr. Thomas Hamilton afterwards Earke of Haddington takes an halberd in his hand with some of his friends keepes the multitude from entring Alexander Hume of Northborvick for the time Provest of Edenburgh Roger Mackmath whom the King ordinarilie called his Baylisse raise what power they can upon a sodaine the honest Hammermen come in to their assistance They demand first whether the Kings person be in safetie then by a mixture of faire words menaces make the rowt quit the place but not their riot for they by by rallie in the Mercate place The Captaine of the Castle turnes some canon upon the Towne by that militarie argument praevailes with rhem to disband The King is safelie guarded to his palace at Halyrud Howse For all this Brucc sends abroad his
writs to callâ—…in the Nobilitie to their succour some of whom had in zeale abetted the late tumult The Lord Forbes payd his sine for going into the street The Lord Hamilton hath an invitation to be General should have had his commission from the Synod no quaestion if he had signified his acceptance He very noblie loyallie delivers up his letter to the King detects the Rebellious project of the Discipline Some of the Ministers are sent for convicted obtaine pardon of the King but no actual oblivion from any his good subjects who ever after detested that disloyal sect branded the 17. day of December with the indeleble infamie of that prodigious attempt How like this lookes to an halfe houres tumult or petie fray How Ignorant were the People how innocent the commotion How free the Ministrie from being authours or approvers Let the Reviewers aequitablâ—… tomparers determine CHAPTER V. The Discipline exempts not the supreme Magistrate from being excommunicate TVatim agis The Bishop argues about excommunicating Kings you answer about censuring officials that pronounce sentence for non-payment of money wherein yet you are not more impertinent then malicious For you know well enough that sentence was not executed for that but for obstinacie against the power commands of the Church Wherein if any officials inconsideratelie proceeded it must not bring in quaestion the more deliberate prudence of them that made the constitution to that purpose The rash praecipitancie of the Scotish Presbyterian rule practice though many times very reprovable in the later I sinde not heere in the Bishops allegation nor of what magnitude the sinnes are for which they excommunicate though we have know'n a desertion of the Brethren in conspiracie against their Prince or a glance through their fingars an interpretative neutralitie hath been made the great sinne threatned with this censure Neither the Praelatical partie nor any orthodoxe Christians in the world come into your communion in the point of excommunicating their Kings nor comprehend them within the object of their Discipline by which though they have kept the sonnes of the Church in a filial awe yet ever reserv'd a paternal priviledge for their Kings the Nursing Fathers of the same Imperatoria unctione toâ—…stur poenitentia And the learned Grotius assures us that the Kings of France for many ages have expresselie challenged this exemption for themselves No poâ—…sint excommunicatâ—…i Rev … did never so much as intend the beginning of a processe against their King c. Ans. Christian prudence admits no such charitable glosses upon the Scotish intentions where is no colour of ambiguitie in their words In which if the King be a man or a Magistrate he must be necessarilie included made subject aswell to Church animadversion as admonition If Mr. Baylie hath a perspective for the thoughts of all his praedecessours he may enjoy the pleasure of such spiritual reviewes or revelations to himselfe but can have no demonstrative evidence to propagate the like confidence among others True causes of citation of Princes to an Assemblie is the peculiar language of the Discipline no such truth is implied in this truer text of Scripture Where the word of a King is there is power who may say unto him what dost thou The beginning of the next verse is not the Scotish Assemblie in answer to that quaestion What these true causes have been I have partlie manifested out of their storie their owne Registers justifying their successive meeknesse indulgence wherein though no King may be found excommunicateâ—… because their spiritual sword wanted luster and brightnesse to strike such amazement into Princes as to make them let fall the temporal one out of their hands yet not any one of them hath there been since the Assemblies were possess'd of their infernal commission but have been personallie threatned imprison'd depos'd or murdered they should have tasted the meeknesse of the Discipline in them all if the season had served they could have catch'd or kept them in their power Against which universal experience whether Mr. Baylie's single word may be taken for the future securitie of His Majestie his successours I submit with silent reverence to be debated in their Councel Rev. We love not the abused ground c. Ans. We are as litle in love with the Reviewers affronting of Kings as they with what he calls the Warners flatering of Princes To the quaestion he so magisteriallie propounds St. Ambrose notwithstanding his Act to Theodosius makes answer upon that speach of David cited by the Bishop addes the reason in such language as Mr. Baylie will not heare from any Canterburion-Praelate Quod nullis ipsi Reges legibus tenebantur quia liberi sunt Reges a vinclis delictorum The same is to be found in Isiodore Pelus And Tertulian to this purpose many hundred yeares before Presbyterie was hatch'd Sciunt Imperatores quis illis dederit imperium … sentiunt Deum esse solum in cujus solius potestate sunt a quo sunt secundi post quem primi ante omnes super omnes Deos homines And because the Reviewer calls this doctrine Episcopal let him take St. Hieroms note too by the way Rex ipse David alium non timebat This Catholike doctrine praeserves the Majestie of Princes de jure inviolable from the insolencle of Assemblies Where the abuse of it spurres them on to any dangerous praecipiâ—…es they are to stand or fall unto themselves The poor oppressed people would many times worke out their deliverance by prayers patience if the outragious Presbyters did not thrust them downe with the hazard if not destruction of their persons dash all civile government in pieces CHAPTER VI. Kings may sometime pardon capital offenders which the Disciplinarians denie As they doe their Royal right to any part of the Ecclesiastike revenue WEre your reasoning as methodical as the Bishops I should not be so in every Chapter at a losse to find out more to what then what to answer having hitherto met with none but Socrates's three darke principles in your booke tò chaos touti kai tas nephelas kai ten glottan confusion clouds tongue which among them have made such a mist in your own eyes such a clatering in your eares as you can neither see nor heare a good logical argument brought before you We that are above this disturbance at a distance observe his Lordship laying out the doctrine of your Discipline for so I 'll speake for once received by you all then illustrates it by your practice wherein if he had roome enough he would muster up so many particulars as with an c. might conclude an inductive universal Though the other way of acconsequential arguing hath been thought tolerable in Mr. Baylie no Doctour as I take it as not long since in his uncharitable mention made of Bishop
Majestie had put downe your Presbyterie by the head your Ministerial office was with the exercise of your halls having to the time of your late rebellion no other then an ambulatorie Euangel no Disciplinarian legallie tolerated to officiate but such as would conforme to the canons of the Church If the King had sayd Egonon possum erigere Ministri caput the heads of the Aberdene Edenburgh Ministers might have confuted him upon the gates but that his mercie without the Synodical censure of impunitie interpos'd in that dispute As great an enemie as His Majestie was to such Erastians as the Bishop I am sure he was no friend to such Donatâ—…sts as you unlesse infestissimus hostâ—… be significant to that purpose He sayd you were the persidious bedlam knaves among the preachers my dictionarie will helpe me to no fiter English for his Latin persidi sanatici nebulones inter concionatores And you or your profession he often styl'd Calvinistarum Satanismum a sect of lapsed spirits among the Calvinists whose malice had metamorphoz'd them into Devils CHAPTER VII The Presbyterie cheates the Magistrate of his Civil power in ordine ad spiritualia THe Bishop begs no beliefe of his Readers beyond what he brings proofe out of your Discipline to prevaile for When you have made all offenses more or lesse scandalous like the Prophet in Hosee you become the snare of a fowler with this counterfeit call catch all the uncleane birds in your net If the Bishops Official takes notice of more civile causes then your Presbyterie the qualitie number had been Worth your noting for your Readers satisfaction To strengthen your evidence I consulted with Didoclave your brother Scout whom I finde to have made no such numerous discoverie I take him to be alltogether as strict able an inquisitour as your selfe That capital offenders whom the Magistrate hath spared should be excommunicated is disciplinarian censure which no societie of regular Christians ever inflicted Nor can any ingenuous Divine denie such accesse to the holie table if otherwise qualified then by their impunitie He must distrust either the prudence or pietie of the Magistrate conceiving him either too liberal of his pardon to a person shewing no remorse for his fault or impious in countenancing instead of cutting off an obstinate malefactour with his sword Erastus himselfe whom you raile at so often puts in this caution which Beza approves of for whatsoever he hath asserted in his booke Quod meminisse te velim etiamsi non semper adjeccro That the person you admit be suppos'd to understand approve embrace the doctrine of the the Church with which he desires to communicate That he professe an acknowledgement hatred of his sinnes he addes not from your stool of repentance That a murderer adulterer blasphemer thus pardoned thus poenitent thus supplicant for the seale of the Sacrament should be to fill up the amphitheater of any prou'd hypocritical popular presbyter made the sundays sport or spectacle to the people No Scripture commands it no orthodoxe Church ever practis'd it no law of Scotland imports it If you suspect his repentance to be but counterfeit his humble addresse a religious imposture you may discourse with him in private lay open before him the hainousnesse of his fact deterre him by the extremitie of the danger tell him if he disccrnes not the Lords bodie which he can not through the blacke unrepented guilt of that sinne he eates judgement he drinkes damnation But all this pertaines ad Consilium a terme us'd among the ancients in cases somewhat conterminate with ours to ghostlie councel no spiritual execution ad legis annunciationem non jurisdictionem to the terrible declaration of the law to no jurisdiction or legal exercise of your power Beside here I must put you in minde of what I otherwhere prove and is undeniable That your excommunicating facultie is not originallie in your Assemblie but derived to you from the supreme Magistrate with an implicite reservation of his own priviledge to remit it at pleasure it being no â—…ure divino discipline I hope for if such what becomes of those Churches that use it not The malefactours exemption from this without quaestion accompanies his largesse of civile mercie he stands acquitted from all spiritual aswell as temporal punishment For to suppose the Magistrate takes him from the gaoler to deliver him to Satan exchangeth his shakles for chaines of darkenesse his prison for hell is inconsistent with reason or charitie gets no more faith then such a cruel sentence hath the face to aske my opinion of its justice The learned Grotius tells you how John a Bishop of Rome became intercessour to Justinian the Emperour in the behalfe of poenitent delinquents that were separated from the union of the Church asscribing to him the authoritie honour of their restitution to the communion thereof Which argues him his Presbyters if you admit him not to be single in his jurisdiction at that time to have had no independent Discipine to crosse the Emperours power to have been no countermanders of his pardons That the Magistrates in Holland have very often commanded the Pastours to their dutie in these cases And that by an old law in England the Kings pleasure was craved before any of his servants could be excommunicated Fraud in bargaining false measures c. the Bishop takes to be maters of civile cognizance He findes them call'd abomination to the Lord not any where such scandals to the Church as to require publike satisfaction What Ecclesiastike rebukes are due he thinkes may be given by particular Ministers in their several charges without a summons before a Consistorian judicatorie Die Ecclesiae was no praecept of speed There were two or three errands to be done by the way The offended brother hath after conference a private arbitration praescrib'd him Nor doth it appeare that in cases of this nature our Saviour sing'd him a warrant to fetch his adversarie to the Church not a word is there that doth authorize the Church to command him out of the Court to anticipate or aggravate the civile censure by the Reviewers Ecclesiastike Rebukes The Bishop speakes of Presbyterie in the institution makes no instance of it in the practice I 'll take no mans word for disciplinarian honestie throughout 30. yeares trading The saints after that rate will not be readieat Doomesday to give up their account of compassing the earth getting in their inheritance annex'd to their dominion which they will have founded in grace If the Presbyteries wherein all that time you were conversant were no merchant adventurers tooke no share of the purchase they have kept some Jubilee to lease out their indulgence Or it was not unlikelie a piece of your Kirke-policie to connive a long time at all petie larcenie knowing who at length would be catch'd in the great cheate the 200000. pound sale of damnation
to their brethren yet keeping backe whole viols of vengeance and wrath unto themselves For the many causes of Ministers deprivation cognosced upon in your Presbyteries you have the good liking of neither Papists nor Prae lates who finde no canon that gives commission to such a mungrel socitie of lay-Clerical Presbyters to take away what they have no power to conferre If I give but not grant your usurped tyrannie a priviledge by many yeares rebellious precedent to cognosce of such cases I must except against clipping of canons the coyne that beares the Majestike image of the Primitive Church such as is the 67. in the fourth Councel of Charthage Seditionarios nunquam ordinandos Clâ—…ricos sicut nec usurarios nec injuriarum ultores The first of the three had met with your vertous Fore-Father Knox in the Castle of St. Andrewes sav'd all the mischiefe we have reap'd by his call from abetting the murder of Cardinals to rebelling against Princes renting the Church the Commonwealth into Congregational Covenanting parties The last which was your injust praetense if not in your banners at least in the Remonstrances which you brought in your hands when you invaded England Canons holding aswell for depriving as ordaining had rid us of all the rable of Rebellious revengefull Presbyters without a stroke For the businesse of usurie I shal not draw up my charge till I discover the Scottish Presbyterian Cantores Yet you were best have care whatsoever becomes of the ancient Canons that you be not too severe in depriving for that lest you get a rebuke from your brethren abroad who it may be desire not to shake hands with you in that point of the Discipline The Bishop neither tooke out nor put in any causes of Church-mens deprivation but merelie transcrib'd what he thought more concern'd a Civile Court then a Synod If he had been at the charge of reprinting all whereof your booke of Discipline makes mention he must have left an c. to bring up a reserve though yov will not owne it of preaching penning practizing schisme sedition Rebellion against moderate just pious Kings aswell as what your Assemblies were solicitous to prohibite under the terme of Schisme or Rebellion against the Kirke For the first last of the three sinnes you draw out because you will have the pleasure at least of licking your lips at the naming His Lordship knowes no Bishop nor Doctour but may finde a namelesse Scottish Presbyter to give place to If he should be mistaken which he hath not so much reason to hope as charitie to wish he sees in St. Iames the guilt of murder aequivalent to adulterie made as great a transgression of the law He heares of Isaiah's triel in Scotland which deserves the same wonder crie of the Prophets Ye are drunken though not with wine ye stagger though not with strong drinke c. And since your last returne out of England beholds sitting at Edenburgh aswell as London the great whore instead of her blew arrayed in purple scarlet colour decked with gold pretious stones pearles having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations filthnesse of her sornication And upon the forhead of the woman drunken with the bloud of the Saints with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus a name written with a beame of the sunne Mysterie Babylon the Great The Mother of harlots abominations of the earth For the third sinne of gluttonie which you will have produc'd because in your canon though not much for your credit that your excessive gossiping comes to be cognosced by your Church all Bishops Doctours may freelie bid desiance to your sect of whom so manie are so often known to be as fed horses in the morning though you flatter your selves into a conceit that the noyse is not heard are neighing as much as those in Isai. So that you may in due time have what you better deserve the same curse with the Priests in the Prophet Malach which will spoyle your reviewing singling out other mens crrours or secret sinnes to the shame of Christianitie among the Nations when your selves are spiloi kai momoi the principal spots blemishes that are in it God may corrupt your seed spread dung upon your saces soleunitatum stercus even the dung of your solemne feastes you more likelie then they may be taken away with it The Bishops third chalenge mounts somewhat higher then your answer which pleades onelie for preaching upon texts concerning the Magistrates dutie resolving from Scripture their doubts both which reach up onelie to a judgement of direction but his Lordâ—…hip cites the clause in your theorem which makes difficult cases between King people subjects of cognizance judgement before the Assemblies of the Kirke And this he sayth riseth to a judgement of jurisdiction Your second booke of Discipline is more modest in language though as mischievous in meaning The Ministers exerce not the Civile jurisdiction but teach the Magistrate how it should be exerciz'd according to the word whereas if you take cognizance of pronounce judgement in these difficult cases Or call before you such as may be more easie but should be heard otherwhere this is no other but exercing civile jurisdiction as spiritual as you make it If you with the terrour of your excommunicating Maozin overaw the Magistrate into a servile submission to what you praescribe this I take to be no teaching but commanding instead of resolving by deliberate advice Christian moderation cutting in sunder with this sword of your spirit no word of Gods the knots perplexities of his conscience What doubt-resolvers you are commonlie between Master servant husband wife your licentious demeanour in many families may informe us where it is too well know'n you have made your selves judges of the trivial oeconomical causes in the hall dispensers of or with more private duties in the chamber So that they say the good man hath many times met with a consistorian censure at his table if not with a Presbyter a Presbyterian prohibition in his bed I beleeve you mistake preaching Praelates Doctours for some babling Puritanical Pastours Lecturers in England who have made these things their care gone about them as the uncontroverted parts of their Ministerial function The Bishops negligence herein was the silent reverence he payd which you owe to Majestie at a distance And His Lordships modest declining domestike curiosities a civile diversion from that wherein the word is so cleare as to need no interpreter the Husband or Masters authoritie so absolute as admits no superintendencie to praedominate Your license to preach personallie against Princes I finde given to your Fore-fathers in an answer to the Queenes proclamation 1559 Your tradition still continues the same touching which for brevities sake
no calumnie to conjecture what spirit gave them wings and directed their flight to the rebellious meeting at Mauchlin moor Their growing number and abiding there in a bodie for the securitie of their persons made no partie for nothing toward the deliverance of the Kings and their danger being onelie to be forced by the Parliament to goe souldiers into England for that purpose the quaestion is what violence was therein offered to their conscience and if any by what law or praecept divine or humane the Assembliecan countenance them in armes though but in a defensive posture to withstand it In which had that part of the Armie that sodainly came upon them cut them off it might have stood for an act of civile justice more then militarie furie kept the rest in peace and much conduc'd toward an after securitie to themselves The communion at Mauchlin layd to the publike Fast appointed in termiuis for the apostacie of the Parliament might occasion some of your Ministers coming thither to as good a purpose as his to the Kirke of St. Andro who pray'd to Allmightie God that he would carie through the good cause against all his enemies especiallie against Kings Devills and Parliaments Coloured clothes and pistols were no proper accoutrement for your Kirke-men wherein to celebrate the Sacrament of Christian charitie and peace Nor were they the good instruments with the people to goe away to run away they might be afterward that had lead them in bands and troupes into the battail For Presbyterian Scotish Ministers to protest against any rebellion wherein they act needes no eagle ey'd Parliament man to discover it at the bottome as a peice of effronterie very common among them and proper to their profession which is very ridiculouslie diss mbled in this case when diverse of them were taken prisoners fighting desperatelie for the cause complain'd of to the Commissioners of the Kirke who were so farre from inflicting any censure or giving them admonition that they approved what they had done and justified them in the fact Which I see here you dare not ex professo but fawlter in your iudgement about the meeting pleading the securitie of their persons as a faire apologie for the yeomens a biding in a bodie and yet mentioning the Ministers protestation which is litle beter then a condemnation of their convening fighting in the field The Bishops parallel betwixt the Generall Assemblie and Parliament casts the cloake of maliciousnesse upon your owne shoulders in the abuse of your libertie whereby you refuse to submit your selfe to the ordinance of manâ—… sor the Lordssake otherwise then as it is ratified in your Synods for when the Presbyterians lay the authoritie of both Courts upon a divine foundation they make themselves the chiefe corner stone usurping the proper place of Jesus Christ in the one and of his anoynted in the other telling him and all Magistrates among whom Parliaments are to be numbred he ought to be subject to the Kirke spirituallie and in Ecclesiasticall government… that be ought to submit himselfe to the discipline of the Kirke if he transgresse in maters of conscience and Religion So that when they talke of obedience sor conscience sake to their lawfull commands they take cognizance what is conscience and law and at their owne arbitrement many times oblige subjects on the same principles to rebell calling this the justifiable revenge of the Magistrates contempt against the authorite of God resident in them The Bishop mockes not at Ministers that carie themselves at the Ambassadours of Christ that deliver not more then is in the Commission or instructions they receiv'd but thinkes they have no priviledge above the Angels who are not dominantes but ministrantes spiritus That they are a flame rather to warme indiscreet zeale and devotion then consume in the fervour of violence and passion That God rarelie tempers brimstone with the breath of his messengers That he sets the time names the extraordinarie case when his words shall be fire in the mouthes of his prophets his people wo d that it should devoure them He likes you should judge according to the rule of Scripture so you follow that rule and keepe in subjection to good lawes He commends your caring for life aeternal not your leaguing and covenanting in order to that for the death temporal of your brethren He judgeth you according to the rule of Scripture to be shamelcsselie impious that counterfeit a care of life aeternal whither bloodthirstie Presbyters are never likelie to enter but have a portion with their fellow hypocrites otherwhere That make holie Sripture not onelie of private but perverse interpretation and God the authour of all the wickednesse you act by the authoritie of his word who boast of an Ambassie from Christ when who so blinde as these servants who so dease as these messengers you say he sent who are lead by a Spirit that doth the workes of the flesh from top to botome mention'd by St. Paul Galat. 4. Who would gull the world out of all but a forme or propertie of religion who make your selves not Ministers but Masters of Christ commanding imperiouslie the spirit he sends downe who make a trade of Scripture and for wordlie gaine parsel out eternal life to whom you please The second part of the Bishops parallel I see puts you to a stand and the quaestion What shall be made … argues you some what suspended in your thoughts whether as much should be made of it as you meane and the people commended for obeying their Ministers how seditious soever more then their Magistrates that command them If all the power such Ministers have with the people be built on their love to God what pitie is it that rebellious structure should have such a religious foundation When it riseth high he is no good states man that doth not demolish it knowing that what God and conscience constraine not but perswade to imploy to his good the Divel without any or with one that 's erroneous may tempt them to aedifie to his ruine It is not amisse sayd applied by him that writ of the spanish Monarchie Priâ—…um instrumentum bone imperandi lingua est secundum vero gladius The sword is but the left hand instrument in the governing Kingdomes The tongue of the preacher is dextra terribilis that of the right hand that teacheth terrible things that by the menace of death which the sword can not reach to keepes subjects in obedience to their Soveraignes Therefore when once it hath a power with the people such as that of St. Bernard it had need be endued with the spirit of Saint Bernard sor there is a tongue Quae conterit spiritum the perversenesse wherein is a breach in the spirit Prov. 1. 5. 4. And the proud men in the Psalmist promise themselves a victorie over Princes by the tongue We will praevaile Who
unchurch the greatest part of Christians and contract this Soveraigne excellencie to your selves Your Latin disputations when they come by course among the ignorant or yonger frie of your Ministrie doe but multiplie haeresies make them now and then in their heate blaspheme God more learnedlie then in their weeklie exercizes and Sermons As occasion shall serve I may helpe you hereafter to more instances then one of the like practice among some of your brethren abroad where every beardlesse boy for with such your Presbyterie every where abounds hath libertie to talke for I can not call 't disputing upon the highest mysteries the Trinitie Praedestination c. As considentlie to the shame of your religion as the gravest Doctour can determine in the chaire What of this may be tolerable among the learned super rotam materiam Is litle beter then a forme and litle decencie in that which approves not much improves lesse the abilities of the longest liver among you all Our aequivalent to this let it be what it will in our Archdeacons Visitation your friend Didoclaves turnes off with a jeer making as if the abilities of our Ministrie were inquir'd into after they were constituted leaders of the flocke Primum creâ—…tur duâ—…ores gregis deinde siunt discipuli where as it is principallie to discerne the advancement by studie of what abilities they had at their ordination whereby the election of rural Deanes may be regulated persons know'n that are enriched by gifts befitting them to be Bishops Your experience shall not draw me into an unnecessarie comparison between our English Clergie and the French or Dutch Divines whose ordination you are not ignorant hath been impeached by their adversaries whether deservedlie or no they are to looke to and their abilities resolv'd just like yours into an effusive readinesse of words But I bid defiance to you and your Countreymen of the Discipline to shew me among you all a Law'd an Andrewee a Montague a White to whom the English you name must give the guerdon of learning which I beleâ—…ve Reynolds caried not at Hampton Court Conference unlesse Perkins had more in his Chaine of pâ—…aedestination or Parker in his silie Arraignment of the Crosse. But how solide and singular soever was their learning their defection from the doctrines and practical praecedents of so many yeares standing among Catholike Christians makes their fayth in many things and their good parts comparitivelie in all but as chaffe to be blow'n away with the winde and the memoire of them to be winowed by our breath that the truer graine may be visible in Gods Church Avolent quantum volent pallea levis fidei quoâ—…unque Assltu tentationum eopurioâ—… mass a frumenti in horrea Domini reponetur It 's well your conscience can be enlarged in some litle charitie towards any of our Bishops though we may be justlie jealous of this kindnesse feare if we hear'd their names it may be placed upon persons inclined to your interest rather then commended to your good opinion by their mâ—…rit But whoso'er they be you meane we know you never prike any in the list of the learned but the best read men in Synopis's and systems in Common place bookes and Centurists or general lie in your select Reformed Fathers whom in a fallacie often times you perswade your Disciples to be the more proper men because standing you tell them upon the shoulders of the ancients when if set on even ground the longest arme they can make in true learning and eloquence will not reach halfe way up to their girdles But to proceed in some answer to your quaestion The Warner therefore speakes to you of ignorance because your Presbyteriâ—… parts with the greatest incentives and encouragements of studie Therefore of contempt because it quits those dignities which give praecedence to their persons and draw reverence to their function Therefore of beggerie because it diverts the Ecclestastical revenue and makes you but stipendiaries of the people Of this very conciselie yet fullie hath his late Majestie admonish'd you Chapt. 17. of Eâ—…x Buâ—… He that surveyes impartiallie the multitude of good Livings and other Clerical praeferments in England which might serve as a supplement to the bad will finde litle reason for any none at all for the greatest part of our Priests I meane those that had a title that were eidiâ—… cheirotonoumenoi as it is Can. 6. Concil Chalced to be begarlie contemptible for their want especiallie since those Pluralists you confesse were searce one of twentie that lived in splendour at Courtâ—… or were Nonresident in the Countrey Such as were apolelymenoos ordinat ordained at large without title to any benefice or cure the Bishop was charged with them till provided for And they that complained of their povertie had no cause there being as you tell us such plentie in his palace The ignorance of our Clergie which it may be was not incomparable if we bring yours into the light was never greater then when Calvin and Knox had some heires and successours that crept into the praelacie degenerating from the austeritie of their Fathers who because they lov'd not the office never mean'd to discharge it Yet could dispense in their conscience with the title lawne sleeves into the bargain that under them they might take the revenues of our Bishopsâ—… But when and where we had Austins and Chrisoâ—… Lawds and Andrews's never cloud was dispelld with the rising sun so as ignorance at their asscent in the Epâ—…scopate of our Church And they that heard not of the great studie in these Prâ—…lates to remedie the evils brought in by the other are such as Zecharie speakes of that imagine evil against their brother their heart refusing to hearâ—…en and pulling away the shoulder and stopping the eare that they should not heare and making their hearts as an adamâ—… that they may not c. Those some that were most provident you meane I thinke most penurious in their families were those I told you of that made a trade of â—…ieir proeferinents and would dispense with any thing among the putitans but their purfes Such as those soms other that I named as they were apter to teach so were they know'n to be of beter behaviour and given to hospâ—…a litie the requifites of a Bishop and accomplishments of ours whose parsimonie or providence for hu samilie was not that which advanced him a sumine to make a purchase If the suâ—…plusage of his â—…evenue could doe it in a cheape and plentifull Countrey J know not who have beter title to it then his heire Though as I am informed where I may trust meeting with a profess'd enmitie against his office whatsoever reserve of kindnesse was for his person This great purchase you meane was the recoverie of lands sacrilegiouslie taken and deteined from the Church in the pursâ—… whereof as he spared no endeavour so it should seem
they abus'd many with an appearance of identitie in the mater and similitude in the end And themselves frequentlie confessed that this Covenant was nothing but that general one applied to the particular occasions at that time It is as certaine that the Covenant of the Rebells in all the three Kingdomes 1643. was held out at least to them in Scotland that toke it to be the same with that they toke before otherwise then as it must be againe applied to a conjunction with their brethren of the other two Kingdomes Nor was there any other new emergent cause nor was that one for any new Covenant and you are not to multiplie solemne oathes and Covenants you sayd without necessitic Nor is there in this the sense of any one clause that is not in the other as it concern'd your owne Nation And the enemies with their practices against whom and which you fram'd it you professe to be the same though now increased in your praeface All which have elements enough beside an airie sancie to make up your grosse errour or affected falshood in denying so demonstrable a truth Yet that notwithstanding this imposture there is a real difference in the triplie respect which the Bishop speakes of was never hitherto denied as I know by any Episcopal writer which are many that occasionallie have mention'd it So that his Lordship cuts not his owne vine but your fingars that will be medling with his worke for which he may expect and will have due thankes from his friends that rightlie understand him For how soever indeed that short confession was at first not onelie draw'n up by the Kings command nor freelie subscribed with his hand but obtruded violentlie upon him being devised by a partie of seditious male-contented Noblemen and Courtiers made such by the Clergie that were worse against Esme Earle of Lenox who they hoped by this test would be discovered to be a Papist Yet the King made a very good vertue of necessitie and since he must impose it fiâ—…st upon his familieand afterward upon his subjects being supreme could and did it in his owne sense though it may be oppositie to theirs that made it the ambiguitie of the words tolerating both To which in that sense he praefixed his Royal authoritie whereas your later Covenant in yours was absolutelie against his sonnes That in his sense was for the lawes of the Realme the praeservation of Episcopacie This against them for its utter extirpation That to maintaine the religion established which he did to the uttermost of his power This to its destruction which it is in effecting though it spoiles in the casting that golden calfe you intended to set up So that the words themselves which doe not more flatlie contradict the Bishop then they are contradict by your workes are not so expresse for the Kings authoritie the law of the realme and religion established and wherein they are such an abstruse meaning have they as he that takes your league is ouos agoon mysteria the dull creature that ignorantlie caries all the mysteries of your iniquitie on his backe In the next paragraph is nothing but a branch or two of your former wild discourse therein a nest of small birds chattering what we often heare to no purpose or never to lesse then here having no significancie at all in answer to the Bishops Memento which recognizeth Q. Elizabeths indulgence to whom your praedecessours scraped and whined for militarie assistance to say no worse undeservedlie had it without imposing the Discipline os England Whereas you to use the words of K. Ch. 1. are not to be hired at the ordinarie rate of auxiliariâ—…s much lesfe borrowed or bestowed nothing will induce you to ingage till â—…hose that call you in have pawned their soules to you The Discipline Liturgic which you quarell with some times because different from the English was obtruded upon you by no other crast and force then a plaine legal injunction Deliberated on from the time of K. Iames's investiture in the crowne of England approved in a general Assemblie at Aberdene 1616. the Liturgie I meane the Discipline having been received long before read publikelie in the Kings chapell at Haly-rud-house ever since the yeare 1617. not onelie without dislike but with frequent assemblies of the Councel Nobilitie Bishops and other Clergie Iudges Gentrie Burgesses women of all rankes In several other places in the time of K Ch. 1. The alterations which were not of such moment as to be met with opposition were partlie made generallie approved by the Bishops and principal Clergie in Scotland who in the exercise of it were injoined to proceed with all moderation and dispense with such for the practice of some things conteined in the booke as they should finde either not well perswaded of them or willing to be informed concerning them or did hope that time and reason might gaine a beter beleefe of them How otherwise your Discipline was obtruded upon the English what free long and deliberate choyce they used beside the sighes and groanes of many pious soules hurried into prisons or disspersed in a miserable exile your owne Scots Cushi shall beare witnesse Who out of no ill meaning to your cause reveales the truth of your tyrannie from the beginning… That upon your second coming in it was when some of our Nobles tooke occasion to supplicate for a Parliament which the King scarce durst denie for the Scotch armie nor the perpetuitie of it afterward for no other reason… That when it came to armes the Scotes could not sit still in conscience honestie whereupon they sent a Commissioner from their Synod to the English Parliament 1642. to move them to cast out Bishops Then others to the King at Oxford to signe all propositions which because he would not doe they resolve to assist their brethren against him whom they call the common enemie The formalitie of an invitation was used to this purpose but their inclination and resolution had pass'd before And indeed your Assemblie 1642. confess'd an obligation lay upon them to encourage and assist so pious a worke but not as you doe here onelie out of brotherlie concernment but for securitie of yourselves because without it you could not hope for any long time to enjoy your owne puritie peace which had cost you so deare The Bishops following grounds which he makes good to be de monstrative doe not therefore betray the weaknesse of because they adde strength to the praeceding What wind is in them you follow too fast after and feed as greedilie upon as Ephraim on the East which turnes to the same bad nourishment in you both increasing lies and somewhat else which you may reade Hose 12. 1. And were the softest hand insensible of their substance they would praeponderate your answers which are as deceitfull upon the weights as he that made them and allsogether lighter then vanitie it selfe For
not a proposition is there in prosyllogisme or syllogisme that is seemes you can denie though you scarce any where shew ingenuitie to grant For the second which you thinke so hard to prove let it be adventur'd thus He that by covenant disposeth of himselfe and armes contrarie to the established lawes which by the Kings right in him he is obliged to maintaine disposeth of them against that rights But every Covenanter disposeth c. For the established lawes enjoine him to defend the Kings person without limitation or reference to religion at least not to fight against it which the Covenant by your practike interpretation doth oblige to Where the power of the Militia resides His Maâ—…esties unanswerable Declaration for the Commission of array will best satisfie you And himselfe tells you trulie it is no lesse his undoubted right then is the crowne In the exercise of it though the Parliament be not excluded yet their power is never legallie considerable but when they are as the bodie with the soul in stain conjunctâ—… with the King Defense of liberties hath no law to arme them against praerogative nor is there a cause imaginable impowering them to take up armes against a partic countenanced by the Kings praesence which can be according to no law but what is call'd such by rebellious people that offer violence to Royal right If any such there be let us have but one impraegnable instance and we 'll shake hands I beleeve you are not much in love with that old custome of the Frisians long before they became Presbyters who chose their Earle carying him upon their bucklers and crying alowd Haecest potestas Frisiae You can now adayes beter indoctrinate them according to the custome of yourfaction when praevalent which is to admit no new King but at the swords point and there to keepe him crying after this maner or somewhat like it in your proclamational libells Haec est libertas Presbyteriales Scotiae Yet your Commissioners when in the mood can praesent the hilt to his hand and argue with both houses as they did upon the new propositions why the power of the militia should be in the crowne asking How Kingâ—… otherwise can be able to resist their enemies and the enemies of the Kingdome protect their subjects keep friendship or correspondence with their allies … asserting that the depriving them of this power rootes up the strongest foundations of honour and sasctie which the crowne affords will be interpreted in the eyes of the world to be a wresting of the scepter and sword out of their hands So that the Bishops friends may take from yours aswell as from him the same demonstrable conclusion he layd downe And this for all the Kings acknowledgement which was never any of the Parliaments joint interest in his authoritie against his person which is the true case though you shamefullie conceale it Nor did His Majestie so put the whole Militia in their hands as to part with his right when he bound his owne from the exercise Nor was he sure he was not or might not seeme to be perjur'd for his courtesie which all Kings will not hazard though he layd the guilt or dishonour at their doores whither God hath brought allreadie a portion of their just punishment that constraind him saying I conceive those men are guiltic of the enforced persurie if so it may seem who compell me to take this new and strange way of discharging my trust by seeming to desert it of protecting my subjects by exposing my selfe to danger or dishonour for their safetie and quiet Therefore what thoughts he had of your parties medling with the Militia may be best judg'd by his words How great invasion in that kinde will state rebellion in a Parliament when there 's any as there was none at that time nor since shall be told you when the Bishop gives you occasion to demand it Or if you can not stay so long I must send you againe to the judicious Digges to satiate your too curious and greedie appetite of such fare as will not well be digested in many stomackes To the nulling yourCovenant by His Majesties proclamation you say nothing because it separates him from the partie to which you attribute all malignance and you know you can not securelie medle with him but in a croud In the Bishops second demonstration we must be beholding to you for giving what you can not keep with any credit which more awes you then conscience That where the mater is evidentlic unlawfull the oath is not binding The application of which up to your covenant will be justified when brought to the touch by Gods lawe or the Kingdome 's But you first summon it before reason which helpes you with no rule To lay aside what might be otherwise rectified were there cause for 't Nor any evidence that the burden of Bishops and ceremonies was so heavie as to presse you into the necessitie of a Covenant This his Lordship need not offer to dispute since the King ever offerd a regulation of that order and those rites by the primitive paterne wherein it otherwise differed then in a necessarie innocent compliance with the politike constitution of his Kingdome And the Church had render'd all rational satisfaction aswell for the ceremonies reteined as those abolish'd And both by particular men most eminent in learning and judgement had been unanswerablie maintained in every graine or scruple that could be quaestion'd or complaind of Yet the praesent government how light soever is burdensome especiallie to men that looke for advantages by the change And the worst of men can seeme as serious in complaint as if their vertues had been the onelie martyrs to crueltie and the very common hackneyes for oppression Quid reliqui habemus praeter miseram animam came out which a sad sigh from Catiline before his bankrupt Comrades who had left no such subject for rebellion to thetoricate on if their lives had been as good pawnes in the midst of their prodigalitie as their lands This your method of reformation whereof the Bishop complaines for which you plead custome failes not onelie in the maner but of the power the most material requisite to effect it And the high path way is not so ordinarie as you can name the Parliament that ever trod in it before We in England having no such custome nor indeed any where the true Churches of God as to alter religion and government without the King To your quaestion which ever shelters fraud in universals I particularlie answer and to our purpose 1. That the Houses of Parliament are not to begin with an ordinance for a covenant or oath to change the lawes of the Realme to abolish the Discipline of the Church and the Liturgie lawfullie established by the sword which are the Bishops words before the Kings consent be sought to that beginning much lesse when his dissent is foreknow'n of that
Presbyterians tolerate more libertie on their Sabbath then the Bishops on our Sunday 50. 125 The hypocritical superstition of the Sc. Presbyters in the sanctification of their Sabbath 81 Offenders quitted to be admitted to the H. Sacrament without publike satisfaction in the Church 126 False measures c under colour of scandal not to be brought into the cognizance of the Church 66 All civile causes are brought before the Presbyterie under the pretense of scandal 170 The Pr. Scotish partie inconsiderable 2 They gave beter language to our Bishops heretofore then of late 8 Carefull Christians will finde litle leisure on weeke dayes to heare many sermons 157 Sermons not to exceed an houre 158 Those that are Rhetorical may be as usefull as many meerlie Textuarie 159 St. Claud Somais no Countenancer of the late Kirke proceedings Ans. to Ep. Ded. 4. 111 The Sc. Presbyterians coordinate two Soveraignities in one State 113 Two Scotish Kings at one time avouched by A Melvin 114 Capt. Iames Stuart vindicated at large 87 Superintendents aequivalent to Bishops 23 Imperious supplicates from the Presbyterie 26 Rebellion the subject of most 165. 179 The Kings supremacie impaired by Presbyterie 27. 195 Placed upon the People 29 Scotish Presbyterie overthrowes the right of the Magistrates convocating Synods 10. 30 Synods where the Magistrate prohibited them 31. 36 Receiving appeales not the principal end of calling Synods 132 Noblemen to have no suffrages in them but when sent thither by the King 134 T. THe by-tenets of the Discipline 3 The Texts of Scripture urged against Episcopacie for Presbyterie answered 105 c The Presbyterians treason at Ruthuen 88 At Striveling 89 V. FAmilie visitations commendable aswell in orthodoxe Priest as Presbyters 173 The Reviewer much in love with the uncleanlie metaphore of a vomit 176 W. ACcording to the Word of God a more dubious and frivolous limitation in the Covenant them heretosore in the oath for Episcopacie 181 FINIS 1 Sâ—…n Gâ—…r 16. 7. Dâ—…ar Parl. 1648. c. Assemb Gâ—… Aâ—…no 1556. Can. 50. Ench. cand S. min. ex decrâ—…o sal The Edit Gron. 1645. pag. 161. Los ordiuâ—… Eccles. printed at Geneva 1562. pag. 66. pag. 20. Pagin 20. Pag 9. Pag 11. Octob. 20. 1597. Assâ—… Abberd 1600 1 Book dise 1. held Ass Dun. 1580. Patl. 1584 1 Book discip 4. and 6. head Anno 203. 1606. Ass. Glasg 1610. Parl. Edenb 1612. Ass. Edenb 1590. 2 Book disc Chap. 9. 1 Book disc 6. head Ibidem Ibidem Ibidem Ass. Edenb 1 6 4 7. Ass. Glasg 1 5 8 1 Ass. Edenb 1 5 9 0 Ass. Edenb 1 5 9 1. 1 〈◊〉 Book disc Chap. 7. 2 Chap. 12. 3 Ass. Edenb 1 7 0. a Book disc Chap. 7. Chap. 12. 2 Book disc Chap. 1. Theoremaâ—… III. imp Edenb 1 6 4 7. decreto Synodi Theor. 4 Theor. 8. Theâ—…r â—…2 Information from Sâ—…t â—…nd p. 19 Theor 98. Theor. 82. Theor. 96. Tâ—…r 50. 5â—… Ibid. 2 Book of disc châ—… 10. Theor. 84. and 85. Ibidâ—… Theor. 43. Theor. 97. Theor. 88. Theor. 82. 2. Theor. 82. 3. Theor. 91. 92. 2. 1582. Ass. Saint Andrâ—…ws 1582. Ass. Saint-Andrâ—…ws 1582. 〈◊〉 Eccl. Ord. pag. 14. Dâ—…c 15â—… a Book diâ—…c châ—…p 11. At Edâ—… 1587. Minster â—…vid Bâ—… 1596. 4 1 Book dâ—… 7 heâ—…d 2 Book dâ—…c Chap. 〈◊〉 Thâ—… 〈◊〉 9 1 Book disc â—…d 9. Ibid. Ass Edenb 1594. Parl. Ed. 1594. Gen. 79. 7. Vindication of Commissioners Jun. 6 1648. 6 1 Book dise 7. head 2 Book dise Chap. 7. 1 Book disc 〈◊〉 head and Thâ—…r â—…3 Theor. 47. 4â—… Vindicat. com p. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1648. Theor. 63. vindication p. 5. Humble advise Edchb. Iune 10. 2â—…48 vindication p. 8. Ass. Dund 1593. Ass. Fdâ—…b 1567. 〈◊〉 Book dise â—…h 7. Vindication pâ—…g 11. 〈◊〉 10. 1582. 1583. Ass. Edenb 1582. Sept. 27. 1648. Ar. 3 Theor. 84. Ann. 1562. Ass. Edenburg 1593. An. 1596. 1 Cor. 1â—… 1. 1 Kin. 3. 25. 1582. Febr. 16. At Saint Giles Church March 22. Declar. Scot. Leit p. 57. 58. 1 Book dis 7. head Theor. 63. 1 Book 9. head p. 44. Scot lit 48 47. 1 Book dis 7. h aâ—… 55. Articl 1596. Scot. Liâ—… 49 Motus Brtanici 171 1 Book dis 9. head 1 Book dis 9 head The Authorâ—… reasons of his wryting The Praelats are unable by reason to defend Episco pacy Cheir strongeâ—… 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 The 〈…〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The only crane of the Covenant is that it extirpate praelacy The Bishops are most justly cast out of England The Scots were never injurious to their King The Scotes selling of the King is a most false calumnie The reason of the dediâ—…ation The unseasonablenes of Doctor Brambles warning The irrational way of the warners writing The most of his stuffe is borrowed and long agoe confuted The conâ—… bitternes of the warners spirit The warner stricks at the Scotes discipline through the Kings sides In the threshold hee stumbles on the Kings conscience The Scots never offered to impose any thing uâ—… on England The elder praelats of England were Erastians and more but the younger are as much an i-Erastian as the most riged of the Presbytery The Scotes first and greatest crime is irreconciliablenes with Rome The Scotes were ever anti episcopall The Praelates lately were found in the act of introducing Popery into the Church and Tiranny into the Kingdom No controversie in Scotland betwixt the King and the Church about the convocating of Synods The warners Erastian and Tirannick principles hated by the King The Warners ignorant and false report of the Scotes proceedings Bishops were abolished and Presbyteries set up in Scotland with King Iames consent The innocency of the much maligned assembly of Aberdeen Christmas and other superstitious festivals abolished in Scotland both by Church and State The friends of Episcopacy thryves not in Scotland The second book of disciplin why not al ratified in Parliament The Warners hipocrisy calling that a crime which himselfe counts a virtue The Warner a grosse Erastian Praelatical principles impossibilitate alsolid peace betwixt the King and his Kingdoms Erastian praelats evert the legall foundations of all government The finall determination of all Ecclesiastick causes by the Lawes of Scotland is in the generall assembly The divine right of discipline is the tenet of the most of praelats All the power of the Church in Scotland is legall and with the Magistrats consente The prelats rather then to lay aside their owne interest will keepe the King and his people in misery for ever Appeals in Scotland from a generall assembly were no lesse irrationall then illegall The Churches just severity against Montgomery and Adamson was approven by the King and the parties themselfe The pride of prelats lately but never the Presbitery did exempt their fellows from punishment for their civil faults The Warner is injurious to the Ministers of Holland The pretended declaration of King Iames was
No Bishop No King d Ovid. Met. lib. 5. fab 1. e The Reviewers false profession in publike contrarie to conscience vulgar knowledge f The same speach now printed in effect No necessitie for the Scots to enter into a Covenant which is No oath of God but the Devil No wonder why the lovers of the King are no Covenanters a The Cheat of the Covenant b The Scot-Presbytirian open unkindnesse that is treason against the late King c Bishops in other Reformed Churches d The Reviewers in constancie a K. Ch. 1 never justified the Scotish contests b Eikôn Basilikè Ch. 13. c The King may bring an armie to the Scotish borders d Alawe above Dunce law e Liturgie Canons contrarie neither to the lawes of God nor Scotland f The Reviewers brag K. Ch. 1. gave the Scots too easie conditions a He had good reason to raise a secound armie against them b The Scots successe at New bourne opened not a passage for them to London c The Pr. Scotish Rebellion copied by the English d K. Ch. 1 his raising an armie a signe of divine providence e The Rebells faint in their faith notwithstanding the revelations they pretend to f The Prerb Scots coming in no condition of the peace a Their guilt made them feare a third warre b Their worke of supererogation in interceding c Their Remonstrance d They mediate for no reasonable accommodation e Were never slighted nor rejected f Were justlie denjed g Covenants the common road for faections h Remonst about the Treaty in the Isle of wight The Covenant destructive to all the Royal line The charge Against K. Ch. 1. taken out of the Pr. Scots Remonstrance The Presb. Scots wicked Impostours no messeangers of Christ. The Kings partie not subdued when His Majestie left Oxford The King not necessitated to cast himselfe upon the Scots He had promised all reasonable satisfaction before His Religious adhe rence to his old oathes The Kings presence might best have composed the divisions in Scotland Isai. 32. 17. His garrisons surrendered upon the counter feit professions of the Pr. Scots They obteine no termes satisfactorie to the King Their injustice unkindnesse imprudence Their deliverie of the Kings person was a selling him to his Enemies They might have prevented the murder thaâ—… followed Ier. 51. 7. They were not readie to the utmost of their power An old grudge the reason why they were not S. Matth. 27. 24. The Kings not granting all demands They beare the like grudge against K. Ch. 2. * In libro Cap. 1 The Reviewers politike staterie Ecclesiast 12. 6. The unseasonablenesse of the Scots coming to the King at the Hague Iob 26. 9. Iob 16. 16. The seasonable successe of the Bishops Warning The Scotish Presbyterians an inconsiderable partic Sen Conâ—…rov Iob 8. The Bishops method apposite to his matter His proose â—…o by tenets His allegations confirm'd by others The Reviewers rash uncharitable judgement about the ends af Mr. Corbeâ—… Arch-Bishop Maxwell His vanitie in mentioning the frequent impressions of his book His language more bitter then the Bishops his hast greater to vent it No regard wanting in the Bishop to Scripture nor reverence to th Reformed Churches Nor respect to the Magistrate and lawes The Bishop no slanderer of the King nor his Royal Father Eikôn Basilikôn ch 17. The Reviewers seasonable advertissement abouâ—… the Kings late offer to the Scots No râ—…sb presumption in the Bishop The Scots endeavours to impose their discipline upon England K. Ch. 1. in no barmonie with the Prcâ—…byterians All Protestants implied to be Erastians as well as the Episcopal by Mr. Baylic The Reviewer not acquainted with the late controversie between us the Papists No Canter-burian designe but what was forged at Edenburg Basilik dor The Scots heretofore gave no so bad language to the English Bishops 1. Pet. 5. 2 Though they acted enough against their Bishops at hâ—… Ierr. 8. 22. The crimeâ—… alleged not the grounds of K Ch. 1. his concessions against Episcopacle in Scotland Episcopacie in England not put downe by a legal Assemblie Parliament The Reviewer knowes not good logike when he meetes with it The Bishop not ignorant of the way of the Scotish Discipline The Reviewers Sophystrie The Bishops meaning about the Kings power in chusing Elders Ecclesiastike lawes The head of the Church Assembies are the Kings arbitrarie Counsels The Bishop had reason to instance in particulars The Assemblie contest with the King about his command Conf. as Hapt Court And. Melvin Epist. ad Th. Bez. 1579. K. I. his Nobilitie against the Discipline Vindic. Epist. Hieron Philadelph The Reviewer his brethren agree not in their storie Duo folia dilac erata in ignem conjecta Gâ—…or Con. De duplic stat Relig. apud Scot. lib. 2. … ministri cu omnia ex suo suorumque arbitrio pendere savente annitente imprimis Buchanano cerncrent c. K. 1. his dislike of the short Confession Many unjustisiable praciices about it Vindic. Epist Hieron Philadelph Archiepis Fan S. Andr. Pa. 1 77 Archiepis Fan. S. Adr. Epist. ad Theod. Bez. The reason upon which the Nobilitie maintaind Bishops Pseudo-Episcopatu The Presbyterie the Cause of the Nobilities kceping the revenue of the Church Episcopacie more then titular by the Covenanters acknowledgement The Bishop too courteous in passing over 27. yeares storie meane base abject persons who were never any way remarkable as â—…en of great gifts Decl. of His Majesties Counc Imperfect policie alterable at the Kings pleasure The Priviledge of Assemblies limited The Legal proceedings against the Aberdene Assemblers Their obstinacie The Church festivals abolished in Scotland by no just Authoritie The primitive Christians observ'd thom Orat of the Protest of Scotl. to the Q. Reg. 1558. The Bishop not mistakeÌ„ in the Scottish Chronologic What kinde of Presbyteries were erected by K. Iames his Commissioners to what purpose Bishops to praeside in them Declar. 15â—…2 The abuse of the Kings indulgence by the Presbyters The E of Arran no wicked Courtier His bloud reveng'd Bishop Bancroft Dang Posiâ—… b. 1. Gibsons bold speaches to the King Perpetuitie the Bishops in Scotland The Reviewers long reach for the antiquitic of Presbyters … facile est credere Victorem Pontisicem …in Scotia reperisse multos quos salutaribus undis expiaret alios quos Judaizantium in feâ—…erat error G. Con. De dupl stat Rel. apud Scot. lib. 1. Multi ex Britonibus Christiani savitiam Diocletiani tiementes ad eos Scotos confugerant è quibus complures doctrina vitae integritate clari in Scotia substiterunt vitamque solitariam tanta sanctitutis opinione apud omnes vixerunt ut vita sanctorun cellae in templa commutareniur Ex eoque consuetuao mansit apud posteros ut prisci Scoti templa cellas vocent Hoc genue Monaâ—…horum Chaldeos appellabant mansitque nomen institutum donec Monachorum genus rocentius
in plures divisum ectas eos expulit Buchan Hist. lib. 4 Episcopacie intirelie authorized in the Synod of Glasgow Vind. Epist Hitr. Philadelph Superintendents aequivalent to Bishops Presbyters not to have Synods as often as they list nor doe in them what they please The King consented not to the second booke of Discipline K. Ch. 1. Larg Declar 1633. pag. 411. Refutat libel De Regim Eccl. Sâ—…ot The Bishop no hypocrite in his chalenge about the patrimonie of the Church 1. Book Disc. 6. head which be longs not by haereditaire right to the Presbyters Let. of K. Ph. Q. Mar. Ann. 1559. The Reviewer is the hypocrite Mainten of the sanstatie pag. 10. The Disciplinarians declaration of their judgements in their impudent imperious supplicats They anticipate the law in the exercise of the Discipline Hieron Philadelph de Regim Eccles. Scot. Epist. Iren. Philaleth Narrat mot Scotic Their doctrine as destructive as their practice Ovid. Met. lib. 3. sub 4 2. Book of Disc. ch 7. 2. The Bishops Super-Erastianisme the doctrine of the Reformed Churches Ad Dissert De Epise Constant. M. Ph. Par. Vindic. propos 8. D. Par. N. Vedel De Epise Const M. q. 5. The practice of the good primitive Emperours Har. Syn. Belgic c. 10. Altar Damasc. pag. 15. Renounced by none of the Scotish King The Reviewers malice not any Prelatical principles doth impossibilitate as he speakes the peace betwixt the Kiag his Kingdomes Conf. at Hampt Court The Disciplinarian doctrine practice against the Kings power to convocate Synods Pag. 41. DeEpiscop Constanstin M. 2. B. of Disc. ch 10 Cap. De primat Reg. Epist. 43. De Imper sum Pot. cap. 8. Constantin De Ario. The ultimate determination of Ecclesiastike causes by the lawes of Scotland is not in the general Assemblie No more then in the Convocations of England Appeales to the King in Scotland Court of Delegates against neither word of God nor aequitie All causes agitated in Scotish Assemblies Processe about Church rent Letter to the Gen. Assembli at Sterling Aug. 3. 1571. Reviewer declines answering about the legislative power Danger in asserting the divine right of Ecclesiastike jurisdiction Hug. Groti De Imper. Sum. Pot. Scotish Donatist Polit. Anglic Ad Reg. Iac. Sozomen Eliens De Episcopat Constant M. Disciplinariam call resistance against the person obedience to the office of the Magistrate The Reviewer too bold with his Majestie The Disciplinarians no compartie for the Primitive Christian The Reviewers cunning in passing over what he dares not can not answer His unkindnesse to his brother Gilespie whose theoremes are the doctrine of the whole Presbyterie Harm Syn. Belg. cap. 1 Gilespie's theoreme the rule of the late Disciplinarian practice a Nec enim dissimulabant foederati nimis diu apud Scotos regnatum esse Monarchis nec recte cum illis agi posse Stuarto vel uno superstite Hist. M. Montisros No defensive armes for subjects Episcopacie no obstruction to His Majestics peace See the leâ—…rned judicious Digges upon this subjects Appeale in Scotland from a General Assemblie neither irrational nor illegal Altar Damascen 3. Paper An. 1574 The Rebellious insolent disciplinarian proceedings against the too Rt. Reverend Arch-Bishops Montgomerie Adamson Answ. to the Prosession Declar made by Marq. Hamilt 1638. Vindic. Epist Hier. Philad Supplicum libellorum Magister Se posse salvo Regis imperio de causa tota cognoscere â—…arg D clar pag. 308. Marg. not upon Potest of the Gen. Assemb at Edenb Crosse Decemb 18. 1638. Quioccasione laeti palinodiam â—…i per vim expressam sed in numeris a se locis inter-polatam typis publicarunt The Bishops Appeale not derogatorie to the Kings personal Prâ—…rogative The Reviewer mistakes the scope of the Bishops warning Ch. 5. v. 1. Sedition rebellion not censur'd by the Discipline Hift. of Reform 4. booke Scotish Presbyters mounting in halls schooles c. An. 436. Ancient Canons against Ministers accusers of their brethren Reviewer no competent witnsse against Bishops He will not be at peace charitie with the dead Gualth Epist. Erast. Aug. 3. 1570. Nor speake any truth of the living Spanheims speach about English Bishops The Kings booke of recreations farre short of what other Reformed Churches tolerate on the Lords day Vindic. Chr. Philaed Blaire his companions justlie banished K. Ch. 1. larg Dec. 1639. pag. 324. The Discipline in Scotland different from Geneva King Iames Declaration 1584. Part. 3. An. 1684 The Bishops consequence good from Commissaries to Civite Magistrates Fucus ad fallendum simpliciores vel potius illudendum Ecclesiis pag. 404. Altar Damase The Assemblie jugling in Gibsons case The Bishops relation of Mr. Blackes case vindicated enlarged Hamp Court Conf. Rom. 6. 1. Ephes. 6. 16. Hebr. 11. 33. Nescio quid nec quando sed multo ante Vind. ep Philad L. 1. c. The od de Relig De Impersum Potestcirc sacr cap. 9 Nam co repore summaÌ„ fuit Ecclae concordia authoditas ut aulici ab ea tametsi Regia gratia niterentur timerent Vindic. Ep. Chr. Philad Let to the Q. of Engl. Iul. 16. 1561. The Ministers guiltie of the tumult Decemb 17. 1596. * Vasius The Rev. impertinencie or cunning in altering of the state of the quaestion Let of the Congreg to the Nobles of Scotland 1559. De Imper sum Poâ—… cap. 9. Disciplinarian intentions never better then their words Eccles. 8. 4. No thankes due to them for not excommunicating their Kings The Ancient Fathers quit peccant Kings of all humane censure Apos Gent. adv The Bishops reasonning not unconsequential Aristophâ—… Nubes Bloud the seed of the Discipline Esai 1. 15. Mercie Gods attribute so the Kings 〈◊〉 Book Discipl 9. head Presbyters sollicite pardon for murder * Rigour to be preached c. under nonâ—… but implous or nâ—…ligent Magistrates so exâ—…ommunication for impunitie E. Huntleys case wholie minted in the Assembiiâ—… Bothwells notorious crimes R Bruce's speach against E. Huntley First fruites c. witheld from the King as much by the Presbyters as Pope An. 1587. Contradiction about tithes pag. 57. Patronages Presbyterian rebellion tyrannie Rejoycing at the sequestring the Church patrimonie Qui jactare non dubitârunt se Episc plygin kairian inflixisse Aitar Damasc. p. 3. K. Iames anti-presbyterie No Donaâ—…ist Ep. lector Aitar Damascen Georg. Con. De Dupl Stat. Relig. apud Scot. lib. 2. Their latitude of scandal 8. 9. Malefactours pardoned not to be excommunicated False measures c. maters of civile cognizance The Reviewers 30. yeares experience no argument of Presbyterian henestie Their Canons not the same with those of the ancient Church Victorem Romanum Epum circa annum Dui 200. legimus Coenae usuâ—… interdixisse injurias condonare nolentibus Th. Erast. thes 7. No canon against rebellion nor deprivation of rebellious Ministers Presbyters as peccant as Bishops Ch. 2. 11. 29. 9. Revel 17. 5. 9. 2. 3. 2 S. Pet. 2. 13. Their exercing civile
Scotland hath had a liturgie not onelie for helpe but practice Knox Hist. 1. B. Ib. B. 2. 1. B. 9. head Decl. Ch. Sc Praeâ—… The hypocritical use of the Common prayer booke in Scotland Set formes of no use to beginners that pray by the spirit The gift of prayer in the Pater Noâ—…ter 5. Iud. v. 13. Presbyterians divided about praâ—…er Hist. 4. B. Synod Holland Zoland 1574 Artic. 38. Herm. Synod Belgic cap. 11. The injuries by extemporie prayer Fâ—…x Bâ—… cap. 16. Sâ—…n Ep. 40 〈◊〉 1. 5. â—… of Ecâ—…l Pol. Heb. 12. 1. The Parliament of Scotl. in no câ—…pacitie to demand after then urder of K. Ch. 〈◊〉 Ps. 51. Haâ—…ak 1. 13. Review changeth the words of the Procl The original of the oath for securitie of disscipline Kâ—… Doâ—… Row Craig 〈◊〉 Hist. B. 5. Dial. D e Iur Regâ—… ap Scot. The choyce of a King originallic not justifiable in any perpl Cum sit ordini naturae conscntaâ—…eum â—…bus propé omnium gentium Historijs tesâ—…sicatum De Iur Reg. M. Mâ—…ntr Deâ—… 1650 Abolition of Episcopacie will not give the scott satisfaction Sen. Heâ—… fur P. Iun. 1. may 22 Henders 1. Pap. to K. Ch 〈◊〉 1. B. Disc. 9. head Nature robbed of her Praerogative by Prosbyterie Inclina tions to marrie not all wayes devine motions Consent of parents †〈◊〉 in Scripturis determinatum sit jure Civili de consensu parentum In Ecclesiasticâ—… tamen curijs obtinet jus Papale Canonicum quâ—… definitur consensus parentum dehouestate non de necessitate Et quod Matrimonia debent esse libera non pâ—…ndere exaliâ—… no arbitrio Assert Pol. Christ. * Lib. 2. De Regn Christ. Dordorac 1574. artic 81. 1578. The injurie done to Parents by Presbyterie not justisiable in reason Bucâ—…an Ta catheconta hoos epipantais schesesi parametreitai Enchir. c. 37 Terent Andr. act 1. Sc. 5. Act. 5. Sc. 3. 1. B. 9. head No obedience due to parents requiring a injust marâ—… Ep. S. Iâ—…d v. 9. Prov. 14. 5. 2. Cor. 12. 14. 1. Tim. 4. 8. Poenitent Adulterers not to be put to death S. Iohn 8. 2. Cor. 12 7. 1. Book Disopl 9. I Head The Bishops cautelous in their warrants for clandestine marriages In nuperis constitndinibus anni 1603. videntur praesules Anglicane abunde cavise Alter Dam. c. 70 Ao 1588 Schulting Reprehens Synod Middelb The Revieners sâ—…amelesse denial of aknow'n truth about impeding civile proceedings Contr. E. pilam Philadelph Publike ca techizing of Masters Mistresses indecent 1. Cor 11. 28. Lit. Ch. c. p. 215. 13. 5. De Praeser c. 10. If they know not how to pray neithern berein their rightcousnesse sands or consists they ought not to be admitted to the Lords table 1. Book Disc. 9 head Ibid. Excommunication of the ignorant without warrant Ibid. Exetauesâ—…ho de me micropsycâ—…a e philoneikia e fini toiause aedia tou episcopou aposynagogo egegenentas Can. I. Chr. Iustel Familievisitations commendable aswell in orthodoxe Priests as Presbyters Ib. Disc 9. Head Riot in Scotland to get downe the High Commission Iarg Decl. The Kings palace and Parliament fallen with that in England More comfort because lesse rigiour in the reformed Elderships abroad Answer by Letter Many of those in Scotland have very unfit unable Iudges Episcopacio want no aequivalent in Discipline Oeconomis testibus Synodalibus Collectoribus in Ecclesiastcke paroeciana rudera quaedam functionum diaconorum seniorum relicta vel potius imposita sunt Alter Dam c. 12. Synodales aestes quos sidem eavocant qui in inquestionibus morum visitationibus adjungumur Oeconomis Oeconomi five Gardiani Ecclesiastikae quorum minus est pro eo anno … inordinateviventes inquirere monere scandalosos ordinario praesentare c. Ibid. Ex. Aagl Pol. Isai 53 7. Reasons why the Reviewer is so much indined to the metaphor op a vomit Tous ischnous kai evemeas ano pharmacevein… tous de dysemeas kai mcsoos eusarcous ca 10. 4. Aph. 6. 7. G. moching Compend Instiâ—… Med disc 5. Vn lawfull Covenants not to be keept-Ouc epiorkein phoboâ—… menous tente para â—…on theoontimovian kai ten paratois anthropots aischynta Egar one omeitai e hotan omnysin euorkesei Per hoc juramentum spirationes conjurationes pleraque in iqua aequa consirmari solent Cardan Terein autou ten chreian on tois anagcaiois hama kai timioir Hiorocl in Carm. Pythag Prov. 30. 19. Covenants ordinarilie nâ—…inted in Scotland not in England Nor can such aftercoâ—…tracts devised imposed by a fewmeniâ—… a declared partie without my consent and without any like power or praecedent from Gods or mans lawes c. Eix Baâ—… Ch. 14. proque bus arduis urgenâ—… negoâ—… slatum defensionem Regni â—…stri Angl. Eccles. Anglie concernentibus … Cum Praelatis Maguatib c. colloquium habere tractatum The extract of a letter-shewing by whom the Covenant was devised The Rebells desires were impositions Nullum privilegium Parlamenti concedi potest proprâ—…ditione felonia aut ruptura pacis 17. Ed. 4. Rot. Parâ—…um 39. The Covenant dishonourable to the English The nullitie of it Ioan. Gutierrez De Iuram â—…onfirm part 2. cap. 2. ex Alciat The Reviewers Abominable falshood Iudic. Oxon De sol lig seci 2. Ps. 145. 1. 7. Covenanters take the Discipline for Christs institution Ans. to the Declar. by the Parl. angl Aug. 25. Let. to the Gen. Assemb S. Iul. 22. it 4. Vindic. Ep. Philadelph Protest of the Noblemen Barons c. 1638. According to the word of God a more dubious frivolous limitationing the Covenant then heretofore in the oath for Episcâ—…pacie 1548. Ministri Regia authoritate compulsi aut subscribere Epali tyrannidi aut in carceres aut exâ—…lia abire Multarum ministrorum tuncse prodidit imbecillitas instauratae Ecclae tyrannidi homonymus subscribentiam adjecta limitatione anbigua vel potius futiâ—…i nempe secundum verbum Dei c. Ep. Phil. Vind. â—…o Gutiervez De Iuâ—…am Conâ—…mpar 1. â—…p 71. Suâ—… 5. See Surv. of the praet holie Disc. Vid. Discus Eccles. Disc. Rupel edit 1584. The Covenant how the same with that of K. 1. 1580. K. Ch 〈◊〉 Larg declâ—… 1639 pag 177 Protest ag Kings Proclam 1638 How it differs from it Epiphyllides taut csti kai stomylmata chelidonoon momseia Eâ—…x Buâ—… Ch. 14. K. Ch. 1. Larg decâ—… p. 15. c. The English Discipline long since setled by law in Scotland and the Liturgie there used The Pr. Scotish never so in England but obtruded Mot. Brit. Vix audebat rex eis de postulaâ—…o abnucre propâ—…r Scotos c. p. 28. Vocatioâ—…em lubenti animo amplectuntur ut pote adidem prius proclives pag. 4. Answ. to the let sent by the Ministers of Engl Aug. 5. Ps. 62. 9. The power of the Militia is the Kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ch. 10. H. Grot. lib. DeAnciq Reip. â—…atav Answ to both Houses 1647. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ch. 10. Bishops and ceremonies no burden See Treat of Cerem besore Com. prayer booke Hookers Eâ—…l Polit. Dr. Tayl of Episc. Bishop Andr. let to Mâ—…lin c. To paronaâ—…i bari tois hâ—…pecoois Thâ—…c Salusi Bell Catil Parliament can not reforme without the King Isai. 50 11 The concessâ—…ons of Ch. 〈◊〉 not so â—…arge 〈◊〉 praetended K. Ch. 2. not obliged to confirmâ—… them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ch. 17. Ibid. Nov. 18. 1648. at Newport K. Ch. 1. Immovâ—…able from Primitive Episcopaâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ch. 17. Answ. Nov. 18. 1648 Newport Nov. 20. Vna opera ebur atramento candefacere postules Pl. Mostel The Reviewers sophistrie K. Ch. 2 much beholding to the Reviewer He can noâ—… so easilie will not so readilie grant what his Father denied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ch. 27. Ibid. Ib ib. Ibid. Ibid. Ch. 17. Ch. 14. Ibid. â—…r 19. 1. Rev. 〈◊〉 14. 17. The King supreme Legislatour Answ. to both Houses 1647. The Bishops proâ—… not injurious to Kings Lords nor Commons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ch. 9. H. Grot. Ano. 681. Lnd. Aur. Peras See True Repraesent of the Proceed of the Kingd of Scoth since the late Paâ—…is c. pag. 31. 2. Book Disâ—…ipl 7. Ch. The Reviewers beiâ—…fe is no confesâ—…n of the Biâ—…hops Aristoph Ran. Scotish Presbytâ—…rie is that meant in the Covenant though dissembled Which detracts from the Kings supremaâ—…ie 2. B Dise 1. Ch. Statutum Parliamenâ—…â—…sse solum quidaâ—… cvilem apprâ—…â—…sse tantum Christiani Prinâ—…pis ofsicium subjectionem suam Christâ—… Ecclesiae debitam tesianus Phil. Eplae â—…ind Foraigae Presbyterianâ—…ashemed to justifie the Scotish Covenant The Scotish Pr. never seriouslie assâ—…rib'd any good intentione to the King Naturâ—… insitum est omnibus Regibus in Christum odium Altar Dam. praet…Cosque Deo Creatori non Redemptori imperium accepnm debere non obseure praedicârunt Refut Epil 〈◊〉 Siquis non obscure praedicavit…Non longe aberavit Vindic cjustd…Non solume longinquo non impediens connivens vel plenariam potestatem…concedens…sed â—…oram intuens talis facinoris asspectu delectatus The Reviewer dares not speake out to the Bishops quaestion about taking armes for religion Vide quidem pende tamen improba dixit Mot. 6. fab 3. The ambiguitie in the Covenanters words leaves religion to the libertie of their conceits Se short Causes begin Nulla unquam gens in quovis seculo… Opus Resormationis feliciore prudentia animo suecessu administravit quam Scoti in sua patria Mot. Brit. Ver. Custin Vincent advers haeres c. 14. Their allegeance conditional They fight against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ch. 9. Their Creed in words the same with ours but not in sense Henderson and the Reviewers speaches about Bishops Religion libertie no good pretenses for taking armes Simons's Vindicat p. 30. In Brut. The Scotish Presbyterians as enthusiastike as the Anabaptists no more excusable by their religion for taking arâ—…es Fayth noâ—… so comon if such as commonlie defined Sulpit. Sever in vita S. Matâ—…h 10. 16. The Pr. Scots must bring beter markes then â—…eir baâ—…t words for revelations Advers haeres cap. 14. They are cut throtes of Magistrates planters of Religion by armes Hist. Lib. 4. We say nothing to foraigne protestants taking armes till they justific yours theirs by yours The Praelates decline not the judgement of Councels Presbyterian crueltie may by Gods providence be restrained Admon ad Gent.
a long time was willing to acknowledge the Parliaments jointe interest in the militia yea to put the whole militia in their hands alone for a good number of yeares to come so farre was his Majestie from the thoughts that the Parliaments medling with a parte of the militia in the time of evident dangers should be so certainly and clearly the crime of rebellion The Warners second demonstrative ground wee admit without question in the major that where the matter is evidently unlawfull the oath is not binding but the application of this in the minor is very false All that hee brings to make it appeare to be true is that the King is the supreame Legislator that it is unlawfull for the subjects of England to change any thing established by Law especially to the prejudice of the Praelats without their own consent they being a third order of the Kingdom otherwise it would be a harder measure then the Friers and Abbots received from Henry the eight Ans. May the Warner be pleased to consider how farre his dictats heere are from all reason much more from evident demonstrations That the burden of Bishops and ceremonies was become so heavy to all the three Kingdomes that there was reason to endeavour their laying aside he does not offer to dispute but all his complanit runnes against the manner of their removall this say I was done in no other then the ordinary and high path-way whereby all burdensome Lawes and customes use to be removed Doth not the Houses of Parliament first begin with their ordinance before the Kings consent be sought to a Law is not an ordinance of the Lords and Commons a good warrant to change a former Law during the sitting of the Parliament The Lawes and customes of England permit not the King by his dissent to stoppe that change I grant for the turning an ordinance to a standing Law the Kings consent is required but with what qualifications and exceptions wee need not heere to debate since his Majesties consent to the present case of abolishing Bishops was obtained well neere as farre as was desired and what is yet lacking wee are in a faire way to obtaine it for the Kings Majestie long agoe did agree to the rooting out of Episcopacy in Scotland he was willing also in England and Ireland to put them out of the Parliament and all civil courts and to divest them of all civil power and to joyne with them Presbyteries for ordination and spirituall jurisdiction yea to abolish them totally name and thing not only for three yeares but ever till he and his Parliament should agree upon some setled order for the Church was not this Tantamont to a perpetuall abolition for all and every one in both houses having abjured Episcopacy by solemne oath and Covenant the Parliament was in no hazard of agreing with the King to re-erect the fallen chaires of the Bishops so there remained no other but that either his Majestie should come over to their judgement or by his not agreing with them yet really to agree with them in the perpetuall abolition of Episcopacy since the concession was for the laying Bishops aside ever till hee and his houses had agreed upon a settled order for the Church If this be not a full and formall enough consent to the ordinance of changing the former Lawes anent praelats his Majestie who now is easily may and readily would supply all such defects if some of the faction did not continually for their own evill interests whisper in his eares pernicious counsel as our Warner in this place also doeth by frighting the King in conscience from any such consent for this end he casts out a discourse the sinshews whereof are in these three Episcopall maximes First that the legislative power is sollie in the King that is according to his Brethrens Cōmentary that the Parliament is but the Kings great counsel of free choyce without or against whose votes hee may make or unmake what Lawes he thinks expedient but for them to make any ordinance for changing without his consent of any thing that has been or instituting any new thing or for them to defend this their legall right and custome time out of mind against the armes of the Malignant party no man may deny it to be plaine rebellion II. That the King and Parliament both together cannot make a Law to the praejudice of Bishops without their own consent they being the third order of the Kingdome for albeit it be sacriledge in the Lords and Commons to clame any the smallest share of the legislative power this i◅ them were to pyck the chiefest jewel out of the Kings Crowne yet this must be the due priviledge of the Bishops they must be the third order of the Kingdome yea the first and most high of the three far above the other two temporall States of Lords and Commons their share in the Legislative power must be so great that neither King nor Parliament can passe any Law without their consent so that according to their humble protestation all the Lawes and acts which have been made by King and Parliament since they were expelled the house of Lords are cleerly voide and null That the King and Parliament in divesting Bishops of their temporall honour and estats in abolishing their places in the Church doe sin more against conscience then did Henry the eight and his Parliament when they put down the Abbots and the Fryers Wee must beleeve that Henry the eight his abolishing the order of Monks was one of the acts of his greatest Tyranny and greed wee must not doubt but according to Law and reason Abbots and priours ought to have kept still their vote in Parliament that the Monasteryes and Nunryes should have stood in their integrity that the King and Parliament did wrong in casting them down and that now they ought in conscience to be set up againe yea that Henry the eight against all reason and conscience did renounce his due obedience to the Pope the Patriarch of the West the first Bishop of the universe to whom the superinspection and government of the whole Catholick Church in all reason doth belong Though all this be heere glaunced at by the Warner and elsewhere hee prove it to be the declared mind of his Brethren yet we must be pardoned not to accept them as undenyable principles of cleare demonstrations The last ground of the Doctors demonstration is that the covenant is ane oath to set up the Presbyterian government in England at it is in Scotland and that this is contrary ◅o the oath of Supremacy for the oath of Supremacy makes the King the only supreame head and governour of the Church of England that is the civil head to see that every man doe his duty in his calling also it gives the King a supreame power over all persons in all causes but the Presbytery is a politicall papacie acknowledging no governours but