the inferior members to correct the head it is true indeed that Bishops ought to be subject to the censures of Generall or Nationall Councels and none of them will think themselves exeemed from such a one as is lawfully constituted Albeit the Bishops did decline upon many just reasons this Assembly of Covenanters which are at length expressed in their declinature yet if that the Assemblie had been constituted according to the present established order of the Church they would never have declined from the same The last corruptions they remark in the Bishops as they were then in Scotland is that they did not instruct their people in Gods Word which is a corruption indeed but not essentiall to the office of a Bishop or allowed by a Law if any omit that dutie let them be censured for their personall fault it is great iniquitie to condemn the whole office as unlawfull in it self for the personall fault of one or two But I perceive that the chief thing which was then condemned in Episcopacie is that they did not receive their Commission to exercise their charge from the Church or that every Minister had not his voyce in the Nomination or Election of Bishops but that they were nominated and presented by the King elected by those of the Chapton only and consecrated by other Bishops and this was the thing which moved them â—o despitefully to condemn that estate in the constitution whereof every one of them had not a hand and in all their proceedings both in the book of Discipline and Acts of Assemblies it appeares that this was the chief thing they required that if they had had their Commission only from the Church or generall Assemblie they would have condescended to all other points of their function 1. In the second book of Discipline Cap. 11. they confess that albeit Pastors as pastors have not power over moe â—locks than one yet if it be given them by the Church they may exercise it lawfully 2. In the Assemblie 1575. it is agreed by both parties as we have declared that amongst the pastors one may be chosen by the Church to visite certaine bounds comprehending many particular parishes and therein to plant Ministers to suspend and depose them for reasonable causes 3. In the Assemblie at Edinburgh 1578. one of the principall petitions they make to the Regent was that none should be admitted to vote in Parliament in name of the Church excepâ— such as have Commission from the Church 4. In the second book of Discipline Cap. 11. It is said that no person under whatsoever title ought to attempt any Act in name of the Church either in Councell or Parliament having no Commission from the Church so that if that had been done we see that they acknowledge both their power and preheminence over other Pastors their charge over moe particular flocks their sitting in Councell and voting in Parliament to have been lawfull which are the principall points both of the Spirituall and temporall function of Bishops which they challenge in this Assemblie to be unlawfull If then we can shew that the Bishops have received from the Church such a Commission to exercise all these points of their office how can it be denied but they may exercise them lawfully since this is the only exception against them in these things Therefore we shall make it appear that Bishops have received from the Church this Commission 1. Christ himself who is the head of the Church having all power gave to the Apostles this Commission to exercise power and preheminence in all Spirituall and Ecclesiasticall matters over all both Pastors and people throughout the whole world 2. The Apostles who were at the beginning the representative Church gave the like Commission to Bishops over certaine bounds over the which they received Iurisdiction as Paul gave to Timothy in Ephesus and the bounds of Asia minor thereabout Commission to plant Churches to ordaine Presbyters and Deacons to have Iurisdiction and Rule over them being ordained to receive or repell accusations given in against them and by consequent to judge and correct or censure them the same Commission received Titus in the Kingdome of Creta neither can it be doubted but the rest of the Apostles gave the like Commission unto others in these Nations where they travelled to preach the Gospel who were to succeed them in the rule and Government of the Churches wherin they had not only the Name but also the office and that power of Bishops which is here called in Controversie as none can deny except those who will impudently deny all tâ—rue records of Antiquitie since all the oâ—thodox Fathers who succeeded the Apostles and lived in the same age with them doe with unanimous consent testifie the same The which Commission was derived from the Primitive Church who received it from the Apostles to those of succeeding ages confirmed by continuall practice uncontrouled for the space of fifteen hundred years by any Orthodox writers untill this last age that some of the Church of Geneva began to call it in question 3. The Commission to vote in Parliament they could not have at the beginning when there was no Christian Magistrates or Common-wealths yet so soone as Kingdomes and Common-wealths received the publik exercise of Christian Religion authorized by Laws then the Church considering that many of the Civill Laws did either directly or indirectly reflect upon Ecclesiasticall matters and Religion and that it was very expedient that Ecclesiasticall Constitutions for better obedience thereto should be strengthened by the Laws of the Kingdome they did earnestly supplicate Emperors Kings and Magistrates that some Commissioners from the Church might have place in their Soveraign Courts whereby Laws were established to further therein the cause of God and the Church and to take heed Nè Ecclesia aliquid detrimenti capiat the which supplications Christian Emperors Kings and Magistrates out of a pious zeal did grant And therefore did authorize the Bishops and Prelates to sit in their Soveraigne Courts in name of the Church this priviledge many godly and learned Prelates did injoy to the unspeakable good of the Church and advancement of Christian Religion so that it is no lesse but rather a great deal moâ—e wicked Sacriledge to rob the Church of this so profitable a priviledge than to rob her of her patrimonie and therefore no marvell though these who make no scruple in Conscience to be sacrilegious in the one be also sacrilegious in the other 4. To come neerer to our Church of Scotland it is evident by all histories that since there were Christian Princes therein the reverend Bishops did not onely rule the Ecclesiastick affaires but also had a great hand in the affaires of the Civill estate and did much good by their wise Counsell to the King the Church and whole Kingdome before Popish tyrannie had place therein and that since there were any formall Parliament in Scotland the Prelats made up the third
of faith is not hindred for all the Beautie of the Kings daughter is within But these observations which are diversly celebrated are in her apparell And Tortullian lib. de virg. velaâ—d faith Regula quidem fidei una omninò est sola immobilis irreformabilis c. And a little after Hâc lege fidei manente caetera jam disciplinae conversationis admittunt novitatem correctionis operante proficiente usque in finem gratia Dei That is to say The rule of Faith is altogether one only unchangeable and such as admitteth no reformation this Law of Faith standing firme the rest that concerne discipline and reformation may admit the Noveltie of Correction by the grace of God which worketh a profitable progresse even to the end Their third Consideration is that by the Kings urging of the Book of Common Prayer they knowing no other way to preserve Religion were moved by GOD and urged by Necessity to renew the Nationall Covenant which the Lord since hath blessed from heaven and to subscribe the Confession of Faith with an Application abjuring and suspending all Novations formerly introduced till they should be tried in a free generall Assembly To this I answer first that the Kings urging of the Book of Common prayer was not the true essentiall cause of their rebellious Covenant but onely an occasion greedily apprehended by the Ring-leaders to make that a pretext to stirre up the people to follow them in their Rebellion which they had before purposed in their heart For if it had been the true cause when the King discharged that book their Rebellion had there ceased for sublata vera causa tollitur effectus the true cause being taken away the effect must needs cease But so it is that their Rebellion did never shew it self in so damnable effects as it did after the discharge of the book of Common prayer and granting of all their petitions 2. The urging of that Book containing no impious thing against God nor hurtfull to true Religion could not be a just motive to move them by any Necessitie to such an action as by the fundamentall Laws of the Kingdome is declared to be high Treason when as Subjects without permission or knowledge of the Kings Majestie doe combine themselves in a mutuall band of maintenance against all persons whatsoever not excepting the King their Soveraigne yea it is most evident that this Rebellious Covenant was intended against the Kings Majestie directly and against him onely albeit they cunningly dissemble and pretend the contrary for from whom could so many potent Noblemen and gentlemen of such worth with so great a number of their followers possibly or by any liklihood fear any danger or harme in their persons or estates for refusing the Book of Common prayer or other things which they call Innovations urged chiefly by the Kings Authoritie and speciall Command if it were not from the King himself Could they fear any harme from thirteen or foureteen Bishops for the most part old decrepit and impotent men or was there any the smallest appearance of externall Invasion or inward Conspiracie in the Kingdome before they made it by their Covenant so it is manifest that it was from the King onely they feared danger being conscious to themselves of their mis-demeanors and Rebellious intentions by which it is more than evident that the band of mutuall defence was onely intended against the Kings Majesties self 3. Was there no other way to preserve Religion but by Disobedience and Rebellion it is a dangerous and harmefull physick which prescribes a remedie worse than the disease it self the greatest danger which could come to Religion by this Book was only in circumstances Ceremonies and some mis-interpreted words which being rightly understood could not have been rejected by peaceable wise and understanding men they might have been better interpreted or otherwise corrected than by open disobedience to God and his Anointed as Obedience according to the saying of the Prophet is better than sacrifice so Disobedience and Rebellion bringeth more danger and harme to Religion than the alteration of some indifferent Ceremonies and Circumstances can be able to doe as any wise man may consider by the miserable effects which ordinarily accompanieth Rebellion 4 It is false also that they were moved thereto by God For God is the God of order and the God of peace the author and commander of obedience unto Superiors and therefore cannot be called without blasphemie the author of Rebellion Disobedience Disorder and Confusion in Church or Common-wealth such as this Covenant is in it self and hath produced all those evils as the proper effects thereof It is the doctrine of Anabaptists and fanaticall Libertines to ascribe all the foolish conceits of their braines to the motion of Gods Spirit But certainly it is more probable that they have been moved to this Rebellious Covenant by that Spirit whereby Chore Dathan and Abiram were moved to make insurrection drawing all the Congregation of Israel to Rebellion against Moses and Aarâ—n since both the Acts are very like one to another as is evident by considering the circumstances That Traitor Raviliack who killed Henry the Fourth of France was a confident in his imagination affirming even to the very death that he was not moved to that Fact by any parâ—â—â—ular respect or instigation of another person but onely by God and the Virgin Mary 5. It is false also that they were thereto drawn by Necessitie it was thought indeed that those of Lower Germany were drawn by some Necessity to confederate themselves together against the King of Spaine who was their Prince indeed yet neither he nor any of his Predecessors had such absolute Soveraigntie over them as our King hath over Scotland because he violented their conciences compelling them not onely to forsake but also to forswear the true Religion and imbrace Popish Idolatrie not by Proclamations onely but by fire and sword and cruell torments in the Inquisition wherby many thousands of them were put to death most cruelly before ever they made any combination amongst themselves or refused due Obedience to their Prince Although neverthelesse many wise and learned men are of opinion that their rising in Armes against their Prince was not altogether justifiable before God much lesse then can our Covenanters alleage truely that they were drawn by any Necessitie to this Rebellious combination since for the refusall of that book never a man in Scotland had lost his life or estate or a drop of his bloud or was fined in a farthing or had his body imprisoned or a haire of his head touch'd before that Covenant 6. They alleage that this was a renewing of the Nationall Covenant injoyned by King Iames which is most false for it was a plaine contracting of a new one different in Substance from that which was sworn either the year 1580. or 1590. as they know well and their own conscience beares them witnes The substance of a
that Act at Dundee 1580. HAving disoussed those passages alleaged out of the Abjuration of the Covenant it rests that we answer in like manner to the Acts of divers generall Assemblies produced to prove that the Church hath condemned this power and preheminence of one Pastor over another and over moe particular flocks albeit a sufficient answer may easily be gathered by the judicious Reader out of that which we have said already yet because many are moved by the Authority of those Assemblies who doe not understand the manner of their proceedings we must consider them more particularly to the end than we may shew what weight and force they ought to have in the Church Those Acts here cited by them for the more commodious answering without Tautologie may be disposed in three Ranks first some of them containe only preparations to the condemning of Episcopacie as those from the year 1575. to the 1580. next there are some that tend directly to the establishing of the second book of Discipline transferring the power of Bishops to Presbyteries thirdly others are such as condemne Episcopacie which all we shall examine particularly in their own order And first we must observe that they never alleage one word of any Assembly since the Reformation untill that at Edinburgh 1575. albeit there were thirtie generall Assemblies in Scotland before that time more uncorrupt holy and venerable than any of those which are alleaged of them for why they were not able to shew by any probabilitie that before that time the Church of Scotland did think any evill of this power and preheminencie but did continually and constantly approve the same both by her Constitutions and practice Next we must consider the causes and occasions moving the Ministers at that time to alter their judgements in this point and if we remark the estate of the Church and Kingdome of Scotland at that time as it is known to all these who have taken paines to understand the true history of the Church and Kingdome of Scotland in those dayes we shall finde evidently the occasions of this alteration of Iudgement First there were at that time some men of learning but of fiery and violent humours come into Scotland from Geneva who because of their travels abroad and learning were had in great esteeme and they being themselves greatly in love with Geneva discipline did labour by all manner of perswasions to move others to like both of the Clergie and Laitie especially Noblemen to a liking therof also at lest by intreaties perswasions and some shew of reason made secretly amongst themselves a reasonable number both of Nobility and Ministry who carried a great sway in generall Assemblies and were able to make a partie if the former Government were called in Question Secondly they thought the time fit to further their designe in regard of the Kings Majesties minoritie being then about ten yeers of age at most and therefore not capable of the knowledge of that which was most fit for the Government either of the Civill or Ecclesiastick estate governed himself by divers men of divers humours Thirdly there was a great furtherance to this Alteration in regard of the great troubles divisions and factions at that time amongst the Nobilitie and Courtiers every one striving to thrust out his Neighbour from that imployment he had about the King and Court as witnes the violent death of three Regents and the fourth like enough had gone the same way if his Govermneâ—t had indured longer and many of the Nobility cut off by particular quarrells some justly some unjustly under colour of legall proceeding as witnes likewise an Act of the Assemblie at Edinburgh 1578. whereby a solemn Fast was injoyned for divers reasons Especially because of the â—ivill and intestine ungodly Sâ—ditions and Divisions within the Bowells of the Kingdome Some Noblemen therefore and Courtiers in those factious times as fishing in troubled waters to further their own ends did labour to make some pretext of Religion and therefore did strive to haâ—e the Church upon their side abusing the simplicitie of some of the Ministrie zealous of the new Discipline and the pride of others impatient of subjection to their Bishops or Superintendents stirring them up to cast off their yoak knowing that they by their Sermons and private practices might doe much to make the people incline to which faction they pleased best And by that meanes to force the Kings Majestie for fear of a generall insurrection to grant them whatsoever they desired which policie our Covenanting Noblemen have carefully practised now with great but a dangerous effect there was never yet in those times so bold a Traitor but he found Ministers of that sect to Countenance him and approve his doings both privately and publikly as witnes their applauding the Earle of Bothwell in his treasonable attempts for it is certainly known that of those moneyes which was collected by the Ministers for the relief of Geneva a part was imployed to wage souldiers for him I know and could name if I pleased both the deliverers and Receivers thereof It is known also that Ministers of that Sect had a chief hand in all those attempts which commonly are called Roads as at the road of Stritilling the road of Leith and the Abbey road and at the 17. day of December the Earle of Gowry found one of the prime Ministers of that Sect to justifie his cause and refuse to give thanks to God for the Kings Deliverie from that treasonable Attempt Finally it is well known how King Iames of happy memory was vehemently troubled and vexed most unjustly by that Sect during the time of that Anarchie of the Church as he himself left in record in his Basilicon Doron Fourthly to those occasions another was joyned to further the ruine of Episcopacie towit the Sacrilegious greed of some of the Nobilitie and Courtiers gaping after the Church-rents which they perceived they could never obtaine so long as the Authority of Bishops did subsist and therefore did use the uttermost of their endeavour to bear down that estate pushing forward the Ministers to cry out against the Bishops and to blue abroad their personall faults both in their Assemblies Pulpits and private conference to make the very office it self 〈◊〉 to the people It is therefore more than manifest that those troublesome and factioâ—s times cannot be accounted a good prâ—sident for the Government of the Church in after ages for shall a few turbulent Assemblies backed and 〈◊〉 forward by factious humours and sacrilegious greed of Noblemen and Courtiers in the miâ—orage of the Supreme Magistrate constituting a new Discipline by the example of one small Citie of Geneva confirmed onely by the practice of fourteen or fifteen yeers at most be able to counterpoize Gods Word the continuall practice of the Church of God both under the old and new Testament and the example of the blessed Apostles and their Successors the venerable Pastors of the Primitive Church continued