now for refusing such compelled imposed Devotion to pray or praise for the King poor people are much condemned I know it is alleadged that these faithful sufferers in those days were not so strict as they are now in submitting to unjust Sentences and obeying keeping their Confinements I shall grant there was much of this and much might be tollerate in their circumstances when the Court procedure against them was not so illegal their Authority was not so Tyrannical nor so necessary to be disouned and they were so stated that they were afrayed to take guilt upon them in making their escapes whereas it is not so with us Yet we find very faithful men broke their Confinements As Mr Iohn Murray confined about Dumfreis perceiving there was no end of the Bishops malice and that he would be in no worse case than he was he resolved without Licence either of King or Council to transport himself So did also Mr Robert Bruce III. For resistence of Superior Powers we have in this Period first the practice of some Noblemen an Ruthven anno 1582. who took the King and seised on that Arrant Traitor Enemy to the Church Countrey the Earle of Arran declaring to the world the Causes of it the Kings Correspondence with Papists his usurping the Supremacy over the Church and oppressing the Ministers all by means of his wicked Councellors whom therefore they removed from him The King himself emitted a Declaration allowing this deed The General Assembly approved of it and perswaded to a Concurrence with it and nothing was wanting to ratifie it as a most Lawfull laudable action At length the Fox escapes changes all and retracts his former Declaration The Lords again rallie and interprise the taking of the Castle of Stirling and gain it but afterward surrender it after which the Earle of Gowrie is executed and Ministers are commanded to retract the Approbation of Ruthven business but they refused and many were forced to flee to England and the Lords were banished But in the year 1585. they return with more success and take the Castle of Stirling The cowardly King does again acknowledge justify their Enterprise that they needed no Apology of words Weapons had spoken well enough and gotten them audience to clear their own Cause but his after carriage declared him as crafty false as he was cowardly fearful Again we have the advice of the General Assembly for resisting when the Ministers were troubled upon Mr Blacks bussiness and there was an intention to pull them out of their Pulpits They advised them to stand to the discharge of their Calling if their flocks would save them from violence and yet this violence was expected from the King and his Emissaries As to that point then there can be no dispute IV. There was litle occasion for the Question about the Kings Authority in this Period but generally all acknowledged it because they were not sensible of his usurpation and his cowardice made him incapable of attempting any thing that might raise commotions in civil things Yet we remark that whatsoever Authority he usurped beyond his sphere that was disouned declined by all the Faithful as the Supremacy Next that they resented represented very harshly any aspiring to Absoluteness as Mr Andrew Melvin could give it no better name nor intertain no better notion of it then to terme it The bloodie Guillie as he inveighs against it in the Assembly 1582. And next in this same Period we have a very good description of that Authority which the King himself allowes not to be ouned which out of a Kings mouth abundantly justifies the disouning of the present Tyrannie This same King Iames in a speech to the Parliament in the year 1609. sayth A King degenerateth into a Tyrant when he leaveth to rule by 〈◊〉 much more when he beginneth to invade his Subjects Persons Rights Liberties to set up an Arbitrary Power impose unlawful taxes raise forces make War upon his Subjects to pillage plunder wast and spoil his Kingdoms PERIOD V. Containing the Testimony for the last Reformation from Prelacy in all its steps from the year 1638 to 1660. THe following Period from the year 1638. to 1660 continues advances the Testimony to the greatest hight of Purity Power that either this Church or any other did ever arrive unto with a Gradation Succession Complication of wonders of Divine Wisdom Power Justice Mercy signally singularly ouning sealing it to the Confusion of His Enemies Comfort of His People Conviction of Indifferent Neutrals and Consternation of All. Now after a long winter and night of Deadness Darkness the sun returns with an amiable approach of Light Life now the winter was past the rain was over gone the flowers appear on the earth and the time of singing of birds is come and the voice of the turtle is heard in our Land. Now the second time the Testimony comes to be managed in an Active manner as before it was Passive As the one hath been alwayes observed to follow interchangably upon the other especially in Scotland and the Last alwayes the Greatest which gives ground to hope though it be now our turn to suffer that when the summer comes again after this winter and the day after this night the next Active Testimony shall be more notable than any that went before The matter of the Testimony was the same as before for the Concerns of Christs Kingly Prerogative but with some more increase as to its opposites for these grew successively in every Period the Last alwayes including all that went before The first Period had Gentilisme principally to deal with the second Poperie The third Poperie Tyrannie the fourth Prelacy Supremacy this fifth hath all together and Sectarianisme also to contend against The former had alwayes the opposites on one hand but this hath them in extremes on both hands both fighting against one another and both fighting together against the Church of Scotland and she against both till at length one of her opposites prevailed viz. the Secterian Party and that prevailing brought in the other to wit the Malignant which now domineers over all together Wherefore because this Period is in it self of so great importance the Revolutions therein emergent so eminent the Reformation therein prosecuted wanting litle of its perfect Complement the Deformation succeeding in its Deviation from the Pattern being so destructive to the end it may be seen from whence we have fallen and whether or not the present reproached Sufferers have lost or left their ground we must give a short deduction of the Rise Progress End of the Contendings of that Period In the midst of the forementioned Miseries Mischiefs that the pride of Prelacy and Tyrannical Supremacy had multiplied beyond measure upon this Church Nation and at the hight of all their haughtiness when they were setting up their Dagon and erecting Altars for him
of the God of Truth and Scorn of all our holy Engagments Which defection did not only cause for a long time an incurable Division the first of that kind and most permanent of any that ever was in the Church of Scotland by reason of the surcease of General Assemblâ—es stoped hindered by the yoke of the Sectarian Usurpation but also was the spring source of all our defections since all flowing from fomented by that same spirit that fostered that And for that since that time the Lord hath been contending with this Church Nation bringing us under the bondage of these Malignant Enemies whom we suffered them then to encourage introduce And both at that time since that time the Lord never countenanced an Expedition where that Malignant Interest was taken in unto the state of the quarrel Upon this our Land was invaded by Oliver Cromwel who defeat our Army at Dumbar where the Anger of the Lord was evidently seen to smoke against us for espousing that Interest And remarkable it is how in that very day where in the Publick Resolutions were concluded in the Assembly at St Andrews the Lord then shed the blood of His people at Ennerkeithing so as that the Assembly having in great hast hurried through this Approbation were all made to run for it and Adjourn themselves to Dundie where they met and compleated that step of defection And afterwards it s known what a peculiar vengeance fell upon that City where this deed was done beyond all the Cities of the Nation Next an Army being raised according to these unhallowed Resolutions and the Lord puting remarkable Discountinance upon them in their attemptings at home as was manifest in their attemptings at Torewood c. They march into England and there did the Lord continue by His leaving our Army to the Sword to preach that Doctrine to the world Iosh. 7. 10 11 12. Israel hath sinned and transgressed the Covenant have taken the accursed thing and dissembled also and have put it even amongst their oun stuff therefore the Children of Israel could not stand before their enemies but turned their backs before their Enemies because they were accursed Neither will I be with yow any more except ye destroy the accersed thing from among yow An army of near 30000 was totally routed at Worcester and the Achan the Cause of the overthrow was forced to hide himself in the Oak and thence to transport himself beyond sea where he continued a wandering fugitive in Exile till the year 1660. In the mean time the Sectarian Army here prevailed till after the usurper Cromwel his death the false Monk then General with a Combination of Malignants and Publick Resolutioners did machinate our misery and effectuated it by bringing home the King to England from his banishment Wherein he was habituate into an implacable hatred against the Work of God. Yet though since the Kings first reception into Scotland our declensions were still growing untill they produced this fearful Revolt from God wherein the Nation is now involved there was still a faithful Remnant of Ministers Professors zealous for the Cause keeping their Integrity who in their Remonstrances Testimonies witnessed against both their Malignant Enemies and their backsliding Brethren the Resolutioners and also against the Sectarians their Invaders whose vast Toleration Liberty of Conscience which they brought in to invade our Religion as they had invaded our Land and infect it with their multifarious Errors was particularly by the Synod of Fife and other Brethren in the Ministery that joined themselves to them Testified against and demonstrated to be wicked intollerable Now to see how far the present Testimony is Conâ—irmed by the witnesses of this Period we may resume some Reflections on it I. They impartially carried on the Testimony against Prelacy and the Popish Prelatical Malignant faction on the one hand and the Sectarians on the other without ever waving the Testimony against either or at the least winking at the one to weaken the other both which Testimonies they though of so great importance that they could not dispense with but faithfully maintain both in their witnessings warnings In that seasonable necessary Warning Declaration concerning present imminent dangers given at Edinb Iuly 27. sess 27. They say first of the Sâ—ctaries That prevailing Party of Sectaries in England who have broken the Covenant and despised the Oath of God corrupted the Truth subverted the fundamental Government Look upon us with an evil eye as upon these who stand in the way of their Monstrous new fangled devices in Religion Government and though there were no Cause to fear any thing from that party but the Gangren infection of those many damnable abominable errors which have taken hold on them yet our vicinity unto and dayly Commerce with that Nation may justly make us afrayed that the Lord may give up many in this Land into a spirit of delusion to beleeve Lies because they have not received the Love of the Truth In that same warning they say we are not so to have the one of our eyes upon the Sectaries as not to have the other upon Malignants they being an Enemie more numerous more dangerous than the other not only because experience hath proven that there is a greater aptitude inclination in these of our Land to comply with Malignants than Sectaries in that they carry on their wicked designe under a pretext of being for the King but also because there be many of them in our oun bovvells By vvhich vve may see hovv impartially they opposed both and that this cannot be condemned in the Testimonies of the present Sufferers except the Assembly be condemned And because many novv a dayes have extenuating notions of those debates against Prelacy Sectarianisme about the Government of the Church c. and condemn these that vvould adhere to suffer for the Punctilio's of it as rigid nicetie I shall for seeing vvhat account the Assembly had of them cite their vvords in a Letter to the Assembly of divines at Westminster Dated Edin Iune 18. 1646. The smallest say they of Christs Truths if it be Lavvfull to call any of them small is of greater moment than all the other businesses that ever have been debated since the begining of the vvorld to this day but the highest of honours and heaviest of burdens is put upon yovv to declare out of the Sacred Records of Divine Truth vvhat is the Prerogative of the Croun extent of the Scepter of Jesus Christ vvhat bounds are to be set betvveen Him Ruling in His House and povvers established by God on Earth hovv by vvhom His House is to be Governed and by vvhat vvayes a restraint is to be put on these vvho vvould pervert His Truth and subvert the faith of many II. In the manner of maintaining this Testimony these famous Fathers while faithful for God gave us a perfect
practical expression of it by the hands of all But the reason they give why they are so offended at it is that they look upon it as the Spring of all the errors of Presbyterians and a Notion that destroyes them Which indeed will be found to have a necessary connexion with many of the Truths that they contend for this day as it hath been the necessary methode of deâ—ending them What practices of this kind hath been and what were the occasions inducing or rather enforcing to these Defensive Resistences here to be vindicated as to the principle of them is manifested in the Historical Representation Shewing that after the whole body of the Land was engaged under the bond of a Solemn Covenant several times renewed to defend Religion Liberty and in special manner the Magistrats of all ranks the Supreme whereof was formally admitted to the Government upon these terms he with his Associates conspiring with the Nobles to involve the whole Land in perjury Apostasie overturned the whole Covenanted Work of Reformation and thereby not only encroached upon the Interest of Christ and the Churches Priviledges but subverted the fundamental Constitution of the Kingdoms Government and pressed all to a submission unto and complyance with that Tyranny Apostasie erected upon the ruines thereof Yet the Godly Faithful in the Land sensible of the indispensable obligation of these Covenants resolved to adhere thereunto and suffered long patiently for adherence unto the same until being quite out wearyed by a continued tract of Tyrannical oppressions arbitrarly enacted by wicked Laws and illegally executed against their oun Laws and cruelly prosecuted even without all colour of Law in many unheard of barbarities when there could be no access for or success in complaining or getting redress by Law all Petitions Remonstrances of Grievances being declared seditious treasonable and interdicted as such they were forced to betake themselves to this last remedy of Defensive Resistence intending only the preservation of their Lives Religion Liberties which many times hath been blessed with success and therefore zealously contended for as an inamissible Priviledge by all well affected to the Cause of Christ and Interest of their Country because they found it alwayes Countenanced of the Lord until the cause was betrayed by the Treachery and abandoned by the Cowardice of such as were more Loyal for the Kings Interests than zealous for Christs and the Countries for which the Lord in His holy Jealousie discountenanced many repeated endeavours of this nature Cuting us off and puting us to shame and would not go forth with our Armies But because the duty is not to be measured by and hath a more fixed Rule to be founded upon than providence therefore the Godly did not only maintain the principle in their confessions Testimonies but prosecute the practice in carrying armes making use of them in the defence of the Gospel and of themselves at Field-Meetings which were alwayes successfully prosperous by the power presence of God. This Question is sufficiently discussed by our famous learned invincible Patrons Champions for this excellent priviledge of Mankind the unanswerable Authors of Lex Rex the Apologetical Relation Napthali Ius populi Vindicatum But because facile est inventis addere I shall subjoine my mite And their Arguments being various and volumniously prosecute and scattered at large through their books I shall endeavour to collect a Compend of them in some order The two first speak of a Defensive war managed in a Parliamentary way And the two last of Resistence against the abuse of a Lawful power when there is no access to maintain Religion Liberty any other way which does not come up so closs to our case nor is it an adequate Antithesis to the Assertions of our Adversaries who say that it is no wayes Lawful in any case or upon any pretence whatsoever to Resist the Soveraign power of a Nation in whomsoever it be resident or which way soever it be erected I shall consider it more complexely extensively and plead both for Resistence against the abuse of a Lawful power and against the Use Usurpation of a Tyrannical power And infer not only the Lawfulness of Resisting Kings when they abuse their power as is demonstrate unanswerably by these Authors but the expediency necessity of the duty of Resisting this Tyrannical power whensoever we are in a Capacity if we would not be found treatherous Covenant-breakers betrayers of the Interest of God and the Liberties of the Nation and of our Brethren together with the posterity into the hands of this Popish Implacable Enemie and so bring on us the Curse of Meroz and the Curse of our Brethrens blood crying for vengeance on the heads of the shedders thereof and upon all who being in case came not to their rescue and the Curse of posterity for not transmitting that Reformation Liberty whereof we were by the valour of our fore-fathers put left in possession I shall not therefore restrict my self to the State of the Question as propounded ordinarly viz. Whether or not when a Covenanted King doth really injure oppress invade his Subjects Civil Religious Rights or unavoidably threatens to deprive them of their dearest nearest Liberties and sends out his Emissaries with armed violence against them and when all redress to be had or hope by any Address or petition is rendered void or inaccessible yea addressing interdicted under severe penalties as treasonable Then in that case may a Communitie of these Subjects defend themselves their Religion Liberties by armes in resisting his bloody Emissaries But to bring it home to our present case and answer the Laxness of the Adversaries position of the uncontrollableness of every one that wears a Crown I shall State it thus Whether or not is it necessary duty for a Community whether they have the Concurrence of the primores or Nobles or not to endeavour in the Defence of their Lives Religion Laws Liberties to Resist Repress the Usurpation Tyranny of Prevailing Dominators using or abusing their power for subverting Religion invading the Liberties and overturning the foundamental Laws of their Country I hold the Affirmative and shall essay to prove it by the same Arguments that conclude this Question as usually stated Which will more than evince the Justifyableness of the Sufferings upon this Head. In prosecuting of this Subject I shall first premit some Concessory Considerations to clear it And Secondly bring Reasons to prove it First for clearing of this Truth and taking off Mistakes these Concessions may be considered 1. The Ordinance of Magistracy which is of God is not to be Resisted no not so much as by disobedience or non-obedience nay not so much as mentally by cursing in the heart Eccles. 10. 20. but a person cloathed therewith abusing his power may be in so far Resisted But Tyrants or Magistrates turning Tyrants are
all Action against them Yet all are not asleep and I hope there are some who will never enter in any terms of peace with them against whom the Mediator hath declared and will prosecute a war for ever but will still oune aim at this as the highest pitch of their ambition to be found among His chosen called faithful ones who maintain a constant opposition against them However thô the Lord seems in His providence to put a bar upon all publick Appearances under a display of open war against them and it is not the design of what is said here on this and the foregoing Head to incite or invite to any Yet Certainly even at this present all that have the zeal of God and love to His righteous Cause rightly stated in their hearts will find themselves called not to supercede altogether from all Actions of avowed and even violent opposition against them whom we are all bound both by the Morality of the duty and the Formality of Solemn Sacred Covenants to hold out from a violent intrusion into and peaceable possession of this Land devoted to God and to put them out when they are got in either by their fraud or force And this plea now brought to an end will oblige all the Loyal Lovers of Christ to an Endeavour of these 1. To take Alarms and to be fore-warned and fore-armed resolute ready to withstand the invasion of Poperie that it be neither established by Law through the supineness of such who should stand in the Gap and resolve rather to be sacrificed in the spot by a valiant resisting than see such an Abomination set up again Nor introduced by this Liberty through the wyles of such whose chiefest principle of policy is perfidie who design by this wide Gate and in the womb of the wooden horse of this Toleration to bring it in peaceably Nor intruded by force fury fire sword if they shall fall upon their old game of Murders Massacres It concerns all to be upon their Guard and not only to come out of Babylon but to be making ready to go against it when the Lord shall give the Call. 2. To resist the beginings of their Invasions before they be past remeady And for this effect to oppose their gradual erections of their Idolatrous Monuments and not suffer them to set up the Idol of the Mass in City or Country without attempting if they have any force to overthrow the same 3. In the mean time to defend themselves and the Gospel against all their Assaults and to Rescue any out of their hands upon all occasions that for the Cause of Christ they have caught as a prey to oppose prevent their oun the Nations ruine slaverie But to Conclude As it will be now expected in Justice Charity that all the Vassals Votaries Subjects and Servants of the One Common Lord King Christ Jesus every where through out His Dominions who may see this Representation of the case and Vindication of the cause of a poor wasted wounded persecuted reproached Remnant of the now declining sometimes Renouned Church of Scotland will be so far from standing Esaw-like on the other side either as Enemies rejoicing to look on their Affliction in the day of their Calamity or as Neutral unconcerned with their distressed Condition or as Strangers without the knowledge or sense of their Sorrowes Difficulties Or as Gallio's caring for none of these things or thinking their case not worthy of Compassion or their cause of Consideration or possibly condemning their Sufferings as at best but Stated upon slender subtile nice Points that are odd odious and invidiously represented It is now expected I say that Christians not possessed with Prejudice which is very improper for any that bear that Holy honourable Signature and not willing to be imposed upon by Misinformations will be so far from that Unchristian temper towards them as to be easily byassed with all Reports Reproaches to their disadvantage that if they weigh what is in this Treatise offered and truly I may say candidely Represented without any design of prevarication or painting or daubing to make the Matter either better or worse than it will seem to any impartial Observer they will admit intertain a more charitable Construction of them and not deny them Brotherly Sympathie and Christian Compassion nor be wanting in the duty of Prayer Suppltcation for them that at length the Lord would turn His hand upon the litle Ones and bring at least a thrid Part a Remnant of Mourners through the fire So to that litle Flock the poor of the Flock that wait upon the Lord and desire to keep His way I shall only say Though I judged Necessity was laid upon me in stead of a better to essay this Vindication of your cause as stated betwixt yow and your and your Lords Enemies the men that now ride over your heads that say to your Soul bow doun that we may go over yow I desire not that yow should yea I obtest that yow may not lay any Stress on the strength of what I have said but let its weight lie where it must be laid on that firm Foundation that will bear yow and it both that Stone that tried Stone that Precious Corner Stone that sure Foundation Christ Jesus And search the Scriptures of Truth to see whether these things be so or not And I doubt not but by that Touchstone if these Precious Truths be tried they will be found neither hay nor stubble that cannot abide the fire but as silver tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times Do not offend that they are contemned as small and contradicted as odious but look to the importance of His Glory whose Truths Concerns they are and from Whom they are seeking to draw or drive yow who oppose and oppugu these Truths Stand fast therefore in the Liberty where with Christ hath made yow free and hold fast every Word of His patience that yow may be kept in this hour of tentation Let no man take your Crown or pull yow doun from your excellency which is alwayes the design of your wicked Enemies in all their several shapes shewes both of force fraud craft cruelty Beware of their snares and of their tender Mercies for they are cruel and when they speak fair beleeve them not for there are seven abominations in their hearts Say ye not a Confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say a Confederacy neither fear ye their fear nor be afraied Sanctify the Lord of Hosts Himself and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread And He shall be for a Sanctuary but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel for a gin for a snare to the Inhabitants of Ierusalem Wait upon the Lord who hideth His face from the House of Iacob and look
others from concerting that same necessary witness in the season thereof And for this end he will change both matter manner in managing the War. He will not now persecute for the old Controverted heads of Poperie with fire faggot as formerly for refusing to worship Our Lady or the blessed Sacrament of the Altar These weapons Engines are so worn out of use that they will not work now as they did before And that old Baud of Babylon is become so ugly and out of date that he does not believe her beauty can be so bewitching except she put on a new busk But her Eldest Daughter the Prelatical Church of the same Complexion with herself except that she is coloured with Protestant paint is fitter for his service to allure our Land into fornication And who will not be entyced must be forced to Communion with her by finings confynings exactions extortions impositions of Oaths c. Religion must be litle concerned here for there is Preaching enough and of Protestant Doctrine too and without the Monkie-Tricks Montebank showes fopperies of English-Popish Ceremonies Lyturgical services What would they be at Is it not better to yeeld to this than to fall into the hand of the Scotish-Spanish-Inquisition that will rack the Purse the Body Conscience and all This is one Complex head of suffering and thought a very small one by many But now finding this would not do his business yet it looked too like Religion still He hath therefore invented a new Machin He will not now Persecute nor force the Conscience at all so good natur'd is the Devil and his Lievetenant grown in their old age for matters of meer Religion Nay if we may believe him who when he speaketh a lie speaketh it of his own he hath not done it this long time but only in all the violent Courses exercised against these Sufferers he hath been Magistratically chastising the disobedience rebellion of a few turbulent Traitors who would not oune the Government And thus under the notion of Rebellion disouning Authority he hath had access success to destroy almost an innumerable number of honest innocent faithful fruitful lovers of Christ who though indeed they have had their sufferings stated upon those points yet I doubt not shall be found among the followers of the Lamb and Confessors and Martyrs of Christ who haue overcome by the blood of the Lamb the word of their Testimony not loving their lives unto the Death whose blood is crying for vengeance against the shedders thereof And He will make inquisition for it when He comes to overturn overturn take His own right for which they have been Contending Nevertheless this is a prejudice too prevalent with many to misregard the Case Cause of these Contenders or any thing that can be said to represent them favourablie And all these disadvantages difficulties discouragements together considered would soon cool my Courage and at first blush make me leave off before I begin were I not persuaded that it is the Cause of Christ these reproached people are suffering for and that their great sufferings reproaches are both alike unjust from both which the Lord vvill vindicate them bring forth their righteousness as the light their judgment as the noon day â—n His oun time In confidence of vvhich depending on his Conduct I shall undertake as briefly as is possible for me to represent their case and clear the Cause so far at least as concerns their Contest vvith their pesecuting Enemies vviâ—h vvhom I only deal at present it not being my purpose to descend particularly into their necessitated Contendings vvith Complying Brethren partly because they vvould make the volume to excresce unto too great a bulk because they are to be seen elsevvhere yet in effect these also are not only here narratively deduced but vvhatever is odious in them is vindicated vvhat is difficult in some measure enodated But it may be expected and desiderated that I should give a distinct deduction of all the Steps of this woful defection against which a great part of the Testimony hath been stated but I would have the Reader advertised I touch only that part of the Testimony which hath been sealed by severe sufferings from enemies It were a Task transcending my Capacity and a Theme wherein I have no pleasure besides that it is inconsistent with my Leasure to inlarge upon such a sad and shameful subject Though the world indeed is at a loss that they that would do it cannot and they that would should do it will not And it is a greater loss not only to Scotland but also to the whole Christian world that what hath been done in this kind already cannot see the light or rather that the Church of Christ is deprived of its light which through the injury of the times the disingenuous Prudence of some who suffer themselves to be imposed upon by the Patrons of Defection is embezilled suppressed I mean that excellent faithful History of Defection the posthumous work of famous Mr. M'ward whose praise is in the Churches which if they that have it in keeping would do themselves the honour and the world the happiness of publishing it there would be no more need to discover from whence to what and how that Church hath fallen degenerate nor so great dissicultie in that indisputable indispensable duty that such a day calls for in searching trying our wayes to the end we may turn again to the Lord Nor any necessity for my poor essay to invite incite the people of the lord to take Cognizance Compassion of poor perishing Scotland I wish that they who have it may consult more their oun duty and credit and what they owe to the memory of the dead the Churches edification the dayes Testimony and the honour of Christ than to continue robbing the world of such a Treasure wich I doubt not to call Treason against Christ Sacriledge against the Church stick not to tell them if they will not publish it the world must knovv there was such a thing done But it not being my design now to detect or reflect upon all the defections of that declining by declensions divided by divisions almost only not destroyed Church I shall medle with them no further than what is necessary to clear the cause refering the knowledge and account of them either to the Notoriety of the grossest of them or to the more particular enarration of them to be found in papers emitted published by the Contenders against them Of vvhich one is of this same years edition entituled The Informatory vindication of a poor wasted misrepresented Remnant c. In vvhich may be evident that notvvithstanding of all this darkness distress defection division under vvhich the Church of Scotland hath been so long is still labouring there is yet a poor
imposed upon consulted again vvhat to do and in end being oversvvayed more vvith respect to their oun credite vvhich they thought should be impeached if they should retract their oun Plenipotentiary Instructions to conclude the Treaty upon the Kings assent to their Conditions than to their reclamant consciences they resolved to bring home that pest and thereby Precipitated themselves us into ineluctable miserie Yet they thought to mend the Matter by binding him vvith all Cords and puting him to all most explicite Engagments before he should receive the Imperial Croun Well upon these termes home he comes and before he set his foot on British ground he takes the Covenant And thereafter because the Commission of the General Assembly by the Act oâ— the West Kirk August 13. 1650. Precluded his Admittance unto the Croun if he should refuse the then required satifaction before his Coronation he emits that Declaration at Dumferling wherein Professing appearing in the full perswasion love of the Truth he repenteth as having to do with in the sight of God his Fathers opposition to the Covenant work of God his oun reluctances against the same hoping for Mercy through the blood of Jesus Christ and obtesting the prayers of the faithful to God for his stedfastness and than protesteth his Truth sincerity in entering into the Oath of God resolving to prosecute the ends of the Covenant to his utmost and to have with it the same Common friends Enemies exhorting all to lay doun their enmity against the cause of God and not to prefer mans Interest to Gods which will prove an Idol of Jealousie to provoke the Lord and he himself accounteth to be but selfish flatterie A declaration so full of heart Professions high Attestations of God that none considering what followed can reflect thereon without horror trembling from the holy Jealousie of the Lord either for the then deep dissimulation or the after unparalelled Apostacy I know it is objected by Court parasites that the King was then compelled to do these things To which I shall only say It would have cost any of them their head at that time to have asserted that he did upon deliberation choise mock God man and entered into these Engagments only with a purpose to be thereby in better Capacity to destroy what he swore to maintain only because he could not have the Croun without this way which in the Confession of the objectors themselves was only deliberate premeditate Perjurie Next if it should be granted he was Compelled let it be also considered who Compelled him and these will be found to be the deceitful Courtiers For let it be adverted what Mr Gilespie declares of the Case who put the pen in his hand when he subscribed that Declaration He perceiving there was sufficient ground to Jealouse his reality and seeing evidently that the Courtiers prevailed with the King on a sudden to offer to subscribe the Declaration when they observed that the Commissioners of Churh State were resolute ready to go away in a fixedness to leave out the puting of his Interest in the state of the quarrel and being afrayed of the sad Consequences of it spoke his mind plainly to the King That if he was not satisfied in his Soul Conscience beyond all hesitation of the righteousness of the subscription he was so far from overdriving him to run upon that for which he had no light as he obtested him yea he charged him in his Masters name and in the name of these who sent him not to subscribe this Declaration no not for the three Kingdoms Whereupon the King answered Mr Gillespie Mr Gillespie I am satisfied I am satisfied with the Declaration and therefore will subscribe it Upon which some of the Courtiers swore that Mr Gillespie intended simply to disswade the King from subscribing it that so Church and State might professedly lay aside his Inetrest which would have defeat their hopes to make up themselves as now they have done upon the then designed ruine of the Interest of Truth Then at his Coronation we have his again reiterated confirmations of that Covenant first he is desired in name of the people to accept the Crown and maintain Religion according to the National Solemn League Covenant whereunto he gave his apparently Cordial consent the words are in the forme order of the Coronation with the whole Action Then next a Sermon being Preached upon 2 King. 11. 12 17. the action commenceth with his most solemn renewing of the National and solemn League Covenant by Oath Then he is presented to the people and their willingness demanded to have him for their King on these termes At the same time in the next place he took the Coronation Oath Then on these termes he accepted the Sword. And after the Crown is set upon his head the peoples obligatory Oath is proclaimed on the termes foresaid otherwise he is not that King to whom they swore subjection Then being set upon the Throne he was by the Minister put in mind of his Engagments from 1 Chron. 29. 33. And then the Nobles of the Land came one by one kneeling and lifting up their hands between his hands swore the same Oath These things done the whole Action was closed with a most solid severe exhortation from several instances Neh. 5. 13. Ier. 34. 18 19 20 c. There after in the year 1651. followed the Ratification of all these preceeding Treaties Transactions Engagments concluded enacted by the King and the Parliament then fully freely conveened whereby the same did pass into a Perpetual Law. And this Covenant which from the begining was is the most sure indispensible Oath of God became at length the very fundamental Law of the Kingdom whereon all the rights or priviledges either of King or people are principally bottomed secured This might seem security sufficient but considering the former discoveries experiences they had of his Treachery and the visible appearances in the mean time of his Refusalls visible Reluctances manifest Resilings open Counter actings and continued prejudices against the Covenant and his following unprecedented avowed perjurie every thing doth indelebly fasten upon them the weakness at least of an overweening Credulity and upon him the wickedness of a perfidious Policy in all these Condiscensions After this it came to pass that zeal for the Cause rightly stated was suddenly contracted to a few and the flame thereof extinguished in many and Court wild fire substitute in its place whereby a plain defection was violently carried on by the Publick Resolutioners who relapsing into that most sinful Conjunction with the People of these abominations so solemnly repented for resolved against did notwithstanding bring in Notorious Malignants into places of power Trust in Judicatories Armies in a more Politick than Pious way of requiring of them a constrained dissembled Repentance to the mocking
upon thee from the Lord. Whereunto is subjoined his dying Testimony to the same purpose wherein are these words But if there shall be a falling back to the sin of complyance with Malignant ungodly men then I look for the breaking out of the wrath of the Lord till there be no remedy This was the warning of a worthy dying Man. Notwithstanding of which many other warnings witnessings a course of complyance was commenced by the pulick Resolutioners and continued in to this day wherein that faithful warning of a dying servant of Christ is verified But before I leave this purpose I must obviate an objection that some make use of for strengthening themselves in their incorporations joinings at least in Worship with the corruptions of the time and for condemning conscientious withdrawers That the Godly in those dayes did not separate from the men of these complyances defections as many do now to wit the protesting party did not withdraw from the publick Resolutioners Associators with Malignants I answer first many these the most Godly tender did withdraw even from their oun Ministers and would have gone 40. or 50 myles to hear a faithful Minister at that time yea Ministers themselves in the case of intrusion of the unfaithful would have supplyed the Paroch as if the Church had been vacant and when they could not get access to the pulpit they preached in the fields on purpose to witness against and professedly to withdraw the people from such an unfaithful Intruder as might be instanced particularly for time place if need were But next The Church then though broken by division and under the subjection of strangers deprived of her General Assemblies yet was in a constitut Case enjoying the priviledge power order of Synods Presbyteries to whom the people offended with their Ministers might address themselves for an orderly redress and removal of these Scandals in an ordinary way and so they needed not assume to themselves that power to regulate their communion that in a broken State as now is must be allowed to them And besides both the Ministers at that time who were faithful though they might have proceeded to censure silence the corrupt party as they were obliged yet not only found it difficult by reason of the injury of the times but also thought it best to spare them And the people to bear them as burdens untill as they were still in hopes they should obtain a General Assembly to take order with them but now it is not so And then the defection was but begining and people did not know and could not expect it would go such a length and therefore could not fall upon the rigor of that duty which such disorders call for at first but if they had seen where these beginings would Land them at length I doubt not but they would have resisted those beginings in such a way as would have precluded this imputation of novelty upon our necessitated with drawings III. We have in this Period not only an Illustrious Testimony for the Principle but a continued and unintermitted putting into practice the duty of defensive Armes in resisting the Soverain power malversing abusing Authority to the destruction of the ends of it which resistence was avowed encouraged furthered by the General Assembly both for the defence of themselves and for the help of their Brethren in England Take one expression in their Solemn seasonable Warning to all ranks Feb. 12. 1645. Sess 18. Unless men will blot out of their hearts the love of Religion cause of God and cast off all care of their Country Lawes Liberties c. all being in visible danger of present ruine destruction they must now or never appear actively each one stretching himself to yea beyond his power It is no time to dally or to go about the business by halfs nor be almost but altogether zealous Cursed is he that doeth the work of the Lord negligently If we have been forward to assist our Neighbour Kingdoms shall we neglect to defend our oun Or shall the Enemies of God be more active against His cause than His people for it God forbid In another seasonable necessary warning Iuly 27. 1649. Sess. 27. They say But if his Maj. or any having or pretending power commission from him shall invade this Kingdom upon pretext of establishing him in the exercise of his royal power as it will be an high provocation against God to be accessory or assisting there to so it will be a necessary duty to resist oppose the same These Fathers could well distinguish between Authority and the person abusing it And were not so Loyal as now their degenerate Children are ambitious to shew themselves stupidly stouping to the shaddow thereof and yet will be called the only Asserters of Presbyterian principles But we find they put it among the Characters of Malignants to confound the Kings honour Authority with the abuse pretence thereof and with Commissions warrants Letters procured from the King by the Enemies of the cause Covenant as if we could not oppose the Latter without increaching upon the former But here an Objection or two must be removed out of the way before we go forward One is from the Third Atticle of the Covinant where there seems to be a great deal of Loyaltie obliging to defend the Kings Maj. his person Authority in the preservation defence of the true Religion Liberties of the Kingdoms that the world may bear witness with our consciences of our Loyaltie And that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish his Majesties just power greatness I Ans. There is indeed a deal of Loyaltie there and true Loyaltie because Lawfully limited being qualified with subordinate unto the preservation defence of the true Religion Liberties of the Kingdom as the makers of the Covenant do expound it in the Assembles declaration against the unlawful Eugagment Iuly ult 1648. Sess. 21. not that Reverse Loyaltie which makes duties to God conditional limited and duties to thee King absolute unlimited as our Loyalists do now And I wish others were free of it who have sworn Oaths of unlimited Alledgiances to maintain the King in any power unto which his force aspires and to justify this their Loyaltie will bring in this Article of the Covenant with a distorted sense reading it backward that we in the preservation defence of Religion must preserve defend the King As if Religion obliged to defend him do what he will. It were better such pretended Covenanters denyed the Covenant than to be such a reproach to it in wresting its genuine sense But I have adduced the sense of the best Interpreters of it the General Assembly Next when they entered under the bond of this Covenant they did it with a purpose to oppose all his invasions upon Religion the Liberty of the people and to
former Principles and betray the Cause Fifthly That he being admitted before satisfaction vvould soon endeavour an overturning of the things vvhich God hath wrought and labour to dravv publick administrations concerning Religion Liberty into that course Channel in vvhich they did run under Prelacy and before the work of Reformation Whence they warn that every one take heed of such a snare that they be not accessery to any such design as they would not bring upon themselves their families the guilt of all the detriment that will undoubtedly follow thereupon of all the miseries it will bring upon the Kingdoms And therefore who soever attempt the same oppose themselves to the cause of God and will at last dash against the Rock of the Lords power which hath broken in pieces many high lofty ones since the begining of the work in the Kingdoms 2 I shall here insert the Act of the West-Kirk declaring their mind very manifestly West Kirk August 13. 1650. The Commission of the General Assembly considering that there may be just ground of stumbling from the K. Maj. refusing to subscribe emitt the Declaration offered to him by the Committee of Estates and the Commission of the General Assembly concerning his former carriage resolutions for the future in reference to the Cause of God and the enemies friends thereof Doth therefore declare That this Kirk Kingdom doth not oune or espouse any Malignant Party or Quarrel or Interest but that they fight meerly upon their former Grounds Principles and in the defence of the Cause of God and of the Kingdom as they have done these twelve years past And therefore as they disclaim all the sin guilt of the King and of his house so they will not oune him nor his interest otherwise than with a subordination to God and so far as he ounes prosecutes the Cause of God and disclaims his his fathers opposition to the Work of God and to the Covenant and likewise all the enemies thereof And that they will with convenient speed take unto Consideration the Papers lately sent unto them by Oliver Cromwel and vindicate themselves from all the falshoods contained therein especially in these things wherein the quarrel betwixt us that party is Mistated as if we ouned the late Kings proceedings and were resolved to prosecute maintain his present Maj. Interest before without acknowledgment of the sin of his house and former wayes satisfaction to Gods people in both Kingdoms A. KER Aug. 13. 1650. The Committe of Estates having seen considered a Declaration of the Commission of the General Assembly anent the stating of the quarrel wherein the Army is to fight do approve the same and heartily concur therein Tho Henderson In the 3 place It is specified in the Causes of wrath as one of the steps of defection Art. 9. Step. 5. That a Treaty should have been closed with him upon his subscribing demands after he had given many clear evidences of his disaffection enmity to the work people of God That these demands which he was required to subscribe did not contain a real security a real abandoning of former Malignant courses principles and cleaving to the Work of God It was not a paper or verbal security which we were bound to demand of him but a real one and to intrust him without this was but to mock God and deceive the world and to betray destroy our selves by giving up all precious Interests of Religion Liberty unto the hands of one who was in a course of enmity to them That both before and in the mean time of the treaty he had given evidence of his enmity in many instances there condiscended upon particularly that he authorized Iames Graham to invade this Kingdom and incouraged him by Letters to go on in that Invasion even whilest he was in termes of a Treaty with us as appeared by bringing into our hands the Authentick Commission it self and sundry Letters under his own hand Next in the same Causes of wrath among the sins of the Ministrie in relation to the publick § 10 11 12 13. That they agreed to receive the King to the Covenant barely upon writing without any apparent evidences of a real change of principle That they did not use freedom in showing what was sinful in reference to that Treaty but went on therein when they were not satisfied in their consciences for fear of reproach of being mistaken That they were silent in publick and did not give Testimony after a discovery of the Kings Commission to Iames Graham for invading the Kingdom That they pressed the King to make a Declaration to the world whilst they knew by clear evidences that he had no real conviction of the things contained therein PERIOD VI. Containing the Testimony through the continued Tract of the present Deformation from the year 1660. to this day NOw comes the last Catastrophe of the Deformation of the Church of Scotland which now renders her to all Nations as infamously despicable as her Reformation formerly made her admired envied which in a Retrograde motion hath gradually been growing these 27 years going back through all the steps by which the Reformation ascended till now she is returned to the very border of that Babylon from whence she took her departure and reduced through defection division and persecutions to a confused Chaos of almost irreparable dissolution and unavoidable desolation Through all which steps notwithstang to this day Scotland hath never wanted a witness for Christ against all the various steps of the Enemies advancings and of professed friends declinings Though the Testimony hath had some singularities some way discriminating it from that of former Periods in that it hath been more difficult by reason of more desperate dreadful assaults of more enraged enemies more expert experienced in the accursed art of overturning than any formerly In that it hath been attended with more disadvantages by reason of the Enemies greater prevalency and Friends deficiency and greater want of significant Assertors than any formerly In that it hath been intangled in more multifarious intricacies of questions and debates and divisions among the Assertors themselves making it more dark and yet in the end contributing to clear it more than any formerly In that it hath been intended extended to a greater measure both as to matter manner of contendings against the Adversaries and stated upon nicer points more enixely prosecuted tenaciously maintained sealed with more sufferings than any formeriy In that it hath had more opposition contradiction and less countenance from professed friends to the Reformation either at home or abroad than any formerly And yet it hath had all these several specialities together which were peculiar to the former Testimonies in their respective Periods being both Active Passive both against Enemies Friends And in cumulo stated against Atheisme Popery Prelacy Errastian
Land of the violence of that beast of prey and attempted to cut him off which failing he then escaped but afterwards was apprehended and being moved by the Councils Oath and Act of Assurance promising his life he made Confession of the fact Yet afterwards for the same he was arraigned before the Justiciary and the Confession he made was brought in against him and witnessed by the perjured Chancellour Rothes and other Lords contrare to their Oath Act produced in open Court to their indeleble infamy whereupon he was tortured condemned executed But Justice would not suffer this Murder to pass long unrevenged nor that Truculunt Traitor Iamos Sharp the Arch-Prelat who was the occasion cause of it and of many more both before after to escape remarkable punishment the severity whereof did sufficiently compense its delay after ten years respite wherein he ceased not more and more to pursue persecute make havock of the Righteous for their duty until at length he received the just demerit of his perfidie perjury apostasie sorceries villanies and murders Sharp arrowes of the Mighty coals of Iuniper For upon the 3. of May 1679. several worthy Gentlmen with some other men of Courage zeal for the cause of God and the good of the Country executed righteous Judgement upon him in Maguâ— Moor near St Andrews And that same moneth on the Anniversary day May 29. the Testimony at Rutherglen was Published against that abomination of celebrating an Anniversary day kept every year for giving thanks for the setting up an usurped power destroying the Interest of Christ in the Land And angainst all sinful unlawful Acts emitted executed published prosecuted against our Covenanted Reformation Where also they burnt the Act of Supremacy the Declaration the Act Recissory c. in way of retaliation for the burning of the Covenants On the Sabbath following Iun. 1. A field Meeting for the Worship of God near to Loudoun-hil was assaulted by Graham of Claverhouse and with him three troups of horse Dragoons who had that morning taken an honest Minister and about 14 Country-men out of their beds and carried them along with them as Prisoners to the Meeting in a Barbarous manner But by the good hand of God upon the Defendents they were repulsed at Drumclogg and put to flight the Prisoners relieved about 30. of the Souldiers killed on the place and 3. of the Meeting and several wounded on both sides Thereafter the people retreating from the pursuit consulted what was expedient in that juncture whether to disperse themselves as formerly or to keep together for their necessary defence The result was that considering the craft cruelty of those they had to deal with the sad consequents of falling into their hands now more incensed than ever the evil effects that likely would ensue upon their separation which would give them access to make havock of all they judged it most safe in that extremity for some time not to separate Which Resolution coming abroad to the ears of others of their Brethren determined them incontinently to come to their Assistence considering their necessity and their oun lyableness to the same common danger upon the account of their endeavours of that nature elsewhere to defend themselves being of the same judgement for maintaining of the same Cause to which the were bound by the same Covenants and groaning under the same burdens they judged therefore that if they now with held their assistence in such a strait they could not be innocent of their Brethrens blood nor found faithful in their Covenant To which they were encouraged with the Countenance success the Lord had given to that Meeting in that defensive Resistence This was the Rise Occasion of that Appearance at Bothwel-bridge which the Lord did in His Holy Soveraignty confound for former Defections by the means of Division which broke that litle Army among themselves before they were broken by the Enemy They continued together in amiable amicable peace for the space of 8 or 9 dayes while they endeavoured to put out keep out every wicked thing from amongst them and adhered to the Rutherglen-Testimony and that short Declaration at Glasgow confirming it Representing their present purposes endeavours where only in vindication defence of the Reformed Religion as they stood obliged thereto by the National Solemn League Covenant and the Solemn Acknowledgment of Sins Engagment to duties Declaring against Popery Prelacy Erastianisme and all things depending thereupon Intending hereby to comprehend the defection of the Indulgence to witness against which all unanimously aggreed Until the Army encreasing the Defenders Daubers of that defection some Ministers and others came in who broke all and upon whom the blood of that Appearance may be charged The occasion of the breach was first When in the sense of the obligation of that Command when the host goeth forth against thine enemies keep thee from every wicked thing an overture was offered to set times apart for humiliation for the publick sins of the Land according to the practice of the Godly in all ages before engaging their enemies and the laudable precedents of our Ancestors that so the Causes of Gods wrath against the Nation might be enquired into confessed and the Lords Blessing Counsel Conduct to upon present Endeavours might be implored And accordingly the Complying with abjured Erastianisme by the acceptance of the ensnaring Indulgence offered by received from the Usurping Rulers was condescended upon among the rest of the grounds of fasting humiliation so seasonably necessarely called for at that time The Sticklers for the Indulgence refused the overture upon politick considerations for fear of offending the Indulged Ministers Gentlemen and provoking them to withdraw their Assistence This was the great Cause of the division that produced such unhappy destructive effects And next whereas the Cause was stated before according to the Covenants in the Rutherglen-Testimony Glasglow-Declaration wherein the Kings Interest was waved These Dividers drew up another large paper called the Hamiltoun-Declaration wherein they assert the Kings Interest according to the third Article of the Solemn League Covenant Against which the best affected contended protested they could not in Conscience put in his Interest in the State of the Quarrel being now in stated opposition to Christs Interests and inconsistent with the meaning of the Covenant and the practices of the Covenanters and their own Testimonies while now he could not be declared for as being in the defence of Religion Liberty when he had so palpably overturned ruined the Work of Reformation and oppressed such as adhered thereunto and had burnt the Covenant c. Whereby he had loosed the people from all obligation to him from it Yet that contrary faction prevailed so far as to get it published in the name of all whereby the Cause was perverted betrayed and the former
for the honour of their Master and the freedom of their Ministrie Whereupon as many poor People were stumbled and jumbled into many confusions so that they were so bewildered bemisted in doubts debates that they knew not what to do and were tempted to question the Cause formerly so servently contended for against all opposition then so simply abandoned by these that seemed sometimes valiant for it when they saw them consulting more their oun ease than the Concerns of their Masters Glory or the necessity of the poor people hungering for the Gospel and standing in need of Counsel in time of such abounding snares whereby many became a prey to all tentations So the more zealous faithful after several Addresses Calls Invitations to Ministers finding themselves deserted by them judged themselves under a necessity to discountenance many of them whom formerly they followed with pleasure and to resolve upon a pursuit prosecution of the duty of the day without them and to provide themselves with faithful Ministers who would not shun for all hazards to declare the whole Counsel of God. And accordingly through the tender Mercy of God compassionating the exigence of the People the Lord sent them first Mr Richard Cameron with whom after his serious solicitation his Brethren denied their concurrence and then Mr Donald Cargil who with a zeal boldness becoming Christs Ambassadours maintained prosecuted the Testimony against all the Indignities done to their Master and wrongs to the Cause both by the encroachments of Adversaries and defections of their declining Brethren Wherein they were signally countenanced of their Master And the Lords Inheritance was again revived with the showres of the Gospels blessings wherewith they had been before refreshed and enlightened with a Glance Glimpse of resplendent brightness immediatly before the obscurity of this fearful night of darkness that hath succeeded But as Christ was then displaying His beauty to His poor despised persecuted People so Antichrist began to blaze his bravery in the solemn shameful reception of his harbinger that Pimp of the Romish whore the Duke of York Who had now pulled off the Mask under which he had long covered his Antichristian Bigotrie through a trick of his brother constrained by the Papists importunity and the necessity of their favour recruit of their Coyn either to declare himself Papist or to make his brother do it whereby all the locusts were engaged to his Interest with whom he entered into a Conspiracy and Popish Plot as was discovered by many infallible evidences and confessed by Coleman his Secretary to Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey for which lest he should witness against him when Coleman was apprehended that Gentleman was cruelly murdered by the Duke of Yorks contrivance command Yet for all the demonstrations of his being a Bigot Papist that he had long given unto the world it is known what some suffered for saying that the Duke of York was a Papist and being forced to leave England he was come to Scotland to promots Poperie Arbitrary Government However thô the Parliament of England for his Poperie Villanie and his ploting pursuing the destruction of the Nation did vote his Exclusion yet degenerate Scotland did receive him in great pompe pride Against which the forementioned faithful witnesses of Christ did find themselves obliged to testify their just resentment and to protest against his succeeding to the Croun in their Declaration published at Sanquhair Iune 22. 1680. Wherein also they Disoune Charles Stewart as having any Right Title or Interest in the Croun of Scotland or Government thereof as being foreâ—aulted several years since by his perjurie breach of Covenant Usurpation on Christs Prerogatives and by his Tyranny breaches in the very Leges regnandi in matters Civil And declare a war with him and all the men of these practices homologating the Testimony at Rutherglen and disclaiming that declaration at Hamiltoun This Action was generally condemned by the body of lurking Ministers both for the matter of it and the unseasonableness of it and its apparent unfeasibleness being done by a handful so inconsiderable for number strength or significancy But as they had very great important reasons to disclaim that Tyrants Authority hinted in the Declaration it self and hereafter more fully vindicated so the necessity of a Testimony against all the Tyrannical Encroachments on Religion Liberty then current encreasing and the sin shame of shifting delaying it so long when the Blasphemous Supremacy was now advanced to its summity the Churches Priviledges all overturned Religion and the Work of Reformation trampled under foot the Peoples Rights Liberties destroyed and Lawes all subverted and no shadow of Government left but arbitrary Absoluteness obtruding the Tyrants will for Reason and his Letter for the Supreme Law witness the Answer which one of the Council gave to another objecting against their Proceedings as not according to Law what devil do ye talk of Law have not we the Kings Letter for it And all the ends of Magistracy wholly inverted while innocent honest People were grievously oppressed in their persons Consciences Estates And Perjuries Adulteries Idolatries and all impieties were not only connived at but countenanced as badges of Loyaltie and manifest monstrous Robbries Murders Authorized Judgement turned into gall and the fruit of Righteousness into hemlock do justify its Seasonableness And the ends of the Declaration to keep up the Standart of the Gospel and maintain the Work of Reformation and preserve a Remnant of faithful Adherers to it the nature of the Resolution declared being only to endeavour to make good maintain their Revolt in opposition to all who would pursue them for it and reinforce them to a subjection to that yoke of slaverie again and the extremity of danger distress that party was in while declared pursued as Rebells and intercommuned interdicted of all supplie solace being put out of their oun and by Law precluded of the harbour of all other habitations and so both for safety subsistence compelled by necessity to concur keep together may alleviate the Censure and stop the Clamour of its unfeasibleness But thô it is not the prudence of the managment but the justness of the Action that I would have vindicated from obliquies yet it wanted nothing but success to justify both in the conviction of many that made much outcry against it In these dangerous in his maintainance of the true Covenanted Religion which homage they cannot now require upon the account of the Covenant which they have renounced disclaimed and upon no other ground we are bound to them the Croun not being an inheritance that passeth from Father to son without the Consent of Tenants 3 Of the hope of their returning from these Courses Whereof there is none seeing they have so often declared their purposes of persevering ill thein And suppose they should dissemble a repentance
1680. at the Torwood he excommunicated some of the most scandalous and Principal Promoters Abettors of this Conspiracy against Christ as formally as the present Case could admit After Sermon upon Ezek. 21. 25 26 27. And thou profane wicked Prince of Israel whose day is come c. He had a short and pertinent discourse on the nature the subject the causes and the ends of Excommunication in general And then declared that he was not led out of any private Spirit or passion to this Action but constrained by Conscience of duty and zeal to God to stigmatize with this brand and wound with the Sword of the Lord these Enemies of God that had so Apostatized rebelled against mocked despised defied Our Lord and to declare them as they are none of His to be none of ours The persons excommunicated and the Sentence against them was given forth as followes I being a Minister of Iesus Christ and having Authority and Power from Him do in His Name by His Spirit excommunicatâ— cast out of the true Church and deliver up to Satan Charles the Second King c. The Sentence was founded upon these grounds declared in the pronunciation thereof 1 for his high mocking of God in that after he had acknowledged his own sins his fathers sins his mothers Idolatrie yet had gone on more avowedly in the same than all before him 2 for his great Perjurie in breaking burning the Covenant 3 for his rescinding all Lawes for establishing the Reformation and enacting Lawes contrarie thereunto 4 for commanding of Armies to destroy the Lords people 5 for his being an Enemy to true Protestants helper of the Papists and hindering the execution of just Lawes against them 6 for his granting Remissions Pardons for Murderers which is in the power of no King to do being expressly contrare to the Law of God. 7 for his Adulteries and dissembling with God man Next by the same Authority and in the same name he excommunicated Iames Duke of York for his Idolatrie and setting it up in Scotland to defile the Land and entycing encouraging others to do so Not mentioning any other sins but what he scandalously persisted in in Scotland c. With several other rotten Malignant Enemies on whom the Lord hath ratiâ—â—ed that Sentence since very remarkably whose sins punishments both may be read more visiblie in the Providences of the time than I can record them But about this time when amidst all the abounding defections divisions of that dark dismal hour of tentation some in zeal for the Cause were endeavouring to keep up the Testimony of the day in an abstraction from Complying Ministers Others were left in holy judgment to be a stumbling block to the Generation hardening them in their defections and to be a beacon to the most zealous to keep off from all unwarrantable excesses to fall into fearâ—ul extravagances and delirious damnable delusions being overdriven with ignorant blind zeal into untroden paths which led them into a labyrinth of darkness when as they were stumbled at many Ministers their unfaithfulness so through the deceit of Sathan and the hypocrisie of his Instruments they came to be offended at Mr Cargil his faithfulness who spared neither left hand declensions nor right hand extremes and left him and all the Ministers not only disouning all Communion with those that were not of their way but execrating Cursing them and kept themselves in desert places from all Company where they persisted prodigiously in fastings and singing Psalms pretending to wonderful raptures Enthusiasmes and in fine I. Gib with 4 more of them came to that hight of Blasphemy that they burnt the Bible Confession of Faith. These were the sweet singers as they were called led away into these delusions by that Impostor Sorcerer Iohn Gib who never encreased to such a number as was then feared reported being within thirty most part women all which for the most part have been through Mercy reclaimed from that destructive way which through Grace the Reproached Remnant adhering to the foresaid Testimony had alwayes an abhorrence of Wherefore that ignorant impudent Calumnie of their Consortship with Gibs followers is only the vent of viperous Envy For they were the first that discovered them and whose pains the Lord blessed in reclaiming them and were alwayes so far from partaking with them that to this day these that have come off from that way and have offered the Confession of their scandal do still complain of their over-rigid severity in not admitting them to their select fellowships To which may be added this undenyable Demonstration that whereas the persecuâ—ing Courts of Inquisition did alwayes extend the utmost severity against the Ouners of this Testimony yet they spared them And the Duke of York then in Scotland was so weâ— pleased with Gib's Blasphemies that he favoured him extraordinarly and freely dismissed him This was a cloudy dark day but not without a burning shining light as long as that faithful Minister of Christ Mr Donald Cargil was following the Work of the Lord who shortly after this finished his Testimony being apprehended with other two faithful zealous Witnesses of Christ Mr Walter Smith and Mr Iames Boog who with 2 more were altogether at Edinburgh 27. Iulij 1681. Crouned with the Glory of Martyrdom Then came the day of the Remnants vexation trouble darkness dimness of anguish wherein who so looked unto the Land could see nothing but darkness sorrow the light darkened in the Heavens thereof wherein neither Star nor Sun appeared for many dayes and poor People were made to grope for the wall like the blind and to stumble in noon day as in the night While the Persecution advanced on the one hand a violent spait of defection carried doun the most part of Ministers Professors before it driving them to Courses of sinful scandalous Conformings with the times Corruptions Compearings before their Courts Complyings with their Commands paying of theis Cesses and other Exactions Taking of their Oaths Bonds and countenancing their Prelatical Church-Services which they were ashamed to do before And thereupon on the other hand the Divisions and Confusions were augmented and poor people that desired to cleave to the Testimony were more more offended and stumbled at the Ministers who either left the Land in that clamant Call of the peoples necessity or lurked in their own retirements and declined the duty of that day leaving people to determine themselves in all their perplexities as a prey to all tentations But the tender Pastor and Shepherd of Israel who leads the blind in the way they know not did not forsake a Remnant in that hour of tentation who kept the Word of His Patience and as He helped those that fell into the hands of Enemies to Witness a good Confession so He strengthened the zeal of the remaining Contenders against all the
them it being no way supposible that his enlarging his favours can consist with their faithfulness but if they discover any measure of zeal against Antichrist he will quickly diminish them Thus far I have compendiously deduced the Account of the Progress Prosecution of the Testimony of this Church to the present State thereof as it is Concerted Contended for by the Reproached Remnant now only Persecuted which I hope this pretended Liberty shall be so far from obscuring interrupting that it shall contribute further to clear it and engage them more to Constancy in it and induce others also to Countenance it when they shall see the sad effects of this Destructive Snare which I leave to time to produce And hope that as the former Representation of their Cause will conciliate the Charity of the unbyassed so an Account of their Sufferings thereupon will provoke them to Sympathie To which I now proceed PART II. CONTAINING A BRIEF ACCOUNT Of the Persecution of the last Period And of the great Sufferings whereby all the Parts of its Testimony were sealed THe foregoing Deduction being the first thing I proposed to be discussed in the Method of this Essay hath now swelled to such a Bulk that the Last Period of it doth in a manner swallow up what I intended to have said on the Second Because it gives grounds to gather the Methods Measures that our Adversaries have managed for the ruin of this Witnessing Remnant and also discovers some special steps of their Sufferings within these 27. years past under the Tyranny of both the Brothers It will now be the more easie to glean the Gradations of the Means Machins used by this Popish Prelatical Malignant faction to raze the Work of Reformation and to build their Babel of Poperie Slaverie on the ruines thereof And to aggregate an Account in brief of the Great Sufferings of the Faithful Which though it be beyond my power and besides my purposes at present to offer a Narrative of it with any proportion to the greatness of the subject A more particular Relation thereof being now projected if Providence permit to be Published to the world which will discover strange unheard of Cruelties yet in this little heap of some hints only of the kinds of their Sufferings I do not question but it will appear that the Persecution of Scotland hath been very remarkable and scarcely out-done by the most Cruel in any Place or Age in respect of injustice illegality inhumanity though perhaps inferiour in some other Circumstances But that none could be more unjust illegal or inhumane I need not further I cannot better demonstrate than only to Declare the matter of fact as it fell out in the several Steps of the Last Period 1. In the Entry of this fatal Catastrophe the first of their Mischievous Machinations was to remove out of the way all who were eminent Instruments in carrying on the former Work of God or might be of influence for obstructing their Antichristian Tyrannical designs both in the State and in the Church And accordingly when the Marqueâ—s of Argyle who had a main hand in bringing home the King and closing the Second Treaty at Breda went up to London to Congratulate his return from exile he was made Prisoner in the Tower thereafter sent doun to Scotland indyted of high Treason at length beheaded and his head placed upon the Tolbooth of Edinburgh A watch word of warning to our Addressers who may ere all be done meet with the same sawce for no other alledged Cause but for his Complyance with the English when they had our Land in subjection a thing wherein the Judges that condemned him were Socii Criminis but really for another provocation that incensed the King against him which made him a Tyrant as infamous for villanie as for violence to wit for his reproving the King when others declined it for an Adulterous Rape which he held for so piacular a Crime that he resolved nothing should expiate it but the blood of this Nobleman For the same Pretended Cause was the Lord Waristoun afterwards executed to death at Edinburgh after they had missed of their design of taking him off by Clandestine ways abroad Then they fall upon the Ministers And because Mr Iames Guthrie was a man who had been honoured of God to be zealous singularly faithful in carrying on the Work of Reformation and had asserted the Kingly Authority of Christ in opposition to the Erastian Supremacy encroaching thereupon therefore he must Live no longer but is condemned to die and most basely handled as if he had been a most Notorious Thief or Malefactor he is hanged afterward his head placed upon one of the Ports of Edinburgh where it abideth to this day Preaching not only against the Enemies Rebellion against God but against the defection of many Ministers since who have Practically denied that Great Truth for which he Suffered viz his Testimony against the Supremacy and for declining the Usurped Authority of him who Arrogated it At the same time there was a Proclamation which they caused to be read at all the Church-doors discharging Ministers to speak against them or their Proceedings whereby Profane Malicious persons were encouraged to witness against their Ministers By which means though many were in no hazard thinking it commendable Prudence commended indeed by the world but hateful unfaithfulness before God to be silent at such a time some faithful Ministers giving faithful free warning Protesting against the present Defection were condemned of Treason and banished out of the three Dominions Others Indicta Causa without access to give in their defences were sentenced with banishment and could never get an Extract of their sentence And furder were compelled to subscribe a bond under pain of death to remove out of all the Dominions betuixt such a day This was the lot and also the blot of these famous faithful Ministers Mr Iohn Livingstoun Mr Ro Mâ— Ward Mr Io. Broun c. who spent the rest of their dayes in Holland serving their Generation by their excellent Writings Then after they had disposed of many other Ministers whom they thrust out for not keeping the 29th of May having now laid by the most Eminent whom they feared most of the Ministrie they shortly thereafter outed violented the rest from the exercise of their Ministrie and straitened them with strange severe Confinements yea because they would not be out done 〈◊〉 suppressing Religion by any no not by Iulian the Apostate they proceeded to poyson all the springs fountains of Learning ordaining that none be Masters in Universities except they take the Oath of Supremacy oune the Government of Prelacy and none be admitted to teach in a School without the Prelats Licence These Courses brought many Ministers Expectants to great Sufferings 2. Hitherto they reached only Noblemen Gentlemen Ministers and others whom they thought might
persons twice once to have their ears cut and be banished and after the lopping of their ears some have been re-examined and Sentenced to death and execute 23. They have Sentenced some and hanged them both in one day Others early in the morning both to surprize the persons that were to die and to prevent Spectators of the sight of their Cruelty Others have been kept in suspense till the very day hour of their execution 24. Not only have they murdered serious zealous Followers of Christ in taking away their Lives but endeavoured to murder their Names and to murder the Cause for which they suffered loading it with all Reproaches as Sedition Rebellion c. which was their peculiar Policy to bring the Heads of Sufferings to Points that are most obnoxious to mens Censure and accounted most extrinsick to Religion whereby they levelled their-designs against Religion not directly under that notion but obliquely in the destruction of its Professors under the odium reproach of enemies to Government 25. But chiefly they labour to murder the Soul defile the Conscience and only consult to cast a man doun from his excellency which is his integrity that is a Christians Croun and that they would rather rob him of as any thing either by hectoring or flattering him from the Testimony which they endeavour by proposing many offers with many threatenings in subtile termes And pretend a great deal of tenderness protesting they will be as tender of their blood as of their oun Soul which in some sense is true for they have none at all of their oun Souls and purging themselves as Pilate did and charging it upon their oun head 26. They will be very easie in their Accommodations where they find the poor man begining to faint and hearken to their overtures wherein they will grant him his life yeelding to him as cunning Anglers do with Fishes And to persuade him to some length in complying they will offer Conference sometimes or reasoning upon the Point to satisfie informe his Conscience as they pretend but really to catch him with their busked hook 27. If they have any hope of prevailing they will change a mans Prison and take him out from among the more strict fervent in the Cause that might sharpen strenghen his zeal and put him in among the more cool remiss 28. Sometimes they used to stage several together whereof they knew some would Comply to Tantalize the rest with the sight of the others Liberty and make them byte the more eagerly at their bait to catch the Conscience But when they had done all they could Christ had many Witnesses who did retain the Croun of their Testimony in the smallest Points till they obtained the Croun of Martyrdom and attained to the Croun of Glory Speaking boldly to them without fear or shame and disdaining their flattering Proposals but looking on them under a right notion as stated there in opposition to Christ whereby they found this Advantage that hence they were restrained from all sinful tampering with them or intertaining any discourse with them but what was suitable to speak to Christs enemies or doing any thing to save their life but what became Christs Witnesses who loved not their lives unto the death Of whom universally this was observed that to the Admiration of all the Conviction of many enemies the Confirmation of many friends the Establishment of the Cause and the Glory of their Redeemeâ— they went off the stage with so much of the Lords Counâ—enance so much Assurance of Pardon Eternal Peace so much hope of the Lords returning to Revive His Work and Plead His Cause again in these Lands that never any suffered with more meekness humility composure of Spirit and with more faithfulness stedfastness resolution than these Worthies did for these despised reproached Truths for which their surviving Brethren are now Contending Suffering while others are at ease PART III. THE PRESENT TESTIMONY Stated and Vindicated in its Principal Heads BY what is above premitted the Reader may see the Series Succession of the Testimony of Christs Witnesses in Scotland from time to time in all the Periods of that Church how it hath been transmitted from one generation to another Doun to our hands how far it hath been extended and what Increments it hath received in every Period how it hath been opposed by a Continued Prosecution of an hereditary War against Christ by an Atheistical Papistical Prelatical and Tyrannical faction and how it hath been concerted contended for maintained sealed actively passively by an Anti-pagan Anti-Popish Anti-Prelatical Anti-Erastian Anti-Sectarian and Anti-Tyrannical Remnant of the Followers Professors Confessors Martyrs of Christ in all Ages Now it remains in the third last Place to consider the Merit of the Cause as it is now Stated to see whether it will bear the weight of those great Sufferings wherewith it hath been sealed I hope all the Lovers of Christ who have an esteeâ— â—ven of His reproaches above all the Treasures of Egypt will grant that if these sufferings be Stated on the least or lowest of the Truths of Christs then they are not Misstated noâ— built upon a bottom that will not bear them or is not of that worth to sustain them For Certainly every Truth the least of Truths is of greater value than any thing that we can suffer the loss of for it yea of infinitely greater value than the whole world So that if I prove these Heads of Suffering to be Truths wherein Conscience is concerned the Cause will be sufficiently vindicated from the loadings lashings of such as prefer Peace to Truth ease to dutie who to Justify their oun backwardness detastable lukwarmness call some of them only State questions about things Civil and not Gospel-Truths and Heads to State suffering upon And if they be Truths Duties the Cause will some way be rendered more Illustrious that it is Stated upon the smallest hoofs hair-breadths of the Concerns of Christs Declarative Glory as being a greater witness of its Ouners Love Loyalty to Christ and of their pure tender zeal for His honour than if for more substantial fundamental Truths which a Natural Conscience may reclaim to Decline when for the meanest Circumstantials of Christs Truths they dare are ambitious to bestow their dearest blood But if the Complexe of them be impartially Considered no unprejudiced Arbiter will suffer himself to have such extenuating Impressions of the present Word of Patience Testimony of the suffering Remant in Scotland this day But it will appear to be a very weighty worthy Concern as any that either Men or Christians can be called to Witness for being the Priviledge of all mankind the Duty of all Christians and the Dignity of all Churches to assert It is for the Glory Croun Prerogatives and Imperial Regalia of the King of Kings with reference to His
called in One Hope Professing One Lord Confessing One Faith sealed with One Baptisme Eph. 4. 3. c. And for Brethren to dwel together in Unity is good pleasant and like the precious Oyntment upon the head that ran doun upon Aarons beard Psal. 133. 1 2. A fragrant Oyntment indeed if it be composed aright of Gospel-simples according to Divine art and the Wisdom that is from above which is first pure then peacable and not made up of Adulterate Politicks that Union that hath the Spirit for its Author the Scripture for its Rule Peace for its bond beauty love for its Cement Faith for its foment Christ for its foundation and Truth holiness for its constant Companions cannot but be intensely desired enixely endeavoured and fervently followed by all the Professors of the Gospel of Peace Subjects of the Prince of Peace Which makes Division Schisme not only a great Miserie but a Grand sin But it must be in the way of Truth Duty and consistent with holiness the honour of Christ otherwise if it be in the way of Apostasie defection it is but a Confederacy Conspiracy against the Lord. And true Union can neither be attained nor retained nor recovered except the sinful Cause of Division Defection and the holy overruling Cause the Anger of the Lord be removed in turning to following him II. Thô there be not perfect Union but diversity both of judgements and practices in several Cases there may be Communion with a Church in its Ordinances and Ministrie As 1. We may have a Catholick Communion with all Christian Ministers Members of the Catholick Church considered as such holding the Head Christ and the foundation sure And so we may meet for Worship with all Devout men in every Nation under Heaven whether they be Parthians or Medes or Elamites or French or Dutch c. thô differing in Controversies of lesser moment not overturning that if they hold the Universal Testimony of the Gospel against the Common enemies thereof Iewes Turks or Pagans for there is neither Greek nor Iew if he be a Christian Christ is all and in all Col. 3. 11. But if they be Hereticks we can have no Communion with them 2. We may have a more special Communion with all Protestant Ministers Members of the Reformed Church considered as such more strictly and upon stricter conditions providing they hold not only the Universal of Christians but the General Testimony of Protestants against the Greater lesser Antichrists thô differing from us in some circumstantial points not Reformed and not contradictory unto the Protestant Testimony against Poperie all Heresie nor declining from their oun Reformation by Defection or Schisme And Consequently its Lawful to oune Communion with the Churches of the United Provinces and take Ordination from them thô they have some formes not allowable from which they were never Reformed because they are sound in the Protestant Testimony But with the Sectarians or Schismaticks or Apostates among them we cannot oune that special Communion 3. We may have a more Particular Communion upon yet stricter conditions with all our Covenanted Brethren Ministers Members of the Churches of Britain Ireland considered as such Providing they hold not only the Universal not only the more Special Protestant Testimony against the Greater lesser Antichrists but the Covenanted Testimony for the Reformation in Doctrine Worship Discipline Government against Poperie Prelacy Superstition Heresie Schisme Profanness according to the Covenant Thô differing from us in those Controversial points never Reformed and which were never the Word of Christs patience and do not overturn the Covenanted Testimony But with those that contradict counteract that we cannot oune that particular Communion 4. We may have yet a nearer Organical Communion upon stricter conditions still with all the Ministers Members of the National Church of Scotland constitute confederate under one Reformed Government according to the Rule of Christ providing they hold not only all the former Testimonies under the foresaid considerations but the Presbyterian Testimony as stated in the Ecclesiastical Constitutions and sworn to in the National Covenants Engagements of that Church founded upon the Word of God against Poperie Prelacy Erastianisme Sectarianisme Toleration Schisme Defection thô differing in some things from us never Reformed never considered in Ecclesiastical Judicatories never engaged against in our Covenants never Stated as the Word of patience and Matter of Testimony But with those that oppose suppress reproach and abandon this Testimony we cannot oune this Organical Communion in this broken State of the Church We may have yet a stricter Congregational Communion upon stricter conditions in and with the Ordinary or extraordinary Meetings or Societies of the Lords people for Gospel Ordinances with any Minister or Ministers duely truely admitted to that function according to Christs Appointment and the Call of the people whether in a fixed or unfixed relation provicing he holds the Testimony of Christ under all the former considerations and ounes and adheres unto the true received principles of the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline Government founded upon the written Word of God and whatsoever Declarations or Testimonies former or latter particular or more General are aggreable thereunto thô differing from us in some of the Integral not Essential parts of our Testimony against the Enemies of our Covenanted Reformation But with such as deny or decline from it by Schisme or Defection or Complyance with the enemies thereof we cannot oune this Congregational Communion in this broken State of the Church III. Thô there be many things in a Church to brangle lessen the Comfort of our Communion with it and the Ministrie thereof yet we may keep fellowship with a true Church thô in many things faultie and Corrupt as all Churches are in some measure in this Militant State. As the Church of Corinth had many corruptions in their practice yet no separation is enjoyned from it And the Lord did not require separation from the Churches of Pergaâ—â—â— Thyatira though they had many corruptions deficiencies in Discipline in a Toleration of Hereticks and would lay no other burden upon them but to hold fast what they had as Mr Durham shewes in his Comment on the Revel chap. 2. Lect. 6. Pag. 148 149. as also Chap. 18. Lect. 1. Pag. 585. in 4 to This must be granted especially in these cases 1. In the infant State of the Church when the Reformation is only begun then many things may be tolerated before they be gradually Reformed which in an adult State are not to be suffered 2. In a growing case of the Church advancing out of corruptions then many things may be born with while they are ascending wrestling up the hill which in a Declining State when the Church is going backward must not be yeelded unto See that Objection of hearing Prelatical men in the time of
Covenants neither could they ever pretend any thing that might loose the obligation 8. That party in a Reformed Church which having overturned her Reformation hath shut out laid aside persecute away sound adherers thereunto both Ministers Professors will not admit Ministers to officiate but upon the sinful termes of complyance with their way are Schismaticks But the Prelats and their Curats are that party in this Reformed Church which having overturned her Reformation hath shut out laid aside and Persecute away sound adherers thereunto c. Therefore they are the Schismaticks to be withdrawn from and their way is the Schisme which we are bound to extirpate in the Covenant HEAD II. The Sufferings of many for Refusing to oune the Tyrants Authority vindicated THe other Grand Ordinance of God Magistracy which He hath in His Soveraign Wisdom Justice Goodness appointed ordained consecrated for the demonstration illustration vindication of His oun Glory and the Communication Conservation and Reparation of the Peace safety order Liberty and universal good of mankind is next to that of the Ministry of Greatest Concern wherein not only the Prudence Policie Propertie Libertie of men but also the conscience Duty Religion of Christians have a special Interest And therefore it is no less important pertinent profitable necessary for every one that hath any of these to care contend for keep or recover to inquire into and understand somthing of the institution constitution nature boundaries of the Sacred ordinance of Magistracy than into the holy ordinance of the Ministry So far at least as may consist with the sphere of every ones Capacity Station and may conduce to the satisfaction of every ones conscience in the discharge of the duties of their relations Every private man indeed hath neither capacity concern nor necessity to study the Politicks or search into the secrets or Intrigues of Government no more then he is to be versed in all the Administrations of Ecclesiastical Policy and Interests of the Ministry yet every mans Conscience is no less concerned in distinguishing the Character of Gods Ministers of Justice the Magistrats to whom he owes ounes allegiance that they be not usurping Tyrants everting the Ordinance of the Magistracy than in acknowledging the Character of Christs Ministers of the Gospel to whom he owes ounes obedience that they be not usurping Prelats or Impostors perverting the Ordinance of the Ministry The Glory of God is much concerned in our ouning keeping pure intire according to His will word both these Ordinances And our Conscience as well as Interest is concerned in the advantage or hurt profit or prejudice of the right or wrong observation or prevarication of both these ordinances being interested in the advantage of Magistracy and hurt of Tyrannie in the State as well as in the advantage of the Ministry and hurt of Diocesan or Erastian Supremacy in the Church in the advantage of Ltberty and hurt of slavery in the State as well as in the advantage of Religion and hurt of Profaneness in the Church in the profit of Lawes and prejudice of Prerogative in the State as well as in the profit of Truth and prejudice of Error in the Church in the profit of Peace and true Loyalty and prejudice of oppression and Rebellion in the State as well as in the profit of Purity Unity and prejudice of Defection Division or Schisme in the Church So that in Conscience we are no more free to Prostitute our Loyalty Liberty absolutely in ouning every Possessor of the Magistracy than we are free to Prostitute our Religion faith implicitely in ouning every Pretender to the Ministry This may seem very Paradoxical to some because so dissonant dissentient from the vulgar yea almost Universal and invetrate opinion Practice of the world that hitherto hath not been so precise in the matter of Magistracy And it may seem yet more strange that not only some should be found to assert this but that any should be found so strict and strait-laced as to adventure upon suffering and even to Death for that which hath hitherto been seldom scrupled by any that were forced to subjection under a yoke which they had no force to shake off and wherein Religion seems litle or nothing concerned for not ouning the authority of the present Possessors of the place of Government which seems to be a Question not only excentrick extrinsick to Religion but such a State question as for its thorny Intricacies difficulties is more proper for Politicians Lawyers to dispute about as indeed their debates about this head of Authority have been as manifold multiplied as about any one thing than for Private Christians to search into and suffer for as a Part of their Testimony But if we will cast off Prejudices and the Tyrannie of Custom and the bondage of being bound to the worlds Mind in our inquiries about Tyrannie and suffer our selves to Ponder impartially the importance of this matter And then to state the question right We shall find Religion Conscience hath no small interest in this business They must have no snall Interest in it if we consider the importance of this matter either extensively or objectively or Subjectively Extensively considered it is the Interest of all mankind to know and be resolved in Conscience whether the Government they are under be of Gods Ordination or of the Devils administration whether it be Magistracy or Tyrannie whether it gives security for Religion Liberty to themselves and their posterity or whether it induces upon themselves and entails upon the posterity slavery as to both these invaluable Interests whether they have matter of praise to God for the blessings mercies of Magistracy or matter of Mourning for the plagues miseries of Tyrannie to the end they may know both the sins snares Duties dangers Case Crisis of the times they â—ive in All men that ever enjoyed the mercy of a right Constitute Magistracy have experienced and were bound to bless God for the blessed fruits of it And on the other hand the world is full of the Tragical Monuments of Tyrannie for which men were bound bath to search into the Causes and see the effects of such plagues from the Lord to the end they might mourn over both And from the begining it hath been observed that as Peoples sins have alwayes procured the Scourge of Tyrannie So all their miseries might be refounded upon Tyrants encroachments Usurping upon or betraying their Trust and overturning Religion Lawes Liberties Certainly Mankind is concerned in point of Interest Conscience to inquire into the cause Cure of this Epidemick distemper that hath so long held the world in miserie and so habitually that now it is become as it were Natural to lye stupidly under it that is that old Ingrained Gangrene of the Kings Evil or Complyance with Tyrannie that hath long
Covenant that made him King doth oblige to unmake him Whatever power he hath it is only a borrowed fiduciary power as the Nations Publick servant and that which was lent him in Pledge or paun may be reclaimed when abused by him Especially if he turn parricide Kill his brother murder his nobles burn Cities then he may ought to be punished by Law. Otherwise God should have provided better for the safety of the part than of the whole though that part be but a mean for the safety of the whole for if he turn Tyrant in his absoluteness the people must be destroyed if they may not repress him thus he is secured and the whole exposed to ruine Yea if he be a man as well as a King he must be under rule of Law and when he transgresses either his transgressions are punishable by men or they are not transgressions with men See many Arguments to this purpose in Lex Rex Quest. 14. 19. 22. 23. 24. 26. 27. But Secondly I prove it by Scripture 1. Even as King he is regulated by Law not to multiply horses nor wives nor money but to keep the words of the Law and not lift up himself above his brethren Deut. 17. 16 17 19 20. he must observe to do according to the Law and not turn from it to the right hand or to the left Iosh. 1. 7. Ergo he must not be absolute 2. He is certainly under that Law Math. 7. 12. what so ever ye would that men should do to yow do ye even so to them which is the universal fundamental Law. If then he would have us keeping in our line of subordination to him he must keep his line and so cannot be absolute 3. What is Gods dwe peculiar Prerogative can be ouned in no Mortal But Absolute power is Gods due peculiar Prerogative He alone does whatsoever pleaseth Him Psal. 115. 3. He alone worketh alle things after the Counsel of His oun will Eph. 1. 11. Acts or Commands founded upon the sole pleasure of the Agent are proper to God. Its Gods will and not the Creatures that can make things good or just It s Blasphemy therefore to ascribe absolute power to any Creature 4. That which the spirit of God condemned as a point of Tyranny in Nebuchadnezzar that is no prerogative to be ouned but the Spirit of God condemned this in him proceeding from absolute power that whom he would he slew and whom he would he kept alive whom he would he set up and whom he would he put doun And his heart was lifted up Dan. 5. 19. 20. 5. That which God condemns threatens in Tyrants in the Word in General cannot be ouned but Absolute power God condemns thereatens in the word in general that they turned Iudgement into Gall and said have we not taken to us horns by our oun strength Amos. 6. 12. 13. 6. The Word of God speaks nothing of the Kings Absolute prerogative to make Laws as he will. It is plain the Kings of Iudah had it not but the Sanhedrin had a great part of the Nomothetick power and of the punitive power in a special manner the Princes people had it by Ieremahs acknowledgment Ier. 26. 14. And Zedekiah confesses to them the King is not he that can do any thing against yow Ier. 38. 5. 7. we find the King in Scripture had not an absolute power to expone or execute the Law as he would Saul made a Law 1 Sam. 14. 2â— Cursed be the man that eats any food until evening But expening it thinking to execute it after a Tyrannical manner he was justly resisted by the people who would not let him kill innocent Ionathan 8. Nor had he the sole power of Interpreting it for inferior Judges were Interpreters who are no less essential Judges than the King who are set to Judge for the Lord and not for the King 2 Cron. 19. 6. and therefore they were to expone it according to their oun conscience and not the Kings They were to speak righteousness Iudge uprightly Psal. 58. 1. hence called Gods as well as Kings Psal. 82. 1. There was no essential Difference between a King of Gods approving and a Judge there being but one Law to both Deut. 17. 9. he was subject to judgment as well as others for being but a brother even while on the throne who was not to lift up his heart above his brethren Deut. 17. ult When his Cause was to be judged his person though never so great was not to be respected nor were they to be afrayed of the face of man for the judgment was Gods Deut. 1. 17. therefore the Judges were to give out sentence in judgment as if the Lord were to give it out There was no exception of Kings there Yea we find according to common Law they judged punished offending Kings as shall be made appear 10. If they were under Church Censures then they were not absolute but we find Kings were under Church Censures not only rebuked sharply to their face of which we have many instances but also subjected to Church discipline as Uzziah shut up for his Leprosie And certainly at all times this must be extended to all for the King is either a brother or not If not then he should not be King according to the Scripture Deut. 17. 15. then also he is not a Christian nor can he say the Lords Prayer If he be then if a brother offend he is subject to the Church Math. 18. there is no exceptions of Kings there The Objection from Eccles 8. 3. 4. he doth whatsoever pleaseth him where the word of a King is there is power and who may say unto him what doest thow is of no significancy here For. 1. This Argument will enforce absolute obedience if the power be to be taken absolutely for it is obedience that is there commanded and so we must not only oune the absolute Authority but obey it without reserve which never any yet had the impudence to plead for until Iames the unjust claimed it in a Scots Proclaimation but we answer It is better to obey God than man 2. If he may do whatsoever pleases him then he may turn Priest then he may kill whom he pleases take possession and yet for Saules Usurpation Samuel could say more than what doest thow even to tell him he had done foolishly and his Kingdom should not continue 1 Sam. 13. 13. 14. And for Ahabs Tyranny Elâ—ah could tell him the dogs shall lick thy blood even thine 1 King. 21. 19. And Ezekiel thow profane wicked-Prince of Israel Ezek. 21. 25. 3. The meaning is then only this that a righteous King his just power may not be controlled he is armed with power that may not be resisted for he beareth not the Sword in vain and therefore we must not stand in an evil matter against them I conlude then this Argument with the words of an Ingenious Author upon this
yet in the case of Tyranny and violating his Trust there is a Tribunal virtual eminently above him in them that made him reposed that Trust upon him as is said 3. The fountain power is superior to the power derived The people though they constitute a King above them yet retain the fountain power he only hath the derived power Certainly the people must retain more power eminently than they could give to the King for they gave it and he receives it with limitations if he turn mad or uncapable they may put Curators Tutors over him if he be taken captive they may appoint another to exercise the power if he die then they may constitute another with more or less power So then if they give a way all their power as a slave selleth his Liberty and retain no fountain power or radical right they could not make use of it to produce any of these acts They set a King above them only with an executive power for their good but the radical power remains in the people as in an immortal spring which they communicate by succession to this or that Mortal man in the manner measure they think expedient for otherwise if they gave all their power away what shall they reserve to make a new King if this man die What if the Royal line surcease there be no Prophets now sent to make Kings And if they have power in these cases why not in the case of Tyranny 4. If the King be accountable by Law for any act of Tyranny done against one man then much more is he accountable for many against the whole state But the former is true a private man may go to Law before the ordinary Judges for wronging his inheritance and the King is made accountable for the wrong done by him Now shall the Laws be like Spiders webs which hold flies but let bigger beasts pass through Shall Sentence be past for petty wrongs against a man and none for Tyrannizing over Religion Laws Liberties of the Kingdom Shall none be past against parricide or fratricide for killing his Brother Murdering the Nobles and burning Cities Shall pettie Thieves be hanged for stealing a Sheep and does the Laws of God or man give impunity for robbing a whole Country of the nearest dearest Interests they have to Crowned heads for the fancied Character of Royalty which thereby is forfeited 5. If there be Judges appointed of God independently to give out execute the Judgment of the Lord on all offenders without exception of the highest then the King also must be subject to that Judgment But there are Judges appointed of God independently to give out execute the Judgment of the Lord on all offenders without exception of the highest Two things must be here proved first that in giving Judgment they do not depend on the King but are the immediate vicars of God Secondly that the King is not excepted from but subject to their Judgment in case he be Criminal First they cannot depend upon the King because they are more necessary then the King and it is not left to the Kings pleasure whether there be Judges or not There may be Judges without a King but there can be no King without Judges nor no Justice but Confusion no man can bear the peoples burden alone Numb 11. 14 17 If they depended on the King their Power would die with the King the streams must dry up with the fountain but that cannot be for they are not Ministri regis but regni they are not Ministers of the King but of the Kingdom whose honour promotion though by the Kings external call yet comes from God as all honour promotion does Psal. 75. 7 The King cannot make Judges whom he will by his absolute Power he must be tied to that Law Deut. 1. 13. To take wise men understanding known Neither can he make them dura ite beneplacito for if these qualifications remain there is no allowance given for their removal They are Gods the Children of the Mosâ— High appointed to defend the poor fatherless as well as he Psal. 82. 3 6. They are ordained of God for the punishment of evil doers in which they must not be resisted as well as he Rom. 13. 1 2. by me saith the Lord rule ... all the Iudges of the earth Prov. 8. 16. To them we must be subject for Conscience sake as being the Ministers of God for good they must be obeyed for the Lords sake as well as the King though they are sent of him yet they Judge not for man but for the Lord 2 Chron. 19. 6. hence they sit in his room and are to act as if he were on the bench the King cannot say the Judgment is mine because it is the Lords neither can he limit their sentance as he might if they were nothing but his deputies because the Judgment is not his nor are their Consciences subordinate to him but to the Lord immediatly otherwise if they were his deputies depending on him then they could neither be admonished nor condemned for unjust Judgment because their sentence should neither be righteous nor unrighteous but as the King makes it And all directions to them were capable of this exception do not so or so except the King command yow crush not the poor oppress not the fatherless except the King command yow yea then they could not execute any Judgment but with the Kings Licence and so could not be rebuked for their not executing Judgment Now all this is contrary to Scripture which makes the sentence of the Judges undeclinable when just Deut. 17. 11. the Lords indignation is kindled when He looks for Iudgment behold oppression for righteousness behold a Cry Isai. 5. 7. neither will it excuse the Judges to say the king would have it so for even they that are subservient to write grievousness to turn aside the needy from Iudgment c. are under the wo as well as they that prescribe it Isai. 10. 1 2. The Lord is displeased when Iudgment is turned away back ward and Justice stands a far of and when there is no Iudgment what ever be the Cause of it Isai. 59. 14 15. The Lord threatens He will be avenged on the Nation when a man is not found to execute Iudgment Ier. 5. 1 9. And promises if they will execute Judgment righteousness and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor He will give them righteous Magistrats Ier. 22. 3 4. but if they do not He will send desolation ibid. He rebukes those that turn Judgment to wormwood and leave of righteousness in the earth Amos. 5. 7. He resents it when the Law is slacked and Judgment doth not go forth freely without overawing or overruling restraint Habb 1. 4. Can these Scriptures consist with the Judges dependence on the kings pleasure in the exercise execution of their Power Therefore if they would avoid the
further threatens that they should be removed into all Kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh for that which he did in Ierusalem Ier. 15. 4. Certainly these passages were recorded for our Learning Rom. 15. 4. and for our examples to the intent we should not do as they did 1 Cor. 10. 6. and for our admonition vers 11. Whence we may be admonished that it is not enough to keep our selves free of publick sins of Rulers Many of those then punished were free of all actual accession to them but they became accessory to and involved in the guilt of them when they did not endeavour to hinder them and bring them to condign punishment for them according to the Law of God which respecteth not persons or at least because they did not revolt from them as Libnah did There might be other provocations on the peoples part no doubt which the Lord did also punish by these Judgments â—ut when the Lord specifies the sin of Rulers as the particular procuring Cause of the Judgment it were presumption to make it the Occasion only of the Lords punishing them for plain it is if these sins of Rulers had not been committed which was the ground of the threatening execution the Judgment would have been prevented And if people had bestirred themselves as became them in repressing restraining such wickedness they had not so smarted And when that sin so threatened punished was removed then the Judgment it self was removed or deferred It is just necessary that the subjects being Jointly included with their Rulers in the same bond of fidelity to God be lyable to be punished for their Rebellion Apostasie when they continue under the bond of subjection to them But how deplorable were our Condition if we shold stand obnoxions to divine Judgments for the Atheisme Idolatry Murders Adulteries of our Rulers and yet be neither Authorized nor Capacitated to hinder it nor permitted to withdraw our selves from subjection to them But it is not so for the Lords making us responsable for their debt is an impowering us either to repress their wickedness when He gives us Capacity or at least to save our selves harmless from their Crimes by disouning them that being the only way of standing no longer accountable for their faults 12. It remains to Consider the Ends for which Government was institute by God and constitute by men from whence I Argue That Government that destroyes the Ends of Government is not to be ouned But Tyranny and especially this under which we houl destroyes all the Ends of Government Ergo it is not to be ouned The Minor I prove thus That Government that destroyes Religion Safety destroyes all the Ends of Government But this Popish arbitrary Absolute power destroyes Religion Safety Ergo It is evident both from the Laws of Nature Revelation that the Ends of Government are the Glory of God the good of Mankind The first is the Glory of God the ultimate end of all Ordinances to which whatever is opposite is not to be ouned by them that fear Him whatever power then is destructive to Religion and is applyed imployed against the Glory of the Uuniversal King and for withdrawing us from our fealtie obedience to Him is nothing but Rebellion against the Supreme Lord Lawgiver and a Traiterous Conspiracy against the Almighty and therefore not to be ouned And they are enemies to Religion or strangers to it who are not sensible this hath been the design of the present Government at least these 27 years to overturn the Reformed Covenanted Religion and to introduce Popery Hence seeing a King at his best highest elevation is only a mean for preserving Religion and for this end only chosen of the people to be Custos utriusque tabulae keeper of both Tables of the Law he is not to be regarded but wholly laid aside when he not only moves without his sphere but his motion infers the ruine of the ends of his erection and when he imployes all his power for the destruction of the Cause of Christ and advancement of Antichrists giving his power to the beast he is so far from deserving the deference of the power ordained of God that he is to be looked upon treated as a Traitor to God and Stated enemy to Religion all Righteousness The Second End of Government is the good of the people which is the Supreme Cardinal Law Salus Populi est Suprema Lex Which cannot be denied if it be considered 1. For this only the Magistrate is appointed of God to be His Minister for the peoples good Rom. 13. 4. and they have no goodness but as they conduce to this end for all the power they have of God is with this Proviso to promote His peoples prosperity It were blasphemy to say they are His Authorized Ministers for their destruction to which if their Conduct degenerate they degrade themselves and so must be disouned He is therefore in his institution no more than a mean for this end and himself cannot be either the whole or half of the end for then he should be both the end the mean of Government and it is contrary to Gods mould to have this for his end to multiply to himself silver gold or lift up himself above his brethren Deut. 17. 17 20. if therefore he hath any other end than the good of the people he cannot be ouned as one of Gods moulding 2. This only is the highest pitch of good Princes ambition to postpone their oun safety to the peoples safety Moses desired rather than the people should be destroyed that his name should be razed out of the Book of life And David would rather the Lords hand be on him his fathers house than on the people that they should be plagued 1 Chron. 21. 17. but he that would seek his oun ambitious ends with the destruction of the people hath the spirit of the Devil and is to be carried towards as one possessed with that malignant spirit 3. Originally their power is from the people from whom all their dignity is derived with reserve of their safety which is not the donative of Kings nor held by concession from them nor can it be resigned or surrendered to the disposal of Kings since God hath provided in His universal Laws that no Authority make any disposal but for the good of the people This cannot be forfeited by the usurpation of Monarchs but being alwise fixed in the essential Laws of Government they may reclaim recover it when they please Since then we cannot alienate our safety we cannot oune that Authority which is inconsistent with it 4. The attaining this end was the main ground motive of peoples deliberating to constitute a Goverment and to choose such a forme because they thought it most conducible for their good and to admit such persons as fittest Instruments for compassing this end and to establish such
withdrawn into so detestable a defection for we cannot both oune him as he requires to be ouned and as God requires every Magistrate to be ouned so as not to resist him under pain of damnation Rom. 13. 2 and assist our Brethren too in resisting his Murders and our ouning of him were a dividing of our selves from our Brethren that oppose him into a defection to the Contrary part whereof he is head Patron Lastly in the Conclusion we are obliged to be humbled for the sins of these Kingdoms and to amend in a real Reformation Whereof this is one to be mourned for that after the Lord had delivered us from the yoke of this Tyrannical family we again joined in affinity with the people of these abominations and tooke these serpents into our bosome again which hath bit us so sore and where-with the Lord hath scourged us severely And if it was our sin to engage with them at first then it is our sin to continue under their subjection And is not consistent with that Repentance that the Lords Contendings call for to continue ouning that Power which was our sin to oune at first III. In the Third place I promised to confirme my Thesis from more express Scripture Arguments Therefore I shall endeavour to gather them as briefly as may be 1. from Scripture Inferences nearly natively Consequential 2. from Scripture Assertions 3. from Scripture Precepts 4. from Scripture Practices 5. from Scripture Promises 6. from Scripture Threatenings 7. from Scripture Prayers First I shall offer some Arguments deduced by way of immediate Inference from the grounds laid before us in Scripture about Government wherein I shall confine my self to these Particulars 1. Let us Consider the Characters of a Magistrate laid doun in Scripture and we may infer if Tyrants Usurpers are not Capable of these Characters then they cannot be ouned for Magistrates For if they be not Magistrates they cannot be ouned as Magistrats but if they be not capable of the Characters of Magistrates they are not Magistrates Ergo if they be not capable of the Characters of Magistrates they cannot be ouned as Magistrates To find out the Characters of Magistrats I need seek no further than than full place Rom. 13. Which usually is made a Magazine of Objections against this Truth but I trust to find store of Arguments for it from thence not repeating many that have been already deduced therfrom We find in this place many Characters of a Magistrate that are all incompatible with a Tyrant or Usurper 1. He is the higher power vers 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Authorities Supereminent signifying such a Precellency as draweth towards it a recognition of honour But this is not Competent to Tyrants Usurpers for they are the vilest of men let them be never so high exalted Psal. 12. ult and if they be vile then they are to be contemned Psal. 15. 4. and no more to be regarded then Herod was by Christ when he called him a Fox Luk. 13. 32. But more particularly let us consider what is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 highness or dignity of Magistrats set forth in Scripture They are stiled Gods not to be reviled Exod. 22. 28. among whom God Judgeth Psal. 82. 1. so called because the Word of God came unto them Iohn 10. 35. But Tyrants are rather Devils as one of them is called Lucifer Isai. 14. 12. and they that persecute imprison the People of God because acted by the Devil and acting for him do bear his name Revel 2. 10. They are Divels that cast the Lords witnesses into prison The Magistrats Judgement is Gods Iudgement Deut. 1. 17. because it is not for man but for the Lord 2 Chron. 19. 6. and therefore Solomon is said to have sat on the Throne of the Lord 1 Chron. 29. 23. But it were blasphemy to say that Tyrants Judgement usurping the place without His warrant and giving forth Judgement against His Laws Cause People is the Lords Judgement or for Him or that they sit on the Throne of the Lord. A Throne of iniquity is not the Throne of the Lord for He hath no fellowship with it The Tyrants Throne is a Throne of iniquity Psal. 94. 20. Magistrats are truly to be subjected to obeyed as Principalities Powers Tit. 3. 1. it is a sin to speak evil of them vers 2. for it is presumption to despise Dominion speak evil of Dignities 2 Pet. 2. 10. Iude. 8. Buâ— Tyrants are very Catechrestically abusively Principalities Powers no otherwise then the Devils are so termed Eph. 6. 12. and there is no argument to oune or obey the one more than the other for if all Principalities Powers are to be subjected to ouned then also the Devil must who get the same Title To speak Truth of Tyrants indignities cannot be a speaking evil of Dignities for Truth is no evil nor is Tyranny a Dignity Hence they that are not capable of the Dignity of Rulers are not to be ouneâ— as such But Tyrants are not capable of the Dignity of Rulers as these places prove Ergo Against this it is Objected that Paul did apply this Character to the Tyrannical High Priest Ananias whom after he had objurgated for maniâ—est injustice he honours with that Apologie that he wist not that he was the high Priest for it is written thow shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people Act. 23. 5. Ans. Though all should be granted that is in this Objection yet our Argument would not be enervated for grant we should not speak evil of Tyrants that does not evince that we should hold them as Rulers for we should bless our persecuters Rom. 10. 14. and speak evil of no man Tit. 3. 2. that does not say we should hold every man or our persecuters to be Rulers The meaning must be he knew not that he was the high Priest that is he did not acknowledge him to be either high Priest or Ruler he could acknowledge or observe nothing like one of that Character in him for as the high Priests Office was now null ceased so this Ananias was only an usurper of the Office in place of Ismael or Ioseph who had purchased it by money And Paul had learned from his Master Gamaliel Iudicem qui honoris consequendi causâ pecunias dederit revera neque Iudicem esse neque honorandum sed Asini habendum Loco Tit. Talmud de Synedrio That a Judge who hath given money for purchasing this honour is neither a Judge nor to be honoured as such but to be held in place of an Ass. And it was common among the Jewes to say if such be gods they are silver gods not to be honoured as is quoted by Pool Synopsis Criticorum c. in locum And that this must be the sense of it is plain for he could not be ignorant that he was there in place of a Judge being called before him and
David on thy side thow son of Iesse Here was a formed Revolt from Saul unto David before he was King for after this he was made King in Hebron and there could not be two Kings at once Hence I argue if people may separate themselves from and take part with the Resister against a Tyrant then they may disoune him for if they oune him still to be the Minister of God they must not resist him Rom. 13. 2. But here is an example that many people did separate themselves from Saul and took part with the Resister David Ergo Here two of the first Monarchs of Israel were disouned Abimelech Saul 3. The first Hereditary Successor was likewise disouned as was hinted above likewise The ten tribes offer to Covenant with Rehoboam in terms securing their Rights Liberties They desired nothing on the matter but that he would engage to rule over them according to the Law of God To which when he answered most Tyrannically and avowed he would Tyrannise over them and oppress them more than any of his Predicessors they fell away from him and erected themselves into a new Common-wealth 1 King. 12. 16. So when Israel saw that the King hearkened not unto them they answered what portion have we in David neither have we inheritance in the son of Iesse to your tents O Israel now see to thine oun house David 2 Chron. 10. 16. Now however the event of this declared Revolt proved sorrowful when they and their new King made defection unto Idolatry yet if they had stated managed it right the Cause was good justifyable commendable For 1 We find nothing in all the Text condemning this 2 On the Contrary its expressly said the Cause was from the Lord that He might perform His saying which He spake by Ahijah 1 King. 12. 15. 2 Chron. 10. 15. And 3 When Rehoboam was preparing to pursue his pretended right he was reproved discharged by Shemajah ye shall not go up nor fight against your brethren for this thing is from me 1 King. 12. 24. 2 Chron. 11. 4. 4 Whereas it is alledged by some that this was of God only by His providence and not by His Ordinance the contrary will appear if we consider how formally Covenant-wise the Lord gave ten tribes to Ieroboam 1 King. 11. 35 37 38. I will take the Kingdom out of his sons hand and I will give it unto thee even ten tribes And I will take thee and thow shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth and shall be King over Israel And it shall be if thow wilt hearken unto all that I command thee and will walk in my wayes and do that which is right in my sight to keep my statutes my commandments as David my servant did that I will be with thee build thee a sure house as I built for David and will give Israel unto thee Where we see the Kingdom was given unto him on the same Terms conditions that it was given to David He may indeed give Kingdoms to whom He wiâ— by Providential grant as unto Nebuchadnezzar and others but He never gave them a Kingdom upon these Conditions and by way of Covenant that does alwayes imply import His Word Warrant ordinance 5 If we consider the Cause of the Revolt we will find it very just for after the decease of the former King they enter upon terms of a Compact with the successor upon a suspensive condition to engage into fealty Allegiance to him as subjects if he would give them security for their Liberties Priviledges A very Lawful Laudable necessary transaction founded upon Moral equity upon the fundamental Constitutions of that Government and suitable to the constant practice of their Predicessors in their Covenanting with Saul David As for that Word 1 King. 12. 19. So Israel Rebelled against the house of David It is no more then in the margent they fell away or revolted And no more to be condemned then Hezekiahs Rebellion 2 King. 18. 7. The Lord was with him and he Rebelled against the King of Assyria That was a good Rebellion Hence If it be Lawful for a part of the people to shake off the King refuse subjection to him and set up a new King of their oun when he resolveth to play the Tyrant and rule them after his oun absolute power then it is a duty when he actually playes the Tyrant and by his absolute power overturns Laws Religion and claims by Law such a prerogative But the former is true Ergo See Ius Pepuli vindic chap. 3. Pag 52. 4. This same Ieroboam when he turned Tyrant Idolater was revolted from and deserted by the Priests the Levites and after them out of all the tribes of Israel by all such as set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel because that King degenerating into Tyranny Idolatry had put them from the exercise of their office Religion as our Charles did and ordained him Priests for the Devils for the Calves So they returned to Rehoboam being induced by his administration of the Government which for a time was better then he promised for three years he walked in the wayes of David Salomon 2 Chron. 11. 13-17 Hence I argue If Idolatrous Tyrants may be deserted then they may be disouned for when they desert them they disoune them abroad in coming under another Government and if they may be disouned abroad it is the same duty at home though may be not the same Policy or Prudence 5. Another example of the like nature we have in the reign of Baasha who succeeded to Nadab Ieroboams son whom he slew reigned in his stead the same way that the Duke came to the Throne For he could not keep his subjects within his Kingdom but behoved to build Ramah that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa. King of Iudah a good Prince 1 King 15. 17. yet that could not hinder them but many strangers out of Ephraim Manasseh Simeon fell to him in abundance when they saw that the Lord his God was with him 2 Chron. 15. 9. Hence If people may chuse another King when they see the Lord is with him then they may disoune their Country King when they see the Devil is with him 6. When Jehoram the son of Ahab reigned over Israel we have an express example of Elisha's disouning him 2 King. 3. 14. 15. And Elisha said unto the King of Israel what have I to do with thee As the Lord of hosts liveth before whom I stand surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the King of Judah I would not look toward thee nor see thee Here he declares so much contempt of him and so litle regard that he disdains him a look And if he would not regard him nor give him honour then he did not oune him as King for all
Kings are to be honoured that are ouned to be Kings really It may be alledged by some that Elisha was an extraordinary man and this was an extraordinary action and therefore not imitable I shall grant it so far extraordinary that it is not Usual to carry so to persons of that figure and that indeed there are few Elisha's now not only for his Prophetick Spirit which now is ceased but even in respect of his Gracious Spirit of zeal which in a great measure is now extinguished He was indeed an extraordinary man and this Action did demonstrate much of the Spirit of Elias to have been abiding with him But that this was unimitable these reasons induce me to deny 1 Prophets were subject to Kings as well as others as Nathan was to David 1 King. 1. 32 33. every soul must be subject to the higher powers that are of God 2 All the Actions of Prophets were not extraordinary nor did they every thing by extraordinary inspiration that was peculiar to Christ that He could Prophecy do extraordinary acts when He pleased because He received the Spirit not by measure and it rested upon Him. 3 this particular Action carriage was before he called for the Minstrel and before the hand of the Lord came upon him vers 15. Ergo this was not by inspiration 4 The ground of this was Moral Ordinary for hereby he only shewed himself to be a person fit to abide in the Lords Tabernacle and an upright walker in whose eyes a vile person is contemned Psal. 15. 4. and a just man to whom the unjust is an abomination Prov. 29. 27. What further can be aledged against this instance I see not And I need draw no Argument by Consequence it is so plain 7. This same Jehoram after many signal demonstrations of the power of God exerted in the Ministry of His Servant Elisha which sometimes did extort his acknowledgment and made him call the Prophet his father 2 King. 6. 21. yet when in the strait siege of Samaria he was plagued with famine for his Idolatry in so much that the pitiful Mothers were made to eat their oun tender Children became so insolent a Tyrant that being incensed into a madness of outragious malice against the Prophet Elisah that he sware God do so to him more also if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat should stand on him that day accordingly he sent a messenger to execute it But the Prophet from a Principle of Nature Reason Law as well as Grace and by the Spirit of a man as well as of a Prophet stood upon his defence and encouraged those that were with him to keep out the house against him saying See ye how this son of a Murderer a proper style for such a Monster of a King hath sent to take away mine head ... 2 King. 6. 32. This is a strong Argument for self defence but I improve it thus If Tyrants may be opposed as sons of Murderers Murderers themselves and no otherwise to be accounted then under such a vile Character then can they not be ouned as Kings But here is an example for the first Ergo 8. This mans brother in Law of the same name Iehoram the son of Iehoshaphat who had the Daughter of Ahab to wife and therefore walked in the way of the house of Ahab gives us another instance He turned Apostate Tyrant and Abimelech-like or if yow will Yorklike slew his brethren and diverse also of the Princes of Israel Moreover he made high places in the Mountains of Iudah and caused the Inhabitants of Ierusalem to commit â—ornication and compelled Iudah thereto For which Cause of his intollerable insolency in wickedness Libnah one of the Cities of Priests in Iudah Revolted from him 2 King. 8. 22. because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers 2 Chron. 21. 10. which was the motive impulsive Cause of their disouning him and is not to be detorted to that restricted Cavil of Royalists understanding it only as the Meritorous or procuring Cause of his punishment loss sustained thereby for it is not so said of the Edomites who revolted at the same time as it is mentioned in another Paragraph Neither of the Philistims Arabians Ethiopians whose spirit the Lord stirred up against him These were also a punishment to him Nor would it found very suitably to be said that they opposed him because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers for that would insinuate some influence that his Apostasie had on them as certainly it could not but have on the Lords Priests that dwelt in Libnah who understood by the Law of God what was their duty to do with Intycers or Drawers or Drivers to Idolatry And when they were not in capacity to execute the Judgement of the Lord this was the least they could do to Revolt Here then is an example of a Peoples Revolt from a Prince and disouning Allegiance to him because of Apostasie Tyranny 9. In this Kingdom of Iudah after long experience of a Succession of Hereditary Tyranny in many wicked Kings the people after they had long smarted for their lazie Loyaltie in their stupid abandoning forgetting foregoing this Priviledge of disouning Tyrants and keeping them in order began at length to bestir themselves in their endeavours to recover their lost Liberties and repress Tyrants Insolencies on several occasions Wherein though sometimes there were extravagances when Circumstances did mar the Justice of the Action and some did go beyond their sphere in tumultuary precipitations yet upon the matter it was Justice and in conformity to a Moral Command One impregnable witness of this we have in the pious Plot of Iehojada the Priest who being but a Subject as all Priests were as the deposition of Abiathar by King Solomon 1 King. 2. 27. proveth entered into an Association with the inferior Rulers to choose make a new King and notwithstanding that the Idolatress She-Tyrant Athaliab who had the Possession of the Government cried Treason Treason at the fact they had her forth without the ranges slew her 2 King. 11. 14-16 This was according to the Law Deut. 13. And approven by all Interpreters even Mr Pool in his Synopsis Critic though alias Superlatively Loyal yet approves of this and sayes she was an incurable Idolatress and therefore deserved to be deposed by the Nobles of the Kingdom And quotes Grotius in Loc. saying she reigned by meer force no right and therefore justly repressed by force for the Hebrewes were to have Brethren for their Kings but not Sisters Deut. 17. 15. Hence if Tyrants may be forcibly repressed then may they peaceably be disouned But this example comfirms that Ergo 10. The Sacred History proceeds in the Relation how this same Joash the Son of Ahaziah after he degenerated into Murdering Tyranny was slain by Jozachar Jehozabad 2 King. 12. 20 21. But that was by his oun Servants in
private Assassination therefore they are called Murderers by Amaziah his Son 2 King. 14. 5 6. but upon the matter it was the Justice of God which he deserved if it had been duely execute for the blood of the Sone of Jehojada the Priest 2 Chron. 24. 25. So Amon the Son of Manasseh for his walking in the way of his Father in Idolatry Tyranny and forsaking the Lord God of his Fathers was slain in his oun house by his Servants who conspired against him But though this was Justice also upon the matter and consonant to the Command for punishing Idolaters Murderers yet because defective in the manner and done by them that tooke too much upon them in a perfidious way of private Assassination Conspiracy therefore the People of the Land punished them for it 2 King. 21. 23. 24. But the repressing punishing of Amaziah is a more unexceptionable instance The people made a Conspiracy against him in Ierusalem and he fled to Lachish but they sent after him to Lachish and slew him there 2 King. 14. 19. after the time that he turned away from following the Lord 2 Chron. 25. 27. Which was according to the Command Deut. 13. which hath no exception of Kings in it This Action was not questioned either by the people or his Successor as the formentioned Conspiracies were His son Uzziah succeeding who did right consulted the Lord 2 Chron. 26. 4 5. did not resent nor revenge his Fathers death which certainly he would have done by advice of Zechariah who had understanding in the visions of God if it had been a transgression The famous faithful Mr Knox doth clear this passage beyond Contradiction in his conference with Lithingtoun Hence I take an Argument a fortiori If people may conspire concur in executing Judgement upon their King turning Idolater Tyrant Then much more may they Revolt from him But this example clears the Antecedent Ergo. 11. The same power priviledge of peoples punishing their Princes was exemplified in the Successor of him last mentioned to wit in Uzziah the son of Amaziah called Azariah 2 King. 15. when he degenerated into the ambition of arrogating a Supremacy in causes Ecclesiastick Sacred as well as Civil his heart was lifted up to his destruction for he transgressed against the Lord his God and went into the Temple of the Lord to burn Incense In which Usurpation he was resisted by Azariah the Priest and with him fourscore Priests of the Lord that were valiant men who withstood him and told him it did not appertain to him to take upon him so much and bade him go out of the Sanctuary or else it should not be for his honour Which indeed he stomacked at as an affront to be controled resisted but in thinking to resent it he was plagued of the Lord with leprosie which the Priests looking upon they thrust him out from thence And thereafter sequestred him from all Supremacy both that which he had before in things Civil and that which he was affecting in matters Sacred for he was made to dwell in a Several house being a leper the Law including here execute upon the King as well as the beggar and to resign the Government into his son Jothams hands 2 Chron. 26. 16-21 Where it appears he was not only excommunicated by a Ceremonial punishment but also deposed Judicially Whether he voluntarly dimited or not it is to no purpose to contend its evident that by the Law of God the actual exercise of his power was removed whether with his will or against it it is all one And that he was punished both by God and by men is undeniable Yea in this his punishment was very gentle and far short of the Severity of the Law for by the Law he should have been put to death for intermedling with these holy things interdicted to all but to the Priests under pain of death Numb 3. 10. Numb 18. 7. The stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death All were strangers that were not Priests Whence I argue If a Prince for his Usurpation beyond his line in things Sacred may by the Priests be excommunicated and by the people deposed then may a Prince not only Usurping a Supremacy as Charles did but an absolute power of overturning all things Sacred Civil as James doeth oppressing his subjects in all their Liberties be disouned a fortiori for that is less than deposing or dethroning But this Example clears the Antecedent Ergo See Knox discourse to Lethingtoun Lex Rex Quest. 44. § 15. pag. 461. Ius popul chap. 3. pag. 56. 12. What if I should adduce the Example of a Kings Rebellion against and Revolt from a Superior King to whom he his Fathers both acknowledged themselves subject Surely our Royalists and Loyalists would not condemn this and yet in justifying it they should condemn their beloved principle of uncontroled subjection to uncontrolable Soveraigns possessing the Government Ahaz became Servant to the Assyrian Monarch 2 King. 16. 7. yet Hezekiah his son when the Lord was with him and he prospered Rebelled against the King of Assyria and he served him not 2 King. 18. 7. Hezekiah was indeed a King but he was not Sennacheribs King he acknowledges himself his vassal and that he offended in disouning him vers 14. which certainly was his sin against the Lord to make such an acknowledgment for if his Fathers transaction with the Assyrian was sin then it was duty to break the yoke if the Lord was with him in that rebellion then it was his sin to acknowledge it to be his offence And to make good this ackowledgment it was certainly his sin to commit Sacriledge in robbing the House of God to satisfie that Tyrant By way of Supplement I shall adde that instance of repressing a mad furious Tyrant which all will acknowledge to be Lawful Nebuchadnezzar was both stricken of God with madness and for that was depelled from the Kingdom according to the heavenly Oracle The Kingdom is departed from thee and they shall drive thee from men Dan. 4. 31-33 Calvin sayes upon the place he was ejected as usually is done to Tyrants by the Combination of the nobles people Pool Synopsis Critic in Locum Thus he was unkinged for a time both by the just Judgement of God and by the intermediation of the just Judgement of men and could not be ouned to be King at that time when his nails were like birds Clawes and he could not tell his oun fingers They could not oune him to be the Governour then of so many Kingdoms when he could not Govern himself Hence though this is an instance of Heathens yet because they acted upon a rational ground it may be argued If Kings because of Natural madness when they cannot govern themselves may not be ouned Then also because of Moral madness when they will not govern but to the destruction of Kingdoms may not be ouned But
shall be found to conduce for so good ends Which are the Words of the National Covenant clearly condemning Oaths Bonds given to Malignants which are divisive of them that adhere to and Unitive with them that oppose the Covenant and impeditive of resolutions to prosecute the ends thereof So in the Solemn League Covenant Art. 4. We are obliged to oppose all such as make any faction or parties amongst the people contrary to this League Covenant but by these Oaths Bonds such factions are made c. And by Art. 6. we are obliged to assist defend all those that enter into this Covenant contradicted by all the later Oaths Bonds and not to suffer our selves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination to be divided from this blessed union whether to make defection to the contrary part or to give our selves to a detestable indifferency c. Which we do when we divide our selves from these that refuse these Oaths and makes defection unto the party that impose them And in the Solemn Acknowledgment of sins Engagment to duties We are sworn § 6. to be so far from conniving at complying with or countenancing of Malignancy Injustice c. that we shall not only avoid discountenance these things c. but take an effectual course to punish suppress these evils All which we counteract contradict when we take any of these Oaths or Bonds In the Second place by a Particular induction of the several kinds of these Oaths Bonds the iniquity of each of them will appear and the Complex iniquity of the smoothest of them the Oath of Abjuration compared with every one of them will be manifest And consequently the honesty innocency of Sufferers for Refusing them will be discovered I. The first in order which was a Copy to all the rest was the Declaration ordained to be subscribed by all in publick Charge office or Trust within the Kingdom Wherein they do affirme declare they judge it unlawful to Subjects upon pretence of Reformation or any other pretence whatsoever to enter into Leagues Covenants or take up armes against the King and that all these Gatherings petitions protestations that were used for carrying on of the late troubles were unlawful seditious And particularly that these Oaths the National Covenant and the Salemn League Covenant were and are in themselves unlawful Oaths Here is a Confederacy required against the Lord at which the Heavens might stand astonished an unparalelled breach of the Third Command Which could no more be taken in Truth Righteousness than an Oath renouncing the Bible but it hath this advantage of the rest that it is some what plain And the iniquity legible on its front 1. That it is a renouncing of Solemn Sacred Covenants perpetually binding to Moral indispensable duties the wickedness whereof is evident from what is said above 2. It makes perjurie of the deepest dye the necessary sine qua non qualification of all in publick Office who cannot be presumed capable of administrating Justice when they have avowed themselves perjured perfidious and not to be admitted among heathens let be Christians nor trusted in a matter of ten shillings money according to the Laws of Scotland 3. It renounces the whole Work of Reformation and the way of Carrying it on as a Pretence and trouble unlawful seditious Which if it be a Trouble then the Peace they have taken in renouncing it must be such a Peace as is the plague of God upon the heart filling it with senslessness stupidity in His just Judgement because of the palpable breach of Covenant or such a Peace as is very consistent with the Curse vengeance of God pursuing the quarrel of a broken Covenant 4. It condemns the taking up armes against the King which shall be proven to be duty Head 5. Besides that hereby the most innocent means of seeking the redress of Grievances that Religion Risings Law practice of all Nations allowes is condemned Yet in effect for as monstrous as this Oath is the Complexe of its iniquity is couched in the Oath of Abjuration in which many of these Methods of Combinations Risings Declarations of war against the King and Protestations against his Tyranny which were used in the late Troubles for carrying on the Reformation are abjured in that a Declaration is renounced in so far as it Declares war against the King and asserts it Lawful to kill them that serve him Which yet in many cases in the Covenanted Reformation here renounced were acknowledged practised as Lawful besides that it hath many other breaches of Covenant in it as will be shewed II. The next Net they contrived to catch Consciences was the Oath of Allegiance Supremacy Wherein they that took it for testification of their faithful obedience to their most gracious redoubted Soveraign Charles King of Great Britain do affirme testifie Declare that they acknowledg their said Soveraign only supreme Governour of this Kingdom over all persons in all Causes And that no forreign Prince hath any jurisdiction power or superiority over the same and therefore do utterly renounce all forreign power and shall at their utmost power defend assist maintain his Majs jurisdiction foresaid and never decline his power The iniquity of this Oath is very vast and various 1. It is a Covenant of Allegiance with a King turned Tyrant and enemy to Religion Subverter of the Reformation and overturner of our Laws Liberties and therefore demonstrate to be sinful both from the first General Argument against Oaths and from Head. 2. 2. It cannot be taken in Truth Righteousness or Iudgement beause the words are general very comprehensive and ambiguous capable of diverse senses when he is affirmed to be supreme over all Persons and in all Causes and to be assistest maintained in that jurisdiction Who can be sure in swearing such an Oath but that he may thereby wrong others wrong Parliaments in their Priviledges wrong the Church in her Liberties and which is worse wrong the Lord Jesus Christ who is Supreme alone in some Causes Can an Oath be taken in Truth Righteousness to assist him in all encroachments upon Causes that are not subordinate to him and in invading all those Priviledges of Subjects which are Natural Civil Moral Religious for if he be supreme in all Causes then all these depend upon him be subordinate to him And can it be taken in Iudgement and with a clear mind when it may be debated doubted as it is by some whether the obligation of it is to be considered as circumstantiate specificate to the present Object of it supposing him a Tyrant or in a more abstract notion as it might be tendered in the sense of its first Authors as it was taken in King Iames the 6. his dayes And as they plead for taking the English Oath of Allegiance as it was accepted by the
all the concurrence there required for seeking searching delating apprehending of these people and to all the cruel villanies committed against them 4 They have taken on their prescribed discriminating Sign of Loyaltie and of being repute by them men of good principles that is their friends men for the times Which is so sinful scandalous that it is shameful to hint at them and yet shameful to hide them 6. If we consider the Apologetical Declaration it self which is so bespattered and so odiously represented and so rigorously enjoined to be abjured who will more narrowly look into it and ponder perpend the purpose Scope of it will see nothing that can be abjured conscienciously in it but the whole of it laying aside prejudice invidious Critical Censoriousness capable of a fair acceptable Construction The Motives leading them to set it forth being only their desires and just endeavoures to prosecute and secure themselves in the prosecution of Holy Commanded Duties and to keep a standing Testimony against the Insolencie of those that are given up of God to lay out themselves in promoving a Course of profanity persecution notwithstanding of all their viperous threatenings Their Measures being none other than the commendable precedents Examples of zealous tender hearted Christians who have done the like and our National and Solemn Covenants lying with their binding force indispensable upon all of us and obliging us to endeavour all that 's there declared as being bound for ever to have common friends foes with our Covenanted Reformation to all which they declare avouch their resolved adherence And their oun former Declarations Disouning their Allegiance to Authority of a Man who had ipso jure forfeited all Authority by his intollerable Tyrannie Perjurie perfidious breach of Trust reposed devolved upon him by Covenant and by his overturning all the fundamental constitutions of the Government perverting inverting everting all Laws all Liberties all Priviledges of Church State all establishments of our Covenanted Work of Reformation all Securities of our life and enjoyments whatsoever Usurping to himself an absolute Tyrannical Civil Supremacy inconsistent with the safety or freedom of the people and a monstrous blasphemous Ecclesiastical Supremacy Upon which considerations to endeavour to make good their freedom emancipation from that yoke which they had cast off they behoved to resolve upon defensive resistence against him and his bloody emissaries Which war being declared before they only in this Declaration testified their unanimous approbation of adherence to and resolutions for prosecuting the same against him his accomplices such as lay out themselves to promove his wicked hellish designs By which war they do not mean a formed stated declared Insurection with hostile force to break the Peace of the Nation and involve all in blood but a resolved avowed constant Opposition to the Murdering violence injustice oppression persecution of this wicked faction now raging rather than reigning who have declared still prosecute a declared war against Christ bearing doun His Work Interest in the Land And a constant endeavour in opposition to them to pursue the ends of our Covenants in standing to the defence of the Glorious Work of Reformation and their oun lives And in the defence thereof to maintain the cause Interest of Christ against His enemies and to hold up the Standard of our Lord Jesus Christ meaning the Gospel the Word of our Testimony whereunto they looked upon themselves as bound obliged by their holy Covenants being therein dedicated to the Lord in their persons lives Liberties fortunes for defending promoving this Glorious Work of Reformation notwithstanding of all opposition that is or may be made thereunto and sworn against all neutrality indifferency in the Lords Matters Whereunto they beseech invite obtest all them who wish well to Zion to a concurrence concerting the same cause Quarrel In maintaining of which opposition against such wicked Enemies because by them they were restlessly pursued and hunted and Murdered wherever they were found neither could find any harbour or hiding place in any Corner of the country for Searchers Informers Justigators who still stirred up the country to raise the hue Crye after them and caused them to be delivered up and delâ—ted them to the Courts of their Murdering enemies whereby much innocent blood was shed Therefore to stop their Career of violence and deter them from such Courses they found it necessary to threaten them with more active vigorous opposition and that they might expect to be treated as they deserved Wherein they are far from ouning assassinating principles or practising assassinations for they give only open plain warning and advertisement to the world of their necessitated endeavours to defend themselves and prevent the Murder of their Brethren And can no way be charged with asserting it Lawful to kill all employed in the Kings service in Church State Army or Country as the Proclamation in viperous invective Calumny misrepresents the Declaration but on the contrary do jointly unanimously declare they detest abhor that hellish principle of killing such as differ in judgement from them and they are firmly really purposed not to injure or offend any whomsoever but such as are directly guilty of or accessory to the Murder of their Brethren whom yet they mind not to assassinate or kill tumultuarly but to prosecute them with all the legal formalities that Justice in their Capacity and the times disorder distracted condition will allow Expressly declaring that they abhor condemn discharge all personall attempts upon any pretext whatsomever without previous deliberations common consent certain probation of sufficient witnesses or the guilty persons confession Neither could it ever be supposed that they threaten all imployed in the Kings service with this sort of handling but some select expressly distinguished Kind of Notorious villains men of death blood openly avowing vaunting of their Murders and these they distinguished into several Classes according to the respective aggravations of their wickedness In the first they place those that Murder by Command under pretext of an usurped Authority as Councellours Justiciary Officers of their forces or bands of Robbers not all nor any of these neither but the cruel bloody In the second Class they threaten such as are actually in armes against them of an inferior rank And such Gentlemen and Bishops Curats as do professedly willingly serve them to accomplish effectuate their Murders by obeying their commands making searth for these poor men delivering them up instigating informing and witnessing against hunting after them not all these neither but such as cruelly prosecute that service to the effussion of their blood Neither do they threaten all equally nor any of them peremptorly but that continuing after the publication of this their Declaration obstinately habitually in these courses
each other Math. 7. 12. All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to yow do ye even so to them We would have them helping us when we are oppressed so should we do to them when it is in the power of our hands to do it and not forbear to deliver them for fear the Lord require their blood at our hand Prov. 24. 11 12. But this cannot be done by meer subjection with out Resistence 3. There is no way to free our selves of the sin judgment of Tyrants by meer Passive subjection We find in the Scriptures people have been so involved and punished for the sins of Tyrants As the people of Iudah for Manasseh 2 King. 21. 11. c. Ier. 15. 4. whose sins if they had not been committed the judgments for them had been prevented and if the people had hindered them they had not smarted But being joyntly included with their Rulers in the same bond of fidelity to God and made accountable as joynt Principals with their Kings for that debt by their Mutual as well as Several engagments to walk in His Wayes they were lyable to be punished for their Rebellion Apostasie because they did not hinder it Hence some-what must be done to free our selves of their sin and to escape their Judgments But this can be nothing else but opposition to them by Resistence or else if we make any other opposition it will make us more a prey to their fury II. Secondly this Truth is Confirmed from the Common Practice of the people of God even under Persecution Whence I shall draw an Argument ab Exemplis which to condemn were impious and to deny were most impudent And for formes sake it may run thus What the people of God under both Testaments have frequently done in time of Persecution for defending vindicating or recovering their Religion Liberties may ought to be done again in the like Circumstances when these are in the like hazard But under both Testaments the people of God frequently in times of Persecution have defended vindicated or Recovered their Religion Liberties by defensive Armes Resisting the Soveraign powers that sought to dostroy them Ergo this may ought to be done again when these Religious Civil natural priviledges are in the like hazard to be destroyed by the violent encroachments of the Soveraign powers The Proposition cannot be denyed except by them that do profess themselves enemies to the people of God and condemn their most frequently reiterated practices most solemnly signally ouned of God to the confusion of their enemies to the conviction of the World that the Cause for which they contended was of God and to the encouragment of all the Patrons of such a Cause to hope that when it is at the lowest it shall have a Revival Glorious Issue It is true somtimes they did not Resist when either they were not in a Capacity or did not see a Call to such an Action but were extraordinarly Spirited of the Lord for Passive Testimonies under a suffering dispensation But 't is as true that many times they did Resist when the Lord capacitated called Spirited them for Active Testimonies And therefore if their Suffering under these Circumstances may be imitated by a people so stated Then also their Actions under these other Circumstances may be imitated by a people in the like case And by an impartial Scrutiny it will be found that the examples of their endeavoured Resistence will be litle inferiour if not superiour in number or importance to the examples of their submissive Sufferings in all ages Which will appear in the Probation of the Assumption by adduction of many Instances which I shall only cursorly glean out of that plentiful harvest that Histories afford 1. I need only to glance at that known famous History of the Maccabees of undoubted verity though not of Cannonical Authority In which according to Scripture Predictions we have a notable account of Heroick Interprizes Atchievments Exploits performed by them that knew their God and tendered His Glory and their Religion Countries Liberties above the Common Catechrestick notions of incontrollable irresistible Royaltie and absolute implicite Loyaltie that have abused the world in all ages We have there an account of the noble successful Resistence of a party of a few Godly zealous Patriots without the concurrence of Civil Authority or countenance of the Ephori or Primores regni against a King universally acknowledged subjected unto that came in Peaceably and obtained the Kingdom by flâ—ttâ—ries with whom the greatest part and those of the greatest note took part and did wickedly against the Covenant and Nations Interest and were corrupt by flatteries Yet a few Priests with the concurrence of some common Country-men did go to armes against him and them And the Lord did wonderfully assist them for a considerable time as was foretold by Daniel 11. This fell out under the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes and was happily begun by Mathias a Godly Priest and his five Sons who being commanded under severe Certifications to Worship according to the then Law and the Kings wicked lust did valiantly resist that abomination and went to defensive armes which while living he Patronized and when adying did encourage his sons to it by a notable Oration shewing what case his Country was in and what a duty dignity it was to redeem deliver it This was vigorously prosecuted by Iudas Maccabeus expressly for the quarrel of Religion Liberty against that mighty Tyrant all his Emissaries 2. To come to the History of the Gospel Dispensation It is true in that time of the Primitive Persecutions under Heathen Emperours this Priviledge of Self Defence was not much improved or contended for by Christians who studied more to play the Martyrs than to play the Men because in these Circumstances the Lord was pleased to Spirit for and call them unto and accept off their hands passive Testimonies while they were incorporate under a Civil relation with the Heathens in subjection to Governours who did not by open Tyrannie overturn their Civil Liberties only did endeavour to eradicate Religion which at that time had never become their Right by Law while they were scattered and out of Capacity and never could come to a separate formed Community by joynt Concurrence Correspondence to undertake a Declared Resistence while Religion was only a propagating through the Nations and the Lord Providentially did preclude the least appearance that might be of propagating it by any formed force being the Gospel of Peace designed to save and not to destroy Yet even then Instances are not wanting of Christians Resisting their Enemies and of Rescuing their Ministers c. As these are found on record 1. How some inhabiting Mareots with force rescued Dyonisiâ—â— of Alexandria out of the hands of such as were carrying him away about the year 235. 2. How about the year 310. the Armenians waged war against
to death while it is yet morning Judg. 6. 31. Moreover as Mr Mitchel adduces the example very pertinently we see that the people of Israel destroyed Idolatry not only in Judah wherein the King concurred but in Ephraim and in Manassâ—h where the King himself was an Idolater and albeit they were but private persons without publick Authority for what all the people was bound to do by the Law of God every one was bound to do it to the uttermost of his power Capacity Mr Mitchel offers this place to vindicate his fact of shooting at the prelate Deut. 13. 9. Wherein sayes he it is manifest that the Idolater or intycer to Worship a false god is to be put to death by the hand of those whom he seeks to turn away from the Lord Which precept I humbly take to be Moral and not meerly Iudicial and that it is not at all Ceremonial or Levitical And as every Moral precept is Universal as to the extent of place so also as to the extent of Time persons The chief thing Objected here is that this is a Judicial precept peculiarly suited to the Old Dispensation which to plead for as a Rule under the New Testament would favour of Jewish rigidity inconsistent with a Gospel Spirit Ans. How Mr Knox refells this and clears that the Command here is given to all the people needs not be here repeated but it were sufficient to read it in the foregoing Representation Period 3. Pag. 30. as it is also cited by Ius Pop. Pag. 212. c. But these General Truths may be added concerning the Iudicial Laws 1. None can say that none of the Judicial Laws concerning political Constitutions is to be observed in the New Testament for then many special Rules of Natural Necessary equity would be rejected which are contained in the Judicial Laws of God Yea all the Laws of equity in the World would be so cast for none can be instanced which may not be reduced to some of the Judicial Laws And if any of them are to be observed certainly these Penal Statutes so necessary for the preservation of Policies must be binding 2. If we take not our measures from the Judicial Laws of God we shall have no Laws for punishment of any Malefactors by death juris Divini in the New Testament And so all Capital punishments must be only humane Constitutions and consequently they must be all Murders for to take away the life of man except for such Causes as the Lord of our life to whose Arbitriment it is only subject hath not approven is Murder as Dr Ames saith de homocidio Conscience Lib. 5. cap. 31. quest 2. For in the New Testament thô in the general the power of punishing is given to the Magistrate yet it is no where determined neither what nor how Crimes are to be punished If therefore Penal Laws must be taken from the Old Testament the Subject of executing them as well as the Object must be thence deduced that is what is there astricted to the Magistrate must be so still and what is permitted to the people must remain in like manner their Priviledge since it is certain the New Testament-Liberty is not more restricted as to Penal Laws than the Old. 3. Those Judicial Laws which had either somewhat Typical or Paedagogical or peculiar to the then Iudacial State are indeed not binding to us under that formality thô even these Doctrinally are very useful in so far as in their general nature of equity of proportion they exhibite to us some Documents of Duty But those Penal Judgements which in the matter of them are appended to the Moral Law and are in effect but accurate determinations accommodations of the Law of Nature which may suit our Circumstances as well as the Jewes do oblige us as well as them And such are these Penal Statutes I adduce for that Blasphemy Murder Idolatry are heinous Crimes and that they are to be punished the Law of Nature dictates and how and by whom in several cases they are to be punished the Law judicial determines Concerning the Moral equity even of the strictest of them Amesius de Conscienc lib. 5. de Mosaicis appendicibus praeceptorum doth very learnedly assert their binding force 4. Those Judicial Laws which are but Positive in their forme yet if their special internal proper Reason Ground be Moral which pertains to all Nations which is necessary useful to Mankind which is rooted in and may be fortified by humane reason and as to the substance of them approven by the more intelligent Heathens those are Moral and oblige all Christians as well as Jewes And such are these Laws of punishing Idolaters c. founded upon Moral grounds pertaining to all Nations necessary useful to Mankind rooted in fortified by humane Reason to wit that the Wrath of God may be averted and that all may hear fear and do no more so wickedly especially if this Reason be superadded when the case is such that innocent honest people cannot be preserved if such wicked persons be not taken order with 5. Those Judicial Laws which being given by the Lords immediate Authority thô not so solemnly as the Moral Decalogue are neither as to their end Mortuae dead nor as to their use Mortiferae deadly nor as to their nature Indifferent nor in any peculiar respect restringible only to the Jewes but the transgressions whereof both by omission commission are still sins and were never abolished neither Formally nor Consequentially in the New Testament must be Moral But such as these Penal Laws I am speaking of They cannot be reputed among the Ceremonial Laws dead as to their end and deadly as to their use or indifferent in their nature for sure to punish the Innocent upon the account of these Crimes were still sin now as well as under the Old Testament and not to punish the Guilty were likewise sin now as well as then If then the matter be Moral and not abolished the execution of it by private persons in some cases when there is no access to publick Authority must be Lawful also Or if it be Indifferent that which is in its oun nature Indifferent cannot be in a case of extreame necessity unlawful when otherwise the destruction of our selves Brethren is in all humane consideration inevitable That which God hath once Commanded and never expressly Forbidden cannot be unlawful in extraordinary cases but such are these precepts we speak of Therefore they cannot be in every case unlawful Concerning this case of the obligation of Judicial Laws Ames de Conscienc lib. 5. cap. 1. quest 9. 6. Those Laws which are predicted to be observed executed in the New Testament times cannot be Judicial or Judaical restricted to the Old But such is this In the day that a fountain shall be opened for thâ— house of David for sin for uncleaness which clearly points at Gospel-times It is said the
oblivion of this that God is righteous to whom the reckoning must be made 2. Let it be supposed under Sauls Tyranny when the Ziphims informed him of Davids hiding himself with them Or when Doeg informed him of Abimelechs resetting him That an order had been given forth to all Israel with this Narrative Whereas that Rebel David had now openly despised Authority had been intertained by the Priest received Goliabs sword from him and gathered a Company of armed men together therefore to the end he and his Complices may be brought to Justice We ordain all from Dan to Beersheba to concur either personally in this Expedition against him or to pay Cess to our standing forces to maintain them in this expedition or so much to gratify the Ziphims for their kindness or to furnish Doeg with a sword to murder the Priests of the Lord. Would any that favoured Davids righteous Cause have dared to do any of these Would these that durst not concur themselves contribute any encouragment to the Concurers Would Sauls Servants that would not fall upon the Priests of the Lord themselves have given Doeg one of their swords to do it or money to buy one if it had been demanded To the same purpose suppose a party comes to a Dissenter with an express order and this Narrative Whereas there is such a Minister meet with some people at an execrable Conventicle as they call it but in it self the pure Worship of God therefore to the end the Minister may be taken murdered and the Servants of the Lord for the Countenance they gave him may be brought to the same punishment they ordain him for the accomplishing of their design to furnish that partie with all necessares or to pay such a summ of money for not concuring with them Now should he in this case not only forbear to lay doun his life for his brethren and forbear to deliver them that are thus drawn unto death on such an account into which forbearance the Great God will make so accurate an inquirie Prov. 24. 11 12. as may make us tremble whether we look backward or forward but also furnish according to the tenor of this Order that partie of the Dragons Legions in their War against the Prince Michael His Angels with supplies and think to put off the matter and plead innocent with this that he was under the Moral force of a Law accompanied with such military force as if he had refused they would have taken away all he had c. For this Plea in its full strength is to do evil that some good may come of it no true good which brings just damnation Rom. 3. 8. or to chuse sin rather than affliction 3. What if Manasseh or other Idolatrous Princes that sacrificed to Devils and made Children pass through the fire to Molech had enacted a Cess or under severe Impositions of Fynes had commanded all to concur to a solemn Sacrifice of that nature charging every man against a certain day to bring in his proportion in order to celebrate the Sacrifice with all its statute solemnities Or should have taken a child from every father and then made a Law that each of these should contribute such a summ for furnishing with all necessaries and maintaining these Murderers whom they had conduced to shed the blood of their innocent Children or sacrifice them to Molech Could it be expected that any of the Godly would have payed such Exactions and then have wyped his mouth with the notion of a moral force This comes home enough to our Case For no sacrifice they can offer to the Devil can be more real or so acceptable as what they declare they intend to do being so direct not only an opposition to the coming of the Kingdom of Christ but the deletion of His precious Interests and exstirpation of His faithful Remnant and the giving Satan such an absolute Dominion in the Nation as that they who have made the decree and all who put it in execution practically declare thereby they have mancipate themselves to his slavery and sold themselves to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord So likewise that all the rest of the Nation may with themselves become his vassals and in evidence of their opposition to Christ and in recognition of Satans Soveraignity their subjection they are appointed to pay these black Meales 4. Let it be supposed that after Nebuchadnezzar had made the decree for all to fall doun worship his Image and the three Children were apprehended for refusing it he had made another that all the Jewes especially should contribute every one a Faggot or money to buy it to heat the furnace or a rope to lead them to it Can any man suppose that Daniel or the rest of the faithful would have payed it Even so let it be supposed that any one of these faithful Ambassadours of Christ or all these zealous Workers together with God who have laboured among the people in the Preached Gospel should fall into the hands of these Hunters And then they should make a Law and appoint every man in the Nation to send but one threed to make a Towe to hang that Minister or to hang the whole Company of Christs Ambassadours and a farthing to pay the Executioner Can any man without horrour think of complying so far as to contribute what is commanded Or would not a Gracious man frighted into an abhorrence at the attrociousness of the wickedness or fired into a flame of zeal for God say without demur as not daunted with fear of what flesh could do unto him I will rather venture my All to keep them alive or be hanged with them than by doing what is demanded be brought forth classed in the cursed cruel Company of those who shall be dragged before the Tribunal of Christ with their fingers dyed dropping with the blood of those who are peculiarly dear to Him I know it will be said that in all these cases it would be a clear case of Confession Well that 's all I would have granted For that which doth over ballance to a Testimony in all the cases mentioned is so far from being wanting in the cases now under consideration that they have all to enforce the duty that all of them put together do include As will be clear to any who consider 1 The preciousness of the things Interests to be destroyed 2 The Concurrence called for from every one that this desperate design may be accomplished 3 The great manifold indispensible obligations all are under not only to abstain from the required Concurrence but to preserve also maintain these things in opposition to all whom Satan sets on work to serve him in this Expedition against the Son of God and to do it or endeavour it with the loss of life and all things dearest to men to the end that these things which are Satans eyesore as only obstructive of His Kingdom may