is greater waight in other mens traducing then in his owne testimonie 12 Now here I know it is expected that as I haue declined the causes falsly imputed to me so I should declare the true causes that moued me which now shortly are these 13 First I perceiued a Christian King by all meanes possible seeking the aduancement of the Gospell for the which it is griefe enough that his Maiestie sustaineth the greatest hatred and contradiction of the aduersaries but more then enough his Highnesse should want the comfort of his subiects professors also which when I considered I thought it a matter of conscience to refuse to serue and follow his Maiestie in so good a course 14 Secondly I saw the weake hearts of many well affected Christians through misconception offended at the very name of a Bishop not able out of light and knowledge to giue any reason of their misliking notwithstanding though it be so highly honoured by the Apostle and commended by the famous lights of the Primitiue Church who not onely accepted the name but exercised the office thereof to the great good of the Church and that this offence might be remoued at least so farre as my credit may carrie me I haue embraced it 15 Thirdly I perceiued a perillous Schisme and vnnecessarie diuision in our Church for this matter of gouernment to the great aduantage of the common Aduersarie which gap I resolued for my owne part not to enlarge by contention but so farre as my weaknesse may to close it vp at least to make it the lesse 16 Fourthly I considered that the same reason that of old forced the Fathers of the Primitiue Church in the iudgement of Ierome to induce this gouernment in the Church that is in Remedium Schismatis did more then manifestly require that it should be restored vnto vs but of this the lesse I speake for duties sake the more I leaue to be considered of them who know the truth hereof 17 Fiftly the question among vs when I searched as narrowly as I could is about Ierusalems wall whether it should be circular or quadrangular round or foure-squared so the Citie be well is this a matter for which we should make contention it being better for the good of the Church that any one of them should be then that thus they should striue together to the great hinderance of the Gospell 18 Sixtly and I doe verily thinke that the most famous and reformed Churches in Europe who want this gouernment would be glad to accept it vpon this condition that with it they might enioy the puritie of the Gospel which they haue with vs together with that libertie fauour and protection of a Christian reformed King which we haue and they want 19 For these reasons as I was determined before in the priuate calling of a Preacher to reuerence and obey others my brethren clad with the office of Bishops the proofe whereof I gaue in these Prouinciall assemblies moderated by Bishops whereat I was bound to be present so haue I at length embraced it in my owne person being called there-vnto by the most Christian King and Church of this Kingdome without any motion affection or petition of mine owne if there be so much charitie in my aduersaries as to beleeue me I could with greater contentment and willingnesse of minde haue giuen obedience in all dutifull submission to any of my brethren nor to haue had any more publike charge in the Church if the matter had beene in my choice And this doe I witnesse out of the very truth and simplicitie of mine heart 20 If Shimei still will raile and charge mee with a corrupt affection let him be doing till his owne iniquitie reproue him I am sure no well aduised Christian will fight with any such armour for the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall As for others who like barking Dogges and Birds of the night chatter to themselues in secret confused sounds which can bide no triall back-biting those whom they dare not looke in the face for such as these why shall a man turne out of the way It is a sufficient punishment to such as this way with their will would hurt mee that against their will they shall helpe me Qui volens detrahit same mee nolens additmerâ—â—â—â— meae For he that with his will empaites my name against his will shall encrease my reward 21 But if such busie idle-bodies will come and labour with mee in the worke of God I hope to teach them to bestow their time more profitably not to disquiet as they do their vnsetled braines with such vanities as vanish so soone as they are conceiued and brought forth leauing nothing behinde them but a guiltinesse to themselues for mine owne part I haue determined not to be contentious for that is not the custome of the Church of Christ but haue resolued to spend my time and talent I haue saued to the vantage of my Master and good of my Brethren after my weake measure Aurâ—us vtluteas minuat sic malleus vrnas 22 As for others my Brethren whom I loue in the Lord and will alwaies reuerence for the graces of God in them I wish from my heart that precept of the Apostle were fulfilled in vs. That wee did all speake one thing and there were no dissension among vs but that we were knit together in one minde and one iudgement for since the first beginning of this question I euer thought it a lamentable thing that they whose hearts are ioyned in one resolution to die for Christ if so the Lord should call them vnto it cannot liue together in the vnitie of one minde But this hath in all ages beene Sathans policie where hee cannot disturbe the peace of the Church with externall euasion he creepes in like a subtile Serpent to disquiet it with internall perturbation that oft-times vpon vnnecessarie or small occasions where-vpon hath proceeded this great rupture in Ierusalems wall heere among vs which as it is seene of vs all and more then enough talked of by many so would to God our hearts did pitie it and all of vs endeuoured by humbled hearts toward our God by meekenesse of minde euery one of vs toward another to repaire and close it vp againe And seeing such in the condition of our humane infirmitie that our knowledge in this life is but in part and so our iudgements in all things cannot be vniforme let vs take heed to the next that difference of iudgements worke not distraction of affections remembring that the wisedome which is from aboue is peaceable and that the zeale of God fights not with the weapons of flesh such as hatred debate emulations wrath contentions Iâ— we liue in the Spirit let vs also walke in the Spirit expressing the fruits of it in our liues which are loue ioy peace long suffering meekenesse goodnesse wherewith the Lord more and more endue vs all for Christs sake AMEN Yours in
returned from Court so clipped as it did but some streames of his royall liberalitie flowed ouer it to water it and make it encrease then should not the Crowne be impouerished But what Crowne I told you not And now that it may be manifest how vnrighteous Mr. Dauid is in this imputation wee will looke backe a little to the state of our Church of olde how oft did our Fathers seeke maintenance of Superintendents and Ministers how oft craued they that the Patrimonie of the Church which sacrilegious men had taken away might be restored againe They sought it and could not obtaine it Now a Christian King freely offers it and Mr. Dauid contradicts it leauing other probations I will onely present to you a view of Mr. Knoxe his last Letter that he wrote to our generall assembly The mightie Spirit of Comfort Wisedome and Concord in God remaine with you DEere brethren if ability of body would haue suffered I should not haue troubled you with this my rude enditement I haue not forgot what was laid to my charge by famous Libels the last assembly which I pray you patiently to heare and iudge of me as you will answere to God for vnto you in that head I submit my selfe being assured that I neither offended God nor good men in that which hitherto hath been laid to my charge And now Brethren because the daily decay of naturall strength threatneth vnto mee certaine and sodaine departure from the miserie of this life Of loue and conscience I exhort you in the feare of God I charge and commaund you that you take heede vnto your selues and to the Flocke ouer the which God hath placed you Pastors To discourse of your owne behauiour I may not but to commaund you to be faithfull to the Flocke I dare not cease Vnfaithfull and Traytors to the Flocke shall you be before the Lord Iesus if that with your consent directly or indirectly you suffer vnworthie men to be thrust into the Ministrie of the Church vnder whatsoeuer pretense it be Remember the Iudge before vvhom you must make account and resist that tyrannie as you would auoid hells fire This battell I graunt will be hard but the second part will be harder that is that with the like vprightnesse and strength in God you gaine-stand the mercilesse deuourers of the Patrimonie of the Church If men will spoile let them doe it to their owne perill and condemnation but communicate you not with their sinnes of whatsoeuer estate they be neither by consent nor yet by silence but by publicke protestation make this knowne vnto the world that you are innocent of such robberie which will ere it be long prouoke Gods vengeance vpon the committers thereof whereof you will seeke redresse from God and man God giue you wisedome and courage in so iust a cause and mee a happie end S. Andrewes Aug. 3. 1571. Your Brother in Christ Iesus IOHN KNOXE OVr first Fathers knew that robbery of Church-liuing was a Iulian persecution fore-saw it would bring on a decay of Religion if it were not preuented but now Mr. Dauid grudges that honour credit or maintenance should be giuen to the Church by a Christian King THE ADMONENT NEuer a one of you that are Bishops can be said to haue done any good or gracious action THE ANSVVERE A Sore calumnie a grieuous imputation doubtlesse if it were true none of you hath done any good All their persons all their actions none excepted condemned by you in one sentence It is written of Nero that Monster of Nature that he wished all the people of Rome had but one necke that hee might at one stroke cut off all their heads There is little more fauour I see to be expected at M. Dauids hands if hee might as easily dispatch Bishops by the sword as hee hath done here at one word such is his zeale you may be sure they should trouble Israel no longer Thinke it not strange that I say this none of my words are aboue the wickednesse of your deedes you haue slaine vs all in our name you haue taken conscience and honestie away and without these life is worse then death But I pray you tell vs what angers you whereat are you offended Is it at the Office or the persons of Bishops your owne speech will lead vs ere it be long You grudge at the persons it will be found so yet you pretend it is at the Office you would perswade the people that Bishoprie is a noysome weede a barren tree that neuer bare good fruit and neuer will but that it hath done good in the Church will easily be shewed Many famous Bishops haue beene fruitfull trees in the Lords Vineyard and admit that now they are not so fruitfull as they should be or had done no good wherein you will be disproued also yet it agrees with no reason that the calling it selfe should be discredited for the infirmitie of persons that beare it you might rather doe as they did in Lacedaemon when an eloquent man but an euill man had giuen ouâ— a good decree in a doubtfull matter the decree most equitable in it selfe was misliked by many for the iniquitie of him that gaue it such is the humour of people that they looke rather to the person then to the cause to remedie this euill they caused the same decree to be pronounced by a good man so was neither sentence taken from the mouth of an euill man nor a good decree iniustly reiected It is not the office of a Bishop I hope you vvill condemne when you are well aduised It will be found a good thing and well warranted this offends you that it is come in at such a time and in such a manner and in the persons of such and such men where if Bishopricks were in the hands of good men all were well enough this is the matter for as strange as you make it and your selfe hereafter doth not denie it for these are your words If God hath astricted ruling to gifts and to greatest gifts for you will not say it is to smallest then ought these greatest gifts to rule and where they rule not be it in Bishops or whatsoeuer there is confusion and plaine contrarietie to the ordinance of God which should not be suffered in the Church neither is it pride to the greater gifts if they claime the higher place but iustice in claiming their owne place Mr. Dauid you haue once tolde out the truth plainely and honestly and truly I wish it were euen as you say suppose I see not by what rule this triall of greatest gifts shall be made to content all you will finde some that haue gifts for the Schooles vnmeete for the Pulpit and by the contrarie some againe godly and zealous but not learned others learned but without that experience and wisedome which may make them meete for gouernment and it will not be so easie to place euery gift in the owne roome as you suppose yet
your humour yet that they are in account with men of greater pietie and learning then you is euident in that now the third time that Commentarie vpon the eight to the Romanes hath beene imprinted others of them fiue times imprinted You come short of this honour your selfe and grieues at it you cannot walke with mee in the same way to put your talent vnto profit neither yet can suffer another to doe it beside you vnlesse you lye snarling and barking at his heeles and thereby declare your selfe to be but a base bodie I must tell you as the truth is for many of you blinded with a vaine conceit of your selues spils vnspoken to whose manner is that either they vvould doe but cannot or else can doe but for idlenesse will not or may not yet doing no good themselues they will censure the doings of all others neither can any thing be done were it neuer so good that shall escape the stroke of their tongue But now to the word you quarrell I know very well that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometime a Substantiue and you cannot denie it is also an Adiectiue Beza in his notes findes fault most iustly with the Latine translation rendring the words in this manner Carnem inimicam esse Deo First because if the word had beene vsed heere as an Adiectiue the Apostle would haue said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make it agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly because it doth not so significantly expresse the Apostles meaning it being more to say the sense of the flesh is inimitie with God then to say it is an enemie to God Now if I looking especially to the best sense haue vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as an Adiectiue substantiuated in the plurall the more effectually to expresse the corruption of our nature according to that of Moses All the iâ—aginations of the thoughts of mans heart are onely euill continually And so hath rendered the words Sensus carnis Inimicitiae aduersus Deum And out of it haue drawne a true and profitable obseruation what haue you heere to carpe it As to these words subioyned otherwise it could not agree with the Substantiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is of truth it is drawne out of the first vncorrected Copie and continues in the second Edition expresly against my direction But when you shall haue taken as great paines to encrease your talent for edification of the Church and shall offer your labours to the publicke censure of others I can assure you modest and reasonable men will excuse you for the like construction prouided they finde good in the remanent of your labours And truly I haue great cause to thanke the Lord my God that so many eyes and tongues and Pennes being stretched out to marke my wayes my words my secret writings my publicke writings yet among them all they can finde nothing either in my life or in my labours wherewith to charge me if they could the world should haue heard it ere now yea since some of them haue beene so impious as to iudge of Gods affection toward me by the death of some of my children which I know hath beene tratled into the eares of some within Edenburgh What would these who so narrowly seekes a blame against mee haue done if they could haue found it Againe I thanke the Lord who hath so watched ouer me as not to suffer mee to fall vnder the rebuke of man I feare not I care not the censure of flesh and I trust in his grace that still hee will preserue me pure and blamelesse to his heauenly Kingdome for his names sake But to returne vnto you you haue here no other thing worthie of an answere not answered alreadie It is scarse a sheete of paper you haue sent me and you post through it with such speede that any man may perceiue the heat of your humour hath spurred you to clatter out of the Cabinet of your cheeke any thing came readiest into it neuer going in into your selfe as becomes a modest man to aduise with your minde My counsell to you is that when such a fitte of furie takes you againe you giue commaund before to your seruants to holde Paper Penne and Inke out of your vvay least you shame your selfe yet more and so good Master 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvishing to you greater modestie of minde and speech I bid you farewell Edenburgh Nouemb 25. 1613. An Answere to the third THE third begins his Logomachick declamation with a great exclamation O tempora O mores wherein is more noise of words then dint of reasons Who saith hee would haue said within these twelue yeeres that I would haue beene of this minde But indeede it is no strange thing to see any Christian farre lesse a Christian Preacher in twelue yeeres yea in one yeere attaine to knowledge which he had not before What else is our life heere but a daily changing from darknesse to light from sinne to sanctification from Satan to the liuing God from euill to good from good to better Wee behold as in a mirrour the glorie of God with open face and are changed from glorie to glorie into the same image by the Spirit of the Lord what change I haue made is neither so so dainly nor so lightly done as you suppose I haue considered the matter at length and findes for the one part arguments from the authoritie of persons which did long restraine mee as also from a late custome of our Church which when I searched the register of our generall assemblies I found easily taken away by a more auncient custome of our Church On the other part arguments from the truth it selfe which I dare not conceale for respect of persons neither is it any reason that I should be bound with the cordes of former ignorance and holden backe from giuing place to a better light when God reueales it yet this is the maine argument you bring against me which I thinke you would not repeat so often if you had any stronger to bring for you In this same Page you charge mee with two speeches which are vntruths they are not mine I neuer had any such words and it is a shame for you who in the end of your Treatise subscribes your selfe Philaletheâ— that you should proue Pseustes in the very beginning But if these vaine reports wherewith you fill the hearts of such as leane their eares vnto you were taken from you you would be found bare and barren of matter whereby you might maintaine them in a liking of your opinion Your calumnies Fol. 2. that Episcopall dignitie drawes neere to Babel and Egypt that the calling is euill in it selfe and corrupts the Cariers thereof that the shew of worldly glorie hath turned me out of the pathâ—way of Christ that a man nose-wise like you might smell in my speeches the sauour of a vaine-glorious and selfe-pleasing humour that mine heart cleaueth to the world that it appeares to be
THE BISHOP OF GALLOVVAY HIS DIKAIOLOGIE Contayning a iust Defence of his former APOLOGIE Against the iniust Imputations of Mr. DAVID HVME O what a griefe that hauing to doe with Enemies wee are forced to fight with Friends LONDON Printed by Thomas Snodham for Iohn Budge and are to be sould at the great South-dore of Paules and at Brittaines-Bursse 1614. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER AS I was on my iourney from LONDON homeward in the Moneth of May last I was ouertaken not farre from Darnetoune by our Country-man Mr. Dauid Hume Goodman of Gods-croft After we had saluted one another we fell incontinent to a conference of Church-gouernment hee excused himselfe that his leasure serued him not at that time to stay in our companie his vrgent affaires forcing him to post before but hee promised to send mee his doubts in writing and I promised him if it pleased the Lord an answere The point I tooke in hand to proue was that no substanciall point of Discipline was changed in our Church For Ecclesiasticke Synods vsed before are retained still the censures of Admonition Suspension Excommunication yea the Admission and Deposition of Pastors or what euer else pertaynes to the matter of Discipline these are not remoued but rectified and roborated in that the power to moderate and exercise these censures is not left free to euery one but restored againe to the Bishop to be vsed with aduise of his Brethren thus keepe wee still the same Discipline but more orderly vsed 〈◊〉 dined at Darneroune and parted in louing manner with all brotherly kindnes we ouertooke him againe at Dunbar where not finding his former humanitie I maruelled what it could be or from whom it câ—me that so small a change of the soile should make so great a change of the affection for in the one hee was most kinde where with reason he might haue beene more strange and in the other most strange where of dutie hee both might and should haue beene more kindly Since that time I fore-gathered not with him and I expected nothing but kindnesse from him and that the question should haue beene quietly and peaceably disputed by writing among our selues till now that he hath begunne the publike warre He had sent me some missiue Letters written by him to some others crauing resolution of his doubts concerning Church gouernment And as I was dispatching an Answere to him I was forced to plead for my Conscience by APOLOGIE against a lying Libeller which here Mr. Dauid against all dutie and reason hath publickely impugned First because I stood â—ound by promise to giue an answere to himselfe and reason would hee should haue expected it yea doubtlesse he had gotten it long ere now in more quiet and louing manner if he had not interrupted me Secondly I had written nothing against Mr. Dauid I touched him not in my Apologie and no other way gaue I him any cause to write against mee Thirdly hee being a priuate man it cannot be but a great Presumption to condemne by publike writing a Church-gouernment established by Law and that without knowledge if himselfe be true for he professeth to seeke instruction concerning it yea without eyther calling or lawfull commission Fourthly before euer he sent this Refutation of this Apologie to me or had discharged with me he published sundry Copies of it to be seene and read of others which in our Prouerbe we call Treason vnder trusting Fiftly his whole Admonitorie Treatise is full of Inuectiues in personam without regard of modestie yea of that feare of God which becommeth a Christian bringing nothing or else very little ad propositum Thus hath Mr. Dauid kept no faire warre with mee but hath very farre ouer-seene himselfe and wronged mee which that the indifferent may know I haue here published his Admonition in his owne words and mine answeres I haue omitted no materiall thing in it onely words of needlesse repetition wherein hee abounds If hee had contented himselfe to iustifie the Libeller in tramping my Name my Conscience my Ministrie vnder his feete it had beene a proofe of my patience great enough But where without reason or truth he will beare downe a common cause and increase offences in the hearts of simple people I cannot of conscience suffer it vnanswered specially seeing vnder pretence of impugning mee hee directly impugneth it If my heart in this had reproued mee of my wayes I might haue lurked in secret and past ouer the Libeller and him also with silence but an honest conscience feareth not the light but rather reioyceth in it Onely I craue of the modest minded Christian that if my speeches in the Answere at any time be sharper then becommeth it be imputed to humane infirmitie whereunto the loue of the cause and knowledge of mine owne innocencie hath carryed mee not want of loue toward him or others It is no pleasure to mee to offend any man if any such haue escaped mee I will not excuse my selfe in that which the wise godly and indifferent Reader shall thinke may iustly be reprehended Thine in the Lord W. B. of Galleway THE BISHOP OF GALLOWAY HIS APOLOGIE THere are two things requisite in a man that would doe good in a publike calling the one is a good Conscience the other a good Name the first commends him to God and obtaines a blessing to his labours the next commends him to men and procures him the greater credit to effectuate the good which hee hath intended for the which said Philo Sicut bonum ac honestum esse ita videri aâ— haberi prâ—dest As it is a good thing to be good and honest so is it also good that we should be esteemed good Nonitaque est â—â—gligenda fama restum ad custodian tuâ—â— ad dignitatem vitae vtilissimâ— A good name therefore is not to be neglected considering it is a singular helpe both for the custodie and dignitie of our life for this cause hath it alway beene one of Sathans customable policies who stands at the right hand of Iehâ—shuah to resist him in well doing to staine the Name where he cannot corrupt the Conscience that by disgraâ—ing the instruments he may destroy at least diminish the good which faine they would doe Hoc est Diaboli 〈…〉 seruos Dei mendacio laceret falsis 〈…〉 qui conscientiae suâ— luce clarescunt falsis ruâ—oribus sordidentur This is the worke of the Diuell to strike the seruants of God with the scourge of a lying tongue to abase their honest name in the hearts of others by wrongfull conceptions and by false reports to defile them who are honest in regard of their owne consciences 2 It is a difficult thing to liue in a publike calling and not to be calumniated So long as our Sauiour liued a priuate life we reade not that he was either tempted by Satan or traduced by men but from the time that by Baptisme he was consecrate to doe the great worke of the
the gall of your bitternesse it is returned backe to your selfe and you must drinke it You haue drawne your sword to slay such as be of vpright conuersation and it is entred into your owne bowels You vvould kindle a hellish fire in an heauenly fellowshippe and pester the Paradise of GOD vvith the pest and poyson of Satan You bring in vvorkes of the flesh hatred emulation wrath contention sedition enuie lying rayling heresie for you are the first Father of this calumnie that in our Church are Teachers of false Doctrine to defend as you thinke a Spirituall cause This is intollerable in the Church this is to shame the Church so farre as you may It were but a iust recompence of your presumption to pay you home with your owne money Neither is it alway reproueable said Nazian Radentem vicissim radere I know he commends Hero the Martyr that he came out against the Cynicks of his time Canis aduersus veros canes but where the iniurie concernes my selfe I will not so requiâ—e you You haue iudged my conscience to be corrupt done what you could to defame me I will not doe the like to you I am bound by the Apostles precept recompence to no man euill for euill And againe Be not ouercome of euill but ouercome euill with goodnesse Ver. 21. I remember mine owne lesson in the Alphabet for Sions Schollers it is dangerous to fight against Satan with his owne armour to giue rebuke for rebuke and pay home one calumnie with another for I know there is no difference inter prouocantem et prouocatum nisi quod ille prior in maleficio depraehenditur I esteeme it neither wisedome then manhood Cum virtute vincere liceat vitio superari aut etiam superare quod multo sceleratius est When a man may ouercome by vertue to suffer himselfe be ouercome by vice in another or which is much worse to striue by it to ouercome others But where your reproaches are not priuate nor personall onely but publicke concerning the whole Church I cannot of dutie but speake of them as they are vnder such names and stiles as they deserue for the cause is common and the Ministrie of a publicke Office-bearer in the Church is for the benefit of others where it is good and honest the defaming of it is not without the preiudice of many that should receiue good by it In this you haue degressed so inordinately out of the compasse of Christian dutie that I am forced to come to you with a fire from God to burne vp extinguish and vndoe your vncouth fire and with an holy anger as the hammer of God to beate downe the horne of your pride That same holy Spirit which at one time descended in the likenesse of a Doue at another discended in the similitude of Fire Meekenesse alway is not to be vsed there is a time when it becommeth Moses the meekest man of the earth to be angrie I dare not say I can rule anger as he did but shall doe what I may to restraine it I know then onely is anger good when it is a seruant to reason and a Souldier fighting for the truth Tunc neruus quidam animae est indignatio fortitudinem ad res bene gerendas praebens And here if any shame of this conflict arise vnto you it is not by my deede you haue drawne it vpon your selfe As the dirt which the Sea foames and casts vp in her flowing returnes backe againe without difficultie into her owne bosome in the ebbing so is it beleeue me with you you haue here but foamed out your owne shame your reproaches and calumnies which you haue here heaped vp and dawbed together with vntempered morter so soone as they are touched fall backe vpon your selfe and it is not my rebuke but your owne returning vnto you You haue drawne me from mine accustomed course of studie vnto a field of Contention which I like not It had beene greater pleasure to mee and profit to others I had spent this time vpon some other subiect meeter for edification of the soules of men and doubtlesse or now I had done so if you had not interrupted me but since you haue kindled a fire in the Church and your selfe falne into it and like to draw others with you into it also I will not be so vndutifull as to leaue any thing vndone that I may doe to quench it And if in pulling you out of this fire I handle you more roughly then otherwise I would and my speeches be sharper then you like wel of to heare yet I hope to speake nothing against your selfe but against your sinne not to seeke a fault in you by searching your conscience but to rebuke it where you by word plainly manifest it and in this if not you yet at least the Christian Reader will excusemee your danger is so desperate the danger wherein simple ones are drawne by you yea the perill imminent to the whole Church so euident by this trumpet of Sedition you haue blowne into it like another Bichraean Sheba that I am forced to doe as I haue done Yet by Gods grace two things I shall keepe Patience and Loue the one in my selfe Cauendum enim est ne vindictae cupiditate amittatur ipsa patientia quae pluris est habenda quam omne quod potest inimicus etiam inuito auferre The other toward you I haue and I will loue you whether you will or not neither shall your raging in this Feauer alienate mine affection from you But indeed I looked for better fruits from you and expected you should haue beene answerable to your stile Theagrius The husbandrie of God should abound in fruits of the Spirit which are loue peace gentlenesse goodnesse meekenesse but how farre you haue digressed from these I hope you will see better when you come to your selfe againe Surely if mine enemie had defamed me I could haue borne it or if mine aduersarie had exalted himselfe against mee I would haue hid my selfe from him but it was thou O man euen my familiar and my companion who delighted to consult together and goe to the house of God as companions What can the most professed enemie of the Gospell doe more then you haue done You haue rewarded me euill for good and so haue brought your selfe vnder the danger of that fearefull sentence He that rewardeth euill for good euill shall neuer depart from his house I wish your eyes may be opened to see it and God may giue you grace in time to repent of it But now to come to the matter The spight of your furie runnes first against my name and that with such violence as declares a great force of inordinate affection in you to ouer-runne it if you could For so you begin THE ADMONENT RIght loued brother while I am in expectation of the answere you promised to my Letters I receiued by euenture your Apologie written in
my selfe and doe yet the third time cry for an Athanasâ—us But till the Lord send this I make knowne vnto you that you haue no cause to wrest my vvords against my Brethren of the Ministrie what euer their iudgement or opinion be concerning Church-gouernement I would be loath to speake of them as you haue alleadged and therefore because I see the heat of contention in you is yet encreasing remember that when I speake of men of your humour your sort your band your fellowship I meane of such as the Libeller and you haue declared your selues to be Men that sets by loue for a liking of their opinion that spares not to forsake the bounds of modestie yea and Christianitie debating their priuate iudgement with contention rayling lying backe-biting this is Satans armour and is not meere to be vsed in defence of the cause of God but now this first part of your Paralogie containing raylings against my name you conclude this way THE ADMONENT LOe Brother what I thinke right concerning your name THE ANSVVERE THis is the second and yet the last time that you vse any word of meekenesse and loue they stand alone in this your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thinkes shame of the rest As hee that faigneth himselfe madde casts firebrands arrowes and mortall things so dealeth the deceitfull man with his friend saith am not I in sport Mr. Dauid in a furie without rithme or reason strikes all that are about him friend or foe as you will heare and then will mend all with a word I am but in sport and am your brother Salomon sayth that this is to play the deceiuer THE ADMONENT YOur fame is in a hard case very hard to be cleared from some blemish c. Thus stands it with your fame which I cannot see how it shall be remedied And againe Chiefely that Idoll Fame which you trauaile so to maintaine beleeue me there is no remedie downe it must and best by your selfe your owne hand may pull it downe more easily others must more rudely Thinke not your Apologies will doe the turne Palmodies must doe it THE ANSVVERE GOod Mr. Dauid be not so sodaine be appeased but a little and I will pay you to the vttermost farthing if I doe not then pull all downe at your pleasure A righteous man saith Salomon hath compassion ouer his beast but the mercies of the wicked are crueltie Mr. Dauid why wil you be so cruell as at one stroke to slay both my selfe and my name yea to burie my name ere I be dead my selfe and that without anie pittie or compassion If you had anie loue you would haue mourned at least a little ouer it because once it did good once it smelled well Though there be not a Tribe cut off from Israel and euen they were sorie for it which had done it yet is there a man in your conceit cut off from Israel and you insult in the doing of it yea and haue triumphed with your complices during this interim of a none answere neither can you keepe it close but in your pride proclaime it that you haue slaine a man Yet it is but the Amalekites daunce your pray will quickly be taken from you what you thought you had done you will finde it vndone It but fareth with you as Philo saith it did with Cain Then Cain arose against his brother Abel and slew him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom slew he not Abel no hee slew himselfe It seemes saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an incredible Paradoxe yet is it true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abel is taken away in the foolish minde of Cain but he liues in God a blessed life and my name which in your conceit is past remedie I suppose with you it is perished cleane in Preston and you haue buried it there neuer to rise againe yet I am a man that beleeues the resurrection of the dead euen of them who are dead buried in Preston also But Mr. Dauid know you not that the Sunne shines clearely in some parts euen when it is obscured in others I am sure you cannot be ignorant of this that when the Sunne is obscured by clouds or smoake in Preston yet other parts of the Kingdome sees it clearely enough and there also where it is obscured for a time it will shine againe Who sent a winde and draue the Locusts of Egipt into the red Sea Who scattered the smoake that came from the bottomlesse pit to darken the Sunne Is it not the Lord who soweth light for the righteous hee brings to light things that are hid in darknesse I will still walke in the innocencie and simplicitie of mine heart and not spare to speake to men what I haue beene taught of God nothing moued either with your calumnies or other mens contempt And of these men that haue despised me shall I be had in honour when God shall plead my cause execute iudgement for me and bring me forth into the light But now as Satan in the tempting of Iob proceeded from a small tentation to a greater so Mr. Dauid not content to trample my name vnder foote at his pleasure makes corruption also vpon my conscience Hee iustifies the former Libeller in plaine termes and will needes haue mee guiltie of a corrupt loue vnto gaine and glorie for these are his words THE ADMONENT MEn searching what should haue moued you to change your minde lights onely on these two Gaine and Glorie as the onely appearant for what could you euen say your selfe if you saw diuers Hammers hammering a vessell and it endured them all and broke not till the golden Hammer come and so soone as it hits the vessell leapes asunder at the first stroke what would you thinke but that the golden Hammer had broken it c. THE ANSVVERE AS athorne in the hand of a drunkard so is a Parable in the mouth of a foole saith Salomon for a drunkard taking a thorne in his hand to strike others hurteth himselfe with it and a foole pierces himselfe with the Parable wherewith he thinkes to pricke another Mr. Dauid this false supposition of yours is answered by another which is true what if the vessell was broken or euer the golden Hammer touched it if they vvho could best see being neerest vnto it saw that it was so if the change was made or euer the Bishopricke came is he not a lyer that will say the golden Hammer did it What euer you had said of the cause it selfe or of my name might haue beene somewhat excusable these are things externall but how take you this boldnesse to iudge another mans conscience Who art thou that iudgest another mans seruant hee standeth or falleth to his Master My cause you thinke you know perfectly to be euill my name it pleases you to terme a vaine Idoll which you will haue pulled downe though the smoke of your pride darken your minde so
that I haue learned that now which I knew not before M. Dauid it is the glorie of Angels that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propter gratiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnchangeable through the grace that is giuen them being otherwise of their owne nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mutable of will With their first creation they receiued full vnderstanding of all truth which their Creator thought needefull to communicate to them and in it by grace they abide without change not subiect to any errour but is it so vvith man vpon earth attaine wee at the first to perfection of knowledge must we not learne and come to it by degrees I pray you whose words are these when I was a childe I spake as a childe I thought as a childe Now I haue put childish things from me Is it with euerie one as it was with the Baptist he was Renatus prius quam natus Regenerate ere he was borne he had not yet come into the world by the first birth he is made partaker of the second Were wee all with Ieremie sanctified in the wombe Get we all with Salomon knowledge of right and wrong in our younger yeeres he was wonderfull wise before hee was twelue yeeres olde Is it with all Preachers as with the Apostles who within fiftie dayes after that they were sent out by Christ his Ambassadours to the world they receiued the Spirit to leade them in all truth Thanks be to God when he entred vs into his holy Ministrie he gaue vs such measure of his Spirit as did teach vs all substantiall points of faith needfull to saluation and gaue vs gifts profitable in their measure for edification of the Church But Mr. Dauid it was spoken to one and it stands for all Attende lectioni intentus esto tibi ipsi doctrinae Take heede vnto learning Timothie had learned the holy Scriptures from his youth yet the Apostle will haue him to learne still for so saith he to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it may be manifest to all men how thou profitest and shall it then be a blame to mee to professe I haue learned that which I knew not Correct your selfe M. Dauid what you call inconstancie will be found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not inconstancie but encrease of knowledge O but this Inquisitour will not take this for an answere he will needes haue me guiltie of negligence and sloath in my calling That in so great so high so speciall a question as it yet neuer searched to know the truth of that matter till now of late Mr. Dauid my calling is to be a Preacher my commission is the whole word of God whereof I acknowledge with Augustine Tantam esse profunditatem c. The depth to be so great that the quickest Engine though hee should liue Methusalems yeeres and doe no other thing but read it continually yet vvere not able to plum it nor to learne all the great and high and speciall questions concerning it There are many points in holy Scripture which most excellent Preachers know not and will you for that conuince them either for false Teachers or carelesse Students Know you not that Iacob at the first vvas called Israel the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one a name of learning and profiting the other of perfection and preuailing Now is the time of our wrastling a time wherein we should learne and grow in knowledge Encreasing with the encreasings of GOD stepping forward euery day a new step and so walking till we appeare before the face of our God in Sion The time is at hand when wee shall come to the measure of perfect men in Christ No darknesse no error shall then be left in our mindes but we shall then know euen as we are knowne But it being a principall point of your calling and you so long a Pastor saith the admonent it cannot be but a great sloath that you haue neuer searched to know the truth of that matter Truly Mr. Dauid I doe verily thinke that a man may proue both a faithfull and fruitfull Minister in the Church all his daies and neither busie himselfe nor his people with any question of externall Church-gouernement that is amongst vs. I thanke God being now a man neere-by of fourtie and sixe yeeres I haue liued in the Church twenty and foure yeeres a Pastor without rebuke of any till the Libeller and you yoaked against me and beleeue me if this matter of Church-gouernement had not beene wakened to mine hand and the compassion I carie to this Church wherein I was borne a Christian and honoured to be a Pastor whose bowels are vnnaturally rent by vnnecessarie contention of some of her vnkindely children If these reasons I say had not moued mee I thought all my daies few enough to spend in the matter of Doctrine as being of greatest importance for edification of the Church and wherein I haue found greatest comfort to mine owne heart remembring that vvarning of Hippocrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vita breuis ars longa And in this though I haue not come with such speede as I would yet that I haue neither beene sloathfull nor carelesse I haue some workes for my witnesses which how weake so euer they be in themselues or little worth in your eyes yet are they the encrease of my talent wherein I haue found comfort to mine owne heart and others of the Saints of God in all parts of the I le haue found comfort also Ab homine exigitur vt prosit hominibus si fieri potest multis siminus paucis si minus proximis si minus sibi And where you tell me I could not but know this same matter to haue beene agitate before in the persons of Bishops Adamsone and Montgomrie This is like all the rest of your bold and rash assertions for they vvere both dead ere euer I was called to be a Preacher and what you would haue mee to learne at them I can hardly coniecture for if the equitie of their cause was obscured either by the iniquitie of their actions which I know not or the violent course of that time what is this to the matter now in hand The one of them I neuer saw that I know the other I heard when I was verie young at Schoole in St. Andrewes and now must tell you that if you were either so learned or such a louer of learning as you pretend you would haue spared to rake the ashes of the one for the honour of his learning There vvere sundrie other Bishops in this Church beside them who liued and died honest men and vnrebukeable but you passe by them still like the venomous Flie that lights vpon the sore part as if the faults of one or two were sufficient to discredit all the rest of the fellowship And I cannot meruaile how still you obiect the example of
Maiestie be loadned with burdens at all hands grieued with enemies and grieued with Subiects also This is my reason it moued mee then it moueth me yet and made mee to resolue that I would not be contradictorie to his Maiestie in any cause for the which I dare not giue my life and I trust such a cause shall neuer fall into the heart nor hand of the Lords annointed This was my resolution long ere any motion of a Bishopricke was made to mee God knoweth it men know it thinke you and yours what yee like to the contrarie Now this reason you answere this way Who beleeues you that you tooke on a Bishopricke to comfort the King and not rather to comfort your selfe Is not this thinke you a iust confutation yet wee must take this for a sufficient proofe that Mr. Dauid saith the contrarie who may not see that in stead of reasoning you raile you shame your selfe you answere not mee It is very well knowne I sought not a Bishopricke I thinke in this I shall haue no accuser to charge mee with Ambitus and after that his Maiestie vnrequired vnknowne or vnlooked for of mee had out of his Maiesties owne free pleasure presented mee vnto it there interceeded more then eighteene weekes before that I accepted it I would not haue done so but griped more greedily at it if I had so farre regarded my selfe as you alledge Mr. Dauid I ought you no quittance neither make I any vnto you but of the very truth of mine heart I declare to such as feare God that if the respects of dutie I owe to his Maiestie and this Church had not beene stronger in mee then any respect I had to my selfe I should neuer haue accepted it This is the truth calumniate as you will You goe yet on THE ADMONENT BVT here you all commonly insult and runne out vpon it and haue euer the King the Kings Maiestie in your mouth whom we all reuerence THE ANSVVERE ANd doth this offend you Mr. Dauid is it not good reason we should haue his Maiestie in our mouths yea and in our hearts also as a singular blessing of God bestowed vpon vs for whom wee cannot be thankefull enough to our God whose fatherly loue and care and entire affection toward his people wee are neuer able to recompence no remembrance no care no seruice no obedience here can be sufficient And then that you may seeme to say something you pray THE ADMONENT TOuching his Maiestie whom the GOD of Heauen blesse in his owne person and posteritie to the worlds end and send him better comforters then any of you Bishops be THE ANSVVERE A Man that boasts of false liberalitie is like vnto Clouds without raine What your affection to his Maiestie is we are not to examine his Maiestie can best discerne it of any man but as for your prayer we say Amen to it Euen the God of heauen send his Maiestie better comforters for his Highnesse is worthy of better then the best of vs are indeede Yet this is some good that there is no want of good will in vs we wish from our hearts we were better then we are more able to glorifie God t edifie his Church to serue his Maiestie then we are And albeit we cannot doe the good which we would yet his Maiestie shall not want the good which wee may and of his Princely equitie we doubt not but his Highnesse will accept good will in part of payment And as for you Mr. Dauid if your affection to his Maiestie be so sincere as you pretend then let me demand of you in these words which Zadok and Abiathar got in commission to aske the Elders of Israel Why are yee behinde to bring the King againe to his owne house or in plainer termes and meeter for our purpose Why render you not his Maiestie all the comfort and contentment you may Or if the light of your minde in this question permit you not seeing it is but your priuate iudgement and your selfe but a priuate man why take yee vp a publike banner against his Maiestie why shew yee your selfe an open contradictor and a partie speciall seeing this is not your calling and you haue no commission for it It would fit you better to be more sparing of your words and more liberall in your deedes to proue your affection to your Soueraigne which now by your needlesse medling you haue called more in doubt then it was before And now to declare what you meane by better comforters you fall out into a commendation of our brethren contrarie minded in Church-gouernment THE ADMONENT GOe you beyond them who stand for our Discipline eyther in affection or in action or in praying or in praysing by word by writ by tongue by pen to honour him to the world within his owne countrie without to forraine Nations you know you haue not done it not can any Bishop of Scotland doe it beyond them THE ANSVVERE PRoud hautie and scornefull is his name that worketh wrath in his arrogancie What neede you to take this paines out of your pride to worke wrath among Brethren it will not be for you Mr. Dauid you shall long commend them before you offend vs. If so be the change of Court could content you I wish it were good comforters good counsellors may they be to his Maiestie you will finde no Bishop of Scotland to hinder it but by all meanes willing to procure it but more impertinent are your comparisons which follow THE ADMONENT VVIll you enter into comparison with them in any thing or can you preferre your selues Come let 's see and let vs try it but a little What can you say you loue him so doe they you pray for him so doe they c. THE ANSVVERE AS the coale or wood maketh fire so is a contentious man apt to kindle strife A false witnesse that speaketh lies and him that raiseth vp contentions among brethren doth the soule of the Lord abhorre What needes I pray you such words or how are they for the purpose of our argument Doe any of vs disesteeme of their gifts in my iudgement you had commended them better and forborne comparisons You derogate from them when you compare them with others inferiour to them in good Is there no way to aduance them but to set them on the backes of their brethren Is not this higher pride then to ride on a beast at Parliament I doubt not it is against their will but you haue mounted them so in the conceit of your vaine minde Why doe you not consider that there is in the Church diuersitie of gifts but the same spirit The Lord is a wise dispenser of his gifts who hath not giuen all vnto any one If there be one endued with a gift which another wants looke againe when yee will and you shall see hee wants some gift that another hath Dauid an excellent Prophet yet hee needed a Nathan to waken him
holy Scripture with a verie good will we agree vnto it more readie then you are to require it That is the Fort of Sion it defends both the Citie and the vvalls but how vainely you bragge of this your selfe vvill make manifest to your owne shame when we come to the question it selfe you will be found to denie it then and euen presently you denie it forsaking to reason the matter and turning you to your wonted inuectiues in personam THE ADMONENT ANd thinke you to honour this abuse of it and for that cause takes it on your selfe Strange you should thinke sâ— and is it not arrogancie so to thinke you mixe a word like modestie as farre as your credite might carie you you would remoue the offence but might you not know that would be no way off not halfe an inch doubtlesse your credit might not serue you to honour it it might well impaire your credite c. THE ANSVVERE YOu shew your selfe an arrogant man imputing that vnto mee which I neuer said neuer thought that is say you to honour the abuse of the name and office of a Bishop I honour the Office the abuse I neuer loued and farre lesse now My credit is little worth in your eies to remoue the offence not halfe an inch as you say but if it be so what needes all this stirre that you haue made what needes such lamentation Alas alas such bitter inuection such complaint of the great triumph made be my example you are an vnmeete man to dwell in the borders if you waken the Countrey and all your friends for halfe an inch But Mr. Dauid be as troublesome as you like you shall know for a certaine that I care nothing to be disesteemed of you it contents me to know that I haue remoued that offence out of the hearts of sundrie that feares God not in a part but vtterly which Mr. Dauid if you be not crabbed is more then any one of your inches though you were as great euen in stature of bodie as you are in statelinesse of minde and then I am sure you should proue like one of the sonnes of Anak or that Giant the sonne of Haraphath whose fingers were by sixes foure and twentie in number Yet when he reuiled Israel Ionathan Dauids brother did slay him THE ADMONENT THe third is neuer a whit better but worse if worse can be To eschew Schisme and close it vp Eschew Schisme In a Schisme by going to the wrong side was the like euer heard Or if you meane that all should doe so goe to the Schismaticke side and then there should be no Schisme it may be true by that meane there should be no Schisme but it should be farre worse all should be in an errour yet better a Schisme in the Church be then the whole Church erring THE ANSVVERE MY third reason vvas that I perceiued in our Church an vnnecessarie diuision for the matter of Church-gouernement to the great aduantage of the common enemie which gap I resolued for my part not to enlarge by contention but to close vp so farre as my weakenesse may This offends Mr. Dauid and he professes plainely he had rather Minister should be against Minister Pulpit against Pulpit Preachers against the King King against Preachers then hee lay downe his conceit of gouernement or suffer others to doe it And to couer his nakednesse hee hath shapen a large cloake for it but it is of Figge-tree leaues Better a Schisme be in the Church then that the whole Church be in an errour but why abuse you the people Is there any man or any Church on earth without errour and are there not sundrie errours not so pernitious to the Church as Schisme Speake plainely to the people if any false Doctrine be in the Church warne them that they may beware of it but where vnder the name of errour in generall you would make the people beleeue that they were seduced in the faith Mr. Dauid you are but a Master-deceiuer and since you professe you will defend a Schisme and perturbe the peace of the Church you are worthie of a Schismatickes punishment that is to be cut off from the Church For doubtlesse you haue shewed your selfe heere a most malitious Sycophant see what must follow vpon your words you shut vp all the Churches of Europe standing for Episcopall gouernement into an errour and so makes a great gap in the Armie of Israel which God hath gathered together by the trumpet of his Gospell against Babel In like manner you spet in the face of your Mother affirming that our Church was in an errour twentie yeeres all the dayes of Iohn Knoxe for all that time it had no gouernement but Episcopall all that time there was not such a thing as a Presbyterie in the Church of Scotland and if any truth be in you all that time was our Church in errour Beside this you are blasphemous against the Church present and would make simple people beleeue that an errour is enforced vpon them by the King by Preachers by the generall assembly wherein you doe most wickedly and falsly gaine-stand the truth since no such thing is done but onely a gouernement restored which the Primitiue Church had which Orthodoxe Churches of all times haue had which our owne Church in her purest state had here is the point here is all the errour and for out-holding of this you professe a Schisme and diuision betweene a King and Church betweene Pastors and Pastors Mr. Dauid is not Ierusalem besieged without by Romanes Are not here both King and people in like perill And the King impugned by the aduersarie beyond the rest for the supereminence of his place Is there any Israelite vvithin either Pastor or people whose blood is not sought by the enemie Is it time then it should be deuided within the selfe Shall Shimeon Iochanan and Eleâ—zer draw the Citie into factions Who will not faile to striue for superioritie among themselues if Romanes relent to trouble them Haue wee not a Christian King going before vs to fight the Lords battell hazarding all that hee hath for the welfare of Ierusalem hath hee not aduanced himselfe before the Armie and with his owne hands wounded the aduersaries head Are not the seruants of the Lord with his Maiestie to crie alarum in the name of the Lord and blow the trumpet Haue they not with them the holy Oracle of the word of GOD is any point of that truth impaired by them Stand they not in defence of it against the Armie of Antichrist This Mr. Dauid is the side where-vnto I haue taken mee I wish I had knowne it sooner that I might haue ioyned vnto it and to this side are you bound by all reason to render your selfe which if you will doe and moue others by your example to doe the like in so doing you might declare your affection your dutie your seruice your deerest estimation of his Maiestie whereof you vaunted so greatly before
in our Church for disturbance of the peace thereof by men of your humour abusing the simplicitie of some Pastors that it was needlesse to me to crie any more yea of purpose I fled it and thanke God I euer delighted to handle my Text for edification of the hearers in the matter of saluation and had no pleasure in digressions or other discourses yea not in an open rebuke of the sinnes of them who were not present to heare me Neither is it any reason that euerie vveakenesse seene in the State or in the Church should be proclaimed in Pulpit incontinent you cannot be ignorant that many things are rather to be tollerated then mended with vntimely remedies Ne dum volumus importune ruimis subuenire alias maiores multo videamur parare Mr. Dauid we haue had more then enough of this stuffe among vs Men that will suffer no Bishops and yet in Presbyteries will either gouerne all or else nothing goes right yea some as if they were Episcopi Episcoporum sit in their land-ward Pulpits as in chaires of censure giuing out iudgement of King State Church Countrey and all ranks of men condemning them in the hearts of their hearers with iniust and vntimely rebukes that neuer come to the knowledge of them vnto whom they are directed this is a proud vsurpation couer it with the cloake of zeale who will which for my part I neuer approued yet this is one of the Alarums Mr. Dauid cries for THE ADMONENT TO take vp things then in grossest and simplest manner you misliked Episcopall gouernement say you because you feared tyrannie libertie and other euils should follow on it what is this to say that you misliked it not for it selfe but for the consequences of it THE ANSVVERE SInce it is notoriously knowne and I haue plainely confessed that I misliked Episcopall gouernement what needes all this enquirie of the causes of my misliking Sure it is I misliked it vpon misconception Now I know it but I knew it not then and is it any reason that I should for this be restrained from embracing a clearer light when God offers so that you take here but needlesse paines and yet you will be doing and to proue that I misliked Episcopall gouernement for the vnlawfulnesse of the Office it selfe which you will neuer be able to make good you bring foure arguments The first from a priuate speech of mine spoken to a friend at the Parliament in Perth which this way you repeat THE ADMONENT VVHether you behaued your selfe so or not let it be weighed by this little suruey of your speech first priuate then publike in priuate I will cite but one said to haue beene in Perth at their first riding there Let vs goe said you to your friend and see these proud Prelates ride which friend of yours afterward as is reported at your first riding in Parliament being come to Edenburgh and demanded of you wherefore hee was come in detestation of you answered you with your owne words hee was come to see the proud prelates ride I know others report this somewhat otherwise and that it was a Bishop that repeated your words in Edenburgh to that same your friend concerning you to giue you a meeting for that you said of him in Perth THE ANSVVERE NOW Mr. Dauid comes in to giue the Reader a proofe of his skill in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for lacke of Canonicall probations he turnes him to Apocrypha and makes vp a tale here so ridiculous by his owne narration as may make men maruell what hath made a reputed wise man so foolish hee saith I spake it to a friend in Perth and a Bishop heard it was I so inconsiderate as to speake that in my priuate house that time I was not out of it that a Bishop might heare in the streetes Why name you not the friend vnder generals you may say what you list yet you distrust your selfe for you say the tale which you bring here was said to haue beene in Perth said to haue beene what certaintie is here is this ground good enough say your selfe and indeede in the next word you shame your selfe It is say you otherwise reported yet you make them both all one in effect that is in truth both of them false and fectlesse Is this solid reasoning thinke you Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici Without wood the fire is quenched and without a tale-bearer strife ceaseth Haue you no matter wherewith to fill vp your paper but a tale of hee said and she said and you cannot tell who said it You will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Iudge to iudge mee and is ignorant of the Law for it stands in all ages a Law to a Iudge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he should not iudge by hearing and yet hee will receiue against me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a vaine report Thou painted wall thou sittest to iudge mee according to the Law and smitest mee against the Law yet wee must vnderstand that Mr. Dauid is a learned man who will denie this that knowes him and how euer this subiect seeme small yet his skill is the greater to make such a long and learned Commentarie vpon so little a matter and seeing hee hath taken this paines vpon it wee must all thinke it worthy of the reading or else wee doe him great wrong for so hee saith himselfe THE ADMONENT THe words of the fable are short and seeme to import little but let vs consider them they may giue vs light perhaps and perhaps no sufficient to this matter concerning all these chiefe points whether it was feare of euill to come or euils present you spake of whether vncertaine feare or certaine sight c THE ANSVVERE HItherto haue wee heard Mr. Dauid his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now followes his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it a cunning and most eloquent Orison vpon a fabulous narration How euer the matter seeme little Mr. Dauid warnes you hee can make it much Nouit tenuiter diducere and can out of it draw many prettie Quiddities and Illatiues vpon whethers and what ifs and can shew himselfe a Rhethorician vpon Niff naffes Mr. Dauid is no grosse spinster giue him the grossest stuffe you may get hee can twine it small so skilled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that of little hee can make much yea and could if neede required secare cuminum not vnmeete to be Steward to some Italian Lord that would haue many dishes vpon small allowance but that it were a losse to take such a good engine from the Schooles wherein if he continue the world will see that Scotus subtilis is reuiued in him againe But howeuer it be I pittie you that you should not haue some better subiect to trye your wits vpon for you shall beleeue me who euer reported this tale vnto you in speaking of it was but a lyar the thing it selfe is a false fiction you haue not done Christianly to
good of his Brethren as if I had so spoken of my selfe confirmes me in that which I perceiued before that you are but a vaine discourser pleasing your selfe in Argutijs silly fectlesse and impertinent conceptions and speeches And therefore being loath to wearie the Reader and my selfe both any longer with your Battâ—log-Tautolâ—gies I presently commit them to the South winde to be carried away from your Peele-house at Preston with the remaâ—ent smoke of your pannes to the water of Forth and so bid farewell to Mr. Dauid in his furie and now turne mee to speake with him in his more sober minde THE ADMONENT VVHat is there then to be done here will you say euen this certainely as you said sometime your selfe If you haue gotten new light which you had not before communicate it to others your Brethren that they also may follow you in their hearts and know they yeeld to you in a good conscience c. Let bitternesse be remoued let the cause with calmnesse and meeknesse be considered THE ANSVVERE NOw at length M. Dauid the euill blood begins to fall from your heart God be thanked and you are come to some coolnes suppose not kindly enough yet of your former Feauer wherein you raged yet it puts vs in hope you may recouer of this disease betime what you haue here said I receiue â—buijs vlnis any light I haue I will willingly communicate bitternesse â— agree be remoued Perit enim iudicium vbires transit in affectum I wish therefore perturbate and preiudicat affection may be laid by It is onely these two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that fights against Episcopall gouernement To be short I embrace all your conclusion and euery condition of it except onely where you will me not to disguise my speech by sought out sentences and oâ—tentation of reading to iuggle the iudgement of the simple I must warne you that whether your word stand for a iâ—gulator or a deceiuing Iugler your deede comes too soone against your protestation euen now you craued bitternesse may be remoued and you cannot leaue it but to vse your owne Prouerbe A Wolfe will be a Wolfe Naturam expellas furcalicet vsque recurret And as to my manner of writing I cannot change it I want not my owne reasons neither haue you any cause to complaine of it Now we goe to the question THE ADMONENT I Goe from all that long disputation 1. Whether Bishops be lawfull 2. Whether they were and how they were in the Primitiue Church which you claime to 3. How they were in our owne Church at the beginning or leaues it to a fitter time and alledgeth how euer these things were they are not lawfull now to vs 1. In respect of our oath since our oath 2. in respect of our Discipline more profitable for vs. THE ANSVVERE NOw Mr. Dauid hauing of a long time trauelled with wickednesse and conceiued mischiefe at length bringeth forth a lye When all is reckoned and counted the matter comes to iust nothing Et magno conatu murem tandem peperisse videtur Who could haue looked but that Mr. Dauid who so largely and liberally hath condemned Bishops in word would haue brought at least one argument against them hee doth it not but rather destroyes all that hee hath said before You cannot eschew this you haue multiplyed words and by most sharp Inuectiues haue condemned Episcopall gouernment you haue called it tyrannie and vnlawfull in it selfe and now you remit the lawfulnesse or vnlawfulnesse of it to be disputed Truely good man you haue wronged the partie and abused the Reader for according to reason you should haue disproued Episcopall gouernment before you had condemned it but after that you haue condemned it is it not your shame to remit it to further reasoning In the one you haue shewed superfluitie of malice mouing you to speake euill of it in the other penurie of knowledge that you haue no reason to iustifie you in the condemning of it Thus haue you shewed your selfe in initio confident em in facto timidum one that feareth to fight but is bold to bragge You will not simplie giue ouer the combat but declines it farely for this time and puts it off to a better time but in my minde a better time could you neuer haue had then this seeing you haue gathered your friends and haue mustered you Armie and ordered it out of your ripest wits in sixe sheetes of paper before you what a shame is it that in so feeble manner you should turne your backe and leaue all that you haue sent and said before You haue braued a Bishop in presence of your friends now hee stands before you and you dare not looke him in the face nor strike one stroke at him in this quarrell that the office of a Bishop is vnlawfull in it selfe But to pursue you euen to the vttermost point wherevnto you haue fled in this also you shew your selfe weake yea ridiculous for now you haue drawne all your speech to this Assertion and I pray the iudicious Reader to consider it Howsoeuer Episcopall Gouernment in it selfe be lawfull or vnlawfall to other Churches or sometime lawfull in our owne Church yet it is not lawfull now A Paradoxe indeede I thinke Mr. Dauid speakes not simplie but grants it by concession But taking it as hee giues it let vs heare it ouer againe Though Episcopall gouernement in it selfe were lawfull lawfull to other Churches lawfull once to our owne Church yet now it is not lawfull To proue this Mr. Dauid brings two Reasons which had neede to be very strong it being a strange Position they haue to defend but the Reader shall by Gods grace see it made plaine that there is no more truth worth nor value in his two Reasons then in the rest of his Assertions And since the whole weight of the Controuersie stands vpon these two Reasons I set them downe truely to you as Mr. Dauid hath set them downe to mee The first REASON We may not receiue Bishops because the oath in conceiued word is against Hierarchie The second REASON In respect of our receiued Discipline more profitable for our Church The Confutation of these reasons BEfore I come to a iust examination of these Reasons I will onely present a view of their weaknesse to the Reader in these words In the Confession of faith sworne and subscribed by the Preachers and Professors of this Land they haue abiured the Popes wicked and worldly Hierarchie Mr. Dauid leauing out the differences of Papall wicked worldly makes mention onely of Hierarchie which in it selfe signifies an authoritie or imperatiue power in things sacred Who will abiure this but to declare their meaning they added these three differences Papall worldly wicked but Mr. Dauid to declare how hee distrusts his owne cause deceiueth the simple by putting in into his Reason the Word Hierarchie onely By this any indifferent Reader may see that Mr.
Dauid deales not truely nor faithfully nor like a man defending a good cause but fore-seeing that these words would destroy his Assertion of purpose he leaues them out His second Reason is without reason and against the very rules of reasoning This is Petitio principij he begs the question and takes it for a principle which is the Controuersie it selfe as shall appeare in our improbation I will not be presumptuous to dispute that which is concluded alreadie and past in a Law Onely to cleare the proceedings of our Church from the wrongfull imputations of malecontents I giue an Answere to all their Obiections in these Positions following 1 Episcopall gouernment in it selfe is lawfull and of all other hath best warrants in the Word Mr. Dauid hath declined this question yet will I giue to him and others such light in it as God hath giuen mee 2 No Church since the dayes of Christ vnto our Fathers dayes was without Episcopall Gouernment and Mr. Dauid cannot shew one instance to the contrarie for howsoeuer in some reformed Churches Superintendents were placed the name being onely changed the matter remained 3 The Church of Scotland in her purest estate enioyed the Gospell with Episcopall gouernment for the space of twentie yeeres as may be proued out of the Monuments of our Church for there you will finde by Acts of generall Assemblie Ministers ordained to be subiect to Superintendents A Law craued from the Lords of secret Counsell for punishment of such as disobeyed Superintendents Power to hold Assemblies twice in the yeere giuen to Superintendents Power to transport Ministers giuen to Superintendents Power of diuorcements taken from Ministers and giuen to Superintendents Power to admit â—inisters and depose them giuen to Superintendents No religious Bookes to be printed but by adâ—ise of Superintendents This was the order of our Church all the dayes of Iohn Knox c. Here you obiect first that the offices of Bishops and Superintendents are not one and why I am sure you know in power of signification they are one in power of Iurisdiction they are declared to be one by Act of generall Assemblie Anno 1573. what power a Superintendent had by the law of our Church that same power a Bishop had by the same Law And those Countries which had Bishops of the reformed Religion president ouer them were neuer committed to the care of Superintendents but the Bishops exercised all points of Iurisdiction partaining to them vvithout any contradiction made to them by our Assemblies To â—ay yet further there was appointed by the generall Assemblie some Commissioners to be assembled with other Commissioners appointed by the Regent and Lords of Councell to entreat of Ecclesiastique Iurisdiction establish it Commissioners for the church beside sundrie Superintendents were Mr. Iohn Knox M. Iohn Craig M. Iohn Row M. Dauid Lindsay with others that were in the yeere 1564. The same Commission renued againe by the Church Anno 1567. and againe 1568. a Supplication from the Asâ—emblie to the Regent M. Iohn Willok Superintendent of the West being then Moderator was directed desiring that such as were appointed by the Lords of his Highnesse Councell and by the Church might meet for setling church-Iurisdiction After this in euery assemblie the same sute is renued till at length An. 1571. the gouerâ—ment of Bishops is ratified by act of assemâ—lie Thus M. Dauid you see Bishops willingly recâ—iued into our Church Your other Obiection is Superintendents had their Office from the Church did their Office by aduise of their Brethren and were countable to the Church for it Tell me I pray you what else see you in Bishops Their Office and power is from the Church their temporall preferment their rent and maintenance is conferred by the King yea good reason it is that his Maiestie haue the nomination of a Bishop out of lytes of honest men giuen in by the Church What nouation is here You will finde the nomination of Superintendents referred to his Highnes Counsell in his Maiesties minoritie becausâ— they gaue them their maintenance see Act of Assemblie An. 1562. Againe Superintendents did by aduise good reason see the Law prescribed to Bishops of olde An. 1573. that no Bishop admit any Minister without aduâ—se of three well qualified Ministers of the bounds The same stands now and can you say that any Bishop in our Church stands against this except onely that where the Law bindes them to vse the aduise of three they vse the aduise of sixe or tenne or thirteene if they may get them What can you say against this Mr. Dauid See you not here a constant forme of gouernment in our Church See you any other Bishops now then were in the dayes of Iohn Knox Here say you Superintendents were changeable but you should haue cleared your selfe not deceiued the simple people vnder ambiguitie of words Tell the truth were any of them changed in their time or was there any cause might haue taken from them the office of a Superintendent but such as might haue also depriued of the Office of Preaching and all other offices in the Church In which case Superintendents Bishops and Pastors both might and should lawfully be deposed but God be praised such examples feil not out in our Church Oh but Superintendents were subiect to their Brethren Here also you luâ—ke vnder the shadow of doubtfull speeches Will you say that Superintendents were subiect to the censure of Ministers ouer whom they had the inspection The contrarie is true our Fathers foresaw the perill of that and exempted them from it reseruing them to be iudged by the generall Assemblie as I haue cleared before and doubtlesse there could be no order where such as should correct the faults of others are put vnder the censure of thosâ— that should be corrected by them You still reply there is now say you no generall Assemblie to censure them but you may know that the same Law which restoreth the Iurisdiction of Bishops ratifieth also generall Assemblies howbeit in a reformed State the power to call it belongs to the Christian Magistrate and seeing it is the Parliament of the Church the great Ecclesiastique Councell of the Church the calling of it except vpon very vrgent occasions proueth often more hurtfull then helpfull but where great and weightie causes require it you may be sure the Prince will not refuse it But your great grudge is here that Bishops are not vnder the power of Ministers to be cast out of their places by pluralitie of voices You dreame of an assemblie that would finde the authoritie vnlawfull and depose them all but you are deceiued our Ministrie are not so affected they see the necessitie and vtilitie of this calling they who disliked it at the first are now brought by reason and experience to allow it and where you will finde one discontented with it I warrant you tweâ—tie who are pleased with it and thanke Goâ— for it Speake no more
therefore when first his Maiestie perceiued an intended nouation in Church-gouernement his Highnesse discharged it and protested against it by his letter registred in the Bookes of generall assembly An. 1579. â—ul 7. What can you finde out of all this why Episcopall authoritie should not be restored againe or rather see you not many reasons that should moue vs to receiue it 7 As for your alleadged oath whereby you make the simpler sort beleeue that our Church hath abiured Episcopall gouernement the strength of your cause is in it but it shall be knowne to be as weake as the rest of your defences For first of all an Oath should be defended by the lawfulnesse of the thing that is sworne and it is no good ground in Diuinitie to defend the thing that is sworne by pretence of the sacred authoritie of an Oath This order you keepe not Secondly since the most part of Preachers in our Church gaue no Oath for Discipline at all for mine owne part it was neuer required of mee and I know there 〈◊〉 many others in the same estate What reason is it that the Oath of some albeit they had made it as you say which will not be found should binde others that made it not Thirdly when it was appointed by act of Parliament An. 1572. Ianuar. 26. that the confession of faith which therein at length is exprest should be sworne and subscribed by all Church-men the gouernement which then was in our Church was Episcopall for the Oath and subscription is ordained to be made in presence of the Archbishop Superintendent or Commissioner of the Diocie as the words of the Act plainly imports so that this Oath makes no renunciation of Episcopall authoritie but rather ratefies and approues it Fourthly concerning the latter Negatiue confession whereof it is most likely you meane what will you finde there against Episcopall gouernement Nothing at all it is a good confession many Pastors professours of our Church haue sworne it subscribed it Othere say you an Oath is conceiued against Hierarchie Mr. Dauid speake as the truth is Now Rahel takes the Idols and hides them in Cammels litter Now Rachel blushes for shame Now Mr. Dauid steales away the chiefe words of the confession and hides them for feare they should tell the truth and shame him will you say M. Dauid Hath our Church renounced Hierarchie simply all sacred authoritie all order all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say it not for shame there are the words looke what we haue renounced these are the verie words of the Oath We detest and refuse the vsurped authoritie of that Romane Antichrist his worldly Monarchie and wicked Hierarchie Therefore saith Master Dauid we detest all Hierarchie Why mutilate you the words and why falsifie you the words which you bring by a corrupt sense of your owne which I will proue was not the Subscribers minde Will you condemne Episcopall gouernement vnder the name of Papall vsurped worldly wicked Hierarchie Is it ignorance hath moued you who would thinke you were so ignorant or if you know better what malice is this to beare downe a good thing vnder an euill name Were not Bishops in the Church before a Pope vvas in Rome at least before Antichrist was hatched in it Haue any sort of men in the Church done more suffered more to destroy Antichrists Kingdome then Bishops yet you will haue all Bishops Antichristian Let vs first see the iudgement of the Fathers of our owne Church plat contrarie to M. Dauids it may be he will reuerence them and thinke shame of his owne folly when M. Iohn Knox got license from our generall assembly to goe into England they wrote a Letter with him of this tenour The Superintendents and Commissioners of the Church of Scotland to their brethren the Bishops and Pastors in England that haue renounced the Romish Antichrist and doe professe the Lord Iesus with them in sinceritie the perpetuall encrease of the holy Spirit See it registred in our assembly Bookes An. 1566. M. Dauid did our Fathers esteeme Episcopall gouernment Antichristian Hierarchie Do they not plainely disioyne them writing to Bishops that had renounced the Romish Antichrist O but it will be said Our Church was then in her infancie it may be you make them all Infants all the worthie learned and vnspotted Superintendents of our Church Iohn Willok Superintendent of the West Iohn Winram of Fyfe Iohn Spotswood of Lowthian Iohn Erskin of Din Superintendent of Angus Iohn Row Superintendent of Galloway make Infants also of M. Knox M. Craig M. Lyndsay M. Hay with many more I cannot name present at the writing of that Letter all these may well be Infants where a man of your experience comes out but beleeue me wee haue not seene many such olde men in our Church since Now as this sense which you make of the word Hierarchie is against the minde of our first Fathers so is it against the minde of the swearers and subscribers and are you not a foule abuser to inforce vpon them a sense whereof they thought neuer This is cleere as the light For why did not his Maiestie sweare and subscribe that confession of Faith This was his royall and most Christian oath offered to God in defence of his truth Did not his Highnesse there and at many other times professe openly a renunciation of that wicked Hierarchie Will you inferre vpon this that his Maiestie therefore abiured Episcopall gouernement I dare appeale to your owne knowledge hath not his Maiestie kept one constant iudgement concerning Church-gouernement euer from his young yeeres doth not the inhibition of nouation in Church-gouernement cleere this doth not the publike printed Declaration of his Highnesse intention proue it doth not all his Highnesse speeches and actions before the subscription since the subscription declare his Highnesse approbation of Episcopal gouernement and yet you would make it to be beleeued of the people that his Highnesse renounced Episcopall gouernement when his Maiestie renounced Hierarchie vsurped Papall wicked this or else a worse must be the drift of your language Truly you may thanke God you haue to doe with a clement and gratious king And that this same which is his Highnesse mind of that Article is also the minde of most part of the ancient teachers and other brethren learned godly vnspotted who haue well deserued of the Church present by fidelitie in their ministrie will bee cleared also I will not goe about in any inordinate manner to seeke subscriptions to this purpose but when it shall be required by order in the Church you will finde a cloud of witnesses standing against you to improue this calumnie of yours yea many times in my younger yeeres haue I heard famous and auncient Fathers of our Church who haue seene the first beginnings thereof affirme that our Church could not consist vnlesse Episcopall gouernement were restored againe this they spake when there was no appearance of it and when Episcopall
gouernement was in greatest disdaine and at that time being vnacquainted with Church discipline I thought strange to heare it And here againe Mr. Dauid I am in doubt with my selfe what to thinke of you seeing I know no other oath you meane of and you haue touched none other in your Treatâ—se admonitorie what hath carried you to tâ—is absurd affirmation that the oath conceyued against Papall vsurped wicked wordly Monarchie and Hierarchie is against Episcopall authoritie shall I thinke ignorance hath done it You are giuen out and bragged of for a learned man and a Writer Or shall I thinke malice hath done it you are counted for a Christian and so I thinke you be what euer hath moued you sure I am it hath miscarryed you for let mee tell you when Zorimus Bishop of Rome sent ouer his Legates to the councell of Africke wherein were assembled two hundred seauenteene Bishops among whom it is thought Augustine was one to proue that it was lawfull to appeale vnto him from all Bishops in the world alleadging this power was giuen by the Councell of Nice after long deliberation and inquisition of the most auncient Copies of the Councell of Nice his fraudulent vsurpation was discouered and he warmed by these Fathers neuer to attempt any such thing in time to come Many reasons they gaue him as indeede they had all reason for it specially this that the grace of the holy Ghost had not with-drawne it selfe from all other Prouinces to rest in one alone to discerne there the right of all causes wherefore they willed him to abstaine from such ambition Ne fumâ—sum saeculi typhum inducere in Ecclesiam Dei videatur Here Mr. Dauid you see a solemne reiection of the wicked Hierarchie of the Bishop of Rome Did these Fathers by so doing reiect Episcopall authoritie exercised by themselues allowed accepted embraced and reuerenced in their Churches Thus haue I made cleare that you haue fained a sense of that article contrarie to his Maiesties minde contrarie to the minde of the first Fathers of our Church contrary to the minde of the present Fathers of our Church and contrary to the mind of the ancient Fathers of the Church primitiue in the foure hundreth yeere And if I should draw you vp higher are you able to denie that Episcopall gouernment was in the Church before that Romish Hierarchie was hatched out of the the shell What hath the one of them to doâ— with the other Hath the Romish Church beene more impugned by any then Orthodoxe Bishops Or hath any sort of men beene more persecuted by the Romish Hierarchie then reformed Bishops Why are you so vnrighteous as to oppresse the one vnder the name of the other Were all the Bishops who suffered Martyrdome in the first three hundred yeeres guiltie of that Hierarchie which you haue condemned And if I should draw you yet vp higher I see as much light in the word of God as giues warrant to me of the lawfulnesse of Episcopall Gouernment and I doubt not will serue to content reasonable men when they shall heare it You prouoked me to this point but you turne your backe and flie from it and I haue not any leasure to pursue a flying man hauing better studies I would more gladly ouer-take yet something will I subioyne for discharge at least of my dutie 8 These things therefore so standing the Question will be thus Seeing Episcopall gouernment in it selfe is lawfull seeing all Christian Churches haue had it seeing our owne Church had it ratified by acts of generall Assemblie for many yeeres with an happie successe of the Euangell seeing it was laid by against the will of a Christian King in his minoritie against the will of his Highnesse Regent and Lords of Councell well affected to Religion and that not simplie but with a power of reuocation queritur whether if or not a Christian King in his maioritie requiring a restitution of it the present Church hath done well to receiue it in againe especially seeing it is done without destruction of that policie so long aduised and added at length by the Fathers of the middle age of our Church for strengthening of our Discipline To contract then all the matter which you haue spread out with a multitude of idle words into a short summe There is no new Discipline brought into the Church but the auncient restored to thâ— former strength no point of later policie abolished but established and an happy vnion made euery way betweene them who should agree in one to do the worke of God This is my iudgement and I esteeme by it the name of the Church of Scotland honoured a Christian King in his most reasonable desire satisfied the peace of the Church happily procured the mouths of aduersaries stopped offence from weake and simple ones remoued and much more good easily effected if contentious and vaine spirits would not hinder it Thus is the very state of the question cleared vnto you so that you haue no cause to cry out as you doe Who should teach vs but Bishops and if they will not our bloud be vpon their heads You seeme to be very earnest here but all men may see it is but your Orpit or Ironic conceit so like as M. Dauid will be taught of Bishops a sort of profane men without either learning or grace in your account But you neede not make the halfe of this stirre you might be ignorant of Church-gouernement and your bloud in no danger for all that but if indeede you stand in feare least you loose your soule follow our counsell and we shall lay our life for yours Repent of your sinnes Beleeue in Iesus the Sauiour of the world Amend your life Decke the hid man of your heart with a meeke and quiâ—t spirit which before God is a thing much set by Put on loue and meeknesse leaue off strife and contention be content with your owne calling meddle not with things without your compasse whereunto albeit you might reach yet are they not so profitable as to repay your paines nor yet absolutely necessarie for your saluation doe this and it shall be well with you if not your bloud shall be vpon your owne head and none of the Bishops of Scotland shall be guiltie of it The rest of your discourses of paritie and imparitie in Church-gouernement are answered by that which I haue said neither doe you here your selfe insist in them but remit mee by particular quotations to your Epistles foureteene in number written to seuerall men contayning eight sheetes of paper bound vp in forme of a Booke and sent to mee to peruse them But you must remember it is an vnreasonable request to require a Bishop employed in daily teaching and other necessarie charges in the Church to reade ouer all your missiue Letters yet haue I looked to them as I had leasure and answered them as cause requires in this my Defence As for your Epistles if your conceit be such
they differ from him a particular answere is here returned vnto them The Authors of them I know not their names are suppressed the first and the third goe together and seemes to be some Preachers of Fyffe they reckon out some sundry indwellers of Fyffe to proue a certain alleagance concerning the late Bishop of S. Andrewes their intelligence also with Perth bordering with that Prouince from which reports of my Sermons are so easily carried vnto them insinuates also the same but for their persons be what they will the matter is all one Great brags were made be Mr. Dauid of many answeres and many Inquisitors that were to search mine Apologie before they came some great thing was expected but no such thing is found doubtlesse they haue manifested the weakenesse of their cause that so many labouring about one thing haue not brought among them all so much as one argument to defend it An Answere to the first THE first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he is vnacquainted with mee onely hath heard mee teach oftentimes and beene as sundry others were comforted thereby for which hee thankes God for truely the glorie of that good which God worketh by the ministrie of his weak Seruants belongs vnto himselfe for wee are not able of our selues so much as to thinke a good thought And to the end that such as haue gotten good by my Ministrie may be further confirmed I thought it my dutie after I had considered the matter of Church-gouernement rightly to informe them that there is no cause why our Church should thus be diuided for it And I may and now doe with a good warrant of the word and mine owne conscience say to it I should not I will not I dare not be an author nor maintainer of diuision in our Church for it If any will let them doe it vpon their owne perill wherein I will be loath to communicate with them In your third Sect. you mislike the boldnes of others that vsurpe the Iudicatorie of other mens consciences I wish the like moderation had beene vsed of the rest of your Complices This onely you say that albeit God be onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher of the heart yet men may iudge of other men by their fruits whereunto I willingly agree for it is the rule of our Sauiour By their fruits you shall know them If a man condemne the life of another let him disproue it by his euill deedes or if hee will impugne the opinion let him doe it by strength of reason but to vsurpe the Iudicatorie of an other mans conscience is it not intollerable presumption yet commonly practised by your Complices for whom it were good they remembred Nazianzen his warning Multa versanda sunt animo priusquam aliâ—m iraepiet atis condemnes Sect. 8. You graunt that from the beginning of reformation till the yeere 1575. Our Church contented themselues with Bishops and Superintendents why then is it counted so odious a thing that Bishops should be in it now You affirme also that I can bring no warrant for Episcopall gouernment neyther from Gods word nor practise of the primitiue Church for the first three hundred yeeres The Answere you will finde in my Reply to the last Opponent Sect. 11. You alledge that they who assembled at Glasgow came vpon priuate missiues from his Maiestie and vpon promises of gaine Mr. Dauid obiected that before and I answered it in my Dikaiologie onely you adde that I know it to be so but if you hope to make your Assertion good you shall doe well to vse some other probations for in truth I know not any such thing Sect. 16. The argument I vsed mistaken by you concerning the Apostles dispensation of Circumcision shall be cleared in mine answere to the last Opponent who also impugnes it Sect. 17. 18. You would proue that you are not the Authors of Schisme but Bishops why because they haue departed from the gouernment whereunto you stand say you but this middes will not draw on that conclusion For wee stand to the gouernment of our first Fathers confessed by your selfe from the which who so shall be found to haue departed let the blame be theirs Sect. 19. Your alledging of the growth of Papistrie now that was not before is as I told you a Sophisme A non causa pro causa Kingdomes and Churches haue their owne periods of times whereinto sinnes long contracted before doe bring iudgement vpon them which honest and godly men cannot hold off By this same reason Daniell and Ezekiell might be blamed for Babels Captiuitie which the sinnes of former ages had procured It were but folly for you or vs eyther to charge one another with the causes of this wrath There are none of vs free by our sinnes wee haue deserued iudgement God giue vs grace ioyntly to preuent it by vnfained repentance in all holines and loue Sect. 28. You charge mee for comparing my brethren of the Ministrie to Shimeies if I had so done I were worthie to be blamed but in truth you haue mistaken mee God forbid My words are plaine against the Libeller and such as hee who if in their calling they were laborious as I did hope to giue them example if they were acquainted with mee they should finde no time for such idle toyes and I maruell how men can so farre misconstrue my words for I affirmed plainely that I was perswaded no well aduised Christian would fight with such armour as lying Libels and if no common Christian will doe it farre lesse euer thought I that a Christian Preacher would doe it And where you say they are very idle if they be not more laborious then I my answere is let the Worke beare witnesse And so fare you well in the Lord. Edenburgh Nouemb. 24. 1613. An Answere to the second THE second to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commeth in like a swaggerer breathing out many brawling speeches without either truth or modestie â—he shoots his fectlesse bolt and hideth himselfe which is the fashion of a feeble coward hee conceales his name but by his speech may be discerned to be some Lucius Blastus a furibund but a figuline fellow loadned with railings lyings fabulous fictions wherewith he ouer-burdens himselfe I leaue him where I found him vexing himselfe with his owne anger tumbling and weltring in the puddle of his tumultuaâ— thoughts whereof hee cannot rid himselfe bragging most vainely but bringing nothing that may be counted worthie of an answere saue onely that for lacke of any other thing wherewith to charge me Hee carps at my Commentarie vpon the eight to the Romanes and passing by as the manner of enuious men is all the good that is in it hee findes fault with the Grammaticall construction of the seauenth verse A great matter indeede I thanke the Lord these labours of mine published in twelue or thirteene seuerall Treatises hath done good to the Church and howsoeuer they be disesteemed by you and some of
their Religion This cannot be but the bolt of some enemie or the birth of the braine of some friend ouer-farre miscaried with opinion If it hath done euill to any it is an argument their light is weake for why doth diuersiue of externall gouernment import a difference in Religion Are there not many famous Churches in Europe flourishing this day vnder the Episcopall gouernment haue not many Bishops themselues beene honoured with the honour of Martyrdome and sealed the truth of the Gospell with their blood since the reformation of Religion Latmer Ridley Cranmer and many moe in our neighbour Church may stand for examples I will beseech all such weake Christians to take none offence where it is not giuen Ad vâ—itateâ— fidei sufficit vt â—adem sit doctrina Euangelij Sacramentorum administratio It is sufficient for the vnitie of faith that the Doctrine of the Gospell and Sacraments be one and the same in other externall things there may be diuersitie yea often times the diuersitie of times and states of people will require a diuersitie of externall things for the furtherance of the worke of edification 7 The Apostles did all teach one and the selfe-same Doctrine but did not all gouerne their Churches in one and the selfe-same manner for Iames and Peter among the Iewes tolerated Circumcision which Paul among the Gentiles would not doe yea the Disciples of S. Peter and S. Iohn testifie how these blessed Apostles kept the Feast of the Passâ—ouer on diuers dayes as both Eusebius and Socrates doe write yet was this diuersitie no impediment to the propagation of the Gospell by them both It is euer to be considered what the worke of edification requires For that kinde of externall gouernment which some Churches of Christ hath and others hath not shall there be entertained a Schisme in our Church and an vnnecessarie and vnkindly contention betweene a Christian people and their most Christian King Since to speake in most modest termes to giue contentment to such as are not contentious there is no question of Faith in the Church of Scotland Christian people might be ignorant of this disputation about Discipline come to heauen neuerthelesse if so it might please some of their Pastors neither is there a question betweene good euill but betweene good and better betweene two whereof either of them haue had their course to be when the other was not euen in this same Church I doubt not the iudicious Reader will consider this Wisedome shall be iustified of her children 8 But here I know it is obiected by men euen of moderate mindes if such gouernment were better vsed and these who haue receiued it did more good with it then it would soone purchase credit to it selfe and be the better liked These men I see haue nothing against the thing it selfe but against the vse of it by which kinde of argument now commonly it is impugned To these it were sufficient to answere that Artisicum errata artibus attribuâ—â—â— mon sunt the errors of Artisans are not to be ascribed to the Arts themselues or to such as more wilfully reason in this manner to answere as Naziâ—â—zen did the Eunomians Cum in se â—ihil prâ—â—â—â—ij habeant in nostra illud 〈…〉 Where in themselues they haue no strength they seeke it in our imbecillitie Et de malorum in 〈◊〉 sciutilla flammam exâ—â—tant ad 〈…〉 afflandâ— tollunt vt longè 〈◊〉 Babiloâ—â—â—â— superet Of a little sparke of euill in vs they kindle a great fire by blowing vpon it with their secret surmisings and publike reproches till they make the flame which they haue raised out of a sparke to mount vp higher then the furnace of Babel thus is it the manner of men to blame readily where they loue not 9 But to goe further with them as with all reason I require that the faults of persons be not imputed to their Offices so with my heart doe I wish in all that are imployed with Ecclesiasticall authoritie so moderate a behauiour that no offence should be giuen to the weake nor cause of contradiction to the contrary minded but that as Iosephs preferment tending to the good of all his brethren forced them who enuied it at the first to thanke God for it at the last euen so credit may be conquest to vs in the hearts of them that feare God by feruent and faithfull aduancement of the Gospell of Christ Iesus We should neuer forget that warning which Ierome gaue to a certaine Bishop Rusticus Narbonensis vide ne minor inueni ar is in Chrisâ—◠〈…〉 in hoe seculo Take heede that thou be not found lesse in Christ then thou art named in this world thou art called a Bishop so liue that Christ that great Archbishop may approue thee for one 10 But yet by some carnall and contentious spirits who liue as if they were Demi-gods and in their tongues God had set his tribunall or had made them Iudges of the consciences of their brethren it is obiected published and carried from hand to hand in a Libell as full of lies as lines thatâ— corrupt respects of gaine glory hath moued me to embrace it a fearefull crimination if I were as guiltie of it as they are bold to affirme it I know it is a horrible sinne to abuse an holy calling to filthie luere the Apostle said that godlâ—nesse is great gaine that is to say that great gaine is godlinesse Questum 〈◊〉 piâ—tatem It is a peruerse order Terrena coelestibus â—ercari to buy earthly things with heauenly where the spirituall Ministriâ— teacheth vs to exchange earthly things for heauenly such impietie as this will be punished with a worse leprosie then that of Gehazi And no losse abhominable is it to abuse it to vaine-glory and affectation of honour it is a grosser idolattie then that of the Israelites who of the gold and siluer which they reserued from the Lord made a Baal to themselues 11 To such I will answere as Augustine did to Petilian I am a man appertaining to the floore of Christ if I be good I am there as corne if I be euill I am there as chaffe Sed non est huius areae ventilabrum lingua Petitiani But your Petulant tongue like the tongue of Petilian is not the fanne of this floore If any man thinke hee knowes me better then I doe my selfe let him giue iudgement as he pleaseth and others beleeue him as they list if they will credit me of my selfe my witnesse is in heauen and my conscience within me beareth me record that I was not moued with gaine or glorie and I trust to declare it by Gods grace But what Bene sibi conscius non debet falsis moueri nec putare plus esse Ponderis in alieno coâ—â—itio quam in suo testimonis Hee that hath in himselfe a good conscience should not be moued with false conceptions in others nor esteeme that there