is bound in conscience to subjection passive under unjust punishments inflicted by the Magistrà te more then to active obedience unto unlawful commands and that passive obedience under unjust sentences comes under no command of God Yea that it is a sin against God's command to be passively subject to unjust sentences and that it it an act of grace and vertue for a man to resist the Magistrate violently when he does him wrong and a self murther against the sixt command not to resist when he offers to take away the life without cause though not without law They were quickly applyed to the Church by this man and his party who pleaded for non-submission unto and counteracting of all the judicatories Whensoever the persones injured thought the sentence wrong and how well their practices in the Church do homologate with their practices as to the State we may now see for it is the way which they clearly owne that every person when and so long as they are able or are in probable capacity to act violently against the Magistrate ought to counter-act him violently when he thinks the Magistrate wrongs him for this must be referred to every man's private descretive judgment as Naphtaly tells us Pag. 141. How contrary such principles and practices of privat mens non-submission to and counteracting of Church Judicatories supposed to do wrong are unto the Word of God how subversive of Church government how introductory of schisme heresies and all mischiefs into the Church is well discovered by the learned Reviewer of the pamphet intituled presbytery no papacy c. And with equal reason may the same grounds be made use of against this man's inciteing all private persons to counteract the Magistrate violently when they think he doth them vvrong or when they account their sentences unjust Answ 1. It is a poor defence of a weak and tottering cause to follow such courses as this Surveyer doth To wrest and wire-draw the sayings of his adversaries is neither a faire way of confirming his owne opinion nor a solid way of confuteing his adversaries He sets dovvne some sentences here as assertions of Lex Rex And if any vvill consult the places cited they vvill discover unhandsome dealing I shall only set downe what Lex Rex sayeth and the Reader vvhen he compareth may judge Lex Rex sayeth Pag. 313. That patient bearing of evil and resistence are not incompatible in one the same person Pag. 314. He sayeth one act of grace and vertue is not contrary to another Resistence is in the Children of God an innocent act of self preservation as in a patient suffering and therefore they may well subsist in one And ibid Neither suffering formally as suffering and so neither can non-resisting passive fall under any moral law of God except in two cases Pag. 322. when a man may preserve his owne life and doth not that which Natures law alloweth him to do rather to Kill as be Killed he is guilty of self murther because he is deficient in the duty of lawful self defence And Pag. 463 It is not dishononrable to the Majesty of the Ruler that we deny Passive subjection to him when he punisheth beside his warrant more then it is against his Majesty and Honour that we deny active obedience when the Commandeth illegally I shall not trouble the Reader with words to discover the difference betwixt what Lex Rex sayeth and what this Surveyer alledgeth he did say seing the judicious and observant Reader will Sine monitore easily perceive it 2. What the Surveyer driveth at in making this parallel now may be obvious to any even to imbarque with himself and his party the few of those who were for the Publick Resolutions that have hitherto gotten grace of the Lord to abide faithful and not to say a confederacy with all with whom this Apostate generation hath now basely conspired against Chirst and his interests But we hope that those few will be so far from intertaining their former prejudices against their faithful and affectionat Brethren who withstood these Resolutions and owned the Protestations that on the contrare perceiving themselves mistaken as to what they feared concerning the Protesters as if they had intended to overturn all discipline and Church government and to side with Sectaryes since themselves have novv seen some of them owneing the same unto death and becomeing a martyr upon the account of Church privileges all the rest scarce three of foure excepted abideing faithful and suffering upon that account unto this day and since with all they see the feares of the Protesters concerning the inclination to Malignancy and Prelacy of the far greater part of these who stifly maintained these Resolutions now verified beyond all contradiction and that their objecting that the major part of the Ministery was then corrupted was too too true and too well grounded which things if these faithful men who now stand had but suspected then as now they see with their eyes they would we are confident have forborne to have sided with them in these debates and much more heartily have concurred with the honest proposals of the Protesters for a through way of purging the church of such corrupt naughty persones as have now most basely betrayed the interest of Christ and departed from their profession and Covenant and made that Church a hissing and a by-word to all nations by returning with the Sow to the puddle and with the dog to their vomite These worthy men I say perceiving now how far they have been mistaken not to their grief but to their joy as famous and zealous Mr Wood one of their number did before his sicknesse after some heavy groans plainely professe and declare to a credible person yet on life to verify the same if any should question it will be so far from owning this man and his principles that they will rather we hope condemne their former practices if not altogether yet in so far at least as it is now visible they did tend to the setting up of a arbitrary government and tyranny in the Church and are now improved by this Surveyer to confirme a Tyranny in the state Sure they now see what some at least of these who were very active and forward to screw up that debate to the hieght and to presse and absolute subjection might have been driveing at under hand though they made such faire professions of their firme purpose to adhere to presbyterian government as moved others to entrust them with the management of their affairs at Court and while entrusted therewith destroyed and overturned the whole government so that now they will be loath to say as the Reviewer did Pag. 5 6. That the innocency of his agency to prevent the evils the protesters were endeavouring to bring upon this Church and his carriage and integrity in managing that Trust are so wel known at home and abroad that we beleeve he needs not write Apologâ—ticks against the slanders of
defence without the conduct of their representative cannot in every case be condemned particularly not in our case now The antecedent I say is abundantly proved in the books mentioned which this windy man thinks needlesse to run out upon but he might rather say he thinks impossible to answere and beyond his poor strength to graple vvith as he sayeth Page 20. vve must then take some notice of vvhat in that Page vvhich he thinks sufficient to oppose unto the many arguments produced by them he is pleased to present what sense sayes he the people of Scotland when they have come to liberty have of these armes their late representative have declared and it were to be wished that the memory of such wayes were buryed that the posterity might never look upon them as exemplary Their progenitors have so deeply drunk of the bitter fruites of the same the result of them having been so much sin shame and sorrow vastation confusion and destruction to Princes and People I answer 1. What that liberty is which the people of Scotland are now come to who can see it for the perfect slavery and bondage they are sold unto A freedome he talkes of when all our libertyes are sold and we given up as bond men and bond women unto the lust of a Man and are denyed the very liberty which is the privilege of all free subjects yea and that which is the birthright and native privilege of all men viz. to supplicate petition or to pray what liberty can he then meane unlesse the liberty which is licentiousnesse to forsake God and our Covenant to turne Apostats from his truth and our profession to sweare foresweare to drink debauch whore commit sodomy all sort of wickednesse without curb or controll Is this the liberty he understandeth Sure all true christians and such as feare the Lord account that develish slavery and bondage 2. We know what this late Representatives have done but whether therein they have acted the part of Representatives and given the true sense of the people of Scotland will it may be be considered when He and I both are rotten Sure they never had any expresse yea nor tacite commission from the people of Scotland to give up all their necks to the stroke the axe as treatours and rebels for doing nothing but standing to their owne defence against manifest tyrranny and oppression of both soul and body and to condemne them and their worthy progenitors who valiently stood for the truth and the libertyes of Church and State to the losse of their lives and fortunes and to proclame and declare themselves guilty before God and Men of all the blood that was shed in that warre though most lawful and laudable 3. We are persuaded let him with what he will the memory of these memorable wayes shall never be buried but shall stand as exemplary monuments to succeeding generations when God shall think it meet to animate them with the spirit of courage to free the land of tyranny and of domineering abjured prelats withal their taile and traine and wise men will think that his Representatives have not taken a course fit for burying the memory of these wayes but rather a way to revive afresh the memory of them and to commend them more to the thoughts and hearts of all who love and pray for the comeing of our Lord's Kingdome 4. What bitter frutes these are which he sayeth our progenitours have drunk so deeply of we know not They lived and died such of them as owned and stedfastly adhered to that cause and Covenant in honour and peace and their names shall be in perpetual remembrance when his and the names of the rest of this perjured Malignant apostate faction shall rot We needed not have feared that either sin shame sorrow vastation confusion or destruction should have come to Prices or People if we had prosecuted the ends of our Covenants with zeal and faithfulnesse according to our manifold vowes promises solemne oathes and ingagments But what ever of these have followed should be and will be rightly fathered on our defection and lose of zeal And what sin and shame and sorrow vastation confusion destruction shall now follow both to Princes and People if they repent not upon this unparallelable defection Apostasie whereof now they are avowedly guilty none who is not an utter stranger unto God his faithful word and dispensations but may without any extraordinary Spirit of Prophecy foretell Next he tells us That these disputes proceed upon a most untrue and malitious misrepresentation of matters of fact upon two false hypotheses Let us heare what are those As if sayes he the King had been the first invader of the Nation whereas it is known his authority was first invaded his lawes trodden upon kis proclamations openly despised his castles violently seised his armes he took were notinvasive against the Nation but defensive of his owne authority of his lawes and the persones of orderly walking subjects and for reduceing these who strayed from their duty Answ Quis tulerit Gracchos de seditione querentes Who would suffer such a manifest notorius lyar to say that others made misrepresentations of matters of fact But 1. Do not all who then lived and yet read the publick papers and other acts that passed then know that through the instigation of some false perfidious fugitive Prelates the King was stirred up to make warre on Scotland ere ever they thought of any such thing Was not warre concluded both by sea and land Was not free tradeing taken away Were not the Scottish Nobility at court made to abjure the National Covenant and the General Assembly at Glasgow was there not a declaration emitted Feb. 27. publickly read in all the Churches of England wherein the faithful subjects and Covenanters in Scotland were tearmed Rebels Were not Berwik and Carlile frontier cities strongly fortifyed and garrisoned Was not the Earle of Huntly made Governour of the North of Scotland and had some foure or five thousand men in armes for the King Was not Aberdeen fortifying it self to take in the King's navy of shipes when it should come Was not the Marquis of Douglas Lord Haris ready to rise with the Papists in the South of Scotland Was not the Deputy of Ireland prepareing men to land them in the West of Scotland Was not the Earle of Arundale made the Kings General and was not the King to have his rendezvouz at York in Aprile and all the English Nobility commanded to attend him there by a letter written Ian. 26. before the faithful People of Scotland had any army in readinesse What impudency is this then to say the King was not the first invader of the Nation And as for the second expedition Anno Dom. 1640. managed and carryed on by the Parliament it was abundantly verified by their publick papers that it was purely defensive And it is notour that before the leavy was made and appointed
now we get for our vast expence of blood oppression and Ten years bondage that we must be declared a conquest and a subdued Nation 2. It is a manifest lye to say that his interest vvas expresly disowned by the publick judicatories of the land before Dumbar fight for that act of the West Kirk to vvhich I knovv he looketh vvas not an expresse disovvning of his interest as may be seen by the act it self which was as followeth Westkirk the 13 day of August 1650. The commission of the Generall Assembly considering that there may be just ground of stumbling from the King's Majesties refuseing to subscribe and emit the declaration offered unto him by the commmitee of Estates and commissioners of the General Assembly concerning his former carriage and resolution for the future in reference to the cause of God Enemies Friends thereof doth therefore declare that this Kirk and Kingdome do not owne nor espouse any Malignant party or quarrel or interest but that they fight meerly upon their former grounds and principles and in defence of the cause of God and of the Kingdome as they have done these twelue yeers past and therefore as they do disclame all the sinne and guilt of the King and of his house so they will not owne Him nor his interest otherwise then with a subordination to God and so far as he ownes and prosecutes the cause of God and disclaimes his and his father's opposition to the work of God and to the Covenant and likewise all the Enemies thereof and that they will with convenient speed take in consideration the papers lately sent unto them from Oliver Cromwel and vindicate themselves from all the falshoods contained therein especially in these things wherein the quarrel betwixt us that party is mis-stated as if we owned the late King's proceeding's and were resolved to prosecute and maintaine his present Majesties interest before and without acknowledgment of the sinnes of his house and former wayes and satisfaction to God's People in both Kingdomes Which when the committee of Estates had seen and considered they did approve the same and heartily concurred therein and what could this honest and most seasonable declaration import but only that if the King would not by a declaration acknowledge his sorrow for his his father's carrying on a course destructive of the work of God and his renunceing of the Malignant interest and all who would owne the same and his purpose to adhere unto the Covenants they would not espouse a Milignant quarrel but fight upon the same grounds and principles that they had done for twelue yeers before aud only owne him with a subordination to God and in so far as he did owne the cause of God and renunce Malignancy and Milignants and that they vvould take into consideration Oliver Cromwel's papers for their ovvne vindication and clearing of the true state of the quarrel Which vvas necessary before they did engage in fight And vvould this Malignant Gnatho have had the Land and the publick judicatories thereof contrare to their Covenants many Purposes Resolutions Vowes Engagements postponing Christ's interests unto man's and hazard Religion Libertyes all for one who would not declare himself a friend to Christ and his interest but would persist in a stated opposition to Christ and his cause 3. But let him make of this what he will sure his interest was owned when he upon second thoughts emited that declaration at Dumfermline upon his refusal of which this act made at the Westkirk passed and this was before Dumbar fight So was his interest sufficiently owned with the subordination requisite when he was crowned which was not very long after that stroke a Dumbar and after vvhich vve gote blowes enew and vvere redacted at length to bondage What sayes he next to this 2. What ever engagements were upon him for the good of the Nation yet if these mens principles were to be followed they could have had no force on him to move him to labour our vindication into liberty for do not they teach that in the mutual contract and Covenant betwixt King and People the People are loosed from their duty if the King fail in his frangenti fidem fides frangatur eidem and why then in not the King loosed if the people fail on their part It is known that although the Nobles and body of the people were well enough affected to the King and cordially loved him when they were over powered and could do nothing yet by their Representatives he was disowned which in law would be rekoned their owne deed and if a sworne people deserte and disclaime their King by their Representatives may not the King also have the benefite of the conditional Covenant and leave them as he found them in bondage to forraigners But such was his Majesties graciousness and wisdom as well as conscience of duty that although the Nation had failed much to him he would not walk after the counsel of these men And we may all things considered assert that the people of Scotland do rather owe their liberty to him then he doth owe his authority to them or by virtue of any Covenant with them Answ 1. By vvhat he hath been formerly saying and by the instances vvhich he hath brought vve see vvhat is the scope he driveth at viz. To have us novv a formal conquest that so the King may tyrannize over us and deal vvith us as he seeth good jure conquestus as being novv free from all bonds and obligations vvhich ever passed betvvixt Him and the People For the fift particular which he undertooke to cleare by these five instances was that the constitution of this Kingdome neither was not is founded on a Covenant betwixt King and People and yet we see the poor man so straitned that he knoweth not what to say He would saine loose the King from all Bonds and Covenants and former obligations and yet he dar not positively and clearly assert it but only sayes if the King would follow our principles he would account himself loosed from all but unlesse he assert it clearly and positively that the King is really loosed from all his former obligations he speakes nothing to he poynt but must grant that at least as to this King the constitution is founded upon a conditional Covenant and though we should yeeld all therest if he grant this to us we need desire no more for all our Ends. But 2. in good earnest let him tell us Whether the former engagements which were upon the King at his coronation be loosed or not If they be loosed and made null because of what these supposed Representatives did Then 1. we have a new ground of dissolving the sacred obligations of the Oaths and Covenants which the King made with God and with his People which was not thought upon till this needle-headed man did invent it The King himself at his returne gave no such ground 2. If he
consonant to the word of God and publickly received with all solemnities imaginable notwithstanding of acts and lawes made to the contrary and no true Christian will say That subjects should imbrace any Religion which Magistrates will countenance and prescribe be what it will or upon that account 2. As they were thereby declareing their soul abhorrence of these corruptions which were countenanced and authorized by sinful acts and statutes so they were defending to the utmost of their power the reformed Religion according to their Covenant and vow to God And that such a defence as this is lawful we have shewed 3. They were defending themselves against intolerable and manifestly unjust violence offered because of their adhereing to the cause of God and to the reformed Religion which King Parliament and all rankes of People in the land were solemnely sworne to owne and avow all the dayes of their lives really sincerely and constantly as they should answere to God in the great day no lesse then they 4. They were mindeing their Oath and Covenant made with God with hands lifted up with solemne attestations and protestations the Covenants which they did make and renew in the presence of Almighty God the Searcher of all hearts with a true intention to performe the same 5. They were endeavouring in their places and stations according to the latitude allowed in times of such necessitie and in matters of such weight and moment to have the Church and Kingdome purged of these abhominable and crying corruptions and grievous abhominations which provoke the Lord to wrath against the whole Church and Kingdome 6. They were defending the maine fundamental law and constitution of the Kingdome and that maine article of Agreement and Compact betwixt Soveraigne and Subject which all the members of the Nation were no Lesse bound unto then they 7. They were joyning together as detasteing that detestable indifferency and neutrality abjured to defend and assist one another in the same cause of maintaining their reformed Religion with their best counsel bodyes meanes and whole power against the old inveterate and Common enemie that malignant spirit and rage according to their Covenants 8. They were repenting of their National sin in complying by their sinful silence not giving open faithful and faire testimony when the Truth of God was openly and violently trode under foot with that dreadful course of backslideing which was violently carryed on They were calling for justice and valiently pleading for truth sinfully and tyrannically borne downe and oppressed They were with zeal and courage valiently interposeing labouring to put a stop to the begun and far-carryed-on defection when truth was failing and he who depairted from evil made himself a prey that God might pardon and look in mercy on the land They were endeavouring to stand in the gape and make up the hedge and pleading with their Mother Church or a malignant faction in her shamefully departing from God when there was no other way or meane to be followed or essaved When all these things are duely considered and laid together It will appeare to impartial and unbyassed persones That the late act which is so much condemned and cryed our against is not so hainous and unpardonable a crime as this Surveyer and his wicked party vvould give it out to be but vvas a noble and laudable interprize for the glory of God the good of Religion Church and Kingdome beside that it vvas a most necessary and unavoydable act of self defence Since the Scriptures formerly cited vvill allovv more unto private persons then vvhat this Surveyer restricketh them unto as vve have shevved in a time of defection Then vvhen there vvas no other vvay left to do these dutyes there required and vvhen vvith all several other things did call aloud to a mutual conjunction in armes for defence of one another and repelling of unjust violence and prosecuteing the holy and necessary ends of the Covenants vvhich they svvore no man in reason can suppose that such a vvork is repugnant to Scripture or right reason but rather most consonant to both And though many do and will condemne the same even as to this interprize of Reformation upon what grounds and motives themselves best know yet Our worthy and Noble Reformer famous Mr Knox if he were living this day would be far from speaking after the language of such For he in his appellation Pag. 22. c. hath these words The second is that the punishing of such crimes as are idolatry blasphemy others that touch the Majesty of God doth not Appertaine to the Kings and chief rulers only but also to the whole body of the People and to every member of the same according to the vocation of every man and according to that possibility and occasion which God doth minister to revenge the injury done against his glory when that impiety is manifestly knowne And that doth Moses plainly speak Deut. 13 v. 12 13 14 15 16. in these words if in any of the cities c. plaine it is that Moses speaketh not nor giveth charge to Kings Rulers and judges only but he commandeth the whole body of the People yea and every member of the same according to their possibility And who dar be so impudent as to deny this to be most reasonable and just for seing that God had delivered the whole body from bondage and to the whole multitude had given his law and to the twelve Tribes had he so distributed the inheritance of the land of Canaan that no family could complaine that it was neglected was not the People and every member addebted to acknowledge and confesse the benefites of God Yea had it not been the part of every man to have studyed to have keeped the possession which he had received Which thing God did plainly pronounce they should not do except that in their hearts they did sanctify the Lord God that they embraced and inviolably keeped his Religion established and finally except they did put away iniquity from amongst them declareing themselves earnest Enemies to these abhominations which God declared himself so vehemently to hate that first he commanded the whole inhabitants of that Countrey to be destroyed and all monuments of their idolatry to be broken downe But in such cases Gods will is that all creatures stoup cover their faces and desist from reasoning when commandement is given to execute his judgement Albeit I could adduce diverse causes of such severity yet will I search none other then the holy ghost hath assigned first that all Israel hearing of the judgement should feare to commit the like abhomination and secondly That the Lord might turne from the fury of his anger might be moved towards the People with inward affection be mercyful unto them multiply them according to his oath made unto their Fathers Which reasons as they are sufficient in God's children to correct the murmuring of grudging flesh so ought they to provoke every man as before
not only have brought wrath upon themselves but also upon all the People So the wickednesse of Hophny and Phinehas was part of the cause of that sad discomfiture that the People of Israel did meet with 1 Sam. 2 ver 12. comp with Cap. 3 ver 11. and with Cap. 4 ver 10 11. So Esai 43 ver 27 28. because the Teachers had transgressed against the Lord. Therefore was Iacob given to the curse and Israel to reproaches So Lam. 4 v. 13. among other provocations the sinnes of her Prophets are mentioned and the iniquities of her Priests So Micah 3 v. 11 12. Because the Heads did judge for reward and the Priests did teach for hire and the Prophets did divine for money Therefore Zion was to be plowed as a field and Ierusalem to become heaps and the mountaine of the house as the high places of the forest 2. That the sinnes of a few have procured judgments unto the whole multitude or put them in hazard thereof So Deut. 13 v. 12 17. the Apostate city would kindle the fiercenesse of God's anger against the whole People For it is said The Lord would not turne from the fiercenesse of his anger and shew them mercy and compassion and multiply them until it were destroyed and all that was within it So Num. 25. for the sinne of these who joyned with Baal peor the anger of the Lord was kindled against the whole congregation So when Moses was speaking unto the two Tribes and halfe Num. 32 14 15. he sayeth And behold yee are risen up in your Fathers stead to augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord toward Israel for if yee turne away from after him he will yet againe leave them in the wildernesse and yee shall destroy all this People So Ios 7 ver 5. for one Ahan's sin all Israel was troubled and Ios. 22 v. 17. 18. say the commissioners of the whole congregation unto the two Tribes and half And it will be seing ye-rebel to day against the Lord that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel And it was this which moved all the Tribes to goe against Benjamin Iudg. 20 3. That the Subjects have suffered sad and dreadful judgments for the sinnes of their Rulers As Micah 3 9 10 11 12. formerly cited Abimelech's sin Gen. 20. was like to hazard himself and all his Kingdome ver 7 9. For Pharaoh's refusing to let Israel goe not only he and his Princes but his Subjects through all his coasts did smarte Exod. 6 and 7 8 and 9. and 10 Cap. Neh. 9 v. 10. So Saul's sin in seeking to destroy the Gibeonites brought on three yeers famine on the land in the dayes of David 2 Sam. 21 v. 1. So David's sin of numbering the people cost the lives of three score and Ten thousand 2 Sam. 24 v. 1 2 15. 1 Chron. 21 1 2 14. So the Lord threatned by the Prophet 1 King 14 ver 16. that for the sins of Ieroboam who did sin and who made Israel to sin he would give up Israel And for Ahab's sin of letting Benhadad goe the Man of God told Ahab 1 King 20 ver 42. Because thou hast let goe out of thy hand a man whom I appoynted to utter destruction therefore thy life shall goe for his life and thy People for his People So for Manasseh's sin Ier. 15 ver 4. The Lord sayes I will cause them to be removed into all King domes of the Earth because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah King of Iudah for that which he did in Ierusaelem So it is also spoken 2 King 21 ver 11 12 13. Because Manasseh King of Iudah hath done these abhominations therefore thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel behold I am bringing such evil upon Ierusalem and Iudah that whosoever heareth of it both his eares shall tingle c. And notwithstanding of the reformation that was in the dayes of Iosiah Yet this judgement came to be accomplished and the Lord sent the bands of the Caldees and of the Syrians surely so it is said 2 King 24 v. 3 4. at the commandement of the Lord came this upon Iudah to remove them out of his sight for the sinnes of Manasseh according to all that he did and also for the innocent blood that he shed which the Lord would not pardon And 2 King 23 26. Though there was a great work of reformation done in the dayes of that non-such King v. 25 Iosiah yet it is sayd notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fiercenesse of his great wrath wherewith his anger was kindled against Iudah because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him with all Yea so did this sin of Manasseh provoke the Lord against the land that how beit Manasseh himself repented and found mercy 2 Chron. 33 v. 12. and questionlesse many of the People turned with him yet these same sinnes of Manasseh are mainly taken notice of as the procureing cause of that final stroke Out of these particulars these few things are very obvious to any 1. That People combined into a society have great cause not only to look to their owne carriage but also unto the carriage of others Since the carriage of others will bring them in hazard of God's judgments and hasten downe vengeance wrath from God on all sure they have need to look about them 2. Especially they have reason to take notice of the publick carriage and deportment of Princes and Pastors seing in a special manner those highten the wrath hasten the judgments of God as hath been shewed 3. If these sinnes in Princes Pastors and others were not committed those plagues and judgments which are threatned and at length executed upon that account would have been prevented 4. If People considering their hazard by reason of these publick transgressions had actively bestirred themselves interposed as that these iniquities had not been committed they had not smarted so for as they did not had they felt the weight of the hand of Gods anger as they were made to do 5. It was not enough for them to have keeped themselves free of these actual transgressions whereof others were really guilty for we finde some punished for that iniquity of others which could not be laid to their charge as actors 6. How ever such as were so punished were not free of inherent transgressions and other sinnes which deserved judgment at the hands of the Lord yet when the Spirit of the Lord is pleased to make no mention of these as the Procureing cause of these plagues but seemeth to lay the whole or maine stresse of the businesse upon that sin committed by others we must thinke that that hath had no small influence but rather a mine causality in the procureing of these plagues and it becometh us to be sober in inquireing after other causes hid from us and rest satisfied with what the Spirit of the Lord is pleased particularly and evidently to poynt
forth unto us and pitch upon as the peccant and procureing cause 7. Though we could not satisfy wrangling wits touching the equity of this which yet the common and ordinary practice of men forfaulting a whole posterity for one mans transgression will not suffer us to account insolent yet we ought to rest satisfyed with what is clearly and undenyably held forth in the word and beleeve that for these causes such and such plagues were inflicted upon distinct and different persones because the spirit of truth sayeth so 8. As all Scripture was given by the inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse that the Man of God may be perfect thorowly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim 3 v. 16 17. So these particular passages so particularly described are written for our learning Rom. 15 ver 4. and are out examples that we should not do as they did 1 Cor. 10 v. 6. and are written for our admonition 1 Cor. 10 ver 11. And therefore we must not look slightly upon them but ponder then narrowly as so many documents given us for our use and instruction and particularly that we may take warning to prevent such evils Now let us hear what the Surveyer sayeth Pag. 51. He layes downe two assertions 1. That no man is involved in divine judgments and punishments for the sinnes of others as the deserving cause of his punishment if he be no way accessory to these sinnes of others 2. That no private Subject is accessory to the sins of Rulers nor involved in the punishments of the same meerly upon the accouut of his tolerating the sinnes or not violent resisting the Magistrate in his sinful courses Answ Not to enlairge on these now because of what he is to say in explication of these we are then to speak I would only at present enquire 1. What accession had the army of Israel which was defate by the Men of Ai a stroke which made Iosua rent his cloaths and fall upon his face to the Earth until the even tyde he and the elders of Israel and put dust upon their heads unto the sin of Achan And why doth the Spirit of the Lord say Ios. 7 v. 1. That the Children of Israel had committed a trespasse in the accursedthing And againe ver 10 11 12. And the Lord said unto Iosua Get thee up wherefore lyest thou thus upon thy face Israel hath sinned and they have also transgressed my Covenant-for they have taken of the accursed thing-and they have put it even amongst their owne stuff Therefore the Children of Israel could not stand because they were accursed neither will I be with you any more except yee destroy the accursed from amongst you Though we can learne of no accession which they had unto this particular fact yet we see the whole body is punished as guilty and must be legally purified and sanctified and purged from that contagion 2. What accession had all these who suffered in these three yeers famine which was in David's dayes unto that bloody act of Saul and his house which was committed many yeers before thousands of these who suffered therefore knew the right hand from the left or were borne possibly 3. What accession had the children unborne to the third and fourth generation unto the sinnes of their forefathers and yet the holy Lord thinks good to visite their iniquities on them 4. What accession had the People unto David's sin of numbering the people doth not David himself say 2. Sam 24 ver 17. But these sheep what have they done But let us heare how he explaineth this A certane thing it is sayes he that God doth not properly punish any man but in reference to his owne personal sins as the deserving cause of the punishment albeit he may and often taketh occasion in his wise providence to punish men for their owne sinnes from the sinnes of others and in that only sense they may be said to be punished for the sins of others But every soul suffers for his owne sin Divine justice finding causes of punishment in every one that is punished either their personal accession to the sinnes of others which is their owne sin or else some other sinnes for which he may in justice inflict the punishment upon them albeit the impulsive cause or occasion rather for punishing in such a manner and time c be from the sinnes of others Ans 1. Though vve desire to be vvise unto sobriety in this matter and not to meddle vvith matters beyond our reach yet vve think it saifer to speak in the language of the Holy Ghost then in the vvords of this Surveyer vvho giveth us no Scripture for vvhat he sayes The expressions of Scripture hold forth some thing more then a meer occasion It semeth strange to say that Ahan's sin should have been only an occasion of that discomfiture when the Spirit of the Lord sayes that Israel had sinned and therefore could not stand before their Enemies because they were accursed and that till this accursed were taken from amongst them he would not be with them any more 2. He vvould do vvell to explaine to us vvhat he meaneth by a proper punishment and vvhat is the opposite tearme thereunto 3. We grant divine justice findeth deserving causes of punishment in all in whom is original sin but vve suppose that vvhen that is not mentioned as the procureing cause of such a stroke but the sin committed by another vve ought to look on that mainly as having a procureing causality in that affliction 4. How ever we see he granteth one may be punished for the sin of another or upon occasion of the sin of another as he loveth to speak to which he hath no personal accession 5. If these sinnes of others were only the occasion of punishing in such a manner or time how cometh it that the very punishment it self is removed upon the taking away of that sin according to God's appoyntment and God is pacified toward the whole as he was vvith Israel vvhen Ahan vvas killed and Seven of Saul's sones hanged up 6. But whether vve take these sinnes of others as impulsive causes or occasions of such punishments This is cleare That if these sinnes had been prevented these punishments had been prevented also so that if Saul had not gotten liberty to have staine the Gibeonites in his bloody rage contrare to oath and Covenant these three yeers famine had not come And if David had been hindered from numbering of the people and had not gotten his vvill these Seventy thousand had not died then as they did And seing no other cause or occasion is rendered of this it vvould clearly warne all in a Community and Society to labour by all meanes according to their power and places to hinder the Committing or removing when committed of these sinnes which bring heavy plagues on the Community The Dutch Aunot on 2 Sam. 21 1. say that
blood by Magistrates bringeth judgement on the Subjects for Ieremiah sayes that if they should have killed him they should have brought innocent blood not only to themselves who gave out the sentence and did execute it but on the whole city and on the inhabitants thereof To this he hath many words Pag. 55. but little answere The summe is this for it were wearisome to transcribe all his needlesse tautologies and repetitions which if taken away his pamphlet of a 120 pages might be reduced to 20 All who were defiled behoved to be accessory either by doing or not hindering what they were called and capacitated to hinder which was not by violent resistence nor doth the Prophet meane that all the absents should be guilty and properly deserve Gods wrath upon that account but only that the actors and such as were accessory should be guilty and others should upon this occasion fall under wrath though for other sinnes and yet the judgment on the People might be a punishment to the Rulers for that same particular sin for God may punish Princes or Fathers in the punishment of Subjects and Children and yet these same Subjects and Children have no reason to quarrel with God or to say as it is Exech 18. v. 2. Answ We grant God may and doth punish Princes and Parents in their Subjects and Children and That these same Subjects and Children so punished have no just cause to say that their Fathers have eaten sowre grapes and that their teeth are set on edge as if there were no sin in themselves But that God may not visite the iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children who have not formally acted these evills nor consented thereto we dar not peremptorily assert against so many clear scriptures 2. Sure this place seemeth to hint something else then that this sin of shedding Ieremiahs blood should be an occasion of God's visiting the City for their other sinnes For he sayes you shall bring innocent blood upon this city so that by this Murther they should have brought innocent blood as well on the other inhabitants as on themselves who were to be actors the text maketh no difference 3. If the People here had done all which in their calling and station they were capacitated to have done for hindering of this sheding of blood they would have hindered it effectually and further violent resistence was needlesse If a wicked Magistrat should condemne an innocent person and make this his sentence that he should not have the benefite of a lodging within the land The People need do no more to resist the Magistrat's unjust sentence but notvvithstanding thereof receive the innocent into their house and intertaine him friendly And still vve say the People vvere to do all that lay in their povver to hinder innocent blood to be shed that so innocent blood might not be laid to their charge And in so far as they came short in this they made themselves guilty be accession notvvithstanding of any thing he hath said The next place he speaketh to is Deut. 13. vvhich vve have already vindicated and must observe this further That in all his long ansvvere he speaketh nothing to that vvhich novv vve are upon viz. the hazard that People in such a case are into both of sin and of judgment if effectuall course be not taken to suppresse idolatry and apostasy from God and to put that crying evil avvay from amongst them For v. 17. it is clearly held forth that till this city and all which was within it was rooted out the Lord would not turne from the fiercenesse of his anger nor shew them mercy nor have compassion upon them nor multiply them as he swore unto their Fathers So that their not doing their utmost to execute this sentence of God made them lyable to the constant abideing of the fierce anger of God upon them and closed the door of Mercy and compassion so that they could not expect the blessings promised and Covenanted Then Pag. 59. he cometh to speak to Ios 22 ver 17 18 19. and tells us That they were not private persones that transacted that businesse with the Children of Reuben for the body of the People concurred with the Magistrates Supreame and Subordinate What makes all this for the encroachment of meer private persons upon the use of the Magistrates avenging sword Answ It is true the Magistrates and major part of the People were here concurring but why doth he not take notice of the words cited by Naphtaly which clearly hold forth the end of his adduceing that passage If yee rebel to day against the Lord to morrow he will be worth with the whole congregation of Israel which do clearly hold forth that the defection of a part though a minor part will bring wrath upon the whole Nation aud Society And may not any see hence That each are to concurre in their places and stations according to their povver to prevent this defection or to remove it even when the major part is infected with it yea even though Magistrates should be remisse and should rather encourage then discountenance such rebellion against God Seeing the reason holdeth à fortiori for it upon the defection of a minor part wrath will come upon the whole much more will wrath come upon the defection of a major part and of the Magistrates too And therefore if in the former case private persons be bound to concurre with Magistrates for rooting out of that provoking sin of a few then it cannot be unlawful for private persones in this later case to do what they can to stirr up Magistrates to their duty if it be possible and to prevent their owne destruction from that wrath of God kindled against all and to remove the provokeing cause of that anger And as we have said they may take an effectual course for this without encroaching upon the use of the Magistrate's avenging sword or exercing any formall Magistratical power The next place he speaketh to is Iudg. 20. where Israel warreth against Benjamin because of a notorious crime acted there and countenanced and defended by that whole Tribe to the end that such a crying abhomination might be purged out of the land To which he answereth in short to let passe his unchristian jibes thus Though this was when there was no King in Israel yet it is likely they retained somewhat of their Sanhedrin appoynted Deut. 17. which in such a horrid case might draw together in an extraordinary meeting It was the body or the major part of the People that useth the sword against the lesser which maketh nothing for the minor parts using the sword to punish Magistrates the major part of the People also Answ Though I should grant that they retained yet something of the Sanhedrin yet in all this passage there is no mention made thereof but it is said v. 1. That all the Children of Israel went out the Congregation was gathered together as one Man to Mizpeh
their tongue or pen. And rather blush when they read or remember this we are hopeful that such and the like perfidious practices well pondered will not only contribute much to re-unite them in hearty affection unto their faithful Brethren now in the same furnace with themselves for the same cause and interest but also cause them reflect upon their former proceedings consider what a native tendency that which gave the rise to all that debate had unto this which is to day our sin our shame and our Sorrow that they may joyne with the Rest of the faithful of the land in mourning for such national sinnes Whereby the wrath of God may be turned away from us and the Church restored to her former beauty and integrity in the Lord 's good time 3. It is Manifest that this Surveyer who ever he be some others with him had some other thoughts in their heads at that time then they durst expresse finding the far greater part of the Ministerie corrupted would have had the rest resolving upon an absolute submission to all their determinations though they had been openly avowedly to introduce prelacy yea popery to have submitted to their summar censures of deposition what else they thought good to inflict without the least resistence or counteracting thus to have patiently submitted to see Christ his royall truthes banished out of the land by ecclesiastical acts Popery Prelacy re-established by horrible iniquity Though we were ever confident such as now through grace abide stedfast had no such thoughts or intentions 4. This Surveyer dealeth with all alike as he misrepresented Lex Rex in the civil debate so doth he now misrepresent the protesters in the Church-debate for when or where did they say That persones were not bound to submit but to counter-act the judicatories of the presbyteriall government whensoever they thought the sentence wrong unlawfull Did they ever assert that a mans owne conscience was the only vvarrand and ground of his submission or non-submission or of his obedience or disobedience 5. So doth he abuse misrepresent Naphtaly as any vvill see who considereth his words in the place cited which are these Now how a discretive judgment in these cases both of unrighteous commands wicked violence specially in the later which is by far the more sensible doth necessarily remaine with the people in what manner the same is to be determined cautioned so as neither to license disobedience against authority nor create seditions in the Commonwealth is already fully cleared This is some other thing then to say that al is to be referred to every man's privat discretive judgement vvithout any caution or limitation added or supponed 6. Because it is not our purpose to revive that debate vvhich vvas betvvixt the Protesters the Publick Resolutioners but as vve vvish it had never been heard of so vve desire it may buryed in perpetual oblivion that hence forth there may be hearty joyning in the cause covenant of God for prosecution of all the ends thereof according to our severall capacities That so we may become one stick in the hand of the Lord renunce this apostacy all courses tending thereunto so goe on as before that un happy difference broke out with zeal unanimity Therefore we shall forbeare to examine what that Reviewer of presbytery no papacy said And though we finde that much of what the Surveyer sayeth here is borrowed from that Reviewer is answered already as to our purpose yet we finde the Reviewer grant severall things which will quite destroy the parallel as to our case shew the Surveyer to have been but a fool in mentioning that pamphlet now For 1. He Pag. 104. sayeth We do not urge submission in this matter betwixt us in matters of doctrine or articles of faith in morshipe government nay nor rules of discipline And so insinuats as much as that if the Dogmatick and Diatactick power of Christ's courts be abused and corrupt doctrine and practices pressed he would not be for submission And therefore upon this ground waves the arguments of the protesters taken from the instance of Athanasius not submitting to the Arians deposeing him for asserting the divinity of the Sone of God and the 11. Arg. making a supposition of enacting the Masse and all the heresies of Rome saying For when Church judicatories deny homage to the Sone of God and returne to Rome We shall not debate the poynt of non-submission only with them but shall run from them as from synagogues of Satan Upon this same ground he waves the argument 13. which did shew that this submission was prelatical And the passage of our confession of faith ratified An. 1567. which is thus art 12. So far as the Council proveth the determination and commandement that it giveth by the plaine word of God so soon do we reverence and imbrace the same but if men under the name of a Council pretend to forge unto us new articles of our faith or to make constitutions repugning to the word of God then utterly we must refuse the same as the doctrine of devils which draweth our souls from the voyce of our only God to follow the doctrines constitutions of Men. So doth he upon this ground lay by what they said Pag. 49. That by this submission there was no remedy but that at one stroke the precious interests of Christ and truthes of God must be borne downe and buryed in oblivion and the Saints and Ministers of the gospel be buryed under the rubbish thereof As also their Arg. 15. which did shew that this unlimited submission did Leave the Church destitute of all Ecclesiastical remedies in the case of a general defection and open a wide door for making the government of the house of God degenerate into Tyranny c. And their 2 Argum shewing how contrary it was to Scripture and how hard it was to say that a man duely qualified being suspended from the Sacrament or from the exercise of his Ministery or excommunicated because of his pressing and holding forth some precious Truth of God which a Church judicatory condemneth for a lie should submit And also their 8. Arg. Pag. 108. which was this What is denyed jure to Oecumenick Councils and so lawfully called Prophets and Ministers of the gospel to Nathan to David to Paul to an Angel from heaven Gal. 1 ver 18. cannot warrantably be given to General Assemblies If they teach or decree not according to the word of the Lord we are to counteract and to contradict Gal. 1 ver 8. Therefore c. Now in all these cases the Reviewer would not plead for submission to Church judicatories Why then doth this Surveyer plead for absolute submission and unlimited to civil powers since he is pleased to draw a parallel betwixt them But we see that evil men and seducers waxe worse and worse So that by
standers or that his manifest unchristian dealing may help to open the eyes of such as he labours to delude and bring them to abhorre his way or that the really Religious and righteous dealings of Church and State may more forcibly put him to silence then words or writings can It had been indeed more advantagious to the King's cause and lesse dishonourable to himself to have been silent then thus to have letten out waters to the King 's great prejudice and his owne discredit If he had any expectation that the Man's conscience would have confuted him in most of his assertions why did he hinder that work by confirming him in the truth of his assertions by his weak and foolish replyes Praestat otiari quam nihil agere and why did he not more manfully discover these unchristian dealings the better to undeceive such as he supposeth were deluded What are these manifest unchristian dealings of his Sure the event hath and shall furder we hope declare that his owne dealing hath been much more manifestly unchristian by labouring to blinde the eyes of such as savv before But I suppose he may talke at leasure of his proselyts When the really religious and righteous dealings of Church and State shall forcibly confute what is there said we know not Sure when ever their actions become really Religious and righteous they will condemne his pamphlet to the fire and himself to the correction-house and approve of all which is said in Naphtaly Sometimes sayes he keeping silence is seasonable the Man according to God's owne heart would not suffer Shimei's revileings to be repayed upon the head of that dead dog Hezekiah discharged to answere a word to railing Rabshakeh Ieremiah the Prophet contradicted by the false Prophet Hananiah went his way and said nothing The wise Solomon forbids to take heed to all words that are spoken and to answer a fool according to to his folly The Lord of Kings and Prophets sometimes answered not his accusers a word True sometimes silence is not only seasonable but 〈◊〉 and so would the Kings cause have found it now and by his answering not withstanding of what he here sayes it would seem that Naphtaly is no Shimes Rabshakeh Hananiah nor fool nor an enemy to Christ Or that the King is not like the Man according to God's heart nor like good Hezekiah Nor is this Pamphleter like Ieremiah nor hath follovved either Solomon's advice or Christ's example But I see not why both may not be true Yet furder So it seemed fit to let alone an insolent and forward railer and mocker and not to lavish out precious time which might be better bestowed upon one that gives such visible evidences both of a reasonlesse and unchristian Spirit whose libel may be reckoned amongst the things quae spreta exolescunt and worthy to be answered with nothing but silence contempt Then it seemeth he expecteth a reward also from the Author of Naphtaly for lavishing out so much of his precious time to keep in memory such a book which if he had miskend would have dyed out of minde and which he hath honoured with another answere then silence but all the reward he can expect will be but par pari referre payment without putting any thing in his purse and yet a payment in his owne coine Then to him it is a lavishing of precious time to maintaine the King's cause it seemeth also that he hath lavished out much time upon it and what will not money do The gredy gapeing after which will make a Man not only lavish out precious time needlesly But also put honour and respect on what he accounteth worthy of contempt 10. Let us see what did preponderat and bring this tossed Man to a firme resolution and determine him to bring this brate to light this product of his ill composed heart and not well tempered braine Upon the other hand sayes he it seemed something hard especially in such a distempered time to suffer an insolent person in whose mouth is a rode of pride to cast the truth downe to the ground without control and to tread upon and triumph over a holy and righteous cause and upon honourable persons of all ranks engaged in the maintainance thereof in so abusive despiteful and intolerable a way and not give him any check Not to put some stop to this furious driver who againe and againe assaults this Church with vile lyes and reproaches looked like the betraying and deserting of an honest and honoruable cause or like the hirelings seeing the Wolfe and flying and leaving the flock to be destroyed with delusion fugisti quia tacuisti There is an evil silence that leaves Men in sin as well as an evil speaking that leads Men to sin and we are not only to give an account pro atio so verbo but pro otioso silentio for idle silence when God and the publick necessity of the Church or Society whereof we are members Calleth for a valiant not brutishly violent and forcible way such as this mans pleads for and rational contending for the truth It is sinful pusillanimity and not warrantable prudence to see truth fall in the streets and not lift it up And verily this man seems to be amongst these of Whom Solomon sayes Prov. 26 v. 5. who must be answered lest he seem wise in his owne conceite and to be amongst these Tit. 1 v. 10 11. unruly and vaine talkers and deceivers whose mouths must be stopped that the gangrene of his words may not creep further to the consumption subversion of Church State Faire words ad faciendum populum qui si decipi vult decipiatur But he hath this disadvantage that few that know him will beleeve that these or any of these are the true cause of this undertaking But that rather vvhich he thought good to conceale viz. The Three hundereth pound sterling brought to him by the greater rogue the better rewarded Ia Sharpe deceiver of that ilke for if these things here mentioned had been his end and motive why was he feared that this should have wronged a well composed heart and Should not have been a honouring of God in his station but a needlesse lavishing out of precious time which might be better bestowed Nay there was reason for all this for whether he saw it or not he who together with his complices distempered the times and all things in whose mouth there being a rode of pride did insolently cast the truth downe to the ground as they could and endeavoured to tread upon and triumph over a holy righteous cause and all the maintainers thereof in an abusive despiteful and intolerable way and laboured to lift up an exploded depised and cursed falshood once dethroned with shoutings and great exclamations of joy but we have seen his horns have been but short He is truely as the sober vvill judge the furious driver who againe and againe doth assault the true Church and cause of God with lyes