published the Prelates hereat were so daunted as their courage began to faile (b) So will the hearts faile of our Bb. if the State deale roundly with them For they may be well compared to the Crocodile who is feirce and terrible to such as feare her run from her But of no courage in standing out against strong oppostion Or rather like the Asse that wrapt himselfe in the Lyons skin and marched a farre of to strike terrour in the hearts of the Beasts but when the Fox drew neere he not only perceived his long ears but likewise discovered him made him a jest to all the Beasts of the forrest them what to doe they know not for they perceive that their Kingdome of Darknes is now falling (c) Mise perceiving that the House wherin they are is about to fall do incontently leave the place These Bb. shewed the wit of a Mouse in running away in time and for my part I cannot blame them much for it neither would be very sory if ours would doe so too considering they know that their cause is so ill as they cannot with comfort stay and suffer for it and out they must Hereupon some of them secretly fled away into England and these poore hearts being full of greefe used sundry episcopall meanes or antidotes to expell the venemous desease which they brought with them from Scotland and among other chose helpes as fitting best their place and calling two or three of them made themselves starke drunke and in one night brake 12 or 14 dozen of venice glasses in drinking healths over and over to the confusion of their enemies Others of them in the mean time imployed themselves in the affaires of their state and craued his Majesties ayd and assistance and to prevaile this way they made greevious complaints against the Scotts and perswaded the King to take up armes against them (a) The Peast Duron perceiving her selfe almost takē avoyds a great deal of dung thinking by the noy somnes thereof to hinder the hunters from following her This filthy shift d ee the Bb. use for when they see that the State hath almost eatch them they seeke to eseape by avoiding their dung that is secrerly reporting to the King many lies and vile slaunders against the hunters of them for seeing faire meanes would not doe it fowl meanes might moreover they would perswade him that it could not stand with his honour (b) I know not any Honour or good Service that ever his Majesty had by them but rather Iosse prejudice for as the ivie claspes the oake only to suck out sap from it for her leaves her ries so these seeke to be in Princes favour only thereby to rayse themselves and for nothing else safety to suffer (c) The finer parts being severed from the grosser there followes clearenes sweetnes purenes c. So when our Land is once purged from the infection of the Prelacie both King and Subjects will doe the better after that Kingdome to bee without Bb. Great joy (d) The like cause of rejoycing the Lord send to England For I am sure they have occasioned sorrow greife to her these many yeares there was in Scotland when they heard the Bitesheepes had left them and the saying every where was The Lord hath don great things for vs. And now they found that true in Prav and that in the Poes Venit post multos vnaserenae dies And because they resolved to keepe peace (e) Our Prelates are like Nahash the Ammonite who would not be at peace with Iabesh Gilead unlesse he might trust out all their right eyes So they cannot abide any man neither will have accord with him but persecute him to the death Who will not sinne against knowedge conscience in yeelding to their filthy baggage trash with holines among them they tooke counsell what was best to bee don for the effecting hereof If was at last by mutially consent agreed vpon to renew their ancient Covenant with God one with another the which band or Covenant being composed it was generally subscribed too by all the better sort in the Kingdome And as I have heard one maine reason wherefore they were so carefull to take such a course as the Prelates should no more come among them was in regard they saw such cruelty and basenese in the English Bb. (f) Such is there basenes that they are spoken of everywhere and in truth sorraigne nations doe admire that so generous a nation as the English can suffer such Dunghill Wormes to exercise the crueltie that they doe over them But I beleeve England will vindicate her Honour shortly this way and like Scotland will drive away these Locusts from her Coast And then it will truely be said of both Kingdomes what is commonly said Great Brittaine the most renovvne and famous I le in the World for said they howsoever hetherto Ours have not don so wickedly as they yet who knowes what they may doe in time therefore it is good to keepe them out whiles they are The Confession followes THis Covenant beeing made and order given for subscription to it throughout the Land the Bb. hereat reged beyond measure And like Athaliah cryed out Treason Treason (a) The Prelates are like him who beeing only guilty of follome Yet in the persuru cries out as mainly as he can stop the theefe stop the theefe not caring who is apprehended so himselfe may escape without daunger So they howl it the Arch traitors to God and the King notwithstaning are so impudent as to chardge others with such crimes as themselves only are guilty of And because they saw it was in vaine for them to use the courses which they had done before viz. of silencing banishing imprisoning fining c. for no man now would be so used by them b We doe much dishonour the Gospell to obey any of the Bb. Articles Canons Censures c. the same beeing against Gods Law and Acts of Parliament Bur rather stand fast as the brave Scots in our Christian Libertie and say to those workers of iniquitie as Christ will say one day to them depart yee cursed of the Lord we know you not they be ganne to make ojbections against the Covenant as thus (c) If the Prelates could not helpe themselves mere by their Pursevants Iayles Pillaries c. then they can by disputation as no man now loves them so then no bodie woald feare them For assoon may a man perswade ihem to hang themselves in their Courts as to reason by the Word of God with any godly man that comes before them All their abilitie lies in this terrible argument Take him away Jaylor 1. They produce an Act of Parliament An. 1585. which prohibited all leagues and bands made by subjects without the Kings consent under paine as beeing holden and punished as movers of Sedition and such is this Covenant and subscription to this
THE BEAST IS WOVNDED OR Information from Scotland concerning their Reformation Wherein Is breifly declared the true cause and ground of all the late Troubles there and the reasons why they have rejected the Bishops with their Courts Canons Ceremonies and Service-booke Hereto Is added some fruitfull observations upon the former declaration by Io Bastwicks younger Brother JVDG 5.31 So let thine Enemies perish O Lord. The first part Printed in the yeare that the Bishops had their downefall in SCOTLAND TO THE READER COurteous Reader it is a note as the Wise-man noteth it of a foole to beleeve every thing I doubt not but thou hast heard much of the Troubles in Scotland Now that thou mayst not justifie the wicked and condemne the just which are both abomination to the Lord. I have thought fitt for thy good to publ sh this short relation It came to me from such persons as doe well know the proceedings of things there from first to last and therefore thou mayst be confident that the same is trùe It seemes by some notes which I finde in the margent that it was sent from a Scotsman to some good freind that he had in England and in likelihood a strict Nonconformist who shewes his good desire that England might bè reduced unto Scotlands Reformamation and not Stotland to Englands Deformation But not beeing willing to write of things whereof I have no cerraine knowledge I will therefore be silent and leave thee to the reading of the discourse IT was the desire of King Iames by whose instigation I know not (a) It was some Bish a thousand to one else For what mischiefe is there specially if done against the true worship of God but these Creatures of the Earth have their hāds chiefly in it See Syons-plea A Looking glasse for the Prelates the Abreviate c. that the Church of Scotland would admitt that such men as stood Ministers to those Churches which in the time of Poperie were called Bishopricks might have the Title of Lord-Bishops and voyces in Parliament (b) Parliaments will doe better without these men For they well resemble that filthy bird which caries this motto contactu omnia faedat To this the people consented (c) Better they had not for they have smarted for it ever since as their owne relation here manifesteth As the Trōians in consenting to take the Horse into their Citie had their citie spoyled by it So from the Hierarchy as out of the Troians Horses belly hath issued the cause ground of al their late troubles Se Pro. 29 2. and in the yeare 1602. it was by a Parliament confirmed Yet so as with certaine provisoes and conditions then and there expressed That is that all such as were then resident in such places and all such as afterwards should happen to be presented to them should by solemne Oath and publick subscription sweare and be obliged neither to propound nor give consent to any thing propounded in Parliament without a precedent Commission of a generall assembly Moreover that they should not pretend any authority or jurisdiction above other Ministers and that they should be as lyable and subject as any other Ministers to the Sentence and Censure of Presbyteries Provinciall and Nationall Synods To bee short if they transgressed either against those rules or any other institution which the Church tyed them unto they might be and should be excommunicated by the Pres-bytery and Synod and deposed a beneficio officio (d) Jf we had such Law with us in Englād executed we should not be troubled long with Bb nor any of that Brood downward to the Parater For their blasphemies treasōs murders c are so obvious to all mens eyes As the severest punishmēts in any civil Court would be light enought to be laid upon them See Quench-Coale Epist Remonst the last Parl. Howsoever at the first thus they were sworne to doe And were admitted no otherwise neither upon other tearmes but what is before expressed Notwithstanding they having gotten a footing it was not long ere they brake their Oath and attempted many unlawful actions to the great dishonour of Gods name the scandall of the Gospell and to the likely dissipation of the whole Church had not the Lord prevented it by a wonderfull deliverance (a) Such a deliverance God grant England and when we see it we will say thy right hand O Lord is become glorious in power thy right hand O Lord hath dashed in peeces the enemies and good cause too for this would prove to our Land a greater blessing thenwas our deliverance from the Gunpowder treason And therefore wee would nor faile to keepe a day of thankesgiving in remembrance of it as did the Iewes after Hamon and his Sonnes were hangd It would required a large volume to set downe all the particular evils and troubles which those Lordly Prelates brought upon that Church And more would have brought had not their hornes (b) By the Hornes of the Beast is meant the Antichristiā power which they exercise over their brethren By which as a Beast with hornes they push the godly sometime into prison other-while to the Pillary many times into forreigne Countries so that untill these hornes bee cut off there is no keeping house with them beene cut off Among other acts of their Lordly Government they tooke upon them to depose Ministers as they pleased and when they pleased And admitted sundry scandalous persons (c) The Prelates in Scotlād never shewed so much prophanes this way as ours have done For whereas idolaters adulterers lyars forcerers whoremonngers theeves drunkards quid non are allowed and liked off On the contrary they suppresse all them who will not be their Drudges to serve thē and their great Landlord the Pope witnes Wren the Norridge Beast See the unbish of Timot. and Tit. like themselves to the Ministery and chardge of Soules And kept back from the Ministery all honest and able men what they could And not contented with this they procured from the King a warrant under the shew or pretence whereof they silenced the most Godly learned and faithfull Ministers in the Kingdome And also by the same authorities they brought into the Church many Popish Ceremonies to the generall greife of the godly both there and in many other places And these great abuses of theirs they brough the sooner easier to passe in regard there were some Courtiers and Counsellers about his Majestie that were Popishly affected and bore ill will to Sion this is cleare in the cause of Melvin Forbes Bruce and others Worthies of that Church who were exiled (d) Doth the Church of Scotland reckon it for one of her greevances that they have unjustly banished some of her Ministers How then would they have taken it had they seene them whipt in their streetes stood on Pillaries burnd-marked 〈…〉 about the time that the Earl of Northhamton and B. Bancroft had greatest acceptation
no doubt but these and other such like objections were suggested to his Majestie seing he heard not the ansers (c) Princes should be like the sunne which casteth her shining beemes upon all a like his Majestie wil be pleased to receineÌ„our charges proofes against the Bb. in as fâ—â— and favourable a way as he doth their charges without preffe against us we doubt but to make it cleare yea and his Majestie shall conseld it that they are neither fitt Church or Common wealth d It hath been the overthrow of maine brave princes to take things upon the 〈◊〉 of the reporter for by this meanes dissentions have fallen out between them their best subjects here upon treacherous men as the Prelats are have taken 〈◊〉 time advantage to hurt both parnies it is possible he might be offended with his best subjects specially considering that his Majesty hath things presented to him in such shapes and lineaments as the Prelates conceive to to bee most for their owne ends and advantages notwill standing such was his Maisties wisdome and loue to his ancient Subjects as that he refused to attempt the actions which some perswaded him unto (a) What Prelates are the Spun of God showeth in Rev. 16.13 viz. the unclean pirits which goe unto the Kings of the hearth together them to battle against the Saints Now as Aliad beeing encouraged by his false Prephers to goe against Raniath Gilead was undone by it So many in mking the Bb. counsell to warre against the Gespell have been undone by the meanes in their state honour posteritie But sent the Mar of Ham down into Scotland to heare what they could say for themselves how they could justifie the band they had made and So to certifie his Majestie how all things stood And no doubt but his Maiestie did this the rather as conceaving in his royall breast that it was not possible that so many of his best suband men of the greatest integrity and prudence would have agreed together in an action of such a nature without Some considerable reason and cause The Marques being come into Eden much speech passed between him and the commissioners for the Land they craved the indiction of a free Aslembly and Parliament as the only remeady of their miseries hee required a rendring up of the whole copies of the Subscribed Covenant telling them that this would bee a meanes to remove all feares of the Kings wrath against the subscribers and If they refused to doe soe the King b The same remedy we crave here in England the which being granted we feaoe not that but Church and Common-wealth shall be both the better for it What Children seeing Serpents creeping in their Fathers and Mothers bosome will not kill them to preserve their Parents Those Bb. as so many venemous snakes lie in the bosome as it were of our Abimelech Father King and of the Church Now the Parliament-men as good Children will kill those Serpents that so both Father and Mother may live and prosper it might by would not grant them an affemblie or parliament for establishing religion and setling the Peace of Kirk and Kingdome But they answered that thus they could not doe for if they should they should not bee free of the great guiltines of peruirie before God (a) Note the wickednes of our Bb it is their order to have infams in baptisine to vow and promise by their sureties to fight againct the devil al his vvorkes yet afterwards they doe what they can to make them perinted foresworne in requiring them to fight for the Devil his workes that 〈◊〉 for them and the Pope Againe in this they should destroy what they had before built confesse themselves to be trespassers bfore they saw it besides they should shew great unthankefulnes vnto God for a worke which by his good spirit they were moved to doe Moreover the demaund was more then the Commissioners could doe in regard many thousands in the Land besides themselves had subscribed To be short they said and that truely if they should grant this all the World would wonder at their inconstancy and their enemies would mock at them and traduce them as periured Covenant-breakers and Troublers of the peace of the Kirk and Kingdome And whereas there were many promises made of great matters that the King would doe for them if they would render up the Copies to him Their answere was that this was not the first time (b) It is the property of the fox to come towards the sheep upon his bellie to shew him selfe a farre off as if he meant no harme but being gotten with in them and where he would be then like a fox he kils spares not so the Prelates till they become where they defire to be they are very freindly full of faire promises but having gotten what they seeke for then like soxes as they are they spoile ane devour the Lords sheep that fair promises had beene made them for not vrging of of Articles already concluded and for not trouble them with any further innovation the which beeing credited did ensnare manie and drew them on to doe that which otherwise they would not have don all which promises have beene broken and denyed when the per formance was craved and why may they not exspect the like in this case especially where the thing wil bee found more hard and difficult There beeing much time spent and no conclusion made of any thing at the last there comes downe a Proclamation from the King The which was problished at the Mercate Crosse of Edinburg the 4 of July 1638. the effect whereof was this That his Majestie was not ignorant of their great desorders (a) If there be disorders among them the greatest ault lies on the Proclates who have been the cheife Authors and causers of it And therefore his Majestie shall doe verie well to se them severelie punished who have by their attempts to bring peoperie into that Church occasioned much trouble in that Kingdome we use to blame such as set the house on syer not the good people which seeke to quench it so c. here occasioned as is pretended upon the introduction of the Service-booke Booke of Canons c. thereby fearing innovation of Religion and Lawes At this his Majestie professeth to greeve to see them runne headlong into ruine Yet out of his innative indulgence to his people he desires to reclay me them from their faults in a faire way Rather then let them perish in the same And for further clearing of scruples he promiseth not hereafter to presse the practice of the said Service booke Canons but in a faire and legall way (b) That which is against the cÌ„omaundement of God cannot lawfullie be vrged in any way what soever now there is nothing more sure then that the service booke booke of can are accursed thinges and therefore ought