lyklie that your Vowe of the recovering the Libertie and Puritie of the Gospell as it was before Episcopacie and Pearth Articles were introduced importeth onelie an Intention of removing of the Consequentes of Pearth Articles and Episcopacie and not of the removing of those thinges them-selues Truelie wee are perswaded that they who knowe the state of this CHVRCH and your mynde concerning these thinges will thinke this your Glosse of your owne wordes to bee violent and excogitated for cluding our Argument 6. Secondlie Who can thinke that yee and others Contryvers of the Late Covenant who condemne Pearth Articles and Episcopacie as much as yee doe the consequentes of them haue onelie vowed to remoue their Consequentes and not remoue them-selues 7. Thirdlie is it possible that anie can promise and vowe to labour for the curing of so manie and so great pretended diseases of this Church wee meane these abuses which yee say haue accompanied Pearth Articles and Episcopacie and in the meane tyme promise and intende nothing concerning the removing of the causes of them 8. Fourthlie how can wee without great prejudice of our cause acknowledge that these grosse abuses mentioned by you haue entred in the Sacrament by kneeling before the Elements yee should haue sayde at the receaving of the Elements for seeing Kneeling at the receaving of the Sacrament is confessed by vs to bee a matter indifferent if in our Oath wee acknowledge these grosse abuses to haue entred in vpon Kneeling it will probablie follow in the judgement of some and in your judgement who recommend this Oath vnto vs it will follow infalliblie that Kneeling for the evill consequences thereof ought to bee removed Doe yee not heere cunninglie deale with vs For altho yee vrge vs not as yee say to sweare and promise the removing of Kneeling yet yee vrge vs by your owne confession to promise the removing of these abuses occasioned by Kneeling which beeing acknowledged by vs yee will then take vpon you to demonstrate that Kneeling it selfe ought to bee removed for yee holde it for a Maxime That thinges indifferent beeing abused and polluted with Superstition should bee abolished Wee can not sufficientlie marvell how yee who are of this mynde can say to vs that wee who allowe Pearth Articles and Episcopacie may sweare to recover the Libertie and Puritie of the Gospell as it was before c. For yee meane that wee may doe so without prejudice of our cause But wee haue alreadie showne that according to your judgement and doctrine if wee sweare that which yee would haue vs to sweare our cause shall bee much prejudged yea vtterlie lost 9. Fiftlie Howe can wee sweare to remoue these grosse abuses entered in vpon Kneeling as yee alleadge seeing wee thinke that no such abuses haue entered in vpon it Yea our people trye them who please will show that they are as free from all erronious conceits concerning that holie Sacrament as anie living in these Congregations where Kneeling is daylie cryed downe 10 Sixtlie as for these abuses and corruptions reckoned vp by you as the consequentes of the observation of Festivall dayes to passe by that which before wee marked concerning Kneeling to wit that the granting of this were a great prejudice to our cause some of these are not abuses at all as cessation from worke Agayne some of them haue not come in vpon the observation of the Articles of Pearth as Guysing and Feasting yee meane excessiue Feasting for otherwyse it is not an abuse which onlie fall foorth on Christ-mas Feastivitie For sure wee are that these abuses haue not come by the anniversarie commemoration of CHIST'S Nativitie in the which by the ordinance of Pearth Assemblie all Superstitious observation and Prophanation of that day or anie other day is prohibited and appoynted to be rebuked This the Reverend and learned Bishop of EDINBVRGH in his defence of the Act of Pearth Assemblie concerning Feastivities PAG. 63. proveth because sayeth hee wee haue lacked preaching vpon Christ-mas day these fiftie seaven yeares by-gone in our Church yet Ryot Prophanenesse Surfet and Drunkennesse haue not beene wanting 11. Seaventhlie as for Superstitious observation of dayes whereof hitherto wee haue had no experience wee marvell that yee can reckon it amongst the Consequentes of the observation of dayes seeing in your judgement it is all one with the observation of dayes For yee thinke the observation of anie daye except the LORD'S Day to bee in the owne nature of it Superstitious and Will-worship 12. As for the last part of your Answere to our Argument concerning the fore-sayde period of tyme where yee alleadge that manie Corruptions of Popish and Arminian doctrine haue entered in the Kirke c. wee aske you Whether yee designe heere an other period of tyme than yee did before or if yee designe onlie this selfe-same period of tyme in the which both the fore-sayde Practicall Abuses and these Doctrinall Corruptions haue entered into this Church accompanying a yee alleadge Pearth Articles and Episcopacie Or last of all If yee designe no period of tyme at all If yee take you to this last professing that yee haue heere designed no period of tyme then yee answere not our Argument where-in wee particularlie and expresslie posed you concerning that period of tyme vnto which your wordes cited oft before haue reference If yee designe the same period of tyme then looke howe yee can escape our praeceeding Argumentes concerning that period of tyme. 13. But if yee designe an other period of tyme then wee aske you Whether it bee prior or posterior to the period of tyme alreadie mentioned to wit the tyme praeceeding the bringing in of the Articles of Pearth Yee can not say that it is posterior to it for yee complayned of Arminian Corruptions even before Pearth Assemblie branding some of the most Learned of our Church with that Aspersion And of Popish Corruptions of Doctrine yee complayned when Pearth Articles and Episcopacie were established For the Doctrines of the lawfulnesse and expediencie of these thinges are in your judgement meerlie Popish and Antichristian Neyther can yee say that it is prior to the fore-sayde period of tyme for the tyme praeceeding the in-bringing of Pearth Articles comprehendeth all that tract of tyme which interveaned betwixt the Reformation and Pearth Assemblie 14. But wee will yet more evidentlie convince you by two other Arguments drawne from that part of your Covenant of which wee are now speaking and from the wordes of this your Answere to our fourth REPLYE for first in your Covenant yee promise and also will haue vs to promise with you To forebeare for a tyme the practise of Pearth Articles vntill they bee tryed as yee say in a free Assemblie But this forbearance importeth a manifest prejudice and wronging of our cause for this is a fore-acknowledgement eyther of the vnlawfulnesse or else of the inexpediencie of the matters concluded in Pearth Assemblie For wherefore ought wee in this exigence of
three wrongs done by vs to you The one in the WARNING where-of yee haue an answere allreadie given in our 12 DVPLYE where yee did vse greater exaggerations than eyther the intention of the Warner did merite or became your charitie and profession And by your repetition of it in this place yee show that yee haue too great delight to dwell vpon such expostulations where-as Theologicall reasons of the matter in controversie would better become you in such a DISPVTE The second wrong is that as yee alleadge wee haue wronged you In with-holding our hand and helpe from so good a cause of purging Religion and reforming the Kirke from so manie grosse abuses and opposing all those who haue modestlie laboured for Reformation But certaynlie the wrong is done to vs by you in that yee doe without warrand of Authoritie obtrude vpon vs and vpon those committed to our charges the swearing of an Oath which is agaynst our owne consciences and because of our just refusall and opposition yee doe wrong vs also in misinterpreting our pious and vpright meanings and in making and stirring vp collaterall and personall quarrells agaynst vs and threatning vs there-with Thus if GOD by his speciall grace did not vpholde vs might wee bee driven by worldlie terroures to doe agaynst the light of our owne consciences 9. The third Wrong where-with yee charge vs and for the which yee doe insinuate that wee maye feare Trouble is as yee alleadge in our speaches in publicke and private and in our Missiues c. Herevnto wee answere as in our former Replyes That when-so-ever it shal please you to specifie these speaches we hope to giue you and all peaceablie-disposed Christians full satisfaction and to cleare our selues of that imputation so that none shall haue just reason to worke vs anie Trouble In the meane tyme if our ingenuitie would permit vs as it doeth not to thinke it a decent course to make vse of Hearkeners and Catchers of wordes and to wayte for the haulting of our Brethren some of your owne speaches might bee represented vnto you wherein yee would find weaknesse 10. As for these Outward or Externall Argumentes which ye bring heere to proue your Covenanting to bee The worke of GOD from the Successe of your Enterpryze from the multitude of Subscrybers and from their Contentment and from their good carriage which wee would wish in manie of them to bee more charitable and peaceable and so more Christian than it is wee can not acknowledge to bee A Commentarie written by the LORD' 's owne Hand as yee pretende in approbation of your Covenant vnlesse yee first clearlie showe vs the Text or Substance of your COVENANT to bee written in the HOLIE SCRIPTURES in all poyntes there-of especiallie in those poyntes wherein yee and wee doe controvert and which onelie at this tyme can bee pretended against vs seeing we make opposition onelie in those poyntes And wee wish heartilie That leaving these weake Notes of Trueth to the Papistes chiefe Acclaymers of them amongst Christians that wee speake no-thing of Aliens from Christianitie yee would bee pleased to adhere with vs vnto the HOLIE SCRIPTURES as the onelie sure and perfect RULE of TRUE RELIGION and the Heavenlie Lampe which GOD hath given vs to showe vs the Way of Trueth and Peace Where-in the GOD of Trueth and Peace direct all our steppes for IESUS CHRIST our SAVIOUR who is our Peace To HIM bee Glorie for ever Amen IOHN FORBES OF CORSE Doctor and Professor of Divinitie in ABERDENE ROBERT BARON Doctor and Professor of Divinitie and Minister in ABERDENE ALEXANDER SCROGIE Minister at OLD ADERDENE D. D. WILLIAM LESLEY D. D. and Principall of the King's Colledge in ABERDENE IA SIBBALD Doctor of Divinitie and Minister at ABERDENE ALEXANDER ROSSE Doctor of Divinitie and Minister at ABERDENE· Some Escapes in Printing Pag. line for reade 7 23 because your Answers because their Answeres 8 17 Answeres Argumentes 11 25 chap. 37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 37 ibid. ibid Novatus Novatian called their 13 31 discerned decerned Novatus 16 14 resicere omnesque etiam resicere Omnes etiam 28 9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 30 20 in the 33 in the 22 33 7 alleadged allowed ibid. 11 Conventions ye meane CoveÌ„tioÌ„s froÌ„ their purpo 35 15 and that that sed ends yemean ibid. last Seruice-Booke Service-Booke and Caâ—â—â— 36 1 is discharged are discharged 48 penult condemning condemning of 52 30 contryvers recommenders 59 4 enjoying injoyning bid last Consilio Concilio 80 margin Leg. 42 in Sexto Reg. 42 89 11 had wee eot had we not 98 26 our Propositions our proposition 99 11 of standing to standing 100 6 Episcopie Episcopacie 105 23 Monarchies Monarchs 115 31 Lib. 9 Leg. 9 116 6 Clericis Now Clericis Leg. 10. Now ibid. 12 puniatur hoc ipso puniatur Hoc ipso 117 4 cursing accusing 119 1. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LoÌ„d edit anno 1616. pag. 200.201 XII Tabularum fragmenta de officio consulis Regio imperio duo sunto iique praeundo indicando consulendo praetores judices coÌ„sules appellantor militia sumùm jus habento nemini pavento Salus populi suprema lex esto a Quid ergo turbamini volens nunquam vos deseram coactus repugnare non nâ—vi Dolere potero potero flere potero gemâ—re adversusarma milites Gothos quoque Lachryma mea arma sunt Talia enim munimenta sunt sacerdâ—tiâ— Aliter nec dibâ—a nec possum resistere b Non ego mi vallabo circumfusione populorum Rogamus Auguste non pugnamus Tradere Basilicam non possum sed repugnare non debâ—â— Interest enim quibus causis quibusque authoribus homines gerenda bella suscipiant ordo tamen ille naturalis mortaliam paci accommodatus hoc poscit vt suscipiendi belli authoritas atque consilium penes Principem sit Aug. Lib. 22. contra Faustum Cap. 75. Hugo Grotius de jure belli pacis lib. 1. cap. 4. num 6. Averrces â— Metaphys comment 6 See Hugo Grotius de jure belli pacis pag. 66 where hee citeth sundrie ancieÌ„t Authors Rivet in his Iesuita vapulans cap. 13. Ambrose in obitum Valentiniani See Doctor Field in his 3. Booke of the Church CAP. 32. Altare Damascen pag. 828. 853. Re-examination of the Assemblie of Pearth pag. 227. â—n regulis â—uris leg 42. Gregorie Nazianzen Orat. â—0 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vpon these wordes NICETAS his Interpreter speaketh thus Baptismum suscipe quamdiu minime circum te pugnant is qui te baptismi aqua tingare parat qui poecuniarum â—uarum hares futurus est Ille videlicâ—â— studiâ—se agens atque contendens vt ea quae ad vitae exitum necessaria sunt suppeditet hoc est vt te salutari aqua tingat dominicum corpus impertiat hic contra vt testamento hares scribatur Concilium Nicenum Can. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c.
DUPLYES Of the MINISTERS PROFESSORS of ABERDENE TO The second ANSWERES of some REVEREND BRETHREN Concerning The LATE COVENANT If thou take foorth the precious from the vyle thou shalt be as my mouth Let them returne vnto thee but returne not thou vnto them IEREM 15.19 Honour all men Loue the Brotherhood Feare GOD Honour the King 1. PET. 2.17 Printed in Aberdene by Edw. Raban 1638. TO THE UNPARTIALL READER IT may bee you haue not as yet heard the true relation of our proceedinges and carriage towards those two Reverend Brethren who came latelie hither to recommend to vs and our People the LATE COVENANT Wee declare therefore to you That we hearing of their comming and intention and beeing of a contrarie mynde resolved that before wee should giue consent that they should preach to our People wee would propone to them by way of certaine DEMANDS the chiefe reasons which made vs to bee averse from their proceedings promising to admit them to our Pulpits if they should giue vs satisfaction concerning the LATE COVENANT Wee intended not to Print these DEMANDES at the first but afterwards considering howe much our People might bee confirmed by them in that pious resolution which they haue to continue in the obedience of the Lawes of this Church and Kingdome concerning EPISCOPACIE and those thinges which were concluded in PEARTH ASSEMBLIE wee thought good to put them to the Presse but determined not to make vse of them by divulgating them except we saw that our people stood in present neede of them which indeede came to passe for vpon Fryday the twentie of Julie last these Reverende Brethren came to this Towne and having that same night receaved our DEMANDES in writ they returned their Answeres vnto them on Saturday following late in the evening but they came not to our handes who replyed vnto them vntill Sunday in the morning Neyther had we leasure to reade or consider vntill both the Sermons were ended in our Churches Wherefore wee did meete together that day at foure houres afternoone that wee might peruse them And at that same tyme hearing that these Reverend Brethren had preached in audience of dyverse of our people conveaned in the court of a noble man his lodging not having obtayned our consent thereto and in their Sermons had vsed a forme of Answering to our DEMANDES which they did publicklie reade affirming that they had given full satisfaction to vs in a written coppie of their Answeres which they had sent to vs and by that meanes had laboured to disswade and draw our People from their obedience vnto the Articles of PEARTH the Lawes of this Kingdome ratifying them wee knowing how insufficient their Answeres were to giue satisfaction to anie who would duelie ponder our DEMANDES gaue licence to the Printer to divulgate them and the next day did wryte our REPLYES to their Answeres intending to put them to the Presse on Tuesday But wee were earnestlie entreated by a noble Man to send backe to them the copie of their Answeres that they might revise and perfect them also to delay the printing of our REPLYES vntill Fryday following Which wee willinglie granted But wherefore this was desired of vs you may conjecture seeing they neyther added nor diminished nor altered anie thing in their Answeres Vpon the next Fryday at night wee gaue our REPLYES to the Printer and to these Reverende Brethren who returned not to this Citie vntill Saturday following wee sent a copie of our Replyes in writ on the Lords Day vnto which we receaved not their Answeres vntill they came from the Presse to wit on Tuesday the fourteenth of August that is eyghteene dayes after they had receaved our REPLYES What successe these Brethren had in their Sermons which they preached here vpō two severall Lords Dayes it is sufficientlie knowne neyther haue they reason to talke so much of it as they doe in their Preface to the Reader The first of these Dayes some few who were thought to bee that way inclined before subscryved their COVENANT But the next Lords Day they scarce prevailed with anie at all And a great many who heard them both these Dayes professed that they returned from their Sermons more averse from the COVENANT than they were before Now good Reader wee present to thee our REPLYES to their second Answeres which for shortnesse cause wee haue called DVPLYES wee pray you consider them vnpartiallie And if you reape anie benefite by perusing them let it not be ascrybed vnto vs but to the invincible force of divyne Trueth Wee conclude with Zorobabell saying Blessed bee the GOD of Trueth And let all the People shout and saye Great is Trueth and mightie aboue all thinges TO OUR REVEREND BRETHREN M r ALEXANDER HENDERSON And M r DAVID DICKSON THat your Answeres Reverende and Deare Brethren haue not in anie degree satisfied vs wee impute it not to your weaknesse whom wee know to bee able Men and much exercysed in the matters debated betwixt vs but wee impute it to the weaknesse of your cause and to that inabilitie which is in all men as well as in you to beare out agaynst the Trueth Wee are sorie that yee are not so respectiue and favourable in your judgement of vs for yee playnlie declare in your Preface that yee suspect vs of prejudice and that for two reasons The first is that our Demandes which yee conceaved had beene meerelie intended for you were published before your comming in Print as also that our REPLYES were Printed before we receaved your last Answeres to them Whence yee conclude that wee were rather ayming at victorie moved thereto by prejudice than at satisfaction by searching of the Trueth This reason is grounded vpon a mistaking for altho our Demandes at the first were intended for you onlie yet afterwardes we resolved to Print them as also our REPLYES the Printing whereof did nowayes depend vpon your second Answeres not for loue of contention nor desire of victorie GOD knoweth but for such reasons as wee haue expressed in our Preface to the vnpartiall Reader whom wee hope wee haue satisfied in this poynt Your other reason is that the groundes of your Answeres to vs haue proven satisfactorie to others who for Age and Learning are pryme men of this Kingdome and to whom our modestie will not suffer vs to preferre our selues Farre be it frō vs to be so presumptuous as to preferre our selues to so manie Learned and worthie Divynes and as farre bee it from vs to measure the soliditie and sufficiencie of your Answeres by the Habilities or Induments of these who haue acquiesced in them If this your reason were good the Papists might more probablie accuse vs of prejudice as indeede they vnjustlie doe because your Answeres to our Argumentes haue proven satisfactorie to manie thousands of those who for profunditie and subtilitie of wit are inferiour to none of the World but wee regarde not this slender motiue remembring these wordes of our Saviour I
thanke Thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because Thou hast hid these thinges from the Wyse and Prudent and hast revealed them vnto Babes even so O Father for so it seemed good in Thy sight Besides if yee compare the Divynes Ancient and Moderne who are of our judgement with these who favour your opinion eyther in number or in the excellencie of their gifts ye shall find that in this the advantage is greatlie ours In the meane tyme yee shall know that wee can bring farre better reasons to free our selues of prejudice than these which yee haue brought agaynst vs to wit the soliditie of our Argumentes which haue put you to such straytes pardon vs to say that which everie one who hath eyes may see that oft-tymes yee doe not so much as attempt to answere them beeing glad to passe them by with the show of an Argument in contrarium or some other lyke shift our humble and earnest attestations in calling GOD the onlie competent judge as witnesse of our sinceritie in the inmost thoughtes of our soule our seriouslie professed Resolution to concurre with you if wee should get satisfaction from you the Modestie Ingenuitie and Peaceablenesse of our wrytings to you and on the contrarie your too great disdainfulnesse and asperitie in your second Answeres bewraying not onlie the weaknesse of your myndes farre by our expectation but also the weaknesse of your cause to vnpartiall Readers who ascrybe this to the pungent force of our Answeres judging that they haue made you some-what more cholericke than you were before To this wee will adde the great reluctance which some of the most Judicious Subscribentes did finde in their Consciences before they subscrybed your Covenant together with the Limitations and Reservations wherewith they subscrybed it evidentlie arguing their strong apprehension of the dangerous ambiguitie and haske sounding of the wordes of the Late Covenant so that even these who are now joyned with you haue beene much affrighted with those thinges which terrifie vs. As for your Protestation in the ende of your Epistle that yee can no more bee brought to our mynde than yee can bee drawne from the profession of our Religion as it hath beene reformed sworne c. Altho this importeth no small prejudice possessing and over-ruling your myndes yet looking to the invincible force of that Trueth which wee mayntayne wee even yet hope that at last it shall prevaile with you especiallie considering that our controversie is not concerning the reformed Religion wherevnto wee as sincerelie adheare as anie who-so-ever but concerning the equitie of that forme of Covenant which yee latelie made Wishing you and all others to adheare truelie and sincerelie to the same true Religion and to all the dueties which in it are recommended to you wee most humblie and earnestlie pray the Almightie GOD to pittie His Church in this Kingdome and to vnite all our heartes in Trueth and Peace in these most dangerous dayes which although they bee to you dayes of gladnesse as yee professe yet to those who loue the peace of Sion and the tranquillitie of this Kingdome they are Sad and Melancholious dayes in respect of the blacke clowdes of GOD'S wrath hanging over our heads threatning vs with stormes of fearfull Calamities which wee pray the Almightie GOD to avert THE FIRST DVPLY IN our Disputes agaynst the Papistes which haue bene frequent and by GOD'S grace not vnfruitfull as wee haue learned that to multiplie objections agaynst the Trueth is a thing easie as yee say but fruitlesse and vaine so also wee haue learned that to multiplie Evasions agaynst solide Arguments brought for the Trueth is a thing no lesse easie but altogether vnprofitable which wee pray you take heede to How forcible are right wordes but what doeth your arguing reproue IOB 6.25 2. Yee say that our objection agaynst your calling and the warrand of your cōming to vs was framed published in Print before it was proponed vnto you and ere your Answere could bee had Indeede our DEMANDES were at the Presse at your comming that they might be in readinesse but were not published before your selues in your Sermones did publicklie reade them and dispute agaynst them in audience of such of our People as were there present for the tyme albeit that written copie of them was delyvered to you onlie and not at that tyme communicated by vs to anie other 3 Your Authoritie which ye acclayme is neyther from his Majestie nor warranded by Act of Parliament nor by the Lordes of his Majesties Counsell nor by anie Nationall Synode of this Kingdome nor by anie Judicatorie established in it And both in your first Answere as also now agayne yee professe that yee came not hither to vsurpe the Authoritie of anie Civill or Spirituall Iudicatorie As for your multitude which yee call allmost the whole Kirke and Kingdome it beeing destitute of Authoritie foresayde maketh no warrand of ordinarie calling Therefore yee seeme to pretende an extraordinarie calling from GOD alleadging an extraordinarie necessitie at this tyme which truelie wee see not in anie such degree as may deserue and warrand so great a change from the receaved order which is publicklie by Lawes established in this Kirke and Kingdome That saying of the Apostle Let vs consider one another to provoke vnto loue and to good workes which yee alleadge for your extraordinarie imployment importeth not an extraordinarie calling but an ordinarie duetie to bee performed by all Christians according to their Callings 4. The Word of GOD and the Canons of Councells doe so permit to Pastors the care of the whole Kirke as they must remember to doe all thinges Decentlie and in Order and not to interpone themselues in their Brethrens charges and agaynst their will And praised bee GOD there was not anie Combustion Errour or Confusion in these places of our charges as yee doe alleadge Neyther did our People stand in neede of such helpe from you And if yee meane the Combustion of our Nationall Kirke wee doe thinke your remeede not convenient as beeing in our judgement not agreeable to the right way of Trueth and Peace 5. Whereas yee alleadge that if some members of this Kirke had not cared more kyndlie in this tyme of common danger than others haue done the whole bodie had beene ere now dangerouslie if not desperatelie diseased Wee answere That wee most heartilie wish anie disease of this Church to bee tymouslie prevented and cured But withall wee wish this to bee done without a rupture and such a dangerous division chieflie seeing our Church is not infected with anie such Erroures nor is in such dangers as may giue just occasion of so fearfull a division which in it selfe is a sore disease and from which in holie Scripture wee are often and verie earnestlie dehorted Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria in his Epistle to Novatus recorded by Eusebius Lib. 6. Historiae Cap. 37. worthilie sayeth You ought rather to haue suffered anie thing
what-so-ever for avoyding of cutting asunder the Kirke of GOD and Martyrdome for keeping the Kirke from Schisme is no lesse glorious than which is suffered for not committing Idolatrie And in my opinion also it is greater for in suffring Martyrdome for not committing Idolatrie a man suffereth for one even for his owne soule but heere a man suffereth Martyrdome for the whole Kirke 6. Yee affirme that we haue no reason to complayne of your carriage heere towards vs in respect yee for your Sermones preached to our People made choyse of vacant houres that they might attende the ordinarie tymes of Worship But indeede this satisfieth not our complaynt for we justlie complayned of your preaching to our People without our consent at anie houre and of your labouring to make them Subscrybe the LATE COVENANT before yee had given satisfaction to vs concerning the equitie of it 7. Yee reprooue vs for these harmlesse wordes of a Confoederation and Negatiue Confession That little Confession was long agoe called Negatiue à parte majore And as for that other word it is well knowne to all those who are expert in our Mother Tongue and in the Latine that Covenanting and Confoederation doe signifie one and the same thing and therefore both these wordes are alyke respectfull in our judgement Whereas yee say that your COVENANT is made with GOD and doe call it His COVENANT and lykewyse for justifying your swearing and Subscrybing thereof doe bring some places of Scripture wherein mention is made of a COVENANT Oath betwixt GOD and His People wee shall then allowe the same name and respect vnto your Covenant when yee shall make it manifest that your Covenant in all poynts therein contayned hath no lesse warrand from the written word of GOD than that Covenant which the Israelites did sweare in the dayes of Ioshua IOSHVA 24. verse 25 and in the dayes of Jehojada the Priest 2. KINGS 11. verse 17 and in the dayes of King Asa 2. CHRON. 15. verse 15 and that which is mentioned by ISAIAH 44. verse 5. 8. As wee are still informed that some haue fled the Countrey and some haue Subscrybed for feare so no Pastors in our knowledge haue gone to Court for the causes alleadged by you Wee doe not presume to judge of the Consciences of men and wee wish you to judge more charitablie of these Reverende Prelates than yee doe The occasion of this present storme was pretended to bee the Introduction of the Bookes of Service and Canons and the high Commission These causes are now removed and yet the storme continueth so vehement as yee seeme to grant that the Bishops haue just feares warranding their flight to saue their persons which wee judge to bee too great violence for anie such cause agaynst persons in so sacred a calling 9. Wee shall assuredlie by the grace of GOD still contribute as yee desire our prayers and all other meanes agreeable to our consciences for extinguishing of the present Combustion And for that effect everie one of vs shall secretlie and humblie mourne before the LORD and shall search and trye our wayes and turne vnto the LORD And as wee haue alreadie humbled our selues publicklie with Fasting and Mourning for that effect so are wee readie in tyme to come to doe the lyke when it shall bee indicted or allowed by Authoritie according to the established order in this Kirke and Kingdome Yea also wee are readie to joyne with you in the Late Covenant so soone as wee shall receaue satisfaction to our consciences concerning the lawfulnesse thereof which as wee haue protested before so doe wee yet protest and professe 10. The Reasons which yee touch in your first Answere for proving that wee might without just offence to anie joyne with you in Subscrybing the Covenant are sufficientlie answered in our first Replye For First It is not yet discerned in a Nationall Assemblie whether your Interpretation added to the Olde Covenant bee in all poynts sound or vnsound and therefore wee haue reason to thinke that this New Covenant is not substantiallie one with the Olde chieflie seeing it addeth to the Olde Covenant not onlie your Interpretation of it but also a promise of forbearance of the practise of Pearth Articles vntill they bee tryed in an Assemblie and lyke-wyse a Band of Mutuall Defence by force of Armes made without the King's privitie and consent Secondlie Your inference of Mutuall Defence agaynst all persons what-so-ever drawne from the words of the Olde Covenant is meerlie invalide For nothing was pactioned or promised in the olde Covenant without the King's Majestie his privitie but the Band of Mutuall Defence agaynst all persons what-so-ever in this your New Covenant is without the command or consent of the King to whom onlie the Sword is given in this Kingdome immediatlie by GOD. See to this purpose the words of King IAMES the sixt of blessed Memorie in his booke entituled The Law of free Monarchies in the English edition of his royall workes at London Anno 1616. Pag. 206. That which yee adde concerning the Generall Band is also little to the purpose for that Band had the King's warrand where-as his Majestie doeth now forbid your Covenant Thirdlie Altho the former Oath subscrybed did appertayne onlie to the persons of the subscrybers all the dayes of their lyues yet you haue in your Interpretation extended the Obligation thereof to the present and succeeding generations in this land without anie warrand eyther from Publicke Lawes or from the wordes of the Oath it selfe which also is a Substantiall Difference betwixt that Oath and your Late Covenant Where-as yee alleadge that the warrand which the Olde Covenant had from King Counsell and Assemblie remayneth virtuallie and was never yet discharged wee answere it remaineth not and that because King JAMES of blessed Memorie disalowed that little Confession in respect of the inconveniencie of the multitude of Negatiues as is cleare by his Majesties wordes published in the Printed summe of the cōference holden at Hampton Court Anno 1603. And no former Act of Counsell made in the tyme of anie former King doeth sufficiently warrand our consciences to Subscrybe anie Oath now which seemeth to vs to bee disagreeable to the Act of Parliament and which our present Dread Soveraygne LORD the King's Majestie by his publicke Proclamations and other Intimations of his Royall pleasure forbiddeth vs to Subscrybe And as for the Acts of these two Assemblies which did injoyne subscription to the sayde Little Confession they were Relatiue to the King's Mandate which is now expyred by his owne declaration and with his Royall breath according to that common Maxime Morte mandatori expirat mandatum Extra De officio potestate judicis delegati Cap. 19. relatum est in glossa For the injunction was given for that tyme onlie as wee conceaue beeing warranded by the wordes of these Assemblies 11. These that were suspect of Papistrie amongst vs haue not beene vrged by vs to Subscrybe that
also by the examples adduced by CALVIN namelie the Lacedaemonian Ephori the Romane Tribunes and the Athenian Demarchi When the Ephori were set vp in Lacedaemon the Kinges of Lacedaemon were but Kinges in name and had not the Supreame power as it is confessed by the Learned So when the Tribunes had their full power in Rome the Supreame power was in the people and in lyke manner it was in Athens when the Demarchi had power Therefore from this no-thing can bee inferred for the lawfull resistance of Subjectes to a Monarch or King properlie so called Fourthlie CALVIN applying this to the Kingdomes that nowe are sayeth no more but that peradventure the three Estates assembled in Parliament haue that fame power which the fore-mentioned Ephori c. had Heere it is to bee marked that hee sayeth onelie peradventure it is so which can bee no warrand to a man's conscience in a matter of so great importance For hee that resisteth his Superiour by force of Armes should not onelie thinke that peradventure hee hath power but should bee assuredlie perswaded that hee hath power so to doe When there is no more said but that peradventure such a thing is it may bee as reasonablie sayde Peradventure such a thing is not Neyther doeth hee giue this power even peradventure but to the the three Estates assembled in Parliament Hence the learned RIVET speaking of CALVIN his mynde in this place sayeth that hee giveth no power to people over Monarchs properlie so called The same also is observed concerning CALVIN his mynde by Albericus Gentilis in his third Royall Dispute 20. The same doctrine also is delivered by King JAMES of blessed Memorie in his Booke entituled The true Law of free Monarchies by Hugo Grotius in his first Booke de jure belli pacis CAP. 4. by Leonhartus Hutterus in his common places Loc. 32. CAP. 3. Iohannes Gerhardus in the 6 TOM of his common places in his Treatise de magistratu politico NVM 483. where hee discourseth accuratelie of this matter Zepperus in his 3 Booke de Politia Ecclesiastica in the last Section of the 13 Chapter PAG. 573. Edit Herborn 1595. Albericus Gentilis in his regall disputations disput 3. de vi civium in Regem semper injusta Iohn Bishop of Rochester in his worke written agaynst Bellarmine de potestate Papae in rebus temporalibus LIB 1. CAP. 8. CLASS 2. Where hee adduceth a clowde of manie moe Authors M. Antonius de Dominis in his Booke called Ostensio errorum Francisci Suarez CAP. 6. § 27. Ioannes Angelius Werdenhagen I. C. in his Politica generalis LIB 3. CAP. 10. QUEST 14. 21. By these Testimonies wee intende not to lay vpon you or anie of our Countrey-men anie imputation or to take vpon vs to giue sentence concerning their proceedinges but onlie beeing invited heereto by your last Answeres wee thought it our duetie to signifie to the Reader that manie Ancient and late Famous Wryters are not of that opinion eyther to thinke the question touching Authoritie so full of Rockes and Thornes as you call it or yet to favour such a defensiue taking of Armes as you thinke to bee alleadged by Whitaker Bilson and Rivet 22. Now to prosecute what remayneth of your Answere whereas yee say that when yee justifie your Covenants and Conventions yee meane not onlie the last and most remote endes but the nearest and immediate wee pray you tell vs what yee meane by the nearest and immediate ende if yee meane the object it selfe which the Schoole-men call finem intrinsecum proximum then the lawfulnesse and equitie of the matter vowed and promised in the Covenant is all one with the goodnesse of the ende of it Whence wee inferre that seeing the matter promised by you in this your Covenant to wit your Mutuall Defence agaynst all persons none excepted is in our judgement vnlawfull and forbidden by a lawfull Authoritie the ende of your Covenant is meerelie evill but if by the nearest ende yee meane any thing which is diverse from the object then wee still affirme agaynst the last part of your first Answere to our second DEMAND that Conventions and Covenants all other actions are to bee esteemed judged of first or principallie by the equitie of the object and then by the goodnesse of the ends of it whether they bee fines proximi or fines remoti 23. Wee doe not joyne with the Papistes blamers of our Reformation as yee seeme to beare vpon vs because they hate and oppugne our reformed Religion which wee loue and defende Neyther doe wee take vpon vs to censure the proceedinges of our Reformers but wee stryue by the grace of GOD so to carrie in our owne tyme and to walke wyselie in a perfect way as our adversaries the Papistes may get no advantage to pleade for their vnwarrantable doctrine and practises by anie pretence of our example THE III. DVPLY IN your third Answere passing lightlie from our REPLYE yee fall into some vnexpected digressions concerning the Service Booke and our thoughts thereof we esteeme it a matter beyond the compasse of humane judicatorie to sit vpon the thoughts of other men As for those outward expressions which yee alleadge vpon some of vs of not seeing erroures in that Booke or groaning for it yee shall vnderstand that such multiplicitie of Popish erroures as was alleadged by some of you to bee in that Booke was invisible to some of vs. Altho to enter in a particular examination or consideration of everie poynt and sentence in that Booke is not now tyme nor place Neyther did anie of vs professe groaning for that Booke in particular but for an vniformitie of Divyne Service throughout this Nationall Kirke and a more perfect forme than wee yet haue that the publicke Service were not permitted to the severall judgements and private choyse of everie Minister and Reader Which also was thought convenient by the Nationall Assemblie of the Kirke of Scotland holden at ABERDENE Anno 1616. 2. Whether that Service Booke now discharged contayneth anie Innovation of Religion or anie thing contrarie to the Protestant Religion as yee alleadge wee doe not dispute now But we doe assuredlie belieue the pietie and sinceritie of his Majesties intention ever to haue beene and still constantlie to bee as it is graciouslie declared by his Majesties late PROCLAMATION And wee are certaynlie perswaded that his Majestie hath given order to discharge all the Actes of Counsell made anent the Canons and Service-Booke and are crediblie informed that They are discharged by Act of Counsell at Holie-Rood-House the fift of Julie last according to the order given by his Majestie Also wee see no such just cause of Feare as may import your alleadged Necessitie of Covenanting seeing his Majestie will not presse anie thing of that nature but in such a fayre and legall way as shall satisfie all his loving Subjectes and that hee neyther intendeth innovations in Religion nor Lawes
and advysed doubting as wee sayde before concerning the meaning of those parts of the Olde Covenant which concerne matters of Rite or Ceremonie Neyther doeth the confirmation of your Minor trouble vs for wee haue thought our selues free of Perjurie these twentie yeares by-gone not for anie certayne perswasion which wee had that Pearth Articles are not abjured in the Olde Covenant but because wee did not personallie sweare that Covenant and are not tyed to it by the Oath of those who did Subscrybe it which wee are readie to demonstrate by irrefragable Argumentes Yee see then your Argument retorted vpon vs pearceth vs not at all and the Reader may perceaue that our Argument hath beene so forciblie throwne vpon you that yee haue not taken vpon you to answere anie part of it If ye had had evidence of the Trueth for you yee would not onlie haue retorted our Argument but also by answering it punctuallie showne that it strayteth not you and if yee had beene exact Resolvers yee would not haue gone about to haue satisfied vs with a naked Argument in contrarium 24. Before wee leaue this poynt that it may bee knowne to all what reason wee haue to insist in this our Argument AD HOMINEM and that wee haue proponed it not to catch advantage of you but to get satisfaction to our owne myndes concerning the COVENANT and your sinceritie in vrging vs to Subscrybe it wee will collect out of that which hath bene alreadie sayd some INTERROGATORIES which wee pray you to answere punctuallie if yee intende to giue vs satisfaction The first is Whether or not your declaration of the extent of the LATE COVEMANT to wit that it extendeth not it selfe to the abjuration of Pearth Articles bee not onlie VERA true in it selfe but also VERAX that is consonant to your mynde and to the mynde of the chiefe Contryvers of it The reason where-fore wee propone this question yee will perceaue by these that follow Secondlie seeing yee and others the chiefe Contryvers of the Olde Covenant haue beene ever of this mynde that Pearth Articles and Episcopacie are abjured in it wee aske Whether yee all tying your selues by this LATE COVENANT to the inviolable observation of the OLDE COVENANT haue tyed your selues to it in all the particular poynts which yee conceaved to bee contayned in it or onelie in some of them Did yee by mentall reservation except anie part of that OLDE COVENANT or in particular did yee except that part of it in the which Perpetuall continuance in the Doctrine Discipline of this Church is promised Or if that part was not excepted did yee put anie new glosse vpon it which it had not before And if yee did not whether or not yee renewing the Oath of perpetuall observation of the Doctrine and Discipline of this Church as it was Anno 1581 haue not onlie reallie but also according to your owne conception of that part of the OLDE COVENANT abjured all Rites and Ceremonies added to the Discipline of this Church since the fore-sayde yeare and consequentlie the Articles of Pearth and Episcopacie Thirdlie seeing yee so confidentlie averre that Pearth Articles are abjured in the Olde Covenant howe can yee denye them to bee abjured in the New Covenant except yee acknowledge a substantiall difference betwixt the Olde and New Covenant Fourthlie if yee grant that they are reallie and indeed abjured in the Late Covenant how can yee faythfullie and sincerelie say to vs or to anie other that they are not abjured in it Fiftlie how can yee and all others who with you haue reallie and also according to your owne conception of the Olde Covenant abjured Pearth Articles and Episcopacie by renewing of it voyce freelie in the intended Assemblie concerning these thinges seeing yee are tyed by your Oath to condemne and abrogate them Sixtlie How can wee concurre with you in an Oath wherein wee are infalliblie perswaded that yee haue abjured Pearth Articles and Episcopacie Seaventhlie If wee concurre with you in that Oath will yee not as wee objected in our REPLYE but yee haue not answered it thinke vs bound by our Oath to condemne Pearth Articles and Episcopacie And will not yee thinke your selues bound in conscience to tell vs and all others that which yee thinke to bee trueth and may make much for your cause to wit That the wordes of the Covenant haue but one sense and that in that one sense Pearth Articles are abjured 25. Yee and all others may nowe see howe injustlie yee sayde That wee would haue the Covenanters agaynst their intention And whether they will or not to dis-allowe and condemne Pearth Articles and Episcopall Governement lest they bee tryed in a free Assemblie God knoweth how farre wee detest all such dealing and this vindication of our two Argumentes wee added also a third but yee haue swallowed it brought by vs to proue that Pearth Articles and Episcopacie are abjured in your Late Covenant will sufficientlie cleare vs of this imputation to all vnpartiall Readers 26. Wee did not onelie alleadge as yee say that your Supplications to his Majestie were fullie satisfied by the last PROCLAMATION but grounding an Argument vpon your Answere to our fourth Demaund wee reasoned thus If in all your Supplications yee haue onelie sought the removing of the Service-Booke Booke of Canons and New High Commission not complayning of anie other Novations alreadie introduced And seeing his Majestie hath graunted this vnto you what reason haue yee to say that his Majestie hath not satisfied your Supplications This our Argument yee haue turned to a meere Alleadgeance lest yee should haue troubled your selues with answering it VVhether or not we may forbeare the practise of PEARTH ARTICLES vntill they bee tryed in a FREE ASSEMBLIE 27. Wee come now to the consideration of that which your COVENANT by your owne confession tyeth vs to to wit The forbearance of PEARTH Articles vntill they bee tryed in a free Assemblie And first where-as yee say That the vrging of the Service Booke is a sufficient reason for forbearance of PEARTH Articles till an Assemblie wee professe that wee can not see the equitie and force of this reason For the Service-Booke may be holden out albeit Pearth Articles were not forborne at this tyme yea altho they should never bee removed And the more obedient Subjects were at this tyme to his Majesties lawes allreadie established the greater hope might they haue of obtayning their desires 28. Ye bring 2 Argumēts to proue the lawfulnes of the forbearance of Novations alreadie introduced One is that the Articles of Pearth establishing them were cōcluded onlie for satisfying the King and not to presse anie man with the practise of them And because the Act it selfe yee meane the Act concerning Kneeling giveth warrand to forbeare the practise of them at this tyme when the memorie of Superstition is revived But this reason doeth no wayes satisfie our consciences For to begin with the last part of your Answere
all which is to bee preferred to the good of particular persons Hence wee inferre that the Precept of Obedience to Superioures which prescrybeth an Act aedificatiue to all because it is an exercise of a moste eminent and necessarie vertue is more obligatorie and of greater moment than the Precept of eschewing Scandall causeleslie taken by some particular persons 50. Secondlie That the Praecept of Obedience to our Superioures is of greater Moment and consequentlie more obligatorie than the Precept of eschewing Scandall is evident by these reasons which are brought by our Divynes to show where-fore the fift Commaundement hath the first place in the second Table to wit first because it commeth nearest to the nature of Religion or Pietie commanded in the first Table whence as your owne Amesius noteth in his Medulla Lib. 2. Cap. 17. § 13. the honouring and obeying of Parents is called by prophane Authors Religion and Pietie Secondlie This Precept is the ground and sinewe sayeth Pareus in his Catecheticke explication of the fift Precept of the Obedience which is to bee given to all the rest of the Precepts of the second Table Two reasons are commonlie brought of this One is that all Societies oeconomicke Civill and Ecclesiasticall doe consist and are conserved by the submission or subjection of Inferioures to Superioures which beeing removed confusion necessarilie followeth The other is that the Obedience of this Precept maketh way to the Obedience of all the rest For our Superioures are set over vs to the ende that they may make vs to doe our duetie to all others And consequentlie our Obedience to them is a meane instituted by GOD to procure our Obedience to all the rest of the Precepts of the second Table Now would yee know what followeth out of this let your owne Amesius whose wordes are more gracious vnto you than ours tell you it Seeing sayth he Cap. citato § 6 humane societie hath the place of a foundation or ground in respect of other dueties of Justice and Charitie which are commanded in the second Table of the Law therefore these crymes which directlie procure the perturbation confusion and eversion of it are more grievous than the violations of the singular Praecepts Now we subsume the denying of Obedience to Superioures injoyning such thinges as in them-selues are lawfull and exdient directlie procureth the perturbation and confusion of humane societie And therefore it is a cryme greater than the violation of other particular Praecepts of the second Table For this cause Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria in his Epistle ad Novatum cited before declaring how much the vnitie of the Church which is most frequentlie marred by the disobedience of Inferioures to their Superioures ought to bee regarded sayeth that Martyrdome suffered for eschewing of Schisme is more glorious than Martyrdome suffered for eschewing Idolatrie 51. Thirdlie These offices or dueties which wee owe to others by way of Justice are more strictlie obligatorie than these which wee owe to them onelie by way of Charitie And consequentlie these Praecepts which prescrybe Dueties of Justice are of greater obligation than these which prescrybe Dueties of Charitie onelie But wee owe the duetie of Obedience to our Superiours by way of Justice and therefore it is more obligatorie than the duetie of eschewing Scandall causleslie taken which is a duetie onlie of Charitie The Major or first proposition of this Argument is cleare of it selfe as beeing a Maxime not onelie receaved by the Scholastickes and Popish Casuists but also by our Divynes See your owne Amesius in his Medulla Lib. 2. Cap. 16. § 58.59.60.61.62.63 where hee not onlie proponeth this Maxime but also proveth it by two most evident examples The Minor is lykewyse cleare For first the duetie of Obedience which wee owe to the publicke Lawes of the Church and Kingdome belongeth to that Generall Justice which is called Justitia legalis For the legall justice as it is in Inferiours or Subjects it is a vertue inclyning them to the Obedience of all Lawes made for the benefite of the Common-wealth as Aristotle declareth in his 5 Booke of the Ethickes Cap. 1. Secondlie Debitum obedientiae the debt of Obedience which wee owe to our Superioures is not onlie debitum morale a debt or duetie vnto which wee are tyed by morall honestie and GOD'S commandement but also debitum legale or debitum justitiae quod viz. fundatur in proprio jure alterius a debt grounded vpon the true and proper right which our Superioures haue to exact this duetie of vs so that they may accuse vs of injurie and censure vs if wee performe it not There is great difference betwixt these two sorts of debt and the last is farre more obligatorie than the first As for example A man oweth moneys to the poore by a morall debt but to his creditor hee oweth them by a legall debt or debt of justice And therefore hee is more strictlie oblieged to pay his creditor than to giue almes Such-lyke by morall honestie and GOD'S precept also a man oweth to his neyghbour a pious carefulnesse to impede sinne in him by admonition instruction good example and by omission even of thinges lawfull when hee foreseeth that his neyghbour in respect of his weaknesse will bee scandalized by them But his neyghbour hath not such a right to exact these thinges of him neyther can hee haue action agaynst him for not performing of them as our lawfull Superioures haue for our due obedience In what sense the Administration of the SACRAMENTS in private places was thought indifferent in PEARTH ASSEMBLIE 52. In our Replye wee professed that wee can not abstayne presentlie from private Baptisme and private Communion beeing requyred to administrate these Sacraments to such persons as can not come or bee brought to the Church Hence first yee take occasion to object to vs that the state of the question concerning Pearth Articles is quyte altered in respect wee and our associates did ever before alleadge the question to bee of things indifferent but now we thinke them to bee so necessarie that altho the Generall Assemblie of the Church should discharge them wee behoved still to practise them Wee answere first that the Assemblie of Pearth hath determined nothing of the indifferencie or necessitie of these thinges Secondlie If anie who allowed these Articles did at that tyme in their discourses and speaches call them indifferent they meaned onlie that in the celebration of these Sacramentes the circumstances of place and tyme are thinges indifferent of their owne nature or which is all one that wee are not so tyed to the administration of them in the Church and at tymes appoynted for Sermon but wee may celebrate them in private houses and at other tymes But judicious and Learned men even then thought the denying of these Sacramentes to persons who can not come or bee brought to the Church to bee a restrayning of the meanes of grace altogether vnwarrandable by GOD'S word Whence yee may collect whether
but also bringeth even vpon good men a multitude of vndeserved Aspersions BRETHREN wee intende not to giue you a Meeting in this for our Resolution is not to bee over-come of evill but to over-come evill with good ROM 12.21 And wee are glad to suffer this for His Cause whose Trueth wee mayntayne pittying in you this Great Defect of Christian and Brotherlie Compassion and praying GOD not to laye it to your charge Wherefore wee will not search and trye your wayes as yee haue done ours but wee will reflect our thoughts vpon our selues and see whether or not wee bee guiltie of these thinges which yee heere reprehende in vs. 2. Yee say first That wee haue taken an ample Testimonie to our selues But what wee pray you haue wee testified of our selues but this onlie that in sincere and zealous profession of the Trueth wee are not inferiour to others and according to our measure haue striven to bee faythfuil in all the dueties of our Calling Yee haue in-deede put more in-to our Apologie and saye that wee haue praysed our selues from our frequencie of Prayer extraordinarie Humiliations and holinesse of lyfe and conversation c. For as yee are loath to speake anie good of vs so yee would haue the Reader belieue that wee speake too much good of our selues But in this as yee wrong vs so yee make the Reader to see howe negligentlie yee haue read and considered our wordes For where-as in the seconde parte of our Replye wee tolde you that wee haue other Meanes and more effectuall than your Covenant to vse for holding out of Poperie mentioning in particular extraordinarie Humiliation frequencie of Prayer amendement of lyfe diligence in Preaching and searching the Scriptures c. Yee imagine that wee doe arrogate to our selues some singularitie in vsing these Means not considering that it is one thing to saye that wee may and ought to vse these Meanes and an-other thing to say that wee are singular and eminent aboue others in the diligent vse of them 3. Next Where-as yee saye that yee were desirous rather to heare that testimonie at the mouthes of others as if yee had never heard our Paynes and Labours for the Trueth commended by anie who knoweth not but in this case in the which we stand for the present it is lawfull and moste expedient to men to vindicate them-selues and their Fidelitie in their Callinges from the contempt and Calumnies of others Wee haue in the Scriptures notable Examples of GGD'S dearest Saynctes who in such cases yea in other cases also without anie derogation to their singular humilitie did fall out into high expressions of their owne vertuous and pious carriage Who ever spake so humblie of him-selfe as PAVL who calleth him-selfe lesse than the least of all Saynctes EPHES. 3.8 and yet else-where hee sayeth that hee was not a whit behinde the verie chiefest Apostles and that hee laboured more aboundantlie than they all 1. COR. 15.10 2. COR. 11.5 4. The defectes which by your strict and curious Inquisition yee thinke yee haue found in vs may bee reduced into two poynctes One is that wee are too sparing in our paynes in Preaching and that wee often fill our Places with Novices The other is that the small Paynes which wee haue taken are not fruitfull And to prooue this yee saye that Poperie hath no lesse increased in our Citie vnder our Ministerie than anie tyme before since the Reformation As for the first of these to omit that which Modestie will not permit vs to speake eyther of our owne Paynes in Teaching or of yours it is verie well knowne that in the case of Sicknesse and extraordinarie Employmentes in our Callinges which but seldome doe fall foorth to vs it is both lawfull and commendable to see that our Places may bee filled eyther with some actuall Minister or fayling of that with able Studentes of Divinitie approven by publicke Authoritie where-of your selues can not bee ignorant in respect of your frequent Peregrinations from your Stations 5. As for the next poynt Altho it were true yet the Parable of the Seede sowen in diverse sortes of ground and the dolorous Complayntes which these most paynfull and thunderin Preachers Eliah 1. KING 19. 10. Isaiah 53. 1. Paul GAL. 1.6 and 3.1 yea of CHRIST Him-selfe MATTH 23.37 and LVKE 19.41.42 made of the hard successe of their laboures may learne you to bee more benigne in your censures of vs than yee are In the meane tyme it is knowne to his Majestie to the Lordes of Secret Counsell and to all the Countrey heere as also it is evident by manie publicke extant Actes of the sayde Secret Counsell and of our Diocoesian Assemblies that wee haue beene as diligentlie exercised in opposing of Poperie as anie Ministers in this KINGDOME Neyther hath our successe heere-in beene so badde as yee haue given it out for since our entrie to the ministrie heere scarce hath anie man beene diverted from the Trueth to Poperie some Papistes haue beene converted to the Profession of the Trueth and others who were incorrigible haue beene forced to departe from this countrey Yea wee thinke that our successe in dealing with the Papistes had beene vndoubtedlie greater if they had not beene hardened in their Errour by your strange and scandalous Doctrines repugnant to Scripture and sound Antiquitie 6. That which yee saye in the second part of your Aunswere concerning the powerfull effectes of your Covenant meeteth not with that which wee did object concerning the vnlawfullnesse of it For that which is not in it selfe lawfull can never bee truelie profitable to anie And SOLOMON hath tolde vs the there is no wisdome nor vnderstanding agaynst the LORD PROVERBS 21.30 7. As for last parte of your Aunswere wee haue so often tolde you that your feare of the in-bringing of the Service-Booke and Canons is causelesse and yee haue so oft denyed this that it were follie to wearie the Reader anie more with this matter In the meane tyme wee tell you that if you Covenant bee vnlawfull in it selfe as wee still thinke it to bee your feare altho it were justlie conceaved will never free your Soules of the guiltinesse of it THE XII DVPLY TO justifie or excuse your omission of publicke disallowing and condemning the publicke disorders and misscarriages of some who haue subscrybed the Covenant especiallie the offering of violence to Prelates and Ministers in tyme of Divine Service and in the House of GOD where-of wee spake in our twelfth Demaund and Replye yee aunswere first that yee acknowledge not the Service-Booke for the LORD'S Service Yee might saye the same of anie Service-Booke if yee allowe the Reasons latelie set foorth in Print agaynst the Service-Booke for there a Praescript forme of Prayet is condemned which directlie crossth the practise of the Vniversll Church of CHRIST Auncient and Recent 2. Yee alleadge that yee acknowledge not the vnsurpd Authoritie of Prelates for Lawfull Authoritie For ought wee can perceaue by