Antichrists Interest And therefore having gotten the Supremacy devolved upon him by Law for which also he had the Popes dispensation to take it to himself for the time under promise to restore surrender it to him as soon as he could attain his end by it as the other Brother succeeding hath now done he would now exert that usurped power and work by infnaring policy to effectuate the end which he could not do by other means Therefore seeing he was not able to suppress the Meetings of the Lords people for Gospel Ordinances in house fields but that the more he laboured by violent courses the greater more frequent they grew he fell upon a more Craftie device not only to overthrow the Gospel and suppress the Meetings but to break the faithful and to divide between the Mad-cap the Moderate Fanaticks as they phrased it that he might the more easily destroy both to confirm the usurpation and to settle people in a sinful silence stupid submission to all the Incroachments made on Christs Prerogatives and more effectually to overturn what remained of the Work of God. And knowing that nothing could more fortifie the Supremacy than Ministers their homologating acknowledging it Therefore he offerd the first Indulgence Anno 1669. Signifying in a Letter dated that year Iune 7. His gracious pleasure was to appoint so many of the outed Ministers as have lived peaceably orderly to return to preach exercise other functions of the Ministrie in the Paroch Churches where they formerly served provided they be vacant and to allow Patrons to present to other vacant Churches such others of them as the Council should approve That all who are so Indulged be enjoyned to keep Presbytries and the Refusers to be confined within the bounds of their paroches And that they be enjoined not to admitt any of their neighbour Paroches unto their Communions nor Baptize their Children nor marry any of them without the allowance of the Minister of the Paroch and if they Countenance the people deserting their oun Paroches they are to be silenced for shorter or longer time or altogether turned out as the Council shall see cause And upon Complaint made verified of any Seditious discourse or expressions in the Pulpit uttered by any of the Ministers they are immediatly to be turned out and further punished according to Law And seeing by these orders all Pretences for Conventickles were taken away if any should be found hereafter to Preach without Authority or keep Conventickles his Pleasure is to proceed with all severity against them as Seditious persons Contemners of Authority To salve this in point of Law because it was against former Lawes of their oun and to make the Kings Letter the supreme Law afterwards and a valid ground in Law where upon the Council might proceed enact and execute what the King pleased in Matters Ecclesiastick he therefore caused frame a formal Statutory Act of Supremacy of this Tenor. That his Maj. hath the supreme Authority Supremacy over all Persons and in all Causes Ecclesiastick within his dominions and that by virtue thereof the ordering disposal of the external Government of the Church doth properly belong to him his successors as an Inherent right to the Croun And that he may settle enact emitt such Constitutions Acts Orders concerning the Administrating therof and Persons employed in the same and concerning all Ecclesiastical Meetings Matters to be proposed determined therein as he in his Royal wisdom shall think fit which Acts Orders Constitutions are to be observed obeyed by all his Maj. Subjects any Law act or custom to the contrary notwithstanding Where upon accordingly the Council in their Act Iuliâ— 27. 1669. do nominate several Ministers and appoint them to Preach and exercise the other functions of the Ministrie at their respective Churches there specified with Consent of the Patrons The same day also they conclude enact the forementioned Restrictions conform to the Kings Letter above rehearsed And ordain them to be intimat to every person who is by Authority foresaid allowed the exercise of the Ministrie These Indulged Ministers having that Indulgence given only upon these termes that they should accept these Injunctions and having received it upon these termes also as an essential part of the bargain Condition on which the Indulgence was granted accepted as many following Proclamations did expressly declare do Appoint Mr Hutcheson one of the number to declare so much In Acknowledging his Maj. favour Clemency in granting that Liberty after so long a restraint And however they had received their Ministrie from Jesus Christ with full Prescriptions from Him for regulating them therein yet nothing could be more refreshing on earth to them than to have free Liberty for the exercise of their Ministrie under the Protection of Lawful Authority And so they purposed to be have themselves in the discharge of the Ministrie with that wisdom that became faithful Ministers and to demean themselves towards Lawful Authority notwithstanding of their known judgment in Church affairs as wel becometh Loyal subjects And their prayer to God should be that the Lord should bless his Maj. in his person Government and the Council in the publick administration and especially in the Pursuance of his Maj. mind in his Letter wherein his singular moderation eminently appears Afterwards they issued out Proclamations reinforcing the punctual observation of the forementioned Injunctions and delivered them into the Indulged In the mean time though Cruel Acts Edicts were made against the Meetings of the Lords people in houses the fields after all these Midianitish wyles to suppress them such was the presence of the Lord in these Meetings and so powerful was His Countenance Concurrence with the Labours of a few who laid out themselves to hold up the Standart of Christ that the number of Converts multiplyed dayly to the praise of free Grace and to the great encouragment of the few hands that wrestled in that Work through all humane discouragment Therefore King Council was put to a new shift which they supposed would prove more effectual To wit because there was a great number of Non-conformed Ministers not yet Indulged who either did or might hereafter hold Conventickles therefore to remeed or prevent this in time coming they appoint ordain them to such places where Indulged Ministers were settled there to be confined with allowance to Preach as the Indulged should employ them thinking by this means to incapacitate many to hold Meetings there or elswere And to these also they give injunctions restrictions to regulate them in the exercise of their Ministrie And to the end that all the outed Ministers might be brought under restraint and the Word of God be kept under bonds by another Act of Council they Command that all other Ministers not Disposed of as is said were either to repair to the Paroch Churches where
grand Interests of the Community must be seen to by Legal Securities for Religion Liberty which is the end use of fundamental Laws Now how these have been unhinged infringed by the introduction present establishment by Law of that Monster of the prerogative enacted in Parliament Anno 1661. the Apologetick Relation doth abundantly demonstrate Sect. 10. Concerning the Kings Civil Supremacy enhancing all the Absoluteness that ever the Great Turk could arrogate and yet far short of what hath been Usurped since and impudently proclaimed to the world especially by him who now domineers in his Challenges of Soveraign Authority prerogative Royal Absolute Power which all are to obey without reserve whereby the whole basis of our Constitution and Bulwark of our Religion Laws Liberties is enervated and we have security of no Law but the Kings lust Hence I argue Those Princes that contrary to their virtual compact at least at their coming to the Crown have overturned all fundamental Laws cannot be ouned But our Princes have contrary to their virtual compact at least at their coming to the Crown overturned all fundamental Laws Ergo they cannot be ouned The Major is plain for they that overturn fundamental Laws are no Magistrats thereby all the ends of Government being subverted and the subverter cannot be ouned as a Father or friend but an open enemy to the Common-wealth nor looked upon as Magistrats doing their duty but as Tyrants seeking themselves with the destruction of the Common-wealth And in this case the compact the ground of the Constitution being violated they fall from their right and the people are Liberated from their obligation and they being no Magistrats the people are no subjects for the relation is mutual and so is the obligation Ius populi chap. 9. pag. 183. The Minor is manifest both from the matter of fact and the Mischiefs framed into Laws by the Soveraign Authority Prerogative Royal Absolute Power foresaid whereby what remains of our fundamental Constitutions either in Religious or Civil Settlements unsubverted as yet may be subverted when this Absolute Monarch pleases Which Absolute Authority we cannot in conscience oune for these Reasons taken both from Reason Scripture First it s against Reason 1. A power contrare to Nature cannot be ouned Absolute power is such for that which takes away and makes the people to give away their Natural power of preserving their lives Liberties and sets a man above all rule Law is contrare to Nature such is Absolute power making people resign that which is not in their power to resign an absolute power to destroy Tyrannize 2. A power contrare to the first rise of its Constitution cannot be ouned Absolute power is such for The first rise of the Constitution is a peoples seting a Soveraign over them giving him Authority to administer justice over them But it were against this to set one over them with a power to rage at randome and rule as he lists It s proven before a King hath no power but what the people gave him but they never gave never could give an absolute power to destroy themselves 3. That power which is against the ends of Government cannot be ouned Absolute power is such for that which will make a peoples condition worse then before the Constitution and that mean which they intended for a blessing to turn a plague scourage to them and all the subjects to be formal slaves at the Princes devotion must needs be contrare to the ends of Government But Absolute power is such for against the exorbitance thereof no means would be left to prevent its obstructing all the fountains of Justice and commanding Laws Lawyers to speak not justice righteousness reason but the lust pleasure of one man and turning all into Anarchy confusion Certainly it could never be the intention either of the work or workers at the Constitution of Government to set up a power to enslave the people to be a Curse to them but their ends was to get comfort safety Liberty under the shadow of Government 4. That power which invalidates and is inconsistent with the Kings compact with the people cannot be ouned Absolute Power is such for the tenor of that is alwise to secure Laws Liberties to rule according to Law but to be Absolute invalidates is inconsistent with that That which were an engagment into Contradictories cannot consist with that compact but to engage to be absolute and yet to rule by Law is an engagment into Contradictories which no people could admit for a security It s inconsistent with this compact to give the King Absolute Power to overturn Religion Liberty and to assume it which was never given were to invalidate this compact and to make himself no King but to restore unto the people the power they conferred upon him for the defence of Religion Liberty 5 That power which is not from God nor of God cannot be ouned But Absolute Power is not of God because it is a power to Tyrannize Sin which if it were of God He should be the Author of Sin for if the Moral Power be of God so must the acts be but the acts of Absolute Power being Lawless cannot be from God Ergo neither the Moral Power to commit these acts 6. That Ruler who cannot be Gods Minister for the peoples good cannot be ouned for that is the formal reason of our consfiencious subjection to Rulers Rom. 13. 4 5. But Absolute Soveraigns are such as cannot be Gods Ministers for the peoples good for if they be Gods Ministers for good they must administer justice preserve peace rule by Law take directions from their Master and if so they cannot be absolute 7. A Tyrant in actu signato exercito cannot be ouned But an Absolute Prince is such being a power that may play the Tyrant if he pleases and jure as King And so if Kings be actu primo Tyrants then people are actu primo Slaves and so Royal Power cannot be a blessing to them yea a Lawless breaker of all bonds promises Oaths cannot be ouned as Lawful Power But Absolute Power is such for it cannot be limited by these Obligations at least people cannot have any seurity by them 8. A Lawless Power is not to be ouned An Absolute Power is a Lawless power Ergo not to be ouned The Major is plain Cicero sayes Lib. 2. de officio Eadem constituendarum Legum causa fuit quae Regum The reason of making Lawes was the same as of the creation of Kings And Buchanan de jure Regni very excellently when the lust of Kings was in stead of Laws and being vested with an infinite immoderate power they did not contain themselves within bounds the insolency of Kings made Laws to be desired for this cause Laws were made by the people and Kings constrained to make use not of their Licencious wills in judgment but of
that right priviledge which the people had conferred upon them being taught by many experiences that it was better that their Liberty should be concredited to Laws than to Kings better to have the Law which is a dumb King than a King who is not a speaking Law. If then Laws be necessary for the making of Kings and more necessary than Kings And the same cause requirs both then a King without Laws is not to be ouned Rex must be Lex loquens a King must be a speaking living Law reducing the Law to practice So much then as a King hath of Law so much he hath of a King and he who hath nothing of the Law hath nothing of a King. Magna Charta of England saith the King can do nothing but by Law and no obedience is due to him but by Law. Buchanan rehearses the words of the most famous Emperours Theodosius Valentinianus to this effect Digna vox Majestate regnantis legibus se alligatum Principem fateri revero Imperio majus ost submittere legibus Principatum It is say they a word worthy of the Majestie of a King to confess he is a tyed Prince to the Laws and indeed it is more to submit a Principality to the Laws than to enjoy an Empire But now that an absolute power must be a Lawless power is also evident for that 's a Lawless power that makes all Laws void needless useless but such is absolute power for it cannot be confined to the observance of Laws 9. That power which is destructive to the peoples Liberties cannot be ouned Absolute power is such for such a Licencious freedom as is absolute cannot consist with the peoples Liberties for these he may infringe when he pleases Now these in their oun Nature and in all respects being preferable to the Kings prerogative And it being no prerogative which is not consistent with yea in its oun nature adapted to the precious Interests of Religion Liberty when the Kings Absolute Authority is stated in contradictory terms to these we cannot oune that Authority for now he hath another Authority than could be given him for the preservation of these Interests in the preservation whereof he can only have an Authority to be ouned seeing he claimes a power to destroy them if he please 10. If we should oune Absolute Authority then we should oune a Royal prerogative in the King to make dispense with Laws Now that cannot be ouned for it would infer that the King had a Masterly Dominion over his subjects to make Lawes inflict Penalties without their consent And plain it is they that make Kings must have a Coordinate power to make Laws also but the people in their Representatives make Kings as is proven Next a prerogative to dispense with Laws except such Laws as are in their oun nature dispensable without prejudice to any Law of God or Liberties of men cannot be ouned for any power to dispense with Reason Law not grounded on any other reason but meer will absolute pleasure is a brutish power It cannot be jus Coronae a right annexed to the Crown to do so for a King as a King illud tantum potest quod jure potest can do nothing but what he may do by Law. Nay this is not only a Brutish power but a Blasphemous power making him a Kind of God on earth illimited that can do what he pleases And to dispute it further were to dispute whether God hath made all under him slaves by their oun consent Or whether he may encroach on the prerogative of God or not By this prerogative he arrogates a power to dispense with the Laws of God also in pardoning Murtherers c. which no man hath power to do the Law of God being so peremptorly indispensable Gen. 9. 6. whoso sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed Numb 35. 30. 31. Who so killeth any person the murderer shall he put to death more over ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer but he shall be surely put to death These pardons are acts of blood to the Community If the Judgment be Gods as it is Deut. 1. 17. and not for man but for the Lord 2 Chron. 19. 6. then no King can arrogate a power to dispense with it no more then an inferior Judge can dispense with the Kings Laws for the King is but a Minister bearing the Sword not in vain but as a revenger to execute wrath upon them that do evil Rom. 13. 4. They are but bastard Kings who give out sentances out of their oun mouth contrary to Gods mind And if he may do acts of grace by Prerogative above Law then may he also do acts of Justice so pretended by the same Prerogative and so may murder Innocents as well as pardon Murderers he may condemn the just as well as justify the wicked both which are alike abomination to the Lord Pro. 17. 15. This power cannot be ouned in any man. 11. To oune Absolute power were to recognosce the King as the proper sole Interpreter of the Law. This Buchanan shews to be very absurd Cum regi Legum interpretationem c. when yow grant the interpretation of Laws to a King yow give him such a Licence that the Law should not speak what the Lawgiver meaneth but what is for the Interpreters Interest so that he may turn it to all actions as a Lesbian rule for his oun advantage And so what he pleases the Laws shall speak and what he will not it shall not speak Now the Kings absolute pleasure can no more be the sense of the Law than it can be the Law it self He is King by Law but he is not King of Law No mortal can make a sense to a Law contrare to the Law for it involves a Contradiction the true meaning is only the Law. This also would take away the use of all Laws for they could not declare what were just unjust but as the King pleased their genuine sense could not be the rule 12. If we oune the Law to be above the King then we cannot oune the King to be absolute But the former is true For he must be under it several wayes 1 under its Directive power that will not be denyed 2 under its Constitutive power he is not a King by Nature but by Constitution Law therefore the Law is above the King because it s only from the Law that there is a King and that such a man and not another is King and that the King must be so so qualified and they that made him a King may also unmake him by the same Law. 3 under its Limiting Restrictive power as a man he cannot be absolute nor as a King by Law. 4 under its Coactive power A Law maker said King Iames the 6. should not be a Law breaker but if he turn an overturner of the fundamental Laws that Law or
though he be a Royal Vassal of the Kingdom Princely Servant of the people yet he is not their deputy because he is really their Soveraign to whom they have made over their Power of governing protecting themselves irrevocably except in the case of Tyranny and in acts of Justice he is not countable to any and does not depend on the people as a deputy But on the other hand the people is superior to the King in respect of their fountain power of Soveraignty that remains radically virtually in them in that they make him their Royal Servant and him rather than another and limit him to the Laws for their oun good advantage and though they give to him a Politick Power for their oun safety yet they keep a Natural Power which they cannot give away but must resume it in case of Tyranny And though they cannot retract the power of Justice to govern righteously yet it is not so irrevocably given away to him but that when he abuseth his power to the destruction of his subjects they may wrest a sword out of a mad mans hand though it be his oun sword and he hath a just power to use it for good but all fiduciary power abused may be repealed They have not indeed Soveraignity or power of life death formally yet in respect they may constitute a Magistrate with Laws which if they violate they must be in hazard of their lives they have this power eminently virtually Hence in respect that the Kings Power is and can be only fiducial by way of trust reposed upon him he is not so superior to the people but he may ought to be accountable to them in case of Tyranny which is evident from what is said and now I intend to make it further appear But first I form the Argument thus We can oune no King that is not accountable to the people Ergo we cannot oune this King. To clear the Connexion of the antecedent consequent I adde Either he is accountable to the people or he is not If he be accountible to all then he is renouncible by a part when the Collective body either wil not or cannot exact an account from him when the Community is defective as to their part it is the interest of a part that would but cannot do their duty to give no account to such as they can get no account from for his Maleversations This is all we crave If he be not accountable then we cannot oune him because all Kings are accountable for these reasons 1. The Inferior is accountable to the Superior the King is inferior the people superior Ergo the King is accountable to the people The proposition is plain if the Kings superiority make the people accountable to him in case of transgressing the Laws then why should not the peoples superiority make the King accountable to them in case of transgressing the Laws especially seeing the King is inferior to the Laws because the Law restrains him and from the Law he hath that whereby he is King the Law is inferior to the people because they are as it were its parent and way make or unmake it upon occasion and seeing the Law is more powerful than the King and the people more powerful than the Law we may see before which we may call the King to answer in Judgment Buchan Iure Regni apud Scot. That the King is inferior to the people is clear on many accounts for these things which are institute for others sake are inferior to those for whose sake they are required or sought a horse is inferior to them that use him for victory A King is only a mean for the peoples good A Captain is less then the Army a King is but a Captain over the Lords Inheritance 1 Sam. 10. 1. He is but the Minister of God for their good Rom. 13. 4. Those who are before the King and may be a people without him must be superior to him who is a posteriour and cannot be a King without them let the King be considered either Materially as a Mortal man he is then but a part inferior to the whole or formally under the reduplication as a King he is no more but a Royal Servant obliged to spend his life for the people to save them out of the hand of their enemies 2 Sam. 19 9. A part is inferior to the whole the King is but a part of the Kingdom A Gift is inferior to them to whom it is given a King is but a gift given of God for the peoples good That which is Mortal but accidental is inferior to that which is eternal cannot perish Politically a King is but mortal and it is but accidental to Government that there be a succession of Kings but the people is eternal one generation passeth away another generation cometh Eccles. 1. 4. especially the people of God the portion of the Lords inheritance is superior to any King and their ruine of greater moment than all the Kings of the world for if the Lord for their sake smite great Kings slay famous Kings as Sihon Og Psal. 137. 17-20 if he give kings famous kingdoms for their ransome Isai. 43. 3 4. then His people must be so much superior than kings by how much His Justice is active to destroy the one and His Mercy to save the other All this proves the people to be superior in dignity And therefore even in that respect its frivolous to say the king cannot be accountable to them because so much superior in Glory Pomp for they are superior every way in excellency And though it were not so yet Judges may be inferior in rank considered as men but they are superior in Law over the greatest as they are Judges to whom far greater than they are accountable The low mean condition of them to whom belongs the power of Judgment does not diminish its dignity when the king then is Judged by the people the Judgment is of as great dignity as if it were done by a superior king for the Judgment is the sentence of the Law 2. They are superior in power because every constituent cause is superior to the effect the people is the constituent cause the king is the effect and hath all his Royaltie from them by the Conveyance God hath appointed so that they need not feâ—ch it from Heaven God gives it by the people by whom also his power is limited and it need be diminished from what they gave his Ancestors Hence if the people constitute limit the power they give the King then they may call him to an account and judge him for the abuse of it But the first is true as is proven above Ergo The Major is undenyable for sure they may judge their oun Creature and call him to an account for the power they gave him when he abuses it though there be no Tribunal formally Regal above him
Liberties he giveth us cause enough to resist him with a good conscience The matter standing as it doth we may say they Resist as may be shewed both by Sacred Profane Histories And so they undertooke and stated the war upon the account of Religion Liberty 9. If we but cast an eye over to the Hollanders we will find how much they stand obliged to this practice of Defensive Armes having thereby recovered both Religion Liberty and established themselves into a fiourishing State. We find even in the time of D. de Alva's Persecution they began to defend Haerlem and Valenciennes in Henault and went on till under the conduct of William of Nassaw Prince of Orange they declared the King of Spain to have fallen from the Government of those Countries and so effectually shook off the yoke of Spanish Tyrannie 10. If we go to the French Hugenots we will find many Instances among them and many brave Heroes raised up to maintain the principle and prosecute the practice thereof of older later date The History of the Civil wars of France is stored with their Trophees and the Memories of Condie Coligni will ever be fragrant There were many Resistences there both before since the Parisian Massacre It is sad that the present Protestants there are so far degenerate from the Spirit of their Ancestors 11. The many practices of the Hungarians Resisting the encroachments of the house of Austria prove the same And when Mathias denyed the free exercise of Religion unto the Protestants of Austria they took up Armes in their oun defence and sent a Protestation unto the Estates of Hungarie requiring their Assistence conforme to their League And now this present war there founded upon this plea. 12. The Polonians have often times levied war against their Kings and we are furnished by Clark in his Martyrol with a late Instance of their Resistence against the Soveraign Powers at Lesita in Poland anno 1655. 13. The Danes Swedes have not been wanting for their parts in taking course with their Christierns Kings of that name whom they resisted punished And generally wherever the Reformation was received we find this principle espoused and the practice of it prosecuted Nay there hath been no Nation in the world but it will be found they have either resisted or killed Tyrants 14. The most Deserving Celebrated Monarchs in the world have espoused the quarrel of oppressed Subjects Not only such as Tamerlanc whose observable Saying is noted when he advanced against Bajazet I go sayes he to chastise his Tyrannie and to deliver the afflicted people And Philip Lewis of France who assisted the Barons of England against King Iohn And Charles the Great who upon this ground undertook a war against the Lombards in Italie But even Constantine the Great hath it recorded for his honour that he employed his power force against Lâ—cinius upon no other Motive but because he banished tortur'd destroyed those Christians in his Dominions that would not abandon their Religion And Q. Elizabeth is commended for assisting the Dutch to maintain their Religion by force when they could not enjoy it by favour And King Iames the 6. gave publick aid to the Protestants in Germany Bohemia against the Emperour Against whom also Gustavus Adolphus marched that he might deliver the oppressed Cities from the bondage that Ferdinand had brought them into Yea King Charles the first this mans Father pretended at least to help the Protestants in France at Ree and Rochel And though he himself was avowedly Resisted by the Parliaments of both Ringdoms yet he was forced to Declare in his Acts of Oblivion Pacification The Scots late taking up Armes against him in defence of their Religion Laws Priviledges to be no Treason nor Rebellion See Apol. Relat. Sect. 11. pag. 149. And thô the late Charles the Second condemned all the Risings of the people of Scotland for defence of Religion Liberty and their lives priviledges which his oun Tyrannie forced them into yet he justified the present Revolt of Heathens Mahumetan Subjects from the young King of Bantam in Iava Major in the East Indies who when he got the Government in his hands by his Fathers Resignation killed his subjects and caused them to be killed without any cause which was the reason of their revolt ftom him and defending the Father against the son This defensive war of these Subjects was justied by the said Charles in his sending Amunition c. for their relief These and many moe Instances that might be adduced are sufficient evidences of the Righteousness and Reason of such Resistences when the Greatest of Princes have undertakent he Patrocinie of them III. From Scripture-Proofs I shall but briefly gather some of the many that might be pressed which being put together to me seem impregnable I shall reduce them to these heads 1. I shall aduce some practices of the Lords people frequently reiterated never condemned alwayes approven confirming this Point 2. Some severe Reprehensions for their omission of this duty in the season thereof 3. Some promises both of Spiriting for the duty and of Countenancing it when undertaken 4. Some precepts commanding such Atchievments 5. Some prayers supplicating for them All which put together will make a strong Argument First For practices of this kind there is nothing more common in Scripture Historie 1. I shall begin at the first war that is recorded in the World wherein some loss fell to the Godly at first but afterwards by the virtue valour of their Brethren they were vindicated and the victory recovered with honour Lot his family living in Sodom was taken Prisoner by Chedarlaomer and his Confederates Gen. 14. 12. but Abraham hearing of it armed his trained servants and pursued them to Dan and rescued him vers 14-16 thereby justifying that Rebellion of the Cities of the plain by taking part vindicating the Rebells Hence he that may rescue subjects from the violence of any Tyrannizing Domination by armes may also rise with these subjects to oppose that violence But here is an example of that in Abraham Ergo 2. After the Lords people were possessed of Canaan and forgetting the Lord did enter into affinity with these interdicted Nations some of them were left to prove Israel that the Generations of the Children of Israel might know to teach them war. Iudg. 3. 1 2. And when they did evil in the sight of the Lord He sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim King of Mesopotamia whom they served and were subject to eight years ver 8. but when they cried unto the Lord their Rebellion shaking off that yoke was successful under the Conduct of Othniel ver 10. And after a relapse unto the like defection they became subject to Eglon King of Moab whom they served eighteen years vers 14. but attempting the same remedy by armes under the Conduct of Ehud they recovered their Liberty And after his
their example in renewing reiterating such Covenants of the same Nature Tenor binding to the same very duties and prosecute in the same methods of keeping General Meetings for Correspondence consultation about common mutual Duties in common danger whereunto they have not only present necessity to urge them but also preterite examples of these Worthies to encourage them and their experience of comfort tranquillity they reaped by these Christian Assemblies Godly Conferences as ost as any danger appeared to any member or members of their body These beginings the zealous Covenanted Reformers left no means unessayed to promote by Protestations to the Parliament Petitions many reiterated Addresses to the Queen Dowager From whom they received many renewed fair promises which she had never mind to keep and wanted not the impudence when challenged for breaking them to declare It becomes not Subjects to burthen their Princes with promises further then it pleased them to keep the same And at another time that she was bound to keep no Faith to Hereticks And again that Princes must not be strictly bound to keep their promises And that her self would make litle Conscience to take from all that sort their Lives Inheritance if she might do it with an honest excuse Wherein she spoke not only the venome of her oun heart but the very soul sense principle project of all Popish Princes Whereby we may see what security we have for Religion Liberty this day though the most part make such a pretence a pillow to sleep on But after many Discoveries in this kind of the Queens Treachery at length they would no more be bribed by promises blinded by pretences nor boasted by her Proclamations slandering their interprise as if it pertained nothing to Religion from their endeavours to prosecute the same but finding themselves compelled to take the Sword of Just defence against all that should persue them for the matter of Religion they first signified unto her That they would notifie to the King of France all Christian Princes that her cruel unjust most Tyrannieal murther intended against Touns Mnltitudes was is the only Cause of their revolt from their accustomed obedience which they ouned promised to their Soveraign provided they might live in Peace Liberty and enjoy Christs Gospel without which they firmly purpose never to be subject to mortal man And that better it were to expose their bodies to a thousand deaths than to deny Christ which thing not only do they who commit open Idolatry but also all such as seeing their Brethren purswed for the Cause of Religion and haveing sufficient means to comfort assist them do nevertheless withdraw from them their dutiful support And thereafter they published a Declaration to the generation of Antichrist the pestilent Prelats their shavelings within Scotland That they should not be abused thinking to escape just punishment after that they in their blind fury had caused the blood of many to be shed but if they proceeded in this their malicious Cruelty they should be dealt with all wheresoever they should be apprehended as Murderers open Enemies to God to Mankind And that with the same measure they had measured intended to measure to others it should be measured to them that is they should with all force power they had execute just vengeance punishment upon them yea begin that same War which God commandeth Israel to execute against the Canaanites that is Contract of Peace should never be made till they desist from their open Idolatry cruel Persecution of Gods Children I rehearse this Declaration the more expresly because in our day Declarations of this stile strain and aiming at the same Scope is hideously hissed houted at as unheard of novelties Finally when by all their Letters Warnings Admonitions Protestations they could obtain no redress but rather an increase of insupportable violence they proponed the Question in a General Meeting Whether she whose pretences threatened the bondage of the whole Commonwealth ought to be suffered so Tyrannically to domineer over them Unto which the Ministers being required to give their judgment answered that she ought not And accordingly they declared her deposed from all Government over them because of her persecuting the Professors of the true Religion and oppressing the Liberties of the true Lieges never being called nor convinced of any Crime because of her intrusion of Magistrats against all order of Election because of her bringing in strangers to suppress the Liberty of the Countrey and placing them in greatest Offices of Credite because of her altering and subverting the old Laws of the Realme c. Which I mention because hence we may see what things our Fathers judged did dissolve the relation between the people their Rulers And when applyed to our Case will justify their reasons that have renounced the present Tyranny This was done at Edinburgh anno 1559. And thereafter while they vindicated themselves went on with the work of Reformation throwing doun all monuments of Idolatry propogateing the Reformed Religion God so blessed their endeavours that their Confession of faith and all Articles of the Protestant Religion was Read Ratified by the three Estates of Parliament at Edinburgh Iulij 1560. And the same year the Book of Discipline containing the forme order of Presbyterial Government was subscribed by a great part of the Nobility Thus through the wisdom power of God alone even by the weaknesse of very mean Instrâ—ments against the rage fury of the devil and of all the powers of Hell was this work of Reformation advanced effectuated And came to the establishment of a Law which did not only ratifie confirme the Pâ—oteâ—â—ant Religion but abolish Antichristian Popery and appoint punishment for the Professors promoters thereof Which Law often confirmed ratified afterwards though it be now cassed rescinded by the Prerogative of the present Tyrant because it anulls invalidates his pretence to succession in the Government it being expressly enacted afterwards by a Parliament at Edinburgh 156. Confirming this that all Princes Kings hereafter before their Coronation shall take Oath to maintain the true Religion then professed suppress all things contrary to it yet is still in force in the hearts of all honest men that will not prostitute Religion Law Liberty to the lusts of Tyrants and will be accounted a better bottom to build the hope of enjoying Religion upon than the perfidious promises of a Popish Usurper pretending a Liberty to dissenting Protestants by takeing away the Penal Statuts the Legal Bulwark against Popery All which yet to the reproach of all Protestants some are applauding Congratulating in this time by their Addresses Petitions to this destroyer of Law Religion I wish they would look back to see what the building of this Bulwark cost our Fathers before they sell it at such a
others that touch the Majestie of God doth not appertain to Kings 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 occasion which God doth minister to revenge the injury done against His Glory And that doth Moses more plainly speak in these words of the same Chapter If in any Citie which the Lord thy God giveth thee thou shalt hear this bruite there are some men sons of Belial Plain it is that Moses speaks not nor giveth charge to Kings Rulers Judges only but he commands the whole body of the people yea and every member of the same according to their possibility And who dare be so impudent as to deny â—his to be most reasonable just For seeing God had delivered the whole body from bondage and to the whole multitude had given His Law and to the twelve tribes had distributed the Land of Canaan was not the whole every member addebted to confess the benefits of God and to study to keep the possession received which they could not do except they kept the Religion established put out iniquity from amongst them To the carnal man this may seem to be a rigorous severe judgement that even the Infants there should be appointed to the cruel death and as concerning the City and spoill of the same mans reason cannot think but that it might have been better bestowed than to be consumed But in such cases let all creatures stoup and desist from reasoning when Commandment is given to execute His Judgment I will search no other reasons than the Holy Ghost hath assigned first that all Israel should fear to commit the like abomination And secondly that the Lord might turn from the fury of His anger Which plainly doth signifie that by the defection Idolatry of a few Gods wrath is kindled against the whole which is never quenched till such punishment be taken upon the offenders that whatsoever served them in their Idolatry be brought to destruction c. I have inlarged so far upon this Period that it may appear there is nothing now in Controversy between the suffering reproached party now in Scotland and either their Friends or Enemies which could fall under our Reformers inquiry but they have declared themselves of the same sentiments that are now so much opposed And therefore none can condemn the present heads of suffering except also they condemn the Reformers judgment and consequently the imputation of novelty must fall PERIOD IV. Containing the Testimony of the first Contenders against Prelacy and Supremacy from the year 1570. to 1638. HItherto the Conflict was for the Concerns of Christs Prophetical Priestly Office against Paganisine Popery But from the year 1570. And dounward the Testimony is stated and gradually Prosecuted for the Rights Priviledges Prerogatives of Christs Kingly Office which hath been the peculiar Glory of the Church of Scotland above all the Churches in the Earth that this hath been given to her as the word of her Testimony and not only Consequentially Reductively as all other Churches may challenge a part of this dignity but Formally Explicitely to contend for this very head The Headship Kingship of Iesus Christ the Prince of the Kings of the Earth and His Mediatory Supremacy over His oun Kingdom of Grace both visible Invisible This is Christs supremacy a special radiant Jewel of His Imperial Croun which as it hath been as explicitely incroached upon in Scotland by His Insolent Enemies as ever by any that entered in opposition to Him so it hath been more expressly witnessed and wrestled for by His suffering Servants in that Land than in any place of the world This was in a particular manner the Testimony of that Period during the reign of King Iames the Sixth as it hath been in a great measure in our day since the year 1660. Which as it is the most important Cause of the greatest Consequence that Mortals can contend for So it hath this peculiar Glory in it that it is not only for a Truth of Christ of greater value then the standing of Heaven Earth but also it is the very Truth for which Christ Himself died considered as a Martyr And which concerns Him to vindicate maintain as a Monarch The Witnesses of that day made such an high account of it that they encouraged one another to suffer for it as the greatest Concern being a witness for Christs Glorious free Monarchie which as it is the end of the other two Offices so the Testimony is more Glorious to God more honourable to His Son and more Comfortable to them then the Testimony either for His Prophetical office or for His Priesthood because His Kingdom was specially impugned at the time As Mr Forbes Mr Welsh write in a Letter to the Ministers at Court. The Corruptions Usurpations wronging this Truth that they contended against were Prelacy and the Kings Supremacy in Ecclesiastical matters which will be usefull to hint a litle how they Prosecuted the Conflict When Sathan whose Kingdom was then declining by several instruments means both by force fraud did endeavour to put a stop to the Reformation by reintroducing the Antichristian Hierarchy of Prelacy when he could not reestablish the Antichristian Doctrine of Popery he left no means unessayed to effectuate it And first he began to bring the name Bishop in request that was now growing obsolete odious by reason of the abuse of it as it ought to be still for though the name be found in the Scriptures yet neither is that Catechrestical application of it to Prelats to be sound nor was there any other reason for the translation of it after that manner except it were to please Princes seeing the native signification of it is an Overseer proper and common to all faithfull Pastors And indeed his first essay reached litle further then the bare name for they were to be subject to tryed by Assemblies and hardly had so much power as Superintendents before But it was a fine Court-juggle for Noblemen to get the Church revenues into their hands by restoring the Ecclesiastical titles and obtaining from the titulars either Temporal Lands or Pensions to their dependers so they were only Tulchan Bishops a Calfeskin to cause the Cow give milk Yet though this in our day would have been thought tollerable The faithful Servants of Christ did zealously oppose it Mr Knox denunced Anathema to the Giver and Anathema to the Receiver And the following Assembly condemned the office it self as having no sure warrant authority nor ground in the Book of God but brought in by the folly corruption of mens invention to the overthrow of the Church and ordained all that brooked the office to dimit simpliciter and to desist cease from preaching while they received de novo admission from the
Generall Assembly under the pain of excomunication Hereby they were awakened animated to a more vigorous Prosecution of the establishment of the House of God in its due Government In pursuance whereof the Assemblies from that time untill the year 1581. Did with much painfulness faithfulness attend the work untill by perfecting of the Second Book of Discipline they compleated their work in the exact Model of Presbyterial Government in all its Courts Officers Which was Confirmed Covenanted to be kept inviolate in the National Covenant subscribed that year by the King his Court Council and afterwards by all ranks of People in the Land. Whence it may be doubted whether the impudence of the succeeding Prelats that denyed this or their perjury in breaking of it be greater This was but the first brush a brisker assault followes Wherein for the better establishment of Prelacy that what it wants of Divine right might be supplyed by the accession of humane Prerogative and not only Diocesan but also Erastian Prelacy might be set up to destroy Christs Kingdom advance Sathans the Earle of Arran his wicked Complices move the King contrary both to the Word Oath of God to usurp the prerogative of Jesus Christ and assume to himself a blasphemous Monster of Supremacy over all Persons in all Causes as well Ecclesiastical as Civil But this also the faithful Servants of God did worthily valiantly resist and at the very first appearance of it gave in a Grievance to the King anno 1582. That he had taken upon him a spiritual Power which properly belongs to Christ as only King Head of the Church the Ministerie execution whereof is only given to such as bear office in the Ecclesiastical Government in the same so that in the Kings Person some men press to erect a new Popedome as though he could not be full King of this Commonwealth unless as well the spiritual as temporal Sword be put in his hand unless Christ be rest of His Authority and the two Jurisdictions confounded which God hath divided which directly tendeth to the wrack of all true Religion Which being presented by the Commissioners of the General Assembly the Earle of Arran asked with a frouning Countenance who dare subscribe these treasonable Articles Mr Andrew Melvin answered we dare will subscribe render our Lives in the Cause And afterward that same Assembly presented Articles shewing that seeing the spiritual Jurisdiction of the Church is granted by Christ and given only to them that by preaching teaching overseeing bear Office within the same to be exercised not by the injunctions of men but by the only Rule of Gods Word hereafter no other of whatsomever degree or under whatsomever pretence have any colour to ascribe or to take upon them any part thereof either in placing or displacing of Ministers without the Churches admission or in stopping the mouths of Preachers or puting them to silence or take upon them the judgment of tryal of Doctrine c. But in contempt contradiction to this and to prosecute exert this new usurped Power Mr Andrew Melvin was summoned before the secret Council for a Sermon of his applying his doctrine to the Times Corruptions whereupon he gave in his declinature against them as incompetent Judges and told them they were too bold in a Constitute Christian Church to pass by the Pastors Prophets Doctors and to take upon them to judge the Doctrine and to control the Ambassadors of a Greater then was there which they neither ought nor can do There are saith he Loosing a litle Hebrew Bible from his girdle my Instructions Warrant see if any of you can control me that I have past my injunctions For this he was decerned to be warded in the Castle of Edinbrugh but he being informed that if he entered in ward he would not be released unless it were for the scaffold he conveyed himself secretly out of the Countrey Hereafter when the Parliament 1584. had enacted this Supremacy and submission to Prelacy to be subscribed by all Ministers the faithful first directed Mr David Lindsey to the King desiring that nothing be done in Parliament prejudicial to the Churches Liberty who got the Prison of Blackness for his Pains And then when they could not get access for shut doors to Protest before the Parliament yet when the Acts were proclaimed at the Cross of Edinburgh they took publick Documents in name of the Church of Scotland though they were but two that they protested against the said Acts and fled to England leaving behind them reasons that moved them to do so And Mr Iames Melvin wrote against the subscribers at that time very pertinently Proving first that they had not only set up a new Pope so become Traitors to Christ and condiscended to that chief error of Papistrie whereupon all the rest depend but further in so doing they had granted more to the King than ever the Popes of Rome peaceably obtained c. And in the end as for those that Lamented their oun weakness feebleness he adviseth them to remove the publick slander by going boldly to the King Lords and shew them how they had fallen through weakness but by Gods power are risen again and there by publick note witness taken free themselves from that subscription and to will the same to be delete renouncing detesting it plainly and thereafter publickly in their Sermons and by their Declaration retractation in writ presented to the faithful manifest the same let them do with stipend benefice Life it self what they list This I insert because this Counsel is now condemned and when poor people offended with Ministers subscriptions of Bonds other Complyances desire acknowledgments of the offence they reject it as an impertinent imposition and plead they are not obliged to manifest any retractation but to an Ecclesiastical Judicatory To which I shall say nothing here but this is no novelty After this it is known what bickerings the faithful witnesses of Christ had in their Conflicts with this supremacy upon the account of Mr David Blacks Declinature which they both advised him to approved when he gave it in against the King Conncil as Judges of his Doctrine And the Commissioners of the General Assembly ordained all to deal mightily with the power of the word against the Councils encroachments for which they were charged to depart forth of Edinburgh After which he added a second Declinature Declaring there are two Jurisdictions in this realme the one Spiritual the other Civil the one respecting the Conscience the other externals c. Therefore in so far as he was one of the spiritual office-bearers and had discharged his spiritual Calling in some measure of grace sincerity should not nor could not be Lawfully judged for preaching and applying the word by any Civil power he being an Ambassadour Messenger of the Lord Jesus having his Commission from
the King of Kings and all his instructions set doun limited in the book of God that cannot be extended abridged or altered by any mortal wight King or Emperour And seeing he was sent to all sorts his Commission discharge of it should not nor cannot be Lawfuly judged by them to whom he was sent they being sheep not Pastors to be judged by the Word and â—â—t to be judges thereof in a judicial way The Interloquutor being past against him for this the Brethren thought it duty that the Doctrine of the Preachers should be directed against the said Interloquutor as against a strong mighty hold set up against the Lord Jesus and the freedom of the Gospel and praised God for the force unity of the Spirit that was among themselves And being charged to depart out of Toun they leave a faithful Declaration at Large shewing how the Liberties of the Church were invaded robbed But all this was nothing in comparison of their wrestlings for the Royalties of their Princely Master and Priviledges of His Kingdom against that Tyrants Insolencies after he obtained he Croun of England For then he would not suffer the Church to indict her oun Assemblies And when the faithful thought themselves obliged to counteract his Encroachments and therefore conveened in an Assembly at Aberdeen anno 1605. they were forced to dissolve and thereafter the most eminent of the Ministers there assembled were transported Prisoners to Black-ness Whence being cited befor the Council they decline their Judicatory And one of their Brethren Mr Robert Youngson who had formerly succumbed being moved in Conscience returned and when the rest were standing before the Council desired to be heard and acknowledged his fault and therefore howbeit not summoned by the Lords was charged by the Living God and compelled to compear that day to justifie that Assembly to the great astonishment of the Lords and comfort of His brethren He subscribed the Declinature with the rest And for this they were arraigned and condemned as guilty of Treason and banished Before the execution of which sentence Mr Welsh wrote to the Lady Fleming to this effect What am I that He should first have called me and then constituted me a Minister of glad things of the Gospel of Salvation these fifteen years already and now last of all to be a sufferer for His Cause Kingdom To witness that good Confession that Jesus Christ is the King of Saints and that His Church is a most free Kingdom yea as free as any Kingdom under Heaven not only to convocate hold keep her Meetings Conventions Assemblies But also to judge of all her affairs in all her Meetings Conventions among His members and Subjects These two points 1 That Christ is the Head of His Church 2 That she is free in her Government from all other jurisdiction except Christs are the special Cause of our imprisonment being now convict as Traitors for maintaining thereof We have now been waiting with joyfulness to give the last Testimonie of our blood in confirmation thereof If it would please our God to be so favourable as to honour us with that dignity After this the King resolving by Parliament to advance the estate of Bishops again as in the time of Popery without Cautions as before and further to establish not only that Antichristian Hierarchie but an Erastian Supremacy The faithful Ministers of Christ thought themselves bound in Conscience to protest And accordingly they offered a faithful Protestation to the Parliament Iulij 1606. obtesting that they would reserve into the Lords own hands that Glory which He will communicate neither with man nor Angel to wit to prescribe from His holy Mountain a Lively pattern according to which His oun Tabernacle should be formed Remembring alwise that there is no absolute undoubted Anthority in this world except the soveraigne Authority of Christ the King to vvhom it belongeth as properly to rule the Church according to the good pleasure of His oun vvill as it belongeth to Him to save His Church by the Merit of His oun Sufferings All other anthority is so intrenched vvithin the marches of Divine Command that the least overpassing of the bounds set by God Himself bring men under the fearful expectation of Temporal Eternal judgements If ye should authorize Bishops ye should bring into the Church the ordinance of man vvhich experience hath found to have been the ground of that Antichristian Hierarchie vvhich mounted up on the steps of Bishops preeminence until that man of sin came forth as the ripe fruit of mans vvisedome vvhom God shall consume vvith the breath of His oun mouth Let the svvord of God pierce that belly vvhich brought forth such a monster And let the staff of God crush that egg vvhich hath hatched such a Cockatrice And let not only that Roman Antichrist be thrown down from the high bench of his usurped authority but also let all the steps whereby he mounted up to that unlawful preeminence be cut down utterly abolished in this Land And beware to strive against God with an open displayed banner by building up again the walls of Iericho which the Lord hath not only cast down but also hath laid them under an horrible Interdiction execration so that the building of them again must needs stand to greater charges to the builders then the reedifying of Iericho to Hiel the Bethelite in the days of Ahab Yet notwithstanding of all opposition Prelacy was again restored in Parliament And to bring all to a Complyance with the same Presbytries Synods universally charged under highest pains to admit a constant Moderator without change which many refused resolutely as being the first step of Prelacy Upon this followed a great Persecution of the faithful for their Nonconformity managed by that Mongrel Monstrous kind of Court made up of Clergy-men Statesmen called the High Commission Court erected anno 1610. whereby many honest men were put violently from their charges habitations the Generality were involved in a great fearful Defection But the Copestone of the wickedness of that Period was the Ratification of the five Articles of Perth kneeling at the Communion private Communion to be given to the sick private Baptisme and Confirmation of Children by the Bishop and observation of festival dayes Which were much opposed testified against by the faithful from their first hatching anno 1618. to the year 1621. when they were ratified in Parliament at what time they were also witnessed against from Heaven by extraordinary Lightenings Tempest And against this the Testimony of the faithful continued till the Revolution anno 1638. Here we see how the Cause was stated in this Period and may gather also wherein it aggress and how far it differs from the present Testimony now suffered for under all rage reproach I. The matter of the Testimony was one with that that we are suffering for against Popery Prelacy Supremacy
now for refusing such compelled imposed Devotion to pray or praise for the King poor people are much condemned I know it is alleadged that these faithful sufferers in those days were not so strict as they are now in submitting to unjust Sentences and obeying keeping their Confinements I shall grant there was much of this and much might be tollerate in their circumstances when the Court procedure against them was not so illegal their Authority was not so Tyrannical nor so necessary to be disouned and they were so stated that they were afrayed to take guilt upon them in making their escapes whereas it is not so with us Yet we find very faithful men broke their Confinements As Mr Iohn Murray confined about Dumfreis perceiving there was no end of the Bishops malice and that he would be in no worse case than he was he resolved without Licence either of King or Council to transport himself So did also Mr Robert Bruce III. For resistence of Superior Powers we have in this Period first the practice of some Noblemen an Ruthven anno 1582. who took the King and seised on that Arrant Traitor Enemy to the Church Countrey the Earle of Arran declaring to the world the Causes of it the Kings Correspondence with Papists his usurping the Supremacy over the Church and oppressing the Ministers all by means of his wicked Councellors whom therefore they removed from him The King himself emitted a Declaration allowing this deed The General Assembly approved of it and perswaded to a Concurrence with it and nothing was wanting to ratifie it as a most Lawfull laudable action At length the Fox escapes changes all and retracts his former Declaration The Lords again rallie and interprise the taking of the Castle of Stirling and gain it but afterward surrender it after which the Earle of Gowrie is executed and Ministers are commanded to retract the Approbation of Ruthven business but they refused and many were forced to flee to England and the Lords were banished But in the year 1585. they return with more success and take the Castle of Stirling The cowardly King does again acknowledge justify their Enterprise that they needed no Apology of words Weapons had spoken well enough and gotten them audience to clear their own Cause but his after carriage declared him as crafty false as he was cowardly fearful Again we have the advice of the General Assembly for resisting when the Ministers were troubled upon Mr Blacks bussiness and there was an intention to pull them out of their Pulpits They advised them to stand to the discharge of their Calling if their flocks would save them from violence and yet this violence was expected from the King and his Emissaries As to that point then there can be no dispute IV. There was litle occasion for the Question about the Kings Authority in this Period but generally all acknowledged it because they were not sensible of his usurpation and his cowardice made him incapable of attempting any thing that might raise commotions in civil things Yet we remark that whatsoever Authority he usurped beyond his sphere that was disouned declined by all the Faithful as the Supremacy Next that they resented represented very harshly any aspiring to Absoluteness as Mr Andrew Melvin could give it no better name nor intertain no better notion of it then to terme it The bloodie Guillie as he inveighs against it in the Assembly 1582. And next in this same Period we have a very good description of that Authority which the King himself allowes not to be ouned which out of a Kings mouth abundantly justifies the disouning of the present Tyrannie This same King Iames in a speech to the Parliament in the year 1609. sayth A King degenerateth into a Tyrant when he leaveth to rule by 〈◊〉 much more when he beginneth to invade his Subjects Persons Rights Liberties to set up an Arbitrary Power impose unlawful taxes raise forces make War upon his Subjects to pillage plunder wast and spoil his Kingdoms PERIOD V. Containing the Testimony for the last Reformation from Prelacy in all its steps from the year 1638 to 1660. THe following Period from the year 1638. to 1660 continues advances the Testimony to the greatest hight of Purity Power that either this Church or any other did ever arrive unto with a Gradation Succession Complication of wonders of Divine Wisdom Power Justice Mercy signally singularly ouning sealing it to the Confusion of His Enemies Comfort of His People Conviction of Indifferent Neutrals and Consternation of All. Now after a long winter and night of Deadness Darkness the sun returns with an amiable approach of Light Life now the winter was past the rain was over gone the flowers appear on the earth and the time of singing of birds is come and the voice of the turtle is heard in our Land. Now the second time the Testimony comes to be managed in an Active manner as before it was Passive As the one hath been alwayes observed to follow interchangably upon the other especially in Scotland and the Last alwayes the Greatest which gives ground to hope though it be now our turn to suffer that when the summer comes again after this winter and the day after this night the next Active Testimony shall be more notable than any that went before The matter of the Testimony was the same as before for the Concerns of Christs Kingly Prerogative but with some more increase as to its opposites for these grew successively in every Period the Last alwayes including all that went before The first Period had Gentilisme principally to deal with the second Poperie The third Poperie Tyrannie the fourth Prelacy Supremacy this fifth hath all together and Sectarianisme also to contend against The former had alwayes the opposites on one hand but this hath them in extremes on both hands both fighting against one another and both fighting together against the Church of Scotland and she against both till at length one of her opposites prevailed viz. the Secterian Party and that prevailing brought in the other to wit the Malignant which now domineers over all together Wherefore because this Period is in it self of so great importance the Revolutions therein emergent so eminent the Reformation therein prosecuted wanting litle of its perfect Complement the Deformation succeeding in its Deviation from the Pattern being so destructive to the end it may be seen from whence we have fallen and whether or not the present reproached Sufferers have lost or left their ground we must give a short deduction of the Rise Progress End of the Contendings of that Period In the midst of the forementioned Miseries Mischiefs that the pride of Prelacy and Tyrannical Supremacy had multiplied beyond measure upon this Church Nation and at the hight of all their haughtiness when they were setting up their Dagon and erecting Altars for him
of the God of Truth and Scorn of all our holy Engagments Which defection did not only cause for a long time an incurable Division the first of that kind and most permanent of any that ever was in the Church of Scotland by reason of the surcease of General Assemblâ—es stoped hindered by the yoke of the Sectarian Usurpation but also was the spring source of all our defections since all flowing from fomented by that same spirit that fostered that And for that since that time the Lord hath been contending with this Church Nation bringing us under the bondage of these Malignant Enemies whom we suffered them then to encourage introduce And both at that time since that time the Lord never countenanced an Expedition where that Malignant Interest was taken in unto the state of the quarrel Upon this our Land was invaded by Oliver Cromwel who defeat our Army at Dumbar where the Anger of the Lord was evidently seen to smoke against us for espousing that Interest And remarkable it is how in that very day where in the Publick Resolutions were concluded in the Assembly at St Andrews the Lord then shed the blood of His people at Ennerkeithing so as that the Assembly having in great hast hurried through this Approbation were all made to run for it and Adjourn themselves to Dundie where they met and compleated that step of defection And afterwards it s known what a peculiar vengeance fell upon that City where this deed was done beyond all the Cities of the Nation Next an Army being raised according to these unhallowed Resolutions and the Lord puting remarkable Discountinance upon them in their attemptings at home as was manifest in their attemptings at Torewood c. They march into England and there did the Lord continue by His leaving our Army to the Sword to preach that Doctrine to the world Iosh. 7. 10 11 12. Israel hath sinned and transgressed the Covenant have taken the accursed thing and dissembled also and have put it even amongst their oun stuff therefore the Children of Israel could not stand before their enemies but turned their backs before their Enemies because they were accursed Neither will I be with yow any more except ye destroy the accersed thing from among yow An army of near 30000 was totally routed at Worcester and the Achan the Cause of the overthrow was forced to hide himself in the Oak and thence to transport himself beyond sea where he continued a wandering fugitive in Exile till the year 1660. In the mean time the Sectarian Army here prevailed till after the usurper Cromwel his death the false Monk then General with a Combination of Malignants and Publick Resolutioners did machinate our misery and effectuated it by bringing home the King to England from his banishment Wherein he was habituate into an implacable hatred against the Work of God. Yet though since the Kings first reception into Scotland our declensions were still growing untill they produced this fearful Revolt from God wherein the Nation is now involved there was still a faithful Remnant of Ministers Professors zealous for the Cause keeping their Integrity who in their Remonstrances Testimonies witnessed against both their Malignant Enemies and their backsliding Brethren the Resolutioners and also against the Sectarians their Invaders whose vast Toleration Liberty of Conscience which they brought in to invade our Religion as they had invaded our Land and infect it with their multifarious Errors was particularly by the Synod of Fife and other Brethren in the Ministery that joined themselves to them Testified against and demonstrated to be wicked intollerable Now to see how far the present Testimony is Conâ—irmed by the witnesses of this Period we may resume some Reflections on it I. They impartially carried on the Testimony against Prelacy and the Popish Prelatical Malignant faction on the one hand and the Sectarians on the other without ever waving the Testimony against either or at the least winking at the one to weaken the other both which Testimonies they though of so great importance that they could not dispense with but faithfully maintain both in their witnessings warnings In that seasonable necessary Warning Declaration concerning present imminent dangers given at Edinb Iuly 27. sess 27. They say first of the Sâ—ctaries That prevailing Party of Sectaries in England who have broken the Covenant and despised the Oath of God corrupted the Truth subverted the fundamental Government Look upon us with an evil eye as upon these who stand in the way of their Monstrous new fangled devices in Religion Government and though there were no Cause to fear any thing from that party but the Gangren infection of those many damnable abominable errors which have taken hold on them yet our vicinity unto and dayly Commerce with that Nation may justly make us afrayed that the Lord may give up many in this Land into a spirit of delusion to beleeve Lies because they have not received the Love of the Truth In that same warning they say we are not so to have the one of our eyes upon the Sectaries as not to have the other upon Malignants they being an Enemie more numerous more dangerous than the other not only because experience hath proven that there is a greater aptitude inclination in these of our Land to comply with Malignants than Sectaries in that they carry on their wicked designe under a pretext of being for the King but also because there be many of them in our oun bovvells By vvhich vve may see hovv impartially they opposed both and that this cannot be condemned in the Testimonies of the present Sufferers except the Assembly be condemned And because many novv a dayes have extenuating notions of those debates against Prelacy Sectarianisme about the Government of the Church c. and condemn these that vvould adhere to suffer for the Punctilio's of it as rigid nicetie I shall for seeing vvhat account the Assembly had of them cite their vvords in a Letter to the Assembly of divines at Westminster Dated Edin Iune 18. 1646. The smallest say they of Christs Truths if it be Lavvfull to call any of them small is of greater moment than all the other businesses that ever have been debated since the begining of the vvorld to this day but the highest of honours and heaviest of burdens is put upon yovv to declare out of the Sacred Records of Divine Truth vvhat is the Prerogative of the Croun extent of the Scepter of Jesus Christ vvhat bounds are to be set betvveen Him Ruling in His House and povvers established by God on Earth hovv by vvhom His House is to be Governed and by vvhat vvayes a restraint is to be put on these vvho vvould pervert His Truth and subvert the faith of many II. In the manner of maintaining this Testimony these famous Fathers while faithful for God gave us a perfect
up the spirits of these few who stood in the Gap to oppose resist the same and to begin the work of Reformation in the Land since which time the silence of some Ministers the complyance of others hath had great influence upon the backslidings of many amongst the people who upon the discovery of the evil of their way complain that they got not warning or that if they were warned by some others held their peace or did justify them in the course of their backsliding we can look upon such Ministers no otherwise than upon these that are guilty of the blood of the Lords people and with whom the Lord will reckon for all the breach of Covenant defection that hath been in the Land The Priests lips should preserve knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts but such as are departed out of the way and have caused many to stumble at the Law therefore hath the Lord made them contemptible before all the people according as they have not kept His wayes but have been partial in His Law because they have lost their savour He hath cast out many of them as unsavoury salt Further more to evidence the Purity power of zeal burning blazing in these dayes in their Contendings against Publick Enemies on all hands I shall instance some of their Acts Testimonies clearly condemning the manifold Complyances of this Generation and which may contribute somewhat to Justifie the reproached preciseness of a Remnant standing at the furthest distance from them There is an Act for Censuring the Complyers with the publick Enemies of this Church Kingdom Gen. Ass. Edinb Iunij 17. 1646. Sess. 14. where they judge it a great scandalous provocation grievous defection from the publick cause to comply with these Malignants such as Iames Graham then was in any degree even to procure Protections from them or to have invited them to their houses or to have drunk Iames Graham his health or to be guilty of any other such Gross degrees of Complyance censured to be suspended from the communions ay while they acknowledge their offence And yet now for refusing these degrees of complyance for not having the protectior of a Pass from the wicked courts of malignant enemies by taking a wicked oath and for refusing to drink the Kings health a greater Enemy then ever Iames Graham was some poor conscientious people have not only been murdereâ— by Enemies but mocked condemned by professores There is an Act likewise declaration against all new oaths or bonds in the common cause imposed without consent of the Church Gen. Ass. Edinb Iuly 28. 1648. Sess. 18. Enjoining all the members of the Church to forbear the swearing or subscribing any new oaths or bonds in this Cause without Advice concurrence of the Church especially any negative oaths or bonds which may any way limit or restrain them in the duties whereunto they are obliged by National or Solemn League Covenant Yet now for refusing Oaths not only limiting in Covenanted duties but contradicting condemning many material Principles of the Covenanted Reformation many have not only lost their Lives but also have been condemned by them that are at ease having a wider conscience to swallow such baits It is known how pertinacious the most faithful in those dayes were in their contendings against Associations in any undertaking for the cause with persons disaffected to the true state thereof I need not give any account of this were it not that now that Principle is quite inverted and poor Adherers to it for their abstracting substracting their concurrence with such promiscuous Associations are much hated flouted therefore I shall give some hints of their sentiments of them In their Answer to the Committee of Estates Iulij 25. 1648. Sess. 14. the Gen. Assembly sayes It was represented to the Parliament that for securing of Religion it was necessary that the Popish Prelatical Malignant party be declared Enemies to the cause upon the one hand as well as Sectaries upon the other and that all Associations either in forces or counsels with the former as well as with the latter be avoided And in their declaration concerning the Present dangers of Religion especially the unlawful Engagment in War Iulij ult 1648. Sess. 21. They say suppose the ends of that Engagment be good as they are not yet the means wayes of Prosecution are unlawful because there is not an equal avoiding of rocks on both hands but a joining with Malignants to suppress Sectaries a joining hands with a black devil to beat a white devil They are bad Phisicians who would so cure one disease as to breed another as evil or worse we find in the Scriptures condemned all Confederacies Associations with the Enemies of true Religion whether Canaanites Exod. 23. 32. and 24. 12 15. Deut. 7. 2. or other heathens 1. King. 11. 1 2. More Arguments against Associations may be seen in that excellent discussion of this useful Case Concerning Associations Confederacies with Idolaters Infidels Hereticks or any other known enemy of Truth or Godliness by famous Mr G. Gillespie published at that same time whereunto is appended his Letter to the commission of the General Assembly having these golden words in it words fitly spoken in that season when he was a dying at the begining of the Publick Resolutions Having heard of some motions beginings of complyance with these who have been so deeply engaged in a war destructive to Religion the Kingdoms Liberties I cannot but discharge my conscience in giving a Testimony against all such complyance I know am perswaded that all the faithful witnesses that gave Testimony to the Thesis that the late Engagment was contrary destructive to the Covenant will also give Testimony to the Appendix that complyance with any who have been active in that Engagment is most sinful unlawful I am not able to express all the evils of that complyance they are so many But above all that which would highten this sin even to the Heavens is that it were not only a horrid backsliding but a backsliding into that very sin vvhich vvas specially pointed at punished by the prevailency of the Malignant party God justly making them thorns scourges vvho were taken in as friends Alas shall we split twice upon the same rock yea run upon it when God hath set a beacon on it yea I may say shall we thus out face out dare the Almighty by protecting His our Enemies by making peace friendship with them when the anger of the Lord is burning against them I musâ— here apply to our present condition the words of Ezrah 9. 14 O happy Scotland if thow canst now improve not abuse this Golden opportunity but if thou help the ungodly love them that hate the Lord wrath upon wrath and wo upon wo shall be
upon thee from the Lord. Whereunto is subjoined his dying Testimony to the same purpose wherein are these words But if there shall be a falling back to the sin of complyance with Malignant ungodly men then I look for the breaking out of the wrath of the Lord till there be no remedy This was the warning of a worthy dying Man. Notwithstanding of which many other warnings witnessings a course of complyance was commenced by the pulick Resolutioners and continued in to this day wherein that faithful warning of a dying servant of Christ is verified But before I leave this purpose I must obviate an objection that some make use of for strengthening themselves in their incorporations joinings at least in Worship with the corruptions of the time and for condemning conscientious withdrawers That the Godly in those dayes did not separate from the men of these complyances defections as many do now to wit the protesting party did not withdraw from the publick Resolutioners Associators with Malignants I answer first many these the most Godly tender did withdraw even from their oun Ministers and would have gone 40. or 50 myles to hear a faithful Minister at that time yea Ministers themselves in the case of intrusion of the unfaithful would have supplyed the Paroch as if the Church had been vacant and when they could not get access to the pulpit they preached in the fields on purpose to witness against and professedly to withdraw the people from such an unfaithful Intruder as might be instanced particularly for time place if need were But next The Church then though broken by division and under the subjection of strangers deprived of her General Assemblies yet was in a constitut Case enjoying the priviledge power order of Synods Presbyteries to whom the people offended with their Ministers might address themselves for an orderly redress and removal of these Scandals in an ordinary way and so they needed not assume to themselves that power to regulate their communion that in a broken State as now is must be allowed to them And besides both the Ministers at that time who were faithful though they might have proceeded to censure silence the corrupt party as they were obliged yet not only found it difficult by reason of the injury of the times but also thought it best to spare them And the people to bear them as burdens untill as they were still in hopes they should obtain a General Assembly to take order with them but now it is not so And then the defection was but begining and people did not know and could not expect it would go such a length and therefore could not fall upon the rigor of that duty which such disorders call for at first but if they had seen where these beginings would Land them at length I doubt not but they would have resisted those beginings in such a way as would have precluded this imputation of novelty upon our necessitated with drawings III. We have in this Period not only an Illustrious Testimony for the Principle but a continued and unintermitted putting into practice the duty of defensive Armes in resisting the Soverain power malversing abusing Authority to the destruction of the ends of it which resistence was avowed encouraged furthered by the General Assembly both for the defence of themselves and for the help of their Brethren in England Take one expression in their Solemn seasonable Warning to all ranks Feb. 12. 1645. Sess 18. Unless men will blot out of their hearts the love of Religion cause of God and cast off all care of their Country Lawes Liberties c. all being in visible danger of present ruine destruction they must now or never appear actively each one stretching himself to yea beyond his power It is no time to dally or to go about the business by halfs nor be almost but altogether zealous Cursed is he that doeth the work of the Lord negligently If we have been forward to assist our Neighbour Kingdoms shall we neglect to defend our oun Or shall the Enemies of God be more active against His cause than His people for it God forbid In another seasonable necessary warning Iuly 27. 1649. Sess. 27. They say But if his Maj. or any having or pretending power commission from him shall invade this Kingdom upon pretext of establishing him in the exercise of his royal power as it will be an high provocation against God to be accessory or assisting there to so it will be a necessary duty to resist oppose the same These Fathers could well distinguish between Authority and the person abusing it And were not so Loyal as now their degenerate Children are ambitious to shew themselves stupidly stouping to the shaddow thereof and yet will be called the only Asserters of Presbyterian principles But we find they put it among the Characters of Malignants to confound the Kings honour Authority with the abuse pretence thereof and with Commissions warrants Letters procured from the King by the Enemies of the cause Covenant as if we could not oppose the Latter without increaching upon the former But here an Objection or two must be removed out of the way before we go forward One is from the Third Atticle of the Covinant where there seems to be a great deal of Loyaltie obliging to defend the Kings Maj. his person Authority in the preservation defence of the true Religion Liberties of the Kingdoms that the world may bear witness with our consciences of our Loyaltie And that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish his Majesties just power greatness I Ans. There is indeed a deal of Loyaltie there and true Loyaltie because Lawfully limited being qualified with subordinate unto the preservation defence of the true Religion Liberties of the Kingdom as the makers of the Covenant do expound it in the Assembles declaration against the unlawful Eugagment Iuly ult 1648. Sess. 21. not that Reverse Loyaltie which makes duties to God conditional limited and duties to thee King absolute unlimited as our Loyalists do now And I wish others were free of it who have sworn Oaths of unlimited Alledgiances to maintain the King in any power unto which his force aspires and to justify this their Loyaltie will bring in this Article of the Covenant with a distorted sense reading it backward that we in the preservation defence of Religion must preserve defend the King As if Religion obliged to defend him do what he will. It were better such pretended Covenanters denyed the Covenant than to be such a reproach to it in wresting its genuine sense But I have adduced the sense of the best Interpreters of it the General Assembly Next when they entered under the bond of this Covenant they did it with a purpose to oppose all his invasions upon Religion the Liberty of the people and to
former Principles and betray the Cause Fifthly That he being admitted before satisfaction vvould soon endeavour an overturning of the things vvhich God hath wrought and labour to dravv publick administrations concerning Religion Liberty into that course Channel in vvhich they did run under Prelacy and before the work of Reformation Whence they warn that every one take heed of such a snare that they be not accessery to any such design as they would not bring upon themselves their families the guilt of all the detriment that will undoubtedly follow thereupon of all the miseries it will bring upon the Kingdoms And therefore who soever attempt the same oppose themselves to the cause of God and will at last dash against the Rock of the Lords power which hath broken in pieces many high lofty ones since the begining of the work in the Kingdoms 2 I shall here insert the Act of the West-Kirk declaring their mind very manifestly West Kirk August 13. 1650. The Commission of the General Assembly considering that there may be just ground of stumbling from the K. Maj. refusing to subscribe emitt the Declaration offered to him by the Committee of Estates and the Commission of the General Assembly concerning his former carriage resolutions for the future in reference to the Cause of God and the enemies friends thereof Doth therefore declare That this Kirk Kingdom doth not oune or espouse any Malignant Party or Quarrel or Interest but that they fight meerly upon their former Grounds Principles and in the defence of the Cause of God and of the Kingdom as they have done these twelve years past And therefore as they disclaim all the sin guilt of the King and of his house so they will not oune him nor his interest otherwise than with a subordination to God and so far as he ounes prosecutes the Cause of God and disclaims his his fathers opposition to the Work of God and to the Covenant and likewise all the enemies thereof And that they will with convenient speed take unto Consideration the Papers lately sent unto them by Oliver Cromwel and vindicate themselves from all the falshoods contained therein especially in these things wherein the quarrel betwixt us that party is Mistated as if we ouned the late Kings proceedings and were resolved to prosecute maintain his present Maj. Interest before without acknowledgment of the sin of his house and former wayes satisfaction to Gods people in both Kingdoms A. KER Aug. 13. 1650. The Committe of Estates having seen considered a Declaration of the Commission of the General Assembly anent the stating of the quarrel wherein the Army is to fight do approve the same and heartily concur therein Tho Henderson In the 3 place It is specified in the Causes of wrath as one of the steps of defection Art. 9. Step. 5. That a Treaty should have been closed with him upon his subscribing demands after he had given many clear evidences of his disaffection enmity to the work people of God That these demands which he was required to subscribe did not contain a real security a real abandoning of former Malignant courses principles and cleaving to the Work of God It was not a paper or verbal security which we were bound to demand of him but a real one and to intrust him without this was but to mock God and deceive the world and to betray destroy our selves by giving up all precious Interests of Religion Liberty unto the hands of one who was in a course of enmity to them That both before and in the mean time of the treaty he had given evidence of his enmity in many instances there condiscended upon particularly that he authorized Iames Graham to invade this Kingdom and incouraged him by Letters to go on in that Invasion even whilest he was in termes of a Treaty with us as appeared by bringing into our hands the Authentick Commission it self and sundry Letters under his own hand Next in the same Causes of wrath among the sins of the Ministrie in relation to the publick § 10 11 12 13. That they agreed to receive the King to the Covenant barely upon writing without any apparent evidences of a real change of principle That they did not use freedom in showing what was sinful in reference to that Treaty but went on therein when they were not satisfied in their consciences for fear of reproach of being mistaken That they were silent in publick and did not give Testimony after a discovery of the Kings Commission to Iames Graham for invading the Kingdom That they pressed the King to make a Declaration to the world whilst they knew by clear evidences that he had no real conviction of the things contained therein PERIOD VI. Containing the Testimony through the continued Tract of the present Deformation from the year 1660. to this day NOw comes the last Catastrophe of the Deformation of the Church of Scotland which now renders her to all Nations as infamously despicable as her Reformation formerly made her admired envied which in a Retrograde motion hath gradually been growing these 27 years going back through all the steps by which the Reformation ascended till now she is returned to the very border of that Babylon from whence she took her departure and reduced through defection division and persecutions to a confused Chaos of almost irreparable dissolution and unavoidable desolation Through all which steps notwithstang to this day Scotland hath never wanted a witness for Christ against all the various steps of the Enemies advancings and of professed friends declinings Though the Testimony hath had some singularities some way discriminating it from that of former Periods in that it hath been more difficult by reason of more desperate dreadful assaults of more enraged enemies more expert experienced in the accursed art of overturning than any formerly In that it hath been attended with more disadvantages by reason of the Enemies greater prevalency and Friends deficiency and greater want of significant Assertors than any formerly In that it hath been intangled in more multifarious intricacies of questions and debates and divisions among the Assertors themselves making it more dark and yet in the end contributing to clear it more than any formerly In that it hath been intended extended to a greater measure both as to matter manner of contendings against the Adversaries and stated upon nicer points more enixely prosecuted tenaciously maintained sealed with more sufferings than any formeriy In that it hath had more opposition contradiction and less countenance from professed friends to the Reformation either at home or abroad than any formerly And yet it hath had all these several specialities together which were peculiar to the former Testimonies in their respective Periods being both Active Passive both against Enemies Friends And in cumulo stated against Atheisme Popery Prelacy Errastian
Witnesses did gradually ascend to the pitch it is novv arrived at I. These Enemies of God having once got footing again with the favour and the fawnings of the foolish Nation went on fervently to further and promote their wicked design and meeting with no opposition at first did encourage themelves to begin boldly Wherefore hearing of some Ministers peaceably Assembled to draw up a Monitory Letter to the King minding him of his Covenant Engagments promises which was though weak yet the first witness warning against that Heaven-daring wickedness then begun they cruelly incarcerate them Having hereby much daunted the Ministry from their duty in that day for fear of the like unusual outragious usage The Parliament conveens Ianuar. 1. 1661. without so much as a Protestation for Religion Liberty given in to them And there in the first place they frame take the Oath of Supremacy Exauctorating Christ and investing His usurping Enemy with the spoils of his robbed Prerogative acknowledging the King only supreme Governour over all persons in all Causes and that his power Iurisdiction must not be declined Whereby under all persons all Causeâ— All Church Officers in their most properly Ecclesiastick Affairs Concerns of Christ are comprehended And if the King shall take upon him to judge their Doctrine Worship Discipline or Government he must not be declined as an incompetent Judge Which did at once enervate all the Testimony of the 4th Period above declared and laid the foundation for all this Babel they have built since and of all this war that hath been waged against the Son of God and did introduce all this Tyrannie absolute power which hath been since carried to its Complement and made the Kings Throne the foundation of all the succeeding perjurie Apostasie Yet though then our Synods Presbytries were not discharged but might have had access in some Concurrence to witness against this horrid Invasion upon Christs Prerogative and the Churches Priviledge no joint Testimony was given against it except that some were found witnessing against it in their singular Capacity by themselves As faithful Mr Iames Guthrie for declining this usurped Authority in prejudice of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus suffered death and got the Martyrs Crown upon his head And some others for refusing that Oath arbitrarly imposed were Banished or Confined when they had gained this Bulwark of Christs Kingdom Then they waxed more insolent and set up their Ensigns for signs and broke doun the carved Work of Reformation with axes hammers In this Parliament 1661. They past an Act Rescissorie whereby they annulled declared void the National Covenant the Solemn League Covenant Presbytrial Government and all Lawes made in favours of the Work of Reformation since the year 1633. O horrid wickedness both in its nature so attrocious to condemn rescind what God did so signally seal as His oun Work to the conviction of the world and for which He will rescind the Rescinders and overturn these Overturners of His Work and make the curse of that broken Covenant bind them to the punishment vvhom its bond could not oblige to the duty Covenanted And in its design end so base detestable for nothing but to flatter the King in making way for Prelacy Tyranny Popery and to indulge the licenciousness of some debauched Nobles who could not endure the yoke of Christs Government and to suppress Religion Righteousness under the ruines of that Reformation But O holy astonishing Justice thus to recompense our way upon our own head to suffer this work cause to be ruined under our unhappy hands who suffered this Destroyer to come in before it was so effectually secured as it should not have been in the power of his hand whatever had been in his heart swelled with enmity against Christ to have razed ruined that Work as now most wickedly he did and drew in so many into the guilt of the same deed that almost the whole Land not only consented unto it but applauded it by approving countenancing another wicked Act framed at the same time by that same perfidious Parliament for an Anniversary Thanksgiving commemorating every 29. of May that Blasphemy against the Spirit Work of God and celebrating that unhappy Restauration of the Rescinder of the Reformation which had not only the concurrence of the universality of the Nation But alas for shame that it should be told in Gath c even of some Ministers who afterwards accepted the Indulgence one of which a Pillar among them was seen scandalously dancing about the bonefires And others who should have alarmed the whole Nation quasi pro aris focis to rise for Religion Liberty to resist such wickedness did wink at it O how Righteous is the Lord now in turning our Harps into mourning Though alas we will not suffer our selves to this day to see the shining Righteousness of this Retribution And though we be scourged with Scorpions brayed in a Mortar our madness our folly in these irreligious frolicks is not yet acknowledged let be lamented Yet albeit neither in this day when the Covenant was not only broken but Cassed declared of no obligation nor afterward when it was burnt for which Turks Pagans would have been ashamed afraid at such a terrible sight and for which the Lords Anger is burning against these bold burners and against them who suffered it and did not witness against it was there any publick Testimony by protestation or Remonstrance or an publick witness though the Lord had some then and some who came out afterward with the Trumpet at their mouth whose heart then sorrowed at the sight And some suffered for the sense they shewed of that Anniversary abomination for not keeping which they lost both Church Liberty It s true the ordinary Meetings of Presbytries Synods were about that time discharged to make way for the exercise of the new power conferred on the four Prelats who were at Court reordained Consecrated thereby renouncing their former Title to the Ministry But this could not give a discharge from a Necessary Testimony then called for from faithful Watchmen However the Reformation being thus rescinded razed and the House of the Lord pulled doun then they begin to build their Babel In the Parliament anno 1662. by their first Act they restore reestablish Prelacy upon such a foundation as they might by the same Law bring in Poperie which was then designed and so settled its Harbinger Diocesan Erastiar Prelacy by fuller Enlargment of the Supremacy The very Act beginneth thus For as much as the ordering disposal of the external Government of the Church doth properly belong to his Maj. as an Inherent right of the Croun by virtue of his Royal Prerogative Supremacy in Causes Ecclesiastick what ever shall be determined by his Maj. with advice of the Arch Bishops and such of the
over all persons therein And that it is unlawful for Subjects on any Pretence or for any Cause whatsoever to rise in Armes against him or any Commissionated by him and that I shall never so rise in Armes nor assist any who shall so do And that I shall never resist his power or Authority nor ever oppose this Authority to his person but shall to the utmost of my power assist defend maintain him his heirs lawful successors in the exercise of their Absolute power Authority against all deadly And by the same absolute power giving his ful ample Indemnitie to all the foresaid sorts of People under the foresaid restrictions Here is a Proclamation for a Prince That Proclaims him in whose name it is emitted to be the greatest Tyrant that ever lived in the world and their Revolt who have disouned him to be the justest that ever was For herein that Monster of Prerogative is not only advanced paramount to all Lawes Divine humane but far surmounting all the lust impudence insolence of all the Roman Sicilian Turkish Tartarian or Indian Tyrants that ever trampled upon the Liberties of Mankind who have indeed demanded absolute subjectio◠surrender of their Lives Lands Liberties at their pleasure but never arrived at such a hight of arrogance as this does to claim absolute obedience without reserve of Conscience Religion Honour or Reason Not only that which ignorantly is called Passive never to resist him not only on any Pretence but for any Cause even thô he should command his Popish Ianizaries to murder massacre all Protestants which is the tender mercy burning fervent charity of Papists but also of absolute Active obedience without reserve to assist defend maintain him in every thing whereby he shall be pleased to exercise his absolute power thô he should command to burn the Bible as well as the Covenant as already he applauded Iohn Gib in doing of it and to burn and butcher all that will not go to Mass which we have all grounds to expect will be the end of his Clemency at last Herein he claims a power to command what he will and obliging subjects to obey whatsoever he will command A power to rescind stop disable all Lawes which unhinges all stabilitie and unsettles all the security of humane societie yea extinguishes all that remains of natural Liberty Wherein as is wel observed by the Author of the Representation of the threatening dangers impending over Protestants Pag. 53. It is very natural to observe that he allowes the Government under which we were born and to which we were sworn to be hereby subverted changed and that thereupon we are not only absolved acquited from all Allegiance to him but indispensably obliged by the ties engagments that are upon us to apply our selves to the use of all means endeavours against him as an Enemy of the People subverter of the legal Government But this was so gross and grievously gripping in its restrictions as to persons as to the place as to the matter allowed the Presbyterians in Preaching that it was disdained of all and therefore he behoved to busk it better and mend the matter in a Letter to the Council the Supreme Law of Scotland bearing date March 31. 1687. of this tenor Whereas we did recommend to yow to take care that any of the Presbyterians should not be allowed to Preach but such only as should have your Allowance for the same and that they at the receiving the Indulgence should take the Oath contained in the Proclamation These are therefore to let you know that thereby we meant such of them as did not solemnly take the Test but if nevertheless the Presbyterian Preachers do scruple to take the said Oath or any other Oath whatsoever and that you shall find it reasonable or fit to grant them or any of them our said Indulgence so as they desire it upon these termes It is now our will pleasure to grant them our said Indulgence without being obliged to take the Oath with power unto them to enjoy the benefite of the said Indulgence during our pleasure only or so long as yow shall find they behave themselves regularly peaceably without giving any cause of offence to us or any in Authority or trust under us in our Government Thus finding the former Proposal not adequately apportioned to his design because of its palpable odiousness he would pretend his meaning was mistaken thô it was manifest enough and mitigate the matter by taking away of the Oaths altogether if any should scruple it whereas he could not but know that all that had sense would abhor it yet it is clogged with the same restrictions limited to the same persons characterized more plainly and peremptorly with an addition of Cautions not only that they shall not say or do any thing contrare to the wel peace of his reign seditious or treasonable but also that they behave themselves regularly peaceably without giving any cause of offence to him or any under him which comprehends lesser offences than sedition or treason even every thing that will displease a Tyrant and a Papist that is all faithfulness in seasonable Duties or Testimonies But at length lest the difformity disparity of the Proclamation for the Toleration in Scotland and the Declaration for Liberty of Conscience in England should make his Pretences to Conscience suspect of disingenuity and lest it should be said he had one Conscience for England and another for Scotland therefore he added a third eke to the liberty but such as made it still an ill favoured patched project to destroy Religion true Liberty in another Proclamation dated at Windsor Iune 28. 1687. wherein he sayes Taking into our Royal Consideration the sinistrous Interpretations which either have or may be made of some Restrictions mentioned in the last we have thought fit by this further to declare that we will Protect our Arch-bishops c. And we do likewise by our Soveraign Authority Prerogative Royal and Absolute power suspend stop disable all penal Sanguinary Lawes made against any for Non-conformity to the Religion established by Law in that our Ancient Kingdom to the end that by the Liberty thereby granted the peace security of our Government in the practice thereof may not be endangered we hereby straitly charge all our Loving subjects that as we do give them leave to meet serve God after their oun way in private Houses Chappels or Places purposely hired or built for that use so that they take care that nothing be Preached or taught which may any way tend to alienate the hearts of our People from us our Government and that their Meetings be peaceably publickly held and all persons freely admitted to them and that they do signify make known to some one or more of the next Privie Councellors Sheriffs Stewards Bailiffs Justices of the Peace or Magistrats
of Burgh Royal what place or places they set a part for these uses with the names of the Preachers provided alwayes that the Meetings be in houses and not in the open fields for which now after this our Royal grace favour which surpasses the hopes equalls the very wishes of the most zealously concerned there is not the least shadow of execuse left Which Meetings in the fields we do hereby strictly prohibite forbid against all which we do leave our Lawes Acts of Parliament in full force vigour notwithstanding the premises and do further command all our Judges Magistrats Officers of forces to prosecute such as shall be guilty of the said field Conventicles with the utmost rigour for we are confident none will after these Liberties freedoms given to all without reserve to serve God in their oun way presume to meet in these Assemblies except such as make a pretence of Religion to cover their treasonable designs against our Royal person the peace of our Government This is the Royal Charter for security of the Protestant Religion intended to secure it so that it shall not go much abroad again in Lieu of all the Lawes Constitutions Oaths Covenants wherewith it was formerly confirmed This is the only patent which the Royal Dâties the Moderate Presbyterians have now received to ensure their enjoyment of it durante beneplacito during his pleasure whose Faith is as absolute over all ties of promises as his power from whence it flowes is over all Lawes whose chiefest principle of Conscience is that no Faith is to be kept to Hereticks Here is the Liberty which is said to surpass the hopes and equal the wishes of the most zealously concerned holding true indeed of too many whose hopes wishes zeal are terminate upon peace rather than Truth ease rather than duty and their own things rather than the things of Christ But as for the poor wild Wanderers it some way answers their fears and corrosponds with their jealousies who put the same interpretation upon it as on all the former Indulgences Indemnities Tolerations proceeding from the same fountain designed for the same sinistrous ends with this which they look upon as more openly obviously Anti-christian and therefore while others are rejoicing under the bramble-shadow of it they think it a cause of weeping matter of mourning not because they do not share of the benefit of it but because they are afraid to share of the Curse of it For which cause thô a freedom be pretended to be given to all without reserve to serve God in their own way they think it necessary to reserve to themselves the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free and to serve Him in His Way thô interdicted by men and to take none from Antichrist restricted with his reserves And do look upon it as a Seasonable Testimony for the Cause of Christ and the Interest of the Protestant Religion and the Lawes Liberties of the Country all overturned subverted by this Toleration to keep their Meetings as in former times in the open fields whither their Tyranny hath driven them And let them call these Meetings covered treasonable designs against the Government on pretence of Religion I trust it shall be made evident in the Conviction of all that know Religion that their designs are to preserve it in opposition to the Tyranny that goes about all these wayes to suppress it Though I must suspend the Reasons of their keeping their Meetings in the fields till I come to discuss that Case in its oun place Here I shall only say none that is acquainted with their Circumstances which are as dangerously stated as ever by reason of the Constant Persecution of Cruel enraged Enemies incessantly pursuing them without relenting notwithstanding of all this pretence of Clemency tenderness to Conscience but may know they can neither have safety secrecy nor conveniency in houses for fear of their entrapping enemies and none will blame them that after so many discoveries of their truculent treachery they dare not trust them And besides they think it sinful scandalous inconvenient to seem to homologate this Toleration the wickedness whereof they are convinced of from these Reasons I. Considering the Granter in his personal Capacity as to his Morals they look upon him as a person with whom they cannot in Prudence communicate in any transaction of that nature First because being in his Principles practice professedly treacherous yea obliged to be both perfidious cruel by that Religion whereunto he is addicted he cannot be trusted in the least concerns let be those of such momentous consequence as this without a stupid abandoning of Conscience Reason Experience Since both that known principle that no Faith is to be kept to Hereticks which is espoused by all Papists does to them justify all their lying dissimulations equivocations treacheries imaginable and that Lateran Canon that enjoyns Kings to destroy exstirpate Hereticks under pain of excommunication does oblige him to be cruel besides what deep engagments he is known to be under by Oaths Promises to the Pope both in his exile and while a subject and since he came to the Croun which make him to all Considering persons to be a person of that Character whose deceitful dainties are not to be desired and that when he speaketh fair is not to be beleeved for there are seven abominations in his heart Of which open affronted Lies we have a sufficient swatch both in his Proclamation for Scotland and Declaration for England where he speaks of his constant resolves of uniting the hearts of Subjects to God in Religion to their Neighbours in Christian Love and that it never was his principle to offer violence to any mans Conscience or use invincible necessity against any man on the account of his persuasion and that their Property was never in any case invaded since his coming to the Croun and that it hath been his constant sense opinion that Conscience ought not to to be constrained nor People forced in matters of meer Religion To which his uninterrupted endeavours to divide us from God and from on another that he might the more easily destroy us and his constant encroachments upon Lawes Liberties Properties and all Interests of men Christians for Conscience sake do give the lie manifestly And it must be great blindness not to see and great baseness willingly to wink at that double faced equivocation in matters of meer Religion by which he may elude all these flattering promises of tenderness by excepting at the most necessary indispensable duties if either they be such wherein any other Interest is concerned beside meer Religion or if their troubles sustained thereupon be not altogether invincible necessities Hence the plain falsehood doubleness of his Assertions as to what is past may give ground to conclude his intended perfidie in the promises of
them it being no way supposible that his enlarging his favours can consist with their faithfulness but if they discover any measure of zeal against Antichrist he will quickly diminish them Thus far I have compendiously deduced the Account of the Progress Prosecution of the Testimony of this Church to the present State thereof as it is Concerted Contended for by the Reproached Remnant now only Persecuted which I hope this pretended Liberty shall be so far from obscuring interrupting that it shall contribute further to clear it and engage them more to Constancy in it and induce others also to Countenance it when they shall see the sad effects of this Destructive Snare which I leave to time to produce And hope that as the former Representation of their Cause will conciliate the Charity of the unbyassed so an Account of their Sufferings thereupon will provoke them to Sympathie To which I now proceed PART II. CONTAINING A BRIEF ACCOUNT Of the Persecution of the last Period And of the great Sufferings whereby all the Parts of its Testimony were sealed THe foregoing Deduction being the first thing I proposed to be discussed in the Method of this Essay hath now swelled to such a Bulk that the Last Period of it doth in a manner swallow up what I intended to have said on the Second Because it gives grounds to gather the Methods Measures that our Adversaries have managed for the ruin of this Witnessing Remnant and also discovers some special steps of their Sufferings within these 27. years past under the Tyranny of both the Brothers It will now be the more easie to glean the Gradations of the Means Machins used by this Popish Prelatical Malignant faction to raze the Work of Reformation and to build their Babel of Poperie Slaverie on the ruines thereof And to aggregate an Account in brief of the Great Sufferings of the Faithful Which though it be beyond my power and besides my purposes at present to offer a Narrative of it with any proportion to the greatness of the subject A more particular Relation thereof being now projected if Providence permit to be Published to the world which will discover strange unheard of Cruelties yet in this little heap of some hints only of the kinds of their Sufferings I do not question but it will appear that the Persecution of Scotland hath been very remarkable and scarcely out-done by the most Cruel in any Place or Age in respect of injustice illegality inhumanity though perhaps inferiour in some other Circumstances But that none could be more unjust illegal or inhumane I need not further I cannot better demonstrate than only to Declare the matter of fact as it fell out in the several Steps of the Last Period 1. In the Entry of this fatal Catastrophe the first of their Mischievous Machinations was to remove out of the way all who were eminent Instruments in carrying on the former Work of God or might be of influence for obstructing their Antichristian Tyrannical designs both in the State and in the Church And accordingly when the Marqueâ—s of Argyle who had a main hand in bringing home the King and closing the Second Treaty at Breda went up to London to Congratulate his return from exile he was made Prisoner in the Tower thereafter sent doun to Scotland indyted of high Treason at length beheaded and his head placed upon the Tolbooth of Edinburgh A watch word of warning to our Addressers who may ere all be done meet with the same sawce for no other alledged Cause but for his Complyance with the English when they had our Land in subjection a thing wherein the Judges that condemned him were Socii Criminis but really for another provocation that incensed the King against him which made him a Tyrant as infamous for villanie as for violence to wit for his reproving the King when others declined it for an Adulterous Rape which he held for so piacular a Crime that he resolved nothing should expiate it but the blood of this Nobleman For the same Pretended Cause was the Lord Waristoun afterwards executed to death at Edinburgh after they had missed of their design of taking him off by Clandestine ways abroad Then they fall upon the Ministers And because Mr Iames Guthrie was a man who had been honoured of God to be zealous singularly faithful in carrying on the Work of Reformation and had asserted the Kingly Authority of Christ in opposition to the Erastian Supremacy encroaching thereupon therefore he must Live no longer but is condemned to die and most basely handled as if he had been a most Notorious Thief or Malefactor he is hanged afterward his head placed upon one of the Ports of Edinburgh where it abideth to this day Preaching not only against the Enemies Rebellion against God but against the defection of many Ministers since who have Practically denied that Great Truth for which he Suffered viz his Testimony against the Supremacy and for declining the Usurped Authority of him who Arrogated it At the same time there was a Proclamation which they caused to be read at all the Church-doors discharging Ministers to speak against them or their Proceedings whereby Profane Malicious persons were encouraged to witness against their Ministers By which means though many were in no hazard thinking it commendable Prudence commended indeed by the world but hateful unfaithfulness before God to be silent at such a time some faithful Ministers giving faithful free warning Protesting against the present Defection were condemned of Treason and banished out of the three Dominions Others Indicta Causa without access to give in their defences were sentenced with banishment and could never get an Extract of their sentence And furder were compelled to subscribe a bond under pain of death to remove out of all the Dominions betuixt such a day This was the lot and also the blot of these famous faithful Ministers Mr Iohn Livingstoun Mr Ro Mâ— Ward Mr Io. Broun c. who spent the rest of their dayes in Holland serving their Generation by their excellent Writings Then after they had disposed of many other Ministers whom they thrust out for not keeping the 29th of May having now laid by the most Eminent whom they feared most of the Ministrie they shortly thereafter outed violented the rest from the exercise of their Ministrie and straitened them with strange severe Confinements yea because they would not be out done 〈◊〉 suppressing Religion by any no not by Iulian the Apostate they proceeded to poyson all the springs fountains of Learning ordaining that none be Masters in Universities except they take the Oath of Supremacy oune the Government of Prelacy and none be admitted to teach in a School without the Prelats Licence These Courses brought many Ministers Expectants to great Sufferings 2. Hitherto they reached only Noblemen Gentlemen Ministers and others whom they thought might
by what orders was given the severitie of prosecuting and the expressions of some great ones since that nothing less than the utter ruin and desolation of these Shires was consulted and concluded and that expedition at that time calculated for that end for what else can be imagined could induce to the raising 10 or 11000 barbarous Savages the joyning them to the standing forces and with such cruel orders the directing them all to the West where there was not one person moving the finger against them neither could they pretend any quarrel If it was not the faithfulness of the People there in their Covenanted Religion and their hoplessness of complying to their Popish and Tyrannical designs and therefore no course so feasible as to destroy them So for dispatching thereof order is given forth that whosoever refuseth to subscribe that Hell-hatched bond must instantly have 10 20 30 40 moe or fewer according to his condition as he is poorer or richer of these new Reformers sent to him to ly not only upon free Quarters to eat up and destroy what they pleased but also for the more speedy expedition ordered to take a six pence for each common Souldier a day and the Officers more according to their degrees and so to remain till either the bond was subscribed or all destroyed Nor was these Trusties deficient to further their purposes in prosecuting their orders Who coming to their Quarters used ordinarly to produce a Billgate for near to as many more as came and for these absents they must have double money because their Landlord was not burthened with their maintenance and where that was refused would take the readiest goods and if any thing remained not destroyed and plundered at their removeing which was not transportible rather then the owner should get any good of it they would in some places set fire to it as they did with the Corn-stacks It would require several great volumes to record the many instances of horrid Barbarities Bloods and Villanies of that wicked expedition so that what by free Quarterings Exactions Robberies Thifts Plunderings and other acts of Violence Crueltie many places was ruined almost to desolation all which the faithful choosed rather to suffer than to sin in complying and albeit their oppression was exceeding lamentable and their loss great yet that of the complyers was greater and sader who lossed a good Conscience in yielding to them and compounding with them 5 Then the Country behoved to pay the Souldiers for all this Service and hire them to do more by paying the imposed Cess whereby they were sharpened into a greater keenness in Cruel executions of their Orders returning to those places of the Country whether they had chased the Persecuted People who still kept their Meetings where-ever they were though they could not attend them but upon the hazard of being killed either in the place where some had their blood mingled with their sacrifice or fleeing or be exposed to their dreadful Cruelties more bitter than death For then it was counted a greater Crime and punished with greater severity for Persons to hear a faithful Minister Preach than to commit Murder Incest Adulterie or to be guiltie of Witchcraft or Idolatrie or the grossest abominations for these have past unpunished when some for their simple presence at a Meeting have been executed unto the death Then also when some were forced to flee into the English border for shelter there also were Parties ordered to pursue those poor hunted Partridges who could not find a hole to hide their head in There we lost a valiant Champion for Truth and truly zealous Contender for the Interest of Christ that universally accomplished Gentleman Christian Tho. Ker of Heyhope who was cruelly murthered in a rancounter with a Party of the English side Thereafter followed that Lamentable stroke at Bothuel where about 300 were killed on the field and about 10. or 1100 taken Prisoners and stript brought into Edinburgh in a merciless manner After which first two faithful painful Ministers Witnesses of Christ Mr Iohn Kid Mr Iohn King received the Croun of Martyrdom sealling that Testimony with their blood and many others after them for the same Cause Then the Enemy after the manner used before first to wound our head and then put on a hood upon it as they have done alwayes after a Mischief and intending a greater offered their Bond of peace on termes that clearly condemned the Cause never to rise in armes against the King c. by which bond many of the Prisoners after they had lyen several weeks in a Church-yard without the shadow of a house to cover them night day were Liberate And many of the rest by the persuasion of some Ministers at whose door their blood lied as well as at the Enemies took that bond and yet were sent away with others that did not take it in a Ship bound for America between 2. and 300. in all who were all murdered in the Ship being shut up under the hatches when it split upon a rock in the North of Scotland except about 50 persons whereof many to this day are Living Witnesses of such a Cruelty III. Hitherto only the Common Rules Rudiments of the Art of Persecution were put in practice exactly quadrating with the Rules of Adam 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 for introducing of Poperie in his Polit. Lib. 2. Cap. â—8 which are 1 To proceed as Musicians do in tuning theâ—â— Instruments gradually 2 To press the examples of some eminent men to draw on the rest 3 To banish all Arch Hereticks at once that is the most zealous Witnesses of Christ or at least with all expedition by degrees 4 To put them out of all power trust and put in friends to the Catholick Interest 5 To load the Protestant Opinions as are most obnoxious with all odious Constructions 6 To discharge all Private Conventieles 7 To 〈◊〉 execute rigorous Lawes against the most dangerous 8 To foment all quarrels among Proteâ—â—â—â—ts and strengthen the Party that is ready to comply 〈…〉 and many other of a deeper Projection greater â—erfection were fallen upon afterwards equallingâ— the most mischievous Machins of Spanish Inquisition 〈◊〉 the Methods that effectuated the desolation of the Church of 〈◊〉 that were exactly followed as they are related in Clarks Martyrology Especially the last of Cantzens Rules was industriously observed in the Device of the Indulgences both before after Bothwel which contributed more to the rending ruining the Remnant 〈◊〉 expose the Faithful to rage cruelty than any thing for when by these ensnaring favours many were drawn away from their duty the rest that maintained it and kept 〈◊〉 the Testimony were both the more easily preyed upon and more cruelly insulted over Hence the few Field-Meetings that were kept were more fiercely pursued after Bothwel than the many before and more cruel Lawes were made against them and more bloody executions than I can find
Test of their acknowledgment but they would not accept Deliverance on these termes that they might obtain a better Resurrection Which so enraged the Tygrish Truculency of these Persecuters that they spared neither age sexe nor Profession the tenderness of youth did not move them to any relenting in murdering very boyes upon this head nor the gray hairs of the aged neither were women spared but some were hanged some drouned tied to Stakes within the Sea-mark to be devoured gradually with the growing waves and some of them of a very young some of an old age Especially after the murder of the never to be forgotten Martyr Mr Cargil the multitude of merciless Sufferings upon this account cannot be enumerated which encreased far beyond all the former steps after the Lanerk Declaration which was burnt with great Solemnity by the Magistrats of Edinburgh in their robes together with the Solemn League Covenant which had been burnt before but then they would more declaredly give new demonstrastrations of their rage against it because they confessed and were convinced of its being conforme unto founded upon that Covenant And because the Incorporation of Lanerk did not because they could not hinder the publishing of it therefore they were threatened with the loss of their Priviledges and forced to pay 6000 Merks Upon the back of which the Sufferings of poor People that ouned the Testimony were sadder sharper and further extended than ever Some being banished for Souldiers to Flanders c. some to be sold as Slaves in Carolina and other Places in America to empty the filled Prisons and make room for more â— which were daylie brought in from all quarters and either kept languishing in their â—asty Prisons or Thiefes holes in bolts irons to make them weary of their life or dispatched as Sacrifices and led as dumb Sheep to the slaughter without suffering them to speak their dying words for beating of Drums or disposed of to Masters of Ships to be transported in Slaverie 5. Had they satisfied themselves with murdering them out of hand it would have been more tolerable and reckoned some degree of mercy in comparison of their malice which after all their endeavours to murder their Souls by ensnaring Offers enslaving Bonds blasphemous contradictory Oaths and multiplying captious Questions to catch the Conscience or at least vexe the Spirits of the Righteous whom they could not prevail with to put forth their hands into iniquity did proceed to invent all exquisite torments more terrible than death Some at their first apprehending were tortured with Fire-matches burning and for ever thereafter disabling their hands Then laid fast locked up in great Irons upon their legs where they lay many Moneths in the cold of winter without any relaxation Some were tortured with the Boots squeezing out the marrow of their legs Others with Thumbkins piercing bruising the bones of their thumbs And some tormented with both one after another and besides kept waking nine nights together by watchful Souldiers who were sworn not to let the afflicted person sleep all that time 6. All this Tyranny had been the more tolerable if they had kept within any bounds of colourable or pretended shadow of legality or in any consonancy to their oun wicked Lawes or exemplars of any former Persecutions But in an ambition to outdo all the Nero's Domitians Dioclesians Duke d' Alva's or Lewis de Grands they scorned all formes as wel as Justice of Law and set up monstrous Monuments of unprecedented illegalitie inhumanitie For when after all their hornings harrassâ—ngs huntings searchings chasings catchings imprisonments torturings banishments and effusions of blood yet they could not get the Meetings crushed either in publick or private nor the zeal of the poor Wanderers quenched with whom they had interdicted all harbour supply comfort refreshment converse or corrospondence and whom they had driven out of their oun all other habitations in Touns Villages or Cottages to the Deserts Mountains Moors Mosses in whose hags holes they were forced to make Dens Caves to hide themselves but that they would still meet for the Worship of God either in Publick though mostly in the cold winter nights or in their Private fellowships for Prayer Conference and to rescue their Brethren and prevent their Murder in these extremities would surprize and take advantages of the Souldiers now then They then raged beyond all bounds and not only apprehending many innocent persons against whom they had nothing to accuse them of but because they could not satisfie them in their Answers sentenced and executed them all in one day and made an Act to do so with all but allowed the bloody Souldiers to murder them without either Tryal or Sentence Especially after the Apologetical Declaration affixed on the Church-doors they acted with an unheard of Arbitrariness For not only did they frame an Oath of Abjuration renouncing the same but pressed it universally upon pain of death upon all men women in City Country and went from house to house forcing young old to give their judgement of that Declaration and of the Kings Authority c. to ridicule and reproach and make a Ludibrum of all Government yea impowered Souldiers common Varlets to impannel Juries condemn cause to be put to death innocent Recusants and having stopt all Travel Commerce without a Pass signifying they had taken that Oath they gave power to all Hostlers Inn-keepers to impose Oaths upon all Passengers Travellers Gentlemen or Countrymen who were to swear that their Pass was not forged And Prisoners that would not take the Oath were according to the foresaid Act condemned sentenced execute all in one day and early in the morning that the People might not be affected with the Spectacles of their bloody Severities Yea Spectators also that gathered to see the execution were imposed upon and commanded to give their judgement whether these men were justly put to death or not And not only so but after that they gave Orders Commands to to the Souldiers to pursue the chase after these Wanderers more violently and shoot or other wise put them to death wherever they could apprehend them Whereby many were taken instantly most inhumanely murdered IV. In the begining of this killing time as the Country calls it the first Author Authorizer of all these Mischiefs Charles II. was removed by death Then one would have thought the Severity would have stopped And the Duke of York succeding in his late Proclamation would make the world beleeve that it never was his principle nor will he ever suffer violence to be offered to any mans Conscience nor use force or invincible necessity against any man on the account of his persuasion Smooth words to cover the mischiefs of his former Destructions and the wickedness of his future designs To which his former celebrated saying that it would never be well till all the south-syd of Forth were
the Innocency of Sufferers may more clearly appear 1. They can accuse whom they will of what they please And if by summar Citation he will not may be because he cannot compear if once his Name be in their Porteous rolls that is sufficient to render him convict 2. They used also to seize some and shut them up in Prison year day without any signification of the cause of their imprisonment 3. They can pick any man off the Street and if he do not answer their Captious Questions proceed against him to the utmost of severity as they have taken some among the Croud at Executions imposed upon them the Questions 4. They can also go through all the houses of the City as well as the Prisons and examine all families upon the Questions of the Councils Catechisme upon the hazard of their life if they do not answer to their satisfaction as hath been done in Edinburgh 5. When any are brought in by Seisure sometimes as is said before they let them lie long without any hearing if they expect they cannot reach them But if they think they can win at them any way then they hurry them in such hast that they have no time to deliberate upon and oftentimes have no knowledgâ— or conjecture of the matter of their Prosecution Yea if they be never so insignificant they will take Diversion from their weightiest affairs to examine take Cognizance of poor Things if they understand they dare vent or avow any respect to the Cause of Christ And the silliest body will not escape their Catechization about affairs of State what they think of the Authority c. 6. If they be kept in Prison any space they take all wayes to pump and discover what can be brought in against them Yea sometimes they have exactly observed that Device of the Spanish Inquisition in suborning sending Flies among them under the disguise shew of Prisoners to search find out their minds who will outstrip all in an Hypocritical zeal thereby to extort draw forth words from the most wary which may be brought in judgement against them the next day 7. When Prisoners are brought in before them they have neither Lybel nor Accuser but must answer super inquirendis to all Questions they are pleased to ask 8. If at any time they forme a sort of Lybel they will not restrict themselves to the Charges thereof but examine the person about other things altogether extraneous to the Lybel 9. They have frequently suborned Witnesses and have sustained them as Witnesses who either were sent out by themselves as Spies Inteâ—ligencers or who palpably were known to delate those against whom they witnessed out of a pick prejudice and yet would not suâ—â—er them to be cast for partial Counsel 10. If they suppose a man to be wary circumspect and more prudent than forward in the Testimony then they multiply questions and at first many impertinent Interrogations having no Connexion with the Cause to try his humour freedom that they may know how to deal with him And renew reiterate several Criminal examinations that they may know whereof and find matter wherein to indyte him by endeavouring to confound or intrap or involve him in Confessions or Contradictions by wresting his words 11. They will admit no time for advice nor any Lawful defence for a delay but will have them to answer presently except they have some hopes of their Complyance and find them begining to stagger succumb in the Testimony in that case when a man seeks time to advise they are animated to a keenness to impose and encouraged to an expectation of Catching by their snares which then they contrive prepare with greater cunning 12. If a man should answer all their questions and clear himself of all things they can alledge against him yet they used to impose some of the Oaths that they concluded he would not take and according to the measure of the tenderness they discovered in any man so they apportioned the Oaths to trap them to the Stricter the smoother Oaths to the Laxer the more odious that all natural Consciences did scar at 13. They will not only have their Lawes obeyed but subscribed And they reckon not their Subjects obedience secured by the Law-makers sanction but the Peoples hand-writing And think it not sufficient that People transgress no Lawes but they must also oune the justice of them and the Authority that enacts them and swear to maintain it And yet when some have done all this and cleared themselves by all Complyances they will not discharge them but under a bond to answer again when called 14. They will have their Lawes to reach not only actions but thoughts and therefore they require what People think of the Bishops death and of Bothwel Insurection And whether they oune the Authority when they can neither prove their disouning of it nor any way offending it 15. They will have men to declare their thoughts and hold them convict if they do not answer Positively all their Captious questions And if they will not tell what they think of this or that then they must go as guilty 16. If they insist in waving and will not give Categorical Answers then they can extort all and prove what they please by torture And when they have extorted their thoughts of things thô they be innocent as to all actions their Law can charge them with then they used to hang them when they had done 17. They have wheedled men sometimes into Confession either of Practices or Principles by promising to favour their ingenuity and upbraiding them for dissemblers if they would not and by mock-expostulations why were they ashamed to give a Testimony And then make them sign their Confessions at the Council to bring them in as a witness against them at the Criminal Court. 18. Yea not only extrajudicial Confession will sustain in their Law but when they have given the Publick faith the Kings security the Act Oath of Council that their Confesion shall not militate against them they have brought it in as witness against them and given it upon Oath when their former Oath Act was produced in open Court in demonstration of their perjurie 19. When the matter comes to an Assize or Cognizance of a Iurie they use to pack them for their purpose and pick out such as are listed who they think will not be bloody enough 20. Sometimes when the Jurie hath brought their verdict in favours of the Pannal they have made them sit doun resume the Cognition of the Case again and threatened them with an Assize of errour if they did not â—ring him in guilty 21. Yea most frequently the Kings Advocate used to Command them to Condemn and bring in the Pannal Guilty under most peremptory Certification of punishment if they should not so that they needed â—o Juries but only for the fashion 22. Sometimes they have sentenced innocent
discovered above 8. Althusius in the place above quoted makes this an other mark when he keepeth not his faith promise but despiseth his very oath made unto the people What shall we say of him then who not only brake but burnt and made it Criminal to assert the obligation of the most solemnly transacted Covenant with God and with the people that ever was entered into who yet upon these termes of keeping that Covenant only was admitted to the Government And what shall we say of his Brother succeeding who disdains all bonds whose professed principle is as a Papist to keep no faith to Hereticks 9. In the same place he makes this on Character a Tyrants is he who takes away from one or moe members of the common wealth the free exercise of the Orthodox Religion And the Grave Author of the Impartial inquiry into the administration of affairs in England doeth assert pag. 3 4. whensoever a Prince becomes depraved to that degree of wickedness as to apply employ his power Interest to debauch withdraw his subjects from their fealty obedience to God or sets himself to extirpate that Religion which the Lord hath revealed appointed to be the rule of our living the means of our happiness he doth ipso facto depose himself and instead of being ouned any longer for a King ought to be treated as a Rebel Traiter against the Supreme Universal Soveraign This is the perfect Protracture of our Princes the former of which declared an open war against Religion all that professed it and the Latter did begin to prosecute it with the same cruelty of persecution and yet continues without relenting against us though to others he tolerates it under the Notion of a Crime to be for the present dispensed with until he accomplish his design 10. Ibid. he tells us that for corrupting of youth he erecteth stage plages Whore-houses other Play-houses and suffers the Colledges other Seminaries of Learning to be corrupted There was never more of this in any age than in the conduct of our Court which like another Sodom profess it to be their design to debauch mankind in to all villanies and to poison the fountains of all learning virtue by intruding the basest of men into the place of teachers both in Church University and precluding all access to honest men 11. Further he sayes he is a Tyrant who doth not defend his subjects from injuries when he may but suffereth them to be oppressed and what if he oppress them himself It was one of the Lawes of Edward the Confessor Quod si Rex desit officio nomen Regis in eo non constabit If the King fail in the discharge of his Trust office he no longer deserves nor ought to enjoy that name What name do they deserve then who not only fail in the duty of defending their subjects but send out their Lictors bloody Executioners to oppress them neither will suffer them to defend themselves But Althusius makes a distinct Character of this 12. Then in fine he must certainly be a Tyrant who will not suffer the people by themselves nor by their Representatives to maintain their oun rights neither by Law nor force for sayeth my Author Forecited he is a Tyrant who hindereth the free suffrages of members of Parliament so that they dare not speak what they would And chiefly he who takes away from the people all power to resist his Tyranny as Armes strengths chief men whom therefore though innocent he hateth afflicteth persecuteth exhausts their goods livelyhoods without right or reason All know that our blades have been all alongs enemies to Parliaments and when their Interest forced to call them what means were used always to pacque prelimit them and over-aw them and how men who have faithfully discharged their trust in them have been prosecuted with the hight of envy fury and many murthered thereupon And how all the armed force of the Kingdoms have been inhanced into their hand and the people kept so under foot that they have been rendered incapable either to defend their oun from intestine Usurpers or forreign Invaders All that is said amounts to this that when ever men in power do evert subvert all the ends of Government and intrude themselves upon it and abuse it to the hurt of the Common wealth and the destruction of that for which Government was appointed They are then Tyrants and cease to be Magistrates To this purpose I shall here append the words of that forecited Ingenious Author of the Impartial Enquirie Pap. 13. 14. There can be nothing more evident from the light of reason as well as Scripture than that all Magistracy is appointed for the benefite of mankind and the common good of Societies God never gave any one power to reign over others for their destruction unless by His providence where He had devoted a people for their sins to ruine but on whomsoever He confers Authority over Cities or Nations it is with this Conditional Proviso Limitation that they are to Promote their Prosperity good and to study their defence Protection All Princes are thus far Pactional And whosoever refuseth to perform this fundamental condition he degrades deposes himself nor is it rebellion in any to resist him whensoever Princes ceases to be for the common good they answer not the end they were instituted unto and cease to be what they were chosen for 6. It will not be denyed but when the Case is so circumstantiate that it would require the arbitration of judgment to determine whether the King be a Tyrant or not that then people are not to disoune him for if it be a question whether the people be really robbed of their rights Liberties and that the King might pretend as much reason to complain of the people their doing indignity to his Soveraignty as they might of his Tyranny Then it were hard for them to assume so for the umpirage of their oun Cause as to make themselves absolute judges of it and forth with to reject his Authority upon these debateable grounds But the Case is not so with us no Place being left for doubt or debate but that our fundamental rights Liberties Civil Religious are overturned and an absolute Tyranny exactly Characterized as above is established on the ruines thereof Hence we have not disouned the pretended Authority because we judged it was Tyrannical but because it was really so Our discretive judgment in the case was not our rule but it was our understanding of the rule by which only we could be regulated and not by the understanding of another which cannot be better nor so good of our grievances which certainly we may be supposed to understand best our selves and yet they are such as are understood every where To the question then who shall be Judge between these Usurping Tyrannizing Rulers us we answer
him as King which was one great cause of his persecuting them It s true he persecuted them also for other things as for their not denying Christ So are we persecuted for many other things than for our simple disouning of the King yet this is reckoned as a distinct cause of their suffering by Mr Mede on the Revel Part. 1. Pag. 43. Gees Magist. Origin ch 10. Sect. 7. Pag. 361. The same last cited Author shewes that when Albinus Niger Cassius successively usurped the Empire having none of them any Legal investure the Christians declined the recognition of their Claim and would not oune them and that upon this Tertulian sayes Nunquam Albiniani nec Nigriani vel Cassiani inveniri potuerunt Christiani that is the Christians could never be found to be Albinians or Nigrians or Cassians meaning they were never ouners of these men for Magistrats And so may we say Pudet inveniri inter Carolinianos Iacobinianos hujus temporis Not unlike is the passage of Ambrose who in favors of Valentiniaâ— the rightful Governour contested against Maximus the Tyrant and not only disouned him but excommunicated him for which he was threatened with death And yet it is observable that when Maximus offered to interpose his power in defence of Ambrose that he might not be banished by Iustina the Empress he would not accept of the help of Maximus whose power he disallowed disouned Whence I observe that it is not without a Precedent for a Minister to disoune a Tyrant to refuse favour from him yea and to excommunicate him yea even without the concurrence of his fainting brethren for all which some of our faithful Ministers have been much condemned in our day especially Mr Donald Cargil for excommunicating Charles the Second Iames Duke of York as if such a thing had never been done before Whereas we see what Ambrose did to Maximus And this same faithful Minister Ambrosius Minister at Millain in Italy did also hold out of the Assembly of the Christians Theodosius the Emperour though a most vertuous Prince for that grievous Scandal committed by him against the innocent people at Thessalonica in killing so many of them in a Passionate transport But 3. since this objection of the Primitive Christians is much insisted on both against this and the head of defensive Armes I shall further take notice of several distinctions that do make the difference between their case Ours very vast 1 There is a great difference betuixt a Prince of the common Religion of his Subjects but distinct from some of them whom yet he does not seek to entice to his Religion but gives them liberty the benefite of the Law as other Subjects which was the case of many in these primitive times sometimes And a Prince by all means both foul fair pressing to a revolt from the true and to embrace a false Religion In this case which is ours with a witness it must be granted we should be wary that we neither engage with him nor oune Allegiance to him when he would withdraw us from our Allegiance to God. 2 There is a great difference betuixt a Prince persecuting the true Religion which only a few of his subjects here there did profess who in regard of their Paucity were never in capacity to be looked upon as the body of the people impowering him as their publick Servant which was their case And a Prince persecuting that Religionâ— which was professed by the body of the Nation when they sett him up In this Latter case men of great sense have denyed he should be ouned for a Prince because then he is stated against the Common good This was our case under the former King and yet under this though all Professors be not now persecuted the publick Religion Ancient Reformation is persecuted in a few whom he intends to destroy and in their destruction to bury it 3 There is a difference betwixt a Prince Persecuting Religion publickly ouned received of his subjects yet never approved nor confirmed by Law as it was not in the primitive times And a Prince persecuting Religion ratified established by the Laws of the Land which is our case It will seem clear to every soul not benighted with Court darkness that he then deâ—acto and ipso jure falleth from his right in this case because now he is not only stated against the common good but against the very Laws by which the Subjects must be ruled Then he ruleth not as a Prince to whom the Law giveth his Measures Bounds but rageth as a Tiger Tyrant and ought to be carried towards as such 4 There is a difference betwixt a Prince suppressing that Religion established by Law which he never professed nor never gave his consent to these Laws as might be the case of some of the Arian Emperours though it be unlawful for any people to set up any Mortal over them who is not in this case bound to the good behaviour And a Prince opposing oppressing that Religion which himself hath professed and is ratified by Laws with his oun consent which was our case under the former King who did give the most solemn Ratification of them that ever was given but afterwards most perfidiously retracted it As also this Apostate Papist did somtime profess himself Protestant and consented to the Laws establishing it and the Penal Statutes against Papists though now he is going about to raze all and ruine that alone valuable Treasure of our Nation Religion 5 There is a difference betwixt a Prince consenting to Laws establishing Religion which he now persecuteth which might have been the case of Iulian the Apostate And a Prince who not only consented to these Laws but who did upon these very terms no other get receive his Croun Scepter that he should preserve the Religion as Reformed and protect as a Father the Professors thereof and maintain the Laws establishing it which yet he perfidiously perniciously being once settled in the Government Breaks Casts Cassats Overturns which was done by Charles Or And a Prince who will neither be bounded by the Laws he consented to nor be bound to the Observation of any Laws whatsoever but challenges it as his prerogative Royal to be absolute above all Laws and denying all Security upon terms is free to destroy Religion Liberty and all the valuable Interests of the Nation when he pleases This is Iames his Character 6 There is a difference betwixt a Prince breaking the main only Article of his Covenant in a fit of fury rage being transported upon some Mistakes which was the case of Theodosius the Emperour And a Prince not only violating this upon deliberation but plainly Declaring that neither Oath nor Declaration can or will bind him but these being made void he will destroy without restraint all these Covenanted priviledges This was the case of Charles Or And a Prince who as he never will come
must be ouned to be a Father Tutor Protector Shepherd Patron of the people But a mere conquerour without consent cannot be ouned as such Can he be a Father Patron to us against our will by the sole power of the sword a Father to these that are unwilling to be Sons an head over such as will not be members and a defender through violence 4. A King as such is a special gift of God and blessing not a judgement But a conquerour as such is not a blessing but a judgement his native end being not Peace but fire sword 5. That which hath nothing of a King in it can not be ouned to make a King But conquest hath nothing of a King in it for it hath nothing but violence force nothing out what the bloodyest villain that was never a King may have nothing of Gods approving regulating Will nothing of Institution or constitution and a plain repugnancy to the Ordination of God for God hath said thow shalt not kill conquest sayes I will kill and Prosper reign 6. A Lawful Call to a Lawful Office may not be resisted But a Call to conquest which is nothing but ambition or revenge ought to be resisted because not of Gods preceptive will otherwise He should be the Author of sin 7. That power which we must oune to be the Ordinance oâ— God must not be resisted Rom. 13. 2. But conquest may be resisted in defence of our King Country Therefore it must no be ouned to be the Ordinance of God. 8. That which God condemns in His Word cannot be ouned But Dominion by the sword God condemns in His Word Ezek. 33. 26. ye stand upon your sword and shall possess the Land Amos 6. 13. ye rejoice in a thing of naught which say have we not taken horns to us by our oun strength Habhak 2. 5 6 Wo to him that encreaseth that which is not his how long c. 9. We have many examples of invading Conquerours as Abraham for the rescue of Lot pursued the Conquering Kings unto Dan. Gen. 14. 14. Ionathan smote a Garison of the Conqueering Philistims 1 Sam. 13. 3. The Lord ouning authorizing them so to do The people did often shake off the yoke of their Conquerours in the history of the Judges But this they might not do to their Lawful Rulers What is objected from the Lords people Conquering Canaan c. is no Argument for conquest for He to whom belongs the earth and its fullness disponed to Israel the Land of Canaan for their Inheritance and ordained that they should get the possession thereof by conquest It followeth not therefore that Kings now wanting any word of promise or divine Grant to any Lands may ascend to the Thrones of other Kingdoms than their oun by no better title than the bloody sword See Lex Rex Quest 12. The Third pretence of Hereditary Succession remaines to be removed which may be thus disproven 1. This clashes with the former though commonly asserted by Royalists For either Conquest gives a right or it does not If it does then it looses all allegiance to the heirs of the Crown dispossessed thereby If it does not give a right then no Hereditary Succession founded upon conquest can have any right being founded upon that which hath no right And this will shake the most part of Hereditary Successions that are now in the world 2. If Hereditary Succession have no right but the peoples consent then of it self it can give none to a man that hath not that consent But the former is true For it is demanded how doth the Son or Brother succeed by what right It must either be by divine promise Or by the Fathers will Or it must come by propogation from the first Ruler by a right of the Primogeniture But none of these can be For the first we have no immediate Divine Constitution tying the Crown to such a race as in Davids Covenant It will be easily granted they fetched not their Charter from Heaven immediatly as David had it a man of many peculiar prerogatives to whose line the promise was astricted of the Coming of Messias and Iacobs Prophesie that the Scepter should not depart from Iudah until His coming Gen. 49. 10. was restricted to his family afterwards Wherefore he could say The Lord God of Israel chose me befor all the house of my father to be King over Israel for ever for He hath chosen Iudah to be the Ruler and of the house of Iudah the house of my father and among the sons of my father He liked me to make me King over Israel and of all my Sons He hath chosen Solomon 1 Chron. 28. 4. 5. All Kings cannot say this neither could Saul say it though immediatly called of God as well as David yet this same Promise to David was Conditional if His Children should keep the Lords wayes 2 Chron. 6. 16. Next it cannot be said this comes from the will of the father for according to the Scripture no King can make a King though a King may appoint design his son for succession as David did Solomon but the people make him The father is some way a Cause why his son succeedeth but he is not the Cause of the Royaltie conferred upon him by line for the question will recur who made him a King and his father grand father till we come up to the first father Then who made him a King not himself therefore it must be refounded upon the peoples choise constitution And who appointed the lineal succession and tyed the Crown to the line but they It is then at the best the Patrimony of the people by the fundamental Law of the Kingdom conferred upon the successor by consent And generally it is granted even where the succession is lineal he that comes to inherit Doth it not jure hereditario but vi legis he does not succeed by heritage but by the force of Law the Son then hath not his Kingdom from his father but by Law which the people made stand to as long as it may consist with the reasons of publick advantage upon which they condiscended to establish such a family over them Neither can it be said It is by a right of Primogeniture propogated from the first Ruler for this must either be Adam the first of the world or Fergus v. G. the first of this Kingdom It could not come from Adam as a Monarch father of all For that behoved to be either by order of Nature or his volunâ—ary assignment It could not be transferred by order of Nature for besides the difficulty to find out Adams successor in the universal Monarchy and the absurdity of fixing it on Cain who was a Cursed vagabond afraied of every man and could not be an universal Monarch yet Adams first born It will be asked how this passed from him unto others whether it went by father-hood to all the Sons fathers to
their Posterity which would multiply as many Common wealths as there have been fathers since Or if it went by Primogeniture only to the first born that he alone could claim the power which would infer the necessity of an universal Monarchy without multiplication of Common-wealths If it was by his voluntary assignment to whom in what proportion he pleased then the universal Monarchy died with himself and so could not be conveyed at all for either he behoved to give each son a share to be conveyed dounwards to their children in that proportion or whole solide to one So also the former dilemma recurs for if the first be said it will make as many litle Kingdoms as there have been sons of Adam if the second the world should be but still one Kingdom But however it be this could never be the way that God appointed either for raising a Magistratical power where it is wanting or deriving a right to any in being Considering the multiplication division confusion Extinction of families that have been If it be from Fergus the first of this line then either it comes from him as a King or as a Father not the first for the reason above hinted nor as a father for a father may defraud his son of the heritage a King cannot deprive his son of the Crown a father may divide his heritage a King cannot divide the Kingdom among his sons It must then be at length refounded on the peoples Consent 3. If even where lineal succession is Constituted by Law for eviting the inconveniences of frequent elections people are not tied to admit every first born of that line then that birth righr where there is no more cannot make a King But the former is true for they are tied only conditionally so he be qualified and have a head to sit at the helme and not a fool or monster neither are they free to admit Murderers or Idolaters by the Laws of God and of the Land It is not birth then but their admission being so qualified that makes Kings Hence 4. That which takes away the peoples birth-right given them of God to provide for their liberties in the fitest Government that is not to be ouned But to make birth alone a tile to the Crown takes away the peoples birth-right given them of God of providing for their liberties in the fitest Government and fetters their choise to one destructive to these Certainly where God hath not bound the conscience men may not bind themselves nor their posterity But God hath never fettered men to a choise of a Government or Governing line which contrary to the intention of the Oath may prove destructive to the ends thereof Nor can the fathers leave in legacy by Oath any chains to fetter the after wits of posterity to a choise destructive to Religion liberty Israel was bound by Covenant not to destroy the Gibeonites but if they had risen to cut off Isael who can doubt but they were loosed from that obligation for to preserve Cut-throats was contrary to the intention of the Oath so when either Monarchy or the succeeding Monarch proves destructive to the ends of Government the Choice Law or Oath of our fathers cannot bind us 5. If we are tied to the hereditary succession not for the right the successor hath by birth but for our Covenanted allegiance to them whose successor he is then cannot his birth-right be the ground of our Allegiance And consequently hereditary succession cannot make a King But the former is true for in hereditary Crowns the first family being chosen by the suffrages of the people for that Cause the hereditary Prince comes to the Throne becanse his first father and in him the whole line was chosen The hereditary successor hath no priviledge or prerogative but from him who was chosen King. Therefore the obligation to the son being no greater than the obligation to the father which is the ground of that if the father then was ouned only because he was chosen qualified for Government the Son cannot be ouned for any other Cause but as chosen in him and also qualified and admitted with Consent We cannot choose the father as qualified and tye our selves to the Successors be what they will. 6. If a King be not born heir of a Kingdom then is he not King by birth But he is not born heir of a Kindom for a mean cannot be born to inherit the end the King is but a mean for the Kingdoms preservation If the Kingdom be his by birth as an inheritance why may he not upon necessary occasions sell his inheritance but if he sell it then all confess he is no more King. 7. If that which makes a King cannot be transmitted from father to son then succession by birth cannot make a King But the former is true The Royal faculty of Governing cannot be transmitted Solomon asked it from God he had it not from his father nor can he be born to the honour of a King because not born with either the gift or honour to be a Iudge God maketh high low not birth Nor can the Call Constitution of a King according to the will of God be transferred from father to son for that cannot be in Gods way without the intervening Consent of the people that cannot make him a born King. 8. If no Dominion can come by Nature as is proven before then can no man be a born King Nature birth cannot give them a Scepter in their hand nor Kingly Majestie they must have that alone from God the people and may only expect honour from their oun good Government Kings as Plutarch sayes must be like dogs that are best hunters not these who are born of best dogs 9. The peculiar Prerogative of Iesus Christ must not be ascribed to any other But this is His peculiar Prerogative to be a born King of whom it might be truely faid Where is He that is born King of the Iewes And for this end was He born who came out of the womb with a Crown on His Head which no Creature can bear 10. In Scripture we find that a King was to be so so qualified not a stranger but a reader of Gods Word c. Deut. 17. 15. c. he was not qualified by naked birth Hence if all the qualifications requisite in an heir cannot make a King qualified according to the Institution of God then his being heir cannot make him King But the first is true an heir may be an heir without these qualifications 11. We find in the Scripture the people were to make the Kings by that Law Deut. 17. thow shalt choose him whom the Lord chooseth yea neither Saul nor David were Kings till the people met to make them Therefore birth never made them Kings even though the Kingdom was tied to Davids line That was only a Typical designment by special Promise because Christ was to come of that line it was
the Lord. So that we sin against the fifth Command when we honour them that we are obliged to contemn by another Command Hence I argue If ouning or honouring of Tyrants be a breach of the fifth Command then we cannot oune their Authority But the former is true Ergo the latter I prove the Assumption A honouring the vile to whom no honour is due and who stand under no relation of Fathers as Fathers is a breach of the fifth Command But the ouning of Tyrants Authority is a honouring the vile to whom no honour is due and who stand under no relation of Fathers and is yet a honouring them as Fathers Ergo the ouning of Tyrants Authority is a breach of the fifth Command The Major is clear for if the honouring of these to whom no honour is due were not a breach of the fifth Command that precept conld neither be kept at all nor broken at all It could not be kept at all for either it must oblige us to honour all indefinitely as Fathers and other relations which cannot be or else it must leave us still in suspence ignorance who shall be the object of our honour and then it can never be kept or finally it must astrict our honouring to such definite relations to whom it is due then our transgression of that restriction shall be a breach of it Next if it were not so it could not be broken at all for if prostituting abusing honour be not a sin we cannot sin in the matter of honour at all for if the abuse of honour be not a sin then dishonour also is not a sin for that is but an abuse of the duty which is a sin as well as the omission of it And what should make the taking away of honour from the proper object to be sin and the giving it to a wrong object to be no sin Moreover if this Command do not restrict honour to the proper object we shall never know who is the object how shall we know who is our Father or what we owe to him if we may give another his due The Minor also is manifest for if Tyrants be vile then no honour is due to them according to that Psal. 15. 4. And yet it is a honouring them as Fathers if they be ouned as Magistrats for Magistrats are in a politick sense Fathers But certain it is that Tyrants are vile as the Epithets Characters they get in Scripture prove But because in contradiction to this it may be said though Fathers be never so wicked yet they are to be honoured because they are still Fathers And though Masters be never so vile and froward yet they are to be subjected unto 1 Pet. 2. 18-20 and so of other relations to whom honour is due by this Command therefore though Tyrants be never so vile they are to be ouned under these relations because they are the higher Powers in place of Eminency to whom the Apostle Paul commands to yeeld subjection Rom. 13. and Peter to give submission honour 1 Pet. 2. 13 17. Therefore it must be considered that as the relative duty of honouring the relations to whom it is due must not interfere with the moral duty of contemning the vile who are not under these relations So this general Moral of contemning the vile must not caâ—sate the obligation of relative duties but must be understood with a Consistency therewith without any prejudice to the duty it self We must contemn all the vile that are not under a relation to be honoured and these also that are in that relation in so far as they are vile But now Tyrants do not come under these Relations at all that are to be honoured by this Command As for the higher Powers that Paul speaks of Rom. 13. they are not those which are higher in foâ—ce but higher in Power not in potentia but in potestate not in a Celsitude of prevalency but in a precellency of dignity not in the pomp pride of their prosperity possession of the place but by the virtue value of their office being ordained of God not to be resisted the Ministers of God for good terrors to evil doers to whom honour is due those are not Tyrants but Magistrats Hence it is a word of the same root which is rendered Authority or an Authorized Power 1 Tim. 2. 2. And from the same word also comes that supreme to whom Peter commands subjection honour 1 Pet. 2. 13. Now these he speaks of have the Legal Constitution of the people being the ordinance of man to be subjected to for the Lords sake and who sends other inferior Magistrats for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well who are to be honoured as Kings or Lawful Magistrats this cannot be said of Tyrants But more particularly to evince that Tyrants Usurpers are not to be honoured according to this Command and that it is a breach of it so to do let us go through all these Relations of Superiority that come under the obligation of this Command and we shall find Tyrants Usurpers excluded out of all First they cannot come under the Parental relation We are indeed to esteem Kings as Fathers though not properly but by way of some Analogy because it is their office to care for the people and to be their Counsellers and to defend them as Fathers do for Children but Roaring Lyons Ranging Bears as wicked Rulers are Prov. 28. 15. cannot be Fathers But Kings cannot properly be ouned under this Relation far less Tyrants with whom the Analogy of Fathers cannot consist there being so many notable disparities betwixt Kings Fathers 1. A Father may be a Father to one Child but a King cannot be a King or Politick Father to one only but his Correlate must be a Community a Tyrant can be a Father to none at all in a Politick sense 2. A Father is a Father by Generation to all coming out of his loyns a King not so he doth not beget them nor doth their relation flow from that a Tyrant is a destroyer not a Procreator of people 3. A Father is the cause of the Natural being of his Children A King only of the Politick well being of his subjects but Tyrants are he cause of the ill being of both 4. A Father once a Father as long as his Children live retains still the relation thô he turn mad and never so wicked A King turning mad may be served as Nebuchadnezzar was at least all will grant in some cases the subjects may shake off thâ— King and if in any case it is when he turns Tyrant 5. A Fathers relation never ceases whither soeuer his Children go but subjects may change their relation to a King by coming under another King in another Kingdom a Tyrant will force all lovers of freedom to leave the Kingdom where he Domineers 6. A Fathers relation never changes he can neither
David on thy side thow son of Iesse Here was a formed Revolt from Saul unto David before he was King for after this he was made King in Hebron and there could not be two Kings at once Hence I argue if people may separate themselves from and take part with the Resister against a Tyrant then they may disoune him for if they oune him still to be the Minister of God they must not resist him Rom. 13. 2. But here is an example that many people did separate themselves from Saul and took part with the Resister David Ergo Here two of the first Monarchs of Israel were disouned Abimelech Saul 3. The first Hereditary Successor was likewise disouned as was hinted above likewise The ten tribes offer to Covenant with Rehoboam in terms securing their Rights Liberties They desired nothing on the matter but that he would engage to rule over them according to the Law of God To which when he answered most Tyrannically and avowed he would Tyrannise over them and oppress them more than any of his Predicessors they fell away from him and erected themselves into a new Common-wealth 1 King. 12. 16. So when Israel saw that the King hearkened not unto them they answered what portion have we in David neither have we inheritance in the son of Iesse to your tents O Israel now see to thine oun house David 2 Chron. 10. 16. Now however the event of this declared Revolt proved sorrowful when they and their new King made defection unto Idolatry yet if they had stated managed it right the Cause was good justifyable commendable For 1 We find nothing in all the Text condemning this 2 On the Contrary its expressly said the Cause was from the Lord that He might perform His saying which He spake by Ahijah 1 King. 12. 15. 2 Chron. 10. 15. And 3 When Rehoboam was preparing to pursue his pretended right he was reproved discharged by Shemajah ye shall not go up nor fight against your brethren for this thing is from me 1 King. 12. 24. 2 Chron. 11. 4. 4 Whereas it is alledged by some that this was of God only by His providence and not by His Ordinance the contrary will appear if we consider how formally Covenant-wise the Lord gave ten tribes to Ieroboam 1 King. 11. 35 37 38. I will take the Kingdom out of his sons hand and I will give it unto thee even ten tribes And I will take thee and thow shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth and shall be King over Israel And it shall be if thow wilt hearken unto all that I command thee and will walk in my wayes and do that which is right in my sight to keep my statutes my commandments as David my servant did that I will be with thee build thee a sure house as I built for David and will give Israel unto thee Where we see the Kingdom was given unto him on the same Terms conditions that it was given to David He may indeed give Kingdoms to whom He wiâ— by Providential grant as unto Nebuchadnezzar and others but He never gave them a Kingdom upon these Conditions and by way of Covenant that does alwayes imply import His Word Warrant ordinance 5 If we consider the Cause of the Revolt we will find it very just for after the decease of the former King they enter upon terms of a Compact with the successor upon a suspensive condition to engage into fealty Allegiance to him as subjects if he would give them security for their Liberties Priviledges A very Lawful Laudable necessary transaction founded upon Moral equity upon the fundamental Constitutions of that Government and suitable to the constant practice of their Predicessors in their Covenanting with Saul David As for that Word 1 King. 12. 19. So Israel Rebelled against the house of David It is no more then in the margent they fell away or revolted And no more to be condemned then Hezekiahs Rebellion 2 King. 18. 7. The Lord was with him and he Rebelled against the King of Assyria That was a good Rebellion Hence If it be Lawful for a part of the people to shake off the King refuse subjection to him and set up a new King of their oun when he resolveth to play the Tyrant and rule them after his oun absolute power then it is a duty when he actually playes the Tyrant and by his absolute power overturns Laws Religion and claims by Law such a prerogative But the former is true Ergo See Ius Pepuli vindic chap. 3. Pag 52. 4. This same Ieroboam when he turned Tyrant Idolater was revolted from and deserted by the Priests the Levites and after them out of all the tribes of Israel by all such as set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel because that King degenerating into Tyranny Idolatry had put them from the exercise of their office Religion as our Charles did and ordained him Priests for the Devils for the Calves So they returned to Rehoboam being induced by his administration of the Government which for a time was better then he promised for three years he walked in the wayes of David Salomon 2 Chron. 11. 13-17 Hence I argue If Idolatrous Tyrants may be deserted then they may be disouned for when they desert them they disoune them abroad in coming under another Government and if they may be disouned abroad it is the same duty at home though may be not the same Policy or Prudence 5. Another example of the like nature we have in the reign of Baasha who succeeded to Nadab Ieroboams son whom he slew reigned in his stead the same way that the Duke came to the Throne For he could not keep his subjects within his Kingdom but behoved to build Ramah that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa. King of Iudah a good Prince 1 King 15. 17. yet that could not hinder them but many strangers out of Ephraim Manasseh Simeon fell to him in abundance when they saw that the Lord his God was with him 2 Chron. 15. 9. Hence If people may chuse another King when they see the Lord is with him then they may disoune their Country King when they see the Devil is with him 6. When Jehoram the son of Ahab reigned over Israel we have an express example of Elisha's disouning him 2 King. 3. 14. 15. And Elisha said unto the King of Israel what have I to do with thee As the Lord of hosts liveth before whom I stand surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the King of Judah I would not look toward thee nor see thee Here he declares so much contempt of him and so litle regard that he disdains him a look And if he would not regard him nor give him honour then he did not oune him as King for all
shall be found to conduce for so good ends Which are the Words of the National Covenant clearly condemning Oaths Bonds given to Malignants which are divisive of them that adhere to and Unitive with them that oppose the Covenant and impeditive of resolutions to prosecute the ends thereof So in the Solemn League Covenant Art. 4. We are obliged to oppose all such as make any faction or parties amongst the people contrary to this League Covenant but by these Oaths Bonds such factions are made c. And by Art. 6. we are obliged to assist defend all those that enter into this Covenant contradicted by all the later Oaths Bonds and not to suffer our selves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination to be divided from this blessed union whether to make defection to the contrary part or to give our selves to a detestable indifferency c. Which we do when we divide our selves from these that refuse these Oaths and makes defection unto the party that impose them And in the Solemn Acknowledgment of sins Engagment to duties We are sworn § 6. to be so far from conniving at complying with or countenancing of Malignancy Injustice c. that we shall not only avoid discountenance these things c. but take an effectual course to punish suppress these evils All which we counteract contradict when we take any of these Oaths or Bonds In the Second place by a Particular induction of the several kinds of these Oaths Bonds the iniquity of each of them will appear and the Complex iniquity of the smoothest of them the Oath of Abjuration compared with every one of them will be manifest And consequently the honesty innocency of Sufferers for Refusing them will be discovered I. The first in order which was a Copy to all the rest was the Declaration ordained to be subscribed by all in publick Charge office or Trust within the Kingdom Wherein they do affirme declare they judge it unlawful to Subjects upon pretence of Reformation or any other pretence whatsoever to enter into Leagues Covenants or take up armes against the King and that all these Gatherings petitions protestations that were used for carrying on of the late troubles were unlawful seditious And particularly that these Oaths the National Covenant and the Salemn League Covenant were and are in themselves unlawful Oaths Here is a Confederacy required against the Lord at which the Heavens might stand astonished an unparalelled breach of the Third Command Which could no more be taken in Truth Righteousness than an Oath renouncing the Bible but it hath this advantage of the rest that it is some what plain And the iniquity legible on its front 1. That it is a renouncing of Solemn Sacred Covenants perpetually binding to Moral indispensable duties the wickedness whereof is evident from what is said above 2. It makes perjurie of the deepest dye the necessary sine qua non qualification of all in publick Office who cannot be presumed capable of administrating Justice when they have avowed themselves perjured perfidious and not to be admitted among heathens let be Christians nor trusted in a matter of ten shillings money according to the Laws of Scotland 3. It renounces the whole Work of Reformation and the way of Carrying it on as a Pretence and trouble unlawful seditious Which if it be a Trouble then the Peace they have taken in renouncing it must be such a Peace as is the plague of God upon the heart filling it with senslessness stupidity in His just Judgement because of the palpable breach of Covenant or such a Peace as is very consistent with the Curse vengeance of God pursuing the quarrel of a broken Covenant 4. It condemns the taking up armes against the King which shall be proven to be duty Head 5. Besides that hereby the most innocent means of seeking the redress of Grievances that Religion Risings Law practice of all Nations allowes is condemned Yet in effect for as monstrous as this Oath is the Complexe of its iniquity is couched in the Oath of Abjuration in which many of these Methods of Combinations Risings Declarations of war against the King and Protestations against his Tyranny which were used in the late Troubles for carrying on the Reformation are abjured in that a Declaration is renounced in so far as it Declares war against the King and asserts it Lawful to kill them that serve him Which yet in many cases in the Covenanted Reformation here renounced were acknowledged practised as Lawful besides that it hath many other breaches of Covenant in it as will be shewed II. The next Net they contrived to catch Consciences was the Oath of Allegiance Supremacy Wherein they that took it for testification of their faithful obedience to their most gracious redoubted Soveraign Charles King of Great Britain do affirme testifie Declare that they acknowledg their said Soveraign only supreme Governour of this Kingdom over all persons in all Causes And that no forreign Prince hath any jurisdiction power or superiority over the same and therefore do utterly renounce all forreign power and shall at their utmost power defend assist maintain his Majs jurisdiction foresaid and never decline his power The iniquity of this Oath is very vast and various 1. It is a Covenant of Allegiance with a King turned Tyrant and enemy to Religion Subverter of the Reformation and overturner of our Laws Liberties and therefore demonstrate to be sinful both from the first General Argument against Oaths and from Head. 2. 2. It cannot be taken in Truth Righteousness or Iudgement beause the words are general very comprehensive and ambiguous capable of diverse senses when he is affirmed to be supreme over all Persons and in all Causes and to be assistest maintained in that jurisdiction Who can be sure in swearing such an Oath but that he may thereby wrong others wrong Parliaments in their Priviledges wrong the Church in her Liberties and which is worse wrong the Lord Jesus Christ who is Supreme alone in some Causes Can an Oath be taken in Truth Righteousness to assist him in all encroachments upon Causes that are not subordinate to him and in invading all those Priviledges of Subjects which are Natural Civil Moral Religious for if he be supreme in all Causes then all these depend upon him be subordinate to him And can it be taken in Iudgement and with a clear mind when it may be debated doubted as it is by some whether the obligation of it is to be considered as circumstantiate specificate to the present Object of it supposing him a Tyrant or in a more abstract notion as it might be tendered in the sense of its first Authors as it was taken in King Iames the 6. his dayes And as they plead for taking the English Oath of Allegiance as it was accepted by the
half Civil half Ecclesiastick which have no Warrand in the Word 3 By this many palpable intollerable encroachments made upon the Liberties priviledges of the Church of Christ are yeelded unto as that there must be no Church Judicatories or Assemblies without the Magistrates consent but that the power of convocating indicting Assemblies do belong only to him and the power of delegating constituting the members thereof that he may dissolve them when he pleases that his presence or his Commissioners is necessary unto each Nationall Assembly that Ministers have no proper decisive suffrage in Synods but only of advice that the Church Judicatories be prelimited and nothing musâ— be treated there which may be interpreted grating upon the prerogative nor any thing whatsoever but what he shall allow approve without which it can have no force nor validity yea by this a door should be opened unto the utter destruction overthrow of all Church Judicatories seeing he is made the fountain of all Church power 4 By this the Magistrate is made a Church member as he is a Magistrate and so all Magistrats as such are Church members even heathens And yet 5 By this he is exempted from subjection to the Ministry because they are made accountable to him in their administrations and in the discharge of their function are under him as Supreme Yea 6 By this the Magistrate is made a Church Officer having the disposal of the Churches Government And not only so but 7 By this he is made a Church Officer of the highest degree being supreme in all Causes to whom Ministers in the discharge of their Ministrie are subordinate And so 8 By this the Church of the new Testament is made imperfect so long as she wanted a Christian Magistrate wanting hereby a Chief Officer yea and the Apostles did amiss in robbing the Magistrate of his power 9 By this the Magistrate might exerce all Acts of jurisdiction immediately by himself seeing he can do it as supreme by his Commissioners in Ecclesiastick affairs 10 Finally By this Oath the King is made the head of the Church being supreme over all persons in all Causes unto whom all Appeals references must ultimately be reduced even from Church Judicatories Those things are only here touched they are more apodeictically confirmed above and may be seen made out at large in Apol. Relat. Sect. 12. But I proceed 6. It is contrary unto the Solemn League Covenant into whose place after it was broken burnt buryed rescinded since they have remitted the subjects allegiance by annulling the Bond of it they substitute surrogate this in its place And therefore none can comply with the surrogation of the second except he consent to the abrogation of the first Oath All the Allegiance we can oune according to the Covenant stands perpetually expressly thus qualified viz. in defence of Religon Liberty according to our first second Covenants and in its oun nature must be indispensably thus restricted Therefore to renew the same or take an Oath of Allegiance simply purposely omitting the former restriction when the powers are in manifest Rebellion against the Lord is in effect a disouning of that limitation and of the Soveraign prerogative of the Great God which is thereby reserved and as much as to say whatever Authority command us to do we shall not only stupidly endure it but actively concur with assist in all this Tyranny See Naph Prior edit Pag. 177. 178. Vindicated at length by Ius Populi chap. 11. By all this the iniquity of the Scots Oath of Allegiance Supremacy may appear and also that of the English Oath of Allegiance even abstract from the Supremacy is in some measure discovered though it is not my purpose particularly to speak to that yet this I will say that they that plead for its precision from the Supremacy annexed seem not to consider the full import of its terms for under the dignities superiorities Authorities there engaged to be upheld the Ecclesiastical Supremacy must be included for that is declared to be one of the dignities of the Crown there as well as here and hither it was brought from thence And therefore those Scots men that took that Oath there and plead that though the Oath of Allegiance in Scotland be a sin yet it is duty to take the Oath in England seem to me to be in a great deceit for the object is the same the subject is the same the duty expected required engaged into is the same and every thing equal in both Yet all this iniquity here Couched is some way Comprehended in implyed by the Oath of Abjuration for the Civil part is imported in abjuring a Declaration for its declaring war against the King Where it is clear he is ouned as King and all part with them that declare war against him being renounced it is evident the Abjurers must take part with him in that war and so assist defend him for being subjects they must not be neutral therefore if they be not against him they must be for him and so under the bond of allegiance to him The Ecclesiastical Supremacy is inferred from that expression of it where some are said to serve him in Church as well as in State which implies an Ecclesiastical subordination to him as Supreme over the Church III. The Tenor of some other Bonds was more smooth subtil as that of the Bond of Peace several times renewed imposed and under several forms but alwayes after one strain engaging to Live Peaceably Whereby many were caught cheated with the seeming saiâ—ness of these general terms but others discerning their faâ—laciousness refused and suffered for it This in the General is capable of a good sense for no Christian will refuse â—o Live Peaceably but will endeavour if it be possible as much as lieth in them to Live Peaceably with all men Rom. 12. 18. that is so far to follow Peace with all men as may consist with the pursuit of holiness 〈◊〉 12. 14. But if we more narrowly consider such Bonds we shall find them Bonds of iniquity for 1. They are Covenants of Peace or Confederacies with Gods enemies whom we should count our enemies and hate them because they hate Him Psal. 139. 21. It is more suitable to answer as Iehu did to Ioram 2 King. 9. 22. What Peace so long as the whoredomes of thy Mother Iezebel and her witchcrafts are so many than to engage to be at Peace with those who are carrying on Babylons Interest the Mother of harlots witchcrafts 2. This cannot be taken in Truth Iudgement Righteousness because of the fallacy ambiguity of the terms for there are diverse sorts of Peace Peaceableness some kind is duty some never It must then be rightly qualified for we can profess pursue no Peace of Confederacy with the enemies of God not consistent with the fear of the Lord otherwise
according to the sworn Covenant yow say nothing to the point in hand that sure is not your meaning 3 whoever promises so much of peaceable living under his Maj. Authority leaveing out the exposition of the 5. Command may upon the very same ground subscribe the bond refused by the Godly and so yow pass from the Covenant and make all these bypast Actings of this Kirk State these years by-past to be horrid Rebellion and how deep this guilt drawes consider 5. This would infer though the King should send and kill us we must not resist nor defend our oun lives yet being an Oath against the Sixth Command which enjoineth Natural self preservation it should be intrinsecally sinful and it s all one to swear to non-preservation of self as to swear to self Murder 6. I hope to make it appear in the 5. Head that this is against the practice of Nations the Law of Nature and the Word of God. Yet all this Complex iniquity is clearly comprehended in the Oath of Abjuration in terminis abâ—uring all war against the King. VI. There were some other Oaths frequently obtruded upon people for refusing which they have suffered great cruelties that can hardly be described by any name Nor can their imposition have a paralel in any age or place for illegaltty inhumanity arbitrariness odiousness These were the Oaths of Inquisition or Super inquirendis Whereby people were pressed to answer the Inquisitors according to all their knowledge of things they were interrogate upon and delate discover Intercommuned persons in their Wanderings or such whose names were in their Porteous Rolls c. And power was given to single Souldiers to press these Oaths upon whom they pleased The iniquity of which is monstrous for 1. This was the worst Kind of Combination with these blood-hound to abett assist them in their pursuing after the Lords people Which is worse than to be bare consenters to such wickedness or to be onlookers to their affliction in the day of their Calamity but like that sin charged upon Edom that they delivered up those of His that did remain in the day of distress Obad. vers 13. 14. for these that took Oaths obliged themselves to do all they could to deliver up the Remnant that escaped and if they did not no thanks to them if they could not their sin was in their willingness if they would not and yet swore would contribute their help towards it by telling of all they knew that was horrid perjury false swearing 2. This could be no wayes capable of the qualifications of an Oath not only because the matter is wicked unnatural to discover may be the husband or Children or nearest relations to please men or save their oun life which was a great tentation and therefore in it there could be no delibaration in swearing but also for the doubtful perplexity confounding the mind that they either could not or durst not tell of all they knew and yet sware to do it 3. It is against the Covenant which obliges to discover Malignant enemies and assist our Covenanting Brethren and not to discover them and assist Malignant enemies which is a perfect inverting the fourth sixth Articles of the Covenant 4. It is contrary to clear precepts in Scripture to assist defend our Brethren to make our shaddow as the night in the midst of the noon day and hide the Outcast and bewray not him that wandereth Isai. 16. 3. 5. The illegality of this imposition makes it very absurd that every pitiful Officer or Souldier should be impowered to impose exact Oaths and impannel examine Witnesses about alledged Criminals Yet the monstrousness of this Oath serves to aggravate the Oath of Abjuration in that the Abjurers do renounce their part of disoune the Declarers of that abjured Declaration and so do as much as from them is required to give them up for a prey to their hunters yea they declare them Murderers in that they abjure their Declaration as asserting Murder And consequently they must be obliged to discover them to their acknowledged Judges VII The Abominable Test comes next which needs no other refutation than to rehearse it the substance whereof was a Solemn Swearing that they Ouned sincerely professed the true Protestant Religion contained in the confession of faith recorded in the first Parl. of K. Iaemes the 6 and that they would adhere thereunto all the dayes of their life and never consent to any change or alteration contrary thereto but renounce all Doctrines principles practices whether Popish or Fanatical contrary thereto And they swear that the King is the only Supreme Governour of this Realme over all persons in all causes as well Ecclesiastical as Civil and promise to bear faith true allegiance to the Kings Maj. his heirs Lawful successors and to their power shall assist defend all rights jurisdictions prerogatives belonging to them And affirme it unlawful for subjects upon pretence of Reformation or any other pretence whatsoever to enter into Covenants or to convocate conveen or assemble to treat consult or determine in any matter of State Civil or Ecclesiastick without his Maj. special command or to take up Armes against the King or these Commissionate by him And that there lies no obligation on them from the National Covenant or Solemn League Covenant to endeavour any change or alteration in the Government either in Church or State as it is now established by the Laws of the Kingdom and they shall never decline his Maj. power jurisdiction And finally they swear that this Oath is given in the plain genuine sense meaning of the words without any equivocation mental reservation or any manner of evasion whatsoever This is the Complement of a wicked Conspiracy couching in its Capicious bosome the Complication of all their Mischiefs comprehending all explaining all the former which indeed cannot be taken with any equivocating evasion that can escape either the Stigma of nonsense self contradiction or the censure of Atheisme irreligion or the sentence of Divine vengeance against such baffling the Name of God. The best sense that can be put upon it is that which a poor Sot expressed when it was tendered to him prefacing thus before he took it Lord have mercy upon my Soul. For. 1. It is not consistent with itself there being such contradictions between that confession of faith and the following part that no man can reconcile Some whereof may be instanced as followes 1 In the 11. Art. of that confession entituled of Christs Ascension it is said that Christ is the only Head of the Church Just Lawgiver in which Honours Offices if man or Angels presume to intrude themselves we utterly detest abhore them as blasphemous to our Soveraign Supreme Governour Christ Jesus and a litle before in that same Article it is said this Glory Honour prerogative He alone among the Brethren
shall possess And in the 16. Art. of the Kirk Christ is the only Head of the same Kirk And yet in the Test the King is affirmed to be the only supreme in all causes Ecclesiastical 2 In the 14. Art. among good works are reckoned these to obey Superior powers and their charges not repugning to the Commandment of God to save the lives of Innocents to repress Tyranny to defend the oppressed And among evil works these are qualified to resist any that God hath placed in Authority while they pass not over the bounds of their Office And Art. 24. it is confessed that such as resist the supreme power doing that which pertains to his charge do resist Gods Ordinance while the Princes Rulers vigilantly travel in the execution of their Office. And yet in the Test true Allegiance is engaged into without any such limitations And it is affirmed to be unlawful upon any pretence whatsoever to convocate c. or to take up Armes against the King. 3 In the 14. Art. Evil works are affirmed to be not only those that expressly are done against Gods Commandment but those also that in matters of Religion Worshipping of God have no other assurance but the invention opinion of men And Art. 18. among the Notes of the true Church Ecclesiastical Discipline uprightly ministred as Gods Word prescribes whereby vice is repressed and virtue nourished is one In Art. 20. the voice of God and constitution of men are opposed And yet in the Test they swear never to endeavour any change or alteration in the Government of the Church as it is now established whereof many things must be altered yea the whole forme frame of it if these propositions be true as they are 4 In the Test they swear never to consent to any change or alteration contrary to that confession and that all principles practices contrary thereto are Popish fanatical for so they divide them into one of these disjunctively then must all the following principles in their Test be renounced as such seeing they are contrary to that confession in some propositions or Articles And that the Government established by that confession was Presbyterian and this established by the Test is Episcopal 2. It comprehends all the former Oaths Bonds which are cleared above to be sinful Yet for as wicked as it is it must be some way homologated by the Oath of Abjuration excepting the contradiction that is in it Seeing all these oppositions against the King sworn aginst in the Test are abjured renounced in that Oath of Abjuration in renouncing all Declarations of war against the King for if any war can be undertaken against him all these Kinds of opposition must be allowed that are in the Test sworn against VIII In the last place I shall come to consider more particularly the Oath of Abjuration it self for refusing of which the sufferings were more severe being extended even to death or banishment though the words be more smooth than in any of the former which are these I do abjure renounce disoune a late pretended Declaration affixed on several Merâ—at Crosses c. in so far as it declares War against the King and assert it Lawful to kill any that serve his Maj. in Church State Army or Country That the taking of this Oath is a step of Complyance dishonourable to God derogatory to the dayes Testimony contradictory to the many reiterated Confessions of Christs Worthy though poor despised Witnesses sealed by their blood bonds banishments encouraging gratifying to the Enemies of God hardening to backsliding Brethren offensive to the Generation of the Righteous stumbling to all leaving a stain sting upon the Conscience of the Subscriber I shall endeavour to make out by these Considerations 1. Considering the party who imposed it it must be looked upon as a Confederacy with them being tendered upon all the Subjects as a Test of their incorporating themselves with and declaring themselves for their head and syding with them him in this their Contest Contention with a poor Remnant of the Lords people persecuted murdered by them for Truth Conscience sake who issued forth that Declaration against them here abjured Therefore let the party be considered imposing the Oath with such rigour and prosecuting the Refusers with ravenous rage murdering torturing all who did not comply with them declaring a Ware more formally explicitely against Christ as King and all that will dare to assert their Allegiance to Him under an open displayed banner of defyance of Him His than ever Mortals durst espouse avouch The head of that Treacherous Truculent faction both he who was first declared against in that Declaration and he who hath by bloody treacherous Usurpation succeeded to him being such a Monster for Murder Mischief Tyranny Oppression Perfidy that among all the Nimrods Nero's that past ages can recount we cannot find a paralel by all Law Divine humane incapable of Government or any Trust or so much as Protection or any Priviledge but to be pursued by all as a Common enemy to mankind And his Underlings Agents Complices devoted to his lust serving his wicked designs in their respective offices places of trust under him which by his nomination sole appointment they have been erected to established in with the stain indelible Character of perjurie the only qualification of their being capable of any advancement occupying by usurpation intrusion violence the publick places of judicatories and carrying all so insolently arbitrarly and with an effrontry of wickedness despight of all Reason Religion or Justice that they cannot but be looked upon as the most pestilent pestiferous Plague that ever pestered a People The taking then of this Oath by them projected as a Pest to infect Consciences with and pervert them to wicked Truth-deserting Law-perverting Loyaltie and imposed as a Test of Complyance with them and coming off from that litle flock whom they design to devour destinate to destruction must be in their oun esteem as well as of the Generation of the Righteous to their satisfaction and the others sorrow a real incorporating with them an ouning of their usurped power as Judges to administer Oaths giving them all obedience they required for the time to their Authority and all the security they demanded for the Subscribers Loyaltie an approving of all their Proceedings in that matter and transacting tampering bargaining with these Sons of Belial out of fear whereby a right is purchased to that common badge of their ouned professed friends who upon taking that Oath had from them a priviledge allowance to travel traffique where and how they will through the Country denyed to all other that wanted that Badge I mean the Pass or Testificate they got from them thereupon which was the Mark of that secular beast of Tyrannie no less pernicious to
the world than Poperie hath been to the Church and which was given to all the Takers of that Oath as a Mark of Tessera that they were no enemies to the Government as they call it O base and unworthy Liverie for the suffering Sons of Zion to put on the Signature of the Society of her devourers Hence if Covenants Confederacies declaring we are on their side cannot be made with the Enemies of Religion then this Oath could not be taken Lawfully But the former is proved above Ergo the latter followes This will yet more appear 2. If we consider the Party that set forth that Declaration whom the Proclamation against it represent so odiously invidiously whom the Oath imposed obliges us to condemn being so represented as if they were maintainers of Murdering Principles and perpetators of Assassinating villanies inconsistent with Peace or any good Government and therefore to be exterminated destroyed out of the Land whom therefore they prosecute persecute so cruelly to the effusion of their blood under colour of Law. 1. The takers of this Oath must have formally under their unhappy hand disouned renounced them and all part or interest in them or Society or Sympathie with them who yet are known to be the Suffering people of God more earnestly contending witnessing wrestling for the faith Word of Christs patience and have suffered more for their adherance to the Covenanted Reformation of the Church of Scotland and for their opposition to all its deformations defections than any Party within the Land yet them have they rejected as their Companions though with some of them sometimes they have had sweet Company Communion in the House of God by abjuring condemning their deed which duty necessity drave them to 2. Hereby they have presumptuously taken upon them to pass a Judgement upon the deed of their Brethren before their Murdering Enemies And that not a private discretive Judgement but a publick definitive sentence in their Capacity by the most solemn way of Declaring it that can be by Oath subscription under their hand whereby they have condemned all the Sufferings of their Brethren who sealed their Testimony in opposition to this Complyance with their blood and finished it with honour joy as foolish frivolous profusion of their oun blood Nay as just legally inflicted executed upon them as being Rebells of Murdering Principles practices For this cannot be vindicated from a more than indirect justifying of all the Murdering Severity executed upon them 3. And hereby they have unkindly and unchristianly listed themselves on the other side against them and taken part rather with their enemies than with them for thus they used to plead for t it when they pressed this Oath upon them that scrupled it When any War is declared against the King any of his Maj. Souldiers may question any man whom he is for and if he be not for the King he may act against him as an enemy and if they will not declare for the King and disoune the Rebells they are to be reputed by all as enemies Which whatever weakness be in the arguing plainly discovers that they take the abjuring of that Declaration in that juncture to be a mans Declaring of what side he is for and that he is not for the Emitters of that Declaration but for the King and his party which in the present state of affairs is a most dreadful ouning of Christs Enemy and disouning of His Friends Hence a disouning of the Lords persecuted people and condemning their practice and an ouning of their Persecuters and espousing their side of it is a sinful Confederacy But the taking of this Oath is such as is evident by what is said Ergo it is a sinful Confederacy 3. Considering the Nature Conditions Qualifications of so solemn serious a peice of Gods Worship and way of invocating His Holy Name as an Oath is It will appear that the taking of this imposed Oath of Abjuration was a dreadful heinous breach of the Third Command by taking His Name in vain in the worst sort and so cannot be holden guiltless I prove it thus An Oath which cannot be taken in Truth Judgement Righteousness is a breach of the Third Command But this is an Oath which cannot be taken in Truth Judgement Righteousness Which is evident for 1. It cannot be taken by any Consciencious man in Truth in sincerity of the heart simplicity 〈…〉 mind singleness honesty in the intention not puting any other sense than the imposer hath and which is the clear sense of it sine juramento and extra For if he take it according to their meaning then he should swear it unlawful ever to declare War against the King and consequently never to rise in Armes against him upon any pretence whatsoever for if we may rise in Armes for our oun defence we mak must declare a defensive War. And indeed in themselves as well as in their sense meaning who imposed them these two Oaths never to rise in Armes against the King and this of Abjuration are one and the same Then also should he swear it unlawful at any time upon any occasion or for any Cause to kill any such as serve the King in Church State Army or Country either in Peace or War for that is their thought and sensus vel juramenti ipsius vel extra juramentum And in part for their exemption immunity from all condign punishment this Oath was contrived But in fine how can this Oath be taken in Truth when it is not apparent either that the declaring of a War against the King or killing some for some causes which shall afterwards be made appear to be Lawful that serve him are to be abjured disouned or that the Declaration does assert any such thing And indeed it will be found to be a denying the Truth and a subscribing to a manifest falsehood invoking God to be Witness thereto 2. This Oath cannot be taken in Iudgement that is with knowledge deliberation c. All the terms of it have much obscure ambiguity Declaring a war and killing any who serve the King may be constructed in several senses good bad but here they are indefinitely expressed and universally condemned Particularly that in so far as hath several faces and can never be sworn in Judgement For if it denote a Causality and signify as much as quia or quatenus then all Declarations of war against any that have the name of King whatsoever upon whatsoever grounds and all killing of any serving him though in our oun defence must be universally condemned for a quatenus ad omne valet Consequentia If it import a restriction excluding other things in the Declaration but obliging to abjure only that then it implies also an affirmation that these two things are contained in it which will not appear to the Judgement of them that will seriously ponder
Plainly declaring they intended no hurt to them if they would hold up their hands they would repute them as enemies to God the Reformation and punish them as such according to their power and the degree of their offence Withall leaving room for Civil Ecclesiastical satisfaction before Lawful settled Judicatories for the offences of such persons as their power may not reach c. And as unwilling to be necessitated to such severe Courses and earnestly desirous they be prevented they admonish them with sorrow seriousness of the sin hazard of their wicked Courses and protest that only Necessity of self preservation and zeal to Religion lest it should be totally rooted out by their insolency did drive them to this threatening Declaration and not because they were acted by any sinful spirit of revange This is all that is contained in that Declaration And if here be any thing there so odious execrable to be so solemnly abjured renounced abhorred in the persence of God for the pleasure of and in obedience to the will of His our enemies let all unbyassed Considerers impartially weigh or any awakened Conscience speak and I doubt not but the swearing subscribing this Oath will be cast condemned I shall say nothing of the necessity or conveniency or expediency or formality of this Declaration but the Lawfulness of the matter complexely taken is so undeniable that it cannot be renounced without condemning many very Material Principles of our Reformation Only Success Incapacity is wanting to justify the manner whole proceedure formality and all the Circumstances of the business If either the Declarers themselves or any other iâ— powered with strength and countenanced with success to make good the undertaking had issued out such a Declaration in the same terms and had prevailed prospered in the Project many that have now abjured it would approve applaud it But passing these things that are extrinsick to the consideration in hand it is the matter that they required to be abjured condemned it is that the enemies quarrelled at and not the inexpediency or informalities of it And it must be taken as they propound it and abjured renounced by Oath as they represent it And therefore the iniquity of this subscription will appear to be great in two respects First in denying the Truth Secondly in subscribing to swearing a Lie. 1. They that have taken that Oath have denied renounced the matter of that Declaration which is Truth duty and a Testimony to the Cause of Christ as it is this day Stated Circumstantiate in the Nation founded upon former among us uncontroverted precedents Principles of Defensive Wars disouning Tyranny repressing the insolency of Tyrants their Accomplices the whole matter being reducible to these two Points Declaring a resolved endeavour of breaking the Tyrants yoke from off our neck thereby asserting our oun the posterities Liberty freedom from his insupportable entailed slavery And a just Threatening to curb restrain the insolency of Murderers or to bring them to condign punishment Whereof as the first is no wayes repugnant but very consonant to the Third Article So the Second is the very duty obliged unto in the Fourth Article of our Solemn League Covenant But all this they have denied by taking that Oath 2. By taking that Oath they have sworn subscribed to a Lie taking it as they represent it abjuring it in so far as it declares c. asserts it is Lawful to kill all imployed in the service of the King in Church State Army or Country which is a manifest Lie for it asserts no such thing Neither will any other sense put upon the words in so far as salve the matter for as thereby the Takers of the Oath shall deal deceitfully in frustrating the end of the Oath and the design of the Tenderers thereof And to take an Oath quatenus eatenus in so far will not satisfie as Voetius Judgeth de Pol. Eccl. P. 213. So let them be taken which way they can either for in quantum or quatenus or si modo it is either a denying the Truth or subscribing a Lie And Consequently these poor people suffered for Righteousness that Refused it HEAD IV. The Sufferings of people for frequenting Field Meetings Vindicated HItherto the Negative Heads of Sufferings have been vindicated now follow the Positive founded upon Positive duties for doing and not denying and not promising engaging to relinquish which many have suffered severely The first both in order of nature and of time that which was first and last and most frequently most constantly most universally and most signally sealed by Sufferings was that which is the clearest of all being in some respect the Testimony of all Ages and which clears all the rest being the Rise Root Cause Occasion of all the rest to wit the Necessary duty of hearing the Gospel following the pure powerful faithfully dispensed Ordinances of Christ banished out of the Churches to private houses and persecuted out of houses to the Open Fields and there pursued opposed and sought to be suppressed by all the fury force rigour rage Cruelty Craft policy power that ever wicked men madded into a Monstrous Malice against the Mediator Christ and the Coming of His Kingdom could contrive or exert yet still followed frequented ouned adhered to by the Lovers of Christ serious seekers of God even when for the same they were killed all day long and counted as sheep for the slaughter and continually oppressed harrassed hunted and cruelly handled dragged to Prisons banished sold for slaves tortured Murdered And after by their fraudulent favours of ensnaring Indulgences Indemnities and a Continued tract of Impositions Exactions and many Oaths Bonds they had prevailed with many and even the most part both of Ministers Professors to abandon that necessary duty And even when it was declared Criminal by Act of Parliament and interdicted under pain of death to be found at any Field Meetings they nevertheless persisted in an undaunted endeavour to keep up the Standart of Christ in following the Word of the Lord wherever they could have it faithfully preached though at the greatest of hazards And so much the more that it was prosecuted by the rage of enemies and the reproach oblequies of pretended friends that had turned their back on the Testimony and preferred their oun ease Interests to the cause of Christ and with the greater fervor that the Labourers in that Work were few and like to faint under so many difficulties What the first Occasion was that constrained them to go to the fields is declared at length in the Historical Deduction of the Testimony of the Sixt Period to wit finding themselves bound in duty to Testifie their Adherence to Continuance in their Covenanted profession their Abhorrence of Abjured Prelacy and
Peers and had it before they erected and constituted Peers or Primores There is no distinction of quality in interests of Nature though ther be in Civil order but self defence is not an act of Civil order In such Interests people must not depend upon the priority of their superiours nor suspend the duties they owe to themselves and their neighbours upon the manuduction of other mens greatness The Law of Nature allowing self defence or the defence of our Brethren against unjust violence addeth no such restriction that it must only be done by the conduct or concurrence of the Primores or Parliaments 2. The people have as great Interest to defend their Religion as the Peers and more because they have more souls to care for than they who are far fewer And to be violented in their Consciences which are as free to them as to the Peers is as unsupportable to them yea both are equally concerned to maintain Truth and rescue their Brethren suffering for it which are the chief grounds of war and if the ground of the defensive war be the same with them and without them what reason can be given making their Resistence in the one case Lawful and not in the other Both are alike obliged to concur and both are equally obnoxious to Gods threatened Judgments for suffering Religion to be ruined and not relieving rescuing Innocents It will be but a poor excuse for people to plead they had no Peers to head them What if both King Nobles turn enemies to Religion as they are at this day shall people do nothing for the defence of it then Many times the Lord hath begun a Work of Reformation by foolish things and hath made the least of the flock to draw them out Ier. 49. 2. and 50. 45. and did not think fit to begin with Nobles but began it when powers Peers were in opposition to it and when He blessed it so at length as to engage the publick Representatives to oune it what was done by private persons before they never condenmed 3. The people are injured without the Nobles therefore they may resist without them if they be able for there can be no Argument adduced to make it unlawful to resist without them which will not equally make it unlawful to do it with them 4. It s true the Primores are obliged beyond others and have Authority more than others to concur but Separately they cannot act as Representatives judicially They have a Magistratical power but limited to their particular Precincts where they have Interest and cannot extend it beyond these bounds And so if they should concur they are still in the capacity of subjects for out of a Parliamentary Capacity they are not Representatives 5. All the power they can have is Cumulative not Privative for deterior conditio Domini per Procurationem fieri non debet Why then shall the Representatives betraying their Trust wrong the Cause of the people whose Trustees they are Nay if it were not Lawful for people to defend their Religion Lives Liberties without the concurrence of Parliaments then their case should be worse with them than without them for they have done it before they had them and so they had better be without them still 6. People may defend themselves against the Tyranny of a Parliament or Primores or Nobles Ergo they may do it without them for if it be Lawful to resist them its Lawful to wave them when they are in a Conspiracy with the King against them 5. We disallow all war without real indeclinable Necessity and great grievous wrongs sustained and do not maintain it is to be declared or undertaken upon supposed Grounds or pretended Causes And so the Question is impertinently stated by our Adversaries Whether or not it be Lawful for Subjects or a party of them when they think themselves injured or to be in a capacity to Resist or Oppose the Supreme power of a Nation For the Question is not if when they think themselves injured they may Resist but when the injuries are real Neither is it every realitie of injuries will justify their Resistence but when their dearest nearest Liberties are invaded especially when such an invasion is made as threatens inâ—luctable subversion of them Next we do not say that a parties esteeming themselves in a Capacity or their being really in a Capacity doth make Resistence a duty except caeteris Paribus they have a Call as well as a Capacity which requires real Necessity and a right to the action and the things contended for to be real legal Rights really illegally encroached upon their Capacity gives them only a Conveniency to go about the duty that is previously Lawful upon a Moral ground No man needs to say who shall be Judge the Magistrate or people For. 1. All who have eyes in their head may judge whether the sun shine or not and all who have common sense may judge in this case For when it comes to a Necessity of Resistence it is to be supposed that the Grievances complained of and sought to be redressed by armes are not hid but manifest it cannot be so with any party only pretending their suffering wrong 2. There is no need of the formality of a Judge in things evident to Natures eye as Grassant Tyranny undermining overturning Religion Liberty must be Nature in the acts of necessitated Resistence in such a case is Judge party Accuser Witness all Neither is it an act of Judgement for people to defend their oun Defence is no act of jurisdiction but a priviledge of Nature Hence these common sayings vim vi repellere omnia jura permittunt And defendere se est juris Naturae Defensio vitae necessaria est a jure Naturali profluit 3. Be Judge who will the Tyrant cannot be Judge in the case for in these Tyrannical Acts that force the people to that Resistence he cannot be acknowledged as King and therefore no Judge for it s supposed the Judge is absent when he is the party that does the wrong And he that does the wrong as such is inferior to the innocent 4. Let God be Judge and all the World taking cognizance of the evidence of their respective Manifesto's of the State of their Cause 6. We condemn Resing to revenge private injuries whereby the Land may be involved in blood for some petty wrongs done to some persons great or small And abhor revengful Usurping of the Magistrats sword to avenge our selves for personal injuries As Davids killing of Saul would have been 1 Sam. 24. 10 12 13. 1 Sam. 26. 9 10. To Object which in this case were very impertinent for it would have been an act of offence in a remote defence if Saul had been immediatly asaulting him it could not be denied to be Lawful and it would have been an act of private revenge for a personal injurie and a sinful preventing of Gods promise of Davids
Maximus who was come against them with an Army because of their Religion 3. How about the year 342. the Citizens of Alexandria defended Athanasius their Minister against Gregorius the intruded Curate and Syrianus the Emperours Captain who came with great force to put him in 4. How about the year 356. the people of Constantinople did in like manner stand to the defence of Paulus against Constantius the Emperour and killed his Captain Hermogenes And afterwards in great Multitudes they opposed the intrusion of the Heretick Macedonius 5. How when a wicked Edict was sent forth to pull doun the Churches of such as were for the Clause of one Substance the Christians that maintained that Testimony resisted the bands of Souldiers that were procured at the Emperours Command by Macedonius to force the Mantinians to embrace the Arrian Heresie But the Christians at Mantinium kindled with an earnest zeal towards Christian Religion went against the Souldiers with Cheerful minds valiant Courage and made a great slaughter of them 6. How about the year 387. the people of Cesarea did defend Basil their Minister 7. How for fear of the people the Lievtenant of the Emperour Valens durst not execute those 80 Priests who had came to supplicate the Emperour and were commanded to be killed by him 8. How the Inhabitants of Mount Nitria espoused Cyrilâ—s quarrel and assaulted the Lievtenant and forced his Guards to flee 9. How about the year 404. when the Emperour had banished Chrysostome the people flocked together so that the Emperour was necessitated to call him back again from his Exile 10. How the people resisted also the transportation of Ambrose by the command of Valentinian the Emperour And chused rather to lose their lives than to suffer their pastor to be taken away by the Souldiers 11. How the Christians oppressed by Baratanes King of Persia did flee to the Romans to seek their help And Theodosius the Emperour is much praised for the war which he commenced against Chosroes King of Persia upon this inducement that that King sought to ruine exstirpate those Christians in his Dominions that would not renounce the Gospel 3. But when Religion was once imbraced in imbodyed Corporations and established by Law and became a peoples common Interest Liberty in a Capacity to defend it with their lives other Liberties and when it was propagated through the Nations Then the Lord did call for other more Active Testimonies in the preservation defence of it Of which we have many Instances in Histories About the year 894. The Bohemian Christians Resisted Drahomica their Queen who thought to have destroyed them reintroduced Paganisme About the year 1420. they maintained a long defensive war against the Government and the Popes Legats under the managment of their brave Captain Zizca which was further prosecuted after him by the remaining Thaborites And again in this Century anno 1618. They maintained a Defensive war against the Emperour Ferdinand the Second electing and erecting a new King in opposition to him Frederick Palatine of the Rhine in which Cause many received the Crown of Martyrdom and this was also espoused by King Iames the 6. who sent to aid his Son in Law against the Emperour 4. If we look to the Histories of the Waldenses these constant Opposers of Antichrist we will find many Instances of their Resistence About the year 1194. very early while Waldo from whom they had their name was alive they began to defend themselves by Armes after the bloody Edict of Aldephonsus King of Arragon an Edict so like to many of ours emitted this day that as it would seem our Enemies have taken the Copy of it so it were very seemly for the people grieved with such Edicts to imitate the Copy of the Waldenses their practice in opposition to them Anno 1488. they resist by Armes Albert de Capitaneis sent by Pope Innocent the 8. in Pragola Frassaniere and through out Piedmont where for the most part the off-spring of the old Waldenses had their residence where very evidently through many successions of ages they shewed themselves to be the true Successors of their Worthy Progenitors valiant for the Truth That 's a famous Instance of their Resistence in opposing vigorously the Lord of Trinity in that same Piedmont at which time they so solemnly asked their Ministers Whether it were not Lawful to defend themselves against his violence Who answered affirmatively And accordingly they did it with wonderful success at that time and many times thereafter Especially it is notour in the memory of this present age how anno 1655. a vigorous defensive war was prosecuted against the D. Savoy by their Captains Gianavel Iahier c. which was espoused by many Protestant Princes And no further gone than the very last year it is known how they resisted the Armes of the Tyger and the French that helped him and that their Simplicity in trusting Popish promises was their ruine 5. If we look over the Histories of the Albigenses we find many Instances of their Defensive Resisting their Oppressing Superiours About anno 1200. They defended themselves at Beziers and Carcasson against the Popes Legat and his Crossed Souldiers under the Conduct first of the Earle of Beziers and then of the Earle of Foix and Earle Remand of Thoulouse and were helped by the English who then possessed Guienne bordering upon Thoulouse which resistence continued several years Afterwards anno 1226. they maintained a Resistence against the King of France 6. In Spain we find the people of Arragon contesting with Alphonso 3 d. and associating themselves together against him And they tell Pedro 3 d. their King that if he would not contain himself within the limits of the Laws they would pursue him by Armes about anno 1283. As also other Spaniards who rose in Armes several times against Pedro the 1 King of Castile 7. It was this which brought the Cantons of Helvetia into this State of freedom wherein they have continued many years For about the year 1260. they levied war against their oppressing nobles And anno 1308. they joined in Covenant to defend themselves against the house of Austria and anno 1315. they renewed it at Brunna in which at length the rest of the Cantons joined and formed themselves into a Common-wealth 8. If we take a glance of the Germans we will find at the very Commencement of the Reformation as soon as they got the name of Protestants they Resisted the Emperour Charles the fifth The Duke of Saxon the Land Grave of Hesse and the City of Magdâ—burgh with Advice of Lawyers concluded That the Laws of the Empire permitted Resistence of the Emperour in some cases that the times were then so dangerous that the very force of Conscience did lead them to Armes and to make a League to defend themselves though Caesar or any in his name should make war against them for since he attempteth to root out Religion and subvert our
Loc. defendeth thus I say it was done by the Law of God for Deut. 18. 20. God decerned that the false Prophet should die and chap. 17. the same is said of private men women who would worship Idols But chap. 13. not only is death threatened against a seducing Prophet but a Command is added that no man should spare his Brethren thirdly it is Commanded that the whole City when it becometh Idolatrous should be cut off by fire sword And Levit. 24 14 16. it is Statute that the Blasphemer should not live to which we may adde the Law or equity of Taliation for these Prophets of Baal caused Iezebel Ahab kill the Servants of the Lord. See Ius Pop. cap. 20. Pag. 425. Upon this also Mr Mitchel defends his fact ubi supra Also Elijah by virtue of that precept Deut. 13 gave commandment to the people to destroy Baals priests contrary to the command of the seducing Magistrate who was not only remiss negligent in executing Justice but became a Protector defender of the Seducers then in that case I suppose the Christians duty not to be very dark 9. This Idolatrous Tyrannical house was afterwards condignly punished by Iâ—hu 2 King. 9. And 10 chapt who destroyed all the Idolaters who were before encouraged protected by that Court chap. 10. 25. This extraordinary fact was not justified by his Magistratical Authority for that was as extraordinary as the fact it self and conferred as a mean to accomplish the fact He had no Authority by the peoples suffrages nor was he acknowledged as such by the Court or body of the people only the Lord gave it extraordinarly But it is not the imitation of his assumption of Authority that is here pleaded for but the imitation of his fact in extraordinary cases when not only Tyrants Idolaters pass unpunished but their insolency in Murdering the Innocent is intolerable Mr Knox vindicates this at length ubi supra and shewes that it had the ground of Gods ordinary Judgement which commands the Idolater to die the death And that thô we must not indeed follow extraordinary examples if the example repugn to the Law but where it agrees with and is the execution of the Law an example uncondemned stands for a Command for God is constant and will not condemn in ages subsequent what He hath approved in His Servants before See the Testim of Period 3. above and Ius pop cap. 20. pag. 418. 10. When Athaliah the Mother of Ahaziah had Tyrannized six years at length Iehojada with others made a Conspiracie against her to depose her and make Ioash King which when it was discovered she cried Treason Treason as indeed it would have been so if she had been the Lawful Magistrate for it was an attempt of Subjects against her that had the possession of the Soveraign power But Iâ—â—â—â—da commanded the Captains to have her forth without the ranges and him that followeth her kill with the sword And they laid hands on her and she was slain 2 King. 11. 14 16. That this is imitable in the punishment of Tyrants is cleared above If therefore it be Lawful for Subjects to kill Usurping Tyrants and such as follow them to help them under whom nevertheless people might have a life then it must be Lawful for private persons to put forth their hand against their Cut-throat Emâ—ssaries in a case of necessity when there is no living for them 11. When Amaziah turned Idolater Tyrant after the time that he turned away from following the Lord they made a Conspiracy against him in Ierusalem and he fled to Lachish but they sent to Lachish after him slew him there 2 Chron. 25 27. This fact is before vindicated by Mr Knox Period 3. afterward Head 2. and Head 5. 12. When Esther made suite to reverse Hamans Letters the King granted the Iewes in every City not only to gather themselves together and to stand for their life but also to destroy to slay and to cause to perish all the power of the people and Province that would assault them both litle Ones Women and to avenge themselves on their Enemies And accordingly in the day that their enemies hoped to have power over them the Iewes gathered themselves to lay hand on such as sought their hurt and smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword Esther 8. 11 13. chap. 9. 1 5. c. They had indeed that Law of Nature fortified by the Kings accessory Authority as Valentinâ—â—â— by his Edict granted the like Liberty to resist any unjust invader to depopulate the Lands of his Subjects ut digno ilico supplicio subjugetur ac mortem quam ininabatur accipiat And the like of Arcadius is extant in Codice Iustinaneo titulo Quomodo liceat unicuique sine judice se vindicare vel publicam devotionem But that doth not exclude the Lawfulness of such Resistences in case of necessity without publick Authority So here it was not the Kings commandment that made the Iewes avenging themselves Lawful if it had not been Lawful before without it it gave them only Liberty to improve that priviledge which they had from God and Nature Surely their power of Resisting did not depend on the Kings Commandment as is proven Head 5. Ergo neither their power of avenging themselves to prevent their Murder by their enemies Which they could and were obliged to do if there had been no such Authority Ergo it was not only suspended upon the Kings Authority And as for Hamans sons and adherents being Agagites they were obliged by a Prior Command to avenge themselves on them on all occasions by that Command to destroy Amalek Therefore it must be Lawful even without publick Authority in some cases of necessity to prevent the Murder of publick Enemies by laying hands on them that seek the hurt of all the people of God. Secundly There are some Precepts from which the same may be concluded 1. There is a Command and the first Penal Statute against Murderers we read Gen. 9. 6. Whoso sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed Here the Command is given in general to punish Capitally all Murderers but there may be some that no Magistrate can punish who are not here exempted to wit they that are in Supreme Authority and turn Murderers as was said above Again the Command is given in general to Man involving all the Community where the Murderer is in guilt if his blood be not shed as we find in the Scripture all the people were threatened punished because Judgement was not executed and when it was executed even by these that were no Magistrates the Wrath of God was turned away Whereof there are many examples above Further if the Command to shed the blood of Murderers be given before the Institution of Magistracy then in case of necessity to stop the Course of Murderers it may be obeyed When there is no Magistrate to execute
all Action against them Yet all are not asleep and I hope there are some who will never enter in any terms of peace with them against whom the Mediator hath declared and will prosecute a war for ever but will still oune aim at this as the highest pitch of their ambition to be found among His chosen called faithful ones who maintain a constant opposition against them However thô the Lord seems in His providence to put a bar upon all publick Appearances under a display of open war against them and it is not the design of what is said here on this and the foregoing Head to incite or invite to any Yet Certainly even at this present all that have the zeal of God and love to His righteous Cause rightly stated in their hearts will find themselves called not to supercede altogether from all Actions of avowed and even violent opposition against them whom we are all bound both by the Morality of the duty and the Formality of Solemn Sacred Covenants to hold out from a violent intrusion into and peaceable possession of this Land devoted to God and to put them out when they are got in either by their fraud or force And this plea now brought to an end will oblige all the Loyal Lovers of Christ to an Endeavour of these 1. To take Alarms and to be fore-warned and fore-armed resolute ready to withstand the invasion of Poperie that it be neither established by Law through the supineness of such who should stand in the Gap and resolve rather to be sacrificed in the spot by a valiant resisting than see such an Abomination set up again Nor introduced by this Liberty through the wyles of such whose chiefest principle of policy is perfidie who design by this wide Gate and in the womb of the wooden horse of this Toleration to bring it in peaceably Nor intruded by force fury fire sword if they shall fall upon their old game of Murders Massacres It concerns all to be upon their Guard and not only to come out of Babylon but to be making ready to go against it when the Lord shall give the Call. 2. To resist the beginings of their Invasions before they be past remeady And for this effect to oppose their gradual erections of their Idolatrous Monuments and not suffer them to set up the Idol of the Mass in City or Country without attempting if they have any force to overthrow the same 3. In the mean time to defend themselves and the Gospel against all their Assaults and to Rescue any out of their hands upon all occasions that for the Cause of Christ they have caught as a prey to oppose prevent their oun the Nations ruine slaverie But to Conclude As it will be now expected in Justice Charity that all the Vassals Votaries Subjects and Servants of the One Common Lord King Christ Jesus every where through out His Dominions who may see this Representation of the case and Vindication of the cause of a poor wasted wounded persecuted reproached Remnant of the now declining sometimes Renouned Church of Scotland will be so far from standing Esaw-like on the other side either as Enemies rejoicing to look on their Affliction in the day of their Calamity or as Neutral unconcerned with their distressed Condition or as Strangers without the knowledge or sense of their Sorrowes Difficulties Or as Gallio's caring for none of these things or thinking their case not worthy of Compassion or their cause of Consideration or possibly condemning their Sufferings as at best but Stated upon slender subtile nice Points that are odd odious and invidiously represented It is now expected I say that Christians not possessed with Prejudice which is very improper for any that bear that Holy honourable Signature and not willing to be imposed upon by Misinformations will be so far from that Unchristian temper towards them as to be easily byassed with all Reports Reproaches to their disadvantage that if they weigh what is in this Treatise offered and truly I may say candidely Represented without any design of prevarication or painting or daubing to make the Matter either better or worse than it will seem to any impartial Observer they will admit intertain a more charitable Construction of them and not deny them Brotherly Sympathie and Christian Compassion nor be wanting in the duty of Prayer Suppltcation for them that at length the Lord would turn His hand upon the litle Ones and bring at least a thrid Part a Remnant of Mourners through the fire So to that litle Flock the poor of the Flock that wait upon the Lord and desire to keep His way I shall only say Though I judged Necessity was laid upon me in stead of a better to essay this Vindication of your cause as stated betwixt yow and your and your Lords Enemies the men that now ride over your heads that say to your Soul bow doun that we may go over yow I desire not that yow should yea I obtest that yow may not lay any Stress on the strength of what I have said but let its weight lie where it must be laid on that firm Foundation that will bear yow and it both that Stone that tried Stone that Precious Corner Stone that sure Foundation Christ Jesus And search the Scriptures of Truth to see whether these things be so or not And I doubt not but by that Touchstone if these Precious Truths be tried they will be found neither hay nor stubble that cannot abide the fire but as silver tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times Do not offend that they are contemned as small and contradicted as odious but look to the importance of His Glory whose Truths Concerns they are and from Whom they are seeking to draw or drive yow who oppose and oppugu these Truths Stand fast therefore in the Liberty where with Christ hath made yow free and hold fast every Word of His patience that yow may be kept in this hour of tentation Let no man take your Crown or pull yow doun from your excellency which is alwayes the design of your wicked Enemies in all their several shapes shewes both of force fraud craft cruelty Beware of their snares and of their tender Mercies for they are cruel and when they speak fair beleeve them not for there are seven abominations in their hearts Say ye not a Confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say a Confederacy neither fear ye their fear nor be afraied Sanctify the Lord of Hosts Himself and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread And He shall be for a Sanctuary but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel for a gin for a snare to the Inhabitants of Ierusalem Wait upon the Lord who hideth His face from the House of Iacob and look
Party of the Enemies in which they slew the Captain and about 12 or some moe of his men and afterwards they dispersed themselves also The Enemies searching the Country gleaned up the E. of Argyle himself Col. Rumbol an Englishman Mr Thomas Archer Minister Gawin Russel an David Law who were all condemned execute at Edinburgh and many others who were banished to America and about some 20 in the Highlands who were hanged at Inerarie In England the D. of Monmouths expedition though it had more action yet terminated in the same success the loss of many hundred lives many killed in Battel And afterwas by the mercy of the Duke of York several hunderds in the West of England were carried about and hanged before the door of their oun habitations and to make his Captains sport by the way according to the number of the hours of the day when the murdering humour came in their head so many of the poor Captives were hanged as a prodigious monument of monstrous Crueltie This was the Comencement of the present Tyrants Government In the mean time the Wanderers in Scotland thô they did not associate with this Expedition upon the account of the too promiscuous admittence of persons to trust in that Partie who were then and since have discovered themselves to be Enemies to the Cause and because they could not espouse their Declaration as the State of their Quarrel being not concerted according to the constant Plea of the Scots Covenanters and for other reasons given in their late Vindication yet against this Usurpation of a bloody Papist advancing himself to the Throne in such a manner they published another Declaration at Sanquhair May 28. 1685. Wherein Approving adhering unto all their former Declarations And considering that Iames Duke of York a Profest Excommunicate Papist was proclaimed To testify their resentment of that deed And to make it appear unto the world that they were free thereof by concurrence or connivance They Protest against the foresaid Proclamation of Iames Duke of York as King In regard that it is the choosing of a Murtherer to be a Governour who hath shed the blood of the Saints that it is the hight of Confederacy with an Idolater for bidden by the Law of God contrarie to the Declaration of the Gen. Ass. of the Church Iulij 27. 1649. And contrary to many wholesome laudable Acts of Parliament and inconsistent with the safety faith Conscience Christian Libertie of a Christian People to chuse a subject of Antichrist to be their Supreme Magistrate and to entrust an Enemy to the Work People of God with the Interests of both And upon many important grounds reasons which there they express they Protest against the validity Constitution of that Parliament approving ratifying the foresaid Proclamation And against all kind of Poperie in General Particular heads as abjured by the National Covenant and abrogated by Acts of Parliament and against its entrie again into this Land And every thing that doth or may directly or indirectly make way for the same Disclaiming likewise all Sectarianisme Malignancy and any Confederacy therewith This was their Testimony against Poperie in the season thereof which thô it was not so much condemned as any former Declarations yet neither in this had they the Concurrence of any Ministers or Professors who as they had been silent and omitted a seasonable Testimony against Prelacy and the Supremacy when these were introduced so now also even when this wicked Mysterie Conspiracie of Poperie Tyrannie twisted together in the present designe of Antichrist had made so great a progress and was evidently brought above board they were left to let â—lip this opportunity of a Testimony also to the reproach of the declining far degenerate Church of Scotland Yea to their shame the very rabble of ignorant People may be brought as a witness against the body of Presbyterian Ministers in Scotland in that they testified their detestation of the first Erection of the Idolatrous Mass and some of the souldierie and such as had no Profession of Religion suffered unto death for speaking against Poperie and the designs of the King while the Ministers were silent And some of the Curats and members of the late Parliament 1686. made some stickling against the taking away of the penal Statutes against Papists while Presbyterians from whom might have been expected greater opposition were sleeping in a profound submission I cannot without Confusion of Spirit touch these obvious dolorous reflections and yet in candor cannot forbear them However the Persecution against the Wanderers went on and more cruel Edicts were given forth against them while a relenting abatement of severity was pretended against other Dissenters At length what could not be obtained by Law at the late Parliament for taking off the Statutes against Papists was effectuated by Prerogative and to make it pass with the greater approbation it was convoyed in a channel of pretended Clemency offering a sort of Liberty but really introducing a licencious Latitude for bringing in all future snares by taking off some former as arbitrarly as before they were imposed in a Proclamation dated Feb. 12. 1687. Granting by the Kings Soveraign Authority Prerogative Royal and absolute power which all Subjects are to obey without reserve a Royal Toleration to the several Professors of the Christian Religion afternamed with under the several Conditions restrictions limitations aftermentioned In the first place tolerating the Moderate Presbyterians to meet in their private houses and there to hear all such Ministers as either have or are willing to accept of the Indulgence allanerly and none other And that there be nothing said or done contrare to the wel peace of his reign seditious or treasonable under the highest pains these Crimes will import nor are they to presume to build Meeting houses or to use out-houses or barns In the mean time it s his Royal will pleasure that Field Conventicles and such as Preach at them or who shall any way assist or connive at them shall be prosecute according to the utmost severity of Lawes made against them In like manner tolerating the Quakers to meet exercise in their forme in any place or places appointed for their Worship And by the same absolute power foresaid suspending stoping disabling all Lawes or Acts of Parliament Customs or Constitutions against any Roman Catholick subjects So that they shall in all things be as free in all respects as any Protestant subjects whatsoever not only to exercise their Religion but to enjoy all Offices benefices c. which he shall think fit to bestow upon them in all time coming And cassing annulling discharging all Oaths whatsoever and Tests and Lawes enjoyning them And in place of them this Oath only is to be taken I A. B. do ackowledge testifie declare that Iames the Seventh c. is rightful King Supreme Governour of these Realms and
be amiss to transcribe some of the words of the Edict of the Estates General to this purpose It is well known say they that a Prince Lord of a Countrey is Ordained by God to be Soveraign Head over his subjects to preserve defend them from all injuries force violence and that if the Prince therefore faileth therein and in stead of preserving his subjects doth outrage oppress them depriveth them of their Priviledges Ancient Customs commandeth them and will be served of them as slaves they are no longer bound to respect him as their Soveraign Lord but to esteem of him as a Tyrant neither are they bound to acknowledge him as their Prince but may abandon him c. And with this aggrees the answer of William Prince of Orange to the Edict of Proscription published against him by Philip. the II. There is sayes he a Reciprocal Bond betwixt the Lord his vassal so that if the Lord break the Oath which he hath made unto his vassal the vassal is discharged of the Oath made unto his Lord. This was the very Argument of the poor suffering people of Scotland whereupon they disouned the Authority of Charles the Second 4. The Monarchy of France is very absolute yet there also the State hath taken order with their Tyrants not only have we many instances of resistances made against them but also of disouning disabling invalidating their pretended Authority repressing their Tyranny So was the two Childerici served So also Sigebertus Dagabertus and Lodowick the II. Kings of France 5. The great body of Germany moves very slowly and is inured to bear great burdens yet there also we find Ioanâ—a of Austria Mother of Charles the 5. was put to perpetual sonment which example is adduced by the Earle of Mortoun in his discourse to the Queen of England whereof I rehearsed a part before vindicating the deposing disouning Queen Mary of Scotland If saith he we compare her with Ioanna of Austria what did that poor wretch commit but that she could not want a litle lustful pleasure as a remedy necessary for her age And yet poor Creature she suffered that punishment of which our Dame convicted of most grievous Crimes now complains Buchan Rer. Scotic l. b. 20. pag. 748. The Duke of Saxon the Landgrave of Hesse and the Magistrats of Magdeburgh joined in a war against her Son Charles the 5. and drew up a conclusion by resolution of Lawyers wherein are these words Neither are we bound to him by any other reason than if he keep the conditions on which he was created Emperour By the Laws themselves it is provided that the Superior Magistrate shall not infringe the right of the inferior if the Superior Magistrate exceed the Limits of his power and command that which is wicked not only we need not obey him but if he offer force we may resist him Which Opinion is confirmed by some of the greatest Lawyers and even some who are Patrons of Tyranny Grotius none of the greatest enemies of Tyrants de jure belli lib. 1. cap. 4. n 11. sayth out of Barclaius with him that the King doth loss his power when he seeketh the destruction of his subjects It was upon the account of the Tyranny of that bloody house of Austria over the Helvetians that they shook off the rule Government of that family and established themselves into a Republick And at this present time upon the same accounts the Tyranny Treachery of this Imperial Majestie the Hungarians have essayed to maintain justify a revolt in disouning the Emperour now for several years 6. Polland is an Elective Kingdom and so cannot but be fertile of many instances of casting off Tyrants Henricus Valesius disouned for fleeing and Sigismuadus for violating his faith to the States may suffice Lex Rex Q. 24. Pag. 217. 7. In Denmark we find Christiernus their King was for his intollerable Cruelty put from the Kingdom he and all his Posterity and after twenty years did end his life in Prison 8. In Swedland within the Compass of one Century the people deposed banished the two Christierns and dethroned imprisoned Ericus for their oppressions Tyranny and for pursuing the destruction of their Subjects 9. The Portugieses not many years ago laid aside and confined Alphonsus their King for his rapines Murders 10. Some Dukes of Venice have been so disouned by these Common-wealths men that laying aside their Royal honours as private men they have spent their dayes in Monasteries Buchan de jure regni apud Scotos 11. If we will revolve the old Roman Histories we shall find no small store of such examples both in the time of their Kings Consuls Emperours Their seventh King Tarquinius Superbus was removed by the people for his evident Usurpation Neque enim ad jus regni quicquam praeter vim habebat ut qui neque populi jussu neque Patribus Authoribus regnavit sayth Livius i.e. for he had nothing for a right to the Government but meer force and got the rule neither by the peoples consent choise nor by the Authority of the Senators So afterwards the Empire was taken from Vitellius Heliogabulus Maximinus Didius Iulianus Lex Rex ub supra 12. But it will be said Can there be any Instances of the Primitive Christians adduced Did ever they while groaning under the most insupportable Tyranny of their Persecuting Emperours disoune their Authority or suffer for not ouning it To this I answer 1. What they did or did not of this Kind is not of moment to inquire seeing their practice Example under such disavantages can neither be known exactly nor what is known of it be accommodated to our case for 1 they were never forced to give their judgement neither was the question ever put to them whether they ouned their Authority or not if they transgressed the Lawes they were lyable to the punishment they craved no more of them 2 They confess themselves to be strangers that had no establishments by Law and therefore they behoved to be passively subject when in no capacity to resist there was no more required of them Yet Lex Rex Quest. 35. pag. 371. cites Theodoret affirming Thâ—n evil men reigned through the unmanlyness of the subâ—ects 3 Their examples are not imitable in all things They were against resistence which we doubt not to prove is Lawful against Tyrannical vioâ—ence Many of them refused to flee from the fury of Persecuters They ran to Martyrdom when neither cited nor accused And to obtain the Croun thereof they willingly yeelded up their lives Liberties also to the rage or Tyrants We cannot be obliged to all these 2 Yet we find some examples not altogether unapplicable to this purpose When Barochbach the pretended King of the Iewes after the destruction of Ierusalem set himself up as King in Bitter a City in Arabia the Christians that were in his precincts refused to oune