to the same All the question is whether such violent courses against Magistrates though miscarrying in some part of their duty be for Gods glory God is not glorified by mens sins but when his own Will is done it is an ordinary thing that men in their deep deceitfulness pretend God's glory when they are dishonouring him by disobeying his Wâ—ll Is 66.5 Your Brethren that cast you out for my Names sake said let God be glorified c. But for the former anent Christian love and the obligation thereof to relieve the distressed that is surely a duty to love and relieve the distressed Brethren but that love in the external acts of it must be regulated by sound reason and by the Word of God Christian charity binds me not to relieve and assist a distressed brother in every manner of assistance but in that which is within the bounds of my calling and that which is agreeable to justice A man is not bound to forsake his own station or run beyond the limits of his calling to relieve a distressed brother No man is bound to steal that he may give almes or to defraud others of what he is indebted to them to exercise his charity to the indigent And doth not this man himself confesse that prudence should measure and regulate the exercise of love in assisting a distressed brother and that no man should put his own life in certain peril of losing in saving the life of another nor attempt for that end to use force where there is no probable capacity to carry the matter through If brethren be distressed by the Magistrate suppose unjustly we are bound to assist them in love by our Prayers to God for them by consolatory words if we may have accesse to them by giving counsel to them supplying their need as far as we may yea by intreaties and humble petitions to the Magistrate as we have opportunity with all dutiful respects to them But if nothing can avail for their relief private persons have discharged their duty in the point of the exercise of Christian love and are not oblieged to offer violence to the Publick Magistrate or violently to resist him in assisting others but in the case of their brethrens unjust suffering commit the matter to him who judgeth righteously possessing their Souls in patience as they ought also to do in the case of their own wrongful suffering But it opens a gap to all confusion to allow private persons if they think they have power enough to use violence upon the Magistrate for relieving their brethren whom they think oppressed Such pretences will not be wanting to the worst of men and the best Magistrate proceeding most Legally shall never have security from seditious parties unlesse they have visible power to crush them but they shall be resisted when any party thinks meet and from resistance there shall be a proceeding to revenge if might and power be sufficient as seldome or never is it seen that resistance of the Magistrate and revenge upon him when a party can have the upper-hand are separated in exercise and practice whatever be mens notions of the separableness of the same And the Principles of this man lead to both as hath appeared and will yet more 4. The Libeller holds out from Scripture one ground which he thinks should engage all to combine to relieve him and his party when they count themselves oppressed and that is Because of the ommission of this duty of relieving the oppressed or violation of it whole Kingdoms and Cities have been involved in the guilt of the oppression committed by one or few and fearful judgements have therefore overtaken them to their utter ruine and subversion And pag. 18. he asserts That for simple connivance and tolerance without active compliance with transgressors God avengeth the sins of Rulers onely or People onely or of any part of the People onely upon the whole body of Rulers and People and he cites Jer. 25.15 Deut. 13.12.13 14 15. Josh 22.17 18 19. and Achans case Josh 7. building also his tenet upon the Covenants expresse or implicit betwixt God and the whole People Rulers and Subjects c. And so is confident that if the violation of duty in not relieving the oppressed especially for Religion involve all failers in it in sin and destruction all and every private person is obliged to this duty to relieve and recover by violence oppressed ones out of the hand of the Magistrate as they would keep themselves pure from sin and hold off Wrath from themselves and from the place they live in Hence a question considerable comes to be resolved whether God imputes the sin of one man to another whereunto he is no way acccessory but that he tolerates what he cannot amend by any means within the bounds of his calling or whether he executes judgement upon any for the sins of others which they are not accessory to and cannot amend abiding in the bounds of their calling And particularly whether God imputes the sins of Rulers to People and punishes them for the same or imputes the sins of any part of a People to the whole or of the major part to the lesser and punishes them therefore when they cannot abiding within the bounds of their calling amend the same but are no otherwise accessory Not to dip into that question in the full latitude of it we do onely now enquire if in Divine justice a Prince is any time punished for the sins of the People at which he doth not connive and whereto he is not accessory in any degree or if a body of a People be punished for one mans sin whereunto they are not accessory or if private persons be punished for the sins of Rulers or of the body of the People whereunto they are not accessory but only with grief tolerates what they cannot amend abiding within the bounds of their calling this last is the point we must fix upon And herein against this Author it is asserted that first no man is involved in Divine judgements and punishments for the sins of others as the deserving cause of his punishment if he be no way accessory to these sins of others 2. That no private subject is accessory to the sins of Rulers nor involved in the punishments of the same meerly upon the account of his tolerating the sins or not violent resisting the Magistrate in his sinful courses A certain thing it is that setting aside the satisfactory suffering of Christ when he put himself under the stroke of Divine justice for the sins of others having no sin of his own God doth not properly punish any man but in reference to his own personal sin as the deserving cause of the punishment albeit he may and often doth take occasion in his Wise Providence to punish men for their own sins from the sins of others and in that only sense they may be said to be punished for the sins of others But every Soul suffers
for his own sin Divine justice finding deserving causes of punishment in every one that is punished either their personal accession to the sins of others which is their own sin or else some other sins for which he may in justice inflict the punishment upon them albeit the impulsive cause or occasion rather for punishing in such a manner or time c. be from the sins of others Every man shall bear his own burthen As no man goes to hell for the sin of another without his own deserving so no man is afflicted by God on earth but must say there are deserving causes of that in himself howbeit the lord may have other and higher designs in the affliction then punishment of sin It is also no less certain to us that if the Magistrate do not connive at sins of Subjects nor neglect to curb and punish them the sins of the people shall no way be imputed to him he not being thereunto accessory in any way nor shall he be punished for their sins which in his place and calling he is wrestling against and using his power against them Also it is alike certain that private persons shall not have the sins of Magistrates or of the body of the people imputed to them nor be punished for the same if so be they honestly indeavour to do all things against these sins which in their private calling they are bound to do If they keep themselves pure without any degree of acting these sins or any way of accession to them if they mourn and sigh for evils that are done if they be earnest in prayer that God may convert others from their evil way if they as they can have opportunity faithfully admonish and study to reclaim these who are out of the way and do such like Christian duties God will never enter in judgement with them for not doing violence to the Authorities that are above them or for not wakening up confusions in the Societies they live in to the destruction of many That God's people of old were punished upon occasion of sins of their Magistrates Jerem. 15.4 and the like places was because they were sharers in the guiltiness themselves not by not violent resisting which they were never exhorted to but by direct or indirect accession otherwayes Ephraim sayes Hosea ch 5 11. is oppressed and broken in judgement because he willingly walked after the commandment And Jerem. 5.31 when the corruption of Rulers is spoken of it is added My people love to have it so It was not the sin of the Rulers that involved the people in guiltiness or rendred them obnoxious unto judgement but their own accessions to the Rulers sin by consent or otherwise Let Mr. Calvin be read upon Jer. 15.4 he speaks most judiciously discoursing of the sins of Manasseh that brought on judgement Non solus Rex fuit author hujus saevitiae sed consensu populi veri Dei cultores tracti fuerunt ad necem hinc patet fuisse commune totius populi scelus spâ—nte assensi sunt Regi And there he shows they continued in the same sins that broke forth in Manasseh his time and they were punished for their own sins albeit occasion is taken to remember that dreadful time of Manasseh when the wickedness began that was after continued in with obstinacy And that same excellent Divine writing on the second and third Verse of Jerem. 22. a place abused by Lex Rex and others to stir up the people to take the sword in their hand to relieve the oppressed and execute judgement against Magistrates speaks most judiciously Hoc maxime ad Regem Judices ac praefectos spectat nam scimus privatos homines non esse armatos ad defensionem bonorum And upon the end of the third Verse Haec proprie ad Judices spectant ejus doctrina non nisi ad Regem Judices publicos dirigitur neque enim pertinet ad vulgus ipsum aut privatos homines And he adds that the reason why that word execute judgement c. is uttered in the hearing of the people is not that the executing thereof belonged to them but that when they heard the house of David which was Sacrosancta cited before Gods Tribunal and threatned for omission of these things the Kings being quodammodo Legibus soluti as he speaks people might be moved to examine their own lives and to repent of their private injustices in their places And it is to be noted that the prophetical preachings reproving the not relieving the oppressed and not executing judgement and exhorting to these duties omitted uttered to the body of Rulers and People are to be understood as reproving what was amiss in every one in their respective callings and as injoining such duties as might be done by every one Salva justitia salvo ordine pro modulo vocationis people are warned against private oppressions Rulers against publick and every one in their station exhorted to deal righteously But to say that whenever the Prophets in their Sermons reproved positive oppression or commanded executing of righteousness they minded to condemn in the people the grand sin of non-resistance to the oppressing Magistrate or to cry out against it or to incite private persons or people to pull the Sword out of the Magistrates hand and relieve the oppressed and execute judgement on the oppressors even Magistrates as Lex Rex doth say P. 367. is not only a most fearful perverting of the holy Scripture to make it a cloak wherewith to cover seditious Practices but a Doctrine that tends directly to horrid confusion and utter subversion of humane Societies And verily let this Principle be once admitted that the sins of Rulers and Governors involves the people in sin and makes them obnoxious to judgement albeit they be not accessory thereunto directly nor indirectly only they tolerate what they cannot amend abiding within the bounds of their calling Neither can the consciences of people nor the State of the Common-wealth have any true peace or quietness For 1. once grant this then what a continual puzzle should tender-hearted Christians be in anent the actions of their Rulers and Magistrates and they behoved to meddle with and examine all their proceedings lest they should involve them in sin and judgement and to do so were indeed work enough and above to private Christians and they might be put into this fear to be guilty or involved in judgement for matters of Government not probably or morally possible for them to know What a ground of great disquietness should this be 2. Would not this be a perpetual Seminary of unavoidable sedition in the Common-wealth and of exposing the Magistrate to violence no less when he is acting justly then when unjustly Such is the ignorance and corruption of most of people who will never want this ready pretence If we suffer the Magistrates to do such a thing and not oppose them by force we shall with them be involved in sin and
judgement But as to the Scriptures he abuses to prove that people are involved in guiltiness or made obnoxious to the judgements of God by the sins of their Rulers albeit they have no accession thereunto but only not violent resisting them and that one part of people may be so involved in sin and wrath by the sins of another part and that therefore they ought to use violent resistance against the sinning Rulers or People The first place is Jer. 26.15 where the Prophet Jeremiah 8. ver is apprehended by the Priests the Prophets and all the people for his faithful preaching 9. ver All the people were gathered together in the house of the Lord against him and said thou shalt surely die whereupon the Princes come and sit in the entry of the new gate of the Lords house and the Priests accuse him before them ver 10 11. The Prophet Jeremiah delivered his message to them all avows his commission to the Princes and to all the people closing his speech submissively 14 15. Behold I am in your hand do unto me as seemeth good and meet unto you But know ye for certain if ye put me to death ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon your selves and upon this City and upon the inhabitants thereof Where two things are to be marked 1. That Jeremiah is speaking to the Princes and all the people or the great confluence of the body of the people at that time warning them not to meddle with his blood the Princes that they should not unjustly condemn him the people that they should not consent to nor co-operate with an unjust sentence as to the execution thereof as the manner of execution was amongst that people stoning c. And 2. he certifies both that if they consented and co-operated to his death they should bring innocent blood upon themselves and upon the city and inhabitants thereof he doth not at all incite the people to rise up and rescue him by violence out of the hands of Rulers if they should give sentence of death against him neither did ever any of the holy Prophets instigate people to use violent resistance against their perverse Magistrates nor did they ever reprove directly or indirectly that sin of non-violent resistance to Magistrates as some excessively bold do averr But only warns Princes and people both that they be not by consent or concurrence accessory to his death lest it should bring vengeance upon them all because of their consent and concurrence a deep accession to the same It will perhaps be said that the Prophet not only intimates that they who heard him Princes and people should be guilty of his innocent blood and obnoxious to judgement but even the rest of the people who although the confluence then was great could not be all present yea Children and Infants and all the dwellers in the City and the City it self should be involved in the sin and wrath following it I answer that none could be defiled with the sin but such as one way or another made themselves guilty by accession to it either in action or in omission of that which they were in their calling and station capacitated to do for hindering it such as violent resistance of Magistrates by private persons was not neither doth the Prophet mean that all the absents all the infants of that great City who knew nothing of the matter should be guilty of the shedding his innocent blood if it were shed or should properly upon that account deserve the wrath of God onely he means that the consentors actors and such as were omitting their duty publick or private in reference to the preventing of that sin should be involved in the guiltiness of it and incur the wrath of God for it But as for other Inhabitants of the City absents Children c. though for that sin they not knowing of it they could not be judged properly guilty of it or deserving wrath for it yet he intimates that the Lord by occasion of it should it be committed would bring wrath even upon these although for other sins as the meritorious cause upon their part And the judgement and wrath that for the sin of shedding innocent blood should come upon all the people and inhabitants of that City might be indeed properly a punishment to the Rulers for that particular sin and to the people accessory thereto in any way but could not be a punishment for that sin particularly upon them who were no way accessory to it but onely a punishment for their own demerits albeit the execution hic nunc occasioned by the sin of others This is a sure truth that God may justly punish the Princes or Fathers in the punishment of subjects or children Castigantur parentes in siliis tanquam in sua carne charissima Zanch. 4. pr. they being as it were parts of themselves may I say punish them with temporal judgements at least this is agreeable to his justice who visits the sins of the fathers upon the children 2d Command But yet when he is punishing Princes or Parents in their children or subjects there is also in these who are punished an internal demeriting cause of the strokes laid on that they shall have no reason to quarrel with God or to say The Fathers have eaten sowre Grapes and the Childrens teeth are set on edge Ezek. 18.2 Sometimes persons may be punished in the affliction or punishment that falls on other persons neer to them but yet the affliction of these other persons is alwayes deserved by their own sins albeit God in his wise providence makes these very same afflictions to be punishments also of the sins of others to whom they they are neerly related But as to this place it is not the Prophets mind to intimate as this man saith that for violation of this duty of not offering violence to the Magistrate proceeding unjustly wrath should come on them all of that City there is not the least evidence of any such intention he had to stir up the people to do such a thing only he gives faithful warning to all ranks not to consent or cooperate to such a wickedness which might bring wrath upon them as Diodat hath it ye will make your selves guilty before God of this fact and burthen your selves with it Then for that place Deut. 13.12 13 14 15. If thou shalt hear c. he asserts that it makes much for his position of the lawfulness of peoples rising against all Magistrates supreme and subordinate or of any part of the people their rising against the greater part wickedly back-slidden And he is bold to say that astricting this place or the like to the Hypothesis contained in the letter of the word c. is to elude Scripture and to mock the Holy Ghost by whom it is given To which 1. certainly this Libeller speaks like a Divine calling a conscientious cleaving to the literal meaning of the Holy Ghost in Scripture an eluding all
accusing him to the Magistrate by information or sufficient proof So also in the case of apostasie of a City a judicial process is required 14. ver Thou shalt enquire and make search and ask diligently and behold if it be truth and the thing certain c. Pelargus notes on the place Ne indicta causa quispiam temere à nimium fervidis condemnetur actio à Magistratu est instituenda post famam publicam defensio reo est concedenda But this man will have meer private persons without any judicial proceeding by the Magistrate to execute vengeance against all apostate Magistrates and Ministers and People This he furiously instigates people to do and by him and his party all are held Apostates who differ in a point of external Church-government from them albeit they hold fast the true Protestant Religion according to Gods Word and our good Laws in the integrity of their souls The other place abused by him is Josh 22.17 18 19. Naph p. 19 which he thinks gives warrand for private persons to use the revenging Sword upon Apostates for turning away Gods wrath But how absurdly abuseth he the holy Scripture It is most clear they were no private persons that transacted that business with the children of Reuben Gad and Manasseh nor the minor part of that people of God The Congregation of the Judges and Princes of the people conveened under the conduct of Joshua their Judge then living Phineas the high Priests son with the rest of the Princes of the Tribes are sent to treat with the Reubenites anent the altar they had set up and they return a satisfying answer Now let any judge what makes all this for the encroachment of meer private persons upon the use of the Magistrates avenging Sword on Apostates Besides the body of the peoples concurring we have the Magistrates supreme and subordinate acting their parts in their station who had they not used their Authority had that supposed defection been indeed real had been truly guilty of sinful connivance As to the third place cited Judg. 22. in the case of Israel and Benjamin that time was indeed the time thrice spoken of Judges 17.6.18.1.21.25 When there was no King in Israel every man did what is right in his own eyes if this be aimed at by this man his heart and wayes can tell It is hard to show what the Government about that time was Martyr on 18. of the Judges tells us the People of God in these times were under the power of the Philistines Collapsa erant omnia saith he quod Rege ac Magistratu Respublica destitueretur Yet shall we not think it likely but they retained somewhat of their Sanhedrim appointed Deut. 17. which in such a horrid case might draw together in an extraordinary meeting but let it be so that the Government was democratick then which cannot be proven yet seing it is the body or major part of the People that uses the Sword against the lesser it makes nothing for this Libeller who will have the minor part to use the Sword to punish Magistrates of all degrees and the major part of the people also if they have strength enough As to Achans case Jos 7. There is nothing in it to justifie private persons rising against the Magistrates and plurality of the people to avert the judgements of God nor for using violence upon them in case of their sinning against God which is the Libellers position what was done to Achan was done by the Supreme Magistrate Joshuah and not by meer private persons usurping his power Achans sin being so secret and unknown could not involve the whole multitude into sin and render them obnoxious to divine wrath they not knowing it far less being accessory to it And albeit it be said Israel hath sinned 11. v. yet as Diodate and others say well the meaning is one of Israel hath sinned not the whole collective body and although by occasion of that sin of one member of the body other members are smitten yet in the justice of God these smitten members had their own guiltiness drawing on strokes upon them the out-letting whereof was in divine wisdom ordered upon occasion of Achans sin These two things we are peremptory in 1. That God in his holy justice doth not punish any part of a people for the sins of another part to which they are no wayes accessory only they tollerate what they cannot amend keeping within compasse of their calling albeit in his holy Providence and Wisdom he may and doth often take occasion of punishing one part of a People for their own sins from the sinning of another part of that same Body and Corporation Every man that is punished hath in himself the meritorious cause of the punishment albeit the rise of the execution of the punishment hic nunc be occasion'd by the sins of neighbours or members of that same body 2. In this we are peremptory that whatever opportunities the Lord in his holy Wisdom doth take of punishing one part of a people upon the breaking out of the sins of another part of a people yet private persons have no warrand thereupon to usurp the Magistrates Sword nor to use it against himself if he be the offender or against other offenders and the pretence of turning away Gods judgements from our selves will not justifie such disorder and intrusion beyond the lines of our Calling This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the true question betwixt us and this man with his complices in every case where he apprehends defection he will have private men usurping the Magistrates punishing and revenging Sword against all for averting Gods wrath albeit to violent him or his in matter of Religion he affirmes is the greatest oppression He thinks he and his complices may force all by the Sword to their way but must not be forced by any Who can endure such Turkish Tyrranny such Doctrines and Practices so subversive of humane Societies If he or his consorts can produce either Scripture Command or allowed Example warranding any party of meer private persons to take and use not only the defensive Sword but the avenging and punishing Sword against Magistrates of all degrees and against the Body of a people upon pretence of Religion or any other we shall kiss his hands and humbly yeeld to Gods truth accounting this our greatest victory otherwise we must say he is a very wordâ—e Thraso to tell us that any thing he sayes perverting the sense of Scripture may stop the mouth of all contradiction and we must look upon him as Sathans instrument to introduce confusion in the world And though he pleads for private persons falling upon Magistrates and others of the Common-wealth for their sins that Gods wrath may be turned away in their punishment it hath no weight with us for albeit the Lord may in his holy wise Providence take the rise of the out-letting of his judgements on some from the sins of others related
to them yet hath he not made his Providence the Rule of our actions to warrand us being private Persons to punish them but we must go to the Law and Testimony to seek the Rules of our actions And whatever action is not according to this there is no light in it it is but a work of darkness for all the fair colours men can set upon it albeit God visit the sins of Parents upon Children yet that gives no warrand to Children to offer violence to their Parents for their sins But yet the Libeller cannot so leave the matter but after many ranting and rambling words which it were a pain to ripe up nor is it our purpose minding onely to notice his abuses of Scripture and impertinent reasonings he comes at length to his great reserve pag. 30. and sayes If all these things do not satisfy as indeed they are soon pleased who will be satisfied by him he hath yet four or five particulars that will make all sure for his position which he hath been labouring to underprop viz. That any private persons may against all Magistrates and the great body of the Common-wealth take and use not only the self defending but vindicative punishing and reforming Sword And 1. he saith That the reason of delivering the Kingdom to the People and not to the King with the Law it self Deut. 17.14 no way contradicted or repealed by the manner of the Kingdom and in effect of Tyranny fore told by way of disswasive 1 Sam. 8.10 doth make much for his position But 1. the man utters here a gross untruth For God doth not in the Text deliver the Kingdom to the People and not to the King as he saith he doth only before hand instruct the People anent the right way of setting of a King over them when it should come to pass that they should do so and leaves in his Word instructions for the King that shouâ—d be set over them how to behave himself That the Kingdom is here delivered to the People to be managed by them as well as to the King or with reserve of Power to them to use violence upon and against the King if he should deviate from the rules there set down as this man contends is most false the People had not so much Power as to choose the person that was to be King God reserved this for himself 15. ver Thou shalt in any wise set him King over thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose neither ever did they choose a King but onely accepted of the Kings chosen and given them by God and designed to them by his extraordinary Embassadours as is clear first in Saul and after in David and his Family the chosen Royal Family Neither were the People to look on their Kings as their servants or vassals or creatures as such men use to write but as set over them Thou shalt set him over thee not under thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose neither had they power over the King but the King by Gods Ordinance had Power over them 2. Were it so that the Kingdom or the Power of managing it were delivered to the People which is most false yet this makes nothing to this Libellers position giving Power to any party of private Persons amongst People to punish all Magistrates and the major part of the people too if they be strong enough whatever was granted to the People here was granted to the body not to this or that party of private persons 3. It is very true the place 1 Sam. 8.10 and not 1 Sam. 10.10 as he mis-cites both this and the former Scripture neither contradicts nor repeales that Law Deut. 17.14 but agrees notably with it But it is false that onely the Tyranny of a King is there spoken of by way of meerly disswasive Moses and Samuel do very well agree together the one shews what a King should do ex officio and de jure the other what a King may do by the power he hath and yet not be obnoxious to punishment from Subjects The one shews what a good King should do the other what a People should suffer of an evil King without attempt of violence upon him The one sets forth Gods approbative Law and instructs Kings in their kingly duties the other sets down the permissive Law of the King shewing the reach of his Power if he should abuse it without punishment from man The doing of such things 1 Sam. 8.10 was in effect tyrannical not approven by God but if the King came to abuse his Power so far he had a permissive Law for him that it was not free to his Subjects to punish him As albeit the Lord approveth not Divorce or a mans putting away of his wife yet by a permissive Law husbands amongst Gods People had liberty Deut. 24.1 to put away their wives without being obnoxious to humane punishment for that cause albeit God reserved the punishment of the hard-hearted husbands to himself So the Lord gives no approbation to over-imperious or tyrannical facts of Princes yet if they abuse their Power he will reserve them unto dreadful punishments by his own hand but will not have the hands of their Subjects to be upon or against them As parents do evil in correcting their children for their pleasure Heb. 12.9 10. and have no moral approven power from God so to do yet it is a sort of right of parents that if they so do their children may not use violence upon them or rise to destroy them but be in a reverent subjection to them But this great Theologue tells us That it is only the manner of Tyranny that is here set down by Samuel And that meerly by way of disswasive to disswade them from seeking a King Ans 1. It is true the fact is the manner of Tyranny but the permissive power without punishment from Subjects is the just right of all Lawful Kings of whom as it may be said Nil paenas metuunt nulla quia lege tenentur So to them if they deboard and abuse their power it may be said Si genus humanum mortalia temnitis aâ—ma At sperate deos memores fandi atque nefandi 2. Let it be so that Samuel in setting forth the manner or Law of the King intended to disswade the people from insisting in their petition for a King yet that was not his only nor his main intention his main intention is to shew the People their duty under a Kings oppression though it was not his duty to oppresse them to shew them I say what they behoved to suffer under a King beyond measure imperious without resistance for he is not now teaching the King his duty This is clear for otherwise to what purpose should he have written the manner of the King in a Book and laid it up before the Lord after the King is set over them 1 Sam. 10.25 when there was no place for repentance no remedy no use of
confusion working and spreading for although the Author pretendeth highly for Presbytery which he and his complices Hawks of the right nest have long ago hewed down in this Church as to the practice of it Yet evident it is that his pretences for Presbytery are but Prefaces to some further great design of mischief to the Church and State For having sold himself to work confusion and rebellion he goes about to overthrow all the powers ordained of God in most cyclopick boldness displaying a banner against all invested lawfully with any degree of Civil or Church power bending his spirit to the uttermost to renew and revive our confusions and to bear people in hand that grossest rebellion is religious duty and real godliness And in managing his matters the Author behaves not himself like Naphtali the hinde let loose which giveth goodly words or words of goodliness fairness and pleasantness as Gen. 49.21 it is said of Naphtali who therefore is satisfied with favour and full of the blessing of the Lord Deut. 33.23 But as in his heart there are evil treasures of wickedness So in his lips and pen there is a burning fire he strives to enflame all with the rage of his tongue and runs upon all sorts of Authorities from the highest to the lowest like a savage Beast or wild Boare let loose to waste and confound miserably both the visible Kingdom of Christ in the Land and the civil Kingdom thereof setled upon the best foundations and that his Book might want nothing of the compleatness of an infamous Libel he falls upon particular persons by name to asperse their credit the constant integrity of whose conversation will easily stop his foul lying mouth in the consciences of Gods people who know them What to do anent this bundle of impudent lyes and falshoods grosse slanders and revilings was much doubted Upon the one hand it was thought best to neglect the rage of this man if one that hath so much renounced humanity as he is here seen to do may be so termed least by being noticed he might think himself somewhat especially least people who as they affect are ordinarily opinionated might have too much matter to feed their humour to furnish their light discourses and to ensnare their souls by representing to them the matters of this Libell worthy to be buried in oblivion they being too apt whatever salvo might be added to receive the poison without the antidote according to their prejudices It seemed also a matter full of tediousness to a well composed heart to enter into a fire of endless strife and continual reciprocation of altercations wherein a man is not likely to find more truth then he hath already truth in the most important matters in the Book having been of old fully vindicated by learned hands and nothing now opposed but old songs chanted over and over again although like enough to lose much of that charity and calm and composed temper of heart which he had before What man is he that knowing how much more important work he hath upon his hand for his own salvation and honouring God in his station in the world would willingly engage in endless contests with persons whose idleness gives them too great opportunity of evil doing and who having cast by the Lords work in building his Church are too much set to do Sathans work in dissipating the same It seemed honourable enough to decline this contention and strife which is like the letting out of waters in expectation that either the mans conscience if it be not infinitely corrupted may confute him in most of his assertions and standers or that his manifest unchristian dealing may help to open the eyes of such he labours to delude and bring them to abhorre his way or that the really religious and righteous dealings of Church and State may more forcibly put him to silence then words or writings can Sometimes keeping silence is seasonable the man according to Gods own heart would not suffer Shimei's revilings to be repayed upon the head of that dead dog Hezekiah discharged to answer a word to railing Rabshakeh Jeremiah the Prophet contradicted by the false Prophet Hananiah went his way and said nothing the wise Solomon forbids to take heed to all words that are spoken and to answer a fool according to his follie The Lord of Kings and Prophets sometimes answered not his accusers a word So it seemed fit to let alone an insolent and froward railer and mocker and not to lavish out pretious time which might be better bestowed upon one that gives such visible evidences both of a reasonless and unchristian spirit whose Libel may be reckoned amongst the things quae spreta exolescunt and worthy to be answered with nothing but silence and contempt But upon the other hand it seemed something hard especially in such a distempered time to suffer an insolent person in whose mouth is a rod of pride to cast the truth down to the ground without controll and to tread upon and triumph over a holy and righteous cause and upon honourable persons of all ranks engaged in the maintenance thereof in so abusive despiteful and intolerable a way and not give him any check Not to put some stop to this furious driver who again and again assaults this Church with vile lyes and reproaches looked like the deserting and betraying of an honest and honourable cause or like the hirelings seeing the wolf and flying and leaving the flock to be destroyed with delusion fugisti quia tacuisti There is an evil silence that leaves men in sin as well as an evil speaking that leads men to sin and we are not only to give an account pro otioso verbo but pro otioso silencio for idle silence when God and the publick necessity of the Church or Society whereof we are members calls for a valiant not brutishly violent and forcible that way such as this man pleads for and rational contending for the truth It is sinful pusillanimity and not warrandable prudence to see truth fall in the streets and not lift it up And verily this man seems to be amongst these of whom Solomon sayes Prov. 26.5 who must be answered least he seem wise in his own conceit and to be amongst these Tit. 1.10 11. unruly and vain talkers and deceivers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose mouths must be stopped that the gangrane of his words may not creep further to the consumption and subversion of Church and State But the great difficulty in dealing with this man of no fore-head or if he have any it is of the hardest mettal of little conscience but of infinite loquacity and of a most unbridled tongue which is a treasure of all reviling language whereof he is exceedingly profuse in bestowing it upon persons of all ranks The great difficulty I say in dealing with him was how to moderate and temper a stile of writing toward such a one Difficile est Satyram non scribere contra
ten tribes is held forth as imitable we see what is the tendency of this mans Principles But no sound man will think the suddain and furious Rebellion of the ten tribes from Davids house upon the rash and furious answer of a young King was justifiable although the Lord in his Providence ordered it so And upon the revelation hereof it was acquiesced in and arms were not used against the dividing party and it would be consider'd also that they who made the secession were the major part of the body of the people But what is all this to justifie the insurrections of any lesser party of private people against the Magistrate and all Magistrates supreme and subordinate as this man would have them to do Every example recorded in Scripture is not imitable As to the revolt of Libnah 2 Chron. 21.10 this is reported in Scripture as a fact but is not justified and approven although it be said they revolted because Jehoram had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers This imports not the impulsive cause of the revolt or motive which they had before their eyes for in that same verse and period it is said The Edomites also revolted from him because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers and the Edomites loved not the true Religion But the meritorious cause on Jehorams part of that piece of judgement coming on him is pointed at as oft-times God punisheth mens sins by the sinful actions of other men against them the instruments are sinful but his justice is holy But let the Libeller tell us in good earnest if he thinks that the laying aside of the Presbyterian frame is the forsaking of the Lord God of our fathers and a sufficient cause for any one Town in the Kingdom to revolt from the King though he do not persecute them nor force them to his way as there is no evidence that Libnah was thus used shall a Kings swerving in that one point or if there be greater infidelity be sufficient ground of defection from him Cave dixeris Libnah was a City of the Priests Josh 10. perhaps much of the temper of this sort of men but their revolt was sinful because with the secession from the Common-wealth they fell off from the Church of God from Jerusalem the Temple and publick Worship and place of it which was as yet owned by God notwithstanding many corruptions the revolt is only recorded as done not as well done As to what he adds of the Practices Prophesies and manner of the late blessed Reformations and the Right and Constitution of this Kingdom afterward it shall be considered But it is a wonder that upon this point of resistance and taking arms against Kings he hath omitted Davids taking Goliaths Sword and gathering bands of men for his own defence against Sauls violence which because he medleth not with neither shall we further then to note what Beza in his answer to Castellio P. 20. sayes Davidis unctio ita eum à privatis distinguebat ut jure posset armis vim injustam repellere And it were to be wished that this Libeller who mocks at the exemption of Kings from punishment by Subjects as we will hear may let Davids word sink in his heart Who shall stretch forth his hand against the Lords anointed and be innocent Now to draw to a close of this matter let these few things be observed 1. That whatever may be said of the lawfulness of defensive arms against the illegal violences and extreme oppression of a Prince who is not integrae Majestatis by other Magistrates to whom with him the protection of Laws and Liberties is jointly committed by certain pactions and conditions expressed that will say nothing to warrand the insurrection of any party of private persons against all their Magistrates acting according to Laws agreed upon by the Magistrates of all degrees and the body of the Community 2. That the late rising against and resisting the King and all Authorities in the Land was utterly unwarrantable not only upon the account of their being meer private persons who did take arms but because there was neither sufficient ground for that deed had it in its nature been lawful nor did they abide within due limits of an innocent defence The Author of L. R. tells us P. 329. When there is no actual invasion made by a man seeking our life we are not to use violent re-offending Again he saith P. 327 328. Private men must not presently use violence to the Kings servants till they supplicate nor may use re-offending if flight may save and must not use violent re-offending against the servants of the King but in the exigence of last and most inexorable necessity And P. 321. Any mean not used for preventing death must be an act of revenge not of self-defence And adds there That in paying tribute or suffering a buffet of a rough Master we are not to use any act of re-offending c. Now the world knows the life or blood of these people was not sought upon any termes there was no forcing them to idolatry to false worship nor frighting them to any thing of that kind upon pain of their lives only for their contempt of the outward Ordinances of God purely administred in an Orthodox Church they were put to pay such moderate fines as the publick Laws had appointed without any actual invasion of them or their persons they were the first aggressors and invaders wounding and murthering the Kings Servants and Ministers and seising on his chief Officer Napht. p. 137. confesseth they shed the first blood and first murthered the Kings Servants They had never before that essayed supplicating these in power for mitigation of their fines which was not forbidden them to do if so be they would have done it without tumults and combinations but being inflamed by furious Agitators they would flee to the Sword and provoke others to combinations with them And so spoiling loyal persons who would not concur with them and their hearts being full of much more mischief they marched on to mock Authority with armed Petitions as they had mocked God by sinful prayers to prosper their evil course as if he had been altogether such a one as themselves But not only have others but themselves also cause to praise God that they had no success in sin which might have been a snare and a stumbling block to them and others also It is Gods great mercy not to thrive in an evil way 3. All the people of God are to advert carefully to the dangerous principle of this Libeller and his adherents which is this all alongs his Book That it is as or more irrational and unlawful to suffer unjustly from the Magistrate so long as there is strength enough to act against him as it is to obey actively his unlawful commandments This doctrine cannot but be a source and spring of perpetual seditions under every kind of Government Civil and Ecclesiastical For thus
lead him to own a meer democracy which is the worst of Governments as the only lawful Government he placeth and fixeth the unpunâ—shable Soveraignty there Kings and Parliaments may be according to him punished by the people but they have a Power attended with impunity from men if they erre God must amend that onely we see where we are and that the resolution of all supreme Power is upon the people under God according to these mens tenets the rabble of the multitude against King and all Nobles and Rulers are instated in the Soveraignty under God yea Napht. goes further giving to any part of meer private persons power over King and all Magistrates and Nobles to judge depose and punish them or the major part of the people if there be strength enough and that uncontrollably upon their own judgement of discretion as we have heard and will hear further But now ventum est ad triarios we come to the great Guns whereby Napht. and his witnesses L. R. and the Apol. strives to batter down Gods order and to make soveraign Powers in the case of abuse of Power punishable by their inferiors and subjects a thing which all the Lords and Superiors in Scotland had need to look to for with as good reason may their tennents and vassals be exhorted to rise against them and take order with them when they think they do them wrong as subjects may be exhorted to rise against their King Lex Rex harps much upon the Covenant betwixt the King and the people and betwixt both together with God quest 14. and 40. asserting That the King is only a King conditionally and Covenant-wise that this Covenant giveth the people a coactive Power over the King to punish him if he fail in his duty and that if it be not performed on his part although it be but a tacite and implicite Covenant the people for their part are loosed from the Covenant These and many such Doctrines consequent on these he hath in these questions But Naph out-stripes his leader for albeit he also harpes upon that supposed Covenant p. 19. p. 30. and elsewhere laying much of the stresse of resistance against and revenge upon the King abusing his power upon that rotten foundation Yet he goes a greater length then L. R. doth for L. R. takes the Covenant as the warrand for the body of the people with their Rulers of inferior degree to resist and punish the King but Napth pleads the Covenant for any party of meer private persons to rise against resist throw down King and all Magistrates Supreme and Subordinate and in their Phineas-like motions to use the vindicative punishing reforming Power of the Sword especially in case of defection in matter of Religion such as he thinks the cause now to be And the great stresse of the business is still laid upon these Covenants tacite and virtual or expresse and it is pleaded the people or any part of the people have by that Covenant a joynt obligation with the King and all Magistrates lying upon them to use a vindicative and reforming Power in case of defection in Religion yea even against all back-slidden Rulers and the plurality of an apostate Nation There is a two-fold Covenant they talk of as the foundation of all humane Societies 1. the religious joynt Covenant between the King or Soveraign and people with God 2. The civil Covenant betwixt the King and the people Concerning the former it is Naph mind p. 18. That albeit the care of Religion toward God in a vindicative and punishing way and reforming it c. lyeth upon the King or Magistrates mainly he should have said onely for none can produce a commission but the Powers ordained of God for using the vindicative punitive and reforming Sword about which the question is now but only the Magistrate Yet there is a joynt obligation lying upon the people and every party thereof to vindicate and reform Religion in a publick punitive way even against all Magistrates and Nobles if they be the principal perverters and patrons of abominations and against the plurality of the people for sayes he 18. p. Idolatry perjury c. ought by all meanes n. b. to be suppressed restrained and severly punished So that if any part of the people do think the Magistrates all of them or the plurality of the people Patrons of abominations as in the present case he challenges them to be any private party that think they have power enough may slee to the vindicative punishing and reforming Sword and fall upon all Rulers and others whom they think to be in a defection and will boldly say that in truth they are so This is the mans fine Doctrine he conceals not his own intentions and his parties upon the account of the Apostasie which they now fansie to fall with bloody cruelty on all Magistrates and people too who stand in their way he shews his bloody teeth but God will knock out the teeth of this sanguinary Faction as he hath done Yea Naph runs yet higher for upon the conceit of setting up Government for Truth and Relâ—gion and Gods Worship as the main ends P. 16. he asserts The cessation of the obligation to the Government when there is a perversion in that great design of it and a returning of people to their primaeve liberty as he often speaks to erect Governments to their mind and to combine with whom they will as before we heard Concerning these things we say 1. That albeit it be Gods holy will that in erections of Civil Government his Truth sincere Worship and Glory in these should be mainly minded and intended by men and it is mens duty so to do yet it is clear that in many places de facto it is not so although men profess in the general aiming at Truth and right Worship yet there are aberrations in the particular 2. Albeit there be in the point of Truth and the Worship of God which de jure should be principally cared for in Government a notable perversion and swerving that doth not at all invalidate the Authority or Government nor break the obligation thereunto although it be injurious to favourers of Truth and right Worship For God so far regards the keeping of humane Societies in tolerable order that albeit the great duties of advancement of his Truth and Worship be not minded by Rulers yet he will not have the Common-wealths where justice between man and man is maintained for his Glory although Religion not minded as it ought to be casten loose nor will have men think themselves loosed from obligation to the Government albeit there be perversion in the managing thereof as to Religion for neither must they be heard who hold That civil Dominion is grounded on Grace nor they who say That infidel heretical or excommunicate Magistrates fall from their power or that the Subjects obligation to them ceaseth 3. It shall be easily granted that the people and every one of the