1680. at the Torwood he excommunicated some of the most scandalous and Principal Promoters Abettors of this Conspiracy against Christ as formally as the present Case could admit After Sermon upon Ezek. 21. 25 26 27. And thou profane wicked Prince of Israel whose day is come c. He had a short and pertinent discourse on the nature the subject the causes and the ends of Excommunication in general And then declared that he was not led out of any private Spirit or passion to this Action but constrained by Conscience of duty and zeal to God to stigmatize with this brand and wound with the Sword of the Lord these Enemies of God that had so Apostatized rebelled against mocked despised defied Our Lord and to declare them as they are none of His to be none of ours The persons excommunicated and the Sentence against them was given forth as followes I being a Minister of Iesus Christ and having Authority and Power from Him do in His Name by His Spirit excommunicatâ— cast out of the true Church and deliver up to Satan Charles the Second King c. The Sentence was founded upon these grounds declared in the pronunciation thereof 1 for his high mocking of God in that after he had acknowledged his own sins his fathers sins his mothers Idolatrie yet had gone on more avowedly in the same than all before him 2 for his great Perjurie in breaking burning the Covenant 3 for his rescinding all Lawes for establishing the Reformation and enacting Lawes contrarie thereunto 4 for commanding of Armies to destroy the Lords people 5 for his being an Enemy to true Protestants helper of the Papists and hindering the execution of just Lawes against them 6 for his granting Remissions Pardons for Murderers which is in the power of no King to do being expressly contrare to the Law of God. 7 for his Adulteries and dissembling with God man Next by the same Authority and in the same name he excommunicated Iames Duke of York for his Idolatrie and setting it up in Scotland to defile the Land and entycing encouraging others to do so Not mentioning any other sins but what he scandalously persisted in in Scotland c. With several other rotten Malignant Enemies on whom the Lord hath ratiâ—â—ed that Sentence since very remarkably whose sins punishments both may be read more visiblie in the Providences of the time than I can record them But about this time when amidst all the abounding defections divisions of that dark dismal hour of tentation some in zeal for the Cause were endeavouring to keep up the Testimony of the day in an abstraction from Complying Ministers Others were left in holy judgment to be a stumbling block to the Generation hardening them in their defections and to be a beacon to the most zealous to keep off from all unwarrantable excesses to fall into fearâ—ul extravagances and delirious damnable delusions being overdriven with ignorant blind zeal into untroden paths which led them into a labyrinth of darkness when as they were stumbled at many Ministers their unfaithfulness so through the deceit of Sathan and the hypocrisie of his Instruments they came to be offended at Mr Cargil his faithfulness who spared neither left hand declensions nor right hand extremes and left him and all the Ministers not only disouning all Communion with those that were not of their way but execrating Cursing them and kept themselves in desert places from all Company where they persisted prodigiously in fastings and singing Psalms pretending to wonderful raptures Enthusiasmes and in fine I. Gib with 4 more of them came to that hight of Blasphemy that they burnt the Bible Confession of Faith. These were the sweet singers as they were called led away into these delusions by that Impostor Sorcerer Iohn Gib who never encreased to such a number as was then feared reported being within thirty most part women all which for the most part have been through Mercy reclaimed from that destructive way which through Grace the Reproached Remnant adhering to the foresaid Testimony had alwayes an abhorrence of Wherefore that ignorant impudent Calumnie of their Consortship with Gibs followers is only the vent of viperous Envy For they were the first that discovered them and whose pains the Lord blessed in reclaiming them and were alwayes so far from partaking with them that to this day these that have come off from that way and have offered the Confession of their scandal do still complain of their over-rigid severity in not admitting them to their select fellowships To which may be added this undenyable Demonstration that whereas the persecuâ—ing Courts of Inquisition did alwayes extend the utmost severity against the Ouners of this Testimony yet they spared them And the Duke of York then in Scotland was so weâ— pleased with Gib's Blasphemies that he favoured him extraordinarly and freely dismissed him This was a cloudy dark day but not without a burning shining light as long as that faithful Minister of Christ Mr Donald Cargil was following the Work of the Lord who shortly after this finished his Testimony being apprehended with other two faithful zealous Witnesses of Christ Mr Walter Smith and Mr Iames Boog who with 2 more were altogether at Edinburgh 27. Iulij 1681. Crouned with the Glory of Martyrdom Then came the day of the Remnants vexation trouble darkness dimness of anguish wherein who so looked unto the Land could see nothing but darkness sorrow the light darkened in the Heavens thereof wherein neither Star nor Sun appeared for many dayes and poor People were made to grope for the wall like the blind and to stumble in noon day as in the night While the Persecution advanced on the one hand a violent spait of defection carried doun the most part of Ministers Professors before it driving them to Courses of sinful scandalous Conformings with the times Corruptions Compearings before their Courts Complyings with their Commands paying of theis Cesses and other Exactions Taking of their Oaths Bonds and countenancing their Prelatical Church-Services which they were ashamed to do before And thereupon on the other hand the Divisions and Confusions were augmented and poor people that desired to cleave to the Testimony were more more offended and stumbled at the Ministers who either left the Land in that clamant Call of the peoples necessity or lurked in their own retirements and declined the duty of that day leaving people to determine themselves in all their perplexities as a prey to all tentations But the tender Pastor and Shepherd of Israel who leads the blind in the way they know not did not forsake a Remnant in that hour of tentation who kept the Word of His Patience and as He helped those that fell into the hands of Enemies to Witness a good Confession so He strengthened the zeal of the remaining Contenders against all the
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
sayes he The draught of that petition which yow sent me speaks not one word of the Covenant of God for the adhering to which yow now suffer and which is the Object of mens hatred and the destruction whereof is the great work of the times and your silence in this nick of time appears to be a not confessing of Christ before men and yow want nothing to begen an uncleanly deliverance but the profession of silence which is professed by all that petition for such a bond when their address transaction speaks no more in favours of the cause than if they denied it It is plainly a coming out of prison without a Testimony which cannot consist with faithful zealous suffering for Christ and is far from the choise of Christs Witnesses who overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of their Testimony recorded Heb. 11. 35. who were tortured not accepting deâ—iverance that they might obtain a better resurection 5. As it is Scandalous so it is very inconvenient unsuitable for the Confessors of Christ. In that not only they may be ignorant and much troubled to know what underhand â—ealings their friends may use sometimes to procure that Liberty without acquainting them and how odiously their Act of deliverance may be worded registred to the prejudice of the cause which they dare not testify against afterwards when they do know it for fear of many inconveniencies But also it cannot be vindicated from being a dishonourable shifting and puting off or casting off the Call of a Testimony and confessing either an inconstancy or impatience or unreadiness or want of resolution to confess or profess the Testimony for Christ without some respyte to gather new defences for it Whereas Christs Witnesses should be ready always to give an Answer to every man that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them 1 Pet. 3. 15. And besides they involve themselves into the incumbrances of a doubtful suspence about the event whereas if they keep their first resolution condition with cheerfullness aloof from such bargains they know the utmost they have to fear or hope from men But now as it is Hard for them to come off without some sinful engagment and to continue any measure of faithfulness when they are out for fear of being soon called again so they bring themselves into many sad difficulties how to behave and cast themselves into many tentations unadvoidably However except of late a precedent of this practice can hardly be instanced among the Sufferers of Christ in former times but on the contrary many have refused such offers I shall only name one In the persecution of Qeen Mary of England Dr Sands Prisoner at London had the offer of Liberty upon the terms of such a bond finding bail to appear when he should be called but refused it absolutely and when a Gentleman without his knowledge having procured it by giving a thowsand pound Bond for him brought him forth and required his consent and observance of the obligation he would not consent to give any security and denied his resolution to observe it in the least whereupon the Gentleman very courteously told him he would stand to his hazard This was far more like the innocency of the dove but this new prudence resembles more the wisdom of the serpent Finally as for Iasons business which is so much harped upon by these Bonders 1 These were Rulers that he had to deal with all and not raging Tyrants 2 They were indifferent Arbiters between Iason and the Lewd fellowes that troubled him and not both Judge party he gave no security to his persecuters as these Bonders do but to the true Judges of the cause who impartially took cognizance of it from whom Iason might did expect right 3 This was before he was Prisoner being as free as his accusers and having the Law as free for him as it was for them whereby he could vindicate himself and abide the Law and be absolved by it which does not answer the case of Prisoners actually ingaged in called to a Testimony for Christ when there is no Law but what is established in opposition to Christ. 4 In the Original it is when they got satisfaction from him that is when he so cleared himself that they could not fasten any transgression upon him then they absolved him 2. All these Oaths solemn Securities that have been imposed in these times are dreadful heinous breaches of the Third Command by taking His Name in vain in the worst sort whereby the takers cannot be holden guiltless For it is impossible such Oaths Bonds however they be constructed can ever be taken with these requisite qualifications necessary to be observed in all Oaths and consequently in all Solemn promises or Bonds that are mentioned once for all Ier. 4. 2. where one that sweareth must do it in Truth in Iudgement in Righteousness 1. They cannot be taken in Truth which is a necessary qualification in all Oaths according to the definition of a true Oath Which is a Solemn Invocation of God for Confirmation of some true Lawful grave and weighty Useful worthy business wherein He is attested appealed unto that He as the only Searcher of hearts may give His Testimony to the Truth of the thing and punish the Swearer if he swear not in Truth And this Swearing in Truth does import require both Sincerity of the heart filled with Reverence and the awful apprehension of a present God And Simplicity of the mind well informed of the genuine meaning of the Oath that we have clear uptaking of it and take it not implicitely but with our oun understanding And also singleness honesty of the intention that it be not to deceive by puting any other sense than the imposer hath or will allow when he understands it So the meaning must be clear and such as may be obviously gathered from the Words and according as they are supposed to be understood by others especially them that exact the Oath for if they mean one thing and we another Gods Name is profaned and the end of the Oath frustrate and so all equivocations mental reservations are condemned As all Divine treating on Oaths teach and worthy Mr Durham particularly on the Third Command who Asserts that though we could devise some other meaning that might seem to make for us yet if that was not meant at first tendering but otherwise understood by him that did take it it will not absolve from the guilt of perjurie for an Oath is stricti juris and will not admit on any respct or account of interpretations prejudicial to the Native Truth of it lest it should be found to be according to Psal. 24. 4. a swearing deceitfully And afterwards he sayes Much less will it exempt a man from guilt that in swearing he had a meaning of the words contrary to what in common sense they bear and in the
practical expression of it by the hands of all But the reason they give why they are so offended at it is that they look upon it as the Spring of all the errors of Presbyterians and a Notion that destroyes them Which indeed will be found to have a necessary connexion with many of the Truths that they contend for this day as it hath been the necessary methode of deâ—ending them What practices of this kind hath been and what were the occasions inducing or rather enforcing to these Defensive Resistences here to be vindicated as to the principle of them is manifested in the Historical Representation Shewing that after the whole body of the Land was engaged under the bond of a Solemn Covenant several times renewed to defend Religion Liberty and in special manner the Magistrats of all ranks the Supreme whereof was formally admitted to the Government upon these terms he with his Associates conspiring with the Nobles to involve the whole Land in perjury Apostasie overturned the whole Covenanted Work of Reformation and thereby not only encroached upon the Interest of Christ and the Churches Priviledges but subverted the fundamental Constitution of the Kingdoms Government and pressed all to a submission unto and complyance with that Tyranny Apostasie erected upon the ruines thereof Yet the Godly Faithful in the Land sensible of the indispensable obligation of these Covenants resolved to adhere thereunto and suffered long patiently for adherence unto the same until being quite out wearyed by a continued tract of Tyrannical oppressions arbitrarly enacted by wicked Laws and illegally executed against their oun Laws and cruelly prosecuted even without all colour of Law in many unheard of barbarities when there could be no access for or success in complaining or getting redress by Law all Petitions Remonstrances of Grievances being declared seditious treasonable and interdicted as such they were forced to betake themselves to this last remedy of Defensive Resistence intending only the preservation of their Lives Religion Liberties which many times hath been blessed with success and therefore zealously contended for as an inamissible Priviledge by all well affected to the Cause of Christ and Interest of their Country because they found it alwayes Countenanced of the Lord until the cause was betrayed by the Treachery and abandoned by the Cowardice of such as were more Loyal for the Kings Interests than zealous for Christs and the Countries for which the Lord in His holy Jealousie discountenanced many repeated endeavours of this nature Cuting us off and puting us to shame and would not go forth with our Armies But because the duty is not to be measured by and hath a more fixed Rule to be founded upon than providence therefore the Godly did not only maintain the principle in their confessions Testimonies but prosecute the practice in carrying armes making use of them in the defence of the Gospel and of themselves at Field-Meetings which were alwayes successfully prosperous by the power presence of God. This Question is sufficiently discussed by our famous learned invincible Patrons Champions for this excellent priviledge of Mankind the unanswerable Authors of Lex Rex the Apologetical Relation Napthali Ius populi Vindicatum But because facile est inventis addere I shall subjoine my mite And their Arguments being various and volumniously prosecute and scattered at large through their books I shall endeavour to collect a Compend of them in some order The two first speak of a Defensive war managed in a Parliamentary way And the two last of Resistence against the abuse of a Lawful power when there is no access to maintain Religion Liberty any other way which does not come up so closs to our case nor is it an adequate Antithesis to the Assertions of our Adversaries who say that it is no wayes Lawful in any case or upon any pretence whatsoever to Resist the Soveraign power of a Nation in whomsoever it be resident or which way soever it be erected I shall consider it more complexely extensively and plead both for Resistence against the abuse of a Lawful power and against the Use Usurpation of a Tyrannical power And infer not only the Lawfulness of Resisting Kings when they abuse their power as is demonstrate unanswerably by these Authors but the expediency necessity of the duty of Resisting this Tyrannical power whensoever we are in a Capacity if we would not be found treatherous Covenant-breakers betrayers of the Interest of God and the Liberties of the Nation and of our Brethren together with the posterity into the hands of this Popish Implacable Enemie and so bring on us the Curse of Meroz and the Curse of our Brethrens blood crying for vengeance on the heads of the shedders thereof and upon all who being in case came not to their rescue and the Curse of posterity for not transmitting that Reformation Liberty whereof we were by the valour of our fore-fathers put left in possession I shall not therefore restrict my self to the State of the Question as propounded ordinarly viz. Whether or not when a Covenanted King doth really injure oppress invade his Subjects Civil Religious Rights or unavoidably threatens to deprive them of their dearest nearest Liberties and sends out his Emissaries with armed violence against them and when all redress to be had or hope by any Address or petition is rendered void or inaccessible yea addressing interdicted under severe penalties as treasonable Then in that case may a Communitie of these Subjects defend themselves their Religion Liberties by armes in resisting his bloody Emissaries But to bring it home to our present case and answer the Laxness of the Adversaries position of the uncontrollableness of every one that wears a Crown I shall State it thus Whether or not is it necessary duty for a Community whether they have the Concurrence of the primores or Nobles or not to endeavour in the Defence of their Lives Religion Laws Liberties to Resist Repress the Usurpation Tyranny of Prevailing Dominators using or abusing their power for subverting Religion invading the Liberties and overturning the foundamental Laws of their Country I hold the Affirmative and shall essay to prove it by the same Arguments that conclude this Question as usually stated Which will more than evince the Justifyableness of the Sufferings upon this Head. In prosecuting of this Subject I shall first premit some Concessory Considerations to clear it And Secondly bring Reasons to prove it First for clearing of this Truth and taking off Mistakes these Concessions may be considered 1. The Ordinance of Magistracy which is of God is not to be Resisted no not so much as by disobedience or non-obedience nay not so much as mentally by cursing in the heart Eccles. 10. 20. but a person cloathed therewith abusing his power may be in so far Resisted But Tyrants or Magistrates turning Tyrants are
the party who are represented as the Wild folk of Scotland the design of this Treatise is to hold forth the History of their manifold Chases the Craft keenness Cruelty of their hunters and the goodlyness of the words of their Testimony Which by reason of the likeness of the Testimony of former Periods with the present and that the latter may be vindicated by the former is resumed from the beginning of the Church of Scotlands wrestlings against the Enemies of Christ and deduced through all the most signal steps of this long propagated and hereditary War. And lest my words should not be goodly enough nor my notions grateful to the Criticks of this age who cast every thing as new and nice which is someway singular and not suited to their sentiments that it may appear the Cause here cleared and vindicated is not of yesterday but older than their Grandfathers who oppose it I dare avouch without vanity there is nothing here but what is confirmed by Authors of greatest note repute in our Church both ancient modern namely Buchanan Knox Calderwood Acts of General Assemblies Cawses of Wrath Lex Rex Apologetical Relation Napthali Ius Populi History of the Indulgence Banders disbanded Rectius Instruendum and some other Authors much respected whose Authority more alwayes repelled by rage than ever yet resisted by reason though I value more than all the vain oblatrations of the Opposers of this Testimony and think it sufficient to confute all imputations of its Novelty and to counterballance the weight that may be laid on the Contradictions of the greatest that treat on this subject Yet I do not lay so much stress on the reason of their Authority as on the Authority of their reason which is here represented with that Candor and Care that lest any should cavil that they are wrested or wronged when made to speak so patly to the present Controversies I have chosen rather to transcribe their words than to borrow their matter dressed up in my own except where the prolixity multiplicity of their Arguments as clearly demonstrating that which I adduce them for as that for which they were primarly intended did impose the necessity of abridging them which yet is mostly in their oun words though reduced into a Syllogistical forme But this obloquie of Novelty being anticipated when I reflect on the helps I have collected from so many hands I am rather afraid the Truths here delivered be comtemned as obsolete and antiquate than cast at for new speculations However I am content yea it is my ambition that nothing here be looked upon as mine but that it may appear this is an old Plea and that the party here pleaded for who are stigmatized with many singularities are a people who ask the old paths and the good way that they may walk therein and though their paths be not now much paved by the frequency of passengers and multitude of Professors walking therein and albeit it must indeed be confessed the word of their Testimony is some way singular that the same things were never the word of Christs patience stated as heads of suffering before yet they are not untroden paths but the same way of Truth which hath been maintained by the witnesses of Christ in all the Periods of our Church and asserted by the greatest Confessors though never before sealed by Martyrs As for the Arguments I bring to clear confirm them whether they be accounted mine or borrowed from others I am very indifferent if they prove the point they are brought for which I hope they will be sound to do But of this ◠am confident there is nothing here can be condemned untill some one or more of those grave Authors be confuted and when that is done which will be ad Calendas Graecas or against the 30. of February there is something besides here which will challenge Consideration The design then of this work is of great importance even no less than to essay the discussing the difficulties of all our Conflicts with open Enemies about the present state of the Testimony the vindicating of all the heads of sufferings sustained thereupon these 27 years past the proposing of the right state of the Testimony for the Interest of Christ not only of this but of all former Periods with an account of the propagation prosecution of the witnessings wrestlings and sufferings for it from time to time to the end it may appear not only how great the sufferings have been since this fatal Catastrophe and overturning of the Covenanted Reformation and unhappie restauration of Tyrannie and Prelacie but that the grounds upon which they have been stated are not niceties and novelties as they are reproached and reputed by many but worthie and weighty Truths of great value and validity and of near affinity unto Conformity with the continued series and succession of the Testimonies in all former Periods So that in this litle Treatise must be contained a Compendious Historie of the Church of Scotland her Testimony in all ages a vindication of the present state of it yea in effect a short Epitome of the substance of those famous forecited Authors as far as we need to consult them concerning the Controversies of the present time with Adversaries Which is much and perhaps too much to be undertaken in so small a volume But considering that many who are concerned in this Cause yea the most part who concern themselves about it are such who have neither access nor time nor capacity to revolve the voluminous Labours of these Learned men for light in this Case I have done my best to bring them into one body of a portable bulk with as great brevity as could consist well with any measure of perspicuity Not medling with any thing but what I thought might some way conduce to clear some part of the present Testimony Every undertaking of this nature cannot but be lyable to several disadvantages that are unavoidable this hath many discouraging and difficult One is that it shall be exposed to the Common fate of such representations to be stigmatized as a seditious Libel and so may be sent to the flames to be confuted and to enflame the fury of these firebrands already hell-hot into the utmost extremity of rage against the Author that ever Cruelty it self at its fullest freedom did exert against Truth and reason arraigned and cast for Sedition and Treason The only Sanctuary in such a Case is in prospect of this to have the greater care that nothing be spoken but what the Speaker may dare to affirm in the face of Cruelty it self A Second common disadvantage is obvious from the Consideration of the humor of the Age wherein fancy hath greater force than faith and nothing is pleasing but what is parasitical or attempered to the palat of the Greatest not of the best And naked Truth without the fairdings of flatterie or paintings of that pâkiness which is commonly applauded as
others from concerting that same necessary witness in the season thereof And for this end he will change both matter manner in managing the War. He will not now persecute for the old Controverted heads of Poperie with fire faggot as formerly for refusing to worship Our Lady or the blessed Sacrament of the Altar These weapons Engines are so worn out of use that they will not work now as they did before And that old Baud of Babylon is become so ugly and out of date that he does not believe her beauty can be so bewitching except she put on a new busk But her Eldest Daughter the Prelatical Church of the same Complexion with herself except that she is coloured with Protestant paint is fitter for his service to allure our Land into fornication And who will not be entyced must be forced to Communion with her by finings confynings exactions extortions impositions of Oaths c. Religion must be litle concerned here for there is Preaching enough and of Protestant Doctrine too and without the Monkie-Tricks Montebank showes fopperies of English-Popish Ceremonies Lyturgical services What would they be at Is it not better to yeeld to this than to fall into the hand of the Scotish-Spanish-Inquisition that will rack the Purse the Body Conscience and all This is one Complex head of suffering and thought a very small one by many But now finding this would not do his business yet it looked too like Religion still He hath therefore invented a new Machin He will not now Persecute nor force the Conscience at all so good natur'd is the Devil and his Lievetenant grown in their old age for matters of meer Religion Nay if we may believe him who when he speaketh a lie speaketh it of his own he hath not done it this long time but only in all the violent Courses exercised against these Sufferers he hath been Magistratically chastising the disobedience rebellion of a few turbulent Traitors who would not oune the Government And thus under the notion of Rebellion disouning Authority he hath had access success to destroy almost an innumerable number of honest innocent faithful fruitful lovers of Christ who though indeed they have had their sufferings stated upon those points yet I doubt not shall be found among the followers of the Lamb and Confessors and Martyrs of Christ who haue overcome by the blood of the Lamb the word of their Testimony not loving their lives unto the Death whose blood is crying for vengeance against the shedders thereof And He will make inquisition for it when He comes to overturn overturn take His own right for which they have been Contending Nevertheless this is a prejudice too prevalent with many to misregard the Case Cause of these Contenders or any thing that can be said to represent them favourablie And all these disadvantages difficulties discouragements together considered would soon cool my Courage and at first blush make me leave off before I begin were I not persuaded that it is the Cause of Christ these reproached people are suffering for and that their great sufferings reproaches are both alike unjust from both which the Lord vvill vindicate them bring forth their righteousness as the light their judgment as the noon day â—n His oun time In confidence of vvhich depending on his Conduct I shall undertake as briefly as is possible for me to represent their case and clear the Cause so far at least as concerns their Contest vvith their pesecuting Enemies vviâ—h vvhom I only deal at present it not being my purpose to descend particularly into their necessitated Contendings vvith Complying Brethren partly because they vvould make the volume to excresce unto too great a bulk because they are to be seen elsevvhere yet in effect these also are not only here narratively deduced but vvhatever is odious in them is vindicated vvhat is difficult in some measure enodated But it may be expected and desiderated that I should give a distinct deduction of all the Steps of this woful defection against which a great part of the Testimony hath been stated but I would have the Reader advertised I touch only that part of the Testimony which hath been sealed by severe sufferings from enemies It were a Task transcending my Capacity and a Theme wherein I have no pleasure besides that it is inconsistent with my Leasure to inlarge upon such a sad and shameful subject Though the world indeed is at a loss that they that would do it cannot and they that would should do it will not And it is a greater loss not only to Scotland but also to the whole Christian world that what hath been done in this kind already cannot see the light or rather that the Church of Christ is deprived of its light which through the injury of the times the disingenuous Prudence of some who suffer themselves to be imposed upon by the Patrons of Defection is embezilled suppressed I mean that excellent faithful History of Defection the posthumous work of famous Mr. M'ward whose praise is in the Churches which if they that have it in keeping would do themselves the honour and the world the happiness of publishing it there would be no more need to discover from whence to what and how that Church hath fallen degenerate nor so great dissicultie in that indisputable indispensable duty that such a day calls for in searching trying our wayes to the end we may turn again to the Lord Nor any necessity for my poor essay to invite incite the people of the lord to take Cognizance Compassion of poor perishing Scotland I wish that they who have it may consult more their oun duty and credit and what they owe to the memory of the dead the Churches edification the dayes Testimony and the honour of Christ than to continue robbing the world of such a Treasure wich I doubt not to call Treason against Christ Sacriledge against the Church stick not to tell them if they will not publish it the world must knovv there was such a thing done But it not being my design now to detect or reflect upon all the defections of that declining by declensions divided by divisions almost only not destroyed Church I shall medle with them no further than what is necessary to clear the cause refering the knowledge and account of them either to the Notoriety of the grossest of them or to the more particular enarration of them to be found in papers emitted published by the Contenders against them Of vvhich one is of this same years edition entituled The Informatory vindication of a poor wasted misrepresented Remnant c. In vvhich may be evident that notvvithstanding of all this darkness distress defection division under vvhich the Church of Scotland hath been so long is still labouring there is yet a poor
time the Witness for Christ is in a great measure killed Other Churches which are keeping contending for the word of Christs patience are so wasted almost worn out with Persecutions afflictions calamities that after they have been are so much daylie killed for the Word of God the Testimony of Jesus it may well be said there hath been is a great slaughter of the Witnesses And it were hard to determine which of them can give the largest most lamentable account of their sufferings or which of them have had the greatest most grievous experiences of the Treachery Truculency Violence Villanie of Atheistical Papistical Enemies whether the Reformed Church of France howling under the paw of that devouring Lyon the French Tyrant or the Protestants of Hungary under the tearing Clawes of that ravenous Eagle the Tyrant of Austria or those of Piedemont under the grassant Tyranny of that litle Tyâ—er of Savoy The accounts they give in print the reports they bring with them in their flight from their respective Countreyes the litle Hints we have in Gazetts News Letters must needs enforce a conviction if not extort a Compassion of the greatness of their pressures that with such a parity that it is doubtful which preponderats I shall not make comparisons nor aggravate nor extenuate the sufferings of any of the Churches of Christ beyond or below their due measures But will presume to plead that Scotland another Ancient sometimes famous Reformed Church be enrolled in the Catalogue of suffering Churches besides these mentioned and crave that she may have a share of that Charity Sympathy which is the demand desire of afflicted Churches of Christ from all the fellow members of that same body And so much the rather is this her due that whereas among all the rest of the Churches Christs witnesses are killed in some particular respect each of them have their own proper complaint of it some upon the account of Persecution some of defection division c. Of this it may be said in all respects both the witnesses of Christ and a witness for Christ are killed with a witness This is the Case of the sometimes Renouned famous faithful fruitful Reformed Covenanted Church of Scotland famous for unity faithful for verity fruitful in the purity of Doctrine Worship Discipline Government which now for these 27 years past under the Domination of the late Tyrant present Usurper of Brittain hath been so wasted with oppression wounded with Persecution rent with Division ruined with defection that now she is as much despised as she was before admired And her Witness Testimony for Reformation is now as far depressed suppressed in obscuritie as it was formerly declared depredicated in glory honour And yet which should move the greater commiseration her witnessings wrestlings Tryalls Tentations have not been inferiour in manner or measure quality or continuance to any of the forementioned Churches thô in extent not so great because her precinct is not so large whereby the number of her oppressed murdered Children could not be so multiplyed though her Martyrs be more and the manner of their Murder more illegal than can be instanced in any of them during that time A particular enumeration or enarration whereof cannot be here exhibited but is referred reserved to a peculiar Treatise of that Subject which ere long the world may see Only I shall give a compendious account of the kinds causes grounds and Heads of their sufferings who have been most slighted least sympathised with though they have sustained the greatest severities of any and inend endeavour to vindicate the Merit of their Cause in the most principal heads upon which their sufferings have been stated Whereby it will appear to impartial men that will not be imposed upon there hath been yet is a great grievous some way uparalleled Persecution in Scotland at least inferiour to none Which hath not hitherto been culy considered with any proportion to the importance thereof But thô this be the Scope it is not the summe of what is intended in this Discourse The Method I have proposed to prosecute it withall will discover it Which is 1. To give a brief summary account of the Series Succession success result of the several Contendings of the Witnesses of Christ against His Enemies in Scotland from time to time that it may appear whether or not the present sufferings as now stated can be condemned if the former be approven 2. To rehearse some of the chief means methods measures that the Popish Prelatical Malignant saction have managed for the ruin of this witnessing Remnant some of the most signal steps of sufferings sustained by from these within these 27 years by which it will appear that the Persecution in Scotland hath been very remarkable though litle regarded both in respect of the injustice illegality inhumanity of the Persecutors in respect of the innocency Zeal ingenuity of the Persecuted 3. To clear the state vindicate the merit of the cause of their sufferings as to the most material heads of it that are most controverted at this time In the first of these I must study all compendious brevity as may consist with the clearing of my Scope which is not to enlarge an Historical deduction of the rise result progress prosecution occasion continuation of every Controversie the Church hath had with her several Adversaries in several Periods But only to hint at the chief Heads of their contendings with a design to make it appear that the most material Heads of sufferings that are now condemned as new nice notions have been transmitted from age to age from the beginning even to this present time through all the Periods of this Church PERIOD I. Comprehending the Testimony of the Culdees IT is not without reason reckoned among the peculiar prerogatives of the renouned Church of Scotland that Christs conquest in the conversion of that Nation is one of the most eminent Accomplishments of Scripture Prophecies of the propagation of His Kingdom in the New Testament Dispensation Not only because it was when called out of Gentile Paganisme among the rudest of Heathen Nations in the ackowledgment of all among the uttermost parts of the Earth which were given to Christ for His inheritance possession Whereunto He had hath still undoubted right by His Fathers grant by His oun purchase and took Infeofment of it by a glorious conquest of that Land which the Roman Armes could never subdue erected His victorious Trophees there whither their Triumphs could never penetrate obtaining thereby accomplishing that predicted Song of praise From the uttermost parts of the Earth have we heard Songs even Glory to the righteous Which gives us grounâ— to expect that however Christs Interest there be now very low and like to be
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
except that it was not so far extended against Tyranny because that Tyrant was not such an usurper nor such a violater of the fundamental constitutions of the Civil Government as these that we have had to do with all But as to the managing the Testimony they far out stripped their successors in this generation in conduct courage Prudence zeal as is above hintend in many instances to which we may adde some more When several plots of Papist Lords had been discovered conspiring with the King of Spain And they were by the Kings Indulgence favoured and some were also perswaded to treat with them famous Mr Davidson opposed with great resolution Declaring before the Synod of Lothian that it favoured much of defection in these dayes that such notorious rebells to God His Church the Country should be so treated with we should not rashly open a door to Gods Enemies without better proof of their manners nor were yet seen And when a convention in Falkland was consulting to call home these conspiring Traitors Mr Andrew Melvin went thither uncalled and when found fault with by the King for his boldness he answered Sir I have a call to come here from Christ His Church who have special Interest in this Turn and against whom this Convention is assembled directly I charge yow and your Estates in the Name of Christ His Church that ye favour not His Enemies whom He hateth nor go about to call home nor make Citizens of these who have traiterously sought to betray their City native Countrey with the overthroiw of Chists Kingdom And further challenged them of treason against Christ His Church the Countrey in that purpose they were about About the same time in a private Conference with the King he called the King Gods sillie vassal and taking him by the sleeve told him Sir yow and Church Countrey is like to be wracked for not telling the Truth and giving yow faithful Counsel we must discharge our duty or else be enemies to Christ yow Therefore I must tell yow there are two Kings and two Kingdoms There is Christ and His Kingdom whose subject King Iames the 6th is and of whose Kingdom he is not a King nor a Head nor a Lord but a member and they vvhom Christ hath called to vvatch over govern his Church have sufficient Authority and Power from Him which no Christian King should control but assist othervvise they are not faithfull subjects to Christ. Sir vvhen yovv vvere in your svvedling clouts Christ reigned freely in this Land in spight of all His enemies but novv the vvisdom of your Council vvhich is Devilish pernicious is this that yovv may be served of all sorts of men to your purpose grandour Iew Gentile Papist Protestant because the Ministers Protestants in Scotland are too strong control the King they must be vveakened brought lovv by stirring up a party against them and the King being equal indifferent both shall be fain to flee to him so shall he be well setled But Sir let Gods wisedom be the only wisdom this will prove meer mad folly for His curse cannot but light upon it so that in seeking both yow shall lose both To the like effect Mr Robert Bruce in a Sermon upon Psal 51. gives faithful warning of the danger of the times It is not we sayes he that are Partie in this cause no the quarrel is betwixt a greater Prince and them What are we but sillie men Yet it has pleased Him to set us in this Office that we should oppone to the manifest usurpation that is made upon His Spiritual Kingdom Is there a more forcible mean to draw down the wrath of God than to let Barrabas that nobilitate Malefactor pass free and to begin the war against Christ and His Ministry It puteth on the Copestone that so many of our brethren should not be so faithful as their Calling this Cause craveth Fy upon false brethren to see them dumb so faint hearted when it comes to the Chock Not only are they ashamed to speak the thing they think which is a shame in a Pastor but speak directly against their former Doctrin They will speak the Truth a while till they be put at but incontinent they will turn and make their gifts weapons to fight against Christ for there is none so malicious as an Apostate when he begins to slide back c. The same faithful witness because he would not preach as the King would have him against his oun conscience to justifie Proclaim the Kings Innocency in a forged conspiracy against him was put from his Church in Edinburgh and being requested in an insinuating manner to desist from preaching but for nine or ten dayes he condiscended at first thinking the matter of no great importance yet that night his body was cast in a fever with the terror of his conscience and he promised he should never obey their Commandment any more These were faithful men yet we find they challenge themselves in deep humiliation for their short comings defections at the renovation of the National Covenant March 30. 1596. the greatst solemnity ever had been seen in Scotland before that time so that the place might worthily have been called Bochim O when shall we see such a day when even the most faithful among us shall mourn over our far more aggravated defections but if they mourned then for these first degrees of declensions we may say quam gravius ingemiscerent illi fortes viri qui propter Ecclesiae Scoticanae Libertatem olim in acie decertarunt si nostram hanc ignaviam ne quid gravius dicam conspicerent I know notwithstanding of all this that some encourage themselves in a base Complyance with the present corruptions of our Church from the practise of these Worthies Alledging they did not scruple to hear join with Prelatical men dispensing the ordinances But this Objection will be easily refelled if we consider first the Period wherein they were but growing up to a more perfect Reformation and therefore might bear with many things which we cannot after we have been reformed from them They were then advancing and still gaining ground we are now declining and therefore should be more shie to lose what we have gained They had then of a long time enjoyed their Judicatories unto which they might recur for an orderly redress of such grievances that offended them and when they were deprived of them yet they were still in hopes of recovering them and so suspended their total secession from that corrupt Church untill they should recover them in the mean time still holding their right and maintaining their cause against these Invaders But we were at thevery first begining of this unhappy Revolution totally deprived of our Judicatories and denuded of all expectation of them in an ordinary way and of all place but what they are Masters of to contend with them
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
like lightning or like the Sun in its Meridian beauty discovering so the Wonders of Gods Law the Mysteries of His Gospel and the Secrets of His Covenant and the Sins Duties of that day that a numerous issue was begotten to Christ and His Conquest was Glorious Captivating poor slaves of Satan and bringing them from his power unto God and from darkness to Light. O! who can remember the Glory of that Day without a melting heart in reflecting upon what we have lost and let go and sinned away by our Misimprovements O that in that our day we had hearkened to His voice and had known the things that belonged to our peace A day of such power that it made the People even the bulk body of the People willing to come out and venture upon the greatest of hardships and the greatest of hazards in pursuing after the Gospel through Mosses Moors inaccessible Mountains Summer Winter through excess of heat extremity of cold many dayes night-journeyes even when they could not have a probable expectation of escaping the Sword of the wilderness and the barbarous fury of bloody Burrio's raging for their prey sent out with orders to take kill them it being now made Criminal by Law especially to the preachers Convocaters of those Meetings But this was a day of such power that nothing could daunt them from their duty that had tasted once the sweetness of the Lords presence at these persecuted Meetings Then had we such Humiliation-dayes for personal publick Defections such Communion-dayes even in the open fields and such Sabbath-Solemnities that the places where they were kept might have been called Bethel or Peniel or Bochim and all of them Iehovah-Shammah wherein many were truly Converted more Convinced and generally all Reformed from their former immoralities That even Robbers Thieves and Profane Men were some of them brought to a saving subjection to Christ and generally under such restraint that all the severities of heading hanging c. in a great many years could not make such a Civil Reformation as a few dayes of the Gospel in these formerly the Devils Teritories now Christs Quarters where His Kingly Standart was displayed I have not Language to lay out the inexpressible Glory of that day But I will make bold to say two things of it first I doubt if ever there was Greater dayes of the Son of Man upon the Earth since the Apostolick times than we enjoyed for the space of Seven years at that time And next I doubt if upon the back of such a lightsome day there was ever a blacker night of darkness defection division confusion and a more universal impudent Apostasie than we have seen since The world is at a great loss that a more exact complete account demonstrating both these is not published which I am sure would be a fertile Theme to any faithful pen. But this not being my scope at present but only to deduce the steps of the Contendings of Christs Friends His Enemies I must follow the threed of my Narration Now when Christ is gaining Ground by the preached Gospel in plenty in purity power the Usurpers Supremacy was like to stagger and Prelacy came under universal Contempt in so much that several Country Curats would have had but scarce half a dozen of hearers and some none at all And this was a General Observe that never failed that no sooner did any poor Soul come to get a serious sense of Religion and was brought under any real Exercise of Spirit about their Souls Concerns but as soon they did fall out with Prelacy and left the Curats Hence to secure what he had possessed himself of by Law and to prevent a dangerous Paraxisme which he thought would ensue upon these Commotions the King returned to exerce his innate Tyranny and to emit terrible Orders and more terrible Executioners bloody Emissaries against all Field Meetings which after long patience the people at length could not endure but being first chased to the Fields where they would have been content to have the Gospel with all the inconveniences of it and also expelled from the Fields being resolute to maintain the Gospel they resolved to defend it themselves by Armes To which unavoidable necessity in unsupportable extremity did constrain them as the only remaining remedy It is known for several years they met without any Armes where frequently they were disturbed dispersed with Souldiers some killed others wounded which they patiently endured without Resistence At length the Ministers that were most in hazard having a Price set upon their heads to be brought in dead or alive with some attending them in their wanderings understanding they were thus appointed for death judged it their duty to provide for the necessary defence of their lives from the violence of their Armed Assaulters And as Meetings increased diverse others came under the same hazard which enforced them to endeavour the same remedy without the least intention of prejudice to any Thus the number of Sufferers increasing as they joyned in the Ordinances at these persecuted Meetings found themselves in some probable Capacity to defend themselves and these much endeared precious Gospel Priviledges to preserve the Memory of the Lords great Work in the Land which to transmit to posterity was their great design And they had no small encouragment to endeavour it by the satisfying sweetness comfort they found in these Ordinances being perswaded of the justness of their Cause and of the groundlessness of their Adversaries quarrel against them And hereunto also they were incited prompted by the palpableness of the Enemies purposes to destroy the Remainder of the Gospel by extirpating the Remnant that professed it Wherefore in these circumstances being redacted to that strait either to be deprived of the Gospel or to defend themselves in their Meetings for it And thinking their turning their backs upon it for hazard was a cowardly deserting duty and palpable breach of Covenant-Engagments abandoning their greatest Interest They thought it expedient yea necessary to carry defensive Armes with them And as for that discouragment from the difficulty danger of it because of their fewness meanness it did not deter or daunt them from the endeavour of their duty when they considered the Lord in former times was wont to oune a very small party of their Ancestors who in extremity jeoparded their lives in defence of Reformation against very potent powerful Enemies These now ouning the same Cause judged themselves obliged to run the same hazard in the same circumstances and to follow the same method durst not leave it unessayed leaving the event to God considering also that not only the Law of Nature Nations doth allow self defence from unjust violence but also the indissoluble obligation of their Covenants to maintain defend the true Religion one another in promoving the same made it indispensible to use
Land of the violence of that beast of prey and attempted to cut him off which failing he then escaped but afterwards was apprehended and being moved by the Councils Oath and Act of Assurance promising his life he made Confession of the fact Yet afterwards for the same he was arraigned before the Justiciary and the Confession he made was brought in against him and witnessed by the perjured Chancellour Rothes and other Lords contrare to their Oath Act produced in open Court to their indeleble infamy whereupon he was tortured condemned executed But Justice would not suffer this Murder to pass long unrevenged nor that Truculunt Traitor Iamos Sharp the Arch-Prelat who was the occasion cause of it and of many more both before after to escape remarkable punishment the severity whereof did sufficiently compense its delay after ten years respite wherein he ceased not more and more to pursue persecute make havock of the Righteous for their duty until at length he received the just demerit of his perfidie perjury apostasie sorceries villanies and murders Sharp arrowes of the Mighty coals of Iuniper For upon the 3. of May 1679. several worthy Gentlmen with some other men of Courage zeal for the cause of God and the good of the Country executed righteous Judgement upon him in Maguâ— Moor near St Andrews And that same moneth on the Anniversary day May 29. the Testimony at Rutherglen was Published against that abomination of celebrating an Anniversary day kept every year for giving thanks for the setting up an usurped power destroying the Interest of Christ in the Land And angainst all sinful unlawful Acts emitted executed published prosecuted against our Covenanted Reformation Where also they burnt the Act of Supremacy the Declaration the Act Recissory c. in way of retaliation for the burning of the Covenants On the Sabbath following Iun. 1. A field Meeting for the Worship of God near to Loudoun-hil was assaulted by Graham of Claverhouse and with him three troups of horse Dragoons who had that morning taken an honest Minister and about 14 Country-men out of their beds and carried them along with them as Prisoners to the Meeting in a Barbarous manner But by the good hand of God upon the Defendents they were repulsed at Drumclogg and put to flight the Prisoners relieved about 30. of the Souldiers killed on the place and 3. of the Meeting and several wounded on both sides Thereafter the people retreating from the pursuit consulted what was expedient in that juncture whether to disperse themselves as formerly or to keep together for their necessary defence The result was that considering the craft cruelty of those they had to deal with the sad consequents of falling into their hands now more incensed than ever the evil effects that likely would ensue upon their separation which would give them access to make havock of all they judged it most safe in that extremity for some time not to separate Which Resolution coming abroad to the ears of others of their Brethren determined them incontinently to come to their Assistence considering their necessity and their oun lyableness to the same common danger upon the account of their endeavours of that nature elsewhere to defend themselves being of the same judgement for maintaining of the same Cause to which the were bound by the same Covenants and groaning under the same burdens they judged therefore that if they now with held their assistence in such a strait they could not be innocent of their Brethrens blood nor found faithful in their Covenant To which they were encouraged with the Countenance success the Lord had given to that Meeting in that defensive Resistence This was the Rise Occasion of that Appearance at Bothwel-bridge which the Lord did in His Holy Soveraignty confound for former Defections by the means of Division which broke that litle Army among themselves before they were broken by the Enemy They continued together in amiable amicable peace for the space of 8 or 9 dayes while they endeavoured to put out keep out every wicked thing from amongst them and adhered to the Rutherglen-Testimony and that short Declaration at Glasgow confirming it Representing their present purposes endeavours where only in vindication defence of the Reformed Religion as they stood obliged thereto by the National Solemn League Covenant and the Solemn Acknowledgment of Sins Engagment to duties Declaring against Popery Prelacy Erastianisme and all things depending thereupon Intending hereby to comprehend the defection of the Indulgence to witness against which all unanimously aggreed Until the Army encreasing the Defenders Daubers of that defection some Ministers and others came in who broke all and upon whom the blood of that Appearance may be charged The occasion of the breach was first When in the sense of the obligation of that Command when the host goeth forth against thine enemies keep thee from every wicked thing an overture was offered to set times apart for humiliation for the publick sins of the Land according to the practice of the Godly in all ages before engaging their enemies and the laudable precedents of our Ancestors that so the Causes of Gods wrath against the Nation might be enquired into confessed and the Lords Blessing Counsel Conduct to upon present Endeavours might be implored And accordingly the Complying with abjured Erastianisme by the acceptance of the ensnaring Indulgence offered by received from the Usurping Rulers was condescended upon among the rest of the grounds of fasting humiliation so seasonably necessarely called for at that time The Sticklers for the Indulgence refused the overture upon politick considerations for fear of offending the Indulged Ministers Gentlemen and provoking them to withdraw their Assistence This was the great Cause of the division that produced such unhappy destructive effects And next whereas the Cause was stated before according to the Covenants in the Rutherglen-Testimony Glasglow-Declaration wherein the Kings Interest was waved These Dividers drew up another large paper called the Hamiltoun-Declaration wherein they assert the Kings Interest according to the third Article of the Solemn League Covenant Against which the best affected contended protested they could not in Conscience put in his Interest in the State of the Quarrel being now in stated opposition to Christs Interests and inconsistent with the meaning of the Covenant and the practices of the Covenanters and their own Testimonies while now he could not be declared for as being in the defence of Religion Liberty when he had so palpably overturned ruined the Work of Reformation and oppressed such as adhered thereunto and had burnt the Covenant c. Whereby he had loosed the people from all obligation to him from it Yet that contrary faction prevailed so far as to get it published in the name of all whereby the Cause was perverted betrayed and the former
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
stand in their way of advancing their Cursed Designs The next Drift is when they had emptied the Churches of Ministers and filled them with the vermine of ignorant scandalous Curats to force the People to Conformity and to Disoune discountenance their oun Ministers first by severe Edicts of exorbitant fining not only the persons themselves contraveening but those that had the Superiority over them rigourous execution of these fines to the Depopulation of a poor Country by Military force Whereby where there was but one Church in the bounds still enjoying a Minister whom the People could hear the profane Souldiers would beset that Church in time of Worship and cause all within to pay their fines or take the garments from them that could not and beat them to the effusion of their blood And where the Church was planted with a Curat the Souldiers would come and call the Names of the Parishoners and amerciate the Absents in such fines as they pleased In other Places they went to private houses and by force drove them to Church even though sick unable But where the Dissenters were numerous great bands of Legal Robbers were sent to exact extort these exorbitant fines by plundering quartering beating wounding binding men like beasts chasing away from houses and harrassing whole Countrysides in a hideous manner And yet after all these insolencies some of the common sort were compelled to subscribe an acknowledgment that the Captain had used them civilly discreetly though the account of others of that place manifests the violence to have been so monstrous that it justified the greatest barbarity shewing their exactions to have been intolerable both for the quantity without all proportion or pity and for the manner of it consuming wasting poor Peoples provision by their very dogs and sparing no more these who conformed than others who did not conform at all and punishing husbands for their wives yea doubling tripling the same exactions after payment Next though at first they did not imprison any for simple absenting themselves from the Curats yet they began to fill Prisons with such as at any time shewed more than ordinary zeal against the Curats Intrusion and testified their dissatisfaction to his face for which some were imprisoned scourged stigmatized and thereafter carried to Barbadoes Others because they would not give the Prelats their Title of Lords when conveened before them were also scourged And one Minister seised for Preaching and offending the Prelates by the same fault was carried first to the Thieves hole laid in irons in company with a Madman and then banished to Shetland the coldest wildest of all the Scots Islands 3. But when fining would not do and still the People were more averse from the Curats by getting some times occasions of hearing their oun Ministers in private Hence were houses forced searched many hailed to Prisons and several necessitate to escape at windowes with the hazard of their lives spies sent unto set in suspected places to seize fall upon such as they found at such Meetings or but suspected to have been there Whence it came to pass that many both men women young old have been dragged to Prisons there closs keeped as Malefactors besides several other outragious illegal Acts of violence oppression committed against them contrare to all Law Equity Conscience 4. After Pentland defeat they ruled by rage more than either Law or Reason There 40. Prisoners who were taken upon quarter and solemn Parol to have their life spared yet treacherously bloodily were all hanged except 5. that were reprieved who had much of the Lords presence at their deaths and assurance of His love strengthening them to seal a Noble Testimony One of them a much honoured young Minister only for having a sword about him though not present at the fight did first most patiently endure the cruel Torture of the Boots a Cruel Engine of Iron whereby with wedges the Leg is tortured until the marrow come out of the bone and afterwards death with great Courage Constancy Upon the Scaffold at their execution they then began that barbarity never practised in Scotland before but frequently al most alwayes at all the executions since to beat Drums that they might not be heard After this Conflict many were forefaulted of their Estates and intercommuned with inhibition to all to reset conceal or correspond with any that had escaped under the pain of being accounted guilty of the same Rebellion as they called it Souldiers are permitted to take free quarter in the Country and Licensed to all the abuses that either Rapine or Cruelty may suggest to examine men by tortures threatnening to kill or rost alive all that would not delate all they knew was accessory to that Rising To strip them who did so much as resett the fugitives thrust them into Prisons in cold hunger nakedness and croud them so with numbers that they could scarce stand together having the miseries of their oun excrements superadded yea to mâ—rther without process such as would not nay could not discover those persecuted People But not only time but heart tongue would fail to relate all the Violences Insolencies the stobbings woundings stripping imprisoâ—ings of menspersons violent breaking of their houses both by day night beatings of Wives Children ravishings of women forcings of them by fire Matches other tortures to discover their husbands nearest relations although not within the compass of their knowledge and driving away all their goods that can be carried away without respect to guilt or innocency and all the Cruelties that were exercised without a check by these Ruffians at that time II. After all these tender Mercies Clemencies or Cruelties which his Gracious Maj. was pleased to confer or commit upon these poor Contenders for Religion Liberty he and his Cabal the Council thought it not enough to suppress them with Oppressions and force distrusting the Authority of his Law that he knew the People would no more observe than he would observe a promise or Oath and diffiding also the Authority of his sword which he had above their heads he proposes termes of bargaining with them whereupon he would suffer them to live and to which he would have them bound to live according to his Prescript Therefore besides the old Oaths of Allegiance Supremacy that were still going among hands he caused coyn New Ones to keep the Peace and to live Orderly meaning to conforme themselves to the Disorders of the times Whereby after he had wrought such destruction to their Bodies Estates almost nothing was left them but a bit of a Conscience he would rob them of that too verifying the Constant Character of the wicked They only consult to cast a man doun from his excellency What is a mans excellency but a good Conscience But these men having feared Consciences of their oun not capable of
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
Gospel destruction of many poor Souls But through the ignorance neglect of this Duty of trying whom we should hear by seeking some satisfieing evidence of their being cloathed with Authority from Christ the world hath been left louse in a Licence to hear what they pleased and so have received the Poison of error from Monte banks instead of the true wholesome Potions of Christs Prescripts from them that had Power skill to administer them Hence the many Sects Schismes errors that have Pestered the Church in all ages have in a great measure proceeded from this latitude laxness of Promiscous hearing of all whom they pleased whom either the worlds Authority impowered or by other means were possessed of the place of Preaching without taking any Cognizance whether they had the Characters of Christs Ambassadours or not If this had been observed and People had scrupled refused to hear these whom they might know should not have Preached neither the Great Antichrist nor the many lesser Antichrists would have had such footing in the world as they have this day It is then of no small Consequence to have this Question cleared Neither is it of small difficulty to solve the intricacies of it what Characters to fix for a discovery of Christs true Ministers whom we should submit to obey in the Lord and Love esteem them for their Works sake and for their qualities sake as standing in Christs stead having the dispensation of the word of Reconciliation committed to them And how we may discern those Characters what judgment is incumbent to private Christians for the satisfaction of theiroun Consciences in the Case And how they ought to demean themselves in their practice with out Scandal on either hand or sin against their oun Conscience how to avoid the rocks Extremes that inadvertency or precipitancy in this matter may rush upon So as to escape sail by the Scylla of sinful Separation on the one hand and the Charybdis of sinful union Communion on the other which are equally dangerous especially how these Cautions are to be managed in a broken and disturbed divided Case of the Church The Question also is the more difficult that as it was never so much questioned before this time and never so much sought to be obscured by the perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds to find out evasions to cover sin escape sufferings upon this account So it hath never been discussed by Divines either at home or abroad with relation to our Case except what hath been of late by some faithful men who have suffered upon this head from whom I shall gather the most of my Arguments in as Compendious a way as I can without wronging them The reason I fancy that we are at such a loss in our helps from the Learned on this head is partly that they have written with relation to their oun times in a Constitute Case of the Church when Corruptions disorders might be orderly rectified and people might have access to get their scruples removed in a Legal way by Church-order in which case the Learned Judicious Mr Durham hath written excellently in his book on Scandal but therein neither he nor others did consult nor could have a prospect of such a case as ours is And partly that forreign Divines not having this for their exercise could not be acquainted with our circumstantiate case and so are not fit nor Competent Arbiters to decide this Contraversie hence many of them do wonder at our sufferings upon this head Every Church is best acquainted with her oun Testimony Yet we want not the suffrage of some of the Learnedst of them as the Great Gisb. Voetius in his Polit Eccles. in several places comes near to favour us where he allowes People to leave some hear such Ministers as they profit most by from these grounds that people should chuse the best most edifying gifts and from that scripture 1 Thess. 5. 21. Prove all things c. and answers objections to the contrare and granteth that upon several occasions one may abstain from explicite Communion with a Corrupt Church for these reasons that such Communion is not absolutely necessary Necessitate either Medii or Precepti where the Christian shall have more peace of Conscience and free exercise of Christian Duties elswhere And that he may keep Communion with more Purity in other places Polit. Ecces Quest. 17. Pag. 68. And he approves of People refusing to bring their Children to be baptized by such Corrupt Ministers because they may wait until they have occasion of a Minister for if the best gifts be to be Coveted why should not the best Ministers be preferred and why should not Christians shew by their deeds that they honour such as fear the Lord contemn a vile Person They ought not to partake of other mens sins 1 Cor. 5. 9. 11. Eph. 5. 11. They should not strengthen the hands of the wicked and make sad the Godly The Authority of such Ministers should not be strengthened Voet. Polit Eccles. Pag. 637. to 640. But though it labour under all these disadvantages yet it is not the less but so much the rather necessary to say somwhat to clear it with dependance upon light from the Fountain and with the help of those faithful men who hath sufficiently cleared it up to all that have a Conscience not blinded or bribed with some prejudices by which more light hath accrued to the Church in this point of withdrawing from Corrupt Ministers 〈◊〉 ever was attained in former times which is all the good we have got of Prelacy In so much that I might spare labour in adding any thing were it not that I would make the Arguments vindicating this Cause of suffering alitle more publick and take occasion to shew that the grounds espoused by the Present reproached party for their withdrawings so far as they are stretched are no other than have been ouned by our writers on this head to the intent it may appear there is no Discrepancy but great likness harmony between the Arguments Grounds of withdrawing in the late Informatorie Vindication c. and those that are found in other writings And so much the rather I think it needful to touch this subject now that not only this hath been the first ground of our sufferings but many that suffered a while for it now have fainted and condemned all their former Contendings for this Part of the Testimony calling in question all these reasons that formerly satisfied ' them But to proceed with some distinctness in this thorny point Some Concessory Assertions must first be premitted And then Our Grounds Propounded First I willingly yeeld to Cordially close with the Truth of these Assertions I. The Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace ought to be the Endeavour of all that are members of the One Body of Christ Partakers of his One Spirit
compact with the men in power to procure Liberty upon bond to answer again and cannot be called necessitated or if it be it is but a necessitated sin It must be voluntary because it is an act of the will and the will cannot be forced It s the Consent of the will and the Consent cannot but be voluntary in so far as it is a Consent and by this whereas before their so procured Liberty they were prisoners by Constraint now when they must return to prison they are prisoners by Consent It s the prisoners Choise whether he will come out upon these terms or not and every Choise in so far as it is a Choise is elective voluntary It s put to the mans choise whether he wil continue under the Cross and continue his Testimony for the cause or surcease from it for a time the Latter in the case is chosen It s the prisoners desire and petition to transact with them in these terms for Liberty without which no benefit of any such bond can be procured and every desire is voluntary Yea it is a formal Compact Capitulation with them binding obliging these bonders by their oun word writ at least to be at their Call Command not by Compulsion force now but by the Moral obligation of their oun compact Now every such compact is voluntary And therefore if all voluntary Covenants Confederacies Aggreements be discharged in Scripture then this bond of Compearance also must be discharged The Judgement of famous Mr Rutherfoord of a draught of a petition to have been presented to the Committee of Estates by those Ministers who were prisoners in the Castle of Edinburgh will confirm what is said we find it in the Third part of his Letters Numb 63. where are these words I am straitned as another suffering man but dare not petition this Committee 1. Because it drawes us to Capitulate with such as have the advantage of the mount the Lord of disposing for the present and to bring the matters of Christ to yea and no yow being prisoners and they the powers is a hazard 3. This Aggreement with the Enemies for Liberty upon these terms is sinful For it is not only an acknowledgment of a wicked power in ouning transacting with them as Judges who can free them and bind them as prisoners by Law which is disproved above But it is a binding themselves over to a pacqued perverse Law-perverting Judicatory not as prisoners by forcible constraint but a willing consent ackowledging the Legality of their imprisonment and obliging themselves to observe it when demanded yea it is a Covenanted bonded obedience to a wicked Law for it is a wicked Law to exact from a Sufferer for Truth his re-entrie to prison for no crime but his duty As also it is a justifying of a wicked sentence for it is a wicked sentence that an innocent man shall return to prison when they please which is justified when they bind themselves to obey it This is nowise like a mans going to the Gibbet on his oun feet for the man does not bind himself to do that neither is it exacted of him as an obedience to a Law nor is it given forth as a part of his sentence Only he chooseth it for his oun ease But if all these did concur it were unlawful for a Martyr for Righteousness to obey such a Law or voluntarly to submit to such a wicked sentence Neither is it of any pertinency to urge that it is Lawful for a man to submit so far to a Robber as to bind himself to return to him against such a day with another purse to him For this is a necessitated bargain to give what a man hath and promise more to save his life and is like a mans casting his goods out at sea to save the ship The other is not so but elective This is only a Choise of the least of two evils of suffering but the other is a choise of one of two evils which is sin which cannot come under a Christians election at all This is a compact with the Robber which is still discretive and nowise unitive of the Robber him in any bargain of concord or consederacy or acknowledged subjection only a passive surrender to his greater force as an enemy But the other is unitive as between Rulers Ruled This is not any obedience to a Law nor is the mans purse required to be given or promised under that notion as the other is I shall here also subjoin some more of that foresaid Letter of Mr Rutherfoords In the 2 place sayes he A speaking to them in writ and passing in silence the sworn Covenant the cause of God which is the very present Controversie is contrary to the practice of Christ and the Apostles who being accused or not accused avouched Christ to be the Son of God and the Messias and that the dead must rise again even when the Adversarie mistated the question Now plain it is that neither in the bonds nor petitions is there any word of the cause or Testimony suffered for 4. As it is sinful so it is very scandalous in several respects in that at least it hath the appearance of evil which Christians should abstain from 1 Thes. 5. 22. and seems to be a voluntary subjecting themselves to their Impositions at least of that to return to prison again a willing acknowledgment of their unjust Usurpations a spontaneous consenting to their Mischiefs framed into a Law exacted under the Notion of a Law A gratifying of the enemies of Religion and pleasing them more than any thing a prisoner can do except he should wholly deny the cause and therefore chiefly always this overture is most acceptable from those that durst give any Testimony because they look upon it as some indication of their fainting or falling from it or of their wearying of the Cross of Christ of which they are very glad And an offending and making sad the hearts condemning the practice of some truly tender zealous Confessors of Christ who have had strong tentations to make such transactions and durst not yeeld so far for a world yea it is certainly an Argument of faithless fear impatient wearying of the Cross because of the fury of the Oppressor which the Lord taxeth when the Captive hasteneth that he may be loosed and that he should not die in the pit nor that his bread should fail which is a dishonour to Him who hath promised to bear their charges and hath given them many encouragments to trust that He will open a door in His oun time way see Isai. 51. 13 14. Of this Rutherfoord addeth in that forecited Letter Silence of the cause of God which Adversaries persecute seems a tacite deserting of the cause when the state of of the Question is known to beholders and I know the Brethren intend not to leave the cause And a litle after
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
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
field for which he forebare and slew them not Ier. 41. 8. In this a man does nothing which under such circumstances is not only Lawful one of the main ends for which goods are given to him to wit the preservation of his life being thereby attained but it were a grievous sin and would conclude him guilty of self-murder not to make use of such a mean for preservation of his life which God hath put in his power and is in the case called for by His Precept But however force may warrant one to do that which may be done for shunning a greater evil of loss yet it is never sufficient to make one do that which is a greater evil than all the evil that can be said to be shunned For the evil shunned is suffering but the evil done to shun this is real and active Concurrence in manner measure method enjoyned by Law in strengthening the hands of those who have displayed a banner against all the Lovers of our Lord Jesus Christ A manifest chusing of sin to shun suffering and a saving of life with the prejudice of that in the preservation whereof he should be ready to lay doun all and be at a point to endure the worst this wicked world can make him suffer ere he be found guiltie in the matter of a Complyance of that nature And thô the rod of the wicked should seem to rest on his lot for his refusal and he be the object of their rage revenge for holding his integritie yet he shall be honoured as a faithful Witness helped to endure as seeing Him who is invisible and amidst all his sufferings sorrowes made to rejoice in the hope that when God shall lead forth these Workers of iniquity he shall not be found amongst the Company of these who have turned aside with them into their crooked Courses and for that shall be overturned crushed with them under the Curse that is hovering over their heads It s true a man should not cast himself and his family which if he provide not for he is worse than an Infidel upon sufferings either needlessly or doubtfully when he is not perswaded it is Trurh Duty he suffers for and of value sufficient to countervail the loss he may sustain for it But on the other hand in the present and all like cases it is highly of the concernment of all men to be careful circumspectly Cautions when the Case comes to be stated upon suffering or not suffering in examining well whether the Course whereby a man shuns suffering◠be of God and not to take Plausibilities for Demonstrations seeing the flesh is not only ready to inculcate that Doctrine spare thy self but is both witty of invention to plead for what will affourd ease and as unwilling to listen to what would if attended unto expose us to the malice rage of rigorous enemies It being alwise more becoming the Professors of the Gospel and the Followers of our Lord Jesus who must walk to Heaven bearing His Cross to abstain at all hazards when the case is doubtful than to rush forward upon an uncertainty when it is not evident they have Gods approbation for what they do Yea suppose a person erred to his oun hurt in the first case through weakness yet it will argue much more sincerity uprightness towards God and is done with less danger than in the other And as many as walk according to this Rule are like to have the Peace of the Israel of God to compense whatever of trouble or loss they may meet with in the world when others shall not have this bird of Paradise to sing in their bosome II. But shunning prolixity to come neare◠the point because perhaps some may alledge such Cases are not determined in the Scriptures nor can any Case be found paralel to these under Consideration from which we may gather the determination thereof Which I think indeed hard to find because in the wickedness of former ages such monstrous Exactions had never a Precedent for such declared ends so declaredly impudent I shall make some Suppositions and propose some Questions all of a piece and some way paralel to this under debate and leave any Conscience touched with the fear of God to answer 1. Suppose when our Lord Iesus and His Disciples were tossed upon the waves by the storm at sea and he was sleeping that then Herod or Pilate or the Chief Rulers had sent peremptory orders to all men to supply and furnish with such things as he had the men they imployed to capacitate them once for all and for ever to sink that floating bottom out of sight and that somewhat should be given to the Souldiers engaged in that Enterprise somewhat to the Pharisees fot perswading them to it and fynes to be exacted from the Recusants and Rewards to be given to such as should keep them in Custody that should fall in their hands either of them that refused to pay the Moyety prescribed or of such of them as should escape drouning In this Case would or durst any of the Lovers of Iesus comply with any of these demands and not rather chuse to perish with Him or in opposition to such wicked attempts Now hath not the Lord Jesus and all the Interest He hath in the Nation been imbarqued as it were in one bottom and floating like a wrack in the sea And have not these called Rulers in this Land in their rage against the Lords Anointed and the handful who adhere to Him sent their peremptory orders to pay a Cess for sinking His floating Interests and to pay the Curats for perswading to it and fynes for not concurring in it And rewards to Iaylors others that are appointed to oppress the Recusants Who durst concur then in this Complyance who had love to Christ in exercise and who had his friends in the same bottom imbarqued And besides seeing the Great God had the man of whom this is required bound with his oun consent under a Sacred Solemn Oath and under the penaltie of never seeing His face if he do not venture life fortune to preserve that precious Interest and all who are embarqued with it from perishing Shall he notwithstanding of this give what these enemies to Christ call for as His Concurrence to enable them to execute their wicked Contrivance Does any man think or dream that the pitiful Plea of what they call a Moral force will clear and acquit him before God from the guilt of a Concurrence in this Conspiracie while in the mean time he furnished whatsoever these Enemies demanded of him with this express Declaro that it was for this Cause exacted and for this end imposed Or can he think to be saved when they shall be sentenced who with so much deliberation despight have done this thing O let us consider the after reckoning And let us not with pretences distinguish our selves into a Defection or distract our selves into the
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
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