shall not be such enemies to it in time to come Moreover your pie fraudes have not a little advanced your courses for though the generall cause of all this uproare was pretended to be for defence of religion lawes and liberties yet to speake under the Râ—se it flowed from private causes and respects for not to speak of the contempt of Monarchy nor of private frettinâ— against Soveraignty by malecontents the course his Majesty was taking with the tythes to deliver the ministry and meaner sort of the Laitie from that which was counted bondage and slaverie made many fret to see themselves robbed of that clientely and dependance of the Clâ—rgie and Laitie and of that power command and superiority which by the tye of tythes they did enjoy Some had their private quarrels against the Bishops many could not abide to see them preferred to be on his Majesties ounsell c. And a great hatred was working against them for being the chiefe instruments that the Ministers maintenance was augmented and many of the Tythes restored backe againe which made many thinke that in the end all the tythes and Church-lands would returne to the ancient owner whereby many would be brought to a poore estate if the tythes were taken from them and some who have made Churches their habitation would not have a dwelling place at all and some others being ambitious of preferment both in Church and Policie were no small causes of all this uproare Now howbeit from those and such like other motives this disorder hath come yet it s well dissembled by you in taking this opportunity to work your private intended ends by making the multitude believe that all is for defence of Religion Lawes and liberties which otherwise would be destroyed His Holinesse our Pope did never laugh more heartily than when it was told him that you made the people believe that the book of Common Prayer was penned at Rome and sent to the King and that it was nothing but the masse turned into English and that the King was a Papist and intended to change the Religion That your Bishops were Pensioners to the Pope and that all who would not subscribe your covenant are Papists truly he commended your Policie to catch children with wiles and men with lies The aspersions you have cast upon King Bishops and Anticovenanters will make you noble It 's a good policie still to complaine of Court and State and to prie into great mens lives to picke out some fault and to make faults where we finde none still with Absalom saying The men who have good and right causes 2 Sam. 15.3.4 have no man to heare them Oh that I were made Iudge in the land that every man which hath any sâ—it or cause might come unto me and I would do him justice Thus the silly multitude will lightly apprehend that you are blamelesse who doe so narrowly trie and crie out against the faults of others whom howbeit you do not wound yet in the vulgar opinion you do greatly staine and blot them Finally we have both suffered much of our enemies for our practise against Kings and Princes in cutting them away that are enemies to the religion We need not be ashamed to confesse that the armour wherwith such kings are killed are forged in our shop you know that Hackes and Coppinger who wrote to Scotland to Iames Gibson that he with the advise of the brethren might tell their opinion concerning the spirit that moved them the act that they had in hand to be done for the delivery of T. Cart wright out of prison and killing of all their withstanders That which Ravillack did effectu was no more praise-worthy than that which they did affectu all those our works are not to be accounted points of treason but onely sensible expressions of our Heroicall Zeale to the defence of Religion which ought to be more deare to us than Kings or Princes father or mother brother or sister all those cords must be broke and bonds cast from us when we see them to set themselves to take counsell against the Lords Annointed Such men of courage who put their life in their hand and cut off such wicked men ought to be so farre from being counted traitors that they should be rewarded for doing it as your Buchanan sayes Knox in his history of Scotland commends the privie murdering of the Cardinall of S. Andrewes perpetrated by Norman Lesley sonne to the Earle of Rothsey and Iames Melvin cals it a godly fact and propones it as an example to be followed by the posterity In your Zions plea and other papers you speak excellently of that Heroicall fact of Felton your Martyr Du. Buck. and pathetically exhort the Nobles of the Land to follow his footsteps saying God hath chalked out the way unto you God having offered himself to guide you by the hand in giving this first blow will you not follow home the sprinkling of the blood of the wolf if we can fâ—llow the Lord in it may prove a meanes to save us The counsell of Hushai to Absalom forteth well with this businesse that all Israel should be gathered from Dan to Beersheba as the sand on the sea in number who may with the ropes of their Prayers joyned to the power of your hands draw the city of their Babel into the river of destruction untill there be not one small stone found You have most zealously embraced this profitable exhortation and albeit your intended work tooke but small successe yet let not this interruption bequench your zeale nor cause your heroicall spirits to saile but be forward in this cause and let all your words be spoken by Talents that authority may see that you do not scare it Let our example encourage you and your example encourage us It was to this purpose manfully said by one of you Payne epist to F. Our zeale to Gods glory our love to his Church and the due planting of the same in this horeheaded age should be so warm and stirring in us as not to care what adventure we giâ— and what censure Wee abide c. The Iesuites and Seminaries their diabolicall bolanesse he wrongs us in his epithet seing he followeâ— our way will cover our faces with shame It s true indeed so long as we are not able to resist and make out party good by strength of hand there is a necessity that we must suffer and like the poore man we must use entreaty for it s our wisdome to consider the times when we may be forward and when not Hence it was that in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth when your power was little that your answer was humble for when the State and Clergie of England charged your sort of men with faction sedition and schisme and iudged that if you were curbed betimes you would bring desolation on Church policie your answer was mild though it might seeme to your adversaries mixt with passion pride and
you who did refuse obedience to that which is judged by all your prime Doctors to be lawfull Thus those two famous Doctors of yours Gualter Bullinger did write in an Epistle sent to the Schismaticks in England who had opposed themselves as you do to the Service-book of England If in case say they any of the people be perswaded that those things savour of Poperie let them be taught the contrary and perfectly instructed therein and if so be through the importunate crying out hereupon before the people by some men many be disquieted let them beware that do so that they bring no greater yoke upon their own necks and provoke Queen Elizabeth her Majesty and bring many Ministers in such danger as they cannot rid themselves again I will shew you an example hereof which fell out in Germanie at Magdeburge and within the Territories of Marquesse Albertus The Prince required the Ministers to follow the whole book of Augustan's confession where is a Liturgie that hath all that is in yours which you have condemned but some mâ—e ceremonies and doth retain the name of the Masse-book Refusall thereof was made by the Nobility Gentry Ministers and Citizens even as some of all this ranke among you have done The Court hereon ran upon another deliberation proposing Articles which doe not alter the doctrine and Liturgie but thrust upon them mâ—e Ceremonies which yet howsoever may well enough be borne sayes Melancton whom you call the light of Germanie adding withall a threatning that they who will not follow this prescription should depart the Land Upon this some too forward Ministers affirmed It were good to affright the Court with some terrible writing with the scare of Sedition and with this Scar-crow to represse and hinder further alteration Illâ—ricus Flaccius was chiefe man the Demetrius in this upreare crying out as your Ministers did That rather desolation should be made of the Church and Princes are to be frighted with terror of Insurrection But for my part said Melancton I will be author of no such soure advice Whereupon the â—est of the Ministers did slander Melancton as Anticovenanteâ—s say you doe them as Popishly affecâ—ed Couâ—â—h Melan. part 2 pag. 90.91.100 and was upon the plot to reduce Poperie and wrote to Calvin to this effect But truly I am of Beza's opinion that they accused him without cause as afterward Calvin knew more truely For sayes Beza at the beginning it was not knowne with what intention that evill spirit â—â—â—a 〈…〉 1â—â—0 and whole Troup of the Flaccinians raised so many tumults and now at this time doth hinder the work of God against Papists Thus Beza And it is true indeed that the Flaccinians who thus did combine against their Prince did more advance our cause then Melancâ—on and the remanent of your Doctors whose judgement was that the Church should not be troubled by refusing the Service book and as Melanctons words are to wrangle about a Surplesse or the like matter where wise-men will exclaime against us that we withstand and disobey Authority and nourish contention with a foolish forwardnesse Now seeing it hath pleased your King to deale thus with you to lay no heavier burdens upon you who have complained of a light one but to grant you all that hitherto you have pâ—titioned see if you can obtaine of him a change of the government But I pray you doe it with great prudence and circumspection laying such grounds as you may firmely build upon them For if at the first you declare your selfe and say plainely Sir wee desire your government changed he will resile and not grant it and to proceed suddenly from one extremitie to another is difficult Therefore first of all by such faire wayes as you can bee instant to take from him his negative voyce in Synods and Parliaments which is a thing so essentiall to Soveraigntie that it standâ—th anâ—â—alleth with it For he being destitute of this Pâ—llar if in Parliaments by pluralitiâ— of voyces it be carried that you will not have this man to raign over you of necessitie he muâ—â— be gone Secondly see if you can take from him the power of making Laws and let the Parliament and Synods bee the Law makers You have taken this de facto already in your large proâ—eâ—ation in Septemb. 1638. where you say in expresse terms that the Parliament and Syned are the Law-makers and the Law-interpreters As you have it de facto see if you can get it de jure established by Law which if you obtaine you may thinke you have attained your end for if not the King but Parliament and Synods be the Legislators hee must he subject to such Laws as it shall please them to make who are the two Supreme judicatories to which in your protestation you appeale from the King and his Councell thus subjecting your King to Parliament and Synod which is a thing that â—ee can hardly suffer But to please him withall appoint him to be the Executioner of the Laws and so let him have the name of a King But it may be â—hat if he have no more but the execution of your Lawes that he shall rid himselfe of that too if you grant him no more power because men will say He is not your King but your Officer or H c. Thirdly if so bee that he shall be content with what portion of authoritie you judge sufficient take heed that hee fall not upon you who have thus curbed him and execute the laws against you and therefore to make all cocke sure because he cannot doe all by himselfe but must have Officers under him let this bee granted to you also to be Chusers of his Officers and let those be such as you know most expedient for you and so they shall be rather your men then His. I heard that all this was motioned by you but you have not showne me what successe it hath taken I have dwelt long upon this necessary point of the change of Government and therefore I proceede to a second head where into wee fully conspire and it is a very fit preparative to this intended change Covenâ—â—teâ— inâ—â—â—m fâ—r dâ—seâ—siâ—e aâ—g 3. And I cannot but applaud you for rejecting that former errour to defend that Kings are of Divine Institution and doe now hold with us that they are of humane Institution by positive Lawes Inregnis hominum potestas regis est à popule Bell de Concilâ—lâ—â— 2. cap. 19. quia populus facit regem In the Kingdome of men the power of the King is from the people sayes Bellarmine and commends Navarre Qui non dubitat affirmare nunquam populum ita potestatem suam in regem transferre quin illam sibi in habitu retineat ut in certis quibusdam casibus etiam * Alâ—â— astu actu recipere potest Who doth not doubt to say that the people did never so transferre their power to the King but they did retaine it habitually
's easie to help that keepe those under who are not zealous in your cause let them not be acquainted with your mysteries nor be chosen Commissioners for assemblies if there be any matter of importance to be commended to the people send either conjunctly or severally some zealous ministers to their pulpits to rouze up the multitude and put the like edge upon such cold-rise ministers and if they become not more zealous put them in feare of Deprivation If you feare any division among the Commons it 's likely that some of them have seene the Kings extraordinary savour toward them but you ought to be carefull that they see not the Kings Proclamations and if any have seen them let them be perswaded that his Majesties Proclamations have this only end to divide them and then to destroy them and that all other faire promises shall have no reall performances Be not you behind the King in your promises to them also and howbeit you have a hundred thousand pound to take of them yet be not suddaine but by delaying put them in hope that you will never exact it For if you goe now to exact it it will make them repine and grumble and say instead of Salâ—mons easie yoke we are oppressed with Rehoboams heavie burdens and so make a rupture and returne every man to his tent and in the end submit themselves to their Salomon againe And especially let the ruling Elders command their ruled Elders or ministers to be diligent in season and out of season to keepe the multitude in their zealous humour for if they doe not uncessantly blow upon them they will be like mare mortuum and never be moved Cease not to possesse them with an evill opinion of all that oppones themselves to your courses either by word or writing make them believe that all that writ against your confederacie are unnaturall enemies to their Countrie and that it is not against your faction which they doe but against Church and Kingdome and suffer no man to deny this to be a Nationall quarrell or to call it a Faction and all that refuse to cast in their lot with you call them the cursed inhabitants of Meroz that will not help you against the mightie And let all that follow their King be called the Kings faction according to the example of your progenitors who called all that followed the Queen a faction which they would punish as Traitors whensoever God should put the sword of justice in their hands Knox. hist of the Church of Scotland pag. 364. that is when they should find themselves able to depose the Queen as they did and represse her Subjects There is another thing which I desire you to remember to try where those ministers that have beene most opposite to our doctrines and practises have had their residence in the ministerie that you may place able and zealous men for our cause in those same places to build up the people which they have destroyed This worke is well begun by you in bringing Henderson from the Countrie to the town of Edinburgh Dikson to Glasgow and Rhetorfort and Blair who could not get libertie to vent our Doctrine elsewhere to S. Andrews and in particular let them bee carefull over the studients in Colledges â—uo semel est imbuta recens servabit odorem testa diu And as for those who like the men of Succoth and the inhabitants of Meroz refused to joyne with you it s well that you did not take the th rnes of the wildernesse and bryers to teach them to beat downe their houses this may content them albeit you restore not their goods which you tooke while you plundered their houses Though they be busie seeking it yet you are not bound according to our rules Nullus tenetur cum vitae periâ—ulo Tolet. lb. 5. cap. 37. aut famae rem alterius restituere sunt enim vita fama nobili oris ordinis quam res No man is bound 01 with the danger of his life or good name to restore another man his goods againe for life and a good name are of a more noble order then goods are for albeit there be no danger of your life to restore every man his owne yet your name is not safe for if you restore to each man his goods againe at least it will be a tacite acknowledging of your robberie and that is hurt some to a good name But some say that it is a matter of conscience to restore a mans goods againe which is better then a good name yea the way to recover a good name but I refer this to the schooles I have some matter of expostulation with you but I will be loth to do it now who have begun to congratulate with you for that sweet Harmonie both in opinions and reasons which is of late grown up amongst us Rome was not builded in one day we must not look that at the first you can receive all our doctrine though in a short time you have profited much Et vos conversi convertite fratres Master Cant could preach at Glasgow in what need England and Ireland standeth of the Covenant where some have their eares cut for the defence of the truth and are groaning under the tyrannie of the whore of Babel And since so it is you should pitie the blindnesse of those people who have not a learned man in England or Ireland to lead them but the blind leadeth the blind But I perceive you are not negligent herein your Ironicall preterition is most notable while you say Answer to the Mâ—â—quesse of Hamiltons declaration We do not meddle with the Kirks of England or Ireland but recommend to them the patterne showne on the Mount But what patterne of the mount is this I pray you is it the Patterne showne by you on Dunce hill called by your preachers mount Sion with an armie against the face of your King if it be so it s a worthie patterne that requireth imitation But if the Patterne on the mount be the Patterne of your discipline you doe well herein to imitate your progenitors for they were desirous to have Episcopacie throwne downe in England as you are now or as wee are desirous for their pride is so great that the least of them sayes that they have no more dependance from the Pope then he from them that their calling and place is of as great power and authoritie as his is within his diocesse thus limitating the universall Bishop as if hee were onely a Diocesian Yea they are not ashamed to say that all the Popish bishops are but equivocally called Bishops and univocally are the Popes slaves for as they have their power and authority from the Pope so are they tyed to his obedience by oath Romans pentifici veram obedientiam spondeo acjuro Form Iuâ—â— Bulla Pii 4. I promise and sweare to give true obedience to the Pope of Rome So that as the Bishops of Apulia