in that same page that in some cases a Protestation is lawfull how can he then judge this Protestation unlawfull which is grounded upon the refusall of the just desires made in that Representation without considering the same but he may not stay therefore he makes long steps that he may come soon at the Protestation his words are these I shal God willing grapple with them in their arsenall of the Protestation it self yet shrrtly glanceing onely at some principall things Quid dignum tanto tulit hic promissor hiatu I shall not trouble my self with his vain boastings but proceed to try what strength is in his Arguments PROTESTATION Reviewed VVHere I begin with the Tittle A Protestation which was gaven in against the Supream Representative of this Kirk Although I do not deny but that Gener all Assemblies may erre and the Godly be so put to it as to have no remedy left them in Law but to protest yet except the case be clear and sure this course is one of the highest contempts of Ecclesiastick Authority The last refuge for removing of seandaâ—s being Mat. 18.17 Tell the Church after which nothing remaineth but it he neglect to hear the Church let him be as a Heathen or a Publican I trust whatsoever glosses others put on the words there is no difference betwixt our Brethren and us about the Exposition of them and hence appeareth the equity of that Act and practice of our Assemblies inflicting the hig hest censures on such and reason since they in the highest measure neglect to hear the Church neither is there now any ulterior or superior Judicatory to go to But what if she 〈◊〉 not and whether she do or not wherein have these men shewen their respect to their Mother who what in them lyeth but blessed be the LORD it lyeth not would discover her nakedness when others then Brethren are to behold it Let them take heed if this be not a main step to separation which in words they seem to abhor when as they Protest and Profess they will not hear us so they would cast on us a kinde of necessity to hold them as Heathens and Publicans but to prevent this they have found a way of their own and as if they had not been of us they are gone out from us and setting up to do their own business without us as they seem to intimate in the last page of their printed Paper after the Protestation contrary to the very Fundamentals of the Discipline of our Kirk which is and ever hath been professed to be by Presbyteries Synods and National Assemblies duely subordinate one to another all which their course overturneth while they walk in another way to make the matters of their Propositions practicable as they say But besides that a Protestation is at best except in the case of pungent necessity in its nature odious it is so much worse in our Kirk where we are tyed by the strictest Bonds both of the Nationall and Solemn League and Covenant against all divisive motions and courses and I pray I what it this other then a divisive motion and that of the deepest dye for them to separate themselves and joyning together make a party when the Supreme Judicatories of Kirk and State were going on in their continued Actings in the day of great danger and distress They may be pleased to remember their own Actings and speeches when GOD honoured them to be sitting in the Supreme Judicatories how far short came the intended divisive Supplication in Anno 1648. of this course they are now on nay the very cross Petition in Anno 1642. both which some of them I say some for most of them are but of Yesterday and had then no place in our Judicatoies shewed so much zeal against PROTESTATION defended IF the Reviewer doth mean by the beginning of this Paragraph which is darkly and ambiguously expressed that an Assembly may be wrong in the constitution and so no more to be an Assembly then a painted manus a man as the Author of the Vindication so much cryed up doth in that case yeeld and that the godly in such a case have no remedy lefâ— them in Law but to Protest against its constitution and Proceedings Then he grants all that the Protesters desire for the subsumption and application falleth within his exception the case being to their consciences clem and fure But if he doth suppose that there can be no unfree unlawfull Assembly in the constitution thereof and that the Remedy of Protestation is onely to be used against wrong acts then he speaketh against Experience and the known practice of the faithfull servants of GOD in this Kirk I have given several Presidents of this before and the Acts of the Assembly 1638. and 1639. against the six corrupt Assemblies do clearly demonstrete the same Is it not as lawfull and more necessary to Protest against à wrong Authoritie or usurpation as against wrong act of a true Authority For the first is far more dangerous to the Kirk every way then the second He makes it one of the highest contempts of Ecclesiastick Authority to protest when the case is not clear and sure but he forgets to consider how great a transgression it is before the LORD and how injurious to his Work and people to usurp the Supreme Authority of the Kirk over all the Judicatoties thereof to decree unrighteous decrees and tyrannize over consciences the sad consequences of such a course cannot be soon reckoned As to that he argneth from Mat. 18.17 Tell the Church I answer That the same Commandements of GOD that injoyn acknowledging of and obedience to free and lawfull Generall Assemblies in the LORD do per negationem contrarit according to the generall rule of interpretation of Commands set down in our large Catechisme require the not acknowledging or keeping unfree and unlawfull Generall Aslemblies for where a dory is commanded the contrary sin is forbidden and so the command to hear the true Church requreth our not hearing a false or non-non-Church within which an unfree unlawfull and corrupt Assembly doth fall and therefore it is neither to be told nor heard but to be declared Protested against and discovered in the nullities and corruptions thereof as the Assemblies 1638 and 1639 have well judged He alleadgeth an Act and practice of our Assemblies but he neither mentions the Act nor Assembly where such a thing is to be found There was never any Act made in this Church against declining of Assemblies as unfree or unlawfull or corrupt the Act which he hinteth at upon misinformation but as it seemeth hath never read doth speak nothing of declining an Assembly because of its constitution good or bad but against appealing from the Kirk Judicatory in an Ecclesiastick cause to the Civill Magistrate as is well known to all that have perused the Acts of Assemblies It is respect to true-Authority to decline usurpation and it is a contempt yea in effect a
which two were the foundations of imploying these men there is no word of repentance or satisfaction as necessary requisites in these who were to be imployed in the defence of the Kingdom and of the Cause but the exceptions in the Answer exclude onely excommunicated persons forefaulted notoriously profane or flagitious and such as have been from the beginning and continue still or are at this time obstinate and professed enemies and opposers of the Covenant and Cause of GOD and most if not all the Arguments in the Warning run for imploying all men who are Subjects without any such qualification The last because the order prescribed by the Gen. Assembly was not keeped in receiving of them That Order as is evident from the Act of the Assembly 49. concerning the receiving of Engagers is That because many heretofore have made shew and profession of their Repentance who were not convinced of their guiltinesse nor humbled for the same but did thereafter return with the dog to the vomite and with the sow to the puddle unto the mocking of GOD and the exceeding great reproach and detriment of his Cause Therefore for the better determining the truth sincerity of the repentance of those who desire to be admitted to the Covenant and Communion It is appointed ordained that none of those persons who are debarred from the Covenant and CoÌ„munion shal be admitted and received thereto but such as after exact tryal shall be found for some competent time before or after the offer of their repentance according to the discretion of the respective Judicatories to have in their ordinary conversations given reall testimony of their dislike of the late unlawful Engagement and of the courses and wayes of Malignants and of their sorrow for their accession to the same and to live soberly righteously and godly and if any shall be found who after the defeating of the Engagers have uttered any malignant speeches tending to the approbation of the late unlawfull Engagement or the bloudshed within the Kingdom for promoving of the ends of the said Engagement or any other projects or practises within or without the Kingdom prejudicial to Religion and the Covenant or tending to the reproach of the Ministery or the Civill Government of the Kingdom or who have unnecessarily or ordinarily conversed with malignants and dis-affected persons or who have had hand in or accession to or compliance with or have any wayes countenanced or promoved any malignant design prejudiciall to Religion and the Covenant that these notwithstanding their profession of repentance be not suddenly received but a competent time according to the discretion of the Judicatory be assigned to them for tryal of the evidence of their repentance according to the qualifications above-mentioned Now let Consciences speak whether this order in receiving these men was observed yea or not yea it was so far from it that they were received without such evidences in a very rash and precipitant way unto the most manifest mocking of Repentance that hath been heard or seen in any Church in the world many of them flouting and jeering at the Judicatories of the Kirk and one at another and making sports of their Confessions amongst their companions and giving as much evidence of their malignancy and prophanity and hating of godliness in their speeches and carriage as of before Did not the Commission make such hast to receive these who had broken out in Rebellion and risen in Arms against the Cause and Kingdom after Dumbar that notwithstanding they had once by an Act remitted them all for censure to the Gen. Assembly and intimated the same to Presbyteries that they might not be admitted to the renewing of the Covenant or Communion till the Assembly should judge of their case yet they did after the Answer to the Quere make a new Act for receiving them to the great offence of the godly and exposing of their own Authority to contempt and reproach DECLARATION THe 6. Step is set down thus Notwithstanding some men had thus occasioned the making up of our Forces as they now are yet not only did they themselves refuse to joyn with them but opposed by all means possible the raising of the Army according to Publick Resolutions what by preaching what by writing what by branding hoâ—â—st men many of whom did bear the burden and heaâ— of the day when others were not with the odious imputations of back-sliding Covenant-breaking and what not Publick Fasts were separated from and contemned Factions drawn amongst the People in a word no means were left unessayed to make Publick Resolutions in order to the raising of the Army ineffectual without holding forth any possible or probable means for the relief of the Kingdom All which what ever have been the intentions of men do of their own nature contribute no lesse effectually to the delivering up of all to the will of the Enemy without stroke of sword then if it had been purposely intended DEFENCE PRejudice stretcheth far to reach a blow Albeit it is here asserted that some men did by all means possible oppose the raising of the Army according to the Publick Resolutions and that they left no means unessayed to make these Resolutions ineffectual for raising of the Army yet they must be the men who thus occasioned the making up of the Army as it was How this should be I do not well know unless it was by an Antiperistasis as heat sometimes occasions cold and cold heat or as the preaching of the Gospel occasions war upon the earth It is like enough that the Testimony which was born against that way did instate mens corruptions and make them more violent and head-strong in the prosecution of the same But their meaning happily is That these men did oppose the union of the Forces or would not suffer others to rise for the defence of the Kingdom and Cause and so put the Committee of Estates upon a necessity of employing of these To joyning of the Forces we have spoke before and shewed upon what terms they were willing to have joyned and that there never came to them any Order or Command from the State for conjunction and for the other until there was stumbling-blocks put in their way by the Publick Resolutions they were so far from hindring any against whom there was not just exception that they were willing to employ themselves to the utmost in defence of the Cause and Kingdom and gave abundant proof thereof from the time they first took up Arms until the month of December that the Lord was pleased in his wiâ—e dispensation to break them at Hamilton The Publick Resolutions being contrary to the Word of God and to the Covenant and to the Actings and Proceedings of both Kirk and State in the Cause these many years past and involving so sudden and gross a change both of Principles and Practice gave occasion to many gracious ones throughout the Land to stumble and to many Ministers to bear Testimony
had carryed on a course of defection and it being offered to verifie the same and thereupon desired that these Commissioners might not be admitted to sit as Members in the Assembly till that matter were tryed it was refused and notwithstanding of the except on timeously propounded and offered to be instructed they were before the taking try all thereof allowed to sit which was in effect to reject the exception either as irrelevat in Law or as false in fact and so to approve them before try all yea they were admitted to â—iâ—â—s Judges in their own cause for the Protestation being particularly founded on the sinfulness and unwarrantableness of their proceedings yet they were allowed to sit as Judges and to condemne the Protestation as destructive to the Government and Liberties of this Kirk and censurable with the highest censure thereof Upon the 23 of July 1651. notwithstanding their proceedings were not approven till the day after which was the 24. That others of them did absolutely decline the authority of that Assembly and protest against it as null was a practice that hath many commendable and praise-worthy parallels in this Church and therefore they do speak more from their own spirit then from the spirit of truth who cry out that it hath no paraâ—el but that of the perfidious Prelats The Declinatours of the â—relats against the Assembly at Glasgow 1638. as any who pleaseth to read the same will find that it doth strike at the root of Presbyteriall Government and General Assemblies in regard of the essentials of their constitution but the Protestation doth acknowledge and plead for the Government and for the due liberty and freedom and right constitution of Assemblies according to the ruâ—e of the Word of God and Acts of this Kirk and doth only bear testimony against and decline that Assembly because of unwarrantable prelimiting of the Elections admitting of persons under scandall before trying oâ— them admitting of the same men to be both Judges and Parties want of frâ—â— accesse and recesse absence of many Commissioners want of freedom in voicing denying to hear what was offered for holding forth of light whereby â—t appears that there is little conscience and ingenuitie and lesse charity in making of that parallel But the History and Acts of our Church do furnish us many just and true parallels of this practice in the carriage of the faithfull witnesses of our Lord in our own and our fathers dayes who have stood to plead for the Doctrine Government Worship and Discipline of this Kirk I shall onely name a few The first is in the year 1597. at which time the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly having contrary to the trust committed to them in these intervalls betwixt Assemblies petitioned and obtained from the King and Estates of the Kingdom that Ministers should sit in Parliament as the third Estate which was the foundation of our Pâ—elaâ—iâ— their proceedings in that Petition and the thing relating thereto being approven in the Assembly by the prevalling influence of the King and these Commissioners notwithstanding of the reasons propounded against the same by sundry of the Ministeâ—ie M. John Davidson a most worthy and pious Minister of this Church indued with the spirit of Prophecie in many things and as anti-prelaticall and truly tender of Presbyteriall Government and of the authoritie of Assemblies as any this Church hath brought forth did solemnly protest against that Assembly as not free and lawfull to which Protestation Mr. David Calâ—erwood a â—tâ—eâ—uous maintainer of the Government of this Church and a constant adversary to Prelats an unsuspect witnes in this present controversie declareth in his Story his own adherence the adherence of many of the most sincere Pastors and Professors of this Kirk as seeing the beginning and fearing the grouth of that defection Likeas he did often from that experience expresse his fears and thereupon his opinion against putting too much power in the hands of a Commission and prognosticated a defection to ensue thereupon whensoever the King and the Court should have influence upon the leading men thereof concerning which he hath not been mistaken 2. Did not many worthie Pastors and Professors of this Church protest against the corrupt Assemblies annulled by the Assembly at Glasgow sundry of which Protestations are to be seen in the Book called The course of Conformity Let our Predecessours Supplications Reasons Admonitions Protestations presented to the Parliament 1617 and 1621 be considered wherein they assert the Assemblies then controverted to be unlawfully constituted and to be but pretended Assemblies though no authority had declared the same See also the Observations Printed 1635 with the grievances given in by the Ministers to the Parliament 1633 It is here well said that the safety of Religion dependeth not upon Assemblies of whatsomever kind but upon the liberty of free and right constitute Assemblies aâ— in the Commonweal he were not to be thought a faithful Patriot who would not stand as much for the liberty of a Parliament as his own possessions because the safetie of all other liberties standeth in the preservation of that main Liberty 3. did not these whose spirits the Lord stirred up to appear against the Prelates and to set on foot the Work of Reformation in the year 16â—7 expresly declare theiâ— adherence to all these Protestations made by their Fathers and Predecessors declaring the nullity of these corrupt Assemblies and thereby establishing the Declinatours against the same before the Assembly at Glasgow which practice was as strangely looked upon and as muâ—h spoken against then as the practice of the Protâ—sters in the year 1651. 4. Our Nationall Covenant doth both mention and allow these Protestations against that whole course of Defection whence it appears that that practice at Dâ—â—dee hath many both very worthy Precedents and Parallels and that to protest against corrupt Assemblies such as that was hath been so far from being looked upon by discerring faithfull and godly men in this Kirk as the throwing down of the hedge of Discipline and making way for every beast of the forrest to break in as this Reviewer alleadgeth that they have used it as one of the best means for preventing and remedying of these evils and so it is indeed because as it is well observed and truly Asserted in the great Act of the Assembly concerning the by gone evils of this Church and the Remedies thereof that the keeeping or authorizing of corrupt Generall Assemblies hath been one of the main causes of our evils by these it was that the Prelates and all the train of superstitious Ceremonies did enter and having had such worthy precedents in opposing of such and such doolful and dear bought experiences of the wrong they have done to this poor Church there is the greater reason to take heed to stand fast in the liberty wherewith CHRIST hath made us free and not to be again entangled with the yoke of bondage of corrupt Assemblies It
Declinator of true-Ecclesiastick Authority to acknowledge unlawfull intruders upon the same It is not to the present case to tell us that Divines say reverence is dueâ—o the Church when she erreth the question is whether the two late Assemblies be a lawfull Representative yea or no and not about an Assembly lawfully constitute and erring in their Proceedings The learned Review of the Councel of Tront and the gravamina contra Concilium tridentinum made use of by the Gene all Assembly at Glasgow against the Bishops declinatur do fully shew the judgement of Protestant Divines for delining and Protesting against an Assembly not lawfully and rightly constituted But what if she erre not saith he I answer that is sufficiently cleared in severall Treatises which have been long since dispersed in Writing and have come to the hands of many of the contrary judgement but have never yet been answered by any of them there is so little doubt amongst she most part of zealous Professors anent the sinfulnesse of the Publick Resolutions as I need not here to dispute it But saith he whether She erre or not wherein have these men shewen their respect and reverence to their Mother I Reply that reverence to their true Mother maketh them disclaim such Step-Mothers and I desire to hear it proved by good reason what more right pretended Assemblies have to call themselves the Mother of all the People of GOD in this Church then the Prelates had to call themselves our Spirituall Fathers For that which be saith the Protesters would discover her nakedness when others then Brethren are to behold it I shall give the same answer to it which was given to the like callumny by our Protesting fore-bathers in their Supplication to the Parliament 1621. recorded in the course of conformity their words are these The reasons whereby we are uphold in our course and Pratestations and just defence against the oppositions intended are all made patent to the eyes of the World no wayes to lay open the nakedness of our Mother to the scandal of the enemy or justly to offend any otherwise minded but that the multitude of our Professors be not tainted with the venome of maliciousnesse contrary to the sincere Milk which they have received c. In the next place he bids us take heed if this be not a main step to separation that we refuse to hear them as the lawfull Representative Church But we must take heed in the first place to another thing viz. Not to separate from known and received Principles The Declaration of the Assembly 1647 saith that next to the changing of Principles the changing of parties the assisting of these whom we should suppresse and persecuting these whom we should assist the joyning with these against whom the Covenant was made and against these for whom it was made is the great breach of Coveuant and separation from the Covenanted union which is held forth in the words of the Covenant obliging us not to be divided and withdrawn from that blessed Union and conjunction by making defection to the contrary part c. The Nationall Covenant descriveth these to be the Church of Scotland who agree with our first Reformers in Doctrine c. The declaration of this Kirk made in 1648 saith that out Union in the Covenant with GOD his Cause and People stands in keeping the Principles thereof and separation stands in defection therefrom It is Declared by the Assembly that year a Principle of our Cause and necessary for security of Religion that the Malignant Party be esteemed enemies to the Cause of GOD and that association with them is contrary to the Word of GOD and to the Covenant so doth the Assembly 1649 in the Act against Engagers Now I say that these who are for the Publick Resolutions have changed some of their Principles and also changed their party for they have joyned with the Malignant party and acts and censures for persecuting these with whom they were joyned before where then lyes the guilt of Division and who made the first-steps to separation à Dee foedere Ecclefia pristina Scoticana with whomsoever these things are found let them be accounted separatists indeed As for hearing them and conferting with them in an extra judiciall way the Protesters have never declined it but the hearing which they require is to be acknowledged as the lawfull Representative of this Kirk and to be obeyed accordingly and the Reviewer intimateth that there is a necessity of holding the Protesters as Heathens and Publicans but that they have found out away of their own to prevent it An hard sentence indeed to excommunicate them all What Exclamations of rigour had there been if such an expression had dropped from the Pen of a Protester I shal say no more to it but that this Reviewer hath a zeal of God but not according to knowledge He saith the Protesters have gone out from them and set up to do their own businesse alone and overturn the Fundamentals of the Discipline of this Kirk but he hath no better proof then the last page of that Paper wherein the Protestation was printed which was no deed of the Meeting â—or did I ever hear that any Member of the Meeting doth own the Writing of that page But what is the cryme he thus aggrâ—geth The Propositions given in to the part â—nded Assembly were such as they could make no just exception against them and when they refused to grant the Protesters desires what fault was there for Brethren to recommend it one to a other 〈◊〉 their stations to endeavour to put in execution Acts of uâ— contraverted Assemblies yea what they have done in order thereunto was agreeable to the customs of this Kirk and commendable in this corrupt and troubled estate thereof He is much mistaken when he saith a Protestation is in its nature odious and it argueth small knowledge of the state of the Kirk of Scotland in former times to say it is worse in this Kirk then elsewhere It is the mean which the Lord hath blessed in the hands of our Fathers and our own to preserve the Cause of God and his Kirk in times of Defection as the Paper sent by the Clerk of the Assembly and Procurator for the Kirk to their Meeting at St. Audrews doth sufficiently manifest I desire this Reviewer may be pleased to take a look of the Narrative of the solemn League and Covenant and Nationall Covenant where he will find Protestations reckoned as a mean for preservation of Religion and so Protestation is no divisive way but a lawfull endeavour to which we are tyed by Covenant and in the 6. Article what we are not able our selves to suppresse or overcome we are bound to reveal and make known that it may be timely prevented on removed If he had considered well it had been more for his advantage to have spared the mentioning the crosse-Petition in 1642. and divisive Supplication in Anno 1648 both these
trust himself on the same bed or roum with another whom he had found diverse times endeavouring to cut his throat but common scandals do not suspend the duty of relations for a son is bound to do duty to a father under censure for grosse scandals Before Dumbar the Remonstrators did joyn in Armes with known scandalous persons yet they would have scrupled to have joyned in Councels and Armes with notourly treacherous Rebels that had been active and frequent in shedding the bloud of the Lords People unlesse they had seen evidences that they had repented of that enimity But to make good what is before said see Acts 9.26 The Disciples at Jerusalem were all afraid to joyn with Paul who had been a persecutor and believed not that he was a Disciple though he essayed to joyn himself to them and no doubt Paul being so wise a man and knowing how great offence his former carriage had given did declare to some of them the manner of his conversion when he did essay to joyn himself yet he could not obtain this without Barnabas his testimony to the Apposties anent the sincerity of his conversion It is wel said by Calvin upon the place timendum erat ne periculum sibi temerè accerserent si prabuissent se adeo faciles itaque timorem illis justa de causa conceptum nemo vitio vertere debet nam si ad reddendam fidei rationem vocati fuissent non Paulum mode sed omnes inferorum furias intripidè provocassent It is the judgment of some Divines upon Gal. 16 17 18 that Paul had then been three years preaching after his Conversion at Damascus and in Arabia before he came to Jerusalem which if so may further strengthen the Argument if there were need and however Acts 22 18. Such was the Lords gracious condescendence far different from the imperious and boisterous way of rulers upon earth that though upon right information concerning Paul all scruples might have been removed yet he gave command to Paul to depart from Jerurusalem make haste saith the Lord and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem for they will not receive thy Testimony concerning me As for Pauls answer although Interpreters differ about the meaning thereof yet it is most probable that his words are a confirmation of what the Lord had said and an humble confession that they had reason to scruple in receiving his Testimony and if Paul had been offering a reason to the Lord for his stay at Jerusalem as some think he would have added something about the reality of his Conversion as Barnabas did for him Acts 9.27 But however the Lord reneweth his Command vers 21. Depart for I wil send thee far hence to the Gentiles These considerations together with the present practice of the Protesters may suffice to Vindicate them from such calumnies PROTESTATION Reviewed AS for an Argument drawn from the disclaiming corrupt Assemblies at Glasgow or the following Assembly at Edinburgh its affirming those corrupt Assemblies were a chief cause of the evils we then groaned under How weak I say such an Argument will be for justifying their present practice is palpable to any who will either look to the matter concluded in those corrupt Meetings or the manner of their procedure or the particular reasons whereon they were condemned in all which there being nothing alike I wonder why they are alledged except perhaps they know many of their Proselytes will take upon trust whatsoever commeth from them or seemeth to borrow countenance from Glasgow PROTESTATION Defended IT is to be observed that where the Protestation upon good ground saith That the secend Assembly after this last Reformation hath clearly determined the keeping and authorizing corrupt Generall Assemblies to have been one of the chief causes of the many evils which have befallen this Church he onely saith that it affirmed that these corrupt Assemblies were a chief cause c. If any of the Protesters had spoken so barely of so solemn an Act and determination of the Generall Assembly it had been a Crime to have been noted with great Letters but he also passeth over these words keeping and authorizing these corrupt Assemblies which are the words of the Act and of no small use in this debate betwixt them and the Protesters and if the late Assembly be corrupt the forbearing to keep them and to concur for authorizing them is so far from separation that it is a duty so to do In the next place I observe that he seems to grant the nullity of the late Assemblies if they be like unto the six corrupt Assemblies either in matter manner or reasons condemning the same and if he shall be pleased diligently to peruse the Review of the late Vindication he may see their likenesse in all the three though he yeeld that one of them is enough As to that bitter scoff saying That the Protester I know many of their Proselytes will take upon trust whatsoever commeth from them or seemeth to borrow countenance from Glasgow I wish the Writer of this Paper had as great ability and dexterity to speak in things concerning Edification and the promoting of godlinesse as he hath for jeers and scoff wherein he seemeth to speak as one who had delighted to exercise himself therewith from his youth but surely he is greatly mistaken in the truth of what he saith and if he shal ask these whom he calleth Proselites I trust he shall find them in some measure able to render a reason of their doings and that they act from a Principle of knowledge and not of ignorance PROTESTATION Reviewed THey say they have a clear warrant from Scripture to plead and testifie against corruptions it is indeed but withall they should have better grounds then any we have yet heard of or can conceive before they trouble the Peace of a Kirk and so peremptorily conclude that a corruption which they cannot prove one yea what all not only reformed Churches from the light of Scripture are perswaded of but even generally all people from the light of nature and upon the Principles of self-preservation are convinced is a duty We passe for the present to give any verdict concerning some by past Acts of theirs which they mention how good they were or how true What is said being sufficient to clear that this their Protestation is also needlesse to say no worse as the following grounds given for it are frivolous which themselves seem in part to assent to while they say they do it for all or some of the reasons following and so insinuate that some of them will not hold water which in my humble opinion they might safely have affirmed of them all PROTESTATION Defended VVHen the Protesters bring Arguments from the Word of God from sworn Covenants and the Acts and Declarations of this Kirk to prove a defection in this Kirk and that in the Publick Resolutions they have departed from former Principles then this Reviewer takes himself to
conscience comply with these Overtures though they be men eminent for gifts and graces and have been very useful and profitable servants in the Lords Vinyard and differ in nothing in judgment with their Brethren in the Confession of Faith Directory for Worship and Government yet they must be cast forth as unsavory salt because they cannot agree to a Novation which never was heard of before in this Church and which themselves in their Vindication grant to be indeterminati juris The same severity is enacted against expectants to the Ministry and they must be debarred for this sole cause though they were never so wel qualified If this be not Usurpation and Tyranny the Prelats are very excusable for their carriage 6. Observe how their Answer to us and Letter to the Presbyteries is stufled with carnal policy and very far from that simplicity and candor which becometh Ministers of the Gospel They say they are desirous to have the memory of our differences and distractions buried yet with the same breath they give out sentence That we have not only been agents but active agents and vigorously active and affirm this to be conspicuous not only to some but to all who have been looking on the matter But were it so what need was there to tell it If they would have these things buried why did they assemble so frequently this Summer to dig them out of their grave Were it not greater ingenuity to tell the truth as some of their number do that these Publick Resolutions must stand as the Authority and Warrant for the Body of the People to rise all in Arms without making distinction of Friends and Enemies to the Lord his Work and People and associate among themselves and with Forreigners when they shall land with the King They say they will not question whether we did from a desire of removing differences forbear to act in the capacity of Commissioners from the General Assembly 1650. yet in the very next words they do expresly question it and say It seemeth not to consist well with our Answer to the Synod of Lothian This is but a seeming inconsistency grounded on a real mistake for the Overture mentioned by us is not the same with that proposed by the Synod of Lothian neither for the Matter Persons Propounders or the time of making thereof It was a more equal Overture then that from the Brethren of Lothian for it did not condemn the Authority of the Commission 1650. more then that of 1651. as that from Lathian did and it was propounded at a Conference with some of the Brethren of the Presbyterie of St. Andrews and that diverse moneths after the Overture made by the Brethren in Lothian If our Brethren had been well advised they had spared this reflection They say they absteined from meeting so much as to adjourn the Commission and that to prevent the heightning of differences til the time of the Assembly did approach that they behoved to meet I will not say as our Brethren do That I will not question if it was for that end they did abstein and then follow it with a contradiction I do plainly and ingenuously profess That I think it was another reason which made them abstein It was a clear case to all who conversed with them at that time That fear of interruption by the English and drawing prejudices on their persons made them abstein until the Malignant party their penitents and correspondents began to have power and favour and procured some under-hand assurances for their security And it may be well remembred that their Meeting at that time in May before their Assembly was coloured with specious pretences of using endeavors for union with the Dissenters from the Publick Resolutions yet here they plainly tell us that the express end was To determine the place of the ensuing Assembly to which I do readily give credit for they slighted the sending advertisement to us and would not delay one fourthight at the earnest desire of some few of our number that were present at that Meeting They say they could not delay to constitute themselves into a General Assembly without unfaithfulness notwithstanding they know that it was agreeable unto the practice of diverse Gen-Assemblies to adjourn without constitution and no prejudice at all to their Liberties as was represented to them at the same time They say that it hath been constantly holden in this Church That a lawful General Assembly such as this was is the most soveragin mean to heal ruptures distractions in the Church If they take out these words such as this was which they have foisted in to destroy the Text their own consciences will bear witness to us that we are of the same judgment But to say That a pretended Assembly made up of such as have brought in Novations and carried on a course of Defection continuing therein without Repentance is a Soveraign mean to heal ruptures and distractions is so far contrary to all reason and experience as it hath proved to be a main cause of the evils and troubles of this Church as is declared by the General Assembly 1639. in their Act of the 17 of _____ They do without cause resent That the Narrative of our Overture doth cast upon them reflections and aspersions and yet all along their Answer they make it their study under the covert of Albeits Althoughs and Parentheses to abuse us with Calumnies They declare That they shall not at this Meeting nor hereafter until the third Wednesday of February Act in prosecution of Censures already pronounced or which may be incurred by their Brethren and that they will interpose with Synods and Presbyterie for the like But what Sophistry is there here to delude the woâ—lâ— oâ— rather to mock their Brethren For first They act what they had a mind to act in reference to matters in difference and then after their Meeting is dissolved and no sooner they declare to us they will act no more at that Meeting nor hereafter till the third Wednesday of Febr. and that is the time of their next Quarterly-Meeting 2ly This seeming forbearence to act during that time is not general but limitted to the matter of censures 3ly That 's clog'd with another limitation for say they We must leave Synods Presbyteries to that prudence and discretion which the exigence of their condition shall require for putting in execution the Acts for debarring Elders from Voting in these Judicatories and Expectants from the Ministry which themselves the last year did accompt to be no small Censure in the debarring Malignants from trust but how much more in this case which hath great influence to corrupt the Ministrie and Judicatories 4ly Their expressions which they chose in their Letter to the Presbyteries and Synods are such as do rather incite to Censures then prohibit for they insinuate a dislike of their former moderation in Censures which they say is well known to them and to all men