on He sayth not That statute of treason waâ—… in being in the yeare 1580. And his Printer you might see had done him so much right as to set a number 4. yeares older directlie against the place where it is mention'd His Lordships words are these Which ridiculous ordinance was maintain'd stiffelie by the succeeding Synods notwithstanding the statute That it should be treason to impugne the authoritie of the thrce Estates The plaine sense whereof is this The succeeding Synods to the yeare 1584. maintain'd it stisfclie And not onelie they but likewise the succeeding Synods afterward notwithstanding the statute then made That c. Yet not to be too literal That there should be three Estates to whom your brethren presented their Assemblie Acts as they did by the King them to be confirmed even before the yeare 1580. yet That to impugne the authoritie of the three estates or to procure the innovation or diminution of any of them should have no statute nor law to make it at least interpretative treason is a peice of politikes that Iapan nor Vtopia will never owne nor any man that is civiliz'd in submission to government beleeve The businesse of appeales we are to meet with in the chapter following so farre you shall have leave to travaile with the counterfeit credit of that untruth What you make here such a positive consent of Lundie the Kings Commissioner in that Assemblie even now went no farther then a suspense in silence where all you found was That it appear'd not he apposed And how that might be I there gave you my conjecture In the next Assemblie 1581. the Kings Commissioner Caprington was not so hastie to erect in His Majesties name Presbyteries in all the land The businesse was this The King sends him Cuningham with letters to the Assemblie at Glasgow to signifie That the thirds of the Ecclesiastical revenues upon the conference had between his Commissioners those which they had before sent from Dundee were not found to be the safest maintenance for the Ministrie they having been so impair'd in twentie yeares before that nothing of certaintie could appeare That thereupon had been drawn a diagrame of several Presbyteries whereby a division of the greatest parishes was to be made a uniting of the lesse to the end that the Ministers might be with more aequalitie maintained and the people more convenientlie assemble'd That His Majestie had determined to sent letters to several of his Nobilitie in the Countrey to command their meetings and counsel here about This he did not till the next summer nor was any thing effected diverse yeares after The conventions of the Ministrie were to be moderated by every Bishop in his Dioecesse who was by agreement to praeside in the Presbyteries with in his limits So that the modelling Presbyteries was onelie for setling a convenient revenue upon the Ministers so farre was it from abolishing Episcopacie that the Bishops were to have the managing the affaire It would not have cost you nor your printer much paines to have put in what hapened before the yeare 1584 The opposition against your abuse hereof by the Bishops Montgoinerie Adamson His Majesties discharging by proclamation the Ministers conventions Assemblies under paine to be punished as Rebells publishing them to be unnatural subjects seditious persons troublesome unquiet spirits members of Satan enemies to the King the Commonwealth of their native Countrey charging them to desist from preaching in such sort as they did viz. against the authoritie in Church causes against the calling of Bishops c. removing imprisoning inditing them c. Which put you upon the desperate attempts of surprizing and restraining His Majestie 's person whereof otherwhere So that the King you see had very good preparatives to purge his Kingdome of such turbulent humours before Captain Stuart put him in minde to make use of that physike Which Captaine Iames was no such wicked Courtier when the saints in behalve of the Discipline set him up to justle with Esme Stuart Lord Aubignie for the nearest approach unto Royal favour This Parliament 1584. was summon'd with as loud a voyce as any other was as open as the sun at Edenburgh could make it Nor was Captain Stuarts crime about it such as to denominate his exile the vengeance of God which was wrought in the eyes of the world by your rebellion Nor his death by Dowglasse's high way murder aveng'd afterward in alike terrible destruction that in Edenburgh high street where sanguis sanguinem tetigit bloud touched bloud though I dare not as you doe judge for reward nor divine such ambiguous cruelties for money being no Priest nor Prophet as you are to the heires of those bloudie soulders in Micah chapt 3. I dare not say that it either was the fingar of God though he imploy not the hand of his power to restraine them Rev. … these acts of his Parliament the very next yeare were disclaimed by the King c. Ans. They were not disclaimed the 21 of December the next yeare when James Gibson being question'd for dis loyal speaches about them before His Majestie his Councel very impudentlie told the King he was a persecutour for maintaining them and compar'd him to Ieroboam threatned he should be rooted out conclude that race His confidence was in the returne of the banish'd Rebel-Nobles who forced all honest men from the Court possessed themselves of His Majesties person acted all disorder in his name This was the regular restoring of Presbyterie Which to say was never more removed to this day in that sense you must speake it is to abuse the ignorance of some new convert you have got in the Indies who it may be at that distance know not that Bishops had the visible Church government in Scotland for about theirtie yeares together since that time Rev. The Warners digression to the the perpetuitie of Bishops in Scotland c. Ans. The perpetuitie of their order in that Kingdome is no disgression in this place where His Lordship shewes your practical contradiction in pulling downe Episcopacie with one hand yet seting it up though under the name of Superintendencie with the other The sequestring their revenue altering their names pruning off some part of their power he takes to be no root branch ordinance for the deposition of their office or utter extirpation of their order This he asserts to be the greatest injurie your malice could ever hitherto bring about therefore goes not one step out of his way to let you know That Bishops have been perpetual in your Church Nor doe you out of yours but keep the same path of truth you began in in acquainting us with the antiquitie of Presbyters who it should seem are terrae filii that sprung up in Scotland like so many mushromes the next night after Christianitie came in Though
If her Majestie complained that this was done without her Majesties commandement so had all that God had blessed within the Realme from the beginning of this action meaning the Presbyterian Reformation That he was a watchman both over the Realme and over the Church of God gathered within the same by reason whereof he was bound in conscience to blow trumpet publikelie so oft as ever he saw any appearance of danger either of the one or of the other This Act thus related the Bishop will have what you can not disprove to be a huge rebellion not onelie in the Actours but also in Iohn Knox who was praesent if not in person by full consent and approbation To breake open the Royal Palace to bring any delinquent to trial is according to no law but what your Rebellious Assemblie hath framed That this Priest saying Masse within the Liberties of the Court did contrarie to law the Queen having ever reserved that priviledge to her familie remaines yet to be proved You did the like to the Arch-Bishop of Saint Andrewes which Camden tells you was permitted by law and though you had Murrays authoritie for it accounts you no better then Rebells for your paines… Servidi Ecclesiae Ministri Moravij authoritate suffulti vim facerent impune sacerdoti qui missam in aula quod lege permissiâ—…m erat doe you marke it celebrârat Iohn Knox's confession which I gave you under his hand may be the harbinger to lodge credit enough to the next storie that followes in any man that knowes what superstitious observers your Assemblies have been of all the principles and praecedents he gave them Nor need you be so coy in taking upon you here the defense of their Convocating the people in armes which you are forc'd to do other where as well as you mince it into god'lie directions and conscientious advertisement and upon lesse colourable occasions approve it every where when done Though Mr. Spotswood's testimonie can not be refused in the particular evidence he gives in yet I 'll be confined for once to your owne brother in Evill that confutes him When his Grace relates the Ministers commanding the people to armes Your brother playes the Critike upon the word but grants the matter in controversie between them and justifies it from the danger that was at hand from the Popish Lords whom he makes Conspiratours with Spaine Hortate sunt nam jubere aut imperare non poterant quod â—…um in tanto periculo constitutae essent respublica Ecclesia illus vitio vertendum non est When his Grace sayth planilie The King praefixed a day for their trial the menacing libells put up in the name of a national Synod the tumultuarie meeting of the faythfull deferr'd it and made the onelie remedie a necessitie of his remitting their exile Your brother denies not one clause of all this but onelie moderates the termes and enlargeth in some particular circumstances that aggravate the fact viz. That they appointed a fast this I hope was done by the Assemblie That they moved the King to appoint a day for their trial the Barons those of Perth not to admit them which advice or injunction they followed till they had received letters from the King which because they obey'd the brethren tooke pet armes for the defence of religion by whose advice let any man judge That the King commanded the Conspiratours to submit themselves in a small number to a judical proceeding That upon the 12. of November they met at Edenburgh The Conspiratours pleade by their lawyers c. Propound their conditions The King declares in a speach the inconveniences very likelie to followe if the Lords were not restored That an Ast of oblivion was voted which offended the brethren What Seditious Sermons and actions ensued appeares undeniablie in your storie Let this be compared with the Bp of Derries relation That the King was forced to take armes come upon a fatal necessitie by your rebelling when your importunitie praevaild not How farre he pursued them What acts of grace he afterward vouchsafd them you there fore conceale because it confutes what your imperfect historie imports CHAPTER VIII The divine right of Episcopacie better grounded then that praetended in behalfe of Presbyterie HAd I any hopes to keep you in your wits when you were revived I would here sprinkle a litle cold water pitie upon your faynting spirits who any man may see are giving up the ghost by your grasping and catching at what you finde within reach and not liking the lookes of that spirit which appeares readie at hand to conduct you would have you care not whether Anti-Christian Bishop or Papist to secure you His Lp. having remonstrated at large your exorbitand power here summarilie shewes how by the divine right you praetend to this sore is incurable your selves incorrigible and how Princes must necessarilie despaire of recovering or keeping thairs while Christs Kingdome is yours and you have Christs Scepter in your hand The streame of divine Rhethorike and reason he brings for it you and your Companie whom the prophet Isai. Describes to be a troubled sea that can not rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt hope invisiblie to swallow To which if Mercurius Aulicus must be initled Let Britannicus be more properlie to yours whom I have often heard to be a Common lawyer but must now take him for some classical divine since you have grac'd him so much as to serive most of his mater language into your booke How unhappie soever you make the Bishop in this chalenge as in the rest he caries fortune enough in his argument to confute you Misero cui plura supersunt Quam tibi faelici post tot quoque funera vinâ—…et Those of his brethren who stand for the divine right of the Discipline of the Church doe it chieflic in reference to that power of order and the distinction they finde of Bishop from inferiour Presbyters in the text They that draw in the other power of jurisdiction relate onelie to what they finde practic'd by the Apostles or by God in them going under the name of excommunication and the keyes How many circumstancials must passe for substancials when determind by the judicatories of your Church and be made adaequate in divine right to the general rules to which you reduce them need not here to be numberd being scatered every where in this discourse and very obvious to the Reader in your storie But in answer to what the Bishop objects of geting both swords spiritual and temporal into your hands the one ordinarilie by common right the other extraordinarilie the one belonging directlie to the Church the other indirectlic the one of the Kingdome of Christ the other for his Kingdome in order to the propagation of religion and to let the Papist a lone whom out of what mysterie I know not you very often me thinkes call to your assistance I pray name
change the whole Ecclesiastical pollicy of a Common-wealth to alter the Doctrine and Religion established to take away the legall rights and privileges of the Subjects to erect new tribunalls and courts of Justice to which Sovereigns themselves must submit and all this of their own heads â—…ue of a pretended power given them from heaven contrary to kâ—…own laws and lawfull customs the Supreme Magistrate dissenting disclaiming Synods ought to be called by the supreme Magistrate if he be a Christian c. And either by himself or by such as he shall please to choose for that purpose he ought to preside over them This power the Emperours of old did challenge over General Councels Christian Monarchs in the blindnesse of Popery over National Synods the Kings of England over their great Councels of old and their Convocation of later times The Estates of the united Provinces in the Synod of Dort this power neither Roman Catholick or Protestant in France dare denie to his King None have been more punctual in this case then the State of Geneva where it is expressely provided that no Synod or Presbytery shall alter the Ecclesiastical pollicy or adde any thing to it without the consent of the civil Magistrate Their elders do not challenge an uncontrolable power as the Commissioners of Christ but ate still called the Commissioners of the Signiory The lesser Councel names them with the advise of the Ministery their consent is not necessary The great Councel of 200 doth approve them or reject them At the end of the year they are presented to the Signiory who continue them or discharge them as they see cause At their admission they take an oath to keâ—…p the Ecclesiastical Ordinances of the civil Magistâ—…ate The finall determination of doctrinal differences in Religion after conference of and with the Ecclesiasticks is referred to the Magistrate The proclamations published with the sound of trumpet registered in the same book do plainly shew that the ordering of all Ecclesiastical affairs is assumed by the Signiory But in Scotland all things are quite contrarie the civil Magistrate hath no more to doe with the placing or displacing of Ecclesiastical Elders than he hath in the Electoral Colledge about the Election of an Emperor The King hath no more legislative Power in Ecclesiastical causes than a Cobler that is a single Vote in case he be chosen an Elder other wiâ—…e none at all In Scotland Ecclesiastical persons make repeal alter their Sanctions eyery day without consent of King or Councel King Jonâ—…s proclaimed a Parliament to be held at Edenburgh and a little before by his letter required the Assembly to abstain from making any Innovatioâ—…s in the Policy of the Church and from prejudging the decisions of the States by their conclusions and to suffer all things to continue in the condition they were until the approcâ—…ing Parliamâ—…nt What did they hereupon They neglected the Kings letter by their own Authority they determined all things positively questioned the Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews upon their own Canons For collating to benefices and Voting in Parliament according to the undoubted Laws of the Land Yea to that degâ—…ee of sawcines they arrived and into that contempt they reduced Sovereign power that twenty Presbyters no more at the highest sometimes but thirteen sometimes but seven or eight dared to hold and maintain a General Assembly as they miscalled it after it was discharged by the King against his Authority an Insolence which never any Parliament durst yet attempt By their own Authority long before there was any Statute made to that purpose they abolished all the Festivals of the Church even those which were observed in memory of the Birth Circumcision Resurrection and Ascension of our Saviour By their own Authority they decreed the abolition of Bishops requiring them to resign their offices as not having any calling from Gods word under pain of Excommunication And to desist from preacbing until they had a new admission from the General Assembly And to compleat their own folly added further that they would dispose of their possessions as the Churches Patrimony in the next Assembly which ridiculous Ordinance was maintained stifly by the succeeding Synods notwithstanding the Statute that it should be Treason to impugn the Authority of the three Estates or to procure the innovation or diminution of any of them Which was made on purpose to control their vain presumption Notwithstanding that themselves had formerly approved and as much as in them lay established Superintendents to endure for term of life with their numbers bounds salaries larger than those of other Ministers indewed with Episcopal power to plant Churches ordain Ministers assign Stipends preside in Synods direct the censures of the Church without whom there was no Excommunication The world is much mistaken concerning Episcopacie in Scotland for though the King and Parliament were compelled by the clamours and impetuous violence of the Presbyters to annex the temporalities of Bishops to the crown yet the Function it self was never taken away in Scotland from their first conversion to Christianity until these unhappy troubles And these very temporalities were restored by the Act of restitution and their full power was first established Synodically and afterwards confirmed by the three Estates of the Kingdom in Parliament By their own Authority when they saw they could not prevail with all their iterated indeavours and attempts to have their book of discipline ratified they obtruded it upon the Church themselves ordaining that all those who had born or did then bear any office in the Church should subscribe it under pain of Excommuication By their own Authority or rather by the like unwarrantable boldnesse they adopted themselves to be heirs of the Prelates and other dignities and orders of the Church suppressed by their tumultuous violence and decreed that all tythes rents lands oblations yea whatsoever had been given in former times or should be given in future times to the service of God was the patrimonie of the Church and ought to be collected and distributed by the Deasons as the Word of God appoints That to convert any of this to their particular or profane use of any person is detestable Sacriledge before God And elsewhere Gentle-men Barons Earls Lords and others must be content to live upon their just rents and suffer the Kirk to be restored to her libertie What this libertie is follows in the same place all things given in hospitalitie all rents pertaining to Priests Chanteries Colledges Chappelries Frieries of all orders the Sisters of the Seens all which ought to be retained still in the use of the Kiâ—…k Give them but leave to take their breath and expect the rest The whole revenues of the temporalities of Bishops Deans and Arch-Deans lands and all rents pertaining to Cathedrall Kirks Then supposing an objection that the Possessours had Leases and Estates
they answer That those who made them were theeves murtherers had no power so to alienate the common Good of the Kirk They desire that all such Estates may be anulled and avoided that all Collectours appointed by the King or others may be discharged from intermedling therewith and the Deacons permitted to collect the same yea to that height of madnesse were they come as to define and determin in their Assembly judge whether it be not a modest constitution for a Synod That the next Parliament the Church should be fully restored to its Patrimony and that nothing should be past in Parliament until that was first considered and approved Let all Estates take notice of theâ—…e pretensions and designs If their project have not yet taken effect it is onely becauâ—…e they wanted sufficient strength hitherto to accomplish it Lastly by their own Authority under the specious title of Jesus Christ King of kings and Lord of lords the onely Monarch of his Churcâ—… and under pretence of his Prerogative Royal they erected their own Courts and Presbyteries in the most parts of Scotland long before they were legally approved or received as appeareth by their own Act alledging that many suites had been made to the Magistrate for approbation of the Policy of the Kirk which had not taken that happy effect which good men would crave And by another act acknowledging that Presbytertes were then established Synodically in most parts of the Kingdom And lastly by the Act of another General Assembly at Edenburg ordaining that the Discipline contained in the acts of the General Assembly should be kept as well in Angus and Mernis as in the rest of the Kingdom You see sufficiently in point of practice how the Disciplinarians have trampled upon the Laws and justled the civil Magistrate out of his Supremacy in Ecclesiastical affairs My next task shall be to shew that this proceeds not from Inanimadvertence or Passion but from their Doctrine and Principles First they teach that no persons Magistrates nor others have power to Vote in their Synods but onely Eccl siâ—…tical Secondly they teach that Ecclesiastical persons have the sole power of convening and convocating such Assemblies All Ecclesiastical assemblies have power to convene lawfully together for treating of things concerning the Kirk They have power to appoint times and places Again National Assemblies of this Countrey ought alwayes to be retained in their own liberties with power to the Kirk to appoint times places Thus they make it a Liberty that is a Priviledge of the Church a part of its Patrimony not onely to convene but to convocate whomsoever whensoever wheresoever Thirdly for point of Power they teach that Synods have the judgement of true false Religion of Doctrine Heresies c. the election admission suspension deprivation of Ministers the determination of all things that pertain to the Discipline of the Church The judgement of Ecclesiastical matters causes beneficiary matrimonial and others Jurisdiction to proceed to excommunication against those that rob the Church of its patrimony They have legislative Power to make rules and constitutions for keeping good order in the Kirk They have power to abrogate and abolish all Statutes and Ordinances concerning Ecclesiastical matters that are found noisom and unprofitable and agree not with the time or are abused by the people And all this without any reclamation or appellation to any Jâ—…dge Civil or Ecclesiastical Fourthly they teach that they have these priviledges not from the Magistrate or People or particular Laws of any other Countrey The Magistâ—…ate can not execute the censares of the Church nor prescribe any rule how it should be done but Ecclesiastical power floweth immediatly from God from the Mediatour Jesus Christ And yet further The Church cannot be governed by others than those Ministers and Stewards set over it by Christ nor otherwise than by his Laws And therefore there is no power in earth that can challenge to it self a Command or Dominion upon the Church And again It is prohibited by the Law of God and of Christ for tho Christian Magistrate to invade the Government of the Church and consequently to challenge to himself the right of both Swords spiritual and temporal And if any Magistrate do arrogate so much to himself the Church shall have cause to complain and exclaim that the Pope is changed but the Papacy remains So if Kings and Magistrates stand in their way they are Political Popes as well as Bishops are Ecclesiastical Whatsoever these men do is in the Name of our Lord Jesus and by Authority delegated from him alone Lastly they teach that they have all this Power not onely without the Magistrate but against the Magistrate that is although he dissent send out his prohibitions to the contrary Parliamentary ratifications can no way alter Church canons concerning the worship of God For Ecclesiastical Discipline ought to be exercised whether it be ratified by the civil Magistrate or not The want of a civil Sanction to the Church is but like Lucrum cessans non damnum emergens As it addes nothing to it so it takes nothing away from it If there be any clashing of Jurisdictions or defect in this kind they lay the fault at the Magistrates door It is a great sin or wickednesse for the Magistrate to hinder the exercise or execution of Ecclesiastical Discipline Now we have seen the pernicious practices of their Synods with the Doctrines from which they flow it remains to dispel umbrages wherewith they seek to hide the uglinesse of their proceedings principles from the eyes of the world We say they do give the Christian Magistrate a political Power to convocate Synods to preside in Synods to ratifie the Acts of Synods to reform the Church We make him the keeper of both tables Take nothing and hold it fast here are good words but they signifie nothing Trust me whatsoever the Disciplinarians do give to the Magistrate it is alwayes with a saving of their own stakes not giving for his advantage but their own For they teach that this power of the Christian Magistrate is not private and destructive to the power of the Church but cumulative and onely auxiliary or assisting Besides the power which they call abusively authoritative but is indeed ministerial of executing their decrees contributing to their setlement they ascribe to the Magistrate concerning the Acts of Synods that which every private man hath a judgement of discretion but they retain to themselves the judgement of Jurisdiction And if he judge not as they would have him but suspend out of conscience the influence of his political power where they would have him exercise it they will either teach him another point of Popery that is an implicite faith or he may perchance feel the weight of their Church censures and find quickly what manner of men they be as our late gracious King Charls
as well Noble-men as Barons and those of other estates to meet and give their personal appearance at Edenburgh the 20 of Iuly ensuing for giving their advise and concurrence in matters then to be proponed especially for purging the Realm of Popery establishing the policy of the Church and restoring the patrimony thereof to the just possessours Assuring such as did absent themselves that they should be esteemed dissimulate professours unworthy of the fellowship of Christs flock who thinks your Scotish Disciplinarians know not how to ruffle it Upon this ground they assume a power to abrogate and invalidate Laws and Acts of Parliament if they seem disadvantagious to the Church Church Assemblies have power to abrogate and abolish all statutes and ordinances concerning Ecclesiastical matters that are found noysom and unprofitable and agree not with the times or are abused by the people So the Acts of Parliament 1584. at the very same time that they were proclaimed were protested against at the market crosse of Edenburgh by the Ministers in the name of the Kirk of Scotland And a little before whatsoever be the Treason of impugning the authority of Parliament it can be no Treason to obey God rather than man Neither did the General assembly of Glasgow 1638 c. commit any treason when they impugned Episcopacy and Perth-Articles although ratified by Acts of Parliament and standing laws then unrepealed He saith so far true that we ought rather to obey God than man that is to suffer when we cannot act but to impugn the authority of a lawfull Magistrate is neither to obey God nor man God commands us to die innocent rather than live nocent they teach us rather to live nocent than die innocent Away with these seeds of sedition these rebellious principles Our Master Christ hath left us no such warrant and the unsound practise of an obscure Conventicle is no safe patern The King was surprized at Ruthen by a company of Lords and other conspirators this fact was as plain Treason as could be imagined and so it was declared I say declared not made in Parliament Yet an Assembly Generall no man gain-saying did justify that Treason in order to Religion as good and acceptable service to God their Soveraign and native Countrey requiring the Ministers in all their Churches to commend it to the people and exhort all men to concurre with the actors as they tendred the glory of God the full deliverance of the Church and perfect reformation of the Common-wealth threatning all those who subscribed not to their judgement with Excommunication We see this is not the first time that Disciplinarian Spectacles have made abominable Treason to seem Religion if it serve for the advancement of the good Cause And it were well if they could rest here or their zeale to advance their Ecclesiasticall Soveraignty by force of Armes and effusion of Christian blood would confine it self within the limits of Scotland No those bounds are too narrow for their pragmaticall spirits And for busie Bishops in other mens Diocesses see the Articles of Sterling That the securing and setling Religion at home and promoting the work of Reformation abroad in England and Ireland be referred to the determination of the General Assembly of the Kirk or their Commissioners What is old Edenburgh turned new Rome and the old Presbyters young Cardinals and their Consistory a Conclave and their Committees a Juncto for propagating the faith Themselves stand most in need of Reformation If there be a more in the eye of our Church there is a beam in theirs Neither want we at home God be praised those who are a thousand times fitter for learning for piety for discretion to be reformers then a few giddy innovators This I am sure since they undertook our cure against our wills they have made many fat Church-yards in England Nothing is more civill or essentiall to the Crowne then the Militia or power of raising Armes Yet we have seen in the attempt at Ruthen in their Letter to the Lord Hamilton in their Sermons what is their opinion They insinuate as much in their Theorems It is lawfull to resist the Magistrate by certain extraordinary wayes or meanes not to be ordinarily allowed It were no difficult task out of their private Authors to justifie the barbarous acts that have been committed in England But I shall hold my selfe to their publike actions and records A mutinous company of Citizens forced the gates of Halyrood-house to search for a Priest and plundâ—…r at their pleasure Mr. Knox was charged by the Councell to have bin the author of the sedition and further to have convocated his Majesties Subjects by Letters missive when he pleased He answered that he was no preacher of Rebellion but taught people to obey their Princes in the Lord I fear he taught them likewise that he and they were the competent judges what is obedience in the Lord. He confessed his convocating of the Subjects by vertue of a command from the Church to advertise the brethren when he saw a necessity of their meeting especially if he perceived Religion to be in peril Take another instance The Assembly having received an answer from the King about the tryall of the Popish Lords not to their contentment resolve all to convene in Armes at the place appointed for the tryall whereupon some were left at Edenburgh to give timely advertisement to the rest The King at his return gets notioe of it calls the Ministers before him shewes them what an undutifull part it was in them to levy Forces and draw his Subjects into Armes without his Warrant The Ministers pleaded That it was the cause of God in defence whereof they could not be defieient This is the Presbyterian wont to subject all causes and persons to their Consistories to ratifie and abolish civill Lawes to confirm and pull down Parliaments to levy Forces to invade other Kingdoms to do any thing respectively to the advancement of the good cause and in order to Religion CHAP. VIII That the Disciplinarians challenge this exorbitant Power by Divine Right BEhold both Swords spirituall and temporall in the hands of the Presbytery the one ordinarily by common right the other extraordinarily the one belonging directly to the Church the other indirectly the one of the Kingdome of Christ the other for his Kingdom in order to the propagation of Religion See how these hocas pâ—…cases with stripping up their sleeves and professions of plain-dealing with declaiming against the tyranny of Prelates under the pretense of humility and Ministeriall duty have wrested the Scepter out of the hand of Majesty and jugled themselves into as absolute a Papacy as ever was within the walls of Rome O Saviour behold thy Vicars and see whither the pride of the servants of thy servants is ascended Now their Consistories are become the Tribunalls of Christ. That were strange indeed Christ hath but one Tribunall his Kingdome is
the Subjects in armes yea give warrant to a particular person to â—…onveen them by his letters missives according to his discretion in order to religion Of all which we have seen instances in this discourse The priviledges of Parliaments are the Graces and Concessions of man and may be taken away by humane Authority but the priviledges of Synods they say are from God and cannot without Sactiledge be taken away by mortall man The two Houses of Parliament can not name Commissioners to sit in the intervalles and take care ne quid detrimenti capiat respublica that the Common-wealth receive no prejudice But Synods have power to name vicars Generall or Commissioners to sit in the intervalles of Synods and take order that neither King nor Parliament nor people do incroach upon the Liberties of the Church If there be any thing to do they are like the fox in Aesops fables sure to be in at one end of it CHAP. XI That this Discipline is oppressive to particular persons TOwards particular persons this Discipline is too full of rigour like Dracos lawes that were written in blood First in lesser saults inflicting Church censures upon sl ight grounds As for an uncomely gesture for a vain word for suspition of covetousnesse or pride for superfluity in raiment either for cost or fashion for keeping a table above a mans calling or means for dancing at a wedding or of servants in the streets for wearing a mans hair aâ—…la mode for not paying of debts for using the least recreation upon the Sabbath though void of scandall and consistent with the duties of the day I wish they were acquainted with the practise of all other Protestant Countries But if they did but see one of those kirmesses which are observed in some places the pulpit the consistory the whole Kingdom would not be able to hold them What digladiations have there been among some of their sect about starch and cuffes c. just like those grave debates which were sometimes among the Franciscans about the colour and fashion of their gowns They do not allow men a latitude of discretion in any thing All men even their Superiours must be their slaves or pupils It is true they begin their censures with admonition And if a man will confesse himself a delinquent be sorry for giving the Presbyters any offence and conform himself in his hair apparrell diet every thing to what these rough hewen Catos shall prescribe he may escape the stool of repentance otherwise they will proceed against him for contumacy to Excommunication Secondly this discipline is oppressive in greater saults The same man is punished twice for the same crime first by the Magistrate according to the lawes of God and the land for the offence then by the censures of the Church for the scandall To this agrees their Synod Nothing forbids the same fault in the same man to be punished one way by the politicall power another way by the Ecclesiasticall by that under the formality of a crime with Corporall or pecuniary punishment by this under the formality of scandall with spirituall censures And their book of Discipline If the civill sword foolishly spare the life of the offender yet may not the Kirk be negligent in their office Thus their Liturgy in expresse termes All crimes which by the law of God deserve death deserve also Excommunication Yea though an offender abide an assise and be absolved by the same yet may the Church injoyn him publick satisfaction Or if the Magistrate shall not think sit in his judgement or cannot in conscience prosecure the party upon the Churches intimation the Church may admonish the Magistrate publickly And if no remedy be found excommunicate the offender first for his crime and then for being suspected to have corrupted the judge Observe first that by hook or crook they will bring all crimes whatsoever great and small within their Iurisdiction Secondly observe that a delinquents triall for his life is no sufficient satisfaction to these third Cato's Lastly observe that to satisfie their own humour they care not how they blemish publickly the reputation of the Magistrate upon frivolous conjectures Thirdly adde to this which hath been said the severity and extreame rigour of their Excommunication after which sentence no person his wife and family onely excepted may have any kinde of conversation with him that is excommunicate they may not eate with him nor drink with him nor buy with him nor sell with him they may not salute him nor speak to him except it be by the license of the Presbytery His children begotten and born after that sentence and before his reconciliation to the Church may not be admitted to baptisme untill they be of age to require it or the mother or some speciall friend being a member of the Church present the childe abhorring and damning the iniquity and obstinate contempt of the Father Adde further that upon this sentence letters of horning as they use to call them in Scotland do follow of course that is an out-lawing of the party a confiscation of his goods a putting him out of the Kings protection so as any man may kill him and be unpunished yea the party excommunicate is not so much as cited to hear those fatall Letters granted Had not David reason to pray Let me fall into the hands of the Lord not into the hands of men for their mercies are cruell Cruell indeed that when a man is prosecuted for his life perhaps justly perhapâ—… unjustly so as appearing and hanging are to him in effect the same thing yet if he appeare not this pitifull Church will Excommunicate him for contumacy Whether the offender be convict in judgement or bâ—… fugitivâ—… from the Law the Church ought to proceed to the sentence of Excommunication as if the just and evident fear of death did not purge away contumacy CHAP. XII That this Discipline is hurtfull to all orders of men LAstly this Discipline is burthensome and disadvantagious to all orders of men The Nobility and Gentry must expect to follow the fortune of their Prince Vpon the abatement of Monarchy in Rome remember what dismall controversies did presently spring up between the Patricii and Plebci They shall be subjected to the censures of a raw heady novice a few ignorant Artificers they shall lose all their advowsons of such Benefices as have cure of soules as they have lately found in Scotland for every Congregation ought to choose their own Pastour They shall hazzard their Appropriations and Abbey-lands A Sacrilege which their Nationall Synod cannot in conscience tolerate longer then they have strength sufficient to overthrow it And if they proceed as they begin the Presbyters will in a short time either accomplish their designe or change their soyle They shall be bearded and maited by every ordinary Presbyter witnesse that insolent speech of Mr. Robert Bruce to King Iames Sir I see your resolution is
dayes did sue for aid and assistance from the Crown and Kingdom of England they did not go about to obtrude their owne Discipline upon them but left them free to choose for themselves The grounds which follow are demonstrative First no man can dispose that by vow or otherwise either to God or man which is the right of a third person without his consent Neither can theâ—…nferiour oblige himselfe to the prejudice of his Superiour contrary to his duty without his Superiours allowance God accepts no such pretences to seem obsequious to him out of the undoubted right of another person Now the power of Armes and the defence of the Lawes and protection of the Subjects by those Armes is by the Law of England clearly invested in the Crowne And where the King is bound in conscience to protect the Subject is bound in conscience to assist Therefore every English Subject owes his Armes and his Obedience to his King and cannot dispose them as a free gift of his owne nor by any act of his whatsoever diminish his Soveraignes right over him but in those things wherein by Law he owes subjection to his Prince he remaineth still obliged notwithstanding any Vow or Covenant to the contrary especially when the subject and scope of the Covenant is against the known Lawes of the Realm So as without all manner of doubt no Divine or Learned Casuist in the world dissenting This Covenant is either void in it selfe or at least voided by his Majesties Proclamation prohibiting the takirg of it and nullifying its obligation Secondly It is confessed by all men that that an Oath ought not to be the bond of iniquity nor doth oblige a man to be a transgressour The golden rule is in malis promissis rescinde fidem in turpi voto muta decretum To observe a wicked engagement doubles the sinne Nothing can be the matter of a Vow or Covenant which is evidently unlawfull But it is evidently unlawfull for a Subject or Subjects to alter the Lawes established by force without the concurrence and against the commands of the Supreme Legislator for the introduction of a forraign Discipline This is the very matter and subject of the Covenant Subjects vow to God and swear one to another to change the Lawes of the Realm to abolish the Discipline of the Church and the Liturgy lawfully established by the Sword which was never committed to their hands by God or man without the King against the King which no man can deny in earnest to be plain rebellion And it is yet the worse that it is to the main prejudice of a third order of the Kingdom the taking away whose rights without their consents without making them satisfaction cannot be justified in point of conscience Yea though it were for the greater convenience of the Kingdom as is most falsely pretended And is harder measure then the Abbots and Friers received from Henry the eight or then either Christians or Turkes do offer to their conquered enemies Lastly a supervenient oath or covenant either with God or man cannot take away the obligation of a just oath precedent But such is the Covenant a subsequent oath inconsistent with and destructive to a precedent oath that is the oath of Supremacy which all the Church men throughout the Kingdome all the Parliament men at their admission to the house all persons of quality throughout England have taken The former oath acknowledgeth the King to be the onely supreame hâ—…ad that is civill head to see that every man do his duty in his calling and Governour of the Church of England The second oath or covenant to set up the Presbyterian Government as it is in Scotland denieth all this virtually makes it a politicall papacy acknowledgeth no governours but onely the Presbyters The former oath gives the King the supream power over all persons in all causes The second oath gives him a power over all persons as they are subjects but none at all in Ecclesiasticall causes This they make to be sacriledge By all whiâ—…h it is most apparent that this Covenant was neither free nor deliberate nor valide nor lawfull nor consistent with our former oathes but insorced dâ—…ceitfull invalide impious rebellious and contradictory to our former ingagements and consequently obligeth no man to performance but all men to repentance For the greater certainty whereof I appeâ—…le upon this stating of the case to all the learned Casuists and Divines in Europe touching the point of common right And that this is the true state of the case I appeal to our adversaries themselves No man that hath any spark of ingenuity will denie it No English-man who hath any tolerable degree of judgement or knowledge in the laws of his countrey can denie it but at the same instant his conscience must give him the lie They who plead for this rebellion dare not put it to a triall at law they doe not ground their defence upon the lawes But either upon their own groundlesse jealousies and fears of the Kings intention to introduce Popery to subvert the lawes and to enslave the people This is to run into a certain crime for fear of an uncertain They who intend to pick quarrels know how to feign suspicions Or they ground it upon the successe of their arms or upon the Soveraigne right of the people over all lawes and Magistrates whose Representatives they create themselves whilest the poor people sigh in corners and dare not say their soul is their own lamenting their former folly to have contributed so much to their own undoing Or lastly upon Religion the cause of God the worst plea of all the rest to make God accessary to their treasons murthers covetousnesse ambition Christ did never authorise Subjects to plant Christian Religion much lesse their own fanâ—…ticall dreams or fantasticall deviles in the blood of their Soveraigne and fellow subjects Speak out is it lawfull for Subjects to take up arms against their Prince meerly for Religion or is it not lawfull It ye say it is not lawfull ye condemn your selves for your Covenant testifieth to the world that ye have taken up arms meerly to alter Religion and that ye bear no Allegiance to your King but onely in order to Religion that is in plain terms to your own humours and conceits If ye say it is lawfull ye justifie the Independents in England for supplanting your selves ye justifie the Anabaptists in Germany Iohn of Leyden and his câ—…ue Ye break down the banks of Order and make way for an inundation of blood and confusion in all Countreys Ye render your selves justly odious to all Christian Magistrates when they see that they owe their safety not to your good wills but to your weaknesse that ye want sufficient strength to cut their throats This is fine doctrine for Europe wherein there is scarce that King or State which hath not Subjects of different opinions and communions in Religion Or lastly if ye say it is lawfull for
a long time was willing to acknowledge the Parliaments jointe interest in the militia yea to put the whole militia in their hands alone for a good number of yeares to come so farre was his Majestie from the thoughts that the Parliaments medling with a parte of the militia in the time of evident dangers should be so certainly and clearly the crime of rebellion The Warners second demonstrative ground wee admit without question in the major that where the matter is evidently unlawfull the oath is not binding but the application of this in the minor is very false All that hee brings to make it appeare to be true is that the King is the supreame Legislator that it is unlawfull for the subjects of England to change any thing established by Law especially to the prejudice of the Praelats without their own consent they being a third order of the Kingdom otherwise it would be a harder measure then the Friers and Abbots received from Henry the eight Ans. May the Warner be pleased to consider how farre his dictats heere are from all reason much more from evident demonstrations That the burden of Bishops and ceremonies was become so heavy to all the three Kingdomes that there was reason to endeavour their laying aside he does not offer to dispute but all his complanit runnes against the manner of their removall this say I was done in no other then the ordinary and high path-way whereby all burdensome Lawes and customes use to be removed Doth not the Houses of Parliament first begin with their ordinance before the Kings consent be sought to a Law is not an ordinance of the Lords and Commons a good warrant to change a former Law during the sitting of the Parliament The Lawes and customes of England permit not the King by his dissent to stoppe that change I grant for the turning an ordinance to a standing Law the Kings consent is required but with what qualifications and exceptions wee need not heere to debate since his Majesties consent to the present case of abolishing Bishops was obtained well neere as farre as was desired and what is yet lacking wee are in a faire way to obtaine it for the Kings Majestie long agoe did agree to the rooting out of Episcopacy in Scotland he was willing also in England and Ireland to put them out of the Parliament and all civil courts and to divest them of all civil power and to joyne with them Presbyteries for ordination and spirituall jurisdiction yea to abolish them totally name and thing not only for three yeares but ever till he and his Parliament should agree upon some setled order for the Church was not this Tantamont to a perpetuall abolition for all and every one in both houses having abjured Episcopacy by solemne oath and Covenant the Parliament was in no hazard of agreing with the King to re-erect the fallen chaires of the Bishops so there remained no other but that either his Majestie should come over to their judgement or by his not agreing with them yet really to agree with them in the perpetuall abolition of Episcopacy since the concession was for the laying Bishops aside ever till hee and his houses had agreed upon a settled order for the Church If this be not a full and formall enough consent to the ordinance of changing the former Lawes anent praelats his Majestie who now is easily may and readily would supply all such defects if some of the faction did not continually for their own evill interests whisper in his eares pernicious counsel as our Warner in this place also doeth by frighting the King in conscience from any such consent for this end he casts out a discourse the sinshews whereof are in these three Episcopall maximes First that the legislative power is sollie in the King that is according to his Brethrens Cōmentary that the Parliament is but the Kings great counsel of free choyce without or against whose votes hee may make or unmake what Lawes he thinks expedient but for them to make any ordinance for changing without his consent of any thing that has been or instituting any new thing or for them to defend this their legall right and custome time out of mind against the armes of the Malignant party no man may deny it to be plaine rebellion II. That the King and Parliament both together cannot make a Law to the praejudice of Bishops without their own consent they being the third order of the Kingdome for albeit it be sacriledge in the Lords and Commons to clame any the smallest share of the legislative power this i◅ them were to pyck the chiefest jewel out of the Kings Crowne yet this must be the due priviledge of the Bishops they must be the third order of the Kingdome yea the first and most high of the three far above the other two temporall States of Lords and Commons their share in the Legislative power must be so great that neither King nor Parliament can passe any Law without their consent so that according to their humble protestation all the Lawes and acts which have been made by King and Parliament since they were expelled the house of Lords are cleerly voide and null That the King and Parliament in divesting Bishops of their temporall honour and estats in abolishing their places in the Church doe sin more against conscience then did Henry the eight and his Parliament when they put down the Abbots and the Fryers Wee must beleeve that Henry the eight his abolishing the order of Monks was one of the acts of his greatest Tyranny and greed wee must not doubt but according to Law and reason Abbots and priours ought to have kept still their vote in Parliament that the Monasteryes and Nunryes should have stood in their integrity that the King and Parliament did wrong in casting them down and that now they ought in conscience to be set up againe yea that Henry the eight against all reason and conscience did renounce his due obedience to the Pope the Patriarch of the West the first Bishop of the universe to whom the superinspection and government of the whole Catholick Church in all reason doth belong Though all this be heere glaunced at by the Warner and elsewhere hee prove it to be the declared mind of his Brethren yet we must be pardoned not to accept them as undenyable principles of cleare demonstrations The last ground of the Doctors demonstration is that the covenant is ane oath to set up the Presbyterian government in England at it is in Scotland and that this is contrary ◅o the oath of Supremacy for the oath of Supremacy makes the King the only supreame head and governour of the Church of England that is the civil head to see that every man doe his duty in his calling also it gives the King a supreame power over all persons in all causes but the Presbytery is a politicall papacie acknowledging no governours but
for what I thinke in my judgement best I may not thinke so absolutelie necessarie for all places at all times Not so rooted setled not so absolutelie necessarie implies no act of everting the foundations both of Religion Government c. nor can such an act be so pleasing to Kings nor that order which is wholelie imployed therein win so much upon their affections judgements as to make them professe to the world they thinke it best as you see our King of blessed memorie hath done When England thereafter as you terme it did root out that unhappie plant they danc'd after the Scotish pipe though England was neither in that thing calld an assemblie nor in any full free Parliament that did it They were but a few rotten members that had strength enough then to articulate their malice in a vote but have since given up the ghost being cut downe by the independencie of the sword their presbyterie with them for a Stinking weed throw'n over the hedge or Severu's wall into Scotland where they their blew-bottle brethren are left to lie unpittied on the dunghill together The rest of the ReformedChurches otherwhere did never cast out what they never had such an happie plant as regular Episcopacie in their grounds those that have as some such I have told you there are carefullie keep it The one part hath been more wise in their actions the other more charitable to us in their words Let the Scots applaud or clap their hands when they please there is an act behind the plays ' not yet done CHAPTER II. The Scottish Discipline overthrowes the right of Magistrates to convocate Synods otherwise to order Ecclesiastical affaires THe Bishop doth not forget his challenge about the Magistrates right in convocating Synods But if Mr. Baylie's eyes be too old to see a good argument in an enthymem let him take it out of an explicite syllogisme which may fairlie be draw'n out of His Lordships first second paragraph in this Chapter MAJ. That Discipline which doth countenance the Church to convene within the Magistrates territories whensoever wheresoever they list To call before them whomsoever they please c. doth overthrow the Magistrates right to convocate Synods to confirme their Acts c. MIN. But this new Discipline doth countenance the Church to convene within the Magistrates territories whensoever wheresoever they list c. Ergo CONCL. This new Discipline doth overthrow the Magistrates right to convocate Synods c. The Major his Lordship proves from that know'n Soveraignite of power wherewith all Princes States are indued From the warinesse of the Synod of Dort Can. 50. From that decree out of Ench. Cand s. min. Synods ought to be called by the supreme Magistrate if he be a Christian c. From the power the Emperours of old did challenge over General Councels Christian Monarches in the time of Poperie over National Synods The Kings of England over their Convocations The Estates of the Vnited Provinces From the professions of all Catholikes Protestants in France very particularlie liberallie the State of Geneva where the ordering of all Ecclesiastike affaires is assumed by the Seigniorie The Minor he takes for granted is know'n out of all the proceedings in the Presbyterie which from time to time have thus conven'd convocated themselves therefore His Lordship onelie intimates it in his first paragraph yet afterward proves it in part by an Assemblie meeting when it had been prohibited sitting after it was discharged by the King which the 20. Presbyters did at Aberdene Anno 1600. And all this with the Reviewer is to forget the challenge because he hath forgot his logike the new light hath dazeld the eye of his old intellectual facultie to discerne The truth of it is this was a litle too hot for Mr. Baylies fingars because it makes such cleare instances about the Synod of Dort Geneva wherein they differ from the Scotish Presbyterie which he will not owne because he every where denies therefore takes no notice of it as he goes Nor can any ignorance of the way of the Scotish Discipline be imputed to the Bishop who produceth so numerouslie the practical enormities thereof strikes at the very foundation as infirme because contrarie to the know'n lawes lawfull custome the supreme Magistrate dissenting disclaiming For what he pretends to have been unquestionablie authentike by vertue of Parliament Acts the Kings consent since the first reformation I have otherwhere successivelie evidenc'd up as farre as the unhappie beheading of Marie Queen of Scots in England to which the rest may be hereafter annexed to have no other strength then what rage violence could afford it The power which he sayth every man in Scotland gives the King without controversie to call extraordinarie Assemblies when he pleaseth takes not away in its hast the maine part of the Bishops objection implying no negative to this That the Presbyteric hath often extraordinarilie assembled without the Kings leave nay against his command nor will they be checkt in that rebellious license by his power What the Bishop meanes to speake of the Kings power in chusing Elders c. Mr. Baylie might know but that still he hath no mind to take notice That in the former paragraph His Lordship spake of a seigniorie a Civile Magistrate at Geneva to which at the end of the yeare are presented the Elders by that continued or discharged The Civile Magistrate in Scotland hath no more power in placing or displacing which before was calld continuing or discharging the Elders then in the election of the Emperour whose inhaerent right he conceives to be as good there as at Geneva therefore if the lawes do not expresselie provide it they are such he thinkes as tend to the overthrowing of that right This His Lordship meanes as part of that he was to prove being a clause in the title of this Chapter Your closing with the Parliament which the Bishop hath not mention'd is but to beget a wonder by making an hermaphroditc of the question which before was but single in your sexe You are not so united but that I can untwist you though against your will consider in this case the Presbyterie by it selfe The making of Ecclesiastike lawes in Scotland as for England it shall not be here disputed as desirous as you are to be wandring from home was never in justice nor with any Kings content referred so absolutelie to Ecclesiastike Assemblies as not to aske a ratification from the crowne What the Bishops minde is about the head of the Church will be clearlie rendred when just Authoritie demands it but His Lordship thinkes not good to be catechiz'd by every ignorant Scotish Presbyter nor give answer to every impertinent question he puts in If your fingars itch to be handling the extrinsccal power in the Minister derivative from the supremacie
his person was faine to put away his friends of greatest trust the Chancellor Treasurer Baron Humes c. but within a moneth repents him appeales to his Nobles by their advice recalls them yet permits Bothwell to depart The Ministers are angrie that the Papists are not persecuted by fire sword They assemble without the Kings order call together the Barons Burgers Bothwell enters againe with 400. Horse as farre as Leith makes proclamation summons all in to defen'd religion put away evil Counsellers sends it to the Synod at Dunbar which favour'd it The same day he marcheth against 3000. of the Kings forces neare Edenburgh fainteth in his businesse and gets away to the borders Queen Elizabeth sets out a proclamation against him yet presseth the King for proscription of Papists The Lords are but few that meet expresse some reluctance at it The Ministers Burgers are many which vote it take their armes downe out of the windowes c. Argile is sent against them beaten The King drawes toword them permits three of Huntley's houses to be pull'd downe Huntley escapes to his Aunt in Sutherland thence into France These were Huntley's notorious crimes multiplied outrages which cryed up to the God of heaven Out of which let the world judge what reason the Ministers those mercifull men of God had to give such warning crie to the Iudges of the earth to shed his bloud That appearance with display'd banner against the King in person should be made an article against him by Mr. Baylie a loyal peaceable assertour of ten yeares armed rebellion in three Kingdomes I dare not adventure my spleen to discourse on but in Mr. Baylies language hope by his good advise the Prelates will no more Lull ' Princes asleep in such a sinfull neglect of their charge but breake off their slumber by wholesome seasonable admonitions from the word of God such as that Prov. 10. A wise King seatercth the wicked bringeth the wheel over them Or what other texts their Lordships better know applicable to the most just necessarie chastisment of schismatikes Rebells About E. Angus Errol you thinke your selfe not concern'd to make answer because your brother Presbyter Mr. Rob. Bruce gave King Iames leave to recall them but with this considerable sentence against E. Huntley Well Sir you may doe as you list But chuse you you shall not have me the E. Huntley both for you Pretie humble soules who can weigh downe the chiefest Earles in the ballancing of a state In the next paragraph you dawbe with untemper'd morter such as can never keep the Kings right to any Ecclesiastike revenue the claime of the Discipline together For having comprehended in the patrimonie of the Kirke all things without exception given or to be given to that the service of God All such things as by law or custome or use of Countreys have been applied to the use utilitie of the Kirke 2. book Disc. ch 9 And call'd them theeves murderers without exception of persons that alienate any part of this patrimonie 1. books Disc 6. head you are the innocent dove that here bring us newes That the Church never spoyld the King of any tithes while those birds of spoyle your forefathers have left him neither eare nor straw to possesse But to deale with you at your owne weapon in your words If the King never had any first fruits then as the Bishop sayth you are the Popes that with-held it by you that were the Reformers was that point of papacie maintained If he neither had nor demanded to what purpose toke you such paines to obtaine in favour of the Church to have it declar'd in Parliament That all benesices of cure under Praelacies shall in all time coming be fee of the first yeares fruits fift penie the Ministers have their significations of presentation past at the Privie seale upon His Majesties owne subscription his secretaries onelie without any payment or caution to his Treasurer for the sayd first fruits fift penie About tithes you say His Majestie the Church had never any controversie in Scotland How agrees this with your Declaratour in his appendix to the maintenance of your sanctuarie When the minor-age of a good King had been abused to the making of a law whereby the most of these rents first fruits Tithes the lands belonging to Bishoprikes were annexed to the crowne the Church very earnestlie do labour for restitution never gave over till these lawes were repealed If you review your records you will finde in the yeare 1588. that you had a plea with which you call an earnest suit to His Majestie about patronages such considerable opposition as put you upon inhibiting all commissioners Presbyteries to give collation or admission to any person praesented by authoritie from the King And to omit many a greater you had before with the Queen Anno 1565 The Nobilitie Gentrie were more beholding to your impotencie then patience for peace What gracious men yon have shewd your selves since your Rebell-Parliament got that incumbent power into your hands your congregations would speake if they durst whom you feed with the bread of violence with that you cover them as a garment So that whether the Presbyterie be not as good patrons of the people as they are vassals to the King need never more be quaestion'd in Scotland Whether by the wickednesse of Praelates or Presbyters the King Church were cousin'd of the tither will appeare by them that bragg'd most when they were most endanger'd by the sequestring the other patrimonie from the Church which I finde to be the Presbyters that could not keep councel but boasted they had given a seasonable blow unto the Bishops That legitimate power in the Magistrate the Bishop pleades for King James never declared to be a sinne against Father Son or Holy Ghost nor did ever the patrons of Episcopacâ—…e oppose it That changeling you here substitute in the roome calls you Father by the ridiculous posture in which it stands your friend Didoclave had more ingenuitie then to inferre a claime to the power of preaching celebrating the Sacraments upon the power of iurisdiction over Ecclesiastical persons derived upon the King from his praedecessours in England given them by a statute Verba statuti de jurisdictione non de simplici functionum sacrarum administratione intelligenda esse quis dubitat The well grounded consequences which you call Castles in the aire will hereafter batter your Presbyterie to the ground when Princes shal retract their too liberal indulgence take a courageous resolution to claime their own relie upon Gods providence to maintaine it King Iames had given you the practical meaning of his wise sentence seven yeares before he spake it at St. Andrews For as you may very well remember when His
Majestie had put downe your Presbyterie by the head your Ministerial office was with the exercise of your halls having to the time of your late rebellion no other then an ambulatorie Euangel no Disciplinarian legallie tolerated to officiate but such as would conforme to the canons of the Church If the King had sayd Egonon possum erigere Ministri caput the heads of the Aberdene Edenburgh Ministers might have confuted him upon the gates but that his mercie without the Synodical censure of impunitie interpos'd in that dispute As great an enemie as His Majestie was to such Erastians as the Bishop I am sure he was no friend to such Donatâ—…sts as you unlesse infestissimus hostâ—… be significant to that purpose He sayd you were the persidious bedlam knaves among the preachers my dictionarie will helpe me to no fiter English for his Latin persidi sanatici nebulones inter concionatores And you or your profession he often styl'd Calvinistarum Satanismum a sect of lapsed spirits among the Calvinists whose malice had metamorphoz'd them into Devils CHAPTER VII The Presbyterie cheates the Magistrate of his Civil power in ordine ad spiritualia THe Bishop begs no beliefe of his Readers beyond what he brings proofe out of your Discipline to prevaile for When you have made all offenses more or lesse scandalous like the Prophet in Hosee you become the snare of a fowler with this counterfeit call catch all the uncleane birds in your net If the Bishops Official takes notice of more civile causes then your Presbyterie the qualitie number had been Worth your noting for your Readers satisfaction To strengthen your evidence I consulted with Didoclave your brother Scout whom I finde to have made no such numerous discoverie I take him to be alltogether as strict able an inquisitour as your selfe That capital offenders whom the Magistrate hath spared should be excommunicated is disciplinarian censure which no societie of regular Christians ever inflicted Nor can any ingenuous Divine denie such accesse to the holie table if otherwise qualified then by their impunitie He must distrust either the prudence or pietie of the Magistrate conceiving him either too liberal of his pardon to a person shewing no remorse for his fault or impious in countenancing instead of cutting off an obstinate malefactour with his sword Erastus himselfe whom you raile at so often puts in this caution which Beza approves of for whatsoever he hath asserted in his booke Quod meminisse te velim etiamsi non semper adjeccro That the person you admit be suppos'd to understand approve embrace the doctrine of the the Church with which he desires to communicate That he professe an acknowledgement hatred of his sinnes he addes not from your stool of repentance That a murderer adulterer blasphemer thus pardoned thus poenitent thus supplicant for the seale of the Sacrament should be to fill up the amphitheater of any prou'd hypocritical popular presbyter made the sundays sport or spectacle to the people No Scripture commands it no orthodoxe Church ever practis'd it no law of Scotland imports it If you suspect his repentance to be but counterfeit his humble addresse a religious imposture you may discourse with him in private lay open before him the hainousnesse of his fact deterre him by the extremitie of the danger tell him if he disccrnes not the Lords bodie which he can not through the blacke unrepented guilt of that sinne he eates judgement he drinkes damnation But all this pertaines ad Consilium a terme us'd among the ancients in cases somewhat conterminate with ours to ghostlie councel no spiritual execution ad legis annunciationem non jurisdictionem to the terrible declaration of the law to no jurisdiction or legal exercise of your power Beside here I must put you in minde of what I otherwhere prove and is undeniable That your excommunicating facultie is not originallie in your Assemblie but derived to you from the supreme Magistrate with an implicite reservation of his own priviledge to remit it at pleasure it being no â—…ure divino discipline I hope for if such what becomes of those Churches that use it not The malefactours exemption from this without quaestion accompanies his largesse of civile mercie he stands acquitted from all spiritual aswell as temporal punishment For to suppose the Magistrate takes him from the gaoler to deliver him to Satan exchangeth his shakles for chaines of darkenesse his prison for hell is inconsistent with reason or charitie gets no more faith then such a cruel sentence hath the face to aske my opinion of its justice The learned Grotius tells you how John a Bishop of Rome became intercessour to Justinian the Emperour in the behalfe of poenitent delinquents that were separated from the union of the Church asscribing to him the authoritie honour of their restitution to the communion thereof Which argues him his Presbyters if you admit him not to be single in his jurisdiction at that time to have had no independent Discipine to crosse the Emperours power to have been no countermanders of his pardons That the Magistrates in Holland have very often commanded the Pastours to their dutie in these cases And that by an old law in England the Kings pleasure was craved before any of his servants could be excommunicated Fraud in bargaining false measures c. the Bishop takes to be maters of civile cognizance He findes them call'd abomination to the Lord not any where such scandals to the Church as to require publike satisfaction What Ecclesiastike rebukes are due he thinkes may be given by particular Ministers in their several charges without a summons before a Consistorian judicatorie Die Ecclesiae was no praecept of speed There were two or three errands to be done by the way The offended brother hath after conference a private arbitration praescrib'd him Nor doth it appeare that in cases of this nature our Saviour sing'd him a warrant to fetch his adversarie to the Church not a word is there that doth authorize the Church to command him out of the Court to anticipate or aggravate the civile censure by the Reviewers Ecclesiastike Rebukes The Bishop speakes of Presbyterie in the institution makes no instance of it in the practice I 'll take no mans word for disciplinarian honestie throughout 30. yeares trading The saints after that rate will not be readieat Doomesday to give up their account of compassing the earth getting in their inheritance annex'd to their dominion which they will have founded in grace If the Presbyteries wherein all that time you were conversant were no merchant adventurers tooke no share of the purchase they have kept some Jubilee to lease out their indulgence Or it was not unlikelie a piece of your Kirke-policie to connive a long time at all petie larcenie knowing who at length would be catch'd in the great cheate the 200000. pound sale of damnation
to their brethren yet keeping backe whole viols of vengeance and wrath unto themselves For the many causes of Ministers deprivation cognosced upon in your Presbyteries you have the good liking of neither Papists nor Prae lates who finde no canon that gives commission to such a mungrel socitie of lay-Clerical Presbyters to take away what they have no power to conferre If I give but not grant your usurped tyrannie a priviledge by many yeares rebellious precedent to cognosce of such cases I must except against clipping of canons the coyne that beares the Majestike image of the Primitive Church such as is the 67. in the fourth Councel of Charthage Seditionarios nunquam ordinandos Clâ—…ricos sicut nec usurarios nec injuriarum ultores The first of the three had met with your vertous Fore-Father Knox in the Castle of St. Andrewes sav'd all the mischiefe we have reap'd by his call from abetting the murder of Cardinals to rebelling against Princes renting the Church the Commonwealth into Congregational Covenanting parties The last which was your injust praetense if not in your banners at least in the Remonstrances which you brought in your hands when you invaded England Canons holding aswell for depriving as ordaining had rid us of all the rable of Rebellious revengefull Presbyters without a stroke For the businesse of usurie I shal not draw up my charge till I discover the Scottish Presbyterian Cantores Yet you were best have care whatsoever becomes of the ancient Canons that you be not too severe in depriving for that lest you get a rebuke from your brethren abroad who it may be desire not to shake hands with you in that point of the Discipline The Bishop neither tooke out nor put in any causes of Church-mens deprivation but merelie transcrib'd what he thought more concern'd a Civile Court then a Synod If he had been at the charge of reprinting all whereof your booke of Discipline makes mention he must have left an c. to bring up a reserve though yov will not owne it of preaching penning practizing schisme sedition Rebellion against moderate just pious Kings aswell as what your Assemblies were solicitous to prohibite under the terme of Schisme or Rebellion against the Kirke For the first last of the three sinnes you draw out because you will have the pleasure at least of licking your lips at the naming His Lordship knowes no Bishop nor Doctour but may finde a namelesse Scottish Presbyter to give place to If he should be mistaken which he hath not so much reason to hope as charitie to wish he sees in St. Iames the guilt of murder aequivalent to adulterie made as great a transgression of the law He heares of Isaiah's triel in Scotland which deserves the same wonder crie of the Prophets Ye are drunken though not with wine ye stagger though not with strong drinke c. And since your last returne out of England beholds sitting at Edenburgh aswell as London the great whore instead of her blew arrayed in purple scarlet colour decked with gold pretious stones pearles having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations filthnesse of her sornication And upon the forhead of the woman drunken with the bloud of the Saints with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus a name written with a beame of the sunne Mysterie Babylon the Great The Mother of harlots abominations of the earth For the third sinne of gluttonie which you will have produc'd because in your canon though not much for your credit that your excessive gossiping comes to be cognosced by your Church all Bishops Doctours may freelie bid desiance to your sect of whom so manie are so often known to be as fed horses in the morning though you flatter your selves into a conceit that the noyse is not heard are neighing as much as those in Isai. So that you may in due time have what you better deserve the same curse with the Priests in the Prophet Malach which will spoyle your reviewing singling out other mens crrours or secret sinnes to the shame of Christianitie among the Nations when your selves are spiloi kai momoi the principal spots blemishes that are in it God may corrupt your seed spread dung upon your saces soleunitatum stercus even the dung of your solemne feastes you more likelie then they may be taken away with it The Bishops third chalenge mounts somewhat higher then your answer which pleades onelie for preaching upon texts concerning the Magistrates dutie resolving from Scripture their doubts both which reach up onelie to a judgement of direction but his Lordâ—…hip cites the clause in your theorem which makes difficult cases between King people subjects of cognizance judgement before the Assemblies of the Kirke And this he sayth riseth to a judgement of jurisdiction Your second booke of Discipline is more modest in language though as mischievous in meaning The Ministers exerce not the Civile jurisdiction but teach the Magistrate how it should be exerciz'd according to the word whereas if you take cognizance of pronounce judgement in these difficult cases Or call before you such as may be more easie but should be heard otherwhere this is no other but exercing civile jurisdiction as spiritual as you make it If you with the terrour of your excommunicating Maozin overaw the Magistrate into a servile submission to what you praescribe this I take to be no teaching but commanding instead of resolving by deliberate advice Christian moderation cutting in sunder with this sword of your spirit no word of Gods the knots perplexities of his conscience What doubt-resolvers you are commonlie between Master servant husband wife your licentious demeanour in many families may informe us where it is too well know'n you have made your selves judges of the trivial oeconomical causes in the hall dispensers of or with more private duties in the chamber So that they say the good man hath many times met with a consistorian censure at his table if not with a Presbyter a Presbyterian prohibition in his bed I beleeve you mistake preaching Praelates Doctours for some babling Puritanical Pastours Lecturers in England who have made these things their care gone about them as the uncontroverted parts of their Ministerial function The Bishops negligence herein was the silent reverence he payd which you owe to Majestie at a distance And His Lordships modest declining domestike curiosities a civile diversion from that wherein the word is so cleare as to need no interpreter the Husband or Masters authoritie so absolute as admits no superintendencie to praedominate Your license to preach personallie against Princes I finde given to your Fore-fathers in an answer to the Queenes proclamation 1559 Your tradition still continues the same touching which for brevities sake
Scottish Presbyterie in practice and such they would have it in law too if they could with all their Scripture collusions but once corrupt His Majesties judgement or by their sharpe-pointed swords two edged tongues affright him from a well grounded resolution into what his Royal Father esteem'd it a faint servile ungodlie and unkinglie consent The treasure you call for hath hitherto had God for its defense who hath made know'n and distributed those talents in Scripture which maintain'd the litle familie of the Church and discharg'd the itinerant Gospell of that time The greater mine hath been often discovered by them whose divina virgula hath stouped and put them upon the search of the veine that caried the Episcopal government through the 800. yeares of your account Your soon-shot bolts in many frivolous quaestions have been better feather'd with many wise mens answers and for all the horned impudence you hold out returned very often upon your heads one of whom I shall send you to who not to derogate from the happie endeavours of many others aswell of the learned Laitie as Reverend Clergie hath alone anticipated and fullie with much acutenesse and judgement answered allmost every particular you object Shewing that Christ himselfe hath made the office of Apostle or Bishop distinct from Presbyters Given them power to do some offices perpetuallie necessarie which to others he gave not Asof Ordination and confirmation And superioritie of jurisdiction Bishops by vertue of their office more then called observed as Lords in a more sublime sense then you mention And commended to the service of Kings Saint Chrysostom others imployed in Embassies Saint Ambrose a Praefect and Dorotheus a Chamberlaine to the Emperour Many of them Councellers to Princes and Iudges aswell in ordinarie secular affaires as Chanellors in extraordinarie by appeale Treasurers at least of the Church revenue and undergoing what ever civile charge the conscientious favour of Princes put upon them which was not in gradu impedimenti â—…lericalis Bishops with sole power of ordination and jurisdiction otherwise then as they thought good to call into their subordinate assistance or deputed Presbyters in their Dioceses Of officials and Commissaries I thinke he makes litle mention because he bends his discourse against all interest of Lay elders yet I doe not thinke he would denie that Civilians such as are our Officials and Commissaries might be instrumental to the Bishops especiallie having some learned Presbyter authorized in cases to which the others lay propertie extends not Bishops when necessitie may require using solitarie ordination which is good in nature rci as may be taken for granted by that Canon of the Apostles which as it enjoines no more then one Bishop so makes no mention of any Presbyter which it had quaestionlesse done if of absolute necessitie to the businesse Bishops ordaining not with the fashional but canonical assistance of any two Presbyters that they please by choyce of their owne chaplaines or others where are many or taking any two that chance otherwise to be neare Bishops principal pastours of their whole Dioceses when commanded or countenanc'd by the King to waite at Court not obliged to feed their flockes in their persons which they doe by many learned and religious proxies themselves in the meane time feeding by word or sacrament or ghostlie counsel the great shepheard whose Royal soul is worth 10000. of the peoples All this in effect a great deale more then your Parkers or Didoclaves could have answered hath this one learned Doctour defended as know'n long before the Pope gave over to say his creed which he did surelie when he became the Anti-Christ you call him I could goe up yet once againe helpe you to a third turne from the top of your demands Shew you that the Warner and his friends give the King the same assurance that erthey did that what they stand upon as unalterable in their order hath Scripture and Antiquitie for its warrant That upon the conversion of England to Christianitie the Ecclesiastike government there constituted was not Anti-Christian That a Bishop there is not a Lord in Parliament by vertue of his office as it may be to resolve spiritual doubts he ought to be but by the Baronie call which the favour of Kings hath annex'd unto it That in Scotland when it was decreed that Bishops should have no voyces in Parliament these your selfe-denying men desired of the King that such Commissioners as they should send to the Parliament and councel might from thence forth be authorized in the Bishops places for the Estate That not many protestant English Bishops have been High Treasurers not many Chancellars some that have you have litle reason to finde faultwith That they are not bound in law to devolve all jurisdiction That all which in practice did it are not to be condemned where they found able honest men to exercise it in their names That those which erre must not praejudice the care and deligence in government of the rest That solitarie ordinations were very rare therefore not to be objected as so common Nor did halfe the Bishops live at Court nor most that did halfe their time All these particulars could I enlarge on but that I beleeve the Reader satisfied with the execution done before and hath some what else to doe then to stay to see you stript In what followes you take a great deaie more then is given you naming that a donation from the Court divines conscience for which the Citie Divines chieflie of Edenburgh London forced the temple of God by such sacriledge to furnish the two tabernacles of robbers that then prospered too well in England and Scotland That Royal Saint that upon this most impious violence yeilded up so great a portion of his Ecclesiastike inheritance the Bishops avile imployment Arch-Bishops Arch-deacons with the c which might have been better spar'd did it in angusto comprchensus not upon any compunction of conscience Sed difficulter sed subductis supercilijs… vix exeuntibus verbis And had not his paternal affection prompted him to what your unnatural disobedience litle deserved he had given you not onelie panem lapidosum as Fabius was wont to call a gift very hardlie bestowed upon an hungrie beggar but pro pane lapidem without our saviours censure a stone instead of that bread which was never ordained to stuffe the insataite stomach of every gaping Rebell that call'd for 't Yet whatsoever you had was you know but for a triennal experiment which being exspired in the yeare of libertie that was to succeed according to Gods paterne in Ezekiel if you could then praetend no better title then you had done it was to returne to your Prince and the inheritance of such an inseparable right to be his sonnes who of your adversaries gave this unseasonable advice I know not nor who have acknowledg'd and recanted for errours those divine
truths ordained for peace but encountred with troubles and their abettours expos'd to susteime the envie and obloquie of the world Therefore alasse its in vaine for you to invite them to come nearer to hang out like a dead cat in her skin unlesse you meane to have every one of them moral the rest of the fable with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But to leave off speaking in parables I desire the reader in plaine English to marke the base ingratitude of an unworthie Presbyter In that when a most ingenuous peace-desiring Prince for him he meanes when he speakes of his Praelatical adversaries invaded by audacious importunitie encompassed with all external visible necessitie placing himselfe upon the very pinacle of Christi-an charitie shall yeild all that the softest gentlest Casuist can indulge and that upon such conditions as how easie soever the perfidious contractours litle thinke to make good he must be argued with upon the ominous advantage of hiâ—… owne gratuitie praetended from his adventurous kindnesse to be demonstrativelie convinc'd to give up the rest of that which rebellious license schismatical singularitie and degenerate malice have now so devested into a new creature as neither law custome nor honour can call that English Bishop which religion instituded and reformation confirmed But a crou'd of guiltie conjured malefactours presseth shame and the proverbe to nothing so that ingratum si dixeris nihil dixeris Seneca knew it who had studied the point and experienc'd the practice Pudorum tollit multitudo peccantium desinet esse probri loco commune maledictum But to send you backe some of your owne logike and language If this naked bird which you so pleasantlie play with be a new creature because the feathers are pluckt then you must confesse that old creature revested with those Euaugelical beauties and Royal graces which once it possessed to be that know'n true English Bishop that in honour law custome if not in conscience which I need not suppose is to be inviolablie maintain'd when it shall be made to appeare as it may very easilie and hath been very frequentlie that such an order not much differentlie fashion'd and habited ever was and ever is to be in the Christian Church To make good the mutual toleration indented for between your sectarian brethren and your alltogetheras sectarian selves you closelie decline the warners confidence which avowes those texts of Scripture you wrest against Bishops with as much colour of reason and more truth the Independents may urge against Presbyters being resolv'd since you finde they can make you their province at pleasure if not command a transmigration of your Euangel to argue no more against them then to fight The triumph you make in two painted Syllogismes is very improperlie plac'd before the victorie where though you ride like a George on horsebacke in a pageant you will passe for no beter then a dumbe shew and with your wooden launce be mistaken by none but children and fooles for that primitive armed Saint that kill'd the dragon If you cast not your texts in a couple of better molds your workemanship will beare as litle the image of Gods word as your selves doe of the reasonable men that he created Were His Lp. at better leisure his great promises would reengage him in more necessarie imployments then answering every silie Presbyter in his follie but his Acolythus servant if not because he hath taken up so much of the similitude allreadie will for once and it may be oftner follow Solomons advice in the next verse seeing you so very wise in your owne conceit The first text you are medling with is Ephes 4. 11. whence your imaginarie argument not to be denied adoration is this Maj All the officers that Christ has appointed in his Church for the ministrie of the word are either Apostles Euangelists Prophets Pastours or Doctours Mi But Bishops are none of these five Ergo. You pleade custome for the free unquaestionable passage of your major which you must give me leave to obstruct first excepting against the improprietie of your termes being such as may evacuate your argument the Ministrie of the word when the Bishops discourse is about the regiment of the persons to whom the word allreadie is ministred Secondlie demanding to have it under Saint Pauls hand whether the offices he mentions of Apostolate prophecie c were by Christs institution for the personal perfecting of Saints in a Church established and not as the word seemes rather to signifie Pros ton Catartismon toon hagioon for jointing or knitting new Saints to the Church new membres to the bodie of Christ in the propagation of his gospel so aedisying the bodie of Christ by the worke of the Ministrie which in the next verse seemes to end in the unitie of fayth that is the general conversion of nations to Christianitie Thirdlie whether this enumeration of the Apostle's be universal to which 〈◊〉 finde more particulars added 1. Co. 12. 28. among them dynameis Kyberneseis Powers governments the former of which that you may not cavill about superinfused gifts he makes as much personal or persons as that of Apostle prophet Teacher vers 29. Besides that he expresselie calleth the Elders of the Church of Ephesus Bishops tells them they were instituted by the holie spirit which we know came downe to fulfill the promise by the mission of the sonne so they must passe upon account as officers appointed by Christ. Three fifths of your Minor thus you prove Bishops are not Apostles Euangelists nor prophets because they are confessed extraordinarie temporarie Bishops ordinarie perpetual To which I answer First That Bishops are Apostles in their ordinarie power of ordination jurisdiction though not in their extraordinarie of working miracles speaking with diverse tongues c. And this Tertullian hath sayd above 1300. yeares since who arguing with the haeretikes about succession bids them turne over their records shew that their first Bishop was an Apostle or Apostolical because personallie ordained by one of them This the Apostolical Churches could doe as that of Smyrna shewes Polycarp because placed there by Saint Iohn That of Rome Clement because ordained by St. Peter And such Bishops as these he calls Apostolici seminis traduces If they be Apostolical grafts good Mr. Baylie from what tree thinke you were they taken and of what may they without arrogancie beare the name Other of the Ancients call'd Timothie Bishop of Ephesus an Apostle among whom what enterfeering there was of these two termes you may reade in Theodoret upon 1. Tim. Jn the like sense may they be sayd to be Euangclists aswell as in the Revelation they are called Angele who praeside over the preaching of the Gospell and publication of it to them that have not heard Euangelion Kerygma being the same And they either are or should be Prophets in one kinde according to Saint Ambrose
Scripturas revelantes the ablest interpreters of Scripture or speakers of mysteries in the spirit to aedification exhortation and comfort though not foretellers of things to come Nam quicquid latet sive id futurum est sive praesens mysterium diâ—…itur The reason why your adversaries pitch upon the fourth is to decline your trivial objections against the other three Your syllogisme that labours to prove Bishops no Pastours hath no doubt but a certaintie of falshood in the major which your argumentum a paribus comes some what improperlie to make good you having spoke of a confess'd imparitie but just before But for once a bargaine no bargaine pactum non pactum sit non pactum pactum quod vobis lubet It would be a rare invention surpassing Aristoles Logike if without a reserve you could get a conclusion to creep out of a single proposition for take it on my word your lucke is bad in majours which whether you play at even or odde are all pariter falsae sicke of a disease and this here left desperate without any remedie to recover it No Apostle you say is superiour to an Apostle This is contrarie to what one Walo Messalinus whom under another name you mistake to be your friend hath frequentlie asserted That they were primi secundi majores minores The second and lesse subordinate in spiritual power to the first and greater This he gathers out of Theodoret and others The greater he explaines to be the twelve the lesse those deputed by them for teaching and governing Nay he discovers a third order inferiour to them both of which was Epaphroditus subordinate to Saint Paul who himselfe was but minor Apostolus being none of the twelve So that here being three degrees I tell you from him what I might from others or with them rather collect from the text That an Apostle is superiour to an Apostle As much might besayd for Euangelists whereof foure were principal or if not it is because they were by their office of the lower classe or Coadiutours to the Apostles Such were Titus Timothie Apollos c. Saint Hierom sayth all Apostles were Euangelists but not all Euangelists Apostles And so likewise that all pastours were Doctours but not vice verse The learned Grotius That Doctours were Bishops or Arch-Bishops rather the same with those call'd Metropolitans afterward Pateres Kai didascaloi are Epiphanius titles for them To prove majour minor prophets under the new Testament is needlesse till you answer what I have brought about Apostles or strengthned the majour in your argument which I absolutelie denie And besides remit you to a learned Doctour who proves the word Pastor to be the Bishops peculiar among the Ancients and frustrates that imparitie from which you argue Your second reason out of Saint Matthew and Saint Paul hath a litle Philosophical Soul and forme in the majour but no divine one in in the minour and so according to your similitude in the moment of removal or separation must perish The first text 1. Tim. 4. 14. puts no power more then approbant or assistent of ordination in the Eldership a Bishop is as much a Presbyterie and no more a Presbyter I meane in your sense of diminution then Saint Paul who seemes to make that act of ordination solitarie and personallie his owne 2. Tim. 1. 6. And the Greeke Scholiasts say the Elders here were Bishops excluding interminis all presbyters from that power oâ—… gar hoi Presbyteroi echeirotonoun ton Episcopon say both Theophylact and Oecomenius For the word which you will needes have to be classical not personal perchance somewill say it may denote the order or office the Episcopate they meane and be put figurativelie here for the single person of the Apostle comparing these words together meta Epitheseoos toon cheiroon tou Presbyterion dia tes epithescoos toon chciroon mou But let it be what it will the power of ordination must continue in the Bishop so long as Christians keep to the New Testament and Fathers and fetch us not a fift Gospel or some newer Apostle from Geneva That the second Saint Matth. 18. puts the power of jurisdiction in the Church is gratis dictum your authoritie not so great as that your autos ephen will be able to carie it First therefore you are required to prove that excommunication the act of jurisdiction you meane is here at all intended and not rather no more then the three degrees of fraternal correption the highest whereof is that elegsis enoopion pantoon a rebuke before all 1. Tim. 5. 20. Vt qui non potuit pudore Salvari Salvetur opprobrijs sayth Saint Hierom he sayth not damnetur or eijciatur censuris That he which could not be saved by private shame might by more publike reproach Secondlie That the Church here was a judicial Assemblie call'd to that purpose or if met to other that a formal processe was brought before it And that they were not rather some greater number then the two or three witnesses upon what occasion soever met together which may very well be call'd Ecclesiae with out the signal meaning of the word Coram multis Lib. Musar keta Koinon Justin tunc multis dicendum est in Saint Hierom. Nor is it likelie a deliberate judgement in Court into which a Christian Congregation converted should be after processe in hazard to be slighted or neglected by one Member delinquent ean paracouse Nor that to be such which relates rather to the person of the plaintiffe then Iudges estoo soi Let him be unto thee… Thirdlie If it be such a Congregation or Church as you would have it whether the complaint were to be repraesented to them in general and not rather in their hearing to their superintendents or praesident above them Epi toon tes Ecclesias proedroon demosiseoson to ptaisma sayth Theophylact. Fourthlie That sit sicut Ethnicus publicanus Let him be unto thee as an heathenman and a publicane is undoubtedlie a sentence commanded to be pronounced by those superintendents or that Church or an injunction rather then permission to the partie injur'd to have no farther familiaritie or friendship to have no more to doe with him then with heathen and publicanes a voluntarie declination of whose companie was no scandal to the charitie Christians professed any civile office out of common humanitie left arbitrarie and not censur'd if tend'red Fiftlie whether binding and loosing vers 18. Be asserted with reference to this Church and not rather to the Apostles as your friend Erastus will have it or more probablie to any partie against whom the trespasse was committed Potestatem tribuit Apostolis sayth Saint Hierom. Vu garmonon hosa lyousin boi hiereis eisi Celymena all' hosa kai hemets hoi adiketentes and Theophylact. And si Fratrem habes pro Ethnico publicano ligasti illum in terra
exerciz'd canonicallie by none but Bishops in the Historie of the Primitive Church According to the second canon of the Apostles Presbyter ab uno Episcopo ordinetur Diaconus reliqui Cleriâ—…i The laying on of hands of the Presbyterie both in Scripture and Ecclesiastike storie was onelie for external forme no intrâ—…secal power the efficacie of the act being in the Bishops benediction which I never finde attributed to the Priest As in the third Canon of the fourth Councel of Carthage Episcopo eum benedicente nowhere benedicente Presbytero Therefore your friend Didoclave is faine to acknowledge a great difference Magnum discrimen between St. Pauls imposition of hands and that at the same time of his Presbyterie whatsoever is mean'd by it Nam per imposâ—…tionem mannum Apostolorum Deus conferebat charismata non autem per imposâ—…ionem mannum Presbyterorum distinguishing in the ordination of Timothie between dia meta the former relating to Saint Paul the later to the assistent Priests Which is another interpretation of the texâ—… then you were pleas'd to make of it chapt 8. So that I see the bâ—…ethren agree not upon the point Succession through the lineal descent of Bispops from the Aposiles aâ—…d ordination by the hands of Apostolical Bishops have been ever used as strong arguments to uphold Catholike Christians in a comfortable assurance of their Ministrie as lawfull And haeretikes have been pâ—…essed by the ancient Fathers with the want of nothing more then these to justifie their profession Hâ—…c enim modo Ecclâ—…siae Apostolicae census suos deferunt sayth Tertullian And Irenaeus before him joines the gifts of God required in the Ministrie if he meanesnot the sacraments with the Apostolical cession of the Church Vbi igitur charismata Domini posita sunt ibi discere oportes veritatem â—…pud quâ—…s esi ea quae est ab Apostolis Ecclesiae successis c. The Presbyterians praetending divine institution must likewise prove such an uninterrupted succession or evidence their new extraordinarie mission otherwise they can minister litle comfort lesse assurance of their calling to be lawfull The former they can not doe for Saint Hierom's time at least who makes ordination a proprietie of the Bishops Quid facit excepta ordinatione Episcopus quod Presbyter not facit where a friend of theirs failes them when he sayth ad morem jusque siâ—…ae aetatis respexit That he had respect to the custome canon of his time Nor can they doe it for above 200. yeares uncertaine storie after Christ in which they have as litle light to shew their Presbyterie was in as that Episcopacie was out which they would faine perswade us to take upon their word dispensing with themselves for the use of unwritten tradition to so good a purpose If they will pleade an extraordinarie mission they should doe well to name the first messenger that brought the newes of their Euangel and what miracle he wrought which might serve him for a leter of credence to us who it may be otherwise shall be no such superstitious admirers of his gifts or person That therefore the orthodoxe Ministers must want the comfortable assurance of their undoubted ordination in the Ministrie which words yet beare a much more moderate sense then that you give them viz. That they may very well know and be assured that their calling and ministrie is null the distance being as I take it not so indivisible between the negation of one assurance to the position of the other Such a malicious interpreter beares the image may stand in Constantines opinion for the statue of him who is the father of calumnies cares not what pâ—…yson he casts to spot other mens names cracke their credits ta tesoiceias ita motetos deleteria apheidos proballon as true of an Aërian as Arian Your divination about the deleted words will succeed in some strange disoverie by and by In the interim you set too sharpe an edge upon the doctrine of the Bishops friends and doe act violence where it may be they intended not so much injurie as the ut most extremitie of justice allthough they held the axe in their hand in Christian charitie disputing the sentence not so hastie to execute it or beyond it in the rigour and cut off at one stroke the Clergie from their calling and so many â—…ay societies of Christians from the Church Vntill 〈◊〉 meet with some particular more forward instances then I know of I shall answer for them to the Churches of France Holland Zwitzerland and Germanie as Pope Innocent writ to the first Councel at Toledo about the ill custome of the Bishops ordination in Spaine That it 's very requisite somewhat should be peremptorilie determin'd according to the true primitive tradition might it be without the disturbance of so many Churches For what is done ita reprehendimus ut propter numerum corrigendorum ea quae quoquo modo sactaâ—… sunt non in dubium vocemus sed Dei potius dimittamus judicio We so dislike it as not to startle so great a number of delinquents with our doubt but referre the judgement to God who standeth in the congregation as well of Presbyters as Princes and is a Iudge aswell among Ministers as Gods The Sophisme of the Iesuits because so popular should have been refuted or else not recited allthough the â—…imilitude it brings runnes not upon all foure even with the doctrine of the Bishops prime friends Some of whom I beleeve will acknowledge there may be resident many Members of the true Church where are no true Sacraments being well praepared to receive them when they may have a true Ministrie to dispense them That one of the two Sacraments is true though not dulie administred when in case of necesstie by lay hands where is no true Ministâ—…e to doe it which may consist with that of B. Ignatius if applied to this purpose Ouk exon esti choris tou episcopou oute baptizein oute prospherein Exon at most but illegitimating the outward visible act not nulling the inward invisible grace That the other 's effectual when had but in voto if it can not in signo through want of any or which is as bad a lawfull true Ministrie to make it In the third clause I hope you will shake hands with the Iesuits and them Where is no true ordination there is no true ordinarie Ministrie or lawfull Priesthood as His late Majestie call'd it As for the fourth the Bishops friends whatsoever they may doe allay it thus Where are no Bishops can be no comfortable assurance of a true ordination And so in whatsoever reformed Countrey are no Bishops being no true Apostolike ordination no comfortable assurance is had of a true visible Church in the publike administration of the Sacraments though they hope well the invisible Members have an invisible true Priesthood among them or such an high Priest as being
general your judicial Vsurpations are censur'd by the Authour of Episcopacie and Presbyterie considered Whereof he brings no particulars because he sayth no bodie can be ignorant that hath look'd into the knowen stories of this last age Some what to this purpose is in him that writ the Trojan Horse… unbowelled K. Iames's Declaration against you in the case of the Aberdene Ministers is in print Beside many other of this nature that I have not seen or doe not thinke on Where Master Baylie hath slept out all this noyse J can not guesse if above ground So that a lasse the Curtisan Bishops may pasle away unquaestion'd with a few innocent prohibitions in their pockets when the Traverse is draw'n and the Palliard Presbyters discovered in multitudes at the businesse heaping up such loades of repeales and protestations as crush all iniquitie into scandal make Civile Courts Parliaments Councel and King responsable for their sentences to the Synods The next injurie against Masters and Mistresses of families as it stands in your discipline not as you subtilie yet vainlie advantage it is criminal at least so farre as it is a transgression of Saint Pauls rule which requires all things to be done euschemonoos cata taxin decentlie and in order 1. Cor. 14. 50. Whereas for them to be brought to such a publike account who at all other times without personal exception are constituted instructours of their children and servants is not eushemonoot it caries litle decencie with it it too much discountenanceth their authoritie it levels their natural and politike Dominion for the time nor have those different lines as they are draw'n in your Discipline such a just symmetrie as to produce an handsome feature of one person It is not cata taxin taâ—…e it in what sense you will no man will say there is a due order observed nor any such praescription in Christs Holy Catholike Church The same Apostle that gave particular directions in the case made no canon for this An antecedent examination he appointed but the Ancients interpret it more of the will and affection then the understanding mind Or â—…f he meant it of both he made every man judge of himselfe as you doe when he is praesent at the ministration of baptisme that had before renderd a reason of his sayth to the Church neither Presbyter and inquisitour of course nor parishoner a witnesse of his unworthinesse and ignorance Ourh heteros ton hetecon…all ' aâ—…tos beauton sayth Oecumenius which put Cajetan upon the thought that confession was not at this time required for which he is taken up by Catharinus And Chrysostom referres us to a text in St. Pauls second epistle which tells us what discoverie may put the examination to an end Examine your selves whether ye be in the sayth Omnem prolationem quaerendi inveniendi credendo fixisti hunc tibi modum statuit sructusipse quaerendi is intended I beleeve as a glosse upon it by Tertullian So that the knowledge how to pray was no praerequisite of St. Pauls Nor can we heare from him that the ignorance of other your disciplinarian articles exclude a man more from the Sacrament of the Lords supper then from the communion of Saints Christianitie he professeth in his Creed Beside 't is easie to conceive what discouragement it brings upon such good Christians as hunger and thirst after this spiritual nourishment of their soules and how much it derogates from that reverence Antiquitie render'd to this Sacrament and the high degree of necessitie they held often to participate hereof by such clauses as this All Ministers must be admonished to be more carefull to instruct the ignorant then readie to serve their appetite and to use more sharpe examination then indulgence in admitting c. Which hath a different sound from the earnest crie of the Euangelical Prophet Isai 55. 1. and the free invitation made by the High Priest of our profession in the Gospell S. Luk. 14 you accounting profanelie the losse hereof no more then the misse of a meale and the disappointment no other then depriving an hungrie appetite of a diner Our Fathers of old were otherwise minded and excommunicated those that were peevishlie averse not those that being engag'd in no penance humblie desir'd the benefit hereof Aposlrephomenous tea metalephin tes cucharistias cata fina ataxian toutous apobletons ginesthaites ecclestas was part of a canen at the Councel of Antioch A. 341. I could adde That you declare not what may passe among you in the Master and Mistresses answers for the summe of the law what for the knowledge wherein their rightcousnesse stands without which you say they ought not to be admitted So that the sharpnesse of your examen and acceptance of their answer being arbitrarie much roome is left for private spleen antipathie and passion no justifiable causes of separation from this communitie of Christians and therefore made the ground of enquirie and cognizance in every halfe yeares Synod by the Nicene Father that such partialitie might not be tolerated in the Bishops But whereas you excommunicate the parent and Masters for negligence when their children and servants are suffered to continue in wilfultignorance Why not aswell the God Fathers and Pastours whose subsidiarie care should not onelie be restaurative but praeventive Why not such aged women as are not teachers of goodthings That the yong women be sober love their husbands and children c. Tit. 2 3 Why not all those in whom the word of Christ should dwell richlie in all wisdome and they teach and admonish one another Col. 3. 16. Which being a like duties of the Text alike require your inspection nor doth it appeare any more that you are left to a libertie of discrimination in your censure then that for any of these defaults you may exercise it at all Your familie visitations if sincerelie intended for the inspection of maners and conversations is commendable if done with the spirit of discretion moderation meeknesse When this was practiz'd by the most conscientious Priests of the Episcopal partie your knowledge whereof to denie by oath would looke litle beter then perjurie it was calumniated by many of your brood for gadding and gossiping defam'd by some for more sinfull conversing And when the generalitie of them the Episcopal Clergie remitted the frequencie of preaching the studie for which they found inconsistent with this more necessarie more beneficial catechizing the people it was nicknam'd suppressing the word And when at such times as the sacramental solemnities they entred into any private spiritual communication though advised by the Church they were put to purge themselves from the imputation of Poperie in practizing auricular confession and injunction of penance Your order and practice is to keep off from the holie Table not such onelie as conjunctive are grosselic and willfulle but divisive intoo strict a sense grosselie or willfullie ignorant Touching which allthough
and before him his Father his Grandmother his great Grandmother did all to their cost Then in plain English what is this political Power to call Synods to preside in Synods and to ratifie Synods which these good men give to the Magistrate and magnifie so much I shall tell the truth It is a duty which the Magistrate ows to the Kirk when they think necessary to have a Synod convocated to strengthen their summous by a civil Sanction to secure them in comming to the Synod returning from the Synod to provide them good accommodation to protect them from dangers to defend their Rights and Priviledges To compel obstinate persons by civil Laws and punishments to submit to their censures and decrees What gets the Magistrate by all this to himself He may put it all in his eye and see never a whit the worse For they declare expresly that neither all the power nor any part of the power which Synods have to deliberate of or to define Ecclesiastical things though it be in relation to their own Subjects doth flow from the Magistrate but because in those things which belong to the outward man mark the reason the Church stands in need of the help of the Magistrate Fair fall an ingenuous confession they attribute nothing to the Magistrate but onely what may render him able to serve their own turns and supply their needs I wish these men would think a little more of the distinction between habitual and actual Jurisdiction After a School-master hath his license to teach yet his actuall Jurisdiction doth proceed from the Parents of his Scholars And though he enjoy a kind of Supremacy among them he must not think that this extinguisheth either his own filial duty or theirs Like this power of presiding politically in Synods is the other power which they give him of reforming the Church that is when the State of the Church is corrupted but not when it is pure as they take it for granted that it is when the Jurisdiction is in their own hands Although godly Kings and Princes sometime by their own Authority when the Kirk is corrupted and all things out of order place Ministers and restore the true service of the Lord after the example of some godly Kings of Judah and divers godly Emperours and Kings also in the light of the New Testament yet where the Ministery of the Kirk is once lawfully constituted and they that are placed do their office faithfully all godly Princes and Magistrates ought to hear and obey their voice and reverence the Majesty of the Son of God speaking in them Leave â—…his jugling who shall judge when the Church is corrupted the Magistrates or Church-men if the Magistrates why not over you as well as others If the Church-men why not others as well as you here is nothing to be answered but to beg the question that they onely are the true Church Hear another witnesse in evil and troublesome times and in a lap ed state of affairs when the order instituted by God in the Church is degenerated to Tyranny to the trampling upon the true Religion and oppressing the Professours of it when nothing is sound the godly Magistrate may do some things which ordinarily are not lawfull c. But ordinarily and of common right in Churches already constituted if a man flie to the Magistrate complaining that he is injured by the abuse of Ecclesiastical Discipline or if the Sentence of the Presbyteries displease the Magistrate either in point of Discipline or of Faith he must not therefore draw such causes to a civil tribâ—…nal nor introduce a Political Papacy And as the Magistrate hath power in extraordinary causes when the Church is wholly corrupted to reform Ecclesiastical abuses so if the Magistrate shall Tyrannize over the Church it is lawfull to oppose him by certain wayes and means extraordinary how ever ordinarily not to be allowed This is plain dealing the Magistrate cannot lawfully reform them but in cases extraordinary and in cases extraordinary they may lawfully â—…eform the Magistrate by means not to be ordinarily allowed that is by force of arms See the principles from whence all our miseries and the losse of our gracious Master hath flowed and learn to detest them They give the Magistrate the custody of both tables so they do give the same to themselves they keep the second table by admonishing him he keeps the first table by assisting them they reform the abuses of the first table by ordinary right of the second table extraordinarily He reforms the abuses against the second table by ordinary right and the abuses against the first table extraordinarily But can the Magistrate according to their learning call the Synod to an account for any thing they do can he remedy the errours of a Synod either in Doctrine or Discipline No if Magistrates had power to change or diminish or restrain the Rights of the Church the Condition of the Church should be worse and their liberties lesse under a Christian Magistrate than under an Heathen For say they Parliaments and supreme Senates are no more infallible then Synods and in matters of Faith and Discipline more apt to errâ—… And again the Magistrate is not judge of Spiritual causes controverted in the Church And if he decrâ—…e any thing in such businesses according to the wisdom of the flesh and not according to the rule of Gods Word and the wisdom which is from above he must give an account of it unto God Or may the supreme Magistrate oppose the execution of their disciplin practised in their Presbyteries or Synods by Laws or prohibitions No it is wickednesse If he do so far abuse his authority good Christians must rather suffer extremities than obey him Then what remedy hath the Magistrate if he find himself grieved in this case He may desire and procure a review in another National Synod that the matter may be lawfully determined by Ecclesiastical judgement Yet upon this condition that not withstanding the future review the first sentence of the Synod be executed without delay This is one main branch of Popery and a grosse incrochment upon the right of the Magistrate CHAP. III. That this Discipline robs the Magistrate of the last appeal of his Subjects The second flows from this The last appeal ought to be the Supream Magistrate or Magistrates within his or their Dominions as to the highest Power under God And where it is not so ordered the Common-wealth can injoy no tranquillity as we shall see in the second part of this discourse By the Laws of England if any man find himself grieved with the sentence or consistoriall proceedings of a Bishop or of his officers he may appeal from the highest judicatory of the Church to the King in Chancery who useth in that case to grant Commissions under the great Seal to Delegates expert in the Laws of the Realm who have
by any legal right therefore for eluding the Law they did effectuate that some Ministers should have the title of this or that Bishopricke and the revenues were gathered in the name of this titulare or tulchan Bishop albeit hee had but little part e. g. Robert Montgomerie Minister at Sterline was called Arch-Bishop of Glasgow and so it can bee instanced in other Bishop-rickes and abbacies Now this kind of praelats pretended no right to any part of the Episcopall office either in ordination or jurisdiction when some of these men began to creep in to vote for the Church in Parliament without any Law of the State without any commission from the Church the generall assembly discharged them being Ministers to practise any more such illegall insolencies with this ordinance of the Church after a little debate King James at that time did shew his good satisfaction But the Warner heere jumps over nolesse then twenty seven years time from the assembly at Edinburgh 1579 to that at Aberdeen 1605 then was King James by the English Bishops perswasion resolved to put down the generall assemblies of Scotland contrary to the Lawes and constant practise of that Church from the first reformation to that day The act of Parliament did bear that once at least a yeare the assembly should meet and after their busines was ended they should name time place for the next assembly When they had met in the yeare 1602 they were moved to adjourne without doing any thing for two whole yeares to 1604 when then they were conveened at the time and place agreed to by his Majestie they were content upon his Majesties desire without doing any thing againe to adjourne to the nixt yeare 1605 at Aberdeen when that dyet came his Majesties Commissioner offered them a Letter To the end they might be an Assembly and so in a Capacity to receave his Majesties Letter with the Commissioners good pleasure they sate downe they named their Moderator and Clark they received and read the Kings letter commanding them to rise which they obeyed without any farther action at all but naming a dyet for the nixt meeting according to the Lawes and constant practise of Scotland hereupon by the pernicious counsel of Arch-Bishop Banckroft at London the King was stirred up to bring sore trouble upon a number of gracious Ministers This is the whole matter which to the Warner heir is so tragick an insolence that never any Parliament durst attempt the like See more of this in the Historicall vindication The nixt instance of our Presbiteryes usurpation upon the Magistrat is their abolition before any statute of Parliament thereupon of the Church festivals in their first book of discipline Ans. Consider the grievousnesse of this crime in the intervall of Parliaments the great counsel of Scotland in the minority of the Prince entrusted by Parliament to rule the Kingdome did charge the Church to give them in wryte their judgement about matters Ecclesiasticall in obedience to this charge the Church did present the counsel with a wryte named since the first book of disciplin which the Lords of counsel did approve subscribe and ratify by an Act of State a part of the first head in that wryte was that Christmas Epiphany purification and other fond feasts of the virgin Mary as not warranted by the holy Scriptures should bee laid aside Was it any encroachment upon the Magistrate for the Church to give this advice to the privy counsell when earnestly they did crave it the people of Scotland ever since have shewed their ready obedience to that direction of the Church founded upon Scripture and backed from the beginning with an injunction of the state His third instance of the Church of Scotlands usurpation upon the Magistrat is their abolition of Episcopacy in the assembly 1580 when the Law made it treason to impugne the authority of Bishops being the third estate of the Kingdome Ans. The Warner seemes to have no more knowledge of the affairs of Scotland then of Japan or Utopia the Law hee speakes of was not in being some yeares after 1580 how ever all the generall assemblyes of Scotland are authorised by act of Parliament to determine finally without an appeale in all Ecclesiastick affaires in the named assembly Lundie the Kings Commissioner did sit and consent in his Majesties name to that act of abolition as in the nixt assembly 1581 the Kings Comissioner Caprinton did erect in his Majesties name the Presbiteryes in all the Land it is true three yeares thereafter a wicked Courtier Captaine James Stuart in a shadow of a closse and not summoned Parliament did procure an act to abolish Presbiteries and erect Bishops but for this and all the rest of his crimes that evill man was quickly rewarded by God before the world in a terrible destruction these acts of his Parliament the very nixt yeare were disclaimed by the King the Bishops were put downe and the Presbitry was set up again and never more removed to this day The Warners digression to the perpetuity of Bishops in Scotland to the acts of the Church and State for their restitution is but to shew his ignorance in the Scotes story what ever be the Episcopall boastings of other Nations yet it is evident that from the first entrance of Christian Religion into Scotland Presbiters alone without Bishops for some hundred yeares did governe that Church and after the reformation their was no Bishop in that Land but in tittle and benefice till the yeare 1610 when Bancroft did consecrat three Scotes Ministers all of them men of evill report whom that violent Commissioner the Earle of Dunbar in the corrupt and null assembly of Glasgow got authorised in some pairt of a Bishops office which part only and no more was ratified in a posterior Parliament Superintendents are no where the same with Bishops much lesse in Scotland where for a time only till the Churches were planted they were used as ambulatory Commissioners and visitors to preach the word and administer the Sacraments for the supply of vacant and unsetled congregations The fourth instance is the Churches obtruding the second book of discipline without the ratification of the State Ans. For the Ecclesiastick enjoining of a generall assemblyes decrees a particular ratification of Parliament is unnecessary generall acts of Parliament commanding obedience to the acts of the Church are a sufficient warrant from the State beside that second book of disciplin was much debated with the King and at last in the generall assembly 1590 his consent was obtained unto it for in that assembly where unanimously the subscription of the second book of disciplin by all the ministers of the Kingdome was decried his Majestie some time in person and alwayes by the chancelor his Commissioner was present and in the act for subscription Sess. 10. Augusti 8. it is expresly said that not only all the Ministers but also all the Commissioners praesent did consent among
the verie civil Law of Scotland to appeale from the general assembly According to the Scots order practise the King in person or else by his high Commissioner sits al 's usually in the generall assembly as in Parliament But though it were not so yet an appeale from a generall assembly to be discussed in a Court of delegats were unbeseeming and unreasonable the one Court consisting of above two hundred all chosen men the best and most able of the Kingdome the other but of two or three often of very small either abilities or integrity who yet may be more fitt to decerne in an Ecclesiastick cause then a single Bishop over his officiall the ordinary trusted in all acts of jurisdiction for the whole dioces But the Scots way of managing Ecclesiastick causes is a great deale more just safe and Satisfactory to any rationall man then that old popish order of the English where all the spirituall jurisdiction of the whole dioces was in the hand of one mercenary officiall without all reliefe from his sentence except by an appeale as of old to the pope and his delegats so therafter to the King though never to be cognosced-upon by himselfe but as it was of old by two or three delegats the weakest of all courts often for the quality and ever for the number of the judges Two instances are brought by the Warner to prove the Church of Scotlands stopping of appeals from the generall Assembly to the King the cases of Montgomery and Adamson if the causes and events of the named cases had been wel knowne to the Warner as he made this chapter disproportionally short so readily he might have deleted it al together Both these men were infamous not only in their Ministeriall charges but in their life conversation both became so insolent that contrary to the established order of the Church Kingdome being suborned by wicked statesmen who in that day of darknes had wel neer brought ruine both to King and country would needs take upon them the office of Arch-Bishops While the assembly was in proces with them for their manifold and high misdeameanors the King was moved by them and their evill patrons to shew his high displeasure against the assemblyes of the Church they for his Majesties satisfaction sent their Commissioners and had many conferences whereby the pride and contempt of these prelats did so encrease that at last they drew the sentence of excommunication upon their own heads the King after some time did acknowledge the equity of the Church proceedings and professed his contentment their with both these unhappy men were brought to a humble confession of their crimes and such signes of repentance that both after a renunciation of their titulare Bishopriks were readmitted to the function of the ministry which they had deserted Never any other before or after in Scotland did appeale from the generall assembly to the King the late excommunicat praelats in their declinatour against the assembly of Glasgow did not appeale as I remember to the King but to another generall assembly to bee constitute according to their own Popish and Tyrannical principles CHAP. IV. Faulty Ministers in Scotland are lesse exempted from punishment then any other men THE Warner in his fourth Chapter offers to prove that the Scottish discipline doth exempt Ministers from punishment for any treason or sedition they can act in their pulpits Ans. This challenge is like the rest very false The rules of the Church discipline in Scotland obliges Churchmen to bee subject to punishment not only for every fault for which any other man is lyable to censure but ordaines them to bee punished for sundrie things which in other men are not at all questionable and what ever is censurable in any they appoint it to be much more so in a Minister It is very untrue that the pulpits in Scotland are Sanctuaries for any crime much lesse for the grievous crimes of sedition and treason Let the Warner remember how short a time it is since an Episcopall chayre or a canonicall coate did priviledge in England and Ireland from all censure either of Church or State great numbers who were notoriously knowne to be guilty of the foulest crimes Was ever the Warners companion Bishop Aderton challenged for his Sodomy so long as their commune patrone of Canterbury did rule the court did the warner never heare of a prelate very sibb to Doctour Bramble who to this day was never called to any account for flagrant scandals of such crimes as in Scotland are punishable by the gallows the Warner doth not well to insist upon the Scots Clergie exempting themselfe from civill punishments no where in the world are Churchmen more free of crimes deserving civil cognisance then in Scotland and if the ears and eyes of the world may be trusted the popish clergy this day in Italy and Spaine are not so challengeable as the praelaticall divines in England and Ireland lately were for many grosse misdemeanors But why does the Warners anger run out so farre as to the preachers in Holland is it because he knoweth the Church disciplin in Holland to be really the same with that he oppugnes in the Scots and that all the reformed Churches doejoyne cordially with Scotland in their rejection of Episcopacy is this a ground for him to slander our Brethren of Holland Is it charity for him a stranger to publish to the world in print that the ministers in Holland are seditious oratours and that they saucily controll the Magistrats in their pulpits Their crime seemes to be that for the love of Christ their master they are zealous in their doctrin to presse upon the Magistrat as well as upon the people the true practise of piety the sanctification of the sabbath day the suppression of heresy and shisme and repentance for the sins of the time place wherein they live This is a crime whereof few of the Warners friends were wont to be guilty of their shamefull silence and flattery was one of the great causes of all the sins and calamities that have wracked the three Kingdomes the streame of their sermons while the enjoyed the pulpit was to encourage to superstition and contempt of piety to sing asleepe by their ungracious way all that gave eare unto them The man is impatien t to see the Pastors of Holland or any where to walk in another path then his own and for this cause would stirre up their Magistrats against them as it was his and his Brethrens custome to stirre up the Magistrats of Britan and Ireland to imprison banish and heavily vex the most zealous servants of God only for their opposition to the praelats profanity and errours The Warner I hope has not yet forgotten how Doctor Bramble and his neighbour Lesly of Down did cast out of the Ministry and made flee out of the Kingdome men most eminent for zeale piety and learning who in a short time had
only the Presbyters it gives the King power over all persons as subjects but none at all in Ecclesiastick causes Ans. Is there in all this reasoning any thing sound First what article of the covenant beares the setting up of the Presbyterian government in England as it is in Scotland II. If the oath of supremacy import no more then what the Warners expresse words are here that the King is a civil head to see every man doe his duty in his calling let him be assured that no Presbyterian in Scotland was ever contrary to that supremacy III. That the Presbytery is a papacy and that a politicall one the Warner knowes it ought not to be graunted upon his bare word IV. That in Scotland no other governors are acknowledged then Presbyters himselfe contradicts in the very nixt words where he tells that the Scots Presbytery ascribes to the King a power over all persons as subjects V. That any Presbyterian in Scotland makes it sacriledge to give the King any power at all in any Ecclesiastick cause it is a senselesse untruth The Warners arguments are not more idle and weake then his triumphing upon them is insolent for he concludes from these wise and strong demonstrations that the poor covenant is apparently deceitfull unvalide impious rebellious and what not yea that all the learned divines in Europe wil conclude it so that all the covenanters themselfes who have any ingenuity must grant this much and that no knowing English man can deny it but his owne conscience will give him the ly Ans. If the Warner with any seriousnesse hath weighed this part of his owne write and if his mind goe along with his pen I may without great presumption pronounce his judgment to be none of the most solide His following vapours being full of aire we let them evanish only while he mentioneth our charging the King with intentions of changing the Religion and government we answer that we have been most willing alwayes to ascribe to the King good intentions but withall we have long avowed that the praelaticall party have gone beyond intentions to manifest by printed declarations and publick actions their former designe to bring Tiranny upon the States and popery upon the Churches of all the three Kingdomes and that this very write of the Warners makes it evident that this same minde yet remaines within them without the least shew of repentance So long as the conscience of the court is mannaged by men of such principles it is not possible to free the hearts of the most understanding from a great deale of Jealousy and feare to have Religion and lawes still overturned by that factione But the Warner commands us to speake to his Dilemma whither we think it lawfull or unlawfull for subjects to take armes against their prince meerly for Religion We answer that the reasons whereby he thinks to conclude against us on both sides are very poor if we shall say it is unlawfull then he makes us to condemne our selfes because our covenant testifies to the world that we have taken up armes meerly to alter Religion and that we beare no alleadgance to our King but in order to Religion which in plaine tearmes is to our owne humours and conceits Ans. There be many untruthes here in few words first how much reality and truth the Warner and some of his fellowes beleeves to be in that thing which they call Religion their owne heart knowes but it can be no great charity in him to make the Religion of all covenanters to be nothing but their owne humours and conceits Secondly it is not true that Covenanters beare no alleadgance to the King but only in order to religion III. The Parliament of England denied that they took up armes against their King though to defend themselves against the popish praelaticall and malignant faction who were about to destroy them with armes IV. They have declared that their purpose was not at all to alter Religion but to purge it from the corruptions of Bishops and ceremonies that to long had been noxious unto them V. They have oft professed that their armes were taken for the defence of their just liberties whereof the preservation and reformation of Religion was but one The other horne of his Dilemma is as blunt in pushing as the former If we make it lawfull saith he to take up armes for Religion we then justify the independents and Anabaptists wee make way for any that will plant what ever they apprehend to be true Religion by force and to cut the throat of all Magistrats who are in a contrary opinion to them that it is a ridiculous partiality for any to priviledge their own Religion as truth and Gospell Ans. Whether will these men goe at last the strength of this reason is blak atheisme that their is no realty of truth in any Religion that no man may be permitted to take his Religion for any thing more but his owne apprehension which without ridiculous folly he must not praeferre to any other mans apprehension of a contrary Religion this is much worse then the pagane Scepticisme which turned all reality of truth into a meer apprehension of truth wherein their was no certainty at all this not only turnes the most certaine truths even these divine ones of Religion into meer uncertaine conceptions but which is worse it wil have the most orthodoxe beleever so to think speake and act as if the opinions of Independents Anabaptists Turks Jews Pagans or grosse Atheists were as good true and solide as the beleefe of Moyses or Paul were of the truths revealed to them from heaven Secondly we say that subjects defence of their Religion and liberties established by Law against the violent usurpation of Papists Praelats or Malignants is not the planting of Religion by arms much lesse is it the cutting of the throats of al Magistrats who differ in any point of Religion III. In the judgement of the praelaticall party the defensive armes of the Protestants in France Holland and Germany must be al 's much condemned as the offensive armes of the Anabaptists in Munster or of the sectaries this day in England Can these men dreame that the World for their pleasure will so farre divest themselves of all Religion and reason as to take from their hands so brutish and Atheisticall maximes He concluds with a wish of a generall counsel at least of all protestant Churches for to condemne all broatchers of seditious principles Ans. All true covenanters goe before him in that desire being confident that he and his fellowes as they have declined al ready the most solemne assemblies of their owne countries upon assurance of their condemnation so their tergiversation would be al 's great if they were to answer to an oecumenick Synod What I pray would the Warner say in a counsel of protestants for the practise of his party pointed at in his last words I meane their
they could So that this straight tie can in some cases we see play fast loose the strictnesse of it whereof we have had so sad an experiment will be found onelie by the hands of the holie leaguers for such we know were the newnam'd Independents at first to bind Religion Majestie Loyaltie to the blocke then lay the axe to the root of them all stifle them from repullulating if they can Therefore they that manage the conscience whether of Court or Citie or Countrey doe well if they possesse their Religious votaries with a particular full sense of the inevitable miserie that will follow them if they be catchd in this noose advise them to whip all such sawcie beggars such Whying Covenanters from their gates The next taske of the Reuiewers Engineer-ship is to draw an out worke about the open unkindnesse treason pretilie qualisied in the terme against the observe he sayth not our late King which he makes of so large a compasse that all the Presbyterian credit he can raise will never be able to maintaine it for an houre which this skillfull officer foreseeing despaire puts him first upon a salie where the Ghosts of Wicklisfe Husse Luther with a brazen piece of falshood his Disciples are draw'n out to assault his dangerous enemie in his trench For which he knowes as well as I can tell him there are other parts of the Reformed world beside England those of Luthers Disciples that keep up Episcopacie to this day And forgetting in part what he hath sayd allreadie minding lesse what he shall babble otherwhere about the businesse he tells us here 't is the violence of ill advised Princes which when he pleaseth he makes the Policie of the Bishops themselves that hath kept up this limbe of Antichrist he meanes the Episcopal order in England Since the first Reformation whence hath come the perpetual trouble in our land the Historie of the Schismatical Puritanâ—… will sufficientlie satisfie any man that will search And how the Church Kingdome are now at last come so neare the ground the Disciplinarian practices will evidence But the Scotish Presbyterie that gave the first kicke at the miter hath since lift up the other leg against the Crowne may chance to catch the fall in the end having now much adoe to light upon its feet Having made his retreat he begins to endeavour the maintaining of his masterpiece by degrees tell us Their first contests stand justified this day by King Parliament in both Kingdomes Ans And must so stand I say not jufied till King Parliament meet once againe in either to consider whether with out a new ratification by their favour your after contests make not a just forfeiture of their gracious condescension to your first His Majestie of ever blessed memorie hath told you His charitie Act of Pacification sorbids him to reflect on former passages Which argues some such passages to have been as were not very meritorious of his favour And though his Royal charitie may silence it doth not justisie your contests by that Act. The borders of Scotland being as well His Majestics as yours though you keep to your Presbyterian style which affords no proprietie to others then themselves yeilds very litle communitie to Kings the King our borders I hope it was free for him to move toward them as he pleas'd If your resistance to the Magistrates he deputed made him for the securitie of his person come attended with an armie for his guard or if the rod axe could inflict no paenal justice by vertue of the judge's word upon a banded companie of miscreants at home therefore sent abroad to crave the regular assistance of the sword no lawes of God nor your Countrey dictates any just or necessarie defense which is nothing but an unjustifiable rebellion Nor can Dunce law so justifie your meeke lying downe in your armes but that if the King would have made his passage to you with his sword you might have justlie been by a more learned law helpt up with a halter about your necke The novations in Religion were not such a world but that two words Liturgie Canons may compasse it What was in them contrarie to the lawes of God hath a blanke margin still that requires your proofe that any were to the lawes of your Countrey will never be made good having the King Lords of the Counsel I meane those of your Kingdome that did approve them The power in your armie to dissipate the Kings is but a litle of Pyrgopolynices breath The easie conditions given you to retreat may be attributed to His Majesties mercie aversenesse from bloud not to his apprehension of your power The Kings second coming toward you with an armie was upon no furious motion of the Bishops who had no stroke in his Councel for warre but upon the fierie trial you put him to by that many flagrant provocations wherewith you other incendiaries nearer home daylie environ'd him who fearing the precedent accommodation by peace might afford respite for a farther more particular discoverie of the principal actours in contributers toward the late warre expose many considerable brethren to a legal trial notwithstanding the agreement contracted impatient ambition having allreadie been too much impeded by observing the easie conditions you mention made the first breach according to the right account first rais'd a militarie power which His Majestie had very good reason to suppresse The successe you had by your first impression upon part of His Majesties Armie at New-bourne your easie purchace of the Towne of New-Castle was not such as cleard the passage to London without the farther hazard of which you were too well payd for your stay in Northumberland instead of a rod that was due you caried too honourable a badge at your backes of His Majesties meekncsse when the second time you returned in peace What passed after your packing away to the raising of the new armie you speake of you may reade blush if you have any grace in the former part of His martyr'd Majesties booke if you have none you may as I beleeve you doe laugh in your slovenlie slecve to see your prompt scholars come to so good perfection copie your owne rebellion to the life The Bishops then were litle at leisure to looke abroad to any such purpose being happie if they could get an house for their shelter from the threats stones that flew very thicke about their cares the rabble rout at London by that time being well inform'd what effectual weapons stones stooles such like as surie on a sodaine could furnish had been against blacke gownes white sleeves at Edenburgh before That any armie could at that time be raised when the Kings Forts Magazines Militia Navie were seizd into the hands of
Lordship asserts about the supremacie of the Civile Magistrate Ecclesiastike jurisdiction derived from thence is but what he all his brethren have sworneto not one of the late Bishops retracted who claim'd Episcopacie by divine right nor were they at daggers drawing with that horrible word Erastian Caefaro-papisme having a farre more monstrous creature call'd Scoto-Presbytero-Papisme to encounter Our lawes are the same aswell to the latter as the elder Bishops if their subjection to them must be accounted such an errour the next pedlars pack that you open we may looke to finde Christianitie bundeli'd up into a sect The Bishop hath more charitie in him then to become an accuser of his friends so much ingenuitie as to heare your sense not onelie speake his owne about their writings which when you bring in any particular instance shewing them to joyne with the most rigid Presbyterians in opposing Erastus about the Magistrates power you may looke for your answer Here the Reviewer I can not say for want of a pare of spectacles for who is more blinde then he that will not see is pleas'd to over looke the whole bodie of the Bishops charge against them instead of quiting himselfe to any purpose recriminates onelie upon other mens scores having as it seemes been very slenderlie acquainted with the late controversies between the Papists us not sounded the depth of the question as it was stated by our later most learned writers particularlie that most glorious martyr the Right Reverend Arch-Bishop of Canterburie with the rational subtile Mr. Chillingworth who between them having clear'd the well of that dirt which defil'd commonlie the fingars of them that went to draw water at it before made the face of truth appeare at the botome to any that came impartiallie to behold it But the Bishop mentioning nothing hearebout I have no authoritie farther to enlarge being oblig'd onelie to put Mr. Baylie in mind that in his next Review he give account to the world Why the Scotish Presbyterie comes not into the harmonie of all Protestants both Lutharans Calvinists who give unto the English Episcopal Church the right hand of fellowship why he his later Brethren out do etheir forefathers who durst not condemne her either as defective in any necessarie point of Christian pietie or redundant in any thing that might virtuallic or by consequence overthrow the foundation The Canterburian designe was forged at Edenburgh into a passe for the Scots to come over the borders The Prelatical partie might charitablie wish but never rationallie hope to see all Christian Churches united in truth love so long as the perverse Presbyterie confines all Religion to it selfe For whatsoever the blew caps came in we know when they went out they caried many vvainloades of somevvhat clse beside the spoile of the blacke-caps reconciliation vvith Rome so long as such bootie is to be had they want more power then will to set up a new controversie in England But while they are thinking of that I must put them in mind of what we have in hand notwithstanding Mr. Baylies pretense assure him King James who had trouble enough with them makes good upon his owne experience that every nicitie is a fundamental among them every toy takes up as great a dispute as if the Holie Trinitie were question'd …De minimis Politiae Ecclesiasticae quaestiunculis tantum excitant turbarum ac si de sacrosancta Trinitate ageretur As touching your answer to the last charge you cunninglie omit what is found in the letter a word at least of approbation to the office of Episcopacie in that Bishops are call'd guides or leaders of Christs flocke wherein a superintendence Prelacie or precedence is own they being Pastorum Pastores for by the flocke there is mean'd the inferiour Ministerie not Laitie otherwise that text of St. Peter is unfitlie applied Feed the flocke of Christ which is committed to your charge caring for it not by constraint e'piscopôuntes mi a'nagkastôs e'piscopôuntes is being Bishops over it where a'nagkastôs must relate to the Ministers who were constrained to weare the cap surplice tippet or else be deprived of all Ecclesiastical function as your Assemblie complaines at the very begining of the letter Yet had they writ no more then you produce had been of the same minde with you now it would follow necessarilie that you acknowledge several members of Antichrist Ministers of the word reverend Pastours brethren of the Kircke Which give me but under your hand in your next My Lord of Derrie I presume will use you as his profess'd brother very kindlie trouble you no more about that businesse I must adde this Mr. Knox as futious otherwise as he was before Queen Elizabeths time when as your Historian relates in his life K. Edward VI. offered him a Bishoprike he resus'd it with a grave severe yet not so severe speach saying the title of Lordship great state had quid commune cum Antichristo somewhat common with Antichrist he sayd not the office of an English Bishop was Antichristian nor his person a limbe of Antichrist himselfe What the same Assemblie sayd or did about the Arch-Bishop of St. Andrewes was in the midst of their freanzie when as by their actions may be judged they had alreadie made good what they threatned were become subjects or slaves to the tyrannie of the Devil Whose title their successours have these last ten yeares renewd payd a greater homage then ever to that Lord. What you suppone is a grant of the question That some 80. yeares agoe the Scots might admit the Protestant Bishops tolerable in England the law being still the same upon which they are founded if their practice be not which is more then you prove whatsoever it may detract from their persons it derogates no thing from the continuance of their office Neither hath your inspection been so accurate of its nature but that like unskillfull physicians ye have cast away that balme of Gilead whereby the health of the daughter of Gods people must be recovered like ignorant simplers have throw'n over the hedge for a noxious â—…eed that Soveraigne plant which God ordain'd for the perpetual service sanitie of his Church As for those crimes which you mention though you will never be able to make them good against the Reverend Prelates of any the three Kingdomes yet for shame say not for those you got the consent of the King to condemne kill burie in your countrey the sacred order of Episcopacie in that Church His Majestie having not expressed the least word or syllabe to that purpose The most that ever he yeilded was this For it should be considered that Episcopacie was not so rooted setled there in Scotland as t is here in England nor I in that respect so strictlie bound to continue it in that Kingdome as this
beleeve But that in the Assemblie 1590. the Kings consent to it was obtaind I can sooner admit upon undeniable authoritie then your Logike you pretend not to the perpetuitie of His Majesties personal praesence which was but some times it should seem not at that time of general consent Nor is your Act for subscription so cleare in the assurance you give us that His Majesties Commissioner was there you onelie take it for granted he was among the herd Nor so explicite in his positive consent you onelie collect it from a clowdie universal to serve your turne honour him with a primacie in suffrage Wherein you are a litle redundant in courtesie there having been a time when if His Majestie or His Commissioner siting in Assemblie should denie his voyce to any thing which appear'd unjust repugnant to his lawes yet it that were concluded by most voyces you would tell him he was bound jure divino to inforce obedience to your Act. The case for ought I know stood no otherwise here in this Assemblie Where to discountenance the testimonie you bring you have been told long before now That the superintendents of Angus Lothian Fife c. George Hayes Commissioner from the North. Arbuthnoth of Aberdene others were dissenters from this Act about the discipline whereby His Majesties or His Commissioners consent becomes somewhat improbable to the authoritie whereof such men as they had in prudence submitted if not in dutie by their silence That States-men in Parliament oppos'd it is evident That the King ever endeavourd to get it passe is your single assertion Neque usquam sictum neque pictum neque scriptum If your Church did it was for want of worke for you told us even now To this a particular ratisication of Parliament was unnecessarie What the Bishops opinion is about the patrimonie of the Church how farre by whom what part of it may be law fullie alienated when just occasion is given I praesume His Lordship freelic faythfullie will declare In the meane time his chalenge against the Scotish Presbyterians is without hypocrise injustice Himselfe many other good Prelates having ever aesteem'd it a fault to call the annexing some part of the Church revenues unto the crowne a detestable sacriledge before God Nor can Mr. Baylie instance in any indefinite disputes including all that hath been or shall be given to the Church that have hapened since the first reformation between the Kings of England their Bishops Who had they found their Princes rapacious sequestratours would not have failed in their dutie modestlie to admonish them of the danger yet had it may be abstained from calling them theeves murderers peculiar termes characteristical of the Discipline-To which I thinke I shall doe no injustice if I assert that the revenues of Bishops Dcanes Arch-deacous of Chapellries Friaries of all orders together with the sisters of the seenes abstracting from the favour of Princes no more belong to the Scotish Presbyters then they doe to the Mufties of the Turke The intention of the doners having never been that such strange catell should feed in their pastures Nor can M. Baylie shew me any law that makes him heir to Antichrist or a just inheriter of his lands Beside methinkes the weake stomack'd brethren should take checke at the meate offered unto idols any silken sould Presbyter be too nice to array himselfe in the ragges of Rome or be cloth'd at that cost that belong'd to the idolatrous Priesthood of Baal But it may be in the heate of Reformation they went to worke with the coyning irons which they more then once got into their possession with them altered the impression of the beast And the mattokes shoucls Which other armes being wanting they very often tooke in their hands were possiblie onelie to turne up the Church land whereever crop had been reap't by Antichrist that abominable glebe went downe to the center of the earth What he talkes about the Praelatical jus divinum their taking possessions by commands from Court without a processe requires his instance then he shall have his answer In the interim he playes the hypoctite in a question What if then the Disciplinarians had gone to advance that right to all jusdivinum when the Assemblie at Edenburgh did so April 24. 1576. But he sayth all the Scots can be challeng'd for is a mere declaration of their judgement simple right in a supplication to the Regents Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These Scots judgement was not allwayes in righteousnesse and their simplicitie in supplicates had many times more of the Lion then the Lambe Witnesse that to the Queen Regent 1559. where they declare their judgements freelie as true faithfull subjects they tell her yet this is the style of that declaration …Except this crueltie be stayed by your wisdome We shall be compelled to take the sword of just defense c. …If ye give eare to their pestilent counsel…neither ye neither yet your posteritie shall at any time after this finde that obedience faythfull service within this Realme which at all times ye have found in us In the assemblies supplications to the Lords of secret Councel May 28. 1561. the second article annexed to which was for the maintenance of the ministerie this Before ever these tyrants dumbe dogs Empire above us…we…are fullie determin'd to hazard life whatsoever we have recived of God in temporall things…And let these enemies of God assure themselves That if your Honours put not order unto them That we shall shortlie take such order That they shall neither be able to doe what they list neither yet to live upon the sweat of the browe December 25. 1566. They order requiring instead of Supplicating Churh censures to the disobedient Their sixt head of Church rents in the first booke of Discipline runnes very imperiouslie upon the must The Gentlemen Barons c. must be content to live upon their just rents suffer the Kirke to be restored to her libertie And Jul. 21. 1567. They tell them they shall doe it shall passe nothing in Parliament untill it be done That ever any assemblie in Scotland did make any other addresse to the Parliament for stipend then by way of such humble supplication I grant is a great untruth Nor were onelie the birds thus petition'd for but time after time all tithes rents whatsâ—…ever could be comprized under the patrimonie of the Church were demanded as insolentlie as could be which meetes me every where in their storie as frequentlie as Mr. Baylies dissembling falsifying in his Review In the last instance the Bishop denies not but there was a time when a kinde of Presbyteries was legallie approv'd receiv'd And this I presume he will admit to be after the Assemblie 1580. About which allreadie you have indeed alledged more untruth then you
anomia ergapiria the very shops or Laboratories of rebellion The Church is not dissolv'd where dissipline's not executed if it were it should be where it is at the pleasure of the Magistrate suspended To imagine a final ineapacitie of meeting by perpetual succession of Tyrants hath litle either of reason or conscience it assaults the certitude of fayth in Gods promises advanceth infidelitie in his providence But to give you at length your passe from this paragraph Such as you in a schismatical Assemblie may have frequentlie in Scotland pinn'd the character of erroneous upon an upright Magistrate a Disciplinarian rebell to save his credit call'd a Royal moderate proclamation a tyrdnous edist The Bishops third allegation you finde too heavie therefore let fall halfe of it by the way You have too good a conceit of your Parliaments bountie though had they been as prodigal as you make them it litle becomes you to proclaime them bankrupts by their favour Their Acts were allwayes ratified by your Princes any which whom tell me one wherein this right Royal was renounc'd of suspending seditious Ministers from their office or if cause were depriving them of their places It were a senselesse thing to suppose that the Bishop would denie to the Church a proprietie to consult determine about religion doctrine haeresie c. Yet its likelie His Lordship allowes it not in that mode which makes her power so absolute as to define consummate authorize the whole businesse by her selfe He hath heard the King to be somewhere accounted a mixt person thinkes it may be that the holie oyle of his unction is not onelie to swime on the top be sleeted off at the pleasure of a peevish Disciplinarian Assemblie but to incorporate with their power The lawes of England have not been hitherto so indulgent of libertie to our Convocation but that the King in the cases alledged did ever praedominate by his supremacie And the Parliament hath stood so much upon priviledge that if Religion fetch'd not her billet from West-minster the could have but a cold lodging at St. Pauls The booke of Statutes is no portable manual for us whom your good brethren have sent to wander in the world yet I can helpe you to one An. 1. Eliz. that restor'd the title of supreme to the Queen withall provided that none should have authoritie newlie to judge any thing to be haeresie not formerlie so judged but the High Court of Parliament with the assent of the Clergie in their Convocation Where the Convocations assent by the sound should not be so determinative as the Parliaments judgement which right or wrong here it assumes As touching appeales because you will have somewhat here sayd though it must be otherwhere handled No law of Scotland denies an appeale in things Civile or Ecclesiastike to the King One yet in force enjoines subjection unto them the Act of Parliament in May 1584. which was That any persons either spiritual or Temporal praesuming to decline the judgement of His Majestie His Councel shall incurre the paine of treason What you call a complaint is in our case an appeale what taking order is executing a definitive judgement without traversing backe the businesse to Ecclesiastike Courts or holding over the rod of a coercive power to awe them into due regular proceedings I confesse this the Presbyters in Scotland never made good by their practice Their appeales were still retrograde from the supreme Magistrate his Councel to a faction of Nobles or a seditious partie of the people Such is that of Knox printed at large Or which in effect is the same The Scotish Assemblies when they had no power appeald to providence when they had whereupon they might relie unto the sword In case of Religion or doctrine if the General Assemblie which is not infallible erre in judgement determîne any thing contrarie to the word of God the sense of Catholike Antiquitie the King may by a court of Orthodoxe Delegates consisting of no more then two or three Prelates if he please receive better information of truth establish that in his Church Or which often hapens in Scotland If the Presbyters frame Assemblie Acts derogatorie to the rights of his Crowne prejudicial to the peace of his people the King may personallie justifie his owne praerogative and keep the mischiefe they invented from becoming a praecedent in law This doth not the word of God nor any aequitie prohibite The judgement of causes concerning deprivations of Ministers in the yeare 1584 you would have had come by way of appellation to the General Assemblie there take final end but this you could not make good within yourselves nor doe I finde upon your proponing craving it was then or at any time granted you by the King Two yeares before you adventurd not onelie for your priviledge in that … but against the Magistrates puting preachers to silence…hindering staying or disannulling the censures of the Church in examining any offender Rev. In the Scotes Assemblies no causes are agitated but such as the Parliament hath agreed to be Ecclesiastike c. Ans If any Parliament have agreed all causes of what nature soever to be Ecclesiastike by reduction so of the Church cognizance you have that colour for your pragmatical Assemblies but if you admit of any exception you have for certaine transgressed yourlimits there being no crime nor praetended irregularitie whatsoever that stood in view or came to the knowledge of the world that hath escaped your discussion censure not been serv'd up in your supplicates to be punished Rev. … No processe about any Church rent was ever cognosced upon in Scotland but in a Civile Court Ans. Your imperious though supplicatorie prohibition 1576. I allreadie mention'd In the Assemblie at Edenburgh April 24. 1576. You concluded…That you might proceed against unjust possessours of the patrimonie of the Church…by doctrine admonition last of all if no remedie be with the censures of the Church In that at Montrosse June 24. 1595. About setting Benefices with diminution of the rental c. you appointed Commissioners with power to take oaths call an-inquest of men of best knowledge in the Countrey about to proceed against the Ministrie with sentence of deposition Master Tho. Craig the Solicitour for the Church to pursue the Pensiionars in Caitnes for reduction of their pensions If in no particular you actuallie proceeded to Church censures It was because you foresaw they would not restraine the corruption no more of the laitie then the Clergie then your menasing petitions sometime obtein'd strength from some partial or pusillanimous Parliament or when you praevail'd not you wrapt this up with the rest of your discipline put all to the processe of a warre And this was you know the mysterious sense of Knox's method upon good experience praescrib'd on his death bed First
protest then denounce vengeance then to the execution thereof seeke redresse of God man Of God by fasting as you did order for this very cause wasting of the Church rents without remedie in the Assemblie at St. Andrewes 1582. Of man by rebelling which you practis'd not long afterward With which godlie advice that saint shut his teeth departed if not after a minutes repentance as I hope in litle better peace then he had liv'd To what followes in the Bishops charge the legislative power they praetend to To make rules constitutions for keeping good order in the Kirkc To abrogate abolish all statutes ordinances concearning Ecclesiastical matters that are found noysome unprofitable agree not with the time or are abused by the people And all this without any reclamation or appellation to any judge Civile or Ecclestastical we have not one word in answer from Mr. Baylie Andindeed being taken up so much with his seemings fallacious apparences he may sometimes overlooke the realities of what allegations he dislikes for this indeed he had very good reason knowing the natural inseparable connexion to be such between it the power of jurisdiction that to whomsoever belongs the supremacie of the one upon him necessarilie descends the praerogative of the other For the fourth objection If the Reviewer had minded the ill consequences upon the antecedent of Ecclesiastike jurisdiction by divine right he would not have held that conclusion at large without professing an infallible assurance that it is haereditarie to the Presbyterie Some danger there may be of drawing after it an adaequate right in that ominous Episcopal order which with no great difficultie may be prov'd from time to time to have executed this jurisdiction he meanes How soever this inconvenience he gaines by it That if it be such it is indispensable turnes all the confessed indulgence of the Scotish Assemblies into sinne for Nulli homini licet cuiquam juris aivini gratiam facere What divines there have been in the world of another minde which are all except Donatus the haeretikes disciples among the rigid Papists Anabaptists Scotish Scotizing Presbyterians who demand as boldly as their Master Quidest Imperatori cum Ecclesia he may reade though I looke not that he nor all his brethren should muster up abilities to answer in the nineth chapter of the fore-cited famous Grotius's booke Vnder the safe conduct of whom the Bishop may travaile with the truth of these contradictions about him through all the Assemblies highway men of the Scots That all Ecclesiastike power flowes from the Magistrate…penes Ecclesiasticos judices per Archiepiscopos Episcopos derivata a Regia potestate Jurisdictio Ecclesiastica consistit That the Magistrate may praescribe a rule how Ecclesiastike censures should be regulated in case of resistance see them executed by his power Constitutum fuit eis ergon â—…d krinomena para ton episcopon agein tous archontas kai tous diaconoumenous autois stratiotas That all the ofsicers praetended to be appointed by Christ for the Government of his Church if they governe it not according to his Apostolike example may be lay'd aside such a kind of Governers be put in their place as the Magistrate shall be pleased to appoint as more just upright stewards in that trust Non frustra gladium gerit potestas sed vindex est in omnes male agentes ergo etiam in eos qui circa sacra delinquunt…Iurisdictionis enim est relegare 〈◊〉 loco sive in locum…That it is not yet universallie unquaestionablie defin'd that the spiritual sword Keyes are in any other then the hand of Christ. Nor that ever his Apostles Priests layd claime to an absolutelie intrinseâ—…al right to execute the power of either Vtinam exscindantur qui vos perturbant Videtur non imperantis sed optantis Apostoli That for the sword Sacerdos quidem officium exhibet sed nullius potcstatis jura exercet That he cites out of St. Ambrose for the Keyes him I cite but doe not being not oblig'd assert any thing Your difference herein I meane the power of the Magistrate from the Warner is Donatisme an haecesie so great as deserv'd it seemes to be anathematized by the Catholike Church your practice schisme whereby you rend your selves from the Congregations of all the Reformed as Vedelius hath shew'd you And whether it be not rebellion by your lawes I leave to the verdict of your 15. Godfathers who gave it in to be such against your differing brethren at Aberdene Had Mr. Baylie in his answer to what he calls the last challenged principle tooke upon him to alter that axiom in Ethikes make it Nolenti non fit injuria the dispute had been onelie whether his authoritie or Aristotles should have caried it But when he deletes the commentarie upon it he conjures the sense into a circle of his owne by such language as none but himselfe his spirits understand Indeed for a madman to have his hands bound who were they at libertie would doe himselfe mischief For a sicke man to have physike forc'd into his stomake which may worke his recoverie otherwise desperate if his aversion be countenanc'd may be courteous violence improv'd to their good But to contervene a Magistrates commands praetending punctual obedience thereby if not an advancement of his power To wrest the sword out of his hands disarme him for the securitie of his person is a piece of invisible justice a favour left by all law and reason to be whollie at the disposal of the Discipline But in Scotland you say there is no such case c. Which must relate to mater of fact or right If to the former I must crave libertie to averre That scarce any one of your Synods proceedings was ever freelie justified by the consent of the Magistrate for the time That most were not I have shall sufficientlie prove here otherwhere If to the latter your selfe confesse that your booke of Discipline which includes the jurisdiction you have could not passe the Parliament 1590. Nor can you make appeare where ever after it did with an exception onelie against the chapter Dâ—… Diaconatu In what followes you pretend too much acquaintance with the King to know what His Majestie controverts in his thoughts with whom I have hear your late treatie was not so particular closse as to make what discoverie you wished aim'd at And what you did is not so authoriz'd as to strengthen your proofe His Royal too gracious concessions having met with such unworthie imprudent refusal by persons through habitual rebellion not yet disposed to their good As touching the case which the Bishop intimates I can not wonder the account of it so odious as not to be met with by your answer since it sets in your sight the horrour of your many yeares sinne with the
guilt of which you would gladlie runne into dens caves or move the hills mountaines to cover you In the meane time in vaine you hope to have any the anâ—…nt Christians companie Who in times of their persecution never held publike Assemblies in their Edenburghs Imperial Cities never arm'd themselves to maintaine the divine ordinance of the Discipline Though had they done it litle would their praecedent availe you the just imposition of a Christian King being very unlike the heathen Emperous persecution Nor was the Presbyterie that divine ordinance of Discipline practiz'd by the persecuted in the wildernesse Mr. Baylie in this time by his affected diversions devious mazes having run himselfe halfe out of breath begins to thinke on the shortest way home to finde which he takes a large leape over the hedge by vertue of some Disciplinarian priviledge passeth two whole pages of consequence unanswer'd Perit libertas nisâ—…tlla contemnis quae jugem imponunt yet not so cleare but that one bramble hath catch'd him by the sleeve if the truth were known I beleeve many more have prick'd him to the heart for one of most danger I advise him to seeke out a timelie remedie stand to the charitie of his aequitable comparers for the rest 't is that sharpe quaestion which the Bishope propounds Who shall judge when the Church is corrupted the Magistrates or Church-men If the Magistrates why not over you aswell as others If the Church-men why not others aswell as you Mr. Gilespies Theorem because pressing such downright rebellion he without any brotherlie love leaves on the shoulders of a single Presbyter will not afford one fingar of the Presbyterie to ease him though the tantamout be not so unconsequential as to need a stake to helpe it downe in a swallow It being very well know'n that if Mr. Baylie should not tantamont in this businesse the Assemblie brethren would give him a drench in the Scotish horne send him to grasse with the long-eard creatures as being no fit companie for the late more rational rebells in a Synod The consequence if it must need be such from one particular denied by none to a universal affirmative as strange as it lookes may be made good by the new Disciplinarian logike Mr. Baylie himselve having more then once profess'd an identitie in the Scotish with the Reformed disciplines abroad in the harmonie of which I finde such a canon as this Si Minister donum habet aliquid ad aedificationem conscribendi illud typis non mandabit quin prius a classe examinetur probetur From the Classe he knowes it takes a remove to the provincial Synod thence to the national Assemblie Now if the Reviewer will not tell us in what Assemblie Mr. Gilespie was censur'd or this theoreme of his disavow'd because it will be such a singular case as never was heard of Rebellion disclaim'd in a Scotish Presbyterian Assemblie otherwise then in a Catholike mist which never drops in any particulars he shall have the reputation of catching this unconsequence for once But as the Bishops sayth Take nothing hold it fast if he can Beside he knowes there are many other such theoremes of Mr. Gilespies upon which the Bishop hath built many high accusations which the Discipline must acknowlege must be meant to be of that number which had the approbatorie suffrages of the Vniversities in Holland viz. Leyden Vtrecht or else he spake litle truth and as litle to the purpose in his Epistle Yet to helpe him to somewhat of better authoritie He is desir'd to take notice That the substance of this theoreme was not declin'd in a protestation made he knowes by whom in Edenburgh Parliament 1558. In the dutifull letter to the Queen Regent from the faythfull Congregation of Christ Iesus in Scotland 22. May 1549. In another from the Lords of the Congregation 2. Jul. 1559 In an answer to the Queenes proclamation by the Lords Barons other brethren of the Congregation 1559. In a declaration of the Lords against another proclamation of the Queenes 1559. To all thesé 't is undeniable that the Assemblies adhaer'd or indeed rather the Lords c to them In the Church Assemblie's supplication 28. May 1561. In the vote of the whole Assemblie 1563. In the Superintendents Ministers Commissioners letter to the Bishops and Pastours in England they write If authoritie urge you farther ye ought to oppose your selves boldlie not onclie to all power that dare extol it selfe against God but also against all such as dare burthen the consciences of the faythfull they mean'd the same opposition themselves made in Scotland In the seventh article fram'd by the Assemblie 1567. Beside what was very particularlie pressed by Knox in Sermons Conferences letters c all acknowledge the sense of several Assemblies But all these authorities are absolet the several ends of such speaches actions being long since accomplish'd in Scotland However M. Baylie denies that the maxime in hand was the fountaine of any our late miseries or the cause at all of the losse of our Soveraigne Fati ista culpa est nemo fit fato nocens If he had but in kindnesse delivered his meaning at large quitted aswell his independent brethren of their bloudie performance in the fift act as he doth the Presbyterian properties that caried on the rebellion in the foure first of the Tragoedie they might have masked merrilie together in their antike disguises of innocencie pointed out to some sillie credulous spectators the guilt of this horrid murder in the starres But I shall reach him a ladder where by he may ascend to the top of this truth not aninch higher then Edenburgh Crosse what else he wants when he comes there to doe justice accordinglie as he shall be enlightned upon his owne selfe for his share in this maxime unpardonable mischiefe The first step hereof begins neare the ground with the meane baser sort of the people who on the 23. Jul. 1637. when by his Blessed Majesties command the service booke was to be read in Edenburgh Great Church fell into the extraordinarie wayes of clapping hands cursing outcries throwing stones at the windowes aiming at the Bishop with a stool Continuing this hubbub in the streets besetting the counsel house whether the reverend learned worthie Bishop of Galloway was forced to flie for his refuge Their outcries being commonlie such as this God defend all those who will defend Gods cause God confound the service booke all the maintainers of it of whom the King must needs be mean'd to be one who had expressclie authoriz'd it Vpon this follow two extraordinarie petitions one in the names of the Noblemen Gentrie Ministers Burgesses against the service booke booke of Canons which being not answerd to their mind at Sterlin otherwhere themselves in protesting did the same thing which they had call'd the uproare
of raskals at Edenburgh From protesting they mount up to covenanting by that engage multitudes of people to attend them at pleasure in affronting His Majesties Commissioner With whom when they came to capitulate they gave this extraordinarie answer That they would rather renounce their baptisme then Covenant good Christians or abate one word or syllable of the literal rigour of it If Mr. Baylie hath any minde to goe farther I shall desire him to step up beyond the preachers perswading the people to arme themselves to meet in the streets dutifullie to enterâ—…aine His Majesties proclamation Their protestations against that the rest with such loyal expressions as this That if the King will not call a general Assemblic which shall allow of their proceedings they themselves will Their branding the subscription of their owne confession of fayth with the most hideous horrible name of the very depth policie of Satan Their pulpit imprecations God scatter them in Israel divide them in Iacob who where the authours of this scattering divisive counsel of whom as â—…range as it seeme the King againe must be principal Their grand imposture in Michelson a mayd about whom their Ministers cosin'd the people into an implicite fayth that she was inspired by God while the vented their devillish rebellion in her fits Rollokes blasphemous praetense for his silence That he durst not speake while his Master was speaking in her Another having these words in his Sermon Let us never give over till we have the King in our power Another That the sharpest warre was rather to be endur'd then the least errour in doctrine or discispline Their maintaining this position among the rest That it is lawfull for subjects to make a Covenant combination without the King to enter into a band of mutual defense against the King all persons whatsoever Their laying open the true meaning of their protesting Covenanting Arming c. That Scotland had been too long a Monarchie that they could never doe well so long as one of the Stuarts was alive Their raising an armie for their extirpation meeting K. Ch. 1. to that purpose in the field Their renewing continuing the warre when their first designe had been obstructed by His Majesties unexpected unwelcome grant of their demands Their reasonable dealing with the King when he unhappilie made their Armie his refuge by cheating his pious facilitie of his strength delivering up his naked person to their fellow Rebells upon conditions litle coulorable in words not at all justifiable in substance sense Their laying chaines upon His Majestie when a prisoner linking his crowne with iron propositions Beside what was acted at Derbie house otherwhere in the darke not improbablie agreed on at Câ—…nthia's midnight Revells when Cromwell was in Scotland And all this under the fallacie of exstraordinarie resisting reforming And now let Mr. Baylie looke not up to the starres but downe into the depth of hell where that maxime was hammer'd before ever Gilespie fild it over see whether it were not the fountaine of all our miseries the cause of the losse of our late Soveraigne The quaestion that followes about defensive armes though there hath been no such thing as a free Parliament without freedome 't is none I returne on himselve demand Did ever his Majestie or any of his advised Counsellers I adde Did ever loyal Parliament in England or Scotland declare or intimate in what cases how extraordinarie so ever they thought it lawfull I retort this The unhappinesse of the Disciplinarian Presbyters did put the seditious part of the Parliament on these courses which did begin promote all our miserie And were so wicked as to the very last to endeavour to breake the bands asunder of reason justice honour a well informed conscience wherein His Majestie professed to the world the hand of God the lawes of the land had bound him The peaceable possession of His Majesties Kingdomes depends not upon his Clergies conditionate consent to have Episcopacie layd aside A handfull of Scots with an hypocritical Assemblies beâ—…ediction in their knapsackes could they hold their wind when they got over Tweed swell up to the picture of Boreas in the face would not be mistaken for probable Vmpires or over-ruling Elders in the quarell Nor can Mr. Baylie possesse any prudent men of the loyallay partie that that order obstructs the King from his happinesse Why it may not be layd aside the unanswerable reasons in the 9. 17. chapters of Eik Basil. His Royal fathers booke will abundantlie satisfie any man that will rest in what he can not denie Where he will finde enough of such devout Rhetorike Religious logike as this I must now in charitie be thought desirous to praeserve that Government in its right constitution as a mater of Religion wherein both my judgement is sullie satisfied that it hath of all other the fullest Scriptures grounds also the constant practice of all Christan Churches till of late yeares the tumultuarinesse of people or the factioâ—…siresse pride of Presbyters Reviewe that Mr. Baylie or the covetousnesse of some States Princes gave occasion to some menâ—… wits to invent new modells propose them under specious titles of Christs Government Scepter Kingdome which are the Scotish titles as I take it the better to serve their turnes to whom the change was beneficial The reasons that convinc'd the Royal Father have so confirm'd the Royal Sonne His Majestie now being that Mr. Baylie dares not say what he so praesumptuouslie intimates that he ever asked the consent of his Canterburian Praelates to the alteration of that government If without asking they spontaneouslie spake their conscience in due season there was litle boldnesse in it as litle in printing which hath been often as much more at large in volumes about the unlawfullnesse of subjects taking up of armes where Parliaments have unanswerablie been proved to be such though the name of tyrannie is very unhandsomelie unjustie maliciouslie used in this case let him speake out if he meanes to attribute it to the King CHAPTER III. The last appeale to the supreme Magistrate justifiable in Scotland THe Bishop consider'd that the Kings supremacie is the same in Scotland as in England upon that grounds the aequitie of ultimate appeale The altissimò either of the Parliament or Assemblie puts them not above the capacitie of Courts so makes them not coordinate with the King What allayes you have for government I know not therefore can not close with you in the terme till you give me an undisputable definition of the thing which you call a moderate Monarchie tell me in what part of the world I may finde it I know of none any where yet that inhibites appeales to the Kings person If the Empire may be the standerd to the rest the learned
Grotius that had better skill in the lawes then you or I sayth That in causes of Delegacie semper appellasio conscssa fuit ad Imperatorem si ex Imperiali jussione judicatum esset aut ad Iudicum quemcunque si ex judiciali praecepto which holds good against your general Assemblie if that judgeth earegali jussione that it doth so is cleare from your Assemblie Act April 24. 1578. wherein it petitioneth the King to set establish your policie a part whereof is your Assemblie judication That it is for the most part order'd to the King in his Courts is not any way to confine his power but to free him from frequent impertinencies unseasonable importnnities of trouble or it may be a voluntarie but no obligatorie Royal condescension to avoyd your querulous imputation of arbitrarie partialitie tyrannie in judicature Therefore you injure the Bishop by converting his assertion into a negative confession As if when he sayth it is to the King in Chancerie he must needs acknowledge It can be neither to the King out of Chancerie nor to him there but with collaterall aequipotential â—…ssistants Whereas your friend Didoclave complaines that our appeales are ever progressus â—…b unico ad unicum wherein whether he mean'd an aggregate or personal unitie I leave you to interpret That an appeale is not permitted from your Lords of session or Parliament in Scotland is because whatsoever is regularlie determin'd there receives its ratification from the King But if one or other in their session without him should determine a case evidentlie undeniablie destructive to the rights of his crowne or liberties of his people whether His Majestie may not admit an appeale assume his coercive power to restraine their license I thinke no loyal subject in Scotland will controvert As touching your Assemblies King Iames tells you It is to be generallie observed that no priviledge that any King gives to one particular bodie or state within the Kingdome of convening consulting among themselves which includes whatsoever they doe when they are convened consulting is to be understood to be privative given unto them so the King thereby depriving himselfe of his owne power praerogative but onelie to be given cumulative unto them as the lawyers call it without any way denuding the King of his owne power authoritie This His Majestie alledged against the Ministers at Aberdene whom he accuseth not onelie of convening but acting after they were convened He particularlie mentions their setting downe the dies of the next Assemblie His Councel addes their endâ—…vour to reverse overthrow all those good orders godlie constitutions formerlie concluded for keeping of good order in their Church If you alledge that His Majesties Commissioner was not there then you grant me their acts are not justifiable without him And that all are not necessarilie with him I argue from the language of the Commission whereby they meet which limits them thus secundum legem praâ—…im against which if any thing be acted upon appeale the Kings praerogative may rectifie it at pleasure if not any judge may praetend to be absolute then the King must be absolutelie nothing having committed or delegated all power from himselfe What civile law of Scotland it is that prohibites appeales from the General Assemblie you should doe well to mention in your next I know none nor did King Iames thinke of any when he cited his distinction from the Scottish Lawyers aswell as any other Where an Assemblie proceeds contrarie to the lawes of God man Which is not impossible while it may consist of a multitude men neither the best nor most able of the Kingdome the Bishop thinkes an appeale to a legal Court of delegates constituted by a superiour power might be neither unseeming nor unreasonable The law of old never intended they should be the weakest of all Court Where it hath so happened by your owne rule pag. 22. The Delegates not Delegacie are to be charged Such heretofore in England as imployed mercenarie officials for the most part were mercenarie Bishops if they had been cut to the core would have been found I doubt Disciplinarian in heart though Episcopal in title The Scots way of managing Ecclesiastical causes is not more just because more derogatorie to the right of the King And the late Martyr'd King found it not more safe therefore told Mr. Henderson plainlie the papacie in a multitude might be as dangerous as in one how that might be Gualter writ to Count Vnit-glupten in a letter Emergent hinc novae tyrannidis cornua paulatim cristas attollent ambitiosi Ecclesiarum pastores quibus facile fuerit suos assessores in suas partes attrahere cùm ipsii inter hos primatum teneant He might have found the experiment of it in Scotland Nor can it be more satisfactorie to those rational men with whom the Bishops arguments are prevalent beside what else may be effectuallie alledged against it Allthough the two instances the Bishop brings for stopping appeales were accompanied with so many treasonable circumstances as might have enlarged his chapter into a volume deleted the credit of a Scotish Disciplinarian Assemblie out of the opinion of all the Cristians in the world Yet His Lordship thought good to furnish his reader with better authoritie from the second Booke of Discip. ch 12. which shall here meet you againe to crave your acquaintance From the Kirke there is no reclamation or appellation to any Iudge Civile or Ecclesiasticall within the Realme The reputation of the two Reverend Arch-Bishops Montgomerie Adamson depends not upon the sentence of a turbulent envious Synod much lesse any single malicious Presbyter in a pamphlet with whom we know 't is crime hainous enough to be a Bishop shall not want his vote to make them excommunicate Their manifold high misdemeanours are mention'd in the censure of the Presbyterie of Striveling for admitting Montgomerie to the temporalitie of the Bishoprike of Glasgow his owne for aspiring thereto Assemblie 1587. And of the other for taking the Kings commission to sit in Parliament 1584. In the last Act of which his commission is printed to register â—…his guilt The principal of their evil patrons among the wicked States-men I meane next under the King to whom you yeild that praerogative at least is sayd to be the Earle of Arran who deserves that character for being second at that time in His Majesties favour he is sayd by your brethren to have taken them into the Parliament So that lay their commission Earle Arrans courtesie together which without the other had implied the pleasure of the King they tooke not without authoritie upon themselves as you sayd the Episcopal office nor place in that Parliament Whether the pride contempt of the Prelates or Presbyters were greater may be judg'd in the case of Arch-Bishop Montgomerie by the Assemblies slighting not onelie
confesseth that somewhat Blacke had sayd though he hath no great minde to take notice what nor when He complaines of Rutherfort his accuser because oblig'd for private courtesies who deserves to be commended for praeferring publike dutie in that appeares to have been one of the most honest hearers there The Courtiers can not be blamed for intending to stop the mouthes of such Ministers as layd the Devil with his bairnes at their doores put them in afright that they should afterward be charg'd with keeping all the blacke brats of the Assemblie The advice of the Brethren was adjudg'd treason by the law of Scotland produc'd against the Aberdene Ministers your Edenburgh Bibles have not one text to justifie that appeale The words layd to Mr. Blackes charge I hope will be confessed to be trulie seditious All the quaestion you make is whether he spake them or no which though doubtfull as it is not being proved before the Assemblie who gave this reason for his exemption from punishment They knew not with what spirit he was overruled must be acknowledg'd a mater of civile cognizance because no point of religious aswell as the punishment if prov'd Constat Episcopos Presoyteros forum legibus non habere nec de aliis causis … prâ—…eter religionem posse cognoscere The Brethrens reason or rather mis-apprehension must not be made the measure of the lawes If the King yeided so much toward an amicable conclusion what can justifie the Presbyters in continuing the breach who say what you will were bound to subscribe a band for that silence which was required Pessimus est mos suggestum in scenam vertere dulcisâ—…imam Euangelii vocem in Comaediam veterem What the learned Grotius enlargeth upon this subject I will not transcribe but call upon you to answer being that which I assume to make good upon the same texts proofes he produceth The truth was you durst neither have advised Blacke to appeale nor your selves have shew'd such contumacie to the King but that you had felt the pulse of the people made it beate high in your behalfe This your brother confesseth though in Gypsie language calling it the great concord authoritie in the Church such as made the Courtiers to tremble though never so much in favour with the King Which concord when so magnified in your storie we know was ever a covenant to rebell awe the King aswell as the Court by your usurp'd authoritie of the sword Yet whatsoever is your practice profession by sits sometimes you are more serious though seldome more loyal the result of your councel apparels it selfe in such a sentence as this Our obedience bindeth us not onelie reverentlie to speake write of our Soveraigne but also to judge thinke Which if the Edenburgh Ministers had practis'd they had not come under that severe sentence pronounced against them for raising a dangerous mutinie among the people If I would like you turne diviner I might easilie guesse out of what un printed register you have that prettie legend that followes which yet is not so decentlie dress'd as to make good the chast credit of the discipline Who was this villaine By whom was he Suborn'd Avillaine They suborne without particular instance of either will not passe upon publike fayth If the Commotion was innocent why not approv'd If not approv'd how appeares it to be innocent The best way to have quit the Ministrie from being authours or approvers had been to be censurers but here they could keep silence without a band I can not yet let goe this singular storie my dutie forbids my charitie any where to favour you with my silence And because you are so praejudic'd against unprinted traditions I will give it you for the most part out of some printed registers I have met with King Iames desirous to set off his Court with what luster he could to foraigne Ambassadeurs had in a provident magnificence retrench'd some allowance formerlie issued for his Courtiers attendants contracted their tables to enlarge his owne entertainments For the managing of this somewhat else concerning his revenue he had appointed eight officers of State where of some were Papists but of know'n intergritie The Resormado Courtiers by way of scorne call'd these Octavians made an easie impression into their Ministrie by suggesting that they had a designe to introduce Poperie subvert the whole discipline of the Church After private conference a fast for the smiting with the fist of wickednesse soon after was kept at Edenburgh Balcanqual preacheth spares neither King nor Councel in his virulence infuseth all the unpleasing particulars he could thinke of to imbitter his Satyr humblie beseecheth the Edenburgh Citizens at a certaine houre to meet in the New Church tells them how much it concern'd their reformed Euaugel His reservednesse sharpend their expectation caus'd their punctual assembling almost to a man where they found their Ministers in a formal Synod having chosen a violent Presbyter Mr. Robert Bruce their Moderator Here Mr. Blackes sufferings were aggravated the Kings violating the praerogative of the Church One Watson comes in addes oyle to the flame remonstrates his late repulse at Court denial of accesse to the King being sent with some Rebell-supplicate from the Brethren The Moderator with as much malice as my be comments at large upon every instance in a speach Makes it Gods cause engageth the people to assert the libertie of his Gospel if not by petition by power Some Commissioners are sent to the King then in the Tolbuith who receiving some checke for their unjustifiable proceedings come backe with their angrie account to the Assemblie One Alexander Vaux being as the Presbyters had praedesign'd mounted up above the congregation by a pillar with stretched out arme cries The sword of God of Gideon bid them to follow him in the vinaication of God his Church They take it out of his mouth in confusion clamour Arme Arme for God the Church They doe accordinglie rush violentlie into the streets beguirting the place where His Majestie was Mr. Thomas Hamilton afterwards Earke of Haddington takes an halberd in his hand with some of his friends keepes the multitude from entring Alexander Hume of Northborvick for the time Provest of Edenburgh Roger Mackmath whom the King ordinarilie called his Baylisse raise what power they can upon a sodaine the honest Hammermen come in to their assistance They demand first whether the Kings person be in safetie then by a mixture of faire words menaces make the rowt quit the place but not their riot for they by by rallie in the Mercate place The Captaine of the Castle turnes some canon upon the Towne by that militarie argument praevailes with rhem to disband The King is safelie guarded to his palace at Halyrud Howse For all this Brucc sends abroad his
praecedent or reason The Kings Majesties person or in his absence his high Commissioner is there onelie you tell him to countenance not vote in your meetings and proesides in them for exernal order not for any intrinsecal power So that when you goe on calmelie in your businesse he findes litle to doe without Domitians flie-flap of more use by farre in a summer Synod then a Scepter among you which you often times wrest out of his hand and continue your meetings after he hath dissolv'd them You can denie him or his commissioner the sight of publike papers brought into the Court which libertie the meanest subject may challenge And twhen he hath any thing to object against suppositions or at best suspicious Registers the E. Rothes can tell him boldlie in your names he must speake it praesentlie if at al and because he doth not you wait no longer but proimperio vote them to be authentike Beside to deminish as well the Kings state as authoritie you send Assessours or Assistants to your Elders and invest them with power aequivalent to his Councel This meeting thus disordered sits too long by a monâ—…th when no more and Assembles too often when but once in a yeare The number of such Members no more hindereth an appeale then a multitude of Malefactours can sentence a necessitie of becoming their followers in doing evil Their wisdome is such as his to whom a wiser man tells us it is a sport to doe mischief Their eminencie like Sauls head and shoulders higher then the common people in Rebellion And their honour somewhat like Absoloms mule beares them up to the priviledge of the great oake in the wood for their hanging in beter aequipage then their fellowes So that beside the justice there 's an absolute necessitie of appeal to the Parliament or in that to the King from himselfe to himselfe who sits there as supreme here in no other capacitie but of your servant Which is farre more justifiable and necessarie then vour appeale from both Parliament and Assemblie to the bodie of the people which I tell you againe is the final appeale you make when Assemblies are not modell'd to vour minde The number and qualification of Knights and Burgesses is therefore large and as great in your Assemblie as Parliament that your power may be as large and great in the State as the Church and the Nobilitie sit in one by election because they sit in the other by birth and so in a condition to unite the counsels of both according to the instructions of some few Presbyters that by Sycophantike infinuations have got possession of their soules and by their Spiritual Scepter dominion of their suffrages Headie zeale craft and hypocrisie got in commission or Covenant together we finde by experience can fit them to judge in Ecclesiastike affaires when age wisdome and pietie are sentenc'd If â—…he hundred choyce unparliamentarie pastours make up the oddes of some absent Noblemen it should seem you and the Nobilitie are even pares cum paribus Peeres alike in your honourable Assemblie Which they must not disdaine since Christ himselfe I meane not his Anoynted that you take to be out of quaestion goes but for a single Elder or Moderatour at most So Cartwright and his Demonstratour cajoles them together when he sayth If they the Princes and Nobles should disdaine to joine in consultation with poore men they should disdaine not men but Christ himselfe So that Christ being in his name made your Assembly Praesident or Prolocutour the King in his Commissioner your protectour the Nobilitie your aw full subvoters or suffraganes I see nothing wanting can conciliate a tyrannie to your Presbyterie nor keep your foot of pride from trampling as basely as may be upon the people But not to forget at last what you set in the front as first to be answered The Presbyterian course as you or I more trulie have describ'd it is not much more readie then the Praelatical because the benefit of appeale is to be had ordinarilie but once or twice in a yeare not much more solide because most of your Iudges can reasonablie be thought neither good Civilians nor Casuists not much more aequitable because as you order them many more of the laitie then Clergie In the second hurt your Nobilitie sustaine the Bishop lookes not upon the judgement of foreigne Reformed Devines you doe not say of Churches nor yet on their practice which I have know'n some time a great deale too sawcie with Princelie Patrons but upon the aequity of the thing upon the priviledge our Nobles in England enjoy the right yours have to the same by many yeares praescription and the lawes of your land The first will be found if the original be searched The right of patronage being by the due gratitude or favor of Kings Bishops reserved to such as either built Churches or endowed them with some considerable revenue as likewise for the encouragement of others to propagate meanes and multiplie decent distinct places for Christian conventions Hoc singulari favore sustinetur ut allectentur Laâ—…ci invitentur indâ—…antur ad constructionem Ecclesiarum The exercise hereof in Iustinian is expressed by the termes Epilegein or onomazein which signifies an addiction or simple nomination to stand good or be null'd at the just pleasure of the Bishop and therefore accounted no spiritual act in the Patron but a temporal annexed to that which is spiritual in the Bishop and therefore not simonaical as your brother Didoclave would have it Nor is there that absurdâ—…ie he mentions of arrogating to one what belong to all the Members of the Church as is praetended but can never be proved Nor that danger in transmitting this right from one to another if the care of the first patron desâ—…end not with it which defect the care of the praesent Bishop must supplie Nor is it requisite he should be a Member of the same parish to which he praesents since the Bishop is head of the same diocese to whom That this is contrarie to the libertie of the Primitive and Apostolike Kirke to the order which Gods word craves and good order is onelie sayd but not argued in your Discipline no more then by you when and to whom it became a grievance Your patience in enduring it goes for no heroical vertue being peevish enough soon after the Act of annexation had passed as appeares by your cariage in the Assemblie at Edenburgh 1588. and turned into a Rebellious Conspiracie allthough painted with the name of a Parliamâ—…nt that now at last because it could not at first hath taken it away The Nobilities losse of their Impropriations and Abbey lands is very considerable when they bethinke themselves upon what false pleas and to what unconcern'd persons they must part with them Touching which as Sycophantike as is the Bishops accusation he 'll not abate a sig of his right for
uttered by Bruce lookes more like a calumnie then their relation to a fable And yet such a superstitious reverence is payd by your fond brother Didoclave to the memorie of his name that he could be content to pin his fayth on his sleeve and hang his soul at his girdle Anima meâ—… cumanima tua Bruci si ex aliena â—…ide esset pendendum and were there to be but one priviledge of aeternal residence in heaven he thinkes neither Patriach nor Prophet Apostle nor Martyr no nor the Virgin Mary her selfe were likelie to carie it from Bruce Which compar'd with King Iames's opinion of him as a perfidious madman that had a whirligigge in his head delivered after to many experiments of his rebellious zeale and frantike restivenesse is enough to condemne both saint and votarie to some bedlam purgatorie before imposture can fixe or facilitie of fancie finde these new imaginarie lights among the starres Your following invective is writ with Arrius's quill and by such scribling you gaine the title that Constantine gave him patroctonos epiâ—…iceias discovering your selfe to be a parricide of aequitie murdering truth in your relation and justice in your parallel His Lordship takes himselfe not concern'd in this case to recollect 800. yeares Historie of Europe to picke out of the pietie humilitie of many Reverend Bishops the pride and passionate errours of some few Noâ—… hath he malice enough with you to make that the nature of their office which hath been some litle monstrositie of minde by ill habits accidental to their persons Beside what among the Papists the nobilitiâ—… by birth of many Bishops concurring with the received dominion and large revenve of their Spiritual pâ—…aeferment may elevate their thoughts and enhaunce their owne opinion of themselves if impaâ—…donable addes litle to the condemnation of ours which partake in litle with them but their titles The universal supremacie which the Pope arrogates aswell over Kings as Bishops may puffe up a litle Cardinal that is neare him in his purple possesse him with a conceit that he may Write himselfe companion to a King whom he thinkes but is mistaken oblig'd in Spiritual humilitie to lie prostrate at his holinesse foot and kisse his slippeâ—… But the same Kings soveraigntie in Ecclesiasticiâ—… at home secur'd him from all such conâ—…estation with his Bishops Though had it not the argument from a Cardinal in Rome to a Praelate in England will hardliâ—… finde a topike Those in Scotland take themselves as capable of honour conferr'd upon their order as their Popish praedecessours Nor are such legal establishments if not of right of Princelie favour to becast away in complement Nor were they to make an unnecessarie distance out of forme when the material meaning of their vicinitie to the throne was the neare concernment of their counsel to the King Orthodoxe Monarchs as well as Papists having doubting consciences and orthodoxe Bishops as good abilities to resolve them I have not heard they crowded much or quickened their pace to get the doore of the Earles c. Their Provincial that with much humilitie and respect unto their H. H. tooke it was lead to it by the hand that had exalted them or their progernitours But for the reason of praecedence which I guesse to be your meaning you were best review the Heralds office and reforme it Poor podants are not to be reproached for making a litle diocese of their Schooles Priests being charged to make such of their houses and from the experimental regiment of boyes raising their abilities by honest endeavours to the meriting an higher Episcopate of men Nor their conscientious demeanour in that office to be aesteemed the arroganciâ—… of their order if it move Kings to commit the white staves to the crosiar and great seales to be under the keyes of the Church The most capricious of them all and most contentious for the honour which I thinke were none but such as did you too much service when they had it were many straines below your Presbyterie of Knoxes Bruces c Who have contested with Kings for their Scepters which with white staves and seales they brought under the pedantike jurisdiction of their rod. Never have Bishops so ruâ—…led it as many base borno Presbyters with the secret Counsel To whose Consistories all Courts of Iustice were faine to doe homage the greatest Lords of the land become subordinate Elders to the parson of their parish It 's not so long that yet it can be forgoten since a most violent and malicious man call'd the Goodman of Earlstounne a client of the E. Argile for interrupting of divine service forceable overturning the Communion Table in his Parish Kirke thâ—…eatning and abusing the Minister with many other such enormous crimes was fined but the fine never exacted by the High Commission and confined for a season The E. Argile complain'd of his hard usâ—…ge to the Lords of Counsell and enformed against the Bishop of Galloway that he promised to him somewhat which he had not perfâ—…rmed The Bishop denied the promise gainsayd what the Earle alledged whereupon sayd the Earle If you say so 't is as much as if I liâ—… The Bishop modestlie replied I doe not say so but I beseech your Lp. to call your selfe beter to minde you will finde it as I say This is giving the lie because he would not take it on himselfe and ruâ—…ling with a great Lord because he would not be ruâ—…led out of a just vindication of the truth yeild his consent that a Counsel Table should approve turning the communion table out of the Church The Reviewers should doe well to bring in his accounts fuller when he reckons with Bishops for braving of Noblemen All Presbyterians are heterodoxe to all good Catholike Christians with whom Episcopacie is so necessarie a truth as next to the divine institution Vniversalitie Vbiquitie and perpetuitie can render it Confingant tale aliquid haeretici … nihil promovebunt Could your invention seigne such authoritie to Presbyterie yet your doctrine would diversifie you into a sect What the Bishops following words cleare shall not one whit be clouded by any obscuritie in my replie though the strongest eradiations that come from them would sinke themselves silentlie in the deep playd you not the malignant Archimede though no such exact Mathematical Divine to reflect them into a flame that may set the ship of the Church on fire about our earâ—…s some coales of this fire I shall heape on your head cast backe into your bosome which if you meane not to quench you may blow up to what faâ—…ther mischief you thinke good The Apostles were Bishops who did undoubtedlie delegate the power of ordination to none but such as were constituted Bishops by them to that purpose This power appeares not undoubtedlie to have been exerciz'd by any but Bishops in the Historie of the Scripture This power was
himselfe holâ—…e harmelessc c is able to supplie what their Presbyters want able to save them eis to panteles very completelie and make intercession for them who sin in submission out of more good meaning then fayth to their discipline who can give no comfortable assurance that Saint Pauls rod or St. Peters keyes everwere committed to their charge Those of the Reformed which I hope are not all iâ—… any that concurre if you meane covenant like your selves under praetense of selfe praeservation being endangerd by nothing beyond the frequent ineffectual power of good advice and plea of Apostolike example with â—…eigned words to make merchandize aswell of Bishops as Kings and like the insolent Abaddons at Edenburgh and London to assault their persons and then abolish their order declare themselves such as Saint Peters false teachers or worse because more publike in bringing in damnable haeresies denying the Lord at least in his Ministrie which they call Anti-Christian and what they have allreadie in part bringing swift destruction upon themselves Your officious informer that drew the curtaine made the discoverie of what the Bishop deleted had litle good maners though it may be not so much malice as you in your uncharitable not so fortunate conjecture A dangerous question being mistaken when called a true judgement and doubting whether it be within the pale not actuallie excluding all Reformed Ministres c. out of the line of the Church Remorse of conscience hath commonlie antecedent evidence of science puting all out of question doubt without which the vanitie or pusillanimitie of repenting had been litle commendable how condemnable soever had been the iniquitie of erring What His Lordship left behind unscraped out doth not shew his mind onelie but the minde of all good Catholike orthodox Christians And why his feare to provoke should incline him more to delete the following expressions then his care for their comfortable satisfaction had mov'd him to pen them I know not Nor need I be curious to enquire the reason of a line blotted in his booke more then if I had seen it expunged in his papers being not concerned to give account for more then was his pleasure to have publish'd Though were all the Protestant Churches what they are not as unconscionablie cruel to us as the Presbyterian Conventicle of the Scots I see not why in reference to the Religion we professe it should be more unsafe why more unseasonable since they give I hope the same libertie they take out of a pious sollicitude to have a union of both some what ambiguouslie to unchristen them then they out of malice to make an aeternal separation very affirmativelie anti-Christen us in all the peevish pamphlets they put out So that whether stands upon the more extreme pinacle of impudence arrogance the Praelate that doubts your being in a Church visible true for succession Apostolike ordination or the Presbyter that denieâ—… our being in any but what is visible false by a Satanical Priesthood Antiapostolical investiture let your aequitable comparers impartiallie decide The Praelatical tenet is not to averre the Church of Rome as she stands this day c to be a Church most true who praeferre that of their owne for a truer and condemne many Canons in the Counsel of Trent That they h ld she is true in respect of undoubted succession and Apostolike ordination our businesse now in dispute so much concernes them as the truth of their owne derived from that Nor can you denie what you so shamefullie dissemble that in the retrograde line your last Priest for a last there must be unlesse you have been Autóchthones or Autoráni â—…i rather coaeternal with tho Priest that 's in heaven had his ordination and you thereby succession from them and so both prove as Anti-Christian as ours An easie way of salvation in the Romish Church is no second tenet of the Praelates who meet with her stumbling upon many errours in doctrine and worship going somewhat about by Lymbus Patrum Purgatorie whereas we thinke if she walked with us she might have a more easie shorter journey to heaven Yet withall knowing that the wayes of God are anexichniastoi not to be tracked and his judgements anexcreuneta not to be searched we dare not damne at adventure all that goe with her no more then you can assure a ship to be sunke so soon as ever you lose sight of her saile but leave the issue to him who is great in Counsel and mightie in worke whose eyes are open upon all the wayes of the sonnes of men to give every one according to his wayes and according to the fruit of his doings The seperation from her Which they hold to be needlesse is such as that which you fondlie make about copes and surplices Church Musike and festivals that came not in with the Counsel of Trent That which is made upon higher points though not yet God be prays'd in the highest of having one Lord saying one Creed using one baptisme in substance however different in ceremonic they impute to them who kept not their station in conformite to the Primitive Christians of the 5. or 6. first Centuries with whom a reunion not onelie may but ought to be much desired on just conditions and that which is continued rather then the division made greater by our fruitlesse compliance with morose and humourous Reformers whose preaching being not with entising words of mans wisdome they tell us of aspirit which can not be the same with Saint Pauls because thereof they never gave us any demonstration nor of any power but the sword Could your bold praecedent priviledge or excuse me in comparing judging censuring or approving the publike transactions of our Royal Soveraigne I should with much modest innocent freedome professe more justifiable according to Christian Religion prudence His Majesties late graces and securities granted unto the returningconfederated Irish then any like future concession unto the persisting covenanting Scots They gratefullie accepting a limited toleration of their publike worshp to those of their owne division in that Countrey you endeavouring to extort an absolute injunction of yours in all His Majesties dominions denying libertie of conscience so litle as to his familie or person They onelie craving in much humilitie a freedome from being bound or obliged by oath to acknowledge the Ecclesiastike supremacie in the King you arrogantlie binding by solemne league and covenant wherein so much is implied Him and us to attribute it to the Kirke They renewing in the oath of allegeance their recognition of Royal right and swearing without restriction their defence of his person c to the uttermost of their power you by proclamation admitting him to the exercise of his power but in order to the Covenant And covenanting his defense no otherwise then in the desense of what you call the true religion liberties
or idolatrie of Rome That you have made doth but magnisie her and oblige you had you any Christian charitie or justice to thanke God for praeserving so much of his word worship in her service what the Bishop intends when effected will warrant our Church upon your principles in most parts of her Lâ—…turgie when shewed consonant to the most publike sormes of Protestant Churches though 't is hard for Fathers to aske advice or borrow authoritie of their children for Ancients to heare wherein Iob was mistaken That with the yong men is wisdome and with the shortnesse of dayes understanding The King and the many well minded men I beleeve were never deceived by our Doctours who I can not thinke ever affirmed they were as much fâ—…r preaching in their practice and opinion as the Presbyterians So much as to set aside praying for sermonizing as your 〈◊〉 Booke Discipline doth telling us That what day the publike sermon is they could neither require nor greatlie approve that the Common prayers be publikeliâ—… used I require the name of any that sayd the life and soul of the Liturgie was preaching without which it could not be intire in its parts That he must never goe in and out of the House of God without ringing his bells a fit alussion the nord of exhortation Interpratation and praeferring the nams given the Temple by some of the â—…ewes Domus expositionis before that by God Domus Orationis Though it may have been the fruitlesse practice of some to quit themselves as they hop'd of the disreputation you brought them as ignorant and laziâ—… to preach somewhat more often then formerlie till they found their ringing the bells was to scare the people from Church and doubling their paines reform'd not their opinions nor reduc'd them to their duties They that prayed without booke before and after their sermons came not up to the Presbyterians opinion that it is a childish thing to doe otherwise Nor to their practice To bawlke the first and second service of the Church What they either assirmed or did in this kinde might bemore to shew your grâ—…sse â—…ifsimulation at all times in making if such a difficult businesse to talke then to personate their owne in this of their affliction which when you have brought them to the lowest shall never seduce them so to decline the enâ—…ie of the people as by profaning the House of God sooth them in their eâ—…rour styling those aivine ordinances which in your maner or frequencie of use being both without praecept are but humane Canons and Acts and for most part in the mater consist of strise sâ—…ditions and haeresies the workes of the â—…lesh or the Divel that dictates them So that you may see if your eyes be not full of somewhat else while you are spâ—…rting yourselves with your owne deceivings their tenet remaines the same that it wâ—… and themselves readie enough in this season as unfiâ—… as you thinke it to ring as low'd aâ—… you will in the eares of the world That for Divine service in publike people need no more but the râ—…oding of the Liturgie Which is beter furnish'd with pious petitions occurring to all visible necessitiâ—…s and for others emergent the Church keepes a reserve and in due time ever affords a recruit then any set or extemporarie prayer that er came out of Presbyters mouth 2. Sermons on weeke dayes if not festivals wheron a commemoration of Saints dâ—…parted is necessarie for Historical instruction and for imitation exemplarie maâ—… belayd aside by Christians that have no more time to spare from their honest callings then they ought to spend in the application and practice of what they heard on the Sunday in meditation upon God his attributes and workes c in the serious examination of their lives and very particular sâ—…rutinie of their actions secret publike good bad indifferent or mixt in sorting or parselling their sinnes of mission commission weaknesse praesumption and in private repenting weeping praying praysing In conferring closelie with holie men chieflie their Priest and pastour of their soules laying open before him their doubts distractions infirmities perverse inclinations Invisiting the sicke strengthning the weake considering the poore and placing charitie with prudence condoling with and comforting the afflicted Composing controversies reconciling differences designing and enterprising Heroicke exploits for the just advancement and honour of the King and publike advantage of Countrey Citie or Parish whereof they are Members Finallie acting all of which these are not halfe that concernes them in their publike and private capacitie And when all is done not before in what leisure's redundand let them in Gods name call for a weeklie or daylie sermon and where the Priest hath discharg'd as much more of his dutie and findes in himselfe abilities to compose such an one as with confidence or rather conscience he can speake it let them have it 3. That Sundayes afternoon Sermon is well exchanged for catechizing children instructing them in their principles of Religion and acquainting them with the doctrine and discipline of the Church to which they ought to adhaere when they come to their choyce at yeares of discretion which is the custome of some Presbyterian Churches abroad and either hath or should have been tong since of the Scots 1. Book Disc Before noon must the word be preached and Sacraments ministred and afternoon must the yong children be publikelie examined in their Catechisme in the audience of the people 4. That on the Sunday before noon sermon is very convenient abuses being redressed and must be while and where enjoined Yet in Nations converted to Christianitie by the preaching of the Apostles or Apostolical men and so fullie confirmed as no reasonable feare may be of their apostacie since the infallible spirit is not cooperative with all if with any and where as among the Presbyterians the noxious spirit of delusion in the mouthes of very many preachers it 's farre from being necessaire to salvation that care must be had lest it bring damnation to the hearers 5. That where some learned Scholars or honest industrious Ministers not at pleasure but publike appointment on festivals dayes make a sermon or have an oration for litle difference need be about the name and it may be 't were beter to have lesse in the thing it would be short not exceeding an houre according to the Court paterne which is likelie to be the best in the Kingdome and for the most part hath come nearest the most approved example of the primitive Fathers as may be seen by their sermons and homilies that are exstant And it should seem Presbyterie aswell as Episcopacie hath found some inconvenience in Sermons that were longer which produced the 34. Canon in the Provincial Synod at Doâ—…t 1574. Ministri 〈◊〉 animâ—… loâ—…gis conciâ—… quas ultra horam non extendent 6. That spirit and life for adification since
forCommon prayer to your Queen you came about at length to condemning it among your selves This for the Historie of your hypocritical conformitie with us to worke your owne designe and inexcusable defection from us when that was done Touching your feigned approbation of set formes for rules and for use in beginners I am to aske you 1. What institutions their can befor improvement of supernatural gifts What formes for progresse in extraordinarie graces 2. If there be such why they serve not aswell for the benefit of tongues as utterance and whether the Apostles before the day of Pentecost had any praeparative to that descent of the spirit upon them if they had not the difference of persons not diversifying the donation where or to whomsoeverGod intends it why we are to looke about for helpes unto this purpose 3. Whether this sword of the spirit can not aswell cut the tongue as pierce the heart Whether God can not without helpes aswell indite words as mater and make the tongue become the pen oâ—… a readiâ—… writer That your set formes were published onelie for Ministers that are beginners thereby endeavouring to attaine a readinesse to pray in their familie not in the Church I take for an evasion scarce thought upon before now The gift of prayer which you take gratis without a proofe I can afford you to be â—…rdinarilie no other then the forme which Christ bestowed upon his disciples The use of that hath ever hitherto been continued by their successours in the frequent repetition of the words and analogie of all their enlargements unto the sense The greatest comfort that can be had by this is in a cheerfull submission to the judgement of that Church in whose communion I adventure my salvation the greatest libertie in the exercise of her words which in Christian humilitie and common reason I am to conceive more apposite then mine owne Herein I rest the beter satisfied when I see my common adversaries in this dutie so to fluctuate in their senses and like raging waves in a conspiracie to shipwrake others breaking mutuallie themselves by the uncertaine violence of their motion and so in the end forming out nothing but their shame Master Baylie renouncing aswell formes composed by themselves as praescribed by others Master Knox praescribing such a seâ—… prayer unto himselfe and so praemeditating the words he was to speake that when quaestioned he could repeat what er he say'd Their brethren abroad sometime strictlie enjoining a forme compiled by others Omnes Ministri unans formam publicam in Ecclesia precandi tenebunt…ideoquâ—… alia forma breviâ—…r post concionem recitanda composita est At other times leaving their Ministers to a libertie of a set prayer composed by themselves or one depending on the dictate of the spirit Minister prâ—…ces vel dictante spiritu vel certa sibi proposita formula concipiet The 4. wrongs that are praetended from our Liturgie to redound upon A Giver A Receiver A Gift and A Church being Relatives in this businesse are inseparable by nature and must fall to ground with the falsitic of the supposition upon which they hang But what injuries are multiplied upon all by the extemporarie license of Presbyters in their prayers Our Blessed Soveraigne K. Ch. 1. hath enumerated the affectation â—…mptinesse impertinence rudenesse conâ—…usions flatnesse levitie obscuritie vaine and ridiculous repetitions the senclesse and oft times blasphemous expressions all these burthened with a most taedious and intolerable length…Wherein men must be strangelie impudem and flaterers of themselves not to have an iusinite shame of what they so doe and say in things of so sacred a nature before God and the Church after so ridiculous indeed profane a maner Nec potest tibi 't is Master Baylie I meane who hath been guiltie of most in my hearing istares contingere aliter quam si tepudere desieris perfrices fronâ—…em oportet ipsete non audias But I referre him to the rest of what K. Ch. 1. Briestie but solidelie hath writ and what more at large Master Hooker to whom I may challenge all the Scotish Presbyterie for an answer So great a cloud of witnesses encompassing the Scotish Presbyterie and giving in evidence against her as the mother of mischief too many yeares in three Kingdomes your arme is too weake to lay aside the weight of those wicked actions that must be charged on her backe and the sinne of sacriledge Royal that so easilie bâ—…sets her The Parliament of Scotland sure â—…quivocates in denying that they have stripped the King of his justrights I speake to His Majestie now reigning His â—…ather having unanswerablie argued for himselfe because they never hitherto acknowledged him invested with any but the name to which bare inheritance they knew him borne without the charitie of their breath which he must have had without their sounding trumpet proclaiming this for their almes as hypocrites in their markets But to come close to you This Parliament of Scotland had it been such as it was not upon the murder of the â—…ather ought to have been stripped of all it selfe then no just rights no more but such as a deadman hath to his robes and being a breathlesse carkasse could require nothing at the hands of the Sonne The courses to which he was stirred up and keeped on out of natural dutie by no factious advice were howsoever they succeded praeservative of his Fathers and himselfe and destructive to no people but the workers of iniquitie that with their owne hands plucked downe miserie upon their heads The bloudshed brings bloudguiltinesse upon them that first opened the veine from which he had no need to be purged with hysope that was cleane nor washed whose conscience in that particular was whiter then the snow Yet being by your scarlet Parliament imputed to him whose impure eyes can bâ—…hold nothing but iniquitie in others and whose wicked mouthes are wide open to devoure the man that is more righteous then themselves the satisfaction they required could be in order to no exercise of his Royal government nor dare they take any by the rules of your Discipline which must have bloud for bloud but a slavish subjection of his life and erowne to sentence without mercie which had been though fewer in number yet as full in your meaning and as effectual aequitable demands Allthough this be a replie unanswerable to your praetense Yet I must not leave you without discovering your diminutive forgerie in Parliament Proclamations putting parts of his Royal Government where they the whole without exception His name portract seale being not his when new stampt and set to publike writings by your hands then in actual rebellion against his person The securitie to your Religion and Liberties required were first enacted for an aequitable demand onclie by a Convention of Rebells at Edenburgh 1567. who had been partlie solicited partlie scared into a
Equidem non novi neque credam Christum qui Dei sapientia suit remp suam que omnium est perfectissima arbitrio stultorum hominura religuisse agitandam… quod ne Solon quidem aut Lycurgus aljusve quis pium Legislator pateretur For that and the rest of your religion your Confession of faith sayth That you are throughlie resolved by the â—…ord spirit of God that onelie is the true Christian sayth Religion pleasing God c… Gods aeternal truth ground of your salvation… Gods undoubted truth and veritie grounded onelie upon his written word Nay afterwards you protest and promise with your hearts under the same oath c that you will defend the Kings person and authoritie in the deferse of Christs Euangel and liberties of your Countrey which is or if it be no speake the same with Religion and liberties in your league Besides all which otherwhere you blasphemouslie compare both your confessions with the old Testament and the New That which followes wherein you moderate the first article of your Covenant imposing an endeavour to reforme onelie according to the word of God with out introducing Scotes Presbyterie or any other of the best reformed unlesse it be found according to that paterne though it served to palliate all blemiâ—…hes and deformities that were in it To invite possiblie some well meaning people into your fraternitie who like harmelesse bees relishing that sweetnesse litle thought what poyson they left behinde for other venemous insectiles to sucke out To furnish others withan excuse a petiful one for using so bad meanes to so good an end and when it undeniablie proves the contrarie the same it may be they intended crie they were mistaken though now they can not helpe it Yet it may be shâ—…wed to be a dubious frivolous limitation the same commendation your friends gave it when translated into an oath tenderd in behalfe of Episcopacie by the King First infirming that member and so far disinabling it from bearing part in the mater of an oath as subjection is required unto the reforming power in a Church Secondlie Quitting all that swore it of their engagement every moment if they see clearlie or judge erroneouslie your reforming Principals to digresse from that path Thirdlie either supposing your reformed religion in Scotland to be allreadie conform'd to that paterne or else enjoining to sweare contradictions Lastlie If leaving every man to judge what is according to the word and to endeavour according to that judgement imposing an oath productive of confusion there being as many mindes as men scarce two united in one touching Doctrine Worship Discipline and government The first might be illustrated argued from the fallibilitie and uncertaintie in the Reforming power a maim'd Parliament an illegitimate Assemblie then siâ—…ng whom I could not be assured to have the spirit of God so illuminating their mindes as whereby jointlie to judge the same reformation according to Gods word Secondlie as uncertaine should I bee seting aside all partialitie and passion that they would declare what they so judg'd against many of whom if not the most having a well grounded praejudice whether just or no maters not if not know'n to me I could not sweare de futuro a conformitie to their acts In which cases wisemen advise us to abstaine …Ten apochen tou omnynai prostattei peri toon endcchomenoon kai aoriston tes ecbaseoos echontoon to peras Hierocl in Carm. Pythag. and Iurant presumitur certioratus deliberatus accedere ad actum super quo jurat sayth the Lawyer The second is strengthned sâ—…fficientlie by your words which oblige the Covenanter no farther then he findes your great worke proceeding according to Gods word The successe whereof if no beter then in your Discipline and the Directorie will keep no man in his Covenant Gods word praescribing many parts of neither The Third is evident from the very clauses in the article where first an oath must be taken to praeserve the reformed religion in Scotland which if not according to Gods word is contradicted in the next that enjoines reformation onelie according to the word And if it be then that is it wherewith a uniformitie must be made and yet you tell us there is no such word nor any such mater in the Covenant About the last let every man speake his minde as freelie as I shall mine That I hold no Presbyterian government Scotish or other according to Gods word That I have read of much dissension among your selves in former times and heard of some in later That all Papists all orthodoxe persons in the Church of England are jointlie for Episcopacie in the order as according to Gods word and separatelie for it in the jurisdiction and discipline neither holding all parts of it exemplified in the word so not applicable unto it both not the same extensive particulars in the ordinance and exercise of the Church Besides such as you call Socinians Sectaries separatists whether individual or congregational All which having distinct opinions of Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the word if not concentred in the sense of the House or Assemblie but left to their several endeavours are sworne among them to delineate a pretie implicated diagramme of a Church But for a farther answer to this article of your covenant I remit you to the solide judgement of the Vniversitie of Oxford As likewise to that of several learned men in the Vniversitie of Cambridge who joined in one minde publîshed their refutation of the whole treacherous league A. 1644. Onelie I must adde what persons of knowledge integritie say they will make good That your Covenant came into England with some such clâ—…use as this We shall reforme our Church in doctrine and Discipline conforme to the Church of Scotland Whereof Master Nye his Independent friends fairhe cheated you making that be rased out and this inserted which we treat of By which tricke they have pack'd Presbyterie away and yet pleade with you in publike That they still keepe the Covenant and goe on to reforme according to Gods word The second ground of the Bishops demonstration is no evident errour it being an evident truth That the principal Covenanters Noblemen Gentlemen and Ministers in Scotland protested to Marq. Hamilton His Majesties Commissioner 1638. when it was objected that their Covenant with their new explication was different from the sense of that 1580. because it portended the abolition of Episcopacie That it was not their meaning quite to abolish it but to limit it holding out in the most material point an identitie between them That they assured many who made the scruple and would not have come into their covenant unlesse they had so resolv'd them That they might swearc the same confession and yet not abjure Episcopal government which the three Ministers in their first answer to the Divines of Aberdene positivelie affirmea That thus
not a proposition is there in prosyllogisme or syllogisme that is seemes you can denie though you scarce any where shew ingenuitie to grant For the second which you thinke so hard to prove let it be adventur'd thus He that by covenant disposeth of himselfe and armes contrarie to the established lawes which by the Kings right in him he is obliged to maintaine disposeth of them against that rights But every Covenanter disposeth c. For the established lawes enjoine him to defend the Kings person without limitation or reference to religion at least not to fight against it which the Covenant by your practike interpretation doth oblige to Where the power of the Militia resides His Maâ—…esties unanswerable Declaration for the Commission of array will best satisfie you And himselfe tells you trulie it is no lesse his undoubted right then is the crowne In the exercise of it though the Parliament be not excluded yet their power is never legallie considerable but when they are as the bodie with the soul in stain conjunctâ—… with the King Defense of liberties hath no law to arme them against praerogative nor is there a cause imaginable impowering them to take up armes against a partic countenanced by the Kings praesence which can be according to no law but what is call'd such by rebellious people that offer violence to Royal right If any such there be let us have but one impraegnable instance and we 'll shake hands I beleeve you are not much in love with that old custome of the Frisians long before they became Presbyters who chose their Earle carying him upon their bucklers and crying alowd Haecest potestas Frisiae You can now adayes beter indoctrinate them according to the custome of yourfaction when praevalent which is to admit no new King but at the swords point and there to keepe him crying after this maner or somewhat like it in your proclamational libells Haec est libertas Presbyteriales Scotiae Yet your Commissioners when in the mood can praesent the hilt to his hand and argue with both houses as they did upon the new propositions why the power of the militia should be in the crowne asking How Kingâ—… otherwise can be able to resist their enemies and the enemies of the Kingdome protect their subjects keep friendship or correspondence with their allies … asserting that the depriving them of this power rootes up the strongest foundations of honour and sasctie which the crowne affords will be interpreted in the eyes of the world to be a wresting of the scepter and sword out of their hands So that the Bishops friends may take from yours aswell as from him the same demonstrable conclusion he layd downe And this for all the Kings acknowledgement which was never any of the Parliaments joint interest in his authoritie against his person which is the true case though you shamefullie conceale it Nor did His Majestie so put the whole Militia in their hands as to part with his right when he bound his owne from the exercise Nor was he sure he was not or might not seeme to be perjur'd for his courtesie which all Kings will not hazard though he layd the guilt or dishonour at their doores whither God hath brought allreadie a portion of their just punishment that constraind him saying I conceive those men are guiltic of the enforced persurie if so it may seem who compell me to take this new and strange way of discharging my trust by seeming to desert it of protecting my subjects by exposing my selfe to danger or dishonour for their safetie and quiet Therefore what thoughts he had of your parties medling with the Militia may be best judg'd by his words How great invasion in that kinde will state rebellion in a Parliament when there 's any as there was none at that time nor since shall be told you when the Bishop gives you occasion to demand it Or if you can not stay so long I must send you againe to the judicious Digges to satiate your too curious and greedie appetite of such fare as will not well be digested in many stomackes To the nulling yourCovenant by His Majesties proclamation you say nothing because it separates him from the partie to which you attribute all malignance and you know you can not securelie medle with him but in a croud In the Bishops second demonstration we must be beholding to you for giving what you can not keep with any credit which more awes you then conscience That where the mater is evidentlic unlawfull the oath is not binding The application of which up to your covenant will be justified when brought to the touch by Gods lawe or the Kingdome 's But you first summon it before reason which helpes you with no rule To lay aside what might be otherwise rectified were there cause for 't Nor any evidence that the burden of Bishops and ceremonies was so heavie as to presse you into the necessitie of a Covenant This his Lordship need not offer to dispute since the King ever offerd a regulation of that order and those rites by the primitive paterne wherein it otherwise differed then in a necessarie innocent compliance with the politike constitution of his Kingdome And the Church had render'd all rational satisfaction aswell for the ceremonies reteined as those abolish'd And both by particular men most eminent in learning and judgement had been unanswerablie maintained in every graine or scruple that could be quaestion'd or complaind of Yet the praesent government how light soever is burdensome especiallie to men that looke for advantages by the change And the worst of men can seeme as serious in complaint as if their vertues had been the onelie martyrs to crueltie and the very common hackneyes for oppression Quid reliqui habemus praeter miseram animam came out which a sad sigh from Catiline before his bankrupt Comrades who had left no such subject for rebellion to thetoricate on if their lives had been as good pawnes in the midst of their prodigalitie as their lands This your method of reformation whereof the Bishop complaines for which you plead custome failes not onelie in the maner but of the power the most material requisite to effect it And the high path way is not so ordinarie as you can name the Parliament that ever trod in it before We in England having no such custome nor indeed any where the true Churches of God as to alter religion and government without the King To your quaestion which ever shelters fraud in universals I particularlie answer and to our purpose 1. That the Houses of Parliament are not to begin with an ordinance for a covenant or oath to change the lawes of the Realme to abolish the Discipline of the Church and the Liturgie lawfullie established by the sword which are the Bishops words before the Kings consent be sought to that beginning much lesse when his dissent is foreknow'n of that
for homonymus subscribentiam r. homonymoos suscribentium p. 185. for momfeia r. monscia Aristoph p. 187. l. 38. for up to r. unto p. 188. l. 14. for which r. with p. 191. l. 14. for guittnesse r. guildesse p. 155. l. 15. for fermed r. feigned l. 34. for neare r. nearer a possibilitie then likelihood p. 157. l. 13. for faire r. farie marg for Cosque r. Eosque p. 198. l. 11. for bay r. bag l. 35. for inclioration r. melioration marg for vide r. vive for se short causes r. see short conses p. 200. l. 40. for Anabaptists r. Abaptists p. 201. l. 16. for were r. mere TO THE READER I Am necessarisie to advertise you That if you be notvery conversant in the R d Bishops Warning and his adversaries Review before you enter upon my replie you will in the end be as unsatisfied about the true state of the controversie as all the way offended at the incohaerence of the paragraphs or periods in the booke there being to ease the Printer not much to advantage me very litle inserted that mine relates to which notwithstanding is penned as if you had the other perpetuallie in your sight The credit I claime to have given to several historical circumstances of a Countrey which I yet never saw wherewith I could not be furnished from printed bookes is upon the sufficient assurance I have of the fidelitie and abilitie in such persons as are natives whom I consulted as oracles in many cases and received their answer in no darke ambiguitie of words But layd downe positivelie in their papers which if their indifference had been the same with mine I should have published with their names whereby to put out the envious mans eye and keep curiositie from a troublesome impertinencie in enquirie I shall make no apologie at all to you for my engagement in the dispute having allreadie done it where more due I shall brieflie this for some tantologie much indecencie and levitic in my language Desiring the first may be imputed to some necessitie I was cast upon by the Reviewers frequent repetitions and some difficultie to recollect what expressions had passed from me with the sheetes most of which I was to part with successivelie as I pennd them at several distances of time and place reteining no perfect copie in my hands The second is that dirt which did sticke like pitch unto my fingars while I was handling the fowle Review and so hath defild my booke The third came from no affectation to be facetious for which I am litle fitted yet thought I might as well sport it as a Divinitie Professour in his chaire who having it seemes made hast to the second infancie of his age or reassumd his first would never it may be have been at quiet unlesse I had rocked him in his cradle or play'd a litle with his rattle The strange misse-takes many times introduced by his ignorance of our tongue that in my absence praepared all for the presse are rectified with references to the pages where Which amendments in favour of your selfe aswell as justice unto me should be at first transplanted to their several colonies by your pen. The Greeke leters that have lost their grace by the Latin habits wherein they are constrained to appeare being crowded here and there out of all significancie and order so left at large have their authoritie made good to the full sense of the commission they brought with them every where by the English Interpreter or Paraphrast when you meet them Which intimated I have no greater courtesie to crave from you if one the Revievers impartial and aequitable comparers then to hearken to truth and reason and to signifie what you finde here dissonant from either which I promise you shall be acknowledged or amended Adieu Your R. W. A Table of the Chapters CHAPT I. THe Scots bold addresse with the Covenant to K. Ch. 2. Their partie inconsiderable The Bishop's method language and matter asserted The quaestion in controversie unawares granted by the Reviewer Page 1. II. The Scotish Discipline overthrowes the right of Magistrates to convocate Synods and otherwise to order Ecclesiastical affaires 10. III. The last appeale to the Supreme Magistrate justisiable in Scotland 41. IV. Seditious Rebellious Ministers in Scotland seldome or never censured by the Assemblie 47. V. The Discipline exempts not the supreme Magistrate from being excommunicate 57. VI. Kings may sometime pardon capital offenders which the Disciplinarians donie As they do their Royal right to any part of the Ecclesiastike revenue 59. VII The Presbyterie cheates the Magistrate of his civile power in ordine ad spiritualia 65. VIII The divine right of Episcopacie beter grounded theâ—… that pratended in behalfe of Presbyterie 93. IX The Commonwealth is a monster when Gods Soveraignite in the Presbyterie contradicts the Kings 113. X. No concord between Parliament and Presbyterie 116. XI The Presbyterie cruel to particular persons 124. XII The Presbyterie a burthen to the Nobilitie Ministrie and all Orders whatsoever 130. XIII The Bishops exceptions against the Covenant made good this proved That no man is obliged to keep it who hath taken it 176. An Alphabetical Principal Table of the Contens A. THe Disclplinarians rebellious proceedings in their persecution of Arch. Bp. Adamson Pag. 43 Poenitent adulterers not necessarilie to be put to death 169 Litle aequitie in the Reviewers debates treaties 190 Alteration in Religion or Church Government unsave sinfull while conscience is doubtfull 95 They may be feared to be unchristian that call us Antichristian 145 Trivial debates among Scotish Presbyters about apparell 125 The Reviewer dares not speake out to the Bishops quaestion about taking armes for religion 198 That Libertie no justifiabie praetenses for taking armes 201 The Pr Scots that did no more excusable then the Anabaptist in Germanie â—…00 They are planters of their misse-named Religion by armes 202 K. Ch. 1. had just cause to march with an armie toward Scotland Ans. to Ep. Ded. 9 The Pr. Scots had none for their invading England Ibid. 11 Their General Assemblies Disobedience to the Kings command 1â—…79 12 The incohaerent excuses therof 13 The rebellious Assemblers at Aberdene 1605. 16 Appeales in Scotland to the King 32 And so the ultimate of them every where elce 41 The proceedings against them no other then legal 17 Wherein the E. Dunbar caried himselfe impartiallie and noblie 23 Assemblies summoning the people in armes upon the trial of Popish Lords 92 Collusion and violence in the election of Members for Assemblies 133 Why so many Burgesses and Gentlemen in them 134. 135 B. TReason by statute to impugne the authoritie of Bishops being one of the three Estates 19 Bishops perpetuall in Scotland 21 The calumnie against the three Bishops consectated by the Arch-Bishop of Canterburie refuted 22 How the Difference hapened between the E. Argile the Bishop of Galloway 141 Our Bishops contest not with King and Nobles 140
Their praecedence and place neare the throne Ibid. Officies of State 141 The Antiquitie c. Of Bishops justified very judiciouslie by Dr Ier. Tayler Whose booke is an antidote against the poyson of all the Reviewers objections 102 Bishops Apostles 106 Evangelists Prophets Pastours 107 Doctours 108 Bishops Ceremonies no burthen 187 The Bishop of Derrie's prudence no boldnesse in the publication of his booke Anf. to Ep. Ded. 2 Very seasonable 1 In it His Lordship is no slanderer of the King 4 Blackes rebellious case 53 Baleanqual Bruce other Ministers guiltie of raising the tumult 56 Blaire and his complices justlie banished out of Ireland 51 Bothwells notorious crimes 61 Bruce's bold speach to the King about E. Huntley 63 The Bishops appeale in the Assemblie at Glasgow not derogatorie to the Kings personal praerogative 45 C. CAlderwood's ridiculous reverence of Bruce's ghost 139 E. Cassils demeanour Ans. to Ep. Ded. 1 Canons infirming the Reviewer to be an aceuser of the Bishop 48 Publike catechizing of Masters and Mistresses indecent 171 Not very necessarie before their receiving the Sacrament Ibid. The Kings Chaplanes use no Court artifice but what becomes such reverend worthie persons in their places Ans. to Ep. Ded. 4 A proposition of trial to be made whether Christ's scepter must be swayed by Bishops or Presbyters 100 The difference between us the Church of Rome about ceremonies 98 Iurisdiction of Commissaries 52 The Kings Commissioner how off ronted in Pr Sc. Synods 134 Riot in Scotland to get downe the High Commission Court Which was not so tyraâ—…nical as the Pr. Consistorie 173 Wherein is more rigour then other where among the Resormed Churches 174 The adventurous concessions of K. Ch. I. extorded by the necessitie or difficultie he was brought to 104 K. James's dislike of the Scotish short confession Many unjustificable praetices about it 14 Conscience not bottom'd onelie up on divine right 95 Contrarietie of commands at the same time ordinarie under Scotish Presbyterie 114 The Reviewers fallacie to salve it in the case of the French Ambassadours 115 His ignorance of the true stated controversie between vs and the Church of Rome 8 His cunning in altering the true state of that between the Bishop and himselfe as in many places so 30 K. Ch. 1. invaded not the Scotish Consistorie his condescensions leaving them contended 190 The Reviewers uncharitable interpreting Mr. Corbets's end a punishment from God 3 Particulars about framing the English-Scotish Covenant The persons by whom c. 177 How dishonourable it is to the English that approved it 179 The Reviewes's abominable affected falshood in defense of it 180 His impudence in preaching at the Hage that nothing at all had been objected against it Ans. to Ep. Ded. 7 How destructive it is to the Royal line Ibid. 12 How the same with that of K. Iames 1580. 183 How it divers from it 184 Foraigne Presbyterians asham'd to countenance it 196 The ambiguitie of the words in it leaves religion to the libertie of their conceits that take it 198 Covenants unlawfullie taken are more unlawfullie kept 177 The Praelates docline not the judgement of Councels 202 No inhaerent right in Courts to nominate Commissioners for intervalls 123 Spirituall crucltie in the prayers of Scotish Presbyters 125 Their temporal crueltie as much as they praesume may by Gods providence be restrained 203 The Court conscience will if the experiment be tried soon finde the difference between the Episcopal and Presbyterian Clergie 197 D. NO defensive armes for subjects 40 Court of Delegates neither unbeseeming not unreasonable 43 K. Iames's Declaration 1584. How by His Majestie subscribed 51 The Pr. Scots imprudence as well as injustice c. in delivering up K. Ch. 1. to his murderers Ans. to Ep. Ded. 14 The old grudge that mor'd them to it Ibid. 15 The same newlie conceived against K. Ch. II. Ibid. 15 The difference between Vs and Scotish Presbyterians is more then in Bishops and ceremonies 199 The Sc. Discipline omits what the ancient Canons had among the cases of Ministers deprivation What it hath conconcernes more Presbyters then Praelates 67 It playes the tyrant over the consciences of the people 124 Divine attributes profaned in asscribing them to the Discipline and Assemblie Acts. 100 Covenanters missetake the Discipline for Christs institution 180 No legal establishment in Scotland of the first booke of Discipline 18 K. Iames's consent to the second booke of Discipline how improbable 24 They anticipate the law in the exercise thereof 27 The English Discipline long since setleâ—… by law in Scotland and our Liturg there used 16 That of the Pr. Scots obtruded upon England Ibid. Divine right pleaded for Presbytere frustrates all treaties 96 Episcopacie wants no Discipline aequivalent to that in the Scotish Presbyterie 175 Our doctrines about real praesence justification free will final apostafie praedestinatîon breissie touched And a quaestion propounded about Davids case 98. 99 Dowglasse that murdered Capt. I. Stuart kill'd in Edenburgh high street 21 E. OUr Episcopacie not reputed Antichristian by other Reformed Churches Ans. to Ep. Ded. 3. 50 K. Ch. I. suspended the jurisciction of Episcopacie in Scotland for no crimes No full and free Parliament that voted in downe in England 9 Episcopacie no obstruction to the Kings peace Why it may not be lay'd aside 40 What right it hath to become unalterable 94 The reasons of K. Ch. I. well bottom'd 95 Some particulars about the historie of Scotish Episcopacie 111 Abolition of Episcopacie is not that which will ever give the Pr. Scots satisfaction 165 K. Ch. I. in his largest concessions yeilded not unto it 188 The asserrours of the Magistrates just power misse call'd Eraâ—…ans by the Reviewer 6 Erastus's Royal right of Church government can not untie the Kings conscience if streightned Nor is that onelie it the Bishops praetend to 97 The Sc. Discipline exempts not Kings from being excommunicate 57 Excommunication not mean'd by delivering up to Satan 110 Ignorance no ground for the execution of it 172 The Scotish Presbyters practice touching excommunication litle lesse rigid then their canon 227 The inconveniences that follow to be imputed rather to the Kircke then State 128 Impunitie no good ground for excommunication 61 The Kings pardon quitting poenitent malefactours 65 F. SCotish Presbyters much too busie in private families 175 Fayth not so common if such a grace as ordinarilie it is defined 201 Church Festivals not legallie abolished in Scotland 18 Crueltie toward fugitives 129 G. GIbson's insolent speaches unto the King 21 The Assemblie's juggling in his case 52 Gilespie's theoreme for resisting Magistrates disclaimed by no Assemblies The substance of it the sense of many 37 The King why concerned to be cautelous in his grants to the Presbyterian Scots 5 The Bishops Office entirelie authorized in the Assemblie at Glasgow 1610. 23 H. THe proceedings against D. Hamilton's late engagement discussed 70. 71. c 115. 117. c. Mr. Henderson's speach of Bishops 199
E Huntley's case truelie related 61 I. K. Iames a greater Anti-Presbyterian then Anti-Erastian 64 The Praelates title to Impropriations and Abbey lands beter then that of Presbyters 137 Presbyterian indulgence in cases of sedition and rebellion 47 Their monstrous ingratitude for the too liberal graces of K. Ch. I. 104 The Kings concessions to the Irish more justifiable then the other could be to the Scotish Presbyterian demands 146 The Pr. Scots endeavours to impose their Discipline upon England 5 The Assemblie at Westminster having no power to authorize it 6 Many of the Presbyteries in Scotland have very unfit unable Iudges 174 Iurisdiction Ecclesiastical sloweth from the Magistrate 34 Sc. Presbyters usurpe Civile jurisdiction 69 No power of jurisdiction in what the Reviwer misse interprets the Church 108 Nor in a companic mot together 109 K. THe election of a King not originallie justifiable in any people 164 K. Ch. I. not inclinable though by counterseit promises praevail'd with to cast himselfe upon the Presbyterian Scots Ans. to Ep. Ded. 12 His writings not interlined by the Bishops The Reviewers commendation of them unawares Ibid. 〈◊〉 K. Ch. II. hath expressed no inelination to the Covenant If any praeventive disswasion of His Majesties from it hath been used by the Praelatical pattie it was a dutifull act of conscience and prudence 149 His Majestie can not so easilie will not so readilie grant what his Royall Father denied 191 Scots Presbyterians never seriouslie asscribed any good intentions to K. Ch I. nor 2. 197 L. MOre learning under Episcopacie then Presbyterie 150 The King supreme Legislatour 193 The Bishops share in making lawes as great as any one of the three Estates Ibid. Our Liturgie why read A parallel of it with primitive formes fiter then with the Breviarie 156 The Church of Scotland hath had a liturgie not onelie for helpe but practice 160 The Presbyterians hypocritical use of it 161 M. THe Magistrates definitive judgement in Synods owned by the Reformed Divines both Praelatical and Presbyterian 28 Sc. Presbytetie will have Magistrates subject to the Kirke 120 Presbyters why against clandestine marriages 166 Consent of Parents how to be required Ibid. No obedience due to them commanding an unjust marriage 169 The Bishops cautelous in giving license for clandestine marriages 170 Gods mercie in praeserving Arch-Bishop Maxwel falsified by the Reviewer 3 The businesse about the Spanish Merchants sophisticated 80 Sc. Presbyters controllers in the Militia 79 The power of it in the King 186 Pr. Ministers rebellious meeting at Mauchlin moore 119 They exceed their commission 121 Their power with the people dangerous to the government 122 Their rebellious proceeding in the persecution of Arch-Bishop Montgomerie and Arch-Bishop Adamson 43 The murders other prodigious impieties acted by the Sc. Presbyterians in prosecution of their ends 82 The scale of degrees whereby they asscended to the murder of K. Ch. I. 38 Which might have been foreseen by their propositions never repealed 76 Murder may be pardoned by the King who hath been petitioned in that case by the Disciplinarians themselves 60 N. THe King 's negative voyce justified as well in Scotland as England 77 What is the power of his affirmative 78 The Sc. Presbyters gave the occasion and opportunitie for the Nobles to get the Ecclesiastike revenue The Episcopacie more then titular they kept up 15 Presbyterie more oppressive to the Nobilitie Gentrie then Praelacie 130 Noblemen why chosen Elders 〈◊〉 131 Where such how slighted by the Presbyters 139 O. SC. Presbyters assume the arbitration of oeconomical differences 68 The Officers appointed by Christ in his Church need not be restrained to the number of five Nor those taken to be the same the Presbyterians would have them 106 The Officials Court a more competent Iudicatoric then the Classical Presbyterie 132 No power of ordination in the Presbybyterie 108. 142 No comfortable assurance but from Apostolical succession Episcopal ordination which Presbyterians want Ibi. The Sc. Presbyterians trial before ordination more formal then truelie experimental of abilitie in the persons 150 The qualification different from that required by the Bishops 152 The original of the pretended oath taken by the King for securitie of the Sc. Discipline 163 P. THe Sc. Assemblies decrees to be ratified by Parliament 24 As those of our Convocations 32 Presbyterie makes Parliaments subject to Assemblies 120 The Parliament of Scotland in no capacitie to make demands after the murder of the King 163 Presbyterie hath no claime to the Church patrimonie given by Episcopal founders and benefactours 25 Their disputes with Princes about Church revenue 63 The original right of patronage in Lay persons 136 Peirth Assemblie 1596. 111 Provision under Episcopacie against the povertie of such as are ordained 153 The Praelats still of the same minde rhey were about the rights and priviledges of Bishops 103 Reason of bidding prayer before sermon 159 In the Canon forme is no prayer for the dead 160 Set formes of no use to beginers that pray by the spirit 161 The gift of prayer in the Pater Noster Ibid. Presbyterians divided about prayer 162 The injuries by extemporarie prayer Ibi. Presbyteries when and how erected in Scotland Bishops to praeside in them 20 Christianitie at its first entrance into Scotland brought not Presbyterie with it 22 Fallacie in the immediate division of religion into Presbyterian Popish 53 No authoritie of Scripture for the many practices of Scotish Presbyterie 101 Litle knowledge labour or conscience shewed in Presbyterian preaching 154 Scotish Presbyterians beter conceited of themselves then of any other Reformed Church to which yet they praetend a conformitie in their new model 198 K. Iames's speach concerning Scotish Presbyterie 30 How a King may and when exercise the office of a Priest 195 Sc. Presbyteries processe for Church rents 33 The same fault under a different formalitie not to be twice punished 126 Q. K. Iames's 55. Quaestions 111 R. REading Ministers usefull and justifiable in our Church 154 The Praelats doe not annull the being of all Reformed Churches 143 Though they have no full assurance 144 The Reviewers speach of Bishops and Peirth articles 199 The Church of Rome true though not most true 145 A rigid separation from her in many things needlesse 146 Assemblies can reforme onelie according to canon not the canon 84 The Primitive Christians reformation different from that of Sc. Presbyterians 85 That of the Church of England began rather at K. Edw. VI. then Henr. VIII 86 The Parliament can noâ—… reforme without the King 188 Resistance against the person of the Magistrate can not be made inobedience to his office 35 Reviewer willfullie missetakes the scope of the Bishops booke 45 His barbarous implacable malice against the dead 49 A riot under praetense of taking a Priest at Masse 91 Abetted by Knoxe with his confessed interest in many more 92 The Pr. Scots must bring beter markes then their bare words for revelations 201 S. FOraigne
in plures divisum ectas eos expulit Buchan Hist. lib. 4 Episcopacie intirelie authorized in the Synod of Glasgow Vind. Epist Hitr. Philadelph Superintendents aequivalent to Bishops Presbyters not to have Synods as often as they list nor doe in them what they please The King consented not to the second booke of Discipline K. Ch. 1. Larg Declar 1633. pag. 411. Refutat libel De Regim Eccl. Sâ—…ot The Bishop no hypocrite in his chalenge about the patrimonie of the Church 1. Book Disc. 6. head which be longs not by haereditaire right to the Presbyters Let. of K. Ph. Q. Mar. Ann. 1559. The Reviewer is the hypocrite Mainten of the sanstatie pag. 10. The Disciplinarians declaration of their judgements in their impudent imperious supplicats They anticipate the law in the exercise of the Discipline Hieron Philadelph de Regim Eccles. Scot. Epist. Iren. Philaleth Narrat mot Scotic Their doctrine as destructive as their practice Ovid. Met. lib. 3. sub 4 2. Book of Disc. ch 7. 2. The Bishops Super-Erastianisme the doctrine of the Reformed Churches Ad Dissert De Epise Constant. M. Ph. Par. Vindic. propos 8. D. Par. N. Vedel De Epise Const M. q. 5. The practice of the good primitive Emperours Har. Syn. Belgic c. 10. Altar Damasc. pag. 15. Renounced by none of the Scotish King The Reviewers malice not any Prelatical principles doth impossibilitate as he speakes the peace betwixt the Kiag his Kingdomes Conf. at Hampt Court The Disciplinarian doctrine practice against the Kings power to convocate Synods Pag. 41. DeEpiscop Constanstin M. 2. B. of Disc. ch 10 Cap. De primat Reg. Epist. 43. De Imper sum Pot. cap. 8. Constantin De Ario. The ultimate determination of Ecclesiastike causes by the lawes of Scotland is not in the general Assemblie No more then in the Convocations of England Appeales to the King in Scotland Court of Delegates against neither word of God nor aequitie All causes agitated in Scotish Assemblies Processe about Church rent Letter to the Gen. Assembli at Sterling Aug. 3. 1571. Reviewer declines answering about the legislative power Danger in asserting the divine right of Ecclesiastike jurisdiction Hug. Groti De Imper. Sum. Pot. Scotish Donatist Polit. Anglic Ad Reg. Iac. Sozomen Eliens De Episcopat Constant M. Disciplinariam call resistance against the person obedience to the office of the Magistrate The Reviewer too bold with his Majestie The Disciplinarians no compartie for the Primitive Christian The Reviewers cunning in passing over what he dares not can not answer His unkindnesse to his brother Gilespie whose theoremes are the doctrine of the whole Presbyterie Harm Syn. Belg. cap. 1 Gilespie's theoreme the rule of the late Disciplinarian practice a Nec enim dissimulabant foederati nimis diu apud Scotos regnatum esse Monarchis nec recte cum illis agi posse Stuarto vel uno superstite Hist. M. Montisros No defensive armes for subjects Episcopacie no obstruction to His Majestics peace See the leâ—…rned judicious Digges upon this subjects Appeale in Scotland from a General Assemblie neither irrational nor illegal Altar Damascen 3. Paper An. 1574 The Rebellious insolent disciplinarian proceedings against the too Rt. Reverend Arch-Bishops Montgomerie Adamson Answ. to the Prosession Declar made by Marq. Hamilt 1638. Vindic. Epist Hier. Philad Supplicum libellorum Magister Se posse salvo Regis imperio de causa tota cognoscere â—…arg D clar pag. 308. Marg. not upon Potest of the Gen. Assemb at Edenb Crosse Decemb 18. 1638. Quioccasione laeti palinodiam â—…i per vim expressam sed in numeris a se locis inter-polatam typis publicarunt The Bishops Appeale not derogatorie to the Kings personal Prâ—…rogative The Reviewer mistakes the scope of the Bishops warning Ch. 5. v. 1. Sedition rebellion not censur'd by the Discipline Hift. of Reform 4. booke Scotish Presbyters mounting in halls schooles c. An. 436. Ancient Canons against Ministers accusers of their brethren Reviewer no competent witnsse against Bishops He will not be at peace charitie with the dead Gualth Epist. Erast. Aug. 3. 1570. Nor speake any truth of the living Spanheims speach about English Bishops The Kings booke of recreations farre short of what other Reformed Churches tolerate on the Lords day Vindic. Chr. Philaed Blaire his companions justlie banished K. Ch. 1. larg Dec. 1639. pag. 324. The Discipline in Scotland different from Geneva King Iames Declaration 1584. Part. 3. An. 1684 The Bishops consequence good from Commissaries to Civite Magistrates Fucus ad fallendum simpliciores vel potius illudendum Ecclesiis pag. 404. Altar Damase The Assemblie jugling in Gibsons case The Bishops relation of Mr. Blackes case vindicated enlarged Hamp Court Conf. Rom. 6. 1. Ephes. 6. 16. Hebr. 11. 33. Nescio quid nec quando sed multo ante Vind. ep Philad L. 1. c. The od de Relig De Impersum Potestcirc sacr cap. 9 Nam co repore summaÌ„ fuit Ecclae concordia authoditas ut aulici ab ea tametsi Regia gratia niterentur timerent Vindic. Ep. Chr. Philad Let to the Q. of Engl. Iul. 16. 1561. The Ministers guiltie of the tumult Decemb 17. 1596. * Vasius The Rev. impertinencie or cunning in altering of the state of the quaestion Let of the Congreg to the Nobles of Scotland 1559. De Imper sum Poâ—… cap. 9. Disciplinarian intentions never better then their words Eccles. 8. 4. No thankes due to them for not excommunicating their Kings The Ancient Fathers quit peccant Kings of all humane censure Apos Gent. adv The Bishops reasonning not unconsequential Aristophâ—… Nubes Bloud the seed of the Discipline Esai 1. 15. Mercie Gods attribute so the Kings 〈◊〉 Book Discipl 9. head Presbyters sollicite pardon for murder * Rigour to be preached c. under nonâ—… but implous or nâ—…ligent Magistrates so exâ—…ommunication for impunitie E. Huntleys case wholie minted in the Assembiiâ—… Bothwells notorious crimes R Bruce's speach against E. Huntley First fruites c. witheld from the King as much by the Presbyters as Pope An. 1587. Contradiction about tithes pag. 57. Patronages Presbyterian rebellion tyrannie Rejoycing at the sequestring the Church patrimonie Qui jactare non dubitârunt se Episc plygin kairian inflixisse Aitar Damasc. p. 3. K. Iames anti-presbyterie No Donaâ—…ist Ep. lector Aitar Damascen Georg. Con. De Dupl Stat. Relig. apud Scot. lib. 2. Their latitude of scandal 8. 9. Malefactours pardoned not to be excommunicated False measures c. maters of civile cognizance The Reviewers 30. yeares experience no argument of Presbyterian henestie Their Canons not the same with those of the ancient Church Victorem Romanum Epum circa annum Dui 200. legimus Coenae usuâ—… interdixisse injurias condonare nolentibus Th. Erast. thes 7. No canon against rebellion nor deprivation of rebellious Ministers Presbyters as peccant as Bishops Ch. 2. 11. 29. 9. Revel 17. 5. 9. 2. 3. 2 S. Pet. 2. 13. Their exercing civile