claimed it none would have more opposed then the most zealous patrones of Episcopacy The injurious invectives which the Warner builds upon this his Erastian assertion wee passe them as Castles in their aire which must fall and evanish for want of a foundation Only before I leave this Chapter let the Warner take a good Sentence out of the mouth of that wyse Prince King James to testifie yet farther his minde against Erastianisme His Majestie in the yeare 1617 having come in progresse to visit his auncient Kingdome of Scotland and being present in persone at a publick disputation in Theologie in the Universitie of St. Andrews whereof also many both Nobles and Church-men of both Kingdomes were auditors when one of those that acted a part in the disputation had affirmed and went about to maintaine this assertion that the King had power to depose Ministers from their Ministeriall function The King himself as abhorring such flatterie cried out with a loud voice Ego possum deponere Ministri caput sed non possum deponere ejus officium CHAP. VII The Presbyterie does not draw from the Magistrat any paritie of his power by the cheate of any relation IN the seventh chapter the Warner would cause men believe many more of the Presbyteries usurpations upon the civill Magistrate The first is that all offences whatsoever are cognoscible in the consistory upon the case of scandals Ans. First the Presbyterie makes no offence at all to come before the consistory but scandall alone Secondly these civill offences the scandall whereof comes before the Presbytery are but very few and a great deale fewer than the Bishops officiall takes notice of in his consistoriall court That capitall crimes past over by the Magistrate should bee censured by the Church no society of Christians who have any discipline did ever call in question When the sword of the Magistrat hes spared a murderer an adulterer a Blasphemer will any ingenuous either praelaticall or popish divine admitte of such to the holy table without signes of repentance The Warners second usurpation is but a branch of the first that the Presbyterie drawes directly before it selfe the cognisance of fraud in barganing false measures oppression and in the case of Ministers brybing usury fighting perjury c. Ans. Is it then the Warners minde that the notorious slander of such grosse sins does not deserve so much as an Ecclesiastick rebooke Shall such persons without admonition be admitted to the holy communion Secondly the named cases of fraud in barganing false measures oppression come so rarely before our Church-judicatories that though these thirty yeares I have been much conversant in Presbyteries yet did I never see nor doe I remember that ever I heard any of these three cases brought before any church assembly In the persone of Ministers I grant these faults which the canons of the Church in all times and places make the causes of deprivation are cognosced upon in Presbyteries but with the good liking I am sure of all both papifts and praelats who themselves are free of such vices And why did not the Warner put in among the causes of church mens deprivation from office and benefite adultery gluttonny and drunkennes are these in his c. which he will not have cognoscible by the Church in the persons of Bishops and Doctors The Warners third challenge amounts to an high crime that Presbyterian Ministers are bold to preach upon these scriptures which speake of the Magistrats duty in his office or dare offer to resolve from scripture any doubt which perplexeth the conscience of Magistrats or people of Husband or Wife of Master or Servant in the discharge of their Christian duty one to another What ever hath been the negligence of the Bishop of Derry yet I am sure all the preaching Praelats and Doctors of England pretended a great care to goe about these uncontroverted parts of their ministerial function and yet without medling with the Mysteries of State or the depths of any mans particulare vocation much lesse with the judgement of jurisdiction in politicall or aeconomicall causes As for the Churches declaration against the Late engagement did it not well become them to signify their judgement in so great a case of conscience especially when the Parliament did propone it to them for resolution and when they found a conjunction driven on with a cleerly malignant partie contrary to solemne oathes and covenants unto the evident hazard of Religione and them who had been most eminent instruments of its preservation was it not the churches duty to give warning against that sinne and to exhort the ring leaders therein to repentance But our Warner must needs insist upon that unhappy engagement and fasten great blame upon the Church for giving any advice about it Ans. Must it be Jesuisitisme and a drawing of all the civill affaires to the Churches barre in ordine ad Spiritualia for an assembly to give their advice in a most eminent and important case of conscence when earnestly called upon in a multitude of supplications from the most of the Congregations under their charge yea when required by the States of the Kingdome in severall expresse messages for that end It seemes it s our Warners conclusion if the Magistrat would draw all the Churches in his jurisdiction to a most unlawfull warre for the advancement of the greatest impiety and unjustice possible wherein nothing could be expected by all who were engaged therein but the curse of God if in this case a doubting Natione should desire the assemblies counsel for the state of their soules or if the Magistrate would put the Church to declare what were lawfull or unlawfull according to the word of God that it were necessary heer for the servants of God to be altogether silent because indeed warre is so civill a busines that nothing in it concernes the soule and nothing about it may be cleered by any light from the word of God The truth is the Church in their publick papers to the Parliament declared oftner then once that they were not against but for an engagement if so that Christian and friendly treaties could not have obtained reason and all the good people in Scotland were willing enough to have hazarded their lives and estates for vindicating the wrongs done not by the Kingdome of England but by the sectarian party there against God the King covenant and both Kingdomes but to the great griefe of their hearts their hands were bound and they forced to sit still and by the over great cunning of some the erroneous mis-perswasions of others and the rash praecipitancy of it that engagement was so spoiled in the stating and mannaging that the most religious with peace of conscience could not goe along nor encourage any other to take part therein The Warner touches on three of their reasons but who will looke upon their publick declarations shall find many more which with all faithfullnesse were then propounded
doubting for conscience sake his Majestie might lay aside Episcopacy and set up the Presbytery so fully as is required in all his dominions though not upon a divine right which the Presbyterians beleeve yet upon Erastus royall right which the Warner here and elsewhere avouches What the Warner puts heere again upon the Presbyterie the usurpation of the temporall sword in what indirect relation so ever its probation in the former chapter was found so weake and naughty that the repetition of it is for no use only wee marke that the Warner will have the Presbitery to be an absolute papacy for no other purpose but to vent his desire of revenge against the Presbyterians who gave in a challenge against the Praelats especially the late Canterburians among whom Doctor Bramble was one of some note to which none of them have returned to this howre an answer that their principles unavoidably did bring backe the pope For a Patriarch over all the westerne Churches and among all the Patriarches of the whole Catholick Church a primacy in the Roman flowes cleerly out of the fountaine of Episcopacy according to the avowed doctrine of the English praelats who yet are more liberall to the pope in granting him beside his spirituall super-inspection of the whole Catholick Church all his temporall jurisdictions also in the patrimony of St. Peter and all his other faire principalities within and without Italy There is no ceremony in Rome that these men stick upon for of all the superstitious and idolatrous ceremonies of Rome their images and altars and adorations before them are incomparably the worst yet the Warners friends without any recantation we have heard of avow them all even an adoration of and to the altar it selfe As for the doctrines of Rome what points are worse then these which that party have avowed in expresse tearmes a corporall presence of Christs body upon the Altar the Tridentine justification free-will finall apostacy of the Saints when no other thing can be answered to this our sore challenge it is good to put us off with a Squib that the Presbyterie is as absolute papacy as ever was in Rome The Presbyterian position which the Warner heere offers not to dispute but to laugh at that Christ as King of his Church according to his royall office and Scepter hes appointed the office-bearers and lawes of the house is accorded to by the most and sharpest of our adversaries whether English or Romish as their owne tenet howbeit such foolish consequences that all acts of Synods must be Christs Lawes c. neither they nor wee doe acknowledge His declamations against the novelty of the Presbyterie in the ordinary stile of the Jesuites against Protestants and of the pagan Philosophers against the Christians of old who will regarde our plea for the Praesbyterie is that it is scripturall if so it is auncient enough if not let it be abolished But it were good that heer also the Warner and his friends would be ingenuous to speake out their minds of Episcopacy Why have they all so long deceived the King in assuring him that English Episcopacy was wel warranted both by Scripture and antiquity Be it so which yet is very false that something of a Bishop distinct from a Presbyter had any footing in Scripture yet can they be so impudent as to affirme that an English Bishop in his very flesh and blood in his substantiall limbs was ever knowne in the World till the pope was become Antichrist A Bishop by virtue of his office a Lord in Parliament voycing in all acts of State and exercising the place of a high Thesaurer of a Chancelor or what ever civill charge the favour of a Prince did put upon him a Bishop with sole power of ordination and jurisdiction with out any Presbytery a Bishop exercising no jurisdiction himselfe in any part of his dioces but devolving the exercise of that power wholly upon his officials Commissaries a Bishop ordaining Presbyters himselfe alone or with the fashionall assistance of any two Presbyters who chaunce to be neare a Bishop the only Pastor of the whole dioces and yet not bound to feed any flock either by word or Sacrament or governement but having a free liberty to devolve all that service upon others and himself to wayte at court so many yeares as he shall think fit This is our English Bishop not only in practise but in law and so was hee defended by the great disputants for praelacy in England But now let the Warner speake out if any such treasure can more be defended or was ever knowne in scripture or seen in any Christian Church for 800. yeares and above after the death of Christ. I take it indeed to be conscience that forces now at last the best of our Court-divines to devest their Bishop of all civill imployment in Parliament court or Kingdome in denying his solitarines in ordination in removing his officiall and Commissary courts in taking away all his arches Arch Bishops Arch Deacons deane and Chapter and all the c. in erecting Presbyteries for all ordinations and spirituall jurisdiction It is good that conscience moves our adversaries at last to come this farre towards us but why will they not yet come nearer to acknowledge that by these their to lately recanted errours they did to long trouble the world and that the little which yet they desire to keepe of a Bishop is nothing lesse then that English Bishop but a new creature of their own devising never known in England which his Majestie in no honnour is obliged to mantaine for any respect either to the lawes or customes of England and least of all for conscience While the Warner with such confidence avowes that no text of Scripture can be alleadged against Episcopacy which may not with more reason be applyed against the Presbytery behold I offer him here some few casting them in a couple of arguments which according to his great promises I wish he would answer at his leasure First I doe reason from Ephesians 4. 11 all the officers that Christ has appointed in his Church for the Ministry of the word are either Apostles Evangelists Prophets Pastors or Doctors but Bishops are none of these fyve Ergo they are none of the officers appointed by Christ for the Ministry of the word The Major is not wonte to be questioned the minor thus I prove Bishops are not Apostles Evangelists nor prophets for it s confessed all these were extraordinary and temporary officers but Bishops say yow are ordinary and perpetuall our adversaries pitch upon the fourth alleadging the Episcopall office to be pastorall but I prove the Bishop no Pastor thus no Pastor is superior to other Pastors in any spirituall power but according to our adversary a Bishop is superior to all the Pastors of his dioces in the power of ordination and jurisdiction Ergo. The doubt heer is only of the Major which I prove Argumento Ã
extraordinarie super infusions were rare have been heretofore attributed to such discourses principallie wherein the Canon of Scripture hath been interpreted by no private enthusiasme no partial addiction to one mans opinion how eminent soever for his gifts or good life but by the Catholike tradition of the Church that is the consent of most holie men in it throughout all ages and places as much danger having been from the Iewes may be now from Iudaizing Scots by bad gloffes as from haeretical Christians by Rhetorical discourses on Scripture eugloâ—…ttias…But what spirit or life hath been found in flat lectures consisting of noncohaerencies haesitancies tautologies c notwithstanding all the gapings and groanes or other aretifices used to put them ofs for divine exâ—…tasies and raptures let them speake that were aedified which I was not I assure you by What I heard from you and the brethren that brought the Scotish Euangel to us in this Countrey 7. Though the Canon bestrict the practice was not so much as at Court for bidding prayer before for after Sermon that for Christs holie Catholike Church and the Collects appointed are not such if you remember some it may be knowing his Majesties minde which now iâ—… published That he was not against a grave modest discrect and humble use of Ministers gifts even in publike…the beter to fit and excite their owne and the peoples affections to the praesent occasions Those that toke themselves obliged to keep to the leter of the rule were satisfied aswell in the reason as lawfullnesse of the command Being therefore well assured that the Lords prayer is as the Fathers call it oratis legitima a complete prayer comprehending the summe of what petitions soever were fit to be praesented to the Father which none knew beter then the Sonne That the people might be inform'd what at such a time they are to aske and what asking in fayth they might hope to receive the Minister commands them in the name of that particular Church to which they are to submit in all publike duties or so renounce her communion to pray for her after Christs holic Catholike Church for the King and his Royal familiâ—… His Councel all inserious Magistrates c. And because after the Lâ—…tanie and so many several prayers relating differentlie to those particulars he mentions it is neither necessarie nor convenient at all to doubte the time in repeting or paralleling the formes 〈◊〉 he calls upon them to joine with him in that short prayer which very effectuallie comprizeth all can be asked saying Our Father c. But as touching the Church limitation of us to the Pater noster before her approving the Gloria patri c after the sermon I see no more in it then in the 33. Canon of that Councel of Dort which I even now mentioned Praying for the welfare of soules departed a controversie yet depending between Protestants and Papists hath ever impudentlie and falselie been attributed to that Canon on purpose to delude poor people so rashlie opinionated of their Presbyters that told them so as they thought it derogatorie to their credit to search the truth Or so grosselie ignorant as unable to distinguish between praying God for the welfare of and praising him for the exemplarie lives of and the heavenlie reward conferr'd on the soules of the Saints departed Wherein nothing need be argued when those of a seeptical conscience will not be convinc'd and those that are praejudic'd will not be reform'd to such no more is to be sayd but si decipi volunt decipiantur For private prayer if personal the Praelates never hitherto praescribed any forme leaving people to themselves who are private to their owne wants and to the direction not injunction of their Priest But if congregational though but in Parlour or Closet no colour can be brought why an house should confute a Cathedral or extemporarie non sense take place of the ancient and well advised prayers of Holie Church You can not be more loth to confesse then I am hard to beleeve that you ever were guiltie of more conformitie to ancient Christians in your publike worship then opinions Yet when I consider what establishment our Religion received in Queen Elizabeths reigne what advancement your schisme unhapilie had by her misse placed assistance I can not satisfie my selfe how in policie or conscience a Princesse so fam'd for devotion and wisdome could professe and prosecute such seeming contradictions and without some humane assurance of your conjunction with her so liberallie contribute toward your praetended reformation to the utter demolition of her owne Therefore upon good enquirie I am faine to lay my dissidence aside and have where withall to confirme the Warner in his beleefe discovering first your negative Remonstrances and renunciations of Rome coincident with though more violent and particular then ours Your superintendents aequivalent to our Bishops And which as all in all upon Buchanans record your subscription to a communitie with us aswell in Ecclesiastike as Civile affaires This your Maintainer of the Sanctuarie tells us was done in the yeare 1â—…60 in the infancie or before it rather in the first conception of your Discipline Yea two yeares before that not long after your Lords and Barons professing Christ Iesus had subscribed your first Covenant in Scotland they convene in Counsel conclude on several heads whereof this is the first â—…t is thought expedient advised and ordained That in all pariâ—…hes of this Realme the Common prayer be read weeklie on Sunday and other Festival dayes publikelie in the parish Churches c. In the first oration petition of the Protestants of Scotland to their Queen Regent this was the first demand… That they might meet publikelie or privatelie to their Common prayers in their vulgar tongue And that this may not be set to the account of your Temporal Lords or some imperfect Members of your Clergie because I. Knox your Holie head was at this time disjointed from that sanctified bodie the same care is afterward taken for Kirkes in your booke of Discipline it selfe without any intimation of your purpose to tolerate it onclie for helpe and direction being a forme praescribed as liable to the peoples superstition as ours otherwise then as you approved the omission of it on publike sermon dayes And your Maintainer sayth without doubt it was the very booke of England Your Church having none of her owne a long time I would not have you mistaken no more then you would have the Bishop whom you so carefullie informe I feare against your conscience as if I imputed this to you for any more then a politike compliance to effect your owne ends by Q. Elizabeths armes which being in a good part accomplished you altered your Liturgie both in substance and use changed our prayers for worse and those you neither injoined by law nor supported by the generalitie of your practice Thus from petitioning
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
CHAP. I. The proelaticall faction continue resolute that the King and all his people shall perish rather then the praelats be not restored to their former places of power for to set up Popery Profanity and Tirranny in all the three Kingdomes WHile the Comissioners of the Church and Kingdome of Scotland were on their way to make their first addresses to his Majestie for to condole his most lamentable afflictions and to make offer of their best affections and services for his comfort in this time of his great distresse it was the wisedome and charity of the praelaticall party to send out Doctor Bramble to meet them with his Faire Warning For what else but to discourage them in the very entry from tendering their propositions and before ever they were heard to stop his Majesties eares with grievous praejudice against all that possibly they could speake though the world sees that the only apparent fountaine of hope upon earth for recovery of the wofully confounded affaires of the King is in the hands of that Antipraelaticall nation but it is the hope of these who love the welfaire of the King and his people of the Churches and Kingdomes of Britain that the hand of God which hath broken all the former devices of the Praelats shall crush this their engine also Our warner undertaketh to oppugne the Scotes discipline in a way of his owne none of the most rational He does not so much as pretend to state a question nor in his whole book to bring against any maine position of his opposites either Scripture father or reason nor so much as assay to answer any one of their arguments against Episcopacy onely hee culs out some of their by-tenets belonging little or nothing to the maine questions and from them takes occasion to gather together in a heape all the calumnies which of old or of late their knowne enemies out of the forge of their malice and fraud did obtrude on the credulity of simple people also some detorted passages from the bookes of their friends to bring the way of that Church in detestation without any just reason These practises in our warner are the less pardonable that though he knowes the chiefe of his allegations to bee but borrowed from his late much beloved Comerads Master Corbet in his Lysimachus Nicanor and Master Maxewell in his Issachars Burden yet he was neither deterred by the strange punishments which God from heaven inflicted visibly on both these calumniatores of their mother Church nor was pleased in his repeating of their calumnious arguments to releeve any of them from the exceptions under the which they stand publickly confuted I suppose to his own distinct knowledge I know certainly to the open view ofthousands in Scotland England and Ireland but it makes for the warners designe to dissemble here in Holland that ever he heard of such books as Lysimachus Nicanor and Issachars Burden much lesse of Master Baylies answer to both printed some yeares agoe at London Edinburgh and Amsterdam without a rejoinder from any of that faction to this day How everlet our warner be heard In the very first page of his first chapter wee may tast the sweetnes of his meek Spirit at the verie entrie he concludeth but without any pretence to an argument there or else where the discipline of the Church of Scotland to be their owne invention whereon they dote the Diana which themselves have canonized their own dreams the counterfeyt image which they faine hath fallen down from Iupiter which they so much adore the very quintessence of refined popery not only most injurious to the civill Magistrat most oppressive to the subject most pernicious to both but also inconsistent with all formes of civill governement destructive to all sorts of Policy a rack to the conscience the heaviest pressure that can fall on a people So much truth and sobernes doth the warner breath out in his very first page Though he had no regard at all to the cleare passages of Holy Scripture whereupon the Scotes doe build their Anti-Episcopall tenets nor any reverence to the harmony of the reformed Churches which unanimously joyne with the Scotes in the maine of their discipline especially in that which the Doctor hates most therein the rejection of Episcopacy yet me thinks some little respect might have appeared in the man to the authority of the Magistrat and civil Lawes which are much more ingeminated by this worthy divine over all his book then the holy Scriptures Can hee so soon forget that the whole discipline of the Church of Scotland as it is there taught and practised is established by acts of Parliament and hath all the strength which the King and State can give to a civil Law the warner may wel be grieved but hardly can he be ignorant that the Kings Majestie this day does not at all question the justice of these sanctions what ever therefore be the Doctors thoughts yet so long as hee pretends to keep upon his face the maske of loyalty he must be content to eat his former words yea to burne his whole book otherwise hee layes against his own professions a slander upon the King and His Royal Father of great ignorance or huge unjustice the one having established the other offring to establish by their civill lawes a Church discipline for the whole nation of Scotland which truly is the quintessence of Popery pernicious and destructive to all formes of civill governement and the heaviest pressure that can fall on a people All the cause of this choler which the warner is pleased to speake out is the attempt of the Scotes to obtrude their discipline upon the King contrary to the dictats of his own conscience and to compell forraigne Churches to embrace the same Ans. Is it not presumption in our warner so soone to tell the world in print what are the dictats of the Kings conscience as yet he is not his Majesties confessor and if the Clerk of the Closet had whispered some what in his earâ—… what he heard in secret hee ought not to have proclaimed it without a warrant but we doe altogether mistrust his reports of the Kings conscience for who will beleeve him that a knowing and a just King will ever be content to command and impose on a whole Nation by his Lawes a discipline contrary to the dictats of his owne conscience This great stumble up on the Kings conscience in the first page must be an ominous cespitation on the threshold The other imputation had no just ground the Scotes did never medle to impose any thing upon forraigne Churches there is question of none but the English and the Scotes were never so presumptuous as to impose any thing of theirs upon that Church It was the assembly of divines at Westminster convocat by the King and Parliament of England which after long deliberation and much debate upanimously concluded the Presbiterian discipline in all the
which Commissioners the chancelor his Majesties Commissioner was chief But neither the King nor the Church could get it to passe the Parliament in regaird of the opposition which some States-men did make unto these parts thereof which touched on their owne interest of unjust advantage this was the only stick The next instance of the Churches encroachement is their usurpation of all the old rents of the clergy as the Churches patrimony and their decerning in anassembly that nothing in the nixt Parliament should passe before the Church were fully restored to her rents Ans. Consider heere the Warners hypocrisie and unjustice he challenges the Presbiterians for that which no praelate in the world did ever esteem a fault a meer declaration of their judgement that the Church had a just right to such rents as by law and long possession were theirs and not taken away from them by any lawfull meanes What if heere they had gone on with the most of the praelaticall party to advance that right to a jus divinum what if they had put themselves by a command from Court into the possession of that right without a processe as diverse of the Warners friends were begun lately to doe in all the three Kingdomes but all that he can here challenge the Scotes for is a meere declaration of their simple right with a supplication to the Regent his grace that hee would indeavour in the nixt Parliament to procure a ninth part of the Churches patrimony for the mantainance of the ministry and the poore of the country for all the rent that the Churches then could obtaine or did petition was but a third of the thirds of the benefices or tithes That ever any assembly in Scotland did make any other addresse to the Parliament for stipends then by way of humble supplication it is a great untruth The last instance is the erecting of Presbyteries through al the Kingdome by an act of the Church alone Ans. I have showne already the untruth of this alleadgeance the proofe heere brought for it is grounded only upon an ambiguous word which the Warners ignorance in the Scotish disciplin and Presbitery though the maine subject of his booke permits him not to understand The Presbyteries were set up by the King after the assembly 1580 but the second booke of discipline of which alone the citation speaks how ever enjoind by many assemblies yet it could never be gotten ratified in any Parliament only because of these parts of it which did speake for the patrimony of the Church and oppugne the right of patronages How well the Warner hath proven the Presbiterian practises to be injurious to the Magistrate we have considered possibly he will bee more happy in his nixt undertaking in his demonstrations that their doctrinall principles doe trample on the Magistrats supremacy and Lawes their first principle hee takes out of the second book of disciplin Cap. 7. That no Magistrat nor any but Ecclesiastick persons may vote in Synods Ans. Though I find nothing of this in the place cited yet there is nothing in it that crosseth either the Laws or the Kings supremacy for according to the acts of Parliament of Scotland both old and late and the constant practise of that Church the only members of Presbyteries are Ministers and ruling elders Is it the Warners minde to vent here his super-Erastianisme that all Ecclesiastick assemblies Classicall Provinciall nationall are but the arbitrary Courts of the Magistrat for to advise him in the execution of his inhaerent power about matters Ecclesiasticall and for this cause that it is in his arbitrement to give a decisive voyce in all Church assemblies to whom and how many so ever hee will Though this may bee the Warners minde as it hath been some of his friends yet the most of the praelaticall party will not mantaine him heerein How ever such principles are contrary to the Lawes of Scotland to the professions also and practises of all the Princes and Magistrats that ever have lived there But the Warner heere may possibily glaunce at another principle of his good friends who have been willing lately to vent before al Britaine in print their Elevating the supremacy of Soveraignes so far above Lawes that what ever people have obtained to bee established by never so many assemblies and Parliaments and confirmed with never so many great seales of ratification and peaceably injoyed by never so long a possession yet it is nothing but commendable wisedome and justice for the same Prince who made the first concessions or any of his successors when ever they find themselfes strong enough to cancell all and make void what ever Parliaments Assemblies royall ratifications and the longest possession made foolish people beleeve to be most firme and unquestionable To this purpose Bishop Maxwel from whom much of this warning is borrowed doth speak in his Sacro-Sancta regum Majestas Though this had been the Cabine divinity of our praelats yet what can be their intentions in speaking of it out in these times of confusion themselves must declare for the cleare consequente of such doctrine seemes to be a necessity either of such Warners perpetuall banishment from the Courts and eares of Soveraignes or else that subjects be kept up for ever in a strong jealousy and feare that they can never be secure of their liberties though never so well ratified by Lawes and promises of Princes any longer then the sword and power remaines in their owne hand to preserve what they have obtained Such Warners so long as they are possessed with such maximes of state are cleare everters of the first fundations of trust betwixt Soveraignes and subjects they take away all possibility of any solid peace of any confident setlement in any troubled state before both parties be totally ruined or one become so strong that they need no more to feare the others malcontentment in any time to come Our second challenged principle is that wee teach the whole power of convocating assemblies to be in the Church Ans. The Warners citations prove not that we maintaine any such assertion our doctrin and constant practise hath been to ascribe to the King a power of calling Synods when and wheresoever he thought fit but that which the Warner seemes to point at is our tenet of an intrinsicall power in the Church to meet as for the word and Sacraments so for disciplin in this all who are Christians old and late the praelaticall and Popish party as well as others goe along with us to mantaine in doctrine and practise a necessity even in times of persecution that the Church must meet for the worship of God and execution of Ecclesiastick disciplin among their owne members In this the doctrine and practise of the Scots is according to their setled lawes uncontroverted by his Majestie If the Warner will mantaine that in reason and conscience al the Churches of the world are oblidged to dissolve and never more
good and the good both of the Church and Kingdome for their obedience to the Kings importunity they are heer railed upon by the wise Warner It is true Captaine Iames shortly after creept in againe into Court and obtained a sever revenge against the authors of that action before a Parliament could sit to approve it but within a few monthes the same Lords with some more did at Striveling chase againe that evill man from the Court whither he never more returned and this their action was ratified in the nixt Parliament and so stands to this day unquestioned by any but such as the Warner either out of ignorance or malice I am weary to follow the Warner in all his wandrings at the nixt loupe he jumps from the 1584 to the 1648 skipping over in a moment 64 yeares The articles of Striveling mentions that the promoving of the worke of Reformation in England and Ireland bee referred to the generall assembly upon this our friend does discharge a flood of his choler all the matter of his impatience heere is that Scotland when by fraud they had been long allured and at last by open violence invaded by the English Praelats that they might take on the yock of all their corruptions they were contented at the earnest desire of both the houses of Parliament and all the wel-affected in England to assist their Brethren to purge out the leaven of Episcopacy and the Service book with all the rest of the old corruptions of the English and Irish Churches with the mannaging of this so great and good an Ecclesiastick worke the Parliament of Scotland did intrust the generall assembly No mervaile that Doctor Bramble a zealous lover of all the Arminianisme Popery and Tyranny of which his great patron Doctor Lade stands convicted yet without an answer to have been bringing in upon the three nations should bee angry at the discoverers and dis-appointers of that most pious work as they wont to style it What heere the Warner repeats it is answered before as for the two Storyes in his conclusion which he takes out of his false Author Spots-wood adding his owne large amplifications I conceive there needs no more to be said to the first but that some of Iohn Knocks zealous hearers understanding of a Masse-Priest at their very side committing idolatry contrary to the Lawes did with violence break in upon him and sease upon his person and Masse-cloathes that they might present him to the ordinary Magistrat to receave justice according to the Law This act the Warner wil have to be a huge rebellion not only in the actors but also in Iohn Knocks who was not so much as present thereat What first he speaks of the Assemblies convocating the people in armes to be present at the tryall of the popish Lords and their avowing of that their deed to the King in his face we must be pardoned to mistrust the Warner heerin upon his bare word without the releefe of some witnes and that a more faithfull one then his Brother in evill Mr. Spotswood whom yet heere he does not professe to cite Against these popish Lords after their many treasons and bloody murders of the lieges the King himselfe at last was forced to arme the people but that the generall assembly did call any unto armes we require the Warners proofe that we may give it an answer CHAP. VIII The chiefe of the Praelats agree with the Presbyterians about the divine right of Church discipline THE Warners challenge in this chapter is that we mantaine our discipline by a Iure divino and for this he spewes out upon us a sea of such rhetorick as much better beseemed Ans. Mercurius Aulicus then either a Warner or a praelate In this challenge he is as unhappy as in the rest it is for a matter wherein the most of his owne Brethren though our Adversaries yet fully agree with us that the discipline of the Church is truely by divine right and that Jesus Christ holds out in scripture the substantials of that Governement whereby he will have his house to be ruled to the worlds end leaving the circumstantials to be determined by the judicatories of the Church according to the generall rules which are clear also in the word for matters of that nature In this neither Papists nor the learndest of the Praelats find any fault with us yet our Warner must spend a whole Chapter upon it It is true as we observed before the elder Praelats of England in Edwards Elizabeths dayes as the Erastians now did mantaine that no particular Governement of the Church was jure divino and if this be the Warners mind it were ingenuity in him to speake it out loud and to endeavour to perswade his friends about the King of the truth of this tenet he was never imployed about a better and more seasonable service for if the discipline of the Church be but humano jure then Episcopacy is keeped up upon no conscience conscience being bottomed only upon a divine right so Episcopacy wanting that bottom may well be laid aside at this time by the King for any thing that concernes conscience since no command of God nor warrant from scripture tyes him to keep it up This truely seemes to be the maine ground whereupon the whole discourse of this Chapter is builded Is it tolerable that such truthes should be concealed by our Warners against their conscience when the speaking of them out might be so advantagious to the King and all his Kingdomes how ever wee with all the reformed Churches doe beleeve in our heart the divine right of Synods and Presbyteries and for no possible inconvenient can be forced to deny or passe from this part of truth yet the Warner heere joynes with the elder Praelats who till Warner Banckrofts advancement to the sea of Canterburry did unanimously deny Episcopacy to be of divine right and by consequent affirmed it to be moveable and so lawfull to be laid aside by princes when so ever they found it expedient for their affaires to be quyte of it why does not the warner and his Brethren speake plainly their thoughts in his Majesties eares why do they longer dissemble their conscience only for the satisfaction of their ambition greed and revenge sundry of the Praelaticall divines come yet further to joyne fully with Erastus in denying not only Episcopacy and all other particular formes of Church government to be of divine institution but in avowing that no governement in the Church at all is to be imagined but such as is a part of the civill power of the Magistrat The Warner in the Chapter and in diverse other parts of his booke seemes to agree with this judgment and upon this ground if he had ingenuity he would offer his helping hand to untie the bonds of the Kings conscience if heere it were straytened by demonstrating from this his principle that very safely without any offence to God and nothing
Ans. Heer were no so contrary commands but both were obeyed the people did kepe the humiliation and some of the Magistrats that same day did give the banquet to the frensh Ambassadours as the King commanded that for this any Church censure was intended against them it is a malitious calumny according to the author of this fable his owne confession as at length may be seen in the unloading of Issachars burden As for his second instance the difference of the Church and State about the late ingagement we have spoken to it in the former chapter at length the furthest the Church went was by humble petitions and remonstrances to set before the Parliament the great danger which that ingagement as it was stated and mannaged did portent to religion the Kings Person whole Kingdom when contrary to their whole some advices the ingagement went on they medled not to oppose the act of State further then to declare their judgement of its unlawfulnesse according to the duty of faithfull watchmen Ezek. 33. It is very false that the Church has chased any man out of the country or excommunicated any for following that engagement or have put any man to sackcloath for it unto his day Neither did ever any man call the freedome of the late Parliament in question how unsatisfied soever many were with its proceedings When the Warner heapes up so many untruths in a few lines in things done but yesterday before the eyes of thousands we shall not wonder of his venturing to lye confidently in things past long before any now living were borne but there are a generation of men who are bold to speake what makes for their end upon the hope that few wil be at the pains to bring back what hes flowne from their teeth to the touchstone of any solide tryall CHAP. X. The Nature of the Presbytrie is very concordant with Parliaments IN the tenth chapter the Warner undertakes to shew the antipathy of Presbyteries to Parliaments albeit there bee no greater harmony possible betwixt any two bodies then betwixt a generall assembly and Parliament a Presbyterie and an inferior civill court if either the constitution or end or dayly practise of these judicatories be looked upon but the praelaticall learning is of so high a flight that it dare undertake to prove any conclusion yet these men are not the first that have offered to force men to beleeve upon unanswerable arguments though contrary to common sence and and reason that snow is black and the fire cold and the light dark For the proofe of his conclusion he brings backe yet againe the late engagement how often shall this insipide colwort be set upon our table Will the Warner never be filled with this unsavory dish The first crime that here the Warner marks in our Church against the late Parliament in the matter of the ingagement is their paper of the eight desires upon this he unpoureth out all his good pleasure not willing to know that all these desires were drawne from the Church by the Parliaments owne messages and that well neare all these desires were counted by the Parliament it self to be very just and necessary Especially these two which the wise Warner pitches upon as most absurd for the first a security to religion from the King upon oath under his hand and seale where the question among us was not for the thing it self but only about the time the order and some part of the matter of that security And for the second the qualification of the persons to be imployed that all should be such who had given no just cause of Jealousy no man did question but all who were to have the managing of that warre should be free of all just causes of Jealousy which could be made appeare not to halfe a dossen of Ministers but to any competent judicatory according to the lawes of the Kingdome The Warner has not been carefull to informe himselfe where the knot of the difference lay and so gives out his owne groundlesse conjectures for true Historicall narrations which he might easily have helped by a more attentive reading of our publick declarations The second fault he finds with our Church is that they proclaime in print their dissatisfaction with that ingagement as favourable to the malignant party c. Ans. The Warner knows not that it is one of the liberties of the Church of Scotland established by law and long custome to keep the people by publick declarations in their duty to God when men are like to draw them away to sin according to that of Esay 8. v. 12. 13. What in great humility piety and wisedome was spoken to the world in the declaration of the Church concerning that undertaking was visible enough for the time to any who were not peremptor to follow their owne wayes and the lamentable event since has opened the eyes of many who before would not see to acknowledge their former errours but if God should speake never so loud from Heaven the Warner and his party will stoppe their cares for they are men of such gallant Spirits as scorne to submit either to God or men but in a Romane constancy they will be ever the same though their counsels wayes be found never so palpably pernicious The third thing the Warner layes to the charge of our Church is that they retarded the leavies Ans. In this also the Warner shewes his ignorance or malice for how sore soever the Levy as then stated mannaged was against the hearts of the Church yet their opposition to it was so cold-rife and small that no complaint needs bee made of any retardment from them So soone as the commanders thought it expedient there was an Army gotten up so numerous and strong that with the ordinary blessing of God was aboundantly able to have done all the professed service but where the aversion of the hearts of the Church and the want of their prayers is superciliously contemned what mervaile that the strongest arme of flesh bee quickly broken in peeces The fourth charge is most calumnious that the Church gathered the country together in armes at Mauchline moor to oppose the expedition Ans. No Church man was the cause of that meeting a number of yeomen being frighted from their houses did flee away to that corner of the Land that they might not be forced against their conscience to goe as souldiers to England while their number did grow and they did abide in a body for the security of their persons upon a sudden a part of the Army came upon them some Ministers being neare by occasion of the communion at Mauchlin the day before were good instruments with the people to goe away in peace And when the matter was tryed to the bottom by the most Eagle-eyed of the Parliament nothing could be found contrary to the Ministers protestation that they were no wayes the cause of the peoples convening or fighting at
The fourth hurt is that every ordinary Presbyter wil make himselfe a Noblemans fellow Ans. No where in the World does gracious Ministers though meane borne men receive more respect from the Nobility then in Scotland neither any where does the Nobility and gentry receive more duely their honour then from the Ministers there That insolent speach fathered on Mr. Robert Bruce is demonstrat to be a fabulous calumny in the historicall vindication How ever the Warner may know that in all Europe where Bishops have place it hes ever at least these 800 yeares been their nature to trample under foot the highest of the Nobility As the Pope must be above the Emperour so a little Cardinal Bellarmin can tell to King Iames that hee may well be counted a companion of any Ilander King were the Bishops in Scotland ever content till they got in Parliament the right hand and the nearest seates to the throne and the doore of the greatest Earles Marquesses and duks was it not Episcopacy that did advance poore and capricious pedants to strive for the whyte staves great Seales of both Kingdomes with the prime Nobility and often overcome them in that strife In Scotland I know and the Warner will assure for England and Ireland that the basest borne of his brethren hes ruffled it in the secreet counsel in the royall Exchequer in the highest courts of justice with the greatest Lords of the Land it s not so long that yet it can be forgotten since a Bishop of Galloway had the modesty to give unto a Marquise of Argile tanta mont to a broadly in his face at the counsel table The Warner shall doe well to reckon no more with Presbyters for braving of Noblemen The nixt hee will have to bee wronged by the Presbytery are the orthodoxe clergy Ans. All the Presbyterians to him it seemes are heterodoxe Episcopacy is so necessary a truth that who denies it must be stamped as for a grievous errour with the character of heterodox The following words cleere this to be his mind they losse saith hee the confortable assurance of undoubted succession by Episcopall ordination what sence can be made of these words but that all Ministers who are not ordained by Bishops must lie under the confortlesse uncertainty of any lawfull succession in their ministeriall charge for want of this succession through the lineall descent of Bishops from the Apostles at least for want of ordination by the hands of Bishops as if unto them only the power of mission and ordination to the Ministry were committed by Christ because of this defect the Presbyterian Ministers must not only want the confort of an assured and undoubted calling to the Ministry but may very well know and be assured that their calling and Ministry is null The words immediatly following are scraped out after their printing for what cause the author lest knoweth but the purpose in hand makes it probable that the deletted words did expresse more of his mind then it was safe in this time and place to speake out it was the late doctrine of Doctor Brambles prime friends that the want of Episcopall ordination did not only annuall the calling of all the Ministers of France Holland Zwit-zerland and Germany but also did hinder all these societies to be true Churches for that popular Sophisme of the Jesuits our praelats did greedily swallow where are no true Sacraments there is no true Church and where is no true Ministry there are no true Sacraments and where no true ordination there is no true ministry and where no Bishops there is no true ordination and so in no reformed country but in England and Ireland where were true Bishops is any true Church When Episcopacy comes to this height of elevation that the want of it must annull the Ministry yea null the Church and all the Reformed at one strock is it any mervaill that all of them doe concurre together for their own preservation to abolish this insolent abaddon and destroyer and notwithstanding all its ruine have yet no disconfort at all nor any the least doubt of their most lawfull ordination by the hands of the Presbytry After all this was writen as heer it stands another copie of the Warners book was brought to my hand wherin I found the deleted line stand printed in these distinct tearmes and put it to a dangerous question whither it be within the payle of the Church the deciphering of these words puts it beyond all peradventure that what I did conjecture of the Warner and his Brethrens minde of the state of all the reformed Churches was no mis-take but that they doe truely judge the want of Episcopall ordination to exclude all the Ministers of other Reformed Churches and their flocks also from the lines of the true Church This indeed is a most dangerous question for it stricks at the root of all If the Warner out of remorse of conscience had blotted out of his book that errour the repentance had been commendable But he hes left so much yet behind unscraped out as does shew his minde to continue what it was so that feare alone to provoke the reformed heere at this unseasonable time seemes to have been the cause of deleting these too cleare expressions of the praelaticall tenet against the very being and subsistence of all the Protestant Churches which want Episcopacy when these mē doe still stand upon the extreame pinacle of impudency and arrogance denying the Reformed to be true Churches and without scuple averring Rome as shee stands this day under the counsel of Trent to be a Church most true wherin there is an easy way of salvation from which all separation is needlesse and with which are-union were much to be desired That gracious faction this day is willing enough to perswade or at least to rest content without any opposition that the King should of himselfe without and before a Parliament though contrary to many standing Lawes grant under his hand and seale a full liberty of Religion to the bloody Irish and to put in their hands both armes Castles and prime Places of trust in the State that the King should give assurance of his endeavour to get all these ratified in the nixt Parliament of England these men can heare with all moderation and patience but behold their furious impatience their whole art and industry is wakned when they heare of any appearance of the Kings inclination towards covenanting Protestants night and day they beate in his Majesties head that all the mischieves of the world does lurke in that miserable covenant that death and any misfortune that the ruine of all the Kingdomes ought much rather to bee imbraced by his Majestie then that prodigious Monster that very hell of the Covenant because forsooth it doth oblige in plane tearmes the taker to endeavour in his station the abolition of their great Goddesse praelacy The nixt hurt of Ministers from the Presbytry is that by it they
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
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
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
His Majesties letters but Messengers such as were two Heralds at Armes His Master of Requests who in the Kings name inhibiting their proceedings they send him word by Macgil they can salve their obedience yet goe through with the businesse Setting up Durie Belcanqual two Edenburgh Ministers to raile against the E Lenox when they are accus'd quitting them by their Ecclesiastike praerogative Putting their scholars at Glasgow in Armes occasioning bloudshed in resistance of the Principal Magistrates of that place against whom they afterward proceeded His Majestie summous them to his judicature at St. Andrewes they send their oratours instead of comming themselves The King exchangeth a promise of securitie for theirs of suspending the censure They admit the condition but collude with His Majestie leaving an underhand power with some select brethren to give sentence as occasion should serve When they get loose they contest with his Majestie by a serpent-supplicate which when it creepes at the foot wounds to the heart Tell him boldlie he playes the Popeâ—… takes a sword in his hand more then belongs to him The Earle of Arran demanding who dares subscribe such a paper Andrew Melvin answers undauntedlie for himselfe some others for hast snatcheth the pen out of a scribes hand that was neare him writes his name exhorts his complices ro doe the like By letter to His Majestie they shew how farre His Majestie had been uninformed upon miâ—…nformation prâ—…judg'd the praerogative of Iesus Christ the liberties of his Church what becomes of the Kings when this is pleaded They enact ordaine that none should procure any such warrant or charge under the paine of excommunication Where K. Iames did acknowledge the aequitie of the Church proceedings in these cases I desire to be inform'd I am sure K. Charles 1. many yeares since hath writ That they did wickedlie that which they could not doe And that it is a very reproveable instance Which to have been ever his fathers opinion I have under the hand of one of the most learned knowing men eminent historians in your Kingdome As likewise that they did never confesse their crimes nor renounce their Bishop-rikes c but that they were most cruellie persecuted by that firebrand of schisme in the Kirke sedition in the state Andrew Melvin his subscribing Associates made so odious to the people by their excommunication that they suffered most grievous penurie in the end were sterved to death which did not quench the malice of their mercilesse enemies who after their death continued persecuting their names memories making them infamous by false supposititious recantations whereof they themselves were the authours publishers Others that acknowledge a word or two to this purpose that drops from Arch-Bishop Adamson say he did it when set on the racke by his hunger being faine to beg bread of his enemies who glad of the occasion sold their charitie by weight for his selfe seeming-conviction when they had it being too greedie to gaine damnation to themselves did sophisticate every syllable with a lie The Bishops in their Declinatour against the Assemblie of Glasgow if you remember well appeale to no general Assemblie otherwise then as it shall pleace His Majestie to constitute it personallie be present or by his Commissioner without whom they acknowledge no authoritie it hath They referre it to His Majestie to call one to repaire their injurie by way of humble desire or direction no way derogating from nor impairing his separate absolute praerogative to redresse all personallie if he please Their expressions relating to Royall power in this particular are such as follow … So that they praeventing not proceeding by warrant of Royal authoritie … May we not therefore intreat my Lord Commissioner His Grace in the words of the Fathers of the fourth General Councel at Chalâ—…don Mitte foras superfluos For discharge of our dutie to God to his Church to our sacred Soveraigne lest by our silence we betray the Church is right His Majestics authoritie our owne consciences … And we most humblie intreat His Grace to intercede with the Kings Majestie that he may appoint a sree lawfull Generall Assemblie… to whom Dr. Rob. Hamilton by these praesents we give our full power expresse mandate to praesent the same in or at the sayd Assemblie or where else it shall be necessarie to be used where 's that Mr. Baylie with all submission obedience due to our gracious Soveraigne His Majesties High Commissioner All which are clauses assertive of His Majesties supremacie over General Assemblies implie his power to take cognizance of their demeanour Though after all this compliance with your method countenancing a seeming pertinencie in your arguments I must seasonablie put you in minde that you are very much mistaken in the Bishops meaning here as otherwhere maintaine a blindeconflict which your selfe For allthough His Lordship often take advantage of your Assemblie proceedings as contrarie to your lawes justifiable establishment of the Ecclesiastike power in your Kingdome yet where there is a concordance of your practice with your rule if accompanied with inconvenience of state incroachment upon that just praerogative which Monarchs otherwhere doe or may assume if destructive to that libertie of the people which is given them by the Gospell Christian freedome sealed to them in their baptisme if disagreeing with the primitive practice for the first five or sixe hundred yeares after Christ you lie open to the force of his arguments though you ward the blow from falling upon your Church in its owne peculiar as constituded in your Countrey For his Lordships endeavour is not onelie though in part to shew how tyrannical your discipline is to your selves but how praejudicial destructive it may prove to us in England if through want of caution or a facile yeilding to your insolent attempts way should be made for you to propagate what you call the Kingdome of Jesus Christ but is indeed the tyrannie of Satan the second practice of Lucifers ambition To banish Gods Anoynted from the earth since he faild in his project of turning God himselfe out of heaven we be ensnared in the like Presbyterian slaverie with the Scots Therefore you see he entituled his booke A Warning to take heed of the Scotish Discipline c. And were it not that you would clamour in vour next pamphlet you were unanswer'd this advertisement might passe with any rational reader for a refutation of at least halfe your booke If I should prosecute you with the many appeales that have been made before the Bishops declinatour of the Assemblie at Glasgow I know you would runne to your cover of complaints pag. 20. of your booke What others have been since will be brought to yourremembrance in such a flying roule as the Prophet Zacharie mentions unlesse a gracious pardon
I must againe send you as I can not too often to the famous Grotius De Imper. Sum. Pot cap. 9. What the Parliament propon'd to you about the late engagement included no such great scruple of conscience as to long for the comfort of your resolution nor was that when they had it the starre by which they steer'd their course in the businesse They knew your violence call'd zeale to be such as would force an entrance into the hearts of many poore people which when it sindes emptic swept garnished for better ghests would call in 7 wicked rebellious spirits to possesse them This epidemical mischiefe they endeavour'd to praevent by acquainting you with the plausibilitie of their enterprize if they could have praevailed for either your consent or silence they should have the lesse need they thought to looke backe in the prosecution of their designe What conjunction soever you found to be at that time driven on I can assure you there was a clearlie malignant partie on this side that found themselves separated who trembled at the hazard of their religion the persons of them that were to be most eminent instruments of its praeservation when they saw such a solemne outward compliance with oathes Covenants with a Committee of Estates that declar'd so at large for the former joint-interest with England against the Liturgie established religion in our Church Yet their warning against it made no other noyse then sounding of their bowels in compassion to the King whom they desired to have by any meanes delivered out of the hands of the mercilesse Independent and a tendernesse toward their sweet ingenuous Prince who with his loyal generous Nobilitieâ—… they feard might be deluded fall into the hands of the darke mercenarie Presbyter the orthodoxe untainted partie being not intermix'd in such a visible number as seem'd likelie to secure them from that danger The Congregational supplications were naught but your Consistorian jugglings Your selves sow'd the winde in some whispering Assemblie instructions then reap'd the whirlewind in tumultuous petitions from the people So that your own spirit first rais'd the storme then wrapt it selfe in a mistie multitude for concealment That the States of the Kingdome sent several expresse messages for that end viz. to receive an Assemblies replic in a Magisterial Declaration against their proceedings in pulpit banning cursing in Clamourous seditions as you could make militairie opposition I can not get within the compasse of my faith take it to be such a salving of conscience as none but a Scottish Classical Casuist will professe beyond what any Jesuite in ordine ad spiritualia will challenge with all the rebellious circumstances that accompanie it For that filthie conclusion you cast upon the Bishop we know aswell as if we had seen it drop that it came from the corrupt praemises in your head In the case you produce His Lordship ties not up the tongues of Gods servants but concludes the counsel of the wicked to be deceit Gods law not to be taken from your preaching nor his Covenant any more from then in your mouth To applie your general to the particular in hand The warre you thought unlawfull because it proclaim'd libertie to the captive the opening of the prison to His Majestie that was bound And the law in St Iames you had no reason to submit to who may not uncharitablie be thought to have resolved upon a connivance at or collusive neutralitie in the murder that was otherwise visiblie to follow The greatest impietie injustice I know was in it as exquisite as you are in casting the fashion of uncertain evils was the advancement of your Covenant in the Van. And if for that the Engagers were to expect nothing but the curse of God I am sure they deserv'd no anathema from your Kirke If your doubting Nation be put in the scales with your resolving Nation that engaged I beleeve we must give you at least a graine or two to make it aequiponderate They that stated their soules by the councel of your Assemblie stay'd behinde to praevent all recruit oppose the retreat of their more loyal Countrey men upon a possible misfortune For the lawfulnesse whereof they had somewhat worse then silence from the miscalled servants of God though I am sure no authoritie from his word When Religion Royaltie lay panting under the talents of most cruel Rebells the Civile businesse of warre was by the other birds of prey unseasonablie disputed What concern'd the soul in it had the cleare sunshine from the law the testimonie to warme quicken it That the Assemblie spake not according to this word was because there was then no light in them the lampe of the wicked was put out What the Church declared in their publike papers to the Parliament had very litlie of modestie or truth It bound up your engagement in so many knottie conditions as had made it sure enough for vindicating the wrongs the sectarians had done when the onelie injur'd persons were excluded out of their share in the promised successe To expect reason by Christian friendlie tâ—…eaties from them that you acknowledge had bid adieu to Religion Covenant when your zealous selves praetenders to both never offered any heretofore was like the fine-spun thread or Covent garden paper you put in afterward between the axe the Royal head it cut off If the good people in Scotland were so willing to hazard their lives estates what good Pastours were you that held their hands forc'd then to sit still By whose cunning misperswasion the engagement was spovled or impeded in the stating we require no farther evidence then from your pamphlets By whose rash praecipitancie or somewhat else in the managing if it may not be ascribed to the fortune of the warre is a mysterie yet not perfectlie revealed The number was large enough though the most religious as you call them were absent the armies courage I thinke had not been much greater by their companie The lies spoken in hypocrisie did but cauterize the conference of the wretched people that stayd at home The lethargie call'd peace which they slumber in for the time may hereafter breake out into an active warre to the ruine of the Assemblie spirits that seduc'd them The three reasons the Bishop toucheth upon as the principal may be the test for the many more that went with them So that we shall not need to rake in your dunghills for the jewel that you promise which when we have found will not yeild one graine of faythfullnesse in your Church They that foretold the destruction that followed were not unlikelie the instruments to effect it If the Kings friends should not march till the Assemblie Zedekiahs put on their hornes though his person be more righteous we looke his successe should be litle better then
Ahabs the Independent Syrians push'd no otherwise then in mockerie and sport while his loyal subjects should be too seriouslie scatered on the hills as sheep that have no shepheard to enfold them If the misbeliefe contempt of whom you call the Lords servants the great danger unto which you make religion be brought were the onelie losses sustain'd in the last armies misfortune let those workers of iniquitie perish that to the ruine of soules endeavour to repaire them What griese of heart or repentance hath shew'd it selfe in those persons you say contributed to the spoiling but must meane unlesse you condemne your selves such as were forward in promoting that designe whether in a politike hypocrisie or which can hardlie be rationallie afforded then a misguided sinceritie will find it to be poenitenda poenitentia a hard retreat from the guilt shame of that botomlesse penance you praescrib'd them unlesse their judgement be as their sinne the same with his who sold his birth-right as they theirs to their libertie for a morsell of bread a poor inconsiderable temporal subsistence may finde no place of repentance though they secke it carefullie with teares Should all the Disciplinarian hands be cut off that were not held up to the agreement of bringing by a warlike engagement the Sectarian partie â—…in England to punishment David Lesley would have but a left-handed armie His Majestie might relie upon halfe his securitie aswell for his crowne as his religion They who to gaine their arreares so easilie I must say traitourouslie parted with that Royal person are not to be credited as men so unanimouslie resolv'd with hazard of lives estates upon his rescue Nor can any man whose faith as not resolv'd into aire so readie to engender with the faint breath of every dissembler beleeve that they would with such hazard make a long march to the Isle of Wight who would not with lesse conduct His Majestie a day or two from Holmebie But had you been at that trouble had Victorie strewed roses in your way when you should have with pleasure regain'd the rich purchase you went for I preceive you had been at a losse for a chapman a great uncertaintie where to dispose it untill you had got one For first you talke of bringing the King to one of his houses to perfect the treatit Then of bringing His Majestie to London with honour freedome safetie Next of bringing him to sit in his Parliament with what honour freedome himselfe should desire And all these with in the extent of a few lines which make three degrees of doubt in the Saints even after their debate of that matter universal agreement not to be quaestion'd But let us suppose the last best of the three in your purpose your avant Curriers on horsebacke to hasten it I see you are pleas'd to call them backe with a quaestion to which I pray tell me where the Lords servants or loyal subjects of Christs Kingdome e'r made a like Yet you shall have your answer by by though you shew not the like civilitie to the Bishop who seemes to state his quaestion thus Whether when the Parliament Armie of Scotland had declar'd their resolutions to bring His Majestie to London c. without conditioning for a promise of securitie for establishing at best a controverted religion any legitimate full Church Assemblie ought an illegitimate imperfect Clerical combination or Conventicle could in ordine ad spiritualia declare against the engagement call for the Kings hand seale oath to establisp a cut throat covenant to the ruine of his person posteritie Religion Lawes Libertie Monarchie whatsoever His Majestie was by a solemne oath indispensable peswasion of conscience obliged with the hazard of life Kingdomes to maintaine In answer to yours take this The Parliament armie of Scotland in declaring their resolutions c. did what they ought that according to your own principles for you had the securitie of His Majesties Royal word more then once for establishing your Religion in Scotland according to the treaties that had been perfected between the two Kingdomes If you intended the like courtesie to England your Parliament Armie had it consisted of none but the Saints were in no capacitie to take it being no part of the principals concer'd in the benefit nor deputed by England to capitulate for it Therefore their rescuing His Majesties person out of the Sectaries hands had been the untying of his puting him in a posture to give The bringing him to his Parliament in London where likewise your own Commissioners resided had been the seting him in sight of such as were to aske receive Which is the same kind of Logike you us'd in your answer to both Houses of Parliament upon the new propositions of peace the 4. bills to be sent 1647. Where I finde your opinion judgement to be this That the most aequal fairest just way to obtaine a well-grounded peace is by a personal treatie with the King that his Majestie for that end be invited to come to London with honour freedome safetie For which you offer 6. reasons 1. The sending of your propositions without a treatie hath been often essayed without successe… Of those propositions this ever was one To promise securitie for establishing religion And what better successe could now be exspected 2… His Majesties proesence with his Parliament must be the best â—…if not the onelie â—…remedie to remove our troubles This remedie the Parliament Armie intended to helpe you to 3… Without a treatie or giving reasons for asserting the lawfullnesse expedience of the propositions to be praesented they may be aesteemed impositions This proposition was to be sent without a treatie being neither lawfull nor expedient for the many reasons His Majestie had formerlie render'd I remit the Reader to your paper for the rest a great deale more of selfe contradiction with somewhat worse which one of the new English Lights hath discover'd in his answer But you shake of that like an old serving-man which had done your drudgerie in his youth bestow your liverie on the Parliaments praecedent which providence beleeve me will save you but litle Your argument's this The Parliaments of both Kingdomes in all their former treaties ever pressed upon the King a number of propositions Ergo The Church may desire the granting of one I should be too courteous in casting up the numerous account of their rebellions aequal to their propositions keep out but a single unitie for you I shall chuse rather to tell you cautioning first for the falshood in the fundamental hypothesis That in cases of treatie the Church of Scotland is subordinate to one therefore hath no adaequate conditioning priviledge with the Parliaments of both Kingdomes especiallie in her peevith state of opposition to both Secondlie This proposition desired is the Trojan horse into
with reference to no unlawfullnesse but inconvenience retracted that too in his too late yet seasonable repentance afterward Though for what His Lp. objects were there too after Acts of Parliament to ratifie the substance of what the Kirke repraesents no one of them thereby justifies the circumstance of Ministers mutinous protesting against lawes made in houres of darkenesse upon what misinformation soever which is treason against man and excusable by no formal obedience toward God This for the Bishop to publish being one of the Governers of that Church which strangers plot what they can to seduce into the same rebellion with their owne is no contemning of law but discharging his conscience and dutie in his place By the next storie the Bishop will gaine a more perfect discoverie of your resembling those grievous revoiters in Jeremie who walke with slanders being brasse iron Who bend your tongue like a bowe for lies and yet when the true case is know'n be accounted by Solomon but a fool for your labour In King James's minoritie who stole his name though they ner had his heart to act by it the most unnatural oppresion of that most gallant Queen his vertuous and gracious mother to murder and banish many noble assertours of the reformed orthodoxe religion lawes appeares upon publike record in your storie This one Capt. Iames Stuart very noblie with standing your divellish temptations to have him maintaine a distructive dissention at Court with Esme Stuart E Lenox a faythfull subject most deserving favourite of the Kings improving that litle interest you helpt him to to a more Christian conjunction in love and loyaltie and a double vigilancie over the Kings person exposed too often to your treacherous designes is unlikelie to have any better character at your hands then what you commonlie give to persons of such sidelitie and honour His advancement to the titles estate of E. Arran Chancellar of Scotland was partlie in reward of his guardian care over him whom somwhat else beside sicknesse had made unfit for the management of either Yet were not these taken by force But on free session then desperate to whom if the King were nearest in bloud not to mention a third which your zealous professours commonlie finde him his Majestie had a double title to his lands a power undisputable to dispose of the Chancellars office at his pleasure What beside Capt. Iames's unheard of oppressto is which dirt his zeale for religion contracts when it passeth through the uncleane chanell of any Presbyters mouth troubled the Nobilities Patience the reader may finde somewhat more trulie and impartiallie related not onelie in the Apocriphal histories of the two Rt. Reverend Arch-Bishops of Canterburie and Saint Andrewes but even in the Canonical tradition of Philadelphs Vindicatour who praemiseth some repulse your Church Delegates had about their querulous petitions A difference that fell out between E. Lenox Gowrie about some point of honour to revenge which he calls Murre Glame and diverse other disquiet discontented spirits into a confaederacie whom you call a number of the prime best affected nobiiitie which improper title he more ingenouslie declines in a peice of Rethorical ignorance putting his hand more modestlie before his eyes as loth to looke on their sinfull rebellious demeanour Qualcscunque fuerint plerique eorum non multum laberabo … qualis quisque corum suerit nescio applies the blinde mans speach ' in the 9. of Saint Iohn to the authours of the miracle in this change And beside the mere boast no violence you rejoyce in confesseth diverse of the Kings servants were wounded among the rest William Stuart the newes whereof brought Capt. Iames thither Who was not chaced away by their strong breath but clapt up into a castle by their power the Kings guard being before remov'd from him and His Majestie taken by Gowrie and his conspiratours into custodie The E. Lenox banished into France where with in a short time he died whether by griefe principallie or his sicknesse he defines not He addes That the Heads of this faction sent the Abbot of Paslet to your Assemblie at Edaenburgh for their approbation who what soever they did afterward at that time onelie thanked God for deliverance viz from the imminent instice of the law to which most of their Members were lyable durst not approve the businesse or appeare to doe it at least put up a non'sense petition to God praying him it were well done after it was done and whether well or ill then unalterable by their prayers or indeed by devine power whose omnipotencie is not limited when denied to make good moral contradictions to pleasure an hypoeritical Assemblie He speakes nothing of the Kings sending to his Councel or judicatories to declare the act of the Lords convenient and lawdable for which he expected no reasonable mans credulitie nor patience unlesse so farre as to spit it backe into his face Nor yet of His Majestics entreating the Assemblie but of their sending Delegates to him The answer he gave them if any or such as the Vindicator hath helpt us to is much different from yours and though not extorted by the terrour of death which may well be suspected by the successive treasonable attempts of the same Gowrie and his sonne afterward gives litle approbation of the fact being onelie his acknowledgement of a blessing from God for delivering his person and the Commonwealth from mischiefe by which doubtlesse he meant the happie praeservation of his life So that I againe appeale to your aquitable comparers what historical truth we are likelie to have of your penning when seting one Disciplinarian brother against another without consulting unprinted records we can confute you line by line among your selves The letter His Majestie sent to Q. Elizabeth was forced Regem invitum compulerunt sayth Camden where by he allowed no more that act for good service then he would have done a thiefe for taking but his purse when he might likewise have had his life But to proceed Capt I'ames shortlie after crept not in but was calld Revocatur Aranius sayth your brother Therevenge whether obtaind by him or no was but the justice of the law executed with litle severitie upon any but moderated by the mercie of a gracious King and tenderd to all upon submission But traitourous Assemblies giving universal allowance for possible misfortunes had ever an aftergaime of treacherie in reserve Therefore the Ministers running at this time into a voluntarie exile was upon the apprehension of their guilt diffidence even in the word of a King for their impunitie if not rather a designe to make His Majestie secure and so to praepare for the treason at Striveling that followed few moneths after where not onelie Capt I ames was chac'd away but the Kings life endangerd for which Gowrie very justlie payd his owne These their actions were ratified by no Parliament but a partie nor
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
one of his Lp's learned brethren that ever writ for 't what concessions have pass'd from the elder Edward and Elizabeth Praelates of England or what from the later Erastians as you style them in diminution of the jus divinunâ—… of Episcopacie desends not to the jus humanum in your sense there beingâ—… midle Apostolical right participant of both enough to constitute an immutabilitie in their order whatsoever change their jurisdiction may admit of at least such as they finde aequivalent to the communicating of women baeptizing of infants observation of Sunday which when you bring arguments to unfixe you may with greater confidence treate against Bishops wherein those friends His Lo. hath about the King are so perfectlie instructed that they laugh at your sillie straâ—…agems to pervert them being such as if at any time they repraesent to His Majestie as you earnestlie desire will thereby no quaestion confirme his pious resolution in the continuance of that holie order especiallie since the maxime you build upon That conscience is bottom'd onelie upon a divine right they finde ruind by Saint Paul in his doctrine and practice who convinceth the heathen upon the right or principles of nature and argues from the testimonie of conscience they had sufficientlie bottom'd upon the worke of the law written in their hearts Nor had he ever converted any of the nations without divine revelation antecedent I meane in them aswell as in himselfe which had made lesse effectual and pertinent the ministrie of the Gospell if no moral arguments had obliged their consent How farre this is applicable to Episcopacie though were it not it is to your argument against it I am not here to discusse onelie intimate I may that in proportion it is possible as much to a sacred as civile Monarchie I meane not coordinate the later had it not the law of God hath the language of nature importunate to commend it I will trifle with you no farther in this matter but lay downe this conclusion which you may take up to what advantage you can That in a thing ambiguous such as you here seem to give if not grant Episcopacie to be since no command of God nor warrant from scripture enjoynes or tolerates the change since no Apostolical nor Christian Church for so many hundred yeares before that single citie of Geneva began it since neither that nor any other besides ever acted or at least publikelie avowed what change you demand in the many particulars that have been and shall be inserted in this dispute to the inevitable subversion of Regal government to the confusion of Christian subjection in the enjoyment of just libertie to the plaine praejudice of Parliament priviledge in three dominions to the seting up of much spiritual and carnal wickednesse some grave reverend Divine might modestlie speake a word in season and say His Majesties conscience can not at the best but doubt and doubting ought not by the law of God and rule of reason to resolve on it Which indeed is the substance of his Royal Fathers printed profession That he found it impossible for a Prince to praeserve the state inquiet unlesse he had such influence upon Church men and they such a dependance on him as might best restraine the seditious exorbitances of Ministers tongues c. And this is onelie to be had in that government which was one bottome for his conscience… That since the first age sor 1500 reares not one example can be produc'd of any sotled Church wherein were many Ministers Congregations which had not some Bishop above them under whose jurisdiction and government they were This was another bottome for his conscience To which such a divine as I spake of might adde with a due reserve of all humblie revence to and most unshaken confidence in that Holie Martyr and his most pious hopefull successour our gracious soveraigne now living That he who for any politike end suggested or necessitie most fond'le praetended of the subtilest presbyterian of you all shall adventure to take himselfe off from this bottome when Iudaisme or Turcisme some part of your mixture shall be alike plausible praetended as more advantageous to his purpose may be fear'd to befound not well setled upon Christianitie it selfe but fall from it throw away one or both Testaments of Scripture which upon the universal tradition of the Church as the other upon the Cathoike practice of the same he first rationallie received as the word of God though afterward he found other motives prompting a beliefe of it to be such which at last be had superinduc'd by what too many vainlie praetend to the instinct or plerophorie of the spirit His Majestie likewise found most agreeable both to reason and religion that frame of government because paternal not magisterial c. Which was a third bottome for his conscience Nor did he thinke it any point of wisdome or charitie where Christians differ …there to widen the differences and at once to give all the Christian world except a handfull of some Protestants so great a seandal in point of Church government c. of which wisdome and charitie the gifts of the spirit of God he made another very good botome for his conscience Let Mr. Baylie reade the rest of that most excellent divine chapter and answer it if he can The maine ground of the Bishops discourse being wilfullie mistaken by the Reviewer his structure is weake about the Warners conscience And the Kings advantage His cordial beliâ—…e of the divine right of Synodâ—… and Presbyteries together with that of the Reformed Churches which the Bishop shewes to be different may come from a private spirit that misinformes them then is no good interpreter of Scripture nor any sure praecedent for Christianitie throughout Their strict and inseparable adhaerence to his errour beside that it antidates all treaties null without an effectual complinance against conscience and honour excommunicates all the world but themselves excludes them from all hope of fellow ship with this new select societie of Saints who could they multiplie into a number large enough to fill the circle of their ambition and had they every one a drop of Scotish rebellious bloud in their veines would no longer labour the conversion of Kings but take Gods angrie worke out of his hands to bring their Princes to nothing… and be the whirlewind themselves to take them away as stubble He that lookes not through Mr. Baylies glasse of vanitie and lies can never be able to view the Bishop clasped so close with the elder Praelates impairing the divine right nor then with the consequence he makes about the legal or expedient mobilitie of Bishops Therefore as the ambition greed revenge so the dissimulation in conscience is his who can not but know what texts himselfe useth to câ—…te for the divine right of Presbyterie and what the Bishop expresselie sayth that the same may with much
si correxeris fratrem solvisti eum in terra Sainr Austin which seemes to be the proper meaning of the place After all which I expect you should make some apologie for your brethren abroad that in the yeare 1563. Sept. 6. excommunicated Iohn Morell the Frenchman for writing this doctrine burn'd his booke and interdicted under a great poenaltie the reading any copie of it that might escape them The third 1. Cor 5. appeares not evidentlie to put the power of jurisdiction in a companie of men met together Theophylact taking it for a modest condescension in Saint Paul to joine the Corinthians with himselfe whose solitarie power was absolute Hiname doxe autades Kai autous proslambanei Koinoonous And the context importing the sentence such as it was to be but declarative in them them by the vertual praesence of the Apostles spirit and judicial in Saint Paul who had passed it before ede Kekrika sayth he vers 3. Though it will trouble you to prove that here was any jurisdiction exerciz'd delivering to Satan being probablie but a desertion of the partie peccant using no intercession in his behalfe but leaving him naked for Satan to assault him with corporal torments which prodigious punishment was usual in those times Excommunication it can not be because it limits his censure to the destruction of the flesh deprives him not of the Sacraments the want whereof is destructive to the spirit The twelfth verse addes no strength to your argument the sense seeming to be onelie this I have nothing to doc to judge them that are without but leave them to God I have to doc to judge them that are within worthie of deliverance up to Satan And ye judge them that is deliver them up when ye are gathered together my spirit As he had sayd vers 4. So it is Saint Pauls spirit that is principal in this jurisdiction and the companie of men met together but his delegates or assistants convocated at his pleasure To Your assumption I likewise answer That the Bishop is as much the Church as Saint Paul in this case and hath as much of the ordinarie power transmitted to him So that you see it requires not the Doctours learning but the search of his Acolythus and servant to satisfie you if you will be with antiquitie reason Which being done you may send more scirptural arguments against Episcopacie by your brethren of the next Commission Touching those you have brought allreadie you need not be so confident in calling for their answer unlesse they were somewhat better The visible leisure is in none but such as you your courteous Disciples in England have procured to be imprison'd in severall goales of both Kingdomes others having businesse enough by shifting from one place to another to secure their persons and save their lives from your crueltie The poor prisoners have few visible helpes to that purpose If you will finde courage or conscience enough to undertake their free accesse to the Fathers and other authours that are visiblie necessarie to that purpose I have enough left still to assure you in the name of them that have more learning then they boast of that whatsoever becomes of your punie Clerkes Master Parker and Didoclave who may be easilie turn'd of with some carefull quotations and references to a multitude of bookes allreadie printed Master Blondels magazine of antiquitie shall be seiz'd on and what in it is upsie Scotch which is not all for the presbyterie you bragge of shall in spight of your power be rescued for the true owners that is the Bishops For your meracle of learning the most noble Somais we wish he may worke more such wonders as he hath of late and send his petie advocate a new blew bonnet at parting trimmed with a distick begining if he pleaseth Ille ego qui quondam for his fee. Were publike masters of fact as mysterious as the intrigues in your spiritual Iunto and Consistorian Caballs some Endor oracle must perchance have been consulted and one of your blacke guardant Angels been superstitiouslie worship'd or ceremoniouslie waited upon for revelation But when the bookes of the dead are before their day opened by your hands and their workes of darknesse registred by your pennes the warner may every where without an ironie proclaime his knowledge in your storie as great as his strictest search and as certaine as your rash consession could create King Iames's 55. quaestions so troubled the Scotish divines that they finding their plea of divine right and immutabilitie of their discipline to be disputed the Perth Assemblie indicted principallie for that purpose to divert the King if not otherwise to praevent his multiplying such problemes to which David Blackes processe the businesse about the banish'd Lords may be annexed they rais'd a desperate sedition on the 17. of December which allreadie is discours'd on Their if you meane the Synods answer was not so round but that they first protested parlied about their priviledge at the conference with His Majestie and the Estates required time to returne reason vote resolve in all points If thereafter the propounders were speachlesse in the businesse it might be because the Synod caried it for the King and determined the problemes in his sense which for ought I know is that the Bishop meanes by yeilding the bucklers without any opposition The maner and time might very well perplexe them being in a free Synod and meeting with their bold contestation for David Blacke Nor were they troubled onelie at the Erastian Praelatical Counsellers about the King but at Patrike Galloway and Iames Nicolson of late Saints but now it should seem become Apostate presbyters in the Synod The quaestions put by the King were not captious and carping at the parts of Church discipline but a just controversie raised about the whole fairlie propounded freelie discussed deliberatelie resolved to the satisfying his conscience and silencing schismatical scruples for the future I have often told you no statutes of Parliament nor Acts of any but factious Assemblies authorisd your Discipline though were it ratified as you would have had it by any other set your jusdininum aside and fetch not your praecedent from the Medes and Perâ—…ans a power aequivalent to that which did it might reverse it The visible Church in your countrey at that time was not so farre from yeildino to Episcopacie but that your brother confesseth the cranie was then made by which it afterward crept in though I am at a losse for so much day light in your storie as to see the yeare when legallie it was thrust out Perhanerimam sayth he ad essentialia ipsa externi regiminis impetendum extruendum Episcopatum aditum sibi patefecerunt You can not denie but that it brought them thus farre on their way to the title of Praelates and voting in Parliaments Wicked states men at that time beares the same signifiancie with
too lavish then close handed and promis'd more upon the necessitie then thought on then some conceived in justice or conscience could he performed Securitie upon oath under hand and seale the Bishop tells you were harder termes then an Vsurers to a Bankrupt and it may be you tooke His Majestie for no other having goten though by no morgage his kingdomeâ—… in your possession And knowing what he had contracted with God before you would not part with them but upon the surest interest of his soul. If the quaestion were not for the thing that it should seeme you tooke for granted And then what methodical and scrupulous traytours doe you blazon your selves to be to leave him languishing in a gaole while the order and some particle of the securitie must be thought an The qualification of the persons to have the managing of the warre being approved by the Parliament the highest Court in the Kingdome no law intimates an Assemblie or Indicatorie competent to reverseit So that the Bishop hath sufficientlie inform'd himselfe that the knot of the differtnce lies onelie in some bulrush which you looke for to litle purpose And having attentivelie read your publike declarations drawes out of them no groundlesse conjecture but an infallible assurance that no Historie mentions such Pharisaical Rebells upon the earth The Warner knowes very well that what you call the libertie of the Church is in truer language the license of the many schismatical hypocrites that disturbe it who by long custome of blaspheming God in guilded rhetorike and a spiritual figure translating his holie word but perverting the sense to sinfull ends in publike declarations have withdraw'n poor people from their dutie to their King into such feares confoederacies as the prophet Esai had in the place that you cite warning from the Lord with a strong hand instructions not to walke in The three Graces you bragge of had too many snakes dangling about their eares to be mistaken for other then the thre infernalfuries which they were Your humilitie was pride and arrogancie to the height attributing more to your private fancies then to the publike counsels of a free parliament the undenied repraesentative of the Kingdome Your pietie was but the will worship of your owne imaginations that you chaileng'd And your wisdome craftinesse wherin you will be taken in the end by your froward counsel caried headlong to your destruction The visibilitie of this might encourage the Engagers to run any adventure rather then to follow you in your wayes Such of them as since the disaster have crouched to an acknowledgement of their loyaltie for an errour are poore Spirited fooles that have their eyes onelie in the ends of the earth are never likelie to be in the number of them who obteind a good report through fayth in their sufferings nor receive the promise of some beter thing that God had pro vided for them Did an Angel from heaven blow his trumpet and proclaime God speaking in your declarations the Warner and his partie were bound to stop their eares Or if the Prince of the power of the aire should clothe such wicked language in lightning or pervert some Boanerges to speake it in thunder by terrour to worke in children of disobedience we have Saint Pauls praescript to pronounce a double anathema against him Accursed Accursed let him be and in submission to God in his messenger the Apostle such men of gallant spirits should we be as in a Christian constancie or Romane if you will have it rather to perish with this last breath in our mouthes then by hearkening to counsels or walking in wayes so palpablie pernicious to Church and state with the ruine of both let the breath of our nostrils the Anoynted of the Lord be taken in their pits If the margin and text of your following paragraph were not so neare neighbours in my hast I might chance to have made no comparison and so escaped the contradiction between them No offer to stopthe leavic in the one and opposition so coldrife and small in the other will I thinke be reconciled by no logike but that which makes degrees varie species or argues from the third to the second adjectand according to the vulgar proverbe makes that not to be at all which is litle or nothing to the purpose To the substance of your answer By enquirie I finde your oppsition as hot as your fervent zeale and abilities could make it and if your actions drew in the same yoke with your words you that sweated it out in earnest beseechments exhortations and threats sate not still to see the effects of your papers but armed your selves to the worke of retardment if not to the retracting the designe Some few lines in a Declaration and warning from the Commission of your General Assemblie are enough to keep the Bishop from ignorance a transscript of them as they lie to discharge him from the malice you impute… We doe earnestlie beseech and exhort all who live in this land that as they tender their solemne obligation and oath both by the National Covenant and by the solemne league Covenant as they love the honour of Iesus Christ and the Gospell…Nay as they wish to eschew the heavie wrath and indignation of the Lord That they doe not give any countenance nor connivence to these wicked men in their wicked way much lesse to joyne with them in counsel or in armes And because it lies upon us to be faythfull in our station therefore as we have allreadie given warning unto these men that unlesse they doe speedilie destst from their evil way and repent that we will proceed aganist them with the dreadfull sentence of excommunication…if any shall hereafter joine with them we will be necessitated impartiallie to proceed against them with the highest censures of the Kirke… If this be coldrife and small opposition what tall fellowes are you when you are warme I Know nothing you could well doe beyond it unlesse with C. Caesar you would be so mad as in Homers language challenge Iupiter to an encounter em ' anaeir ' e ego se which you are likelie enough to doe if it succeeded with him as Seneca Supposed Non puto parum momenti haue ejus vocem ad incitandum conjuratorum anlmos addidisse The Armie gotten up so numerous and strong which the Commanders thought sooner expedient and had sooner levied but for you was probablie able to have done what service they professed but the aversion of the hearts of the Church declaring it selfe in diabolical curses and supercilious discouragement divided the hearts and enfeebled the hands of a faint people It was a strange sympathie in the hearts of your yeomen that in the midst of their fright made them flee to the same corner of the land Their consciences are not commonlie of such a tender touch but when scarified by their Clergie So that it will be
because they are the men that ought to speake just like you denie all supremacie Their first language is this Quis dominus Who is Lord over use The Politician I spake of hath a discourse worth your reading wherein he shewes you how Maliomet stirred up the people against Heraclius the Emperour He sayth as much for Calvin your protoplast which whatsoever may be apologiz'd for him I am sure is inexcusable in Knox and you that are the workemanship of his hands This made Charles the good so prudent and resolute who being become too unhapie in nothing more then in suffering your Babel building to be finished in Scotland when he beheld the like worke of your fellow Rebell Architects in England would not exclude himselfe out of doores nor part with that power whereby he might best restraine the seditious exorbitances of Ministers tongues who with the keyes of heaven have so farre the keyes of the peoples hearts as they praevaile much by their oratorie to shut in and let out both peace and loyaltie While the Warner scosfes at your threats his meaning is to have deluded people to scorne them and know in your words that the thundrings of the Scotish aswell as that Roman Anti-Christ are but vanitie and â—…inde To tell them in a figure that hell and death are no more in your keeping then the gaole in the prisoners that walkes abroad in the streetes with his shakels about him but must render himselfe at the end of his covenant The Praelates proclamation of such Atheisme as this is a printed copie out of the original writ by the fingar of God in the 10. S. Matth. Whereby is to be banished out of the hearts of the people all feare of them which kill the bodie but are not able to kill the soul for all their kirke-bulls and censures that threaten it To the quaestion you close with I answer That Satan hath driven allreadie the first instruments of his Republike in Britaine into a very narow roome in the North where Cromwell and other his more usefull instruments at praesent are likelie to keep them till if God neither convert nor by a miracle otherwise confound them his worke being done he may lash them with whips of their owne making topt ' with Serpents heads and Scorpions tailes and at last deliver them to the worme that shall not die cast them into the fire that shall not be quenched and make their stinking memorie an abhorring unto all slesh The third part of the parallel hath been in every particular justified and were more instances requisite to evidence the truth they might be a numberlesse number of such imputations as you are never able to refute The charge which the Bishop subjoines is not so poore but that it enricheth his proofe with the best argument of your spiritual supremacie The daylie practice of the Parliaments of Scotland such as have been of late and heretofore when your Reformation tooke place constitutes no right confirmes no power os nominating commitees for intervalls Nor is there any inhaerent right in Courts to nominate interreigning Commissioners but by Royal favour in such as except their intertearming vacations are perpetual and standing not call'd by fits ad placitum Domini Regis no not in the Parliament it selfe Which to omit other proofes was the ground of this clause in their Act of oblivion 1641. That the peace to be now established may be inviolablie observed in all time to come It is agreed that some shall be appointed by His Majestie and the Parliaments of both Kingdomes who in the interim betwixt the sitting of the Parâ—…ments may be carefull that the peace now hapilie concluded may be tontinued c. … And it is declared that the power of the Commission shall be restrained to the articles of peace in this treatie As likewise of that fatal Act for perpetuating the last blacke Parliament in England which had probablie neâ—…r been required if it might have nominated a Committe of state that idol to which it now sacrificeth in bloud to sit till the next summons upon any inhaerent right in that Court. For the Iudicatories of your Church I am tired with telling you that no law of the Kingdome doth privativé authorize them to meet their Assemblie being illegal without the King or his Commissioner neither of which are to come upon course or at call And their power of appointing Committees hath as often been quaestion'd and how often is that as it ever was executed without or against the positive consent or command of the King or Queen for the time And trulie the committees in the times os your late troubles were the Ambuscado wherein you lay closelie in wait to disturbe both Church and state while your armed bodie in Parliament retired Whose frequent meetings were forced no otherwse then by the incessant zeale in their Members to persecute Religion and loyaltie Whose diversion from their particular charges for attendance on the publike rebellion was join'd with so great fascherie and expense to fullfill their lusts at other mens cost Which with all their heart they will in Sempiternum continue if feare of their neckes make them not at length slip out of the collar or their grey haires and withered carkasses after many a surfeit call them not to some other account or their Chiefe in whose service they made these necessarie meetings pay them not their necessarie wages in pertusum sactulum into a bag full of holes which shall never be filled no more then was the measure of the iniquitie they acted CHAPTER XI The Presbyterie cruel to particular persons IF King and Parliament be as they may very well incenced against the Presbyterie at sight of the Bishops reason more then out of sympathie with him in his anger his warning hath taken in part the effect that he wished and aim'd at Yet in vaine shall they vindicate all just authoritie to themselves if the people be kept in a servile observance of a tyrannous discipline pay their blinde obedience to the Kirke Therefore the Warner excedes no bounds in his rage but en largeth his bowels of pitie to them who for the most part having disarmed their soules of that judgement which should dictate their freedome from Church censures upon acts indifferent or sinfull in an inferiour degree their due submission to an arraignment of thoughts onelie in the Court of a poenitent conscience or hereafter before the tribunal of heaven where sits the onelie Iudge of hearts the discerner of perverse inclinations expose themselves naked to the boundlesse furie of mercilesse Reviewers to the sharpe scrutinie of malicious Inquisitours to the arbitrarie sentence of most sinful Iudges and therefore most suspicious surmisers The Bishop mentions no faults but such as toward which your Discipline mentions no favour limited to the privacie of the care Nor yet doe all those give occasion for that which you take to shew
the infinite extent the interminate divisibilitie of your power In the booke that he cites is the greatest censure of the Church praescribed and more methodicallie then mercifullie shewed how a small offence or sclaunder may justlie deserve excommunication by reason of the contempt and disobedience of the offender Pag. 60. And lest any should thinke that the osfenses named are not so hainous as that of the Corinthians incest whence you take your paterne and Saint Pauls authoritie for your processe you give such to understand that mercie and favour may rather be granted to any other sinne then to the contempt of wholesome admonitions and of the just and law full ordinances of the Church Pag. 80. Which if as you say it never procured the smallest censure you have been a great deale too profuse of your pardons Where you professe your obligations so great to the performance of the commandement of God Or if you thinke it not such may be justlie required by any Erastian to render a reason why that ignis fatuus that foolish spirit of bondage walkes in your Discipline from generation to generation while they laugh at the calamitic you threaten and moâ—…ke when your feare cometh upon the people But he that knowes you will never mistake you for such meeke lambes in this mimike disguise of lions when he findes you aswell preying as roaring And how any the most charitable man will have just cause to complaine of your rigour let your aequitable comparers judge observing with me but one passage of multitudes in your forme that one which speakes you the most savage petitioners that ever invocated the name of Christ whom you humblie beseech for feare his mercie that is written to be above all his owne workes should be above that of yours the inhumanitie you are about that whatsoever in his name you pronounce in earth meaning the sentence of excommunication though but for susspicions and jealousies if not confessed to be as real faults as any peevish brother shall construe them he Would ratifie the same in heaven Which can not be paralleld in the Turkish Aicaron nor among all the superstitions rites and cruel offices of the heathen per formed to the most bloudie most insatiate of divels who doth nothing else but goe about seeking whom he may devoure Where as if this be your slacknesse wherewith sectaries charge you which you are soric you are not able to refute it should seem you are sorie there are no more hells then one no pluralitie of soules in your single Impaenitents no imaginable protraction of punishment beyond aeternitie for the execution of your censures The Sabbath recreations which the Bishop sayth are voyd of scandal are likelie to be at most but those mention'd in the booke of toleration so much decried by the brethren of your faction among which were no stage playes nor in my memorie any allowed to be acted on Sundays and so not frequented by his friends The greater license on the Sabbath Kirmasses you slide over without any of that zeale which His Lordship prophesieth though your selfe have been a spectatour of it in these Countreys So that in your owne words which I am a frayd will too often be mistaken for mine and bring upon me the imputation of a sloven If the Aposteme in your lowest gut had not chang'd places with your braines your words had been wiser and your unsavourie breath which you too often eructate somewhat sweeter The debate among some of your sect Whether in Scotland or no which is not expressed about starch and cuffes may very well passe upon the credit of the Warner that asserts it your putting him upon the poofe makes me guesse you are not in a readinesse to denie it Howsoever we know the curses of the Laundrie have been through two or three descents a traditional legacie to the brethren of your order in England for the counterscuffles they made about the former And the debate on the later hath produc'd an injunction to your Societie somewhere else to cast away those litle idolatroue ragges which could scarce be taken for any reliques of Rome their gloves too it may be upon better reason lest the cleanlinesse of their hands might beget a jealousie of some superstition in washing them before their publike officiating on their unhandsome distributing of the word What litle latitude of discretion you allow how your superiours must be your slaves or pupils in the attire aswell of their bodies as sules is evident by your preaching and articling against the apparell even of the Ladies of Honour that waited upon your Queenes Majestie three sundrie dayes when she rode in great state and solemnitie to the Tolbuith in Parliament time Ao 1563. Of the second oppression which the Bishop objects you give up a very imperfect account leaving the greatest weight to he as heavie as it can upon the head of your Synods in calling the Magistrate fool for his mercie and knave for his briberie which you onelie suspect because he is not as rigid as your selves In enjoyning publike satisfaction after the Defendant hath given it at an assize c. What you bring is litle to the purpose and if it were hath been packt away with its answer long a goe Wherewith yet if gou will not be satisfied you must be set to reviewe Erastus and answer him When he tells you of old no notice was taken of your double formalitie viz of crime and scandal so as to subject the delinquent for the same fact to the censure of two distinct Courts Civile and spiritual He calls ad raucedinem usque for one text or example in Scripture to justifie it He proves out of St. Austin c. That the Church used the spiritual sword onelie when the temporal was not in Christian hands He puts you to make good your maine consequence That if the Magistrate doth not his dutie an Assemblie Court is required to constraine him or as youe Liturgie speakes to admonish him and that too as the Bishop urgeth when he hath discharg'd it according to his Iudgement and conscience From your proceedings of this kinde His Lordship drawes 3. observations which you cannot denie and yet dare not acknowledge and therefore say nothing but worke in a whimzie of his excursions upon his owne friends not any of whom approve the injustice the irrationalitie much lesse imitate the cueltie of your practice The Popish Praelates are not so neare allied unto the Doctour nor doe they need to be taken into his protection The English are and can vindicate themselves against you for admitting to the holie table with signes of repentance without Ecclesiastike publike satisfaction murtherers that are either quit by their jurie or have their pardon sealed by the King whores that either are spared out of hopes of amendment or have had the whip at Bridewell and theeves burn'd in the hand at Newgate
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
unchurch the greatest part of Christians and contract this Soveraigne excellencie to your selves Your Latin disputations when they come by course among the ignorant or yonger frie of your Ministrie doe but multiplie haeresies make them now and then in their heate blaspheme God more learnedlie then in their weeklie exercizes and Sermons As occasion shall serve I may helpe you hereafter to more instances then one of the like practice among some of your brethren abroad where every beardlesse boy for with such your Presbyterie every where abounds hath libertie to talke for I can not call 't disputing upon the highest mysteries the Trinitie Praedestination c. As considentlie to the shame of your religion as the gravest Doctour can determine in the chaire What of this may be tolerable among the learned super rotam materiam Is litle beter then a forme and litle decencie in that which approves not much improves lesse the abilities of the longest liver among you all Our aequivalent to this let it be what it will in our Archdeacons Visitation your friend Didoclaves turnes off with a jeer making as if the abilities of our Ministrie were inquir'd into after they were constituted leaders of the flocke Primum creâ—…tur duâ—…ores gregis deinde siunt discipuli where as it is principallie to discerne the advancement by studie of what abilities they had at their ordination whereby the election of rural Deanes may be regulated persons know'n that are enriched by gifts befitting them to be Bishops Your experience shall not draw me into an unnecessarie comparison between our English Clergie and the French or Dutch Divines whose ordination you are not ignorant hath been impeached by their adversaries whether deservedlie or no they are to looke to and their abilities resolv'd just like yours into an effusive readinesse of words But I bid defiance to you and your Countreymen of the Discipline to shew me among you all a Law'd an Andrewee a Montague a White to whom the English you name must give the guerdon of learning which I beleâ—…ve Reynolds caried not at Hampton Court Conference unlesse Perkins had more in his Chaine of pâ—…aedestination or Parker in his silie Arraignment of the Crosse. But how solide and singular soever was their learning their defection from the doctrines and practical praecedents of so many yeares standing among Catholike Christians makes their fayth in many things and their good parts comparitivelie in all but as chaffe to be blow'n away with the winde and the memoire of them to be winowed by our breath that the truer graine may be visible in Gods Church Avolent quantum volent pallea levis fidei quoâ—…unque Assltu tentationum eopurioâ—… mass a frumenti in horrea Domini reponetur It 's well your conscience can be enlarged in some litle charitie towards any of our Bishops though we may be justlie jealous of this kindnesse feare if we hear'd their names it may be placed upon persons inclined to your interest rather then commended to your good opinion by their mâ—…rit But whoso'er they be you meane we know you never prike any in the list of the learned but the best read men in Synopis's and systems in Common place bookes and Centurists or general lie in your select Reformed Fathers whom in a fallacie often times you perswade your Disciples to be the more proper men because standing you tell them upon the shoulders of the ancients when if set on even ground the longest arme they can make in true learning and eloquence will not reach halfe way up to their girdles But to proceed in some answer to your quaestion The Warner therefore speakes to you of ignorance because your Presbyteriâ—… parts with the greatest incentives and encouragements of studie Therefore of contempt because it quits those dignities which give praecedence to their persons and draw reverence to their function Therefore of beggerie because it diverts the Ecclestastical revenue and makes you but stipendiaries of the people Of this very conciselie yet fullie hath his late Majestie admonish'd you Chapt. 17. of Eâ—…x Buâ—… He that surveyes impartiallie the multitude of good Livings and other Clerical praeferments in England which might serve as a supplement to the bad will finde litle reason for any none at all for the greatest part of our Priests I meane those that had a title that were eidiâ—… cheirotonoumenoi as it is Can. 6. Concil Chalced to be begarlie contemptible for their want especiallie since those Pluralists you confesse were searce one of twentie that lived in splendour at Courtâ—… or were Nonresident in the Countrey Such as were apolelymenoos ordinat ordained at large without title to any benefice or cure the Bishop was charged with them till provided for And they that complained of their povertie had no cause there being as you tell us such plentie in his palace The ignorance of our Clergie which it may be was not incomparable if we bring yours into the light was never greater then when Calvin and Knox had some heires and successours that crept into the praelacie degenerating from the austeritie of their Fathers who because they lov'd not the office never mean'd to discharge it Yet could dispense in their conscience with the title lawne sleeves into the bargain that under them they might take the revenues of our Bishopsâ—… But when and where we had Austins and Chrisoâ—… Lawds and Andrews's never cloud was dispelld with the rising sun so as ignorance at their asscent in the Epâ—…scopate of our Church And they that heard not of the great studie in these Prâ—…lates to remedie the evils brought in by the other are such as Zecharie speakes of that imagine evil against their brother their heart refusing to hearâ—…en and pulling away the shoulder and stopping the eare that they should not heare and making their hearts as an adamâ—… that they may not c. Those some that were most provident you meane I thinke most penurious in their families were those I told you of that made a trade of â—…ieir proeferinents and would dispense with any thing among the putitans but their purfes Such as those soms other that I named as they were apter to teach so were they know'n to be of beter behaviour and given to hospâ—…a litie the requifites of a Bishop and accomplishments of ours whose parsimonie or providence for hu samilie was not that which advanced him a sumine to make a purchase If the suâ—…plusage of his â—…evenue could doe it in a cheape and plentifull Countrey J know not who have beter title to it then his heire Though as I am informed where I may trust meeting with a profess'd enmitie against his office whatsoever reserve of kindnesse was for his person This great purchase you meane was the recoverie of lands sacrilegiouslie taken and deteined from the Church in the pursâ—… whereof as he spared no endeavour so it should seem
dubious consent with andby a Traâ—…terous Assemblie who had in vaine posted away foure Caitiffe-Cursitours miscalled Commissioners to the more loyal Lords delated for the Hamiltons as likewise to the Neuters to depose their Queen and clog their future Princes's succession with this impious condition That all Princes and Kings hereaâ—…ter in this Realme before their Coronation shall take oath to maintaine the true Religion now prosessed in the Church of Scotland and suppresse all things even their soules consciences contrarie to it and that are not agreeing with it This I take to be the fundamental law your Proclamation reflects upon foralas the other foundation of your solemne league and covenant lies not fathom deep a stripling of twelves yeares old can reach to the botom and evert both when he calls for that invisible law of God which approves much lesse enjoines this praerequiring satisfaction from a King For it is not Maitlands idle concession to Buchanan in his cursed dialogue upon Homers authoritie That there was a time when men liv'd law lesse in Cottages and caves and at length by consent tooke a justisiable course of creating a King unto themselves that will reduce Royaltic to popular restrictions Such stuffe as this may be put off among Pagans that will hearken to the fable of Cadmus be wonne into a beliefe that the serpents teeth were sowed in so good a soile as that they all sprung up proper men of whose race we might have had some at this day if they had betoke themselves to the election of a King when for want of one they fell to civile dissensions destruction of themselves I demand as a Christian and as much mighta â—…ew Who was the first King Whether he was not instituted by God Whether not with a decree touching primogeniture in thâ—… right of succession by the first borne to propagate his authoritie and office Whether any people in the world more or lesse in a bodie lawsullie assembled have been at a losse for a King to command them what law beside that of nature which if such as Saint Paul describes it is somewhat hard to distinguish from an original law of God and yet shall be sequester'd from our praesâ—…nt dispute constituted them in a full capacitie to chuse one Who When Where Open Buchanans packe as big as it is begirt with no lesse then the cingle of the world and with out Ambiguons peradventures or assâ—…mations involv'd in quaestionable circumstances lay me out one cleare instance to this purpose and when you have purchase a parallel among your selves Transmigration of Nations Navigations of discoverie design'd or contingent New plantations upon necessitie or pleasure Spontaneous secessions though by supreme authoritie approved Relegations and exiles Extinctions of lines Finallie whatsoever to be thought on that can separate a medley of men from a setâ—…ed societe or make an Anarchie among People will when all are combin'd I beleeve litle disorder me in my hold So that to use the words of that valiant General or take the Kings from his mouth You declared him to be your King but with such conditions and provisoâ—…s as robbeâ—… him of all right and power For while you prâ—…ctend to give him a litle which he must actept of as from you you spoile 〈◊〉 of all that power and authoritie which the law of God of Nature and of the Land hath invested him with by so long continued deâ—…cent from his famous praedeccssours For the nature of your demand the abolition of Episcopacie which you confesse to be a great one so great indeed as not to be granted but with a devastation of his conscience the Praelates were very unworthie of their miters if they pressed not his Majestie were it necessarie where is so free an inclination to denie you though they know well enough were your great demand yeilded you have one no lesse behind securitie of liberties and when both were had which God forbid they ever should be your crueltie and guilt would admit of no lesse after-satisfaction from him for England then from his Father for Scotland nor your raging Devill be otherwise satiated then with his bloud Therefore the advantage you take of his denial though you confesse upon other mens importunate instance makes your Praedestinarian Godships no lesse peremptorie in the immutabilitie of your decree to forme Commonwealths of Kingdomes and according to you Divinitie the meanes being as unalterablie destin'd as the end you resolve what you can and doe well to tell us so that he and all his familie shall perish Levia sed nimium queror Coclotimendumest regna ne summa occupet Qui vicit ima… For you that thus capitulate with Kings have nothing next to doe but to article with God Presbyterie admitting no Rival Regent much lesse any superiour will make way to its solitarie supremacie by ruine I terruina quaeret vacuo volcâ—… Regnare mundo Your patient surplicateâ—… were your Hage papers which most inquisitive men have heard or seen before this time Wherein you tell His Majestie his denial will constraine your people… to â—…oe what is incumbent unto them we know what you meane that fatal word being scarce to be met with but having Rebellion and Murder at its heeles Your Euangelist of the Covenant did not cant it to his Father but sayd plainlie Reformation may be though he wish'd it not left to the mulâ—…de whom God â—…rreth up to kill and slay without quaestion when Princes are negligent as they are when they yeild not their aequitable demandâ—… grant their patient supplicates lay their heads on the blocke and not doe but suffer as they would have them Laesa patientia fit furor Even in such meeke men as you patience upon denial can become furie and supplicates after some continuances commands And then he may have an offer of his or their Kingdome as you thinke fiter to style it but it must be with a resignation of his crowne their Lives and estates shall be Oretenus for his service when aurium tenus they are up to the â—…ares in a good bargaine taking money with one hand and delivering him up with the other which is the issue to be expected upon the grant and nothing worse can be feared nor that if well thought on from the denial of your demands Therefore to conclude no miserie of King nor people should be so impolitikelie declin'd as to be desperatelie embraced And till the essentials of Scotish Presbyterie be changed which are undisputablie destructive to all Monarchs that come among them true Praelatical hearts can not be trulie considerate or loyal if they be not obstinatâ—… in this perswasion and beleefe The place cited to which you send us for a view of your tender care in providing the parents consent to the mariage of their children gives us a full prospect of your tyrannie over Nature whose throne is usurped whose praerogative trampled
and all proceedings in that kinde 2. An ordinance of the Lords and Commons without and against the King is no good narrant to change such lawes during the fitting os the Parliament 3. No law nor lawfull custome of England debarres the King by dissenting to stop that change Untill which three assertions be refuted in law it will be needlesse to debate the qualifications and exceptions which can be none of moment in this case against the Kings consent requisite to turne an ordinance into a law But you take His Majesties concessions to have praevented all can be sayd in the praesent case Behold you that kindled the sire in his breast here compasse yourselves with the sparkes of his consent which charitie would have suffered to exspire with the breath that brought them forth or buried in his ashes which they made Yet can not you walke by the light of this fire unto the full accomplishment of your ends His successour being not yet conveighd into any such place as Holmebye or Carisbrooke Castle where you would â—…ave him some such fatal haereditarie confinement being the fairest apologie if any when he should subscribe so many of your uncâ—…nscionable desires and write after his Father in the extremitie of misfortune who as litle intended what himselfe accounted his failings for his copie as he desired his undeserved miseries should be a patrimonie transmitted to him by your hands As to the obtaining of what is lacking your way is not so faire in which visiblie lies the same Scripture Antiquitie law reason conscience and honour which heretofore hindred your journey to the end of your hopes the obtaining His Majesties plenarie consent Who did not agree to if you meane approve of the rooting out Episcopacie in Scotland That he gave so much way to such wild boares as were in your Presbyterie to doe it he afterward repented and you rewarded him not so well as that his Royal sonne should be encouraged to purchase sorow at so deare a rate 2. He was not willing allthough he yeilded to have them put out of the House of Pâ—…ercs in England and Ireland out of a generous scorne of your uncharitable susspicion that he would have them there onelie because he was to make use of their votes in State affaires 3 He divested them of civile power hoping to perswade such as your Lay Presbyters by the objections maâ—…e against them out of the Ecclesiasticall which they more irrationallie usurped 4. He joined Presbyters with them for ordination because he found it before seldome administred without them But he never made them coordinate in nor aequiparticipant of that power He joined them sor spiritual jurisdiction as being a fit meanes to avoyd… partialities incident to one man And tyrannie which becomes no Christians leaft of all Churchmen And thirdlie to take away from them the burden and Odium of afsaires which was a courteous diminution in such times How sacrilegiouslie you roh the Temple of Memorie of the pillar he set up in the period of your Treatie and erect in the place an impious calumnie of his abolishâ—…ng Episcopacie totallie name and thing will be seen by part of his inscription or ultimate answer to the Rebell Commissioners paper about the Church The words are these… His Majestie doth againe clearlie professle That he can not with a good conscience consent to the total abolition of the function and power of Bishops nor to the intire and abfâ—…lute alienation of their lands as is desired because he is yet perswaded in his judgement that the former is os Apostolical institution and that to take away the later is sacriledge… And if his two Houses shall not thinke fit to recede srom the strictnesse of their aemanas in these particularâ—… His Majestie can with more comfort cast himselfe upon his Saviours goodnesse to support him and desend him from all afflictions how great soever that may besall him then sor any politike consideration which may seems to be a meanes to restore him deprive himselfe of the inward tranquillitie of a quiet minde And some of his last words were I am firme to primitive Episcopacie not to have it extirpated if I can hinder it He sayd indeed that by his former answer he had totallie suspended Episcopal government for three yeares after the sayd time limited the same in the power of ordination and jurisdiction Which the Commissioners he dealt with so litle thought Tantamont to a perpetual abolition that they sayd it met not with their feares nor could praevent the inconveniences which must necessarilie follow upon the returne of Bishops and the power which he reserved to them after that time For that a Bishop so qualified as qualificd as â—…is Majestie expressed should rise againe then they declared whollie in his choyce unavoy dable by Parliament if they agreed not But behold a pretie peice of aequivocation call'd Anti-christian Iesuitisme by these Rabbi Presbyters of old to draw their dull Commissioners out of the mire and as good as inke for ivorie to wash them cleane His Majestie suspended it till he and his Parliament should agree All and every one in both Houses had abjured Episcopacie by solemne oath and Covenant and so in no hazard ever to agree with him Ergo He must either agree with them that is like wise abjure which is abolition or coutinue perpetuallte his suspension which is Tantamont unto it This is very well ordered especiallie if you call to minde somewhat else that was condition'd for viz. That twentie Divines of His Majesties nomination being added unto the Assemblie were to have a free consultation debate whence it might be determin'd by His Majestie and his two Houses how Church government c should be setled after the sayd time or sooner if differences might be agreed A very free debate when all demonstrative reasons should be forespoken to be silenced by an oath And a very conscionable treatie That a faction in both Houses should be without the restitution of the rest that were beter temper'd the men that should continue siting not onelie 3. yeares but 300. if they could live so long because sworne not to yeild a syllable of their owne tearmes Yet because you thinke your selfe so witie in your sophistrie letme aske you What assurance these all and every one in both Houses had to be immortal If they were not what you have that the new elected would be Covenanters and if they were not by what law they could have been excluded the Houses whither they should be sent as Repraesentatives of their Electours If admitted and so reasonable as to hearken to a possible result of the Divines debate in condemnation of Presbyterie and vote according to it what then were likelie to become of your perpetual abolition or the Tantamont unto it Such measure may you have if ever it come to treatie between you and your sectarian brethren now siting in one House who having
aâ—… much abjured Presbyterie that praetends for Royaltie by the engagement that hath renounc'd it as you Episcopacie by the Covenant may they condition for their owne confused Jndependencie three yeares and as much longer as till you and they agree may they tell you that can never be because they are engag'd and in no hazard to reerect the roten stooles of English Scotizing repentance the corrupt classes of your Presbyters which the same sword hath ten times more justlie cut downe then it set them up But I see your full and formal consent findes no such good footing in your fallacie and therefore falls at length to a possibilitie of defect which you praesume with much facilitie to have supplied His Majestie that now is hath much to thanke you for that at the first you will make him as glorious a King as you made not his Royal father but after so many yeares experience of his reigne That being at libertie not onelie in his person from your prisons but in his reputation from the clogges of those calumnies you cast upon the guiltnesse innocencie of his Praedecessour you will advance him beyond all those sufferances that were Solemne praeparations to his murder and in primo imperij momento as in ultimo you did before hold him by the haire onelie not as yet permit the Independent hand to cut his throat untill forsooth he hath taken breath to supplie that wherein his too scrupulous too pusillanimous father fainted And then crowne him with ribbons and flowers for the fater sacrifice of the two by the giving up his honour and salvation beyond a life the onelie leane oblation of Charles the first But may His Majestie say you easilie supplie what his father travaild for without satisfaction to the uttermost limits of reason and conscience beyond the farthest excusable adventures of any Praedecessours in his three Kingdomes or out of them hazarding allmost to despaire his memorie with pious posteritie especiallie at that distance as shall not repraesent distinctlie every angle of the necessitie he was driven to and his soul to no other assurance of pardon then what the integritie of his repentance not so infalliblie haereditarie as his miseries and his glorious martyrdom afterwards helpt him to Would he thinke you so readilie but for a whisper of pernicious counsel in his eares passe by unregarded his fathers charge to persevere in the orthodoxe religion of England and hearken to the Devill of Rebellion whom he knowes well enough though turnd into a Angel of Reformation Can he so easilie after three or fower weekes conference at the Haghe with two ignorant Presbyters and but twice as many leaden headed Laikes have his reason convinc'd his consience satisfied which is Royal Father could not in so many yeares conversation with the ablest Divinâ—…s devout consultations had with the Living God himselfe by his prayers and his dead Yet livelie oracles of the Holie Word in his watches Or would he so readilie without it give up his Fathers invincible reserve to the irrcparable injurie of the Church his people his heire or successour in his Kingdomes Was he requir'd and intreated by Charles the first as his Father and his King in case he should never see his face againe not to suffer his heart to receive the least checke against or disaffection from the true Religion established in the Church of England And can he so easilie even while that pretious bloud hath dyed his garments in purple and being the Defender's of the fayth speakes the same language and calls every morning he puts them on for the same vengeance as once did the firstborne of the faythfull cast such requests and requisites behind him quit the true Christian guard he is charg'd with and desert all his constant subjects that must persevere in their religious profession according to the puritie of our canon Will he rather then want weare a crowne which is not wortb taking up or enjoining upon such dishonourable unconscionable termes And will he so readilie beare the infamous brand to all posteritie of being the first Christian King in his Kingdome who consented to the oppression of Gods Church and the Fathers of it exposing their persons to penvrie and their sacred functions to vulgar contempt Will he so easilie because his treasure exhausted his revenâ—…e deteind be tempted to use such prosane reparations if not acting consenting to perjurious and sacriligious rapines Or will he so readilie instead of huckes give holy things unto sivine and the Church's bread not onelie the crumbes of it unto dogs This his Royal Father durst not for feare a coale from Gods alter should set such a sire on his throne and his consience as could hardlie be quenched Nor in all likelihood will this ever obsequious sonne whom you call I hope in expectation of no such concessions the most sweet and ingenious of Princes unlesse such furies as you fright his conscience away while his tongue doubleth in an uncertaine consent having from your pens practices nothing but insuperable horrour and inevitable destruction in his sight Where in if ever you unhapilie praevaile may the same Royal tongue be seasonablie touch'd with a coale of a beter temper before the unquenchable fire of despaire catch hold of his soul or that of vengeance of his throne May it call for the fountaine of living waters to wash away the bloud of his slame subjects whose soules lie under the altar crying aloud for judgement and quaestioning its delay May that ountaine deriue it selve into the head and heart of this otherwise innocent King and day and night flow out at his eyes in torrents of teares for himselfe in no soloecisine the Virgin Father of his people And may at last his robes be wash'd white in the bloud of the Lambe and God wipe away all teares from his eyes Having payd in dutie this conditional devotion which I wish as frivolous and needlesse as your praesumption is malicious unlikelie I proceed to vindicate the Bishops discourse which J can not see how in sense may be sayd to fright the Kings conscience by asserting his right and undeniable praerogative the sinewes whereof you would shrinke up into nothing The Legislative power is not here stated or determined by his Lordship onelie the King call'd supreme Legislatour which he is What comment tries have been made of it to the praejudice of the right and custome of Parliaments shall be spoken to when you tell us which of his brethren and what in their writings it is you meane No right nor custome can be adjusted to them in your case which is vowing to God and sweating one unto another to change the lawes of the Realme c. by the sword without and against the King different from the sense of your Commissioners who would have the Legislative power aswell as the Militia to be the Kings For that power
among the heathen such as this in Plutarch cheironeinai monarchias paranomou polemon emphylion and that of Plinie in his Panegyrike Quanto libertate dis◅ordi servientibu◅ s◅tilius unum esse cui serviant The other horne of the Bishops dilemma is as sharpe and it need be no sharper then the former The danger whereof makes the Reviewer keep his distance first not daring positavelie to assert the lan fullnesse of taking up armes for religion And then muffling himselfe in his cloake invaine hoping he shall not by this argument de gored unto the quicke His spitting Atheisme in the face of Reason the native image we beare of God will set no wisemē on gaping for extraordinarie revelat ◅s nor his false translating the Bishops sense into mere apprehensions and uncertaine conceptions make him or theirs of his minde worse then Pagan Secptikes in Religion His Lordship I beleeve grants no such postvlate as the Reviewer seemes to looke for That every Scotish Ma◅ is a Moses every persecuting Presbyter before Gods ju◅gemen's have humbled him to his conversion a Saint Paul He conceives their Cat◅chisme or Directorie can passe for no Pentateuch nor Ap◅al Epissles and say◅h they beg the qu◅ that take it to be the Gosp◅ He argues That in asserting the lawfu◅lenes of taking armes they justifie the Ird◅pendents that supplanted themselves whose new light s◅ines as much like that from Moses's face as they Presbyterians new doctrine sounds like the oracles he received in the mount That the Anabaptists in Germanie were no more Enthusiasts then the Anabaptists in Scotland who null the powerfull operation of the sacrament and for ought we know may be nulls in the missionarie power to administer it That Iohn of Leyden his crue could not be more mad then Iohn Knox and his nor could they have lesse reason for their militarie proceedings His Lordship is so farre from placing the summe of Religion in every simple apprehension that he desires the authoritie of the Chuch should take place of his conceptions untill the truth if different from that doctrine which is unlikelie were seald to him by some internal impression of Gods spirit What every man is perswaded in his conscience to be divine truth he would have him praeferre before other mens apprehensions of a contrarie religion Yet if that perswasion be dissonant from what was generallie among the primitive Christians he would not that he should mistake himselfe to have a singular infallibilitie nor a transscendent commission above that of Christ and his Apostles to take armes force all men to his beleefe The most certain truths even these divine ones in religion if His Lordship doth not which I did not aske him I doe thinke to be in many men that praetēd to that supernatural grace called fayth were uncertaine conceptions or inadvertent praesumptions finding few so considerate of their very principles in Religion as to build them upon any so much as that subordinatie moral certanitie they might doe with good endeavour fewer live so devoutlie as without it can reasonablie suppose God miraculouslie infuseth his revelatious to assure them Therefore though all the truths of Christian Religion wherein controverted are reveal'd from heaven Yet I thinke we are to looke a great way backe for the persons by and unto whom immediate inspirations being now adayes very rare nor doe we live much like the holie mortified men that were wont to have them of old You know what Saint Ma◅tin told the Divel when he appear'd arrayed like a King and would be taken for Christ come in triumph upon the earth Ego Christum nisi in eo habitu formaque qua passus est nisi or◅ stigmata proforensem venisse non credam He would not beleeue him to be come till he saw him in the habit of his sufferings So when we see you qualified like his disciples wise as Serpents not craftie as foxes harmelesse as doves not rapacious as harpies patient like sheep not ravening like wolves Delivered up to Councels not excommunicating in Synods scourg'd in Synagogues not disciplining without mercie in your Churches Brought before Governers and Kings for Christs sake not bringing Governers and Kings to mooke-tribunals for your owne Then tell us of Divine truths the beleefe of Moses and Saint Pauls revelation from heaven and we will hearken to you as Angels whom now we take to be no beter then the haereti◅es who Vincet sayth are ran◅quaedam cyniphes muscae moriturae such contemptable creatures as croking frogs gnats and dying flies that would buzze what mischiefe you can before you leave us and make the oyntment of the Apothecarie stinke with the corruption of your writings when you are dead The second part of your apologie is most false both thesei kai hypothesei 1. Because subjects have no armes while the Magistrate is in being to hold the sword put into their hands to defend their religion and liberties how legallie soeuer established They have onelie pleas by that law to claime them and petitions of right or aequitie to put up unto the Magistrate to maintaine them 2. If they goe beyond defending themselves in their religion and force others to enter into their league covenant though contrarie to their conscience this is no other then planting of religion by armes And if the difference in any point of religion be such as to state the Magistrate in a condition to be put to death by his subjects as it doth in your sense when he joines in worship with Papists Praelates whom you make idolaters and idolatrie death unpardonable this is cutting the throates of all Magistartes And this is maintained to be just and to have the ground of Gods ordinarie judgement by your Patriarch Knox. And to be imitated of all those that praeferre the true honour of the true worship and glory of God to the affection of flesh and wicked Princes Your hypothesis is false because the religion and liberties of your Covenant in England were never established by law and what was so established was never usurped by Papists Praelates and Malignants And if it had been from so good a King redresse had probablie been procured upon just complaint without taking armes To your third I replie That the Bishop gives no judgement makes no mention of the Protestants Armes in France Holland and Iermanie compares them not with the Anabaptists in Munster or Sectaries in England If you can once perswade them to espouse your quarell for which you have begg'd long enough at their gates by this time or publish a parallel between your taking up armes and their owne the praelatical partie will make no difference between you but give alike judgement against you all In the meane time the maximes they give are rational and divine they are brutes or Atheists divested allreadie of all religion and reason who praeferre them not to the Presbyterian
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
Bishop Adamsons lying libel Though alwayes in England yet never in Scotland had Commissarie any jurisdiction over Ministers Iames Gibson was never absolved by the Church from his Proces Master Blacks appeale from the counsel cleered The tumult of the seventeenth day of December was harmelesse and no Minister guilty of it The praelats ordinarly but the Presbytery never were for rash excommunications The Praelats flatter Princes to their ruine The Scots Ministers preaching for justice was just and necessary Huntlyes notorious crymes Never any question in Scotland betwixt the King and the Church for Tythes and patronages King James avowes himselfe a â—…ater of Erastianisme The Presbytery cognosceth only upon scandals and that in fewer civil things then the Bishopscourts were wont to meddle with The Churches proceedings in the late engagement cleered from mistakes The Church medled not with the manday mercat but by way of supplication to Parliament The Church once for safty of the infant Kings life with the concurrence of the secrete counsel did cal an extraordinary meeting By the lawes and customes of Scotland the Assembly praecieds the Parliament in the reformation of Ecclesias-tical abuses The Church parte in the road of Ruthven clecred The interest of the generall assembly of Scotland in the reformation of England The violent apprehension of Masse-Priests in their act of idolatry reproved by the Warner The Warner and his Praelatical Erastian brethren are obliged by their owne principles to advise the King to lay aside Episcopacy and set up the Praesbytery in all his dominions The praelaticall party were lately bent for Popery The Praelats professe now a willingnes to abolish at least three parts of the former Episcopacy The portion of Episcopacy which yet is stuck to cannot be kept up upon any principle either of honour or conscience The smallest portion of the most moderat Episcopacy is contrary to scripture The Praelats unable to answer their opposits Prelacy was ever grievous to Scotland There is no Lordship but a meer service and ministry in the Pastors of the Church The Warner is ful of calumnious untruths The eight desires of the Church about the ingagement were just and necessary It is one of the liberties of the Church of Scotland to publish declarations The leavy was never offered to be stopped by the Church The Church was not the cause of the gathering at Mauchlin Moore The assembly is helpfull and not hurtfull to the Parliament The apointment of comittees is a right of every court as well Ecclesiastick as civil There is no rigour at all in the Presbytery Crimes till repented of ought to keep from the holy table Excommunication in Scotland is not injurious to any The Warners outrage against the Presbytery The Praelats were constant oppressors of the Nobility and gentry The way of the Scotes Presbytery is incomparably better then that of the English Episcopacy All questions about patronages in Scotland are now ended The possessors of Church lands were ever feared for Bishops but never for the Presbytery The praelats continue to annull the being of al the reformed Churches for their want of Episcopacy The Praelats are so baselie injurious to all the reformed Churches that their selses are ashamed of it The generality of the Episcopal clergy have ever been covered with ignorance beggery and contempt The Praelats continue to hate preaching and prayer but to idolize a popish service Vide ladâ—…nsium cap. 7. Episcopall warrants for clandestin marriages rob Parents of their children Serious catechising is no Episcopal crime Church sessions are not high commissiones The Covenant was not dishonourable to union Covenanters were not deceived but understood what they sweare The Warner unwittingly comends the Covenant The King did not clame the sole and absolute possession of the militia The change of lawes in England ordinarly beginne by the two houses without the King The King did really consent to the abolition of Bishops The Praelats would flatter the King into a Tyranny The praelats takes to themselves a negative voice in Parliament The Praelats grieve that Monks and Friers the Pope and Cardinals were casten out of England by Henry the eight The just supremacy of Kings is not prejudged by the Covenant The Warners insolent vanity The covenant is not for propagating os Religion by armes The Warners black Atheisme a The Praelats condemne the defensive armes of the Dutch Frensh Protestants b The Praelats decline the judgement of counsels c The Praelats overthrow the foundatioÌ„s of Protestant Religion d The Praelats are stil peremptorie to destroy the King and all his Kingdoms if they may not be restored My reason for refuting his Epistle The Rewiewers vanitie in giving titles inconsistent with the praesent condition practice of his Lord. The Earle of Cassils no late Illuminate No credit for his samilie to be commended by Buchanan Very Improper to style Buchanan Prince a Legitimi regni gravissima pestis Praet ad Dial. de jur Reg. b The Reviewers sermon divinttie c He may well count it an advantage to have the E. Cassils his judge d An honour for the Bp. to be calld by the Rev unpardonable incendiaire The Rev's uncleanlie language Aristoph Plut. The active boldnesse of the Scotish Presbyterians in Holland c a The three headed monster in controversie b Sen. Her Fur. c The Scotish Discipline vrey different from that in Holland France d No Reformed Church calls regular Episcopacie Antichristian e Many emincnt persons in those Churches have approv'd of it Vindic of K. Ch. p. 125. Apost Instit of Episcopacie Episcopal declinations different from Episcopacie Presbyteria aberrations the same with Presbyterie The praesent concernment greater to reveale the Scotish Discipline the refute old adversaries of Episcopacie a Sr. Claud Somays likelie to be no great friend to the Discipline b He offe red no dispute with the Kings Chaplaines about Episcopacie They transgresse not the dutie of their place by informing the Kings conscience about The Primitive Doctrine Discipline Eikôn Basiliké cap. 14. Praeservation of the Church a Pardoning the Irish tolerating their Religion b Eikôn Basilikè conscience honour reason law c Inclining his mind to the Counsels of his Father d Cant. 4 4. e Eikôn Basilikè penned wholely by K. Ch. 1. not a syllable of it by the Bishops f God not they the supporter of the Matyr'd King a The hard-hearted Scotish Presbyterians b Holmebie the fatal praecipice to K. Ch. 1. c Endeavours to make it such to K Ch. 2. d His best way to praevent it is consorting with his Fathers booke e Wherein is divine wisdome Counsel f Ps. 72. g Gods providence in ordering his commendations of this booke to proceed out of the mouth of the Revicwer h The Reviewers scaesonable advertishment to the King a K. Ch. 1. no Presbyterian in heart nor tongue at Newcastle the Isle of Wight b His papers to Mr. Henderson against it c