their strength and equity from it By that Law Fornication in the Priests Daughter was Capital and so was the gathering of sticks upon the Sabbath-day and this seems to be a lesser breach of the Sabbath than the mispending of a great part of the Lords day in drawing up Men and Horse and learning them how to handle their Arms as if the Lords day had been a day of Rendevouz or Weapon-shewing The restoring of four or five-fold would not sufficiently restrain Theft in this Nation The Judicial Law was not given to other Nations See Confes of Faith Chap. 19. Art 4. To them also as a Body Politick he gave sundry Judicial Laws which expired together with the Estate of that People nor obliging any other now further than the general equity thereof may require Our Saviour and the Apostles never offered to impose the Judicial Law upon the Gentiles The Apostle Paul submitted to be Judged by the Roman Law at Caesar's Judgment-Seat and exhorts Christians of all Nations to submit themselves to the Government and wholesom Laws of the Nations in which they lived There have been Hereticks who were for restoring of the Judicial and Ceremonial Law and some wild Persons in the Netherlands have of late written for this Error and there is the more need to take heed of restoring the Judicial Law because of its connexion with the Ceremonial Law This is a strange Age some are seeking to draw the World by Pelagianism and Quakerism to old Paganism and some seeking to draw men under the shadow and vail of Judaism They are not very much concerned though they be called Fifth-Monarchy-men But this contrivance of theirs is so strange that it is hard to find a name for it it 's rather an Anarchy and Confusion than a Government And it 's hoped that it will never have any such proportion to the four Monarchies as to get the name of a Fifth-Monarchy And it is fit that such a Monstrous thing die ere it get a Name I know nothing so like to it as the Insurrection of the Boors in Germany who believed Thomas Munster and Nicholas Stork that God was setting up a new Kingdom in which the Saints should Reign and that the present wicked Magistrates were to be killed and Godly Magistrates set up in their stead These Teachers pretended Revelations and Christian Liberty The poor People believed these delusions and rejected the wholesom Instructions of Luther and Melancthon and in their Fury which they imagined to be true Zeal they would needs fight but when it came to fighting they could neither fight nor flee and in one Summer fifty thousand of them were killed Munster at his Death confessed his Error and exhorted the Princes to use more clemency towards poor Men and so they needed not fear any such hazard and withal exhorted them to read diligently the Book of the Kings If they who contrived this Bond of Confusion had considered the Confession of Faith and the Questions in the larger Catechism which explain the fifth Commandment and the Scriptures confirming the Articles of the 23d Chapter of the Confession and the Answers of the fore-said Questions it might have prevented this furious and mad design Confes Chap. 23. Art 1. God the Supream Lord and King of all the World hath ordained Civil Magistrates c. Rom. 13.1 2 3. Let every Soul be subject to the Higher Powers for there is no Power but of God the Powers that be are ordained of God Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation c. 1 Pet. 2.13 14. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supream c. And Art 4. It 's the Duty of People to pray for Magistrates to Honour their Persons to pay them Tribute and other dues to Obey their Lawful Commands and to be Subject to their Authority for Conscience sake Infidelity or difference of Religion doth not make void the Magistrates Just and Legal Authority nor free the People from their due Obedience to him from which Ecclesiastical Persons are not exempted much less hath the Pope any Power or Jurisdiction over them in their Dominions or over any of their People and least of all to deprive them of their Dominions or Lives if he shall judge them to be Hereticks or upon any other pretence whatsoever 1 Tim. 2.1 2. I exhort therefore that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks be made for all Men for Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honesty 1 Pet. 2.17 Rom. 13.6 7. For this cause pay you Tribute also c. Titus 3.1 Put them in mind to be Subject to Principalities and Powers to Obey Magistrates 1 Pet. 2.13 14. 16. As free and not using your Liberty as a Cloak of maliciousness but as the Servants of God 1 Kings 2.35 Acts 25.9 10. Then said Paul I stand at Caesar's Judgment-seat where I ought to be judged I Appeal unto Caesar 2 Pet. 2.1.10 11. But there were false Prophets also among the People even as there shall be false Teachers among you But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the dust of Uncleanness and despise Government presumptuous are they self-willed they are not afraid to speak evil of Dignities whereas Angels who are greater in Power and might bring no railing accusation against them before God Jude 8 9 10 11. Likewise also these filthy Dreamers defile the Flesh despise Dominion and speak evil of Dignities Yet Michael the Arch-Angel when contending with the Devil about the Body of Moses durst not bring against him a railing accusation but said the Lord rebuke thee But these speak evil of these things which they know not but what they know naturally as brute Beasts in these things they corrupt themselves Woe unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain and run greedily after the Error of Balaam and perished in the gain-saying of Coâ—e 2 Thes 2.4 Rev. 13.15 16 17. In the larger Catechism Quest Who are meant by Father and Mother in the fifth Commandment Answ By Father and Mother in the fifth Commandment are meant not only Natural Parents but all Superiours in Age and Gifts and especially such as by Gods Ordinance are over us in place of Authority whether in Family Church or Common-wealth and they cite Isa 49.23 And Kings shall be thy Nursing-Fathers and Queens thy Nursing-Mothers Quest Why are Superiours stiled Father and Mother Answ Superiours are stiled Father and Mother both to teach them in all Duties towards their Inferiours like Natural Parents to express love and tenderness to them according to their several Relations and to work Inferiours to a greater willingness and chearfulness in performing their Duties towards their Superiours Quest What is the Honour that Inferiours owe to Superiours Answ The
would not be eligible though we are obliged to nothing jussu ejus or upon the intuition of his Command yet we may do many things eo jubente he commanding and should do eo premente he inforcing them and we have many things to do ipso seu volente seu nolente whether he will or forbid the doing of them c. By which passages it appears That those godly learned Presbyterians in those Treatises which they wrote of purpose to maintain the Kings Authority when he was thrust from it and to shew that the Subject might do nothing which might prejudge his right or which might be interpreted to be an owning of the title of the then Usurpers who had forced the King out of his Dominions yet they shew that Taxes might be paid to the Usurpers and that they who payed it were not accountable for the abuse that the Usurpers made of it which lets us see how far they would have been from refusig to pay Tribute to the rightful Magistrate though imposed for some wrong end And I cannot but here take notice how constantly and courageously Presbyterians owned the Kings Authority when he was thrust from the exercise of it and how careful they were that Subjects might do nothing which might be prejudicial to his Title when he was violently disposessed of his Kingdoms I shall not speak of the Testimonies they gave in preaching and in print against the Usurpers upon the account of their usurpation and for asserting of the Kings Title I wish their Loyalty had been better remembred but any suffering they have met with since will not make them repent of their constant adherence from a principle of Conscience to their Allegiance and covenanted Duty to their rightful Sovereign If any will but look to the frontispiece of Mr. Gee's Book where there is an empty Chair of State and the Scepter and Crown lying upon the ground and below the King standing and above his head non est potestas nisi a Deo Rom. 13. and under his feet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and opposite to him upon the other side an Armed-Soldier with his hand in the handle of his Sword meaning the Parliament and under his feet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and below Absolom hanging upon a tree and Joab darting him 2 Sam. 18. and the Woman of Abel casting Sheba's head over the wall 2 Sam. 20. They may see Presbyterians Loyalty and courage in a time of hazard when others who afterward would have engrossed all Loyalty to themselves were very calm and some of them speaking in another Dialect Mr. Rutherford used to keep Family-fasts to pray for the King in his distress There is no Loyalty comparable to that which is founded upon the word and Covenant and the Principle of Conscience bound by the Word and Oath of God The late King advised those who were desirous to befriend him in his straits to preach the Obligation of the Covenant which binds to maintain his Person and Authority The new Principles of Confusion which are opposite to the Magistrates Authority and to the paying of Tribute to Rulers are directly opposite to and inconsistent with the Principles and Practices of Presbyterians and seem to have been devised by Jesuits and then craftily conveyed into the heads of weak people distmepered with sad suffering or having Zeal without Knowledge that they might at once render those people ridiculous and expose their possessions as a prey and their lives to the Sword and their profession of Religion to contempt and scorn as if it made men frantick and deprived them of the use of common Reason and sense I heard from a godly and learned Minister That he heard a great Zealot against the paying of the Sess say That whatever was unlawful for a man to do voluntarily was unlawful for him to do upon Legal or Physical constraint and another said If men on constraint might pay Sess which they should not voluntarily do without Legal and Physical constraint feared to follow then the three Children might have worshipped Nebuchadnezars Image because they were under constraint And when it was answered that there were some actions in the substance of the fact sinful that no constraint could make lawful such as Idolatry and some which outward Circumstances made lawful or unlawful that distinction was denied such is the ignorance of some of those Teachers Another made the paying of the Sess like the offering of Children to Moloch It 's a great pity that well-meaning people who from a Principle of Conscience are willing rather to suffer than to sin should be misguided by ignorant men and drawn into needless calamities to the ruin of their Families and the reproach of Religion They add That these Ministers advised the Prisoners to take the Bond c. Ans Those Prisoners being taken at Bothwel-bridge were pressed to bind themselves not to take up Arms against the Kings Person and Authority under the Certification of no less punishment than Death Now as we heard from the larger Catechism It 's the duty of inferiors to defend and maintain the Persons and Authority of their Superiors which imports much more than the not taking up Arms against them and their Authority 2. Though they had not been Subjects but only Prisoners of war in the victors power to deprive them of life or liberty for ever I suppose they could not have been blamed for the preservation of their life to have given in such a Bond some who were taken Prisoners by Cromwel for their liberty engaged not to carry Arms against him and I do not remember that any censured them for it what they say in a Parenthesis that hazard will not make a moral change in actions is a palpable error if there were twenty with drawn-swords waiting at the Church-door to kill a Minister if he should come to preach it were rash furious self-destroying self-murdering Zeal for a Minister to venture to go to preach at that time in despite of the hazard so certain visible and unavoidable and yet it were his duty at another time to preach where there were no such hazard for a Merchant to cast his Wares in the Sea in a calm were wicked folly contrary to the 8th Command a stealing from his Family and himself and yet in a storm Paul and the Passengers and Mariners thought it their duty to cast out both Goods and Tackling of the Ship This Subscription would have no ways condemned innocent self-defence against the unjust violence of Papists which the Reformed Churches made use of when they did cast off the yoke of the Whore David and his men had Arms but they were not taken up against Sauls Person and Authority as appears by Davids practice who would neither himself kill nor suffer his men to kill Saul and that upon the account of his Authority being the Lords Anointed and though Saul in his distemper calls David his enemy yet in his lucide intervals he calls him his Son
all the Ministers of the Province of London forthwith to put in Execution the Ordinances concerning Church-Government we thought it requisite humbly and faithfully as in the sight of God to shew our judgments and resolutions about this weighty matter for clearing of our integrity and preserving our Consciences void of offence both towards God and man We have secondly pondered the state of things and find our selves whether we act as is required or act not in a very great strait On the one side Prelacy being justly pulled down and the Church miserably groaning under discord and confusion many things cry aloud upon us in our places to put Church-Government into actual Execution the Glory of God the edification of his Church the duty of our Functions the engagement of our solemn Covenant with God the command of the Civil Magistrate which so far as we can with a good Conscience we are resolved and hold it our duty to obey and the present unspeakable miseries of the Church by woful Divisions Blasphemies Heresies abominable Laziness Libertinism Atheism the spiritual ruines of many Congregations through false Teachers for want of faithful Pastors for lack of Ordination On the other hand upon consideration of all the Ordinances of Parliament about Church-Government we find many necessary things not yet established and some things wherein our Consciences are not fully satisfied and therefore in our beginning to act we cannot but see how sinisterly we are like to be interpreted by many who are prone to misconstruct all our actions of this nature We hereupon hold it necessary to express upon what grounds we may proceed to act upon the Ordinances already established by Authority although that we conceive the power of Church-Censures and particularly the Lords Supper to be in the Church Officers by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ and from him they receive their Office and Authority yet we acknowledg it belongs to the Magistrate to have his Conscience satisfied in the truth of the Government of the Church which he will set up by his Authority from whom the Church-Officers do receive Authority of the publick exercise of their Offices in his Dominions and in case the Magistrate be not fully informed as to set up a right and perfect rule in every particular the Church-Officers may act under that rule provided they do not subscribe to nor otherwise acknowledg that rule to be intire and right in all points and therefore for these particular Ordinances although we humbly conceive they do not hold forth a compleat rule nor are in all points satisfactory to our Consciences yet because we find many things established in them agreeable to the word of God for which we desire heartily to bless God and to be thankful to the Honourable House provision being made for enabling of the Elderships by their Authority to keep away from the Lords Supper all ignorant persons and many scandalous persons with a Declaration of their resolution that all notorious and scandalous persons shall be keeped from the Sacrament and that there shall be an addition to the scandalous offences formerly enumerated We conceive it is our duty to begin to act in reference to Church-Government by Congregational Classical Provincial and National Assemblies resolving by the grace of God to walk in all things according to the Word and according to the Ordinances so far as we conceive them correspondent to it and to be countable to the Magistrate wheresoever he shall call us thereto hoping so to carry our selves as not only to enjoy his concurrence with us on all occasions but also that he will supply what is lacking to make the Government entire and likewise to make alterations in all things that shall happen to be amiss In this doing we trust we shall not grieve the Spirits of the truly godly either at home or abroad nor give any just occasion to them who are contrary-minded to blame our Proceedings By which Paper we may see how respectfully and courteously these worthy and godly men walked towards the Magistrate how much they give him as his due even when he was exercising Erastianism in a great height giving Rules and Directions to regulate them in admission to the Lords Supper limiting them as to scandal with divers other things which they here but generally hint and yet having given this sober salvo for quieting their Consciences and guarding against offences they do not refuse to go the length they have access for doing their duty And thus I have shewed you that they are much mistaken who imagine that our zealous Ancestors were of that humour that they would take nothing except they got all which they thought due and that they would do nothing except they got leave to do all without any restriction put upon them by the Magistrate That Calderwood in his History p. 381. relates That the Synod of Fife Anno 1597. instructs their Commissioners to travel with the Ministers Barons and Noblemen that a supplication may be given in for the Ministers of Edenburgh and Mr. David Black that they may be restored again to their Flocks and to behave themselves therein in the fear of God and love of Christ and his Kingdom faithfully and providently with all dutiful reverence to the Kings Majesty And p. 470. That Anno 1603. Mr. Robert Bruce desired his Majesties warrant of his re-entry to his calling or reposition to his place And in that same Page in his Letter to the Council of Edenburgh he says And to this effect I craved that the Act of Council which stood against me which closeth up my mouth might be deleted and that also I might have a warrant from his Majesty to testifie his Majesties good will to my free and full Reposition That passage of Scripture Exod. 10.26 Not an hoof shall be left behind is frequently used and very often abused and misapplyed as in the present case Moses would not leave a hoof and therefore Ministers should not preach the Gospel when the Magistrate permits it except he permit Presbyteries Synods General Assemblies and restore Peesbyterial Government entirely as it was But there is so great disparity in the cases that there it no ground for the inference of the one from the other For Moses was made a God to Pharaoh Exod. 7.1 He was King in Jesurun as he was extraordinarily raised up by God so he was backed by the miraculous power of God which plagued Pharaoh and the Egyptians Again Moses and Israel were in possession of their Beasts and had the extraordinary warrant and protection of God to secure their possessions Further Moses had also a reason for his refusal to leave a beast for says he Thereof we must take to serve the Lord and we know not with what we must serve the Lord until we come thither If Moses had been a meer Subject of Pharaoh and if Pharaoh had taken away all the Israelites Beasts and had them in his possession if Moses being
Authority and Official Power to be Keeper of both Tables of the Law and to defend the Gospel and to command the Preachers and Synods to fulfil their charge and to see that the Officers do their Duty and to punish dumb Dogs Idolaters Excommunicate persons to drive away with the Sword false Teachers from the flock He hath I say the same Magistratical Power while he is a Heathen as when he is converted to the Christian Faith and he is equally head of men when Heathenish as when Christian I shall add no more of this but that as the Magistrate hath retracted the Act of Intercommuning made against several of the Subjects so I wish that the Author of this new Act of Intercommuning against the Magistrate may retract it also In the 4th page of the Preface he says of the Indulged Ministers That they were men in as ill case to have made or medled in the concerns of Christ and his Church with the men with whom they had to do in their circumstances as ever any godly men in our Church were Answ I see this Author hath a way of judging the inward Frames and Cases of others and even of those who live at a great distance from him not only in regard of place but also of time By what Evidence he knows the ill case of these indulged Ministers at the time of the Indulgence and by what Evidence he knows the cases of all the godly men which have been in this Church for this he must know or else he could not determine that the Indulged were in as ill case as ever any godly men in this Church were I cannot conjecture He should either have held his peace of their ill case or else he should have instanced it for as he hath left it in this uncharitable time some people may suspect much worse than any thing he hath to say It may be his Informations and Reasons may be false or not concludent and it may be his Reasons if he have any conclude only against some of the indulged whereas he hath now left it upon them all that they were in as ill case as ever any godly men in this Church were But suppose they were in an ill case will that prove that it was unlawful for them to go and preach in these Parishes which were either their own or else being destitute invited them The exercise of their Ministry might be through the Blessing of God an excellent means to better their case I have heard it of some who could well judge that he had heard some of these Ministers before affirm that they Preached much better since their return than they did before they were put out If he knew his Brethren to be in an ill case he should have told them of it and have heard them what they had to say and then have considered whether it were fit to have Printed their Case and Published it to the world Whatever truth may appear in his dilating this further there is no great appearance of Charity in this Method that he hath taken as we should think on the things that are true so on the things that are lovely and speak the truth in Love What ground the Author hath for this Faith by which he believes that the smothering of what he hath said concerning the ill case of his Brethren would have met him at the Lord's Tribunal he knows best himself but I hope he doth not intend to obtrude his belief upon others as an evidence of the truth of what he believes The belief of appearing before the Tribunal should keep us from rash judging of our Brethren Rom. 14.10 But why dost thou judge thy Brother or why dost thou set at naught thy Brother We shall all stand before the Judgment-Seat of Christ And vers 4. Who art thou that judgest another mans Servant to his own Master he standeth or falleth Matth. 7.1 Judge not that ye be not judged Jam. 3.1 My Brethren be not many Masters knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation Jam. 4.11 Speak not evil one of another Brethren he that speaks evil of his Brother and judgeth his Brother speaketh evil of the Law and judgeth the Law but if thou judge the Law thou art not a doer of the Law but a judge I do not see how he can clear himself of rash judging except he knew certainly the case of all the Godly men that have been in the Church and because Godly men may be sometimes in a better and sometimes in a worse case he must know their case when it was at the worst or else he cannot make a parallel of their Case and the Case of the Indulged Ministers Or else he must know that the Case of these Indulged Ministers was so ill that no Godly men could be in a worse case and how he can certainly know the one or the other except he have it by Revelation which I think he will not pretend unto I cannot imagine I think it would not be rashness to say that his confidence in this matter hath gone further than his evidence could carry it for as fearless and untender as he thinks these Indulged Ministers I suppose they would have been afraid to have intruded so far in the comparative judging of the illness of the case of any one godly Minister let be of so many In this next Section he charges the Indulged Ministers with this new step of defection and says That it hath had most deplorable effects and that it 's like to be more fatal to the poor languishing remnant than any step of defection to which ever any godly men were left in the Church of Scotland If it be found that the Indulged Ministers have not made defection in their going to exercise their Ministry in the places to which they are indulged nor in their Acts that were previous to their going to these Congregations his charge will be found false and he must find out some other causes of these deplorable effects of which he speaks than the practice of these Indulged Ministers There are many good effects of the exercise of their Ministry in these Congregations several have been converted many edified and built up in their most holy Faith The renting and ruine of the Church which he speaks of afterward will be found to have proceeded from other causes which I love not to name and not from the Ministry of these Ministers in these places or from their practices which went before their Preaching in these Congregations The first degree of their defection as we heard before was this That they made or medled with the Rulers at all He is against all Addresses to them and therefore according to his opinion when the Magistrate called for these Ministers whom they intended to indulge they should have sent them word We will neither make nor meddle with you nor can we make any Address to you except it be to tell you we can make none Now
how this could have consisted with common civility and how it could have consisted with the duty of any Subjects towards Rulers especially with the duty of Ministers who should be examples to others in all dutiful respectful behaviour towards Superiors I cannot understand I suppose the Author will not get many to vote with him in this vote of Non-addresses I doubt much if he was of that opinion himself at the time of the first Indulgence but we had enough of this before 2. He taxes their embracing of the Indulgence 3. their giving thanks to the givers 4. Their not giving Testimony against their invasion 5. Their going and continuing to exercise their Mistry in these Parishes to which they were Indulged for he desires them with much earnestness to deliver themselves from this Indulgence by relinquishing those Congregations The embracing and accepting of the Indulgence is taken ordinarily by those who quarrel with the Indulged Ministers for an accepting of all that is in the Magistrates Acts that relate to the Indulgence and so they alledge they accepted the Instructions c. But this is a manifest mistake the Indulged Ministers know best themselves what they did make use of in the Magistrates Indulgence and Mr. Hutchesons speech shews what it was that they acknowledged as desirable and refreshing to them even the free liberty of the publick exercise of their Ministry under the protection of lawful Authority They shew they had been under a long restraint and this liberty and free liberty as it is called afterward of the publick exercise of their Ministry is opposed to that civil restraint which the Magistrate had laid on them by reason of which they could not without hazard or great disturbance publickly exercise their Ministry as wanting the Magistrates Protection and being exposed to the hazard threatned in the penal Statutes which did inhibit the publick exercise of the Ministry This publick exercise free from this restraint or this publick exexercise under the protection of lawful Authority is the same with the publick peaceable exercise of the Ministry this they acknowledge as a favour and why may they not accept of freedom from restraint which had been upon the publick exercise of their Ministry and accept of the Protection of lawful Authority and give thanks for it The peaceable exercise of the Ministry is a great benefit and it 's acknowledged that the publick peaceable exercise of the Ministry is by the Magistrate and therefore it was very fit that they should thankfully acknowledge this It is a wonder to me when I hear men who should have more than common ingenuity alledging so confidently that the Indulged Ministers received and accepted their Ministry and Instructions to regulate them in their Ministry from the Council and that they alledge this after they have seen what M. H. spoke in their name who acknowledges no more as received from the Magistrate but liberty or freedom from the restraint that had been upon their Ministry and their Protection of lawful Authority in the exercise of it though he had said no more I think this should have been sufficient to have prevented such false alledgences but when he hath said further in the face of the Council that they received their Ministry from Jesus Christ and full prescriptions from him for regulating them therein that yet they will alledge that they received their Ministry and instructions from the Council is even astonishing and shews what force humours and prejudices have upon mens minds I come next to his Questions and he asks 1. If they could after this their acceptance and giving thanks to the Council have withdrawn from that appearance and setled themselves before Christ Jesus the King of his Church and with a sweet serenity of soul have had confidence to offer their thanks to him for being helped to witness a good Confession against the wickedness of this Invasion made by the overturners of his work upon his Royal Prerogative who built the house and must bear the glory for it was either then or never that this was to have been done Ans I perceive this Author hath a way of intruding upon the secrets of his Brethren as before he judged and condemned their frame and case so here he sets up a new sort of Inquisition and will have his brethren give an account to him and the World of the serenity of their souls after they had been before the Council Although I am in charity bound to think that these Ministers had this serenity of soul after what they had done before the Council and that they can declare this when they find themselves called thereto yet I think this new Inquisition is a dangerous preparative I see not what Authority he hath to put his Brethren to give an account to him and to the World of the frame of their soul nor what obligation lieth upon them to give such an account to him if he have a particular Warrant to erect such an Inquisition-Court let him shew how he came by it if he have no particular priviledge for this then any one may do what he does and if every one may make such Inquisition and all the Lords people and servants be obliged to answer every Inquisitor that searches after the secrets of their souls this would be much more intollerable than the Popish Inquisition and Auricular Confession for this makes every man that pleases an Inquisitor and obliges the party inquired not only to round his secrets in the ear of one but to publish them to the whole world and that upon the Inquisition of persons who are rashly suspicious or prejudged against them and their way How often have good men after they have done what was good and acceptable to God been assaulted with temptations and perplexed with doubts and fears about what they had done I hope he will not say that they were upon the inquiry of persons prejudged against them and the good which they had done and who were waiting for their halting obliged to tell those prejudged persons and the whole World that they were under such doubts and fears about what they had done for beside many other evils that would follow upon this it would give occasion of speaking evil of the good which they had done and harden those who were adversaries to the good deed they had done and might occasion others to doubt of the lawfulness of a good action Beside this sort of Inquisition if it should take place would draw out secret sins to the view of the world and make them publick scandals and would raise suspicions of scandals without ground as for example if a suspicious person might inquire and oblige any other person to answer to this question Could ye after ye come from such a place or such company have confidence to offer thanks to God for helping you to overcome the temptation ye had to uncleanness theft drunkenness and to bear witness against the sins of the persons
6. Some things become necessary or the more necessary to be done because of those who urge the forbearance of them out of some erroneous principle or for establishing of some error And thus Mr. Rutherford sheweth in the forecited Treatise That to forbear the cating of Swines-flesh before a Jew who alledges that it is a sin or breach of the Commandment of God to do so to forbear it now when we are fully possessed in that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free were to harden the Jew in his Judaism and the way to bring us again under the yoke of the Ceremonial Law Now 1. seeing God hath ordained Magistracy for protection of his servants and people and for protecting them in the exercise of his worship it was expedient and necessary to accept of this Protection when offered and not to refuse it for the acceptance of the effect and product of the exercise of that Authority which is Gods Ordinance was an acknowledgment and owning the Ordinance of God a honouring of those to whom by Divine appointment honour is due And this was a contributing to render the Ordinance of God effectual for that end for which he had instituted and ordained it and upon the contrary the refusing of this relaxation and of the protection of lawful Authority would have been a slighting and despising of the Ordinance of God and a doing of that which tended to render the Ordinance of God ineffectual for that end and use for which God ordained it Now the relaxation of this restraint which had been long upon the publick exercise of their Ministry and the protection of lawful Authority which Mr. H. accepted of was the very exercise of that Authority which is the Ordinance of God 2. Seeing the Magistrate in loosing that restraint which hindred the peaceable exercise of the Ministry did his duty he did somewhat of that which he was obliged to do it was necessary that the Ministers whom they were willing to loose from the restraint formerly laid on and whom they were willing to protect in the exexcise of their Ministry should in their place and station further and promove the Magistrate in any good which he was willing to do as when a Minister is willing to do his duty in preaching and Catechising the people should be willing to hear and be Catechised so when a Magistrate is willing to permit or allow Ministers to preach in his Dominions and to protect them in the exercise of their Ministry it 's the duty of Ministers who have the access to the peaceable exercise of their Ministry under the protection of lawful Authority to accept of the peaceable exercise of their Ministry and to refuse this offer were the way to mar and stifle the good which the Magistrate was willing to do Now when the Magistrate is willing to do any thing which is right and his duty it 's a sin to mar impede and stifle any good that he is willing to do 3. Seeing peace and the protection of lawful Authority and the peaceable exercise of the Ministry under the protection of lawful Authority are great blessings of God and God promises and gives them to his people as great benefits and his people are obliged to pray for them Isa 48.18 Isa 60.15 16 17 18. Isa 11.6 7 8 9. 1 Tim. 2.1 2. Therefore it 's necessary to accept these mercies and benefits when the Lord in his Providence offers and gives them and to refuse them when they are offered were to slight the mercies of God and to refuse what we are bound to seek and to be thankful for when we get it 4. Seeing the fixed setled and peaceable exercise of the Ministry is so necessary as appears from the Lords taking care that Ministers might be setled in Cities and Churches and from the many conveniencies of a setled Ministry which are wanting in an unfixed Ministry for they who may not stay among a people cannot so know their state and case and so cannot apply their Doctrine sutable to their case and cannot make full proof of their Ministry among them in laying the foundation in all the principles of the doctrine of God and then leading the people forward unto greater perfection in knowledge in declaring the whole Counsel of God and they have not access to Catechise and visit c. as those who have the setled and fixed exercise of their Ministry have and then peace and quietness in preaching and hearing the Gospel hath many conveniences people not only know whither they shall go to hear but they may come seasonably without hazard by the way and without fear of disturbance when they are come so that they may more compose themselves for hearing than they can who are in a continual apprehension of a hostile Invasion and often alarmed with hearing or seeing some noise or appearance of armed soldiers These fears and confusions are great Impediments of the sanctification of the Sabbath Now the setled and peaceable exercise of the Ministry which is so many ways expedient and necessary cannot be had but by the Magistrate and therefore to have refused to make any use of the Indulgence had been to refuse the setled and peaceable exercise of the Ministry 5. This acceptance was useful for preventing many evils of sin and calamity The indulged Ministers could not see how they could without sin refuse to make any use of the Indulgence and they conceived their refusal to take the benefit of the peaceable exercise of their Ministry would have given occasion of offence and provocation to the Magistrate and to the destitute Congregations who desired their help the desire of a people who are wandring as sheep without a Shepherd had a cry that they could not see how they could slight without sin The acceptance prevented the filling of the Kirk with a Conformist whom the people would not have heard and freed those Parishes of the quarterings plunderings imprisonments which they were formerly obnoxious unto it prevented their uncertain wandrings on the Sabbath their disquieting and confounding fears their running and fleeing on the Sabbath which is such a calamity that our Saviour directs the Jews to pray that their flight might not be in the winter neither on the Sabbath-day Matth. 24. and prevented rendevousing and fighting and mingling blood with Sacrifices on the Lords day The many disorders and confusions and sad sufferings the imprisonments and finings and banishments and the great effusion of the blood of the people of God which have followed upon the hostile clashings betwixt Magistrates and people may teach us how necessary the peaceable exercise of the Ministry under lawful Authority is and how necessary it is to take and seek and follow after peace with all men especially with the Magistrate The Indulged Ministers cannot nor could not see how a refusing to have any making or medling with the Magistrate which these Authors urge could consist with the respect due to Authority or with
show that those of the outed Ministers to whom the Magistrate had granted the peaceable publick exercise of their Office in some Parishes in their returning to those Parishes where they were formerly ordained Ministers or not having access to the peaceable exercise of their Ministry in their own Parishes upon the â—nvitation of destitute Congregations with the consent of Presbyterian Ministers concerned going to exercise their Office in those destitute Congregations till they might have access to return â—o their own Parishes That these Ministers in so doing did sin Of what Law of God is this practice of theirs a Transgression Is it a sin for Ministers whom God hath called to the work of the Ministry to exercise their Office in the Parishes where they were ordained Ministers or to help destitute Congregations who desire them to come and help them Is it a sin because the Magistrate permits them to preach The Author himself dare not say this as appears from his first Answer to the first Objection A Minister â—ins not in preaching the Gospel though an Uâ—urper a Robber permit him to preach and much â—ess doth the Permission of the lawful Magistrate render his preaching sinful Object The Magistrate appoints them to preach and to preach in such or such a parish and therefore it 's sinful Ans 1. If it were a sin in the Magistrate to appoint a Minister to preach in such or such a place and a sin for the Minister to preach because the Magistrate appointed him to preach in such a place then the Ministers who wrote the first Book of Discipline and the Church of Scotland who approved it did sin in desiring the Magistrate to appoint Ministers to preach in such and such Parishes We did shew from the first Book of Discipline That they desired the Magistrate to do this and more too even to compel them to preach 2. This Author grants in his Answer to the third Objection That the Magistrate may place Ministers when the Church is corrupt and all things are out of order the vanity of his evasion by which he seeks to elude that Argument taken from the 10th Chapter of the second Book of Discipline is before discovered 3. Suppose it were unlawful for the Magistrate to appoint a Minister to exercise the Office of the Ministry in a particular Parish yet it would not be sinful for that Minister to preach in that Parish if the Parish were vacant and earnestly desired him to exercise his Ministry among them and if his preaching there were not injurious to any if the Magistrates appointing a Minister to preach c. in a Parish render the Ministers preaching in that Parish sinful then the Magistrate by such appointments might make the exercise of the Ministry in any Parish or in all Parishes in his Dominions sinful which is a most absurd Conceit Or is it sinful to accept of the peaceable exercise of their Ministry in such or such Parishes because the Magistrate gives them Injunctions and Rules to regulate them in the exercise of their Ministry But 1. These Injunctions were the Magistrates Acts and not the Ministers 2. The Ministers accepted not of these Injunctions but declared they could receive no such Ecclesiastick Rules from the Magistrate and that they had full Prescriptions from Christ which they behoved to observe as they would be answerable to him of whom they had received their Ministry 3. The Act of Instructions as it was distinct from the Act of Indulgence in which the publick peaceable exercise of their Ministry was granted and came not to the Ministers hands for a considerable time after they had received the Act of Indulgence so there was a great difference in the nature of the Acts and the Indulged Ministers did right in making use of what was good and refusing what was evil 4. If the Magistrates sending Injunctions to Ministers renders the exercise of their Ministry sinful then the Magistrate may render the exercise of the Ministry in any place in every place of his Dominions sinful by sending Instructions to all the Ministers in his Dominions which is another absurd Conceit which if it were received would make it easie for an ill-disposed Magistrate to mar all preaching by writing and sending Acts of Instructions to all the Ministers in his Dominions Object The Act of Indulgence flowed from a sinful Supremacy and therefore it was sinful to make any use of it Ans To say nothing of the making use of a Pass given by a Captain of Robbers or of a Covenant of peaceable commerce made with an Usurper who hath no just title which Casuists do not condemn I answer That that Act which indeed was the Act of Indulgence and which the Indulged Ministers made use of viz. The Relaxation of the Civil Restraint which hindred the peaceable exercise of their Ministry or the granting of the publick peaceable exercise of Ministry was no Act of any sinful Supremacy but the exercise of that power which the Magistrate hath from God for doing good As from the right stating of the question it evidently appears That this accepting of the publick peaceable exercise of the Ministry was not sinful so it evidently appears That it was lawful and commendable and a duty to which they were obliged as the work of the Ministry is a good work so the peaceable setled exercise of it under the protection of lawful Authority is a great mercy that hath many blessings and advantages in it it 's a promised blessing it 's a blessing for which the people of God should pray and because the peaceable setled exercise of the Ministry cannot be where Magistrates are without their allowance or permission therefore it 's duty to pray That the Lord would incline the heart of Rulers to grant the peaceable publick exercise of Religion in their Dominions and when the Lord inclines the hearts of Rulers to this we should not slight such a promised Mercy nor refuse the return of our Prayers but thankfully receive this blessing of God conveyed by the hand of the Magistrate and make use of this Talent to the Glory of God and edification of his Church I remember I have spoken before of the advantages of the peaceable setled exercise of the Ministry and of the necessity of accepting of it especially in answering the last head of the Authors Arguments and shall say no more of the state of the question but this That they who but understand the terms of the question will see that all the Arguments which the Author brings to prove the accepting of the Indulgence sinful do evanish as smoke and lose all colour when they compere before the light of naked Truth And they will see that what these Ministers did in exercising their Ministry in these desolate Congregations when the Lord in his good Providence had given them peaceable access thereto was so evidently a religious work a labour of love a work of mercy a seasonable expedient necessary work
the Magistrate and some of them are not ashamed to calumniate Presbyterians as if they gave as little to the Magistrate as Papists do 2. From the touchy sense that all in Authority have of any thing that diminishes or but seems to diminish their Power or to derogate from it 3. From my L. Chancellours displeasure at Mr. B. and his question proposed about the Magistrates Power of confining and Mr. H's beginning and ending his Discourse with that desire that their Lordships would not mistake Mr. B. That it 's a wonder how a Person that had any imagination at all could miss the purpose of this Discourse But yet all these objective Evidences which might have as Guides led his imagination to the true design of Mr. H's Discourse were overswayed by two more intimate Guides which like ill Ghosts haunted his imagination in the matters relating to Indulged Ministers I mean his Passion and Prejudice which habitually mis-guided him in these matters and led him out of the right way which was obvious into extravagant phantasms and imaginations which are so wild that it 's a wonder how any man who had but common sense to rectifie his imagination could give way let be with-gate to them or how he could suffer them to arise or if they had started when he was not adverting how he could behold them without laughter or indignation but that he should have entertained them and bewildered himself and his followers in following them is one of the wildest Wild-goose Chases imaginable There is one thing somewhat singular in this Authors imagination in these matters that his imagination hath a habitual mishap of missing the right way and taking the wrong I do not remember of any Person to whom I can compare him in this except one who was a Servant to a Gentleman of my Acquaintance of whom I heard his Master say that when his Servant took the guiding of the way he constantly mistook when he came where there were two ways he was sure to take the wrong way which his Master having often observed he resolved when there was any doubt of the way never to take the way which his man took but the way which he left and so he was sure not to be mistaken But yet I must give the Historian the pre-eminence in wandring for that Servant took but one wrong way at once but the Historian when he hath prosecuted one wrong imaginary way in which no foot hath trod before him and followed it out till he could win no further he immediately comes back and at the same pass where he began to wander he takes another wrong way and then another and so forth till he hath wearied himself and his followers to no purpose and which is yet worse after all these wandrings he never comes right That Servant I spoke of came back to his Master to the right way but the Author having no other Guide but his own imagination miscarried by Prejudice and Passion wanders habitually when he begins to guess at the Indulged Ministers meaning and upon a false imagination that they meant something which never came in their head he pursues after them in a way which they never took nor dreamed of and then to be sure to overtake them some way he begins again if they meant not that they meant this and then again pursues and so fashes himself in following his own fancies but for the true meaning of these Ministers he ordinarily misses it though it be most obvious to any who will not hood-wink himself Any who looks but with half an eye into this Controversie about the limits of the Magistrates and Ministers Power and into this business which was before the Council will see that it was most necessary to add what Mr. H. added to Mr. B's words both for clearing Mr. B's meaning and for preventing the Objections that the Magistrate or others for the Magistrate might make against an Assertion which seemed to exclude the Magistrate from having any Power about Church Canons or the exercise of the Ministry to which there was nothing added to clear what Power the Magistrate had in reference to matters of Religion Might they not have Objected Ye will we see take no Instructions from Magistrates nor commands to Regulate the exercise of your Ministry Ye will make Rules your selves for Regulating your Ministry but ye will admit us to make none for any thing we hear from you Ye ascribe no Power to us about matters of Religion What can the Magistrate do nothing for the Reformation and preservation of Religion and for Reforming Ministers Is the Magistrate bound up that he cannot hinder the making or execution of wrong Canons What if a Church-Assembly a Council agree upon Arrianism and resolve to Preach this to the Magistrates Subjects What if they make Canons for Idolatry for adoring Images as the 2d Nicen Council did What if they agree to publish the error of Transubstantiation and to lift up the Bread in the Eucharist to be adored by the People What if they agree upon a Church-policy manifestly contrary to the Scripture and require the Subjects to subject themselves to be ruled by these Rules of Policy of their own making Shall the Magistrate suffer his Subjects to be poisoned with Heresie Idolatry corrupt Church-mens Tyranny Can he do nothing to hinder the making of such Heretical Idolatrous Tyrannical Canons or to crush them and hinder the execution of them when they are made Must he blindly assent to all the Canons Kirk-men enact and add his Civil Sanction to them and see to the execution of them that is to promove the eternal destruction of his own Subjects Does not the confession of Faith allow to the Magistrate a Power for Reformation and conservation of Religion And our latest Confession of Faith though it assert Chap. 31. Sect. 3. That it belongs to Synods and Councils Ministerially to determine Controversies of Faith and Cases of Conscience to set down Rules and Directions for the better Ordering of the Publick Worship of God and Government of his Church to receive complaints in cases of male Administration and Authoritatively determine the same yet it doth not assert that though these Decrees be contrary to the Word of God that they are to be received by any and much less by the Magistrate for it 's added in that same Article Which Decrees and Determinations if consonant to the Word of God are to be received with Reverence and Submission not only for their agreement to the Word but also for the Power whereby they are made as being an Ordinance of God appointed thereto in his Word And though that same late Coâ—fession Chap. 23. Article 3. affirm that the Civil Magistrate may not assume to himself the Administration of the Word and Sacraments or the power of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven yet he hath Authority and it is his Duty to take Order that Unity and Peace be preserved in the Church
himself what wonder if there were doubts of this nature amongst these Brethren And though I cannot certainly assert that they had different apprehensions in this matter yet I conjecture that there was something of it from what I read in an excellent Vindication of the Ministers who made use of the Indulgence written as is supposed by that faithful and judicious Minister Mr. Thomas Wylie who was as I am informed present with these Ministers at their Meetings though he had not then made any use of the Indulgence for after he hath in Assertion 5. asserted that it 's granted without debate that the Supream Magistrate hath a Supream Power objectively Ecclesiastick about Church-matters And Ass 7. That as it is the Magistrates sin to restrain Ministers from Preaching the Gospel so it is condescended to by all of the Presbyterian perswasion that it is the Duty of the Magistrates not onely to permit and allow the Preaching of the Gospel in his Dominions but upon supposition of neglect or necessity it is his Duty to command Ministers to Preach the Gospel 2 Chron. 17.7 8 9 Jehoshaphat sent the Levites and Priests with the Book of the Law to teach all the Cities of Judah and they went through all the Cities of Judah and taught the People Rom. 13.4 The Magistrate is to them a Minister for good Mr. Rutherford See Durham of Scandal Part 3. Chap. 14. pag. 250. Also by their negligence in not providing faithful Teachers pag. 252. To countenance with their Authority the Ordinance of Discipline to confirm by their Authority the Ordinance of Preaching the Gospel pag. 254 Magistrates might and ought to put Ministers c. to their Duty in case they be negligent c. in his Treatise against Toleration expounds that not onely of Civil good but also of the Spiritual Soul good of his Subjects which the Magistrate as he is a nursing-father of the Church and as he is Custos utriusque tabulae is to procure by suppressing Hereticks and Heresies and countenancing faithful Ministers And some pages after he says by virtue of which Power contained in the former Assertions he may moving in his own sphere and acting onely in a Civil capacity give command that all things be done in the House of the God of Heaven according to the will of the God of Heaven and even in the matters in hand it may by some be alledged that the Magistrates fail is not in the Formality of the rise of his Rules but in the sinful and grievous matâ—er of them And then he supposes that if the Magistrate had in the first Rule permitted and â—llowed Presbyterian Ministers to Baptize the Children of Persons in adjacent Parishes and admit them to the Communion if they were not clear to joyn with the incumbents who had conformed And if in the second Rule they had appointed that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper should be as often yearly celebrated as the conveniency of the respective Congregations would admit and had appointed that Congregations lying together should not have it on the same day and allowed at such occasions Preaching without and so of the rest If they had put Ministers to their Duty who would or who ought to have quarrelled with the Magistrate as out of his Duty So it is not the Formality of the rise or conveyance but the faultiness of the matter considering our present Constitution that makes the Rules sinful and not to be practised by honest men I may add if the Magistrate had appointed the Indulged Ministers to meet Presbyterially that cases which were formerly referrable to Presbyteries might be still so referred and not determined by Kirk-Sessions I suppose none would have had reason to complain And if it had been appointed that these Presbyteries should have Clerks and pay them their dues I suppose none would have alledged that this was Erastianism but a restoring of something of the former Order Something also of the different apprehensions of Ministers about these Rules which of them were formally Ecclesiastical and which mis-applications of the Civil Power objectively Ecclesiastical appears in the Answer of the History of the Indulgence of which I spoke before but that made no division among these honest Ministers who looked upon them as impositions that were not to be received And I suppose any who will impartially consider the matter will think that these Ministers did wisely in forbearing to determine peremptorily concerning the nature of every one of these Rules whether they were the exercise of a Power formally Ecclesiastical or mis-applications of the Civil Power objectively Ecclesiastical From what is said we may see the Vanity of all the Historians endeavours whereby he labours to prove that Mr. H's words were useless or a base betraying of the Cause and whatever Mr. H. thought of the nature of these Rules he gave an honest Testimony against them as the Author is forced to confess in acknowledging that he said the same upon the matter with Mr. B. but he spoke more fully and distinctly for in his first Speech which the Historian acknowledges to be the same upon the matter with Mr. B's he uses the words impositions burdening in the matters of the Ministry which comprehends not onely Rules formally Ecclesiastical of the Magistrates making but also all Civil injunctions which impose grievous burdens And I suppose it was Mr. B's design to refuse both though his words seem most directly to relate to the former and my reason is this because the Reason which Mr. B. adds does clearly exclude all Arbitrary Civil injunctions which impose upon the Ambassadours of Christ who are to adhere to their Masters Instructions in the discharge of their Office And as Mr. H. shews that Mr. B. did not intend to deny the Magistrates just Power so the Reason which he adds justifies what Mr. B. said more expresly and what he meant and clearly enough insinuate by the Reason which he added to his Refusal What the Author further adds pag. 75 76. to prove that the granting to the Magistrate a Power objectively Ecclesiastical doth not warrant him to make Rules regulating the exercise of the Ministry and its intrinsick administration is a very needless work which his ignorant mistake of Mr. H's design in speaking and then his uncharitable that I say not perverse wresting of Mr. H's words and design against all Reason and common sense hath put him to as little wit makes meickle travel So it is no wonder if they who travel with such a mischievous design as that is to prove honest men to be base betrayers of the cause of God be put to a great deal of pains in travelling to bring forth such a Monster and to put some face upon such an ugly deformed Birth and then to get it fathered upon them who can give their Oath of verity they have nothing to do with it and may safely say that the Father of lies hath helped to breed it and bring it
Honour which Inferiours owe to Superiours is all due Reverence in Heart Word and Behaviour Prayer and Thanksgiving for them imitating their Virtues and Graces willing Obedience to their Lawful Commands and Counsels due Submission to their Corrections Fidelity to defence and maintenance of their Persons and Authority according to their several Ranks and Nature of their places bearing with their Infirmities and covering them in love that so they may be an Honour to them and to their Government And for confirming this Answer beside places cited in the Confession they cite Ephes 6.5 6 7. 1 Pet. 2.18 19 20. Servants be Subject to your Masters with all fear not only to the good but to the froward for this is thank-worthy if a Man for Conscience toward God endure grief suffering wrongfully for what glory is it if when ye be buffetted for your faults ye shall take it patiently But if when ye do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God Titus 2.9 10. 1 Sam. 26.15 16. Wherefore hast thou not kept thy Lord the King This thing is not good which thou hast done as the Lord liveth ye are worthy to die because ye have not kept your Master the Lords anointed 2 Sam. 18.3 But now thou art worth ten thousand of us Esther 6.2 Matth. 22.21 Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things which are Gods Rom. 13.6 7. Gen. 9.23 And Shem and Japhet took a Garment and laid it upon their shoulders and went backward and covered the nakedness of their Father and their faces were backward and they saw not their Fathers nakedness If we compare this Band with the Confession of Faith and Catechisms and the Covenants and the Scriptures which are cited in the Confession of Faith and larger Catechism we may see if we will not shut our eyes that this Band cannot be reconciled with these but manifestly clasheth with them and therefore they who adhere to this Band are a party who by their tenets and practices distinguish themselves from these who do adhere to the Confession of Faith Catechisms and Covenants I had forgot that they also design themselves Persons whom the Magistrate hath declared no Lawful Subjects which shews that their number is not great and yet there are many who fall under the lash of these Declarations who think themselves bound by the Covenants to maintain the Kings Person and Authority and who disclaimed Ruglen Declaration and would undergo a thousand Deaths ere they subscribed this Band And it 's hoped that the Magistrates will think it true Policy to put a difference betwixt these who own their Authority and these who disown it This shews how inconsiderable the number of these who own this Band are and how unfit they are to make a Representative of the true Presbyterian Church and Covenanted Nation of Scotland Very ordinarily they who are for destroying Magistrates are no great friends to Ministers Having rejected the Magistrates in the preceding Articles they fall upon the Ministers in the sixth Article at least the greater part of them as being defective in preaching and testifying against the Acts of the Rulers c. and then for hindring others who were willing to have testified c. It was a long time a mystery to many what some people meant by a testimony which they were always calling for because although Ministers plainly preached as their Text led them against Prelacy and Erastianism and did shew the people from the Scripture that God hath given the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to Ministers and not to Magistrates and that the things of the House of God Ecclesiastical matters must be done according to the will of the God of Heaven and not according to the will of the Magistrate And though they with grief regrated the breaches made in the Order and Government of the Church yet these people would still exclaim against them as not bearing testimony against the ills of the time but at length it appeared what was the testimony which they meant for if one instead of preaching the Gospel had made an invective discourse against the Rulers and treated them at the rate that they are treated in this band and so rendred them and their Authority despicable and hateful O! that was a preaching of the whole counsel of God though they brought neither Scripture nor Reason for what they said and they made nothing of what was brought from Scripture and Reason against Prelacy and Erastianism by other Ministers because they also did preach the duty which subjects owed to the Magistrate and maintained their lawful Authority as Gods Ordinance and prayed for the King and subordinate Magistrates The Testimony which some of these people who were upon the secret which hath now broken out were seeking was something which might render the Magistrate hateful and cast him out of the affections of the subjects and so make way for driving on the design which is now discovered in this band and declaration viz. the rejection of the King and Kingly Government and all subordinate Magistrates deriving their Authority from the King They are highly injurious to Presbyterian Ministers in alledging that they have not born testimony to that truth which Christ witnessed before Pontius Pilate viz. That Christ is a King for they declare it privately and publickly in their places and stations That Christ is a King and that he hath a spiritual Kingdom distinct from the Kingdoms of this world but no ways prejudicial to earthly Kingdoms but where it comes into any Kingdom of this world it is if it be received the establishment of that Kingdom Not to repeat what is said in several Papers which do shew the several sorts of testimonies both verbal and real given by Presbyterian Ministers I shall only say That their testimony concerning the Church and the Government thereof and the power of the Magistrate in reference to Church-matters is in the Confession of their Faith and Catechisms Directory for Worship and Government and as it could hardly be expected that these Ministers being so scattered could meet to agree upon new Confessions so though they had met they could not readily have fallen upon a better confession than what is already extant and to which they add here In chap. 25. of the Confession of Faith Art 2. it is asserted That the visible Church is the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ the House and Family of God Art 3. Unto this Catholick visible Church Christ hath given the Ministry Oracles and Ordinances of God for gathering and perfecting of the Saints Art 6. There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ Chap 30. The Lord Jesus as King and Head of his Church hath therein appointed a government in the hand of Church-Officers distinct from the Civil Magistrate Art 2. To these Officers the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven are committed Chap. 31. Art 3. It belongs to Synods and
Councils ministerially to determine controversies of Faith and cases of Conscience to set down Rules and Directions for the better ordering of the publick Worship of God and government of his Church Art 5. Synods and Councils are to conclude nothing but that which is Ecclesiastical and are not to meddle with Civil affairs which concern the Commonwealth unless by way of humble petition in cases extraordinary or by way of advice for satisfaction of conscience if they be thereto required by the Civil Magistrate Chap. 23. Art 3. The Civil Magistrate may not assume to himself the administration of word and Sacraments as the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven yet he hath authority and it is his duty to take order that unity and peace be preserved in the Church that the truth of God be kept pure and intire that all blasphemies and heresies be suppressed all corruptions and abuses in worship or discipline prevented or reformed and all Ordinances of God duly setled administred and observed for the better effecting whereof he hath power to call Synods to be present at them and to provide that whatsoever is transacted in them be according to the word of God These Articles and the Scripture-proofs do clearly hold out and confirm That Christ not the Magistrate is the Head King Lord of the Church which is the Body House and Kingdom of Christ that Church and not the Magistrate is the Fountain of the Spiritual Power of the keys of the kingdom of Heaven that the Offices in the Church are of divine institution given by Christ and that these Offices which Christ hath given are sufficient for gathering and perfecting the Church seeing he hath given them for that end and that they are Ministerial and not Lordly and hence it follows that the Office of a Prelate who claims a majority of Directive and Coercive power over Ministers who not only takes upon him without election to moderate Synods but also is above the censure of the Synod and who can hinder the Synod from concluding any thing how necessary soever they find it and without whose Authority the Synod is no Synod who imposes Moderators upon the meetings for exercise and to whom these meetings are countable for their actings without whom there can be no ordination deposition excommunication relaxation from it who exacteth an Oath of Canonical obedience from Ministers not being in the Rolls of the Offices and Officers given by Christ and being a Lordly and so more than a Ministerial Office Presbyterians cannot own it nor judg it useful for gathering or perfecting of the Church They shew also that the Magistrate to whom God hath given the Lordly power of the sword is so far from having a spiritual Supreme power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven that he hath not the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven given to him at all for the power of the keys which Christ hath given is Ministerial and makes those who are invested with it Ministers of the Church but the power of the Sword is Magistratical and a Lordly Dominion and that it belongs to Synods and Councils and not to Magistrates to make Ecclesiastical Rules c. and that none neither Magistrates nor Ministers may order Ecclesiastical matters according to their mind and pleasure but those things must be ordered according to the mind and will of God revealed in his word And all true Presbyterians believe That seeing both the Lordly Power of the Magistrate in general and in special the Kingly Power and the Ministerial Power of Church-Officers are of God and his Ordinances that they are not contrary to one another for the Ordinances of God do not justle one against another but sweetly agree and any justling or clashing which hath proceeded from the corruptions of Magistrates or Ministers are not to be imputed to the Lords Ordinances and it 's the earnest desire of all truly godly and loyal subjects who seek the glory of God and the Magistrates true honour and interest That whatsoever in the actings of their rightful Magistrates hath exceeded the bounds which the Lord hath set to them may be in mercy discovered to them and in time reformed That all occasions of grief and stumbling may be taken out of the way of truly loyal subjects and all occasion of doing mischief may be cut off from those who take advantage from those excesses to render the Magistrate contemptible and to overthrow that Power which they have from God As for what they say of Ministers hindering those who would have given a testimony and censuring others who did give it the truth is Presbyterian Ministers endeavoured to restrain some young men who instead of preaching the Gospel made it their work to revile the Magistrate and Ministers who made use of the liberty granted by the Magistrate but these youths discovered themselves not to be of Presbyterian Principles by their refusing to be subordinate to the Ministers and by reproaching them who would have reclaimed them from their disorderly and Schismatick practices By this the Magistrate may perceive if the Presbyterian Ministers who are Presbyterians indeed had by allowance of the Magistrate the peaceable exercise of their Ministry and liberty of meeting for regulating their own actings and the actings of those who profess themselves to be Presbyterians such unruly persons who stir up the people to Schism and Sedition would not be admitted to the Ministry or if they after their admission discovered themselves to be of pernicious principles they would be put from the Ministry and so the people who are true to Presbyterian Principles would not own them and so they would not have access to pervert the people with Seditious and Schismatick doctrine this would be found the most proper Remedy for these distempers But what wonder is it if young men who are ordinarily rash being but Novices who have not studied the Body of Divinity and who have no experience and know not the Principles and Practices of Presbyterial Government who are not put ro Presbyterial Exercises for their trial and instruction and who it may be have never seen any thing of the Exercise of Presbyterial Government in Presbyteries or Synods and who are not under the iâ—spection of meetings of Presbyterians but wander to and fro at random not thinking themselves accountable to any meeting of Ministers nor censurable by any What wonder is it if such persons when they are blown up with the vain applause of some ignorant and humorous people who under their sad sufferings have taken up such prejudice against the Magistrate and all to whom the Magistrate shews any favour that they think what is most cross to the Magistrate is most right and any thing which the Magistrate allows they think it wrong and so they cry up those Preachers most who speak most invectively against the Magistrate and against those Ministers to whom the Magistrate shews any favour I say what wonder is
it if such youths blown up with the wind of popular applause fall into many snares and take courses that tend to bring all things sacred and civil into confusion They add For which together with other causes c. we may say God hath left them to do worse things This is among their rash sayings it was the duty of Presbyterians to censure such unruly youths They add But also have voted in that meeting which they are pleased to call an Assembly of Ministers but how justly let men judg an acceptation of that liberty founded upon and given by virtue of that blasphemously arrogated and usurped power Their alledgance that that meeting is not to be called an Assembly of Ministers will beget no prejudice against it in the minds of men who have any sound judgment in matters of that nature And sober and judicious men would have suspected that meeting if it had pleased their banders or any of such principles as they maintain And none except ignorants or persons blinded with prejudice will say that the liberty of the peaceable exercise of the Ministry granted by the Magistrate is founded upon any unlawful powor or supremacy The Magistrates granting liberty of the peaceable exercise of the Ministry is the exercise of that power which the Magistrate hath from God That which the Magistrate ought to do doth not flow from any unlawful power but the Magistrate ought to grant to the Ministers of the Gospel liberty to exercise their Ministry peaceably and therefore such a grant of liberty c. or such liberty granted doth not flow from nor is founded upon any unlawful or usurped power or supremacy They add And hath appeared before their Courts to accept of that liberty and to be Enacted and authorized there as Ministers and so hath willingly for this is an elicite act of the will and not an act of force and constraint translated the power of sending out ordering censuring for as they accept of their liberty from them so they submit to their censures and restraints at least all of them who were yet tried with it and others of them appeared and acknowledged before their Courts that they would not have done these things that they were charged with if they had thought it would have offended them Ministers departing from the Court of Christ and subjection to the Ministry to the Courts of men and subjection to the Magistrate which had been impious and injurious to Christ and his Church though they had been righteous and lawful rulers and by their changing of Courts according to common Law hath changed their masters and of the Ministers of Christ are become the Ministers of men and bound to answer to them as oft as they will and as by the acceptation of this liberty in such manner they have translated the power so they have given up and utterly quit the Government and a succession of a Presbyterian Ministry for as these were not granted them of their masters so they exercise their Ministry without them and so by this as the Ecclesiastical Government is swallowed up in the Civil if the rest had followed them the Ministry should have also been extinct with themselves and the whole work of Reformation had been buried in oblivion not so much as the remembrance of it kept up Ans If the Magistrates will see these Ministers for whom the people supplicate why should they refuse to appear what solid reason can be given for such a refusal and what ill is there in the Councils recording in their Act that upon such a day such a Minister for whom such a Parish had supplicated was allowed to Preach in such a Parish That they appeared to be authorized as Ministers if they mean as it seems they do that they appeared to receive their Ministerial authority from the Council or that they appeared to be made Ministers of the Gospel it is a manifest slander for as they had their Ministerial authority before their appearance before the Council so the Council did not pretend to make them Ministers but presupposed that they were Ministers by enquiring where they were Ordained Ministers and the Council cannot well be blamed to inform themselves concerning the persons whom they permit to Preach that they may not allow they know not whom but may be assured that they are Ministers and that they are not seditious turbulent persons But if by authorizing they mean the Magistrates Civil allowance maintetenance protection it 's the Magistrates duty thus to authorize those who are Ordained Ministers of the Gospel in the publick exercise of the Spiritual power and authority of their Office as all Orthodox Anti-Erastian Divines grant And because the Authors of this Band seem to have been unacquainted with the judgment of Presbyterian Divines in these matters I shall for their information and the information of others who are bold to speak of things which they do not understand set down the judgment of Presbyterian Divines in this matter as it is holden forth in that famous Book The Divine right of Church-Government Chap. 6. Pag. 55. 2. The power or authority of Church-Government is a derived power for clearing of this note there is a Magisterial primitive supreme power which is peculiar to Jesus Christ our Mediator as hath been proved Chap. 3. 5 and there is a Ministerial derivative subordinate power which the Scripture declares to be in Church-guides Mat. 16.19 18.18 Joh. 20 21 23. Mat. 28.19 20. 2 Cor. 10.8 13.10 and often elsewhere this is abundantly testified but whence is this power originally derived to them here we are carefully to consider and distinguish three things touching this power and authority from one another viz. 1. The Donation of the authority it self and of the Offices whereunto this power doth properly belong 2. The designation of particular persons unto such Offices as are vested with such power 3. The publick protection countenancing authorizing defending maintaining of such Officers in the publick exercise of such power within such and such Realms and Dominions this being premised we may clearly thus resolve according to Scripture-warrant viz. the designation or setting apart of particular individual persons to those Offices in the Church that have power and authority engraven upon them is from the Church nominating electing and ordaining of such persons thereunto See Act. 13.1 2 3. 1 Tim. 4.4 5.22 Tit. 1.5 Act. 4.22 The publick defence maintenance c. of such Officers in the publick exercise of the power and authority of their Office in such and such Dominions is from the Civil Magistrate as the nursing Father of the Church Isa 49.23 For it is by his authority and sanction that such publick places shall be set apart for publick Ministry that such maintenance and reward shall be legally performed for such Ministry that all such persons of such and such Congregations shall be in case they neglect their duty to such Ministry punished with such Political penalties
them and they must stand and fall as they are pleased to determine Their Soveraignty is the more absolute that their Dignity proceeds of themselves and men use not to limit their own power when they have it at their own making or taking the old Prelates depend upon the King and they are sent from Court It 's true Athanasius * Epist ad Solitariam vitam Agentes finds fault with that ubi ille Canon ut è palatio mittaturis qui futurus est Episcopus Yet any thing that is in its nature excessive and inclined to pass bounds is less dangerous when it is limited by some other thing on which it depends than when it is left to its own indefinite appetite or inclination Their new Prelates depend neither upon King nor Kesar but are independent their Prelacy proceeds of themselves this makes it very dreadful like the Dominion of the Chaldeans Hab. 1.7 They are terrible and dreadful their judgment and dignity shall proceed of themselves They were terrible because as Mr. Hutcheson upon the place saith They would be their own carvers in all matters of advantage and honour standing to no law either of Nature or Nations in dealing with a terrified and subdued people but meerly following their own will armed with power If ye say they are not designed Lords nor a Soveraign power ascribed to them in the Bond but they are designed Ministers that is Servants I answer if folk will be beguiled with names the Pope will call himself Servus servorum a Servant of Servants but there is a real Soveraignty given to them when a Jurisdiction over all Presbyterian Ministers to suspend depose and dispose of their Ministry as they please is ascribed to them And the other Prelates deal more candidly in taking the name of Soveraignty and Lordship seeing they have the thing Is it not a strange arrogance that a Presbyter or two or three Presbyters shall claim a stated Jurisdiction over a great multitude of Presbyters who have the same office with themselves they either have that power over their Brethren by vertue of their Ministerial Office as they are Presbyters or by vertue of some other Office not by vertue of the Office of a Presbyter or Minister for then one and the same Office should make one Presbyter a Soveraign and Lord and another Presbyter his subject a Presbyter as a Presbyter cannot have dominion over a Presbyter for one and the same Office cannot make a man Soveraign over another who hath the same Office that he hath If they have this Soveraign power over their Brethren by vertue of some other Office than the Office of a Minister or Presbyter then let them tell us what Office this is if it be not the Office of a Prelate 2. It hath not yet been proven that the Lord gave a Soveraign power and Spiritual jurisdiction to any one of his Ministers no not to the Apostles over the rest Paul Bains in his Diocesan Trial Pag. 73 77. shews that a majority of directive and corrective power such a power as Bishops claim is more than Ministerial And Mr. Rutherford in his Divine Right of Church-Government saith Nor do we find that the Apostles had jurisdiction over Pastors in the Scripture nor in any Ecclesiastick Records but where Papacy was working See Pag. 21. There is but one Lord in the Church Ephes 4. and Christ hath forbidden Lordship and enjoined ministry and serving Luk. 22.24 1 Pet. 5.3 Non requiritur in dominatione humilitas sed ipsa Dominatio prohibetur saith Whitaker Christus de re dominantur non autem de modo dominandi hoc vel illo modo dominantur saith Junius The work of all Church-Officers is a Ministerial work not only Doctors and Pastors but Apostles Prophets and Evangelists were appointed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the work of the Ministry Ephes 4.12 2 Cor. 4.5 Paul calls himself a fellow-servant with Epaphras Col. 1.7 with Tychicus Col. 4.7 Paul's dignity consisted not in Lording over other Ministers but in labouring more abundantly than others the Apostles claimed no Mastery or stated jurisdiction over other Ministers but they did draw with them as yoke-fellows and fought with them in their Spiritual warfare as fellow Soldiers and wrought with them as fellow-labourers Phil. 4.3 Phil. 2.25 Phil. 2. Rom. 16.3 they engrossed not the power of Jurisdiction in the Synod of Jerusalem to themselves for the Presbyters judged with them the Decrees of the Council Act. 16.4 were Ordained by the Apostles and Elders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Church at Antioch sends Paul to Jerusalem Act. 15. the Officers of the Church at Antioch lay hands on Paul and Barnabas Act. 13.1 2 3. Paul and Barnabas are sent with a Collection Act. 11.29 30. the Apostles claimed no negative in Presbyteries or Synods in Ordination Excommunication c. The Apostles were extraordinary Ambassadors had infallible instructions by their Doctrine and practice did shew the Platform of the Church were not limited to any fixed charge and so might exercise their Ministerial authority in all places where they came they were to lay the foundations of Churches But that they had any such stated Jurisdiction over other Ministers as Prelates claim over Presbyters is yet to be proven for any thing I know their instructing Ministers and Churches in their duty and reproving their sins will not prove it for the Prophets did so and yet they had no stated Jurisdiction over the Priests Paul reproved Peter but had not jurisdiction over him That Timothy or Titus had such a stated Jurisdiction over the Ministers of Ephesus and Creet is yet to be proven that they had the sole power of Ordination and Jurisdiction and that the Ministers of Ephesus and Creet had no power of Ordination and Jurisdiction is not yet proven The Apostle directs them to Ordain but that they are directed to do it alone and not in conjunction with other Ministers is yet to be proven Lay hands suddenly on no man is a Direction applicable to every Minister there are multitudes of Directions given them that cannot be denied to be given to all Ministers and that some Directions are given to them as Prelates and some as Presbyters is as easily denied as affirmed But though it were granted that those extraordinary Officers in founding Churches at first might do some things which ordinary Ministers might not do this would be no warrant for these two or three who were but very ordinary persons to claim a Jurisdicton over the rest Whence have they their power No man can receive any thing of this nature except it be given him from Heaven Joh. 3.27 Let us see their Patent that we may know if it be leill come They must first shew a Warrant from the word for such a Prelatical Sovereignty and then let ut see how they came by it no man should take any Honour in the Church to himself at his own hand he must be called of God