Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	act_n	king_n	scotland_n	2,696	5	8.4241	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34948	A serious expostulation with that party in Scotland, commonly known by the name of Whigs wherein is modestly and plainly laid open the inconsistency of their practices I. With the safety of humane society, II. With the nature of the Christian religion, III. Their two covenants are historically related, and prov'd to be no sufficient warrant for what they do, IV. Their new doctrine of a pretended forfeiture, is prov'd to be groundless.	Craufurd, James, 17th cent.	1682 (1682)	Wing C6865; ESTC R4965	39,666	64

World may easily seign a Warrant from God and so set up in Opposition to Authority That very Resolution of adhering to their Covenant which made them fiercely oppose the King's and reject his Act of Grace prompted them to join with his Motion for a General Assembly because from thence they were sure to draw some Advantage and tho the King might justly have refused to make good his Proffers when they had so undutifully rejected the greatest Part of them yet being willing to gratify his Subjects in every Thing the Commissioner had Order to appoint the Time and Place No sooner were they sure of an Assembly at Glasgow the 21st of November 1638. but Engines were set on work to dispose Things for the Advancement of the Cause The Marquess of Hamilton being to preside there for his Majesty proposed some Preliminaries to regulate Elections and to prevent such Disorders and Disputes as were like to arise if they observed not one and the same Method every where these the Tables would not hear of alledging that nothing of this kind could be done without encroaching upon the Liberties of Christ and of his Church While at the same Time that the King's Commissioners Preliminaries were rejected they themselves durst adventure to agree upon eight Articles or Directions to Presbyteries wherein they determin'd the Members that were to be chosen the Matters that were to be handled and the Manner they were to proceed in the Assembly in every one of which all indifferent Persons thought the Tables guilty of a more open Encroachment upon Christ and the Liberties of his Church than could be charg'd upon the Marquess for his modest and reasonable Proposals Amongst other unwarrantable Methods none was more remarkable than their directing Lay-elders from every Parish to be present at the several Presbyteries to vote in the Election of Members for the Assembly Nor could these ruling Elders fail to carry the Elections as they pleased if we consider that six Ministers being declared Candidates in every Presbytery were obliged to retire as having no Vote in choosing or rejecting themselves and then the remaining Ministers being lessen'd after this Manner in Number were plainly out-voted everywhere by the Elders Surely this was the first Time that ever Secular Men had the naming an Ecclesiastical Assembly nor needed they have questioned the Success where the Business was to be manag'd by no other than their own Creatures yet contrary to the Practice of former Assemblies in Scotland contrary to the Practice of all Churches and Ages they took upon them to go and sit Members themselves in the Assembly not only to advise in Matters of Discipline for which they might perhaps have brought a President but also to decide controverted Points in Divinity for which to say no worse many of them were very ill qualified by their Education And now let the whole World judge if it were not an Act of Partiality not to be paralell'd for them to cry out upon Bishops and Clergy-men's medling in Secular Affairs and do now raise such an outery against the King's Supremacy pretending that it is inconsistent with the Nature of Spiritual Things to bring them under the Government of the Secular Power When they themselves who were Secular Persons did so manifestly invade the most undoubted Prerogative of the Ministry heavy Complaints were given in of the insupportable Yoke of Prelacy but in truth that of Secular Men lording it then over God's Inheritance was much more grievous than the former Nor were the wiser Sort of Ministers among them insensible of this Usurpation only they were asham'd to complain much of the Uneasiness of those Chains wherewith they had help'd to fetter themselves If the brevity which I propose would allow me it might be suitable enough with my Design to give a full Account of what past in that memorable Assembly and shew how they confirm'd the Covenant there by the same Methods by which it was at first set on foot and had hitherto been carried on But it is sufficient at present to observe that the certain Prospect of a fatal Issue both to King and Government if not timely prevented obliged the King's Commissioner to dissolve the Assembly within a few Days after their Meeting And when he expected Compliance he found them ready with a Protestation to continue their Sessions till such Time as they had finished the glorious Work for which they met however their refusing to obey the King's Commands signified to them by his Commissioner was perfectly inconsistent with what the most eminent among them had said some days before at the opening the Assembly for then they exprest in several Harangues their Sense of the King's Bounty and Tenderness in bringing them thither and who can deny but he who only had Authority to call them could also dissolve them at Pleasure and tho both are equally Royal Prerogatives yet undoubtedly our Princes have Reason to set the highest Value upon their Power of Dissolving which has been useful to them upon many Occasions nor did ever the Crown receive so deep a Wound as when our late Soveraign parted with this choice Prerogative and so lay at the Mercy of a Parliament which the Fears of Dissolution could only have bridled and kept them within some Compass But to return to the Assembly When so great a Contempt was put upon the King they went on in a most violent and illegal Manner to excommunicate some of the Bishops and to depose all the rest many Acts of Parliament were rescinded the Determinations of forty Years Assemblies were declared void all Persons were enjoin'd to take the Covenant under pain of Excommunication and to give the World a lasting Instance of their Modesty they concluded with a Letter to his Majesty justifying their whole Procedure and entreating him that he would look upon them as good and dutiful Subjects and be satisfied with what they had done No wonder if Provocations of so high a Nature did beget suitable Resentments in the King who after so much abus'd Indulgence had no Way left to maintain his Right but by Arms nor did the Covenanters decline a Breach having made early Preparation for it so that before the King came to any Act of Hostility they seized upon his Castles levied Troops impos'd Taxes and cast off all manner of Allegiance and even when his Majestie 's Aversion from shedding his Subjects Blood made him upon the Head of a brave and numerous Army yield to terms of as great Condescension as Necessity could have extorted and send them home gratified in all their Demands without fighting yet new Grievances arm'd them again and whereas at first they stop'd on the Borders now most boldly they march into England force their Passage at Newburn and refuse to return until the King agreed to come into Scotland there to pass all his Concessions into Acts of Parliament His Majesty failed not to make good what he promised and having purchas'd their Allegiance

at so dear a rate might justly have challeng'd their entire Obedience upon the Principles of Gratitude as well as Duty but upon the woful Rupture which soon after followed betwixt him and his English Parliament the Spirit and Temper of our Covenanters did discover it self more than ever Far from being satisfied with the great Trouble they had occasion'd at home or with the Settlement procur'd to their Hearts Desire they cherish the two Houses in their unreasonable Demands about Religion and as it is most ingenuously observed by a late Writer of our Nation shew themselves now as violent in pressing England's Uniformity with Scotland as they were formerly in condemning the Design of bringing Scotland to an Uniformity with England 'T is not my Task to meddle with the Differences betwixt the King and his English Parliament which I leave to the excellent Pens of that Nation but sure I am there was not the least Reason for Scotland's espousing the Parliaments Quarrel or for fomenting their Jealousies of a Prince who had so lately given us such undoubted Marks of his transcendent Bounty in yielding to all that our Covenanters demanded besides by the Explication of the Covenant we obliged our selves to assist his Majesty in every Cause that concern'd his Honour and so ought to have been thankful for his Majesty's Condescension in suffering us to continue neutral yet notwithstanding these Obligations The Parliament's Interest was so dear to our Commissioners then at London that forgetting the Quality of Mediators in which they first appear'd they sided openly with the Houses against the King Nor were our Ministers at home less partial our Pulpits did ring with Curses against some who were for a Neutrality as Enemies to the Cause of Christ and the Reformation of England all were invited to join in so meritorious a Work and at length all Sense of Duty was so entirely cast off that the chief Promoters of those Designs adventur'd to assume to themselves a most undoubted Prerogative of the Crown in summoning a Convention of Estates without the King's Leave From a Convention call'd without Authority there was no reason to expect any legal Proceedings or Complyance to the King who yet vouchsafed to approve of their Meeting upon Condition they would observe such Limitations as were prescrib'd in his Letter But the Business of England and the raising an Army being the only Things which he forbid them to meddle with were the first which fell under their Consideration and Commissioners being sent from the Parliament of England to treat about an Army our Convention of Estates notwithstanding the King 's special Command to the contrary received them with open Arms agreed readily to their Demands and exprest such an hearty Desire of a strict Union betwixt the two Kingdoms that their warm Consultations did in a few Days hatch the solemn League and Covenant It was strange to see a League which so highly concern'd a King two Kingdoms differing much in Laws and Constitutions and two Churches differing no less in Worship and Discipline so easily and suddenly concluded It was first seen afterwards approved and lastly sworn in the General Assembly all within the short Period of three Days The Ministers made this wonderful Unanimity pass with the People for an undeniable Testimony of the Divine Approbation tho others who could never be convinced that the former Covenant received its Seal from Heaven entertain'd no better Opinion of this but did attribute their Agreement only to the dexterous Management of the Leaders who had such a powerful Influence and Authority over the rest that they seldom fail'd in any Thing they proposed The whole Negotiation ended without any Debates Yet there was apparent jugling on both Hands for the English Commissioners had a great mind to carry with them a Scotish Army but had no liking at all to our Presbytery and therefore consenting to a Reformation according to the Word of God told one another that they understood well enough what to make of that at home the Scotish on the other Hand designing to get Presbytery establish'd in England cast in the Words of Reforming according to the Practice of the best reformed Churches hoping this made sure for theirs as the most perfect Model that could any where be found our Ministers were likewise for abjuring Episcopacy as simply unlawful but neither the English Commissioners then in Scotland nor the Parliament or Assembly of Divines at Westminster thought fit afterwards to declare that Institution unlawful whereupon the Article was conceived to import only an abolishing of Episcopacy as it was then in England without condemning what the Primitive Church had allow'd in all its Purity To describe all the subtile Arts which were used the manifest Elusions and Breaches wherewith we charged England and England us together with the fatal Consequences of this Covenant in both Nations would require much pains and leisure It will suffice at present to make some brief Reflections which may serve to cool our too great Fondness of it All that could be alledg'd against the National Covenant was of force against this besides many Material Circumstances to render it yet more inexcusable for if we never find Subjects lawfully united among themselves without the Prince's leave much less could the Subjects of one Nation take upon them to make a League with those of another contrary to the King's Command and in Prejudice of his Authority Ought we not to have been contented with the Enjoyment of all we could desire at home without medling in the Concerns of another Nation who generally did not appear fond of an Alteration and never were fitted for our Church-discipline Was there no more regard due to a Soveraign who had deserv'd so well at our hands than even to pursue him out of his native Countrey and grudge him that Liberty of Conscience in England which he had graciously yielded to us in Scotland We read of many Nations that engag'd in Wars for the Enlargement of their Soveraign's Empire or Authority over Strangers we alone shall be known to Posterity as guilty of helping Strangers to shake off the Allegiance due to a Prince born among our selves But besides these general Reflexions every one of the six Articles whereof this Covenant consisted lay open to several Exceptions As I. It seem'd hard that every ignorant Person in Scotland should be obliged by Oath to endeavour the Reformation of England according the Word of God and the Practice of the best reformed Churches What knowledg alas could Persons of so mean Capacity or Education be presumed to have of Differences among reformed Churches of which they were to judge upon Oath how could they weigh the Advantages of Holland above Geneva of France above Holland or of Scotland above France and accordingly endeavour the Reformation of England truly 't is to be doubted that more was here required of the meanest and weakest of the People than many of our ablest Ministers could well have

terrible Manner that King Ahaziah's did which were sent against the Prophet But hitherto those that have appear'd in Arms against the King have been so far from giving any evidence of God's Fighting for them or authorizing their Proceedings by Miracles that he rather has seem'd to disown them by casting a Damp upon their Spirits when they stood most in need of some extraordinary Assistance I appeal to those who were at any of those unhappy Engagements against their Prince whether they did not find that Heat and Flame which upon other Occasions they were able to express suddenly quencht when they were just about to act have not some of their Teachers upbraided them in the Psalmist's Words that like the Children of Ephraim Psal 78. v. 9. Being armed and carrying Bows they turn'd back in the Day of Battel Have not the Troops that were sent against them confess'd they could not much glory in their Victories because they were so easily obtain'd To be plain I am afraid we are become equally the Object of the World's Contempt and of its Hatred our late Behaviour having brought upon us the Imputation of Cowardise as well as Disloyalty Third Consideration If the Persons for whom I undertook this Argument think fit to reade what has been said upon the first two Points I hope they will not give over here but will vouchsafe to consider with me in the third place whether any Obligation lying upon us from the late Covenants be a sufficient Warrant for what we do Now the best Method I can propose in this is to give a brief Account of the Rise and Progress of both Covenants with some impartial Reflexions upon them in which if my Reader will not rest satisfied he shall have no occasion at least given him to think me tedious Our late Soveraign being fully persuaded that no Church did approach so near the Primitive Purity in Worship and Discipline as that of England was resolved to make his Native-Countrey share in what he judg'd so great a Blessing and in order to it had a Liturgy and a Book of Canons published for the use of Scotland where he was unhappily made believe he should meet with Approbation from the better sort and with Complyance from all But the Peoples insolent and mutinous Behaviour in affronting and disturbing the Persons who were ordered to read the Service in the Churches of Edenburgh did shew how ill they were disposed to receive it This Popular Tumult the first Sunday was soon after back'd with Petitions and other Marks of their Dislike which obliged the Council to advance slowly until they gave the Court advice of what had past And before the King could come to a Resolution in a Business of so great Importance such as were no Friends to the Government not only ventur'd to publish their Dissatisfaction and to enflame the Kingdom with strange Jealousies of Popery and Arbitrary Power but likewise formed themselves into several Tables as they called them of Noblemen Gentlemen Ministers and Citizens and by a new Authority took upon them to sum up all the Grievances which they intended should be redressed and tho his Majesties not urging the Liturgy upon that Kingdom when he saw it could not be done in a peaceable way might have quieted all their Minds yet finding their Party strong beyond Expectation they were loth to let slip so favourable a Juncture but boldly resolved to secure themselves against all Attempts of this kind by entering into a National Covenant in which they pretended only to renew that which had been sworn in the Reign of King James Those who adhered to the King's interest could by no means allow of this manner of proceeding which appeared equally disingenuous and undutiful The discontented Party alledged in their own behalf the President given them in the late Reign which the others thought did no ways favour their Cause seeing the Covenant then taken was stampt with Royal Authority whereas theirs now seem'd directly opposite to it for there could not be the least Pretence to the King's consent which they never so much as desired 'T is true it was upon the humble Motion of a general Assembly that the former King's Council had order'd the National Covenant to be taken the last time with a Bond to maintain the true Religion and the King's Person But this instance of the General Assemblies Motion which they laid hold on was so far from justifying that it rather condemned their Proceedings in regard that the General Assemblies not enjoyning the Covenant till they had first obtained his Majesties Consent made it evident that in the Assemblies Judgment the Oath could not be renewed without that Authority which first imposed it Nor could they expect any Sanctuary from the Acts of Parliament for it had been declared by more than one that all who leagu'd themselves together without the knowledg of their Soveraign were to be punished as Movers of Sedition and Disturbers of the Publick Peace Besides their want of Authority they laid themselves open to another most dangerous Censure while under colour of copying a Covenant and Bond allowed of in the late Reign it plainly appear'd they had not taken their measures by that Standard but had explain'd many things rather according to their own than King James's Mind and had also added several new Articles of most pernicious consequence both to the King's Person and the establish'd Government The King's Person was endanger'd in so far as by their new Bond they enter'd into a mutual Defence of one another against all Persons whatsoever without excepting his Majesty This the Royal Party said was in Effect to declare that if he offer'd to thwart them they must then oppose him by adhering to their Covenant Nor were they more favourable to the established Government in which they made a wide Breach by taking upon them to cancel all the Acts of Parliament and of General Assemblies that authorized the high Commission the five Articles of Perth or the sitting of Bishops in Judicatures Now by these and several other Instances of this kind it seem'd strange with what face they could make their Covenant and Bond pass for the same with the former Kings seeing it was not to be presum'd that the Father design'd to lessen either his own or his Son's Authority Nor to teach his Subjects how to combine without being Rebels nor yet to favour the extirpating the Articles of Perth and other Things after his Death which in his Life he had so industriously promoted Whatever Influence these Pretences might have upon undiscerning People or such as gave an implicite Credit to whatever their Pastors taught them the World abroad had much different Thoughts Nor could all the Endeavours that were used to win many of the Reformed Religion in France to a good Opinion of such Courses for they having long inveighed against that wicked Association at home call'd the Holy League found their Mouths now stop'd when the Protestants contrary