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england_n	bishop_n	church_n	ordination_n	3,829	5	10.8464	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51154	An apology for the clergy of Scotland chiefly oppos'd to the censures, calumnies, and accusations of a late Presbyterian vindicator, in a letter to a friend : wherein his vanity, partiality and sophistry are modestly reproved, and the legal establishment of episcopacy in that kingdom, from the beginning of the Reformation, is made evident from history and the records of Parliament : together with a postscript, relating to a scandalous pamphlet intituled, An answer to The Scotch Presbyterian eloquence.	Monro, Alexander, d. 1715?	1693 (1693)	Wing M2437; ESTC R20155	87,009	107

Worship of God It is true the Vindicator hath not in this place any Discourse to prove this unlawful but I take notice of it as one of the Theological hints that are interspersed in his Defamatory Libel But may not Ceremonies of Human Appointment if they decently and gravely express our Affections be used in the Worship of God Did not Solomon advise us to look to our Feet when we come into the house of God and the same Ceremony was practised under the Patriarchal Dispensation viz. That of putting off our Shoes when we approach the Holy Place as Moses was enjoyned by God himself because the place he stood upon was holy ground and this was an Advertisement that he ought to do what was ordinarily done by all the Eastern Nations when he approached the place of Gods peculiar Residence And pray Was it not a significant Ceremony expressive of their Reverence and adoration In like manner Sackcloth and Ashes did amongst all Nations signifie grief and sorrow therefore in their Humiliations they were used to express their Remorse and Contritions The Presbyterians fix upon a word and pronounce it with disdain and contempt they repeat it with Indignation and then their zealous Disciples when they hear that word pronounced presently let fly their thoughts to some monstrous thing or other that is not at all signified by that word yet the Idea of some such ugly thing sticks to their Imagination for no other reason but that Mas John frown'd when he heard that word pronounced What other reason can we give why the word significant Ceremony should disturb their Imaginations Why may not we express our Thoughts Passions and Affections by Ceremonies as well as by words Since both are innocent and both serve the same design But the Covenanters themselves used significant Ceremonies when they imposed the Covenant he that Swore was to lift up his right hand bare you are to take notice that it was the Right and not the Left and it was lifted up and not otherwise extended It was bare and not covered and was not this a significant Ceremony of Human Institution In the Worship of God nature taught Mankind to approach God with all the decent Marks of Distance and Adoration and they that declaim most against Ceremonies do practice them frequently only they do this more awkwardly and with a figure becoming their singularity but this will never convince the Intelligent part of Mankind that they are either wiser or better than any of their Neighbours True Religion obliges us to comply with the innocent decencies of Mankind and to affect nothing that 's extraordinary or singular Our Saviour left us this Example he eat and drank with Publicans and Sinners and affected no Customs different from the Jews If the Ceremonies be practised by the Nation amongst whom we live if they decently express our Reverence or our Humiliation I see no reason why they may not be used in the Service of God as well as words especially when they are commanded by our lawful Superiours as necessary Instruments of Publick Order and Uniformity nor can they change their Nature by being commanded for such and such Ceremonies are in their Nature indifferent yet some one or other must be used and which of them we shall use may very well be determined by our lawful Superiors Sitting for any thing I know was never looked upon as a Posture of Reverence yet the Presbyterians in Scotland for the most part fit all of them in time of Publick Prayer what they signifie by it I know not I am sure not that which becomes Prayer and the Worship of the most High God We look upon the decent Ceremonies of the Church as Appendages or Expressions but not constituent parts of Worship as is foolishly and peevishly alledged by our Adversaries and I may put the Vindicator in mind that the reason why some of the Clergy in Scotland Read the Book of Common-Prayer is not what he suggests according to his wonted Candor and Ingenuity but rather an open avowing of their Principles when it was visible to the World there was no possibility of uniting with the Presbyterians Another thing I take notice of is to be met with Pag. 196 197. The Author of that Epistle that is subjoyned to the Vindicators Book tells us to the reproach of our Bishops that some of them upon the Restoration of the Government submitted to reordination to the great scandal not only of this but other Reformed Churches I know none were scandalized at it but such as were resolved to pick quarrels with every thing that the Bishops would do It was no scandal to the Foreign Churches or the French Divines All of them the greatest men among them are reordained when they come to England and they chearfully submit to it And this was never condemned by any Publick Act of the Gallican Church nor by none of their Eminent Divines The Church of England does not absolutely condemn their Ordinations in France but rather waves the debate but she is determined to preserve an unquestionable succession of Priests within her own Bounds As to the Matter of Fact narrated in Mr. Meldrum's Letter I know nothing of it and therefore I ought to say no more than I know He tells us that he subscribed a Paper and that the Paper was drawn out of the Archbishops Letter by a Friend of his and that now he repents for Subscribing this Paper and that though he was in great Friendship afterwards with Bishop Scougal and did what others in that Interval did yet he thinks that by all this he paid no formal Canonical Obedience From all which I observe that it is a very happy thing to live in or near an University as Mr. Meldrum did Distinctions are very useful things one had better carry a good bundle of them about him than all your famous Elixirs and Essences one may pay material Canonical Obedience but it is dangerous to pay it formally the great mischief is in the formality of paying it but for my part I have sworn Canonical Obedience formally and I have paid it materially and shall never decline my Bishops Spiritual Authority when ever there is occasion and I think all the Presbyters of that National Church are as much obliged to obey their Spiritual Governours notwithstanding of all that past in favors of the opposite Faction since the Revolution And now I think it high time to go forward to the fourth Particular that I promised viz. To let you see the several Periods of Episcopacy and Presbytery in the Church of Scotland since the Reformation And I am the more confident to give you satisfaction because I had the happiness to peruse a Manuscript written by a person of great honour and true Learning relating to this very affair and it is of so much the greater weight and Authority that it is not only founded on our best Historians but on the authentick Records of Parliament and

it is from that Manuscript that I copy the following Account for it is apparent that the Church was never governed by a Parity of Officers but by different Orders from the beginning of the Reformation And in the entry to this Narration Let us remark says my Author That none of our Martyrs did ever impugn or oppose imparity in the Church or preach or write against it you cannot name one Testimony unless you argue from their preaching against Popish Tyranny and unwarrantable exercise of Ecclesiastical Power to infer that they were for the then unheard of Parity and all who write of those Martyrs and first Reformers omit not to praise them for their dutiful submission to their Bishops and Superiours And it is very probable these Martyrs would have pseached against Ecclesiastical Tyranny as well in a Company of Arbitrary Presbyters as they did when it was lodged in one or few and that Presbyters may be Tyrants witness the Scots History from the year 1639 to 1652. At which time Cromwel tho no Friend to Episcopacy was so wearied with the Insolencies and Confusions of Presbytery that he dismist it solemnly at Barrow-Moor Let us now come to positive Evidences The very first established Reformation in Scotland was that which on the 6th of July 1560 being the third day after the pacification at Leith was concluded on betwixt the Lords and Ministers of the Congregation assisted by the Queen of Englands General and Ambassader on the one side And the Queen Regent the popish Lords and Clergy assisted by the French Ambassador on the other side in name of Francis and Mary their Sovrreigns The Protestant Lords and Clergy did meet at Edenburgh the Protestants preached in the Churches and in their Assembly they did distribute their Preachers among the Chief Towns of the Nation and did nominate five Superintendents for the Dioceses where the Bishops were popish For there are no Superintendents named then for Galloway and Argile because the Bishops of those Dioceses were Protestants By the said Treaty a Parliament was to hold in August following wherein the Confession of Faith drawn up by the Superintendents was given in to the Lords of the Articles prepared by them and Voted in Parliament where it was carried in the Affirmative In this Parliament the Bishops did sit as the first Estate The popish Bishops voted against the Confession the Protestant Bishops viz. Galloway and Argile and three Abbots voted for it The Sederunt of this Parliament is on Record with its Acts and related by Spotswood pag. 149. In January thereafter the Scottish Protestant Clergy offer a form of Church Policy one of its Heads is for Superintendents whom they name and appoint with distinct Dioceses for them and to shew that these Reformers did not treat of Superintendents as a temporary Resolution for that time only It is there said that the Election of Superintendents in aftertimes should be stricter than the present circumstances would allow and the last Head of that Policy prescribes some Conditions to be kept in future Elections of Superintendents Spotwood pag. 150 and 160 and by the book of Policy pag. 168. it is expresly ordered that Complaints against Ministers be notified to the Superintendents And the Petition presented to the Queen related by Knox Hist pag. 337. bears as the superscription of the Superintendents Ministers of the whole Church of Scotland to the Queens Majesty c. And in the year 1563. John Knox and others elected a Superintendent for Dumfries and the Letter written from the Assembly or Convention of the Scots Church at Edenburgh on the 27. of December 1566. to the Church of England bears this Superscription The Superintendents Ministers and Commissioners of the Church within the Realm of Scotland to their Brethren the Bishops and Pastors of England And at Queen Mary's first arrival in Scotland from France the Superintendents and Ministers did meet at Edenburgh in an Assembly Knox bist pag. 318. In January 1572. the Commission of the Assembly did meet at Leith under the Regents Government and did agree on seven Articles of Policy 1. That all Bishopricks which were vacant and those were only four for where popish Bishops were alive the See's were not esteemed vacant but supplied by Protestant Superintendents should be filled out of the ablest of the Ministry Secondly That spiritual Jurisdiction should be exercis'd by Bishops in their Dioceses and the sixth Article is that Ministers should receive Ordination from the Bishops and in Dioceses where no Bishops were they should receive Ordination from the Superintendents And in August thereafter the General Assembly of the Church did meet at Perth and approved of all these Articles and accordingly Mr. John Douglas Mr. James B●yd Mr. James Paton and Mr. Andrew Graham were plac'd in the four vacant Bishopricks It was Mr. Andrew Melvil's misfortune that he was neglected and therefore in the year 1575. he stirr'd up one Mr. Dury to impugne the Episcopal Order and all Imparity This is the first time that this debate was toss'd in our Church and on it Church and State immediately divided and much Confusion Rapine Blood and other mischiefs did follow and then and since every firy Faction did lay hold on this Schism as a fund whereon to build all Rebellion and Treason In prosecution of this Schism Mr. Andrew and some Ministers led by him did in the year 1578. draw a Book of Policy stuffed so with the spirit of Mr. Andrew himself that it was rather a Proposal for the overthrow of all just Authority than an Establishment of a Religious Government and therefore it could never no not in these distracted furious times even when there was no King in our Israel obtain approbation from any Authority but was look'd on as a Rapsody of groundless Assertions and full of mischievous Novelties Indeed in the year 1580. an Assembly met at Dundee called by Mr. Andrew and his Associates without a shadow of any permission from the Civil Authority and they declared that the Office of a Bishop but with this restriction as it was then used had neither foundation nor warrant in the Word of God But let all serious Christians consider whether they will believe this famous Conventicle or the plain Scriptures the Doctrine of the Apostles the primitive Fathers and the Canons of all Oecomenick Counsels and the rule of Apostolick and primitive Practice and to help their choice let them take notice of the pious Design of this Assembly in casting off Bishops by the very next clause in their Act viz. That their next Assembly should consider how to dispose of the Patrimony and possessions of Bishops This was the primitive Invasion of the Kings Patronages and Regale of the Crown Then Presbyterian Disciples began to propagate their new Gospel very zealously The first was one Montgomery who at Sterling proposed that all such as spoke for the Order of Bishops should be censured but this zealous Saint did most basely

to connive a while at at their Insolence for they had preached the People into a persuasion that the King was to betray his own Crown and Kingdoms to the King of Spain And when three Noblemen were brought to Tryal before the Justice the Ministers would needs order the Process in October 1593 and to back them they stirred up multitudes of the Rabble to Arms thereby to force Justice to decide in their favour nor would they disband or abstain from coming before the Judges in armed Crowds although the King and Council did by Proclamation prohibit them If this be Presbyterian Government it must be confessed that Anno 1590 1591 1592 and 1593. Presbyters had it solely But all this time Bishops did exist by Law enjoyed their Rents and preached in their Churches if you trust not us Notice the most Authentic Records of the Kingdom By Act of Parliament 1. Jac. 6. Chap. 7. Ministers are ordered to be presented by the Patrons to the Superintendent of the Diocese Note At this time most of the Bishops were Popish which occasioned the Protestants to appoint Superintendents Anno 1572. Parl. 3. Jac. 6. Chap 45. The Government of the Church is declared to be in the Archbishops Bishops and Superintendents Note Both Bishops and Superintendents are contemporary then in the Church The like owned Chap. 46. 48. and 54. of that Parliament In the year 1573. The Authority of the Bishops is owned by the first Act of the 4. Par. Jac. 6. In the year 1578. the like by Act. 63. Parl. 5. Jac. 6. In the year 1579. the like by Act. 71. Parliam 6. Jac. 6. In the year 1581. That the Bishops did continue in the Church appears from Act 100. Parl. 7. Jac. 6. The like appears from the Acts 106 and 114 of that Parliament In the year 1584. The Bishops Authority fully owned Act. 132. Parl. 8. Jac. 6 In the year 1587. It appears that Prelacy existed then by Act 28. Parl. 11. Jac. 6. Also in that 11. Parl. It appears by the Act of Annexation that Prelacy did still exist by Law even although their Temporalties were annexed to the Crown and by the 111. Act of that 11. Parl. In the year 1591 1592 1593 and 1594. The King and Bishops could not stop the Insolence of Presbyters nor their meeting in Synods and Assemblies without any interposition of the Royal Authority but this hindered not but that the Bishops did still exist by Law and exerced some part of their Office and in all Parliaments and Conventions of Estates the Prelates did did always Sit and Vote as the first of the three Estates as the Records and Sederunts of all the Parliaments will prove In the year 1596. Leslie Bishop of Ross dying at Brussels Mr. David Lindsey was presented by the King to the Bishoprick the very next year In the year 1598. there was a Conference appointed at Falkland betwixt the Commissioners of the Assembly and some appointed by the King to meet with them where they agreed on ten Articles or Propositions of Policy for the Church relating chiefly to the Clergy's Votes in Parliament and the Elections of Bishops in the Dioceses some of these Propositions were foolish but it was thought convenient that the King should comply with those Hot Heads in some things for at that time Severals began to debate his Right of Succession to the Crown of England and so he would have all quiet at Home yet still this is evident that Bishops did then exist by Law and that altho something concerning them was debated yet their Office and Order was not In the year 1600 these forementioned Articles were appoved in the Assembly at Monross March 28 1600. and to that Assembly Mr. Dury who was the chief Tool with Mr. Melvil for parity at his death did write an Exhortation disowning his former Errors and earnestly advising them to submit to the ancient Order and to chuse good Bishops of the best of the Ministers In the year 1601. the King called an Assembly of the Church to meet at Brunt Island where many good things were Enacted both for the true Liberty of the Church and for reclaiming the Popish Nobility from their Errors which proved more effectual and pacific than all the former furious Methods which at that time were promoted by a Hot Headed Man called Davidson who by a Letter to the Assembly incited them to declare against the Kings Hypocrisie and other Errors The Assembly would have proceeded to Censure him but the King would not allow it saying it was matter of Joy that these Hot Heads were reduced to one or some few In the year 1602. the King in an Assembly at Halyrood-House did shew great Clemency to some firy Ministers whom the Assembly would have Censured as also he gave great Satisfaction to the whole Assembly and Nation by his excellent Proposals for establishing Provisions both for Bishops and Presbyters And in this Assembly of the Church was the fifth of August appointed an Anniversary Thanksgiving for the Kings Delivery from Gowry's Conspiracy Before the Diet appointed for the next General Assembly the Crown of England did fall to the King by the Death of Queen Elizabeth so there was no meeting of Church General Assemblies for a while but the few remaining Hot Headed Presbyters were very busie on the Kings removal so far and fearing the excellent Order of the English Church the great Safety and Peace of Britain depending on an intire and full Concord of the Island they were apprehensive that upon such Considerations the King would heartily promote a further Establishment of Episcopal Jurisdiction in Scotland The Presbyterians in this Juncture did busily stir up Prejudices in the People against the Church of England tho undoubtedly the best Reformed Church and greatest Bulwark against Popery And though the King for good Reasons when he went to England Adjourned the General Assembly from July 1604 to July 1605. yet these Men prevailed with Nine of the Fifty Presbyteries of Scotland to keep the Meeting notwithstanding of the Kings Prorogation where Thirteen Persons meeting did most Seditiously run into such Declarations against the Statutes and standing Laws as were by the Judicatures declared Treason and for which Severals of the Thirteen were Condemned before the Justices For they could not be persuaded either to acknowledge or revoke their seditious Pasquils but they were afterwards pardoned by the King when they confessed that the Chancellour encouraged their Meeting in July 1604. and proved it which forced the Chancellour to prove likewise that they promised to connive at his being a Papist and his Possession of what he had of the Church Lands upon Condition he should own them against Episcopacy whereupon the King said that the Presbyterians would betray the Protestant Religion in hatred to Episcopacy and the Chancellour would betray Episcopacy for greed of their Temporalties So far my Author And now from all this I infer that the first Reformers of our Religion in

the Presbyterians and though no part of the Story be within any possible degrees of Truth yet the Reader may see how the Libeller Vapours as if he had the best and clearest Evidence And since the Doctor has lived eighteen or nineteen years beyond the reach of Calumny blameless to the Conviction of his Enemies how foolish and how impious is it to accuse him As for his being Popish he has given an account of that in the Preface to his Sermon Printed at London 1686 but that he was a Jesuit is a Lye for he was never of any Order in that Church and his Zeal against Popery did sufficiently appear and all that know him know his Innocence as to all the malicious Slanders invented against him The following Paragraph pag. 72. mentions Mr. Monro commonly called Doctor Monro I am sufficiently acquainted with the Doctor and he says so little of him that I may be allowed to examine it particularly First He 's commonly called Dr. Monro and the meaning of this is one of two either a Fanatick Squeamishness that will not allow the Title of Doctor to any Clergy Man or an insinuation that he was not graduated Doctor in the University If the first be intended 't is but a piece of Quakerism the 4th day of the Week commonly called Wednesday If the second be meant he was not called Doctor until the Month of February 1682 when he received his Degree in the Theological Schools of the New College at St. Andrews from the Learned Doctor Comri then Vice Chancellour of the University Our Libeller adds that he is a mighty Agent for the Party If he has any qualities to recommend him that of a good Agent is none of them And again he is represented to be one of the Episcopal Pamphleteers I do not know what he means by this unless he charges him with publishing the Presbyterian Inquisition It may be he was the Author of that Narrative which he is ready to justifie if ever he is fairly tryed excepting still some Marginal Notes relating to Mr. Rule to which he had no accession and this Pamphlet contains so many steps of Presbyterian Knavery and disingenuity that if he please he may let it alone But the saddest blow against the Doctor is this that it is well known that he Rode for several years in the Pope's Guards but I ask to whom is this known To the Presbyterians only who know all secrets and discover Plots in the World of the Moon But I must tell you that for the time the Doctor was abroad he was never out of France and the Confines of it nor nearer to Rome than about four hundred and eighty Italian Miles It were more easie for this Accuser to have Copyed the former Libel contained in the Presbyterian Inquisition than thus to trust to his own invention Mr. Gray comes next if he mean Mr. James Gray Minister of Kelso he is remarkable for his Modesty Learning Veracity and Piety and he is Charactered in an opposite Style by such as neither know him nor the vertuos that recommend him to his Brethren Mr. George Henry Minister of Corstorphen is a Man of Gravity and Prudence and his other qualifications are undeniable and he is not capable of any such extravagance of Passion as this common Accuser charges him with Mr. Alexander Ramsay Minister of the Old Kirk of Edinburgh was driven from his Residence in the West by the Covenanted Zealots and lived since in the Eye of the Nation beloved of all that know him whether we consider his blamless Life or Ministerial Sufficiencies Dr. Annan Dean of Edinburgh was known all Scotland over and there was scarcely ever a more innocent Man in Britain and he needs no Apology Now 't is pleasant enough to observe that in all this List he hath not named the Author of Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence nor the Publisher I have given you a short account of such as I know for such as I am not acquainted with I have no reason to believe this Libeller For if they were never so guilty they must have other Accusers than Men of such Prostitute Consciences His Civility to the Church of England alone makes it appear how little he is to be regarded He begins his Book with a Lye in the Title Page that it might be all of a piece As for any Shadows of Argument that are here and there scattered if they be of any weight they shall be considered when the other Pamphlets that are threatned by the Party are made publick Farewel FINIS Vide Optatum Milevit The Confederacies against the Government were then called Societies in the West of Scotland Dr. S Jusque datum sceleri Vid. Kings large Manifesto * Who of the old Presbyterians ever Preached against the use of the Lords Prayer or Doxology Letters of a Dissenter to the truly Learned Dr. Burscough Pag. 35. Edenburgh Edition Crimine ab uno disie omnes The very next Lords day one of their Ministers in the Meeting-House belonging to the Tron Church Parish December 17. thanked God for this Glorious Reformation I instance him not to exclude others but because I can prove it Non monstrare vias eadem nisi sacra colenti * Bochart Phaleg Edit 3. Lugd. Batav pag. 989. Cavendum igitur ne Scyllae fugâ in hanc Charybdim incidamus neve rigor nimius plusquam Vatinianum in Episcopos odium eo imprudentes adigat ut Veteri Ecclesie dicam scribamus al ejus communione ipsi nos arceamus A quibus Extremis Gallicanas Ecclesias semper abhorruisse libri à Gallis scripti palam indicant Nostrorum perpetua praxis Idem ibid. Interim Episcopale regimen esse antiquissimum paulo post Apostolos per Universam Ecclesiam magno cum fructu obtinuisse est mihi compertissimum Bishop Lighton The Presbyterians in England libelled all kind of Crimes against the Clergy before the Rump Parliament and one of them was deprived for drunkenness who was so abstemious that he never drank any thing in his life but Milk and Water John Ep. Vid. pag. 52. and pag. 87. * His own word Vid. Letters of the Persecution Damasus and Urcisinus at Rome Videtiam Ammianum Marcelinum Wherever they dare venture they have no regard to the popular Call as lately appeared at Leith the unanimous popular Election of Mr. George Gray was refused and one Wishart a Presbyterian thrust upon them Vid. Presbyterian Inquisition of the College of Edenburgh Acts 17. Page 24. Edinb Edit Page ibid. Edinb Edit For they fancy the Covenant to be the tenure by which any King may hold his Crown * And therefore K. William having not taken the Covenant and being in League with bigot Papists and still Protecting the Church of England and its Hierarchy should be Excommunicated upon Presbyterian Principles as at Sanghair lately it was reasoned and determined the 10th of August Nunquamne reponam Vexatus toties Vitia