THE SOBER CONFORMISTS ANSWER TO A RIGID CONFORMISTS REASONS Why in this Juncture no Alteration should be made in the GOVERNMENT of the CHURCH of SCOTLAND Prov. 26.4 Answer not a Fool according to his folly lest thou also be like unto him Verse 5. Answer a Fool according to his folly lest he be wise in his own Conceit M. D. Dickson Papists hate nothing in Prelacy but what is Presbyterian and Presbyterians hate nothing in it but what it Popish M. R. Blair The Bishops of England are like the Kings of Judah some good some bad The Bishops of Scotland are like the Kings of Israel not a good one amongst them all Published by a Lover of Peace and Truth Printed in the Year MDCLXXXIX REASONS Why in this Juncture no Alteration should be made in the GOVERNMENT Of the CHURCH of SCOTLAND Reason I. BEcause Episcopal Government has not only the Advantage of Apostolick Constitution and Natural Reception by all Christian Churches from CHRIST to Calvin but also is found by Experience to be the best Adapted for preservation of Order Peace and Vnity Rea. 2. Because the most of the Gentry and Burgesses have taken the Test and therefore can never without perjury vote for the Introduction of Presbytry or chuse such a Commissioner as may be suspected to favour that way Rea 3. If Presbytry be voted then returns upon you the Solemn League and Covenant as is evident not only from the present proceedings of the Presbyterian Preachers but also from the Natural Exigence of the thing it not being possible to conceive a Foundation for parity without it and if the Covenant return then beside the many impieties of that Oath it must make the most considerable of the Nation either perjured or miserable And no Man can have any publick place either in Church or State but such as shall do pennance for taking the Test and not only so but a great part of the Laity of the Nation must be reduced to great straits both in reference to Conscience and Interest and the present Regular Clergy be turned out which will reduce the Church to such Amazing Hardships that the Gos pel shall not be preached in three parts of the Kingdom there not being an hundred qualified Presbyterians in the Kingdom Rea 4. Because if presbytry shall not be thus established in its integrity but all that Alteration turn to a Non-Episcopacy and the present Presbyters continue in their Offices then our deplorable Schisms and Divisions will continue without a remedy or else the Magistrate will take the Government of the Church upon him and we must have downright Erastianism Rea 5 Because the establishment of Presbytry will have a most pernicious influence upon the Protestant Religion in this Island if ever Popery set up its head For the Churches of England and Scotland must stand on different bottoms so will be obliged to justifie themselves by different Arguments which will prove very hard for Scotland seing Presbytry will divid it from England which opens a door to the re-entry of Popery which cannot but aleniate the Affections of the Church of England from us which considering our own weakness will expose us a prey to the common Enemy Rea. 6. To be for Presbytry in this Juncture will exceedingly disoblige the Princess of Orange whose principles are known to all Europe in this matter and the Prince also who has no inclination for the Alteration of the Government of the Church as he hath now abundantly declared Rea. 7 Let all thinking Men but reflect upon the Natural Tempter of Presbytry and view it in its Tyrannical pragmatick Medling and Domineering effects which many good Men yet living of all Qualities have severely felt Let them likewise consider the Hypocrisie immorality and Antichristian genius of that party and then let them vote for it if they think fit Rea 8 If the Church of England continue as it is as undoubtedly is will and Scotland be reduced to Presbytry then considering the boundless and restless spirit of Presbytry Scotland will impose sicut ante an uniformity in Doctrine and Discipline upon that Nation which will commence a new Civil War the thoughts of which cannot but breed horrour in all reasonable Men. SIR IF the wounds of a Friend be better than the kisses of an Enemy they should be far more acceptable then the wounds of an Enemy And therefore I expect ye will not be displeased with my Freedom in this line designed for preventing your more severe and shameful Treatment by our Adversaries to whom ye have given great advantage by some Reasons ye have writen why in this Juncture there s hould be no Alteration of the Government of the Church of Scotland of baffling our cause so unseasonably and weakly defended by you For albeit there are many sober Presbyterians whose generous compassion of our present staggering condition would not allow them to give you such an humbling Repartee as ye give too large ground for yet as we deserve it not at their hand who have been so cruel to them in their low condition so we cannot expect it from every one of them especially when they are at once encouraged by the many Disadvantages of our pre sent circumstances and irritated by your extreme bitterness against them and therefore I advise you would recal all the copies of it which I am hopeful have not yet spread far for in genuously they are so weak that few of our perswasion will be at the pains to transcribe them and I think they will be more careful of our Reputation then to suffer them to come to the hands of any Presbyterian as through time they may if you prevent it not But lest your vanity make you confidently contemn my counsel I shall take a little pains to abate your confidence by shewing you how easily and advantagiously our Adversaries with whom I have frequent converse can answer you But I must first express my Dissatisfaction with the title ye give your paper so lyable to the most perplexing Exceptions can be made against us I doubt not but ye have heard I have heard it so often how lamentably Arch-Bishop P was baffled of late by Mr. Roger at Glasgow upon the like occasion given him Weare too conscious to our selves that the sole support of our interest is but Civil Laws though the Bishops were at the making them and that all Ecclesiastick Authority is on their side And therefore ye would be inextricably puzled if they put the Question to you Which of the two is the Government of the Church of Scotland that which is only introduced by Civil Laws without any Eeclesiastick Authority contrary to the standing Laws of the Church never yet repealed by any Church Judicature or that which is established by many National Assemblies of the Church though contrar to posteriour Acts of Parliament made without any consequent far les s Antecedent Determination of any Church Judicatory They may likewise give you an
of Bishop and Presbyter are used indifferently as signifying the same thing nothing given in direction to the ordinaty Officers of the Church is peculiarly applicable to Diocesan Bishops yea and the Superiority of one Pastour above another is expresly prohibited both by Christ in the Gospel and Peter in his Epistle but they will al 's o insult over you as impudent in pretending that for your vindication which not only the Generality of the Learned among the Clergy but all the greates t of our Champions also as Bancroft Bilson Low Sutclive Whitgift Hooker c. do deny to be clear or concludent in our Favours undervaluing this Topick most laboriously as being conscious it is against them asserting that Apostolick Institutions of Church Government do not take away the Indifferency and Mutability of it according to the conveniency of every particular Church And as for these few Learned men who maintain the Divine Right of Episcopacy they do ingenuously confess that there is no Episcopacy in any Church now which doth not in many things Deviate from the Primitive Episcopacy which they own and they will readily acknowledge that Episcopacy as its constitute in Scotland either as to its Elevation to such an hight of Superiority and Power over Presbyters or its complication with sâ—ch gross Erastianism or its Conjunction with civil Dignities and Characters is not only quâ—te Different from it but directly opposite to it So that it is the hight of Impudence to have pleaded no alteration from the Topick of Apostolick Institution which doth so evidently prove the necessity of an Alteration even in the sense that both Parties have of it and it is scarce so excuseable as the confidence of some of our Writers who doubt not to say roundly that albeit Episcopacy was not the Government of the Church in its Infancy yet it is better suted to it in its present Maturity which thâ— ugh it be not a sufficient ground of preferring humane Inventions before Divine Institutions yet is less intolerable because it hath some shaddows and collour of Reason for it And after the great light that these Famous Presbyterians Blondell and Salmasius Parker and Didoclavius have given to the advantage of Presbytry in this controversie is the only shift left us to evade the Force of their Arguments both from Scripture and Antiquity against us The next thing ye assert is that Episcopacy hath the Advantage of a Natural Reception by all Christian Churches from CHRIST to Calvin Sir Your Phrase of a Natural Reception is s o Dark and Ambigous that they will put what sense on 't they will and perhaps deride you and it both by confessing that Episcopacy had a great advantage of Reception from the natural Corrupt and Carnal Reasonings and Inclinations of Men who are naturally Ignorant that the Excellency of all the means of the Churches Edification is their Institution by a Supernatural Divine Wisdom and Authority because they are not only adapted to Supernatural ends but depend intirely for their Efficacy upon a Supernatural Divine Power and Blessing and who are naturally no less Artogant to add the Invention of their own vain Wisdom as no less useful and necessary and to expect Gods Blessing thereupon which he hath promised only to his own Institutions But albeit they put a more Fabourable sense on your Words as importing an Early and easie Reception yet they will not only retort that several acknowledged corruptions had as easie reception as it and far more early then such an Episcopacy as this of ours which taking it complexly we our selves cannot deny would have been odious and intolerable in the Primitive Church but they can likewise quite enervate your Argument by proposing to your consideration the Gradual and Insensible Progress of the Mystery of Iniquity which the Apostles observed to have begun its motion and to be misteriously working even in their time and therefore could not be much regarded yea scarce observed in the primitive Church so full of unexperienced simplicity and extended Charity wherein there were many Pastours so Eminent for their Wisdom Gravity Holiness and Humility as seemed to challenge and easily obtained more then ordinary Deference and Respect from their Brethren and that from one Degree to another untill at last through time the Church degenerated into a Prelatick Government which could not be unacceptable or at leas t intolerable to the Generality being so well suited to the Superstitious the Predominant Genius of these Times though it past not altogether without a witness from some of the most Learned and Seeing Men then living who were not so much incerted with the common distemper of the Age they lived in but that they could both look back to the Primitive purity and parity from which Episcopacy had declined and forward to the Papal corruption and Tyranny to which it insensibly and gradually tended as it should at large by Blondel and Salmasius to the full conviction of all who read their Labourious Writings Yea they will not only Enervate your Argument but turn the edge of it upon your self by instancing the Albigenses who preserved the Presbyterian Government from the Apostles time to Luther and whos e Testimony against Diocesan Episcopacy is as strong as it is by our own Confession against other Romish corruptions Nay they will come nearer home and cite credible History narrating Scotland not to have received Episcopal Government for some hundreds of years after it received the Christian Religion as not only Bucchannan our famous Historian sheweth but our own great Doctor Forbes confesseth in his Irenicon And finally they will foil this Argument quite by shewing Episcopacy to have met with a more early and easie Ejection out of the Church when it was Reformed from corruptions as a Native step of its Reformation then ever it had reception by the Church even when declining from its ancient Purity And though England hath continued Episcopal yet they will ask what reason is there for Justifying the the Episcopal Government more then Her Ceremonious Worship and why may not that Church be condemned for retaining the one as well as the other and they have too evident grounds for imputing their Contumation to the stiffness of Q. Elizabeth as the Chief if not the Sole hindrance of the Ejection of both out of England as well as the other Reformed Churches which was earne stly desired by the most Learned and Pious Divines in the Church though when they found their endeavours fruitless they choosed rather to comply therewith then disturb the Peace of the Church and Kingdom The last thing in this Reason is that Episcopacy is by Experience found to be the best adapâ—ed for preservation of Order Peace and Vnity Preshyterians will hiss the Argument out of doors because its the very same which Papists use against Protestants for justifying the Papal power And it is more easie for them to resort our answer to Papist on our selves then for us to
are much talken of yet judicious Persons will impute them rather to the want of Presbyterian Government in the full and free exercise of its Authority then to the weakness of the Government in it self and I am informed that lately both Parties are endeavourting an Union and resolve to Act Unitly against us and when the Moderation of the One and the Zeal of the Other party are Joined and Tempered together They will make a more Formidable Figure both as to Counsel Action then if they had never been divided And though likewise the former Divisions betwixt the Remonstrators and Publick Resolvers are not forgotten and serve to highten the prejudices of such as are not acquaint with the mysterious Intrigues of these times Yet they who knew how cunningly they were fomented under Boord by the Kings Courtiers on the one hand and that wylie Fox Croniwel on the other will not Impute them to the Presbyterian Government as its native Effects especially seeing that the chief Motive that induced the Vsurper to rob them of the priviledges of free General Assemblies was the fear of their Union which he knew could eas ily be affected by it last and surest remedie that amidst their Intestin Divisions he might the more easily setle hims elf in his Usurped power without any opposition from them of whose Conscientious Loyalty he had greatest Jealousies and fear But alace what can we say for our vindication if they charge us that while we boast of Unity we have not kept the Unity of the Faith. For they know well enough that as some of our Clergy are Socinian the vilest of Hereticks so also that the Generality of the Learned amongst us are gross Arminians who were condemned as Hereticks by that Famons Synod of Dort to which our Famous K James the 6th Sent Representatives from the Churches in Britain And thus they represent our pretended Unity under Bishops so unconcerned with the Purity of Doctrine to be rather Odious and Detestable then Harmonious and Commendable whereas the Commendation of this Church for its Unitie under Presbyterian Government is so great in all the Reformed Churches And was so frequently upbraided to the English Bishops by K. James the 6th from the displeasure he had at the Scots Heresies and Schisms abounding in England that Presbyterians will scarce think thems elves oblidged to an Apology for any Divisions that were or Schism that is among them Sir I have stayed the longer upon your first Reason because it is the Basis of all the Controversie And as it is unbecoming the Wisdom and Piety of the Ensuing Convention to be Acted meerly by Politick Considerations in so weighty a Concern Wherein the Glory of God and the Souls and Consciences of all in the Nation are so deeply Interessed So that if your Adversaries by a fair and full answer not only enervate this Reason but turn the edge of it upon us they may so prepossess the Consciences of the Members in their Favours that all your other Reasons will avail little though they were better then they are But that I may proceed Your Second Reason is That the most part of the Gentry and Burgesses have taken the Test and therefore can never without Perjury Vote for the Introduction of Presbyters or choose such Commissioners as are suspected to Favour that way Sir the Presbyterians will not fail to tell you that you loss your 1st Reason by this 2d For if the Test be Obligatory to every point then also to maintain the Kings Prerogative whereof this is a chief one by Law that he may alter or dispose of the External Government of the Church according to his pleasure which whosoever is sworn to he can no longer for shame plead for Episcopacy upon such grounds as you propose in your former Reason unless he renounce that Oath in part as not Obligatory and as to some parts of it presbyterians themselves will approve it so far as concerns the maintaining of the Protestant Religion and the Renounciation of popery And I have heard them Applaud the Faithfulness of the last parliament in keeping this part of their Oath For they know that the chief thing designed in the first overture of it was only the Security of the protestant Religion though there were such Additions made to what was intended for that end as might weaken break or ensnare that party in parliament that first motioned it being lookt upon as too Jealous of and Zealous against popery and as for these Additions no wonder they except again st the Obligation of them seeing that even we our selves did express s o much of our Aversion thereat at first so long as we expected by our General clamours against it to procure an Exemption from the Imposition thereof And as our fear of Loosing our Benefices rather then our Inclinations determined us and the fair Colour of the Explication given by the Council though alace what signifies the Explication of an Oath that must needs be taken in the Genuin Sense of the Words encouraged us to swear it so doubtless the rest of the Nation swore it with great Reluctancy rather from a regard of their Places and Interests then GOD and their Consciences which generally at first accused them of Perjury that took it as being obviously contradictory in it self and in many things contradictory to their Light until the Generality and frequency of the Guilt abated the sense of it and therefore cannot be expected will be very precise in adhering to it to whatever confidence many have arrived for justifying it in their Discourse to which length as is every part of it few have come yet the remorse of their Consciences for it is not totally extinguished at least is not turned to a sense of its Obligation in every point and to be plain with you there must be an Alteration less or more This is both designed and desired by all Ranks of Persons They all agree in this tho they disagree in the measure of it And next to the settling the Prince of Orange in the Throne it is one of the chief designs of the Convention so that your Arguing from the Obligation of the Test is altogether vain especially seeing it is so unhappily framed that if it bind up from any it equally binds up from all endeavours of any Alteration whatsoever any manner of way of the established Government either in Church or State and when upon this account its Obligations will and must be trampled upon It cannot but be very unacceptable to plead no Alteration for fear of Perjury but truly understand not how every Alteration can be accounted Perjury in reference to any Article in the Test for that part of it which strikes most directly against any Alteration is meerly Assertory not promissory neither does it peremptorly assert that there should be no Alteration but only that there is no Obligation by the Covenants to endeavour it and it can hardly be expected that those
to Papists But as Instrumental in advancing Popish designs partly by the Ignorance Profanity and Arminianism aboundoning under it Disposing and preparing the Nation for Popery and partly by its Severity and cruelty towards dissenting Protestants to the manifest weakning of the Protestant Interest And even Envy it self cannot but acknowledge the Presbyterian Government hath been abundantly both severe and successful against Popery and nothing blunted and slackned in its Zeal and Watchfulness against Papists amits all its severities against Episcopals whereas the Penal Laws against Papists were brought to such a Des uetude by us that the most threatning dangers from Popery could not awaken us to the Execution of them least we should have diverted from persecuting Presbyterians by a rigorous Execution of the Laws made in our Favours against them which did so intirely take up the Government that not only both Profanity and Popery have been connived at but encouraged in so far as they were assisting to us in opposing and oppressing Presbyterians so that it will never be believed that Presbyterian Government hath any pernicious Influence upon the Protestant Religion but rather that it hath a powerful Influence for securing it against Popery far more vigorous and Zealous yea and effectual and successful then ever the Episcopal had at least in Scotland And it is evident that the Presbyterian Interest is every way at present more directly opposite to the Popish Interests then the Episcopal is which I am affraid shall yet further appear by the carriage and conduct of our party in the Convention that so manifestly as to highten the Nations prejudices against Episcopacy more then ever and make all sober Protestants conclude that we must of necessity have either Presbytry or Potery and truly I cannot otherwise Judge of it then as an Infatuation presaging the ruine of our Interest if the Bishops and the Nobility Gentry and Burgesses of our Perswasion shall join Issue with a Popish party against the Prince of Orange his Interest which is so inseparably Interwoven with the Reformed Interest in Europe and especially in Britain That by adhering to the Interest of King James the 7th in opposition to his they will unavoidably either give provocation to the Prince of Orange to abrogate Episcopacy in Scotland in order to the advancing and establishing the Reformed Religion or else give occasion or advantage to King James the 7th to Redintegrate his Popish designs with more violence and success than ever before to the ruine of all profest Protestants and especially of us Episcopals because we have the Laws upon our side without any more regard to their Zeal and Activity for him in his Extreamities then the King of France had for the Protestants who kept the Crown on his Head or Queen Mary of England to the Counties of Suffolk and Northfolk who advanced her to the Crown or to come home then King Charles the 2 d. had to the Presbyterians who in his greatest extreamities brought him home to Scotland and spent their blood for him at Worcester And its certain that our refusing to follow Englands Example of Gratitude to the Prince of Orange will necessitate this Church and Kingdom to stand upon a bottom more different from Yea opposite unto that of England than if presbytry were Established and will oblige us to secure our selves from Popery by methods as different from the wise Conduct of the English As the binding of Samson with Cords was from the shaving the Locks of his Head or to come nearer as there was betwixt Englands and Scotlands carriage towards the Duke of York and at the best will be very hard for Scotland s o that your fears least the establishment of presbytry necess itate the Churches of Scotland and England to s tand upon different Costomes which will be hard for Scotland are but feigned and groundless neither savouring of a politick Wit not an Ingenuous Spirit For Church Government is Extrinsick to the Foundation of the Reformed Religion and Protestants were at a loss if their Arguments against Popery were principally founded upon this Topick or could not be deduced from any other Presbyterians will tell you That ouly the Scriptures are the Foundation of the Reformed Religion and the common bottom on which all the Reformed Churches are founded But also that the greater part of the Episcopal Champions and Clergy acknowledge Episcopacy to have no other Warrand than an Ecclesia stick constitution which is a foundation common to all the popish corruptions And whereas ye repeat That presbytrie will divide Scotland from England which will open a door to the re-entry of popery Are they not united in one common Protestant interest Except in so far as the Clergy of England are generally Arminians excepting some few Learned Men which I confess will oblidge them to justifie themselves by different Arguments not only from Scotish presbyterians but all the other Reformed Churches which will be harder for England than Scotland But that presbytrie will open a door to the re-entry of popery will never be believed s eing presbyterians at first ejected it out of Scotland And all their time secured the Nation from it more than ever since without the Assistance of England which if ever Scotish presbyterians shall need they may expect it much more from the P of Orange when he shal be their King as well as Englands Then even when Queen Elizabeth found her self oblidged to give it by the Tye of the common interest of Religion without any Relation to them as her Subjects And as for your Tautolagick repetition again that presbytry cannot but alienate the Affections of the Church of England from us which considering our weakness will expose us as a prey to the common Enemy it is altogether vain and foolish For the Church of England can never be more aleniated in their Affections to presbyterians than at this present towards our Bishops and as their joyning issue with papists against the prince of Orange hath exceedingly discommended them to it so the presbyterians joyning issue with him by their Zeal against Popery will as much commend them to it And how ever ye may be-assured that the interest of England will oblidge them to assist Scotland in case of Danger from popery more effectually than their difference from Scotland in point of Church Government can alienate them for ye know the Maxim Tune tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet But many are of Opinion that if Episcopacy be continued it will perpetuate such irreconcilable intestine Divisions and Animosities in Scotland as will weaken and expose us a prey to Popery more then any Assistance from England can strengthen and secure us from it whereas the establishment of Presbytery would bring us to such an intire and firm Union that Scotland could secure it self from all danger of Popery without any Assistance from England Yea and put us in Capacity to Assist England in case of danger from Popi