our holy Father Pope Vrban the 8. anno 1631. Quia novum ordirâ—m instituerunt assumpto Jesuitissarum nomine qua per multa opera sexus Bulla Vâ—ban Papae 8. Roma edita 1631. ingenii imbecillitati modestiae muliebri virginali presertim pudori minimè comementia attentarunt exercuerunt Because they did institute a new order assuming the name of Iesuitisses who have attempted and exercised many works which do not become the weaknes of their sex and ingenie nor the modestie of women and especially most unbeseeming virginall shamefastnes The like case may befall your societie if it be not prevented if your Leâ—kie and his Collegues be not authorized it 's to be feared that the societie of those Sisters shall get a down-fall I have heard of the great controversie betweene him and some ministers of Sterling shire and that the matter was debated in your assemblie but what was done I was not fully informed only I heard of your moderation that you thought it not fit to discharge his new societie by act of assembly but by way of counsell but he rejects your counsell and though hee hath not an ordinary calling yet he tels that he hath an extraordinary calling from God and bids you behold it in the fruits of his labours But I am most of all affraid for our selvs though we have an ordinary calling and authority for our order We are so hated both by friend and foe at home and abroad that wee are daily perplexed especially since the â—dnulling of the Jesuinssaes order upon which some Poet by way of prophesie as is thought made those verses with a fiat Foemineus sexus sociis immixtus Iesu Transcendit sexus munia foeminci Non tulit hanc labem VRBANI vigilantia Papae Suppressit Socias mox Sociosque premet We have suffered already great hurt in divers places being hunted to and fro as if we were Malefactors And I doubt not but you know how weake we are in France we dare not deny the King of France his Supremacie and must acknowledge his Dominion to be independent in respect of men and that the King holds his Kingdome by vertue of Prov. 8.15 Per me reges regnant by me Kings raigne The Doctors of the Vniversity of Paris have done us much evill 2 Tim 4.14 the Lord reward them according to their workes They have condemned some of the workes of our Father Becanus in their Vniversities and have published the same to the world whether the Pope would or no and are also become Court-Parasites And their chiefe labour is by their doctrine in contradiction to you and us to corrupt all especially Noblemens children that come to their Vniversities and at least once a yeare make every one of them under their hands to professe the Kings independent power and authority Therefore now our holy League is wholly dead and death feeds upon it in the grave Psal 49.14 and we are become vile and herein are turned Saduceans to deny the resurrection of our holy League or any such insurrection so long as such doctors as the Sâ—rbonists shall thus infect the land and make noble and ignoble such Court Parasites But your case is far better than ours at this time for you have put away from your Vniversities such as withstood you and have placed such men in your Vniversities of Glasgow and S. Andrewes and Edenburgh who will cause the schollers to drink such a full draught of our doctrine that they shall vomit out all which your adversaries taught them We are not so happie our enemies prevaile daily against us But yours are dying especially the Archbishop of S. Andrewes to whom we wished no better death nor more honourable buriall then that Martyr and brother of our Societie Iohn Ogleby got whom he caused to be hanged at the Crosse of Glasgow because he stood to the defence of our doctrine which he brought within the compasse of Treason by the lawes of your kingdom which I pray you to abrogate D. Baron that great enemy of ours is also dead as they say in persecution At this we do both rejoyce as if we had found a great spoyle We had also great credit according to our hearts desire at Constaminople and among the Galathians and divers parts in the East but by the meanes of the King of great Brittane c. his ambassador and Cyrillus Patriarch of Constantinople who is of the Religion of the Church of England and disclaims the Popes jurisdiction even as the Bishops of England do We are all banished the Turks bounds and a Shipfull of us was sent home to Italy from Constantinople Since wee cannot get libertie to remain in the East we purpose to come to you in the West where there is neither Patriarch nor Bishop to trouble us as Cyrillus did at Constantinople But if King Charles follow the direction of his Father King Iames our common enemie your case will bee little better then ours was at Constantinople For after he hath directed his son to beware of Puritans as most pestilent followes both in Church and policie whom neither the Kings favours and bountie nor their own promises and oaths can make faithfull and loyall but being above measure arrogant they belch out nothing but calumnies and seditions and contrary to the Word of God follow their owne dreames and conceits as the only rule of their conscience he sayes most pathetically Basilic doron pag. 148 Testor illum magnum Deum nec testamentum condenti fas est mentiri nunquam inter montanos aut limitancos nostros latronos majorem ingratitudinem aut per fidiam reperiri posse quam inter hos phanaticos nebulones nee paterec si pacatè vivere decreveris ut hi eadem tecum patria fruautur nisi fortè patientiae experienda ergo ut Socrates vixit cum Xanthippo I take the great God to witnesse as if I were making my testament and it is not lawfull for him that maketh a testament to lye that there can never be more unthankfulnesse or perfidiousnesse found among our High-land and bordering robbers then among those brain-sicke villaines Neither do thou suffer them to enjoy that same countrey with thee if thou purpose to live peaceably unlesse perchance for the exercise of thy patience as Socrates lived with Xantippe This is a dreadfull advise and our case is so miscrable that it is our lot and destinie to be like Ishmael the wild man whose hands were against every man and every mans hands against him But let us not be dismaied not our hearts melt nor our hands be faint Gen. 16.12 but let us joyne hand in hand together Virtus unita fortior And we shall speake with the enemy in the gate And the righteous shall be delivered out of trouble and the wicked shall come in his stead Prov. 11.8 I have many other things to write to you which I will delay til I have the opportunity to write a second Epistle which shall be so soone as I heare what fruits this first Epistle shall produce Which I pray you cause to be printed among you for your common good because I could not get many copies sent to you being so far from you beyond sea If AS's Bridles was thought worthy to be printed by your authority in contempt of the Bishops why may not this my Epistle be printed for the edification of your Societie Let it not offend you that I have not railed in this my Epistle against authority in Church and policie for our Society hath been so oft reproved for railing that I doe now begin to forbeare it for the honour of our Order neither will we permit infamous Pasquils longer to come forth and it were good that you did so too and let us speak home to the purpose convincing our adversaries with evident reasons and make their errours and heresies known to the world rather then to vent our spleen against them with calumnies This doth but open the mouth of our adversaries but that will stop it this makes disgrace return upon our selves but the other makes us gracious If we raile when we should reason we get no answer but increpet te Dominus But when we reason without railing we beget in them dissentiendi pudorem veritatis timorem A bashfulnes to dissent from us and a reverence of the truth which in time will bring forth a profession of it Farewell From my study at Basileopolis The first of Ianuary 1640.
said so say they must all popish Bishops say Nos nihil aliud sumus praeterquaÌ„ creatura mancipia pontificis Carol Molm. consil sape Concil Tâ—â—d n. 21. Wee are no other thing but the creatures and slaves of the Pope And since the Pope will be only universall Bishop and all the rest depending on him as their head they tell our Bishops in the words of Gregory Si unus universalis est restatut vos episcopi non satis If there be one universall Bishop it remaineth that you are no Bishops Gâ—g lib. 7. ep 70. Therefore I say seeing your Bishops are greater enemies to our Hierarchie then your selves are you shall want no help that we can afford to have them removed I have seen your Gibsons letter to Coppinger Hackets fellow labourer in England Where he saies The best of our Ministers are most carefull of your estate and had sent for that effect a Preacher of our Church this last Summer 1590 of purpose to confer with the best afflicted ministers of your Church to lay down a plot how our Church might best travell for your reliefe But you do as well to send libels and informations as to goe in your own persons But before I proceed any further either in my congratulation or exhortation I must relate unto you what I heard of that Anticovenanter of whom I spake lately when he read That you did recommend to the Church of England and Ireland the pattern on the mount This sayes he brings to my remembrance a prettie Apologie written by Melancthon Vulpecula cauda amissa reliquis vulâ—ibus callidè persuasit ut similiter ipsae caudas resecarent ne sola turpis deformis in suo genere videretur A fox having lost her taile craftely perswaded the other foxes that they would likewise cut off their tailes lest she her selfe alone should seem the foul and deformed beast of al that kind Thus is their case who recommend their pattern to others But certainly while they thus labour to remove episcopacy as unlawfull and set up a new discipline as the only lawfull in Christs Church they do differ as much from their first Reformers as wisemen do from mad-men For it is certaine that even Calvin who first invented this discipline did it not because he judged Episcopacie antichristian or unlawfull much lesse did he recommend his discipline as a pattern to others but it was only meere necessity which moved him for if those who were bishops at the Reformation would have forsaken the Pope as their head and embraced the reformed Religion their calling had never beene called in question as appeareth by the words of Calvin to Cardinall Sadolete Talem nobis hierarchiam si exhibeant in qua sic emineant Episcopi Calvin epist ad Card. Sadolet ut Christo subesse non recusent ut ab illo tanquam unico capite pendeant ad ipsum referantur in qua sic inter se fraternam societatem colant ut von alio modo quam ejus veritati sint colligati tum vero nullo non anathemate dignos fatear si qui erunt qui non cum reverenter summaque obedientia observent If they doe bring unto us such an Hierarchie wherein the Bishops shall so be preferred that they refuse not to submit themselves to Christ that they also depend upon him as their onely head and have their relation to him in which Hierarchie they may so keepe brotherly societie among themselves that they bee not other wayes knit together but by his truth then surely if there shall be any that shall not submit themselves to that Hierarchie reverently and with the greatest obedience that may bee I confesse there is no kinde of curse whereof they are not worthie A fore sentence for a covenanter Beza likewise himselfe hearing that some did offend at the innovation of discipline which necessity put upon them and thought that he and his colleagues did set out the same as a patterne for other Churches to follow was not a little displeased and told that it was never their intention to prescribe such a discipline where the old might be kept hee wisheth them to keepe it still Beza de gâ—ad minist cap. 23. Frnantur igitur illo quivolent poterunt Therefore let them enjoy Episcopal government who desire and may do it and sayes in that same place Absit ut tune ordinem temerè aut superbé reprehendam God forbid that I should rashly or proudly reprove that order and therfore in the 21. chap. of the cited booke having spoken of the tyranny of the Popish Bishops did hinder the reformation he tels us that he doth neither mean Protestant Bishops nor yet set forth their discipline as a Pattern to be followed Neque tamen nujus tyrannidis omnes archiepiscopes sen episcopes hodie vocatos accusamus quae fuerit enim haec arrogantia iâ—ò cunctos sic hodie appellatos modo sanctissimorum illoruns Episcoporum exemplum imitentur tam misere deformatam dâ—mam Dei ex verbi divini regula instaurent ut ecclesia Chrianae sidos pastores cur non agnoscamus omni reverentia prosequamur nedum ut quod falsissimè impudentissime aonnulli nobis objiciunt cuipiam ussiam ecclesiae sepuenduns nostrum peculiare exemplum praescribamus And yet wee doe not accuse all that are this day called Archbishops or Bishops of this tyrannie for what arrogancie were that yea why should wee not acknowledge and honour with all reverence all that are this day so called as the faithfull pastors of the Christian Church so being they would imitate the example of those most holy Bishops in the primitive Church and reform by the rule of Gods word the deformed house of God much lesse that we should prescribe to any Church in any place our peculiar example to be followed which most falsly and most shamelesly some object unto us So the authors of the Augustan Confession declare ingeniously that it was not any dislike at Episcopall government Augustan Confess Aâ—â—c 14. but the crueltie of Popish Bishops who did by all means hinder the reformation of Religion which did dissolve that government and Canonicall policie quam magnopere cupiebamus conservare which we earnestly desired to preserve And therefore seeing popish Bishops were in place then and Protestant Bishops could not be set in their place they declared to the world in their confession that notwithstanding it was removed they did approve it and were so free from having the fault imputed to them that it did not remaine among them that they were most willing it should bee continued if those Popish Bishops would forbeare their persecution and turne Protestans and studie to advance the Reformation Ibidem For they say Hiciterum testatum volumus nos libentur conservaturos esse ecclesiasticam canonicam politiam si modo Episcopi desinant in nostras Ecclesias savire Haec nostra voluntas coram Deo
apud omnes gentes ad omnem posteritatem excusabit nos ne nobis imputari possit quod episcoporum authoritas labefactetur Here againe wee will have it testified that we shall willingly keep still the Ecclesiasticall and Canonicall policy if so be the Bishops will forbeare to rage against our Churches This is our will and it shall excuse us before God among all Nations to all posterity that it cannot be imputed to us that the authority of Bishops is decayed Ibid de potest Eccles And againe in that same confession they say Saepe jam testati sumus noâ— von solùm potestatem Ecclesiasticam quae in Evangelio instituta est summâ pietate venerari sed etiam Ecclesiasticam politiam gradus in Ecclesia magnopere probare quantum in nobis est conservare cupere non detractamus authoritatem Episcoporum modò non cogant facere contra mandatum Dei. Hac votuntas liberabit nos coram Deo judicio universâ—â— posteritatis né jâ—dicomur reâ— hujus schismatis quod initio excitatum est injustâ damnatione doctrinae Lutheri We have already oftimes testified that we not onely with the greatest piety that can be do reverence that Ecclesiasticall power instituted in the Gospell but also do very much approve the Ecclesiasticall policie and degrees in the Church and desire to keep it as much as we can We do not refuse the authority of Bishops if so be they doe not compell us to do against the Command of God This our will shall deliver us before God and in the judgement of all our posterity that wee bee not judged guilty of that Schisme which at the beginning was raised by the unjust condemning of the Doctrine of Luther O how farre do those Covenanters differ from those Reformers How can they cleare themselves before God the Reformed Churches and the ages to come who have made this great Schisme They not onely have condemned that which all reformed Churches do commend but also study to hatch the cockatrice egge and bring forth serpents Schismes and Rebellions in other calme Churches who live at peace Looke now farre these Reformers did tender Episcopacio as much do these Covenanters hate it It is not sufficient to them to have thrust from them without any cause their Bishops except it be that the Bishops have carried themselves to them as David did to Adonijah 1 King 1.6 And his father did not displease him at any time in saying Why hast thou done so by which too gentle dealing they gave them occasion to rise up against them but they themselves must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 busie Bishops in another mans Diocesse yea be universall Bishops within the Kings Dominions by their seuslesse yet malicious libels and letters to his Majesties good Subjects in England and Ireland labouring to produce the like Disorders among them that they should not remaine alone filthy and deformed in the Church of God Howbeit all good and learned men even among those who have not Episcopall government doe declare their dutifull and reverent respects to Bishops yet for the accomplishing of their bad ends it hath beene their chief labour first and last to make Bishops most odious and contemptible to all men Thus Cant at Glasgow in his Sermon because the Bishop of Glasgow did dwell in the Castle neare to the Cathedrall Church told the people that Satan had his dwelling among them and Antichrist had a nest among them and cried pull downe pull downe Antichrists nest with many other expressions more worthy of the speaker than of the Hearers there wanted nothing to draw the multitude to the perpetrating of a mischief against that old reverend Father but that God suffered not any to be a head to the furious multitude Thus they have too obsequiously observed the direction of their book entituled Sions Plea pag. 196. Sions Plea Where it 's said Ministers and Magistrates mast labour and cause others to labour for an holy hatred of Prelates and their brethren with an holy hatred to dash the braines of the Babylonish Prelacie against the stones And according to Luke 19.27 But those mine enemies that would not that J should raigne over them bring hither and slay them before me And strike that Hazael in the fifth rib yea if father or mother stand in the way away with them Strike the Basiliske veine for nothing but this will cure the plurifie of this our state This is a notable policie and as well learned by the Covenanters as taught by their masters and have made such proficiencie herein that they stand in more need of a bridle than of a spurre they have by lies and calumnies with the changeable multitude so prevailed that they have not so much as any being among them but as they say Have swept the dirt and dust out of Gods house and sent them to the land of Nod. But yet Thanks be to God notwithstanding of their throwing stoneâ— at them they have not dasht their braines against the stones and for Haâ—aelâ— fift rib they have onely smote a Bishops coach-horse And as for this Basiliske veine which they would have striken it 's of a higher nature than the killing of Bishops for it 's borrowed from the Iesuites who by that phrase understand the killing of Kings and Princes Wherefore one of them said Erratum valac fuissâ— in fisto Bartholomai Carol. Scribâ—n quòd scciâ— non fâ—â—rit vena Basilica id est quòd parcitum fuit regi Navarra principi Condensi It was a great sault that in the feast of Bartholomew the Basiliske veine was not striken that is to say that the King of Navarre and the Prince of Coâ—diâ— was let alone But they have done as much as they can to strike at this Basiliske veine through the Bishops sides For I remember when at the beginning of these disorders many did ask why they did make the Bishops their adversaries and complaine upon them since they did never require any thing but by warrant of his Majesties authority whom they ought to obey it was usually answered Some man must be whipped and rather the Bishops than any God knowes how foule a Commenter this might suffer And as for those calumnies filthy ballads which these men set out to the disgrace of themselves rather than of those whom they hate they deserve no other answer than that of the Prophet The vile person will speake villany and his heart will worke iniquity Esa 3â— 6 to practise hypocrisie and to utter errour against the Lord c. And in particular this sentence doth justy appertaine to that vile person Alexander Sempill who for whoredome drunkennesse and all kinde of Licentiousnesse hath not a second in Scotland and now by meanes of whorish Women Prov. 6.16 is brought to a piece of bâ—ead and extreme poverty having nothing left but a decrepit body an intoxicate braine and railing tongue so that I wonder who could be so base
as to lend him their hand to write for him that foolish but seditious ballad called the Bishops bridles And I marvell more that the Covenanters have made this pattern of wickednesse to be their fittest man to present to England and Ireland their partern on the Mount for they print nothing there now without the approbation of one Johnson Clerke of their assemblies So he prints himself 〈◊〉 This AS or Alexander Sempill is so beastly and apislâ— that he can finde no other matter or subject for his ballad but to allude to one Rew's preaching on Balaams asse which they make to be the Church of Scotland that have thrown off the Bishops their riders and therefore must sell their bridles This Preacher Rew did not put shame enough upon that Church but this AS must second him and continue its shame That of the Wiseman is fit for them A whip for the horse a bridle for the Asse Prov. 26.3 and a rod for the fooles back But since they delight in this comparison and will have their Church to be an Asse and the Bishops their riders I shall not displease them so to call it But let them remember that the Bishops rode upon this Asse meekly dealing with them 1 Cor. 4.21 not with the rod but in love with the spirit of meeknesse But the Lay-Bishops have throwne them off and now ride so furiously like Jehu that we complaine with the Psalmist a Psal 66.12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads we went through fire and water they b 2 King 4.24 drive and go forward and slacke not their riding they study to make her a wilde c Ier. 2.24 Asse used to the wildernesse that snuffeth up the Wind at her pleasure and is so farre drawne away in the wildernesse that his Majesty hath taken more paines to finde her out and bring her from her wandering 1 Sam. 9.3 than Saul did in seeking his fathers asses he sought his Fathers asses but three dayes but his Majesty hath sought this asse three yeares There is no question but she would be found and returne Esa 1.3 for the asse knowes her Masters crib but her riders will not suffer her perswading her that his Majesty will miscrably handle her though they assuredly know themselves that his Majesty will do no more harm to her than the Lion did to the asse whereon the seduced Prophet rode 1 King 13.28 the Lion did not teare the Asse the Scripture sayes but killed the seduced rider This is the onely feare they have not for the asse but for the riders who have justly provoked the Lions wrath as the messenger of death and to be buried with the buriall of an asse Ier. 22.19 drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem Here the Anticovenanter would have proceeded but I not being desirous to trouble my selfe in dispute with him cut him off with your words The Covenanters are exhorted not to be moved with remonstrances were they never so specious but submit themselves obediently to follow their leaders Covenanters iâ—form for Defensive §. 4. whâ—m God at this time hath largely furuished with courage and counsell for the good of his Kirke and Kingdâ—me But he answered me The leaders of this people cause them to erre Esa 9.16 and they that are led of them are destroyed But leaving him I returne to my exhortation If you cannot perswade men to your pitte ne on the mount at least labour to possesse them with the opinions and doctrines which you have received of us I specially his is the duty of Blair and Livingston to water the good seed which they have sown in some of the hearts of some of your countrey-men in the North part of Ireland and by their frequent exhortations and letters to perswade them to grow and be fruitfull in those matters Especially let them by fearefull threatings of Gods judgements affâ—ight them from taking that unl wfull oath which establisheth the Kings Supremacie and is urged by my Lord Deputy to whom I confesse his Masters honour is more deare than the Apple of his eye so violently that he will suffer no man to vilipend it but will have them sweare such an oath that they shall never takâ— armes against their King nor protest against him but to obey his royall commands Whereby thus violently he hath put your covenant out of credit among the Scots there except you provide some remedy I heare that not only Blair and Livingston but that Rhetorfort and Dickson also have lent their helping hand and have written a learned refutation of that Oath to be taken by the Scots there I am sorry that I did not see it that I might have increased my congratulati n. Did you ever see the two Apostolike brieft which our holy Father â—auluâ— 5. sent to the Catholikes in England that were urged with the same Oath that is pressed upon your brethren now Or did you ever read Bellarmines letter to Blakwell if you did they have helped you well in that matter I am sure Becanus tels us the summe of all which the Pope and Cardinall did write Vterque negat salvâ conscientiâ praestari posâ—e Bec m. disâ—id Angl. hoc juramentum à rege propositum quia abnegarent sidem Catholicam They both deny that that oath prescribed by the King can be taken with a safe conscience because they would deny the Catholike Faith They say you say the same onely you add many fearfull judgements upon both the exacter and takers of the same And therefore you may say of them that take this oath Ibid. as Becanus doth Hoc faciunt ad extremam patem politiam conservandam quae pluris abillis quam fides religio astimatur ideóque politici potiâ—s quà m Christiani appellandi sunt They do this that they may preserve outward peace which they esteeme more than of Faith and Religion and therefore they ought rather to be called Politicians than Christians Becaâ— resut Tâ—tuâ—e tâ—â—â—â— p. 1 paraâ—t 1. For no man will grant the Kings Supremacy excepto Sacellano quibusdam aliis adulatoribus regiis Except the Kings Chaplaine Bishop Andren es and some other Court Parasites And here by the way I must tell you a notable untruth of that Bishop Andrewes in his dispute against Bellarmine he holds that the Puritans do willingly take the oath of Supremacy But albeit he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having five tongues yet with none of his five tongues could he speake true in this as our Becanus proveth from no lesse than the testimony of his owne Master K. Iames in his Basil Doron But I finde one Richardus Thomsonus in Elencho refutationis Torturae torti defending Andrewes and reconciling him with his master by telling that the King spake of Scots Puritans and the Bishop of English Puritans Whether this may satisfie or not I leave it to a farther inquirie If the