up the spirits of these few who stood in the Gap to oppose resist the same and to begin the work of Reformation in the Land since which time the silence of some Ministers the complyance of others hath had great influence upon the backslidings of many amongst the people who upon the discovery of the evil of their way complain that they got not warning or that if they were warned by some others held their peace or did justify them in the course of their backsliding we can look upon such Ministers no otherwise than upon these that are guilty of the blood of the Lords people and with whom the Lord will reckon for all the breach of Covenant defection that hath been in the Land The Priests lips should preserve knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts but such as are departed out of the way and have caused many to stumble at the Law therefore hath the Lord made them contemptible before all the people according as they have not kept His wayes but have been partial in His Law because they have lost their savour He hath cast out many of them as unsavoury salt Further more to evidence the Purity power of zeal burning blazing in these dayes in their Contendings against Publick Enemies on all hands I shall instance some of their Acts Testimonies clearly condemning the manifold Complyances of this Generation and which may contribute somewhat to Justifie the reproached preciseness of a Remnant standing at the furthest distance from them There is an Act for Censuring the Complyers with the publick Enemies of this Church Kingdom Gen. Ass. Edinb Iunij 17. 1646. Sess. 14. where they judge it a great scandalous provocation grievous defection from the publick cause to comply with these Malignants such as Iames Graham then was in any degree even to procure Protections from them or to have invited them to their houses or to have drunk Iames Graham his health or to be guilty of any other such Gross degrees of Complyance censured to be suspended from the communions ay while they acknowledge their offence And yet now for refusing these degrees of complyance for not having the protectior of a Pass from the wicked courts of malignant enemies by taking a wicked oath and for refusing to drink the Kings health a greater Enemy then ever Iames Graham was some poor conscientious people have not only been murdereâ— by Enemies but mocked condemned by professores There is an Act likewise declaration against all new oaths or bonds in the common cause imposed without consent of the Church Gen. Ass. Edinb Iuly 28. 1648. Sess. 18. Enjoining all the members of the Church to forbear the swearing or subscribing any new oaths or bonds in this Cause without Advice concurrence of the Church especially any negative oaths or bonds which may any way limit or restrain them in the duties whereunto they are obliged by National or Solemn League Covenant Yet now for refusing Oaths not only limiting in Covenanted duties but contradicting condemning many material Principles of the Covenanted Reformation many have not only lost their Lives but also have been condemned by them that are at ease having a wider conscience to swallow such baits It is known how pertinacious the most faithful in those dayes were in their contendings against Associations in any undertaking for the cause with persons disaffected to the true state thereof I need not give any account of this were it not that now that Principle is quite inverted and poor Adherers to it for their abstracting substracting their concurrence with such promiscuous Associations are much hated flouted therefore I shall give some hints of their sentiments of them In their Answer to the Committee of Estates Iulij 25. 1648. Sess. 14. the Gen. Assembly sayes It was represented to the Parliament that for securing of Religion it was necessary that the Popish Prelatical Malignant party be declared Enemies to the cause upon the one hand as well as Sectaries upon the other and that all Associations either in forces or counsels with the former as well as with the latter be avoided And in their declaration concerning the Present dangers of Religion especially the unlawful Engagment in War Iulij ult 1648. Sess. 21. They say suppose the ends of that Engagment be good as they are not yet the means wayes of Prosecution are unlawful because there is not an equal avoiding of rocks on both hands but a joining with Malignants to suppress Sectaries a joining hands with a black devil to beat a white devil They are bad Phisicians who would so cure one disease as to breed another as evil or worse we find in the Scriptures condemned all Confederacies Associations with the Enemies of true Religion whether Canaanites Exod. 23. 32. and 24. 12 15. Deut. 7. 2. or other heathens 1. King. 11. 1 2. More Arguments against Associations may be seen in that excellent discussion of this useful Case Concerning Associations Confederacies with Idolaters Infidels Hereticks or any other known enemy of Truth or Godliness by famous Mr G. Gillespie published at that same time whereunto is appended his Letter to the commission of the General Assembly having these golden words in it words fitly spoken in that season when he was a dying at the begining of the Publick Resolutions Having heard of some motions beginings of complyance with these who have been so deeply engaged in a war destructive to Religion the Kingdoms Liberties I cannot but discharge my conscience in giving a Testimony against all such complyance I know am perswaded that all the faithful witnesses that gave Testimony to the Thesis that the late Engagment was contrary destructive to the Covenant will also give Testimony to the Appendix that complyance with any who have been active in that Engagment is most sinful unlawful I am not able to express all the evils of that complyance they are so many But above all that which would highten this sin even to the Heavens is that it were not only a horrid backsliding but a backsliding into that very sin vvhich vvas specially pointed at punished by the prevailency of the Malignant party God justly making them thorns scourges vvho were taken in as friends Alas shall we split twice upon the same rock yea run upon it when God hath set a beacon on it yea I may say shall we thus out face out dare the Almighty by protecting His our Enemies by making peace friendship with them when the anger of the Lord is burning against them I musâ— here apply to our present condition the words of Ezrah 9. 14 O happy Scotland if thow canst now improve not abuse this Golden opportunity but if thou help the ungodly love them that hate the Lord wrath upon wrath and wo upon wo shall be
by publick Justice Yea it is indispensably necessary by the Law of God and no mercy nor pardon of the Magistrate may interpose to spare them for Whoso killeth any person the Murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of Witnesses ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a Murderer but he shall surely be put to death He was not to be admitted to the benefit of any refuge And the reason is blood defiles the Land and the Land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein but by the blood of him that shed it Numb 35. 30 31 32 33. Hence if it be so necessary to cleanse the Land then when the Magistrate is not only negligent in his duty but turns a Patron Protector of such Murderers and imployes them as his Emissaries to murder destroy it cannot be expected he should cleanse the Land for then he should free it of the burden of himself and begin with himself Therefore then there must be more incumbent upon private persons touched with the zeal of God than at another time And as Mr Knox in his Conference with Queen Mary sayes They that in the fear of God execute Judgement where God hath commanded offend not God thô Kings do it not and adduces the examples of Samuel killing Agag Elias killing the Prophets of Baal and of Phineas killing Zimri Cozbi 3. It is Lawful for private persons to kill in Moderamine inculpatae tutulae their unjust Assaulters in defending themselves against their violence and that both in Tutela vitae proxima in the immediate defence of our life against an immediate assault in the instant of the assault and also in tutela remotâ in a remote defence of our selves when that is as necessary as the first and there is no other way of escaping the destruction intented by Murtherers either by flight or resistence then it is Lawful to preserve our selves by taking advantages to cut them off 4. It is Lawful in a just war to kill the enemie yea in the defensive war of private subjects or a part of the Commonwealth against their oppressing Tyrants as is proven Head. 5. Where several of the Arguments used to evince that Truth will confirm this as namely those Arguments taken from the peoples power in Reformation and those taken from the hazard of partaking of others sin Judgment For if all the Magistrats Supreme subordinate turn principal patrons and patterns of all abominations and persecuters and destroyes of the people for not complying with them then the people are not only under an obligation to resist them but seeing otherwise they would by lyable to their sin in suffering them thus to trample on Religion and the Interests of God as well as their oun in order to turn away the wrath of God it is incumbent upon them to vindicate Religion and Reform the Land from these Corruptions in an endeavour to bring those Malignant Enemies of God and Destroyers of the people to condign punishment that the heads of the people being hanged up before the Lord against the sun the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from the Land Numb 25. 4. In this case as Buchannan sayes of a Tyrant de jure regni A Lawful war being once undertaken with such an enemy as a Tyrant is every one out of the whole multitude of mankind may assault with all the calamities of war a Tyrant who is a publick Enemy with whom all good men have a perpetual warfare And thô the war â—e not alwayes actually prosecute in a hostile manner yet as long as peace is not concluded and the war ceased they that have the just side of the quarrel may take advantages in removing taking off not every single souldier of the Contrary side for that would contribute nothing to their prevailing in the end but the principal Instruments promoters of the war by whose fall the offending side would suffer great loss and the defending would be great Gainers So Iael killing Sisera Iabins Captain-General is greatly commended Now this was the Case of the Sufferers upon this head as Mr Mitchel one of them represents it in his fore-cited letter I being sayes he a Souldier not having laid doun my armes but still upon my oun defence having no other end nor quarrel at any man besides the prosecution of the ends of the Covenant Particularly the overthrow of Prelats Prelacy And I being a declared enemy to him that is Sharp on that account and he to me in like manner I never found my self obliged to set a sentinel at his door for his safety but as he was alwayes to take his advantage as it appeareth so I of him to take any opportunity offered Moreover we being in no terms of Capitulation but on the contrary I by his instigation being excluded from all grace favour thought it my duty to pursue him at all occasions 5. It is Lawful to kill enemies in the rescue of our Brethren when they are keeping them in bondage and reserving them for a sacrifice to the fury of Tyrants or leading them forth to the slaughter or in the time of acting their Murdering violence upon them Then to break Prisons beat up Garrisons surprise the Murderers and kill them in the rescue of our innocent Brethren is very Lawful according to that Command Prov. 24. 11 12. and the practice of Moses who seeing one of his Brethren suffering wrong he defended him and avenged him that was oppressed and slew the Egyptian Act. 7. 24. For that is a certain Truth which Grotius saith in locum jus naturae dat innocenti innocentem tutanti jus in nocentem Hence it cannot but be Lawful also in a case of necessity when both our selves and our Brethren are pursued incessantly by destroying Murderers to avenge our selves on them and slay them when there is no other way to be rid of their violence 6. It is Lawful to prevent the Murder of our selves or our Brethren when no other way is left by killing the Murderers before they accomplish their wicked design if they be habitually prosecuting it and have many times accomplished it before This followeth upon the other And upon this account it had been duty for Gedaliab to have suffered Iâ—banan to slay Ishmael and so prevent the Governours murder if it had been certainly known that Ishmael was sent by the King of Ammon to assassinate him Ier. 40. 14 15. for nothing is there objected against the Lawfulness of the thing but only it was alledged that he spoke falsly Alstedius asserts this Theol. Cas. de hâ—micidio reg 6. pag. 331. Licitum est praevenire eum qui vult invadere praeveniendo occidere antequam invadat si necessarium est praevenire quia aliter vita propria defendi non potest nisi preveniendo It is Lawful to prevent him that would assault us and by preventing to kill him before his invasion if it be
what is future Next it is known what his Practices Plots have been for the destruction of all honest precious Interests what a deep hand he had in the burning of London in the Popish plot discovered anno 1678. in the Murder of the Earle of Essex yea in the Parricide committed upon his oun brother By all which it appears nothing is so abominable barbarous which he hath not a Conscience that will swallow digest without a scruple and what he hath done of this kind must be but preparatory to what he intends as meritorious to attone for these villanies And in his esteem and persuasion of Papists nothing is thought more meritorious than to exstirpate the Protestant Religion and destroy the Professors thereof Therefore being such a person with whom in Reason no honest man could transact for a tenure of the least piece of Land or house or any holding whatsoever they dare not accept of his security or protection for so great an Interest as the freedom exercise of their Religion under the shadow of such a bramble If it was the Shechemites sin shame to strengthen a naughty Abimelech and strengthen themselves under the shadow of his protection much more must it be to take protection for Religion as wel as peace from such a Monster of crueltie treacherie This were against their Testimony and contrary to the Laudable Constitutions of the Church of Scotland to take no Protections from Malignant Enemies as was shewed above in Montroses case See Pag. 82. above II. Considering his Religion more particularly they judge it unlawful so to bargain with him as this Acceptance would import It is known he is not only a Papist an Apostate Papist and an Excommunicate Papist as is related above but a fiery Bigot in the Romish Religion and zealous sworn votarie vassal of Antichrist who as the Letter of the Iesuite from Liege lately published in print tells us is resolved either to convert England to Poperie or die a Martyr and again that he stiles himself a son of the Societie of Iesuites and will account every injury done to them to be a wrong done against himself being known to be under the conduct guidance of that furious Order yea and enrolled as a member of that Society Which makes it the less to be wondered that he should require absolute obedience without reserve seeing he himself yeelds absolute obedience as wel as implicite faith without reserve to the Jesuites Such a Bigot was Mary of England as also his great Grandame of Scotland if she had got her will And his Bigotrie will make him emulous of her Crueltie as counting it a diminution of his glory for such a Champion as he under Antichrists banner to come short of a womans enterprizes Nor would the late King have been so posted off the stage if his successor were not to act more vigorously than he in this Tragical design to which this Toleration is subservient He is then a Servant of Antichrist and as such under the Mediators Malediction yea in this respect is heir to his Grandfathers imprecation who wished the Curse of God to fall upon such of his Posterity as should at any time turn Papists How then can the Followers of the Lamb strike hands be at peace associate confederate or bargain with such a declared Enemy to Christ Certainly the Scripture-Commands of making no Covenant or League interdicting entering into any affinity with the People of these abominations and forbidding saying a Confederacy with them do lay awful bonds on the Faithful to stand aloof from such The People might have had Liberty of Conscience under the Assyrian Protection when they were saying a Confederacy with him but in so doing they forefaulted the benefit of the Lord being a Sanctuary to them To bargain therefore with such an one for a Toleration of Religion were contrary to the Scriptures contrary to the Covenants and Principles of the Church of Scotland against Associations Confederacies with such Enemies See Gillesp. Useful Case of Conscience concerning Assoc. hinted Pag. 83. and more Head. 3. Arg. 1. But to accept of this Liberty as now offered were a bargaining for where there is a Giving Receiving upon certain Conditions where there are Demands Complyance Commands Obedience Promises Relyance Offers upon termes Acquiescence in these termes what is there wanting to a bargain but the meer formality of Subscriptions At least it cannot be denied but the Addressers have bargained for it and in the name of all the Accepters which must stand as their deed also if they do not evidence their resentment of such Presumption which I do not see how they can if they abide under the shadow thereof the same way as they do I grant Liberty is very desirable and may be taken improven from Enemies of Religion And so do the Wanderers now take it improve it to the best advantage without receiving it by acquiescing in any termes But such a Liberty as this was never offered without a destructive design nor ever received without a destructive effect It is one of the filthie flatteries found in the English Addresses particularly that from Totness that the present Indulger is like another Cyrus who proclaimed Liberty to the People of God Ezra 1. But who sees not the disparity in every respect Cyrus at his very first entry into the Government did lay out himself for the Churches good This man who speaks now so fair his first work was to break our head and next to put on our hood first to assert corroberate his prerogative and then by virtue of that to dispense with all Penal Lawes It was foretold that Cyrus should deliver the Church at that time But was it ever promised that the Church should get Liberty to advance Antichrist or that Antichrist or one of his Limbs should be employed in the Churches deliverance while such The Lord stirred up the Spirit of Cyrus Can it be said without blasphemy that the Lord stirred up this man to contrive the introduction of Poperie by this Gate Gap except in a penal sense for judgment Cyrus had a Charge to build the Lord a House but this is not a Charge but a Grant or Licence not from nor according to Gods Authority but mans not to build Christ a House but a Babel for Antichrist and all this Liberty is but contrived as scaffolding for that Edifice which when it is advanced then the scaffolding must be removed 3. Considering him in his Relation as a Magistrate it were contrary to their Testimony so often renewed ratified confirmed with so many reasons and sealed by so much blood bonds banishment other sufferings to oune or acknowledge his Authority which is meer Usurpation Tyrannie in that by the Lawes of the Land he is incapable of Government and that he hath neither given nor can give without an hypocritical damning cheat the Oath
all the concurrence there required for seeking searching delating apprehending of these people and to all the cruel villanies committed against them 4 They have taken on their prescribed discriminating Sign of Loyaltie and of being repute by them men of good principles that is their friends men for the times Which is so sinful scandalous that it is shameful to hint at them and yet shameful to hide them 6. If we consider the Apologetical Declaration it self which is so bespattered and so odiously represented and so rigorously enjoined to be abjured who will more narrowly look into it and ponder perpend the purpose Scope of it will see nothing that can be abjured conscienciously in it but the whole of it laying aside prejudice invidious Critical Censoriousness capable of a fair acceptable Construction The Motives leading them to set it forth being only their desires and just endeavoures to prosecute and secure themselves in the prosecution of Holy Commanded Duties and to keep a standing Testimony against the Insolencie of those that are given up of God to lay out themselves in promoving a Course of profanity persecution notwithstanding of all their viperous threatenings Their Measures being none other than the commendable precedents Examples of zealous tender hearted Christians who have done the like and our National and Solemn Covenants lying with their binding force indispensable upon all of us and obliging us to endeavour all that 's there declared as being bound for ever to have common friends foes with our Covenanted Reformation to all which they declare avouch their resolved adherence And their oun former Declarations Disouning their Allegiance to Authority of a Man who had ipso jure forfeited all Authority by his intollerable Tyrannie Perjurie perfidious breach of Trust reposed devolved upon him by Covenant and by his overturning all the fundamental constitutions of the Government perverting inverting everting all Laws all Liberties all Priviledges of Church State all establishments of our Covenanted Work of Reformation all Securities of our life and enjoyments whatsoever Usurping to himself an absolute Tyrannical Civil Supremacy inconsistent with the safety or freedom of the people and a monstrous blasphemous Ecclesiastical Supremacy Upon which considerations to endeavour to make good their freedom emancipation from that yoke which they had cast off they behoved to resolve upon defensive resistence against him and his bloody emissaries Which war being declared before they only in this Declaration testified their unanimous approbation of adherence to and resolutions for prosecuting the same against him his accomplices such as lay out themselves to promove his wicked hellish designs By which war they do not mean a formed stated declared Insurection with hostile force to break the Peace of the Nation and involve all in blood but a resolved avowed constant Opposition to the Murdering violence injustice oppression persecution of this wicked faction now raging rather than reigning who have declared still prosecute a declared war against Christ bearing doun His Work Interest in the Land And a constant endeavour in opposition to them to pursue the ends of our Covenants in standing to the defence of the Glorious Work of Reformation and their oun lives And in the defence thereof to maintain the cause Interest of Christ against His enemies and to hold up the Standard of our Lord Jesus Christ meaning the Gospel the Word of our Testimony whereunto they looked upon themselves as bound obliged by their holy Covenants being therein dedicated to the Lord in their persons lives Liberties fortunes for defending promoving this Glorious Work of Reformation notwithstanding of all opposition that is or may be made thereunto and sworn against all neutrality indifferency in the Lords Matters Whereunto they beseech invite obtest all them who wish well to Zion to a concurrence concerting the same cause Quarrel In maintaining of which opposition against such wicked Enemies because by them they were restlessly pursued and hunted and Murdered wherever they were found neither could find any harbour or hiding place in any Corner of the country for Searchers Informers Justigators who still stirred up the country to raise the hue Crye after them and caused them to be delivered up and delâ—ted them to the Courts of their Murdering enemies whereby much innocent blood was shed Therefore to stop their Career of violence and deter them from such Courses they found it necessary to threaten them with more active vigorous opposition and that they might expect to be treated as they deserved Wherein they are far from ouning assassinating principles or practising assassinations for they give only open plain warning and advertisement to the world of their necessitated endeavours to defend themselves and prevent the Murder of their Brethren And can no way be charged with asserting it Lawful to kill all employed in the Kings service in Church State Army or Country as the Proclamation in viperous invective Calumny misrepresents the Declaration but on the contrary do jointly unanimously declare they detest abhor that hellish principle of killing such as differ in judgement from them and they are firmly really purposed not to injure or offend any whomsoever but such as are directly guilty of or accessory to the Murder of their Brethren whom yet they mind not to assassinate or kill tumultuarly but to prosecute them with all the legal formalities that Justice in their Capacity and the times disorder distracted condition will allow Expressly declaring that they abhor condemn discharge all personall attempts upon any pretext whatsomever without previous deliberations common consent certain probation of sufficient witnesses or the guilty persons confession Neither could it ever be supposed that they threaten all imployed in the Kings service with this sort of handling but some select expressly distinguished Kind of Notorious villains men of death blood openly avowing vaunting of their Murders and these they distinguished into several Classes according to the respective aggravations of their wickedness In the first they place those that Murder by Command under pretext of an usurped Authority as Councellours Justiciary Officers of their forces or bands of Robbers not all nor any of these neither but the cruel bloody In the second Class they threaten such as are actually in armes against them of an inferior rank And such Gentlemen and Bishops Curats as do professedly willingly serve them to accomplish effectuate their Murders by obeying their commands making searth for these poor men delivering them up instigating informing and witnessing against hunting after them not all these neither but such as cruelly prosecute that service to the effussion of their blood Neither do they threaten all equally nor any of them peremptorly but that continuing after the publication of this their Declaration obstinately habitually in these courses
it But here it is given before the Institution of Magistracy when now there was no Government in the world but family-Government as Grotius on the place saith Cum enim lex haec â—ata est non dum constituta sunt judicia itaque naturale justaliatus hic indicatur quod aucto humano genere in gentes distributo merito solis judicibus permissum fuit extra casus quosdam exceptos in quibus mansit jus illud 〈◊〉 When this Law was given publick Judgement was not yet constitute Therefore the natural right Law of Taliation is here held forth which when mankind was increased and divided into several Nations was justly permitted only to Judges some cases excepted in which that primaeve right did remain And if in any then in this case in question Hence Lex Rex answereth the P. Prelate essaying to prove that a Magiâ—â—racy is established in the Text denyes that Ba Adam by man must signify a Magistrate for than there was but family Government and cites 〈◊〉 of the same mind that the Magistrate is not spoken of here Though this Command afterwards was given to the Magistrate Numb 35. 30. yet in a ease of necessity we must recur to the Original Command 2. This same Command of punishing Murdering Enemies is even after the Institution of Magistrates in several cases not astricted to them but permitted to the people yea enjoyned to them As 1 Not only Magistrates but the people are Commanded to avenge themselves on their publick Enemies as the Israelites after their being insnared in the matter of Peor are Commanded to vexe the Midianites smite them because they beguiled them and brought a Plague upon them Numb 25. 17 18 and Numb 31. 2. to avenge themselves on them and for this end to arme themselves and go against them and avenge the Lord of Midian Which they executed with the slaughter of all the males So likewise are they Commanded to destroy Amalek It is true these Commands are given primarly principally to Magistrates as there to Moses and afterwards to Saul yet afterwards we find other than Magistrates upon this Moral Ground having the Call of God did execute Judgement upon them as Gidion David before they were Magistrates did avenge themselves and the Lord upon them as is before cleared It is also true that there was some holy severity then to be extended against particular Nations as such peculiar to that Dispensation which is not pleaded as imitable but the ground was Moral and the right of a peoples saving themselves by the destruction of their enemies when there is no other way for it is Natural And this is all we plead for here If people may vexe their enemies and avenge themselves against them even without publick Authority when ensnared by their Craftiness Much more may they put a stop to their insolency by cutting off their principal most pernicious Instruments in case of necessity when invaded by their Cruelty But here a people is Commanded to vexe their enemies and avenge themselves on them and accordingly Gideon David did so without publick Authority and that upon a ground which is Moral Natural Ergo 2 The execution of the punishment of Murderers is committed to the people The revenger of blood himself shall slay the Murderer what he meeteth him he shall slay him Numb 35. 19 21. So that if he met him before he got into any Refuge he might Lawfully slay him and if he did flee to any he was to be rendered up to the Avengers hands Deut. 19. 12. that the guilt of innocent blood may be put away from Israâ—l vers 23. This revenger of blood was not the Magistrate for he was the party pursuing Numb 35. 24. between whom and the Murderer the Congregation was to judge He was only the next in blood or kindred In the Original he is called Goel the redeemer or he to whom the right of redemption belongs and very properly so called both because he seeks redemption and compensation for the blood of his Brother and because he redeems the Land from blood guiltiness in which other-wise it would be involved I do not plead that this is alwayes to be imitated as neither it was alwayes practiced in Israel but If a private man in a hot pursuit of his Brothers Murderer might be his avenger before he could be brought to Judgement then much more may this power be assumed in a case of necessity when there is no Judgement to be expected by Law and when not only our Brethren have been murdered by them that profess a trade of it but others also and our selves are dayly in hazard of it which may be prevented in cutting them off I do not see what is here meerly Iudicial so as to be rejected as Iudaical for sure Murderers must be slain now as well as then and there is the same hazard of their escaping now as then Murder involves the Land in guilt now as well as then and in this case of necessity especially that Law that gives a man right to preserve himself gives him also right to be his oun avenger if he cannot otherwise defend himself 3 Not only the execution the decision of matters of life death is committed to them as in the case of Blasphemie Cursing all that heard were to lay their hands upon his head and all the Congregation was to stone him Levit. 24. 14 16. The man-slayer was to stand before the Congregation in Judgement Then the Congregation shall judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood Numb 35. 12 24. The people claimed the power of life death in seeking to execute Judgement upon those that had spoken Treason against Saul bring the men say they that we may put them to death 1 Sam. 11. 12. Especially in the case of punishing Tyrants as they did with Amaziah Certainly this is not so Judicial or Judaical as that in no case it may be imitated for That can never be abrogated altogether which in many cases is absolutely necessary but that the people without publick Authority should take the power of life death of puting a stop to the insolency of Destroyers by puting them to death is in many cases absolutely necessary for without this they cannot preserye themselves against Grassant Tyrants nor the fury of publick enemies or fire-brands within themselves in case they have no publick Authority or none but such as are on their Destroyers side 4 Not only the power of purging the Land by Divine precept is incumbent on the people that it may not lye under blood guiltiness but also the power of Reforming the Courts of Kings by taking Course with their wicked Abetters and evil Instruments is committed to them with a promise that if this be done it shall tend to the establishment of their Throne which is not only a supposition in case it be done but a supposed Precept to do it with an
insinuation of the necessity expediency of it that it is as suitable as the taking away of the dross from silver in order to the production of a vessel Prov. 25. 4 5. Take away the wicked from before the King and his throne shall be established in Righteousness Which is not only there given to Kings for then it would be in the second person spoken to them but to the people to do it before them as the people did with Baals Prophets from before Ahab And Our Progenitors many times have done with wicked Counsellors as may be seen in the foregoing Representation and more fully in the Historie of the Dowglasses and in Knox Calderwoods Histories Hence If it be duty to Reforme the Court and to take away a Kings wicked Sycophants Counsellors Agents Instigators to Tyrannie Then it must be Lawful in some cases of necessity to restrain their Insolency repress their Tyrannie in executing Judgement upon such of them as are most unsupportable who are made drunk with the blood of Innocents But the former is true Therefore 5 For the Omission of the executing of this Judgement on Oppressors Muderers involving the whole Land in blood guiltiness which cannot be expiated but by the blood of them that are so Criminal Not only Magistrates but the whole people have been plagued As for Sauls murdering the Gibeonites the whole Land was plagued until the man that consumed them and devised against them to destroy them seven of his sons were delivered unto them to be hanged up before the Lord 2 Sam. 21. 5 6. So also for the sins of Manasseh The reason was because if the Magistrate would not execute Judgement the people should have done it for not only to the King but also to his Servants and to the people that entered in by the gates the Command is Execute yee Iudgement and deliver the spoyled out of the hand of the Oppressor Jer. 22. 2 3. thô it be true this is to be done by every one in their station salvâ justitia salvo ordine pro modulo vocationis and it chiefly belongs to Judges Magistrates Yet this is no wrong to Justice nor breach of Order nor sinful transgression of peoples vocation not only to hinder the shedding of innocent blood to prevent Gods executing of what He there threatens but also to execute Judgement on the Shedders to prevent their progress in Murdering Villanie when Inferiour as well as Superiour Magistrates are oppressing Tyrannizing Therefore this seeking doing executing judgement is so often required of the people in such a Case when Princes are rebellious Companions of Thieves and in the City where Judgement used to be now Murderers bear sway Isai. 1. 17 21. the Lord is displeased where there is none Isai. 59. 15 16. Jer. 5. 1. See this vindicated in Lex Rex quest 34. pag. 367. and in jus popul cap. 10. pag. 237. 3. That Command concluds the same against Idolaters Apostates and Entycers thereunto Deut. 13. 6. c. If thy brother or thy friend which is as thiâ— oun soul entyce the secretly saying let us go serve other gods thow shalt not spare nor conceal him but thow shalt surely kill him because the hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God And all Israel shall hear fear and do no more any such wickedness And vers 13. c. If thow shalt hear say in one of thy Cities saying Certain men the Children of Belial are gone out and have withdrawn the Inhabitants of their City saying let us go to serve other gods Then shalt thow enquire and behold if it be truth and the thing certain thow shalt surely smite the Inhabitants of that City with the edge of the sword destroying it utterly This Cause of the Open Entycers to Idolatry was not brought to the Judges as common Idolaters and such who were entyced to serve other gods worship them were to be brought to the gates and to be stoned first by the hands of the Witnesses and afterwards by all the people Deut. 17. 3 5 7. But this is another Law Of which the Iewish Antiquaries and particularly Grotius out of Philo and the Rabb in Loc saith Cum in alijs criminibus soleret reus servari c. i. e. Whereas in other crimes the guilty used to be kept after the sentence a night a day that if he could say any more for himself he might these were excepted from this benefit And not only so but it was permitted to any to execute Judgement upon them viz. Entycers to Idolatry without waiting for a Judge The like was used against the Sacrilegious Robbers of the Temple and priests who sacrificed when they were polluted and those who cursed God by the Name of an Idol and those who lay with an Idolatress chiefly those who denyed the divine Authority of the Law And this behoved to be before the people at least ten which in Hebrew they called Hheda Neither is this to be admired in so grievous a Crime when even the manslayer without the place of refuge might have been killed by the Kins-man of the defunct And upon Numb 15. 30. the punishment of presumptuous Blasphemers he sayes Caeteram hic intelligenda hoc modo c. i. e. But here these are to be understood thus that the guilty shall not be brought to the Judges but be killed by them that deprehended them in the Crime as Phin. has did to Zimri and proves it out of Mamonides Pool Synops. Critic in Loc. And it must be so for in this case no mention is made either of Judges or Witnesses or further Judgement about it than that he that was tempted by the Entycer should fall upon him and let the people know it that they might lay hands on him also otherwise evil men might pretend such a thing when it was not true But in case of a Cities Apostasie and hearkening to Entycers the thing was only to be sollicitously enquired unto and then thô it was chiefly incumbent upon the Magistrate to punish it yet it was not astricted to him but that the people might do it without him As upon this Moral Ground was Israels war stated against Benjamin Judg. 20. 13. when there was no King nor Judge and also when there were Kings that turned Idolaters Tyrants they served them so as here is Commanded Witness Amaziah as is shewed above Hence not only Moses upon the peoples defection into Idolatrie in the Wilderness commanded all on the Lords side every man to put his sword by his side and sâ—ay every man his brother and every man his Companion and every man his neighbour whereby three thousand fell at that time by the sword of the Levites Exod. 32. 27 28. But also Joash Gideons father upon the same Moral Ground thô he was no Magistrate could say to the Abiezrites Will ye plead for Baal he that will plead for him let him be put
when they demand such rewards and the demands are complyed with But some may pretend and under that pretence think to shut the shour of suffering and command the serenity sun-shine of a good Conseience too and to shelter their soul under that shadow That these Exactions may be necessary for other ends Can any State be without Exactions Is it not necessary that forces be maintained and such as are in publick office in the Kingdom Wherewithall shall the Nation be guarded against forreign invasion Alas the pretence is so false frivolous as he could not escape the Censure of foolish who in answering it appeared serious save in a just indignation at its empty vanitie What are these forces and publick Officiers for What are they employed about but to promote the Dragons designs and serve his drudgerie Shall these guard the Nation who together with Religion tread upon the poor remaining shadow of Liberty Do they indeed fear a forreign invasion No it doth not hold us here These called Rulers hide not their designs but hold them to our eye that we may not pretend ignorance They will do the greatest hast first Christ and His Interest is their great eyesore This one Iesus who calls Himself a King yea and He will be so to their cost and His Subjects as the most dangerous partie are to be discussed in the first place And thereafter when they are liberate from that fear of His returning to His Throne whom they have exauctorate for if ever He do they are ruined make hast O Lord◠and have eaten the flesh and drunk the blood of His people then they will be in a better case to defend the Land by shewing the Enemy those Teeth Tusks wherewith they have torn the people of the Lord. But will men put out their oun eyes that they may be taken with the more tameness to grind in their Mill and make them merry at our madness Have we lost our senses that we may with confidence jeopard our Souls Have they not invaded the Mediators Kingdom and taken to themselves His House in possession And because Reavers may not be Rewers they will destroy all in the Land who seem faithful to Christ and resolute to follow the Captain of the host of Israel But is it not enough that they menace Heaven Will they mock us into the same Rebellion with themselves He will not be mocked but turn their jest into earnest I cannot here shift the transcribing some of the very words of that Author whose Reasonings I am but gleaning on this subject Oh Brittain O Scotland bent into bold in backsliding the wrath of God and thy wo seems to be upon the wing And alas I am afraid that by this Crowning Crimson wickedness the Lord God Almighty is making a way to His Anger and preparing the Nation for a Sacrifice to expiate in the sight of the world our Perjurie defection Heaven-daring Provocations Alas I am afraid that the sword of the Lord which shall avenge the quarrel of His Covenant is near to be drawn that the Contributers as well as the stated partie of contrivers decreers and cruel Executioners of these decrees may fall under the blow of the forbished sword of the Lord God And that the Land of such abominations may be swept of its Inhabitants with the besome of destruction and soaked with the blood of those who instead of contending for Christ have by this payment associate with His stated His declared and implacable Enemies whose rage is come up before Him and will bring Him doun to take revenge Alas My fears My fears are multiplied upon me that the war shall not only at last Land in Britain But that He hath been all this while training up a Militia abroad breeding them in blood and teaching them how to be skillful to destroy against the time He give them order to march and put the flaming sword in their hand to be bathed in the blood of backsliding Brittain Oh if our turning unto Him that He might turn away from the fierceness of His Anger might prevent this woful day But since instead of any turning unto Him we surpass the deeds of the heathen and out do in wickedness all that went before us and proceed with a petulancy reaching Heaven from evil to worse I am afraid that all the bloodshed since the sword was drawn in the Nations about all the sacked Cities all the burnt dorps villages all the wasted Countries all the slain of the Lord by sea or Land all the pillagings rapes Murders outrages which rage it self could hardly outdo all the horrid inhumane Cruelties that have been committed during this bloody war wherein the sea hath been dyed and the Land as it were drouned with the blood of the slain all the truculent treacherous Murthers of that Monster Alva in the Low Countries all the incredible Cruelties of the Guises and the bloodshed in the Massacres of France all the Tortures that the people of the Lord have been put to in the valleys of Piedmont by that Litle fierce Tyger the Duke of Savoy all the savage and barbarous butcheries of the Irish Massacre shall be forgotten or seem things not to be mentioned in one day when what shall be done in Brittain comes to be reinembered O Brittain ô Brittain of all Nations under the Cope of Heaven most ripe for the sickle of vengeance shall this Throne of iniquity which hath framed so many mischiefs into Laws and all that are Complices in this wicked Conspiracie who now are gathering themselves against the soul of the Righteous condemning the innocent blood be able to save its subjects when He comes to make inquisition for that blood or shall the subjects calling in all from 60 to 16 be able to support the Throne Alas in vain shall they offer to draw up and draw the sword defend when the Lord God of hosts drawes His sword to accomplish upon them the vengeance written wrapt up in these words He shall bring upon them their oun iniquity and shall cut them off in their oun wickedness yea the Lord our God shall cut them off And if it come to this then in that day escape who will Professing Gentlemen and others who in this have complyed with the Rulers shall not escape Then shall they be payed for this Payment The storme of His displeasure even thô they get their souls for a prey yea so much the more as He will not suffer them to perish eternally shall be observed to fall particularly upon their houses Interests Estates Who can think upon the wickedness of Brittain with its just aggravations and imagine the righteous Lord will proportion His Judgments to the heinousness of our guilt and His revenges to the rage whereby He and His Christ hath been and is opposed and take other measures 4. From the Nature of these Payments it is not our they are sinful Complyances Transactions with
that endeavour the defect of which through their former supineness gave no small encouragment to the Enemies They considered also what would be the consequence of that War declared against all the Faithful of tâ—e Land with a displayed banner prosecuted with fire â—word and all acts of horrid hostility published in printed Proclamations written in Characters of blood by barbarous souldiers so that none could enjoy Gospel Ordinances dispensed in Purity but upon the hazard of their lives And therefore to prevent frustrate these effects they endeavoured to put themselves in a posture And hereunto they were encouraged by the constant experience of the Lords countenancing their endeavours in that posture which alwayes proved successful for several years their enemies either turning their backs without disturbance when they observed them resolve defence or in their assaultings repulsed So that there was never a Meeting which stood to their defence got any considerable harme thereby Thus the Lord was with us while we were with Him but when we forsook Him then He forsook us and left us in the hands of our enemies However while Meetings for Gospel Ordinances did continue the wicked Rulers did not cease from time to time to encrease their numerous â—ands of Barbarous Souldiers for suppressing the Gospel in these field-Meetings And for their Maintinance they imposed new wicked arbitrary Cesses Taxations professedly required for suppressing Religion Liberty banishing the Gospel out of the Land and preserving promoting his Absoluteness over all Matters Persons Sacred Civil Which under that tentation of great suffering threatened to Refusers and under the disadvantage of the silence unfaithfulness of many Ministers who either did not condemn it or pleaded for the peaceable payment of it many did comply with it then and far more since Yet at that time there were far more Recusants in some places especially in the Western Shires than Complyers And there were many of the Ministers that did faithfully declare to the people the sin of it Not only from the illegality of its imposition by a convention of overawed and prelimited States but from the nature of that imposed Complyance that it was a sinful transaction with Christs declared Enemies a strengthening the hands of the wicked an Obedience to a wicked Law a Consenting to Christs Expulsion out of the Land and not only that but far worse than the sin of the Gadarens a formal Concurrence to assist His Expellers by maintaining their force a hiring our Oppressours to destroy Religion Liberty And from the fountain of it an Arbitrary power domineering over us and oppressing overpressing the Kingdoms with intollerable exactions That to pay it it was to entail slaverie on the posterity And from the declared end of it expressed in the very Narrative of the Act viz to levy maintain forces for suppressing dispersing Meetings of the Lords people and to shew unanimous affection for maintaining the Kings Supremacy as now established by Law which designs he resolved and would be capacitate by the Granters to effectuate by such a Grant which in effect to all tender Consciences had an evident tendency to the exauctorating the Lord Christ to maintain Souldiers to suppress His Work murder His Followers yet all this time Ministers Professors were unite and with one soul shoulder followed the Work of the Lord till the Indulged being dissatisfied with the Meetings in the fields whose Glory was like to overcloud obscure their beds of ease and especially being offended at the freedom faithfulness of some who set the Trumpet to their mouth and shewed Iacob his sins Israel his transgressions impartially without a clock or cover they began to make a faction among the Ministers and to devise how to quench the fervour of their zeal who were faithful for God. But the more they sought to extinguish it the more it brake out and blazed into a flame For Several of Christs Ambassadours touched affected with the affronts done to their Princely Master by the Supremacy and the Indulgence its Bastard brood brat began after long silence to discover its iniquity and to acquaint the people how the Usurper had invaded the Mediators Chair in taking upon him to depose suspend silence plant transplant His Ministers where when how he pleased and to give forth warrants Licences for admitting them with Canons Instructions for regulating them in the exercise of their Ministrie and to arraign censure them at his Courts for delinquencies in their Ministry pursuing all to the death who are faithful to Christ and maintain their Loyaltie to His Lawes and will not prostitute their Consciences to his lusts and bow doun to the Idol of his Supremacy but will oune the Kingly Authority of Christ. Yet others and the greater number of dissenting Ministers were not only deficient herein but defended them joyned with them and pretending prudence prevention of Schisme in effect homologated that deed and the practice of these Priests Ezek. 22. 26. teaching advising the people to hear them both by precept and going along with them in that Erastian Course And not only so but condemned censured such who preached against the sinfulness thereof especially in the first place Worthy Mr Walwood who was among the first Witnesses against that defection and Mr Kid Mr King Mr Cameron Mr Donald Cargil c. who sealed their Testimony afterwards with their blood yet then even by their Brethren were loaden with the reproachful Nicknames of Schismaticks blind Zeaâ—ots Iâ—suits c. But it was alwayes observed as long as Ministers were faithful in following the Lord in the way of their duty Professors were fervent And un-under all their Conflicts with Persecuters the courage zeal of the lovers of Christ was blazing and never out-braved by all the enemies boastings to undertake brisk Exploits which from time to time they were now and then essaying till defection destroyed and division diverted their zeal against the Enemis of God who before were alwayes the object against which they whetted the edge of their just Indignation Especially the insulting insolency insolent villanie of that publick Incendiarie the Arch-Prelate Sharp was judged intollerable by ingenuous Spirits because he had treacherously betrayed the Church Nation and being imployed as their delegate to oppose the threatened introduction of Prelacy he had like a perjured Apostate and perfidious Traitor advanced himself into the place of Primate of Scotland and being a member of Council he became a chief Instrument of all the Persecution and main Instigator to all the bloody violence cruelty that was exerced against the people of God by whose means the letter sent doun to stop the shedding of more blood after Pentland was keptâ— up until several of these Martyrs were Murdered Therefore in Iulij 1668. Mr Iames Mitchel thought in his duty to save himself deliver his Brethren and free the
Land of the violence of that beast of prey and attempted to cut him off which failing he then escaped but afterwards was apprehended and being moved by the Councils Oath and Act of Assurance promising his life he made Confession of the fact Yet afterwards for the same he was arraigned before the Justiciary and the Confession he made was brought in against him and witnessed by the perjured Chancellour Rothes and other Lords contrare to their Oath Act produced in open Court to their indeleble infamy whereupon he was tortured condemned executed But Justice would not suffer this Murder to pass long unrevenged nor that Truculunt Traitor Iamos Sharp the Arch-Prelat who was the occasion cause of it and of many more both before after to escape remarkable punishment the severity whereof did sufficiently compense its delay after ten years respite wherein he ceased not more and more to pursue persecute make havock of the Righteous for their duty until at length he received the just demerit of his perfidie perjury apostasie sorceries villanies and murders Sharp arrowes of the Mighty coals of Iuniper For upon the 3. of May 1679. several worthy Gentlmen with some other men of Courage zeal for the cause of God and the good of the Country executed righteous Judgement upon him in Maguâ— Moor near St Andrews And that same moneth on the Anniversary day May 29. the Testimony at Rutherglen was Published against that abomination of celebrating an Anniversary day kept every year for giving thanks for the setting up an usurped power destroying the Interest of Christ in the Land And angainst all sinful unlawful Acts emitted executed published prosecuted against our Covenanted Reformation Where also they burnt the Act of Supremacy the Declaration the Act Recissory c. in way of retaliation for the burning of the Covenants On the Sabbath following Iun. 1. A field Meeting for the Worship of God near to Loudoun-hil was assaulted by Graham of Claverhouse and with him three troups of horse Dragoons who had that morning taken an honest Minister and about 14 Country-men out of their beds and carried them along with them as Prisoners to the Meeting in a Barbarous manner But by the good hand of God upon the Defendents they were repulsed at Drumclogg and put to flight the Prisoners relieved about 30. of the Souldiers killed on the place and 3. of the Meeting and several wounded on both sides Thereafter the people retreating from the pursuit consulted what was expedient in that juncture whether to disperse themselves as formerly or to keep together for their necessary defence The result was that considering the craft cruelty of those they had to deal with the sad consequents of falling into their hands now more incensed than ever the evil effects that likely would ensue upon their separation which would give them access to make havock of all they judged it most safe in that extremity for some time not to separate Which Resolution coming abroad to the ears of others of their Brethren determined them incontinently to come to their Assistence considering their necessity and their oun lyableness to the same common danger upon the account of their endeavours of that nature elsewhere to defend themselves being of the same judgement for maintaining of the same Cause to which the were bound by the same Covenants and groaning under the same burdens they judged therefore that if they now with held their assistence in such a strait they could not be innocent of their Brethrens blood nor found faithful in their Covenant To which they were encouraged with the Countenance success the Lord had given to that Meeting in that defensive Resistence This was the Rise Occasion of that Appearance at Bothwel-bridge which the Lord did in His Holy Soveraignty confound for former Defections by the means of Division which broke that litle Army among themselves before they were broken by the Enemy They continued together in amiable amicable peace for the space of 8 or 9 dayes while they endeavoured to put out keep out every wicked thing from amongst them and adhered to the Rutherglen-Testimony and that short Declaration at Glasgow confirming it Representing their present purposes endeavours where only in vindication defence of the Reformed Religion as they stood obliged thereto by the National Solemn League Covenant and the Solemn Acknowledgment of Sins Engagment to duties Declaring against Popery Prelacy Erastianisme and all things depending thereupon Intending hereby to comprehend the defection of the Indulgence to witness against which all unanimously aggreed Until the Army encreasing the Defenders Daubers of that defection some Ministers and others came in who broke all and upon whom the blood of that Appearance may be charged The occasion of the breach was first When in the sense of the obligation of that Command when the host goeth forth against thine enemies keep thee from every wicked thing an overture was offered to set times apart for humiliation for the publick sins of the Land according to the practice of the Godly in all ages before engaging their enemies and the laudable precedents of our Ancestors that so the Causes of Gods wrath against the Nation might be enquired into confessed and the Lords Blessing Counsel Conduct to upon present Endeavours might be implored And accordingly the Complying with abjured Erastianisme by the acceptance of the ensnaring Indulgence offered by received from the Usurping Rulers was condescended upon among the rest of the grounds of fasting humiliation so seasonably necessarely called for at that time The Sticklers for the Indulgence refused the overture upon politick considerations for fear of offending the Indulged Ministers Gentlemen and provoking them to withdraw their Assistence This was the great Cause of the division that produced such unhappy destructive effects And next whereas the Cause was stated before according to the Covenants in the Rutherglen-Testimony Glasglow-Declaration wherein the Kings Interest was waved These Dividers drew up another large paper called the Hamiltoun-Declaration wherein they assert the Kings Interest according to the third Article of the Solemn League Covenant Against which the best affected contended protested they could not in Conscience put in his Interest in the State of the Quarrel being now in stated opposition to Christs Interests and inconsistent with the meaning of the Covenant and the practices of the Covenanters and their own Testimonies while now he could not be declared for as being in the defence of Religion Liberty when he had so palpably overturned ruined the Work of Reformation and oppressed such as adhered thereunto and had burnt the Covenant c. Whereby he had loosed the people from all obligation to him from it Yet that contrary faction prevailed so far as to get it published in the name of all whereby the Cause was perverted betrayed and the former