parts of Spotswoods Story Ibid. The Church of Scotland gives no more power to Congregationall Elderships then the Independents and Erastians doe allow p. 15. the Prelats give much more ecclesiasticall power to Lay-men then we to ruling Elders p. 16 We give to Deacons no power of jurisdiction we wish there were Doctors in all populous Congregations Elders in some few Congregations for a time have a Dispensation p. 17. No Eldership inflicts any civill punishment Ibid. the Prelats confound miserably the spirituall and civill Offices p. 18. Princes plead not for exemption from Ecclesiastick jurisdiction p. 19. No Presbytery did ever enter in any processe with the supreame Magistrate p. 20. the Moderators of our Assembly are Preachers p. 21. Our expectants are not Lay-Preachers p. 22. the Presbytery of Edinborough usurps no power over any other Ibid. King James aversion from Presbytery and affection to Episcopacy makes not this the better nor that the worse Ibid. No Presbytery did ever keep any State with the King p. 23 The Presbytery doth not enquire in secret faults but knowne crimes it does not passe by p. 24. The Presbytery meddles not with matter of trade or debt or any thing civill p. 25. they never did dilapidat any Benefice p. 26. nor favour Gentlemen in their wickednesse they never did countenance any feud all these were the Prelats crimes p. 26 27. Ministers generally were ever and still are honoured more in Scotland then anywhere else p. 29. Master Robert Bruce vindicated p. 30 31. The reason of the Authors malice against the generall Assembly p. 32. His false and railing slanders against it p. 33. The generall Assembly exercises no power but what the King and the Lawes have authorized Ibid. the Commissioners of Burroughs and Vniversities are Elders Ibid. we a cribe to the King so much power in the Assembly as the Laws allow p. 34. the Assembly alters no Law onely it supplicates the King and Parliament to alter such Lawes as confirme evident errors p. 35. the Prelats quarrelling against ruling Elders is absurd Ibid. The Assembly and Parliament in Scotland use not to differ p. 36. The vindication of J. Knox the first reformers from base calumnies p. 37 The suspention of the Queen Regents authority was an Act meerly of the State which did nothing prejudge the Soveraignty p. 38. The Presbyterians have often supported but never hurt royalty p. 39. John Knox did never preach for the pulling downe of any Church p. 40. The armes of Scotland against the tyranny of the French were necessary and just p. 41. the Author very wicked and popish Ibid. Cardinall Beton by all Law and reason deserved death p. 42. An account of the tumult at Edinborough for the Service-book p. 43 44. Our Assemblies did ever defer all loyall subjection to the King p. 45. Master Henderson was ever free from all disloyall and Papall humours Ibid. Our first reformation was authorized by Parliament p. 46. Episcopacy was never approved by any lawfull Assembly in Scotland p. 47. the short confession of faith was subscribed by King James in the yeer 1580 the Presbyterial Government was fully agreed unto before that time ibid. the King and his Counsell did set up the Presbyteries over all the Land at the same time p. 48. The generall Assembly did never approve of Abbots and Pryors ibid. The Ministers of Scotland were wont to preach to the King and State free and seasonable Doctrine but in all wisdome and humility p. 49. Preachers of treason are censurable both by the Church and State p 50. The Erastian and Prelaticall principles brought great trouble on the Ministers of Scotland p. 51. The case of James Gibson p. 52. Mr. David Black his case ibid. A cleer vindication of the Assembly at Aberdeen in the yeer 1605. p. 53 54 55. Mr. Welsh and Mr. Forbes pittifully oppressed p. 56. Bancroft a persecutor of the Scottish Presbyterians ibid. Mr. Andrew and Mr. James Melvils oppressed p. 57. The Scottish Discipline is far from all rigour and tyranny p. 58. A Narration of the Roads of Ruthen and Stirling p. 60. The Assembly meddles not with Lawes nor with any civill Courts p. 61. Mr. John Graham his case p. 62 63. The great controversie betwixt the Church and the King was the infinite extent of the Prerogative p. 64. the Presbytery is a great bar to keep out Democracy and tyranny both from Church and State it is a singular help both to Kings and Parliaments p. 65. Mr. Catherwoods vindication p. 66. The Commissioners of the generall assembly unjustly slandered p. 67. A full account of the 17. day of December p. 68 69 70 71. Mr. James Melvile vindicated from assisting of Bothwell against the King p. 72. A Declaration upon all the twelve Articles imputed to us p. 73 74 75 76. No shadow of Episcopacy remaines in any well reformed Church p. 77 78. The Dutch Superintendents are very far from the English Bishps p. 79. The Contents of the second Treatise THe Opposites of Presbytery blinded with malice have hurt themselves and no other by the reprinting of this false Declaration p. 1. Adamson confesseth himself to be the Author thereof but King James did disclaime it p. 2. whatever in it is contrary to Presbytery is condemned by the Parliament of Scotland p. 3. It is hazardous for a Prince to take upon himselfe the faults of his Officers p. 4. the indignation of the people in Scotland was never against King James but oft against his Court and that upon just grounds p. 5. King James was far from Erastianisme p. 7. Cleer grounds for Mr. Melvils justification p. 9. his flight no argument of guiltinesse p. 11. A great cause of the rooting out of Episcopacy ibid. Mr. Melvils Declinator and Protestation cleered p. 12. What supremacy is lawfull p. 13. the Erastian supremacy is more then a Turkish tyranny p. 14. if either King or Parliament admit of it it will overthrow both and the whole Nation with them p. 15. King James revoked what here is published and King Charles also p. 17. The Presbyteriall Government was established in Scotland on a divine right with the allowance of K. James and K. Charles in divers Parliaments p. 18 The reprinters of this Declaration seem to be contemners of Oaths Lawes and all rights divine and bumane p. 20. A full account of the French Banquet p. 21. The Prelats and Erastians extreamly unjust against the Presbytery p. 24. The general Assemblies approbation of the Road of Ruthven very innocent p. 25 The Road of Stirling cleered p. 27. Episcopacy was not established at the Conference of Leeth 1572. p. 16. It was lawfull for the Assemblies to call to fasting p. 28. The reprinters of this Declaration make no conscience of their Covenant p. 29. King James his full and honest Declaration against Erastianisme p. 31. The pretended intentions were not the Kings but the Prelats p. 32. The reprinters of this Writ are either hypocrits or
they were not in a capacity to receave it till once they were an Assembly so with Lauristons good liking they did pray and chose their Moderator and Clerke thereafter they did receive and read the Letters discharging the Assembly to which they gave present obedience and did no more at all but appointed the next meeting according to the expresse act of Parliament Lauriston after the Assembly was dissolved was so officious as by a Lyon herauld with a publike Proclamation to command them to be gone this Proclamation most falsly he did antidate as if it had beene used before the Ministers sat downe hereupon the Ministers were convened before the secret Counsell for keeping of a Conventicle contrary to the Kings command they answered as Spotswood says that they had done nothing but according to the Laws both divine and humane That the Generall Assembly had right to meet in the great necessities of the Church and the Laws of Scotland gave them expresse warrant to meet Lauriston told them that the King might delay all meetings both of Church and State Parliaments and Assemblies so long as he pleased they replyed that they could doe nothing against the Kings mind so long as they followed the expresse order of his standing Lawes When the King and state has past an act for Trienniall Parliaments and the Commissioners of shires doe meet at the day appointed to fence a Parâ—iament according to Law and long uncontroverted custome if by evill Counsell the King should not only delay but by a Proclamation put of the meeting to an uncertaine and infinite time ought these Commissioners for following the instructions of their shires according to Law and custome be lyable to any censure the case now in hand is just the same The Ministers did plead further that the privie Councell was not a competent Judicatorie to the question what was a lawfull or unlawfull Assembly that by the Lawes of the Kingdome such questions were to be decided by a lawfull Generall Assembly and not elsewhere At that time Doctor Bancroft was Patron to the naughty Preacher of Scotland who were panting for Bishopricks and as after the conference at Hampton Court he had moved the King to crush the most of the gracious Brethren of England who could not submit to Episcopacie and its Ceremonies So then did he hasten a Message to the Councell of Scotland for the condemning all who adhered to the Assembly of Aberdeen of high Treason To maintaine a power in the Church to keep an Assembly or in the State to keep a Parliament whether to begin or to continue it when the King did discharge though the Law did expresly warrant it was to oppose the Royall prerogative and could be no lesse then the highest treason especially if any did decline the Judgement of the Privy Counsell or any other Judicatorie to which the King was pleased to referre the decision of this case though the nature of the thing and the Law did require the question to bee determined in another Court For this plea a number of gracious Ministers were condemned by an Assize to be executed as Traitours but thereafter as it were of great favour and speciall grace their lives were spared yet were they all presently banished never to returne to any of the Kings Dominions while they lived All the godly and wise in the Land did cry out upon this Act of the Candidats of Episcopacie as of the highest unjustice and Tyranny All the sufferers were men exceedingly beloved Mr. Welsh and Master Forbes their oppression but some of them were very eminent Master Forbes was a man of so great learning and prudence that in Germany both higher and lower yea with King Iames himselfe and King Charles he was held while he lived in singular reputation Master Welsh was a man altogether Apostolike of rare both learning and piety The fame of this mans zeale was so great that not only the Protestants of France but the very Popish Priests and Souldiers yea the prophanest of the Court and King Lewis himselfe at the very time of his hottest persecutions did much prize and reverence him yet so great was the rage of the Bishops against him that when in his old age and great sicknesse he came over to England and according to the direction of his Phisitians did supplicate to be permitted to breath a little in his naturall aire though he was altogether unable for preaching or making any more sturre in the world it was peremptorily denyed him unlesse he should give assurance of putting his necke under the Episcopall yoke not being able to doe this he was forced to dye out of hâ—â— Country a banished man Who would not have thâ—â—â—ht that the ruine of so many gracious men might haâ—â—â—â—lly satiate the malice of a few ambitious persons Bancroft a persecutor of the Scottish Presbiterians buâ—â—â— they were not content they proceeded farther in their cruelty they moved the King to call up to London a number of more Divines who for piety zeale and learning were of greatest reputation The pretext was faire and his Majesties Letter to them courteous he required them to come up to give him their best advice how the Church of Scotland might best be settled in peace but behold Bancrofts and the Scottish Episcopaturians fraud they are brought before the King and Councell and there are posed with a number of dangerous and insnaring questions to which they declined to answer yet being much pressed they gave in their mind in writing so humbly and prudently as was possible no quarrell could be picked against any of their words yet were they all arrested to stay at London till contrary to Law and the order of the Church and the heart of all the godly their adversaries were set downe in Scotland upon their Episcopall Thrones Mr. Andrew Melvil The undoing of Mr. Andrew and Mr. James Melvils a great Light to the Scottish Nation for his free speeches after great provocation against the English Bishops and Ceremonies to which he a stranger called up by the Kings friendly Letter did owe no subjection was kept prisoner three whole yeares and then was sent over to Sedan where he lived to his death a banished man His Nephew Mr. Iames Melvil for his excellent parts in great favour with the King but unable to comply with Episcopall designes was kept out of Scotland till his dying day the rest were at last sent home but all of them as Prisoners confined to certaine places These were the first fruits of the English Prelacie in Scotland but yearly thereafter that tree did bring forth such grapes of Gomorrha among us that the Land could be at no peace till it was cut downe yea plucked up by the rootes It might have satisfied the unnaturall malice of a very wicked child P. 41. Prelaticall calumnies to have bespattered the face of his innocent mother with the halfe of the former very injurious and false calumnies yet you
Apostates ibid. Caesaro papisme is an Antichristianisme worse then that of the Pope p. 33. Prelats and Erastians their Sympathy and Antipathy p. 34. King James against all toleration of heresies or schismes p. 35. Also much contrary to our present Anarchy p. 36. The retarders of government are enemies to themselves and to the welfare of England p. 37. The Recantaâ—ion of Patrick Adamson pretended Archbi of St. Andrews p. 37 Mr. Patrick Adamson's owne Answer and refutation of the Booke falsly called The Kings Declaration p. 41. Two pious and propheticall Letters of Mr. Jo. Welsh which he wrote out of his prison after the sentence of death was pronounced against him and other gracious Ministers for their testimony against Erastianisme Prelacy p. 45. The Authors out of which the chiefe testimonies of the subsequent Vindication are taken The Acts of Parliament printed at Edinborough by Robert Walgrave in the yeer 1597. The Acts of the second Parliament of King Charles printed at Edinborough by Robert Young 1641. The Acts of the generall Assembly at Edinborough 1632. printed at Edinborough by Evan Tyler 1642. One of the Registers of the Church of Scotland Manuscript A collection out of the Registers of the Church of Scotland by Mr. David Catherwood wherein beside other things are Mr. Andrew Melvils processe the Animadversions of the Commissioners of the generall Assembly upon Adamsons Declaration delivered to the King Also a Reverend Divines censure at that time upon the same Declaration Also King James his true Declaration Knox History Altare Damascenum Adamsons Recantation Mr. Welsh his Letters The Ecclesiastick History of Scotland written by John Spotswood pretended Archbishop of St. Andrewes licensed for the Presse under the hands of Secretary Stirling and Windebank Issachars Burden under the name of an Answer to a Letter c. Also Sacrâ— Sancta Regum Majestas both printed at Oxford 1644. by Mr. John Max well pretended Bishop of Rosse THE UNLOADING OF ISSACHARS BURTHEN WHen from divers good hands it was brought to me Issâ—chars burthen will stuâ—ble no solide and advised minde that Presbyteriall Government began to be evil spoken of by many to be suspected by some who hitherto had not been unfriends to it through the occasion of a late Pamphlet Intituled Issachars burthen which some Sectaries with all care and diligence doe put in the hands of the prime Members of both Houses of Parliament and others whom they conceive to have any influence in the affaires either of Church or State either of City or Countrey The word of the old Philosopher came in my mind a short sighted man is a quick judge who sees few things does soone and rashly give out his sentence That this namelesse Pamphlet printed by a Malignant at Oxford and reprinted by the industry of Sectaries at London should be able to open the mouth or touch the heart of any considerate man with the least suspition against the Government of the Reformed Churches seemes to me a little strange and will doe so as I suppose to others who shall be pleased to consider with me some circumstances of that writ first the Author secondly those whom he professes to taxe thirdly its Publishers fourthly the matters contained therein The Author of it is a man infamous an Excommunicate Prelate and inâ—endiagy The Author as uncontroverted fame since its first publication at Oxford makes manifest is Mr Iohn Maxwell late Bishop of Rosse from whose gracious pen a little after this did drop another piece of the like benigne quality Sacro-Sancta-Regum majestas they must be of a greater then ordinary credulity who can admit this mans testimony-against the Church of Scotland for by the most solemn judicatories of that Land he is declared infamous by the generall Assembly for many grievous offences he with some other Prelates were delivered into the hands of Satan but for more treasonable crimes this man by the Parliament of that Kingdome was declared an incendiary a Censure put upon no other Prelate but him alone These no more heavie then just sentences were so farre from bringing him to any shew of repentance A man obstinate and obdured in wickednesse that they filled his heart with bitternesse and rage to doe speak and write what ever masice hightned to the uttermost could dictate In that most scurrilous and invenomed Satyre Lysimachus Nicanor his pen was thought to be principall for this he got a warning from heaven so distinct and loud as any uses to be given upon earth to reclaime him from his former errours with his eyes did he see the miserable man Iohn Corbet who took upon him the shame of penning that rable of contumelious lies against his Mother Church hewed in pieces in the very armes of his poore wife this Prelate himselfe in the meane time was striken down and left with many wounds as dead by the hand of the Irish with whom he had been but too familiar All this did not humble his stout spirit so dangerous is it to be put in the hands of the Devill by the servants of God according to their Masters warrant for no sooner did he recover of his wounds but he went for Oxford of purpose to cast â—oyl in that flame in the first kindling whereof he had beene a prime instrument How little faith ought to be given to this man I might shew by seven years old Stories A man very corrupt in doctrine it s well known that he above all men living did move and encourage Canterbury to force upon Scotland the Liturgy and Canons what ever Popery or Tiranny is found in either he was a prime Author and full consenter thereto the erroneous Tenents of the Canterburian party especially their grosse Popery in the heads of Transubstantiation Iustification and Purgatory were according to his minde as the supplement of Ladensium Autocatacrisis demonstrates how neare he and his two most intimate friends Forbes and Synserfe were to the open profession of Popery does appeare by the avowed defection to Rome of their chiefe Scholars and most familiar dependents Forbes his Sonne Synserfe his brother Menteith the great Achates of all the three Bishops But leaving these elder stories The most malicious enemy to the Parliament of England that ever yet has written behold what new stuffe he layes out in his two Pamphlets in matters of State these are his maximes all resistance to Kings in any imaginable case of the most extreame Tyranny is simply unlawfull though the Religion Lawes Liberties of whole Kingdomes were totally subverted Let Princes doe what ever miseniese can come in the heart of the worst men subjects are to suffer all and have no right allowed by God to make any opposition farther then by teares and prayers (a) Sacro-Sanct p. 19. All opposition by force resisting of Kings by Armes whether in a defensive or offensive way is against God and unlawfull ibid. p. 66. They commit the highest Treasons against God man
evills with so great unkindnesse they were loadned with so many calumnious and contumelious aspersions the Reformation of Religion their greatest aime went so farre back before their eyes that their provocations were great to provide at last for themselves while something yet at home did remain to them to be preserved But beholding visibly in their retreat and provision for themselves the certain ruine of their unadvised friends they chused rather to put up with patience all their sufferings and quietly to wait on till the ruine of the Enemy and setling of their brethrens estate by their help might open the eyes of all and bring the most perverse to Repentance for their misbehaviour towards the instruments of their welfare especially when they did see the invincible fidelity of the Scots unbrangled with the greatest temptations Though in all their late unexpressible extremities they had received no assistance at all from England nor much importuned them for it though to their greatest griefe they did see the Gangren of Heresie and Schisme without the application of any true remedy overspreading all England so fast that the infection of Scotland with this Pestilence seemed unavoidable though the current of affaires did seem to run in that channell that the person and family of the King the authority of the Parliament the Liberties of the City and Kingdome might be cast ere long into no mall hazard our Army also and Nation for no other cause but their constant resolutions to keep to their first principles did seem to stand in a very neer possibility to be to ally destroyed yet for all this they were farre from any rash or unjust conclusion their eyes were towards the Lord they did wait for his deliverance and when by him an opportunity was put in their hands to right themselves with the disadvantage of others yet they did mannage that occasion with so much justice wisedome dexterity and successe that all the world they hope is satisfied with their honesty as of men who minded nothing more then the saving of the whole Isle from these calamities that visibly were imminent the re-establishing of the King in his throne the confirming of the Parliament City and Country in all their rights the setling of Religion and peace according to the word of God and the Lawes of the Land and their owne quick returne to their homes in very easie and equitable termes enriched with nothing so much a with a conscience of well deserving with the blessings of all England with the commendation of Neighbour nations and with the hopes of the Posterities favourable construction of their whole deportment in this great action That such a people as this should be traduced and defamed by contumelious Libels in England and that at London with the contentment or patience of any it would seeme a matter very strange if the most absurd and strange things were not here long agoe become common The third circumstance considerable The Independents and Erastians in printing and publishing this book are many waies faulty is the instruments and present publishers of this writâ— That a Bishop at Oxford should have been countenanced in writing a Satyre against the Scots whom all the Malignants did hare as the chiefe and first Authors of the miscarriage of their great designe we doe not marvaile but that at London our sworn and covenanted Brethren should be avowed proclaimers of Scotlands disgrace it is a peece of singular and unexpected unkindnesse Our Brethren whether Independents or Erastians or both who have procured this Edition and with so much sedulity make it passe from hand to hand though they had been pleased to cast behind their backs all the good offices which this last century of yeares have past betwixt the Kingdomes though they had banished all gratitude towards the Scots for their late actions and sufferings though their conscience had permitted them to have trod under foot all the Oaths and Covenants whereby they stand expresly tyed to defend the Reformation of the Church of Scotland against the common Enemy Yet I would know of them how they are become thus unadvised to let their indignation against the Scottish Presbytery swell up so high as for their hatred thereunto to venture the destruction of the Parliament of England to declare all the Members of both Houses at Westminster damnable Traitors because dying in the act of Rebellion without Repentance but all who have perished on the Malignant side to be a kinde of Martyrs as being unjustly killed for their duty to God and the King to bring back Bishops to the house of Lords to put into their hands alone and that by Divine Right all the Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction of the whole Church of England And if they were resolute in their hatred of Presbytery thus far to miscarry I would further know if either the Erastians or Independents have any principles for the reduction of Poperty for the re-erection in England of Abbots Cardinals and Popes And if men against their owne principles must needs run thus mad yet that they should be permitted to act according to their madnes in the day-light under the eye and nose of so wise just and prudent a Parliament it is and will be long hereafter a matter of very great admiration especially to them who at the same time did behold some other writs for much smaller reflections purged with the hand of the Hangman by fire in many publique places and their publishers how well deserving soever otherwise both of Church and State stigmatized with notes of high infamy These three considerations are but proemicall the fourth concerning the particular matter of the Treatise is the principall If I should examine every thing it would be tedious yet shall I touch upon every passage that I conceive to be materiall This second Edition has a new Title Page The title Issachars burthen is a doltish reproach of this present Paliament and some additions in the Preface In the very inscription Issachars burthen there is a salt Gybe at the present Government that which the Proverbe wont to appropriate to the Peasants of France that they were strong Asses willing to beare all Burthens so they might live in peace in that fat soyle by this good Patriot is contumeliously applyed to England it now is the Asse crouching under two burthens if Presbyterie be the one the Parliament must be the other these be the two unsupportable burthens pointed at along all the Authors Writs the two light burthens which he every where cryes up are Monarchy scrued up to the highest pinne of Tyrannicall Prerogative and Episcopacy in all its Papall Priviledges both well fastned upon the Asses back by the cords of a Divine Right who ever for the love of peace in a plentifull Land will set their shoulders under this double burthen are Issachars Asses indeed but truly the Scots have not merited this commendation for their Land is not among the most plentifull nor have their
best Governour that any King of Scotland did ever injoy this man did Huntly kill without any cause at all but his owne meere envy and malice for these crimes he was againe excommunicate the Earle of Argile at the Kings intreaty and direction persued him with an Army of ten thousand men many hundreds of these good subjects were killed by that Rebell when after Argiles deseat the King himselfe with his prime Nobles went out against him he with displayed banner went to the fields against the King all this Spotswood reports at length Let any conscientious man here be judge King Iames for his owne respects requires a conscientious Minister to consent and concurre with him to obtain from the next ensuing Assembly the absolution of such a man from the censure of Excommunication for this was the main question the honest Minister could not be perswaded to consent unto the relaxation of such a bloody obstinate Apostate confessed by all to be still imponitent from the censures either of Church or State As for the inconveniences his Majesty did alledge the dangers from the Papists of England if Huntly and the Popish party in Scotland were too much irritate was it any great crime for Mr. Bruce to differ in this from his Majesty and to tell him plainly that which was the opinion of all the good Ministers of Scotland though the ground of the Kings quarrell with them That it would prove his best policy to make fast with the Protestant party of England and over-sea renouncing all correspondency either with Papists or Prelates that if he walked upon this ground God and his right would carry him through all both seen and imagined difficulties The world long agoe is satisfied with the wisedome of this advice for it was quickly found that too much connivence and compliance with Papists did bring that Prince upon the very brinke of ruine for the Popish party of England finding themselves disappointed of their great hopes did run to the desperate attempts of the Powder-plot and other Treasons Also the keeping up of the Bishops was a great cause of all the mischiefes which since that time to this day have fallen either upon our Church or State It is true the words you ascribe to Mr. Bruce are very unmannerly but who will beleeve that ever any such phrases proceeded from the mouth of so grave and wise a man your only Author is Spotswood His testimony in this case ought not to be trusted but if you will looke to the matter of Mr. Bruce his counsell I subject it to the touchstone of the severest censurers Upon the fourth head of Generall Assemblies Page 18 19 20 21. The reason of the Authors malice against the generall Assembly you spew out the whole remnant of your gall the wrath of a child does kindle against the whip that scourges him I will not remember you of the dogs snarling at the stone that hath hit him The Generall Assembly for just causes did chastise you with their sharpest rod of Excommunication they did deliver you into the hands of the Father of lyes and Blasphemies if there were no more then what here you write it is a demonstration that the sentence of that Reverend Assembly against you is ratified in heaven and that God in his justice according to the word of his faithfull servant hath delivered your obstinate soule to be acted by that evill spirit who else could move you to blaspheme the crowne of Christ and the holy One of Israel by name and to make the holy Scriptures the ordinary channell through which your profane girds at the Generall Assembly must run What you bring the most of it is so impertinent and so remote from all relation to any Assembly and set downe in such confusion that the very effects though the cause were not knowne may evidence the distraction of your Spirit I shall handle the fieryest of your darts as they come from your furious hands You make us to ascribe to our General Assembly False and rayling slanders against the generall Assembly a jurisdiction universall and infallible you will have it to meddle with all affaires both Spirituall and Temporall you would make the world beleeve that all disobedience thereto is censured with excommunication and that it commands the King to punish iâ— estate body and life all who disobey otherwise that it causes the King himselfe to be dethroned and killed this often you repeat moreover you call this Assembly an untamed furious Beast you advise the King much rather to submit himself to the Pope then to be in the reverence therof what spirit makes you break out into such discourses your selfe will see if ever God give you repentance however it is evident that lyes and malice do here strive which shall predominate The Generall Assembly in Scotland hath no more power then what the Parliaments since the first Reformation have heartily allowed unto them they meddle with no temporall case at all It exercises no power but what the King and the Laws authorize and all the spirituall cases which to this day they have touched may be reduced to a few heads That every disobedience brings with it Excommunication is a wide slander we doe not excommunicate but for a grievous transgression joyned with extraordinary obstinacy This censure is so rare with us that a man may live long and before his death never be witnesse to it What civil punishment the State in their wisedome findes meet to impose on a person who contemnes the Ordinances of God let themselves be answerable But that the Assembly medles with any mans life or goods is like the rest of your Assertions and yet no more false then the other lye you have here That ever any Assembly of the reformed Churches upon the highest provocations did take it so much as in debate to excommunicate much lesse to dethrone any King its most false but the Spirit that leads you must be permitted to breath out his naturall aire and to lye according to his very ancient custome You object it once and againe that the Commissioners of Burroughs and Universities are received as Members in our generall Assemblies behold the greatnesse of this crime The Commissioners of Burroughs and Vniversities are all Elders out of every Classicall Presbytery we allow one ruling Elder to goe as Commissioner to that Nationall meeting and if there be a royall Burgh within the bounds we allow two and three if there be an University What would you say to the Parliament of England who appoints foure ruling Elders out of every Classis to accompany two Ministers to the Assembly though there be neither Burrough not University in the bounds of this we are carefull that whoever comes either from Cities or Universities be not only ruling Elders but also have an expresse approbation from the Eldership What you speak of the Kings presence in our Assemblies We ascribe to the King so much power
in the Assemblies as the Lawes allow albeit not such a Tyranny as Prelats would flatter him into it is true it was ever our wish and oft our happinesse to have the King or his Commissioner amongst us at these meetings we never did dispute their capacity no more was craved then the place of a civil President and this no man did ever deny either to him or them nor a power to propound what ever they thought expedient but some of your flattering Prelates doe ascribe to the Prince a power which neither we nor our Laws may owne You give him a power to call so many as he will without all Commission from any Church to voice in all Assemblies and by the multitude of their voices to carry all You give him also a power to hinder the Assembly to debate any matter which he mislikes were it never so necessary for the very being of the Church You give him a Negative Vote to stop any conclusion were it never so consonant to the Word of God yea an affirmative Vote to carry all things in the Assembly absolutely according to his owne minde The Assembly being but his Arbitrary Court in things spirituall by whose advice the Prince who is the supream judge in all causes does determine as he findes it expedient sometimes according sometimes contrary to their judgement Such a power no ordinary either Erastian or Prelate will willingly grant to any Prince upon earth but this was one of the late Canterburian extravagancies wherein your singular zeale did much help you to your Bishoprick What you adde of our pressing the King to execute all our Acts under the paine of Excommunication we have oft told you it is a great untruth for all Scotland knowes that the furthest we went ever with any Prince in our Assembly Acts was humbly to supplicate for their civill Sanction iâ— we obtain it we blesse God and them if we cannot by any prayers perswade we sit down in grief and wait patiently upon their good pleasure Our taking in of all things temporall upon some spirituall relation The Assembly alters no Laws but only supplicates the King and Parliament to alter such â—aws as confirm evident errors and forcing the King to change his Laws though never so prejudiciall to the State your report in this will be beleeved when you have gotten grace to forsake in some measure the Spirit that now leads you The matter here you aime at but keeps it in the clouds is the proceeding of the Assembly at Glasgow against your offices and persons According to the Lawes of Popiâ—â— times The Bishops were Lords of Parliament of Councell of Exchequer of Session The Assembly did finde all this contrary to the Word of God and therefore did discharge under the paine of the censures of the Church any Minister of the Word to take upon him these civill imployments I hope the hindering of persons meerly Ecclesiastick to drowne themselves in a sea of temporall affaires is not to take cognisance of all things temporall in ordine ad spiritualia The Assembly did supplicate the King and Parliament for the abolition of the Popish and corrupt Lawes which did countenance the ambition of the Clergy the Parliament finding the Assemblies supplication just joyned with them to deale with the King to passe it his Majesty for a time misled by the flattery of Prelates refused but at last seeing the earnestnesse and cleer equity of the Assembly and Parliament their desires he was perswaded to consent to these Acts wherein all Churchmen are forbidden to take upon them civill places This is it that you call the forcing of the King and Parliament to change the Laws for the great trouble of the State this is all the Assemblies tyranizing over the King and Parliament a meer supplication to alter Popish and corrupt Lawes which both the King and the State after a little debate did finde necessary to be done To the absurdities which you call monstrously grosse Your oftrepeated quarrell against ruling Eâ—ders is absurd p. 21.22 we have spoken already you are impatient that any ruling Elder that any Commissioner from Burroughs or Vniversities should voice in Church Assemblies your expresse reason is because concilium est Episcoporum see the mans absurdity no Minister more then a ruling Elder must voice at any Assembly the decisive voice there belongs only to Bishops yet any Lay men vested with the Bishops commission may very lawfully exercise all Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction over the whole Clergy of the Diocesse neither is there any Gentleman of the Shire not any Burgesse of the City nor any Student in the Vniversity to whom a Prelate can purchase a Letter from the King but he may sit and voice decisively in all spirituall causes as a constituent Member of the Generall Assembly as well as the Bishop himself this is the doctrine and was the practise of our Prelates in Scotland You are angry p. 22. Page 22 23 24 25 26. The Assembly and Parliament with us use not to differ that the acts of our Assemblies should get so ready obedience but the matters themselves are so clear that none uses to refuse them and it is the Law of the kingdome that the Assemblies determination in matters proper to its cognisance should be obeyed if any thing new be acted which requires a civill sanction the Commissioners of the Assembly supplicate the next ensuing Parliament for their ratification which for common is easily obtained the cleer equity of the matter purchases a ready grant If there happen to be cause why the Parliament should not be satisfied the Aslembly by their reasons is perswaded to be of the Parliaments minde no such unanimous Courts in the Universe as the Parliament and Generall Assembly of Scotland they never had any difference but what bad Courtiers and Prelates procured for their owne interests put these pests of the Church and State to a corner the King Parliament and Assembly shall never differ but alwayes concurre for the strengthening and comforting one another From your 22. page to 31. Your invectives against our first Reformation are wicked you heap together what ever extream malice can invent to bring disgrace upon the first and cheife resormers of Religion from Popery you openly avow your dislike of the first Reformation in Scotland you are not ashamed to proclaim all the Reformation both of Scotland France Holland and Germany and wheresoever the work was not done by the hand of the Soveraign Prince to have been Sedition and Rebellion The first thing you undertake to prove is That we give our Assemblies power to depose and kill Kings The Vindication of Iohn Knoâ— and the first Reformers of Scotland from base calumnies for this you alledge Martin mar Prelate whoyet says no such thing and though hedid what is that to us then you cite a number of passages out of Iohn Knox his writings but is it just that John Knox Assertions long
of Morton sundry Gentlemen of good quality most innocent were hanged many of the prime Noblemen Gentlemen and Ministers were forced to flee for their lives out of the Kingdome till all of them joyning together did ride in Armes to Stirling and by violence though without hurt to any mans person did the second time remove those Courtiers and for ever after kept them from the King to the full quieting both of Church and State This Rode of Stirling was much more cried out upon by the wicked Prelates and Courtiers then the former of Ruthven yet was it approved for good service to the King and State not only as the former by the privie Counseâ—l and convention of States but also by the ensuing Parliament and so it remaines unquarrelled unto this day Your third complaint is P. 45. The Assembly repeales no lawes but supplicates the Parliament to recall their ratifications of Ecclesiasticall corruptions that the generall Assemblies doe alter what the Law has established all your examples hereof are The Votes of the late generall Assembly at Glasgow condemning the civill places of Church-men pronouncing the very office it selfe of Bishops to be unlawfull in the Church and crying downe the high Commission Court Here you fall upon the Parliament of England as fooles and Traitours for letting themselves bee perswaded by the Scots to swallow downe their wicked Covenant To all this our Apologie is briefe what ever power our generall Assembly possesses is all well allowed by the King and Parliament The acts of that Assembly you complaine of are all ratified by the State the order of our proceeding is appointed by Law all matters Spirituall and Ecclesiastick are first determined by the generall Assembly if the nature of the things require a civill Sanction the Votes of the Assembly are transmitted to the Parliament if a Generall Assembly have voted an Errour or any thing that 's wrong and that corruption hath been ratified by an Act of Parliament a Posterior generall Assembly recognosces the matter and finding an errour in Religion notwithstanding of the prior votes both of the Assembly and Parliament does condemne it and appoints Commissioners to represent the reasons of their vote to the next Parliament with an humble supplication to annull these Acts and Laws which did confirme the condemned corruption This has been the method of proceeding in Scotland since the first erection of a generall Assembly in this way were all the Errours of Popery first condemned in the Assembly before the Parliament did recall their old Lawes whiâ—â—â—â—nfirmed them The forme of this proceeding established by the Parliament it selfe does not import any subordination either of the lawes or the Parliament to the Assembly P. 46. It meddles with no civill Courts At this place p. 46. you bring us another story whereupon you make tragick out-cryes of the Assemblies insolent usurpations it seems you thought that this your book should never have come from Oxford into the hands of any Scottish man who knew the Custome of the Judicatories of Scotland I doe marvell much at your impudence that you should speake of the Assemblies incroaching upon the Lords of Session or medling with any Civill cause which the Law commits to any temporall Judicatory there is no better harmony in the world then alwayes has been in Scotland between the civill and Ecclesiasticall Judicatories no interfeiring was ever among them but what the Bishops made You indeed in your high Commission did take causes both civill and Ecclesiasticall to your Cognisance from all the Courts of the Kingdome and did at your pleasure without and contrary to all known Lawes finally determine them without any appeale but to the King by whom you were sure ever to be best beâ—eeved For the story in hand The case of Mr. John Graham I am content Spotswood be Judge as he relates it the matter was thus Mr. Iohn Graham one of the Lords of Session or Judges of the Common Pleas a very false and dishonest man intended an action against some poore men to put them from their Lands for to effectuate his purpose he seduced a publique Notary dwelling at Stirling and perswaded him to subscribe a false Writte upon the which the poore men by a decree of the Lords of Session were removed from their possessions The oppressed soules cryd out of their injurie and intended action against the Notary for his false Writ they got him arrested and imprisoned The Minister of the bounds Mr. Patrick Simpson whom King James and all Scotland knew to be a most learned zealous and pious Pastor as was in the whole Isle dealt with the Prisoner to confesse the truth after some conference he confessed all and declared how Mr. John Graham had sent his Brother to him with a false Writte which hee did subscribe an assize was called the poore Notary upon his own cousession was condemned and hanged Mr. John Graham as covetous and false so a most proud man would not rest satisfied but presently summoned Master Patrick Simpson to appeare before the Lords of Session as a seducer of the honest Notary to lye against his owne life Mr. Patrick was ready to cleare his own innocencie whereof all were well perswaded but shamefully wronged by an impudent man in his good name he caused cite him before the Assembly as a slanderer of a Minister in the work of his calling the Lords of Session not content that any of their number should be called before the Assembly for any action depending in their Court did send som of their number to the Assembly for to debate the whole matter The Assembly told them that they would not meddle with any thing that was civill nor which belonged to their Court that they intended to take no notice of their decrees at Mr. John Grahams instance to cast the poore 〈◊〉 out of their Land whether it was right or wrong nor the notaries Instrument wherefore he was hanged whether it was true or false They told them also that whatsoever they had to say to Mr. Patrick Simpson hee was to answer them as they should thinke fit in due time and place the Assemblies question was alone about the slander of one of their Members whom Mr. Iohn Graham did openly challenge as a Seducer of a Notary to beare false witnesse They had cited Mr. John Graham before them to make this good that so they might censure Mr. Patrick Simpson as a man unworthy of the Ministry or if Mr. John Graham's challenge was found a meere calumny that he might bee brought to repentance for it in acknowledging of his wrong Let any equitable man judge how insolent the Assemblies proceeding in this action was for a time there was some controversie about this matter betwixt the Assembly and the Session but at last all was amicably composed and God decided the question with the violent death and publick disgrace of Mr. Iohn Graham What ye subjoyne of King Iames trouble to the
change the Sabbath day of Luthers conference with the Devill When you have over-wearied both your selfe and us P. 53.54 A Declaration upon all the 12. Articles imputed to us you will yet adde as a mantissa and appendix two other points first you set down the twelve Articles of our Creed Since you are so good at the confessing of your Neighbours I would gladly know what your own faith may be what you ascribe here to us ye doe it without any ground either of reason or Authoritie your simple assertions must be the very Articles of your Creed Some yeares agoe we did see a book called Ladonsium Autocatacrisis wherein by formall and expresse testimonies not the articles of your faith for you are an avowed paucifidian but such opinions as you and your companions did preach and print are set down at large Wherein it was demonstrate that you and your bosome friends in Aberdeen and Edinburgh did hold grosser Arminianisme Popery and Tiranny then the worst of the Canterburians in England also in the beginning of this Treatise we did see under your owne hand such a confession of your faith as few of the most malignant of your party will have the impudence to subscribe it with you But be your faith what it may for it is like that times and occasions may make you hide or open yea vary and change as you find it most convenient for your purpose I am content freely to tell you my mind in all these Articles as you stile them of our Creed I never heard of the first but in your Pamphlet no Presbiterian ever dreamed of any necessity to change the government of the State that it might be conforme to the Church but many Episcopall and all Erastians doe hold the government of the Church to bee a matter of so indifferent arbitrary and changeable a nature that it may well comply and ought to be conformed to the model of every State wherein it requires to be entertained The true tenet of all approved among us so farre as I know is that the government of the Church and State are two really distinct policies both ordained of God which without his displeasure may not bee confounded nor ought not to encroach one upon another That the wrath of God will be on that Church and on these Church-men who for any advantage they apprehend can come either to the Church or to themselves will go to trouble or change any civil State be it Monarchy Aristocracie Democracy or what ever els which by the just lawes of any people is setled in a Land on the other side that God will be angry with every State and all those Statesmen who for the advancement of their owne or the States interest will goe to impede trouble or change that government of the Church which Christ in his Testament has left to his servants unto his second comming For the second we doe maintaine a parity among Ministers courting it an Antichristian ambition for any one to make himselfe Lord Bishop over the rest but this is farre from any Democracy for wee put all the Ministers of a Kingdome under the jurisdiction of a Nationall Assembly the rules whereof use to be so just and exact that where they are reverenced there is no danger of any popular confusion much lesse then where Episcopall either Tiranny or Obligarchy does prevaile For the third to our Consistories we give no Independent power these with us are all subordinate to Classicall Presbiteries and to our Nationall Assemblies wee give no power to meddle with any temporall things at all nor any Legislative power about things spirituall When they have past their Votes upon a matter spirituall according to the rules of the word of God If any Law or civill Sanction bee needfull they supplicate the Magistrate whom they never presume to command to be an executioner of their Decrees these be but your calumnies only they intreat him to make such Laws as hee finds the equity of the matter in his own conscience to require You indeed professe an inthronization of Bishops and give to them not only a directive power over the King but an authoritative to excommunicate him and if he to save his Crowne will be content that his Parliaments doe with your Thrones and Myters what they thinke expedient you print to the world that this shall bring a remedilesse and perpetuall ruine both on the King and his people themselves and their posterities For the fourth the Lawes of Scotland allow to the Generall Assembly a power to Judge of all divine truths and heresies so that if they find popish Episcopall or what ever Errours established by Acts of Parliament yet they are authorized to proceed to give their sentence from the word of God not of the Law but of the Errour to which Church-men in their ignorance have procured a Sanction as for the Law the Parliament when they sit take it into their owne consideration never any Assembly of the reformed Church dealt either with Prince or Parliament for the reclaiming of a Law otherwise then by humble supplication What you speake of a corrective power the Church of Scotland did ever disclaime it all compulsion by outward inconvenients they remitted ever to the State As for the censures of the Church no faction ever has been more prodigall of them both in doctrine and practise then you and your gracious Brethren the Prelats For the fifth we exeem no Minister who preaches Treason from the cognisance and punishment of the Magistrate only by the Laws of our Kingdome the judgement of Ministers doctrine in the first instance belongs to the Ecclesiastich Judicatory For the sixth we pretend no power to make the Magistrate adde the civill Sanction to any of our Assemblies Decrees further then his own conscience the Justice of the thing the former Laws of the Land the humble and earnest desire of the Subjects does plead for but you before your Tippets and Rotchets be laid aside will permit three Kingdomes to be consumed with fire and sword without any remedy unlesse your thrones may bee re-established King and people must be destroyed for ever And this you tell us must be and shall be but in many things wee have found you false prophets and feare not your causelesse curses For the seventh we maintain no power of the Church to reforme and preserve Religion but such as does well consist with that duty which God has laid upon the Magistrate both for the reformation of Religion and preservation of it when it is reformed For the eight wee maintaine that the sins of the Magistrate does not excuse the people for their neglect of any duty that God has laid upon them and when Superiours are resolved to live and dye in Idolatrie we thinke that every inferiour Magistrate and every person is obliged to keepe himselfe free of corruption and so farre as he is able to reforme his owne soule but not to be a publick
reformer of a Country without a lawfull calling For the ninth all the Covenants of our Land are warranted by Acts of Parliament and how ever by the misinformation of Prelats the King for a time judged them illegall yet at last he found them just and necessary according to the Laws and Customes of the Kingdome wee indeed doe maintaine when a handfull of wicked Prelats doe seduce a Prince to destroy himselfe and whole Kingdomes that in that case it is lawfull for the Nobles and States of a Land to stand upon their guard and wee cannot subscribe to these prime fundamentall Articles of your faith That the Supremacie of Britaine is so farre exalted above all Law divine and humane that the Parliaments of both Kingdomes for their most necessary defensive Armes are to be condemned by God and all men for Traitors and Rebels yet your good friends the Idolatrous murtherers of Ireland must be registred to posterity for good Catholick subjects No marvell you beleeve all this when you professe your advice to all Princes rather to admit of the worst whordomes of Rome the very Jesuitisme of Raviliack and Faux then of the Presbiteriall government Behold whither despite may carry the spirit of an excommunicate Prelate For the tenth our Assemblies meddle not with questions of State if the originall of royalty be so from heaven that men on earth had never any hand in making of a King if in any immaginable case a King be censurable such questions were never proposed so much as for debate in any Assembly of Scotland unhappy Bishops who must needs prophane the Crowns of Kings by making their Soveraignty and mysterious Prerogatives their ordinary quodlibets to be tossed as Tennis balls in their common discourse Sermons and Pamphets It was a very unhappy day for the Kings of Britaine when the feet of Prelats got first leave to touch the threshold of the Court and their evill eyes to behold the Jewels of the Crown or their soule hands to touch the hemme of the royall Robes such infaust harppies polute all things though most sacred to which they approach For the eleventh though it never came to be scanned in any Assembly yet I know no honest man of Scotland that makes question of the thing The King and Parliament has inacted the lawfulnesse of our late defensive Armes but the Acts of that Parliament are not much to your mind for they cast you out of your native Country as a prime incendiary unfit to breath more in that Aire The twelfth is but to make up the number being the same with the former The conclusion of your Articles is but a malicious railing invective very sutable to your mouth it 's contrary to reason and experience as oft wee have said before but you cannot spare Tauttologies The second part of your Appendix is your Postscript P. 55.56 No shadow of Episcopacie remaines in any well reformed Church wherein you make a large muster of your Episcopall Territories and tell us that the major part of the reformed Churches in Christendome doe retaine Episcopacie also that the removall thereof from England is the fountaine of all our present Sects you may know that all our Heresies and Sects did breed under the wings of Episcopacie the reason why now they appeare so thick in publick is not the removall of Episcopacie but the retarding of Presbiteriall government and the plague of our too too long annarchie That your Episcopacie is to be found in any reformed Church is a great untruth we grant it is to be seen in your Easterne and Westerne Churches the first of your Catalogue but you would speake a little more plainly that people may understand your mind what Westerne Church is this that you propone unto us for a patterne of Episcopacy is it any other then the good old Mother Church of Rome which many of you cry up for so true a Church that all Protestants are Shismaticks for their needlesse separation-there-from and that among Princes those are most happy who shall heale that breach and once againe make us all to be one under our holy Father the Pope the first Bishop of Christendome whom all the Bishops in Britaine and in the whole world ought by a good Ecclesiastick right to reverence as the first Patriarch the constant moderator of all Oecumenick Counsells Your Easterne Churches are those of Greece and Asia whose corruptions albeit not like to these of Rome yet are so many and grosse as none but such as you will propone them for patternes of imitation In the rest of youâ— Catalogue you are pleased to play the Herauld and Cosmographer of purpose to terrifie simple people by the many names of your large territories You know the world scornes the Rodomontades of Spain their King must not be stiled as his neighbours of France and great Britaine but he will be called the King of Castile the King of Arragon the King of Portugall the King of Leon and a large caetera of many Kingdomes yet all in Spaine Might you not have said that Episcopacie was continued in all the Lutheran Churches of Germany which will not make the third part of that Country deducing the Calvinists and Papists In your great vanity you reckon up the Earldome of Henneberg Lenning and these that follow to the number of Thirteene as if they were all great and considerable Provinces and yet put them all together they will scarce make up one fifth part of some English shires But for the matter are the Lutheran Churches esteemed by any well advised Protestants the best reformed whereof our Covenant speaks It seems the worse Churches be reformed you like them the better for they are so much neerer to your best beloved in Rome but true Covenanters are not of your mind Further what you speake of the Lutheran Churches is altogether false That in Germany or any where else among Protestants any thing which you call Episcopacie is to be sound I marvell if you should beleeve it for I pray where-ever except in England did any Protestants spoile all Pastors of all power both of Ordination and Jurisdiction to put it in the hand of one Prelat to be exercised either by himselfe or by any depute Ecclesiastick or civill as he thought fittest The Dutch Superintendens are as like to English Bishops as an Emperour in the dayes of Fabius Maximus The Dutch Superintendents are very farre from the English Bishops when the Senate ruled all to an Emperour in the dayes of Tiberius or Nero when an absolute Prince I will not say a Tirant did governe all at his pleasure The name is one but the things are essentially different and so farre distant as the East is from the West While you cast your selfe upon the Smectymnians and will still raile upon our Covenant we desiderate your piety but while you appeale to Calvin and Beza for your Episcopacie we misse your Common sence All the Episcopacie which ever you had or
unlawfull correction follow after according to the Word of God no man in Scotland did ever assert such things but the Question was as Spotswood himselfe states it Whether the Counsell was a competent Judge to Malter Melvils doctrine in prima instantia these were the expresse tearmes e Spotswoods Story fol. 175. yeer 1583. l. 6. he affirmed that what was spoken in Pulpit ought first to be tryed by the Presbytery and that neither the King nor Counsell might in prima instantia meddle therewith Master Melvill did protest for the liberties of the Church ratified by law avowing that as civil actiōs could not be called from before the ordinary Judicato ies to the Counsell Table though the King by his Letters should command it so causes meerly Ecclesiasticall should not be brought from the Presbyteries and Synods at least in the first instance He did also protest that the liberties of the Vniversity should not be violate for it was a priviledge of old conferred and very lately confirmed both by King and Parliament that no member of the University should be called before any Judicatory to the time their cause was heard and discussed within the University it selfe f Second Book of Discipline p. 25. Although Kings and Princes that be godly sometimes by their owne authority when the Kirk is corrupted and all things out of order place Ministers and restore the true service of the Lord after the example of some godly Kings of Juda and divers godly Emperours and Kings also in the light of the new Testament yet where the Ministry c. whether these Protestations were treasonable and dissonant from the Lawes and constant practice of Scotland will appeare more anon so much of the narrative The Ordinance pretended to be made upon occasion of Master Melvils misbehaviour What Supremacy is Irwfull was the Act of the Kings Supremacy over all persons That none should decline his Highnesse Authority Where it is to be observed that the contrivers of this Declaration while they endeavour to shew the occasion and rise of that second Act from Master Meloil and other Ministers their stirring up of people to Rebellion against their native King and their refuling to acknowledge the Soveraigne judgement for a godly quietnesse and order in the Common-wealth to appertaine to his Highnesse care and solicitude And it being professed in the same Declaration concerning that Act that his Majesties intention was onely to represse that immunity priviledge and exemption invented by the Pope to exempt himselfe and his Clergie from all judgement of Princes Yea the Declaration expressy waveth th Question of the Kings Supremacy in judging of cause Ecclesiasticall as not belonging to that present condition of affaires the Question being neither concerning heresies interpretation of Scripture the lawfull and ordinary Ecclesiasticall Judgement for preserving and maintaining Church Discipline nor concerning the power of Synods but concerning some of the Ministry joyning themselves as is there pretended to Rebels and disquieting the State These things considered it will appeare that as this Declaration infinitely wrongeth these learned and godly Ministers who were far from any disloyall doctrines or popish tenents concerning the immunity of Ministers from all judgement of Princes in matters belonging to quietnesse and order in the Common-wealth so it doth not cleerly hold forth that which peradventure was intended and is endeavoured in point of the Magistrate his supremacy in Ecclesiasticis by some who were very solicitous to have this Declaration reprinted whose principles suffer them not to rest satisfied with that measure of power which in a reformed and well constructed Church doth by the Word of God and by the Doctrine of the ancient and reformed Churches belong to the civill Magistrate in reference to Religion and causes Ecclesiasticall wherein also their power is further enlarged in extraordinary cases when the ordinary wayes and meanes of reformation cannot be had Some hopes it seemes there were to find in this Declaration another kind of Supremacy which is now the idol of many mifinformed minds which is also hightned farre above the moderate interpretations which were given by Doctor Bilson and Doctor Vsher I meane such a supremacy The Erastian Supremacy is more then a Turkish tyranny as makes the Magistrate the head and fountaine of all Jurisdiction Civill and Ecclesiastick which makes all powers within His Dominions to be but rivolets and streames derived from his Ocean making all the members of all Courts Spirituall and Civill to be but Commissioners at pleasure of the Prince putting all Lawes under his arbitrement and the Legislative power in his brest alone changing Parliaments into his arbitrary Counsels for matters of State as generall Assemblies for matters of the Church putting it in his free will to lay aside for ever both Parliaments and Assemblies and to set up in their places what Courts they thinke expedient for all causes of all persons that they may if so it be their pleasure commit the finall decision of all Ecclesiastick causes to some few Church and Statesmen of their owne nomination under the title of a High Commission or to two or three either of the Church or State under the name of Delegats or to any one Gentleman alone under the name of a Vicar generall also they may devolve the last determination of all civill causes upon a few favourites whether of the long or short Robe under the stile of a Star Chamber or Counsell Table or Cabinet counsell or private Juncto If this be the supremacy which the reprinters of the Declaration aime at we grant that many Prelats and Courtiers have alwayes been of their mind but I assure them the Scots Divines did ever abhorre such slavish maximes such a supremacy has alwayes been the fundamentall Law in the grand Segniors Port at Constantinople it has been for many yeers the possessed Prerogative of the French and Spanish Monarchs also from their example it has been the aime and endeavour not onely of other Kings but almost of all Princes and Soveraigne States how pettie soever so much is a sovereigne despotick and uncontroleable Domination naturally beloved by all who are in any neernesse or hope to attaine it But it is a morsell that has stuck with so many in the swallowing and poysoned so many in the digestion though swallowed downe that few who are wise will adventure any more to taste of it notwithstanding if the appetite of the publishers of this Writ will not be satisfied with any thing lesse then such a Supremacy let them be pleased to consider First If either King or Parliament admit of it it wil overthrow both and the whole Nation with them that this kind of supremacy will fall upon a subject where their harts wil be loath it should lodg it wil be found rather a part of the royall Prerogative then any Priviledge of Parliament and although according to their good friends last warning to the City the Crowne were broken
in pieces and the whole royall Prerogative devolved upon the head of the Parliament yet the aforementioned supremacy is so high an injustice that no gracious member of either House would ever be perswaded to touch it though it were put in their fingers for beside the everting of all the Lawes whereupon Monarchy since the first foundation has stood it would so shake the groundstones of all the Lawes of the Kingdome as would hazard the overthrow no lesse of the Parliament then of the King and with them all the Judicatories and rights of the Land our unhappy Brovilons fit for nothing so much as to confound all things would be in a faire way to bring the whole Church and State to such a Chaos and hodge podge as no creature without Gods extraordinary assistance should ever againe be able to bring their confusions to any tolerable order Secondly The Supremacy here mentioned favours Episcopacy but not Erastianisme they should doe well to consider that whatever supremacy is aimed at in the Writ yet the Erastian designe will not be much helped thereby for it is expresly provided therein that the ordinary Ecclesiastick Judicatories shall cognosce all Ecclesiasticke causes g Printed Declaration p. 3. Neiis it his Majesties intention to take away the lawfull and ordinary judgment of the Church but rather to preserve encrease and maintaine the same and as there is in the Realme Justices Constables Sheriffes Provosts Bailiffes and other Judges in temporall matters so his Majesty alloweth that all things may be done in order and a godly order may be preserved in the whole Estate the Synodall Assemblies by the Bishops or Commissioners for the places vacand to be convened twice in the yeere to have the Ordering of matters belonging to the Ministry and their estate no word at all to import that any civil Commissioners may determine upon any affaires meerly Ecclesiasticall it is true that the ordinary Judicatories here named are put under the foule feet of the Prelats and this seems to have been the maine aime both of the Act and of its interpretation yet hereby the Erastian principles are nothing furthered for as by the Covenant and Laws of both Kingdomes the roots of Episcopacy are now pluked up so it s well knowne that neither Presbiterians nor Independents were ever more zealous for the establishing of Ecclesiastick jurisdiction by a divine right in the hand of Church Officers then the Episcopall party at least those of them who understood and minded their owne principles Thirdly King James against the Erastians if all this will not satisfie we desire those who hold out this passage as advantageous for the Ecclesiastick power of the Magistrate in prejudice of the Presbytery to know that when the Ministers did complaine to King James of this seeming prejudice he gave them his owne Declaration which he promised should be as authentick as that Act of Parliament hh Kings Declaration Now I say and declare which Declaration shall be as authentick as the Act it selfe that I for my part shall never neither my Posterity ought ever cite summon or apprehend any Pastor or Preacher for matters of Doctrine in Religion salvation beresies or true interpretation of the Scriptures but according to my first Act which confirmeth the liberty of Preaching the Word Ministration of the Sacraments I avow the same to be a matter meere Ecclesiasticall and altogether impertinent to my calling therefore never shall I nor never ought they I meane my Posterity to acclaime any power of jurisdiction of the foresaid which caused their griefe and much more authentick then Adamsons Interpretation of that Act assuring them that neither himselfe nor any of his successors should ever claime the Cognizance nor the power to determine in any cause meerly Ecclesiasticall ii Vide sapra hh avowing that Ecclesiastick Jurisdiction did belong onely to the Church officers which neither himselfe nor any of his heires should ever crave nor ever ought to crave as belonging to them King James revoked what here is published Finally we desire them to know if Princes promises and Declarations under their hands seeme not to them sufficient security that whatever in the present passage does appeare to spoile the Church Assemblies of a full and plenary Jurisdiction was all recalled and past from by King James the very next yeer for he did consent unto that transaction of Archbishop Adamsons whereby the Arch-prelate devests himselfe of all jurisdiction and submits himselfe to the authority of the Assembly renouncing all liberty of appeale to any other person or Judicatory in the earth kk Spotswoods History lib. 6. p. 184. yeer 1586. A transaction was made in this sort That the Bishop by his hand writing should labour to carry himselfe as a moderate Pastor ought labouring to be the Bishop described by Saint Paul submitting his life and Doctrine to the Judgement and censure of the generall Assembly without any reclamation provocation or appellation from the same in any time comming what should have moved the King to hearken to a mediation so prejudiciall both to his owne authority and the Episcopall jurisdiction cannot well be conjectured whatsoever the reason was the Bishop did set his hand to the things proposed by the Assembly But to stop all mouths which from Scotland would bring any colour of warrant King Charles also for an Erastian Supremacy in the last Parliament of Scotland which was ratified by King Charles with the hearty consent of his good Subjects of England the finall determination of all Ecclesiasticke Causes whatsoever is referred to the Nationall Assembly as to the onely proper and competent Judge ll Second Parliament of K. Charles Act 4. p. 6. 8. The Kings Majesty having graciously declared that it is his royall will and pleasure that all questions about Religion and matters Ecclesiasticall be determined by the Assemblies of the Church and that for preservation of Religion generall Assemblies rightly constitute as the proper and competent judge of all matters Ecclesiasticall hereafter be kept yeerly and oftner pro renata as also that Kirk Sessions Presbyteries and Synodall Assemblies be constitute and observed according to the order of this Kirk which Act the estates now convened by his Majesties indiction raâ—ifies approves and confirmes in all points and gives thereunto the strength of a Law and Act of Parliament whoever will call this Act of Parliament into question must be content to have the King and his Parliaments of both Kingdoms for their first and chiefe opposites The explanation of the next Act is also large and confused The sum of the next Paragraph it contains a discharge of all Church Assemblies and meetings not authorized by Law particularly it discharges the Nationall Assemblie and Classicall Presbytery upon the allegeance of some enormous practises of these two meetings Consider first the discharge and then its reasons Church-assemblies established in Scotland on a
Divine Right with the allowance of King James and K. Charles in divers Parliaments Concerning the discharge of Church meetings not authorized by Law the Commissioners did shew the King that Church meetings were necessary to be kept being mm Animadversions we offer Vs to prove by good Warrants of the Word of God that it is lawfull to the Ecclesiastiall Estate to Convocate Assemblies and to hold the same and to appoint and order place and time for convening of the same to troat upon such matters as concerne the Kirk affaires which no wayes impaireth your Majesties civill and royall jurisdiction but rather fortifieth and decoreth the fame cōmanded of God and being such means without which the Churches and societies of the Saints could not subsist in their necessary purity and order in the time of the greatest persecutions Christians did meet in their Assemblies both for worship and discipline though the imperiall Lawes did discharge such conventions In France and Poland where the Princes are enemies to Religion yet the Protestants are permitted to keep their Assemblies for Discipline greater and smaller of all sorts as they have occasion no lesse then their meetings for the Word and Sacraments His Majesty in his reply does not deny the Commissioners allegeance onely he required a intermission of the named meetings for a short time till the whole plat-forme of Church government according to the Word of God might be finished hereby nn The Kings Declaration My meaning and Declaration is that they shall cease while a setled Policie and Jurisdiction be established according to the Commission and line of Gods Word yeelding that he beleeved the Church ought to have its owne government according to the prescription of the holy Scripture to which he purposed to submit and agree as indeed he did the yeer following agreeing to that course which the Assembly at Saint Andrewes tooke with Bishop Adamson without all contradiction and ever thereafter permitting the Ministers without any interruption to enjoy all their Ecclesiastick meetings in peace yea some few yeeres after as oft I have said he did establish by Act of Parliament the whole plat-forme of government according to their mind which abode untouched till the evill advice of the English Prelats moved him to make some breaches in that wall which thanks be to God are now fully repaired King Charles in person having lately ratified in Parliament the meeting of all our Assemblies from the lowest to the highest so fully as our hearts could wish Beside the divine right of our Church meetings for Discipline the Commishoners did demonstrate to the King the good humane right thereof in Scotland producing to him an Act of his owne first Parliament for the nationall Assembly and finall determination of all Ecclesiasticall appeales therein oo Anamadversions concerning the generall Assembly of the Kirke there is an Act the first year of your highnesse reigne ratifying the authority thereof and decerning appellations to be devolved thereto as to the last judgement of matters concerning the Kirk his Majesty likewise could not but well remember that the whole modell of Presbyteries and their proceedings had been oft in debate before him and the Counsell Table also that some few yeeres before he had sent to the generall Assembly at Clasgow his expresse order for the erection of Presbyteries in all the Shires of the Kingdome pp The Acts of the generall Assembly Instructions to our trusty and welbeloved William Cunningham of Caprinton directed by us with the advice of the Lords of our secret Counsell to the generall Assembly conveend at Gasgow April 20. 1581. followes the List of 50. Presbiteries 12. Parishes or thereabouts making up one Presbitry whence the Church came to be in a very peaceable possession of all her Assemblies nationall provincial classicall and congregationall without any controlment onely in that houre of darknesse as generally then it was called there was a short eclipse but that did quickly passe over neither did any interruption of these Church meetings come thereupon However The reprinters of this Declaration seem to be contemners of Oaths Lawes and al rights divine and humane we cannot but observe the disposition of those who with so great care and zeale set out in this paper to the world for imitation the example of a Prince although in the hour of tentation out of the which he was immediately delivered for pulling down and discharging of Presbyteries and Assemblies when established by Law and quietly possessed by a cleere Right both divine and humane We trust the honourable Houses of Parliament are farre from their mind else we should have but small comfort though we should see the Ghurch government here setled both by Law and possession for it seems that the publishers of this Writ would have us to despaire of any security to keep whatever now may be gotten Oaths Covenants Lawes Possessions must be no stronger then bonds of flax and ropes of straw which the fire of these mens wrath when ever it comes upon them will easily burne and burst asunder but it is well that Princes and Parliaments are not capable to be miscarried by the private passions of so unconstant and perfidious persons The reasons of the Act doe follow for the putting downe of the Classicall Presbytery a great misbehaviour is alledged The Presbytery of Edinburgh took upon them to diswade the Feasting of the French Embassadour and did enter in Processe with the Magistrates who at the Kings desire contrary to their advice did keepe that Feast a long and odious story of that matter is here deduced and borrowed from hence both by Spotswood in his History and Maxwell in his Issachars burthen but the truth is this A full account of the French Banquet as I finde it extracted out of the Records of the Church of Scotland by a very reverend and faithfull hand That time was one of the most sad and dangerous seasons that this Isse hath seene it was but a little after the Massacres of France and a little before the Spanish Armada about the very instant when the Catholicke League was hatched for the rooting out of Protestant Religion and all Protestant Princes especially Queene Elizabeth At this time it was when two or three French Embassadours one after another came over from France to Scotland with Instructions from the chief contrivers of that unholy League qq Vide supra Also Spotswoods history lib. 6. fo 180. year 1585. then came that holy League as they called it to be discovered which the Pope the Spanish King with the Guises and others had made to extirpate reformed Religion the Queene of England understanding her selfe to be principally aymed at c. Also the Collection Monsieur de la Motfenellon and Maningvill were sent from the King of France to strengthen the Kings faction to procure Lenox his returne to withdraw the King from the Lords The Court was then very corrupt exceeding tyrannous
make poor people die Traytors to both ibid. p. 68. fancying to themselves that they fight the Lords battels for Religion Liberties they dream they die Martyrs when they die Traytors to God and his Anoynted ibid. p. 132. They set the simple people upon Rebellion against God and his Anoynted to the destruction of State soul and body temporally and eternally That the defensive war of the Parliaments of both Kingdomes is a most reall Rebellion and Treason that all who have dyed in that quared are certainly damned that the Covenant is a damnable Conspiracy that all Covenanters are Traytors and Rebels both to God and the King that their Covenant puts them upon the principles of Ravtitack and Faux to kill Kings and blow up Parliaments (b) Vide supra a. also ibid. 63. This Covenant maketh every man to be armed with power and the way left to himselfe for ought wee know it may be Raviliacks way or Guido Faux his way ibid p. 7. For as bad as the Iesuite is in my conceiving the Puritan is worse That the Armes of the Irish Rebels were no more unjust then these of the British who opposed them that the Irish Cessation was lawfull and commendable (c) Ibid. Preface to Ormond you were assaulted with two of the worst extreames of opinions enraged both of them with the same degrees of madnesse That the Marquesse of Ormond for piety and prudence has not his match upon earth (d) Ibid. You whose piety is admirable whose wisdom and prudence is above the ordinary and all your equals so experienced in matters of State that it is a wonder to them who know you and incredible to them who have not been eye witnesses That for military vertue he is equall to Scipio Hannibal and Caesar (e) Ibid. Your heroicall Acts are worthy of the greatest Caesar you gained so much as their valiant Hannibâ—s and Scipios That the Legislative power is in the King alone That his Monarchy makes him above all Lawes and lets him be tyed to none but gives him power to alter and abolish them at his pleasure (f) Sacro Sanct. p. 180. One of the Sectaries principles wherby they intoxicate the Vulgar is that in a Monarchy the Legislative power is communicable to the subject ibid. p. 94. At the admittance of Saul God giveth to the subject Legem parendi Soveraignity is an undivided entity how can you share it among more To diminish any thing of this Pretogative is to destroy Monarchy to dethrone the King and to take his Crowne from him (g) Ibid p. 141. You totally destroy Monarchy and must say down right our gracious Soveragne is no Monarch p. 142. An impotent King is the same with no King For Parliamâ—nâ—s to meddle with any part of this power is a sacriledge which God will revenge (h) Ibid. p. 144. The worst bargaine ever subject made was at any rate to purchase a possession of the sacred Rights of Kings till these Kingdomes be purged of sacriledge so highly committed against God by wronging his Anointed and he be restored to his sacred Rights we need look for no effectuall blessings of God When through weaknesse or imprudence a Prince is cheated or enforced to give away to his Parliament any part of his power himselfe or any of his posterity when ever occasion offereth may lawfully take it back notwithstanding of any promise oath or law made to the contrary (i) Ibid p. 142. I doubt not to affirme but if any good Prince or his Royall Ancestors have been or are cheated out of their sacred Right by fraud or force he may at the first opportunity when God in his wise providence offereth occasion resume it You see with what a Statesman we have to doe A favorer of â—rosse Popery â—nd Arminiaâ—isme for his Religion heare a part of it Episcopacy is a necessary and fundamentall truth of Divine Institution and Commandement (k) Issachar p. 1. In the Edition of Oxford Episcopacy is the true necessary and perpetuall Government of the Church institute by Christ wee deceive our selves to expect deliverance from our troubles if wee subordinate fundamentals in Religion necessary truths to our civill good All Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction belongs to the Bishops alone by Divine Right no Presbyter ought to bee a member so much as of a Provinciall Assembly (l) Ibid p. 31. Now is forgotten that of the councel of Chalcedon concilium est Episcoporum and that old barbarous but Christian enough verse Ite foras laici non est vobis locus ici That the Kings consent to the abolition of Episcopacy in Scotland is the true and great cause of all the troubles which since that time hath befallen him and his subjects (m) Ibid p. 2. What peace hath King or Kingdome enjoyed here or in Ireland since Episcopacy by Law in Scotland was damned That Abots Priors and their Religious Houses of Monks and Fryers are lawfull in the Church (n) Ibid. p. 49. Abbots and Priors to Melvils time were nominate and admitted to Abbeys and Priories as Church men but this great Doctor found out another Divinity that for Abbots and Priors there was none such in the Word of God That Patriarcks and Cardina's are Church Dignities highly to be reverenced (o) Ibid p. 43. Cardinall Beton a Priest and Archbishop of so high Dignity That the Pope by Divine Right is as true a Bishop as any other Bishop in the world but by humane Ecclesiastick Right he is greater then any other (p) Sacro Sanct. p. 58. The Pope the Bishop of Rome hath no more by Divine Right except it bee in extent then the meanest Bishop in his Diocesse what hee may have by positive Ecclesiasticall right it s not pertinent for us now to examine Hierome compareth three of the meanest Bishops with three of the greatest Patriarcks Priviledged at that time by Ecclesiasticall Canons That Presbytery is worie then Popery and Iesuitisme that it were much better for any King to put his Dominions under the yoak of the Pope and Iesuites then of Presbyteries and Synods (q) Issachar Edition Oxford p. 30. The â—ing is in a worse condition under this soveraignty then under the Pope ibid p. 45. The Presbytery it or may be in time a mother of as much rebellion and treason as any Iesuitisme of the highest die if not more certainly Rome although a whore is not so bad nor so abominable That the first Reformation in Scotland France Holland Germany and where ever the supream Magistrate was not the Author and Actor of the worke was unorderly and sin ull an action seditious and treasonable a great cause of all the mischiefes that from that time to this have come upon the Churches (r) Ibid. p. 36. This gave life to that tumultuary Reformation we will never wrong Reformed Religion so much as to count of that as an orderly Reformation We
complaint of the Scottish Ambassadour were able easily to get an affront put upon a Presbiterian fugitive but if ye will beleeve Spotswood Mr. Lawson was a man so eminent both for piety and prudence that it can hardly be supposed any thing could escape him in preaching which might deserve the Queenes displeasure how ever that excellent man did dye at that time in London as it seemes martyred by the injuries of the Scottish and English Prelates which doubtles did helpe to bring downe that vengeance upon the Prelaticall State in England which our eyes now doe behold For the further evincing of the intollerable miscarriages of the General Assemby P. 39. The case of Iames Gibson you bring three other stories p. 39.40 all are faults alleadged against single Mininisters which were they never so great and true ought not to be laid upon the Assembly but see how all are misreported the first concernes Iames Gibson a zealous Country Minister who Preaching in a very troublesome time spoke more rashly of the King then became him the words that you ascribe to him we may not take them at your hand for in the same matter by Spotswoods owne Testimony you are guiâ—ty of a great untruth you avow that the King caused complaint to be made to the Assembly of this man But by no intreaty could obtaine any punishment to be inflicted upon him Spotswood says the contrary that the Assembly did proâ—ounce the mans words to be slanderous and therefore suspended him from his Ministry and while they were in further agitation of his cause that he fled into England doubtles for feare of his life what became of him thereafter I know not only I have read in a good Author that what here you insinuate of his favouring Hacket and Copinger is a very false calumny The next you speak of is Mr. Master David Black his case David Blacke Minister of St. Andrews a man of great piety and prudence his name is yet very savoury in that Towne though there be in it some three or foure thousand people yet so great was the zeale wisdome and diligence of Mr. Blacke that during all the time of his Ministry there no person was seen either to beg or prophane the Sabbath day in all that Congregation This man being delated to the secret counsell by a very naughty person that in a Sermon he had spoken disgracefully of the King was willing to have appeared and cleered himselfe of that calumny but finding that it was not his person which was aimed at but a quarrell with the whole Church in him sought for by the misleaders of the Court he thought meet to appeale not simply from the King but from the King and secret counsell to the King and Generall Assembly as to the proper and competent Judge appointed by the Law for matters of Doctrine While this question is in agitation a great storme did fall upon the Church from the seventeenth day of December which made Mr. Blacks cause be laid aside yet a little thereafter for to please the King the Commissioners of the generall Assembly did passe upon that gracious man a sentence severe enough removing him from St. Andrews to some obscure corner where he passed the rest of his dayes P. 40. A cleaâ—e vindication of the assembly at Aberdeen in the yeare 1605. Your third story is of the Ministers who went to Aberdeen the year 1605. upon them you make a tragick Narration a guâ—â—ty of the most treasonable rebellion Your rashnes is great at these times to bring up to the sight these things which for the honour of many did lye long buried but since it is your wisdom to make the world know whereof with your friends advantage they might have been ignorant the matter was this It was the custom of Scotland ever from the Reformation to keep generall Assemblies twice or at least once every yeare After some debates in the yeare 1592. it became a Law and an Act of Parliament agreed to unanimously by the King and States and accordingly it was practised without any interruption that the Generall Assembly should meet at least once a yeare and appoint when all other actions were ended the day and place for the next yeares meeting In the yeare 1602. the Assembly in the Kings presence and with his advice did appoint the day and place of their next meeting in the yeare 1603. His Majestie at that time going to England tooke upon him to prorogat the Assembly till the same day and place of the yeare following 1604. of this prorogation there could be no necessity but his Majesties meere pleasure When the Dyet of the yeare 1604. did come the affaires of the Church did greatly call for an Assembly yet it was his Majesties will to make a second prorogation 〈◊〉 the fifth of July 1605. This was much to the hurt griefe and feare of all the godly yet they indured it but when the Dyet of the yeare 1605. was come His Majestie did not only prorogate the third time but also made the day of the next meeting â—â—tertaine and inderinite This gave an allarme to the whole Kingdome all the world did see the Kings designe to bring the English Eâ—iscopacie and all their Ceremonies upon the Church of Scotland also the mistery of popery was then working vehemently a mighty faction of popish Lords were still countenanced among us immediate correspondence with the Pope by the chiefe States-men was much surmised and afterward was found to be too true Scotland had no considerable Bâ— warke either against English or Romish corruptions but their generall Assemblies if these were removed the poore Church lay open to the inundation of what ever Antichristianisme the Court was pleased to send in The generall Assembly besides its divine right was grounded upon so good Lawes as Scotlanâ couâ—d afford but â—o that at the end of the present Assembly the Dyet of the next should alwayes be appointed however his Majesties designe to put downe the generall Assembly was evidently seen by aâ— intelligent men yet so long as he prorogate it to a certaine day men were quiet but so soon as he commanded the third dyet to be deserted and that to an uncertaine and infinite time they to whom the welfare of the Church was deare did awaken and found it necessary to keepe the Dyet appointed in the second prorogation at Aberdeen Iuly 2. or 5. 1605. The Commissioners of the Presbiteries in their way to Aberdeen advised with Chancellor Seaton the prime Magistrate of the Kingdome in the Kings absence and were incouraged by him to goe on yet so soon as any of them came to the place A Gentleman the Lord of Lauristone came to them with a warrant from the King and privy Counsell and discharged them to keepe any Assembly there yet the will of the King and Counsell was not intimated to them in convenient time for when the King and Counsells Letter was presented they shew
the worst of all your Mothers children must have leave to poure more of your excrements upon her head From your page 41. to the 46. you would make the world believe that the Church of Scotland does excommunicate good men and tender consciences for a dissent in the smallest points of Religion and does persecute for such differences with all the rigour of temporall afflictions Secondly you affirme that the Assemblies of that Church take upon them to make Traitours whom they will and to cast out of the Court whether the King will or not the greatest and best men with whom they are displeased Thirdly that these Assemblies doe alter the Lawes of the Kingdome at their pleasure Surely if strangers who know not the Constitution and customes of that Church were disposed to believe all you say they could not but by your relations he brought to a very evill opinion of your mother whom you an unnaturall son so vildly slander but it is good that men here are so rationall as not to take upon trust the naked assertions of a malicious enemie The discipline of Scotland is farre from all rigour and Tiranny For the first a complaint of rash Excommunication and persecution therupon is very impertinent from your mouth it is not so long that yet it can be forgotten since you and your Colleagues did allow your Officialls and others to excommunicate good people for trifles yea for no offence at all but their zeale to God and the good of their Country your Cannons in all the three Kingdomes are extant your cruelties are fresh in imprisoning banishing Pilloring stigmatizing the worthiest men for contradicting you in any one of your numerous ceremonies and traditions As for the Church of Scotland that it did ever meddle to trouble any in their goods Liberties or persons it 's very false what civill penalties the Parliament of a Kingdome thinkes meet to inflict upon those who are refractory and unamendable by the censures of a Church the state from whom alone these punishments doe come are answerable and not the Church That Excommunication in Scotland is inflicted upon those who cannot assent to every point of Religion determined in their confession there is nothing more untrue for wee know it well that never any person in Scotland was Excommunicate only for his difference of opinion in a Theologick tenet Excommunication there is a very dreadfull sentence and therefore very rare these last forty yeares so farre as I have either seen or heard there has none at all been Excommunicate in Scotland but some few trafficking Papists and some very few notoriously flagitious persons and five or six of you the Prelates for your obstinate impenitency after your overturning the foundations both of our Church State and one most rigid and pragmatick Brownist who for all that could be done or said would needs make it his worke to perswade all he was able by discourse Letters and spreading of books that in Scotland there was neither a Church nor any Ministery nor any Ordinance In Scotland wee count the spirituall Judgement of Excommunication most heavie but any temporall inconvenience that follows upon it is not very considerable for first there is not any civill hazard at all to any excommunicate man who will suffer himselfe to be brought to any measure of repentance Secondly were they never so impenitent ther is no harme can come to them as I remember a whole yeare after the long processe and finall sentence of ExcoÌ„munication Thirdly after a yeares coÌ„tumacy though the Letter of the Act of Parliament be heavy yet I appeale to any who has lived in Scotland among the very few whom they have knowne Excommunicate how many did they ever heare to have been hurt in their goods imprisoned or banished I am sure that Huntly Arrole and Angus and the other popish Lords though for their plotting to undermine the State their persons after Excommunication have been secured yet no penny of their estates went to the Kings Exchequer or to the hands of any of their unfriends but as the ordinary custome is upon the pretext of a small composition what ever the Letter of the Law takes from them it is all put in the hand of such of their friends whom they doe most trust Scotlands guilt may well be too much indulgence but of any excessive rigour towards spirituall oftenders they will bee condemned by none that knowes them P. 42.43.44 A narration of the roads of Ruthven and Stirling Your other imputation that our generall Assembly takes upon it to be judge what is Treason and who are fit to bee Counsellours nothing is more false But here you doe us the favour to prove your Alleageance by a long story to which I have given a full answer in the other Treatise At that time of King James minority Spotswood himselfe being witnesse our State was miserably misguided the Tyrannie of Captaine Iames supported too much by the favour of the Earle of Lennex was very grievous both to Church and State I touch but upon one instance The greatest subject of the Kingdome and at that time neerest to the King in blood was Iames Hamilton Earle of Arran a very gracious and most brave man before his sicknesse without any fault at all so much as alleaged for he was uncapable at that time of any crime being vinted with a distemper that made him keep his house and hindred him from meddling with any affaires of State yet was he spoiled by the fraud and violence of Captaine Iames Stewart of all his Lands and honour This violent oppressour was made Earle of Arran and Chancelour of the Kingdome At that time the designe was cleere and confessed to bring Queen Mary out of her prison in England to set her againe upon her Throne to advance the Catholique League which then was newly made betwixt the Guises King Iames his grand Uncles and the King of Spainâ— for the destroying Queen Elizabeth and the whole Protestant party For the preventing of these mischiefs the prime Nobility found it absolutely necessary to have the advancers of these counsels removed from the minor King What ever fault was in this action the Assembly is unjustly charged therewith Their advice was never sought thereto only halfe a yeare after it was done his Majesty sent a speciall Command to the Assembly for their approbation thereof for as by divers of his Letters to all the neighbour Princes he did signifie his good liking of that action so in all the great Courts of the Kingdome hee required it to be approved The privy Councell the convention of Estates the generall Assembly by his Majesties expresse Commission did all assent to his will It is true Captaine Iames so soon as he crept in againe into Court did change the young Kings mind but the event of that alteration was a more horrible confusion both of Church and State The Earle of Gowry was beheaded as a littâ—e before the Earle
shedding of teares I take it for your meere invention P. 47. The greaâ— controversie betwixt the King and the Church was about the infinite extent of the Prerogative for Spotswood the fountaine of all your stories who never failes to relate to the full what ever is meete to draw any envy upon the good Ministers who opposed the Episcopall designes makes no mention at all of King Iames teares I grant he reports that advice of the Chancellour and some such reply to it as you speake of but how tâ—uly I cannot tell onely this is most certaine that what ever difference King Iames had with the Ministers it was alone about the great Idoll of his Prerogative to do as a Monarch in Church and State what he thought convenient with his prerogative in matters of State they did never meddle but his designe to bring Bishops and Ceremonies in the Church as they conceived against law and reason the most honest of the Ministry did ever oppose it to their power albeit in a humble and warrantable way others for their own gain and advancement did yeeld to his desires and assisted him with all their power to advance his Prerogative so high as to do without any resistance all his pleasure both in Church and State But the Lord now has cleered that controversie and has made the righteousnesse of these oppressed men shine as the light and the basenesse of these flatterers appeare in its owne base and vile colours Concerning his Majesties discourses at the Conference of Hampton Court The Presbiterie is a great barre to keep out Democracy and Tyrannie both from Church and State we confesse they cannot be very favourable to any who opposed Episcopacy which these of your Coat long before that time had made him believe was the maine pillar of his Throne and had perswaded him to looke upon all that was disaffected thereunto as enemies to his Crowne But how farre you are here mistaken in fastning upon Presbiteriall government any furtherance of Democracy not reason alone but now also ample experience makes it evident there is not such a barre this day as both friends and foes doe well know against the Sectaries designes to bring in a popular government in the Church as Presbitery And if your rules be right enemies to Democracie in the Church will never be instruments to bring it in to the State If Presbitery could be partiall towards any one civill Government more then another It is 〈◊〉 singular help both to Parliaments Iust Monarchie its similitude and consanguinity with the constitution of a Parliament might make it suspected to be inclinable to the rights of that Court more then a Prince or the multitude could desire but the truth is it medles not to the prejudice of any civill Government which it finds established by Law but what ever that be it supports it to its power and how serviceable it has ever been to Monarchy in Scotland examples both of old and late doe demonstrate Who were the prime instruments of settling King Iames in his infancy upon his Throne who kept him into his Throne against all the assaults of his potent enemies to whom in all his great straits had he ever his recourse during his abode in Scotland to no other but to the Presbiterian Nobles Gentry Ministers if these had been disposed to have changed the government of the state there was oft no considerable impediments upon earth to have opposed them but such a desire never entered into their thoughts And of later times when the Presbitery in Scotland hath attained its highest aimes and is in capacity as you say to make what factions it will when its provocations to aâ—ger were as great as readily can be againe and the madnes of you Malignant Prelates had laid the Crowne in Scotland very low at such a season did the least disloyalty appeare in any of the Presbiterian side were not they and they only the men which setâ—ed that throne which you had caused to shake and astened the Crowne upon that head from whence you hands by your extreame unjustice pride and folly had weâ— nere pulled it away And at this very houre when you and all your friends are able to make no helpe at all to releive not only the King and his house but the Royalty it selfe from that extreame hazard of ruine wherein you alone both have cast them and with all your hearts would stil continue them upon some phantastick hope which yet you have of attaining all your former desires or else to revenge your disappointments though all the world should perish At this time when you have cast the Crown the Throne and Scepter in the dust who is able who now is willing to save the King or to keepe Monarchy on foote I hope albeit your dementation be great yet even you must see and confesse that it is the Presbiterians and these alone by whose hearts and hands this worke must be done which indeed your goodnes and wisdome has made extreamely difficult and well nere unfeasible You fall very needlesly on Mr. Catherwood the Author of that Booke altare darna scenum P. 18. Mr. Catherwoods vindication a man of greater worth then all the Prelates that ever Scotland bred put them all in one Durst ever any or all of you looke that man or his Booke in the face you had long twenty yeares leasure to answer but was ever the courage among you all to assay it I doe not love to speake or when it is spoken by others to defend any thing that may rub upon authority yet when sycophanticall Prelates make it their worke to bring most honest and gracious men in disgrace with Princes for some incomodious phrases which in the heat and current of large discourses have escaped their pens who shall but vindicate their innocency from such flaterers accusations Is it a crime for Master Catherwood to write that in all Kings naturally their is a hatred to Christ what doe you here intend to censure are not all men naturally enemies to God unto this natural Corruption that is CoÌ„mon to all flesh does not great places in the world especially Crowns and Throns adde many provocations from which poverty and meannes gives exemption what would you here reprove speake out plainly your Pelagian tenet deny originall sin make it one of the Royall Prerogatives in vertue of the Crowne to be naturally gracious and an advancer of Christs Kingdome The other word you make your adversary to say albeit you professe you speake per cur is that King Iames was a most insense enemy to the purity of Religion If such tearmes were ever expressed of what thinke you must they be understood what is the subject of that speech and of the whole Booke wherein you say it stands Is it not of the Government of the Church and the English Ceremonies alone to say that King Iames was a great friend to these and agreat
and oppressive both of the Nobility and Ministers Jesuites and Priests did flocke from beyond Sea in greater numbers then ever rr Collection hee procured Protections for Jesuites and trafficking Papists St. Andrews story li. 3. fol. 165. yeare 1579. this dissention betwixt the King and the Church brought with it many evils for upon the notice of it divers Jesuites and Priests did resort into the Country and at home such as were Popishly affected began openly to avow their profession the professed negotiation of the French Agents was to restore Queen Mary the trafiquers in that businesse were received with extraordinary curtefies All this did fill the hearts of the people both with griefe and feare for the undermining of their Religion for the destruction of their King and ruine of the Kingdome These passions increased when they did see the English Embassadors at that same time used in a much divers fashion railed upon by rascals in the streets vexed with infamous Libels fixed upon the doores of their Lodgings endangered in their persons by Pistols shot in at their windowes ſſ Spotswoods History lib. 6. fol. 173. yeare 1582. La Mot came by England having the same Instructions to renew the purpose of the Association which was set on foot the yeere before and almost concluded in this sort that the Queene of Scots should communicate the Crowne with her Son and both be joyned in the administration of affaires but upon the Dukes sequestring from Court it was left off and not mentioned againe till now The Collection The Queen of Englands Ambassadour Master Randall was abused with infamous Libels affixed upon the doore of his Lodging the chiefe Courtiers withdrew their countenance from him such as resorted to him were observed an Harquebus charged with two bullets was shot in at his chamber window where he usually sate and all this without any punishment upon the authors of such atrocious contumilies In this posture of affaires to tempt yet further the patience of honest people some French Merchants did move the King to desire the Magistrates of Edenborough to invite the French Agent to a publick Feast tt Collection While La Mot is thus practising some French Merchants in Edenborough for their owne commodity caused it to be motioned to the King to send one to the Counsell of Edenborough to give the French Ambassadour a Banquet the Counsell refusing the King was offended and alleaged the motion came from themselves the matter was againe debated in Counsell in end the best part of the Counsell contradicting it was concluded the Banquet should be made whereupon the Session of the Kirke resolved upon a Fast or rather abstinence that day the Presbytery knew nothing of it the unseasonablenesse of the time made the desire grievous to the Magistrates and therefore they declined it with a faire excuse yet the King was moved to presse them againe the motion being brought to the Common Counsell of the Town the Plurality yeelded though the most of the Magistrates and best part of the Counsellours were dissenting w Vide supra tt This matter being offensive to the Church Session or Congregational Eldership the day of the French Festival by the joint advice of the Magistrates Ministers and the rest who were present was appointed to be a day of Preaching and prayer xx The Censure The Allegeance that the Presbytery of Edenbrough did appoint a Fast to be kept upon the day that the French Ambassadour was Banqueted by the Towne of Edenborough is false for not the Towne but some French factioners in the Towne Banqueted the Ambassadours three Bailies the greatest part of the Counsell and some of the Kings Privy Counsell were in the Church in the time of the Banquet not the Presbytery but the particular Session of the Kirke of Edinborough with the advice of so many Magistrates and Counsellours as were not contrivers of the Banquet appointed a voluntary abstinence this was thought to be the fairest way with the least offence to hinder if it might be that offensive and unseasonable Banquet as for any processe of excommunication intended against them who choosed rather to feast with the French then to pray with the City and most of the Magistrates I take it but for a meer fable for albeit the Author therof Adamson had not acknowledged his Narration of the Banquet to be false as he does expresly yy Adamsons Recantation My good will was I protest to have condemned every point yea even to the false Narration of the Banquet and all the rest contained in that little Treatise called the Declaration of the Kings Majesties intentions as I acknowledge they deserve to be condemned by the censure and judgment of the Kirk yet why should we have taken it in any other sense then the other passages of the same Pamphlet wherein he avowes the Presbyteries to have put out innumerable Orders directly opposite to the King and have sent Lawes and Commands to his Majesty under the paine of Excommunication zz Vide the printed Declaration which all the world sees setting aside the Authors confession to be meer lyes and notorious calumnies aaa The Censure that the Assembly was accustomed to prescribe Lawes to the King and Counsell under paine of Excommunication to appoint no Bishops in time to come such calumnies are not worthy to be answered for to draw out of the pure fountaines of Gods word an Ecclesiasticall Canon agreeable to the same and to suit like humble Suppliants the approbation of the same is the dutie of the Kirke this is not a prescribing of Lawes to the King and Estates But suppose that all the alledged circumstances of that sad festivall The extreame unjustice of the Prelats of old and Era 〈◊〉 now against the Presbytery had beene all true yet could this trespasse be no otherwise expiate then by the very abolition not onely of that Judicatory whence the overture did proceed but also of all the Judicatories of that kinde in the whole Kingdome being altogether ignorant and innocent of the transgression and though the Episcopall rigour should have been thus transcendent yet what shadow of reason could be brought for the overthrow of the Classes for the trespasse of the Congregadonall Eldership It was not the Classicall Presbytery of Edinborough but the Towne Session that was alledged to be the delinquent We wonder not when Prelates are Counsellors to see strange and unheard of rules of Justice but of this we marvaile that the Leaders of the Independent or Erastian party should be so well pleased with such patternes as not to have patience to have them at this time concealed but will needs have them brought forth of the grave of oblivion where long they lay buried to be looked upon by the State at this time as ruled cases for their imitation As for the abolition of the generall Assembly three of their offences are named their approbation of the road of Ruthven
nothing except a Commentary upon the first Epistle of Paul to Timothy which I did direct to the Kings Majesty and kept no example beside me and understand that Master John Geddy got the same from the King and lent it to Master Robert Hepburne Further I wrote nothing but onely made mention in my Preface upon the Apocalips that I should write a Booke called Psyllas which being prevented by disease God would not suffer me to finish and the little thing that was done I caused to destroy it And likewise I have set forth the Book of Job with the Apocalyps and the Lamentations of Ieremy all in Verse to be printed in English As for my intention I am not disposed or in ability to write any thing at this time and if it please God I were restored to my health I would change my Style as Cajetanus did at the Councell of Trent As for Sutlivins Booke against the forme and order of the Presbyteries so far am I from being partner in that worke that as I know not the Man nor ever had any intelligence of the Worke before it was done so if it please God to give me dayes I will write in his contrary to the maintenance of the contrary confession Prayes the Brethren to be at unity and peace with me and in token of their forgivenesse because health suffereth me not to goe over to the Colledge where presently ye are assembled which I would gladly doe to aske God and you forgivenesse that it would please you to repaire hither that I may doe it here Moreover I condemne by this my subscription whatsoever is contained in the Epistle Dedicatory to the Kings Majesty before my Book on the Revelation that is either slanderous or offensive to the Brethren Also I promise to satisfie the Brethren of Edinborough or any other Kirk within this Realm according to good conscience in whatsoever they find themselves justly offended and for what is contrary to the Word of God in any speeches actions or proceedings which have past from me And concerning the Commentary upon the first Epistle of Paul to Timothy because there are divers things therein contained offensive and that tend to allow of the estate of Bishops otherwise then Gods Word can suffer I condemne the same The pages before written directed by me Mr Patrick Adamson and written at my commandement by my servant Mr Samuel Cunninghame and by his hand drawne in the blanks I subscribe with my own hand as acknowledged by me in sincerity of conscience as in the presence of God before these witnesses directed to me from the Synodall Assembly because of my inability to repaire toward them James Monypenny younger of Pitmilly Andrew Wood of Strawthy David Murray Portioner of Ardet Mr David Russell Mr William Murray Minister of Dysart Mr Robert Wilkie David Forgison with divers others Sic subscribitur Mr PATRICK ADAMSON David Forgison witnesse Master Nicol Dalgleish James Monypenny of Pitmilly witnesse Andrew Wood witnesse Master Ro. Wilkie witnesse David Murray witnesse Master David Russell Master David Spence Master John Caldcleuch Master William Murray Master Patricks owne Answer and Refutation of the Bookfalsly called The Kings Declaration I Have enterprized of meere remorse of conscience to write against a Booke called A Declaration of the Kings Majesties intentions Albeit it containeth little or nothing of the Kings intentions but my owne at the time of the writing thereof and the corrupt intentions of such as were for the time about the King and abused his Minority Of the which Booke and contents thereof compiled by me at the command of some chiefe Courtiers for the time as is before written I shall shortly declare my opinion as the infirmity of sicknesse and weaknesse of Memory will permit First in the whole booke is nothing contained but assertions of lyes ascribing to the Kings Majesty that whereof he was not culpable For albeit as the times went his Majesty could have suffered these things to have been published in his Realme yet his Majesty was never of that nature to have reviled any mans person or to upbraid any man with calumnies whereof there is a number contained in that Book Secondly in the Declaration of the second Act of Parliament there is mention made of Master Andrew Melvill and his preaching wrongfully condemned in speciall as factious and seditious albeit his Majesty hath had a lively tryall of that mans fidelity and truth in all proceedings from time to time True it is he is earnest and zealous who can abide no corruption which most unadvisedly I attribute to a fiery and salt humour which his Majesty findeth by experience to be most true for he alloweth well of him and knoweth things that were alleaged upon him to have been false and contrived treacheries There are contained in that second Act of Parliament diverse other false inventions for to defame the Ministry and to bring the Kirk of God in hatred and envy with their Prince and Nobility burthening and accusing the Ministers falsly of sedition and other crimes whereof they were innocent As likewise it is written in the same act and Declaration thereof that soveraigne and supreame power pertaineth to the King in matters Ecclesiasticall which is worthy to be condemned and not to be contained among Christian acts where the power of the Word is to be extolled above all the power of Princes and they to be brought under subjection to the same The fourth act condemned the Presbyteries as a judgement not allowed by the Kings Lawes which is a very slender argument for as concerning the authority of the Presbytery we have the same exprest in the Gospell of Matthew chap. 18. where Christ commandeth to shew the Kirk which authority being commanded by Christ and the Acts of Parliament forbidding it we should rather obey God then man and yet the Presbytery lacked never the Kings authority for the allowance thereof from the beginning save onely in that hour of darknesse when he was abused through evill company As for any other thing that is contained in this Act against any Order or proceedings of the Presbytery it is to be esteemed that nothing was done by the Presbytery without wisdome judgement and discretion And so hath received approbation againe by the Kirk whereunto also I understand his Majesty hath given allowance ratifyed and approved the same which should be a sufficient reason to represse all mens curiosity that either have or would yet finde fault with the same The last Article containeth the establishing of Bishops which hath no warrant of the Word of God but is grounded upon the Policy of the invention of Man whereupon the Primacy of the Pope or Antichrist has risen which is worthy to be disallowed and forbidden because the number of Elderships that have jurisdiction and oversight as well of visitation as admission will doe the same farre more Authentickly godly and with greater zeale then a Bishop whose care commonly is not upon God and
meanest guiltlesse The guilt of our blood shall not onely lie upon the Prince but also upon our own Brethren Bishops Counsellours and Commissioners it is they even they that have stirred our Prince against us we must therefore lay the blame and burden of our blood upon them especially however the rest above written be also partakers of their fins with them And as to the rest of our Brethen who either by silence approve or by crying Peace Peace strengthen the arme of the wicked that they cannot returne in the meane time make the hearts of the righteous sad they shall all in like manner be guilty of our blood and of high treason against the King of Kings the Lord Jesus Christ his Crowne and Kingdome Next unto them all Counsellours Chancellour President Comptroller Advocate and next unto them all that first or last sate in Counsell and did not beare plaine testimony of Jesus Christ and his Kingdome for which we doe suffer and next unto them all these who should have been present and supplied who should at such times have come and made open testimony of Christ faithfully although it had been contrary to plaine Law and hazard of their lives when the poor Jewes were in such danger that nothing was expected but utter destruction Queen Ester after three days fasting concluded thus with her selfe Ester 9.16 I will said she goe in to the King though it be not according to Law and if I perish I perish with this resolution such as are borne Counsellours should have said Christs Kingdome is now in my hand and I am bound also and sworne by a speciall Covenant to maintaine the Doctrine and Discipline thereof according to my vocation and power all the dayes of my life under all the paines contained in the Book of God and danger both of body and soule in the day of Gods fearfull judgement and therefore though I should perish in the cause yet will I speak for it and to my power defend it according to my vocation Finally all those that counsels commands consents and allowes are guilty in the sight of God but the mourners for these evils and the faithfull of the Land and they who are unfainedly grieved in heart for all the abominations these are marked as not being guilty Ezek. 9. I know not whether I shall ever have occasion to write againe and therefore by this Leteer as my latter will and testament I give testimony and warning and knowledge of those things to all men according to the Lords direction to the Prophet Son of man I have made c. therefore I give warning to all men hereby Ezek. 33.7 that no mans blood be required at my hand Thus desiring the help of your prayers with my humble commendations and service in Christ to my Lord your Husband and to all the Saints there the Messenger of peace be with you all for evermore Amen Yours to my full power for the time Christs Prisoner JOHN WELSCH From Blacknesse Jan. 16. 1606. This second Letter was written before the first to Sir William Levinstone of Kilsyth one of the Lords of the Colledge of Iustice RIght honorable Sir after my hearty salutations Your love and care towards us uttered many wayes hath certainly comforted me and having no other thing to requite as I am able I shall desire the Lord who is mighty and hath taken upon him so to doe to meet you and yours with consolations in his good time As for the matter it selfe the bearer will shew you that what is required is such a thing as in the sight of our Lord we may not doe without both the hazard of our consciences and liberty of Christs Kingdome which should be deerer to us then any thing else What a slavery were it for us to binde our consciences in the service of our God in the meanest point of our callings to the will of man or Angels And we are fully resolved that which we did was acceptable service to our God who hath put it up as service done to him and has allowed and sealed it to us by many tokens so that it were more then high impiety and apostacy to testifie the ruine or undoing of any thing which our God hath ordained to be done and has accepted of us being done a This Letter is an Answer of Master Welsh to Kilsyth it seemes Spotswood then Archbishop of Glasgow had moved Kilsyth to tempt the prisoners after their condemnation to acknowledge a fault and crave pardon for their actions at Aberdeen upon assurance of libertie this overture Master Welsh rejects as unlawfull and withall denounces the judgement of God against Spotswood the chiefe instrument of the gracious Ministers oppression in a mervailous and altogether Propheticall manner Wee Sir if the Lord will are yet ready to doe more in our callings and to suffer more for the same if so be it wil please our God to call us to it and strengthen us in it for in our selves we dare promise nothing but in our God all things As for that instrument Spotswood we are sure the Lord will never blesse that man but a malediction lyes upon him and shall accompany all his doings and it may be Sir your eyes shall see as great confusion covering him ere he goe to the grave as did his predecessours Now surely Sir I am farre from bitternesse but here I denounce the wrath of an everlasting God against him which assuredly shall fall except it be prevented Sir Dagon shall not stand before the Arke of the Lord and those names of blasphemy that he weares of Lord Bishop and Archbishop will have a fearfull end a This Prophesie of the abolishing of Episcopacy is now accomplished in our eyes Not one beck is to be given to Haman suppose he were as great a Courtier as ever he was suppose the Decree were given out and sealed with the Kings Ring Deliverance will come to us elsewhere and not by him that hath been so sore an instrument not against our persons that were nothing and I protest to you Sir in the fight of my God I forgive him all the evill that ever he hath done or can doe to me but unto Christs poore Kirk in stamping underfoot so glorious a Kingdome and beauty as was once in this Land he has helped to cut Sampsons haire and to expose him to mocks but the Lord will not be mocked he shall be cast away as out of a sling-stone his name shall rot and a malediction shall fall upon his posterity after he is gone c Not a word of this is fallen to the ground Spotswood in the top of all his honours when he had come up to be Archbishop of St. Andrewes and Chancellour of the Kingdome he was cast out of Scotland and dyed a poore miserable man at London having not a sixpence of his own to buy Bread or to put him in his grave but as it was begged at Court the evident hand of God lighted on his posterity his Lands of Darsie all the conquesse he was able to make to his eldest Son Sir Jo. Spotswood is ready to be sold and that branch of his posterity to goe a begging his second Son Sir Robert Spotswood President of the Colledge of Justice for his treason against Scotland did dye miserably on a scaffold at St. Andrews an obdured impenitent man his brother the Bishop of Clogher was cast out of his great estates in Ireland and here in extreame old age was put as he told us to teach children for his Bread and being unfit for that imployment he was long a suitor here at London for the meanest place in the Ministry that he might be kept from starving but could not obtaine it Let this Letter Sir be a Monument of it that it was told before that whē it shall come to passe it may be seene there was warning given him and therfore Sir seeing I have not the accesse my selfe if it would please God to move you I wish you did deliver this hard Message unto him not as from me I assure you but as from the Lord that except he repent he shall be made a fearfull spectacle of Gods wrath in this Land d These things were Prophesied in the yeer 1605. forty yeers before their full performance contrary to al worldly appearance for then and many yeeres after Master Welsh his death it was more improbable that the Episcopall thrones in the King of Britains Dominions could ever have been overthrown by any humane force then that the See of the Pope at Rome and the Seats of all the Antichristian Prelates in Italy France and Spain or any where this day in the Earth should be overturned in despight of all their Defenders I have kept the matter onely to my selfe as our Brother will shew you Now the grace of God be multiplyed upon you Yours from my heart to be commanded in the Lord. JOHN WELSH From Blacknesse Oct. 9. 1605.