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A60329
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Plain and peaceable advice to those called Presbyterians in Scotland by Alexander Skene.
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Skene, Alexander.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing S3936; ESTC R10254
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8,699
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17
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Plain and Peaceable ADVICE To those called Presbyterians IN SCOTLAND By Alexander Skene Longè diversa sunt carnificina pietas nec potest aut veritas cum vi aut justitia cum crudelitate conjungi There is a vast difference betwixt Butchery and Godliness neither has Truth any concord with Violence of Cruelty with Righteousness Lactan. Milit. lib. 5. cap. 20. Truth is not propagated by Swords or Spears nor by Souldiers but by Perswasion and Counsel Athan. Epict. ad Vit. Sel. ag lib. 1. Rom. 12.18 If it be possible as much as lyeth in you live peaceably with all men c. 2 Cor. 10.4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds LONDON Printed for Benjamin Clark in George-yard in Lombard-street 1681. TO THE READER THe serious sense I have of that necessary Duty by which all Christians are obliged not only to love one another but even their Enemies Mat. 5.44 and the great Abhorrence they should have against that Spirit of Cain who slew his Brother hath not only engaged me and those of my Perswasion to forsake that principle and practice of Fighting and to prefer the peaceable way of Christ even under greatest sufferings Isa 53.7 but also moved me to write this ensuing Disswasive to them whose principle and practice hath drawn on themselves much Sufferings and occasioned greater Severities to be enacted against the Dissenting Worshippers of God from the National way then probably would otherwise have been whereby not only they have met with sad Afflictions but even others whose chiefest desire was only to have liberty to Worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth according to their Consciences have been made to suffer these three years and a half by gone by frequent and long Imprisonments c. Though we conceive the Narratives of all these Penal Statutes against Meetings might sufficiently have guarded those who never were Seditious in practice nor principle But if they to whom this is directed would once at last be induced to that behaviour that is most suitable to the Gospel of Peace and to the Spirit of true Christianity it is my hope in the Lord that he would incline the hearts of our Rulers both Supreme and Subordinate to make their Moderation so far known as to allow a just liberty of Worship to all whose differences are no ways inconsistent with the Peace and Prosperitys of the Nation Waiting for this Mercy from the Lord in his appointed time I commend this small Endeavour to his Blessing The 5th of the 6th mon. 1679. A. S. TO THE PRESBYTERIANS IN SCOTLAND KNowing that ye look on it as a duty to fight by military weapons in defence of your principle yea to promote your Cause and your pretended Reformation by the power of the Sword in which ye are confirmed by some of your Preachers who are always labouring to perswade you to this as one evidence of your Zeal for God and not to spare to hazard your Lives Liberties and Estates in such a glorious Cause as they call it In reference to which I have found freedom out of that love I bear to the welfare of your Souls the peace of our native Country and that duty of obedience and subjection we owe to all that are set up in lawful Authority over us as we are men and Christians whether active or passive wherein we cannot with a good conscience give active obedience to lay before you these following Considerations 1. Consider how short ye are of that promise and Prophecy of Gospel-times when Christians shall be recovered out of the Apostacy and come to the primitive Simplicity which is mentioned Micah 4.2 3 4. and Isa 2.2 3 4. When many Nations shall say Come and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord and to the House of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths c. And he will judge among many people and rebuke strong Nations afar off and they shall beat their Swords into Plow-shares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks Nation shall not lift up Sword against Nation neither shall they learn War any more but they shall sit every man under his own Vine and under his own Fig-tree and none shall make them afraid for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Where first this is observable that this promise is to be accomplished when many Nations shall come to own the true God which was not so under the Mosaical dispensation till the Gospel of Jesus Christ was preached amongst the Nations and the Gentile World converted to Christianity But it may be objected That Wars were never more amongst the Nations then since the Nations became by outward profession to own Christianity and so it continues unto this day To which my second Consideration shall serve for Answer thus Before the defection from the Simplicity of the Gospel in the first and purest times of Christianity it was not so as is witnessed by Doctor Cave's Primitive Christianity citing Testimonies out of Origens and Tertullians Apology pag. 326. chap. 2. pag. 55. chap. 1. where he brings in Celsus objecting to Origen that Christians refused to help the Emperours in their Wars Origen answers That they did really assist and help him and that rather with Divine than humane weapons according to the command of the Apostle I exhort that first of all supplication prayers intercessions c. be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in Authority And tells him the more eminent any man is for Piety and Religion he will be able to afford greater assistance to his Prince then a great many Armed Souldiers that stand ready to fight for him and to destroy his enemies But to clear this further see that famous Letter of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus the Roman Emperour to the Senate of Rome which is recorded in the Works of Justin Martyr in Latine Also in John Fox his Acts and Monuments commonly called the Book of Martyrs his first Tome pag. 46. who though he reports according to Eusebius the Christians to have been a Legion of the Emperours Army yet the Letter it self shews the contrary where the Emperour says I caused to be sent for these men who were called Christians who did their endeavour but without either Weapons Munition Armour or Trumpet as men abhorring such preparation and furniture but only satisfied in trust of their God whom they carry about with them in their Consciences And for your sakes I shall set down the Letter at length Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Emperour to the Senate and People of Rome I Give you to understand what success I have had in my Wars in Germany as also what I intend and with how much difficulty I have victualled my Camp being compassed about with seventy and four fierce Dragons whom my Scouts descried to be within nine miles of us and Pompeianus our Lieutenant hath viewed
as he signified to us by his Letter wherefore I thought no less but to be over-run and all my Bands of so great a multitude as well my Way-ward Main-ward as Roar-ward with all my Souldiers of Ephrata in whose Host there were numbered of fighting men nine hundred seventy and five thousand But when I saw my self not able to encounter with the Enemy I craved aid of our Country Gods at whose hands I finding no comfort and being driven of the Enemy to an exigent I caused to be sent for those men whom we call Christians who being numbred were found a good indifferent number with whom I was in further rage then I had good cause as afterward I had experience by their marvelous power who forthwith did their endeavour but without either Wâ—â—pon Munition Armour or Trumpet as men abhorring such preparation or furniture but only satisfied in the trust of their God whom they carry about with them in their Consciences It is therefore to be credited albeit we call them wicked men that they worship God in their hearts for they falling prostrate on the ground prayed not only for me but for the Host also that was with me beseeching their God for help in that our extremity of lack of Victuals and fresh Water for we had been now five days without Water and now in our enemies Land even in the midst of Germany who thus falling upon their faces made their prayers to a God unknown of me And there fell amongst us from Heaven a pleasant and cold shower But amongst our Enemies a great storm of Hail mixed with Lightning so that immediately we perceived the invincible aid of the most Mighty God to be with us Therefore we give these men leave to profess Christianity lest perhaps by their prayers we be punished with the like and thereby make my self the Authour of such hurt as shall be received by the Christian profession And if any man shall apprehend one that is a Christian only for that cause I will that he being apprehended without punishment may have leave to confess the same so that there be none other cause objected against him more then that he is a Christian but let his accuser be burned alive Neither will I that he confessing and being found a Christian shall be enforced to alter the same his opinion by the Governour of any of our Provinces but lest to his own choice And this Decree of mine I will to be ratified in the Senate-house and command the same to be proclaimed and read in the Court of Trajanus And that further from thence it may be sent unto all our Provinces by the diligence of Veratius Governour of our City Polione And further we give leave to all men to use and write out this our Decree taking the same out of our Copy publickly in the common Hall set forth According to Cluverius his Latine Epitome of the History of the World this Emperour began his Reign in the year 162. and died 180. which was about one hundred and twenty years before History reports any thing of a Christian Legion which may bear this sad and woful remark that though it was for a good cause in refusing to worship false Gods that whole Legion was cut off and perished by the Sword after they had been twice decimated at last they were all Massacred without the least resistance made by them under Maximinianus Collegue in the Empire to Dioclesian who raised the tenth persecution which makes the words of our Lord good Mat. 26.52 Put up thy Sword into his place for all they that take the Sword shall perish with the Sword However this Scripture may be applied here I am sure it may be a weighty warning to all private persons that are not in Authority to take up Arms in defence of their opinions let your Preachers plead the contrary as they will Consider thirdly let all people walk in uprightness and righteousness towards God and all men that they may in Faith fully rely upon the Arm of the Almighty who hath said he will Judge among many people and rebuke strong Nations afar off if a person or a people knew the true exercise of Faith in this case they would say with David Psal 3.6 We will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against us round about O but this were a tempting of God if the ordinary means should not be used Answer In no ways for this is but to beg the question if weapons and Arms be the true ordinary means in the Gospel-times when God hath said Swords are to be beaten into Plow-shares and Spears into Pruning-hooks c. See also what the Lord hath said in confirmation of this truth Hosea 1.7 But I will have mercy upon the House of Judah and will save them by the Lorâ— their God and will not save them by Bow nor by Sword nor by Battel by Horses nor by Horse-men So Hos 2.18 When the Lords People have not only forsaken their Idols and Idolatry so as not to have their names any more remembred as vers 16 17. Then vers 18. In that day I will make a Covenant for them with the Beasts of the Field and with the Fowls of the Heaven and with the creeping things of the Earth and I will break the Bow and the Sword and the Battel out of the Earth and will make them lye down safely The surest ordinary means of defence is true peace with God grounded upon faith in him and a good Conscience Consider that of Exod. 34.23 24. Where the Lord said Thrice in the year shall all your male children appear before the Lord God neither shall any man desire thy Land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year Now if Israel of old that were engaged often even by the Lords allowance to fight the Lords Battel by Military weapons against their enemies all which were but typical of the Spiritual Warfare which Christians are to fight if they at such times were to forbear and did forbear all outward defence by carnal weapons at the Word of the Lord saying No man shall desire your Land How much more should reformed Christians trust in the Lord and lean to his defence who hath said I will have mercy on the House of Judah and will save them by the Lord their God and will not save them by Bow nor by Sword nor by Battel by Horses nor by Horse-men The Israelites had many malicious enemies round about them as the Edomites Ammonites Moabites Philistims that of themselves were ready to wait all opportunities to take advantage against them especially when all their males were gone up to Jerusalem and all their Land left destitute of men for defence yet it was never found that any Nation invaded their Land during the time of their Feasts till Titus Vespasian the Roman Emperour came with his Army whilst they were in Jerusalem after they had