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A01039
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An ansvvere to M. I. Forbes of Corse, his peaceable warning
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Calderwood, David, 1575-1650.
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1638
(1638)
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STC 11143; ESTC S102458
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22,575
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36
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Kirk and Estates which hath approved and ratified it You say that short Confession hath humane privat authoritie and is respected for the Penner and many well affected christians subscribers But that in this regard wee are no more tyed to this Confession then any part of Augustin Ambrose Luther or Calvins workes approved by manie good Chistians nor that the obligation of the subscribers can be extended beyond their owne persons and lifetimes But wee have told you already that it is the Confession of the Kirk of Scotland approved by the Kirk of Scotland and subscribed universally by direction of authoritie at two sundrie times which is more than to bee penned by M. Craig and subscribed by many good Christians or hath beene done to any part of Aagustine Ambrose Luther or Calvins workes Beza set forth a notable Confession of faith which is approved by many good Christians yet is esteemed only as a private worke But so is not the generall confession of the Kirk of Scotland The orthodox confession of a reformed kirk deserveth greater respect than the treatises or works of Ambrose Luther c. Sunt enim hae Confessiones orthodoxae tanquam tabulae authentica privatorum Doctorum scriptis anteponendae as is said in the Latine preface to the Confessions of faith There is good reason for it for humane authoritie admitteth degrees The publick is more valide than a private Sententia communi omnium assensu recepta longé probabilior erit sententia ea quam unus alter statuit One man speaking according to Scripture is to bee prefered before a great assembly of doctours speaking without criptures But then his judgement is preferred because of Gods authoritie not for his owne Bâ—r wee are now comparing private men with a whole Kirk ceteris paribus in regard of themselves and consider humane testimony or judgement qua tale in so far as it is humane To conclude this point Wee are aswell tyed to the generall Confession as to that which you call the nationall for the generall is nationall aswell as the first In the meane time you have showne litle respect either to the penner or subscribers for you call it the negative Confession the short negative Confession The supreme authoritie civill you distinguish in royall or legall and the legall you make also royall So then the royall power is royall or legall Or you meane the royall power is either conjunct with the Estates as in making Lawes because ne civiles quidem leges ex fua solius authoritate ferre potest as saith Burthillus contra Becani controvers pag. 66. or without their concurrence as in giving remissions c. But this you may call the royall Prerogative The power legall you should call legislative or law giving power which Polititians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the power of execution or administration of justice shuld bee also legall and ruled by the lawes This short Confession you say had never authoritie legall for it was never ratified by act of Parliament but all the civill authoritie it had was only royall by the Kings mandat You would say imposed by vertue of his royall prerogative I believe that his Majestie professing lately in his Declaration that hee would not urge the Service booke farther but in a legall manner would not impose upon us subseription to the Confession of Faith by his royall mandat but in a legall manner I am sure there is as great reason for the one as for the other But wee have shewed already that it hath beene ratified by act of Parliament universally recived subscribed which is equivalent to a Parliament But more of this anone You saye Authoritie ecclesiasticall was given to this Confession by two nationall Synods But I have cited moe which you have omitted whether of set purpose or otherwise I referre to your owne conscience You saye the Authoritie synodicall immediat was that approbation whereby these Synods declared this Confession to bee a true Christian faithfull and godly Confession and that such as truely professe Iesus Christ ought to agree thereto That by this reason it tendeth to manifest a divine authoritie of the confession of the doctrine thereof and in respect of the matter so approved doth equallie oblish all Christians Wee have already cleared that point of divine authoritie wherein you have fumbled As for the other point wee doe think that all good Christians should embrace our Confession Wee beeing persuaded when wee subscribe that it is the undoubted trueth grounded upon the written Word But our intention was not to set downe a Confession of faith whereunto all Christians in the world should bee tyed but only such as will bee members of this Kirk and to make knowne to the world what wee professe For as it is well observed in the preface to the harmonie of Confessions If every man bee commanded to make Confession of his Faith so often as Gods glorie the edification of the Kirk shall require what a wonderfull and strange thing ought it to seeme if Cities if Provinces if whole Kingdomes have made profession of their Faith When they were falselie charged by the Popish sort that they had gone from the doctrine of the true Kirke You acknowledge you are obliged to reverence the judgment of a nationall Synod of our Kirk in matters substantiall Why not in matters also rituall and disciplinarie for these I suppose you oppose to matters substantiall Yet in matters substantiall you professe you are no more oblidged to hearken to those two Synods than to the preceeding or following or to the Synods in forraigne Kirks or to the ancient Councells that is only by restriction Yet you ought to depart from us if you bee not of us if your judgement bee not conforme to the judgement of our Kirk The ecclesiasticall authoritie mediat given by these Synods to this Confession you make to bee their injoyning Ministers to give obedience to his Majesties commandement anent the said Confession Is the ordinance of the Assembly ecclesiasticall mediaâ—e authoritie You vanish in your distinctions An ordinance of an Assembly floweth immediatly from the ecclesiasticall authoritie or power of the Assembly But you prove your mediat authoritie ecclesiasticall thus Nothing is spoken in these statutes but in relation to the Kings Majesties mandat and for a time but that doth not make the power ecclesiasticall mediate but only adjâ—vant or concurrent I will tell you more the Proclamation had taken small or no effect if it had not beene seconded with the authoritie of the generall Assembly Yea it had beene a dangerous preparative to command Ministers to crave subscriptions to a Confession of Faith not approved by the Kirk The worke was good but the order preposterous In the yeere 1589. the assembly began and desired Commissions to be given to that effect and gave in a roll of such as they had nominat to bee Commissioners which was performed by the secret Counsell You must knowe
notwithstanding of the royall mandat or authorizing of it by the generall assembly If you assume or apply you should bee corrected before you bee confuted first cast out and then answered by such as shall bee appointed You exhort us not to judge hardly or uncharitablie one of another nor breake the bond of peace and Christian brotherhood for diversitie of opinions among us for rites and ceremonies Then you would have us to suffer the people to bee withdrawne by seducers from the simplicitie of the Gospell and to admit Episcopacie which you seeme heere to ranke among rites and ceremonies How can peace stand among men when the glorie of God is not kept safe sayeth Bernard epist. 126. Quomodo stabit pax hominum coram Deo cum Deo si Deo apud homines non potest tuta esse sua gloria FINIS To fill vp this last sheet I have heere subjoyned some Acts and constitutions of our Kirke for the sitting of ruling Elders in the generall Assemblyes Provineiall synods and Presbyeeries or as they are called in the book of Policie the Common Elderships IN the first booke of Discipline the office and power of Elders are described where wee have these words If hee that is the Minister bee worthie of admonition they that is the Elders must admonish him or correction they must correct him and if hee bee worthie of deposition they with consent of the Kirk and Superintendent maye depose him so that his cryme deserve so If they might do so with the Superintendent they may doe as much with Ministers in a Presbyterie which is come in the rowme of Superintendents In the assembly holden in December anno 1562 it was ordained that the Superintendent give sufficient advertisement to the particular Kirks of the time and place appointed for the synodall convention that the Minister with an Elder may repare to the place appointed Power was granted to Superintendents in their synodall conventions to translate Ministers from one Kirk to another with consent of the most part of the Elders and Ministers In the assembly holden in Iune anno 1563 it was ordaind that everie Superintendent cause warne the Shyres towns and parish Kirks within his jurisdiction to send their commissioners to the generall Assembly In the assembly holden anno 1568 in Iulie when order was set downe to bee followed in choosing Commissioners with power to vote in the generall Assembly it was ordainde that Ministers and Commissioners of shyres shal be chosen at the Synodall convention of the diocie with consent of the rest of the Ministers and Gentlemen that shall conveene at the said synodall convention In the generall assembly holden in Februar 1609 we find registrated that the Superintendent of Angus Merns Coommâ—ssioner at that time for the shiresdomes of Aberdeene Bamse had deprived the Principall Subprincipall and some Regents in Aberdeene with advice and consent of the Ministers Elders and Commissioners present which is alledged before in the first Chapter In the book of policie or second booke of discipline agreed upon anno 1578 we have these conclusions In the end of the sixth chapter There that is the Elders principall office is to hold assemblies with the Pastors and Doctors who are also of their number for establishing of good order and execution of discipline In the 7 chapter It is meete that some of the Elders bee chosen out of everie particular Congregation to concurre with the rest of their Brethren in the common Assembly that is the Presbyterie and to take up the delations of offences within their owne Kirks and bring them to this assembly This wee gather out of the practise of the primitive Kirk where Elders or colledges of Seniors were constitute in Cities and famous places The Power of election of these who beare ecclesiasticall charges pertaineth to this kinde of assembly within their owne bounds beeing well erected and constitute of many Pastours and Elders of sufficient abilitie By the like reason their deposition also pertaineth to this kind of Assembly as of them that teach erronious and corrupt doctrine that bee of slanderous life and after admonition desist not that bee given to schisme or rebellion against the Kirk manifest blasphemie symonie c. Provinciall assemblyes wee call lawfull conventions of the Pastors Doctors and other Elders of a province gathered for the common affaires of the Kirkes thereof The Nationall assembly which is generall to us is a lawful convention of the whole Kirkes of the realme or nation wher it is used or gathered for the common affaires of the Kirke maye bee called the generall Eldership of the whole Kirkes within the Realme In the leter sent by King Iames to Noblemen and Gentlemen anno 1581 for furtherance of the erection of presbyteries wee have these words It is thought impossible to attaine to any formall order likely to have continuance to the posteritie over our whole realme while the ancient bounds of the diocies bee dissolved where the Parishes are thick together and small be united and where they be ever great and of larger boundes be divided and thereafter presbyteries or Elderships constitute for a dozen of parishes or thereabouts some more some fewer as the commoditie of the countrie lyeth wher the ministrie and Elders in these boundes conveening maye commodiously exerce discipline and take order in the affaires of the Kirke so far as shall be appointed before the cognition bee brought to the synodall assembly In the assembly holden at Sainct Andrewes in Aprile 1582 in answere to some concerning Elders wee have this answere Concerning such Elders as verse not in the word their resort to the Presbyterie shall bee no farther urged strictly than the weightinesse occasion upoÌ„ intimation and advertisement made by the Pastors and Doctors shall require at which time they shall give their concurrence yet such as may commodiously resort are to bee exhorted to bee present at all times The Presbyterie or eldership of Edinburgh was erected upon the penult of May 1581. consisting of fifteen or sixtene Ministers of the Kirks adjacent within foure or five myles and some Barons and Gentlemen elders out of everie Kirk for that effect So the right of ruling Elders in presbyteries was put in practice at the first erection and constitution of Presbyteries and none were constitute without them This forme and order was a great eye-fore to M. Patrick Adamsone pretended Bishop of Saint Andrewes as the Reader maye see in his Declaration set foorth under the Kings name but falsely in these turbulent times anno 1584 and 1585. Whereâ—unto an answere was made by such as were men of chiefe note in our Kirk I insert here onely the answere following so far as concernes this point As to the eight intention it is accursed and proceedeth from the verie instinct of Satan manifesting himsâ—lfe without cloak colour For there is damned first the name of Presbyterie next the office bearers in the Presbyterie and thirdly