to order Ecclesiasticall Affairs and reforme the Church within their Dominions ALl Princes and States invested with Sovereignty of power do justly challenge to themselves the right of Convocating Nationall Synods of their own Subjects and ratifying their constitution And although pious Princes may tollerate or priviledge the Church to convene within their territories annually or triennially for the exercise of Discipline and execution of constitutions already confirmed neverthelesse we see how wary the Synod of Dort was in this particular yet he is a Magistrate of straw that will permit the Church to convene within his territories whensoever wheresoever they list to convocate before them whomsoever they please all the Nobles all the Subjects of the Kingdome to change the whole Ecclesiasticall pollicy of a Commonwealth to alter the Doctrine and Religion established to take away the legall Rights and Priviledges of the Subjects to erect new Tribunals and Courts of Justice to which Sovereigns themselves must submit and all this of their own heads by virtue of a pretended power given them from Heaven contrary to known Laws and lawfull Customs the Supreame Magistrate dissenting and disclaiming Synods ought to be called by the Supreame Magistrate if he be a Christian c. And either by himself or by such as he shall please to choose for that purpose he ought to preside over them This power the Emperours of old did challenge over Generall Councels Christian Monarchs in the blindnesse of Popery over Nationall Synods the Kings of England over their great Councels of old and their Convocation of later times The Estates of the united Provinces in the Synod of Dort this power neither Roman Catholick or Protestant in France dare deny to his King None have been more punctuall in this case then the State of Geneva where it is expresly provided that no Synod or Presbytery shall alter the Ecclesiasticall pollicy or adde any thing to it without the consent of the civil Magistrate Their Elders do not challenge an uncontrolable power as the Commissioners of Christ but are still called the Commissioners of the Signiory The lesser Councel names them with the advise of the Ministery their consent is not necessary The great Councel of 200. doth approve them or reject them At the end of the year they are presented to the Signiory who continue them or discharge them as they see cause At their admission they take an Oath to keep the Eccesiasticall Ordinances of the civil Magistrate The finall determination of doctrinall differences in Religion after conference of and with the Ecclesiasticks is referred to the Magistrate The Proclamations published with the sound of Trumpet registered in the same Book do plainly shew that the ordering of all Ecclesiasticall affairs is assumed by the Signiory But in Scotland all things are quite contrary the civil Magistrate hath no more to do with the placing or displacing of Ecclesiasticall Elders than he hath in the Electoral Colledge about the Election of an Emperour The King hath no more legislative Power in Ecclesiasticall causes than a Cobler that is a single Vote in case he be chosen an Elder otherwise none at all In Scotland Ecclesiasticall persons make repeal alter their Sanctions every day without consent of King or Councel King Iames proclaimed a Parliament to be held at Edenburgh and a little before by his Letter required the Assembly to abstain from making any Innovations in the Policy of the Church and from prejudging the decisions of the States by their conclusions and to suffer all thâ—ngs to contiâ—ue in the condition they were untill the approaching Parliament What did they hereupon They neglected the Kings Letter by their own Authority they determined all things positively questioned the Arch-Bishop of St Andrews upon their own Canons For collating to benefices and Voting in Parliament according to the â—ndoubted Laws of the Land Yea to that degree of sawcinesse they arrived and into that contempt they reduced Sovereigne Power that twenty Presbyters no more at the highest sometimes but thirteen sometimes but seven or eight dared to hold and maintaine a General Assembly as they miscalled it after it was discharged by the King against his Authority an Insolence which never any Parliament durst yet attempt By their own Authority long before there was any Statute made to that purpose they abolished all the Festivals of the Church even those which were observed in memory of the Birth Circumcision Resurrection and Ascension of our Saviour By their own Authority they decreed the abolition of Bishops requiring them to resigne their offices as not having any calling from Gods Word under pain of Excommunication And to desâ—st from Preaching untill they had a new Admission from the Generall Assembly And to compleate their own folly added further that they would dispose of their possessions as the Churches Patrimony in the next Assembly which ridiculous Ordinance was maintained stifly by the succeeding Synods notwithstanding the Statute that it should be Treason to impugn the Authority of the three Estates or to procure the innovation or diminution of â—â—y of them Which was made on purpose to controll their vain presumption Notwithstanding that themselves had formerly approved and as much as in them lay established Superintendents to endure for terme of life with their numbers bounds salaries larger than those of other Ministers indewed with Episcopall power to plant Churches ordaine Ministers assign Stipends preside in Synods direct the censures of the Church without whom there was no Excommunication The world is much mistaken concerning Episcopacy in Scotland for though the King and Parliament were compelled by the clamours and impetuous violence of the Presbyters to annex the temporalities of Bishops to the Crown yet the Function it self was never taken away in Scotland from their first conversion to Christianity untill these unhappy troubles And these very temporalities were restored by the Ad of restitution and their full power was first established Synodically and afterwards confirmed by the three Estates of the Kingdome in Parliament By their own Authority when they saw they could not prevaile with all their iterated indeavours and attempts to have their book of discipline ratified they obtruded it upon the Church themselves ordaining that all those who had born or did then beaâ—â— any office in the Church should subscribe it under pain of Excommunication By their own Authority or rather by the like unwarrantable boldness they adopted themselves to be heirs of the Prelates and and other dignities and orders of the Church suppressed by their tumultuous violence and decreed that all tythes rents lands oblations yea whatsoever had been given in former times a should be given in future times to the service of God was thâ— Patrimony of the Church and ought to be collected and distributed by the Deacons as the Word of God appoints That to convert any of this to their particular or
robs the Magistrate of the last appeale of â—iâ— Subjects THe second flows from this The last appeal ought to be the Supreame Magistrate or Magistrates within his or their Dominions as to the highest Power under God And where it is not so ordered the Common-wealth can injoy no tranquility â—s we shall see in the second part of this discourse By the Laws of England if any man find himself grieved with the sentence oâ— consistoriall proceedings of a Bishop or of his Officers he may appeal from the highest judicatory of the Church to the King iâ— Chancery who useth in that case to grant Commissions under the great Seal to Delegates expert in the Laws of the Realme whâ— have power to give him remedy and to see Justice done In Scotland this would be taken in great scorn as an high indignity upon the Commissioners of Christ to appeal from his Tribunal to the judgement of a mortal man In the year 1582. King Iames by his Letter by his Messenger the Master of Requests and by an Herald at Arms prohibited the Assembly at Saint Andrews to proceed in the case of one Mongomery and Mongomery himsâ—lf appealed to Caesar or to King and Councel What did our new Matters upon this They sleighted the Kings Letter his Messenger his Herald rejectâ—d the Appeal as made to an incompetent Judge and proceeded most violently in the cause About four years after this another Synod held at Saint Andrews proceeded in like manner against the Bishop of that Seâ— for Voting in Parliament according to his conscience and for being suspected to have penned a Declaration published by the King and Parliament at the end of the Statutes notwithstanding that he declined their judicature and appealed to the King and Parliament When did any Bishops dare to doe such acts There need no more instances their Book of Discipline it sâ—lf being so full in the case From the Kirk there is no reclamation or appellation to any Judge Civil or Ecclesiastical within the Realm CHAP. IV. That it exempts the Ministers from due Punishment THirdly If Ecclesiastick Persons in their Pulpits or Assemblies shall leave their Text and proper work to turn Incendiaries Trumpeters of sedition stirring up the people to tumults and disloyal attempts in all well-ordered Kingdoms and Commonwealths they are punishable by the Civil Magistrate whose proper office it is to take cognizance of Treason and Sedition It was well said by a King of France to some such seditious Sheba's That if they would not let him alone in their Pulpits he would send them to preach in another climate In the Vnited Provinces there want not examples of seditious Oratours who for controlling their Magistrates too sawcily in the Pulpit have been turned both out of their Churches and Cities without any fear of wresting Christs Scepter out of his hand In Geneva it self the correction of Ecclesiastical persons qua tales is expresly reserved to the Signiory So much our Disciplinarians have ouâ—-done their pattern as the passionate writings of heady men out-do the calmer decrees of a stayed Senate But the Ministers of Scotland have exempted themselves in this case from all secular judgement as King Iames who knew them best of any man living witnesseth They said He was an incompetent Iudge in such cases and that matters of the Pulpit ought to be exempted from the judgement and correction of Princes They themselves speak plain enough It is an absurd thing that sundry of them Commissaries having no function of the Kirk should be Iudges to Ministers and depose them from their rooms The reason holds as well against Magistrates as Commissaries To passe by the sawcy and seditious expressions of Mr Dury Mr Mellvill Mr Bâ—lcanquâ—ll and their impunity Mr Iames Gibson in his Sermon taxed the King for a Persecutor and threatned him with a curse that he should die childless and be the last of his race for which being convented before the Assembly and not appearing he was onely suspended during the pleasure of his brethren he should have been suspended indeed that is hanged But at another Assembly in August following upon his allâ—gation that his not appearing was out of his tender care of the Rights of the Church he was purged from his contumacy without once so much as acquainting his Majesty The case is famous of Mr David Blake Minister of St Andrews who had said in his Sermon That the King had discovered the treachery of his heart in admitting the Popish Lords into the Countrey That all Kings were the Devils barns that the Devil was in the Court and in the guiders of it And in his prayer for the Queen he used these words We must pray for her for fashion sake but we have no cause she will never do us any good He said that the Queen of England Queen Elizabeth was an Atheist that the Lords of the Session were miscreants and bribers that the Nobility were degenerated godless dissemblers and enemies to the Church that the Councel were holly glasses Cormorants and men of no Religion I appeal to all the Estates in Europe what punishment could be severe enough for such audacious virulence The English Ambassadour complains of it Blake is cited before the Councel The Commissioners of the Church plead That it will be ill taken to bring Ministers in question upon such trifling delations as inconsistent with the liberties of the Church They conclude that a Declinatour should be used and a Protestation made against those proceedings saying It was Gods cause wherein they ought to stand to all hazâ—rds Accordingly a Declinatour was framed and presented Blake desires to be remitted to the Presbytery as his Ordinary The Commissioners send the Copie of the Declinatour to all the Presbyteries requiring them for the greater corroboration of their doings to subscribe the same and to commend the cause in hand in their private and publick prayers to God using their best credit with their flocks for the maintenance thereof The King justly incensed herewith dischargeth the Commissioners Notwithstanding this Injunction they stay still and send Delegates to the King to represent the inconveniences that might ensue The King more desirous to decline their envy than they his judgement offers peace The Commissioners refuse it and present an insoâ—ent Petition which the King rejects deservedly and the cause was heard thâ— very day that the Princes Elizabeth now Queen of Bohemia wâ—s Christened The witnesses were produced Mr Robert Ponte in the name of the Church makes a Pretestation Blake presents a second Dâ—clinatour The Councel decree that the cause being treasonable is cognoscible before them The good King still seeks peace sends Messengers treats offers to remit but it is labour in vain The Ministers answer peremptorily by Mr Robert Bruce their Prolocutor That the liberty of Christs Kingdom had received such a wound by this usurpation of the Rights of the Church that if the lives of Mr Blake
profane use of any persoâ— is detestable Sacriledge before God And elsewhere Gentleâ—â—â— Barons Earls Lords and others must be content to live 〈◊〉 their just rents and suffer the Kirk to be restored to her Liâ—erty What this Liberty is follows in the same place all things given in hospitality all rents pertaining to Priests Chanteries Colledges Chappetries Frieries of all orders the Sisters of the Seens all which ought to be retained still in the use of the Kirâ— Give them but leave to take their breath and expect the rest Tâ—â— whole revenâ—es of the temporalities of Bishops Deans and Anâ—Deans Lands and all rents pertaining to Cathedrall Kirks Then supposing an Objection that the Possessours had Leases and Estates they answer That those who made them were thieves and murtherers and had no power to alienate the common Good of the Kirk They desire that all such Estates may be anulled and avoided that all Collectours appointed by the King or others may be discharged from intermedling therewith and the Deacons permitted to collect the same yea to that height of madnesse were thâ—y come as to define and determine in their Assembly judge whether it be not a modest constitution for a Synod That the next Parliament the Church should be fully restored to its Patrimony and that nothing should be pâ—st in Parliament untill that was first considered and approved Let all Estates take notice of these pretensions and designs If their project have not yet taken effâ—ct it is only because they wanted sufficient strength hitherto to accomplish it Lastly by their own Authority under the specious title of Iesus Christ King of Kings and Lord of Lords the only Monarch of his Church and under pretence of his Prerogative Royall they erected their own Courts and Presbyteries in the most parts of Scotland long before thâ—y were legally approved or received as appeareth by their own Act alledging that many suites had been made to the Magistrate for approbation of the Policy of the Kirk which had not taken that happy effect which good men would crave And by another Act acknowledging that Presbyteries were then established Synodically in most parts of the Kingdome And lastly by the Act of another Generall Assemâ—ly at Edenburg ordaining that the Discipline contained in the Acts of the Generall Assembly should be kept as well in Agnus and Mernis as in the rest of the Kingdome You see sufficiently in point of practice how the Disciplinarians have trampled upon the Laws and justled the civill Magistrate out of his Supremacy in Ecclesiasticall Affaires My next â—ask shall be to shew that this proceeds not from Inanimadvertence or Passion but from their Doctrine and Principles First They teach that no persons Magistrates nor others have power to Vote in their Synods but only Ecclesiasticall Secondly They teach that Ecclesiasticall persoâ—s have â—he sole power of convening and convocating such Assembles All Ecclesiasticall Assemblies have power to convene lawfully together for treating of things concerning the Kirk They have power to appoint times and places Again Nationall Assemblies of thiâ— Countrey ought alwayes to be retained in their own Liberties with power to the Kirk to appoint times and places Thus they make it a Liberty that is a Priviledge of the Church a part of its Patrimony not only to convene but to convocate whomsoever whensoever wheresoever Thirdly For point of Power they teach that Synods have the judgement of true and false Religion of Doctrine Heresies c. the election admission suspension deprivation of Ministers thâ— determination of all things that pertain to the Discipline of the Church The judgement of Ecclesiasticall matters causes benâ—ficiary matrimoniall and others Iurisdiction to proceed to excommunication against those that rob the Church of its Patrimony They have legislative Power to make rules and constitutions for keeping good order in the Kirk They have power to abrâ—gate and abolish all Statutes and Ordinances concerning Ecclesiasticall matters that are found noisome and unprofitable and agree not with the time or are abused by the people And all this without any Reclamation or Apellation to any Iudge Civill 〈◊〉 Ecclesiasticall Fourthly They teach that they have these priviledges not from the Magistrate or People or particular Laws of any other Countrey The Magistrate can not execute the censures of the Church nor prescribe any rule how it should be done but Ecclesiasticall power floweth immediately from God and from the Mediatour Iesus Christ. And yet further The Church cannot be governed by others than those Ministers and Stewards set over it by Christ nor otherwise than by his Laws And therefore there is no power on earth that can challenge to it self a Command or Dominiâ—â— upon the Church And again It is prohibited by the Law of God and of Christ for the Christian Magistrate to invade the Government of the Church and consequently to challenge to himself the right of both Swords spirituall and temporall And if any Magistrate do arrogate so much to himself the Church shall have cause to complain and exclaime that the Pope is changed but the Papacy remains So if Kings and Magistrates stand in their way they are Political Popes as well as Bishops are Ecclesiasticall Whatsoever these men do is in the Name of our Lord Iesus and by Authority delegated from him alone Lastly They teach that they have all this Power not only without the Magistrate but against the Magistrate that is although he dissent and send out his prohibitions to the contrary Parliamentary ratifications can no way alter Church Canons concerning the Worship of God For Eccclesiasticall Discipline ought to be exercised whether it be ratified by the civill-Magistrate or not The want of a civill Sanction to the Church is but like Lucrum cessans non damnum emergens As it addes nothing to it so it takes nothing away from it If there be any clashing of Jurisdictions or defect in this kind they lay the fault at the Magistrates doore It is a great sinne or wickednesse for the Magistrate to hinder the exercise or execution of Ecclesiasticall Discipline Now we have seen the pernicious practices of their Synods with the Doctrines from which they flow it remains to dispel umbrages wherewith they seek to hide the ugliness of their proceedings and principles from the eyes of the world We say they do give the Christian Magistrate a politicall Power to convocate Synods to preside in Synods to ratifie the Acts of Synods to reform the Church We make him the keeper of both Tables Take nothing and hold it fast here are good words but they signifie nothing Trust me whatsoever the Disciplinarians do give to the Magistrate it is alwayes with a saving of their own stakes not giving for his advantage but their own For they teach that this power of the Christian Magistrate is not private and destructive to the power of the Church but
Kingdom in order to the propagation of Religion See how these hoc as pocases with stripping up their sleeves and professions of plain-dealing with declaiming against the tyranny of Prelates under the pretense of humility and Ministeriall duty have wrested the Scepter out of the hand of Majesty and jugled themselves into as absolute a Papacy as ever was within the walls of Rome O saviour behold thy Vicars and see whither the pride of the servants of thy servants is ascended Now their Consistories are become the Tribunalls of Christ. That were strange indeed I Christ hath bet one Tribunall his Kingdome is not of this world Their determinations passe for the Santence of Christ. Alas there is too much fiction and passion and ignorance in their Presbyteries Their Synodall Acts go for the Lawes of Christ. His Lawes are immutable mortall man may not persume to alter them or to adde to them but these men are chopping and changing their constitutions every day Their Elders must be looked upon as the commissioners of Christ. It is impossible Geneva was the first City where this discipline was hatched though since it hath lighted into hucksters hands In those dayes they magnified the platform of Geneva for the pattern sheâ—ed in the mount But there the Presbyters at their admission take an oath to observe the Ecclesiasticall Ordinances of the small great and generall Councels of thâ—t City Can any man be so stupid as to think that the high Commissioners of Christ swear fealty to the Burgers of Geneva Now forsooth their Discipline is become the Scepter of Christ the Eternall Gospel See how successe exalts mens desires and demands In good time where did this Scepter lye hid for 1500 yeers that we cannot finde the least footsteps of it in the meanest village of Christendom This world drawes towards an end was this discipline fitted and contrived for the world to come Or how should it be the Eternal Gospel When every man sees how different it is from it self in all Presbyterian Churches adapted and accommodated to the civill policy of each particular place where it is admitted except only Scotland where it comes in like a Conqueror and makes the Civill Power stoop and strike top saile to it Certainly if it be the Gospel it is the fifth Gospel for it hath no kindred with the other foure There is not a Text which they wrest against Episcopacy but the Independants may with as much colour of reason and truth urge it against their Presbyteries Where doth the Gospel distinguish between temporary and perpetuall Rulers Between the Government of a person and of a corporation There is not a Text which they produce for their Presbytery but may with much more reason be alledged for Episcopacy and more agreeable to the analogie of faith to the perpeâ—uall practice and belif of the Catholick Church to the concurrent Expositions of all Interpreters and to the other Texts of holy Scripâ—uâ—e for untill this new modell was yesterday devised none of those Texts were ever so understood When the practise ushers in the doctrine it is very suspicious or rather evident that the Scripture was not the rule of their reformation but their subsequent excuse This jure devino is that which makes their sore incurable themselves incorrigible that they father their own brat upon God Almighty and make this Mushrome which sprung but up the other night to be of heavenly dâ—scent It is just like the doctrine of the Popâ—s infallibility which shuâ—s the door against all hope of remedy How should they be brought to reform their errors who belâ—eve they cannot erre or they be brought to renounce their drowsy dreams who take it for granted that they are divine revelations And yet when that wise Prince King Iames a little before the Nationall Assembly at Perth published in print 55 Articles or Questions concerning the uncertainty of this Discipline and the vanity of their pretended plea of divine right and concerning the errours and abuses crept into it for the better preperation of all men to the ensuing Synod that Ministers might study the point beforehand and speak to the purpose they who stood effected to that way were extremely perplexed To give a particular account they knew well it was impossible but their chifest trouble was that their foundation of divine right which they had given out all this while to be a solid rock should come now to be questioned for a shaking quagmire And so without any opposition they yeelded the bucklers Thus it continued untill these unhappy troubles when they started aside again like broken bowes This plant thrives better in the midst of tumults then in the times of peace and tranquillity The Elme which supports it is a factioâ—â— multitude but a prudent and couragious Magistrate nips it iâ— the bud CHAP. IX That this Discipline makes a monster of the Commonwealth WE have seen how pernicious this Discipline as it is maintained in Scotland and endeavoured to be introduced into England by the Covenant is to the supreme Magistrate how it robs him of his Supremacy in Ecclesiasticall affaires and of the last appeals of his own Subjects that it exempts the Presbyters from the power of the Magistrate and subjects the Magistrate to the Presbyters that it restraines his dispensative power of pardoning deprives him of the dependance of his Subjects that it doth challenge and usurp a power paramount both of the word and of the Sword both of Peace and War over all Courts and Estates over all Laws Civill and Ecclesiasticall in order to the advencement of the Kingdom of Christ wherof the Presbyters alone are constiâ—â—ted rulers by God and all this by a pretended divine right which takes away all hope of remedy untill it be hissed out of the world in a word that it is the top-branch of Popery a greater tyranny then ever Rome was guilty of It remains to show how disadvantagious it is also to the Subject First to the Common-wealth in generall which it makes a Monster like an Amphishbaina or a Serpent wiâ—h two heads one at either end It makes a coordination of Soveraignty in the same Society two supermes in the same Kingdom or State the one Civill the other Ecclesiasticall then which nothing can be more pernicious either to the consciences or the estates of Subjects when it falls out as it often doth that from these two heads issue contrary commands If the Trumpet give an uncertain sound who shall prepare himself to the battel Much more when there are two Trumpets and the one sounds an Alarm the other a Retreat What should the poor Souldier do in such a case or the poor Subject in the other case If he obey the Civill Magistrate he is sure to be excommunicated by the Church if he obey the Church he is sure to be imprisoned by the Civill Magistrate What shall become of him I know no remedy but according to Solomons sentence the living