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A77471 A brief resolution of the present case of the subjects of Scotland in order to Episcopal government, by sacred authority re-established in this kingdome. Or, Episcopus Scoticanus redivivus. For the satisfaction of the people. Authore Phil-Alethio. Phil-Alethio. 1661 (1661) Wing B4645; ESTC R223956 14,376 22

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be look'd upon by considering persons but as so many methods and impostures to delude whileas even the most violent pressers of the bindingnesse of these Oaths against Episcopacy do in their open professions and acknowledgements renounce and disclaim the obligations of these Oaths as to the combination and confederacy that is in them consederacies and combinations among Subjects upon what pretext soever without special allowance and consent of the Supreme Magistrate being by themselves acknowledged to be sinful and rebellious which yet is if not the very formalis ratio and essence of these ensnaring Covenant-Oaths yet doubtlesse the prime object and man foundation of them whileas also they acknowledge the unbindingnesse of these same Oaths as to conditional and reserv'd Allegiance by undue and unwarrantable limitations and restrictions and yet still presse the Oath and its bindingnesse against Episcopal Government and in a copulative Oath such as these Oaths and Covenants acknowledge themselves to be if the obligation as to any one point be dissolved and loosed it can hardly be understood how as to the whole or any other particular there can be any more bindingnesse therein What will the forsaid acknowledgments infer being weighed in the ballance of discerning men but that were it not that the fear of incurring the censure and penalties of treason did overawe these Covenant-Oaths c. would be still vigorously asserted to be as binding and obligative in point of combination without and against the Soveraign Magistrate's consent and in order to conditional and limited Allegiance as they are said to be in order to the point of Episcopacy To dispense with these Oaths and Covenant-engagements in these great Points and Interests and yet still to set out the same as indispensable tyes and Sacred inviolable Bonds against Episcopal-Government is not this handsomely to play the Pope in dispensing in some more weighty and binding consciences in lighter concerns of one and the same copulative Oath or is it not rather as some observing persons give it to act the impostures in imposing upon the Peoples easinesse and credulity for upholding of the tottering Diana of a Para-mount Power some have so sinfully usurped and so tyrannically practised and are yet so unwilling to part with left the power of this Church be recovered into those hands out of which it was wrested by violence and injustice And what a needlesse noise is it that is so much raised by the zealous clamors of some against Episcopacy may it not be remembered that it was declared by the contrivers and abettors of the Covenant in its first rise that though they supposed Episcopacy to be against Law in Scotland yet they did not require any by taking of the Covenant to abjure it but that the practise of it should be forborn and the matter referred to a free General Assembly See Ministers Answ to the 4. dem of the Doctors of Aberdene And one would think that the edge of such preposterous zeal might have been rather blunted then sharpned by these last three and twenty years exeperience And is not Episcopacy a Government which had its rise in the Apostles themselves and by continual and universal succession hath since been still owned and practised by the Christian Church as the continued succession of Bishops in the See's of Alexandria from Mark the Evangelist in Jerusalem from James the Apostle in Antioch from Peter c. shew If historical credit may be given to such Worthies as Irenaeus Eusebius Socrates Theodoret Hierom with many other grave and famous Ecclesiastick Writers in so much that ●●●tus for affirming a Bishop not to be above a single Presby●er was generally reputed by the Christian World for thirteen hundred years together as well in the Eastern as Western Church for a down-right Heretick a Government which hath been still owned in the Church of Scotland when Order and Government did overtop Faction and Interest and ever still till Seditions Tumults Insurrections and Rebellions did go current for Discipline and Order And in a word a Government which by the universal consent of the Churches of Christendome both in Asia Africk Grece Russia and other parts of Europe that never acknowledged any subjection to or dependance upon the See of Rome hath been constantly embraced and the Opugners of it generally branded for Hereticks which of all other Forms hath undovbted the best Title to Divine or Apostolical Institution against which nothing is or ever could be objected but the humane infirmities and personal failings of some particular men from which no Government is or can be totally exempted and priviledged which in the most of these few Churches who want it some whereof are under the want of Bishops because they cannot tell how to come by them their Princes being of a different Religion and so will allow none but of their own others there be who are willingly without them because setled in such a Government as they find most suitable to a Popular State and dare not venture upon a change all others enjoying the felicity of Episcopal Government either the thing and name both or else the thing under another name viz. Superintendents Inspector's c. by their best and ablest Ministers hath been frequently desired Our practise sure is without all parallel in that never did we read of any Church before a misleading Faction in this our Church of Scotland that ever turn'd out their Bishops if they were of the same Religion vowing to root them out by the Sword contrary to the command of the Supream Lawful Magistrate So that we must needs accuse all the World besides our selves of folly Antichristianism and ignorance or then resolve to forbear our peevish quarrellings against this Government of the Church by Bishops to which through Gods Mercy and His Majesties care this broken Church is again restored To all the former it may be added that in all the Bible it is not to be sound that the power either of Ordination of Jurisdiction ever was exercised by a singl Presbytery yea and it is none of the least of doubts whether there be mention of any judicial consistory of single Presbyters simpliciter pares in all Sacred Writ without delegation from and in a dependence upon a Superiour Power residing in a single person If then the design of some Zelots against Episcopacy may not seem to have worse at the bottome and do not tend to lead Subjects into misconstructions of His Majesties Gracious Intentions let the impartial determine So that to draw towards a conclusion we may see how contrary such Oaths and Vows are to the duty which good Subjects by vertue of their relation and as Subjects they owe to their Soveraign how contrary to due Allegiance how obstructive and repugnant to the performance of the great moral duty of obedience due by Subjects to Supreme Authority and the established Laws thereof as also how inconsistent with the welfare of the Church and State we live in and