places and callings the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government Now the Scotch Author or Ladensium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his Postscript against Lysimachus Nicanor tells us p. 35. that Episcopacy is no way so opposite to the Discipline of any reformed Church as to that Discipline which many Assemblies and Parliaments have settled in Scotland and therefore he concludes thus p. 36. 37. we cannot dissemble any longer our hearty wishes that England would after the example of all the reformed Churches ridd themselves at last of their Bishops trouble as they did of old without any repentance to this day of their Abbots and Monks This says he we conceive would much increase the joy and prosperity of all the three Dominions Accordingly those Covenanters sware also to endeavour the reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the word of God and the example of the best reformed Churches Now all the reformed Churches as the same Author affirms p. 35. cast out at first and to this day have carefully holden at the door even that kind of Episcopacy which their chief Divines seem'd not much to oppose Suitable whereunto is that which Presbyterians sware in the second Article of the Covenant viz. to endeavour the extirpation of Church-Government by Bishops as well as by Archbishops Chancellors Commissaries c. With what face therefore can this Author presume to tell us p. 19. 29. that the Form of Ecclesiastical Government by Parochial and Classical Presbyteries Provincial and National Assemblies is remote enough from the main cause of Presbytery especially since he affirms p. 24. 34. that one of his Majesties Kingdoms Scotland is Presbyterian by which sure he means not moderately Episcopal for p. 59. 69. that he may prove the Presbyterian Form of Government a. Fence against Heresies and Errors he instances in the Form of Ecclesiastical Policy and method of Discipline in the Church of Scotland which as there described is no otherwise than by Parochial and Classical Presbyteries Provincial and National Assemblies Now how injurious the Scotch Discipline which English Presbyterians have thus covenanted to introduce is to the civil magistrate how oppressive to the subject and pernicious to both Bishop Bramhall since Primate of Ireland hath abundantly manifested in his Fair warning for England to take heed of the Scotch Discipline or as 't is lately Printed of the Presbyterian Government In which treatise he endeavours to prove that their Discipline doth utterly overthrow the rights of Magistrates to convocate Synods to confirm their Acts to order Ecclesiastical Affairs and reform the Church within their Dominions that it robs the Magistrate of the last Appeal of his Subjects that it exempts the Ministers from due punishment that it subjects the supreme magistrate to their Censures that it robs him of his pardoning power as to some crimes of his civil power in order to Religion that it makes a monster of the Commonwealth is most prejudicial to the Parliament is oppressive to particular persons and hurtful to all orders of men that the Disciplinarians challenge this exorbitant power by Divine right The truth of these propositions he hath evinc'd out of their Books of Discipline and publick Records of their practice Since therefore the English Presbyterians have sworn to endeavour the preservation of this Discipline and Government in the Church of Scotland and to reform the Discipline and Government here in England according to the Example of the reformed Church in Scotland 't is but a piece of justice and reason that the King's Majesty should look upon them as persons owning those seditious Principles upon which such enormous Disciplinarian practices are grounded Some of which Principles are these 1. That their National Assemblies ought always to be retain'd in their own liberties of convening lawfully together p. 7. with power to the Kirk to appoint times and places 2. That they have power to abolish and abrogate all Statutes and Ordinances concerning Ecclesiastical matters that are found noysome and unprofitable and agree not with the time or are abused by the people and to make Rules and Constitutions for keeping good order in the Kirk p. 8. 3. That Ecclesiastical Discipline ought to be exercised whether it be ratified by the civil magistrate or no p. 9 12. 4. That from the Kirk there is no reclamation nor appellation to any judge Civil or Ecclesiastical within the Realm p. 13. 5. That to their Discipline all the Estates within the Realm must be subject as well Rulers as they who are ruled p. 16. 6. That the Civil Magistrate cannot pardon any crime that was made capital by the judicial Law p. 12. 7. That matters of the Pulpit ought to be exempted from the judgment and correction of Princes p. 14. In proportion to which principles the Kirk p. 5. by their own Authority decreed the abolition of Bishops requiring them to resign their offices as not having any call from Gods word under pain of Excommunication and to desist from preaching till they had a new admission from the general Assembly They resolv'd also to dispose of their possessions as the Kings Patrimony in the next Assembly When they could not prevail to have their Book of Discipline ratifyed by the Civil Authority they obtruded it on the Church themselves p. 6. ordaining that all those who had born or did then bear any office in the Church should subscribe it under pain of excommunication By their own authority also p. 7. under the specious title of Jesus Christ King of Kings and Lord of Lords the only Monarch of this Church and under pretence of his prerogative Royal they erected their own Courts and Presbyteries in the most part of Scotland long before they were legally approv'd or receiv'd In their Assembly at Edenburgh 1647. they determined that nothing should be pass'd in the next Parliament till the Church was fully restored to its Patrimony yea says the Lord Primate p. 5. they arrived to that degree of sauciness Anno 1600. and reduced the Soveraign power to such contempt that 20 Presbyters no more at the highest sometimes but 13 sometimes but 7 or 8 dar'd to hold and maintain a general Assembly as they miscalled it after it was discharged by the King against his Authority an Insolence which never any Parliament durst attempt Anno 1582. they rejected Mongomery's appeal from themselves to King James as made to an incompetent Judge and proceeded violently against him notwithstanding the Kings prohibition p. 13. They who have a mind to see more instances of the like nature may read that Book of the Archbishop Now the Question must be 1. whether those English Presbyterians who have covenanted to endeavour the Preservation of the Discipline and Government of the Church of Scotland ought not to be look'd upon as persons approving those Principles and practices upon which that
Discipline and Government is founded and exercised 2. Whether those English Presbyterians who have covenanted to endeavour the reformation of Religion in the Kingdom of England in Discipline and Government according to the example of the best reformed Churches in the number of which Churches they may well be supposed to reckon the Kirk of Scotland ought not to be look'd upon as persons engaging themselves to imitate that Kirk by endeavouring the Introduction of the like practices here in England grounded on the like principles 3. Whether therefore such an approbation of those Principles and Practices ought not in justice to have been mentioned as part of their Character and 4. Whether persons that may justly have such a character affixt upon them ought in justice or reason of State to be protected and encouraged or rejected and depressed Whereas this Author tells us p. 24. 34. that the men of the Presbyterian perswasion are not lukewarm but true zelots I answer They are so much the more dangerous and more likely to be Instruments of mischief unless their zeal be ballasted with knowledge and discretion and exerted in lawful ways Indeed if they are like the Scotch Disciplinarian zelots before mentioned they are so far from being lukewarm that they are rather Seditious Incendiaries and prone to nothing more than the kindling of devouring Fires in that Nation where they are encourag'd Nevertheless says he they have no fellowship with the spirit of Enthusiastical and Anabaptistical fancy and frenzy What! not in their main and rooted Principles By which he characterizes them p. 20 21. 30 31. which I intimate chiefly as another Argument of the lameness and imperfection of that character We have reason to believe that our modern Presbyterians are somewhat better than their Forefathers if they do not agree with them and the Anabaptists 1. In disturbing the Church under pretence of reforming it 2. In labouring both by conferences in private and by Sermons in publick to draw the common people from their liking the present State 3. In publishing factious Books to the view of the world 4. In disdaining and reproaching Magistrates for endeavouring to bring them to conformity by compulsion 5. In slandering and reviling those Ministers that withstand their factious proceedings attributing much good to themselves and pouring contempt and discredit upon their opposites 6. In impugning the prescript Form of Prayer 7. In holding that the word of God must of necessity be preach'd before the Administration of the Sacraments 8. In protesting that they go not about to take any authority from Magistrates even while they seek to overthrow the Government of the State That the Anabaptists in Germany were thus guilty and the Presbyterians in England in Q. Elizabeth's days I refer the Reader for proof to Oliver Ormerod's picture of a Puritan written about those times and reprinted 1605. wherein he endeavours to prove that the Puritans then resembled the Anabaptists in above fourscore Points See also Archbishop Whitgift's defence of his Answer to the Admonition p. 33 34. in Fol. And I wish it were not easie to manifest that our late Covenanting Presbyterians have had too much fellowship with the spirit of these Anabaptistical Frenzies now mention'd who says this Author are no Fanaticks although they begin to be by some abus'd under that name But he might have known that turbulent Presbyterians have been so call'd long since by one that had skill enough to give persons such names as were suitable to their Natures even King James himself in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 B. 2. where speaking of some Scotch Puritans such fiery-spirited-Presbyterians as endeavoured to introduce a parity in the Church you shall never find says he with any High-land or Border Thieves more lies and vile perjuries than with those Fanatick Spirits c. But says this Author they are persons of known learning prudence piety and gravity in great numbers Here it may be question'd 1. How he can prove this Encomium of them to be true 2. Whether the Quakers do not excel them in gravity the Anabaptists in piety the Independents in prudence the Prelatists in learning and some Jesuits in all four and yet this Author seems willing enough to have all these parties rejected and depressed Besides of inferior rank a vast multitude of knowing serious honest people 1. This also wants proof 2. The more learning prudence piety and gravity those of the superior rank have the more peaceably and quietly they will live under lawful Governours and the more obediently they will submit to their Laws which therefore if either they or those of inferior rank refuse to do they are either less knowing or less serious and honest than in conscience it concerns those to be who expect to be protected and encouraged by Governors None of all which are led blindfold by Tradition or implicit Faith This man sure is a very knowing person himself if he be so well acquainted with all the Presbyterians as to be able to aver this of them all or of a vast multitude of them upon good grounds But is he indeed certain that none of them are so lazy ignorant and sottish as to be led blindâ—old by the Tradition and dictates of their Presbyterian Parsons Did none of them by an implicit Faith believe it lawful to take the Covenant Do none of them by an implicit Faith believe the Rites and Forms by Law and Canons establisht among us unlawful p. 29. 39. Was it not an implicit Faith in the seditious Doctrines of the Society of Jesus whereby they believed it lawful to take up Arms against their lawful Soveraign Or do run headlong into Fanatick delusions Are any turn'd Fanaticks at last but those that were first such Presbyterians as himself describes p. 21 22 But they give up themselves to the sole direction and authority of the holy Scriptures He hath told us before that they deny not due respect and reverence to venerable Antiquity p. 20. 30. Let him shew if he can how they respect and reverence venerable Antiquity if they afford it not some directive Authority 2. Why may not Independents and Anabaptists as well be said to give up themselves to the sole direction and Authority of the holy Scriptures as Presbyterians Wherefore impartial Reason will conclude that they chose this way as with sincerity of affection so with gravity of judgment and that the things themselves even the more disputable part of them as that against the Hierarchy and Ceremonies are such as may frequently prevail with good and wise men Which inference signifies nothing till the truth of the premises be clear'd except the Authors confidence that the Prelatists have reason to believe whatsoever he says in the praise of Presbyterians merely because he is bold enough to say it Inasmuch as they appear to those that have embrac'd them to have the Impress of Divine Authority and the Character of Evangelical Purity Dares this Author deny that the Principles of
THE Presbyterians Unmask'd OR ANIMADVERSIONS UPON A Nonconformist Book CALLED The Interest of ENGLAND IN THE Matter of RELIÌ„GION Nihil â—cci diciâ— 3 Iâ—o Nihil Fateris QVISEQVITUR ME NON AMBULAT IN TENâ—â—RIS Non Quis sed Quid. Not Who but What. LONDON Printed for R. Royston Bookseller to his most Sacred Majesty at the Angel in Amen-Corner 1676. THE PREFACE THough perhaps there have been several Junctures since 1661. wherein the publishing of these Animadversions which were then finished would have been judged more seasonable yet I must profess my self in the number of those men who believe nothing of this nature can come out unseasonably till either the Old cause cease to be thought good or else the good old cause cease to be on the Anvile And who can imagine but that it is so still when men still endeavour to support factious Parties in opposition to the Laws of the Land Nay have the impudence to inveigh even against the Laws themselves that were designed to secure the State for the future against the malignant influences and the disturbing pernicious attempts of Presbyterian as well as other Sectarian Spirits witness that late vile Letter from a Person of Quality to his Friend in the Countrey in which the able but more daring Author accuses the Act for regulating Corporations as keeping many of the wealthiest worthiest and soberest men out of the Magistracy of those places The Act which settled the Militia as establishing a standing Army by a Law and swearing us into a Military Government Whereas nothing does more justify the necessity of a standing Army of which such a jealousie is pretended than the cross-grain'd seditious humours of those men who exclaim most against it The Five-mile Oxford Act as imposing a most unlawful and unjustifiable Oath and the Act for Uniformity as that which rendered Bartholomew-day fatal to our Church and Religion in throwing out a very great number of worthy learned pious and Orthodox Divines In which glorious Titles the Presbyterian Divines were without doubt intended to have the greatest share and the Lay-Presbyterians in the forementioned character of the Wealthiest Worthiest and Soberest men 'T is a wonder he did not add and most loyal Subjects but it may be he was not so intimately acquainted with them as this John Corbet was who is so profuse and lavish of his praises as to commend Presbyterians Interest of England p. 66. 2. Edit even on this score too We affirm boldly says he that those for whom we plead viz. Presbyterians must needs be good Subjects to a Christian King and good members of a Christian Commonwealth The Man I confess has an excellent knack at whitening Aethiopians and putting Wolves into sheeps clothing But he must not be angry if we endeavour for our own and other mens security to strip them of that covering lest under the specious disguises of Religion Reformation and Liberty they once more rend and tear us and make us a prey to Atheism Confusion and Tyranny It concerns us to have the Presbyterian vizor taken off and these worthy learned sober serious Gentlemen of the padd exposed in their proper shape and features that so they may be too well known to be suffered to rob us any more of our Laws Government Order Peace and tranquillity And therefore he does a very good office who at any time gives men warning to take heed of these devouring Sepulchres And because this demure Author had taken so much pains to make them appear beautiful outwardly I thought it worth mine to pare away the grass and to set a fresh mark upon them that so honest men might not fall into them unawares nor permit themselves to be again defiled with Presbyterian uncleanness Imprimatur Maii 2. 1676. G. Jane R. P. D. Henr. Episcopo Lond. Ã Sac. Dom. ANIMADVERSIONS on a Book Entitled The Interest of ENGLAND in the matter of RELIGION THE Author having told us Page 16. 26. 2. Edit that among the various disagreeing Parties within this Kingdom two main ones appear above the rest viz. the Episcopal and Presbyterian and that the disunion between these Parties must be removed either by the abolition of one Party or by the coalition of both into one or by a toleration indulg'd to the weaker side he proceeds p. 17. 27. without staying to inform us how disunion of Parties may be said to be remov'd either by the abolition or toleration of one Party to that which he presumes the great case of the time and therefore proposes it as the subject of his discourse viz. in which of these three ways Abolition Coalition or Toleration the true Interest of the King and Kingdom lies And the first thing that he enquires into is Whether in Justice or reason of State the Presbyterian Party should be rejected and depressed or protected and encouraged Which Party he distinguishes from Prelatists by these Characters which p. 20. 30. he calls their main and rooted Principles 1. They admire and magnify the holy Scriptures and take them for the absolute perfect Rule of Faith and life without the supplement of Ecclesiastical Tradition yet they deny not due respect and reverence to venerable Antiquity 2. They assert the study and knowledge of the Scriptures to be the duty and priviledge of all Christians yet they acknowledge the necessity of a standing Gospel-ministery and receive the directive Authority of the Church not with implicit Faith but the Judgment of Discretion 3. They hold the teaching of the Spirit necessary to the saving knowledge of Christ yet they hold not that the spirit brings new Revelations 4. They exalt divine ordinances but debase humane inventions in Gods worship particularly Ceremonies properly religious and of instituted mystical signification yet they allow the natural expressions of reverence and devotion as kneeling and lifting up of the hands and eyes in prayer as also those meer circumstances of decency and order the omission whereof would make the service of God either undecent or less decent 5. They rejoyce in Christ Jesus having no confidence in a legal righteousness but desire to be found in him who is made unto us righteousness by gracious imputation yet withal they affirm constantly that good works of piety towards God and of justice and charity towards men are necessary to salvation 6. Their Doctrine bears full conformity with that of the Reformed Churches held forth in their publick confessions and particularly with that of the Church of England in the 39 Articles only one or two passages peradventure excepted so far as they may import the asserting of Prelacy and humane mystical Ceremonies 7. They insist much on the necessity of Regeneration and therein lay the ground-work for the practice of Godliness 8. They press upon themselves and others the severe exercise not of a Popish outside formal but a spiritual and real mortification and self denial according to the power of Christianity 9. They are strict observers of the Lords
guilt of bloud be expiated and avenged either by the sword of the Law or by the Law of the sword Mr. Love says that Author will not say that the King was not guilty of much innocent bloud left he should contradict himself neither will he say that bloud-guiltiness can be expiated but by bloud lest he should contradict the Scriptures neither can he say but the King was cut off either by the sword of the Law or by the Law of the sword Whence I conclude that according to those Principles of Mr. Love the King 's being put to death in that way of Tryal was neither contrary to the word of God nor the Principles of the Protestant Religion c. but a work fit and expedient to be done and 't will be well for English Presbyterians if when the secrets of all hearts shall be laid open it be not revealed to the world that the main reason why they deprecated the putting the King to death in that way of Tryal was because he was not tryed and condemned by Presbyterians nor for their advantage but by those men who hated Presbytery and would not suffer it to domineer any longer For these very men could notwithstanding both the word of God and the principles of the English Protestant Religion notwithstanding the protestation and Solemn League and Covenant yea notwithstanding the Fundamental Constitution of this Kingdom and the Oath of Allegiance I say maugre all these obligations to the contrary if at least one of them be such an obligation these very men could join with the Presbyterian Lords and Commons in making War against the King and send an Army to shed his bloud in the high places of the Field and therefore if Presbyterians be Protestants and their Religion the Protestant Religion 't was not their Loyalty but the divine goodness and providence wonderfully interposing for the Kings safety that in so many battels kept the Protestant Religion from being stained with the bloud of a King especially as to Edge-Hill-fight if that be true which is affirmed in Fabian Philips his Veritas inconcussa p. 79. that Blague a villain in the Kings Army had a great pension allowed him that he might give notice in what part of the Field the King stood that they might the better know how to shoot at him who accordingly gave notice of it and if God had not had a greater care of his Anointed than of their Rebellious pretences that Bullet from the Earl of Essex his Canon which graz'd at the King's Heels as he was Kneeling at his prayers on the side of a bank had taken away his life and the Presbyterian Religion such as it is had been stained with the bloud of a King And though the Presbyterians as the Apology for Bishops sitting and voting in Parliament tells us p. 69. would excuse themselves that they never intended the Kings destruction yet that is a frivolous and foolish excuse For as Sir Walter Rawleigh says truly Our Law doth construe all levying War without the Kings Commission and all force raised to be intended for the death and destruction of the King not attending the sequel and so 't is judged upon good reason for every unlawful and ill action is supposed to be accompanied with an ill intent The Lord Cook as the Apologizer goes on p. 70. speaking fully of all kinds and degrees of Treason 3 Institut p. 12. saith Preparation by some overt act to depose the King or take the King by force and strong hand and to imprison him until he hath yielded to certain demands is a sufficient overt Act to prove the compassing and imagination of the death of the King For this upon the matter is to make the King a Subject and to despoil him of his Kingly office of Royal Government and so it was resolved by all the Judges of England Hill 1 Jac. Regis in the case of the Lord Cobham Lord Grey and Watson and Clark Seminary Priests and so it had been resolved by the Justices Hill 43 Eliz. in the case of the Earls of Essex and Southampton who intended to go to the Court where the Queen was and to have taken her into their power and to have removed divers of her Council and for that end did assemble a multitude of people which being raised to the end aforesaid was a sufficient overt Act for compassing the death of the Queen The Presbyterians says he did offend in this kind notoriously and therefore committed Treason manifestly for they imprisoned the King in divers places and at length in a remote place in the Isle of Wight and all this done by them who were for the most part Presbyterians out of their design to compel the King to yield to their projects to overthrow the Bishops and to take their Lands and their revenues From this we may judge how agreeable Presbyterian actions were to the Constitution and Law of this Kingdom and how manifest it is that they must in Law be reckoned King-killers as well as the Army and if the Law of the Nation damn them to such a guilt and punishment on earth there is no Gospel that I know of will save them from Hell without a repentance proportionable to their Crimes which for ought I see they are hitherto so far from thinking a duty that they rather go about to justifie their former actings by returning again as far as they dare to the same follies that ushered in their former war and at first embrued the Nation in bloud Nor do I believe that they who took away the Kings life in that way of Trial acted upon any more treasonable and rebellious Principles than are owned and taught by some Presbyterian writers of the first magnitude both French Scotch and English The truth whereof I doubt will be very evident to him that can get and will peruse these Presbyterian Scripts Buchanan's de jure regni apud Scotos Knox's Appellation Vindiciae contra Tyrannos by Junius Brutus supposed to be either Beza or Hottoman David Paraeus his Commentary on Rom. 13. burnt at London and Oxford in King James his reign for its seditious Maxims Goodman an intimate Friend as 't is said of John Knox's his book of the same nature and tendency Rutherford's Lex Rex I find in Bishop Bancroft's Dangerous Positions B. 1. Ch. 2. speaking of Calvin's reforming at Geneva these words Since which time as I suppose it hath been a principle with some of the chief Ministers of Geneva but contrary to the Judgment of all other reformed Churches for ought I know which have not addicted themselves to follow Geneva that if Kings and Princes refuse to reform Religion the inferiour Magistrates or people by direction of the Ministry might lawfully and ought if need required even by force and Arms to reform it themselves And Ch. 4. This Position is quoted out of Knox that the punishment of such crimes as touch the Majesty of God doth not appertain to Kings and
Princes the French Calvinistical Church hath made in their Confession of Faith speaking of obedience due to the Supreme Magistrate appears at least every Sunday in all their hands in Print where they acknowledge such Obedience due to them except the Law of God and Religion be interessed on condition that Gods Soveraignty remain undiminish'd which clause says he what it means their so many and so long continued Rebellions do expound What turbulent things Scotch and English presbyterians have been those very practises of theirs which these sheets have mentioned to which many more might be added are a competent Testimony But this Quaere shall not scape so let 's view it again If Presbytery and Rebellion be connatural how comes it to pass that those States or Kingdoms where it hath been establisht or tolerated have for any time been free from broils and commotions A. 1. It may be 't was because though their minds were always enclined by their principles to rebellion yet they had not power and opportunity to act suitably to those inclinations with hopes of success 'T were a sad thing indeed if Rebels should be able at all times to put their traiterous Designs in execution 2. It suffices in reference to the grand Question now disputed if Presbyterian spirits are prone to Rebellion in case their way of Worship be not either est ablisht or tolerated For they deserve not to be so much as tolerated in any Kingdom that will when they have power rebel against Kings if they be not tolerated 3. If this Quaere implies any good proof that Presbytery and Rebellion is not connatural by which he means I suppose not usually conjoyn'd it does as strongly imply that Jesuitism and Rebellion are not connatural since those States and Kingdoms where Jesuits have been tolerated have for some time been free from broils and commotions It follows Or how comes it to pass that Presbyterians have never disclaimed or abandoned their lawful Prince As if to let pass other Instances English Presbyterians did not disclaim and abandon the late King when they denied him to be in a condition to Govern H. of Comm. Decl. 28. Nov. 1646. when they denied him the exercise of that power in the Militia which themselves acknowledged did belong unto him Veritas inconcussa p. 147. 168. When they affirmed that the Soveraign power resided in both Houses of Parliament that the King had no Negative voice that whatsoever the two Houses should Vote was not by Law to be questioned either by the King or Subjects that it belonged to them only to judge of the Law Declar. of May 26. 1642. as if likewise they did not make others to disclaim and abandon him by making them swear that they would neither directly nor indirectly adhere unto or willingly assist the King in his War and Cause But he proceeds How comes it to pass that they have never ceased to solicit and supplicate his regards and favour even when their power hath been at the highest and his sunk lowest Whereas I read in Philips his Veritas inconcussa his Book that proves K. Charles 1. no man of bloud these words p. 124. Indstead of offering any thing which was like to bring peace they the Presbyterian Lords and Commons caused men and women in the first year of their war to be killed because they did but petition them to accept of a peace And in the third and fourth year of their war plundered and robbed them that petitioned them but to hearken to it And put out of Office and made all as Delinquents in the seventh year of their war that did but petition them for a Treaty with the King and refused all the Kings many very many messages for peace not only when he was at the highest of his success in the war but when he was at the lowest and a prisoner to them and conjured them as they would answer it at the dreadful day of judgment to pity the bleeding condition of his Kingdomes and People and send propositions of peace unto him and years and half-years and more than a whole year together after the battel at Naseby insomuch as their fellow-Rebels the Scotch Commissioners did heavily complain of it were at several times trifled away and spent before any propositions could be made ready Was this perpetually to supplicate their lawful Princes regards and favour And p. 126. We are told they were so unwilling to have any peace at all as that 6 or 7 Messengers or Trumpeters could come from the King before they could be at leisure or so mannerly as to answer one of them but this or that message from the King was received and read and laid by till a week or when they would after And p. 128 129. When they did treat they desired the granting of such propositions as were purposely contrived and stood upon to hinder a peace and were not to be asked or granted by any that could but entitle themselves to the least part of reason or humanity c. And p. 68. The King complains that although he had used all ways and means to prevent the distractions and dangers of the Kingdom all his labours had been fruitless that not so much as a Treaty earnestly desired by him could be obtained though he disclaimed all his Proclamations and Declarations and the Erecting of his Standard as against his Parliament unless he should denude himself of all force to defend him from a visible strength marching against him And when the business of the Treaty 1647 as I suppose came into discourse the Assembly of Divines quickly resolved all of them but four to be against it See considerations touching the present Factions in the King's Dominions p. 6. And yet this Brazen-face would perswade us that Presbyterians never ceased to solicit and supplicate the Kings regards and favour It seems their voting 1647 that they would receive no more messages from the King and that no man should presume to bring any from him and that they would make no farther applications and addresses to him was so far from being a disclaiming and abandoning him that 't was not so much as a ceasing to supplicate his regards and favour statuimus i. e. abrogamus what shall be done unto thee O thou false Tongue and ridiculous Flatterer The other part of his Quaere is How comes it to pass that the Presbyterians suffered themselves rather to be trodden under foot than to comply with men of violence in changing the Government A. 1. 'T was because they were unable to make their parts good against those men of violence here intended Independents had cheated them out of that power which before they had 2. Themselves were the men of violence that did first of all really change the Government by acting without and fighting against the Kings Person and Authority Independents took away the name King but Presbyterians had long before destroyed the thing 3. 'T were no great wonder if Presbyterians suffered
but what if they that make the objection be found to frame their Argument in reference to our modern Presbyterians in this manner Multitudes that embraced those Principles which Presbyterians owned in the days of their calamity and depression turned Sectaries and Schismaticks afterward and yet still retained those Principles and by rational deductions pleaded them in order to the justification of their Schism therefore those principles do in their own nature produce Sects and Schisms If the case be indeed thus the objection is strong and for the proof of the Argument and Antecedent I 'le undertake if this Author shall deny either or evince that the like objection may upon the like ground be urged against the English prelacy In the mean time we 'le content our selves with the affirmation of Charles the First that Presbytery was in the late times the great Master of lesser Factions in Religion The truth is says this J. C. Sectarianism both Presbyterian and Independent say I grew up in a Mystery of Iniquity good for 't was by opposing and exalting it self above all that was called God in this Nation and State-policy good again claw me and I 'le claw thee was the politick Dialect of Presbyterians at first towards Independents and it was not well discerned by the Presbyterians whom interest and reason of State perswaded to shut their eyes and wink at the Independents Anabaptists and other Sectaries till it became almost triumphant by Military successes but after that its growth did manifestly appear prejudicial to Presbyterian ambition Presbytery began to struggle with it to frown upon and oppose those whom it before countenanced and caressed and so continued until by the power of the Army it was enforced to sit down but never to comply unless 't were by taking the Engagement at last whereupon the Tongues and Pens of Sectaries were employed against none more than Presbyterians viz. because they thought the prelatists more conscientious adherers to Prelatical Principles than Presbyterians were to their dividing and dissipating maxims And I should be glad to hear of such bitter Invectives of the Papists against the Prelatists It seems the man hath neither seen nor heard of S. W's Scripts against the Right Reverend Bishop Bramhall and the Reverend Dr. Hammond or else he does not judge them bitter Invectives but it had been too palpable hypocrisie as well as a piece of high Ingratitude for Jesuits to have inveighed bitterly against our modern Presbyterians who were so zealously imployed for several years together about Jesuitical work and who had so industriously acted the Powder-Traitors part that they very effectually blew up both King and Parliament and at the Isle of Wight-Treaty were very busie in destroying Kingly power and in accomplishing the design of Campanella and other Papists viz. of changing our Monarchical Government into a Commonwealth-Form by placing all the considerable Authority and prerogative which before belonged to our Kings in some Lords Temporal and Commons And verily there 's no greater bar against Fanaticism than the right Presbyterian principles as 1. not to sever but joyn the written Word and Spirit for direction 2. The Spirit and use of Ordinances for edification 3. To erect a Stated Church-Order and Discipline 4. To allow to the Church a directive and to every Christian a discretive judgment 5. To insist only upon Divine Scripture-warrant and to wave humane Authority in matters of Religion To which I answer briefly That the four first of these as he hath worded them in very general terms are as much Prelatical as Presbyterian nay they are owned by Independents and Anabaptists as well as Presbyterians and therefore if these Sects are Fanaticks there must be some greater bar against Fanaticism than those Principles But the Fifth To insist only on Divine Scripture-warrant and to wave humane Authority in matters of Religion is so loosely and crudely delivered that 't is rather the main Original of all Fanaticism than a bar against it forasmuch as the Religion of the most sober Independents and Anabaptists as also of Enthusiasts and Quakers is founded upon this principle all of them waving humane Authority and insisting only on Scripture-dictates and that Divine warrant which thence they plead for their modes forms and opinions for their walking according to the light connate with them springing up within them or darted into them from above But of all the prejudices and scandals says this Author p. 63. 73. taken against this way Presbytery there 's none greater than this that 't is represented as Tyrannical and domineering and that those that live under it must like Issachar crouch under the burden A. It seems he thinks Tyrannical domineering over Inferiors to be a greater crime than disobedience and rebellion against Superiors or else he would have accounted their being represented as Rebels a greater prejudice against presbyterians than their being represented as domineering persons but he Apologizes for them by retorting the charge on Prelatists and telling us that Presbytery is not more severe in censuring the breach of God's Commandments than the Hierarchy in censuring the breach of their own Constitutions which passage looks as if the man had a mind to insinuate that Presbyterian severity is exercised only on the Transgressors of God's Commands and Hierarchical severity only on the offenders against Episcopal Constitutions Whether he had such an ugly meaning in those words or no I am not certain though to him that considers the egregious partiality of this discourse hitherto in favour of Presbyterians 't will be very probable he had If he had leaving him to prove the truth of them as to the Hierarchy I shall by and by make bold to disprove them as to Presbytery In the mean time we 'le pass on to the next words Or is the offence taken upon pretence that Presbyterians affect and arrogate an arbitrary power would rule by Faction and exercise a rigour to the stirring up of animosities and unquiet humours A. No the offence is not taken upon pretence as that 's contradistinct to proof but upon sufficient evidence that they are arrogant factious persons and very prone to stir up and foment unquiet humours by their disciplinarian rigour and though the Nation generally hath not through the mercy of Divine over-ruling providence experimented that discipline yet they say the Londoners had such proof of it in a little time as made them quite weary of Classical-lay-Elder-Tyranny If the goodness of an Almighty power had not prevented it we may well suppose that Presbytery would have proved as imperious and domineering here in England as Bishop Bramhall tells us it was in Scotland Towards particular persons says he Fair warning chap. 11. this Discipline is too full of rigour like Draco ' s Laws that were written in Bloud in lesser faults inflicting Church-censures upon slight grounds as for an uncomely gesture for avain word for suspicion of covetousness or pride for superfluity in raiment either for cost or