great scandall it being a returning to the vomite the patching of an old cloute upon a nevv garment making the vveake to thinke that the reformation of the Kirk vvas not a vvorke of God but of man that the untimely change of ceremonies vvas a shevve of defection from the vvhole reformation that vvhen the enemie urgeth uniformitie his intentiō should be looked to because he never rests but proceeds from the corruption of outvvard vvorship to corrupt the doctrine and to leaue nothing sound Men that taught after this manner vvere accounted by the former politicks and peaceable Formalists to be contentious spirits and troublers of the peace of the Kirk Thirdly albeit the reformed Kirks agree novv for the most part in the generall about the nature and use of things indifferent yet they goe far asunder in the application of the generall to their particular practises The Lutheran Kirks hold some things for indifferent vvhich the Kirk of England receiveth not and England holdeth a multitude of ordinances aboute discipline and ceremonies for indifferent vvhich vve tabe to be unlavvfull and beside the vvord Everie Kirk judging or at least practising according to theyr ovvne measure of reformation all crept not forth of that Roman deluge equally accomplished No marvell that some of them should smell of the vvine of fornication vvherevvith they all for so many yeeres vvere drunke But obstinacie against the ingyring light and the refusing of a further degree of Reformation is fearefull vvhat is it then to drawe others back from their reformation and to binde them up againe into their old chaine of darknes These manifold contentions about things called indifferent and ceremonies haue proved so pernitious by defacing the kingdome of Christ setting up the tyrannie of Antichrist dividing Pastors offending people dismembring the Kirk and almost putting out the life of true pietie that vve may truly say nothing hath proved lesse indifferent to the Kirk then the contentions about things indifferent and many haue been more hote for them then for the hart of religion because they concerne the face of the Kirk and as Erasmus sayd in another cause the crownes bellies of Kirkmen Whether our old Pastor or nevv prelate hath here the greatest guiltinesse will appeare by this litle that follovveth THE PASTOR ever feareth defection and stil urgeth Reformation till every thing be done in the house of God according to the will of God He accounteth the constitution of a Kirk that is but indifferent good or midway betwixt idolatrie and Reformation to be but like the lukewarmnesse of Laodicea The PRELATE pleaseth himselfe in this that there be many Kirks in worse case resteth in his indifferencie and lukewarmnesse and rather inclyneth downward to further defection then aymeth at any higher Reformation like the Priests of Samaria that were al so earnest against the true worship at Ierusalem as they were against Baal and his idolatrie 2. The PASTOR looketh not to the world but to Religion in matters of Religion and therefore thinketh not that indifferent in Religion which bringeth good or evill spirituall upon the Kirk and the soules of the people albeit in their worldly estate immediately it doe them neyther good nor evill The PRELATE esteemeth many things indifferent in Religion because they neyther bring good nor evill to his worldly estate albeit they do good or evill to the Kirk and to the soules of the people and looketh more to the world then to religion in matters of religion 3. The PASTOR acknowledgeth three degrees of matters of fayth some to be of the foundation and first principles of the doctrine of fayth some to be neare the foundation as the conclusions clearly following upon the former and the third to be of all other matters warranted by the word and what is of this third ranck were it never so farre from the foundation and never so small in our eyes not to be a matter indifferent but to binde the conscience and to be a matter of fayth The PRELATE professeth the first and second to be matters of fayth but when he cōmeth to the third he esteemeth thē to be no matters of fayth but indifferent and wondereth that a wiseman should be so precise and puritanicall as to stand upon matters that are not fundamentall but indifferent For so he distinguisheth making every thing eyther fundamentall or indifferent 4. The PAST comparing the worship of God under the gospell with the worship vnder the law findeth that the commandement Deu. 12. 32. Every word that I command you that ye shall obserue to doe thou shalt not add unto it neyther shall ye deminish from it doeth equally concerne both That the mynd of man permitted to it selfe would proue as vayne and foolish under the Gospell as under the law and that Iesus Christ was faythfull as a Sonne in all the house of God aboue Moses who was but a servant and therefore albeit the ceremonial observations under the Law were many which was the burden of the Kirk under the old Testament and ours be few which is our benefit yet the determination from God in all the matters of his worship he findeth to be all particular the direction of all the parts of our obedience to be as cleare to us that now liue under the Gospell as it was to them that lived under the Law The PREL. as if eyther it were lawfull now to adde to the word or mans minde were in a better frame or the Sonne of God were not so faythfull as Moses the servant or as if direction in few ceremonies could not be as plaine as in many would bring into the Kirk a new ceremoniall law made up of translations of divine worship of imitations of false worship and of inventions of willworship to succede to the abolished ceremonies under the Law which he interpreteth to be the libertie and power of the Christian Kirk in matters indifferent aboue the Kirk of the old testament but is indeede the greate doore whereby himselfe others strange office-bearers whereby dayes altars vestures crosse kneeling and all that Romish rable his shaddow haue entred into the Kirk of Christ and which will never be shut againe till himselfe be shut out who while he is within holdeth it wide open 5. The PASTOR giveth no power to the Kirk to appoint other things in the worship of God thē are appointed already by Christ the onely Lawgiver of his Kirk but to set downe canons and constitutions about things before appointed and to dispose the circumstances of order decencie that are equally necessarie in civill and religious actions and therefore resolveth first that nothing positiue or that floweth meerely from institution can be indifferent or can be appointed by the Kirk Secondly that reason may be giuen from Christian prudence why things are appointed by the Kirk thus and no other waies And thirdly that the constitutions of the Kirk about things indifferent can not
prosit and preferment is restored againe by such meanes as better beseeme his Ministers who hath beene a murtherer and lyar from the beginning then the sincere Ministers of Iesus Christ For crafte and crueltie hath been their wayes Their craft was to remoue their strongest opponents out of the Countrie that they might not be present in assemblies to espye their proceedings and to reason against them to abolish the true libertie and authoritie of assemblies to protest that they were seeking no prelacie neyther of the Popish nor English kinde and that they had no purpose to subverte the Discipline received but to deliver the Kirk from disgrace and to be the more mightie to oppose her enemies Iesuites and Papists to falsifie the acts of the Kirk to promise to keepe all the cautions and conditions made to hold them in order which now they professe they never minded to doe c. Their cruelty hath beene to boast to banish imprison depriue confine silence c. 7. The PASTOR and men of God all this time of defection gaue testimonie to the trueth opposed against the severall steppes of the prelates ambition by all the meanes that became him to use as publick preaching supplicating reasoning protesting and suffring and when the prelate was triumphing in the height of his dignitie they could not comparing the first temple with the second but declare the griefe of their hearts for the change and their greate feare of alteration to be made in the worship of God when now the hedge of the Kirk was broken downe and an open way made for all corruption The PRELATE is of the Clergie that seldome is seene penitent and therefore as against all the meanes used by the Pastor he had altered the government of the Kirk so he enters next upon the worship Service of God and will haue a new confession of Fayth new Catechisme new formes of prayer new observation of dayes new Formes of ministration of the Sacraments which he first practised himselfe against the acts and order of the Kirk And since convened an assembly of his owne making to drawe on the practise of others And thirdly he hath involved the honorable estates of the Kingdome into his greate guiltinesse by their ratification in parliament which hath brought an inundation of evils into this Kirk and countrey 8. The PASTOR and men of God considering what the Kirk was before what the reformation was and what conformitie is what the proceedings of the one and of the other haue beene seeth Religion wearing away pityeth the young ones that never haue seene better times laments ever the multitude that can not see the evils of the present and resolveth for himselfe to hold constant to the ende against Papists prelates Arminians and whatsoever can arise to waite with patience what the Lord will doe for his people and when he is gone to leaue a testimonie behinde him of the twofold miserie of impietie and iniquitie that he hath seene in this land The PRELATE hath forgotten what himselfe and the kirk was once he hath wrought a greater defection in this kirk in the shorte tyme of his Episcopacie then was in the primitiue kirk for some hundreths of yeares and is so farre yet blinded with the loue of his place in the world that he maketh his worldly credite the Canon and his prelacie the touchstone of the tryall of all Religion The Pope shall no more be Antichrist Papistrie may be borne with Arminianisme may be brought in because they can keepe company with Prelacie The Reformation is Puritanisme precisenesse Separation and intollerable because it can not cohabitate with prelacie The Gods of the Nations were sociall and could liue togither but the God of Israel is a jealous God The Prelates objection THE PRELATE will objest that albeit he can neither justifie all his owne proceedings of late nor yours of old as all men haue their owne infirmities yet that ye doe him wronge by your deduction in confounding times that would be distinguished Because from the Reformation to the comming of some Scollars from Geneva with presbyterall discipline this kirk was ruled by prelates and the Superintendents in the beginning were the same in substance that the prelates are now The Pastors answer ALL men haue their owne infirmities but good men are not presumpteously bold for the loue of the world to hold on in a course of defection against so many obligations froÌ„ themselues and so many warnings froÌ„ good men Infirmitie one thing and presumption another The pastors of the Kirk of Scotland had begunne to roote out bishoprie and to condemne it in their assemblies before these Scollers came from Geneve but never condemned but allowed the charge of Superintendents appointed for a time in the beginnings of the Kirk the one and the other being different in substance For The Superintendent according to the Canon of the Kirk was admitted as an other Minister without consecration af any bishop The Prelate is chosen for fashion by Deane and Chapter without any Canon of the Kirk with solemne consecration of the Metropolitane and their bishops The Superintendent appropriated not the power of ordination and jurisdiction but both remayned common to other ministers The Prelate hath taken to himselfe the power to ordeyne and depose Ministers and to decree excommunication The Superintendents made not a Hierarchie of Archsuperintendents and others inferior some generall and some provinciall some Primates and some Suffraganes some Archdeanes and some Deanes c. The Prelates haue set up a Hierarchie of all these The Suâ—erintendent was subject to the censure not onely of the nationall but of the provinciall Kirk where he superintended The Prelate is subject to no censure hut may doe what and may goe whither he will and no man aske him why he hath done so The Superintendents charge was meerely ecclesiasticall and more in preaching then in government The Prelate is more in ruling then in preaching more in the world then in the Kirk The Sup. acknowledged his charge to be but temporarie ofteÌ„ desired to lay it downe before the general assembly The Prel thinketh his office to be perpetuall by reason vertue of his consecration The Sup. had no greater power theÌ„ the commissioners of provinces in respect of his superinteÌ„dencie was rather a coÌ„missioner of the Kirk then an officebearer essentially different from the pastor The prel neyther hath received commission from the Kirk nor meaneth to render a reckoning to them nor account of himselfe as of a commissioner but thinketh his office essentially diverse from the office of the pastor as the pastors office is from the deacons The pope may as well say that the Euangelists were popes as the prelate that the Superintendents were prelates THE FIFTH PART The Pastor Prelate compared by the weale of the Kirk and the peoples soules THE saeftie and good of the State vvas the maine ende of
Religion be established and God served in their dominions according to his ovvne Word It hath ever been the greatest commendation of Princes that they haue begunne their government vvith the Reformation of Religion as many vvorthy Princes haue done both before and after the comming of Christ for God preferreth Kings unto all others and therefore Kings should haste to honour GOD aboue all others Or that they haue exceeded all vvho vvent before them in this religious and Royall Chaire AZA tooke avvay Idolatrie but JEHOSHAPHAT removed the high-places also EZEKIAH vvent further and brake the Brazen Serpent albeit a monument of Gods mercie But this vvas the sinne of his Reformation that he razed not the Idoll Temples vvhich vvas kept to good JOSIAH vvho therefore hath this testimonie to the ende of the World that like unto him there vvas no King before him that turned to the LORD vvith all his heart vvith all his soule and vvith all his might Upon the other part true Religion although it propone for the principall ends the Glorie of GOD and the Safetie of the KIRK yet it serveth many vvayes for the Civill good and vvorldly benefite of Kings and Kingdomes Because the true Religion and no other maketh Kings and Kingdomes to serue that GOD that giueth both Heauenly and Earthly Kingdomes Who looseth the Bands of Kings and girdeth their loynes vvith a girdle Who is the onely Judge that putteth dovvne one and setteth up an other And therefore godlynesse hath the promise and true Religion hath many blessinges attending It is a blessed thing vvhen a King or a Kingdome serveth that GOD by vvhom kings reigne and vvho giveth and taketh avvay kingdomes at his pleaure Next because it qualifieth and disposeth every man for his ovvne place It maketh rulers to know that every Kingdome is under a greater Kingdome and as they are advanced aboue all others that they haue so much the greater account to make It maketh the subjects to obey for conscience sake and subdueth the people under theyr Prince which made Theodosius to acknowledge that his empire consisted more by Christian religion then by all other meanes It keepeth true peace both publick and private and when peace can be no longer kept it followeth after it to find it againe Jt maketh men just and temperate in time of peace not by restraint vvhich positiue lavves doe but by mortification With Christians to think that vvickednes is sinne Whether of the tvvo commandeth more fully sayth Tertullian he vvho sayth Thou shalt not kill or he who sayth thou shalt not be angry vvhich of the tvvo is more perfect to forbid adulterie or to restraine the eyes from concupiscencs c. It maketh every man to practise Christianitie in the particular duties of his calling In the time of war it maketh men couragious to feare none but him that can kill the soule In persecution it maketh invincible patience Without confusion it giveth at all times unto God that vvhich is Gods and unto Caesar that vvhich is Caesars and vvithout usurpation or injurie to any it giveth unto Noblemen Statesmen Barons Burgesses and all from the highest to the lovvest in the Kingdome their ovvn places preferments and priviledges according to the soveraigne lavv of justice All estates haue neede of this divine influence and of all these comfortable effects and every religion promiseth them all but onely Christian Religion is able to performe them and the more Christian it is that is the more neare that it cometh to the puritie simplicitie of Christ and his Apostles both in doctrine and discipline and the more christianly that is the more povverfully it be urged upon the consciences of men the more effectually it proveth for these happy ones Let us then upon this ground proceede to our tryall vvhether the Pastor or Prelate be more profitable for the Countrey and Common vvealth THE PASTOR preserveth the prosperous estate of the Kingdome and commonwealth by labouring to preserue pietie righteousnesse and temperance in the Land and by oppusing with al his might against Idolatrie and all sorts of impietie against unrighteousnesse and all sorts of injurie whether by craft or violence and against intemperancie incontinencie unlawfull mariages divorces and whatsoever kinde of impurities for these three where they reigne he knoweth to be more neare and certaine causes first of the many calamities and judgements of God and then of the alterations and periodes of states and Kingdomes then eyther the intricate numbers of Plato or the unchanged course of the heauens or what other cause is pretended by philosophers or politicks because these where they raigne they threatten a ruine from the true fatalitie of Gods providence justice doe shake the pillars of all humane societie as Idolatrie the pillars of the Kirk unrighteousnes of the Cōmon-wealth and intemperance of the family one of the three falling the other two cannot long endure The PRELATE upon the contrarie by taking in his owne hands the power of the generall assembly which was a great terror to sinne by depriving some worthy pastors of their places and others of their authoritie in censuring of sinne by destroying the discipline of the Kirk and by his owne many unlawfull practises and permissions hath giuen way to Idolatrie blaspbemie and the prophanation of the Sabbath to all sorts of Scandalous and notorious Sinnes of unrighteousnesse uncleannes and of the abuse of Gods creatures for which the wrath of God commeth upon the world But most of all by bringing a great part of the kingdome under the guiltines of the violation of the covenant of God and of doing against their oath and Subscription hath drawne on many visitations from the hand of God doeth dayly provoke the Lord to further wrath stryketh at the pillars of all Societies and posteth on the periods of State and Kingdome 2. The PASTOR accounteth vertue trueth righteousnesse Christian simplicitie and prudence to be the best policie not onely for his owne practise but for all that are in authoritie and for all societies and therefore pronounceth anathema upon the chiefest axiomes of Machiavels arte whom he judgeth to be as pernicious a master of policie as Antichrist is for matters of Religion and these two to be the principall supposts of Sathan the direct enemy of Christian fayth and obedience and the craftie subverters of Kirks and Commonwealths unfitte for all but most unfitte for us whom grace hath favoured with the light of the trueth and nature hath fashioned to be open and plaine The PRELATES practises doe proclaime what policie pleaseth him best Simulation dissimulation falsehoode and Flattery are knowen to be the wayes of his promotion He standeth in his grandeur and possesseth his peace by promising good service in parliament to the King against the Nobilitie and blowing the bellowes of dissention betwixt them he warmeth himselfe at the fire he hath raysed betwixt the King and Kirk
minister whom the Apostles in their time doe approue and the Pastor and not the prelate is the last minister to whom the Apostles when they were to remoue or were neare unto death did recommend the care of the Kirks and therefore the Pastor and not the prelate is the minister warranted by the Apostles The PRELATE denyed of Christ would father himselfe upon the Apostles and finding no warrant from their doctrine or practise in Scripture albeit the Acts of the Apostles containe the historie of many yeeres after Christs ascension He seemeth to be sure of the ecclesiasticall historie recorded in the Apostles times by Apostolick institution a begunne succession of Bishops in Ierusalem Rome Alexandria Antioch c. But here also he standeth without because the bishops of those places were either Apostles and therefore could not be properly Bishops or els ordinarie pastors of no greater place nor power except for age gift then other presbyters labouring with them Such were Linus Clemens Cletus Anacletus fellow presbyters at Rome at one time one of them living some space after another and to shewe the order of succession from the Apostles against Hereticks who urged it they were numbred as if they had not lived at one time and in the line of succession were called Bishops by Eusebius and others after him agreeable to the corruption of their owne tymes when now men had of their owne head put a difference betwixt a Bishop and a pastor and not according to the puritie of the primitiue times of which they did write when a pastor and a bishop was one and the same 4. The PASTOR is the divine and Apostolick bishop of the lawfulnesse of whose calling and power in the primitiue Kirk after the Apostles there was no question The pastor by consent of antiquitie when now by humane wisedome the constant moderator was brought in and called the Bishop had right and power not by grant but by his office not onely to preach the Word minister the Sacraments and use the keyes in binding and loosing the conscience but also with the fellow presbyters to ordaine ministers and in the presbyteriall provinciall and nationall assemblies to decide controversies to make constitutions to inflict censures euen upon Bishops and by his pastorall authoritie to doe all things necessarie for the edification of the Kirk And this right and power that God gaue him he maintained in some Kirks in the most corrupt times when now Antichrist was set on his chaire and prelacie for the most part of humane was become satanicall The PRELATE holden at the doore by Christ and his Apostles after their times by the ambition of some pastors and simplicitie of others when he had long hung on got in the foote to be constant moderator but not finding entrie at the first for his greate head made up of sole ordination of monarchicall jurisdiction of civill power worldly pompe and superstitious ceremonies he hydeth his miter in the mysterie of iniquitie going on with it foote for foote and draweth in by fraude and force one limme after another till at last after many ages and much working for he atteyned not to the degree of an Archbishop till after the Councell of Nice he sheweth himselfe Lord in the house of God having no more of the first institution of a Bishop then the ship Argo had of her first buylding when after her expedition shee had lyen at a full sea some hundreds of yeares or the beggers cloake patched with many clouts and coulours that hath passed through some generations which he it may be makes more of then of a parliament robe hath of the first shaping 5. The PASTOR as became the humble servant of Christ and a minister of the New Testament procured and maintained the dignitie and true honour of his ministerie by holding forth the glorious light of the Gospell in his doctrine and the shyning light of holynes in his conversation esteeming the preaching of the glad tydings of peace to be the beautie of ministers righteousnes their robe and ornament The PRELATE tooke him to the contrarie course for his credite and transformed the beautifull simplicitie of Christs Kingdome into the glorie of the kingdome of the world albeit when he was of his old stampe his greatest dignitie was his chaire and faythfull teaching the flower of his garland yet now degenerating from his first sinceritie and being infected with secular smoake he came to be cast in the mould of the first Beast his chaire gaue place to his Consistorie and throne his jurisdiction and government honoured with the title of preheminence caried all the credit Teaching as a base worke was giuen over to the pettie presbyters and everie office in the Kirk was counted a dignitie worthie of honour lesse or more as it had more or lesse jurisdiction annexed as these are more or lesse honourable in the common wealth that haue more or lesse civill authoritie And thus prelacie came up and preaching came downe and the Kirk became more worldly then the world it selfe 6. The PASTOR when all was going wrong some raysing contentions others gaping after honours the braines of many being bigge with heresies all giuen to heape up superstition and Atheisme and the prelate with his popish hierarchie possessing both the holy citie and outward court he then gaue testimonie to the trueth kept still the temple and within the temple kept in the light as two oliue trees growing up by the sides of the candlestick and dropping downe from the branches oyle into the lampes for the comfort of such as Jehovah Shammah had chosen for life and would saue from the deluge of defection The PRELATE once possessed into the Kirk never ceased till he had changed the Kirk into a court power ecclesiasticall into civill policie the Scripture into tradition the trueth into heresie sinceritie into superstition the worship of God into Idolatrie as the worship of images Saincts and bread-worship the pure ordinances of God into Masses Altars Images Garments Fasting and follies of Paganisme and Iudaisme like a smoake out of the bottomlesse pitte growing grosser and thicker everie day and in the middest of the myst built up his greatnes upon the ruins not onely of the Kirks but of the commonwealths of the world for when the starres of heauen fell into the earth the mountaines and Ilands were moved out of tbeir places and as this unhappy milt swelled bigge in the bodie with wealth and honour the life of religion became faint the Princes and Nobles of the earth like the noble parts in the body decayed and the meaner ones like the hands and feete withered away The Popes felicitie was the whole worlds miserie and so was the Prelates to severall nations and provinces 7. The PASTOR and with him the godly of the time wearied with long opposition poured out their heavie complaints that the grief of the Kirk was more bitter
He beareth with men of every religion providing they be not Antiepiscopall He urgeth Ceremonies which he himselfe otherwise careth nothing for that they may be a band of obedience to the slavish and a buckler of Episcopacie against the opposites he suffereth papistrie to prevaile and new heresies to arise and giveth connivence to the Teachers of them that there may be some other matter of disputation amongst learned men then about his myter If all would follow his arte and example Antichrist Machiavel would be our chiefest Maisters and every Scottish man of spirit would proue another Caesar Borgia or Ludovieus Sfortia 3. The PASTOR according to the nature of things distinguisheth betwixt the things of God and the things of Caesar betwixt the soveraigntie of Christ and the souveraigntie of man betwixt the dignitie of the Statesman and honour of the Elder that labours in the word and doctrine betwixt the palace of the Prince and the Ministers manse the revenues of the Noble-man and the Ministers stipend and according to the grounds of policie holdeth that many offices should be conferred upon one man except rarely by the speciall favour of Princes upon some that are eminent as miracles for engine for wisedome and dexteritie by reason of mans infirmitie the weight of authoritie the order of the policie and the peace of the people that as everie thing in nature doeth the owne part the â—â—nne shyneth and the wind bloweth the water moysteneth so every man should be set to his owne taske that one man cannot both be Aeneas and Hector Cato and Scipio farre lesse can one and the same person be sufficient for the greatest affaires both of Kirk and policie And therefore the Pastor keepeth himselfe within the bounds of his owne place and calling and neyther medleth with civill causes nor taketh upon him civill offices nor seeketh after civill honour The PRELATE maketh no distinction but confoundeth all as compatible ynough if he be the agent And albeit for any good parts to be no miracle but neighbourlike yet he findeth himself sufficient for everything in Kirk and Common-wealth and telleth all for fish that commeth in his nette whether Civill offices Civill Honours civill causes or civill punishments Like a Prince he hath his castle his Lordship his Regalitie Vassalry c. He hath power to confyne imprison c. and taketh it hardly when he is not preferred to Offices of estate as to be Chancellor President c. which his predecessors had of old And thus against all ground of good policie he stands in pompe as a mightie Gyant with one Foote in the Kirk upon the necks of the Ministers and with another in the state upon the heads of the Nobilitie and Gentrie 4. The PASTOR assisteth the Civill Magistrate in planting of virtue and rooting out of vice partly by powerfull preaching home to the Consciences of sinners partly by censuring lesser offences which the Magistrate punisheth not as lying uncomelie jesting rash and common swearing rotten talking brauling drunckennesse c. Wherethrough the passages to murther adulterie and other great offences are stopped the people prevented in many mischiefs and great enormities and the Magistrate many waies eased and partly in censuring of greater sinnes and purging the Kingdome of foule offences for he joyneth the Censures and the spirituall sword of the Kirk with the sword of the Magistrate so unpartially that none are spared with such expedition and diligence that sinne is censured and not forgotten with such authoritie that the most obâ—tinâ—â—e haue confessed that the Kirk had power to binde and loose with such sharpnesse and severitie that Malefactors haue beene affraide and so universally that as there is no crime censurable by the Kirk but the same is punishable by temporall Iurisdiction so he holdeth no sinne punishable by Civill Authoritie but the same is allo censurable by Spirituall power the one punishing the offender in his bodye or goods the other drawing him unto repentance and to remoue the scandall The PRELATE is unprofitable to the Civill Magistrate in planting of virtue and rooting out of vice for where his government hath place preaching hath more demonstration of Arte for the praise of the speaker then of the Spirit for the censuring of sinne and conversion of the sinner He passeth small offences without any censure thereby openeth the way to the greatest sins of murther adulterie c. and giveth the Magistrate his hands full He vendicates to his court and jurisdiction some crimes as proper for his censure which yet he passeth lightly The censures of the Kirk and sword of excommunication in his hand serue for small use against greater sins For eyther they are not used at all or so partially that the greatest sinners escape uncensured or so superficially that they are rather a matter of mocking and boldnesse in sinne then of repentance to the sinner or of removing the offence 5. The PASTOR is chargeable to no man beside his sober and necessarie maintenance allotted unto him for his necessarie service which the people can no more want then they may want religion it selfe or their owne temporall and eternall happines The PRELATE contrarie to the rules of policie against the multiplying and mainteyning of idle officebearers hath for one office serving for no good use neither to King nor Kirk nor Countrey allowance of a large rent is a great burthen and is many waies chargeable to the Commonwealth and to particular persons by his great lands and Lordship by actions of improbation reductions of feiffes declarator of esheits entresses nonentresses c. by selling of commissariats c. by raysing and rigorously exacting the Quots of Testaments by sommes of money giuen unto them their sonnes or theyr servants for presentations collations testimonials of ordination or admission sometimes by people who would be at a good Minister and ordinarily by the cannie friends of the intrant who can finde no entrie but by a golden port 6. The PASTOR would haue learning to growe considering that Schooles and Colledges are both the seminarie of the Commonwealth the Lebanon of God for building the Temple desyreth earnestly that there might be a Schoole in every congregation that the people might be more civill and might more easily learne the groundes of Religion he would haue the best ingynes chosen provided to the students places in universities the worthyest best men to the places of Teachers who might faythfully keepe the Arts and Sciences from corruption and especially the trueth of Religion as the holy fire that came down from heauen was kept by the Levites He desireth the rewards of learning to be giuen to the worthyest and after they haue received them that they be faythfull in their places least by loytering and lazinesse they become both unprofitable and unlearned The PRELATE is not so desirous of learning in himselfe as of ignorance in others