affronted wickedness and hatred of Godliness may give ground to doubt of it as Christians had of Iulian the Apostate 2. We are obliged to love our Enemies to Bless them that Curse us to do good to them that hate us to pray for them that despitefully use persecute us Math. 5. 44. Accordingly Our Master who commanded this did give us a Pattern to imitate when He prayed Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luk. 23. 34. And His faithful Martyr Stephen prayed for his Murderers Lord lay not this sin to their charge Act. 7. ult We are to pity them and not to seek vengeance against them for any injuries they can do to us Yet as this doth not interfere with a holy zealous Appeal to God for righting resenting requiting the wrongs done to us that He may vindicate us our Cause and make them repent of their injuries done to us to the Glory of God and Conviction of Onlookers and Confusion of themselves which may well consist with Mercy to their Souls So all we can pray for them in their opposition to us is in order to their repentance but never for their prosperity in that Course And we may well imitate even against our enemies that prayer of Zecharia's The Lord look upon it and require it 2 Chron. 24. 22. But we are never to pray for Christs stated Enemies as to the bulk of them and under that formality as His Enemies for we must not love them that hate the Lord 2 Chron. 19. 2. but hate them and hate them with a perfect hatred Psâl. 139. 21 22. We are to pray for the Elect among them but only to the end they may escape the vengeance which we are obliged to pray for against them 3. We are not to exsecrate our enemies or use imprecations against any out of blind zeal or the passionate or revengefull motions of our oun hearts Our Lord rebuked His Disciples for such preposterous zeal Luk. 9. 55. Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of But against the Stated Declared Enemies of Christ as such while such we may well take a pattern from the imprecatory Prayers of the Saints recorded in Scripture such as do not peremptorly determine about the eternal State of particular persons which determinations except we be extraordinarly acted by the same Spirit whose Dictates these are are not to be imitated by us We find several sorts of Imprecations in the Psalms other Scriptures Some are imitable some not Some are Propheticall having the force of a Prophecy as Davids Psal. 35. 4. Let them be confounded that seek after my Soul Let Destruction come upon him Psal. 55. 15. Let them go doun quick to hell And Ieremiah chap. 17. 18. Let them be confounded that persecute me destroy them with double destruction Without this Prophetical Spirit determining the application of these threatenings to particular persons we may not imitate this peremptoriness Some are Typical of Christs Mediatory devoting His Enemies to destruction who as He interceeds for His friends so by virtue of the same Merits by them trampled upon He pleads for vengeance against His enemies Which Mediatory vengeance is the most dreadful of all vengeances Heb. 10. 29. So also Psal. 40. He whose ears were opened and who said lo I come vers 6. 7. that is Christ does imprecate shame Confusion desolation vers 14. 15. As also Psal. 109. the Psalmist personates Christ complaining of imprecating against His enemies particularly Iudas the Traitor vers 8. It must be dreadful to be under the dint of the Mediators Imprecations And also dreadful to clash with Him in His Intercessions that is to apprecate for them against whom He imprecates or pray for them against whom He intercedes But some Imprecatioâ—s against the enemies of God are imitable such as proceed from pure zeal for God and the Spirit of Prayer as that Psal. 109. ult Put them in fear O Lord that the Nations may know themselves to be but men Psal. 83. 16. fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy Name This is to be imitated in general against all the enemies of God Psal 129. 5. Let them all be confounded that hate Zion without condescending on particular persons except obviously not odiously desperate presumptively Christs implacable Enemies 4. Touching Magistrates it is a great duty to pray that God would give us Magistrates as He hath promised for the Comfort of His Church Isai. 1. 26. Isai. 49. 2. Ier. 30. 21. Promises should be motives foments of Prayer We ought to pray against Anarchy as a Plague and with all earnestness beg of God that the mercy of Magistracy may agaâ—n be known in Brittain of which it hath been long deprived 5. And when we have them it is a necessary Duty to pray for them for Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet peaceable life in all Godliness honesty 1 Tim. 2. 2. Where it is specified what sort we should pray for and to what end As we are not to pray for all men absolutely for some as they are declared to be out of the precincts of of Christs Mediation so they must be out of our Prayers So there may be some in actual Rule that may be excepted out of the verge of the Christians Prayers as was said of Iulian the Apostate But he that is a Magistrate indeed and in Authority the subjects are to pray and to give thanks for him not as a man meerly but as a Magistrate Yea though they be Heathen Magistrates Ezra 6. 10. We may pray for all in Authority two wayes As Men as Kings As Men we may pray for their Salvation or Conversion or taking them out of the way if they be enemies to Christs Kingdom according as they are stated and upon Condition if it be possible and if they belong to the Election of Grace Though for such as are opposites to the coming of Christs Kingdom as it is a contradiction to the second petition of the Lords Prayer Thy Kingdom come So in the experience of the most eminent wrestlers they have found less faith less encouragement in praying for them than for any other sort of men It is rare that ever any could find their hands in praying for the Conversion of our Rulers And though we pray that the Lord would convince them yea confound them in mercy to their souls yet this must never be wanting in our Prayers for Tyrants as men that God would bring them doun and cause Justice overtake them that so God may be Glorified and the Nation eased of such a burden But if we pray for them as Kings then they must be such by Gods approbation and not meer possessory Occupants to whom we owe no such respect nor duty For whatever the Hobbists and the time-serving Casuists of our day and even many good men though wofully
7. 2 6. I shew before that there is reason to fear that the sins of a few especially of Magistrats Ministers will bring wrath upon the whole body of the people as is plain from these Scriptures Levit. 10. 6. Isai. 43. 27 28. Lam. 4 13. Mic. 3. 11 21. shewing the sins of Ministers may procure universal Destruction And 2 Sam. 24. 25. 2 King. 21. 11. Ier. 15 4. proving the sins of Magistrats may procure it And Num. 3. 14 15. Iosh. 22. 17 18. Demonstrating that the sins of a party of the people may draw wrath upon the whole Now the only way the Scripture points out to evite avert such publick judgments is to make our resentment of these indignities done to our God our Mourning over them and our witness against them as publick as the sins are at least as publick as we can get them by a publick pleading for Truth Isai. 59. 4. for the defect whereof He hides His face and wonders that there is no man no Intercessor vers 16. that is none to plead with God in behalf of His born doun Truths There must be in order to this a publick seeking of Truth which if there be any found making conscience of the Lord makes a gracious overture to pardon the City Ier. 5. 1. we cannot think there were no mourners in secret there but there was no publick Meeting for it and publick ouning the duty of that day There must be valour for the Truth upon the earth Ier. 9. 3. a publick resolute ouning of Truth There must be a making up the hedge standing in the Gap for the Land that the Lord should not destroy it Ezek. 22. 30. a publick Testimony in opposition to defection There must be a pleading with our Mother Hos. 2. 2. which is spoken to private persons in the plural number Commanding all that would consult their oun safety publickly to condemn the sins of the whole Nation that they may escape the publick punishment thereof as it is expounded in Pool Synops. Critic in locum By this means we must endeavour to avert the wrath anger of God which must certainly be expected to go out against the Land which hath all the procuring causes all the Symptoms Prognosticks Evidences of a Land devoted to destruction that ever a Land had If then there must be such Publick Mourning and such Solemn Gathering for it such public pleading for Truth Seeking of Truth valour for Truth making up the hedge and pleading with our Mother there must of Necessity be publick Meetings for it for these things cannot be done in private but must be done by way of Testimony Which I make a 2. Reason The Nature End of Meeting for Gospel Ordinances is for a publick Testimony for Christ and His Truths Interest against Sin and all dishonours done to the Son of God. So that the only end is not only to bring to Christ build up Souls in Christ but it is to Testify also for the Glory of Christ whether Souls be brought in built up or not The Preached Gospel is not only the Testimony of Christ 1 Cor 1. 6. but a Testimony for Christ in which sense The Testimony of Iesus is said to be the Spirit of Prophesie Revel 19. 10. so called Durham expounds it for its bearing Witness to Christ in which respect Ministers are often called Witnesses It is also the Testimony of Israel not only given to Israel but given by Israel unto which the tribes go up the tribes of the Lord Ps. 122. 4. Whensoever therefore or howsoever the Testimony of the Church is contradicted that 's not a Lawful Meeting of the tribes of the Lord. It is also the Testimony of the Preachers for Christ against them that will not receive them Mark. 6. 11. And a Witness unto all Nations to whom they preach Math. 24. 14. And of all the Witnesses that hold it suffer for it Rev. 6. 9. And the same which is the Word of Christs Testimony is the Word of theirs Rev 12. 11. by which they overcome for which they love not their lives Wherever then the Gospel is preached it must be a Testimony But it cannot be a Testimony except it be Publick at least as publick as it can be as we find all Christs Witnesses were in the Old New Testaments 3. The Motive or principle prompting the Lords people to a frequenting of Gospel Ordinances is a publick Spirit stirring up to a publick Generation Work whereof this is the Scope to promote the Kingdom of Christ and not only to obey the Lords Command enjoining the duty to enjoy the Lord the end thereof or to edify their oun Souls But to partake in promote this Great Work of the Day for the Glory of God and the Churches good For the Gospel is not only a Banner of Love over His Friends but Christs Standart of war against His Enemies Isai. 59. 19. under which all that countenance it are called to list themselves as His Souldiers called chosen faithful And it is required of His Souldiers that they be valiant for the Truth upon the earth Discovering a Gallant greatness generosity of a Publick Spirit having their designs desires not limited to their oun interests even Spiritual but aiming at no less than Christs Publick Glory the Churches publick good the Saints publick Comfort having a publick Concern for all Christs Interests Publik Sympathie for all Christs Friends and a publick declared Opposition to all Christs Enemies This is a Publick Spirit the true Spirit of all Christs zealous Lovers Votaries Which when He is a missing will prompt them to go about the City in the streets and in the broad wayes to seek Him whom their Soul loveth Cant. 3. 2. and not only in their beds or secret corners but they must go to the streets and to the fields and avow their seeking of Christ even though the Watchmen should smite them the keepers of the walls take their vails from them Cant. 5. Which obliges them not only to take Him in to their oun Cottages and intertain Him in their hearts and give Him a Throne there but also to endeavour to enlarge His dwelling and propagate His Courtly residence through the World that the Kingdoms of the earth may becom the Kingdoms of the Lord and if they cannot get that done yet that He may have the Throne in â—her Mothers house and take up His abode in the Church or Nation they belong to that there His Ordinances be established in purity peace plenty power according to His oun Order And if that cannot be but that their Mother play the harlot and He be provoked to give up house with her and by her Childrens treacherie the Usurping Enemy be invited in to His place Habitation and take violent possession of it and enact His extrusion expulsion by Law yet they will endeavour to secure a place for Him among
Plague was stayed And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Phinehas hath turned my wrath away from the Children of Israel while he was zealous for my sake among them I give unto him my Covenant of Peace because he was zealous for his God and made an atonement for the Children of Israel Numb 25. 3 13. This Action is here much commended and recorded to his commendation Psal. 106. 30 31. Then stood up Phinehas executed Iudgement and so the Plague was stayed and that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations that is in justitiam facti coram hominibus qui alios potuissent hoc factum pessime interpretari tanquam temerarium intempestiâ—um a privato contra Magistratum patratum crudele nimis ab negatum poenitentiae spatium Deus tamen aestimavit tanquam insigniter justum Pool Synops. Critic in Locum It is certain this Action was some way extraordinary because Phinehas was not a Magistrate nor one of the Judges whom Moses commanded to slay every one his men vers 5. Otherwise if this had been only an ordinary execution of Judgement by the Authority of Moses Phinehas his Action would not have been so much taken notice of nor so signally rewarded but here it is noted as a singular act of zeal which it could not have been if it was only an ordinary execution of the Magistrats command yet thô this action was signally Heroical proceeding from a Principle of pure zeal for God and prompted by a powerful motion of the Spirit of God to that extraordinary execution of Judgement It is notwithstanding imitable in the like Circumstances For the matter is ordinary being neither preternatural nor supernatural but just necessary The end was ordinary to turn away the wrath of God which all were obliged to endeavour The principle was ordinary thô at the time he had an extraordinary measure of it being zealous for the Lord as all were obliged to be The rule was ordinary to wit the Command of slaying every man that was joined to Baal-Peor vers 5. only this was extraordinary that the zeal of God called him to this Heroical Action thô he was not a magistrate in this extraordinary exigent to avert the wrath of God which was neither by Moses his command noâ— by the Judges their obedience turned away onely by Phinehas's act of another nature and his zeal appearing therein prompting him thereto the Lord was appeaseâ— the plague stayed In which fervour of zeal transporting him to the omission off the ordinary solemnities of Judgement the Spirit of the Lord places the righteousness praise of the Action Yet the same Call Motion of zeal might have impowered others to do the like the Text speaks of no other Call he had but that of zeal vers 11 12 13. yeâ— another was obliged to do the same upon the ground of that Moral Command Deut. 13. 6 9. having the ground of Gods ordinary Judgement which commandeth the Idolater to die the death and therefore to be imitate of all that prefer the true honour Glory of God to the affection of flesh wicked Princes as Mr Knox affirmeth in his conference with Lithingtoun rehearsed before Per. 3. Further let it be inquired what makes it unimitable Certainly it was not so because he had the motion direction of Gods Spirit for men have that to all duties It was not because he was raised stired up of God to do it for God may raise up Spirits to imitable actions It was not because he had an extraordinary Call for men have an extraordinary Call to imitable actions as the Apostles had to Preach We grant these Actions are extraordinary unimitable which first do deviate from the rule of com mon virtue and transcend all rules of common reason Divine Word but this was not such but an heroick Act of zeal fortitude Next these Actions which are contrary to a Moral ordinary Command are unimitable as the Israelites robbing the Egyptians borrowing not paying again Abrahams offering his son Isaac but this was not such Next those Actions which are done upon some special Mandate of God and are not within the compass of ordinary obedience to the ordinary rule are unimitable but this is not such As also Miraculous Actions and such as are done by the extraordinary inspiration of the Spirit of God as Elias his killing the Captains with their fifties by fire from Heaven but none can reckon this among these See Ius populi at length discussing this point and pleading for the imitableness of this Action cap. 20. If therefore the Lord did not only raise up this Phinehas to that particular act of Justice but also warrant accept him therein reward him therefore upon the account of his zeal when there was a Godly zealous Magistrate able and whom we cannot without breach of charity presume but also willing to execute Justice how much more may it be pleaded that the Lord who is the same yesterday to day for ever will not only pour out of that same Spirit upon others but also when He gives it both allow them thô they be but private persons also call them being otherwise in a Physical Probable Capacity to do these things in an extreamely necessiâ—ous and otherwise irrecoverable state of the Church to which in a more intire condition He doth not call them And particularly when there is not only the like or worse provocations the like necessity of execution of Justice of Reformation for the turning away of wrath removing of Judgments that was in Phinehas's case but also when the Supreme Civil Magistrate the Primores regni other inferiour Rulers are not only unwilling to do their duty but so far corrupted perverted that they are become the Authors Patronizers of these abominations Naph Prior Edit Pag. 23. 3. When the Children of Israel served Eglon the King of Moab and they cried unto the Lord He raised them up a Deliverer Ehud the son of Gera who made a dagger brought a present unto Eglon and put forth his left hand and took the dagger from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly Iudg. 3. 21. That this Action was approven will not be doubted since the Lord raised him up as a Deliverer who by this Heroical Action commented it and since it was a Message from God. And that it was extraordinary were ridiculous to deny for sure this was not the judicial Action of a Magistrate Neither was Ehud a Magistrate at this time but only the Messenger of the people sent with a present Yet it is imitable in the like case as from hence many grave Authors concluded the Lawfulness of killing a Tyrant without a Title 4. When the Lord discomfiâ—ed the host of Iabin and Sisera his Captain fled into the house of Heber the Kenite Iael Hebers wife took a nail of the tent and went softly â—nto him and smote
apetites of misled Princes Mr. Knox his defence befor the Queen when rebuked for speaking of her Mariage in the pulpit was The Evangel sayth he hath two points Repentance Faith in preaching Repentance of necessity it is that the sins of men be noted that they way know wherein they offend And in his dispate with Lithingtoun requiring where any of the Prophets did so use Kings Rulers he gave the example of Elias reproveing Achab Iezebel that dogs shall lick the blood of Achab and eat the flesh of Jezebel which was not whispered in their ears but so as the People understood well enough for so witnessed Iehu after the accomplishment Elizeiu reproved Iehoram saying what have I to do with thee if it were not for Jehoshaphat I would not have looked toward thee though a subject yet he gave litle reverence to the King. These were their Arguments for faithfullness then which are now exploded with contempt Their worship was also Reformed from all Dregs of Popery fopperies of humane Ceremonies retained in many other Churches especially in England To whose Bishops in Queen Elizabeths time the Assembly wrote That if Surplice Corner cap Tippet c. have been the badges of Idolaters in the very act of Idolatry what have Preachers to do with the dregs of that Romish Beast Yea what is he that ought not to fear to take either in his hand or fore head the mark of that odious Beast We think yow should boldly oppose your selves to all power that will dare extoll it self against God and against all such as do burden the Conscience of the faithful further then God hath burdened them by His oun word The Disclpline Government was from the begining Presbyterial even before the establishment both in practice among the Persecuted Ministers who kept their private Meetings And in their Doctrine This was one of Mr Knox's Articles he sustained at St Andrews upon his first entry unto the Ministery Art. S. There is no Bishop except he preach even by himself wiihout any substitute But so soon as they attained any settlement they assembled in their first National Synod anno 1560. by vertue of that Intrinsick Power granted by the Lord to His Church nor did they so much as petition for the Indulgence of the then Authority But upon Christs warrant they kept held their Courts in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ only and in His sole Authority by direction of His Word Spirit concluded all their Counsels Votes Acts. And as they knew nothing of an Exotick Supremacy so they put out held out Prelacy and kept a perfect Parity which was nothing infringed by the extraordinary Imployments Commissions delegated to some Superintendents upon the account of the particular exigence of these times II. Next we find in the Practice of these renouned Reformers many demonstrations of pure zeal worthy of all imitation which I remark the rather because poor Sufferers that would now imitate it are condemned as blind ignorant zelots But why are not the Reformers condemned for the same things We find in the first place that they were so far from complying with or conniving at or countenancing publick sins that they could not contain themselves from declaring their Detestation of the sight of them yea the very boyes did abominate it as at the Reformation of St Iohnstoun a boy cryed with a bold voice This is intolerable that when God by His Word hath plainly condemned Idolatry we shall stand see it used in despight Whereupon he others throw doun all the monuments of Idolatry in the place But if now any should enterprise such a thing when the Idol of the Masse is set up in every City they might expect Ierubbaals censure of the Abiezrites thâ— it is true they might have the same encouragement because they have the same Command as he had to wit the perpetual precept of throwing doun Idolatrous Altars Next they were so far from complying with the Enemies in keeping the peace with them that they thought it a great sin not to oppose them when their brethren were forced to take the sword of self defence being perswaded by these arguments That by their fainting abstracting their support the Enemies would be encouraged And thereby they should declare themselves both Traitors to the Truth once professed and Murderers of their Brethren whom their presence Concurrence might preserve And that if they should deny their Brethren suffering for His Names sake they should also deny Christ and be denyed of Him And that God hath often punished subjects with their Princes for winking at and not resisting their manifest iniquity And therefore as He is immutable in nature so would He not Pardon them in that which He hath punished in others c. Which Arguments prevailed with the noble Earle of Glencarn in zeal to burst forth in these words Albeit never man should accompany me yet I will go to my Brethren and if it were but a Pike upon my shoulder I had rather die with that company then Live after them But now professors cannot only sit at home in their shops ceiled houses when the Lords people are pursued murdered in the fields but also can hire their Murderers strengthen their hands by paying them Cesses Localities and what they require for help to do their work and maintaining them in their iniquity Which famous Mr Knox disproveth very much in his day Arguing that if people thought they were innocent because they were not the actors of such iniquity they were utterly deceived for God doth not only punish the chief offenders but the Consenters to such iniquity And all are judged to consent who give not Testimony against it As the Rulers Bishops are Criminal of all the innocent blood that 's shed for the Testimony of Christs Truth so are all who assist maintain them in their blind rage and give no declaration that their Tyranny displeaseth them This doctrine is strange to the blind world but the verity of it hath been declared in all notable punishments from the begining when the old world was destroyed by water Sodom Jerusalem were destroyed were all alike wicked yet all perished why All kept silence or did not resist by which alâ— approved iniquity and joined hands with the Tyrants as it had been in one Battel against the Omnipotent Which words if impartially applyed will condemn confute the dull Daubings of the present Complyances in maintaining Tyrants their Emissaries by Emoluments which they require exact and that professedly for promoting their accursed projects And will justify Consciencious sufferers for refuseing to pay these impositions And this will the more appear if we adde some more of his pithie expressions in the same place clearing the subject he is upon and answering an objection what poor people might do when compelled to give obedience to all their Rulers demanded Ye may saith that Author
shall surely bring innocent blood upon your selves and upon the City and upon the Inhabitants thereof Now if the Princes the whole people should have been guilty of the Prophets blood how shall others be judged innocent before God if they suffer the blood of Innocents to be shed when they may save it 3 Ibid. he argues from the distinction between the person placed in Authority and the ordinance of God the one may be resisted the other cannot The plain words of the Apostle makes the difference The ordinance is of God for preservation of mankind punishment oâ—vice which is holy constant Persons commonly are profane unjust He that resisteth the power there is only meant of the just power wherewith God hath armed His Magistrats which who so resists resists Gods orâ—inance But if men in the fear of God oppose themselves to the fury of Princes they then resist not God but the Devil who abuses the sword Authority of God It is evident the people resisted Saul when he had sworn Ionathan should dye whom they delivered The Spirit of God accuses them not of any crime but praises them condemns the King This same Saul again commanded the Priests of the Lord to be slain his guard would not obey but Doeg put the Kings cruelty in execution I will not ask whether the Kings servants not obeying resisted the ordinance of God or whether Doeg murthering gave obedience to just Authority The Spirit of God condemns that fact Psal. 52. that God would not only punish the Commander but also the merciless executer Therefore they who gainstood his command resisted not the ordinance of God. 4 Ibid. He argues from examples not only of resisting but of punishing Tyrants chiefly the example of Uzziah is pertinent to this purpose 2 Chon 26. who after his usurping the Priests Office was put out of the Temple When it was replyed that they were the Priests that with stood the King not simple people He answered The Priests were subjects as Abâ—athar was deposed by Solomon c. yet they made him go out of the Temple for his Leprosie and the people put him from the Kingdom It is noted also that Mr Knox in that discourse adduces examples of those who use to be brought in as objections against defensive Armes even the Primitive Christians before that Passage last cited what precepts sayes he the Apostles gave I will not affirme But I find two things the faithful did the one was they assisted their Preachers even against the rulers the other was they suppressed Idolatrie wheresoever God gave unto them force asking no leave of the Emperour nor of his deputies Read the Ecclesiastical Histories and ye shall find examples sufficient IV. In the next place we may inquire into the judgment of these Reformers concerning that Question that is now so pusling to many which indeed was never started before this time as a head of suffering but now when it is started we may gather from our Ancestors Actings Determinations about it how it ought to be answered They were indeed in capacity and accordingly did improve it for disouning the Authority of both the Queens but their capacity was not the thing that made it duty if it had not been so before Capacity makes a thing possible but not lawful It does indeed make a duty seasonable and clears the Call to it and regulates the timing of Affirmative duties but the want of it can never dispense with negative Precepts And a duty negative especially may become necessary when it hath not the advantage of seasonableness or capacity certainly it were duty to depose â—he Pope from his usurped authority and to disoune it even in Rome it self but there it would not be thought very feasible or seasonable for twenty or thirty people to avouch such a thing there yet at all times it is a duty never to oune it It is thought unseasonable unfeasable to disoune the Tyrants authority but it is made necessary when uâ—ged never to oune it And for this we have the grounds of our Ancestors shewing who may be disouned and must not be ouned I shall first insert here John Knox his propositions prosecuted in his second blast extant at the end of Anton. Gilbies Admonition to England Scotland 1. It is not birth only nor propinquity of bloodh that maketh a King lawfully to Reign over a people professing Christ Iesus and His Eternal verity but in his Election the ordinance which God hath established in the election of inferior judges must be observed 2. No manifest Idolater nor notorious transgressor of Gods holy precepts ought to be promoâ—ed to any publick regiment honour or dignity in any realme Province or Citie that hath subjected themselves to Christ Iesus and His blessed Evangel 3. Neither can Oath or promise bind any such people to obey maintain Tyrants against God and His Truth known 4. Bâ—t if rashly they have promoted any manifest wicked person or yet ignorantly have chosen such an one as after Declareth himself unworthy of regiment above the people of God and such be all Idolaters Cruel Presecuters most justly may the same men depose punish him that unadvisedly before they did nominate appoint elect Accordingly this was done in deposing both the Queens wich is fully vindicated by the Earle of Morton in his discourse to the Queen of England as Buchanan Relates it Lib. 20. Pag. 746. The deed it self neither the Custom of our Ancestors of taking a Course with their Governour will suffer it to be accounted new nor the moderation of the punishment to be odious for it were not needful to recount so many Kings punished by death bonds exile by our Progenitors For the Scotish nation being from the begining alwise free hath created Kings upon these conditions that the Government entrusted to them by the peoples suffrages might be also if the matter required removed by the same suffrages Of which Law there are many footsteps remaining even to our day for both in the Isles about and in many places of the continent in which the old Language institutions have any abode this Custom is kept in creating their Governours of Clanns And the Ceremonies used at the entering into Government do yet retain the express representation of this Law. Whence it is evident that the Government is nothing else but a mutual stipulation between Kings people which further appears from the inviolated tenor of the Ancient Law since the begining of the Scotish Government reserved even unto our memory without the least essay either to abrogate it or disable or diminish it Yea even when our fathers have deposed banished more severely punished so many Kings yet never was any mention or motion made of relaxing the rigor of that Law And not without reason seeing it was not of that kind of Constitutions that change with the times but of those which are engraven in the minds of men from the
the King of Kings and all his instructions set doun limited in the book of God that cannot be extended abridged or altered by any mortal wight King or Emperour And seeing he was sent to all sorts his Commission discharge of it should not nor cannot be Lawfuly judged by them to whom he was sent they being sheep not Pastors to be judged by the Word and â—â—t to be judges thereof in a judicial way The Interloquutor being past against him for this the Brethren thought it duty that the Doctrine of the Preachers should be directed against the said Interloquutor as against a strong mighty hold set up against the Lord Jesus and the freedom of the Gospel and praised God for the force unity of the Spirit that was among themselves And being charged to depart out of Toun they leave a faithful Declaration at Large shewing how the Liberties of the Church were invaded robbed But all this was nothing in comparison of their wrestlings for the Royalties of their Princely Master and Priviledges of His Kingdom against that Tyrants Insolencies after he obtained he Croun of England For then he would not suffer the Church to indict her oun Assemblies And when the faithful thought themselves obliged to counteract his Encroachments and therefore conveened in an Assembly at Aberdeen anno 1605. they were forced to dissolve and thereafter the most eminent of the Ministers there assembled were transported Prisoners to Black-ness Whence being cited befor the Council they decline their Judicatory And one of their Brethren Mr Robert Youngson who had formerly succumbed being moved in Conscience returned and when the rest were standing before the Council desired to be heard and acknowledged his fault and therefore howbeit not summoned by the Lords was charged by the Living God and compelled to compear that day to justifie that Assembly to the great astonishment of the Lords and comfort of His brethren He subscribed the Declinature with the rest And for this they were arraigned and condemned as guilty of Treason and banished Before the execution of which sentence Mr Welsh wrote to the Lady Fleming to this effect What am I that He should first have called me and then constituted me a Minister of glad things of the Gospel of Salvation these fifteen years already and now last of all to be a sufferer for His Cause Kingdom To witness that good Confession that Jesus Christ is the King of Saints and that His Church is a most free Kingdom yea as free as any Kingdom under Heaven not only to convocate hold keep her Meetings Conventions Assemblies But also to judge of all her affairs in all her Meetings Conventions among His members and Subjects These two points 1 That Christ is the Head of His Church 2 That she is free in her Government from all other jurisdiction except Christs are the special Cause of our imprisonment being now convict as Traitors for maintaining thereof We have now been waiting with joyfulness to give the last Testimonie of our blood in confirmation thereof If it would please our God to be so favourable as to honour us with that dignity After this the King resolving by Parliament to advance the estate of Bishops again as in the time of Popery without Cautions as before and further to establish not only that Antichristian Hierarchie but an Erastian Supremacy The faithful Ministers of Christ thought themselves bound in Conscience to protest And accordingly they offered a faithful Protestation to the Parliament Iulij 1606. obtesting that they would reserve into the Lords own hands that Glory which He will communicate neither with man nor Angel to wit to prescribe from His holy Mountain a Lively pattern according to which His oun Tabernacle should be formed Remembring alwise that there is no absolute undoubted Anthority in this world except the soveraigne Authority of Christ the King to vvhom it belongeth as properly to rule the Church according to the good pleasure of His oun vvill as it belongeth to Him to save His Church by the Merit of His oun Sufferings All other anthority is so intrenched vvithin the marches of Divine Command that the least overpassing of the bounds set by God Himself bring men under the fearful expectation of Temporal Eternal judgements If ye should authorize Bishops ye should bring into the Church the ordinance of man vvhich experience hath found to have been the ground of that Antichristian Hierarchie vvhich mounted up on the steps of Bishops preeminence until that man of sin came forth as the ripe fruit of mans vvisedome vvhom God shall consume vvith the breath of His oun mouth Let the svvord of God pierce that belly vvhich brought forth such a monster And let the staff of God crush that egg vvhich hath hatched such a Cockatrice And let not only that Roman Antichrist be thrown down from the high bench of his usurped authority but also let all the steps whereby he mounted up to that unlawful preeminence be cut down utterly abolished in this Land And beware to strive against God with an open displayed banner by building up again the walls of Iericho which the Lord hath not only cast down but also hath laid them under an horrible Interdiction execration so that the building of them again must needs stand to greater charges to the builders then the reedifying of Iericho to Hiel the Bethelite in the days of Ahab Yet notwithstanding of all opposition Prelacy was again restored in Parliament And to bring all to a Complyance with the same Presbytries Synods universally charged under highest pains to admit a constant Moderator without change which many refused resolutely as being the first step of Prelacy Upon this followed a great Persecution of the faithful for their Nonconformity managed by that Mongrel Monstrous kind of Court made up of Clergy-men Statesmen called the High Commission Court erected anno 1610. whereby many honest men were put violently from their charges habitations the Generality were involved in a great fearful Defection But the Copestone of the wickedness of that Period was the Ratification of the five Articles of Perth kneeling at the Communion private Communion to be given to the sick private Baptisme and Confirmation of Children by the Bishop and observation of festival dayes Which were much opposed testified against by the faithful from their first hatching anno 1618. to the year 1621. when they were ratified in Parliament at what time they were also witnessed against from Heaven by extraordinary Lightenings Tempest And against this the Testimony of the faithful continued till the Revolution anno 1638. Here we see how the Cause was stated in this Period and may gather also wherein it aggress and how far it differs from the present Testimony now suffered for under all rage reproach I. The matter of the Testimony was one with that that we are suffering for against Popery Prelacy Supremacy
of the God of Truth and Scorn of all our holy Engagments Which defection did not only cause for a long time an incurable Division the first of that kind and most permanent of any that ever was in the Church of Scotland by reason of the surcease of General Assemblâ—es stoped hindered by the yoke of the Sectarian Usurpation but also was the spring source of all our defections since all flowing from fomented by that same spirit that fostered that And for that since that time the Lord hath been contending with this Church Nation bringing us under the bondage of these Malignant Enemies whom we suffered them then to encourage introduce And both at that time since that time the Lord never countenanced an Expedition where that Malignant Interest was taken in unto the state of the quarrel Upon this our Land was invaded by Oliver Cromwel who defeat our Army at Dumbar where the Anger of the Lord was evidently seen to smoke against us for espousing that Interest And remarkable it is how in that very day where in the Publick Resolutions were concluded in the Assembly at St Andrews the Lord then shed the blood of His people at Ennerkeithing so as that the Assembly having in great hast hurried through this Approbation were all made to run for it and Adjourn themselves to Dundie where they met and compleated that step of defection And afterwards it s known what a peculiar vengeance fell upon that City where this deed was done beyond all the Cities of the Nation Next an Army being raised according to these unhallowed Resolutions and the Lord puting remarkable Discountinance upon them in their attemptings at home as was manifest in their attemptings at Torewood c. They march into England and there did the Lord continue by His leaving our Army to the Sword to preach that Doctrine to the world Iosh. 7. 10 11 12. Israel hath sinned and transgressed the Covenant have taken the accursed thing and dissembled also and have put it even amongst their oun stuff therefore the Children of Israel could not stand before their enemies but turned their backs before their Enemies because they were accursed Neither will I be with yow any more except ye destroy the accersed thing from among yow An army of near 30000 was totally routed at Worcester and the Achan the Cause of the overthrow was forced to hide himself in the Oak and thence to transport himself beyond sea where he continued a wandering fugitive in Exile till the year 1660. In the mean time the Sectarian Army here prevailed till after the usurper Cromwel his death the false Monk then General with a Combination of Malignants and Publick Resolutioners did machinate our misery and effectuated it by bringing home the King to England from his banishment Wherein he was habituate into an implacable hatred against the Work of God. Yet though since the Kings first reception into Scotland our declensions were still growing untill they produced this fearful Revolt from God wherein the Nation is now involved there was still a faithful Remnant of Ministers Professors zealous for the Cause keeping their Integrity who in their Remonstrances Testimonies witnessed against both their Malignant Enemies and their backsliding Brethren the Resolutioners and also against the Sectarians their Invaders whose vast Toleration Liberty of Conscience which they brought in to invade our Religion as they had invaded our Land and infect it with their multifarious Errors was particularly by the Synod of Fife and other Brethren in the Ministery that joined themselves to them Testified against and demonstrated to be wicked intollerable Now to see how far the present Testimony is Conâ—irmed by the witnesses of this Period we may resume some Reflections on it I. They impartially carried on the Testimony against Prelacy and the Popish Prelatical Malignant faction on the one hand and the Sectarians on the other without ever waving the Testimony against either or at the least winking at the one to weaken the other both which Testimonies they though of so great importance that they could not dispense with but faithfully maintain both in their witnessings warnings In that seasonable necessary Warning Declaration concerning present imminent dangers given at Edinb Iuly 27. sess 27. They say first of the Sâ—ctaries That prevailing Party of Sectaries in England who have broken the Covenant and despised the Oath of God corrupted the Truth subverted the fundamental Government Look upon us with an evil eye as upon these who stand in the way of their Monstrous new fangled devices in Religion Government and though there were no Cause to fear any thing from that party but the Gangren infection of those many damnable abominable errors which have taken hold on them yet our vicinity unto and dayly Commerce with that Nation may justly make us afrayed that the Lord may give up many in this Land into a spirit of delusion to beleeve Lies because they have not received the Love of the Truth In that same warning they say we are not so to have the one of our eyes upon the Sectaries as not to have the other upon Malignants they being an Enemie more numerous more dangerous than the other not only because experience hath proven that there is a greater aptitude inclination in these of our Land to comply with Malignants than Sectaries in that they carry on their wicked designe under a pretext of being for the King but also because there be many of them in our oun bovvells By vvhich vve may see hovv impartially they opposed both and that this cannot be condemned in the Testimonies of the present Sufferers except the Assembly be condemned And because many novv a dayes have extenuating notions of those debates against Prelacy Sectarianisme about the Government of the Church c. and condemn these that vvould adhere to suffer for the Punctilio's of it as rigid nicetie I shall for seeing vvhat account the Assembly had of them cite their vvords in a Letter to the Assembly of divines at Westminster Dated Edin Iune 18. 1646. The smallest say they of Christs Truths if it be Lavvfull to call any of them small is of greater moment than all the other businesses that ever have been debated since the begining of the vvorld to this day but the highest of honours and heaviest of burdens is put upon yovv to declare out of the Sacred Records of Divine Truth vvhat is the Prerogative of the Croun extent of the Scepter of Jesus Christ vvhat bounds are to be set betvveen Him Ruling in His House and povvers established by God on Earth hovv by vvhom His House is to be Governed and by vvhat vvayes a restraint is to be put on these vvho vvould pervert His Truth and subvert the faith of many II. In the manner of maintaining this Testimony these famous Fathers while faithful for God gave us a perfect
1680. at the Torwood he excommunicated some of the most scandalous and Principal Promoters Abettors of this Conspiracy against Christ as formally as the present Case could admit After Sermon upon Ezek. 21. 25 26 27. And thou profane wicked Prince of Israel whose day is come c. He had a short and pertinent discourse on the nature the subject the causes and the ends of Excommunication in general And then declared that he was not led out of any private Spirit or passion to this Action but constrained by Conscience of duty and zeal to God to stigmatize with this brand and wound with the Sword of the Lord these Enemies of God that had so Apostatized rebelled against mocked despised defied Our Lord and to declare them as they are none of His to be none of ours The persons excommunicated and the Sentence against them was given forth as followes I being a Minister of Iesus Christ and having Authority and Power from Him do in His Name by His Spirit excommunicatâ— cast out of the true Church and deliver up to Satan Charles the Second King c. The Sentence was founded upon these grounds declared in the pronunciation thereof 1 for his high mocking of God in that after he had acknowledged his own sins his fathers sins his mothers Idolatrie yet had gone on more avowedly in the same than all before him 2 for his great Perjurie in breaking burning the Covenant 3 for his rescinding all Lawes for establishing the Reformation and enacting Lawes contrarie thereunto 4 for commanding of Armies to destroy the Lords people 5 for his being an Enemy to true Protestants helper of the Papists and hindering the execution of just Lawes against them 6 for his granting Remissions Pardons for Murderers which is in the power of no King to do being expressly contrare to the Law of God. 7 for his Adulteries and dissembling with God man Next by the same Authority and in the same name he excommunicated Iames Duke of York for his Idolatrie and setting it up in Scotland to defile the Land and entycing encouraging others to do so Not mentioning any other sins but what he scandalously persisted in in Scotland c. With several other rotten Malignant Enemies on whom the Lord hath ratiâ—â—ed that Sentence since very remarkably whose sins punishments both may be read more visiblie in the Providences of the time than I can record them But about this time when amidst all the abounding defections divisions of that dark dismal hour of tentation some in zeal for the Cause were endeavouring to keep up the Testimony of the day in an abstraction from Complying Ministers Others were left in holy judgment to be a stumbling block to the Generation hardening them in their defections and to be a beacon to the most zealous to keep off from all unwarrantable excesses to fall into fearâ—ul extravagances and delirious damnable delusions being overdriven with ignorant blind zeal into untroden paths which led them into a labyrinth of darkness when as they were stumbled at many Ministers their unfaithfulness so through the deceit of Sathan and the hypocrisie of his Instruments they came to be offended at Mr Cargil his faithfulness who spared neither left hand declensions nor right hand extremes and left him and all the Ministers not only disouning all Communion with those that were not of their way but execrating Cursing them and kept themselves in desert places from all Company where they persisted prodigiously in fastings and singing Psalms pretending to wonderful raptures Enthusiasmes and in fine I. Gib with 4 more of them came to that hight of Blasphemy that they burnt the Bible Confession of Faith. These were the sweet singers as they were called led away into these delusions by that Impostor Sorcerer Iohn Gib who never encreased to such a number as was then feared reported being within thirty most part women all which for the most part have been through Mercy reclaimed from that destructive way which through Grace the Reproached Remnant adhering to the foresaid Testimony had alwayes an abhorrence of Wherefore that ignorant impudent Calumnie of their Consortship with Gibs followers is only the vent of viperous Envy For they were the first that discovered them and whose pains the Lord blessed in reclaiming them and were alwayes so far from partaking with them that to this day these that have come off from that way and have offered the Confession of their scandal do still complain of their over-rigid severity in not admitting them to their select fellowships To which may be added this undenyable Demonstration that whereas the persecuâ—ing Courts of Inquisition did alwayes extend the utmost severity against the Ouners of this Testimony yet they spared them And the Duke of York then in Scotland was so weâ— pleased with Gib's Blasphemies that he favoured him extraordinarly and freely dismissed him This was a cloudy dark day but not without a burning shining light as long as that faithful Minister of Christ Mr Donald Cargil was following the Work of the Lord who shortly after this finished his Testimony being apprehended with other two faithful zealous Witnesses of Christ Mr Walter Smith and Mr Iames Boog who with 2 more were altogether at Edinburgh 27. Iulij 1681. Crouned with the Glory of Martyrdom Then came the day of the Remnants vexation trouble darkness dimness of anguish wherein who so looked unto the Land could see nothing but darkness sorrow the light darkened in the Heavens thereof wherein neither Star nor Sun appeared for many dayes and poor People were made to grope for the wall like the blind and to stumble in noon day as in the night While the Persecution advanced on the one hand a violent spait of defection carried doun the most part of Ministers Professors before it driving them to Courses of sinful scandalous Conformings with the times Corruptions Compearings before their Courts Complyings with their Commands paying of theis Cesses and other Exactions Taking of their Oaths Bonds and countenancing their Prelatical Church-Services which they were ashamed to do before And thereupon on the other hand the Divisions and Confusions were augmented and poor people that desired to cleave to the Testimony were more more offended and stumbled at the Ministers who either left the Land in that clamant Call of the peoples necessity or lurked in their own retirements and declined the duty of that day leaving people to determine themselves in all their perplexities as a prey to all tentations But the tender Pastor and Shepherd of Israel who leads the blind in the way they know not did not forsake a Remnant in that hour of tentation who kept the Word of His Patience and as He helped those that fell into the hands of Enemies to Witness a good Confession so He strengthened the zeal of the remaining Contenders against all the
what is future Next it is known what his Practices Plots have been for the destruction of all honest precious Interests what a deep hand he had in the burning of London in the Popish plot discovered anno 1678. in the Murder of the Earle of Essex yea in the Parricide committed upon his oun brother By all which it appears nothing is so abominable barbarous which he hath not a Conscience that will swallow digest without a scruple and what he hath done of this kind must be but preparatory to what he intends as meritorious to attone for these villanies And in his esteem and persuasion of Papists nothing is thought more meritorious than to exstirpate the Protestant Religion and destroy the Professors thereof Therefore being such a person with whom in Reason no honest man could transact for a tenure of the least piece of Land or house or any holding whatsoever they dare not accept of his security or protection for so great an Interest as the freedom exercise of their Religion under the shadow of such a bramble If it was the Shechemites sin shame to strengthen a naughty Abimelech and strengthen themselves under the shadow of his protection much more must it be to take protection for Religion as wel as peace from such a Monster of crueltie treacherie This were against their Testimony and contrary to the Laudable Constitutions of the Church of Scotland to take no Protections from Malignant Enemies as was shewed above in Montroses case See Pag. 82. above II. Considering his Religion more particularly they judge it unlawful so to bargain with him as this Acceptance would import It is known he is not only a Papist an Apostate Papist and an Excommunicate Papist as is related above but a fiery Bigot in the Romish Religion and zealous sworn votarie vassal of Antichrist who as the Letter of the Iesuite from Liege lately published in print tells us is resolved either to convert England to Poperie or die a Martyr and again that he stiles himself a son of the Societie of Iesuites and will account every injury done to them to be a wrong done against himself being known to be under the conduct guidance of that furious Order yea and enrolled as a member of that Society Which makes it the less to be wondered that he should require absolute obedience without reserve seeing he himself yeelds absolute obedience as wel as implicite faith without reserve to the Jesuites Such a Bigot was Mary of England as also his great Grandame of Scotland if she had got her will And his Bigotrie will make him emulous of her Crueltie as counting it a diminution of his glory for such a Champion as he under Antichrists banner to come short of a womans enterprizes Nor would the late King have been so posted off the stage if his successor were not to act more vigorously than he in this Tragical design to which this Toleration is subservient He is then a Servant of Antichrist and as such under the Mediators Malediction yea in this respect is heir to his Grandfathers imprecation who wished the Curse of God to fall upon such of his Posterity as should at any time turn Papists How then can the Followers of the Lamb strike hands be at peace associate confederate or bargain with such a declared Enemy to Christ Certainly the Scripture-Commands of making no Covenant or League interdicting entering into any affinity with the People of these abominations and forbidding saying a Confederacy with them do lay awful bonds on the Faithful to stand aloof from such The People might have had Liberty of Conscience under the Assyrian Protection when they were saying a Confederacy with him but in so doing they forefaulted the benefit of the Lord being a Sanctuary to them To bargain therefore with such an one for a Toleration of Religion were contrary to the Scriptures contrary to the Covenants and Principles of the Church of Scotland against Associations Confederacies with such Enemies See Gillesp. Useful Case of Conscience concerning Assoc. hinted Pag. 83. and more Head. 3. Arg. 1. But to accept of this Liberty as now offered were a bargaining for where there is a Giving Receiving upon certain Conditions where there are Demands Complyance Commands Obedience Promises Relyance Offers upon termes Acquiescence in these termes what is there wanting to a bargain but the meer formality of Subscriptions At least it cannot be denied but the Addressers have bargained for it and in the name of all the Accepters which must stand as their deed also if they do not evidence their resentment of such Presumption which I do not see how they can if they abide under the shadow thereof the same way as they do I grant Liberty is very desirable and may be taken improven from Enemies of Religion And so do the Wanderers now take it improve it to the best advantage without receiving it by acquiescing in any termes But such a Liberty as this was never offered without a destructive design nor ever received without a destructive effect It is one of the filthie flatteries found in the English Addresses particularly that from Totness that the present Indulger is like another Cyrus who proclaimed Liberty to the People of God Ezra 1. But who sees not the disparity in every respect Cyrus at his very first entry into the Government did lay out himself for the Churches good This man who speaks now so fair his first work was to break our head and next to put on our hood first to assert corroberate his prerogative and then by virtue of that to dispense with all Penal Lawes It was foretold that Cyrus should deliver the Church at that time But was it ever promised that the Church should get Liberty to advance Antichrist or that Antichrist or one of his Limbs should be employed in the Churches deliverance while such The Lord stirred up the Spirit of Cyrus Can it be said without blasphemy that the Lord stirred up this man to contrive the introduction of Poperie by this Gate Gap except in a penal sense for judgment Cyrus had a Charge to build the Lord a House but this is not a Charge but a Grant or Licence not from nor according to Gods Authority but mans not to build Christ a House but a Babel for Antichrist and all this Liberty is but contrived as scaffolding for that Edifice which when it is advanced then the scaffolding must be removed 3. Considering him in his Relation as a Magistrate it were contrary to their Testimony so often renewed ratified confirmed with so many reasons and sealed by so much blood bonds banishment other sufferings to oune or acknowledge his Authority which is meer Usurpation Tyrannie in that by the Lawes of the Land he is incapable of Government and that he hath neither given nor can give without an hypocritical damning cheat the Oath
persons twice once to have their ears cut and be banished and after the lopping of their ears some have been re-examined and Sentenced to death and execute 23. They have Sentenced some and hanged them both in one day Others early in the morning both to surprize the persons that were to die and to prevent Spectators of the sight of their Cruelty Others have been kept in suspense till the very day hour of their execution 24. Not only have they murdered serious zealous Followers of Christ in taking away their Lives but endeavoured to murder their Names and to murder the Cause for which they suffered loading it with all Reproaches as Sedition Rebellion c. which was their peculiar Policy to bring the Heads of Sufferings to Points that are most obnoxious to mens Censure and accounted most extrinsick to Religion whereby they levelled their-designs against Religion not directly under that notion but obliquely in the destruction of its Professors under the odium reproach of enemies to Government 25. But chiefly they labour to murder the Soul defile the Conscience and only consult to cast a man doun from his excellency which is his integrity that is a Christians Croun and that they would rather rob him of as any thing either by hectoring or flattering him from the Testimony which they endeavour by proposing many offers with many threatenings in subtile termes And pretend a great deal of tenderness protesting they will be as tender of their blood as of their oun Soul which in some sense is true for they have none at all of their oun Souls and purging themselves as Pilate did and charging it upon their oun head 26. They will be very easie in their Accommodations where they find the poor man begining to faint and hearken to their overtures wherein they will grant him his life yeelding to him as cunning Anglers do with Fishes And to persuade him to some length in complying they will offer Conference sometimes or reasoning upon the Point to satisfie informe his Conscience as they pretend but really to catch him with their busked hook 27. If they have any hope of prevailing they will change a mans Prison and take him out from among the more strict fervent in the Cause that might sharpen strenghen his zeal and put him in among the more cool remiss 28. Sometimes they used to stage several together whereof they knew some would Comply to Tantalize the rest with the sight of the others Liberty and make them byte the more eagerly at their bait to catch the Conscience But when they had done all they could Christ had many Witnesses who did retain the Croun of their Testimony in the smallest Points till they obtained the Croun of Martyrdom and attained to the Croun of Glory Speaking boldly to them without fear or shame and disdaining their flattering Proposals but looking on them under a right notion as stated there in opposition to Christ whereby they found this Advantage that hence they were restrained from all sinful tampering with them or intertaining any discourse with them but what was suitable to speak to Christs enemies or doing any thing to save their life but what became Christs Witnesses who loved not their lives unto the death Of whom universally this was observed that to the Admiration of all the Conviction of many enemies the Confirmation of many friends the Establishment of the Cause and the Glory of their Redeemeâ— they went off the stage with so much of the Lords Counâ—enance so much Assurance of Pardon Eternal Peace so much hope of the Lords returning to Revive His Work and Plead His Cause again in these Lands that never any suffered with more meekness humility composure of Spirit and with more faithfulness stedfastness resolution than these Worthies did for these despised reproached Truths for which their surviving Brethren are now Contending Suffering while others are at ease PART III. THE PRESENT TESTIMONY Stated and Vindicated in its Principal Heads BY what is above premitted the Reader may see the Series Succession of the Testimony of Christs Witnesses in Scotland from time to time in all the Periods of that Church how it hath been transmitted from one generation to another Doun to our hands how far it hath been extended and what Increments it hath received in every Period how it hath been opposed by a Continued Prosecution of an hereditary War against Christ by an Atheistical Papistical Prelatical and Tyrannical faction and how it hath been concerted contended for maintained sealed actively passively by an Anti-pagan Anti-Popish Anti-Prelatical Anti-Erastian Anti-Sectarian and Anti-Tyrannical Remnant of the Followers Professors Confessors Martyrs of Christ in all Ages Now it remains in the third last Place to consider the Merit of the Cause as it is now Stated to see whether it will bear the weight of those great Sufferings wherewith it hath been sealed I hope all the Lovers of Christ who have an esteeâ— â—ven of His reproaches above all the Treasures of Egypt will grant that if these sufferings be Stated on the least or lowest of the Truths of Christs then they are not Misstated noâ— built upon a bottom that will not bear them or is not of that worth to sustain them For Certainly every Truth the least of Truths is of greater value than any thing that we can suffer the loss of for it yea of infinitely greater value than the whole world So that if I prove these Heads of Suffering to be Truths wherein Conscience is concerned the Cause will be sufficiently vindicated from the loadings lashings of such as prefer Peace to Truth ease to dutie who to Justify their oun backwardness detastable lukwarmness call some of them only State questions about things Civil and not Gospel-Truths and Heads to State suffering upon And if they be Truths Duties the Cause will some way be rendered more Illustrious that it is Stated upon the smallest hoofs hair-breadths of the Concerns of Christs Declarative Glory as being a greater witness of its Ouners Love Loyalty to Christ and of their pure tender zeal for His honour than if for more substantial fundamental Truths which a Natural Conscience may reclaim to Decline when for the meanest Circumstantials of Christs Truths they dare are ambitious to bestow their dearest blood But if the Complexe of them be impartially Considered no unprejudiced Arbiter will suffer himself to have such extenuating Impressions of the present Word of Patience Testimony of the suffering Remant in Scotland this day But it will appear to be a very weighty worthy Concern as any that either Men or Christians can be called to Witness for being the Priviledge of all mankind the Duty of all Christians and the Dignity of all Churches to assert It is for the Glory Croun Prerogatives and Imperial Regalia of the King of Kings with reference to His
questions to be answered when impertinently interrogate but may be both Cautiously Conscienciously waved We have Christs oun practice his faithful servant Pauls example for a Pattern of such prudence Christian caution But yet it were cruel unchristian rigour to censure such as out of a pious principle of zeal to God conscience of duty do freely positively declare their judgment in an absolute disouning of their pretended Authority when posed with such Questions though to the manifest detriment of their lives they Conscienciously looking upon it as a case of confession For where the Lord hath not peremptorily astricted His Confessors to such rules of prudence but hath both promised and usually gives His Spirits Conduct encouraging animating them to boldness so as before hand they should not take thought how or what they shall speak and in that same hour they find it given them it were presumption for us to stint them to our rules of prudence We may indeed find rules to know what is a case of confession but hardly can it be determined what Truth or duty we are questioned about is not or may not be a case of confession And who can deny but this may be in some circumstances a case of confession even Positively to disoune the pretended Authority of a bloody Court or Council when either they go out of their Sphere taking upon them Christs Supremacy and the Cognizance of the concerns of His Croun whereof they are Judges no ways Competent then they must freely faithfully be declined Or when to the dishonour of Christ they blaspheme His Authority and the Sacred boundaries He hath prescribed to all humane Authority and will assert an illimited absolute Authority refusing discharging all offered Legal Scriptural restrictions to be put thereupon as hath been the case of the most part of these worthy though poor Martyrs who have died upon this head then they must think themselves bound to disoune it Or when they have done some cruel indignity despight to the Spirit of God and to Christ His prerogative Glory and work of Reformation and people in murdering them without Mercy and imposing this ouning of their King by whose Authority all is acted as a condemnation of these witnesses of Christ their Testimony and a justification of their bloody cruelties against them which hath frequently been the case of these poor people that have been staged upon this account In this case and several others of this sort that might be mentioned then they may be free Positive in disouning this Test of wicked Loyaltie as the mark of the Dragon of the secular beast of Tyranny And in many such cases when the Lord gives the Spirit I see no reason but that Christs witnesses must follow His Pattern of zeal in the case of confession which He witnessed before Pontius Pilate in asserting His oun Kingship as they may in other cases follow His Pattern of Prudence And why may we not imitate the zeal of Stephen who called the Council before whom he was staged stiff necked resisters of the Holy Ghost Persecuters of the Prophets and betrayers Murderers of Christ the Just one as well as the Prudence of Paul But however it be the present Testimony against this pretended Authority Lies in the Negative which obliges alwayes semper ad semper that is to say we plead that it must never be Ouned There is a great difference between a Positive disouning and a not Ouning though the first be not alwayes necessary the Latter is the Testimony of the day and a negative case of confession which is allwise clearer than the Positive Though we must not allwise confess every Truth yet we must never deny any 3. It is confessed we are under this sad disadvantage besides others that not only all our Brethren groaning under the same yoke with us will not take the same way of declining this pretended Authority nor adventure when called to declare their judgment about it which we do not condemn as is said and would expect from the rules of equity charity they will not condemn us when we find our selves in conscience bound to use greater freedom But also some when they do declare their judgment give it in termes condemnatory of contradictory unto our Testimony in that they have freedom positively to oune this Tyranny as Authority and the Tyrant as their Lawful Soveraign And many of our Ministers also are of the same mind And further as we have few expressly asserting our part of the debate as it is now stated so we have many famous learned divines expressly against us in this point as especially we find in their Comments upon Rom. 13. among whom I cannot dissemble my sorrow to find the great Calvin saying saepe solent inquirere c. men often inquire by what right they have obtained their power who have the rule It should be enough to us that they do govern for they have not ascended to this eminency by their oun power but are imposed by the hand of the Lord. As also Pareus saying too much against us For answer to this I refer to Mr Knox his reply to Lithingtoun producing several Testimonies of Divines against him upon this very same head wherein he shewes that the occasions of their Discourses Circumstances wherein they were stated were very far different from those that have to do with Tyrants Usurpers as indeed they that are most concerned and smart most under their scourge are in best case to speak to the purpose I shall only say Mens averment in a Case of Conscience is not an oracle when we look upon it with an impartial eye in the case wherein we are not prepossessedâ— it will bear no other value than what is allayed with the imperfections of fallibility and moreover is contradicted by some others whose Testimony will help us as much to confirm our persuasion as others will hurt us to infirm it 4. But now when Tyrants go for Magistrats lest my plea against ouning Tyranny should be mistaken as if it were a pleading for Anarchy I must assert that I and all those I am vindicating are for Magistracy as being of divine Original institute for the common good of humane Christian Societies whereunto every soul must be subject of whatsoever quality or Character and not only for wrath but also for conscience sake though as to our soul conscience we are not subject which whosoever resisteth resisteth the ordinance of God and against which Rebellion is a damnable sin Whereunto according to the fifth Commandment and the many reiterated exhortations of the Apostles we must be subject and obey Magistrates and submit ourselves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be unto the King as Supreme c. And we account it a hateful brand of them that walk after the flesh to despise Government to be presumptuous self willed and not afrayed
further threatens that they should be removed into all Kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh for that which he did in Ierusalem Ier. 15. 4. Certainly these passages were recorded for our Learning Rom. 15. 4. and for our examples to the intent we should not do as they did 1 Cor. 10. 6. and for our admonition vers 11. Whence we may be admonished that it is not enough to keep our selves free of publick sins of Rulers Many of those then punished were free of all actual accession to them but they became accessory to and involved in the guilt of them when they did not endeavour to hinder them and bring them to condign punishment for them according to the Law of God which respecteth not persons or at least because they did not revolt from them as Libnah did There might be other provocations on the peoples part no doubt which the Lord did also punish by these Judgments â—ut when the Lord specifies the sin of Rulers as the particular procuring Cause of the Judgment it were presumption to make it the Occasion only of the Lords punishing them for plain it is if these sins of Rulers had not been committed which was the ground of the threatening execution the Judgment would have been prevented And if people had bestirred themselves as became them in repressing restraining such wickedness they had not so smarted And when that sin so threatened punished was removed then the Judgment it self was removed or deferred It is just necessary that the subjects being Jointly included with their Rulers in the same bond of fidelity to God be lyable to be punished for their Rebellion Apostasie when they continue under the bond of subjection to them But how deplorable were our Condition if we shold stand obnoxions to divine Judgments for the Atheisme Idolatry Murders Adulteries of our Rulers and yet be neither Authorized nor Capacitated to hinder it nor permitted to withdraw our selves from subjection to them But it is not so for the Lords making us responsable for their debt is an impowering us either to repress their wickedness when He gives us Capacity or at least to save our selves harmless from their Crimes by disouning them that being the only way of standing no longer accountable for their faults 12. It remains to Consider the Ends for which Government was institute by God and constitute by men from whence I Argue That Government that destroyes the Ends of Government is not to be ouned But Tyranny and especially this under which we houl destroyes all the Ends of Government Ergo it is not to be ouned The Minor I prove thus That Government that destroyes Religion Safety destroyes all the Ends of Government But this Popish arbitrary Absolute power destroyes Religion Safety Ergo It is evident both from the Laws of Nature Revelation that the Ends of Government are the Glory of God the good of Mankind The first is the Glory of God the ultimate end of all Ordinances to which whatever is opposite is not to be ouned by them that fear Him whatever power then is destructive to Religion and is applyed imployed against the Glory of the Uuniversal King and for withdrawing us from our fealtie obedience to Him is nothing but Rebellion against the Supreme Lord Lawgiver and a Traiterous Conspiracy against the Almighty and therefore not to be ouned And they are enemies to Religion or strangers to it who are not sensible this hath been the design of the present Government at least these 27 years to overturn the Reformed Covenanted Religion and to introduce Popery Hence seeing a King at his best highest elevation is only a mean for preserving Religion and for this end only chosen of the people to be Custos utriusque tabulae keeper of both Tables of the Law he is not to be regarded but wholly laid aside when he not only moves without his sphere but his motion infers the ruine of the ends of his erection and when he imployes all his power for the destruction of the Cause of Christ and advancement of Antichrists giving his power to the beast he is so far from deserving the deference of the power ordained of God that he is to be looked upon treated as a Traitor to God and Stated enemy to Religion all Righteousness The Second End of Government is the good of the people which is the Supreme Cardinal Law Salus Populi est Suprema Lex Which cannot be denied if it be considered 1. For this only the Magistrate is appointed of God to be His Minister for the peoples good Rom. 13. 4. and they have no goodness but as they conduce to this end for all the power they have of God is with this Proviso to promote His peoples prosperity It were blasphemy to say they are His Authorized Ministers for their destruction to which if their Conduct degenerate they degrade themselves and so must be disouned He is therefore in his institution no more than a mean for this end and himself cannot be either the whole or half of the end for then he should be both the end the mean of Government and it is contrary to Gods mould to have this for his end to multiply to himself silver gold or lift up himself above his brethren Deut. 17. 17 20. if therefore he hath any other end than the good of the people he cannot be ouned as one of Gods moulding 2. This only is the highest pitch of good Princes ambition to postpone their oun safety to the peoples safety Moses desired rather than the people should be destroyed that his name should be razed out of the Book of life And David would rather the Lords hand be on him his fathers house than on the people that they should be plagued 1 Chron. 21. 17. but he that would seek his oun ambitious ends with the destruction of the people hath the spirit of the Devil and is to be carried towards as one possessed with that malignant spirit 3. Originally their power is from the people from whom all their dignity is derived with reserve of their safety which is not the donative of Kings nor held by concession from them nor can it be resigned or surrendered to the disposal of Kings since God hath provided in His universal Laws that no Authority make any disposal but for the good of the people This cannot be forfeited by the usurpation of Monarchs but being alwise fixed in the essential Laws of Government they may reclaim recover it when they please Since then we cannot alienate our safety we cannot oune that Authority which is inconsistent with it 4. The attaining this end was the main ground motive of peoples deliberating to constitute a Goverment and to choose such a forme because they thought it most conducible for their good and to admit such persons as fittest Instruments for compassing this end and to establish such
Serpent Dragon Isai. 27. 1. and have great affinity in name Nature with the Apocalyptick Dragon So also Isai. 51. 9. the Egyptian Tyrant is called Dragon And Nebuchadnezzar swallowed up the Church like a Dragon Ier. 51 34. See also Ezek. 29. 3. 6. They are wolves ravening the prey Ezek. 22. 27. evening wolves that gnaw not the bones till the morrow Zeph. 3. 3. 7. They are Leopards So the Grecian Tyrants is called Dan. 7. 6. and Antichrist Revel 13. 2. 8. They are foxes So Christ calls Herod Luk. 13. 32. 9. They are Devils who cast the Lords people into Prison Revel 2. 10 13. Now can we oune all these abommable Creatures to be Magistrates Can these be the fathers we are bound to honour in the fifth Commandment They must be esteemed sons of dogs Devils that belive so and oune themselves sones of such fathers If we further take notice how the Spirit of God describes Tyranny as altogether Contradistinct opposite unto the Magistracy He will have ouned we may infer hence Tyrants Usurpers are not to be ouned What the Government instituted by God among His people was the Scripture doth both relate in matter of â—act and describes what it ought to be de jure viz. That according to the Institution of God magistrates should be established by the Constitution of the people who were to make them Iudges Officers in all their gates that they might Iudge the people with just Iudgment Deut. 16. 18. But foreseeing that people would affect a change of that first forme of Government and in imitation of their neighbouring Nations would desire a King and say I will set a King over me like all the Nations that are about me Deut. 17. 14. The Lord intending high holy ends by it chiefly the procreation of the Messias from a Kingly race did permit the change and gave directions how he should be moulded bounded that was to be ouned as the Magistrate under a Monarchial forme To wit that he should be chosen of God and set up by their suffrages that he should be a brother and not a stranger that he should not multiply horses nor wives nor money which are Cautions all calculated for the peoples good and the security of their Religion Liberty and for precluding preventing his degeneration into Tyranny and that he should write a Copy of the Law in a book according to which he should Govern vers 15. ad â—in cap. yet the Lord did not approve the change of the form which that luxuriant people was long affecting and at length obtained For long before Saul was made King they profered an Hereditary Monarchy to Gideon without the boundaries Gods Law required Which that brave Captain knowing how derogatory it was to the Authority of Gods Institution not to be altered in form or frame without His order generously refused faying I will not rule over yow neither shall my son rule over yow the Lord shall rule over yow Iud. 8. 23. But his bastard the first Monarch Tyrant of Israel Abimelech by sinstrous means being advanced to be King by the traiterous Schechemites Iotham and other of the Godly disouned him which by the Spirit of God Iotham describes Parabolically significantly hoâ—ding out the Nature of that Tyrannical usurpation under the Apologue of the trees itching after a King and the offer being repudiate by the more generous sort embraced by the bramble Signifying that men of worth virtue would never have taken upon them such an arrogant Domination and that such a Tyrannicall Government in its Nature tendency was nothing but an useless worthless sapless aspiring scratching vexing shadow of a Government under subjection to which there could be no peace nor safety But this was rather a Tumultuary interruption than a Change of the Government not being universally either desired or ouned therefore after that the Lord restored the pristine form Which continued until being much perverted by Samuels sons the people unanimously peremptorly desired the change thereof and whether it were reason or not would have a King as we were fondly set upon one after we had been delivered from his fathers yoke And the Lord gave them a King with a Curse and tooke him away with a vengeance Hos. 13. 11. as He did our Charles the Second Yet He permited it but with a Protestation against and conviction of the sin that thereby they had rejected the Lord 1 Sam. 8. 7. and with a demonstration from Heaven which extorted their oun confession that they bad added unto all their sins this evil to ask a King 1 Sam. 12. 17 18 19. And to deter disswad from such a Conclusion He appoints the Prophet to shew them the manner of the King that should reign over them 1 Sam. 8. 9. to declare before hand what sort of a Ruler he woud prove when they got him to wit a meer Tyrant who would take their sons and appoint them for himself for his Chariots and for horsemen and to run before his Chariots and make them his sowldiers and labourers of the ground and Instrument-makers and houshold servants and he would take their fields vineyards the best of them and give unto his servants in a word to make all slaves and that in the end when this should come to pass they should cry out because of their King but the Lord would not hear them vers 11-18 All which as it is palpable in it self so we have sensibly felt in our experience to be the Natural description of Tyranny but more tollerable than an account of ours would amount to It is both foolishly falsely alledged by Royalists or Tyrannists that here is a grant of incontroulable absoluteness to Kings to Tyrannise over the people without resistence And that this manner of the King is in the Original Mishphat which signifies right or Law So that here was a permissive Law given to Kings to Tyrannise and to oblige people to passive obedience without any remedy but tears And therefore it was registered laid up before the Lord in a book 1 Sam 10. 25. But I answer 1. If any thing be here granted to Kings it is either by Gods Approbation directing instructing how they should govern or it is only by permission providential Commission to them to be a plague to the people for their sin of choosing them to make them drink as they have brewed as sometimes He gave a Charge to the Assyrian rod to trample them doun as the mire of the streets If the first be said Then a King that does not govern after that manner and so does not make people cry out for their oppression would came short of his duty and all behoved to Tyrannize and make the people cry out then a King may take what He will from his subjects and be approved of God this were blasphemously absurd for God cannot approve of the sin of oppression If the Second
the former is true Therefore also the Latter The same reason against the Government of Asses will also militate against the Government of Tygers the first is more eligible then the last Fifthly This may be confirmed from Several promises in Scripture 1. There are many Gracious precious promises of Reformation of the Magistracy and Restitution of good Rulers as a great blessing from God to Mankind and to the Church Isai 1. 26. I will restore thy Iudges as at the first and thy Counsellors as at the begining afterwrrd thoâ— shalt he called the City of righteousness If Judges must first be restored before the City can be a City of righteousness then they must be restored before we can oune the Government thereof for that Government under which it cannot be a City of Righteousness cannot be ouned since it is no Government but a Rebellion Combination of Thieves see vers 23. I do not here restrict the promise as it is a Prophecy to its exact fulfillment as if no Government were to be ouned but what answers this promise of the restitution of the primitive order of Magistrats but I plead that when the Princes are rebellious Companions of Thieves the Government is not to be ouned till Judges be so far restored as to reduce righteousness in some measure which cannot be under Tyranny And in the general I may plead that none is to be ouned as a Magistrate but who some way is found in a promise for there is no Ordinance of God no duty no blessing no good thing either to be done or enjoyed but what is in a promise but Tyranny or ouning of Tyrants or subjection to Usurpers is not nor cannot be in a promise We have many other promises about Magistrates as that the Lord will be for a Spirit of Iudgement to him that sitteth in Iudgement Isai. 28. 6. A Tyrant cannot be capable of this happiness nor we under Tyranny nor any while they oune them Kings shall be the Churches nursing Fathers and their Queens her nursing Mothers Isai. 49. 23. Kings are not alwayes so but all Kings to be ouned are such as can be so at least they are never to be ouned when they turn destroyers of what they should nourish But Tyrants can never be Nourishers It is promised to the Lords people if they will hearken diligently unto the Lord and keep the Sabbath then shall there enter into their gates Kings Princes Ier. 17. 24 25. And if they will execute Judgement righteousness and deliver the spoyled out of the hand of the oppressor c. they shall obtain the same blessing Ier. 23. 3 4. But it is never promised neither doth it ever come to pass in Providence that these duties procured Tyrants There are many other promises to the same purpose from whence may be concluded the Lord will not alwayes leave His people to houl under ineluctable Tyranny but will accomplish their deliverance in His oun time way though we are not to look to Miracles Whence I argue 1. Since all the Ordinances of God Rulers in a special manner are appointed promised as blessings these cannot be ouned for His Ordinance which are not Blessings but Curses 2. That which would vacate evacuate all the promises of Magistracy cannot be a Doctrine of God But this that obliges to oune Tyrants Usurpers as long as they are up would vacate evacuate all these promises of Magistracy For except the Lord work Miracles which are not in the promise and do all without means they cannot be accomplished For if any means be used they must be such as will infer disouning of Tyrants for Magistrates cannot be restored except Tyrants be removed and whatever way they be removed without Miracles by others or their oun Subjects they must still be disouned and that before they be removed for if they be to be ouned before their removal if they exist cannot make them to be disouned dispossession cannot take away their right if they have it before 2. There are many promises of breaking the yoke of Tyrants Isai. 10. 27. His burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder and his yoke from off thy neck And in that promise of the Churches deliverance enlargment wherein they are Prophetically urged stirred up to some activity in cooperating with the providence Isai. 52. 1 2. they are called to awake put on strength their beautiful garments and to shake themselves from the dust and to rise and loose themselves from the bands of their neck that were captives Here is not only a promise of deliverance or a ground of encouragment what the Church may expect but a promise of direction for their being active in delivering themselves as men from the encroachments that were made on their humane Liberties that they should loose themselves from these bands Whose bands from their bands that ruled over them and made them to houl and the Lords Name to be blasphemed vers 5. Here 's a promise of breaking the bands of Rulers by them who houled under their subjection And it also includes a precept that people should not stay any longer under these yokes than they can shake them off or slip from under them Hence we see we are not to lie stupidly sleeping or sinking in the Ditch expecting the accomplishment of the promise of Deliverance but are to endeavour actively in dependence upon the Lords Assistance to deliver our selves Hence we may argue 1. A promise by way of Command that a people under bands of oppressing Rulers shall rouse themselves up to loose themselves from them implies infers a promise a duty of disouning those Rulers for otherwise they cannot be loosed from their subjection But here is a promise by way of Command that a people under bands of oppressing Rulers shall rouse themselves up to loose themselves from them Ergo 2. If the removal of Tyranny Usurpation be promised as a blessing then those can never be ouned to be the Ordinance of God for the removal of that can never be a blessing But in these promises we see the removal of those is promised as a blessing Therefore they can never be ouned Sixthly To the same purpose we may cite some Threatenings that will confirm the same Truth 1. There are many Threatenings against Tyrants themselves There are two mentioned Ier. 22. that seem patly to quadrate and near of a piece with our Misrulers both because of the demerit of the Threatening and the likeness of the Judgement Threatened The ground of it was building their house by unrighteousness and their chambers by wrong vers 13. And severally they are Threatened Iehojakim with the burial of an Ass unlamented vers 18 19. Coniah with a life without prosperity and a death without issue to succeed vers 30. The first of these is verified in the Elder of our Royal Brothers the last is like to be of both But that which I take
laxe in this point homolating both Doctrinally Practically their heathenish notions say to the contrary I hope it be in some measure made out that Tyrants are no more the Ordinance of God nor to be ouned as His Ministers Vicegerents than the Devil the Prince of this World for the Lords Anointed or Baals Priests for true Ministers If we pray for them as Kings we must pray for their peace prosperity preservation that their Government may be blessed with success their designs not frustrated nor their desires disappointed This we cannot pray for Tyrants 6. Albeit we may pray for the Peace of the Nation and for the Government thereof so far as it may conduce to our oun the Churches Tranquility that we may live a peaceable Godly life under it yet this cannot be extended to the peace of Tyrants for whom the best Prayer that we can bestow is that the Lord would bridle restrain them that they may not mâ—r the Churches peace That Command Ier. 29. 7. Seek the Peace of the City whither soever I have caused yow to be carried Captives and pray unto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall yow have peace is apparent to have been but of a temporary nature upon occasion of their Captivity there until the 70 years should be expired having it also declared by God that their oun peace was bound up in that of Babylons For after that time they are taught the contrary carriage towards that City to depart and pray against it and exult rejoice in its ruine O Daughter of Babylon happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thow hast served us that dasheth thy litle ones against the Stones Psal. 137. 8 9. The voice of them that flee out of the Land of Babylon to declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord the vengeance of His Temple Ier. 50. 28. And Ier. 51. 35. The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon shall the inhabitant of Zion say and my blood be upon Chaldea shall Ierusalem say Certainly this is not the season to seek the Peace of Misticall Babylon but to pray for the destruction thereof and all its supporters Which we cannot do if we pray for them that improve imploy apply all their power to support it lest we pray contradictions as many do who pray against Babels brats and yet pray for the King but the Comfort is this that Nonsensical Prayers will do litle good litle hurt but to themselves that pray them Secondly To vindicate the Scruplers Refusers of such Compelled extorted Devotion in praying for Tyrants I shall offer these Considerations 1. The imposed form of it which as it is found in the Original from whence it is taken is only Paraphrastically expounded God save the King and most Catechrestically applied to Tyrants being in the native sense of the words of this signification Let the King Live which is a very improper Wish for men of death of whom God sayes they shall die and the Law sayes they should die for their Murders Capital Crimes must be taken either as an Adulatory Complement or a Congratulatory honour or a precatory benediction The first as it is extorted most illegally so it can be rendered neither Civilly nor Sincerly nor Christianly but all ingenuus men would think it a base imposition to be forced not only to subject themselves to their Tyrannical Oppressors but to flatter them as if they were not such Whatever they may force the mouth to speak dissemblingly they can never compell the heart to think such wishes are due to them and so they can never be Cordial nor consistent with Candor and to interpose the Holy Dreadful Name of God in a dissembling Complement to flatter base men is a horrid mocking of God and a heinous taking His Name in vain contrary to the Third Command If it be a Congratulation as alwayes it is used in Scripture and in all cases formerly being never imposed on men by way of Compulsion before this sett of Tyrants started up that know they can get no deference of honest men but by extortion It is the more abominable not only for the Hypocrisie that is in it but the Blasphemie in giving thanks for the Promoter of the Devils Interest and the Destroyer of Christs and the Liberties of Mankind What have we to Congratulate him for but for overturning our Laws Liberties and oppressing us in most grievous Tyranny Besides to give the vilest of men when exalted any Congratulatory honour is contrary to the fifth Command as is shewed above And it were a forsaking of the Law thus to praise the wicked since they that keep the Law will contend with them Prov. 28. 4. If it be a Benediction we cannot bestow it upon one whom our Father Curses our Mother Curses and all our Brethren It is no less preposterous to bless whom the Lord declaredly Curses than to Curse whom he blesses The Curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked Prov. 3. 33. we cannot then bless that house Nor can we bless them that our Mother curses and cries for vengeance against as she did against Nebuchadnezzar Ier. 51. 34 35. Nor them against whom the blood of our dead Brethren hath a Moral Cry How long O Lord holy true doest thow not Iudge avenge our blood Revel 6. 10. And the vexed Spirits of our Brethren yet houling under the same yoke are puting up before the Throne of Grace the same continued Cry with incessant importunity How long how long shall the wicked triumph how long shall they break in pieces thy people O God to whom vengeance belongeth Psal. 94. 1-4 Yea God hath said it and we must not contradict it in our practice against all Tyrants that wrest Judgement and say unto the wicked thow art righteous him shall the people curse Nations shall abhor him Prov. 2. 24. And this must stand registred as the everlasting Claise of all Zions haters to which all her Lovers must say Amen that they shall be as the grass upon the house tops and never have the benefit of the Churches benediction Psal. 129. 8. Neither do they which go by say the blessing of Lord be upon yow we bless yow in the Name of the Lord. This one word may be a sufficient Supercedeas from blessing any of the enemies of God or of the Church while acting in a declared opposition to God for the destruction of His people interest 2. Either this Save the King as they mouth it and demand the repetition of it is a Prayer or it is not If not it must be a dreadful profanation of the name of God to be commanded to speak to Him and yet not to pray If it be a Prayer we would expect another way of dealing with us if rhey really desired the benefit of our Prayers than a threatening us with death if we did it not And if they did
desire it as Darius did that we might offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of Heaven and pray for the life of the King and of his sons Ezra 6. 10. we could not refuse to pray for him so far as might consist with that Prayer of the same Darius in that same decree vers 12. that God may destroy all Kings people that shall put to their hand to alter and destroy the House of God. We can pray no Prayer inconsistent with this And to pray that God would save this King and yet destroy all Kings that put to their hand against His House were to pray Contradictions But they know they deserve no Prayers and must force them if they get them And all the world knows that Compelled Prayers are no devotion and if they be no devotion they must be sin Imposed Prayers are not the Prayers that God will hear accept And if we have not the faith of acceptance in them they must be sin for whatever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. ult All Prayers which God will hear must proceed from the heart voluntarely and fervently in Spirit in Truth with the whole heart But imposed compelled Prayers cannot be such especially when they are not only by them imposed but prescribed as to the form of them Which sets and formes prescribed by men and such men as usurp a Supremacy over the Church cannot be subjected to according to the Word of God and the Principles of our Reformation 3. That infallible Proposition of the Apostle Whatsoever is not of faith is sin must be urged yet a litle further And that with a reference both to the Person required to be prayed for and to the matter of the duty more generally First if we cannot pray for this man neither as a Christian nor as a King then we cannot satisfie this imposed demand for it will not satisfie to pray for him as a Heathen But we cannot in faith pray for him either as a Christian or as a King Not as a Christian for besides that he is an excommunicate Apostate by a sentance which we beleeve stands yet rate in Heaven Pronounced by a faithful Servant of Christ and a Papist which as such can no more be prayed for than the Pope as Pope for whom and all the limbs of Antichrist the only prayer that Protestants can pray is that the Lord would consume him with the Spirit of His Mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming 2 Thess. 2. 8. we cannot reconcile the prayers of some that pray against the Pope and his supporters and upholders of his tottering Kingdom and yet for this his Antichristian vassal His rage resolution in prosecuting a war against Christ and His followers is such that if we may make Comparisons our faith will have litle more ground to pray for Iames than Christians of old could find for Iulian the the Apostate Nor as a King for that we cannot do because he is none with Gods approbation and may not do for a very heathen could teach us to pray that God would destroy all Kings that put to their hand to alter destroy the House of God Ezra 6. 12. And besides in the Second place with respect to the matter of the duty in general That cannot be in faith which wants a warrant in the Word either by precept promise or practice But to pray for wicked Tyrants Enemies of God wants a Warrant in the Word either by precept promise or practice There is no precept for it either General on particular neither express nor any to which this is reducible And who dare adde without a precept in the Worship of God either for matter or manner or end what He hath not commanded for such presumption Nadab Abihu were destroyed Levit. 10. 1 2. because they did that which the Lord had not commanded What Command can there be for praying for that which is against the preceptive Will of God But it is against the preceptive Will of God that there should be Tyrants Therefore to pray that these may be preserved in the World cannot fall under a Command of God. There is no promise for it which is the foment foundation of Prayer We can pray for nothing that we have not a promise for either General or Particular But we have none nor can have any for the preservation of a plague to us as Tyrants are There is no Practice for it in Scripture to pray for Kings that put to their hand to destroy the House of God. Samuel did indeed mourn for Saul but the Lord reproved him for it How long wilt thow mourn for Saul seeing I have rejected him from being King over Isrrel 1 Sam. 16. 1. belike this reproof was for his praying for Sauls preservation as King for otherwise we may mourn for wicked wretches for their sin Miserie both But hence if the Lord reprove His Servant for mourning for a King whom He disounâ—d then we may not pray for such a King whom the Lord disounes as He disounes all Tyrants for they are set up not by Him But the Antecedent is true in that example of Samuel Therefore also the Consequent that we may not pray for them as Kings whom the Lord disounes 4. Moreover to confirm this yet further That Prayer is not of Faith and so sin which is contrary to the Precepts of God and his promises and the practices of the Saints But praying for wicked Kings their preservation is contrary to these precepts promises practices c. Ergo It is contrary to some Divine precepts both Affirmative Negative There is an Affirmative precept prescribing what Prayer should be used under the Domination of Tyrants that they should weep and say Spare thy people O Lord give not they Heritage to reproach that the heathen should rule over them wherefore should they say among the people where is their God Ioel. 3. 17. If it be a reproach to be under Heathen Rulers and if we should pray that they may not Rule but that Our God may shew Himself where He is and who He is in delivering His people from their Domination Then it is contrary to this to pray for the preservation of Tyrants that do rule over them to their destruction reproach For it is contradictory to pray that they may not Rule and that they may be preserved in Ruling There is a negative precept prohibiting the salutation of Hereticks and Enemies of the Gospel which will condemn this salutation of Heretical Kings for in the Original God save the King is no more than a solemn salutation or apprecatory Wish that he may prosper 2 Epist. Iohn vers 10 11. If there come any and bring not this Doctrine neither bid him God speed for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds God speed in the Greek is the same with God save in the Hebrew If then we must not say
that we can put upon their snares for they reckon that a yeelding in part and are glead to find us so far justifying their acts impositions as by our offer practically to declare they bear a good sense and they will come many wayes to our hand to get us kooked so Secondly These things being premitted I shall offer Reasons why it was necessary in point of Conscience to Refuse all the Oaths hitherto tendered and Consequently Consciencious Sufferers upon this Account will be vindicated And first some General Reasons against all of them together and Then a Word to each sort of them 1. There is one General Argument that will Condemn coming in any terms of Oaths or Bonds with that party that have broken the Covenant overturned the Reformation and destroyed the people of the Lord Because such Transactions with them as is hinted above are a sort of Confederacy with the known Enemies of Truth Godliness importing a voluntary subjection to them Complyance Incorporation with them as members of the same Community whereof they are acknowledged to be head Now all such sort of Confederacy with such malignant Enemies of God and of the Church is unlawful as Mr. Gillespie demonstrates in his Useful Case of Conscience concerning Associations Confederacies with Idolaters or any known Enemies of Truth Godliness Though Civil Compacts for common Commerce may be allowed as Abram was confederate with Aner Eshcol Mamre Gen. 14. 13. Iacob Covenanted with Laban by way of Lawborrowes Gen. 31. 44. But Sacred Confederations of this sort are unlawful from these Arguments 1. The Law of God condemns them Exod. 23. 32. Thow shalt make no Covenant with them nor with their gods they shall not dwell in thy Land lest they make thee sin against me Where not only Religious Covenants are discharged in a tolleration of their Idolatry but familiar Conversation also they shall not dwell in thy Land. If then we must not suffer them if in Capacity sure we must far less be imposed upon by them if we are not to be familiar with heathens far less with Apostates that calls themselves Christians for the Apostle layes much more restraint from communion with them than with Pagans 1 Cor. 5. 10 11. The reason of the Law lest they make thee sin as long therefore as there is that hazard of sinning the Law obliges to that caution So Exod. 34. 12-16 Take heed to thy self lest thow make a Covenant with the inhabitants of the Land lest it be a snare but ye shall destroy their Altars lest thow make a Covenant with them and they go a whoring after their gods and thow take of their daughters unto thy sons Here again all Sacred Transactions are discharged upon a Moral perpetually binding ground and all Toleration is prohibited and Conjugal Affinity Such complyance brought on the first desolating Judgment the flood on the old world Gen. 6. 1 2 3. when the Godly conformed incorporated themselves and joined in affinity with that ungodly crew from whom they should have separated themselves Likewise Deut. 7. 2 3 4 5. Thow shalt make no Covenant with them nor shew mercy unto them neither shalt thow make marriages with them for they will turn away thy son from following Me so shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against yow but thus shall ye deal with them ye shall destroy their Altars Where all Transactions with a people devoted to destruction are discharged even that of tolleration of Malignant enemies according to which precept David resolveth to destroy early all the wicked of the Land and cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord Psal. 101. 8. Mark this All of what degree or quality so ever without respect of persons And lest it should be thought this is meant only of these seven Nations there enumerate the Law is interpreted by the Spirit of God of many other Nations where Solomon is condemned for joining in affinity with other wicked people besides these 1 King. 11. 1 2. So that it is to be understood generally against Confederacies with all to whom the Moral ground is applicable the danger of insnaring the people of God. It is clear likewise we must have nothing to do with the wicked but to treat them with them as enemies Psal. 139. 21 22. with whom as such there can be no Confederation for that supposes alwayes the enmity is laid aside but that can never be between the Professors of Religion and the professed Enemies thereof but that must alwayes be the language of their Practice Depart from me ye workers of iniquity for the Lord hath heard me Psal. 6. 8. The command is peremptory perpetual for sake the foolish Prov. 9. 6. make no friendship with them Prov. 22. 24. Say not a Confederacy to them Isai. 8. 12. Where it is clear from the opposition in that Text betwixt Confederating with the wicked and the fear of God that the one is not consistent with the other There is an express discharge to yoke or have any fellowship with them 2 Cor. 6. 14. to the end for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness what Concord hath Christ with Belial wherefore come out from among them and be separate 2. Many fad sharp reproofs for such Transactions Confederations do conclude the same thing Iud. 2. 1 2 3. Isaid ye shall make no league with the Inhabitants of this Land yow shall throw doun their Altars but yow have not obeyed my voice why have yow done this Wherefore I will not drive them out from before yow It cannot be expected the Lord will drive out these enemies if we swear subjection Allegiance come under Confederations with them for thereby we contribute actively to their settlement establishment and bring our selves not only under the miserie but the guilt of strengthening the hands of evil doers So Ier. 2. the people of God are reproved for making themselves home born slaves how by out-Landish Confederacies vers 18. Now what hast thow to do in the way of Egypt to drink the waters of Sihor or what hast thow to do in the way of Assyria The Chaldee Paraphrase hath it Nunc ergo quid vobis contrahendo Societatem cum Pharaone rege Egyptiorum quid vobis percutiendo faedus cum Assyria What have yow to do Associate with Pharaoh King of Egypt and what have yow to do to make a Covenant with the Assyrian So may we say what have we to do to take their Oaths Bonds that are as great enemies as they were Ephraim is reproved for mixing himself among the people Hos. 7. 8. by making Confederacies with them what followes he is a Cake not turned hot in the neither side zealous for earthly things but cold raw in the upperside remiss in the things of Christ. And this we have seen in our experience to be the fruit of such bargains or bonds or Oaths that they that were
their Love Zeal to keep Christ His Gospel in the Land after they had undergone endured many hazards hardships oppressions persecutions for Meeting in the houses where they were so easily attrapped and with such difficulty could escape the hands of these Cruel Men they were forced to take the Fields though with the unavoidable inconveniences of all Weathers without a shelter yet proposing the advantages both of Conveniency for Meeting in greater Numbers and of Secrecie in the remote recesses of Wild Moors Mountains and of Safety in betaking themselves to inaccessible Natural Strengths safest either for flight or resistence And withal having occasion there to give a Testimony for the Reformation with greater freedom And to this very day though many have a pretended Liberty to meet in houses under the security of a Mans promise whose principle is to keep no faith to Hereeicks and under the shelter shadow of an Antichristian Toleration yet there is a poor people that are out of the Compass of this favour whom all these forementioned reasons do yet oblige to keep the fields that is both for Conveniency Secrecy and Safety they dare not trust those who are still thirsting insatiably after their blood nor give them such advantages as they are seeking to prey upon them by shuting themselves within houses And morover they take themselves to be called indispensably in the present Circumstances to be as publick or more than ever in their Testimony for the Preached Gospel even in the open Fields Now this would be a litle cleared And to essay the same I would offer first Some Concessions Secondly some Postulata or Supposed Grounds Thirdly some more Special Considerations which will conduce to clear the case First That we may more distinctly understand what is the duty here pleaded for and what is that which these people Suffer for here Vindicated let these Concessions be premised 1. Now under the Evangelical Dispensation there is no place more Sacred than another to which the Worship of God is astricted and which He hath chosen for His House Habitation whither He will have His people to resort and attend as under the Legal Typical Dispensation was ordered there was a place where the Lord caused His Name to dwel Deut. 12. 5 11. But now neither in the Mountain nor at Ierusalem the Father will be Worshipped but every where and any where in Spirit in Truth Iohn 4. 21 23 24. And the Apostle wills that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath doubting 1 Tim. 2. 8. We abhor therefore the English Popish Superstition of Consecrated places and assert that all are alike in this respect houses or fields 2. In the Constitute case of the Church or when ever it can be obtained Order Decency Conveniency doth require that there be appointed places sequestrate appropriate for the Meetings of the Lords people according to that General Rule Let all things be done decently in order 1 Cot. 14. ult And in that case private Conventicles set up in a Schismatical Competition with Publick Churches are not to be allowed But even then Private Meetings for prayer conference are necessary Lawful Laudable But now the Church is broken by a Crew of Schismatical Intruders who have occupied the places of Publick Assemblies and thrust out the Lods Ministers It is these we scare at and not the place 3. Suppose a Magistrate should interdict Discharge the publik place of Worship and restrain from the Churches but leave all other places free to meet in or if he should prohibite the houses but leave freedom for the fields or discharge the fields and give Liberty in houses in that case we would not contend for the place out of contempt though it were duty then to witness against such a Sacrilegious Injury done to the Church in taking away their Meeting places yet it were inexpedient to stickle strive for one Spot if we might have another then when only excluded out of a place and not included or concluded and restricted to other places nor otherwise robbed of the Churches priviledges we might go to houses when shut out of Churches and go to fields when shut out of houses and back again to houses when discharged thence But this is not our case for we are either interdicted of all places or if allowed any it is under such confinements as are inconsistent with the freedom of the Gospel and besides we have to do with one from whom we can take no orders to determine our Meetings nor can we acknowledge our Liberty to depend on his Authority or favour which we cannot oune nor trust nor accept of any Protection from him Neither is it the place of fields or houses that we contend for Nor is it that which he mainly opposes but it is the freedom of the Gospel faithfully preached that we are seeking to promove improve and he is seeking to suppress The contest betwixt him us is the Service of God in the Gospel of His Son that we profess without ouning him for the Liberty of its exercise And therefore as an Enemy to the Matter Object of these Religious Exercises which are the eye-sore of Antichrist he prosecutes with such rage the manner Circumstances thereof 4. Even in this case when we are persecuted in one place we flee unto another as the Lord allowes directs Math. 10. 23. And if occasionally we find a house either publick or a Church or a private dwelling house that may be safe or convenient or capacious of the numbers gathered we think it indifferent to meet there or in the Fields But in the present circumstances it is more for the conveniency of the people and more Congruous for the dayes Testimony to keep the Fields in their Meetings even though it irritate the incensed Enemies Which that it may appear Secondly I shall offer some Postulata or Hypotheses to be considered or endeavour to make them good and infer from them the necessity expediency of Field Meetings at this time in these circumstances which consequently vindicate the Sufferings that have been thereupon Stated formerly and are still continued 1. It is necessary at all times that Christians should meet together whether they have Ministers or not and whether the Magistrate allow it or not The Authority of God their necessity duty Interest makes it indispensable in all cases It is necessary for their Mutual help two are better than one for if they fall the one will lift up his fellow Eccles. 4. 9 10. It is necessary for their Mutual encouragment in an evil day to speak often one to another which the Lord hath promised to take special notice of Mal. 3. 16 It is necessary for cherishing Mutual Love which is the New Commandment and the badge of all Christs Disciples Iohn 13. 34 35. a principle which they are all thaught of God. 1 Thess. 4. 9.
gifts graces were useless in that case which notwithstanding are given for the good of the Church 7. Yea by this when his fixed relation cannot be kept it would follow that he ceased to be a Minister and his Commission expired so that he should stand in no other relation to Christ than any private person so qualified which were absurd for by Commission he is absolutely set apart for the work of the Ministrie so long as Christ hath work for him if he continue faithful 8. This hath been the practice of all the Propogators of the Gospel from the begining and of our Reformers in particular without which they could never have propogated it so far And it was never accounted the Characteristick of Apostles to preach unfixedly because in times of persecution Pastors Doctors also might have Preached wherever they came as the Officers of the Church of Ierusalem did when scattered upon the persecution of Stephen Act. 8. 1. did go every where preaching the Word ver 4. Since therefore they may must Preach in this unfixed manner they must in this broken State look upon all the Godly in the Nation that will oune hear them to be their Congregation and embrace them all and consult their conveniency universal advantage in such a way as all equally may be admitted and none excluded from the benefit of their Ministrie And therefore they must go to the fields with it 6. The Lord hath so signally ouned successfully countenanced and singularly sealed Field-Preaching in these unfixed exercises that both Ministers people have been much encouraged against all opposition to prosecute them as having experienced much of the Lords power presence in them and of the breathings of the enlivening enlarging enlightening and strengthening Influences of the Spirit of God upon them The people are hereby called in this case of defection to seek after those waters that they have been so often refreshed by For in this case of defection God being pleased to seal with a palpable Blessing on their Souls the Word from Ministers adhering to their principles they may safely look on this as a Call from God to hear them and follow after them so ouned of the Lord. And it being beyond all doubt that the Assemblies of the Lords people to partake of pure Ordinances with full freedom of Conscience in the fields hath been signally ouned blessed of the Lord and hath proven a mean to spread the knowledge of God beyond any thing that appeared in our best times And in despight of this â—ignal Appearance of God and envy at the good done in these Meetings all endeavours being used by wicked men to suppress utterly all these Rendevouzes of the Lords Militia both by open force cunning Midianitish wiles Ministers cannot but look upon it as their duty and that the Lord hath been preaching from Heaven to all who would hear understand it that this way of preaching even this way was that wherein His Soul took pleasure and to which He hath been is calling all who would be co-workers with Him this day to help forward the Interest of His Crown Kingdom Many hundreds of persecuted people can witness this and all the Martyrs have sealed it with their blood and remembered it particularly on the Scaffolds that they found the Lord there and that He did lead them thither where He made them to ride upon the high places of the earth and to eat the increase of the fields and to suck honey out of the rock and that in their experience under the Spirits pouring out from on high they found the wilderness to be a fruitful field and in their esteem their feet were beautiful upon the Mountains that brought good tidings that published peace that brought good tidings of good that published salvation that said unto Zion thy God reigneth And all the Ministers that followed this way while they were faithful and had but litle strength and kept His Word and did not deny His Name found that verified in their experience which is said of Philadelphia Revel 3. 8. that they had an open door which no man could shut The Characters whereof as they are expounded by Mr Durham were all verified in these Meetings where 1. The Ministers had a door of utterance upon the one side opened to them and the peoples ears were opened to welcome the same in love to edification simplicity diligence on the other 2. This had real changes following many being made humble serious tender fruitful c. 3. The Devil raged set himself to oppose traduce some way to blast the Ministrie of the most faithful more than any others just as when Paul had a greater door effectual opened to him there were many adversaries 1 Cor. 16. 9. 4. Yet the Lord hath been observably defeating the Devil Profanity in every place where the Gospel came and made him fall like lightening from Heaven by the preaching of the Word 5. And the most experimental proof of all was that hereby ground was gained upon the Kingdom of the Devil and many Prisoners brought off to Jesus Christ. And therefore seeing it is so this mnst certainly be a Call to them who are yet labouring in that Work which others have left off to endeavour to keep this door open with all diligence and reap the corn when it is ripe and when the Sun shines make hay and with all watchfulness lest the wicked one sow his tares if they should fall remiss 7. As for the Circumstance of the place of this unfixed manner of celebrating the Solemn Ordinances of the Worship of God in a time of persecution This cannot be quarrelled at by any but such as will quarrel at any thing But even that is better warranted than to be weakened with their quarrels For before the Law Mountain-Worship was the first Worship of the World as Abrams Iehovah-jireh Gen. 22. 14. Iacâ—bs Bethel or House of God in the open fields Gen. 28. 17 19. his Peniel Gen. 32. 30. his El-Elohe-Israel Gen. 33. ult do witness Under the Law they heard of it at Ephratah they found it in the fields of the Wood Psal. 132. 6. After the Law field-preaching was the first that we read of in the New Testament both in Iohn his preaching in the wilderness of Iudea being the voice of one crying in the wilderness and the Master Usher of Christ Math. 3. 1 3. and in His Ambassadours afterwasds who on the Sabbath sometimes went out to a river side were prayer was wont to be made As Lydia was converted at Pauls field preaching Act. 16. 13 14. And chiefly the Prince of Preachers Christ Himself preached many a time by the syds of the Mountains and the the sea side That Preaching Math. 5. was on a Mountain vers 1. And this is the more to be considered that our Lord had Liberty of the Synagogâ—es to Preach in yet he frequently left them and preached either in
each other Math. 7. 12. All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to yow do ye even so to them We would have them helping us when we are oppressed so should we do to them when it is in the power of our hands to do it and not forbear to deliver them for fear the Lord require their blood at our hand Prov. 24. 11 12. But this cannot be done by meer subjection with out Resistence 3. There is no way to free our selves of the sin judgment of Tyrants by meer Passive subjection We find in the Scriptures people have been so involved and punished for the sins of Tyrants As the people of Iudah for Manasseh 2 King. 21. 11. c. Ier. 15. 4. whose sins if they had not been committed the judgments for them had been prevented and if the people had hindered them they had not smarted But being joyntly included with their Rulers in the same bond of fidelity to God and made accountable as joynt Principals with their Kings for that debt by their Mutual as well as Several engagments to walk in His Wayes they were lyable to be punished for their Rebellion Apostasie because they did not hinder it Hence some-what must be done to free our selves of their sin and to escape their Judgments But this can be nothing else but opposition to them by Resistence or else if we make any other opposition it will make us more a prey to their fury II. Secondly this Truth is Confirmed from the Common Practice of the people of God even under Persecution Whence I shall draw an Argument ab Exemplis which to condemn were impious and to deny were most impudent And for formes sake it may run thus What the people of God under both Testaments have frequently done in time of Persecution for defending vindicating or recovering their Religion Liberties may ought to be done again in the like Circumstances when these are in the like hazard But under both Testaments the people of God frequently in times of Persecution have defended vindicated or Recovered their Religion Liberties by defensive Armes Resisting the Soveraign powers that sought to dostroy them Ergo this may ought to be done again when these Religious Civil natural priviledges are in the like hazard to be destroyed by the violent encroachments of the Soveraign powers The Proposition cannot be denyed except by them that do profess themselves enemies to the people of God and condemn their most frequently reiterated practices most solemnly signally ouned of God to the confusion of their enemies to the conviction of the World that the Cause for which they contended was of God and to the encouragment of all the Patrons of such a Cause to hope that when it is at the lowest it shall have a Revival Glorious Issue It is true somtimes they did not Resist when either they were not in a Capacity or did not see a Call to such an Action but were extraordinarly Spirited of the Lord for Passive Testimonies under a suffering dispensation But 't is as true that many times they did Resist when the Lord capacitated called Spirited them for Active Testimonies And therefore if their Suffering under these Circumstances may be imitated by a people so stated Then also their Actions under these other Circumstances may be imitated by a people in the like case And by an impartial Scrutiny it will be found that the examples of their endeavoured Resistence will be litle inferiour if not superiour in number or importance to the examples of their submissive Sufferings in all ages Which will appear in the Probation of the Assumption by adduction of many Instances which I shall only cursorly glean out of that plentiful harvest that Histories afford 1. I need only to glance at that known famous History of the Maccabees of undoubted verity though not of Cannonical Authority In which according to Scripture Predictions we have a notable account of Heroick Interprizes Atchievments Exploits performed by them that knew their God and tendered His Glory and their Religion Countries Liberties above the Common Catechrestick notions of incontrollable irresistible Royaltie and absolute implicite Loyaltie that have abused the world in all ages We have there an account of the noble successful Resistence of a party of a few Godly zealous Patriots without the concurrence of Civil Authority or countenance of the Ephori or Primores regni against a King universally acknowledged subjected unto that came in Peaceably and obtained the Kingdom by flâ—ttâ—ries with whom the greatest part and those of the greatest note took part and did wickedly against the Covenant and Nations Interest and were corrupt by flatteries Yet a few Priests with the concurrence of some common Country-men did go to armes against him and them And the Lord did wonderfully assist them for a considerable time as was foretold by Daniel 11. This fell out under the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes and was happily begun by Mathias a Godly Priest and his five Sons who being commanded under severe Certifications to Worship according to the then Law and the Kings wicked lust did valiantly resist that abomination and went to defensive armes which while living he Patronized and when adying did encourage his sons to it by a notable Oration shewing what case his Country was in and what a duty dignity it was to redeem deliver it This was vigorously prosecuted by Iudas Maccabeus expressly for the quarrel of Religion Liberty against that mighty Tyrant all his Emissaries 2. To come to the History of the Gospel Dispensation It is true in that time of the Primitive Persecutions under Heathen Emperours this Priviledge of Self Defence was not much improved or contended for by Christians who studied more to play the Martyrs than to play the Men because in these Circumstances the Lord was pleased to Spirit for and call them unto and accept off their hands passive Testimonies while they were incorporate under a Civil relation with the Heathens in subjection to Governours who did not by open Tyrannie overturn their Civil Liberties only did endeavour to eradicate Religion which at that time had never become their Right by Law while they were scattered and out of Capacity and never could come to a separate formed Community by joynt Concurrence Correspondence to undertake a Declared Resistence while Religion was only a propagating through the Nations and the Lord Providentially did preclude the least appearance that might be of propagating it by any formed force being the Gospel of Peace designed to save and not to destroy Yet even then Instances are not wanting of Christians Resisting their Enemies and of Rescuing their Ministers c. As these are found on record 1. How some inhabiting Mareots with force rescued Dyonisiâ—â— of Alexandria out of the hands of such as were carrying him away about the year 235. 2. How about the year 310. the Armenians waged war against
time And the success of that Resistence for overcoming necessarly supposes Resistence Hence where there is a promise of success at last to a peoples Conflicts against prevailing Tyrannie there is implied an Approbation of the duty and also a promise of its performance wrapped up in that promise But here is a promise c. Ergo 2. In that Threatening against Tyrants shewing how they shall be thrust away burnt up with fire there is couched a promise and also an implyed Precept of Resisting them 2 Sam 23. 6. The Sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away with hands fenced with iron c. which clearly implies Resistence and more than that Rejection Repression Hence If it be threatened as a Curse against Rulers of Belial and promised as a Blessing that they shall be so roughly handled then this implies a duty to resist them who cannot be otherwayes taken But here this is threatened c. 3. When the Lord shall have mercy on Iacob choose Israel It is promised Isai. 14. 2 3. that they shall take them Captives whose Captives they were And they shall rule over their Oppressors This necessarly implies infers a Promise of Resistence against these Oppressing Rulers in the time off their Domineering as well as revenge after their yoke should be broken And some thing of mens action as wel as Gods Judgement in breaking that yoke for they could not take them Captives nor Rule over them except first they had resisted them whose Captives they were There is Resisting of the Supreme Power subjection whereunto was the bondage wherein they were made to serve Hence If it be promised that a Captivated subjugated people shall break the yoke free themselves of the bondage of them that had them in subjection then it is promised in that case they must resist the Supreme Powers for such were they whose Captives they were The Antecedent is here express 4. There are promises that the Lords people when those that rule over them are incensed against the Holy Covenant and when many of their Brethren that should concur with them shall be frighted from their duty by fear o r corrupted with flatterie shall be made strong to do exploits thô in such Enterprizes they may want success for some time and fall by the sword flame and by captivity spoyl many dayes Dan. 11. 30-34 Which is very near Paralel to the case of the Covenanted people of Scotland their appearing in Defensive exploits against their Covenant-breaking Rulers these many years bygone This was very eminently fulfilled in the Historie of the Maccabees before râ—hearsed Hence If it be promised that a people shall be strong to do exploits in Resisting the Armes of their Rulers opposing their Covenant and overturning their Religion Liberties Then it must be approven that such a Resistence is Lawful even thô it want success But this is here promised To the same purpose it is promised that after the Lords people have been long kept as Prisoners under the bondage of Oppressing Rulers they shall by a vigorous Resistence be saved from their Tyrannie Zech. 9. 13-17 when the Lord shall bend Iudah for him and raise up Zions Sons against the Sons of Greece So it was in their Resistences victories against the Successors of Alexander who had the rule over them for a time And so it may be again when the Lord shall so bend His people for Him. Hence If the Lord promises to fit Spirit His people for Action against their Oppressing Rulers and to Crown their Atchievements when so fited Spirited with Glorious success Then it is their duty and also their honour to Resist them But here that is plainly promised 5. There are promises of the Lords making use of His people and strengthening them to break in pieces the power of His their Enemies and His defending maintaining them against all their power projects when they think most to prevail over them As is promised in the threatened Catastrophe of the Babylonian Usurpation Ier. 51. 20-24 Thow art sayes He to Israel of whom He speaks as the rod of His Inheritance in the preceeding verse my battle ax weapons of war and with thee will I break in pieces c. Whensoever this hath been or shall be accomplished as it may relate to the vengeance to be execute upon the New Testament Babylon it clearly implies their breaking in pieces Powers that were Supreme over them Hence If the Lord will make use of His peoples vindictive Armes against Babylon ruling over them then He will Justifie their Defensive Armes against Babylon Oppressing them Here it is promised c. So Mic. 4 11. to the end Many Nations shall be gathered to defile look upon Zion and then the Lord shall give Allowance Commission to His people to arise thresh c. What time the accomplishment of this is referred to is not my concern to inquire It seems to look to the New Testament times wherein the Lords people shall be first in great straits and then enlarged But to restrict it to the Spiritual Conquest over the Nations by the Ministrie of the Word thô I will not deny but that may be included seems too great a straitening of the Scope and not so apposite to the Expressions which certainly seem to import some forcible action of men and more than the Peaceable Propagation of the Gospel It is usually referred to the latter dayes of that Dispensation when both the Iewish Gentile Zion shall be totally finally delivered from Babylon or Antichristian Tyrannie before or about which Period the Enemies of Christ and of His people shall attempt their Ultimus Conatus to destroy the Church groaning under their bondage but when they are all well mustered in a General Randezvous the Lords people shall have a gallant game at the chase But whensoever the time be of fulfilling the promise it ensures to the people of God the success of their Defensive Armes against them that pretended a Domination over them And it looks to a time when they should have no Rulers of their oun but them under whose subjection they had been long groaning and now brought to a very low pass yet here they should not only resist but thresh them Hence If in the latter dayes the people of God are to be honoured and acted forth with such a Spirit Capacity to thresh beat doun these powers under which they have been long groaning Then when the Lord puts them in such Capacity to attempt it they should be ambitious of such a honour But here it is promised c. The same may be inferred from the Prophets vision Zech. 1. 19 20. He sees four Carpenters Resisting the four hornes the hornes scattered Iudah so that no man did lift up his head but the Carpenters came to fray them to cast out the hornes of the Gentiles which lifted up their horn over
that cryed Crucifie Iesus were Murderers of Christ Or by procuring it as Haman was guilty of the intended murder of the Iewes Or Concurring therein as Ioab was guilty of Uriahs death as well as David and Iudas of Christs by betraying him Or by the Patrocinie thereof defending sparing the Murderers when called by Office to punish them as David was guilty in not punishing Ioab Ahab in patronizing the Murder of Naboth Or by Consenting thereunto as Saul consented to the death of Stephen or by knowing permitting conniving at it as is condemned Prov. 24. 11 12. Whether this be done under colour of Law as Pilate Murdered our Lord Herod killed Iames or without all colour by Absolute power as Herod the Ascalonite murdered the Infants or whether it be done by purpose as Ioab murdered Abner Amasa or without previous purpose yet with knowledge of the Action in the perpetrating of it as men may do in passion when provoked beside their purpose or in a Tumult without intending it before hand yet that is Murder Barabas committed Murder in the Insurection For as for Casual killing contrary to intention without knowledge that 's no breach of the Command And whatever may be said of necessitated delivering up the Innocent pursued by a potent Enemy to deliver the City from his fury or of prefering our oun life to our innocent neighbour in a case when both cannot be preserved and by preserving the one Lawfully the other happens to lose his life I do not medle with these Cases But since this is taken for granted by Casuists I infer if it be Lawful that an innocent man die in case of necessity that others may be preserved Then much more is it Lawful that the nocent wo are guilty of murdering the Righteous all these wayes above specified and actually prosecuting their murdering designs by these methods should rather be made to die than the Righteous be destroyed But of this sort of Murder taking away the life of the Righteous none hath the impudence to accuse that Reproached people 2. Thô a man kill an innocent unwittingly unwillingly besides his knowledge and against his will yet he may be guilty of sinful homicide if he was obliged to know that he was in hazard of it and neglected to consider lest a man might be killed by what he was doing as if a man should shoot at random when he doth not know but some may be killed thereby or if one were hewing with an axe which he either knew or might have known to be loose and the head not well fastened to the helve did not advertise those about him of it if by flying off it happened to kill any person he were not innocent but if he knew not without any inadvertency then he were guiltless Deut. 19. 5. See Durham on 6. Com. So if a man built a house without battlements he should bring blood upon his house if any man fell from thence Deut. 22. 8. But of this the question is not 3. Thô a person be not altogether innocent nor to be reckoned among the Rigtheous but suppose him wicked profane and engaged in an evil Course dishonourable to God prejudicial to the Church Kingdom and very injurious to us Yet it may be Murder to kill him if he be not guilty of Crimes that deserve death by the Law of God for the life of man is not subjected to the arbitrement of any but His who is the Author of life death It s necessary to all to obey the Law Thow shalt not kill without exception but such killing as is approven by the Author of the Law as saith Amesâ—de Consciencia cap 31. quest 2 Hence this people so much reproached with extravagant Actions do abundantly clear themselves of that imputation of being of the mind to kill all that differ from them which was the impudent forgerie of the father of lies in their Informatory Vindication Head. 2. Pag. 54. We positively disoune say they as horrid Murder the killing of any because of a different perswasion or opinion from us albeit some have invidiously cast this odious Calumny upon us And it is as clear they that took the Oath of Abjuration swore a lie when they abjured the Apologetical Declaration in so far as it asserted it was Lawful to kill all imployed in the Kings service when it asserted no such thing as is shewed above Head. 3. To think so much let be to declare it far more to practise such a thing against all that served the King or any meerly because they served him or because they are in a wicked Course or because they have oppressed us were abominable for these things simply do not make men guilty of death to be punished Capitally by men according to the Law of God. But when they are stated in such opposition to us and serve the Tyrants Murdering Mandats by all those wayes above specified then we may by the Law of God and Nature and Nations destroy slay and cause to perish and avenge our selves on them that would assault us and are seeking our destruction as it was Lawful for the Iewes to do with Hamans Emissaries Esther 8. 11 13. 9. 1 2 5. This Charge then cannot reach the Case 4. Thô Murderers and such as are guilty of death by the Law of God must be punished by death for he that sheddeth mans blood by man must his blood be shed Yet it may be Murder for a man to kill another because he thought him so Criminal and because he thought it his duty being moved by a pretended Enthusiastical Impulse in imitation of the extraordinary Actions of such as were really moved by the Spirit of God. As when Iames Iohn would have commanded fire to come doun to consume the Samaritans the Lord rebuked them saying ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of for the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Luk. 9. 54-56 Such impulses had need to be well examined for ordinarly they will be found not consistent with a Gospel Spirit which is alwayes averse from act of Cruelty Blind zeal sometimes may incite men to fearful work yea the persecuters have often most of that Spirit as our Lord foretells the time cometh that whosoever killeth yow shall think that â—e doth God service Iohn 16. 2. Paul in his Pharisaical zeal breathed out slaughter against the disciples And Satan can drive men under several colours to act such things as he did the Bours in Germany and Iohn of Leyden and his followers whose practices are deservedly detested by all that have any spark of Christianity or humanity for if this were espoused as a Principle there would be no security for mens lives But hence it cannot be concluded that God may not animate some to some rare Enterprises for the cutting off of Tyrants and their bloody Emissaries Incendiaries Destroyers of innocent people and puting an end to and
might have to their extraordinary executions of Judgement as Samuel Elijah had to kill Agag and Baals Prophets but either the allowance of man then there is no question about it Or if that cannot be had as in the case circumstantiate it cannot Then the Providential Morall Call of extream necessity for preservation of our lives and preventing the murder of our Brethren may warrant an extraordinary executing of righteous Judgement upon the Murderers Men may have a Call to a necessary duty neither every way mediate nor immediate as the Call of runing together to quench a fire in a City when Magistrats through wickedness or negligence will not or do not call people forth unto that work they have not mans call nor an immediate call from Heaven yet they have a Lawful Call from God So they do not intrud upon the Magistrats Office nor want they a call to this execution of Judgement who do materially that work for that exigent which Magistrats by Office were bound to do being called thereto by God by Nature and the call of inevitable Necessity which knoweth no hâ—mane Law and to which some Divine positive Laws will cede Ius populi cap. 20. pag. 423. 12. Thô this be a principle of reason natural Justice when all the forementioned circumstances are clear that it is Lawful for private persons to execute righteous Judgement upon notorious Incendiaries and Murdering publick Enemies in cases of necessity yet it might be a sinful breach of the Sixth Command to draw extraordinary examples of it to an ordinary practice in killing all who might be found Criminal and would deserve death by the Law as all that have served under a banner of Tyrannie violence displayed against God His people to the ruine of the Reformation wasting of the Country oppression of many honest families and destruction of many innocent people are and would be found guilty of Murder as the Chief Captain would have truly alledged Paul to have been a Murderer if he had been the Egyptian which made an uproar and led out four thousand men that were Murderers Act. 21. 38. As for the vulgar ordinary sort of those Vermine of Varlets it is of no advantage for oppressed people to foul their fingers upon them when their slaughter would not put a stop to but rather encrease the destruction of the people of God and were unlawful to prevent anticipate the due Legal execution of Justice where there is any prospect or expectation of its runing in its right channel But for the chief principal Ring-leaders and common publick habitual Incendiaries and Masters of the â—rade of Murdering the Lords people when there is no other way of being rid of their rage and preserving our selves and preventing the destruction of our Brethren we may in that case of necessity make publick examples of them in an extraordinary Procedure against them that may be most answerable to the Rules of the ordinary Procedure of Justice and in imitation of the Heroick Actions recorded and justified in the Word of God in the like extraordinary cases which are imitable when the matter of their Actions is ordinary that is neither preternatural nor Supernatural thô the occasion was singular just and necessary both by Divine precept and as a mean to good necessary ends and when there is no other to do the work nor any prospect of access to Justice in its ordinary orderly course nor possibility of suspending it till that can be obtained We need not then any other call than a Spirit of holy zeal for God and for our oun our Brethrens preservation in that pinch of extremity We do not hold these extraordinary Actions for regular ordinary Precedents for all times persons universally which if people should fancy and heed more the glory fame of the Action than the sound solid Rule of the Scriptures they may be tempted carried to fearful extravagances But they may be Warrants for private persons in their doing of these things in an extreame necessity to which at other times they are not called And when the Lord with Whom is the residue of the Spirit doth breath upon His people moe or fewer to the exciting of more than ordinary zeal for the execution of Justice upon such Adversaries we should rather ascribe Glory Praise to Him Whose hand is not shortened but many times chooseth the weak foolish things of the world to confound the mighty the wise than condemn His Instruments for doing such things Naph pag. 24 25. Prior Edit All these cases which are all I can think on at present comprehending all that may any way infer the guilt of murder I have collected to the end I may conclude this one Argument and leave it to be considered If this extraordinary executing of Judgement upon Notorious Incendiaries and Murdering publick Enemies by private persons in the circumstances above declared cannot be reduced to any case that can infer the guilt of murder Then it cannot be condemned but justified But this extraordinary executing of Judgement c. cannot be reduced to any case that can infer the guilt of murder as will appear by the induction of all of them Ergo this extraordinary executing of Judgement c. cannot be condemned but justified II. In the Next place What we oune may be done warrantably in taking away the life of men without breach of the Sixth Command will appear by these propositions Assertions which will bring the matter to the present Circumstantiate Case 1. It is certain thô the Command be indefinitely expressed it doth not prohibite all killing but only that which is condemned in other explicatorie Commands Our Lord Jesus repeating this Command explains it by expressing it thus Math. 19. 18. Thow shalt not Murder And if any be Lawful it is granted by all that is which is unavoidable by the invincible necessity of Providence when a man following his duty doth that which beside contrary his intention and without any previous neglect or oversight in him proveth the hurt death of another in which case he was allowed to flee to the City of refuge by the Law of God. Whence if that Physical necessity did justify that kind of killing shall not a Moral necessity every way invincibly unavoidable except we suffer our selves and our Brethren to be destroyed by beasts of prey vindicate this kind in an extraordinary extremity when the Murderers are protected under the sconce of pretended Authority In which case the Law of God would allow deliberate Murderers should be pursued by the Avenger of blood and not to have Liberty to flee to these subterfuges and pretexts of Authority meer Tyranny but to be taken from the horns of such altars and be put to death as Mr Mitchel sayes in vindicating his oun Action in a Letter dated Feb. 1674. 2. It is Lawful to take the life of known convicted Murderers
Lord will cause the Prophâ—ts and the unclean Spirits to pass out of the Land And it shall come to pass that when any shall yet Prophesie then his father his mother that begat him shall say unto him thow shalt not live and shall thrust him through when he Prophesieth Zech. 13. 3. Which cannot be meant of a Spiritual penetration of the heart for it is said he shall not live and the wounds of such as might escape by resistence or flight are visible in his hands vers 6. It is therefore to be understood of Corporal killing Intycers to Idolatrie according to the Law Deut. 13. 9. either by delivering them up to the Judges as Piscator on the place sayes Or as Grotius saith transfodient ut Phineas Zimri Numb 25. hoc intellige de Pseudo-propheta populum volente abducere ad cultum falsorum deorum nam in tales quemvis Iudaeum Lex armabat Deut. 13. quae Lex expresse addit in tali crimine nec filio parcendum From all which I conclude If people are to bring to condign punishment Idolatrous Apostates seeking to intyce them Then may oppressed people dayly in hazard of the death of their Souls by Complyance or of their bodys by their Constancy in Duty put forth their hand to execute Judgement in case of necessity upon Idolatrous Apostates Incendiaries and the principal Murdering Emissaries of Tyrants that seek to destroy people or enforce them to the same Apostasie But the former is true Therefore c. 4. The same may be inferred from that Command of Rescuing Delivering our Brother when in hazard of his life for omitting which duty no pretence even of ignorance will excuse us Prov. 24. 11 12. If thow forbear to deliver them that are drawen unto death and those that are ready to be slain if thow sayest behold we knew it not doth not He that pondereth the heart consider it and He that keepeth thy Soul doth not He know it and shall not He render to every man according to his works eripe h. e. ex manu invasoris latronis injusti Magistratus c. idque vel manu vel lingua defendente vel quovis alio modo licito Solent homines multas excusationes nectere se nescire illius vel periculum vel innocentiam non tanta authoritate valere ut eum liberent rerum suarum satagere alienis nolle se ingerere c. hic unam excusationem reliquas omnes complectentem exempli causâ proponit refellit as Commentators say Pool Synops. Critic in locum This precept is indefinitely given to all Principally indeed belonging to righteous Magistrates But in case of their omission And if instead of detending them they be the persons that draw or send out their destroying Emissaries to draw them to death then the precept is no more to be restricted to them than that vers 2. not to be envious against evil men or that vers 10. If thow faint in the day of Adversity thy strength is small can be said to be spoken only to Magistrates Hence If it be a Duty to Rescue our Brethren from any prevailing power that would take their lives unjustly and no pretence even of ignorance will excuse the forbearance of it Then it must be Lawful in some extraordinary cases to prevent the Murdering violence of publick Incendiaries by killing them rather than to suffer our selves or our Brethren to be killed when there is no other way in probability either of saving our selves or Rescuing them But here the former is Commanded as a duty Therefore the Later also must be justified when the duty cannot otherwise be discharged Now having thus at some length endeavoured to discuss this some way odd esteemed odious Head to which Task I have been as unwillingly drawn as the Actors here pleaded for were driven to the occasion thereof whom only the necessity of danger did force to such Atchievements to preserve their oun and Brethrens lives in prosecuting the Cause and nothing but the necessity of duty did force me to this Undertaking to defend their Name from Reproach and the Cause from Calumnies I shall Conclude with a humble Protestation that what I have said be not stretched further than my obvious declared Design doth aim at which is not to press a practice from these precedents but to vindicate a Scripture Truth from invidious or ignorant Obloquies and not to specify what may or must be done in such Cases hereafter but to justify what hath been done in such Circumstances before Wherein I acknowledge that thô the Truth be certain such things may be done yet the duty is most difficult to be done with Approbation Such is the fury of corrupt passion far more fierce in all than the pure zeal of God is to be found fervent in any that too much Caution Tenderness Fear can scarce be adhibite in a Subject wherein even the most warrantable provocation of holy zeal is ordinarly attended with such a concurrence of Self-interest and other carnal Tentations as it is impossible without the signal Assistance of special Grace to have its exercise in any notable Measure or Manner without the Mixture of sinful allay as the True Non-conformist doth truly observe ubi supra Pag. 391. Yet this Doctrine thô in its defined and uncautioned Latitude be obnoxious to accidental abuses as all Doctrines may be abused by mens corruption or ignorance misapplying the same is nevertheless built upon such Foundations that Religion will oune to be firme and Reason will ratify their force And I hope it is here so circumscribed with Scripture-boundaries and restricted in the narrow Circumstantiation of the Case that as the Ungodly cannot captate advantage from it to encourage themselves in their Murdering villanies seeing they never were never can be so Circumstantiate as the Exigence here defined requires So as for the Godly I may presume upon their tenderness and the Conduct of that Spirit that is promised to lead them and the zeal they have for the honour of Holiness with which all real Cruelty is inconsistent to promise in their Name that if their Enemies will repent of their wickedness and so far at least Reforme themselves as to surcease from their cruel Murdering violence in persecuting them to the death and devouring them as a prey then they shall not need to fear from them the danger of this Doctrine but as saith the proverb of the Ancients Wickedness proceedeth from the Wicked but their hand shall not be upon them But if they shall still proceed to Murder the Innocent they must understand they that hold this Truth in Theorie will also reduce it to practice And bloody Papists must know that Christians now are more Men than either stupidly to surrender their throats to their Murdering swords or supinely to suffer their villanie to pass unpunished and thô their favours have flattered many and their sury hath forced others into a faint succumbing superceding from