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state_n	king_n	kingdom_n	monarchy_n	1,065	5	9.3350	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88972	An answer by letter to a worthy gentleman who desired of a divine some reasons by which it might appeare how inconsistent presbyteriall government is with monarchy. In which the platforme of that government is briefly delineated, with the tenents and suitable practices thereof. And withall it is demonstrated, that it is inconsistent with any government whatsoever; is full of faction, sedition and treason; an enemy to all peace, domesticall, neighbourly, brotherly, &c. against soveraigne authority, authority of all iudges, and iudicatories, entrenching upon all so farre, as there can be no liberty of person, trade, commerce or propriety, but at their pleasure who bear sway therein.	Maxwell, John, 1590?-1647.	1644 (1644)	Wing M1377; Thomason E53_13; ESTC R20000	49,076	82

After the arising of the commotion to prevent more tumult and danger and when Service and Sermon were done the Bishops Major and Aldermen going home with the Lord Chancellor and some BB. attending his Grace the Bishop and Deane of Edenburgh with others were well nigh stoned in the streets when I say it was demanded of these Apostles why they did not condemne this unchristian Barbarous outrage voyd of Pietie and Reason and without any example in the Christian Church the summe of their answer was and to this day is that such a zealous people were to be left to their own warrand they knew not by what Spirit they were governed God worketh great workes many times by basest means and yet those Nobles those zealous those intelligent and knowing Christians whereof many of them in Edenburgh were knowne Coale-stealers and Whores were the first active instruments in this glorious reformation I confesse this Divinity is so transcendent and Metaphysicall that it exceeds my capacity and is so fruitfull upon any occasion to work all or the greatest of mischiefes that I doe not see how it can consist with peace or safety of King Kingdome Church or of any entrusted with greatest trust in Church or State Sir I believe any rationall man may see by this how superlatively this spirituall Signorie is above King and Royall Soveraignty I leave it to your own judgement and memory to recollect it and to bring home the conclusion that this government Ecclesiasticall is inconsistent with Monarchie with the Peace of a Kingdome and is or may be in time a Mother and Nurse of as much Rebellion and Treason as any Iesuitisme of the Highest dye if not more Certainly Rome although a Whore and hath a cup of abomination in her hand is not so bad nor so abominable I pray God to keep all good Christians cleane of both Let us goe on In Faith Worship and all spirituall things they vindicate to themselves such a Soveraignty that King Councell Parliament nay all together must not touch the Scepter of Christ they are to determine define take cognisance accuse sentence punish neither King nor King and Councell nor King and Parliament all must assume power here for otherwise it is to intrude upon Christ and his Right This Soveraignty is of so high a straine so large an extent that when they have decreed any thing in this supream infallible Iudicatorie that they may have the better obedience to demand the King and Parliament's approbation This is not demanded as a thing arbitrary which the King and Parliament may doe or not doe or leaving it to His Royall judgement with the advice of His Parliament to qualify or rectify their decrees and orders No no truly that is to betray the trust Christ hath given them they need not supplicate or Petition for it it is in them but an act of courtesie to shew dutifull obedience And if the King and Parliament will not grant it they are armed with as much power from Heaven as to force them to doe it by Excommunication and making all good Christians joyne with them in God's cause Sir I feare you think I speake Liberally God forbid I should doe it I doubt not but you have read the Scotish Pope's Sermon Preached at Westminster and Printed by Order of the House since you have it I will not spend time and Paper to cite his Words which giveth to the King no more But to make this appeare I give you some unanswerable reasons 1. It is certain in Scotland M. Knox and his complices set on their reformation without the Queen or Queen Regents authority or the authority of Parliament For anno 1558. they made their confederacy gave out their Orders for Reformation throughout the whole Kingdome anno 1559. they acted their Reformation by casting downe Churches Abbyes c. casting out Priests Friers c. and all this by their owne radicall and originall power Queen Mary their true and lawfull Soveraigne did authorize them in nothing she was then in France The Queen Dowager Queen Regent King Iames the fifth's Widdow having the Soveraignty by fiduciary trust in regard of the absence of the Queen her daughter did not authorize it nay she did by her authority oppose it contradict it came in Armes against it The Parliament was not till the yeare 1560. how holden for the present I cannot tell but in that Parliament they set out a confession of faith reformed Religion but when they sent to King and Queen beyond Seas Queen Mary was then Married to Francis the second in France to confirme or ratifie the acts thereof they denied When intelligence was given to the Confederates they professed they little regarded the deniall of King and Queene for say they Knox Hist. pag. 500. all we did was rather to shew our dutifull obedience then to begge of them any strength to our Religion Another in this kind you have In Anno 1571. King Iames then being King and the Earle of Marre being Regent an Assembly was holden at Leith where by the Order of the Assembly and Ordinance of the Regent and Councell some Commissioners were appointed from the Regent and Councell and some from the generall Assembly to condescend upon a platforme of discipline which was agreed to on both sides The platforme is that the Government of the Church shall be by Archbishops Bishops Deanes and Chapters c. the order and course of all their Nomination Election c. is just conforme to this in England at this day and as it was in Scotland before this new happy Reformation This was enrolled in the Councell Books of that Kingdom and stands there to this day this I know certainly and if I be not deceived and almost I dare say it except they have wronged their most famous and their most ancient Councells the platforme is upon Record in the Generall Assembly Books Give me leave to tell you by the way one thing that the Negative Faith which is sine rugâ sine maculâ was framed anno 1580. and it is believed that in that Negative faith Episcopacy is abjured as Antichristian yet anno 1581. this same Government is renewed ratified and ordained to continue constant and not to be changed till His Majesty come to perfect age and to be kept or changed then onely in what He and His great Councell the Parliament shall think fit and not otherwise Before this the King His Houshold and Councell had subscribed the Negative Faith can any man not voyd of judgement and discretion think that the King His Houshold and Councell in subscribing it did judge Episcopacy Popish and Antichristian Next it is worth your notice taking that as I honour the good parts which were in Knox and his fellow-labourers I never accounted them as Apostles men secured from error yet I will say so much for their justification that they were greater Enemies to Sacriledge than their after-disciples and were not against the

the first place to intimate to the King the desire and demands of the Assembly and to see all due civill Sanction and confirmation given to it the King His Councell His Parliament can change nothing of their sacred decrees without their consent What ever new occurrence is in Church or State pro re natâ these Commissioners are to give order and to see ne quid detrimenti Ecolesia capiat It is true their orders bind only in the interim betwixt the two Assemblies and the next plenarie Generall Assembly may derogare abrogare obrogare c yet give me leave to tell you truth these great Delegates with their power have so much influence upon the next Generall Assembly that their {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} precognitions and predeterminations are formally and Legally enacted Nor is this to be wondred at for the Achitophels and Ioabs of Church and Kingdom the best head peeces of greatest depth Preaching and Ruling Elders are in this Iunto Heere are all disturbing Seditions and treasonable courses hatched and conceived whether it be Treason against the King Sedition in State or Kingdom the change of Court the removing of Courtiers from the King the surrounding of him with others c. The next Assemblie ownes all their courses decrees them under pretence of Piety Reformation of abuses removing of Malignants from the King and from His Counsell from being Iudges in the supreamest Iudicatories of the Kingdom c. By this means at pleasure when and where they will they procure Parliaments to work for their own private ends To facilitate the work order is given to all Presbyteries to command all the Ministers to Preach to their flocks to make and keep Fasts for the danger the Church is in that the King is inclinable nay inclining to Popery that there are none in trust or power by Him in Court Councell Exchequer or Session but such as are Popish or Popishly affected and such they must be if they once determine it And woefull experience hath confirmed it that worthie Innocent and deserving men have suffered and the King hath been forced to abandon His best servants This close Committee hath all these prerogatives 1. During the interim betwixt two Assemblies they had trust to see that all the Orders and Decrees of the grand Consistory should be put in execution 2. Next upon any exigent intervening they have the power by their influence upon all the Presbyteriesin the Kingdom to make them goe which way they thought fit for their own ends both to make the Ministers Preach their sense and to work with all the people to believe the posture of affaires in Church and State were as they informed and represented them 3. Thirdly here were all things prepared for the next great meeting of the Generall Assembly By these means things projected were effected This way the Queen Regent was put from Her Regencie This way Queen Mary was expulsed Scotland This way King Iames His captivity at Ruthen was found to be good service This way that Noble Duke of Lennox Esme was made a Papist and the King forced to abandon him and he to depart the Kingdom in Winter being sick and shortly after dyed in France By this means if I be not deceived was that infamous day the 17. of December anno 1596. atro signanda lapillo renowned for a most horrid insurrection in Edenburgh against King Iames and His prime Counsellors I begge leave to give you a short account of it King Iames whilest He was King of Scotland by all forraigne Kings Princes and States was admired for His extraordinary Royall endowments Ambassadors from many beyond Seas at the same time and almost constantly were with Him The smallnesse of the Patrimony of that Crowne was not able to maintain that Royall deportment He kept Besides being too too Royally liberall and magnificent His coffers were empty and at this time scarce was His Majesty able to maintain the necessary charge of His house in that measure which was suitable to so Royall a King To rectify this the King with the advice of his Counsell entrusted with all his Rents Revenues and casualties Eight prime men of good worth and integritie Officers of State Counsellors and Iudges This was done that all might be rightly regulated and before all things His Tables at Court kept like a Kings that forraign Ambassadors might not espy any want which might derogate from the Honour of King and Kingdome The ordinary Tables of the Court were regulated the Courtiers daily allowance was retrenched which they could not away with They and other discontented persons did reproachfully call these men The Octavians They who grumbled at this and would right themselves to gain their intendment hit upon the ordinary and safest way that was to beginne with the Church They informe the forraign Ambassadors did work upon the King to turn Papist it was like they would prevaile for these Octavians were all such in their hearts and dissembled only in professing to keep a communion with the Protestant Church if those were not removed from the King and good men put about him Religion Kingdom and all were undone When this had been often informed and suggested early in the morning on the 17th day of December three of the Kings Domestick Servants came to M. Walter Balcanqual's house The Ministery of Edenburgh and others Commissioners of the generall Assembly with some of the best Christians of Edenburgh are sent for they meet there The Kings Servants informe that all was undone if they did not in time and speedily prevent for the Marquesse of Huntlie this was the late Marquesse who came occasionally the night before to Court and it is true he was Popish but God knowes he was free of what he was charged with say they was with the King till twelve a clock at night in his Bed-chamber yester-night it is resolved upon to re-erect Popery and so many of your best Citizens and Christians are to be seized upon some to be sent to Blacknes some to Innernes some to Dunbritton c. The case was apprehended in that zeale which became the cause The resolution taken was that M. Walter Baelcanquall being to Preach that very day in the Chancell of Saint Giles Church which they call the little Church after Sermon and Prayer done he should desire all good Brethren and Christians to meet immediatly forthwith there for the good of Church and Religion Noblemen Gentlemen Preachers Burgesses all who affected the good cause did meet M. Robert Bruce was appointed by common consent Moderator It is laid open in what case Church and Religion State and Kingdome are the urgent instant necessity is made to appeare The result of the determination was that presently they goe to Armes and by holy force to pull from the King's side those Popish Octavians That a Letter be written to Iohn L●●d Marquesse of Hamilton to come to Edenburgh to be Captaine of the Congregation and in

establishing of it may carry along with it a change and distemper in the State and Government or import danger to the King and Crowne The Moderator or any Commissioner hath power to propose it determine it and never to consider or reflect upon the danger of King State or Kingdome and that for God and Christ's glory The proper naturall and right President of this Seraphicall Iudicatorie is one of the Preaching Elders although we observed before how Lay-men as Buchanan Melvil Bruce have been Moderators a Lay-Elder now cannot be Moderator Here is the Legislative power here is the Soveraignty of Christs Kingdome here is the highest Tribunall and Iudicatory of Christ upon the Earth from which no person no office no condition of creature is priviledged from it lyeth no appeale The King hath no Power to appoint the time or place of this Assembly but once a yeare it must necessarily meet And at the close of every Assembly the Present appointeth the day and place for the next If any great Exigencie really or in their fansie intervening requireth the meeting of a generall Assembly before the time determined the Commissioners from the Assembly are to make remonstrance of it unto the King Whatsoever power the Pope unjustly usurpeth The Catholick Church or her virtuall and Representative an oecumenicall councell justly challengeth this generall Assembly vindicateth to it selfe onely Authoritativé by way of authority within the Church of the Kingdome and Nation yet Consensivé and Charitativé to extend to all Neighbour Churches in the World whatever it be that concerneth fidem cultum Regimen c. credenda agenda And yet if this infallible Supreame Iudicatorie would reserve to it selfe that jurisdiction is due to men in Sacred Orders and which intrinsecally radically and originally is in them ex vi ordinis although Presbyters intrude upon higher callings and they place all Ecclesiasticall power at least communicate it to Lay People the Princes condition were tolerable Nay if they did onely trench upon what is due to Soveraignty and with which He is invested from God Almighty which is restrained ad Externum hominem and Externum Regimen although Soveraignty by it be brought into straiter narrower bounds a King might be in some poor condition although Robbed of His Right But when they come to this that in ordine ad spiritualia in order to spirituall things they will give the King Lawes repeale His Lawes command and expect performance and obedience otherwise excommunicate and if a King neglect that Excommunication incite inferiour Magistrates Nobles and Commons to bring Him in order to compell and force him He is in a worse condition under this Soveraignty then under the Pope by how much it is worse to a King to be subjected to an untamed furious Beast the multitude then to the tyranny of one All these Lay-Elders all these Commissioners from Corporations and Burrowes are de jure divino as fully Iudges in all matters of faith worship government Iudges of haeresie idolatry superstition of the highest points of Orthodox and Catholick mysteries of the groslest and subtillest Haeresies Arianisme Arminianisme Macedonianisme Montanisme Socianisme Anabaptisme c. as any man in sacred Orders there have vocem deliberativam vocem decisivam have a debating discussive voyce and concurre as much with the influence of their voyce to prescribe and give us Normam sidei cultûs politiae a confession of faith a prescript for worship Canons for government and discipline as ever Bishops had in lawfull Christian Councells Bishops limbes and members of Antichrist are no part of it Now is forgotten that of the Councell of Chalcedon Concilium Episcoporum est and that old Barbarous but Christian enough verse Ite foras Laici non est vobis locus yci I would gladly aske of one of these Rabbies and great Masters in Israell how commeth it that the Commissioners of Burrowes sit there voyce there are they too de jure divino by divine right If they answer that such are chosen as are or have been Lay-Elders I rejoyne the Lay-Elders come in that capacity onely as Commissioners of the particular Presbyteries These are not members constituents of the Presbyterie in that capacity that they are or have been Lay-Elders but have right and interest in this high Court in that capacity meerly as Commissioners of Burrowes Look upon their acts of generall Assembly and you will find that it authorizes Commissioners from Burrowes to be parts constituent of this Iudicatory quâ tales as sent from the Burrowes Againe I aske seeing you make Doctors one of your four holy Functions Ecclesiasticall constituted by Christ in what Iudicatorie find we them In Sessions they are not In few Presbyteries they be and if there in some other capacitie In generall Assemblies if any be they appeare as Commissioners from the Vniversity in this capacity onely And many times it is seen that Professors of Philosophie have been Commissioners of Colledges in generall Assemblies Leaving these absurdities which are monstrously grosse I come to consider next what is the Soveraigne power of this high Sanhedrim If they would in Christian moderation assume no more to themselves but onely a directive power and by humble Remonstrances and supplications with that reverence is due to Soveraignty and Majesty Petition the King to animate their Acts Canons and Constitutions with the influence of his legislative power this were faire quarter But by your favour no sooner have they enacted it here and so soon as it is solemnly intimated which is by returning to every Presbytery with it's Commissioners a Copie of the Acts Orders and Ordinances and by the Presbyterie's order every Minister hath published them in the Parish Church all things so done are animated with a Potestative power by the influence these orders receive from that Legislative power Christ hath entrusted them with in his oeconomicall Kingdome All then are bound to obedience if it be in the meanest indifferent thing nay if this order crosse or repeale a standing Law all disobedients are liable to all Ecclesiasticall censures and may forth with be proceeded against even till they be delivered over into the hands of the Divell This Assembly is above the King to them he ought to give an account of his faith to their Confession of faith he must conforme himselfe to their orders he must give obedience otherwise he is excommunicable deposable I feare you scarce beleeve me yet truely non verenda retego sed inverecunda confuto I discover not the nakednesse of Father the shame of Brother nor friend would to God the tenets and practices were buried in hell and the maintainers regained to God by true repentance and forsaking their wayes I discover onely things that are past all shame and which our Church can never owne Sir if you will hardly beleeve me in this let me give you their assertions in this case and their conformable practice It

too To confirme this fearing I have wearied you I will bring but one instance and spare to trouble you with more This Story can be made good by Records which I am to tell you And first give me leave to informe you That the Lords of Session who by Act of Parliament are so are in all Civill causes the Supreame Iudicatorie of the Kingdome under the King No Iudgement passed there can be rectified or reduced by any Iudicatorie under the King and Parliament but by themselves which is onely by suspension of Execution of that is judged and decreed or by action of Reduction This is nothing but provocatio a Philippo malè edocto ad Philippum rectiùs edoctum This thus premised I come home Mr Iohn Graham one of the Iudges of that associate body had commenced an ordinary and proper suit before the Lords of Session obtained Decree and Iudgement according to his Libell After which a rumour was noysed abroad that the Writs and Evidences upon which his suit and the judgement upon it were founded were forged and false The generall Assembly took notice of this injust decree as they to whom the inspection of Religion and Iustice belongeth and who were bound not to suffer such an unjust judgement to take place and be executed They send for M. Iohn Graham commanding him by their authority to passe from his decree to make no use of it against the Party against whom it was obtained and that because it was purchased upon false grounds and it gave occasion of great scandall that he being a Iudge should make use of such writs His answer was if any would challenge his Decree or Iudgement upon any just ground he might have his recourse to the ordinary Iudge and take it away by way of reduction but so long as it was not reduced it concerned him to take the benefit of it Then seeing that they could not prevaile by admonition they threatned him with Excommunication if he did not what they enjoyned He appeales from them to the Lords of Session as the onely Competent Iudges in such cases notwithstanding they resolve to proceed against him The Lords of Session finding themselves interessed and the Assembly usurping upon them and their power in this proceeding against one of their owne number who had appealed to them in a civill cause already judged by them directed some of their number to the Assembly and desired them not to meddle any more in that businesse as being meerly civill and no wayes belonging to their jurisdiction This produced no other effect but incensed the holy Fathers to raile against the Iudges as wicked and corrupt men who sided one with another whether it were right or wrong The businesse at last came to this height that the Lords of Session who would not suffer them to encroach upon their Priviledges by vertue of that delegate power and authority they were invested with from the King threatned to out-law them and to proclaime them Rebells to the King if they proceeded any further and would not admit of the appeale The Assembly finding themselves too weake and not able to make their part good by power in which case onely they will be Martyrs fell from the pursuit and all was quieted Sir I pray you to consider in what condition are they that live under such a government that is boundlesse and universall will give Lawes to King Councell and Parliament Repeale theirs at pleasures reduce and make voyd Decrees and judgement of Highest Iudicatories c. What Peace or Tranquillity can there be in such a State or Kingdom Give me leave to tell you a true story It is known and lamented by all good men this day how King Iames His Soule was vexed with them that many times they have made Him fall out in teares A Noble man a most wise man then Chancellor seeing the King extreamly troubled at the miscarriage of the Ministerie said to Him Sir no man is to be blamed that you are so much troubled with the Ministers as yourselfe for when they doe any thing amisse you never cease till by Your Royall prudence and authority you set it aright againe but would you leave them to themselves the very body of the People would rise up against them and stone them out of the Kingdome His Majesty returned a most pious answer worthie to be written in letters of Gold in Marble that all Kings may learne it My Lord saith He your advice is shrewd Policie but your Counsell is not good piety If I had no more to doe but to serve my selfe of them for a Politick end your advice is good and I know it would prove so But God hath appoynted me a Nurse or Father of his Church it is my charge from my Lord and Master to preserve his Church and not to ruinate it Which if I doe God will ruinate me and my posterity King Iames in the Conference at Hampton Court hath well observed that this Ecclesiasticall Government prepareth way and ushereth in a Democraticall government And he telleth also that in His Mother Queen Maries absence and in his own Minority and non-age it was much thought upon and intended Their Maxims of Divinity lead to it for they say Respublica est in Ecclesiâ The Church and her Policy are the House the Civill government is but the Hangings which necessarily for decency and good order must be made conformable to the House Monarchy is enmity against the Church Catherwood in his book entitled Altare Damascenum gives you it in down right termes Naturâ insitum est omnibus Regibus in Christum odium and in his Preface or Epistle I have not the book by me he calls K. Iames Infens●ssimum infestissimum purioris Religionis hostem And that they may now exercise all their power and bring the Kingdom to a Popular State which was not so feisable before it is more then probable and much to be feared and with great prudence to be prevented because the Generall Assembly hath in it now the prime Noble men of the Kingdom Dukes Marquesses Earles Lords the most active and knowing Knights of Counties and Esquires the wisest Citizens and Corporations and this in the Capacity of Ruling-Elders who discontented are able here to make a Faction call King Session Councell or whom they please before them because of their supreame universall and independent jurisdiction And this Iudicatorie cannot erre in its determinations for it is undoubtedly secured from error and assisted with infallibility This divine policy hath another sacred trick to preserve its Soveraignty and to continue it which is this The Generall Assembly ordinarily meets but once a year yet at the end and close of every Generall Assembly there is a choice made of some Commissioners a Committee who are to reside or at least upon any necessary occasion to be at Edenburgh These are the virtuall Assembly and their power continueth till the next Generall Assembly They are in

in a mutuall defence one of another in this holy Cause and League 10. They teach and maintaine that all Soveraignty and Majesty in a King is originally immediately and properly derived from the Communitie and that onely by way of a fiduciary trust so that it is habitually and radically still in the People and the King hath no greater portion or proportion then He hath by the first popular fundamentall Constitution And in case of deficiency the collective body may supply in Church or State the defects of His Government For mal-administration the King is censurable For enormous errors He is deposable and they may disinherite His Posteritie 11. That a defensive Warre is lawfull against a bad King or a weake King seduced by Malignant Councell 12. They may oppose and resist all His Officers and Commissioners by force and violence if they come to execute His illegall commands And if He will be so obstinate that He will come in Armes against these good Christians they resist not His Authority but His Will nor His Office but His Person Besides their practice upon these grounds is to bring all cases all causes under their cognition and Iudgement sub formalitate scandali by which the King is robbed of His Sacred Prerogative The Iudges of their authority and all Subjects of their Right and quiet The rest of their Extravagant Maximes inconsistent with Monarchy and the Peace of Government are reduceable to those heads More then this you desired not Sir being infinitely obliged to you and honouring you much for your worth and Excellent parts cursorily and hastily I have written this answer to you Not intending thereby to reproach any person particularly whatsoever but to lay open to the World how dangerous a Government this is not onely for Monarchy but for all Governments whatsoever and that our eyes being opened we may chuse rather to endure any torment temporary then to enter into this treacherous and damnable Covenant destructive of Religion King Church Peace of all and the Liberty of the Subject To sweare to these things as established de jure divino and to put on poore People to act Treason and Rebellion making them beleeve they are Confessors and Martyrs If this give you any satisfaction I have what I desire If you doubt of the truth of any thing I hope I am able to make all here good by faithfull and authentick Records or Testimony of such as are worthy of trust I pray you keep it for your owne use onely for I should be loath any but a Friend see it it is so rudely done but I dare say truly and faithfully God save his Church from this Scourge and give us Peace and Truth which shall be the dayly Prayer of Your poore Friend and obliged Servant Ioh. ● Act. 17. 1. Of the Session hovv and of vvhom constituted The Minister is Moderator He hath no Negative Voyce The Iurisdiction spirituall is radically in the Lay-Elders Their foure sacred Ordes This yeare they are saered the next yeare prophane The competent cases of this Session They enjoyn civill punishments and fines They will not baptise the child if either of the parents have not payed the fine or satisfied the Church The membe●● constituents of the Presbyterie The cases proper to it The time of meeting Lay Preachers The Presbyterie hath kept state vvith King Iames All cases and crimes are vvithin the censure of the Presbyterie Crimes suspected are curiously here inquired after Presbyteriall Government inconsistent vvith the liberty of trade and commerce Inconsistent vvith the authority of civill Iudicatories The Presbytery at pleasure repealeth Royall grants by Lavv confirmed The Presbyterie vvill not suffer Landlords to sue for their Rents Some fevv of the Presbyterie tyrannize over the rest of their poore Brethren remove and transplant at pleasure A honest man removed frō his place and one by them brought in to make avvay Sacrilegiously the Church patrimonie The Presbytery the Seminary and nursery of Feuds What it is The extent of their power The cases which fall within their Iurisdiction The politick Stratagem of the great Gamaliels The great honour which is given to the Patriarchall Presbyters The presumptuous carriage of M. R. Bruce tovvard K. Iames The Countrey honour not these Apostles in the name of a Disciple as it appeareth by the disrespect all other Ministers have from their Parishioners The prerogative of this Court The independent Soveraignty of it Of vvhom and hovv it is composed Hovv the King is a member of it and of no povver above the meanest Ruling Elder The King must execute their commands although they be against His Conscience The proper Moderator is a Preacher They indict the Assembly by their ovvne povver The vast povver of this Court Lay-men judges in highest points of faith and worship c. Commissioners of Burrowes are there onely in a Lay-capacity We find Doctors no where The power which this Sanhedrim assumeth to it selfe They are above the King and all Soveraignty If they cannot reforme by the King they may by any other meanes else Religion may be reformed or preserved by violence If the King will not the Nobles may If neither King nor Nobles the people may If Nobles Commons joyne there is hope of some greater successe Inferiour Magistrates and people may joyne Every individuall in this good worke may ought to the utmost of his povver to intend and endeavour reformation All or as many as are well affected may covenant and combine for doing this work The Confederats may by themselves give Orders Practises upon the tenets Orders of Reformation prescribed without the authority of Soveraignty They charge their adverse party to obey their Orders They protost against King and Parliament They contemne Soveraign authority They usurpe Royall povver They renounce their lavvfull Soveraigne They command all the Brotherhood to be assistants They are obeyed the Queenes Herald is abused They denounce vvarre against their adversaries They vvill heare of no Peace but enter into a Combination for mutuall defence They depose the Queene Regent The Author 's modest opinion of that is called the first reformation of Scotland Practice of mischief done by private men commended by them When they demand the Royall conformation of their decrees it is only an act of courtesie An instance anno 1559. Another instance anno 1571. They set on their Discipline by themselves All must Preach as they direct They appoynt publike Fasts A strange affront offered to King Iames None Preaching Treason is censurable by any but by them The Soveraignty Ecclesiasticall Tyrannizeth over conscience body Estate This Court is Iudge of Treason in relation to Religion and of fit worthy Councellors for a King The Soveraignty of the Assembly is above all Lavves and may repeale them All Iudicatories are subordinate to this Sanhedrim A Holy trick vvhich hatcheth all Sedition and Treason The Storie of 17. December 1596. Their Dogmaticall Creed