State is a maine article of their new faith to do so is one of their new commands added to God's For 1. It never was a certane truth nor ever was reckoned among the immovables of Religion except by Court divines base flattering Sycophants whose maine and only Religion was and is to please the King that he might full their bellies that absolute and illimited subjection was due to Princes by the whole body of the People so that if he should send our Emissaries like so many wild Beares to kill Man Wife and Children Without colour and pretence of Law or reason People should do nothing but cast open their brests and hold up their throats that they may be devoured at once what sound Divine sayeth so What sound Divine putteth this brutish subjection among the ancient land marks Yea what sober Royalist that is not with this surveyer intoxicate with Royal gifts till his braines be crack't and his rationality brutified dar positively averre that this is to be put among the immoveables of Religion 2. This principle which he calleth new and as false as new is an old truth verified by the practices of all ages and is as true as old which he might easily see if his new dignities and gifts had not blinded his eyes and made him as false and perfidious as he is notour 3. He tells that our principle tends to confound both Church and State because we plead against Tyranny either in Church or State a pretty reason Because we plead for that which tendeth to the preservation of Church and State in being and purity therefore we plead for confounding Church and State whereas his principle of Tyranny in Church and State is the readyest way imaginable to destroy both as hath been seen by many sad and dreadful examples before our dayes 4. This man who hath perfidiously renunced his Covenant with God and avowed his perjury to all the World and his palpable breach of and casting behind his heels the third command talks of our adding new articles to our faith and a new command to God's because we will not deny the principles of nature nor grant that free-born subjects are slaves or brutes And with him Tyranny is the ancient Land-mark and the chief poynt of his Religion and a maine article of his faith and one of the grand commands of the time But many know at whose girdle his faith and his Religion hangs But we will choose none of his Religion principles articles of faith or commands For they change with the Court and we know Court Divinity is a coat of many colours faire and fashionable but such as will neither keep from cold nor cover our nakednesse far lesse save from God's wrath in the day of accounts CAP. XV. Some other Particulars alledged by the Surveyer against us examined HAving in the two preceeding Chapters answered his maine Cardinal Arguments our labour will not be great in confuteing what followeth He says Pag. 22. We shake hands with any Papists asserting that any person unjustly pursued by Magistrates may defend himself by armes and slay them if he cannot otherwise escape no lesse then Robbers or cut-throats Thus Becan Tom. 2. contr Tract 3. quaest 8. Swarez contra Reg. Angl. Lib. 6. cap. 4. § 6. So Aquin. 2. 2. qu. 70. Art 4. c. To which we answere 1. That the question which these Papists speak to is different from ours We speak not concerning vvhat a privat single person may do vvhen arraigned and unjustly condemned but concerning what a community may do when unjustly oppressed persecuted by Magistrats contrare to their trust and oath 2. We speake not of private persons killing Magistrates at their own hand but of privat persons or a community their defending themselves against unjust violence and this truth which we maintain was owned and practised before ever any Papist put pen to Paper Next he tells us That Mr Calvsn is of another judgment Inst Lib. 4. cap. 20. § 26 31. To which we answere 1 Mr Calvin is asserting that wicked men may be Magistrates and that such though wicked while they are in office should be acknowledged as God's deputyes for so sayes he § 25. In homine deterrimo honoreque omni indignissimo penes quem modò sit publica potestas praeclaram illam Divinam potestatem residere quam Dominus justitiae ac judicit sui Ministris verbo suo detulit proinde à subditis eâdem in reverent â dignatione habendum quantum ad publicam obedientiam attinet qua optimum Regem si daretur habituri essent And in the following Sections sheweth that such ought to be so accounted who are in the possession of the Throne whatever way they have attained to it as Nebuchadnezzar who yet was but the hammer of the earth Ierem. 50 ver 23. Belsazer and the rest of that Kinde and therefore § 29. he sayeth Hunc reverentiae atque adeo pietatis affectum debemus ad extremum prafectis nostris omnibus qualescunque tandem sint And would have us § 31. carefull not to rub contempt upon or to violent the office or ordinance of God even in such which we easily assent unto Because that this is not repugnant to a sinlesse self-defence and resistence made to their open Tyranny when seeking to destroy Religion Libertyes and every thing that is previous and deare unto the Subjects It is true some-where his expressions seem to condemne resistence but that which we have mentioned is the maine thing he presseth and he doth not speak to the case of resistence particularly 2. Though we should grant that in this particular Calvin is not ours yet the Surveyer must know that § 31. he is against him also for the Surveyer putteth Parliaments all inferiour Magistrates in the same condition with private Subjects and yet Calvin sayeth that such as are as the Ephori among the Lacedemonians the Tribuns of the people among the Romans and the Demarchi among the Atheniens and the Estates of Parliament may and ought to suppresse the Tyranny of Princes And so in this matter Calvin shall be more for us then for him 3. It would be noted both in reference to the testimony cited out of Calvin and to the testimonies of other following That the case which they speak to is different far from ours For with us both King and Subject are bound in a solemne Covenant to God to maintaine and promote a work of Reformation and upon these tearmes did out King imbrace the Scepter and became obliged by conditions unto his People And sure more may be said for our defending our selves our Covenant and our Religion when unjustly persecuted by the King then for other privat Subjects who are by Gods Providence under Heathen Princes or conquerours or under Princes of a different Religion and who have no security or immunity covenanted unto them by these Princes Then the citeth some passages out of Peter Martyr's Loc.
either virtually or expresly approved and the worthy actors praised and highly commended as indeed they did deserve 9. None ever condemned these actions as treasonable and rebellious but such as were knowne to be real and heart-enemies to the work it felf no tongues were ever loosed against them except the imbittered tongues of sworne adversaries ingrained Malignants Enemies to God and godlinesse haters of the power of it These and none but these who are of their father the devil durst condemne the same And many hollow hearted professours among whom this Surveyer deserveth to be rekoned were forced against their hearts to approve of the same joyne in with the favourers maintainers of that noble cause so forceable was the light and the power of that Sprit that acted the worthies in these dayes who now have turned open Apostates from that truth and cause have adjoyned themselves unto that ever accursed Popish Prelatical and Malignant faction Yea remarkeable it is that God did so overpower the pen of that Arch-Enemy Spotswood that though he would have said all which Hell it self could have prompted him unto yet durst say no more of these first courses and practices but that they were Violent and disorderly And this Rabshaketh the Surveyer who in the end of his book having reserved the dregs of what he had to exscreate against the work of God and his worthyes until then Pag. 118. c. would out-stripe his predecessours and spevv out his venome like another adder of the same spavvne yet the overruleing providence of God hath so curbed him that he gote not liberty to run the full length he vvould and therefore he sayes We cannot justify all courses that were used then for carrying on the work of reformation and againe if some instruments thereof were guilty of sedition or sacrilege or self seeking and againe if sinful courses were then used by men and againe Pag. 119. Let us not stand superstitiously upon the justifying of all their deeds Who sees not this wicked mans Mouth bridled by the restraineing power of God so that he cannot he dar not plainely and expresly call these courses seditious or rebellious but cometh on with his Ifs and if some instruments and all their courses cannot be justified as if in the most laudable work to which men might have a most cleare call some accidental or circumstantial actions might not abide the test and as if among a company some might not have by-ends while a good work was laudably and lawfully as to the maine carryed on Ay but this good man you will say is mighly in love with the work of reformation and blesseth God for it Pag. 118. 119. True we finde him say so in words but God knoweth his heart But is it not strange that fince he sayeth he approveth the work he will be more blinde then was that poor man in the gospel whom he mentioneth who had his eyes opened Ioh. 9. for that blinde man did see a divine power in the work wrought and said v. 33. If this man were not of God he could do nothing and will not only not see the mighty hand of God in the instruments but tells us he is not much concerned to enquire But what needeth him much doubt of a divine call considering the work it self it 's end the direct tendency of the meanes unto this end the real christian intentions of the instruments which he will not see in the instances he bringeth viz. of the wicked hands crucifying Christ of prophane and unfaithful Ministers preaching of a leprous hand soweing seed of acts of fornication and adultery Why then doth he adduce such Instances so impertinent Wil he proclame himself a fool of the first magnitude in so doing Ay but he would have us following the practices of the primitive christians who never used any undutyful resistence to or violence upon the Magistrats rather then the precedents in these dregs of time But why will he not follow their practices himself Was it their practice to abjure a lawful Covenant sworne for the maintainance of the Truth Was it their practice to renunce their former profession and turne Apostates from the truth which once they avowed Was it their practice to turne their back on Christ and his interest for the will of creatures and for a mease of pottage Was it their practice to change their Religion with the court Concerning the practice of the primitive christians in this poynt and how imitable we shall speak afterward If these were the dregs of time wherein there was so much faithfulnesse Zeal constancy piety singlenesse of heart contempt of the world what dregs of dregs of time are we novv fallen in vvherein there is so much infidelity atheisme perjury falshood lukwarmnesse inconstancy imbraceing of this present vvorld and all sort of wickednesse and prophanity But sayes he Pag. 119. let it be so that much of the way of these who were at first instrumentall in the reformation in this Land were justifiable upon the account of purging the Church from the horrid grossnesse of idolatry corruption of doctrine tyranny and usurpation over poor soulls wherewith the man of sin had for many ages defiled and burdened the poor Church and upon the account of the open hostility to the truth wherein Magistrats then stood together with the inbringing of forraigne furious forces upon us even to the heart of our Land How unlike was the case then to what it is now and how unable is the case now to beare the burthen of a conclusion for such practices as then were used Answ But truely wise judicious Men will not see the case then so far different from what it is now as that the case now shall not be so able to beare the burthen of a conclusion for the same practices Seing there is this day as much horrid grossnesse of idolatry in the Land as hath been at any time these hundereth yeers And as for corruption of doctrine alas Who doth not heare it and see it that heareth these locust-curates preach downe all piety and godlinesse and harden people in defection and apostasy from God It is as great a corruption in doctrine as needs to be to pervert therein the right wayes of the Lord to lead people into the broad way which leadeth unto destruction againe what greater tyranny and usurpation over poor souls would he have then is now exercised since the perjured Prelates the kindely brood of the Man of sinne have defiled and burthened our poor Church The Apology and Naphtaly have abundantly manifested and dayly experience confirmeth it That the tyranny and usurpation is insupportable and as grievous as it was them Moreover is not the open hostility to the truth as manifest in the Magistrats this day as legible by such as run on all their acts and actings as it was then who seeth not this but he who can not see the wood for trees And as for
pag. 348. c. Neither was the penaltyes moderate nor were they exacted according to law not were they thereby pressed to attend that ordinance which is an indispensible duty But they were pressed to a sinful complyance with abjured prelacy contrare to their vow and Covenant by barbarous tyranny Then he sayes Their lives were not sought upon any tearmes See the place now mentioned where that is spoken to also and to all of common sense it was notour that their case was a case of most in exorable necessity their misery being so much the greater that their lives were left them to see themselves miserable as if the barbarous enemy had intended onely to make them liveto see it Neither was there any flying for a whole countrey side with their wives and children and therefore what Lex Rex sayeth Pag. 327 328. 329. confirmeth the lawfulnesse of this As to their not supplicating mentioned by him next it is spoken to also in the place cited And however he may think now to incrustate that tyrannical and irrational act forbidding all joynt supplications yet the whole land knoweth that if that oppressed Countrey had attempted any such thing they had been accounted guilty of Laese Majesty And had gotten no other relief of all the illegal impositions which inferiour officers did lay on Thereafter he cals it a notable contradiction to say that their rise was indeliberate and yet Lawful Iust holy exemplary necessary And that the godly ancients never enrolled them among martyrs who by their owne rashnesse had occasioned their owne sufferings Answ As if an action might not be both lawful just And necessary though the first rise thereof might have been unexpected and a meer surprisal of providence And as if every action were sinfully rash vvhich were not long and deliberatly before contrived So then by their rashness they did not occasion their sufferings but by a surprisal of providence being called to their owne defence and to a vindication of their libertyes and Religion while they were murthered upon that account they may very lawfully be enrolled among the Martyrs Then Pag. 261. he sayes They were the first-aggressors and first slew one of the Kings servants This was told us in the first part and is answered And who knoweth not that the first aggressor may be first killed See what is said to this Pag. 350. Then he sayes the Novatians Donatists were not accounted Martyrs albeit sometimes they were drawn to death by persecuting pagans-such a foul Staine did they see in Schisme Answ And indeed upon the same ground if any of this corrupt apostat facton which hath made defection from the received Religion reformed in doctrine worshipe discipline and Government and sworne unto by our whole Church were drawne to death by pagans under the common notion and name of Christian they could not be accounted Martyres because of their sinful and perfidious renting of the body of Christ They and not the honest party who adhere to their principles are the schismaticks The Novatians and Donatists who departed from the truth not the honest Christians who remained constant were the true schismaticks Nor doth Naphtaly fix them in a schisme when he teacheth that they were indispensibly tyed by the Covenant to abhorre a complyance vvith these courses of defection more then the honest fathers of old did fix the honest party in a schisme by teaching that they vvere not to imbrace the principles and practices of the Donatists and Novatians The 6. And last particular which he mentioneth Pag. 262. is but a heap of groundlesse calumnies to vvit that their designe vvas to put downe all authority to destroy all who would not accept of their sense of the Covenant to place themselves in the chaire of authority of which stuff we have had enough in the former part and shall say no more now but that it is plaine their cause is desperate and gone when they must flee to lies for refuge but to show how perfectly they are assimulat to the spirit which drives him they will be both lyers and murtherers And now Noble patriots for to you would I speak a word ere I close though I have in some weak measure endeavoured to vindicat the lawfulnesse of your noble and heroick enterprise to raise up the Virgin of Israel who was fallen and forsaken upon her land yet you stand not in need of the help of any such weak advocat as I am your witnesse is in Heaven and your record on high It is he who justifyeth and therefore though now you be hunted as partridges on the Mountaine and be a People robbed and spoiled snared in holes hid in prison houses and be for a prey and none delivereth for a spoile and none sayeth restore you need not be troubled who condemne you This being your rejoyceing even the testimony of your conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God you have had your conversation in the world and more abundantly in this particular And therefore may you depart from the presence of Councils when brought before them upon this account rejoyceing that you are counted worthy to suffer shame or what else for his name Stumble not at the wise dispensations of God nor think it strange concerning the fâ—â—rytryal which is to try you and dayly experience telleth us that this continued tryal maketh nevv discoveryes as if some strange thing hapned unto you vvhat ever strangers to God and such as judge of him and of his holy sublime and vvise dispensations by carnal sense may think but rejoyce in as much as yee are partakers of christs suffering That when his glory shall be revealed if not in this vvorld dureing our dayes yet in the vvorld to come you may be glad also with exceeding joy Yea if you be reproached for the name of christ much more if you be put to harder sufferings happy are yee for the spirit of glory of God resteth on you since it is undenyable that on their part who are your Enemies he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified Though men think that you suffer as murderers or as theeves or as evil doers or as busy bodyes in other mens Matters Yet having an undoubted ground of persuasion that you suffer as Christians for owneing Christ's interest and his Covenanted work in the land you need not be ashamed but have cause to glorify God on this behalfe And since you suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of your souls to him in wel doing as unto a faithful Creator Bewar of snares and sinful bonds for the same spirit of Malignancy and enmity to the interests of Christ acteth in these which acted in that bloody persecution the same designe is carryed on to wit the constant banishing of Christ and his interests out of the land and the establishing of these grand images of jealousy which provoke to jealousy O
as the event shall demonstrate in these books which he unmanlike snarleth at rather then answereth thinketh it of his advantage as it is the advantage of all who desire not to be seen in their own colours nor to have plaine truth discovered and their pernicious errours and practices suteable thereunto unfolded to cast a mist before the eyes of such as would observe them or raise some ignis fatuus to misguide them take them off the way to use his out-most endeavour to deceive his unwarry warry inadvertant reader lead him who is so simple as to beleeve every thing which he and his fraternity say though they have manifestly and undenyably forefaulted all faith and credite with all who know what is the fundamental bonde of all society and commerce into the same sinful and irrational abhorrency of an exploite and interprise so consonant to scripture law equity and reason and to the practice of worthy Zelots abroad and at home from the very beginning of the work of reformation and for this cause as he hath foolishly and ignorantly paralleled these worthies whose late practice we shall godwilling abundantly vindicate from all which this flaunting and windy adversary who cometh forth to shake his speare as if he were another Goliah hath said here against it with the irrational furious and brutish rabble of Anabaptists who followed Knipperdoling and Iohn of Leyden So all alongs in his discourse he hath not only snarled at picked out and miserably wrested some expressions in these books he would confute especially in the Naphtali and then run away with a cry veni vidi vici as if he had gained the day which way of dealing with an adversary is to all men of judgment and understanding very un-faire base and puerile no way beseeming a man pretending to plead for truth and to discover verity as he pretendeth to do yea judicious persons will from such dis-ingenuous unhandsome way of answereing easily perceive on whose side trueth stands firme unshaken But which is yet more palpable and grosse he hath either ignorantly or fraudulently perverted the true state of the question both in Thesi and in Hypothesi which is a sufficient proof of the disperatnesse of the cause which he would maintaine and of the mans purpose to wrangle when he can not answere and to buske up an adversary of straw to himself to fight against when he cannot dar not look his real adversary in the face and a ground more then sufficient to make wise men judge that he hath rather confirmed the hands of his adversaries and strengthened their cause then in the least weakened the same for all his hidious out-cryes and dexterous heaping up of many words to little or no purpose unlesse to take with such as think the best cause is on their side who have the manyest most darring big and plausible expressions but are not able to judge righteous judgement nor discerne whether or not there be true groud for such confident exclamations and bold assertions I am confident that all who have not prostituted their judgements and understandings to a blinde and irrational beleef of what such as have un-manned themselves and voluntarily given away that masculine constancy and fidelity which men but of ordinary spirits would account the height of basenesse and have now adorned themselves with a more then fëminine levity yea and embroidered themselves with such a dale of intolerable falshood unfaithfulnesse impiety and perjury as would make Heathens though none of the best refined account them unworthy of humane society do with more then ordinary confidence and bold audacity assert and maintaine That I may not after the a methodical methode of this disputer who loveth to walk in by-wayes still keep the Reader in the dark I shall first cleare the true state of the question confirme the truth and vindicate it from what he here asserteth answereth or objecteth that is apposite to the purpose forbearing once to take notice of his many scurrilous base unchristian yea and un-manly expressions which shew what spirit he is of and afterward I shall consider and examine his excursions which have not such a closse connexion with the present question as he would make his Reader beleeve lest he should vaunt as having spoken that which no man can answere That it may appeare what is the true state of the question we would premite these few things as necessary to be considered First That the whole body of the people of Scotland were engadged to God by solemne Covenants vowes purposes and promises frequently renewed to owne and endeavour really sincerily and constantly through the grace of God in their several places and callings with the hazard of life lands goods and all what they had the preservation of the reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in doctrine worshipe discipline and government and without respect of persons the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Superstition Heresie Schisme◠Prophanesse and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound doctrine and the power of Godlinesse lest they should partake in other mens sinnes and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues and that they should mutually with the Privileges of Parliaments preserve and defend the libertyes of the Kingdo me and in this common cause of religion liberty peace assist and defend all those who would enter into these bonds in the maintaining and pursueing thereof Secondly Not only did the body of the commonalty subscribe and solemnely with hands lifted up to the Most High God sweare these Covenants and engagements at the command of Magistrats But the Magistrats themselves both superior and inferior did take on them in a most solemne manner these same vowes and engagements and solemnel promised as they should answere to God in the great day to promove this covenanted work of Reformation and to prosecute in their places stations and capacities the Ends of the Covenant Thirdly When this King vvho did svveare and subscribe these Covenants before he came to Scotland vvas crovvned and solemnely inaugurated He not only renevved these solemne vovves and engagements But upon these termes and conditions vvas he admitted the people declared their vvillingnesse to admit of him as King the svvord vvas put in his hand and accepted the People did svveare fidelity and allegiance according to these Covenants the like did the Nobles one by one viz svveare to be true and faithfull to him according to the Nationall and solemne League and Covenant And all this vvas aftervvard vvhen the King attained the age of 21 years compleat in a full and free Parliament ratified concluded and enacted by King and all the Estates of Parliament vvhere by as Naphtals Pag. 72. vvell observeth the same did passe into a perpetual lavv and became one of the principal fundamental lavves of the constitution of our Kingdome vvhereupon all the rights and privileges either of King or People are principally bottomed and secured
and bloody way by armed mercylesse and bloody souldiers which looketh rather like the execution of a bloody act for massacreing then of a law made for the good of the Commonwealth This last toucheth our case as was shovved 6. It is one thing to speak of resisting and offering violence to the very person of the Magistrate and another thing to speak of resisting his bloody Emissaries 7. So it is one thing to speak of resisting his bloody Emissaries cloathed with a commission to exact the penalty imposed by law But it is a distinct thing to speak of resisting his bloody Emissaries exorbitantly exacting what they please without any regaird had to the standing unrepeled law though sufficiently grevious 8. It is one thing to speak of vvhat privat persons may or ought to do when injured oppressed there is some door open to get themselves eased of these oppressions by complaineing or appealing to the superior Magistrats or by simple petition and supplications But it is a far other thing to speak of what a People may do when all door of hope is closed and when simple supplicating would make them lyable to the crime of lese Majesty which was their case 9. It is one thing to speak of what a company of private persons may do in their owne particular case without the concurrence of the rest of the community who are not concerned in their case nor particularly engaged to help and concurre with them in that particular and another thing to speak of what privat persons though the minor part of a community may do in a case which concerneth not themselves alone but is common to all though it maâ— be they suffer most of the heat of persecution upon the account of that common cause and in a case wherein all the whole community is bound and obliged to other to stand to and maintaine one another in the defence of that common cause and that by solemne bonds vowes and Covenants Now this was their case 10. It is one thing to say that the minor pairt of a community may rise in armes against all the Magistrats and seek to exauctorate them and overturne their power and against all the rest of the body and presse them to be of their minde and another thing to say they may take armes in their owne self defence when tyrannically oppressed for adhering to that Covenant and cause which the whole body of the land was engadged to maintaine with lives and fortunes no lesse then they without any intention to wronge the Magistrat's Just power and authority or to do the least injury to any of the community who would not carry in a hostile manner towards them Now such was the case and carriage of that poor people 11. It is one thing to say that private persons when injured by unjust lawes and when able to resist and oppose the Magistrate may never submite unto undue penaltyes which he salsly fathereth on Naphtaly But it is a far other thing to say that in some cases hic nuâ—c privat persons may resist the unjust and illegal force of Magistrats or that it is false to say that in no case imaginable private persons may resist unjust violence offered to them by Magistrats Or which is all one that in every case whatsomever it is the duty of privat persons to submit unto the most iniquous illegal and tyrannical impositions penaltyes and exactions or unto tyrannical and unjust lawes Now this is the true state of the question in thesi and if this be granted we seek no more as to that being persuaded the hypothesis will follow clearly from the thesis and hing on it without many knots of arguments to fasten it 12. It is one thing to say that private persons may call their superiour Magistrats when making defection to an account judicially processe them and formally give out sentence against them vvhich he injuriously allaigeth upon Naphtaly as any vvho vvill impartially consult the places by him cited vvill finde But it is a far other thing to say that private persons in some cases in way of defence and maintenance of the reformed Religion may stand to its vindication and this is all the vindicative povver vvhich Naphtali Pag. 18 19. the places vvhich he citeth speaketh of as incumbent to private persons From these things it is apparent to any of an ordinary reach in those matters hovv far that vvhich he maketh the knot of the question is from the true plaine full and reall state of the businesse novv controverted vvhich vve have laid dovvne And vvhat unfaire dealing vve way expect thorovv the rest of his pamphlet any may judge by what we here finde in the very stateing of the controversy But he vvill say that the Author of Naphtali vvhom he ignorantly tearmeth the libeller but in truth the honest vindicator of the innocency of the suffering people of God hath so stated it in his book It is true this Surveyer sayeth so Pag. 21. But vvhy did not he direct his reader unto the page vvhere such a state of the question vvas to be found I appeale to any vvho ever read that book to judge vvhether this man speaks truth or not Ay but you vvil say He hath cited Pag. 13 14. Naphtalies very vvords and hath cited the pages where these are to be found out of which words the State of the controversy as by him proposed may be drawne I Answer It is one thing to draw conclusions or consequences from the words of an adversary while he is prosecuting his arguments and out of these raise a state of a controversy and another thing to say that his adversary doth so state the controversy while as he speaks no such thing now both these are soloecismes the one in morality the other in way of disputing and of both he is guilty first it is an un truth to say that Naphtali doth so state the question as he allaigeth he doth and it is no better to say that Naphtali doth so state the question because here and there in his book he hath some expressions that seem to look there away Againe it is an absurd way of disputing and intolerable to draw the state of a question out of a mans expressions here there uttered in the prosecution of his arguments Whereas the state of the controversy is that which all his arguments prove conclude But what if al these expressions which he hath raked together out of Naphtaly will not bottome his assertions or the state of the question as he proposeth it sure every one must take him for a meer wrangler animpudent ignoramus in the matter of handleing a controversy if it be so And whether it be so or otherwayes let us now try The words he citeth first are out of Pag. 8. viz. these which I shall not curtaile as he doth but set downe fully And it will also appear that the necessity of convocations and combinations though
not only without but even against authority yet being in order to such necessary and just ends did sufficiently warrand them before God and all men from the breach of any law or act then standing against the same wherewith they might have been charged But what can he hence inferre Will he inferre that the Author of Naphtaly either sayeth or thinketh That any part of the people though no Magistrate be amongst them may take armes against all Magistrats and violently resist them when they think their lawes either unjust or the punishment executed unjust as he sayeth he doth Ibid. Pag. 13. By what medium will he couple the antecedent and consequent together May not a man disallow that any part of the people though they had all the Magistrats with them except the Supreame may take up armes against the Supreame and violently resist him whensoever they think that the lawes are unjust or the punishment executed unjust as I verily think the Author of Naphtaly will and yet say That when strong and inevitable necessity urgeth in order to necessary and just ends people may have their owne convocations even against authority and de jure be guilty of the breach of no standing law against the same seing all know that salus populi est supreme lex and that no law or act vvhen the strik observation thereof tendeth to the detriment of the Republick for the good of VVhich all lavves are made is of force The next passage he citeth is out of Pag. 14. vvere Naphtaly hath these vvords That the right and privilege of self-defence is not only founded in but is the very first instinct of pure nature and spring of all motion and action 2. That it was competent to and exercised by every individual before that either society or government were known 3. That it was so far from being surrendred and supperssed by the erecting of these that it was and is the great end and motive for which all voluntary societyes and policyes were introduced and are continued 4. That it is a principal and not the principal as he misciteth it rule of righteousnesse whereunto that great command of love to our neighbour by the law of God and by the Lord himself is resolved and whereby it is interpreted And then addeth So it doth infallibly follow that the same right and privilege is yet competent to all men whether separatly or joyntly and needeth no other pre-requisite but that of intolerable injury which for a man to suffer under pretence of the good of the Commonwealth would be for the delusion of an empty name only for the lust of other really to deprive himself of his whole share interest therein and is completed for excercise by such a probable capacity as may encourage the asserters thereof to undertake it Thus I have set down his words truely and wholly and I would faine know what is there here that will ground the foresaid thesis Must a man that sayeth thus necessarily say That it is lawful for privat subjects to take armes against their Magistrats when they are in a probable capacity to carry thorow their matters and the major part of the people when they think the lawes are unjust or the punishments executed are unjust Let him the next time I pray prove this consequenc For I and many moe do and will deny it His next passage is out of Pag. 15. the words are these The propelling by force of such injuries that is to be violented in the matters of Religon was the justest cause and quarrel that men in their primeve liberty could be ingaged in which surely is a very innocent and harmelesse assertion and such as he nor no rational man who knoweth to preferre the interest of the soul unto the interest of the flesh can contradict and from whence no man that knoweth what the exercise of reason is can inferre his forecited thesis The next passage he miserably curtaileth out of Pag. 16 17. but though vve should take it as he hath set it dovvne excepting that parenthesis vvhich he hath soisted in in the same character to deceive the sample Reader vvhat could he inferre from it When once sayeth That combinations for assistance in the same common cause of just and necessary defence whereunto the force of extreame necessity through the perversion of that mean of government appointed for their preservation doth ultimatly reduce them are warranted by the principle of humanity c. and Gods glory c. and by this that whole Cityes Kingdomes and Empires for the violation of this duty in not releeving the innocents from unjust tyranny even of lawful powers have been overtaken therefore by fearful judgments to their utter ruine and subversion Must he needs be thought to say and assert That privat subjects may combine together and make insurrection against the lawful Magistrat when they in their private judgment of discretion think the ends of government are perverted What sharpe sighted man can be able to see where these two shall meet He tells us next that Pag. 18 19. it is said That not only power of self-defence but vindicative and reforming power is in any part of the people against the Whole against all Magisirates and if they use it not judgment cometh on supposeing their capacity probable to beare them forth and they shall be punished for there connivance not acting in way of vindication of crimes and reforming abuses But who shall read the place cited will be forced to acknowledge a very great injury done to Naphtaly that his words are miserably represented and yet he cannot draw out of them even as he hath minced the and thrawne them so that they look with another face then their owne That Napbtaly asserteth That private persons may when they think or imagine in their privat judgment that the Magistrats and the rest of the land are in a defection arise in armes against them vindicate Religion judge and condemne such as are guilty and so use imperat acts of reformation by vindication Sure these words in Naphtaly of necessity both from the principles deduced and from the most visible judgments of God agreable thereto there must be a superiour and antecedent obligation to that of submission incumbent upon all both joyntly separatly for the maintainance vindication and reformation of religion in order to the promoting of these great ends of the publik profession of truth and true worshipe which the Lord doth indispensably require to sober judicious intelligent and impaitial readers will have a far other import So what can he inferre from that which Naphtali said Pag. 28. viz. That none pleadeth for absolute submission in the people and exemption in the prince but such as have prostrated their consciences to the Princes arbitrament in a blinde and absolute obedience and that seing subjection is principally enjoyned for and in order to obedience what soever reason or authority can be adduced to perswad an obsolute
defence without the conduct of their representative cannot in every case be condemned particularly not in our case now The antecedent I say is abundantly proved in the books mentioned which this windy man thinks needlesse to run out upon but he might rather say he thinks impossible to answere and beyond his poor strength to graple vvith as he sayeth Page 20. vve must then take some notice of vvhat in that Page vvhich he thinks sufficient to oppose unto the many arguments produced by them he is pleased to present what sense sayes he the people of Scotland when they have come to liberty have of these armes their late representative have declared and it were to be wished that the memory of such wayes were buryed that the posterity might never look upon them as exemplary Their progenitors have so deeply drunk of the bitter fruites of the same the result of them having been so much sin shame and sorrow vastation confusion and destruction to Princes and People I answer 1. What that liberty is which the people of Scotland are now come to who can see it for the perfect slavery and bondage they are sold unto A freedome he talkes of when all our libertyes are sold and we given up as bond men and bond women unto the lust of a Man and are denyed the very liberty which is the privilege of all free subjects yea and that which is the birthright and native privilege of all men viz. to supplicate petition or to pray what liberty can he then meane unlesse the liberty which is licentiousnesse to forsake God and our Covenant to turne Apostats from his truth and our profession to sweare foresweare to drink debauch whore commit sodomy all sort of wickednesse without curb or controll Is this the liberty he understandeth Sure all true christians and such as feare the Lord account that develish slavery and bondage 2. We know what this late Representatives have done but whether therein they have acted the part of Representatives and given the true sense of the people of Scotland will it may be be considered when He and I both are rotten Sure they never had any expresse yea nor tacite commission from the people of Scotland to give up all their necks to the stroke the axe as treatours and rebels for doing nothing but standing to their owne defence against manifest tyrranny and oppression of both soul and body and to condemne them and their worthy progenitors who valiently stood for the truth and the libertyes of Church and State to the losse of their lives and fortunes and to proclame and declare themselves guilty before God and Men of all the blood that was shed in that warre though most lawful and laudable 3. We are persuaded let him with what he will the memory of these memorable wayes shall never be buried but shall stand as exemplary monuments to succeeding generations when God shall think it meet to animate them with the spirit of courage to free the land of tyranny and of domineering abjured prelats withal their taile and traine and wise men will think that his Representatives have not taken a course fit for burying the memory of these wayes but rather a way to revive afresh the memory of them and to commend them more to the thoughts and hearts of all who love and pray for the comeing of our Lord's Kingdome 4. What bitter frutes these are which he sayeth our progenitours have drunk so deeply of we know not They lived and died such of them as owned and stedfastly adhered to that cause and Covenant in honour and peace and their names shall be in perpetual remembrance when his and the names of the rest of this perjured Malignant apostate faction shall rot We needed not have feared that either sin shame sorrow vastation confusion or destruction should have come to Prices or People if we had prosecuted the ends of our Covenants with zeal and faithfulnesse according to our manifold vowes promises solemne oathes and ingagments But what ever of these have followed should be and will be rightly fathered on our defection and lose of zeal And what sin and shame and sorrow vastation confusion destruction shall now follow both to Princes and People if they repent not upon this unparallelable defection Apostasie whereof now they are avowedly guilty none who is not an utter stranger unto God his faithful word and dispensations but may without any extraordinary Spirit of Prophecy foretell Next he tells us That these disputes proceed upon a most untrue and malitious misrepresentation of matters of fact upon two false hypotheses Let us heare what are those As if sayes he the King had been the first invader of the Nation whereas it is known his authority was first invaded his lawes trodden upon kis proclamations openly despised his castles violently seised his armes he took were notinvasive against the Nation but defensive of his owne authority of his lawes and the persones of orderly walking subjects and for reduceing these who strayed from their duty Answ Quis tulerit Gracchos de seditione querentes Who would suffer such a manifest notorius lyar to say that others made misrepresentations of matters of fact But 1. Do not all who then lived and yet read the publick papers and other acts that passed then know that through the instigation of some false perfidious fugitive Prelates the King was stirred up to make warre on Scotland ere ever they thought of any such thing Was not warre concluded both by sea and land Was not free tradeing taken away Were not the Scottish Nobility at court made to abjure the National Covenant and the General Assembly at Glasgow was there not a declaration emitted Feb. 27. publickly read in all the Churches of England wherein the faithful subjects and Covenanters in Scotland were tearmed Rebels Were not Berwik and Carlile frontier cities strongly fortifyed and garrisoned Was not the Earle of Huntly made Governour of the North of Scotland and had some foure or five thousand men in armes for the King Was not Aberdeen fortifying it self to take in the King's navy of shipes when it should come Was not the Marquis of Douglas Lord Haris ready to rise with the Papists in the South of Scotland Was not the Deputy of Ireland prepareing men to land them in the West of Scotland Was not the Earle of Arundale made the Kings General and was not the King to have his rendezvouz at York in Aprile and all the English Nobility commanded to attend him there by a letter written Ian. 26. before the faithful People of Scotland had any army in readinesse What impudency is this then to say the King was not the first invader of the Nation And as for the second expedition Anno Dom. 1640. managed and carryed on by the Parliament it was abundantly verified by their publick papers that it was purely defensive And it is notour that before the leavy was made and appointed
defend themselves and are mutually bound to assist and deliver one another So it now comes to be considered that seing the maintainance of truth and the true Worshipe of God were and are the principal ends and motives of contracting of Societyes and erecting of Governments whereunto both the People and Rulers are not only separatly every one for himself but joyntly obliged for the publick advancement and establishment thereof And that God doth therefore equally exact and avenge the sin of the Rulers only or of the People only or of any part of the People only upon the whole body of Rulers and People for their simple Tolerance and connivance without their active complyance with the transgressours of necessity both from the principles deduced and from the most visible judgments of God agreeable thereto there must be a supeperior and antecedent obligation to that of submission incumbent upon all both joyntly and separatly for the maintainance vindication and reformation of Religion in order to the promoving of these great ends of the publick profession of truth and true Worshipe which the Lord doth indispensibly require By vvhich any vvho read vvith judgment and attention and consider vvhat preceedeth and vvhat follovveth may see vvhat vvas that Authors scope and intention viz. to shevv in few vvords the lavvfulnesse of Peoples standing to the maintainance and defence of truth and the true Worship of God vvhen violated and enjured by these vvho by their places and callings should endeavour the establishing and perfect security thereof both from adversaries vvithin and vvithout as vvel as to the defence of their persones and libertyes vvhen wickedly persecuted for adhereing to God And that as it vvas not his scope and intention so nor will the words give ground to any vvho is not utterly blinded vvith prejudice and resolved to pervert the fairest and smoothest expressions that can be used to the end they may pervert truth deceive the simple who readily beleeve every thing to think that he pleadeth for any magistratical authority and povver to give out mandats and enjoyn execution upon transgressours in poynt of reformation of Religion unto privat persones Far lesse that he pleadeth for a povver due unto them to rise against and throvv dovvne King and all Magistrates supreame and subordinate and to use the vindicative punishing reforming povver of the sword even in case of defection in matter of Religion If any vvill but look to the end of that Paragraph they shall see this fully confirmed vvhere he is applying vvhat he said to the purpose he vvas upon viz. in vindication of vvhat vvas done by our first Reformers in the dayes of Mr Knox of whom only he is speaking in that part of his book for thus he speaketh and had not our Reformers great reason to feare and tremble least the manifest toleration of proud cruel and flattering Prelates who had perverted the lawful powers into bloody persecutors and of idolatrous Priests whose wickednesse and idolatry had corrupted the whole Land might involve not only themselves but the whole Nation in destroying and overflowing indignation Was there any such thing pretended or assumed by these Reformers but a power to defend and maintaine the true reformed Religion and their reformed Preachers against the malice of powers perverted and enraged against them by the bloody and pestilent counsel of the these idolatrous locusts and to hinder open and avowed idolatry which provoked God against the whole Land Did they ever arrogate to themselves the magistratical vindicative punishing and reforming power of the sword against all Magistrates Supreame and Subordinate Or doth Naphtaly say any such thing And yet this Surveyer because he cannot confute what is there nervously vindicated asserted and demonstrated That he may not be seen to do nothing for his hire he will thraw Naphtaly's words as he thinketh best and falsly and most impudently assert Pag. 83. That Naphtali sayeth Any party of meer private persones may rise against resist throw downe King and all Magistrates Supreame and Subordinate and in their Phinehas-like motions use the vindicative punishing reforming power of the sword especially in case of defection in matter of Religion and that there is a joynt obligation laying upon the people and every party thereof to vindicate and reforme Religion in a publick punitive way even against all Magistrates and Nobles and against the plurality of the people So that if any part of the people do think the Magistrates all of them or the plurality of the people patrons of abhominations any private party that think they have power enough may flee to the vindicative punishing and reforming sword and falt upon all Rulers and other whom they think to be in a defection and will boldly say that in truth they are so Who seeth not what perverting of truth is here When Naphtali only asserts that in case the Magistrate to whom the vindicative and in case of backslideing the reforming power is committed and who should make this his maine work shall turne the principal perverter and chief patron of these abhominations some other thing is required of the people then submission there lyeth upon them some obligation antecedent to that even an obligation to the maintainance vindication and reformation of Religion Which may be and is something distinct from that vindication and reformation which is incumbent on Magistrates even a vindication and reformation by way of maintainance of the received truth and hindering of idolatry and blasphemy or what is dishonorable to God pernicious to the commonwealth opposite to the true reformed Religion which may be done without arrogateing in the least that power which God hath committed to the Magistrates And this is far from useing the sword against the Magistrate and from throwing him down It is incumbent to the Magistrate to defend private subjects from Robbers and if they spoyl and robe a man's house to recover what is by robbery taken away but if he neglect this and rather patronize such Robbers It is a duty on the subject to defend his owne and vindicate and recover his goods the best way he can and who will say that it is an usurping of the Magistrates sword whereby he should punish Robbers defend the innocent and recover the goods of the spoyled or a riseing up aginst the Magistrate to dethrone him There is a private maintaining vindicateing and recovering of goods stollen which yet is active and may be effectual and there is a publick authoritative and magistratical defending vindicating and recovering The other may be incumbent to private persones in some cases when yet they do not usurpe this So in the Matters of Religion there is a private yet active and real maintaining vindicating and reforming of Religion when corrupted and there is a publick authoritative and Magistratical maintaining vindicating and reforming The former may be assumed by private persons in some cases without the least hazzard of incroaching upon this far more without
of their accounts should imbrace professe and practise the truth of God and the true Religion reformed in doctrine vvorshipe discipline and government Though King Parliament and Council should reject and condemne the same and countenance or command and authorize the practice of idolatry superstition or any false way in the vvorshipe of God or in the doctrine and discipline For no lavv of man can vvarrand iniquity no act or constitution of any Magistrat under Heaven can rescinde or invalidate the mandats of the King of Kings or exempt People from obedience due thereunto No true Christian whatever court flatterers atheists may do can deny this 7. Nor can it be denyed That in Kingdomes or Commonvvealths vvhere once the True Religion reformed in doctrine vvorshipe discipline and government hath been received publickly imbraced approved and countenanced by authority ratified by lavves statutes acts declarations proclamations oathes vovves and engagements Though the Magistrates Superiour and inferiour should turne Apostates from that Reformed and received Religion and by their lavves condemne the same and establish corruptions and enforce corrupt practices by penaltyes yet it vvere the duty of all Subjects vvho had any regaird to the matters of their ovvne salvation to adhere to the truth once received and established and vvorshipe and Serve God after the right manner and refuse to obey these iniquous lavves Will any deny such a truth as this except such as have sold soull consciences and all unto the lust of Men or think there is no Religion but vvhat King and Parliament vvill have and consequently if they should enjoyne the imbraceing of Mahomet's Religion or the vvorshiping of Sun Moon and Starrs or of Satan himself obedience must be yeelded 8. If in the forementioned case The Magistrates Superiour and inferiour should combine together and conspire against Christ and his interest and should not only by their acts and statutes banish him and his glorious interests out of the Kingdome but also by their cruel executions labour to force constraine and compel all their subjects or a part of them to the renunceing of the formerly received and avowed truthes and to the imbraceing of the introduced corruptions and so to run with themselves unto the same excesse of iniquity perjury and abhomination Then it is lawful for these Subjects so oppressed persecuted and abused for their constancy in adhereing to the truths once received contrare to all engagements vowes and Covenants to defend themselves against that unjust tyranny and rage and maintaine the reformed truth which is unjustly violently taken from them by force when there is no other probable meane left for them to essay nay when liberty to supplicate or petition is inhumanely and severely under the very paine of Treason discharged The reasons are 1. because we have shewed above that it is most lawful for Subjects to maintaine their lives persons and Estates against the unjust violence and tyrannical oppression of their enraged Magistrates And if that be lawful this must also be much more lawful for as the soul is much more precious then the body so matters that concerne the soul should be preferred to such things as concerne the body And therefore Religion which is necessary for the life of the soull should be with no lesse Zeale care and industry maintained and preserved pure and uncorrupted then what concerneth the lives of our bodyes 2. It is lawful for Subjects to maintaine their natural and civil libertyes by force when no other way can be used lest they and their posterity after them should be redacted unto a state of perfect slavery and bondage worse then that of the Israilites in Egypt And shall it be unlawfull to fight for the defence of Religion wherein is comprised all true and desireable liberty and to save posterity from tyranny and bondage in their souls and consciences much more dreadfull and terrible then the most insupportable and bitter bondage of the body imaginable Shall men be allowed to fight to preserve their owne bodyes and the bodyes of their posterity from the slavery of men and shall they not be allowed to fight that they may preserve their owne soulls and the souls of their posterity from the tyranny of Satan Who but such as either think they have no soulls more then beasts or know not the worth of their souls will deny this consequence 3. It is lawful for Subjects to defend their lives and libertyes in order to the defence of the true Religion and the interests of Jesus Christs when their losseing of these should certanely tend to the losse of Religion Ergo It cannot be unlawful to defend Religion which is the maine and principal thing 4. If it be lawful to maintaine the interests of a King against an usurper whether a stranger or an inferiour Magistrate who is under the King and is seeking to eject him and his interest contrare to his faith and trust Then much more must it be lawful to defend Christ Iesus and his interest when King and Parliament contrare to their sworne allaigance unto him have rebelled and are seeking to dethrone him by their wicked Lawes and Ordinances and to banish him and his interests out of the Kingdome by their tyrannical cruelty inhumane and mercilesse executions Will any deny this but ingrained Atheistical Malignants whose chief character hitherto hath been to preferre man's interest unto Christs Or such as have renounced all faith and loyalty unto the King of Kings and have set up a creature as their only God whom they minde to Worshipe and adore and for whom they minde to fight against all breathing and against the God of heaven also But their weapons shall fall out of their hands when They shall feel the lighting downe of his arme with the indignation of his anger and with the flame of a devouring fire and with scattering and tempests and hailstones and when he shall cause his glorious voyce to be heard If any should Object That because Christ's Kingdome is not of this World therefore his Servants should not fight for him It is easily answered That as hence it will follow that Religion cannot be forced by the sword upon any So it will not follow that Religion should not be defended for then Magistrates should not defend Religion nor Christians should not defend their Religion against the Turks Which is false And hence 5. If it be lawful for People to defend their Religion against an army of infidells Mahometans or Papists invadeing the Land of purpose to spoile us of our Religion and to force us to imbrace heathenisme Turcisme or Popery Then it must be lawfull to defend the same true Religion against King and Parliament when they seek to rob the People thereof and force corruptious upon them because King and Parliament have no more authority from God to oppresse the consciences of their Subjects to corrupt Religion and force corruptions upon them then the Turk or the Pope hath and
therefore no lesse lawfully may they be resisted 6. If privat persons may resist and withstand the Prince and Parliaments when they sell them and their land and heritages unto a forraigner to the Turk or such an adversary Then much more may they withstand them and defend their Religion when they are selling it by their apostatical acts and thereby selling them and their Souls unto Satan the God of this World 9. When Religion by the constitution of the Kingdome is become a fundamental law and a maine article and cardinal condition of the established Politie and upon which all the Magistrates Supreme and Inferiour are installed in their offices Then may that Religion be defended by private subjects when their Magistrates have conspired together to destroy the same to enforce the corruptions of their owne braine The reasons are 1. because it is lawful to defend the just and laudable constitution of the Realme in so far as Religion which is a principal fundation-stone of this constitution is subverted the constitution is wronged and the fundations thereof are shaken 2. In so far the Magistrates are no Magistrates And therefore they may be resisted Magistrates I say in so far as they overturne the constitution are not Magistrates for that is a maine pairt of their work to maintaine it For upon the constitution hang all the libertyes and all the good and necessary Ends which People have set before their eyes in the setting up of governement and His owne being as such the subversion of that subverts all and declareth the subverter to be an enemy to the Commonwealth and an overturner of the polity and this is inconsistent with being a Magistrate 3. In so far as they overturne or shake the fundations they cannot be seeking the good of the Community but their owne with the destruction of the Common good and this is the mark and true character of a Tyrant And when they seek not the good of the Community they cannot be looked upon as Magistrates doing their duty but as Tyrants seeking themselves with the destruction of the Commonwealth Therefore in so far they may be resisted 4. In so farr The compact the ground of the constitution is violated and as Magistrates in this case in so far fall from their right in so farr also are People liberated from their obligation so that if They become no Magistrates the Subjects become no Subjects for the relation is Mutual and so is the obligation as was shewed above Therefore in this case Subjects may lawfully resist and defend their Religion which is become the principal condition of their constitution and of the compact betwixt King and Subjects 10. Where Religion is universally received publickly owned and countenanced by persones in authority ratified approved and established by the lawes and authority of the land There every person is bound and obliged before God to maintaine and defend that Religion according to their power with the hazard of their lives and fortunes against all who under whatsoever colour and pretence seek to subvert and overturne the same and to hinder any corruption that King or Parliament at home or adversaries abroad would whether by subtilty or power and force bring in and lay hold on the first opportunity offered to endeavour the establishment of Truth and the overturning of these corrupt courses which tend to the perverting thereof And the reasons are because 1. When the True Religion is once embraced and publickly received That land or Commonwealth is really dedicated and devouted unto God and so in a happy condition which happy condition all loyal subjects and true Christians should maintaine and promove recover when nearby or altogether lost And therefore should do what they can to hinder any course that may tend to recal this dedication to deteriorate the happy condition of the Realme and to give up the land as an offering unto Satan 2. By this meanes they endeavour to avert the wrath and anger of God which must certanely be expected to goe out against the land if defection be not prevented and remedyed For if but a few should depairt wrath might come upon the whole much more if the Leaders turne patrones of this defection But of this more in the next chapter 11. Much more must this be allowed in a Land where Reformation of Religion in doctrine worshipe discipline and governement is not only universally owned publickly received and imbraced nor yet only approved authorized ratified and confirmed by publick authority and the lawes of the Land But also corroborated by solemne vows and Covenants made and sworne unto God by all ranks and conditions of People from the King to the meanest of the subjects in a most solemne manner and that several times re-iterated in which Covenants all sweare to Maintaine and defend this Riligion with their lives and fortunes and to labour by all meanes lawfull to recover the purity and liberty of the gospel and to continow in the profession and obedience of the foresaid Religion defend the same and resist all contrary errours and corruptions according to their vocation and to the uttermost of that power that God puts in their hands all the dayes of their life as also mutually to defend and assist one another in the same cause of maintaining the true Religion with their best Counsel bodyes meanes and whole power against all sorts of persons whatsoever And Sincerely really and constantly endeavour in their several places and callings the preservation of thereformed Religion in doctrine worshipe discipline and government The extirpation of Popery Prelacy Superstition Heresy Schisme Prophannesse and whatsoever shall be found to be contray to sound doctrine and the power of godlinesse And to assist and defend all those that enter into the same bond in the maintaining pursueing thereof And shall not suffer themselves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination persuasion or terrour to make defection to the contrary party or to give themselves to a detestable indifferency or neutrality in this cause which so much concerneth the glory of God the good of the Kingdomes and the honour of the King but shall all the Dayes of their lives Zealously and constantly continue therein against all opposition and promote the same according to their power against all lets and impediments whatsoever Now I say in such a case as this when after all these engadgments and covenants a courte of defection is carryed on by a strong and violente hand by King and Parliaments and there is no meane left unto Private Persones when violented and constrained to a complyance by acts and tyrannical and arbitrary executions of either preventing their owne destruction in soull and body or preserving the reformation sworn unto or recovering the same when corrupted and of purging the land of that dreadful sin of perjury and defection They may lawfully take the sword of just and necessary defence for the maintainance of themselves and of their Religion This
no judgment and he saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessour Truth and the cause of God was so at under that a man could not get leave to live if he depairted from evil he was a prey unto the persecuters so general and universal was this defection and at this time he saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessour to interpose none that would stand up and lay out themselves to the utmost to set things in order none that would bestirre himself for truth and the right which was then oppressed see the English Annot. on the place the word is used 2 Sam. 22. 17. where it is said the servants of Saul would not fall upon the Priests of the Lord. So Exod. 5. 3. lest he fall upon us c. So that we see there was some positive thing required of them some effectual mediating and interposeing and hindering of these iniquities some publick owneing and avowing of the truth and by publick testimonies or other wayes of interposeing falling-into impede and stand in the way of that course of wickednesse 4. So Ier. 8 6. I hearkened and heard but they spake not a right no man repented him of his wickedness saying what have I done It is not probable that there was none penitent among them where then was Baruch and Ebedmelech Cap. 38. 7 9. and others that stood for the Prophet Cap. 26 8 16 17 24. But there must be some other thing imported viz. That there was few or none repenting of national evils and labouring to remove these no man was standing up and opposeing these publick land defections labouring by this meanes to raise up the virgin of Israel who was fallen Amos 5. 2. 5. Ierm 9 3. And they bend their tongues like their bowes for lies but they are not valient for the truth upon the earth that is they were ready enough all of them to imploy their power to the utmost for the evil cause to establish errour and a false way but they used no valour for the oppressed cause and truth of God they did not their utmost to have Truth established and the true Religion They did not put out themselves or make use of their strength for the maintainance of truth and equity in the land say the English Annot. and they make it parallel with Esa 59 4. This was their guilt and hereby we see what was the duty even of privat persons for of such this is to be meaned as the context cleareth in such a general day of defection viz. to be valient owners and maintainers of Truth against all opposers 6. Ier. 5 v. 1. Run yee to and fro throw the streets of Ierusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad places thereof if ye can finde a man if there be any that executeth judgment that seeketh the truth and I will pardon it We can hardly think that there were no mourners in secret in all Ierusalem though it is like they were very few but there was none to owne the good cause that was now troden under foot none bestirring themselves to oppose and hinder the carryed on course of defection If that had been the Lord sayes he would have spared the place which shewes how desirable a thing this was and how acceptable it would have been in the Lords eyes that for that cause he would have forborne to have destroyed them or to have cut them off 7. Ezech. 22 30. And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me that I should not destroy it but I found none There were some even at this time sighing and mourning in secret for these abhominations who were marked Cap. 9. but there were none to make up the hedge which their provocations had made none to redresse the publick defection and Apostasy and stand for the truth and the suppressing of errour and iniquity So is it laid to the charge of their Prophets Cap. 13 5. that they did not goe up into the gaps neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battel in the day of the Lord Whereby we see that by this standing in the gape and making up the hedge more is meaned then a secret mourning even a faithful and publick owneing of the truth and opposeing of defection and putting a stope unto it as Moses did when he stood in the breach Exod. 32. though with authority as a Magistrate which private persones have not he not only prayed and wrestled with the Lord v. 11 12 13. but in great zeal took the calfe which they had made and brunt it in the fire and ground it to powder and strawed it upon the watter and made them to drink of it v. 20. If there had been any who thus effectually would have stood in the breach the Lord sayes he would have spared them so acceptable would such a work have been to him 8. So that word Ier. 13 18. Say unto the King and to the Queen humble your selves sit downe for your principalities shall come downe even the crowne of your glory Will import something more it being spoken to all indefinitely giveth a warrand to all to deal with King and Queen to prevent the sad dayes which were coming by reason of the defection and abounding sinnes 9. So that word Hos 2 2. Plead with your mother plead for she is not my wife which is spoken to private persones and so is a warrand to them to contend in judgment as the word doth import against the Church which was corrupted and had forsaken the Lord and his wayes and so to stand to the defence of truth and to plead for the cause of God against their very Mother the Church The body of the Nation that not only they might exoner their owne consciences but also get things reformed so far as lay in their power and keep the memory of the cause of God afresh that it should not be buryed These places and the like though we bring them not to prove immediatly our maine Question as it may be the Surveyer who useth to take but half a look of matters will suppose yet when duely considered in their just latitude and extent they will clearely evince That more is required of private persons in a general day of defection then to keep themselves free of the same or to mourne in secret or the like And if we lay them together they will clearly prove it the duty of privat persones in such a day of defection to be publickly declareing their abhorrence of the wicked courses which are carryed on to be actually and effectually interposeing with King and Great ones that a stope may be put unto the course of wickednesse and God's wrath averted that they would plead Zions cause against all opposers and thus stand up in the gape and make up the hedge by publick and avowed owneing of
Nero because they wanted temporal strength But might not that excuse be good in itself though Bellarmine made use of it I suppose upon second search it will be found that they had not such a capacity as he it may be supposeth But of this afterward It brings to his minde also what Creswel the Jesuite said against the Edict of Q. Elizabeth But all this is nothing to the purpose for neither we nor Naphtaly joyne with the Iesuites whatever he say as to the deposeing and throwing downe of Princes and all Magistrates and punishing them by private hands But if he think this condition in private persons resisting of violence Iesuitical viz. if they be in a probable capacity to do it He must give us leave to say It is very rational and he is more then brutish to think otherwise For will he say that it is an indispensable duty for Ten private persones though they had their Magistrates with them to go and resist an army of Ten Thousand unlesse they have an extraordinary particular peremptory cal of God Sure then he but shewes his folly to carpe at such things as these let him read Luk. 14 31. Next let us see what he hath Pag. 84. 85. 86. Where he sayeth 1. That albeit it be God's holy will that in erections of civil government his Truth sincere worshipe and glory in these should be mainly minded and intended by men and it is mens duty so to do yet it is clear that in many places de facto it is not so although men in the general professe aiming at Truth and right worshipe yet there are aberrations in the particular Answ 1. This is very true and not only do we see that it is so de facto but also that where conscience hath been made of mindeing Gods truth sincere vvorshipe and glory and these so twisted in and interwoven with the constitution of the civil government that they became to the subject a piece of their National patrimony secured by all meanes imaginable not only these necessary things are not minded but they are sought to be overturned and destroyed 2. Since he grants that it is men's duty so to do how can he condemne what the honest Parliaments of Scotland did and what the king consented to and owned Was that any thing else but to establish and secure the reformed Religion in Doctrine worshipe discipline and government for the glory of God and the good of the nations Next he sayes Albeit there be in the poynt of truth and the worshipe of God anotable perversion and swerving that doth not at all invalidate the authority nor break the obligation thereunto although it be injurious to favourers of Truth and right Worshipe for although Religion be not minded as it ought to be God will not have the Commonwealths where justice between Man and Man is maintained for his glory casten loose nor have men think themselves loosed from obligation to the government for neither must they be heard who hold that civil dominion is founded on grace nor they who say That infidel heretical or excommunicate Magistrates fall from their power or that the subjects obligation to them ceaseth Answ 1. Yet vvhere the maintainance of Truth and of the right vvorshipe is a fundamental pillar of the constitution and a maine article of the compact betwixt Magistrates and subjects a failing here is a loosing of the government and of the Subjects obligation if not in vvhole yet in so far 2. A pleading for the observation of the compact and maintainance of the Truth and Worshipe of God conforme to sworne compacts is no breaking of the obligation but rather a way to have it strengthened and made more firme Much lesse can they be charged with this who plead only for a liberty of defence of the same Truth and Worshipe against manifest injuries contrary to Covenants vowes and compacts 3. Such as resist the unjust violence of Magistrates do not therby loose themselves from the obligation to government otherwise every woman who in defence of her chastity resisted the prince should die as a Traitor 4. We abhore both that opinion that dominion is founded on grace and that other of the Papists we stand upon other grounds as hath been and may yet be furder shewed The summe of what he says in the 4 place for what he hath said in the 3 place is but some concessions which are touched already is this That to reforme in a publick coactive way by the use of the vindicative and punitive sword belongeth alone to the Magistrate so that persones of meer private capacity cannot use that sword against all Magistrates and their fellow subjects to violent them in matters of Religion or which they account Religion and punish them for not being of their Religion Answ It is but his groundlesse calumny to say that Naphtaly sayes all this and so it is nothing to the question in hand which is concerning privat persons maintaineing their Religion and endeavouring to have corruptions removed which may wel be without the least incroachment upon the Magistrates and since he speakes not to this he either declares himself unable to confute what we say or he fowlely prevaricates to the palpable betraying of his owne cause or both Then he tells us further That the great mistake in all this matter is That we think the Magistrate People are as to their Covenant with God debtors bound in a band conjunctly and severally for one sum so that in the deficiency of the one the other must pay all and hath power to distresse the deficient whereas they binde but for their several moieties of a sum so that if the People reforme themselves and keep themselves pure from abhominations the Magistrates deficiency which they tolerat with grief shall not be imputed to them Because God giveth them not a calling to intrude into the Magistrates office there lyes no obligation on them to force the King or their fellow subjects to external meanes of Worship and Religion Answ This is the summe of what he spendeth many words about but it may be easily answered For 1. By this simile he will wronge the Magistrate for as the People may not presse the Magistrate to pay his moyety how may He presse the Subjects to pay their moyety 2. If the Magistrate break to God and will not pay his moyety of the summe he cannot presse the Subjects to break also and not to pay their part but whether he will or not they are bound to keep Covenant and if he force them his violence is unjust and illegall for no law can warrand People to break their Covenant with God and may lawfully be resisted and this is enough for us 3. A better lawyer then he Althusius pol. cap. 28. n. 18. tels us that in those Religious Covenants Magistrates and People are bound conjunctly and severally so that the whole summe may be required of either of the corrëi Ita sunt corrëi
Pag. 38. c. and this he must usher in with his ordinaire jeers and ground lesse reflections telling us that His opinion hath been the common sense of the generation of God's children before this fiery yron age and that their sober examples are of more weight and imitation then the furious practices of any of late whereunto they have been inflamed by the doctrines of popular parasites and fierce demagoges such as this libeller and his complices But we have found possibly may yet finde further how far he is mistaken in this And in deed in some respect this may be well called a fiery iron age for I beleeve since Christianity was heard of there was never so much obduration of consciences so seared with hote irons and inflammed with rage against piety fidelity truth and uprightnesse of heart as is this day It were well to be wished hat this Surveyer and his complices would take either the example of the Prophets or Apostles or of these sober Christians who lived nearest to the light of the Apostles times and learne after their example to be more sober and constant to his principles sure he will not finde in their practices so much perfidy treachery debauchednesse hatred of piety persecution of truth and of the godly as both he and his complices are notoriously guilty of Will he find among them such court parasites such patrons of Apostafy such authors of rebellion against God such Tyrannogogues and base flatterers as he and his fraternity are Will he finde in all their writings such bitter invectives and reproaches against the vvay of God and his People as may be seen in these fevv sheets Will he find such commendations of tyranny oppression bondage and siavery as if it vvere nothing but the compound of justice and equity But vve come to the purpose The summe of his argument is this That though by the testimony of Tertul. Apolog. cap 1. 33. and 37 and Cyprian ad Demetrianum It is apparent the Christians wanted not might to raise armes against the Emperours yet they never used any resistence either for the defence of themselves or for therescueing of their oppressed brethren Yea even after that in Constantin's dayes Religion had been legally established and the Christians able enough to defend themselves yet they used no violence agaist the Arrian and Apostat Emperours who succeeded Vnder the persecuter Maximinian there was the Theban Legion consisting of 6666. who yet did not resist him and that the greatest part of the army under Julian the Apostate was Christian appears by their general outcry at the reception of Jovinian nos sumus Christiani yet did they never oppose him width force To which we answere 1. Though this Surveyer would appear tobe a man of a very meek and Christian disposition and cryeth out of such as are not of his opinion as men of the fiery iron age yet though we will not take upon us to judge his heart any may see part of his scope and intention in mentioning this argument to be this That we may be reasoned into a perfect stupidity and insensibility and the King encouraged to contrive and prosecute an Eleventh persecutoion on all who professe the Name of Jesus in his three dominions For what end else doth he adduce the example of the primitive Christians who would not resist the Emperours their bloody Emissaries sent out to put into execution their cruel inhumane and barbarous Edicts and to fulfil their lust and desire to extinguish the very Name of Christians but to sing us a sleep so that if the King will the may command his bloody and cruel Emissaries to make amassacre on all that will no abjure Christ and his interest and cut all their throats in a few dayes without the least fear of opposition If this be not his designe let him tell me what he would have Christians doing in case such a thing as this should be Would he have them resisting or only holding up their throats to the bloody executioners If he would not have any resistence made even in this case then we see what his principles drive at and many may judge what a cruel bloody heart he must have If in this case he would allow a resistence where is the force of his argument then To what purpose is their example adduced and what becometh of his insolent exclamations O silly foolish and feminine Christians then and o illuminated masculous and martial Spirits of Christians now 2. He may remember what he tels us when he is speaking to the instances of resistence adduced out of Scripture Pag. 67. That every example recorded in Scripture is not imitable And may not we say here That every example recorded in Church History far more fallible then Scripture and far lesse to be regairded seing what things are recorded in Scripture are writen for our instruction is not imitable So that reduce this argument into forme it will quickly evanish for it must stand upon this medium That what ever the primitive Christians did layeth a binding obligation upon us But this is false as we shall undenyably evince and where is then the force of the argument Though it appear plausible and taking yet when pressed it doth evaporat 3. If their practice be a binding precedent in this matter so must it be in all other things and particularly it must be unlawful for us now to resist in our owne defence a raseal multitude assaulting us with stones in the open streets against all law and equity for Tertullian in the same place tells us that they would not resist the Inimicum vulgus the common people who was malitiously set against them and did invade them with stones and fire suo jure with out any kinde of law or judicial procedoure Yea Tertullian puts no difference betwixt the Emperours and meane persons in poynt of resistence Saying Idem sumus Imperatoribus qui vicinis nostris malè enim velle malè facere malè dicere malè cogitare de quoquam ex aequo vetamur Quodcunque non licèt in Imperatorem id nec in quenquam we may do no more whether in word thought or deed against any whatsomever then against the Emperour But who will say that in this their practice or judgment is to us a binding precedent 2. Several of these Fathers thought it unlawful to kill in their owne defence See A 〈◊〉 bros de Offic. Lib. 3. cap. 4. and Augustin also Epistola ad publicolam 154. and Lib. 1. de Libero Arbitr cap. 5. And yet this cannot now be maintained as a truth See the contrare proved by Rivet in 6. Praec oper Tom. 1. Pag. 1391. 3. Private Christians not only refused to resist violence with violence but they refused also to flee from the fury of persecuters when they might saifly have done it Potuimus sayes Tertull in Apolog. inermes nec rebelles sed tantummodo discordes soltus divortii invidia adversus vos dimicasse
consider also how the Author of Naphtaly hath been miserably misunderstood by him It is not our purpose nor our present businesse to speak unto this head and shew for what causes or by whom kings are to be questioned deposed or executed Far lesse is it our purpose to defend the taking away of the late King's life though this railing Pamphleter thinks to fasten this upon Naphtaly And therefore we might palse what he sayeth to this purpose Chap. 3. Yet as in the preceeding Chapter we have shewed how ill he hath maintained the union and conjunction of his Majesties Dominions So in this vve shall shovv hovv vveakly he hath guarded his life against such as vvould oppose themselves unto him in this question But first vve vvould take notice vvhether Napthtali hath given him such ground to fasten upon him the justification of the murther of the late King as he allegeth The matter sayes the Surveyer in dealing with Magistrates according to Naphtali's minde rests not in a meer resistence of them by meer private persons but goes on to a retaliating and revenging upon them wrong supposed to be done for his man againe jeers at the Soveraigne Powers Privilege and Impunity of Divine exemption Ans Doth this man know what he writeth Doth Naphtaly say That private persons may revenge wrongs upon the Supream Magistrate because he jeers at such as plead for such a Privilege and impunity unto Soveraigne Powers as will exempt them from all tryal and punishment both of God and Man What meaneth he else by this impunity of divine exemption Then he tells us pag. 71 and 77. That Naphtaly Pag. 29. reflects not obscurely upon the horrid murther of our late Soveraigne Let us hear Naptaly's words then shall we better judge And as these inferiour Princes sayes Naphtaly Pag. 29. Do often forget their subordination to the most High in their unjust commands and would usurpe his throne by an uncontrollable Soveraignity So the Lord by the warrand of his Word and approbation of his providence and also of the People when by them oppressed but by himself animated strengthened hath declared made void this their pretended exemption impunity removed the carcasses of such Kings and broken their scepter amongst which precedents the instance of these times whereof we now speak is worthily recorded and deserveth better to be remembered Now Naphtali is speaking of what fell out betwixt the year 1494. and the year 1560. in that place and makes no mention of what fell out an 1560. and afterward till he come to Pag. 31. c. Sure then the times he is speaking of being before the year 1560. are far from the times wherein King Charles the first was executed But sayes he there was no such thing as murthering of Kings or dethroning of them at that time Answ Yet the Lord at that time declared and made void the pretended exemption and Impunity of Princes and Soveraigne Governours by removing in his providence their carcasses and by the approbation of the people when by them oppressed by himself animated breaking their scepter as vve finde was done to the Q. Kegent anno 1559. when she was by the People the Nobles Barons and Burgesses assembled to deliberate upon the affaires of the commonwealth Octob. 20. deposed from her Regency and upon the ninth of Iâ—n the next yeer God removed her carcasse by death so that the land was no more troubled with her Who may not now see what a poor ground this Railer had to father such a tenet on Naphtali as he doth And what advantage the King's cause hath gotten by this we shall novv see He tels us Pag. 72. That most of the venome this man meaning Naphtali hath against the powers ordained of God he hath sucked out of the breasts of Lex Rex It were not right to dig up all the pestilent untruths of that piece set forth in most impertinent and sophistical reasonings mixt with infinite humane bitternesse against the late King Only as it were to be wished that such errours might be buried in eternal oblivion so it is to be regrated that too too many of the Ministry and others in Scotland have been poysoned with such principles and the same not being very like to be suddenly extirpat the more need have the powers above us to be watchful Ans The author of Lex Rex and of Naphtaly also ascribe as much to the powers ordained of God as God's word will allow and are no way opposed unto them but only unto Tyranny which is no Ordinance of God and this Man rather spitteth venome in the face of the power ordained of God vvhen he goeth about to patronize and defend their illegal and iniquous exorbitances as if these were the ordinance of God which are rather the ordinance of Satan Sure this is not farr from blasphemy to call such courses the Ordinance of God 2. He hath taken a short cut I confesse to answere that unanswerable book Lex Rex To say that it is full of pestilent untruthes set forth in most impertinent and sophistical reasonings Had King Charles the first when he read that book remembered this or thought upon it he would not have said he feared as is reported he did that it should not have been answered But what Man who hath not de nuded himself of all wit and reason will take upon this perjured Apostat's word these Truthes which Lex Rex hath demonstrated which this Man was so unable to answere that I much question if he well understood many of them or if his lumpish braine could discerne betwixt a sophistical reason and a true and real reason to be untruthes and these truthes so wholesome and useful to all Republicks and necessary to be knowne and wel digested by all who consult the welfare of commonwealths to be pestilent untruthes and his unanswerable reasons to be impertinent and sophistical 3. I am sure all the Cavaliers and the Malignant squade would have thought him well worth his gold if he had in a sober rational manner discovered the impertinencies and sophistical reasonings in that book which yet is like to speak after it is burned and under a legal restraint though he should have spent the most part of his dayes upon it it may be the Royal cabal would have thought it Dignum opus and have canonized him for it and advised the King of Remember the issue of such a worthy singular pillar of the tottering throne But the man knew how far his stock would reach and that all the gold in the Kings treasures could not make his head stronger then it was how ever it might superabundantly fortify his purse and therefore seing his short horns could reach no further his Majesty must rest satisfied with this And Lex Rex must be declared as it is to be furder unanswereable 4. Seing he wisheth that such errours might be buryed in oblivion why did not his vvork follovv his vvish Why did
so must be a precedent example for judges and Magistrates in all time coming and by this example any member of the Council might lawfully rise up and execute judgment on this wicked wreatch and his cursed fraternity who have brought by their apostasy and defection from the Covenant and cause of God the wrath and curse of God upon the land 2. That Phineas was the High Priest's sone we know and that he was afterward High priest himself is truth but that he was at this time a publick Magistrate or a member of the great Sanhedrin we see not It is true there were some Princes of the tribes men of renowne Numb 1. ver 16. but he is not mentioned among those neither were these the great Sanhedrin So these princes of the assembly Numb 16 2. were not the Sanhedrin which did consist but of 70 Members Numb 11. Nor was Phineas one of them And that congregation of the children of Israel mentioned Numb 25 6. amongst whom Phineas was ver 7. was not the Sanhedrin which we never finde as I remember so called but the whole body of the People who were then mourning partly for the sin commited and partly for the execution when the heads of the People vvere hanged up and a thousand moe killed by the judges at Moses his command for Paul 1 Cor. 10 ver 8. sayes there died of the plague tvventy three thousand and here vve finde there fell in all tvventy foure thousand Againe it is remarkable that this single act of Phineas in killing two persons is so much rewarded and taken notice of by the Lord yea more then the many who were killed by the judges ver 5. So that it seemes he was no publick Magistrate and that he did it with the approbation of Moses is probable but that Moses did command him we see not only we finde that the Zeal of God moved him and therefore is he highly rewarded though he was but the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron Yea that which the Surveryer citeth out of Deodat rather confirmeth this for Deodat calleth it an act of extraordinary zeal motion of God's Spirit and he addeth that Moses the Supreme Magisstrate did approve it but what needed this if he had been a Magistrate seing there was a command given to the Magistrates ver 5. and a command is more then an approbation Aquinas and Gerhard call him it is true a judge but we see no proof unlesse they could evince that he was a member of the Sanhedrin of which Gillespy speaks in his Aarons rod. lib. I. c. I. The Dutch Annotat. on Psal 106 31. Suppose him to have been no Magistrate but say that this fact was beside his ordinary calling His 2. answere is Pag. III. That suppose he had been a meer private person yet it could prove nothing because he did it with the approbation and good liking of Moses and so he is but the executor of that unanimous sentence Answ But not only is this not written but the scripture giveth another ground of his fact then any warrand or command of Moses And so his answere in rebus facti a non scripto ad non factum non valet consequentia is not to the purpose Now I say the scripture giveth another ground viz. his zeal for his God which is not spoken of the other judges who ver 5. were commanded of Moses to execute judgment yea that word Psal 106 30. then stood up Phineas and executed judgment clearely hinteth at more then his being a meer satelles Magistratus and the ample reward which was given him and the Lord 's counting it to him for righteousnesse speak some other thing then that he had a call of the Magistrate and was his executioner In the 3 place he sayes The cases are different for then was horrible idolatry and villanous whordome committed avowedly and with a high hand in the sight of the Sun and in way of open doing despite to God but it is not so now Answ Prudence might have taught him to have concealed this for it were easy to draw such a parallel as would make him afrayed if any did intend to follow that example For I am sure what ever he account of the present apostasy and how ever he mince it as no doubt zimri would have minced his uncleannesse when he justified the fact before the Council as he told us Iosephus said yet the apostasy and perjury is open avowed abhominable and villanous committed in the sight of the Sun in despite of God and maintained as right and lawful howbeit it be such as the very heavens may be astonished at For such open avovved malapert vvickednesse defection and perjury all things considered vvas never heard of in any generation Hovv our reformation aud confession of faith is maintained vve have heard and albeit he make all the change to be only a change of the exterior forme of Church government yet when he is before his judge he shall finde in the cup of this iniquity manifest avowed perjury overturning of the work of God destroying of the interest of Christ blasphemy near unto that unpardonable sin if not the very same in fathering the works of the right hand of the Most high on Satan open and avowed persecution of godlinesse opening of a gap to all licentiousnesse horrid iniquity increase of idolatry villanous and avowed whordome Sodomy atheisme and devilry and more wickednesse then tongue can tell or pen can paint out but is on clear record before the Lord. 4. Sayes he Let it be so that he was a meer private man and had no warrand from the Supreame Magistrate to do what he did his fact cannot warrand Men to attempt the doing of such acts unlesse they can shew as good warr and and approbation from God as he could Answ That he had God's warrand and approbation vve do not doubt but that it was such an approbation as was peculiar to extraordinary un-imitable acts is the thing in question we grant with him That God is the Lord of all Magistrates and of all men's lives can when it pleaseth him crosse ordinary rules and apppoynt some to execute his judgments extraordinariely but the question is whether every thing which the Surv. accounteth extraordinary is so indeed He may sayes he send Moses to kill the Egyptian Eglon to kill Ehud he should say Ehud to kill Eglon Elias to destroy companyes of men with fire from heaven or to kill Baal's Priests He may command Abraham to kill his sone Isaac he may excite David to a bloody duëel Sampson to murther himself Ans Will the Surveyer account these instances alike extraordinary and unimitable Sure Royalists will think that Ehud's killing of Eglon may warrand any private person now to kill a tyrant without title But I lay more weight upon Iohn Knox his distinction in this matter in his debate with Lithingtoun hist. of reformation Pag. 390. edit in fol. And as touching sayes Mr.
tells us That Naphtaly Doth let fall such tenets as smell too rankly of the foul scum of the high flown Anabaptistical and Enthusiastical way while he sayes Pag. 21. c. That meer privat men may now a dayes take their impulses of Zeal as a sufficient call to pull downe all Magistrates from their seats which they abuse to execure judgment upon them and to place themselves in their roomes But of what spirit this man who is of his father the devil who was a lyar from the beginning is vve have seen And this particular will abundantly discover to such as look the place and consider what we have said And no better is the next particular which he citeth out of Pag. 105. Where the author is opposeing that notion of an external call not unto lawful ordination which presupposeth it but unto such a mock ordination whereby such are put into the ministry who have no visible evidence of the call of Jesus Christ as in reason or charity can oblige any to receive such as truely sent Thereafter he draweth the parallel in five particulars The first is this That the Anabaptists laboured to overthrow Magistracy and deny them to have any power in Church matters But can he or dar he say that we do so do we say with them that the office of the Magistrate is not necessary among Christians Do we say that Magistracy is not the ordinance of God Do we say that Kingly government is unlawful as they said abuseing that place 1 Sam. 8 7. Do we say that a Christian may not exerce the office of a Magistrate Do we say that a heathen may not be a Magistrate Do we say that an ungodly Magistrate is no Magistrate Do we presse that place Luk. 22. The Kings of the gentiles c. Any otherwayes then against superiority among Church men With what face then can be draw a parallel here The next is That they studyed to overthrow the ordinance of the ministry declaiming most bitterly against all in that function as Hirelings Thieves Wolves c. But can he say that we cry dovvne a ministery as no ordinance of Christ or as not necessary can he say that we affirme an external call to the ministery needlesse Is it our work to exclude faithful ministers from the esteem of Gods people Hovv can the impudent man alledge this of us Be like because we cry out against him and his fraternity and their reptilia profane wretches of the second-order as no lawful ministers of Chriist being perjured profane apostates never called of God to that functction nor duely and orderly called of Man But in this he and his party come nearer to the Anabaptists then we The. 3. Is that they work division in the Church of God and move people to forsake Church meetings and to follow them in private conventicles But then it seemeth all protestants Who presse Papists to forsake their Masse Assemblies and Masse Priests and rather meet with the Orthodox and that in conventicles are Anabaptists And it seemeth this man would not presse Heathens to leave their publick idol worshipe and serve God in secret conventicles such a publik and peacable Man is he lest he should be accounted an Anabaptist But wee see no connexion betwixt our being Anabaptists and pressing People to forsake Their assemblies and to hear the true and faithful servants of Christ in private who cannot have liberty to preach in publick The 4 is That they were above all men arrogant and proud dispisers of such as were not of their way as being men without God in the world reprobate and wicked denying to them even common civilities But doth not he and his party the most proud and arrogant persones imaginable deal with us all as cursed fanaticks knipperdolians c. What is the 5. When any of theirs were punished for errors fellony or rebellion they cryed them up for martyres and complained tragically that truth and godlinesse was oppressed and that men who would have all things done according to Gods Word were persecuted But might not Heathens and Papists have objected so against the true Christians and protestants who said and did all this when they were persecuted and some of them murthered massacred And were or are all who call account such as die for the Testimony of Jesus martyres persecuted to the death Anabaptists I feare that in so saying he shall be found to befriend the Anabaptist more then we desire to do If he hath no more to say He shall never make it appeare that either Naphtaly or the Apology do approach unto the manners of that odious sect in any particular peculiar to that Sect or wherein that Sect deviateth from truth Then he addeth Pag. 17. When the Spirit that stirreth in these furious writtings especialy in Naphtaly is considered how much confusion may be seen to be portended to Church and State if hearts be infected with the doctrines therein held forth By whom I pray shall these evils be seen to be portended by any thing that is said in these writtings Sure by no rational sober understanding person but only by such who consult the oracle at delphos and minde their belly and worm-eaten carcases more then they consult the oracle God and of sound reason and minde the reall good of either Church or State For there are no doctrines there of any malignant quality but all of them anti-Malignant Solide Plaine Sure and immoveable truthes having a direct tendency unto and necessary influence upon the solide and sure establishing of Church and State upon a firme and lasting basis And therefore if it were right applyed his following wish were good viz. That the Lord would give his people such understanding that they be not ignorant of the wiles of Satan who driveth a deeper designe against this poor Church and Land then the subversion of this or that exteriour forme of Church government For indeed the designe that Satan hath now on foot reacheth furder even to the utter overturneing of all the precious interests of Christ in the Land of destroying not only the outward Libertyes and Privileges of the People which have cost them no small expense of blood to the end they may be made perfect slaves But to the overturning of the whole work of God of banishing the Gospel and of introduceing Atheisme and all sort of profanity and wickednesse that we should no more become the People of the Lord but a visible Kingdome of Satan And all the People Subjects and Slaves to him But we know what his meaning is and therefore he addeth The controversy rests not in matters touching a Bishope or a Presbytery But what thinks he of this controversy He sayes If mens passions or prejudices might permit it might be for the advantage of the gospel well consolidated by their mutual paying of due respects one to another the Episcopal inspection not abrogating but strengthening the due right of presbyters and presbyters not