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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69753	The generall demands, of the reverend doctors of divinitie, and ministers of the Gospell in Aberdene, concerning the late covenant, in Scotland together, with the answeres, replyes, and duplyes that followed thereupon, in the year, 1638 : reprinted in one book, by order of Parliament.	Forbes, John, 1593-1648.; Henderson, Alexander, 1583?-1646.	1663 (1663)	Wing C4226; Wing C4225; ESTC R6298	125,063	170

Commandements of our Superiours 45. Again ye say that when scandall of weak brethren may be feared the precept of Obedience is not obligatory in respect the thing commanded by our Superiours although it be in it self lawfull yet it becometh unexpedient in respect of the Scandall which may follow upon it Now say ye the ordinances of our Superiours are not obligatory when the things commanded by them are unexpedient We on the contrary say that when our Superiours require of us obedience to their lawfull commandements the precept of eschewing scandall is not obligatory in respect we ought not for Scandall causelesly taken omit necessary dueties which GOD in His Law requireth of us In which number we most justly doe reckon The duety of Obedience which we owe to the lawfull Commandements of our Superiours 46. As for that which ye say that when Scandall may be taken at the doing of the thing commanded then the thing commanded becommeth inexpedient and so ought not to be obeyed that ye be not more deceived by this errour we pray you marke that a thing comcomanded by our Superiours in Church or Policy may be two wayes inexpedient to wit either in respect of some particular Persons who through weaknesse or malice doe stumble at it or else in respect of the body in generall because it is contrary to Order Decency and Edification If the thing commanded be inexpedient the first way only we may indeed in such a case for eschewing the scandall of the weak forbear the practise of the thing commanded hîc nunc in some particular places and times providing alwise we doe this Without offence of our Superiours and without the scandal of others who by our forbearance may be made to vilipend the Authority of Lawes But we can not in such a case totally and absolutely deny obedience to a Law as we have already proven Neither is your Argument brought to the contrary valide in respect we ought more to look to the utilitie and benefite which the body of the Church may receive by the thing commanded and by our obedience to our Superioures then to the harme which some particular Persons may receive thereby 47. If the thing commanded be in our private judgement inexpedient the second way we ought not for that to deny obedience to the Lawes of the Church for when the inexpediency of a thing is questionable and probable Arguments may be brought pro and contrae concerning the expediencie of it we have sufficient warrand to practise it if the Church by her publick decree hath declared that she thinketh it expedient Your errour who are of the contrary minde is very dangerous and may prove most pernicious to the Church for it maketh the Church obnoxious to perpetuall Schisme and disconformity in matters of externall Policy in respect men ordinarily are divyded in judgement concerning the expediencie of these things Suppon then that in a Synode consisting of an hundreth Pastors threescore of them think this or that particular Ceremony to be expedient for the good of the Church and in respect of the plurality of their voices make an Act to be concluded for the establishing of it shall the remnant four●y who are of the contrary judgement deny obedience to the Act of the Synode because they are perswaded that the thing concluded is inexpedient and shal they by doing so rent the body of the Church Truely if we were all of your minde we should never have Peace nor Unity in this Church Ye will say perhaps that this our Argument is Popish and leadeth men to acquiesce without tryall or examination in the decrees of the Church We answere that in matters of faith the trueth whereof may be in●allibly concluded out of GODS word we ought not without tryall to acquiesce into the decrees of the Church And in this respect we dissent from the Papists who ascrive too much to the Authority of counsells as if their decrees were infallible But in matters of Policy if we be certaine that in their own nature they are indifferent and if the expediencie of them only be called in question seeing no certaine conclusion concerning their expediency can be infallibly drawn out of GODS word which hath not determined whether this or that particular Rite be agreable to order decency and edification we ought to acquiesoe into the decree or constitution of the Church although it be not of infallible Authority and that partly because it is impossible that otherwise we can agree in one conclusion concerning matters of this nature and partly because if we deny obedience to the decrees of the Church in such matters our disobedience shall prove far more unexpedient and hurtfull to the Church then our obedience can be 48. Seeing then whatsoever ye have hitherto said concerning the question proponed by us may be easily answered with a retortion of the Argument upon your selves that we may eschew all such Logomachie we must take some other course and try which of these two precepts is in it self of greater moment and obligation for thence we may collect which of these two precepts doeth obliedge us in the case foresaid the other giving place to it and not obliedging us at all in that case If ye say that the precept which forbiddeth us to doe that whereby our weak Brother may be scandalized is in it selfe more obligatory or doeth more strictly ty us to the obedience of it as being of greater moment ye must bring a solide reason for you which we think ye will hardly find We know ye say that the precept concerning Scandall is more obligatory and of greater moment because it concerneth the losse of the soule of a Brother But this reason is not valide first in respect our Brother if he be scandalized by our obedience to our superioures sinneth not by our default who doe obey for our carriage in giving obedience is such as may rather edifie our Brother Secondly the precept which forbiddeth disobedience concerneth the losse both of our own soules and of the soules of others who may be entysed to that sin by our denying obedience to the lawfull commandements of our superioures Thirdly if that precept of eschewing scandall causelesly taken doe so strictly obliedge us when our superioures require obedience of us it may happen that a man shall be in an inextricable perplexity not knowing whether he shall obey or deny obedience to the cōmandements of his superioures in respect he may fear the scandall of the weak whether he obey or deny obedience For as we said before many are most ready to be scandalized by our denying obedience to our superioures in thinges lawfull and otherwise expedient and that because we by nature are most unwilling to be curbed and to have our liberty restrained by the lawes of our superioures For this cause as Calvin judiciously noteth Instit. Lib. 2. Cap. 8. § 35. GOD to allure us to the duety of obedience to our superioures called all

of thinges variable in particular Congregations We aske Into which of the Members of this distinction ye referre Episcopacie and the Articles of Pearth that is whether they most necessarilie be omitted in all Churches and at all times or not If ye say that they must be necessarilie omitted and that the Negative Confession confirmed with an Oath doth tye us to the omission of them then both ye would make us to sweare and subscrive against our Consciences for we are perswaded that these things are lawfull as also ye would make us to abjure Episcopacy and the Articles of Pearth in perpetuum which is ●latlie contrary to your Declaration in your Answeres 1. 5. c. If you say on the other part that we are not tyed by the negative Confession to the omission of these things then why have ye in all your wrytings against us exprobrate to us Perjurie in violating of the Oath con●ayned in the negative Confession 5. We would gladly have known your minde concerning the lawfulnesse of such Rites as are nor of divyne Institution expressed in GOD'S Word For we ingenuously professe that none of your Answeres which hitherto we have seen to the Instances or Examples brought by us in our sift Demand of Rites used by your selves in your Churches as lawfull without divyne Institution to which we could adde many moe doe give us any satisfaction nor yet as we thinke can give satisfaction to any indifferent man As for example is Blessing of Marriages a meere circumstance who can be so impudent as to say ●o or if it be a Ceremony what praecept or practise have ye of it in GOD'S whole word If it be alleadged that we have a warrand from that Blessing pronounced Gen. 1. 28. upon Man and Woman after their creation we aske by what consequence can that Solemnitie of blessing of Marriages used in our Churches with all the Ceremonies of it be drawn from that effectuall and operative Blessing of our first Parents or rather of whole Man-kynde Is there here an institution of a perper●uall observance or Rite to be used in the Church more then in the 22 verse of the same Chapter when GOD blessed the Fowles and Fishes and said Be fruitfull and multiplie and fill the waters in the Seas c. If againe it be answered that Pastorall Benediction is mentioned in Scripture first what is that to Blessing of Marriages And secondly why are not all other pactions as well as Marriages blessed in the Church chiefly seeing Matrimoniall Blessing hath been is abused in the Romane Church which holdeth that Marriage is a Sacrament and consequently Matrimoniall benediction ought as it would seeme to be secluded from the Church rather then other Blessings The Sixth Demand Whether or no it be fit to subscrive such an Interpretation as in matters of lawfullnesse and unlawfulnesse and consequently in matters of Faith contradicteth the Judgement of so many Divines most famous of the reformed Church both Ancient and Modern who did and doe holde that these Rites and Ordinances brought into this Church by the Assemblie of Pearth are in their own nature lawfull and such as ought not to make a stirre in the Church of GOD and also condemneth the venerable practise of the Ancient Church and the most eminent Lights of it even in those purest times unto which we apeale against the Papists in our Disputes ANSWERE We trust that no sound Divyne Ancient or Moderne would in this case denye the expediencie of the forbearance of the practise of Pearth Articles And further then this nothing at this tyme is required Replye Your silence in not answering that which we affirmed concerning the judgement of Divynes Ancient and Moderne of the reformed Church anent the lawfulnesse of the Rites and Ordinances which were received in our Church by the ordinance of the Assemblie of Pearth as also concerning the judgement and practise of the ancient Church doeth make us thinke that ye acknowledge the trueth of that which we affirmed there 2. We have already showne that the Oath which ye requyre of us importeth more then the forbearance of the practise of Pearth Articles for a tyme. 3. The forbearance of some of them seemeth to us to be meerly unlawfull and contrary to that Pastorall duetie we owe to our Flocke 4. The forbearance of any of them considered with a relation to the Authority enjoyning them in our judgement is plaine disobedience The seaventh Demand Whether it be agreable to Charitie or Pietie to requyre us to abjure these Rites as Popish which in the sinceritie of our hearts following the light of our Conscience whereof we take GOD to witnesse we have hitherto practised as lawfull and laudablie following the same light doe yet practise them but suppose this might be requyred of us by any Quaeritur Whether or no it becommeth them so peremptorilie and upon such a suddentie to urge us to this who these by-gone twenty yeares have desired earnestly to enjoy the freedome of their Consciences in their Ministerie even in denying obedience to these things and standing Lawes for them and when they were urged to obedience did so often protest and earnestly request that they might have a tyme to be well enformed and maturelie advysed of the matter which to the most part of them was most graciously granted Let them therefore looke to that naturall Maxime Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne feceris and to our Saviour's Precept of the same sense and almost of the same wordes Matth. 7. verse 12. ANSWERE We hope that such a Forbearance of the practise will prejudge the libertie of no mans Conscience Replye It would much prejudge our Consciences to sweare and subscrive the negative Confession taking it according to your conception and meaning who requyre our Oath 2. How can we sweare to labour by all means lawfull as ye require in your Covenant to expell those thinges whereof we holde some to be necessary and all the rest to be lawfull and laudable The Eight Demand Whether it be fitting to sweare to defend the Kings Person and Authority with this Limitation In the defence and preservation of the true Religion Lawes and Liberties of this Kingdome As if their Persons ought not to be defended against all Enemies although as yet they embraced not the Trueth or having before embraced it yet have fallen from it or as if their Royall Authority were not to be acknowledged although commanding thinges unlawfull and as if we were not subject thereto in yeelding to suffer under them when we give not active obedience to them ANSWERE 1. The Answere of the first Demand may give satisfaction here 2. The Specification of the defending the Kings Person and Authoritie in the defence of the true Religion Lawes and Liberties of the Kingdome is warranded by the Confession ratified in Parliament by other Acts of Parliament by the other Confession and by the generall Band joyned with it 3. No man will

with-holde his Subscription from the Covenant because it doth not as it intendeth not to expresse ever●● duetie we owe to the Kings Majestie as if the not naming were a denying of the duetie Reply What ye have replyed in your Answere to our first Demand we have examined in our Confutation of your Answere 2. If ye consider well all the Circumstances of the making of your Covenant ye will finde that it had not been amisse at this time to have expressed more fullie the Loyaltie of your Intentions to maintaine the KINGS Person and Honour Next it is necessarie to expresse it yet more fully for our cause whom ye require to sweare subscrive your Covenant lest we doe any thing in this matter with a doubting Conscience which is a grievous sinne that is Doubting whether or no we are tyed by our Oath to maintain the KINGS Authority onelie in so farre as it is imployed in the Defence of the foresaid true Religion or at lest as it is not imployed against it For it seemeth to us unlawfull to sweare the maintenance of the KINGS Authority with this limitation precisely And if ye be of a contrary mynde we are most willing to confere with you of this point The ninth Demand VVhethere or no we can sincerely sweare to maintaine the Authority truelie and properlie Monarchicall of the King and withall sweare also disobedience to these Articles which are authorized by his standing Lawes and to maintaine the meanest of his Subjectes against him in their disobedience of his Lawes as yet standing in vigour concerning these thinges ANSWERE 1. The Answere to the first Demand is usefull here also 2. Forbearance of Practise for a time in such a case is rather Obedience then Disobedience for example Kneelling was thought convenient because all memorie of Superstition was past should it not therefore be forborne because Superstition is now revived and flagrant They who practise keep the letter of the Law but they who forbeare keep the life and reason thereof Replye Your Covenant requireth more of us then the forbearance of the practise of Pearth Articles as we have often times declared 2. We have also showne that the forbearance of Obedience to standing Lawes without licience of Superiours and contrarie to their commandement especially if it be done by deliberation and if men tye themselves by an Oath to do so is manifest Disobedience 3. The Article of Pearth anent Kneeling was not grounded onelie nor yet principally upon that Narrative which ye mention but rather upon the conveniencie and decencie of the gesture of Kneeling in the receiving of the holie SACRAMENT which reason doeth yet continue as also the other reason which ye mention holdeth yet for the bodie of the People of this Church were never Papists and consequently have no memorie of Popish Superstition as those who lived in time of Reformation 4. We can not see nor conceive how a Vow and Band of maintaining the meanest Subject of this Kingdom against all persons whatsoever and consequently against the KING himself as we have showne in our second Replye in disobedience of his Lawes can consist with that love reverence and subjection which we owe to our KING Neither have ye brought any thing in your Answere to satisfie us in this point And because ye alleadge as we heare that ye are mistaken in this point and doe vindicate your selves by those words of the Covenant wherein ye promise to maintain the KINGS Authority we pray you to expresse your minde more fully concerning it and to showe us 1. What ye meane by mantaining the KINGS Authority in that part of your Covenant wherein ye expresse your loyall Intention To maintain the KINGS Person and Authority and in speciall Whether or no the maintaining of the KINGS Authoritie be taken by you as it excludeth all resisting of his Authority by force of Armes even although he should command thinges unlawfull and contrarie to the Trueth For so we thinke it should be taken and that it should be so taken we are ready to demonstrate Neither can we sweare it in anie other sense 2. Whether your promise of mutuall defence In the same cause of maintayning the true Religion and his Majesties Authority c. ought to be understood of the maintaining the Kings Authority absolu●elie that is Whether he maintaine the true Religion or no Or on the contrarie if it ought to be understood of the maintaining the Kings Authority conditionally in so farre as he maintaineth the true Religion and not any other wayes If you say that it is to be understoode the first way we assent to that part of your Covenant and have no more scruple anent it except that one which we mentioned in our Reply to your second Answere to wit that the words of your Protestation seeme to import more and that your Paction or Covenant is made without the Kings privitie and consent If ye say that it is to be understood the second way then we continue urging our foresaid Demand to wit how a man can maintaine the Kings Authority and withall maintaine the meanest of His Subjects in resisting His Authority And how we can be said to stand for the Kings Honour when we vowe and promise to doe that which hee himselfe professeth to be against his Honour and which in the common judgement of men is thought to be so The determination of this point is more then necessary at this tyme and therefore let us in sinceritie and Brotherly love conferre of it that the Consciences of others who doubt of this may receive satisfaction The Tenth Demand Whether or no we ought to sweare to such a Covenant which taketh away from us all hope of a free Assemblie or Parliament to judge of the matteres presently debated for how can these vote freely of any matter propounded to the decision and deliberation of the Church and Estate who have already sworne to adheere to one part of the Question and how can those who dissent from them submit themselves to their judgement chiefly seeing they are Possessoures and have Lawes Civill and Ecclesiastick standing as yet for them ANSWERE We perceive that this tenth Demand is made of the Articles of Pearth therefore we answere as before That we promise onely forbearance which can prejudge no mans liberty in a Generall Assembly Replye We have showne that your Covenant and Oath importeth a manifest Abjuration of the Articles of Pearth and therefore the swearing of it doeth manifestly prejudge the liberty of Voting in a Nationall Assembly For how can they freely either reason in an Assembly concerning Episcopacy and the Articles of Pearth or else give their judgement without prejudice concerning them who have already promised sworne and vowed first To adheere to the Discipline of the Kirke that is according to your Interpretation to the whole externall policie of the Church as it was 1581. 2. To labour by all meanes lawfull to remove and expell all those Rites and

in Fasting and Humiliation had been also Testimonies of your sincerity against Popery 2. The laudable means of Preaching Praying c. which we wish may be still in all faithfulnesse used by you may very well agree with the renewing of our Covenant with GOD and both being joined have in a short time past produced more powerfull effects to the comfort of many thousands then all our Prayers and Preaching hath done for a long time before which testifie That as it is warranded by the Word of GOD so the motion hath pr●ceeded from GOD. All the Arguments and Subtilties that can be devised will never make a People who at this time have found GOD dwelling and working in their hearts to thinke the contrary 3. The naturall inclination of people to Popery and the perswasion of others of their disposition may make the people to conceive other wayes of the Service Booke and Canons that ere it be long they may be brought in in a faire and legall way and therefore it is necessary for preventing of those and other Evills of that kinde that the Subjects joine in a Covenant both for themselves and their Posterity To the Twelfth FIrst we have ever preached according to our measure and have given example of reverence to Authority and the LORDS Service but we neither acknowledge the usurped Authority of prelates for lawfull Authority nor the Service Booke for the Lords Service And therefore it was so much the more intollerable for the Prelates without Authority from the Kirke or Parliament to bring in the Service Booke into GODS own house upon the LORDS own Day Which maketh it nothing strange that people zealous of the Trueth and of the Service of GOD were stirred up to oppose and we are very confident that these who have opposed doe beare as loyall respect to the KINGS Majesty and will be as loath to provoke him to just wrath as their opposites are In the meane time why doe ye not acknowledge that the children were higher provoked to wrath by the Prelates whom ye account reverend and holy Fathers 2. As the preservation of our own private Possession from Invasion of others belongeth to our selves under the KINGS Protection so the keeping of GODS House from Pollution and Superstition belongeth to Authority to the community of the Faithfull and to every one in his own place and order 3. We told you before that we did no more allow violences of that kinde nor we did allow the ●oule aspersions of Rebellion Heresie Schisme and Perjury put upon the Noblemen and remnant Covenanters And where ye aske of us Why these tumults are not publickly by us condemned and rebuked we aske againe of you why ye did not condemne and rebuke such dealing since that is no lesse transgression both against the sixt and nynth Command then the other is against the sixt And whereas ye are now so peremptorie in drawing a Declaration from us answearable to that which ye have given concerning the foresaid Aspersions and Calumnies we having no commission to declare the mindes of others in this point or to give Documents for our own private judgement doe heartily disallow every wrong of that kynde As for the Apologie of D. JOHN FORBES of Corse seeing the wrong hath been done not unto some few particular persons such as ye say have been wronged by some of the people but unto the body of the Kingdome consisting of Noble-men Barons c. who are highly offended thereby it were in us Presumption and without the bounds of our Calling to take upon us to receive any Declaration of that kinde especially wherein so many thinges are reprovable as first That his bitter speaches were occasioned by some printed Bookes affirming that Episcopacy and Pearth Articles were Antichristian and abominable Supposing it were true did he thinke the Noblemen and whole Covenanters to be the Authors of those Books And was this dealing agreable to that Christian meeknesse so much required of us before The Writers of those printed Books are not the first who have spoken so For Master KNOX spared not in a Letter of his to call this kneeling A Diabolicall Invention Secondly The swearing of Forbearance of the practise of Pearth Articles and the Confirmation of the said Doctrine which we neither deny nor affirme to be imported in the olde Covenant but only in the Interpretation thereof we declare That Promise is only made to forbeare for a time doth not deserve so bitter a Censure as this apologie beareth upon us 3. If the KINGS Majesty Counsell or the Subjects of Scotland had asked his opinion and advice he might have used the greater liberty 4. It is ill apologized to call it a holie indignation and worse defended since it is such a wrath as worketh not the righteousnesse of GOD. 5. Whereas he desireth to be accounted in the number of these qui proficiendo scribunt scribendo proficiunt we could wish that he had profited better by writing then he hath done by writing his Irenicum first and now this his Warning after his Irenicum for which if he make no better Apologie then confessing Asperity of words proceeding from an holy indignation it will come to passe of his Apology as it fared with his Irenicum unto which was applyed fitly what was spoken in the like case Aut fabrum forceps aut ars ignara fefellit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluit cudere cudit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. Whereas ye desire us to doe the like if ye meane of us personallie we have declared our judgement and shall be carefull to approve our selves to GOD and the consciences of all men in every such duety and if ye meane us and those that sent us we shall not faill to report unto them what ye desire although our Commission from you had been the more acceptable if ye had spoken more reverently of our Confession and Covenant then ye have been pleased to doe in the words of your desire and had put your hand unto the Covenant which would presently have joined us in a greater Affection and made way for union in judgement and perfect peace which is the desire of our Soules To the Thirteenth YEE pretended a threefolde Scandall which should follow upon your Subscription 1. The Scandall of Dissenting from other Reformed Kirks and famous Divynes 2. The Scandall of Dissenting from Authority 3. The Scandall of Perjury We answered That the contraverted words of the Covenant being rightly conceived and interpreted according to their true meaning and not after the glosse which ye have put upon them doe put you out of danger of all the three Scandalls which ye seem to acknowledge of the first two and may by the like reason acknowledge of the third of Perjury We dispute not of the lawfulnesse of the Oath given at your Admission by what Authority it was exacted with what conscience it was given nor how ye can answere for the Scandall risen thereupon but conceiving

it according to your own grounds none of you will say that ye have sworne the perpetuall approbation and practise of these things which ye esteeme to be indifferent whatsoever bad consequent of Popery and Idolatrie Superstition or Scandall should follow thereupon we speake here only of things indifferent in your own judgement for ye have declared before that ye thinke the Ministration of the Sacraments in private places no more indifferent therefore can not forbeare the practise of these although your Ordinary and other lawfull Superiours should will you to doe so wherein Pearth Assembly for which you stand is wronged by you two wayes 1. That ye differ in judgement from them about the indifferencie of the five Articles and next that at the will of your Ordinary and we know not what other lawfull Superiours ye are ready to forbeare the practise of these things which the Assembly hath appointed to be observed What Oaths ye have given at your admission we know not because there is no Ordinance made Civill or Ecclesiastick appointing any such Oath and because the Prelats who arrogated that power presented to the intrants diverse models of Articles to be subscrived dealing with some more hardlie and with others more favourably according to their own diverse motivs considerations For some immediatly after Pearth Assembly without any warrand from the Kirke or Parliament were made to sweare at their Admission that they should both in private and publick maintaine Episcopall Jurisdiction and in their private and publicke Prayers commend the Prelates to GODS mercifull Protection that they should subject themselves to the Orders that presently were in the Kirke or by the consent of the said Kirke should be lawfully established The word lawfully was not in the Principall first subscrived as we have learned and if it had been exprest it is all one for the Superiours were judges to this lawfulnesse and unlawfulnesse We will not labour to reconcile every Oath given by Ministers at their entry with the present Covenant but wish and exhort rather that they may be recalled and repented of as thinges for which they can not answere before a generall Assembly To the Fourteenth IF the words of the Covenant be plaine concerning the meere forbearance and speake nothing of the unlawfulnesse no mans thoughts can make a change 2. By this Reply ye wrong your selves in forging from the words of the Covenant impediments and drawing stumbling blockes in your own way to hinder your subscription ye wrong the subscryvers in changing the state of the question and in making a divorce betwixt Religion and the KINGS Authority which the Covenant joineth together hand in hand and most of all ye wrong the KINGS Majesty in bringing him upon the stage before his Subjects in whose mindes ye would beget and breed suspicions of opposing the trueth of making innovation of Religion and of dealing with his Subjects contrary to his Lawes and Proclamations and contrary to the Oath at his Coronation We are not here seeking inscitiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or starting hole of ignorance or of the smallest disloyalty of affection but would willingly decline that for the present which neither his Majesties wisdome nor the prudence of Statsmen nor the modesty of good subjects will allow you or us to dispute The Crowns and Scepters of Kings would be more tenderly touched then the ordinary subjects of Schoole disputes The naked naming and bare proposall of certaine suppositions such as some are made by you can not but reflex upon Authority and sound harsh in the eares of all his Majesties good subjects who wish that he may long and prosperously reigne over us 3. His Majesties most honourable privy Counsell hath proven more favourable to this cause of maintaining the reformed Religion then many Pastors whom by reason of their place and Calling it beseemed to goe before others and although according to their wonted custome they gave warrand to make his Majesties Proclamation yet on good groundes remonstrated unto them by the Supplicants they willingly refused their approbation thereof hoping that his Majesty should be moved to give greater satisfaction thereafter and this is not our saying but a publicke doing before many honorable witnesses of which number some were directed unto you whose report ye have no reason to call in question 4. It becometh us to judge charitably of the intentions of our Superiours and most of all of the intentions of our dread Soveraigne Yet if that hold good which the supplicants have offred to prove that the Service Booke and Canons containe a reall innovation of Religion we must judge otherwise de conditione operis of the matters contained in the Booke then de intentione operantis of his Majesties intention although the intention of the Prelates their Associates the Authors contrivers of the Bookes be most justly suspected by us 5. It is no delight to us and can be but small comfort to you to mention the wrongs which by you are done to us all who have joined in this Covenant and doe adhere to the Religion as it was reformed in this land in your estimation writings we are Rebellious perjured hereticks schismaticks blind guydes seducers miserable interpreters ignorants shal such men as these be your reverēd Brethren Is this your meeknesse and charity Is this the duety ye expect from us But setting these aside ye have wronged us in with-holding your hand and help from so good a Cause of purging Religion and reforming the Kirke from so many grosse abuses and opposing all those who have modestly laboured for Reformation Your speaches in private in your chambers beds of sicknesse and in your missives and in publicke at tables and in Synods which are come to our knowledge we wish rather should be remembred and repented of by your selves then be recited by us who desire not to worke you any trouble 6. Although there be a perpetuall harmony betwixt the Word and Works of GOD far contrary to that which we finde to be amongst the Children of men yet often it commeth to passe that the Word and Warnings of GOD which we heare with our ears are not believed till we behold with our eyes the plaine Cōmentaries thereof in His Works Many Proofs and notable Documents have been observed of the Finger of GOD in the Worke in hand the Characters of the great Works of GODS more then ordinary Providence since the beginning are legible here Then did the LORD begin this work when the Adversary was raised to a great hight and become intollerably insolent The beginnings were small and in the eyes of the World contemptible such as use to be the beginnings not of the works of men but of the Magnificke works of GOD the power of GOD sensible in the hearts of many and manifested by the joy the tears and cries of many thousands at the solemne renewing of this Covenant hath been a matter of admiration and amazement never to be

ye throw against us with plain profession to work us discontentment thereby we shal here make an answere to them in meekness and evident demonstration of our peaceable disposition Questions Answered 7. YOur first Question concerning the Service-Book and book of Canons is nowise pertinently proponed to us If we did urge upon you the said books of Service and Canons as ye doe now the Covenant upon us we should particularly and punctualy declare our mind concerning them 8. To your second Question we answere that it is our duety to enquire carefully what is incumbent upon us by the Law of GOD and man towards our Prince We doe not move questions of state but doe answere to your propositions resulting upon matters of state and we doe labour as it well becommeth all good Subjects to be well informed before we put our hand to any thing which concerneth our due obedience to our Prince As for that which here again ye alleadge of his Majesties Commissioner and wise States-men as having received satisfaction from you we referre you as before to our Answere made thereto in our first Duply 9. To your third Question we answer our assertion concerning the unlawfulnesse of Subjects their resisting the Authority of free Monarchs by force of Arms even although they were enemies to the Trueth and persecuters of the professors thereof can not in the judgement of any reasonable man import that we have the least suspition of our KING that either he shall change his Religion or shall fall upon his religious and loyall Subjects with force of Armes We have often declared in these our Disputs that we are fully perswaded of our KINGS Majesties constancy in profession of the true Religion and equitable disposition in ministration of Justice And in testification hereof we rest satisfied with his Majesties Proclamation against which ye have protested 10. To your fourth Question we answere because that we doe esteem subscription to your Covenant neither to be warrantable by GODS word nor to be a convenient mean for pacification we hold it our duety both to with-hold our hands from it and to dehort our people from it 11. To your fift Question we answere 1. We hold it a wrong ●upposition which ye make that the Prelates and their followers are labouring to introduce Popery and to make a faction 2. We know our gracious KING to be so just and so wise and so ripe in yeares and experience that he will no● suffer any of his Subjects to abuse his Majesties name in the execution of any injustice 3. To make resistance by force of Arms against the KINGS publick standing Lawes and against his Majesties publick Proclamations is not in our judgement a convenient or lawfull way for defending of the Religion of the Liberties and Lawes of the Kingdom and of the KINGS Authority but on the contrary it bringeth scandall upon our profession See our Reasons in our second Duply 12. To your sixt Question we answer that in all free Monarchies there is nothing left to subjects in the case of persecution by their own Soveraigne Princes but patient suffering with Prayers and Tears to GOD or fleeing from their wrath as we have at length proved in our second Duply This doctrine did the people of Alexandria learne of their holy Bishop Athanasius as is evident by their own words in their Protestation subjoined to the Epistle of Athanasius ad vitam solitariam agentes If say they it be the commandement of the Emperour that we be persecuted we are all ready to suffer Martyrdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tom. 1. Oper. Athanas. Pag. 868. Edit Paris 1627. As for the nature of the Government of this Kingdom of Scotland read the Book of King JAMES the sixt of blessed memory entituled The true Law of free Monarchies and the Preface of the first Book of Regiam Majestatem where it is expresly said of the KING of Scotland that He hath no Superiour but the Creator of Heaven and Earth Ruler of all things This our Answere neither proceedeth from flattery neither from any intention to stirre up Princes against their loyall Subjects nor from any aime at other worldly ends as ye doe uncharitably judge but from our due fidelity to our KING from our true love to our Countrey and from our upright desire to the Glory of GOD and the comfort of our own Souls in the Day of our Accounts The X. DUPLY. ALthough we take you to be of the number of those who penned the late Covenant yet pardon us to call your Glosses of it in question so long as ye doe not satisfie our Arguments which prove them to be contrary to the very words of your Covenant We have shown in our Replyes and now again in our fourth Duply that the words of the Covenant import a perpetual adherance to the who●e externall Policy of the Church as it was Anno 1581 and the removing of Pearth Articles and Episcopacy as of things contrary to the Liberty and Purity of the Gospell Whence we still inferre that these who have sworn the Covenant are tyed by their Oath to vote against Pearth Articles and Episcopacy and consequently can not without prejudice either dispute or give out a decisive sentence concerning them in the intended Assembly 2. Ye say ye will not judge so uncharitable of us as to think us so corrupt that in our opinion since the time designed by us nothing hath entered into the Church beside Episcopacy and the Articles of Pearth which can be prejudiciall to the liberty and purity of the Gospell We are glad that although ye judge uncharitably of us yet ye judge not so uncharitably and although ye think us corrupt yet ye think us not so corrupt as not to be sensible of these things We told you our minde before in our fourth Duply concerning these abuses which ye think to have been occasioned by Pearth Articles and now we tell you that if Pearth Articles and Episcopacy for these their alleadged consequents be altogether removed the benefite which ye think our Church may receive by removing of them shall not in any measure equall her great losses The XI DUPLY. VVEe complained in our Demand of the uncharitablenesse of your Followers who calumniate us as if we were favourers of Popery And to show how unjust this calumnie is we declared that we are ready to swear and subscrive our nationall Confession of Faith ratified and registrated in Parliament to which Declaration we have now added our Oath which we did swear when we received the degree of Doctorate in Theologie and have solemnly again renewed it Pag. 81. 82. In your Answer to that Demand ye slighted our complaint and did not so much as once mention it which made us in our Reply to complain also of you who have shown your selves so unwilling to give us that testimony of our sincerity in professing the Trueth which all who know us think to be due to us We expected that in