humility patience and the crown of Martyrdome it self Retâ—act in part ch 15. what they professed chap. 18. about the notes of the Church and so take Gods Name in vain making a formal confâ—ssion of his truth to no purpose This pretty Pageant fram'd in a schismatical Assembly was brought into the packt Parliament to be voted The true Representative of the doctrine of Christs Church which the Bishops suffered quietly to pass by without spoiling any of the pastboard or guilding because they durst not writes Knox say any thing to the contrary and very likely when they knew it would be to no purpose and were well assured they should pay their Ecclesiastical Benefices if not their lives for a syllable of any such contradiction the Bretheren having petitioned that they might be compelled to answer to former accusations and to other likewise they had yet to lay to their charge which were such no doubt as wanted no weight of further delinquence to press them down to the depth of any Parliamentary Vote This Confession of Faith very liberally suffrag'd was sent into France by the Lord St. Iohn to be ratified by their Majesties By which act of pretended submission to the supremacy of their Princes we may interpret the true meaning of all the rest and take a sure essay of the Presbyterian subjection whatsoever otherwhere they pretend which I desire the Reader diligently to observe and have in mind whensoever afterward shall occur their hypocrisie in dutifull expressions for saith no less author than Mr. Knox No ratification brought he the Lord St. Iohn unto us but that we little regarded or yet do regard for all that we did was rather to shew our dutiful obedience than to beg of them the King and Queen any strength to our religion which from God hath full power and needed not the suffrage of man wherefore then was it put to the Vote in Parliament but in so far as man had need to believe it if that ever he shall have participation of the life everlasting Such obedience as this shewed the Souldiers to our Saviour when they bowed the knee before him and mocked him saying Hail King of the Iews Buchanan acknowledgeth it was sent to the Queen without hope of grant onely to discover the nakedness of her thoughts as good an argument of the modesty as the other was of loyalty of the Brethren But this was not enough to make the Assembly magisterial who themselves must stoop as low as any lay-brother in doctrine and confession of faith It is the discipline that must hold up the rod at least if not the axe too bind their Kings in chains their Nobles in links of iron To the framing of which immediately after this Parliament dissolved commission was given to Mr. Iohn Winram Sub-prior of St. Andrews Mr. Iohn Row and Iohn Knox Mr. Iohn Spotswood Iohn Willock Mr. Iohn Dowglass Rector of St. Andrews all Iohns and beloved disciples that had laid their heads on Christs breast and knew his heart about the reglement of his Kingdome Yet their letters of credit were not so good as to obtain the reception of Ambassadors from heaven though they pretended their message was in every point consonant to the word The Lord Erskin as great a professor as he was and the major part of the Nobility refused this new model Knox imputes it to the care of his Kitchin and 't is not unlikely he and the rest thought their title as good to the Church lands that they might eat the fat and be cloathed with the wooll of the lambs which themselves as well the Clericall Iohns had taken the pains to worry and slay Or it may be they had a care of their eyes which already began to swell with fatness and if they yielded this they would go on with the Psalmist being holdâ—n with pride and overwhelmed with cruelty they would then do even what they lust Yet this curtesie they did the discipline to call it A Book of devout imaginations that is zealous whimzies which might run the round in the Name sakes noddles but if they once got abâ—oad with power to captivate the thoughts of other men which were to be kept in a more reasonable service and obedience of Christ they were to be cast down by the Apostles command like high things that exalt themselves against the knowledge if God yet Argile Glencarn and the whole private pack of conjur'd Rebels subscribe the Book and promise to set it forward at the uttermost of their power whose names were enough to write Nobility in the front and hold it out with the approbation of the Honourable to the people But to accomplish the work behold the hand of God appears through this cloud and scatters morning roses in the way of the Râ—formers Here saith Knox was joy to Scotland and matter of Thanksgiving for the wondrous work and inestimable benefit of the Lord And what is this but the death of an innocent young King Francis the second Husband to the Queen of Scots who because no friend to the Brethren and so a robber c. Knox cannot but brand his memory in the forehead with He was suddenly stricken with an Apostâ—me in the deaf ear that nevâ—r would hear the truth of God His glory perished and the pride of his stubborn heart vanished in smoak Upon notice hereof was a new Convention of the Nobility at Edenburgh wherein the Book of Discipline was again perused in favour of some that pretended ignorance who when they heard it were not so taken as to own it by subscription or adde to the authority of it by their vote yet to prepare the way for the people to be acquainted with it twelve things call'd Superintendents are â—ut out chipt and fashioned just after the pattern in the Book And because all must run in the name Iohn Spotswood is appointed for Lowthian and as the leading man is in the printed form and order of the election March 9 1560. In which form I shall onely intimate two or three things as I go First that the election of him not onely approbation is in shew devolv'd upon the people who promise obedience to him as their Pastor no longer than he remains faithfull in his office This election of the people is styl'd The Call of God in them who it should seem miraculously moves their hearts and directs them to the summoning of Iohn This Iohn must professe That the life of Angels relates to Christ as Head and Mediator of his Church that is if any thing Christ came to redeem as well Angells as men and either summon'd part of those lapsed spirits out of Hell or recovered others that never had been condemned so low This Iohn must further profess himself Subject to the wholesome discipline of the Church and to avoid ambiguity the discipline of the same Church by which he is now
principles in the service of Jesus and in the Ministeries of that Church Wherefore my Lord if any thing of that nature have pass'd my Pen in the vacancie of a Synod I submit to any Canon of retractation or penance shall be prescribed me by your Reverence together with that joint primitive Oracle and most worthy person whoâ— the Doctor took and I do by his wary precedent for the other Pillar of his Sanctuary the Lord Bishop of Sarum whose countenaâ—ce and favour I some years since was honoured with more I presume for the integrity of my principles than any meritorious pregnancie in my parts But my Lord if some timorous or superstitious Caâ—tâ—le in my Grave Censour would keep me so far from Rome as to thrust me into the precincts of Geneva I confesse to him and all the world that upon demonstrative reasons I am much more affraid in Christianities behalf of the Leman Lake than Tiber and look with more horrour on the rebellions sprung and reprobatory damnation denounc'd from thence than on any encroachment upon Kings or indulgencies unto the people so prodigally made by and defused from the Papal See In fine my Lord the glosses are not many I have upon points controverted between the Church of Rome and us if those few be so short as to render my sense suspected I will enlarge them when call'd upon to the full state I have made of them deliberately unto my self For the gall in my ink I shall say onely with your Lordships leave I know not where more commendably or excusably I may affect to give it a deeper black than in the relation of their proceedings whose souls were as red as scarlet and the issue of all their enterprises died in bloud I may be no lesse concerned to anticipate an after câ—nsure incident from persons of another rank I mean such of the Scotch Nobility or related to them whose faith and gallantry hath effaced such their ignoble progenitours impeachments in their coates and yet may conceive their Names and Families purposely tainted by my Pen where I make a blot in some branch of their pedigree or descent To whom I professe I searched not their Heraldry for a distinction but as I intended no man injury or disrepute so I preferred necessary truth to his or their vulgar honour in my design Which being in that respect a case of Conscience craves likewise your Lordships cognisance though as it regards the rule of prudence I must answer it at my hazard For the rest my Lord til it appear by more than an obscure single suffering that I have infringed the canon of Christian Charity or deviated from the doctrine and practice of the Ancient Church I humbly crave your Lordships favourable protection of this essay and of my name in that communion into the Ministery whereof your ordination introduced me which no new discoveries nor discourses in forreign parts have obliged my reason to desert nor doth any self-conviction discourage me in my subscription as that Churches and My Honoured Lord Caen Aug. 27. 1657. Your Lordships most humbly obedient Son and Servant Ri. Watson HISTORICALL Collections IF the sacred Oracles and Records which Christ with his Apostles Evangelists Disciples delivered unto the ears and deposited in the hands of the Primitive-Church had been at large in every particular preserved and by the same authority successively transmitted whereby that smaler volume of their writings hath been manifested to our knowledge and commended to our belief the errours and abuses in Christianity had been fewer or refomation whensoever necessary more regular such a standing rule giving sudden Evidence against the least obliquities which Schism and Heresie could transgresse in and being a Bar against the boldness of those spirits which when the letter of Scripture is not as it never but is in the sense clear and powerfull to confound them rather multiply than rectifie things amisse upon their pretended priviledge of prophesie or revelation The mystery of Gods providence in withholding this succour from his people is not so much to be repin'd at as his mercy to be magnified in administring the remainder of those helps which is compleat to the support and satisfaction of any moderate inquirer after the general of doctrine and particulars of discipline the explication of the former and enlargement of the latter being ever taken into the power of the Catholick-Church which in its orginal purity so studied a visible communion of Saints that either by expresse dispensation or indulgent connivance many national provincial yea inâ—eriour corporate or collegiate Congregations had that latitude of difference and singularity of profession or practiceâ— for which any proper 〈◊〉 pretence could be produced before a general Council or in lesse matters before their Patriarch and Bishops vested with authority to such purpose as wherein their content and complacency kept all devout well-meaning Christians from Schism and a scandalous separation Others whose pride ambition or covetousnesse carried them beyond the canon of moderation and peace were severely censur'd curs'd excommunicated cut off from Christs body which like rotten members they might otherwise have corrupted and gangrand having no re-admission or re-union to that holy sound continuity without serious and open repentance humble submission to the high authority of the Church which if they persisted obstinately to contemn or neglect the power of truth subdued their doctrines the storm of Gods wrath dispersed their conventicles the sword of his vengeance executed their persons in some exemplary temporal death if it pursued them not to eternal damnation How far the visible Church whether Romane or Greek made at any time a general defection from her self in a manifest detortion of or declention and deviation from her own canon is neither my design nor duty in reference to my present undertaking to search no more than to condemn or vindicate particular Churches in their separate condition The Sum of what I intend in this my Treatise is to shew how the Scotch-Presbyterian Kirk which when time was would have fain been accepted as the pattern of purity and clearest extraction of Christian Religion began Reformation upon no deep sense no deliberate Examen how corruption crept in nor proceeded according to any other rule than the Anomalie of a prejudicate fancy or premeditated malice which intended rather the destruction of persons than composition of minds â—o a due temper and sobriety in worship having no other commission but what was given out by the spirit of disobedience and errour nor the countenance of any precedent beside what might be cited from the unhappy successe in the attempts of Rebellion and Schism The first Sect of preparatory Reformers their History pretends to were the Lollards of Kyle who in the reign of King Iames the fourth about the year 1494. becoming numerous and troublesome both to Church and State were accused to the King not onely as Hereticks but Rebels The
simply make it a condition obliging any man that will enter in who upon conscience of his infirmity hath room enough to bestow himself otherwise in the world And those who since pleade for Sir Iohns are to frame some distinction between that general Canon of the Romane Church and those particular Statutes or laws in divers or all the Reformed which oblige beside individuals several Colledges and Corporations of people to an unmarried life who make a forfeiture of their preferments and profits whensoever they enter into that state Secondly Sir Iohn citing the doctrine of S. Paul was to take notice of his advice to all men to be as he was which argued a possibility they might be so much more that out of all men a selected number might be called to serve God at his Holy Altar with pure hands and hearts and after to make up the Lambs speciall train which St. Iohn tells him were virgins not defiled with women redeemed from among men being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb As to that Sr. Iohn pretended That S. Paul where he described the perfect image of a good Bishop did reckon and account marriage amongst the other good gifts which he required to be in them yea that he numbred Matrimony among the principal vertues pertaining unto a Bishop it is very ridiculous the most thereby imported being a toleration to such as cannot lye alone or will not trust a Steward with their accounts and unworthy a reply In his answer to the fourth Calling the Pope Antichrist among them which made him Pro-Christ by succession and Vicar general of the Church whatsoever in the eyes of some men it had of truth undeserving the imputation of Schism it had little of prudence nor could it produce lesse than a condemnation by those Judges whose Religion and interest was to keep up the Tradition of their Fathers In the fifth preferring his particular faith before that of the whole National Clergy yet rendring no account of it but in the destructive part of what he disliked nor declaring of what other communion he was primitive or modern but rather that he mean'd to be of none by his crying down material Temples and Chapels wherein the Papists puting an Image or Crucifix will not excuse him he savours of too much insolence and self-conceit sending every man to a separate subsistence by himself for which God in his holy Scripture gives no authority unto any beside that it dissenteth from the Article which the Apostles put in their Creed To the sixt Article about the Temporal Iurisdiction of the Clergy he might have so far condescended as to permit it where their spiritual function was not interrupted by it or if it were where the King supreme in spiritual and temporal dispenced with it their office being supplied by others as likewise where the cases of conscience were so involved with the points of propriety interest and profit that any difficulty arising required the resolution rather of a Priest than Lawyer such as which are to be found in Deut. 17. The places he cites against it implies onely a singular humility without ambition or vain-glory to be enjoyn'd them and may as well be used against the composing any differences the greatest act of Christian Charity as judging Controversies and Suits in law In the seventh about The Kings sequestring the revenues of the Church whatsoever may be the Royall power in reserved cases to assume or transfer the whole from one name to another as from Priests to Ministers if the name must be so reformed from Convents to Colledges yet to rend in pieces the wills and testaments of the dead and to take their Legacies from a lazy Clergy to throw them upon a luxurious Laity hath not hitherto been so approved by God in a blessing upon the persons or posterity of them that gaped for this holy morsel but that many instances have been made of prodigious ends taking away the possessors ruining their families with an insensible losse of such lands and inheritances as more justifiably descended on them What comparison Sr. Iohn makes between the Priests of Baal or Iezabel and those of Rome sparkles out from the fervency of his zeal which too much transports him when he pretends to the same commission with Daniel and Elias Upon the ninth about the power of the Church in making Canons he â—aies too much restraint or rather indeed nulls it in pretending it onely declarative of what was made by God for the Nation of the Iews or what was published by Christ to his Apostles sent among them and the Gentiles whereas the abolishing most part of the former left room for a new Law to be inserted in its place nor when Christianity had entred onely into private houses was it proper to have so many orders issued out as when it should after spread it self openly throughout the world The authentick limitation which he fancieth out of 23. Iohn may give a greater liberty than the Church of Room hath yet taken for granting him what he may expect but calls not for that the seventh verse bringeth all intended within the compass of the Morall Law yet that as to the practice both in the first and second Table brancheth it self into several parts of the positive as well sacred as judicial then proper for that Nation which since being abolished by Christ some Evangelical constitutions were to succeed whereof all the Texts in the Gospel against Traditions do not deprive the Church The conditions he annexeth to the Levites priviledge Malachy 2 reach not unto the Christian Priests unlesse he can demonstrate them as compleatly furnished out of the 4. Evangelists which rather represent and that but very briefly even when they are drawn into an harmony the state and discipline of the Church at that time than make provisional Cannons in all cases for all Christian Congregations in succeeding ages As to what power the Prophets had universally which he saith is so very lively dâ—scribed Ezek. 33. that they should hear the word out of Gods own mouth and declare it unto the people When he can prevail with God to speak viva voce as lively to Christian Priests or but whisper to them in dreams or shew them Hieroglyphicks of his pleasure in frequent visions it may be the Church of Rome will lay down her necessity of calling Councills and suspend the execution of her Cannons The summe of what passed between Christ and his Apostles as to matter of faith he might believe to be comprehended in the history of the New Testament whereupon no question the Apostles did more dilate in their dispertion than is preserved for our reading and the like was done by their successors in the institution of the Church But as to matters of practice considering how many years Christ conversed with them Sir Iohn could not but conceive many particulars unregister'd or fallen short of
to marry whom she pleased Queen Elizabeth not liking the Perth Parliaments answer nor the young Messenger that brought it they call'd another at Sterlin and from thence sent Pelkarn with a subtile enlargement about their declining the two former of her three Propositions but because they saw so long as the exil'd Queen had the countenance of Queen Elizabeth she had oppoâ—tunity to encourage and some means to assist their enemies which now began to be somewhat potent they take a sure way to set the two Queens at variance by severall suggestions wherein what was true had been done by Murray's advice if not fiâ—st procurement the private overture of a Marriage between the Queen of Scots and the Duke of Norfolk and what was false they were sure would incense Queen Elizabeth and prevent all possibility of farther mischief from the South Of this nature was That she had passed away to the D. of Andyn her right to the Crown of England That She and the Duke of Norfolke intended to cut off the present Royall possâ—ssours of both Kingdomes which plotâ— must be discoverd by providence just at Pelcarnes coming to the English Court whereupon the Queen and Duke were presently secured After this the Regent Murray goes on with less opposition and better success in Scotland yeâ— in the midst of his victories was rewarded for his murders rebellions and falsehood being shot at Lithgow in the belly upon a private revenge and so prevented of dispatching the young Prince which may be very fairly guessed by his proceedings to be intended his Mother boasting her self to have been the Wife not the Harlot of Iames the fifth and so this her son the lawfull inheritor of the Crown The holy Brethren would fain had Murray cannoniz'd for a Saint and Martyr in the cause and his bloud reveng'd they car'd not upon whom so any of the Queens dutifull Subjests might be cut off To bring such upon tryal as stood most in their way were many popular supplicates presented and what reason was rendred for deferring the enquiry at least till the Assizes if not rather till the next Assembly in May they either take for a close compliance of their Peers with the Queens or an impolitick yielding advantage to their enemies At length some of the wisest began to put in questions by what authority they could proceed to this or any other execution of Laws the Queen being deposed the King in his non-age and no legal establishment to be made of a successor to Murray in his Regency of the Kingdome Fain would they have made use of an old by grant extorted from the Queen but that they found null by the former election of Murray and if now taken up for authentick might be thought a recalling her Majesties authority from the dead This not holding good they leave all their sawcy French Proverbs behind them and come fawning upon Queen Elizabeth in English she denies them as well advice as assistance having before made plausible promises of both to the Queen of Scots though her prisoner The Rebeâ—lâ— were sensible what ground the Quâ—ens party daily got by their Anarchy though their necessities hastened them toward a conclusion of somewhat yet not knowing what they were to seek by what means and in what method to effect it Queen Elizabeth who seem'd not fullâ— satisfied with the thing must not be disgusted by the person The Earl of Lenox the young King's Grandfather is pitcht on for several reasons looking that way and first upon some Assembly revelation he was chosen an Interrex or Interloping King which soon after by some divine counter-light was discovered to be a monster in Government suspected for Saturnes unnatural stomack that might possibly devoure the young King and Iesus Christs Scepter to boot which the Presbytery had given him to play with in his hand To avoid this danger they divest him of his intercalary Kingship and having no law upon earth to impower them they furnish him with a Regency from heaven And now in his time no question all Parliamentary as well as Assembly authority may plead to be by divine right and their proceedings are justified by this extraordinary providence of God Upon this Patent the new Regent reforms what he could by the sword according to the true sense of the Discipline The poor captive Queen in compliance with the principles of nature and likewise in discharge of her civil duty who had the trust though not possession of a Kingdome by submisse yet enough Majestick requests in England by a mediation from France and Spain agitates what she can for her liberty and this for stopping farther effusion of Christian bloud in her Countrey and preventing the progresse of oppressive tyranny over her party Queen Elizabeth sensible of these unchristian proceedings by her arbitrary power sometimes orders a truce between the Scots gives fair answers as well to her prisoner as forein Ambasdours that interceded for her adviseth with her Council Wherein some were mis lead by too facile credulity of false informations from the North others not improbably corrupted all too much adâ—cted to their own interests and an overweening solicitude about the peace and security of England This begat an overture too high and imperious for a magnanimous free-born Princesse to yield to put new thoughts and designs into the Pope Spaniard and French enlarged the breach between her English Subjects for they had been divided and some unsatisfied in the proceedings relating to the Scotch Queen reviv'd and multiplied conspiracies at home Into all these did the northwind blow the sparkles of the Disciplinarian Rebellion which more or less encreased the flame where they lighted if upon matter ready to fire with a touch Queen Elizabeth finding her self environ'd with danger and apprehending no possible security but in a perfect composure of the Scotch differences in order to it calls upon the Presbyterian division for a new account about the deposition of their Queen They exhibit a large remonstrance upon it stuffed with so much pride and barbarous insolence as left no place for religion reason or law although they were great pretenders to the last pleading Ancient priviledge of the Scotch peoples superiority to their Prince This for which their Reformed Brethren may thank them they fortified with Calvins authority and in some cases enlarged it to imprisoning and deposing Kings what or wheresoever They not onely justified their censure but magnified their own lenity to their Queen as to the paâ—doning of her life to the succession of her son who being in their power and standing onely by their pleasure no marvail if in this years Assembly and Parliament all Acts and Statutes made before by him and his Predecessors annext the freedom and liberty of the true Kirk of God aâ—e ratified by his name whenas yet he could not superscribe them with his hand Queen