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t)OUQlAS LifeRAKy

AT kiNQSTZON

kiNQSTON ONTARIO CANADA

WARNING

F O R T H E

CHURCH

O F

ENGLAND

He that heing often reproved^ hardeneth his Neck^ JhaJl Juddenly he defiroyedj and that without remedy^ Prov. 29.1.

LONDON

Printed,andSold by the Bookfellers of London and fVeJtminJicr,

/7o^ . 6 IK.

THE

PREFACE.

THE Church of England has received fujjicient Security from both the Queen and the Parlia- ment, that jhe is in no Danger from Theiii. Winch we reafonahly Genflire to he not only^ That Jhe is to Fear no evil Defigns againfl her either by Her Majefty or the Parliament ^ But that- they xvUl Protect and Defend her^ as far as in their Power, from all Attempts agamfi her by any of her Enemies whatfoever.

This was extreamly Neceflary , and very Comfortable to her, at a Time when pe was Perfecuted with the utmofi Strife of the Tongue, by Tongues fet on Fire of Hell j who threw out their Venom agairifi her, in an Army, daily Recruited^ ofthemofi Virulent Papers and Pamphlets that any Age ever faw, to render her the Contempt and the Averfion of the whole Nation ! A^id which threatened her Total and Sud- den Dcftrudion ! yir. Example that has not a Precedent in any Age or Nation in the World, where a Church, while fie was EUabliflied by the Laws of the Laud, was fo Openly and Furioufly Attacked ! Which cou'd net but raife very Melancholy and Defponding Thoughts in her. Therefore the Guarantee of the Government came in here very Seafbn- ably 19 her Relief.

But f nee all Human Ajfu.rs ^ even the Left fettUdQO'-^ vernments, are liable to Changes and Revolutions, and the Qiieen's Breath is in her Noftrils, at the Soveraign Dif-

" A 2 pofal

The PREFACE.

pofal of Providence-, jfnd that the Church mufi one Day or other Lofe this her Cmciom Protector, who k Ty'd to her^ a,^ to her Mopherj at whofe Br.eafts pe ht^i^^lpcen Nourifhed, ^y ^//T^e Ties 0/ Affedion and Duty, as well ^ Intereft :. It is hut Reafonable, and even NccelTary, that the Church j?jo?^y /tfoi^ Forward, and fee to her own Prefervation, when that Sad Day Jimll come^ when the Qpeeil, her Greatejl Support, next tender Cd^^ jhall he taken from her.

While the Church enji^ys the- Protedioii of Her Majefty ^7id the ??-e/(?«/- Parliament, who have Both ?romWd it, fhe pia-jl-tke^more fecurely Dci^^iCQ the BffbrtS of her 'Entmies- Tet tiis.'^ are not altogether to be Kegleded. It will be no Imall Pxe]uaic^«'f /^^.j to have the Hearts of the Commoa People' ftoln from hcr^ and fije made the Jeft and Proverb of the Kation, in Weekly Libels, which are Dif^erid as ^ahWcklf aJ'- the Kews-Papers. -/ind continue their Rage A?idS]f\iQ agaifjfi her, as much Now, as Ever. And if vce may Believe what thefe Incendiaries Boafl- of Themfelves, that their Papers are well Received by Men of the Greatefi' Intereft^^'^'Senfe in fA?^ Nation, ffcif« the '? oi^oxi h m ff read further. And by the Multitude of thefe Papers that g9 off^ it is evident they have Encouragement 5(7we'irl3ere. And it is eafie to Imagine , what Effects a Continual Battery of Scandal may have. Where Jo much Dirt is Thrown^ foms

mujf Stick. ' ^ '.''.-^ ' ■

But the Danger from thefe Enemies among otir felves^ looks much more Terribly, when we Confder^ That, they Aft in Concert W'ith\ and htirely firve the Purpofes of our Profefs'd Enemies Abroad. / mean the Presbyterian Kirk tn Scotland. Which is the fame Corner, whence that Hand- breadtb of a Cloud once before Carne^ which foon Darken'd the whole Heavens of thefe Three Kingdoms, and EilPd them mith Blood and Defolation !

Of this there was a Warning then given (which is here Trefented to you) by the Learned and Judicious Bijhop Bramball. But this took no EffeU. For the Judgment tpos Determin'd. He was thought a Hot Man, who Fore-faw Danger, where there wa^ None. Andfo /^e)? Slept (??? Securely, till it overtook them like a Whirl-wind.

Now

The PREFACE.

Noro let us Confider the Difference of the Circumftances' betwixt that Time and This. And fee what Grounds of Security we ha've KoW , more than the Ch-iirch had 'Ws^^^ They were Then indeed u^on the Level with Vs^ as to m^_ Particular, t/7<^f «", they had A Prince vpn /^^€ Throne, 'whK was Educated in the Church, a Learned Defender, ana Re^-^ folute Protector of it. And they Trufled too much to this^ For what was the IlTae ? By letting things go too Far^ and Defpifing the Malice of their Enemies, they found Thern-, felves in a Moment Undone, a?jd the liearts ofthe^ Peoplej floln from ihem^ by the Seditious Sermons and Pamphlets which were then fpread abroad. And had the Lamentable Comfort to fee their King Die a Martyr for that Church, when^ (by hts Conceffions to his Enemies, as he thought^ to Gain themj^he bad put it out of his Power any longer to PrOr. tecl them.'^ _ " ^

Let Vs now I'o'oli^a little into the Fr e fen t Foi^ai'C <?/ Affairs in Scotland. Their Kirk is there Eftablifhed by Law. And Epifcopacy AboUped as an Un-fupportable Grievance ! 7l:e)' Per fe cute the Church there with a Fury, that Aims at no left than ^^rX^/-fer Excifion. They lutve Renew' d their Covenant f» ^n)(? Alibciations of both their Provincial Sy- nods (which we have here' in Print) wherein they Vov/ their Lives and Eftates, as well as their Souls, for the Extirpa- tion of Prelacy. And this^ as the Covenant at firjf^ was only Voluntary, and People Invited to Come into it. But as That Proceeded.^ fo This. It is now made Compulfory , and all their FvQachQYS are Oblig'd to Subfcribe it ^ and Swear to ?>, and (which is more) give Bonds-, under Pain of Deprivation. And they have Made it a Term of Com- munion withthem^ to take and fubfcribe the faid Oaths and Bonds. And all this^ without any Authority of Queen or Parliament. All which is Evident from their Proceedings with Mr. Orrok and others of their own Preachers who Pre t'efled againfi their Impofing thefe Oaths and Bonds, as Un- Chriftian, in Alaking them Terms of Communion ; and Contrary to the Laws of the Land (feveral Acts oj Parlia- ment ro that Purpofc being there Qiioted) to enter tnto AH'o- ciations, /n?we 7/eip Covenants ^W Leagues, and Jmpoje Oaths vpon the Subjeds , without the Authority of Qiicen

The P R E F A C E:

<iW Parliament. Thefe Proceedings were Z^/ April, 1705.' ^/;^ Printed in Scotland, of which I have a Co^j given me by a Friend. And their Rigour in taking thefe Extra' ordinary Methods more Now (^after all the Gracious Aflii- rances given them by her Majefly) than in the Ufi Reign, is particularly Infjhd upon by thefe Proteftors, as an High In- dignity to her Majefty, and a A^anifefi Sufpicion of the In- tegrity of her Intentions.

J3ut this is not all. They look upon England as obliged to come under their Covenant again. As having be?n once a Covenanted Nation. They Pray publickly in their Pulpits for the Convcrfion of England from its Superftition and Idolatry, meani?7g oz^r^Epifcopacy, our Liturgy, Rites and Ceremonies.

Nor is this all. Some of the mojl Zealous of them^ who wou^d Charge without^ Orders, began the On-fet too foon^ and met to the Number of about 700 in Arms \ And fx'd up Declarations at Noon-Bay^ on the Market-Crofs in Royal-Boroughs, difowning Princcfs ANN, from being their Queen, becaufe fie had Promised to Support Epifcopacy in England, beifjg a Covenanted Kingdom. And did this in the Name of all the true Presbyterians in Scotland. That Declaration which was thus fet up at Sanquhar^JVIay 21, 1703. We have here z« Print. This was counted R.afh. But however^ no Inquifition was made concerning it^ nor any Notice taken of it^ either by the Kirk or the Civil Govern- ment there^ that ever we heard of.

There was no fuch Threatning Afpect in Scotland whm Bifliop Bramhall^^z'e his Warning.

No^ nor in any Proportion^ in England. The Fadion was then no ways fo Rampant. They were then Under- mining the Church, with Specious and Fair Pretences. But now they raife their Batteries above Ground, and hang out the Flag of Defiance. They Vilifie and Afperfe the Church and Clergy, without a-ny Ceremony. They have their Private {now Publick) Academies all over the King- dom, to furnijb Frefj Recruits. They are InduftriouS and Aftive, and Ath in Concert, with the utmofv Zeal againfi the Church. Of which rve have now a very Awakening Specimen, Printed within thefe few Days^ JntituPd^ Re- marks

The P R E F A C E.

marks on a Letter from fome DISSENTING-M!Kr- STERS AfTemblcd at COLNBROOK, to their Brethren in LONDON. Written for the Advancement of the KON-CONFORMIKG Intereft throughout the Nation. London^ Printed /<?r J. Nutt, -fjcar Stationers-Hall, i-]c6. And as that 'Letter of the fe DilTenting Minifters, fays p. 5. Their Cafe is not Confin'd to that Small Part, to which they are fpecially Related as Pallors. But by their Uni- ted Councils and Endeavours to the whole Flock, as far as within their Reach. And therefore they fet up a General Correfpondence.

JVow we kjtow well f/;^f Scotland is not without their Reach, nor without their Correfpondence. And they have Emiffa- ries here who make it their Bufinefs to Blind our fiyes, as much as they can^ to Mollifie and Excufe the Accounts that come from Scotland ^ And they wou^d make us believe there is no Perfecution in Scotland ; And that the Epifcopal Clergy there enjoy a full Comprehenfion, tho' they are dcny'^d a bare Toleration ! which the CommifTion of the General AfTem- bly caWd Eftablifhing Iniquity by a Law. And Threat- tied their Curfes againfi the Parliament, and their Pofterity, if they offer d t» Attempt any fuch thing. Which we have likewife here in. Print. And alfo- feveral Inftances even in /^/{, Reign, as at Glafgow, &c. where the Epifcopal Clergy (^and their Meetings) have been Rabbl'd, tho' they had taken the Oaths to the Government, and fully Qualify'd them- felves as to that Voint. This is fully Prov'd, md Un-deniable even by our Adverfaries. Tet they Cry^ there is no Perfecu- Uon there^ unlefs upon the Account of the Civil Government. Tho'' at the fame time^ feveral of the Presbyterian Preachers there^ now in Place, Refufe to take the Oaths to Oveen ANN^ and are Un-difturb'd. Which is ConfeJ^d by one of their own Advocates, in what bears the Title of An Account of the Proceedings of the Parliament of Scotland^ which Met at Edinborougij^ May 6, 1703. And an Excufe made for them^ Pref p. 2. That tt was on Account of their Tender Confciences. And why might not they /?<l^'e Scruples about taking an Oath, as well as the Quakers r' And why jhot^d it tiot be Allow' d them ? Thus he Pleads for them. But he owns the Fadt, whff-'h was Objected to him.^ in the Book he pretends

to

The PREFACE.

to AnfNVer. / have told before why fame of them Refiife to Ackz^owledge ANNE Pnwe/} 0/ Denmark /or f/?e?r Queen. And why thcnjlwu^d they Swear to her f And why Jhou'd not the others have Regard to the Tender- Confciences of their Brethren ! Why flwv^d they not Enjoy the f(?.me Privi- ledge as the Quakers /

But there ts more than alljhis fiUl. The Presbyterians in Scotland in the Tear l-jo^^ Entered into a clofe Combi- nation, and Drew up an Inflrument, which they CaWd Overtures, to be Differs* d Privately among their own Party only^ for Raifmg o/Funds, to Buy Arms, andF.reB: a Stand- ing Force, with jDirecf ions for Naming their O^cerSy and Affointing Places of Randezvouz, ^d to Dif-Arm and Seize on Ml that were not Well- Affected, when they faw Troper time. ACo^y of thefe Q-^tXtuxt^ was Procurd and fent from Scotland, and Printed here that fame Tear^ 1704. And have not f nee been Contradj^ed.by any. of that Niitiatl, for they Know tt to be True. r/^f. . ,: ; '.'.)'" =

Such Doings K?erff ;?ot Known, before the Breaking out of ?^e Rebellion agarnfi K. Charles 1. And I will Add^ That the Heads and Chiefs of the Fadion in Both Kingdoms had not then fuch frequent Opportunities 0/ Gonverfing and .QoiiQQXtm^ together^ as they have had f nee. ^w

, IJfon the whohythere were not. near fo m^any ConciirtingOiv^ •cumllances to give Caufe for the Wavnm^j' 'which Biflwp Bramhall Afforded Seafonably to the Church of England, to take heed of the Scotijfh Presbyterian Difcrplin, as there is Now. And we may obferve^ That the Presbyterians are pot AltQv''d from , what they were^ Except ^ta the Wors, and te, be more jfe)ld,<««(5/ Expedite in their Work, being Ini- prov'd by Pradice md Succefs.

And hecaufe all Modern Advices are Sufpe6ted, and Branded with the Name of Parties among Vs^ this of Bijhop Bramhall's ?> Re-Printed, which is free from all thefe Ob- jections, and Proceeds. punly upon the 'M.tnis ^/f foe Caufe.

j'Qtii VulfcDecipi, Decipiatur.

CHAP.

( 1 )

CHAP. I

The OccApon und Subje^i of this Treatife,

F the Difciplinarians in ScotUnd could reft cion- tented to dote upon their own Inventions, and magnify at Home that DUna which them- felves have CanonizM , I (hould leave them to bell: School-Miftrefs, that is, Experience, to feel where their Shoe wrings them, and to purchafe Repen- tance. What have i to do with the Regulation of Fo- reign Churclies, to burn mine own Fingers with fnuf-* fing other Men's Candles? Let them lland or i^ll to their own Mafter : It is Charity to judge well of ottiers, and Piety to look well to our felves.

But to fee thofe very Men, who plead fo vehemently againft all kinds of Tyranny, attempt to obtrude their own Dreams not only upon their Mlow-Subjeds, but upon their Sovereign himfelf, contrary to the Didates of his own Confcience, contrary to all Lav;s of God and Man ; yea, to compel Foreign Churches to Dance after their Pipe, to Worfbip that counterfeit Image, which they feign to have faiitndown from "Jupiter, and by force of Arms to turn their Neighbours out of a Pof. feffion of above 1400 Years, to make room for their Trojan Horfe of Ecclefiaflical Difcipline; ^a Practice ne- ver jullify'd in the World, but either by the Turk^ or by the Pof€) This put us upon the defenfive Part. They mull: not think, that other Men arefoco^v'd, or grown fo tame, as to Hand Hill blowing of their I'v^ofes, whi!:l they bridle them, and ride them at their Fleafure. It is time to let the World fee, that this Difcipline, whidi

B they

( o

they (o mtich adore, is the very Quinteflence of Refn'd Popery^ or a greater Tyranny than ever Rome brought forth, inconfiftenc with all Forms of Civil Govern- ment, deflru^live to all forts cf Policy, a Rack to the Confcience, the heavicft PrelTure that can fall upon a People, and fo much more dangerous, becaufeby the fpecious Pretence of Divine Inftitution, it takes away the Sight, but not the Burthen of Slavery. Have Pati- , ,1 encb Reader, and I fliall difcover unto thee more Pride iand Arrogancy through the Holes of a thread-bare Coat, than was ever found under a Cardinal's Cap, or a triple Crown. All this I bndertake to demonftrate, not by fome extraordinary Pra6lices juftify'd only by the Pre- tence of invincible! NecefTity, (a weak Patrociny for ge- neral DoQ:rin,) nor by the fingle Opinions of fome Ca- pricious Fellows, but by their Books of Difciplitie, by the A61s of their general and provincial Aflemblies, by the concurrent Votes and Writings of their Cortimifli- oners.

I forefee that they will fuggeft, that through their Sides I leek to wound Foreign Churches. No, there is nothing which I fhall con v id them of here, but I hope will be difavow'd, though not by all Proteftant Audors, yet by all the Proteftant Churches in the World. But I muft take leave to demand of our Difciplinarians, who it is they brand with the odious Name of Erafiians in XiT^^Sfj.tr.^^^ Ads of their Parliaments and Affemblies, and in the i'dr/.i648,&c! Writings of their CommiflTioners, and reckon them with Papifts, Aoabaptifts, and Independaots ; Is it thofe Churches who difarm their Presbyteries of the Sword of Excommunication which they are not able to weild ? So did Erafius ; or is it thofe who attribute a much grea- ter Power to the Chriftian Magiftrate in the Managery of Ecclefiaftical Affairs than themfelves? So did Eraftus^ and fo do all Proteftant Churches. The Difciplinarians will fooner endure aBifhop or a Superintendent to govern

them^

(3)

them, than the Civil Magiftrate. And when the Ma- giftrate (hall be rightly; iriform'd what a dangerous Edg'd-Tool their Difciplineis, he will ten times Tooner admit of a moderate Epifcopacy, than fall into the Hands of fuch Huckfters.

If it were not for this Difciplinarian Humour, which will admit no Latitude in Religion, but makes each Ni- cety a Fundamental, and every private Opinion an Ar- ticle of Faith, which prefers particular Errors before general Truths ; I doubt not but all Reformed Churches might eafily be rcconcil'd. Before thefe unhappy Trou- bles in EngUnd, all Froteftants, both Luther a/!s and O/- *viniftsy did give unto the Engli^ Church the right hand ofFellowfhip; the D//^/^//>?4r/4A?j themfelves, though they preferr'd their own Chuch as more pure, (elfe they were hard-hearted'^ yet they did not, they durfl; not con- demn the Church oi England, cither as defeQive in any necefTary point of Chriitian Piety, or redundant in any thing that might virtually or by Confequence overthrow the Foundation.

Witncfs that Letter which their General AfTembly o^jjfmh Gey^^ SuferifttendentSy Paftors and Elders {qt\X. by Mr. J^/;« Anna 1556. Kjtox to the ZngU[h Bifhops, wherein they ftyle them Reverend Pajlors, Fellorv-PreacherSy and joynt Oppofers of the Roman Antichrift. They themfelves were then far from a Party, or from making the calling of Bifhops to be Antichriftian.

But to leave thefe Velitations and come home to the Point. I will fhew firft how this Difci^ltne entrencheth moft extreamly upon the right of the Civil Magiftrate ; fecondly that it is as grievous and intoUerable to the Subje^,

B 2 CHAP.

I

C H A P.; If

Tli-tt this mn> Difciplme doth utterly overt nrom the Rights oj Magijirates, to convocate Sjno^s^ to confirm their jiBs^ to order Ecclefiaflicd Jffairs, snd reform the Church with" in their Dominjotis,.

AL L Princes and States invefted with Sovereignty of Power^ do juftly challenge to themfclves the Right of Convocating AW/f?;;;:/ Spods of their own Subr je£ls, and ratifying their Conftitution.

And although pious Princes may tolerate or privilege the Church to convene within their Territories annually or triennially, for the Exercife of Difcipline, and Excr eution of Conilitutions already confirmM, (nevcrthelefs ^\'e fee how wary the Sjndd of Dort was in this particu.- c^. $o. lar,) yet he is a Magiftrate of Straw, that will permit tlie Church to convene within his Territories, whenfo' ever, wherefoever they hft, to Convocate before them whomfoever they pleafe,. all the Nobles, all the Subjeds of the Kingdom, to change the whole Ecclefiaftical.Po- licy of a Common- wealth, to alter the r)o£lrin and Re- ligion eflablifh'd, to take away the legal Rights and Pri- vileges of the Subjects, to ereft new Tribunals and Courts of Juftice, to which Sovereigns tjiemfelves muft fubmit, and all this of their own Heads, by Virtue of a pretended Power given them from Heaven, contrary to known Laws and lawful Curtoms, the Supreme Magi- TSiuh and. s. ^.''^te diffenting and difclaiming. , Sjnods oughi to be call*cl 'juin.ex. dicre- hj the Sufreme Magi flr ate j if hrj^e d Chrifi ian y^c. And tDfii The E- either by himfelf^ or b^ fuch as he jha/l p/cafe to choofe for j^'^^ag.i6i. that pur pofe^ he ought to pre fide over them. This Power the Emperors of old did challenge over General Coun- cils, Chriftian Monarchs in the jjlindnefs of Popery over National Synods, the Kings of England ov^v their ^rf4/

Councils

.( 5 )

Councils of old, and their Convocation of latter times: The Efiates- of the United Provinces, in the Sj^od of Dort ; this power neither Roman CathoHck or Prote- ftant in France, dare deny to his King. None have been more punftual in this cafe than the State of Geneva, where it is exprefly provided, that no Synod or P^?/- l« ordlnm hytery fhdl alter the Ecclefiafiical Policy, or add any thi/icr f^Ecdef. Trin- ity Without the conjent of the Civil Magijlrate. Their'^El- f'^/2 ^TTa ders do not challenge an uncontrolable Power as the ^^^ Commiffioners ofChrtft, but are ilill called the CommijJio'Pxg- 2c. ners of the Signiory. The leffer Council names them with p^ the advice oft he Miniflr J, (iht'xv QQn{Qn\.\s not r\tQ.Q{^2ivy) The great Council of 200 doth approve them or reje^ them. At the end of the Year, they aie prefented to the Signiory y who continue them, or dif charge them as they fee caufe. At their admiffion, they take an Oath, to keep the Eccleftajiicrd Ordinances of the Ctvil Magijlrate. The final piT.g, determination of Doctrinal differences in Religion, (af- ter conference of and with the Ecclefiafticks) is referred P-'g^ii- to the Magijlrate. The Proclamations publifhed with the found of Trumpet Regiftred in the fame Book, do plainly fliew, that the ordering of all Ecclefiaftical Af- fairs is affumcd b) the Stgniory,

But in Scotland all things are quite contrary, the Civil Magijlrate hath no more to do with the placing or dif- placin^ of Eccleftajlical Elders, than he hath in the E- lecloral College, about the Election of an Emperor. The King hath no more iegiflative Power in Ecclefiafti- cal Caufes than a Cobler, that is,a fingle Vote in cafe he be chofen an Elder, otherwife none stall. In Scotland Ecclefiaftical Perfons make Repeal, alter their Sanations every Day, without confent of King or Council. King ^^ames proclaimed a Parliament to be held at Edinburgh, and a little before, by his Letter, required the Affembiy to abjl am from making any Innovations in the Policy cf the^'^'-'-- "o- Churchy a/;d from prejudging the dicifions of the States by ^^^'

their

'their conclufiOifSy unci to jufftr alUhwgs to continue m the condinofi they were until the appro Aching Parliament. What did they hereupon ? They negleQedthc King's Letter ; by their own Authority they determined all things po- fitively, queftioned the Arch-Bifhop of St. Andrews up- on their own Canons, For collating to Benefces, and VO' ttng in Parliament y according to the undoubted Laws of the Land : Yea, to that degree of faucinefs they arrived, and into that contempt they reduced Sovereign Power, ^^tmh. Ah- that twenty Presbyters ^no more at the higheft, fome- bai, 1600. tifoesbut thirteen, fometimes but.feven or eight) dared to hold and maintain a General AiTembly,(as they mif- called it) after it was difcharged by the King, againlt his Authority, an Infolence which never any Parliament durft yet attempt. 1 Book dif: By their own Authority^ long before there was any Sta- 1 kiL (yfe made to that purpofe, they ahlifi'^d all the Feflivals of the Churchy even thofe which Were obierved in me- mory of the Birth^ Circumcifion^ Refurreciton^ and Ajcen- tton of our Saviour.

By their own Authority^ they decreed the abolition o^Bi-

^o/'i,requiring them to reftgn their Offices ^as not ha'utng any

calling from God'*s Word^ under pain of Excommttnication,

\/Jf. Dun, And to iefisi from Preaching until they had a new admifjion

1580. ^Yom the General Affemhly. And to compleat their own

Felly, added. further, that they would difpofe of their Pof^

feffions as the Church"* s Patrimony in the next Affemhly :

Which ridiculous Ordinance was maintained ftifly by

the fucceeding Synods, not with ftanding the Statute,

P.rJ. I5S4' ^Yi2Lt it fljGuld be Treafon to impugn the Authority of the three

Eliates, or to procure the innovation, cr diminution of

any of them. Which was made on purpofe to con^

trol their vain prefumption. Notwithftanding that

tbemfelves had formerly approved, and as much as

in them lay, eftablifhed Superintendents, to endure for

i3^.oi2>i^/p.term of Life, with their Numbers, Bounds, Sallaries

j^,mi6hiAL iarger

larger than thofe of other Minifters, indued with Eplf- copal Power, to plant Churches, ordain Minifter?, af- fign Stipends, prefide in Synods, dire£l the Cenfures of the Church, without whom there was noExcommuni« cation. The World ismuch miftaken concerning Epi- fcopacy in ScotUnd ; for though the King and Parlia- ment were compelled by the clamours and impetuous violence of the Presbyters, to annex the Temporalities of Bifhops to the Crown, yet^^^ Function it felf was ne- ^ . ver taken arvAj tn Scotland /rc7«? their jirfl conversion to Chrl- ''" *°^' Hidnity^ until thcfe unhappy Troubles, And thefe very Temporalities were reftored by the 'Act of Refutation; i^o^» and their full Powder was firft eftabliihed SyncdicaHy^ and f^^^?^^* afterwards confirmed by the three Eftatesof the King- Pjw.'fiwi, dom in Parliament. ^^^'^'

By their own Authority, when they faw they could not prevail with all their iterated endeavours and attempts to have their Book o^Difcipline ratified, they obtruded it upon the Church themfelves, ordaining that all thofe who had born or did then bear any Office in the Church, [Jjouldfub' ^f- Eiinb» fcribe ity under pain of Excommunication. ^^^^'

By their orvn Authority, or rather by the like unwar- rantable boldnefs, they adopted themfelves to be Heirs of their Prelates, and other Dignities and Orders of the Church fupprelTcd by their tumultuous Violence, and decreed that ail Tythes, Rents, Lands, OhUtions^jea, n^hat- foever had been given informer times, or fhould be oiz\ n in future time % tothe fervice ofGod, was the Patrimony of /^f 2 Boot ^;y:-. Church, and ought to be collected and distributed by the Dea^ "*^''' cons, as the PVvrd of God appoints. That to convert any of this to their particular or profane ufe of any Perfon, is dtte- Jf able Sacr Hedge before God, And el few here, Gentlemen, i Book difc^ Barons, Earls, Lords, and others, mufi be content to live up^ ^ ^--'^ on their jail Rents, andfuffer the Kjrk to be reftcred to her Liberty, What this Liberty is, follows in the fame Place, all things given in Hofpitality^all Rents pertaining to Priej}s,tciiir:..

Chantaies^

r 8)

CharjterieSy'ColUgfS^ Chappelries^ Frieriesof all Orders^ the foidrm. fillers of the Seens^ alhvhich ought to be retained [l ill in the

ufe of the KJrk, Give them but leave to take their Breath and expe£l the reft. The n^hole Revenues of the Temporali' ties of BifhopSy DeacoftSy and Arch- Deacons Lands ^ and all Rents pertaining to Cathedral KJrks. Then fuppofing an Objedlion, that the Pofleffors had Leafes and Eftates, they anfwer, That thofe who made them were Thieves and MurthererSj and had no Power fo to alienage the common Ibidem, Qood of the Kjrk. They defife that all fuch Eftates may be annulled and avoided ; that all ColIe£\ors appointed by the King, or others, may be difcharged from inter- medling therev^ith, and the Deacons permitted to col- led the fame-: Yea, to that height of Madnefs were they come, as to define and determin in their AlTembly, /\{r, Eiinb. ( i'-^^g^ whether it be not a modeft conftitution of a Sy- '1647, ' nod,) That the next Parliament the Church fiould be fully reflored to its Patrimony^ and that nothing fhould be ^aft in Parliament until that was fir fi confidered and approved. Let all Eftates take notice of thefe Fretenfions and Defigns. If their Proje6: have not yet taken effeO:, it is only be- caufe they wanted fufficient ftrength hitherto to accom- plifhit. ■ ^ ^

Ladly, hy their own Authority^ under the fpecious title o^^ejus Chrifiy Kjng of Kjngs^ and Lord of Lords, the only Monarch of his Church ; and under pretence of hir F'.'':r(?- g^attve Rojaly they ereided their o^^n Courts and Presby^ teries in the mofi parts of Scotland^ long before they were legally approved or received, as appeareth by i. heir own Acl, alledging, that many Suits had been made to the Ma- gi fir tit e for apj>robation of the Policy of the Kjrky which had K^.-Glafg. not taken that happy effdi rvhich good Men. rvould crave: *'J^'- ..,, And by another Ait acknowledging that Presbyteries x<sgo/''°' were then eftablifhed {Sjnodically) in moft parts of the Aff. Eimh. Kingdom And l:ilUy,by the A61: of another Genera! J ffm- •^^5^' bly at Edinburgh J ordaining that the Difci^line contained

in

( 9 )

in'ihe A6fs vf the Generd JJfembfy, /houid be kept^ as wsli in Angus and Mernis, as in the re f of the Kjngdom.

You fee fufRciently in point of pradice, how the Dif- ciplinarians have trampled upon the Laws, and juftled the Civil Magiftrate out of his Supremacy in Ecclefiafti- cal Affairs. My next task fhall be to (hew that this pro. ceeds not from Inanimadvertency or Paflion, but from their DoCirin and Principles,

Firrt, they teach, That no Perfons, Magiftrates nor i others, have power to Vote in their Synodsy but only Eccle- 2 Booh difc. ftajlical. ^^^''^7-

Secondly, they teach, Tliat Ecclefiaftical Perfons have 2 the fole Power of convening and convocating fuch Af- femblies ; All EccleftaHical jffemblies have ponder to con- 'vene Urvfully together ^ for treating of things concerning the Kjrk. T-hey have power to appoint Times and Places. Again, National Jjfemblies of this Country^ ought always to be re-Ch.ii, 12. tained in their own Liberties^ with power to the K^trk to ap- point Times and Places. Thus they make it a Liberty , that is, a Privilege of the Church, a part of its Patri- meny^ not only to Convene, but to Convocate, whomfo- ever, whenfoever, and wherefoever.

Thirdly, for point of Power, they teach, ^^"^^t 5;-^^ | , nods have the judgment of true andfalfe Religion^ of Doolrinj 1 570. ' HerefteSy &c. The EleBion^ Jdmijjion, Sufpenfton^ depriva* tion of MiniJlerSf the determination of all things that perm tain to the Difcipli-ne of the Church. The judgment of Eccleftajiical Matters^ Caufes beneficiary, matrimonial and Other S' "Jurifdiclion to proceed to Excommunication againfl'^^'^"^ '^'1'-'^ thofe that rob the Church of its Patrimony. They have le- "^^* ^* giflative Power to make Rules and Confttutions jor keeping good Order in the /(jrk. They have power to abrogate and 4- bolijh all Statutes and Ordinances concerning Eccltfnfical Matters, that are found noifom and unprofitable^ and agree not with the time fir are abufedbj the People, And all this without ch^p. \i.

C any

( 'o )

in) RecUmntio'/i^ or Jppellauo», to afjji Judge, Civil or Ec* elejtaftical.

Fourthly, They teach that they have thefe Privileges not from the Magiilrate or People, or particular Laws ' ^''* ^'^*"- of any other Country. The Magi fir ate cannot execute the Cenfures of the Churchy nor prefer ihe any Rule h&w it JJjould he done^ bat Ecclejiafiical Power fioweth immediately from Gody and from the Mediator Jefus Chrifi. And yet fur- r''.^'r?m4»Tn. ther, 1 he Church cannot be govtrn^d by others^ thanthofe rrp. Ed:-y:b. /[jf^jft^^s and Stewards fet over it by Chrifi, nor othertvife SyrjodiThior,^. than by hts Laws, And therefore there ts no rower in tarth that can challenge to ttfelfa Command or Dominion upon the jheor, S. Church. . And again, It is prohibited by the Law of God and of Chrifi, for the Chrifi ian Magifirate to invade the Government of the Church, and confequently to challenge to bimfelf the Right of both Swords Spiritual and Temporal, And if any Magifirate do arrogate fo much to bimfelf the Church Jbali have Caufe to Complain and Exclaim, that the Pope is changed, but the Papacy remains. So if Kings and Magiftrates ftand in their way, they are Political Popes, as well as BiOiops are Ecclefiaftical. Whatfoever thefe Tcior, 62, Men do, is in the Name of our Lord Jefus, artd by Authori- ty delegated from him alone,

Lajily, They teach that they have all this Power, not only without the Magiftrate, but againft the Magifirate, jy.formxtion that is, " Although he difTent, and fend out his Prohi- /row Scotland, <: bitions to the contrary, Parliamentary Ratifications ^' '^' " can no way alter Church Canons concerning the Wor-

Ihip of God. " For Ecclefiaftical Difcipline ought to be exercis'd, whether it be ratify'd by the Civil Magiftrate or not. The Want of a Civil Sandion to the Church, Ibior. 98. is ^^^ ^^^^^ Lucrum cfffans, non damnum emergens. As it adds nothing to it, fo it takes nothing away from it. If there be any clafhing of Jurifdi£lions, or Defetl in this kind, they lay the Fault at the Magiftrate's Door. It ihor.. 82. is a ^xz2X Sin or WickednefSj for the Magiftrate to hin- der

( 1' )

3er the Excrcife, or Execution of Ecclefiaflical Difci- pline.

Now we have feen the pernicious PraQlces of their Synods, with the DoSrins from which they flow ; it remains to difpel Umbrages, wherewith they feek to hide the uglinefs of their Proceedings and Principles from the Eyes of the World. We (fay they) do give the Chriftian Magiftrate a Political Power to convoc2LiQ Sy- nods, to prefide in Synods, to ratifie the AQ:s of Synods, to reform the Church. We make him the Keeper of both Tables. Take nothing and hold it faft, here are good Words, but they fignify nothing. Truft me what- foever the Difciplinarians do give to the Magiilrate, it is always with a faving of their own Stakes, not giving for his Advantage, but their own. For they teach that n-eor. t^s, this Power of the Chriftian Magiftrate is not Private and Deftru5five to the Power of the Chuch, but Cumulative^ and only Auxiliary or affifting*

Befides the Power which they call abufively Juthorita^ tive, but is indeed Minijierial^ of executing their Decrees, and contributing to their Settlement, they afcribe to the Magiftrate concerning the Ads of Synods that which e« very private Man hath, a Judgment of Difcretioft, but thej retain to themfelves the Judgment of ^urifdicliort. And if he judge not as they would have him, but fufpend out of Confcience the Influence of his political Power, where they would have him exercife it, they will either teach him another point of Popery, that is, an implicite Faith, or he may perchance feel the Weight of their Church Cenfures, and find quickly what manner of Men they be, as our late Gracious King Charles, and be- fore him his Father, his Grand mother, and his Great Grand-mother did all to their Coft.

Then in plain Englifh what is this political Power to call Synods, to prefide in Synods, and to ratify Synods, which thefe good Men give to the Magiftrate, and

C 2 magnify

( 1^ )

ma-gnify fo mych ? I fhall tell the Trudi. Iris a Duty, which the Magiftrate ows to the Kirk, u hen they think necelTary to have a Synod conv-ocated, " To ftrengthen

lieor. 50 51. <c their Summons by a Civil SantVion, tofecurethem ia '* coming to the Synod, and returning from the Sy- " nod, to provide them good Accommodation, to pro- " te6l them from Dangers, to defend their Rights and " Privileges, to compel obftinate Pcrfons by Civil Laws *' and Punifhments to fubmit to their Cenfures and Dc- " crecs. What gets the Magiftrate 'by all this to iNii. hinifelf? He may put it all in his Eye, and fee never a whit the worfe. For they declare exprefly, *' That " neither all the Power, nor any part of the. Power^ " which Synods have to deliberate of, or to define Ec- "■ ctefiaflical Things, (though it be in relation to their " own Subjeds) doth flow from the Magiftrate, but " becaufe in thofe Things which belong to the outward '* Man, (mark theReafon) the Church ftands.in need ^* of the help of the Magiftrate. Fair fall and inge- nuous Confeffion ; they attribute nothing to the Magi- ftrate, but only what may render him able to ferve their own Turns, and fupply their Needs. I wifh thefe Men would think a little more of the Diftin£lion be- tween Hdiiaal and J^ual JurifdiQion. After a Schools Maftsr hath his Licenfe to teach, yet his Aftual Jurif- didion doth proceed from the Parents of his Scholars. And though he enjoy a kind of Supremacy among them^ he muft not think that thisextinguifheth, either his owa filial Duty, or theirs.

Like this Pov^er cf prefiding politically in Synods, is the other Power, which they give him of reforming the Church, that is, when the State of the Church is cor- rupted, but not when it is pure, as they take it for, granted^ that it is, when the Jurifdidion is in their own Hands. '' Although godly Kings and Princes, fome-

^^fo "' time by their own Authority, when the Kirk is cor-

*' rupted^

. ( '3 )

**" rupted, and ail Things out of Order, place Minlflers,

*' and reflore the true Service of the Lord, after the Ex-

" ample of fome godly Kings o^Judah^ and divers god-

" ly Emperors and Kings alfo in the Light of the New

" Telhment; yet where the Miniftry of the Kirk is

*' once lawfully conftituted, and they that are plac'd,

" do their Office faithfully, all godly Princes and Ma-

" giftrates ought to hear and obey their Voice, and re-.

*' verence the Majefty of the Son of God fpeaking in

" them. Leave this jugling; who fhall judge, when

" the Church is corrupted ; the Magiftrates, or Church-

" men? If theMagiilrates, why not over you, as well'

^ as others? If the Church-men, why nor others, as

" well as you ? Here is nothing to be anfwer'd, but to

^ beg the Queftion, that they only are the true Church.

** Hear another Witnefs, in evil and troublefome Times,

'* and in a lapfed State of Affairs; when the Order in-

^ ftituted by God in the Church, is degenerated to Ty-rw.-S4v

** ranny, to the trampling upon the true Religion and ""^ s^'

" opprefling the Profeftbrsof it; when nothing is found,

" the godly Magiftrate may do fome Things, which

** ordinarily are not lawful, &c. But ordinarily and

** of common Right, in Churches already conltituted,

" if a Man fly to the Magiftrate complaining that he is

** injur'd by the Abufe of Ecclefiaftical Difciphne, or if

<' the Sentence of the Presbyteries difpleafe the Magi-

" ftrate, either in point of Difcipline, or of Faith, he

*' muft not therefore draw fuch Caufes to a civil Tri-

*' bunal, nor introduce a political Papacy. And as^the ^^'^^'

<* Magifirate hath Power in extraordinary Caufes, w':v:a

" the Church is wholly corrupted, to reform EccHia-

" ftical Abufes ; fo if the Magiftrate fliall Tyrannize o-

** ver the Cliurch, it is lawful to oppofe him, by cer-

^ tain ways apd means, extr-iordinary^ however or^V;.vi-

*' ril) not to he alhiv*d. " This is plain Dealing, the A a-

"^ giftrai©.

7kor,A1-

C «4- )

gift rate cannot lawfully reform them, but In Cafes extrA' ord-iniry ; and in Cafes extraordinary, they may lawful- ly reform the Magi ft rate, ^i msAns not to he or din At tl^ aU /oiv'*d, that is, by force of Arms. See the Principles from whence all our Miferies, and the Lofs of our gra- cious Mafter hath flow'd, and learn to deteft them ; They give the Magi/Irate the Cufodj of both Tables^ fo they do give the fame to themfelves; they keep the fecond Table^ by admomfhing him ; he keeps the /r/? T4- ble^ by affifiing them ; They reform the Abufes of the -fir ft Table, by ordinary Right-, of the fecond Table, estraoY dinar ilj\ He reforms the Abufes againft the fe- cond Table, by ordinary Right ; and the Abufes againffc the firft Table, extraordinarily.

But can the Magiftrate, according to their Learning, call the Synod to an Account for any thing they do, can he remedy the Errors of a Synod, either in Do^lria or Difcipline? A^^, If MagiJlrAtes had Power to change, ThiOf, 97' or diminijhy or refiraift the Rights of the Church, the Con' ditio» of the Church fhould be rvorfe, and their Liberties lefsy under a Chriflian Magifirate, than under an Heathen^ iSwr. 88. ior (fay they) Parliaments and fupreme Senates^ are^ n& more infallible than Synods, and in matters of Faith and Dif- cipline more aft to err : And again, the Magijirate is not 'Judge of Spiritual Caufes controverted in the Church, And rhior.^2. jj- ij^ decree any thing in fuch BufineffeSj according to the Wtfdom of the flejh, and not according to the Rule of God"* s Word, and tjje Wifdom ivhich is from above^ he muf give a» Account of it unto God,

Or may the Supreme Magiftrate oppofe the Executl-

^' onof their Difcipline praclis'd in their Presbyteries, or

Tioior 82. Synods, by Laws or Prohibitions? No, it isWickednefsy

If he do fo far abufe his Authority, good Chriflians mufi

r At her fuffer Extremities ^ than obey him.

Then

( '5 )

Then what Remedy hath the Maglftrate, if he find > flimfelf grievM in this Cafe ? He mi) defire and procure a Review in Another ^attend Synod^ that the Matter may be lawfully determined by E(clejia/iical Judgment. Yet upon ^, this Condition, That notwithft an ding the future Review '•"''* 9^92» thefrfi Sentence of the Synod be executed without Delay. This is one main Branch of Popery, and a grofs Encroach- ment upon the Right of the Magiflrate.

CHAP. III.

That this Difcipline robs the Magijlyate of the lajl Jpfed of his Subjects.

TH E Second flows from this. The laft Appeal ^' ought to be the Supreme Magiftrate, or Magi- flrates, within his or their Dominions, as to the higheft Power under God. And where it is not fo order'd; the Common-wealth can enjoy no Tranquility, as we fliall fee in the fecond part of this Difcourfe. By the Laws of England^ if any Man find himfelf griev'd with the Sen- tence or confiftorial Proceedings of a Bifhop, or of his Officers, he may appeal from the higheft Judicatory of the Church to the King in Chancery, who ufeth in that cafe to grant Commiffions under the Great Seal to Dele" gates expert in the Laws of the Realm, who have Pow- er to give him Remedy, and to fee Juftice done. In ^foz/rf;;^ this would be taken in great Scorn, as an high Indignity upon the Commiffioners of Chrift, to appeal from his Tribunal^ to the Judgment of a mortal Man. g^^, In the Year 1582, King jAVics^ by his Letter by his MefTenger, the Mafter of Requefls^ and by an Herald at Arms, prohibited the Jjfembly at St. Andrew's, to pro- a A. j^m An- ceed in the Cafe of one Mongomery, and Mongomery^ him- <Jrew's, 1582.

felf

( '6)

felfappeardtoCefar, or to King and Council. What did our new iMafters upon this ? They flighted the King's Letter, his MelTenger, his Herald, rejected the App^eal, as made to an incompetent Judge, and pro- ceeded moil violently in the Caufe. About four Years after this, another Synod held at St. Andrew's, proceeded \rs.SMvt An- • ^^ |-|^g manner againil: the Bifliop of that See, for Voting arews is*^ - .^ pai-iian-jent according to his Confcience, and for be- ing fufpeded to have pennM a Declaration, publifliM by the King and Parliament at the end of the Statutes, nox- withflanding that he dechnM their Judicature, and ap- peaPd to the King and Parliament. When did any Bi- fliops dare to do fuch A£ls ? There need no more In- flances, their Book oi Dtfctplwe \t felf being fo full in the Cafe, from the K^rk there is no RecUmatwn, or Jp~ pelUtion^ to any Judge, Civil or Ecclefialiical, vi^ithin the Realm.

CHAP. IV.

Thut it exempts the Minifiers from due Fumfhmem.

THird/y, If Ecclefiaftick Perfons in their Pulpits, or- AiTemblies, fhaO leave their Text and proper Work to turn Incendiaries, Trumpeters of Sedition, ftirring up the People to Tumults and difloyal Attempts, in all well order'd Kingdoms and Common- wealths, they are punifhable by the Civil Magiftrate, whofe pro- per Office it is to take Cognizance of Treafon and Sedi- tion. It was well faid by a King of France to fome fuch feditious Shehs^ that if they would not let him alone in their Pulpits, he would fend them to preach in another Climate. In the Vnited Provinces there want not Ex- amples of feditious Orators, who for controlling their

Magiftrates

( 17 ) .

Maglftrates too fauclly in the Pulpit, liave been turned both out of their Churches and Cities, without any fear of wrefting C^ri/^^s Scepter out of his Hand. In Geneva it felf, the Corre&ion of Ecclefiafticai Perlons Qiun tales)^'^^^' ^^^'^' isexprefly referved to the Signiory. So much our Dif-^^^' ^'^' ^ ciplimrims have out done their Pattern, as the paffionate Writings of heady Men out-do the calmer Decrees of a ilayed Senate.

But the Minifters of ScotUnd have exempted them- felves in this cafe from all fecular Judgment, as King 'James (who knew them beft of any Man living) ^\x..DecUr. 158^^ neffeth. They faid, He was an incompetent Judge in fuch Cafes, and that matters of the Pulpit ought to be ex- empted from the judgment and correction of Princes. They themfelves fpeak plain enough. It is an abfurd thing, that fundry of them, (CommifTaries) having no f unci ion 'i-^ookHfo, of the Kirk^ fhould be Judges to Mini/lers, and depofe them^''^^' ^'* from their Rooms. The reafon holds as well again ft Ma- giftrates, as CommifTaries. To pafs by the faucy and (editious Expreffions of Mr. D/^ry, Mr. A/^//^'///, Mr. -^^ Edinb. Ballc&nq^uall^ and their impunity. Vi^, James Gib fon in^^^^* his Sermon, taxed the King for a F^r/k/yfor, and threat- tied him with a Curfe, that he (hould die Childlefs^and be theh{\ of his Race; for which being convented before the A(rembiy',and not appearing, he was only Sufpended du- ring the pleafu re of his Brethren ; (he fhould have been Sufpended indeed, that is Hanged.) But at another Af- fembly in Juguft following, upon his allegation, that his not appearing, was out of his tender care of the Rites of the Church, he was purged from his Contumacy, without once fo much as acquainting his Majefty.

The Cafe is famous of Mr. DavU Biake^ Minifter ofMjflerDiv'.d " St. Andrews^ who had faid in his Sermon, that thc^^'^'^^* ^^''^' *' King had difcovered the treachery of his Heart, m ad- ^ mitting the Popilh Lords into the Country. That all

D ** Kings

ii

i.i

■( .S )

'* Kings were the Devil's Barns ; that the Devil was in " tlie Court, and in theGuiders of it. And in his Prayer for the Queen^ he ufed thcfe words, We muft Piay for her for Fafliion fake, but we have no caufe, (lie will never do us any good. Hefaid, that the Queen ^' of Ex!g/:i/id (Queen Elizabeth) was an Jtheift ; that " the Lords of the Seflion were Mifcreants and Bribers *' that the Nobility were Degenerated, Godiefs, Dif- ^' fernblers, and Encniies to the Church ; that the " Council were Holly-glaffes, Cormorants, and Men *' of no Religion. I appeal to all the Eftates in Eu- rope^ what Punifhment could be levere enough, for fuch audacious Virulence ? The Englifb Ambafiador complains of it ; BUke is cited before the Council. The Commiflioners of the Church plead, that it will be til take/2^ to bring Minifiers in queftion upon fuch trefling Dela- tions^ as inconfiftent with the Liberties of the Church. They conclude that a DecUnatour fhould be ufed, and a Frotejiation made againft thofe Proceedings, faying, i^ ivas God's Caufe, wherein they ought to fl and to all hazards, Accordingly a DecUnatour was framed and prefented. Blake defires to be remitted to the Presbytery, as his Or- dinary. The Commiflioners fend the Copy of the De- clinatour to all the Presbyteries, requiring them for the greater corroboration of their doings, to fubfcribe the fam.e, and to commend the Caufe in hand, in their pri- vate and publick Prayers to God, ufing their belt cre- dit with their Flocks for the maintenance thereof. The King juftly incenfed herewith, difchargeth the Meeting of the Commiffioners, Notwithftanding this InjunBion^ they (lay ftill, and fend Delegates to the KJrtgy to repre- fent the Inconveniencies that might infue. The King more defirous to decline their Envy, than they his Judg- ment, offers Peace. The Commiflioners refufe it, and prefent an infolent Petition, which the King rcjeds de-

fervedly

( «9)

fervedly, and the Caufe was heard the very day that the Princefs Elizabeth (now Queen of Bohemia) was Chri- ftened. The WitnefTes were produced. Mr. Roben Pont in the name of the. Church, makes a Protefiation, Blake prefects a fecond Declinatour, The Council decree that the Caufe being Treafonable, is cognizable before them. The good King ftill feeks Peace, fends MelTen- fengers, Treats, offers to remit : But it is labour in vain. The Minifters anfwer peremptorily by Mr. Robert Bruce^ their Prolocutor, That the libertj of Chrifi's Kjngdom had received fuch a Wound^ bj the ufurpation of the Rites of the Church ; that if the Lives of Mr. Blake and twenty o» thersy had been taken^ it would not have grieved the Hearts of good People fo much y as thefe injurious Proceedings. The King ftill Woes and Confers. At laft the matter is concluded, That the King fhall make a Declaration in favour of the Church ; that Mr. Blake fhall only make an Acknowledgment to the Queen, and be Pardoned. But Mr. Blake refufeth to confefs any Fault, or to ac- knowledge the King and Council to be any Judges of his Sermon. Hereupon he is convidted and fentenced to be guilty of falfe and treafonable Slanders, and his Punifh- ment referred to the King. Still the King Treats, makes Propofitions unbefeeming his Majefty, once, or twice; the Minifters rejed them, proclaim a Faft, raife a Tu- mult in Edinburgh Petition, prefer Articles. The King departeth from the City, removeth his Courts of Juftice^ the People repent, the Minifters perfift, and feek to en- gage the Subjeft in a Covenant for mutual Defence. One Mr Wai/h in his Sermon tells the People, That the Kjng tvas pofjeffed ivith & Devil^yea^ with feven Devils ; that the Subjeils might lawfully rtfe and take the Sword out of his Hands, The Seditious, encouraged from the Pulpit, fend a Letter to the Lord Hamilton^ to come and be their General He nobly refufeth, and (heweth their

D 2 Letter

( 20 )

Letter to the King, Hereupon the Mlnifters are fought lor to be Apprehended, and flie into England. The Tumult is declared to be Treafon by the Eftates of the Kingdom. 1 have urged this the more largely, (yet as iuccindliy as I couldj to let the" World fee, what dange- rous Subieds thefe Difciplinarians are, and how incon- fjftent their Principles be, with all orderly Societies.

111'. .j\\

C H A P. V.

That tifubjects the Sufream Magijlrate to their Ceit^ Jures, &c.

Fourthly, They have not only exempted themfelves ia their duties of their own Function, from the Tri- bunal of the Sovereign Magiftrate, or Supream Senate, but they have fubjeded. him, and them, (yea, even 3 Bcoi dife. in the difcharge of the Sovereign Truft) to their own ^ *'^^* Confiflories, even to the higheft cenfure of Excommuni- cation, which is like the cutting ofFa Member from the ^Booi difc. gQ(5y j^T^tural, or the Out- la wing of a Subjed in the i^. i2«- ^Q^y Politick, Excommunication, that very Engine, whereby the Popes of old advanced themfelves above Emperors. To Difcipime mufi all the Eftates within this .'Bsou %, Realm befuhje^l ; as well Rulers, as they that are Ruled. And elfe where, AllMen^ a^ we H Magtji rates SislnknorSy ought to be fubje^ to the [judgment of' GeneralJjJemblies, And yet again. No man that is in the Church, ought to be exempted from Ecdefiajltcal Cenfures. What horrid and pernicious Mifchiefs do ufe to attend the Excommunica- tion of Sovereign Magilirates, I leave to every Man's Memory, or Imagination. Such Courfes make great Kings become Cyphers, and turn the tenure of a Crown

Copy»

(ar )

Copy-hold, ^d voluntatem Domincrum. Such Doflrins might better become fome of the Roman AUxAndtrs^ or Bonifaces^ or Gregorius^ox Pius Quint us ^ih^n fuch greac profeflbrs of Humility, fuch great difclaimers of Au- thority, who have inveighed fo bitterly againll; the Bi- fhops for their Ufurpaticns. This was never the pra- ctice of any Orthodox Bifliop. St. Amhrofe is miftaken what he did to Theodofias was no acb of Ecciefiaftical Ju- rirdidion,butofChriftianDifcretion. No, he was better grounded ; David faid, Jgainftthee only have 1 fmned.be- eaufe he was a Kjng, Our Difciplinarians abhor the name of Authority, but hugg the thing ; their profeffion of Humility^ is juft Uke that Cardinal's hanging up of a Fifher's Net in his Dyning-Room,to put him in mind of his Defcent ; but fo foon as he was made Pope, he took it down, faying, the Vijh w^ts caught now^ there ivas no- more need of a Net^

CHAP. VI.

That it robs the Magiftrate of his Dif^enfative Pon\r.

'pifthly, All Supream Magiftrates do afTume to them- -^ felves a power of pardoning Offences and Offen- ders, wherethey judge it to be expedient. He v.ho be- lieves that the Magirtrate cannot with a good Confcience difpenfe with the punifhment of a penitent Maletador, I wifli him no greater cenfure,than that the Penal Laws might be duly executed upon him, until he recanc his Error. But our Difciplinarians have retrained thusdi- fpenfative Power, in all fuch Crimes as are made Capi- tal by the Judicial Law, as in the cafe of Blood, Adul- tery, Blafphemy, 6^c, In which cafes they fay, '' The

Offender

'• Oiiender ought to fuffer Death, as God hath com- I Booi difc. '' manded. And if the Life be fpared, as it ought not lvid9. a jQ bg^ t-Q ^i^Q Offenders, &c. And the Magiftrate jhiJ. '' 0"§ht to prefer God's exprefs Commandment, before '* his own corrupt Judgment, efpecialiy in punifhing thefe CrimeSjWhich he commandeth to be puniHied with Aff. Edcvk "Death. When the then Popilli Earls of A^igm^ Hunt- plr/ii. 4 ^^^ ^"^ Errolly were Excommunicated by the Church, '^ ^ and forfeited for treafonable pradices againlt the King, it is admirable to read with what Wifdomand Charity, and Sweetnefs, his Majefty did feek from time to time, to reclaim them from their Errors, and by their un- feigned converfion to the Reformed Religion, to pre- vent their Punifhment. Wherein he had the concur- rence of two Conventions of Efirates, the one at Falk^ latid^ the other at Dumfermling, And on ther other fide, to fee with vyhat bitternefs and radicated Malice, they were profecuted by the Presbyteries and their Commif- fioners ; fometimes petitioning, that they might have m bsmf.t ofLaiv^ as being Excsmmumcated: Sometimes threat- ning that they rvere refolved to purfue them to the utmofl, tho* itfjouid be with the lofs of all their Linjes in one Daj» That if they continued Enemies to God and his Truth^ the Country fhould not brook both them and the Lords together. Sometimes prefling to have their Eftates conffcated, and their Lives taken arvaj. Alledging for their Ground, that by Qod'^s Law they had deferved Death. And when the King urged that the Bofom of the Church fhould be ever open to penitent Sinners, they anfwered. That the Church could not refufe thtir Satisfaction^ if it was truly offered^ but the KJng WAS obliged to do ^ujhce,^ hat do you think of thofe that roar out fuftice^ J^ft^^^, now-a-days, whether they he not the right Spawn of thefe Blood- fuckers ? Look ^upon the Examples of Cain, Efau^ I/bmael, Antiochu^^ Ami'^chrill, and tell me, if you ever find fuch fuperci-

lious

lious, cruel, Blood-thirfty Perfons, to have been pious towards God, but their Rehgion is corr.monly like them- felves, ftark naught ; Curjed be their Anger ^ for it was fierce, and their IVrath^ for it was cruel. ^^'''' 7°* /•'

Thefe are fome of thofe Incroachments which our Difciphnarians have made upon the Rights of all Su- preme Magiftrates ; there be fundry others, which efpc- cially concern the KJ^ygs of Great Britain, as the Lofs of his Tenths, Firft-fruits, and Patronages, and which is more than all thefe, the Dependence of his Subie£ls ; by all which we fee, that they have thruft out the Pope in- deed, but retained the Papacy. The Pope as well as they, . and they as well as the Pope, (neither Barrel better Herrings,) do make Kings but half Kings, Kings of the Bodies, not of tlie Souls of their Subjects : They allow them fome fort of Judgment over Ecclefiaftical Perfons, in their civil Capacities ;^ for it is little (according to their Rules) which either is not Ecclefiaftical, or may not be reducM to Ecclefiaftical. But over Ecclefiaftick Perfons, as they are Ecclefiafticks, or in Ecclefiaftical Matters, they afcribe unto them no Judgment in the World. They fay, it cannot ftand with the Word of S/fc^ God, " That no Chriftian Prince ever claim'd, or can Jua,6^ x6aS, ** claim to himfelffuch a Power." If the Magiftrate will be contented to wave his Power in Ecclefiaftical Matters, and over Ecclefiaftical Perfons, (as they are fuch,) and give them leave to do what they lift, and fay what they lift in their Pulpits, in their Confiftories, in their Synods, and permit them to rule the whole Corn- man- wealth, in order to the Advancement of the King- dom of Chrift. If he will be contented to become a fubordinate Minifter to their Affemblies, to fee their Decrees executed, then it may be they will become his good Mafters, and permit him to enjoy a part of his Civil Power. When Sovereigns are made but Acceffa-

ries.

C 2.V )

n?s, and Infei'lors do become Principals, wfien (Irong^r Obligations are devis'd, than thofe of a Subje6\ to his Sovereign, it is time for the Magiftrate to look to him- felf , thefe are Prognoilicks of enfuing Storms, the a- vant Curriers of feditious Tumults. When Supremacy lights into ftrange and obfcure Hands, it can hardly contain it felf within any Bounds. Before our Difcipli- narians be well warm'd in their Eccleftzfiical Supremacy ^ they are beginning, or rather they have already made a good Frogrefs in the Invafion of the Temporal Supre- jnacyalfo.

C HAP,

( ^5 )

CHAP. VII.

That the Difclplinarians cheat the Magiftrate of hu Civil Power, in order to Religion.

THat is, Their fixth Incroachment upon the 6. Magiftratc,and the vertical Point o^'Jefuttifr?. Confider fir/1:, How many Civil Caufes they have drawn directly into their Confiftories, and made them of Ecclefiaftical Cognifance, as Fraud inBar-^ Book difc, gaining., falfe Weights and Meafures., oppr-effing one '^'^^- j'sook'^i/Tr. //jfr, See. And in the Cafe ofMiniflers, Bribery^ Per-chp. 7. . j^^rjj Thcfty Fghtingy Vfury, &c.

Secondly, Confider that all Offences whatfoever are made cognofcible in their Confiftories, in cafe of Scandal; yea, even fuch as are puniiliable by the Civil Sword with Death : ' If the Civil Sword i ^^^\^'^'' *■ fooliflily fpare the Life of the Offender, yet may not ^eor/e-^!' the Kirk be negligent in their Office, which is to ex- communicate the Wicked.

Thirdly, They afcribe unto their Miniflers a Li- berty and Power to direct the Magiftrate, even in the M?.mgery of Civil Affairs: ' To govern the

* Commt)n-wealth, and to efl:ablifli Civil Laws, is ' proper to the Magiff rate : To interpret the Word

* of God, and from thence to flicw the Magiftrate j^^^^^ ,^^^3^ ' his Duty, how he ought to govern the Common-

* wealth, and how he ought to ufe the Sword, is ^ comprehended in the Office of the Minifter , for

* the Holy Scripture is profitable to Ihew what is ' the bcft Government of tlie-Common-wealth. And ' again, All the Duties of the fecond Table, as well

' asofthelnrft, between King and Subjcft, Parents ^"''^^'^'■•"' '•«>*• ' and Children, Husbands and Wives, Mafters and^'^^' ' Servants, o-^. are in difficult Cafes a Subjedt of,,

L * Cosni^ance '

( ^'6 )

* Cognifance and Judgment to the AITemblies of the

* Kirk. Thus they are rifen up from a Judgment o^ Direclio/t to a Judgment o^'JurifdiBion : And if any Perfons, Magiftrates or others, dare acl con- trary to this Judgment of the AiTembly, (as tlie Par- liament and Committee of Eitates did in ScotUnd,

^'jUrnij Ac. in the late Expedition,) * They make it to bean un- oS^f"'^'^^'' I^-wJul Ingagement, a finful War, contrary to the 164S. ' * ' Tcftimonies of God's Servants, and decree the

* Parties fo offending, to be fufpended from the Com- ' mtinion^ cl nd from their Offices in the- Kjrk. 1 con- fefs Minifters do well to exhort Chriftians to be care- ful, honed:, and induilrious in their fpecial CaUings : But for them to meddle pragmatically with the My Series of particular Trades, and much more with the Mylieries of State, which never came within the compafs of their fhallow Capacities, is a moft auda- cious Infolence , and an infuiferable Prefumption. They may as well teach the Pilot how to fleer his Courfe in a Tempeft, or the Phyfician how to cure the Difbempers of his Patient.

But their higheft Cheat is, that Jefuitical Inven- tion, (jn Ordine ad Spiritualia,') they alTume a Power in worldly Affairs indirecilj^ and in order to the Ad- Uior. 63. vancement of the Kingdom of Chrifl:. The Eccle- iniicmon, fafiicd Minifiry is converfxnt ffiritudly about civil ' '' things. Again, Muji not Duties to God^ whereof the

fecuring of Religionts a, main one ^ have the fupr erne and frfi Place^ Duties to the Kjng a fubordinate and fecond Place? The Cafe was this, The Parliament levied Forces to free their King out of Prifon, a meer civil Duty : But the Com.miffioners of the Alfembly de- clared againfl: it, unlefs the King will firft give Affu- rance under Hand and Seal by folemn Oath, that he will eftablifh the Covenant, the Presbyterian Difciplinej &c, in all his Dominions, and never in-

deavour

i

( ay )

deavourany Cb^nge thereof, left otherwife his Li- berty might bi'ing their b]-gone Proceedings about the^.^,,;^;^ ^^. League and Covenant into queftion, there is their vice^ Edenb. Power in Ordine ad Spirituaiia. The Parliament will J""^ 10.1648

* reftore to the King his negative Voice ; A meer < civil thing. The CommifTioners of the Church ' oppofe it, becauie of the great Dangers that may

* thereby come to Religion. The Parliament name Fwi/r^f/o^r, Officers and Commanders for the Army ; A meerP* s. civil thing. The Church will not allow them., be-

caufe they want fuch Qiialifications as God's Word requires, that is to fay in plain terms, becaufe they w^cre not their Confidents. Was there ever Church- challcng'd fuch an Omnipotence as this ? Nothing in this World is fo Civil or Political, wherein they do not intereft themfelves, in order to the Advancement of the Kingdom of Chrift.

Upon this ground their Synod ena£led, ' That no jr 2j««^. ' Scottifli Merchants Oiould from thenceforth Traf- 1^95. ' fick in any of the Dominions of the King of Spain^-

* until his Majefty had procured from that King ' fome Relaxation of the Rigour of the Inquifition, ' upon pain of Excommunication. Aslikewife that the Monday-market at Edenborough fliould be abo- iifhed : It feems they thouglit it miniftred fome oc - cafion to the- Breach of the Sabbath. The Mer- chants petitioned the King to maintain the Liberty of their Trade ; He grants their Requefl, but could not proteft them, tor the Church profecuted the poor x\4erchants with their Cenfijrcs, until they pro- mifed to give over the Spanifli Trade, fo foon as they had perfected their Accounts, and paid their Cre- ditors in thofe Parts.

But the Shooe makers, wiio were mod in te re lied in the Monday-markets, with their Tumults and Threatnings, compelPd the Miniftcrs to retract ;

E 2 M here-

( ^8 >

wliereupcn it became a Jefl: in the City, that the Scut CVS could chtain more at the Mi/?tjlers h.ifids^ tlun the Kj'fig^ So they may meddle with the Spanifli Trade, or Monday-markets, or any thing in order to Religion.

Upon this ground they alTume to themfelves a Tower to ratifie Acls oF Parliament : So the Ailembly j^tliiih.-, at EdenhuroHgh enaded, l^hat the Ads m^ade in the ^--i^T' • Parliament at E^denborough i\\q 24th of AuguH 1560, (without -either Commifllon or Proxy from the So- vereign,) * touching Religion, &c, fliould have the -' Force of a publick Law, And that the fa id Parlia-

* ment, fo far as concerned Religion, fbould be . ' maintained by them, &c. and be ratified by the

* firft Parliament that fliould happen to be kept ' w^ithin that Realm. See how bold they make with Kings and Parliaments^ in order to Rehgion. I cannot omit that famous Summons which this Aflemblyfent out,nof only to ' intreat,but to admonifh *■ all Perfo^s, truly profefiing the Lord Jefus within ^ the Realm, as well Noble-men as Barons, and thofe of other Hliates, to m.eet and give their perfonal Appearance at Edenborough the 20th o^Julj enfuing, forgiving their Advice and Concurrence in Matters then to be proponed, efpecially for purging the Realm of Popery, eftablifliing the Policy of the Church, and reftoring the Patrimony thereof to the jufl P.of- fefTors. Alluring fuch as did abfent themfelves, that they fhould be elieemed diflimuiate Profelfors, un- worthy of the Fellow/hip of Chrilt's Flock : Who thinks your ScottifhDifciplinarians know not how to Ruffle it?

Upon this ground they alTume a Power to abro- gate and invalidate Laws and Ads of Parliament, . if they feem difadvantageous to the Church. Church 1u^% * Affemblies have Power to abrogate and abolifla all

* Statutes

r >9 ; ,

Statutes and Ordinances concerning Ecclefiafiical Matters, tliat arc fbiind noyfome and unprofitable, and agree not with the Times, or are abufed by the People. So the Ads of Parliament, 1584, at ihty'^ndM'^^'^on very fame time that they were Proclaimed, werep' 10! protefted againii at the Market-Crofs of Edenburgh by the Miniflers, in the Name of the Kirk o[^ Scot- iapjd.And a little before, whatfocver be the Treafon of impugning the Authority of Parliament, it can be no Treafon to obey God rather than Man. Nei- ther did the General Aflembly o^G/oJgoiv, i6^S,6^c. i;ofnmit any Treafon, when they impugned Epif- copacy, and Pev/-//- Articles, although ratified by Ads of Parliamxcnt, and iianding Laws then un- repeaPd. He faith/o far true, that we ought rather tocbeyGod than Man, that is, to fuFer when we cannot a£l ; but to impugn the Authority of a law- ful Magiflrate, is neithertoobey God nor Man. God commands us to Dye Innocent, rather than Live Nocent, they teach us rather to Live Nocent, than Dye Linocent. Away with thefe Seeds of Sedition, thefe Rebellious Principles ; Our Mafter Chrili hath left us no fuch Warrant, and the unfound PraQice of an obfcure Conventicle is no lafe Pattern. The King j^^^. was furprized at Ruthen by a company of Lords and other Confpirators ; this Fa6: was as plain Treafon ^ '* as could be imagined, and fo it was declared ; (I fay ^/. EienS, declared, rot made) in Parliament. YetanAiTem- ^^^^ biy General (no yhtn gain-JAjhig) did juitifie that ^ Treafon in order to Religion as good and acceptable ' Service to God, their Sovereign, and Native Coun- ' try, requiring the Miniiiers in all their Churches to

* cornmend it to the People, and exhort all Men to ' concur wdth theAclors,as they tendred theGlory of

* God, the full Deliverance of the Church,and perfect

* Reformation of the Common-wealth, threatnmg

* all-

( io )

^ all thofe who fublcribed not to their judgment with ''■ Fxcommunication.

\Ve iec this is not the firfi: time that Difciplinarian Spectacles have made abominable Treafon to feem Religion, if it fcrve for the Advancement of the good Caule. And it were well if they could reft here,or their Zeal to advance their Hcclefiailical Soveraignty, by force of Arms, and Eftufion of Chriilian Blood, would confine it felf within the Limits ot Scotland : No, thoic. bounds are too narrow for their pragmatical Spirits : Jeijf.27.164s And for bu fie Bifnops in other Men's DiocelTes, fee ^''- 3- the Articles of ^m-///i'^, 'That the fecuring andict-

* ling Religion at Home, and promoting the Work ' of Reformation Abroad, m England 2ii-\d Ireland ^ be

* refer'dtothe determination of the General A ifem- ' bly (of the Kirk) or their CommiiTioners. What, is Old EdenhtiYg turned New Rome, and the Old Pres- byters Young Cardinals, and their Confiftory a Con- clave, and their Committees a Juncto for propagating the Faith ? Themfelves il:and mod in need of Refor- mation •, if there be a Mote in the Eye of our Church, there is a Beam in theirs. Neither want we at Home, God be praifed, thofe who are a Thoufand times fitter for Learn ii^g, for Piety, for Difcretion, to be Reformers, than a few giddy Innovators. This I am fure, fince they undertook our Cure againft our Wills, they have made many fat Church-yards in EftgUml. Nothing is more Civil, or Effential to the Crown, than the Militia, or Power of raifingArms: Yet we have feen in the attempt at Ruthen, in their Letter to the Lord Hamilton, in their Sermons, what is their Opinion. They infinuate as much in their Theorems.

nidr. 84. /^ i^ lawful to refi(9 the Magijlrate by certain extraordi- nary I'Vajs or Means, not to be ordinarily allowed. It were no difficult Task out of their private Authors, to juftifie the barbarous Ads that have been commit- ted

r 3' )

ted ill E'fjgUfjd. But I fhall hold my kli to their pub- lick Aftions and Records. A'lduiinous Compaaj of Ciiize/is forced the Gates of Halyrood-Houfc, to fearch for a Pricjl^ a^;d ^Iw/jder at their fie nf tire. Mr. Knox ^"^^' ^^^^' rt'jj charged by the Council to have been the Author of the Sedition \ and further^ to haveConvocated his Majejlfs Subjeci^ bj Letters ynijflz^e when he pleafed. He anfwer'd, that he was no Preacher of RebelUon, but taught People to obey their Princes in the Lord ; [_ I fear he taught them likewife, that he and they were the competent judges what is Obedience in the Lord. ] He confeiTed his Co/Jvocattng of the Subjects by njertue of a command from the Churchy to advertife the Brethren when he faw a necejjity of their Meetings efpecially if he percieved Religion to be in Peril. Take another In- llance, ' The AiTembly having received an anfwer

* from the King, about the Trial of the Popifli Lords, ^^f- ^^^^'^' .

* not to their Contentment, refolve all to convene in ''^^'

* Arms at the place appointed for the Trial ; where-

* upon fome were left at Edenhorough to give timely ' advertifem.ent to the reft. The King at his return ' gets notice of it, calls the JMinifters before him, ' fhews them what an undutiful part it was in them

* to levy Forces, and draw his Subjeds into Arms ' without his Warrant. The Miniflers pleaded. That it WAS the Caufe df God^ in Defence whereof they could not; be deficient. This is the Presbyterian want, to fubjecl all Caufes and Perfons to their Confiltories, to ra- tifie and abolilh Civil Laws, to confirm and pull down Parliaments, to levy Forces, to invade other Kingdoms, to do any thing refpeftively to the ad- vancement of the good Caufe, and in order to Reli- gion.

CHAP.

CHAP. VIIL

Thit the DifcipUnarians Challenge thii Exorbitant Ponder by Divine Right,

BEHOLD both Swords Spiritual and Tempo- ral, in the Hands of the Presbytery ; the one ordinarily by common Right, the other extracjrrdina- rily ; the one belonging direftly to the Church, the o- ther indirectly ; the one of the Kingdom of Chrifljthe other for his Kingdom, in order to the Propagation of Religion. See how thefe Hocas Pocash with il ripping up their Sleeves and Profeflions of Plain-Dealing, with declaiming againft the Tyranny of Prelates, un- der the Pretence of Humility and Miniftcrial Duty, have wrefted the Scepter out of the Hand of xVIajefty, and juggled themfelves into as abfolute a Papacy, as ever was within the Walls o'i Rcfme. O Saviour, be- hold thy Vicars, and fee whether the Pride of thy Servants of thy Servants is afcended. Now their Confiftories are become the Tribunals ofChrift. That were ftrange indeed / Chrift hath but one Tribunal, his Kingdom is not of this World. Their Determi- natiors pafs for thQ Sentences of Chrift, Alas, there is too much Fadion and PafTion, and Ignorance in their Fresbyteries.Their Synodal AQs go for theL^irj of Chrift, His Laws are immutable, Mortal Man may not prefume to alter them, or to add to them ; but thefe Men art chopping and changing their Con- ftifutions every Day. Their Elders muft be look'd \}^on d^sxhQ CoTnmiffioners of Chrift. It is impolTible ! Geneid was the firlt City where this Difcipline was hatch'd, the' fince it hath lighted into Huckilers Hands. In thofe Days they magnified the Platform of Geneva^ tor the Pattern Jheived in the Mount. But there, the Presbyters at their admifTion take anOatl),

to

to obferve the Ecclefiafticaf Ordinances of the foTial], great and general Councils of that City. Can any Man be fo iiupid as to think, that the high Commif- fioners of Chrift Swear Fealty to the Burgers of Ge- r/eva? Now forfooth their. Difcipline is become the Scepter of Chrifi^ the Eternal Go/pel, (See how Sue- c^fs exalts Mens Defires and Demands.) . In good time, where did this Scepter lie hid for i 500 Years, that we cannot find the ieail Footftepsof it in the meaneO: Village of Chrillendom ? This World draws towards an end ; w^as this Difcipline fitted and con- trived for the World to come ? Or how fliould it be the Eternal Gofpcl ? When every Alan fees how different it is from it felf,in all Presbyterian Churches, adapted and accommodated to the Civil Policy of each particular place where it is admicted, except only ScotLt'/id^ where it comes in like a Conqueror, and makes the Civil Power Ifoop and ilrike Topfal to it. Certainly, if it be the Gofpel, it is the fifch Gof- pel, for it hath no kindred with the other. four.There is not a Text which they wrell againli Epifcopacy, but the Independants may with as much colour of Reafon and Truth, urge it againft their Presbyteries. Where doth the Gofpel diftinguiOi between tempo- rary and perpetual Rulers ? Between the Govern- ment "of a Perfon, and of aCorporation? There is not a Text which they produce for their Presbytery, but may with much more reafon be alledged for Epifcopacy, and more agreeable to the Andooy oj F/iith, to the perpetual prad:ice and belief of the Catholick Church, to the concurrent Expolitions ot all lnterprcters,and to the other Texts oliioly Scrip- ture ; for until this new Model was Yeltcrday devi- fcd, none of thole Texts were ever fo underilood. When thepraQice uflicrs in the Dcclrine, it is Vs^ry fufpicious, or rather evident, tliat the Scriprure wa>.

F nO'

not the Rule of their Reformation, but their fubfe- quent excufe. This (Jure Divino) is that which makes their Sore incurable, themfelves incorrigible, that they Father their own Brat upon God Almighty, and make this Mufliroom, which fprung but up the other Night, to be of Heavenly defcenr. It is juft like the Do£lrine of the Popes Infallibility, which fhuts the Door againft all hope of Remedy. How fhould they be brought to reform their Errors, who believe they cannot err, or they be brought to re- nounce their drowzy Dreams, who take it for grant- ed, that they are Divine Revelations !

And yet when that Wife Prince, Knig Jnmes, a A^.^-.o. 1596. little before the National AlTembly at Perth ^ Pub- liftied in Prmt 55 Articles or Queftions, concerning the uncertainty of this Difcipline, and the Vanity of their pretended Flea of Divine Rights and con- cerning the Errors and Abufes crept into it, for the better preparation of all Men to the enfuing Synod, that Minifters might ftudy the point before-hand,and fpeak to the purpofe ; they who flood aftefted to that way were extreamly perplexed. To give a par- ticular Account, they knew well it was impoftible ; but their chiefeft trouble was, that their foundation o\ Divine Right y which they had given out all this while to be a folid Rock, fhould come now to be qucftioned for a fhakingQiiagmire. yVnd fo without any oppofition they yielded the Bucklers. Thus it continued until thefe unhappy Troubles, when they itarted afide again like broken Bows. This Plant thnves better in the midft of Tumults, than in the Times of Peace and Tranquility. The EJm which Supports it, is a Fa6^ious Multitude, but a Prudent and Couragious Magiiirate nips it in the Bud.

CHAP.

r35;

CHAP. IX.

That this Difclpline makes a Moniker of the Common- wealth.

WE have feen how Pernicious this Difciph'ne (as it is maintained in ScotUnd^ and endeavoured to be introduced into England hy x\\q Covenant ) is to the Supreme xMagiflrate, how it Robs him of' his Supremacy in Ecclefiaftical Affairs, and of the laft Appeals of his own Subjects, that it exempt the Pres- byters from the Power of the Magiftrate, and fubjedls the Magiftrate to the Presbyters, that it retrains his Difpenfative Power of Pardoning, deprives him of the dependance of his Subjeds, that it doth Challenge and Ufurp a Power Paramount both of the Word and of the Sword, both of Peace and V/ar,over all Courts and Eftates, over all Laws Civil an^J Ecclefiaftical, n\ order to the advancement of the Kingdom ofChrift whereof the Presbyters alone are Conllitu ted Rulers by God, and all this by a pretended Divine Right, which takes away all hope of Remedy, until it be hilTed out of the World ; in a 'word, that it is the top- branch of Popery, a greater Tyranny, than ever Rome was guilty of. It remains to fhcw how difadvanta^ gious it is alfo to the Subjcd.

Firfi^ To tlie Common-wealth in general, which it makes a Monfl:<:r, like an Amphifcian, or a Ser- pent with two Heads, one at cither end. It makes a Co-ordination of Sovereignty in the fame Society^two Suprcams in the fame Kingdom or State, the one Civil, the other Ecclefiaftical, than which nothing can be more pernicious, either to the Confciences, or the Eftates of Subjedsjwlieo it falls out (as it often doth) that from thefe two Heads ilfue contrary com* mands, //" the Trumpet give an uncertain found, who i ^o^* H- S-

F 2 fjAll

ftjdt prepare him/elf to the Battle ? Much more when there are two Trumpets, and the one founds an Alarm, the other a Retreat. What jpriould the Poor Soldier do in* fiich k cafe ? Or, the Poor Subjetl in the other cafe ? "-If he obey the Civil Magiftrate, he is fore to be Excommunicated by the Church ; if he o- bey the Churchy he is fure to be Imprifoned by the Civil Magiftrate ; What fhall become of him ? I know 1 jTm. . 2s. ^"^^ Remedy,, biit accqrding to Solomonh Sentence, * the living Subjt&murt be divided into two, and the one half given to the one, and the other half, to the Other. For the Oracle of Truth hath fa id, that o;^e Ma?i cannot ferve two AU(ie.rs. But ii) Scotland everj Man mufl lerve two Mafters, and (which is worfe) many times difagreeing Mafcers. At the fame time the Civil Magiflrate hath comma nded the Feail of the Nativity of our Saviour to be obferved,and theChurch Iiath forbidden it. At the fame time the King hath Summoned the l^ifbops to Sit and Vote in Parliament, arid the Cliurch hath forbidden them. 158:, In the Year i 582. Monfieur le-Mot, a Knight of the

Order of the Holy Ghoftjwith an AlTociate, were fent Ambaffadorsfrom France- into Scotland : The Miniflers o( Edenhurgh approving not his MeiTage, (tho' meerly. Civil) inveigh in their Pulpits bitterly againfl him, calling his White Crofs the Badge of Anttchriji^ and him-> felf the Ambajjador of a Murtherer. The King was a- fhamed, but did not know how to help it ; The Am- balTadors were difcontented and defn ed to be gone ; The King willing to preferve the Ancient Amity be- tween the two Crowns, and. to difmifs the Amoafla- dors with Content, requires the xMagiflrates oi Eden. ^^rg/; to Feaft them at their departure; To they did. leb, 16, But to hinder this Feaft, upon t\\Q Sunday preceed- ing,the Minifters proclaim a Faft to be kept the fame Day the Feaft was appointed ; and to detain the Peo- ple

( 37 )

pie all day at Church; the three Preachers ma JiC^rir. caes' three Sermons^one after anothtr Without Intermifrion,^^'"'^' thundring out Curfes againft theiMagi'ftrates and No- ble-men which waited upon the Ambafladors by tlje King's Appointment. Neither ftaid they here, but purlued the Magiilrates with the Cenfures of the Church, for not obferving the Fad by them pro- claimed ; and \uth much difficulty were wrought to abftain from Excommunicating of them ; which Cen- fure, how heavy it falls in ScotUnd-^ you fhall fee by and by. To come yet nearer, the late Parliament in ScotLind iiijoyned Men to take up Arms for delivery of their King out of Prifon : The Commi/Tioners for the Aifembly difallowed it ; and at this prefent, How many are chafed out of their Country ? How many are put to publick Repentance in Sackcloth? How many are Excommunicated for being obedient to the Supreme Judicatory of the Kingdom, that is, King and Parliament? Miferable is the Condition of that People, where there is fuch Clafhingand Interfering of Supreme Judicatories and Authorities. If they fhall pretend that this was no Free Parliament: Firfl:,They affirm that which is not true; either that Parliament was Free, or what will become of the reft ? Secondly, This Plea will advantage them nothing ; for (which is ail one to the former) thus they make themfelves Judges of the Validity or Invalidity of Parliaments.

CHAP. X.

Ihxt this Difcipline is mofi Prejudicial to the Parliament.

FRom the Fifential Body of the Kingdom, we are to proceed to the Reprefentative Body,which is the Parliament. We have already feen, how it attri- butes a Power to National Synods to reft rain Parlia- ments,

( sM .

ments,and to abrogate their A£ls, If they Hiall judge them prejudicial to the Church. We need no other Inilance, to fhew what fmall Account Presbyteries do make of Parliaments, than the late Parliament in ScotLtnd. Notwithllanding that the Parliament had declared their Refolution To levy Forces vigoroujly^ mni that they did exfect^ 04 well from the Synods and PresbyPe^ rieSy as from aU other his ALtjefiy'^s good Subject s^ a ready Obedience to the Commands of Parliament^ and Committee ofEftates, ' The Commiitioners of the AlTembly not March 22. t fatisfied herewith, do not only make their Propo- ' fals, that the Grouiids of the War, and the Breaches

* of the Peace,might be cleared, that the Union of the ' Kingdoms might be preferved, that thePopifliand ' Preiatical Party might be fupprefs'd, that his Ma- ' jefty's Offers .concerning Religion might be declared ' Unfatisfadory ; that before his Majeliy's Relf itutioii ' to the Exercife of his Royal Power, he fliall firfl en-

* gage himfelf by folemn Oath under his Hand and

* Seal, to pafs AQ:s for the Settlement of the Cove-

* nant and Presbyterian Government in all his Domi- ' nions, &c. And never to oppofe them, or endeavour the Change of them. (An Ufurer will truft a Bank- rupt upon eafier Terms than they will do their Sove- reign.) ' And laftly,That fuch Perfons only might be Vintrulled, as had given them no caufeof Jealoufie,

* (which had been too much,and more than anyEftates

* in Europe will take in good part from half a dozen DicUr. < Minifl:ers.)But afterwards by their publick Declara- tion to the whole Kjrk and Kjngdom^ fet forth, that not being fatisfied in t hefeParttcu I ar s jt\\Q.y diO plainly dijjent and difagree, and declare that they are clearly per- pvaded in their Confciences^ that the Engagement is of dan- '^erom Confequence to true Religion^ prejudicial to the Li- berty of the JQrk, favourable to the malignant Par ty^ in- confiflent xvith-the Union of the Kjngdom^ contrary to the

Word

( 39 )

Word of God and the Covenant ^ wherefore they CAnnot allow either Mmijlers or Any other ]vhatfoever to concur and co- operate tn it^ and trust that they will keep themfelves free in this bufinefs^ and chufe Affliction lather than Iniquity. And to fay the Truth, they made their word good ; for by their Power over the Church-men,and by their In- fluence upon the People, and by threatning all thofe who engaged in that Adlion with the Cenfures of the Church, they retarded the Levies, they deterred all Preachers from accompanying the Army todoJDivine Offices. And when St. Peter''s Keys would not ferve the turn, they made ufe of St. PauPs Sword, and gathered the Country together in Arms at Machleene- Moore to o^^o^t the Expedition.

So if the High Court of Parliament will fet up Presbytery, they mufi: refolve to introduce an higher Court than themfelves, which will over- top them for Eminency of Authority, for Extent of Power, and Greatnefs of Privileges, that is, a National Synod.

Firfl: for Authority, The one being acknowledged to be but an Human Con^etition^ the other affirmed confidently to be a Divine Inflitution. The one fitting by vertueof the KJng^s Writ^ the other by vertue of God's Writ. The one as Cownf tilers of the Prince^ the other as Jln7hajfadors and Vicars of the Son cfGod. The one as Burgejfes of Corporations^ the other ^.sCommifJl- oners ofJefi^sChrisl. The one judging by the Law of the Land^ the other by the Holy Scriptures. The one taking care for this Temporal Life^ the other for Eter- nal Life.

Secondly for Power,.as Curtim faith, ''Chi Mult itu do vana Religione capta eJly meliusvatibus fuis quar» ducibus paret : Where the Multitude is led with Superllition, they do more readily obey their 'Prophets than their Magiftrates. Have they not reafon ? Pardon us O Mngiltratel Thou threacer'l^ n^ with Prifon, they

threaten

( \o )

threaten us with Hell Fire : Thy Sentence depr ives us of Civil Frotc£lion, and the Benefit of the Law, fo doth theirs indirecUji^ and withal makes us Strangers to the Common-\^aith on/rae/. Thou can'll: Out- law us, or Horn uf, and confifcate our Ellates, their Keys do the fame alfo by cof^fequeme^ and moreover deprive us of the Prayers of the Church, and the com- fortable Ufe of the Blelled Sacraments. Thou can'ft deliver us to a Purfei'afn^ or commit us to the Black Rod, thev can deliver us over to Satan^ and commit us to thePrince of Darknefs.

Thirdly for Priv,iIeges,The Privileges of F^irliamcnf extend not to Treafonj'.Fellony, or Breach of Peace, but they may talk Treafdn, and a6l Treafon, in their Pulpits and Synods, without controlmenr. They may fecurely commit not only PettiLtrciny but BurgUry,2im\ force the Doors of the Palace Royal. They may not only break the Peace, but convocate the Subjeds in Arms, yea, give Warrant to a particular Perfon, to convene them by his Letters Millives,according to his Difcretion, tp. order to Religion. Of all which we have {^^v\ Inftances in this Diicourfe. The Privileges of Parliaments are the Graces and Conceilions of Man, and may be taken away by Humane Authority ; but the Privileges of Synods they fay are from God, and cannot, without Sacrilege, be taken away by mor:al Man. The two Houfes of Parliament cannot name Commiflioners to fit in the Intervals, and take care, Ne quid Detrimenti capiat Refpuhlica^ that the Com- mon-wealth receive no Prejudice : But Synods have power to name Vicars General, or Commiflioners, to fie in the Intervals of SynoBs, and take order that neither King, nor Parliament, nor People, do incroach upon the Lihriies of the Church. If there be any thing to do, they are (like the Fox in /i^/c'/s Fables) fure to be in at one end of it.

CHAP.

( 4^ )

CHAP. XI.

ThAt this Difcipiine is opprejjivi to particular Per fans.

Towards particular Pcrfons this Difcipiine is too full of Rigour, like Draco's Laws that were written in Blood. Firft, In lefTer Faults, infliding^cot. Leit. Church Cenfures upon flight Grounds; As for an un-^* ^7»58. comely Gefture, for a vain Word, for Sufpition of Co- vetoufnefs or Pride,for Superfluity in Raiment, either ^flTj!^' for Cofl: or Fafhion; for keeping a Table above a Man's Calling or Means, orDanceing at a Wedding, or of Servants in the Streets; for wearing a Man's Hair A-U-mode, for not paying of Debts, for ufing the leafl: Recreation upon the Sabbath, tho' void of Scan- dal, and confillent with the Duties of the Day. T wifli they were acquainted with the Fradife of all other Protefl-ant Countries. But if they did but fee one of thofe Skirmifhes which are obferved in fome Places, the Pulpit, the Confiftory, the whole Kingdom would not be able to hold them. What Digladiations have there been among fome of their Sed about Starch and Cuffs, &c. juft like thofe grave Debates which were fometimes among the Franctfcans^ about the Colour and Fafhion of their'Gowns? They do not allow Men a Latitude of Difcretion in any thing. All Men, even their Superiors, mull be their Slaves or Pupils. It is true,they begin their Cenfures v/ith Admonition, and if a Man will confefs himfelf a Dehnquent, be forry for giving the Presbyters any Oflence, and con- form himfelf in his Hair, Apparel, Diet, every thing, to what thefe rough-hcwen ildto's fhall prelcribe, he may efcape t/je Stcol cf RepeKta?jceyOthQi'\vi{Q they will proceed againft him for Contumacy, to Excommu- nication.

Secondly, This Difcipiine is opprcfTive in greater

G " Vaults:

( 4^ J

Faults; The fame Man is puniflied twice for the fame Crime, firll by theMagiftrate according to theLaw& of God and the Land, for the OfFence ; then by the Cenfures of the Church, for the Scandal. To this

iteor. 6i. agrees their Synod, Nothing forbids the ftjne Vault in the fame Man ^ to be pw/jifloed one way bj the political Poiver^ another way by the Ecclejiajiical ; by that under the Forma^ iity of a Crime with corporal or pecuniary Punijhrnenty by thts under the For^^iality of Scandal with Spiritual Cen- fures. xA.nd their Book of DifcipUne, If the Civil Sword fool ijjjlyfp are the Life of the Offender ^ yet may not the Kjrk

lEookg.kad.-l^g negligent in their Office, Thus their Liturgy in ex-

^' ^^" prefs terms, AllCrimes^ which by the Law of God defewe

Deaths deferve alfo Excommunication, Yea, the' an Offender abide an Afrize,and be abfolved by the fame, yet may the Church injoyn him publick Satisfaction,.

scotHt.4^, Or if the Magiftrate fhall not think fit in his judg- ment, or cannot in confcience profecute the Party upon the Churches Intimation , the Church may ad- 47' monifh the Magifirate publickly. And if no Remedy be found, excommunicate the Offender, firjlfor his Crime^ and then for being fufpe5ted to have corrupted the 'Judge, Obferve firft, that by hook or crook they will bring all Crimes whatfoever, great or fmall, within their Jurifdiction. Secondly, Obferve that a Delinquent's Trial for his Life, is no fuiHcient Satisfaction to thefe third Cato's, Laflly, Obferve, that to fatisfie their own Humour, they care not how they blemifh publickly the Reputation of the Magiftrate upon frivolous Con- jedures.

Thirdly, Add to this which hath been faid, the Severity and extream Rigour of their Excommuni- cation ; After which Sentence, No Per/on (his Wife and Family only excepted) may have any kind of Con- , ,.. 've'/ fat ion with him that is excommunicate^ they may not eat

7. hiU. ' ^ith him J nor drink with him^ nor buy with him^ nor fell

with

( 43 )

rvith him ; they may not falute hiniy nor fpeak to him^ [ex- cept it be by the Licenfe of the Presbytery:] HtsChtL dreriy begotten and born after that Sentence^ and before his Reconciliation to the Churchy may not be admitted to Bap» tifm^ until they be of Age to require tt^ or the Mother, or fomefpecial Fnend, being a Member of the Church, frefent the Child, abhorring and damning the Iniquity and obflt- nate Contempt of the Father. Add further, that upoa .this Sentence, Letters of Horning (as they ufc to call them in Scotland^) do follow of courfe, that is, an Out- lawing of the Party, a Confifcation of his Goods, a putting him out of the King's Protedlion, {o as any Man may. kill him and be unpunifli'd ; yea, the Party excommunicated, is not fo much as cited to hear thoje fatal Letters granted. Had not David reafon to pray, Let me fall into the Hands of the Lord, not into the Hands 5 5 Anku, of Men, for thetr Mercies are cruel. Cruel indeed, that *')9^« when a Man is profecuted for his Life, perhaps jufi:ly, perhaps unjuftly, fo as Appearing and Hanging are to him in effed the fame thing ; yet if he appear not,this pitiful Church will Excommunicate him for Contu- macy : Whether the Offender be convict in 'Judgment, or c^o^^ Lit4o, be fugitive from the Law, the Church ought to proceed to^ the Sentence of Excommunication, As if the juft and evident fear ofDeath,did not purge awayContumacy.

CHAP. XII.

That this Difcipline is hurtful to all Orders of Men,

LAftly, This Difcipline is burthenfome and difad- vantageous to all Orders of Men. The Nobility and Gentry mufl: expe£l to follow the Fortune of their Prince. Upon the Abatement of Monarchy in Rome, remember what difmal Controverfies did prefently fpring up between the Putricit and PUbei, They fliall

G 2 be

c t *mm f • isist.t^i^*.

r r f f c € 4mk» i ^.i •^ :f < c f ft « «i|3L« •-•*•

c f r f « « f •lijyi. «.«. f f f f « « • « •^i^'r*-*.'

f f C t f f ««.«•.•.•-•.

f f )i f « « I t t •

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I

( 4+ )

be Aib)e£led to the Cenfures of a raw heady Novice, and a few ignorant Artificers ; they fhall lole all their Advowfons of fuch Benefices as have Cure of Souls, (as they have lately found in ScotUneP) for every Con- greg.itton ought to cboofe their ojvpj Pajlor, They fhall hazard their Appropriations and Abbey-Lands: A Sacrilege which their National Synod cannot in con- fcience tolerate, longer than they have Strength fuffi- cient to overthrow it. And if they proceed as they begin, the Presbyters will in a fliort time either ac- complifh their Defign, or change their Soyle. They fliall be bearded and maited by every ordinary Pres- byter, witnefs that infolent Speech of Mr. Robert Bruce to King James ; ^'/V, / fee your Kefolution is to take Huntley /> Favour; if you do, Iwilloppofe: Tou fhall choofe whether you will lofe Huntley or me ; for us both you cannot keep. It is nothing with them, for a Pedant to put himfelf into the Ballance with one of the prime and moft powerful Peers of the Realm.

The poor Orthodox Clergy in the mean time fliall be undone, their Straw fhall be taken from them, and the Number of their Bricks be doubled : They fliall lofe the comfortable Ailurance of an undoubted Suc- ceflion by Epifcopal Ordination, and put it to a dan- gerous Quefbion, Whether they be within the Pale of the Church ? They fhall be reduced to Ignorance, Contempt, and Beggery : They fhall lofe an ancient" Liturgy, (warranted in the moft parts of it by all, in all parts of it by the moft publick Forms of the Pro- teftant Churches, whereof a fhort time may produce a Parallel to the View of the World,) and be enjoy ned to prate and pray Nonfence everlaftingly. For how- foever formerly they have had a Liturgy of their own, as all other Chrifiian Churches have at thts day ; yet now, ^._ it feems, they allow no Prayers, but £jc^£'«2/'c»r^ry. So tanic"Ci^7ii ^aith the Information from ScQtUndy Wis not lawful

for

Motus Bri-

^Ar

V ^^

It It

•■••■.•-**•-*-• • • I t • I I I I i ■ 1 1 % %% ' '•■•■-•.■^i^ • § • • » I » I I 1 i t I'l'i',^*'-*^.

:a

I

, (45 )

for A Man to tye himfelf^ or be tjed by others^ to a Pre- fcript Form of Words in Prayer and Exhort atto/7.

Parents fhalllofe the free Diipofition of their own Children in Marriage, * if the Child defire an Hus- ^ band or a Wife, and the Parent gainfland their Re- , ^^^i Jtu,

* quell:, and have no other caufe than the common of 9. //J/.'' ' Men have, to wit, lack of Goods, or becaufe the

* other Party is not of Birth high enough, upon the

* Childs defire, the Minifter is to Travail with the

* Parents, and if he f»d no ]ufl Caufe to the contrarjy may admit them to Marriage. For the Work of God ought not to be hindred by the corrupt Affeciiom of Worldly Men. They who have ftripped the Father of their Country of his juft. Right, may make bold with Fathers of FamiUes, and will not flick to exclude all other Fa- thers,but themfelves out of the Fifth Commandment. The Dodrine is very high, but their pradice is yet much more high. The Presbyteries will compel the wronged Parent to give that Child as great a Portion as any of his other Children.

It will be ill News to the Lawyers to have the Moulter taken away from their Mills upon pretence of Scandal, or in order to Rehgion, to have their Sentences repealed by a Synod of Presbyters, and to receive more Prohibitions from Ecclefialtical Courts, than ever they fent thither.

All Makers and Miflreffes of Families^ of what Age or i Boct, ii^. Condition foever^ mujl come once a Fear before the Pres- ^' ^^*^' bjter, rvith their Houjholdsy to be examined Perfo^ally whether they be fit to recieve the Sacrament^ in refpeci of their IQjoirledge, and othenvife. And if they fuffer their Children or Servants to continue in wilful Ignorance ( what if they cannot help it ? ) they mu[i be Excom- municated. It is probable, the Perfons Catecliifed could often better inftrud their Catechifts.

The common People fhall have an High-Commif-

fion

'J«X

if:r

9a IkK

(H)

be fubjeded to the Cenfures of a raw heady Novice, and a few ignorant Artificers ; they fhall lofe all their Advowfons of fuch Benefices as have Cure of Souls^ (as they have lately found in ScotUnd) for every Con- gregatio/i ought to cboofe their orvrt Pajlor. They fhall hazard their Appropriations and Abbey-Lands : A Sacrilege which their National Synod cannot in con- fcience tolerate, longer than they have Strength fuffi- cient to overthrow it. And if they proceed as they begin, the Presbyters will in a fhort time either ac- complifh their Defign, or change their Soyle. They fliall be bearded and maited by every ordinary Pres- byter, witnefs that infolent Speech of Mv. Robert Bruce to King James ; ^ir, I fee your Kefolution is to take Huntley /;^ Favour; if you do, Iwilloppofe: To u fhall choofe n'hether you will lofe Huntley or me ; for us both you cannot keep. It is nothing with them, for a Pedant to put himfelf into the Ballance with one of the prime and moft powerful Peers of the Realm.

The poor Orthodox Clergy in the mean time fliall be undone, their Straw fhall be taken from them, and the Number of their Bricks be doubled : They fliall lofe the comfortable AlTurance of an undoubted Suc- ceflion by Epifcopal Ordination, and put it to a dan- gerous Queflion, Whether they be within the Pale of the Church ? They fliall be reduced to Ignorance, Contempt, and Beggery : They fliall lofe an ancient" Liturgy, (warranted in the moft parts of it by all, in all parts of it by the moft publick Forms of the Pro- teftant Churches, whereof a fliort time may produce a Parallel to the View of the World,) and be enjoyned to prate and pray Nonfence everlaftingly. For how- foever formerly they have had a Liturgy of their own, as all other Chriftian Churches have at this day ; yet now, u tvi Brl- ^^ ^^^"^5» they allow no Prayers, but £jc/f»^/'c>r^r/. So tanicKi7ii ^aith the Information frojn Scotland^ Wis not lawful for

. (45 )

for A M^in to tye himfelf^ or be tjed by others^ to a Pre- fcript Form of Words in Prayer and Exhortation.

Parents ihall lofe the free Difpofition of their own Children in Marriage, * if the Child defire an Hus- ' band or a Wife, and the Parent gainftand their Re- , ^^^^^ ^^^

* quefl:, and have no other caufe than the common of 9. m\L

* Men have, to wit, lack of Goods, or becaufe the ^ other Party is not of Birth high enough, upon the

* Childs defire, the Minifter is to Travail with the ' Parents, and // he fnd no jujt Caufe to the contrary^ may admit them to Marriage. For the Work of God ought not to he kindred by the corrupt Affeciions of Worldly Men» They who have ftripped the Father of their Country of his juft. Right, may make bold with Fathers of Families, and will not ftick to exclude all other Fa- thers,but themfelves out of the Fifth Commandment. The Do£lrine is very high, but their pradice is yet much more high. The Presbyteries will compel the wronged Parent to give that Child as great a Portion as any of his other Children.

It will be ill News to the Lawyers to have the Moulter taken away from their Mills upon pretence of Scandal, or in order to Religion, to have their Sentences repealed by a Synod of Presbyters, and to receive more Prohibitions from Ecclefialticai Courts, than ever they fent thither.

All Maflers and Miftrejfes of Families^ of what Age or i Soct, iif. Condition foever J mujl come once a Tear before the Pres- ^' ^^^^* bjter, rvith their Houfholds^ to be examined Perfo^ally rvhether they be fit to recieve the Sacrament^ in rejpeci of their IQjoivledge, and otherrvife. And if they fuffer their Children or Servants to continue in wilful Ignorance ( what if they cannot help it ? ) they mufi be Excom- municated. It is probable, the Perfons Catediifed could often better inftru£l their Catechifts.

The common People ihall have an High-Commif-

fion

( 46 )

{fion in every Parlfh, and groan under the Arbitrary Decrees of Ignorant, Unexperienced Governors, who know ao Law buc their own Wills, who obferve no Order but what they lift ; from whom lies no Appeal but to a Synod, which for the fliortnefs of its conti- nuance can afford, which for the Condition of the Perfons will afford them little Relief. If there ;arife a private Jar between the Parent and the Child, or the Husband and the Wife, thefe Domeftical Judges muff know it, and Cenfure it.

Scire volunt fecreta domuSj at que ifide timeri.

And if there have been any Suit or Difference be- tween the Paftor and any of his Flock, or between Neighbour and Neighbour, befure it will not be for- gotten in the Sentence. The- Practice of our Law hath been, that a Judge was rarely permitted to ride a Circuit in his own Country, left private Intereft or Refpeds might make him Partial. Yet a Country is much larger than a Parifli, and a grave Learned Judge is prefumed to have more Temper than fuch Home-bred Fellows. Thus we fee what a Pandora's Box this pretended Holy Difcipline is, full of mani- fold mifchiefs,and to allOrders of Men moft pernicious.

CHAP. XIIL

That the Covenant to introduce this Difcipline is void and Wickedy with afljort Conclufwn.

BUT yet the Confcience of an Oath fticks deep. Some will plead, that they have made a Cove- nant with God, for the Introduftion of this Difci- pline. Oaths and Vows ought to be made with great Judgment, and broken with greater. My next Task therefore muft be todemonftrate this clearly ,that this

Covenant

. r 47 )

Covenant Is not binding, but meerly void, and not only void but wicked ; fo as it is nccelTary to break it, and impious to obferve it.

The firll thing that cracks the Credit of this New Covenant is, that it was devifed by Strangers, to the difhonour of our Nation, impufed by Subjeds, who wanted Requifite Power upon their Sovereign and Fellow Subjeds, extorted by jufl Fear of unjuft Suf- ferings. So as a Man may truly fay of many who took this Covenant, that they finned m pronouncing the words with their Lips, but never confented with their Hearts to make any Vow to God.

Again, Error and Deceit make thofc things volun- tary to which they are incident, efpecialiy when the Error is not meerly Negative by way of a Conceal- mrnt of Truth, when a Man knows not v/hat he doth, but Pofitive, when he believes he doth ore thing, and doth the clean contrary, and that not about fome in- confiderable Accidents, but about the Subltantial Conditions. As if a Phyfician, either out of Igno- rance or Malice,fhould give his Patient a deadly Poy- ion under the Name of a Cordial, and bind him by a Solemn Oath to take it, the Oath is void, neceilary to be broken, unlawful to be kept ; if the Patient had known the Truth, that it was no Cordial, that it was Poyfon, he would not have Sworn to take it. Such an Error there is in the Covenant with a Wit- nefs, to gull Men with a ftrange, unknown, lately devifed Platform of Difcipline, mofl: pernicious to the King and Kingdom, as if it were the very Inftitution ofChriil) of high advantage to the King and King- dom, to gull them with that Covenant which King James did fometimes take, as if that and this were all one, whereas that Covenant iflued out by the King's Authority, this Covenant without his Authority, a- gainft his Authority ; that Coveoant was for the

Laws

f 4S )

Lawsof the Realm, this is againfl: the Laws of the Realm ; that was to maintain the Religion Eftab- hfhed, this to overthrow the Religion EftabUflicd : But becaufe I will not ground my Difcourfe upon any thing that is Difputable, either in matter of R/g/?/^, or Faci \ And in Truth, becaufe I have no need of them, I forgive them thefe advantages, only with this gentle Memento^ That when other Foreign Churches, and the Q\iMXQ\\.Q{ ScotUnd'ii felf(as appears by their publick Liturgy ufed in thofe Days) did Sue for Aid and AlTiftance from the Crown and Kingdom of EngUni^ they did not go about to obtrude their own Difcipline upon them, but left them free to choofe for themfelves.

The Grounds which follow are demondrative ; Firft, no Man can difpofe that by Vow, or o^ucrwife, either to God or Man, which is the Right of a third Perfon without his Confent : Neither can the inrenor oblige himfelf to the prejudice of his Superior, con- trary to his Duty, without his Superiors allowance ; God accepts no fuch Pretences, to feem obfequious to him, out of the undoubted Right of another Per- fon. Now the Power of Arms, and the Defence of the Laws, and Protection of the Subjedls by thofe ArmSjis by the Law o^EngUnd, clearly invefted in the Crown. And where the King is bound in Confcience to Proted, the Subject is bound in Confcience to af- fift. Therefore every Englifh Subjedl owes his Arms and his Obedience to his King, and cannot difpofe them as a free Gift of his own ; nor by any aQ: of his whatfoever, diminiih his Sovereigns Right over him, but in thofe things wherein by Law he owes fubje- ftion to his Prince, he remaineth Hill obliged, not- withftanding any Vow or Covenant to the contrary ; efpecially when the SubjeiQ: and Scope of the Cove- nant isagainft the known Laws of the Realm. So

as

( ^9 )

as without all manner of doubt,no Dime or Learned Cafuift in the World Diffenting. This Covenant is ei- ther void in it felf, or at leafl: voided by his Majefties Proclamation, prohibiting the taking of it, and nulli- fying its Obligation.

Secondly, It is confefled by all Men, that an Oath ought not to be the Bond of Iniquity, nor doth oblige a Man to be a Tranfgreiror. The Golden Rule is tn matis fromiffis refcinde jidem^ in turpi 'voto mutu decre- turn, To obferve a Wicked Engagement doubles the Sin : Nothing can be the matter of a Vow or Cove- nant, which is evidently unlawful. But it is evidently unlawful for a Subjedl or Subje£ls to alter the Laws Eftablifhed by Force, without the Concurrence, and againft the Commands of the SupreamLegiflator for the Introdudion of a Foreign Difciphne. This is the very Matter and Subject of the Covenant. Subjects Vow to God, and Swear one to another, to change theLawsof the Realm, to abolijGb the Difcipline of the Church, and the Liturgy lawfully Eftablifhed, by the Sword, (which was never committed to their Hands by God or Man) without the King, ao-ainft the King, which no Man can deny in Earnell'to be plain Rebellion. Anditis yet worfe, that it is to the main prejudice of a third Order of the Kingdom, the taking away whofe Rights without their^Confents, without making them Satisfa£lion,cannot be juflified in point of Confcience. (Yea tho' it were for the greater convenience of the Kingdom, as is moft falfly pretended.) And is harder meafure than the Abbots and Friars received from Hf;iT)' the Eighth, or than either Chriftians or Turks do offer to their Conquered Enemies.

Lafily^ A Supervenient Oath or Covenant either with God or Man, cannot take away the Obligation ofajuft Oath precedent. But fucli is the Covenant, a

fubfequent Oath, iiiconfiRent with, and deftruQive to a precedent Oath, that is the Oath of Supremacy^ which all the -Church-Men throughout the King- dom, all the Parliament-Men at their ad million to the Houfe, all Perfons of Quality throughout E?7gUnd have taken. The former Oath acknowledgeth the King to be the Odj Su^ream Head,(that is Civil Head, to fee that every Man do his Duty in his Calling) and Governour of the Church of EngLvM. The Se- cond Oath or Covenant, to fet up the Presbjterim Government as it is in <Sc^/"/^;^^, denieth all this vir- tually, makes it a Political Papacy, acknowledgeth no Governors but only the Presbyters, The former Oath gives the King the Supream Power over all Perfons in all Caufes, The fecond Oath gives him a Power over all Perfons, (as they are Subjects,) but none at all in EcclefiaiHcal Caufes. This they make to be Sacriledge.

By all which it is mofi: apparent, that this Cove- nant was neither free nor deUberate, nor valid, nor lawful, nor confiftent with our former Oaths, but in- forced, deceitful, invalid, impious, rebellious, and contradictory to our former Ingagements, and confe- quently obligeth no Man to Performance^but all Men to Repentance. For the greater certainty whereof I AppealjUpon this (iating of the Cafe,to all the Learn- ed Cafuifts and Divines in Europe^ touching the point of common Right ; And that this is the true ftate of the Cafe,I Appeal to our Adverfaries themfelves. No Man that hath any fpark of Ingenuity will deny it. Ko Englifh-Man who hath any tolerable degree of judgment,or Knowledge in the Laws of his Country can deny it, but at the fame Inilant his Confcience muft give him the Lie.

They who plead for this Rebellion, dare not put it to a Trial at Law, they do not ground their De- fence

( 51 ;

fence upon the Laws, but either upon their own groundlefs Jealoufies and Fears, of the King's Inten- tion to introduce Popery, to fubvert the Laws, and to enflave the People. This is to run into a certain Crime, for fear of an Uncertain.

They who intend to pick Quarrels, know how to feign Sufpicions. Or they ground it upon the Succefs of their Arms,or upon the Sovereign Right of the People, overall Laws and iVIagifl:rates,whofeReprefentatives they create themfelves, whillf the poor People figh in corners, and dare not fay their Soul is their own, lamenting their former Folly, to have contributed fo much to their own Undoing.

Or laftly upon Religion^ the Caufe of God,the worfl Plea of all the relf ,to make God Jccejfa-ry to their Trea- fons^Murthers^Couetoufnefs^Ambition, Chrift did never authorifeSubjedls to plant Chriftian Religion, much lefs their own fanatical Dreams,or fa ntaflical Devices, in the Blood of their Sovereign, and Fello w-fubjeCts.

Speak out. Is it lawful for Subjects to take up Arms againft their Prince meerlj for Religion ? Or, Is it not lawful ? If ye fay it is not lawful, ye condemn your lelves, for your Covenant teftifieth to the World, that ye have taken up Arms, meetly to alter Religion : and that ye bear no Allegiance to your King, but only m order to Religion ; that is, in plain terms, to your own Humours and Conceits. If ye fay it is lawful, ye juftifie the Independents I'd England, for fupplanting your felves, ye juftilie the Anahapifis in Germany, John of Leiden and his Crew. Ye break down the Banks of Or- der, and make way for an Inundation of Blood and Confufion in all Countries. Ye render your felves julHy Odious to allChriftian Magilf rates, when they fee, that they owe their S^ifety not to yo\M' goodWiHs, but to your Weaknefs^m^it ye want fufficient Strength to cut their Throats. This is fineDo<5trine iov Europe,

wherein

( 5^ )

wherein there is fcarce that King or State,which hath not Subjeds of different Opinions and Communions in Religion. Or laftly, If ye fay, It is lawful for you to plant that which je apprehend to be true Religion by force of Arms ; but it is not lawful for others to plant that which r/;^' apprehend to be true Religion by Force, becaufe yours is the Gofpel^ theirs is fjot. Te kg the Quefiion^ and make your felves ridiculoufly Partial by your over-weening Opinion , worfe than that of the Men of China, as if ye only had two Eye§, and all the reft of the World were ftark Blind.Tliere is more hope of a Fool, than of him that is wife la his own

Eyes.

.1 would to God we might be fo Iiappy, as to fee a General Council of Chrilt:ans,at ieail a General Synod of all Proteftants, and that'the tirll: AQ: might be, to denounce an JnathemA Maranathaya.g3.ini^ all Broachers and Maintainers of Seditious Principles, to takeaway the Scandal which lies upon Chriftian Relig'on, and to fhew that fn the Search of Piety, we have not loft the Principles of Humanity. In the mean time, let all ChriftianMagiftrateSjWho are prmcipally concerned, beware how they fuffer this Cockatrice Egg to be hatchd in their Dominions. Much more how they plead for Baal, or Baal-Berith, the Baalims of theCo- ■^enant. It were worth the inquiring, whether the Marks oi Antic hnfi do not agree as eminently to the AfTembly General o^ Scotland, as either to the Pope, or to the Turk : This we fee plainly, that they fpring out of the Ruins of the Civil Magiftrate, they fit upon the Temple of God, and they advance themfelves above thofe whom Holy Scripture calleth Gods.

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