The Speech of the Kirk of Scotland to Her Beloved Children

THE KIRK OF CHRIST IN SCOTLAND TO HER DEARLY beloved Children, wisheth purity and peace.

A S I your loving mother fearing to be finally deserted of my glorious Spouse the Lord Jesus, and to be childless hereafter, have weeped sore in the night this time bypast my tears are on my cheeks; Among all my lovers few to comfort me, my friends have dealt treacherously with me, they are become my enemies, Lament. 1. 2. So would ye my dear children dolefully cry out: The joy of our heart is ceased, our dance is turned into mourning, the crown is fallen from our heads, woe unto us that we have sinned, Lament. 5. 15. 16. If ye were touched with the sense and feeling of your present estate, and could by the thick shadows of this evening be brought to consider the comfortless desolation of that approaching night of darkness, after so bright a day of visitation. But so much the more dangerous is defection, and the mystery of iniquity the more pernicious, that it proceeds from so subtle beginnings as to your simplicity ar almost insensible.

It is not time then for me your dolorous mother to keep silence. But love and fear press me to put you in mind, that it hath been in all ages the holy disposition & happy practice of all God's people waiting for the appearing of Jesus their Lord, tēdring the weal of his spouse, and taking to heart the eternal salvation of their own souls; to set continually before their eyes. 1. His inaestimable goodness towards his Kirk. 2. Her case and condition, while she is militant here on earth. And 3. in consideration of the one and the other, the duty required and expected at their hands, wherthrough in the goodness of God they have been safe from that dreadful ruin, that hath overtaken the wicked. And which I wish you my beloved children to escape by calling to mind in like manner at this time of your danger and my distress. First how wonderful the Lord's mercies have been towards me his Kirk in this nation. Secōdlie my present case crying with the complaints of a mother for help at your hands. And thirdly what is due from your affection, places, and callings to me, in whose womb ye were conceived, and by whose care ye are brought up to that which ye now are. That whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, it may be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven. For why should he be wroth against the realm of the King and his sons, Ezra 7. 23. And that Christ may say to me yet once again: Thou art beautiful my love as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. Cant. 6. 3. Words and motions of this sort as they have been, so they will be but oil to feed the fire of the fury of such incēdiaries, as make their own earthly particulars their highest projects; for the wicked shall do wickedly and none of them shall understand; yet by the grace of God many shall be purified and tried & the wise shall understand. The greatest wisdom of the greatest of you in other matters; and your gracious countenance towards me, and the meanest of your brethren at other times, suffereth me not to doubt of your audience of any message or motiō from heaven; but especially be my mouth, which may either dis cover, or prevent any spiritual or temporal danger. Now the spirit of wisdom and knowledge give unto yow all wise hearts, that in the sight of God ye trying things that differ may approve things excellent (which is above the reach of the natural man) that ye may be sincere & without offense till that day of Christ your Lord & mine.

THe riches of the unsearchable favors of my spouse towards me have been so great, he hath made his glory to dwell so sensibly in this land, that I may bouldlie say, Mercy and truth righteousness and peace had never since Christ's coming in the flesh a more glorious meeting, & amiable embracing on earth, then ye have seen amongst yourselves in the roughe end of this northern Yland: which therefore hath justly obtained (to my no small comfort) a great name among the chief Kirks and Kingdoms in the World. A people that sat in darkness hath seen a great light, and to them who sat in the region of death light is sprung up. To what nation under heaven (when now the sun of righteousness hath shined upon the most part of the world) hath the Lord communicated the Gospel for so large a time, with such purity, fullness, prosperity, power, liberty and peace. The hottest persecutions had never greater purity, and power; the most halcyon heretical times had never more prosperity and peace; the best reformed Kirks in other places can hardly parallel your fullness and liberty. And all these with such continuance, that not only hath he made the truth to stay with you, as he did the sun in the days of Joshua; but when the cloud of your iniquities did hasten it to go down, in his mercy hath he brought back the glorious sun by many degrees as in the times of Hezekiah. Oh that ye had known the long pleasant day of your visitation, and in this your day the things belonging unto your peace. Christ hath not only been one, & his name one, in respect of his prophetical office for your information, of his priesthood for the expiation of your sins, and intercession for you: but also hath displayed his banners; and hath shown himself (few can say the like) a sovereign King in our Land, to govern you with his own scepter erected in his Word, to cut off with his sword all monuments of Idolatry, and superfluity of pompous ceremonies; & to restore all the means of his worship in Word, Sacraments and discipline to the holy simplicity and integrity of the first pattern shown in the mount; frō the which, by that wisdom of man which is ever foolishness with God, they had fearfully and shamefully swerved.

The sincerer sort of the bordering nations about you, have been so ravished with that beauty of the Lord upon your Zion, with that crown of glory and rich diademe by the hand of our God set upon your heads, that they have made you the meath of there religious wishes: they have with vehement desires longed to see the things that ye have seen. And have not spared to profess, that in your case, they would rather suffer themselves to be dissolved, then that one pin of that holy Tabernacle so divinelie compacted should be loosed.

Within and amongst yourselves that purity of profession received universallie with so full consent, that Prince and Peers, Pastors and people were all for Christ, one heart & one soul of these who believed, with such evidences of God's favor that the windows & gates of heaven seemed to be opened, to rain down upon this Land spiritual gifts to save you, as sometime they had been ready to pour down rain to destroy the world, every hand almost received some gift, and every head crowned with some grace, with such success that it brought a rare unity, prosperity, & peace upon Kirk & common wealth. With such power and presence of the spirit of God in converting, comforting & confirming his people that Satan was seen fall like lightening from heaven, the infidel and unbeliever casting himself down on his face, and confessing that undoubtedlie God was amongst yow, and in the midst of your meetings, as the souls of his own secret ones can best bear witness, who have been most submitted to that holy and happy simplicity, the effects whereof yet remaining in the harts of many, all worldly power be it never so violent sall not be able to remove it.

And with such terror from God and the Kings Laws, that ye wanted not your Theodosians publicly humbling themselves. The hardest hearted and haughtiest were made to stoup. The Atheist either changed in heart, or in countenance, and forced to play the hypocrite, the proudest papist, either made like you, or made to leave you. Heresy never hatched within your walls, and the Babylonish brood of schism in the infancy till this time was dashed against the stōes. Ye sought not then (my dere children) with John and James like great Princes one to sit on the right hand, another on the left; nor to be busked with earthly glory and Persian pomp, better beseeming the kings of the world, then the kingdom of Christ. The Carbuncles, the Sapphires, the Emeraulds, the Chrysolites; the gold, the precious stones, wherewith my foundation, walls, windows, gates were set and adorned, were out of the Lord's own thesaurie. Your ambition was then set upon spiritual glory, the conquest of syn and Satan by the powerful purity of the Word, Sacraments, and discipline. The joy of your souls was to see Christ reigning in the midst of his enemies, his sword dividing the father from the son, and the son from the father: yea & a man frō himself, parting the soul and the spirit, the joints and the marrow, and ending in glory to God, and peace upon earth. Then were the tabernacles of God amiable; then provoked ye one another with cheerfulness to go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob: ye were sure there to learn his ways, and how to walk in his paths. Then found ye the Lord his glory filling his Sanctuary, and one of the largest springs of the blood of Christ from Eden watering the city of God, and glaiding your souls wearied with sin. This was my beauty so truly glorious in the sight of God and his Angels that all the glory of this life is unworthy to enter in comparison with it. Better to you to have this glory under a crown of thorns with our Savior, in a chain with Paul, in the Lions den with Daniel, then all the splendor of Tiberius, of Nero, of Darius, wherewith the weak eyes of the world are dazzled, and pitifullie (to my great grief) bewitched.

And surely your forgetful ingratitude were inexpiable, if with the mater ye remembered not the finger of God wonderfully working in the means of that glorious reformation. We have to regrate that the Atheism of these dregs of times and manners is become so gross, that all events now are sacrilegiously ascribed to second causes. If Naaman his cure, or Anna her fruitfulness, or the Egyptiā or Babylonian liberty had fallen out in these godless times, it had been counted foolishness and simplicity of men over religious, upon the ignorance of alterations wrought by nature, or policy, to attribute them to God. Yet God is the Lord; Of him and through him and for him are all things. Ezrah, Nehemiah, and the godly of that time acknowledge no less the wonderful working of God in their redemption from the bondage of Babylon, then their fathers did their deliverance out of Egypt, Although the power of God was not so miraculous in the one, as in the other. Consider a little, and mark the constitution of the time before this reformation was wrought, the grandeur, pride, & insolencies of my office bearers thē; the averse disposition & induration of the personages both at home & abroad, upon whom in man's eyes it did depend; the heathenish darkness of idolatry and palpable blindness of superstition, wherein the multitude was wrapped, and ye shall be forced to say, that he who would have intended a change of religiō, might have received that despairing answer, which a man of great spirit and place, an enemy of Romish pride, and a desirer of reformation gave concerning Luther's purpose. Brother, brother go to your cloister and say have mercy on me ô God. All seen second causes were posting on in a contrary course; or if any possibility of alteration could have been imagined, what hope could there have been thereof, except it had been wrought with the edge of the sword bathed in blood: as Grostead the hammer of Rome said a little before his death. Yet (to the endless praise and wonderful goodness and wisdom of our God be it remembered) the great work was so singularly brought about and perfected, that almost without blood, except the blood of a few martyrs, (wherein through the same wisdom and goodness, for commending and ratifying the truth, the mouth of the sword of persecutors was dipped,) the whole body and shadow, substance and ceremonies, root and branches of Romish Idolatry were at once cut off.

Thus by reason of the wonderful manner of God's working, of my own feeling, and yours of the wonders wrought amongst you, and of the testimony of others both friends and foes about us, may not ye with one voice say and sing with the Kirk, Psal. 126. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dreamed, then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing; Then said they among the heathen the Lord hath done great things for them, the Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad.

And would God as your deliverance was in many things like that of Israel; so your infidelity and unthankfulness were not like theirs; there arose another generation which knew not the Lord, nor yet the work which he had done for Israel. A generation not only unthankful, but contumelious against that glorious work of God & worthy instruments thereof, and therefore ready to bless that which the Lord hath cursed, and to build that which he hath destroyed. For is there not start up of late within my skirts a new sect of shameless misshapen formalists (my indignation cannot bear such monsters) who blush not to join with my enemies the papists in breathing out reproachful obloquies against your reverend fathers and brethren, Calvin, Beza, Knox etc. as though their zeal against Romish idolatry (the deformities whereof by new colors are now beginning to seem beauties) had been excessive; and by disparaging their credit to bring the truth preached by them in suspicion, and that glorious work of reformatiō, wherein they were so worthy instruments into question. He that is the keeper of Israel vindicate his own cause from the blasphemous mouth, and uncouth stratagem of this generation of vipers.

Finally that the Lord might show▪ that he left nothing undone; have ye not experienced the blessing of Abraham; hath he not blessed them who blessed you, and cursed them who cursed you; he hath been not only our sun, but our shield. What instrument framed against you hath prospered? What tongue arysing against you hath not the Lord condemned? that all the world might know, that God was your savior, and the strong God of Jacob your avenger. Your foreign enemies have been made the objects of your pity, and so many as have rent my bowels within, have perished tragically in their own divices. No sooner began they, till now, to re-edify the cursed walls of Jericho, but they have been buried under the ruins of them. All which hath proceeded of his own good pleasure. If ye should say that the cause were any worthiness in yourselves above other nations, not only my spouse Christ, and his faithful servant Moses would cry out against you, but all the world that knows what ye are in other respects would laugh you to scorn. The Lord who shows mercy on whom he will show mercy, hath done it. It is wonderful in my eyes, and should have moved the most obdured, and stony hearts amongst you to melt, & answerably to spend themselves to his honor in the duties of holiness and righteousness, which alas ye have not done, as now shall appear by the sequel of your iniquities, casting me your poor mother into so great a doole & desolation, which is the second point of your Christian consideration propounded in the beginning.

Would God it might please him to bless your senseless souls with a holy remembrance of that which ye once were, and from whence ye are fallen. Ye would surely find, that as in manners and conversatiō from small beginnings by degrees ye are now come to great abominations; so both in the life of your profession, and in the outward worship of God, ye are further fallen from that which of late ye were, then now your case is distant from that which ye fear.

To let pass the desperate profaneness of many crying sins even beyond the cry of Sodom (considering all the circumstances of the mercy of God, of the means and space granted to you to repent) by continual importunity deaving the ears of divine justice, that had not the Lord had respect to some of his secret ones; who kneel before him day and night to continue his gracious favor with you, misregarded of the world, but my chariots and horsemen: had he not a purpose to prevent the insolencies of my enemies, I have said I would scatter them abroad, I would make their remembrance to cease frō amongst men, save that I feared the fury of the enemy, lest their adversaries should wax proud. And which is principal, did not the Lord for his own names sake, and the praise of his mercy spare me, we had long since been consumed and the enemy had entered within my gates. To let pass that lukewarmenes & careless mediocrity in the matters of God, that neutral adiaphorisme in my affairs, which hath in it a native and proper power to hasten at the hand of God the removal of my candlestick, and to bring in the famine of the word. For how can the Lord without indignatiō suffer men to esteem basely of the least circumstance, which he willeth to be observed. And not to insist in that fall from your first love, decay of your wonted zeal, secret indevotion even in true Christians: where is that wonted power and demonstratiō of the spirit in preaching? that cheerfulness in holy exercises? that circumspect walking before God in all your ways? that preparation to divine duties? that spirit of deprecations? that spiritual profit of hearing, communicating, meditation, and conference? that conscientious diligence in winning of others, & working upon your acquaintance to bring them within the bosom of my love? that jealousy over your hearts? that indignation against errors, idols, Apostates? Is not the life of religion condemned under the names of hypocrisy, singularity, melancholy, simplicity, puritanisme etc. And the light thereof either smothered under the ashes of this errant time • , or put in a thief’s bowet; so that the godly now born down with a bastard modesty, and spiritual pusillanimitie, dissemble and conceal the grace of God for eschewing the shame & offense of the world, which the wicked not long since, did simulat, and counterfeit for currying of credit with me and my followers.

But leaving all these, I come to complain of the alteration made upon my outward face and government. May not I now, as once the world becoming Arian, pour out my sighs, and wonder how so suddenly I am changed from that which I was, and become that which now I am. All the rites of Rome are not more odious to many now, then my present ceremonial cōstitutiō was to them of late. The forms and fruits of preaching fearfully changed, the crystalline fountains of holy Scripture troubled with the mudd of man's putide learning, the ministration of the Sacraments brought in under a new guise of man's shaping, the painful ministry turned into a busy Lordship, and these who are set over souls, & should war unto God are become seculars, entangling themselves with the affairs of this life; nothing but a pompous shadow for God's simple service. Demas & Diotrephes are become the patterns of wisdom and praeeminence; Chrysostom is thrust out and Arsatius placed in his room, beloved Liberius is set a side and lightlied, Felix is set to feed the flock; prattling tymeservers are become preachers, & powerful pastors put to silence; plain and frequent preaching reproved, a redd liturgy commended; Alevite for a Priest, and less then a levite for mouth and messenger to God's people; Non residents with their flattering varlots sit in the chairs of dignitic, fed with plurality of benefices, and painful promoovers of the Kingdom of Christ, and subverters of Antichrist with ignorance the mother of devotion, borne down and despised, Laborers vexed with anguish of Spirit, & loiterers live in wealth & ease, In the time of confusion, wicked men attain to honors, and that seat of dignity whereof in a peaceable common wealth they dispared, in the time of trouble they hope to procure. Commandes are cancelled. Canons are made commands. And as Gerson complained in his time, a Monk more severely punished for going without his cowle, then for committing adulierie or sacrilege. Or as Chaucer, the Friar more bound to his habit then a man to his wife. The duties of Ministers, and edification of Christians tied to the sense • es practice of trifling ceremonies. And hence we see it is, that old hypocrites are become professed Atheists; Philadelphian professors are come to a Laodicean temper, Papists wax insolent and obstinate, the faithful pastors either put frō the building of the Sanctuary, or forced to build with the one hand, and with Nehemiah to bear off these corruptions with the other; the people through public contradictions and present practices contrary to late preachings, know not what way to incline. But as usually it falleth out in multitudes when they are shaken with contrary doctrines, and tossed betwixt error and truth, from being doubtful in questions moved about religion, their hearts in end are opened, and themselves made naked to receive every corruption & vanity. As the contentions about Eutyches opinion thrust out Christ and brought in Mahomet. Yea except the Lord restrain and stay, they rush into Atheism in opiniō, and Epicureisme in conversation, where through the life of religion is utterly extinguished. The case of religion herein not being unlike unto that of the miserable woman in Plutarch, whō her suitors divided amongst themselves in members, because that everyone could not have her whole. Thus she perished and they were disappointed. What may be the final event, your sins may make you justly to fear, what it shall be, the alpowerfull God, who rules all events, knows well.

This ye may see at least, that pulpits and schools, taverns and alehouses, town and village, Gath & Askelon, are all busied with these broils. Which make me the daughter of Zion to complain and in doole to deplore that in so distressed a case, there is no compassion in my sons. That of so many whom I have brought forth and brought up, there be so few to comfort me, almost none to guide me or take me by the hand. Yea after trial I find that my own ministers and domestickes, beholding the invention of their own heads, & concupiscence of their own hearts, without respect to God or his word are the prime authors of my calamity & actors of this my mischief, according to the bitter complaint of the godly learned of old, searching the causes of all the abuses, wherewith the glory of the Christian Kirks my sisters in the time of their peace hath been blemished or defaced. I will content me with two witnesses, who speaking of their own times, directly point at ours, & taxing the enormities of the Kirks then, paint out in lively colors our present corruptions, that we may see the coincidence of the course of sin and may fear the similitude of judgments.

The one is learned Gerson about the year 1420. who observed two principal causes of the sicknesses & soars of the Kirk in his time. One was the neglecting of the laws of God and direction of Scriptures, and the multitude of man's inventions. No tongue (saith he) is able sufficiently to express, what evil, what danger, what confusion, the contempt of holy Scriptures (which doubtless is sufficient for the government of the Kirk, for other ways Christ had been an imperfect Lawgiver) and the following of human inventions hath brought into the Kirk. For proof hereof he addeth, let us consider the state of the clergy, to which heavenly wisdom should have been espoused. But they have committed whoredom with that filthy harlot, earthly, carnal, and devilish wisdom; so that the estate of the Kirk is become merely brutish & monstrous, heaven is below, and earth is above, the spirit obeyeth, and the flesh commandeth, the principal is esteemed as accessory, and the accessory as principal. Yet some shame not to say, that the Kirk is better governed by human inventiōs, then by the divine law, and the law of the gospel of Christ, which assertionis most blasphemous. For the Evangelical doctrine by the professors of it did enlarge the bounds of the Kirk, and lifted her up to heaven, which these sons of Hagar seeking out that wisdom which is from the Earth, have cast down to the dunghill. And that it is not wholly fallen, and utterly overthrown and extinct, it is the great mercy of our God and Savior.

The other cause of the Kirks ruin he observed to be, the ambition, pride and covetousness of Bishops, and their Hierarchy. He • pareth not to say, that in imitation of Lucifer they will be adored and worshiped as God. Neither do they think themselves subject to any, but are as sons of Belial that have cast off the yoke, not enduring whatsoever they do, that any should ask them, why they do so, they neither fear God, nor reverence men. Hence was it, that not only he, but innumerable others of the wise men, & holiest of the Kirk, longed and looked for a reformation, a long time before Luther was borne; wishing that all things were brought back to that estate, they were in the time of the Apostles. And what wonder, that perceiving among our selves, the same causes and many the like effects, we tremble for fear of a more dangerous • ecidivation.

The other witness is Nicolas Orem a man learned & pithic, who in a sermon before Pope Urban the fyft in the yere 1364, noteth among many moe, these causes of the approaching misery of the Kirk. The profanitie of the Kirk beyond the synagogue, we know (saith he) how Christ rebuketh the Pharisees, the clergy of the Jews for covetousness 1. for that they suffered doves to be sold in the temple of God 2. for that they honored God with their lips and not with their heart, and because they said, but did not. 3. for that they were hypocrites. To the first then let us see whether it be worse to sell both Kirk and sacraments, then to suffer doves to be sold in the temple. To the second, there be some who neither honor God with their heart nor with their lips, who neither do well, nor say well, neither do they preach any word at all, but be dumb dogs not able to bark, impudent dogs that never have enough. And truly there be also some, whose intolerable pride & malice is so manifesty and notoriously kindled up like a fire, that no cloke nor shadow of hypocrisy can cover it. But are so past all shame that it may be well verified of them, which the Prophet speaketh, Thou hast gotten the face of an harlote, thou wouldest not blush. An other cause is the unaequal proportion seen in the Kirk, where one is hungry and starved, another drunk, by reason whereof it cannot be, that the state of the Kirk can long endure. As he cleareth by the comparison of the proportions in Musik in common wealths, and in the body of man, whereupon he inferreth. If in the body of the wealth Ecclesiastical some who be the heads be so enormously overgone in riches and dignity that the weak menbers of the body be scant able to bear them up, there is a great token of dissolution and ruin shortly. A third cause is the pride of Prelates declared in their great horses, troupes of horsemen, the superfluous pomp of their waiting men and great families. To them the Lord speaketh by the Prophet Amos, ch. 4. Hear you fatted kine of Samaria, ye that do poor men wrong & oppress the needy, the day shall come upon you &c. Besides these he allegeth the tyranny of Prelates, which as it is a violent thing, so it cannot long endure, the promoting of the unworthy, and neglecting of the worthy, the tribulations of outward policy & cōmotions of people, the refusing of correction in the Princes and Rulers of the Kirk, the backsliding from righteousness, lack of discreet and learned preachers, promoting of children unto Kirk offices, and such other like. This sermon changing the name & time, might seem to have been studied for our present estate. And happy were we, if we were not miscarried with the perilous opinions, which he ascribes to the Prelates of that time. One opinion is of them who think the Prelates to be the Kirk, which the Lord will always keep, and never forsake. An other who deferred time, thinking that the causes & tokens before rehearsed, have been in the Kirk at other times no less then now. The third of such as say, Let come what will come, let us conform ourselves to this world, and take our time with temporizers. And the last is of such as being unfaithful, believe not that any such thing shall come. But so long as men are drunken with one or moe of those errors, what hope is there of happiness of recovery? We might hear Henricus de Hassia in the year 1371. speaking that of our times which he said of his own, That the Ecclesiastical governors in the primitive Kirk were compared to the Sun shining in the day time, and the political to the Moon shining in the night. But the spiritual men which now are, do neither shine in the day nor in the night. But rather with the darkness of impiety, ignorance, and licentious living, do obscure both the day and the night.

The renowned Bishop of Split, as holy Bernard before him, complains more bitterly of that damned couple of crying sins, Avarice and Ambition, two monstrous beasts, and ravenous Harpies, which have seized upon the harts of Kirkmen in the time of peace; then of the cruelty of persecution and craft of heresies, which seem to you to be the most desperate and only evils. Then (saith he) speaking in the person of the Kirk, was I at my highest, and at my best esteem, whiles I went in a thin coat, such as I was clothed with, when my spouse Christ Jesus betrothed himself to me, &c. And afterward; They have thrust upon the world their own inventions, and established their own ordinances, not drawn out of that testament, which my spouse left to me and them, namely the holy Scriptures, but craftily hammered out of their own capricious projects, and tending to the prejudice of your poor souls my deer children. So true it is, that wealth is a viperine brood of devotion. Riches heaped together for reverence of so great a function, almost have removed the cause of reverence.

And lest my calamity should seem common, or my present miseries to be less, then the greatness of my by-past felicities, may not every feeling soul rightly affected towards unity & verity, mournfully deplore this my estate in the words of Nazianzen, describing the case of the Kirk in his time to this meaning. My mind (says he) leads me, seeing there is no other remedy, to flee and convoy myself unto some corner out of sight, where I may escape frō the cloudy tempest of maliciousness, whereby all parts are entered into deadly war amongst themselves; and that little remnāt of love which was, is now consumed to nothing. The only godliness we glory in, is to find out somewhat whereby we may judge others to be ungodly. One of us observes the faults of another, as matters of upbraiding, and not of mourning. By these means we are grown hateful, even in the eyes of the heathen themselves; and (which woundeth us the more deeply) we cannot deny but we have deserved their hatred; with the better sort of our own our credit and name is quite lost: the less we are to marvel, if they judge vily of us, who although we did well, would hardly commend us. On our backs they also build, that are lewd, and what we object one against another, the same they use to the utter scorn and disgrace of us all.

But I come now my beloved brethren, to the conscience of your duty in this case (which was the third and principal purpose) the religion whereof will bind so many as think seriously of the exceeding bountifulness of God to me his Kirk, and upon my manifold crosses here on earth.

One common duty of all is, that seeing they be all under the guiltiness of ingratitude, and are become a sinful nation, loaden now with iniquities, as ye have been with mercies before, which do provoke the Lord to remove his kingdom altogether from you, and to give it to others that would bring forth the fruits thereof (according to the constant course of the severity of his Justice, both with his own people the Jews, and with many other famous Kirks in the East and West, given over to believe that great lie, because they received not the love of the truth, and rendered not to the great King, the fruits of his kingdom in due season) that now before the fierceness of his wrath come on, all of you, from the house of David to the house of Levi, look with melting hearts, and mourning eyes upon him, whom you have pierced with your iniquities. Oh that ye had lights to search your hearts, and hearts to repent for your sins in the evening of this your day, that ye could turn unto the Lord with one heart before ye be overwhelmed with darkness. At least, if in these godless and devotionless days, wherein all your wonted fasting is turned into feasting, a general humiliation cannot be obtained, ye that are the Lord's own, and delight in his tents, ye that love the beauty of Zion, and have access to the face of God, contend with him by the spirit of deprecation, fill your chalmers with strong cries, fill heaven and earth with the groans of his own spirit, pour out tears day and night, take hold of the king of glory, wrestle with him as becomes Israel, pray again and again with Abraham; let him not depart out of your hearts, nor from his own tabernacles in this land; your God looks to be entreated, loves to be importuned, he is loath to leave you altogether. No sudden eclipse comes upon you, but like that of old when the glory of the Lord departed by degrees: first, from the Cherub to the door of the house, Ezek. 10. 4. then to the entry of the gate of the Lord's house, v. 19. then from the midst of the city to the mountain towards the East side of the city, chap. 11. 23. Better keep his presence now, then seek him through the streets when he is gone. Choose rather to mourn in Zion for preventing comfortless Babel, then sitting desolate by the rivers of Babel, to burst out in bitter tears in remembrance of sweet Zion. The trial begins upon Pastors, but ye know not upon whom it shall stay.

The large time of so fair occasion in the school of Christ, requires two things now at your hands. One is, that ye be able to try the spirit, and to know with certainty what to follow. The way to establish yourselves, is not with the Romans to rest upon a blind faith, receiving for truth whatsoever carries my name or authority; nor with the rich man in the Gospel, to wish that one may rise from the dead for your satisfaction. Neither as it was in the time of Elijah, to seek for a miracle from heaven, nor yet to run to any on earth for decision of all questions; for within and amongst yourselves all are divided, and without Papists are your enemies; Protestants are strangers to your secrets, and unacquainted with your covenants and oaths: your comfort may be that your father died not intestate. Let his testament be read with attentive reverence. Search his latter will which he hath left for a plain and perfect direction to his coming again. Consider what is most agreeable to his wisdom, what makes most for his honor, for the edification of your own souls, for the restraint of the liberty of the flesh, and for the comfort of a distressed conscience, without respect to the appearances of wisdom and humility among men, or to that which seems most to serve to your worldly credit, that woos your flesh, or courts your carnal senses: for this will be a meager consolation, when the horrors of God are upon your souls ready to be presented before his Justice. Continue in the things ye have learned and are persuaded of, knowing of whom ye have learned them. Have ye attained by a conscientious use of prayer, hearing, meditation, conference, unto a persuasion of that which is now in debate; have ye an inward witness testifying to your souls, that your teachers by their fidelity, & the effectual blessing of God upon their labors, have carried with thē the seal of their ministry? Then continue & be not carried about with every wind of doctrine to the hellish disturbance of the heavenly peace of your souls. In the time of temptation ponder with your hearts what better warrants ye have for some practices of religion more substantial in men's estimation, and whether the motives of the one alteration may not as well enforce the other. As ye should be able to try yourselves, whether ye are in the faith or not, which Paul requireth of the whole Kirk of Corinth, so should ye have skill to try the spirits, whether they be of God or not. For such are perverted, as are ever learning, & never come to the knowledge of the truth. And as in respect of the time ye ought to be teachers, and to be able to edify everyone another in the most holy faith, so are ye charged by the Apostle Peter to be ready to give an account, even to your enemies of that hope which is in you. He that hath faith can try himself, can try the spirits, and teach others, and give a reason both of his hope and practice before the adversary.

The other is, that once having gained a godly resolution of the truth, you suffer nothing earthly to divert you from the profession & maintenance of the same. It is now high time for you who have been hearing of Christ so many years, to be put to your trial, how ye have learned Christ, & to give proof of your passive obedience, when the Lord calls you, no less then of your active. Offences, schisms, troubles, persecutions, have been in all times, & in every period of the Kirk hath opened a back door for a worldling to slip forth at. Others before us have had their own trials, & these in the dispensation of God are now made ours. He hath never been a Christian in action, that hath not been a martyr in affection. And (let the world still sit in the chair of the scorners) that professor that will not be a ceremonial confessor, would refuse to be a substantial martyr. The smallest thread of the seamlesse coat of thy Savior, the lowest hem of his garment, the least pin or latchet of that heavenly tabernacle may be a matter of a glorious and comfortable suffering to thee. And the less the cause be, it being Christ's cause, the more rare & acceptable is thy testimony. The heart may be sound, and void of Idolatry, and yet the outward action of adoration may prove Idolatrous. Knowledge is greater, and Christ now more glorious, by confessions, martyrdoms, prescription of time, and profession of all nations, then in the primitive times. He that now counteth it no religion to renounce a Christian rite, and receive an Antichristian in place thereof, would not have spared of old, to set Antichrist himself in the throne of Christ's kingdom. We are unthristie bankerupts, wasting that thesaurie unworthily, every penny whereof was painfully and narrowly gathered together. The worthy martyrs of preceding times, and glorious instruments of reformation, if they were alive in these decaying days, how would they be ashamed of so degenerated children? How ready would they be in your places to suffer for the name of Christ? Or if ye had lived in their troublesome times, spoiled of your goods, hated of the world, pinched in prison, sequestrate from wife, house, and children, looking every hour for death: consider what would have been your thoughts of infidelity, your words of blasphemy, your deeds of defection.

If it please my glorious head to call you to suffer for his name, let your care be (as Peter hath taught you) 1. to sanctify him in your hearts, and not to fear the fear of men. 2. to be ready with your mouths to make apology to everyone that craveth a reason of your hope: and 3. to have a good conversation in Christ, that they who speak evil of you may be ashamed. And let your comfort be, 1. a good conscience, arising upō two grounds; One, that ye suffer for well doing, the other, that the will of God be so: For howsoever all Christians be called to suffer, yet everyone is not called to every suffering. 2. your conformity with Christ. And 3. the assurance of an happy out-gate by his power, who was put to death in the flesh, but was quickened in the spirit, and now stands on the right hand of the father to maintain his own, and to revenge himself upon his enemies. Deceive not yourselves with worldly policy, under the name of that heavenly virtue of Christian prudence, which doth nothing, intendeth nothing, admitteth nothing, in deed, in word, or in show, neither by dissimulation nor simulation against the honor of God, in prejudice of the least truth against the love of your brethren, or the duties of your own vocation. Prudence never doth the least evil for procuring the greatest good, for avoiding the greatest evil. She is careful of her own duty, and commits the care of the event to God, to whom it pertains. She is never so perplexed betwixt two evils, but her eye seeth an out-gate without falling into a third evil of sin. She teacheth her followers either with Cyprian in a matter so holy, as is the casting of a little incense into the fire of an idol not to enter in deliberation; or else after deliberation with that worthy Prince of Condé to make the right choice, never to choose sin: to remit punishment to the pleasure of superiors, and the success to the providence of the most high.

Beside that common necessity laid upon you all in general, there is a special duty at this time required of my Pastors and leaders. The schools of divinity, which of late were a pleasant Lebanon fortimbe • to my buildings, are become dens of ignorance and impiety, sinks of schism and sedition for my subversion. The sons of the Prophets are made enemies to prophesy; instead of convictions of heresy, hearing nothing almost, but the censures of sincerity: in place of the harmony of Christ's Evangel deaued with dyted contentions about Antichristian geniculation. Among their school Doctors sons of Ishmael descended of Hagar, Mismah Duma and Massa, our tongue-tied teachers all men of profound and hid learning, the greatest Rabbi (but that he hath no hebrew at all) whom God hath marked many ways in his speeches, preachings, and practices, bitterly condemneth them for heretics, who stand constant against that, which of late he himself condemned of superstition & idolatry both by word and by writ, yet extant among his scollers in his patched and plagiarie collections written by many of their hands. Thus alas my glory is become my shame, my fountain a puddle, my Na • oth, my beauty, is become my loathing, my deformity. Hence forsooth shall be furnished that plenty of excellent laborers cracked of, to fill the places of my faithful watchmen, for their fidelity silenced and deprived. Had my worthy Pastors but the favor of papists now, or popish monks of old, casten forth of their places, but not out of their livings, our young divines fore-runners (if ever any) of religions ruin, would neither, like the lions whelps, make so great haste by their pricking paws to get out of the matrix, and in into their rooms, nor yet make their mother so pregnant and parturient. I may hope for some of Luther's spirit forth of these Cloisters; and I beseech my God to give them the spirit of discerning. But for the most part they were never taught to speak against papists for the truth, to deal with the souls of people, nor to live as Christians, and yet must lay their hands upon the Lord's Ark, temerating my sacred mysteries, entering unreverēlie with shoes, and all into my Temple, and making that holy ministry a mean of temporal life unto themselves, more then a power of spiritual life to others.

The discharge of their calling is conform to their education and entry, and answerable to the wishes of the wicked people, and wiles of the worldly patrons. In conversation they and others before them so lewd, that now it is esteemed puritanisme in a Pastor not to be profane. Every man and minister careful to walk before God, studious of Scripture, and given to any abstinence in his diet, as of old he was set down by Ithacius in his Kalendar of suspected Priscillians: so now by men of Ithacius spirit, in the roll of Puritans, who cannot better to their judgment approve the soundness of faith, then by a more licentious and loose behavior. The authority of many preachers is so far from procuring credit to their doctrine, that to my great grief, and discredit of the Gospel, that is thought by many in earnest, which by a learned man was uttered in jesting, of a profane preacher, that he would not willingly hear him say the Creed, lest he should take it for a lie, coming forth of his mouth. This is it which carrieth with it a secret cause of the conformity of the most part. For how shall he that makes no conscience of moral duties in his conversation, count it religious to stand against ceremonies in his vocation? Or how can he be a director of thee in rites, who is a neglecter of himself in substance. The sons of Eli made the people to abhor the offering of the Lord, and they were slain. When Nadab and Abihu were consumed with fire from the Lord for failing in the outward duty of the ministry, in a matter as might seem of small moment, Moses told Aaron his brother, that the Lord would be sanctified of them that came near unto him.

Few of the best sort can plead innocent of the matter in hand. If people had been more painfully instructed in times past, they had been better prepared for the present difficulties. Had ye cleared yourselves by your Apologetickes to your friends in foreign parts, I had not been despised in the world: neither had your reproachful defection been proclaimed among your adversaries. Had you made your mean to your gracious sovereign, and laid before his merciful eyes the pitiful cause of his own deer people, lamentably scandalized, and ready to make shipwreck of their souls upon these dangerous, sands, and uncouth rocks of novelties • et in their way, his majesties clemency had not suffered matters to come to this desperate pass. If ye, who are the remembrancers of the Lord, had not kept silence, had ye blown the silver trumpet in the midst of the congregation in the days of the holy assemblies, had ye instantly denounced curses against the reedifiers of Jericho, had ye informed judicious professors in private and public of their own interest and my danger, had ye withdrawn your presence, your countenance & concurrence from the ring-leaders of that course, had every watchman been watchful in his own watchtower, defection had not gone on so far: at least your uncessant proclaims, and continual protests would both have witnessed to the world, and to the posterity after you, that defection was not universal, and also would have given your selves some hope to be repossessed in your former liberty, not betrayed of you by your willful silence, but extorted from you by wicked violence. Were this cloud past, and I restored to the sun-shine of the lightsome countenance of my God, ye would all be ashamed and blush at your present mis-behavior. In the time of peace ye would seem lions, but when battle comes, you prove but Harts. Could ye have looked that at the first so many of Gideon's armies would have fled home. But if the remnant were faithful and forward, their noise and light would yet make Madian to flee. They who have yielded under color of care for their congregations, but indeed cōstraint for fear of worldly losses, have brought the rest of their brethren in suspicion, that either they will follow at last, or else that they deal more obstinately then conscientiously. It were good therefore that ye cleared yourselves to the consciences of others by the evidence of reason, and sine lift up your voice as a trumpet, that the deafest and deadest may hear: that ye were instant in season and out of season, to show Israel their transgressions, lest ye be guilty of their blood. Why should ye be ashamed to cry that in the ears of others openly, which ye think with your hearts, & speak among yourselves secretly? Who shall stand for Christ, & suffer for his crown, if ye fall away and betray his honor? If ye hold your peace, Christ will tell you, that the stones will cry out, although whole multitudes of you be silent. Suppose all Jerusalem should be offended at you, yet it becomes you to cry, Thou son of David have mercy on us. And, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Let schismatics load you, according to their malicious custom, with carts full of reproaches of schism & sedition, yet ye must follow the example of those glorious ministers of God, who before peace upon earth, did sing glory to God in the highest heavens. Ye must first be pure, then peaceable. It is a cursed silence of the mouth, that makes the conscience within to cry. Remember the example of Aphraades; remember the modest virgins behavior, when she saw her fathers house on fire; remember the cries of the dumb child of Croesus at his fathers danger. The woe is terrible, that belongs to you, in case ye cry not. The Athenian Cynegirus detained the Persian Gallie with his right hand, & when that was cut off, with his left; and being mutilate of both, he spared not his teeth. No mean should be left unassayed with God, and with men, to maintain the least parcel of truth for his sake, whose truth it is, and who hath concredit you with the blood of his own son. As the Libellatici wer odious of old, for redeeming from the Gentiles their peace with money: so may ye be suspected of defection, and denial of the truth, if ye shall redeem either your peace or places with promise of silence. Away with halting, with lukewarmness, with shaming, to utter the words of Christ in the midst of an adulterous and sinful generation, lest he be ashamed of such, when • ee cometh in the glory of his father▪ with his holy Angels. Promise of silence is a secret collusion, and indirect approbation of the contrary course▪ a hardening of the adversaries in their wickedness, and a deserting of your brethren in the cause of God. The occasion of the preaching of the Gospel procured by dealing of this sort, is not unlike to Pilate's subtilitie, who thought meet to scourge Christ, for saving of his life. Moses Exod. 10. 25. Daniel chap: 6. 11. John the Baptist, Mark. 6▪ 18. had no such wisdom. Albeit all thy speaking were but as the washing of a blackmore, yet be not misled with the cunning and crafty offers of your adversaries. Their intention is to cast you loose of your own order, to draw you on by degrees, to make the number behind the smaller, the common clamor and complaint the less, their own travels in cutting off the rest, the more easy and plausible. And in the end, when ye have satisfied their desires, they shall be hardened in their course, and ye condemned as unfavorie salt, censured by them as old hypocrites, condemned by your own consciences as betrayers of the truth, and complained upon by God's people, who have heard his truth from your lips.

But then might I have good hope to be freed from this deluge of defection, and that all my lower valleys would at last appear, if the tops of my mountains were once discovered. If these who i • the providence of my God are of greatest estate, and have the first places in the kingdom, and high and honorable meetings thereof, would go as far before others in zeal, as they are above them in preferment. Men will mock me (as the servant of Strato the Syrian was mocked at the election of a king) for looking to the West for the sight of the sun rising. Yet as it was then first seen by that wise servant upon the tops of the Western mountains: so my hope is in this night of desolation, to see the beams of my wonted light first upon you of greatest place, and then upon the lower ground, by obtaining at your hands a few reasonable petitions, which I will then propone, when I have by your patience a little dis-burdened my heavy mind, by demanding a few things at the Prelates, once my ministers, † Who are ashamed to hear what they have done, but have no shame In doing of that which they blush to hear. Where need, i • they are void of fear: and where there i • no need, there they fear: Charging and attesting them, as they will answer to the Judge of all the world▪ to ponder my demands impartially, and in the presence of God to answer them secretly, in the cabinets of their souls.

1. First, how they could so far forget themselves in so short time, as to come to this measure of defection▪ of pride and persecution? Would they not have answered, and did they not say in the beginning of this their course, with Hazael, Are we dogs, that we should do this mischief? And consequently what inexpected extremity they may yet fall into, if they willfully go on in this their wickedness, the end whereof they cannot see?

2. Upon what warrant they can receive or urge the five Articles, which may not as well enforce the whole ceremonies of England, yea the whole Romulean rites of Antichrist, as being of one kind and quality, only differing in degrees. And thus if they can think it tolerable to change my comely Christian countenance into the painted Antichristian complexion of that Whoore of Babel?

3. Whether the Episcopacy which they esteem the principal office in the house of my God, hath any pattern in the mount: and if it hath, whether their form of ministration be answerable to that institution, or to the practice of any orthodox Kirk in the world, or to the caveats sworn unto by their own mouths?

4. Whether in the sight of God they think the maintainers of the reformed religion, or the late formalists more faithful in their callings, and cons • ientious in their conversation? And therefore if it be not Pharisaism to pronounce of the fidelity of my pastors by their conforming to ceremonies: and extreme malice to think that men in all other things studying to approve themselves to God and the King, durst be bold to resist in these without conscience, for respect to any popular opinion.

5 Whether that meeting of Perth be one of my lawful Assemblies, justificable in the sight of my Lord and Savior, and the constitutions thereof concluded for Canons, to be urged upon pain of deprivation: whereupon Ministers are removed from their charges, and many souls famished, for whom he gave his life, for not conforming to a platform blank as yet, and scarcely drawn in the Idea of their own imaginations?

6 What warrant from Christ my King, and me, can be pretended for bringing my ministry, and me, under this new bondage in the persons of intrants forced at their admission to swear, and subscribe. 1. That they shall not only maintain his Majesty's prerogative in causes ecclesiastical; which, what it is, or what is the extent thereof, they do not well understand; but also the present government of the Kirk, and jurisdiction Episcopal, in all places where they shall have opportunity, either of private conference, or public preaching: and that they shall be careful by reading to inform themselves, to the end they may be the more able to withstand all adversaries opposite to the same. 2. That they shall be obedient to their Ordinary, and all other superiors in the Kirk, speak of them reverently, and in all their prayers private and public, commend to God's protection, their estate not allowed by me. 3. That they shall subject thenselves to the present orders pretended to be the ordinances of the Kirk, and to the orders, which shall be established by consent of the said Kirk, meaning assemblies framed and over ruled by Prelates, and to procure due reverence to the same at the hands of others, by all the means, which they cā use. 4. That if they cōtravene any of these points, they shall be content without making any contradiction, to be deprived of their ministry, and to be reputed perjured and infamous persons forever. And by these oaths and subscriptions, that they would consider, what mischiefs may be wrought in the after ages, when they are dead and gone.

7 Whether it were more pertinent to deal with their brethren by reason or authority? Ye are made shepherds, and not strikers. This is a new and uncouth sort of preaching, which will enforce faith by strokes. Pride effectuates one thing, and discipline another. Favor should be more used then severity, exhortations more then threatenings, love more then law. But by such forms it is easy to disoern, who are they that seek their own, and who the things of Jesus Christ, saith the Canon law their own pattern.

8 By what conscience, reason or law, they have deserted their flocks and pastoral charges, entered into civil place and pomp, breaking the caveats, and contrary to their alleged commission for keeping of ministers in quietness and peace, and vindicating the Kirk from poverty and contempt, have they taken upon them the power of both swords against the whole subjects of the kingdom, and summarily to confine, ward, imprison, discharge, silence, suspend, deprive, autorize and exauctor at my ministers at their pleasure?

If the Lord should cause a terrible finger to come forth, and write these, and a thousand other their presumptuous dittaes upon the wall over against them, where they use to sit Balthazar-like in their sacrilegious pomp, abusing the furniture of his house; their brightness would change, their thoughts would trouble them; so that the joints of their loins would loose, and their knees would smite one aanother. I have borne them, but to my grief and shame. They have given me cause to pronounce the curses of Job upon the day of their birth. For they neither care to be esteemed bastards themselves, nor to brand me with the mark of an harlot. They prove Loammi, and would have me to prove Apostaticall. Had these my forlorn hopes, but one sparkle of true love to my spouse or me, they would resolve with Nazianzen, to undergo Jonah punishment for stilling of this tempest, and to prefer my peace to their own preferment. What can I do but mourn, entreat, protest, rebuke, expostulate. I call therefore heaven and earth, their own souls, the testimonies of all who have been acquaint with them, and their proceedings, to bear witness against them. Beseeking & exhorting them by the salvation of their own souls, by the tender mercies of Christ, by the precious drops of his blood, by that excellent price of their redemption: if there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any love to his glory, to his blood, to his Gospel: and if there be any pity in their hearts to the breasts which they have sucked, to this sinful land, and their own native kingdom, to return to God, to repent them of their course, to leave off to allow, to defend, to urge that, yea and persecute for that, which of late they were wont to condemn, and even now almost could hardly have tolerated. Let them forbear any longer (as it is to be feared, they have peevishly been doing) to fight against God, to kick against the prick, to vaunt themselves proudly in the glory of their munition. Their craft is known; can they dance naked in a net, and think not to be seen? The seams of their black policies are sewed with white thread. If they shall persist to stop their ears against all admonitions, to harden themselves in rebellion against God, still to proceed in their truculent breathings, Thrasonicall boasts, and tyrannous executions, and shall for their backs and bellies, and the making up of their houses, make havoc of the purity of God's truth, and the liberty of the kingdom of his son: As the Lord lives that sees them, he shall yet harden their hearts more, and at last shall tread them in the wine-press of his wrath, and there shall be none to deliver them.

Now my petitiō, backed with the authority of a mother, to your honors is, that for the glory of Christ's kingdom in this land, the adorning of his majesties crown, & quietness of his loyal subjects, the endless praise of yourselves, and flourishing of your honorable estate, and the particular comfort of the Ministers and congregations within this realm in this time of distress felt and feared. I may by your timeous intercession at his gracious majesties hands, and uttermost endeavors debtfull to God from your place, obtain how▪ soon occasion may be offered.

1 A sufficient and ready execution of former acts of Parliament made against the fearful blasphemy of God's name, profaning of the Lord's day, and contempt of his sanctuary, and service, so universally overflowing this land, not only in the persons of poor ignorants, in a manner tied to these horrible crimes by a cursed custom, & beggarly necessity: but even in the more honorable sort, whose damnable example encourages their followers to sin without fear: with such additions as may repress and restrain these crying abominations in all, without respect of persons.

2 A safe liberty to enjoy the profession of our religion, as it is reformed in doctrine, sacraments and discipline, and hath been openly professed by Prince, Pastors, and people of all ranks, your predecessors of worthy memory, yourselves & us, all yet living, these threescore years by gone, and above.

3 A full deliverance from, and a sufficient defense against all novations and novelties in doctrine, sacraments, and discipline, and specially such, as by constitutions of the Kirk, confessions of faith, louable laws of the country, and long continued practice hath been condemned, and casten out as idle rites, and Romish formalities, under whatsoever pretence they plead for reentry.

4 That no act pass in derogation, or prejudice of the acts already granted in favor of Reformation, liberty of Assemblies, convenient execution of Discipline, &c. or for corroboration of new opinions against the same: concerning whether Episcopacy, or ceremonies the shadow thereof, which for the peace of the Kirk by heavenly wisdom should be rejected before they be ratified.

5 That all ministers provided to Prelacies, and admitted to vote in Parliament, be urged to observe the Act granted in their favors to that place; especially the provision expressed therein.

6 The happiness to live under his Majesty, and his highness ordinary Judges, and Rulers established by laws and custom, and that our cause he lawfully cognoseed, according to order and justice, before any sentence pass against our persons, places, & estates. In the name of Jesus Christ entreating and commanding, all worldly and personal respects set apart: ye look with a single eye upon the matter controverted, not suffering your faith in Jesus Christ to be blamed with partiality: ye try all with the touchstone of the Temple, and balance of the Sanctuary. Consider the example of Moses, when he saw the Israelite & Egyptian fight. He spent no time in rebuking them for the strife, but drew his sword, and slew the Egyptian; But perceiving a debate betwixt two Israelites, he said. Ye are brethren, why strive ye? If the intended novelties be Israelites, then may ye say, Why strive ye; but if they be of that Egypt, from the bondage whereof, the Lord your God miraculously hath set you free, then may they not be reconciled to the truth: but being slain by the sword of the Spirit, must also be proscribed by your authority. Use the trial of Elias against Baals Priests, (albeit without the miracle of Elijah) take my bullocks and theirs, that is, the urged novelties, and the possessed liberties, or alas the liberties that I once possessed, (for now whether I possess them, or not, it is uncertain,) lay their pieces on the altars, and on which God sends the holy fire of zeal in the powerful preaching of the word, and consuming of sin, let that be received. When no man was able to discern betwixt Alexander the son of Herod before put to death, and a certain craftsman like unto him, who gave himself out for Alexander, as though he had escaped by favor of the executioner: the noble and wise Augustus by griping his hand, tried him to be an Artificer, and punished him for his falsehood. Would it please your honors, whilst so many learned and wise are deceived with the counterfeit face of these novelties, but to gripe their hand a little, and to try what hath been their frootes, where they have been admitted from the beginning: ye shall incontinent find that they have been void of the sap of grace, and that their best works evidently declare, that they never were begotten, nor blessed by the father of peace. Their own maintainers confess that the controversy about them, hath brought confusion, breach of the second command of love, rent my body into divers parts, divided my people into divers sects, and the sheep to despise their Pastors, and estranged them from the love of their flocks. It hath confirmed the profane in their impieties, and given way to the common enemies, distracted the minds of the multitude, and shaken their faith who for the most part knew no other difference betwixt Christ and Antichrist, but that which consists in external shows and formalities. It hath brought the ruin of Christ's kingdom, and increase of Satan's, partly in superstition, and partly in impiety. And in a word, generally hath put out the life of true religion, and brought in Atheism. Be not satisfied with a fashionable and superficial trial, but examine them from the very root, and from the ground rip them up. As wise Nehemiah tried who had right to the Priesthood, by searching their lineal descent from Aaron. It was not sufficient for them to clear their genealogy by writ from Levi, and Coath: for so the childrē of Habaiah and Barzillai had been admitted, & had brought the wrath of God with them. Men may allege, and perhaps prove by writ, some such customs as they urge, for some hundredth years in my neighbor kirks, but except it can be cleared, that they have their pedigree frō Christ, or his holy Apostles, they ought to be esteemed unclean, and should not be received, as belonging to me, or my ministers. All these, and many moe, have vexed me before, and being man's inventions in the matter of God's worship, waxed old, and weak, (As it fareth with every error contrary to the course of verity which groweth ever greener and stronger) and at last dying, were cast out of my habitations, as vile and stinking carrion, that now the opening of their grave raiseth a noisome fleur in every spiritual and exercised sense, and if they be taken up again, shall make many poor souls of weak constitution to perish through their pestilent contagion. It cannot be denied, but they have been defended by some, and digested by others by way of Interim, till opportunity of further reformation in the Kirks and countries, where they had place. But before this time, we dare be bold to say, never any kirk, country, or cōscientious Christian did so much as enter in deliberation: whether they should have been repossessed, where they have been displaced. Let the two renowned masters of English ceremonies, profound Hooker, and fordward Saravia, be heard in this point. The one says, In as much, as they go about to destroy a thing, which is in force, and to draw in that, which hath not as yet been received, and to impose that which we think not ourselves bound unto, and to overthrow things, whereof we are possessed: that therefore they are to take them to the opponents part, which must consist in one of two things: the one that our orders condemned by them, we ought to abolish: the other, that theirs we are bound to accept instead thereof. And the other, he that would bring in the use of the surplice into the reformed Kirks, where i • hath no place, cannot be excused from schism, and superstition, whatsoever he allege for his excuse. As he speaks of one, so he speaks of all.

The drierie lamentations, & heavy complaints of the unsupportable burden of the ceremonial yoke, poured out in all ages by the holy men of God, may provoke the compassion of the hardest hearts. Augustine in his time complained, that the Church was pressed contrary to Christ's merciful institution, with such a servile burden of ceremonies, that the state of the Jews under the law, was more tolerable, then the condition of Christians: seeing they were subject only to God's ordinances, & not to human presumptions, as Christians are. How would he at this time have mourned for the case of other Kirks, and for the peril that I am in! Erasmus, Polidorus Virgilius, &c. • ing the same ditta. It is a certain truth, many ceremonies, little faith. Look how much is added to the midding of rites, as much is withdrawn, not only from Christian liberty, but from Christ himself, and his faith; while the multitude seeketh for that in rites, which they should seek in the only son of God Jesus Christ. The greater bulk of bodily ceremonies, the less spirit of true devotion. The true worshippers under the Gospel shall not say, The Ark of the Lord▪ they shall forget all those outward ceremonies, and never revive them. Moses his veil, far more all other things, that neither were nor are frō God, is removed, and now may we with open face behold the glory of God. Then the sea about the altar was of brass, and could not be pierced with the sharpest sight: but now our sea about the throne is glass, clearly convoying the knowledge of God unto our minds. The Amphiscij can tell, that the more shadow the less light. The shadow always accompanies the body, sometimes it follows behind, but sometimes also it comes before. Ye may be sure the dark body of error is not far off, when the shadows of ceremonies are at hand; and justly may fear, that they are the harbingers sent before by Satan (whatsoever be man's intention) to make place for their own substance. Oh, if the Lord would open your eyes to see the subtle working of that mystery of iniquity. The web may be divided in men's intentions, who possibly mind no more for time to come, then they urge for the present. But in the justice of God, punishing the world for the contempt of the truth, and in respect of Satan's malice, bringing in his lie, it is all of one thread. And that which is begun by one, may be wrought out by another, entering upon the preceeding labors. Ye see not this weed growing; but it will be perceived to have grown. The seeds of Popery were secretly sown in the Primitive Church, and by degenerating ages grew up to that monstrous height, which now the world wonders at. But alas all our country wit is M • tanoia, after wit. My people are like the Athenians, who (as Demades objected to them) never entreated for peace, but in mourning gowns; that is, after they had suffered great calamity in battle. When afterward ye are poisoned with error, and over laden with crosses, ye and your children after you shall be forced to cry out upon your own madness and folly, that would not see and resist the beginnings of so great evils.

The remanent sparkles of natures light, looking upon the common providence of God, may let your Honors see, that it serves most for the prosperity of Kirks and Kingdoms, that ilk constitution and 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 order in a society should sort with the nature, disposition, and condition of the people. My people have from the liberal hand of their God, external abundance for the honest sustentation of their bodies, with a substantial, sound, and simple religion for the salvation of their souls. Yet far from the artificial fullness, whereby the Tyrian spirits of the world do disquiet their neighbor nations, striving to subject all to their forms, that they may reign over all, as Queens; against the protestations made in all the confessions of faith of other Kirks. A single form of policy is more fit for a plain people, and mean provisions, then the gorgeous show of a pompous port, necessarily requiring rents, complements, and carriage, that neither this land may bear, neither we nor our fathers have learned. Rites must have rents: their service is both cumbersome & costly: they scorn the assignations of our plotted poverty; they strive with Statesmen, Earls and Lord's for place & precedency; they loath the preaching of the Gospel, and like better the chief places of estate. The restitution of the Kirk to her wonted possessions, & to her worldly dignities, must go on together with equal speed. Neither can so long experience be denied, but that ordinarily the estate of the common wealth accompanies the constitution of the kirk, as the morning star goes with the Sun, which Constantine acknowledged in his grant to the Kirks of Africa, thus beginning his Epistle, Considering that the due observation of things pertaining to true religion, and the worship of God, brings great happiness to the whole estate and common wealth of the Empire of Rome: and Charles the 8. of France lamentably experienced. For when he had fair occasions to reform the Church of Rome at his pleasure, and to help the Kirk of God, he neglected both: wherefore shortly after stricken with a sudden sickness, he died, according to the forewarning of Savanarola; who told him plainly, that he should have great success in his voyage to Italy, for reforming the corrupt state of the Kirk, which if he did not, he should return with dishonor, and God would reserve the honor of that work unto some other. All the policy of Achitophel, and wisdom of Solomon, cannot establish a kingdom, wherein the kingdom of Christ is misregarded. His true worship is the pillar and wall of policies. If the Lord remove his truth from you, he will deprive you also of your civil liberties, and give you over into the hands of merciless enemies. If he spare not his own strength, and glory, but give over the one to captivity, and the other to the hands of his enemies, he shall respect you no more thē the mire in the street. The nation and kingdom that will not serve the Lord shall perish, and these nations shall be utterly destroyed.

My faithful ministers, and obedient children to the meanest are all God's people, and his majesties loyal subjects and faithful servants. The testimonies of his love belong to them all for their comfort in this world, and safe conduct to the world to come. As they fear God, they honor his highness, they pray for him and his children, and all that are in authority, that they may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God their Savior, who will have all to be safe, and come to the knowledge of the truth. They wish from the desires that lodge within their breasts, long life unto his Majesty, a secure reign, a safe house, valiant armies, a faithful counsel, good people, a quiet world, Et quaecunque hominis & Caesaris sunt vota. They stand by that reformation, that hath been so profitable and comfortable these threescore years by past: giving more reasons for it, then hath been, or can be clearly answered. How can it stand then with the grounds, either of good policy, or Christian equity, for removing dissensions, to yield respect, countenance, support, and authority to the other party, neither having nor giving evidence of reason for their pretended novations against the received truth. Although the inferior law were enacted, (as God forbid) yet in all Christian Prudence it ought to give place to the royal law of love, and unity, as being of a more noble descent. But since unity forbids, and peace declares her miscontentment in the beginning, how shall this ever contentious and unruly Hagar be heard to contest with Sarah. Were not this a way to bring a further rent and desolation upon the house of Abraham. Upon this ground, what great tollerations have been granted by Christian Emperors, and Kings, all men know, who know any thing in History. It is better sometime to give connivence, then by untimous cures to waken diseases. And as one said to Augustus, It is a special point of wisdom not to suffer new names, or ought else, wherefra discord may arise.

The cause wherein they stand, and for the constant defense whereof they are traduced under the odious names of Puritans, precisians, schismatics, Anabaptists, and the like, is an article of your honors own worthy profession and confessiō of faith, whereof the adversaries themselves were preachers, and practicers of late, and have never yet made any public repentance for their former heresies. Augustine could say. albeit in a different case, Let them exercise cruelty against you, who never were deceived with the like error, wherewith they see you deceived: but as for me, I am not the man that can be cruel against you, whom I must bear with now, as I did comport with myself then. But they have forgotten what they were, and make my ministers to find the truth of that which is in the French proverb: Quison chien veult tuer, larage luyme • sus. He that is disposed to have his dog killed, will first have him thought to be mad. As I will have them for their part to resolve with Daniel, to sustain the wrong of such Assyrian nick-names, and by the grace of the God of Daniel, will have them both to abstain from these impurities, and to profess the detestation of the least show of them: So I would wish your honors upon the other part, not to judge of them according to men's calumnies, but to the truth of God. And consider upon your beds, who they are that yield, & what are they that stand, and upon what inducements.

Ye can hardly point at any one of my ministers, but he is in some good measure fitted for the work of the ministry. And howsoever according to the diverse rooms in my habitation, less or greater, all have not the same measure of light: some torches for more public places, and others smaller lights for their own cottages: yet everyone makes conscience of residence to shine in his own room, both in the purity of doctrine, and life, to my great joy and your benefit, by the blessing of God upon their labors▪ hardly any one of the other side, but he is either, &c. They have large rents, if not great wealth: the others portion is but mean. The one is encouraged with outward assistance, the other enfeebled with cries, crosses, and ensuing dangers; the one richly rewarded for proud practices, the other are boasted for painful labors to clear and defend a just cause: the one, men of glorious state, and great pomp in the world, the other trode upon as unworthy of the countenance of the world. The one take leisure from their charge to invent and publish their pleasure: the other have no time frō the charge of their flocks, to clear the truth. To the one, the presses are open and free: to the other it is neither safe no • possible almost to print a few words of this sort; fa • r less labors of greater moment, and better use. The one gets money for their hungry pamphlets: the other counts charges & hazard gain. The one are both parties and judges of the cause: the other dare scarcely make provocation in public to the Lord Jesus. The one finally by their defection rise, and become Princes of the world: the other for their constancy are thrust down, and tied fast to the cross. Whereby ye cannot but see, whether the love of the world, or the zeal of God, be the spirit that blows in the sails of their affections. Know ye not, that howsoever they be counted few, silly, and of base resolution, yet if they esteemed not more of a good conscience, then they who make a covenant with death and hell, and put the evil day far from them, they might speed as well as others in worldly projects. Can it be denied, but they prefer the peace of their souls, and purity of their profession, to the pleasures of the world, wherewith others are pampered? Were it proclaimed by the Emperor, Let us take from them these hurtful riches: for that were a work of charity, the zealots of this course would grow key cold.

Suffer not then poverty, paucity, pusillanimity, prisonings, wardings, difficulties of writing, printing, uttering and countenancing God's cause, and thousands of such disadvantages, be a prejudice to that truth, whereof ye are convinced in your minds. Be not deceived with this new, fond, and false gloss of indifferency: look to God, to his word, to the parties, to your own souls, and to that great day of the revelation of Christ Jesus. As the pretext of conformity. the visor of unity, the null-authority of a pseudo-synod, wanting formality, fullness, and liberty, should not be a Gorgons head to terrify them: so should it neither by serpētine slight deceive you.

In conformity there is to be respected, 1. The substantial truth of God, wherein all true Conformitants must agree. 2. The sincere ministry, and sorts of ministers appointed by the son of God for our edification in the truth. 3. Christ's incommunicable prerogative in appointing of the Sabbath, and solemn ministration of the word, sacraments, and discipline. 4. The edificative use of these ministrations in the several ages, Kirks, & kingdoms of the world. • . A clear distinction between divine and ecclesiastical rites, the indifferency in nature, the expedience of use, the diversity in practice of ecclesiastical: according to the saying. It is not possible to take up all the diverse rites of all Kirks in all countries. No religion observeth the same rites, albeit it embrace the same doctrine of rites. The attempt of the contrary, will still prove, as from the beginning, a malady a thousand fold worse then the moraine of ceremonies. And without these conditions, a conforming with men, is but a contesting with God. As for the conclusions of men, Tout proposition human a autant d'authority quel'autre si la raison n'on fait la difference, Even so are the sentences of all Kirks equal, except the authority of the word make the difference. Belongs not the judgment of discretion to all Christians? Shall my children with weathercockes, be carried with every uncertain wind of men's mouths, like fools run with the cry, & suffer themselves like beasts without reason to follow the dreave. This were to make every constitutution like Nebuehadnezzar his Image, and Roman-like to make the name of the Ki • k the rule of all religion. Can that one null-assembly, the nakedness whereof is now laid open to the eyes of the world, bear down all the formal, full, and free councils of this nation before, and all the determinations and constitutions of your worthy forefathers of blessed memory. Who can enter in fellowship with them, who defend not their own conclusions? My ministers have clearly testified by their admonitions presented to the Parliament holden at Perth in the year 1606. in general assemblies, and at other occasions before and since, their detestation of all novelties and novations of that sort thrust upon me. Many a one that hath consented thereto in show, and for worldly respects, resting yet unperswaded in their own minds, and unable to persuade others of the contrary judgment, if they saw the day of their liberty, & were free from the stroke of worldly inconveniences, would cry with the Bishops of Asia, Not by our own wills, but by necessity, have we been moved to subscribe: we consented with our words, not with our hearts. And to declare, that that act was unlawfully begotten, the fathers of it would deny that they begat it with that face, & force, that it hath brought with it into the world. Your honors may remember also, your own religious provision expressed in that act, whereby ministers are permitted to vote in Parliament. The particulars of their place and office are remitted to be treated by his Majesty, and general assembly; but prejudice always of my jurisdiction, and discipline, established by acts of Parliament made in any time preceeding, and permitted by the said acts, to all general and provincial assemblies, and others whatsoever my presbyteries and Sessions.

Men may muse at the matter, alleging that my children make mountains of mots, tragedies of trifles, and raise a noise about things indifferent, circumstantial, accidental, and that with their brethren. But first it can be no prejudice to them, or the cause they maintain, that they stand in it against their brethren: seeing they are defenders of themselves; and not persuers of their brethren. The promise, Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are they who in the last time suffer against the beast, as well as they who in the first times were persecuted by the heathen, belongeth to them. For if the Lord measured sufferings by the inequality of his enemies, and not by the equity of the cause, there would be great disparagement betwixt the Martyrs put to death by the Pope, and the persecuting Emperors. Neither is there any suffering here, but for that which is papal. It is no shame for them to suffer that of their brethren, which Christ suffered: neither is it honor to their enemies to do that, which Judas did.

The Spirit of God Revel. 2. speaks more comfortably to the kirk of Smyrna, a figure of the Christian Kirk under Constantine troubled with intestine enemies: then to Ephesus representing the primitive Kirk invaded by the heathen. I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, but thou art rich: and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not. Fear none of these things, &c. Let him therefore that is righteous, be yet more righteous, and he shall have a crown in the end.

Next, let them be considered 1. in the urgers intention. Whatsoever they be in valuation, they are not of so small moment. For albeit they be concluded by way of counsel, and not of command; albeit that conclusion want a sanction; albeit no punishment be determined by law; and albeit that Synod be known to be null, yet they lay upon the transgressors, and for their cause, upon their innocent families and congregations, the heaviest of all punishments, except death: and to some equal with death, if not more bitter, and intolerable; heavier then for non-residence, idleness, error, wickedness, scandal. In deliberation they are talked of as indifferent, but in execution they are enforced as most necessary. A necessary conclusion inferred upon indifferent premisses. Anticeremoniall Christians more rigorously used then Antichristian practicers of ceremonies. Papists without prejudice to their lives, livings, and liberties, enjoy the comfort of the country. To his Majesty's loyal and religious subjects, is denied favor to sigh at home in the cause of public and private grievances, and to go with the armies of Israel against the •• ilistims of Rome. Let a man be Paul's presbyter in every, point, yet a more of ceremonies shall mar him. Let him be a Demas, or Demetrius, a formalizing ceremony shall accomplish him. Is not this to neglect the greater things of the law? Is not this to make the precepts of God of no force for men's traditions? To love themselves above God, and to be wedded more to their own wits, then to his divine wisdom.

2 In their bitter effects of changes brought upon the preaching of the word, ministration of the sacraments, discipline, confession of faith, and the whole worship of God in so short time.

3 In respect of the practice of religion so frequently, and ordinarily to be performed of all: that no man can either be ignorant or careless of any point, but must be settled and thoroughly resolved in all, except he would hold his soul on a perpetual rack, and make his whole devotion and service doubtsome, and comfortless.

4 According to the confession of both parties, tending to the honor or dishonor of Christ, serving either to beautify or deface his spouse, and to the edification or destruction of weak Christians.

5 In the estimation of some holy martyrs: who, howsoever in their prosperity they cōtended for them: yet near the time of their martyrdom, when their minds were most impartial, condemned them for foolish and abominable. And in the judgment of many worthy men, suffering bitter persecutions for the like: as for officium Ambrosianum, the service of Ambrose against the lame Liturgy of Gregory, and refusing to practice in matters of far less importance. If ye look to the fountain, ye sustain a common cause with all the Saints, who in any age have opponed themselves to the current corruptions of the Kirk & Kirkmen in their time: such as Basil, Jerome, &c. The Albigenses contemptuously styled Apostolickes, the Waldenses called Puritans, &c.

6 In consideration of the change brought upon me, and of the course of my declining from my former perfection, my errors now may be smaller: and yet my case is worse, then in my growing days, when I was wrestling against greater infirmities. My lukewarmness then was a way to, and a degree of heat, but now after my zeal, I am become Laodicean, waxing colder frō day today: And increase (with Vincentius) I love; but defections & changes I loath. Our bodies (saith he) albeit in process of time they grow, yet they change not. The same members, the same joints are in children, which are in men, though in the one stronger and greater, in the other smaller and weaker. But if the shape be turned into another kind, or anything be added to the number of the members, or taken from them, then either the body perisheth, or becometh monstrous, or at the least becomes weak. It is right so in religion, if we begin to make chāges, whereof the kirk of Christ should be a diligent keeper, changing nothing, diminishing nothing, adding nothing. I admit no alteration for indifferent that tends to Apostasy, and not to accretion.

7 Considered in themselves, & not in relation to other things more necessary. A leg or an arm is necessary for a man's body, yet not in that degree, that it is necessary for the life, as the soul. I may live, & be the kirk of God, so long as Christ by his spirit breathes faith into my soul. Yet wanting the least thing which God hath ordained, and receiving supply of a leg of wood from men's artifice, I can never be beautiful in God's fight, nor cheerful in performing my own actions; but pines & dwines away, til at last nothing be left, but a stinking carcass, unfit both for the habitation & celebration of the majesty of my God.

8 Whatsoever they be in thenselves, and in their own nature, yet falling under our use and practice, they become to us either good or evil, and consequently, either sin or acceptable service, wherein Scandal bears so great sway, that for avoiding of offense arising upō weakness or ignorance, all actions, albeit never so lawful and profitable, which are not necessary to salvation, are either to be left off, or kept up, or at least to be put off till another time. Woe be to them not only who give offenses, but by whom offenses come.

9 The Fathers in the primitive times, partly preferring the Vernish of the Jews religion, and the pomp of Paganism to Christian simplicity. And partly with greater zeal then knowledge, desirous to enlarge the bounds of Christ's kingdom, by drawing both Jews and Gentiles unto their profession, did change sacraments into sacrififices, Pastors into Priests, Tables into Altars, Prayers into Liturgies, Saturnals into Christmas, &c. And pestered the Kirk then, with heaps of their ceremonies. Quod consilium specie prudens, re anceps, eventu infelix, hodieque lugendum & luendum est Ecclesiae saith Tilenus, whatsoever some talk now of his Palinod in particulars. It was not lawful for the heathen Poets to borrow matter from traditions of Scripture, and in their allegorizing vein to persue them for their purposes of profanity. Less tolerable for the spouse of Christ to beg ornaments from enemies, whether at Jerusalem, or Athens. But farrest from indifferency, and most intolerable in you, who ought to be wise by the doleful experience of others, to walk again upon the same snares, after ye have escaped twice, to make shipwreck, to lick up your own vomit, and to make your sins once of a simple die, now to be of a scarlet color.

10 By reason of the warrant, which they seek without the bounds of the law and testimony. Ye have no other Ephod, no other Vrim and Thūmim but the light of scripture. Herein as in the breast of your high Priest, may ye see and read the will of God for your direction in all your actions, as they are actions of a Christian, even your natural and civil actions, far more your religious duties. So that albeit ye can neither conclude affirmatively, nor negatively frō the words of mē; yet were your knowledge as ample as the Scriptures, and could your faith adequat the largeness of the revelation thereof, ye might infer a conclusion both ways from them.

In all these considerations they can be no indifferent judges, that call them indifferent. When it was objected by Maurice the Emperor to Gregory, that he busied the Church with a needless contention, when the question was about the name of universal Bishop: he answered, That some things are frivovolous, and not hurtful, other things frivolous and hurtful: albeit indeed there be nothing frivolous in the matters of God. Carnal men have coinzed with their wit, a new Category of indifferent things: and have made the Genus summum their own will. The prophetical & princely office of Christ is no less perfect▪ then his priesthood. And he that either addeth to his word or discipline, or yields not obedience to them in every point, can have no comfortable hope of full redemption by his sacrifice. It is a fearful judgment, and a wide door to final excecation & hardness of heart, first to revolt, and peevishly to rebel against the light once received, and now to be guilty of affected ignorance, closing your eyes against ingyring knowledge. Albeit Pastors who are to teach others, in respect of their office and place, be bound to know many things, which others of another condition and vocation are not, yet considering the occasions and means offering things to your particular consideration, even secular persons, and private men are bound to know & believe that, whereof Pastors themselves not observing it, may be safely ignorant. Refuse not, resist not the least truth of God for pleasing of yourselves, or others. Albeit any of my ministers might with Ambrose, speaking to Theodosius & Valentinian, say, touching his majesty, that it is neither imperial to refuse the liberty of speking, nor pastoral not to speak that which he thinks. In God's cause whō shall ye hear, if ye hear not God's minister, by whose greater danger sin is committed. Who dare be bold to speak the truth unto you, if the minister be not bold? Yet far be in frō them to utter anything, that may exulcerat his meekness, or provoke their dread sovereign to wrath. As Emperors know (saith Tertullian,) who gave them the Empire, they know that it was even the same God who gave unto them to be men, and to have human souls, they will perceive that he only is God, in whose only power they are so with him. My children acknowledge, that after God, Kings are in order the second: and among all the first. It becometh them to fear God, and honor the King, who should be as an Angel of God, a defender of the faith, a nurse father of the Kirk, and a comfortable refuge unto the poor, and simple, in time of need. It is no small part of the hope of my happiness, that his majesty hath declared, that by the grace of God he is set & disposed, equally to love and honor the learned and grave men of either of these opinions, avowing his sincerity in that religion, which he ever constantly professed. And confessing, that if his conscience had not resolved him, that all the religion professed by him and his kingdom, were not grounded upon the plain word of the scripture (without which, all points of religion were superfluous, as anything contrary to the same is abomination) he had never outwardly avowed it for awe of any flesh. He calleth it the religion wherein he was brought up, and ever made profession of, wishing his son ever to continue in the same, as the only true form of God's worship. He purgeth the good men of the ministry that like better of the single form of policy in our Kirk, then of the many ceremonies of the Kirk of England. That are persuaded that their Bishops smell of a papallsupremacie, and that the surplice, the corner cap, &c. are the outward badges of Popish errors. And praises God, that there is a sufficient number of good men in this kingdom, and yet they are all known to be against the form of the English Kirk. And shall ye think now, that his Majesty will either cease to love, and maintain his own loyal subjects for slow pronouncing a sentence in so old a controversy: or will impair the liberties of the kingdom of Christ, who hath added so largely to his dominions? But rather as he is the Lord's Lieutenant, bearing the sword to punish transgressors; so as defender of the faith he will procure and protect the liberty of his subjects, wherewith Christ hath made them free, and save them that they be not entangled again into the yoke of bondage. It is a work worthier of his majesties gift, and place, to begin to reform, where his worthy predecessors left, then to end where they began. To set my sister of England at liberty, which she hath long desired, then to bring me, who have been so long free, to servitude, which I never deserved. The speech of Gregory brought by Beda, is very good. It pleaseth me; says he, that whether in the Roman; French, or any other Kirk, ye have found anything, that may more please the Almighty God, that ye carefully make choice of that. And in the English Church, which yet is but new in the faith, whatsoever ye may collect of many Kirks, by special institution, ye establish: for things are not to be loved for places, but places for things. His highness will never in the most indifferent matters upon his mere pleasure enjoin anything that may destroy these poor and tender souls for whom Christ died, which were to fall in the greatest breach of the law of Charity. Prelates would have his Majesty to think, that his royal authority is supported by the shadow of ceremonies, and would have the subjects to think, that there is no support of ceremonies, but royal authority▪ Forbearing in practice, only in love to the salvation of other brethren, without contempt, will be esteemed of his majesties wise heart, to be better service, and obedience then their lies, and temporizing conformity: who bring the blood of multitudes of souls upon the whole body of the country, a sin in God's sight worse then rebellion. How could his Majesty trust my ministers in anything, if he knew not (as Theodosius said to Ruffinus of Ambrose) that they will not transgress the law of God for any respect to imperial power. Constantius accepted of them as most loyal subjects to him, who were most faithful and precise servants of God. I will never doubt, but his highness will think them honester men, that give him that which is due, then that which he will not take. Albeit Courtlie parasites allege through want of better reason, that ceremonies are not so much stood upon as obedience, even as God tried Adam with one apple: yet his Majesty can tell them, that human laws do bind the conscience, not because of the mere will of the law-giver, but by reason of the utility & equity of the law. Non ex voluntate legislatoris, sed ex ipsa legum utilitate, & ration. And that it becometh Christian subjects to profess disobedience in things evil, and against God, passive obedience in things injurious, and unprofitable, and active obedience in things lawful, profitable, expedient; wherein by God's grace, my ministers shall be found most cheerful and ready. That their scandal in this is not humorous, or Pharisaical, may be easily tried by their obedience to Caesar in all matters, even of greatest difficulties, being ready, as becomes them, to spend their goods, lands, liberty, and lives, for his preservation, and counting nothing sufficient to redeem his happiness. The Lord reprove them who slander his loyal subjects, and let the judge of all the world determine, whether of the parties doth better establish lawful authority. As he was reputed sacrilegious in the time of Antoninus Pius, who set not up his Statue in his house: so let him be Anathema, who carries not his Majesty's name and glorious estate upon his heart to God, and prays not for his royal person, hopeful progeny, and happy success to the Lord; with whom is wisdom and strength, who looses the bands of Kings, and girds their loins with a girdle; who leadeth Princes away spoiled, and overthrows the mighty. In his hand is the heart of the King, as the rivers of waters. Albeit in the judgment of men longing for the final subversion of the truth, and defacing of the Kirk, my most faithful Pastors be ready to slip with their feet, and to fall from his Majesty's favor, yet will he, maugre the malice of men, scatter all the clouds of their fear, and in the end, with Joseph, pour out the bowels of his compassion upon them. Neither wisdom nor authority can root out affection. He will rather with Antoninus Pius save one true subject, then slay many enemies. Kings ought as rarely put in use their supreme prerogative, as God doth his power of working miracles. Remember, O King, that my glorious Spouse is the Prince of the Kings of the earth, and will be supreme in his own kirk. Remember when Theodo • ius, other ways a religious Emperor, was desired to take order with the tyranny of Flavianus, spiritual tyrants in the Kirk being no less unsufferable then the civil in the common wealth. And when he had answered, that he had taken upon him the defense of Flavianus, that Flavianus cause was his cause, that the things objected against Flavianus, were objected against him. That it was said of him, that he had grieved them, whō he should have made to rejoice, & had made thē rejoice, whom he should have grieved.

Many speeches, as lots, are offered to your Princely consideration, but the disposition is of the Lord, whom we pray to grant, that the best cause may have the first lot. And who knows, but your Honors are advanced at this time to intercede for me, that his highness may bless and reward you for hindering hard courses against his harmless ministers, and most dutiful subjects, sincere professors of the Gospel. Dorotheus and Gorgonius, men of great authority and place, and of the Emperors privy chamber, when they beheld the punishment of one Peter with them, spared not to say, Wherefore O Emperor, why do ye punish in Peter that opinion, which is in us all? Why is that in him counted an offense, which we all confess; we are of that faith and religion which he is off. The truly noble Terentius for all other su • es, which the Emperor desired him to make, craved only liberty for Christians, and being refused of that, gathered up the pieces of his riven supplication, and could not be induced to seek anything else. The Lord requires not only profession, but confession at your hands in this case. Whe • can ye better make your affection known, then when the Lord Jesus in the persons of his spouse, and your own mother, becomes a petitioner unto you. As ye would wish to see his face in mercy in that day of his second coming: make not by your unkindness his countenance to fall down upon you now, send him not away with a repulse. He hath run many times like the Roe, or the young Hart, over the highest mountains of difficulties, to succor you in your distress, when ye have called upon him. Let no pretended impediment be an hindrance unto you to help his cause most instantly suing for support at your hands. If there be any iniquity in my children, let them suffer for it, spare them not. But if they be innocent, smite them not. Open your mouth for the dumb. Judge righteously the afflicted and poor. Deliver the oppressed, that they may offer sacrifice and pray for the life of the king and his son. If hard courses be taken against faithful ministers and people, let not your honors wash your hands of that harm. It is all one to do them evil, and not to help them against wrong done by others. The host of Israel spake in great courage for the life of Jonathan, and Jonathan for David to the danger of his life. Ebedmelech spake a good word for Jeremiah, and was saved when his master Zedekias was slain. But curse ye Meroz, curse the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to the help of the Lord against the mighty, although they had no hand against them. God that hath given you grace and credit with his highness, requireth that ye bestow it upon his matters; and that ye reserve it not for your own. Remember the example of that worthy Courtier Nehemiah, who esteemed a liberty to build up the walls of the City of God, a sufficient reward for all his faithful service. As your solicitude is great to leave the common wealth, and your own honorable houses in good case: so dilapidat not my liberty. Leave me not, of whom ye have both your first & second birth in worse estate, to your own incredible grief, and the desolation of your posterity. Invenistis marmoreane ne relinquit • lateritiam. Upon the wall that ye have found rather build a palace of silver, Cant. 8. 9. It was that name of Jehovah, and holiness to the Lord put upon the head of the high Priest, that was the greatest beauty, and crowned all the other inferior ornaments. The truth of religion, and the purity of your profession, as it hath been, so let it still be your glory, and the luster of all those inferior gifts, wherewith the Lord hath enriched you. As this is the first great trial of your hearts, Love to Christ and me: so it may be your last occasion. It is not long, since the places, which ye possess, were filled with your ancestors of worthy memory, (whose constancy in defending the liberty of God's worship, is frequently observed in your own history) who now are passed to their eternity; and ere be long, according to the succession of generations one after another, others shall have their time of your present dignities, both in degree and continuance. Bend your wits and credit to do good, while ye have time. Hazard not the happiness of your eternity. Do not that, which at the least, while ye live, will be a bleeding wound in your souls. Set your eyes upon him, that is invisible, and that recompense of reward: so shall ye esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt. And shall choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. The Lord who searcheth the reigns, sees you, and the secrets of your deliberation, and conclusions, and could make them to found again outwardly in your ears, and to the hearing of others. All your thoughts are legible to that piercing eye, from which nothing is hid. Look not what ye may say for your excuse, or what one party may say against another, whether in private conference, or public velltation by print, or dispute. But in the sight of God consider upon your beds, by the light of his spirit, whether of the two courses from the beginning ye find to be of, through and for God. And we have no great fear, but ye shall be moved to break down that wall of ceremonies, hurtful to all, and profitable to the souls of none: that both the houses may be one, as the Lord himself abolished the Jewish ceremonies, and put none in their place.

I have many children, some aged, some poor, some consumed with godly grief, not so much for their own trouble, as for the decay of purity, and my desolation. They would do all things for pleasing all parties, wherein God is not displeased, and their consciences not disquieted. But the honor of God, and peace of their souls, they dare not but regard. And albeit obedience to the word should destroy their own & all other men's worldly estate, yet they must still and incessantly urge it. If in times past your honors have been pleased to hearesome of them in pulpit, and in private, in the matters of religion: and have not despised their speeches, when there was greater probability for suspicion: there is greater reason now, when they are in hazard of suffering, to believe, and take to heart, that which they say, and require. Wherof as they must be coūtable to the eternal Judge of all the world, so shall ye be for your hearing; and shall not escape his hand, if ye hearken not, for disobedience to the truth. The world may well dally for a time, and make men so drunk with the wine of wickedness, that through security they may think thenselves safe. But be assured, when the Lord shall search Jerusalem with lights, and enter to the fiery •• yall, every abomination shall kythe in the own colors. If ye hold your▪peace, God will provide for his own children. But behold he cometh shortly, and his reward is with him, to give to every man according as his works shall be. Albeit my messengers may now cry with the prophet, Who believes our report; yet that dreadful sentence shall make the soul once brought within the sight of death, to tremble and quiver. God will not be mocked. If the righteous scarcely be saved, and God spares not his Angels, where shall they appear, who make merchandise of his truth; albeit at the highest rate of honor and wealth? The whole word of God, his law, promises, and threatenings, his practices, and the works of providence cannot prevail with the senseless souls of men. But death (so violent are his persuasions, and his might so unresistable) at his first approach, shall make every heart to believe and feel, that all the works under the Sun are but vanity. The conscience and happy remembrance of one word uttered or suffered for Christ, his crown, his truth, or his needy members, shall at that strait fill the soul with greater joy, then all the crowns and kingdoms under heaven. And what is then left to the godless, crafty, and merciless wretch, that laugheth at my death, and daunceth at my funerals: when men afflicted cry unto the Lord, and he heareth them: But thou hast proved in the end victorious, O Jesus of Galilee.

I conclude with that of my beloved Bernard, I owe myself unto God for my creation, what shall I give for my restauration, especially being restored after such a manner: neither was • so easily restored as created. In his first work he gave me unto myself: in his second, he gave himself unto me, & by giving himself, he hath restored me unto myself. Being therefore given & restored, I ow myself for myself, and so ow myself unto God by a double right. But what shall I render unto God for giving himself unto me. For though I should give myself a thousand times for recompense, what am I in comparison of him. And I add, that seeing all my well-doing can be no recompense unto him. I wish the increase of his glory by a second restitution of me unto myself, by giving himself now the second time unto me; and am content to be put to a greater perplexity, not knowing what to render, that his mercies yet may be the greater. O that it would please him yet again to pity me. At least, let all the blessed of the Lord keep themselves from troubling the preachers of peace, and bringers of blessings: let them be stout, steadfast, and play the men, that they may all run out their course with joy, and report that excellent price conquesed by the blood & bitter sufferings of Jesus Christ my spouse, now at the right hand of the father; for whose revelation I am waiting daily, that my marriage may be perfected, and I with all the Saints may enter into the joys conquesed by his bitter suffering. To him with the Father & holy Ghost be all glory, praise and honor forever.