Review of Brambles Warning Against the Scots Discipline

CHAP. I.

WHile the Comissioners of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland, were on their way to make their first addresses to his Majesty, for to condole his most lamentable afflictions, and to make offer of their best affections and services for his comfort, in this time of his great distress; it was the wisdom and charity of the prelatical party, to send out Doctor Bramble, to meet them with his Faire Warning. For what else? but to discourage them in the very entry from tendering their propositions, and before ever they were heard, to stop his Majesty's ears with grievous prejudice, against all that possibly they could speak; though the world sees that the only apparent fountain of hope upon earth, for recovery of the woefully confounded affairs of the King, is in the hands of that Antipraelaticall nation: but it is the hope of these who love the welfaire of the King and his people, of the Churches and Kingdoms of Britain, that the hand of God, which hath broken all the former devices of the Prelates, shall crush this their engine also.

Our warner undertaketh to oppugn the Scots discipline in a way of his own, none of the most rational. He does not 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 so much as pretend to state a question, nor in his whole book to bring against any main position of his opposites, either Scripture, father or reason, nor so much as assay to answer any one of their arguments against Episcopacy; only he culs out some of their by-tenets, belonging little or nothing to the main questions, and from them takes occasion to gather together in a heap all the calumnies which of old, or of late their known enemies out of the forge of their malice and fraud, did obtrude on the credulity of simple people: also some detorted passages from the books of their friends, to bring the way of that Church in detestation without any just reason.

These practices in our warner, are the less pardonable, that though he knows the chief of his allegations, to be but borrowed from his late much beloved Comerads Master Corbet in his Lysimachus Nicanor, and Master Maxewell in his Issachar’s Burden, yet he was neither deterred by the strange punishments, which God from heaven inflicted visibly on both these calumniatores of their mother Church, nor was pleased in his repeating of their calumnious arguments, to relieve any of them from the exceptions under the which they stand publicly confuted, I suppose to his own distinct knowledge, I know certainly, to the open view of thousands in Scotland, England and Ireland; but it makes for the warners design to dissemble here in Holland, that ever he heard of such books as Lysimachus Nicanor, and Issachar’s Burden, much less of Master Baylies answer to both, printed some years ago at London, Edinburgh and Amsterdam, without a rejoinder from any of that faction to this day.

How ever let our warner be heard. In the very first page of his first chapter, we may taste the sweetness of his meek Spirit: at the very entry, he concludeth but without any pretence to an argument there or else where, the discipline of the Church of Scotland to be their own invention, whereon they dote, the Diana, which themselves have canonized, their own dreams, the counterfeit image which they fain hath fallen down from Jupiter, which they so much adore, the very quintessence of refined popery, not only most injurious to the civil Magistrate, most oppressive to the subject, most pernicious to both; but also inconsistent with all forms of civil government, destructive to all sorts of Policy, a rack to the conscience, the heaviest pressure that can fall on a people. So much truth and sobernes doth the warner breath out in his very first page.

Though he had no regard at all to the clear passages of Holy Scripture, whereupon the Scots do build their Anti-Episcopal tenets; nor any reverence to the harmony of the reformed Churches, which unanimously join with the Scots in the main of their discipline, especially in that which the Doctor hates most therein, the rejection of Fpiscopacy: yet me thinks some little respect might have appeared in the man to the authority of the Magistrate, and civil Laws, which are much more ingeminated by this worthy divine over all his book, then the holy Scriptures.

Can he so soon forget that the whole discipline of the Church of Scotland, as it is there taught and practiced, is established by acts of Parliament, and hath all the strength which the King and State can give to a civil Law? the warner may well be grieved, but hardly can he be ignorant, that the Kings Majesty this day does not at all question the justice of these sanctions: what ever therefore be the Doctors thoughts, yet so long as he pretends to keep upon his face the mask of loyalty, he must be content to eat his former words, yea, to burn his whole book: otherwise he lays, against his own professions, a slander upon the King, and His Royal Father, of great ignorance, or huge unjustice, the one having established, the other offering to establish by their civil laws, a Church discipline for the whole nation of Scotland, which truly is the quintessence of Popery, pernicious and destructive to all forms of civil government, and the heaviest pressure that can fall on a people.

All the cause of this choler which the warner is pleased to speak out; is the attempt of the Scots, to obtrude their discipline upon the King, contrary to the dictars of his own conscience, and to compel foreign Churches to embrace the same. Ans. Is it not presumption in our warner, so soon to tell the world in print what are the dictates of the Kings conscience, as yet he is not his Majesty's confessor, and if the Clerk of the Closet had whispered some what in his ear, what he heard in secret, he ought not to have proclaimed it without a warrant; but we do altogether mistrust his reports of the Kings conscience: for who will believe him, that a knowing and a just King will ever be content, to command and impose on a whole Nation by his Laws, a discipline contrary to the dictates of his own conscience. This great stumble upon the Kings conscience in the first page, must be an ominous cespitation on the threshold.

The other imputation had no just ground: the Scots did never medle, to impose anything upon foreign Churches, there is question of none, but the English; and the Scots were never so presumptuous, as to impose anything of theirs upon that Church. It was the assembly of divines at Westminster, convocat by the King and Parliament of England, which after long deliberation, and much debate, unanimously concluded the Presbiterian discipline in all the parts thereof, to be agreeable to the word of God: it was the two Houses of the Parliament of England without a contrary voice, who did ordain the abolition of Episcopacy, and the setting up of Presbyteryes and Synods in England and Ireland. Can here the Scots be said to compel the English to dance after their pype, when their own assembly of divines begins the song, when the Lord's and Commons assembled in the Parliament of England concur without a discording opinion, when the King himself for perfecting the harmony offers, to add his voice for three whole years together?

In the remainder of the chapter the warner lays upon the Scots three other crimes: first, That they count it Erastianism to put the government of the Church in the hand of the Magistrate. Answ. The Doctors knowledge is greater then to be ignorant, that all these go under the name of Erastians, who walking in Erastus ways of flattering the Magistrate, to the prejudice of the just rights of the Church, run yet out much beyond Erastus personal tenets; I doubt if that man went so far as the Doctor here and else where, to make all Ecclesiastical jurisdiction, but a part of the Magistrates civil power, which for its execution, the supreme Governors of any state may derive out of the fountain of their supremacy to what ever hands civil or Ecclesiastic themselves think fit to commit it. Let the Doctor add to this much knowledge, but a little ingenuity, and he shall confess that his Brethren the Later Bishops, who claim Episcopacy by divine right, are all as much against this Erastian Caesaro-papisme, as any Presbiterian in Scotland. The elder Bishops indeed of England and all the Laws there for Episcopacy seem to be point blank according to the Erastian errors: for they make the crown and royal supremacy the original, root and fountain whence all the discipline of the Church doth flow: as before the days of Henry the eight it did out of the Popes head-ship of the Church under Christ. How ever let the Doctor ingenuously speak out his sense, and I am deceived, if he shall not acknowledge, that how gross an Erastian so ever himself and the elder Bishops of England might have been, yet that long ago, the most of his praelatical friends have become as much opposit to Erastianism, as the most rigid of the Presbiterians.

The other crime he lays to the charge of the Scots is, that they admit no latitude in Religion, but will have every opinion afundamentall article of faith, and are averse from the reconciliation of the Protestant Churches: Ans. If the warner had found it seasonable to vent a little more of his true sense in this point, he had charged this great crime far more home upon the head of the Scots: for indeed though they were ever far from denying the true degrees of importance which do clearly appear among the multitude of Christian truths, yet the great quarrel here of the warner and his friends against them, is that they spoiled the Canterburian design of reconcealing the Protestant Churches not among themselves, but with the Church of Rome. When these good men were with all earnestness proclaiming the greatest controversies of Papists and Protestants, to be upon no fundamentals but only disputable opinions, wherein belief on either side was safe enough, and when they found that the Papists did stand punctually to the Tenets of the Church of Rome, and were obstinately unwilling to come over to England, their great labor was that the English and the rest of the Protestants, casting aside their needless belief of problematick truths, in piety, charity and zeal, to make up the breach and take away the shisme, should be at all the pains to make the journey to Rome. While this design is far advanced and furiously driven on in all the three Kingdoms, and by none more in Yreland then the Bishop of Derry, behold the rude and plain blewcapes step in to the play and mar all the game: by no art, by no terror can these be gotten along to such a reconciliation. This was the first and greatest crime of the Scots, which the Doctor here glances at, but is so wise and modest a man as not to bring it above board.

The last charge of the chapter is, that the Scots keep not still that respect to the Bishops of England, which they were wont of old in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's reign. Ans. In that letter cited by the warner from the general assembly of Scotland. 1566. Sess. 3. there is no word of approbation to the office of Episcopacy: they speak to the Bishops of England in no other quality or relation, but as Ministers of the word, the highest style they give them is, reverend Pastors and Brethren; the tenor of the whole Epistle is a grave and brotherly admonition to beware of that fatal concomitant of the most moderate Episcopacy, the troubling of the best and most zealous servants of Christ for idle & fruitless Ceremonies. How great a reverence the Church of Scotland at that time carried to praelacy, may be seen in their supplication to the secret counsel of Scotland, in that same assembly the very day and Session wherein they write the letter in hand to the Bishops of England. The Arch-Bishop of S. Andrew's being then usurping jurisdiction over the ministry by some warrant from the state, the Assembly was grieved, not only with the popery of that Bishop, but with his ancient jurisdiction, which in all Bishops, Popish and protestant, is one and the same: That jurisdiction was the only matter of their present complaint; and in relation thereto they assure the counsel in distinct terms, that they would never be more subject unto that usurped tyranny thē they would be to the devil himself: So reverend an opinion had the Church of Scotland at that time of Episcopal jurisdiction.

But suppone that some fourscore years ago, the Scots before they had tasted the fruits of Protestant Bishops, had judged them tolerable in England, yet since that time by the long tract of mischiefs, which constantly has accompanied the order of praelacy, they have been put upon a more accurat inspection of its nature, and have found it not only a needles, but a noxious and poisonous weed, necessary to be plucked up by the root, and cast over the hedge. Beside all its former malefices, it hath been deprehēded of late in the very act of everting the foundations, both of Religion and government, of bringing in Popery and Tiranny, in the Churches and States of all the three Kingdoms, ( Canterburian self conviction cap. 1.)

And for these crimes, it was condemned, killed, and buried in Scotland, by the unanimous consent of King, Church and Kingdom: when England thereafter both in their Assembly and Parliament, without a discording voice had found it necessary, to root out that unhappy plant, as long ago with great wisdom, it had been cast out of all the rest of the reformed Churches, had not the Scots all the reason in the World, to applaud such pious just and necessary resolutions of their English Brethren, though the warner should call it the greatest crime?

CHAP. II.

IN the second Chapter the warner charges the Scots presbytery, with the overthrowing the Magistrates right in convocating of Synods. When he comes to prove this, he forgets his challenge: and digresses from it to the Magistrates power of choysing elders and making Ecclesiastic laws, avowing that these things are done in Scotland by Ecclesiastic persons alone, without consent of the king or his counsel. Ans. It seems our Warner is very ignorant of the way of the Scots discipline, the ordinary and set meetings of all assemblies both national and provincionall since the first reformation are determined by acts of Parliament, with the Kings consent, so betwixt the King and the Church of Scotland, there is no question for the convocating of ordinary assemblies, for extraordinary, no man in Scotland did ever controvert the Kings power to call them when and where he pleased: as for the inherent power of the Church to meet for discipline, alswell as for worship, the Warner falls on it hereafter, we must therefore pass it in this place.

What he means to speak of the Kings power in choysing elders or making Ecclesiastic Laws, himself knows: his Majesty in Scotland did never require any such privilege, as the election of elders, or Commissioners to Parliament, or members of any incorporation, civil or Ecclesiastic, where the Laws did not expressly provide the nomination to be in the crown. The making of Ecclesiastic Laws in England, alswell as in Scotland, was ever with the Kings good contentment, referred to Ecclesiastic assemblies: but the Warner seems to be in the mind of these his companions, who put the power of preaching, of administering the Sacraments and discipline in the supreme Magistrate alone, and derives it out of him as the head of the Church to what members he thinks expedient to communicate it: also that the legislative power alswell in Ecclesiastic as civil affairs, is the property of the King alone. That the Parliaments and general assemblies are but his arbitrary 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 counsels, the one for matters of the state, the other for matters of the Church, with whom or without whom he makes acts of Parliament and Church cannons, according to his good pleasure, that all the offices of the Kingdom, both of Church and State are from him, as he gives a Commission to whom he will to be a sheriffe or justice of peace, so he sends out whom he pleaseth to preach & celebrate Sacraments by virtue of his regal mission. The Warner and his Erastian friends may well extend the royal supremacy to this largeness, but no King of Scotland was ever willing to accept of such a power though by erroneous flaterers, sometimes obtruded upon him, (see Canterburian self conviction. cap. ult.)

The Warner will not leave this matter in general, he discends to instance a number of particular incroatchments of the Scots Presbyters upon the royal authority: we must dispence in all his discourse with a small peckadillo in reasoning, he must be permitted to lay all the faults of the Presbiterians in Scotland upon the back of the Presbytery it self, as if the failings of officers were natural to, and inseparable from their office: mis-kenning this little mote of unconsequentiall argumenting, we will go through his particular charges, the first is, that King James anno 1579, required the general assembly, to make no alteration in the Church-Policy, till the next Parliament, but they contemning their Kings command, determined positively all their discipline without delay, and questioned the Arch-Bischop of Saint Andrew's for voting in Parliament according to the undoubted Laws of the Land, yea twenty Presbyters did hold the general assembly at Aberdeen after it was discharged by the King. Ans. The Warner possibly may know, yet certainly he doth not care what he writes in these things to which he is a mere stranger: the authentic registers of the Church of Scotland convinces him heir of falsehood. His Majesty did write from Stirling to the general assembly at Edinburgh 1579, that they should cease from concluding anything in the discipline of the Church, during the time of his minority; upon this desire the assembly did abstain from all conclusions, only they named a committee to go to Striveling for conference which his Majesty upon that subject. What followeth thereupon? I. Immediatly a Parliament is called in October 1579, and in the first act declares and grantes jurisdiction unto the Kirk, whilk consists in the true preaching of the word of Jesus Christ, correction of manners, and administration of the true Sacraments, and declares that there is no other face of Kirk, nor other face of Religion then is presently by the favor of God established within this realm, and that there be no other jurisdiction Ecclesiastical acknowledged within this realm then that whilk is, and shall be within the samen Kirk, or that which flows therfra, concerning the premisses. II. In Aprile 1580. Proclamation was made ex deliberatione Dominorum Consilii in name of the King, charging all Superintendentes and Commissioners and Ministers serving at Kirks. To note the names of all the subjectes alsweel men as women suspected to be Papists or — and to admonish them — to give Confession of their faith according to the Form approved by the Parliament, and to submit unto the discipline of the true Kirk within a reasonable space —: and if they fail — that the Superintendents or Commissioners present a role or catalogue of their names unto the King and Lord's of Secret Counsel whereby they shall be for the time, between and the 15 day of July next to come, to the end that the acts of Parliament made against such persons may be execute. III. The short Confession wes drawn up at the Kings command, which was first subscrived by his royal hand, and an act of Secret Counsel commanding all subjectes to subscrive the same; as is to be seen by the Act printed with the Confession, wherein Hierarchy is abjured, that is (as hath been since declared by National assemblies and Parliamentes both called and held by the King) episcopacie is abjured. IV. In the assemblies 1580 and 1581 that Confession of faith and the second book of discipline (after debating many praeceding years) were approved (except one chapter de diaconatu ) by the Assemblie, the Kings Commissioner being always present, not find we anything opposed then by him: yea then at his Majesty's special direction about fifty classical Presbyteries were set up over all Scotland which remain unto this day, Was there here any contempt of the roy all authority?

About that time some noble men had gote the revenues of the Bishop-rickes for their private use; and because they could not enjoy them by any legal right, therefore for eluding the Law, they did effectuate that some Ministers should have the title of this or that Bishopric; and the revenues were gathered in the name of this titulare or tulchan Bishop, albeit he had but little part: e. g. Robert Montgomerie Minister at Sterline was called Arch-Bishop of Glasgow: and so it can be instanced in other Bishop-rickes and abbacies. Now this kind of prelates pretended no right to any part of the Episcopal office, either in ordination or jurisdiction: when some of these men began to creep in to vote for the Church in Parliament, without any Law of the State, without any commission from the Church, the general assembly discharged them, being Ministers, to practice anymore such illegal insolencies, with this ordinance of the Church, after a little debate, King James at that time did show his good satisfaction.

But the Warner here jumps over nolesse then twenty seven years time from the assembly at Edinburgh 1579, to that at Aberdeen 1605, then was King James by the English Bishops persuasion resolved to put down the general assemblies of Scotland, contrary to the Laws and constant practice of that Church, from the first reformation to that day. The act of Parliament did bear that once at least a year the assembly should meet, and after their business was ended they should name time & place for the next assembly. When they had met in the year 1602, they were moved to adjourn without doing anything for two whole years to 1604, when then they were convened at the time and place agreed to by his Majesty, they were content upon his Majesty's desire without doing anything again to adjourn to the next year 1605, at Aberdeen, when that diet came his Majesty's Commissioner offered them a Letter: To the end they might be an Assembly and so in a Capacity to receive his Majesty's Letter, with the Commissioners good pleasure they sat down, they named their Moderator and Clark they received and read the Kings letter commanding them to rise, which they obeyed without any farther action at all but naming a diet for the next meeting according to the Laws and constant practice of Scotland, hereupon by the pernicious counsel of Arch-Bishop Banckroft at London, the King was stirred up to bring sore trouble upon a number of gracious Ministers. This is the whole matter which to the Warner heir is so tragick an insolence, that never any Parliament durst attempt the like. See more of this in the Historical vindication.

The next instance of our Presbiteryes usurpation upon the Magistrate is their abolition, (before any statute of Parliament thereupon) of the Church festivals in their first book of discipline. Ans. Consider the grievousness of this crime, in the interval of Parliaments, the great counsel of Scotland in the minority of the Prince entrusted by Parliament to rule the Kingdom, did charge the Church to give them in write their judgment about matters Ecclesiastical: in obedience to this charge the Church did present the counsel with a write named since the first book of discipline: which the Lord's of counsel did approve, subscribe and ratify by an Act of State: a part of the first head in that write was that Christmas, Epiphany, purification, and other fond feasts of the virgin Mary, as not warranted by the holy Scriptures, should be laid aside. Was it any encroachment upon the Magistrate for the Church to give this advice to the privy counsel when earnestly they did crave it? the people of Scotland ever since have shown their ready obedience to that direction of the Church founded upon Scripture, and backed from the beginning with an injunction of the state.

His third instance of the Church of Scotland's usurpation upon the Magistrate is, their abolition of Episcopacy in the assembly 1580, when the Law made it treason to impugn the authority of Bishops, being the third estate of the Kingdom. Ans. The Warner seems to have no more knowledge of the affairs of Scotland, then of Japan or Utopia, the Law he speaks of was not in being some years after 1580, how ever all the general assemblies of Scotland are authorised by act of Parliament, to determine finally without an appeal in all Ecclesiastic affairs: in the named assembly Lundie the Kings Commissioner did sit and consent in his Majesty's name to that act of abolition, as in the next assembly 1581, the Kings Commissioner Caprinton did erect in his Majesty's name the Presbiteryes in all the Land; it is true, three years thereafter a wicked Courtier Captain James Stuart, in a shadow of a close and not summoned Parliament, did procure an act to abolish Presbiteries and erect Bishops, but for this and all the rest of his crimes that evil man was quickly rewarded by God before the world, in a terrible destruction: these acts of his Parliament the very next year were disclaimed by the King, the Bishops were put down, and the Presbitry was set up again, and never more removed to this day.

The Warners digression to the perpetuity of Bishops in Scotland, to the acts of the Church and State for their restitution, is but to show his ignorance in the Scots story: what ever be the Episcopal boastings of other Nations, yet it is evident that from the first entrance of Christian Religion into Scotland, Presbyters alone without Bishops for some hundred years did govern that Church: and after the reformation their was no Bishop in that Land, but in tittle and benefice till the year 1610; when Bancroft did consecrate three Scots Ministers, all of them men of evil report, whom that violent Commissioner the Earl of Dunbar in the corrupt and null assembly of Glasgow, got authorised in some pairt of a Bishops office; which part only and no more was ratified in a posterior Parliament. Superintendents are nowhere the same with Bishops much less in Scotland where for a time only till the Churches were planted, they were used as ambulatory Commissioners, and visitors to preach the word, and administer the Sacraments for the supply of vacant and unsettled congregations.

The fourth instance is the Churches obtruding the second book of discipline, without the ratification of the State. Ans. For the Ecclesiastic enjoining of a general assemblies decrees a particular ratification of Parliament is unnecessary; general acts of Parliament commanding obedience to the acts of the Church, are a sufficient warrant from the State, beside, that second book of discipline was much debated with the King, and at last in the general assembly 1590, his consent was obtained unto it: for in that assembly where unanimously the subscription of the second book of discipline by all the ministers of the Kingdom was decried, his Majesty some time in person and always by the chancelor his Commissioner was present, and in the act for subscription Sess. 10. Augusti 8. it is expressly said that not only all the Ministers but also all the Commissioners present did consent, among which Commissioners the chancelor, his Majesty's Commissioner was chief. But neither the King nor the Church could get it to pass the Parliament in regaird of the opposition, which some States-men did make unto these parts thereof, which touched on their own interest of unjust advantage, this was the only stick.

The next instance of the Churches encroachement is their usurpation of all the old rents of the clergy, as the Churches patrimony, and their decerning in anassembly that nothing in the next Parliament should pass before the Church were fully restored to her rents. Ans. Consider here the Warners hypocrisy and unjustice, he challenges the Presbiterians for that which no praelate in the world did ever esteem a fault, a mere declaration of their judgment that the Church had a just right to such rents, as by law and long possession were theirs, and not taken away from them by any lawful means. What if here they had gone on with the most of the prelatical party to advance that right to a jus divinum? what if they had put themselves by a command from Court, into the possession of that right, without a process, as diverse of the Warners friends were begun lately to do in all the three Kingdoms? but all that he can here challenge the Scots for, is a mere declaration of their simple right, with a supplication to the Regent his grace, that he would endeavor in the next Parliament, to procure a ninth part of the Churches patrimony, for the mantainance of the ministry, and the poor of the country: for all the rent that the Churches then could obtain or did petition, was but a third of the thirds of the benefices or tithes. That ever any assembly in Scotland did make any other address to the Parliament for stipends then by way of humble supplication, it is a great untruth.

The last instance is, the erecting of Presbyteries through all the Kingdom, by an act of the Church alone. Ans. I have shown already the untruth of this alleadgeance; the proof here brought for it, is grounded only upon an ambiguous word which the Warners ignorance in the Scottish discipline and Presbytery (though the main subject of his book) permits him not to understand. The Presbyteries were set up by the King after the assembly 1580, but the second book of discipline of which alone the citation speaks, how ever enjoind by many assemblies, yet it could never be gotten ratified in any Parliament, only because of these parts of it which did speak for the patrimony of the Church, and oppugn the right of patronages.

How well the Warner hath proven the Presbiterian practices to be injurious to the Magistrate we have considered, possibly he will be more happy in his next undertaking, in his demonstrations that their doctrinal principles do trample on the Magistrates supremacy and Laws; their first principle he takes out of the second book of discipline. Cap. 7. That no Magistrate nor any but Ecclesiastic persons may vote in Synods. Ans. Though I find nothing of this in the place cited, yet there is nothing in it that crosseth either the Laws or the Kings supremacy: for according to the acts of Parliament of Scotland both old and late and the constant practice of that Church, the only members of Presbyteries are Ministers and ruling elders. Is it the Warners mind to vent here his super-Erastianism, that all Ecclesiastic assemblies Classical, Provincial, national are but the arbitrary Courts of the Magistrate for to advise him in the execution of his inherent power about matters Ecclesiastical; and for this cause, that it is in his arbitrement to give a decisive voice in all Church assemblies, to whom and how many so ever he will? Though this may be the Warners mind, as it hath been some of his friends, yet the most of the prelatical party will not man taine him herein. How ever, such principles are contrary to the Laws of Scotland, to the professions also and practices of all the Princes and Magistrates that ever have lived there.

But the Warner here may possibly glance at another principle of his good friends, who have been willing lately to vent before all Britain in print their Elevating the supremacy of Sovereigns so far above Laws, that what ever people have obtained to be established by never so many assemblies and Parliaments and confirmed with never so many great seals of ratification, and peaceably enjoyed by never so long a possession, yet it is nothing but commendable wisdom and justice for the same Prince who made the first concessions or any of his successors when ever they find themselves strong enough, to cancel all and make void what ever Parliaments, Assemblies, royal ratifications, and the longest possession made foolish people believe to be most firm and unquestionable. To this purpose Bishop Maxwel (from whom much of this warning is borrowed) doth speak in his Sacro-Sancta regum Majestas. Though this had been the Cabine divinity of our prelates, yet what can be their intentions in speaking of it out in these times of confusion, themselves must declare: for the clear consequente of such doctrine seems to be a necessity either of such Warners perpetual banishment from the Courts and ears of Sovereigns, or else that subjects be kept up forever in a strong jealousy, and fear that they can never be secure of their liberties, though never so well ratified by Laws and promises of Princes any longer then the sword and power remains in their own hand to preserve what they have obtained. Such Warners so long as they are possessed with such maxims of state, are clear everters of the first fundations of trust betwixt Sovereigns and subjects, they take away all possibility of any solid peace of any confident settlement in any troubled state, before both parties be totally ruined or one become so strong that they need no more to fear the others malcontentment in any time to come.

Our second challenged principle is that we teach the whole power of convocating assemblies to be in the Church. Ans. The Warners citations prove not that we maintain any such assertion, our doctrine and constant practice hath been to ascribe to the King a power of calling Synods, when and wheresoever he thought fit, but that which the Warner seems to point at is, our tenet of an intrinsicall power in the Church to meet, as for the word and Sacraments so for discipline; in this all who are Christians, old and late, the prelatical and Popish party as well as others, go along with us to mantaine in doctrine and practice, a necessity even in times of persecution, that the Church must meet for the worship of God and execution of Ecclesiastic discipline among their own members. In this the doctrine and practice of the Scots is according to their settled laws, uncontroverted by his Majesty. If the Warner will mantaine, that in reason and conscience all the Churches of the world are obliged to dissolve and never more to meet when an erroneous Magistrate by his Tyrannous edict commands them to do so, let him call up Erastus from the dead to be disciplined in this new doctrine of the prelates impious loyalty.

The third principle is that the judgment of true and false doctrine of suspension and deprivation of Ministers belongeth to the Church. Ans. If this be a great heresy it is to be charged as much upon the state as upon the Church, for the acts of Parliament give all this power to the Church, neither did the laws of England or of any Christian state, popish or protestant, refuse to the Church the determination of such Ecclesiastic causes; some indeed do debate upon the power of appeals from the Church, but in Scotland by the law, as no appeal in things civil goes higher then the Parliament so in matters Ecclesiastic none goes above the general assembly. Complaints indeed may go to the King and Parliament for redress of any wrong has been done in Ecclesiastic Courts, who being custodes religions may by their coercive power command Ecclesiastic Courts to rectify any wrong done by them contraire to Scripture, or if they persist take order with them. But that two or three prelates should become a Court of delegats, to receive appeals from a general assembly, neither Law nor practice in Scotland did ever admit, nor can the word of God or any Equity require it. In the Scots assemblies no causes are agitat but such as the Parliament hath agreed to be Ecclesiastic and of the Churches cognizance: no Processe about any Church rent was ever cognosced upon in Scotland but in a civil Court: its very false that ever any Church censure, much less the highest of excommunication did fall upon any for robbing the Church of its patrimony.

Our fourth challenged principle is that we maintain Ecclesiastic jurisdiction by a divine right. Ans. Is this a huge crime? is there divine in the world, either Papist or Potestant, except a few prelatical Erastians, but they do so? If the Warner will profess (as it seems he must) the contradiction of that which he ascribes to us, his avowed tenet must be that all Ecclesiastic power flows from the Magistrate, that the Magistrate himself may execute all Church censures, that all the Officers appointed by Christ for the government of his Church, may be laid aside, and such a kind of governors be put in their place, as the Magistrate shall be pleased to appoint: that the spiritual sword and Keies of heaven belong to the Magistrate by virtue of his supremacy, als well as the temporal sword and the Keies of his earthly Kingdom: our difference here from the Warner will not (I hope) be found the greatest heresy.

Our last challenged principle is, that we will have all our power against the Magistrate, that is, although he dissent. Ans. It is an evil comentare that all must be against the Magistrate, which is done against his consent: but in Scotland their is no such case: for all the jurisdiction which the church there does enjoy, they have it with the consent of the Magistrate: all is ratified to them by such acts of Parliament as his Majesty doth not at all controvert. Concerning that odious case the Warner intimats, whither in time of persecutiō, when the Magistrate classheth with the Church, any Ecclesiastic discipline be then to be exercised; himself can better answer it then we, who with the ancient Christians do think, that on all hazards (even of life) the church may not be dissolved, but must meet in dens and caves and in the wilderness for the word and Sacraments and keeping it self pure by the divine ordinance of discipline.

Having cleared all the pernicious practices and all the wicked Doctrines, which the Warner lays upon us, I think it needles to insist upon these defenses which he in his abundant charity brings for us, but in his own way, that he may with the greater advantage impugn them: only I touch one passage whereupon he make injurious exclamations: that which Mr. Gilespie in his theoremes wryts; when the Magistrate abuses his power unto Tyranny and makes havoc of all, it is lawful to resist him by some extraordinary ways and means, which are not ordinarily to be allowed: see the principles from which all our miseries and the loss of our gracious Master have flowed. Ans. We must here yield to the Warner the great equity and necessity that every doctrine of a Presbyter, should be charged on the Presbytery it self, and that any Presbyter teaching the lawfulness of a Parliaments defensive arms is tantamont to the Churches taking of arms against the king. These small unconsequences we must permit the Warner to swallow down without any stick, however we do deny that the maxim in hand was the fountain of any our miseries, or the cause at all of the loss of our late Sovereign. Did ever his Majesty or any of his advised counselors declare it simply unlawful for a Parliament, to take arms for defense in some extraordinary cases, however the unhappines of the Canterburian Prelates did put his Majesty on these courses, which did begin and promote all our misery, and to the very last these men were so wicked as to refuse the lousing of these bands which their hands had tied about his misinformed conscience, yea to this day they will not give their consent, that his Majesty, who now is, should lay aside Episcopacy, were it for the gaining the peaceable possession of all his three Kingdoms, but are urgers of him night and day to adhaere to their errors, upon the hazard of all the miseries that may come on his person, on his family and all his people: yet few of them to this day durst be so bold as to print with this Warner, the unlawfulness of a Parliaments arms against the Tyranny of a Prince in any imaginable case, how extraordinary soever.

CHAP. III.

IN this chapter the challenge is, that there are no appeals from the general Assembly to the King, as in England from the Bishops Courts to the King in Chauncery, where a Commission uses to be given to delegats, who discuss the appeals. Ans. The warner considers not the difference of the Government of the Church of Scotland from that which was in England. what the Parliament is in the State, that the general assembly is in the Church of Scotland: both are the highest courts in their own kind. There is no appeal anywhere in moderate Monarchies to the Kings person, but to the King in certain legal courts; as the Warner here confesseth the appeal from Bishops lies not, to the King in his person, but to the King in his court of Chauncery. As no man in Scotland is permitted to appeal in a civil cause from the Lord's of Session; much less from the Parliament; so no man in an Ecclesiastic cause is permitted by the very civil Law of Scotland to appeal from the general assembly. According to the Scots order & practice, the King in person or else by his high Commissioner sits als usually in the general assembly, as in Parliament. But though it were not so, yet an appeal from a general assembly to be discussed in a Court of delegats, were unbeseeming and unreasonable, the one Court consisting of above two hundred, all chosen men the best and most able of the Kingdom; the other but of two or three, often of very small either abilities or integrity, who yet may be more fit to discern in an Ecclesiastic cause then a single Bishop over his official, the ordinary trusted in all acts of jurisdiction for the whole diocese. But the Scots way of managing Ecclesiastic causes is a great deal more just, safe and Satisfactory to any rational man then that old popish order of the English, where all the spiritual jurisdiction of the whole diocese was in the hand of one mercenary official without all relief from his sentence, except by an appeal, as of old to the pope and his delegats, so thereafter to the King, though never to be cognosced-upon by himself, but as it was of old by two or three delegats, the weakest of all courts, often for the quality and ever for the number of the judges.

Two instances are brought by the Warner to prove the Church of Scotland's stopping of appeals from the general Assembly to the King, the cases of Montgomery and Adamson: if the causes and events of the named cases had been well known to the Warner, as he made this chapter disproportionally short, so readily he might have deleted it all together. Both these men were infamous not only in their Ministerial charges but in their life & conversation; both became so insolent that contrary to the established order of the Church & Kingdom, being suborned by wicked statesmen, who in that day of darkness had well near brought ruin both to King and country, would needs take upon them the office of Arch-Bishops. While the assembly was in process with them for their manifold and high misdeameanors, the King was moved by them and their evil patrons, to show his high displeasure against the assemblies of the Church. they for his Majesty's satisfaction sent their Commissioners and had many conferences; whereby the pride and contempt of these prelates did so increase, that at last they drew the sentence of excommunication upon their own heads: the King after some time did acknowledge the equity of the Church proceedings, and professed his contentment their with: both these unhappy men were brought to a humble confession of their crimes, and such signs of repentance, that both after a renunciation of their titulare Bishopriks were readmitted to the function of the ministry, which they had deserted. Never any other before or after in Scotland did appeal from the general assembly to the King: the late excommunicate prelates in their declinatour against the assembly of Glasgow, did not appeal as (I remember) to the King, but to another general assembly to be constitute, according to their own Popish and Tyrannical principles.

CHAP. IV.

THE Warner in his fourth Chapter offers to prove, that the Scottish discipline doth exempt Ministers from punishment for any treason or sedition they can act in their pulpits. Ans. This challenge is like the rest, very false. The rules of the Church discipline in Scotland obliges Churchmen to be subject to punishment, not only for every fault for which any other man is liable to censure, but ordains them to be punished for sundry things, which in other men are not at all questionable: and what ever is censurable in any, they appoint it to be much more so in a Minister. It is very untrue, that the pulpits in Scotland are Sanctuaries for any crime, much less for the grievous crimes of sedition and treason. Let the Warner remember, how short a time it is, since an Episcopal chair or a canonical coat did privilege in England and Ireland from all censure either of Church or State, great numbers, who were notoriously known to be guilty of the foulest crimes. Was ever the Warners companion Bishop Aderton challenged for his Sodomy, so long as their commune patron of Canterbury did rule the court? did the warner never hear of a prelate very sibb to Doctor Bramble, who to this day was never called to any account for flagrant scandals of such crimes as in Scotland are punishable by the gallows? the Warner doth not well to insist upon the Scots Clergy exempting themselfe from civil punishments: nowhere in the world are Churchmen more free of crimes deserving civil cognizance then in Scotland: and if the ears and eyes of the world may be trusted, the popish clergy this day in Italy and Spain are not so challengeable, as the prelatical divines in England and Ireland lately were for many gross misdemeanors.

But why does the Warners anger run out so far as to the preachers in Holland? is it because he knoweth the Church discipline in Holland to be really the same with that he oppugnes in the Scots, and that all the reformed Churches do join cordially with Scotland in their rejection of Episcopacy? is this a ground for him to slander our Brethren of Holland? Is it charity for him a stranger to publish to the world in print that the ministers in Holland are seditious oratours, and that they saucily control the Magistrates in their pulpits? Their crime seems to be, that for the love of Christ their master, they are zealous in their doctrine, to press upon the Magistrate as well as upon the people the true practice of piety, the sanctification of the Sabbath day, the suppression of heresy and shisme, and repentance for the sins of the time & place wherein they live. This is a crime whereof few of the Warners friends were wont to be guilty of: their shameful silence and flattery was one of the great causes of all the sins and calamities that have wracked the three Kingdoms: the stream of their sermons while the enjoyed the pulpit, was to encourage to superstition and contempt of piety, to sing asleep by their ungracious way all, that gave ear unto them. The man is impatien, t to see the Pastors of Holland or anywhere, to walk in another path then his own, and for this cause would stir up their Magistrates against them: as it was his and his Brethren's custom to stir up the Magistrates of Britain and Ireland to imprison, banish, and heavily vex the most zealous servants of God, only for their opposition to the prelates profanity and errors. The Warner (I hope) has not yet forgotten, how Doctor Bramble and his neighbor Lefly of Down did cast out of the Ministry, and made flee out of the Kingdom, men most eminent for zeal, piety and learning, who in a short time had done more good in the house of God, then all the Bishops that ever were in Ireland, I mean Master Blaire, Master Levingston, Master Hamilton, and Master Cuningham, and others.

The Warner needed not to have marked as a singularity of Geneva, that there all the Ecclesiastics, quâ tales, are punishable by the Magistrates for civil crimes; for we know none of the reformed Churches, who were ever following Rome in exeeming the Clergy from saecular jurisdiction, except it were the Canterburian Prelates: who indeed did skarre the most of Magistrates from medeling with a canonical coat though defiled with drunckenesse, adultery, scolding, fighting, and other evils, which were too common of late to that order.

But how does he prove, that the Scots Ministers exempt themselves from civil jurisdiction? first (saith he) by the declaration of King James 1584. Ans. That declaration was not from King James, as himself did testify the year thereafter under his hand, but from Master Patrick Adamson, who did acknowledge it to be his own upon his death bed, and professed his repentance for the lies and slanders, wherewith against his conscience he had fraughted that infamous libel.

His second proof is from the second book of discipline Chapter II, It is absurd that Commissaries having no function in the Church, should be judges to Ministers to depose them from their charges. Ans. Though in England the Commissary and official was the ordinary judge to depose and excommunicate all the Ministers of the diocese, yet by the Laws of Scotland no Commissaries had ever any jurisdiction over Ministers. But though the officialls jurisdiction together with their Lord's the Bishops were abolished, yet doth it follow from this, that no other jurisdiction remaineth whereby Ministers might be punished either by Church and State, according to their demerits? is not this strongly reasoned by the Warner?

His third proof is the case of James Gibson, who had railed in pulpit against the King, and was only suspended, yea thereafter was absolved from that fault. Ans. Upon the complaint of the Chancelor the alleged words were condemned by the general assembly: but before the man's guiltiness of these words could be tried, he did absent himself: for which absence he was presently suspended from his Ministry: in the next assembly he did appear and cleared the reason of his absence to have been just fear and no contumacy, this he made appear to the assemblies satisfaction, but before his process could be brought to any issue, he fled away to England, where he died a fugitive never restored to his chardge, though no tryell of his fault was perfected.

The fourth proof is Mr. Black his case: hereupon the Warner makes a long and odious narration. If we interrogat him about his ground of all these Stories, he can produce no warrant but Spots-woods unprinted book: this is no authentic register whereupon any understanding man can rely, the writer was a professed enemy, to his death, of the Scottish discipline, he spent his life upon a Story for the disgrace of the Presbytery and the honor of Bishops: no man who is acquainted with the life or death of that Author will build his belief upon his words. This whole narration is abundantly confuted in the historical vindication, when the Warner is pleased to repeat the challenge from Issachar’s burden he ought to have replied something after three years advisement to the printed answer.

The matter (as our registers bear) was shortly thus, in the year 1596 the Popish and malignant faction in King James his court grew so strong that the countenance of the King towards the Church was much changed, and over all the Land great fears did daily increase of the overthrow of the Church discipline established by Law. The Ministers in their pulpits gave free warning thereof, among others Mr. Black of Saint Andrew's, a most gracious and faithful Pastor, did apply his doctrine to the sins of the time; some of his Enemies delated him at Court for words injurious to the King and Queen: the words he did deny and all his honest hearers did absolve him by their testimony from these calumnies: of himself he was most willing to be tried to the uttermost before all the world, but his Brethren finding the libelled calumnies to be only a pretence and the true intention of the Courtiers therein was, to stop the mouths of Ministers, that the crying sins of the time should no more be reproved in pulpits, they advised him to decline the judgment of the counsel, and appeal to the general assembly, as the competent judge according to the word of God and the Laws of Scotland, in the cause of doctrine; for the first instance they did never question, but if anything truly seditious had been preached by a Minister that he for this might be called before the civil Magistrate and accordingly punished but that every Minister for the application of his doctrine according to the rules of scripture to the sins of his hearers for their reclaming, should be brought before a civil court at the first instance, they thought it unreasonable and defired the King in the next assembly might cognosce upon the equity of such a proceeding. The Ministers had many a conference with his Majesty upon that subject, often the matter was brought very near to an amicable conclusion, but because the Ministers refused to subscribe a band for so great a silence as the Court required against his Majesty's countenancing of treacherous Papists, and favoring the enemies of religion, a seveer Sentence was pronounced not only against Master Black, but also all the Ministers of Edinburgh.

In the mean time malcontented States-men did add oil to the flame, and at the very instant while the Ministers and their friends are offering a petition to his Majesty, they subborne a villane to cry in one part of the streets the Ministers are slain, and in another part of the streets that the King was killed: whereupon the People rush all out to the streets in their arms, and for half an howr at most were in a tumult, upon mere ignorance what the fray might be, but without the hurt of any one man: so soon as it was found that both the King and Ministers were safe, the people went all peaceably to their houses. This is the very truth of that innocent commotion, whereupon the Warner here and his fellows elsewhere make all their tragedies. None of the Ministry were either the authors or approvers thereof, though diverse of them suffered sore troubles for it.

CHAP. V.

THE Warner in his fifth chapter chardges the Scots for subjecting the King to the censure of excommunication and bringing upon princes all the miseries which the popes excommunications of old wont to bring upon Anathematised Emperors. Ans. It does not become the Warner and his fellows to object to any the abuse of the dreadful sentence of excommunication, no Church in the world was ever more guilty of that fault then the prelates of England and Ireland, did they ever censure their own officialls for the pronouncing of that terrible sentence most profanly against any they would, had it been for the non-payment of the smallest sums of money. As for the Scots, their doctrine and practice in the point of excommunication is as considerat as any other church in the world, that censure in Scotland is most rare and only in the case of obstinacy in a great sin: what ever be their doctrine in general with all other Christians and as I think with the prelatical party themselves, that the object of Christian doctrine Sacraments and discipline is one and the same, and that no member of Christ, no sone of the Church, may plead a highness above admonitions and Church censures, yet I know they never thought it expedient so much as to intend any process of Church animadversion against their Sovereign. To the worlds end I hope they shall not have again greater grievances and truer causes of citation from their Princes then they have had already. It may be confidently believed that they who upon so pregnant occasions did never so much as intend the beginning of a process against their King, can never be supposed in danger of any such proceeding for time to come. How ever, we love not the abused ground of the Warners flattering of Princes to their own great hurt: is it so indeed that all the sins of princes are only against God, that all Kings are not only above all laws of Church and State but when they fall into the greatest crimes that the worst of men have ever committed, that even then their sins must not be against any man or against any law? such Episcopal doctrine spurs on princes to these unhappy praecipies, and oppressed people unto these outrages that both fall into inextricable calamities.

CHAP. VI.

THE sixth Chapter is spent on another crime of the Presbytery; it makes the Presbyters cry to the Magistrate for justice upon capital offenders. Ans. What hes Presbytery to do with this matter were it never so great an offense: will the Warner have all the faults of the prelatical faction, flow from the fountain of Episcopacy? this unconsequentiall reasoning will not be permitted to men below the degrees of Doctors. But was it a very great crime indeed for Ministers to plead the cause of the fatherless and widows, yea the cause of God their Master and to preach unto Magistrates, that according to Scriptures murderers ought to die, and the Land be purged from the stain of innocent blood? when the shameful impunity of murder made Scotland by deadly fends, in time of peace a field of war and blood, was it not time for the faithful servants of God to exhort the King toexecute justice, and to declare the danger of most frequent pardons drawn from his hand often against his heart by the importunity and deceitful information of powerful solicitors, to the great offense of God against the whole land, to the inexpressible grief and wrong of the suffering party, to the opening also of a new floodgate of more blood which by a legal revenge in time easily might have been stopped? Too much pity in sparing the willful shedders of innocent blood ordinarlie proves a great cruelty, not only to wards the disconsolat oppressed who cry to the vicegerents of God the avenger, for justice in vain, but also towards the soul of him who is spared and the life of many more who are friends either to the oppressor or oppressed.

As for the named case of Huntly let the world judge, whether the Ministers had reason often to give Warning against that wicked man and his complices. Beside his apostasy and after-seeming-repentance his frequent relapses into avowed popery, in the eighty eight he banded with the King of Spain to overthrow the religion and government of the whole Island and after pardon, from time to time did renew his treasonable plots for the ruin of Britain: he did commit many murders, he did invade under the nose of the King, the house of his Cousin the Earl of Murray, and most cruelly murdered that gallant Nobleman, he appeared with displayed Banner against the King in person, he killed thereafter many hundreds of the Kings good people, when these multiplied outrages did cry up to the God of heaven, was is not time for the men of God to cry to the judges of the earth to do their duty, according to the warrant of many Scriptures? what a dangerous humor of flattery is this in our Prelates, not only to lull asleep a Prince in a most sinful neglect of his charge, but also to cry out upon others more faithful then themselves for assaying to break of their slumber by their wholesome and seasonable admonitions from the word of God?

The next challenge of the Scots Presbyters is that they spoil the King of his Tythes, first fruits, patronage and dependence of his subjects. Ans. The Warner understands not what he writes, the Kings Majesty in Scotland never had, never craved any first fruits: the Church never spoiled the King of any Tythes, some other men indeed, by the wickedness most of Prelates and their followers, did cousin both the King and the Church of many Tythes: but his Majesty and the Church had never any controversy in Scotland about the Tythes: for the King, so far as concerned himself, was ever willing that the Church should enjoy that which the very act of Parliament acknowledgeth to be her patrimony. Nor for the patronages had the Church any plea with the King: the Church declared often their mind of the iniquity of patronages, wherein they never had from the King any considerable opposition, but from the Nobility and gentry the opposition was so great, that for peacesake the Church was content to let patronages alone, till God should make a Parliament lay to heart what was incumbent for gracious men to do, for liberating congregations from their slavery of having Ministers intruded upon them by the violence of Patrones. Which now at last (blessed be God) according to our mind is performed. As for the dependence of any vassals upon the King, it was never questioned by any Presbyterian in Scotland.

What is added in the rest of the Chapter, is but a repetition of that which went before, to wit, the Presbyters denying to the King the spiritual government of the Church, and the power of the keys of the Kingdom of heaven: such an usurpation upon the Church, King James declared under his hand (as at length may be seen in the Historical vindication) to be a sin against the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, which puts in the hand of the Magistrate the power of preaching and celebrating the Sacraments: a power which since that time no Magistrate in Britain did assume, and if any would have claimed it, none would have more opposed, then the most zealous patrons of Episcopacy. The injurious invectives, which the Warner builds upon this his Erastian assertion, we pass them as Castles in their air, which must fall and evanish for want of a foundation. Only before I leave this Chapter, let the Warner take a good Sentence out of the mouth of that wise Prince King James, to testify yet farther his mind against Erastianism. His Majesty in the year 1617 having come in progress to visit his ancient Kingdom of Scotland, and being present in person at a public disputation in Theology in the University of St. Andrew's, whereof also many both Nobles and Church-men of both Kingdoms were auditors; when one of those that acted a part in the disputation, had affirmed and went about to maintain this assertion that the King had power to depose Ministers from their Ministerial function. The King himself as abhorring such flattery, cried out with a loud voice, Ego possum deponere Ministri caput, sed non possum deponere ejus officium.

CHAP. VII.

IN the seventh chapter the Warner would cause men believe many more of the Presbyteries usurpations upon the civil Magistrate. The first is that all offenses whatsoever are cognoscible in the consistory upon the case of scandals. Ans. First the Presbyterie makes no offense at all to come before the consistory, but scandal alone. Secondly these civil offenses (the scandal whereof comes before the Presbytery) are but very few, and a great deal fewer than the Bishops official takes notice of in his consistoriall court. That capital crimes past over by the Magistrate should be censured by the Church, no society of Christians who have any discipline, did ever call in question. When the sword of the Magistrate hes spared a murderer, an adulterer, a Blasphemer; will any ingenuous, either prelatical or popish divine, admit of such to the holy table without signs of repentance?

The Warners second usurpation is but a branch of the first, that the Presbyterie draws directly before it self the cognizance of fraud in bargaining, false measures, oppression and in the case of Ministers, brybing, usury, fighting, perjury, &c. Ans. Is it then the Warners mind, that the notorious slander of such gross sins does not deserve so much, as an Ecclesiastic rebooke? Shall such persons without admonition be admitted to the holy communion? Secondly the named cases of fraud in bargaining, false measures, oppression, come so rarely before our Church-judicatories that though these thirty years I have been much conversant in Presbyteries, yet did I never see, nor do I remember that ever I heard any of these three cases brought before any church assembly. In the person of Ministers, I grant, these faults which the canons of the Church in all times and places make the causes of deprivation are cognosced upon in Presbyteries, but with the good liking (I am sure) of all both papists and prelates, who themselves are free of such vices. And why did not the Warner put in among the causes of church men's deprivation from office and benefit, adultery, gluttonny and drunkenness? are these in his, &c. which he will not have cognoscible by the Church in the persons of Bishops and Doctors?

The Warners third challenge amounts to an high crime, that Presbyterian Ministers are bold to preach upon these scriptures which speak of the Magistrates duty in his office, or dare offer to resolve from scripture any doubt, which perplexeth the conscience of Magistrates or people, of Husband or Wife, of Master or Servant, in the discharge of their Christian duty one to another. What ever hath been the negligence of the Bishop of Derry, yet I am sure, all the preaching Prelates and Doctors of England pretended a great care to go about these uncontroverted parts of their ministerial function, and yet without meddling with the Mysteries of State, or the depths of any man's particular vocation; much less with thejudgement of jurisdiction in political or aeconomicall causes.

As for the Churches declaration against the Late engagement; did it not well become them to signify their judgment in so great a case of conscience, especially when the Parliament did propone it to them for resolution, and when they found a conjunction driven on with a clearly malignant party, contrary to solemn oaths and covenants, unto the evident hazard of Religion and them who had been most eminent instruments of its preservation; was it not the churches duty to give warning against that sin, and to exhort the ring leaders therein to repentance?

But our Warner must needs insist upon that unhappy engagement, and fasten great blame upon the Church for giving any advice about it. Ans. Must it be Jesuisitisme, and a drawing of all the civil affairs to the Churches bar in ordine ad Spiritualia, for an assembly to give their advice in a most eminent and important case of conscence, when earnestly called upon in a multitude of supplications from the most of the Congregations under their charge; yea when required by the States of the Kingdom in several express messages for that end? It seems, its our Warners conclusion, if the Magistrate would draw all the Churches in his jurisdiction to a most unlawful war, for the advancement of the greatest impiety and unjustice possible, wherein nothing could be expected by all who were engaged therein but the curse of God; if in this case a doubting Natione should desire the assemblies counsel for the state of their souls, or if the Magistrate would put the Church to declare what were lawful or unlawful according to the word of God, that it were necessary here for the servants of God to be altogether silent, because indeed war is so civil a business, that nothing in it concerns the soul, and nothing about it may be cleared by any light from the word of God.

The truth is, the Church in their public papers to the Parliament, declared oftener then once, that they were not against, but for an engagement, if so that Christian and friendly treaties could not have obtained reason, and all the good people in Scotland were willing enough to have hazarded their lives and estates, for vindicating the wrongs done, not by the Kingdom of England, but by the sectarian party there, against God the King, covenant and both Kingdoms: but to the great grief of their hearts, their hands were bound and they forced to sit still, and by the over great cunning of some, the erroneous mis-persuasions of others and the rash praecipitancy of it, that engagement was so spoiled in the stating and managing, that the most religious with peace of conscience could not go along nor encourage any other to take part therein. The Warner touches on three of their reasons: but who will look upon their public declarations, shall find many more, which with all faithfulness were then propounded by the Church, for the rectifying of that action, which, as it stood in the state and management, was clearly foretold to be exceeding like to destroy the King and his friends of all sorts in all the three Kingdoms. The irreparable losses and unutterable calamities which quickly did follow at the heels, the misbeleefe and contempt of the Lord's servants and the great danger religion is now brought unto in all these Kingdoms, hes, I suppose, long ago brought grief enough to the heart of them whose unadvised rashness and intemperate fervor did contribute most for the spoiling of that design.

The first desire about that engagement which the Warner gives to us, concerns the security of religion. In all the debate of that matter, it was aggreed (without question upon all hands, that the Sectarian party deserved punishment for their wicked attempts upon the Kings person, contrary to the directions of the Parliamentes of both Kingdoms, and that the King ought to be rescued out of their hands, and brought to one of his houses for perfecting the treaty of peace which often had been begun: but here was the question; Whither the Parliament and Army of Scotland ought to declare their resolutiones to bring his Majesty to London with honor, freedom and safety, before he did promise any security for establishing Religion; The Parliaments of both Kingdoms in all their former treaties had ever pressed upon the King a number of propositions to be signed by his Majesty before at all he came to London: was it then any fault in the Church of Scotland to desire the granting but of one of these propositions concerning Religion and the covenant, before the King were brought (by the new hazard of the lives and estats of all the Scottish nation) to sit in his Parliament in that honnor and freedom which himself did desire? There was no complaint, when many of thirty propositions were pressed to be signed by his Majesty for satisfaction and security to his people, after so great and long desolations: how then is an out-cry made, when all other propositions are postponed, and only one for Religion is stuck upon, and that not before his Majesty's rescue and deliverance from the hands of the sectaries, but only before his bringing to London in honor freedom and safety? This demand, to the Warner, is a crime, and may be so to all of his belief, who takes it for a high unjustice, to restrain in any King the absolute power by any condition: for they do mantaine that the administration of all things both of Church and state does reside so freely and absolutely in the mere will of a Sovereign, that no case at any time can fall out, which ought to bound that absolutnesse with any limitation.

The second particular the Warner pitches upon, is the Kings negative voice; behold how criminous we were in the point; When some (most needlessly) would needs bring into debate the Kings negative voice in the Parliament of England, as one of the royal praerogatives to be maintained by our engagement: it was said, that all discourse of that kind might be laid aside as impertinent for us: if any debate should chance to fall upon it, the proper place of it was, in a free Parliament of England; that our Laws did not admit of a negative voice to the King in a Parliament of Scotland; and to press it now as a prerogative of all Kings, (besides the reflection it might have upon the rights of our Kingdom,) it might put in the hand of the King a power to deny all and everyone of these things, which the Parliaments of both Kingdoms had found necessary for the settling the peace in all the three dominions. We marvel not, that the Warner here should tax us of a great error, seeing it is the belief of his faction, that every King hath not only a negative but an absolute affirmative voice in all their Parliaments, as if they were nothing but their arbitrary counsels for to persuade by their reasons but not to conclude nor impede anything by their votes; the whole and entire power of making or refusing Laws being in the Prince alone, and no part of it in the Parliament.

The Warners third challenge against us about the engagement is, as if the Church had taken upon it to nominate the officers of the army; and upon this he makes his invectives. Ans. The Church was far from seeking power to nominate any one officer: but the matter was thus; when the State did require of them, what in their judgment would give satisfaction to the people, and what would encourage them to go along in the engagement? one and the last parte of their answer was, that they conceived if a War shall be found necessary, much of the people's encouragement would depend upon the qualification of the commanders, to whom the managing of that great trust should be committed: for after the right stating of the War, the next would be the carrying on of it by such men who had given constante proof of their integrity. To put all the power of the Kingdom in their hand, whose by past miscariadges had given just occasion to suspect their designs and firmness to the interest of God before their own or any other man's, would fill the hearts of the people with jealousies and fears, and how wholesome an advice this was, experience hath now too clearly demonstrate.

To make the world know our further resolutiones to medle with civile affairs, the Warner is pleased to bring out against us above 80 years old stories, and all the stuff which our malicious enemy Spotsewood can furnish to him: from this good author he alleges that our Church discharged merchants to traffic with Spain, and commanded the change of the mercat days in Edinburgh. Ans. Both these calumnies are taken of at length in the Historical Vindication. After the Spanish invasion of the year eighty eight, many in Scotland kept correspondence with Spain for treacherous designs: the Inquisitors did seduce some, and persecute others of our merchants in their traffic, the Church did deal with his Majesty to intercede with the Spanish King for more liberty to our countrymen in their trading: and in the mean time while an answer was returned from Madrile, they advertised the people to be warry, how they hazarded their souls for any worldly gain which they could find about the inquisitors feet.

As for the mercat days, I grant, it was a great grief to the Church, to see the fabbath day profaned by handy labor and journeying, by occasion of the Monday-mercats in the most of the great tounes: for remedy heerof, many supplications have been made by the Assembly to the Parliament: but so long as our Bishops satte there, these petitions of the Church were always eluded: for the prelates labor in the whole Island was to have the sunday no Sabbath, and to procure by their Doctrine and example the profanation of that day by all sorts of plays, to the end people might be brought back to their old licentiousness and ignorance, by which the Episcopal Kingdom was advanced. It was visible in Scotland, that the most eminent Bishops were usual players on the Sabbath, even in time of divine service. And so soon as they were cast out of the Parliament, the Churches supplications were granted, and acts obtained for the careful sanctification of the Lord's day, and removing of the mercats in all the land from the Monday to other days of the week.

The Warners next challenge of our usurpation is, the assembly at Edinburgh 1567 their ratifying of acts of Parliament, and summoning of all the country to appear at the next assembly. Ans. If the Warner had known the history of that time, he would have choysed rather to have omitted this challenge, then to have proclaimed to the world the great rottenness of his own heart; at that time the condition of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland was lamentable, the Queen was declared for popery, King James's Father was cruelly without any cause murdered by the Earl of Bothwell; King James himself in his infancy was very near to have been destroyed by the murderer of his Father, there was no other way conceivable of safety for Religion for the infant King, for the Kingdom, but that the Protestants should join together for the defense of King James against these popish murderers. For this end the general assembly did crave conference of the secrete counsel: and they with mutual advise did call for a meeting of the whole Protestant party: which did convene at the time appointed most frequently in an extraordinary and mixed assembly of all the considerable persons of the Religion, Earls, Lord's, Barrons, Gentlemen, Burgesses and Ministers, and subscribed a bond for the revenge of King Henryes death, and the defense of King James his life: This mixed and extraordinary assembly made it one of the chief articles in their bond to defend these Acts of the Parliament 1560 concerning religion, and to endeavor the ratification of them in the next ensuing Parliament. As for the assemblies letter to their Brethren for so frequent a meeting at the next extraordinary assembly, it had the authority of the secret counsel; it was in a time of the greatest necessity, when the Religion and liberties of the land were in evident hazard from the potent and wicked counsels of the popish party, both at home and abroad; when the life of the young King was daily in visible danger from the hands of them who had murdered his Father, and ravished his Mother. Less could not have been done in such a juncture of time by men of wisdom and courage, who had any love to their Religion, King and country: but the resolution of our prelates is to the contrary, when a most wicked villain had obtained the connivance of a Queen to kill her husband, and to make way for the killing of her Son in his Cradle, and after these murders to draw a nation & Church from the true Religion, established by Law, into popery; and a free Kingdom to an illegal Tyranny; in this case there may be no meeting, either of Church or State, to provide remedies against such extraordinary mischiefs. Believe it, the Scots were never of this opinion.

What is subjoined in the next paragraph of our Churches praesumption to abolish acts of Parliament; is but a repetition of what is spoken before. Not only the laws of Scotland but equity and necessity refers the ordinary reformation of errors and abuses in Religion to the Ecclesiastical assemblies: what they find wrong in the Church, though ratified by acts of Parliament, they rectify it from the word of God, and thereafter by petition obtains their rectification to be ratified in a following Parliament, and all former acts to the contrary to be annulled. This is the ordinary Method of proceeding in Scotland and (as I take it) in all other States and Kingdoms. Were Christians of old hindered to leave paganism and embrace the Gospel, till the emperiall laws for paganism and against Christianity were revoked? did the ecumenical and National Synods of the ancients stay their reformation of heresies and corruptions in religion, till the laws of State (which did countenance these errors) were cancelled? Was not popery in Germany France and Britain so firmly established, as civil laws could do it? It seems, the Warner here does join with his Brother Issachar, to proclaim all our Reformers in Britain France and Germany, to be Rebells for daring by their preachings and Assemblies to change these things, which by acts of Parliaments had been approven, before new Parliaments had allowed of their reformation. Nevertheless this plea is foolishly intended against us, for the Ministers protestation against the acts of Parliament 1584, establishing (in that hour of darkness) iniquity by a law, and against the acts of the Assembly of Glasgow declaring the unlawfulness of Bishops and ceremonies; which some Parliaments upon Episcopal mis-information had approven: both these actions of the Church were according to former Laws and were ratified afterward by acts of Parliament yet standing in force which for the Warner (a privatman, and a stranger) to challenge, is to contemn much more grossly the law, then they do, whom here he is accusing of that crime.

By the next Story the Warner will gain nothing, when the true case of it is known. In King James minority, one Captain James Stuart did so far prevail upon the tender and inexperienced years of the Prince, as to steal his countenance unto acts of the greatest oppression; so far that James Hamelton Earl of Arran (the next to the King in blood, in his health a most gallant Prince, and a most zealous professor of the true Religion) in time of his sickness, when he was not capable to commit any crime against the State, was notwithstanding spoiled of all his livelihood and liberty: his Lands and honor with the dignity of high Chancelor of Scotland were conferred on that very wicked Tyrant Captain James, a number of the best affected and prime nobility impatient of such unheard-of oppressiones, with mere boasts and no violence at the road of Ruthven chased away that unhappy chancelor from the Kings person, this his Majesty for the time professed to take in so good part that under his hand he did allow it for good service, in his letters to the most of the Neighbor princes: he dealt also with the secrete counsel and the chief judicatories of the land, and obtained from them the approbation of that act of the Lord's as convenient and laudable, promising likewise to ratify it in the next ensuing Parliament. When the Lord's for their more abundante clearing required the Assemblies declaration there upon, the Ministers declined to medle at all with the case; but the Kings Majesty sent his Commissioners to the Assembly, entreating them withal earnestness to declare their good liking of that action, which he assured them was for his good, and the good both of the Church and Kingdom: for their obedience to the Kings importunity they are here railed upon by the wise Warner. It is true, Captain James shortly after creept in again into Court, and obtained a sever revenge against the authors of that action, before a Parliament could sit to approve it, but within a few months the same Lord's with some more did at Striveling chase again that evil man from the Court: whither he never more returned, and this their action was ratified in the next Parliament, and so stands to this day unquestioned by any but such as the Warner, either out of ignorance or malice.

I am weary to follow the Warner in all his wanderings; at the next loupe he jumps from the 1584 to the 1648, skipping over in a moment 64 years. The articles of Striveling mentions that the promoving of the work of Reformation in England and Ireland, be referred to the general assembly, upon this our friend does discharge a flood of his choler: all the matter of his impatience here is, that Scotland when by fraud they had been long allured, and at last by open violence invaded by the English Prelates, that they might take on the yock of all their corruptions, they were contented at the earnest desire of both the houses of Parliament, and all the well-affected in England, to assist their Brethren, to purge out the leaven of Episcopacy, and the Service book with all the rest of the old corruptions of the English and Irish Churches; with the managing of this so great and good an Ecclesiastic work, the Parliament of Scotland did intrust the general assembly. No marvel that Doctor Bramble a zealous lover of all the Arminianism, Popery and Tyranny, of which his great patron Doctor Lade stands convicted yet without an answer to have been bringing in upon the three nations, should be angry at the discoverers and dis-appointers of that most pious work as they wont to style it?

What here the Warner repeats, it is answered before, as for the two Storyes in his conclusion, which he takes out of his false Author Spots-wood, adding his own large amplifications; I conceive, there needs no more to be said to the first, but that some of John Knocks zealous hearers understanding of a Mass-Priest at their very side committing idolatry contrary to the Laws, did with violence break in upon him and cease upon his person and Mass-clothes, that they might present him to the ordinary Magistrate to receive justice according to the Law; This act the Warner will have to be a huge rebellion, not only in the actors, but also in John Knocks, who was not so much as present thereat.

What first he speaks of the Assemblies convocating the people in arms to be present at the trial of the popish Lord's and their avowing of that their deed to the King in his face we must be pardoned to mistrust the Warner herein upon his bare word without the relief of some witness, and that a more faithful one then his Brother in evil, Mr. Spotswood, whom yet here he does not profess to cite. Against these popish Lord's after their many treasons and bloody murders of the lieges, the King himself at last was forced to arm the people; but that the general assembly did call any unto arms we require the Warners proof that we may give it an answer.

CHAP. VIII.

THE Warners challenge in this chapter is that we mantaine our discipline by a Iure divino, and for this he spewes out upon us a sea of such rhetoric, as much better beseemed. Ans. Mercurius Aulicus then either a Warner or a praelate. In this challenge he is as unhappy as in the rest, it is for a matter wherein the most of his own Brethren (though our Adversaries) yet fully agree with us that the discipline of the Church is truly by divine right, and that Jesus Christ holds out in scripture the substantials of that Governement whereby he will have his house to be ruled to the worlds end; leaving the circumstantials to be determined by the judicatories of the Church according to the general rules, which are clear also in the word for matters of that nature. In this neither Papists nor the learndest of the Prelates find any fault with us; yet our Warner must spend a whole Chapter upon it.

It is true as we observed before the elder Prelates of England in Edwards & Elizabeth's days, as the Erastians now, did mantaine that no particular Governement of the Church was jure divino, and if this be the Warners mind, it were ingenuity in him to speak it out loud, and to endeavor to persuade his friends about the King of the truth of this tenet, he was never employed about a better and more seasonable service: for if the discipline of the Church be but humano jure then Episcopacy is keeped up upon no conscience, conscience being bottomed only upon a divine right, so Episcopacy wanting that bottom may well be laid aside at this time by the King for anything that concerns conscience since no command of God nor warrant from scripture tyes him to keep it up. This truly seems to be the main ground whereupon the whole discourse of this Chapter is built. Is it tolerable that such truths should be concealed by our Warners against their conscience, when the speaking of them out might be so advantageous to the King and all his Kingdoms, how ever we with all the reformed Churches do believe in our heart the divine right of Synods and Presbyteries, and for no possible inconvenient can be forced to deny or pass from this part of truth, yet the Warner here joins with the elder Prelates who till Warner Banckrofts advancement to the sea of Canterburry did unanimously deny Episcopacy to be of divine right, and by consequent affirmed it to be moveable, and so lawful to be laid aside by princes, when so ever they found it expedient for their affairs to be quite of it, why does not the warner and his Brethren speak plainly their thoughts in his Majesty's ears? why do they longer dissemble their conscience, only for the satisfaction of their ambition, greed, and revenge? sundry of the Praelaticall divines come yet further to join fully with Erastus in denying not only Episcopacy and all other particular forms of Church government to be of divine institution, but in avowing that no government in the Church at all is to be imagined, but such as is a part of the civil power of the Magistrate. The Warner in the Chapter and in diverse other parts of his book seems to agree with this judgment: and upon this ground if he had ingenuity he would offer his helping hand to untie the bonds of the Kings conscience, if here it were straitened, by demonstrating from this his principle, that very safely without any offense to God and nothing doubting for conscience sake, his Majesty might lay aside Episcopacy and set up the Presbytery so fully as is required in all his dominions though not upon a divine right which the Presbyterians believe, yet upon Erastus royal right which the Warner here and elsewhere avouches.

What the Warner puts here again upon the Presbyterie, the usurpation of the temporal sword in what indirect relation so ever, its probation in the former chapter was found so weak and naughty, that the repetition of it is for no use: only we mark that the Warner will have the Presbytery to be an absolute papacy, for no other purpose but to vent his desire of revenge against the Presbyterians, who gave in a challenge against the Prelates, especially the late Canterburians, among whom Doctor Bramble was one of some note, to which none of them have returned to this hour an answer; that their principles unavoidably did bring back the pope. For a Patriarch over all the western Churches, and among all the Patriarchs of the whole Catholic Church a primacy in the Roman, flows clearly out of the fountain of Episcopacy, according to the avowed doctrine of the English prelates: who yet are more liberal to the pope in granting him beside his spiritual super-inspection of the whole Catholic Church, all his temporal jurisdictions also in the patrimony of S ^t . Peter, and all his other fair principalities within and without Italy. There is no ceremony in Rome that these men stick upon: for of all the superstitious and idolatrous ceremonies of Rome, their images and altars and adorations before them are incomparably the worst; yet the Warners friends without any recantation we have heard of, avow them all; even an adoration of and to the altar it self. As for the doctrines of Rome what points are worse then these which that party have avowed in express terms, a corporal presence of Christ's body upon the Altar the Tridentine justification, free-will, final apostasy of the Saints: when no other thing can be answered to this our sore challenge, it is good to put us off with a Squib that the Presbyterie is as absolute papacy as ever was in Rome.

The Presbyterian position which the Warner here offers not to dispute but to laugh at, that Christ as King of his Church according to his royal office and Scepter hes appointed the office bearers and laws of the house, is accorded to by the most and sharpest of our adversaries, whether English or Romish, as their own tenet: howbeit such foolish consequences, that all acts of Synods must be Christ's Laws, &c. neither they nor we do acknowledge.

His declamations against the novelty of the Presbyterie in the ordinary style of the Jesuits against Protestants, and of the pagan Philosophers against the Christians of old, who will regard: our plea for the Praesbyterie is, that it is scripturall; if so; it is ancient enough: if not; let it be abolished. But it were good, that here also the Warner and his friends would be ingenuous, to speak out their minds of Episcopacy. Why have they all so long deceived the King, in assuring him that English Episcopacy was well warranted both by Scripture and antiquity. Be it so (which yet is very false) that something of a Bishop distinct from a Presbyter had any footing in Scripture, yet can they be so impudent, as to affirm, that an English Bishop in his very flesh and blood, in his substantial limbs was ever known in the World till the pope was become Antichrist? A Bishop by virtue of his office a Lord in Parliament, voicing in all acts of State, and exercising the place of a high Thesaurer, of a Chancelor, or what ever civil charge the favor of a Prince did put upon him; a Bishop with sole power of ordination and jurisdiction, without any Presbytery; a Bishop exercising no jurisdiction himself in any part of his diocese, but devolving the exercise of that power wholly upon his officials & Commissaries; a Bishop ordaining Presbyters himself alone, or with the fashionall assistance of any two Presbyters, who chance to be near; a Bishop the only Pastor of the whole diocese, and yet not bound to feed any flock, either by word or Sacrament, or government, but having a free liberty to devolve all that service upon others, and himself to wait at court so many years as he shall think fit. This is our English Bishop not only in practice but in law, and so was he defended by the great disputants for praelacy in England.

But now let the Warner speak out, if any such treasure can more be defended or was ever known in scripture, or seen in any Christian Church for 800. years and above, after the death of Christ. I take it indeed, to be conscience, that forces now at last the best of our Court-divines to devest their Bishop of all civil employment in Parliament court or Kingdom, in denying his solitariness in ordination, in removing his official and Commissary courts, in taking away all his arches, Arch-Bishops, Arch-Deacons, dean and Chapter and all the, &c. in erecting Presbyteries for all ordinations and spiritual jurisdiction. It is good that conscience moves our adversaries at last to come this far towards us: butwhy will they not yet come nearer, to acknowledge that by these their to lately recanted errors they did to long trouble the world; and that the little which yet they desire to keep of a Bishop is nothing less then that English Bishop but a new creature of their own devising never known in England which his Majesty in no honnour is obliged to mantaine for any respect either to the laws or customs of England, and least of all, for conscience?

While the Warner with such confidence avows, that no text of Scripture can be alleged against Episcopacy, which may not with more reason be applied against the Presbytery; behold I offer him here some few, casting them in a couple of arguments, which according to his great promises, I wish, he would answer at his leisure.

First I do reason from Ephesians 4.11: all the officers that Christ has appointed in his Church for the Ministry of the word, are either Apostles, Evangelists, Prophets, Pastors or Doctors: but Bishops are none of these fyve: Ergo they are none of the officers appointed by Christ for the Ministry of the word. The Major is not wont to be questioned: the minor thus I prove; Bishops are not Apostles, Evangelists, nor prophets: for its confessed, all these were extraordinary and temporary officers: but Bishops (say yow) are ordinary and perpetual: our adversaries pitch upon the fourth, alleging the Episcopal office to be pastoral; but I prove the Bishop no Pastor thus; no Pastor is superior to other Pastors in any spiritual power: but according to our adversary, a Bishop is superior to all the Pastors of his diocese in the power of ordination and jurisdiction. Ergo. The doubt here is only of the Major, which I prove Argumento à paribus: no Apostle is superior to an Apostle, nor an Evangelists to an Evangelist, nor prophet to a prophet nor a Doctor to a Doctor in any spiritual power according to scripture. Ergo no Pastor to a Pastor. Again I reason from 1. Tim. 4.14. Math: 18.15. 1. Cor. 5.4.12.13, What takes the power of ordination and jurisdiction from Bishops, destroys Bishops: as the removal of the soul kills the man, and the denial of the form takes away the subject; so the power of ordination and jurisdiction the essential form, whereby the Bishop is constitute and distinguished from the Presbyter and every other Church officer, being removed from him, he must perish: but the quoted places take away clearly these powers from the Bishop: for the first puts the power of ordination in the Presbytery, and a Bishop is not a Presbytery; the second puts the power of jurisdiction in the Church; and the third in a company of men which meet together: but the Bishop is not the Church nor a company of men met together: for these be many, and he is but one person.

When the Doctors learning he; satisfied us in these two, he shall receive more scripturall arguments against Episcopacy. But why do we expect answers from these men, when after so long time (for all their boasts of learning and their visible leisure) none of their party hes hade the courage, to offer one word of answer to the Scriptures and Fathers, which in great plenty Mr. Parker and Mr. Didoclave of old, and of late that mitacle of learning most noble Somais, and that Magazine of antiquity Mr. Blondel have printed against them?

What in the end of the Chapter the Warner adds of our trouble at King James his fifty and five questions 1596, and of our yielding the bucklers without any opposition till the late unhappy troubles; we answer that in this as everywhere else the Warner proclaines his great and certain knowledge of our Ecclesiastic story: the troubles of the Scots divines at that time were very small, for the matter of these questions, all which they did answer so roundly, that there was no more speech of them thereafter by the propounders: but the manner and time of these questions did indeed perplex good men, to see Erastian and Prelatical counsellors so far to prevail with our King, as to make him by captious questions carpe at these parts of Church-discipline, which by statutes of Parliament and acts of Assemblyes were fully established.

Our Church at that time was far from yielding to Episcopacy: great trouble indeed by some wicked States-men was then brought upon the persons of the most able and faithful Ministers, but our land was so far from receiving of Bishops at that time, that the question was not so much as proposed to them for many years thereafter, it was in Ann. 1606 that the English Prelates did move the King by great violence to cast many of the best and most learned Preachers of Scotland out of their charges, and in Ann. 1610, that a kind of Episcopacy was set up in the corrupt assembly of Glasgow; under which the Church of Scotland did heavily groan till the year 1637, when their burdens was so much increased by the English prelatical Tax-masters, that all was shaken of together, and divine justice did so closely follow at the heels, that oppressing praelacy of England as to the great joy of the long oppressed Scots, that evil root and all its branches was cast out of Britain, where we trust, no shadow of it shall ever again be seen.

CHAP. IX.

HAving cleared the vanity of these calumnious challenges, where with the Warner did animate the King and all Magistrates against the Presbyterians, let us try if his skill be any greater, to inflame the people against it. He would make the World believe that the Presbyterians are great transsubstantiators of whole Common-wealths into beasts, and Metamorphosers of whole Kingdoms of men, into Serpents with two heads; how great and monstrous a Serpent must the Presbytery be, when she is the Mother of a Dragon with two heads. But it is good, that she has nothing to do with the procreation of the Dragon with seven heads, the great Antichrist, the Pope of Rome: this honor must be left to Episcopacy: the Presbytery must not pretend to any share in it.

The Warners ground for his pretty similitude is, that the Presbyterians make two Soveraignities in every Christian State, whose commands are contrary. Ans. All the evil lieth in the contrariety of the commands: as for the double Sovereignty, there is no show of truth in it: for the Presbyterians cannot be guilty of coordinating two Soveraignities in one State, though the Prelates may well be guilty of that fault; since they with there Masters of Rome mantaine a true hierarchy, a Spiritual Lord-ship, a domination and principality in their Bishops above all the members of the Church, but the Presbyterians know no 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , no dominion, no Soveranity in Church officers, but a mere ministry under Christ. As for the contrariety of commands, its true: Christ's Ministers must publish all the commands of their Sovereign Lord, whereunto no command of any temporal Prince needs or ought to be contrary; but if it fall out to be so, it is not the Presbytery; but the holy Scriptures, which command rather to obey God then man. Dare the Warner here oppose the Presbyterians? dare he mantaine a subordination of the Church to the State in such a fashion, that the clear commands of God published by the Church ought to give place to the contrary commands of the State? if the Warner must needs invert and contradict Christ ruling of this case, let him go on to preach doctrine point blank to the Apostles, that it is better to obey men then God. It falls out as rarely in Scotland as anywhere in the world, that the Church and State run contrary ways; but if so it happen, the commune rules of human direction towards right and wrong judgment must be followed: if a man find either the Church or the State or both command what he knows to be wrong (for neither the one nor the other hath any infallibility) their is no doubt but either or both may be disobeyed, yet with this difference, that for disobedience to the Churches most just commands, a man cannot fall under the smallest temporal inconvenient without the States good pleasure, but for his disobedience to the most unjust commands of the State he must suffer what ever punishment the law does inflict without any relief from the Church.

Two instances are brought by the Warner, of the Church and States contrary commands: the first the King commanded Edinburgh to feast the frensh Ambassadors, but the Church commanded Edinburgh to fast that day when the King desired them to feast. Ans. Heer were no so contrary commands, but both were obeyed, the people did keep the humiliation, and some of the Magistrates that same day did give the banquet to the frensh Ambassadors as the King commanded; that for this any Church censure was intended against them it is a malicious calumny, according to the author of this fable his own confession, as at length may be seen in the unloading of Issachar’s burden.

As for his second instance, the difference of the Church and State about the late engagement we have spoken to it in the former chapter at length: the furthest the Church went was by humble petitions and remonstrances to set before the Parliament the great danger, which that engagement (as it was stated and managed) did portent to religion, the Kings Person & whole Kingdom, when contrary to their whole some advices the engagement went on, they meddled not to oppose the act of State further then to declare their judgment of its unlawfulness, according to the duty of faithful watchmen Ezek. 33. It is very false that the Church has chased any man out of the country, or excommunicated any for following that engagement, or have put any man to sackcloth for it, unto his day. Neither did ever any man call the freedom of the late Parliament in question, how unsatisfied soever many were with its proceedings.

When the Warner heaps up so many untruths in a few lines, in things done but yesterday before the eyes of thousands, we shall not wonder of his venturing to lie considently in things past long before any now living were borne: but there are a generation of men who are bold to speak what makes for their end upon the hope that few will be at the pains, to bring back what hes flown from their teeth to the touchstone of any solid trial.

CHAP. X.

IN the tenth chapter the Warner undertakes to show the antipathy of Presbyteries to Parliaments; albeit there be no greater harmony possible betwixt any two bodies, then betwixt a general assembly and Parliament, a Presbyterie and an inferior civil court, if either the constitution or end or daily practice of these judicatories be looked upon: but the prelatical learning is of so high a flight, that it dare undertake to prove any conclusion: yet these men are not the first, that have offered to force men to believe upon unanswerable arguments though contrary to common sense and and reason that snow is black and the fire cold and the light dark.

For the proof of his conclusion he brings back yet again the late engagement: how often shall this insipide colwort be set upon our table? Will the Warner never be filled with this unsavory dish? The first crime that here the Warner marks in our Church against the late Parliament in the matter of the engagement is, their paper of the eight desires: upon this he unpoureth out all his good pleasure, not willing to know that all these desires were drawn from the Church by the Parliaments own messages, and that well near all these desires were counted by the Parliament itself to be very just and necessary: Especially these two which the wise Warner pitches upon as most absurd for the first a security to religion from the King upon oath under his hand and seal: where the question among us was not for the thing itself, but only about the time, the order and some part of the matter of that security. And for the second, the qualification of the persons to be employed, that all should be such who had given no just cause of Jealousy; no man did question, but all who were to have the managing of that war should be free of all just causes of Jealousy, which could be made appear not to half a dossen of Ministers, but to any competent judicatory according to the laws of the Kingdom. The Warner has not been careful to inform himself, where the knot of the difference lay, and so gives out his own groundless conjectures for true Historical narrations, which he might easily have helped by a more attentive reading of our public declarations.

The second fault he finds with our Church is, that they proclaim in print their dissatisfaction with that engagement as favorable to the malignant party, &c. Ans. The Warner knows not that it is one of the liberties of the Church of Scotland established by law and long custom to keep the people by public declarations in their duty to God, when men are like to draw them away to sin according to that of Isaiah. 8. v. 12.13. What in great humility piety and wisdom was spoken to the world in the declaration of the Church concerning that undertaking, was visible enough for the time to any who were not peremptor to follow their own ways: and the lamentable event since has opened the eyes of many, who before would not see, to acknowledge their former errors: but if God should speak never so loud from Heaven, the Warner and his party will stop their ears: for they are men of such gallant Spirits, as scorn to submit either to God or men, but in a Roman constancy they will be ever the same though their counsels & ways be found never so palpably pernicious.

The third thing the Warner lays to the charge of our Church is, that they retarded the leavies. Ans. In this also the Warner shows his ignorance or malice: for how sore soever the Levy (as then stated & managed) was against the hearts of the Church, yet their opposition to it, was so cold-rife and small, that no complaint needs be made of any retardment from them. So soon as the commanders thought it expedient, there was an Army gotten up so numerous and strong, that with the ordinary blessing of God was abundantly able to have done all the professed service: but where the aversion of the hearts of the Church and the want of their prayers is superciliously contemned, what marvel, that the strongest arm of flesh be quickly broken in pieces?

The fourth charge is most calumnious, that the Church gathered the country together in arms at Mauchline moor to oppose the expedition. Ans. No Church man was the cause of that meeting a number of yeomen being frighted from their houses, did flee away to that corner of the Land, that they might not be forced against their conscience to go as soldiers to England: while their number did grow, and they did abide in a body for the security of their persons, upon a sudden a part of the Army came upon them: some Ministers being near (by occasion of the communion at Mauchlin the day before) were good instruments with the people to go away in peace. And when the matter was tried to the bottom by the most Eagle-eyed of the Parliament, nothing could be found contrary to the Ministers protestation, that they were no ways the cause of the people's convening or fighting at Mauchlin.

The parallel that the Warner makes betwixt the general assembly and Parliament is malicious in all its parts. For the first, though the one Court be civil, and the other Spiritual, yet the Presbyterians lay the authority of both upon a divine foundation, that for conscience sake the Courts civil must be obeyed in all their Lawfull commands, alsewell as the assemblies of the Church; God being the author of the politick order as well as the Ecclesiastic, and the revenger of the contempt of the one alswell as of the other. But what doth the Warner mean, to mock at Ministers for carrying themselves as the Ambassadors of Christ, for judging according to the rule of Scripture, for caring for life eternal? is he become so shamefullie impious, as to persuade Ministers to give over the care of life eternal, to lay aside the holy Scripture, and deny their ambassage from Jesus Christ? behold what Spirit leads our prelates, while they jeer the World out of all Religion, and chase away Ministers from Christ, from Scripture, from eternal life.

Of the second part of the parallel, that people are more ready to obey their Ministers then their Magistrates what shall be made? all the power which Ministers have with the people is built on their love to God and religion: how much so ever it is, a good Statseman will not envy it: for he knows that God and conscience contstrain Ministers to employ all the power they have with the people to the good of the Magistrate, as the deputy and servant of God for the people's true good. The Warner here understands best his own meaning, while he scoffs at Ministers for their threatening of men with hells fire. Are our Prelates come to such open proclamations of their Atheism, as to printe their desires to banish out of the hearts of people all fear not only of Church-censures, but even of hell it self? whither may not Satan drive at last the instruments of his Kingdom?

The third parte of the parallel consists of a number of unjust and false imputations before particularly refuted.

What he subjoines of the power of the general Assembly to name Comittees to sit in the intervalls of Assemblies, it is but a poor charge: is it not the daily practice of the Parliaments of Scotland to nominat their Comittees of State for the intervalls of Parliament? Is it not ane inherent right to every Court to name some of their number to cognosce upon things within their own sphere at what ever times the court it self finds expedient; how ever the judicatories of the Church by the laws of the Kingdom being authorized to meet when themselves think fit both ordinarily and pro re nata, their power of appointing Comittees for their own affairs was never questioned: and truly these Comittees in the times of our late troubles when many were lying in wait to disturb both Church and State, have been forced to meet oftener then otherwise any of their members did desire: whose diversion from their particular charges (though for attendance on the public) is joined with so great fashery and expense, that with all their heart they could be glade to decline it, if fear of detriment to the Church made not these meetings very necessary.

CHAP. XI.

THE bounds and compass of the Warners rage against the Presbytery is very large; not being content to have incensed the King and Parliament against it, he comes down to the body of the people, and will have them believe the special enmity of the Scots discipline against them, first because it inflicts Church censures upon everyone for the smallest faults. Ans. The faults which the Warner mentions may well be ane occasion of a private advice in the ear, but that any of them did ever procure the smallest censure of the Church, it is a great untruth: no man who knows us will complain of our rigor, heerwe wish we were able to refute upon as good reason the charge of our slaknes in the mouth of sectaries as we are that of our strictness in the mouth of Erastianes. We would know of the Warner, what are these Sabbath recreations, which he saith are void of scandal, and consistent with the duties of the day; are they not the stage plays and the other honest pastimes, wherewith his friends were wont to sanctify the Lord's day, as no more a Sabbath then any other day in the year, and much less then diverse popish festivals? An Aposteme in the lowest gutt will show it self by the unsavory vapors, which now and then are eructat from it. That ever in Scotland there was one word of debate about starch and cuffs, is more then the Warner can prove.

The second oppression, whereby the Presbytery trods the people underfoot is a rare cruelty; that persons, for grievous crimes whereof the Magistrate takes notice, are called to Ecclesiastic repentance. Will the Doctor in his fury against us, run out upon all his own friends for no appearance of a fault? Will either the English or popish prelates admit murderers, whores or thieves to the holy table without any signs of repentance? Is not the greatest crime the ground of the greatest scandal? Shall small scandals be purged away by repentance, and the greatest be totally past by? The Doctor here may know his own meaning but others will confess their ignorance of his mind.

The third grievance he would have the people conceive against the Presbytery is, the rigor of their excommunication; in this also the Warner seems to know little of the Scots way, let excommunication be so seveer in Scotland as is possible, yet the hurt of it is but small: it is so rare an accident, men may live long in Scotland, and all their life never see that censure execute; I have lived in one of the greatest Cities of that land and for forty seven years even from my birth to this day, that censure to my knowledge or hearing was never execute there in my days but twice; first upon ane obstinate and very profaine Papist; and next on some horrible scandalous prelates. Again when any is excommunicated by the Church, we go no further with them then Paul's command: 2. Thes. 3.14. only they who are not tied to them by natural bonds, abstain from familiar and unnecessary conversation, to bring them by the sense of this shame to repentance for their fins.

Thirdly the civil inconvenientes which follow that censure come along from the State and the acts of Parliament, for which the Church ought not to be challenged; especially by prelates who wont to allow their officials to excommunicate whole incorporations of people for a small debt of money, and to press the contemners of that frivolous and profane sentence, with all the civil inconvenientes they could. Fourthly what ever be the laws in Scotland against them who continues long in the contempt of Excommunication, (which are not inflicted but for great sins and after a long process) yet certainly their execution is very far from all cruelty, as they who know the proceedings of that land, will bear witness.

What he objects about fugitives; it is true, when a process is begun, a fugitive may have it concluded, and sent after him; but we count not that man a fugitive from discipline or contumacious as the Warner quarrels us, who upon just fear to hazard his life does not compear.

CHAP. XII.

PRaelaticall malice is exorbitant beyond the bounds of all show of moderation: was it not enough to have calumniat the Presbytery to Kings, Princes and Sovereigns, to Parliaments and all Courts of Justice, to people and all particular persons, but yet a new chapter must be made to show in it the hurtfullnes of Presbytery to all orders of men: we must have patience to stand a little in the unsavory air of this vomit also.

Unto the nobility and gentry the Presbytery must be hurtful, because it subjecteth them to the censures of a raw heady novice and a few ignorant artificers. Ans. Its good that our prelates are now turned pleaders against the oppression of the Nobility and gentry: its not long since the praelatical clergy were accustomed to set their soul feet on the necks of the greatest peers of the three Kingdoms with to high a pride and pressure; that to shake of their yock, no suffering, no hazard has been refused by the best of the Nobility and gentry of Britain: but natures and principles are so easy to be changed, that no man now needs fear anymore oppression from the prelates, though they were set down again and well warned in their repaired throns.

But to the challenge we answer, that the meanest Eldership of a small Congregation in Scotland consists of the Pastor, and a dozen (at least) of the most wise pious and learned that are to be found in the whole flock; which yet the Warner here makes to be judges but of the common people in matters of smallest moment. But for the classical Presbytery, to which he refers the Ecclesiastical causes of the Nobility and gentry, and before whom indeed every Church process of any considerable weight or difficulty does come, though it concern the persons of the meanest of the people, this Presbytery does consist ordinarily of fifeteen Ministers (at least) and fifeteen of the most qualified noblemen, gentlemen and Burgesses, which the circuit of fifteen parishes can afford, these (I hope) may make up a judicatory of a great deal more worth then any official court, which consists but of one judge, a petty mercenary lawyer, to whose care alone the whole Ecclesiastic jurisdiction over all the Nobility and gentry of diverse shyres is committed, and that without appeal as the Warner has told us, except it be to a Court of delegats; a miserable relief that all the Nobility, gentry and Commons of a Kingdom, who are oppressed by Episcopal officials, have no other remedy but to go attend a Committee of two or three civilians at London deputed for the discussing of such appeals.

The Presbyterian course is much more ready, solid and equitable: if any grievance arise from the sentence of a Presbytery, a Synod twice a year doth sit in the bounds, and attends for a week, or if need be, longer, to determine all appeals, and redress all grievances: now the Synod does consist of all the Ministers within the bounds, which ordinarily are of diverse whole shyres as that of Glasgow, of the upper and nether ward of Clidsedaile, Baerranfrow, Lennox, Kile, Carrick and Cunninghame; also beside Ministers, the constant members who have decisive voice in Synods, are the chief Noblemen, Gentlemen and Burgesses of all these shyres, among whom their be such parts for judgment as are not to be found nor expected in any inferior civil Court of the Kingdom, yet if it fall out so, that any party be grieved with the sentence of a Synod, there is then a farther and final appeal in a General assembly, which consists of as many Burgesses and more Gentlemen from every shire of the Kingdom then come to any Parliament: beside the prime Nobility and choicest Ministry of the land; having the Kings Majesty in person, or in his absence, his high Commissioner to be their praesident. This meeting yearly (or oftener, if need be) sits ordinarily a month; and if they think fit, longer: the number, the wisdom, the eminency of the members of this Court is so great, that beside the unjustice, it were a very needless labor to appeal from it to the Parliament, for (as we have said) the King or his high Commissioner, sits in both meetings albeit in a different capacity: the number and qualification of knights and Burgesses is ever large as great in the assembly as in the Parliament: only the difference is, that in the Parliament all the Nobility in the Kingdom sit without any election and by virtue of their birth, but in the Assembly only who for age, wisdom and piety are chosen by the Presbyteries as fittest to judge in Ecclesiastic affairs: but to make up this odds of the absence of some Noblemen, the Assembly is always adorned with above ane hundred of the choifest Pastors of the whole land, none whereof may sit in Parliament: nothing that can conciliate authority to a Court, or can be found in the Nation, is wanting to the general assembly; how basely so ever our prelates are pleased to trample upon it.

The second alleged hurt which the Nobility have from the Presbytery, is the loss of their patronages by congregations electing their Pastors. Ans. Howsoever the judgment of our Church about patronages is no other then that of the Reformed divines abroad, yet have our Presbyteries always with patience endured patrons to present unto vacant Churches, till the Parliament now at last hath taken away that grievance.

The Nobilities last hurt by the Presbytery is their loss of all their impropriations and Abey-lands. Ans. How Sycophantick an accusation is this? for who knows not, how far the whole generation of the praelaticke faction do exceed the highest of the Presbyterians in zeal against that which they call Sacrilege? never any of the Presbyterians did attempt either by violence, or a course of Law, to put out any of the Nobility or gentry from their possessions of the Church-lands, but very lately the threats and vigorous activity of the prelates, and their followers were so vehement in this kind, that all the Nobility and gentry who had any interest, were wackned (to purpose) to take heed of their rights. In the last Parliament of Scotland when the power of the Church was as great as they expect to see it again, though they obtained the abolition of patronages, yet were the possessors of the Church-lands and tithes so little harmed that their rights thereto were more clearly and strongly confirmed, then by any praeceding Parliament.

The fourth hurt is that every ordinary Presbyter will make himself a Noblemans fellow. Ans. No where in the World does gracious Ministers (though mean borne men) receive more respect from the Nobility then in Scotland: neither anywhere does the Nobility and gentry receive more duly their honor then from the Ministers there. That insolent speech fathered on Mr. Robert Bruce is demonstrate to be a fabulous calumny in the historical vindication.

However the Warner may know that in all Europe where Bishops have place, it hes ever, (at least these 800 years) been their nature to trample underfoot the highest of the Nobility. As the Pope must be above the Emperor, so a little Cardinal Bellarmine can tell to King James, that he may well be counted a companion of any Ilander King: were the Bishops in Scotland ever content, till they got in Parliament the right hand and the nearest seats to the throne, and the door of the greatest Earls, Marquesses and duks? was it not Episcopacy, that did advance poor and capricious pedants to strive for the white staves & great Seals of both Kingdoms, with the prime Nobility; and often overcome them in that strife? In Scotland I know, and the Warner will assure for England and Ireland, that the basest borne of his brethren hes ruff led it in the secret counsel, in the royal Exchequer, in the highest courts of justice, with the greatest Lord's of the Land: its not so long, that yet it can be forgotten, since a Bishop of Galloway had the modesty to give unto a Marquise of Argile, tanta mont to a broadly in his face at the counsel table. The Warner shall do well to reckon no more with Presbyters for braving of Noblemen.

The next he will have to be wronged by the Presbytery are the orthodox clergy. Ans. All the Presbyterians to him (it seems) are heterodoxe; Episcopacy is so necessary a truth that who denies it, must be stamped as for a grievous error with the character of heterodox. The following words clear this to be his mind, they loss (saith he) the comfortable assurance of undoubted succession by Episcopal ordination: what sense can be made of these words, but that all Ministers who are not ordained by Bishops, must lie under the confortlesse uncertainty of any lawful succession in their ministerial charge, for want of this succession through the lineal descent of Bishops from the Apostles; at least for want of ordination by the hands of Bishops, as if unto them only the power of mission and ordination to the Ministry were committed by Christ: because of this defect the Presbyterian Ministers must not only want the confort of an assured and undoubted calling to the Ministry, but may very well know and be assured that their calling and Ministry is null. The words immediately following are scraped out after their printing: for what cause the author lest knoweth: but the purpose in hand makes it probable, that the deletted words did express more of his mind, then it was safe in this time and place to speak out: it was the late doctrine of Doctor Brambles prime friends, that the want of Episcopal ordination did not only annul the calling of all the Ministers of France, Holland, Zwit-zerland, and Germany, but also did hinder all these societies to be true Churches: for that popular Sophism of the Jesuits our prelates did greedily swallow; where are no true Sacraments, there is no true Church; and where is no true Ministry, there are no true Sacraments; and where no true ordination, there is no true ministry; and where no Bishops, there is no true ordination: and so in no reformed country but in England and Ireland where were true Bishops, is any true Church. When Episcopacy comes to this height of elevation, that the want of it must annual the Ministry, yea null the Church and all the Reformed at one strock, is it any mervaill, that all of them do concur together for their own preservation, to abolish this insolent abaddon and destroyer? and notwithstanding all its ruin have yet no disconfort at all, nor any the least doubt of their most lawful ordination by the hands of the Presbytery.

After all this was written, is here it stands, another copy of the Warners book was brought to my hand wherein I found the deleted line stand printed in these distinct terms, and put it to a dangerous question whither it be within the payle of the Church, the deciphering of these words puts it beyond all peradventure that what I did conjecture of the Warner and his Brethren's mind, of the state of all the reformed Churches, was no mis-take, but that they do truly judge the want of Episcopal ordination to exclude all the Ministers of other Reformed Churches, and their flocks also from the lines of the true Church. This indeed is a most dangerous question: for it stricks at the root of all. If the Warner out of remorse of conscience had blotted out of his book that error, the repentance had been commendable: But he hes left so much yet behind unscraped out, as does show his mind to continue what it was, so that fear alone to provoke the reformed here at this unseasonable time, seems to have been the cause of deleting these too clear expressions of the prelatical tenet against the very being and subsistence of all the Protestant Churches, which want Episcopacy, when these mē do still stand upon the extreme pinnacle of impudency and arrogance, denying the Reformed to be true Churches, and without scuple averring Rome as she stands this day, under the counsel of Trent, to be a Church most true, wherein there is an easy way of salvation, from which all separation is needless, and with which a re-union were much to be desired? That gracious faction this day is willing enough to persuade, or at least to rest content without any opposition that the King should of himself without and before a Parliament, (though contrary to many standing Laws) grant under his hand and seal a full liberty of Religion to the bloody Irish, and to put in their hands, both arms, Castles and prime Places of trust in the State; that the King should give assurance of his endeavor, to get all these ratified in the next Parliament of England, these men can hear with all moderation and patience: but behold their furious impatience, their whole art and industry is wakned, when they hear of any appearance of the Kings inclination towards covenanting Protestants: night and day they beat in his Majesty's head, that all the mischieves of the world does lurk in that miserable covenant, that death and any misfortune, that the ruin of all the Kingdoms ought much rather to be embraced by his Majesty, then that prodigious Monster, that very hell of the Covenant, because forsooth it doth oblige in plane terms the taker to endeavor (in his station) the abolition of their great Goddess, praelacy.

The next hurt of Ministers from the Presbytery, is, that by it they are brought to ignorance, contempt and beggary. Ans. Whither Episcopacy or Presbytery is the fittest instrument to avert these evils, let reason or experience teach men to judge. The Presbyterial discipline doth oblige to a great deal of severer trials in all sort of learning requisite in a divine before ordination then doth the Episcopal: let either the rule or practice of Presbyterian and Episcopal ordination be compared or the weekly Exercises and monthly disputations in Latin upon the controverted heads be looked upon which the Presbytery exacts of every Minister after his ordination all the days of his life: for experience let the French, Dutch and Scots divines who have been or yet are, be compared with the ordinary generation of the English Clergy, and it will be found, that the prelates have not great reason so superciliously to look down with contempt upon their Brethren's learning. I hope, Cartwright, Whitaker, Perkins, Reynolds, Parker, Ames, and other Presbyterian English were inferior in learning to none of their opposites: some of the English Bishops has not wanted good store of learning, but the most of them (I believe) will be content to leave of boasting in this subject, what does the Warner speak to us of ignorance, contempt and Beggary? does not all the world know, that albeit some few, scarce one of twenty, did brook good benefices, yea plurality of them whereby to live in splendor at Court, or where they listed in their non-residency, nevertheless it hath been much complained, that the greatest parte of the priests, who had the cure of souls thorough all the Kingdom of England, were incomparably the most ignorant, beggarly and contemptible clergy, that ever have been seen in any of the reformed Churches? neither did we ever hear of any great study in the Prelates to remeed these evils, albeit some of them be provident enough for their own families. Doctor Bramble knows who had the skill before they had sitten seven year in their charge to purchase above fifeteen hundred pounds a year for themselves and their heirs what somever.

The third evil which the Ptesbytery brings upon Ministers is that it makes them prat and pray nonsense everlastingly. Ans. It is indeed a great heartbrake unto ignorant, lazy and unconsciencious Ministers to be put to the pains of preaching and prayer, when a read service was wont to be all their exercise: but we thought that all indifferently ingenuous men had long ago been put from such impudence. It was the late labor of the prelates by all their skill to disgrace preaching and praying without book, to 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 cry up the Liturgy as the only service of God, and to idolize it as a most heavenly and divine piece of write, which yet is naught but a transcript of the superstitious breviary and idolatrous missal of Rome. The Warner would do well to consider and answer after seven years advisement Mr. Bailie his pararell of the service with the missal and Breviarie, before he present the world with new paralels of the English liturgy, with the directories of the Reformed Churches. Is it so indeed, that all preaching and praying without book is but a pratting of non-sense everlastingly, why then continues the King and many well minded men to be deceived by our Doctors, while they affirm that they are as much for preaching in their practice and opinion as the Presbyterians, and for prayer without book also, before and after sermon, and in many other occasions? it seems these affirmations are nothing but gross dissimulation in this time of their lowness and affliction, to decline the envy of people against them for their profane contempt of divine ordinances; for we may see here their tenet to remain what it was, and themselves ready enough, when their season shall be fitter, to ring it out loud in the ears of the World, that for divine service people needs no more but the reading of the liturgy, that sermons on week days and Sundays afternoon must all be laid aside, that on the Sabbath before noon Sermon is needless, and from the mouths of the most Preachers very noxious; that when some learned Scholars are pleased on some festival days to have an oration, it would be short and and according to the Court pattern, without all Spirit and life for edification; but by all means it must be provided, that no word of prayer either before or after be spoken, except only a bidding to pray, for many things even for the welfare of the souls departed; and all this alone in the words of the Lord's prayer. If any shall dare to express the desires of his heart to God in private or public in any words of his own framing he is a gross Puritan, who is bold to offer to God his own nonsense rather then the ancient; and well advised prayers of the holy Church.

The Warner is here also mistaken in his belief, that ever the Church of Scotland had any Liturgy, they had and have still some forms for help and direction, but no ty ever in any of them by law or practice: they do not condemn the use of set forms for rules, yea nor for use in beginners, who are thereby endeavoring to attain a readiness to pray in their family out of their own heart in the words which God's spirit dytes to them; but for Ministers to suppress their most comfortable and useful gift of prayer by tying their mouth unto such forms which themselves or others have composed we count it a wrong to the giver, and to him who has received the gift, and to the gift, and to the Church for whose use that was bestowed.

In the next place the Warner makes the Presbytery injurious to parents, by marrying their children contrary to their consent, and forcing them to give to the disobedient as large a portion as to any other of their obedient children, and that it is no mervail the Scots should do these things who have stripped the King the father of their country of his just rights. Ans. By the Warners rule all the actions of a nation where a Presbytery lodges must be charged on the back of the Presbytery. II. The Parliament of Scotland denies, that they have stripped the King of his just rights; while he was stirred up and keeped on by the prelatical faction to courses destructive to himself and all his people; after the shedding of much blood, before the exercise of all parts of his royal government, they only required for all satisfaction and security to religion and liberties, the grant of some few most equitable demands. The unhappy Prelates from the beginning of our troubles to this day finding our great demand to run upon the abolition of their office, did ever press his Majesty to deny us that satisfaction, and rather then Bishops should be laid aside they have concluded that the King himself, and all his family and all his three Kingdoms shall perish: yet with all patience the Scots continue to supplicat and to offer not only their Kingdom, but their lives and estats and all they have for his Majesty's service upon the grant of their few and easy demands; but no misery either of King or people can overcome the desperate obstinacy of Praelaticall hearts.

As for parents consent to the marriage of their children, how tenderly it is provided for in Scotland it may be seen at length in the very place cited. It was the Bishops, who by their warrants for clandestine marriages, and dispensations with marriages without warrant have spoiled many parents of their dear children: with such abominations the Presbytery was never acquainted; all that is alleged out of that place of our discipline is, when a cruel parent or tutor abuses their authority over their children, and against all reason for their own evil ends perversely will cross their children in their lawful and every way honest desires of marriage; that in that case the Magistrates and Ministers may be entreated by the grieved child to deal with the unjust parent or tutor, that by their mediation reason may be done. I believe this advice is so full of equity, that no Church nor State in the world will complain of it: but how ever it be, this case is so rare in Scotland that I profess, I never in my life did know, nor did hear of any child before my days, who did assay by the authoritative sentence of a Magistrate or Minister to force their parents consent to their marriage. As for the Warners addition of the Ministers compelling parents to give portions to their children, that the Church of Scotland haths any such canon or practice its an impudent lie, but in the place alleged is a passage against the sparing of the life of adulterers, contrary to the Law of God: and for the excommunication of Adulterers, when by the negligence of the Magistrate their life is spared, this possibly may be the thorn in the side of some which makes them bite and spurn with the heel so furiously against the Authors and lovers of so severe a discipline.

The Presbyteries next injury is done to the Lawyers, Synods & other Ecclesiastic Courts revoke their Sentences. Ans. No such matter ever was attempted in Scotland; frequent prohibitions have been obtained by curtisan Bishops, against the highest civil judicatories in England, but that ever a Presbitry or Synod in Scotland did so much as assay to impede or repeal the proceedings of any the meanest civil court, I did never hear it so much as alleged by our adversaries.

The next injury is against all Masters, and Mistresses of families, whom the Presbytery will have to be personally examined in their knowledge once a year, and to be excommunicate, if grossly and willfully ignorant. Ans. If it be a crime for a Minister to call together parcels of his congre gation to be instructed in the grounds of Religion, that servants and children and (where ignorance is suspected,) others also may be tried in their knowledge of the Catechism; or if it be a crime that in family-visitations oftener then once a year the conversation of every member of the Church may be looked upon; we confess the Ministers of Scotland were guilty thereof, and so far as we know the generality of the Episcopal faction may purge themselves by oath of any such imputation: for they had somewhat else to do, then to be at the pains of instructing or trying the Spiritual State of every sheep in their flocks: we confess likewise, that it is both our order and practice to keep off from the holy table, whom we find groslly and willfully ignorant: but that ever any for simple ignorance was excommunicate in Scotland, none who knows us will affirm it.

The last whom he will have to be wronged by the Presbytery are the common people, who must groan under a high commission in every parish, where ignorant governors rule all without Law, meddling even in domestical jars be twixt man and wife, Master and Servant. Ans. This is but a gybe of revenge for the overthrow of their Tyrannous high Commission-Court, where they were wont to play the Rex at their pleasure above the highest subjects of the three Kingdoms, and would never give over that their insolent domeneering court, till the King and Parliaments of both Kingdoms did agree to throw it down about their ears. The thing he jeares at, is the congregation all Eldership, a judicatory which all the Reformed do enjoy to their great confort as much as Scotland. They are far from all arbitrary judications; their Laws are the holy Scripture and acts of superior Church-judicatories, which rule so clearly the cases of their cognizance, that rarely any difficulty remains therein: or if it do, immediately by reference or appeal it is transmitted to the Classes or Synod. The judges in the lowest Eldership (as we have said before) are a doszen at least, of the most able and pious who can be hade in a whole congregation to join with the Pastors one or more as they fall to be: but the Episcopal way is to have no discipline at all in any congregation: only where there is hope of a fine, the Bishops official will summon before his own learned and conscientious wisdom, whoever within the whole diocese have fallen into such a fault as he pleaseth to take notice of: as for domestic infirmities, Presbyterians are most tender to medle therein; they come never before any judicatory, but both where the fault is great, and the scandal thereof flagrant, and broken out beyond the walls of the family.

These are the great injuries and hurts which the Church discipline has procured to all orders of men in the whole reformed world, when Episcopacy has been such an innocent lamb, or rather so holy an angel upon earth, that no harm at all has ever come by it to any mortal creature: a misbeleeving Jew will nothing misdoubt this so evident a truth.

CHAP. ULT.

THough in the former Chapters the Warner has shown out more venom and gall then the bag of any one man's stomach could have been supposed capable of, yet as if he were but beginning to vomit, in this last Chapter of the covenant a new flood of blacker poison rusheth out of his pen. His undertaking is great, to demonstrate clearly that the covenant is merely void wicked and impious. His first clear demonstration is, that it was devised by strangers, imposed by subjects, who wanted requisite power, and was extorted by just fear of unjust suffering, so that many that took it with their lips, never consented with their hearts. Ans. This clear demonstration is but a poor and evil argument: the Major, if it were put in form, would hardly be granted, but I stand on the minor as weak and false for the covenant was not devised by strangers, the Commissioners of the Parliament of England together with the Commissioners of the Parliament and general assembly of Scotland were the first and only framers thereof, but they who gave the life and being to it in England were the Lord's and Commons assembled in Parliament at West-Minister by the Kings call, and at that time acknowledged by his Majesty without any question about the lawfullnes of their constitution and authority: these men and that Court were not I hope great strangers in England. The covenant was not imposed upon the King: but the Parliaments of both Kingdoms made it their earnest desire unto his Majesty, that he would be pleased to join with them in that Covenant, which they did judge to be a main piece of their security for their Religion and liberties in all the three Kingdoms. As for their imposing of it upon the subjects of England, an ordinance of Parliament (though the King consent not) by the uncontroverted laws of England, is a sufficient authority to crave obedience of all the subjects of England, during the continuance of that Parliament.

The last part of the demonstration is dishonorable indeed to the English Nation if it were true, it was no dishonor to England to join with their brethren of Scotland in a Covenant for mantainance of their Religion and Liberties: but for many of the English to swear a covenant with their lips, from which their heart did dissent and upon this difference of heart and mouth to plead the nullity of the oath, and to advance this plea so high as to a clear demonstration, this is such a dishonor and dishonesty, that a greater cannot fall upon a man of reputed integrity, Especially when the ground of the lie and perjury is an evident falsehood: for the covenant was not extorted from any flesh in England by fear of any unjust suffering; so far was it from this, that to this day it could never be obtained from the Parliament of England, to enjoin that covenant upon any by the penulty of a two pence.

The Warners second demonstration is no better then the first, the ground of it is, that all oaths are void which have deceit and error of the substantial conditions incident to them. This ground had need to be much better cautioned, then here it is, before it can stand for a major of a clear demonstration: but how is the minor proved? behold how much short the Warners proofs are of his great boastings. His first argument is grounded upon an evident falsehood, that in the Covenant we swear the lately devised discipline to be Christ's institution. Ans. There is no such word nor any such matter in all the Covenant: was the Warners hatred so great against that piece of write, that being to make clear demonstrations against it, he would not so much as cast his eye upon that which he was to oppugn, Covenanters swear to endeavor the reformation of England, according to the word of God and the best reformed Churches, but not a word of the Scots Presbytery, nor of anything in any Church even the best reformed, unless it be found according to the pattern of God's holy word.

The second ground of his demonstrantion is also an evident error, that the covenant in hand is one and the same with that of King James. Ans. Such a fancy came never in the head of any man, I know; much less was it ever written or spoken by any: that the Covenant of King James in Scotland 1580, should be one and the same with the Covenant of all the three Kingdoms 1643, whatsoever identities may appear in the matter and similitude, in the ends of both; but the grossest errors are solid enough grounds for prelatical clear demonstrations. Yet here the Warner understands not how he is cutting his own vines; his friends in Scotland will give him small thanks for attributing unto the national Covenant of Scotland, (that Covenant of King James ) these three properties, that it 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 was issued out by the Kings authority, that it was for the maintenance of the Laws of the realm, and for the maintenance of the established Religion: time brings adversaries to confess of their own accord long denied truths. But the Characters, which the Warner inprints upon the solemn league and Covenant of the three Kingdoms, we must be pardoned to controvert, till he have taken some leisure to try his wild assertions. First that the league is against the authority of the King, secondly that it is against the Law; and thirdly that it is for the overthrow of Religion. The man cannot think, that any should believe his dictates of this kind without proof, since the express words of that league do flatly contradict him in all these three positions.

His gentle memento, that Scotland, when they sued for aid from the crown of England, had not the English discipline obtruded upon their Church, might here have been spaired: was not the English discipline and liturgy obtruded upon us by the prelates of England with all craft and force? did we ever obtrude our discipline upon the English? but when they of their own free and long deliberate choice had abolished Bishops and promised to set up Presbytery, so far as they had found it agreeable to the word of God, were we not in all reason obliged to encourage and assist them in so pious a work?

In the next words the Warner for all his great boasts finding the weakness of all the former grounds of his seconde demonstration, he offers three new ones: which doubtless will do the deed: for he avows positively that his following grounds are demonstrative, yet whosoever shall be pleased to grip them with never so soft an hand shall find them all to be but vanity and wind. The first, after a number of prosyllogismes rests upon these two foundations, first that the right of the militia resides in the King alone: secondly that by the covenant the militia is taken out of the Kings hands; and that every covenanter by his covenant disposes of himself and of his arms, against the right which the King hath into him. Ans. The Warner will have much ado to prove this second so, that it may be a ground of a clear demonstration: but for the first that the power of the militia of England doth reside in the King alone, that the two houses of Parliament have nothing at all to do with it, and that their taking of arms for the defense of the liberties of England or any other imaginable cause against any party countenanced by the Kings presence against his laws must be altogether unlawful; if his demonstration be no clearer, then the ground where upon he builds it, I am sure, it will not be visible to any of his oppofits: who are not like to be convinced of open rebellion by his naked assertion, upon which alone he lays this his mighty ground. Believe it, he had need to assay its relief with some color of ane argument; for none of his own friends will now take it of his hand for ane indemonstrable principle, since the King for a long time was willing to acknowledge the Parliaments jointe interest in the militia, yea to put the whole militia in their hands alone for a good number of years to come: so far was his Majesty from the thoughts, that the Parliaments meddling with a parte of the militia, in the time of evident dangers, should be so certainly and clearly the crime of rebellion.

The Warners second demonstrative ground we admit without question in the major, that where the matter is evidently unlawful, the oath is not binding; but the application of this in the minor is very false. All that he brings to make it appear to be true, is that the King is the supreme Legislator, that it is unlawful for the subjects of England to change anything established by Law, especially to the prejudice of the Prelates without their own consent, they being a third order of the Kingdom; otherwise it would be a harder measure then the Friers and Abbots received from Henry the eight. Ans. May the Warner be pleased to consider how far his dictates here are from all reason, much more from evident demonstrations. That the burden of Bishops and ceremonies was become so heavy to all the three Kingdoms, that there was reason to endeavor their laying aside, he does not offer to dispute; but all his complanit runs against the manner of their removal: this (say I) was done in no other then the ordinary and high path-way, whereby all burdensome Laws and customs use to be removed. Doth not the Houses of Parliament first begin with their ordinance before the Kings consent be sought to a Law? is not an ordinance of the Lord's and Commons a good warrant to change a former Law during the sitting of the Parliament? The Laws and customs of England permit not the King by his dissent to stop that change. I grant for the turning an ordinance to a standing Law, the Kings consent is required, but with what qualifications and exceptions we need not here to debate, since his Majesty's consent to the present case of abolishing Bishops was obtained well near as far as was desired; and what is yet lacking, we are in a fair way to obtain it: for the Kings Majesty long ago did agree to the rooting out of Episcopacy in Scotland, he was willing also in England and Ireland to put them out of the Parliament, and all civil courts, and to divest them of all civil power, and to join with them Presbyteries for ordination and spiritual jurisdiction; yea to abolish them totally name and thing, not only for three years but ever till he and his Parliament should agree upon some settled order for the Church, was not this Tantamont to a perpetual abolition for all and everyone in both houses having abjured Episcopacy by solemn oath and Covenant, the Parliament was in no hazard of agreing with the King to re-erect the fallen chairs of the Bishops: so there remained no other, but that either his Majesty should come over to their judgment, or by his not agreing with them, yet really to agree with them in the perpetual abolition of Episcopacy, since the concession was for the laying Bishops aside ever, till he and his houses had agreed upon a settled order for the Church. If this be not a full and formal enough consent to the ordinance of changing the former Laws anent praelat • , his Majesty, who now is, easily may and readily would supply all such defects: if some of the faction did not continually, for their own evil interests, whisper in his ears pernicious counsel, as our Warner in this place also doeth by frighting the King in conscience from any such consent, for this end he casts out a discourse, the sinshews whereof are in these three Episcopal maxims. First that the legislative power is sollie in the King, that is according to his Brethren's Cōmentary, that the Parliament is but the Kings great counsel of free choice, without or against whose votes he may make or unmake what Laws he thinks expedient; but for them to make any ordinance for changing without his consent of anything that has been, or instituting any new thing, or for them to defend this their legal right and custom (time out of mind) against the arms of the Malignant party, no 〈◊〉 may deny it to be plain rebellion.

II. That the King and Parliament both together cannot make a Law, to the prejudice of Bishops without their own consent, they being the third order of the Kingdom: for albeit it be sacrilege in the Lord's and Commons, to clame any the smallest share of the legislative power, (this in them were to pyck the chiefest jewel out of the Kings Crown) yet this must be the due privilege of the Bishops, they must 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 be the third order of the Kingdom, yea the first and most high of the three, far above the other two temporal States of Lord's and Commons; their share in the Legislative power must be so great, that neither King nor Parliament can pass any Law without their consent, so that according to their humble protestation, all the Laws and acts, which have been made by King and Parliament, since they were expelled the house of Lord's, are clearly void and null.

That the King and Parliament in divesting Bishops of their temporal honor and estats, in abolishing their places in the Church, do sin more against conscience then did Henry the eight and his Parliament, when they put down the Abbots and the Friars. We must believe that Henry the eight his abolishing the order of Monks was one of the acts of his greatest Tyranny and greed: we must not doubt, but according to Law and reason, Abbots and priours ought to have kept still their vote in Parliament, that the Monasteryes and Nunryes should have stood in their integrity, that the King and Parliament did wrong in casting them down, and that now they ought in conscience to be set up again, yea that Henry the eight against all reason and conscience did renounce his due obedience to the Pope, the Patriarch of the West; the first Bishop of the universe, to whom the superinspection and government of the whole Catholic Church in all reason doth belong. Though all this be here glaunced at by the Warner, and elsewhere 〈◊〉 prove it to be the declared mind of his Brethren, yet we must be pardoned not to accept them as undeniable principles of clear demonstrations.

The last ground of the Doctors demonstration is, that the covenant is ane oath to set up the Presbyterian government in England at it is in Scotland and that this is contrary to the oath of Supremacy; for the oath of Supremacy makes the King the only supreme head and governor of the Church of England, that is, the civil head to see that every man do his duty in his calling; also it gives the King a supreme power over all persons in all causes: but the Presbytery is a political papacy, acknowledging no governors but only the Presbyters: it gives the King power over all persons as subjects, but none at all in Ecclesiastic causes. Ans. Is there in all this reasoning anything sound? First what article of the covenant bears the setting up of the Presbyterian government in England as it is in Scotland? II. If the oath of supremacy import no more then what the Warners express words are here, that the King is a civil head, to see every man do his duty in his calling, let him be assured that no Presbyterian in Scotland was ever contrary to that supremacy. III. That the Presbytery is a papacy, and that a political one, the Warner knows it ought not to be granted upon his bare word. IV. That in Scotland no other governors are acknowledged then Presbyters, himself contradicts in the very next words, where he tells that the Scots Presbytery ascribes to the King a power over all persons as subjects. V. That any Presbyterian in Scotland makes it sacrilege to give the King any power at all in any Ecclesiastic cause; it is a senseless untruth.

The Warners arguments are not more idle and weak, then his triumphing upon them is insolent: for he concludes from these wise and strong demonstrations, that the poor covenant is apparently deceitful, unvalide, impious, rebellious, and what not? yea that all the learned divines in Europe will conclude it so, & that all the covenanters themselves who have any ingenuity, must grant this much; and that no knowing English man can deny it, but his own conscience will give him thely. Ans. If the Warner with any seriousness hath weighed this part of his own write, and if his mind go along with his pen, I may without great presumption pronounce his judgment to be none of the most solid.

His following vapors being full of air we let them evanish, only while he mentioneth our charging the King with intentions of changing the Religion and government, we answer, that we have been most willing always to ascribe to the King good intentions but withal we have long avowed that the prelatical party have gone beyond intentions to manifest by printed declarations and public actions their former design to bring Tiranny upon the States, and popery upon the Churches of all the three Kingdoms: and that this very write of the Warners makes it evident, that this same mind yet remains within them without the least show of repentance. So long as the conscience of the court is managed by men of such principles, it is not possible to free the hearts of the most understanding, from a great deal of Jealousy and fear to have Religion and laws still overturned by that factione.

But the Warner commands us, to speak to his Dilemma, whither we think it lawful or unlawful for subjects to take arms against their prince merely for Religion. We answer, that the reasons whereby he thinks to conclude against us, on both sides are very poor, if we shall say, it is unlawful; then he makes us to condemn our selves, because our covenant testifies to the world, that we have taken up arms merely to alter Religion, and that we bear no alleadgance to our King but in order to Religion, which in plain terms is to our own humors and conceits. Ans. There be many untruths here in few words, first how much reality and truth the Warner and some of his fellows believes to be in that thing which they call Religion, their own heart knows; but it can be no great charity in him to make the Religion of all covenanters to be nothing but their own humors and conceits. Secondly it is not true that Covenanters bear no alleadgance to the King but only in order to religion. III. The Parliament of England denied that they took up arms against their King, though to defend themselves against the popish prelatical and malignant faction, who were about to destroy them with arms. IV. They have declared, that their purpose was not at all, to alter Religion but to purge it from the corruptions of Bishops and ceremonies that to long had been noxious unto them. V. They have oft professed that their arms were taken for the defense of their just liberties, whereof the preservation and reformation of Religion was but one.

The other horn of his Dilemma is as blunt in pushing as the former. If we make it lawful (saith he) to take up arms for Religion, we then justify the independents and Anabaptists; we make way for any that will plant what ever they apprehend to be true Religion by force, and to cut the throat of all Magistrates, who are in a contrary opinion to them; that it is a ridiculous partiality for any to privilege their own Religion as truth and Gospel. Ans. Whether will these men go at last, the strength of this reason is blak atheism, that their is no realty of truth in any Religion, that no man may be permitted to take his Religion for anything more but his own apprehension, which without ridiculous folly he must not praeferre to any other man's apprehension of a contrary Religion: this is much worse then the pagane Skepticism, which turned all reality of truth into a mere apprehension of truth, wherein their was no certainty at all: this not only turns the most certain truths, even these divine ones of Religion, into mere uncertain conceptions; but which is worse, it will have the most orthodox believer so to think, speak and act, as if the opinions of 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 Independents, Anabaptists, Turks, Jews, Pagans or gross Atheists were as good, true and solid as the belief of Moses or Paul, were of the truths revealed to them from heaven. Secondly we say that subjects defense of their Religion and liberties established by Law, against the violent usurpation of Papists, Prelates or Malignants, is not the planting of Religion by arms; much less is it the cutting of the throats of all Magistrates who differ in any point of Religion. III. In the judgment of the prelatical party, the defensive arms of the Protestants in France, Holland, and Germany, must be als much condemned as the offensive arms of the Anabaptists in Munster, or of the sectaries this day in England. Can these men dream that the World for their pleasure will so far divest themselves of all Religion and reason, as to take from their hands so brutish and Atheistical maxims.

He concluds with a wish of a general counsel, at least of all protestant Churches for to condemn all broatchers of seditious principles. Ans. All true covenanters go before him in that desire, being confident that he and his fellows as they have declined all ready the most solemn assemblies of their own countries, upon assurance of their condemnation; so their tergiversation would be als great, if they were to answer to an oecumenick Synod. What (I pray) would the Warner say in a counsel of protestants for the practice of his party pointed at in his last words? I mean their purging the Pope of Antichristianism, of purpose to make way for a reconciliation, yea for a return to Rome, as this day it lies under the wings of the Pope and Cardinals. Also what could they answer in a Christian counsel unto this charge, which is the drift of this whole Book, that they are so far from any remorse for all the blood and misery, which their wickedness (most) has brought on the former King and all his Kingdoms these eleven years, that rather then they had not the Covenant and general assembly in Scotland destroyed as an Idol and Antichrist, they will choose yet still to imbroyle all in new calamities? This King also and his whole Family, the remainder of the blood and Estats in all the three Kingdoms, must be hazarded for the sowing together of the torn mytres, and the reerecting of the fallen chayres of Prelates. If Bishops must lie still in their deserved ruins, they perseveer in their peremptory resolution, to have their burials sprinkled with the ashes of the royal Family and all the three Kingdoms.

ERRATA.

GOod Reader, the Authors absence from the Press the whole time of the impression, and the Printers unacquaintance with the English language, has occasioned not only many mispunctations and literal faults, but also diverse grosser Errata such as the following which thou art entreated to mend with thy Pen:

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