Answers to the Replies of Aberdeen, Answer 1
To the first Reply.
YOVR experience in your Disputes agaynst the common Adversarie, wherein you say ye are so frequent, hath (no doubt) taught you, howe easie a matter it is to multiply Objections against the Tr…th, and Cause of GOD: and your selves knowe, that your Objection against our Calling, and the Warrant of our comming to you, was framed, and published in print, before it was propounded unto us: and ere our Answere could bee had; but so soone as we did heare your Demands, we answered incontinent, in the humilitie and trueth of our minds, that wee were to obtrude nothing upon you, or your flock, by any particular Authoritie, Civill or Ecclesiastick, but that we did come in all meeknesse, to represent unto you the present case of this Kirke, and in love to intreat you, to joyn with us, for the peace thereof; for which wee trust, without wronging any lawfull Authoritie, wee may claime the Warrant of the highest and greatest Authority, although wee had not beene sent from almost the whole Kirke and Kingdome, lawfully conveened at this time, for preservation of Religion, and of the Liberties and Lawes of this Kingdome, so sore shaken, by the usurpation of the Prelates, and their Favourers. Let us consider one another, to provoke unto love, and to good works, &c. sayeth the Apostle, Heb. 10. 24. And where yee object, that without your leave we preached within your Congregation; which is aggravated by you, as a hainous fault, both against Scripture, and against the Canons of antient Councells, which yee have laboriously quoted against us, we intreat you, to bee more sparing, lest the guiltinesse, if there be any, reflex upon your selves: For your Pulpits and Kirks beeing denyed us, (not from any injurie done by us, but by your owne determination, before our comming) a necessitie was laid upon us, to deliver our message in such places, as your courtesie did permit; wherein no man will find, that we have failed, if he consider, first, That there is as wyde difference betwixt Ecclesia turbata & pacata, the troubled and peaceable estate of a Kirke, as is betwixt Ecclesia constituenda & constituta, & many things are necessarie in the one, which perhaps are not expedient in the other. Ye speak of the Constitution of the Kirk this yeere, as if ye had beene speaking thereof many yeeres before this time. 2. That the word of God, and the Canons of Councels, will have Pastors so to care for their owne flockes that they forbidde them not, to care for the whole Kirke, especiallie in the time af a common Combustion. When the house is on fire everie man ought to runne to all rowmes, where hee may quench it: when a laik striketh up in a Ship, every Mariner, yea, everie Passinger ought to labour to stop it. Even hee who is not universall Pastor of the Kirke, is Pastor of the universall Kirk: and the Apostle hath taught us, That wee are members one of another, Rom. 12. 4. As all the members of one bodie beeing many, are one bodie; so also is Christ. 1. Cor. 12. 12. That the members should have the same care one of another, verse. 25. If some members of this Kirk had not cared more kindlie, in this time of common danger: than other some have done, the whole bodie had beene ere now dangerously, if not desperately diseased. 3. That we made choyse of such ho…res, for delivering our Message, that the people might attend your ordinarie times of publick worship; which maketh your charge, of the peoples contempt, or ours, of your Ministerie, to be most unjust.
In the second part of your Reply to our Answere to your first Demand, yee might have made choyse of words witnessing more respect to the most part of the Kingdome now, and to the Kirke in former times, than of a Confederation, and Negative Confession: we know no other Confederation at this time, but this same laudable Covenant which our Progenitors, and many yet living, made with God, and amongst themselves, at the commandement of Authoritie, and according to the example of the people of God in former times. Neither is that short Confession meerly Negative, since the beginning thereof is Affirmative, & doeth virtuallie containe the first large Confession ratifyed in Parliament, 1567. 2. No Pastors, in our knowledge, have either beene forced to flee to forraigne Countreyes, or have beene threatned with the want of their stipends, for the refusing their Subscription: but this wee have heard, that some of them have of their owne accord, gone to Court, for procuring of Protections against their Creditours, and against the Lawes, and Duetie of good Subjects, have made Lies between the King and his people. Others wee knowe have wilfully refused, to abyde with their flock: and beeing eranestly entreated by them, to attend their Charge, have left them, and hauehave gone out of the Countrie, for no reason, but because the people had subscribed, and as ye know, that Arguments have beene taken from augmentation of stipends, to hinder Subscription: so ye may know, That feare of worldy losse, rather hindereth men to subscribe, than scruple of conscience. The Prelates flight, seemeth rather to have proceeded from inward furies of accusing consciences, or for feare of a storme, (which beeing procured by their owne doing, may be easily prognosticated by them) than from the inforcing of Subscription of the Covenant, which in our knowledge was never required of any of the Prelates, although they bee grosslie guiltie of the breach of the Covenant, which they did sweare, and subscribe before. 3. Your helpe, by your prayers, and other meanes, for extinguishing of the present Combustion, wee still desire, but withall intreat, that you would both ioyn with the rest of the kirks of the Kingdome, in publick humiliation and fasting, which the Lord himselfe doeth proclaime, and call for at this time; so should your prayers bee the more effectuall, and also yee bee good instruments, according to your power, with your owne people, and the countrey about, to joyne in the Covenant, so should yee find the worke of Pacification the more easie. 4. The Reasons which wee touched in our Answere, for proving, that ye might, without iust offence to anye, joyne with us in subscribing, are not yet answered for, first, a sound Interpretation of the Covenant, although proceeding from a private person, and altogether voyde of externall Authoritie, can not make a substantiall difference: and if the Interpretation bee unsound, although it were confirmed with Authoritie, it maketh not a substantiall co-incidence. 2. Why is it denyed, that the former Covenant containeth Mutuall defence, since all are obliedged thereby to defend Religion, according to their vocation and power, and the King's person and authoritie, which can not possiblie bee done without Mutuall Defence: and since that clause of the Covenant, is so expo… ded, and applyed upon grounds of perpetuall reason, in the generall Band drawne up, and printed by Authoritie, anno 1590. 3. Yee must either prove this Covenant to bee sub stantially different from the former, which is impossible, or ye must acknowledge this to have the same Authority with the former, since wee are reallie obliedged in the former Covenant, and virtuallie the same warrant of King, Counsell, and Assembly, remaineth, and was never yet discharged: by vertue whereof the Covenant might have beene renewed yearely by all the Subjects of the Kingdome, no lesse than it hath beene subscribed yearely by such as passe Degries in Colledges, and such as were suspect of Papistrie from time to time. 4. What was done by his Majesties Commissionar, was not done in a corner, that it needeth to bee pryed into, or doubted of, and what was allowed by his grace, who had so great power from his Majestie, to declare his Majesties will, and to receive Declarations from his Subjects, and who was in every point so zealous, and tender of his Majesties service and honour: who are yee, that it should be disallowed by you? Ye will have the kingdome guiltie of Combination against Authoritie, and will not have the King to bee satisfied. when they have declared themselves to the contrarie, & their Declaration is accepted by his Majesties Commissionar. This manner of dealing, is more sutable to Papists, and such In…ndiaries, than for you, who desire to prove good Patriots, in using all means of Pacification. 5. We are sorrie that ye shuld be the first, who have accounted our Covenant to bee a Confedearcie, against the Trueth, since some of your selves, and all everie where hauehave beene constrained; to acknowledge, that they ayme at the same end with us, to maintaine the Trueth. And for that which displeaseth you in our way, that wee deale after such a manner with people, to come in, wee answere, that wee have seene in this Land, The day of the Lords power, wherein His people have most willingly offered themselves in multitudes, lyke the dew of the morning: that others of no small Note, have offered their Subscriptions, and have beene refused, till time should trye, that they joyne in sinceritie, from love to the Cause, and not from the feare of men: and that no Threatnings have beene used, except of the deserved judgment of God; nor force, except the force of Reason, from the high respects which wee owe to Religion, to our King, to our Native Countrie, to our selves, and to the posteritie: which hath beene to some a greater constraint, than any externall violence; and we wish, may also prevaile with you.