Answers to the Replies of Aberdeen, Answer 2 – Answer 3
To the second▪
WEE perceive, that you passe in silence, that which wee answered concerning the preventing of trouble, which by all appearance had beene too sensible to many before this time, if the Conventions censured by you, had not beene kept; we desire that yee would heere declare your selves, whether yee would have rather received the Service booke Booke of Canons, and other Trash of that kynd, tending to the subversion of Religion, and to the prejudice of the Liberties of the Kingdom…, than to have conveened in a peaceable manner, to present Supplications to his Majestie, for averting of so great evilis. Neither doe yee speake a word of the saying of K. Iames, which ought to bee regarded; both for the witnesse sake, who is of so great authoritie, and for the testimony which containeth so great reason. For, shall not the whole bodie of a Kingdom stirre pro aris & … or shall our Religion be ruined, & our light bee put out, and all men hold their peace? We told you also, that the first part of the Act of Parliament, 1585, is relative to another Act in Queene Maries time, which specifieth, what sort of Leagues and Bands are forbiddin, and setteth us free from the breach of the Act; but yee have answered nothing to this, and still dispute from the Act of Parliament, rather than from othergrounds, better beseeming your … and Ours; and in this will so precilelit adhere to the Letter of the Law, that you will have no Meetings, withhout the Kings consent, even in Case of the preservation of Religion, of his Majesties Authoritie, and of the Liberties of the Kingdome, which wee are sure must bee contrarie to the reason and life of the Law, since the safetie of the People is, the soveraigne Law. Although it bee true also that for our Covenant, we have the consent of Authoritie pressing upon all the Subjects in the Generall Band, and Confession of Faith, formerly subscribed for maintenance of the Religion, their Subscription and Oath as a note of their soundnesse in Religion, and of their loyaltie and fidelitie to the King, and his Crown, wherin Iuris-Consults, more skilled in this kynd, than we need to be, have given their Responses, & verdicts, in favour of us, and our Cause.
2. The poynt touching Authoritie, is so full of Thornes and Rockes, useth to bee so vehemently urged, to pro cure envye agaynst the Gospell of CHRIST, and can so hardly bee disputed and discussed except in a large Treatise, to the satisfaction of King's and Kingdomes; and all having interest, that for the present wee onelie wish you to heare the testimonies of two great Divines, the one is Whitaker, in his Answere to Master Reynolds preface, pag. 6. Stirres and tumults for matters of Religion, Reynold rehearseth, that have beene in Germanie, France, Bohemia, as though it were sufficient for their condemnation, that they once resisted, and did not by and by admitt what-so-ever violence was offered either to GOD'S Trueth, or to them-selves, contrarie to Promise, to Oath, to publick Edicts, to Law, whereby they were warranted to doe as they did: more of this matter, will I not answere, beeing of another nature, and cleared long since from the cryme of Rebellion, not only by just just defence of their doing: but also by the Pro clamations and Edicts of Princes themselves. The other is Bilson, in his Booke of Christian subjection, in defence of the Protestants in other Countreyes, against the objection of the Iesuit, pag. 332, affirming, that subjects maye defend their Antient and Christian Liberties, covenanted and agreed upon by those Princes to whom they first submitted themselves, and were ever since confirmed and allowed by the Kings that have succeeded, they may require their owne right, save their own lyves, beseech, that they bee not used as slaves, but lyke Subjects; lyke men, not lyke beasts; that they maye bee convented by Lawes, before Iudges, not murdered in Corners, by Inquisitors. This is also the judgment of Rivetus, in his Commentarie, PSAL. 68 Which beeing looked upon by you, will furnish a full answere to what yee have cited at length from his Iesuita vapulans. For betwixt Iesuiticall treasonabe & pernitious doctrine, and practises agaynst Princes, and Magistrates, refuted by him, and the loyall and sound doctrine of Protestants: your selves knowe the difference and opposition, lyke as it is cleare as the Sunne, by that short Confession, by the Application there-of, to the tymes in this present Confession, by our publicke Protestation, and by the Declaration exhibited to his Majesties Commissioner, that wee meane not onelyonly mutuall concurrence, and assistance in the cause of Religion, but also to the uttermost of our power, to defend the King's Majestie, his Person and Authoritie. Wee would bee glad, that yee and others were witnesses to our private prayers, nd the most secret of our thoughts. and affections concerning our loyaltie to our dread Soveraigne: so should yee either cease to write in this against us, or bee forced to write against your own Consciences.
5, When wee justifie our Conventions and Covenants, from their purposed ends, we meane not only the last and most remote ends: but the nearest and immediate, and if nothing in these can merite just censure, the Conventions and Covenants no more in that which yee call the Object, nor in their ends, can bee culpable: what Aspersions have beene put upon our Reformation, and Reformers, by the malice of our Adversaries, can not bee unknowne to you. But wee wish, that your ingynes and pennes maye bee better imployed, than to joyne with them in so badde a Cause, which we expect also from your prudence, considering the people and place where yee live.
To the third.
Y…E doe well and wisely, that you search not curiouslie into the myndes of Princes, and Reasons of State: but whether all his Majesties Subjects bee satisfied with the last Proclamation, needeth no deepe search. For although possibly some had beene more pleased with a Proclamation, commanding the Service Booke, such especiallie, who either will see no errours in it, or have publicklie prosessed, that they have beene groaning for it, yet the Protestation of the Supplicants against it, as it giveth most humble and heartie thankes to his gratious Majestie, for what is granted: so it restifieth upon undenyable evidences, that the Proclamation is not a satisfaction of our just desi…es: for, first, the Proclamation supposeth the Service Booke to bee no Innovation of Religion. 2. That it is not contrare to Pro testant-Religion. 3. That the Proclamation giveth not or…r for discharging all the Acts made in favours of the Service Booke, especially that of the 19 of Februarie, which giveth unto it so great Approbation, as serving for maintaining the true Religion, and to beate out all Superstition, and no wayes to bee contrarie to the Lawes of this Kingdome, but to bee compyled, and approved for the universall use and edification of all his Majesties Subjects. 4. It is so farre from disallowing the sayde Booke, that it putteth us in feare, that it shall bee prest in a faire and legall way, and therefore, notwithstanding the Proclamation, the necessitie of Covenanting, which containeth nothing contrarie to the Acts of Parliament, nor to the duetie of good Subjects, but is the largest Testimonie of our Fidelitie to GOD, and loyaltie to our King, (whatsoever it maye seemeto you to import) doeth yet continue, that his Majestie maye bee pleased, to grant the full satisfaction of our reasonable Petitions, and that our Religion, and Liberties, may bee preserved for afterwards. Who-so-ever professe themselves to be perfectly satisfied with the Proclamation, doe proclame in the eares of all the Kingdome, that they are better pleased with the Service book and (anons, than with the Religion, as it hath beene prosessed in this Land since the Reformation.