Answers to the Replies of Aberdeen, Answer 4
To the fourth.
VVEE were assured that your Demand proceeded from a Mistaking, & therefore, according to our knowledge, did ingenuously, for your satisfaction, expound unto you the mind of the Subscribers, but find now, that we have laboured in vain at your hands, from which we have receiued this Reply: unto which, concerning the first. Missinterpretation, wee answere: 1. That altho we do neither use threatnings, nor obtrude our Interpretation, upon you, as bearing any obligatorie power, yet pardon us, that wee match you not, and put you not in the Ballance with the greatest part of the Kingdome both Ministers, and others, in whose name we recōmended this Interpretation unto you, by all faire meanes, and force of Reason: and in so doing, wee are so farre from the breach of our solemne Uow, and Promise, that wee esteeme this to bee no small proofe of that godlynesse and righteousnesse, wherein wee are bound by our Covenant, to walke. 2. The authoritative judgment of our Reformers and Predecessors, is evidenced not onlie by the Confession of Fayth, ratified in Parliament, but also by the bookes of Discipline, Acts of generall Assembllies, and their owne Writs; wherein if yee will, ye may find warant for this Interpretation: and in respect whereof, it is publick, ratione medij, besides these midses of Scripture of Antiquitie, and of the Consent of the reformed Kirks, which are named for midses by you.
Concerning the 2 Missconstruction, it is no marvell that Prejudices, and pre-conceived opinions, poss…ssing the mynd, make men to fall upon interpretations of their own; but in the South parts of the Kingdome, where many learned and judicious men, both Pastors. & Professors were assembled at the first subscribing thereof, wee remember of none that did fall into that Misstake. And the two sorts of Novations, such as are alreadie introduced, and such as are supplicated against, are so punctually distinguished, that there is no place left to Ambiguitie: but o… the contrarie, the Novations which wee promise to forbeare for a time onlie, can not bee supposed in the following words, to bee abjured, for ever, as Popish novations.
2. VponUpon a new examination of the words, yee perceive, that the Articles of Pearth, and Episcopacie, are condemned as erronious corruptions, because we promise, to labour, to recover the former puritie & libertie of the Gospel, unto which our Answere is, that it appeareth, that you will have all the Covenanters against their intention, and whether they will or not, to disallow, and condemne the Articles of Pearth, and Episcopall Governament, lest they bee tryed in a generall Assembly But it is knowne to manie hundreths, that the words were purposely conceived, for satisfaction of such as were of your judgement, that we might all joyne in one heart, a…d Couenant for establishi…g Religion, and opposing errours. And for your Argume…t, whether the Articles of Perth and Episcopacie, bee against the puritie and liberty of the Gospell or not, which is not determined by these words of the Covenant. But it cannot be denyed, first, That if in a free Assembly, they bee found to bee …gainst the puritie and libertie of the Gospell, …hey ought to bee abolished: in the meane time, it beeing left free, by the words of the Covenant to all, who will, to stand to the defence of their lawfulnesse. Secondly, how can it be denyed, that manie corruptions, contrarie to the puritie and libertie of the Gospell, were they never so innocent in themselves, have accompanyed these Novations, such as the superstitious observing of Dayes, …eriation and cessation from worke, on those Dayes, Feasting guysing. &c. manie grosse abuses have entred in the Sacrament, upon kneeling before the elements, and upon the lawlesse usurpation of Prelates: in respect whereof, even they who allow Pearth Articles, and Episcopacie, may sweare to recover the puritie of the Gospell. And thirdly, who can bee so great a stranger at home, as to denye, that manie corruptions of Poperie and Arminianisme, have entred in the Kirke, and have beene vented, and defended, in Schools, and pulpits: by reason whereof wee are bound, everie one of us, according to the measure of our light, to labour for recovery of our former Puritie? And therfore, if you had cast your eyes upon the condition of this … Kirk, as yee have pryed narrowlie, into the Expressions of the Covenant, yee might have spared both your owne labour and ours, and not laboured to skarre both your selves and others, with this shadow.
In your Argument, ad hominem, you should have considered, that whatsoever bee our judgment, as wee are particular persons, yet, at this time wee were to bee taken, as Commissionars, from the whole companio of Subscribers, who, about this point, are of different judgments, and if some of your owne judgment, had either come alone in our place, or had beene joyned in Commission with us, we had anticipate your Objection: and this yee have beene forced to see: and so yourselves, in propnunding your Objection; have answered, your owne Syllogisme, in making us to say, that yee may sweare and subscribe, seeing ye thinke not these thinges to bee abjured in that Oath made Ann… 15…1 neyther was it for you, to inquire in our private Opini…, nor necessarie for us, to make it knowne, but to have conceived of our mindes, according to our Commission, and the will of those that sent us. Your Arguments neede to bee no impediments unto your swearing of the Covenant. For upon your grounds, you would not have sworne the Short Confession, any time by past: yea. yee can not sweare the Confession of anie Kirke: nay, not the Articles of the Cr…d, because of the diverse Interpretations of the Article of Christs descen… into Hell; or swearing them in Scotland and England, yee behoved to sweare them in diverse senses. There be some words of the Lord's prayer as, Give us this day our daylie bread: and of the x Commands as the wordes of the 4 Command, which are diversly understood; must Christians, therefore, forbeare to joyne in saying the Prayer, or swearing Obedience to the Commandements? Neither for this doe wee admit anie ambiguitie, or aequivocation: the wordes certainly have but one true sense and signification., but diverse persons conceave and understand them, according to the different measures of their light. Since then your Disputation, is builded upon such a S…pposition, it must eyther fall to the ground, or hardlie can any Confession of Fayth, or Religious Covenant be sworne. Offend not therefore if wee in modesty present unto you, A Dis… of your owne dressing: we meane, the like Argument, adhominem.
The Rites and Ceremonies which are not abjured in the negative Conf…ssion, are not abjured in this late Covenant.
But the Rites and Ceremonies, which were concluded in Perth Assembly, are not abjured as you say, in the negative Confession made, 158….
Therefore, they are not abjured in this late Covenant, as yee thinke.
The first Proposition is evident, because in the late Covenant we are bound no farther, concerning the negative Confeffion, but to keep it inviolable: and therefore, what Rites are not abjured there, are not abjured here? The second Proposition cannot be denyed by you; for these twenty years by gone yee have thought your selves free of perj…rie, notwithstanding of the Oath in 1581. & of your conforming your selves to the ordinances of Perth. And whereas ye alledge, afterwârd, as before, that our Supplications are satisfied, the contrary is known, by our publick Protestution, & by our last Supplication & complaint presented to his Majesties Còmissioner. And the urging of the Service book was a sufficient Reason, for for be arance of Perth articles, till an assembly; at which time it may bee determined, whether it bee expedient, that this Kirk bee any more troubled with them. Neither needeth your conscience to subscribe the forbearance of these Novations, as if swearing of forbearance, were a swearing of disobedience to Authoritie: first, because the swearing of forboarance of a thing in your opinion, indifferent, in the case of soandall, and of sensible feare in others, of Superstition, is the swearing of Obedience to the Commandement of God. which sorbiddeth us, to destroy him, for whom Christ dyed, altho man should command the contrarie. 2. Because the articles of Perth were concluded, for satisfying, & not to presse any man with the practise of them, as was openly professed unto the Opponents. before the face of the whole Assembly, and because the Act it self giveth warrant, to forbeare the practise at this time, when the memorie of Superstition is revived, which maketh us to thinke, that they who have for borne the practise of these Articles, since the superstitious Service booke was complaned upon, make most truely conscience of Obedience of the Act of Perth, & Parliament, ratilying the same, and are most conforme to the Confession of saith, ratifyed in Patliament, declaring that Ceremonies ought to bee changed; when they rather soster Superstition, than edifie the Kirke, using the same. Last of all, You saye, yee can not sweare Forbearance, because yee can not abstaine from private Baptisme, and priva…e Communion: where we perceave, that, in your judgment, private Baptisme & Communion, are not any more things indifferent but necessarie, necessitate praecepti, in so farre, that the not using them, is a contempt of the Meanes, and a tempting of God. By this your doctrine, first, The state of the Question anent Perth artieles, is quite altered: for yee, and your Associats, did ever to this time, alledge the Question, to bee of thinges indifferent: but now yee finde some of them so necessarie, that although the generall Assembly of the Kirke, should discharge them: yet yee behoved still, for conseience of the Commandement of God to practise them. If yee have the same judgement of Kneeling before the Elements, and of festivall Dayes, it commeth to passe amongst us, which hath beene incident to the Kirke in former ages that thinges have beene first brought in, as indifferent, their urged as necessarie. If Confirmation also in your judgement, bee not indifferent, but necessarie, we desire to understand, with what conscience it hath beene slighted, and utterly neglected by the Prelates these 20 yeeres past? and how it is, that yee have carried so small regard to the Canon of the Kirke, and Act of Parliament, and to the benefite of young Children, as not to require, urge, and presse the practise thereof, both in your owne Charge & throughout the whole Kirke? This would seeme to bee partiall dealing, to presse some Ceremonies, and neglect other some; while both by the same Canon of the Kirk & Act of Parliament are appointed. 2. Ye doe hereby coudemne the practise of the Kirke of Scotland; from the time of Reformation; till Perths Assembly; and put no small guiltinesse upon other reformed Kirks, who use not that at all, but rather abstaine from it; as dangerous, which yee now doe prof…sse, to be so necessarie, 3. We wish you wisely to consider, whence … is, and what can bee the true cause, that yee living in that part of the Kingdome, should bee more pressed by the people, with the practise of privat Baptisme, and Communion, than all the Kirks in the Kingdome beside, where these 20 yeares past, rarely any such motion hath beene made: it is not because that Popery prevaileth there, and the people have a superstitious conceate of Baptisme & Communion, as absolutly necessarie to Salvation; as it GOD had tyed his grace to the Sacraments; and children dying without Baptisme, and others without their last Vi…ticum did perish? Thus ye minister the Sacraments in private, as necessarie necessitate praecepti; and the people seeme to desire, and receive them, as necessarie, necessitate medij; an Evill very curable, in that Citie where the Assemblyes of the people, for publick worship are frequent, wherein the Sacraments might bee ministred frequently enough, with great solemnitie and edification. 4. And though wee doe not denye, but Baptisme privately ministred, by the Minister of CHRIST, according to the institution, be true Baptisme, and, that a childe thus privately baptized, bee not to bee baptized againe, (altho it be true also, that private Baptisme maketh way to the Errour of re-baptizing,) yet wee hold that the necessitie of the Commandement, stands only for Baptisme in publicke, since no Precept requireth Baptisme, but when the ministration thereof can bee had orderly, with all the circumstances requisite; whereof this is one, That it bee ministred in the presence of that visible Kirke, whereof the children are to bee members: for not onelyonly the minister of Baptisme, and the Parents of the children, but the Congregation also hath interest in the baptisme of everie member that entereth in their Communion; which therefore, ought to bee a publick actio…, no lesse than the cutting off of a rotten member, by Excommunication, ought to bee done publickly. 5. It is knowne that ptivat baptisme hath bred, and fostered the opinion of absolute necessitie of Baptisme, of Baptisme of women, and private persons, of Baptisme by supposition, &c. and, that the ministration of the Sacraments in private places, hath beene, and is, the ready waye to bring people to the contempt, and neglect of the Sacramentes in publicke, and to the prophanation thereof in private. 6. When all the formes of ministration of Baptisme; shall bee compared, both that of the ancient Kirke, keeping Easter and Pent…st, for the solemne times of Baptisme, and the other of the Popish kirke, and other Kirks, not well purged of the dregs of Poperie; ministring Baptisme and Communion at all times, in privat places, & before few persons; it shall be found, that no better course could bee taken, than that which hath beene wyselie appointed and observed, in the Kirk of Scotland, since the Reformation, that the Sacraments be ministred in the ordinarie meetings of GOD'S people; unto which they had regard, and not unto the places of materiall kirkes: which wee adde, lest any should thinke, that wee entertaine any superstitious conceat of places.