Review of Brambles Warning Against the Scots Discipline, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
The Presbyterie does not draw from the Magiſtrat any paritie of his power by the cheate of any relation.
IN the ſeventh chapter the Warner would cauſe men believe many more of the Presbyteries uſurpations upon the civill Magiſtrate. The Presbytery cognoſceth only upon ſcandals, and that in ſewer civil things then the Biſhopscourts were wont to meddle with.The firſt is that all offences whatſoever are cognoſcible in the conſiſtory upon the caſe of ſcandals. Anſ. Firſt the Presbyterie makes no offence at all to come before the conſiſtory, but ſcandall alone. Secondly theſe civill offences (the ſcandall whereof comes before the Presbytery) are but very few, and a great deale fewer than the Bishops officiall takes notice of in his conſiſtoriall court. That capitall crimes paſt over by the Magiſtrate should bee cenſured by the Church, no ſociety of Chriſtians who have any diſcipline, did ever call in queſtion. When the ſword of the Magiſtrat hes ſpared a murderer, an adulterer, a Blaſphemer; will any ingenuous, either praelaticall or popish divine, admitte of ſuch to the holy table without ſignes of repentance?
The Warners ſecond uſurpation is but a branch of the firſt, that the Presbyterie drawes directly before it ſelfe the cogniſance of fraud in barganing, falſe meaſures, oppreſſion and in the caſe of Miniſters, brybing, uſury, fighting, perjury, &c. Anſ. Is it then the Warners minde, that the notorious ſlander of ſuch groſſe ſins does not deſerve ſo much, as an Eccleſiaſtick rebooke? Shall ſuch perſons without admonition be admitted to the holy communion? Secondly the named caſes of fraud in barganing, falſe meaſures, oppreſſion, come ſo rarely before our Church-judicatories that though theſe thirty yeares I have been much converſant in Presbyteries, yet did I never ſee, nor doe I remember that ever I heard any of theſe three caſes brought before any church aſſembly. In the perſone 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 praelats, who themſelves are free of ſuch vices. And why did not the Warner put in among the cauſes of church mens deprivation from office and benefite, adultery, gluttonny and drunkennes? 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 ſpeake of the Magiſtrats duty in his office, or dare offer to reſolve from ſcripture any doubt, which perplexeth the conſcience of Magiſtrats 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 Praelats and Doctors of England pretended a great care to goe about theſe uncontroverted parts of their miniſterial function, and yet without medling with the Myſteries of State, or the depths of any mans particulare vocation; much leſſe with thejudgement of juriſdiction in politicall or aeconomicall cauſes.
As for the Churches declaration againſt the Late engagement; The Churches proceedings in the late engagement cleered from miſtakes.did it not well become them to ſignify their judgement 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 cleerly malignant partie, contrary to ſolemne oathes and covenants, unto the evident hazard of Religione and them who had been moſt eminent inſtruments of its preſervation; was it not the churches duty to give warning againſt that ſinne, 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 civill affaires to the Churches barre 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 Kingdome in ſeverall expreſſe meſſages for that end? It ſeemes, its our Warners concluſion, if the Magiſtrat would draw all the Churches in his juriſdiction to a moſt unlawfull warre, 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 ſoules, or if the Magiſtrate would put the Church to declare what were lawfull or unlawfull according to the word of God, that it were neceſſary heer for the ſervants of God to be altogether ſilent, becauſe indeed warre is ſo civill a buſines, that nothing in it concernes the ſoule, and nothing about it may be cleered by any light from the word of God.
The truth is, the Church in their publick papers to the Parliament, declared oftner 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 Kingdome of England, but by the ſectarian party there, againſt God the King, covenant and both Kingdomes: but to the great griefe of their hearts, their hands were bound and they forced to ſit ſtill, and by the over great cunning of ſome, the erroneous mis-perſwaſions of others and the rash praecipitancy of it, that engagement was ſo ſpoiled in the ſtating and mannaging, that the moſt religious with peace of conſcience could not goe along nor encourage any other to take part therein. The Warner touches on three of their reaſons: but who will looke upon their publick declarations, shall find many more, which with all faithfullneſſe were then propounded by the Church, for the rectifying of that action, which, as it ſtood in the ſtate and managment, was cleerly foretold to be exceeding like to deſtroy the King and his friends of all ſorts in all the three Kingdomes. The irreparable loſſes and unutterable calamities which quickly did follow at the heeles, the misbeleefe and contempt of the Lords ſervants and the great danger religion is now brought unto in al theſe Kingdomes, hes, I ſuppoſe, long agoe brought griefe enough to the heart of them whoſe unadviſed rashnes and intemperate fervour did contribute moſt for the ſpoiling of that deſigne.
The firſt deſire about that engagement which the Warner gives to us, concernes 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 attemptes upon the Kings perſone, contrary to the directions of the Parliamentes of both Kingdomes, 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 begunne: but here was the queſtion; Whither the Parliament and Army of Scotland ought to declare their reſolutiones to bring his Majeſtie to London with honour, freedome and ſafty, before he did promiſe any ſecurity for eſtablishing Religion; The Parliaments of both Kingdomes in all their former treaties had ever preſſed upon the King a number of propoſitions to be ſigned by his Majeſtie 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 freedome which himſelfe did deſire? There was no complaint, when many of thirty propoſitions were preſſed to be ſigned by his Majeſtie 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 Majeſties reſcue and deliverance from the hands of the ſectaries, but only before his bringing to London in honor freedom and ſafety? This demande, to the Warner, is a crime, and may be ſo to all of his beleefe, who takes it for a high unjuſtice, to reſtraine in any King the abſolute power by any condition: for they doe mantaine that the adminiſtration of all things both of Church and ſtate does reſide ſo freely and abſolutly in the meere will of a Soveraigne, 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 voyce; behold how criminous we were in the point; When ſome (moſt needleſly) would needs bring into debate the Kings negative voyce in the Parliament of England, as one of the royall praerogatives to bee maintained by our engagement: it was ſaid, that all diſcourſe of that kynde might bee 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 Lawes did not admit of a negative voyce to the King in a Parliament of Scotland; and to preſſe it now as a prerogative of all Kings, (beſides the reflection it might have upon the rights of our Kingdome,) it might put in the hand of the King a power to deny all and every one of theſe things, which the Parliaments of both Kingdomes had found neceſſary for the ſetling the peace in all the three dominions. Wee marvail not, that the Warner heere should taxe us of a great errour, ſeeing it is the beleefe of his faction, that every King hath not onelyonly a negative but an abſolute affirmative voyce in all their Parliaments, as if they were nothing but their arbitrary counſels for to perſwade by their reaſons but not to conclude nor impede any thing by their votes; the whole and intire power of making or refuſing Lawes being in the Prince alone, and no part of it in the Parliament.
The Warners third challenge againſt us about the ingagement 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 farre from ſeeking power to nominate any one officer: but the matter was thus; when the State did require of them, what in their judgement would give ſatisfaction to the people, and what would encourage them to goe along in the ingagement? one and the laſt parte of their anſwer was, that they conceived if a Warre shalbe found neceſſarie, much of the peoples encouragement would depend upon the qualification of the commanders, to whom the mannaging of that great truſt should be committed: for after the right ſtating of the Warre, the nixt would be the carying on of it by ſuch men who had given conſtante proofe of their integrity. To put all the power of the Kingdome in their hande, whoſe by paſt miſcariadges had given juſt occaſion to ſuſpect their deſignes and firmeneſſe to the intereſt of God before their owne or any other mans, would fill the hearts of the people with jealouſies and feares, and how wholſome an advice this was, experience hath now too cleerly demonſtrate.
To make the world know our further reſolutiones to medle with civile affaires, the Warner is pleaſed to bring out againſt us above 80 yeares old ſtories, and all the ſtuffe which our malicious enemy Spotſewood can furnish to him: from this good author he alledges that our Church diſcharged merchants to traffique with Spaine, and commanded the change of the mercat dayes in Edenburgh. Anſ. Both theſe calumnies are taken of at length in the Hiſtoricall Vindication. After the Spanish invaſion of the yeare eighty eight, many in Scotland kept correſpondence with Spaine for treacherous deſignes: the Inquiſitors did ſeduce ſome, and perſecute others of our merchants in their traffique, the Church did deale with his Majeſtie to interceed with the Spanish King for more liberty to our country men in their trading: and in the meane time while an anſwer was returned from Madrile, they advertiſed the people to be warry, how they hazarded their ſoules for any worldly gaine which they could find about the inquiſitors feet.
As for the mercat dayes, The Church medled not with the munday mercat but by way of ſupplication to Parliament.I grante, it was a great griefe to the Church, to ſee the fabbath day profaned by handy labour and journeying, by occaſion of the munday-mercats in the moſt of the great tounes: for remedie heerof, many ſupplications have been made by the Aſſembly to the Parliament: but ſo long as our Bishops ſatte there, theſe petitiones of the Church were alwayes eluded: for the praelats labour in the whole Iland was to have the ſunday no Sabbath, and to procure by their Doctrine and example the profanation of that day by all ſorts of playes, to the end people might be brought back to their old licentiouſnes and ignorance, by which the Epiſcopall Kingdome 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 ſoone as they were caſt out of the Parliament, the Churches ſupplications were granted, and acts obtained for the carefull ſanctification of the Lords day, and removing of the mercats in all the land from the Munday to other dayes of the week.
The Warners nixt challenge of our uſurpation is, the aſſembly at Edinburgh 1567 their ratifying of acts of Parliament, and ſummoning of all the country to appeare at the nixt aſſembly. The Church once for ſafty of the infant Kings life, with the concurrence of the ſecrete counſel did cal an extraordinary meeting.Anſ. If the Warner had knowne the hiſtory of that time, he would have choyſed rather to have omitted this challenge, then to have proclaimed to the world the great rottenneſſe of his own heart; at that time the condition of the Church and Kingdome of Scotland was lamentable, the Queen was declared for popery, King James's Father was cruelly without any cauſe murthered by the Earle of Bothwell; King James himſelfe in his infancy was very neare to have been deſtroyed by the murtherer of his Father, there was no other way conceivable of ſaftie for Religion for the infant King, for the Kingdome, but that the Proteſtantes should joine together for the defence of King James againſt theſe popish murtherers. For this end the generall 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 conveen at the time appointed moſt frequently in an extraordinary and mixed aſſembly of all the conſiderable perſons of the Religion, Earles, Lords, Barrons, Gentlemen, Burgeſſes and Miniſters, and ſubſcribed a bond for the revenge of King Henryes death, and the defence of King Iames his life: This mixed and extraordinary aſſembly made it one of the chiefe articles in their bond to defend theſe Actes of the Parliament 1560 concerning religion, and to endeavour the ratification of them in the nixt enſuing Parliament. As for the aſſemblies letter to their Brethren for ſo frequent a meeting at the nixt 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 murthered his Father, and ravished his Mother. Leſſe could not have been done in ſuch a juncture of time by men of wiſedom and courage, who had any love to their Religion, King and country: but the reſolution of our praelats is to the contrary, when a moſt wicked villaine 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 Kingdome to an illegall Tyranny; in this caſe there may be no meeting, either of Church or State, to provide remedies againſt ſuch extraordinary miſchiefes. Beleeve it, the Scotes were never of this opinion.
What is ſubjoined in the nixt paragraph of our Churches praeſumption to abolish acts of Parliament; By the lawes and cuſtomes of Scotland the Aſſembly praecieds the Parliament in the reformation of Eccleſiastical abuſes.is but a repetition of what is ſpoken before. Not only the lawes of Scotland but equity and neceſſity referres the ordinary reformation of errours and abuſes in Religion to the Eccleſiaſticall 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 obtaines their rectification to be ratifyed in a following Parliament, and all former acts to the contrary to be annulled. This is the ordinary Methode of proceeding in Scotland and (as I take it) in all other States and Kingdomes. Were Chriſtians of old hindred to leave paganisme and embrace the Goſpell, till the emperiall lawes for paganisme and againſt Chriſtianity were revoked? did the oecumenicall and National Synods of the auncients ſtay their reformation of hereſies and corruptions in religion, till the lawes of State (which did countenance theſe errors) were cancelled? Was not popery in Germany France and Britaine ſo firmely eſtablished, as civil lawes could doe it? It ſeems, the Warner heer does joyne with his Brother Iſſachar, to proclaime all our Reformers in Britaine 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. Nevertheleſſe this plea is foolishly intended againſt us, for the Miniſters proteſtation againſt the acts of Parliament 1584, eſtablishing (in that houre of darknes) iniquity by a law, and againſt the acts of the Aſſembly of Glasgow declaring the unlawfulneſſe of Bishops and ceremonies; which ſome Parliaments upon Epiſcopall mis-information had approven: both theſe actions of the Church were according to former Lawes 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 contemne much more grosſly the law, then they doe, whom here he is accuſing of that crime.
By the nixt Story the Warner will gaine nothing, The Church parte in the road of Ruthven cleered.when the true caſe of it is knowne. In King Iames minority, one Captaine Iames Stuart did ſo farre prevail upon the tender and unexperienced yeares of the Prince, as to ſteale his countenance unto acts of the greateſt oppreſſion; ſo farre that Iames Hamelton Earle of Arran (the nixt 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 ſicknes, when he was not capable to commit any crime againſt the State, was notwithſtanding ſpoiled of all his livelyhood and liberty: his Lands and honour with the dignity of high Chancelor of Scotland were conferred on that very wicked Tyrant Captain Iames, a number of the beſt affected and prime nobility impatient of ſuch unheard-of oppreſſiones, with meere boaſts and no violence at the road of Ruthven chaſed away that unhappy chancelor from the Kings perſone, this his Majeſtie 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 Neighbour princes: he dealt alſo with the ſecrete counſel and the chiefe judicatories of the land, and obtained from them the approbation of that act of the Lords as convenient and laudable, promiſing likewiſe to ratify it in the nixt enſuing Parliament. When the Lords for their more abundante cleering required the Aſſemblies declaration there upon, the Miniſters declined to medle at all with the caſe; but the Kings Majeſtie ſent his Commiſſioners to the Aſſembly, entreating them withall earneſtneſſe to declare their good liking of that action, which he aſſured them was for his good, and the good both of the Church and Kingdome: for their obedience to the Kings importunity they are heer railed upon by the wiſe Warner. It is true, Captaine Iames shortly after creept in againe 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 monthes the ſame Lords with ſome more did at Striveling chaſe againe that evill man from the Court: whither he never more returned, and this their action was ratified in the nixt 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 wandrings; The intereſt of the generall aſſembly of Scotland, in the reformation of England.at the nixt loupe he jumps from the 1584 to the 1648, skipping over in a moment 64 yeares. The articles of Striveling mentions that the promoving of the worke of Reformation in England and Ireland, bee referred to the generall aſſembly, upon this our friend does diſcharge a flood of his choler: all the matter of his impatience heere is, that Scotland when by fraud they had been long allured, and at laſt by open violence invaded by the English Praelats, 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 wel-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 mannaging of this ſo great and good an Eccleſiaſtick worke, the Parliament of Scotland did intruſt the generall aſſembly. No mervaile that Doctor Bramble a zealous lover of all the Arminianiſme, 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 bee angry at the diſcoverers and diſ-appointers of that moſt pious work as they wont to ſtyle it?
What heere the Warner repeats, it is anſwered before, The violent apprehenſion of Maſſe-Prieſts Prieſts in their act of idolatry reproved by the Warner.as for the two Storyes in his concluſion, which he takes out of his falſe Author Spots-wood, adding his owne large amplifications; I conceive, there needs no more to be ſaid to the firſt, but that ſome of Iohn Knocks zealous hearers underſtanding of a Maſſe-Prieſt at their very ſide committing idolatry contrary to the Lawes, did with violence break in upon him and ſeaſe upon his perſon and Maſſe-cloathes, that they might preſent him to the ordinary Magiſtrat to receave juſtice according to the Law; This act the Warner wil have to be a huge rebellion, not only in the actors, but alſo in Iohn Knocks, who was not ſo much as preſent thereat.
What firſt he ſpeaks of the Aſſemblies convocating the people in armes to be preſent at the tryall of the popish Lords and their avowing of that their deed to the King in his face we muſt be pardoned to miſtruſt the Warner heerin upon his bare word without the releefe of ſome witnes, and that a more faithfull one then his Brother in evill, Mr. Spotswood, whom yet heere he does not profeſſe to cite. Againſt theſe popish Lords after their many treaſons and bloody murders of the lieges, the King himſelfe at laſt was forced to arme the people; but that the generall aſſembly did call any unto armes we require the Warners proofe that we may give it an anſwer.