Review of Brambles Warning Against the Scots Discipline, Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
The Nature of the Preſbytrie is very concordant with Parliaments.
IN the tenth chapter the Warner undertakes to shew the antipathy of Presbyteries to Parliaments; albeit there bee no greater harmony poſſible betwixt any two bodies, then betwixt a generall aſſembly and Parliament, a Presbyterie and an inferior civill court, if either the conſtitution or end or dayly practiſe of theſe judicatories be looked upon: but the praelaticall 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 beleeve upon unanſwerable arguments though contrary to common ſence and and reaſon that ſnow is black and the fire cold and the light dark.The eight deſires of the Church about the ingagement were juſt and neceſſary.
For the proofe of his concluſion he brings backe yet againe 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 ingagement 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 drawne from the Church by the Parliaments owne meſſages, and that well neare all theſe deſires were counted by the Parliament it ſelf 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 ſeale: where the queſtion among us was not for the thing it ſelf, 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 imployed, 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 warre should be free of all juſt cauſes of Jealouſy, which could be made appeare not to halfe a doſſen of Miniſters, but to any competent judicatory according to the lawes of the Kingdome. The Warner has not been carefull to informe himſelfe, where the knot of the difference lay, and ſo gives out his owne groundleſſe conjectures for true Hiſtoricall narrations, which he might eaſily have helped by a more attentive reading of our publick declarations.
The ſecond fault he finds with our Church is, that they proclaime in print their diſſatisfaction with that ingagement as favourable 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 cuſtome to keep the people by publick declarations in their duty to God, It is one of the liberties of the Church of Scotland to publish declarations.when men are like to draw them away to ſin according to that of Eſay. 8. v. 12.13. What in great humility piety and wiſedome 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 owne wayes: and the lamentable event ſince has opened the eyes of many, who before would not ſee, to acknowledge their former errours: but if God should ſpeake never ſo loud from Heaven, the Warner and his party will ſtoppe their eares: for they are men of ſuch gallant Spirits, as ſcorne to ſubmit either to God or men, but in a Romane conſtancy they will be ever the ſame though their counſels & wayes be found never ſo palpably pernicious.
The third thing the Warner layes to the charge of our Church is, The leavy was never offered to be ſtopped by the Church.that they retarded the leavies. Anſ. In this alſo the Warner shewes his ignorance or malice: for how ſore ſoever the Levy (as then ſtated & mannaged) was againſt the hearts of the Church, yet their oppoſition to it, was ſo cold-rife and ſmall, that no complaint needs bee made of any retardment from them. So ſoone as the commanders thought it expedient, there was an Army gotten up ſo numerous and ſtrong, that with the ordinary bleſſing of God was aboundantly 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, The Church was not the cauſe of the gathering at Mauchlin Moore.what mervaile, that the ſtrongeſt arme of flesh bee quickly broken in peeces?
The fourth charge is moſt calumnious, that the Church gathered the country together in armes 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 goe as ſouldiers 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 neare (by occaſion of the communion at Mauchlin the day before) were good inſtruments with the people to goe away in peace. And when the matter was tryed to the bottom by the moſt Eagle-eyed of the Parliament, nothing could be found contrary to the Miniſters proteſtation, that they were no wayes the cauſe of the peoples convening or fighting at Mauchlin.
The paralell that the Warner makes betwixt the generall aſſembly and Parliament is malicious in all its parts. The aſſembly is helpfull and not hurtfull to the Parliament.For the firſt, though the one Court be civill, and the other Spirituall, yet the Presbyterians lay the authority of both upon a divine fundation, that for conſcience ſake the Courts civil muſt be obeyed in all their Lawfull commands, alſewell as the aſſemblyes of the Church; God being the author of the politick order as well as the Eccleſiaſtick, and the revenger of the contempt of the one alswell as of the other. But what doth the Warner meane, to mock at Miniſters for carrying themſelves as the Ambaſſadors of Chriſt, for judging according to the rule of Scripture, for caring for life eternall? is he become ſo shamefullie impious, as to perſwade Miniſters to give over the care of life eternall, to lay aſide the holy Scripture, and deny their ambaſſage from Jeſus Chriſt? behold what Spirit leads our praelats, while they jeere the World out of all Religion, and chaſe away Miniſters from Chriſt, from Scripture, from eternall life.
Of the ſecond part of the parallell, that people are more ready to obey their Miniſters then their Magiſtrats what shall be made? all the power which Miniſters have with the people is builded on their love to God and religion: how much ſo ever it is, a good Statseman will not envy it: for he knowes that God and conſcience conſtraine Miniſters to imploy all the power they have with the people to the good of the Magiſtrat, as the deputy and ſervant of God for the peoples true good. The Warner heer underſtands beſt his owne meaning, while he ſcoffes at Miniſters for their threatning of men with hells fire. Are our Praelats come to ſuch open proclamations of their Atheiſme, as to printe their deſires to banish out of the hearts of people all feare not only of Church-cenſures, but even of hell it ſelfe? whither may not Satan drive at laſt the inſtruments of his Kingdome?
The third parte of the paralell conſiſts of a number of unjuſt and falſe imputations before particularly refuted.
What he ſubjoines of the power of the generall Aſſembly to name Comittees to ſit in the intervalls of Aſſemblies, The appointment of comittees is a right of every court as well Eccleſiaſtick as civil.it is but a poore charge: is it not the dayly practiſe of the Parliaments of Scotland to nominat their Comittees of State for the intervalls of Parliament? Is it not ane inhaerent right to every Court to name ſome of their number to cognoſce upon things within their owne ſpheare at what ever times the court it ſelfe finds expedient; how ever the judicatories of the Church by the lawes of the Kingdome being authorized to meet when themſelves think fit both ordinarly and pro re nata, their power of appointing Comittees for their owne affaires was never queſtioned: and truely theſe Comittees in the times of our late troubles when many were lying in waite to diſturbe both Church and State, have been forced to meet oftner then otherwiſe any of their members did deſire: whoſe diverſion from their particular charges (though for attendance on the publick) is joyned with ſo great fashery and expence, that with all their heart they could be glade to decline it, if feare of detriment to the Church made not theſe meetings very neceſſary.