Scripture and Reason Pleased for Defensive Arms, Title page – To the reader
SCRIPTURE AND REASON PLEADED FOR DEFENSIVE ARMES: OR The whole Controverſie about SUBjECTS taking up ARMES. WHEREIN Beſides other Pamphlets, an Anſwer is punctually directed to Dr. Fernes Booke, entituled, Reſolving of Conſcience, &c. The Scriptures alleadged are fully ſatisfied. The rationall Diſcourſes are weighed in the ballance of right reaſon. Matters of fact concerning the preſent differences, are examined.
Publiſhed by divers Reverend and Learned Divines.
IT is this fourteenth day of Aprill, 1643. ordered by the Committee of the Houſe of COMMONS in Parliament concerning Printing, That this Booke, entituled, Scripture and Reaſon pleaded for Defenſive Armes, be Printed by Iohn Bellamy and Ralph Smith.
JOHN WHITE.
LONDON, Printed for Iohn Bellamy and Ralph Smith at the Signe of the three Golden Lions neare the Royall-Exchange, M.DC.XLIII.
To the READER.
TIs a bitter Controverſie that our poore ſinfull Nation is fallen upon, wherein not onelyonly Armes are ingaged againſt Arms, but Bookes written againſt Bookes, and Conſcience pretended againſt Conſcience. In this perplexed condition, What ſhall the people doe? What ſhall they reſolve? They expect to receive Councell from Divines, who (though it be a mixt Argument) are moſt likely to ſettle them. And they have great reaſon to doe it; for the truth is, The world takes ſufficient notice that the Cauſe, as it now ſtands, hath many Divines ſtrongly ingaged unto it on either ſide, and that their Reſolutions have had a great Influence upon it, and upon the people.
We know upon whom Doctor Ferne layes the burthen, when he ſaith, His Epiſt.Many in the ſimplicity of their hearts have been wrought upon by ſuch as miſled them. But we pleade in the words of the great Apoſtle,2 Cor. 1.12. That our rejoycing is this, that in ſimplicity and godly ſincerity, not with fleſhly wiſdome, but by the grace of God, we have had our converſation to the world, and more abundantly towards our Congregations: To whom wee appeale, and to our Sermons preached among them, whether wee have taught any thing, but humble and holy obedience to all juſt and lawfull authority, ſincere love and conſtant maintenance of the Truth. What is it that We may be ſuspected of? What Deſignes may we be thought to carry on? What Intereſſes? What ends? What is it that Wee hold deare unto us, but the Goſpell of our Lord, but the ſoules of our people? Did we make a gaine of them?2 Cor. … 17, 18, 19. Did Titus make a gaine of you? Thinke you that wee excuſe our ſelves? Wee ſpeake before God in Chriſt.
'Tis not a new thing to be challeng'd as Seditious, as Tertullus accuſed Paul;Act. 24.5. To be hurtfull unto Kings a…d Provinces;Ez…. 4.15. Act. 17. as Rehum and others wrote againſt the Jewes: To be ſetters forth of new Doctrines; as the Epicureans blaſphemed that choſen veſſell. But our witneſſe is with God, and in our conſciences, and before the people in our preaching, and in our converſation, That we are not the troublers of Iſrael, That we pray for the Peace of our King, and that we ſeeke the wellfare of our Nation; and that we teach no new, no other Doctrine, then what the Scriptures confirme, as this Treatiſe will fully ſhew; The… what our King himſelfe hath allowed, in his clearing our Brethren of Scotland by Proclamation,Luther, B…genhagius, Iuſ…s, Ionas, Am…ſdo…ſias, Sp…lati… …nct hō, C…t…g…, and … Lawyers and States-mē, pu…liſhed a writing, Anno 15…1 to juſtifie defenſive Armes, &c. K Iames Speech in Pa…. An. 1609. See Remonſtr. Dec 15. 1641. Votes, May 20 Remonſt. May 26 1641. Declar. Iuly 13 Aug 3. Aug 15. Aug. 20. Octob. 22. Petitions of Parl March 26 May 20. Iun. 27. Iul. 15. Petitions of London, and ſeverall Counties for the Kings returne. With the L. Generals Petit. which would not be received, &c. when they had Covenanted and taken up Armes; then what our State hath formerly favoured in yeelding ayde to Rochell; Then what other Churches, Scotland, the French Proteſtants, the united Provinces, and great Divines have given ſuff…ge unto. And as for the State of this Kingdome in the very Conſtitution of it: The Caſe is yet clearer, King James himſelfe blamed a Biſhop for a right-Court-Sermon that hee preached before Him, and the Houſe of Peeres, That hee had not diſtinguiſh'd well betweene a King at large, and the King of England. And in a manner, even all the points of the preſent difference might be anſwered againſt the King, by the King Himſelfe, in His Majeſties Anſwer to the nineteene Propoſitions, pag. 17, 18, 19, 20. Which wee deſire the Readers ſeriouſly againe to peruſe, as out of which a politicall Catechiſme might be drawne to instruct the people, juſt ſo as wee have instructed them.
To conclude, After the Kingdome hath duely conſidered the many provocations it hath had, which will appeare by the Remonſtrances, Declarations and Votes of Parliament; The No…ſucceſſe of other Remedies, as namely frequent Petitions and Treaties; and hath read this following Diſcourſe with a minde not prejudiced; We hope that this preſent Action of Parliament will stand juſtified, and our Judgement and Conſciences cleare: Eſpecially after this our Proteſtation, That wee ſeeke nothing but the Truth, and to the Truth, if others can convince us, we are reſolved to yeeld.