A Hind Let Loose, Part 1 · Subpart 6 · Floating text – Letter
To the Kings most excellent Majestie. The humble Address of the Presbyterian Ministers of his Majesties Kingdom of Scotland.
We your Maj. most loyal subjects, the Ministers of the Presbyterian persuasion in your Ancient Kingdom of Scotland, from the due sense we have of your Maj. gracious & surprising favour, in not only puting a stop to our long sad sufferings for Non-conformity, but granting us the Liberty of the Publick & Peaceable exercise of our Ministerial function without any hazard: As we bless the Great God who hath put this in your Royal heart, do with all find our selves bound in duty to offer our most humble & hearty thanks to your Sacred Majestie, the favour bestowed being to us and all the People of our Persuasion valuable above all our earthly comforts, especially since we have ground from your Maj. to beleeve that our Loyaltie is not to be questioned upon the account of our being Presbyterians, who as we have amidst all former tentations endeavoured, so we are firmly resolved still to preserve an intire Loyaltie in our Doctrine & Practice (consonant to our known Principles, which according to the Holy Scriptures are contained in the Confession of faith, generally ouned by Presbyterians in all your Maj. Dominions) and by the help of God so to demean our selves, as your Maj. may find cause rather to enlarge than to diminish your favours towards us; throughly perswading our selves from your Maj. justice & goodness, that if we shall at any time be otherwise represented, your Maj. will not give credit to such information, until yow have due cognition thereof: and humbly beseeching, that those who promote any dsloyal Principles & practices (as we disoune them) may be looked upon as none of ours, whatsover name they may assume to themselves. May it please your most excellent Maj. graciously to accept of this our most hmble Address, as proceeding from the plainness & sincerity of Loyal & thankful hearts, much engaged by your Royal favour, to continue our fervent Prayers to the King of Kings, for Divine illumination & conduct, with all other blessings Spiritual & Temporal, ever to attend your Royal Person & Government, which is the greatest duty can be rendered to your Maj. by
Your Maj. most humble, mast faithful, & most obedient Subjects. Subscribed in our Names, and in the name of the rest of our Brethren of our Persuasion, at their desire.
Which received this Gracious return.
The Kings Letter to the Presbyterians in his ancient Kingdom of Scotland.
We love yow well: and we heartily thank yow for your Address: we resolve to Protect yow in your Liberty, Religion, & properties all our life: And we shall lay doun such methods, as shall not be in the power of any to alter hereafter. And in the mean tune we desire yow to Pray for our Person & Government. To which may be added that kind Complement of the Chancellors: Gentlemen, My Master hath commanded me to tell yow, that I am to serve yow in all things within the compass of my power.
These Gentlemen needed not to have been sollicitous, that those who avouch an Adherance to the Covenanted Reformation, and avow an opposition to Antichristian Usurpers (which they call promoting Dislayal principles & practices) might not be looked upon as of their Confederacy: for all that abide in the principles & Practices of the Church of Scotland (which they have deserted) and that desire to be found Loyal to Christ, in opposition to His and the Churches and the Countries Declared Enemy, would count it a sin & scandal, laying them obnoxious to the Displeasure of the Holy & Jealous God, who will resent this heinous Indignity they have done unto His Majestie (if they do not Address themselves unto Him for pardon of the iniquity of this Address, which is the desire of those whom they disoune that they may find Grace to do so) and a shameful Reproach, exposing them to the Contempt of all of whom they expect Sympathie, to be reckoned of their Association who have thus betrayed the Cause & the Country. These mutual Complements (so like the Caresses of the Romish whore whereby she entyces the Nations to her fornication) between the Professed Servants of Christ and the Vassals of Antichrist, if they be cordial; would seem to import that they are in a fair way of compounding their differences and to accommodate their oppositions at length; which yet I hope will be irreconcileably maintained & kept up by all true Presbyterians, in whose name they have the impudence to give out their Address: But if they be only Adulatory & flattering Complements, importing only a Conjunction of tails like Samsons foxes) with a Disjunction of heads and hearts, tending towards distinct & opposite Interests; then, as they would suite far better the Dissmulations of Politicians, than the Simplicity of Gospel-Ministers, and do put upon them the brand of being men-pleasers rather than Servants of Christ, so for their dissemblings with Dissemblers, who know their Complements to be and take them for such, they may look to be paid home in good measure, heaped up & running over, when such methods shall be laid doun as shall not be in the power of any to alter, when such designs shall be obtained by this Liberty and these Addresses, that the after bought wit of the Addressers shall not be able to disappoint. However the Address it self is of such a dress, as makes the thing addressed for to be odious, and the Addressers to forefault the respect, & merit the indignation of all that are friends to the Protestant & Presbyterian Cause, as may appear from these obvious Reflections. 1. It was needful indeed they should have assumed the name of Presbyterians (though it might have been more tolerable to let them pass under that name, if they had not presumed to give forth their flatteries in the name of all of that Persuasion, and to alledge it was at their desire; which is either an illuding equivocation, or a great untruth, for though it might be the desire of the men of their oun persuasion, which is a newly start up opinion that Interest hath led them to espouse, yet nothing could be more cross to the real desires of true Presbyterians, that prefer the Truth of the Cause to the external peace of the Professors thereof) and call it the humble Address of Presbyterian Ministers: for otherwise it could never have been known to come from men of the Presbyterian persuasion; seeing the Contents of this Address are so clearly contrary to their known Principles. It is contrary to Presbyterian Principles, to Congratulate an Antichristian Usurper for undermining Religion, and overturning Lawes & Liberties. It is contrary to Presbyterian Principles, to justify the abrogation of the National Covenant, in giving thanks for a Liberty whereby all the Lawes are called & disabled therein confirmed. It is contray to Presbyterian Principles, to thank the King for opening a door to bring in Poperie, which they are engaged to exstirpate in the Solemn League & Covenant. It is contrary to Presbyterian Principles to allow or accept of such a vast Toleration for Idolaters & Hereticks, as is evident above from all their Contendings against it, which is also contrary to the Confession of faith, generally ouned by Presbyterians, as may be seen in the place forecited Chap. 20. Par. 4. It is contrary to Presbyterian Principles to consent to any Restrictions, Limitations, & Conditions, binding them up in the exercise of the Ministerial function, wherewith this Liberty is loaded & clogged; whereby indeed they have the Liberty of the Publick & peaceable exercise of it, without any hazard of present Persecution, but not without great hazard of sin, and incurring the guilt of the blood of Souls, for not declaring the whole Counsel of God, which Addressers cannot declare, if they Preserve an intire Loyaltie in their Doctrine, as here they promise. 2. There is nothing here sounds like the old Presbyterian strain; neither was there ever an Address of this stile seen before from Presbyterian hands. It would have looked far more Presbyterian like, instead of this Address, to have sent a Protestation against the now openly designed introduction of Poperie, and subversion of all Lawes & Liberties which they are Covenanted to maintain, or at least to have given an Address in the usual Language of Presbyterians, who used alwayes to speak of the Covenants, and Work of Reformation: But here never a word of these, but of Loyaltie to his excellent, to his Gracious, and to his Sacred Majestie, of Loyaltie not to be questioned, an Entire Loyaltie in Doctrine, a resolved Loyaltie in Practice, and a servent Loyaltie in Prayers: And all that they are solicitous about, is not lest the Prerogatives of their Master be encroached upon, and the Liberties of the Church be supplanted, and Religion wronged; but lest their Loyaltie be questioned, and they be otherwise represented: And all that they beseech for is, not that the Cause of Christ be not wronged, nor Antichristian Idolatrie introduced by this Liberty; but that these who promove any disloyal Principles & Practices may be looked upon as none of theirs, wherein all their encouragment is, that they persuade themselves from his Maj. justice & goodness, that he will not give credite to any other information until he take due cognition thereof. Here is a Lawless unrestricted Loyaltie to a Tyrant, claiming an absolute power to be obeyed without reserve, not only professed, but solicitously sought to be the Principle of Presbyterians; whereas it is rather the Principle of Athiestical Hobbes exploded with indignation by all rational men. This is not a Christian Loyaltie, o… profession of Consciencious Subjection, to a Minister of God for good who is a terror to evil doers, but a stupid subjection & absolute Allegiance to a Minister of Antichrist, who gives Liberty to all evil men & seducers. This is not the Presbyterian Loyaltie to the King, in the defence of Christ His Evangel, Liberties of the Country, Ministration of Iustice, & punishment of iniquity, according to the National Covenant; And in the preservation & defence of the true Religion & Liberties of the Kingdoms, according to the Solemn League & Covenant; but an Erastian Loyaltie to a Tyrant, in his overturning Religion Lawes & Liberties, & protecting & encouraging all iniquity. This Loyaltie in Doctrine will be found Disloyaltie to Christ, in a sinful & shameful silence at the wrongs done to Him, and not declaring against the Invasions of His open Enemies. This Loyaltie in Practice is a plain betraying of Religion & Liberty, in lying by from all opposition to the open Destroyer of both. And this Loyaltie in Prayers, for all blessings ever to attend his person & Government, will be found neither consonant to Presbyterian Prayers in reference to Popish Tyrants, nor consistent with the Zeal of Christians, and the Cries of all the Elect unto God to whom vengeance belongs, against Antichrist and all his Supporters, nor any way conforme to the Saints Prayers in Scripture, nor founded upon any Scripture promises, to pray for a blessing to a Papists Tyrannie, which cannot be of Faith and therefore must be sin. It were much more suitable to pray, that the God which hath caused His Name to dwell in His Church, may destroy all Kings that shall put to their hand to alter & destroy the House of God, Ezrah. 6. 12. 3. This Address is so stuffed with sneaking flatteries, that it would become more Sycophants & Court-Parasites than Ministers of the Gospel; and were more suitable to the Popish, Prelatical, & Malignant faction to congratulate & rejoice in their professed Patroh & Head, and fill the Gazetts with their Adulatory Addresses, which heretofore used to be deservedly inveighed against by all Dissenters; than for Presbyterians to take a Copy from them, and espouse the practice which they had condemned before, and which was never commended in any good Government, nor never known in these British Nations, before Oliver's Usurpation & Charles his Tyranny; flatterie being alwayes counted base among ingenuous men. But here is a Rhapsodie of flatteries, from the deep sense they have of his Maj. gracious & surprising favour—finding themselves bound in duty to offer their most humble & hearty thanks, to his Sacred Maj. the favour bestowed being to them—valuable above all earthly comforts. One would think this behoved to be a very great favour, from a very great friend, for very gracious ends: But what is it? In not only puting a stop to their long sad sufferings; which were some ground indeed if the way were honest: but this not only supposes an also; what is that? but also granting us the Liberty—which is either a needless Tautology (for if all Sufferings were stopped, then Liberty must needs follow) or it must respect the qualifications of the Liberty; flowing from such a Fountain, absolute power; through such a Conveyance, the stoping all penal Lawes against Papists; in such a Forme as a Toleration; for such Ends, as overturning the Reformation & introducing Poperie. This is the favour for which they offer most humble & hearty thanks, more valuable to them than all earthly comforts; thô it be manifestly intended to deprive the Lords People, at the long run, of the Heavenly Comforts of the Preached Gospel. Sure, if they thank him for the Liberty, they must thank him for the Proclamation whereby he grants it, and justify all his Claim there to Absoluteness, being that upon which it is superstructed, and from which it emergeth, And so become a listed faction to abett & oune him in all his attemptings, engaged now to demean themselves as that he may find cause rather to enlarge than to diminish his favours, which can be no other way but in assisting him to destroy Religion & Liberty, at least in suffering him to do what he will without control. O what an indeleble reproach is this for Ministers, who pretend to be set for the defence of the Gospel, thus to be found betraying Religion, through justifying & magnifying a Tyrant, for his suspension of so many Lawes whereby is was established & supported. 4. It were more tolerable if they went no further than flatteries: but I fear they come near the border of Blasphemie, when they say, that the Great God hath put this in his Royal heart: which can bear no other Construction but this, that the holy Lord hath put it in his heart to assume to himself a blasphemous & absolute power, whereby he stops & suspends all Penal Lawes against Idolaters, and gives a Toleration for all Errors: Or if it be capable of any other sense, it must be like that as the Lord is said to have moved David to number the People, or that Rev. 17. 17. God hath put it in their hearts to fulfill His Will, and to aggree aud give their Kingdom unto the Beast. But to bless God and thank the Tyrant for this wicked Project, as deliberate & purposed by men, I say is near unto Blasphemy. And again where they say, they are firmly resolved by the help of God so to demean themselves as his Maj. may find cause rather to enlarge than to diminish his favours; this in effect is as great Blasphemy as if they had said, they resolved by the help of God to be as unfaithful Time-serving & Silent Ministers as ever plagued the Church of God; for no otherwise can they demean themselves so as he may find cause to enlarge his favours towards them, it being no way supposible that his enlarging his favours can consist with their faithfulness, but if they discover any measure of zeal against Antichrist, he will quickly diminish them.
Thus far I have compendiously deduced the Account of the Progress, & Prosecution of the Testimony of this Church to the present State thereof, as it is Concerted & Contended for, by the Reproached Remnant now only Persecuted: which I hope this pretended Liberty shall be so far from obscuring & interrupting, that it shall contribute further to clear it, and engage them more to Constancy in it, and induce others also to Countenance it, when they shall see the sad effects of this Destructive Snare, which I leave to time to produce: And hope, that as the former Representation of their Cause will conciliate the Charity of the unbyassed, so an Account of their Sufferings thereupon will provoke them to Sympathie. To which I now proceed.