A Historical Vindication of the Government of the Church of Scotland, Title page – Dedication
AN HISTORICALL VINDICATION OF THE Government of the Church of Scotland, From the manifold baſe calumnies which the moſt Malignant of the Prelats did invent of old, and now lately have been publiſhed with great induſtry in two Pamphlets at LONDON.
The one intituled Iſſachars burden, &c. written and publiſhed at Oxford by John Maxwell, a Scottiſh Prelate, Excommunicate by the Church of Scotland, and declared an unpardonable Incendiary by the Parliaments of both KINGDOMS.
The other falſly intituled A Declaration made by King James in Scotland, concerning Church-government and Presbyteries; but indeed written by Patrick Alamſon, pretended Archbiſhop of St. Andrews, contrary to his own conſcience, as himſelfe on his Death-bed did confeſſe and ſubſcribe before many Witneſſes in a Write hereunto annexed.
By ROBERT BAYLIE Miniſter at Glaſgow.
Publiſhed according to Order.
London, Printed for Samuel Gellibrand at the Braſen-Serpent in Pauls-Churchyard, 1646.
For his Reverend and wel beloved Brother Maſter ROBERT BLAIRE, Miniſter of St. Andrewes.
THat I give to you an account of this my preſent taske, it is no more then what often I have done in my other ſtudies with your good acceptance and my great profit. When I look back (as frequently I doe with a delightfull remembrance) towards thoſe yeers of my childhood and youth, wherein I did ſit under your Diſcipline, my heart bleſſes the goodneſſe of God, who in a very rich mercy to me, did put almoſt the white and razed table of my ſpirit under your hand, after my domestick inſtructions which were from mine infancy, to be engraven by your labours and example with my firſt moſt ſenſible and remaining impreſſions, whether of piety or of good letters, or of morall vertue: What little portion in any of theſe, it hath pleaſed the Lord of his high and undeſerved favour to bestow upon me; I were ungratefull if I ſhould not acknowledge you after my Parents, the firſt and principall inſtrument thereof. I cannot deny, that ſince the eleventh yeer of mine age to this day, in my inmoſt ſenſe, I have alwayes found my ſelfe more in your debt, then in any other mans upon earth.
Among the many bleſſings wherein God kath made you inſtrumentall towards me, this was one not the leaſt, that by your gracious and moſt loving diſcourſes, you ſo ſeaſoned my childiſh heart with an early love towards the ancient oppreſſed Diſcipline of our Church and the Patrons therof, that no after tentations were ever able totally to extinguiſh it: You did ſo repleniſh me with narrations of the more then ordinary graces of many both in Scotland and England, who had lived and dyed in oppoſition to Epiſcopall uſurpations, that my spirit was ever thereafter kept in a reluctancy and a kind of averſneſſe from the Prelaticall wayes.
I confeſſe, after you, to my exceeding great griefe and loſſe, were taken away from my head, and I came to be ſet at the feet of other Masters, especally Mr. Cameron and Mr. Struthers, my very ſingular friends and excellent Divines as our Nation has bred, I was gained by them to ſome parts of conformity, which if the Lords mercy had not prevented, might have led me, as many my betters; to have run on in all the errours and defections of theſe bad times: but thanks to his glorious name, who held me by the hand, and ſtopped me at the beginning and firſt entry of that unlucky courſe; who before I had put my hand to any ſubſcription, or was engaged in any promiſe, or had practiſed any the leaſt Ceremony in my Flock, did call me to a retreat.
The remainder of your ancient instructions, and the ſight of your ſufferings: the happy fellowſhip and ſweet ſociety of that moſt precious man Master Dickſon, of old yours, and now my moſt gracious Colleague, were to me ſtrong retractives and wholeſome antidotes againſt all the infections of the ayre, wherein I did live; till the Lord ſent to me and many others, that ſoveraigne remedy of all the Epiſcopal Gangreen, the gracious ungracious Service-book: So ſoon as that came into my lands, together with ſome late writs of the Canterburian and Court Divines, which I did carefully look into as the true and juſt Commentaries both of that Book, and all the reſt of the proceedings of that party, which then did manage the publick Counſels both Eccleſiastick and Civill of Britaine: I did conclude, that their Deſigne was wicked, that their intentions were cleer to corrupt the Church, and to enſlave the State, that all their former innovations were but introductory meanes and adminicles for theſe ends: Whereupon I reſolved by the grace of God upon all hazards, to contradict and oppoſe (ſo far as it was lawfull for me to move in my spheare) all not onelyonly their late groſſer, but alſo their former more ſubtill and plauſible corruptions. This ever ſince has been the greateſt part of my labour, and thanks to God, not without ſome fruit, especially to ſuch who had ſtumbled more or leſse upon the block of conconformity, which was the condition, as you know of the farre moſt part in the whole Iſle.
At this time I did not think of any farther conteſt with that party; the hand of God by the Counſels and Forces of the Parliaments, and by the labours of many gracious Divines of both Kingdomes, having ſo broken and defeated that enemy, that there was no more feare, and ſcarce any thought of him among us, yet behold an unexpected neceſſity of one bout more with him.
The wofull Anarchy wherein the perverſneſſe of ſome few men, by the permiſſion and heavy plague of God, has for too many yeers kept the Church of England, has produced ſuch a multitude of hereſies and ſchiſmes, as no heart in the which is the leaſt sparkle of love to God, or of zeale to his truth, can behold without a great deale of griefe and compaſſion, and now alſo with ſome piece of indignation. For to many of thoſe ſeduced ſoules, upon their feare and preſage of ſome controlement and restraint of their liberty to beleeve what they liſt, and preach what they beleeve, if once any government were ſet up in the Church; they become angry with all whoſe conſcience pouſſes them after ſo long patience, to preſſe for ſome ſetling of our ſo great and unheard of confuſions: And becauſe in this deſire the Scots are with the firſt, according to their intereſt which they have bought at a very deare rate, there ore upon them with the firſt, the paſſions of thoſe miſled people does oftentimes break out.
It were long to tell you of the maniſold, not onelyonly unexpected unkindneſſes, but very injurious contumelies which from this fountaine have flowed out upon our whole Nation; all which we have entertained with ſo great wiſdome and meekneſſe, as the Lord did furniſh; ſo much the rather that we did find this folly and unjustice as much reſented by the wiſer of their own Country-men as we could have wiſhed: Beſide, that this generation of men have ſerved the Aſſembly of Divines at Weſtminſter the Common-Counſell of London, the Houſes of Parliament, the Kings Majesty himſelfe, and whoſoever elſe lyes croſſe in their way, large as uncivilly as they have done us; the companions we have in our ſufferings, make our other wayes inſupportable injuries the more tolerable.
But of all the kinds of injuſtice whereby they have been pleaſed to deal againſt us, this now in hand ſeems to be moſt ſtrange: they reſt not ſatisfied with all they are able of themſelves to ſpeak, write or print for the diſgrace of our Church, unleſſe they ſcrape together, and with their owne hands caſt upon our face the falſeſt of the moſt wicked calumnies which our common enemies the Prelats, either of old or of late have invented againſt us. We esteemed our ſelves ſecure of this kind of dealing from thoſe whom we knew to have ſolemnly ſworne the defence of our Church-Government againſt the common enemy: I profeſſe I cannot deny myamazement to ſee men who pretend to more then ordinary piety, fall upon their wel-deſerving Brethren ſo openly before the Sun in contempt of God and his ſolemn Oath, to enforce upon them old rotten calumnies, which cannot but fall back upon the head, not onelyonly of the firſt Authors, but alſo with encreaſe of ſhame upon the face of the malicious repeaters ſo much againſt all piety, charity and wiſdome.
You know that one of the moſt falſe and wicked pieces that of old was written againſt the Church of Scotland, was Adamſons Declaration in the yeer 1584. it was ſo vile, that the Author was brought to an ingenuous confeſſion of the ſhamefull and wicked lyes, whereof it was full; King James at that very time did diſclaime it under his hand, divers of our Parliaments did condemne the matter of it as erroneous and wrong: That pestiferous carcaſſe which with all poſſible infamy was buried ſo ſoon as borne, and did lye quiet in its grave of ſhame till a full Climaterick of three ſcore and three yeers; our good friends have been ſo wiſe for themſelves, and kind to us, as to dig up its ſtinking bones, and to carry it from houſe to houſe, from ſhire to ſhire over all England, and where over elſe a printed pamphlet can goe, ſerving their Brethren of Scotland with this curteſie according to their Covenant.
And leaſt the antick face of ſo long buried a body, ſhould not have been looked upon by the multitude with any contentment, they did choice to be at the coſt of putting it in a fine new Engliſh dreſſe, and ſetting upon its head the Cape of a royall title: All to draw the eyes of the vulgar upon it, who otherwiſe might have paſſed by it wi…h neglect and diſdaine. In this they have put themſelves to a peece of pains which I never knew or heard uſed with any other book: they do print it firſt in Master Adamſons owne old Scottiſh language, and thereafter tranſlated it in good moderne Engliſh, ſetting before both the Title of A Declaration made by King James in Scotland concerning Church-government and Presbyters. When all this was told us, we made our addreſſe to the worſhipfull Lycenſer, intreating that a Pamphlet ſo extreamly injurious to our whol Church and Nation, might be ſmothered upon the Preſſe, and returned to its pit where ſo long it had lyen in infamy; we were told by him that divers perſons of eminency, at leaſt for their place and preſent Station had ſtrongly moved him with great importunity to give his Licenſe for its reprinting: Yet that upon our ſo juſt and reaſonable deſires he would doe his beſt to ſtop it: hereupon we rested ſatisfied, being aſſured of its ſuppreſſion; notwithstanding, within two dayes after this promiſe it came abroad, the importunity and eminency of the perſons who had drawne from the Licenſer his Imprimatur, with greater eaſe did draw from the Preſſe ſome thouſands of the printed Copies, and made them to be ſold publikely, to our ſmall contentment.
While this not very pleaſant morſell is lying in our ſtomack ſcarce halfe digested, behold a ſecond diſh is preſented to us for to helpe our concoction of the firſt; Master Jo. Maxwell, late Biſhop of Roſſe, Excommunicate by our generall Aſſembly, declared Incendiary by our Parliament, and made unpardonable in the Propoſitions of Peace; did write in the gall of his bitterneſſe a wicked Satyre againſt all the parts of the Government of our Church. This ſome three yeeres agoe the Author did print at Oxford, under the Title of an Anſwer by Letter, ſhewing how inconſistent Presbyteriall government is with Monarchy. The Cavaliers there received it with great joy, being extreamly ſatisfactory to their ſpight and revengefull humour againſt Scotland, which they did ordinarily damne and curſe, as the firſt and greateſt Fountaine of all their woes. In this the Lord gave teſtimony for us againſt them; for by a ſudden and unexpected fire almoſt all the Copies of that wicked Booke were deſtroyed before they were brought from the Printers Shoppe, by the ſtrange and remarkable accident, the mouth of the Author, and of his malignant friends at Oxford were ſo ſtopped, that we heard very little more of that Booke from them. But behold our Covenanting Brethren at London, I meane ſome of our Antipresbyterian friends, tooke the courage and charity to plucke out of the fire the remainder of the Prelats labours, and miſregarding not onelyonly the ſentence of men, the Acts of the generall Aſſembly of Scotland, and of the Parliaments of both Kingdomes, making the man an excommunicate and unpardonable Incendiary; but alſo the judgement of God from Heaven, who to their knowledge, had burnt the moſt of that Impreſſion to aſhes, notwithstanding they will gather what was left out of the fire as a holy relict, and hug it in their boſome, till by a new Impreſſion at London of ſome thouſand copies, they be enabled to make it run over all the Kingdome, and ſo much farther as a Pamphlet hugely cryed up by their voices could flee. Our diligence to ſearch and find out the Preſſe, the Licenſer, and if we had pleaſed, the Solicitors of their former Writ, made them a little more cautious in the reprinting and publiſhing of this; but for all their warineſſe it was viſible enough, by whoſe industry the Books were disperſed to the Members of Parliament, and over all the City; it was knowne, by whoſe ſerious recommendations, wings were ſet to the ſides of that Fowle, that it might flee with all diligence, much farther and more quickly then the art and malice of the Malignants at Oxford were able to have carried it.
For my part, all the revenge I wiſh of ſo grievous a wrong, all the penance I would put upon the Authors and Actors therein, beſide the weight of that ſin and ſhame which they have drawne upon themſelves by ſpreading ſo falſe and ſo wicked lyes of them who by ſolemne oath they were obliged to have defended againſt ſuch injuries, ſhall be onelyonly to collation at their conveniency, my ſubſequent Anſwer with their owne beloved Writs; when they have compared page with page, if they find not a ſatisfactory reply to every materiall paſſage, then with my good leave let them rejoyce in their work, and goe on to recommend to more hands the ſerious peruſall of theſe two notable peices; but if ſo it fall out that they find it demonstrate to their owne hearts ſatisfaction, that theſe imputations whereby they esteemed the honour of the Scottiſh Preſbytery to be moſt grievouſly and irrecoverably wounded, to be nothing but moſt impudent calumnies, then I truſt they will be entreated to repent of their raſhneſſe, and hereafter to be more ſlow in publiſhing or recommending infamous Libels againſt Nations and Churches (to whom justice, though piety and charity had both been loſt, did oblige them to be friendly) before they have tryed from ſome who can informe what truth may be in theſe things, which onelyonly enemies in the heat of their rage and revenge of ſuppoſed and miſ-apprehended wrongs, have invented and spread.
It had indeed been convenient that this Anſwer had come ſooner abroad, and followed the lyars cloſer at the heels, but the delay was none of my fault: The Work for ſome time was in another far fitter hand, when neceſſary diverſions had hindred it there to be ſo much as begun, and I was called unto it before I could purchaſe and caſt over a good many Writs whereupon my diſcourſe was neceſſarily to be grounded, time did ſlide over: & when I came to be ready, I found the Preſſe ſo much in work, or the work-men in idleneſſe, that I was much diſ-appointed of my hopes of ſo quick a dispatch as ſometimes I have found; but if what I have done be well, it will not I hope come ſo late as to be quite out of ſeaſon.
I may confeſſe to you, to whom I was wont to communicate the greateſt of my ſecrets, that although at the beginning I was much averſe from medling at all with this taske, yet when once I entred upon it, it became to me a very pleaſant labour not onelyonly in regard of the pregnant occaſion it put in my hand to make the lyes and malice of the malignants, the impudence and raſhneſſe of the Sectaries againſt us cleere as the noon day, but specially for the opportunity which divine providence did offer ſo faire as I could have wiſhed, of bringing to light before the whole Iſle the oppreſſed innocency of many moſt precious Divines, who had been halfe martyred in Scotland and lay ſtill buried too much in oblivion under their ſufferings: alſo of rectifying the miſ-apprehenſions which the Prelaticall party had bred in many well meaning minds both in this Iſle and over Sea by their groſſe miſ-repreſentations of all the oppoſition which in the Church of Scotland had heen made to their tyrannous oppreſſions. I was glad to be drawn by unadviſedneſſe of adverſaries, to let the world know the plaine truth of that 17. day of December, of the Aſsembly at Aberdeen 1505. of the tumult at Edinborough 1637. and of many more remarkable paſsages of our Eccleſiastick History, which the Prelats during their Reigne, and lately alſo in their rage for their ruine, were wont to ſet out in no other habit then of monſtrous tragedies.
I was alſo glad of this nick of time when the Preſbyteriall Government was comming to be ſet up over all England, and when a little ſtumbling-block was apt to make many fall, to be put to the cleering of a number of practicall paſſages in all the parts of that government, wherein the experience of Scotland cannot but give light to all who will follow, not them ſo much as the Word of God, and ſound reaſon which firſt led them into their way of Preſbytery, and ſtill has kept them therein notwithstanding of all the fraud, of all the force which the Court and clergy has imployed ſometime to cheat, ſometime to beat them out of that path.
It was to me a pleaſant ſervice, and abundantly recompenſive of it ſelfe to open the priſons wherein the unjustice of Prelats had too too long incloſed the names and reputations of the moſt gracious instruments in our Church, condemning them ſo far as was in their power to lye in darkneſſe and ſtink unto the worlds end. I was not a little glad to be imployed in bringing forth and uſhering up to the ſtage of this vaſt theater whereupon now we ſtand, thoſe great and noble names of John Knox, John Willock, Andrew and James Melvils, Robert Bruce John Welſh, Thomas Smeiton, Iames Lauſon, David Black, and divers others, from whoſe ſaces a great light does ſhine, and from their fame a moſt fragrant odour for the refreſhing of all that comes neer them, whoſe ſenſes are not either very dull, or much corrupted. I was alſo content with another part of my taske, to throw downe to the duſt of juſt contempt and wel-deſerved diſgrace, the unhappy and infamous wretches Adamſon, Spotſwood, Maxwell, Balcanquell and others, who by the ſteps of very evill actions and great diſſervices to their mother Church and Country, had all of them at leaſt in hope, perked themſelves up upon the pinacles of the higheſt honours both of our Church and State, that in the indignation of God, whom they had greatly provoked, they might be tumbled downe into the more fearfull and exemplary pits of ruine.
Many of theſe ſtories I learned from your loving and kind diſcourſe in my very childhood; of late I have endeavored to my power to encreaſe and make certaine that part of my knowledge by ſearching the chiefe Fountaines thereof as I had opportunity; for all that I ſay in my anſwer, I beleeve if I be put to it, I can give good enough authorities, and if any more be needfull to be ſaid, if I were beſide you, and that living magazine of our whole Eccleſiastick History, moſt Reverend Master Catherwood, I know whence I ſhould be abundantly furniſhed; however, what here I ſubjoine out of the little ſtore I had at hand, I ſubmit it to your judgement, and reſt
Your moſt deſervedly loving Brother and Scholler, R. BAILY. Worſter-Houſe Iuly 29. 1646.