Review of the Seditious Pamphlet by Dr Bramble, Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
The nature of the Preſbytery is very concordant with Parliament.
IN the 10 Chapter the Warner undertakes to ſhew the antipathy of Presbyteries to Parliaments; albeit there be no greater harmony poſſible betwixt any two bodies, then betwixt a general Aſſembly and Parliament, a Presbytery and an inferiour Civil Court, if either the conſtitution, or end, or dayly practiſe of theſe judicatories be looked upon: but the Prelatical learning is of ſo high a flight, that it dares 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 & reaſon, that ſnow is black, the fire cold, and the light dark.
The eight deſires of th… Church about the ingagement were juſt and neceſſa…y.For the proof of his concluſion, he brings back yet again the late engagement: how often ſhall this inſipide Colwort be ſet upon our table? Will the Warner never be filled with this unſavoury 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 vapoureth out all his good pleaſure, not willing to know that all …heſe deſires were drawn from the Church by the Parliaments own meſſages, and that wel-neer 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 ſeal: here 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 quallification of the perſons to be imployed, that all ſhould be ſuch who had given no juſt cauſe of Jealouſie; no man did queſtion, but all who were to have the managing of that war ſhould be free of all juſt cauſes of Jealouſie, which could be made appear not to half a dozen of Miniſters, but to any competent judicatory according to the laws of the Kingdom. The Warner hath not been careful to inform himſelf, where the knot of the difference lay, and ſo gives out his own groundleſs conjectures, for true Hiſtorical 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 proclaim in print their diſ-ſatisfaction with that ingagement,It is one of the liberties of the Church of Scotland to publiſh declarations. 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 cuſtom, to keep the people by publick Declarations in their duty to God, 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 wiſdom 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 peremptory to follow their own ways: and the lamentable event ſince hath opened the eyes of many, who before would not ſee, to acknowledge their former erors: but if God ſhould ſpeak never ſo loud from heaven, the Warner and his Party will ſtop their ears: for they are men of ſuch gallant Spirits, as ſcorn to ſubmit either to God or men, but in a Roman conſtancy they will be ever the ſame, though their counſels and ways be found never ſo palpably pernicious.
The third thing the Warner lays to the charge of our Church is,The leavy was never off red to be ſtopped by the Church. that they retarded the leavies. Anſ. In this alſo the Warner ſhews his ignorance or malice: for how ſore ſoever the leavy (as then ſtated and mannaged) was againſt the hearts of the Church, yet their oppoſition to it, was ſo cold-rife and ſmal, that no complaint needs be made of any retardment from them. So ſoon as the Commanders thought it expedient, there was an Army gotten up ſo numerous and ſtrong, that with the ordinary bleſſing of God was abundantly 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, what marvell, that the ſtrongeſt arm of fleſh be quickly broken in pieces?
The Church was not the cauſe of the gathering at Mauchlin-Moor.The fourth Charge is moſt calumnious, That the Church gathered the Country together in Arms at Mauchlin-Moor to expoſe the Expedition, Anſ. No Church-man was the cauſe of that meeting, a number of Yeomen being frighted from their houſes, did fly away to that corner of the Land, that they might not be forced againſt their conſcience to go 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 near (by occaſion of the Communion at Mauchlin the day before) were good Inſtruments with the people to go 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 ways the cauſe of the peoples convening or fighting at Mauchlin.
The Aſsembly is helpful and not hurtful to the Parliament.The paralel that the Warner makes betwixt the general Aſſembly and Parliament is malicious in all its parts. For the firſt, though the one Court be Civil, and the other Spiritual, yet the Preſbyterians lay the Authority of both upon a divine Foundation, that for conſcience ſake the Courts Civil muſt be obeyed in all their lawful Commands, as well as the Aſſemblies 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 as well as the other. But what doth the Warner mean, to mock at Miniſters for carrying themſelves as the Embaſſadors of Chriſt, for judging according to the rule of Scripture, for caring for life eternal? Is he become ſo ſhamefully impious, as to perſwade Miniſters to give over the care of life eternal, to lay aſide the holy Scripture, and deny their embaſſage from Jeſus Chriſt? Behold, what Spirit leads our Prelates, while they jeer the World out of all Rel…gion, and chaſe away Miniſters from Chriſt, from Scripture, from eternal Life.
Of the ſecond part of the Paralel, That people are more ready to obey their Miniſters then their Magiſtrates, what ſhall be made? All the power which Miniſters have with the people is builded on their love to God and Religion: how much ſoever it is, a good Stateſman will not envy it; for he knows that God and Conſcience conſtrain Miniſters to employ all the power they have with the people to the good of the Magiſtrate, as the Deputy and Servant of God for the peoples true good. The Warner here underſtands beſt his own meaning, while he ſcoffs at Miniſters for their threatning of men with hells fire. Are our Prelates come to ſuch open Proclamations of their Atheiſm, as to print their deſires to baniſh out of the hearts of people all fear, not only of Church-Cenſures, but even of hell it ſelf? Whither may not Satan drive at laſt the Inſtruments of his Kingdom?
The third part of the Paralel conſiſts of a number of unjuſt and falſe Imputations before particularly refuted.
What he ſubjoyns of the power of the general Aſſembly to name Committees to ſit in the Intervals of Aſſemblies,The appointment of Committees is a right of every Court, as well Eccleſiaſtick as Civil. it is but a poor Charge: Is it not the dayly practiſe of the Parliaments of Scotland to nominate their Committees of State for the Intervals of Parliament? Is it not one inherent right to every Court to name ſome of their number to cognoſce upon things within their own ſphere at what ever times the Court it ſelf finds expedient? however the Judicatories of the Church by the Laws of the Kingdom being authorized to meet when themſelves think fit both ordinarily and pro renata, their power of appointing Committees for their own Affairs was never queſtioned: and truly theſe Committees in the times of our late troubles, when many were lying in wait to diſturb 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 glad to decline it, if fear of detriment to the Church made not theſe meetings very neceſſary.