Review of the Seditious Pamphlet by Dr Bramble, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
The Preſbytery is no burden to any honeſt man.
THe bounds and compaſs of the Warners rage againſt the Preſbytery is very large;There is no rig…ur at all in the Preſbytery. not being content to have incenſed the King and Parliament againſt it, he comes down to the body of the people, and will have them beleeve the ſpecial enmity of the Scots Diſcipline againſt them, firſt becauſe it inflicts Church-Cenſures upon every one for the ſmalleſt faults. Anſ. The faults which the Warner mentions may well be an occaſion of a private advice in the ear, but that any of them did ever procure the ſmalleſt cenſure of the Church, it is a great untruth: no man who knows us, will complain of our rigour; here we wiſh we were able to refute upon as good reaſon the charge of our laxneſs in the mouth of Sectaries, as we are that of our ſtrictneſs in the mouth of Erastians. We would know of the Warner, what are theſe Sabbath Recreations, which he ſaith are void of ſcandal, and conſiſtent with the duties of the day; are they not the ſtage plays, and the other honeſt paſtimes, wherewith his friends were wont to ſanctifie the Lords Day, as no more a Sabbath, then any other day in the year, and much leſs then diverſe Popiſh Feſtivals? An Apoſteme in the loweſt gut will ſhew it ſelf by the unſavory vapors, which now and then are eructate from it. That ever in Scotland there was one word of debate about Starch and Cuffs, is more then the Warner can prove.
Crimes till repented of ought to keep from the holy table.The ſecond oppreſſion whereby the Preſbytery treads the people under foot, is a rare cruelty, That perſons, for grievous crimes, whereof the Magiſtrate takes notice, are called to Eccleſiaſtick repentance. Will the Doctor in his fury againſt us, run out upon all his own friends for no appearance of a fault? Will either the Engliſh or Popiſh Prelates admit Murderers, Whores or Theeves to the holy Table without any ſigns of repentance? Is not the greateſt crime the ground of the greateſt ſcandal? Shall ſmall ſcandals be purged away by repentance, and the greateſt be totally paſt by … The Warner here may know his own meaning, but others will confeſs their ignorance of his mind.
Excommun…cation in Scotland is not injurious to any.The third grievance he would have the people conceive againſt the Preſbytery, is, The rigour of their excommunication; in this alſo the Warner ſeems to know little of the Scots way; let excommunication be ſo ſevere in Scotland as is poſſible, yet the hurt of it is but ſmall: It is ſo rare an accident, men may live long in Scotland, and all their life never ſee that Cenſure executed; I have lived in one of the greateſt Cities of that Land, and for forty ſeven years even from my birth to this day, that Cenſure to my knowledg or hearing was never executed there in my days but twice; firſt upon one obſtinate and very prophane Papiſt, and next on ſome horrible ſcandalous Prelates. Again, when any is excommunicated by the Church, we go no further with them then Pauls command, 2 Theſ. 3.14. only they who are not tyed to them by natural bonds, abſtain from familiar and unneceſſary converſation, to bring them by the ſence of this ſhame to repentance for their ſins. Thirdly, The civil inconveniences which follow that Cenſure, come along from the State, and the Acts of Parliament, for which the Church ought not to be challenged, eſpecially by Prelates, who wont to allow their Officials to excommunicat whole incorporations of people for a ſmall debt of mony, and to preſſe the contemners of that frivolous and profane ſentence, with all the civill inconveniences they could. Fourthly, what ever be the lawes in Scotland, againſt them who continue long in the contempt of Excommunication, (which is not inflicted but for great ſins, and after a long proceſſe) yet certainly their executon is very farre from all cruelty, as they who know the proceedings of that land, will beare witneſſe.
What he objects about fugitives; it is true, when a proceſſe is begunne, a fugitive may have it concluded, and ſent after him; but we count not that man a fugitive from diſcipline or contumacious as the Warner quarrels us, who upon juſt feare to hazard his life does not compear.