Review of the Seditious Pamphlet by Dr Bramble, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
The Preſbyterians aſſert poſitively the Magiſtrates right to convocate Synods, to confirm their acts, to reform the Churches within their Dominions.
IN the ſecond Chapter the Warner charges the Scots Presbytery with the overthrowing the Magiſtrates right in convocating of Synods. When he comes to prove this,No controverſie in Scotland betwixt the King and the Church, about the convocating of Synods. he forgets his challenge, and digreſſes from it to the Magiſtrates power of chuſing Elders and making Eccleſiaſtick Laws, avowing that theſe things are done in Scotland by Eccleſiaſtick perſons alone, without conſent of the King or his Councel. Anſ. It ſeems, our Warner is very ignorant of the way of the Scots Diſcipline: the ordinary and ſet meetings of all Aſſemblies both Nationall and provinciall ſince the firſt reformation are determined by Acts of Parliament, with the Kings conſent; ſo betwixt the King and the Church of Scotland, there is no queſtion for the convocating of ordinary Aſſemblies: for extraordinary, no man in Scotland did ever controvert the Kings power, to call them when and where he pleaſed: as for the inherent power of the Church to meet for diſcipline, as well as for worſhip, the warner falls on it hereafter, we muſt therefore paſſe it in this place.
What he means to ſpeak of the Kings power in chuſing Elders or making Eccleſiaſtick Laws, himſelf knows:The Warners Eraſtian and Tyrannick principles hated by the King. his Majeſtie in Scotland did never require any ſuch priviledge as the election of Elders, or Commiſſioners to Parliament, or members of any incorporation, civil or eccleſaiſtick, where the Laws did not expreſly provide the nomination to be in the Crown. The making of Eccleſiaſtick Laws in England as well as in as in Scotland, was ever with the Kings good contentment, referred to Eccleſiaſt…k Aſſemblies: but the Warner ſeems to be in the mind of thoſe his companions, who put the power of preaching, of adminiſtring the Sacraments and Diſcipline, in the ſupreme Magiſtrate alone, and derives it out of him as the Head of the Church, to what Members he thinks expedient to communicate it: alſo that the Legiſlative Power, aſwel in Eccleſiaſtick as civil Affairs, is the property of the King alone. That the Parliaments and general Aſſemblies are but his arbitrary Councels, the one for matters of State, the other for matters of the Church, with whom or without whom hee makes Acts of Parliament and Church-cannons, according to his good pleaſure, that all the Offices of the Kingdom both of Church and State are from him, as he gives a commiſſion to whom he will to be a Sheriff or Juſtice of Peace, ſo he ſends out whom he pleaſeth to preach and celebrate Sacraments by vertue of his Regal miſſion The Warner and his Eraſtian friends may well extend the Royal Supremacy to this largeneſſe, but no King of Scotland was ever willing to accept of ſuch a power though by erroneous flatterers, ſometime obtruded upon …m, (ſe Canterburian ſelf conviction, cap. ult.)
The Warners ignorant and falſe report of the S…ts proceedings.The warner wil not leave this matter in generall, he diſcends to inſtance a number of particular incroachments of the Scots Presbyters upon the Royal authority: we muſt diſpence in all his diſcourſe with a ſmall piccadillo in reaſoning, he muſt be permitted to lay all the faults of the Presbyterians in Scotland upon the back of the Presbytery it ſelf, and if the faylings of Officers were naturall to, and inſeparable from their Office: miſ-kennning this little mote of unconſequentiall argumenting, we will go through his particular charges. The firſt is, that King James anno 1579 required the generall Aſſembly, to make no alteration in the Church-policy, till the next Parliament, but they contemning their Kings command, determined poſitively all their diſcipline without delay, and queſtioned the Arch-Biſhop of S. Andrews for voting in Parliament according to the undoubted Laws of the land, yea 20 Presbyters did hold the generall Aſſembly at Aberdeen after it was diſcharged by the King. Anſ. The VVarner poſſibly may know, yet certainly he doth not care what he writes in theſe things to which he is a meer ſtranger: the authentick Regiſters of the Church of Scotland convinces him here of falſhood.Biſhops were aboliſhed and Presb teries ſet up in Scotlan… with King Iames conſent. His Majeſty did write from Stirling to the Generall Aſſembly at Edenburg 1579. that they ſhould ceaſe from concluding any thing in the diſcipline of the Church, during the time of his minority; upon this deſire the Aſſembly did abſtaine from all concluſions, only they named a Committee to go to Striveling for conference with his Majeſtie upon that Subject. What followeth thereupon? I. Immediately a Parliament is called in October 1579, and in the firſt Act declares and grants juriſdiction unto the Kirk, which conſiſts in the true preaching of the word of Jeſus Chriſt, correction of manners, and adminiſtration of the true Sacraments, and declares that there is no other face of Kirk, nor other face of Religion then is preſently by the favour of God eſtabliſhed within this realm, and that there be no other juriſdiction Eccleſiaſtical acknowledged within this Kingdom then that which is within the ſamen Kirk, or that which flowes therefrom concerning the premiſſes. II. In April 1580 Proclamation was made ex deliberatione Dominorum Conſilii in name of the King, charging all Superintendents and Commiſſioners and Miniſters ſerving at Kirks. To note the names of all the Subjects aſwel men as women ſuſpected to be Papiſts or—and to admonniſh them—to give Confeſſion of their faith acording to the form approved by the Parliament, and to ſubmit unto the diſcipline of the true Kirk within a reaſonable ſpace—: and if they fail—that the Superintendents or Commiſſioners preſent a role or catalogue of their names unto the King and Lords of ſecret Counſel where they ſhall be for the time between and the 15 day of July next to come, to the end that the acts of Parliament made againſt ſuch perſons may be execute. III. The ſhort confeſſion was drawn up at the Kings command, which was firſt ſubſcribed by his royal hand, and an act of Secret Counſel commanding all ſubjects to ſubſcribe the ſame; as it is to be ſeen by the Act printed with the Confeſſion, wherein Hierarchie is abjured, that is (as hath been ſince declared by National aſſemblies and Parliaments both called and held by the King) Epiſcopacy is abjured. IV. In the aſſemblies 1580 and 1581, that Confeſſion of faith and the ſecond book of diſcipline (after debating many praeceding yeares) were approved (except one chapter de diaconatu) by the Aſſembly, the Kings Commiſſioners being alwayes preſent, nor finde we anything oppoſed them by him: yea then at his Majeſties ſpecial direction about fifty claſſical Presbyteries were ſet over Scotland which remain unto this day; was there here any attempt of the royal authority?
About that time ſome noble men had got the revenues of the Biſhop-ricks for their private uſe; and becauſe they could not enjoy them by any legal right, therefore for eluding the Law, they did effectuate that ſome Miniſters ſhould have the title of this or that Biſhoprick; and the revenues were gathered in the name of this titulare or tulchan Biſhop, albeit he had but little part: e. g. Robert Montgomery Miniſter at Sterline was called Arch-Biſhop of Glaſgow: and ſo it can be inſtanced in other Biſhop-ricks and Abbacies. Now this kind of praelats pretended no right to any part of the Epiſcopal office, either in ordination or juriſdiction: when ſome of theſe men began to creep in to vote for the Church in Parliament, without any Law of the State, without any commiſſion from the Church, the General aſſembly diſcharged them, being Miniſters, to practiſe any more ſuch illegal inſolencies with this ordinance of the Church; after a little debate, King James at that time did ſhew his good ſatisfaction.
The innocency of the much maligned aſſembly of Aberdeen.But the Warner here jumps over no leſs then twenty ſeven years time from the aſſembly at Edingburgh 1579. to that at Aberdeen 1605. then was King James by the Engliſh Biſhops perſwaſion reſolved to put down the general aſſemblies of Scotland, contrary to the Lawes and conſtant practice of that Church, from the firſt reformation to that day. The act of Parliament did bear that once at leaſt a year the aſſembly ſhould meet, and after their buſineſs was ended they ſhould name time and place for the next aſſembly. When they had met in the yeer 1602, they were moved to adjurn without doing any thing for two whole years to 1604, when then they were conveened at the time and place agreed to by his Majeſtie, they were content upon his Majeſties deſire without doing any thing to adjourn to the next year 1605, at Aberdeen; when that dyet came, his Majeſties Commiſſioner offered him a Letter: To the end they might be an Aſſembly and ſo in a Capacity to receive his Majeſties Letter, with the Commiſſioners good pleaſure they ſate down, they named their Moderator and Clark, they received and read the Kings letter commanding them to riſe, which they obeyed without any further action at all but naming a dyet for the next meeting according to the conſtant practiſe of Scotland; hereupon by the pernicious counſel of the Arch-Biſhop Banckroft at London, the King was ſtirred up to bring ſore troubles upon a number of gratious Miniſters. This is the whole matter which to the Warner here is ſo tragick an inſolence, that never any Parliament durſt attempt the like. See more of this in the Hiſtoricall vindication.
*Chriſtmas and other ſuperſtitious feſtivals aboliſhed in Scotland, both by Church and State.The next inſtance of our Presbiteryes uſurpation upon the Magiſtrate, is their abolition (before any ſtatute of Parliament thereupon) of the Church feſtivals in their firſt book of diſcipline. Anſ. Conſider the griveouſneſs of this crime; in the intervall of Parliaments, the great Councel of Scotland in the minority of the Prince entruſted by Parliament to rule the Kingdom, did charge the Church to give them in write their judgement about matters Eccleſiaſticall: in obedience to this charge the Church did preſent the councel with a write named ſince the firſt book of diſcipline a which the Lords of councel did approve, ſubſcribe and ratifie by an Act of State: a part of the firſt head in that write was that Chriſtmas, Epiphany, Purification, and other fond feaſts of the Virgin Mary, as not warrented by the holy Scriptures, ſhould be laid aſide. Was it any encroachment upon the Magiſtrate for the Church to give this advice to the privy councel when earneſtly they did crave it? the people of Scotland ever ſince have ſhewed their ready obedience to that direction of the Church founded upon Scripture, and backed from the beginning with an injunction of the State.
His third inſtance of the Church of Scotlands uſurpation upon the Magiſtrate, is,The friends of Epiſcopacy thryves not in Scotland. their abolition of Epiſcopacy in the aſſembly, 1580, when the Law made it treaſon to impugne the Authority of Biſhops, being the third eſtate of the Kingdom. Anſ. The Warner ſeems to have no more knowledge of the affaires of Scotland, then of Japan or Utopia; the Law he ſpeaks of was not in being ſome years after 1580, however all the general aſſemblies of Scotland, are authoriſed by Act of Parliament, to determin finally without an appeal in all Ecleſiaſtick affairs: in the named aſſembly Lundie the Kings Commiſſioner did ſit and conſent in his Majeſties name to that act of abolition, as in the next aſſembly 1581, the Kings Commiſſioner Caprinton did erect in his Majeſties name the Presbyteries in all the Land; it is true, three years thereafter a wicked Courtier Captain James Stuart, in a ſhadow of a cloſe and not ſummoned Parliament, did procure an act to aboliſh Presbyterie and erect Biſhops; but for this and all other crimes that evil man was quickly rewarded by God before the world, in a terrible deſtruction: theſe acts of this Parliament the very …t year were diſclaimed by the King, the Biſhops were put down and the Presbytery was ſet up again, and never more removed to this day.
The Warners digreſſion to the perpetuity of Biſhops in Scotland, to the acts of the Church and State for their reſtitution, is but to ſhew his ignorance in the Scots ſtory: what ever be the Epiſcopall boaſting of other Nations, yet it is evident that from the firſt entrance of Chriſtian Religion into Scotland, Presbyters alone without Biſhops for ſome hundred years did govern the Church: and after the reformation there was no Biſhop in that Land, but in tittle and benefice till the year 1610; when Bancroft did conſecrate three Scots Miniſters, all of them men of evil report; whom that violent Commiſſioner the Earl of Dunbar in the corrupt and nul aſſembly of Glaſgow, got authoriſed in ſome part of a Biſhops office; which part only and no more was ratified in a poſterior Parliament. Superintendents are nowhere the ſame with Biſhops, much leſs in Scotland, where for a time only til the Churches were planted, they were uſed as ambulatory Commiſſioners, and viſitors to preach the word, and adminiſter the Sacraments for the ſupply of vacant and unſetled congregations.
The ſecond book of diſcipline why not at all ratified in Parliament.The fourth inſtance is the Churches obtruding the ſecond book of diſcipline, without the ratification of the State. Anſ. For the Eccleſiaſtick enjoyning of a general aſſemblies decrees, a particular ratification of Parliament is unneceſſ…ry; general acts of Pa…liament commanding obedience to the acts of the Church, are a ſufficient warrant from the State; beſide, that ſecond book of diſciplin was much debated with the King, and at laſt in the General aſſembly 1590, his conſent was obtained unto it: for in that aſſembly where unanimouſly the ſubſcription of the ſecond book of diſciplin by all the miniſters of the Kingdom was decryed, his Majeſtie ſome time in perſon & always by the Chancelor his Commiſſioner was preſent, and in the act for ſubſcription. Seſſ. 10 Auguſti 8. it is expreſly ſaid that not only all the Miniſters, but alſo all the Commiſſioners preſent did conſent, among which Commiſſioners the chancelor, his Majeſties Commiſſioner was chief. But neither the King nor the Church could get it to paſſe the Parliament in regard of the oppoſition, which ſome States-men did make unto theſe parts thereof, which touched on their own intereſt of unjuſt advantage; this was the only ſtick.
The Warners hypocriſy, calling that a crime, which himſelf counts a vertue.The next inſtance of the Churches encroachment is their uſurpation of all the old rents of the clergy, as the Churches patrimony, and their decerning in an aſſembly that nothing in the next Parliament ſhould paſſe before the Church were fully reſtored to her rents. Anſ. Conſider here the Warners hypocriſie and unjuſtice; he challenges the Presbyterians for that which no Prelate in the world did ever eſteem a fault, a meer declaration of their judgment, that the Church had a juſt right to ſuch rents, as by Law and long poſſeſſion were theirs, and not taken away from them by any lawfull means. What if here they had gone on with the moſt of the prelatical party to advance that right to a jus divinum? what if they had put themſelves by a command from Court, into the poſſeſſion of that right, without a proceſſe, as divers of the Warners friends were begun lately to do in all the three Kingdoms? But all that he can here challenge the Scots for, is a meer declaration of their ſimple right, with a ſupplication to the Regent his Grace, that he would indeavour in the next Parliament, to procure a ninth part of the Churches patrimony, for the maintenance of the miniſtry, and the poor of the Country: for all the rent that the Churches then could obtain, or did petition, was but a third of the Thirds of the Benefices or Tithes. That ever any Aſſembly in Scotland did make any other addreſſe to the Parliament for ſtipends, then by way of humble ſupplication, it is a great untruth.
The laſt inſtance is, the erecting of Presbyteries through all the Kingdom, by an Act of the Church alone. Anſw. I have ſhewn already the untruth of this Allegation; the proof here brought for it, is grounded only upon an ambiguous word, which the Warners ignorance in the Scotiſh Diſcipline and Presbytery (though the main ſubject of his Book) permits him not to underſtand. The Presbyteries were ſet up by the King after the Aſſembly 1580; but the ſecond Book of Diſcipline, of which alone the citation ſpeaks, how-ever injoyned by many Aſſemblies, yet it could never be gotten ratified in any parliament, only becauſe of thoſe parts of it which did ſpeak for the patrimony of the Church, and oppugne the right of patronage.
How well the Warner hath proved the Presbyterian practices to be injurious to the Magiſtrate, we have conſidered;The Warner a groſs Eraſtian. poſſibly he will be more happy in his next undertaking, in his demonſtrations that their doctrinal principles do trample on the Magiſtrates Supremacy and Laws. Their firſt principle he takes out of the ſecond book of Diſcipline, Chap. 7. That no Magiſtrate, nor any but Eccleſiaſtick perſons may vote in Synods. Anſ. Though I finde nothing of this in the place cited, yet there is nothing in it that croſſeth either the Laws, or the Kings Supremacy: for according to the Acts of Parliament of Scotland both old and late, and the conſtant practice of that Church, the onelyonly members of Presbyteries are Miniſters and ruling Elders. Is it the Warners minde to vent here his ſuper-Eraſtianiſm, that all Eccleſiaſtick Aſſemblies, Claſſical, Provincial, National, are but the arbitrary courts of the Magiſtrate, for to adviſe him in the execution of his inherent power about matters Eccleſiaſtical; and for this cauſe, that it is in his arbitrement to give a deciſive voice in all Church Aſſembles to whom and how many ſoever he will? Though this may be the Warners minde, as it hath been ſome of his friends; yet the moſt of the prelatical party will not maintain him herein. How-ever, ſuch principles are contrary to the Laws of Scotland, to the profeſſions alſo and practices of all the Princes and Magiſtrates that ever have lived there.
Prelaticall principles impoſſibilitate all ſolid peace, betwixt the King and his Kingdoms.But the Warner here may poſſibly glance at another principle of his good friends, who have been willing lately to vent before all Brittain in print, their elevating the ſupremacy of Soveraigns ſo far above Laws, that whatever people have obtained to be eſtabliſhed by never ſo many Aſſemblies and Parliaments, and confirmed with never ſo many great ſeals of ratification, and peaceably enjoyed by never ſo long a poſſeſſion; yet it is nothing but commendable wiſdom and juſtice for the ſame Prince who made the firſt Conceſſions, or any of his ſucceſſors, whenever they find themſelves ſtrong enough, to cancel all, and make void what ever Parliaments, Aſſemblies, Royall ratifications, and the longeſt poſſeſſion, made fooliſh people beleeve to be moſt firm and unqueſtionable. To this purpoſe, Biſhop Maxwel (from whom much of this VVarning is borrowed) doth ſpeak in his Sacro-Sancta regum Majeſtas. Though this had bin the Cabin-divinity of our Prelats, yet what can be their intentions in ſpeaking of it out in theſe times of confuſion, themſelves muſt declare: for the clear conſequent of ſuch doctrine ſeems to be a neceſſity either of ſuch Warners perpetuall baniſhment from the Courts and ears of Soveraigns, or elſe that ſubjects be kept up for ever in a ſtrong jealouſie, and fear that they can never be ſecure of their Liberties, though never ſo well ratified by Lawes and promiſes of Princes any longer then the ſword and power remains in their own hand to preſerve what they have obtained. Such Warners, ſo long as they are poſſeſſed with ſuch maximes of ſtate, are clear everters of the firſt fundations of truſt betwixt Soveraigne and Subjects, they take away any poſſibility of any ſolid peace of any confident ſettlement in any troubled State, before both parties be totally ruined, or one become ſo ſtrong that they need no more to feare the others malecontentment in any time to come.
Our ſecond challenged principle is that we teach the whole power of convocating aſſemblies to be in the Church.Eraſtian Prelats evert the legal foundations of all Government. Anſ. The Warners citations prove not that we maintain any ſuch aſſertion; our doctrin and conſtant practiſe hath been to aſcribe to the King a power of calling Synods, when and whereſoever he thought fit; but that which the Warner ſeems to point at is, our tenet of an intrinſicall power in the Church to meet, as for the Word and Sacraments, ſo for diſcipline; in this all who are Chriſtians, old and late, the Prelaticall and Popiſh party as well as others, go along with us to maintain in doctrin and practiſe a neceſſity even in times of perſecution, that the Church muſt meet for the worſhip of God and execution of Eccleſiaſtick diſcipline among their own Members. In this the doctrine and practiſe of the Scots is according to their ſetled laws, uncontroverted by his Majeſtie. If the VVarner will maintain, that in reaſon and conſcience all the Churches of the world are obliged to diſſolve and never more to meet when an erroneous Magiſtrate by his Tyrannous Edict commands them to do ſo, let him call up Eraſtus from the dead to be diſciplined in this new doctrine of the Prelats impious loyalty.
The third Principle is that the judgment of true and falſe doctrine,The finall determination of all Eccleſiaſtick cauſes by the Laws of Scotland, is in the generall Aſſembly. of ſuſpenſion and deprivation of Miniſters belongeth to the Church. Anſ. If this be a great hereſie, it is to be charged as much upon the State as upon the Church, for the Acts of Parliament give all this power to the Church, neither did the Laws of England or of any Chriſtian State, Popiſh or Proteſtant, refuſe to the Church the determination of ſuch Ecccleſiaſtick cauſes; ſome indeed do debate upon the power of appeals from the Church; but in Scotland, by the Law, as no appeal in things civil goes higher then the Parliament, ſo in matters Eccleſiaſtick none goes above the Generall Aſſembly. Complaints indeed may go to the King and Parliament for redreſſe of any wrong has been done in Eccleſiaſtick Courts, who being Cuſtodes Religionis may by their coercive power command Eccleſiaſtick Courts to rectifie any wrong done by them contary to Scripture, or if they perſiſt take order with them. But that two or three P…aelates ſhould become a Court of delegates, to receive appeals from a general aſſembly, neither Law nor practice in Scotland did ever admit, nor doth the word of God or any Equity require it. In the Scots aſſemblies no cauſes are agitat but ſuch as the Parliament hath agreed to be Eccleſiaſtick and of the Churches cogniſance: no proceſs about any Church rent was ever cognoſced upon in Scotland but in a civill Court: its very falſe that ever any Church cenſure, much leſſe the higheſt of excommunication did fall upon any for robbing the Church of its patrimony.
The divine right of diſcipline, is the tenet of the moſt of Praelats.Our fourth challenged principle is that we maintain Eccleſiaſtick juriſdiction by a divine right. Anſ. Is this a huge crime? is there divine right in the world, either Papiſt or Proteſtant, except a few praelatical Eraſtians, but they doe ſo? If the Warner will profeſs (as it ſeems he muſt) the contradiction of that which he aſcribes to us, his avowed tenet muſt be that all Eccleſiaſtick power flowes from the Magiſtrate, that the Magiſtrate himſelf may execute all Church cenſures, that all the Officers appointed by Chriſt for the government of his Church, may be laid aſide, and ſuch a kind of governors be put in their place, as the Magiſtrate ſhall be pleaſed to appoint: that the ſpiritual ſword and Keyes of heaven belong to the Magiſtrate by vertue of his ſupremacy, as wel as the temporal ſword and Keyes of his earthly Kingdom: our difference herefrom the Warner will not (I hope) be found the greateſt hereſie.
All the power of the Church in Scotland is legal, and with the Magiſtrates conſent.Our laſt challenged principle is, that we will have all our power againſt the Magiſtrate, that is, although he diſſent. Anſ. It is an evil commentary that all muſt be againſt the Magiſtrate, which is done againſt his conſent: but in Scotland there is no ſuch caſe: for all juriſdiction which the Church there doth enjoy, they have it with the conſent of the Magiſtrate: all is ratified to them by ſuch acts of Parliament as his Maj…ſtie doth not at all controvert. Concerning that odious caſe the Warner intimates, whither in time of perſecution, when the Magiſtrate claſsheth with the Church, any Eccleſiaſtick diſcipline be then to be exerciſed; himſelf can better anſwer it then we, who with the ancient Chriſtians do think that on all hazards (even of life) the Church may not be diſſolved, but meet in dens and in the caves and in the wilderneſs for the word and Sacraments and keeping it ſelf pure by the divine ordinance of Diſcipline.
Having cleered all the pernicious practiſes and all the wicked D…ctrines, which the Warner layes upon us,The Prelats rather then to lay aſide their own intereſt, will keep the King and his people in miſery for ever. I think it needleſs to inſiſt upon theſe defences which he in his abundant charity brings for us; but in his own way, that he may with the greater advantage impugne them: only I touch one paſſage whereupon he makes injurious exclamations: that which Mr. Gileſpie in his theoremes writes; when the Magiſtrate abuſes his power unto Tyranny and makes havock of all, it is lawful to reſiſt him by ſome extraordinary wayes and means, which are not ordinarily to be allowed: ſee the principles from which all our miſeries and the loſs of our Gratious Maſter hath flowed. Anſ. We muſt here yeeld to the Warner the great equity and neceſſity that every doctrine of a Presbyter, ſhould be charged on the Presbytery it ſelf, and that any Presbyter teaching the lawfulneſs of a Parliaments defenſive arms is tantamont to the Churches taking of armes againſt the King. Theſe ſmal inconſequences we muſt permit the Warner to ſwallow down without a ſtick; however we do deny that the maxime in hand was the fountain of any of our miſeries, or the cauſe at all of the loſs of our late Soveraign: Did ever his Majeſty or any of his adviſed Councellors declare it ſimply unlawful for a Parliament, to take arms for defence in ſome extraordinary caſes, however the unhappineſs of the Canterburian Praelats did put his Majeſty upon theſe courſes, which did begin and promote all our miſerie; and to the very laſt theſe men were ſo wicked as to refuſe the looſing of the bands which their hands had tyed about his miſinformed conſcience, yea to this day they will not give their conſent, that his Majeſtie, who now is, ſhould lay aſide Epiſcopacy, were it for the gaining of the peaceable poſſeſſion of all his three Kingdoms, but are urgers of him night and day to adhere to their errours, upon the hazard of all the miſeries that may come on his perſon, on his family, and all his people; yet few of them to this day durſt be ſo bold as to print with this Warner, the unlawfulneſs of a Parliaments armes againſt the Tyranny of a Prince in any imaginable caſe, how extraordinary ſoever.