Review of the Seditious Pamphlet by Dr Bramble, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
The Preſbytery doth not draw from the Magiſtrate any part of his power, by the cheat of any relation.
IN the ſeventh Chapter,The Preſbytery cognoſceth only upon ſcandals, and that in fewer civill things then Biſhops courts were wont to meddle with. the Warner would cauſe men believe many more of the Presbyteries uſurpations upon the Civil Magiſtrate. The firſt is, that all offences whatſoever, are cognoſcible in the Conſiſtory upon the caſe of ſcandal. Anſ. Firſt, the Preſbytery makes no offence at all to come before the Conſiſtory, but Scandall alone. Secondly, theſe civil offences (the ſcandall whereof comes before the Presbytery) are but very few, and a great deal fewer then the Biſhops Official takes notice of in his Conſiſtorial Court. That capitall crimes paſt over by the Magiſtrate, ſhould be cenſured by the Church, no ſociety of Chriſtians who have any diſcipline, did ever call in queſtion. When the ſword of the Magiſtrate hath ſpared a Murderer, an Adulterer, a Blaſphemer; will any ingenuous, either Prelaticall, or Popiſh Divine, admit of ſuch to the holy Table, without ſigns of Repentance?
The Warners ſecond uſurpation is but a branch of the firſt, that the Presbytery draws directly before it ſelf the cogniſance of fraud in bargaining, falſe meaſures, oppreſſion, and in the caſe of Miniſters, bribing, uſury, fighting, perjury, &c. Anſ. Is it then the Warners mind, that the notorious ſlander of ſuch groſſe ſins does not deſerve ſo much, as an Eccleſiaſticall rebuke? Shall ſuch perſons without admonition be admitted to the holy Communion? Secondly, the named caſes of fraud in bargaining, falſe meaſures, oppreſſion, come ſo rarely before our Church-judicatories, that though this thirty years I have been much converſant in Presbyteries, yet did I never ſee, nor doe I remember that ever I heard any of theſe three caſes brought before any Church Aſſembly. In the perſon of Miniſters, I grant, theſe faults, which the Canons of the Church, in all times and places, make the cauſes of deprivation, are cognoſced upon in Presbyteries, but with the good liking (I am ſure) of all both Papiſts and Prelates, who themſelves are free of ſuch vices. And why did not the Warner put in among the cauſes of Church-mens deprivation from Office and Benefice, Adultery, gluttony, and Drunkenneſs? Are theſe in his, &c. which he will not have cognoſcible by the Church in the perſons of Biſhops and Doctors?
The Warners third challenge amounts to an high crime, that Presbyterian Miniſters are bold to preach upon theſe Scriptures which ſpeak of the Magiſtrates duty in his Office, or dare offer to reſolve from Scripture any doubt, which perplexeth the conſcience of Magiſtrates or People, of Husband or Wife, of Maſter or Servant, in the diſcharge of their Chriſtian duty one to another. What ever hath bin the negligence of the Biſhop of Derry, yet I am ſure, all the preaching Prelates and Doctors of England, pretended a great care to goe about theſe uncontroverted parts of their Miniſteriall Function, and yet without medling with the Myſteries of State, or the depths of any mans particular vocation; much leſs with the judgment of juriſdiction in Political or Aeconomical cauſes.
The Ch…rc…es p…oceedings in t…e late engagement, …leered from miſt…kes.As for the Churches declaration againſt the Late engagement; did it not well become them to ſignifie their judgment in ſo great a caſe of conſcience, eſpecially when the Parliament did propone it to them for reſolution, and when they found a conjunction driven on with a clearly Malignant Party, contrary to ſolemn oathes and covenants, unto the evident hazard of Religion, and them who had been moſt eminent inſtruments of its preſervation; was it not the Churches duty to give warning againſt that ſin, and to exhort the ring-leaders therein to repentance?
But our Warner muſt needs inſiſt upon that unhappy engagement, and faſten great blame upon the Church for giving any advice about it. Anſ. Muſt it be Jeſuitiſme, and a drawing of all the civill affaires to the Churches bar in ordine ad Spiritualia, for an Aſſembly to give their advice in a moſt eminent and important caſe of conſcience, when earneſtly called upon in a multitude of ſupplications from the moſt of the Congregations under their charge; yea when required by the States of the Kingdom in ſeverall expreſs meſſages for that end? It ſeems, its our Warners concluſion, if the Magiſtrate would draw all the Churches in his juriſdiction to a moſt unlawful war, for the advancement of the greateſt impiety and unjuſtice poſſible, wherein nothing could be expected by all who were engaged therein, but the curſe of God; if in this caſe a doubting Souldier ſhould deſire the Aſſemblies counſell for the ſtate of his ſoul, or if the Magiſtrate would put the Church to declare what were lawfull or unlawfull according to the Word of God, that it were neceſſary here for the ſervants of God to be altogether ſilent, becauſe indeed war is ſo civill a buſineſs, that nothing in it concerns the ſoul, and nothing about it may be cleared by any light from the Word of God.
The truth is, the Ch…rch in their publick papers to the Parliament, declared oftner then once, that they were not againſt, but for an engagement, if ſo that Chriſtian and friendly treaties could not have obtained reaſon, and all the good people in Scotland were willing enough to have hazarded their lives and eſtates, for vindicating the wrongs do…e, not by the Kingdom of England, but by the Sectarian Party there, againſt God, the King, Covenant, and both Kingdoms: but to the great grief of their hearts, their hands were bound, and they forced to ſit ſtill, and by the over great cunning of ſome, the erronious miſ-perſwaſions of others, and the raſh precipitancy of it, that engagement was ſo ſpoyled in the ſtating and mannaging, that the moſt religious, with peace of conſcience could not go along, nor encourage any other to take part therein. The Warner touches on three of their reaſons: but who will look upon their publick declarations, ſhall find many more, which with all faithfulneſs were then propounded by the Church, for the rectifying of that action, which as it ſtood in the ſtate and management, was cleerly foretold to be exceeding like to deſtroy the King, and his friends of all ſorts, in all the three Kingdoms. The irrepairable loſſes and unutterable calamities which quickly did follow at the heels, the miſ-belief and contempt of the Lords ſervants, and the great danger Religion is now brought unto in all theſe Kingdoms, hath, I ſuppoſe, long agoe brought grief enough to the heart of them, whoſe unadviſed raſhneſs, & intemperate fervor did contribute moſt for the ſpoiling of that deſigne.
The firſt deſire about that engagement which the Warner gives to us, concerns the ſecurity of Religion. In all the debate of that matter, it was agreed (without queſtion) upon all hands, that the Sectarian Party deſerved puniſhment for their wicked attempts upon the Kings perſon, contrary to the directions of the Parliaments of both Kingdoms, and that the King ought to be reſcued out of their hands, and brought to one of his Houſes for perfecting the Treaty of Peace, which often had been begun: but here was the queſtion; Whether the Parliament and Army of Scotland ought to declare their reſolutions to bring his Majeſty to London with honor, freedome, and ſafety, before he did promiſe any ſecurity for eſtabliſhing Religion; The Parliaments of both Kingdoms in all their former Treaties, had ever preſſed upon the King a number of Propoſitions to be ſigned by his Majeſty, before at all he came to London: was it then any fault in the Church of Scotland, to deſire the granting but of one of theſe propoſitions concerning Religion & the Covenant, before the King were brought (by the new hazard of the lives and eſtates of all the Scotiſh Nation) to ſit in his Parliament in that honor and freedom which himſelf did deſire? There was no complaint, when many of thirty propoſitions were preſſed, to be ſigned by his Majeſty, for ſatisfaction and ſecurity to his people, after ſo great and long deſolations: how then is an out-cry made, when all other propoſitions are poſtponed, and only one for Religion is ſtuck upon, and that not before his Majeſties reſcue and deliverance from the hands of the Sectaries, but only before his bringing to London, in honor, freedom, and ſafety? This demand, to the Warner is a crime, and may be ſo to all of his belief, who takes it for a high unjuſtice, to reſtraine in any King the abſolute power by any condition: for they do maintain, that the adminiſtration of al things, both of Church and State, doth reſide ſo freely and abſolutely in the meer wil of a Soveraign, that no caſe at any time can fall out, which ought to bound that abſoluteneſs with any limitation.
The ſecond particular the Warner pitches upon, is the Kings negative voyce; behold how criminous we were in the point; When ſome (moſt needleſly) would needs bring into debate the Kings negative voice in the Parliament of England, as one of the royall Prerogatives to be maintained by our engagement: it was ſaid, that all diſcourſe of that kind might be laid aſide, as impertinent for us: if any debate ſhould chance to fall upon it, the proper place of it was, in a free Parliament of England; that our Laws did not admit of a negative voice to the King in a Parliament of Scotland; and to preſs it now as a Prerogative of all Kings, (beſides the reflection it might have upon the rights of our Kingdom,) it might put in the hand of the King a power to deny all, and every one of theſe things, which the Parliaments of both Kingdoms had found neceſſary for the ſetling the peace in all the three Dominions. We marvel not, that the Warner here ſhould tax us of a great error, ſeeing it is the belief of his faction, that every King hath not only a negative, but an abſolute affirmative voice in all their Parliaments, as if they were nothing but their arbitrary counſels for to perſwade by their reaſons, but not to conclude nor impede any thing by their Votes; the whole and intire power of making or refuſing Laws being in the Prince alone, & no part of it in the Parliament.
The Warners third challenge againſt us about the ingagement, is, as if the Church had taken upon it to nominate the Officers of the Army; and upon this he makes his invectives. Anſw. The Church was far from ſeeking power to nominate any one Officer: but the matter was thus; When the State did require of them, what in their judgement would give ſatisfaction to the people, and what would encourage them to go along in the ingagement? one and the laſt part of their anſwer was, that they conceived, if a War ſhall be found neceſſary, much of the peoples encouragement would depend upon the qualification of the Commanders, to whom the managing of that great truſt ſhould be committed: for after the right ſtating of the War, the next would be the carying on of it by ſuch men who had given conſtant proof of their integrity. To put all the power of the Kingdom in their hand, whoſe by-paſt miſcariages had given juſt occaſion to ſuſpect their deſignes and firmneſs to the intereſt of God before their own or any other mans, would fill the hearts of the people with jealouſies and fears, and how wholſome an advice this was, experience hath now too clearly demonſtrated.
To make the world know our further reſolutions to meddle with civill affaires, the Warner is pleaſed to bring out againſt us above 80 years old ſtories, and all the ſtuff which our malicious enemy, Spotſwood can furniſh to him: from this good Author he alledges that our Church diſcharged Merchants to traffique with Spaine, and commanded the Change of the market-dayes in Edenburgh. Anſ. Both theſe calumnies are taken off at length in the Hiſtorical Vindication. After the Spaniſh Invaſion in the year 88, many in Scotland kept correſpondence with Spaine, for treacherous deſigns: the Inquiſitors did ſeduce ſome, and perſecute others of our Merchants in their traffique, the Church did deale with his Majeſty to intercede with the Spaniſh King, for more liberty to our Countrey men in their trading: and in the mean time, while an anſwer was returned from Madril, they advertized the people to be wary, how they hazarded their ſouls for any worldly gaine which they could find about the Inquiſitors feet.
The Church me…led not with the Munday Mar…et, bu… by way of ſupplication in Parliament.As for the Market days, I grant, it was a great grief to the Church, to ſee the Sabbath day profaned by handy labor and journeying, by occaſion of the Munday-markets, in the moſt of the great Towns: for remedy hereof, many ſupplications have been made by the Aſſembly to the Parliament: but ſo long as our Biſhops ſate there, theſe petitions of the Church were alwaies eluded: for the Prelates labor in the whole Iſland was to have the ſunday no Sabbath, and to procure by their Doctrine and example, the profanation of that day, by all ſorts of playes, to the end people might be brought back to their old licentiouſneſs and ignorance, by which the Epiſcopall Kingdom was advanced. It was viſible in Scotland, that the moſt eminent Biſhops were uſual players on the Sabbath, even in time of divine Service. And ſo ſoon as they were caſt out of the Parliament, the Churches ſupplications were granted, and acts obtained for the carefull ſanctification of the Lords day, and removing of the Markets in all the Land from the Munday, to other days of the week.
The Church once for ſafty of the infant Kings life, with the concurrence of the cret Counſel, did call an extraordinary meeting.The Warners next challenge of our uſurpation is, the Aſſembly at Edenburgh, 1567 their ratifying of Acts of Parliament, and ſummoning of all the Countrey to appeare at the next Aſſembly. Anſ. If the Warner had known the Hiſtory of that time, he would have choſen rathet to have omitted this challenge, then to have proclaimed to the world the great rottenneſs of his own heart; At that time the condition of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland was lamentable, the Queen was declared for Popery, King James his Father was cruelly, without any cauſe, murthered by the Earl of Bothwel; King James himſelf in his infancy was very neare to have been deſtroyed by the murtherer of his Father, there was no other way conceivable of ſafety for Religion, for the Infant King, for the Kingdom, but that the Proteſtants ſhould joyn together for the defence of King James againſt theſe Popiſh murtherers. For this end, the general Aſſembly did crave conference of the ſecret Counſel: and they with mutual advice did call for a meeting of the whole Proteſtant Party: which did convene at the time appointed moſt frequently, in an extraordinary and mixed aſſembly of al the conſiderable perſons of the Religion, Earls, Lords, Barons, Gentlemen, Burgeſſes, and Miniſters, and ſubſcribed a bond for the revenge of King Henries death, and the defence of King James his life: This mixed and extraordinary Aſſembly made it one of the chiefe Articles in their bond to defend theſe Acts of the Parliament 1560. concerning Religion, and to endeavour the ratification of them in the next enſuing Parliament. As for the Aſſemblies letter to their Brethren for ſo frequent a meetting at the next extraordinary Aſſembly, it had the Authority of the ſecret Counſel; it was in a time of the greateſt neceſſity, when the Religion and liberties of the land were in evident hazard from the potent and wicked counſels of the Popiſh Party, both at home and abroad; when the life of the young King was dayly in viſible danger, from the hands of them who had murthered his Father, and raviſhed his Mother. Leſſe could not have been done in ſuch a juncture of time by men of wiſdom and courage, who had any love to their Religion, King, and Countrey: but the reſolution of our Prelates is to the contrary, when a moſt wicked villain had obtained the connivance of a Queen to kill her husband, and to make way for the killing of her Son in his Cradle, and after theſe murders to draw a Nation and Church from the true Religion, eſtabliſhed by Law, into Popery; and a free Kingdom to an illegal Tyranny; in this caſe there may be no meeting, either of Church, or State, to provide remedies againſt ſuch extraordinary miſchiefs. Beleeve it the Scots were never of this opinion.
What is ſubjoyned to the next Paragraph of our Churches preſumption to aboliſh Acts of Parliament;By the laws & cuſtoms of Scotland the aſſembly procedes the Parliament in the …fo…mation of Eccleſiaſtical abuſes. is but a repetition of what is ſpoken before. Not only the laws of Scotland, but equity and neceſſity refers the ordinary Reformation of errors and abuſes in Religion to the Eccleſiaſticall Aſſemblies: what they find wrong in the Church, though ratified by acts of Parliament, they rectifie it from the word of God, and thereafter by Petition obtaines their rectification to be ratified in a following Parliament, and all former Acts to the contrary to be annulled. This is the ordinary Method of proceeding in Scotland, and (as I take it) in all other States and Kingdoms. Were Chriſtians of old hindred to leave Paganiſme and embrace the Goſpel, till the Emperial Laws for Paganiſme, and againſt Chriſtianity were revoked? did the Oecumenical and Nationall Synods of the Ancients ſtay their reformation of hereſies and corruptions in Religion, till the laws of State (which did countenance theſe errors) were cancelled? Was not Popery in Germany, France, and Britaine, ſo firmly eſtabliſhed, as Civill Laws could do it? It ſeems, the Warner here doth joyn with his brother Iſſachar, to proclaim all our Reformers in Britaine, France, and Germany, to be Rebels, for daring by their preachings and Aſſemblies to change theſe things, which by Acts of Parliaments had been approved, before new Parliaments had allowed of their reformation. Nevertheleſs, this plea is fooliſhly intended againſt us, for the Miniſters proteſtation againſt the Acts of Parliament 1584, eſtabliſhing (in that houre of darkneſs) iniquity by a Law, and againſt the Acts of the Aſſembly of Glaſgow, declaring the unlawfulneſs of Biſhops and Ceremonies; which ſome Parliaments upon Epiſcopal miſ-information had approved: both theſe actions of the Church were according to former Laws, and were ratified afterward by Acts of Parliament yet ſtanding in force, which for the Warner (a private man, and a ſtranger) to challenge, is to contemn much more groſly the Law, then they do, whom here he is accuſing of that crime.
The Church part in the road of Ruthven cle…red.By the next Story the Warner wil gain nothing, when the true caſe of it is known. In K. Jame's minority, one Capt. James Stuart did ſo far prevail upon the tender and unexperienced years of the Prince, as to ſteal his countenance unto Acts of the greateſt oppreſſion; ſo far that James Hamelton, Earl of Arran (the next to the King in blood, in his health a moſt gallant Prince, and a moſt zealous Profeſſor of the true Religion) in time of his ſickneſs, when he was not capable to commit any crime againſt the State, was notwithſtanding ſpoyled of all his livelihood and liberty: his Lands and honor, with the dignity of high Chancelor of Scotland, were conferred on that very wicked Tyrant Captain James, a number of the beſt affected and prime nobility impatient of ſuch unheard-of oppreſſions, with meer boaſts and no violence at the road of Ruthven, chaſed away that unhappy Chancelor from the Kings perſon, this his Majeſty for the time, profeſſed to take in ſo good part, that under his hand he did allow it for good ſervice, in his letters to the moſt of the Neighbor Princes: he dealt alſo with the ſecret Counſel, and the chief Judicatories of the Land, and obtained from them the approbation of that act of the Lord as convenient and laudable, pormiſing likewiſe to ratifie it in the next enſuing Parliament. When the Lords for their more aboundant cleering required the Aſſembles declaration thereupon, the Miniſters declined to meddle at all with the caſe; but the Kings Majeſty ſent his Commiſſioners to the Aſſembly, entreating them withall earneſtneſs to declare their good liking of that action, which he aſſured them was for his good, and the good both of Church and Kingdom: for their obedience to the Kings importunity, they are here railed upon by the wiſe Warner. It is true, Cap. James ſhortly after crept in again into Court, and obtained a ſevere revenge againſt the authors of that action, before a Parliament could ſit to approve it, but within a few months the ſame Lords, with ſome more did at Striveling, chaſe again that evill man from the Court: whither he never more returned, and this their action was ratified in the next Parliament, and ſo ſtands to this day unqueſtioned by any, but ſuch as the Warner, either out of ignorance or malice.
I am weary to follow the Warner in all his wandrings;The intereſt of the general aſſembly of Scotland, in the reformation of England. at the next leap he jumps from the 1584 to the 1648, skipping over in a moment 64 years. The Articles of Stiveling mentions that the promoving of the work of Reformation in England and Ireland, be referred to the general Aſſembly, upon this our friend doth diſcharge a flood of his choller: all the matter of his impatience here, is, That Scotland when by fraude they had been long allured, and at laſt by open violence invaded by the Engliſh Prelates, that they might take on the yoke of all their corruptiones, they were contented at the earneſt deſire of both the houſes of Parliament, and all the wel-affected in England, to aſſiſt their Brethren, to purge out the leaven of Epiſcopacy, and the Service Book, with all the reſt of the old corruptions of the Engiſh & Iriſh Churches; with the mannaging of this ſo great and good an Eccleſiaſtique work, the Parliament of Scotland did intruſt the general aſſembly. No marvail that Dr. Bramble a zealous lover of all the Arminianiſme, Popery, and Tyranny, of which his great Patron Dr. Lade ſtands convicted yet without an anſwer to have been bringing in upon the three nations, ſhould be angry at the diſcoverers and diſappointers of that moſt pious work, as they wont to ſtyle it.
What here the Warner repeats, it is anſwered before, as for the 2 Stories in his concluſion,The violent apprehen… of Maſſe-Prieſts in their act of Idolatry r… proved by the Warner. which he takes out of his falſe Author Spots-wood, adding his own large amplifications; I conceive, there needs no more to be ſaid to the firſt, but that ſome of John Knocks zealous hearers, underſtanding of a Maſſe-Prieſt at their very ſide, committing Idolatry contrary to the Laws, did with violence break in upon him, and ſeaſe upon his perſon and Maſſe-cloathes, that they might preſent him to the ordinary Magiſtrate to receive juſtice according to the Law; This act the Warner wil have to be a huge Rebellion, not only in the actors, but alſo in Iohn Knocks, who was not ſo much as preſent thereat.
What firſt he ſpeaks of the Aſſemblies convocating the people in arms to be preſent at the tryall of the Popiſh Lords, and their avowing of that their deed to the King in his face, we muſt be pardoned to miſtruſt the Warner herein upon his bare word, without the relief of ſome witneſs, and that a more faithfull one, then his Brother in evill, Mr. Spotſ-wood, whom yet here he doth not profeſs to cite. Againſt theſe Popiſh Lords after their many treaſons and bloody murders of the Lieges, the King himſelf at laſt was forced to arme the people; but that the generall Aſſembly did call any unto Arms, we require the Warners proof, that we may give it an anſwer.