The Nullity of the Pretended Assembly at St Andrews and Dundee, Treatise 2 · Review 3
REVIEW.
In the Application of this Principle of ſelfiſh intereſt, the Author aſſoils ſome, conceiving them to be led on in the ſimplicity of their hearts, by the ſubtilty and miſguiding of others, whom he charges with adventuring on high courſes and attempts, tending to the violation of the Nationall Oath, renting and ruining the Kingdom, trampling on Authority, and carrying with them tenets contrary to the minde and practice of all Orthodox Churches and to the Faith, &c What is all this, but the way, if not very near the words of the Prelaticall and Malignant party, againſt the Inſtruments of the Work of Reformation Anno 1638 and thereafter, who becauſe the Integrity of ſome of theſe Inſtruments was above exception, they did caſt the appearing of theſe in that Work upon their ſimplicity, and did charge others with falling on a courſe of rebellion, as not being able to endure triall in the high crimes, whereof (as they ſaid) they were guilty; but the Lord ere long did make their righteouſnes break forth as the morning, and their clearing as the noon day, and I truſt that he who knowes the Innocency of theſe Proteſters upon whom the like things are charged, ſhall alſo ſhew them the like mercy in Vindicating them from all the reproach that hath been unjuſtly caſt upon them. But to the point if theſe prime Contrivers, and ſticklers in the buſineſſe, had before that time adventured on ſuch high courſes, and were guilty of ſuch grievous crimes as the Author chargeth them with, then ſurely theſe ſimple ones of whom he ſpeaks, were ſimple exceedingly, who could ſee nor diſcern none of theſe things that were ſo obvious to the view of others; but notwithſtanding of what he ſayes, they are known to ſharp ſighted decerning men, and for learning, circumſpection, judgement prudence and experience in the things of God, and the Affairs of his houſe to be far beyond theſe whom he takes for the prime contrivers and ſticklers in the buſineſſe, and to be inferior to none of their oppoſers; yea, if there be any who deſerve the name of the prime contrivers and ſticklers in the matter of the Proteſtation it is ſome of theſe who had no hand in theſe high courſes which he mentions, and who upon his accompt are among the ſimple ones. Theſe crimes which he doth ſo poſitively, and without heſitation charge upon ſome, eſpecially being ſo hainous and great: It would ſeem, that both charity and and juſtice would have required that he had brought ſome good evidence of them, leaſt haply his Reader truſt not his naked Aſſertion, in that which doth not onelyonly reach the reputation, but alſo the life and being of others; And if he would have men to believe their tenets to be contrary to the minde and practice of all Orthodox Churches, and to the Faith; he would do well to prove them to be ſo, untill he do it, he will I hope allow charity to theſe who deny it: Some of the greateſt Divines of this Church, and of this age whoſe praiſe is in all the Reformed Churches do affirm and have proved the contrary, and if the Authors Aſſertion be true, I fear not to ſay, that the minde and practice of this Church theſe years paſt hath not been Orthodox nor agreeable to the faith in order to theſe tenets, becauſe they have been clearly taught and practiſed by this Church theſe years paſt, and a man but ſlenderly ſeen in the Doctrine thereof may bring forth theſe tenets aſſerted by this Church in the ſame letters and ſillabes; and may give clear inſtances of her practices aagreeing with the ſame; It hath been done already by ſome in a more convincing way then the ſharpeſt oppoſers of theſe tenets have as yet ſatisfyingly anſwered. I would fain know what ground the Author had to ſay, that the prime contrivers and ſticklers found it ſafeſt for them rather altogether to diſclaim the Authority of the Aſſembly, then to hazard upon a fair and orderly trial of their matters. Their conſciences do bear them record, that it was not upon any jealouſie or ſuſpition they had of their Cauſe as not being able to endure the light; & reaſon may perſwade indifferent men to think, that they did not look upon proteſting againſt the Aſſembly as the ſafeſt courſe otherwiſe then in order to their duty, for if we take ſafety as it might concern their perſons, they could hardly have done any thing that could have more endangered theſe: It was a ſpeedy way to expoſe them to the cenſures both of Church and State, as did appear in the ſequel, ſome of them becauſe of their Proteſting being depoſed by that Aſſembly, and others of them confined by the civil Magiſtrate, and there is ground to preſume that they would have been proceeded againſt with further cenſures, both civil and Eccleſiaſtick, if the Lord had not ſtopt the current of theſe things; If this was their ſafeſt way, why do men of his own judgment ſo frequently ſay, that if the Proteſtation had been forborn, the Aſſembly would not have cenſured any, no not in the caſe of their adhering to their judgment, and diſſenting from the judgment of the Aſſembly in the matters of the Publick Reſolutions. If we ſhal take ſafety in order to the cauſe, they could not be ſo dull as to think, that their Proteſting againſt the Aſſembly would keep the Aſſembly from trying and judging of their cauſe, or other indifferent men from ſearching into the ſame, and if before the Proteſtation, it could not abide the triall, it did but put them in a much worſe condition to Proteſt upon an unwarrantable ground, it being worſe to defend two evill cauſes then one: And therefore it doth not appear from theſe things that ſelf-intereſt was the ſpring from whence theſe Actings did flow; yea, the contrary (if any thing) is manifeſt, becauſe by ſuch a way they could expect nothing but the hightning of all former reproaches caſt on them, the expoſing of themſelvs to the cenſures both of Church and State, if men that in all their precious intereſts muſt be ſufferers becauſe of their doing of ſuch things, be led to act therein upon a principle of ſelfiſh intereſt, we leave it to judicious and indifferent men to conſider and give their judgement, whether it be very apparent, yea, or not? It is true that ſome two or three did partly by the perſwaſion, and partly by the threatning of ſome at Dundee, reſile a little from the Teſtimony which they had given at St Andrews in the matter of the Proteſtation, which within a ſhort time thereafter they did repent of, and again adhered to their former Teſtimony, not upon any ſelfiſh-intereſt, or eye to credite or advantage (as the Author affirmes) there being no appearance firſt or laſt, that by adhering to the Proteſtation they could gain any of theſe things, but on the checks of their own conſciences, and the voice they heard behind them, ſaying, this is the way walk ye in it, when they had turned aſide, ſome of them are ſince that time taken out of the land of the living, and I truſt are now in glory, and I can aſſure the Author and all others, and if it be doubted, I wil get it atteſted under the hands of famous witneſſes; that after their reſiling from that teſtimony they had no peace nor quietnes in their ſpirits for a long time, but went down mourning to their graves, becauſe they had ſo done, and upon their death beds did often and ſadly bemoan it, that they had miſſed the opportunity to give ſome publick Teſtimony and Declaration with others of their ſorrow for the ſame, and of their purpoſe and reſolution to adhere to the Proteſtation. It had been no loſſe to the Author nor his cauſe, to have ſpared ſuch ſharp (let me not ſay bitter) and perſonal reflections upon conſcientious and godly men, as he many times needleſly uſeth, he and all others whoſe eyes God hath opened, to ſee their way, cannot but be conſcious to themſelves of their own wandrings, and how much they owe to the exceeding riches of the mercy and free grace of God, that hath recovered them out of ſnares.
VINDICATION.
SEcondly, eſtimation of the perſons, the Authors or Abbettors of this Proteſtation▪ God forbid I ſhould think, ſay, or adviſe any thing to the prejudice or diſadvantage of godlineſſe or godly perſons, neither ſhall I queſtion their godlineſſe, my judgement concerning ſome, yea many of them is very poſitive; having by experience and acquaintance ſeen, I muſt ſay, much of the image of JESUS CHRIST in them, as for others what ever they have been every whit, I take not on me to judge them, nor yet think I it pertinent or fit ſo to do; That there are godly men, not a few on the other ſide too, is manifeſt, ſome that were in Chriſt before them, and men that hath ſuffered for the Truth and Cauſe of God, when others had not the honor to be doers for it; and are ready to ſuffer, if he ſhal call them to it, though ſome uncharitably and raſhly (to ſay to the beſt of it) ſpares not to traduce them as Apoſtates and backſliders; but this is it I would ſay, that men ſhould take heed that they make not a ſnare of their opinion; yea, or the reall conviction of the godlineſſe they have of any perſons by approving, taking up, or following their ſayings, opinions or practices, without due examination and triall upon this accompt, becauſe they are godly perſons from whom ſuch things proceeds.
It is well and expedient for ſuch as would in this dangerous time walk circumſpectly, and ſhun ſnares, to remember as to this preſent caution two things: 1. That true godlineſſe is not of ſuch perfection in any on this ſide of eternity, as doth exempt them from all erring, whether in judgement or practice, nor yet from ſtiffe maintaining miſtakes, when once they have turned aſide unto them. Luther was a godly man, and had much of CHRIST in him; I think none of them intereſſed in the preſent buſineſſe will compare with him, yet who knoweth not what great errouns he held in the matters of God, and maintained not only ſtiffely, but violently to the great prejudice of Religion, and obſtruction of the work of Reformation, under which the Reformed Kirks do groan yet unto this day. 2. How wofull a ſnare; this (I mean not godlineſſe, but the overweighing conceit of perſons reputed to be godly) hath proved in the neighbour Nation and Kirk; Hath not this been one of the chiefeſt ſtratagems and engines whereby Satan hath prevailed, to mar the fair work of Reformation, ſo happily and hopefully once begun there, and ſilled that Land with unparalelled confuſions under which now it groans? Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum. It were good for us to learn wiſedome by other mens dangers, and to be warned by the beacons which others ſhipwrack hath ſet up to us, leſt we alſo make ſhipwrack upon the the ſame ſchelves; and then ſay, but too late, non putavimus, proverb, ſtill Scottiſh men, wiſe behinde the hand, prove all things, from whatſoever hand they come, and hold faſt that which is good.