The Pastor & Prelate compared by the VVord of God.

THat the Worship of God & the Government of the Kirk,The forme of wor­ship, and govern­ment, to be learned from the Word. vvhich is the house of God, are to be learned out of his ovvn Word: it is a trueth against the vvhich the gates of Hell shall never prevaile. For vve ought to giue this glorie to God, that all his bookes are full, and vvritten on both sides; as the booke of nature, the booke of provi­dence, and the booke of conscience is perfect, so also the scri­pture, vvhich is the booke of grace, is perfect. We ought to giue this glorie to the sonne of God: that as he is a perfect high Priest for reconciliation, he is also a perfect Prophet for revelation, and a perfect King and lawgiver for ruling of his owne Kirk and kingdome. We ought also to giue this glo­rie to the Spirit of God, that as he purposed to set dovvne a Covenant, a Testament, and a perfect Canon, so in fulnes of wisedome he hath performed his purpose. We ought hum­bly to acknowledge, that the Kirk hath no power (vvhether by translation of divine ordinances from the old to the new Testament, under pretext of pietie, or by imitation of the e­nemie, seeme it never so charitable, or by mans invention let it appeare never so plausible) to make new lawes, or to insti­tute any nevv office or office-bearer,What then is the kirks part. any minister, or part of ministration in the house of God.Polycleti regula ad Reges, Lesbia regula ad aequita­tem opus. Bodinus [...] method. But that it is her parte to see the will of God obeyed, and to appoint Canons and Constitutions, for the orderly and decent disposing of things before instituted. We call here the Prelates and Pastors of [Page 11] Conformitie to a threefold consideration.The Prelate [...] not among the [...] selues. FIRST that they agree not amongst themselues about the matters in question: Iure divino di [...]sciplinam Hierar­chicam tuentur a­lii, alii jure huma­no tantum: alii no jure divino, sed A­postolico, alius & [...]: ali [...] episcopalem majo­ritatem mutabile [...] contendunt, ali [...] tuentur immutabi­lem, ut ex Iuello, Saravia, Hooker [...], Dounamo, Barles, Bilsono, Bancrofto. Tileno, & aliis hie­rarchicis satis est maniffestum. some of them affirming, that their Hierarchie is warranted by divine authoritie; others confessing, it is onely by ancient custome: and a third sort defending neither of the tvvo, but that it is Apostolick. Againe some of them make the forme of Kirk government to be universall and perpetuall, others holding it to be conformable to civill policie, as if man might prescribe unto God, what forme of government is fittest for his house: for that vvhich is highly esteemed amongst men, is abhomination in the sight of God. He that hath the seauen eyes seeth better in his ovvne matter, then man that seeth no­thing but by his light. Wisedome that hath built her house, and hevved out her seuen pillars, can not be content that mans vvisedome should devise and hevve out the eight pil­lar. SECONDLY,They halt betwixt two. they should consider, that the arguments and ansvvers that vve giue to them against their Hierarchie & ceremonies, are the same that they are forced to use in defence of the trueth against the Papists: and the ansvvers and argu­ments that the Papists giue them for traditions, for the Popes monarchie, and for their vvill-vvorship, they are forced to use them against us in defence of their cause: resting thus in their luke vvarmnesse, & halting betvvixt tvvo, for the loue of the vvorld. Which hath made the Papists to say, that the Prelates disputing against them are Puritanes, & vvhile they dispute against the Puritanes they are Papists,They would make a new ceremoniall law. & turne to their side. THIRDLY, they should consider, that the forme of Government, and divine ceremonies under the Lavv, vvere not removed to giue place to the inventions of man under the Gospel. What is beside the particular precepts of God in Scripture, is against the generall Commandement: Thou shalt not adde to the Word, that I haue commanded, &c. And therefore let us say vvith Augustine:Quid litigamus? fratres sumus. Non intestatus mortuus est pater, fecit te­stamentum, & sic mortuus est & re­surrexit. Tam di [...] contenditur de hae­reditate mo [...]tuor [...], quamdiu testamen­tum proferatur in publicum, & cum testamentum fu [...] ­rit prolatum in pu­blic [...], tacent [...] ut tabula [...] & recitentur. Iudex intentus audit, advocatisilēt, praecones silentium faciunt, &c. Augu. in Psal. [...]. We are brethren, vvhy striue vve, Our father died not intestate, but made a Testament, and dyed and rose againe: The father lyeth in the graue vvithout sence, and yet his vvords are in force, Christ sitteth in heauen, and his Testament is contradicted on earth, let it be [Page 12] read &c. Let the Pastor and the Prelate be presented before the Lavv and Testimonie. Let the authoritie of the one and the other be pōdered, not in the vveights of vvorldly avarice and ambition, but in the ballance of the Sanctuarie, and let us measure their callings and cariage, not by the corde of the Canon Lavv, but by the golden reede of the Temple, & vve shall soone see, vvhether of the tvvo hath vvarrant frō God.

J. THE PASTOR acknowledgeth no offices in the Kirk,The perpetuall and due off [...]cebearers in the Kirk. after the extraordinarie of the Apostles, Prophets & Evangelists, but the ordinarie1 Corint. 12. 28. Ephes. 4. 11. of Pastors, Teachers, Elders and Deacons, appointed by Christ, as sufficient for the weill of the Kirk, and of everie member there­of in all things spirituall and temporall.

The PRELATE setteth up one hierarchie of Archbishops & Lord­bishops: having for the head the Roman Antichrist, and for the traine Suf­fraganes, Deanes, Archdeacons, Officials, &c. never named in Scripture, nor knowne in the purer tymes of the Kirk,No difference in Scripture between a pastor & a Bish. against the weill of the Kirk, and of every member thereof, both in things spirituall and temporall.

2. The PASTOR, according to the Scripture, putteth difference betwixt the names of the Office-bearers in the New-Testament, Barnabas is called on Apostle act. 14. 4. & 14. because he was an Apostle as Paul was, Titus & other two, 2 Cor. 8. 23. and Epaphrodi­tus, phil. 2. 25. are apostles, or messen­gers of the Kirks Act. 20. 28. phil. 1. 1. 1 tim. 3. 2. tit. 1. 7. wher in the Syriack for the name of Bi. is put the word that signifies the Elder. 1 pet. 5. 1. 2. No L. Bis. in script. never calling the ordinarie by the name of the ex­traordinarie, nor the inferior by the name of the superior, as the Pastor by the name of the Apostle or Evangelist: but never put­teth difference at all betwixt a Pastor and a Bishop: making eve­rie Pastor to be a Bishop, and taking the Pastor and Bishop al­waies for one.

The PRELATE maketh a confusion of names, that he may put him­selfe in the place of the Apostle, as the Pope will be in the place of Christ: but against all Scripture will make so great difference betwixt a pastor and a bishop, that he will haue no Pastor to be a Bishop, and that there be no bi­shop but the Prelate.

3. The PASTOR can see noOnely Christ Lord in his own house. Ioh. 13 13. Heb. 3. 6. Mat. 20. 25 [...], but Luk. 22. 2 [...]. the simple word [...], that is deni­ed to the Apost. which vvas granted to kings, which the sons of Ze­bedeus sought, and for which the Apostles did contend. Lord Bishop in Scripture,No Bi. of Bishops, or pastors in Scrip. but the Lords Bishop onely, a name of labour and diligence, & not of honour and ease.

The PRELATE will admitt no other bishop but a Lordbi­shop, which he hath made a name of honour and ease without labour or di­ligence.

4. The PASTOR is a bishop set over a flock, in respect wherof he is called a Bishop,Act. 15. 2. & 20. 1 [...]. [...] 1. 1. 1 pet [...]. 1. & not in relatiō to other Pastors.

The PRELATE setteth himselfe as a Bishop over pastors, and in re­spect [Page 13] of them is called a Bishop, and not in relation to any flock.

5.Every Pastor in scri­pture huth his own particular flock, none is without a flock, nor with a Diocie. The PASTOR is set over aKirks of Iudea Gal. 1. 22. kirks of Galatia Gal. 1. 2. of Asia, Macedo­nia &c. ever in the nūber of multitude as for Act. 7. [...]8. it is spokē of the whole nation of the Iewes in the wildernesse camping about the arke. particular flock, that may convene together in one place, amongst whō he is to exercise the whole parts of the ministerie, as preaching, prayer, ministration of the sacraments & discipline, according to the trust cōmmitted to him by the Son of God, in whose name he is Embassador, frō whō he deriveth his power, on whō he depēds in th' exercise of his mi­nisterie, & to whō he must be coūtable, & to no other Past. or Bis.

The PRELATE both ordeyneth Pastors at large, without assignaiō of a particular flock (as if he were either making Masters of Art & doctors of phisick, or as if ordination should goe before election, which is as absurde, as first to crowne a king, or install a magistrate, & then to choose him) and setteth himself as a proper pastor over a whole provinces, & over many kirks in divers provinces, as well of those that he never saw, as of that where his seate is, esteeming the pastors to be but his helpers & Substitutes, as having their power from him, being obliged to render accounte to him, and whom he may continew and displace at his pleasure.

6. The PASTOR,The pastor hath power of ordinati­on, which the pre­late appropriateth. with his fellow presbyters, as he is put in trust with the preaching of the word, and ministration of the sacraments, hath received also of Christ the power of ordination of Pastors,1 Tim. 4. 14. neither doth the Ap. deny that to Presbyters, which he did himselfe with them, & which he as­cribeth to Timothi [...]. 1 Tim. [...]. 22. 2 Tim. 2. 6. neither the Prelate himselfe denyeth the power of ordinatiō to the presbyter, but the exercise of the power which he arrogateth to himselfe. Ordinat Deus per ecclesiam or­dinat ecclesia per pres­by [...]erium, ordinat pres­byteriū per episcopos, & pastores suos; singu­li conferunt in unum quae sua sunt. Iun. a­nimad. 1187. where presbyterie never used in the new Testament to signifie the office of priesthood or order of a presbyter, can be no other thing but the persons, or company of pastors laying on their hands, and that not onely for consent, but for consecration, of which number any one may pronounce the words of blessing.

The PREL. for the honour of the priesthood, that is, out of his ambi­tious humour, taketh the power of ordeyning pastors to himselfe: denying that a whole presbyterie without him may ordaine a pastor; excepting the case of extreame necessitie, as women are admitted to baptise; whereby in a maner he calleth in question the lawfulnes of our ministerie, these sixty yeeres past, since the reformation.

7. The PASTOR hath committed to him by Jesus Christ not onely the keyes of the inward & private court of conscience,The Past hath the power of jurisdic­tion, which the Prelate usurpeth & appropriateth. but also of the outward and publick court ofAct. 15, 6. and 16. 4. & 20. 28. 29, 1 Cor. 5. & 14. 32. 40. 1 Thes. 5. 12. Tit. 1. 9. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Heb. 13. 17. jurisdiction, for decyding controversies, making of constitutions, and inflicting of censures, they being both but one & the same power of binding and loosing. He hath the shephards staffe in his hand, aswell as the Shepheards pype at his mouth.

The PREL. keepeth the staffe in his owne hand, and arrogateth to himselfe, euen amongst them who never heard him, all power of jurisdi­ction (whetherDecyding of contro­versies, making of Ca­nons for order, or cen­suring of offences. Domgatick, Diatactick, or Crytick, as it is distinguished) which the Apostles themselues, notwithstanding their extraordinarie gifts, would never doe, but in all these parts of jurisdiction behaved themselues as presbyters.

[Page 14] 8. The Pastor,No such majoritie of power of one pastor over ano­ther, as the Prelate claimeth. findeth it to be so far against the word of God to claime any authoritie over his brethren, that albeit there be a divine order in the Kirk, whereby there is one kinde of Ministe­rie, both ordinarie and extraordinarie, in degree and dignitie before another, as the Apostles before all others, the Pastor be­fore the Elder and Deacon,By scripture no Apostle hath power over another Apo­stle, nor Evange­list over another Evangelist, nor El­der over another Elder, nor Deacon over another Dea­con: but all are e­quall. yet he can finde no Minister ordi­narie or extraodinarie, that hath any majoritie of power over other inferior Ministers of another kinde: as the Pastor over the Elder and Deacon, farre lesse over other Ministers of the same kinde, as the Pastor or Bishop over the Pastor.

The Prelate, findeth it to be so farre against his place to quite his autho­ritie over his brethren, that albeit he hath no warrat for any other kind, or degree of Ministerie then the Pastor, yet he usurpeth majoritie of power over Pastors, and taketh upon him, both direction and correction, and that not sociall, but authoritatiue, to beate them at his pleasure.

9.The Pastor med­leth not with mat­ters civil, but the Prelate is more in the world, then a­bout Christ. The Pastor is separate from theDeu. 33. 8. Eze. 34. 1. Zach. 11. 17 Matth. 23. 6. Luk. 9. 59. & 12. 13. & 22. 24. Ioh. 21. 15. Acts 6. 2. Rom. 1. 1. 2 Tim. 2. 4. World to the Kingdome of Christ, which is not of this World: He will not be called gra­cious Lord, nor striue for the right hand or the left, he should not follow the pomp of the world, but must shine in knowledge, diligence, and godly simplicitie: he may not assume an other ec­clesiastical office, far lesse take upon him a secular charge: he may not divide the inheritance, nor burden himselfe with worldly af­faires.

The Prelate is separate from the Kingdome of Christ, & thrusteth him­selfe into the throng of the World, he would be called My Lord, and Your Grace, and without respect of age or giftes, preferreth himselfe to the most reverend Pastors: He robbeth the nobilitie and Magistrates of their places and dignites, aud will haue his Cuschion, his Coach, and his courtly traine. He is a Lord of Parliament of Counsell and session, a Barone, a Steward, a Iudge of civill and criminall causes: & why not Bishop of the order of the Garter, and Count Palatine, that at last he may haue both swords, and the triple Crowne, as the Abimelech-like brambles of the world haue done be­fore.

10.The Pastor & pre­lats forme of pray­er. The Pastor taketh the summe and formes of prayer from the directions of God, from the Lords prayer, & from the pray­ers of the godly in diverse places of Scripture,Mat. 6. 7. 8. 9. &c. Luke 11. 1. Exod. 32. 11. Num 14. 13. Acts 2. 5. and 16. 16. &c. the particular ar­guments & petitions from the present purposes, persons, places, times, and occasions, which as the mouth of the congregation, according unto the grace giuen unto him from the H. Ghost, he presenteth before the throne of God the Father in the name of Iesus Christ.

The Prelate would tye the Pastor, albeit he had the tounge of an angell, and occasions never so contrarie, to certaine words, and a set forme of Lei­tourgie, and would divide the prayer betwixt Pastor and people, and by [Page 15] many idle repetitions,Their preaching. would bring both Pastor and people under the guil­tines of vaine babling, and popish superstition.

11. The Pastor thinketh it the principall part of his ministe­rie to labour in the word & doctrine, becauseAct. 28. 23. R [...]. 10. 15. 1 Cor. 1. 21 1 Cor. 9. 16. 1 Pet. 4. 11. 2 Ioh. 10. 1 Cor. 3. 12. &c. woe is unto him if he preach not the gospel. And when he preacheth he will haue Gods Word onely to founde in his owne house, reading nothing but the Canonicall text, & comparing Scripture with Scripture for edification,Musick. that he may saue himselfe & those that hear him.

The Prelate thinketh of preaching as accessorie, & would haue it worne out of use by a long dead leitourgie. In reading he would haue no diffe­rence betwixt the Apocrypha and the Canonicall Scripture, and liketh best of such Sermons, as are stuffed with Philosophers, Poets, Oratours, Scoole­men, and ancients in Greeke and Latine, that he may preach himselfe, and be admired of those that heare him.

12. The Pastor loveth no2 Chron. 29. 25. Not in the Syna­gogues, but at the temple, & for that time of ceremoniall worship. 1 Cor. 14. 19. & 26. Ephes. 5. 18. 19. Collos. 3. 16. Musick in the house of God, but such as edifieth,Baptisme. and stoppeth his eares at instrumentall musike, as serving for the Pedagogie of the untoward Jewes under the law, and being figuratiue of that spirituall joy, whereunto our hearts should be opened under the Gospell.

The Prelate loveth carnall and curious singing to the eare, more then the spirituall melodie of the Gospell, and therefore would haue Antiphonie and Organes in the Cathedrall Kirks, upon no greater reason then other shadowes of the Law of Moses, or lesser Instruments, as Lutes, Cithernes, or pypes might be used in other Kirks.

13. The Pastor ministrethMath. 28. 19. & all other places, shewing baptisme to be a note discer­ning Christians from infidels. 1 Pet. 3. 21 & such places pro­ving Baptisme to be a signe of Chri­stian profession, Matth. 3. The ba­ptisme at Iordan solemne, and what was done privately, by the Apostles, at sometimes was in the infancie of the Kirk which cannot now be a rule to us in a Kirk constitu­ted. Baptisme in the place of the pu­blick assemblies of Gods people, it being a note of our Christian profession, and a protestation of our fayth, and therefore should be celebrate publickly, as wel as ordination of ministers, excom­munication, confession of converts, or reconciliatiō of penitents.

The Prelate hath giuen place to private Baptisme, and thereby enter­tayneth the superstitious conceit of the necessitie of Baptisme, bringeth in the absurditie of conditionall baptisme, and maketh a ready way for private persons and midwiues to baptize.

14.Celebration of the Lords supper. The Pastor,Matth. 26. 26. Mark. 14. 22. Luk 22. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 23. out of which compared together the whole institu­tion is to be learned and not frō the last place alone, since it cantaineth not all things belonging to the institutiō, Mat 14. 13. Luke 24. 30. 1 Cor. 10. as the words of the institution prescribe, & after the example of Christ and his Apostles, hath a Table prepa­ [...]ed for the celebration of the Lords supper: he sitteth downe in a publick communion with the congregation, in the most custo­mable and comely forme of sitting: farre from all danger of Ido­latrie: when he hath giuen thanks, he breaketh the bread sacra­mentally when he delivereth the elements, he uttereth the words of promise: This is my body, This is my blood, demonstratiuely: The people distribute the bread and cuppe among themselues lovingly. They eate and drink in such measure, as they may find themselues refreshed sensibly. And as before the action they [Page 16] were prepared by diligent examination, and powerfull sermons for trying themselues, so in the time of the action their eares & their hearts are filled with pertinent readings, & pithy exhorta­tions, and after the action dismissed with joy, with strength, and with spirituall resolution, to the great honor of God, the inlarge­ment of the kingdome of Christ, the terror of Antichrist, the peace of the Kirk, and unspeakable comfort of their owne soules.

The PRELATE pretending the words of the 95 Psalme, & after the example of Antichrist and his followers, hath turned the Table into an Altar-like cupboorde, the table-gesture of sitting, into the adoring gesture of kneeling (with no better excuse of idolatrie, then is expressed in the ob­scure termes of abstractivè ab objecto, and objectum à quo signifi­cativè) the publick communion into a private action betwixt him and the communicant, the sacramentall breaking into a preparatiue carving before the action, the enunciatiue words of the institution into a forme of a prayer or oblation, the christian distribution into a stewardlike partition, the re­freshment of eating and drinking into a pinched tasting, the preparatorie examination and preaching into a schismaticall disputation about kneeling and sitting, the spirituall exhortations in the time of the action, either in a dumbe guyse, and comfortlesse deadnesse, or in a confusion of the Readers reading, and his owne speaking at the giving of the elements, both at one time, and the spirituall joy, strength and resolution after the action, into terrors of conscience in some, the opinion of indifferencie in all matters of religion in others, and of loosenesse of life in many, to the mocking of God, the reentrie of Antichrist, renting of the Kirk, obduring of the Papist, stumbling of the weake, and grief of the godly.

15.Observation of the sabbath. The PASTOR thinketh it no Judaisme nor supersti­tion, but a morall duetieGen. 2. 2. 3. Exo. 20. Deu. 5. Num. 15. 32. Nehem. 13 15. Isa. 56. 2. and 58. 13. Ioel 1. 14. Psal. 110, 3. Ioh. 20. 16. 26. Act. 2 1. & 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 1. Gal. 4. 9. 10 Colos. 2. 16. 17. Revel. 1. 10. to obserue the Sabbath: because first the observation of one day of seauen, albeit it be positiue divine, yet it is not ceremoniall nor for a time, but unchangable, and ob­ligeth perpetually, as is manifest by the time when it was appoin­ted before the fall, when there was no type of redemption by Christ, and by numbring it amongst the tenne precepts of the morall law, written by the finger, and proclaymed by the voyce of God, which cannot be said of any changable law. Neyther can it be called perpetuall and morall in this sence, that a certaine time is to be allotted to divine worship, for then the building of the Tabernacle and temple, the new moones, and other legall festivities conteyning in them a generall equitie, might aswell be accounted morall. Secondly, the change of the Sabbath from the last to the first day of the weeke, is by divine authoritie from Christ himselfe, from whom it is called, the Lords day, who is Lord of the Sabbath, who did institute the worship of the day, and rested from his labours that day, whereon all things were [Page 17] made new by his resurrection, and sanctified it, euen as in the beginning God rested from all his works on the seauenth day, & blessed it. He thinketh it no more contrarie to Christian liber­tie, then it was to Adam in his innocencie to keepe one of the seauen, and therefore he laboureth to make the Sabbath his de­light, observeth it himselfe, and by his doctrine, example and discipline teacheth others to doe the like, and to cease uot one­ly from all servill workes, which require greate labour of the bo­die, but from all our owne works whatsoever, drawing our minds from the exercises of religion, and serving for our owne gaine and commoditie, except in the case of necessitie, caused by di­vine providence. He would haue it well considered, wherein the Jewes were more strictly obliged then Christians, and what libertie we haue, that they had not. Beside the Sabbath he can admitte no ordinary holy dayes appointed by man, whether in respect of any mysterie, or of difference of one day from ano­ther, as being warranted by meere tradition, against the do­ctrine of Christ and his Apostles, but accounteth the solemne fasts and humiliations, unto which the Lord calleth, to be extraordinarie Sabbaths, warranted by God himselfe.

The PRELATE by his doctrine, practise, example, and neglect of discipline, declareth, that he hath no such reverend estimation of the Sabbath. He doteth so upon the observation of Pasche, Zuile, and festivall dayes, appoynted by men, that he preferreth them to the Sabbath, and hath turned to nothiug our solemne Fasts, and blessed humiliations.

16. The PASTOR findeth that everie parte of his office,Residence. and everie name, whereby he is called in Scri­pture Caranza proveth the necessite of the residence of Bishops by fiue places of the old Testam by three out of the Evange­list, and fiue out of the apostolick uri­tings: and how can he be a bishop, a shepheard, a watch man &c. that is a non-resident. doeth call upon him to be personally resident, and where he resideth to be a terror to the wicked, and a com­fort to the godly.

The PRELATE eyther waiteth upon Counsell, Session, or Court, or dwelleth so farre from his charge, that [...] [...]each of Ca­ranza (proving the necessitie of the personall residence of [...]ops) may be applyed to him: He is a Bishop but without overseer [...], an Em­bassador, but runneth where his errand lyeth not, a [...]ptaine & Soldier, but farre from his station, a Father and steward, but suf­fereth the children to perish for want of foode. Or if he hap­pen to be resident, his Lordship is a protection to the Papist, to the car­nall professor, and to the Idoll-Minister and Idle-belly, and such a vexation to the vigilant Pastor, that he had much rather he were a Non-resident.

17. The PASTOR must be so unblameable,Life & conversatiō [...]2 Cor. 1. 12. 1 [...] 3. [...]. to 8. & 4. 12 2 Tim. 1. 13. Tit. 1. 6. and 2. 7. that he haue a good testimonie of them that are without, he must rule [Page 18] well his owne house, having his children in subjection, with all gravitie, not accused of ryot, or unruly. He must be sober, not giuen to wine, he must not be greedy of filthy lucre, nor cove­tous: he must not be a brauler, a stryker, nor fighter.

The PRELATE mocketh at conscience, gravitie, sobrietie, mo­destie, patience, painfulnes &c. and calleth them Puritanizing.

18. The PASTOR laboureth to keepe faith in a good conscience,The presence and blessing of God. and by the blessing of God upon his labours findeth the encrease of the gifts of God in his old age,y 1 Tim. 1. 19. Ier. 12. 10. & 23. 1—5. Ezec. 34. 2.—23. Zac. 11. 15. 16. 17 2 Pet. 2. 15. 16. Iude 11. Revel. 2. 14. and the grace of God growing in the hearts of the people.

The PRELATE by loosing a good conscience maketh shipwrack of fayth, and by the curse of God upon his slouth and defection may finde him­selfe like Balaam, who seeking hornes did loose his eares, that is seeking preferment he lost the gift of prophesie, & may see grace decayed & worne out of the hearts of the people.

The Pastor & Prelate compared by Antiquitie, and the proceedings of the Ancient Kirk.

WE reverence the hoarie head,Antiquit [...]e, the pri­mitiue Kirk, the Fathers of two sorts. and name of An­tiquite: but withall we know, that there is antiquitie of trueth, & antiquitie of error, and therefore vvould make difference betvvixt ori­ginall antiquitie, or that vvhich was from the beginning, and of the first institution, and anti­quitie of custome, or that vvhich is of long continuance. They that take themselues wilfully to custome against the first in­stitution resolueLicet Christus po [...] caenam instituerit, & suis discip. mini­straverit sub utra (que) specie panis & vini hoc venerbile Sa­cramentum: tamē hoc non obstante, sacrorū Canonū au­toritas & approba­ta cōsuetudo eccle­siā servavit & ser­vat, &c. Caranza summa conc. Const. sess. 13. distinguitur a Iuristis, ipsa pri­mativa ecclesia in primam & secun­dam. not unlike the Councell of Constance, when they set downe their blasphemous act, Non obstante. We doe not misregarde the practise of the Primitiue Kirk af­ter the Apostles, especially it being compared with the ages following. But would haue it in comparison of the Apo­stolicall Kirk to be esteemed, but dirivatiue, as which ad­mitted many changes from better to vvorse both in doctrine [Page 20] and discipline. We honour the Fathers, but so that vve giue the first honour to the Father of fathers, besides vvhom vve haue no father. To his sonne Iesus Christ the onely Prophet, vvhom vve should heare. To the Holy Ghost, vvho onely teacheth us the trueth, and to the Holy Scripture, vvhich onely carryeth their divine autho­ritie. Wishing all that are studious of the trueth in the pointe of the controversie in hand, to take notice of these tvvo things:The mainteyners of Conformitie forgette themselues about an­tiquitie three wayes. First, that the maintainers of conformitie ma­ny vvayes forget themselues in the matter of the authori­tie of the Fathers. For albeit they daube us vvith the Fa­thers, the Fathers, the ancients, and all antiquitie, yet they themselues vvill not hear the voice of the Fathers in their disputes: vvhether against Papists, vvhom they ansvver vvith the same exceptions against the Fathers, vvhich vve bring in this cause against them,Whitgiftus, Socra­tem Novatianum & Puritanum vocat. Sa­ravia contra Bez. di­cit Hieronimum aper­tè Arianū esse, Dou­namus contra omnes patres, negat Petrum R [...]mae Episcopum fuis­se, &c. or in their disputes vvith us, vvhen the Fathers make against them: and thus vvhile they professe that they honour the Fathers, they doe but mock them, sometimes putting upon them the purple robe of authoritie, & at their pleasure pulling it off againe. Next they forget thēselues in this, that albeit they knovv, that the vvitnesse and not the testimonie is to be believed, they alledge notvvithstandingQuales sunt, auter libri, qui canones A­postolorū inscribitur, Clemens, Romanus, Ignatius, Dyonisius, Areopagita, Egesip­pus, Dorotheus, &c. De quibus Mortonus cōtra pontisicios, Lar­vatiisti autores pueris terriculamēto esse pos­sunt, viris autem cor­datis, esse ludibrio de­l [...]ent. some counterfeit, some corrupted authors, and some late schoolmen, for the an­cient Fathers against us. B [...]canus, Calvin, Beza, Martyr, Iuell &c. bring them against the Papists, vvho denye not their authoritie. And thirdly, they misregard the order of divine dispensation in rhe course of time, not vvithout ingratitude to God for his gifts, and to good men for their labours,Vitium malignitatis humanae, ut vetera se­mper in laude, praesen­tia sint in fastidio. Tacit. Miratur (que) ni­hil, nisi quod Libitina sacravit Horat. Nec nossumus Nani, nec illi g [...]gantes, sed omnes ejusdem statura, & quidem nos altius evecti, eorum beneficio, maneat modo in nobis quod in illis studium, attentio animi, vigilantia & amor veri, qua si absint, jam non nanisumus, nec in gigantum hnmeros sedemus, sed homines instar magnitudinis humi prostrats. Ludov. vives de causis corrup. art. lib. 1. by preferring the meanest, that carrieth the name of Antiquitie, unto the vvorthiest instruments of that blessed vvorke of Reformation, vvho had aboue all that vvent before them many greate helpes of the langua­ges, [Page 21] of humane literature, and of printing, and to vvhom many secrets vvere made knovvne by the accomplishment of prophesies, especially concerning the Antichrist, vvho be­ing conceived in the Apostles times, vvas brought forth, and brought up unvvittingly by the Fathers, vvho looked for the Antichrist from another quarter, vvhich maketh them to be incompetent judges in the matter of Hierarchie, & Ce­remonies thereof. The Romanists themselues, vvho professe to be the greatest favourers of the ancient Fathers, are forced to blush at many of their grosse and shamefull absurdities, & to confesse, that many things, that vvere of old either doubt­full, or altogether unknovvne, are novv to the meanest be­come cleare and certaine. Some of them haue exploded it as an impertinent similitude, that vve being cōpared to the an­cients, are as dvvarffes upon the shoulders of Giants. The o­ther thing, that vve vvould haue the studious reader to take notice of, is this, That of the Prelates & maintainers of con­formitie, seeking the fountaine of antiquitie, and uncertaine vvhere to finde it, some goe back to the old testament, to bring the Prelates pedegree from thence, some vvould bring his discent from Christ, some from the Apostles, and a fourth sort from the primitiue Kirk. But before they get a sight of their ovvne Prelate, in his pompe, in his povver, and in his bu [...]ke of Ceremonies, they must goe farder dovvne the streame, till they come in sight of the Antichrist, and there they shall see him not far of, vvayting on, as may be appa­rent by this vvhich follovveth.

[Page 22] THE PASTOR acknowledgeth the difference of the Kirk and ministerie of the old & new Testament, seeketh neyther type,The pastor is not older then the N. Testamēt, the pre­late would fetch his prelacie from the Old Testam. nor patterne of his office from the Leviticall priesthood, but bringeth his oldest war­rant from Christ and his Apostles, and exponeth the Ancients, as Jerome and others, who insist in the similitude of the ministerie of the old and new Testament,Mutato sacerdo­tio mutatur & lex heb. 7. 12. Ex si­gura communi, fine exemplo, nihil cōcludi necessario po­test. lun. de pontif. as speaking by the way of allusion, and not from any warrant of divine translation.

The PRELATE searching the fountaines of Nilus, would bring his descent as high as from Levi, as if the chief priests, who had no episcopall authoritie over their brethren, were turned now into prelates: the inferi­our Priests into pastors, and the Levites, who had no proper care of the poore, were changed into our Deacons. He bringeth the ancients to reckon this Genealogie, but with such successe, as the sonnes of Habijah had, when they failed in reckoning their line from Aaron, and so proved unworthy of the priesthood Nehem. 7.

2. The PASTOR hath an ordinarie and perpetuall office appointed by Christ,The pastor and not [...]he prelate warran­ [...]d by Christ. but the office of the Apostle and Evangelist was extraordinarie, & to continue but for a time. So that (how­soever antiquitie useth the words of Apostle & Bishop amply, cal­ling the Apostles Bishops, and Bishops or pastors Apostles, and successors to the Apostles) yet neither is the one kinde of office compatible with the other, nor can the one properly be sayd to succeede the other.Apost. & Euang. [...]mumofficia, de­ [...]de duo extraor­dinaria, significant Officiū Apostoli & Euang. continet in se officium presby­teri eminenter, sed non formaliter, of­ficiū autē episcopi hierarchici, nec e­minenter, quia non datur episcopatus extra apostolatū, quem contineat e­minenter, sicut da­tur presbyteratus. So different are they as well in respect of charge, as of gifts and discharge of duetie. For the Superior doeth not onely doe that which the inferior may not doe, but his manner of doing, of that which is common to both, is far higher and more eminent.

The PRELATE repelled by the officebearers of the Old Testa­ment, seeketh to enter with his directiue power and jurisdiction among the ministers of the Gospell, but with like successe. For a pastor and doctor, his power over pastors and doctors suffereth them not to be. He urgeth to be taken in with the Apostle or Evangelist, and to be esteemedIn gradum [...] succes [...]it Apostolis & Euang. in caput succedunt pastores ordinarii. successor to them, but his office and theirs are not compatible. For formally their office was extraordinarie, and without succession, and materially his office is not conteyned in their offices, as is the office of a pastor, there being no exam­ple in Scripture, without the office of Apostle or Evangelist of such power as the prelate claymeth. Whether his life and forme of ministration be a­postolicall, all that know him may discerne.

3. The PASTOR and not the prelate is the first minister (by the prelates owne confession) whom the Apostles appointed in Kirks, when they first planted them.The Past. and not the Prel. warranted by the Apostles. The pastor and not the prelate is the minister, whom the Apostles in their time doe ap­proue, and the Pastor and not the prelate is the last minister, to [Page 23] whom the Apostles, when they were to remoue, or were neare unto death, did recommend the care of the Kirks, and there­fore the Pastor and not the prelate is the minister warranted by the Apostles.

The PRELATE denyed of Christ, would father himselfe upon the Apostles, and finding no warrant from their doctrine or practise in Scripture, albeit the Acts of the Apostles containe the historie of many yeeres after Christs ascension,Intervallum ill [...] ab ult. c. Act. Apost. ad medium, Trajans imperium plane cu [...] Varrone [...] voca [...] potest. Ioseph. Scalig. prolegom. in Chronic [...] Eusebii. He seemeth to be sure of the ecclesiasti­call historie recorded in the Apostles times, & by Apostolick institution, a begunne succession of Bishops in Ierusalem, Rome, Alexandria, An­tioch &c. But here also he standeth without, because the bishops of those places were either Apostles, and therefore could not be properly Bishops, or els ordinarie pastors of no greater place nor power, except for age & gift, then other presbyters labouring with them: Such were Linus, Cle­mens, Cletus, Anacletus, fellow presbyters at Rome at one time, one of them living some space after another, and to shewe the order of succes­sion from the Apostles against Hereticks, who urged it, they were num­bred, as if they had not lived at one time, and in the line of succession were called Bishops, by Eusebius and others after him,Vt hiatum euplere [...] Euseb. [...], Clementis nescio cujus (non est enim ille eru­ditus Alexandrinus [...]) & [...] Hegesippi, non melioris scriptoris sint delectu, ea deprompsit. idem. agreeable to the corruption of their owne tymes, when now men had of their owne head put a difference betwixt a Bishop and a pastor, and not according to the puritie of the primitiue times, of which they did write, when a pa­stor and a bishop was one and the same.

4. The PASTOR is the divine and Apostolick bishop,The Pastor keepeth his place, and authori­tie in the primitiue Kirk, when the prelate beginneth to worke, & to be constant mo­derator, or perpetuall president. of the lawfulnesse of whose calling, and power in the primitiue Kirk after the Apostles there was no question. The pastor by consent of antiquitie (when now by humane wisedome the constant moderator was brought in and called the Bishop) had right and power, not by grant but by his office, not onely to preach the Word, minister the Sacraments, and use the keyes in binding and loosing the conscience, but also with the fellow presbytersWho dare condemne all those worthy mini­steri of God, that were neve [...] ordeyned by presbyters in sundrie Kirks of the world, at such times as bishops [...] those parts where they lived, opposed thēselues against the trueth [...] God. Field book 3. cap. 39. to ordaine ministers, and in the presbyteriall, provinciall, and nationall assemblies, to decide controversies, to make constitutions, to inflict censures, euen upon Bishops, and by his pastorall authoritie to doe all things necessarie for the edification of the Kirk. And this right and power, that God gaue him, he maintained in some Kirks in the most cor­rupt times, when now Antichrist was set on his chaire, and prelacie for the most part, of humane was become satanicall.

The PRELATE holden at the doore by Christ and his Apostles after their timesPaulatim quamvi [...] patribus nihil minus cogitantibus, gradui e­piscopali aditus huma­nitus apertus, per qu [...]mox ingressa [...] ▪ [...] istum ini­ [...] quidem in Oli­garchiā, ac tandem [...] horrendam illā [...]ntichristianā ty­rannidem oecume­nicā evexit, haud satis scio an unquā abolendā nisi semel sublatis quibus eo ascendit gradibus, in ordinem divinae institutionis redi­gatur. Bez. de grad cap. 23. by the ambition of some pastors; and simplicitie of o­thers, when he had long hung on, got in the foote to be constant mode­rator, but not finding entrie at the first, for his greate head, made up of sole ordination, of monarchicall jurisdiction, of civill power, worldly [Page 24] pompe and superstitious ceremonies, he hydeth his miter in the mysterie of iniquitie, going on with it foote for foote, and draweth in by fraude and force, one limme after another, till at last, after many ages, and much working (for he atteyned not to the degree of an Archbishop, till after the Councell of Nice) he sheweth himselfe Lord in the house of God, having no more of the first institution of a Bishop, then the ship Argo had of her first buylding, when after her expedition shee had lyen at a full sea some hundreds of yeares, or the beggers cloake patched with many clouts and cou­lours, that hath passed through some generations, which he it may be, makes more of, then of a parliament robe, hath of the first shaping.

5. The PASTOR as became the humble servant of Christ,The pastor seek­eth no honour but by his doctrine & life; the prelate forsaketh this way and taketh him to the world. and a minister of the New Testament, procured and maintained the dignitie and true honour of his ministerie, by holding forth the glorious light of the Gospell in his doctrine, and the shyning light of holynes in his conversation: esteeming the preaching of the glad tydings of peace, to be the beautie of ministers, & righ­teousnes their robe and ornament.

The PRELATE tooke him to the contrarie course, for his credite, and transformed the beautifull simplicitie of Christs Kingdome into the glorie of the kingdome of the world, albeit when he was of his old stampe, his greatest dignitie was his chaire, and faythfull teaching the flower of his garland: yet now degenerating from his first sinceritie, and being infected with secular smoake, he came to be cast in the mould of the first Beast, his chaire gaue place to his Consistorie and throne; his jurisdiction and govern­ment, honoured with the title of preheminence caried all the credit, Teach­ing as a base worke was giuen over to the pettie presbyters, and everie of­fice in the Kirk was counted a dignitie worthie of honour lesse or more, as it had more or lesse jurisdiction annexed, as these are more or lesse honou­rable in the common wealth, that haue more or lesse civill authoritie. And thus prelacie came up, and preaching came downe, and the Kirk be­came more worldly then the world it selfe.

6. The PASTOR when all was going wrong,The pastor wit­nes for the trueth in the time o [...] de­fection, which is wrought by the prelate, perverting all after he is once entred. some ray­sing contentions, others gaping after honours, the braines of ma­ny being bigge with heresies, all giuen to heape up superstition and Atheisme, and the prelate with his popish hierarchie, posses­sing both the holy citie and outward court, he then gaue testimo­nie to the trueth, kept still the temple, and within the temple kept in the light, as two oliue trees growing up by the sides of the candlestick, and dropping downe from the branches oyle in­to the lampes, for the comfort of such as Jehovah Shammah had chosen for life, and would saue from the deluge of defection.

The PRELATE once possessed into the Kirk, never ceased, till he had changed the Kirk into a court, power ecclesiasticall into civill policie, the Scripture into tradition, the trueth into heresie, sinceritie into super­stition, [Page 25] the worship of God into Idolatrie, as the worship of ima­ges, Saincts and bread-worship, the pure ordinances of God into Masses, Altars, Images, Garments, Fasting, and follies of Paga­nisme and Iudaisme, like a smoake out of the bottomlesse pitte, grow­ing grosser and thicker everie day, and in the middest of the myst built up his greatnes, upon the ruins not onely of the Kirks, but of the com­monwealths of the world: for when the starres of heauen fell into the earth, the mountaines and Ilands were moved out of tbeir places, and as this unhappy milt swelled bigge in the bodie with wealth and honour, the life of religion became faint, the Princes and Nobles of the earth like the noble parts in the body decayed, and the meaner ones like the hands and feete withered away. The Popes felicitie was the whole worlds mise­rie, and so was the Prelates to severall nations and provinces.

7. The PASTOR and with him the godly of the time wearied with long opposition, The past, complai­ned of that which he could not mend & the prel, perse­cuted them that complained. poured out their heavie com­plaints, Ecce in pace a­maritudo mea ama rissima, amarapri­us in nece marty­rū, amarior post [...] conflictu hereti [...]rum, amariss [...] nunc in mori [...] domesticorum▪ [...] Bern. super Cant. that the grief of the Kirk was more bitter in peace, then eyther under persecution or heresie, that she had brought up and exalted her sonnes, & they had despised her. If a professed Heretick should arise, she could cast him forth of her bosome, if a violent enemie, she could hide her selfe frō him, but now whom shall the Kirk cast out, or frō whom shall she hide her self, all are friends, & yet all are enemies, al are domesticks, & yet none seek her true peace, for all seeke their owne things, and not the things of Iesus Christ. They are the ministers of Christ, & serue the An­tichrist. He complayneth, Devotio peperit divitias, & filia de voravit matrem. idem. that devotion had brought forth riches, & the mother had devoured her daughter.Olim fuerunt li­gnei calices, & au­rei sacerdotes: nunc contra sunt aure [...] calices & lignei sa cerdotes, vulgo ja­ctitatū. That of old the Bishops were of gold & the cups of wood, but now the bishops haue chāged their metall with the cups.Olim habuisse christianos obscura templa, sed lucida cordainūc cōtra habere lucida templa sed obscura corda. & sequentia. That of old Christians had darke Kirks, but lightsome hearts, but now lightsome kirks and darke hearts. That the prelates inquired what rent the bishoprick rendered, and not how many soules were to be fed in it. That their bodies were clad with purple and silke, but had threedbare con­sciences. That their care was greater to emptie mens purses, then to extir­pate their vices. That when they consecrate a Prelate, they kill a good man by advancing him. That no greater evill could be wished to any man, then that he be made pope. That in the estate of the Kirk Heauen is below, and earth is aboue. The spirit obeyeth, and the flesh commandeth. That in the mouths of the Prelates was the law of vanitie, and not the law of veritie, and that the lips of the priestes under them kept secular, and not spirituall knowledge.

And when he searched the causes of the Kirks miserie, he condescended upon the neglecting of Scripture, and multiplication of mens inventions, the ignorance and idlenes of prelates, like dumbe dogges, that could not barke; their covetousnesse aboue the Pharisees.

[Page 26] They suffred doues to be solde in the temple, but these sell both Kirk and sacrifice. Their pride and ambition declared in theyr great horses, and other superfluous pompe, and that as sonnes of Belial they haue cast off the yoke, not induring that any should aske them, why they doe so and so, the unequall proportion seen in the Kirk, when one is hungrie an other drunke, some so enor­miously overgone in riches and pompe, that the weaknes of the rest is not able to beare them.

The PRELATE still madde of avarice and ambition stood upon the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that they should not blowe, and opposed himselfe against the doctrine and complaint of the Pastors, condemning them for Hereticks, giving out against them decrees of corrupt councels, thundring them with anathematismes: & per­secuting them by fire and sword. He punished the clergie under him more severely for the neglect of a ceremonie then for sacriledge or adulterie, and finally least his fraude and falsehoode should be knowen, he forbad all men the reading and using the holy Scripture.

8. The PASTOR and all good men,The Past. desyred, & urged a refor­mation, which by [...] meanes the pre­ [...]e refused. that longed and la­boured for the reformation of the Christian Kirk, for the space of fiue hundred yeeres,D. Reynold his [...]ter to S. Francis Knolles▪ concerning D. Bancrofts sermō 1588. maketh this cleare. as the Waldenses, Marsilius Patavinus, Wickleife, and his schollers, Husse and his followers, and all such as the Lord used for instruments in working the reformation, as Luther, Calvin, Brentius, Bullingerus, Musculus &c. did teach, that all pastors are of equall authoritie by the word of God, and all that space of time urged this point of reformation, as without which no successe could be expected in the reformation of the doctrine and worship.

The PRELATE knowing, as it was often preached & writ­ten, all that time of 500 yeares, that the maine cause of the corruptions of the Kirk was his owne place, his pride, and his avarice, and that the desi­red and urged reformation of the Kirk, which was now brought to that passe, that as one sayes well, she could never beare her owne disease, nor yet suffer remedie, behoved to beginne at himselfe, the greatest byle in all ehe bodie, by all meanes held off reformation, as his owne ruine, and when seve­rall nations were bringing it aboute, he could never be moved to giue his consent, so deare was his myter and bellye unto him.

The Pastor & Prelate compared in their judgment and practise about things indifferent.

BESIDE the speculations of the Schoolmen devi­ded amongst themselues,Many controver­sies & contentions about things indif­ferent. in their subtilties aboute things indifferent, which vvorke mightily upon mens wits, but more weakely upon their affections, then to make any greate division, There hath beene much adoe in the Kirk since the beginning about adiaphorismes, & things indifferent.1. In the Apostles times. First in the infancie of the Christian Kirk the heate and the contention was greate betwixt the converted Jewes and Gentiles, aboute the keeping of the Ceremonies of the lavv, which before vvere commanded, afterwards were forbidden, but in that tract of time were in a manner indifferent. Concerning vvhich we finde, that the Apostles never imposed them upon any people or per­son, that judged them unlavvfull, that they thought that eve­ry man should be persuaded in his ovvne mind, and should doe nothing against, or vvithout the vvarrant of his consci­ence; that by all meanes scandall should be avoyded, as vvhich bringeth vvoe upon him by vvhom it commeth, and destruction upon him upon vvhom it commeth, and many such rules of conscience and Christian prudence, vvhich serue to the Kirk for direction in matters indifferent to the comming of Christ.2. At the first re­formation, among three sorts of men. Secondly, there vvas greate bu­sinesse aboute ceremonies, and things called indifferent, in the infancie of the Reformed kirks, in the time of the Interim, [Page 31] vvhen vvith so greate povver and persecution the Romish corruptions vvere forced againe upon them, under the name of indifferencie: at that time politicks and vvorldly men, more carefull of their ovvn vvealth then of Gods trueth, gaue themselues to serue the time, and received all that vvas obtruded under the saide cloake of indifferencie. These vvere accounted friends to Augustus. Others of greate gifts and esteeme in the Kirk vvished from their hearts, that these ceremonies had never been urged, yet thought it a lesse evill to admit some thing in the externall part of Gods vvorship, and thereby uniformitie in religion vvith the enemies, then by a stoicall stifnes (as they call it) and an obstinacie to pro­voke authoritie, and thereby to bring upon themselues ba­nishment, and upon Kirk and common vvealth desolarion. Such men looking more to unitie, then to veritie, & more to the event, then to their ovvn duetie, vvere called cānie, vvise and peaceable men. A third sorte setting aside all sophisti­cation, and collusion vvith the enemie, taught plainly by vvord and vvrit from Scripture, and not from the grounds of policie: that vvhen any part of Gods vvorship is in dan­ger, that then for the honour of God, confirmation of the tr [...]eth, and edification of the Kirk, Confession is necessarie. He that confesseth not me, he that is ashamed of me before men, &c. They taught, that it vvas not lavvfull to symbolize vvith the enemie; that in the case of confession the smallest ceremonies are not indifferent: that at such times the Kirk should stand fast to her libertie, against such as vvould bring her into bon­dage: that yielding to such ceremonies vvas a great scandall, it being a returning to the vomite, the patching of an old cloute upon a nevv garment, & making the vveake to thinke that the reformation of the Kirk vvas not a vvorke of God, but of man: that the untimely change of ceremonies vvas a shevve of defection from the vvhole reformation: that vvhen the enemie urgeth uniformitie, his intentiō should be looked to, because he never rests, but proceeds from the corruption of outvvard vvorship to corrupt the doctrine, and to leaue nothing sound. Men that taught after this manner vvere ac­counted [Page 32] by the former politicks, and peaceable Formalists, to be contentious spirits, and troublers of the peace of the Kirk.3. Among Refor­med Kirks this day Thirdly, albeit the reformed Kirks agree novv for the most part in the generall, about the nature and use of things indifferent, yet they goe far asunder in the application of the generall to their particular practises. The Lutheran Kirks hold some things for indifferent, vvhich the Kirk of England receiveth not, and England holdeth a multitude of ordinan­ces aboute discipline and ceremonies for indifferent, vvhich vve tabe to be unlavvfull, and beside the vvord. Everie Kirk judging, or at least practising, according to theyr ovvne mea­sure of reformation: all crept not forth of that Roman de­luge equally accomplished. No marvell that some of them should smell of the vvine of fornication, vvherevvith they all for so many yeeres vvere drunke. But obstinacie against the ingyring light, and the refusing of a further degree of Re­formation, is fearefull, vvhat is it then to drawe others back from their reformation, and to binde them up againe into their old chaine of darknes. These manifold contentions a­bout things called indifferent, and ceremonies haue proved so pernitious by defacing the kingdome of Christ, setting up the tyrannie of Antichrist, dividing Pastors, offending peo­ple, dismembring the Kirk, and almost putting out the life of true pietie, that vve may truly say, nothing hath proved lesse indifferent to the Kirk, then the contentions about things indifferent, and many haue been more hote for them, then for the hart of religion, because they concerne the face of the Kirk, and as Erasmus sayd in another cause, the crownes & bellies of Kirkmen. Whether our old Pastor, or nevv prelate hath here the greatest guiltinesse, will appeare by this litle that follovveth.

[Page 33] THE PASTOR,The pastor resteth not in the estate of a Kirk; that is in­differentgood, but would be at fur­ther Reformation: the prelate incly­neth to defection. ever feareth defection, and stil urgeth Reformation, till every thing be done in the house of God, according to the will of God. He ac­counteth the constitution of a Kirk, that is but indif­ferent good, or midway betwixt idolatrie and Re­formation, to be but like the lukewarmnesse of Laodicea.

The PRELATE pleaseth himselfe in this, that there be many Kirks in worse case, resteth in his indifferencie, and lukewarmnesse, and rather inclyneth downward to further defection, then aymeth at any higher Reformation, like the Priests of Samaria, that were al so earnest a­gainst the true worship at Ierusalem, as they were against Baal and his ido­latrie.

2. The PASTOR looketh not to the world but to Reli­gion in matters of Religion,The past thinketh not that indifferēt which doth good or evil to the peo­ples soules: the prelate accounteth that indifferent, which doeth nei­ther good nor evil to his worldly e­state. and therefore thinketh not that in­different in Religion, which bringeth good or evill spirituall up­on the Kirk, and the soules of the people, albeit in their worldly estate immediately it doe them neyther good nor evill.

The PRELATE esteemeth many things indifferent in Religion, because they neyther bring good nor evill to his worldly estate, albeit they do good or evill to the Kirk, and to the soules of the people, and looketh more to the world then to religion in matters of religion.

3. The PASTOR acknowledgeth three degrees of mat­ters of fayth,The past, thinketh nothing indifferēt that is warranted by the word: the prelate everything that is not funda­mentall. some to be of the foundation and first prin­ciples of the doctrine of fayth, some to be neare the foun­dation, as the conclusions clearly following upon the former▪ and the third to be of all other matters warranted by the word, and what is of this third ranck, were it never so farre from the foundation, and never so small in our eyes, not to be a matter indifferent, but to binde the conscience, and to be a matter of fayth.

The PRELATE professeth the first and second to be matters of fayth; but when he cōmeth to the third he esteemeth thē to be no matters of fayth, but indifferent and wondereth that a wiseman should be so precise and puritanicall, as to stand upon matters that are not fundamentall, but indifferent. For so he distinguisheth, making every thing eyther funda­mentall or indifferent.

4. The PAST.The pastor findeth the direction for ceremonies to be as perfect under the gospel, as it was under the law but the prelate ad­deth unto it, as if it were unperfect. comparing the worship of God under the gos­pell with the worship vnder the law, findeth that the commande­ment Deu. 12. 32. Every word that I command you, that ye shall obserue to doe, thou shalt not add unto it, neyther shall ye deminish from it, doeth equally concerne both. That the mynd of man permitted to it selfe would proue as vayne and foolish under the Gospell, as under the law, and that Iesus Christ was faythfull as a Sonne in all the house of God, [Page 34] aboue Moses who was but a servant, and therefore albeit the ceremo­nial observations under the Law were many, which was the bur­den of the Kirk under the old Testament, and ours be few, which is our benefit, yet the determination from God in all the matters of his worship he findeth to be all particular, the direction of all the parts of our obedience to be as cleare to us, that now liue under the Gospell, as it was to them that lived under the Law.

The PREL. as if eyther it were lawfull now to adde to the word, or mans minde were in a better frame, or the Sonne of God were not so faythfull as Moses the servant, or as if direction in few ceremonies could not be as plaine as in many, would bring into the Kirk a new ceremoniall law, made up of translations of divine worship, of imitations of false wor­ship, and of inventions of willworship, to succede to the abolished ceremo­nies under the Law, which he interpreteth to be the libertie and power of the Christian Kirk in matters indifferent, aboue the Kirk of the old testa­ment: but is indeede the greate doore, whereby himselfe & others, strange office-bearers, whereby dayes, altars, vestures, crosse, kneeling, and all that Romish rable his shaddow, haue entred into the Kirk of Christ, and which will never be shut againe till himselfe be shut out, who while he is within holdeth it wide open.

5. The PASTOR giveth no power to the Kirk to appoint other things in the worship of God,The past. appoint­eth no new thing in the worship of God: but the prel. is a new lawgiver. thē are appointed already by Christ the onely Lawgiver of his Kirk, but to set downe canons and constitutions about things before appointed, and to dispose the circumstances of order & decencie, that are equally necessa­rie in civill and religious actions, and therefore resolveth first, that nothing positiue, or that floweth meerely from institution, can be indifferent, or can be appointed by the Kirk. Secondly, that reason may be giuen from Christian prudence, why things are appointed by the Kirk thus and no other waies. And third­ly, that the constitutions of the Kirk about things indifferent can not be universall for all times and Kirks, and therefore can not be concluded upon any morall or unalterable ground, which made the ancients to obserue, that albeit Christs coate had no seame, yet the Kirks vesture was of divers colours, and that uni­tie is one thing, and uniformitie another.

The PRELATE as a new Lawgiver will appoint new rites, and mysticall signes in the Kirk, that depend upon meere institution, and are not concluded upon any reason of Christian prudence for such a time and place, but upon grounds unchangable, and therefore obliging at all times and places, as is evident by the reason that he bringeth for festivall dayes, kneeling in the sacrament &c.

6. The PASTOR distinguisheth betwixt the nature and use of things indifferent,The pastor is so far limited, that he thinketh nothing to be in use indif­ferent: but the prelate accounteth that to be precise­nes & puritanisme and confesseth with all the learned, that [Page 35] albeit many actions be in their nature indifferent, yet that all our actions in particular (at least such as proceede of deliberation, which is the exception of some of the Schoolmen) are eyther good or evill, and not one of them all indifferent in matters most indifferent, which obligeth him to seeke a warrant from God, for that which he doeth, that he may doe it in fayth, to walke cir­cumspectly, to take heede to his words, gestures, &c. and to do all that he doeth to the glorie of God.

The PREL. abhorreth this doctrine as the foundation of Puritanisme, the restraint of his licentiousnes, and the ruine of his monarchie, & there­fore to the contrarie sinneth with a bold conscience, and maketh the people to sinne, some with erring, some with doubting, and some with a contra­dicting conscience.

7. The PASTOR giveth eare to the H. Ghost,The pastor feareth to giue offence in things indifferent: but the prelate is bold and scanda­lous. charging that we put no occasion to fall, nor stumbling block before our brethren, (for that is to destroy him for whom Christ dyed) cō ­manding the strong to beare with the infirmities of the weake, and not to please themselues with the neglect of their brethren, and threatning woe to them, by whom offences come, against which no authoritie of man can stand, because it can neyther make scandall not to be, nor not to be sinne, nor not to be his sinne that giveth the scandall.

The PRELATE stopping his eare against the commandement charge and threatning of the H. Ghost, whether he intend to giue scandall or not by his manifold abuse of things indifferent, and especially by recoiving into the Kirk againe things called indifferent, which for their great abuse were abolished, giveth offence to all sorts: as the boldnes and increase of pa­pists, the contempt and mocking of the profane, the superstition and per­plexitie of the simple, and the grief and crosses of the godly doe declare, a­gainst which he never had any excuse, but the pretext of authoritie.

The Pastor & Prelate compared by the Reformation, and proceedings of our owne Kirk.

AS no familie or civill societie, vvhere the fun­damentall lawes are neglected, and the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are followed, can continew long, except it be reformed. Euen so the Kirk of God, through the misregard of the lavves of God & [...]irection of Scripture, and through the ambition and cove­ [...]ousnes of Kirkmen did fall avvay so farre from the first inte­ [...]itie, that there vvas a necessitie of Reformation, & nothing more certainly looked for, and more plainly foretold a long time before any of our reformers,How Reformation was [...]rought. or Luther himselfe come in the world. This reformation that could no longer be de­layed vvas often urged, but never likely to be obteyned in a generall Counsell, nor vvith consent of the Clergie & Court [Page 39] of Rome, to vvhom Reformation vvas a certaine ruine. And therefore in severall kingdomes, countries and states of the christian vvorld, it vvas vvonderfully vvrought by the Lords mighty povver in his vveake servants. Such vvere a­mongst others Baldus of Franco, Hus of Bohem, Jerome of Prage, Luther of of Germanie, Wickleife of England, and our Knox of Scotland. Whereupon it came to passe, that although one part of Christendome knewe not what ano­ther was doing, yet they all agreed (as may be seene in the Harmonie of Confessions published to the vvorld) in the most essentiall and fundamentall matters of fayth: because the Lord vvas maister of that vvorke: but had also their own differences and degrees of Reformation, because men vvere the instruments, and they vvere not Angels, but men that vvere to be vvrought upon. For vvhose divers dispositions in sundry nations there behooved to be divers disadvantages to the vvork. We are not riged censurers of other Reformed Kirks, nor are vve Separatists from them: but this vve thinke that a tvvofold duetie lyeth upon us,A twofold duetie of the reformed Kirks. and them all, vvhatso­ever be the measure of Reformation: One is (albeit there be ever some Catholick moderators, that vvill be Trysters be­tvvixte us and Rome, and thinke to agree Christ and Anti­christ) that vve all vvith one heart prayse God for separating us from Sodome, resolving never to returne againe, vvhere there be so many heresies, both against the common princi­ples and particular articles of fayth, so manifold idolatrie both against the first and second commandement, so proude a Hierarchie as can neyther stande vvith the spirituall King­dome of Christ, nor the civill Kingdomes of Princes, and so bloudy a tyranny against all vvho refuse to belieue theire heresies, to practise their idolatrie, and to be slavish to their hierarchie. Returning to any point of theit profession is an approbatiō of their crueltie against them that haue denied it. And vvhosoever approue their vvorship, they bringe upon themselues the bloud of so many Saincts, and faythfull mar­tyrs of Christ, vvho haue testified the vvord of God, & haue vvashed their Robes in the bloud of the Lambe. The other [Page 40] duetie is, that albeit there be ever some adiaphorists, vvho for their ovvne particular make many things, and shevve moe things to be indifferent in the vvorship of God, that under this pretext they may bring them back, that haue been ad­vanced before them in the worke of Reformation: that we all praise God vvith one heart for the measure that everie one hath atteyned unto,The Reformation of our kirk. and they that are behinde in reformati­on, whatsoever their outvvard splendor be, envye not them vvo haue runne before, or studie to dravv them back to their degree, least both returne to Rome: but that all against all impediments presse forvvard to further perfection, ever re­forming some vvhat according to the patterne, there being no staying neither for the Christian nor for the Kirk. The Kirk of Scotland hath litle cause to be pleased vvith herselfe, vvhē she looketh upon her late suddain and shamefull defection, but greate and singular cause to praise God, vvhen she look­eth to his gracious dispensation. For as Scotland, albeit far from Ierusalem, vvas one of the first nations, that the light of the Gospel shyned on, vvhen it appeared to the Gentils, and one of the last that kept the light, vvhen the shadovves of the hilles of Rome began to darken the earth. So vvhen the sun came aboute againe at the Reformation, if this blessed light shyned first upō others, all that had eyes to see both at home and abroade, haue seene and sayd, that it shyned fairest upō us, Divine providence delighting to supply the defect of na­ture vvith aboundance of grace, and to make this backside of the earth, lying behind the visible sunne, by the cleare and comforting beames of the Sunne of righteousnes, to be the sunnie side of the Christian vvorld, vvhereof these follovv­ing testimonies are sufficient proofe.

The Pastor & Prelate compared by the weale of the Kirk. and the peoples soules.

THE saeftie and good of the State vvas the maine ende of Roman policie,The good estate of the Kirk the end of Kirk policie. and the fun­damentall lavv, by vvhich that people squa­red all their other lavves, according to their ovvne Maxime:Salus populi su­prema lex. eversa domo, interdum rei publicae status ma­nere potest: urbis ruina, penates om­nes secum traha [...] necesse est. Valet. max. l. 5. c. 6. Let the safety of the people be the souveraigne lauv. The Kirk of Jesus Christ hath better reason to think, that the safety of the Kirk should be the rule and end of all Ecclesiasticall policie, al­though the forme of externall Worship and of the govern­ment of the house of God were not prescribed by the Lord himselfe in his Word, but left arbitrarie to men to be fra­med by their Canons and Constitutions, yet this must be hol­den as infallible. That it is the best forme of government vvhich by reason and experience is found to be best for the vveale and safety of the Kirk. Unto this generall both Pre­late and Pastor vvill vvithout question condescend: but they differ in the particular, what this is, vvherein the good and weale of the Kirk doeth consist: For the Prelate places the weale of the Kirk in her outvvard peace and prosperitie, & thinketh the Kirk vvell constituted, and in good case, vvhen she florisheth in wealth and vvorldly dignities. [Page 50] But herein he abuseth the christian World three wayes,The prelate abu­seth the people three waies in de­termining what is the good estate of the Kirk. First, that he measures and determines the good estate of the Kirk by her outvvard face, and not by her invvard grace, by the health of her bodye rather then of her soule, by that which is accidentall to the Kirk, and which she may ey­ther haue or vvante, and yet continue a true Kirk, and not by that vvhi his essentiall and proper to the very nature and being of a Kirk. Secondly, that he judgeth that to be the vveale of the Kirk, vvhich hath many times proved her vvrack, being abused, as commonly it hath happened: He taketh poyson for a preservatiue, and surfett of peace and pro­sperity, excesse of vvealth and vvorldly honours, vvhich are her deadly disease, to be her health & best constitution. Too large bestovving of riches and preferments upon the mini­sters of the Kirk, bred that contagion vvithin her bovvels vvhich turned almost to her death in the ende: for thereby defection grevv by degrees, till ar [...] st under the Man of [...] it came to the heigth. Thirdly, that he measures the good estate of the Kirk by himselfe, and the rest of the members of that Hierarchicall bodye, as though it vvent vvell vvith the vvhole Kirk, vvhen Bishops stand and reigne, like the Kings of the nations, and as though the ministery vve [...]e suf­ficiently vindicated from poverty and contempt, vvher [...]tvvelue or thirteene of the number are clymed up like [...] the highest places, that vvith their evill favoured mingeot [...] they m [...]y moue laughter to all that beholde them from be­lovv, or like foules flovven up to the highest roofes, shoot­ing dovvne their filthy excrements upon the rest, that sitt in the lovver roomes. But the Pastor esteemes the good an weale of the Kirk by her spirituall estate, that is, by a sound fayth, a pure vvorship, and a holy conversation, as she stands or decayes in these, so is shee eyrher in a good consti­tution or languishing, and as she is furnished vvith all the meanes that may preserue and increase these, so she eyther prospers or decayes. This judgment of the Pastor is groun­ded upon verie good reasons. For upon this estate of the Kirk necessarily depends the glory of God, and salvation of [Page 51] soules, which are the tvvo things that make the difference betvvixt the Kirk of God, and all other so [...]ieties of men in the vvorld, and therefore the Pastor hath reason to thinke, that all the riches of the earth, & all the glorie of all the king­domes of the vvorld are not to be put in ballance vvith the glory of God, and the salvation of soules, that vvhich God vvith his ovvne bloud hath purchased and redeemed. Now vvhether the good of the Kirk in these things be better pro­cured and preserved by the Prelate or by the Pastor, let them be typed by comparing them in the particulars follovving.

I. THE PASTOR his principall care is to preserue the puritie of doctrine in the Kirk,The pastor careful to preserue the pu­ritie of doctrine, for the good of the Kirk: the pre­late cares more for his own things. that Christs flock may be fedde with the wholesome word of life, and to oppose all contrarie and unprofitable doctrine, as poy­sonable and pernitious to the peoples soules, and for that purpose interteyneth in weekely meetings the exercise of the word, where the doctrine delivered by one, is judged by all the rest, whether it be sound and profitable, and taketh such or­der vvith the Papists, the greate corrupters of doctrine, and ene­mies to the peoples soules, that eyther he converteth them, or cutteth them off from the communion of the Kirk with the spiri­tuall sword, and exhorteth the Magistrate, to execute the lawes made against them: whereby it came to passe that contrarie do­ctrine, and vayn and curious teaching either entred not into our Kirk, or was suddainly repressed and put to the doore, and Papi­strie that had place before, was well nigh put out of the land.

The PRELATE hath neyther leasure nor liking to looke to such ex­ercise, and accounts no heresie so worthy his animadversion, as the alleaged heresie of Aerius and his followers. It is manifest in historie from the be­ginning, that the heresies that haue most endangered the Kirk, haue either beene forged by the ingines,k As Christs reall descent into hell, many Lutherane, Arminian and po­pish errors. or favoured and borne out by the authoritie and credit of Prelates: b and this day, diverse false and dangerous doctrines are partly vented, and partly wincked at by them: neyther thinketh he papists greate enemies to the Kirk: but as the Iewish priests entertayned the Sad­duces, albeit enemies to true religion, and hated Christians as their deadly foes, and as the Papist can agree with the formall Protestant, but thinks the [Page 52] unconformable Calvenist his irreconcileable enemie, so the Prelate could a­gree with the common Papist for all his blaspheamous doctrine and professi­on, because he is a friend to his Hierarchie. But the Reformed Christian, whom he calleth the Calvinist, and Puritane he can by no meanes beare, because he is professed unfriend to his Hierarchie. A Prelate as a Prelate is not opposite to the Papist, but to the Protestant.

2.The pastor in the matter of ceremo­nies lookes to the edification of the Kirk, which the prelate misregard­eth. The PASTOR knowing that a litle leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe, thinketh it dangerous for the peoples soules to borrowe eyther substance or ceremonie of religion from Antichristian corruption, and therefore warneth the people to beware of the least beginnings and appearances of evill, and while he deliberates aboute ceremonies, fittest for ordor and decencie, he intends nothing of his owne, but the edi­fication of the kirk, and in the practise of ceremonies & circum­stances orderly appointed, he looketh to the peace of the Kirk that it be not broken, and to the consciences of the weake, that they be not offended.

The PRELATE liketh to simbolize with Antichrist his Ceremo­nies, putting the Papists in hope, that the bodie and substance of the [...] superstition may be resumed by time, where the shadowes and ceremonie [...] are so highly regarded. He intends nothing in appointing them, but the maintenance of his owne estate and dignitie, because he seeth and sayth, N [...] Ceremonie no Bishop, and in practise is more earnest in urging of Ce­remonies, then of obedience to the greatest things of the Law, & by the Ca­nons aboute matters, which they themselues call indifferent, doth viole [...] eyther to the bodies or consciences of the people, that thinke otherwayes, & maketh them to serue as roddes to scourge and whippe out of the Kirk, and ministerie, whom and when they thinke good.

3. The PASTOR considering,The past. in the whole course of his ministerie in­tends the feeding of the flock: the prel. to feede him selfe. that he is called to feede the f [...]ock of Christ, and to care for the peoples soules, in his en­trie to the ministerie, will be loath to undertake a greater charg [...] then he can in some measure overtake, and the lesse his charg [...] is the greater is his contentment, not that he desireth to be [...] but to be faythfull, when he is entered he hath the work of the ministerie in singular regarde, as the most honourable and la­borious worke that he can be employed aboute, whereof the best man is not worthy, and unto which the wole man is not sufficient, and therefore is resident among the people, serveth not by de­puties and Suffraganes, but in his owne person, and is alto­gether taken up with the Pastors dueties, of preaching, pray­ing, catechising, visiting, exhorting, rebuking, comforting, &c. but labours most diligently in the word and doctrine, because fayth commeth by the Word preached.

The PRELATE intending nothing, but to feede himselfe, at [Page 53] his entrie to his prelacie, he regards not so much the number of soules he should feede, as the number of chalders, the large revenues, and the great dignities he is to feede upon, and the larger his Diocie, the better for him: Hence is it, that he ascends from a Diocesan to an Archbishop, and a Primate. After he is entred he disdayneth the worke of the Ministerie, as base, and unworthy of bis grace and great Lordship, he serveth by his de­puties and Suffraganes, and thinks it a more honourable and necessarie im­ployment to attend and reside at Court, or at the places of civill judgment, as Councell, Session, Exchequor, and howsoever he appropriates to him­selfe the reward of double honour due to them who labour in the word & doctrine, yet he thinkes, that he is not bounde to take the paines of that worke, unto which the double honour is annexed. So the Pastor must labour in the worke, and the Prelate must reape the reward, and which is more prejudiciall to the peoples soules, he maintayneth that learned & qua­lified preachers are not so necessarie in congregations, as Curats and Rea­ders, that there is too much preaching, and too litle reading and praying, meaning nothing els but their confused Leitourgie.

4. The PASTOR dare not do harme to the peoples soules,The past. subject to the sdiscipline of the Kirk himselfe, & [...] it for the good of the [...] the prelate neither subject to the discipline him self nor exerciseth it for the good of others, nor suffreth the pastors to ex­ercise it. because he is subject both in calling and conversation to the di­scipline of the Kirk, which stryketh upon the Pastor, as well as upon the people, and to bring the transgressers to repentance, he sitteth with his brethren in session, presbyterie & assembly, admi­nistring the holy discipline holily, that is, in sinceritie & faythful­nesse, without prejudice or partiality, and never ceasing, till the scandall be removed, the Kirk be purged, and the offender (if it be possible) be wonne unto God, and all this, as being Christs owne worke, he doeth with Christs owne weapons, that is with the spirituall sword of the word, which is mightie through God to subdue every thing exalting it selfe against God, and to bring sinners to repentance.

The PRELATE may doe what harme he will for his owne tyran­nicall custome and prastise, but not by any law eyther of Kirk or state, he exempteth himselfe in respect of his Episcopall administration, and as he is a Prelate from all censure, and scorneth to submitte him­selfe to any Ecclesiasticall judicature, albeit the chiefe Apostles sub­mitted themselues unto the Kirk, and albeit there be no subject in a Kingdome of whatsoever qualitie or condition, but in every respect he is under the controulement of some judicature in the Land where he liveth. And as he is thus singularly lawlesse of himselfe, so pretending the sole power of proceeding to belong to him by vertue of his place and office, he sweyeth the course of discipline, as best pleaseth his Lordship, processes be­gu [...]ne for trying of slanders, if the partie never so wicked haue Argument of weight for my Lord or his Receaver, are inconti­nently by the Word of his Monarchicall authoritie stricken dead. [Page 54] Hereby it commeth to passe, that where prelates rule, sinne reigneth, and the nearer the Bishops wings, the greater libertie for sinne, as is seene in their owne houses and traynes. And for this reason is it, that both Atheists and Papists like the Episcopall discipline, better then the pastorall, which they call straytelaced, because it troubleth their corruption, whereas the o­ther layeth the reynes upon their neck. And if the Prelate happen to pro­ceede against offenders, his discipline consists not so much in spirituall cen­sure, as in worldly power and civill punishment, as fining, confining, im­prisoning &c. which haue no power to worke upon the consciences of sin­ners to bring them to repentance, which is most proper for the preachers of the Gospell, and the chiefe ende of Kirk discipline.

5. The PASTOR for the good of the Kirk,The pastor would haue all things be done for the good of the Kirk, by the free assemblies of the Kirk: the prel. will rule all by him selfe, whether in assembly, or out of assembly. is desirous, that the assemblies of the Kirk, provinciall and nationall, be often holden and well kept, knowing how necessarie they are for re­dressing things amisse, for fulfilling things omitted, and for pre­venting evils that are like to ensue: and when the assemblie is convened he carrieth himselfe toward his brethren, as toward the servants of Christ, and collegues of equall authoritie, none presu­ming to any place or preheminence, though of order onely, and not of power, without the calling and consent of his fellow bre­thren. There every one hath libertie to utter his minde, & every one is ready with the gift that God hath giuen him, as the diverse members of one body, for the good of the whole Kirk: meeke Moses and burning Elias, Esay with his trumpet, and Aaron with his belles, Bonaerges and Barionah, the sonne of thunder, and the sonne of the doue, all moved by one spirit, with mutuall respect, reverence, and brotherly loue, joyne together in one conclusion, and if at any time they be of different judgements, they are not suddaine and summar in concluding things of importance, that concerne the whole, but that all may be done with uniforme con­sent, after the example of the Apostles Acts 15, the conclusion is delayed, till all objections be satisfyed, and God giue greater light to such as are otherwise minded, and so to the greate good of the Kirk, both peace and trueth are preserved.

The PRELATE is as averse from a free assembly, as the Pope is from a free Generall councall, and therefore will eyther haue none at all, or will haue them so slavish, as if they were but his ecclesiasticall courts con­vened under him, and in his name. When this Assemblie is convened, at his owne hand, without calling or election, he taketh upon him to preside & moderate. There no man hath libertie to utter his mynd before him, who hath power to raise up and cast downe, to inlarge and restreyne, to preferre and postpone, or put in and put out at his pleasure, and therefore no mans gift in such meetings doeth good to the Kirk. And if it happen that his courses be crossed, and the best sort oppose, then he rageth, and by his proude [Page 54] boastings, and unreasonable raylings, he playeth the Prelate indeede, using Christs ministers & the Kirks Cōmissioners no better, then if they were his slaues or lackeys, convened to say Amen to all his intentions, and to waite upon Oracles falling from his mouth. In ende the pluralitie of voyces of the weaker sorte, and for the most part either emendicate or extorted, car­ryeth away the sentence which must oblige all, and therefore besides the ty­rannies and unjust proceedings, proveth afterward to the greate hurte of the Kirk, to be the cause of many evils and great divisions.

6. The PASTOR in planting of Kirks,The Pastor plant­eth the Kirk with the best men, with consent of the people, and without hurting the con­science of the in­trant: the prelate with such as please him, without con­sent of the people or presbyterie, and with hurting of the conscience of the intrant. and placing of ministers without respect to any mans private judgment or affe­ction with common consent, maketh choyse of the best qualified for graces and manners, and most fitte for the people he is to be set over, and that with theire owne speciall advise and desire, so that he giveth not the Kirk to the Minister, but the Minister to the Kirk, and in the act of ordination at the place where he shall serue, and in presence of the whole Congregation, he requireth of the Intrant neither oath nor promise, but what is appointed by the assemblies of the whole Kirk, as constancie in the fayth, obedience to the King, and fidelitie in his calling, and after he is admitted, he respecteth him as the conjunct Embassadour of Christ, equall in power and authoritie with himselfe, with no dif­ference but of age and gifts.

The PRELATE excluding both the flock, whom the Pastor is to feede, and the fellow-ministers with whom he is to labour in the worke, ex­cept it be superficially and for the fashion, when now the Prelate and his domesticks (who haue greater hand in the planting of Kirks then both presbyterie and people) haue brought the matter to the point of ordination, Dignitatibus vi­ros dandos, non di­gnitates hominibus dicere solitus Ae­neas Syl. Platina. Magistratus alios mereri, & non ha­bere: alios habere, & non mereri. ib. he giveth the Kirk to the Minister, rather thē the Minister to the Kirk, whereof there flowe so innumerable evils, that the Kirk hath as just cause to complaine now of the placing of Ministers by bishops, as the Kirk had of old of the planting of bishops through the corruption of Archbishops and Metropolitaneo.Praesidentia non ex virtute sed ma­litia astimatur, nō dignorum sed potē ­tiorum sunt throni, cathedra sine ullo acquiritur labore, & prelati sunt qui nihil ad grad [...] praeterquam velle, ad­ferunt. Nazianz▪ Si percūctari vel­les quis eos praefecerit, Sacerdotes respondent m [...]x, & dicunt, ab Archiepiscopo nuper sum Episcopus ordinatus, centum (que) [...] solidos dedi, ut Episcopalem gradum assequi meruissem, quoi si minimè dedissem, hodie episcopus non essem. Ambros. citante Bulling. decad. 5. serm 4. Curritur ad curas ecclesiasticas, a doctis pariter & indoctis, quasi quis (que) sine curis victurus sit, cum ad curas pervenerit. Bern. epist. 42. The ordination must be at the place of the Prelates re­sidencie, and not at the Kirk, where he shall serue nor in presence of the congregation; then is the intrant forced without any pretext of warrant from the kirk, to giue his oath and Subscription to Articles of the Prelates devising, for maintenance of his Episcopall authoritie, euen as the Pope doeth in consecrating Bishops and Archbishops, for establishing of his uni­versall Supremacie. When he is admitted, albeit for gifts and all other rs­spects he be worthy of double honour farre aboue the Prelate himselfe, yet the prelate contemneth him and his brethren, as poore presbyters, with [Page 56] double contempt. Whereupon we see that the Prelates and others by their example & doing esteeme not of Ministers for their worth & their works sake, but as they are in places of preferment, and as they are clothed with offices and titles of dignitie aboue their fellowes: and this againe makes worldly mynded Ministers to seeke estimation by greatnesse rather then by goodnesse.

7. The PASTOR procureth the peace of the Kirk,The pastor by all means seeketh the peace of the Kirk. the prelate seeketh his owne peace & prosperitie. by following after things which make for peace, Rom. 14. for by the discipline and assemblies of the Kirk he preserveth veritie, without which there is eyther no unitie, or such unitie, as is but a conspiracie, and resisteth heresie the mother of the greatest divi­sions: so long as our assemblies had their libertie, there could arise no heresie among us, if it had broken up in a parish, a consisto­rie or presbyterie would haue borne it downe: or if it had pro­ceeded further, thē the Synodall, or if it had not been able, the na­tionall assembly would haue suppressed it: for the same reason the Kirk of France, which was nearest to ours, hath ben free of here­sie: In the Low Countreysif the Kirks had enjoyed the libertie of theyr assemblies, which they wanted for a long time, Arminia­nisme had neyther troubled them, nor their neighbours. He ne­ver can find in his heart to urge or inforce unprofitable and un­timely Ceremonies upon the Kirk, if it were for no other cause, but that they haue beene the apples of contention, and the cause of many Schismes, and will choose rather with Ionah to redeeme the quietnes and safetie of the Kirk with the losse of himself, then for his owne particular to raise the smallest tempest, that may perill her peace. He carryeth himselfe no otherwayes in his mi­nisterie, then becommeth the humble servant of the Kirk, & fea­reth to be affected with Diotrephes his ambitious humour, of a­spyring aboue his brethren, which is a speciall preservatiue of peace. He studieth to preserue holynes, without which there can be no sounde nor wholesome peace, he is ever at warre with that which is contrarie to holynes, and sendeth away all scandalous li­vers with the workers of iniquitie, that peace may be upon the Israell of God Psal. 25.

The PRELATE is accounted a peaceeble man, and pretends alwaies the peace of the Kirk, but indeede seeketh his owne peace and prosperitie, and opposeth the things that make for peace: for if it serue for his owne particular, he can oversee Papists and Hereticks, and suffer heresie to rise and spreade it selfe, that the Kirk may haue some other thing to think up­on, then his Episcopacie, and may haue himselfe to runne unto in steade of assemblies, he careth not to make Schisme, and will fight with tooth and nayle for unlawfull and unprofitable ceremonies, which haue ever proved the cause of Schisme, and ere he redeeme the Kirks peace, by casting out [Page 57] these cumbersome wares, he will rather cast over boorde many worthy mi­nisters, suffer numbers of soules, for whom Christ hath dyed, to perish, and the Kirk of Christ tossed with troubles, by occasion of that noysome baggage, to sinke at last under the burden. Contention also commeth by his pride and ambition: for first, great places make great emulation, & hoate competition, as may be seene in Christs owne Apostles,Sicut olim pesti­feram illam vestiā, quae per Ari [...]s [...] pri­mo de infernis ex­tulerat caput, cupi­ditus episcopatus induxit: sic hodier­nam haeresin (nimi­rum pontificis Ro­mani primatum) pracipuè nutriunt, quos jam men [...]ca­re suppudet, Aeneas Syl. and histo­rie maketh knowen in many others, what debate and contention, what war and bloodshed prelacie hath brought forth in the Christian world, between Kirk and Kirk contending for primacie, prelate and prelate for presidencie, Pope and Pope for papacie betweene Kings and Bi­shops for Souveraignitie: as betweene the Roman Emperours, and Roman Bishoppes: the Kings of England and the Primates of England.

8. The PASTOR contents himselfe with such a compe­tent stipend,The Pastor con­tents himself with his competent sti­pend, the prelate is a master of the Kirks patrimonio. as is assigned to him for his service, whereby he hath neyther meanes to swell in pride and wealth, nor matter of excesse and superfluitie. And he hath but one body, so he un­dertaketh but one Cure, where he must be resident, and one Kirk living, which for feare of the censures of the Kirk, albeit he would, he dares not delapidate, but must leaue the Kirk patri­monie in as good or better case, then he found it at his entry.

The PRELATE hath a Lords rent out of the revenewes of the Kirk, which at the first was destinate, and should be employed for better uses, and this he hath not for the service of the Kirk, but partly for his unlawfull attending civill affaires, and partly, for bearing out a Lordly porte in himselfe, his Ladie, their children and followers. He uniteth Kirks farre distant, to maki the morsell the greater for his wide gorge: he alloweth and defendeth pluralities, and Nonresidencies, by setting long taks without knowledge or consent of the Kirk, and by setting of fewe formes and taxwardes he raketh up all, and stinteth the Minister to a poore stipendiarie portion of fiue hundreth marks. So that the most Sacri­legious persons in the Land are the Bishops themselues, eating the meate out of the mouthes of many worthy pastors, that labour painfully in the Lords worke.

The Pastor & Prelate compared by the good of the Common wealth, and of our outward estate.

ALbeit that sometimes the povver Ecclesiasti­call be without the secular,It is best both for Kirk and State whē civill and ecclesia­sticall authoritie joyne together. and the members of the Kirk make not any civill corporation, as in the Apostles times, & long after. And some times the secular power be vvithout the ec­clesiasticall, and the members of kingdomes and corporations make not a Kirk, as amongst the Heathen of old, and many nations and societies this day; yet is it farre best, both for Religion and Justice, both for trueth and peace, both for Kirk and Commonvvealth, when both are joyned in one: vvhen the Magistrate hath both svvords, the use of the temporall svvord, and the benefite of the spirituall svvord, and vvhen the Kirk hath both svvords, the use of the spirituall sword, and the benefite of the tem­porall: When the two administrations civill and ecclesia­sticall, like Moses and Aaron, help one another mutually, & neyther Aaron and Miriam murmur against Moses, nor Jero­boam stretcheth out his hand against the man of God. Upon the one part,Civill authoritie doeth good to reli­gion. civill authoritie mainteyneth and defendeth re­ligion, vvhere it is reformed, and reformeth religion vvhere it is corrupted. Kings shall be thy foster-fathers, and Queenes thy nurse mothers Esa. 49. 23., Kings serue the Lord in fear Psal. 2. 11.: And then serue they the Lord (sayth Augustine) vvhen they serue him not onely faythfully as men, Quomodo ergo re­ges Domino ser­viunt in timore, ni­si ea qua cōtra jus­sa Domini fiunt, religiosa severitate prohibendo, a [...] (que) plectendo? aliter enim ser­vit quiahomo est, aliter quia etiā rex est: quia ho­mo est ei servit fideliter vi­vendo, quia vero etiā rex est, servit leges justa prae­cipientes, & cōtraria pro­hibentes, convenienti rigo­re sanciendo sicut servivit Ezechias lucos, & templa idolorū, & illa excelsa quae contra praecepta Dei fue­rant constructa, destruen­do. Sicut servivit Iosias, talia & ipse faciendo. Sic­ut servivit rex Ninivita­ru, universam civitatem ad placandū Dominis cō ­pellendo. Sicut servivit Darius, idolum frang [...]ndū in potestatem Danieli da­do. & inimicos ejus leoni­bus ingerendo. Sicut servi­vit Nebuchad omnes in re­gno suo positos, a blasphe­mando, Dei lege terribili prohibendo. In hoc ergo serviunt Domino reges, in quantūsunt reges, cum [...] faciunt ad serviendū [...] quae non p [...]ssunt facere [...] reges, August. epist. ser [...] ad Bonifacium, but as Kings, and doe such things in serving him, as none can doe but [Page 61] kings, that is, vvhile they rest not till Religion be established, and God served in their dominions, according to his ovvne Word. It hath ever been the greatest commendation of Princes, that they haue begunne their government vvith the Re­formation of Religion, as many vvorthy Princes haue done both before, and after the comming of Christ, for God preferreth Kings unto all others, and there­fore Kings should haste to honour GOD aboue all o­thers: Or that they haue exceeded all vvho vvent before them in this religious and Royall Chaire. AZA tooke avvay Idolatrie: but JEHOSHAPHAT remo­ved the high-places also. EZEKIAH vvent further, and brake the Brazen Serpent, albeit a monument of Gods mercie: But this vvas the sinne of his Refor­mation, that he razed not the Idoll Temples, vvhich vvas kept to good JOSIAH, vvho therefore hath this testimonie to the ende of the World, that like unto him there vvas no King before him, that turned to the LORD vvith all his heart, vvith all his soule, and vvith all his might. Upon the other part, true Religion, although it propone for the prin­cipall ends, the Glorie of GOD, and the Safetie of the KIRK,Religion doeth good to [...] the whole commonweal. yet it serveth many vvayes for the Civill good, and vvorldly benefite of Kings and Kingdomes. Because the true Religion, and no other, maketh Kings and Kingdomes to serue that GOD that giu­eth both Heauenly and Earthly Kingdomes.Hostis Herodes impie, Christum venire quid ti­mes? non cripit mortalia, qui regna dot coelesti [...]. Sedulius Hymn. Who looseth the Bands of Kings, and girdeth their loynes vvith a girdle: Who is the onely Judge, that put­teth dovvne one, and setteth up an other. And therefore godlynesse hath the promise, and true Re­ligion hath many blessinges attending. It is a blessed thing, vvhen a King, or a Kingdome serveth that GOD, by vvhom kings reigne, and vvho giveth and ta­keth avvay kingdomes at his pleaure: Next because it qualifieth and disposeth every man for his ovvne place. [Page 62] It maketh rulers to know, that every Kingdome is under a greater Kingdome,Omne sub regno gravioriregnum est Sonec. Traged. and as they are advanced aboue all o­thers, that they haue so much the greater account to make. It maketh the subjects to obey for conscience sake, and sub­dueth the people under theyr Prince: which made Theo­dosius to acknowledge, that his empire consisted more by Christian religion, then by all other meanes. It keepeth true peace, both publick and private, and when peace can be no longer kept, it followeth after it to find it againe. Jt maketh men just and temperate in time of peace, not by restraint, vvhich positiue lavves doe, but by mortification. With Christians to think that vvickednes is sinne, Whether of the tvvo commandeth more fully (sayth Tertullian) he vvho sayth, Thou shalt not kill, or he who sayth, thou shalt not be angry: vvhich of the tvvo is more perfect to forbid adulterie, or to restraine the eyes from concupiscencs &c. It maketh every man to practise Christiani­tie in the particular duties of his calling. In the time of war it maketh men couragious, & to feare none but him that can kill the soule. In persecution it maketh invincible patience▪ Without confusion it giveth at all times unto God, that vvhich is Gods, and unto Caesar that vvhich is Caesars, and vvithout usurpation or injurie to any, it giveth unto Noble­men, Statesmen, Barons, Burgesses, and all from the highest to the lovvest in the Kingdome, their ovvn places, preferments and priviledges, according to the soveraigne lavv of justice. All estates haue neede of this divine influence,The best religion is best for the state and of all these comfortable effects, and every religion promiseth them all, but onely Christian Religion is able to performe them, and the more Christian it is, that is, the more neare that it cometh to the puritie & simplicitie of Christ and his Apostles both in doctrine and discipline, and the more christianly, that is, the more povverfully it be urged upon the consciences of men, the more effectually it proveth for these happy ones. Let us then upon this ground proceede to our tryall, vvhether the Pastor or Prelate be more profitable for the Countrey and Common vvealth.

[Page 63] THE PASTOR preserveth the prosperous e­state of the Kingdome and commonwealth,The Pastor preserveth the Commonwealth, which the prelate ruina­teth. by labouring to preserue pietie, righteousnesse, and temperance in the Land, and by oppusing with al his might against Idolatrie and all sorts of impie­tie, against unrighteousnesse and all sorts of injurie, whether by craft or violence, and against intemperancie, incontinen­cie unlawfull mariages, divorces, and whatsoever kinde of impurities:Non tam numerorum si­mulacra inania, aut Solis & syderum immutabilū ratio urbes & regna per­dunt: quam impietas pri­mum, deinde injustitia, & virtutum expu [...]trix luxu­ria, Dom. de la None. dis­curs. polit. 1. for these three where they reigne he knoweth to be more neare and certaine causes, first of the many cala­mities and judgements of God, and then of the alterations and periodes of states and Kingdomes, then eyther the in­tricate numbers of Plato, or the unchanged course of the heauens,Causas eversionis reipu­blicae quaerunt in ipsa rei­publica. Arist. polit. 5. Bodian. de reipub. libr. 4. Daneus politi. cap. 5. [...] Xenoph. paed. Cyr. 8. Fulix respublica esse non potest, stantibus moenibus, ruentibus moribus. Chokier Haec nisi urbe ab [...]rant, centuplex murus rebus ser­vandis parum est. Plaut. or what other cause is pretended by philosophers or politicks, because these where they raigne, they threat­ten a ruine from the true fatalitie of Gods providence & ju­stice, & doe shake the pillars of all humane societie, as Ido­latrie the pillars of the Kirk, unrighteousnes of the Cōmon­wealth, and intemperance of the family, & one of the three falling, the other two cannot long endure.

The PRELATE upon the contrarie, by taking in his owne hands the power of the generall assembly, which was a great terror to sinne, by depriving some worthy pastors of their places, and others of their authoritie in censuring of sinne, by destroying the discipline of the Kirk, and by his owne many unlawfull practises and permissions, hath giuen way to Idolatrie, blaspbemie, and the prophanation of the Sabbath, to all sorts of Scandalous and notorious Sinnes of unrigh­teousnesse, uncleannes, and of the abuse of Gods creatures, for which the wrath of God commeth upon the world. But most of all by bring­ing a great part of the kingdome under the guiltines of the violation of the covenant of God, and of doing against their oath and Subscrip­tion hath drawne on many visitations from the hand of God, doeth dayly provoke the Lord to further wrath, stryketh at the pillars of all Societies, and posteth on the periods of State and Kingdome.

2. The PASTOR accounteth vertue,The pastor loveth Chri­stian simplicitie, and not Machivels policie: the prelate liketh policie more then that simplicity. trueth, righte­ousnesse, Christian simplicitie, and prudence to be the best policie, not onely for his owne practise, but for all that are in authoritie, and for all societies: and therefore pro­nounceth anathema upon the chiefest axiomes of Machia­vels arte,Ante omnia optandum principi ut pius videatur, non tamen ut sit. Oportet principem semper adver­sari [...] in se alere, ut eo op­presso potentior videatur. Religio animos hominum, primit, servitia subditos [...] officio continet. Tuta est civitas quae dissidia & f [...]ctiones nutrit. Machiv. de princ. & comment. in Livium. whom he judgeth to be as pernicious a master of policie, as Antichrist is for matters of Religion: and these two to be the principall supposts of Sathan, the direct enemy of Christian fayth and obedience, and the craftie subverters [Page 64] of Kirks and Commonwealths, unfitte for all, but most un­fitte for us, whom grace hath favoured with the light of the trueth, and nature hath fashioned to be open and plaine.

The PRELATES practises doe proclaime what policie plea­seth him best. Simulation, dissimulation, falsehoode and Flattery are knowen to be the wayes of his promotion. He standeth in his grandeur and possesseth his peace, by promising good service in par­liament to the King, against the Nobilitie, and blowing the bellowes of dissention betwixt them: he warmeth himselfe at the fire he hath raysed betwixt the King and Kirk. He beareth with men of every religion, providing they be not Antiepiscopall. He urgeth Ce­remonies, which he himselfe otherwise careth nothing for, that they may be a band of obedience to the slavish, and a buckler of Episcopacie against the opposites, he suffereth papistrie to prevaile, and new here­sies to arise, and giveth connivence to the Teachers of them, that there may be some other matter of disputation amongst learned men, then about his myter. If all would follow his arte and example, An­tichrist & Machiavel would be our chiefest Maisters, and every Scot­tish man of spirit would proue another Caesar Borgia, or Ludovieus SfortiaAlter urbinatem, alter Mediolanensem Ducatum artibus Machiavellicis in­vasit, & ad tempus tenuit, uter (que) Machiavellicae poli­tiae exemplar perfectissi­mum misero periit. Dane. polit. praef [...]t..

3. The PASTOR according to the nature of things distinguisheth betwixt the things of God and the things of Caesar,The Pastor distinguisheth betwixt things civill and ecclesiasticall, and holdeth him at his owne calling: the prelate confoundeth all, and will rule all. betwixt the soveraigntie of Christ, and the souve­raigntie of man, betwixt the dignitie of the Statesman and honour of the Elder, that labours in the word and doctrine, betwixt the palace of the Prince, and the Ministers manse, the revenues of the Noble-man, and the Ministers stipend; and according to the grounds of policie [...]. Aristot, po­lit. 4. holdeth, that ma­ny offices should be conferred upon one man, except rarely, by the speciall favour of Princes, upon some that are emi­nent, as miracles for engine, for wisedome, and dexteritie, by reason of mans infirmitie, the weight of authoritie, the order of the policie, and the peace of the people: that as everie thing in nature doeth the owne part, the [...]nne shyneth, and the wind bloweth, the water moysteneth, so every man should be set to his owne taske,Nemo sequens existimat se posse simul Aeneam & Hectorem, Catonem & Scipionem in thea [...]ro ci­ [...]itatis agere. Cas. polit [...] libr. 2. that one man cannot both be Aeneas and Hector, Cato and Scipio, farre lesse can one and the same person be sufficient for the greatest affaires, both of Kirk and policie. And therefore the Pastor keepeth himselfe within the bounds of his owne place and calling, and neyther medleth with civill causes, nor taketh upon him civill offices, nor seeketh after civill honour.

The PRELATE maketh no distinction, but confoundeth all, as compatible ynough, if he be the agent. And albeit for any good [Page 65] parts to be no miracle, but neighbourlike,Romani, Mace­dones, Lacedamonij legem tulerunt, ut nemo duobus simul fungatur officis. Metiothus exer­citū ducit. Metio­thus vias [...]urat, Me­tiothus furinā tra­ctat, Metiothus cū ­ctis aliis praest, Metiothus ita (que) plora­bit. Plutarch. The Pastor assist­eth the civill Ma­gistrate, the prelat hindreth him. yet he findeth himself sufficient for everything in Kirk and Common-wealth, and telleth all for fish that commeth in his nette, whether Civill offices, Civill Honours, civill causes, or civill punishments: Like a Prince he hath his ca­stle, his Lordship, his Regalitie, Vassalry, &c. He hath power to confyne, imprison &c. and taketh it hardly, when he is not pre­ferred to Offices of estate, as to be Chancellor, President &c. which his predecessors had of old. And thus against all ground of good policie he stands in pompe, as a mightie Gyant, with one Foote in the Kirk upon the necks of the Ministers, and with another in the state, upon the heads of the Nobilitie and Gentrie.

4. The PASTOR assisteth the Civill Magistrate in planting of virtue, and rooting out of vice, partly by power­full preaching home to the Consciences of sinners,H [...]c coertio ad Christe norman di­rigitur, latenter primum & amice, deinde paulo acer­bius, tunc nisi paret sequitur interdictio sacrorum gravis & efficax, interdictio­nem animadversio magistratus. Ita sit ut quae legibus nus­quavindicantur, il­lie sine vi & tumul tu coerceantur, igitur nulla meretri­cia, nullae ebrieta­tes, nullae saltatio­nes, nulli mendici, nulli otiosi in ea ci­vitate reperiuntur. Bodin. de rep. Ge [...]nevens. meth. [...] cap. 6. partly by censuring lesser offences, which the Magistrate punish­eth not, as lying, uncomelie jesting, rash and common swea­ring, rotten talking, brauling, drunckennesse &c. Where­through the passages to murther, adulterie, and other great offences are stopped, the people prevented in many mis­chiefs, and great enormities, and the Magistrate many waies eased, and partly in censuring of greater sinnes, and pur­ging the Kingdome of foule offences: for he joyneth the Censures and the spirituall sword of the Kirk with the sword of the Magistrate, so unpartially, that none are spared, with such expedition and diligence, that sinne is censured, and not forgotten, with such authoritie, that the most ob­ [...]tin [...]e haue confessed, that the Kirk had power to binde and loose, with such sharpnesse and severitie that Malefa­ctors haue beene affraide, and so universally, that, as there is no crime censurable by the Kirk, but the same is punish­able by temporall Iurisdiction, so he holdeth no sinne pu­nishable by Civill Authoritie, but the same is allo cen­surable by Spirituall power, the one punishing the offender in his bodye or goods, the other draw­ing him unto repentance, and to remoue the scan­dall.

The PRELATE is unprofitable to the Civill Ma­gistrate in planting of virtue, and rooting out of vice: for where his government hath place, preaching hath more demonstration of Arte for the praise of the speaker, then of the Spirit for the cen­suring of sinne, and conversion of the sinner: He passeth small offences without any censure, & thereby openeth the way to the greatest sins of mur­ther, adulterie &c. and giveth the Magistrate his hands full. He ven­dicates to his court and jurisdiction some crimes, as proper for his censure, [Page 66] which yet he passeth lightly. The censures of the Kirk and sword of excommunication in his hand serue for small use against greater sins. For eyther they are not used at all, or so partially, that the greatest sin­ners escape uncensured, or so superficially, that they are rather a mat­ter of mocking and boldnesse in sinne, then of repentance to the sin­ner, or of removing the offence.

5. The PASTOR is chargeable to no man beside his sober and necessarie maintenance allotted unto him for his necessarie service,The pastor profitable to the commonwealth, but not chargeable: the pre­late chargeable but not profitable. which the people can no more want, then they may want religion it selfe, or their owne temporall and eternall happines.

The PRELATE contrarie to the rules of policieNon est studendum ut plurimi sint in repub. ma­gistratus, sed ut quam cō ­modissime & optime ge­rant remp, ij qui erunt ne­cessarij. against the multiplying and mainteyning of idle officebearers, hath for one of­fice, serving for no good use neither to King, nor Kirk, nor Coun­trey, allowance of a large rent, is a great burthen, and is many waies chargeable to the Commonwealth, and to particular persons; by his great lands and Lordship, by actions of improbation, reductions of feiffes, declarator of esheits, entresses nonentresses &c. by selling of commissariats &c. by raysing and rigorously exacting the Quots of Testaments, by sommes of money giuen unto them, their sonnes or theyr servants, for presentations, collations, testimonials of ordina­tion, or admission, sometimes by people who would be at a good Mi­nister, and ordinarily by the cannie friends of the intrant, who can finde no entrie but by a golden port.

6. The PASTOR would haue learning to growe,The pastor a ma [...]ner of Schooles and learning, the Prelate of neither. & considering thatQuales schola exhibet h [...]mines, tales habitura est respublica. Dan. pol. Hinc major pars salutis vel corruptionis reip. pen­det, & ex scholarum fon­tibus, divini & humani [...]ur [...] praesidium vel expu­gnatio oritur; ibi enim di­scuntur prima literarum monumenta, artes ingenuae mores, jura divina & hu­mana, quae omnia permaxi me interest incontamina­ta servari &c. Greg. Tho­los. lib. 13. cap. 3. Plebeiis argenti, nobilibus auri, principibus gemma­rum loco literas esse debe­re. Aeneas Syl. Platina, Indoctus Episcopus asino comparandus. idem. Schooles and Colledges are both the se­minarie of the Commonwealth, & the Lebanon of God for building the Temple, desyreth earnestly, that there might be a Schoole in every congregation, that the people might be more civill, and might more easily learne the groundes of Religion, he would haue the best ingynes chosen & pro­vided to the students places in universities, the worthyest & best men to the places of Teachers, who might faythfully keepe the Arts and Sciences from corruption, and especially the trueth of Religion, as the holy fire that came down from heauen was kept by the Levites. He desireth the rewards of learning to be giuen to the worthyest, and after they haue received them, that they be faythfull in their places, least by loytering and lazinesse, they become both unprofitable and unlearned.

The PRELATE is not so desirous of learning in himselfe, as of ignorance in others, that be onely may be eminent both in Kirk and Commonwealth, and all others may render him blinde obedience and respect. He devoureth that himselfe which should entertaine parti­cular [Page 67] schooles: he filleth the places of students without tryall of their in­gines to pleasure his friends and suyters, contrarie to the will of the maisters and the Acts of the foundations; he filleth the places of learning not with the learnedst, but the welthiest sort, who for any vigilancie of his might both corrupt the humane sciences and bring strange fire into the house of God. If a learned man happen to attaine to one of their highest places; which they call the rewards of learning, incontinent their learning begin­neth to decay, and their former gifts to wither away. So that their greate places and prelacies eyther finde them or make them unlearned.

7. The PASTOR by the gouvernment of the Kirk pre­scribed in the word,The Pastors go­vernmēt by assem­blies meeter for a Monarchie thē the episcopal gouvern­ment. Possunt judicare, non possunt praeju­dicare, habent vim charitatis, non ha­bent vim authori­tatis. Hugo de S. victore de sacram. part. 2. is strong to resist or represse Schismes, he­resies, corruptions, and all the spirituall power of sinne and Sa­than, but hath no strength to withstand the temporall power and authoritie of Princes. The same gouvernment sorts with monar­chie no lesse, then with Aristocrasie through the wisdome of the Sonne of God, who fitteth the same for all nations, and diverse formes of civill policie. The Pastor acknowledgeth his Prince to be his onely Bishop, and overseer superintendent over the whole Kirk in his dominions, as being the preserver of the liberties of the Kirk and keeper of both tables, To whom also the generall assembly of the Kirk, of some few commissioners chosen by them and convened, when it is thought expedient by the Kings Com­missioner, may giue his Majestie better and more speedy satisfa­ction in Kirk affaires, and with greater loue and contentment of the whole Kirk, and of all his Majesties loving subjects, then can be giuen by the thirteene Prelates. All which may be done upon a small parte of the prelates rent, for bearing the charges of his Majesties Commissioner, who also may be changed at his Ma­jesties pleasure.

The PRELATE and his gouvernment it weake to withstand the spirituall forces of sinne and Sathan, but is strong to oppose the temporall power of princes, and hath beene of all enemies the most dangerous to mo­narchie; for howsoever now, while opposition is made, he flatter & fawne upon the Prince for his owne standing, yet if all Ministers and the whole Kingdome did acknowledge his Superioritie of binde the conscience, the Primate of the Kirk would be powerfull then any Subject in the king­dome, Quod si Christia­ni olim non depo­suerunt Neronem & Dioclesianum, & Iulianum apo­statam ac Valen­tem Arianum & similes, id fuit quia deerant vires tem­porales Christianis. Bellarm. de Rom. Pont. l. 5. c. 7. pessi­me sed ut Hierar­chicum decebat. and might proue as terrible to Kings, whatsoever their Religion were, as Popes haue beene to Emperors, and Prelates haue beene to Kings in former times. He hath no power for all his credite and Lordly authority to get any thing done to his Majesties satisfaction, and with contentment of the Kirk, for all the craft and violence, that hath been so long bended, never one whole famous congregation within the Kingdome is eyther con­quested, or like to be subdued to his Conformitie, but eyther the better or greater part, or both haue resisted. And yet for his Lordly maintenance he [Page 68] hath impayred the rent of the crowne, in so farre as it was aided by the collectorie, he pulleth from the King the rents of great benefices, the homage of Vassales with their commodities, Regalities, & other priviledges more proper for the Scepter then the Shepheards staffe.

8. The PASTOR desyreth no other title,The Pastor taketh no mans title, nor dignitie nor place: the Prelate ta­keth all these from the Nobles and Peeres of the Land. but to be called the minister of the towne or parish, he stryveth with no man for precedencie, he seekth no place in the Common wealth, neyther in Counsell, Session, nor Exchequor, but stirreth up, and soundeth the Trumpet in the eare of the ge­nerous spirits of the Kingdome, to shewe themselues wor­thy of their owne places, and whether he be Minister in brough or land, he is a Common servant to all, from the highest to the lowest, to parents and children, to Masters & fervants in all pastorall dueties: while he liveth he harmeth none, but helping all, procuring honour to the greater, & maintenance to the poorer sorte, & when his life is brought to a comfortable end, every soule blesseth him, and all mourne for him, as for a common parent,

The PRELATE according to the politicall axiome Virtute decrescente cre­scit vanitas, & titulorum arrogantia proverbium de repub. Veneta cū usurpa­retur titulus, Domine, sim pliciter, tunc [...]acta est resp. cum Domine stabilita est: Magnifice Domine tunc eversa est. Plebeios ex humili. ge­nere natos, si ad dignitates & honores pervenerint, immemires suae sortis, ple­rum (que) ambitione insolenter se efficere alios (que) deptime­re conari cōstat. ijdē mul­to insolentiores & prope­modum intollerabiliores magna cū actura reip. esse solent. quā qui nobili cele­bri & vetere stirpe geniti sunt, ita ut veterū ille re­ctè dixerit. Baiuli imperāt & mali sunt superiores bonis, [...]etuo ne navē fluctus opprimat. Camer. cent. 2. [...]. Epig. grac. The Pastor maketh the mindes, the bodies and e­states of the people sit for warre: the prel. disableth all. When vertue waineth, Vanity waxeth, and many titles much vanitie, disdayning to he called any more the Minister of Christ, hath taken upon him the Titles of the Nobilitie, My Lord of Orknay, My Lord or Cathnes, My Lord of Murray, My Lord of Argyl, &c. with the title he taketh the place before them, and filleth their places in Councell and Session, and when risen up from his dunghill, he is set on high places, and is drunken with his new ho­nours, he lefteth his eares like Isis Asse, aud as handmaides, when they become mistresses, he waxeth so insolent, that he can not be borne. In his owne citie he will haue momage of all, overtruleth the election of their Magistrates, harmeth both parents and chil­dren through the Countrey, by giving warrant far suddaine and se­cret mariages without proclamation, which the verye Counsell of Trent cannot but allow, he taketh the honour of the greater to himselfe, and spends that upon his pride, which should serue for the poorer sorte. And when after many wishes, his life at last is brought to an ende, the whole Diocie is filled with joy, and his owne familie and friends are filled with centempt, and disgrace.

9. The PASTOR maketh the Kingdome fitte for warre, against the time that necessities giue alarme: for, by labouring to make the people truly religious, he maketh them resolute for both parts of Christian fortitude, actiue and passiue, for doing valiantly, and suffering constantly. In the time of peace,Fortiter ille facit qui mi­ [...]ser esse potest he stirreth them up against softnesse and intemperancie, to diligence and labour, whereby their [Page 69] bodies are the more able and durable: He strengtheneth also the nerues of warre, by contenting himselfe with a meane estate, & by his doctrine and example teaching people to spare in peace, for the time of warre.

The PRELATE maketh the Kingdome unfitte for warre: for by his government the people loose true fortitude, with the loue of Religion, that if they haue any kinde of Courage for battayle, it is not so much the in­vincible courage of Christian Religion, as the carnall and bastard Fortitude of Paganisme, which in comparison of the former hath ever been but pu­sillanimitie. By his oversight of ryoting and idlenes, their bodies become weake and effeminate, and by his owne large rents, and his example of prodigalitie, which to them is a law, he enervates the estate, and cutts asunder the sinewes of warre.