A LETTER, To the unknown AUTHOR OF JUS POPULI. Printed in the Year, 1671. A LETTER to the unknown Author of Jus Populi. SIR, MY ignorance of your Name, and the Place of your residence, forceth me on this public address, from which I should have been otherwise ●… verse: For, though faults committed be ore all, ought to be publicly reproved; ●… et, I would willingly have used our LORDS method, of telling my Brother in private, if ●… have ought against him. But, since this will find its way to you, better from the Press then by any direction I could give it, ●… he charity I owe all Christians obligeth me to use the freedom of representing some ●… hangs to you, which I pray GOD you may ●… eceive well, and ponder seriously. But on the way, I must tell you, I have ●… o quarrel at your person, neither do I so much as know who you are; so that no particular consideration of yourself draw●… this from me. Next, I must assure you●… I have no malice nor bitterness against tha●… Way which you own: And though I confess, I am highly displeased with some o●… their Tenets, but more with their spirit an●… way of carrying on their Cause, yet may al●… the mischief I wish any of them, fall o●… my own soul. Therefore, as both my temper and conscience bar all heat and violen●…cy from any way of arguing differences 〈…〉 So in writing to you at this time, I desig●… your conviction, and not your confusion Indeed, Sir, all the passion that your Book or such other discoveries of that spirit, affects me with, is grief and regrate: Neither do I so much as perceive within m●… self, any commotions of wrath and anger a●… you or your way; pity and compassio●… being truly the strain in which all my thoughts concerning you do run. GOD is witness, what groans and tear●… those furious and unchristian distempe●… that are raised among us, do draw daily fro●… some of us, whom you are persecuting wit●… so much bitter( but I trust blind) zeal. Can ●… ny man, who is in any degree concerned ●… or GOD'S Glory or the advancement of true Religion, look on without the saddest heart ●… n the World, when he sees the great designs of Godliness and Piety suffering so much, from some who pretend so highly, ●… nd yet are more concerned for a few inconsiderable and disputable Opinions, then for ●… harity, meekness, peace, unity, and obedience to Authority, and are at more pains ●… o promote these particular niceties, then ●… or carrying on the great Ends for which Christ died and rose again: Can it be de●… jed, that there is a generation, who was ●… nce by appearance seriously minding their ●… ouls, but now the edge of their affections ●… eing taken off that noble exercise, is bent ●… n foolish and unlearned questions which ●… ender strife, and the perverse disputings of ●… en of corrupt mindes? When these ex●… ellent lessons of charity, patience, humi●… ity, meekness and true holinesse are laid ●… side, how many are better pleased to hear the Bishops railed at, then to hear GOD magnified or CHRIST commended? And how many ears do itch to hear the faults o●… the times severely inveighed against, but fret when their own sores are in the least touched? In a word, Religion is ruining, and CHRIST is again betrayed by some wh●… with Judas kiss him, and say, Hail, Master, when they sell him for the gratifying of thei●… passions and humours. What a spirit of censuring, traducing, bitter railing, rash judging, angry fury, and forging and publishing of calumnies and lies, is too legible among many, who( perhaps) were they not strangely mis-tuned, might mean well, and are hones●… at bottom? But these things have dissolved the Ligaments and Bonds of CHRISTS Body; and as in the natural Body, every slackening of the Nerves brings with it a weakness over all the Members; So, the bonds of peace and unity being thus untied▪ we clearly see what draws on the decaye●… of Piety and true Religion among us. These things affect serious beholders with deep, as well as just regrates; So that their souls having dwelled long with them that hate peace, they are daily panting fo●… an escape from the contentions and confusions here below, unto those happy Regions of peace and joy above, where even such as ●… annot be now tuned into harmony, shall all sing a constant and concordant hallelujah. But next to those sweet hopes and desires, who would not, with Jeremiah, look out ●… or a place in some wilderness, and a lodge of way-faring men, that he might wander far ●… ff, and hasten his escape from the windy storm and tempest? Think not, Sir, that all ●… his is the effect of my zeal for Episcopacy, No, no; it is the great Bishop of souls whom you are doing what in you lies, to depose from His Government and Kingdom, which is neither in meats nor drinks, neither in Episcopacy nor Presbytery, but in righteousness and peace, and joy in the holy Ghost. I do indeed believe, that Episcopacy is not only in nothing contrary to the Word of GOD, but may prove, if well managed, a very proper mean for advancing all the ends of Religion: And that from the dayes of the Apostles, it was that form of Government under which the Church of GOD was planted in most places, and grew up every where, during her best and purest times 〈…〉 and whatever abuses the succession of many Ages might have insensibly brought upo●… it, it is still of itself innocent; and hence it is that I give a cheerful obedience to the Laws that have established it. But, from this free Declaration you may see, I am no furious Zealot; for indeed it was never in my thoughts to advance the asserting o●… Episcopacy to a divine right and absolute necessity, or to condemn such Churches; where both the Civil and ecclesiastic frame are cast in a different mould: Hence it is that I quarrel with none on this Head, unless it be to vindicate my own persuasion; which I am much deceived if I cannot do, notwithstanding of all I ever saw alleged on the contrary. My expostulating with you shall be free both of raillery and injury, though if I had intended either, you have laid yourself open to great disadvantages. Indeed your Buffonery is both so dull and so little serious, that I am ashamed of it; neither am I so destitute of fancy, but that I could easily make your poor little flashes of a left-handed wit rebound on yourself, so that you should be the object of all mens scorn. But believe me, I am in a more serious mood; neither shall I mingle- in the levities of fancy with so grave a subject; and I hold it below a man, and unworthy of a Christian, to rail: wherefore I shall in sober sadness, lay before you a few serious truths. The first notice I had of your Book, was from some of your own Party, who no●withstanding of their great inclinations to the way of Presbytery and the Covenant, were highly dissatisfied with Jus Populi, and confessed, they found it written in a strain so different from the meekness of Christ, that they thought it prejudged, rather then advanced, the Cause it seemed to defend. This put an edge upon my curiosity, which is blunt enough for such Pieces: I was indeed desirous to see a Book which had a part of one of the blessings of the Gospel, since all men( even of all persuasions) spoken evil of it. I had occasion also to meet with some good Ministers of that persuasion, who in sad language declared to me their dislike of your Book, and told me, they knew not one of all their Brethren who had not the same sense of it. This made me wonder what a work that could be, which was so severely condemned even by these who might justly be suspected of partiality in your favours: At length I got hold of the Book itself, which did fully justify all their censures; So that often since I first saw it, I have been forced to reflect with much sorrow on the sad estate of the Church of GOD among us, when such stuff shall be so confidently vented. And first, that humour of scurrilous raillery, which appears in every page., especially in your foolish Postscript, is so unseemly that I wonder how, though you want prudence, you should be so voided of gravity Truly, Sir, such language may do tolerably upon a Stage; but certainly, it becomes a Church-man( and such you are said t●… be) very ill, when he is treating about serious purposes. Is this the method of Moses or the Prophets, of CHRIST or his Apostles? Whom of all the approved written of the Church in any age, find you hand●… king grave matters in Burlesque? Hath ●… his way any thing in it that is decent or ●… omposed? Oh! Sir, consider to how much ●… ntemperance your ill-managed zeal hath ●… ed you, that you may be ashamed of it: But that you think not I esteem your rai●… ery to be sharp, I must tell you, it is the ●… oursest of any I ever met with, being with●… ut either edge or point, and made up of ●… ome flat dull reflections, which any who would give way to so much feminine pas●… ion, might have said with a thousand-fold more of life, and in far better language. If ●… designed your infamy, I could here set ●… own so much proof for what I have alledg●… d, that I am sure even yourself would ●… lush at it; for every page. is full of those ●… nstances. But, my desire to you, and for ●… ou to GOD, is, that you may in could blood ●… eflect on that writing; which if you do with ●… serious and humble, and not with a self-●… ustifying and Pharisaical temper, I doubt ●… ot but your thoughts of it will be so full of shane and remorse, that you will need ●… ather lenitives to alloy, then incentives to provoke, your further resentments. Besides, Sir, no man loves to rak in a puddle no●… dwell in a kennel: therefore, I am not abl●… to master the great aversion I have from such stuff, so far as to spend the time and pains were necessary for pumping up of al●… that putrid matter. I think it too much that I red it once in your Book, and so an●… in no inclination to writ out any of these unhandsome and ill-said passages. But this leads me to another reflection, near of kin to the former, upon the bitter an●… un-exempled railing with which you hav●… stuffed your Book. This contradicts the law●… of nature, and civilities of mankind, as wel●… as the rules of the Scriptures, wherein w●… are taught to speak evil of no man, not to b●… brawlers but gentle, and not so much as to render railing for railing, but contrary waye●… blessing, seing we are called to inherit a blessing. And truly, to fall on the persona●… defaming of an Antagonist, is a course a●… foolish as impious: for, what though you●… opposite were as bad as you call him, doe●… that prejudge our Cause, or advance you●… own? On the contrary, the wiser of mankind, when they find the advocates of a Party falling on such methods, from that very thing, are apt to suspect the weakness of the Cause, since such as defend it are driven to those unhandsome shifts. Neither are ●… he stories men vent of their Antagonists ●… o be believed by any living; since all the World think, they are bound to look on ●… hem but as the blasts of passion, which as ●… t is ever credulous, so is often fraudulent, ●… nd therefore never to be credited in ear●… est. Sir, I cannot look on your Book with●… ut wondering, how your pen could serve ●… ou in this office. And let me speak home to your con●… cience, and charge you, as before that ●… reat GOD, who shall one day judge the secrets ●… f all hearts, to consider what spirit acted ●… ou, when you wrote this Book. Were ●… ou then in a serious and humble temper? Were you depending upon GOD for directi●… n, and adhering to him in the exercises of Faith and Love? And did you tenderly de●… ign his Glory, with the good of your Coun●… rey-men? or, were you not driven by an ●… nward tide of bitter passions? Found you not the distempers of rage and anger eatin●… up your breast? and did you not give wa●… to all the blasts of your splen, and the overflowings of your gull? Alas, Sir, if I w●… ashamed at your raillery, I am grieve●… for your scolding; which discovers you temper to be far enough from CHRISTS 〈…〉 who when he was reviled, reviled not again but bore all the injuries and affronts malic●… could put on him, without opening h●… mouth. Have you considered these word●… love your enemies, bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you, and pray fo●… them who despitefully use you and persecu●… you, that you may be the children of your F●…ther which is in Heaven? But if you wi●… not learn Christianity from the Gospel, 〈…〉 could sand you to the heathen Philosophers to be taught Morality by them, wh●… have said that on this head, which shall ri●… up in judgement against you, if you repen●… not. And indeed you seem to affect an impartiality in your scolding, that you may no●… appear guilty of respect of persons. And it like, you count it your glory, to despise dominions and speak evil of dignities: though Michael the Arch-angel durst not bring up a ●… ailing accusation against the Devil. St. Paul confessed his mistake, when he had uttered ●… eviling words even against a mercenary and an unjust High-priest, and acknowledged ●… t was written, thou shall not speak evil of the Ruler of thy people. But it must be confessed, that your procedor hath nothing of that ●… eserve in it; and I am afraid you think it a piece of noble Gallantry, to have railed at King, Parliament and Council: But, Sir, have you so learned Christ? and is this your obedience to the fifth Command, when you express both how much yourself dishonours the Father of your country, and how desirous you are to dethrone him out of the affections and esteem of his Subjects? For, our Gracious sovereign( whom GOD ●… ong preserve to reign over us) he needs no vindications from the calumnies you asperse him with: since his clemency and gentleness even to all his enemies, hath been the discourse and wonder of Christendom. And the favours he hath granted that Party which you seem to own, are so unparalleled, that your language of him is as full of ingratitude as of disloyalty. Yet, because yo●… are not able to deny this, you betake you●… self to a strange course of traducing hi●… goodness, as well as accusing his justice●… as if the former were designed for ensnaring and abusing his Subjects: And this imputation you divide betwixt his Majesty an●… his most honourable Privy Council: using all the arts your politic and rhetoric can furnish you with, to hinder his Subject●… from enjoying the happy quiet they may have under his Government. Pray, Sir, i●… this the language of a Minister of the Gospel and a Peace-maker? or, is it not th●… style of an Incendiary? What! and hath no●… all the blood we have seen shed in Britain●… quenched your thirst? are you not satisfie●… that our fields were covered with the Bodies of the slain, and our scaffolds smoake●… so long with the blood of Prisoners, tha●… one King was murdered, another banished fo●… so many years, and that our country wa●… over-run and sore oppressed? and is not all thi●… enough for your zeal? ●or, do you long to see the same tragedies re-acted? and would you again blow up the people to a new re●… llion? Truly, if this be your design( and can scarce divine what other construction ●… ur Book can admit of) let me tell you ●… eely, I must look upon you as an Agent of ●… ll, and not as a Servant of CHRIST, ●… ce I am sure, Beelzebub could not contrive ●… ore mischief then this would draw after ●… But in managing of it, you have gone ●… foolishly to work, that, blessed be GOD, no ●… rms nor earthquakes are like to follow ●… on what you have done: for truly, you ●… m as free of the wisdom of the Serpent, of the innocence of the Dove. But after your career against the King ●… d Council, the Bishops and their Clergy ●… the objects of your fury and indignati●… Truly, by your Character of them, it ●… uld appear, that they had blasphemed ●… D, renounced CHRIST, destroyed his ●… urch, overthrown Religion, persecuted ●… e Saints, and what not? and that they are ●… filth and off-scourings of the world, and company of profane, ignorant, carnal ●… etches. With this and much more of this ●… d, do you charge them; and therefore, in a grave mood, you advice the hanging o●… them up before the Sun, for the expiatin●… of the sins and guilt of Scotland. But, thank●… be to GOD, though we be bad enough, w●… are not so bad as you represent us. I confess, there are many things among us o●… of joint, and we are far from the primiti●… and apostolical Purity; so that there b●… too just grounds for very much sorrow, t●… any who shall ponder matters seriously●… But all this will not justify your miscarriage, who by what you say of us, seem 〈…〉 design our infamy, and not our reformatio●… But, good Sir, could you shake your sel●… little out of your immoderate heats, I shou●… tell you, that there hath been no Age n●… Society of men, who might not be charg●… with very gross imputations; and were as unbridled in my humour as you are, 〈…〉 could here recriminat too sadly: But, y●… mention not these things as one th●… mourns for them, and wishes to see the corrected, but as one who insults over thee and glories because of them; beware the●…fore of the curse of Canaan, since you 〈…〉 guilty of the crime of Ham, who discove●… his Fathers nakedness. But, your reproaches are as unjust as cruel; for we want not men among us, of whom we may glory, who may be upon all accounts compared( to say no more) with ●… ny of the other persuasion. If I be a fool for glorying thus, you have compelled me ●… o it; and I speak nothing but what is ●… noun to all, who are but so far indifferent ●… s to be ingenuous. But, alas! whither will your malice drive you? and whence is ●… t that you give so loose reins to your irregular passions? Is it not enough, that for a ●… ourse of many years, all who owned the Episcopal persuasion were cruelly tossed ●… nd persecuted? Is it not enough that we ●… re misrepresented at home, being traduced ●… nd reviled by our ill-willers, whereby our ●… eople are provoked to contemn, abuse ●… nd separate from us? And can there be ●… o measures nor bounds set to our persecu●… jons from your tongues; but when you have ●… one all you can against us at home, you must go among strangers to defame us? All ●… shall answer, is, The Lord rebuk thee. GOD knows how to vindicate the oppressed ●… nnocency of his poor servants; and he will in due time clear up our righteousness which you study to overcloud. It is our par●… to bear the indignation, because we have sinned, and to wait patiently for the end of th●… Lord: But, we trust, he will in his goo●… time discover your unjust malice, and o●… sincerity. For my part, I must aclowledge myself as bad as you can either thin●… or call me; yet, whatever be my sailing before God, I writ as one who hath obtained grace in some measure, to be faithful i●… the ministry wherein GOD hath put me and therefore, I value not your reproache●… except it be to pity your malice: and I 〈…〉 very earnestly pray, that GOD may show yo●… what spirit you are of, and convince you 〈…〉 your errors, which are indeed both ma●… and gross. Having given you thus far my free sen●… of the strain of your Book, and of the sp●…rit which seems to have acted you in t●… contriving and composing it; my ne●… work shall be, to put you in mind of so●… things that relate to the matter of it, a●… chiefly, of the whole design of it, which to provoke the Subjects of Scotland to R●…bellion: And in order to this, you have ●… amed a large system of politics, where●… ith it seems you are highly satisfied: But, ●… shall not ravel far into this entangled mat●… er, conceiving it a Theme without my ●… here, and( with pardon be it spoken) with●… ut yours likewise: yet, your part in this ●… as very easy, since you have done little, ●… eside the putting of Lex Rex into another ●… ethod; So that your Book deserves best ●… he Title of The second edition of Lex Rex, ●… ll of new errata and mistakes. But, I could ●… silly cut off all that contexture of Policy, ●… y two Positions, neither of them hard to ●… e evinced. The first is, that by imme●… orial possession, and a long tract both of ●… awe and practise, the King of Scotland is ●… absolute sovereign, accountable only to ●… odd, and not to be controlled by the force ●… his Subjects: But more especially, that ●… e Subjects of Scotland are bound to obey ●… Laws enacted in Parliament; or at least, to ●… bmit to the enacted Mulcts and Punish●… ents. And though the first branch of this ●… osition, concerning the Kings Power, hath ●… een called in question, yet you have the honour to be the first who controverts th●… Authority of King and Parliament. Bu●… the perpetual practise of Scotland befo●… the year, 1648. will easily determine a●… that are not totally strangers to our Constitutions, that Laws agreed to by King an●… Parliament, are and must be of force, till r●…pealed by the same Authority that enjoined them. If this be true, then all yo●… long winded system will vanish in a●… Idea, since we are not to examine what w●… the first rise of Societies, Magistrates 〈…〉 Kings; or what is the nature of the compact, betwixt a King and his Subjects: Ne●…ther are we to be determined by the precedent of the Kings of Judah, Israel, or oth●… Nations; our work being only to conside●… what is the right wherewith our King stan●… now invested, and what is the obedience 〈…〉 which we are engaged. And if it be fou●…( as undoubtedly it will) that the Subjec●… of Scotland are obliged to obey, or suffe●… according to the Laws and Acts of Parli●…ment, no shift will escape this, unless yo●… prove such a Constitution simply unlawfu●… and contrary to the express Law of God●… which will be very hard to do, as long as you allow of no other Canon, then the Books of both Testaments. But, if such submission be contrary to the Law of GOD, then it will not only be warrantable, but necessary for Subjects to defend themselves; ●… nd if so, they are self-murtherers who suf●… er willingly, when they are in any capacity to resist: but, I hope your zeal will not drive you so far as this goes. Alas! can there be no way for vindicating your Tenets, out that which must asperse all the glorious cloud of Witnesses, not only with too much ●… amenesse, but with an impious and degenerated baseness of mind; since by your Doctrine, those on whom all the Ages of ●… he Church have looked as glorious Mar●… yrs, must now pass for ignominious self-murtherers. But, I know, you hope to escape by the distinction of Religion, when ●… t becomes a Land-right and settled by Law, from what was before it was so established; and that in the former case, we may ●… nd ought to fight for it, though not in the ●… atter. But, Sir, this runs contrary to what you always maintain, that we must defend all our natural Rights, of which undoubtedly Religion is the first and chief: So tha●… if your system of Policy hold good, eve●… before Religion be established, it is one o●… the natural Rights of the Society, an●… therefore, every Law that contradicts it, i●… to be rejected, as contrary to the natura●… and essential Liberties of the Subjects. But if our obligation to defend Religion b●… arms, be only because it is a Land-right 〈…〉 then certainly, that flows from the Authority of King and Parliament, they being th●… only Subjects of the Legislative Power 〈…〉 And certain it is, that they who have th●… Authority to make a Law, can also unmak●… and repeal it, so that after they have repealed it, it is no more a Land-right, an●… therefore, according to your own concession, is not to be fought for. You might have spared your pains 〈…〉 proving, that the King cannot oblige 〈…〉 by his Laws, to break the Commandmen●… of GOD. Our sovereign hath his Powe●… from GOD, and acknowledgeth himself t●… be under Him and His CHRIST. An●… that doctrine of hell, broached by its Age●… Leviathan, which pleads, that we are bound to obey all Laws, good or bad, just or unjust, even though their contradiction to the divine Law were not our and apparent, is deservedly condemned as impious and atheistical. But, the inference you would draw from this, is truly worthy of yourself; that because, when the Magistrate commands what is contrary to the Law of GOD, we are not bound to obey him, therefore, when he punisheth contrary to that same Law, we are not bound to suffer: Indeed, such a Sophism might be excused in a Boy who is learning logic, but is unpardonable in one who writes Books, and pretends to teach the World. For, in the case of the Kings enjoining what is contrary to the Law of GOD, the countermand from GOD is supposed to be clear; and so it is beyond doubt, we should obey GOD rather then man; but, where are our sufferings countermanded, though he punish unjustly? And besides, much less sufficeth to warrant a forbearance, wherein we are not only passive and do nothing, then will justify a positive acting: So, when we suffer, we are only passive, but we cannot resist without being active; therefore, except our warrant for that be express, we must resolve on a part forbearance. I will trace your politics no further, my chief design being to convince you, that matters of Religion are not to be decided by the sword. And here it is that you discover your spirit to be totally different from CHRISTS, and that you have not considered rightly the nature of the Christian Religion, or of the Kingdom of CHRIST, when you think his servants should fight for him. I know you will say, should any thing be so dear to us as Religion, and should we not hazard life and all we have in its defence? But this, though it may be plausible and taking with the vulgar, bewrays your ignorance visibly: For it seems you apprehended, Religion can be endangered by the opposition it meets with from the World. No, no, Sir, CHRISTS Throne is better settled; for he shall sit at his Fathers right hand, till all his enemies shall be made his foot stool: All the hazard can be apprehended, is of our lives, fortunes and liberties and if we had the courage to submit these to GODS Providence, we should see Religion were so far from danger, by being objected to persecution, that nothing did more secure nor advance it. The truth of the matter is, that we apprehended our own prejudice too sensibly, though the advantage our holy profession receives from patient suffering be apparent. But upon this whole matter, I shall modestly suggest a few things. The great design of the Gospel is, to elevate our mindes to a noble contempt of this World, with all its trifling pleasures and interests, and to a just dis-regard of our Bodies, as the depressing loads which hang about and bow down our mindes; that so, living like Pilgrims on earth, we may always bend forward and mount upward, little concerned in what meets us here below, having fixed our thoughts and affections on those things that are above: And it is by faith and patience that we most inherit the promises, for he that believeth must not make hast. Therefore, as we ought to trust to our heavenly Father his care in all our straits; so we must cheerfully acquiesce in his holy Will, how contrary soever it appear, either to our carnal interests or human reasonings, patiently waiting for that issue of things, which his wife Providence will bring forth in the fittest time. Now, let all the World judge, whither suffering or fighting agree best with this temper and design. The harmony the one hath with it being evident, whereas the other speaks out a forward and impatient mind, deeply concerned in worldly losses and hazards, distrustful of GODS promises, and uncapable to wait his leisure. Again, for I will but name things, that course from which carnal and corrupt nature is most averse, and which cannot be gone about without a great temper of mind, and an high measure of the divine assistance, as it is certainly the sublimer path, so is more proper to convince the world that such men are of God, when notwithstanding of their power to secure themselves from storms and fears, they bear patiently the spoiling of their goods; neither are their lives dear to them for the Name of Jesus. It must be confessed, that this is a strong evidence to all who look on, that such persons are not of this world, but of heaven, and that they are acted by some inward, mighty Principle from above, which stifles all their resentments into that quiet and calm submission. But on the contrary, of when we are injured and suffer wrongfully, we break out into fighting and contention, Is not this to give way to the fury of passionate nature, and to follow the guise of the World? Such methods may well make others suspect, but will never force them to esteem, either us or our Profession. And you know, a wicked man may fight courageously for CHRIST, though he cannot suffer patiently; and therefore, the one is from Nature, and the other of Grace. And thus it appears, that suffering brings glory to our Profession, whereas fighting and warring asperseth it with jealousies and reproaches. Further, the method which agreeth best with the Practices and Precepts of our great Master, is certainly to be preferred by all his followers. He blessed those who shoul●… suffer for him, but threatened such as dre●… the sword: And he blessed the peace-makers entitling them the children of God: Bu●… where are the Incendiaries of War pronounced happy? And whose children mu●… we conclude the bourteseus of Rebellio●… to be, but his who was a murderer from the beginning? And certainly, such a breath out war and cruelty, know not o●… what spirit they are of; since all in th●… dispensation is gentle and peaceable; It 〈…〉 Author is the God of peace, it's Lord th●… Prince of peace, it's Rule the Gospel 〈…〉 peace, itself consisting in righteousness, peac●… and joy in the holy Ghost: And all th●… was signally confirmed by the j sufferings of our meek and low? Master, who refused the aid of the swor●… entailing perdition on such as should dr●… it; who are all these that are not warranted so to do by the Magistrate, 〈…〉 whose only hands GOD hath depositat●… it. He witnessed that good confessio●… before Pilate, that caesar needed appr●…hend no hazard from his Kingdom, f●● it not being of this world, was not to be fought for by his servants. And it is strange, that through the whole Gospel we should meet with repeated blessings pronounced on those who suffer, but never an encouragement nor blessing entailed upon such as fight with the carnal weapons: Neither is there any thing pretended for this, beyond that one mistaken word of CHRISTS to his Disciples, that they should sell their coats to buy a sword. But certainly, had his Disciples, after they were filled with the holy Ghost, understood this of the material sword, either their Practices or Writings should have had some vestiges of that sense; and you know, neither can be alleged. It's true, at that time they mistook his meaning, and shewed him two swords, but his answer [ It is enough] corrects their error, for that cannot relate to the two swords they shewed him, since how could two swords be enough for eleven persons. So that by that short answer, our LORD only broken off the purpose, it being equivalent to enough of this, or no more of it, find he saw they mis-understood his form words of a sword, which were only a general phrase of an alarm to them to look for straits and hardship. But, from all this it will easily appear, to one who examines the matter without prejudice, whether suffering or fighting have the clearest characters of the meekness of Christ on them. Finally, that Doctrine which tends most to the recommending of the Christian Religion to all Princes and States, is to be preferred to that which I may prepossess the mindes of all with the deepest prejudices against it. Indeed, Mahomets Alchoran incites with the fair hopes of great rewards, to kill all who are not Musulmans, and hath been propagated and maintained by the●… edge of the sword. But, our holy Profession rejects the carnal weapons from its defence; and therefore, is not to be looked on as on apple of contention, or an occasion for warres, which since they spring from our lusts, cannot take their rise from that which enjoins the mortifying of them all. Indeed, Religion teacheth the duties both of obedience to sovereigns, and of peaceableness towards fellow-subjects, so fully, that nothing can secure either the Authority of Princes, or the Peace of Societies, so entirely, as the receiving, believing and practising of this heavenly Doctrine. And this alone, though it serve not to convince the world of its truth, yet may sufficiently secure them of its innocency, and that no ●… ad consequences may be apprehended from ●… t. But, indeed, the Doctrine of resistance will change its whole visage, so that this dayes star, whose aspects are benign and serene, will look like a fiery Comet, ●… lazing Warres, and portending commotions and alterations of States. For, if this Principle be drunk in by the Christian Societies, they may for ever despair of peace, since it is not to be expected, that ●… ll can be of one mind in matters of Religion; and therefore, any side or party when oppressed, would undoubtedly raise ●… tirs and tumults, how soon they were ●… n a capacity: And sure your friends would find it a hard pull, to govern any State ●… n the world at this rate, especially if you keep up your old quarrels, not only at Toleration, but Moderation. And from this Principle, what peace were to be expected from Papists? since their Religion being established in the fullest form, continued in a long course of possession, so that it became a Land-right, and wa●… more interwoven in our Laws, then any thing you can pretend to: But, none o●… all these hazards are to be apprehende●… nor feared, if the Doctrine of patient peaceable suffering were received; wherefore, it is certainly more for the interes●… of Mankind, and the peace of all Societies. But, after I have gone this far wit●… you, let me bespeak your looking bac●… with a serious survey of these two different methods of advancing Religion, th●… comparing them in true balances, yo●… may see whither of them will preponderate: And if to all this, I should add th●… bad effects of War, especially of a civ●… one, I should have a large Theme: Bu●… our wounds are too fresh, and the la●… Tragedies too recent in our memorie●… to need any long excursions for makin●… out of this. It were a long story to reckon ●… o all the advantages that peace carries ●… ong with it for a religious life, even ●… hough its terms were very uneasy; the ●… uiet retirement it affords being none of ●… he least of them. But, when a Land ●… become the scene of War, all must ●… rgo their peaceful solitude for a life of ●… ussling and contention, engaging in ma●… y distractions, anxieties, solicitudes, ●… uds and daily hazards. Truly, Sir, what●… ver attractives such things may have to ●… n ambitious and daring mind that thirsts ●… or Glory, I cannot see what should com●… end them to one who designs the good ●… f Souls, or the advancement of the Gos●… el. Besides, in all such wars, the suc●… esse is at best doubtful; yea, the very ●… rmy employed for managing of the ador●… d Cause, may in the end prove more ●… yrannical, then could have been appre●… ended from those against whom they ●… ngaged; which was our late case. I will next attempt the convincing of ●… ou, by some instances from Scripture, ●… hat fighting is none of the methods approved of by GOD for advancing his cause When the Israelites were in Egypt, the●… were oppressed to the highest degree, bot●… in their Religion, Lives and Liberties, an●… these lasted about an hundred years a●… least, since Moses was fourscore years o●… when he was sent to deliver them, and th●… oppression was begun before he was bon●… Neither were the Israelites contemptib●… for strength, since six hundred thousan●… fighting men, might attempt the conque●… of the whole earth: And Pharaohs tit●… over them was not so well founded as on●… conquest. But, how comes it, that all th●… while they were so ignorant of their na●…ral rights, that they made no violent a●…tempts for their liberty, or the free exerci●… of their Religion; since no doubt they h●… a traditional Religion conveyed to the with the Circumcision? And how com●… it, that Moses understood nothing of th●… gallant doctrine? not a hint of it appeari●… either in his discourses to Pharaoh, or to 〈…〉 Israelites. But the next instance shall be yet stron●…er, when Jeroboam made Israel to sin, 〈…〉 setting up the calves, discharging the Tribes ●… o go to Jerusalem, and turning out the Priests and Levites out of their Cities: ●… hat was a time, if every any was for a popu●… ar Reformation; for Religion was to that ●… eople, not only a settled land-right, but ●… he very right and title they had to the ●… vading and possessing of the land: And ●… et no attempts were made to redress this ●… y force. It is true, you may say, the Tribes ●… ere too guilty of a defection, to be very ●… ctive in a Reform. But, if that was their ●… uty, how comes it, since none were so ●… ealous of the Law as to offer at it, that ●… one of the Prophets( though they freely ●… ccused their defection) ever required them ●… o fall to these popular courses, or to pull ●… own the calves by force: for if that was ●… he peoples duty, their silence had been sin●… l; and yet, neither Ahijah the Shilonite, ●… oseah, Amos, Micah, or any other Prophet, ●… ught this Doctrine. Yea, though ahab ○ dded the Idolatry of Baal to the sin of the ●… lves, yet Elijah( though far enough from ●… eing over indulgent to that wicked King) ever stirred up the people to arms. It is true, himself once executed vengeance o●… the Priests of Baal, but he did that as a Prophet, it being ordinary in that dispensation, for acknowledged Prophets to act authoritatively, but he never sounded an allar●… of War among the people, though ther●… were divers thousands who never bowe●… their knee to Baal. Likewise in Judah though divers Kings set up groves and hig●… places, and Achaz did totally destroy th●… Temple-worship, by removing the Alta●… from its place, so that the people were to sacrifice on the Altar, framed from the patte●… of that of Damascus: and though Manasse defiled the whole Courts of the Lord 〈…〉 House with Idols, and set up an Idol i●… the Temple itself: to which Idolatry the●… also added the height of tyranny, Jerusalem swimming in Blood with manassehs cruelty: And who knows but that cruelt●… was exercised on those who would no●… comply with his Idolatry? Yet, it seem those men of Judah knew nothing of yo●… generous politics; Otherwise they h●… taken a shorter method for their redress neither is this tamenesse ever charged o●… them by Isaiah or any other of the Prophets, as wilderness in the Cause of GOD. And if these of Libnah revolted out of their zeal against Jehoram's forsaking the Lord God of his fathers, and if that was justified and approved; it is strange, ●… hat during the reign of worse Kings, no others followed their example, and that none of the Prophets encouraged them to the like undertaking. truly, you must confess these instances to be strong: for as in these cases the apostasy from Religion was undoubted, so the peoples submission, with the silence of the Prophets, though they be negatives, yet do prove convincingly, that they were strangers to that doctrine, which you would draw from the Law and dictates of Nature. And all this will be the more binding, if it be considered, that in the dispensation of Moses, the use of the sword was more allowed then under the Gospel; they being warranted to invade the people of Canaan, and put them all to the edge of the sword; and these was suitable to that frame which consisted much in externals, and had annexed to it the promises of an earthly Canaan, with much prosperity and length of dayes in it. But, under the Gospel we are called to bea●… the cross always, but no where to draw the sword: therefore, if the use o●… that, in matters of Religion, was not allowable of old, it will be much less so now. And I leave it with all free mindes to consider, whither the instances I alledg●… make it not clearer, that at that time it was not allowed; then your little niblings at some disjointed places, do the contrary. For, the first ages of the Church, yo●… are forced to yield their unacquaintednesse with this doctrine, which yet had Christs words about the sword been expounded by your gloss, could not have escaped their knowledge. Neither will the distinction of Religions being a land right, serve the turn here: for besides what was already marked upon that head, after Christianity was settled by Constantine, Julian apostatised to Idolatry, and not only set up the Pagan Worship again, but was using very politic arts to root out the Gospel, and i● end was beginning to persecute. As al●… o, Constantius and Valens established Aria●… ism, and persecuted the Orthodox; yet, ●… o Church-man ever animated the people to, or justified Insurrections. And ●… will positively and upon all hazards as●… ert this historical Point, that till the eleventh Century, that Pope Gregory ●… he seventh swelled to the Antichristian ●… eight of usurping over Kings, the Do●… trine of Subjects resisting their sovereigns ●… y force, upon pretence of Religion, was ●… nheard of in the Church of GOD: mark, ●… hat I speak of the Doctrine, and not of ●… ome particular instances, since there are ●… o crimes but some Christians have been ●… uilty of them; but as these actions were ●… ot justified, so the Doctrine was not ●… wned; therefore, the date of this Opi●… ion must be drawn from the ignorantest ●… nd worst of Ages, wherein Antichrist ●… as rising to his Meridian, in the per●… on of that Monster Hildebrand: And ●… ad I the leisure or humour for such a tedious and unpleasing Task, I could easily demonstrat, that all the grounds o●… which either you, or others whose plagary you are, do go on this matter, are borrowed from these Writings which assert the Popes absolute, transcendent and temporal Dominion over all Princes and States. Yet, as bad as the Roman Church is, even this Doctrine was never agreed to in it, many of that Communion having directly appeared against it: And it's chief Patrons were the Canonists of old and the Jesuits of late. For information in all this, if your curiosity reach such Writings, I refer you to the collection of the Pieces that past in thi●… controversy, which are gathered together and published in many great volumes by Goldastus; or to bring yo●… nearer our own times, to the ground on which the late League of France wa●… framed and defended: red any of th●… Writings of the Spanish Divines that justified it, and it will appear, that all th●… grounds on which you walk, are borrowe●… and stolen from them. And thus, if you be capable of conviction, I have said enough for your cure: ●… ut if you be past hope, I can add no more, but commit your recovery to the Great Physician of souls, in whose skilful hand no Patient can miscarry, and with whom, what is impossible with men, is not only possible, but easy: And indeed you need many prayers, for I must add this one severe word, that I do very much apprehended you are in the gull of bitterness, when you are capable of belching up such stuff. All this while, I have taken no notice of the matter on which you found all your tragical complaints and cruel insinuations, which you take for granted to be the Cause of GOD; wherein, if all along I have not contradicted you, it was that I might ruffle you as little as was possible, and so I might advance your cure with the less pain. But, I could blot much Paper on this head, for convincing you, that the matters which you so highly magnify, are far from what you apprehended them to be; and that they have neither that truth nor importance which you suppose to be in them. But, I shall not adventure too far at once on your patience, which I fear is already over-spent; only ere we part, I must take notice of the Postscript you have set down at the fag end of your Book, wherein you break out in the most unsampled piece of railing I ever met with; all your quarrel being, because the Archbishop of St. Andrews said in a Sermon, that the Subjects lives were more the Kings then their own. I perceive there would be no holding of you, if you had real advantages, when you are so insolent without any: But, I shall say only one thing to convince you of the truth of that Position: When a Subject hath committed a crime that is capital, he hath no right to be the executioner of justice on himself, but certainly the King hath, and so his life is more in the Kings power then in his own. As for instance, though you be guilty of Rebellion and Treason, in as high a degree as your poor abilities can serve you to; yet, I should be hearty sorry, if your remorse for it carried you so far, as to be a felon on yourself, and turn your own Hangman; but it cannot be denied, if you were in the hands of Justice, your sovereign should have very much reason for making you an example to all such desperate Incendiaries: But, I protest sincerely, I wish your repentance, and not your ruin. I have not taken notice of a multitude of particular trips that met me as I run thorough your Book; but indeed, the total of it was so bad, that I choosed rather to examine it in bulk, then by retail: And now I leave you to better hands, wishing I had more reason to subscribe myself, Your assured Friend and humble Servant. FINIS.