ments. etc. And in like manner Charles I. Following his Father's example and inftructions, endeavoured upon pretence of the fame prerogative to improve upon what his father had begun, and compleat the Church's flavery, by obtruding upon her a Liturgy and Canons formed a la mode d' Angleterre, collected out of the Romish mass Book, and canon law; which put the faithful fons of the church of Scotland to much wrestIng and contending, partly by humble and fubmiffive, yet zealous and faithful addreffes, fupplications remonstrances and reprefentations; partly by more bold and daring prote ftations and affociations for mutual defence, even till they were forced to take arms for defence of religion and the liberties of their county. Which contendings for Chrift's royal authority, and his churches liberties at length, by the bleffing of God, iffued in a glorious work of reformation through Britain and Ireland, wherein the churches of Chrift in thefe lands not only received their former beautiful order, fhining purity and precious liberty, but also had feveral degrees of new attainments in purity and uniformity of religion added there

to.

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But the church's fun of profperity is foon at the tropick; fcarce was that fpring-time well begun to bloo n and bud, when behold a world of malignant vapours, arising out of the earth clouded all her fky again, and turned her spring to a deplorable winter. Various herefies in England, growing Popery in Ireland, publick refolutions for advancing Maligpants to places of power and truft in Scotland, like fo many inundations breaking in upon the Church of Chrift, laid all her pleafant things waste. And no fooner was Charles II advan ced to the exercise of the royal authority, but drowning the fenfe of all facred obligations with a glut of fenfual pleatures, he authorized a malignant crew of ftatefinen to perfecute and deftroy the people of God for their adherence to the covenants which himfelf had entered into as the foundamental ftipulation of government, and to that reformation which he had fwon to maintain and practife, and for their bearing witness against the grand principle and foundation, upon which he built his power of overthrowing religion, and fetting up a new frame thereof in Britain, namely the blafphemous headship of ecclefiaftical fupremacy.

Hence it is ccident to a demonftration that the grand state of the quarrel upon which the martyrs' laid down their lives during the late tyrannical reigns, was really one and the fame with that for which the zealous and faithful Minifters fuffered fuch hardships in the time of king James VI and afterwads. This being the precife foundation upon which all

the other acts and oaths were built, which the enemies made a handle of to involve honeft people into the crime of treafon and rebellion against the itate, as it was then determined by their iniquitous laws. For as it was ftill the principal question put to them, Own ye the King's authority? and the chief article of their indictment if they either anfwered in the nega tive or kept filence; fo it is evident that by this question they really meant not to his civil authority only, but alfo his preended claim to fupreme headship over the church.

For no fooner had he authorized a parliament to meet at Edinburgh under the infpection of that malignant wretch, John earl of Middletoun, Anno 1661. but that generation of enemies to the work of God, intending the utter ruining thereof, fet up this Dagon of the royal prerogative, not only with refpect to things civil, as in the choice of his officers of ftate, counsellors and judges, Act fecond, In the calling and difolv ing of parliaments, and making laws, At third, In the mili tia, and making peace and war, Act fifth, which were great invafions upon the national liberties of the fubjects; but allo in things facred, in the making of leagues, and the conventi ons of the fubjects, Act fourth, Wherein all the former work of reformation is condemned, and the covenants made for its defence are declared treafonable and rebellious actions againt the royal prerogative; and in confequence hereof: 'tis declar ed, Act feventh, That the League and Covenant is not obli gatory upon this kingdom, nor doth infer any obligation on the fubjects thereof, to meddle or interpofe in any thing con cerning the religion and government ef the churches of England and Ireland; and all the fubjects are difcharged to renew the fame, as they will anfwer at their highest peril. And in the oath of allegiance and acknowledgment of his Majeftey's royal prerogative, ftatute by the eleventh act of the said parliament, all perfons of watfover truft, poft, office, or or imployment are obliged to fwear, That they acknowledge the king only fupreme governour of this kingdom, over all perfons and in all caufes. And that they do with all humble duty acknowledge his Majefty's royal prerogative, in all the particu in all the pa lars, and in the manner aformentioned.

And to make the matter clearer, what they meant by the King's authority, in the preamble of the first Act of the fecond Seffion of the fame firft parliament, They affert," That "the ordering and difpofal of the external government, and "policy of his church, do properly belong unto his Majefty, " as an inherent right of the crown, by virtue of s royal

prerogative and fupremacy in caufes ecclefiaftical." And upon this bottom, he with advice and confent of the eftates of

parliament, fets up the epifcopal form of Church-government, the jurifdiction of bishops and archbishops over the inferior clergy, with their concomitant of patronages, and "refcinds "cafes, and annuls all acts of parliament, by which the fole and only power, and jurifdiction within this church, doth ftand in the church, and in the general provincial and "prefbterial affemblies, and kirk feffions; and all acts of "parliament or council, which may be interpreted to have given any church power, jurifdiction or government to the "office-bearers of the church, their refpective meetings, other "than that which acknowledgeth a dependance upon, and fu "bordination to, the fovereign power of the king as fu

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preme." And in purfuance hereof, in the Second Act of the forefaid fecond feffion, Intituled, Act for preservation of his Majefty's perfon, authority and government, he doth with the advice of his eftates of parliament declare, "That the "affembly kept at Glasgow in the year 1638. was in itself "(after the fame was by his majefty discharged, under the pain "of treafon) an unlawful and feditious meeting: and that all thefe gatherings, convocations, petitions, proteftations, and erecting and keeping council tables, that were used in "the beginning, and for carrying on the late troubles (thus "they call the word of reformation) were unlawful and fediand that thefe oaths, whereof the one was common"6 ly called the National Covenant, and the other a Solemn League and Covenant, were and are in themselves unlawful oaths, and therefore declares their obligation void and null, "and refcinds all acts or conftitutions, ecclefiaftic or civil, "approving them." Nor does it fuffice them to refcind theie covenants and other proceedings for carrying on the work of reformation, as contrary to this royal prerogative of ecclefiaftic fupremacy, and to inhibit all perfons to fpeak, write or act any thing in defence of the fame, and againit the faid prerogative, but likewife in the fifth act of the forefaid feffion, all perfons in any place, office or truft, are obliged to fwear all the particulars contained in the forefaid acts, in that most impious oath, commonly called the declaration. And again in the fourth act of the third feffion of the forefaid parliament, Intituled act for establishment and conftitution of a natural fynod; it is declared, "That the ordering and difpofal of the ex"ternal government of the church, and the nomination of the "perfons by whofe advice matters relating to the faints are to "be fettled, doth belong to his Majefty, as an inherent right of "the crown, by virtue of his prerogative royal, and fupreme "authority in caufes ecclefiaftical." And in the firft Act of the fecond parliament, holden by that apoftate, John carl of Lawsier

dale, Intituled, Act affecting his Majefty's fupremacy over all perfons, and in all caufes ecclefiaftical, commonly called the Act explanatory, it is exprefly declared, "That his Majefty "hath the fupreme authority and fupremacy over all perfons, "and in all caufes ecclefiaftical within this kingdom; and "that by virtue thereof, the ordering the difpofal of the "external government and policy of the church, doth pro"perly belong to his Majefty and his fucceffors, as an in"herent right to the crown: And that his Majesty and his "fucceffors may fettle, enact and emit fuch conftitutions, acts "and orders, concerning the adminiftration of the external"government of the church, and the perfons imployed in the "fame, and concerning all ecclefiaftical meetings and matters "to be propofed and determined therein, as they in their ❝ royal wisdom shall think fit.

For all which acts, it plainly appears, That the true fenfe of that authority, which they would have their private thoughts about was really, as the Martyrs understood it, his ecclefiaftic fupremacy, and that no less than a recognition hereof, would serve their turn, and tho' some of the Martyrs offered a diftinction between the two, profeffing to own his civil authority abstract from the ecclefiaftical, (as for instance, Mr. John Dick) yet they were not abfolved, because they would not own his authority in grofs. And befides, their including the fupremacy, over church matters, into the formal notion of the King's authority, they could be pleased with no less from any that they called before them, than an owning the whole acts and laws, and entire exercife and adminiftration of things in church, and ftate, which was an implicite condemning of all the proceeding reformation, and confenting to the perfecution and murder of the faints, who ftood up for its defence.

'Tis true indeed, these things were fo impious and abominable, that had they been proposed without mafk, they would prefently have begot an horror in the mind of any, who was not entirely loft to all confcience and goodness; and therefore these children of the old ferpent had so much of their father, that they made it their work to hide these horrid hooks with some fpecious baits, that they might the more eafily entice fimple people into that fare they had laid for them; and hence, knowing how much 'tis the effect of true religion to make men loyal, and that the Prefbyterians were of all others the readieft to yield all lawful fubjection to their rightful princes, they ftill made ufe of the fpecious title of authority as a blind to hide the ecclefiaftical fupremacy, and bloody exercife of their government, from these they labour

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ed to enfnare. They faw the fupremacy they intended: to fig in the King was fuch a "Monftrum horendum informe in"gens, Heccate atque Erebo artum," that without fome vail of this nature, no man would be fo mad as to embrace it: but when this would not do, but that stili its ill favoured face appears, thro' the vizar; and all good men faw, that that authority which fought no other way to maintain itfelf, but by blood and rapine, was really degenerated into tyranny; then they pretended to come fome fteps lower, and faid, That they required no more at the hands of people in order to dif mifs them. but that they would at their defire pray for the king, in their prescribed form of words, viz. "God fave the

King," or that they would drink the "Kings good health. Thefe were by them reprefented to be fo minute and eafy things and by a great many profeffors look'd upon as fo trivial and indifferent, that they were in the fair way either to enfnare, or with more opportunity to expofe fuch as re fufed to the contempt of indifferent fpectators, as being fuch fcrupulous fools and brain-fick perfons, as were tranfported with an extravagant wild zeal without knowledge, who had rather have a hand in their own death, than do for fmall and indifferent a thing in order to prevent it. And hence not the perfecutors only but even a great many who profeffed prefbyterian principles, ftood not to call them mur derers instead of martyrs.

But all this notwithstanding, 'tis certrin, they had nothing elfe before them, but to bring people to a tame fubmiffion and flavish compliance with the whole courfe of their Chriftdethroning and land-enflaving conftitutions and adminiftrations; for they intended the fame thing by urging people, to fav. "God fave the king," as by the oath of allegience, declaration, or test, namely, an acknowledgment of their authority, wherewith they had vefted him in the formentioned articles, and others of like nature. Lefs than this could never ferve their defign, which was ftill the fame, whatever alterations might app a to be in their way of profecuing it: for einer these things were fo infignificant and indifferent as they gave them out to be, and as others conceived of them, or they were not; if we fay the former, than what monfters of mankind were thefe perfecutors, who purfued poor innocent peo pir to death, and inflicted fuch cruel tortures upon them, for triffles and things of indifferency; This is what themselves (fuppofe) would never admit, to be reckoned a degree fur ther loft to humanity, than a Nero or Caligula, fo as to torment and deftroy men for fport: Nay, they ftill pretended, that all these perfecutions were made upon weighty and just