Which arguments pre

'punished in others,' &c. vailed with the noble Earl of Glencairn, in zeal to burst forth in these words: Albeit never man 'fhould accompany me, yet I will go to my bre'thren, and if it were but a pike upon my fhoulder, "I had rather die with that company, than live after 'them.' But now profeffors cannot only fit at home, in their fhops and cieled houfes, when the Lord's people are pursued and murdered in the fields, but allo can hire their murderers, and ftrengthen their hands, by paying them ceffes and localities, and what they require for help to do their work, and maintaining them in their iniquity. Which famous Mr. Knox difproveth very much in his day, arguing, That if people thought they were innocent, because they▾ 'were not the actors of fuch iniquity, they were utterly deceived; for God doth not only punish the 'chief offenders, but the confenters to fuch iniquity; " and all are judged to confent, who give not teftimony against it; as the rulers and bishops are cri'minal of all the innocent blood that is fhed for the ' teftimony of Chrift's truth; fo are all who affift and 'maintain them in their blind rage, and give no de'claration, that their tyranny displeaseth them. This 'doctrine is strange to the blind world, but the verity ' of it hath been declared in all notable punishments from the beginning. When the old world was deftroyed by water, Sodom and Jerufalem were deftroyed, were all alike wicked? Yet all perifhed: why? All kept filence, or did not refift; by which 'all approved iniquity, and joined hands with the tyrants, as it had been in one battle against the Omnipotent.' Which words, if impartially applied, will condemn and confute the dull daubings of the prefent compliances, in maintaining tyrants and their emiffaries, by emoluments which they require and exact, and that profeffedly, for promoting their accurfed projects; and will juftify confcientious fufferers, for refufing to pay thefe impofitions. And this will

the more appear, if we add fome more of his pithy expreffions in the fame place, clearing the fubject he is upon, and anfwering an objection, what poor people might do, when compelled to give obedience to all their rulers demanded? Ye may,' faith that author, without fedition, withhold the fruits and pro'fits, which your falfe bishops and clergy moft unjustly received of you: upon which he subjoins the 'preceeding arguments.' Yet now a-days thefe have no weight, but fuch as refufe either to pay oppreffors exactions, or curates ftipends, are condemned for giddy fools. Again we find, that when they were challenged for duty, they would never decline a declaration of its righteoufnefs, nor do any thing directly or indirectly, which might feem a condemning of it. And therefore they would receive no pardons for these things which they could not confefs to be offences. John Knox, challenged for offending the Queen, had her promife, that if he would confess an offence his greateft punishment fhould be, but to go within the castle of Edinburgh, and immediately to return to his own houfe; he refufed abfolutely. But now, if our pardon-mongers, and prudent men had been fo circumftantiate, furely they could have helped themselves with their diftinctions, they might confefs and be pardoned for offending the Queen, though not confefs it to be a fault in their confcience: but Mr. Knox had not learned that then. When they were purfuing the murderer of King Henry of Darnly, the queen finding herself not ftrong enough, offers to forgive and pardon that infurrection: the Earl of Morton, in name of all the rest, did not only refufe a ceffation, but told her they would not ask a pardon. But now fufferers, for refufing of thefe base and unmanly, as well as unchriftian compliances, are much condemned. Finally, because this strictness, especially in their feverity against their enemies, may be accufed of Jewish rigidity, inconfiftent with a gofpel fpirit of lenity, which alfo is imputed to the much condemned

condemned fufferers of Scotland at this time, for their teftimonies against toleration and liberty of confcience: let us hear what Knox fays, 'whatfoever 'God required of the civil magiftrate in Ifrael or Ju'dah, concerning the obfervation of true religion during the time of the law, the fame doth he re'quire of lawful magiftrates, profeffing Chrift Jefus, " in the time of the gofpel: and cites a large teftimony out of Auguftine to this purpofe.' And afterward objecting to himself the practice of the apoftles, who did not punifh the idolatrous Gentiles; he anfwers, That the Gentiles, being never avowed to 'be God's people before, had never received his law, ' and therefore were not to be punished according to 'the rigour of it, to which they were never fubject, being strangers from the common-wealth of Ifrael; 'but if any think, after the Gentiles were received in the number of Abraham's children, and fo made one people with the Jews believing; then they were 'not bound to the fame obedience of Ifrael's cove'nant, the fame feems to make Chrift inferior to Mo'fes, and contrary to the law of his heavenly Father; 'for if the contempt and tranfgreffion of Mofes' law was worthy of death, what judge we the contempt of Chrift's ordinance to be? And if Chrift be not come to diffolve, but to fulfil the law of his heavenly Father, fhall the liberty of his gofpel be an occa'fion that the special glory of his Father be trodden 'under foot, and regarded of no man? God forbid: ' and therefore I fear not to affirm, that the Gentiles 'be bound by the fame covenant that God made with his people Ifrael, in thefe words" Beware that 'thou make not any covenant with the inhabitants of the land, but thou fhalt deftroy their altars," &c. 'When, therefore, the Lord putteth the fword in the 'hand of a people, they are no lefs bound to purge 'their cities and countries from idolatry, than were 'the Ifraelites, what time they received the poffeffion of the land of Canaan.'

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III. For the head of refiftance of fuperior powers, we have no clearer inftances in any period than in this, whereof the above-mentioned hints give some account, to which their fentiments and arguments may be here subjoined. They prized and improved this principle fo much, that they put it in their Confeffion of Faith, Art. 14. To fave the lives of innocents, to reprefs tyranny, to defend the oppreffed, are among the good works of the fecond table, which are most pleasing and acceptable to God, as these works are commanded by himfelf; and to fuffer innocent blood to be fhed, if we may withstand it, is affirmed to be fin, by which God's hot displeasure is kindled against the proud and unthankful world. And if there were no more to render the late teft of Scotland deteftable, that condemns all refiftance of kings upon any pretence whatfoever, this may make all Chriftians, and all men, abhor the contrivance of it; that that fame teft that confirms this thetis, doth alfo impose the antithefis upon confcience. It obliges to this confeffion in the firft part of it, and to deny it in the latter. But no wonder, that men of feared consciences can receive any thing, though never fo contradictory to itself, and that men who deny fense, and that principle radicated in human nature, may alfo deny confcience, and make a tool of it in foldering contradictories. But not only did our reformers affert this truth, for which now their children adhering to their teftimony, fuffer both rage and reproach; but also gave their reafons for it. As (1.) Mr. Knox, in his first conference with the Queen, argues thus, There is neither greater honour nor obedience to be given to princes than parents; but fo it is, that the father may be, ftricken with a phrenfy, in the ' which he would flay his own children; now if the children arife, take his weapon from him, bind his hands, do the children any wrong? It is even fo with princes, that would murder the children of God fubject to them, their blind zeal is nothing

but

but a very mad phrenfy; and therefore to take the fword from them, and caft them into prifon till they 'be brought to a more fober mind, is no difobedience against princes.' (2.) In his conference with Lethingtoun, he proves the fame point, from the confideration of the juftice of God, punishing the people for not refifting the prince. The fcripture of God teacheth me (faith he) Jerufalem and Judah were 'punifhed for the fins of Manaffeh; if you you al'ledge they were punished, becaufe they were wicked, and not because the king was wicked; the fcripture fays exprefsly, for the fins of Manaffeh; yet ' will I not abfolve the people, I will grant the whole people offended with their king, but how? To affirm that all Judah committed the acts of his impi ety, hath no certainty; who can think, that all jerufalem fhould turn idolaters immediately after He'zekiah's notable reformation? One part therefore 'willingly followed him in his idolatry, the other fuffered him, and fo were criminal of his fin; even as Scotland is guilty of the Queen's idolatry this day.' In the fame difcourfe he makes it plain, that all are guilty of innocents murder who do not oppofe it, from Jeremiah's words in his defence before the princes.- "Know ye for certain, if ye put me to death,

ye fhall furely bring innocent blood upon your"felves, and upon the city, and upon the inhabitants "thereof:" Now, if the princes, and the whole people should have been guilty of the prophet's blood; how shall others be judged innocent before God, if they fuffer the blood of innocents to be fhed, when they may fave it? (3.) Ibid. He argues from the diftinction between the perfon placed in authority, and the ordinance of God, the one may be refifted, the other cannot. The plain words of the apoftle makes the difference, The ordinance is of God, for pre• fervation of mankind, punishment of vice, which is 'holy and conftant: perfons commonly are profane and unjuft: he that refifteth the power there, is on

ly