Three treatises concerning the Scotish discipline 1. A fair warning to take heed of the same, by the Right Reverend Dr. Bramhall, Bishop of Derris : 2. A review of Dr. Bramble, late Bishop of London-Derry, his fair warning, &c. by R.B.G. : 3. A second fair warning, in vindication of the first, against the seditious reviewer, by Ri. Watson, chaplain to the Right Honorable the Lord Hopton : to which is prefixed, a letter written by the Reverend Dean of St. Burien, Dr. Creyghton.

A FAIR WARNING, To take heed of the Scotish Discipline, as being of all others most Injurious to the Civil Magistrate, most Oppres∣sive to the Subject, most Pernicious to both. (Book 1)

CHAP. I. (Book 1)

The Occasion and Subject of this Treatise.

IF the Disciplinarians in Scotland could rest contented to * 1.1 dote upon their own inventions and magnifie at home that Diana which themselves have canonised, I should leave them to the best School-Mastresse, that is, Experience, to feel where their shoe wrings them, and to purchase Re∣pentance. What have I to do with the regulation of forreign Churches to burn mine own fingers with snuffing other m•…•…ns Candles? Let them stand or fall to their own Master: It is charity to judge well of others, and piety to look well to our selves.

But to see those very men who plead so vehemently against all kinds of tyranny, attempt to obtrude their own dreams not onely upon their fellow-Subjects, but upon their Sovereign himself, contrary to the di∣ctates of his own conscience, contrary to all Laws of God and Man, yea to compel forreign Churches to dance after their pipe, to worship that counterfeit image which they feign to have fallen down from J•…•…∣piter, and by force of arms to turn their neighbours out of a possession of above 1400 years, to make room for their Trojan horse of Ecclesiasti∣cal Discipline, (A practice never justified in the world but either by the Turk or by the Pope) This put us upon the defensive part, They must not think that other men are so cowed or grown so tame, as to stand still blowing of their noses, whilst they bridle them and ride them at their pleasure. It is time to let the world see that this Discipline which they so much adore, is the very quintessence of refined Popery, or a greater

Tyranny than ever Rome brou•…•…he forth, Incon•…•…t with all forms of civil Government, destructive to all sorts of Policy a rack to the con∣science, the heaviest pressure that can fall upon a people, and so much more dangerous, because by the specious pretence of Divine Institution, it takes a way the sight, but not the burthen of slavery. Have patience Reader and I shall discover unto thee more pride and arrogancie through the holes of a threed-bare coat, than was ever found under a Cardinals Cap or a triple Crown. All this I undertake to demonstrate not by some extraordinary practices justified onely by the pretence of invincible necessity (a weak patrociny for general Doctrine) nor by the single opinions of some Capricious fellows but by •…•…heir books of Disci∣pline, by the acts of their general and provincial Assemblies by the con∣current votes and writings of their Commissioners.

I foresee that they will suggest that through their sides I seek to wound forreign Churches. No, there is nothing which I shall convict them of here, but I hope will be disavowed, though not by all Protestant au∣ctou•…•…s, yet by all the Protestant Churches in the world. But I must take leave to demand of our Disciplinarians, who it is they brand with the odious name of Erastians in the Acts of their Parliaments and Assem∣blies, * 1.2 and in the writings of their Commissioners and reckon them with Papists, Anabaptists, and Independents; Is it those Churches who dis∣arm their Presbyteries of the Sword of Excommunication which they are not able to weeld? so did Erastus; or is it those who attribute a much greater power to the Christian Magistrate in the managery of Ec∣clesiastical affairs than themselves? So did Erastus, and so do all Pro∣testant Churches. The Disciplinarians will sooner endure a Bishop or a Superintendent to govern them, than the Civil Magistrate. And when the Magistrate shall be rightly informed what a dangerous edg'd-tool their Discipline is, he will ten times sooner admit of a moderate Episcopacy, than fall into the hands of such hucksters.

If it were not for this Disciplinarian humour, which will admit no latitude in Religion, but makes each nicity a fundamental, and every private opinion an Article of faith, which prefers particular errours be∣fore general truths. I doubt not but all reformed Churches might ea∣sily be reconciled. Before these unhappy troubles in England, all Pro∣testants both Lutherans and Calvinists did give unto the English Church the right hand of fellowship; the Disciplinarians themselves though they preferred their own Church as more pure, (else they were hard-hearted) yet they did not, they durst not condemn the Church of England, either as defective in any necessary point of Christian Piety, or redundant in any thing that might virtually or by consequence over∣throw the foundation.

Witnesse that letter which their General Assembly of Superintendents, * 1.3

Pastours and Elders sent by M^r. John Knox to the English Bishops, where∣in they stile them Reverend Pastours, fellow-preachers, and joynt oppo∣sers of the Roman Antichrist. They themselves were then far from a party, or from making the calling of Bishops to be Antichristian.

But to leave these velitations and come home to the point. I will shew first how this Discipline entrencheth most extreamly upon the right of the civil Magistrate, secondly that it is as grievous and intol∣lerable to the Subject.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1
• * 1.2

  S•…•…n. G•…•…r. 16. 7. D•…•…ar. Parl. 1648. &c.
• * 1.3

  Assemb. G•…•… A•…•…no 1556.