Religion & morality > Cloud of witnesses, for the royal prerogatives of Jesus Christ, or, The last speeches and testimonies of those who suffered for the truth in Scotland, in the years 1681-1688, with an appendix, containing the Queensferry paper, Torwood excommunications, &c

PREFACE, XV
Christ alone, or king Charles, should be owned as head and
lawgiver to the church ? And, whether the divine form of
government and discipline, which Christ had instituted,
should continue in the church, or if an usurper should have
leave to mould it as he pleased, and conform it to the pomp¬
ous dress of the Romish whore ?’
And hence it is also evident that the state of the suffer¬
ings before the engagement at Bothwell, was really one and
the same with that which was after it, as to the main, though
things came to be clearer after it, concerning the civil au¬
thority, when by that and many other instances, it was
made evident, that the pretended rulers were setting them¬
selves directly to ruin the whole interests of the subjects, civil
as well as sacred ; and that it was in Vam to be any long¬
er in suspense, waiting for a satisfactory redress of griev¬
ances, or opportunity to represent the same. So that the
charge of rebellion laid against them, not only by our epis¬
copal passive-obedience men, but also by the indulged, and
such as tread their steps, is a most groundless imputation ;
for king Charles had violated all the conditions of govern¬
ment, and manifestly degenerated into a tyrant, long before
they rejected his authority, and had refused all claims to the
subjects’ allegiance, upon account of the contract which he
entered into at his coronation, and had no pretence to au¬
thority but hereditary right and bloody force, with the con¬
sent of such profligate noblemen and gentlemen as sat in
packed and pretended parliaments, which could never, in
law or reason, oblige the honest and faithful subjects of the
kingdom to comply with these tyrannical courses, and sub¬
mit to him, who had as really forfeited his right to be king
of Britain, as did his brother afterwards by his abdication.
But it is no new thing for the followers of Christ to meet
with this charge of rebellion, if a Jezebel wants a Naboth’s
vineyard, and he stands up for his property, she will not
want sons of Belial to bear witness, that he blasphemed
God and the king. Do the adversaries of Judah and Ben¬
jamin intend to stop the building of Jerusalem, they’ll not
want a Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, to
write, “ That this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto
kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition
within the same of old time.” Would Haman have all the
Jews destroyed, because Mordecai will not honor him, this