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

APPENDIX.
in the government,—and declare them henceforth no lawful rulers, as they
had declared them to be no lawful subjects,—they having destroyed the es¬
tablished religion, overturned the fundamental laws of the kingdom, taken
away Christ’s church-government, and changed the civil into tyranny, where
none are associated in partaking of the government, but only those who will
be found by justice guilty as criminals ; and declare they shall, God giving
them power, set up government and governors according to the word of
God, and the qualifications therein required,—and shall not commit the
government to any single person or lineal succession, being not tied, as the
Jews were, to one single family,—and that kind being liable to most incon¬
veniences, and aptest to degenerate into tyranny ; and, moreover, that these
men set over them, shall be engaged to govern, principally by that civil and
judicial law, (not that which is any way typical) given by God to his people
Israel—as the best, so far as it goes, being given by God—especially in
matters of life and death, and other things so far as they reach, and are con¬
sistent with Christian liberty—exempting divorces and polygamy, &c. 6.
Seeing the greatest part of ministers not only were defective in preaching
against the rulers for overthrowing religion—but hindered others also who
were willing, and censured some that did it—and have voted for acceptation
of that liberty, founded upon, and given by virtue of that blasphemously
arrogate and usurped power—and appeared before their courts to accept of
it, and to be enacted and authorized their ministers—whereby they have be¬
come ministers of men, and bound to be answerable to them as they will;
and have preached for the lawfulness of paying that tribute, declared to be
imposed for the bearing down of the true worship of God, and advised poor
prisoners to subscribe that bond,—which, if it were universally subscribed,—
they should close that door, which the Lord hath made use of in all the
churches of Europe, for casting off the yoke of the whore,—and stop all
egress of men, when once brought under tyranny, to recover their liberty
again. They declare they neither can nor will hear them, &c., nor any
who encouraged and strengthened their hands, and pleaded for them, and
trafficked for union with them. 7. That they are for a standing gospel
ministry, rightly chosen, and rightly ordained,—and that none shall take
upon them the preaching of the word, &c., unless called and ordained
thereunto.
And whereas schism might be imputed to them, they repel both the
malice and the ignorance of the calumny; for if there be a separation, it
must be where the change is, and that was not to be found in them, who
were not separating from the communion of the true church, nor setting up
a new ministry, but cleaving to the same ministers and ordinances that for¬
merly they followed, when others have fled to new ways, and a new authori¬
ty, which is like the old piece in the new garment. 8. That they shall de¬
fend th emselves in their civil, natural, and divine rights and liberties ; and if
any assault them, they shall look on it as a declaration of war, and take all
advantages that one enemy does of another; but trouble and injure none but