med to
do evil? When did this catholic conversion fall out, and by what means?
Hath the act of indemnity and pardon such influence, to justify these men
from all their butcheries and barbarous cruelties? The adding of three
thousand to the church in one day, was miraculous in the days of miracles.
But behold, a greater miracle than that in the days when miracles are
ceased, many thousands added to the church of the friends of the cause of
God in one day, and that not by preaching, which is the power of God unto
salvation, not by spiritual weapons, which are mighty through God, but by
the carnal weapon of an act of indemnity, and the example of one man, the
king's conjunction in the cause, which at the best hath not such evidence
of reality as to convince any, and change their mind. Sad experience, and
the constant testimony of the church of Scotland proves, that malignancy
is a weed that hath deeper and stronger roots than to be plucked up so
easily; and that, though there be some, yet there be but few in the land
who have been once engaged in that way, that have really and indeed
abandoned and come off the same.

The point shall more appear by taking off objections that are made to the
contrary. It is objected, 1. That these who were formerly esteemed
malignants, did oppose the work of God because they could not be persuaded
in conscience, that the covenant and cause were contrived and carried on
in a warrantable way, those who were most instrumental in it, seeming to
them not only to act without authority, but against authority. But so it
is, that the king hath now joined in the covenant and added his authority
to it, and therefore it needs not be feared that these men will any more
oppose it, nay it may be expected, they will no less zealously promote the
ends thereof than they did formerly oppose the same.

_Answer_: This argument supposeth some things that are false, some things
at best doubtful, and some things dangerous.

I. It supposeth two falsities: 1. That it was a ground and principle of
conscience and respect to the king's authority that made these men to
oppose the covenant and work of reformation. If it was the conscience and
conviction of the unwarrantableness of it for the want of authority, that
stirred them up to oppose the covenant and cause, then why did they
subscribe it and join in the defence of the same against the king? 2. It
supposeth that the only ground, why they did oppose and undermine th