CHAP. I.

HAving thus given you my Thoughts very freely of the General De­sign of this Pamphlet, I shall in the next place trouble you with a few Remarks on the Particulars contained therein. As for our Author's Dedication, which, I suppose, he designs for a piece of Wit, I can dis­cern nothing in it but what is mean and silly. His malicious Reflexions upon that Prelate, whom he so scurrilously Treats in his Dedication, and elsewhere, are nothing but a meer Brutum fulmen, and cannot in the least wound the Reputation of so great a Man, he being a Person endued with such excellent Parts, and his Merit having advanced him to such a Cha­racter in the Church, that it puts him far beyond the reach of the greatest Malice of any such Scribler. In his Preface, he very civilly Compliments This Author Reflexions upon the Church of England, and some of the Minist [...] of State, co [...] sidered. those Members of the Church of England, who promoted the Design of the Comprehension with the Dissenters, and tells them, that in his many Reflexions on the Church of England, he does not intend them, but understands only that Faction which opposed His Majesties desire of Uniting his Subjects, and goes under the Title of Ceremony-Mongers. It were to no pur­pose to relate here the many venomous and ill-natured Reflexions on the Church of England, which are scattered in all the Pages of this Pamphlet. But by what he says in his Preface, we may plainly see, that he declares War against the most considerable part of the Church, as being Enemies to all Religion, and betrayers both of our Religious and Civil Rights. And although he's pleased to call them a Faction only of the Church, yet he must own them to be such a Faction as are the greatest part, and con­sequently the fullest Representative of the Society, since by their Interest in the House of Convocation they opposed the Alterations that were then designed to be made in our Offices.

In the same Paragraph he inveighs bitterly against the Chief Ministers of State here in England, who, upon the Application of some of the Episco­pal Clergy to this Government, were pleased, out of a Compassionate sense of their Miseries and Oppression, to espouse their Interest, and en­deavour to procure them a Redress of their Grievances. These Men he represents, as having been formerly Instruments to bring us under Popery and Slavery; and whether this be not such a Reflexion on the present Govern­ment, as does concern it to Punish severely, I leave my Reader to judge, since to accuse the Chief Ministers of State under any Government of [Page 10] such odious Crimes as Enslaving their Country, is a direct Insinuation against the Government it self, as if it, by employing such kind of In­struments, did really design those Mischiefs against the Nation, with which they upbraid their Chief Ministers of State. And here I cannot enough admire the Impudence of this Author, to quarrel with the English Peers for medling in the Affairs▪ of the Church of Scotland, when he very well knows, that the greatest Encouragement and Support the Presbyterian Party in that Kingdom have, is from the in [...]luence of some foreign Presbyte­rians. And I would gladly know why an English Nobleman has not as good Right to concern himself in the Affairs of our Church as any Dutch Presbyterian.

But to take off all Church of England men from having any Pity or [...] in [...]otland, [...]t by [...] [...]rce and [...]ranny of [...] Rulers, [...]t by the [...] and [...]robation the whole [...] Compassion upon the Distressed State of our Church, he endeavours to perswade them, that the Constitution of Episcopacy in Scotland is so very sar disferent from that of England, that although our Clergy are Sufferers sor the Primitive and Apostolical Government of Episcopacy by Law established in that Nation, yet they cannot be said [...]o suffer for the Go­vernment and Discipline of the Church of England, and so not deserve that Fellow-feeling and Countenance which some worthy Members of her Communion are pleased to shew them. His first Instance, to shew the d [...]erence betwixt the two Const [...]tutions, is this, That ours in Scotland was [...] upon us by the Tyr [...]nny of our [...]. Now suppose his Asse [...]tion were t [...]ue, yet, methinks, 'tis a very odd consequence, that two Constitutions must needs be disferent in their Nature, because disferent means were used to set [...]le them in a Nation. Could not the Tyranny of our Rulers have forced upon us the same Constitution with that of England, as easily as one that is disferent. But his Assertion is as notoriously false, as the Conse­quence he endeavours to draw from it; for in the Insancy of the Reforma­tion our Church was governed by Bishops and Sup [...]rintendents, and that form of Government was app [...]oved of by the Un [...]nimous Consent of the whole Nation, both Clergy and Lai [...]y*. And as to these later Times, our Anno 1572. [...]rl. 3 Jac. 6. [...]. 45, 46, [...]c. [...] Perth [...]ss▪ in Aug [...]. publick Records of Parliament can yet testifie, that the Episcopal Go­vernment was so far from being sorced upon the Nation against their Will and Consent, that it has been established and confirmed by Twenty seven successive Legal Pa [...]liaments. It's known that at the Restoration of the Royal Family, the whole Nation having long groaned und [...] the Yoke of [...], they were very desirous to have their Primitive and Ancient Government of Episcopacy restored, that they might be rescued f [...]om the Tyranny and Confusion of the Presbyterian Anarchy, under which t [...]y had so severely smarted during their Usurpation; and a great many of the Clergy, I am sure the whole Diocese of Aberdeen almost to a Man, add [...]essed Hi [...] Majesty upon this account.

[Page 11]His next Instance is, That Presbytery being▪ Engraf [...]ed with our Refor­mation, The [...] in Scotland [...] th [...] s [...]l Authori [...]y [...] [...]o B [...]shops. Prelacy could never attain to a kindly nor plenary Possession: And to prove this, he instances in our retaining of Kirk-Sessi [...]ns, Presby­teries, and Synods, even under Bishops. That the Presbyterian Go­vernment had no Settlement in our Church for many Years a [...]ter the Reformation, I shall hereafter prove, to the conviction of the most Obstinate. But that Presbyters had a great Hand in Reform­ing us from the Errors and Superstitions of the Romish Church, both in Scotland and other Nations where the Reformation happily pre­vailed, is what we do not deny. But does it hence follow, that because Presbyters were more instrumental than Bishops in Promo­ting that great Work of the Re [...]ormation, that therefo [...]e the Presby­terian Government ought to be Established wherever the Reforma­tion obtains, and that of Episcopacy overturn'd? Or because Pres­byters had the Happiness to be concerned in so good a Work, does that therefore Authorize them to Usurp the Sacred O [...]fice of a Bi [...]hop, without b [...]ing duly Called and Ordained thereto, by those whom our Saviour has appointed to convey that Authority? Although some Bishops may chance to be backward and negligent in doing their Duty, as those Popish Bishops [...]ho opposed the Reformation, yet 'tis altogether unreasonable that the whole Order should suffer for the Crimes of some particular Members of their Fra [...]ernity. What our Author means, by saying, Episcopacy never attained to a Plenary Possession among us, I do not well apprehend; [...]or ' [...]is plain the Constitution of our Episcopacy is such, that th [...] Bi [...]hop is [...]nve­sted with the sole Power of Ordination and Jurisdiction within his own particular District; the whole Presbyters of his Diocese are subject to his Authority, and own him for their Chief Governor in Matters purely Spiritual; there is no Act of Discipline put in exe­cution by the Inferior Clergy, but by the Allowance and Approba­tion of their Dioc [...]san; and I think this is such a full and plena [...]y Pos­session as may justly entitle them even to a through Set [...]lement.

As [...]or his Instances of our Kirk-Sessions, Presbyteri [...], Synods Pr [...] ­vincial [...] and National, because this is a part of our Constitution not so very well known here in England, I shall trouble my Reader wi [...] this short account of them. That which he calls the Kirk- [...], i [...] a Court of Judicature established in every Parish, consisting of the Minis [...]er and some few Laicks of good Reputation that a [...]e his Pa­rishioners, whom he associates to himself for giving him in [...]ormation of the Manners and Conversation of his People, that so he [...]eceiving from these Men exact Information of the state of [...]is Parish, all scan­dalou [...] [Page 12] and vicious Persons may be brought to condign Punishm [...]nt. The Presbyteries are a sort of Judicatory under the Episcopal Con­stitution, consisting meerly of the Clergy; [...]or every Diocese is di­vided into several Presbyteries, each of which consist of about 12 Ministers or thereby, some of them being more numerous than others. This Judicatory meets at least once a Month, and their chief business is, to consult and advise about Affairs relating to their several Churchès, and to examine the Qualifications of those that design to enter upon the Holy Ministry, the Bishop never admiting any to Holy Orders, but such as have their Approbation after several Exercises done before them. If there happen any Matter of great Consequence and Importance in any Parish, which the Minister is not willing to meddle in without the Advice of his Brethren, he b [...]ings it before this Judicatory, and laying open the whole matter to them, desires their Counsel and Direction how to proceed in such a weighty Affair, of Punishing an obstinate Offiender who refuses to submit to the Censures of the Church. This kind of Judicatory was not indeed known in our Church till near 26 Years after the Re­formation. The Synod is a Convocation of the whole Clergy of a Diocese, with their Bishop, who meet twice every Year to consult about Matters relating to their own particular Province. National Synods, commonly called General Ass [...]mblies, (consisting of all the Bishops and their Deans, together with the Moderators of the seve­ral Presbyteries in their respective Dioceses, and one Commissioner from each Presbytery joyned with the Moderator,) are called by the King Pro re natâ, to Deliberate concerning the Affairs of the whole National Church▪ In the Provincial Synods, the Bishop takes care to examine, i [...] the several Presbyteries be diligent in their Duty of Punishing Offenders; and if [...]ny of the Clergy be obnoxious to Censure, h [...]e they are Prosecuted [...]or their Misdemeanors.

Now [...]ese Judicatories are so far [...]rom being prejudicial to the The [...]e [...] sh [...]wn to b [...] n [...] [...] [...]n the [...] Power. Bi [...]hops Pow [...]r, that they are rather a great Assistance to them for promoting [...]he Discipline of the Church, and upon that account we [...]e [...]irst Erected with the Consent and Allowance of the Bishops [...]hemselves, they judging it very proper and convenient not to do any thing of great consequence to Religion, without asking the Ad­vice of their Clergy how they should behave themselves in a Matter of so great Importance. And these Courts could not be look'd upon as any Encroachment upon the Episcopal Power, since they so entirely depended on the Bishops Authority, that without his Con­sent no Act of theirs could be valid. But I think truly the Discipline [Page 13] of our Church is none of the things most to be blamed; for we have some remains of the Primitive Discipline as yet among us, which are to be found but in few National Churches at this day, as appears from the Vestige we have of that Ancient custom of Com­municatory Letters among the Bishops of the Primitive Church. And as there is some Resemblance of it amongst our Bishops, by dimissory Letters; so it was still in force among the Inferior Clergy, who were obliged to receive none into their Congregations, till they first brought [...]ertificates from the Minister in whose Parish they for­merly Lived, testifying, that during their residence among his Flock, they had behaved themselves Christianly and Soberly, and that [...]e knew nothing against them, why they might not be admitted into any Christian Congregation; without this they were never allowed to have the benefit of the Sacraments. Had not [...]he Presbyterians by their Tumults and Commotions envied us the happiness of having the English Liturgy settled among us, the Con [...]titution and Disci­pline of our Church was such, as made us inferiour to few Natio­nal Churches▪ And here I cannot but wonder at the Impudence of that Party, that although they refused to joyn in Communion up­on any Terms with the Episcopal Church, as by Law Established; yet they would take upon them to hinder them from settling a­mong the Members of their own Comm [...]nion, such a Form of Wor­ship▪ as they thought most agreeable to the Word of God, and con­sonant to the practice of the Primitive Church.

Our Authors transient Reflexions upon the Clergy are dressed up O [...]r Aut [...]ors disingenuity in his [...] ▪ [...]ous▪ R [...]lexi­ons upon the Clergy▪ in such Scurrilous and Obscene Language, as must needs make any Man of a Vir [...]uous Education blush to Read them; and therefore lest I should offend the Ears of the modest Reader by Repeating them, I shall pass them over in▪ silence, till▪ I▪ come to consider his Third Part, and a [...] present only take Notice of those things in the Book which relate either to matter of Argument or matter of Fact. And here I cannot omit his great protestations of his Ingenu [...]us and fair D [...]aling in this Work, whereby he thinks the more easily to cap­tivate unthinking Readers into a belief of his Li [...]s and Calumnies. He pretends [...]o have inserted nothing but what he has Received from Credible Hands, but he thinks it not fit to gratifie his Reader with an Account of the Names of those C [...]edible Persons whose Authority he avouches for the Truth of his Aspersions. Had he given us the Names of the persons, with attested Declarations under their hands, asserting the Truth of these things alledged against some of our Clergy, we could have then known of what Credit and Authority [Page 14] the Testimony of those Persons ought to be had, and it had been an easie matter to convince the World of the Falsehood and Forge­ry of his Calumnies, and to purge those innocent persons from the Slanders cast upon them, out of meer Malice and Envy. But as [...]or our Authors Ingenuity in his Collection, he has scraped together a great many Sto [...]ies, many of which are most notoriously False, and have not the least shadow of Truth in them, as I shall a [...]ter­wards make appear; and for the proof of some of them, he Ap­peals to Records, where no such thing is extant or to be seen, as I have had particular occasion to enquire. Some of his Accusations [...]re against such of the Clergy, as were either Suspended, or De­posed by the Church for their Immoralities, and yet this Author im­putes the Faults of these Men to the whole Society, and is so disin­genuous as not to acquaint his Reader with the Censures passed upon them by the Church. Others again are Passages related of some Clergy-men, who [...]ived under the Presbyterian Government, du­ [...]ing the times of its last Usurpation in that Kingdom, which this Author is pleased to charge upon the present Episcopal Church, and whether this be Fair and Ingenuous▪ Dealing, I appeal to any unbyas­sed Reader.

This Author insists much upon the Address presented to their Ge­neral [...]ome few of [...]he Episcopal [...] off [...] ­ring [...] with [...], can [...] no [...] Vindication of [...] Lives an [...] [...] [...]e [...] Par [...]y. Assembly, by some of the Episcopal Clergy, desiring to be admitted into a share of their Church Government. This he urges as a sufficient Vindication of the Lives and Morals of the Presbyte­rians, or at least as an Argument that these Episcopal Addressers were no Honest Men themselves, who desired to be associated with such Knaves as they [...] the Presbyt [...]rians out for. This Address was op­ [...]osed by a great part of the Church of Scotland, most of them look­ing upon it as unlawful and altogether inconsistent with the Prin­ples of Christian Communion, to joyn any ways in Communion with thos [...] whom they owned to be notorious Schismaticks, as long as they persisted in their Schism; so that it was but a few of the Clergy that were concerned therein, and this they urge in their own Defence. That notwithstanding the Nation was in a distracted [...]tate and Condition, yet it concerned every individual Christian, especially Clergy-men, to lend their Assistance for the punishing of [...]candalous and Vicious Persons, and therefore, that although the Presbyterians had Usurped the Government of the Church; yet the Episcopal Clergy, who still retained possession of their Churches, might, consistently enough with their Principles, joyn [...]ith them in [...]he pu [...]ishing of contumacious Offenders; [...]specially, since they [Page 15] were not obliged by this Act of Union, to concur with them in their Presbyterian Ordinations, or to own their Authority in mat­ters purely Spiritual; but only to Unite with them as a Company of Laicks impowered by the State to Inflict censures upon obstinate Sinners. These were the Terms proposed to them by the Civil Government for carrying on this Union, and this they think they might have law [...]ully done, without owning so much as the validity of their Ministry; and I am sure, much more without being obliged either to approve of, or to enquire into their Lives and Conversa­tions; since in matters of Religion the bad [...]ives of Christians is never a sufficient Ground for separating from their Communion, if it be in all other Respects lawful.

The design of the first part of this Pamphlet is to shew, That the Th [...] Ep [...]sco­pal Cl [...]rgy have charge [...] th [...] Presbyte­rians w [...]th n [...]thing r [...]la­ting to [...], but what [...] hav [...] be [...]n [...] A [...]ko▪ [...]. Episcopal Party bear an invetera [...]e M [...]lice against the Presbyterians, and there [...]ore their Testimony ought not to be of any Authority in these Accusa­tions whi [...]h they bring against them. But our Author, if his Spirit of Revenge had not been too predominant, might have saved himself all this trouble, since the Episcopal Party do not o [...]er to urge any thing against th [...]m upon their own bare Authority, but what they can evidently prove from Authentick Reco [...]ds, and from the A [...]te­stations of Men of [...]nspotted Fame and Credit, who were Eye­Witnesses to m [...]ny of the Villanies and Injuries done to our [...] And this I am certain, they have already done beyond th [...] possibi­lity of a Con [...]utation in the Case [...]f [...]he Afflic [...]ed Clergy, [...]nd som [...] other Discourses which they have Published relating to their lat [...] Barbarous Persecution. Late I ought not to call it, since it Rages almost as much now as ever. It's tru [...], the Clergy are not so much exposed to the Rage and [...]ury of the Rabble, as they were (by whose instigation is very well know [...]) not very long ago. But their Miseries are far f [...]m b [...]ing at an end▪ they sti [...]l rem [...]in in Exile from their Churches and Houses, are exposed to all th [...] Miseries of Pover­ty and Want, have not the least [...] of [...] wher [...]by they may gain Bread to [...] their crying [...]; [...] Mis [...]rie▪ do daily increase upon them, and whi [...]h is most discouraging, they have no prospect of Deliverance. [...] pray [...]od may enable th [...]m p [...] ­tiently to undergo this Fiery Try [...]l, to withstand all the Tempta­tions of Interest and World [...]y Po [...]iticks, and to remain firm and stedfast in asserting those Prin [...]iples of our Re [...]igion, for which they at presen [...] suffer; that so having no other aim before their Eyes, but to keep a Conscience void of Offence, both towards God and Man, th [...]y m [...]y have a well grounded hop [...] of Receiving at la [...], as a [Page 16] Reward of their Sufferings, that Eternal Crown of Glory which Christ hath purchased to all those that suffer for well doing.

But let us pursue our Authors Thread of Discourse, and see what [...] first Go­v [...]rnment of th [...] Church of Scotland af­ter [...]he [...], and [...] Abo­lis [...]ed [...] [...]nhappy Ci­v [...]l W [...]rs un­der the R [...]ign of K. Cha [...]les brok [...] [...]. the Grounds are whereon he Accuses the Episcopal Party, with in­veterate Malice against the Presbyterians. And the first instance we meet with of this kind, is, That they were the First Aggressors, and impugned the Governm [...]nt of the Church of Scotland by Presbytery, which was the first it had after the Reformation. It is not a little sur­prizing to see what pains the Presbyterians take to delude the ig­norant people into a belief, That our sirst Reformers Condemned and Exploded the Ancient Government of the Church; and that it was no less Odious to them than the Romish Superstitions. When there is nothing more plain [...]rom History, than that at the beginning of the Reformation, there was not the least Controversie about the Church Government, and the Bishops who did not oppose the Re­formation, were lest in full possession, not only of all their Temporal Dignities, but likewise of their Spiritual Authority and Jurisdiction. Suc [...] of the Bishops as persisted in the Romish Errors and Corrup­ti [...]ns, were not allowed to Exercise their Spiritual Authority over the Clergy, but some of the Reformed Communion, under the Name of Superintendants, were placed over their Dioceses, and in­vested with the whole Episcopal Jurisdiction and Authority over the Clergy of these Provinces, who were obliged (as appears from the Acts of our National Synods Spotsw. Re­fut. Libel. de Reg. Eccl. Sco [...]. p. 21.) to pay to their Superintendents, all the Canonical Obedience that is due to other Bishops. And by a Commission of the Assembly met at Leith in January 1572, the Go­vernment of the Church was declared to be in the Arch-bishops and Bishops, and their Elections to be made by the Dean and Chapter; which Declaration was ratified by Act of Parliament the Ibi [...]. p. 26. s [...]me year, and likewise by a General Assembly held at Perth in [...]gust thereafter. Till the year 1575, about fifteen years after the [...]gal settlement of our Reformation, there was not the least distur­bance in the Kingdom about the Government of the Church, that Mr. And. M [...]lvil returning ifrom G [...]eva, where he had been bred up with the Presbyterian Parity, began to raise Commotions in the Church, by attempting to have the Geneva Model Established in [...]. But a fu [...]ler Account of the Government of our Church after the Reformation, you may see in a Treatise Published by Arch-bishop Spo [...]swood upon this Subject, and Entituled Refutatio Li­belli de Regimine Eccl [...]siae Sco [...]icanae; and likewise in a late Discourse, [...] ▪ where the same Argument is at Large considered, and in which it [Page 17] is undeniably proved from the Records of Parliament, that Episco­pacy was not only the first Government Established in our Church, immediately upon the Reformation, but wha [...] is more, that although the Episcopal Authority was frequently Weakned and Interrupted by the popular Insurrections of the Presbyterian Party; yet it was never by Law Abolished in that Kingdom, till the unhappy Civil Wars broke out under the Reign of King Charles I.

In the year 1592, when they pretend their great Idol of Parity was Erected, there was indeed a greater Jurisdiction and Authority allowed by Act of Parliament to Presbyteries and Synods, than what was Granted them before, which the King was forced to yield to, to put a stop to the many Seditions and Commotions raised by Melvil and his Accomplices. But yet notwithstanding this, the Bishops did still continue to exist by Law, and in all Parliaments they did Sit and Vote as the first of the three Estates, as appears from the Re­cords of these Parliaments. And in the year 1596. L [...]slie Bishop [...] Ross dying at Brussels. Mr. David Lindsay was presented by the King to the Bishoprick the very next year; which is a plain demonstra­tion that at that time Episcopacy was look'd upon as existent by Law; all which is made out very plainly and evidently in this Apo­logy,

But our Author will by no means allow th [...] Superintendency Esta­blished The occasion of settling S [...] ­perintendants in the Church of Scotland upon the R [...] ­formation. in the Church by our first Reformers, to be a Species of Prelacy. And his Reasons are; first, That those Superintendents had the very same Form of Ordination with other Minister [...]. Before I proceed to consider the force of this Objection, it will be needful to premise something concerning the occasion of this Institution. At the beginning of the Reformation it was not thought safe, that the Popish Bishops, who still adhered to their Errors and Supersti­tions, should be allowed to exercise their Spiritual Jurisdiction in the Church, and therefore they were excluded therefrom, and others of the Reformed Communion, being Vested with Episcopal Au­thority, were surrogated in their stead, and called by the Name of Superintendents; the Sees of the Popish Bishops not being Esteemed void, but supplied by Protestant Superintendents, who did not en­joy any of the Temporal Priviledges and Honours annexed to the Bishopricks. For although the Popish Bishops were restrained from the exercise of their Spiritual Power, yet such respect was had to them; that they were allowed during their Lives to possess all the Revenues of their Bishopri [...]ks, and to Sit and Vote in Parliament as Peers of the Realm. But such of the Bishops as went along with [Page 18] the Reformation, were allowed, not only to enjoy all their Tempo­ral Priviledges, but likewise to exercise their Spiritual Authority in the Church, and no Superintendants Named for their Diocefes, as was for those of the Popish Bishops.

Now, although we should grant our Author, that their Form o [...] The [...] with the whole E­p [...]copal Au­th [...]rity and Jurisdict [...]on [...] the Cl [...]r­gy of their D [...]ceses. Ordination was not di [...]ferent; yet it cannot be denied, that they were invested with the whole Episcopal Authority and Jurisdiction over the Clergy of their several Dioceses, which is the only Bugbear in Episcopacy, with which the Presbyterians pretend to Quarrel, because they Usurp Lordship and D [...]minion over their Brethren, They were cloathed with full Power of Ordaining Presbyters, of Suspending and Deposing them from their Sacred Function, of cen­suring and punishing the Clergy, according to their several Crimes; and all this they were Authorized to do Spotsw. Resut. p. [...]. 21. without asking the▪ Ad­vice, or Consent of the rest of the Clergy, which is more than our Bishops at present do. ‖ All Appeals from Presbyters and the In­feriour Clergy, were to be made to the Sup [...]rintendents; they were † Ass. at St. Johnsto [...]n Sess. 2. July 26. 1563. to decide all Controversies in the Discipline of the Church, to pre­side in Synods, and to direct the Church Censures inslicted by the rest of the Clergy. All the Presbyters within their Dioceses were required, under the pain of Deposition to be subject to their Govern­ment and Authority; and were not allowed without the consent and approbation of the Superintendents, to transact any thing of moment in the Church. So that they were invested with the whole Power and Jurisdiction that belongs to Bishops; and this, methinks, should be enough to stop the Mouths of the Presbyterian Party, who (as I have already said) exclaim against nothing in this Sacred Order, but the Authority which Bishops are allowed to have over the rest of the Cle [...]gy.

And as for their Ordina [...]ion, it seems at lest, that it was different [...]. from that of other Minist [...]rs, since those who were Nominated to be Superintendants; were chose out of the Number of such, as had already received the Orders of a Presbyter, and yet upon their E­lection to a Superin [...]endency, they were again solemnly set apart by Prayer for [...]hat O [...]ice. Now it cannot be imagined, that they should again receive the same Orders of a Presbyter, which had been already conferred upon them; and therefore this second Mis­sion, mentioned upon their being chose Superintendents, can be meant of nothing else but Episcopal Consecration, or something in the sense of the Church at that time, equivalent to it. They [...]ad long before received the Ordination of Presbyters; and now [Page 19] when they were Elected Superintendents, they were set apart for Hi, in Mi­nistrorum ordinem an­te coapta [...]i, ad hoc [...] munus so­lennibus auspiciis de stinabantur, destina [...]i e­ligebantur, electi su [...] ­ctionem ini­bant. Spotsw. Res. Libel. p. 3. that Office, by certain solemn Rites and Ceremonies, which is a plain Demonstration, that they were in a manner Consecrated a­new to that Sacred Function. Besides, it is not to be conceived, how they above other Presbyters, could be invested with this Power of conferring Orders, and▪ exercising other Acts of Jurisdiction which belong only to Bishops, unless it▪ were by having this Epis­copal Authority conferred upon them, by the hands of other Bi­shops, and this they could without any difficulty obtain, from the hands of those Bishops in Scotland, who had imbraced the Reformed Communion. However, it is not peremptorily said here; that the Ordination of Superintendents to the Episcopal Of [...]ice, was alto­gether [...]anonical: It is enough for our purpose, that they being of new, solemnly set apart for a more eminent O [...]ice in the Church, The Clergy and Lai [...]y had such a regard for the [...]piscopal Order, That they considered the Superintendents as such; and payed the same deference to them, that formerly was due to the Bishops▪ so that, tho their distinct Ordinations would not b [...] mad [...] evident from Hi [...]tory to be Canonical; yet their Power was undoubtedly Episcopal.

There is nothing more notoriously false, than what this Author urges in the second place against the Superintendents, That their [...] ways tempo­rary as to their Offic [...], but only as to the Name. Spotsw. [...]ist. [...]. 150▪ 160. Office was Temporary during the Exigence▪ of the Church. For in the Form of Church Policy, which the Protestant Clergy offered to the Parliament in the year▪ 1561, one of its Heads is concerning Su­perin [...]endents, and it is there appointed, that the Election of Super­intendants in after times, should be stricter than the present cir­cumstances would allow; and the last Head of that Policy pre­scribes some conditions to be kept in future Elections of [...]; which is an evident proof, that our first Reformers did not look upon the Office of Superintendents only as a Temporary thing. The Name I grant indeed to have been temporary, and to have la [...]ted no longer in the Church, than during the Natural Lives of the Popish Bishops. For while they were alive, their Bishopricks with respect to their Temporalities, were not esteemed vacant; and the Protestants who were set over their Dioceses, were called by the Name of Superintendents; they not being invested with the Temporal Priviledges of a Bishop, but only with the spiritual Au­thority and Jurisdiction belonging to that Office; but upon the Death of the Popish Bishops, we find, that whosoever was present­ed to any of these Dioceses now falling void▪ by their Death, they [Page 20] were not presented under the Name of Superintendents, as th [...]y had been formerly, while the Popish Bishops were alive; but had now the Title of Bishops given them, and were invested with all the tem­poralties, annexed to the Bishopricks. Thus it is we sind in the In­fancy of the Reformation, both Bishops and Superintendants con­temporary in the Church; but in a few years after, we have no mention of Superintendents, and all the Governours of the Church go under the Name of Bishops. And this, I should think, were e­nough to convince any unbyassed Reader, that in those days the Office of Episcopacy and Superintendency were both the same.

The Third Argument which he brings against the Superinten­dents, The Super­ [...]ntendants giving an Account to a National Sy­ [...]od of their diligence in their Functi­ons, no Argu­ment against their being Bishops. is, That they were accountable to the Presbyters, which is altoge­ther inconsistent with Episcopacy. Although Bishops at their first Insti­tution, were invested with an Absolute Power over their Flocks, independent of any Authority, but that of Jesus Christ their Head, and were accountable to none for their right Administration of their Office but to him alone. Yet in after Ages, by a mutual compact among themselves, they did agree, that for the better pre­serving the Unity and Discipline of the Church; each Bishop should be accountable for his Administration to the whole Colledge of Bi­shops. And therefore although the Bishops should yield up some of their Right, and for the entertaining the better correspondence with the Clergy of their Dioceses, condescend to give them an Account of their diligence in the Offices of their Function, yet this could not be supposed to degrade them of their Office, or make them to be no Bishops. We grant, that the Superintendents did yearly give an Account of their Diligence in their Functions to a National Synod; but this Synod consisted of none but the Superin­tendents, and Bishops of the other Dioce [...]es, and of the most Eminent of the Presbyters, who were allowed by the Superintendants, to sit in that Meeting. There was no Minister permitted to be a Member of that Synod, till he was first approved of, by the Super­intendants, Spotsw. Re­fut. p. 22. as a person sitly qualified to judge of such matters as were brought be [...]ore that Assembly. And I would willingly know of this Author, whether the Superintendants were any more a [...] ­countable to this National Synod, than the Bishops who went along with the Reformation, and notwithstanding of this their being ac­countable, were still looked upon as Bishops, and left in full posses­sion of all their Temporal and Spiritual Rights, which they en­joyed before the Reformation? And if those Men, who were ac­knowledged on all hands to be Bishops, were as much accountable [Page 21] as the Superintend [...]nts; then it is no Argument that the latter were no Bishops.

The next instance which this Author brings of the Episcopal Par­ty, The Enact­ing of these Penal Laws against the Presbyterians which this Author has scraped toge­ther, occasio­ned meerly b [...] the frequent Rebellions of that Party. their bearing an inveterate Malice against the Presbyterians, is a long Enumeration of the Laws and Statutes made by King Charles II. and his Parliaments, for suppressing the many Seditions and Rebel­lions raised against his Government by the Presbyterian Faction. He sums up all the Acts of Parliament made against that Rebellious Crew; and these he highly aggravates, as the greatest instances of Cruelty in any Government. But as to this point, the Learned and Worthy Sir George Mackenzie has quite stopt the Mouths of this clamouring Party, by his excellent Treatise, wrote in defence of the proceedings of the Government of K. Charles II. against the * Vindication of the Go­vernment in Scotland, during the Reign of K. Charles II. Presbyterian Dissenters. He has there given us a summary account of the mild and calm Methods used by the Government to reclaim this obstinate Party, who were even hardned in their Rebellious Principles. He shews, that the enacting of these Penal [...]aws against them (which this Author has scraped together) was nothing but what the Governours of any Nation would have been, out of abso­lute necessity, forced to do for its safety and security. He has col­lected the most considerable of the pretended instances of Cruelty against particular persons, which the Presbyterians do now most grievously complain of, and do mostly insist upon in their Railings and Belchings against the Government. To all these instances he has given such a full and satisfactory Answer; that every impartial Reader must needs own and acknowledge, that these persons met with no severity, but what their Rebellious and Treasonable Actings against the Government did justly deserve; that the punishments in­slicted upon them, for their op [...]n and avowed designs of subverting the Monarchy, were conform to the Laws of the Nation, and the proceedings in their Tryals very fair and legal; and that the Me­thods of proceeding in our Criminal Courts of Scotland, (which this Author so grosly belies pag. 30. 31.) are the fairest and justest, and the Panna [...]s indulged the greatest advantages for their own de­fence, of any Nation in Europe. All which he has clearly demon­strated to the conviction of every disi [...]teressed person; who upon Reading the History of these times will be apt to say, that the mild­ness and clemency of that Government towards the Rebellious Se­ctaries was its greatest Cruelty. So that it is but Labour in vain, for this Author to be so sull and copious, in relating these sufferings of his Party, unless he can disprove what Sir George Mackenzie, and [Page 22] others have demonstrated against them, of their being guilty of such srequent Seditions and Rebellions against the State, as would have provoked the mildest Government on Earth, to have quite extirpa­ted them. But all the Attempts which either this Author, or another, who pretends to Answer the Vindication of K. Charles II. Govern­m [...]nt, makes that way, are only some weak esforts upon Sir George's personal [...]ame and Reputation, which are sounded upon such a Rock, as the greatest Malice of this party is not able to undermine. His admirable qualities of Learning, Loyalty and Religion, have so justly recommended him to the Favour and Esteem of all Virtuou [...] and Ingenious Men, that for these Scriblers to Attempt the blemish­ing of his [...]ame; is to as little purpose, as the Dogs barking at th [...] Moon.

What this Author alledges against Sir George's ingenuous dealing The Nation had sufficient ground to e­na [...]t [...] Laws against the Presbyte­rians, from th [...]ir tr [...]aso­nable [...] th [...] [...] R [...]gns of K Ja. 6. [...] [...]. Ch. I. in his Vindication, of Printing some Fanatical Covenants and Declara­tions, published by the Presbyterians, and the urging these as [...] ground [...]or enac [...]ing those severe Laws against them; although the Laws wer [...] made long before the publishing of th [...]se Declarations; I say, what he alledges on this score is most notoriously false. For these Covenants and Declarations, were only annexed to Sir G [...]orge's Vindication of the Government by the Publisher, and that with design to let the World see, with what impudence this Party did accuse the Govern­ment of severity, when it appears from their own Authentick De­clarations, that they were still pe [...]sisting obstinately in their Wicked and Rebellious Practices against the State. There was no necessity of recurring to these Posteriour Declarations of Rebellion, to justi­fie the making of these Laws against the Presbyterians; since their former Trea [...]onable Actings, under the Reigns of K. James VI. and K. Charles I. were sufficient grounds to direct the Wisdom of the Nation, to enact such Laws as might tend most [...]o suppress the sedi­tion of Rebels, and secure the Peace and Quiet of the Kingdom▪ Their srequent Insurrections against K. Jam [...]s VI. in laying violent hands on his person, at the Castle of Ruthven in the year 1582, and keeping him Prisoner th [...]re, for several Months together; in raising an Army against him in the year 1585, in the South parts of the Kingdom, and advancing therewith streight towards St [...]rlin where the King then was; and in tumultuously getting to Arms at Edin­burgh, and there Besieging the Session-House, where the King and his Counsellors were met together; and by that Insurrection had like to have done considerable mischief, had not their Rage been stopt by the Loyalty of some Citizens, who instantly Assembled together [Page 23] in Defence of the King's Person; and the many other Commotions they raised against his Government by their Seditious Libels and Ser­mons; besides that the whole Reign of King Charles the First, that mo [...]t just and clement Prince, was nothing else but a perpetual Suc­cession of Rebellions raised against him by these Presbyterian Vota­ries. I say, all these Instances of their Treasonable and Rebellious Practices in former Times are su [...]ficient Grounds to justifie the Na­tion, in Enacting such [...]aws as might best prevent these Disturban­ces for the future, withou [...] having any recourse to these After-Monu­ments of their R [...]bellion to justi [...]ie the Proceedings of the Govern­ment against them. However the Reader may easily judge from these Covenants and Declarations, whether any Government or Society can possibly subsist where such pernicious Principles and Pra­ctices are tolerated.

But that it was meerly the frequent Rebellions of this Party a­gainst That this was the tr [...]e occasion of Enacting these P [...]nal Law [...], ap­pears from our A [...]thors own Conces­sions. the State, which occasioned the Enacting of these Laws against them, does partly appear from this Author's own Conces­sions. For, Pag. 1 [...]. he owns, That their Field meetings, which they had under pretence of Religion, were called by the Parlia­ment, Rendevouzes of Rebellion: And Pag. 14. he grants, That after the Deseat they received at their Insurrection of Bo [...]hwel-bridge, the Prisoners were all set at Liberty upon this only Condition, of gi­ving Bond never to rise in Arms agains [...] the King on any pretence whatso­ev [...]r; and yet a great many of them were still so harden'd in their Rebellion, as to refuse their Liberty upon such easie Terms. And yet, methinks▪ these were no very hard Conditions s [...]om such a per­secutiug Government as they are pleased to represent it; but from hence we may easily perceive, that the whole Design of the Go­vernment and its Ministers in Enacting these Laws, was only to se­cure the Peace and Quiet of the Nation, and by all the calm Me­thods imaginable to reclaim these deluded Creatures from their Sedi­tious and Treasonable Practices against the State. And after Argil [...]'s Rebellion in the Year 1685, which threatned nothing less than the ut­ter ruine of the Monarchy, a [...]d in which the whole Presbyterian Party were engaged, when Argile himself was made Captive, his whole Forces dispersed, and many of them taken Prisoners, and so lying at the Mercy of the Government; yet such was its Clemency towards them, that besides those who were killed in the Skirmishes betwixt the two Armies, I'm confident there were not four in the whole Nation that suffered Death upon that account. So mercifully were they then dealt with, although now they complain of the [Page 24] greatest Oppression! Again, Pag. 15. our Author confesses, That a Party of the Presbyterians did declare King Charles the Second to have forfeited his Right to the Crown, and to be no more King, and at the same time, because of his Vicious Life, they Excommunicated him; which this Author expresly justifies them in, by saying, They had more Ho­nesty than Policy in d [...]ing so. And whether the Tolerating such kind of Practices as these be not altogether inconsistent with the safety of any Government, I leave my Reader to judge. Can the mildest Government on Earth wink at such open and avowed Designs of subverting the Monarchy? Can it suffer a number of deluded Peo­ple to range up and down the Country like as many wild Bears, threatning Destruction to the State and all its Ministers, declaring it Lawful to Murder all such as had any Hand in the Government of the Nation, and putting these Threatnings in Execution against some of the [...]oyal Subjects? Can it be imagined, that any Govern­ment should Tolerate such pernicious Courses, and so destructiv [...] of its own Security, without endeavouring to bring the Ringleaders and Incendiaries of this Rebellion to condign Punishment? And after this account of the occasion of the Presbyterians Sufferings, I [...]hink I may very confidently appeal to any disinteressed Person, whe­ther the Episcopal Party had not very good reason to complain of their present Persecution in Scotland, as being more Grievous than any Treatment the Presbyterians ever met with; since what they susfered, (and are pleased to call by the Name of Persecution,) was always for their Rebellion and Treasonable Conspiracies against the Government. But what the Episcopal Party do now suffer, or have suffered since this Revolution at the Presbyterians hands, is meerly for Maintaining and Asserting the Principles of our Religion, and Adhering to the Communion of the Catholick Church, without which they can pretend no just Title to the Priviledges of the Gospel.

Although there is nothing more clear and evident than that what It [...] [...]he con [...]ant practic [...] of the [...] to [...] their [...] un­ [...]r th [...] name of R [...]ligion. the Presbyterians suffered under the late Reigns was meerly for their Rebellion; yet this Author has the confidence to perswade us, Pag. 13. That all their Sufferings were upon the account of Religion, and at the Instigation of the Episcopal Cl [...]rgy. If the Presbyterians will needs cover their Treasonable Designs against the State always with the Name of Religion, and when they are punished for Rebellion, pretend that they suffer for Conscience-sake, who can help it? But it is evident from the Laws enacted against them, and the Punish­ments inflicted upon some of their Party, that whatever Pretences [Page 25] they might make to Religion, yet the State took notice o [...]ly of their Rebellion. If they, under a pretence of judging it unlawful to hear the Episcopal Ministers preach, shall abstain from Church, and meet together (sometimes all of them in Arms) in their House and Field-Conventicles, the better to carry on their Designs against the State, and there Preach nothing but Treason and Rebellion; and if the Government upon this account shall strictly prohibit all such seditious Meetings, and punish those who frequent them; can this, I beseech you, be called Susfering for Religion? And yet this is the very case of our Presbyterians; for their Meetings were Prohibited by Act of Parliament, chiefly upon account of the Sedition and Rebellion vented in them. But this is no new thing in our Presbyterians; it has been not only their constant Practice, but likewise of all other Seditious and Ambitious Persons, in subverting the Government of a Kingdom, in overturning States and Nations always to cover their wicked Designs of Rebellion with the specious pretext of R [...]ligion. To amuse and delude the vulgar sort of People, they publi [...]h in their Declarations, That they design nothing by their Attempts, but the good and safety of Religion, when in the mean time any thinking or considering Man may clearly perceive, that they have no other De­sign or Aim before their Eyes, but to promote their own wicked and ambitious Ends. Now to deal with Religion in this dissembling and hypocritical manner, to shelter their villanous Designs under the Pa­tronage of the Just and Holy GOD, is su [...]h a conte [...]pt of Religion and all that's Sacred, such an Act of Wickedness and Villany, as the Divine Justice cannot easily Pardon.

Upon what Ground our Author alledges, That their Sufferings T [...] Suff [...]r­ings of th [...] Pr [...]sbyteri­ans no ways pr [...]moted by th [...] Episcopa [...] Cl [...]rgy. were at the Instigation of the Episcopal Clergy, I cannot r [...]adily con­jecture. I am sure many Instances may be brought to prove the contrary, where the Clergy have interceeded with th [...] Government in behalf of many of these Rebels who were most obnoxious to Punishment, and by their importunate Intercessions have saved their Lives, thinking by these calm and mild Methods to rec [...]aim them from their Errors and strong Delusions. Indeed the Event proved far otherwise, for in our late Distractions, these Men, who had been so mercifully dealt with, were the most furious and violent in carrying on the Commotions [...]gainst the State, and the Persecution again [...]t the Clergy. Nay, their Ingratitude was such, that they alone occa­sioned the rabbling of those very Clergy-men, who had formerly been so instrumental in rescuing them from the Gallows▪ But I would willingly ask our A [...]thor here, Whether he can charg [...] any of our [Page 26] Clergy with Petitioning the Government for the Execution of any of these Rebels, as the custom was in former times when Presbytery had Usurped the Government both of Church and State. Many Instances of this kind might be here produced to shew the Cruelty of the Presbyterian Party, how their Teachers during the late Civil Wars did often Petition the Committee of Estates for a speedy Exe­cution of the Pris [...]ners, when they were all of them Men of extra­ordinary Wo [...]th and Integrity, and had no Crime alledged against them but Loyalty to th [...]ir Prince, as was done by the Commission of the Kirk [...] a [...] P [...]rth in the Year 1645; and how they have perswaded the Generals of their Armies to put those Prisoners to the [...] of the Sword, who had surrendred themselves upon Quarters asked and given, as they did after the Defeat of Mon [...]rose by David L [...]sly at Philiphaugh in the same Year 1645. For the Foot Vid. Spirit of Calumny. in Montrose's Army surrendred themselves upon Quarters, which the General readily granted; but the Presbyterian Ministers, who were then in the Army, were highly enraged that Quarters should be given to such Wretches as they, and declared it to be an act of most sinful Impiety to spare them, and so by their Importunity they prevailed with D. L [...]sly to suffer the Army to be let loose upon them, and cut them all in pieces. Many such Instances of their Cruelty might be here produced from the History of these Times, but I pur­posely forbear to mention any more of them.

This, I think, is all that is needful to be said here in Answer to The Min [...]sters [...]f State un­d [...]r King Charles's Gov [...]rnment, sufficiently vindicated f [...]om our Au­thor's Asp [...]r­sions of Cru­ [...]lty. our Author's First Part, since Sir George Mackenzie in the above­named Treatise has already demonstrated to the satisfaction of all disinteressed Persons, that what the Presbyterians suffered under the former Reigns was occasioned meerly by their own Rebellion, and could not in any justice be imputed to the severity of the Govern­ment. And the same Reasons that justifie the Government in En­acting these Laws against the Presbyterians, wi [...]l likewise Vindicate those Noble Persons who were employed either in the State or Army und [...]r that Government, from the Aspersions of Cruelty thrown upon them by thi [...] Scribler. If the Government be endangered by the Tumults and Insurrections of a Party, must the Ministers there­of overlook such dangerous Practices, and not put the Laws in execution against the Incendiaries of these Commotions? Though I am certain it was done with the greatest Tenderness and Lenity imaginable by those Gentlemen whom this Author in his Pamphlet accuses of the greatest Cruelty. Most of the Persons concerned in the Administration of Affair [...] under that Government, especially [Page 27] those whom he chiefly vents his Malice against, Pag. 26. are known to be Men of such Worth and Merit, that our Author does his Party no small prejudice, by letting the World know, that their Practices have been such, as to provoke Men of that Honour and Quality to be their Enemies.

But before I put an end to this Chapter, I must consider one Parti­cular A short Nar­rative of the [...] of the Coun­c [...]l against some [...] [...]rned ou [...] in 166 [...]. more which this Author urges as an Instance of the severity of that Government, and where the Parties that did Susfer cannot be so [...] said to have susfered for Rebellion, though they may justly enough be charged with an obstinate and peevish Cont [...]pt of the lawful Commands of their Superiors. It is Pag. 6. w [...]ere he says, That by the Instigation of the Prelates, the Council by th [...]ir Act, Octob. 1662. turned out 300 Ministers out of th [...]ir Churches, without [...]ither Accusation, Citation, Conviction or Sentence, or a Heaving allowed them. To answer this Objection, there needs no more but a true Narrative of the Matter of Fact, which I shall here set down as briefly as I can, and then leave it to the Judgment of my Reader, whether this Matter, when truly represented, can be with any rea­son urged as an Instance of the Severity of that Government. In the Year 1649. when there was no King in our [...], and the Pres­byterians at liberty to act as they liste [...], the Right of Patronages was abolished by Act of Parliament; and after the Restoration of the Royal Family, there was an Act of Parli [...]ment in the Year 1662, restoring this Right to the Patrons, and requiring all the [...]lergy to take Presentations from them, under thē pain of [...]orfeiting their Churches. But that the present Incumbents, who had entered to their Churches without a P [...]esentation from the Patron, might not sustain any Damage by this Act, it was th [...]reby provid [...]d, That the Patrons should give Presentations to none but to those Persons who were in actual possession of the Churches, and had entred thereto by the Call of the People. There were sever [...]l P [...]esbyterian Ministers who refused to give any Compli [...]nce with this Act of [...], and would take no Presentation from the Patron; and therefore the Vid. [...] Privy-Council issued out a Proclamation, requiring all the Clergy comply with this Act of Parliament, and declaring the Plac [...]s of those void who refused to yield Obedience thereto. Upon which the Non-Compliers of their own accord (so that there was no need [...] of Accusation or Sentence against them) abstained, after the Time limited by the Act, from the Exercise of th [...]ir Ministry, and t [...]e Patrons took care to present others to the vacant Churches. But I cannot see the least shadow of reason, why this Act should b [...] urged a [...] [Page 28] an Inst [...]uce of so great severity in the Government, since there was not the least harm thereby intended to the Clergy; the design of the Act was only to secure the Rights of particular Persons which had been i [...]croached upon in the Presbyterian Usurpations; for the Ministers that had been in possession of their Churches before the Year 1649, and had received Presentations from the right Patrons, were not included in this Act, but remained in their Settlements as before; and such as were now willing to own the Right of their Pat [...]ons, by taking Presentations from them, were allowed to keep their Churches, and the Patrons obliged to give Presentations to them, and to none else if they were willing to accept of them. So that whatever may be objected against the Uncanonicalness of the Proceedings against them, (though even that may be justified, since all the Bishops concurred with what was done by the Council in that matter,) that their Sentence of Deprivation ought to have been pronounced by a Spiritual rather than a Lay-Court, and that th [...] Bishops were more competent Judges to deprive them of the Exer­cise of their Mi [...]istry than the Privy-Council; yet I am sure there is not the least ground to urge it as an act of Severity in the Govern­ment, since these Ministers were permitted to keep their Churches upon such easie Terms, and the mildness of the Government to­wards them was such, that many of them, notwithstanding they absolutely refused to comply with this Act of Parliament, or own the Authority of their Bishops, were indulged by the favour of the Bishops to keep peaceable Possession of their Churches, although this Author maliciously insinuates, that all their Sufferings were occa­sioned by the Instig [...]ion of [...]he Pr [...]lates. But a [...]uller Account of this you have in a late Discourse▪ Entituled, An Account of the late Esta­blishment of [...] Government by the Parliament of Scotland, Anno 1690. Pag. 14.

CHAP. II.

OUR Author in his Second Part con [...]ines himself to a particu­lar Consutation of the Treatise, Entituled, The Scots Presbyte­rian El [...]quence; but before he b [...]gins to take it to task, he's very high in his Pan [...]gyricks upon the Lord [...], [...] and M [...]lvil. I don't incline to make any particular Re [...]lexions either upon the Parts or Integ [...]ity of these two Lords, the Tree may be easily known by its Fruits: but this I must beg our Author's leave to say, That as for their share in this ba [...]barous Pe [...]secution of our Clergy, let them use all the means imaginable to conceal it from the Eyes of Strangers, let them deny it never so impudently, yet their own Consciences, and the starving O [...]phans of many of our poor Cle [...]gy, will appear as dreadful Witnesses against them, in that Great an [...] Te [...]rible Day, when they are call [...]d to give an Account of all their Actions, whe­ther good or bad. And all the harm I wish them is, that they may at last seriously reflect upon the great Injustice and Barbarity of thei [...] Proceedings towards our Clergy, that so by their unfeigned Repen­tance they may Atone for these Crimes, and save their Souls in the Day of the Lo [...]d.

In the next place, he accuses the Author of the Presbyterian Eloqu [...]nce, The [...] hav [...] justisied t [...]e Murder of the Archbi­shop of S. An­drews in the face of [...] upon [...] o [...]cu­sions. for asserting a great many Untruths in his Book; and▪ p. 36. he instances in that, of charging the Presbyterians with the Murder of the A.B ^P. of St. [...]; [...]or (says he) the Presbyterians were so far from ap­proving it, that th [...]y refused the [...] to those con [...]erned in it, parti­cularly at the Sco [...]s [...] in [...]. What Abhorrence the Presbyterians in Holland had of this barba [...]ous Murder, I cannot well say; but this I'm sure of, that our Presbyterians in Scotland were so far from detesting it, that they generally approved of it as a most Noble and Glorious Action; and I dare boldly affirm, that never one of the Party there refused to admit the Murderers to their Sacra­ments, or ever offered to inflict any other Censure upon them for this heinous Villany. On the contrary, it is notorious how most of the Presbyterians that suffered for their Rebellion in Scotland did justifie this Murder in the face of Authority, and commended it as an act of good Service done to God and his Church in delivering them from such an Oppressor. This our Author's impudence ca [...] [Page 30] hardly serve him to deny boldly enough, and therefore he's satisfied rather to recriminate the Matter upon the Episcopal Party, by charging the Privy-Council of Sc [...]tland with Hanging five Men in Ma­gus-Moor as the [...] Murderers, though never one of them [...]ad seen a Bishop. These Men were punished by a lawful Authority, and conform to the Laws of the Land; for though they were not the Murderers of the Archbishop of St. Andrews, yet they were noto­riously guilty of Treason and Rebellion against the Government; and these Crimes being sufficiently proved against them, and they justifying and approving of the Archbishop's murder, I think it was no breach, either of the Laws of God or Man, to make them a publick [...]xample for the ter [...]ifying other wicked Offenders, and se­curing the Peace of the Society for the future.

He says likewise, That the Council hanged Mr. Mitchel for shooting at Page 37. the said Archbishop, though he missed [...]im. But although this Villain Mitchel's Execution justified. happened to miss of his Design against the Archbishop of St. Andrews, yet the Bishop of Orkney being then in Coach with the Archbishop, was unfortunately wounded with the same Shot, which occasioned his Death, tho not very shortly after. Now I can hardly think, that any good Man would ever offer to condemn the punishing of such a Villany; and r [...]ally I very much wonder, that this Author regards so little the Credit and Reputation of his own Party, as to o [...]er so publickly to countenance or excuse such Villainous Practices, as have justly ren­dred that Party odious to the whole World. What he alledges about the Earl of Rothes and the Council their promising Mitchel his Life upon Confession, is nothing but a meer Fiction: For I am credibly informe [...], that they solemnly declared before the Justice Court, That they never made him any such Promise; and certainly if they had, they were all of them Men of more Honour and Integrity than to have retracted it.

This Author is at a great deal of pains to prove, that Presbytery Page 39. is mo [...]e popular in Scotland than Episcopa [...]y, which has ever been much The making the Inclina­tions of the People the Standard of Church Go­vernm [...]nt, is of very fatal consquences to the [...] of Reli­g [...]on. insisted upon by the Presbyterians as a great Argument for the Law­fulness of their Government, as if any Principle or Doctrine were the True [...], because agreeable to the Inclinations of the People. If this be the Standard of Truth, why was not Christianity exploded, and Heathenism still continued, as being more suitable to the Humours of the People? This is such a Foundation for the Truths of our Re­ligion, as will go near to subvert all its Doctrines; since many of them are so far from being popular, that they are downright Ene­mies to Fle [...]h and Blood, and oblige us to abstain from all those [Page 31] Worldly Pleasures which we so greedily pursue. 'Tis but a bad sign of the weakness of a Cause, when they flee for shelter to the fickle and unconstant Humours of the Vulgar; when they betake themselves to such weak and frivolous Arguments in defence of their Government, 'tis a shrewd indication they are at a loss for better to produce. This new Method we have taken up to promote Reli­gion, by establishing nothing that is contrary to the Inclinations of a People, may chance to have more fatal Consequences than we at present seem to be aware of. The settling the Government of the Church upon such a slippery Foundation, disposes People to look upon it as a thing altogether indifferent and ambulatory, so that each Nation may set up what form of Church-Government they please. But if we consider a little the Nature and Constitution of the Chri­stian Religion, we'll soon find that the Government of the Church is not of such an ambulatory Nature, and that it is a very essential part of the Constitution, yea so essential, that it is not in the power of Man to alter it. For God having established his Church as a So­ciety, and invested it with peculiar Priviledges belonging thereto; he must be allowed to have settled and established a distinct Order of Persons for the governing it, and for admitting Members to a right to all those Priviledges which he has appropriated to the Mem­bers of the Society. And if he has separated a certain Order of Persons for this Office, and impowered them, and them alone, to seal his Covenants in his Name, it must needs be Sacriledge in the highest degree for any to usurp that Office, without a due and le­gal Call from those whom God has appointed to conveigh his Au­thority. And God can never be obliged by the acts of those Persons whom he never authorized to represent him, no more than a King can be said to be under any obligation to rati [...]ie the acts of any one that usurps his Authority, and falsly pretends to be his Ambassador. So that to alter the Government of the Church from what it was at first constituted by our Saviour, is nothing less than to undermin [...] the whole ground of our Salvation, since we can have no Title to the Benefits of the Gospel, but as we are Members of Christ's Church here on Earth; and we cannot pretend to be Members, unless we b [...] admitted into the Society by those Persons whom God has delegated to that Office, and intrusted with that Power. But notwithstand­ing the impertinence and weakness of this Argument in Vindication of the Church-Government, yet since our Author insults so mightily upon it, I shall comply with him so f [...]r as to consider the grounds of his Assertion; only I would caution the Reader never to lay stress on [Page 32] such kind of Arguments, as are altogether incompetent, and of no force to prove the Truth of any Principle of Religion. For there is no Doctrine which is in it self false, that can be justified by ne­ver so general a reception of it; and therefore, it can be no Argu­ment of the lawfulness of any form of Church Government, that it is the most agreeable to the Inclinations of the People.

All his Evidences to prove, that Presbytery is more popular in The [...]Presby­terians ha­ving made more Insurre­ctions in the Kingdom, in behalf of their Church Government, than the E­piscopal Church have thought fit to do, is no Ar­gum [...]t t [...]at [...] is more [...] in Scotland, [...] Scotland than Episcopacy, amount to no more than this, that the Presbyterians have made more Insurrections in behalf of their Go­vernment, than the Episcopal Church ever thought fit to do. And that this is not sufficient evidence enough to prove their point, will easily appear from hence. The Principles of our Presbyterians with respect to Monarchy, are of a very large extent; they make the Supreme Power of the Nation accountable to his Subjects, and allow he may be resisted and Dethroned for his Male-Admini­stration. So that, if the Sovereign shall at any time think sit to m [...]ke such Alterations, either in Church or State, as do not exactly quadrate with the Wild Humours and Fancies of that Party; then they instantly betake themselves to Arms, and resolve to involve the Nation into Blood and Confusion, rather than fail of having their unaccountable Humours gratified. But the Episcopal Church of that Kingdom have greater restraints upon them; they own, in Consormity to the Laws of the Rea [...], and to the Laws of God in his [...]irst Institution of Government; that the Supreme Power is irre­sistable, and cannot for any Male Administration be Dethroned by his Subjects; that if he be guilty of any Illegal or Unjustifiable A­ctions in his Government, he is accountable to none for them, but to God alone. And therefore, although the Sovereign should chance to [...]stablish such Constitutions, either in Church or State, as are contrary both to the Laws of God, and the particular Laws of the Realm; yet by reason of their strict Obligations to absolute submis­sion, they are not at Liberty to Rise in Arms, and assert their Rights that are thus encroached upon. They may indeed ve [...]y lawfully refuse their actual concurrence and compliance with these sinful Con­stitutions; but to resist or Dethrone their Sovereign upon that Ac­count, is what they are not able to Justifie, either by the Laws of God, or the Laws of the Nation. This is, and has been the con­stant Principle and Doctrine of our Church; and if any of its Members have Acted contrary thereto, they have in so far deserted the Principles of their Church, and slighted their Sacred Vows and Obligations, and therefore ought in Conscience speedily to return [Page 33] to their Duty. The Reason why the Episcopal Church Act more submissively to the Lawful Powers than the Presbyterians, is not, that there lie stricter Obligations to Obedience upon the one Party than the other; no, they are both subject to the same Laws, are obliged to own the same Prince; and are under the same Obliga­tions and Ties of Conscience to submit and adhere to him. But the difference lies here, that the Episcopal Church make some Con­science of performing their Duty, and of Walking answerably [...]o their Vows and Obligations; and resolve, in Conformity to their [...]imi­tive Ancestors; rather to suffer Pe [...]secution than be guilty of Re­bellion. On the contrary, the Presbyterians sacrific [...] a [...]l Duties to the Interest of their Party; and where that is concerned, make light of all Obligations: So that, whoever considers the diffe­rent Principles of both these Parties, will never conclude from hence, that Presbytery is more popular in Scotland than Episcopacy, meerly, because there have been more popular Insurrections for it, than for the other; since the Presbyterians think it lawful to Rebel upon that account, and the Episcopal Church look upon it as al­together unjusti [...]iable to resist the lawful Powers upon any account, even of Religion it self.

As for what our Author urges concerning the great Party that This l [...]st Conv [...]ntion having abo­lis [...] d Episco­pacy, and establish [...]d Presbyt [...]ry, is no good Ar­gum [...]nt, that the Presbyte­rians have the majority of the Nation on their side. appeared for the Presbyterian Government in this last Convention, which Abolished Episcopacy, and Established Presbytery; I shall plainly make it appear, that this can be no Argument, that they have the Majority of the Nation on their side. At the time when this Convention was called in Scotland, the Affairs of our Nation were in such a distracted condition, as made the Event altogether uncertain; and upon this account many of the Episcopal Gentle­men who were wont formerly to be Members of Parliament, thought it safer to keep out of publick business, and therefore refu­sed to be Elected by those Shires and Burroughs whom they used always to represent in Parliament. Nay, some of them were so averse from being Elected themselves, that they would not so much as be present to Vote at the Election of oth [...]rs, thinking it to be a direct breach of their Ties and Oaths to the Government, and particularly that of the Test, to meet or consult about the A [...]airs of the Nation without the consent of the King. So that at many of the Elections one third part of the Members concerned therein refused to be present, and the Episcopal Gentlemen declining to be Elected, there was no opposition made to any that would stand; and this was certainly the Reason why more Presbyterian Members [Page 34] [...]rept into this Convention, than ever durst appear in the like As­sembly b [...]fore. But notwithstanding this great advantage the Pres­byterians had in these Elections; yet even in the Convention, had not the Episcopal party been divided among themselves about the Civil Government, their Adversaries could never have gained any ground upon them, in altering the State of our Church. For ma­ny of the Episcopal Nobility and Gentry being dissatisfied about the lawfulness of the State Revolution, withdrew from the Conven­tion of Estates before the Affairs of the Church were considered; and this you must needs suppose, was no small diminution of the interest of the Episcopal Church in that Convention, and enabled the Presbyterians to do there as they pleased. And so I think this short Account of the State of our Nation at that time is sufficient to convince the Reader; that although Presbytery was Established by that Convention; yet it by no means follows, that the Majority of ou [...] Nation inclines to that Government. 'Tis known to any who are the least conversant in the Affairs of our Country, that the per­sons who are mostly drawn away with the strong delusions of that party, are but of the meaner and vulgar sort, and those only in the Western parts of the Kingdom; but the greatest part of our No­bility and Gentry▪ are Men of more Judgment and Reason, of a freer and more Noble Education, than to be so infatuated, or de­luded by vain and imaginary Dreams. And therefore to clear them from this imputation of Meanness thrown upon them by this Author, and in his own Phrase, to cut the Throat of this Objection once for all, that we may not be hereafter any more stunn'd with the Noise hereof; I could have subjoyned hereunto a LIST of all our Nobility that are not Popish, and have Ranked them ac­cording as they are affected, either to the Episcopal, or Presbyte­rian Government; but being at such a distance, cannot have it ex­act. And if it were not a thing of unsufferable Toil, and of little or no moment, to make an exact List of the Gentry of the Na­tion, I could shew a far greater Disparity among them, with Re­spect to this Affair, than could even here appear in the List of the Nobility, and yet it might be evident from it, how vastly conside­rable the Episcopal Interest is among them, beyond that of the Presbyterian.

Another of the untruths with which this Author charges his Ad­versary, Pag. 42. is, for asserting, That the Episcopal Rulers and Ministers used all Christian and discreet Me [...]hods to gain Dissenters. And why our Author should have so much Malice as to deny this known Truth, [Page 35] I cannot well imagine, for 'tis certain, that the behaviour of the The Methods [...] by the Ep [...]scopal [...] for [...] [...]he [...] s [...]ewn to be v [...]ry [...] sin [...] [...]t the [...] of K. [...] w [...]re [...]w or [...] b [...]t what [...]yned in Communion with the [...] C [...]urch. Episcopal Clergy towards the Presbyterian Dissenters, was truly Christian and Brotherly; they used all fair and discreet Methods to reclaim them from their Errors and Delusions, and their endea­vours that way were, by the blessing of God so successful, that at the time when K. James Granted his Indulgence to his Subjects, there were scarcely any Presbyterians in the whole Nation ( [...]xcept a few Wild Camer [...]ans, who betook themselves to the Hills) that did not actually joyn in Communion with the Episcopal Church▪ their very Teachers came punctually to Church, and attended up­on the Ministry of the Episcopal Clergy; they were constant Hearers of their Sermons, and frequently Received the Sacraments from their Hands. Now I would gladly know of our Adversaries, what plausible Reason they can give for deserting our Communion, after the Promulgation of this Indu [...]gence, when they thought it lawful to joyn with us before. What excuse can they pretend for [...]o groundless a Separation, to separate from a Communion, which they themselves owned to be lawful, by their joyning therein? Our Constitution still remained the same; there was no Alteration in it, that could afford them the least pretext for leaving our Com­munion; and Episcopacy can never be urged in their Defence, since by their former practice, they declared it lawful to Commu­nicate with Bishops. Methinks, that if they had any true Notio [...]s of Schism, they might soon perceive how [...] of it lies against them upon this score, and it concerns them highly to Vindi­cate themselves in this point, and to shew that, by separating from a lawful Established Communion, which th [...]y themselves by [...]oyn­ing with it, owned to be lawful, [...] in which there were no [...] Terms required, they were no ways guilty of Schism.

Pag. 43. He accuses his Adversary of downright Lying, because T [...] [...] pra­ctice in [...]Wird [...] o [...]r [...] P [...]y­er alto [...]ther [...]. he asserts, That the Presbyterians [...]ve justled out, and [...] the Lord' [...] Prayer, and Abolished the Reading [...]f the Scriptur [...]s in Church [...]s; and yet with the same Breath, he confesses the Assertion to be true, and endeavours to Vindicate their practice therein. He alledges the frequent Use of the Lord's Prayer, is a meer prophaning of it, and upon this Account, he thinks the Presbyterians may totally ab­stain from the use thereof; which is such an instance of Venera­tion to Sacred things, as is not often to be met with; that because a Sacred thing may sometimes chance to be abused to Superstition, therefore we must altogether slight and contemn it. May not we upon the same ground likewise abstain from Worshipping God, [Page 36] since the Divine Worship has been prophan [...]d by the Heathenish Superstitions, in paying that Adoration to inanimate Creatures, which is due only to the Eternal and Infinite Being? But the Pres­byterian practice in this contempt of our Saviours Prayer, is so ve­ry ridiculous, and many of their party have uttered such Blasphe­mous Expressions concerning it, that they deserve no small Rebuke. And I don't see how they can well Vindicate themselves from what is charged upon them by the Author of the Presbyterian Eloquence, that when a Presbyterian Minister was Staged before one of their own Judicatories for this Blasphemous Expression, That if ever our Saviour was Drunk, it was when he composed his Prayer, they would not so much as enquire into the Truth of this Accusation, not­withstanding it was brought before them, by a person of known Honour and Integrity, who had been one of the Judges of the Na­tion, and offered to prove the Truth of his Accusation, by the Te­stimony of such Witnesses as could not be well rejected. Now methinks, that although their concern for punishing such Blasphe­mous Expressions had not influenced them, yet at least the deference they owed to a Man of his Character and Quality, ought to have engaged them to take this matter into their cognizance, and make some enquiry into it; and what excuse they can pretend for this Neglect I cannot apprehend, the matter of Fact being so Notori­ous, that there was no denying it? Their Abolishing the Reading of the Scriptures in Churches is likewise so generally known, that our Author does not offer to deny it. It is customary in the Church of Sc [...]tland, that always at the beginning of Divine Service, the Clerk is appointed to Read two or three Chapters, in the Old or New Testament, for the Instruction of those who come sooner to Church than others; that their thoughts being taken up with hear­ing the Holy Scriptures Read, they may have no occasion to spend that time in gazing about them in the Church, or entertaining one another with trivial Discourses; and this the Clerk continues to do, till the usual time that the Congregation be fully met. This pra­ctice the Presbyterians have quite Abolished, and instead of the Scriptures, have set up their more Sacred Oracles, the confused Farce of some of their Sermons, which they Order to be Read, for the Edification of their Auditors, till the usual time that their Sermon begins.

The Mali­cious Chara­ctersthis Au­thor gives of the English and Scots Gentry as well as Cler­ [...]y. Our Author Pag. 47. Quarrels his Adversary, for saying, That the Author of the Brief and True Account of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland; bestows the Characters of Godless Miscreants, [Page 37] infamous Parricides, Sorcerers, and incestuous Apostates upon the Scots Gentry, as well as Clergy. And although he will not allow the truth of this in that Author whom he endeavours to vindicate, yet he himself is so very civil as to Treat them at the same scurri­lous rate in many places of his Book. As for the Clergy, he spares none of their Rank or Order, but represents them all as the worst of Men, and belches out his Vomit against them in such obscene and scurrilous Language, as any modest Man would have been ashamed to utter. The Episcopal Gentry both of England and Scotland he represents as Robbers and Murderers; as generally Pro­phane Page 23. and Debauched; as Men void of all manner of Religion, Page 38. who, in stead of freq [...]enting the Religious Assemblies, do haunt Bawdy-houses, and are drunk in Taverns and Ale-houses. But it is Page 13. no wonder he should Tre [...]t our Clergy and Gentry at this rate, when he has not the least respect to the Sacred Persons of our Prin­ces; them he repres [...]nts as wa [...]owing in their Sins and Uncleanness, and avowing their Adulteries as Sodom. And what Treatment the Author of such Villanous Re [...]lexions does deserve, I leave the Reader to judge. To Treat the Sacred Persons of Princes and Prelates, the Anointed of the Lord, in such a scurrilous manner, to wound the Reputation of Men of known Honour and Integrity at this rate, is such a piece of [...]illany as can hardly receive a sufficient Punishment. Can any Man that is not totally void of Religion write in this Inhu­mane and Unchristian manner? To represent all that differ in Prin­ciples from them as worse than Infidels; this is such an act of Malice as I believe was never practiced among Heathens or Barbarians, and it is no small [...] to our Religion, that any who call themselves by the name of Christ shou [...]d be guilty of such barbarous Pra­ctices.

This Scribler endeavours, Pag. 52. to answer an Objection which The settling or [...] Matters of Religion in com [...]li­ance with th [...] Hum [...]urs of th [...] [...], [...] in [...] to [...] [...]he [...]. his Adversary brings against their new and unheard-of Practice, of settling and abrogating Matters of Religion, even those that are most essential, according as they are either agreeable or contrary to the inconstant Humours of the Vulgar. His Argument runs thus; That upon the same Grounds our Presbyterians in Scotland declared Epis­copacy to be Anti-humane, Christianity must be Anti-humane in Turky, and Protestantism in France and Spain; and therefore ought in all Equity to be rejected by them, they being contrary to this new Standard, the Inclinations of the People. This Argument a [...]ri is so very conclusive, and presseth our Author so hard, that in stead of Confuting, he is forced to yield to it; and he very fairly gran [...]s, [Page 38] that if Christianity or Protestantism be contrary to the Inclinations of the People in these Parts, they may reje [...]t it as Anti-humane, and it ought no ways to be imposed upon them. I wish this Author would but consider a little, whither this Principle of his carries him, what absurd and pernicious Consequences he is forced to grant, and what great disservice he does to the Interest of Religion meerly through a blind and mistaken Zeal for his own Cause. It seems strange to see Men so hurri [...]d away with the Spirit of Contradi­ction, as not to discern such plain and obvious Consequences. Is it possible at this rate ev [...]r to mak [...] any Conv [...]rts to the Christian or Reformed Religion, except where it alr [...]ady g [...]nerally prevails? And how the Christian Religion could at first be propagated through the World according to this new Principle, is a thing impossible to con­ceive. I would gladly know of this A [...]or, what Arguments he can pos [...]bly bring to convert these Heathen Nations to the Chri­stian, or to p [...]rswade th [...] Popish Countri [...]s to [...]mbrace the Reformed Religion? They can [...] retort upon him his own Argument, That the Christian R [...]ligion being contrary to the Inclinations of th [...] P [...]ople in thes [...] Parts, they ought to declare it to be [...], and no ways to [...] it, and how our Author can well ev [...]de the forc [...] of this Argum [...]nt I do not appr [...]hend. If the Inclinations of the People must needs be the Standard of Truth, I'm sure we can have no hopes of their Conversion, since they a [...] by this Principle obli­ged to persist in their Idolatri [...]s and Corruptions, and the Popish Countries must still adhere to their Errors and Superstitions. If any of them desert their Errors, and [...]mbrace the true Religion, then, according to our Author's Hypothesis, they embrace what is Anti­humane, and what they ought to r [...]ject as being contrary to the Inclinations of the People. The only thing our Author comforts himself with in this matter, is, that he's con [...]ident the P [...]ople of these Countri [...]s can never declare the Christian or Protestant R [...]ligion to be contrary to their Inclinations. But upon what Evidence he grounds his Confidence, I cannot easily imagine. Does he fancy, that the generality of the People in Turky, and these oth [...]r barbarous Nations, are more inclinable to the Christian Religion than to their own Idolatrous Corruptions? Do they not declare against our Reli­gion as a downright Cheat and Imposture? And do not those of the Romish Communion look upon our Reformation as a meer Innova­tion? And what Encouragement this Author affords these Enemi [...]s of our Religion to continue in their Errors and Superstitions, I leave a [...]y serious Reader to consider; he has taught them a new Principle, [Page 39] by which they may easily evade the force of all the Arguments we can bring for their Conversion.

I find our Author her [...] tak [...]s notic [...] of on [...] of his Adversaries Ob­servations, The disinge­nuity of this Author and his Party in calling the English Com­mon-Pray [...]r Book Popery. wher [...] he says, That the new Gospellers call the Common-Prayer Boo [...] Popery; and this he is so far from denying, that he endea­vours to justifie the Charge. Now to s [...]e Men pretend to the Spirit of Moderation towards Adversaries, and y [...]t in the m [...]n ti [...] be guilty of such an Overt Act of Malice and Disingenuity is not a little amazing. I dare appeal to this Author's own Conscience, that he knows a sensible and a vast difference betwixt the English Liturgy and the Romish Mass-Book, and yet he's so disingenuous as to per­swade the silly and ignorant People, that they are both the same. I'm confident he knows our Liturgy contains no Prayers either to Saint or Angel, and that all our Prayers [...]re directed to the true and sole Object of Divine Worship, the [...] and Et [...]rnal God. We have no Prayers of Intercession or Mediation but which ar [...] addressed to the Lamb of God, who sits at the right hand of the Father to [...]ake Intercession for us; all our Forms of Prayer are composed of such emphatical and comprehensive Sentences, are framed with such a tendency to raise and el [...]vate the D [...]votions of the People, that it is beyond the Art of Man to bett [...]r them. But this has been the con­stant practice of the Presbyterian Party, to represent every thing as Popery that is not in all Points agreeable to their Enthusiastical Dreams; they endeavour to infuse into the Minds of the People dis­mal and frightning Notions of Popery, and then the better to expose their Adversaries that di [...]er [...]rom them to the rage and fury of the Rabble, they brand them with the odious Name of Papists; which is such a piece of Malice and Di [...]ngenuity as I believe is peculiar to the Party.

In the same Page we have a Vindication of the Presbyterians for [...] of [...]-day of [...]. not observing the Anniversary of King Ch [...]rles I. his Murder. And the reason of their so doing, our Author says, proceeds from a Prin­ciple, that no Human [...] Power can oblige them to violate the Fourth Commandment, which says positively, Six days shalt th [...] work. This is indeed a new Comment upon the Fourth Commandment, and such as few of our Expositors have been so happy as to light upon. GOD out of his Et [...]rnal Wisdom thought [...]it indeed to sepa­rate a seventh part of our Time for his own Worship and Service, and to establish the Sabbatical [...]estivity in Comm [...]oration of that Great and Omnipotent Work of the Creation, when he rested from framing the Glorious Fabrick of this Universe; and out of his great Bounty [Page 40] towards the Work of his own Hands, he allowed us the other Six days of the Week for carrying on our Worldly and Temporal Con­cerns. But was it ever be [...]ore dreamed, that this Indulgence of Time for our private Labours was such a strict and positive Precept, requiring us to spend these Six days so entirely in working, as if we were not at liberty to set apart any portion thereof to worship God either for publick or private Mercies upon any occasion vouchsafed unto us. We ought not indeed to spend this Time in idleness and vanity, and when we ar [...] not taken up about the Service of God, we ought to be diligent in following our private Labours and Callings. But if we employ any portion of this Time either in publick or pri­vate Exercis [...]s of Devotion, in glorifying God for some Personal or Nation [...]l Blessings conferred upon us, or in deprecating his Wrath for our crying Sins and Abominations; this is so far from being a breach of God's Commands, that it is what he repuires and expects at our hands▪ and has been the constant practice almost of all Na­tions in the World. Do we not find that the Jews, besides the Festi­vals Godwyn' s Moses and Aaron, Pag. 138. appointed them by their Lawgiver, observed a great many un­commanded Feasts and Fasts, which [...]hey themselves had instituted as Anniversary Commemorations of some signal Deliverances? The [...]east of Purim was instituted by Mordecai in remembrance of the Esther, [...]. 9. delivery of the Jews from [...]aman, who maliciously sought the De­struction of them. And the Feast of Dedication was instituted in remembrance of that great Mercy which God shewed unto his People, in delivering them f [...]om the Tyranny of Antiochus, and the Idolatry which he had forced upon them, setting up the Idol of Ju­piter in the Temple of God, and abolishing the true Worship of God. It was appointed by Judas Maccabaeus as a Yearly Festival, to be observed from Year to Year for the space of eight days. Besides these, they had several other Feasts of Humane Institution, of which we [...]ind frequent mention in Scripture. We see likewise, that the Romans had their Feriae, and their Festi Dies; the Feriae, which were instituted to the Honour of their Gods, they observed so Sacredly, that it was a heinous Crime to do any manner of Work on them; on these Days it was unlawful for them Terram ferro tangere, as Ser­vius Serv. in Virg. p. 86. Macrob. Saturn. l. 1. c. 16. tells us. These Feriae were either Stativae, unmoveable Feasts, and appointed always to be kept on a certain Day; or Imperativae, which were Arbitrary, and solemnized upon such Days and on such Occasions as the Magistrates and Priests thought most expedi­ent. And the Practi [...]e of the Christian Church in this matter is so notorious, that, besides their frequent occasional Festivities, the [Page 41] greatest Mysteries of our Religion have been Celebrated in [...] Anniversary Solemnities [...]hrough all the Ages of the Church; which is a most effectual way to prevent these Articles of our Faith from being subverted by Hereticks. And thus we see, that this practic [...] of observing Anniversary Days has been constant [...]y received not only in the Christian and Jewish Churches, but likewise among the H [...]a­thens; it being as it were a Principle engrafted in [...]umane Natu [...] ▪ to return a suitable Tribute of Praise and Thanks to the Supream Go­vernour of the World, for disposing and ordering the Events ther [...] ­of in such a manner as tends most to his own Glory, and the Wel­fare of his peculiar People. So unhappy are o [...]r Pr [...]sbyterians in their Schism from the Catholick Church, that in many Doctrin [...]s and Customs wherein they di [...]fer from us, they run in a di [...]ect oppo­sition to the Practice and Judgment, not only of the Catholick Church, but likewise of all Mankind; so fond are th [...]y [...] own singular Opinions.

What this Author urges in contradiction to this Universal Prac [...] of observing Anniversary Days, is of no consequence▪ fo [...] although there may be none of the Six on which some remarka [...]le [...] not happened, as he alledges; yet it does by no means follow, [...] should have no time left at all for Work. 'Tis not to be suppo [...]d, that God requires such constant Exercises of Devotion from u [...], as to im­pede the necessary Works of Humane Life; 'tis true indeed, there is no Dispensation of the Divine Providence, but what is accompa­nied with such Wisdom and Prudence as deserves to be admired and adored by all Rational Creatures, but yet there are some Acts thereof so signal and so remarkable in their Events, that they require a more solemn acknowledgment at our hands, and deserve to be more fre­quently Commemorated by us. And the appointing of s [...]t Times for Commemorating these more signal Dispensations of Divine [...] must be left to the prudence and discretion of the Governo [...] of the Church, who are the most proper Judges of w [...]at concerns the publick Worship; and we are not to suppose them so [...] in the conduct of Affairs, as to separate such an unequal share of [...] Time for the publick Worship, as would render Devotion bu [...] ­som to the People, and altogether inconsistent with the [...] ▪ of Humane Life. And if any private Person can, by entailing [...] Charity upon us, engage us to observe an Anniversary Day for the commemorating of his Charity, as this Author grants he may, I [...] no reason why our Superiors either in Church or State may not with far greater Authority oblige us Yearly to Commemorate some signal [Page 42] dispensations of the Divine Providence, that have been designed by God, either as a punishment or a Blessing to us.

But our Author being somewhat jealous, lest this negl [...]ct of the Presbyterians to observe the Anniversary of K▪ Charl [...]s I. his Mur­der, The Murder of K. Ch. I. [...] upon the [...] in both King­doms, and not upon th [...] Na­tion in [...]. should prompt the World to believe, that they app [...]ove and [...] the same; he therefore endeavours to perswade us, that nei­ther the Scots n [...]r English Presbyterians had any h [...]nd in bringing him to his Death. But their Rebellious and Inhumane practices towards that most clement Prince, are too Notorious for the Party now to think to conceal them; how many Insurrections they Raised, both against him and his Father is but too well known; and when they forced him to Grant Concessions, which were no small encroach­ments upon his Prerogative and Honour, yet nothing would satisfie their capricious Humours, but the overturning both of Church and State. If we but look back a little into the History of these Tragi­cal times, we shall find, that the Presbyterians in both Nations were the chief Instruments of obstructing the peaceable and quiet Reign of that Religious Monarch, and of bringing at last, that fa­tal stroak upon him. Was it not they, who sowed the first Seeds of all thes [...] Wars and Confusions, and having Treasonably associa­ted themselves together, Rose in Arms against his Majesty, under a Wicked pretence of Reformation? And having reduced [...]im to such Extremities, that he was forced to throw himself at their Me [...]cy; [...]ow basely did they Treat him? For when the King escaping from the Siege of O [...]ford, committed himself to their Army at Newark; the [...]irst thing th [...]y for [...]d him to do, was to command his Gover­nour of N [...]wark to deliver up the City, and M [...]itrose, Huntly and Mackdon [...]ld, and all others that were in Arms for him in Scotland, to dis [...]and. [...]ad not the King been advised to these Courses, he might have happily prevented all these fatal consequences that fol­lowed thereupon; but His Majesty was now redu [...]d to such cir­c [...]mstances, that it behoved him to Grant whatever they pleased to demand. And afterwards, in the Parliament of Scotland, which met at Edinburgh in [...] 1646- when the Question came to be de­bated, whether they should own the King, or recall their Army [...]r. Bur­nets M [...]moirs of the D [...]kes of Ham [...]lton Pag. 284. from England, and leave him to the English; the Presbyterians opposed the King's Affairs with no little Fervour and Zeal. The King's party in Parliament was at first so considerable, that had the que [...]ion been proposed at the downsitting thereof, the business had been carried for the King, by at l [...]ast Thirty Voices, as some of the [...]ing's Friends did then compute, by trying the Pulse of the Com­missioners. [Page 43] but for f [...]ar matters should go for the King, the Pres­byterians were very busie and industrious, in drawing away many that adhered still to the King's Interest; and for this end Pub [...]ish­ed a Declaration, tending to keep in with the English Parliament, and not to own the King. And by their Interest in this Parlia­ment they got it Enacted, that their Army should withdraw out of England, and leave the King to the English, without any Conditions for his Interest. Now the Guilt of this Act cannot in Reason be imputed to any but the Presbyterian Party, and no ways to the generality of the Nation; because, as to the Nobility, the Third Bishop G [...] ­thries Histo­ry of the Ci­vil Wars i [...] Scotland, MS. part of them was not present at that Sederunt; many having been excluded for their known Affection to the King, and others upon other pretexts▪ And some withdrew from the Parliament of their own accord, being on the one part resolved not to comply, and on the other loath by their dissent to offend the prevailing Faction, lest they should in [...]roach upon their Fortunes. And as for the Gentry and Commonalty throughout the Nation ( F [...]fe and the W [...]stern shires being ex [...]pted) there were a hundred to one th [...]t abhorred it, and would never have instructed th [...]ir Commissioners that way, but were so overawed, that they durst not challenge them.

But the opposition of this Party to the King's Affairs will further appear, if we consider their Behaviour, with Relation to the [...]n gagement in Scotland, for Rescuing the King's Person. In Apr [...] 1648, the Parliament of Scotland being informed of the Rude and Barbarous Treatment which the King received from the English [...] [...] [...]. Parliament and Army; and hearing that they had made him Priso­ner in the Isle of Wight; they Voted, That they s [...]ould demand the King to be brought from his Prison to London, or thereabout in Honour, Freedom and Safety. And having for this [...]ffect dispatch­ [...]d Lieutenant Collonel Marsh [...]l to the Parliament of Engl [...]nd, with a Remonstrance of their Breaches; they concluded and [...]oted a Levy of 30 [...]0 Foot and 60 [...]0 Horse, of which D [...]e [...] was made General. But the Presbyte [...]ians expressed very gr [...]t dislike of, and solemn [...]y protested against all [...]hat was resolved▪ [...]nd sent strict Orders to all their Disciples, that they should on [...]he last Sabbath of May keep a Publi [...]k Fast▪ [...] i [...]st t [...]at Co [...]rse▪ [...] [...] them withal, not to comply in any so [...]t [...]or [...] this [...]evy, under pain of the Highest Censure; and their Ministers did in the mean time, Thunder▪ Curses▪ against all who should joyn in this [...]n­gagement. And when the Noblemen and others in Command over the Army, were hasting to bring [...]orth [...] R [...]giments, that [Page 44] they might Mar [...] into England; a great Number of Western peo­ple Assembled in Arms against them at Mauchlin, under the Com­mand of some Presbyterian Ministers, Viz. Mr. Will. Adair, Mr. Wil [...] ▪ Guthry, M ^r. Gabri [...]l M [...]wel, and Mr. John Nevoy. Middleton Dr. Burne [...] [...]bid. p. 353. being sent against them with some Troops of Horse, these Mini­sters parlied with him, but were so violent, that they would needs Fight it; but the [...]ight lasted not long, for Middleton in an instant put th [...]m all to the Rout; and yet dealt so mercifully with them, that such as he took Prisoners, he dimitted without any suffering. The Army under the Command of Duke Hamil [...]on being Marched into England, the Gen. Ass. met at Edinburgh Jnly 12▪ and Publish­ed a Declaration against the Army, proving the sinfulness and un­lawfulness of the Eng [...]gement. And upon Notice, that this Army [...] Gu­thries Hist. was Defeated by Cromwel at Preston in Lancashire; the West Coun­try upon the first Notice of this Defeat, got instantly to Arms, with a design to cut off the remainder of this Army, and upon the Head of this Rebellious Multitude, were Mr. David Dick, and the rest of the Presbyterian Ministers in those parts. Thus did they Treat that [...]oyal Army which had Assembled themselves together, to Rescue his Majesties Sacred Person from the hands of his Cruel and Blood-thirsty Murderers. Here we have a clear view of the Behaviour of the Presbyterian Party towards the Royal Martyr K. [...] I. how they acted against his Majesties Interest, in a direct op [...]sition to the wh [...]le [...]ody of the Nation. When the whole [...]ingdom▪ [...] t [...]ose who had formerly been deluded by the rest of the [...], with the [...]alse and Hypocritical pretences of Refor­mation, did unanimously embrace the King's▪ Interest; the Presbyte­ [...]ians were so far from being s [...]nsible of their Sin and Folly, that they [...]ted a [...]ainst him with the utmost Rigour of Malice and En­ [...]. And ye [...] t [...]ese Men [...]ave now the Considence to protest, They [...] no hand [...] [...]inging him to his Death, as if the History of these [...]es were qui [...] [...], and no publick Monuments of their Trea­ [...]nable and Reb [...]llious Actings against that Prince remaining to [...] [...]ternal [...] and Reproach.

But this is not all the countenance and encouragement these Bar­barous Par [...]icides Received from our Presbyterians. For when the [...]ws came to Scotland of a Treaty, begun betwixt the King and Parliament of England; Mr. Rob. Blair and Sir John Cheesly were [...] [...] [...]. [...]sently dispatched away, by Order of the Presbyterian Ministers to joyn with Cromwel, in obstructing the Treaty. And upon their Arrival there wi [...]h two other Commissioners, Viz. The Earl of [Page 45] Lothian, and Will. Glendinning, fro [...] the Committee of Estates, Cromwel began to shew himself for crushing the Treaty; he drew up his Army towards London, and sent in a Remonstrance to the Parlia­ment, shewing his disallowance of the Treaty, and craved Justice (as he call'd it) to be done on the King. Now these Presbyterian Commissioners not only concurred with Cromwel in this Remon­strance against the King, but likewise remained at London, during the whole time of the King's Tryal and Execution, and never of­fered to Remonstrate against the Unjust and Unnatural proceed­ings against his Majesty. They did indeed send down to Scotlan [...], for Instructions relating to the King's Tryal; and they were Or­dered to endeavour the procuring a delay; but in the m [...]an tim [...] to be cautious not to offend the prevailing Party in [...]gland. I know the Presbyterians will here pretend, that the Guilt of this Act cannot be charged upon them solely, since their [...] from the Kirk Acted nothing in reference hereto, but in conjun­ction with the Commissioners from the Committee of Estates. But here we must consider, that the Committee of Estates did now wholly consist of the Presbyterian Party; the rest of the Members not daring to appear, by Reason of their known Affection and Loyal [...]y to their Prince. For when the Scots Army was Defeated by Cro [...] at Preston▪ many of our Noblemen and Gentlemen were [...] killed in the Action; others to a great Number taken Priso­ners, and such as had the Fortune to make their escape, were [...]or­ced either to abscond or [...] the Country, to avoid the severities with which the Presbyterian Pa [...]ty, who now had Usurped the Go­vernment of the Nation, did persecute all such as were concer [...]d in this Engagem [...]nt for the Defence of the King's Person. And by this means the Presbyterians got the whole management of the af­fairs of the Kingdom into t [...]eir [...] ▪ and acted there as they Li­sted; so that, although the Committ [...] of [...]states as well as Com­mission of the Kirk, sent Commissione [...] to concur with the Kings Murderers in England, yet the Guilt and shame of this Act, cannot in any Reason be imputed to the generality of the Nation, but on­ly to the Presbyterian Crew, whose actings have always tended to bring their Country into Disgrace and Contempt.

From hence, I think it clearly appears, that the Horrid Murder of this Royal Martyr, is justly chargeable upon none of our Na­tion but the Presbyterian Sectaries; and the like may be made evi­dent, in Relation to the Kingdom of England, that the Presbyte­rians and other Sectaries of that Nation, were the only Actors of [Page 46] that dismal Tragedy, and did most cruelly Persecute the Church of England and its M [...]mbers, for persevering in their Allegiance and Duty to their Sovereign.

But let us in the next place see what the behaviour of this Party The [...] [...]f [...] Scot [...] [...] to­w [...]rd: K. Charles II. [...]pen hi [...] [...]. was towards K▪ Charles II. upon his advancement to the Throne; for our Author tells us, That what they suffered on his Account every body almost know [...]. That our Presbyterians did consent to the pro [...]laiming of Charles II. King upon the News of his Fathers Murder is true, but their Loyalty in this point, was clogg'd with such Re­st [...]ictions and Limitations, as was not [...]asie for the King to comply with They for [...]'d him, before his Admission to the Crown, to Sign a D [...]laration, signifying his Penitency for the Sins of his Fore­fat [...]rs, in opposing the Work of God, and his own in so long fol­l [...]wing th [...]ir [...]ootsteps, with a Resolution to accomplish and [...] the Covenant, in all its ends and purposes, which also for the more [...], they caused him to take and Swear. And because his Majesty did at [...] refuse to Sign this Declaration; the [...] of the Kirk did on the 1 [...] of August 1650 Publish a [...] commonly called the Act of the Westkirk, wherein they [...] they will not Espouse any Malignant Party or Quarrel, and that they will not own the King nor his Interests, otherwise than [...]ith [...] Subordination to God, and so far as he owns and prosecutes the [...]ause of [...]od, and disclaims his and his Fathers opposition to the Work of God, and to the Covenant, and likewise disowns all the [...]nemies thereof. And in prosecution of this Declaration, when the Kingdom had resolved to call home K. Charles II. and for that End had admitted to favour, those who formerly were ba­nished the Court and Nation as Malignants; this gave the Zealous and bigotted Covenanters so great Offence, that they protested a­ [...]ainst all the present proceedings, and declared that they had, [...] to the solemn [...]eague and its ends, admitted to the Throne [...], who was an Enemy and Opposer of the quiet of [...] and [...]irk. And this Rigid Party having drawn to a [...] in the West, in the year 1650, Oct. 17. they Penned and [...] a Paper, which they called a Remonstrance of the Gentlemen, [...] and Ministers att [...]ending the Forces in the West, which they delivered into the Committee of Estates, and from which af­terwards they got the Name of Remonstrants. Hence we see how this Merciful Prince was Treated by them in the very infancy of his Reign; and what further disquiet and disturbance they afterward▪ occasioned him, is but too Notorious, from the many Insurrections [Page 47] they raised against his Government, and which occasioned the En­acting of those Laws, the severity of which they now so grievously complain of. What these Su [...]ferings were which this Author al­ledges the Presbyterians met with for adhering to K. Charles II. I must confess I am altogether ignorant of, unless he means, that some of the more moderate of their Party were willing to own the King after he had taken the Covenant, and therefore upon that ac­count suffered in the common Calamity with the rest of the Nation, when Cromwel with the English Army invaded our Kingdom, de­feated our Forces, and oppressed all that stood in any sort suspected of the Crime of Loyalty. But it is evident from the History of these Times, that the generality of the Presbyterians were so far from being forward in owning the King's Interest, that at the same time when Cromwel was so successful in the South of Sc [...]tland, as to have all besouth Forth under his Dominion, great numb [...]rs of them were assembled in Arms in the West, and remonstrated against the Na­tion for owning the King's Interest. And this much of the Loyalty of our Presbyterians.

This Author, Pag. 53. to justifie the Proc [...]dings of their late That the English C [...] ­vocation ac [...]ed upon f [...]r b [...]tter Grounds in r [...]susing an Union with the [...], than [...] Scots As­s [...]mbly in re­jecting [...] Addresses of those fe [...] Episcop. [...] them, prove [...] by [...] R [...]sons▪ General Assembly, in refusing to admit some of the Episcopal Clergy into a share of their Government upon the Terms desired by K. William, urges, That they did no [...]hing but what the Church of England Convoc [...]tion had done [...] them, who [...] to admit th [...] [...] on the same King's d [...]sire. It were no small presumption in me to offer any Vindication of the Proceedings of those learned and worthy Meembers of the Convocation in England, who at that time opposed the designed Comprehension of the Dissenters; but I think I may be allow [...]d to say, that they w [...]nt upon far better Grounds than our pretended General Assembly, who refused to re­ceive such of the Episcopal Clergy as condescended to address them upon that account. I am not concerned here to enquire into the [...]awfulness of what these [...]piscopal Addressers did, in desiring to be united with the Pr [...]sbyterians in the Government of the Church, I shall not here so much as enter upon that Question. My business at present is, only to shew, that the [...] of Scotland are [...]ar more inexcusable in denying the Request of these Episcopal Mini­sters that addressed them, than those of the English Convocation who obstructed the Union with the Dissenters upon the Terms that were then proposed; and my Reasons are these.

[Page 48]First, The Dissenters in England never offered any Address to the Convocotion, declaring their Willingness to return to the Churches Communion, upon her laying aside the use of these innocent Cere­monies which they pretend they cannot in Conscience comply with. Had the Presbyterians given but the least intimation of their readiness to abandon their Schism upon the making of these Altera­tions, the Clergy perhaps, to further so desirable a Work, might have easily been induced to grant them some Ease as to their unreasonable Scruples about those harmless Rites used in our Worship, which tho' indisferent in their Nature, yet are very signi [...]icant in their Use. But it is to no purpose ever to expect to reclaim the Presbyterians from their Schism upon such Terms, since they declare against the whole Body of the Common-Prayer, and the Order of Episcopacy, as un­lawful; and therefore to make Alterations in the manner of our Wo [...]hip, which could have no other esfect but to create more Ene­mies to our Communion, was no ways consistent with the Prudence that is required in Ecclesiastical Governours. Now this is what the Sc [...]ts Assembly cannot urge in their Defence, since those of the Lpiscopal Clergy, who had the freedom to joyn with them in the Government of the Church, Petitioned them upon that account, and declared their readiness to concur with them in maintaining the Discipline of the Church, and punishing scandalous and contuma­cious Offenders, which were all the Acts of Government they de­ [...]ired to share with them in. As for their Presbyterian Ordinations, they did indeed declare positively against them, and refused to joyn with them in any such Acts as they thought to be direct Encroach­ments upon the Episcopal Power.

But, Secondly, There is another Reason which may have influen­ced the [...]nglish Convocation to oppose the Alterations in the form of our Worship, which K. William did then desire them to make, and that is, T [...]e Preservation and Saf [...]ty of the whole Liturgy. They were [...]t that time sensible of the fatal overthrow of their Neighbouring Church of Sc [...]tland, how the Order and Constitution of its Govern­m [...]nt was [...]uite overturned by the Presbyterians, and not only the Bi [...]hops turned out both of their Spiritual and Temporal Rights, but [...] the greatest part of the Clergy most barbarously Treated, [...]nd driven from their Houses and Churches. This cruel Treatment which their Brethren in [...] received from that Dissenting Party, might ju [...]tly a [...]arm the English Clergy to expect the same Usage from the P [...]esbyterians here, as soon as they could thrust themselves into [...] power of doing th [...]m any mischief. And therefore considering [Page 49] the great Interest the Presbyterians had in that [...]irst Parliament a [...]ter the Revolution, it was no ways safe for the Convocation to consent to the Dissolving of the present Act of Uniformity, lest they should meet with such Obstacles in establishing another, as they were hard­ly able at that time to grapple with. The Presbyterian Members of that Parliament were so numerous, that had the present Act of Uni­formity been once dissolved, they would have th [...]own in so many Stops and Hinderances against a new Establishment of the [...]urgy by Act of Parliament, they would have started so many new Scruples of Conscience to be solved about it, and by this means occasioned such infinite de [...]ys therein, as would have made the Re-settlement of our Liturgy, a t [...]ing almost impossible. If the Parliament had offered to ratisie the Service-Book with the Alterations the Convoca­tion should think fit to make therein, before they Dissolved this pre­sent Act of Uniformity, I cannot tell but many Members of that Convocation might have been prevailed with to Consent to some Alterations in those indisferent Ceremonies the Presbyterians so groundlesly exclaim against; that for the future they might not have the least pretence for continuing in their notorious and wretched Schism. But for the Convocation to consent to the Dissolving the present Establishment, without having any security for another, is what none could expect from any prudent or reasonable So­ciety.

Thirdly, The Convocation in England might perhaps be the more remiss in promoting an Union with the Di [...]senters upon the Terms proposed, because they saw no probability of preserving thereby the Unity of the Church, as long as the Presbyterians profess to own no common Principles of Unity with us, that may still oblige them to remain in the Communion of the Church. Unless they acknow­ledge our Bi [...]hops to be the Principles of Unity, and that it is neces­sary for every one that intends to continue a Member of the Catho­lick Church to be united in their Communion; I say, unless they own these Catholick Painciples of Unity in common with us, we can have no security that they will remain ours any longer than their Interest, shews them their Duty. And therefore an Union with them upon any other Terms, in stead of preserving the Unity of the Church, would be a ready way to enable them to make a greater rent and breach in our Communion, whenever they should see it their Interest again to erect Altar against Altar. But our Scots Assem­bly could have no such Pretence against those few Episcopal Clergy that [...]esired to be United to them in a share of the Government. [Page 50] They were willing, I suppose, to own the same common Principles of Unity with the Presbyterians, in reference to the Discipline of the Church, that is, to be governed by the major part of all their Assem­blies, and to submit always to what is carried by a Plurality of Voi­ces in their Meetings; though sometimes they themselves, when they see it for their Interest, destroy this Principle of Unity, so funda­mentally nece [...]ary to all Democratical Societies, and allow the lesser Number to preponderate the greater, as in the Case which happened in the Synod of St. Andrews, an. 1591, about settling a Minister at Leuchars. And this methinks is enough to shew, that the Church of England had far more reasonable Grounds to oppose the Comprehen­sion with the Dissenters, than the Scots Presbyterians had to reject the desire of the Episcopal Addressers. But this Author will needs have the Disadvantage appear wholly on the Church of England's [...]ide, and therefore we must consider a little the Reasons he brings for his Assertion.

His first Reason is, Because the King is really the Fountain of all their [...]. Church Power, as [...]aving the making of the Bishops, and does still remain Head of th [...]ir Church; whereas he hath actually renounced Name and Thing in Scotland, where the whole Ecolesiastical Jurisdiction is by Law settled in the Church. The King is indeed owned by the Church of England to be in his own Dominions Supream over all Persons, and in all Causes Civil and Ecclesiastical; but that he is the Fountain of all their Church Power, is what I believe the most Erastian Principled among them never dreamed. Their 37th Article asserts the con­trary in as plain words as can be desired, where it is said, ''That they give not to their Princes the Ministring either of God's Word, or of the Sacraments, but that only Prerogative which they see to have been always given to all godly Princes in holy Scriptures by God himself; that is, That they should rule all Estates and Degrees committed to their Charge by God, whe­ther they be Ecclesiastical or Temporal, and restrain with the Civil Sword the stubborn and evil Doers. From whence 'tis plain, that the Church of England in her Articles allows the Civil Magistrate no Power or Jurisdiction in Matters purely Spiritual; he cannot Administer the Sacraments, nor Consecrate either Bishops or Priests, neither can he inflict any Spiritual Censures upon obstinate Offenders. The Civil Power may for strengthening the Hands of the Church, and making her Discipline the more dreaded and re­garded, inforce her Spiritual Censures with Secular Punishments, but can lay no claim to the Power of the Keys as his own Right. [Page 51] It is from him the Church derives that Power of having Civil Penal­ties inflicted on such as contemn and despise th [...] Ecclesiastical Cen­sures; as in the case of Excommunication, which renders the Party excommunicated obnoxious to Temporal Imprisonment, and inca­pacitates him from carrying on any Suit or Action in the Civil Courts. The Church cannot by her own Authority use the Civil Sword to punish the stubborn and evil Doers; and therefore in so far as the Civil Magistrate extends the Churches Jurisdiction to some Secular Matters, and impowers her to inflict Civil Penalties for the better preserving of her Ecclesiastical Discipline, the Clergy must own the King to be the Fountain from whence they derive this Power. But as for their Spiritual Authority and Jurisdiction, which only can be called properly the Church Power, they derive it from a higher Ori­ginal, from God himself, who is the true [...]ead of our Church, and it cannot be conveyed to us by the Hands of any Lay-Person. God has instituted a distinct Order of Men in our Church, whom he has authorized to transmit this Spiritual Power down through all the Ages of Posterity, that there might still be a constant Succession of Pastors and Governors in the Church to administer his Wor [...] and Sacraments to his People. And it is from this Sacred Order of the Divine Appointment that our Clergy derive their Spiritual Power; it is from their hands they receive Holy Orders, and a Power of Ministring in Holy Things, and none but they alone can Divest them of this Authority.

Our Author's Expression, of the King's having the making of the Bishops, is somewhat ambiguous. If he means, that the King is al­lowed by the Church of England a Power to Consecrate and Sepa­rate the Bishops for their Sacred Function, it is such a notorious Falshood as needs no Confutation, the practice of the Church to the contrary being so visible. But if his meaning is, That the King has Power to Nominate any Clergy-man to a vacant Bishoprick, it is no more than what they themselves allow to the Laity in their popular Elections. And if the Laity in these Elections may be al­lowed to Nominate their own Pastor and Spiritual Guide, I see no reason why the Church should be blamed for allowing the King to Nominate and Recommend to them a Person [...]itly Quali [...]ied for the Sacred Office of a Bishop, especially since 'tis to his Bounty they owe all the Temporal Priviledges and Honours which are annexed to the Episcopal Sees.

[Page 52]The same Power in the external ordering of Spiritual Matters, An acco [...] of the King' [...] [...] in Scotland, as it is [...] b [...] [...] with which the [...]ing is Invested by the Constitutions of this Church and Nation, does likewise belong to him by the Laws of Scotland. [...]e has the Power of Nominating the Bishops, and 'tis by his Autho­rity the Clergy of that Kingdom are allowed to meddle in Secular Matters, and to in [...]lict any Civil Penalties upon such as d [...]spise their Spiritual [...]. What this Author alledges about the Res [...]inding of the whole Supremacy in Sc [...]tland by Act of Parliament since this Revolution, is a gross mistake▪ as may easily appear f [...]om this short Narrative thereos. By the 129th Act, Parl. 8. [...]. Jam [...]s VI. the King's Royal Prerogative of Supremacy over all Estates, as well Spi­ritual as Temporal▪ is acknowledged and rati [...]ied; and it i [...] d [...]clared, That none shall d [...]cline the [...]ing's Power in [...] Premisses under the pain of Treason. Thereafter by the [...]. A [...], 2. Parl. K▪ Charl [...]s II. there is an Exp [...]ication of this Act and Prerogative, whereby it is declared, That whatever Constitution the King s [...]all make concern­ing the ord [...]ing and disposing of the external Government of the Church shall be obeyed as Law. This last Act was thought to give [...]he King too much Power, since he might thereby have aboli [...]hed the Government of the Church by his own immediate Authority, and so there was some pretext for Rescinding this last Act, and it is Rescind [...]d by the first Act of the second Session of Parliament of [...]. W [...]lliam; but the [...]irst Act is not Rescinded, and there was an [...] Order to the Commissioner not to consent to any Act in prej [...]dice the [...]eof. So that the King then, by virtue of the first Act, continues to have a Supremacy over all Es [...]ates Ecclesiastical as well Civil, and over all Pe [...]sons and Causes thereto relating, and th [...] Clergy of S [...]otland ar [...] as much bound to own this Supremacy as those of [...]. [...]ere I cannot but observe how visibly the Dis­loyalty and [...] of this Pa [...]ty to all Civil Government does ap­pear. Th [...]y endeavour, under pretence of lodging all Ecclesiasti­cal [...] in t [...] Church, to divest the King of that Power in the extern [...]l ord [...]ing of Church Matters, which does duly belong to him as being the supreme Governor within his o [...]n Dominions; and yet they a [...]e so sar from settling the whole Ecclesias [...]ical Juris­diction in t [...]e hands of Spiritual Persons, as they pretend, that they have not so much as one Judicatory but what does consist of at least [...] as many Laicks as those who pretend to be Ecclesiasticks. They [...] not allow the King so much Power as to Convocate the Clergy so [...] the [...] of Matters about Religion when he thinks fit, or to [...]ommand them faithfully to discharge their Duties and Functions, which he may lawfully do by virtue of his Civil Power over their [Page 53] Persons as his Subjects, and yet they allow the Lay-Elders in their General Assemblies to share with them in the Authority of in [...]lict­ing Spiritual Censures, which properly belongs to none but Spiritu­al Persons; and their indulging the Laity this Power in spiritual matters, is more than what they can well account [...]or, according to the first Institution of th [...] Ministry. In their General Assemblies there is no Minister d [...]prived of hi [...] function, no Sentence of [...]x­communication passed, no [...]eretick condemned, nor any thing of moment transacted, but what th [...]ir Lay-Elders share in as much as their Teachers; and yet is the King should [...] any such Power in their Meeti [...]gs, they would be apt to [...]ly in his Face as an Op­pressor and Persecutor of the Cause of God; but methinks they might at least indulge him the [...] of being one of their Ruling Elders.

That the Church has Power of calling her Assemblies, and exer­cising T [...]e Church [...] th [...] sole Pow [...]r in [...] pure­ly Spiritual, but the Cler­gy ar [...] [...]qual­ly subj [...]ct t [...] the Civil Au▪ [...], an [...] liable to the same [...] w [...]th the [...]. [...]er Discipline in some extraordinary Cases, even contrary to the Command of the Civil Magistrate, is what we do not deny, as this Author is pleas [...]d to alledge. The Apostles and Primitive Chri­stians did in a direct opposition to the Roman Emperours and Jew­ish Sanhedrim, frequently meet together to perform the Religious Exercises of Devotion, and determine such Controversies as then happened to arise among their B [...]ethren, and this they did with­out thinking, that they encroached in the least upon the just Rights of the lawful Powers then in being. And what was lawful for them to do, is still lawful for the pr [...]sent Ch [...]rch in the same Circum­stances; for the Magistrates being now Christian, can Intitle him to no gr [...]ter Power in Church [...], by Virtue of his Civil Au­thority, than what did b [...]ong to the Heathen Magistrates. The Church may indeed upon prudent Mo [...]ives, indulge the Christian Magi [...]trate a greater Power of [...] in Ecclesiastical matters, than wh [...]t had been [...] or [...]afe▪ to intrust the Heathen Emperours wi [...]h; but this Power which the Church Grants to the Magistrate, does no ways belong to him by [...] of [...]is Civil Authority; it is only Indulged [...]im by the Church, in prospect of his Temporal Protection; and there [...]ore, [...] he instead of a Nursing Fa [...]her to her, shall turn an oppressing [...], or when the Church shall see it any way necessary sor the well being and safety of Religion, she may recal it again at her pleasure. But as we allow the Church to have the sole Power and Authority in matters purely Spiritual; so we deny, that any such [...] Jurisdiction belongs to her, as to ex [...]mpt the Bodies of the Cl [...]gy, [Page 54] from Subjection to the Civil Powers. They owe their Sovereign the same Duty and Obedience with the rest of his Subjects, are as much under the Jurisdiction of his Civil Courts, as liable to the Temporal punishments which he inflicts, as the persons of the Lai­ [...]y; sor otherwise the Civil Magistrate could have no security for hi [...] Government.

We do not allow the Clergy to be Judges of every thing done [...]. by themselves in the first instance, which is the height of the Popish Usurpation and Supremacy, and makes Church-men no Subjects. And herein it is, that we differ from the Presbyterians in asserting the Jurisdiction of the Church; they together with the Pa­pists carry it to such a height, as to claim an exemption for the Clergy of their not being answerable to the Civil Courts of the Na­tion, but only cognizable by themselves; they deny the secular Ma­gistrate any Power to punish the persons of the Clergy, for Rebel­lion and Treason preached openly from their Pulpits, or any other Crime, till they once be Convicted of the Crime and Condemned therefore, by a sentence of an Ecclesiastick Judicatory. That this is, or at least was always wont to be, the constant Principle of the Presbyterian Party is so Notorious, that I admire this Author should ever attempt to conceal it. Was it not their proceeding to practice upon these principles, which gave the first Rise to that Act of Par­liament in K. James VI's Reign, ratifying the King's Supremacy? For one Mr. And. Melvil a Presbyterian Minister, having declaimed [...]requently against the King, for which being called before the Council, he boldly declined the King and Council as Judges in prima instantia of what is Preach'd in the Pulpit, even tho' it were High Treason, and so he fled into England. Whereupon the Nation Assembled in Parliament in the year 1584, in a just Resentment of th [...]se Seditious Doctrines and Practices, did pass the abovementioned Act of Supremacy; and it was by Vertue of that very Act that Mr, Ja. Guthrie a Presbyterian Minister, was anno 1661 hanged for declining the King's Authority. The Presbyterian Ministers de­claimed against and reproached this Act of Parliament, and in op­position thereto, one of their Number Mr. Dav. Black, having Railed against K. James and Queen Elizabeth from the Pulpit as Enemies to God, being called before the King's Council, he not [...]nly declined the King's Power of judging him, until he was first Condemned by his Brethren, but United most of the Ministers of S [...]tland most tumultuously in his Defence; and some of them who were then residing at Edinburgh, stirred up the multitude to such a [Page 55] Rage and Fury upon this occasion, that they presently leap [...] to Arms, and came to the Street in great Numbers crying, The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon, it shall either be theirs or ours. And ta­king their March streight to the Session-House, where the King and Spotsw. Ref. lib. p. 65. his Counsellors were then met, would in all probability have forced the Doors (which upon the Noise of the Tumult were shut) and done no small mischief, were it not that, by the Providence of God, a Loyal party drawn together by the Deacon Conveener of the Bishop [...]u­thries H [...]st▪ Trades kept them back for a while, till their Fury cooled a little; and in the mean time the Earl of Marr called from the Castle, a Company of Musqueteers to Guard the King's Person; upon the Notice whereof the multitude chose to disband, and went away as confusedly as they met. And whether such practices as these be not directly to invade the Temporal Sword, and Usurp the Power of the Civil Magistrate, I shall leave the Reader to Judge. And if the Popish Bishops be guilty of the like practices with the Presbyte­rians, in encroaching upon the Rights of the secular Magistrate, it ought not in Reason to reflect upon the Bishops of the Reformed Communion, since it is what we can be no more accountable for, than for the Barbarous and inhumane practices of the Presbyterian party, because they pretend to be our fellow Christians. It is to these unjustifiable principles and practices of the Papists and Presby­terians, that we owe all the encroachments that have been made upon the spiritual Power in these later days; for the Popish Clergy together with the Presbyterians, not being satisfied to assert only the independent Authority of the Church in matters purely Spiritual, have endeavoured to extend its Jurisdiction so far, as plainly to encroach upon the Rights of the secular Magistrate, and to subject the State to the Church, not only in Spi [...]ituals, but likewise in Tem­porals. And this on the other Hand has Tempted many of the Lai­ [...]y in these later Ages, (when Men are degenerated into such an in­differency and lukewarmness about matters of Religion, that they look upon the Temporal concerns of this World, to be of fa [...] greater Value and Concern, than the Eternal Interest of our Souls) upon all occasions to grasp at the Rights of the Church, and to Rob her of that Spiritual Power and Au [...]hority [...]ith which our Saviour has invested her independently of any humane Authority, and which to Usurp from her is Sacriledge to the highest degree.

The second Reason our Author bring [...] to prove the Church of England to be in the blame, for refusing an Union with the Dissen­ters, is, That they believe most of the things in Controversie to be indiff [...] ­rent, [Page 56] whereas the Presbyterians look upon them as unlawful; and that The Church of England the guilty of no breach of promis [...], in r [...]susing an Union with th [...] [...] up [...]n [...] [...]rms propo­ [...]i. the Church of England were under promise to King James to have done it. That the Church of Engl [...]nd had reasonable grounds to oppose an Union with the Dissenters upon the Terms then proposed, I think I have sufficiently evinced already. And that they are guilty of any breach of promise which they made concerning it, while King James was here, is what cannot well be alledged, since they were always willing to receive them into the bosom of their Church, and to Grant them all imaginable ease, as to their unreasonable Scruples which might be consistent with the safety of their Church and Communion. But to abolish the use of those Innocent and instructing Rites in our Worship, meerly to satisfie the groundless scruples of the Presbyterians, when they do not so much as offer to return to our Communion upon these Terms, is what no reason­able man can well expect. Our Author in this Paragraph seems to T [...]x the Episcopal Clergy with being addicted to Arminianism and Socinianism. As for the latter, I'm confident there are few of them [...]ainted with these sort of principles; they entertain the true No­tions of the Son of God, of his Divinity, his Incarnation and Pas­sion, according as they are revealed unto us in the Holy Scriptures. And as to the controverted Doctrines about Election, Reprobation, &c. They are careful to observe St. Paul's Rule, not to be followers of Arminius in these things, any further than he is a follower of the Doctrine of our Saviour and his Apostles.

That the Presbyterian Ministers have often assumed to themselves T [...]e [...] Mi­n [...]sters have [...] to [...] a Pow [...]r of making [...] [...]nd War. a power of making Peace and War, and have declared Engage­ments to defend the King's Person, Honour and Prerogative, which were made by the Parliament without their consent, to be unlawful, is so well known, that I think there needs no great Rhetorick to convince us of the Truth thereof, although this Author very confi­dently avers the contrary, Pag. 56. If we but Read the History of the late Civil Wars under King Charles I. we shall find, that in all these proceedings, the Parliament or Committee of Estates ap­pointed thereby to Govern the Nation, never acted any thing in Relation either to Peace or War, but in conjunction with the Ge­neral A [...]sembly or Commission of the Kirk; or if they chanced to pass any A [...]ts without their consent, they were instantly declared [...]o be unl [...]wful and of no Obligation. And to prove the Truth of this we need no more but consult their proceedings, in opposing [...]he King's Affairs in the year 1648. for when the Parliament of Sco [...]l [...]nd had resolved on an Engagement for delivering the King's [Page 57] person from his Imprisonment in England, did not the Presbyterian Burnets M [...]moirs of the Dukes of Hamilt. p. 337, 339▪ Ministers prescribe some Articles to the Parliament, for carrying on this War against England, and because the Parliament did not com­ply with their desires herein, they solemnly protested against all they had resolved on, and thundered Cur [...]es and Damnation against all who did not oppose this Engagement.

Pag. 59. This Author is highly displeased with his Antagonist, The P [...]esby­teria s not with u s [...]me ground stig­matized wi [...]h the r [...]p oach­ful Term of New Gosp [...]l­lers. for throwing upon the Presbyterian party the reproachful Term of New Gospellers; and he cannot apprehend what can be found in the Presbyterian Writings to ground this Accusation upon. But I think [...]ruly, when we con [...]der the Nature of most of their Difcour­ses upon Religion, the whole Tenour of their Sermons and Preach­ings, it is not without some ground, that they are Reproached with this distinguishing Character. I do not say, that they main­ [...]ain wholly a New and a Singular Gospel, but I am sure they have so disguised the Gospel of our Saviour, from its Ancient Purity and Simplicity, that what they Preach, is vastly different from the Do­ctrine of the Purer and Primitive Ages of Christianity. They have corrupted most of its Doctrines, with their Rude and Indi­gested Notions; they have transformed the Meek and Calm Spirit of the Gospel, into a Spirit of Bitterness and Revenge, instead of converting their Swords into pruning Hooks and plow shares; they, to propagate their excentrick Notions of Religion, maintain it law­ful to res [...]st the Supreme Powers, and rather than fail of their de­signs, to imbroil Nations into perpetual War and Bloodshed. And this me [...]hinks is quite another Gospel from what our Saviour has taught us in his Holy Scriptures, where we have not the least en­couragement to propagate Religion by force of Arms, or any such indirect means. There we find nothing more frequently inculcated to the Christian Converts, than a Spirit of Meekness and Humility, of Brotherly Love and Charity, and to live peaceably with all Men as much as in us lieth. We are not taught from thence, to prose­cute with the utmost Rigour of Malice and Revenge, all such as differ [...]rom us in the l [...]ast matters about Religion, but we are rather exhorted to reclaim them from their Errors, in the Spirit of Meek­ness and Charity.

CHAP. III.

I Come now to our Author's Third and Last Part, where he has [...] is not strange to see Persons, after they have murdered, robbed, or any way in­jur [...]d [...]heir [...], [...] endeavo [...]r [...] to black [...]n th [...]m in th [...]ir [...] and [...], [...] b [...]tter to [...] own wick [...]d Actions [...] th [...]m. heaped together a parcel of such Villainous and Prophane Stories, of such manifest Lies and Forgeries, as do plainly shew the Author to have abandoned all sense of Morality and Religion, and [...]o have prostituted his Conscience meerly to gratisie his Malice and Re­venge. After he has in [...]he [...]ormer parts of his Book, almost in every Page, reviled the whole Body of the Episcopal Clergy and Gentry both in E [...]gland and Scotland at a most ignominious rate, re­presenting them all as Drunkards and Whoremongers, as wallowing in all Sins of Uncleanness and Impurity, he now [...] the Persons of some particular Clergy-men in Scotland, whom he endeavours now to wound in th [...]ir Reputation and Honour, as his Party have already done in their [...]ives and [...]ortunes. It is no ways strange to see Per­sons when they have either murdered, robbed, or any way injured a Man, to endeavour to blacken him in his Fame and Reputation, to represent him as the vilest Monster, that so they may the better pal­liate and excuse their own wicked and hellish Practices against him. Could we ever expect that the Pre [...]byterians, after they had once at­tempted, frequently threatned, and at last accompli [...]hed in a most barbarous manner, the murder of tha [...] great Primate Bishop Sharp, that they should, after this unparallel'd Villany of theirs, allow him the Character he dese [...]vedly bears of a Religious, Prudent, and Godly Prelate? Could we imagine they would deal more tenderly with his Reputation than they had done with his Life? On the contrary, we had good reason to expect that they would charge him with all the notorious Villanies their Malice could invent, as this Libeller very civilly Treats him, Pag. 64. So that we have no great reason [...]o wonder at this insatiable Malice of our Presby [...]erians, that after [...]hey had raised a most furious Persecution against our Clergy, thrust [...]hem from their Spiritual Cures and Preferments, robbed them of [...]heir Temporal Fortunes and Estates, and cruelly treated their Per­sons, by murdering of some, and wounding of others; that their Malice should not stop here, but likewise extend it self to their Fame and Reputation, the most precious Jewel we possess; I say, we need not much wonde [...] a [...] [...]his, since i [...] is no more [...]han what was neces­sary [Page 59] to crown their glorious Work of Reformation, that they might not only the [...]eby the more expose the Persons of our Clergy to fur­ther Igno [...]niny and Contempt, but likewise might have some shew or pretence to colour their own barbarous Practices against [...]hem.

It is a sufficient Vindication of the Clergy, whose Lives and Con­versa [...]ions The [...] of o [...]r Clergy sufficien [...]ly vindic [...]ed srom this Li­bll [...]r's asper­sions, since in th [...] present [...] aga [...]nst th [...]m by the [...], t [...]y cannot Instance in [...] of their number, a­gainst whom they could find the [...] pret [...]nce to deprive th [...]m for Immora­lities. this Author so maliciously attacks, at least of all those who are yet alive, that in this present Persecution against them, raised and carried on by the Presbyterians with all the fury and malice that was possible, there were few or none of them deprived for their Im­moral Lives and Actions. Their Adversaries not only persecuted them in their Persons, but likewise endeavoured to blacken them in their Reputation by all the hellish Arts they could contrive; they framed Libels against them, stuffed with all the groundless [...]tories they could possibly scrape together, and with all the Lies and Forge­ries their Malice could invent; and yet after all these indirect m [...]ans used by them to stain the Reputation of our Clergy, I verily believe, they cannot instance in four Persons against whom they could [...]ind the least pretence to deprive them [...]or their Immoralities. And this methinks, were enough to detect the falshood of this Villain's Forge­ries, and to vindicate those of the Clergy whom he here assaults from the foul Aspersions he so invidiously throws upon them. I [...] these of the Clergy had been in the least obnoxious in their Lives, could they have possibly escaped so critical a Censure of their Ene­mies, when they sifted all their Acquaintances for Stories against them, and ripped up their Lives to their ve [...]y infancy, and when nothing else could be found blameable in the whole course of their Lives, they charged some of them with their Juvenilia, and even those they re­presented under a great number of aggravating Circumstances which never had the least shadow of Truth. Had I the good fortune of being acquainted with all the Clergy, who are here libelled by our Author, or a convenient opportunity of corresponding with these places where they resided, I could fairly undertake to disprove this Accuser in most of the particulars of his Forgeries. But since I am at present deprived of the Advantages of such a general Correspon­dence as this requires, I must in this Vindication con [...]ine my self to such of the Clergy as I have either the happiness of knowing, or have had occasion more particularly to enquire into the History of their Lives. And from what I shall discover as touching this Li­beller's disingenuous and unfair Dealing with respect to these Clergy, the Reader may easily guess how fairly and candidly he treats their [Page 60] Brethren, and what credit is to be given to his Calumni [...]s and Asper­sions upon them.

What I designed upon this Subject, is in a great part anticipated▪by Many of our Clergy suf [...]i­ciently vin­dicated from this Libeller's accusations, by the Au­thor of an Appendix to a late Trea­tise, entitu­led, An A­pology for the Clergy of Sco [...]laud. a late Treatise concerning our Scots Asfairs, entituled, An Apology for the Clergy of Scotland, where the worthy Author in an Appendix to his Book has vindicated many of our Clergy from the Libels brought against them by this petty Scribler, and has given such true and just Characters of them as all that know them will readily acknowledge to be their due. To this Appendix therefore I shall refer my Reader for an Answer to a great deal of what concerns the third Part of this scurrilous Libel, not being willing to repeat here what is so excellent­ly said by th [...]t Author in vindication of our Clergy. I shall only here subjoyn such further Matter for their Vindication from this Libel­ler's Aspersions, as the Author of the Appendix had not then the op­portunity of knowing▪ and has since come to my ha [...]ds.

And first, As for Dr. Canaries, against whom the bent of this Dr. Canaries fully vindi­cated from the Calumny brought a­g [...]inst h [...]m by this Accu­ser, and the Accuser's Malice and [...] fully [...]. Accuser's ma [...]ice seems to be chiefly levelled, although I never gave the least cr [...]dit to this abominable Story charged upon him in this Pamphlet, as knowing him to be a Man of a vi [...]tuous and exem­plary Life; yet because the Libeller so confidently appeals for the truth of his Story to the Registers of [...], I had the curiosity to send [...]hither to a wo [...]thy Friend of mine for an Extract out of the Regist [...]rs conce [...]ning this matter, not doubting but our Author had consulted the R [...]cords himself be [...]ore he made so publick an Appeal to them. Th [...] Answer I received was to this purpose: That as for Dr. [...]'s Affair, after all the Researches could be made into the Records of the Kirk-Sessions and Presbytery of Dundee, there was no mention of it to be [...]ound there, and the Ministers assured him ne­ver any thing of it was Recorded, so that he could not send me any Extract of it as I desired. And he says, That it is great Impudence in the Author of this Pamph [...]et to appeal to these to gain credit to that abominable Story; as it is likewise most notoriously false what this Author alledges, That the Doctor was constrained to flee; for he averrs it as a certain truth, That there never was any Sentence pro­nounced against him, and this (he says) all the Ministers of the Presbytery can attest. He likewise says, That his very Accusers there do utterly deny that there was any such thing as a Form of Baptism used, which is so considently asserted by this Villain. He tells me, he was credibly informed, That the Fanaticks in that place had been at pains to sift these Accusers of the Doctor, and that Mr. Spalding the Presbyterian-Intruder there had sent some of his [Page 61] Followers to examine them concerning this matter, and after all they were brought to Mr. S [...]alding himself, but never would acknowledge any such thing as the Pamphleter records. He concludes his Letter thus; That he must do Dr. Canaries the justice to testifie, that he was as [...]ittle tainted with Intemperance as any he knew of his age. And this Testimony ought to be of the greater weight with us, that it comes from one who was intimately acquainted with the Doctor, and had all the advantages of knowing exactly the whole Series and History of his younger Years

When that Passage of the Doctor was Examined before the Pres­bytery of Dundee, the Doctor received an Acquittance from the Presbytery, clearing him from having any accession to that Scandal given by these two young Gentlemen who were in his company, and accosted the Women in the Fields. And notwithstanding th [...] malice of the Presbyterians hath aggravated that Story into a heinous Villany, yet the true and real Ground of it was no more than this, That these two young Gentlemen being in company with the Doctor, run from him to some Women in the Fields, and undecently thrust their Hands under their Clothes. When this Answer to the Presbyte­rian [...] was published, Mr. Castairs a Presbyterian Minister to [...]d Dr. [...], that he was in [...]ormed by Mr. Spalding the Presby­terian Preacher at Dundee, (the place where this Story had its rise,) That there was no ground for this malicious Calumny against the Do [...]tor; and that if the Doctor pleased, he would write to Mr. Spal­ding for an account of it, which he thought would be such a Vindi­cation of the Docto [...]s Innocency, as the most malicious of his Ene­mies cou [...]d not well withstand. Mr. Castairs having wrote to Mr. Spal [...]ing, who s [...]nt him up some account of it to London; he sent a Letter to the Do [...]tor, acquain [...]ing him, That such an account was come f [...]om Mr. Spalding to London, (though not as yet to his hands) wherein the Doctor's Innocency was sufficiently cleared from this malicious Slander. This Letter from Mr. Castairs I suppose the Doctor hath in his possession; but Mr. Castairs sent not afterwards to the Doctor Mr. Spalding's Letter, for what reason I shall not here enquire.

Hence we may see how fairly and candidly the Docto [...] has been treated by this malicious Scribler, and for no other reason that I can conceive, but his being employed by a part of the Clergy of Scot­land to Negotiate their Affairs with the present Government, and the vigorous opposition he always made to the Designs carried on by the Presbyterian Party for overturning and subverting our Church▪ [Page 62] I shall not here resume what the Author of the Appendix above cited brings in further Vindication of the Doctor's Innocency, as that he un­derwent two fiery Tryals before the Presbyterian Judicatories in Scot­land, one before the Privy▪ Council at Edinburgh, which consisted then wholly of Presbyterians, who are still by far the majority at the Council-Board; the other before a Meeting of Presbyterian Teach­ers at Selkirk; by both which he was acquitted, and not one instance of Immorality laid to his charge. On the contrary, the Presbyte­rian Ministers offered cordially to receive him into their Society, if he would but renounce his Principles of Episcopacy. I think there needs no more be said in the Doctor's Vindication; if he but appeal for his Innocency to the Testimony of those who have known the whole course of his Life and Conversation, he may fairly bid a de­fiance to the most inveterate malice of his Enemies.

Page 64. He charges Dean Hamilton with Sodomy, and says, He An [...]ccount of D [...]an Ha­milton's Process, and his being ab­solv'd there­from by the Privy-Coun­cil an [...] [...] Criminal [...]ourt. was convicted of it by 88 Witnesses; and again, Pag. 73. he accuses him of buggering a Mare, lying wi [...]h several Men's Wives in Hamilton, and several other Immoralities, among which is his profering Bestia­lity (I suppose our Author would have said Sodomy) to a young Man in London of this Author's own Acquaintance. These Crimes, he says, were proved against him before the Criminal Court at Edinburgh, but he having bribed the Judges, the Tryal was put off. As for these last Crimes, Buggery, Adultery, &c. the Dean was never so much as ac­cused of them, so far were they from being proved against him, as this Libeller falsly alledges; and it is the height of Impudence in him to arraign the whole Justice of the Nation at this rate, for conniving at such gross and scandalous Immoralities as the most barbarous Na­tions detest and abhor. Is it possible for any man of sense to be­lieve, that the whole Judges of a Nation can be so degenerated in their Morals, as to be bribed or corrupted by such a vile Wretch as this Dean Hamilton must needs have been, had our Author's Calum­nies against him been tr [...]e? The Dean was indeed accused of the Crime of Sodomy, and upon that account was cited first before the Privy-C [...]uncil, and afterwards before the Justice-Court at Edinburgh; and all Witnesses that could be had were examined against him, but they not proving any thing of the Crime upon him, he was fully absolved from it by both those honourable Courts. And my Infor­mer assures me, that he has seen the Sentences of Absolution passed upon this Affair by both those Courts; the one signed by Duke Ha­milton as President of the Council, and the Clerk to the Privy­Coun [...]il; the other signed by the Justice General, and the Clerk to [Page 63] the Justice-Court; and these Sentences of Absolution are to be seen at this day in the several Registers of those Courts. Now, after the Dean was so publickly absolved from the Guilt of this Crime, it must needs argue a great stock of Impudence, and nothing less of Ma­lice in this Author, to averr so confidently, That he was convicted of it by [...]ighty eight Wi [...]nesses. Whether he was really guilty or not of such a Villany, God and his own Conscience can best tell; it has been the misfortune of several pious and innocent Persons to be [...]alsely accused; but however, since he did so openly Vindicate him­self from the Guilt of this Crime, the Laws of Christian Charity oblige us to look upon him as Innocent, till we have better Evidence to the contrary, than the Aspersions and Calumny of a malicious and virulent Scribler, who has declared himself an Enemy to all those that have ever been vested with the Authority of Christ's Am­bassadors.

In the following Page Page 6 [...]. Our Author's great mi­stake concern­ing Mr. Boyd. he mentions one Mr. B [...]yd a West-Country Parson, whom he affirms to have got his M [...]id with Child, and, to have been taken in the Act by some of his Parishioners, and thereupon to have deserted his Wife, and run with the Wh [...]re [...]o England. In this our Author is so f [...]r mistaken, that I am credibly informed, there never was an Episcopal Minister of that Name in the West of Scotland since▪ the Year 1662, except one Mr. Robert Boyd Minister at Carmu­noch, who although upon some other accounts he was once Libell'd in Bishop Leighton's time and absolved, nothing of the Libel being proved, yet never any thing like Adultery was laid to his charge, and at present he lives in [...] with his Wife under a virtuous and commendable Character.

In the same Page our Libeller assaults the Reputation of Mr. Hugh A full Rel [...] ­tion of the Proc [...]ss con­c [...]rning Mr. Hugh Blair, and of th [...] indirect ways and means used by the Prosby­terian Party to stain his Reputation▪ Blair Minister at Rutherglen, concerning whom he has these Words; That he w [...]s a c [...]mmon Drunkard and Swearer, and at last got his Maid with child, [...]or which he was suspended about a month by the Bishop; but having bribed one Macfarland to marry the Whore, and say the Child was his, he was restored again to his Office, though the thing was proved before the Bishop by many Witnesses who had seen them lying together; and it was also proved, that the Woman owned it in her Labour, and that her Hus­band had confessed it. I have chose the rather to set down our Author's Words at large, because they contain a complication of as many Lies as Words. That Mr. Blair is either a Drunkard or Swearer, was not so much as alledged against him in all his Process, which not­withstanding was ca [...]ried on with the height of Malice and Envy. That he got his Maid with child, is a most notorious Lie, as I shall [Page 64] convince you by and by, as it is likewise false that the Bishop ever suspended him on that or any other account. That Mr. Blair bri­ [...]ed one Macfarl [...]nd to marry the Whore, contains no less than two ma [...]ifest Falshoods; for First, There was never one M [...]cfarland men­tioned in the whole Process; and Secondly, The Whore lives still unmarried to this day. That the thing was proved before the Bishop by many Witnesses that were examined about it, is likewise a noto­ [...]ious [...]ntruth, [...]or of above an hundred Witnesses that were exa­mined about it, not one of them deposed that they saw him as much as speak to her after he put her out of his Service, far less to ha [...]e the least scand [...]lous carriage towa [...]ds her. That [...]he W [...]man [...]ned it [...]n her childbed, and that her H [...]sband conf [...]ssed it, are of the same strain with the rest of these Calumnies, and have no greater shadow of Truth; for when the Hussie was in Childbed, she decla­red one Don [...]ld Ferg [...]n to be the Father of the Child, who owned [...]t as his, and maintained it as long as the Child lived. As to the Husband's confessing that he was bribed to own the Child, I have already told you, that the Woman was never known to have a Hus­band, and that she lives unmarried at this day.

But that you may be the better able to understand the whole of this A [...]fair concerning Mr. Blair, take the History of it as [...]ollows▪ Mr. Hugh Bl [...]ir being indebted for some money to one James Mac­farland of Ki [...]k-town, his own Cousin-German, and Mr. [...] having occasion to wri [...]e to him frequently about it▪ s [...]t a Se [...]vant of his called Donald F [...]rguson with the Letters; and thi [...] [...] stay­ [...]ng some times all night at Mr. Blair's House, had occasion to [...]ebauch M [...]rgaret Drew one of his Maid-servants, and got her with Child, [...]hich so soon as Mr. Blair was informed of, he put the Hussi [...] out of his [...]ervice. Then Commissary Fleeming his Lady living in Mr. Blai [...]'s Parish, and having had a former Grudge against him, laid hold on this occasion, and dealt with the Whore to father the Child on Mr. Blair. And for that end, she and the Fanatick Party in Glasgow gave her a sum of money to own it; (which can yet be proved by the Hussie's own confession, and by other Witnesses that were privy to it;) [...]pon which she goes to a Minister in the Presbytery of Glas­gow, and affirmed Mr. Blair to be the Father of her Child. The rumour of this coming to the Archbishop of Glasgow his ears, he forthwith appointed a Visitation of the Church of Rut [...]eglen, where Mr. Blair was Minister, to be in April 1663, and caused the Wo­man [...] Dr [...]w to be summoned thereto. She appearing before [...]he Pre [...]bytery▪ declared, That Donald Ferguso [...] was the Father o [...] [Page 65] her Child. Where [...]pon Mr. George Milne Minister at Campsie, in whose Pari [...]h this Ferguson lived, was ordered to summon him to the next Presbytery Meeting; who compearing freely, owned him­self to be the Father of the Child, and did satisfie the Discipline of th [...] Church at Gavan for the said Scandal, where both of them con­fessed the Child was begotten. When the Child was presented to Baptism, this Ferguson did the duty of the Father, and did likewis [...] maintain it as long as the Child lived▪

Commissary Fleeming's [...]ady being disappointed of this her design against Mr. Blair, set a [...]other on foot of Libelling him; and p [...]o­cured from the Archbishop a second Visitation to be kept at his Church of Ruthe [...]glen by the Presbytery; where all hi [...] Pa [...]hioners that had any thing to say agai [...]st his Life and Conversation, were in­vited to come freel [...] and declare it: Yet even then his whole [...] cleared him of all Imputations both of Doctrine and Con­versation. [...]ut our Presbyterian Lady's malice rest [...]d not so, for she procured a third [...], against which time she had provided one Willia [...] Robison, a Smith to his Trade, and a prosligate vicious Fellow in his Morals, to give in a Libel against Mr. Bl [...]ir, and ac­cuse him of several Immoralities. This Fellow had been a Serjeant at the Insurrection of [...]-bridge; before which time Mr. [...] and his Kirk-S [...]ssion had frequently censured him for [...], Swearing, Breach of the Sabbath, [...], and Whoredom; so that the Archbishop and Presbytery could not admit him as an Accus [...]. And this necessitated the Lady to set up one John Widderspon [...] a Taylor to subscribe the Libel against hi [...], who was a Bastard-relation of her own, at that time her servant, a young man not one and twenty Years of Age, having no Family, and not worth a Groat; yet not­withstanding all these just Exceptions against him, to give the Lady satisfaction, he was sustained. But after more than two years Pro­cess before Synods, Sub-Synods, Presbyteries, and t [...]e Examination of above an hundred Witnesses, there was not one Titl [...] of the Libel proved agains [...] him; even although no Witnesses were rejected, but all admitted, even Informers themselves, and one John Stev [...]n, whom Mr. Blair proved to be a Mad-man, was [...]dmitted Cum Not [...], as the whole Synod and Presbytery of Glasgow and their Registers can t [...]stifie. But all this failing them, the Lady again set on the Whore, and gave her more money to retract her former judicial Confession, and to [...]her the Child on Mr. Blair De novo. Many Witnesses were pro­cured▪ by her, to prove that Mr. Blair bribed the Hussie with money. But all Proof failing, and she having thereby m [...]de her self In [...]amous, [Page 66] the Archbishop, together with the whole Diocese, after three years Process, finding nothing of the Libel proved, nor any ground to trouble him further, did absolve him from the whole Libel and P [...]o­cess; all which the Registers to this day do bear, and all the M [...]ni­sters of the Diocese yet living can attest. In this Process Co [...] ­sary Fleeming and his Lady, their Oaths being taken, did confess that they had set out both William Robison and John Widderspone to accuse Mr. Blair, and given them money for that end; and this is contained in their Original Depositions upon Oath, subscribed with their own Hands. The Commissary's own Original Deposition sign'd by himself, owns that he was instrumental in perswading William Robison to accuse Mr. Blair to the Presbytery, but denies that he knew any thing of Widderspone's doing it till a [...]ter he had be­gun it.

I have thought [...]it to trouble the Reader with an exact Copy of Commissary Fl [...]eming's Deposition upon Oath [...] this matter, because it contains a further confirmation of what I have already said in Vindication of Mr. Blair's I [...]ocence, and is a full discovery of the malicious and indirect means that were used by the Presbyterian Party to stain his Reputation. Here follows the Depo­sition.

The Commissary in the end of his Deposition says, That having interrogated Thomas Wilkie what he could say against Mr. Blair, perswaded him to be a Witness against him, implying as if this Wilkie could have discovered some material thing concerning Mr. Blair▪ whereas Thomas Wilkie's Deposition upon Oath is rather a Vindication than an Accusation of Mr. Blair's Innocence. He not only denies that he ever knew Mr. Blair guilty of any undecent thing with this Huss [...]e; but swears positively that he heard Mr. Blair affirm, That if this Woman were with Child, he should take all ima­ginable care that she might appear and satisfie the Discipline of the Church for the Scandal. His Examination upon Oath signed by himself take as follows.

I think I need say nothing further in Mr. Blairs Vindication; whoever cosiders what is already said on that point, will be fully convinced of his Innocence as to all these Calumnies brought against him by this Libeller, he is not the first whose Fate it hath been to be maliciously and innocently slandered. I have not the happiness of being of Mr. Blairs acquaintance, but the Character under which I have heard him always represented by his Brethren and Neigh­bours, s [...]ews him to be a Man of a Virtuous Life, and of such Learning and Parts, as no Cause needs be ashamed to own him for one of their Confessors.

The next instance of which I shall take Notice, is Mr. John The [...]tory of Mr. Chis­ [...]olm truly related, and [...]e cleared from this Ca­lum [...]y. Chisholm Parson of Lisly in Teviotdale, whom this Libeller Accuses in these Words; That he having got his Maid with Child [...], bribed a Mason to Marry her, and own it, but the Woman afterward going to a Field Meeting in the Neighbourhood out of Curiosity, was so stung in C [...]nscience, on hearing the Famous Mr. John Welch Preach against such Immoralities, that she cried out to the disturbance of the Worship, that she was undone Eternally, and voluntarily confessed her Crime; for which she was pursued by the Episcopal Clergy, and imprisoned a long time, th [...]' she still owned the Guilt; and the same was also Attested by her Brother, who had been privy to his Villany. This instance does furnish us with such a Notable Discovery of this Author's sincerity, and the Spirit of his party, that I very much wonder he had not the sense to pass it over, it re [...]ecting such Scandal and Disgrace upon the whole Fa­ction; and really it is hard to determine, whether the Impudence, Malice, or Folly of this Author be most discernible in it. For this whole Affair having Ministred matter of so much Talk to the whole adjacent Neighbourhood where it happened, upon the singular dis­covery of this calumnious Cheat of the Presbyterians, it could not possibly escape the knowledge, either of this Author, or his Infor­mer; and yet so blind is the Spirit of Rage and Malice, that ou [...] Author would needs publish this instance, as one of the Scandals of the Episcopal Clergy, when he very well knows, that all the Scan­dal of it returned with a Witness upon their own Heads. But it [...]ems the contriving this sham had cost them so great pains, that they were unwilling to lose the Fruit of so much Labour, even tho' the Mystery was now unfolded; hoping by such aspersions at least to impose upon Strangers, as before they had done for some time on the Neighbourhood, till that overruling Providence, which most [...]requently exerts it self in the Vindication of oppressed Inno­cence, brought to light that hidden Work of Darkness. The Story in [...] [...]s thus.

[Page 69]Mr. Chisholm had a Servant Maid in his House who happened to be with Child; she being conveened before the Kirk-Session decla­red who was the Father of her Child, the person on whom she Father'd the Child owned it to be his, and both she and the said Father did Pennance for this Scandal, according to the usual Cu­stom as was enjoy [...]ed, and thereupon Received the Churches Ab­solution. Mr. Chisholm upon his Maids falling into this Scand [...]l re­moved her from his Service, and afterwards the Lady Cherrietr [...]es (a Zealous Presbyte [...]ian, and who would not let slip any occasion, of bringing Reproach on the Clergy, and rendring that Sacred Pro­fession odious to the World) being, as appears [...]rom the sequel of the History, put upon it by the pa [...]ty, hires this Woman to be her Servant; and by some Arts or other prevails with her to say, that Mr. Chisholm her late Master was the Father of her Child. And to make the thing more clamorous, they perswade her to go to a Conventicle where Mr. John Welch P [...]eached, and there by all the hypocritical sorrow she could counterseit, to pretend her self to be under an intollerable Remorse of Conscience for concealing the Sin of her Master. The Noise of this no soonēr went abroad, than the Neighbouring Clergy took notice of it, and appointed the Wo­man to be Summoned to the Meeting of their Presbytery, whom, when she appeared, they interrogated, whether she owned what was commonly Reported she had said concerning Mr. Chisholm's being the Father of her Child? She answered she had said so, and that she now adhered to it, and that it was a Truth, that Mr. Chisholm had committed Fornication with her. This her bold Ac­cu [...]ation did not a little amaze all those who had any familiar ac­quaintance with Mr. Chisholm, whom they had always Esteemed a Man of an inoffensive Life, having been of an unblameable and ex­emplary Conversation. His Brethren however in the mean time, because of the Scandal, did suspend him from the exercise of his Ministry▪ and used their utmost endeavours with him, to bring him to a Confession of his Guilt, and to perswade h [...]m to dimit his Of­fice, his Ministry being, upon the Account of the Scandal he had fallen under, rendered altogether useless. But after the Process had been long depending, and he still continuing under the Suspension of the Exercise of his Ministry, did notwithstanding unalterably persist in his Pleading not Guilty, and did by such serious Protestations Remonstrate his Innocence to his Brethren, that they firmly believ­ed him to be very much injured in this Affair. He told them, i [...] was not to save his pre [...]erment that he stood so much to the Vindi­cation [Page 70] of his Innocence, but that his personal Reputation being high­ly wronged in this matter, and especially, there being so much Scandal and Reproach cast upon the Sacred Office of the Ministry upon his Account, he thought himself bound in Conscience to en­deavou [...] all he could, to have this Affair throughly Canvassed, that [...]e might clear not only his own Reputation, but likewise the Mi­nisterial Function of this great Scandal so maliciously thrown upon them.

After this, some of Mr. [...]'s Friends being throughly per­swaded of his Innocence, thought sit to make Application to the Civil Power to take the matter under their cognizance; and spoke to the Sheriff of the place, that he might take some effectual course for having the Mystery of this whole Affair unfolded. The Sheriff sends for the Woman, and tells her, he had very good ground to suspect that what [...]he Reported of Mr. Chisholms, being the Father of her [...]hild was a [...]eer Calumny and Forgery, she having at first decla­red another Man to be the Father of the Child, and this Man ha­ving owned the Child to be his, and they both having done Pen­nance for the Scandal accordingly. She still persisting to say Mr. Chisholm was the Father of her Child, the Sheriff told her, there was no other way to clear this matter, but by her Oath, and there­fore required her to hold up her Hand, (the way of Administring an Oath in Scotland) and solemnly to declare, whether Mr. Chish [...]lm was the Father of that Child or not? The Hussie holds up her Hand, but finding that the Sheriff seemed to be in earnest to tender her the Oath, she presently pulls back her Hand, and resuses to De­pose. The Sheriff, having from this her behoviour good ground to believe there was some Cheat in the business; proceeds to threaten her with the Torture, if she did not instantly disclose to him the whole Mystery of t [...]is Affair. Upon this the Hussie presently con­se [...]es, that Mr. Chisholm was not the Father of the Child, but that the Lady [...] (a Zealous Bigot for Presbytery) having ta­ken her into her Service, prevailed with her to Father it upon Mr. Chish [...]lm, and that the thing might b [...] the more publick, to do Pen­nance for it in a [...]ield Conventi [...]le. The Sheriff sends forthwith [...]or the Lady [...] and [...] [...]er, and after having throughly Examined the matter, an [...] [...] her Guilty, he Fines her in the sum of above an hundred and [...] pounds Sterling▪

In this we have an excellent proof of our Authors Fair and Candid D [...]ling, of which he so faithfully [...] his Reader in the close of his Preface; and it likewise affords us a singular instance of the dis­ingenuou [...] [Page 71] Arts and Villanous practices of that Party, who never This Affair of Mr. Chis­holm's, a singula [...] in­stance of the Villanous Arts and Practices of the Presbyte­rians to bring cont [...]mpt on the Episcopal Clergy. stick at any thing, nay, not the most Hellish and indirect means they can conceive, to stain the Reputation of their Adversaries, and to bring them into Contempt. As for the Truth of the story as I have here related it; I had it from a very Grave and Worthy per­son, who then lived near to the place where it happened, and was Eye-Witness to a great part of the Tryal, and so had all the advan­tages of knowing the Truth of this Affair. But this whole Story is so notorious and so very well known in that place of the Country, that I'm confident, our Adversaries can never have the Face to de­ny it. B [...]sides, there was a very remarkable accident; some may perchance call it a Judgment from God, that happened in a short time after the discovery of this noto [...]ious Cheat, which made the whole story the more taken Notice of. It was concerning the La­dy Cherrietrees, who had been the Author and occasion of all this trouble to Mr. Chisholm, and had pe [...]swaded his Maid to Father her Child upon him. For one of her own Confessors, a Presbyterian Minister, (his Name is but too well known) coming upon some occasion to lodge at her House, during the short time he stayed there, he committed Uncleanness with one of her nearest Rela­tions and got her with Child; and both he and the young Gentle­woman did Pennance for this their Sin of Fornication in a Field Conventicle, held upon the same Hill, where the Lady Cherrietrees had obliged Mr. Chisholms Serv [...]nt Maid to publish him as Father of her Child in their Presbyterian Congregation, and that it might b [...]ing the greater Scandal upon the Episcopal Clergy, to do pub­lick Pennancè for it there. You m [...]y be sure such a remarkable [...], as this would not [...] without a critical Censure from all the Country [...]ound a [...]out.

Pag. 79. Our Libeller mi [...]s a little of his Aim, for instead of Mr. Waugh a [...] Minist [...]r, Vindicated from the As­persions of this Li [...]ller. an [...]piscopal Clergyman, [...]e fails soul upon one of his own party, a [...] Minister; however I think I'm in justice bound to s [...]t down what Information I have of that Assair; and to Vindicate the injured Memory, even of a Pre [...]byterian Minister, from the Calumnies and Aspersions of those of his own Faction. His Name is Mr. Waugh Curate of Borrost [...], whom thi [...] Author a [...]irms to have Rav [...]shed his Wifes Ne [...]e. [...]m told indeed, that he was slandered with Adulte [...]y, and that a Woman Father'd a Child up­on him, but she was neither a Married Woman, nor his Wives Neece; however, of this Accusation he purged himself by Oath, before the Presbytery of [...], as is to be seen in the Registers of that place.

[Page 72]In the next P [...]ragraph he mentions one Mr. Gregory Curate o [...] Another mi­stake of our Authors con­c [...]rning Mr. Gregories b [...]ing [...] at Tor­bolton. Torboltoun, who, he says, was taken in the Act of Uncleanness on a Dunghil. Whereas I'm inform'd, there was none of the Name of Gr [...]gory, Minister at that place. Mr. James Gill [...]spie was Minister at Torb [...]ltoun, and Mr. Alexander Gregory Parson of Air. But they are both Men of an untainted Reputation, and were never so much as slandered with such a Crime, and far less convicted of it.

The next whom he Attacks, is Mr. Pearson, Curate of Pasley, who The notorious [...] of the R [...]lation a­ [...]out Mr. Pearson. he says, was seen in his own Garden committing Indecencies with his Wife. Whereas Mr. Pearson was three years Minister at Pasley, during all which time his Wife was never in Pasley, nor nearer to it than Burn [...]island in Fyfe, which is about fifty miles distance; and this all the Presbytery and Parish of Pasley can attest.

The next I shall take Notice of, is Mr. Lawson Minister at Yron­gray▪ whom this Libeller Accuses for procuring Souldi [...]rs to be Quar­ [...]ered A [...]indica­tion of Mr. Lawson Mi­ [...]ster of Yrongray. on his Parishioners, till they were quite eaten-up, and f [...]r informing against his Par [...]shioners, and causing sev [...]ral of them to be Hanged. The Falshood of this Accusation is so manifest, that Mr. Lawson chal­lenges his Accusers to Name any one of his Parish▪ that were hang­ed, during the twenty years of his Ministry at Yrongray, except one Gordon, who suffered for his Notorious Rebellion. And he was so far from procuring Souldiers to be Quartered on his Parishioners, that by his Intercessions with the Government in their behalf; he actually saved many of them from Fines, Imprisonments, and other Legal punishments to which they were obnoxious, for their frequent Rebellions against the State. For the Truth of this he Appeals to the Testimony of James Jewine of Crockmare, Tho. Smith of Drum­claye, James Grier in Dalwhaine, and others in the Parish of Yron­gray, whom he protected from being Fined, and of John Welch of Cornlee, for whom, when he was Condemned to die for his Rebel­lion, Mr. Lawson, by his Interest with the then Archbishop of Glas­gow, obtained first a Reprieve, and afterwards a Pardon.

In the [...]ext place he Accuses the said Mr. Lawson of b [...]ing Drunk at Dumfreis, and in [...]is return [...]omewards quarrelling with some Drunken Coun­try people▪ who beat him and made him Bleed, and that upon this Ac­count, he caused five young Men to be Hanged, as being the Persons that did assassina [...]e him. Now, the Villany as well as Falshood of this Ca­lumny, will clearly appear from the short Narrative I shall give you of this Transaction. Some of Mr. Lawsons Parishioners being cited to appear before the Commissioner of that County to take the Test, ( [...]o which they had a great Aversion) the said Mr. Lawson, at their [Page 73] intreaty, went to the Church of Traquair, the place where they were appointed to meet, to request the said Commissioner to Grant them a delay. Here he stayed, from Ten a Clock in the Morning till about five at Night, and prevailed with him to shew all possible kindness to his Parishoners, and to set the Imprisoned at Liberty. After which Mr. Guthry Minister at Keir, and Mr. Lawson went to Yrongray together, not fearing any hurt. They met with none to quarrel with by the way, (as this Scribler impudently avers) but came peaceably to Mr. Lawson's Stable Door. Mr. Guthry did sit on Horseback till Mr. Lawson should send forth his Servant to take in their Horses; but he being about to enter his own Gate, was [...]n­countred by two Men, one of which Wounded him in the Head twice, calling him Papist Dog. Mr. Lawson intreated them to Rea­son the matter with him, rather than to shed innoce [...]t Blood; to which they at last yielded, and entering his House with him, seem­ed to be grieved for what they had done, and after a short stay, they went away peaceably. Six of Mr. Lawson's Neighbours hear­ing of the Cruelty done him, came instantly to see him; and about half an hour after, these blood thirsty Villains returned, (after some converse had with Rob. Currer in Dalwharne and Agnes Ferguson) and entering Mr, Lawson's House, dragg'd him sorth without his Gate, and shut the Doors after them, keeping his Wife and Children, with his Servants and Six Neiḡhbours within. They Guarded the Doors with charged Carabines, threatning Death to any that should offer to come forth; while in the mean time, they were Murthering him without Doors. Peter Stranger, (alias Hutcheson) the principal Actor in this Tragedy, hearing Mr. Lawson call upon God to be merciful to his Soul, Rebuked him, saying, O Blasphem [...]us Dog! What have you, or any of your Godless Party to d [...] with God? In fine, having bro­ken one Sword upon his Skull, he borrowed another from his Neighbour; with which two Swords, he gave him twenty eight stroaks; and supposing him to be Dead, lest him weltering in his Blood with seventeen Wounds, the Marks whereof are to be seen in his Body at this day. The Names of those who were Witnesses to this Tragical Action, are Tho. Ferguson of Hallbil, John Rabson of Newark, John Grier in Brae, Robert Findlay in Undy-hill, Jam [...]s Ed­gar in Gateside, James Grier in Burns. And notwithstanding these Witnesses did see Mr. Lawson dragg'd out of his [...]ouse, and a [...]ter­wards wallowing in his Blood; yet this Author does most impu­dently aver, that no Man came near to Mr. Lawson's [...]ouse, and that neither his Wise nor Servants saw any Man come thither that [Page 74] Night▪ This is a proo [...] of our Author's Ingenuity, of which he so o [...]ten boasts throughout his Pamphlet, pretending to abhor the Me­thod of inventing Lies, and to have inserted nothing but what he received from cred [...]ble hands!

It is likewise a most Notorious Falshood, That five young Men wer [...] brought to Mr. Lawson, and that he Swore these were the Men that Wounded him, and did thereupon demand Justice. The ground of [...]his story is thus. After the Murther of the Archbishop of St. [...], and feveral Violences done to the rest of the Clergy and other [...]oyal Subjects; the King with Advice of his Privy Co [...]ncil, com­ [...]anded his Forces to apprehend the Rebels whereever they could [...] them, or to kill them if they made any Resistance. Next day [...]ter the Wounding of Mr. Lawson, there was a narrow search made [...]hroughout the Country for such Rogues, and the Souldiers falling [...]on a Party of them that made Resistance, four of them were [...]illed upon the spot, and two apprehended and Hanged near the Ch [...]rch of Yrongray. But those were none of them that were a [...] Mr. Lawson's Wounding, and therefore it is the height of inju­ [...]ice, as well as impudence, to impute any thing of this to Mr. Law [...]on, he having no hand in it, and they suffering justly for di­st [...]rbing the Peace of the Kingdom. Mr. Lawson was so far from [...]hirsting a [...]ter the Blood of his Persecutors; that when Peter Stran­ [...]er the principal Actor of this Tragedy was apprehended in Dum­ [...]reis, and Mr. Lawson being called for by my Lord Dunmore, to [...]eclare whether that was the Man that Wounded him or not; he [...]urning to the said Peter Stranger; said, if you be the Person that W [...]unded me, the Lord sorgive you, and I forgive you. Whereupon, although he was Imprisoned for his Rebellion, yet he was never pursu [...]d by Mr. Lawson; and is yet alive, and in some place of pub­li [...]k Trust in that Kingdom.

Again Mr. Lawson is accused of Covetousness, and of having exa­ [...]ted 500 l. of his Parishioners; which is an equal Falshood to the [...]. [...]or upon account of the Cruelties done by the Presbyterian Party, to the Clergy in the West Country; there was an Act made in K. Charles the II. his Reign; that if any Clergyman was injure [...] in his Body or Goods, the Parishioners should be obliged to [...]ay 5 [...]0 Marks Scots. This was Enacted fo [...] preventing the Cru­elti [...]s and Outrages of the Presbyterian party. The King's Advo­cate h [...]aring of the Barbarous Usage of Mr. Lawson; caused the Freeholders of the said Parish, to be cited before the Privy [...], for [...] of the said Fine▪ Mr. Lawson was so concerned [Page 75] hereat, that not being able to Write himself, because of his Wounds▪ he caused a Letter to be Writ to his Grace the then Archbishop of Glasgow, requesting for the mitigation of the ordinary Fine in such Cases. And this his desire was Granted, and the Parish only Fined in a 100 l. the fifth part only of the Sum alledged by the Libeller. For the Truth of this Mr. Lawson Appeals to all the Freeholders▪ i [...] Yrongray, being near thirty in Nu [...]ber. Now I would ask our Author, if in all this carriage of Mr. Lawson's, there be any thing that savours the least of Blood Thirstiness or Cruelty, wherewith he so maliciously charges him? But I don't much Wonder to see Mr. Lawson thus Calumniated by them; for they had committed such Acts of Cruelty upon his person, as they could not but be ashamed of; so that the better to slur over their Cruelties against him, they found it necessary to represent him to the World, as the greatest Monster of Cruelty and Immorality, and therefore, they not only accuse him of Thirsting after the Blood of some of his Parishio­ners; but likewise of being Drunk and Kissing his Wives Maid. Mr. Lawson now Aged about 55 years was [...]ever charged; Nay, not in his younger days, with any thing of that Nature. But sor his [...]urther Vindication from all th [...]se and other such Aspersions, as this Libeller has maliciously slandered him with; I shall subjoyn two Testimonies in his Favours sent me, with this Information. The first is of Archbishop Cairncross, who was for the space of 17 years his Fellow Presbyter, and afterwards his Diocesan. It is as fol­loweth▪

The other Testimony is that of his Neighbouring Clergymen, the Reverend Brethren of that Presbytery, whereof he was a Member.

Since this malicious Libeller hath, in this his Scurrilous Pamphlet, Published so many Base Calumnies, and Diabolical Lies, against that most Reverend and Worthy Prelate, Dr. Patterson Archbishop of Glasgow, I have taken occasion here to insert his Grace's Letter, (containing a Full and Pathetick Vindication of himself,) which was sent to me by a Reverend and Worthy Friend of mine, enclosed in this following Line.

As for what this Author Libels against Bishop Cairncross late Arch­bishop Vindication of Arch­bishop Cairn­cross. of Glasgow, I need say nothing further in answer to it, but insert the Vindication which he himself wrote of his Innocence, and caused to be printed at Edinburgh, for it contains such a full and sa­tisfactory Answer to all the Particulars Libelled against him in this Pamphlet, as plainly discovers the malice and wickedness of the Author. It is as follows.

What we have already observed concerning our Author's malice The Conclu­sion. and disingenuity in these Inst [...]nces we have taken notice of, may s [...]rve, I think, as a sufficient Caution to all ingenuous and imp [...]ial Readers, not to lay too great stress upon the Calumnies and Asper­sions of this Author, nor to entertain any the harder Thoughts of our Clergy for being bespattered by the Pen of this virulent Scribler. For the candid Treatm [...]nt which these Persons I have mentioned have met with in this P [...]mphlet, may in a great me [...]sure enable us to judge what Credit and Authority the re [...]t of this Au­thor's Aspersions on our Clergy ought to have, since he deals so basely and difing [...]nuously in all these Instances. He invents Stories which he cannot sind the least shadow of Truth to justisi [...], for the Truth of some of his matters of [...] he appeals to Records, where there is not the le [...]st mention of th [...]m to be found; n [...]y, he sticks at no­thing so he but can serv [...] hi [...] main End and Design, which is to b [...]acken the Fame and Reputation of our Clergy, and to render their Sacred Function odious to all Mankind. I pray GOD to give this Author a d [...]ep se [...]se of the Villany of this his Design, that h [...] may Repent in time, and s [...]ve his Soul before it is too late. It is a Scandal and a Reproach to our Religion, that such Hellish and Diabolical Practices, as this Author uses, should be so much as heard of in any of those places where the Name of Christ is invocated; such kind of Practices are so Inhumane, and so contrary to the Spi­rit of Christianity, that they must needs make the Authors and Abe [...]tors of them stink in the Nostrils of all Good and Religious Men.

[Page 88]All that I have [...]urther to add now, is only to beg my Reader's Pardon, for detaining him so long in searching into the Rubbish of a parcel of Prophane and Lewd Stories. I must needs own it is no very pleasing Task to me, to be raking into such a Dunghil; but finding the Reputation of some of our Clergy very much injured among Strangers, by reason of the Calumnies and Aspersions of this obscure Writer; I thought my self ob [...]iged, from the Duty I owe to my Country, and from th [...] Respect we all ought to have for the Sa­cred Charact [...]r of Christ's Ambassadors and Ministers, to contribute my small Endeavours for asserting and vindicating the Oppressed Innocence of our [...]lergy, and for detecting the Malice and Falshood of this Libeller's Asper [...]ions. In which I hope I have been so success­ful with this small [...]say, that after perusal thereof, every Disinteres­sed Pe [...]son will readily acknowledge, That the Author of this Viru­lent Libel against our [...]lergy has been totally acted by the Spirit of Malice and Envy, and has dealt so basely and disingenuously in all his Relations which I have had occasion to search into, that his bare Accusation can be of no Authority against the most obnoxious Member of any Nation or Society.