the deed of the Kirk is beyond the common size of Slanderous Malice these might be the Weapons of a Rabble but not of any Judicatory of the Church But what of this kind he imputeth even to the Multitude is after to be examined We are not afraid to have that English Persecution and that which he calleth a Scots Persecution impartially compared But when he saith It hath come near to if not outdone the French Dragooning is such an effort of the Rhetorick of Men of his Stamp as is seldom parallelled by Men who know or care what they say We do no less than he apprehend the evil of the Riots committed by a heady Rabble and detest conniving at or countenancing such Practices but we deny that ever that was done among us and what he can say to prove what he insinuateth is in its due place to be considered What he addeth of the resolute Christians of his Party who dare suffer for the Truths that they have taught maketh nothing against our Cause nor for his Causa facit Martyrem If they suffer for well doing they will have Peace in it but when they have suffered as hard things and as long as they made others to suffer then they may boast of their Sufferings § 6. Having now dispatched his Preface I come to the first of the four Letters of which this Book is made up It is or pretendeth to be written by an English Chaplain to a Regiment that of Sir John Laneer as is supposed In which I meet with nothing but false History and an unfair Representation of things Which might happen through prejudice and mistakes if the Author were indeed a stranger but cannot be excused from downright lyes if he be one among our selves and acquainted with our Affairs But whoever he be that is evident that the scope of his Letter is not barely to baffle Presbyterian Government of the Church but to overturn the present Establishment of the State to nullifie the Convention of Estates the Parliament and all that they have done to advance the Reputation of the Viscount of Dundee and his Faction so that the Gentleman doth indeed suppose that the Interest of King William and that of Presbytery in Scotland are embarked in the same Bottom which many thinking Men take to be no unjust Idea of our Affairs In his first Paragraph he hath a heap of Assertions some palpably false others as really false being general Assertions built on may be a particular Instance or two yet none named Of which after And except that it is said Episcopacy is abolished there is not a true word from the beginning to the end of it In that which followeth he layeth the blame of all the Disasters as he calleth them on the Cameronian Party and Characterizeth them at his pleasure Here I take notice of a few gross Mistakes to call them no worse That the prevailing strength of the Cameronian Party was the occasion of all that here he complaineth of even the Abolishing of Episcopacy All the Presbyterians in Scotland did contribute their Endeavours to this as also did many who formerly had gone along with the Courses that the Episcopalians promoted Now to call all the Presbyterians or most of them Cameronians is as remote from Truth as any thing can be 2. He saith the Cameronians are Fifth-Monarchy-men which is most false I deny not that they have had Principles about Government that Sober Presbyterians could not go along with them in but that they were of the same Principles with these called Fifth-Monarchy-men we deny And he should have brought some Proof for his Assertion 3. It is also false That these Men care neither for King William nor King James but as these Kings happen to please them They have given such proof of their Loyalty to King William as their Enemies do envy but are not able to obscure Their Action at Dunkell known over all Britain and their chearful going at his Command to venture their Lives for him in Foreign Nations are sufficient Refutation of this impudent Assertion 4. He accuseth some designing Heads in the Council and Parliament for raising Tumults among the Cameronians and then by these Disorders representing abroad the Inclinations of the People This is the heighth of Dis-ingenuity for these Disorders as he calleth them were before either the Convention or the Parliament sat The Convention began March 1689. and before that time the Ministers in the West were put out by the People I suppose this he meaneth by Disorders Again That any in the Council or Parliament had a hand in these Tumults or abetted them is spoken with much Malice but no Truth The Men of most Note and Zeal for Presbytery did what in them lay to allay that Forwardness of the People that the Church might be reformed in a more legal Way § 7. That there was no Redress after Complaints of injured Persons is also false for all the Ministers put out by Violence without a Legal Procedure after the 13th of April 1689. were by the Parliament restored to their Places such as were put out before that time the Wisdom of the Nation thought it not fit to Repone because what was done in that was done in an Inter-regnum when we had no Government And it was procured by themselves who suffered the People having been provoked by them beyond what can be easily expressed of which afterward and there was no other way to settle the Nation in Peace but to Indemnifie them who had avenged their own unparallelled Sufferings on the Authors of them while these that so suffered were also put to suffer no greater Punishment for the Barbarities committed by their means on that poor People What he addeth That the Government became a Party against them that they suffered by a Form of Law is such Language as under any Government but the present might hazard his Neck But we have here a Specimen of these Gentlemen's Loyalty and their Modesty and Respect to Authority It is evident that they cannot oppose Presbytery without setting themselves against the Civil Government now Setled by Law Another Falshood immediately followeth That the Church-Party as he calleth them is predominant in Scotland both for Number and Quality That it is not so is evident from the Constitution of our Parliament And I have made it appear in my Vindication of the Church of Scotland in Answer to the 10 th Question And every one knoweth that if the Party which hath appeared in Arms against the Civil Government and they who do palpably Favour them be set aside his Church-Party will be found to be very few in this Nation especially among the Gentry and the Inferior People and a great part of the Nobility also are not fond of that way One Proof of what he now alledgeth he bringeth from the Inclinations of the North I confess there is the greatest strength of that Party but there Papists also abound more than elsewere in this
though of a different Religion from them and though they had Jealousies of Designs on foot to ruin their Religion and them While his Royal Authority was not taken away by the Nation they as private Men ought not to question it That nothing was spolen in Meeting-houses against Popery is most false The Preachers there I confess neither then did nor now do make Controversies the constant Subject of their Sermons yet are at pains both in Sermons and Catechising to clear the Truth against all the Errors of Popery But their main Word is to deal with the Souls of the People about those things that do most nearly concern their Eternal Interest to make them know themselves and God in Christ and Salvation through him For they consider that the surest way to preserve from Error is not only to make them know the difference between it and Truth but to get them to be truly concerned about their Souls and seriously Religious To the Falshood of what he affirmeth he addeth Spite in enumerating the Causes to which he is pleased to impute their supposed Silence against Popery Not one of them all hath Truth or Reality in them Their Respect to Papists their Influence from the Court are Reflections which I will not brand with their due Name Their Ignorance of these Controversies is an Allegation so impudent that no Man that is not blinded with Rage and Malice could be guilty of The Can◠that is the Word when such Men as he would ridicule whatever looketh like serious Religion which he saith they use against Prelacy and Malignancy and about King Jesus and the Gospel being banished is asserted not because it is so but because it is a fine Device to defame Nothing is more rare in our Pulpits than medling with the late Controversies which now we would have to be buried and when they fall in they are discoursed Argumentatively and if any at any time do otherwise that is not to be charged on all There is no Party among whom some Indiscretion doth not appear in the Conduct of some Men. § 5. His next effort is a Satyre against the Prince of Orange's Declaration for Scotland and he fixeth the Original of their Persecutions that he complaineth of on it He Characterizeth it as Downe right Presbyterian He taxeth the Presbyterian Nobility and Gentry's going to London to wait on his Highness And confesseth them to be the chief Persons who upon his Majesties retirement so he termeth that which the Parliament called K. James's Abdicating the Government did confer the Government of this Kingdom on the Prince This Paragraph is a sufficient evidence of the Temper of this Author and of those for whom he pleadeth And yet they have now the Brow to make Addresses to King William full of the highest Assertions of their Loyalty both past and present But they who knew their way don't believe any such Professions and they who read this Book will I hope be as far from giving Credit to them He now page 14◠beginneth to tell us of their Sufferings And what horrid Barbarities were used against them And is so kind to his Countrey as to be spareing in this Relation left he should thereby breed a disgust at his native Countrey This is shameful Hypocrisie twisted with Malice For I hope it will be found as we proceed that his big Expressions about their Sufferings will dwindle into Fleabits in comparison of the Bloody Lashes that others suffered not long before from Men of his Tribe Which I mention not here to excuse nor extenuate any irregular Course that some took nor to plead for retribution to his Party We had rather suffer ten Wrongs than do one It will be found that his Party did indeed expose the Nation to the Reproach of Barbarity and Persecuting their Brethren So he doth what in him lieth to bring the same upon the Nation by his horrid Lies aggravating of things and Misrepresentations Before he came to his particular Stories of that which he calleth The Persecution of the Clergy he Prefaceth three things to render these Passages more odious The first is The opportunity that was given for it by King James ' s Forces being at that time called into England to oppose the Prince of Orange who sometime before that had landed in England And the Council at that time dissolved of it self so that saith he in effect the Nation was without Government Whatever improvement he may make of this Remark it may be of some use to us For it is hence evident as it is in it self well known That it was by Force and not the Submission or Affection the Call or Approbation of the People who should have been their Charge that his Party enjoyed their Ministry or any Exercise of it And indeed an Army was for many years kept up in time of Peace to force People to come to hear them Another thing that I here infer is That King James's Interest and that of the Prelatick Clergy were Embarked together as are King William's and that of Presbyterians A third Inference is That it being an Interregnum when there was no Government Tumults and Disorders though never to be approved yet are not so much to be wondered at And indeed considering our Circumstances after to be noted it is a wonder that they had no sadder Effects There are Men in the World who being so provoked as that People was and without restraint from Government would have avenged themselves on their bloody Persecuters at another rate But as we are sorry that there were such tumultuous Actings so we bless the Lord that they had no worse Effects The 2d thing that he premiseth is The Story of a Massacre by an Irish Army said to be landed at Kirkcubright which he Fancieth to be a device of the Presbyterians and industriously spread by them to be a Colour for disarming the rest of the Country How that Story arose we are yet in the Dark I hope his imagination is not sufficient to fix it on the Presbyterians We know in such a time of Hurry Fear and Confusion with which the Minds of all sorts were then filled such reports as to rise without design or grounds If any did devise such a Tale they deserve severe punishment His three Remarks is on the day that the rabbling of Ministers was set on Foot which he saith was concerted to be on Christmas-day on which many Parties in several Corners got together about that Work And this Circumstance he tragically appeareth It being a day which brought joy to all People which was once celebrated by the Court of Heaven which the Christan Church ever since hath solemnized and let us remark a few a few things on this fine Notion on which this Author seemeth to value himself not a little 1. I doubt of the Matter of Fact in this Circumstance it is like we should have heard of it if it had been so 2. That the day was chosen or
understand not till we be illuminated with this Learned Authors singular Speculations how this can baffle any Mans Credulity or be the cause of Profaneness Neither can we easily guess what he means by Baffling Peoples Credulity Nor are we curious to enquire into the abstruse Sense of the Phrase if it have any Sense at all 2. I hope the Immorality was not among them who owned the Divine Right of Presbytery ◠If no more Drunkenness Whoredom Swearing c. had been found among others then among them there had not been Ground for his Complaint as indeed there was A 2 d. Proof he bringeth The Schisme made by Presbyterians caused Immoralities Ans. That Schisms cause Immoralities and are a great let to the success of the Gospel I deny not But the Schisme that hath been among us was made and is fomented to this day by his Party not by us We hold to the good way that this Church was settled in they treacherously set up by the help of the Civil Power an opposite way And not only so but they imposed Complyance with it on the highest Penalties and with the out-most Severity The Consciences of some could not yield to this Barbarous Treatment such therefore must be reckoned Schismaticks with the same reason on which Papists impute Schism to Protestants who cleave to the Ancient Scripture Christianity and cannot receive their Additions to it nor depravations of it Hence that he citeth out of Irenaus belongeth to himself not to us But that he hath the Brow to ascribe the meek Calm Spirit of the Gospel to his own Party and the contrary to ours is beyond comprehension to any who knoweth the Bloody Laws that the Bishops assisted the making of and the inferiour Clergy assisted and instigated the Execution of Which all Scotland knoweth and most of the Nation cryed shame upon The contempt of the Ministry he imputeth to pleading Gods Authority to all their unaccountable Freaks Whereas indeed it came from the Atheisme and Debauches of the Clergy that he his defending If any intituled bad ways to Divine Authority it was not Ministers but some weak Christians who had been horribly oppressed and were driven beyond the Bounds of Reason and Soberness by the usage that they met with His last thing on this head is He challengeth an equal number of Presbyterians and Episcopalians to a dispute for Trial of their Learning Which we shall not decline if he will find a way to make it practicable § 26. He will next page 47 purge the Clergy from Immorality and that 1 st By recrimination There is one Man among us Mr. Williamson who hath played Tricks beyond what can be shewed in any Episcopal Man and yet he is not Challenged but in esteem Ans. Suppose this were true The Faults of one doth not blacken a whole Party of Men so much as those of Scores or Hundreds which yet were born with under Episcopacy 2. What these Tricks were he doth not tell us and therefore what he saith is to be look'd on as Slander Mr. Williamson is deservedly esteemed among us as a Man of a good Conversation and while it is so we Love and Honour him if he or any other can make what he alledgeth to appear he shall see Justice done Another Topick is An Edict is served in the Congregation inviting every one to object what they can with Truth against a Minister before he enter Ans. This is not always done The Edict of Mr. Mackenzy who was placed at Kirkliston was served not there but at S r. Andrews 30 Miles distant Nor were ever the People of Kirkliston put in a Capacity to object Again we know many People will not object against a bad Man but Love such as will Patronize their wickedness His third Topick is They are Deposed if a Crime be proved against them Ans. I deny not but this hath been sometimes done but so rarely as was next to nothing All this then is an Insufficient exculpation of his Clergy Especially it is so notorious that there are many gross Immoralities among them that few of his own Party can deny it Another Topick is The pains that was taken in the Diocess of Glasgow by Bishop Lighton and Doctor Burnet and yet they could find none but one to be Deposed and that not without some Suspicion of Injustice Ans. What Truth is in what is here asserted I know not This Authors word goeth not far with them who have read his Book Or how impartial the Judges and others were who had the Management of that Affair we know not but all who have lived in that Country even they who are no Presbyterians do know that much more guiltiness was to be found Negligence is the third thing that he undertaketh to clear the Clergy from Which he doth by saying There are no Pluralities nor Non-residencies in Scotland and they generally Preach twice every Lords-Day Ans. May not a Minister be counted Negligent who doth not visit Families in the Parish nor the Sick or otherwise distressed or who doth not Catechize the People So we reckon in Scotland whatever they do in England to satisfie whom alone this Book is Calculated He is as slight in clearing the Clergy from Errour viz. Because they could sign the 39 Articles of the Church of England So can many do who every day Preach against the Doctrine contained in these Articles We know that Socinians Arminians and some Papists sign and Swear Assent and Consent for a Livelyhood who yet are unsound in the Faith He confesseth There are many among them who are not inclined to be every day talking to the People of Gods Decrees and absolute Reprobation and Justification by Faith alone in the Presbyterian Sense and think their Hearers may be more edifyed by other Doctrines which he nameth Ans. If he mean no more then what he expresseth his Discourse is Impertinent for who ever blamed any as Erroneous because they insisted not always on such Subjects We do but rarely yet sometimes instruct the People about the Decrees of Election and Reprobation Imitating the Apostle in both But if he mean as he must if he speak to the purpose that the absolute Decrees of Election and Reprobation both praeteritum as an Act of Soveraignty and Praedamnatum as an Act of Justice are not to be held forth or taught to the People we abhor this as unsound Doctrine and look on him as a pitiful Advocate for the Orthodoxy of the Clergy Yea he is unjust to them for I know not a few of them who served under Bishops in Scotland are far from these Arminian Tenets tho' many of them incline that way For Justification by Faith alone what he meaneth by the Presbyterian Sense of it I know not we hold nothing is our Righteousness but the Satisfaction and Merits of Christ and that neither Faith nor Works can stand in that stead to us and that his Righteousness is made ours not by Works but by Faith Tho'