Enemies to the present Government and French Incendiaries or at least such a Crew as would sacriâ—ice all that is dear to us as Men and Christians to their own private Resentments 1. It is very well known and too lately transacted to be forgotten that the States of Scotland in their Claim of Right did demand the Abolition of Prelacy as contrary to the Inclination of the Generality of the People on which Condition amongst others their Majesties accepted that Crown and in pursuance of their Promise have by Act of Parliament abolished Prelacy since and established Presbytery in Scotland as most agreeable to the World of God as well as the Peoples Inclinations Then if their Majesties should be prevailed upon which blessed be God there is no cause to fear to act contrary to their solemn Oaths and the Claim of Right they must needs see that the People of Scotland would have ground enough to plead a Breach of the Original Contract nor could the Church of England for shame condemn them seeing they made use of the same Plea in their Convention and Parliament against King Iames. And in the next place let them but consider that upon the same ground this or any other King may as well break with them and invade the Constitution of their Church which by the Coronation-Oath they have bound him to maintain And whether Charles the Second after he was by them perswaded to break his Oath to the Presbyterians in Scotland made any greater Conscience of maintaining the Civil and Religious Liberties of England Iâ— appeal to themselves And therefore seeing by that excessive Power which they gave their Kings in things sacred meerly to destroy the Presbyterians they found at last that they had put a Rod in their Hands to whip themselves I think they should be cautious how they play that Game over again I do not write this as having any suspicion that their Majesties are so weak as to be prevailed upon to alter the Church-Government in Scotland but meerly to let the World see that they who sollicite them to it are their greatest Enemies and design to shake their Throne and that it is not the Church of England's Interest to countenance our Scots Prelatisâ—â— nor to importune their Majesties on that Head If what is already said be not enough I would earnestly intreat all sober Church-of England-Men to consider what were the Consequences of their meddling in our Affairs and incensing King Charles the First against the Presbyterians in favour of our Runnagate Prelates and their Hirelings And seeing like Causes may have the like Effects they would do well to beware It is not unknown that Scotland is a distinct Nation and ought to be govern'd by their own Laws and Councils and therefore it must needs be an Invasion of the Rights of Scotland for English Ministers of State and Prelates to meddle or give Counsel in Scotish Affairs when not call'd to it And I cannot but think that all reasonable Men will easily grant that the Parliament and General Assembly of the Church of Scotland are better Judges of what is expedient for that Nation than a few English Ministers of State or Prelates and that both of them have reason to reject what Directions or Injunctions come from such a Mint And I would put it to the Consciences of all judicious Church-of England-Men how they would take it if the King were in Scotland that any of the Dissenting Ministers who are really injured as those who preached at St. Hellin and Hiâ—ley Chappels in Lancashire or the whole of them because denied a Comprehension should â—ly thither and by their Interest with Scots Presbyterian Ministers of State and Preachers importune his Majesty to have the Constitution of the Church of England overturned and proâ—ure Orders to have such and such Ministers planted in Churches tho they refuse to satisfy the Law I say in such a case I appeal to their own Consciences how they would take it whether they would reckon themselves obliged to obey or if they would not complain that their Rights were invaded and demand Satisfaction of such Ministers of State c. as Incendiaries and Disâ—â—â—bers of the Harmony between King and Subjects I believe verily they would and that not without good reason tho I am sure the case is much stronger on our side still for the Dissenting Ministers of England are all of them Loyal to his Majesty willing to swear Allegiance and pray for him but so are not our Scots Prelatists And besides his Majesty is really the Head and Fountain of all Power in the Church of England who have not only their Temporal Baronies and Honours from him but are nominated to their Bishopricks by him but so it is not in Scotland where he hath divested himself of the Supremacy and neither bestows Lands nor Honours upon Church-Men Then the case being so the Golden Rule which commands us to do as we would be done by should oblige English-Men not to meddle with our Church no more than they would have us to meddle with theirs and if the Parliament of Scotland do pass over what of that Nature is already done it 's not to be supposed that the Red Rampant Lion is become so much a Calf as not to roar sometime or other and make the fattest and proudest of the Beasts in the Field to tremble as ersâ— of old but I hope and pray that God will avert both the Cause and the Effect The English Bishops did not gain so much by the the last Bellum Episcopale against us that they need to be fond of another and we doubt not to find as much Justice from the Parliament of England now as we found then and have no reason to doubt but King William would be as ready as Charles the First to deliver up his Ministers to the Law if it should be made appear against them that they have been meddling too much in our Affairs I know that our Scots Prelatists possess the Church of England that we think our selves obliged to endeavour the Extirpation of their Hierarchy and upon that account prevail with them to endeavour our Subversion But I would earnestly beg all moderate Men to weigh the following Answers 1. That the reason of entring into that solemn League and Covenant was the Fury which the English Prelates evidenced at that time against the Church of Scotland having excommunicated the same in all the Churches in England forced a Service-Book upon us more exceptionable than their own and in Conjunction with Papists enabled Charles the First to raise 30000 Men against us when the Parliament of England refus'd to concur with him insomuch that that Expedition was called the Bishops War But blessed be God his present Majesty is far from any such Attempt and the English Bishops the chief of them at least are Men of more Moderation So that there is no such cause for us to endeavour the Overthrow of their Hierarchy 2. That the
all such who shall be received into Communion with them in Church-Government be obliged to subscribe the Confession of Faith ratified in the second Session of the Parliament There it 's plain that they arrogate no more Power than what is given them by Law and it 's obvious that by this Act they neither exclude the Prelatists ab officio nor beneficio So that the Church-of England-Men have no reason to complain that their Brethren are severely treated for they have made no such steps towards a Comprehension with the English Dissenters though his Majesty desired it And yet what a racket do they keep because the Scots Episcopal Clergy are only denied a share in the Government of the Church which they designedly seek that they may undermine it and are not ashamed to own it In their Letter to his Majesty Novemb. 13. 1690. at the Close of that Assembly they acquaint him with the Instructions which they had given to those appointed for Viâ—itation concerning the Conformists viz. That none of them shall be removed from their Places but such as are either Insufficient Scandalous Erroneous or supinely negligent and that those of them be admitted to Ministerial Communion who upon due trial shall be found Orthodox Able Godly Peaceable and Loyal and that such who shall be found to have received Wrong in any Inferior Judicatory of the Church should be duly redressed Yet what Clamour what Lies what Obloquy and Reproach have the poor Presbyterians of Scotland been loaded with in blasphemous and virulent Pamphlets publish'd in London by Hindmarsh the late King's Bookseller and promoted and disseminated by that ungovernable Faction And what a clutter did the high-â—lown Courtiers keep about the Scots General-Assembly how industrious to misrepresent them to the King and how restless till they had them dissolved contrary to the Laws and at such a time as we were threatned with a Rebellion at Home and an Invasion from Abroad that so his Majesty having disobliged his only Friends in Scotland might be totally deprived of any Assistance from thence but blessed be God who disappointed their Designs And I hope that moderate and truly Religious Church-of England-Men will henceforth be more cautious in listening to the Calumnies of our Episcopal Clergy when they consider the Moderation of the above-mentioned Acts of the Presbyterian General-Assembly which they have no reason to think of such dangerous Consequence as our Pamphleteers would have them believe and as D M ro in his Papers lately seized by Authority would have further insinuated And that they may have yet a further proof of their Moderation I would pray them to read the seventh Instruction given by the said Assembly to the Commissioners appointed for Visitation viz. That they be very cautious of receiving Informations against the late Conformists and that they proceed in the matter of Censure very deliberately so as none may have just cause to complain of their Rigidity yet so as to omit no means of Information and that they shall not proceed to Censure but upon sufficient Probation And that the World may be farther satisfied in their Impartiality in the fourth Instruction they declared that the Power of the Visiters shall reach Presbyterians as well as others and in the second Instruction they gave them Power to stop the precipitant or unwarrantable Procedure of Presbyteries in Processes If any Proceedings can be more mild or regular let the World judg So that whether Dr. M â— and his Fellow Libellers who impudently assert that there is nothing like Order Moderation or Justice among the Presbyterians be Liars or not let these Acts determine And if there were no other thing to stop the Mouths of all Cavillars the Assembly's Declaration That they would depose no Incumbents simply for their Iudgment concerning Church-Government nor yet urge Reordination upon them were sufficient and if there be any Ingenuity in the Church-of England-Men it may for ever silence them as to their Complaints against our Administration seeing those of their Communion have been and continue still to be so much guilty of a contrary Practice towards Dissenters And further this Assembly whom they branded as void of all Moderation or Humanity made an Act in favour of Mr. Couper Curat of Humby and recommended Mr. Cameron one of the late Conformists to the Privy-Council for Charity which is more than ever was done by any Episcopal Assembly in favour of Presbyterian Ministers Having proved the Falshood of the Episcopal Calumnies against our Church as void of Moderation it remains that I do the same as to the State and tho it be already sufficiently done in my first Answer it will not be amiss to insist on it in this And because contraria juxta se posita magis â—lucescunt I shall exhibit a short Epitome of their Acts of Parliament against us in the two last Reigns and of ours against them in this that the World may see on whose side Justice and Moderation lies Acts of Parliament by Charles the Second and James the Seventh against the Presbyterian Government and Prebyterians in Scotland PArl. 1. Session 1. Car. II. They enacted the Oath of Allegiance asserting the King to be the only Supream Governour over all Persons and in all Causes and obliging the Takers to the utmost of their Power to defend assist and maintain his Majesty's said Jurisdiction against all Persons whatsoever and that they should never decline his Power and Jurisdiction Parl. 1. Sess. 1. Act 2 3 4 5 11. An Acknowledgment of the King 's vast and unlimited-Prerogative was enjoin'd to be subscribed by all in publick Trust over and above the Oath of Allegiance Octob. 1662. The Council not Parliament turn'd out 300 Ministers without Citation or Hearing Parl. 1. Sess. 1. Act 7. Sess. 2. Act 2. They enacted That the National Covenant and Solemn League and Covenant should have no Obligation and ordered them to be burnt by the Hand of the Hangman Sess. 2. Act 3. They restored Patronages Sess. 1. Act 4. Enacted That none be Masters in any University except they take the Oath of Allegiance and own Prelacy and none should be School-master Tutor or Pedagogue to Children without a Prelate's Licence Sess. 2. Act 5. and Sess. 2. Act 3. Enacted That all in publick Trust or Office renounce and abjure the Covenant on pain of losing their Places and Privilege of Trading Sess. 2. Act 2. Enacted That all Petitions Writing Printing Remonstrating Praying or Preaching shewing any dislike of the King 's absolute Prerogative and Supremacy in Causes Ecclesiastick or Episcopacy be punished as seditious And that no Meetings be kept in private Houses Sess. 3. Act 2. Enacted That all Non-conformed Ministers that presume to exercise their Ministry shall be punish'd as seditious Persons And that all Persons in acknowledgment of his Majesty's Government Ecclesiastical attend the Sermons of the Curats Noblemen and Gentlemen refusing to lose a fourth of their Rents Burgesses their Freedom and a fourth part
of their Movables and Yeomen the fourth of their Movables and others 20 â— a time leaving the Council at liberty to inâ—â—ict further Punishments that if there were three above the Family at Preaching or Prayer it should be esteemed a Conventicle and commanding Lords of Mannors Masters of Families and Magistrates of Buroughs to cause all under their Charge to come to Church And for putting these Laws in Execution a High-Commission-Court was erected by the King contrary to Act 13. Parl. 10. Iac. 6. with Power to examine upon Oath de super inquirendis Parl. 2. Act 1. Lauder daâ—e Commissioner Enacted That by virtue of the Supremacy the ordering of the Government of the Church doth properâ—y â—elong to his Majesty and Successors as an inherent Right to the Crown and that he may enact and emit such Constitutions Acts and Orders concerning Church-Administrations Persons Meetings and Matters as he in his Royal Wisdom shall think fit which Acts c. are to be obeyed by all Subjects any Law Act or Custom to the contrary notwithstanding Sess. 2. Parl. 2. Enacted That all who should be required do depone upon Oath their Knowledg of all Meetings or Persons at them on pain of Fining Imprisonment Banishment or Transportation Act 5. Enacted That all outed Ministers found preaching or praying in any House but their own Family be imprisoned till they â—ind Bond for 5000 Marks not to do the like again Every Hearer toties quoties 25 â— if a Tenant and 12 â— if a Sub-Tenant And that all who preach in the Field or in a House if any of the People are without Doors shall be punished with Death and those who can seize and secure any such Minister dead or alive shall have 500 Marks Reward The Magistrates of Burghs to be sin'd at the Council's Pleasure for any Conventicles held in their Burghs and they to be reimburs'd from the Landlord of the House And Men to be â—in'd if their Wives and Children went to Meetings Act 6. Imposed Fines from 100 â— to 20 l. Sterling a time on such as had their Children baptized at such Meetings and Servants to be â—ined in half their Wages Act 11. Sess. 3. The same Fines were imposed upon them who should keep their Children un-baptized for thirty days And by Act 7. that same Session they enacted 〈◊〉 Fines on â—uch as absented from Church for three days together Act 9. Sess. 3. They declared all Ordination since 1661. which had not been by Bishops to be invalid In 1678 a Convention of States held by Lauderdale laid on a Tax to levy Forces for suppressing Field-Meetings which was afterwards continued by the Parliaments held by the Dukes of York and Queensberry In 1681 the D. of York being Commissioner without taking the Oaths appointed by Law and against Acts which rendred Papists incapable they doubled the Fines for Field-Conventicles and ordered Gentlemen to put away their Tenants and Masters of Families their Servants or sub-Tenants without Warning if they went to Meetings Act 18. They enacted That all Jurisdiction doth so reside in his Majesty that he may by Himself or Commissioners take Cognizance of and decide any Cases or Causes which he pleased Act 6 and 25. They imposed on all a self-contradictory Test which obliged them to stand by the Confession of Faith recorded in Parl. 1. Iac. 6. which disown'd the Supremacy and own'd the Lawfulnesâ— of Defensive Arms tho the contrary to both were sworn in the Test without so much as a non obstante Parl. 1. Iac. 7. D. of Queensberry Commissioner Act 3. allowing Prisoners indicted for High-Treason to be summon'd to make their Defence in 24 hours time Act 4. That such as being cited for Witnesses in cases of Treason or Conventicles and refused to depone should be liable to be puniâ—hed as guilty of the â—ame Crimes Act 5. That giving or taking the National or Solemn League and Covenant or owning them obligatory should be High-Treason Act 7. Making the Concealment of any Supply given to forfeited Persons tho the nearest Relations Treason Act 8. That all who preach at House or Field-Conventicles or such as hear at Field-Conventicles should be punished by Death and Confiscation Act 13. Re-injoining and further extending the Imposition of the Test. Act 23. Making the refusing the Oath of Abjuration High-Treason Act 24. Ordering all Lords of Mannors c. to insert a Clause in all Leases to their Tenants obliging them and their Families to Conformity under exorbitant Penalties Act 25. Ordering the Cameronians to be pursued and those who neglected it to be reputed equally guilty Acts of Parliament by King William and Queen Mary against Episcopacy in Scotland PArl. 1. W. M. They enacted the Oath of Allegiance thus I A. B. do sincerely promise and swear that I will be faithful and bear true Allegiance to their Majesties K. William and Q. Mary Iuly 22 1689. Act against Prelacy as a great and insupportable Grievance to the Nation Sess. 2. Act 2. For restoring Presbyterian Ministers ordering them to have immediate Access to their own Churches if vacant and to have the whole Year's Stipend but if there be an Incumbent in their Churches he shall have right to the half Year's Stipend Act 5. Ratifying the Confession of Faith and Presbyterian Government as most agreeable to the Word of God and most conducive to the Advancement of Piety and true Godliness and establishing the Peace of the Realm being received by the general Consent of the Nation to be the only Government in the 114 Act Iac. 6. Parl. 12. An. 1592. Setling the Government of the Church on Presbyterian Ministers outed since Ian. 1661. and such as they have received or shall receive Taking notice that many of the Episâ—opal Ministers had deserted their Flocks and others were depriv'd for not reading the Proclamation and not praying for the King and Queen Iâ—id They authorize the Presbyterian Ministers to appoint Visitors and purge out scandalous and in sufficient Ministers and order those who are contumacious and proven guilty to be suspended and deprived Act 14. Impowering the Council to tender the Oath of Allegiance to suspected Persons or to secure them who shall be informed against on probable grounds and to â—ine such as refuse in a fifth of their Estate and not to exceed one or two Year's Rent of them who are Landed-Men Act 17. About visiting Universities appointing Professors in the Faculties to take the Oath of Allegiance and submit to the Government of the Church Act 35. Against such Ministers as being deprived for not praying for their Majesties do preach and pray elsewhere and diffuse the Poison of their Disaffection forbidding them to exercise any part of their Ministerial Function on any pretence whatsoever until they swear Allegiance engage to pray for King William and Queen Mary and disown King Iames or to be proceeded against as disaffected Act 23. Concerning Patronages The Freeholders and Elders of the Parish being Protestants are to have
Scots Presbyterians do not at all think themselves obliged by that Covenant to endeavour a forcible extirpation of the English Prelacy but in Concurrence with the Parliament of England and therefore so long as they have not their Call to the Work the English Prelacy is in no Hazard and the best way to keep so is for the Church of England to carry modestly and neither to meddle with us nor give their own Parliament occasion to make such a Vote against them as the Parliament of Scotland made against our Bishops That they were the great and insupportable Grievance of the Nation so that they have their Safety in their own Hand But if they should be so infatuated to proceed as they began in relation to the late General Assembly of the Church of Scotland or if they be such Fools as to concur to the stiâ—ling of all Plots against his Majesty as hitherto because so many of their own Communion are concerned in them let them blame themselves for what will be the unavoidable Consequences soon or late for the Church-of England Laity are too good Protestants and English-men to be always led by the Clergy or continually hood-wink'd and not discover the Plots carried on against the State under pretence of Zeal to the Church of which me-thinks the Hot-headed Clergy should take warning seeing they may easily perceive how little Ground their Passive Obedience had gain'd when the honest Church-of England Laicks found themselves in hazard by K. Iames as to their Liberties and Religion Next I would earnestly beg that they would consider how the Faction under a pretence of Zeal for the Church and against Presbytery screw'd up the Prerogative to such a height that Englishmen had very near lost their Liberty and Property It was this mistaken Zeal that threw out the Bill of Exclusion surrendred the Charters of Corporations enabled the King to pack Parliaments pick Juries and cut off whomsoever he pleased under pretence of Law It was this mistaken Zeal that brought the late Reign and all the direful Effects of it which we have already felt or are still impending upon us It was this mistaken Zeal which delay'd his present Majesty's Access to the Throne gave the Enemies opportunity to ruin Ireland raise a Rebellion in Scotland and Plot as they do still in England And shall we never be aware of it Methinks that if the Church of England compared Things past and present She might easily perceive that this intemperate Heat against Presbytery doth naturally issue in Popery and Slavery and that she has much more reason to unite for Defence of the Protestant Interest and her own Doctrinal Articles with the Church of Scotland than by espousing the Cause of a few proâ—â—igate or traiterous Clergy-men because Episcopal run her self into unavoidable Dangers Is it possible that a Harmony in Discipline should have more Power to unite distinct Interests than a Harmony in Doctrine and Agreement under one Civil Head hath to cement those who drive the same Interest It cannot be unknown to the Church of England if she believes either their Majesties Proclamations or considers the procedure of his Parliament and other Courts in Scotland that the Prelatical Party there drive at a Design to restore K. Iames. And with she yet entertain such Vipers in her Bosom as their outed Clergy and not only so but for their sakes entertain Suspicions of his Majesty and sollicite him against the Church of Scotland Can she say that we have ever made any Address to him against the Church of England and why should they be more zealous against us than we against them Does she not know that Arch-bishop Vsher and some of the greatest of her Fathers thought Episcopacy and Presbytery reconcileable and the other things in Controversy indifferent How is it then that she thinks her Differences with King Iames and the Church of Rome more reconcileable as she must needs do if she fall in with her own high-flown Tantivees and our Scots Prelatists But I hope if no Religious Considerations will prevail that the danger of their running the same Risk with us may they seeing both they and we have the same Security viz. the King 's accepting of the Crown on such and such Conditions and consenting to Acts of Parliament accordingly if he should break to one he may do the same to both and though they may think that he will not overthrow their Hierarchy because the Bishops depending on him may be useâ—ul to him in the Parliament-House yet at the same time he may as Charles the Second did invade their Civil Liberties and then their Religion nor nothing else can ever be secure I must again beg the Reader not to mistake meâ— as designing to create any Suspicion of his Majesty following such an unhallowed Pattern but meerly to set this as a Beacon before the Church of England that they may beware of being Shipwrack'd twice upon the same Rock which will be unavoidable if they should prevail wiâ—h any of their Kings to break the Original Contracts or call in K. Iames or set up any other Pretender against his present Majesty and prosper which blessed be God there 's no probability that ever they will for never was King better beloved by Subjects and let them try it when they please they 'll â—ind he has in Scotland Twenty to One firm in his Interest And whatever Noise they make to blind their own Designs of our hazard from a Republican Faction if they will assure the Nation of such Governours as are now at Helm those whom they call Republicans will as cordially submit to them as any But I foresee an Objection as to Scots Affairs That they only sollicit his Majesty to dissolve the present Parliament and call another which will restore Episcopacy and recognize his Title Answ. 1. His Majesty hath had too many Proofs of the Loyalty of Presbyterians and the Treachery of Episcopalians to venture such an Experiment or if he should and they happen to recognize his Title he can never think that they submit from Affection but meerly from Interest when they see they can do no better And in truth whatever Pretences of Loyalty they make it 's demonstrable enough that as the Country-man when the London â—Drawers baul'd out Welcome Sir laid his Hand on his Pob and said I thank you my Friend so may his Majesty when our Scots Prelatists pretend Loyalty put his Hand to his Side and say I thank you my Sword for no longer will they be his Friend than he is able to cudgel them Whereas it 's very well known that the Scots Presbyterians declared for him before Providence had determined their Crown in his Favour and have beat into the Prelatists whatever Loyalty they pretend to have Nor is it to be thought a Prince so Good and Generous as his present Majesty will ever be so ungrateful to his Friends or act so much contrary to Reason and his own