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A57284
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A continuation of the answer to the Scots Presbyterian eloquence dedicated to the Parliament of Scotland : being a vindication of the acts of that august assembly from the clamours and aspersions of the Scots prelatical clergy in their libels printed in England : with a confutation of Dr. M-'s postscript in answer to the former ... : as also reflections on Sir Geo. Mackenzy's Defence of Charles the Second's government is Scotland ... together with the acts of the Scots General Assembly and present Parliament compared with the acts of Parliament in the two last reigns against the Presbyterians / Will. Laick.
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Ridpath, George, d. 1726.
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1693
(1693)
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Wing R1460; ESTC R28103
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57,380
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148
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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
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