concerted I as much doubt 3ly That the day was so celebrated as he saith is ridiculous to assert did the Court of Heaven keep the anniversary Day That the Church in all Ages keep it is said without Book tho' that Institution is very ancient I know the Birth of Christ was celebrated by the Heavenly Host and we celebrate it in our thankful Acknowledgments of it as the greatest Mercies But that either Christ was born on December 25. or the Heavenly Host did that day bring the glad Tidings of it to the Shepherds or that any Anniversary day is to be kept by God's appointment on that account Quia Scriptum non Legimus ideo Jussum non Credimus § 6. He cometh now page 16. To his particular Historical account of these horrid Persecutions which are above reported to be unparallelled That even the French Dragooning cannot equal them Before I consider them particularly I observe a few things concerning them in general which if impartially weighed may sufficiently stop the mouth of all the Clamour and let the World see the temper of these Men and what Unmanly as well as Unchristian shifts they use to buoy up their sinking Cause 1. What is here said to be done is not imputable to the Presbyterians More than the Drunkenness Swearing Whoredoms Persecutions that we charge many of that Party with are to be lookt on as the Crimes of all the Episcopalians they were done by a few not Ministers but of the meanest of the People they never were nor are approved but rather disliked and lamented by the Body of the Presbyterians who are as far from disorderly and violent Courses as any Men are and who think that a good Cause needeth not the help of unwarrantable means and that every Man should keep within the bounds of his Station And that not the People but the Magistrate and Church-Authority in their several Ways should rid the Church of bad and unfit Ministers whatever Reflections we have of the event viz. Freeing the Congregations from evil Ministers yet we are far from applauding this manner of doing it 2. The People who did these things were under the highest Provocations imaginable to do what they did yea to have proceeded to farther Severities which we rejoyce that they were with-held from we hope by some measure of the awe of God upon them for the Ministers had been not only intruded on the People without their Choice and Consent and were the mean of depriving them of such Gospel Administrations as they highly valued but they were the chief Instruments of most horrid Persecutions and Barbarities that that poor People and their Relations who lost their Lives by that Persecution had long and heavily groaned under as will appear in the following Discourses and as I hope shall be shewed in a more full account of these matters Oppression maketh a wise Man mad It is no wonder then that it causes them rush into some Practices which cannot be defended who are neither so wise nor so good as they should be 3. These things were acted in an Interregnum When we had no Civil nor Church-Government When one King was removed and another not yet set up and this poor opprest and enraged People were chased in their Minds they had now power I mean Potentiam non potestatem to shake off their unsupportable Yoak there was no orderly course for bringing that about which either was then practicable or that they could in those circumstances have the prospect of and therefore tho' it was not allowable yet it was not to be wondered at that they relieved themselves when they saw none else who would or could do it 4. The Histories that he here bringeth are partly Lies partly unjust and unfair Representations of truth and if all were true can no way amount to such a horrid and general Persecution as he speaketh of So that indeed the whole of his account is Clamour and Obloquies without any cause proportioned to such Complaints § 7. Let us now examine the Matters of Fact which he adduceth to make out the Persecution that he chargeth the Presbyterians with The 1. Of them is concerning Mr. Gabriel Russel Minister at Govan whom some of his own Parish assailed to several of whom he had done Kindnesses Beat his Wife and Daughter and himself so inhumanely that it had almost cost him his life carried off the Poors Box and other Utencils of the Church and threatned him with worse Treatment if he should preach any more there To this I oppose the truth of this Story as it is attested by the Subscriptions of nine Persons who were present That there being great Confusion like to be in the Country they feared the Church Goods might be carried away They went peacably and demanded them offering sufficient security that they should be safely kept and restored to them who should be concerned This Mr. Russel and his Wife who both were Drunk as they used often to be not only refused but gave the Men very opprobrious and provoking Language They essaying to lift the Box in which the Poors Money was kept Mr. Russel setting his foot on it and his Wife sitting down on it they with all tenderness lifted her up and carried away the Box but before they went out of the house they got the Key and secured what was in the Box. Mr. Russel roared and beat them with hands and feet but they utterly deny that any of them did beat either him or his Wife yea are they parted from his house they asked if any thing was wanting and they could be charged with nothing This is attested by the Subscriptions of John Murdoch William Cowan Zacharias Maxwel John Keith John Hill Robert Burnside Andrew Shiels John James Hill The next History concerneth Mr. Finnie Minister at Cathcart whose Wife and four or five small Children they thrust out of Doors at Midnight tho it was a most vehement Frost Threw out all his Furniture and by much intreaty suffered his Wife and Children to have lodging in the Stable without a fire the Children fell sick thereafter The truth of this matter as attested by Robert Jamison David Park William Gouts All living near to Mr. Finnie's House is There being that Night an Alarm as if the French and Irish had landed at Greenock all the Country got together in Arms. When the Alarm was found to be false the Parish of Cathcart though the Gentlemen had desired them to go home and be in readiness if there should be need hearing the Prince of Orange's Manifesto was to be proclaimed at Glasgow went thither and assisted at the Solemnity and returning with Joy made Bone-fires in several parts of the Parish and at Mr. Finnie's House he being abroad made a Bone-fire before the Barn-door of his Coals Some of them who had been greatly injured by Mr. Finnie went into the House offered Violence to no Person only desired his Wife to withdraw which she did till they were
unlawful Act For such a Power being asserted in the Declaration doth no way infer their owning of that Power by their using the Liberty granted them after it had been unjustly with-held from them and which was their Due by a Grant from Christ in the Gospel What could prompt this Author to affirm that the Presbyterians were moved at last to use the Liberty granted because they could no longer be disobedient to the Divine Providence And that according to their Divinity Providential Occurrences make a considerable part of the Rule of Faith and Manners I leave it to others to guess for none are more remote from such Principles than Presbyterians He next undertaketh to prove that Presbyterians did not separate from them he meaneth make use of the Liberty granted them on any Principle of Conscience If this be well proved it will give a deep Wound to our Interest from their continuing in Communion with the Episcopalians some Years before their Liberty and many some Months after Answ. His Arguments 1 st are This Communion was nothing else but Hearing them when they could get none else to â—â—ar which many yea most Presbyterians never scrupled But let him tell us if all that time they ever owned these Men for their lawful Pastors or thought it Duty to forsake them whom they had owned as such to cleave to these or that they ever countenanced the Government or Discipline of the Church which was exercised under Bishops and by their Authority If they had done so it had not consisted with Conscience to separate from them on occasion of a Liberty granted But if otherwise it doth clearly consist with Leaving them for Conscience sake because their Scruple was not simply about hearing but about forsaking their lawful Pastors and owning those others as their Pastors and their Church-Government as Christ's Discipline Arg. 2. While they continued with us they acknowledged that their Consciences allowed them Answ. And well they might on the Grounds already given But the fundamental Mistake on which all his Reasonings are built is that he takes such occasional hearing of a Minister to be the Exercise of that Church-Communion that fixed Members of a Congregation have with that Church Arg. 3. Many thanked God that they were reconciled to us and frequently protested all the World should never again engage them in the Schism Answ. He wisely concealeth their Names though he saith he can tell them lest they should contradict him But that which enervateth his Argument is that he inferreth the Practice of Presbyterians which must be meant of all or most from that of many and he is not pleased to tell us how many they were Two or three to do so were many and too many and I confess such as said so and yet did otherwise did not act Conscienciously But I am persuaded not one of a Thousand of them that were from a Principle Presbyterians were guilty of such jugling whatever some might do who from other Motives than Conscience owned that way in whose Actions we are no ways concerned What he calleth Schism we say they are not engaged in who went to the Meetings but they who had departed from the good old ways of the gospel-Gospel-Church and the Church of Scotland a Deviation from whose Courses Presbyterians could not own Arg. 4. Some of the ablest Preachers a few Weeks before said they would never embrace that Toleration and that they resolved never to preach more Answ. I have the Charity to think that this is a Falshood that is too gross to be uttered by a Christian but the Author might have consulted his Credit by informing us who these able Men were If any such were I doubt they were neither able nor honest and I am sure if they were known they would be abhorred by Presbyterians Arg. 5. Some even after the 2d Edition of the Toleration continued in their Resolution not to engage in it and it cost their Brethren much pains to prevail with them Answ. They who have considered his above-mentioned Assertions may easily know how to believe this For my part I believe not one word of it save that there were some Men so unreasonable as to be shy of accepting any Liberty granted by the Magistrate which was far from the general Sentiment of Presbyterians A 6th Argument he useth There could be no Conscience in this Matter seeing we had no sinful Condition in our Communion we agree with them in Doctrine the Administration of Sacraments and have Ordination which is valid and our main Difference is about the Doxology Lord's Prayer and the Belief rehearsed at Baptism Answ. For the first of these We deny it for it is sinful to subject to Episcopal Government and without this no Man could be of their Communion that is subject to all the Ordinances among them Again though none of these were removing our faithful Pastors and setling Intruders over us did warrant us to wait on the Ministry of the former and not on that of the latter That any separated merely on Account of the Doxology Lord's Prayer and Belief I know not though many would not use them as his Church did § 4. He tells us next of the wonderful Increase of Meetings and of Meeting-houses which was very true but not well consistent with the Account he had but now given of the Disposition of the Nonconformists to comply with the Episcopal Way It is not usual for a Nation to be born in one Day but it sufficiently sheweth how the Generality of the Nation who do much concern themselves in Religion are inclined That many in the West went to the Meetings we deny not but that few went elsewhere should not be insinuated His Branding them with Fanaticism is expressive of the Spite against them that his Party is eminent for but hath neither Truth nor Charity to warrant it for the Men of that Way will vie with any in the Nation for Sobriety and Soundness in the Faith and for Ability to give a rational Account of what they hold But what followeth of the Cause he assigneth for this Concourse to the Meetings is false to say no worse of it in all the parts of it Never were Men farther from Compulsion than they were in this matter Yea it can be made appear which he doth not so much as pretend to for what he affirmeth that many were restrained from the Meetings by the power of ill-affected Noblemen and Gentlemen But it is not fit to rake into this matter but to forget what caused Differences that we may now unite in one good Way He seemeth p. 12. to ridicule the Presbyterians Grateful Address to King James and Profession of Loyalty to him on occasion of the Liberty that he granted them but I gladly would know by what Topick either of these can be condemned They gave Thanks for restoring them to their just Right which had been unjustly taken from them they professed and practised Loyalty towards their Lawful Sovereign
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-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
was done with Shouts and Acclamations is also false As also it is false that any such Words were spoken as Down with the Idolatry of the Church of England and Scotland And that he was questioned about the Church-Government is false nothing was asked but if he owned Prelacy To which he faintly replied Yes What is said of the Laird of Bridgehouse is incredible for he never hath shewed such Respect to the Prince of Orange nor to our Sovereign King William but often drinketh King James's Health and hath often Caballed with Mr. Bell especially when his Cousin Mr. John Bell and his Brothers Colin Bell and Patrick Bell were preparing for their Dublin Voyage in which they were taken going with Supplies for the Irish Rebels there These things are Attested by the Subscriptions of John Crawford of Crawford-land Hugh Hunter Robert Wright John Paterson John Boyd Alexander Muir John Adam Joseph Waugh Robert Bankhead John Miller James Campbel Andrew Taylor John Tunahill Matthew Duncan John Tunahill John Armour William Robert Paterson I leave the Reader to make his own Judgment on these Stories the one avouched by the Person concerned the other by so many unconcerned Persons and of known Integrity And to consider whether from this Tale such Barbarity as is alledged be imputable to the Presbyterians § 9. I now return to the first Book The Authors next instance is Mr. Simpson Minister at Galston whom they caused to go bareheaded to the publickest place of the Village and caused him put on his Morning Gown the Canonical Gown not being found which they tore off him and caused him wade through a River at one of the deepest places and commanded him not to return The truth of the matter is Mr. Robert Simpson had violently Persecuted several of the Parish particularly he had caused George Lambe a very old Man Janet Lambe the Wife of James Mill who was very Infirm and brought forth a Child ten days after and James Lambe to be carried on Carts not being able to go to Kilmarnock by Lieutenant Collonel Buchan's Souldiers and that for not coming to hear some of their Friends in Resentment of this did in January or February 1689. take Mr. Sympson out of his House and discoursed with him about an hour he being Uncovered and put him through the Water of Irwin out of the Parish but they neither rent his Gown nor did other Injury to him These Persons were strangers except some few of the Parish This is attested by Hugh Hutcheson Notar Thomas Morton John Adam Next cometh on the stage Mr. Mill Minister at Caudor he being absent they rent his Gown Harangued and Prayed before and concluded with a Volly of Shot Concerning this I have received no Information but from what is said have cause to dis-believe it Next we have Mr. White Minister of Ballingtrea whom a Pedler beat on the Face with a Musquet for speaking to him with his hat on his head thrust at him with a Sword to the piercing of his Cloaths and Skin but it went no deeper a throng being in the Room and the Actor of it at a distance To this is answered that the Parish had no hand in this tho' he had beat some of them of good note and had been injurious to severals of them in his Dealings This is attested by Henry Mackbreath James Mowat Hugh Kennedy Gilbert Maciltire John Macqualter all who have their Testimony from their Minister that they are credible and famous Witnesses This is witnessed by the same Persons that whereas he accused the Presbyterians for beating his Wife that they never knew any to beat his Wife except himself which they have often heard and seen Our next instance is Mr. Brown Minister at Kells in Galloway residing at Newtoun whom in a Storm of Frost and Snow they carried to the Market-place about four a Clock in the Morning tyed him to a Cart set his face to the Weather where he had died if a poor Woman had not cast Cloaths about him The Truth of this Story is that Mr. Brown being beastly Drunk at night after a little sleep went to his House at a distance from that Town and returning in the Morning betimes was by the Guard taken for a Spie who were informed that six or seven Men had a little before gone through the River supposed to be the Earl of Melford and that they had inquired if my Lord was at home And were said to come by Mr. Brown's House On these grounds the Prison not being firm they bound him This is Attested by Gilbert Gordon and Lieutenant Kennedy It is hard to justifie this usage of any Man But it is yet harder to impute this indiscretion of Souldiers to the Presbyterians Next we have Mr. Ross at Renfrew whose Wife with her Infant they threw out the third day after she was brought to Bed Ans. This Narration is so false that neither Mr. Ross nor his Wife will own it Mrs. Ross was brought to bed 17 days before these Men came to the House they caused the Goods to be removed without any damage to them And at the entreaty of some of the Town suffered the Goods to be put into the House again and Mr. Ross's Family lived peaceably in that House 16 Months after that time But which is mainly to our purpose the Presbyterian Minister at Renfrew hearing of such Disorders elsewhere had warned his Hearers against them So that none of them had a hand in this Fact But they who did it were Strangers and such as joined with no Presbyterian Meeting All this is Attested by William Scot Bailly William Scot Elder William Armour Elder John Reidman Patrick Scot John Jackson § 10. Next he bringeth on the Stage Mr. Gutherie Minister at Kier whose Family in a rainy day they turned out tho' three of his Children were sick one of a Fever and two of the Small-Pox and two of them died upon that Treatment To this the Persons after mentioned do Answer two things 1. That he did extremely disoblige and provoke the Parish not only by his Intrusion against the Will both of the Gentry and the rest of the Parish but also by informing against the People Who by his means were severely fined He had a hand in sending out Dragoons who killed four Men and hanged them on a Tree for 18 days at the Church of Iron gray He beat Bessie Smith he being on horse back and she on foot to the great effusion of Blood and till she fell dead and after returned to her and beat her saying it would heal her 2. The People being so exasperate threatned to cast him out of his House he often promised to remove but did it not At last they cast out his Family without doing hurt to any Person his Wife through peevishness would not go into another House tho' earnestly invited by several Persons particularly the Mistress of Waterside John Osburn's Wife and John Hudstons Wife there was but one of her
Children sick at that time who is still alive The other two did not fall sick for eight Weeks after that time This is Attested by Charles Maxwell John Hudleston Thomas Hudleston William Hastings William Halliday John Maxwel John Osburn John Waugh John Hudleston Thomas Mitchelson John Pagan John Grant John Smith William Waouh W. D. James M'gie His last instance is of Mr. Skinner at Daly They frighted his Daughter aged about 20 into a Fever returning after 5 or 6 days they turned her out of her Bed pretending to search for Arms so that she died raving This is most false there came indeed some Persons to Mr. Skinner's house knocked at the door which was opened to them by those within Mr. Skinner ask'd them what they were come for Was it to fright him and his Family They answered they came only to search for Arms and that they would do no harm to him nor to his Family He told them he had no Arms and he commanded his Daughter Katherine Skinner to set Meat before them After they had eaten they went away without doing prejudice to any in the Family After five or six days they returned and forbade Mr. Skinner to Preach any more at the Church of Daly Mr. Skinner's Daughter Katherine was them sick One of them look'd into the Bed where she lay and said who lieth here A Woman who attended the sick Person answered it is Mr. Skinner's Daughter who is sick upon which they all removed without saying or doing any more All this is Attested upon Oath before the Baron Court of Kilbochen held at Halhil June 30 1690. The Witnesses were Janet Dalrymple the Wife of James Mackneben Anna Abercrombey the Wife of Andrew Neilson Gilbert Mackennie Servant to Mr. Skinner § 11. The Author as lifted up in his own conceit with such full proof of his point as he fancieth by these Stories that he hath told tho' most disingenuously and falsly doth now page 18. Harangue upon the Disorders That they contrived and raised at Glasgow and at Edinburgh Citations in Name of the Rable to remove from Churches and Manses and thinketh it enough to his purpose to tell the Person that he writeth to that these were their common Methods and that by such means in a short time more then 200 were thrust from their Churches and Dwellings and all this can be Attested with the greatest Evidence It is not easie to Answer such loose Declamations it is often observed that some Mens confident Expressions run highest when Truth and Reason is with them at the lowest Yet some Observations I shall make on this Passage which may make him ashamed of his Confidence 1. That they raised and much more that they contrived Tumults is an Impudent Calumny for the Tumult at Glasgow it was raised by his own Party who were the Aggressors and the Presbyterians did nothing but in their own Defence But of it I shall here add no more but refer the consideration of it till we come to Answer The Case of the Afflicted Clergy c. Where our Author doth more particularly give Account of it 2. For the Tumults at Edinburgh we know of none but what was made by the Students at the Colledge there in burning the Pope in Effigie and defacing the Popish Chappel at the Abbey of Holyroodhouse Few of these Actors were Presbyterians tho' they were all Protestants most of them were Episcopally inclined and bred under Masters who were of that Professionâ— and that any Presbyterians who then or since had Authority in the State or Church did assist in contrivance or management of this matter we do sitterly deny 3. If their were Citations in the name of the Rable which we know not and wish he had attempted to prove it It was done by the Rable whose Actions we disclaim and who were not of our Communion 4. What he saith that these were the Presbyterians common Methods is as false as any thing he hath yet said or as any thing that can be spoken and if it be enough that he telleth his friend so he hath found an easie way of perswading to the belief of whatever he pleaseth How many were put out by the Rable we know not but this we know that most of them who went out were put out by their own Consciences For they deserted their Charges without either Sentence Threatning or Compulsion 5. That all this can be attested we deny and bid him defiance to bring half the Evidence for it that he vainly talketh of § 12. He doth now with all the little Rhetorical Artifices he is Master of labour to make these things credible to his Reader by taking away what might be any Ground of Doubt about them Wherefore he undertaketh to shew That Application was made to Magistrates and no Redress That they were not pure Rabble who acted these things That these Actors were easily controllable by Authority That Nobles Gentry Ministers had a hand in these things That they who suffered these things were Men that deserved better Treatment Let us now attend to his Proof of all these He saith p. 19. That Applications were made to Peers who were Privy Counsellors not gone to London but he is not pleased to tell us who they were that the Truth might be enquired into neither do we know that any Peer to whom they made Address was furnished either with Authority or Strength sufficient to repress such Disorders in that Inter-regnum and time of Confusion Every Peer hath not Authority over the whole Nation That these Peers were Privy Counsellors is false for there were none such at that time in the Nation the Council having dissolved themselves and another not as yet constituted He next tells us of their sending private Accounts to London but without success because their Enemies the Presbyterians had many ways defamed them and called all their Letters Lyes and Forgâ—ries Here is Non causa pro causa The true Reason why they then had no Relief was None at London had the power to do what they designed more than they had who were at home That the Presbyterians did mis-represent them is false Let us see what was charged on any of them but what can be made appear And if our Party would have attempted such a thing they had many of their own Party who were ready to believe what they wrote and to improve it to their own Advantage That any Matters of Fact Rabbles or Tumults that were acted then in Scotland were industriously concealed or denied at London by the Presbyterians he doth affirm with as little Truth as Honesty Fain would he retort on us these lying Methods that he and his Complices have followed but we are beyond such Reproaches in the Consciences of all that know us and do not hate us § 13. He beginneth pag. 20. to give Account of the Prince of Orange ' s Declaration for keeping the Peace and how it was mis-regarded by the Presbyterians And he telleth us
Cousin and saw no appearance of Sickness or Wounds and that when he went out of Mr. Mc Maths House Mr. Richard Hyslop shewed him the place where Mr. Mc Math fell and got his Face dawbed with Dirt And that when Mr. Young said That he had heard that Mr. Mc Math had this done to him by some Persons Mr. Hyslop his Neighbour and Friend said there was no such thing It is also to be observed that not a few Persons who came to see him in his Wounds were not admitted Besides all this we have Proofs well attested to evince the horrid immoralities of Mr. Mc Math such as Lascivious carriage towards several Women Drunkenness Imbezelling the Collections for the Poor taking another Man-Horse and Saddle from his Servant by the way and giving out afterward that he found the Horse which he restored but kept the Saddle 40 days denying it till it was like to come to a publick hearing and then restored it I hope the Reader by this time can see what weight is to be laid on the Histories brought by this Author and what sort of Men they are whose quarrel he espouseth Though we are far from approving Irregularities and Injuries whether done against good or bad Men. § 19. Some other he nameth who were Rabbled but giveth no particular account of what was done to them such as Mr. Burgess at Temple Mr. Mackenzie at Kirklistoun Mr. Hamiltoun at Kirk-newtoun Mr. Nimmo at Collingtoun Mr. Donaldson at Dumbarton some of whom we shall afterward meet with c. And a whole Presbytery in Galloway I hope a particular answer is not expected to these And for the General Assertion the Reader must be strangely byassed if before he have thus far proceeded he doth not understand this Authors Dialect that is if he hath not learned to disbelieve every thing that he affirmeth unless it be sufficiently vouched That is the least punishment due to one who hath so often and so soully prevaricated in his Assertions wherefore we may justly reject all these as Forgeries as two of them I can sufficiently disprove Mr. Mackenzie was never Rabbled only at the time he was at Kirkliston very few of the People heard him And for Mr. Hamiltoun he never was Minister at Kirknowtoun If the People have at any time refused to hear him when he was to Preach transiently there this is no Rabbling He is a Man for whom we have due respect and he is now received into Ministerial Communion by the Presbyterians The rest I know nothing of but three Instances he giveth us more distinctly which obligeth us to a more distinct and particular Answer The 1 st is Mr. Macgil of Kilsyth tho' he had obeyed the Proclamation The Rabble hindered him to enter the Church my Lord Kilsyth's Factor raised a Force to defend him in the strife one of the Rabble was killed The Factor went to Edinburgh and told the Comâ—â—rce of Estates what had happened The Lord Rosse being Preses of the Committee thinking the Person Killed to be one of the other side said it would be hard to get that Murther punished But at last understanding that it was one of the Rabble changed his Note and aggravated the Business The next day the Rabble fell upon Mr. Macgil ' s House destroyed his Furniture Books and Papers plunged his Hat and Peruke in the Churn among Milk emptied out his Meal and a Chamber Box among it So that he suffered loss to the value of 150 pound Sterling and to this day hath got meet her Reparation nor Protection The truth of this story is some Souldiers had hindered Mr. Macgil to Preach they being gone he on the Lords day intended to reassume his Pulpit some of the inferior People gathered together and refused to let him enter but used no other Violence My Lord Kilsyth's Factor caused beat of Drum and gathered a great many Men in Arms and assaulted the People that were in and about the Church door and killed one of them This matter was tryed before the Lords of the Justiciary who found both Parties guilty of a Riot but the Factor to be more guilty as having with Arms fallen upon them who had no Arms and killed one of them He was fined and declared incapable of any publick Imployment For the Stories about my Lord Ross and the Peoples so abusing Mr. Macgil's House and Goods we must receive them on the Credit of this Author id est Look on them as his own Invention or that some Body had told him For I can find no ground to believe one word of what in these he affirmeth His other two Tales of Mr. Craig and Mr. Buchannan I find no ground to believe But on the contrary that they at least Mr. Craig were put from their charges by a Sentence of the Presbytery and that for gross Scandals and obstinate refusing to submit to the Discipline of the Church as can be made appear by their Processes yet on Record The account that he giveth of those two Ministers being also Heretors who have Vote in Election of Members of Parliament their appearing for King William by Voting for such as Voted him into the Throne This I say is a foul Misrepresentation for these two Ministers especially Mr. Craig entered a Protestation at the Meeting for Election that whoever should be chosen should fall from their Commission if they transgressed the limits set to them by the Electors And that they should do nothing in prejudice of King James nor Prelacy nor the Test. It is true they Voted for the Laird of Houston who in the Convention Voted for King William and for Presbytery But it is known that these two persons have often said that the Laird of Houston is a perjured person for they had his Engagement to Vote for Episcopacy And when there was a vacancy by the death of one of their Commissioners at a second Election these two Gentlemen Voted for a known Jacobite who had a little before been actually in Arms against King William but now was freed by the Indemnity It is also known that since it was Enacted that the Oath of Allegiance to the present King and Queen should be imposed on all Electors neither of these two Ministers have appeared § 20. Our Author catcheth hold on all the occasions he can find whether offered or not to reproach us Wherefore he taxeth our Address to the Parliament given in in July 1690 which he taketh to have had its rise from the Councils delay to deprive non complying Ministers being very unpleasant to Presbyterian Preachers This is a strange mistake to call it no worse for in that Address there is not one word of complaint of such delay Nor of Petitioning that the Council would deprive any of these Men. But on this Address he giveth us the best Specimen he can of his Critical Skill with what Success let us consider He passeth the Preface of it with his mocking at our owning the Prince of Orange
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'