for Men of vicious Lives or loose Principles in the Church as they pretend the depriv'd Clergy to be to make great scruple in disputable matters especially when the Penalty is the loss of their Estates they being generally too forward to comply with what 's uppermost and prosperous But Secondly I dare confidently averr that after enquiry made it will appear that there are many of as great Integrity Piety and Learning as are in the Church involv'd without distinction in that Common fate And I dare appeal to the whole Nation to make good against them such Scandalls as their Enemies have thought fit to blacken them with in places where they are not known The Original of all this clamour about the Immorralities of the Clergy at first arose from the too hasty Planting of Churches in the West upon the Restoration of the Government in Anno 1662. by which many Young Men were preferr'd for whom the prejudiced People could not be brought to have that Veneration and respect that they had had for their old Preachers which were deprived for Nonconformity This prejudice together with the Imprudent Conduct of some of these young Men begot a contempt of them which was carryed by far much too high for Universally these Ministers were complain'd of as the occasion of the Western Peoples withdrawing from their Churches But upon Bishops Leightons coming to the See of Glasgow and bringing with him to those parts some very good Men and choice Preachers against whom the People could have no Objection an Experiment was made to remove if possible that Exception yet he found this also ineffectuall The Aversion being more rooted in the Interest of a Party then in the supposed Immoralities of the Clergy And therefore by his singular Example of Piety and Devotion of Humility and Acts of Charity by his frequent Visiting and Preaching in Country Churches thereby taking occasion to converse more intimately and conveniently with the Ministers he sow'd a blessed seed in their hearts gave them juster Notions of the Duties of the Pastoral Charge and thereby through the blessing of God became a burning and shineing light in those parts the Impression whereof remains upon the Consciences of many to this day But passing this It had been a far more fair and Equitable way and as much to the Honour of the Government as the disgrace of the guilty to have Invited People to Accuse their Ministers upon the head of Scandall and after Evidence thereof if they had found any to have Proceeded and deprived rather than Promiscuously to have Condemn'd the Righteous with the wicked It is true their Libells were generally stuft'd with a great many Scandalous and vitious practices alledged against them a malicious design to expose them to the present Age and to blacken them upon Record to the future but it is as true that when the Ministers came to the Bar the Scandalous and Immoral part of the Libell was wholly omitted by their Judges altho' the Ministers themselves craved for their Vindication in those Points to be particularly Tryed upon them but the Sentence passed against them upon the two heads before mentioned and yet in the Accounts they sent to Court the Immoralities of the Ministers Lives which were only pretended in the Summons but never spoke of in the Tryal were represented as the great Grounds of their Deprivation but it were far more easy to give the true reasons for truth tells best and its this The Presbyterian Preachers in Scotland of the old Standing who only can pretend to be own'd in any Church-Meeting if the Government should think fit to call one are but very few in Comparison of the Episcopal Clergy now in Place It was highly debated amongst them what should be their behaviour if the Parliament restored them to their Churches from which they were put out in the year 1662. They could not think it adviseable to meet in Presbyteries by themselves since in some Presbyteries they would make but two in number and in some but one in others none at all So that if they should joyn with the Regular Clergy in such Presbyteries they might reckon to be out-voted in all businesses so signify just nothing Nay if a National Synod should be call'd they would be at the same loss for the Members thereof Chosen by Presbyteries behoov'd to be Episcopal Men the Plurality by far of Voters being of that way So to take off all difficulties attending this matter It seem'd to be the most plausible effectuall way to make as many Vacancies as was possible and that also before the meeting of the next Session of Parliament least other measures should then be taken And for this design the premunire of not reading the Proclamation seem'd next to Rabbling the fittest and shortest Expedient I call it shortest because it was not possible to make greater dispatch for Vacancies then it occasion'd for a dozen of Ministers were ordinarly turn'd out in a Forenoon and as many more sometimes in an Afternoon So that this Method made clear way for the Presbyterian Brethren to be the greater part in all Ecclesiastical Assemblies and by Consequence to carry any thing they please there Hereby also they have a fair opportunity of setting out young Vagrants to take possession of the Vacant Churches by which the number of their Preachers dayly encrcase Thus you have the Present State of the very much Afflicted Clergy in Scotland represented faithfully and with as much brevity as the matter will allow for tho' much more might be added upon this Subject yet since you desired no more but a plain and generall Narrative I here give it according to my Ability However it shall please Divine Providence to order Affairs in our National Church this you in England may be assured of that her Enemies are yours also and it is some comfort to us that those of that way are not like to prevail so far over you as they have done already over us And therefore that God may prosper and preserve the Church of England restore ours to some Order and Decency And Settle the Three Kingdoms upon such Righteous Foundations as may Establish our Temporal and Eternal Peace is the dayly Prayer of SIR Your Most Humble Servant First Collection of Papers Relating to the Practice of the Rabble before the Convention Met. A Iust and True Account how sadly the Regular Ministers within the Presbytery of Air have been Treated since Christmas Last UPon Christmas day about Ninty Armed Men forced the Minister of Cumnock out of his Chamber into the Church-yard where they discharged him to Preach any more there under the highest Peril they took upon them to Command him to remove from his Manse or dwelling House his Gleib and not to uplift his Stipend thenceforth after which they rent his Gown in pieces over his head they made a Preface to their discourse to this purpose that this they did not as States-Men nor as
till the Council had discharged all Judicatures to pronounce any Sentence in Favour of the Episcopal Ministers which the Council was forc'd to do Neither of which Matters of Fact this Author has remembered to answer tho it was the Subject of the whole Book against which he wrote To speak modestly it seems to have no very good Aspect to the present Government and it 's but a small Aâ—gument of their Inclinations to live peaceable long under it that they have voted King William out of the Supremacy of the Church and that they have now so soon after usurp'd it to themselves having already without his leave either ask'd or granted convened all at Edinburgh and voted themselves into a free legal general Assembly where they draw up daily Instructions for regulating the Parliament and meet and adjourn at their own pleasure and in their Sermons before the present High Commissiâ—ner my Lord Melvil who is of their own Professiâ—n they roundly tell his Grace if that be not a Superstitious Arch-prelatical Title how he must build the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord only by such true b'ue Israelites as can well Edisie with the Truel in one Hand and the Sword in another and that none of these Samaritans who are addicted to the Superstitions and Idolâ—tries of England must be concerned in this thorough Reformation By those Practices one may easily conjecture why they so scornfully reject the Act for establishing Presbytery offered by the late Commissioner King William would likewise consider how many Thousands of them have and do own That the Covenant which is again voted the Standard of all pure Religion is the Fundamental Contract 'twixt God the King and the People And because K. C. 2. broke it therefore they declared that he had fallen from his Right to the Crown and because K. I. 2. never took it that therefore he had no Right to the Crown and by publick Proclamations declared it lawful to kill them and all who adhered to them and accordingly killed several of their Souldiers and Servants in this Quarrel From all which the Query naturally arises What Measure King William must expect if he will not take the Covenant and consequently Swear to root out Episcopacy in England 3ly Query What Loyalty he can expect from those who think him to be an Idolater as they think all to be who communicate according to the Church of England whose Liturgy they call the Mass in English 4ly Considering their Number in the North of Ireland how easily they may carry their Covenant thither and all its Consequences 5ly What Danger there may be of it even in England whose Dissenters have already learned to pray for the Scotch Presbyterians as their Mother Church 6ly Query Whether it be fit for King William and the Parliament of Scotland to set up those who think it a Sin to grant any Toleration not only to Episcopacy but to Anabaptists Independents or any but Presbytery Which the General Assembly declared to be a Sin Anno 48. and Address'd to the Parliament of England to concur with them in doing the like Lastly Whether any Presbyterians considering their late Practices and Demands be more Moderate now than when they formerly invaded England without any Pretence but their Obligations to the Covenant and to reform the Kingdom of England according to that Model FINIS Fourth Article of Covenant Vide. First Paper being a Declaration from the Prince Vide. The Second Paper being a Proclamation from the Conâ—ention Vide. The â—resbyterians Address to King Iames. In the Fourth Collection Vide. The First Collection of some Papers relating to the practice of the Rable before the Convention met Vide. Summons left in every Parish by the Rabble in the first Collection of Paper So the Lawyers there are called Vide. First Proclamation Vide. The Second Collection of Papers relating to the practise of the Rabble and the Council after the Princes Declaration c. V. Vâ— supra Vide The Paper containing the thanks of the Convention to the Rabble in the Fourth Collection Vide. Presbyterians Address to King Iames in the Fourth Collection Vide. A Proclamation from the Convention in the Fourth Collection Vide. An Act of Council in the Fourth Collection Vide. A Proclamation from the Convention in the Fourth Collection Vide. Third Collection of Papers containing the sufferingâ— of those Minâ—sters who comply'd Vide. A Proclamation from the Convention in the Fourth Collection * Dr. Strachan the Learned and Pious â—roâ—essor of Divinity and one of the Ministers at Edenburgh Vide. A Proclamation from the Convention and the Observation upon it in the Fourth Collection Vide. Proclamations anent the Miisters in the Fourth Collection Vide. Summons to the Ministers of Kelso in the 4th Collection Vide. Proclamation from the Convention in the Fourth Collection Vide. Third Collection of Parpers containing the suffering of those Ministers who comply'd Vide. Presbvterians Address to K J. in the Fourth Collection Vide. Third Collection of Papers containing the sufferings of those Ministers who comply'd Anno 1688. * i. e. Happened to them * i. e. Parsonage House * That is leave his dwelling House * Or the by-past years This is the form of Summons left by the Rabble in most of the Ministers Houses ejected by them i. e. all the furniture * i. e. Major * i. e. Parsonage House * i. e. Parsonage House * i e. Parsonage House * As they call themselves * Page 30. * Page 8. †What Ground there is for this Aspâ—rsion dâ—th not concern 〈◊〉 in Scotland who still adhere to that our former Doctrine for which we now chearfully Suffer * Page 7. * Page 28. * Page 27. * Page 22.
extinguish the Memory of it they hop'd at least that the favourable things in their Case would have been proper grounds for a new King to forgive what had pass'd before his Entrance upon the Government and the lenity and tenderness shew'd to Persons obnoxious enough in other trusts under him about the same time inclin'd the Episcopall Clergy to expect the like when their case should come to be dnely and impartially represented for seeing his mercy extended to Out-laws and Criminalls of the Grossest Sieze they who are Gods Ambassadors doubted not to pertake of it their escapes if such they may be called being only in points very dubious and material And for a good time they seem'd not to be mistaken of their hope for during thâ— whole Session of Parliament no mention was made of any further proceedings against them Yea one thing gave no small encouragement That when the Act of Parliament pass'd for obliging all persons in Civill and Military Capacities to take the Oath of Allegiance the Clergy were not comprehended in that Act and tho' it were once mov'd in the house that the Oath should be put to them as well as to others yet did not obtain This made many believe that Peace and Settlement were really in their prospect and that all designs of ripping up the old quarrell for not reading the Proclamation were quite laid aside and more tender measures to be us'd which are certainly the most effectuall in such Cases But there are some who thought the true reason why at that time the Clergy was not ordain'd to take the Oath of Allegiance was more out of respect to the Presbyterian Preachers than the Episcopall Ministers for those of their own party in the Parliament who best knew their inclination that way had reason to fear they might Scruple at the same Oath not upon the grounds which others went upon but because their Modell of Church-Government was not setled by Law they would not come under Allegiance to this King till first he had done their business And it 's presumable enough by what many of them have since dropt in their Sâ—rmons and other discourses if this Oath had been put to them as to others in Secular trusts they had discover'd more of partiality to their Interests then of Loyalty to K. William for it may by the Covenant will be by some requir'd to be renu'd before they think their Allegiance either due or right placed But no sooner was the Parliament adjourn'd and severall of the Chief Nobility gone to the Country then a Proclamation was emitted Surprizing enough because not expected by the Privy-Council which did in express terms to use the words of it Invite and Allow Parisbioners and other hearers to inform against Ministers who had not read the Proclamation of the Estates and prayed for King William and Queen Mary for the one could not serve without the other This General Invitation coming from such an Authority to a hot sort of People had a very ready Obedience pay'd to it For one or two of the meanest of a Parish and sometimes the Agents of the Faction in several Places borrowed Mens Names without their knowledge to fill up their Citations and either of these were thought sufficient to accuse their Minister upon which Summons were issued out to cite them to appear at Edenborough within 6 or 10 days before the Privy-Council Whereupon has followed the depriving of such as came before them and had not read the Proclamation And this has outed almost all the Parochial Clergy in the Shires of Marsh Tiviotdale the three Lothians Fife Striveling-shire Perth-shire and some in Aberdeen-shire Murray and Rose amounting as I am credibly informed to the number of above two hundred which was all they could possibly dispatch in so short a time Their whole Process went upon two Points The first was whether they had read to their People on the day Appointed the Proclamation Emitted by the Convention of Estates The Second whether they had pray'd or did pray for King William and Queen Mary As to the first their defences were that they never received it or that it came not to their hands till the day appointed to read it was pass'd Or lastly that it was not Legally delivered to them as the Order for Publick Prayers used to be viz. by Orders from their Ordinaries But none of these defences were sustained in their Case As for the Second point of Inditement viz. whether they prayed for K. William and Q. Mary all cited were not Guilty for there are several Instances of Ministers who had pray'd and promised to pray for K. Willâ—am and Q. Mary who yet were turn'd out of their Livings and continue depriv'd to this day 'T is not deny'd that there are very many who cannot come this length being still under the power of their former Scruples in the matter of Allegiance As for these tho' they are persons of peaceable principles and practices and are ready to submit to the will of God and the Command of Superiors yet all that 's pleaded for them is only favour and Indulgence And if a delay for some longer time to consider Maturely upon these matters could be allow'd it would be very acceptable very becoming these to grant who have so loudly exclaim'd against Persecution for Conscience sake and cryâ—d up so much moderation and thanked King Iames for Tolleration But what may they expect when others who were willing to obey and did acknowledge the present Government in all that is requir'd were yet turn'd out of their Places and Properties by the Rabble to whom no redress is made tho' humbly supplicated by those Sufferers In France it self if a man renounce his Religion he saves his Life and fortune tho' that be indeed a base bargain yet the mercy of this severity is all that 's desired here Oh! when will these things be seriously considered and effectually redressed by the Government And when shall such a temper be happily fal'n upon as may quiet the minds and secure the persons of all good pious and peaceable Protestants I thought to have ended here and given you no further trouble upon this Melancholy Subject but that I hear of a plausible pretext given out to you in England for this sharp handling of the Scots Clergy which is that there is no advantage taken of any Minister who is willing for the time to come to pray for King William and Queen Mary if he be otherwise of approved integrity in life and Doctrine But that the strictness us'd is only against Scandalous persons and so by this means they are more easily turn'd out of the Church than they should be by a Legal Tryal upon such an Accusation And since this pretenâ—e is made use of in England to their disadvantage where the truth of this matter is not yet so well known I must needs say something to it And first it 's not ordinary