take and subscribe the same And ordains the Moderator of the respective Presbyteries to return the said Oath so taken and subscribed to the Clerks of Privy Council betwixt and the first of October next and orduins the first Diet of Meeting of the several Provincial Assemblies of this Kingdom to be upon the second Tuesday of October next at the ordinary places where the Synâ—ds and Provincial Assemblies were in use to meet And ordains the Church-Sessions to be elâ—cted and chosen both in Burgh and Landward at the ordinary times and after the ordinary manner Tho King William desired the Presbyterians to pass this Act for the Settlement of their Government in the Church yet because it seemed to restrain them from controling the State when they pleased as they had been always wont to do when in power for sometimes the Parliament and General Assembly flatly contradicted one another as in the year 1674. when King Charles â— was kept Prisoner at the Isle of Wight the Convention of Estates voted that an Army should be sent as it was under the Command of Duke Hamilton to relieve His Majesty but the General Assembly pass'd an Act at the same time flatly contradicting that and accordingly after the King's Forces were defeated by the Rebels in England the Kirk to show their absolute Supremacy in the State forced the Nobily and Gentry who were Officers under the Duke to make their Repentance before the Congregations publickly in Sackcloth I say because this Act seemed to restrain them from meddling in State Affairs as they had been wont to do leaving them no power in the State and the King some power in the Church as that they could not call a General Assembly without acquainting him with the necessity of it therefore this Act was rejected with great Contempt and Indignation and the Presbyterian Minister who was then in Quality of a Chaplain in the Parliament said that they would rather than admit of such a Mangled Mungril Presbytery beg back the Bishops again and that it was Nonsence not to allow the Clergy to impose other Oaths as well as that of Allegiance The Conclusion SOme may perhaps think it an unkindness done to the Nation of Scotland thus to expose the publick Acts of the Kingdom which were never ridiculous or afraid of the light but only when some Men Govâ—rned who are indeed the far least and most inconsiderable part of the People otherways why should they so violently now oppose the Dissolving of this Parliament and the Calling of a new one since it is certain that the Humour of the Nation cannot be so well known by a thin Convâ—ntion which was called in an extraordinary Hurry in a great Confusion and Fermentation of the People and which proceeded with equal Heat and Precipitancy Others may think that by publishing the Names as is here done of some few of these good Men who have suffered they shall be thereby dangerously exposed to the Fury and Violence of these Zealots whose greatest Mercy is Cruelâ—y Indeed there is too much Ground for this Conjecture But our Enemies have put us upon this Necessity for the late account that was given in some Letters of the present Persecution of the Church in Scotland tho it was exactly true in all the Matters of Fact relating to that Persecution yet in England where these things are not so well known some Men being ashamed of these Barbarities to which they gave all the Life they could at such a distâ—nce have industriously represented by their Tongues and Pens that account as altogether False and Fabulous altho even themselves are but too well satisfied that it contains sad Truths Their Mercurius Reformatus as he stiles himself wanting Advertisements and good News from Ireland to fill up his Weekly Papers stuffs two or three of them with Reflections on that former account of our Persecution First He doubts the Matters of Fact are not true and it 's something strange that one who has conversed so intimately with and been most of his Life bred up amongst Scotch Fanaticks should so much question their natural and customary Practices Secondly He imputes all the Mischief if says he there has been any wholly to the Rabble and wonders that any part of it should be charged upon the Godly Patriots to whom the Government of that Kingdom is now intrusted But now if the Matters of Fact so fully attâ—sted in this Book and the publick Acts so faithfully transcribed do not satisfie him and those few whom he may have led into these his willful Mistakes they must be allowed to doubt on till one come from the Dead to inform them if even that can perswade them to believe But Thirdly which shows that he is indeed but a new Observator he seems to grant what he would deny for acknowledging the Persecution he says That it was occasioned by the Severities wherewith the â—piscopal Party had treated the Presbyterians in the by-gone Reigns as if their new Gospel could adopt Revenge into a vertue and as if all the Punishments inflicted upon Rebels by the State for its own Security were to be charged only upon the Church and revenged now upon the Clergy the poor helpless Prelates and their Curates Fourthly He 's confident that the whole Book is but a malicious Design to Bespatter the present Government if the Government be bespattered when the true account of their open Proceedings is fairly published to the World then the faultlyes originally in that Government not in the Historian It 's a strange Severity in any Government not to suffer Men to groan under Burthens because it imposed them and to knock Men in the Head for but clattering those Chains wherewith the Government Fetters them Fifthly He quarrels at the Stile of the Letters for the Authors he says do no where express any thing of duty or Allegiance to the present Governours but according to Mercurius's own Principles of Policy there 's time enough for that when they find themselves according to the Articles of the pretended Original Contract and many fair promises secured in their Religion Liberties and Properties for now it 's a received Axiom it seems that Protection and Allegiance are reciprocal Again He 's offended at the Sharpness and Severity which he discovers in the Expressions then he runs out in many Rhetorical Commendations by way of new reformed Observation upon Moderation and recommends it from the great Example of a famous Roman Catholick Prince whereas at another turn he will not allow either Popish Prince or People to be capable of the least Moderation meerly because they are Papists It 's hard to think why this Gentleman should be so much offended with the Stile of those Letter's it 's not I hope for the Scoticisms in them for that 's a Fault that neither he nor we can so easily help in our Writing perhaps he 's angry that he as a Scotch Doctor was not entrusted to purge out their sharp Humour before
all the abrupt Information that now in haste can be given but you may have a further account afterwards Mr. Iohn Maubray Minister at Vphall did comply with all that was required of him by the Council yet the Rabble came â—pon him did cast out his Plenishing tore his Gown affâ—ighted his Wife so that she died shortly after Being thus violently thrust from his Wife he came to his Patron Lord Cardrose one of the present Privy-Council and desired that his Lordship would allow him but to shelter himself in some Chamber of his Lordships House of Kirkhill till he provided himself of some other place but my Lord denied his request He then adventured again to lodge in the Manse to preach to his People but the Lord Cardrose commanded him to forbear and when he would not promise to abstain his Lordship did take from the said Mr. Iohn the Keys of the Church-doors so that he has excluded him the Kirk This can be proved by many famous Witnesses as is now attested by W. S. I. M. The Persecution of Mr. Francis Scot. MR. Francis Scot Minister of the Gospel at Tweedmore was ejected by the Rabble and his whole Family turned out of doors his Wife having been delivered of a Child four days before tho he complied in all Points Mr. William Alison Minister of the Gospel at Kilbocho was ejected about the same time by the Rabble to wit the middle of Summer they holding Pistols to his Breast having given all Obedience to the Laws yet was cited by his Parochioners before the Council and was absolved and warranded to return to his Charge after a number of Women in his own Parochie rose up and went to his Manse wherein he had some plenishing standing and threw it out and broke it all in pieces and drove away his Cows that was pasturing in his own Glebe and destroyed all his Corn and now a Meeting-house Preacher possesseth his-Church preaching in it daily albeit he be authorized himself by Authority and after all this no care is taken to repossess him Witness our Hands F. S. W. A. A Letter to the Lord E ne Airth Octob. 14. 1689. May it please your Lordship WE your whole Neighhour Heretors concern'd in the Parish of Airth considering the Vacancy of our Church through the removal of Mr. Paul Gellie our Minister by the rash Depositions of two or three insignificant Persons and the great Insolencies of the Rabble thereupon without Law or Order in abusing and violently possessing the Church conceived our selves obliged to intreat your Lordship to see what may be done for the Redress and Satisfaction of orderly People And seeing we have nothing to object against the Life or Doctrine of our Minister who is well beloved by the whole Body of the Parish whose Loyalty and Painfulness in the Ministry your Lordship knows It is our â—arnest desire that you interpose your endeavour to get him repossess'd again in this Church if possible in doing of which you may be instrumental for promoting the good of this place and not only oblige the whole Body of the Parish but particularly us who are Your Lordships humble Servants Alex. Bruce Ia. Bruce of Powfouls Ionas Bruce of Letham Al. Elphinstone as Tutor of Stone-house Rob. Rolles of Panhouse I. Wright of Kersie I. Forssithe of Polmais Taillertowne A Letter to the Right Honourable the Lord E ne at London Barnton Octob. 17. 1689. My Dear Lord YOUR Lordship knows how Mr. Paul Gellie your Minister has deported himself in his Ministry at Airth and has gained the Affections of all the Parish except three or four of the very worst of them and how he was removed from his Charge upon the Depositions of two flagitious Fellows who had resolved to Damn themselves to get him out of his Ministry If your Lordship can get his Casâ— fairly represented and him reponed to his Charge I hear that the Hail Heretors and the most substantious Tenents will take it as a singular Favour And albeit I have no Interest but as a Tutor to Airth I will esteem it for a singular Kindness My most humble Service to my Lady and I am My Lord Your Lordships most humble and faithful Servant Ro. Mylne A Letter to the Lord E ne in London Edin Nov. 19. 1689. My Lord I Have sent the Testimony of the Heretors of your Lordships Parish with Barnton's in my Favours hoping your Lordship on their Testificat with your own Knowledge may procure an Order of Reinstallment from His Majesty to me especially considering that to your certain knowledge I have given full Obedience to the Government and have in my Custody the Testimonies of an hundred and fifty Heads of Families subscribed by them ready to depone the truth of my Obedience and Innocency of what these two infamous Persons witnessed against me Yea I have a subscribed Testimony of honest Men offering to prove these two Witnesses by whom I was deposed really perjured and before credible famous Witnesses one of them has confessed his Perjury And if His Majesty be informed of the manifest Injury done me by two perjured Persons contrary to the Testimony of the whole Parish I doubt not of an Order of Reinstallment and truly the Falsehood Malice and Cruelty of that Party in your Lordships Parish is so known to the Presbyterian Ministers themselves that scarcely any one will come and preach to them for tho they violently possess the Church which they have greatly abused they had not a Sermon these divers Sabbaths So that our People not only want the preaching of the Gospel but likewise the Ordinances of the Lords Supper and Baptism If I were present I am assured to prevail and if you judge it expedient send me word by a Line and with the help of God I shall come on my own Horse by Land for I am afraid to venture by Sea I would have sent the Testificat of the whole Parish contrary to these two false Depositions against me but I am afraid they may be miscarried and it would be hard for me to recover them again at this juncture of time but I think your Lordships own Testimony will be sufficient with what I have done My Lord I need not use motives to perswade your Lordship to move herein all are confident you both may and will prevail for an Order from His Majesty for my Reinstallment which will be for your Lordships Honour who is Patron and for His Majesties Interest as well as my Advantage I shall add no more but pray for the Blessing of God on your Lordship Lady and the whole Children which shall ever be continued by My Lord Your Lordships most faithful and Obedient Servant Paul Gellie The Fourth Collection of Papers containing Proclamations Acts of Convention and Council A Proclamation against Owning of the late King Iames and Commanding Publick Prayers to be made for King William and Queen Mary THE Estates of this Kingdom of Scotland having proclaimed and declared
William and Mary King and Queen of England France and Ireland to be King and Queen of Scotland They have thought fit by publick Proclamation to certifie the Leidges that none presume to own or acknowledge the late King Iames the Seventh for their King nor obey accept or assist any Commissions or Orders that may be Emitted by him or any way to Correspond with him and that none presume upon their highest Peril by Word Writing in Sermons or any other manner of Way to Impugn or Disown the Royal Authority of William and Mary King and Queen of Scotland But that all the Leidges render their Dutiful Obedience to their Majesties And that none presume to Misconstrue the Proceeding of the Estates or to Create Jealousies or Misapprehensions of the Actings of the Government but that all the Ministers of the Gospel within the Kingdom publickly Pray for King William and Queen Mary as King and Queen of this Realm And the Estates do Require the Ministers within the City of Edinburgh under the pain of being Deprived and losing their Benefices to Read this Proclamation publickly from their Pulpits upon Sunday next being the 14th instant at the end of their Forenoons Sermon And the Ministers on this side of the River of Tay to Read the same upon Sunday thereafter the 21st Instant And those Be-north Tay upon the 28th Instant under the pain foresaid Discharging hereby the Proclamation of the Council Dated the 16th of September 1686. to be read hereafter in Churches And the Estates do Prohibit and Discharge any Injury to be offered by any Person whatsoever to any Ministers of the Gospel either in Churches or Meeting-houses who are presently in the Possession and Exercise of their Ministry therein they behaving themselves as becomes under the present Government And Ordains this Proclamation to be published at the Mercat-Cross of Edinburgh with all ordinary Solâ—mnities that none may pretend Ignorance Extracted forth of the Records of the Meeting of the Estates by me Ro. M ckenzie God save King William and Queen Mary The Reader is desired to take notice because omitted in the Narrative that tho the Presbyterian Preachers whom it is certain the Convention thought Gospel-Ministers were obliged as much at least as any others to read this Proclamation and had it for that purpose sent them yet they were never called in question for their neglect of it tho that was sufficient to turn out the Orthodox Clergy which to play the Pedant for once amounts to this in Latin Dat veniam Corvis vexat censura columbas In Scotch Show me the Man and I 'll show you the Law The truth is the Governours knew that many of the Meeting-house Preachers could not be induced to do any thing in favour of any King until he had first declared for Presbytery and renewed the Holy Covenant and this is the true reason why no Oath of Allegiance is yet put to any of the Clergy in Scotland either of the one Perswasion or the other This Proclamation was not published till Saturday April 1â— 1689. and sent to the Ministers at Edinburgh late that night and to some of them not till Sunday Morning and yet upon that short Advertisement all were to satisfie their Scruples of Conscience against next Morning about Translating their Allegiance which they had Sworn to one King to another who had not then declared that he would accept the Crown upon such Conditions as it was offered with otherways they were to be deprived This is pressing of Conscience with a witness and 't is plain from the latter part of this Proclamation that Men might offer what Injury they pleased to Ministers of the Gospel who were not then in exercise and possession of their Ministry that is indeed to all the Orthodox Ministers in the West who had been some months before drawn from their Possessions by the Rabble To the King 's most Excellent Majesty The Humble Address of the Presbyterian Ministers in His Majesties Kingdom of Scotland May it please your Majesty WE Your Majesties most Loyal Subjects the Ministers of the Presbyterian Perswasion in your Ancient Kingdom of Scotland from the deep Sense we have of Your Majesties gracious and surprizing Favour in not only putting a stop to our Long Sad Sufferings for Non-conformity but granting us the Liberty of the publick and peaceable Exercise of our Ministerial Function without any Hâ—zard as we bless the great God who hath put this in Your Royal Heart do withal find our selves bound in Duty to offer our most humble and hearty Thanks to Your Sacred Majâ—sty the Favour bestowed being to us and all the People of our Perswasion valuable above all our Earthly Comforts Especially since we have Ground from Your Majesty to believe That our Loyalty is not to be questioned upon the account of our being Presbyterians who as we have amidst all former Temptations endeavoured so are firmly resolved still to preserve an entire Loyalty in our Doctrine and Practice consonant to our known Principles which according to the Holy Scriptures are contained in the Confession of Faith generally owned by Presbyterians in all Your Majesties Dominions And by the help of God so to demean our selves as Your Majesty may find cause rather to enlarge than to diminish Your Favours towards us Throughly perswading our selves from Your Majesties Justice and Goodness That if we shall at any time be otherwise represented Your Majesty will not give Credit to such Information until You take due Cognition thereof And humbly bâ—seeching that those who promote any Disloyal Principles and Practices as we do disown them may be look'd upon as none of ours whatsoever Name thâ—y may assume to themselves May it please Your most Excellent Majesty graciously to accept this our humble Address as proceeding from the Plainness and Sincerity of Loyal and Thankful Hearts much engaged by this Your Royal Favour to continue our fervent Prayers to the King of Kings for Divine Illumination and Conduct with all other Blessings Spiritual and Temporal ever to attend Your Royal Person and Government which is the greatest Duty can be reâ—dred to Your Majesty by Your Majesties most humble most faithful and most obedient Subjects Subscribed in our own Names and in the Name of the rest of the Brethren of our Perswasion at their desire At Edinburgh the Twenty first day of Iuly in the Year One thousand six hundred eighty seven To the King 's Most Excellent Majesty The humble Address of those of the Presbyterian Perswasion in the City of Edinburgh and Canongate May it please Your most Sacred Majesty WE cannot find suitable Expressions to evidence our most humble and grateful Acknowledgments for your Majesties late Gracious Declaration by which we are happily delivered of many sad and grievous Burdens we have long groaned under And all Restrainsts to our great Joy being taken off are allowed the free and peaceable publick Exercise of our Religion a Mercy which is dearer to us than our Lives
they were allowed to take the open Air in England When the new Observator upon March 26. last published my Lord Crasurd's Letter dated Edinburgh March 16. 1690. he might have observed that in that Letter my Lord fairly owns that the Council did at the same time that they proceeded against Ministers for not praying for King William take probation of Crimes of another nature also against them tho the Cognisance of them did no way belong to the Council these are the very words of the Letter for if this be true the Proceedings of the Council against the Ministers must be acknowledged not to have been fair and legal for the Observator himself who once pretended to an inferior kind of Practice in the Scots Law knows I hope so much as that no Court ought to hear probation of Crimes whereof they have not the Cognizance nay the best of Men may be abused by such Proceedings for if the Court be not competent the Defendants cannot be admitted to object against the Insufficiency of the Probation and so the worst things may be proved against the most innocent People But of all them that have written or spoken against the Account given in those Lettert we owe the most Thanks to one downright true thorough-paced Presbyterian who writes a Pamphlet against it called A Brief and true Account of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland occasioned by the Episcopalians since the year 1660. The Book is indeed worth the reading because in it the Author has fairly pulled off that Mask which others more Cunning but less Honest love to act under I shall not here hazard the turning of the Readers Stomach by repeating any of these his most fulsâ—me Expressions which he liberally strows in every Page of his Book only this I must say That it 's not possible for a Devil to bring more Railing and false Aâ—cusations against the Brethren than this pure Presbyterian does against our Clergy and States-men he has learned it seems of his Friend Matchiavel to calumniate boldly hoping that if he throw a great deal of Dirt some of it may stick but his Mallce is too large to be confin'd to Scotland and therefore he opens foully against the Church of England too for he says That Dr. Oates a modest Man like himself did the Nation more Service than the seven Idolized Stars so many of whom are now turned Dark-lanthorns Neither must the Complying Bishops escape his Fury for of them he says That as they have the Dishonour of being the Mother of that Helâ—ish Monster Possive Obedience they have also the Ignominy of being the Murtherirs of it having new basely cut its Threat as Harlots use sometimes to do with their spurious Breed Then as for the English Clergy in general he says That let their Hyperbolical Pretentions to Zeal for Religion and Loyalty be what it will yet if the King put forth his hand and touch them they will Curse him to his face and rather than part with on inch of Superstition or a Swinish Lust will as the Party have always done lay a Confideracy with Hell and Rome as times past and present do evidence beyond Contradiction from the Reformation to this day In another place he says That their dayly Prayers are that God would pull down the Antichristian Hierarchy also in England and why says he may we not do it as well as the English Prelates and Clergy Plot Drink and plead against the Scotch Presbytery Then he soretells the Downfall of the Church of England Notwithstanding their Sessions as he speaks at the Devil to prevent it and for the fulfilling of this his fatal Prephecy he declares War against them and bids them blame themselves for it if another Invasion from Scotland prove as fatal to them now as it did in Bishop Laud's time and that the Godly Women will with their Folding-stools once mere arm against them as they did in King Charles I. time This is a true Specimen of the Love and Charity that the Scotch Presbyterians have to the Church of England and it 's but a little part of that Fire and Slaughter which our Author breaths out against them Further yet he condemns all the orderly Churches in 〈◊〉 for says he All those who use Set Forms of Prayer are Strangers to the Power of Godliness So that neither the Presbyterians themselves in Holland nor in France no nor in Geneva must escape the Lash of our Scotch Reformers until they be purified according to the Pattern in the Mount the Covenant Standard But that I may not rake any longer in this Dunghill our Author is as far from Truth in the Points of History he relates as his manner of Expression is from the Spirit of Meekness and Charity and his whole Discourse is as inconsistent with that as his beloved Doctrine of Resistance is with the Thirteenth Chapter to the Romans and that they who shall please next to draw their Pens against us who are already sufficiâ—ntly persecuted by their hands may find some Matter as well as Words to fill their Weekly Papers I shall take leave of them in some few plain Queries First Considering the Great Charity which the Scotch Presbyterians have for the Church of England as you have heard and their Intention of visiting them again which the Author has threatned as they did in the year 39. when Plate Jewels Money Houshold-goods Cattle and all Moveables were declared Malignants and they grew witty in their Zeal and told they came for all their Goods And considering that they are more Numerous now than they were then and if they be establish'd by Law will be much more Formidable because all will be forc'd to joyn with them or suffer their utmost Persecution for they have declared Toleration to be Aâ—tichristian And considering that their Solemn League and Covenant obliges them to root out Episcopacy in England and Ireland and never to desist till they have effected it I say considering these things and what they have formerly done upon the same Principles Query whether the Settling Presbytery in Scotland be reconcilable to the Securing Episcopacy in England 2ly Whether even King William can secure himself in the Monarchy against those who formerly refused to Dissolve at the King's Command in the Assembly of Glasgow in the year 38. who preach'd the Subjects into a furious Rebellion and to the delivering up the King his Grandfather to be murdered who by Act of their General Assembly in 48. declared his Negative Voice inconsistent with the Liberty of the Subject and who since himself was made King have risen twice in Arms once to the number of some Thousands who threw out the Episcopal Ministers by their own Authority which our Author says was Deservedly enough Beating Wounding and Tormenting them Another time a more formidable number in a hostile manner made an Address to the Council telling them That they would not lay down their Arms