to endure the fatigue of travelling and lying by night in the cold Mountains who were so barbarously used by the prelatical Apostles that they could not satisfy their hunger with the brother wherein their Parents Cattle had been boiled till the Souldiers Dogs had first lapped and left it And their usual saying was We came to destroy and we will destroy and all this before the People could be charged with any Insurrection but meerly upon the Account of not hearing And to testify what respect those infernal Furies had for Religion instead of going to Church themselves whither they were sent to drive others a Party of them assembled at a Mercat-Cross and one of their Number read some verses of an old amorous Scotish Poem called the Cherry and the Sloe instead of a Sermon and they sung another part of it instead of a Psalm without any Animadversion from their devote Church or Pious State for such tremendous Atheism And to consummate the Misery of the poor People Sir Ja. Turner the Commander in chief of those hellish Episcopal Missionaries being conscious that he had exceeded the bounds of his Ungodly Commission extorted a Certificate from the distressed Country that he had behaved himself according to Law which horrible Oppression together with their Barbarous Usage of some honest Men against whom they had nothing but the Matters of their God whom they tied Neck and heels together and cast two of them one to ballance another on Horse-back as Butchers do Sheep designed for the Slaughter occasioned a small Number to take Arms in 1666 because they could not otherwise be safe from the insults of the Souldiers and Prelatists that they might present a Petition to the Council for Redress of those Grievances The Prelatical Party having got it made Treason to Petition the King otherwise than by his Counsel which being composed of the wicked Bishops and their debauched Adherents they would be sure to stifle all Remonstrances against their Barbarity that they should not see Light But to return to our Author He tells us That the Scots Episcopal Clergy pray heartily that the Discipline Order and Constitution of the English Church might be settled amongst them to prevent Supineness and Indevotgion which is a Mass of Ignorance and Nonsense Have they not had the Episcopal Discipline almost these thirty Years and is not that the discipline of the Church of England How come they then to pray so heartily to have that which they enjoyed Had not the King the naming or if you will the making of the Bishops they and the Patrons the making of the Priests and Laws to compel the People to own them as such And was not that the Constitution of the Church of England Then what needed they desire that which they had And notwithstanding of all this Is not that Supineness and Indevotion amongst their own hearers I appeal to their Consciences if it be not Then how doth it appear that the Discipline of the English Church is so excellent a Mean to prevent it But you 'l say they wanted the Common-Prayer and Ceremonies True but that 's neither the Constitution nor Discipline but the Worship of the Church of England and whether that be so excellent a Mean to prevent Supineness and Indevotion any Man may judg who will but cast his Eyes about him and see whether Supineness and Indevotion and their Concomitants Swearing Drinking c. be more the Character of those of that Church or of Dissenters from it I am sure they who observed the Practice of the D. of York's Family where that worship was zealously maintained when he was in Scotland had no Reason to admire the Effects of that Devotion for they and their Master together turn'd the Palace into a Baudy-house and indeavoured to make the whole City a Stews wherein that Episcopal Concurrence to so good a Work might not be wanting the Bishop of Edinburgh lent a helping-hand and was taken in the very Act of filthiness with one of his Ladies of Honour by a Lady of greatest Quality in that Nation and this very Bishop was the most zealous of any for the English Liturgy and Ceremonies and I understand since one of those who our Pamphleteer says refresh'd their Souls with that kind of Worship now in their Distress But if they had consulted their own Honour they would never have bragged of such a Proselyte who is fitter for a Stallion or if now superannuated for that Work to be a Pimp to a Baudy-house than owned as a Member of any Church and much less as a Right Reverend Father in God he having been always better at kissing his Band-strings in the middle of his Sermon to give Assurance to a Whore that he could think of her in the middle of his Devotion than to govern in the Church Neither do I think that the Reformedness of those of the Church-Communion in the Borders whence our Pamphleteer pretends to write can be any Tentation to our Episcopal Clergy to desire the aforesaid Worship for I my self not many Years ago have seen Piping Dancing and playing amongst such on the Sabbath where many times the Priest was Spectator if not Partner And until the Scots Presbyterian Ministers by their Preaching reformed that Country such Practices were very ordinary And Malice it self must needs own that the Sermons of such have repressed Theft c. more on the Borders than either the Laws of the State or the Preaching and Discipline of the Church of England yea many of those who were infamous Thieves were never molested for that while they heard their Parish-Priests but upon turning from these evil ways have on the Account of their Nonconformity been exposed by those Hirelings to great Sufferings who belike were of the same Opinion with that infamous Parricide Sorcerer and incestuous Apostate Sharp Archbishop of St. Andrews who having sent for that gallant and religious Gentleman Sir Will. Douglas late of Cavers instead of civil Behaviour to a Person of his Honour Descent and Quality who has better to hold his Stirrup than the chief of the Bishop's Family the infamous Varlot upbraided him thus Sir William I understand you are a good Countryman and suppress theft in the Borders but you entertain that which is worse at your House viz. Presbyterian Ministers To which the worthy Gentleman with a Greatness of Soul suitable to the Grandeur of his Family disdained to return any Answer but immediately turn'd his back upon and left the infamous Villain to corrode his own viperous Bowels with his inhumane Fury Yea the Scots Episcopalians themselves were so sensible of the remiss Discipline of the Church of England that when any of their Daughters had been impregnated in Fornication or Adultery it was usual amongst such as were willing to avoid the Disgrace of it to send them over the Borders to be delivered which in that Country is called the spinning of a blue Web And the honest Priests for a little Spell of
Gentry if there were so many of them enter their Protestation against those Laws We hear but of very few of their Advocates there and those who did plead for them were such as had been imbrued in Presbyterian Blood and consequently under Cain's Dread and have been actually questioned since by the Parliament as dissaffected to the present Government and the Truth is they have few Friends but such as if they had Power would molest it as the late Viscount Dundee who was the first that made any Appearance for them and did at the same time declare against the Government And that the better sort of the Commonalty are their Friends is a hellish Lie except the Ignorant Prosane Swearing Cursing Drunken Whoring Rabble and such as have no Worship of God in their Families as not one in a thousand of the Prelatists have so much as the Form of it be the best and those who walk in the contrary steps be the worst I appeal to their own Consciences if they do not know this to be true and to all Men of any Morality who make Conscience of speaking Truth to say to the contrary if they can and whether this Assertion of his be not an impudent Lie in the Face of God and Man it being very well known that debauched Persons were always their greatest Friends and that the Generality of those who had any Piety were their professed Opposers And as for their Clergy's Inclinations to the English Liturgy and comforting their Souls with it in their Distress Whatever Influence it may have upon many of the English Clergy to assist them who will a thousand to one be readier to do that than swear Allegiance to their Soveraigns it will be found but an inauspicious Argument with their own Country-men and perhaps may arm the Good-women with their Folding-stools once more against them as it did formerly in Charles the first 's time when one of the Bishops begun to read the Common-Prayer which she called Papery in her Ears And indeed it verifies what the Dissenters have always said of them that they were strangers to the Power of Godliness and not knowing how to pray without must now have Recourse to a Form of which whatever need may be pretended for the Weak they are as unreasonable and unnatural an Imposition upon the Strong but especially on Ministers in the Exercise of all their Ministerial Duties as would be the imposing of Crutches upon the Adult and able part of Mankind who can walk better without them and use them who will if they have any Experience of Christianity on their Souls they will quickly find the best of their Forms as defective and ill suited to their various Needs as the poor Man did who came to the Parson for a Prayer to quench his burning House The Priest turning over his Book and finding none for the purpose at last bethought himself of that for Rain which being only for moderate Showers the poor Man finding that not to reach his case cried Nay Good Lord whole Buckets full for moderate Showers will not do my turn His topping Reflection comes next that the Scots Presbyterians pray that God will put down the Anti-Christian Hierarchy also in England But he supposes that to proceed from Zeal rather than Encouragement of Authority though he wishes there were no Features in the present Face of things that encourages such sad Prognostications Hinc illae lacrymae Pray good Sir Is it not as lawful for the Scots Presbyterians to pray against the Hierarchy as Anti-christian as it was for a Metropolitan of England in the last Parliament to declare the Dissenters were not Christians and be it known to his Lordship I 'le undertake to prove the former as soon as he shall have made good the latter Or farther why may not the Scots Presbyterians as well pray against the English Hierarchy as the English Clergy and Prelates too Plot Drink and Plead we know where against the Scots Presbytery and I believe they would pray against it also but that they have not a Form for it whih they may easily provide for now that they are about mending the Liturgy and then there will be quid pro quo And whereas he supposes they are not herein encouraged by Authority If he means the Authority of England it 's Nonsense for they have nothing to do with it but if he mean the Authority of Scotland he discovers his Ignorance and Sauciness for it is plain they have done what was proper for a Civil Government as such to do viz. they have declared the Hierarchy as to their own part Antihumane that is contrary to the Peoples Inclinations and an insupportable Grievance to the Nation and I suppose are so good natured to wish their Neighbours were rid of it too and so much the rather that they have so often found and do still find their imposing sawcy Intrigues against the Kingdom of Scotland where they have nothing to do wherein if they persist it may perhaps and let them blame themselves for it prove as fatal to them as it did in the Days of Laud. But seeing our Author is so good a Physiognomist as to discover Features in the present Face of Affairs encouraging such sad Prognostications as the Fall of the Church of England's Hierarchy he would have done well to have discovered them that if possible the Effects might be prevented but this I suppose is reserved to the next Session at the Devil where the Pillars of the Hierarchy it 's possible may find some new Props or Butteresses if his Majesty's Oath repeated Assurances and Acts of Parliament be not Security enough But though the Scribler would by this Instance according to the usual practices of the Papists whereof the Church of England will never learn to be aware incense them against his Majesty as endeavouring to bring in Presbytery because he has in some part gratified the Inclinations of his Majesty's Subjects in Scotland they may assure themselves that so long as they can secure to their Hierarchy the Inclinations of the generality of the People of England they need not fear that his Majesty who abolished it to satisfy the Inclinations of his People in Scotland will do the like here contrary to the Inclinations of his People in England having drawn his first Breath in a Country where the People are suffered to follow their Inclinations in Matters of Religion and not cudgell'd according to the manner of some into a Ceremonial Uniformity where there is a substantial Multiformity And there would be so much the less hazard of their losing the Inclinations of the People if the People perceived his Majesty had more of theirs for they cannot suppose the People ignorant that almost all of the Hierarchy Bishops at least opposed his coming to the Crown of England which in a great measure obstructed the Relief and consequently occasioned the Ruin of Ireland nor that they do not observe how the Metropolitan of all
England and too many of the rest disown him still Nor have they forgot that upon the Opposition the Abdication and Vacancy of the Throne met with from the Mitred Lords that when the Matter came to the Lower House again they were followed by about 150 of the Commons and consequently the Nation at the very brink of Destruction by the morosity of the Mitres which occasioned severe Reflections upon them by some of their own Coronets viz. That they generally found the Bishops to be against that which was for the Nation 's Good c. And howsoever the late Opposition which they made to the late King may be magnified they seem quickly to have repented of it when so many of the same Men are at this Day opposite to his present Majesty's Title But supposing they had continued stedfast to the Nation 's Interest whatever good Nature might have done I am sure Justice would not have awarded them any Thanks but such as are due to Him who after he hath broke my Head allows me a Plaister Which will appear undeniably true if we consider that they threw out the Bill of Exclusion which makes them chargeable with all the Mischiefs past present and to come from that unhappy Reign And if they persist in such Courses it cannot but be thought that early or late the Nation may come to enquire what sort of Men they were who preached up Dispensing Power Passive Obedience Non-resistance c. And who were the most zealous in promoting Abhorrences of Petitions for a Parliament reading Charles the Second's Declaration for dissolving that of Oxford promising to assist and stand by him and the Duke of York publishing the Protestant Plots from their Pulpits whence they ridiculed that of the Papists which the Mitres are still so unwilling to have believed that most of them opposed the reversing of the Judgment of Perjury given against Dr. Oates who though little regarded did the Nation more Service than the Seven idolized Stars so many of whom are now turned dark Lanthorns Nor can it ever be forgot how many of the Inferior Clergy following the conduct of their Triple-headed Guide advanced the Interest of the Triple Crown and some of them topping Ones too at the Hour of Death grated with their slavish Non-sensical Doctrine of Non-resistance upon the Consciences of the Noble Hero's and Darlings of the People the Lord Russel and Duke of Monmouth upon the very Scaffolds and if the contrary Doctrine be damnable as they alledged then I am sure their Church hath been guilty of damnable Practices since As for his malicious Insinuation That it is not the want of Affection to the present Establishment that incenses the People of Scotland against the Episcopal Party he may remember that he contradicts himself in the first Page where he says That the Address of the Bishops against the Prince of Orange incensed the inferior People against them So we see the Proverb verified that Liars had need of good Memories And whereas he says That some of the Clergy expelled Scotland conform in all Points when they came to England it needs better proof than his Assertion to give it credit For what Reason can there be to own his Majesty's Authority in England that might not have prevailed with them to do it in Scotland Let any reasonable Answer be given to this and if there be any who do that here pretending they were turned out by Authority upon anyother Account there or that they may not have the Protection of Authority to stay there he would do well to give us their Names and we doubt not to prove them Infamous Scandalous Lying Runnagates of which we know there are too many who make it their Work to incense the Church of England against and make them jealous of his Majesty Of which Number this Pamphleteer seems to be by his malicious Insinuation That Cesar's Ear is not open to hear their Complaints a seditious Reflection as if his Majesty denied Common Justice to any of his Subjects which Authority is obliged to enquire into and punish And whereas he alledges That the Sufferings of these infamous Hirelings are not unlike those of the Primitive Christians To which of the Saints will he turn him or where will he find an Instance in the Primitive Church That the Ministers adhered to a persecuting Pagan Prince brought to the Crown by Force and Fraud against a Christian King duly elected by the People Let him give me such an one Et erit mihi Magnus Apollo But to conclude with a true Character of these Scotish Prelatists They are not such as out of Conscience decline to own the present Government but knowing themselves either to have been wicked Persecutors of scandalous Lives or Insufficient so as that they could not be continued in the Pastoral Charge under any good Government They thought it best to come off with a little Credit and pretend Loyalty to the Abdicated Prince I conclude with an obtestation to all sober Men not to regard the Gain-sayings of Hectors Ruffians prophane Fellows Cursers Jacobites Swearers c. to any thing here delivered though they should confirm their Attestations with execrable Oaths for they may be sure that such as make no Conscience to swear will make none to lie FINIS