Michaelmas Term which was the only apparent Falsity and for the rest it surpasses your Skill to prove it a Lie Instances on Record of the notorious Cruelty and Injustice used in the time of the late Prelatical Administrations in the Courts of Iudicature against the Presbyterians in the Persons of Sir Hugh and Sir Geo. Campbel and the Laâ—rd of Blackwood AS for the Morality and Vertue of the surviving grand Patron of the Faction and their lately deceased invincible Champion Sir George Mackenzy this following Instance will set it in its true Light Q ry tho Douglas by Sirname yet envying the Marquiss of Douglas the Chief of the Family whom he hath a Pique against for refusing to take the Cross-bar out of his Arms designed to revenge himself on his chief Chamberlain or Steward the Laird of Blackwood a pious and worthy Gentleman by whose Care the Marquiss's Estate is frugally managed and that illustrious Family chiefly enabled to maintain it self in what remains of its ancient Splendor Q ry and Sir George not knowing which way to reach this Gentleman did on purpose procuâ—e an Act to make Converse with such as they were pleased to call Rebels or Conversâ— with any that had Converse with them HIGH TREASON The Marquiss having good part of his Estate about Douglas in the West where a great many of his Tenants were concerned in the Insurrection at Bothwell-Bridg they thought that Blackwood must unavoidably converse with some of them upon the Marquiss's account and so of necessity be catch'd hereupon they indicted him and found it a hard matter however to prove any such thing upon him But getting notice that there was one Mr. Wilson an Inhabitant of Douglas a Man of considerable dealing with many of the Noblemens Chamberlains of the West that had also dealt with Blackwood and the said Wilson was reputed a grand Rebel because one of those who had been forc'd to take Arms by the Tyranny of the then Government They set a great many of their Implements at work to take him which was no hard matter to effect because he frequented most Markets in that part of the Country and was often at Edinburgh so having taken him they brought him to Sir George Mackenzy who threatned him terribly and accused him with abundance of Rebellious Practices which had rendred him obnoxious to the Law and liable to Death and having as he thought allarm'd him sufficiently then he begun to â—latter him that he should not only have a Remission but also a Reward if he would give Evidence that he had conversed with Blackwood whom they had then in Custody and under Process which he altogether reâ—used However Intercession being made to Sir George on Mr. Wilson's account and some undertaking to perswade him to a Compliance he admitted him to Bail to appear such a certain day Q ry having notice that Sir George had let Mr. Wilson go was so enraged at the Disappointment of swallowing Blackwood's Estate that being then in â— great Power he swore that if Sir Gâ—orge did not get Wilson again to hang Blackwood he should hang for him because he himself had conversed with Wilson a Rebel and let him go Sir George being thus circumstantiated sent in quest of Mr. Wilson before his day but he could not be found However they proceed to Trial and which was easy for them to effectuate who were so dexterous at suborning of Witnesses and packing Juries got Blackwood condemned which his Advocates or Counsel particularly Sir George Lockhart were so angry at that they offered publickly in Court to prove Sir George to be as guilty as he viz. in conversing with Mr. Wilson who not being able to deny tho fain he would he confessed it and told them that he would go to his Majesty and get a Remission Whereupon all cry'd out Shame upon him to prosecute a Gentleman to Death for that whereof he was guilty himself And Blackwood's Counsel insisted that he ought to have the Benefit of a Remission also Notwithstanding Q ry and Sir George hurried on toward Execution nor could they allow the Gentleman time to prepare for Eternity but call'd for his Accounts of the Marquiss's Estate which the Noblemen and others appointed to take finding so just and seeing the Gentleman so grave and composed they became Intercessors for a Remission which was obtain'd and the Greed and Malice of his Enemies frustrated However we see by this Instance the Vertue Religion and Morality of the grand Pillars of our Scots Prelacy which our Pamphleteers do so much boast of But this following Instance will yet add a new Varnish to their illustrious and refulgent Vertues The barbarous Prelatical Persecution together with that unheard-of way of proceeding against Blackwood having alarm'd Sir Hugh and Sir George Campbel of Cesnock with other Gentlemen who were Presbyterians or favourers of them although they knew themselves Innocent yet thinking it not safe to stay in the Kingdom where Sir George Mackenzie could stretch the Law and make it reach the Life and Estate of whomsoever he would they came for London with a design to represent their Grievances to K. Charles the Second But that same Hand which persecuted the Presbyterians in Scotland falling upon the Dissenters and moderate Church-men in England those Gentlemen happened to come hither when the Earl of Essex my Lord Russel c. were committed on pretence of a Plot and Scots-men because oppressed being generally look'd upon as Disatisfied the said Sir Hugh and Sir George Campbel were illegally taken up without a Warrant and having been divers times examined by the King and Council there could not the least ground of Suspicion be found against them saving what Atterbury the Messenger did falsly Swear And being made sensible of his Perjury by the said Gentlemen he told them that his Oath could not harm them Which my Lord Melford and Sir George Mackenzie being aware of they went to the Duke of York And my Lord having a Prospect of the Gentlemens Estates they dealt with the Duke to procure a Warrant from the King to send them for Scotland where they would do their Business This was quickly granted and then Sir George set about suborning of Witnesses against them and the Evidence was managed and instructed by Sir W. Wallace of Craigy my Lord Melford's Brother-in-Law Hugh Wallace of Garits Chamberlain or Steward to the said Sir William and Hugh Wallace of Ingilston The Evidence being prepared Sir Hugh Campbel was brought upon his Trial before the Earl of Perth then lord-Lord-Justice General or lord-chief-Lord-Chief-Justice of Scotland who was very eager in the Prosecution and having pick'd a Jury for the purpose they proceeded to call the Evidence viz. Tho. Ingram Tenant to Hugh Wallace of Borland Cousin to Sir William Wallace the Suborner Daniel Crawford and one Fergusson The Earl of Perth having according to Form administred the Oath to the Witnesses which is always done with much Solemnity and Gravity in Scotland their
Enemies to the present Government and French Incendiaries or at least such a Crew as would sacriâ—ice all that is dear to us as Men and Christians to their own private Resentments 1. It is very well known and too lately transacted to be forgotten that the States of Scotland in their Claim of Right did demand the Abolition of Prelacy as contrary to the Inclination of the Generality of the People on which Condition amongst others their Majesties accepted that Crown and in pursuance of their Promise have by Act of Parliament abolished Prelacy since and established Presbytery in Scotland as most agreeable to the World of God as well as the Peoples Inclinations Then if their Majesties should be prevailed upon which blessed be God there is no cause to fear to act contrary to their solemn Oaths and the Claim of Right they must needs see that the People of Scotland would have ground enough to plead a Breach of the Original Contract nor could the Church of England for shame condemn them seeing they made use of the same Plea in their Convention and Parliament against King Iames. And in the next place let them but consider that upon the same ground this or any other King may as well break with them and invade the Constitution of their Church which by the Coronation-Oath they have bound him to maintain And whether Charles the Second after he was by them perswaded to break his Oath to the Presbyterians in Scotland made any greater Conscience of maintaining the Civil and Religious Liberties of England Iâ— appeal to themselves And therefore seeing by that excessive Power which they gave their Kings in things sacred meerly to destroy the Presbyterians they found at last that they had put a Rod in their Hands to whip themselves I think they should be cautious how they play that Game over again I do not write this as having any suspicion that their Majesties are so weak as to be prevailed upon to alter the Church-Government in Scotland but meerly to let the World see that they who sollicite them to it are their greatest Enemies and design to shake their Throne and that it is not the Church of England's Interest to countenance our Scots Prelatisâ—â— nor to importune their Majesties on that Head If what is already said be not enough I would earnestly intreat all sober Church-of England-Men to consider what were the Consequences of their meddling in our Affairs and incensing King Charles the First against the Presbyterians in favour of our Runnagate Prelates and their Hirelings And seeing like Causes may have the like Effects they would do well to beware It is not unknown that Scotland is a distinct Nation and ought to be govern'd by their own Laws and Councils and therefore it must needs be an Invasion of the Rights of Scotland for English Ministers of State and Prelates to meddle or give Counsel in Scotish Affairs when not call'd to it And I cannot but think that all reasonable Men will easily grant that the Parliament and General Assembly of the Church of Scotland are better Judges of what is expedient for that Nation than a few English Ministers of State or Prelates and that both of them have reason to reject what Directions or Injunctions come from such a Mint And I would put it to the Consciences of all judicious Church-of England-Men how they would take it if the King were in Scotland that any of the Dissenting Ministers who are really injured as those who preached at St. Hellin and Hiâ—ley Chappels in Lancashire or the whole of them because denied a Comprehension should â—ly thither and by their Interest with Scots Presbyterian Ministers of State and Preachers importune his Majesty to have the Constitution of the Church of England overturned and proâ—ure Orders to have such and such Ministers planted in Churches tho they refuse to satisfy the Law I say in such a case I appeal to their own Consciences how they would take it whether they would reckon themselves obliged to obey or if they would not complain that their Rights were invaded and demand Satisfaction of such Ministers of State c. as Incendiaries and Disâ—â—â—bers of the Harmony between King and Subjects I believe verily they would and that not without good reason tho I am sure the case is much stronger on our side still for the Dissenting Ministers of England are all of them Loyal to his Majesty willing to swear Allegiance and pray for him but so are not our Scots Prelatists And besides his Majesty is really the Head and Fountain of all Power in the Church of England who have not only their Temporal Baronies and Honours from him but are nominated to their Bishopricks by him but so it is not in Scotland where he hath divested himself of the Supremacy and neither bestows Lands nor Honours upon Church-Men Then the case being so the Golden Rule which commands us to do as we would be done by should oblige English-Men not to meddle with our Church no more than they would have us to meddle with theirs and if the Parliament of Scotland do pass over what of that Nature is already done it 's not to be supposed that the Red Rampant Lion is become so much a Calf as not to roar sometime or other and make the fattest and proudest of the Beasts in the Field to tremble as ersâ— of old but I hope and pray that God will avert both the Cause and the Effect The English Bishops did not gain so much by the the last Bellum Episcopale against us that they need to be fond of another and we doubt not to find as much Justice from the Parliament of England now as we found then and have no reason to doubt but King William would be as ready as Charles the First to deliver up his Ministers to the Law if it should be made appear against them that they have been meddling too much in our Affairs I know that our Scots Prelatists possess the Church of England that we think our selves obliged to endeavour the Extirpation of their Hierarchy and upon that account prevail with them to endeavour our Subversion But I would earnestly beg all moderate Men to weigh the following Answers 1. That the reason of entring into that solemn League and Covenant was the Fury which the English Prelates evidenced at that time against the Church of Scotland having excommunicated the same in all the Churches in England forced a Service-Book upon us more exceptionable than their own and in Conjunction with Papists enabled Charles the First to raise 30000 Men against us when the Parliament of England refus'd to concur with him insomuch that that Expedition was called the Bishops War But blessed be God his present Majesty is far from any such Attempt and the English Bishops the chief of them at least are Men of more Moderation So that there is no such cause for us to endeavour the Overthrow of their Hierarchy 2. That the
them in such a barbarous manner as must unavoidably procure Insurrections when they submitted to him without the least Opposition Sure I am the Church of England are more moderate to the Jacobites when they won't so much as admit of an Oath of Abjuration to be imposed on those in Places of Power and Trust. Pag. 88. He refers to Sir Geo. Mackenzie's Defence of Charles the Second's Government as unanswerable though the same hath already been confuted better than he can defend it But the modest Doctor goes on and says The Objections against that Government are only little Cavils and Exceptions No doubt Sir K. William and his present Parliament of Scotland are but little cavilling Fellows and the following Grievances complain'd of by the Convention of States were but small Exceptions viz. Disarming Protestants while Papists were employed Imposing Oaths contrary to Law Giving Gifts and Grants for exacting Money without Consent of Parliament or Convention of Estates Levying and keeping on foot a standing Army in Time of Peace and exacting free Quarters without Consent of Parliament Imploying Officers of the Army as Judges through the Kingdom c. even where there were Hereditary Offices and Jurisdictions who put many of the Subjects to death without any Form of Law Imprisoning Persons without expressing the Reason and delaying to bring them to Trial. Forfeiting several Persons on stretches of old and obsolete Laws as the Earl of Argile to the scandal of the Justice of the Nation Subverting the Right of Royal Burroughs imposing Magistrates and whole Town-Councils upon them contrary to their Charters without pretence of Sentence Surrender or Consent Ordering Judges to desist from determining some Causes and how to proceed in others Imposing extraordinary Fines exacting of exorbitant Bail and disposing of Fines and Forfeitures before Sentence Forcing the Subjects to make Oath against themselves in Capital Crimes Using Torture without Evidence or in ordinary Crimes Sending an Army in hostile manner upon several parts of the Kingdom in time of Peace Imposing Bonds without Authority of Parliament Suspending Counsellors from the Bar for not appearing when such Bonds were offered contrary to Law Putting Garisons in private Mens Houses in time of Peace without Consent of Parliament Making it Treason for Persons to refuse giving of their Thoughts in relation to Points of Treason or other Mens Actions Imprisoning and prosecuting the Subjects for petitioning the King and Parliament to grant Remedy by Law Now whether these be little Cavils and Exceptions Whether Charles the Second was not guilty of these Male-administrations and if so whether he deserved to be called a Wise and Peaceable Monarch let any Body judg And that they may do it the more impartially I would wish them to consider that there is a Woe denounced against them who call Evil Good and Good Evil. And I would pray the Doctor to tell me whether it was modesty in Sir George or is modesty in himself to defend these things which common Sense must needs condemn the Representatives of the Nation have adjudged as Grievances and the continuance in them as chiefly conducing to K. Iames's Forfeiture of the Crown I confess I do not at all wonder that Sir G. M. should defend a Government which advanc'd and imploy'd him These barbarous Laws and inhumane Prosecutions brought Griâ—t to his Mill and fill'd his Bags for it will eternally hold Dulâ—is odâ—r Lucri ex re qualibet even from Piss it self And there is yet the less cause of surprisal when we consider that he was Iohn White 's anglicè Iack Ketch 's Journyman or as he call'd himself Calumniator publicus and the common Libeller of the Presbyterians so that of necessity he must represent them as Monsters else he must own himself a bloody Butcher in prosecuting them at such a rate as he did But further Sir George's Arguments are all built upon a false Narrative of Matter of Fact nor could a truer Relation be expected from a Man of his Kidney who prostituted his Conscience not only to different Parties in the Church but contrary Factions in the State Let not the Scribler tax me as not generous for saying so seeing it is true for it can be no more a Crime in me to attaque Sir G. after his Death than for him to attaque Mr. Rutherford and others who are also in their Graves His Subornation against Sir Hugh and Sir Geo. Campbel was charged on him to his Face in open Court by the Persons whom he had suborned And in like manner it can be proved that he suborned others against Halside and did actually prosecute Blackwood for a pretended Crime whereof he himself was guilty viz. conversing with Mr. Wilson a Bothwel-Bridg-Man for which he aim'd at the Gentleman's Life and Estate so that no Reason will allow the Testimony of one who was so much a Party and notoriously unjust no more than we could allow the Calumnies of Bishop Bonner against the Protestants whose Blood he shed and thirsted after Nor are the Presbyterian Nurslings as he calls them so much gauled by Sir George's Book as he supposes and the unwary Doctor himself owns what I asserted that the Reasonings in the Treatise relate to the Papers publish'd by the Cameronians which shows how unfairly Sir George argued to instance Actions of Men rendred mad by a barbarous execution of Cannibal Laws to defend the making of those very Laws As for the Honour he alledges I do the Faction in mentioning some Great Men as Persecutors much good may it do them for if according to the Learned Doctor 's Argument Quality Sense and Interest cast the Ballance then certainly Nero and Iulian the Apostate were too heavy for the Apostles and Primitive Christians and that great Monster Lewis XIV has much the better of his Protestant Subjects Well but the Doctor says afterward They have reason to glory in their Parts Honour and Integrity which is none of my Business to question But the Instances they are charged with will come under none of those Heads and therefore the Doctor 's Panegyrick is foreign to the purpose But we can easily answer that their Majesties and present Parliament have declared the very Laws which were yet more torelable than their barbarous Execution Wicked and Impious and I hope the modest Doctor will allow that they have Quality Sense and Interest enough to cast the Ballance I shall only add that Sir Geo. Mackenzie by a Concession Pag. 17. destroys his own Hypothesis for there he owns that Presbyterian Ministers who were sent to reclaim these Criminals and Presbyterian Jurors who were summoned to their Trial seldom failed of condemning them so that from his own Mouth he gives himself and the Doctor both the Lie when they charge those Principles upon the Presbyterians in general and consequently discover the falshood of that Necessity which they pretend the Government was under to make such Laws against us in their own Defence Pag. 13. Sir George says That
Consciences began to rebound and upon Examination they solemnly declared that they knew nothing against Sir Hugh Campbel Which sâ—ruck Sir Geo. Mackenzie and the Court with Confusion and all the Spectatorâ— shouted for Joy crying out That it was the Hand of God Wherâ—at Sir George Mackenzie being enraged bellow'd out That he never heard of such a Protestant Roar but at the Trial of the Rebel Shaftsbury However the Jury being shut up return'd in a little time and brought the Prisoner in Not Guilty His Council pleaded That according to Law he might be discharged at the Bar Which my Lord-Chief-Justice and Sir George Mackenzie refused the latter being the King's Advocate or Attorney-General and alledging that he should find both Sir Hugh the Father and Sir George the Son guilty of High-Treason in England Whereupon Sir Hugh was remanded to Prison and an Indictment exhibited against both Father and Son to appear before the Parliament wherein the Duke of Queensbury was to be Commissioner who was as zealous for pursuing the Prisoners as any The next Thing which the Prosecutors took in hand was to bring down some of the English Evidence who pretended to discover the Plot at London and accordingly they were sent down in one of the King's Yachts And by the Artifice of the Prosecutors brought into the Company of the Prisoners who neither knew them nor their Design The Evidence being examined before the Secret Council and not being able to say any thing against the two Gentlemen they were sent for London again in the Yacht After this the Duke of Queensbury Earl of Perth Sir George Mackenzie and others of the Faction tampered with the Prisoners own Counsel to advise them to cast themselves upon the King's Mercy using for Argument That the Parliament would condemn them though Innocent and that they knew there was no Appeal from their Sentence and therefore if they would cast themselves on the King's Mercy they would be sure to procure a Remission and a good part of their Estate But Sir George Campbel absolutely refused to cast himself on the Mercy of either King or Parliament because he knew it was sought for only to be an Evidence of a Plot whereof they were altogether Innocent After which they separated Sir George from his Father and shut him up without Pen Ink or Paper and so kept him in close Prison for ten Days But finding they could not prevail they dealt with his Father to perswade him and so returned him again to his Father's Room where being continually dealt with by Persons of Quality who were loth to see the Family ruin'd and did urge that he would certainly bring his Father and himself both to the Block he answered That he was willing to sacrifice his own Life so his Father might be preserv'd And finding that that could not be done without casting himself on the King's Mercy he was prevail'd with to do it And though their Lives were saved yet most if not all their Estates were â—eised I cannot omit one Particular more viz. That the said Sir G. Maâ—kenzie having a mind to ingâ—atiate himself with the said Gentleman since the Revolution he did seriously tell him that he swore the Evidence three times on their Knees in his Chamber that they should Swear what they were taught against his Father and hop'd God would forgive him Now I appeal to the Reader whether ever a Piece of blacker Injustice was transacted for the Kind on this side Hell and whether our Prelatical Adversaries have reason to boast of those Mens Vertue Worth and Piety who were principally concerned And whether any Credit can be deservedly given to Sir George Mackenzie's Relation of Matters of Fact from which he deduces Arguments to justify the Severity of the late Reigns against us wherein he himself was the Prosecutor and so deeply engaged as appears by his own Confession Now I say whether his Defence of Charles the Second's Government writ since the Acknowledgment aforesaid or the Parliament of Scotland who in their Claim of Right complain of those things which he defends ought to be best believ'd let those who are unbyass'd judg And seeing those two Instances of his notorious Injustice are Matters of Record let the Reader bear Witness if I have not fairly disarm'd the Scots Prelatical Party of their best Weapon seeing to all which was told them of their barbarity to the Presbyterians they constantly oppos'd Sir George Mackenzies Defence as a Buckler that could not be pierced I have but one word more and then I have done I would have any moderate Church-of England-man answer from his Conscience Whether he thinks those of his Communion were faithful to his Majesty who constantly sollicited him till he was prevailed with to imploy some of those principally concern'd in the black Acts of Injustice above-mention'd in the chief Places of the Government in Scotland being moreover of the number of those Evil Counsellors whom he declared against at his first coming over And seeing his Majesty who has been but a little while among us and often called Abroad must needs in a great measure be a Stranger to Men and Things May the Great God of Heaven preserve his Person and Government from such dangerous Enemies as thus impose upon him out of a pretended Zeal for the Church of England and in the mean time they have no reason to be offended at us and our Parliament if we witness as much true Zeal for the Church of Scotland Proofs of the Moderation of the Scots Presbyterians towards the Episcopal Party from the Acts of the General Assembly held in the Year 1690. THat the World may be satisfied of the Moderation of the Presbyterians and how little reason the Doctor has to charge the Cameronian Principles upon them in general I thought sit to exhibit in the Words of the General Assembly held in An. 1690 what they express concerning the large Paper given into them by Mr. Lineâ—ing Mr. Shields and Mr. Boyd called Cameronian Preachers and the Substance of their Acts any way relating to the Episcopal Clergy As to the first they enacted That it contained several peremptory and gross Mistakes unseasonable and impracticable Proposals uncharitable and injurious Reflections tending rather to kindle Contentions than compose Divisions and therefore the said Paper was denied reading And yet what is so heavily charged in that Paper is far short of those Principles which the disingenuous Doctor will needs fasten upon the Presbyterians in cumulâ— And as to the Episcopal Clergy read what â—ollows By their Act of Oct. 28. they recommend to the Presbytery to take notice of all Ministers within their Bounds the late CONFORMIST Incumbents or OTHERS who shall not observe Fasts and Thanksgivings indicted by the Church or shall be guilty of any other irregular Carriage c. So that they are no severer upon the Episcopal Clergy than their own for all the Clamours of the malicious Faction â—â—â—hat of 29 they enact That