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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40374	Scotland's present duty, or, A call to the nobility, gentry, ministry and commonalty of this land to be duely affected with, and vigorously to act for, our common concern in Caledonia, as a mean to enlarge Christ's kingdom, to benefit our selves, and do good to all Protestant churches.	Philo-Caledon.; Foyer, Archibald.; Ridpath, George, d. 1726.; Fletcher, Andrew, 1655-1716.	1700 (1700)	Wing F2048; ESTC R13808	23,400	30

SCOTLAND's Present Duty OR A CALL TO The Nobility Gentry Ministry and Commonality of this Land to be duely affected with and vigorously to act for our Common Concern in CALEDONIA as a Mean to Enlarge Christ's Kingdom to Benefit our Selves and do Good to all Protestant Churches Printed in the Year 1700. Right Honourable much Honouored very Reverend and dearly Beloved LET it not divett any from a serious Perusal of what is here offered to your Grave Consideration that you know not the Author For here if ever you are called to mind what is said not who says it Yet I shall tell you That I own none for my Master but Christ none for King of Great Brittain but King VVilliam I have no Share in the Stock of Caledonia nor probably will ever have so that it is no worldly Interest prompts me up to make this Address nor any Disaffection to the King or Court but pure Conscience if I know my own Heart There is none who love Our Lord Jesus Christ but must with pleasure Remark how the outmost ends of the Earth are become the Possession of Zion's King and poor Scotland among the rest This is Ground of Rejoycing unto Us who sat in Heathenish Darkness that Light hath sprung up and the day Star from on High hath visited Us So that we may well say few Nations have been so signally owned of God as we with respect to a Pure and Glorious Dispensation of the Gospel Yea of all the Churches reformed from Popery we had attained to the greatest Hight of Conformity to the Scriptures of God not only in Doctrin but in Worship Disciplin and Government Yea notwithstanding the various Essays of our Enemies and false pretended Friends to enslave us and the Faintness and Dispondencies of our weak but real Well-wishers in a dark and evil Day yet we are alive and have our God to Magnifie who hath never suffered our Haters to gain the day but gave us occasion to set up our Ebenezer hitherto hath the Lord helped us and to remark some places as 1 Sam. 23. Chap. 28 Vers. Sela hamma-lekoth our Enemies being diverted from bringing upon us utter Ruine when they were about to have swallowed us up But among the wonderful Providences of God for our Good the late Revolution is indeed surprizing and calls for our constant Acknowledgments Instead of Impendent Slavery and Popery we by it enjoy Calmness and Freedom in Church and State our banished Ministers restored the Imprisoned delivered the whole followers of Christ made to lif● up their Heads and our very Enemies astonished with Gods Love to his People while they had no great Reason to complain of any Severity for their former Cruelties Thus we have had Halcron Days at Ho●e when Armies were encountering one another Abroad And whatever we felt of burdensome Taxations yet it was not much while we our selves were not af●ighted with the Sound of the Trumpets nor the Alarms of War Now it was that our Wise Patriots of all sorts whatever speculative Differences they might have about the Eclesiastical Government were practically c●nvinced of this That we had now that Government which might give Ease to the Nation and none could complain of Force put upon their Consciences and all the former Reflections against a Parity in Christ's House were hush'd and no more discoursed of except in drunken Cabals of Men who had no Religion at all In this time of Quietness wherein Truth and Peace met together did several of our most Knowing Nobility and Gent●y encouraged by diverse Acts of Parliament and Royal Grants sorm a Design to plant a Colony in America considering that of all Nations in Europe bordering upon the Sea Scotland alone had no share of Foreign Plantations and were more than any other People excluded from the Advantages of Trade and this would be a Mean for Enriching the Nation and Curing ●hese two evil Diseases amongst us of Beggary and Idleness And all who had a Love to the propogating of the Gospel looked upon this as a most probable and hopeful Mean of Enlarging the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly the Project goes on and maugre all the Opposition it met with at London Holland and Hamburg Five Ships were sent out and Two worthy Ministers with them who at length land in Darien a Place inhabited by a Free People the Circumstances and Advantages of which are well known as being set out by others Here our Countrey Men meet with good Reception and seemed for a time to Prosper till want of Correspondence from Scotland and it may be some hired Traitors among themselves and Proclamations of a strange Nature put forth in the West Indies against them do quite Dishearten them and force them except a ver● few to Relinquish the place And as the first Ship sent after them miscarried on our Western Islands so we have no pleasant News of the Company which went forth in the following May with Provisions to Relieve them nor have we any Account as yet of the Four Ships that went thither in 〈◊〉 l●st and others since But in all this Business both abroad and at h●me God seems to frown upon us And whatever Sentiments some may have concerning this sad providential Stroke yet certainly the Land is afflicted but few are afflicted with it as becomes It is for this cause that I would endeavour to Excite all in the Land to joyn in an Address to the King of Heaven for his Help when we a●e so much at under And this is our Comfort that no Courtiers there will hinder our Address but rejoice in it if we approach that Throne with humble and penetent Hearts and the Majesty of Heaven commands us to call upon him in the day of Trouble and hath promised to hear us That I may the better manage this my Errand unto you I. I shall shew you that we are all called to seek the spreading of the Gospel and the enlargement of Christs Kingdom II. That our Settlement at Caledonia would be a likely mean for that end III. That this design seems to be almost crushed and born down IV. How discouraging this will be to the Church a●d State if the Lord help us not V. What are the procuring Sins of this so●e and lame● table Stroke VI. What is now our Duty and Work with respect to this great Concern VII Lastly I would earnestly plead with all to cry mightily unto God and to use suitable Endeavours for retrieving our loss and so shall this my well meant Address under which no bad design is hid be committed to Gods Blessing I. That we should all pray earnestly for the Enlargement of Christs Kingdom can be doubted by none who own the Lords Prayer to be part of the Holy Scriptures Thy Kingdom come is a Petition repeated by many but understood by few To think that the Gospel shall be still confined to a little corner of the World as it is now is to

resolutely in this Affair for the Lord hath much encouraged you in the way of his Providence to proceed You have lawful Authority on your side King and Parliament have given you Commission and are bound to Protect you as we hope they will against all Opposers You have the Generality of the Nation and all true hearted Scots Men to stand by you none can oppose you wi●hout being Enemies to the Good of their native Countrey Whatever they may pretend they serve a foreign Interest You have been born up under many Difficulties and Discouragements already The Lord wonderfully directed and preserved the first Adventurers and brought them safe to their desired Port few of them all things considered dying by the way They came into a Commodious place abounding in many Advantages and were asfectionatly welcomed by a Kind Harmless and Obliging People In all which we see how favourably the Lord treated us and made plain paths before us And it deserves a grave Remark That whatever Distress hath since come upon our Country-men yet the Lord hath hitherto kept possession for us the Place hath never been totally abandoned tho others would gladly have seised it for themselves And as our just Right cannot be taken away and the place is so impregnable that if we were but willing we may keep it against all the World so the Lord now invites us back and hath kept it for us by hindering any of our Enemies to settle there It may likewise be encouraging that however distant we are in some things from one another yet this Interest seems to be the Center wherein we will all agree and if followed closely may prove a blessed Mean to remove different Sentiments and unite us to God and to one another in the way of Unity and Love 3. All our Chastisements in this Matter are such that we are the more to be excited by them and not to ●e cast down or turn faint in our Duty It is the Lord who is trying us to cause us trust in himself the Living God more than in all Human Wisdom Power or Wealth and drive us near to himself by Humiliation and Reformation by searching and trying our ways that we may turn again unto the Lord. The Removal of the two worthy Ministers was grievous but their Names shall be precious to posterity when others who withstand this design shall leave no good savour their Death 〈◊〉 the Company more then many days Preachings could have done God was kind to them in taking them away before they saw the sad Disaster that befel which would have crushed them The Proclamations seem'd to awaken us to cry to God the less encouragement we had from Men but alas this fervour ●oon relented turned aside unto a wrong course The news of the Colonys Dissipation did grieve but not overwhelm those most nearly concerned Activity hath appeared in speedy supply and application to proper means Greater for remedy Now when all our Troubles and Difficulties have not hitherto totally defeated us Let us not despond but come with penitent sorrow for our Povocations and cry unto God for his Help and Assistance who can make crooked things straight and the Mountains a plain before his People who knows but that yet he may cause us to sing that Song Psal 66. from Ver. 8 to the close 4. Let us be quickened to 〈◊〉 duty from this consideration that the Lord frequently makes way for his extraordinary Kindnesses by some Humbling Dispensations Israel must encamp between Migdol and Baalzephon while the Sea is before them and a bitter Enemy behind them yet this Difpensation must precede the final Overthrow of the Adversary and furnish Matter to the first triumphant Song we have upon Record in Scripture And indeed none should despair of Events who are found in the Lords way when we see Israel meeting with such Obstacles many Years before their Deliverance was compleated and their Divinely Authorized Colonies fixed What have our Troubles been in comparison of what some have met with and overcome in doing great things for their Religion and Countrey were not our first Reformers surrounded with other sort of Dissiculties which they Mastered by Ardent Prayers and Restless Endeavours Did we pray more and Believe more we might yet expect Success notwithstanding standing all that hath befallen us For 5. If we would reflect what Promises God hath made to his People under their Troubles we would not st●d onl● looking to Human Prob●bilities and forget the Encouraging Com●nds and Promises of God 'T is from these Faith gets Strength and puts Vigor into the Soul as the Trumpet excites a Martial Spirit For God not only Displays his Goodness in making the Promises and his Fait●fulness in bringing them about but also his Power Shines in the Way of his A●ting Apply then by Faith the Promises made to the Church and to a Distre●ed People and God will not cast you off 6. The Necessity of the Nation requires you should go on with Vigor The Poor are many and their Straits increase Now if ever we be relieved Trade and Labour must be one great Mean of it and nothing can be done to purpose in this without a Colony Abroad and Manufactures at Home otherwise we shall be still Exporting Money for what we want and Earning none 7. The Deplorable Case of the poor-Pagans Souls cry aloud to us to come over and help them I wish this Motive had prevailed more with us at first and that we had sent them more Effectual Spiritual Relief But let us now mind their Conversion by our Prayers and Endeavours that they may be our Brethren in Christ this would tend to the Honour of our Church and our Peace in the Day of the Lord and the Blessing of these who are ready to perish should come upon us Neither ought it to be forgotten that these poor People by their Kindness to us have exposed themselves to ●e outmost Resentments of the Cruel Spaniards who if they be left Naked and destitute of our Defence will with the greatest Keenness essay to Butche● and exti●pate them 8. It is seldom that ever a Nation and Church hath had such an Opportunity for doing Good put in their hands or been called to so great a Wo●k To God we must be accountable how we imp●ove it And if we do not actively now bestir our selves and fervently apply to him withou● whose Help we can do nothing with what Confidence can we ever go unto him in National Straits again 9. Let us remember the Condition of these who were last sent from us and what need we have to pray that they be not discouraged and quite sunk under perplexing doubts when they find a deserted place in stead of their Friends and prepared accommodations The thoughts of what am●zement must possess them and difficulties they will be under ought to m●ke our Hearts bleed with Sympathy for them Are not our Friends and Countrey-men Gentlemen of Note and Ministers

forget the Promises of Increa●e and Prosperity that are made to Zion in the Old and New Testament and which shall doubtless be accomplished in the Latter-days We cannot mistake in expecting the down fall of Antichrist the ruine of the Turkish Empire the National Conversion of the Jewes and the fulness of the Nations and what a Glorious time will it be when all these things shall be fulfilled then Holiness shall abound and be the Motto engraven on our smallest Enjoyments War shall Cease throw all the Earth Kings shall no more contend about Clods of Clay but shall be employed in bringing their Glory to the New Jerusalem and they shall be indeed nursing Fathers to a Church I hope these days are not far off tho' some have too boldly pretended to know the Times and Seasons which the Father hath put in his own Power and keept up from us that we may pray the more Ardently yet he who hath promised to come will come and will not tarry Christians therefore are not only called to keep up Communion with God as to their own Souls but they ought with great Vigour to mind the case of Zion And it is certain That one Reason why many have ground to complain of their Souls Leanness is because the Churches Condition is not more minded by them and their present Case at home makes them forget the Afflictions of Joseph in the persecuted and oppressed Chu●ches abro●d Nor are they duely melted to think of the Blindness of the Jews the Mahometan Delusions and the Heathenish Idolatry It is not said that we pray no more to have the Mountains removed which stand in the Gospels way Is not God the hearer of Prayer And how many precious returns might we have at the Throne of Grace if we were Jacob-like wrestling the break of the Day How did Daniel Fast and Pray when the time drew near of the long looked for Liberty The Promise put Life into his Prayers and the assurance of being heard made him the more Fervent O that God would pour out a Spirit of Prayer on the Reformed Churches that they may set a part Days of Humiliation and crying unto God both for themselves and for the Jews who were once a peculiar Treasure but are now called Lo-ammi that they may be Conve●ted to the Messiah and for the poor Pagans that the ends of the Earth may see the Salvation of God There is a Restlesness amongst us about wordly Concerns to compass Sea and Land to get some wordly Pelf but we are not Earnest and Keen to Trade for Religion and to acquaint poor perishing Souls with their need of Christ. How will the Memory of worthy Mr. Eliot the Apostle of the Western-Indians be fragrant to all the Godly who was so Instrumental in bringing the poor Idolaters in America to Know and to Adore the Supreme Majesty and what a Stain will the Slackness of others when fair Opportunities have been ossered them be upon their Names Yea shall Papists signalize their Zeal in Training and sending out Men for this Service or rather for drawing deluded Creatures blind-fold from one Error to another and Protestant Churches do nothing for bringing them into the light of Truth and way of Salvation I verily think if there were many pleading with God we should yet see the Waters of the Sanctuary begin to swell and overcome all Opposition Neither High nor Low should confine their Prayers to themselves and their own Families The greatest in degree and the meanest Believer should cry unto the Lord to pity the dark Places of the Earth but especially Ministers should be the Lord's Remembrancers and plead fervently That the Kingdoms of this World may become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ and that Heraulds of Peace may be sent into Satan's Camp to bring over poor Souls led Captive at his Will 2dly If it please the Lord to grant us a Settlement in Caledonia it would be an excellent Mean to spread Christ's Kingdom Which may be evinvinced from these Considerations 1. A new Colony of professing Christians might be planted there who would own God to be the God of that Land and so become a Covenanted People and would proclaim the News of Christ and set up his Worship 2. It 's hopeful that Colony should be among the best in all the World were once a Pious praying People sent thither For 1st Our Doctrine is most agreeable to the Scriptures 2. Our Worship most Pure 3. Our Government most Adapted to advance the True ends of Government in Christ's House beyond what Prelacy or Independency can pretend to 4. Our Disciplin if Rightly Managed the most effectual to bear down Sin and encourage Piety Now all these Meeting together in the hands of Zealous Ministers in a New Colony must render Zion in that place Beautiful as the Morning clear as the Sun fair as the Moon and Terrible as an Army with Banners 3. It might be expected that there the many faults which have spoiled our Civil Policy here should be avoided which would exceedingly tend to the keeping out of many Evils that ●ine Justice and destroy Love amo●gst us 4. It would be a Place to which many Nations would resort for Trade and so have occasion to behold the comely order of Gods House It was frequent Converse with the Jews that gave occasion to the Nations to know Israels God and so proved a Mean to gain many Proselites How much more may we expect this from Caledonia since Christians will not keepup such distance from the Heathen as the Jews did 5. We may justly expect that this Colony shall not be confined to Darien but shall spread to more Places and so the Lords In erest daily gain Ground when a People please God their Co●ds 〈◊〉 be lengthned as well as their Stakes strengthned 6. This might p●ove a 〈◊〉 Mean to Convert even Papists But 7. Especially ●o g●in ●ouls ●o Christ among the poor He●thens I know Conversion is God's Work but he works ordinarily by Means and there is great appearance that this People would become Docile and p●iable to the Gospel of Christ. For 1. They are naturally a Kind well conditioned and tractable People and have many good Moral Virtues among them 2. The great Aversion they have to the bloody Spaniards would induce them to love our ●eople and our Religion the more 3. Our People would ●e favourable ●o them and instead of Enslaving or otherwise wronging ●hem would seek their Good and endeavour to Civilize them and acquaint them with many useful Trades to render their Lives more Comfortab●e 4 They will instruct and train their Children in God's way and when they see our Care of their Young they will trust us the more and love us the better 5. Some of themselves may in time be in case to ins●ruct their own Friends in the way of God and teach them to Read and let them see in their own Language how it hath been

foretold That the whole Earth shall be filled with the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea 6. The many Prayers put up for them will not want their Effect And 7. It will encourage them when they find that none are treated the wor●e but the more freindly for becoming Ch●istian All these put together give ground to think that we might look for much good to be done to these poor People who are at present without God and without Hope in the World 8. This would excite greater Flames of Devotion in our Brethrens Spirits there when they should behold the Gentiles turning unto the Lord and renuncing their Idols their Vanities and Lies 9. This will draw over many good People to that Place from this Land which is not able to sustain its Inhabitants for want of Industry and good Policy in providing Sustenance and work for the Poor and where many are crushed by racked Rents and other Oppressions that keep many Godly People very low and marrs the Exercises of their Grace and Christian Duties They would go to their Brethren abroad to enjoy the Gospel with better outward Accommodations 10. This Co●ony would prove a Bulwa●k against Antichrist ●nd a secure retreat to many distressed Protestan●s of other Churches a Mea● to Check the Spanish Barbarity and curb the Popish Interest But 3ly This great Enterprise is now alas sadly born down and seems for the present to be almost crushed For 1. Our People who went thither first are scattered some are in Bondage among c●uel Enemies many of them dead throw Want and Distress with vast Loss and Expenses and Labour which cannot but be greatly afflicting to us 2. We have another sad Calamity in the loss of a Ship with Provisions in Darien and the scattering of the Second Company except a very few which may put the Third Company sent out to very great Ha●dship and Uncertainty in their Resolutions 3. The West India Proclamations against us have disheartned our Friends and strengthned the hands of our Ill-wishers both upon a Religious and Civil account especially those of Jamaica who have shewed much Unfriendliness and Hatred I think it is a needless Debate whether our own Mis-managements at Home and Abroad have been the Cause of our Disaster and Distress or those Proclamations I think it is very evident that Both have concurred toward it and that neither of the two morally speaking could have done it alone tho' where the Effects of such strange and unexpected Proclamations might have terminated were the Management never so exact is what I confess few can tell But it is evident that both these are of the Lord and that we ought to consider them as Reproofs for and Punishments our Sins and that by these Proclamations which in some Places have been renewed again in September last we are brought under a most heavy and discouraging Blow since none must relieve our People more than if they were abominable Pirates tho they acted under the Protection and according to the Terms of an Act of Parliament and have not Forfeited it And so long as these continue in Force what can we expect but the total over-throw of our Colony since Scotland can never be able to furnish them Supplies till they get Sustentation of there own especially in such years of Scarcity as we have felt of late wherein many at home wanted Bread 4. As the Pope and his followers were mightily alarmed with this intended Colony so they now no less rejoice at its present Distress and how much Power our deadly Enemies have is evident and that they will employ it as far as they get Permission and and vent their Rage and Hatred against the Reformation as much as they can I doubt not but if Ame●ica were out of the Papists Possession their Pomp and Tyrrany would cease and therefore they are greatly afraid lest Protestant Colonies get footing there It may be that before the ruin of A●tichrist their Golden Mines shall no more uphold their accursed Dig●ity and persecuting P●ide I● the mean time how greatly do our Adversaries prevail especially when 5. We are but little Encouraged by our resormed Brethren at home and it would seem the States of H●lland do all they can to crush us and some of our Brethren in England envy us the freedom of Trade which could not but prove many ways to the Advantage of that Nation tho it may be some privat Men might g●in less than they do now But truely it is strange and sad that any ●eformed Pro●estant should for Selfish and By-ends prove our Enemies 6. Our King the happy Instrument of our Glorious Deliverance seems to be Mis-informed concerning us whether by Dutch or English or both I cannot say But it appears very plain that His Majesty does not throwly know our Circumstances and is not so ready for our Relief as our C●se requires This is the most sad of all that hath yet b●fallen us Lord turn our hearts to Thee and our Kings heart toward Us save Lord and let the King hear Us when we call 7. We are not ONE amongst our selves ●n this Affair some have nothing of a publick Spirit where their own private gain is not immediatly concerned others basely give it out that the King is against us and bears ill will to our Colony for which they deserve to be signally punished Others to serve a Foreign interest and to divide and betray the Nation have invented false Stories and fomented Jealo●sies as if all this zeal for Caledonia had some ill design under it against the Government which no sensible Man can give a Name unto And which is plainly contrary to the very nature of the thing Those wicked but weak and silly surmises had discouraged many and I was I confess my self somewhat in●luenced by them I hope well meaning Peoples Eyes begin to be opened and to see the falseness of many wicked insinuations and lying Stories that have been spre●d which have discouraged and Dis●racted some at home and cannot but prove a disheartning damp to those who are gone abroad when they hear how little their Case is suitably minded by u● And do not such mischievous practises give occ●sion to our Neighbours t● say that we are false Scots Betrayers of our Countrey and Ruiners one of another What can be done to repair our ●osses if those who are honestly Zealous ●or Caledonia both Ministers and People be traduced as Enemies to the Gove●nment tho we have all pos●ble assurance of the Governments Protection and Act in an u●questionable legal way Who could have thought that any would have been so aspersed for owning the just Rights of a free People Tell it not in Gath publish it not in Askelon that any who call themselves Members of a reformed Church and Nation should so stand in the way of their own Mercy both Religious and Civil or that a National and Christian design should have met with such Opposition amongst us The

Publick-spirited Heathen who generously preferred their Countries Good to all privat Considerations shall one day rise in Judgment and Condemn the Cowardice Selfishness and Treachery of many called Christians among us and if any be so unhappy as to seek to enrich themselves ●y betraying their Country's Cause they shall find it is but the Wages of Unrighteousness and the gains of Iniquity a Moth and Consumption to all the rest of their Substance 4ly What a sad Loss it will be to our Nation and Church if the Lord should crush us altogether in this undertaking will appear by considering 1. That it will be the Nations Dishonour if throw our want of Courage Conduct or Honesty we slavishly Succumb in the present Exigence without setting about both Religious and lawful Civil Means of Redress we must ly under the perpetual Infamy of Fools or Traitors to our Country or Both. Some are soon enough kindled upon what they call point of Personal Honour And shall we be so mean Spirited as to have no Sense of the Bleeding Honour and Sinking Reputation of our Country 2. Great also will the Nations loss be in the Wealth and Treasure expended upon this noble design if it should all come to nothing this with the hard years have brought us very low but thus we must fall still lower and under the contempt of our Neighbours and so much the more that the thriving of our Colony would have given us a very considerable figure amongst them 3. This breach and ruine will creat many Jealousies Heart-burnings and Animosities among our selves which will not be easily quenched and will leave a lasting stain on the Memory and Posterity of some who will be thought to have betrayed their Countrey if we shall continue to cross one another in the honest and necessary means of Relief 4. We shall never be fit for any project hereafter the Nation will never Center so Universally and Heartily in any Enterprise who will regard us or trust us after this We may despair of ever being famous except for Infamy Weakness and Meanness of Spirit if we now break having a Parliament the Laws of the Nation the claim of Right we hope too our Kings heart and Fatherly Affection and all imaginable Motives on our side whereas if we go throw with this as fairly and honestly we may it will render u● if successful as much respected as we a●e now contemned in the World or at worst if we fail we shall be pitied and not despised 5. If we tim●ly look on till 〈◊〉 be bu●ied against all Law and Right as well as interest then we encourage some other Faction hereafter to deprive us of other priviledges by terrifying us with odious N●mes o● Disaffection to the Gove●nment or the like till we be divested of all that it is dear and precious unto us whether Civil or Religious as w●s the practise of the late evil Reigns the Slavery of which we ought not to forget and wherein the least squint look to a Curate was called disaffection to the Government We have reason to bless God that th●se times are past and to Pray that they may never 〈◊〉 upon us and that we may not Act as if we were still under the Dread and Terror of them in not daring to assert and plead for our just Rights And we ought to Remember that Presbitery is upon the same bottom of Civil Right with this Interest and if the one be shaken the other may in process of time come to be endangered 6. This will bring horrid Sin upon the Land if after such Encouragements given us to Honour God do Good to the Souls of poor Heathens and bene●it our own Nation we shall stand by and be Silent while all this Enterprise is crushed 7. This will weaken the Protestant Inteterst in America and grieve the Hearts of Gods People in New-England and the Neighbouring Plan●ations who Rejoice to see a place of so much Importance in the hands of a Colony f●om Scotland and as they Hoped under the Religious Conduct o● the Church of Scotland of the same Principles and P●ofession in Disciplin Government as well as Doctrin with themselves so that they were ready to contribute their outmost for supply of ●rovisions to Caledonia evenafter the publishing of the West-India Proclamations tho' alas our people knew it no● 8. It will bring a very foul Blot and Reproach on the Ministry if they should be found faint and remiss in contributing so far as i● competent to them to the support of this Christian and profitable Under●aking It will be said where is their Zeal for advancing Christs King dom and for the good of their Countrey how Zealous would Popi Priests be to prop●gate their Superstition and stir up their Countrey Msh to Erect such a Colony and Plantation as this It is said that some M●nisters have been abused and imposed upon in this matter and that many doth not consider its importance and weight but suffer themselves to be misled into prejudices by the false Surmises groundless Insinuations of others And that such Advantage is given against this Inter●st to the Representations of ou● Enemies in the neighbouring Nation from the Carriage of Ministers as may appear from this one Instance if it be true what I have heard was spoken by a Worthy Pee● in the English Parliament concerning it to wit That the Design of Caledonia could not be the Interest of Scotland and ●he Address for it wa● only a C●mbination of Villian● and Jacobites since the Presbyterians who were always known to be the great Asserters of their Count●y's Rights and Liberties were against it and the Commission who represented the Church of Scotland had rejected it and Glasgow ●he second Town of the Kingdom had refused it This shews how little that Noble Lord was obliged to his Mis-in●rmers for putting so ignorant a Speech in his Mouth But it shews also how the Backwardness of Minis●ers from doing their proper Duty is improven by our Enemies to the trampling upon and mis-representing of this highly valuable and National Interest 9. If this Place be lost what shall we do with our Poor who might have partly been transpo●ted thither as Workers and partly imploied at Home in Manufactures for the Service of those Abroad Shall not Poverty Beggary Idleness and Sta●ving increase 10. Have not many Prayers of the Godly been put up for Caledonia all have seem'd to wish it's prospering and some have been earnest in pleading for it some Ministers died in the Voyage others since have ventured their Lives to serve God and the Nation when they were acceptable at Home Will it not be Confounding if throw our own Breakin gs and Divisions all be lost Will not profane 〈◊〉 scoff at Prayers and Papists say where is the Protestants God And will not weak Christians be made to stagger when they see God frowning upon such a Design It is true Faith can see throw all this but should

Persons objected against ever come over to the Government with us since we will not go to God with them It may be some will tell us The Jews would not sing a Song of Zion when desired by the Babylonians but they required it to sport at He●e Men are at least morally Serious and Sincere and smart under the Common Calamity The Jews would not incorporat with the Samaritans but these Objectors were willing enough to have dealings with these same Samaritans and some did Trafsique and bestir themselves not a little to engage these to ●oyn in the Company 's Stock with whom they have since refused to humble themselves upon the account of the Company s and Nations loss 4. Some pretend the King and Court would have been offended had the Commission appointed a Fast and therefore it was delaved I answer 1. It seems these who so pretend would have prudently de●ayed to pray at Darius's Command since it was but for a while and positive Duties bind not ad semper 2. They are highly injurious to His Majesty who make so undutiful and false a Suggestion For 1. The King required our Prayers for himself when engaged in foreign War 2. He hath testi●ied Regret for our Loss and to say we may not express our Grief before God ●or what the King Declares himself sory without offending His Majesty is to talk at a very insolent rate 3. Wherein hath the King shewed any dis-like against us By the West-India Proclamations say they But 1. How know they that these Proclamations were emitted by His Majesty's positive Command 2. Do these Proclamations discharge us to carry on the Design of Caledonia by no means Since then all agree that without reflecting on these Proclamations we may continue our Trade May we not also pray to God for its Help 3. Would Darius have been ofsended at any for crying to God for Daniel when he was drawn by his Courtiers to sign that severe Decree against him since he himself was much greived for it all Night Then sure our King will not be Angry with us for seeking to God since we have the greatest reason to believe that the King bears us fatherly Afsection and that these Proclamations were not the effect of his Inclination 5. Some will tell us there is a Ferment in the Nation and we must not Fast till that be allayed But doth not the present Necessity and our Brethrens distress call for it as a present and necessary Duty Hath it not been sadly and shamefully delayed Doth not this delay encrease the Ferment which is not like to be removed without Fasting and Prayer And if all shall be lost wh●t Peace can we have in these Delays and refusals And how must it amaze our Brethren abroad and discourage others from ever engaging in the like Services that we would not Compassionat their dolorou Condition If it be found that a Foreign Interest and Man-pleasing and Pensions prevail against this Duty more than all other Objections To this indeed I cannot answer essectually for Silver and Gold have I none unless we could be perswaded to take the Lord's Word for an esfectual Answer only deal couragiously and the Lord shall be with the Good 3. I add by way of Advice in the third place be harmonious i● your actings for Caledonia if some draw one way and some another the whole Design will pull into pieces Act deliberatly and with real● ove to your Countrey and then the means to accomplish your End will not be hard to find out But if under shaddow of the Publick Men pu●sue privat and base ends all must fall into ruine 4. Let every one of us mind the Duties of our Station and not stand accusing this or that Mistake Error or Miscarriage in others as the Cause of this Distress lest all be found to have had a hand in drawing it on Let Ministers mind their special Work of praying and wrestling for Caledonia and sending it Gospel Supplies and let Nobility and Gentry do what is proper sor them in their Civil Stations and not standing Idle blaming one another 5. Let all Care be taken to amend former Errors and pa●ticularly to transport ●or the future good Men so far as is possible with Ministers to take Care of their Manners and of their Souls and let these be Active and Prudent Men of Authority as well as serious and Godly Pastors Next to our obtaining t●e favour of God This is the most likely way to be blessed of the Lord and come into respect instead of being turned into an Astonishment and Reproach throw the World Now by Good Men I do not mean of such or such a Denomination amongst us For tho I am as much in my Judgment for a Nationally Covenanted work of Reformation as any yet truely I love a Good Man who differs from me in Speculations before him who is Impious be his Principles what they will Yea the better a Man's Principles be if the Man be Bad he is the worse Man And sure if due pains were taken with a single eye to the prosperity of the Colony good Men might be had We all know what services Angus s Regiment did at Dunkel and none denyed them to be at that time the best Regiment in Britain perhaps in the World for Religion and Sobriety I know they were not all Saints but had we such a Company to go to Caledonia I should not question but God would be with them A praying People are very likely to be a successsul People 7. I come in the last place to press all to be concerned and to act vigorously for Caledonia in Prayer and by all other lawful Methods You are not to expect Rheto●ical Flourishes from such a blu●t Pen as mine I will not say Ornari ●es ipsa negat contenta doceri for not only is the Subject capable of Embellishment but the Unconcernedness of many requires Excitement by the most moving Discourses that they may have a just view of and be suitably affected with this excellent Design But this must be the work of others whose Accomplishments and Zeal are equal It is enough for me who can attain no more plainly to point out a few of these Things that may invigorat and stir up the Nation to a due Sense of their present Duty And 1. To get our Coasts enlarged by Praver as Jabesh did is to attain to Honour in a more eminent degree than hitherto Let Saracens and Turks the Monarchies of old or the Spaniards of late and other modern Ravages of the Earth enlarge their Conquests by Blood and Treachery by Pillaging and Devastation their Names shall be Infamous for ever but for us to get a Rehoboth by Prayer and fervent Supplica●ion to Heaven will be an Evidence of the Favour Good-will and Kindness of the Possessor of Heaven and Earth to us Let us then be stirred up to plead fervently for a Blessing to this great Work from Heaven's King 2. Go on