Reproach is this for Ministers who pretend to be set for the Defence of the Gospel thus to be found betraying Religion This is in effect not only Flattery but Blasphemy as great as if they had said They resolved by the help of God to be as Unfaithful Time-serving and Silent Ministers as ever plagued the Church of God p. 180. Now the Presbyterians who accepted this Toleration and made such bustling Addresses of Thanks to King James for it are they whom Mr. Rule calls the sober Presbyterians and now I leave him to Vindicate himself and them from what is thus charged upon them by one who is well known to be a true Presbyterian and as such is at present own'd and imployed in a considerable Trust by the General Assembly And if we may judge from all the Principles and Practices of former Scotch Presbyterians he is really a far honester Presbyterian than they who would now call themselves Moderate and yet in contradiction to that Title persecute their Reformed Brethren with the greatest Rigour and Severity To conclude this Head and to justifie what may be thought most severe in the Character giver of Presbyterians in the former Section if we may believe the account the Presbyterians of Scotland have published to the World themselves as I think they ought not to blame us if we do then the one half of our Presbyterians are neither Moderate nor Sober but Wild Hill-men Separatists a robbing lawless ungovernable Rabble a mad People head-strong Traytors and Rebels that is in a word they are Cameronians vide First and Second Vindication and further Vindication of the Church of Scotland The other half are Betrayers of all Religion Covenant-breakers Worldly Fawning Flattering Court Parasites Blasphemous Unsaithful Time-serving Silent Ministers and the greatest Plagues of the Church of Scotland vide Hind let loose Banders disbanded And even Dr. Rule as he Intitles himself and is angry that others do not call him so too in that Defence of the Presbyterians which he writes by the Order of the General Assembly calls the Cameronians a People rendered mad p. 91. And in the same Page speaking of the other Party of Presbyterians says I deny not but many of them put force upon their Light Again p. 118. They did hear renitente Conscientiâ And what is this to say in plain terms but that one Party of Presbyterians is without their Wits and many of the other without any Conscience Now what may Prelatists look for from such Men Pudet haec opprobia nobis dici potuisse non potuisse refelli There are some famous Authors more that are fit to have place here because in their Writings they discover the true Spirit of the Presbyterian New Gospel two of them own themselves to be present Pamphleteers for the Party pretending forsooth to answer Books too The honestest and truest Presbyterian of these two shall have as he deserves the first place that is the Author of the brief and true Account of the Sufferings of the Kirk of Scotland occasioned by the Episcopalians since the Year 1660 London printed 1690. In the very first Page he seems to be struck with Astonishment at the thinking but of Episcopalians as he calls them O says he their Superlative Impudence their Hellish Dissimulation and Malice They imitate the Devil himself who first tempts and then accuses tho' it 's too visible that their Consciences are past feeling being seared as with a hot Iron When their Hierarchy was restored the Devil who seemed to be bound sometime before was let loose the Flood-gates of all Impiety and Wickedness were set open and Hell did triumph in its Conquests over the Nation and displayed its Banner not only against Religion but even Morality Which the Prelates and their Adherents were so far from opposing that they indulged the People but especially the Gentry in their Wickedness as knowing that to be the only Method to secure them on their side Well believe but this New Gospeller and the Scotch Gentry as well as Clergy are a rare sort of Monsters indeed for the best Characters and softest Words he bestows upon them are these They are Godless Miscreants of the true Aegyptian Brood infamous Parracides Sorcerers and incestuous Apostates infamous Varlets infamous Villains left to corrode their own viprous Bowels with their Inhumane Fury the Devil's Instruments fit onely to be Stallions and Pimps to Bawdy-Houses the Episcopalian Hireling Preachers with their infernal Bawlings the Scum and Refuse of the Nation they bore the Characters of Wickedness of their Foreheads liker Pagans than Professors Blood-hounds Children of Hell the Tyranno-papa-prelatical Host the great Papa-prelatical Champion Dundee Savage Beasts in Humane Shape a graceless untoward Generation of Prelatists who use nothing but Hectoring for Reason and Cursing for Argument ungodly Episcopal Brutes that reprobate Faction that Limb of Antichrist and infernal Locust the Apostate Archbishop Sharp with a Malice like his Father the Devil that waspish formal Prelate The Generation of Vipers the Episcopalian Seed of the Serpent Hectors and Buffoons the most obdurate impenitent spiteful base impudent Priests whose Fathers were not good enough to eat with the Dogs of their Flocks infamous scandalous lying Runnagates c. This is the way the Scotch Presbyterians use to argue and answer Books and these are the sweetest Flowers of our Authors Presbyterial Rhetorick that he liberally strows in every Page of his Book which being quite contrary to the Spirit and Genious of CHRIST must be allowed to pass for new minted superfine Presbyterian Gospel Well so much for Scotland that 's his own Country perhaps our Author may be more courteous and civil to Strangers Next then let 's see how he treats the other Reformed Churches As for the Church of England he discharges most furiously against her in many places viz. p 7. She is the worst constitute Church in the World These Tantivees let their Hyperbolical Pretensions of Zeal for Religion and Loyalty be what they will if the King but put forth his hand to touch them they will curse him to his face and rather than part with an Inch of Superstition or a Swinish Lust will as the Party have always done lay a Confederacy with Hell and Rome as times past and present do evidence beyond contradiction I wonder he did not add and times to come for that would have been as true as the other And again p. 8. For the new upstart slavish Doctrine of Passive Obedience as the Church of England had the Dishonour to be the Mother of it she has also the Ignominy to be the Murderer having basely cut it's Throat as Harlots use to do sometimes with their spurious Brood Page 27. If the English Clergy offer to assist the Prelatical Scots as they ate readier by a thousand to one to do it than to Swear Allegiance to their Soveraigns it may arm the good Women with their Folding-stools once more against them
cited at the great Assize before the Tribunal of Christ to that Question What Justice and Vote gave ye to we in my afflicted Church in the first Parliament of King William and Queen Mary in Scotland was ye for me or against met Spalding's Sermon before the Parliament on 1 Chron. 12. 32. p. 20. Versus finem p. 21 Initio Mr. Gilbert Rule in his Sermon before the Parliament on Isaiah 2. 2. for their Texts are generally out of the obscurest places of the Old Testament takes it for granted that the Mountain of the Lord's House there spoke of is expresly meant of Scotch Presbytery Which he says is terrible as an Army with Banners This last I confess has often been found true in the most litteral sence but why Presbytery should be called a Mountain I cannot so well say except it be because it was exalted at Dunce-law above the tops of the Mountains that is Monarchy and Episcopacy at which time the Phanaticks and Rebels were the Nations that flocked unto it and establish'd it upon the ruines of their own former Oaths and Obligations But to speak in his own words The exalting and establishing of Scotch Presbytery for that 's the only true Religion the flourishing of it is the means to advance the poorest and most contemptible People to Reputation both with God and all good Men yea often in the eyes of them that are but moral and intelligent tho' Enemies as is evident from Deut. 4. 6. This is your wisdom in the sight of the Nations which shall say Surely this Nation is a wise and understanding People for what Nation is there so great who have God so nigh unto them c. Now that no body might mistake as in this he meant Religion in general and not Scotch Presbytery he makes Application particularly to the Kirk in these words If ye will set Christ on high in this poor Church he will set the Church and Nation on high Scotland hath in former times been renowned and esteemed among the Churches of the Reformation upon this account It may be an Honour in after Ages to your Posterity that such a Man was active in that happy Parliament that settled Religion in the Church yea this way will render us more formidable to our Enemies and Vnfriends to our Way than strong Armies or Navies could do 1 Sam. 4. 7. And the Philistines were afraid c. foâ— they said that God is come to the camp Rule 's Sermon before the Parliament p. 13. The plain meaning of this is All the Land and Sea-Forces of England and the Confederates can signifie nothing against their Enemies so long as they entertain or suffer amongst them these Enemies of Religion the Bishops That famous Man in his Generation Mr. David Williamson preached before the Reforming Parliament on this Text Be wise ye Kings be instucted ye Judges of the Earth Psal 2. 10. I cannot but approve the choice of this Text because those Kings had need be very wise indeed that have to do with Presbyterians and those Civil Judges must be stronger than the Kirk that will not condescend to be instructed by them in all things In the former part of that Sermon he divides and subdivides Government so often till as the Presbyterian Author from whom he steals these ridiculous Distinctions he at last divides the King's and Judges from all Power It 's no new thing for some Men first to distinguish the King's Person from his Authority and then to divide his Head from his Body Well it 's granted by all hands that such Men are well acquainted with all the ways of dividing Government In the latter part of that Sermon the Author speaking of Presbyterial Government uses these words which we easily grant to be peculiarly his own It 's no light matter says he it 's an Ordinance of God the Royal Diadem of Christ he was a Martyr on this Head for it was his Ditty on the Cross John 19. 19. Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews If this Scripture do not prove that Christ died a Martyr for Scots Presbytery I am sure there 's no other place either in Scripture or Antiquity that will The next Notes shall be from a Sermon that is highly valued by all true Presbyterians viz. That which according to the Author 's dating it was printed the 40 Year of our publick breach of Covenant the Year as the Author at the end of the Title Page describes it wherein there was much Zeal for confederating among Men but little for covenanting with GOD. In the 1 2 3 4 and 5 Pages he compareth the Scotch Covenants to the Covenant of Grace and to the Covenants at Horeb and in Moab In the 6th Page he says The Covenant may be tendred and taken without the consent of the Magistrate but his after Dissent or Discharge cannot loose the Obligation of it Page 9. He says As Israel in the Wilderness so have we had our Marahs and our Massa's and Meribahs Taberahs and Kibroth Hataavahs at Pentland-hills Bothwel-bridge Ardsmoss c. From this consideration he presses the renewing of the Covenant Page 10. God's removing two Kings who withstood the covenanted Reformation and the abolishing two wicked Establishments Tyranny and Prelacy should stir up all Lovers of Religion to the Duty of Covenanting Page 12. All the meaner sort of all Sexes and Ages Wives and Children are obliged to this tho' the Primores Primates regni do not concur if the Children be not capable Parents are to engage for them Accordingly says he in Scotland it hath been in use for faithful Ministers to take Parents engaged to the Covenant when they presented their Children to Baptism Page 14. Subjects are relaxed from their sworn Allegiance to a King or Magistrate by his rescinding or disowning the Covenant as is plain from the third Article of the Solemn League But there is nothing that can any way enervate the sacred Obligation of Scotland's Holy Covenant which still must stand in inviolable force Page 16. It is a Covenant obliging not only the present but the absent and not only the absent in regard of place but in regard of time It obligeth all the Children of Israel binds all Posterity with Annexation of Curses to the Breakers Page 17. It 's the Foundation of the People's Compact with the King at his Inauguration therefore as long as Scotland is Scotland and God unchangeable Scotland's Reformation in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government must be endeavour'd to be performed in a Conformity to the Covenant The matter of it is Moral containing nothing but what is antecedently and eternally binding albeit there had never been a formal Covenant the ends of it are perpetually good Page 18. The express Command from Exod. 23. obliges to banish all Covenant-breakers out of the Land for the example of the Popish Prelatical and Malignant Faction in Britain and Ireland the suffering them to dwell
reputation ready to attest by their Oaths and Subscriptions as shall be made appear in a 2d Edition of this Book if the clamors of the Party extort it and very many are willing to join in this who were not long ago their great friends and have many of their Sermons and Prayers in writing which they are now willing to expose having fully discovered the vile hypocrisie and Pharasaick professions of that Faction but this trouble we can hardly suppose that the Presbyterians will put us or themselves to because it 's not probable that they will deny what they so much glory in viz. this extraordinary way of Preaching and Praying which they think an excellency and perfection and call it a holy familiarity with God a peculiar priviledg of the most refined Saints Some may perhaps think this Collection was publish'd meerly to render these Puritans ridiculous but it 's plain enough to such as know them that we have not made but found them so we hope that our discovering their snares may prevent some mens being intangled with them they compass Sea and Land and are fully as zealous as their Predecessours to make proselytes to their Party and new Gospel Now the general intent of the Collectors of these Notes was that they might stand like Beacons to fright unwary Strangers from these Rocks upon which so many have formerly made shipwrack both of faith and good conscience Alas it 's but too too evident what havock and desolation these pretended Reformers have made in the Church and State Gods Name Honour and Worship is profan'd the Gospel exposed to the scorn and contempt of its enemies the more modest and honest Heathens and Turks the Flood-gates of Impiety and Atheism are set open the foundations of all true piety or policy are overturned and all regard to things either Sacred or Civil quite destroyed by these who as the Royal Martyr speaks seeking to gain reputation with the vulgar for their extraordinary Parts and Piety must needs undo whatever was formerly setled never so well and wisely I wish as the same Royal Author did that their Repentance may be their only punishment that seeing the mischiefs which the disuse of publick Liturgies hath already produced they may restore that credit use and reverence to them which by the Ancient Churches were given to set forms of sound and wholsome words And thou O Lord which art the same God Blessed for ever whose mercies are full of variety and yet of constancy Thou deniest us not a new and fresh sense of our old and daily wants nor despisest renewed affections joined to constant expressions Let us not want the benefit of thy Churches united and well-advised Devotions Keep men in that pious Moderation of their Judgments in matters of Religion that their ignorance may not offend others not their opinion of their own abilities tempt them to deprive others of what they may lawfully and devountly use to help their infirmities And since the advantage of Error consists in novelty and variety as Truth 's in unity and constancy suffer not thy Church to be pestred with Erros and deformed with undecencies in thy Service under the pretence of variety and novelty 〈◊〉 nor to be deprived of truth unity and order under this fallacy that constancy is the cause of formality Lord keep us from formal Hypocrisie in our hearts and then we know that praying to thee or praising of thee with David and other holy men in the same forms cannot hurt us Evermore defend and deliver thy Church from the effects of blind zeal and over-bold Devotion Amen FINIS Me was but last Year sent to Agent their Affairs at Court * Though Mr. Rule who defends the New Gospellers by denying their Prints and by palpable vntruths seems to disown this in his Second Vindication of his Kirk Yet much honester Presbyterians affirm it and glory in it Vid. Covenants with acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement to Duties renewed at Lesmahago 1688. Et Hind let loose †A Person who was well educated and justly esteemed at St. Andrew's Vniversity †That is in English some other Fish to fry * Charity it self cannot put a better Construction on so foul an Action * The name of a ridiculous and rebellious Book emitted by them in K. Charles the Second's time * Tear Notes of printed Sermons before the Parliament * Spaldin's Discourse to Parliament ‖ The Hill on which they first drew up their Army against K. Ch. 1. * Such the Scoth Phanaticks are indeed * The glorious days of the Covenant * That is true blue Presbytery * Herle 's Tripus †Three notable Rebellions raised by the Presbyterians against K. Charles the Second * Mr. Rule denies this in his late Book altho' himself and every Man acquainted with the Doctrine and Practice of the Kirk knows it to be very true * Compare this with making Presbytery the Foundation of the present Civil Government without which he says it cannot subsist Second Vindication Pag. 9. at the end †Easter Christmas Shrove-Tuesday * Mr. Rule upon the matter affirms the same Second Vindic p. 90. * Compare this with the late Assembly's refusing at the King's desire to admit of any of the Episcopal Clergy with them into the Exercise of the Ministry Compare this with the Presbyterians now denying the Power to the King of dissolving the Assembly * Vpon this consideration the late Assembly refused at K. W.'s desire to receive the Episcopal Party into any terms of Peace or Communion * All that are not true Covenanters * Taxes * Alsop and other London Pesbyterians Address to K. J. * Shields Chaplain to my Lord Angus's Regiment one of their famous Authors and Preachers * That was no doubt in the peaceful and godly days of the Holy Covenant But how seem'd the Devil to be bound then why it was after the New Gospel way he was bound in the Chains of Blood Murther and Rebellion being surfeited with those Sacrifices he seemed to lay himself down to rest leaving all his Drudgery upon Earth to be performed by his Covenanted Agents * The Presbyterians indeed ordinarily prevent the King 's putting forth his hand against them by assaulting him first * The great design of the New Gospel to decry Passive Obedience and to blaspheme the Church of England * The English Clergy who scruple to Swear shew that they can patiently suffer and therefore are not concerned at what Presbyterians threaten the Devil can go no farther than his Chain reaches * And so do all the new Gospellers * By the same argument the Protestant Religion must be Antihumane in France Italy and Spain and the Christian too in all the Grand Seignior's vast Dominions * Every thing that 's not agreeable to the New Gospel must be slavish nonsensical and damnable * Loved and honoured by all but Presbyterians * And yet they own the same Religion with us pag. 1. l 3. * The Authority of their Assemblies above that of King and Parliament * Well Ranted Rule * Preface Parag. 6. at the end and p. 26. c. * This is the Civil Style that he promised to exceed in Pref. par 6. * Where in the sense of the Law the King never dies * 'T is no new thing for Presbyterians to think Power a sufficient Call to act Illegally * As Mr. Rule himself did * Just like the Roman Catholick Church an Vniversal Particular Pag. 167. * Witness their many Covenants and Engagements to that purpose * Rule 's 2d Vindication of the Kirk * Even tho' it be solidly refuted by a Sciolist * Vid Rules 2d Vindication pag. 88. 177. * Honestly come by * A sham * Rent * Strange * Frown * Hugg * Get. * Dish * Accounts * Rent * Spilt †Goods * Engage * Bankrupt debters * Yearn * Noise * Ill manner'd * Foolish Song * Sculk * Give him credite * Empty * A Box. * Sack full of Grains * Streets * Table â—ead * Husband * Rent * Toped over * In the hand of a Notary * Fondled Darling * Foolish Child * Accounts * Longing * Higle * Pampered * Breding * Over and above * Put to Auction * Pag. 80. * Distaff * Beke * Large dish * Great * Hood * Trip. * Knew not * A Course * Nasty * Pulled and haled * Clutches * Sound bang * Kill * Christmass * Gay †Smock * Foolish Wench * Hen-peckt men * Beats * Dwarfie * Rifle a Magpies-Nest * Pettish †Old kindness †Wait not * Intreating ‖ Thin Dung of young Children †Such †Hold. †Two English Quarts * English Pint. †Haste * Childrens Toyes and Rattles * To Flout †Know ‡ Deep Dish †A Strong Porrage * Breeches †Little Children * Puâ—l †Too familiar †Child †Neat or Cattle †Low * Whisper ‖ Letters of Arrestment †Absconding * Nesty †absconding * Two-pence Half-penny †All 's not well * Mischief doing †Thin Dung * Christmass †Hold. * Wooden Cups †Two Wombs †Piece of Money * The name of a great River which washes the Walls of that City * Trifles * Raise on Action before the Judges and Arrest him * Stark mad * Tinkar * Dunghils * Smoke * Brains * Pruins * Weaned * Jump * Little Mouse * Gain * King James was then in Ireland * Ill mannered * When he could not stand without a Supporter * Pretty * Much in need * Troublesome * Encountered * Slipper * Another Cup full of it * Dunghill * Run a Tick with him * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the Ordinance against the Common-Prayer-Book * King Ch. his most pious and pertinent Prayer
that Christ because of the hardness of the Jews Hearts spake very much Morality with his Gospel The poor man spoke as he was taught and bred in the Conventicles for it will be very long e're they hear a Sermon upon Just Dealing or Restitution of ill-gotten Goods and who knows not that despising of Dominions speaking evil of Dignities and rising in Arms against the Lord 's Anointed is with them but fighting the Battels of the Lord. One George Flint in the Parish of Smalholm in the Shire of Teviotdate was look'd upon as a very great Saint among them and yet out of Zeal against the Government he kept a Dog whom he named Charles after the King and a Cat which he named Katherine after the Queen and another Dog whom he named Gideon after the Minister of the Parish They are a People that will not Swear in common Discourse for a World yet they never scruple before a Judge any Perjury that may seem to advance the Cause nor stand in their ordinary dealings to cheat for a penny nay Murther it self becomes a Virtue when the work of the Covenant seems to require it and the new Gospel which they Profess is so far from condemning Lying Cheating Murther and Rebellion when committed to fulfil the Ends of the Solemn League that many of these whom they reckon Martyrs have at their Execution gloried in these Crimes as the sure Evidences of their Salvation Morality being thus discountenanced by the generality of that Party the poor People are thereby lock'd up in a Cell of Ignorance This did clearly appear when the Laws in the former Government discharg'd Conventicles the people being brought thereby home to the Churches When the Ministers began to Catechise them in the Principles of the Christian Religion they found them grosly Ignorant for when they were desired to repeat the Creed Lord's-Prayer and Ten Commandments they told they were above these childish Ordinances for if they believed in Christ they were certainly well And yet these Ignorants would Adventure to pray Ex tempore and in their Families to Lecture on the most mysterious Chapters of Ezekiel Daniel or the Revelation A grave and good Minister told me that upon a certain occasion he desired a very zealous She-Saint to repeat the Creed And that she return'd this Answer I know not what ye mean by the Creed Did not your Father says the Minister promise to bring you up in that Faith Indeed did he not said she for I thank my Saviour that Superstition was not in my Father's time What then was in your Father's time said the Minister It was said she the holy Covenant which you have put away Whether was it the Covenant of Works or Grace said the Minister Covenant of Works said she that is handy Labour It was the Covenent of Grace which was made with Adam and which all of you have put away At Night she went home and a number of the sighing Fraternity flock'd after pretending to hear her pray Their Family Exercise being ended she told them the Conference that pass'd betwixt the Curate and her and they all concluded she had the better and that she was certainly more than match for the ablest Curate in that Country Generally their Conventicles produced very many Bastards and the Excuses they made for that was Where Sin abounds the Grace of God superabounds There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Sometimes this The Lambs of Christ may sport together To the pure all things are pure Nay generally they are of Opinion That a Man is never a true Saint till he have a sound fall such as that of David's with Bathsheba The following Narration of a well known Truth shall serve for Instance A party of King Charles II. his Guards being sent to apprehend Mr. Dav. Williamson one of the most Eminent of their Ministers now in Edenburgh for the frequent Rebellion and Treason he preached then at Field Meetings and the party having surrounded the House where he was a Zealous Lady Mistress of the House being very Solicitous to conceal him rose in all haste from her Bed where she left her Daughter of about Eighteen Years of Age and having dress'd up the Holy Man's Head with some of her own Night Cloaths she wittily advis'd him to take her place in the warm Bed with her Girl to which he modestly and readly consented And knowing well how to employ his time especially upon such and extraordinary Call to propagate the Image of the Party while the Mother to divert the Troopers enquiry was treating them with strong drink in the Parlour he to express his gratitude applies himself with extraordinary Kindness to the Daughter who finding him like to prove a very useful Man in his Generation told her Mother she would have him for her Husband to which the Mother though otherwise unwilling yet for concealing the Scandal out of Love to the Cause consented when the mystery of the Iniquity was wholly disclosed to her This whole Story is as well known in Scotland as that the Covenant was begun and carried on by Rebellion and Oppression Nor was the Actor who is at this day one of the chief Props of the cause more admired for his extraordinary diligence and courage in this Matter than for his excellent Invention in finding a passage of St. Paul's to prove that the Scandal of this was very consistent with the state of a person truly Regenerate Verily I do not said he deny but that with St. Paul I have a Law in my Members warring against the Law of my Mind and bringing me into Captivity into the Law of Sin which is in my Members Now according to the Gloss which that whole Party puts upon this Scripture saying That St. Paul here speaks of himself and does not personate an Unregenerate Man this Defence of Williamson's must be allowed to be good as also that the height of Carnality is consistent with the greatest Grace Even so the Hereticks in St. Peter's Days wrested some things hard to be understood in St. Paul's Epistles to their own Destruction There was among them a married Woman near Edenburgh who had paid several Fines for not going to Church yet scrupled not to commit Adultery with one of the Earl of Marr's Regiment and the Fellow himself that was Guilty told out of detestation to their damnable Hypocrisie that the vile Woman had the confidence in time of her Abomination to say to him O you that are in Marr 's Regiment but you be pretty able Men but yet ye art great Covenant Breakers alas few or none of you are Godly There are very many Instances of this Nature but I shall only add one more which was old me by a Gentleman of good Reputation and Credit who himself confessed to me with regret that in the heat of his Youth he had been guilty of the Sin of Fornication with a Gentlewoman of that Holy Sect he says that being with her
Mankind they allow not to Persons of the Quality that are of a different Opinion from themselves To avoid and flee from the Company where a Curate is as if it were a Pest-house is a common sign of Grace To affront a Prelate openly is a most meritorious Work and such as becomes a true Saint To approve and applaud the Murtherers of the Archbishop of St. Andrews is an infallible Evidence of one thoroughly reformed That the World may be satisfied of their Behaviour towards ordinary Men I shall give you some late Instances of their Carriage towards those of the highest Rank and Quality the matters of Fact are such as are known to be true by Multitudes of People before whom they were acted and themseves have the Impudence still to Glory in them and yet I will not say but some of the Party may deny them upon occasion at Court as they do other things as evident for I know what Metal their Foreheads are made of 1. Then when their Majesties Privy Council by advice of all the Judges conform to a standing Act of Parliament and common Practice appointed a Sermon upon the thirtieth Day of January 1690 The Council some time before sent a Person of Quality one of their own Stamp and Kidney to the Commissioners of the General Assembly to desire them in their Majesties and Council's Name to appoint one of their number to preach before them in St. Giles's Church on that Day and to put them in mind that it was the Anniversary for the Martyrdom of King Charles the First and that a Sermon proper for the occasion was expected according to the Religion Law and Custom of the Nation The grave Noddies of the Assembly answer'd thus Let the Council to do their own Business for we are to receive no Directions from the State nor to the take our Measures from the Council especiallly in preaching Anniversary-Sermons Upon which they appointed Shields a Cameronian one of the most wild and violent of the Hill-men to preach in the Tron-Church where-in they used to have Weekly Lectures as it happened upon that Day of the Week but where neither the Lords of Council nor Judges were used to come All that he spoke concerning the King's Murther was this Ye Sirs perhaps some of you may foolishly fanoy that I came here to day to preach to you concerning the Death of King Charles the First What preach for a Man that died forty Years ago if it be true what some Histories tells of him he is very mach wronged but if it be true what we believe of him and have ground for he is suffering the Vengeance of God in Hell this day for his own and Fore-fathers Sing The same Shields as he was holding forth sometime before at Edinburgh said That for ought he saw King William and Queen Mary were rather seeking an earthly Crown to themselves than seeking to put the Crown on Christ's Head That is in the Conventicle stile to settle Presbyterian Government This same Year again they peremptorily refused and despised the Privy Council's Order requiring them according to a standing Act of Parliament to preach upon that day 2. Inst Mr. Areskme preaching in the Tron Church at Edinburgh the day after the King by open Proclamation had adjourned the General Assembly said Sirs Ye heard a strange Proclamation the other day which I hope the Authors of may Repent some day It brings to my mind Sirs an old story of King Cyrus who once set his Hands fairly to the building of God's House but his Hand was not well in the Work when he drew it out again All is well that ends well Sirs for what think ye become of King Cyrus Sirs I 'll tell you that Sirs He e'en made an ill end he e'en died a bloody death in a strange Land I wish the like may not befal our King they say Comparisons are odious but I hope ye will not think that Scripture-comparisons are so whatever you may think I am sure of this that no King but King Jesus had Power to Adjourn our General Assembly This was spoken so lately before so great an Auditory that whatever Rule may say in his next Book yet I think the Author himself will not have the Impudence to deny it 3. When last Summer their Commissioners returned from King William in Flanders and told the General Assembly That the King had possitively told them that he would not any longer suffer them to oppress and persecute the Episcopal Subjects and desired them in his Name to acquaint the General Assembly with his Mind that for the time to come they should proceed more moderately otherwise he would let them know that he is their Master The Moderators said openly That if it were not for the great Army he had with him he durst not have said so to them and however he had been wiser to have held his peace for that they own'd no Master but Christ When King William in January last desired them by his Letter to the General Assembly to re-admit into the Exercise of the Ministry so many of the Episcopal Presbyters as should be willing to submit to and comply with a Formula which his Majesty sent to them and appointed to be the Terms of Communion betwixt the Parties This Proposal of Peace and Union which moderate Presbyterians might have been thought to have rejoyced in was insolently rejected and exclaimed against by all the Assembly except one Mr. Orack Then the common discourse and preaching of Presbyterians was That King William design'd to Dethrone King Jesus that the prescribing to them any Formula was an Incroachment upon Christ's Kingdom and a violent Usurpation of his Priviledges that any Formula but the Covenant is of the Devil 's making and ought not to be tolerated by Presbyterians The Moderator of the General Assembly in his Prayer immediately after its Dissolution reflected upon King William as sent in Wrath to be a Curse to God's Kirk He and the whole Assembly protested against the King's Power to dissolve them and before his Commissioner disclaim'd all his Authority that way Afterwards to make their Testimony that 's their word for Treason publick they went to the Cross of Edinburgh and took a formal Protestation after the old manner against the King in behalf of the People of God by which they intend their own Subjects The Magnanimous Earl of Crawford vowed before the Commissioners that he would adhere to the Protestation with his Life and Fortune two things equally great and valuable Their ordinary Doctrine and Discourse in the Pulpit and out of it speaking of the Kirk and King is Deliverance will come from another hand but thou and thy house shall perish Mr. Matthew Red holding forth the New Gospel at his Kirk in North Berwick Feb. 20th 1691-92 said The Kirk of Scotland is presently under the same condition that David was when he was so sore persecuted and pursued by Saul that he seemed to