ACCOUNT 
 
 Of the Prefent 
 
 PERSECUTION 
 
 OF THE 
 
 CHURCH 
 
 I N 
 
 s e 0 T LAND, 
 
 IN SEV ER AL 
 
 letters. 
 
 L 0 ^ © 0 5\C: 
 
 Printed for S, CooJ{. 1 690, 
 
Good Chriftian Reader, 
 
 B y the help of a very little Natural Lonck^ thou 7 nayfl 
 eafily ohferve hoiv far fome Mens fpeciou^ Pretences 
 aremt'done by their Actions 5 their Principles (to which they 
 ought to ft and in the Opinion of their great Mafler Hobbs) 
 exceeded and b a fled by their PraBice^ fmee thofe very Per- 
 fons who lately Addreffedfor Liberty of Confciencey in words 
 full of flattery^ do?iow Ufurpy Tyrannl:^ over others^ and 
 deprive them not only of their freedom in Pgligious con- 
 cernmentsfut of their Pojfejftons ; and (that no Barbarity 
 may be omitted^) even . of their precious Lives^ only for ad¬ 
 hering to that Holy VoBrine which was once delivered to the 
 Saints y and often eflablifhed by fundry Laws in that Ifingdom^ 
 And it will be no hard matterj after the perufal of the 
 following Sheets, to perceive the vajl difference between an 
 Englifh and a Scotch Perfecution, (as fome call it) how 
 gently and orderly the Church of England proceeded agalnft 
 the Diffenters, in comparifon of the IQrk; who by their 
 Clubs and Batoons 5 have come near to, if not outdone the 
 mercikfs fury of French Dragooning, 
 
 And here it 7 ?iay be worthy remark, how dangerous it is 
 for the beft Conjlituted Eflablifl)ed Government to connive at, 
 not to fay encourage, the profane Vulgar in their P^ots, A 
 number of wild Beajls, let loofe, have as much ConduB, lefs 
 Malice, and cannot do half the Mifchief : Ti?e noife of the 
 Waves, the raging of the Sea, may as /con be Jlilled, as the 
 madnefs of the People (it is a Work only for a power Almighty : 
 
 A 2 that 
 
To the R E A D E R. 
 
 that many haded Seajl ought to be carefully looked aftery 
 and tpatched» * 
 
 But furthery methinksj it is alfo very clear by the fub* 
 fequent TraEl^ that in fome parts of the World there are a 
 compajiy of %efolute Chriftians^ that dare lay down their 
 Laves for the Truth of thofe DoSlrmes which they have for¬ 
 merly Taught; and that in thofe places there may be a large 
 Hijlory written^ not only of the BoBrine^ but real BraBke 
 of TaJJJve Obedience^ in the Sufferings of thofe MeUy who 
 contrary to the new Maxims of Government^ pay Obedience 
 where they can have no TroteBioru 
 
 And now Chriflian good Bgader^ if thou [halt be convinced 
 of the verity of thefe foregoing deduBionSy by the fubfecjuent 
 undeny able Truths 5 I have but one thing to requejl from theCy 
 and that is no more than what thy Brofeffion will oblige and 
 command thee: I mean to put on Bowels of Mercy and Compaffl- 
 on to the BooryAffliBedyBiflreffedy to help them as much as thou 
 art able with thy Subjianccy and to extend that Charity which 
 is already gone over the Alps, and hath aUfed the Brote- 
 ftants in France, Hungary, and Piedmont, to thy Neigh¬ 
 bouring Brethreny and of thy Communion in Scotland: and if 
 thy Circumjlances are too mean to ajfifl them with thy Burfcy 
 be fure to let them have thy Charity for their Sufferingsy in 
 thy hearty Brayers for a happy and fudden Deliverance from 
 thofey who fo Cruelly y and Defpightfully ufe them, 
 
 FarewcL 
 
 The 
 
 V 
 
The Firft LETTER. 
 
 My. Lord, 
 
 Some inflame of my duty to your Lordfhip may he juflly expeBed, 
 though at this diflance-i and none I think more feafonahle and 
 proper from this place^ than the prefent condition of the Church 
 Scotland; which though your Lordflnp may more fully un¬ 
 der fi and from fome other better able to give tt, yet that confide- 
 ration is no apology for my filence, in fo Important an Affair ; 
 and this ufe at leafl will be made of my attempt^ to teflifie to 
 your Lordflnpj how ready I Jhall be to give an account of other 
 TranfaBtons not fo well known at London. 
 
 T he Church of Scotland is at this time under the Claw of an 
 inraged Lion; Epilcopacy abolillied, and its Revenues alie¬ 
 nated, the Clergy routed, fome by a form of Sentence, and others 
 by violence and popular fury ; their Pcrfons and Families abufed, 
 their Houfes ranfack’d, their Gowns torn to pieces, with many other 
 injuries and indignities done them, which 1 forbear naming, that I 
 may not Martyr your Lordfhips patience by the bare recital of them. 
 My Port: in the Army as it has carried me unto many places of 
 this Kingdom, fb it has given me as many opportunities to fee and 
 lament their condition. 
 
 The occafion of all thefe difaflers, is the prevailing ftrength of 
 the Cameronian Party, a Fadion here taking its name from one 
 Cameron formerly their Leader, and who was flain in his Rebellion: 
 They are a fort of rigid Presbyterians, or rather Fifth Monarchy- 
 men ; valuing neither K. IViUiam nor K. James, any further, than 
 as thefe Princes happen to pleafe them ; fome defigaing Heads in 
 the Council and Parliament, have made ufe of thofe Mens hands 
 to bring their ends about, whofe weaknefs otherways was too dif- 
 cernable. From thefe diforders they reprefent abroad tfie inclina¬ 
 tion of the People to the Presbyterian Government, and alledgc 
 the Popular Zeal; when it is highly fiifpeded they are only tumults 
 of their own making, otherways upon the Complaints and Peti¬ 
 tions of injur’d Perfons, redrefs might be obtained, which however 
 they are fb far from, that after fuch remonftrances they fare the 
 
 B worfe. 
 
( 1 ) 
 
 worfe i and have this aggravation to their mifeiies ; that they 
 are iinpitied by thofe who ought to proteA them : Nay now 
 at laft the Government it felf is become a Party againft them; 
 and where before good Neighbourhood and well afFecSted Per- 
 ibns, fcrened their Minifters from the DilTenters Barbarity; now 
 they hifFer by a form of Law, Ads of Council, and are them- 
 ielves reputed Malignanrs, and PifFer as a difcontented Fadious 
 People, 
 
 And yet the Church Party, both for number and quality 
 was predominant in this Nation : The Nobles and Gentry are 
 generally Epifcopal, and fo the People efpecially Northward , 
 where to my own knowledge they are (b well affeded, that it 
 would be no hard task to bring them , Cultni ^ Rttibm cum 
 Anglii Commumhus fubfcribere^ as Buchanan faith the Ancient Scots 
 did when they flood in fear of the French, and defired England^ 
 afliftance againft them ; my frequent reading of our Service, 
 and Preaching in their Churches to the Auditories fatisfadion , 
 the Carefles of the Gentry, and refped of the ordinary People, 
 whenever I met them, infers lo much, and plainly difcovers that 
 they neither abhorred me nor my way of Religion. At Berth I 
 was readily admitted into the Church and Pulpit, though the 
 Magiltrates refufed the fame favor to the Lord Cardrofs a Privy 
 Counfdlor , and the Lord Argyle in behalf of two Cameronian 
 Preachers; and though the former of thefe, forced his way thi¬ 
 ther upon one Sunday, yet the Lord Fro'uofi was better provided 
 againft another, and took the fame method, I mean the ftrength 
 of the City to oppofe and baffle the Latter; and when it was 
 urg’d by both thefe Lords, that that liberty they defired, was 
 granted to me fbme Sundays before, The Magiftrates excus’d 
 themfclves with an order to that purpofe from Sir John Lanier. 
 Even at Edinburgh it ielf, the Fabfion was fb weak , that they 
 were forced to lend privately to the Weft for afliftancc, before 
 they durft attempt any violence againft the regular Clergy: But 
 the College of Juftice being informed of their coming, Armed 
 themfelves and their Friends, and fo were fecured both they and 
 their Minifters, until an order was obtained for laying down 
 their Arms again ; Indeed at Glafgow the Fablion is ftronger, 
 and this Town may be faid to be the warmeft neft of the Ca- 
 meronians, and yet to my knowledge, the moft confiderable, and 
 Perfons of the beft quality are very well affeded, and would pre¬ 
 vail, were it not for the affiftance of the Mountainers which the 
 
 Malig- 
 
' C 3 3 
 
 Maligliants, have fometimes brought privately into the Town to 
 alTault and overawe the others. But then it is a wonder the adver- 
 fary fuccecded fo well, and that they Jiave got to fuch an afcendancy 
 as to ruin the Church; if it be fuppofed that the Church was lb 
 ftrong to have aded in her own ftfety, yet it is not to be much 
 admir’d at, if this be confidered: That in the beginning of this re¬ 
 volution; the Epifcopal Party in Scotland, not knowing at that 
 time how far things would go, judg’d it fafeft for them to keep at 
 a dihance, and having a deep impreffion of their Allegiance to 
 King James, they appeared a little too tender and unconcerned in 
 the Eledfion of Members for the Convention. By which means 
 the difcontented and Presbyterian Party, as they are in them (elves 
 always very a(5tive, fb upon this occafion they became more nu¬ 
 merous, and carryed it againft thole few Gentlemen, that (hewed 
 themlelves for the Church and old Conllitution. The firft inllance 
 and dilcovery of their new ftrength, was their carrying the Vote for 
 the Committee about controverted Eledions; a point not ob¬ 
 tained with difficulty, as the Convention was then compofed, and 
 the confequence was, that no Epifcopal Gentlemen Ihould be ad¬ 
 mitted in cafe of a competition, let the number of Electors in 
 Shire or Borough be never fb unequal : Nay many were allowed 
 to be Members of that Convention, who were uncapable to lit by 
 the moft Ancient Laws of the Kingdom, either in Convention or 
 Parliament ; and efpecially fuch as were not infeofc in their 
 Eftates, of which inftances might be given. The Epifcopal Party 
 finding this, moft of the Nobility withdrew themfelves both from 
 Convention and Parliament, and if my Lord Dundee had lived 
 (who was a great Patron of this Clergy) noiiie doubts but that he 
 had changed the whole State of Affairs in this Nation : And hav¬ 
 ing mentioned that Gentlemans name, 1 infert one word concern¬ 
 ing the troubles of which he feemed to be the whole occafion in 
 this Country, but did no more I think than what a great many 
 others would have done, on the fame reafon of felf Prefervation. 
 It appears then, that in the beginning he fat in the Convention, 
 and intended fo to do, till he heard of a dcfign on Foot, to Aflaf- 
 finate his Perfbn, he complained of this to the Convention, and 
 defired their Protection: But no notice was taken of it, he repeat¬ 
 ed his complaints, andofffired to prove the attempt; and declar¬ 
 ed, that without the affiftance of their Authority, he held it not 
 fafeto attend any longer. But all this to nopurpofe; the only an- 
 fwer he had, was, that his non-attendance would be no great lofs 
 
 B 2 to 
 
C 4 ] 
 
 CO them; hereupon he withdrew himfelF to the MountainSj and 
 being a Perfon of great Spirit and good Conduct, he was refolved 
 not only to defend himfelf, but call them alfo to an account, whom 
 he found fb much incenfed and let againft him, and ic is generally 
 believed here, he would have gone no further. —— But enough' 
 of this. 
 
 The only means. My Lord, to remedy all this is the diilblution 
 of this Parliament, and then ic is not to be doubted, but the Epifi 
 copal Party will Ihew their own ftrength, and concern them (elves 
 more in a new Eledion, then they did in that before; for their eyes 
 are now fufficicntly opened, and they fee, thoiigh Ibmewhat late, 
 their former omiflion and miftake ; but withal fee no poffibility 
 to'retricve themfelves, if this Parliament continue. Indeed they 
 wonder, that His Majefty can be very fond of keeping it a foot, 
 iince they have taken away (b eminent a Branch of his Preroga¬ 
 tive, as to deny him a Sovereign Intercft here, in what is debata¬ 
 ble in Parliament, they wonder that His Majefty is not fenfible, 
 irow little they value the promoting of his Service, that notwith- 
 flanding the great necehity of his Affairs, they have not thought 
 fit to give him a penny: They wonder how the Presbytery of the 
 Church can fiite Monarchy in the State, and that one Ruler fhould 
 give incouragement to the fetting up of many; they wonder how 
 it comes to pafs, that the Clergy of Scotland fhoulcf be by a form of 
 Law turn’d out of their Benefices, for not praying for Ring 
 and Qiieen Mary in terminisy when the Intruders themfelves, as 
 I have obferved, refufe to do it in their Ufurped Pulpits, and it is 
 equally ftrange, that even thefe Gentlemen that have complyed in 
 that particular, and in reading the Proclamation, are notwithfland- 
 ing difmill: their charges by fbnie other Libel, or in cafe any be 
 wanting to fct the Rabble to work to out them. So that feeing no 
 Obedience can fecure them, but that they are defiin d for facrifices 
 to thofe wild People; this is the realbn, why as yet they have made 
 no addrefs to the King, nor think themfelves encouraged to do ir, 
 fince their inveterate and implacable Enemies have His Majefties 
 ears fb much, as to make fuch an attempt of no effed; to them : 
 And, My Lord, they alfo wonder, that the Church of England 
 endeavours not to interpofe, and move th^ King no pity them m 
 their prefent calamity; fince the violent Party m Scotland will cer¬ 
 tainly inflame the difcontented in England^ for they are fworn by 
 their Covenant, to reform England upon their mpdei ; and to 
 piiirge the Neighbour*land from Popery and SuperRition, My Lord, 
 
 A have 
 
I have had the honour and happinefs to cotiverfe with the Clergy 
 here of the firh- form, and I nnd them very reverend, and as far 
 as I can judge very learned and judicious Gentlemen, they are ex¬ 
 ceedingly wronged by the Fadion, when they are called ignorant 
 and fcandalous; it’s an unjuft calumny to fay they would have be¬ 
 trayed the Laws, which were made for the defence and fecurity of 
 the Proteftant Religion ; when all the Bifhops of Scotland, two ex¬ 
 cepted,were unanimous againft the repeal of the Penal Laws againft 
 the Papifts in My Lord Murrays Parliament 1685. And as great is 
 the popular miftake concerning the Bifhops Revenues, which they 
 will have to be one Arbitrary Stipend from the Crown,which makes 
 them precarious and fubfervient to the Princes Will; whereas their 
 Incomes are as independent in that refped, as the Bilhopricks of 
 Englandj and have their feveral Localities, as they are here called, 
 or Tythes and Manners to fupport them : Thefe and the like obje¬ 
 ctions againft them and. the regular Clergy, are only inventions to 
 countenance feme Mens refolutions right or wrong to ruin them;, 
 and indeed that they are fb refblved not only againft the Bifhops, 
 But all the Epifcopal Clergy, is evident from hence, that notwith- 
 ftanding they have thofe qualifications, which are even now requi- 
 fite for the exercife of their Miniftry, as praying for the King, 
 
 ^c.‘ -Yet fome other objection is rais’d againft them, and this 
 
 now is a very influencing one, that if all the reft of the Parilfi be 
 Church People, and well difpofed to their Minifter, and but one 
 fingle Diflencer among them, it is a fufficient reafbn to ejeCt and 
 deprive him, how induftrious foever the others are to continue him 
 with them ; as in the mftances of the Alinifters of Moufegard, CoU 
 livgtoune^ Kirkneutoun, and Kirhlifioune, not to mention feveral hun¬ 
 dreds, that have been routed by the Rabble, and yet are never re- 
 ftor’d to the purpofe, nor have opportunity to iliew whether they 
 will comply or no. 
 
 My Lord, if the perfeCt knowledge of thefe things has made fome 
 impreflion on me, it’s no wonder upon the account of common 
 Chnftianity. I am fbrry for the diftrefs of this Church , and in 
 compaflion to it, I wilh I were able to contribute any ways to the re¬ 
 lief and recovery of it. This is all I can do in order to that, to 
 give your Lordfhip the beft account I can of her prefent circum- 
 ftances; and what hopes ftie has in profpeCt upon the Diflofution 
 of this Parliament. 
 
 What Intereft your Lordfhip has with Their Majefties> is a* 
 
 thing 
 
C ] 
 
 "tiling well underftood ; here I humbly recommend the Matter 
 to your Lordjhip; I beg pardon for this interruption given your 
 Lordlhip, by one who defires at all times to Ihew himfelf, though 
 he may fail in the manner of it. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 Tour LorJJJnps Mofi OhedteTH, 
 Curate and Servant 
 
 Glafgow OM. II.—— 89. 
 
 P O S T^S C R IP T. 
 
 We are haftening to the Sea-fide, to be tranrported into Ire- 
 land, an expedition no way fuited to a Man of my conftitution, 
 but I fubmit to my Lot and humbly intreat your Lordlhip to con- 
 fider me. 
 
 The Second LETTER. 
 
 S I R, 
 
 I Received yours of the date, &c. Wherein as you exprefs a mighty 
 concern for the diftrefs’d Epifcopal Clergy within this King¬ 
 dom ; fb you prefcribe me a task, which will not be fo eafily per¬ 
 form’d as ye imagine : You cell me, ftrange Rcprefentations are 
 made of them by their Enemies, and dilfeminated through the whole 
 Kingdom of England’^ you therefore require me to give you a juft 
 and true account of their Prefent State and Perfecutions; afluring 
 me, it is not fb much to fatisfie your cunofity, as to enable you 
 for their vindication. This I fay i^ a very hard task ; for to digeft 
 an account of that Nature to purpofc (in my opinion) would re¬ 
 quire the diligence of a great head, the expenfc of much time^ 
 
 and 
 
[ 7 ] 
 
 and a considerable Volume ; for ’tis hardly poflible to Set their cir- 
 camftances in their due light, without deducing their Affairs from 
 the very Reformation, and dipping in matters of State all alongft, 
 as well as of Ecclehafbcal Concern ; fo clofely have the two in- 
 terefts been ftill linked together in this Kingdom ; Without that. 
 Strangers will never underftand fufHcienfly, euher our Conftitution, 
 or the Grounds on which the Clergy have been obliged to go in 
 many tranfadions: Neither will they be able to perceive how un¬ 
 juft and calumnious the Reprefencations be, which are made by 
 their Adverfaries; nor how partial they arc in their accounts, nor 
 how carefully they take all things by the wrong handle ; induftnoufly 
 prefenting the dark fide of things to the Woi ld, where there is any 
 intricacy ; and many times blackening even that which is truly fair 
 and beautiful, when it makes for their purpofe. 
 
 ' Such a work as that, I am hopeful, ye may fee ere long; for I 
 have good reafon to believe, fbme abler Pen than mine will be 
 imployed that way by and by : And therefore, I was once inclined, 
 to have referred you intirely to it: But calling to mind again, what- 
 earneftnefs ye exprefs, to have if it were but fome overly notice of 
 our Cafe; and withal cbnfidering, that herein you may be gratified 
 without prejudice to that more full and large account.: And like- 
 wife, that perhaps a prefent account ^though never fo Short and 
 rudej may have its proper ufefulnelT; I have prevailed with my 
 Self, to caft together what follows, i will ufe as few words as I 
 can, and perhaps I Shall not be careful to obferve exad Order and, 
 Method ; but I hope your goodnefs will pardon that, upon my pro- 
 miling to tell you nothing, but what can be made appear to be 
 true, beyond all concradiiftion. 
 
 I take my Rife from the Death of that Great Prince King 
 Charles II. He left this Church of Scotland in more peaceful con¬ 
 dition, then it had been of a long time before; it was united to a 
 very defirable degree : Generally z\\ Scotchmen wqvq ofoneConi- 
 inunion ; for thofe of thePopiih perfwafion were fcarcely one to 
 500. The Quakers were not one to looo. The Presbyterians a good 
 time before, were divided into two Seefts, one fbut by far the f mai¬ 
 ler) was againft all Indulgences given by the King; the other had. 
 taken the liberty, which he had Several times granted, but was then 
 retracted. This Party had for the moft part returned to the Churches 
 Unity; their Preachers were generally become our Hearers, attend¬ 
 ed duely our Publick Aftcmblies, and many participated of the Same, 
 Sacraments with us. There were no feparate Meetings kept fat 
 
t ^ ^ 
 
 leaft puljlicldy^ J but very rarely, and only by that other Party, 
 nbw' commonly known by the name of Cameronians ^ from one 
 Mr. l^ichardCameron^ who fbeing Ibmetimes School-mafter at Falk¬ 
 land^ and^turn’d out of that imployment for infufficiencyj betook 
 himfelf to the trade of Field Preaching, became wonderfuilv admi¬ 
 red of the giddy Multitude, was killed at laft in open Rebellion, at 
 Mrds-mofs, and fo commenced Martyr1680. 
 
 This is that Party with whom thefe lharp Methods were taken, 
 which are complain’d of in the P. of O. his Declaration for the 
 Kingdom of Scotland, and hugely aggravated by the Paper called 
 the Scotch Inquifition. But had his Flighnefs known their pra- 
 ( 5 tices; fhow they (by their ManifeRo 5 ) rejected K, C. as their 
 Sovereign, made many Declarations of War againft him, Excom¬ 
 municated him, and ( when they had opportunity) Murthered 
 rhofe, who (in their Stations according to their duty,J - any ways 
 fupported his Government, efpecially Bilhops^ Minillers' and Sol¬ 
 diers ; pretending it was done in a juft War, and they had Com- 
 miilion from King Jefm for it, &c. ) I doubt he would never have 
 made the treatment they met with a grievance: And if the World 
 knew it ("as perhaps it may, fooner or later) certainly itv^ould have 
 but a very mean opinion of the Author of that moft fcurrilous 
 Pamphlet: I only laid their^radices, for all Presbyterians (at left 
 in Scotland, as will appear in the Sequele) have really the fame 
 Principles: The-only lubftantial difference is, the Cameronians are 
 the more ingenuous Party ; the reft the more fiibtle. Thele own 
 their Principles when they think it fealbnable ; thole, flike the 
 -honefter Men) upon all occafions; By thefe Cameromans~(^ \ fay) 
 Conventicles were only then kept; and they were condemned for 
 it by the reft of the Presbyterians, who at that time (in pretence 
 at leaft) had fallen in love with Moderation. 
 
 When King 'James came to the Throne, Monmouth in England, 
 and Argyle in Scotland (you knowj raffed a formidable Rebellion. 
 Argyle gave out his Manifefto’s, and made many Ipecious pretences, 
 it appeared he was earneft to have had theJPresbyterians joyn 
 virith him ; but his Conditions did not pleafe the Cameronians ; and 
 the reft continued liili as formerly in the Kings and Churches Peace. 
 This made us all hopeful, they had once refblved lerioufly never to 
 divide any more, and weaken the Proteftant Tntereft, by rending 
 the Church in pieces; But it feems they went then on other Prin¬ 
 ciples. They found Argyle\ attempt delperate, and their Party 
 weak, and they had finarted lately for Enterpriles of that na¬ 
 ture ; 
 
C ?3 
 
 ture; therefore they found it convenient to wait a fitter oppor- 
 tiinity. 
 
 When that Rebellion was qualht. King James, being a R^onian 
 Catholickj turn’d feriousto have fome eaie granted to thofe of his 
 Own perfwafion ; fb the bufinels of the Penal Statutes came to be 
 manag’d: For this end, it was refolved the Parliament fnould meet, 
 and before it fate, feveral Perfons of Greatefl Note within the 
 Kingdom were called up to London ; the Duke of Hamilton, Sir 
 George Lockart (the Greateft Lawyer in the Kingdom) then Preh- 
 denc of the Seffion, &c. Their errand was to concert Mattsi s, and 
 make way for the King’s inclinations in that particular: Amongft 
 the reff, the Aa'ch-bi(hop of St. Andreovs, and the then Bilhop of 
 Edinburgh, now Archbilhop of Glafgoii^ ; They made a condefcen* 
 fion too, which afterwards was very much talked of; but 1 can al¬ 
 lure you Sir, it was nothing Ibodious in it (elf, as it was reprefent- 
 edtobe: I have feen it and confidered it, ic did not go the length 
 (by farj ofPeniionary Fagels Letter; and to tell the truth freely, 
 io far as I can comprehend things, they had great realbn to go lo 
 far as they went; and I doubt not it Jhali be fometimes publilhed 
 to the Worlds and fully vindicated. But I go on. 
 
 The Parliament met; all the Members were qualified according 
 to Law, they took the Telf, &c. But the Court-deligns prevailed 
 not; the Penal Statutes were ft ill kept on foot by that Epilcopal 
 Parliament (pardon the Phrale, ’tis ordinary in this Kingdom) and 
 fome of the Bilhops too were adive in the matter. This, to let ' 
 you fee whether the Epifcopal Party in this Kingdom can be laid 
 to be inclin’d for Popery. 
 
 This dilappointment irritated his Majefty; wherefore, the next 
 great ftep was, the fufpending, ftopping, and dilabling all the 
 Laws againft Diftenters, and granting a Toleration to Chriftians of 
 all Pe'rfwafions. This was done by publick Proclamation; the 
 hrft Edition was dated Feb. ii. i68^. The Presbyterians, as much 
 as any Men, flood amaz’d at the Difpenfing Power at firft, and 
 feem’d to fee clearly the ill confequences of a breach in that jun- 
 (fture. This themfelves frankly confefs’d at the beginning; and I 
 know it was therefore once very near to a general relblution a- 
 mongft them, never to take the benefit of it: This all know, 
 that for fome Months after the publication of it, no conhderabJe 
 breach was made; they ftill continued in the fame Communion 
 with us. 
 
 Ye will eafily believe (I think) this grated the Popilh Party ; 
 
 C for 
 
[ 'O 3 
 
 for they faw evidently, if the Unity of our Church was-not broken, 
 their Interefis would advance but very (lowly; fo pains were taken 
 with the Presbyterians to make them feparate. And becaufe per¬ 
 haps they might (cruple at the Oath contained in the firft Edition 
 of the Toleration, a fecond Edition> without that Oath, was ob¬ 
 tained and publiihed. Whether the Arguments which were made ufe 
 of to engage them, prevailed with them; or by that time, the fe- 
 eond Edition came out, (which was June i8. 1687. ) they had 
 conlidcred the Itrength of tlieir Party, and found they would be 
 able to make a Figure; or, they had then got fecret inhrudions 
 from Holland,' to comply with the Difpenling Power, in Sublervi- 
 enc3' to the enfuing Revolution (for which 1 know there be very 
 ftrong prefumptions) I ihall not readily determine. This is certain, 
 they doled prelently with the fecond Edition. 
 
 ’Tis true, they pretended the terms in the firfl were too grievous; 
 and that confiderable Mitigations were made in the fecond; fo 
 they could not any longer l^e difobedient to the Divine Providence, 
 (you cannot quarrel the expreflion, when ye know that according 
 to their Divinity, Providential Occurrences make a confiderable 
 part of the Rule of Faith and Mannersj nor negled fb blefl an 
 opportunity: Although ’tis evident to any who compares the two 
 Proclamations, that there are no material alterations. ’Tis certain 
 the fecond was delign’d to carry on the fame Intereh: with the firft ; 
 and it had altogether as much of the Difpenfing Power in it: Both 
 alike required, that whoever would have the beneh't of the Tole¬ 
 ration, Ihould own the King’s abfblute Difpenling Power, by which 
 it was granted ; only the Oath contained in the firfl, was left out 
 in the fecond: But even in the firfl it was not abfolutcly required; 
 for the Proclamation fays no more, but that, inftead of all former 
 Oaths required by Law , That only fhould be taken and fworn, by 
 all His Majeflies Subjects, or f’uch of thenij as he or his Privy Coun¬ 
 cil fhould require fb to do: And moreover it was intirely difpenfed 
 with by the King’s Letter to his Council, dated March 51. Anno 
 1 687. fb that it can never be pretended as a rea(bn,why they did not 
 feparate for three Months hereafter. 
 
 Thus the great Schifin began amongfl us; the Toleration .ivas 
 it’s Parent, and that was the Child of the Di(penfing. Power. But 
 before I proceed to fhew how it was carried on, let me remark one 
 thing: It is, whatever now they may pretend, it was bo ways any 
 Principle of Confcience, which made them feparate from us, on 
 that occafion. My Reafbns are thefe; They had lived in Commu¬ 
 nion 
 
C"] 
 
 nlon with us, for fbme years before the firft Edition of the Tole¬ 
 ration : They continued fo, even for fome Months after thatEdi- 
 tion^x'/ss. till they got the fecond; at ieaft very few broke off in 
 that interim. While they lived in Communion with us, they ac¬ 
 knowledged their Conlciences allowed them ; indeed, what fort of 
 Cliriftians had they been, if it had not been fb ? Many (1 can 
 find their Names if 1 be put to it) thanked God, that they were 
 reconciled to us, and frequently protefted all the World'^fhoiild 
 never again engage them in the Schifm. Nay fome of the ableft 
 of their Preachers, (within a veij few Weeks before they embraced 
 die Toleration) faid to fome of the Regular Cleigy, they Ihould 
 never do it; they were refblved never to Preach more in their life 
 time. Further yet, fome of them, even after the fecond Edition, 
 continued for a long time refblved never to engage in it; and it 
 coft their Brethren much pains, before they could overcome that 
 Refolution: yea they tell us, to this very day, if they were depriv¬ 
 ed of their Liberty, they could return to us again. Can there be 
 clearer Evidences for any thing, than thefe are, that it was not 
 Confcience, but fbme other Intereft, that involved them in fuch a 
 general Apoftacy from one of the greatefl Concerns of Chriffia- 
 nity, the Unity of the Church? Indeed, how could ever Confcience 
 be pretended in the Matter ? We had not the leaft finful condition 
 in our Communion; We flill maintain’d what thcmfelves, the fame 
 Articles of Faith; we worfhipp’d God after the fame manner: There 
 is no imaginable difference between them and us, in the Admini- 
 ffration of Sacrarhents; if the Orders of the Church of England be 
 valid, fb are ours. All that was ever controverted amongft us, 
 was the point of Church Government; ’tis true we ufe the Lord’s 
 Prayer and the Doxology, and commonly requii e the Creed in 
 Baptifm, which they do not ; if thefe can juflifie a Separation, 
 we are guilty: But if they can, let the World judge. And now 
 thefe things being fb, I would further ask any Man this Qiieftion ; 
 whether, when they make fuch clamours now concerning their by- 
 pafl fufferings, it can be faid, that ever they fuffered for Contci- 
 ence fake ? This by the way. 
 
 So was the Schifm circumftantiate, as I have faid, and being once 
 begun, it was wonderful to fee how fbon it came to a confiderable 
 height; within a few Weeks, Meeting houfes were Eroded in ma¬ 
 ny places; efpecially in the Weftern Shires, (the great Nefls of 
 Fanaticifm) and the Churches were arain’d; Altar was fet up againfl 
 Altar, and the pretended Presbyter againft the Bifhop. All arts 
 
 C 1 vver^- 
 
[«o - 
 
 were uted to iiicrea(e theli' Party, and reader the Regular Incum¬ 
 bents contemptible; People were not left to their own choice, to 
 joynor not joyii with them: But all Methods of compullion, except 
 down right force were taken to engage themif any Man went to 
 Church (whither all had gone very latelyhe was forthwith out of 
 favour with the whole Gang ; it he was an Husbandman, his hap 
 was good if his Neighbours Cattle were not fed amongH his Corns 
 in the Night time ; if he was a Tradefh)an,no imployment for him ■* 
 if a Gentleman of an Ellate (a Laird as we call them) his own Te¬ 
 nants would abufe him to his face, and threaten him twenty vio¬ 
 lences : in fhoit, nothing was left untryed, that had the lealf pro¬ 
 bability of weakning our hands or ftrengthening their own. 
 
 On the other hand, never a more thankful People to His Ma- 
 je/ly. Addrelles you know, were then much in falhion, and none 
 more forward than they; witnels, That famous one entituled. To 
 the King’s Moft Excellent Majefty, The Humble Addrefs of the 
 Presbyterian Miniflers, in His Majefties Kingdom of Scotland • and 
 at the foot, Subfcribed in Our Names, and in the Names of the refh 
 of the Brethren of our perfiiafionat their defire, in which Addrefij 
 
 Tl/ej His Majejltes Mo^ Loyal SuhjeBsy from the deep fenfe they ha^e 
 of His Majef ies Gracious and fnrpriz,mg favour y in not only putting- 
 a flop to their long fad fuffermgs for Nonconformity y but Granting 
 them the Libertyy of the puhlick and peaceable exercife of their Mmifle- 
 vial Funtiion ; as they bkfs the great God, who put it in his Royal Heart, 
 fo they do withal find themfelves bound in duty to offer their mof 
 hiimhle and hearty thanks to Hts Majefiy. Then they make valf Prore- 
 llations in behalf of their Loyalty, His Majefly is but jufl to them when 
 he believes them Loyal: And by the help of God they will fo demean 
 themfelves,. as His Majefly may find caufie rather to enlarge than dimi- 
 nifl} his favours towards them ; and they humbly befieech , That all 
 who promote any dijloyal Frinciples or Praclices (as they do difiown them) 
 may be looked upon as none of theirs whatfioever name they may ajfiume 
 to themfelves. 
 
 And indeed for a good time, (even till they had made a good 
 Party, and the P. of O. was coming) they continued mode- 
 rate and thankful to a Miracle ; for tho by vertue of that fame To¬ 
 leration, fwarms of PopilE Priefts were let loofe through the whole 
 Kingdom, infinitely adive to gain Converts, compaffing Sea and 
 Land to make one Pro(elyte,vct feldom fo much as one word againft 
 Popery in any Meeting-houfe: Whether it was that they thought it 
 indiRreer, to fail on their Brethren who Rood upon the fame bot¬ 
 tom 
 
- t:<3] - 
 
 tom with themfclves; or they had receiv’d itamongfl: their Itijuii- 
 dions from the Court Party^ not to meddle with thefe of the Ro¬ 
 man Church; or they did not uiiderfland the Controverhes (which 
 feems the moh probable,) and fo found themfelves obliged in pru¬ 
 dence to let them alone ; I am not concerned to determine. ’Tis 
 certain it was lb de faBo (for once to make ufe hereof that 
 term) and I have twenty times heard it confefs’d by their conftant 
 Auditors. Nay to this very day (though now they may nuke bold 
 with Popery, without the hazard of giving the prefenc Court a 
 difpleafure, and it might be expeded they Ihould do it, for very ob¬ 
 vious Reafons) they very rarely meddle with it. Their great work 
 IS to batter down Antichriftian Prelacy and Malignancy, Prelacy has 
 been the caufe of all the Calamities this Nation has groaned under, 
 God knows for how many years; King Jefm has been banilhed, 
 the Gofpel has not been Preached m this Land thefe ay years by- 
 paft. Upon my word Tni ferious Sir, there’s nothing more ordina¬ 
 ry in their Sermons then fuch cant; and though their Texts be com¬ 
 monly taken fromtheOldTeftaiiient, yet they are all pat and home 
 to the purpofe: I could eafiily give you a great many good notes of 
 their Prayers, as well as their Sermons; and condelcend upon the 
 particular Perfons, &c. But perhaps ye may fee that fometimes done 
 by it felf 
 
 While in thefe Conventicles, Popery was fo kindly forhorn; in 
 our Churches thefe Controverfies were our moft frequent Subjeds; 
 efpccially in thefe places Vvhere Priefts were fetting up. This is 
 well known all over the Kingdom; Ibme f'urFered, and many were 
 terribly threatned for it, I could give you part of their Names and 
 Hiffories if it were needful. 
 
 - Such was the broken State of our Church from July 87. till 
 her 88, when the late great Revolution began to calt up ; and his 
 Highnefs the Prince of was (aid to be coming to Britain, to 
 
 deliver us from Popery and Slavery, and reflore our Religion, Laws 
 and Liberties: You know that was an extraordinary Enterprife; 
 Britain had not been Invaded by any Foreign Prince, for an" hun¬ 
 dred Years before. Therefore it was expedient his Highnefs fhould 
 forecaft, for as kindly a reception as was polhble; to this end he 
 gave out his Declarations for both Kingdoms. It feems that either 
 his Highnefs, has been diffident of the Regular Clergy \\-\ Scotland, 
 and dreaded they would not fo readily embark with him, as the 
 Presbyterians were likely to do; or he has had none, or very few 
 of the Scotch Nation then about him, but fuch as were of that per- 
 
 lualion. 
 
C >4 1 
 
 iliafion. ror the Declaration for the Kingdom Scctlantj we 
 lound to be purely Presbyterian : I’m confident Dodlor Burnet did 
 not Pen it; other wife the Ad: of Glafgo'w had not been put into 
 it asa Gi ievance: He knows very well upon what reaTons it was 
 made, and if he pleafes, can eafily juflihe it; neither had the Cler¬ 
 gy of the Weft f for they muft be the Men) been fb generally pro¬ 
 nounced fcandalous and ignorant: He was better acquainted with 
 nu^nyof them than fb; 1 had rather think, the Dodor had never 
 feen that Declaration until it was publifhed. But what though he 
 had ? and for Reafbns of State , thought fit to let it go as it was ? 
 ’Tis no .great matter. As I faid, it was down-right PiCibyterian, 
 and prefag’d no good to us: But God be thanked, it found us ge¬ 
 nerally in good preparation for fufFering Perlecution, foi- we had 
 call up our accounts before, and forefeen that poffibly we might 
 be expos’d to Tiyals: though we had not much receded, that it 
 was to be by the hands of Proteftants. We were confirmed further 
 yet in our fufpicions, when v/e found that thole who were engaged 
 in the Presbyterian Interefts, were flocking up to London.^nA making 
 the moft numerous, as well as adfive appearances about his High- 
 nefs’s Court; that they only had his ear, and feem’d to be the chief 
 Perfbns, who fupon His Majefties Retirement) transferr’d the Go¬ 
 vernment of this Kingdom upon him. By thefe fleps, we-began 
 to lee further too into the politicks of our Brethren, and upon what 
 Defignsthey had carried on the Schif'm fo vigoroully the year before; 
 yet we never dreaded that fuch horrid Barbarities would be our lot, 
 as aftei wards were put in execution. And fo 1 am introduced to 
 the main part of my work, which is to give you a brief account, 
 atafle as it were of our prefent Sufferings; which were they repre- 
 fented fully, and in all their proper Colours, perhaps they would 
 not obtain belief among Strangers: Nor will I make it my work 
 at prefent to do it; both for that I intend brevity, and am unwilling 
 to give to the World flich a dilguft at my Native Country, as the 
 Barbarities we met with, fully laid open, muft needs produce in all 
 thofe, who have any fenfe either of Chriftianity or Humanity. In 
 Ihortthen: 
 
 It pleafed Almighty God (to whole Providence it becomes us 
 humbly to fubmit in all conditions) to permit that we fhould have 
 a Tryal pf the Crofs; whereof God forbid we ihould ever be a- 
 ihamed ; and, for that end, to give us up to the malice of our Ene¬ 
 mies, that they might thruft us into the furnace. For carrying on 
 which Glorious Work, this was their opportunity ; when the cer¬ 
 tain 
 
C ‘5 ] 
 
 tain accounts came of the Prince of Ora^iges's Refolutions-, to 
 come into England^ all our (landing Forces were called thither: 
 So that this Kingdom was left deftitute of fiich means as were neceC- 
 lary to fecure the Peace, if any difturbance ihould happen to arile 
 amongfl us. When that Prince Landed, King James being deferred 
 by his Army, and (oon after difownM by his Subjedls; was put 
 upon the neceffity of leaving Britain : And here in Scotland his 
 Cotinciivery (oon didbiv’d, of its own accord, (b that in elFedt the 
 Nation was in a manner without Government, by whole fault I 
 am not now to inquire. Upon this IIis Majefties (udden Ab¬ 
 dication, and voluntary didblution of his Council, our Brethren 
 found it (ealonable for them to turn ferious with us. But it was 
 expedient to project how their Game might be luccefsful, before 
 they began to play it: Therefore a Stratagem w'as contrived ; a ge¬ 
 neral Madacre of Proteftants was pretended, and alledged to be 
 intended by the Papifts. But how to be effedlual? Seeing their 
 Numbers were(b very few, efpeciallvon the South fideof theF^v/a, 
 which was to be the chief Scene of the Tragedy.^ for that, thislalvo 
 was at hand : So many Thoufands of Iri(h men were landed in Gal- 
 lo7vay^ had already burnt the Towns of Kirkhudhnght all to Afhes, 
 and put all to the edge of the Sword, Young and Old, Male and 
 Female, only three or four Perfons flike Job\ Nuncio’s) had e(ca- 
 ped ; and thefe Savages were polling hard, to be over the whole 
 Kingdom, This Story flew at the rate of a Miracle; for within 
 twenty four hours or (b, it was fpread every where through the 
 greater half of the Kingdom. No body doubts now, but People 
 were appointed at (everal Pods, to tranlmit it every where at that 
 fame time, for it run like Lightning; and wherever it went, it was 
 ib confidently aileited to be true, that he was forthwith a Papiff, 
 and upon the Plot who diDbeliev’d it. At firld we all wondered what 
 it might mean; but it was not long before we learned by the cfFeds, 
 what v/as the Politick; for immediatly in the Weftern Shires (where 
 the Fibtion was firft propagated) tumultuary Rabbles knotted, and 
 went about, (earching for Arms, everybody’s hou(e whom theyfuf- 
 pededas difaffebfed to their Intcrefts: The pretext was, that the 
 Country might be in a polture of defence againft the Injl)- but the 
 real purpole was that all might be made naked, who were inclina¬ 
 ble to retard them, in the profecution of their defigns upon the 
 Clergy. Efpecially they were (ure, no Minifler (hould have Sword 
 or Piltol (as Indeed few had any) or any other Weapon, that might 
 be ufeFul for his defence, if an attempt fhould be made on him. 
 
 When 
 
When they had thus made their preparations for the work (^atid 
 you would wonder to hear how fpeedily^ and yet how dexterouliy it 
 was donej they fell frankly to it. 
 
 It was on Chriflmas day (that day which once brought good ti¬ 
 dings of great joy to all People ; ) that day which once was cele- 
 bi ated by the Court of Heaven it felf and whereon they fung. Glo¬ 
 ry to God m the Higheft, on Earth Peace^ and good will towards 
 Men: That day which the whole ChiiftianChurch ever fince has 
 iolemnized, for the greatefi: Mercy that ever was Ihewii to finful 
 Mortals; that day 1 fay it was fto the Eternal Honour of alf efj:)e- 
 cially Scotch^ Presbyterians) on which they began the Tragedy; for 
 lo were matters concerted ainongfc them, that upon that fame very 
 day, different Parties flatted out in different places, and fell upon 
 the Miniflei s: Particularly about five or fix of the Clock at Night, 
 Mr. Gabriel RujJ'el Minifter at Goveafjj was aflaulted by a number 
 of Fellows C C)f them, as I am told, his own Parilhioners, 
 to whom he had fbmetimes done confiderable Kindnefles) in his 
 own houfe ; They beat his Wife, his Daughter, and himfelf too, 
 fo inhumanely, that it had almofl endangered his life; carried off 
 the Poor’s Box and other Utenfils of the Church, and threatned 
 peremptorily if he fhould ever offer after that to Preach there, he 
 might aflurc himfelf of more fevere treatment. 
 
 That fame night about Eleven of the Clock, another Party 
 came to the Dwelling houfe of Mr. Finnie Mimfter at Cathcart ; 
 he was from home himfelf: The Seafon was not only then natu¬ 
 rally cold, but a mofl vehement froft prevail d ; yet fbehold their 
 humanity ! ) they thruff his Wife, with four or five frnall Children 
 out of doors, about Midnight; threw out alibis furniture, and (till 
 after more than half an hours intreaty) would not Eiffer the poor 
 Gentlewoman with her tender Babes, to have lodging that night, 
 fb much as in the Stable, nor a Fire of her own Walls to keep the 
 Young ones from the feverities of the Weather. The weak tender 
 Children, (and no wonder, when expos’d to luch a rigourj almofl: 
 all fick’ned thereafter : But whether any of them dyed, I know 
 not. 
 
 That lame Night Mr. Buyd Minifter at Carmunnocky his Family 
 was as rudely treated; and in many other places, it was folemnized 
 after the lame manner. But I am not at this time, to give you a 
 particular inventory of all the incredible Barbarities, which were 
 either on that, or many fubfequent days committed : That would 
 make this Letter hugely fwell beyond its primary defign; for v/hac 
 work would it require to reprefent particularly How 
 
C (=V 
 
 17 J 
 
 How they took Mr. Robert Bell Minifter at Kihmrmck^ frooi hi.; 
 Chamber on a very frofty day, kej^t him four or five hours bare- 
 headed, expofed to the Cold; caufed his own Sexton to tear iiis 
 Gown in pieces from his Shoulders; took the Engltjlj Liturgy from 
 his pocket, and bui'iit it with much ceremony in the Markec-plaee - 
 calling him Papift, and it the Mals-book in Englifh^ ^c. ’ 
 
 How they came upon Mr. Simpfin Miniller at Gafioivn, rook 
 him out bare-headed alfo, cauled his Sexton carry his Morning 
 Gown, tothemoft publick place of the Village, (for he had put his 
 Canonical Gowns and Cafficks out of the way, and it was necef 
 fary a Gown Ihould be torn; that was an ellemial formality,) where 
 they caufed him to put it on, and then rent it in pieces. How there, 
 after they carried him to a River, forced him to wade through it, at 
 one of the deepeft places, then turn’d his face Northward, faying 
 to him, get you gone to your own Country, and fee for your life 
 you never look Southward or Weftward again. 
 
 How they carried Mr. Miln Minifter at Caivdir^ his Gown, be¬ 
 ing from home himfelf, in proceflion to the Church-yard, made a 
 long harangue, concerning their Zeal for God’s Glory and the 
 Good Old Caufe, after that a long Prayer, then rent the Gown • 
 and concluded the fblemnity with a volly of fhot, &c. Could there 
 be greater dilhonour done to Jefm Chrt^ and his Holy Religion. 
 How they fmote Mr White Minifter at Balingtre, on the face with 
 the butt of a Musket, for fpeaking to them with his Cap on, as 
 they worded it, though it was in his own Houfe, and the Fellow 
 that faid and did fo, was a mean Pedler. How they thruft at his 
 heart with a naked Sword ; fo that both his Cloaths and Skin were 
 pierced, though, fuch was the good Providence of God, what 
 through the throng that was in the Room, and what through the 
 diftance the Mifcreant flood at, who made the thruft, the Wound 
 was not dangerous ? and how they beat his Wife moft rudely, though 
 at that time me was fo big with Child, that fhe had paft her Reck- 
 ning. 
 
 How in a mighty ftorm of froft and fnow, they took Mr. Bro-wn 
 Minifter at Kells in Galloway, then refiding at Newtom, carried 
 him to the Mcrcat place about four of the Clock in the Morning, 
 tyed him to a Cart, fet his face to the Weather, &c. in which no- 
 fttu-e he had certainly died, if a poor Woman, whole heait it 
 feems was made of fbfter mettal, had not caft fbme Cloaths about 
 him. 
 
 How they came on Mr. Francis Rofs Minifter at Renfrew, and 
 
 threw 
 
[. 8 ] 
 
 threw out his Wife the third day after Hie was brought to Bed, to¬ 
 gether with her tender Infant. 
 
 How they treated Mr. Guthrie MiniHer at Keir, in a ftormy rainy 
 day, turning all his Family and Furniture out at doors, although 
 three of his Children were dangeroufly lick, one of a Feaver, the 
 other two of the Small Pox; and how two of them dyed upon that 
 treatment. 
 
 How by their rudenefles to Mr. Skinner Minifter at Daly^ they 
 firft frighted his Daughter , a Young Gentlewoman Aged about 
 twenty, into a Feaver; and then returning after live or fix days, 
 while Ihe was in the rage of it, how they turn’d her out of her Bed, 
 pretending to fearch for arms, though it was very well known the 
 vyhole Country over, the good Mans genius lay never that way,and 
 i'o diHurbed her, that Ihe dyed raving, amongft her laft words re¬ 
 peating thele over and over, O ! thefe wicked Men will Murther 
 my Father. How they contrived and carryed on the Tumults at 
 Edinbury^h and Glafgo:^. What Letters were lent to Ibmc; what ' 
 Citations in Name of the Rabble to others, commanding them to 
 remove from their (^hurches and Manles under the higheft Penal¬ 
 ties. What work would it require, I lay, to digell all thele and 
 the like inftances fully and particularly ? perhaps the World may 
 fometimes fee it done : But it is enough for my purpofe at prelent, 
 to tell you, that thele w^ere their common Methods, and by liich 
 means, in a very Ihort time, more than two hundred were chruft 
 irom their Churches and Dwellings. Do not think I amimpofing 
 on you ; what I have affirmed can be lb attefted, that greater Mo¬ 
 ral Evidence can be had for nothing. 
 
 When ye have read thus far, and when your fiirprile and firft 
 horrors are over, and, as your temper is, you fall a pondering what 
 I have told you; I am apt to apprehend, a great many things may 
 offer thernfelves to your conlideration ; liich is your humanity^ 
 that, 1 know, you will be calling about for Topicks and Apologies 
 to alleviate this heavy charge, 1 am giving in agamft our Pcrlecu- 
 cors. What ^ (lb may you thinkj certainly no applications have 
 been made to thole in power; for what Perlon in the World bear¬ 
 ing the name of a Magiflrate,^ would not have found himlelf obli¬ 
 ged, in credit and honour, as well as duty, to fall on Ipeedy remedies 
 for flopping luch an impetuous Current of bare-faced Wickednels? 
 Or, at molt, they have been but pure Rabble, the feum and re- 
 fule of the People, who aded thefe Barbarities; and they have- 
 bqen lb numerojiis, fo fierce and uncontrolable at. that time, that 
 
 Autho- 
 
C •? J ' 
 
 Authority has been too weak for them ; for it is not poflible that 
 any of the Nobility or Gentry, and much lefs, that any of the 
 Presbyterian Preachers, could allow of, or have an hand in fuch 
 Villanies; Or, if thefe in Power were acquainted with fuch things, 
 and yet gave no protedion: And if the Rabble had enconrage- 
 ment from any Perlbns of better Quality ;-you can hardly mifs to 
 conclude, tliat thefe Clergy-men who were fb ti eated, have been 
 the mod profligate Rogues in the World; Wretches, who defc- v a 
 to be fwept from off the face of the earth, without pity, and with 
 all the fbiemnities of difgrace and contempt; for what elfe can be 
 imagined to juftifie fuch proceedings ? Thus (I fay) perhaps, Sir, 
 you may reafbn with your felf when you are making your refle- 
 dlions on what I have already told you: Be pie a fed therefore to 
 have a little patience,- and confider what I am to tell you far¬ 
 ther. 
 
 No fboner did thefe outrages begin, than fiich applications were 
 made, as you your felf (Pm fure) will judge fufficient. Such of 
 the Peers of the Kingdom, as were Privy Counfellors, and had 
 not gone for London were addrefled, but they could bring us no 
 relief: Our next Work therefore was to fend up private accounts 
 to London^ as we had intereft or acquaintance, with thofc of our 
 Nobility and Gentry who were there. But our Enemies had well 
 forefeen all that, and had their inftruments ready to run down all 
 private Letters, as the blackefl: Lies and Forgeries; and we were 
 called all the infamous things that could be: Our defign was to 
 work mifchief, and breed diflurbances. We were Popifhly afle- 
 6ted; and the Politick of fuch reports was to hinder the Settle¬ 
 ment of the Peace, and Eftablifhmcnt of the Government: In a 
 word, we were mortal Enemies to the Prince of Orange, and all 
 his Glorious Defigns for fecuring the Proteftant Religion, &c. 
 They received Letters to the quite contrary; fure they were, their 
 Correfpondents were Men well acquainted with whatever palled; 
 and befides, they were Men of Confcience and undoubted Inte¬ 
 grity : They would not conceal the truth, far left would they write 
 Lies and Falfhoods; yet their accounts bore daily, that there were 
 no fiich PerfecLitions of Minifters, no Tumults, no Rabbles, &c. 
 The Kingdom was in a moil profound, peace, and every Man had 
 all imaginable fecurity, efpscially the Clergy. With fuch bold af¬ 
 firmations as thefe, they perfwaded his Highneft, on whom was 
 transferred the Government of this Kingdom, that all our ac¬ 
 counts were moft falfe and villanous, and he ought not to be- 
 
 D ^ lieve 
 
[ioj 
 
 lieve them ; only by them he might judge what a pacR we 
 were, ^c. 
 
 This we were advercifed of by fome of our Fiiends: Wherefore, 
 to give his Highnefs' convincing Evidence, if it was poffible, the 
 Brethren of the Seven Presbyteries, (that you may not be fcandali- 
 zed at the word, be pleafed to know that according to the confli- 
 tution of our Church , the Presbyters of the fame Djocefs, are 
 commonly combined into feveral Confiilorics or Fraternities : 
 Thefe Conhftories meet iifually once in three or four. Weeks for 
 Difcipline; lefTer matters they difpatch, and the greater they pre¬ 
 pare for their Bifhop; and thefe Confiftories or Fraternities with 
 us, are commonly called Presbyteries ) of GlafgoiiJ^ Hamilton, La~ 
 nerk, Air, Irininy, Taifley and Dumbartoun, on whom the Perfecu- 
 fion came fii ft, and lay moft heavily,communicated Counfels, and 
 concluded to fend up one of their number, w^elJ inftruded, to ac¬ 
 quaint his Highnefs with their circumftancesi Accordingly Dr. Scott 
 Dean Glafy[_o7v was fent to London : He had with him, an hum¬ 
 ble Petition for protection, to be prefented to his Highnefs, and a 
 Commiffion to himfelf to prefent it; each of them fubferibed by 
 twelve or fourteen hands: Befides thefe two Papers, that the evi- 
 dence might be yet more unqueftionable, he had likewife particu¬ 
 lar accounts of the injuries and violences done to the Brethren of 
 thefe feveral Presbyteries, from their Refpedfive Deputies, who 
 met with Power to fend him, fubferibed with their Hands; and 
 wherein they undertook to make good what they Reprefented, up¬ 
 on their higheft Perils. What more could be required to make 
 Faith } to make the truth of our complaints appear beyond all ex¬ 
 ception ? Yet when the Doctor came to London with theft inftru- 
 <‘dions, the good Party continued to have the forehead to contra¬ 
 dict all, and run him down with Noift and Clamour. However 
 his Flighnefs was convinced then, of the Weftern Barbarities, and 
 feem’d willing to contribute for the protection of the Clergy : So 
 a Declaration was ordered for the preftrvation of the Peace of this 
 Kingdom, dated Feb. And, though Dr. Scott was earneft 
 
 to have had fbme Claufes put in it, which had been very proper 
 and ufeful, but could not obtain thwr Jnftrtion, it cannot be deny- 
 cd, but It ftem’d favourable to the Regular Clergy.- But would ye 
 know what fuccefs it had You may learn that from the Tumult 
 which happened at Glafgoin after it’s publication. 
 
 Upon the protection promiftd, and the keeping of the Peace 
 commanded by that Declaration^ at the defire of many People of 
 
 the 
 
c^‘] 
 
 the beft quality within the City^ upon the 17^/6 of Feb. The Par- 
 foil of Glafgow ventured to the Pulpit; but was forced to efcape 
 for his life before Sermon was ended; for inftantly, upon notice 
 given that Sermon was in the Cathedral^ (by the inftigation of 
 their Preacher's as I am toldj all the Meeting-houfes emptied, and 
 forthwith went to Arms, came to the Church, difcharged feveral 
 Guns through the Windows, then made open the Doors by force, 
 ^c. In fumm, many were wounded, (sveral Gentlewomen were 
 Ariptalmoft naked, and moft rudely treated; but you mull: exped 
 the full accoLifv of this from fome other hand. 
 
 So likewife Mailer James Litle Miniller at Trailjlat, upon the 
 'Authority of the lame Declaration , refblved to have repollefs’d 
 himleit of his Pulpit; bin; was excrcifed to purpofe by a Rabble oi 
 Temales, who tore nor only his Coat, but his very jhirt from him • 
 and fluch was theii i lodellyj had well nigh done the like with his 
 breeches, had he not erved to them over and over, that it would be 
 lhame for them to look on a Naked Man, &c. 
 
 So little was his Highnefs’s Declaration noticed ; and when 
 it was objedled to thefe Hero’s and Heroins of the Reformation; 
 their Anlwer was ready : That Declaration was but a Sham- 
 paper ; they knew his Highnelfes mind and refolutions better than 
 lb; they would go on in their work , and take their Hazard. 
 Then began we to lee further into the Presbyterian Intrigues 
 than we had done before; for it required no great skill either 
 in Logick or Politicks, to^ conclude, that they had got their inflrn- 
 6lions from their Agents at London, to continue in their laudable 
 Zeal, notwithllanding that Declaration: But of this more after¬ 
 wards. In the mean time, an account of that Tumult at Glasgow 
 was forthwith fent to his Highnefs, by an exprcls: But no notice 
 w^as taken of it further, than to refer it to the Meeting of Edatesj 
 which was to let on,the 14th of March \ But before I come to 
 that 
 
 Give me leave once more to return to that Declaration, and take 
 notice of one thing: Becaufe the Intere/ls of the Clergy were con¬ 
 cerned : It is, it’s commanding all then m Arms ('except the Gari- 
 fonsof the Fortrelles, and the Company of Foot entertain’d by the 
 Town of Edinburgh) within the Kingdom, inllantly to disband ; 
 arvd Its difeharging all Perlbns in time coming to take Arms, or 
 to continue in Arms upon any pretence v;hatlbever, There 
 was an Intrigue in this which perhaps ye have not remarked. When 
 the work had gone on lb fuccelsfuily in the Weft, Specially in 
 
 GlaJ- 
 
(jlafgoTV, by the firft Tumult, which was there oh the 17th of Ja^ 
 finary, the Presbyteriaii Party m Edinburgh, ^animated thereto by 
 their Brethrens fuccefs and folicitations; for conftant correfpon- 
 dence was kept amongfl them) were upon the refolution of falling 
 upon the Clergy of that City likewife; And that it might be done 
 to purpofe, the Weftern Zealots were coming to the Town in 
 Troops daily. This the Magi ft rates had notice of; wherefore con- 
 lidering what Tumults had been railed in the City before, how un¬ 
 fixed the Mobile was, and how^ much led by Wild-fire and Hu¬ 
 mour; and (b, being diffident of the fidelity and forwardnefs of 
 their ordinary Guards: They invited the College of Juftice to take 
 Arms, and aflift them in defending the Minifters and fecunng the 
 Peace of the City. That College fconfiding intirely of Gentle¬ 
 men, and PeiTons of liberal and generous Education^ readily com- 
 plyed with the invitation, form’d themfelves into a Regiment, and 
 kept Guard for feveral days according to the Military Diftipline. 
 One would think there was nothing here amifk On the contrary, 
 it was certainly a moft generous Adtion, an undertaking becom¬ 
 ing good Patriots, (thus to appear againft Tumults and Rabbles, the 
 greateft Plagues of Society, and Enemies to the peace of Mankind) 
 and deferves to be tranfinitted to Pofterity with the higheft Enco¬ 
 mium’s : Yet as generous as it was, and as much of equity as it had 
 on it’s lide, it gall’d the Presbyterians exceedingly ; for thereby 
 their Dsfigns were difappointed; they durft not Tall upon the Re¬ 
 gular Clergy; Knowing what good affedtion thefe Gentlemen had 
 for them, and that if any Tumult fhould arife, they would undoubt¬ 
 edly behave themfelves according to their Charadter. Wherefore, 
 they prefently lent up hideous accounts to London to their Corref- 
 pondents, of that matter, who (having then moft of the Princes 
 ear) eafi'ly gave him a wrong notion of it, and thereby got that 
 Claufe put into the Declaration. Nay Sir, fuch a deep grudge did 
 that behaviour of thefe Gentlemen, beget in the hearts of the 
 Party, that (notwithftanding they disbanded immediatly upon the 
 publication of that Declaration) there were defigns on Foot fince 
 to have called them to a ftridt account for it: But why do I fay it 
 was defign’d ^ The Council, I think in June or July laft, adtually 
 appointed a Committee to try them ; and feveral Advocates were 
 cited to appear before them, and examined concerning the mat¬ 
 ter : But It feems (whether it was for’lhame, or (ome other caufe 
 I know not) they thought fit to let it fall; for they have not yet 
 proceeded further: Yet on the other hand, the Weftern Rabbles 
 
 were 
 
[ij] 
 
 were never called in Qasftion; on the contrary^ they were llill 
 encouraged ; as you (hall hear incontinent. And fb I return to 
 
 The Meeting of Eftates; you know they met on the i^th of 
 March, and ("as I (aid ) to them the troubles of the Clergy were 
 referred : Perhaps for your making a diftincSt judgment of our Af¬ 
 fairs, it might be requifite, that you (hould have a full and jufi: ac¬ 
 count, how that Meeting was called; how many of the Nobility 
 were ablent from it; what (cruples the bed and mod {udicious of 
 the Gentry of the Nation had about it; how thin the IMeetings of 
 the (mailer Barons were in many Shires, when the Comniiffioners 
 were cholen ; how induftrious the Presbyterian Party was to have 
 all Members Eledled of their own Gang; what methods were taken 
 with the (impler Members, to impofe upon them ; what partiality 
 was ufed in the matter of controverted Eledions; what violences 
 were threat’ned to (bme; particularly feveral Noblemen, &c. 
 and what (nares were laid for them : Thefe Kay, and twent^^other 
 things might perhaps be necedary to be pundually and particularly 
 related to you, before ye can have an exad underftanding how 
 things went amongft us. But I have relblved all alongft to keep 
 clolb to the treatment of the Clergy : And never to meddle with' 
 the State, but (o far as they are concerned ; and therefore if yQ 
 are curious to know thefe things, ye muff either make your ap¬ 
 plication to fome other Perfbn, or at leaft wait till another Oc- 
 cafion. 
 
 The firft thing done by the Meeting, which could comprehend • 
 the Clergy was an Ad that palled on the i 6 th day of March ; 
 whereby they voted them (elves a full and lawful Meeting of the 
 Eftates; and that notwithftanding of any thing tliat might be con¬ 
 tain’d in King James's Letter, which that day was prefented tO' 
 them, they would continue undifTolved, until they lEould (etfle and - 
 fecure, the Proteftant Religion, the Government, Laws and Li¬ 
 berties of this Kingdom. This Ad, when it paBed gave tho(e oE 
 the ejeded Minifters, who were then at Edinburgh, occalion to re- 
 fre(h themlelves with the hopes, that prefently their Ca(e would be 
 conlfdered; for they were as good Proteftants as their Neighbours; • 
 and they had Rights and Liberties, aderted by Law, and which ^ 
 fby confequencej ought to have been fettled and (eenred, as much 
 as the Rights and Liberties of any ocher Subjeds. But alas I thefe „ 
 hopes laifed not long: For not only was their Cafe never fb much 
 as mentiond in the Meeting for a good time; but, with no good 
 aipedto then!) upon the zWj March^ when feveral of the B>-> 
 
C ^4 ] 
 
 fhopSj tiiAiiy of die Nobility, and not a feiv of the Barons ami 
 Biirgefies haddeferted the Houfe; the thanks of the Meeting were 
 given to that very fame Rabble, which had ttirned out the Mini- 
 ifers: ’Tis true indeed, the Complement was not made them, un¬ 
 der that Reduplication; but 1 fay, they were generally the fame 
 Pcifons; and that appearance they made, and for which they were 
 thanked, was as illegal, though not fo barbarous as the other. But 
 though that was difheaitening enough, it was not the worft oii’c: 
 That wounded the poor fufferers, but indiredly; but the next iiep 
 was downright for their Ruin. 
 
 It was that Famous Proclamation dated Afril i^th. and entitu- 
 led a Proclamation againfl: the owning the Late King James^ and 
 Commanding Publick Prayers to be made for King William and 
 ^.een Mary. Famous, (amongft many other Reafbns.) for Keep¬ 
 ing and Turning out of their Churches and Livings, the Better 
 as well as Greater half of the Clergy within the Kingdom. And 
 therefore let me give you the Hiflory of it a little more fully. 
 
 On the 4?^ of Ayrilj the Meeting of Efiates, by their Vote, de¬ 
 clared that King James had forfeited the Right to the Crown, 
 and the Throne Vacant. On the nth 2. Proclamation was Pub- 
 lilbed, declaring William and Mary^ King and (Jueen of England, 
 to be King and Qieen of Scotland', But all this time, notwith- 
 Randing the Meeting had Sitten very near to a Month, the Rabble 
 were as bulie as ever; and that fame Week, had fallen on Mr. Stew^ 
 art Minifier at Ratho. He reprefented it, and gave in his Petition 
 for Protedion, on the 1 day, being Saturday. This gave them 
 occafion to talk of the Clergy indefinitely, and of the troubles 
 many of them had met with. But what fhould be done in Rela¬ 
 tion to them ? It was moved, and the motion was entertain'd, that 
 a Proclamation fhould be ordered, requiring them to difown King 
 Jamesj &c. and promifing Protedion to all that fhould give duti¬ 
 ful Obedience, But then another Propofal was made, by his Grace 
 the Duke of Hamiltoun, Prefident of the Meeting, was. That chofe 
 who had been thruft from their Stations, might be likewife com¬ 
 prehended, commanded home to their Refpedive Churches, and 
 promifed Protcdion upon their compliance. This was vigoroiifly 
 oppoled by feveral of the Members; particularly Sir James Mont¬ 
 gomery of Skelmorly, faid, that was downright to take the whole 
 Weft pn their Top; it would difbblige all the Presbyterians; and 
 might have very fatal confequences: Therefore the Meeting muft 
 not look fb far back,; ic would be enough if ProtecStion were pro¬ 
 mifed 
 
C 3 
 
 mif 3 <i to thofe \Vho were in the actual pofTeflion ai^d exercife of 
 their Miniftry, which reafoning prevailed; fo it came to a Vote, 
 and carried, that the Proclamation ftiould run fo, as it was afcer- 
 wards publifhed. 
 
 However plain the Cafe may appear to be between K. James 
 and our preient King Willtam and Qiieen Mary^ which was the 
 main Subject: of the Paid Proclamation; yet at this time 1 lhall only 
 tell you what efJec^ls it produced upon the Clergy. It diifributed 
 them (as is evident to any who reads it J into two dalles; Thole 
 who on that i ;th. of were (as it words it) prefe7itlj in the pof- 
 leflion and exercife of their Miniftry ; and thele who before that 
 day, had been expell’d by the Rabble: To the former it grants a 
 Conditional, to the latter no Protedion at all, but entirely excludes 
 them from their Churches and Livings, and the beneht of the Go¬ 
 vernment. 
 
 ril difpatch what I have to fay concerning thefc of the latter 
 Clafs firft, becaufe their Cafe is fb very lingular, and will make 
 the diftindteft Figure, when all is fiibjecfted to one view, contra- 
 <fted into one body. I have already given you a tafte of the Vio¬ 
 lences done them. I have likewife taken notice, that you may be 
 apt to impute all that was done, merely to the Mobile, and be¬ 
 lieve, none of the Heads of the Presbyterian Party were any ways 
 acceflbry to fuch Barbarities. I have alfb infinuated fiich Argu¬ 
 ments already, as may convince you that you are in a miftake, if 
 ye think fo: Particularly, the pains were taken to run down all 
 Accounts that were lent to London ; (to what purpofe, if thefe A- 
 gents were not on the Plot .^) The no notice taken of the Prince’s 
 Declaration for keeping the Peace; but the Rabble’s turning more 
 infolent after its publication; (unaccountably fure; if they had not 
 their fecrec Inftrudlions from their Correfpondents at Court, to 
 go on vigoroufly, notwithftanding that Declaration ) and the'^ufi- 
 nefs of the Colledg of Juftice. Thefe feem to me to be unquc- 
 ftionable Proofs, that they were the Heads, the Politicians of 
 the Party, who jplotted and encouraged all the Tumults, and 
 the Perfecutions or the Clergy: They were the Projectors, and at 
 the bottom of all, and the Mobile was nothing but the bafe In- 
 ftrument. 
 
 If it were needful, I could give you plenty of further Arguments, 
 to make it yet more clear and evident: For (to omit what 1 have 
 often heard from Perfons of no contemptible Worth nor Intelli¬ 
 gence, 'v/x-. That there were Letters Lent from London^ which gave 
 
 E life 
 
life to the Iriflj Plot mentioned before, and hrfl fet the Rabble in 
 motion: And that the Lord Stair j now Prefident of the SeiIion_i, 
 was one Author (as perhaps can be made appear), I could tell you, 
 that I have been alLired by People of undoubted Credit, that they 
 have heard ibme who were then very acSiive in rabbling the Cler¬ 
 gy, confels h'nce, that the Courfe was unchnltian and^horrid ; that 
 they had never attempted it, if they had not beeji put upon it by 
 Perfons of influence ; that they were made to believe, there was 
 no other way to introduce the Presbyterian Government; that they 
 now heartily repented, they had been fb forward ; and if it wera 
 to do again, it Ihould never be done. I could tell you further, 
 that even after the i;th. ol April, the Earl of Craivford wrote 
 Letters to the Leaders of Rabbles, encouraging them to perflfl: in 
 their laudable Atchievments; and this fo very certain, that the Duke 
 of Hamilton produced one of them in June or July laft, before 
 the Council, and put the Eari to it, and he could not deny it; and 
 that it made a great noife, not only at that Table, but through 
 the whole City. And Monroe of Tewlis, one of the Members of 
 Parliament, feeing one day a Minifter in his Gown in the Par¬ 
 liament-Court, pointed at him, crying. Behold Antichrijl I Will no 
 body tear the Gown from him? The Minifter (a pretty bold Fellow) 
 replyed. But, Sir,you are the Beafi I Which made the Spectators laugh; 
 and fo he efcaped: For you your felf would have fworn he fpoke 
 truth, had you ever (een the Man. Further yet; to this very day, 
 not one Presbyterian Preacher, has ever been heard condemn thefe 
 Methods from his Pulpit. On the contrary, I could name more 
 than two or three, who actually approved them; commended the 
 Zeal that put People upon them ; encouraged them to proceed; 
 and in the new Church of Edinburgh (De Jure, the Bimops Ca¬ 
 thedral, De FaSto, now a Presbyterian Meeting Houle) it felf, 
 where now the great concourfe is of all the Nobility and Gentry, 
 who follow the new Guifes, it was told them in a Sermon, That 
 fuch [bakings as thefe (it is the very wordsj were the fhakings of God, 
 and without fuch fhakings, his Church was not in ufe to be fetled,. Once, 
 more yet; Notwithftanding Rabbling has been all along infafliion, 
 and continues to this moment; and many Complaints have been 
 made; yet never hitherto, fo much as one Proclamation taking 
 notice of it in form, that is, bearing a Narrative to this purpofe. 
 Whereas fuch Violences have been done, (^c. never yet, I lay, fomuch 
 as one Proclamation of that nature, never lo much as one Perfon 
 punilhedfor fuch Violences, On the contrary, the two or three 
 
 Weft- 
 
C i7 ] 
 
 Weil-Country Regiments, who pafs under the name of 
 feein to have been fent of purpofe to quarter in the Shires of Perth 
 and Jn^us (Where the People have ftill been peaceable and affe¬ 
 ctionate to their Minifters) that they might periecute the Clergy; 
 for, wherever they go they do it, and they are never difcharged, 
 nor taken any notice of. You would wonder to hear what a wild 
 Pack thefe are; I dare not (dreading Prolixity) enter upon a full 
 particular defcription of them: But I cannot forbear to tell.you 
 one Fancy which made me laugh, lately when I was told it: It 
 was, That they will not obey their very Officers, but when they 
 pleafe, efpecially in point of Exercife, when they are bid do. this 
 or that, two days together, they will not do it for any Authority 
 or PeiTwahon; and when they are challenged for it, they tell. They 
 are not for jet Forms. This by the way. By thefe things, methinks, 
 vou may fee pretty clearly now (tho nothing more could be ad¬ 
 duced) who aCfed the Rabbles ; But, in truth, 1 needed not have 
 been at the pains of collecting thefe Arguments; for. 
 
 By that Proclamation of the 15th. of Afril (to which I now re¬ 
 turn) all the antecedent Deeds of the Rabble arc clearly juflihed, 
 and fair permiffion, or rather frefh encouragement is given them to 
 peiTcvere in their courfe. The Claufe is as plain as it is wonderful; 
 thefe are the very words. And the Efates do prohibit and difeharge 
 any Injury to be offered by any Per [on ivhatfoevery to any Minijrers of the 
 Gofpel, either in Churches or Meeting-Houfes (tho thefe Meeting-Houfes 
 and the Conventicles kept in them, were moft direClly contrary to 
 Law; and the States by their forementioned Ad, dated March 16. 
 had declared they would fit till they fhould fecure the Laws and Li¬ 
 berties of this Kingdom) who are prefently (N.B.) in the poffeffion and 
 exercife of their Min fry therein: Whereby, all forced from their 
 Churches before that day, were entirely excluded the Protedion of 
 the Government. 
 
 If you doubt that that was the fenfe and purpofe of the Claufe, 
 I have to produce another Proclamation, which will make an ex¬ 
 cellent Commentary ; it is that which is dated Auguf 6. 1689. and 
 entituled, A Proclamation anept the Minifters ; whereof the Narra¬ 
 tive runs thus. Whereas the Effates of the Kingdom did prohibit and 
 difcharge any Injury to be offered by any Perfon whatfoever to any Mi~ 
 nijter of the GofpeL either in Churches or Meeting-Houfes, who were then^ 
 viz. on the I ^th. of April laff in poffejfon and exercife of their Minifry, 
 And thus in the mandatory part, Therefore the Lords of their Majeffies 
 Trivy Cdmcil, in their Majefiies Name and Authority do firi^ly com- 
 
 E z mand 
 
mand and charge^ that none of the Leidges take on hand to da any Vio¬ 
 lence or Injury to any of the Minifiers of the Gofpel, whether they be 
 preaching in Churches or Meeting-Houfes, and that aU fuch as were in 
 pojjejfion and exercife of their Mimfiry^ fince the i%th. of April lafi^ be 
 allowed to continue undifurbed, and that fuch Minifers as have been 
 removed, difpojfejfed, or refrained, without a legal Sentence in the ex¬ 
 ercife of their Mmijiry, fnce the i T,th. day of April lafi, fall be allowed 
 to return, 8ic. Are you fatisfied now ? But I have yet more to give 
 you. 
 
 It is a PaiTage in that Addrefij faid to be iTgned by the greatefl 
 part of the Members of the Parliament of Scotland, and deliver’d 
 to his Majefly at Hampton-Court, the i yth. day of Oblober 1689. The 
 words are. It is not unknown to your Majefiy what have been the fad 
 Confufions and Dijorders of this difirejfed Country under Prelacy^ and for 
 want of its ancient Presbyterian Government (What fcope for com¬ 
 menting here I if it were my prefent bufinefs ?) j 4 nd now the whole 
 Weft, and many other Farts of Scotland, are at prefent defolate and 
 defitute, having only Minifers (it feems you own thele Minifters to 
 be no Minifters; otherwife, having them, how can the Wefi, and 
 thefe other Parts, be laid to be delolate and deftitute ?) called upon the 
 late (K. James’s) Liberty, without any Benefice or Living, or convenient 
 place to preach in. There are a thoufand things here quereable, if 
 a body had inclination to be nice; for example, who knows not 
 that thefe Minifters were fb wife as to make fecure Bargains with 
 the People who called them, before they would let up their Meeting- 
 Houfes amongft them ? Who knows not that thefe Eight or Nine 
 Months by-paft, they have poflefs’d themfelves of all the Churches of 
 the IVefir, and lately of many elfewhere too? Plow then can they be 
 faid to want convenient places to preach in ? And for what reafbn 
 can the late Liberty be mentioned ?Was it a fufficient or a legal Warrant 
 for the People to call thefe Mmifiers, and thefe Mmifiers to embrace 
 fuch Calls ? Or was it not ? If it was, there was Law for the Dif- 
 penfing Power, by CQnfequerice King is injurioufly treated; If 
 
 It was not, how comes that People and thefe Mmifiers now to be 
 fb kindly dealt by ? Did they not comply with the Difpenfing Power I 
 Did they not what they could, by their complyance, to aftercit, and 
 give it countenance ? Tor my parr, I think, Reafon would fay, they 
 aieferved as well as any, to be comprehended in the Third Vote, 
 which that Addrefs mentions: But you may interpret this a DigreP 
 lion ; be it lb: This I’m lure is home ; you fee the Addreflers tell 
 their King, that now The whole Wefi is defolate and defiitute. What 
 
 if 
 
[i?] 
 
 if he had anfwered. How comes it to be fo^ Were there oot Miiii- 
 fters eftablifh’d there by Law ? What is become of them ? What 
 (can you imagine) could they retui-n to that, behdes one of thefe 
 two, 'VIZ,. Either again to addreis his Majefty For reftoring and re- 
 polleffing thofe who had been thruft out ? ( an Overture, which I 
 readily &lieve, got never footing amongfl their inclinations ) Or 
 CO own that they juflified what was done to thefe Minilfers ? And 
 indeed the Air of their Language, in thatpaffige, imports not only 
 that, but likewife, that they take it for granted, that their King will 
 readily juftifie all too; tho I am confident he neither can nor will. 
 
 Would you have more yet.^ As on Chnfimas day. Anno 1688. 
 the Rabble firfi: fell upon the Clergy of the as I have faid ; 
 
 io on Chrifimas-fuVQy Anno 1689. the Council did interpofe their 
 Authority, and have difcharged all the inferior Judges within the 
 Kingdom to pals Decreets in faVorsof any Minifters who were not 
 in pofTeflion and exercife of their Miniffry on the i;th. day of 
 April, Anno 1689. for the faid Years Revenue; adducing for their 
 rcafbn, that often mentioned Ad and Proclamation, inferring 
 thence, that no Judicature can determin in the Cafe, except a 
 Parliament. 
 
 Thus, Sir, you may briefly underfland the flate of thofe Mini- 
 fters who were thruft from their Churches by lawlels Force and Vio¬ 
 lence: Poor People! It would extort Compaflion from any Breaft 
 not altogether Stone, to fee what fad Circumflances many of them 
 have been in this good time by gone; having had little or nothing 
 to maintain thcmfelves with, and (in many inflancesj their nu¬ 
 merous Families, but the Charity and Benevolence of fbme good 
 Chriftians: For generally ourScotdfh Benefices are butfrnall; and 
 the moll: part of the Weftern Clergy had got little (till very late¬ 
 ly) of their Stipends for the Year 1687. anci nothing of the 1688. 
 And by what I have laid laft, you may guefs what they may ex- 
 ped of the Year 1689. Can any Hiftory fhew a Preiidenc for their 
 Cafe ? Were ever Chriftian Minlfiers lb treated in a Chriflian 
 Kingdom? Will this pafs with after-Ages for good Service done 
 to the Proteftant Intereft?-But ’cis now time 
 
 To pals over to the other Clafs, conlifling of thofe who cf 
 caped the Hands of the Rabble, till that myfterious 13 th. day of 
 April was over: They had indeed a certain fort of Protedion 
 promifed them by the Proclamation: But perhaps fiich an one, 
 as you (hall hardly find its like under any Government; tho I 
 have fee down the Claufe in part already; yet 1 will repeat it 
 
 over 
 
Cjo] 
 
 -over again fully, that you may the better under/land it; And the 
 EJhates do prohibit and difcharge any Injury to be offered by any Per-‘ 
 fon whatfomever, to any Aiinijier of the Qofpel^ either in Churches or 
 Meeting HoufeSj who are prefently in pojjeffon and exercife of their Mini- 
 fry therein 5 they beha'vin?' CN’B.) theinfslves as becomes^under the prefent 
 Government: That is, ir they fhall read the Proclamation, and pray 
 for K. William and Mary^ as King and Queen of Scotland ; let no 
 Violence be done them: But if they fhall not (be it upon whatfbever 
 Reafons aitd Necefficies) To your Task Rabble; you fhall not be 
 qucllion’d for it: Is it not an excellent Government ( think ye ) 
 where Rabbles are conftituted Judges, and Executors of Laws ? 
 Was not that brave protedion, atajundure, when the great Statcf- 
 men and Cafuifts of both Nations, were making Protedion and Al¬ 
 legiance reciprocal? Yet verily Sir, confideringthe poRure of Af¬ 
 fairs then, no Man (without doing Violence to his own SenfeJ 
 could put a better glofs upon it. Nay, what 1 have (aid, is the 
 lead tnat can be collected; for in many Mens opinion, thefc 
 words [They behaving themjelves as becomes, under the prefent Govern¬ 
 ment'] were defigned to comprehend more than Reading and Pray¬ 
 ing, and were put in of purpofe to expofe thole to the mercy of 
 the Rabble, who (tho they fhould obey that ProclamationJ fhould 
 at any time thereafter, refule Obedience to any thing. That a 
 ,Presbyterian Meeting, Council or Parliament, Ihould enad or de- 
 termin; certainly the words will go fo far ealily, and without Bretch- 
 ing : ’Tis as certain the Rabble herefrom took new encouragement, 
 and kept up the Perlecution as hot as ever; and for my part I can 
 fee no other thing like Law for turning out Ibme Minifters after¬ 
 wards, who had both Read and Prayed, for not oblerving the late 
 Fafi : But of that more anon. Such was the nature of the Pro¬ 
 tedion granted by that Proclamation: I proceed next to as won¬ 
 derful effeds. 
 
 It required the Miniflers within the City of Edinburgh, under 
 the pain of being deprived, and lofing their Benefices, to read it 
 publickly from their Pulpits, upon Sunday next, being the 14th. at 
 the end of their Forenoons Sermon; and the Minifters on this 
 fide of the River of Tay, upon the 21ft. and thole be-North the 
 laid River, on the iSth, under the Pains aforefaid. 
 
 You lee what expedition it required of the Minifters of Edim 
 burgh : It was voted and enaded in the meeting on Saturday about 
 Twelve of the Clock, it was late before it came from the Prels, 
 k came not to their hands till it was much later: Some of them 
 
 were 
 
[ 3 *] 
 
 were in Bed before they heard of it: fome received it not till the 
 next morning; fome (as I am told) never faw it till they were in 
 the Pulpit. To be hue,none of them had time to confider it through¬ 
 ly, examine the great Matters contained in it, or deliberately fatisfie 
 their Confciences about it. The (even En^ltjh Bifhops, the year be¬ 
 fore, by their example, had taught the World that Miniders were 
 nor to Read Proclamations fide imphcita, and in a blind Obedience. 
 The prefent Enghfi Parliament, had given feveral months to the 
 Clergy of that Kingdom to deliberate in, before Sentence wasto be 
 paft againjl them, for not complying with the prelenc Revolution, 
 if I am not miftaken, no Church man in England is Deprived to 
 .this day; but you know thatj^etter than I. Sure I am, this our Pro¬ 
 clamation contain’d things of as great Confequence as that which 
 thefe (even Bilhops found (b choaking, that they rather choofed to 
 run the greatell: hazards, than enjoyn their Clergy the. Reading of 
 it: or as that Law either, upon the account of which fb many of 
 the Englip} Clergy are now under Sufpenlion: yet the Clergy of 
 Edinburgh muR Read and Pray the very next day, and upon fb lliorc 
 Advertifement, or be inftantly Deprived: nor can the inclinations 
 of the people be pretended for (b quick dif patch; fori am toId,fand 
 I know it to be certain,/ that when the Gentleman who Preached 
 that day in the new Church, had refufed to Read it, and the 
 Clerk (after the Bleffing pronounced) fell a Reading of it; the 
 whole Congregation (which that day was very frequent) run fo ha (li¬ 
 ly out of the Church (fiich was their indignation) that before he 
 had half done, there was not (o much as one to hear him. So went 
 matters in that Church. 
 
 In other Churches of the City, fome gave Obedience, and (bme. 
 did not. Thefe who did it not met with pretty quick Juftice, for 
 the very next Week they were Cited to appear before the Committee, 
 of Eflates. 
 
 The firfl: who appeared, was one Dodlor Strackan, ProfefTor of 
 Theology in the Univerfity, and one of the Miniflers in the Trone< 
 Church, an ingenuous Man, and a truely Primitive Chnflian : he- 
 made a Defence for himfelf, which many thought fbreafbnablethen, 
 that I cannot yet forbear to give you an account of it. It was this for. 
 fubflance. That the Eflates had found (in their claim of Right) 
 that none can be King or Queen of Scotland till they h?.ve fworn the 
 Coronation Oath : for this Reafbn they had Declared that James^. 
 by afluming the Regal Power, and adling as King without ever 
 tajting the Oath required by Law, — had forfeited t& Right to the 
 
 Crown; 
 
C ] 
 
 Crown: That all the Eftates had yet done^ was only to nominate 
 V?William and Mary, as the Perfons to whom the Crown ftiould be 
 offered; but they had not yet actually made the Offer ; Far lefs had 
 PP. Wflliam and Mary accepted ofir: it was poflibie they might refill 
 it^ but though they iliouid not, yet they could not be King and Qiieen 
 of Scotland till they had folemnly fworn the Oath, which was not 
 yet done ; therefore he did not fee how he could Pray for them as 
 King and Q^cen of Scotland-^ iior how the Effates, in reafbn, or 
 111 confequence to their own Principles, could require it of him. I 
 am told the whole Committee was filent; perhaps it has been for 
 want of a ready Gift; yet, for all chat, (and though he had in Fa¬ 
 mily twelve or thirteen Children) there was no Mercy for him. His 
 Defence (though it could not be anfwered) was not luftained,* no 
 further time to deliberate, was granted; but upon his confeffinghe 
 had not Obeyed, he was forthwith Deprived, and made the firft 
 Sacrifice. Nay, fome other Minifters there were, who after they 
 had 11 fed the fame Defence, told moreover, they were willing to 
 Pray for them as King and Qiieen, fb fbon as they had taken 
 the Oath; but this availed not neither: they had not obeyed as the 
 States had enjoyned ; and fb they were Sentenced. Thus proceeded 
 that Committee, and in two or three Weeks Deprived betwixt 
 twenty and thirty: and all too before PP. William and Mary had fworn 
 the Oath; or (which is all one) before accounts came from London 
 that they had done it; for upon their afTummg the Royal Power 
 (you know) the Execution of the Law belonged to them and their 
 Council, and fb there W'as no more place for that Committee. 
 
 V^.William and Mary took the Coronation Oath, at White-Hall , the 
 eleventh of 1689. Then they named their Counfellors for this 
 their Ancient Kingdom. They were, for the greater part, perfbns 
 who had never fate at that Table before: they came in upon a new 
 Found; they had New, and untryed Rules to walk by, new Defigns 
 to carry on: m a word, they had ask were, a fplit-new Syflemeof 
 Government, to temper and eflablifh. Befides, there were great 
 varieties of Humors at that time in the Nation. Armies were^ m the 
 Fields, and a Parliament was to Sit.* fb the Council had a vafl: 
 Ocean of Bufinefs before them : and fb for fome Weeks, they had 
 not leifiire to fall upon the Clergy; that is, till about the middle of 
 July. Till which rime leave we them, and return to the Rabble, 
 to fee what they were doing in the Country. 
 
 And indeed they were making clean work wherever they came; 
 1 dare fcarcely fay, it was all one to th^m, whether the Miniffers 
 
 they 
 
tliey fell on^ had complyed or not complyed : for now the Complyers 
 were meeting with the fharpeft mealiires. After the Proclamation 
 came out, for a while they remitted lomethiog of the^’r eagcrnefs: 
 they hoped the Proclamation (confidering how deeply all who had 
 taken the Teft, were fworn, never to difcwn King James as their 
 Sovereign) would ea(e them of their Labour; but when they found 
 that feverals were winning over their Oaths, and giving Obedience 
 to the Eftates Orders; it gave them new provocation. If fuch Ihould 
 be fulfered to poUeE their Churches peaceably, and fecurely, the 
 Presbyterian Intereft ihould ftill be at a lofs: a great many, of E- 
 pifcopal Principles, would ftill be in Office, which afterwards 
 might breed difturbances: Befides, if we may believe the Rabblers 
 themfelves, it irritated them to fee any man give Complyance, upon 
 this Head, that they look’d upon them, as perjur’d, and men of no 
 Gonfcience. Whatever the caufe was, a good many found the ef¬ 
 fects : fuch as Mr. Mac math, Minifler at Lafwade, (on whom three 
 or four fellows,-came one night, a-s he was going hQtvr’wt Edinburgh^ 
 and his own Houfe, ftab’d him with Awls and Bodkings, fo that he 
 had ten or twelve Wounds in his Belly; filled his Mouth, till they 
 had almoft choaked him, with the dung of Horfes, and then left 
 him in that fad condition.) Mafter Bnrgefsy Minifter at Temy>le^ 
 (though he was fo earneft to Read and Pray, that when he faw the 
 Proclamation was not like to be fent to him by Authority, againfl 
 the day appointed, he was careful to provide a Copy for himfelf, 
 and Read it very faithfully,) Mr. Mac Kenzae, Minifter at Kirklif- 
 toun, (who had for fbme years been Chaplain to Major General 
 Maccay% Regiment in HoHand, and was actually with him under the 
 lame Character at ^the Battle of Gillychranky Mr. Hamiltoun^ Mi¬ 
 nifter at Kir yix.Nimmo^ Minifter at Mr. Do- 
 
 naUJonCj at Dumbartown^ &c. Nay I could inftance in a whole 
 Presbytery in Galloway ; for upon the News that fiich a Proclamation 
 was ordered ; thefe Brethren met, and confiilted what was’to be 
 done; and in brief the Refolution was,that all fhould give Obedience, 
 and all truly did it; (as, who could blame them, feeing befides the 
 Authority of the Eftates, they had the Votes of their own Confciences 
 for it?) But within a few days not one of them efcaped Rabbling: 
 they were as indifcrimjnately turned out, as they had unanimouUy 
 transferred their Allegiance from King James ^ to YiingWilliam and 
 Queen Mary. Twenty more fuch inftaiices might be adduced, if it 
 were needful: but there are three fb very reniarkable, that I cannot 
 pafs them by. 
 
 One IS, Mr« Mac Gill, Mi.aifter at Killfytb, within the Presbytery 
 
 F of 
 
C H 3 
 
 of GlafgovJ : all his Neighbour Presbyters had been turned out be¬ 
 fore; he alone, of that Fraternity, was fpared till the 15. of April 
 was paft. The good Man loved his Religion; and upon the 
 precife day, gave Obedience. But the very next Sunday a Rabble 
 Convened to interrupt him. It is true, they were that dayrepulfed 
 with lols; for many of the people of the Parifh appeared for him ; 
 and one of the Rabble was killed in the Scuffle. The poor Miniller 
 (no blood-thirfty Manj had fled for his life to the Earl of Kilmar- 
 mck\ Houfe, who lived at no great diftance; and knew not how the 
 Fray was ended: but one Mailer Maxwell , the Lord Kilfyth's Fador 
 in thele Parts, feeing the Man was dead, took Journey flraight for 
 Edinburgh ; that he might be the firft, for acquainting the Lords of 
 the Committee with what had happened. He told them, the Mini- 
 fter had given Obedience to the Proclamation; fb that he had a 
 right to the Protedion promifed in it; that therefore when the Rab¬ 
 ble came upon him, a good many people found themfelves obliged 
 to defend him, not only out of refped they had for him as their 
 Paflor; but alfb for their own fecurity, for if they had not done fb, 
 they might have been lyable to the Law, which obliges the feveral 
 Parishes within the Kingdom to protedl their Miniflers; otherwife to 
 be anfwerable for his Lofles. He told them likewife, that one had 
 loR his life in the Quarrel. 
 
 The Lord Rofs was then Prefes of the Committee: when ^he 
 ^jentleman had thus far told the Story, his Lordfliip told him gravely, 
 he wifhed the Rabble had not been oppofed; fuen people cared not 
 what they did ; it had been better to have yielded to their humour; 
 he was truely fbrry that blood was fhed ; but in fuch a Cafe, it would 
 be hard to get the Adlor punilhed. But my Lord ffaid the Gentle¬ 
 man) he was none of ours, he was of the Rabble who was killed: 
 what do you fiy (rbplyed his Lordfhip) one of the Rabble! That 
 may draw deeper than you are aware of This to let you fee the 
 humour which then prevailed amongfl our Leading Men in the Go¬ 
 vernment; and it brings me in mind of a Scotch Proverb 1 have 
 heardi •viz,. That Halkertons Cow is a very old Beajl. But how ended 
 the Matter? The next day, after they had buryed the Man who was 
 killed, the whole Company fell upon Mr. Mac Gill's Houfe, Rifled 
 it, broke and tore all his Furniture to pieces, deflroyed all his Books 
 and Papers, carried off about 15 or 10 /. Sterling of mony, plunged 
 his Hats and Periwigs in the Churn amongfl fbme Milk, and pound¬ 
 ed them with the ChurmStaffl emptied all his Meal out of its Re- 
 pofltories, and then the Chamber-Box amongfl it; in a word, you 
 We hardly read or heard of fuch Barbarous tricks as they played : 
 
C !! ] 
 
 The poor Gentleman fiiftained of Lois to the value of i fo /. 
 {a. good Stock for a Scotch Minifter) and to this day has got neither 
 Reiparation nor Prote< 5 l:ion. 
 
 The other two inftances fhall be Mr. Crai^, and Mr. Buchannan^ 
 both Minifters within the Presbytery of Dumb art oun : I do not ad¬ 
 duce them for any thing that was odd, and lingular, in the treat¬ 
 ment they had from the Rabble; for fb far, they received only the 
 common Meafure: But to let you fee how little it avails Men nor 
 only to have Complyed but to have done good Services, if they have 
 once owned Epifcopacy. Thefe two Gentlemen are Barons in 
 Stirlingflnre, that is, they hold fiich Lands of the King in Capite, as 
 gives them the priviledge of Voting at the Choofing Commiffioners 
 for Parliament, or being fuch themfelves; if they fhould be Chofen. 
 Now, when the Members were a choofing for the late Meeting of 
 Effates ; the Gentlemen of that Shire of Stirling were almoft equal¬ 
 ly divided about the perfons to be Elected for their Reprefentatives. 
 Four were Lifted, two downright Malignants, Cavaliers, who 
 would have been clear for King James his Intereft; and two who 
 were as clear for that] of the Prince of Orange : When it came to 
 be determined, the Votes ran equal, till it came to the two Laird- 
 Minifters who were laft, fb they had the calling of the Ballance,- 
 and both did it in favours of the new States-men; what could they 
 have done more for the Prince of Orange ? Their Votes made (and by 
 confequence were equivalent to, two Votes of) two Members of the 
 Meeting for him; befides (not being turn’d out before the i;.of 
 April,) they did all Duty, Read and Prayed, &c. Yet now that they 
 are Rabbled, no more Protedion for them, than for the Rottenefl 
 Jacobite in the Kingdom. Thefe are the advantages of Comply- 
 ance amongft us; not one of all thofe whom I have named Cand as I 
 faid^ it were eafie to name as many more) has Protection to this day, 
 none of them dares venture to their Churches, few or none to 
 their Houfes. 
 
 By this you may fee what were the circumftances of the Clergy, 
 during the intei val between the Conventions being Changed 
 into a Parliament, and the middle of July, to which I now return. 
 
 What was the Caufe which made the Council intermit fb long 
 the Deprivation of the Non-Complying Miniftei s, I am neither able 
 nor careful to know : but it Teems fuch delays were extremely un- 
 pleafant to the Presbyterian Preachers: wherefore they thought it 
 convenient to give them the Spur to purpofe. . The Parliament was 
 then Sitting; fo they gave in a long Addrefs to it: wherein, having 
 thanked God for the great Deliverance wrought by his Inftrument, 
 
 F 2 th« 
 
, c 3 
 
 the Pious and Magnanimous William^ then Prince of Orange, nowj 
 by the good hand of God, their Gracious Sovereign; Complemented 
 the Commidioner, and the reft of the Lords of Parliament; and 
 milcalled Epifcopacy, and Bifhops, and all that own them, as very 
 ill things; they come to their demands, where appears in the Van, 
 the freeing this poor Opprefl’ed Church from fuch Oppreflors and 
 Oppreffions. 
 
 There are many other things in it worthy of your notice, particu¬ 
 larly their Petitioning that the Church Government may be Efta- 
 blilhed in the hands of fuch only who by their former Carriage, 
 and Sufferings, have evidenced that they are known -Sound Presb^y- 
 terians — fThis is nothing like Prelacy) and, their requefting that 
 the Church thus Eftablifhed may be allowed by their Lordflitps Civil 
 Sandion, to appoint Vifitations for purging out Infufficient, Neg¬ 
 ligent, Scandalous, and Erroneous Minifters, fand what Apoftle, 
 if ye give him a Prebyterian Jury, fhall not come within the com- 
 prehenfion of one of thefe four?) This Addrefs, I fay, was given 
 in to the Parliament: and what wonder though the Council was 
 awakened by it? 
 
 And, indeed, immediately, they fell to work, the Inquifition re¬ 
 vived, and Summons were ifTuedout, at the Kings Advocates in- 
 ftance, againft a good many; but before I come to their fucceE, 
 there is one thing I mull not forget to tell you. 
 
 Every Man knows, and the commoneft Equity requires, that 
 publick Edids or Proclamations, (efpecially when they are perempto¬ 
 ry in their Diets, and pohtive in their Sandions) ought to be very 
 carefully and Authentically tranfmitted to thofe they do oblige. 
 Yet never lefs care taken fince the World began, of the juft and 
 regular Conveyance of any thing, than there wa^ of that Proclama* 
 non to the Minifters: there were hundreds of xMinifters to whole 
 hands it came not till the days prefixed were expired ; particularly in 
 the Shire of D/e, there are betwixt feventy and eighty Parifhes; 
 yet I am credibly told, only fix Copies came to the Sheriff Clerks 
 hand, who was ordered to diftnbute them : and there was no fuch 
 Ciaufe m the Proclamation, as allowed, far left required them to obey 
 it any Su»Jaj thereafter; for what I remark this, you will know in- 
 ftantly. 
 
 Summonds were iftiied out, as I have laid, and the Council (that 
 they might fhew a fuitable zeal, and be every whit as forward as 
 the party would have them, or as his poffible for the Ecclefiaftical 
 Vifitations themfeives to be, fit when they will) proceeded as fum- 
 manly as could be defired. The perfbn cited heard a long Libel 
 
 read. 
 
C jr 3 
 
 read^ concerning the 'Irreligion, the Ingratitude, the Contempt 
 &c. of his Difobedience. After that, the Prefident of the Council 
 asked him, if he had read the Proclamation upon the day prefixed, 
 and if he had ever fince prayed publickly for King WtlUam, and 
 Queen Mary : (it was added fbmetimes by Name and Surname, when 
 the Eari of Crawford was Prefident ) as King and Queen of Scot¬ 
 land ? if he anfwcred [ No ] to both; no Mercy for him. But I muft 
 be a little more particular on this Head. 
 
 Be pleafed to know then that there was one Claiife which in 
 thirty or forty Libels, was never omitted. This, word for word: 
 Whereas the Minifen^ hy a Proclamation dated the thirteenth of April, 
 were commanded and recjuired to read the fame upon the refpeflive days 
 
 therein contained^ and pray -- Yet when the (aid Proclamation of 
 
 the Eftates was (ent to him (the perlbn accufed ) at leaft came to 
 his hands, or of which he had knowledge ( mark the Gradation, 
 and the Equity of the feveralfteps, efpecially the laft :) he was (o far 
 from teffifying his Gratitude, and giving due Obedience thereunto, 
 that, &c. And who could ftaiid before (iich an Indidment ? And 
 indeed few were able. For 
 
 If the Minifter pleaded. That the Proclamation had never come 
 to his hands, and w'as ready to (wear it ( as many might have done 
 with a good Confcience ) it profited him nothing; he was guilty, 
 by the third ftep of the Gradation, jufl now taken notice of. And 
 It was all one, whether he had prayed for King William and Queen 
 Mary, or nor, if he had not read ; e, £, Mr. Guild, Minifter at 
 North Berwick, told the Council, he had prayed for them from the 
 very firft day he had heard they were proclaimed King and Qtieen, 
 and none in the Kingdom was more joyful than he, that a Prote- 
 ftant King and Qiieen were (et on the Throne, (I have half a dozen 
 more ofinftancesof the fame nature ) yet he was deprived. 
 
 If he had both read and prayed, yet if it was not done on the 
 precife days, there was no efcaping. So it fared with Mr. Hay, Mi¬ 
 nifter at Kinfongahair, Hunter at Stirling, Young at Mony-'vaird, and 
 many others, elpecially Mr. Aird, Minifter at Tory burn, (an old, 
 grave, (erious man) who, tho he brought a Certificate from the 
 Sheriff of the Shire where he lived, bearing, that he had read the- 
 Proclamation on the Sunday immediately after he received it, was 
 yet deprived without reniedy. 
 
 One thing was remarked alLalongft, 'viz,. That the Queftion 
 was never put whether they would give Obedience thereafter. No, 
 there was no place for Repentance. And I remember to have 
 
 heard 
 
C38] 
 
 heard, that fbme of the Magiftrates of the Town of ?erth, alias 
 Johm-Toivn ) after both their Minifters were deprived, came 
 to the Earl of Crawford^ and infinuated to him, that they were 
 hopeful. One Mr. Anderfon ( a good natured man, and a very good 
 Pallor,and who had been one of the Minihers of the laid Town)per- 
 haps might be induced to comply yet; and that he would be extreme¬ 
 ly acceptable to the People, if he were reponed, d’“r*But prefently his 
 Lordlhip turned huf^y ;and told them,that was not lb much as once to 
 be mentioned. So they were forced to let fall their defign. Indeed his 
 Lordlhip is a moft zealous Reformer, and as fit for being Prefident 
 at a Board, for turning out Epifcopal Clergy-Men, as could have 
 been fallen upon. I remember a certain Miniller who had been a 
 good time of his Lordlhips Acquaintance, went to him, thinking to 
 have prevailed with him, to have got the Diet defcrted; and they 
 had a very pleafant Converfation. His Lordlhip asked whether he 
 ufed publickly to pray for King Wtlliam, and Queen Mary. He 
 anlwered, he prayed as the Apoltle directed; and cited i Tm.r> i,x. 
 Well ( (ays my Lord ) that’s enough for us to deprive you. After fome 
 more Difcourfe, the Minifter laid, he was forry for the Dejolatwns 
 of the Church. And his Lordlhip anfwered very quaintly: But fo 
 am not 1 . The Work had never gone on fo (uccelsfully, if he had 
 not been on the top of it. For many times they had enough' to do 
 to get a Quorum of the Council (which can confiftof no lefs than 
 nine ) on thele days that were let apart for the Clergy: (in elFe6t, 
 it was no wonder tho ordinary Stomachs had Ibme kind of loathing 
 to it ) and then his Lordlhip was in a ftrange pickle, and you would 
 have leen ftrange running of Macers through the City, calling them 
 from their Lodgings. But let me return to my Thread again. 
 
 Within a few days, the Council found it would make tedious 
 work to have them all cited at the Advocates Inftance, therefore 
 they took a Ihorter method; it was the inviting and allowing the 
 Parilhioners and Hearers of Inch Minifters as had not obeyed, to 
 cite them before the Council- This is the great purpofe of that Pro¬ 
 clamation dated Augufi 16. mentioned before. The Claufeis this: 
 As alfo that juch Mtntfers who have not read the Proclamation^ and- 
 
 frayed - may he deprived of their Benefices. - T^he Lords of his 
 
 Majefi-ies Frivy Council do invite and allow the Parijhioners and Hearers 
 of fuch Minifiers - to cite them before the Frivy Council^ &c. 
 
 This Proclamation ferved two purpoles; firft it made quicker 
 dilpatch, and then, by it, opportunity was given to every malicious 
 peidbn to frame what Libels they pleafed againft their Minifters. 
 
 Both 
 
 1 
 
Botli ends wers ferved pi'ctty fucceisfully; Deprivations W’ere more ex¬ 
 pedite, and more numerous than they h<?d been before ; and many 
 Crimes'and Scandals were libelled againft feveral Minifters.’Tis true, 
 the Council never examined Witnelies,nor fuftain d them (elves Judges 
 concerning any thing but what was contained in the Grand Procla¬ 
 mation, 'vix,. Reading and Praying. And they frequently declared, 
 (when the perlonscalumniate, craved, that thefe Scandals and Im¬ 
 moralities might either be cryed, or put out of the Libel) that they 
 were not to inlift again (I them on thefe Heads: yet the Libels with 
 thele things in them Hand ftillon Record; and I hear full Accounts 
 of them are lent to London, and daily Printed there, and making 
 good company in the Coffee-Houles. No body ever doubted but 
 there was fomething inlidious and bale in the Delign. Who knows 
 but the Eccleliaftical Vifitations, when they lit, will fuftain all thefe 
 Libels as fufficiently proven already, feeing they were before the 
 Privy Council, and Sentence followed upon them? And God 
 knows what other Fruits the keeping of them may produce! But 
 certainly it had looked much liker to fair dealing, it had been more 
 generous, and worthy of Gentlemen, if the Council, ( feeing they 
 were not to dipin thefe matters) had dilcharged them to be libelled, 
 and fuftered no more to be brought before them, than what they 
 were to try and judge of. 
 
 One would think, now the Courfe was quick enough againft the 
 Clergy; yet within fome other few days, it was found not to be 
 expedite enough neither. In many Parifhes there were none who 
 would purfue their Minifters; and befides, it was fbmewhat expen- 
 five for the Lieges to raife Summons before the Council; where" 
 fore 
 
 A further ftep was made, a third Proclamation was ordered, in¬ 
 tituled, For citing Minifiers^ who have not frayed for their Majefiies, 
 and Dated Augt^ : whereby (that with the greater expedition, 
 and the leaft expence to the Lieges, the former Proclamations 
 might attain their intended Defign and Effed ) Invitation and Al¬ 
 lowance were again given, not only to the Parifhioners and Heard’s 
 of the difobedient Minifters, butalfbto the Heretors of thefe Pa¬ 
 rifhes (tho living at never fo great diftancej and the Sheriffs and their 
 Deputes, and Magiftrates of Burghs, and the Members of the Cur¬ 
 rent Parliament within their refpedive Boundsjto caufe cite fuch Mi¬ 
 nifters before the Council, and Warrand was granted to Meflengeis 
 at Arms, for citing them, and fuch Witnefles as were neceftaiy ; 
 and that the Expedition might be greater yet, a Meftenger’s de¬ 
 livering 
 
^ 40 ] 
 
 livcilnga Copy of chis Proclamation, either in Print or Writ, figned 
 hy his Hand, to each Minifter that rtiould be cited by him to any 
 Tuefday or Thurfday, (theie two days of every Week were (et 
 apartintirely for that piirpofe J fix days after the citation, for all on 
 this fide the River Tay, and fourteen days for all beyond the faid 
 River, &c. And further it was declared, that the faid Proclamation 
 was without prejudice of any Citations already given, or to be given, 
 either upon the former Ad of Council, or upon Warrands from 
 the Council-Board. Have ye not enough of expedition now in all 
 Conlcience ? Yet to make all Hirer ftiil; and bccaufe they were 
 finding, that feverals had complyed, whom they were willing to have 
 turned out, but had no lhadow of Law to do it by ! 
 
 At the inftigation of the Presbyterian Minifters, Elders and Pro- 
 feflbrs ( as it lelf words it) upon the twenty fourth of Auguft^ forth 
 comes another Proclamation for a general Faff, to be kept on two 
 Lord’s Days, 'vix,, on this fide the Tay, Sept, i 5. on the other fide, 
 Sept.iz. Noqueftionit wasdefigned forachoaking morfel; for per¬ 
 haps you never faw any thing like it. That it required Chriftians 
 to faft on the Lords Day, (tho that was harlh enough, noways 
 fitted for a tender Stomach, and would have gone very ill down 
 with Tertullian himfelf, as much as he was for Faffing) was the 
 thing leaft naufeous about it, except the bad Grammar, and the good 
 Stock of great Nonfenfe that was in it. For in efiedt ( belides what 
 was relative to the prefent State of Affairs ) it not only unminiftered, 
 but even unchriftened, the whole Regular Clergy, and thefe who 
 owned them; and exprefly bore, that God for a long time (fince 
 the Reftitution of Epifcopacy, no doubt) had reftrained the pre¬ 
 fence of his Spirit, in the Converfion of Souls, &c. And this Pro¬ 
 clamation was to be read twice, and the Faft to be kept once, in 
 every Church and Meeting-Houfe within the Kingdom. Now to 
 the fuccefs. 
 
 What wonder tho thefe Twin-Proclamations (for fo I may call 
 them, confidering how fhort the interval was between their Dates) 
 wrought ftrange feats amongft the poor Clergy ? as indeed they did. 
 For many who (with hard Gnpings ) had got the Proclamation 
 ■of the thirteenth of April digefted, could not yet get that for the 
 Faft, forced over their Throats, particularly I could name two of 
 the Minifters of Edinburgh who the very next Week were deprived 
 for it. And the other Proclamation was pretty good at citing 
 thofe who had refufed to give Obedience, as you may gucfs by its 
 Mature. Yet I muft conrefs it has not^done ail the skaith it might; 
 
C 4t j 
 
 as you fhall hear anon; Although it wrought wonders, of a right 
 Grange Addrefs. For by virtue of it, when fome Minifters, far 
 North, in Murray^ or Bamf^ or fomewhere thereabout, were Ci' 
 ted, and Compeared; but were like to find the Diet delerted, 
 becauie no Accufer appeared againfi: them : By virtue of it (I fay) 
 upon that occafion, the Laird of Brody ^ one of the Privy Council, 
 being a Member of the Current Parliament, reprelenting that 
 Shire where thele Minifters liv’d, came to the Bar where they were 
 ftanding, and fmil’d, and told them, he would be their Accufer, 
 and was as good as his word; and then ftept into his Seat at the 
 Table again, and Voted for their Deprivation. And fo 1 come 
 to the end of my Hiftory, when I have told you that thus it /lands 
 with the Scottiflj Clergy at prefent. 
 
 All our Bifhops are turn’d out, and their Order abolillied by Adi 
 of Parliament, dated July 5. their whole Benefices for the year 
 1689. are taken from them by publick Proclamation. The Num¬ 
 ber of Presbyters within the Kingdom, may be about 900 and 40 
 or 50, or (b, of thefe about ?oo are turn’d out by Tumult and 
 Rabble; and their Expulfionis (as to the mofl: part) juftified and 
 (as to the reft) conniv’d at by the Government: About aoo are 
 deprived by fentence of the Privy Council. Thofe who continue 
 in their Stations (being the lefler half) may be fubdivided into 
 two Categories. A great many have giv’n no Obedience yet, and 
 have efcap’d, by the diftance they live at, from Edinburgh and 
 Fanaticifin ; or becaufe no body has delated them; what may be 
 (uch Mens Fate (\f the prefent Methods continue ) is eafie to ima¬ 
 gine. The reft have com ply ed; but how far that may fecure them, 
 God only knows; but (if 1 may give my Conjedlure ) I think I 
 may tell them: They have not done the half of what will be 
 necefiary to fave them ; and I think I have plaufible grounds 
 to fay this on. For not only can I give them a certain Mini- 
 ftcr by the hand, to whom a certain Nobleman ( a Privy Coun- 
 fellor, who makes a confiderable Figure at prefent , and 
 who is Presbyterian enough too; though it feems he has more 
 than the ordinary ingenuity of the Party) (aid, he was truly glad, 
 that Minifter had made no compliances (they were Coufins; per¬ 
 haps that made him fpeak more freely) and affur’d him, the pre¬ 
 fent compliance would fave no Man; for the refblution was, that 
 none of the Epifcopal Clergy fhould be fpared. This I know to be 
 of certain truth : Befides, the Council lately were beginning to let 
 fo much out; For when fome Minifters in Argyle-finre (who Preach 
 
 G in 
 
■ [ 41 3 
 
 in IrtJhjhy conlequenccj whofe places cannot be (b eafily fupplyed, 
 whom therefore they were not earneft to lay afide for altogether) 
 were before them; though they made them the gracious ofFer^ 
 made to few or none before, that they fhould be continued in their 
 Miniilry, upon their yet obeying the Proclamation^ yet they would 
 not allow them their own Churches: The fecret of the matter is, 
 all mufl be once out, none mnft enjoy their Benefices, by virtue 
 of a Prefentation from a Patron, and a Collation from a Bilhop; 
 if anyfhall be permitted hereafter to bear Office; they mull come 
 m upon the new found, that’s to be ere6ted after the Presbyterian 
 Model. This I am told the Statefinen are clear for : But then the 
 Kirk-men miift have their terms too, and what they may be, I am 
 not he who can divine. Presbytery, Presbytery in Folio muft be 
 one ; perhaps the Covenant may be another : And God knows 
 what purgative Doles, thofe who have ever liv’d under Epifeo- 
 pacy mufi: take, before they can be admitted into fiich a pure So¬ 
 ciety : I doubt it would puzzle Mr. Sal&ihhl Stiff-collar himlelf, 
 your famous Englifli Mountebank, to tell beforehand what the Re¬ 
 cipe may be : This is certain. 
 
 No compliances any of the Conform’d Clergy have yet made, 
 have brought them fo much as one inch nearer to a Reconciliation 
 with the Presbyterians: Some have been at work enough to get 
 their Countenance; particularly Doc^for Robinfon^ and Mr. Mal~ 
 come, two of the Minifters of Edinburgh : They have Preach’d once 
 and again, againft the Pride of Prelates, and the Corruptions of 
 the Church, &c. (efpecially the Dodor, whofis great complaint it 
 has been of late, that he has groan’d thefe twenty (even years by- 
 paft under tlie Yoke of Epiicopacy ; although at the Reftitution 
 of the Government, he did not think his Million good, having 
 had only Presbyterial Ordination; and therefore was Reordained 
 by a Bilhop.) They have fent once and again to the Presbyterian 
 Clubs, in treating they might be admitted into their Feliowlbip, 
 and to fit in their Presbyteries: And they have ufed all Arts for 
 gaining belief, that they are inearneft; forinftance, they are both 
 Prebendaries of the Cathedral of Edinburgh, and the Bilhop pays 
 ' to each of them ten pound Sterl. per annum: Through the long 
 ffirceale of Jufticethat has been in the Kingdom, till of late; his 
 Lordlhip had got none of the Revenue for the year 88, and want¬ 
 ed not realbn to doubt if ever he Ihoiild have it; lb their Fees for 
 that year were refting: Wherefore in Auguft or September Iaft,they 
 purfued him jointly, fcfore the Bailiffi of Edinburgh, fno compe¬ 
 tent 
 
[45] 
 
 tent Judges) merely to caft dirt upon him, that thereby they migfit 
 ingratiate themlclves with the Godly : Yet all has not prevaird,they 
 find the Party inexorable. By what is laid, methinks you may 
 now make a tolerable judgment of the treatment the Scotti[li Clergy 
 have met with hitherto, or are like to meet with hereafter. 
 
 One thing remains yet to be done, wz.. to fay fomthingin Vin¬ 
 dication of thefe Epifcopal Clergy-men, who have been fb treated, 
 and to account fome way for their Lives and Abilities: I know 
 there are ftrange things talk’d of them in England ; for befides that 
 the Prince of Orange lafl: year, declared them generally fcandalons 
 and ignorant (as was noted before) the good Party have long had, 
 and ftill have their inftruments bufie, Printing and Publilhing odd 
 ftories of them. So that perhaps Sir, you may be asearneft toun- 
 derftand what can be faid on that Head, as any thing I have yet 
 difpatched: Bat 1 * might with good reafon difappoint you, and make 
 that the Ihorteft part of my task ; indeed two or three Sentences 
 might ferve: For 
 
 It might be fiifficient to fay, that general Indictments ought fliil 
 to go for Calumnies, and the proper defence is to tell, they are 
 broad Lies. Let their Enemies condelcend upon the particular 
 Perfbns, and the particular Crimes; that’s the way to find guilt; 
 and whoever believes there is any, till that is done, is near of Kin 
 to an unjuft Judge: Dare they for their hearts pronounce all igno¬ 
 rant? or all fcandalous ? or all negligent ? or all erroneous ? or all 
 of a perfccuting temper ? If they dare, I hope they are bound to 
 make it good, againft every Individual; and let them try that when 
 they will. If they dare not (as certainly they dare not; even Ma- 
 chiavel himfelf, their Mafter for that Politick, were he alive durft 
 not) then, who fees not the Iniquity of thefe indefinite afperfions ? 
 where were Chriftians taught to mix the Innocent with the Guil¬ 
 ty, fo indiferiminately ? This, Sir, methinks might pafs foiTufficient 
 Antidote againft all thefe bold Slanders ; but left it may not fatis- 
 fie you, 1 have more to fay, and God be thanked, I can fay it con¬ 
 fidently, becaufe I know it to be true: I can fay. 
 
 The Church of Scotland^ fince the Reformation, was never ge¬ 
 nerally fo well provided with Paftors; as at the beginning of the 
 prefent Perfecution: ’Tis true, fhe has fometimes had fbme Sons; 
 (fuch as Dodor Forbes ^ DoCtor Baron, &c ; ) more Eminent for 
 Learning, than perhaps any of the prefent Generation will pre¬ 
 tend to: But what Church is there in the World, wherein every 
 day, extraordinary Lights are to be found ? It cannot be denyed nei- 
 
 G z ther. 
 
44 
 
 ther, that there are amongft us fonie of but ordinary Parts; but in 
 what Church was it ever otherwiie? it would be an odd thing, if 
 the poor cold Climate of Scotland could ftill afFord a thoufand Au- 
 gufiines or A<juinas's ; perhaps too there may be ibme, who are not 
 lb careful to adorn their Sacred Office with a fiiitable Converfa* 
 tion, as they ought to be: But what wonder, when Our Saviour 
 himlelf had one, a Devil, of twelve in his Retinue? what Coun¬ 
 try is it where all the Clergy-men are Saints ? And therefore, I fay 
 it over again; the Church of Scotland was never fb well planted, 
 generally, fince the Reformation as it was a year ago. This is a 
 Propofition which 1 confefs cannot be demonftrated fb, by a pri¬ 
 vate Man, fitting in his Chamber, as to convince the obflinate, or 
 give full fatisfadion to Strangers. But fb far as things of that na¬ 
 ture can be made appear plaufible, and at a diRance; I think this 
 may be done very briefly, in anfwering the Charges commonly 
 given in againfl: them. 
 
 The firfl is Ignorance; but what’s the Standard to judge by, whe¬ 
 ther Men have fiich a competency of knowledge, as may ( cater is 
 ■paribus) qualifie them for the Miniftery ? till that be condefcended 
 on, I might very well bid them put up their Objection in their 
 Pocket, till they can make palpable fenfe of it; at lead, till that 
 be done, this pretended Ignorance cannot be fuftain’d, as a fuffi- 
 cient Argument for juflifymg the prefent Perfecution. But how 
 can the Scotijh Clergy be fo very ignorant? No Man ffince I re¬ 
 member ) was ever admitted to the Miniftery, till he had firft 
 pafs’d his courfe at fome Univerfity, and Commenc’d Mafter of 
 Arts .• And generally none are admitted to tryal for being Proba¬ 
 tioners, till after that Commencement, they have been four or five 
 years Students in Divinity. The Method of that Tryal is common¬ 
 ly this, the Candidate gets firft a Text prefcrib’d him, on which 
 he makes a Homily before fbme Presbytery: Then he has an 
 Exegefis in Latin, on fbme common Head, (ordinarily fome Po- 
 pifh Controverfiej and fuftains difputesupon it. After this he is 
 tryed as to his skill in the Languages and Chronology : He is Iike- 
 wife obliged to Anfwer (ex tempore) any Qiieflion in Divinity, that 
 fhall be propofed to him, by any Member of the Presbytery. This 
 is called the Qtieftionary tryal; then, he has that which we call 
 the Exercife and Addition; that is, (as it is in moft Presbyteries ) 
 one day, he muft Analize and Comment upon a Text, for half an 
 hour or fb, to fhew his skill in Textual, Critical, and Cafuiftick 
 Theology; and another day for another half hour, he difeourfes 
 
 again 
 
 C 
 
I 45] 
 
 again by drawing pi'acftical Inferences, &c. to Ihew his Abilities 
 that way too: And then laftly, he mud make a popular Sermon ; 
 (I believe you have Icarcely fb (evere tryals in England) all this 
 done, the Presbytery conliders whether it be ht to recommend him 
 to the Bifhop , for a Licence to Preach fand many have I knovvn 
 i-emitted to their Studies) if they find him qualif-red, and recom¬ 
 mend him, he gets his Licence, he Commences Probationer for the 
 Minider^’, and commonly continues fuch for two, three, four, or 
 more years thereafter, till he is prefented to fome Benefice': Then 
 he pafies over again through all the forefaid fteps of tryal, and 
 more accurately,before he is Ordained: What greater Scrutiny would 
 5’on defire, as to point of Knowledge? Butbelides that, I havefbm- 
 thing more to tell you ; it is. 
 
 That generally, fince the Reftitution of Epifcopacy, our Di¬ 
 vines have had better Education, &c. been put on better Methods 
 of Study, than ever they were before. They have learned to lay 
 afide prejudices, and trace truth ingenuoufly, and embrace it where 
 they find it. With our Predeceflbrs, efpecially in the times of Prcl- 
 bytery : The Dutch Divinity was only in Vogue. Their Common¬ 
 place-men were the great Standards, and are fo Rill to that Party, 
 and whoever Rept afide one hairs breadth fi om their Pofitions, was 
 forthwith an Heretick. But the prefent Generation, after the way 
 of England^ take the Scriptures for their ivule; and the Ancients, 
 and right Realbn for Guides, for finding the Genuine Ssnie of that 
 Rule ; by which Method in my opinion, they are come to have 
 their Principles and Thoughts far better digefted. For Evidence 
 of this, be pleafed to know Sir, that upon the ReRitution of Epil- 
 copacy Anno i66i. There were Six Hundred Good, who kept their 
 Stations and Conformed. Thefe were not only generally of Prel- 
 byterian Education, but likewife for the moR part, the ableR Men 
 who were then in Office : There are many of thele Men yet alive. 
 Now, if this experiment were made, if thefe Men who had that 
 Presbyterian Education, were examined upon their Skill and Prin¬ 
 ciples in Divinity ; and if again, thofe who have had the poRerior 
 Education were likewife tryed, I could lay an even wagei-, if I 
 were much provok’d, 1 would venture three to one, all ingenuous 
 and impartial Judges, fhouid determine in fivours ofthe latter Sort, 
 and confels that they have clearer and more diRinct Idea’s of 
 things, and underRand the ChriRian Philofbphy better. In a word. 
 I’ll affirm it confidently, that Philofbphy was never underRood bet¬ 
 ter, nor never Proached better m Scotland, than it has been thefe 
 twenty years by-gone. I muft 
 
C 4<5 3 
 
 I mufl confefs, it was never lefs pracTtifed: but for that we may 
 thank the Presbyterians: Do not think this a Slander ; for jf they 
 ("during their twenty four years Ufurpation, i.e. from Thirty eight 
 till Sixty two inclufivej had not made many things,fuch as Rebel- 
 , lion and Presbytery jure Divino ; if they had not baffled Peoples 
 credulity, by making all the extravagances of the late times, God’s 
 own work, and the Caufe of Chriftj&'c. And if they had not made 
 it their chief work ever fince; to create and cheriib Divifions and 
 Schilms among us, and keep up a Party for themfelves, by all 
 means poffible; I doubt not, the Golpel fwith God’s Bleflingj 
 would have had more delirable fiiccefs, than it has had in this King¬ 
 dom. What a pernicious thing is it, needlefly to break the Unity, 
 and diftnrb the Peace of a Church ! I have often thought on that 
 laying of Irerjiem Lib. 4. adver. Haref. Cap. 6l, Nulla ab its (febif- 
 njatkis) tanta fieri fotefi corrtptio^ ejuanta efi Schifmatis pernicies • and 
 the more I think on it, I find ilill the more of important truth 
 in it: And believe it Sir, if ever there was a Sedt, fince Chrift 
 ' came into the World, to whom that Fathers w'ords in that l^me 
 Chapter, were applicable, they are, (only one thing excepted) to 
 our Scotch Presbyterians. Suam utilitatem poiim confiderantes^ t^uam 
 Umtatem EccUfia ; propter modicas quajlibet CaufaSj magnum 
 glortofum Corpus Chrifii confeindunt d^ dividunt^ d^ quantum in tp- 
 fis efi interficiunt ; pacem loquentes ( here it only fails ) & bellum 
 operantes ; vere Uquantes Culicem, d^ Camelum tranfglutientes. By 
 their Divifions, they have ftill kept up fach Rancours and Animo- 
 fities amongft us; that the Meek, Calm, Gentle, Peaceable Spi¬ 
 rit of Chriftianity, could get no footing. And how can the Reli¬ 
 gion flourifii without that ? And by their bold entituling all their 
 unaccountable freaks, in the late times (as I laid) to God's Autho¬ 
 rity, and abufing his Floly Word to juftifie them ; they loft all the 
 credit of the Miniftery. For fo loon as Peoples eyes opened, and 
 they began to fee what Legerdemain had been play’d in the Pul¬ 
 pits 5 efpecially under luch high pretenfions to Godlinels, they look’d 
 upon the Sacred Office of the Miniftery (and continue to do lb 
 ever fincej as a mere Impofture ; fo that though we are at never 
 lb much pains to perfwade and convince; yet our Labours are 
 not regarded, and if they be not that, how can they be liiccefiful? 
 I know you’ll think this a Digrellion. Be it fo, I could not help 
 it, I have fuch ftrong impreflions of the truth of the thing, that I 
 could not forbear to tell it you. 
 
 What I have faid methinks, may pals for a good eaaough account 
 t of 
 
[ 47 ] 
 
 of the Abilities of the Conform’d Clergy: Yet I have one thing 
 more to add, I will not Recriminate, nor go to tell our Preibyte- 
 rian Brethren back again, that of all Mien alive they ought to have 
 been the laft, for charging us with Ignorance. But this I will un¬ 
 dertake for ; let them out of their whole Number within the King¬ 
 dom, chufe five, fix, (even; or what Number they pleafe, and the 
 Epifcopal Clergy fhall be content that even out of the Diocefs 
 of Glafgovf, (that Diocefs which fb much pains has been taken 
 to make infamous for its Ignorance) the like number be chofen, 
 for debating all the points m Controverfie between us, before any 
 fufficient and impartial Judge in Chriftendom : And is not this, 
 enough ad homines ? But I have dwelt too long upon this firft 
 charge; and mufl make amends in what follows. 
 
 The fecond thing is Immorality, we are generally fcandalous as 
 well as ignorant: But I doubt, if amongft all the Epifcopal Clergy 
 in Scotland j they fhall find a match for their own Mr. JViJUamJon : 
 Let them Ihew me a Man that played fuch tricks while a Minifler, 
 and was fo little challeng’d, as he is, by his Brethren. Not to men¬ 
 tion how (for all his lewdnefsj he is now a leading Man of the 
 Party, and was lately one of their Commiflioners at London. Indeed, 
 Sir, what greater pains can be taken either to keep or to purge out 
 fcandalous Men from being of the Clergy, than our Confticution 
 prefcribes ? after any Man is prefented to a Benefice, before be is 
 either Collated, or put in Orders; an Edi(3: is read publickly, be¬ 
 fore the whole Congregation, in the Church where he is to be fet¬ 
 tled ; requiring and inviting theHeretors, or any within the Parilh, 
 who have any thing to obje^ againft his Life, to do it on fuch a day, 
 before the Bifhop, or Tome deputed by him ; and if any blenufh be. 
 found that way, he is rejedled: And for thofe who are once in the 
 Minifteiy; I believe there is hardly a lharper Difeipiine any where, 
 than in Scotland. The leaft Crime proven againft any has its punii'h- 
 ment: e, g. One A<5fc of Drunkennefs clearly made out, will fufpend 
 him ; and two (though fome years intervene betwixt them ) are 
 fufficient to Depofe him, and Deprive him for ever. 
 
 But I need not dwell on thefe things : Your Bifhop of Salishttrj^ 
 Dr. Burnet j if he pleafes, can tell the World (rm fare he lias told it . 
 in many things as unfeafbnably^that when 'Dr.Lighton was Commen- 
 dator of Glafgoiv, and he himfelf ProfefTor of Divinity there ; die 
 Clamour about the Ignorance and Immoralities of the Clergy of 
 chat Diocefs was fuch, that the faid Commendator turn’d very e.ar- 
 jieft to have it purged ; That for this end, he allowed and invited all 
 
 People. 
 
C 48] 
 
 People to aceufe their Pallors, and give in what Indictments they 
 pleas’d againft them ; that this was not done fcrimply neither, nor 
 out of mere form; but if there was any partiality, it was againft the 
 Mmifter ; And yet after all that how many were found worthy of 
 Depofition? only one (as I am toidj of fbme hundreds; and he 
 too, not without great fufpicions of Injuftice. Dr. 1 fay, 
 
 can tell all this if he pieafes; for no Man was deeper in thatlnqui- 
 licion then himfelf, being one of the Commendators chief Coun- 
 feilors and inftruments. And after all, when both had done what 
 theycor.id, they were forced to confefs, the Clergy were injur’d, 
 audit was nothing but the Spirit of Fanaticifm, which made the 
 People fo unkind to them, and raife fuch calumnies againft: them. 
 Indeed it would have been hard enough for the greateft con¬ 
 fidence, not to have acknowlcdgdfb much; for if he pieafes,he can 
 likewife tell, what pains were taken, to bring the beft Men, and 
 bell Preachers from all Corners to the Weft; to try how the People 
 would be pieafed with them, fuch as Mr. Nairn, Mr. Aird, &c. And 
 how he hinilelf went about as an Evangelift, fhewing his gifts every 
 where ; particularly in the Church of Fennick ; where he diftributed 
 a great many Bibles, and fbme money too, being earneft by all means 
 to gain the People ; And yet for all that he and all the other Evan- 
 geiifts were laught it; and the People told that if they muft: needs 
 have Curates, they would not change their own, for any of them. 
 This work was fifteen or hxteen years ago; and fiich was the condi¬ 
 tion of that Diocefs then: And yet though the Clergy in it, had de- 
 ferved the Epithets of Scandalous and Ignorant.’then, by what confe- 
 quence can they be applicable to them now, when perhaps the third 
 man is not there now, who was there then ? But to go on. 
 
 The third thing is Negligence; but how can that be either ? Theer s 
 no fuch thing as Non-refidence, or Pluralities in ufe in Scotland: 
 Evei y Presbyter is cenfiirable, who is two Sundays together from his 
 Church,without Licence from his Ordinary; and generally we Preach 
 twice every Lords-day, through the whole Kingdom. But negligence 
 is like Ignorance; it will be hard to find that definition of Negligence, 
 which will be able to juftifie fiich a general Perfecution, as i have 
 already accounted for. 
 
 Thefouith is Error: But how fhallthat be tryed ? But I think, I 
 can eafily give you fatisfablion. Sir, as to that matter; it is by telLng 
 you, that i know not fb much as one amongft us, who could not 
 live in Communion with your Church of England, and lubfcribe her 
 thirty nine Articles. ’Tistrue indeed, there be many, who are no 
 
 ways 
 
[ 49 ] 
 
 ways inclined to be every day talking to their People of God’s De¬ 
 crees, and Abfbluce Reprobation, and Juftification by Faith alone 
 in the Presbyterian fenfe, and flich like Dodrins; they think their 
 Hearers may be much more cdilyed by Sermons, that explain the true 
 Nature of Evangelical Faith, the Neceffity of Repentance, and the 
 Indifpenfibility of a GofpefObediencejC^'^:. And what error is there 
 here ? 
 
 But the lafl thing is that we have been great Perfecutors; grant it 
 to be true, (iire I am, by this time we are payed home pretty well lu 
 our own Coin; and God of his infinite Mercy grant unto us all, that 
 we may exercife a true Chriftian patience, under our prefent Suffer¬ 
 ings : And that they may work a better temper in us, than it feems 
 their pretended Perlecutions have wrought in our Adverfaries. Sure 
 I am, ’tis no where written in the Gofpel, that fiiffering for Chrift 
 may laudably end in Malice and Revenge, and the horrideft Barba¬ 
 rities. But how can it be proven, that we were fiich Perfecutors ? 
 Dare any man fay, that the feverities againft the Presbyterians,fince 
 the Reftitution ofEpifeopacy, have been near fb great, as the feve¬ 
 rities againft the Epifcopal Party were, during the Reign of Pref- 
 bytery ? Dare any man fay, that the Presbyterians have fuffered any 
 thing for Confcience fake, thefe twenty feven years by-paft ? Re¬ 
 member what I told you, not far fi om the beginning of this Letter. 
 ’Tis true indeed, the State found there were a number of People of 
 fuch feditious and ungovernable tempers, that they could not be well 
 kept from breaking out daily into open Rebellions: Therefore they 
 made Laws for keeping them low, and curbing them ; and who can 
 ' blame this ? ’Tis alfo true, fome of thefe Laws obliged the Clergy 
 to give an account of thofe of that temper, who lived or haunted in 
 their Parifhes: And could they top with the Government and difb- 
 bey Law, when the Obedience required, was fb reafbnable ? Be- 
 fidesj believe it Sir, the Clergy did as little that way, as was poftible 
 for them ; and I can make it good, when ever I am put to it; That 
 where one was purfued upon their Informations, twenty were be¬ 
 friended by their Interceftions: A fignal mftance whereof I learn’d 
 not long ago; it was in Seftember laft, when the Deprivations for 
 Non-compliance were very frequent. Amongft the reft one Mx.Ck- 
 fiolm Minifter at Ltljly, was cited at the inltance of one Sir John 
 Riddel of the Minifter had given no Obedience, and fb 
 
 was very fbon difcufs’d: And when Sir John and he were juft a 
 coming from the Bar; where he had flood his Accufer,^ and heard 
 his Sentence ; he told him, before a good many Witnefles, that he 
 
 H con- 
 
,c.5oi: 
 
 conFefsM Ire Iielt^ his Life nnd Fortune of fiim ; and protefted he 
 would never have treated him fo as he had done, il ic had not been 
 matteroFConfciencetohim. What do ye think oF a Presbyterian 
 Confcicnce ? I could give you an hundred more Fuch inftanccs, for 
 mdeed it has been obferved generally all alongid, that thole iiave 
 been the greateft'Enemies to the Clergy, to whom they had done 
 the bell Offices. But it would require a. great deal oi work, to make 
 you underBand this head of Perleciition Fully, and therefoi e I’ll 
 break it off: And tell you only briefly that 
 IF ever you come to underltand the Bate of our Affairs diftindl- 
 Jy, you will find, our Ignorance lies mainly m our being unac¬ 
 quainted with the Pi inciplss of Sedition, and the Jus Divinum of 
 Presbytery; our Scandal, in our being Jfb generally look’d upon as 
 nothing fond of change and Revolution: Our Negligence, in part¬ 
 ing with our Benefices rather chan our Confciences; our Errone- 
 oulnefs, in adhering lb Bubbornly to the Principles laid down in 
 Scripture, and maintain’d by the Primitive ChriBians; and our itch 
 for Pei fecLiting Diflenters to lye chiefly in our inclinations, to live 
 and behave as becomes good Subjects; or, if ye would have it 
 ihorter, we are ignorant, fcandalous, negligent, erroneous, inffiffir 
 cienr, Pei fecutors; and whatever men pleafe to call us, becaufo we- 
 are not Presbyterians; • j - 
 
 That’s truly the matter ; and therefore we are now made to fuffer 
 fo feverely, not only by being lb treated in our Perlbns and Privi¬ 
 leges, as I have briefly accounted; but alib by being lb robb’d of 
 our Reputations, and loaded with Reproaches : And all this too, un¬ 
 der pretence to fecure the Proteftant Religion, and make thefe 
 Kingdoms happy. I dare not cell you, how much I am tempted, 
 when I refled on all together, to ask you fome unfaBiionable Que- 
 Bions, fuch as thefe : Is that to fecure the Proteftant Religion, when 
 men muB either fuffer, or part with the moft diBinguiBiing Cha- 
 raders, and moft undoubted Principles of the Proteftant Religion ? 
 Is the rendering fb many Proteftant Minifters,ulelefs and miferable ; 
 becaufe they, will not play Jefuitifl) tricks^ the way to fecure Prote- 
 Bant Religion I Is there no other way to fecure the ProteBant Reli¬ 
 gion; but to tranfaccident it (pardon the wordj’cis as good as Tran- 
 iubftantiate ) into a pretence for juftifying all the injuries can 
 be done to our Spiritual Fathers ? Is there no other way to 
 make a Kingdom happy, but by making downright haV/Ock of 
 the Clergy m it.^ Cannot a Kingdom be happy unlcfl God’s portion 
 be either turn’d out of their Fundions in it, or run the hazard of 
 
 being 
 
C 5« ] 
 
 beinj» turn’d out of his favour, and excluded his Etern?.I Kingdom ? 
 Thsla and twenty more (uch Queftions, I fay, I am ftrongly tempt¬ 
 ed to ask you, but I forbear: Only before I conclude, 
 
 As I faid before, I will not recriminate with our Presbyterian 
 Brethren, I will not goto tell them back again, that they are ig-' 
 norant or fcandalous, &c. I will not treat them fo uncivilly as to 
 throw back their dung in their own faces: 1 am not fond of inch 
 Retaliations. But this I wiliiay, if they plant the Church of Scot- 
 land, fo well as it was planted, when the Prince of Orange came to 
 England, fb long as he lives; if, for all their pretenlions to the Spirit, 
 the Gofpel be Preached lo purely, fo rationally, and fo difinterelled- 
 iy under their Goveanment, as it has been by the Epifcopal Clergy 
 thele many years oy-gone; if ever the State have Peace, or the 
 Church com.e to a lettlement; if ever our King lit fecurely on his 
 Throne,or Ca:far have the things that are Cafars : If ever the Church 
 of England (as little as fhe has been concerned hitherto in her Si> 
 ffers alflibtions) want a horn in her lide,or be lecur’d againR attempts 
 for her ruin; and if ever there be Peace, or Order, or definable 
 Concord ; if ever Animoiities, Divjiions, Contentions, and luch 
 other Plagues of Humane Society, and Chnftian Unity be wanting 
 at home, fo long as thoiv Dagon Bands in the Temple; Experience 
 has deceiv’d me, and 1 haveiruftaken my Meafures. ' ; . ' 
 
 Thus, Sir, you have a brief, profpecl: ot che. preferit State , of the 
 Scomjl} Chvgy, fuller by .much .thanatfirftj intended, perhaps then 
 you are pleafed with, and ye may think it tedious: .But;i acknow¬ 
 ledge I have that weaknels; I have not the faculty of dilpatching 
 things lb fmoothly, and ■ fo jliortly, as pofiibly your palate would 
 require: But my Apology is ready; I have omitted an hundred things, 
 proper to have been.inferced,; if <1 am tedious, it is in telling truth, 
 and if the length of this weary you,, ypu .ihall not fie fo.troubled 
 again: For thele Reafbns expecting your Pardon, lam 
 
 H 2 
 
 The 
 
C 5^ 3 
 
 The Third LETTER. 
 
 S I R, 
 
 I Told you in the Conclufion of my laft, that I had omitted 
 many things, proper to have been inferted ; I could eafily jufti- 
 fie it, by giving you another every whit as long and full of matter 
 of Fad: as it was. Particularly I could give you a great many more in- 
 Ranees of Minifters, who received hard Mealure from the Council: 
 fuch as Fitcairn of Logie, who was Deprived, though thefe eight or 
 ten years by-gone, he has been intirely difabled for the Pulpit, 
 through old age and infirmity, and has been obliged to maintain an 
 Affiftant. Jonkine at Abermthy, upon his not appearing, the very 
 minute he was firfl called, though he kept the day precilely, to 
 which he was Cited, and was prefcnt about twelve of the Clock, 
 and had the Forth to crofs that morning: and the Council at that 
 time ufed to fit as well after, as before Noon, for Depriving Mini- 
 Rers. Falioner, a Minifter in Murray, notwithRanding he pleaded 
 for himlelf, that the Lord Dundee wsls his Hearer that day on which 
 the Proclamation was ordered to be Read; that it was eafie to con- 
 jediure what might have been his hazard, had he Read it in his 
 hearing; that after that he had Prayed publickly for YLmgWilliam 
 and Qtieen Mary. That if the Council fhould yet enjoyn him, he 
 would Read the Proclamation ; and that for his part, he believed 
 Presbytery was as agreeable to the Word of God, and as fubfervient 
 to the ends of Chriftianity, as Epilcopacy, and therefore was as 
 whiling to keep his MiniRry under the one, as the other: but there 
 was Original fin in him; he was a Bilhops Son, and fb no Mercy 
 for him. But Moncrief, MiniRer at Herriot, his Cafe is prettieR of 
 all, he has done all Duty, and made all Complyances, yet his 
 Church is difpofed of, and a Presbyterian Preacher, adtually and 
 formally admitted to it. Twenty other inRances might eafily be 
 Colledied: 
 
 I could likewifc tell you v/hat feverities have been ufed in turning 
 MiniRers out of their Dwellings, this Winter, after their Depriva- 
 on: as in the Cafe of Mr. Galbraith, MiniRer at Jedburgh,, a very 
 Reverend and worthy Perfon. All the Gentlemen within the 
 Parifh Addreircd to the Coimcii in his behalf; proteRed they were 
 
 lorry 
 
fbrry that he was Deprived: fupplicated that he might be permitted 
 to live this Winter in the Manfe^ i. e. Parfbnage-Houfe, for no body 
 was making pretenfions to it; no Presbyterian Preacher was fettled 
 there; and it was a Thatcht Hoiifej it would be endamaged, if it 
 were not inhabited, if Fire were not kept in it, &c. But for all 
 that, the good Parfon was forced to remove by the Councils Order. 
 The fame was alfo the Cafe of Mr. Millar^ Minifter at Mufskburgb^ 
 and very many others. Nay (I know not if they have got their fe- 
 cret inflrutflions renewed for itJ the Rabbling work is revived in the 
 Wefl lately, and now they will not fafFer the poor afflided Mini- 
 fters, (who were thrusl out a year ago) to flay fb much as in that 
 Country; though they have no mony to Tranfpoit their Families 
 with, being refufed payment of their by-gone Stipends. So it has 
 fared within thefe few days with Mr. Hamilton, Minifter at Kirkof- 
 •ivald, and Ir’w 'ine at Kilbride, and I am told there is a Defign to banilh 
 from that Town all who live in Dumfries, and thofe in GlaJgoiiJ 
 the fame likewife. 
 
 I cannot forbear neither, to tell you, what has happened lately 
 at Edinburgh : there are five or fix of the Epifcopal Clergy in that 
 City, who have given ail Obedience; fo they ftill poitefs their 
 Churches. Each of thefe Churches has its own Utenfils, Bafons, 
 Lavers, Chargers, Chalices, Communion-Tablc-Cloaths, &c. All 
 Dedicated long ago by private Pcrfbns, who lived in the relpedive 
 Parifhes. A Church-Treafurer is Chofen yearly by the Church 
 Seflions, to whom thefe Utenfils are Concredited, and to thefe Sef- 
 fions he is accountable for them at the years end. This has been one 
 immemorial Cuftom m that City; yet the prefent Magilirates (all 
 Rank PresbyteriansJ would needs have thefe Utenfils delivered up 
 to them; particularly, they required them of him who this year 
 bears the Office of Church-Treafurer, or, which is all one, who is 
 the Elder or Church-Warden, to whom the Utenfils of that Church 
 for this year are entrufled, for that which is commonly called the 
 Tolbooth Church: he refufed to fiirrender them (and why fhould he 
 have done it ^ They were not fb much as Dedicated by the Pub- 
 lick, and they were that Churches Property. No Magiftrateshad ever 
 demanded the like before, and the prefent Magiftrates are no more 
 concerned in them, than in any private Citizens Furniture •; J For this 
 he was thruft into Prifbn ; but he made Application to the Lords of 
 Seffion, who found the thing fb infinitely illegal, that they forth ¬ 
 with ordered his Liberation, and difeharged fuch Proceedings for 
 the future. Perhaps you may think this is but a trifle, but there is , 
 
 more 
 
C 54 ] 
 
 more in it than you are aware of: For^be/ides that ^wychnHaU 
 prefenc Provoft of Edinburgh, is a Privy Connfelior, and con(e- 
 quencly is not to be fuppofed to have attempted fiich a thing without 
 hrft coiifuking Craii^ford, and fome others who (it at that Table • 
 there is this at the bottom of it: In each of thefc PariHies there is 
 a Presbyterian Mecting-Houfe, and the Preachers (though they 
 (hand on no other Found , but King James his Toleration) hold 
 themlelves for the rightful Pafliors of theie ParilFes, andib pretend 
 that the u(e of thefe Utenhls belongs to them, and they ought to 
 have them in their Cuftody ; this was that which put the. MagiItrates 
 upon the (ore(aid Couide. 
 
 Innumerable fuch things as thefe I could ealily Colled:, and weary 
 your patience with them, but methinks by this time, you have got 
 Take enough of the Epifcopal Parties Troubles on the one hand 
 and the Prebyterian Parties Temper on the other, to make you un* 
 derftand both .competently; and that was all I intended. Only 
 there are two things perhaps, which you may be deiirous to have 
 fome further (atisfadtion about; and I will try if 1 can give it. 
 
 The fil'd IS, That poflibly ye may apprehend, I did not in my 
 lad fufficiently take od thefe Afperlions which are thrown upon the 
 Epifcopal Clergy by the Phanatick News Mongers, m their Mali¬ 
 cious Papers, and Pamphlets, which they are Printing and Difperfing 
 fo confidently every day at London, To tell the truth. Sir, We only 
 hear of thefe Papers ; at lead for my part I have feen none of 
 them ; they come not ordinarily to Scotland, and I believe their Au- 
 thors are no ways inclined they fiiould, fit requires a great deal of 
 Forehead to tell lies where they can beeafily difeovered) and not 
 coming to our hands, how can we detecl or expofe their falfities ? 
 
 I am (ure, 1 (aid enough in the general to fortifie you, or any (bbef 
 Man, againdthem; elpecially as to all thefe Miniders Deprived by 
 the Council; for, (as I laid there) the Council never took notice of 
 any thing but Reading and Praying. But what though Malicious 
 Men tell fade dories with a great deal of Confidence ? Are you 
 fuch a Stranger to the World, as not to know that Lying has ever 
 been one of the chief Artifices by which that Party have carried on 
 their purpofes; It is no new Politick of theirs. 1 could teil you fome 
 of the odded Stories that ever you heard fince you was born, con¬ 
 cerning their dexterity in that Art, in the late Times: but I will 
 trouble you only with one at prefent; indeed the whole World 
 liioLild know it, it has fuch peculiarities m it. 
 
 You 
 
L 55 ] 
 
 You know how Anno i6;8. at the AOembly of Glafgovj, they 
 not only precended to Depofe the.Bifiiops, but even to Excommu- 
 nicvUe m.^ny of them: amongft the reft^ that moft Reverend and 
 Worthy Prelate, Sptfu/ood ^ Arch-Biihop Sx.. Andrews, The 
 Sentence of Depofition and Excommunication palled again ft him, 
 was ordered to be Read Pubiickly after the Forenoons Sermon, in all 
 the Churches wicliin his Diocels; and^ in it, a great many hori id 
 immoi-alitics, (Inch as incclt and Adultery, &€^ were amafted. 
 Amonglt many others,.it was Read particularly in the Church of 
 Ktlrinny in Fife^ by Mr. Coline Addm^ then Minifter there; Beaton- 
 of was in the Church at the time, he was net a little amazed, 
 
 at hearing fuch ftrange things charged upon the Arch^Billiop. He 
 had lived many a year in his Neighbourhood. He had been frequently 
 in Company with him; but had never dilcov^'ed fuch Crimes about 
 him, fo that he was exceedingly furpnzsd: but that vyas the leaft: 
 on’t. In the progrels of the Sentence he heard himfeif named as 
 one of,four Witneftes, ,who had been-examined’ upon Oath, and by 
 their Teftimonies had proven thefe things againft: him : this aftonilh- 
 ed hun quite, for it was not only notorious to all the Neighbourhood, 
 that during the whole time that famous AlTembly late, he was not 
 buc.ftill at-home; but no body knew it: better than- 
 'i^wAdam himfeif, for he had not only been his copftapt Auditor 
 QVQv^Snnd4y» but he had leen him (or might’have done itj every 
 day ; theVe being but ^a, very Ihort diftance (perhaps not two hun¬ 
 dred Paces) betwixt their Dwellings. In effect it put the Gentle¬ 
 man m Rich dilbrder, that he had well nigh Hopped the Minifters 
 Reading any further, if his Father, W'ho was by him, had not hin¬ 
 dered him, telling him he wpuld Ruin himfeif However, after 
 they came'out, he Challenged the Minifter, who ealily confeft he 
 knew It was a Lie, but pretended he behoved to Read it, in Obedi¬ 
 ence to Authority. And what might he not have done after that ? 
 Tell me Sir, was not this a well alTured wickednels r This palTage I 
 have from psrlbns of great integrity, yet ahve, who told me, they 
 had it twenty times from Beaton% own Mouth ; and it is but one of 
 a thouland, as good,, if I could be at the pains to Colled them. Fi^ 
 fraudes (talk we what we pleafe) have done good Service, and been . 
 excellent Chriftian Tools in their time, for carrying on the Good 
 Old Caule. But it was not fcarcity that made me go fo far back . 
 for Proofs of Presbyterian Honefty : thefe twelve or fourteen 
 months by-gone afford variety enough in all Confciencc. Thus to 
 inftance but in two or three things. 
 
 What. 
 
C 5 ] 
 
 Whilt Effiontery WASufed laft year at London^ for running down 
 all the Accounts, were lent up, concerning the Perfecurion of the 
 Weftern Clergy, as [ told you before? Such ingrain’d impudence 
 (had it not been feen and felt) I had believed, could neither have 
 come from Hell nor It, the two grand Staple-Ports for that Com¬ 
 modity. What Relations of Oaths, what confident Afiertions, 
 what Printed Papers had we for King James his being Dead at 
 Breji in March lafi: ? I remember the prelent Earl of ArgtU^ one 
 day diifurbed a whole Meeting-Houle, with a forged Letter a- 
 boiit It. 
 
 With what Ihamelefihels did the News go upfirfi, and then come 
 down again from London in Sepemher laft, and pals current here : 
 That the Streets ot Edinburgh were thronged with the Heads or 
 Chieftains of Clanns, coming in dayly to take the benefit of King 
 JFilIiam's Indemnity, that was pubhlhed after Dundee^s death? 
 Though all the Kingdom knows, not fo much as one has come in 
 to this very day ? And what ftrange Talcs have been told of the 
 wonderful Feats of Imskilling Men ? I remember Ibme Gentlemen 
 about two Months ago, went in one Afternoon to a Presbyterian 
 Coffee Houle, called for the News Book, call up the account of 
 the Irifl) killed by them, and after computation, found the number 
 amounted to above 48000 . Thefe are but their ordinary tricks, 
 and with us they have now ceafed to be Scandalous; for by Cuftom 
 we are come to reckon it no more ftrange to find that Party Lie, than 
 to fee Danes Drink, or Englt^men eat Pork or Pork-Pudding: fb 
 that indeed Sir, I pity you heartily, if your Charity towards the 
 iEpifcQpal Clergy in this Kingdom can be in the leaft fhaken by the 
 boldnefs of thcle miferable Scriblers. 
 
 I will only add one thing more upon this Head, and that is, that 
 v^hacevermay be Publiftied that way, muft needs be falle upon this 
 account, that (as very many have obferved) fince ever the Depri¬ 
 vation-Work began; all the favour ftiown, has been to thole who 
 leaft delerved it; and if there was any lefs Knowing, lels Circum- 
 fped in their Lives, or any ways lels (^alified for continuing in the 
 Minifteiy, they are the Men, who have hitherto elcaped Deprivati¬ 
 on. The Politick is no more Damnable than Underftood; for as 
 the Ihewing Ibme Favour to fiich, with left dilcerning Perfbns, may 
 chance to paft for an Argument of the Councils Moderation: fo 
 under this Cover they have the opportunity of doing a great deal of 
 Mifchief; they Ruin more fecurely, and with left oblervation, thefe 
 of unqueftionable Lives, and Abilities, and difable them for being 
 
 Remora’s 
 
C 57 ] 
 
 Remora’s hereafter, either to the Settling or Securing Presbyter^', 
 which they are afFraid they might have been, after the prelent Fer¬ 
 ment is over, had they continued in their Stations; and hei ebv 
 they hope to Ruin their Reputations too, with people who think 
 little, and Strangers, who cannot know all the intrigues of their 
 bufinels; for iuch may readily conclude they have deferved worfe, 
 feeing thefe are Deprived, while others are preferved; and then, 
 belidcs all this, to thefe leaft deferving, the (eeming Favour, of 
 (paring them at prefent, is fhewn, upon this Defign, m all likely- 
 hood, that afterwards they may be Ruined and Difgraced with the 
 gi eater contempt and ignominy; for, being the weaker Men of the 
 Epilcopal fide, they forefee, they will not only not be able to make 
 a fuitable Refiftance to the Zealous Gang, when it (hall be in Cir- 
 cumftances to difpute it with them ; but alfo it will be eafie for the 
 Ecclefiaftical Vifitations to Depofe them : and not only fo, but 
 their Fall when it comes, may be readily improven into an heavy 
 Refledion, on all of EpifcopalPrinciples: and Phanaticks will have 
 m readinefs to fay, that the whole Party was ftill fuch, and by thefe, 
 it may be judged what all the rell either were or are. This is triiely 
 the Politick, Sir: but by this time I think I have infifted too much 
 on this purpole. 
 
 The other thing perhaps is more Material; for when you have 
 confidered all I faid in my laft, perhaps ye may think it ftrange, 
 that you have found nothing concerning the inclinations of the 
 generality of the People : and fuch a general Perfecution of the Epif¬ 
 copal Clergy on the one hand, and fo deep a filence concerning the 
 Refentments of the People on the other, may perchance feem to you 
 a Demonftration of the Truth of that Article in our new Claim of 
 Right (for we may thank our Stars, we have once gotten an Origi¬ 
 nal Contrad betwixt King and People) which affirms. That Prelacy, 
 and the Superiority of any Office in the Church above Presbyters, 
 is, and hath been a great and infupportable Grievance, and Trouble 
 to this Nation, and contrary to the inclinations of the generality of 
 the People, But the Truth is Sir, as from the beginning I was 
 unwilling to fall foul upon the State; fb I thought that did not come 
 fb naturally in my way; for my defign was only to acquaint you 
 with the treatment of the Clergy; and not to Canvafs every 
 Aflertion, that has been boldly obtruded on the World by their 
 Perfecutors. But feeing that Article makes fuch a noife, and 
 I hear fbme of your Englifli Pamphleteers are taking notice of it, 
 and talking Confidently that it is True. I am content to trou- 
 
 I ble 
 
L 58 ] 
 
 bkyua with a dozen of Lines, or fo, about it: And in the firft place v 
 
 Perhaps it might be fufficient to fay no morei bur, What then? 
 What tho the generality of the People were fo enclined ? Will it 
 follow, therefore, Epifcopacy ought be abolilhed in Scotland? If I 
 miftake not, I have heard as good Arguments anfwered with a Non 
 fiquitur. But if I am miftaken, and the Argument is good, then all 
 you Gentlemen, the Divines of England^ are mod miferably affronted i 
 affronted, 1 fay, by the Scotch Meeting of Ellafes, tho there was not 
 fo much as one Divine amongfl: them, when they voted their Claim 
 of Right: You have been wretchedly out all this while, in your Dif- 
 putes with the Papitls, tho you made a great noife with them fand 
 ti^y were too weak for youj thefe four or five Years by-gone. You 
 have never hit upon the true Rule of Faith and Manners (fliall J call 
 it ) or the Judg, the infallible ]udg of Controverfies i that Honor w’as 
 referved fur the Scotch Laicks, they are the Men who have been the 
 trueStudents of the Vifciplina Arcani^ and have fallen upon the Knack s 
 The inclinations of the generality of the People (tho God knows 
 what a Rule it would have made in our Saviours time ) are the thing, 
 they are Pvuleor Judg, or whatever you pleafe to call them > and what 
 more would ye have ? Lord what “a Field has a Man here, if he pleaf- 
 ed to be wanton ! But I muft cut (horf, and therefore let me return 
 to be ferious: Why then, to tell you in a word, Sir, if I may fay it 
 without giving the Lye to the Convention. 
 
 There’s not a falftr. Propofition in the World, than, that the In¬ 
 clinations of the generality of tho People of Scotland are againfl E- 
 pifcopacy •> or that they look upon it as a great and infupportable Griev¬ 
 ance and Trouble to the Nation: And let us have a Poll for it when 
 they will, and you (hall quickly fee the Demonftration : If this does 
 not fatisfie you, I have more yet to fay. 
 
 I can affirm, with a well grounded aflTurance, that, if by the People 
 you mean the Commonalty, the rude, illiterate Vulgus, the third Man 
 through the whole Kingdom is not Presbyterian \ and if by the Peo¬ 
 ple, you mean thofe who are Perfons of better Quality and Education 
 (whofe fenfe in my opinion, ought in all reafon, to go for the fenfe 
 of the Nation) I dare boldly aver, not the 13th. For notwithlland- 
 ipg ail the Clamors that are made on that Head, ’tis well known to 
 all the Kingdom, that Fanaticifm has all alongfi had little footing in 
 that far wider half of the Kingdom, which lies on the North of the Tay. 
 And tho the Party has been infinitely earneft and aifive to cncreafeand 
 multiply their Numbers every where, yet in all that Country, they could 
 never gel above three or four Mecting-Houfes ereded, and thefe too, 
 
 very 
 
[ 59 3 • 
 
 very little frequented or encouraged. Nay, even on this Gde the Tay 
 ('except in the five afibciated Shires in the Wefi) the third Man was 
 never engaged in theSchifm, For convincing you of this, Til ask no 
 other Portulate, than Nvhat I fuppofe you and all conlidering Mai will 
 readily grant, and that is, that Phanatkifin is more apt to fpread and 
 prevail in Towns than in the Country ^ fo that by them we may beft 
 judg of the Numbers of the Party, It would make an intolerable 
 Work to go through all j let me only infiance in fome of them, 
 where the Experiment has been remarkably made, not many Months 
 ago \ and by thefe ye may judg of the reft. 
 
 At Perth (or S. Johnftorvn) where now a Presbyterian Minificr is 
 mofi illegally poflliTed of the Church, the tenth man does not go to 
 hear him, and particularly, not one of the Magifirates, tho they were 
 ekdfed by Poll, Cowpar m Fife^ the Presbyterian Preacher (now 
 pofiefled of the Churchy fometimeshas not forty or fifty people in his 
 Congregation. The great Body waits all upon the Regular Chrgy, 
 who have there got a Meeting-Houfe. ’Tis much the fameat S. Andrews, 
 At Sterling and Burnt-JJIandj the Magifirates were likewife chofen by the 
 Poll, but all Malignants, as they call them. At Sterling ( as I am told ) 
 the Presbyterian Votes were not one to fix. At Burnt-lJIjnd they were 
 but one to three. ’Tis true indeed, the Privy Council has turn’d out 
 thefe Magifirates in both Towns, and put Presbyterians in their ftead. 
 Some admire how arbitrarily it was done: but I am only concerned for 
 the Inclinations of the generality of the people. 
 
 At Musflebttrg more than eighteen of twenty parts have once and 
 again fince their Paftor was deprived } fupplicated the Council, that 
 during the Vacancy, they might have Regular Clergy-Men to officiate 
 amongfi them. 1 could inftance alfo, in Dumfermling^ ^F'eems, 
 
 Leith, Jedburgh^ Kelfo^ and many other places. Nay, 
 
 Even in Edinburgh, the Churches where the Epifcopal Clergy ( who 
 have complyed J preach, are more thronged, and better frequented, 
 than the Churches ufurpedby the Presbyterians: not to mention, that 
 every Sunday there are five orlix fcveral Meetings of Men, who are not 
 very wellpleafed with either Presbyterians, or complying Epifcopalians, 
 Shall I tell you further yet, what I am credibly told, concerning even 
 Glafgowk k\p} I am told, Sir, that even in that City, which has been 
 fo famous for phanatick Zeal, and wherein on Chrifimafs lafi, for a 
 demonftration of it, the Rabble (with the prefent Earl of Argyle on 
 their Head J burnt, with the Pope, our two Archbiftiops in effigiei I am 
 told, 1 fay, that even in that City, the greater number of Citizens of 
 the beft quality are of Epifcopal Principles. 
 
 1 2 
 
 Indeed 
 
* See the 
 Poltfcript 
 
 Indeed, whatever number of Friends they might have had a 
 year or two ago, I am confident this day it is diminidied by a third ; 
 For befides that peoples eyes are now beginning to open, and fee the in- 
 confifiency of their principles and pradiices, with the common rules of 
 Nature, as well as Chrifiianity, they are beginning to have enough of 
 their cant, and to be weary of their Sermons. And here I cannot for¬ 
 bear to relate to you a paifage, wliich I had lately from a very inge¬ 
 nious Gentleman > he had had a converfition with another Gentleman 
 of good Quality, and good Abilities, but who had been engaged by his 
 interefi to go to the Presbyterian Aifemblies s in their converfition they 
 came to talk concerning the Presbyterian Preachers, and that Gentle¬ 
 man told my Author, he had now heard them for two months, or foi 
 but he hadobfeived, that he had never fo much as heard one Criticifm 
 at the Explication of a Text, never one Citation out of Father, Poet, 
 or Philofopher, never one paflage either of Civil or Church Kiftory. 
 What ? ( replycd my Author ) it feemr then ye get nothing hut pure 
 Scripture^ clean Gofpel > but tell we, do ye get any great ahmdance of good 
 fenfe ? to tell the truth ( he anfwered ) even as little of that too any 
 man could rvijh. ^ But what needs more? They themfelves are begin¬ 
 ning now to be fenfible, tliat they are by far the fmaller party; and if 
 I pleafed, I could name a certain perfon, a Statefman, who had a great 
 hand in the late Revolution, and has yet in the prefent Governmefif, 
 who confeffed lately to another certain perfon, that now he was per- 
 fuaded (tho he never believed it before ) that the Epifcopal was not on¬ 
 ly by far the greater, but even the better part of the Nation. But after 
 all this ') 
 
 Perhaps you may fiart the Difficulty*) How came it then to pafs, that 
 that Article was put in the Claim of Right, and the Presbyterian Party 
 prevailed fo far in the Convention and Parliament? I could eafilygive 
 you abundant fatisfadf ion as to that too i but it would require a fuller De- 
 dutifion than I am willing to fall upon at prefent v only in a word, when 
 the Members for the Convention were a chufing, the Kingdom generally 
 was in a perfedf confufion ) vaft numbers of people there were whofe 
 Opinions would not allovv them to give any countenance to the then 
 Tranfadions, they having many fcruples in their Heads concerning the 
 Lawfulnefs of that whole procedure. On the other hand, the Presby¬ 
 terians (fond of the opportunity of getting a King depofed, and their 
 Diana fet up; were infinitely diligent; So, many Eledions were very 
 far from being what they would have been, had the Loyal and Epifcopal 
 Party beftirred themfelves as they might: neither yet would that have 
 done the bufinefs, in all probability *, for even as Ekdions paffed, when 
 
 the. 
 
C«^t] 
 
 the Members firft convene<l at Edinburgh^ had sny Tnteren: efpoufed by 
 them been fubjeded to a Vote, Atfairs had gone far otherwife than 
 they did. But the Presbyterian Party torefeeing that, indudrioufly pio- 
 j.dfed delays, and protraded time, and in the interim were infinitely 
 vigilant to biafs the Members ^ fo that before either the Forfeiture of the 
 King, or that Article, of the Claim of Right, I am now concerned in, 
 were voted, many of the Nobility, all theBifhops, and a great number 
 of Barons and BurgefTes had deferted the Houfe i and not a few of 
 thofe who flayed, had ( what through fear, and weaknefs, and the 
 l;ke infirmities) changed their Principles, which their Eledors fuppofed 
 were in them, and they brought to Edinburgh with them. This is the 
 true way that matters went: I could eafily give you an accouiit of the 
 Topicks were made ufe of, for inveigling thefe Members who were im- 
 pofed upon : It was impoilible the Proteflant Religion could be other- 
 wife fecured ; England was a wife Nation, they had fet the Crown on 
 King iniUarns Head already if Scotland fliould dilTent, it would ruin 
 the Nation •, the Englijh were fatisfied Presbytery fliould be cftabliflied 
 here •, and King iVilliam was earnefl for if, ( which, to tell you by the 
 bv, I never or very hardly could perfwade my felf to believeJ and a 
 great many more to the fame purpofe. Thefe and twenty things 
 more I could deduce more largely, if it were needful •, but my Paper is 
 now very near fpent) ard fo you mufl content your felf with what you 
 have got at prefenf. 
 
 Thus, Sir, in two long Letters I have endeavoured, in part, tofa- 
 tisfie you concerning the prefent Eflate of the 5 'cott/yb Clergy. If my 
 Account is lame, it is no wonder, for I am none of the mofl obferving 
 men in the world s and I was obliged for very good Reafons to forbear^ 
 confulting others, and ufe only fuch Materials as my own obfervation . 
 could afford me. But this I can fay over again, tho you have notaUg 
 'yet you have nothing but Truth i and tho it be not well digefled, it is as - 
 well as I could , confidering my Conveniences. And fo I bid you. 
 heartily farewcl: being, &c. 
 
 T 0 S T S C K 1 P To- 
 
 I was once minded to have told you fully too, what bitter Refledrons 
 our Presbyterians are daily cafting upon your Church Engl and \ how- 
 they condemn her Clergy for deferting the Principles of Paffive Obe¬ 
 dience and Non-refiftance, they were wont to glory fo much in-, ho.v 
 it is their common talk, that King JVilliam. \ovts Epifcopacy as ill in 
 England^ as in Scotland^ and would be content to have it away (they be- 
 
 lieve,, 
 
C<5a] 
 
 Uevc, (0 make way for the "Dutch Model ) if he could get it donci and 
 twenty other Pach Stories. But I believe, ’tisonly their hatred to your 
 Conftitucion, makes them talk fo. Yet this is certain, weh^vc here 
 Reprinted a Pamphlet, called the Ceremony-monger^ and ( as I am in- 
 foimed ) at the command of forae great perfon. 
 
 I am afraid, that poiTibly, I may have been injurious to the Privy 
 Gouncii, in giving a partial account of their palled on Ghrilimals 
 Eve lad. For I hnd many people are of the opinion, that it is not to 
 be limited to the year 8p, bur may comprehend former years alfo, for 
 which Realon, and becaufe in its Narrative, it brings fome further 
 light ( thoit needed no more ) to what 1 had aflerted concerning their 
 being refufed the protedtion of the Government, who were turned out 
 of their Churches by the Rabble, before the thirteenth of Aprils I have 
 fubjoined the Adf here word by word, as it ftands in the Regilkr., And 
 'tis thus; 
 
 At Edingburgh, Decern. 24, adSp. "the Lords of hU Majeftks. Privy 
 Council confidering^ that by the A& of the Meeting of the EJiates of the Date 
 the thirteenth of April lajf there is a difference made betwixt the Minifiers 
 then in pojfejjion and exercife of their Minijiery at their refpedive Churches, 
 and thoj’e who were not fo s and that the Cafe of the Minifiers who were not in 
 the aUual exercife of their Minijierial FunBion the thirteenth day of April 
 iafi by-pafi, lies yet under the confderation of the Parliament', and leji in 
 the mean time they may call andpurfue for thefiipend alledgeddue to them, 
 or put in execution the Decreets and Sentences already obtained at their in¬ 
 fiance, fur the fame, before the Ejiates of Parliament can meet, and give 
 iheir Determination as to that point, therefore the faid Lords of Privy 
 Council, finding that the Cafe forefaid, depending before the Parliament, u 
 ' not obvious to be co^nofeed, and decided upon by the inferior Judges, hut that 
 the famine fhould be left intire to theVecifwn of the Parliament, have thought 
 fit to fignifie to all inferior Courts and Miniihrs of the Law, that the Matter 
 above mentioned is depending before the Parliament: "to the effeil they may 
 regulate and govern themfelves in the Judging of all Procejfes to be intented 
 before ihm, upon the faid Matter, or in executing Sentences already pro¬ 
 nounced thereupon as they will be anjwerable. 
 
 Sic iubferibilur, 
 
 Crafurd ]. P. D. S. Ion. 
 
 1 have juft now ( after my Sheet was ended ) learned a PalTage, which 
 is put for the confirmation of that which has a Crofs at it, and on the 
 
 Margin, 
 
Margin refers to the Poftfcript. It is that a Presbyterian Miniller in 
 Edinburgh confelTed C with regrate) to a Gentleman, this fame very 
 Week, that within this half year by-gone their Party has loft a great 
 many thoufands i kistrue, he called them 40, but I mufl beg his pardon; 
 for I doubt if they could ever reckon, by fo great numbers, in the whole 
 Kingdom (I ftill except the live Weftern Shires, where yet there’s as 
 little Religion, as in any part of Chriftendom. J He faid further, 
 That tho Patronages were a great Corruption, and the Church would 
 never be Well conftitute, till they were aboliihed, and popular Eieeftions 
 advanced in their ftead i yet they are not inclined, that that matter 
 (hould be determined the enfuing Seftion of Parliament, becaufe they 
 find as the prefent Inclinations of the generality of the People go i were 
 the fettling of Minifters referred to popular Eledions, they would 
 chufc all either Cameroniauf, or of Prelatical Principles; I fuppofe his 
 Meaning was, in.the often mentioned five Weftern Shires, Camermians 
 would be chofen, and Epifcopal Clergy-men through the reft of the 
 Kingdom generally. By this ye may judge, whether 1 hid reafon to fay, 
 that their Party is very much diminiftied, and themfelves are very fenfible 
 of it. 
 
 The Fourth LETTER. 
 
 Edinh’Jan.ii. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 I Wifti you a good New Year: When I parted with you lately at 
 London^ I found your Tendernefs and Compaffion enclin’d you to 
 lament the fad condition of our Church, and 1 remember you order¬ 
 ed me then to let you know whether the Truth of things would ju- 
 ftific the Reports that went current there, of the Sufferings of the Cler¬ 
 gy i 1 found that the hali was not told you then of what is com-, 
 monly known in this place. No Hiftory can parallel the tragical 
 Difafters the Clergy have met with fince the beginning of this Re¬ 
 volution s it is very furptifing, the prefent Governours (hould make 
 it their bufinefs to facrifice the Epifcopal Clergy (by Law eftabliftied ) 
 to the Fury and blind Rage of an oppoiite Fadkion •, Strangers will 
 wonder at it, and it is not eafily accountable what can be the Politic 
 to imbitter fo confiderable a Body. It is (hameful for the Judges to 
 be fo partial, as plainly and openly to avow, they do not intend 
 
 theiv 
 
their Obedience, but their Ptuin. To give you a particular account 
 of (he Difgraces and Affronts put upon the Clergy fincc the begin* 
 ning of i< 58 p. would till a Volume : How they have been driven in the 
 niidd; of Winter, with their Wives and tender Children, from their 
 Houles and Refidence: Nor is this to bs imputed fo much to the 
 barbarous Executioners,' as to the bloody and enthufiaftick Company 
 that inlpir’d them. There is nofafety for fome Men, but in the uni- 
 vevfal Shipwreck ofCliurchand States the (baking of the Nation was 
 fo terrible, that all the Scum got uppermoft, our State and our Church 
 were at once levelled with the Earth, and the Proteftant Religion 
 loft its former lignification (when weunderftood by it unmix’d Chri- 
 ftianity free from Superftition and Enthuftalm; and now it is no more 
 than every mans fantaftic humor, new Models of Government, and a 
 liberty to pull down the things that are moft ancient and moft fa- 
 cred. Will not the Proteftants in England wonder, that fome of our 
 Minifters have been deprived for not reading a Proclamation for a 
 Fall, the Narrative whereof implyed no lefs, than that the Epifcopal 
 Clergy were deftitute of the afliftance of God’s Spirit in the exer- 
 cife cf their Miniftry: You may fee the Paper when you pleafe, and 
 I believe a coarfer you never faw in print. Not to mention here, 
 that the Art of all Mankind could not make Senfe of a certain Pa¬ 
 ragraph in it. And is it not as odd, that when they were ftfted 
 before the Council, they were not fo much as once asked, why they 
 did not read that extraordinary Paper, concerning the late King-, 
 nor whether they will comply with the prefent Government for 
 the time to come. 1 know, if this Paper be feen abroad, their Im¬ 
 pudence will contradidf it, but a matter of Fa6t fo publickly known, 
 dehes Calumny it felf. I have fpoke with many of the Clergy here, 
 and with a great many of the Laity i and I never heard of any thing 
 more bitter and perfecuting. How unworthily the Minifters of Edin- 
 bnrgh particularly have been treated in this Affair, the World may 
 judg by this one inftance. The faid Paper pafs’d in the Convention 
 of the Eftatts upon Friday, it comes from the Prefs late at Satur- 
 day, and the Minifters within the City upon half an hours advertife- 
 menton Sunday Morning were enjoyned to read if, under pain of De¬ 
 privation. I remember you once blamed the Clergy for not Addref- 
 ling the prefent Court for Protedfion : They made their Application 
 from the beginning, but to no purpofe, tho they were furnifti’d with 
 all ncctftary Evidence of their bad llfage. You know that Presbytery 
 is to be eftablilhed here by the next Seffion of Parliament \ and you 
 •know that the Kemjii Inquifition is not half fo rigid as that will be 
 
 when 
 
C ] 
 
 when they are once in the Saddle : To what purpofe then (hould they 
 beat the Air, when their Ruin is thought by many to be a part of 
 the Bargain. There is nothing (o inconfihent with Presbytery, as To¬ 
 leration of any that differ from them in the leaft Iota ; It is true, they 
 are againft the Apoftohek Dccffrin of Non-Refijiance^ but they will not 
 be refified themfelves. And fince the Epifcopal Clergy here know they 
 are given up as a Prey to their Enemies Teeth, they had rather fit fi- 
 lent under their Malleur, than firuggle with the Stream when it is fo 
 violent and impetuous. The prefent Fadtion endeavour by all Art 
 and Indufiry, to perfwade King William^ that the Flower and Mul¬ 
 titude of (he Nation is for Presbytery: It were an eafie thing for him 
 to put this to the tryal. Let the IF^hCountry People, who are fo 
 brave and generous in tearing Minifiers Gowns, reduce the Highlanders 
 now in Arms for King and then let it be granted, that they 
 
 are the Men they pretend to be: And unlefs they arc able to do 
 this, we mufl: judge of them as a clamorous and inconfiderable Fadiion, 
 whofe Nature it is, to crofs and refift every Creature that’s but call¬ 
 ed a King. And it is very wonderful, that all the Civil Magifirates 
 in Chriftendom do not baniOa that Supremacy of the Kirk from off 
 the Earth, being equally fubverfive of all Rcpublicks, as it is indeed 
 inconhftent with Monarchy. The Protefiants in the beginning of 
 the Reformation, thought they did Chriftendom good Service, when 
 they dlfcovered and expofed the Tyranny of the Popifli Supremacy 
 over ChrilUan Magifirates j but the very fame Dodrin of Rome is here 
 hugg’d, as the great Palladium of the Protefiant Religion. And to 
 be (hort, let them fwear Allegiance to all the Kings in Chrifiendom, 
 it muft be in fubordination to this great Article, that all Perlons 
 and Councils mufi fiiike Sail to omnipotent Presbyteryi they are 
 taught by their hopes of Heaven, to refifi the King, when he cither 
 counferat^s or contradids the Decifions of the General Aflembly, 
 which general Affcmbly may and ought to meet when and where 
 they pleafe, without or againft the King’s exprefs Will; Thcfe arc 
 not imaginary Gonfequences fafien’d on them and their Do(ft:rin by 
 Art and ill Nature i but the plain Hiftory of what they have done 
 here, and by their Principles are obliged ftill to do, A Liberty to 
 tyrannize over all not of their ftamp is the Idol they adore i the Kirk ■ 
 Supremacy is by fo much the more raifehievous, by how much it 
 is more inquifitive, precipitate, and confufed than the pretended 
 Authority of the Bifbop of Rome -, but I have digreffed too far. If 
 the Difafters under which the Clergy groan, were confined to what 
 they have fuffer’d in thoir own Nation, it may be they would endure 
 
166 2 
 
 it with graater patience. But when the Fa(ftion have Ixired fome 
 fcurrilous Scribkrs to defame them abroad by weekly Libels, it can¬ 
 not but excite Indignation and Pity. There appear’d a Pamphlet late¬ 
 ly called Flain Utialmg--, if the Author had been conliderable for any 
 thing, he might be fufficiently expofed for his Lyesi but being but 
 newly put upon writing of Books, he muft be cxcufed, if he cannot 
 otherwife fupport the P'adion, but by Calumny i when he is anore 
 expert, he will defend them with plaufible and artiheial Stories. It 
 is not worth your while to go thorough the feveral Inconfiftences and 
 whming Impertinences thit are in that Pamphlet. It is enough to 
 glance at one, by which you may guefs at the man’s Impudence, viz. 
 That in the Parliament i 6 S$. all the Bilhops, except Three, were for 
 repealing the Penal Laws againO: the Papifts, when it is known to 
 (he whole Nation, that all of them almoft were determined to Vote 
 againfl the repealing of thofe Laws, if ever that Affair was offer’d in 
 Par'Aament; And fuch of them as might be thought to favor the de- 
 fign of repealing thofe Laws, did llncerely judg their Method in their 
 Circumftances at that time, to be the beft Fence and Shelter againft 
 Popery, and all their Conceffions did not amount to Min heer Fagel’s 
 famous Letter, which contained the Sentiments of the prefent Court. 
 
 When the Fadf ion had ruined the Clergy at home, they were afraid 
 they might be pityed abroad » and to juttiHe their Sacriledg and Vil- 
 lany, they endeavour to cover them all under Libels and Invet^ives, 
 and represent them to other Nations, as vitious and illiterate. For 
 the information of Strangers, I will confider both parts of theAccu- 
 fation •, firft, as to the Immoralities alledged againft the Clergy, there 
 cannot be a more atrocious and fpiteful Calumny: It is nor poflible 
 for them to convince credulous Strangers by an open, fair, and vi¬ 
 able Tryal, that this is a Lyci for they have no Fence againft the 
 Malice and Aeftrivity of their Enemies, but their Patience and their 
 Prayers j if their learned and compaffionate Brethren in England would 
 interpofe fo far with the prefent Court, as to have this Affair ex¬ 
 amined before any impartial Judicature > then fuch as were found 
 guilty, fhould be depriv’d of the Honor of the Priefthood, and not 
 fuflTered to continue Stumbling-Blocks to the People \ but let me ac¬ 
 quaint you plainly, that there (hall never be fuch a Judicatory ere¬ 
 cted, and that it is not the Method of their Enemies, to have things 
 fairly and calmly enquired into; And therefore the Clergy befeeches 
 all generous Strangers to ftop their Ears againft fuch wicked and in¬ 
 defatigable Calumniators. They give their Enemies open and pub- 
 lick defiance upon this Head> it is enough that they are banilhed, 
 
 rifled, 
 
[^ 7 ] 
 
 rifled, and plundered in the moft favage manner, tho they be not 
 robb’d of the Companion of Strangers. It is true, that in the Re¬ 
 cords of Council, relating to the deprived Clergy, there is a Column 
 containing Immoralities libelled againfi fome of them^ but it’s as 
 true, that tho they are recorded (to make the World believe them 
 guiltyJ yet they were never examined fairly i the Artifice of their 
 Enemies is mean, as it is wicked •, firft, to invent Calumnies and 
 Slanders, and then leave them unexamined, boldly to vent them a- 
 mongft Strangers, when they had not the Confidence at home to give 
 one infiance of fuch Immoralities amongft fo many Hundreds that 
 have been deprived. How eafily and how fadly might they recrimi¬ 
 nate upon this Head; but that’s not fo pleafant in it fdf, nor will 
 it ferve the defigns of Chriitianity. But fhorciy there (hall be a more 
 full, free, and particular Anfwer given to thofc fcandalous Reports, 
 in a Treatife ready for the Prefs. The Perfecutions of the Clergy 
 here are beyond any parallel. I cannot forbear to give you one in- 
 ftance of it, Mr. John Mowbray^ Minifier of Strachbmk^, complyed 
 with the prefent Government in all its fieps fa place not above Eight 
 Miles from Edinburgh) ■> yet upon the 12th of July idSp, a Compa¬ 
 ny of Fanaticks who were fufficiently taught how to behave themfelves, 
 entered his Houfe in a hofiilc manner, tore his Gown, threatned his 
 Life, beat his Daughter, and frighted his Wife to deaths when their 
 Fury was a little over, he ventur’d once again to officiates but my 
 Lord Cardrofs, Patron of the faid Church, and one of the Privy- 
 Counci), caufed lock the Church Doors, and fent his Minifier a pack¬ 
 ing, tho he defies the feverefi Tryal for Life or Dodrin rand all 
 this for no other rcafon, but becaufe he had Epifcopal Ordination i 
 for ray Lord’s Confcience did not allow him to hear any fuch. 
 
 As to the other Accufation of their being Ignorant, I would glad¬ 
 ly know, who are thefe learned Gentlemen among the Scotch Presby¬ 
 terians that found them fo after Tryal i this is a thing they dare 
 not fo much as whifper at honae, except it be amongft thofe good 
 Women that fell Tripes at the Cow-Gatt, Tnere could no*t be any 
 thing thought on more comfortable to the Cldgy here, than that 
 there were fome learned and grave Engli^ Church-Men fent hither 
 to enquire into the Literature and Sufficiencies of both the contend¬ 
 ing Parties. But this Propofal will never be heard, it’s enough that 
 they are once run down with Clamor, Violence, and Noife: But it 
 is no part of their bufinefs to have things put to a fair, ferious, 
 and open Tryal, they dare not attempt if, and therefore I allow you 
 to defie the Accufers of the Clergy upon this Head alfo, and to con¬ 
 vince 
 
vince Strangers how improbable this Calumny muft be, let them con- 
 fider how much the opprelTed Clergy was and is favored by the ho¬ 
 norable and learned Society of the College of Juftice, who are the 
 bch Judges in this Cafe. The Blafphemies and Fooleries that are 
 heard at prefent from the Pulpits of Edinburgh^ make up the Enter¬ 
 tainment of mod Companies, they difeourfe of the Myheries of Chri- 
 fiianity fo coaifly and familiarly, as they do of the nieancft and vileft 
 things in Nafuie. But it is not poffible that the regular Clergy can 
 be fo ignorant as their Enemies reprefent them : For the fteps of their 
 Tryal are various and difficult, before they are allowed to preach in 
 publick: And when they are prefented to a Church, they undergo 
 rhe fame Tryals over again in Theology, Languages, and Preaching. 
 I never heard that the Presbyterian Genius was very fond of too 
 much Learning, efpecially among the Scotch Cameronians, a kind of 
 People fo wedded to their own peculiar and nonfenfical Whimfies, 
 (hat they are now become Antipods to Mankind in their Language, 
 Behavior, Morals, and Intelledfuals. There cannot be any thing ima¬ 
 gined more fantaftically foolifh than the Education of their Preachers, 
 when they have fo much Latin as to underhand a Dutch Syhem, they 
 are thought profound, and more learned than is neceffary, and very 
 few of them arrive at this. Lately oiae of them who had fpent much 
 of his time in felling Buttur and Cheefe, would turn a Minifter, and 
 being asked if he underftood Greek and Latin, anfwered No, he 
 could read the Engliffi Bible, and that was enough. It is the fad- 
 deft Oppreftion to be run down with Clamor, and no probability of 
 being heard: But let the Enemies of the Clergy remember the Jewifli 
 Proverb, ‘That he that pulleth a Stone out of the Temple, ere it be long 
 the mil fly in hit Eyes. The Ruin and Difgrace of fo many 
 Clergy-Men, one would think, cannot be a good Foundation for a new 
 Government. But this is not all, when the Clergy are thruft from 
 their Houfts and Livelihoods. It feems there'is a further defign to 
 ftarve them, as appears by a late Adc of Council promoted by the 
 Presbyterian Party, difeharging all Judges within the Nation, to pafs 
 Sentence in favors of the Clergy for the by-gone Tythes yet unpaid 
 and due to the Epifcopal Minifters, until the Parliament take that Af¬ 
 fair into their conftderation. 1 have fent herewith a Double of that 
 A<S, make what ufe of it you pleafe: I do not encline it (hould be 
 printed f tho this ftiould) for that would refle<fi too much upon the 
 Honoir of our Nation. What to do with either, I cannot advife you 
 at this diftance. Farewel. ' 
 
 F I N 1 S.