that in England the King whether from Light or Interest I do not judge begun a half Reformation And Royal Authority enlightned the Minds of the people I speak not of all but of the Multitude but in Scotland Light from the Word of God did move first the People then the Great Ones and they prevailed with the King at last Zealously to own the Truth of God Yea and to defend it in Print 3. That the Government of the Church of England was suited to the Monarchy that is as I suppose he meaneth framed by a suitableness to the Monarchy as the Standard of it is not its commendation For that is to make it a humane Contrivance or worldly Policy brought into the Church of Christ over which he is the Head and which is to be governed by his Laws Whereas the Government of the Church of Scotland was contrived by the Word of God as the Standard of it yet was it as much suited to the Monarchy as that of England could be That is it gave and giveth to the King all that power in the State that our Laws gave him And all that Authority over the Church that is due to any Man on Earth The Abettors of it preach and practise as much Obedience and Subjection to Kings as others do and can vie in Loyalty with their Accusers as shall after be observed 4. I do not understand how our present Animosities about Church Government should depend on the one way being suited to the Monarchy and the other not seeing this Author as well as his opposites really are doth highly pretend to be not only for the Monarchy but for the present Monarch King William But either he hath a latent Meaning which hath much Truth in it or he hath hit on the Truth by guess as Cajaphas did viz. That our Animosities about Church Government arise mainly from the different Inclinations that are in the two parties toward the Monarchy as now established in the Persons of our Gracious King William and Queen Mary The strain both of their Writings and Actings make it evident that with him the Interest of King James and that of Prelacy are linked together And their Zeal for the one filleth them with Spite and Animosity against what is opposite to the other And whoso considereth the strain of this Pamphlet will find that the Zeal that this Scribler pretendeth to for King William is expressed usually under the general Notion of the Monarchy which may be understood of either of two Monarchies What he saith that Buchannan and others wrote Books that were condemned for Treason is no Argument For that which by one party is condemned for Treason by another party when they have got the Ascendent hath been absolved as not guilty of that Crime That the Puritans vexed King James VI. is no further true than that they could not yield to the endeavours of some evil Counsellers about him for overturning the Setled Government of the Church and encroaching on its Rights It is true He at last got Episcopacy setled by the help of some both in State and Church who were either none of the best Protestants or had their worldly Designs in promoting that way but still our Author owneth on the matter that the Word of God was not consulted in this weighty Concernment of the Church But only his fancied suitableness to the Monarchy and Conformity to England The account he giveth of putting down Episcopacy afterwards and setting up of Presbytery is neither like a Christian nor like a Historian It is perfect railing while he calleth the Nobles that had a hand in it Ambitious and Factious the Gentry Priest-ridden and blind Zealots the Preachers Enthusiasticks The War that he mentioneth is by all Posterity to be lamented but Men as able to discern as he have laid the blame of it on Episcopal Tyranny and Usurpation and their making many steps toward Popish Doctrine as well as Discipline He next giveth account of the Solemn League and Covenant entered into without the Royal Authority calling Parliaments c. These things were done by the Body of the Nation met in the most orderly representative that the time and case could permit And I deny not but that they were extraordinary Actings not to consider now the Morality of them But let this Gentleman freely tell us whether his Episcopal party be capable of Courses parallel to these which he so exposeth The Presbyterians under the conduct of the Primores Regni arose against their King in defence of their Religion and Laws did not the Prelatick party the same and on the same account They were indeed all for Loyalty and Non-resistance while the Royal Authority supported their greatness and power over their Brethren but when seven of their Bishops were touched it proved another case like that in Ployden if we be guilty in this they are not the Men who should cast the first Stone at us For Barbarities committed by the Presbyterians in these times I know of none but what are the necessary consequents of a War But this Man and his Associates have no other Dialect whereby to express their dislike of the Actings of the opposite party He accuseth them with a Bloody Mouth of what hath been a thousand times refuted as a horrid Lie That the Scots Presbyterians did persidiously give up their King to the English who Murdered him He was the King of the English as well as theirs and they could not withhold him from them And gave him into their hands on as good security as could be for his safety and if others dealt perfidiously with him they are not to be blamed for it He hath a hint as if Episcopacy had been setled by King Charles the Second because the Presbyterians refused all conditions of peace and pardon And for the Monarchies sake The former of these is a great untruth they never refused peace nor pardon but would gladly have imbraced both Only they could not buy them at the rate of Perjury Tho' they never refused to disown any Principles that were indeed Rebellious Their preaching up Rebellion in their Conventicles is false They both preached and practised Loyalty Only after many grievous and insupportable hardships suffered for their Conscience some few of them were prevailed upon by that Temptation to vent some Principles that the more Sober and Intelligent were not satisfied with That punishing them who were taken in Rebellion is all the severity complained of is a Notorious Falshood as all the Nation know and I have above disproved it § 3. From these so well laid Foundations he proceedeth p. 5. to give His Highness some Advices if they may not more properly be called Directions The first That the Prince being come to support our Laws is in Honour bound to support Episcopacy which is confirmed by twenty Parliaments This is Saucy enough As if His Majesty had Acted against his Honour now that Episcopacy is not supported That Episcopacy is
Council as Episcopal Assemblies are to the Bishop We do then maintain that there is such a difference between them and us as may justifie our not owning of the Bishops Authority nor the Authority of the Meetings that is derived from it and dependeth on it We never used such an Argument to justifie Rebellions It was not the exercising Episcopal power that caused what he so calleth but their forcing the Consciences of Men and Barbarous Persecutions whereby people were put to the utmost extremities If the Consciences of his party could plead not guilty of the Murthers and Butcheries that have happened as well as the Sober Presbyterians can who had no interest in them but to Lament them and the occasions of them it were well for them If Barbarities be committed now against them we defend them not nor are they chargeable on the Presbyterians but on some few whom their Persecution hath enraged He telleth us of more Histories of the Clergies Sufferings to come out Our Work is to Examine these that now he is pleased to offer If he prove by his Collection of passages all that in his Preface he proposeth to make out by them we shall succumb in the Debate But I am sure some of them cannot be proved other things cannot infer the Consequents that he draweth from them But I will not anticipate What remains of his Preface is a renewing of his begging Address to the Church of England What they get that way we do not envy We wish indeed the Change of Episcopacy though we will take no unwarrantable course to effect even that but not the Ruine of Episcopal Men. § 3. The Book it self is odly methodized We have two leaves called the first Collection of Papers Next a Letter under the Title of the whole Book Then the first Collection of Papers begun again And so to the second third and fourth Collections But we must follow whither he thinketh fit to lead I must here refer the Reader to what I have said in Answer to the first Book and the second Letter Sect. 6. Where it is made appear that the Presbyterians are not accountable for the disorders that are said to have been acted Tho all the Stories that are told were true But because in this Pamphlet we have Attestations added to the Narratives that are brought which is not done in the other somewhat must be observed concerning that Which is that mostly they are teste meipso the Complainant is the witness which is not fair And often one of these Ministers witnesses for another and he doth him the like kindness for requital Which derogateth much from the Credibility of such Testimonies Further all of his Witnesses are the sworn Enemies of Presbyterians and in a Combination to defame them And we have from the Pamphlets now under consideration a taste of the veracity of the Men whom we have to do with If his Witnesses make no more Conscience of speaking truth than the Author or Authors of these Pamphlets do few thinking Men will be moved with what they say I come now to consider his particular Stories He beginneth with the Minister of Cumnock with whom he joineth the Minister of Auchinleck Whom ninety Armed Men forced into the Church-yard discharged them to Preach and tore their Gowns And declared that this they did not as Statesmen nor as Churchmen but by Violence and in a Military way of Reformation Ans It is Attested under the hands of George Logan of Logan William Crawfurd of Dalegles John Camphel of Horsecleugh George Camphel of Glaisknock John Beg of Dornal John Mitchel of Whetstonburn all of the two Parishes mentioned That they who did this were not of either of these Parishes nor was it known who they were Only that they were Cameronians who had suffered severely and were now gathered together on occasion of an Alarum that then was in the Countrey Nor had any in these Parishes any Accession to that practice And it is to be observed that many of these Ministers entred by a Military Force as they were so put out particularly the Minister of Auchinleck had his Edict served with three Troops of Dragoons And that People never submitted to these Mens Ministry but by the force that was put on them by Armed Men And they suffered very hard things and yet the people of these Parishes bore it patiently In the business of Machlin he grosly belyeth them They used no violence to the Ministers Wife only gravely reproved her for Cursing and Swearing which she used He passeth page 4. to the Presbytery of Dumbartoun where first he telleth us What Mr. Walter Stirling Minister at Badernock met with by a Company of Dissenters This is a gross Lie These five Armed Men who assaulted his House having done the like to a Gentlemans House and a Countrey-mans House the same Night seeking Arms or Plunder were no Dissenters of any sort or way but Debauched Men horrid Swearers and Cursers who were of broken desperate Fortunes their Names are John Momillan Patrick Motarged George Tomoch Archibald Ferguson Archibald Shinning This one passage duely considered might discredit all that is asserted in his Book and expose the Author as a malicious Calumniator designing to fix all the Thefts Robberies and other Villanies that are committed in the Country not only on some Presbyterian or other but on the whole party It is also witnessed that Mr. Stirling's Parish gave him all the help and succour they could in this his trouble This Mr. Stirling was afterwards deprived by the State for not Reading nor Praying after which time he behoved to remove from the Church and Dwelling-house but to this day liveth peaceably in the Parish Yea Mr. Stirling himself disowned that account of his Case which is in the Pamphlet as what he had no hand in For the two following Mr. Duncan of Kilpatrick Easter and the Minister that was to preach at Boiall In the Narration of what concerneth Kilpatrick Easter there is a gross Lie None touched Mr. Duncan nor did any personal hurt to him Which is affirmed by them who know that Matter And may be confirmed by considering that that parties Zeal led them no farther than to rid themselves of these Ministers who had been such a burden to them For that Man who was to preach at Boiall the Truth of the Story is A great many came with a Burial to the Church-yard among them not above six or seven had Arms who did always bear Arms None of them made any Opposition Only they sent to the Minister of the Parish to desire him to give them the Keys of the Church seeing he himself could not Preach He promised to do it if the Heritors should demand them which several of them did and offered to suffer him to stay in the house forty days if he would give up the Keys He contrary to his promise refused to give them up but went away that day and carried away his Furniture except some Lumber
He saith also that some of them suffered the loss of Children which is above made appear to be false in the only instance that was brought That they suffered without any Authority is not denied because then there was no Authority in the Nation It was in a state of Anarchy For the right that he saith they have to their by-past Stipends we shall not grudge that they get what was legally due to them But if the Authority of the Nation in the Convention or Parliament have determined otherwise I know not where their Legal right can be founded but this I leave to Lawyers to consider § 7. The fulsome and flattering Expressions in the Presbyterian Address to King James for their Liberty their approving of the Dispensing Power which he taxeth page 9. are his own imaginations other Men can see no such thing in that Address That they never preached against the disorders of the Rabble is false Though we thought not fit to make that our constant Theme And if but few did it it was because they who were Actors in that Scene little regarded the preaching of the sober Presbyterians And they should have lost their sweet Words These practices of the Rabble were publickly spoken against by Ministers both before they were acted for preventing them and after for reproving them and preventing the like That the Presbyterians possessed their places when called to them it was their Right both by their standing Relation to their people from whom they had been thrust away in Anno 1662. And also by the Act of Parliament giving all Ministers then put out regress to their Charges And indeed they who had been by the Bishops put into their places were Intruders and if any entered to other places on the Call of the people to which they had not such former Relation there was no blame because there being no probable regress for the former Incumbents it was not reasonable that the people should continue destitute of the Gospel Beside that there was never a Relation of Pastor and people between them and these Flocks they never having consented to such a Relation For what he saith of the Right of Patrons I think there were but few Ministers Fixed before it was legally made void And if they were we think that Right was only founded on the Law but was contrary to Christs Institution And it was known to be about expiring and therefore it was not contrary to a good Conscience to accept of a Call to a people without the Patron It is true in that Case they could have no Right to the Stipend But the Consent of Minister and people the Authority of a competent Church Judicatory being interposed could well fix a Relation between Minister and People without the Patron He doth next fall heavily on the Convention of Estates for these Men hide not their Treasonable Speeches against the present Government of the State That it is no wonder that many thought that the Design of some who were zealous for the Revolution was more to destroy the Episcopal Clergy than to settle the Nation or preserve our Religion Liberties and Properties This I leave to them to Answer who have power to correct such petulancy He further lasheth the Convention and the Council for their Acts with respect to the Ministers cast out in the Western Shires Neither shall I meddle with him on this Head He hath not yet done with our Rulers But blameth them for the Proclamation for Praying for King William and Queen Mary And punishing Men for not obeying it so suddenly This I have answered on Letter 2. Sect. 17. All that followeth to page 14. is already answered in the forecited place Only he hath a new Argument in Defence of them who did not read or pray viz. That the Proclamation was not sent to them from the Bishops As if the Estates could not imploy what Officers they pleased to Authorize for signifying their Mind to the Ministers page 14. Even the King shall not escape his Censure because while he extended Clemency to Criminals he did not so to the Clergy Who were neither willing to obey his Commands nor pray for him nor so much as own Him for their King And it is indeed an Act of Clemency which few Kings ever shewed to allow such to be in publick Churches and to have the conduct of the Consciences of his Subjects I am sure this is not the way to have the people principled with Loyalty though that was the main Theme that these Men insisted on in the former Reigns What followeth is his observation on a Debate in Parliament about imposing the Oath of Allegiance and why it was not imposed on the Clergy He saith It was out of respect to the Presbyterian Preachers lest they should scruple it They being unwilling to come under Allegiance to King William till first he had setled their Church Government And he thinks some will not take it till the Covenant be renewed Here is bold judging and censuring the secret thoughts and purposes of the Estates As also most calumnious Imputations on the Presbyterians Did ever any of them refuse the Oath of Allegiance Have not many of them even as many as were required on any occasion chearfully taken it And that though the Covenant be not renewed Did ever any of them move such a scruple about it Yea it is manifest that it is not their principle so to bargain with their Kings about Allegiance For they were ready to swear it and did when called to Kings who unsetled their Church Government and who enacted the abjuring of the Covenant What followeth page 15 16. about Ministers being deprived for not reading and praying is answered in Letter 2. Sect. 17. He odiously compareth the States dealing with the Clergy with that of the French with the Protestants there who saved their Life and Fortune if they change their Religion but Compliers here are turned out by the Rabble Ans If he can shew that this is done here by Authority as in France the Persecution is acted or that the Protestants in France suffered in a time of Anarchy by a people that had been so barbarously injured and enraged by them Then should he speak to the purpose otherways his parallel doth no ways hold They had made themselves justly loathsom and a burden to the people who took their opportunity to be rid of them without such Barbarous usage of them as they had suffered from them And the Estates thought it not fit to impose that burden again on a people who had been so crush'd by it what is there here that hath any Affinity with the Case of the Sufferings in France § 8. He pretendeth page 16 and 17. to remove a Mis-information given to them of England That the Clergy were not deprived by the Council for not reading and praying unless they were Immoral in their Conversation And from this he laboureth to vindicate them Much of which is answered above
men came to his house he was not within but in a Neighbours house hard by His Wife said to them that he was in Edinburgh he withdrew a little and returned as soon as they were gone and said that he would not have fled if he had thought they were so few but have Pistoled them both it is also false that any came out of the Preachers house on him as he Rode but these two young men being provoked with his speaking of Pistoling them came out of another House and called to speak with him He fled the Preachers man came out to see what the Fray was one of the young Men followed him on Horseback did no harm to him but reasoned the Case with him He alledging that all the Honest men in the Parish owned him They brought ten or twelve whom he Named as such who yet disowned him It is most false that he was hindred to read the Proclamation he did read a part of it It is true some moved to hinder him from Preaching but the Presbyterian Minister restrained them It is a gross untruth that he was willing to read and Pray and yet deprived for it For he said before the Council that he had not Prayed for King William and Queen Mary That his Gown was torn is also a gross Lye § 12. The Story of Mr. Little which nextfolloweth is above answered in Answer to Account of Persecution Letter 2. Sect. 13 Next we have account of the Sufferings of Mr. Archibald Ferguson Minister at Kirkpatrick whom the Rabble Men and Women Assaulted in his House When he calmly asked the reason they knocked him on the Head with a Pistol so that he fell His Wife daily expecting the pains of Child-birth they knocked down with the Butt-end of a Musket He received many merciless Blows and was sorely bruised Himself they dragged into a puddle the Women cut and tore off his Cloaths even to the uncovering of his Nakedness be at him on the Shins with a Club commanded him to be gone and forced him in his Wounds to leave his House Family and Church Before I examine the matter of this Story I take notice of the bitter Sarcasms and cruel Mockings against all the Presbyterians with which it is interspersed as if this Fact were to be charged on the Party who yet do abhor such practices as much as any Men can do He saith these Barbarities were committed by the pretended Godly Presbyterians That they have separated themselves from the Society of the Catholick Church because they do not observe Easter with the same superstition as some others do He addeth that the Womens Daggers were prepared for a through Reformation And many such bitter Reflections he throweth out against us all from the irregularities of a wild Party whom persecution from his Party had made mad and in whom we are no further concerned than to Lament their Principles and Practices A further Answer was delayed when this was written expecting Information from such as know the Circumstances of this Story But that Account not being as yet come to Hand when this sheet is printing off by whose fault I know not I can only say that the many Lying Stories that are in this Book may derogate from the Credibility of this If it be true we abhor the Fact and wish that the Actors may be brought to condign Punishment for such Inhumanity § 13. In his third Collection of Papers which concerneth them who complied and yet suffered he beginneth with Mr. William Hamilton who first at Irwin then at Kirk-newtoun was put from his House and Church by the Rabble and very hardly used Ans That these things acted against him were not the deed of the Presbyterians nor approved by the Church is evident from this that Mr. Hamiltoun is in good esteem among the Presbyterians and is now received as one of themselves into a share of the Government with them Wherefore if such things were done against him it was not by the sober Presbyterians but by a sort of Men who are not of our Communion and who have shewed dislike against us also For the Truth of what he alledgeth to have been done I can meet with none who can affirm what our Author saith and therefore have cause to suspect it as of the same strain with others of his Affirmations He telleth us next how Mr. Samuel Nimmo was hindred to Preach by some of the Earl of Argile ' s Regiment If this were true it was the Deed of some Cameronians not approved by the Presbyterians And I hope hindring a man to Preach tho we allow not that it be done in a disorderly way doth not amount to so horrid a Persecution as he crieth out of His next complaint concerneth Mr. Selkirk at Glenholm in Tweddale who Read and Prayed was threatned by some of the meanest of the People to remove from his Dwelling obtained from them a fortnight for that end some put another Lock on the Church door to keep him out Of this he had no Redress This we are far from allowing but still here is nothing like the French Dragooning He saith that he complained and had no Redress But we neither know whom to blame nor how to make enquiry about the Truth of it seeing he is not pleased to let us know who did thus deny Justice to him It is sufficiently attested that this was done by Strangers that they took two of Mr. Selkirks Elders into the House with them who might witness that they used no violence and that he and they parted peaceably And that afterward he dimitted his Charge and the Presbytery gave him a Testimonial Mr. Burgess he doth not tell where he was Minister is the next subject of Complaint His Church was possessed by the Rabble sent by Mr. Walker Preacher in the Meeting-house by the connivance of Mr. Mowat who is Old and Infirm The Heretors were offended that Mr Walker invaded Mr. Mowats right The Rabble hindred Mr. Burgess to Preach and when he objected King Williams Authority they spoke of it with contempt Ans Mr. Mowat and the Parish had called Mr. Walker to his help The people hearing of the Act for restoring the old Ministers not considering that it was only Voted but had not the Royal Assent which it afterward had met in the Church Mr. Walker disswaded them Yet was forced to Preach to them there There was no Tumult the whole Parish was met Mr. Burgess's Bedle opened the Church door to them It is false that any of the people did contemn King William's Authority There were indeed three young Men who some days after discharged Mr. Burgess to Preach But this was not approved by the rest nor was ever any violence offered to him What the Paper saith of Arms and beating a Drum is false The Parish had been at a Rendezvous whence they came to a Burial but that they made use of Arms or Drum at or near Mr. Burgess's House is altogether false The
from whence he could take rise for such a Fancy He hath another foul Untruth That the Covenant is again Voted the Standard of all pure Religion I desire to know of him where when or by whom this was done For they that live in Scotland know nothing of it His talk of some holding that King Charles fell from the Crown because he brake the Covenant and King James had no Right because he took it not might perhaps be the principle of some of the wildest of the Hill-men but never were the Opinions of sound Presbyterians His third Query deserveth little Answer We are far from thinking King William an Idolater tho' we dislike the English Service And our principles are known that we owe Loyalty and have paid it even to an Idolatrous that is a Popish King The fourth Query tendeth to engage the Rulers to bear down the Presbyterians in the North of Ireland that Popery might prevail there against which they have been the greatest Bulwark of that Nation His fifth Query quarrelleth the Dissenters in England for praying for their Brethren in Scotland how reasonably this is blamed let the Reader judge I never heard that they prayed for Scotland as their Mother Church In his sixth Query he shamelesly blameth Presbyterians for being against Toleration this I have answered in my former Vindication whereas his own party are as rigid that way as any except Papists or these in Japan For his last Query which concerneth the Moderation of Presbyterians it is our design and endeavour to grow in this and in other Graces and not to confine our selves to our own attainments or to what others had attained who went before us And to set no bounds to it but what the Scripture setteth I hope all this considered the design of his Queries is lost which is to represent the Presbyterians as not Loyal nor firm to King William Many wise Men think that he hath few in this Nation beside them who are Cordially for his Interest AN ANSWER To a Pamphlet Intituled A late Letter concerning the Sufferings of the Episcopal Clergy in Scotland printed 1691. THE party finding some acceptance with their easie Believers of their former Lying and Reproachful prints thought fit to add this as a further knock of the Hammer to drive the Nail to the head That it might now be beyond debate with them who will give them Credit without trying the Truth or Ingenuity of what is reported that the Presbyterians are a Cruel party and have oppressed the Clergy And indeed this piece is behind none of the rest in effronted and bold Lies And to say this might be a just Refutation of the whole Book Tho' no more were said If they who know our Affairs can but read the Book with impartial Eyes and if Strangers will give equal Credit to the one party as to the other Yet lest they should say that there is no Answer to it I shall with much brevity take notice of such passages in it as are most material Page 4. There is a notable Lie viz. He will have it thought that there were no more Nonconformists in the Presbytery of Stranrawer but two Women and one Minister whom yet he doth not own for such but saith he was so reputed this is an Untruth so broad-faced as may disparage the veracity of the Author and make all his assertions be disbelieved For many if not most of the Inhabitants of the Parishes in that Presbytery were Fined Imprisoned and Ruined for their Nonconformity Dragoons were kept there as a necessary maens to force the people to comâ—… 〈…〉 An Account can be shewed of above 1000 l. Sterling levied of the Parish of Glenluce for Nonconformity And scarce a Family in Straâ—rawer of any Note but were Fined and Imprisoned till they paid their Fines He who after such an impudent and broad Lie will believe any thing that this Author writeth on the Authority of his Testimony may also believe that there hath been no Persecution of late years in France And if any of the distressed people did at last comply it doth not more follow that they were Episcopal than it can be concluded that all the French Protestants are Papists who were forced to be present at Mass That there was no Presbyterian Preacher in these parts except Mr. Bell is not strange seeing by the fury of the Persecutors none might be seen That he had freedom in his mind to hear the Incumbents that then were and that when the Liberty was given he set up a Meeting-house is a practice not to be blamed The people generally either could not hear or did it renitente Conscientia And it was but reasonable that a Minister who before could not edifie them should do it when a liberty was granted for so doing § 2. It is also a gross and malicious Lie page 5. That William Torbran fled to Ireland for the Murther that he had committed on a Child of Mr. Hutchison ' s. Mr. Hutchison never charged Mr Torbran with the Murther of his Child but William Torbran was forced to flee to Ireland to escape the severe Persecution that he endured from the Souldiers at the instigation of the Minister of the Parish such a bold Calumny might be of dangerous Consequence if Lex talionis were put in due Execution Page 5 6. He telleth a long Story about Building a Meeting-house and calling another to be Minister at Stranrawer than Mr. Bell about which I have no Information neither is it material or to our purpose But what he saith of Lairds and Ladies by Threatnings compelling their Tennants and by other indirect means prevailing with others to concur for maintaining that Meeting is a shameless Lie It 's well known that the People of that Countrey did forwardly and chearfully go along in that design and generally the meaner sort shewed as much Zeal that way as they of better Fashion did If he had mentioned who these Gentlemen were who made gain by the Collection for maintaining the House Or who the two were who beat their Tennants first to take the Test and after to leave the Church and go to the Meeting The truth or falshood of these Assertions might have been inquired into But since it hath not pleased him so to do I hope it will be no breach of Charity to look on them as slanderous Forgeries like unto many passages in his Book already noted or to be noted It is not enough for this Gentleman to reproach the Presbyterians but page 7. He most maliciously belieth his Nation as if there were neither Law nor Justice in Scotland nor any remedy for such as are oppressed While he saith That they deal no otherwise with their Farmers than with Slaves that if the Tennant die Rich the Laird must be Tutor to the Children I know not what this Author hath observed but other Scots men are unacquainted with these things And if there be oppression as alas there is too much every where
I am sure his own party have a large share of it among them What he so Tragically Painteth out of Preachers and People going through Parishes where there were no Meeting Houses Amounteth to no more than this that the Ministers were so charitable to People who could not maintain a Minister for themselves as to go to them and help them by appointing their Meetings where such destitute People might attend them § 3. He telleth a long Story pag. 7. Of the Presbyterians Arming themselves and inventing false Reports to give countenance for their so doing and that the design of it was to ruine the Clergy This Allegation is above answered being brought in also in some of the former Letters And himself opposeth it in acknowledging that most of the Clergy were turned out before this Arming of the Countrey Neither are the Papists in that Country so few as he alledgeth Especially considering them as strengthned by all that owned King James's Interest tho nominal Protestants There was both necessity for Protestants providing Arms and it was allowed by Authority after the Prince of Orange Landed That One Troop carried all the Papists to Goal I know not but I am sure before the Prince and his Interest became formidable which was the time when the People provided Arms and while the Episcopalians were not discouraged from appearing for the Papists many Troops would not have done it The Persecution that he speaketh of was by his own Confession mostly if he had said only it had been nothing amiss Acted by the Cameronians Which leaveth it on them not on us to answer for it page 8. That all the Ministers of that Presbytery except one who was absent obeyed the Proclamation for Reading and Praying is a bold Assertion For it is said by guess For first They had few or none to hear them beside their own Families Who then can witness that they obeyed the Proclamation or before whom did they perform this Solemn Action Secondly It was witnessed before the Synod of Wigtoun April 18. 1690. That Mr. Cameron Minister at Inch did the same day pray for King James and the young Prince And that he read not the Proclamation till after the Blessing when the Congregation was a Dissolving The Narrative page 8 9. Of the Two Commissioners treating with Patrick Paterson to make him Provost if he would put out the Minister is most false Mr. Paterson who is now Provost of that Town 1691 denieth that any of the Commissioners did ever insinuate any such terms of his being Provost And these two Commissioners are known to be Persons of that integrity that his Lies will not be able to stain them They did no more than oversee the Election which by the Convention was enjoined What he maliciously saith of William Torbran we have no more but his word for it which of how much value it is may be judged by what already hath been observed § 4. The falshood and malice of what he affirmeth about the Commissioners from Stranrawer to the Convention bringing from Edinburgh with them a part of the Collection for the Irish Protestants is so evident as nothing can be more That Money was according to order delivered to the Provost of the Town Who distributed it Faithfully to the Irish Protestants who were there according to their several Necessities And the names of them who received it with the place of their abode in Ireland and what they received was returned to Sir Patrick Murray And these records can make it appear that it was not bestowed as he alledgeth He cannot forbear to spit his Venome even on the Irish Protestants who had escaped the Bloody rage of the Papists because they were not of his way Which is a Specimen of his Temper and Inclination He telleth a Story of one Ferguson a Souldier who with some others discharged several Ministers to Preach And inlargeth in some Circumstances not worth our Transcribing of the truth or falshood of this I have no Information Nor what sort of man this Ferguson was I easily believe tho not on the Credit of this Author that there might be a man capable to do such things But are the Body of the Presbyterians Countable for every thing that a Person did whom they know not and whose Actions they approve not The same is to be said concerning the Irish Preacher mentioned page 10. Whom we know not nor can we enquire into the truth of the Story nor into the Circumstances of the Person He not being named For what followeth from page 11. to page 18. All the Information that I can find is that the incensed Rabble did indeed turn out these men and discharged them to Preach Which irregular practices we do no ways approve but this is not imputeable to the Persbyterians but to some who had suffered intolerable Injuries from these Men and whom oppression had driven out of the Limits of patience and soberness Neither have we any ground to believe these aggravating Circumstances which he mentioneth to beâ—…ue lying and mis-representation being so Familiar to this Author If the things mentioned be true we disown and abhor them as Barbarous Villanies The Story about Mr. Sommervel at Leswalt being persecuted by the instigation of the Sheriff of the County is disowned by Mr. Sommervel himself and is incredible to every one who knoweth the Gentleman who is thus blamed The account he gives of several in the Presbytery of Stranrawer if all were true is not strange tho yet we are far from approving of what was done for there it was that the most horrid Barbarities were practised on that poor People by means of these Ministers There one might see Bodies hanging on Trees by the way side Heads Arms and Legs of the poor People who had been Murthered without due course of Law set up on Poles in many places And is it strange that people should be enraged to see such sad spectacles of their Relations or that disorderly passions and from them disorderly actions should be the consequent of such moving Objects But whether what is alledged be true or not I cannot tell not having got information from that part of the Country § 5. He concludeth his particular Instances of this Persecution page 18. With the account of Mr. Ramsays sufferings who was Minister at Stranrawer Two things he complaineth of The first is that Mr. Miller the Presbyterian Minister there Hounded out the Rabble to Trouble and expel Mr. Ramsay that himself might get the Tithe Herrings This is denied as an impudent Forgery And Mr. Millar challengeth Mr. Ramsey or any else to adduce one credible Person who will Affirm that he had any hand directly or indirectly in the trouble that Mr. Ramsay met with The second is Mr. Maxwel who had been in Ireland some time when he returned home Mr. Ramsay also and others could not get their Stipend Yea the Sheriff incouraged all those to whom they owed any thing to sue them Where as