of them that conformed to Episcopacy to assert that Episcopacy was preferable to a Parity of Presbyters No they still enjoyed their own liberty of thinking what they pleased if they obeyed their Superiours in licitis honestis Were not Mr. Meldrum and Mr. Wilkie and many others that I could name Presbyterians tho they conformed to Episcopacy They themselves think that they were so still to my certain knowledge the last was and I know him to be so honest a Man that he never endeavoured to hide his Principles and he thought that he did nothing in conforming to Episcopacy inconsistent with his own Opinions and he would have continued still in the Communion of the Episcopal Church if a later Test had not removed him You must not think that all the Presbyterians are warmed to an equal degree of Heat there are some tho very few more calm and solid than their younger Brethren Read Mr. Rutherford's due right of Presbytery and I cannot name a Book more acceptable perhaps you may meet with some Notions there that are not so agreeable to the late Model of Presbytery the last Edition of a Book is still auctior emendatior And if it was a Blunder to say that some who continued Presbyterian in their Principles conformed to the external Order of the Church under Episcopacy they who did so conform are obliged to defend him You still oblige your Adversaries to prove Negatives when you libel Dr. Canaries you tell us that tho the Ministers and Judicatories declared that they could make nothing of the Accusation brought against him yet that will not amount to prove it false and because a Negative in matter of Fact is not demonstrated a thing in it self absolutely impossible you therefore conclude that still you may accuse him as guilty but if nothing could be made of it why should you propagate or continue the Slander for not only are you destitute of true and solid Proofs but all your Evidences when they are aggravated by Presbyterian Malice could never be heightned into a plausible Presumption of his Fault If I should accuse you of having committed Incest with your Mother you could not prove it to be false otherwise than by letting the World know that nothing could be made of it and if so no honest Man will defame you upon that head But you tell us that there is unexceptionable Evidence of the Woman's having declared the thing her self What thing her self declared I know not but for the unexceptionable Evidence 't is only upon Record in the World of the Moon else we had seen it in legible Characters long e'er now But you tell us that the reputation of your Informer is fairer than that of either of the two Dr's Mr Ridpath I do not know who this Gentleman is and therefore in modesty I must forbear to make comparisons but if he will preserve his Reputation he must smother his Evidence What you drive at towards the close of this Section is past my skill to find out when you say That we have a very pregnant instance of a Person of no mean Note whose accusation most in England are satisfied is true and yet we see nothing can be made out neither before the Judges nor the Lords Mr. Ridpath You leave it uncertain whether the Person of no mean Note be the Accuser or the Accused But to demonstrate the impertinence of this Instance and that you understand Law as little as you do the Rules of Logick I put the case that Titius accuses his wise Moevia of Adultery the Judges may be persuaded that the accusation of Titius is true though the evidences be not so full as the Law requires yet being plain and positive in their nature and but a degree removed from full proof such presumptions of guilt which the Civilians call praesumptiones juris de jure leave deep impressions upon all when duly conveyed to our knowledge because they are as near as can be to that which is plena probatio in foro But pray have you any such presumptions against the Dr Is there any plain evidence against him and if nothing can be made of it as the Judicatories declare then 't is many degrees below a Presumption much less that higher presumption which is the ground of a reasonable Suspicion But you add that Suppose the accusation against the Dr. to be false yet it argues a great want of cleanly Men amongst the Episcopalians that they should choose a Man for Agent who lay under a flagrant Scandal The Apostle's Rule is clear that a Bishop ought to be blameless A surmise magnified by Presbyterian malice illustrates rather than darkens a man's Reputation and clears his innocence not to be evil spoken of by such whose Element is Calumny is an argument of no great Spirit and far less activity But you say that the Apostle's Rule is clear I say so too but your Head is not clear because the Apostle says that a Bishop ought to be blameless therefore you conclude that if Bishops at any time are evil spoken of and traduced they must be no longer Bishops At this rate the most innocent and deserving men must be disowned and the greatest Luminaries of the Church must expect to be cashier'd Athanasius was accused of abominable immoralities and St. John the Baptist was said to have a Devil and the Great Bishop of our Souls was accused of being a friend to Publicans and Sinners he went to Feasts and entertainments which the Puritanical Pharisee could not behold without grumbling and censuring they would quietly whisper in their Neighbours Ears that though he said many good things and wrought many Miracles yet he was still a stranger to the power of Godliness he kept ill Company and the Modern Phanaticks would add that he was for forms of Prayer and a great many other things he did that the Spirit of detraction took by the wrong handle If your Commentary upon these words A Bishop ought to be blameless had appear'd before the Scotch Eloquence came abroad it ought to have had its own room in that Book Corah Dathan and Abiram raised many Scandals and they were Scandals of Prelacy and Priest-craft too against Moses and Aaron and by your argument they ought both of them to have been deprived of their Honour and Government The next mistake is as foolish and impertinent though not so dangerous as your wresting the Holy Scriptures to serve the heats of your deluded Fancy You tell us that Dr. M o was very angry that you said of him commonly called Dr. but I assure you you mistook his meaning he could not but remark a Quaker expression commonly called and so much the rather that there are many Presbyterians who industriously shun the giving any such Title for those Academick distinctions look so near the Whore of Babylon that it is not safe for the Saints to use such words and if the Dr. has any grains of Pride
The SPIRIT of Calumny and Slander Examin'd Chastis'd and Expos'd IN A LETTER TO A MALICIOUS LIBELLER MORE Particularly Address'd to Mr. GEORGE RIDPATH Newsmonger near St. Martins in the Fields CONTAINING Some Animadversions on his Scurrilous Pamphlets Published by him against the Kings Parliaments Laws Nobility and Clergy of Scotland TOGETHER With a short account of Presbyterian Principles and Consequential Practices Tenue est mendacium perlucet si diligenter inspexeris Senec. London Printed for Joseph Hindmarsh at the Golden-Ball over against the Royal Exchange 1693. TO THE READER IT is not much worth the while to inform the World that now Mr. George Ridpath is at the Head of the Presbyterian Party in Scotland His Associates there and here have such an Opinion of him that they consider him as the Invincible Champion of their Cause and the truth is if any Man be so inconsiderable and so much a Brute as to fight him at his own Weapons Mr. Ridpath will certainly carry the Prize He 's the Man that is now most likely to pull down Antichrist and the Whore of Babylon And as for the Scotch Episcopal Clergy who yet retain any kindness for the Hierarchy and the former Government if he lives another year they must all of them be banish'd the Isle of Britain It is enough for you to know that now the Presbyterians as is probable have by an unanimous Suffrage chosen him to manage the Libels against their Opposites He now appears in the Field of Battel with all the Noise Lies and Clamour that becomes a Zealous Covenanter He began this last years Campagne with a Libel against Dr. M o which valuable Book he Dedicated to the Parliament of Scotland by this one may easily infer that either he had a mean Opinion of the Parliament or extraordinary thoughts of himself If the following Treatise cannot be reduc'd into any certain Method this is not to be imputed unto me for I must confess that I too much follow'd the Excursions of Mr. Ridpath's invention I was willing to contract the Animadversions that I made upon his Book into as little room as was possible and therefore the frequent Transitions from one thing to another are best understood by such as have Read his Continuation c. I hope most Men are better employed than either to think or speak of the Calumnies and Lies that he industriously heaps together against the Clergy His Party is resolv'd to make use of such Engines against the Church as they and their Fore-Fathers found most successful to the Extirpation of Root and Branch and they that are unacquainted with their Malicious Methods are great Strangers to our Nation and History If the Reader meet with some Paragraphs that are more particular and peculiar to Mr. Ridpath than the Publick is oblig'd to take notice of I must be excus'd since I was compell'd for I assure you that I value personal altereations no otherwise than a good Christian ought to do Nor did I ever Write to satisfie or convince Mr. Ridpath that being a thing in it self impossible There is a certain Order of Mean Spirited Fellows I do not mean by their External Quality who think that there is nothing written by their Party were it never so ignominiously fulsome and scandalous but what is invincible and unanswerable Their Pride and Vanity are Incurable It is not my meaning that we ought to put our selves to the Drudgery of answering all the Scurrilous and Obscene Libels that are propagated by our Enemies but 't is reasonable to let our Friends see that at some times we can Confute them if that be thought convenient I am so far convinc'd of the weakness of their Reasonings that I know no Sect Antient or Modern that ever broke the Peace of the Christian Church but may be more plausibly defended than the latest Edition of Presbytery in Scotland I never thought that the Reputation of my Friend was in any hazard by being attack'd by Mr. Ridpath or the Little Creatures who instigate him yet by the following Papers I make it plain to all disinteressed persons that Mr. Ridpath lies Willfully and Deliberately in several Instances and therefore I may be allow'd to take leave of him for the future if he does not manage his accusations as becomes the Spirit of Truth Innocence and Ingenuity If you think that the Style is more sharp than is Decent or Just then I intreat you may Read his Books which occasion'd these Papers and then I am confident that you will retract your Censure and find that I have meddled with his Person as little as was possible He is in some places so Obscene that there is no coming near him and therefore I made all possible hast to rid my imagination of him and the paultry Trash that he gathers together The Bookseller was willing to Print a Sheet or two more than the Letter that I address'd to Mr. Ridpath and therefore I gave him some Propositions that are extracted out of such Books as are most in Vogue amongst the Scotch Presbyterians that the Reader might have a sample of their Moral Theology with regard to Obedience Government and Subjection To which I have added a Letter written from the Tolbooth of Edinburgh by the Famous Assassin Mr. James Mitchel who endeavours to prove from several Texts of Scripture that he ought to kill Dr. Sharp Lord Archbishop of St. Andrews In short to use the words of a Great Man Rebellion is the Soul of the Kirk And though we had not known the History of that Parliament Anno 1645. So they call'd the bloody Meeting at St. Andrews we have later Instances of their Arbitrary and Tyrannical Malice against the better half of the Nation Their very Patrons are asham'd of them not through any ingenuous remorse but because their bare fac'd Villanies are frequently expos'd I think the following Letter needs no other Preface than what is already hinted by Sir Your humble Servant S. W. The CONTENTS THE Occasion of this Letter Mr. Ridpath the Author of two or three Scurrilous and abusive Pamphlets against the Kings Parliaments Laws Nobility and Clergy of Scotland Page 1 His Rage and Passion against the Author of the Apology for the Clergy of Scotland Ibid. His Challenge fairly embrac'd The Author of this Defence undertakes to prove that there is not a good Consequence in Mr. Ridpath 's Books from the beginning to the end p. 2 The Character bestowed upon Mr. Rutherford by the Author of the Apology no justifiable ground of Mr. Ridpath 's clamourous bawling against the Learn'd Advocate Ibid. â—â—â—path 's accusation against Sir George Mackenzie in the case of C. of C. founded only on his own Petulance and Malice p. 3 Ridiculous advices to the Ministers of State in England and his Civilities to K. W. and Q. M. Ibid. His imitation of the famous Presbyterian Buffoon Dr. Bastwick when he reviles the present Clergy of the Church of Scotland p. 4 His impudence in
he spoke with Mr Shields in St. Jame's Park he 'll acknowledg all the Libels against him to be true and the only method to save your Reputation in this particular is to put it to a fair Trial. But I perceive that you are as unfortunate in the informations that you receive against the Clergy as you are hasty and unadvised in publishing of them Whether the error in Scotch Grammar with which you charge the Dr. be an omission of the Printer or his inadvertence is not material to enquire he had rather commit a thousand such than one Latin Solecism in a publick Harangue ex Cathedra It is uneasie to live next door to a Grammarian Read over again the 2d page of your Continuation l. 21. or the 5th p. of your Preface l. 30. and tell me if it be exact Grammar It is impudence beyond comparison to say that the Dr. charged Mr. Rule falsly with speaking wrong Latin 't is a wonder to me why he himself or any of his Friends should be so zealous to defend him upon that Head and if you would be so wise as to let those stories alone I know none would be so idle as to revive them and because you will not suffer us to forget his Latine I will give you one instance more of the purity of his Stile Asking one of the Students what was his Name the Youth told him so and so but not adding his Sirname He asked again quid est totum nomen At another time missing the Key of a certain Box which is kept in the Library when he would have opened it he told them that were about him Nescio quid factum est de iis habui mox Now the Affirmative is mine I am obliged to prove it when ever you put me to it You are all of you so tender upon the point of Honour that you let nothing pass without present Revenge and Mr. Rule himself may know the Witnesses when he pleases tho it be not decent to print their Names The next accusation against the Dr. is that he cannot forbear Swearing Mr Ridpath I hope it is otherwise and this is but an Article of the original Libel answered already in the Presbyterian Inquisition You was advised by the Author of the Postscript rather to insist on the old Libel than to trust to your own invention Moreover you say that it can be proved that he said to a certain Minister that if the Episcopal party had not the Government he cared not if the Devil had it By other accusers this Calumny is otherwise represented viz. that if the Episcopal party had not the Government he cared not if the Papists had it but both are beat out upon the same Anvil I wish you had named the Minister to whom this was said the Devil has but too much of the Government of the World already and I am affraid that they who publish such malicious and indefinite reports are more governed by him than they are aware of You charge him again that he hindered the printing of Mr. Jameson's Book against Quakerism he had no authority to do so nor was it possible for him to treat Mr. Jameson with greater civility than he did As for the Oath imposed on the Scholars in King James his time that is sufficiently accounted for in another Treatise and whether you are satisfied or not it matters not much The Objejections started against it were but the Whimsies of a malicious Pedant who knew not well what he said It must be confessed that He preferred the French Refugies to the Scotch Presbyterians when both petitioned the Town-Council for the use of the publick Hall to preach in upon the Sundays I am not obliged to believe upon your authority that he had any undecent expressions upon that occasion I incline to think that if the Presbyterians had the publick Hall of the College very many naughty persons would resort unto it though the Presbyterian Ministers should endeaviour to hinder it Now I would gladly ask you one Question whether ever you had a Scholar that answered you with greater submission and obedience than I do You name a Person at the foot of the 15 pag. whom you say the Dr. was careful to vindicate that he never so much as mentioned his Name but Newsmongers have a greater priviledge than their Neighbours 'T is certain that the Scheme of the Presbyterian Religion as far as they differ from the Episcopalians is nothing else but ungovernable Humour and Rebellion Now is it necessary to strike off the Doctor 's Head for this one Expression The Presbyterian Opinions as such are new and lately started and peculiar to themselves nor is there any of the Reformed Churches that ever asserted Presbyterian government to be founded upon such Divine Right as is exclusive of all other Ecclesiastical Polities The Church of Scotland which you say was Presbyterian from the beginning of the Reformation declares positively in her Confession of Faith that Church Polity is variable and the Order of Bishops was never condemned by our Reformers and Buchanan tells us expresly that our first Reformers were so far from being Presbyterians that Scoti ante aliquot annos Anglorum auxiliis è servitute Gallica liberati Religionis cultui ritibus cum Anglis communibus subscripserunt To say that the Church of Scotland should be governed by Presbytery because Presbyters were most active in the first Reformation is an unpardonable Impertinence If all the Bishops in the Church of Scotland had been as zealous to promote the Reformation as the Bishops of Galloway and Argyle would it therefore follow that if the Bishops had reformed the Church without the assistance of Presbyters there ought to be no Presbyters in the Church when it was fully reformed No I think this could not follow and therefore when the Bishops own the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches they must be obeyed and our Reformers never declaimed against their Order and if they would adhere to the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches Calvin determines positively in that Case that nullo non anathemate digni sunt who stubbornly oppose their Authority but we had no such thing as Presbytery in Scotland settled by Authority in all its Pretences until the Rebellion brake out in the Year 1638. Presbyterians we had Tumults Combinations and Factions in abundance and Interruptions of the legal Government and Parliamentary Concessions to pacify the Faction but a total abolishing of the Order of Bishops before the Rebellion in King Charles I. his time was never heard and to say otherwise contradicts the Series of all our Records If the places of Scripture that you cite prove that the names of those Clergy-men that were above Deacons were not distinguished yet this cannot infer an Equality among them for the Apostles themselves were called sometimes Presbyters and the Church was never governed by a perfect Equality of Presbyters The Ecclesiastical Senate
While the Memory of King Charles II. and King James VII endures and till Time the Consumer of all things hath eat up their Parliament Rolls it will hold an undeniable Truth that the Prelatical Party of Scotland are Persecutors and that in denying the same they have made themselves notorious Liars II. As long as we remember that the first Covenanters had all sworn the Oaths of Canonical Obedience to their respective Bishops in their several Dioceses and that they dispensed with the said Oath of Canonical Obedience in their General Assembly An. 163. Sess 13. Dec. 5. and forgot their Allegiance to their natural Lord and Sovereign and imposed their Babel Covenant on all in the most tyrannical manner and that to this day they continue to declaim against the legal securities of our Religion and Constitution as contradictory to it self so long we must be excused to say that Presbyterians have no rule of Faith but the Covenant nor no Standard of Morals but the Practices of their rebellious Predecessors Ridpath II. So long as it appears by the same Acts that they imposed a contradictory Test so long will it hold that they are perjured themselves and chargeable with the Perjury of others III. So long as we can remember that the Western Bigots and Incendiaries blew up the People into such mad Fancies that they laid the whole stress of their Salvation upon their Zeal to promote the Covenant and taught them to resist their lawful Sovereign and to proclaim War against him and printed Books to justifie the most barbarous Assassinations so long we may conclude that the People who are led by such Guides are in a most miserable Condition and as long as we retain the exercise of Reason and the Sense of Self-preservation so long our Governours must be commended who guarded against the Dangers that threatned us under their Administrations and so long as Men love their Peace Constitution and Comfort so long they must endeavour by the supereminent Law and first Principle of all Societies to teach Sanguinary Rebels to feel the Effects of their open Villanies and Conspiracies Ridpath III. So long as it remains in the Records of Council that they ordered Men to be killed without any Tryal or colour of Law or so much as with an Exception whether they resisted or not resisted so long will it bold that they are bloody Murderers IV. As long as there are any Records of that Mock-Assembly preserved the World may be easily satisfied by their Impertinent Queries and Disobedience to the King's Order of their Tyranny and Ambition and their Lording it over others who by their Confession are their Equals in Power and Jurisdiction and that by divine right and yet they suspend the Exercise of that Power which is conferred by divine Right by virtue of an Act of Parliament which I hope they do not think to be of any thing more than Human Authority Ridpath IV. So long as the Records of the last General Assembly of the Church of Scotland remain it it will appear by their Evasions Answers and disingenuous refusals to declare their Abhorrence of Arminianism Socinianism and Popery that they are Firebrands in the Church and Incendiaries in the State V. As long as such blasphemous Nonsense as the Decretum praedamnatum and the Decretum praeteritum are to be seen and read in the Writings of their greatest Champions so long they are iustly charged with Nonsense and Blasphemy Vid. Second Vindication of the Church of Scotland pag. 66. Ridpath V. So long as any of their villanous Libels called the Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence exist wherein they charge Holiness with Deformity God with horrid Decrees and mock at Seriousness and Piety so long will it be evident that they are Blasphemers VI. The Address of the Bishops of Scotland before the Revolution to the King contained nothing but what was agreeable to the publick Prayers used in behalf of the King in both Nations and Mr. Ridpath knows that the other Branch of this Particular must not be touched yet as long as the Act of the West Kirk and the Remonstrance in the Year 1650 not to name preceding Papers of the same Nature and Acts of the General Assembly in the year 1648 are preserved so long the Presbyterian Principles are known to be subversive of all Kingly Power and destructive to all Allegiance and the Rights of Sovereignty Ridpath VI. So long as that scurrilous Address of their Bishops against the Prince of Orange their opposing him in Parliament their refusing to pray for him or swear to him now he is King and the legal procedure against them on the said accounts are on record so long it will appear that they are Rebels VII So long as the Acts of your Rebellious Parliaments from 1639 to 1649 and the Acts of your Assemblies in 1648 and 1649 continue upon record and your zealous Preachers importuning the Committee of Estates in person to execute the King 's most faithful Servants so long the World may be informed of Presbyterian Spite and Malice Ridpath VII So long as their bloody Acts of Parliament and barbarous Execution of those Acts against us and our gentle Acts of Parliament and moderate Execution of those Acts against them are upon record so long it will appear that they are infamous Liars in asserting that we treat them more barbarously than they treated us VIII As long as the West of Scotland continues unreformed from barbarous Principles so long they are a Plague to the Nation and a Reproach to the Protestant Religion This is only understood of such of them as deserve this Character Ridpath VIII So long as the West of Scotland which was the principal Scene of these bloody Tragedies has a being so long will it appear that they were barbarous Before I take leave of you I must put the Reader in mind of one Argument by which you endeavour to fully the Reputation of such of the Bishops as voted in the late Convention before the King's Letter to them was opened that They were a free and lawful Meeting notwithstanding of any Order that might be contained in that Letter to dissolve them from this you conclude that they were inconsistent with their own Principles and after Practices And the truth is if they intended by that Vote nothing less than what the Presbyterian Party advanced they were inconsistent with their Principles but tho they concurred in that Vote they took the Words a free and lawful meeting not to signifie any Meeting of the People contrary to the King's Prerogative Authority and standing Laws but rather a Meeting to support all the three and they were to sit notwithstanding of a Prohibition until such time as they could duly inform the King of the Straits and Difficulties that they were involved in Necessity made them bow under the Weight of that Opposition that they wrestled with and they hoped that a Vote might be forgiven which their Practices would have
vindicated from any suspicion of lessening the Royal Authority But Mr. Ridpath did you never hear of a Merchant throwing overboard his Goods in a Storm his Principle is no doubt to preserve and improve his Stock yet when Life and Ship and all is in hazard Silver and Gold and the best Cargo that he is Master of must be flung over Men sometimes in the Simplicity of their Hearts may yield to some publick Acts in a time of Danger and Confusion which in their own Nature and Tendency are inconsistent with their Principles the wisest Men may sometimes mistake their measures and the presence of ones Mind does not perpetually attend him A great many of the Presbyterians of Scotland took the Covenant as it was enjoin'd by King Charles I. in the sense intended by King and Parliament in the Reign of King James VI. yet this act of their duty and obedience was by the Leading-Covenanters thought inconsistent with their principles and practices and therefore they were forced to disown it afterwards and to adhere to the Covenant it its true and genuine sense of Sedition and Rebellion All the Presbyterians of Scotland after the Restoration of King Charles II. both Ministers and People came to Church without scruple or hesitation yet afterwards they began to think that this practice could not be reconciled to their mutinous Associations and Covenants and therefore for the most part all of them left the Church and publick Worship of the Episcopalians There is a Protestation upon record in the Year 1641. in the journal of the House of Commons May 3. which in its nature was but a Prologue to the Solemn League and Covenant and very derogatory to the King's prerogative and the ancient settlement of the Nation and yet I find that several of the Loyal Nobility and six Bishops signed this Protestation Things may appear very plausible in the beginning that are introductiory to the saddest consequences The Nobility and Bishops that signed the Protestation that I just now named had reason to repent of their precipitancy when the Faction owned above board that no Reformation woul satisfie but the extirpation of Root and Branch according to the phrase that then was in vogue We are to take an estimate of mens principles not from their indeliberate and casual stumblings in time of darkness uncertainty and danger but rather from their constant Doctrine their habitual Byass their more calm and sedate reasonings their Books Homilies and Sermons I could name later instances than any that I have touched which might reasonably be presum'd to be inconsistent with their Principles who were actors and yet I am so far from thinking them disingenuous or treacherous that I know them to be men of the greatest Candor upon Earth All this I have said upon the supposition that the Bishops who concurred with that Vote of the Convention intended it in its full extent and latitude but I know that they intended no more by the words free and lawful meeting than what they are capable of in the lowest sense that they can be taken in and as Privy Councellours some of the Bishops might suspend the execution of the King's Orders contained in his Letters until he should be better informed of the state of affairs and until he should reiterate his Commands in that case I am apt to think that all who own his authority would leave the Convention Mr. Ridpath I would gladly know whether you think that a Libel against Dr. Monro was a Book worthy to be dedicated to the Parliament of Scotland and whether your returning to Scotland was such an extraordinary advantage to the Nation that you thought they would upon this consideration go forward to the through settlement of Presbytery for no doubt you are among the first of those Students who promise to return if your Model be established in its height The Books that you have written against our Kings Dukes and Parliaments may make atonement for the former Gallantries of your Life I despise the knowledge of your particular History and unless you are as stupid as you are petulant you may guess by some dark hints in this Letter which I took care that no other should understand but your self that I am not altogether a stranger to your Adventures I had your Life sent me written by one of your Acquaintances but though I may have many faults yet I never loved personal Reproaches and altercations When you are in the heighth of your humour and passion I think you still below Revenge It may be that the Lay-Gentleman who is next to take you to task may handle you more briskly notwithstanding that Presbytery is now triumphant and setled by an Act of Exclusion of the Episcopal Clergy Mr. Ridpath I sincerely wish you more sense and modesty and I enter my Protestation before all reasonable men that I am not obliged to answer indefinite Libels If you think that you are so extraordinarily qualified to manage the Debates that are on foot chuse one of the Questions that are toss'd between both the parties eithe the divine Right of Presbytery or the unlawfulness of Anniversary Days or significant Ceremonies in the worship of God I name these because you offer to vindicate your own Opinions concerning them in your Books and since you cite the Epistles of S. Augustine to S. Jerome from which you say the antiquity of Presbytery may be demonstrated pray do not forget to name that Epistle but I am affraid you will be forced to go to the Booksellers in the World of the Moon before you can meet with it and to make you amends I offer to prove positively that there is not one of your party in Scotland that truly and sincerely represents the Opinions of St. Jerom nay more expresly I offer to make evident from the writings of St. Jerome that Eiscopacy was established by the Apostles and that he never dream'd of any such period of the Church wherein the parity of Presbyters prevailed after the death of the Apostles And if you must write Books you ought to come out from behind the Curtains and let us know where your Bookseller may be found and by whom they are Licensed and take the assistance of all your Fraternity read all the Books that you think defend your Cause to the best advantage and let us plainly hear what grounds you have to assert that your new and upstart Discipline is founded upon devine Right and why the Ministers of the Episcopal persuasion are turned out if they do not solemnly promise never directly nor indirectly to alter an Ecclesiastical Government which can no more be reconciled to the former constitution of Presbytery than to the Word of God the Canons of the Universal Church and the practice of the first Ages of Christianity And let us know if ever Clergymen were turned out of their Livings upon their denying to make any such promise since the name of Christian was heard in the World
charging the Archbishop of Glasgow with so many unheard of Crimes p. 5 His Vanity in thinking that his Books do greater Feats than the other Scriblings of his Party p. 6 His Civilities to the Clergy of the Church of England and his particular Forgeries against the Author of the Apology Ibid. His Critical Skill examin'd And his officious interposal in the Defence of Mr. Rule further Chastis'd Ibid. Train of many impertinent Lies together against Dr. Monro expos'd p. 7 His stupid ignorance in the History of the first Reformation of Scotland and in the Doctrine of the first Reformers p. 8 His Feeble attempts to prove the Divine Right of Presbytery Ibid. His abominable Lies in charging the Government with unheard of Cruelties p. 9 The Cameronians prov'd to be the most zealous Presbyterians And Mr. Radpath 's Argument against their Authority prov'd from Presbyterian Principles to be no Argument at all Ibid. His Argumentum ad hominem from the Viscount of Dundee 's Practices proves no more than that he is ignorant in the first Elements of Logick p. 10 His comparison between the Practices of the Church of England and those of the Scotch Presbyterians scandalous and impertinent Ibid. Presbyterians more cruel and barbarous than any other People This prov'd by a memorable instance in the year 1645. p. 11 The Covenanters less skilful than the Inquisitors but equally Cruel p. 11 His ignorance further expos'd p. 12 The Dr. us'd no Equivocation when he said that the Covenant was rigorously impos'd upon Children Ibid. This prov'd by an Act of the Gen. Ass 1648. p. 13 The Charge of Equivocation disprov'd and retorted p. 14 15 The Practice of the Episcopal Clergy in exposing the Presbyterians vindicated from Levity and Profanity Ibid. The Cameronians the most active and the most consequential Presbyterians p. 16 His derivation of the Word Enthusiasm compar'd with such another Critical Essay of a Bedlamite Ibid. The Acts of the General Assembly especially those of 48 and 49 do sufficiently Vindicate K. Ch. 2. from all imputations of rigor and cruelty p. 17 Sir George Mackenzie gave a true Narrative of the first Rise and Occasion of those Laws that the Presbyterians complain of p. 18 One of the Pedling Scribles in favours of Presbytery his weakness silliness and ignorance fairly expos'd in some Particulars p. 18 19 Mr. Ridpath 's Lies viz. that Sir Geo. Mackenzie persecuted Hamilton of Hallside refuted by Hallside himself Ibid. No Laws made against Presbyterians as such but against Seditions Tumults and Insurrections Ibid. His method of answering Arguments by suppressing such Words upon which their strength depends p. 19 20 The Presbyterians in general charg'd with Rebellious Principles and Practices This made good against the whiffling exceptions and evasions of Mr. Ridpath p. 21 The King and Parliament did not consider them as Presbyterians but as stubborn and incorrigible Rebels Ibid. The Majority of the People for the Episcopal Clergy Ibid. His rude and inconsiderable Lies against the Earl of Airly and the Laird of Meldrum p. 22 The Doctrine of Passive Obedience fairly stated and defended p. 23 24 The Presbyterian Exceptions disprov'd and retorted Ibid. Mr. Ridpath 's incurable infelicity in mistaking true Sense for Contradictions Ibid. The Writings of Mr. Rutherford prov'd obscure and Mr. Ridpath invited to defend them p. 25 26 Mr. Ridpath 's impudence in denying the Blasphemies that are to be seen in Mr. Rule 's Books p. 26 27 His blustering ignorance further expos'd p. 28 The Presbyterians prov'd to be the first aggressors in the Trade of Libelling and the only experienc'd Practitioners p. 28 29 30 The additional accusations against Dr. Monro proves no more than Mr. Ridpath 's wickedness and malice p. 30 31 The Murder of Archbishop Sharp prov'd to be the result of Presbyterian Principles p. 32 The Presbyterians by their Principles not oblig'd to Forms p. 33 The Charge of Pedantry brought against the Doctor disprov'd and retorted p. 33 34 35 Our Ecclesiastical Superiors did not connive at the Faults of the Subordinate Clergy tho they proceeded against such as were complain'd of by the Orderly and tedious Methods of the Law p. 35 Mr. Ridpath further chastis'd for his ignorance in the History and Principles of the Presbyterians p. 35 36 His ungovernable Malice against Dr. Canaties in many rude and impertinent efforts canvass'd aad examin'd p. 37 His willful and affected mistake of the Author of the Postscripts meaning p. 38 His ignorance of a formal Contradiction p. 39 The Presbyterians accuse all Men of plotting against the Government because plotting is their only Element p. 40 Mr. Ridpath 's Hypocrisie wishing that both Parties may be tender of one another when his Practice in the next Line confutes all his pretences of Piety Ibid. His common Topick to justifie his Calumnies viz. That he does not know what he writes to be false further expos'd and ridicul'd Ibid. His Ignorance in opposing the knowledge of Arms to the Liberal Arts and Sciences p. 41 42 The charge against the Clergy of Stealing their Sermons retorted upon an Impudent Presbyterian Plagiary p. 42 43 His Vanity and Ignorance further Chastis'd p. 43 44 His affectation of Theology Logick and Wit expos'd by plain and palpable instances p. 45 46 His Catalogue of Cruelties and Treacheries paralell'd p. 47 48 49. Another Objection against the Bishops of Scotland consider'd p. 51 52 53 Several Certificates and Letters in favours of the Calumniated Clergy p. 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 Several Propositions extracted out of the Presbyterian Books p. 68 69 70 c. Mr. James Mitchel the famous Assassin his Letter Justifying from Scripture his Villanous attempt to Murder the Archbishop of St. Andrews Mr. Ridpath I Have good information from several Persons of known integrity here at London that you are the Author of two abusive Pamphlets by which you endeavour to defame our Kings Parliaments and Nobles such as we had in Scotland before the Revolution Our Kings were perjured Tyrants and K. Charles II. knew that he himself had forfeited his Title to the Crown Our Parliaments were but pack'd Clubs a company of slavish Parasites that contributed all they could to the ruin of our Liberties Civil and Religious and consequently our Nobility can deserve no better Character who made so great a Figure in all our Parliaments As for the Episcopal Clergy whether Bishops or Presbyters you give them so many names that it is a wonder you did not think such a despicable company of men below your Notice The Book which you call your Continuation most of it is levelled against one particular man and when I undertake his Defence if that be necessary I find that the reading over your book and transcribing so many parts of it was all the toil I was likely to undergo and tho you call him whom you fancy to be your Adversary a man of ungovernable passion yet I must tell you that