as it did formerly in King Charles the First 's time when one of the Bishops began to read the Common-Prayer which she called Popery Pag. 28. Is it not as lawful for the Scots Presbyterians to pray against the English Hierarchy as Antichristian As for the English Clergy and Prelates too to Plot drink and plead in their Sessions at the Devil against the Scots Presbyterie And I believe they would pray against it also but that they have not a Form for it To suppose that the banihing the Prelatical Scots Clergy was not encouraged by Authority is Ignorance and Sawciness for it 's plain Authority in Scotland has done what was proper for a Civil Government to do viz. They have declared the Hierarchy Antihumane that is contrary to the peoples Inclination and I suppose are so good natur'd to wish their Neighbours were rid of it too and so much the rather that they have so often found and do still find them imposing Sawcy Intrigues against the Kingdom of Scotland wherein if they persist it may perhaps and let them blame themselves for it prove as fatal to them as it did in the days of Dr. Laud. Well here 's a severe and open threatning England then look to it The Scots Presbyterians are sworn in their Holy Covenant to reform Britain and Ireland though it be by Club Law and let them but have Power according to their Will and they will soon visit you once more for all your Goods Pag. 29. The Bishops are generally found to be against that which is for the Nations good and howsoever the late opposition which they made to the late King may be magnified they seem quickly to have repented of it But supposing they had continued stedfast yet whatever good Nature might have done I am sure Justice would not have awarded them any thanks which will appear undeniably true if we consider among many other things which he instances how most of the Bishops opposed the reversing of the Judgment of Perjury given against Dr. Oates who did the Nation more service than Seven Idolized Stars so many of whom are now turned dark Lanthorns Nor can it ever be forgot how many of the inferior Clergy following the Conduct of their Tripple-headed Guide advanced the Interest of the Tripple-Crown and some of them topping ones too at the hour of death grated with their slavish nonsensical Doctrine of Resistance upon the Consciences of the Noble Hero's and Darlings of the People the Lord Russel and Duke of Monmouth upon the very Scaffolds and if the contrary Doctrine be damnable as they alledged then I am sure their Church hath been guilty of damnable Practices since This is the Charity that the New Gospel Professors have to the Church of England which the whole Christian World besides them doth so justly honour and esteem upon the account of their Government Worship Doctrine and Practice which their Phanatical Neighbours so maliciously censure and blaspheme Well but say they the Church of England is still labouring under much Romish Superstition and Idolatry and which is worse she is Papaprelatical nay she is Archipapaprelatical and that 's Antihumane in the New Gospel phrase But I hope they will be kind at least to their Brethren of the Presbyterian Church beyond Sea Are not the Dutch and French Presbyterians Is not the Mother Church of Geneva throughly reformed No no they have never set up the Solemn League and Covenant for their Standard Or to speak in the Authors own words pag. 27. They are strangers to the power of Godliness because not knowing how to pray without they must have recourse to a Form which is as unreasonable and unnatural an imposition upon the Strong especially on Ministers as would be the imposing of Crutches upon the adult and able part of Mankind who can walk better without them Well Christ prescribed a Form of Prayer to his Disciples the first and all the succeeding Ages of the Church thought it not only convenient but necessary to use Forms in Publick Worship but alas the Disciples themselves and all preceding Christians are but weak unable Infants in respect of the adult strong and covenanted Professors of the new Gospel in the West of Scotland The next famous Author is Mr. Rule who calls himself a Doctor of Medicine for they never pretended to have any in Divinity in his Second Vindication of the Kirk of Scotland he says pag. 113. That it is an unfair injurious and false Imputation to charge the severity of the Stile of this Author upon the Presbyterians who he says disown that Stile it being written by a Cameronian while they stood at a distance from the sober Presbyterians however those whom he calls Sober Presbyterians have never yet by any publick deed condemned that Book nor any other of the Barbarities of these unsober Cameronian Presbyterians but have on the contrary received them into their Communion without the least acknowledgment of any such Crimes and Dr. Rule that I may not offend him calls them the Zealous Party and represents them as pretty gentle in that they made it their work only to deprive and not to Murther the Episcopal Ministers pag. 125. Altho' the Doctor knows that Instances can be given of some Ministers that were even Murthered by that Zealous Party not long ago and himself owns in the beginning of his Post-script that five Men and six Women Presbyterians came to the House of William Ferguson Minister of Kilpatrick and because he would not alter his manner of Praying and come out of his House as they had charged him they therefore invaded his House tore off his Cloaths and beat him on the Head and Legs which lookt but too like a design to Murther him Several other things of this Nature were so notorious that his ridiculous way of disguising when he cannot deny them must needs satisfie the World of the certain truth of the Accounts that have been given by the Eye-witnesses and Sufferers in that Persecution Upon which Consideration Mr. Pitcarne a better Writer and as it appears a much honester Man declined the vindicating of these late Proceedings of the Presbyterians not that he did not like the Presbyterian Cause for he is through-paced that way but because after he had examined the matters of Fact for several Months as he had been enjoyned by the Fraternity he found it impossible to speak any thing in their Vindication but what the greatest part of Scotland would know to be notoriously false wherefore as Dr. Rule himself informs us Preface to his Second Vindication parag 5 7. in the end of the same Book Pag. 190. When this Affair was committed to him after many Months he returned the Papers to be answered without any Reply to them But passing this I wonder that the Worthy Doctor should in his late Book now cited exactly imitate that severe Stile which he and his Sober Party pretend to disown but perhaps he sees not this
come Sirrah stand there at my left hand thou and the Devil shall together even now There is nothing more ordinary among the Generality of their Preachers than to tell that Christ did not set his foot in Scotland this eight and twenty years or this I brought a stranger to you now and a very great stranger indeed this many a year would you know who it is it is Christ Sirs hadd him fast then for if once he get out of Scotland again it 's like he 'l never return It is very well known in Perthshire that one of their Rabbies Preaching a◠St. Johnstone or thereabout a little before the Battel of Killich ankie upon these words Resist the Devil and he will slie from you he begins very gravely after this manner Humph my beloved you are all here the day even for the fashions cause but wo◠ye who is amongst you the day even the meikle horned Devil tho you cannot see him yet I do I see him Sirs by the eye of faith but you 'l say now that we have him here what shall we do with him Sirs Humph what way will ye destroy him some of you will say we will hang him ha ha my beloved there are not so many tows in all the Parish as hung him besides he 's as light as a feather What then will ye do with him for he will not hang. Then some of you will say we will drown him Humph my beloved there is too much cork in his Arse he 's as souple as an Eel he will not sink Others of you will say we will burn him Na na Sirs ye may scald your selves but ye cannot burn him for all the fire in Hell could never yet singe a hair on his tail Now Sirs you cannot find a way among you all to kill him but I will find it what way will this be Sirs we shall even shoot him Wherewith shall we shoot him We shall shoot him with the Bible Now Sirs I shall shoot him presently so presenting the Bible as Soldiers do their Musquet he crys out Touff Touff Touff Now he is shot there lies the foul thief as dead as a Haron Some Eye-witnesses report of another that was to give the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper such as they can give and having got into the Pulpit he looks about him and says Sirs I miss somebody here to day I miss Christ here the day but he promised to be here the day I think he will be as good as his word however I will go out and see if he be coming he at this went out of the Pulpit and staying out some little time he comes in and tells them Now Sirs Christ is coming I saw him on his white Horse coming to you Now what entertainment will you give him I will tell you Sirs Will ye get among you all but one Pint of Faith a Gill of Grace and a Mutchkine of Sanctification and this will make a good morning draught for him In the Mers there was a Communion given lately and as it is ordinary there is a Discourse for every Table one of the Preachers that 's most cried up for his Eloquence said You that are Wives ye will be saying ordinarily when ye meet Cummer have ye spun your Yarn yet But alas I fear there are few of you that have spun a Wedding-garment for Christ the day But Christ will be among you and see who is his well busked Bride he 'l say to them that have not on their Wedding-garment Is that nasty Slut there my Bride shame and lack fall that Bride Go nasty Slut sway'd away to Hell It is ordinary among some Plebeians in the South of Scotland to go about from door to door upon New-years Eve crying Hagmane a corrupted word from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies the Holy Month. John Dickson holding forth against this Custom once in a Sermon at Kelso says Sirs do ye know what Hagmane signifies It is the Devil be in the house that 's the meaning of its Hebrew Original Another time he told his Hearers what an Idolatrous Church the English Church is for lay two Eggs in a Dish and the one is not so like the other as the Church of Rome and the Church of England are to one another I know a Minister that went purposely to hear this man and declared upon his real truth that he held out a nonsensick rhapsody for an hour and an half time on the third of Matth. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased All the Graces of the Spirit said he are mysterious faith is a mystery there is a faith that is not saving but that 's no mystery I believe if I should ask any of you whether or no ye believe the words that I read to you you will all say Humf we all believe that Sirs the Devil does more and yet he is not saved nor like to be in haste This is a passage of our Saviour's Transmigration Sirs says he It tells how our blessed Saviour was reform'd like an Angel of Light when his Disciples saw that Glorious sight they were all like a Country man that had never tasted outlandish wine before the wine runs up into his head and makes him dizzie so the Disciples were dizzie the 17. v. They knew not what they said t that is they were dizzie From the words we learn this note of Doctrine That Christ he is lovely O he is lovely O he is lovely First as he is the Son of God 8. Prov. v. 15. By me Kings reign and princes decree justice That is lovely Christ hath authority over all the Kings of the world The Great Turk can do nothing without him The meikle Deel and the black Pape can do nothing without him There were a pack of Deels limbs a year or two ago here and they thought forsooth all would be their own and now lovely Christ in his Providential Providence is like to disappoint them all and who kens but they 'l come begging Pease and Pottage at ours doors yet Christ is lovely as he is Mediator cut him all in pieces from head to foot every bit of him is lovely They 'l tell you now the young Prince is banished Britain but I 'le tell you of a young Prince that has been banished Britain these 28 years by the incoming of the perjur'd Prelates and drunken Curates lovely Christ is that young Prince and now he is like to come back again to get his Crown O take him now now when he is coming with a whip in his hand to scourge out the cursed Curates c. This was preached in the Parish of Smallum in Teviotdale and the effect of this Preaching followed the next Sabbath for the rabble came and pulled the Minister out of his Pulpit in the time of his Sermon One Mr. Thomas Ramsay in Mordington within the Shire of Berwick said in a Sermon upon the
hast rejected that we seek it is King Christ that has been a stranger these many years in poor Scotland It is reported of Mr. Robert Blair at St. Andrews that he had this expression in his Prayers Lord thou art a good Goose for thou art still dropping And severals in the Meeting-houses of late have made use of it to which they add Lord thou rains down middings of blessings upon us Mr. Anderson a Phanatick Preacher in Perthshire in a Prayer said Good Lord it is told us That thou knows a proud man by his looks as well as a malignant by his works but what tilt thou do with these malignants I 'll tell thee Lord what thou wilt do Even take them up by the heels and reest them in the Chimney of Hell and dry them like Bervy Haddocks Lord take the Pistol of thy Vengeance and the Mortar-piece of thy Wrath and make the hairns of these malignants a hodge podge but for thy own Bairns Lord feed them with the Plumdames and Raisons of thy Promises and e'en give them the Spurs of Confidence and Boots of Hope that like new spean'd fillies they may soup over the fold-dikes of Grace A learned Divine of that Sett at Pitsligo in his publick Prayer this last Summer said O Lord thou' rt like a Mousie peeping out at the hole of a Wall for thou sees us but we see not thee Mr. William Moncrif whom I named before pag. after his Sermon is Summer last at Largo in Fife in the Intercession of his Prayer said O God establish and confirm thy Church in Scotland and defend her from her bloody and cruel Enemies Popery and Prelacy O Lord prosper thy reformed Churches of Portugal and Piedmont and of the rest of the Low Countries and carry on thy work which is begun in Ireland and sweet good Lord finally begin and carry on a work in England Mr. Shields preaching near Dumfreis in his Prayer for K William said Good Lord bless him with a stated opposition in his Heart to the Antichristian Church of England and with Grace to destroy all the Idolatry and Superstition of their foolish and foppish Worship and bless all the people of the Land with Strength Zeal and Courage throughly to reform the State as well as the Church in these Kingdoms that they may be untied in the Bond of the Solemn League and Covenant and purified according to that pattern in the Mount which we and our Posterity are all sworn to Mr. John Welsh pray'd Lord we are come hither a pack of poor Beggers of us the day alms to the poor blind here for God's sake that never saw the light of the Gospel alms to the poor deaf here that never heard the joyful sound to the poor Cripples that have their Legs the Covenant broken by the Bishops Lord pity thy poor Kirk the day poor Woman sad is she Lord lend her a lift and God confound that filthy bitch that Gumgal'd Whore the Whore of Babylon One Mr. Hustone said Lord give us Grace for if theu give us not Grace we shall not give thee Glory and who will win by that Lord One Bâ—rlands in Gallowshiels a blasphemous ignorant Blockhead said in his Prayers before Sermon Lord when thou was electing to Eternity grant that we have not got a wrong cast of thy hand to our Souls Another time praying at Jedburgh he said Lord confound the Tyrant of France God's Vengeance light on him the Vengeance of God light on him God's Vengeance light on him but if he be of the Election of Grace Lord save him Lord confound the Antichristian crew in Ireland indeed Lord for the great man time heads them God knows we wish not his destruction we wish him Repentance of his sins but not the rest As for the crew of the Church of England that 's gone in to fight against them they are as profane a crew as themselves Lord but thou can make one man destroy another for the Interest of the people of God and to give Gods people Elbow-room in the Land One who is now a Head of a Colledge and is look't upon by the party as their great Advocate and Oracle in a publick Congregation at Edenburgh 1690 in his Prayer had these words which one that heard them and immediately committed them to Writing shewed to me O Lord give us give us good Lord but Lord you 'll may be say to us Ye are always troubling me what shall I give you now but Lord whatever thou says we know that thou in thy hart likes such trouble and now I 'll tell thee what thou should give us Lord I 'll not be greedy nor misleard now Lord then only give us thy self in earnest of better things Good Lord what have ye been doing all this time where have you been this 30 year What good have ye done to your poor Kirk in Scotland that has been so many years spurgal'd with Antichrist's riding her she has been long lying on her back and sadly defiled and many a good lift have we lent her O how often have we put our Shoulders to Christs Cause when his own back was at the Wall to be free with you Lord we have done many things for thee that never enter'd in thy noddle and yet we are content that thou take all the glory is not that fair and kind It 's true good Lord you have done gelly well for Scotland now at last and we hope that thou hast begun and will carry ony thy work in England that stands muckle in mister of a Reformation but what have you done for Ireland Lord ah poor Ireland then pointing with his Finger to his Nose he said I true I have nickt you there Lord. O God thou hast bidden us pray for Kings and yet they have been always very troublesome to thy Kirk and very fasious Company Lord either make them good or else make us quite of their Company They say that this new King thou hast sent us takes the Sacrament kneeling and from the hand of a Bishop ah that 's black that 's fowl work Lord deliver him from Papary and Prelacy from a Dutch Conscience and from the hardheartedness of the Stewarts and let us never be trysted again with the bag and baggage of the Family the black band of Bishops to trouble and lord it over thy Church and Heritage Good Lord send back our old King of poor Scotland restore him to his Throne and Dignity to his absolute Power and Superemacy from which he he hat been so long and so unjustly banished Lord you ken what King I mean I do not mean K. James na forsooth I do no mean him I mean Lord you ken well enough wha I mean I mean sweet K. Jesus that 's been long kept out of this his own Covenanted Kingdom by the Bishops and Godless Act of Supremacy Lord I have many more tales to
Reproach is this for Ministers who pretend to be set for the Defence of the Gospel thus to be found betraying Religion This is in effect not only Flattery but Blasphemy as great as if they had said They resolved by the help of God to be as Unfaithful Time-serving and Silent Ministers as ever plagued the Church of God p. 180. Now the Presbyterians who accepted this Toleration and made such bustling Addresses of Thanks to King James for it are they whom Mr. Rule calls the sober Presbyterians and now I leave him to Vindicate himself and them from what is thus charged upon them by one who is well known to be a true Presbyterian and as such is at present own'd and imployed in a considerable Trust by the General Assembly And if we may judge from all the Principles and Practices of former Scotch Presbyterians he is really a far honester Presbyterian than they who would now call themselves Moderate and yet in contradiction to that Title persecute their Reformed Brethren with the greatest Rigour and Severity To conclude this Head and to justifie what may be thought most severe in the Character giver of Presbyterians in the former Section if we may believe the account the Presbyterians of Scotland have published to the World themselves as I think they ought not to blame us if we do then the one half of our Presbyterians are neither Moderate nor Sober but Wild Hill-men Separatists a robbing lawless ungovernable Rabble a mad People head-strong Traytors and Rebels that is in a word they are Cameronians vide First and Second Vindication and further Vindication of the Church of Scotland The other half are Betrayers of all Religion Covenant-breakers Worldly Fawning Flattering Court Parasites Blasphemous Unsaithful Time-serving Silent Ministers and the greatest Plagues of the Church of Scotland vide Hind let loose Banders disbanded And even Dr. Rule as he Intitles himself and is angry that others do not call him so too in that Defence of the Presbyterians which he writes by the Order of the General Assembly calls the Cameronians a People rendered mad p. 91. And in the same Page speaking of the other Party of Presbyterians says I deny not but many of them put force upon their Light Again p. 118. They did hear renitente Conscientiâ And what is this to say in plain terms but that one Party of Presbyterians is without their Wits and many of the other without any Conscience Now what may Prelatists look for from such Men Pudet haec opprobia nobis dici potuisse non potuisse refelli There are some famous Authors more that are fit to have place here because in their Writings they discover the true Spirit of the Presbyterian New Gospel two of them own themselves to be present Pamphleteers for the Party pretending forsooth to answer Books too The honestest and truest Presbyterian of these two shall have as he deserves the first place that is the Author of the brief and true Account of the Sufferings of the Kirk of Scotland occasioned by the Episcopalians since the Year 1660 London printed 1690. In the very first Page he seems to be struck with Astonishment at the thinking but of Episcopalians as he calls them O says he their Superlative Impudence their Hellish Dissimulation and Malice They imitate the Devil himself who first tempts and then accuses tho' it 's too visible that their Consciences are past feeling being seared as with a hot Iron When their Hierarchy was restored the Devil who seemed to be bound sometime before was let loose the Flood-gates of all Impiety and Wickedness were set open and Hell did triumph in its Conquests over the Nation and displayed its Banner not only against Religion but even Morality Which the Prelates and their Adherents were so far from opposing that they indulged the People but especially the Gentry in their Wickedness as knowing that to be the only Method to secure them on their side Well believe but this New Gospeller and the Scotch Gentry as well as Clergy are a rare sort of Monsters indeed for the best Characters and softest Words he bestows upon them are these They are Godless Miscreants of the true Aegyptian Brood infamous Parracides Sorcerers and incestuous Apostates infamous Varlets infamous Villains left to corrode their own viprous Bowels with their Inhumane Fury the Devil's Instruments fit onely to be Stallions and Pimps to Bawdy-Houses the Episcopalian Hireling Preachers with their infernal Bawlings the Scum and Refuse of the Nation they bore the Characters of Wickedness of their Foreheads liker Pagans than Professors Blood-hounds Children of Hell the Tyranno-papa-prelatical Host the great Papa-prelatical Champion Dundee Savage Beasts in Humane Shape a graceless untoward Generation of Prelatists who use nothing but Hectoring for Reason and Cursing for Argument ungodly Episcopal Brutes that reprobate Faction that Limb of Antichrist and infernal Locust the Apostate Archbishop Sharp with a Malice like his Father the Devil that waspish formal Prelate The Generation of Vipers the Episcopalian Seed of the Serpent Hectors and Buffoons the most obdurate impenitent spiteful base impudent Priests whose Fathers were not good enough to eat with the Dogs of their Flocks infamous scandalous lying Runnagates c. This is the way the Scotch Presbyterians use to argue and answer Books and these are the sweetest Flowers of our Authors Presbyterial Rhetorick that he liberally strows in every Page of his Book which being quite contrary to the Spirit and Genious of CHRIST must be allowed to pass for new minted superfine Presbyterian Gospel Well so much for Scotland that 's his own Country perhaps our Author may be more courteous and civil to Strangers Next then let 's see how he treats the other Reformed Churches As for the Church of England he discharges most furiously against her in many places viz. p 7. She is the worst constitute Church in the World These Tantivees let their Hyperbolical Pretensions of Zeal for Religion and Loyalty be what they will if the King but put forth his hand to touch them they will curse him to his face and rather than part with an Inch of Superstition or a Swinish Lust will as the Party have always done lay a Confederacy with Hell and Rome as times past and present do evidence beyond contradiction I wonder he did not add and times to come for that would have been as true as the other And again p. 8. For the new upstart slavish Doctrine of Passive Obedience as the Church of England had the Dishonour to be the Mother of it she has also the Ignominy to be the Murderer having basely cut it's Throat as Harlots use to do sometimes with their spurious Brood Page 27. If the English Clergy offer to assist the Prelatical Scots as they ate readier by a thousand to one to do it than to Swear Allegiance to their Soveraigns it may arm the good Women with their Folding-stools once more against them
he condemns them and says he will not defend them but he seems not concerned shamefully to contradict himself at every turn The People for whom he pleads are not so critical as to observe that and for others he says that he despises and contemns them Sometimes if you 'l believe him Cameronians are zealous godly Men eminent for their suffering for Christ by and by says he They are a wild ungovernable desperate Rabble render'd mad by Oppression the sum of all is Revenge is a true Presbyterian Vertue and Contradiction Mr. Rule 's best way of Reasoning Preface par 6. these are his words I have treated the Adversaries I deal with as Brethren desiring rather to exeeed than come short in Civility and fair dealing with them But at the same time he takes the liberty almost in every Page to call those he deals with Of the Seed of the Serpent Devils habitual Drunkards and Swearers Traitors that deserve to have their Necks stretched prophane Persons constant Sabbath-breakers horrid Lyers and Slanderers Men who beat their Wives and in their Dealings are most injurious to Men having no Conscience p. 32. Ministers who are Opposers of Christ and his Institution and who harden and encourage the People in their Sins As may be read in the Pages above cited and many other of Rule 's exceeding Civil Book which being written by the Design of the whole General Assembly it 's but natural and just to conclude that this is the only way of Scots Presbyterian Civility and fair Dealing Again in the same Preface and Parag 6. he says I build not on Hear-say or common Talk which is the best Foundation of many of the Assertions of my Adversaries And in the same page these are his immediate preceeding words The truth of matters of fact asserted in this Treatise is not to be taken from me but from them who are my Informers few of whom I pretend to any personal knowledge of therefore not my Veracity is pledged but that of others if they have deceived or been deceived I am not to answer for that What can a Man believe of a Book that 's usher'd in with such a doubting and contradictory Preface if these were not Mr. Rule 's own express Sayings no body could well believe that the whole Faction could have singled out such a Writer to Vindicate them but Falshood it seems has no Feet and Lyars who have so little Wit and Memory must needs be often intangled in their own Snares Some of the Church of England have medled far beyond their Line in our Affairs tho' we be far from interposing in any of theirs p. 16. only upon occasion we take the Christian Liberty that our Predecessors have always done of calling them Superstitious Popish and Idolatrous in their Worship and in their Doctrine scandalous for Arianism Arminianism Socinianism Popery and that Turkish Bow-string Doctrine of Passive Obedience and that in their Government they are directly contrary to Christ's Institution to the design of the Reformation and to the Holy Covenant being Tyrannical Prelatical yea and Archi-papa-prelatical What we are bound to by the Covenant says he again is not to reform them but to concur with them when lawfully called to advance the Reformation that is wholly to overturn their Church and State as we formerly did by our own glorious Gospel-Methods of Fire and Sword having a very lawful Call from a godly Party who invited us to fight the Battels of the Lord against the Mighty the King who opposed Reformation-Work in the Land And now says he its far from our thoughts to go beyond that Boundary in being concerned in their Affairs we wish their Reformation but leave the managing of it to themselves that is till we find such a blessed Occasion as those Worthies of the Lord the Reformers did in 48. Page 23. he says that King James abdicated the Government and that the Parliament called it so if he knows any thing of those Affairs he knows that the Parliament of Scotland did nor give it that name tho' that of England did However if he did Abdicate I would fain know how this consists with Rule his concluding just before p. 22. That his Royal Authority was taken away by the Nation and with what he says p. 100. The Nation laid him aside and chused another This is the constant Doctrine of Scotch Presbyterians and they practice accordingly That the People can give and take away the Royal Authority can lay aside and chuse Kings at their pleasure vide Buchan de Jur. Reg. Jus Populi Vind. Lex Rex and Rule 's Vind. Now to use Mr. Rule 's moderate Phrase in that place Some Mens necks have been made to stretch for a less Crime than to assert under an Hereditary Monarchy that Kings are or can be elected and it 's certain they are as little Friends to their present Majesties as to Monarchy who would found their Authority upon such a tottering bottom nay Mr. Rule in the name of the other Presbyterians tells plainly that they owe no Allegiance to King William but in so far as he supports Presbytery and that it would overturn the very Foundations of his Authority to restore Episcopacy For says he it is declared against in the Claim of Right as a Grievance and therefore cannot be restored without overturniing the Foundation of our present Civil Settlement p. 90. parag 4 And again p. 152. parag 2. The Convention hath voted Episcopacy to be a Grievance to the Nation and in the Claim of Right made it a Fundamental Article in the Government that it should be abolished Now what 's the meaning of all this but that the present Government of State must necessarily stand and fall with Presbytery So that all their great boasts of Loyalty to the present King amounts to no more than this No Presbytery no King William Page 36. par 11. he says Most of the Episcopal Ministers who went out were put out by their own Consciences for they deserted their Charges without either Sentence Threatning or Compulsion And yet before that Page 26 Parag. 6. he owns that the Presbyterian Rabble did persecute and drive them away But that this is no more imputable to the Presbyterians than the Drunkenness Swearing Whoredoms and Persecutions that we charge many of the Prelatists with are to be lookt on as the Crimes of all the Episcopalians And farther he excuses that Rabble because as he there avers They were under the highest Provocations imaginable to do what they did yea to have proceeded to farther Severities And he adds out of the abundance of Presbyterian sence that these things were done in an Interregnum which by the bye can never possibly fall out in an Hereditary Kingdom And tho' he says we had then no Church-Government yet himself knows the contrary and that Prelacy stood then established by many Laws made in 27 Parliaments freely and legally Elected in the most setled times and that the
preaching in Linton in Teviotdale said Our Bishops thought they were very secure this long time Like Willie Willie Wastel I am in my Castle A the Dogs in the Town Dare not ding me down Yea but there is a doggie in Heaven that has dung them all down Another preaching of the Dialogue betwixt God and Adam after his Fall Adam said he went to hide himself God comes to him and said where art thou man I am courring here Lord I 'le hazard twa and a plack saith God there is a whap in the Kape Ede has thou been at Barne-breaking Ede come out of thy holes and thy bores here Ede Mr. James Kirkson told several times in his Sermons at Edenling That the Devil had his Kirk-Government as well as God and would ye ken what a Government it is indeed it is a Presbyterian Government for he has his Minister and his Ruling Elder his Minister is the Pope and his Ruling-Elder is the King of France The same man once speaking of the Evils of the tongue said Your tongues Sirs are as foul as a dog's tongue when he licks Skitter before God it 's true But do not take this out of the House with you Sirs Mr. Matthew Selkirk preaching against keeping of days said They that keep †Yule-day Sirs deny that Christ came in the flesh and are rank Jews they keep that day in commemoration of J. Caesar the chief of the Jews Mr. Hugh Kennedy Moderator of the General Assembly being about to Christen a Child in the Colledg-Kirk looked about him and said Look Sirs and see the Devil painted in that Bairns face but we shall do the best we can to conjure him out I shall shortly nail his lug to Christ's trone till from a Calf he grow up to an Ox to draw in Christ's Plow Mr. Arskine in the Tron-Church said That the work of the Lord is like to be ruin'd for there are two sorts of people that have taken their hands from the work of the Lord. First the Malignants that never laid their hands to it 2ly The Court-party but you Lasses and Lads put your shoulders to that work take a good lift of it for it will not break your backs and ye can never use your backs in a better work One Mr. Robert Gourly preaching on the Woman of Canaan how our Saviour called her a Dog told Sirs some of you may think that our Saviour spake very improperly for he should have called her a Bitch but to this I answer a Dog is the Masculine or Feminine Gender there is a He-dog and a She-dog But you will ask why did he miscall the poor Woman and call her a Dog There are God's Dogs and the Devils Dogs she was God's Dog not the Devil's Dog Mr. Sheilds in a Sermon at Aberdeen told the people the only way to hold a fast grip of Christ was to entertain him with three Liquors in three sundry Bickers you must have a pint of hope three pints of faith and nine pints of hot hot hot burning zeal One Mr. Strange preaching on Act 2. 37 38. before several Ladies of the best Quality of our Kingdom They were pricked at their hearts said Some of you are come hither the day to get a prick I fear few of you have gotten a prick but some of you may get a prick within a short time And seeing some laugh he said Do not mistake me Sirs It is not a natural prick I mean but a prick at the heart I mean not the pricks of the flesh but the pricks of the spirit the sweet prick of Conscience One Mr. James Wilson now in Kirkmeddon in Galloway told That Faith had wonderful effects For by faith Noah saw the deluge before it came But I will tell you a far more wonderful effect of Faith than that John the Baptist saw Christ through twa wymbs was not that a clear-ey'd little one 〈…〉 One Mr. Melvin being sent by the Presbytery to the Parish of Monzie in Struthern to prepare the people by a Sermon for receiving a Presbyterian Minister in the place of Mr. Drammond a person of great Learning who was deprived at the false suggestions of a Weaver in that Parish whom he saved from the Gibbet in King Charles 2d's time the said Mr. Melvin Lecturing on this Text Touch not mine Anointed and do my Prophets no harm said The Kings and the great folks and the cursed Bishops for sooth were seeking to destroy God's own people but as sturk as they were God is starker and bad them bide back bide back pointing with his finger this is my folk they are none of your folks and so God keeped his own poor people Sirs except some few that were hanged but Oh Sirs it 's a sweet sweet denth to go off the Gallows to God for the holy Covenant But for these cursed Bishops and Curates Sirs that were leading many poor souls to Hell this long time Sirs ye see they are now put out they are put out yea they are e'en trampled under our feet This is attested by a person that then lived within two miles of the place and heard him Mr. Areskine in the Trone-Church proposed in a Sermon What is the new man He made this learned Answer in a Melancholy long tone It is the new man Mr. Kirton lately in the Church he possesses at Edinburgh began his Sermon thus Devil tuke me soul and body The people startling at the expression he anticipates their wonder with this correction You think Sirs this a strange word in the Pulpit out you think nothing of it out of Pulpit but what if the Devil should tuke many of you when ye utter such Language Another time preaching against Cockupps he told I have been this year of God preaching against the vanity of Women yet I see my own Daughter in the Kirk even now have as high a Cockupp as any of you all Another time giving the Sacramens of the Lord's Supper in Crummond at the breaking of the Bread he told the Participants Take eat Sirs your Bread is baken And that was all the form he used as one of the Communicabsts told me the day after A Presbyterian Preacher in the Parish of Killpatrick Easter above Glasgow in whose Parish there is one Captain Sanderson a Church of England man who is looked on there by them as a rank Papist he once went to Church to see their way The Preacher seeing him in Church took a Fourteen our of his Pocket and held it up before the Congregation expressing these words Here I take instrument in the hand of God that tho a man be pardoned of all his original and actual sins yet if he neglect to 〈◊〉 our Fasts he shall never go to Heaven The Preacher owns what he said and did And the Captain desires the thing to be published in his name he being ready to justifie it upon any occasion Mr. William
Moncrief in Summer last preaching in the Church of 〈◊〉 in Fife the first thing he pretended to prove was That all his Hearers were Atheists and Reprobates And having demonstrated that as he said from that Psalm on which he lectur'd He proceeded next to his Sermon on this Text NOW it the accepted time now is the day of Salvation on which he said The Jews had their Now and the Papists had their Now but ah now they have no Now for the Gospel is for ever hid from their Eyes Scotland poor Scotland had a gracious Now in the glorious days of the Covenant when Christ was freely forced upon them but alas this Land breaking the Covenant has brought darkness upon it for many Years last but yea God had been pleased at lust to shine through the Cloud of Prelatical which is worse than Egyptish darkness and to give us another Now that is to offer us again his Covenant and the Foundation of it it Gospel for which ye are all heartily to be thinkful for this is your Now. And would ye know now how to express your thankfulness I 'll even tell you now Ye must do it by banishing out of the Covenanted Land all the Enemies of God the Prelates the Curates and all their Adherents Ye must not converse with them but 〈◊〉 them Hip and Thigh ye must 〈◊〉 the Philistines quite out ye must hate them and persecute them and 〈◊〉 upon 〈◊〉 of Damnation â— for if ye neglect it now your Now is past for ever Now Sirs ye must not think this strange Doctrine for I can prove it by plain Scripture for did not God frequently command his People to cut off the 〈◊〉 Root and Branch and did not David positively hate and curse the Profane and Wicked who were God's Enemies But ye'll say to me Sirs that Christ desired us to loveour Enemies that 's true indeed but there 's no word of God's Enemies there mark that Beloved tho' we love out own Enemies yet we are bound to hate God's Enemies that is all the Enemies of the Covenanted 〈◊〉 This was heard by several Sober and Judicious Persons who were heartily sorry to hear the Scriptures so basely perverted who immediately after the Sermon wrote down this Account tent them to me attested under their Hands About two Years ago Mr. Shields who is Chaplain to my Lord Angus's Regiment being with the said Regiment at the Town of Peâ—â—â— and hearing that the Colonel to an English Regiment which had been in that Town the Week before had made his Chaplain to read the English Service upon the Sunday before in the Church to his Souldiers 〈…〉 Shields upon this occasion thought to raâ—â— nightly againâ—t the Church of England and its Liturgy among other things he said That there was no difference betwixt the Church of England and the Church of Rome but that the one said Mass in English and the other in Latin and that upon the 〈◊〉 they were both indeed equally Idolatrous and ye know Sirs that according to God's Law all Idolaters should be stoned to death Alas all the Water in Tay will not be able to wash away the filth of that Idolatry with which the Walls of this Kirk was last Sunday defiled ah the Service Booâ— was 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 it smell rank and strong of the old Whore of Babylon Mr. Kirkton preaching in his Meeting-house in the Castle-hill of Edinburgh adduced several instances of the Poverty of the People of God amongst others he had this remarkable one Brethren says he Criticks with their frim frams and whytie whaties may imagine a hundred reasons for Abraham's going out of the Land of Caldea but I will tell you what was always my Opinion I believe Abraham poor man was forced to run out of the Land of Judea for Debt Another Sunday before several Gentlemen who told me the Story so soon as they returned from Church preaching on the Allsufficiency of God he told his hearers That they might make out of God what they pleased Hose Shoes Cloaths Meat and Drink c. One says he may have a good Stock but he cannot get in out of his Friends hands when he needs it he must pursue him first before the Lords of the Session registrat his Bond get a charge of Horning and at last take him with Caption but no man ever needed to registrate God's Bond or take him with Caption except Jacob who took him once with Caption at the side of a Hill and he got a broken Leg for his pains Once in the monthly Fast-day I heard him my self discourse to this purpose after he had read his Text which if I rightly remember was In that day I will not regard their Prayers nor their Tears c. In speaking to these words says he I shall shew you five lost Labours three Opportunities three Fears three Woes three Lamentations three Prophesies and a word about poor Scotland for the three fears the first is a great fear and that is lest this King give us not all our Will The 2d is a very great fear and that is if we should get all our Will I fear we should not make good use of it The 3d fear is the greatest of all but I must not tell you that fear Sirs for fear it should fear you all to hear it All the Town knows that this is true and that he never preaches but after this ridiculous manner I heard one Mr. Selkirk in a Sermon he preached in the Church of Inverask say Sirs Drink Whore and Debauch and run red wood through the World yet if you have but as much time as take hold of Christ in your last gasp I shall pawn my Soul for yours It may seem incredible that one who ever heard of Christianity should have used such an expression but it made such an impression on the Peoples Minds at that time that I believe there is hardly one of them who have forgot it to this hour and consequently all of them will be ready to vindicate the truth of what I here relate One preaching in Preston-pans upon Joshua 's making the Sun to stand still resolving to make a very learned Discourse began thus Sirs says he you 'll may be ask me how Joshua could make the Sun to stand still To that I answer it was by sisting of the motion of Primum Mobile commonly called the Zodiack-line but as to the Quomodo it 's no great matter but that the Story was true we have reason to believe from the Heathen Writers for it was told by them for a base baudy tale how Jupiter made a night as long as two that he might got a longer time to lye with Alemena Mr. Arskine in the Tron-Church preaching on these words Cry aloud and spare not told his People There were three sorts of Cries There is the cry of the Mouth says he Psal 104. The young Lions roar after their Prey that is with their Mouth The
reputation ready to attest by their Oaths and Subscriptions as shall be made appear in a 2d Edition of this Book if the clamors of the Party extort it and very many are willing to join in this who were not long ago their great friends and have many of their Sermons and Prayers in writing which they are now willing to expose having fully discovered the vile hypocrisie and Pharasaick professions of that Faction but this trouble we can hardly suppose that the Presbyterians will put us or themselves to because it 's not probable that they will deny what they so much glory in viz. this extraordinary way of Preaching and Praying which they think an excellency and perfection and call it a holy familiarity with God a peculiar priviledg of the most refined Saints Some may perhaps think this Collection was publish'd meerly to render these Puritans ridiculous but it 's plain enough to such as know them that we have not made but found them so we hope that our discovering their snares may prevent some mens being intangled with them they compass Sea and Land and are fully as zealous as their Predecessours to make proselytes to their Party and new Gospel Now the general intent of the Collectors of these Notes was that they might stand like Beacons to fright unwary Strangers from these Rocks upon which so many have formerly made shipwrack both of faith and good conscience Alas it 's but too too evident what havock and desolation these pretended Reformers have made in the Church and State Gods Name Honour and Worship is profan'd the Gospel exposed to the scorn and contempt of its enemies the more modest and honest Heathens and Turks the Flood-gates of Impiety and Atheism are set open the foundations of all true piety or policy are overturned and all regard to things either Sacred or Civil quite destroyed by these who as the Royal Martyr speaks seeking to gain reputation with the vulgar for their extraordinary Parts and Piety must needs undo whatever was formerly setled never so well and wisely I wish as the same Royal Author did that their Repentance may be their only punishment that seeing the mischiefs which the disuse of publick Liturgies hath already produced they may restore that credit use and reverence to them which by the Ancient Churches were given to set forms of sound and wholsome words And thou O Lord which art the same God Blessed for ever whose mercies are full of variety and yet of constancy Thou deniest us not a new and fresh sense of our old and daily wants nor despisest renewed affections joined to constant expressions Let us not want the benefit of thy Churches united and well-advised Devotions Keep men in that pious Moderation of their Judgments in matters of Religion that their ignorance may not offend others not their opinion of their own abilities tempt them to deprive others of what they may lawfully and devountly use to help their infirmities And since the advantage of Error consists in novelty and variety as Truth 's in unity and constancy suffer not thy Church to be pestred with Erros and deformed with undecencies in thy Service under the pretence of variety and novelty 〈◊〉 nor to be deprived of truth unity and order under this fallacy that constancy is the cause of formality Lord keep us from formal Hypocrisie in our hearts and then we know that praying to thee or praising of thee with David and other holy men in the same forms cannot hurt us Evermore defend and deliver thy Church from the effects of blind zeal and over-bold Devotion Amen FINIS Me was but last Year sent to Agent their Affairs at Court * Though Mr. Rule who defends the New Gospellers by denying their Prints and by palpable vntruths seems to disown this in his Second Vindication of his Kirk Yet much honester Presbyterians affirm it and glory in it Vid. Covenants with acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement to Duties renewed at Lesmahago 1688. Et Hind let loose †A Person who was well educated and justly esteemed at St. Andrew's Vniversity †That is in English some other Fish to fry * Charity it self cannot put a better Construction on so foul an Action * The name of a ridiculous and rebellious Book emitted by them in K. Charles the Second's time * Tear Notes of printed Sermons before the Parliament * Spaldin's Discourse to Parliament ‖ The Hill on which they first drew up their Army against K. Ch. 1. * Such the Scoth Phanaticks are indeed * The glorious days of the Covenant * That is true blue Presbytery * Herle 's Tripus †Three notable Rebellions raised by the Presbyterians against K. Charles the Second * Mr. Rule denies this in his late Book altho' himself and every Man acquainted with the Doctrine and Practice of the Kirk knows it to be very true * Compare this with making Presbytery the Foundation of the present Civil Government without which he says it cannot subsist Second Vindication Pag. 9. at the end †Easter Christmas Shrove-Tuesday * Mr. Rule upon the matter affirms the same Second Vindic p. 90. * Compare this with the late Assembly's refusing at the King's desire to admit of any of the Episcopal Clergy with them into the Exercise of the Ministry Compare this with the Presbyterians now denying the Power to the King of dissolving the Assembly * Vpon this consideration the late Assembly refused at K. W.'s desire to receive the Episcopal Party into any terms of Peace or Communion * All that are not true Covenanters * Taxes * Alsop and other London Pesbyterians Address to K. J. * Shields Chaplain to my Lord Angus's Regiment one of their famous Authors and Preachers * That was no doubt in the peaceful and godly days of the Holy Covenant But how seem'd the Devil to be bound then why it was after the New Gospel way he was bound in the Chains of Blood Murther and Rebellion being surfeited with those Sacrifices he seemed to lay himself down to rest leaving all his Drudgery upon Earth to be performed by his Covenanted Agents * The Presbyterians indeed ordinarily prevent the King 's putting forth his hand against them by assaulting him first * The great design of the New Gospel to decry Passive Obedience and to blaspheme the Church of England * The English Clergy who scruple to Swear shew that they can patiently suffer and therefore are not concerned at what Presbyterians threaten the Devil can go no farther than his Chain reaches * And so do all the new Gospellers * By the same argument the Protestant Religion must be Antihumane in France Italy and Spain and the Christian too in all the Grand Seignior's vast Dominions * Every thing that 's not agreeable to the New Gospel must be slavish nonsensical and damnable * Loved and honoured by all but Presbyterians * And yet they own the same Religion with us pag. 1. l 3. * The Authority of their Assemblies above that of King and Parliament * Well Ranted Rule * Preface Parag. 6. at the end and p. 26. c. * This is the Civil Style that he promised to exceed in Pref. par 6. * Where in the sense of the Law the King never dies * 'T is no new thing for Presbyterians to think Power a sufficient Call to act Illegally * As Mr. Rule himself did * Just like the Roman Catholick Church an Vniversal Particular Pag. 167. * Witness their many Covenants and Engagements to that purpose * Rule 's 2d Vindication of the Kirk * Even tho' it be solidly refuted by a Sciolist * Vid Rules 2d Vindication pag. 88. 177. * Honestly come by * A sham * Rent * Strange * Frown * Hugg * Get. * Dish * Accounts * Rent * Spilt †Goods * Engage * Bankrupt debters * Yearn * Noise * Ill manner'd * Foolish Song * Sculk * Give him credite * Empty * A Box. * Sack full of Grains * Streets * Table â—ead * Husband * Rent * Toped over * In the hand of a Notary * Fondled Darling * Foolish Child * Accounts * Longing * Higle * Pampered * Breding * Over and above * Put to Auction * Pag. 80. * Distaff * Beke * Large dish * Great * Hood * Trip. * Knew not * A Course * Nasty * Pulled and haled * Clutches * Sound bang * Kill * Christmass * Gay †Smock * Foolish Wench * Hen-peckt men * Beats * Dwarfie * Rifle a Magpies-Nest * Pettish †Old kindness †Wait not * Intreating ‖ Thin Dung of young Children †Such †Hold. †Two English Quarts * English Pint. †Haste * Childrens Toyes and Rattles * To Flout †Know ‡ Deep Dish †A Strong Porrage * Breeches †Little Children * Puâ—l †Too familiar †Child †Neat or Cattle †Low * Whisper ‖ Letters of Arrestment †Absconding * Nesty †absconding * Two-pence Half-penny †All 's not well * Mischief doing †Thin Dung * Christmass †Hold. * Wooden Cups †Two Wombs †Piece of Money * The name of a great River which washes the Walls of that City * Trifles * Raise on Action before the Judges and Arrest him * Stark mad * Tinkar * Dunghils * Smoke * Brains * Pruins * Weaned * Jump * Little Mouse * Gain * King James was then in Ireland * Ill mannered * When he could not stand without a Supporter * Pretty * Much in need * Troublesome * Encountered * Slipper * Another Cup full of it * Dunghill * Run a Tick with him * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the Ordinance against the Common-Prayer-Book * King Ch. his most pious and pertinent Prayer