his first cause of this fear viz. The many thousand Families that are come out of Scotland whether the Government will judge it the Interest of the Kingdom to hinder its Planting with his Majesties Industrious and Loyal Subjects to gratify the D. and cure him and the Irish Papists of their fears is very doubtful But I believe those who value the Protestant and Brittish Interest in Ireland could wish that many more thousand Protestant Families were Planted here tho they were not all of the D's persuasion nor do we see that this would lessen the Revenue and Strength of the Kingdom abate Gentlemens Rents spoil the Nations Trade nor hinder the Clergys Tythes so that it is questionable wherein the Nations Interest can be to obstruct Protestants settling here If his fears be because such are Scotch 't is but the ordinary effect of such panic fear as to bereave Men of considerate thoughts which seems to be the D's Case For beside the little Religion he Evidenceth in his Antipathy against that Nation there is as little policy as piety in its seeing the Nobility and Gentry of that Kingdom whom he boasts to be Members of this Establisht Church cannot but resent such a publick affront done to their Nation To the second cause of his fear viz. Their Preachers Zeal to the Covenant If by it he means the National Covenant Subscribed by King James the 6th and all Ranks of Persons in Scotland in 1580 1581 and 1590 they will own it as the antient Confession of that National Church and we suppose his Scotch Episcopal Brethren dare not disown it seeing it was a part of that Contradictory Test which they impos'd the old professional part contradicting the new promissory part but we suppose he intends the solemn League and Covenant and here we believe he may be mistaken of their Zeal for that as it is a League with England and Ireland obliging them to a Reformation seeing as a these Leagues formerly made with France oblige England since the French have violated them The Antidote against Ireland's Planting by Protestant Subjects from Scotland smels rank of National Antipathy and smites his Majesty King William with his now blessed Consort Queen Mary as Plaguers of that Nation by Abolishing Episcopacy but yet let this Antidote be no worse than its words are and we refuse not to perform a just quarentine and undergo any truly Religious Test that His Majesty shall think necessary to promote God's Glory the Nations Peace and Prosperity by Yet Experience hath found some of these called Religious Tests to be National Pests and should others observe them no better then the D. and some of his Brethren have done the Government may possibly be rendered more secure but not more safe by them But we perceive the D's fears are increasing and therefore he would have all the Nation Allarm'd with the Danger of the Cameronians who as he saith are lately Landed in considerable Numbers A. These considerable Numbers of Cameronians lately landed must have come from Vutopia for there be no considerable Numbers of them now in Scotland and other Nations bring forth no such Fruit For since the late happy Revolution all except very few unite with the Establish't Church there and their Preachers now orderly and ordain'd Ministers one whereof is a Chaplain to a Regiment in Flanders and in good esteem with his Majesty for his Zeal and Courage whereof he hath given good proof And we dare say that those whom he calls so dangerous have spent more blood in the defence of the Protestant Religion and in the Service of their King and Countrey both at home and abroad than all the Episcopal Clergy in Brittain and Ireland for the truth of which we doubt not but the best of the three Nations will vouch But while he is allarming the Kingdom with 〈◊〉 from 〈…〉 doth he not also as a Faithful Watchman warn it of his Jacobitish Brethren who swarms hither daily and notwithstanding their publickly declar'd Contempt of His Majesty's Government and Authority in denying Allegiance to him in Scotland are entertain'd as bosom Friends by some Clergy-men in Ireland tho they perform'd not their quarantine by swearing Allegiance to K. William And if the Government desire satisfaction in this matter they may by search of Records in the several Counties where they are entertain'd find out the truth of this and much more concerning such course men The Vindicator had told That there had been avowed designs of Extirpating Protestant Dissenters declared by many Sanguinary Laws past against them both in England and Scotland and that there were later ones in Scotland that made it capital to be present at their Meetings which the D. reckons unpardonable disingenuity 't is well it is not the sin against the Holy Ghost and to prove it these irrefragable Arguments are produced 1. He never heard it 2. He is inform'd by those who have reason to know better then the Vindicator that there is not one Sanguinary Law in England against Protestant Dissenters and in Scotland not one except one which was August 13. 1670. A. To his first demonstration taken from his not hearing it it seems his ears are of a prodigious length when every matter both of Fact and Law must be within the sphere of their activity if things cease to be because he heard them not a great many have had no being of whom he never heard The next from his Informer is little better for Episcopal Informers have not been always men of the best reputation yet it is strange that they should be ignorant of those Laws by which they had so much of other mens wealth but it 's like that being now out of date they are not fond of owning their old friends lest they should purchase new Enemies But if the D. who sees by his Neighbours eyes will receive truer Instruction from a Dissenter we will make appear that what the Vindicator asserts is real truth To begin then with England because its Laws against Dissenters are of eldest date we will find that Sanguinary Laws were there First against the Soul Secondly against the Body Thirdly against the Estates of Protestant Dissenters And to give the Church the deserv'd pre-eminence in this case by her Canons made Anno 1603. eleven of these in the Van are levelled against Dissenters by most of which they are to be excommunicated ipso facto and not to be restored but by the A. Bishop after Repentance and a publick Recantation of such wicked Errors And when by this Canonical Cimiter they are cut off from the Church Militant and by vertue of the keys of Heaven committed to it the gates of Heaven which it seems were formerly potent are now shut against Dissenters and alti janua ditis made open and they delivered to the Devil lest he should prove too merciful in not receiving their Mittimus the poor Dissenters by a Writ De Excommunicato Capiendo is to be apprehended by
this silly shift of bending the Knee in the Eucharist which came in with Popery they call indifferent and well know we will not do contrary to our Conscience while they do not try us with the Doctrinal Articles for a Test let all Wise Men judge of this Policy and Religion His second Observation of Dissenters growing much more tumultuous since the Legal Indulgence hath been granted them I apprehend hath been made by the D. in his Dream arising from frightful Ideas he hath of the Dissenters for sure since the commencement of a Legal Indulgence in 1689. no instance of Dissenters Tumults can be produc'd Tho' we can instance Bloody Tumults Rebellions and Conspiracies against the King and Government carried on by those who call themselves the Sons of the Church both in England and Scotland in which no Presbyterian hath been concern'd The V. having desired to know from the D. wherein a Toleration to Dissenting Protestants will advance the Popish Interest in Ireland he promiseth to give a full and ample satisfaction in this matter And 1st He desires him seriously to consider whether there be not violent presumption that a publick Legal Indulgence to Protestants doth not highly advance the Popish Interest since all Romish Emissaries so eagerly desire and industriously promote Tolerations tho limited to Protestant Dissenters and when all other measures fail'd have readily expended considerable Summs of Money to purchase them And it is generally known that the Declaration A. 1671 2. was of the Papists procuring A. If this Declaration was not granted in favor of the Dissenters in Ireland as he knows it was not his Answer can't satisfy the V's demand who would only know wherein a Toleration to Dissenters in Ireland wou'd advance the Popish Interest here but the Declaration he speaks of seems to be that emitted in England A. 1691 2 and then he most disingenuously represents the matter for it was procured by an Exigence of State Affairs England then being engaged in a War against Holland it was thought unsafe to persecute so numerous and wealthy a part of the Nation as Protestant Dissenters then were and in the interim to carry on a War against their Friends abroad therefore to keep matters at home as quiet as possible a Declaration for Indulgence was Published but so far from limiting the Indulgence to Protestant Dissenters that Popish Recusants had apparently the greatest share in that Liberty which so much disgusted the Nation that the King was necessitated to make Apology for it as appears by his Speech to the Parliament Feb. 5. An. 1672. In which he saith I put forth my Declaration for Indulgence to Dissenters and have hitherto found the good effect of it There is one part that is subject to mis-construction which is that concerning the Papists as if more liberty were granted to them than to other Recusants when it is plain there is less I do not intend to prejudice the Church but will support its Religion in its full Power having said I shall take it very ill to receive Contradiction in what I have done and I will deal plainly with you I am Resolved to stick to my Declaration The Lord Chancellor also spake the same thing viz. His Majesty hath so fully Vindicated his Declaration from that Calumny concerning the Papists that no reasonable scruple can be made against it by any good Man he hath sufficiently justify'd it by the time it was Published in the Effects he hath had from it and might have done it more from the agreeableness of it to his own natural Disposition which no good English-man could wish other ways than it is he loves not blood nor rigorous severities but where mild and gentle methods may be used by a Prince he is certain to chuse them and concludes that head thus But His Majesty is not convinced that violent Ways are the Interest of Religion or the Church By this we may see if the D. doth not Rival the V. in setting as he saith of him things in a false light for what can be less candid than this Representation of that matter Seeing 1. There was no legal Toleration but a Liberty granted by a Declaration which is questionable whether Law or not 2. Nor was it limitted to Protestant Dissenters only but included also Papists Nor 3dly Procured by mony By this we may see the merciless disposition of some Church-Men who first extort from the Magistrate Rigorous Laws and then reproach Dissenters for disloyalty in not obeying them which they have squeezed from the Magistrate contrary to his Inclination and Interest The D's second Argument to prove that the free exercise of Protestant Religion according to different Modes will advance the Popish Interest here is drawn from his experience for saith he when Protestant Dissenters or as he calls them pretended Protestants have been Legally Indulged it hath been experimentally found that Popish Emissaries were more numerous their Application greater and Harvest more plenteous than at other times A. If the D. had as sincerely intended as he vainly promised ample satisfaction in this point he would have instanc'd the time when and place where a legal Indulgence granted to Protestant Dissenters produc'd that effect for tho he values his own testimony as demonstration others do not for it appears not that this fell out in Queen Elizabeth's K. James's or K. Charle's 1st time it then must be either in Oliver's time as by the date of Bishop Bramhall's Letter in 1659 which he cites would appear but then the Papists do not glory in their Harvest here unless it was that many of them were cut down at the same rate being set on a Priest's Head in Ireland as on a Wolf which occasion'd Emissaries to be never less numerous than then or after the Restauration of K C. 2d during whose Reign Dissenters had no Legal Indulgence here tho we confess the application of Papists was strong the Harvest plentiful and Emissaries numerous or for King James the 2d's time in which no such Toleration limited to Dissenters was thought on The charge then must lye on K. W. and Q. M. since 1689. but then his experience will be found false for neither we bless God for it are Popish Emissaries so numerous as in former times have been nor their harvest so plentiful nay we have found it experimentally that when Protestant Dissenters has been violently Persecuted Popish Emissaries has been most warmly Entertain'd for when Dissenters in the North of this Kingdom were forced in the beginning of K. C. I's Reign to undertake a troublesome Voyage to America there to shelter themselves from Persecution tho' providentially driven back then a Toleration for Papists here was granted Concerning Bp. Bramhall's Letter to Primate Vsher produc'd to prove his experience Anno 1659. in which 't is said that several of the Popish Clergy of France were taught manual Trades to qualify them as Emissaries to foment divisions in England A few Instances given of these
he saith to be always in extreems very good or very bad and is at several times highly applauded and violently decry'd by the whole Body of Dissenting Protestants it hath some truth but not the whole truth in it for both Papists and Sons of the Church have and do decry and commend it according to their need for do not the Papists in England and Ireland and his Episcopal Brethren in Scotland plead for it as much as Protestant Dissenters We suppose he hath seen Bishop Taylor 's Liberty of Prophecying and when he hath answered the Preface to that Book he may possibly prevent mens looking on Toleration as unlawful If he had the wisdom of the unjust Steward he might improve his Remark that should he be put out of his Stewardship which is metaphysically possible he might have Friends to receive him into their Houses To the V's Question whether he could produce one Instance of any Protestant Dissenter even in the late Reign turning Papist The D. gives a womans reason he could give several Instances but will not mention one which certainly flows not from tenderness of our Reputation which he labours on all occasions industriously to blast but either because he can't as we are sure he can't fairly or because he is tender of their honor now they are turn'd Papists and will not expose them or fears if we come to ballance Accounts with him he shall be much a Loser But however He tells the great reason why so few of theirs or our Communion were perverted is under God to be ascribed to the excellent Discourses wrâ—t against Papists by the Episcopal Clergy and amongst the vest numbers of those admirable Tracts two only were wrote by Dissenters and then he falls to downright calling and reviâ—ing Dissenters A. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 think it unjust to derogate from the worth of any mans labours yet it is only native to Animals of 〈…〉 their own Praise and inconsistent with the 〈◊〉 of God which directs us to let another man praise 〈…〉 Lips A stranger and not thine own 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 D. being jealous none would undertake to be his Parties Herald but with so much Vanity That he calls to our remembrance a frantick man who before the Troubles wandred about in the North under the Title of King of the Rainbow who with great assurance asserted he defended Brittain and Ireland from all foreign Enemies that he fought our Battles and that we ow'd our lives to his Valour Conduct and hath been observ'd busie in an old Fort in his imaginary War So tho we will not deny all good that such discourses may have done yet we are confident that their influence upon Dissenters hath been very weak seeing very few of them hath heard or seen these Admirable Tracts which would justly deserve the Epithete if they could preserve those who never saw nor heard them But how comes he to know that only two were wrote by Dissenters against Papists doth he know all of that nature is done by them we suppose the Morning Exercises Preach't and Printed by the Dissenting Ministers of London to that purpose may viâ— with any of these admirable Tracts several others also might be Instanced But yet we see not that the Irish-English Clergy have any great share in this Honour except it be the Bishop of Derry in his Admirable Tract against Manby in which he hath taken the same method to prevent Dissenters being perverted that so did whâ— recommended cutting off the Head as a Soveraign Remedy against the â—oothach for lest the Catholick Church shou'd lose its Members by their being perverted he prudently cut them off from being Members of it And left the Lawful Spiritual Governours of the Church shou'd laugh at Presbyterians and Independants he appears to us to treat them no better if his Difinition of the Catholick Church hold good â—or pag. 4. He defines it to be the whole Body of Men professing the Religion of Christ and living under their Lawful Spiritual Governours Now the Lawful Spiritual Governours can't live under the Lawful Spiritual Governours for then should they be undermost and upmost at the same time and therefore a Bishop is as little a member of the Catholick Church as a Presbyterian Bishop Sheridon also Preach't a Sermon against Popery which we have seen but how it preserv'd him in his Bishoprick the D. knows and yet notwithstanding all these admirable Tracts he boasts of the Establish't Church has furnish't Rome with twenty Proselytes to one more than all the Dissenting Protestants in Britain and Ireland so that their Works has been better Amulets for their Neighbours than themselves If we intended to render railing for railing we would charge the Episcopal Clergy with what he falsely accuseth all Dissenting Ministers as being Trumpoters in State Tumults and Seditions But we leave that work to his Jacobitish Brethren who have upbraided many of their own Clergy with that Evil under the aggravation of Treachery and Perjury But wickedness proceedeth from the wicked my hand shall not be upon them Tho the D. endeavors to ridicule Preaching the Gospel under the name of raising the Hue and Cry c. Yet it hath pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe The Gospel was planted by Preaching not by Printing and shall be preserved by the same means Acts 20. 32. And as Rome's first wound was given by the faithful Preaching of the first Reformers more than by their Printing so we understand not that the Walls of Rome shall be battered by Books but as the Walls of Jericho did fall by Faith even so shall Rome's 2 Thess 2 8. The Lord shall consume it with the spirit of his mouth and Faith comes by hearing and hearing by God's Word Preached Rom. 10. 14 15. The V. having told to mortifie the man's vanity that years experience might convince them how unsuccesful they had been in gaining Dissenters to their Communion the D. tells that this is mainly to be attributed to the unwearied labours of Dissenting Preachers in raising unreasonable prejudices and in fixing invincible aversion to our Ecclesiastical Discipline and Constitutions c. in them A. As their endeavors have been very unsuccesful as to the numbers they have gain'd from us so the worth of such is inconsiderable being persons whom a worldly Interest and a more licentious Life prevail'd upon and as they are no Ornaments to their Church except their admired Bishop of Derry so they are no loss to us who could spare them more such when we detect them Nor is this to be attributed so much to the unwearied labours of Dissenting Preachers as he saith as to the Dignified Clergy's easy wearying in their labours and inverting the Apostle's words into Woe to me if I Preach the Gospel and the unwearied pursuit of Dignities and Revenues of the Church more than Ministerial Duties nor need the Dissenting Preachers weary themselves to beget in people an aversion and prejudice against
the Sheriffs or his Bayliffs and without Bail or Main-prize cast into Prison there to lye till he for or recanâ— by which he is depriv'd of the benefit of the Law and Clergy both Now if this be no sanguinary Law to cast men out of the Church out of which they teach there is no Salvation and to deprive them of their Liberty and Protection of the Laws only for impugning the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England according to the 6th Canon and at once to cut men off from their part of Heaven and Earth unless they would counter-act their Conscience let the World judge Secondly the Civil Laws made against Dissenters in England were sanguinary if that may be construed such which deprives men of Livelihood and Liberty For 1. The Act of Uniformity by which If any Minister convicted to have refused to use the Church Service or to have used any other Rite or Ceremony Order Form or Manner than what is set down in the Common-Prayer-Book he loseth a whole years profit and must undergo six months Imprisonment for the first fault For the second to be deprived and suffer a whole years Imprisonment For the third he is to be deprived and Imprisoned during life and if he be not a Beneficed person for the first fault he is to be imprisoned a whole year and for the second during life So that a man for not using the Cross in Baptism and Kneeling at the Sacrament things which God never required must be depriv'd of his Office Livelihood and Liberty and thus starv'd in Prison but for this perhaps the D. hath a Turkish distinction that strangling is no shedding of Blood and yet we reckon he wou'd judge it sanguinary were he tryed by it But farther all persons not resorting to the Church on Sundays and Holy-days are to be fined 12 d. per day and to incur the Censures of the Church which according to Canon 9 11 12 is Excommunication ipso facto with its appurtenances yea by Canon 10 if we shall dare to say that we have long time groaned under the burthen of certain Grievances imposed upon us we are to be Excommunicated and not restored until we repent and publickly retract such our publick Errors 2. Act is that made in the 13 Eliz. to which every person not repairing to Church according to Statute 1 Eliz. The second shall forfeit 20l. for every month if they so make default and if they forbear for the space of 12 months they are to be bound with two sufficient Sureties in 200 l. Bonds to good Behaviour And by a Statute 29 Eliz. All Grants made by such Offenders which are by them revocable intended for his maintenance left at his disposal or in consideration whereof he and his Family are to be kept shall be utterly void against the Queen for the levying the forfeitures for not coming to the Church and the Queen may seize all the Goods and two thirds of the Lands and Leases of every Offender not repairing to Church as aforesaid which after their first conviction do not pay at the next Term at the rate of 20 l. per month and tho the party be not in the Realm the Indictment is to lye and upon an Indictment found a Proclamation is to be made that such Offender is to render himself to the Sheriff before the next Assizes which if he do not he is to be held Convict These who are not able to pay their Forfeitures are to be committed to Prison till they pay or conform which if they refuse makes the Imprisonment perpetual And 35 Queen Eliz. It is Enacted That if any above Sixteen absent themselves from Church above a Month or frequent Conventicles or persuade any other so to do they shall be committed to Prison there to continue till he or she Conform and make open submission and confess that they have grievously offended God c. And if within three Months they refuse to Conform and make such submission they are to abjure the Realm and if they refuse to abjure or return after without leave they are to be proceeded against as Fellons and have no benefit of Clergy This we suppose was literally a Sanguinary Law Again by a Statute the 16 Car. 2d this 35 Q. Eliz. was revived And farther Anno 17. Car. 2d Non-conformists who take not the Oxford Oath there set down which is this I A. B. do Swear that it is not lawful on any pretence whatsoever to take up Arms against the King and that I abhor that Trayterous Position of taking up Arms by his Authority against his Person or against those that are Commissionat by him in pursuance of such Commissions and that I will not endeavour any Alteration of Government either in Church or State Likewise If any Nonconformist Minister Preach in a Conventicle or come within 5 Miles of any City or Corporation or place of his Ministry except on his Journey or summoned by a Subpena he shall forfeit 40l Furthermore the Crimes in 22 Car. 2d against Conventicles are 1. To be present at an Assembly under colour of Exercise of Religion any other way then according to the Liturgy c. where 5 Persons or more besidess those of the Family are 2dly If any take on him to Teach or Preach in such Meetings for the first Offence he forfeits 20l. For the second 40 pounds c. 3d ly If any person suffer such Meeting to be in his House Out-House Back-side or Garden for his first Offence he is to pay twenty pounds for the second 40 pounds c. and every Hearer five shillings with Ecclesiastical Censures which is Excommunication ipso facto according to the 11th Canon Now from all this we leave it to the judgment even of Adversaries themselves whether the Vindicator might not assert that there were sanguinary Laws in England design'd to extirpate Protestant Dissenters in exerting whereof the Prelates of the Nation had a warm Vote tho' now blessed be God they be abolished by Act 1689. His vindicating Scotland against the guilt of sanguinary Laws against Dissenters is proof that he hears ill else the cry of that Blood shed there by vertue of these Laws which hath even reached Heaven and brought deserved Vengeance upon the shedders thereof might have pierc'd his ears and that he sees ill if he sees not these Laws yet in record but his own confession that there was one sanguinary Law tho he borrow'd Sir Geo. Makenzy's Commentar on it is a sufficient proof of a design to extirpate Protestant Dissenters there seeing that one Law De Heretico Comburendo as employ'd in England by Q. Mary was supposed sufficient to extirpate the Protestant Religion out of England but had he not design'd to blind-fold his Reader a little more pains and honesty might have enabled him to discover many sanguinary Laws in Scotland of which take these few instances The 1 st Parliament of C. the 2 d. Sess 1. Act 4. It was
Dissenters in Ireland tho' it prov'd fatal to its Contrivers was by God's Providence a means of preserving the Dissenters who forsaking the Nation on that account were preserved from the Massacre 1641 and these same persons returning were the first relief that Ireland got which can be made evident by many yet alive and may be instructive to pasterity The V. having to prove the equity of giving free-born Subjects the same legal Indulgence in their Dissenting as is given to Foreigners asserted that the French Protestants if left to their liberty would chuse a Discipline and Worship more conformable to their own than that of the Establish't Church Hath this Answer We are not to pass judgment on a particular Church from the inconsiderate words and actions of some of the meaner sort of the Laity but by the solemn Declarations and constant Practices of the Learned Clergy of that Communion And to shew the Sentiments of the French Church produceth a triple testimony of three French Divines in favor of the Establish't Church and censuring the Dissenters separation from it from three Letters written fifteen years ago on this Subject by Monsieur Lamoyne M. D. Langle and M. Cloud which we shall not transcribe But 1. We think it strange that the Bishops of the Church of England shou'd own the French Protestants to be a Churh and to have a learned Clergy when in the mean time they deny them to have a Lawful Ordained Ministry and force them to be Re-ordained who come for Refuge into England and are willing to conform So that this seems to be but a complement given for these 3 Letters and no sincere acknowledgment of their being a Church A Reverend French Minister informs us that flying from Persecution into England he with some others were permitted to Preach in London but upon his refusal to be Re-ordained he was not only hindred to Preach by the Bishop of London but deny'd any part of the publick Charity collected for the French Protestants and so was necessitated to leave England The same entertainment others of them met with here in Ireland about Anno 1680 or 1682 who flying to Dublin and setting up the beginnings of several useful Manufactures but being averse to joyn in the Church-Service a certain charitable Peer lent them his House to Worship in where they served God according to the manner of the French Churches whereupon their Minister was seized imprison'd c. until for obtaining his liberty he consented to quit or abjure the Kingdom And yet Liberty was publickly allow'd the Papists And we are well informed how the Papists now insult over them as having by their disowning the validity of their own former Ordination and being Re-ordain'd by Bishops in England thereby declared that they have hitherto been no Church have had no Sacraments lawfully Administred among them which is a great addition to their former miseries so that whether it be worse to destroy the being of that Church in all time past or persecute some of its Members in time present be the greater severity and so whether the Popish or English Clergy have been more merciful to the Protestant Church of France we leave to be consider'd 2. The Testimony of these 3 Men are not the solemn Declaration and constant practice of that Church as he vainly says but the opinion of three private Doctors to whom he might oppose the Judgment of 3000 and the constant known practice of that Church solemnly declared in its publick Confessions of Faith and Synodical Constitutions disowning the Form of Worship and Disciplin of the Church of England And it seems as unequal to judge of a Church by the Sentiments of several of her learn'd Clergy as by the Laity What a Monster would the Church of England be if we were left to judge of her by the several opinions of her Learned Clergy whereof some approve others condemn Arminiasm some are passive obedient Doctors others not some for Episcopacy jure Divino others think it only jure Humano some have been for others are now against Liberty of Prophesying c. The justest way then of judging what are the sentiments of a Church is neither by the private practices or opinions of Clergy or Lay-men but by their Unanimous deliberate and publickly declared Judgment in their Confessions of Faith and Synodical Constitutions which had he produc'd against us had been some service to his cause And we have just cause to except against the Evidence Some of whom have conformed and have disgrac'd their Church by renouncing its Ordination so that these who have dishonor'd their Parents will little regard their Brethren 3. We know that indirect means have been used to obtain such Testimonies against us and can tell of one who had 4 good fat Benefices in England with a Faculty of Non-residence to Enable him to Traffick in France introducing Dissenters and Exalting and vindicating the Prelacy and Ceremonies of England 4. The Testimonies are not fairly produc'd but a part conceal'd of the Letters which had he repeated would have condemn'd himself And therefore M. Cloud in his Letter as Published by Dr. Stillingfleet p. 448. hath this I hope my Lord you will not be wanting in the Duties of Charity and Spirit of Peace and that when the dispute shall be only of some Ceremonies which are stumbling blocks and which in themselves are nothing in comparison of an intire re-union of your Church under your holy Ministry you will make it seen that you love the Spouse of your Master more than your selves And that it is not so much from your greatness and Ecclesiastical Dignity that you desire to receive your joy and glory as from your Pastoral Vertues and the ardent care you take of your Flocks M. De Langle tells you that even amongst these separating Brethren there is a very great Number of good Men whose Faith is pure Piety sincere And it seems to me that the good and charitable Bishops ought to say of them as Optatus Melivitatus said of the Donatists in something a different sense Si Collegium Episcopate notunt habere nobiscum tamen fratres sunt And I 'me sure saith he that if there were nothing wanting to cure your Divisions but tho abstaining from some Expressions the quitting some Ceremonies the changing the colour of some Habits you would resolve to do that and something more difficult But this the D. disingenuously conceals because of his Moderation which is contrary to his Nature or Design The V. having asserted also that a further security ought to be granted to Protestant Dissenters than to Papists for this reason that some difference should be made between them who deserve well and them who deserve ill of the Govarnment The D. allowing the reasoning to be unque6ionably true yet will have it understood with this supposition that if the Civil Parent be forced by the pressure of some unfortunate occurrences to a concession of such favorable and advantagious
Illustrious and unparallel'd Line is the greatest glory of this your Ancient Kingdom we pay our most humble gratitude to Your Majesty for the repeated assurances of your Royal Protection to our National Church and Religion as the Laws have Established them which are very suitable to the gracious countenance incouragement and Protection your Majesty was pleased to afford to our Church whilst we were happy in your presence amongst us We Magnifie the Divine Majesty for blessing you with a Son and us with a Prince whom we pray Heaven may bless and preserve to sway Your Royal Scepter after you and that he may inherit with Your Royal Dominions the Illustrious and Heroick virtues of his August and most Serene Parents We are amaz'd to hear of the danger of an Invasion from Holland which excites our prayers for an universal Repentance to all orders of men that God may yet spare his people preserve Your Royal Person prevent the Effusion of Christian blood and give such Success to your Majesty's Arms that all who invade your Majesty's just and undoubted Right and Disturb or Interrupt the Peace of your Realms may be disappointed and cloathed with shame so that on your Royal Head the Crown may still flourish As by the grace of God we shall preserve in our selves an unshaken and firm Loyalty so we shall be careful and zealous to promote in all your Subjects an intrepid and stedfast Allegiance to your Majesty as an essential part of their Religion and the glory of our holy Profession Not doubting but that God in his great mercy who hath so often preserved and delivered your Majesty will still preserve and deliver you by giving you the hearts of your Subjects and the necks of your Enemies so Pray we who in all humility are May it please your most Sacred Majesty Your Majesty's most Humble most Faithful and most Obedient Subjects and Servants Edinburgh Nov. 3 1688. Signed by the Lords Bishops B. St. Andrews B. Glasgow B. Galloway B. Aberdeen B. Dunkell B. Buchan B. Orkney B. Murray B. Ross B. Dumblaine B. Isles Here is a Specimen of those Gentlemens Genius whose heads the D. would preserve while he boldâ—y opposeth truth and necessitates us to lay open to the world this Tryal of Skill of his Episcopal Brethren who all yet except the Bishop of Rapho whom an Irish Bishoprick hath converted glory in their being counted worthy to suffer for K. James and continue to deny Allegiance to K. William with many of their fellow Brethren That the Scoth Bishops unanimously deserted the convention of States we suppose none of themselves will deny which if any do we shall In Answer to his reasons proving these Reflections untrue because that the conversion would have pass'd some publick and severe mark upon them had that been true we say that by this he sees the mildness and tenderness of that convention who without laying open to the world their grossest Iniquities only voted the Bishops and their Clergy the great and unsupportable grievance of the Nation and thereupon voted the total abolishing of Prelacy and if these be not publick and severe marks indeed upon them why doth he make such a horrid Noise about their Persecution further 't is not to be attributed to want of matter that in the Act they are excluded by there is no particular mention of the misbecoming actions of their Lives c. for Parliaments are not Historians but yet if he long for a Legend of their Lives he may possibly obtain his desires e're long little to their Credit or his Comfort for there are many recorded Instances of their misbecoming actions noticed by those who smarted under them which if he necessitates us to lay open to the world possibly his Brethren may thank him For do's he think that so long as it remains in the Records of Counsel that they imposed and took a contradictory Test that it will not be alledged that they are perjured themselves and the cause of it in others or that they abjured what they had formerly sworn with great Solemnity and betrayed the truth committed to them Yea sure so long as it continues in the Records of these Counsels whereof they were Members 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 no it will be hard to purge them from the guilt of Murther for it is very evident that these Prelates had a hot hand in all the Innocent Blood shed in Scotland in K. Charles II. and K. James I. times which we leave to those who may write their History Possibly the D. believes not this because he heard it not and therefore we urge him to inform himself better from Authentick Proofs and Records of that Nation that the Stains of his Brethren there may be a warning to him and all Clergy-men to fright them from merciless cruelty to which from a small tryal of his skill already given we fear he may be too much given His second exception against those two Gentlemens Letter is That it confidently asserts that there is not so much as one single man who was in the Possession of their Churches and publick Livings whâ—n K. James abdicated and forfeited who hath since K. William ' s accession to the Crown been thrust out for any other Crimes than either 1. for not reading the Proclamation whereby K. William and Q. Mary were Declared King and Queen or 2. for their not Praying for His Majesty or 3. for not Swearing the Oath of Allegiance and Assurance or 4 for such Immoralities as the Church of England as truly disallows as Prebyterians To contradict which he produceth an Instance of one Mr. Samuel Mowat a Clergy-man of Scotland in the Diocess of Glasgow and at the time in Dublin c. who was in possession of his Church in Scotland after K. William and Q Mary's accession to the Throne and read the Proclamation c. published by the Council of Scotland April 13. 1689. by the appointment of the General Assembly 2. Prayed for Their Majesties 3. took the Oath of Allegiance and Assurance 4. was free of Immoralities c. and declared himself willing to submit to the Presbyterian Government according to his Majesty's Formula and yet he was rejected by them because he would not renounce the Episcopal Government and declare his sorrow for submitting to it A. We might satisfy our selves with this that Mr. Samuel Mowat point blank denies what the D. hath written to be his Testimony and that it is grosly falsifyed but tho' he had said all this his single Testimony does not prove it's Truth for while he says that the Assembly appointed the reading the Proclamation whereby K. William and Q. Mary were Declared King and Queen which Proclamation was published April 13. 1690. This must be false seeing there was no Assembly till October 16. 1690. when they first sat after the Revolution It 's
legally Establish'd Church-Government then it is in the Church of England to require Subscription to their 39 Articles Assent and Consent to her Liturgy and Ceremonies and Canonical Obedience to her Bishops For an Epilogue to his History of Scots Affairs since the Revolution he gives a mock Commendation as he is pleas'd to call it the ingenuous temper of the General Assembly in their Act for a solemn National Fast Nov. 12. 1690. wherein they gave a particular Confession of the Sins of the Nation To which he saith Amen wishing they may be as sincere in repenting as they have been ingenious in Confession A. To have our Prayers and Fasts turned to reproach is but what befel our betters Psal 69. 10. and therefore we may the easier bear it but doth not the Church of England dayly confess we have erred and strayed from thy ways we have done these things which we ought not to have 〈…〉 to require his Charity to the Church of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 wish him ingealous and 〈◊〉 in his The D. having made his progress through Scotland in his return home to Ireland gives us a taste of his skill in persuading while he would have us believe that the gently Penal Laws are not as the V. insinuates a severe lash design'd as Instruments of an Unreasonable Correction but as the necessary means of keeping such Children as are of a froward and ungovernable temper within the bounds of a due Subjection and therefore it ought not to be esteemed an unkind severity but a prudent tenderness in a Parent to deny them such indulgences as in all propability will be abused to the diveâ—â—ing him of his Parental Authority and to the incouraging of them to a total withdrawing of their Filial Duty and Obedience for the future A. This D. seems to be or at least wou'd have Dissenters be like the Wives of Mascovy who are jealous of their Husbands affection unless they correct them severely But he must beat us out of reason and sense both e're he persuade us to this and had he but tasted as much of these gentle Penal Laws as some have lately done for refusing the Oath of a Church-Warden he wou'd change his Note If to be Excommunicated thrown into Prison till a Man and his Family be utterly ruin'd be gentle correction how dares he exclaim against the severity of Scotland where there is not one such Penal Law nor one instance of a Lay-man's being fin'd and imprisoned for meer Non-conformity much less for refusing to be Lay-Elders And we suppose he cannot give instance of any Church in the World who Excommunicate Fine and Imprison Men for refusing to be Officers in the Church especially these whom they condemn as Schismaticks And to thrust Men into Places of Trust in the Church out of Malice That many more Episcopal Children have discover'd their froward and ungovernable temper since the happy Revolution then of Dissenters is sensibly felt by the Government and therefore the reflection on us hath as little Truth as Charity Nor is it rational to suppose us such enemies to our own case and peace as to endeavour to divest these of Authority by whose powerful Clemency we are protected from the claws of some of the angry Clergy As to the second thing desired by Dissenters viz. That there be no such Clauses annexed to the Bill of Indulgence as might disenable them from serving their King and Country he observes to be the same Argument the Papists made use of in the late Reign for taking off the Penal Laws and Test and that the design of Dissenters is the same with that of the Papists viz. not only to capacitate themselves for all Employments of Honour Trust and Profit but also to exclude others of a different persuasion from having a share in any unless perhaps in mean and unprofitable ones A. The Observation tho his own is not observable either for it's Wit or Honesty for if Dissenters ought not to use the Argument because Papists have us'd it then the Church ought far less to Cross in Baptism and kneel at the Sacrament seeing the Papists have gresly abused them But it 's well known that Dissenters did refuse to joyn with the Papists in taking off the penal Laws and Test tho they thereby might have had their own Fetters knockt off yet they rather chus'd to continue in chains then to suffer such ravenous Creatures to run loose And we remember what fair promises were then made to Dissenters for this piece of generosity but the world knows how religiously these promises have been kept And he may see that where Presbyterians have more then we desire they have not ingross'd to themselves all places of Honour and Trust as now in Scotland where such imployments are enjoy'd by Persons declared Episcopal in Judgment And its ridiculous to tell that Dissenters won'd inhanfe all imployments to those of their own perswasion and exclude others seeing all of them are not of one persuasion and so cannot inhance all to their own Party But unless the Magistrates to whom the grant of such Offices belongs shou'd turn Dissenters it 's unreasonable to fear that Dissenters shou'd be able to make such a Monopoly While he tells us That it 's not reasonable that they shou'd pull down any part of their Church to furnish Dissenters with Materials to build and strenthen theirs We must say that we knew not before now that Penal Laws against Dissenters were any part or parcel of the Church of England which if they be as is said it will be no demonstration of that Churches Antiquity at least for that part of it which must commence with the Act of Uniformity Surely the Primitive Church had no such Pillars to support it for 300 years and more and yet the Gates of Hell were not able to prevail against it Bp. Taylor liberty of prophesying p. 18. will better inform him That imposing on Mens understandings being Masters of their Consciences and Lording it over their Faith came in with the rotinue and train of Antichrist The increase of Interest and abatement of Christian Simplicity when the Churches Fortune grew better and her Sons grew worse and some of her Fathers worst of all And cites Tertullian saying Sâ—d nec Religionis est cogere religionem quae suscipi debet sponte non vi To this he adds That all wise Princes till they were overboâ—n with Faction or sollicited by peevish Persons gave To eration to different Sects whose opinions did not disturb the Publick Interest Heretical Persons who are impatient of an Adversary were the first who intreated the Emperors to persecute the Catholicks but till 400 years after Christ no Catholick Persons or very few did provoke the secular Arm or implore its aid against Hereticks The D. having given his judgment with more passion than truth against Dissenters particularly these in the North to make it appear reasonable as he saith he attempts to prove it by matter of fact
the Discipline and Constitutions of the Church for 't is the selling the management of Church Discipline to Officials and Registers and their ways of exercising Church Discipline more by picking mens Pockets than bringing them to due Penitence that hath rendred Discipline odious and nauseous even to all sober Conformists while they see Ecclesiastical Discipline used as an Engine to drain mens Purses more than reform their Manners And the Keys of Heaven and Hell intrusted with such hands who for trifles deliver men to Satan but will not relax them without sums of Money whereby they shew themselves too liberal to the Devil but not so careful to deliver out of his power These are things not done in a corner but such as the Nation is dissatisfied with besides this the manifest partially in the Exercise of Discipline makes men think there is little regard had to Paul's charge given to Timothy 1 Tim 5. 21. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Elect Angels that thou observe these things without preserring one before another doing nothing by partiality For 't is known that Great Mens Immorality tho' never so heinous escape without rebuke and the truly poor free to sin because they want Silver according to the Rule in the Official Court Deux 6. Ace non possunt six cinque non solvere volunt Hoc tamen est notum quater tres solvere totum By these and such like Methods many are driven to us If he say the Church does not allow these Practices why then are Dissenters Excommunicated for disobedience to that which the Church allows not of But lest our words shou'd give offence we hope Dr. Andrews will not which he Preached before the Convocation viz. The Church Censures now a days reach the Purse only Evil doers when they have paid their Fees return Scot-free If no Money then have at the Offenders with the Episcopal Sword presently at one blow they are cut off from the Church dilivered over to Satan proclaimed Publicans Heathens Anathema for the most ridiculous things and against every good Man these Brutish Thunderbolts do fly up and down and only to be fear'd of the Purse The D. having Arraign'd Dissenters as the chief Dividers of the Church has been so just not to make them the only Dividers but hath done them the honour to join the Magistrates as Fomenters of division with them which he chargeth 1. Upon the prodigious Licentionsness in a late Reign 2. The Governments too easy Condescentions at another time 3. The rigorous Executing the Laws against Dissenters at some times And thus he disciplins the Magistrates A. Seeing the Government hath had a hand in fomenting our Divisions he might have honour'd the King and Magistrates so far as to give them the preâ—eminence above Dissenting Preachers yet as to his Dividers 1. Prodigious Licentiousness he may enquire at Ezek. 33. 34. If the Clergy might have a hand in it and had they spent the one half of their Thunderbolts imploy'd against Dissenters against the prodigiously licentious they might have purg'd themselves from that Division caused by prodigious Licentiousness yet we know that great Men of the Church have caught That it is absolutely necessary to the Peace and Happiness of the Kingdom that there be set up a more severe Government over Mens Consciences and Religious Persuasions than over Mens Vices and Immoralities Thus Teacheth Bp. Packer in his Ecclesiastical Policy page 53. And that Princes may with less hazard give Liberty to Mens Vices than their Consciences page 55. And what he Taught others have Practci'd 2. For easy Condescentions to Dissenters The Church may safely purge her self from this guilt yea we assure her the Dissenters will be her Compurgators herein 3. The Rigorous Execution of the Laws we confess hath given cause to abhor the Executioners but then how can he be guiltless of the Sin of Dividing who pleads for the perpetuating these Laws which he confesseth gives just occasion to abhor them and are Pomenters of Division How inconsistent is he with himself and reason in this for if these Laws may not be Executed without prejudice to the Union of the Church why are they continu'd in force if Rigorous Laws foment Divisions as is confest these cannot be guiltless of the Divisions who urge the making and executing such Laws as the D. now pleads for The Lesson he prescribes to Magistrates That their behavior towards their People should resemble that of discreetly tender Parents towards their Children not indulging their folly by an imprudent fondness nor punishing their faults by too harsh a Correction but by constantly keeping a strict hand over them which will prove the most Effectual means of preventing or restraining their Exorbitancies This we hope the Magistrate will learn and look upon the Sons of the Church to be no more Bâ—stâ—rds than Dissenters but use the Rod of Correction to drive out that solly is bound up in their Hearts and so prevent or restrain their Exorbitancies The 2d Lesson this D. prescribes to Magistrates is That at present they keep a strict hand in managing the publick Affairs in this Kingdom c. His Reasons for their being strict are these 1. Within these 5 years many thousands of Families have come from Scotland to settle in this Nation 2. They and their Teachers are zealous for the Covenant 3. They have come from a place where Episcopacy is abolished 4. He fears from their aversion to the Ecclesiastical Policy of the Church when their Numbers and Preachers are increased they will overturn the truly Apostolical Government of the Establish't Church And then he prescribes an Antidote against this Plague viz. That their Preachers be obliged to perform their Quarantine and to undergo some Religious Test before they be admitted to Preach in their Conventicles A. This Admonition having apparently its rise from fear must be considered with its Causes and Remedy His fear seems to arise from his gift of Prophecy by laying aside which or prophecying better things he might cure himself of that panick fear for we dare assure him that some of us are so far from desiring the over-turning of the truly Apostolical Government of the Church that we could wish them over-turn'd who turn it out to turn in another of their own tho we are persuaded if the Bishops were turn'd out of Parliament from all their Civil Honours excessive Revenues and sole Exercise of Church-Jurisdiction and should be oblig'd to Preach the Gospel constantly and not to Lord it over God's Inheritance we should not lose any thing of the Apostolical Government which we may the more boldly say because we find in a Speech of the Lord Delamare's in Parliament against the Bishops Voting in case of Blood these words I like Bishops very well but I wish that Bishops were reduc'd to their Primitive Institution for I fear while there is in England a Lord Bishop the Church will not stand very steadily To