in the interim who had with much impatience expected this day of Deliverance from this terrible Parliament and had sought the Dissolution of it so many Years by all those Arts I have described in the former Part now began to lift up their heads expecting to have another tugg for the Day and having before wrought upon the meanest but most Numerous part of the Free-men and Free-holders and the weakest of the Gentry by jading their Ears with tedious canting Discourses against Humane Institutions Persecuting Gods People and Arbritrary Government and now of late with Tragical Representations of the Popish Plot Massacres Popery and Superstition flew from their sullen retirements and Riding Night and Day about the Villages and trudging about the Corporations incited those they found willing and perswaded intreated and sometimes hired those they found less disposed to joyn with them and by the choice of a sober Protestant Parliament as they pretended to deliver the Nation from Popery and Arbitrary Government which were good Words but had a Knavish signification in their Sense and if any Man smelt ir out and told them truly they were neither for Popery nor Arbitrary Government nor yet for Puritanism and a Common-wealth they ran him down with noise or traduced him behind his back to their Neighbours as a Papist in Masquerade and a Man of Arbitrary Principles But if a Man had but chanced to drop a Word by way of questioning the Truth of one Tittle the many Informers had given out concerning the Plot or these Zealots had raised by way of Consequence presently they flew in his face and villified him as a defamer of the Kings Evidence a concealer of the Plot and could hardly forbear saying He was a Party to it and one of the Conspirators in it As if we had not only been bound to submit our Faith and Reason as intirely to Mr. Oats's Relation in every Punctilio as to the Evangelists upon which he Swore it but also to what Inferences a Faction should draw from it From hence they proceeded to insinuate into the Populace That those Loyal Gentlemen who had been Members of the late long Loyal Parliament who were then call'd the Court Party had joyn'd with the Court to hinder the Discovery of the Plot and promote the Designes of the Papists upon us And although there was not one syllable of Truth in this yet they asserted it with that confidence and added so many protestations often interrupting their opposites with such questions as these What you are for Popery you are willing to have all your Throats Cut and the like that they perswaded too great a Number to joyn with them in the Exclusion of those Gentlemen In the next place fearing the greatest hindrance from the conformable Clergy and the Bishops they represented them amongst their Confidents as nothing better than the Papists and amongst the rest as Men that had a mighty kindness for Popery in their hearts where these prying people spied it though they durst not discover it for the present and with great Assurance said that they would certainly all turn Papists if the Plot went on though Mr. Oates had assured them their Places were disposed of to others before hand and they must expect nothing but beggery assassination and Ruine But yet the people who never consider any thing believe them in this too In the next place they were to deal with the Gentry and Magistrates and here the task was harder for these were never to be wrought over generally to them but amongst them some were their friends of old others had come half way over to gain the Reputation of Moderate Men others had been disgusted by the Government and some few had Relations amongst the Dissenters or Children and Brothers Apprentices Journey-men and Factors to them and these Interests prevail'd upon to joyn with them the rest they blasted what they could by the same Arts they did the Clergy averring they were Papists or favourers of Papists and Popery especially if they had any relations of that Religion or had shewed the least kindness to their Popish Neighbours in the first Discovery of the Plot or had had any acquaintance with them before the Plot. And having by all these multiply'd Slanders got over a very considerable part of the meaner people and yet fearing the party might be too weak they made fraudulent Conveyances for Twenty four hours of their Freehold-Lands and Tenements to their Neighbours by this means creating Twenty Mushrom Voters sometimes out of Forty pounds a year and some that were less scrupulous took the Gifts by word of Mouth without Livery or Seizin Lease or Release and some gave Twelve pence in part of payment for those Lands and Tenements they never meant nor were ever able to Purchase further and so became qualified to give their Votes as they thought and others gave their Children that were Infants part of their Estates with them and brought them along for company and in the interim the Wealthy sort of Men hired Horses or gave Mony to the more Needy to give their Votes for the precious Men that were to keep out Popery The Conventicle Teachers rallied up their Flocks all but the Aprons and they were unwillingly enough left at home The old Committee Men Sequestrators Army Officers and Soldiers of the last Rebellion who had kept holes ever since His Majesties Return for Grief Confusion and Fear now all took the Field again to Vote too and with these joyned all those unwilling Conformists whether Clergy or Layety who have complyed with the Religion Established with purpose to ruine it as soon as it is possible and in the interim great gain is godliness with them and does any man believe all these Forces were thus Mustered up for the Service of His Majesty the Safety of the Monarchy and the preservation of the Religion and Government Establish'd The persons they recommended to the people to be chosen again were first all those Gentlemen who calling themselves the Country Party in the former Parliament had appeared most Zealously against the Queen his Royal Highness and the Ministers of State to these they added as many as they could of the Reliques of the old Rebellion or their Children and made up the Number out of the moderate and discontented Gentlemen Burgesses and Trades-men taking in here and there an honest Gentleman in hopes to win him to their side by this kindness and sometimes this pittiful Project took For my part Act. 22. I think nothing could more confirm the Testimony of Mr. Oats who informs us That the Catholick Religion was to be brought in the same way that they had used for the Destruction of the Father of the King and as that could not be effected till much Blood was spilt on BOTH SIDES so this must be effected by effusion of Blood Pag. 64. and this he Expounds was to be done by weakning and dividing the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland
rode back to Magus where they first assaulted the Coach and one of them by Name John Balfour of Kinlock as he passed by that Town was heard to say very audibly and distinctly That now Judas was killed A Proclamation being published in his Majesties Name for the discovery of these abominable execrable Murtherers and search made among the Tenants and Heritors of the Shire of Fife and the Inhabitants of Magus being examined upon oath it was made apparent that the bloody Assassins and many others who were strongly presumed to have been Abetters and Contrivers of the Murther were notorious Fanaticks Frequenters of Field-Conventicles and Followers of Mr. Welsh and other Traiterous intercommuned and Rebellious Preachers Nine of the Actors in this Tragedy were discovered by their Names and Sirnames which are as followeth John Balfour of Kinlock David Hackston of Rathilettet George Balfour in Gilston James Russel in Kings-Kettle Robert Dingwall a Farmers Son in Caddam Andrew Guillan Weaver in Balmerinoch Alexander Hinderson and Andrew Hinderson Sons to John Hinderson in Killbrachmont George Fleming Son to George Fleming in Balbuthy The rebellion interrupting the course of Justice against these miscreants for some time the 20th day of September 1679 there was another Proclamation published for the apprehending those Nine and all others that were in the Rebellion and were Heritors or Ministers But by this time the Murtherers and Rebels had fled the Kingdom notwithstanding all imaginable care and diligence to prevent their escape and whilst the Covenanting Army lay at Glascow one of the Balfours as a very credible Gentleman who was then the Town told me saith my Author openly boasted of the Murther as a glorious fact and said holding up his Arm This hand helped to kill the Fox And five of the Accomplices Complotters and Abetters of the Murther chose to dye and be hung up in Chains upon the place rather then confess the sinfulness of the action by acknowledging it was a Murther or a Sin The Fanatical Party foretold it in several places and the Morning before it was committed one of the Assassins like a Jesuit Consecrated to an Heroical Act after a solemn Sacrilegious form held up his hand and swore that That hand should kill the Arch-Prelate upon which the Holy Sister his Hostess kissed him And it is notoriously known in Scotland that he who commanded the foot for Mr. Welsh upon Reupar Law that famous Field Conventicle owned that their Friends thanked God for the Archbishops death which neither they nor their abetters in either Kingdom will call Murther when they have occasion to Speak thereof My Author goes further and shews how the Predecessors of these Godly Cut-throats Norman Lesly John Lesley Peter Carmichael and James Meluil Assassinated Cardinal Beton Archbishop of St. Andrews in his Castle there in cold blood gravely and with the preface of an harangue which Knox commends calling the Principal Murtherer a Meek man of God an odd kind of Presbyterian meekness which our Saviour doth not commend From thence he descends and shew their Principles both Anicent and Modern upon which they build these bloody practises He tells as Goodman Knox's Companion in his Discourse of Tyranny and Popery pag. 30. hath these words All men are bound to see the Laws of God kept and to suppress and resist Idolatry by force Nor is it sufficient for Subjects not to obey the wicked Commands of Princes but they must resist them and deliver the Children of God out of the hands of their Enemies as we would deliver a Sheep that is indanger to be devoured by a Wolf And if the Magistrates refuse to put Mass-mongers and False Preachers now all Bishops and Church-ministers in their esteem are such to death the people in seeing it performed shew that zeal of God which was commended in Phineas Hence all Kirk Writers since his Majesties Return such as Napthali Jus populi The Apologetical Narration The Poor mans Cup The History of the Indulgence as he tells us call the Bishops Apostates Perjured Prelates a perjured Fraternity Traitors to Christ Enemies to his people Idolaters Backsliders All which is meant of forsaking the Covenant and Presbyterian Government and is the very Language they murthered the Archbishop with which shews they were not Jesuits but arrant Presbyterians that did the Wicked fact and my said Author quotes this Passage from Jus Populi pag. 415. The fact of Phineas was a Laudable Act of justice and a precedent for Judges and Magistrates in all times coming and that by his Example any Member of the Council for Phineas rose from among the Congregation might lawfully rise up and execute judgment on this wicked Wretch the Archbishop and his cursed Fraternity who have brought by their Apostacy and defection from the Covenant and cause of God the wrath of God upon the Land For the rest I shall refer my Reader to that ingenious Author from whom I had not Transcribed all this but to prompt others to read him and to Supply that Defect to them who cannot get that Book The news of this Execrable and Barbarous Murther was soon diffused all over England and it may be all the rest of Christendom and entertained by all People who were not poisoned with this Presbyterian Leven with horror and deterstation The rest began to qualify and allay it with ill Characters of the poor man or to divert it from the right Agents by laying it one while upon the Jesuits and another while upon the Tenants of the Archbishop But they foresaw these things would not do their business and therefore their friends in London did what they could to instigate an Address against the Duke of Lauderdale which was the man they most hated and feared of all the world and who if he were not removed would certainly prosecute and revenge this Murther now so it fell out that though not upon their sollicitation there was an Address Voted the 6th of May which pass'd the Eighth The Address which I think fit to be inserted here was as followeth We your Majesties most Loyal and Dutiful Subjects the Commons in this present Parliament assembled finding your Majesties Kingdoms involved in eminent Dangers and great difficulties by the evil designs and pernicious Counsels of some who have been and are in high places of trust and Authority about your Royal Person who contrary to the duty of their places by their Arbitrary and Destructive Counsels tending to the subversions of the Rights Liberties and Properties of your Subjects and the alteration of the Protestant Religion establisht have endeavoured to alienate the Hearts of your Loyal Subjects from your Majesty and your Government Amongst whom we have just reason to accuse John Duke of Lauderdale for a chief Promoter of such Counsels and more particularly for contriving and endeavouring to raise jealousies and misunderstandings between your Majesties Kingdoms of England and Scotland whereby Hostilities might have ensued and may arise between both Nations if not prevented
cannot possibly better represent this than in the Words of Camden The State of England was most miserable at that time as being involved in a War with Scotland on the one side and France on the other oppressed with the Debts which Henry the Eighth and Edward the Sixth had Contracted the Exchequer was Exhausted Calis and the County of Oyen and in them a great Magazine were lost to the dishonour of the English Name and the People were divided in their Opinions concerning Religion The Queen had no Potent Friends nor was fortified with the * Cognatione Alliance or Kindred of any Foreign Princes The Trade of England must of necessity be very small when the Nation was thus Near ruine But when the Queen had once setled the business of Religion and afterwards had taken care to preserve it from Foreign Violence by Repairing her Navy Royal so that it was far Superiour to any other which gave her Reputation at home and Fame abroad and also from the Attempts of the Papists and Dissenters by severe Laws constantly put in Execution and had thereby Won the Affections of her People and stilled their Fears They being secur'd thus at home began to search all the corners of the World for Trade and sent forth their Fleets to the East and West Indies to Muscovy by the Bay of St. Nicholas by them Discover'd and Green-Land and indeed whether not whence they returned with Honour and Wealth and made her and themselves Happy One thing that gave a great Advantage to the Trade and consequently to the Wealth of England in her time was the Devastations which the severity of the Duke de Alva and the Wars of Flanders thereby occasion'd caused in those Countries by which means we gained some Addition to our People the knowledge of some Manufactures which we had not before and also a vast stock of Mony and Treasure which altogether had like to have totally ruin'd the Spanish Netherlands but however this concurring with the rest helped to advance England to that height of Wealth and Reputation in the World that it was in her days the Bulwark of Christendom and without any considerable forrein Assistance humbled and brought down the House of Austria which then aimed at an Universal Monarchy But then it cannot be denyed that together with these Low Countrymen Factions and Common-Weath Principles entred England And although the severity of that Queen and the great Affection and Veneration the People had for her added to her Constancy whose Motto was Semper eadem Always the same kept them both under so as they were never able to give her any considerable disturbance yet they grew and encreased and in the Reign of her Successor tugged stoutly in the House of Commons for the Victory with the Court Party as they then stiled all that stood to the Crown and kept King James at Bay and destitute of those Supplies that were necessary to preserve the Grandeur of the Crown and the Reputation of England and forced him to spend Seven Years of his Reign without calling any Parliaments and the last he called which was in his One and Twentieth Year involved him in War And the next basely Betray'd his Son who succeeded presently after to the Necessity of clapping up a Dishonourable Peace for want of Means to carry on a War When King James came to the Crown the Dissenters of England expected a mighty advantage by it because Scotland had been always Presbyterian from whence he came during his time and they hoped his Education might have strongly influenced him to favour them above the Religion Established and upon this intuition Jan. 14. 1603. they procured the Conference at Hampton Court but alass they had so basely and Traiterously used him in Scotland and he was a Prince of that great Learning and Prudence that when they desired a kind of Presbyterie to be Setled here He replyed If you aim at a Scotch Presbyterie Full. C.H. L. 10. p. 18. it agreeth with Monarchy as God and the Devil then Jack and Tom and Will and Dick shall meet and Censure me and my Council Therefore I reiterate my former Speech Le Roy S' avisera the King will be advised stay I pray for one Seven Years before you demand it and then if you find me grow pursie and fat I may perchance hearken unto you for that Government will keep me in breath and give me work enough And in the next Paragraph he tells them That he had learned by the Example of his Mother and their dealings with him in his Minority this Maxime NO BISHOP NO KING So they totally failed of their expected advantage and were kept under though with a gentle hand in all his time But when his Son Succeeded and in his Parliaments found how strong these Factions were who had in a great measure prevailed upon the Free-men and Free-holders of the Nation to send up thither great Numbers of good Common wealth men as they then stiled them that is Factious Ambitious Disloyal Persons that hated the Religion and Monarchy by Law Established and when he saw these made it their business to encrease the necessities of the Crown and then denyed just and necessary supplies but upon such terms as would have ruined him and when he also perceived that one great design of theirs was to render him and his Government odious by clamoring eternally against his Conduct and Ministers of State He then saw there was an absolute necessity of a more effectual and vigorous Execution of the Laws against them Hereupon these godly men grew impatient Roger Cokes Englands improvement part 3. p. 13. and one part of them in the years 1636 37 and 38 fled over into Holland and planted themselves at Leyden Alkmare and other places where they instructed the Dutch in our Woollen Manufactures of Norfolk and Suffolk and I have heard saith my Author who is a credible person Sir Charles Harbord a person of great Wisdom and Insight in Forreign as well as the Interest of this Nation say That if all the Bishopricks of England were sold and given to the Nation it would not near compensate the loss the Nation sustained thereby And page 32 of the same discourse he informs us That in the time of our late Wars the Dutch by the means of these Manufactures got from the English the East-land Trade the Company of which heretofore was above all others the most flourishing and by Queen Elizabeth King James and King Charles the First was termed the Royal Company for it supplied Muscovy Sweden Denmark Poland and Lifeland with our Woollen Manufactures and made very advantagious Returns by Treasure especially Hungaria Duckets and the Commodities of those Countries into England This Trade till King Charles his Reign the English solely injoyed About the beginning of King Charles his Reign the Dutch began to be Interlopers rather than Traders with the English in it but in the time of the Wars by
judgment as well as others and if I be adjudged an enemy of the Commons of England for my pains I cannot help it only I have not medled with the Validity of the pardon in all this nor I think never will and so I have not offended against that Vote The Conclusion I shall draw from hence is that the Lords had reason to put the Tryal of the five Popish Lords first and that the Commons necessitated them so to do by that Extraordinary Vote by starting a new Controversy about the Jurisdiction of the Bishops in all Capital causes and by refusing them liberty to do as they always had done before that is to withdraw upon Leave with the usual protestations entered all which things were not presently to be given up nor could suddenly be determined The rest of that day was spent in two Conferences the one concerning the Habeas Corpus Act and the other about the Tryals in which the Long reasons I mentioned were delivered On Tuesday the 27th of May The Habeas Corpus Bill was agreed at a Conference betwixt the two Houses Then a Message was sent by the Lords to the Commons to acquaint them that his Majesty was coming in his Robes who accordingly sent for the Commons and having passed 1. An Act for the reingrossing the Records of Fines burnt or lost in the late Fire in the Temple 2. An Act for the better securing of the Liberty of the Subject and for preventing imprisonment beyond Seas Which is that I call the Habeas Corpus Act for shortness Which were all that had been got ready for his Royal assent in this Session of Parliament His Majesty made a short Speech to this effect My Lords and Gentlemen I Was in good hopes that this Session would have produced great good to the Kingdom and that you would have gone on unanimously for the good thereof but to my great grief I see that there are such differences between the two Houses that I am afraid very ill effects will come of them I know but one way of Remedy for the present assuring you that in the mean time I shall shew my sincerity with the same Zeal I met you here and therefore my Lord Chancellor I command you to do as I have Ordered you Who immediately Prorogued both Houses to the 14th day of August following The news of this Prorogation of the Parliament was no sooner spread about the Nation but the cry was taken up by the zealous Impostors that it was done of purpose to hinder the Tryal of the Popish Lords for as for the E. of D. the People were generally unconcern'd what came of him And dreadful Stories were told in Coffee-houses Ale-houses Taverns and Meeting houses of the danger of Popery and what great favourers they had at Court not sparing his Majesty But this was not all the Act for Regulating Printing expiring with this Session of which no care was taken notwithstanding his Majesty recommended it so seriously to the Parliament by the Lord Chancellour at the opening of it The Nation became presently so pestred with a swarm of Lying Seditious treasonable and scandalous Pamphlets Papers and Pictures that a man would have thought Hell had been broken loose His Majesty the Church the Government were represented every day by them in the most odious manner that spite falsehood and malice could invent to beget a disaffection in the people to the Government and to involve us in another Rebellion And if any man presumed to Defend them he was presently a Papist in Masquerade a Tory or Tantivy man and very often threatned with the Parliament All which was done without doubt out of as pure kindness to his Majesty and to beget honour to the Government and tended as apparently to the Interest and Safety of the Protestant Religion as the Jews Crys of Crucify him Crucify him did to the delivery of our Saviour out of the hands of Pilate There was an Accident that began in this Session of Parliament and received its occasional being from some Distemper'd Spirits In March 1679 there was a Speech said to be made in the House of Lords by a certain * This Speech is Printed in a Pamphlet called An impartial account of divers remarkable Proceedings in the last Session of Parliament London 1679. folio Earl and by the Diffenters and Commonwealth Party spread about the three Kingdoms with a mighty Zeal which in Scotland was followed with the usual effects of such like Speeches and in regard that it may administer much consolation to that Party to read it over again that were so well pleased with it before I will reprint it here word for word My Lords You are appointing of the State of England to be taken up in a Committee of the whole House some day next week I do not know how well what I have to say may be received for I never study either to make my Court well or to be popular I always speak what I am commanded by the Dictates of the Spirit within me There are some Considerations that concern England so neerly that without them you will come far short of safety and quiet at home We have a little Sister and she hath no Breasts what shall we do for our Sister in the day when she shall be spoken for If she be a wall we will build on her a palace of silver if she be a door we will enclose her with boards of Cedar We have several Little Sisters without Breasts the French Protestant Churches the two Kingdoms of Ireland and Scotland the Foreign Protestants are a Wall the only Wall and defence to England upon it you may build Palaces of Silver Glorious Palaces The protection of the Protestants abroad is the greatest power and security the Crown of England can attain to and which can only help us to give check to the growing greatness of France Scotland and Ireland are two doors either to let in good or mischief upon us they are much weakened by the Artifice of our cunning Enemies and we ought to Inclose them with Boards of Cedar Popery and Slavery like two Sisters go hand in hand sometimes one goes first sometimes the other in at doors but the other is always following close at hand In England Popery was to have brought in Slavery in Scotland Slavery went before and Popery was to follow I do not think your Lordships or the Parliament have Jurisdiction there it is an Ancient Kingdom they have an Illustrious Nobility a Gallant Gentry a Learned Clergy and an understanding worthy People but yet we cannot think of England as we ought without reflecting on the condition they are in They are under the same Prince and the influence of the same Favourites and Councils when they are hardly dealt with can we that are the Richer expect better usage for 't is certain that in all Absolute Governments the poorest Countries are always most favourably dealt with When the Ancient Nobility
and Gentry there cannot enjoy their Royalties their Shreivaldoms and their Stewardaries which they and their Ancestors have possessed for several Hundreds of years but that now they are enjoyned by the Lords of the Council to make deputations of their Authorities to such as are their known Enemies Can we expect to enjoy our Magna Charta long under the same Persons and Administration of affairs If the Council Table there can imprison any Noble-man or Gentleman for several years without bringing him to Tryal or giving the least reason for what they do can we expect the same men will preserve the Liberty of the Subject here I will acknowledge I am not well vers'd in the particular Laws of Scotland but this I do know that all the Northern Countreys have by their Laws an undoubted and inviolable Right to their Liberties and Properties yet Scotland hath outdone all the Eastern and Southern Countreys in having their Lives Liberties and Estates subjected to the Arbitrary will and pleasure of them that Govern They have lately plundered and harassed the Richest and Wealthiest Countries of that Kingdom and brought down the Barbarous Highlanders to devour them and all this without a most colourable pretence to do it Nor can there be found a reason of State for what they have done but that those wicked Ministers designed to procure a Rebellion at any rate which as they managed was only prevented by the miraculous hand of God or otherwise all the Papists in England would have been armed and the fairest opportunity given in the just time for the execution of that wicked and bloody design the Papists had and it is not possible for any man that duly considers it to think other but that those Ministers that acted that were as guilty of the Plot as any of the Lords that are in question for it My Lords I am forced to speak this the plainer because till the pressure be fully and clearly taken off from Scotland 't is not possible for me or any thinking man to believe that good is meant us here We must still be upon our guard apprehending that the Principle is not changed at Court and that these men that are still in place and Authority have that influence upon the Mind of our excellent Prince that he is not nor cannot be that to us that his own Nature and Goodness would incline him to I know your Lordships can order nothing in this but there are those that hear me can put a perfect cure to it until that be done the Scotch Weed is like Death in the Pot. Mers in Olla But there is something too now I consider that most immediately concerns us their Act of Twenty two Thousand men to be ready to invade us upon all occasions This I hear that the Lords of the Council there have treated as they do all other Laws and expounded it into a Standing Army of six thousand men I am sure we have reason and right to beseech the King that that Act may be better considered in the next Parliament there I shall say no more for Scotland at this time I am afraid your Lordships will think I have said too much having no concern there But if a French Noble-man should come to dwell in my House and Family I should think it concerned me to ask what he did in France for if he were there a Felon a Rogue a Plunderer I should desire him to live else-where and I hope your Lordships will do the same thing for the Nation if you find the same cause My Lords give me leave to speak two or three words concerning our other Sister Ireland thither I hear is sent Douglas's Regiment to secure us against the French Besides I am credibly informed that the Papists have their Arms restored and the Protestants are not many of them yet recovered from being the suspected Party the Sea-Towns as well as the Inland are full of Papists that Kingdom cannot long continue in the English hands if some better care be not taken of it This is in your power and there is nothing there but is under your Laws therefore I beg that this Kingdom at least may be taken in consideration together with the State of England for I am sure there can be no safety here if these doors be not shut up and made sure Whether any such Harangue was made in that August assembly or not I cannot say but I am sure that all the Seditious and Treasonable Pamphlets that have been since Printed are but flourishes upon this Text and an extract of those that went before them the very model of the last Rebellion and probably the design of an other But England and Ireland are not as yet ripe for so generous an undertaking But to shew you how matters past in Scotland I will Transcribe the very words of my Author and leave the credit of them with him By the very next post after this Speech was said to have been spoken The Spirit of Popery speaking in the Phanatical Protestants pag. 73. London 1680. fol. Forty written Coppies of it were sent from London to Edenbrough and the Fanaticks grew so insolent and so daring upon it that several Loyal Gentlemen wrote up accounts to what height of Insolences this Speech had blown up the Enemies of the Church and the Monarchy and that they had just reasons to fear that very dangerous attempts if not a down-right Rebellion would speedily ensue thereupon but those reports found not too much credit at London where the world was made to believe by men whose interest it was that they should not be credited that they were but the inventions of the Duke of Lauderdale for whose advantage in that conjucture it was that they should be believed My Author goes on that he is confident such is his charity he that made it The Effects would not have done so had he known the true State of Scotland which few English men do or foreseen the evil effects which it immediately had in encouraging the Covenanteers to Assassinate Massacre and Rebel For now they begin to look and speak big in Edenbrough and many of them were heard and seen upon the Crown of the Causway who had sneeked about in darkness before And as for the disaffected parts of the Country they now display'd the Banners of Jesus Christ as they Blasphemously call'd their colours at their Conventicles every where and their Preachers now told them that the time of their deliverance and of Gods taking Vengeance upon his Enemies was now at hand only they must repent and be strong and of a great courage and fight the Battles of the Lord. They also threatned in all places such as they thought were seriously active against them talking of great Changes and Revolutions in England and in Publick Places dropt Lists of the Names of those men whom they had a mind should fall by Heroical Hands And in the first place naming Dr. Sharp the Archbishop of
Wherefore we your Majesties Loyal Subjects could not but be sensibly affected with trouble to find such a Person notwithstanding the repeated Addresses of the last Parliament continued in your Counsels at this time when the affaires of your Kingdom require none to be put into such imployments but such as are men of known abilities Interest and esteem in the Nation without all suspition of either mistaking or betraying the true interest of the Kingdom and consequently of advising your Majesty ill We do therefore most humbly beseech your most sacred Majesty for the taking away the great Jealousies Dissatisfactions and Fears amongst your good Subjects that your Majesty will gratiously be pleased to remove the Duke of Lauderdale from your Majesties Counsels in your Majesties Kingdoms of England and Scotland and from all offices imployments and places of trust and from your Majesties Presence for ever This Address they presented to his Majesty the day following to which his Majesty replyed he would consider of it and return an Answer But in the mean time it was doubtless sent after the Speech into Scotland where it found all things rather necessitated to a Rebellion than disposed the Murther of so illustrious a Person as the Primate of that Kingdom and one of his Majesties Privy Counsel there was a Villany not to be smothered And the Proclamation published the day after the fact for the discovery and apprehending of the Assassines representing the Act as it deserved with great detestation had further allarm'd the whole Party who had as they thought no other way to escape the deserved revenge but by justifying the Murther with a Rebellion And finding by this Address that the House of Commons in England were in this critical moment pressing upon their dreadful Enemy the Duke of Lauderdale they took it for granted God had espoused their cause and if they could make a head in Scotland they should be seconded out of England hoping perhaps to be as well rewarded for this as they were for beginning the former Rebellion and so being pushed forward by their destiny and desperation on they went On Tuesday the 27th of May 1679 The Parliament was prorogued and the Thursday following which was the 29th of the same month the Scotch Covenanters who knew nothing of it began their Rebellion at Ragland in Scotland to which place about fourscore men well mounted and armed came and proclaimed the Covenant and burnt several Acts of Parliament and affixed this following Declaration on the Market Cross As the Lord had been pleased still to keep and preserve his Interest in the Land by the Testimony of some faithful Witnesses from the beginning so in our days some have not been wanting who through the greatest of Hazards had added their Testimonies to these who have gone before them by suffering death Banishment Torturings Finings Forfeitures imprisonments c. Flowing from cruel and perfidious Adversaries to the Church and Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Land Therefore we owning the Interest of Christ according to the word of the Lord and the National and Solemn League and Covenant desire to add our Testamony to the Testimonies of the Worthies that has gone before though unworthy yet hoping as true Members of the Church of Christ in Scotland and that against all things that has been done prejudicial to his interest from the beginning of the work of Reformation in Scotland especially from the year 1648 to the year 1660 against these following Acts. 1. The Act of Supremacy 2. The Declaration whereby the Covenants are condemned 3. The Act for Eversion of the established Government of the Church and for establishing Prelacy and for the Outing of Christs Ministers who could not conform thereto by an Act Rescissory of all Acts of Parliament and Assemblies for the Establishment of the Covernment of the Church of Scotland according to the Word 4. As likewise the Act of Council at Glasgow putting that Act recissory in execution where at one time were violently cast out above three hundred Ministers without any Legal procedures 5. As likewise the Act appointing a Holy Anniversary Day to be kept upon the 29th of May for giving thanks for the upsetting of an usurping Power destroying the Interest of the Church in the Land which is to set up the Creature to be worshipped in the room of our Great Redeemer and to consent to the assuming of the power that is proper to the Lord alone for the appointing Ordinances in his Church as particularly the Government thereof and the keeping of Holy-days and all other sinful and unlawful Acts Emitted and Executed by them And for Confirmation of this our Testimony we do hereby this day being the 29th day of May 1679 Publickly burn them at the Cross of Ragland most Justly as they perfidiously and Blasphemously had burnt our Holy Covenants through several Cities of the Covenanted Kingdoms We judge none will take exception at our not subscribing this our Testimony being so solemnly gone about for we are ready always to do it if judged necessary with all the faithful suffering Brethren in the Land They intended to have affixed this Declaration at Glasgow too but were prevented by the Kings Forces there On the Sunday following they Rendevoused upon London Hill being then 14 or 1500 men well armed and in good order the foot commanded by one Weir and the Horse by Robert Hamilton one Patron Balfour and Hackston these two last being of the number of them that murthered the Arch-bishop and consequently most concerned to carry the Rebellion as far as they could being thus disposed and Ordered one Captain Graham of Claver House marched against them with a troop of Horse and a Company of Dragoons upon whose approach the Rebels sent out two Parties to Skirmish with him which he beat into their main body and then they advanced with their whole force upon him So that after a considerable slaughter of them and the loss of his Cornet two Brigadiers and about eight Horse and twenty Dragoons his own horse being killed under him and he mounting another being so much over-powered in number he made his retreat towards Glasgow being in his way forced to fight his way through the Townsmen of Streuin who were got together to oppose it leaving ten or twelve of them dead upon the place On Munday the Second day of June the Rebells in the morning attacked the City of Glasgow at two several times but all the Streets were so well Barracadoed by the Lord Ross and the Souldiers there put into so good a posture that they were beat off with considerable loss besides many Prisoners that were taken and thereupon the Horse and Dragoons in the Town sallied out and pursued them upon their drawing off In the Interim the Council of Scotland having first given an account of this Rebellion to his Majesty published a Proclamation for the suppression of it and that failing Levied what forces they could to oppose them
and Ordered others to be drawn against Sir Francis North Chief Justice of the Court of Common-Pleas Sir Thomas Jones one of the Justices of the Kings-Bench and Sir Richard Weston one of the Barons of the Exchequer So they were resolved to find themselves work tho they had refused to do the King's Business till that was granted which was impossible to be had this Session of Parliament Thursday the 6th of January A Bill for the more Easie Collecting the Duty of Hearth-Money was read a second time and committed upon the Debate of the House A Bill for Repealing the Act for the Well-Governing of Corporations was read the second time and committed Sir Philip Skippon was Excused from being taken into Custody for his Default in not attending the House in the Call there of the Tuesday before Colonel Birch reporting from the Committee appointed to receive Informations relating to the Popish Plott in Ireland That the Committee having proceeded upon the Matters to them referred had taken several Examinations and received the Answer of Sir John Davis and had also perused several Informations transmitted from the House of Lords relating to the said Plott All which he read in his place and afterwards delivered the same in at the Clerks Table where the same were again read The House then took into Consideration the Message sent from the Lords the Tuesday before wherein they desired the Concurrence of the House and Resolved That the House did agree with the Lords with the addition of these Words That the Duke of York being a Papist and the Expectation of his coming to the Crown hath given the Greatest Countenance and Encouragement thereto as well as to the Horrid Popish Plot in this Kingdome of England And they resolved to deliver the said Vote to the Lords at a Conference and Appointed a Committee to draw up Reasons to be offered at the said Conference Ordered That the several Informations of John Macnamara Maurice Fitz-Gerrald and James Mash that day read to the House relating to the Irish Plot be forthwith Printed Resolved That Rich. Poure Earl of Tyrone in the Kingdom of Ireland be Impeached of High Treason And that the Lord Dursley do go up to the Bar of the Lords and Impeach him c. and pray that he may be Committed to Safe Custody And further Ordered That the Committee appointed to prepare the Evidence against the Popish Lords in the Tower do prepare the said Impeachment Ordered That the further Consideration of the said Report in relation to Arthur Earl of Anglesey and Sir John Davis be Adjourned to Saturday Morning next at Ten of the Clock in a full House When it was Adjourned to Munday following which was their last day and gave them occasion for other Thoughts On Friday the 7th day of January The ingrossed Articles of Impeachment against Sir William Scroggs were Read and sent up to the Lords by the Lord Cavendish A Bill to prevent Vexatious Actions was read the first time and Ordered a second reading A Bill to prevent the Symony of one person from prejudicing another was read the first time and Ordered a second reading The Bill of Discovery of Settlements of Estates for Superstitious Uses was read the second time and committed upon the debate of the House Then the House according to their Order entred into Consideration of his Majesty's Message sent to the House the Tuesday before and Voted as followeth Resolved That it is the Opinion of this House That there is no Security or Safety for the Protestant Religion the King's Life or the Well Constituted and Established Government of this Kingdom without passing a Bill for disabling James Duke of York to Inherit the Imperial Crown of England and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging and to rely upon any other means or remedies without such a Bill is not onely Insufficient but dangerous Resolved That his Majesty in his last Message having assured this House of his readiness to Concur in all other means for the preservation of the Protestant Religion this House doth declare That until a Bill be likewise passed for Excluding the Duke of York this House cannot give any Supply to his Majesty without Danger to his Majesties Person Extream Hazard of the Protestant Religion and Vnfaithfulness to Those by whom this House is trusted It seems the loss of Tangier and of all our Alliances abroad did not at all Hazard the Protestant Religion or Endanger his Majesties Person Resolved That all Persons who Advised his Majesty in his last Message to this House to insist upon an Opinion against the Bill for Excluding the Duke of York Have given pernicious Counsel to his Majesty and Are Promoters of Popery and Enemies to the King and Kingdome Resolved That George Earl of Halifax Henry Marquess of Worcester Henry Earl of Clarendon in the Opinion of this House are persons who Advised his Majesty in his last Message to this House to insist upon an Opinion against the Bill for Excluding the Duke of York and have therein given pernicious Counsel to his Majesty and are Promoters of Popery and Enemies to the King and Kingdom Resolved That an Humble Address be presented to his Majesty to remove Lawrence Hide Esq from his Majesties Councils and Presence and from his Office in the Treasury for ever Resolved That an Humble Address be presented to his Majesty to remove Henry Marquess of Worcester from his Presence and Councils and all the Offices and Imployments of Honour and Profit for ever Resolved That it is the Opinion of this House That Lewis Earl of Feversham is a Promoter of Popery and of the French Interest and a Dangerous Enemy to the King and Kingdom Resolved That an Humble Address be made to his Majesty to remove him from all Military Offices and Commands and from all other Publick Offices and Imployments and from his Majesties Councils and Presence for ever But here was no Addresses Voted against George Earl of Halyfax nor Henry Earl of Clarendon A Motion being made also for an Address to his Majesty to remove Edward Seymour Esq from his Majesties Council and Presence it was Adjourned to the Munday following Having taken all this care to Chastise the Great Men who as they believed had opposed them in this great business in the Next place they undertook to Chastise his Majesty Himself and if their design had taken effect as it is to be hoped it Never will his Majesty and all his Successors should have Known what it is to Anger a House of Commons However they meant well for they Resolved That whoever should hereafter Lend or cause to be lent by way of Advance any Money upon the Branches of the King's Revenue arising by Customs Excise or Hearth-Money that is all the principal Branches shall be Adjudged to hinder the Sitting of Parliaments and shall be responsible for the same in Parliament Resolved That whoever shall accept or buy any Tally of Anticipation upon
any part of the King's Revenue or whosoever shall pay such Tally hereafter to be struck shall be adjudged to hinder the Sittings of Parliaments and shall be responsable therefore in Parliament First they Resolve they would give nothing themselves and then they terrify all others as much as in them lyeth from Lending or Advancing any Money to him which was not according to their Writ of Election to Advise his Majesty but by duress to force and compel him to Submit to their better Judgment as became Loyal and Dutiful Subjects So that his Majesty might well say of these Votes That instead of giving him assistance to Support his Allies or enabling him to Preserve Tangier they tended rather to disable him from contributing towards either by his own Revenue or Credit not only exposing him to all Dangers that might happen either at home or abroad but endeavouring to deprive him of the possibility of Supporting the Government it Self and to reduce him to a more helpless condition than the meanest of his Subjects A Sad and a very Just Complaint and Accordingly resented by that vast Number of People that have since Addressed to thank his Majesty for that Declaration On Saturday the 8th of January The Lords sent a Message to the Commons to acquaint them that their Lordships had appointed that day Sevennight for hearing the Cause upon the Impeachment of Mr. Seymour and that their House might reply if they thought fit but they had no leisure to take notice of it Information being given to the House by the Serjeant at Arms that Sir John Lloyd Sir Edward Philips Herbert Herring Miles Baspole _____ Iles and Arthur Yeomans who for divers great Misdemeanors by them committed as was pretended against the Priviledge of their House were Ordered to be taken in Custody of the said Serjeant did Abscond themselves that the said Order could not be put in Execution against them hereupon they Ordered That an Humble Application should be made to his Majesty from their House by Such Members thereof as were of his Majesties most Honourable Privy Council desiring his Majesty to Issue out his Royal Proclamation for the Apprehending the said several persons in case they should not render themselves to the Serjeant by a certain day therein to be limited The same day they Ordered That a Committee should be Appointed to inspect the Journals of their House and of the House of Lords and Precedents to Justify and Maintain That the Lords ought to Commit Persons to Safe Custody when Impeached for High Treason by the Commons in Parliament and to make report thereof to the House Which Vote had relation to Sir William Scroggs And so we are come to the day that finally put an End to all their Proceedings which was Munday the 10th day of January and a great Wonder it was that his Majesty could endure them so long They began the day with a Vote which shews the Meaning and Tendance of all the rest Resolved That whosoever Advised his Majesty to Prorogue this Parliament to any other purpose than in order to the passing of a Bill for the Exclusion of James Duke of York is a betrayer of the King the Protestant Religion and of the Kingdom of England A Promoter of the French Interest and a Pensioner to France They Knew then that they were to be Prorogued but they Knew not by whose Advice and so if his Majesty did it without any Advice then all these Hard words were thrown at him but by whomsoever it were done this Vote could have no good meaning or effect and must end in Smoke or Tumults and Confusion 2. Resolved That the Thanks of this House be given to the City of London for their Manifest Loyalty to the King their Care Charge and Vigilancy for the Preservation of his Majesties Person and of the Protestant Religion Ordered That the Members that Serve for the City of London do accordingly give them the Thanks of the House Resolved That it is the Opinion of this House That the City of London was Burnt in the Year 1666 by the Papists designing thereby to Introduce Arbitrary Power and Popery into the Kingdom Resolved That the Commissioners of the Customes and other Officers of the Custom-House have Wilfully broken the Law prohibiting the Importation of French Wines and other Commodities and that if they shall hereafter Wilfully or Negligently break that Law they shall be questioned therefore in Parliament Resolved That it is the Opinion of this House That James Duke of Monmouth hath been removed from his Offices and Commands by the Influence of the Duke of York Ordered That an humble Application be made to his Majesty from this House by such Members thereof as are of his Majesties Honourable Privy-Council to desire his Majesty to restore the said James Duke of Monmouth to his said Offices and Commands This was excellently timed and they had so obliged his Majesty they might be sure he would not deny them Resolved That it is the Opinion of this House That the Prosecution of Protestant Dissenters upon the Penal Laws is at this time Grievous to the Subject a weakning of the Protestant Interest and incouragement to Popery and dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom Here their Mouths were stopt by a Message from the King by Edward Carteret Usher of the Black-Rod Acquainting them that the King Commanded them to Attend him immediately in the House of Peers And there his Majesty Prorogued them to the Thursday Sevennight being the 20th of that Instant January 1680. 1. His Majesty gave his Royal Assent to the Act Prohiting the Importation of Cattle from Ireland 2. To the Act for Supplying the late Act for Burying in Woollen 3. And to an Act To rectifie Errors in Sir Charles Houghton 's Settlement There was another Act for Repeal of the Act of the 35 of Elizabeth ready to be passed and it was Lost No body knew how and was never tendred to his Majesty Soon after this Parliament was Dissolved by Proclamation to the great Satisfaction of all but the Dissenters who if they had been able to consider things Aright had as little reason to be pleased with their Proceedings as any of the rest for they did them no other Service then to Exasperate the King and the Government against them and have made them to be more prosecuted and less pitied than they were before The Popish Party received almost as little damage by them as the Dissenters did Advantage for they bending their force Equally against the Succession and Popery all their Designs if they had any beyond clamour against the Papists were broken Their Arbitrary and Illegal Proceedings against the Abhorrers of the Tumultuous Petitions for the Sitting of the Parliament procured more Friends to the Duke of York then perhaps he would otherwise have had and gave the English Gentry an Excellent Prospect what they might Expect from these Warm Gentlemen if ever they fell into their hands The King had
Address should be made to his Majesty by such Members of their House as were of his Majesties Privy Counsel to desire his Majesty to Command the Lord Chancellor to put him out of the Commission of the Peace Because it seems his Imprisonment was not punishment enough for so great an offence as this Exact Coll. of the most considerable debates c. p. 337. And the Writing several other books to revive the memory of 1641. as one of the Members expressed it in the following Parliament when it seems they meant to have another fling at him for though his Majesty can pardon and forgive there are that cannot But I believe they have got no great matter by this Nor was the Doctor turn'd out of the Commission for all their Address his Majesty knowing this would not suit his Interest On Saturday the Lords sent down a Bill entituled May 3. An Act for freeing the City of London and parts adjacent from Popish Inhabitants and providing against other dangers which may arise from Papists And in the Afternoon May 5. an Account that the Earl of Danby would insist upon his Pardon and that he desired his Council might be heard to the Validity of it On Monday His Majesty sent this message to the Commons by the Lord Russell His Majesty hath commanded me to let the House know that his Majesty is willing to comply with the request made to him by the House concerning Pickering and that the Law shall pass upon him accordingly and as to the Condemned Priests the House of Peers have sent for them in order as his Majesty conceives to some Examinations and further to acquaint you that he repeateth his instances to you to think of putting the Fleet in such a posture as may quiet mens fears and at least secure us from any sudden attempt which his Majesty doubts not but you will do And though the streights and difficulties he lyeth under are very great he doth not intend during this Sessions to press for any other Supply being willing rather to suffer the Burdens that are upon him some time longer than to interrupt you whilst you are imployed about the discovery of the Plot the Tryal of the Lords and the Bill for securing our Religion The same day the Commons went up to the Bar of the Lords house to demand Judgment against the Earl of Danby upon the Illegality of his pardon May the 6. On Tuesday John Wilson and Roger Bockwith Esquires two Justices of the Peace of the County of York were sent for in Custody for saying that this Parliament was no Parliament and they would justify it Of which more hereafter May 22. A Message was sent to the Lords by the Commons that the House was ready to make good the Impeachments against the five Popish Lords in the Tower and the Committee of Secrecy belonging to the Commons was appointed to manage the evidence against them at their Tryals Wednesday The 7. of May the Lords sent down a Message that they had appointed Saturday to hear the Earl of Danby's Plea for the Validity of his Pardon that they had Addressed to the King for the naming a Lord High Steward at his Tryal and that of the Popish Lords which was appointed by their Lordships to be that day seven-night On Thursday The 8. of May. the Commons agreed an Address to his Majesty against John Duke of Lauderdale upon general pretences of fears and jealousies desiring he might be removed from his Majesties Counsels in England and Scotland putting his Majesty in mind of the Address of the last Parliament to that purpose and resolved they would attend his Majesty in a body The Commons desired a Conference with the Lords to state before hand the manner of proceedings in the Tryal of the Earl of Danby and of the five Popish Lords and took exceptions to their motion for a Lord High Steward On Friday his Majesty sent for the Commons and passed the Bill for Disbanding the Army and such other Bills as were ready which was wisely done for by this surprize other debates were prevented which might have prov'd of dangerous consequence After this they appointed a Committee to inspect the Journalls and search Presidents touching the carrying up of Bills and what previous intimation ought to be given to them of his Majesties intention to pass Bills and from and by whom such notice hath usually been given and whether the House may debate after the message delivered by the Black Rod for attendance of the House upon his Majesty It would have been very unhappy if by reason of these Debates the Forces then on foot should have continued undisbanded By all which as much as is possible to conjecture it would have been very unhappy if by reason of these Debates the Forces then on foot should have continued undisbanded to the great damage of the King and Kingdom notwithstanding the common clamour against them if his Majesty had not thus prevented it The same day the Commons passed this Vote that no Commoner whatsoever should presume to maintain the Validity of the pardon pleaded by the E. of Danby without the leave of their house first had and that the persons so doing should be accounted betrayers of the Liberties of the Commons of England and Ordered this Vote to be posted up at Westminster-hall Gate Serjeants-Innes and Innes of Court His Lordships Friends called this a depriving him of all counsel to defend himself but what was appointed by his Enemies and Accusers in a matter of Law insisting upon the Rules of proceedings in all other Courts and the ordinary methods of Common and Natural equity and right it seeming hard to ruine a man if not some diffidence of the case to deny him those Priviledges the meanest and worst of Rogues have which is to choose such Councel as the Court before whom they are to be tryed will allow the Kings Councel excepted And when the humour was stirr'd they voted that the Answer delivered by the Lords that day at the Last Conference about the manner of trying the Peers whereby their Lordships had not consented to a Committee of the Houses because they did not think it Conformable to the Rules and Orders of their Court of which they said they had reason to be tender in matters relating to their Judicature tended to the Interruption of the good correspondency between the two Houses May 10. The first thing the Commons did on Saturday morning was the Reading of an Address to the King for the raising of the Militia of London Westminster the Tower Hamlets and Counties of Middlesex and Surrey for the security of his Majesties Person at the Tryal of the Popish Lords by reason of the Great Resort of the Jesuits Popish Priests and other Popish Recusants at that time in contempt of his Majesties Laws and Royal Proclamation to which they desired the Concurrence of the Lords to which they unanimously agreed The E. of
by which means they were kept together not daring to part to plunder and their Number was also kept from increasing as otherwise it might have done But yet the Council knowing the Rebels could not continue long together would not fight them till his Majesty should send them orders so to do and a general His Majesty and the Council here resolved to send down his Grace the Duke of Monmouth who had given good proof of his Courage in Flanders and elsewhere who undertaking the enterprise against the Rebels went post into Scotland for that purpose The Rebels in the interim having possest themselves of Glasgow grew insolent at first and published a Proclamation in these terms WE the Officers of the Covenanted Army do require and command you the Inhabitants of the Burgh of Glasgow to furnish us with Twenty four Carts and sixty Baggage Horses for removing our Provision from this Place to our Camp whereever we shall set down the same and to abide with us for that end during our pleasure under the pain of being reputed our Enemies and proceeded against accordingly And another thus WE the Officers of the Covenanted Army do require and command the Magistrates of Glasgow to Extend and Banish forth thereof all Archbishops Bishops and Curates their Wives Bairns and Servants and all other families and persons concern'd in the Kings Army within eight and forty houres after the Publishing hereof under the Highest pains You have seen before what bad Subjects they were and these two will show what insolent Masters they proved but their Dominion was not long That which first amated them was the news of the Prorogation of the Parliament in England upon which they chiefly depended and in all probability had never risen but that they were forced into a belief that they were sure on that side not that I think the Parliament would have been any way serviceable to them but they were made to believe so in Scotland where any thing that looked that way was magnified above its real bigness But that being gone and the rest of Scotland continuing quiet or Arming against them and their friends in Edenborough being kept from joyning with them they began to suspect the worst and so fell a little from their first fury and published this second Declaration for their Vindication AS it is not unknown to a great part of the World how happy the Church of Scotland was whilst they enjoyed the Ordinances of Jesus Christ in purity and power of which we have been deplorably deprived by the establishment of Prelalacy So it is Evident not only to impartial persons but to professed Enemies with what unparallel'd patience and constancy the People of God have endured all the Cruelty Injustice and Oppression that the Will and Malice of Prelates and Malignants could invent and exercise And being most unwilling to Act any thing which might import opposition to Lawful Authority or engage the Kingdom in a War although we have all along been groaning under the overturning the work of Reformation Corruptions of Doctrine Slighting of Worship Despising of Ordinances the changing the Antient Church Discipline and Government Thrusting out so many of our faithful Ministers from their Charges Confining streightly Imprisoning exiling yea and putting to death many of them and intruding upon their Flocks a company of insufficient and scandalous persons and Fining Confining Imprisoning Torturing Tormenting Scourging and Stigmatizing poor people Plundring their Goods Quartering upon them rude Souldiers Selling their persons to forreign Plantations * * Horning is Out Lawing There is nothing like intercommuning with us for if any man hold any correspondency with the offender he is to be adjudged a Rebel of the same guiltiness all which severities they themselves first set up and practised against others The Burthen of Issachar Printed 1646. pag. 41 42. Horning and Intercommuning many of both whereby great Numbers in every Corner of the Land were forced to leave their Dwellings Wives Children and Relations and made to wander as Pilgrims still in hazard of their Lives none daring to reset harbour or supply though starving or so much as to speak to them even upon death bed without making themselves obnoxious to the same punishments and these things Acted under coulour of Law in effect tending to banish not only all sense of Religion but also to extinguish Natural affection even amongst persons of the nearest Relations and likewise groaning under the intollerable Yoak of Oppression in our Civil Interests our Bodies Liberties and Estates So that all manner of outrages have been most arbitrarily exercised upon us through a tract of several years past particularly in the year 1678 by sending among us an Armed Host of Barbarous Savages contrary to all Laws and Humanity and by laying on us several Impositions and Taxes as formerly So of late by a meeting of Prelimited and Over-awed Members in the Convention of Estates in July 1678 for keeping up of an Armed Force intrusted as to a great part of it into the hands of avowed Papists or favourers of them by whom sundry Invasions have been made upon us and most exorbitant abuses and incredible Insolencies committed against us and we being continually sought after while meeting in Houses for divine Worship Ministers and People frequently apprehended and most rigorously used and so being necessitated to attend the Lords Ordinances in Fields in the most desart places and there also often hunted out and assaulted to the effusion of our bloud and killing of some whereby we were inevitably constrained either to defend our selves by Arms at these meetings or to be altogether deprived of the Gospel preached by faithful Ministers and made absolute Slaves At one of which Meetings upon the first of June instant Captain Graham of Claver House being Warranted by a late Proclamation to kill whomever he found in Arms at Field Conventicles making resistance did furiously assault the people assembled and further to provoke did cruelly bind like Beasts a Minister with some others whom he had that very same Morning found in Houses and several being kill'd on both sides they knowing certainly that by Law they behoved if apprehended to die they did stand to their own defence and continue together and there after many of our Friends and Country-men being under the same oppression expecting the same measure did freely offer their assistance We therefore thus inevitably and of absolute Necessity forced to take this last Remedy the Magistrates having shut the Door by a Law against application that what ever our Grievances be either in things Civil or Sacred we have not the Priviledge of a Supplicant do judg our selves bound to declare That these with many other Horrid Grievances in Church and State which we purpose to Manifest hereafter are the true Causes of this our lawful and innocent self-defence And we do most solemnly in the presence of Almighty God the Searcher of all hearts declare That the true reasons of our continuing
speaking out of the Mouths of Phanatical Protestants or the last Speeches of John Kid and John King c. pag. 11. The matter of fact being thus stated the Reader need not wonder they were severely treated when they suffered the pains of Treason and Rebellion but besides those they had committed a vast number of Massacres and Assassinations before they murthered the Primate and this aggravated their sufferings Now all the cunning of this Declaration lies in this that they tell us what they suffered and perhaps truly but not a tittle of the case Which is just as if all the Rogues in the Nation should joyn and pen a complaint ennumerating how many of them since his Majesties Return have been Hanged Quartered Whipped Branded Transported Pillored Imprisoned which never meant any hurt to his Majesty or the Government but only to get a Living the best and easiest way they could Now to one that is as little vers'd in our ways of Punishment as we are in the Scotch it would seem a rueful Story whilest an English man would smile as knowing why they suffered all these hardships I need not apply it but shall add this they have deserved ten times more then they have felt as being the bloudiest Cut-throats in the world So that in Scotland no man dare to offend them openly for fear of assassination but such as either must by the necessity of their places or else have good means of defending their Lives against them Next I observe this Declaration is nothing but a large flourish upon the Speech and drawn just at that loose general rate which that is calling those Taxes and Punishments Arbitrary which they acknowledg were according to several Acts of Parliament and then pretending the persons that do constitute their Parliaments or States are overawed But then I must commend their ingenuity in this that they do not with the Commons of England lay the blame of all this upon the Duke of Lauderdale or their Ministers but upon the total change of their Government and State both Sacred and Civil and upon the Parliament of Scotland and the King whom they supplicate with menaces to restore him into the same State he found them in without which they were sensible the removing of the Duke of Lauderdale or any other of the great Ministers of State would signify nothing as to their Designs which was as they plainly tell us to set up the Presbyterian Doctrine and Church Government to serve the King in nothing else any further then he would serve them in that And lastly to obtain a free and unlimited Parliament and Assembly that is such as it might not be in his Majesties power to dissolve or frustrate by prorogation till they had extirpated Popery and Prelacy both together which was freely and roundly to tell us what they would have without canting and amusing us with general terms and hints but then I must not deny they had swords by their sides to justify these demands which our Gentlemen want and I wish ever may do but yet the Reader may observe that Speech that was so hugged in England and the Scotch Declaration meant the same thing though in different terms Observe also that they call the Presbyterian Doctrine and Government the Religion established though they own it to be taken away by a rescissory Act of Parliament for they believe all those Acts that have or shall be made against it are Null and Void and the former Acts are still in force though repealed which is an odd sort of Establishment consisting in the fancy of the people that own it and not in Law or Nature They lay the stress of their Justification upon necessity and yet own the greatest part of it to arise from hence that they must be deprived of the Gospel preached by the faithful Ministers and be made Slaves if they did not rebel Now as to their civil interest they would be in the same State with their Country men who are so far from rebelling that they have several times chastised them for it with a very little assistance from England And as to their Preachments I wonder in what part of the Gospel they learned to defend Christs Religion by rebellion but we must know this is pure Scotch Calvinistical Jesuitical Doctrine begun by the Devil and his Vicar the Pope not many hundred years ago and for which Bellarmine acknowledges there is neither Precept nor Example in the Bible nor in all Church History till near a thousand years after our Saviour's time and he gives this reason why the Gospel taught patience and submission because the contrary would have ruined Christianity then when but a few professed it but tells us St. Paul would have taught otherwise if he had lived in our days I shall not dispute how the Cardinal or the Scotch Gentlemen who talk at the same rate came to know this but I say it is equally destructive of any other Doctrine a man hath no mind to practise as of this of submission to Princes and suffering patiently for the truth without resistance As suppose I have a mind to revenge and they tell me of the Doctrine of meekness and forgiving injuries and Enemies if I reply this Doctrine was adopted to the Infant state of Christianity when Professors were few and exposed to persecution and could have got nothing by revenging their quarrels but ruine but the state of things is otherwise now and I may revenge my self with security both as to my self and as to my Religion and from thence infer that that Doctrine is ceased and I am at liberty to do in that particular as I see cause and that St. Paul would have taught so if he had lived in these times I say if I should argue thus upon their principles it could never be answered and a man might say as much for any other Gospel precept he had no mind to obey But to return The Covenanters in their first Declaration date the rise of all their troubles from the year 1648 and that is true and worth a Note You must know Charles the first had given them by the pacification all that they asked and the long Rebel Parliament had sent them home loaden with thanks Money and the spoils of England before our wars began * A View of the late Troubles cap. 18. but things going ill on the Parliament side after the King had routed Waller in the West and almost totally subdued the North by the valour of the E. of Newcastle the Parliament having no other way to turn them were forced to call in the Scots once more with Money and Promises yea and Oaths too to settle the Presbyterian Church Government here in England These two things prevailing upon them in they came and that ruined the King and his Party who at last surrendring himself to the Scots they dutifully sold him to the Parliament for 300000 lb. as all the World knows but the Chapmen fell out and
Independency prevailing at the same time in England on it went with the same force and ruined the poor Kirk of Scotland and made this Covenanting Nation the veriest Slaves in the world and ever since Presbytery there as well as in England have been in a feeble state and they were opprest in their civil Interests Liberties and Freedoms and made such Slaves by a standing Army of English and two Forts which his Majesty hath since demolished that a Scot in those days durst not have walked as I have been told with a Cudgel in his hand and Parliament general Assembly or any other Convention they were never to have more nor any other Address but what they got by most humble Supplication only they had no Bishops so that if his Majesty should restore all things as he found them when God brought him home to his Crown and Kingdoms the Scots would have no reason to thank him for the favour But in the interim I wonder they can reflect thus upon the time when their calamities began which was the very year they sold his Majesties Father into the hands of his Enemies who basely murthered him and not be confounded with horror and shame at the Villany they then did nor yet reflect upon the Justice of God which hath pursued them ever since through all the changes that have happened and having first made their dear Covenanting Brethren of England to begin the Chastisement of them hath gone on from time to time to baffle all their attempts to recover their Lost Estate and they have reason to believe he will do so till the opinions and persons of that schismatical Confederacy be rooted out of the World And here let our English Dissenters too be pleased to remember they have done worse then the Scots for they murthered that Prince which the Scots only sold and by how much they have smarted less then the Scots so much the more is behind and the Justice of God will not be restrained by the Act of Indemnity but he will certainly recompense them according to their deserts with so much the greater severity because they have abused the Lenity of his Anointed and his long-sufferance I shall add but one word more and then see the Catastrophe of these Rebells and that is an humble Request to the Loyal Scots that they would not take this amiss for I heartily applaud their fidelity to his Majesty and acknowledge they deserve to partake of his Royal bounty and Princely favour equally with the English and I wish them all that prosperity and happiness they can desire for they are no otherwise concerned in the Covenanters then the Church of England men are in the evil Actions of the English Dissenters The 20th of June the Duke of Monmouth who went Post into Scotland for that Service went to the Army which the Council of Scotland had prepared for him which lay then at a place called Blackburn where he viewed and muster'd all the Forces and put all things in a readiness to encamp the next day he marched with his Army to Moorhead and the day following to Bothwell bridge Where the Enemy lay about eight Miles distant from his second Camp The place where they then were was called Hamilton Park and was well chosen if it had or could have been well defended for there was no passage to it but over Bothwell bridge which they had well lined with Musqueteers and Barricadoed with Stones Cart Wheels and the like The Dukes Army marched in great silence and Order and had been upon the Rebels before they had taken the Allarm but that their foremost Guards discovered them by the light of their Matches And so they put themselves into a posture of Defence The Duke found the Rebels in two Bodies half a Mile one from the other the foremost Party which was the weakest in Number lay near the Bridge the other near their Camp as high as the liitle Park where they stood in their Orders and Ranks Major Oglethorp posted himself upon the first approach near the Bridge with the Dragoons and the rest of the Dukes Army drew up upon a Hill fronting Hamilton Park about a mile from the Bridge the River being between the two Armies As soon as the Duke came to Major Oglethrop's Post there came out to him from the Rebels one David Haine and another of their Preachers who presented to his Grace the Declaration I have recited Printed and a Petition signed by Robert Hamilton their General in the name of the Covenanted Army then in Arms in which they prayed that the Terms of their Declaration might be made good and that a safe Conduct might be granted to some of their Number to address themselves to his Grace in this Matter To which the Duke replyed that he would not treat with them upon their Declaration the terms of which were contrary to the Fundamental Laws of the Land and such as he would not nor could grant as indeed they were too high to have been offered after a Victory much more in the first approaches of a General with a better though smaller Army then theirs But then he told them that if they would lay down their Armes he would receive them into the Kings mercy And with this Answer the two Preachers went back desiring some time to consider which the Duke granted them About half an hour after the Rebels sent a Paper by a Drummer representing that they were informed that his Grace came from England with terms to be offered to them and they desired to know what he had to propose that they might advise whether the Terms were such as they could accept of Whether this were so or no it was very imprudent in them to send this Message before they had excused themselves in relation his first demands and besides this was a mighty slight to the General to demand an account of his private Instructions by a Drummer with a Paper when as it had been fitter to have sent two or three of the best Gentlemen in their Army to have asked this favour with all the Courtship imaginable though their Forces had been much stronger then they were For this indeed was it that made them thus insolent their Preachers had doubtless informed them that the Dukes Army was less then theirs as it is said it was And hence they concluded very ignorantly they might ask what they pleased and have it The Duke was not idle all this while but had ordered his Cannon to be brought down from the Body of the Army and Planted near the Bridge and with them he had Drawn down some part of his Horse and Foot whilst they were treating and took no notice of what he did or at least did not oppose it so they were every moment in a worse condition and he was in a worse condition and he in a better So that being netled with this contempt of theirs he sent away their Drummer with this answer that since they
nothing shall be wanting on My part to give you the fullest Satisfaction your Hearts can wish for the Security of the Protestant Religion which I am fully resolved to maintain against all the Conspiracies of Our Enemies and to Concur with You in any new Remedies which shall be proposed that may Consist with the preserving the Succession of the Crown in its Due and Legal Course of Descent And in Order to this I do recommend to You to pursue the further Examination of the Plot with a strict and impartial Enquiry I do not think My Self Safe nor You neither till that Matter be gone thro with and therefore it will be necessary that the Lords in the Tower be brought to their speedy Tryal that Justice may be done I need not tell you what danger the City of Tangier is in nor of what Importance it is to Vs to preserve it I have with a mighty Charge and Expence sent a very Considerable Relief thither but Constantly to maintain so great a Force as that War will require and to make those New Works and Fortifications without which the Place will not be long Teneable amounts to so Vast a Sum that without Your Support it will be impossible for me to undergo it Therefore I lay the matter plainly before You and desire Your Advice and Assistance But that which I Value above all the Treasure in the World and which I am Sure will give Me greater Strength and Reputation both at home and abroad then any Treasure can do is a perfect VNION amongst Our Selves Nothing but this can restore the Kingdom to that Strength and Vigor which it seems to have Lost and raise Vs again to that Consideration which England hath Vsually had All Europe have their Eyes upon this Assembly and think their own Happiness or Misery as well as Ours will depend upon it If We should be So Vnhappy as to fall into such Mis-Vnderstanding among Our Selves as should render Our Friendship unsafe to trust to it will not be Wondred at if Our Allies should begin to take new Resolutions and perhaps such as may be Fatal to Vs Let Vs therefore take Care that We do not Gratifie Our Enemies and Dishearten Our Friends by any Vnseasonable Disputes If any such do happen the World will see it is no fault of Mine for I have done all that was possible for Me to do to Keep You in Peace while I live and to Leave You So when I die But from so great Prudence and so good Affections as Yours I can fear Nothing of this Kind but to Rely upon You all That You will use Your best Endeavours to bring this Parliament to a Good and Happy Conclusion The Lord Chancellor made no Speech at all His Majesty giving himself the whole Trouble of this Affair hoping his Words would the more be Considered by them and the business the more zealously pursued The House of Commons being returned and a Motion made That William Williams Esq should be chosen Speaker It was Resolved in the Affirmative Nemine Contradicente who forthwith made two Speeches in the House which are Printed in the Votes one to Excuse himself by reason of his insufficiency by reason of the difficulty both of the Place and Things to be transacted But that being refused he made a Second which shew'd more the temper of the Man and is as followeth Gentlemen I Tremble when I reflect under what difficulties Learned Experienced and Wise Men have Laboured in this Chair Yet I am not afraid of their President who impaired their Estates and Health no nor of them who lost their Lives in this Service These are a Sacrifice I owe my Country But when I suffer my self to think that some Gentlemen have Maimed their Reputation in this Trust these Thoughts are dreadful to me and must yet strike deeper with me unless you that called me hither shall please to Stand by me Cherish and Support me in all the difficulties of this Place I have it by your Courtesie and shall hold it at your Pleasure and I have this to Secure me If I fall I fall into the Hands of Gentlemen that made me what I am in Your Service I doubt not but you will remember your own Minister your own ONELY your own INTIRELY placed in this Service without Seeking without Recommending I expect No Boon but your Grace and Favour to depart as I came when you shall please to Command me without repenting Some have said these Speeches were never made in the House but added afterwards to the Votes tho it 's possible they might be designed but that is nothing to the purpose In my poor Judgment this last Speech is lyable to many great Exceptions and for which he would certainly have been eased of this Laborious and Dangerous Imployment under any Prince but the Mildest of Men with whom he had now to do First he might have treated his Predecessors in that Chair with more respect than to take notice of them that had Maimed their Reputation which as they were not many so that thought might with more Humility and Candour have been kept to himself and the rather because one present had had the Misfortune to be represented disadvantagiously in the latter end of the former Parliament and this looked more like an insulting Bravado than a Modest Excuse It had been good he had taken the Lord Verulam's Counsel Essay the 11. Vse the Memory of thy Predecessor Fairly and Tenderly for if thou dost not it is a Debt will Surely be paid when thou art Gone In the Second Paragraph he flies higher and is not content to tell them that he is their Minister without he added Onely and Intirely Now another man would have left out these words or have added something to them to declare his Loyal Intention to his Prince too whose Minister the Speaker is more properly than the Houses whose Place he holds there and from whom he hath his Authority tho he hath his Nomination from the Commons nor is he a Speaker at all till the King hath approved of their Choyce His Majesty to avoid any Contest about a Speaker had it seems not Recommended any Person to them as is usual and he takes Notice of that too but in such a manner as looks more like a Triumph over his Majesty than any thing else as having gained that point upon him by the last Contest when he tells them he was placed in that Service without Seeking without Recommending And in the Next place he tells them He Expects no other Boon but by their Grace and Favour to depart as he came without repenting He may possibly prove a Prophet and as he seems to scorn his Prince's Favour so he may ever want an opportunity of Refusing it On Friday the House of Commons attended his Majesty with their Speaker where he that hath entred two Speeches to the Commons is not pleased to Enter that which was made to his Majesty but onely tells
many other such proceedings As the Parliament that is the Commons Courted the City so the City was as kind to them and Calling a Common Councel Voted an Address to his Majesty to declare their Loyalty and to Petition him that the Parliament might Sit until Protestantisme was Secured I believe they might mean innocently tho I am well Secured that this would have perpetuated them to the End of the World if some amongst them might have been Judges of the time when this great work was perfected But this did not Edify with his Majesty who penetrated to the bottom of these little Projects and was not over-pleased with this Correspondency betwixt this and the Commons remembring what ill effects this Conjunction had in the Reign of his Father So he Advised the Common-Councel to meddle with those things that lay before them and assuring them That he would Labour to maintain the Protestant Religion as it was Established by Law which was more than they desired he dismissed them On Munday the 15th day of November A Bill against the Importation of Cattel from Scotland was Read the first time and Ordered a Second Reading the Saturday following at Ten of the Clock This day was delivered the following Message to the Commons CHARLES R. HIS Majesty did in his Speech at the Opening of this Session of Parliament desire your Advice and Assistance in relation to Tangier the Condition and Importance of the Place obliges his Majesty to put this House in mind again That He relies upon them for the Support of it without which it cannot be much longer preserved His Majesty doth therefore Earnestly Recommend Tangier again to the due and speedy Consideration and Care of this House A Debate thereupon arising in the House they Voted That they would proceed in the Consideration of this Message the next Wednesday Morning at Ten of the Clock A Bill sent down from the Lords Intituled An Act for the better Regulating the Tryals of the Peers of England was Read the Second time and Committed upon the Debate of the House This day the Bill for Disabling the Duke of York was Read the first time in the House of Peers and the question being put Whether it should be read again the House divided Noes 63. Yeas 30. So it was Thrown out the Bishops all appearing against the Bill Except three for which some of the Commons Reflected upon them with great Liberty as if no body could be for the Duke but he must be for Popery The House of Commons taking notice of this were so discomposed that they Adjourned themselves on Tuesday Morning and did nothing that day And the day following meeting in a very bad and discontented humour and taking into Consideration the Message about Tangier They Resolved upon an Address to his Majesty upon the Debate of the House Humbly representing to him the dangerous State and Condition of the Kingdom And then it appearing that George Earl of Hallifax had been very Active in the House of Lords against the Bill for Dis-inheriting the Duke they Resolved also upon another Address to his Majesty to remove the Earl from his Majesties Presence and Councils for Ever And this was all they did the Second day after The House being in a perfect Fret and the Country-Party Heating themselves by their Speeches to that height they were scarce able to Consider what was fit to be said or asked And now that the Peers of England have passed their Judgment concerning this Bill I will add some short Reflections upon the Bill which I shall shall submit to my Reader as it is fit I should First Then I do acknowledg it is a great affliction to any Protestant Country to fall into the Hands of a Popish Prince and worse for England then for most other because of the great and implacable Malice the Jesuits and the whole Church of Rome have ever born to the Religion Established amongst us which is more easily defended against them then any other Reformed Church as being founded upon greater Antiquity and more conformable to the Primitive Church of the Three or Four first Centuries then either the Church of Rome or any of the Reformed Churches in these Western Parts of the World and therefore they of the Church of Rome Have left no stone unturned to Subvert her imploying all their own Wit and Power against her ever since the Reign of Queen Elizabeth began and sticking neither at Perjury Treason Murther nor any other Villany that they thought might conduce to that End and when God had by his Gracious Providence defeated all these their Damnable Projects They Transformed themselves into the shapes of our own Protestant Dissenters and so promoted a Rebellion which ended in the seeming Ruine of this Religion and Government to their mighty Content and Satisfaction but tho his Majesty at his Return re-settled this Church yet they did not give over but by a Toleration by spreading Pamphlets written in the Stile of the Dissenters and so very acceptable to them by discouraging all that opposed our Intestine Divisions and a multitude of such other frauds they have in Twenty Years time so shaken her foundations again that his Majesty can hardly now preserve and uphold her against the Popish Party on the one hand and the Dissenters on the other So that if this poor persecuted Church should fall into the hands of a Prince of their Communion She is to Expect whatever the most Enraged Malice armed with his Authority can inflict upon her and She hath all the reason in the world to expect the Dissenters will joyn with them to afflict and ruine her Not out of any Kindness to Popery but out of an implacable hatred they two have Conceived against her So that I must and will Conclude the Church of England hath the greatest reason in the world to dread that day that shall put her into such hands But yet still with this limitation notwithstanding that by Avoiding one Mischief she should not plunge her Self into a greater that is by flying a Persecution from men to fall into a Rebellion against her God and Saviour by whose Providence Kings and Princes of what Religion soever they be rule and by whom they have in all Ages been so Ordered Disposed and Governed as He in his Divine and Holy Wisdom Saw most Expedient for the Prosperity or Chastisement of his Church to the greater encrease of her Glory and Happiness in the world to come Two things I will lay down as Undoubted Rules or Maximes 1. That the Kingdom of England is an Hereditary Kingdom or Monarchy which for many Ages hath gone to the Next Heirs be they Males or Females of the Blood Royal without any Election or Consent of the People otherwise then by acknowledging their Lawful Right derived from God by their Blood to them The Second is That this Hereditary Monarchy was set up at first and hath been since upheld and maintained by the Providence of
for that some men have got a way of Reproaching all they hate with the Name of Papists because there is none more hated than that yet even for that case the Number must be small being very unwilling to List themselves in a hated Party Except they may have great Advantages by it which are not to be afforded to many in proportion to the rest in one Kings Reign in so small a Kingdom as England Thirdly The very attempting this with Force and Violence will drive so many people out of the Nation that the Prince will destroy both his Revenue and Security which we may believe no man will do for his own sake To this we may add That it is three to one whether we have any such Prince Who but God can tell whether ever the Duke shall Survive his Majesty Whether if he do he shall be the Next Heir and whether if he be So his Interest the Grace of God or meer humane inconstancy may not work upon him to return to that Religion he was first principl'd in and for which his Royal Father most Gloriously Laid down his Life And after all this Supposing he should Succeed and be Zealous for his Religion and Suppose that to be Popery there is no necessity that he must Act all the worst Principles of Popery to the Utmost degree I am sure it is not usual so to do tho the difficulty be not so great as here it will be And after all doth not the Providence of God govern the Popish as well as Protestant Princes Is the Arm of the Almighty shortned that he can neither Deliver nor Support his Church or hath he forsaken her in her Old Age who preserved her with So much Care and Power in her Infancy under Heathen Princes for above Three hundred Years and under Arrian Princes which were as bad as the worst Papists a long time after that Do we believe this Protestant Religion is acceptable to him Are the far greatest part of them that profess it Sincere or False in their pretences If all these be answered one way we have Something to rely upon that is more Steady than the Faith and Religion of Princes If in the other it will be but a folly to pretend to Secure by humane Arts that which God is resolved to destroy But the reason upon which the Bill of Exclusion is built is worse than the thing First they Vote That the Dukes being a Papist and the Hopes of his Coming such to the Crown hath given the greatest Countenance and Encouragement to the present Designs and Conspiracies against the King and Protestant Religion They Vote the Duke a Papist which is more than any man living can tell but himself and if it should be granted that he is So what then Then this hath given the greatest Countenance and Encouragement to the present Designs and Conspiracies against the King and Protestant Religion and then the Conclusion is That therefore he must be dis-inherited To me it seems better Logick to say Then all possible Care and Art is to be imployed to reduce him back to our Church whereas this way of proceeding with him can end in nothing but the enraging and exasperating of him against the Protestant Religion But then the Duke's being a Papist hath not given the greatest nor if we may believe Mr. Oates hardly any Encouragement to the Plot for he tells us Article 60. that when he urged That he feared the Death of the King would scarely do the business and effect the Design unless his R. H. would pardon those that did the business and stand by them in it Keines replyed That the Duke was not the Strength of their Trust for they had another way to effect the setting up the C. R. c. And if James did not Comply with them to pot he must go also And Article 29. If the Duke shall set his face in the least measure to follow his Brothers foot-steps his Passport was made to Lay him asleep And Article 24. They the Jesuits aver That altho the Duke was a good Catholique yet he had a tender affection for the King and would scarcely be engaged in that Concern and if they should once intimate their Designs and Purposes unto him they might not onely be frustrated of their Design but also might lose his Favour Art 16. He saith he putting this question What if the Duke should prove Slippery They replyed His Passport was ready when ever he should Appear to fail them And page the 64. He tells us He the Pope hath ordered That in case the D. of York will not accept these Crowns as forfeited by his Brother unto the Pope as of his Gift and settle such Prelates and Dignities in the Church and such Officers in Commands and Places Civil Naval and Military as he hath Commissioned Extirpate the Protestant Religion and in order thereunto Ex post facto Consent the Assassination of the King his Brother Massacre of his Protestant Subjects Firing of his Towns c. by Pardoning of the Assassins Murtherers and Incendiaries that then he also be Poysoned or destroyed after they have for some time abused his Name and Title to Strengthen their Plot c. All which Passages in his and other of the Narratives shew plainly the D. being a Papist was not the greater nay it was hardly any encouragement to the Plot and tho some of them have gone farther than Mr. Oates yet that shews the Jesuits had different opinions of His R. Highness and therefore had no assurance but if the Plot upon the Life of the King had succeeded he might have revenged it upon them tho he were of their Religion as they believed But because these things may be disputed both ways Suppose I should grant the Hopes of his Coming a Papist to the Crown did really give the greatest Encouragement to the Plot will dis-inheriting him defeat those hopes No but it will rather whet them on to do their utmost to Murther the King to prevent or revenge that injury to the Duke and of this the House was so sensible that the same day they passed this Vote they Added to it this that followes Resolved N. C. That in Defence of the Kings Person and Government and of the Protestant Religion this House doth declare That they will Stand by His Majesty with their Lives and Fortunes and that if his Majesty shall come by any Violent Death which God forbid they will revenge it to the Vtmost upon the Papists This latter Vote they have annexed to the former every time they have passed it which shews they are sensible Revenge and Despair are full as likely to push them on as Hope to this Horrid attempt and in that case this Vote will never hinder them but it may encourage the Scotch Assassins to do it if they can Knowing the Papists are to Suffer who ever doth the fact So that to me it seems the Reasons upon which the Bill
is founded are weak and unconcluding and that no Malice could have Contrived a more effectual way to hasten those Calamities upon us it pretends to prevent and to ascertain what is full as likely never to happen without it So I conclude the Lords did well and wisely in rejecting the Bill and the Bishops in joyning with them so to do And now I will proceed with the rest of the Votes having made this short Digression to Express my thoughts on this great affair which I submit to the Judgment of wiser men and shall willingly retract or amend any thing if I have erred for I seek nothing by all this but the Peace and Prosperity of my Country There being little done of importance on Thursday the 18th day of November the next day the Commons fell upon the business of the Abhorrers of the Petitions and began with the Grand-Juries for the Counties of Somerset and Devon which had both detested and abhorred the said Tumultuous Petition So they Ordered That Sir Giles Philips and William Coleman being the Fore-men of the said Grand-Juries should be sent for in Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending their House to answer at the Bar of their House for Breach of Priviledge by them committed against their House Before in Sir George Jeffereys Case it was for betraying the Rights of the Subject and Now 't is become a Priviledge of Parliament for the People to Petition by Hundreds and Thousands for the Sitting of a Parliament At this rate of Proceeding there will be Priviledges of Parliament enough at last At the same time they ordered Captain William Castle and Mr. John Hutchinson and Mr. Henry Walrond the two last being of the said Grand-Juries to be Sent for in Custody too So this was a pretty handsom begining But the next day they found that Mr. William Stawell was Fore-man for the Grand-Jury for Devon and not Mr. Coleman so they ordered his Name to be put out of the Warrant and Mr. Stawell's to be put in This shews with what heat and haste they managed this affair But why should the Fore-men of the Grand-Juries be sent for rather than all or any of the rest the Foreman having no more Authority than the Last man nor being any way inabled by his place to Help or Hinder any thing but being Concluded by the Major part be his own Opinion what it will but they could not tell who promoted this affair and therefore Right or Wrong Singled them out to be made Examples not thinking it convenient to send for the whole Number who yet were punished in these and not only they that suffered but every Gentleman in the Nation suffer'd in them their Liberties being at the Mercy of every Corporation who when they please may send Taylors Grocers c. to enjoy these exorbitant priviledges and Send for the best Knights and Gentlemen in England for not having payd respects great enough to them The Bill of Importation of Cattel from Scotland was read the second time and Committed Then they proceeded in the business of the Abhorrers and Voted That one Thomas Herbert Esq should be sent for in Custody for prosecuting John Arnold Esq at the Council Table for promoting the said Petition and procuring Subscriptions To him they added Sir Thomas Holt Serjeant at Law and Mr. Thomas Staples as Betrayers of the Liberties of the Subject The same day one Eld was discharged out of Custody who had been taken for not Making a good Search for Arms at the Lord Aston's House at Taxall in Staffordshire Notice being taken that he was a Sober Protestant what that means I must leave to my Reader for I never heard that any sort of Protestants made Drunkenness or Debauchery or any other sort of Insobriety a part of Protestantisme and I should have liked it better if it had been a Confiding Man and an Enemy to the Popish Faction It were worth the while to enquire how he stood affected to the Puritan Faction On Munday the 22 of November Two Bills for Regulating Elections were read the second time and Committed to a Committee to unite or divide them as they should see cause The day following Sir Thomas Holt petitioning the House was called in and Censured upon his Knees and Discharged The same day a further Address was Voted to Petition his Majesty to remit a Fine of 500 l. that had been set upon Mr. Benjamin Harris for Printing Seditious Libels Such men were not to be discouraged in an Age when so few were to be found who would undertake that dangerous Imployment for the good of the Nation The same day a Bill was brought in for Repeal of an ACT made in the 35 of Eliz. Cap. 1. Against Seditious and Disloyal Sectaries and Conventicles this Bill passed both Houses but was taken away before it was Signed by the King So that Statute Escaped then to the terror of those Protestants There having been a design to Indict the Duke of York for a Popish Recusant in Trinity Term this Year and the same being prevented by the Court of Kings-Benches discharging the Grand-Jury before they had found the same the House made this Vote That the discharging of a Grand-Jury by any Judge before the end of the Term Assizes or Sessions whilest Matters are under their Consideration and Not presented is Arbitrary Illegal and Destructive to publick Justice a manifest Violation of his Oath what Oath and is a Means to Subvert the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom Resolved That a Committee be appointed to Examine the Proceedings of the Judges in Westminster-Hall c. On Wednesday November 24. After Orders for the sending for George Bell an Attorney at Law Arthur Yeomans William Jordan John Laws and Henry Aulnett for Breach of Priviledge of Parliament without assigning wherein Order was given to bring in a Bill 1. To Supply the Laws against Bankrupey 2. And another to take away the Court held before the Lord President and Council in the Marches of Wales Then the Bill for Repeal of the 35 Eliz Cap. 1. was read the Second time and Ordered to be ingrossed Ordered That an humble Address be made to his Majesty from this House by such Members thereof as are of His Majesties Most Honourable Privy Council to desire his Majesty to give Orders That all Protestant Dissenters who are prosecuted upon any Penal Laws made against Popish Recusants in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth and King James may be Admitted to a Composition in the Exchequer without paying any Fees Which was granted by his Majesty Ordered That Leave be given to bring in a Bill declaring that those Laws shall not be Extended to P. Dissenters and that it be referred to the Committee appointed to bring in the Bill for the better Vniting of his Majesties Protestant Subjects The Attorney-General being ordered formerly to attend and This day Called in and Examined touching the Manner of Issuing forth of the P. stiled A Proclamation against Tumultuous
No person should be Admitted to come to them but such as should have occasion to bring them Necessaries On Friday the 10th of December Captain Castle was found and Voted guilty of offending against the Rights of the Subject by Obstructing Petitioning to His Majesty for the Sitting of that Parliament The same day the Commons Ordered an Impeachment to be prepared against Sir Francis North Chief Justice of the Court of Common-Pleas for High Crimes and Misdemeanors viz. for Advising the Proclamation against Tumultuous Petitions Then they Voted That the Imprisonment of one Peter Norris at Dover by the Order of Sir Leoline Jenkins was Illegal and Arbitrary and an Obstruction to the Evidence for the Discovery of the Horrid Popish Plott This was the business for which Sheridon and Day were imprisoned On Munday the 13th A Bill for Exportation of Cloth and other Woollen Manufactures into Turkey being read the second time and a Debate arising thereupon it was Ordered that it should lie upon the Clerks Table They Ordered also That the Committee appointed to look into and prepare Evidence against the Lords in the Tower do Examine the Evidence against all persons concerned in the Popish Plot. And they were to report the Names of such persons together with their Opinions therein to the House upon the Debate And also that Leave should be given to bring in a Bill for Banishing of all Papists and suspected Papists from the Cities of London and Westminster and XX miles of the same with Clauses therein for disarming of all Papists and for Pains and Penalties against all such Papists or suspected Papists as should Ride Go or be Armed And that Lists of them should be brought in by the Members When ever any Law pass against suspected Papists great care ought to be taken to limit that Loose term or great Mischiefs will insue On Tuesday the 14th of December Complaint was made That one Herbert Herring who had been ordered to be taken into Custody for a Breach of Priviledge did abscond himself to avoid the Execution of the said Order whereupon it was Resolved That if he did not render himself by Saturday that House would proceed against him by Bill in Parliament for endeavouring by his absconding to Avoid the Justice of the House This was a way never to want Work if every Fugitive Attorney or Porter that had broke the Priviledge of the House was to be brought in by Bill Sir Robert Peyton a Member of their House was the Next that fell under their displeasure being said to Have had Secret Negotiation with the Duke of Y. by the Means of the Earl of Peterborough Mrs. Cellier and Mr. Gadbury at such time as they were turning the Popish Plot upon the Protestants i. e. the Presbyterians it seems they are THE Protestants For which he was Ordered after his defence to be Expelled the House and to be brought to the Bar to receive the Censure of the House upon his Knees from the Speaker Which was done with so little respect to the Quality of the person that after the Dissolution of the Parliament he sent the Speaker a Challenge for which he was Committed having been before committed to the Serjeant for not being at hand when it should have been first done by the Speaker So he was twice Committed and Expell'd too but by what Law the House of Commons proceeded I know not It is the Interest both of the Members and of Us whom they represent to take care that this be not left to them for here was a Member Expelled not for being a party to that Conspiracy of the Papists but for having Secret Negotiations with the Duke of York at that time and if this be allowed that they may Expel for what cause they please be there Law or be there none then have the greater part of the House an Absolute and Arbitrary power over the lesser part and if either Side do by accident get the Advantage of the other by a Single Vote they may Expel them as they please which must Necessarily end in Confusion and Slavery On Wednesday the 15th of December the House resolved into a Committee of the whole House to Consider of Ways and Means to Secure this Kingdom against Popery and Arbitrary Power and Resolved upon two Votes viz. Resolved Nemine Contradicente That this House doth agree with the Committee That one Means for the Suppressing Popery is That a Bill be brought in to banish immediately all the Considerable Papists of England out of the Kings Dominions Resolved N. C. That this House doth agree with the Committee That a Bill be brought in for an Association of all his Majesties Protestant Subjects for the Safety of his Majesties Person * Note here is no mention of his Majesties Government in this Association the Defence of the Protestant Religion and the Preservation of his Majesties Protestant Subjects against all Invasions and Oppositions whatsoever and for preventing the Duke of York or any Papist from Succeeding to the Crown And ordered a Committee to be appointed to prepare and bring in a Bill pursuant to the first of the said Resolves The latter was taken up to Supply the Bill of Exclusion which bad been thrown out by the Lords and was never prosecuted any further for when they came to draw the Bill it was found impracticable without involving us presently in a Civil War For an Association signifies nothing without a Head to govern and direct it if the King be made the Head then we are where we were and it is to no purpose If another person be made So then there is two distinct Governments in the same Kingdom which can never stand together a Month without imbroyling themselves and the People This the Holy League of France proved Experimentally true and the same Event will always follow Besides there was no reason to Expect that either his Majesty or the House of Lords would yield to this way of Exclusion which was worse than the former Tho if that had passed it would have signified nothing without an Association or a Standing Army as the Author of the Seasonable Address to both Houses of Parliament hath well proved This day also His Majesty made a Speech to both the Houses which I will insert when I come to the Answer of the Commons to it On Thursday the 16th of December A Petition of Divers Inhabitants in the County of Surry Complaining of the proceedings in an Ecclesiastical Court against them being read it was referred to a Committee to bring in a Bill or Bills for Regulating the proceedings of such Courts A Petition of Joshua Brook and other Merchants against the African Company was also read and referred to a Committee Mr. Booth reporting from the Committee to whom the Bill for the better Regulating the Tryals of the Peers of England was committed An Amendment to be made and a Clause to be Added and thereupon a Motion being made to bring in a Clause
shall be Exposed Naked and Friendless to the Fury of those Reipublicans that Murthered his Royal Father and the Religion by Law Established to the Mercy of those that have Sworn the Ruine of it And finally the Property and Liberty of the Subject shall be Exposed to those men who have given the World too good an Account already what Trusty Guardians of them they are ever to be trusted with them again till the Memory of the late Times shall perish not onely as to the Memories of Men but Books and Records But yet after all this the branding those Gentlemen that were brought in without the Least Exception to Supply the places of those that were turned out of the Commission of the Peace and Lieutenancy with the odious Titles of Men of Arbitrary Prineciples and Favourers of Papists and Popery is in my poor Judgment Much worse and as it was impossible the Major part of the House should think so of them all so I am fully perswaded if Passion had not had too great a dominion over them they would Never have vented so Crude an Assertion in So August a place in So Serious a Manner to his Majesty and the whole World they may be pleased to think of this again Now the heat perhaps is over for as they have worded it it can never be maintained it being impossible to be known or proved nor is any favourable Construction to be allowed to an Expression and Declaration so publickly and deliberately made by so many men in so publick a Trust That from henceforth such Persons only may be Judges within the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales as are men of Ability Integrity and Known Affection to the Protestant Religion and that they may hold their Offices and Salaries quam diu se bene gesserint That several Deputy Lieutenants and Justices of the Peace fitly qualified for those Imployments having been of late displaced and others put in their room Who are MEN of Arbitrary Principles and Countenancers of Papists and Popery Such onely may bear the Office of a Lord-Lieutenant as are persons of Integrity and Known Affection to the Protestant Religion That Deputy-Lieutenants and Justices of the Peace may be also So qualified and may be moreover Men of Ability of Estates and Interest in their Country That none may be imployed as Military Officers or Officers in Your Majesties Fleet but Men of Known Experience Courage and Affection to the Protestant Religion These our Humble Requests being obtained we shall on our parts be ready to Assist Your Majesty for the preservation of Tangier and for putting your Majesties Fleet into Such a Condition as it may preserve your Majesties Soveraignty of the Seas and be for the Defence of the Nation If Your Majesty hath or shall make any Alliances for Defence of the Protestant Religion and Interest and Security of this Kingdom this House will be ready to Assist and Stand by your Majesty in the Support of the same AFTER this our Humble Answer to Your Majesties Gracious Speech Doubtless after all this fine Language and strong Reason if any Evil Instrument any man of Arbitrary Principles or favourer of Papists or Popery or finally if his Majesty or any Considerable part of the Nation should thro humane infirmity happen to Suspect either your Prudence in delaying the Care of these Great Things to so long a day or your Loyalty in making these demands of your Natural Soveraign or your Charity and Candor in bestowing Commendations on your fellow Subjects his Majesties Officers at the rate you have done I say if any such misfortune should happen you are not to Wonder much at it for great Merits and great Virtues great Attempts and Heroick Undertakings are Seldom well received at present but Posterity will Admire and Applaud them according to their Deserts we hope no Evil instruments whatsoever shall be able to lessen your Majesties Esteem of that Fidelity and Affection we bear to Your Majesties Service but that Your Majesty will always retain in your Royal Breast that Favourable Opinion of Vs your Loyal Commons that those other good Bills which we have now under Consideration Conducing to the great Ends we have before Mentioned as also all Laws for the Benefit and Comfort of Your People which shall from time to time be tendred for Your Majesties Royal Assent shall find acceptance with Your Majesty I will here insert those Reasons I mentioned above against the Bill of Exclusion which were delivered in the House of Commons the Fourth day of November before this Address by a Great Person a Member of that House Sir L. J. by which letters I understand Sir Leoline Jenkins one of the Principal Secretaries of State Sir I have spent much of my time in studying the Laws of this Land and I pretend to know something of the Law of Foreign Countries as Well as of our own and I have upon this occasion well considered of them but cannot find how we can Justifie the passing of this Bill rather much against it First I think it contrary to Natural Justice that We should proceed to Condemnation not only before Conviction but before we have heard the Party or Examined any Witness about him I am sure none in his defence And to do this by making a New Law of purpose when you have Old Laws in being that have appointed a Punishment to his Crime I humbly conceive is very Severe and contrary to the usual Proceedings of this House and the Birth-Right of every English-man Secondly I think it is Contrary to the Principles of Our Religion that we should dispossess a man of his Birth-Right because he differs from us in point of Faith For it is not agreed by all that Dominion is sounded in Grace For my part I think there is more of Popery in this Bill than there can possibly be in the Nation without it for none but Papists and Fifth-Monarchy-men did ever go about to dis-inherit men for their Religion Thirdly I am of opinion that the Kings of England have their Right from God alone and that no Power on Earth can deprive them of it And I hope this House will not attempt to do any thing which is so precisely contrary not only to the Law of God but the Law of the Land too For if this Bill should pass it would Change the Essence of the Monarchy and Make the Crown Elective For by the same reason that this Parliament may dis-inherit this Prince for his Religion other Parliaments may dis-inherit another upon some other pretence which they may Suggest and so Consequently by such Exclusions elect whom they please Fourthly It is against the Oath of Allegiance taken in its own sense without Jesuitical Evasions For by binding all persons to the King his Heirs and Successors the Duke as Presumptive Heir must be understood And I am of opinion that it cannot be dispensed withal Sir I will be very cautious how I dispute the Power
then supply him by a Lone in the Intervals of Parliament have we a Property in what is our own and may we not use it as we see cause without breach of Priviledge of Parliament Your Vote of the 10th of January That the Prosecution of the Protestant Dissenters upon the Penal Laws was at that time Grievous to the Subject a Weakning of the Protestant Interest an Incouragement to Popery and Dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom is as little understood as any of the rest Why was it made To what Subject is it Grievous To the Dissenters Why then let them leave their Dissenting to the Church of England and all will be well What Protestant Interest doth it weaken for there are more Protestant Interests then one in the Nation doth it weaken that Protestant Interest which is Settled by Law Then say so But how it doth encourage Popery or endanger the Peace of the Nation is yet Harder to be understood but Suppose it did what then You may repeal the Laws and Bills you had afoot that would have Repealed them if they would have passed but you were to be adjourned and had not time to finish them And did you think to have laid them asleep by your Single Vote without the Consent of the Lords or the King You should have done well then to have told the Nation that you have the whole Legislative Power in your hands and that it is Contrary to Law for any man to Act against a Vote of the House of Commons tho in Obedience to an Act of Parliament But that I may not seem to set up my own Single Judgment against a Whole House of Commons I will insert an Authority or two Equal to them in better Times tho they be Long. The first of which shall be an Address of the House of Commons the 28. of Febr. 1663. May it please your Most Excellent Majesty WE Your Majesties most Dutiful and Loyal Subjects the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled having with all Fidelity and Obedience Considered of the Several Matters Comprised in Your Majesties late Gracious Declaration of the 26. of Decemb. Last and your most Gracious Speech at the beginning of this presenâ— Session Do in the first place for our Selves and in the Names of all the Commons of England render to your most Sacred Majesty the Tribute of our most hearty Thanks for all that infinite Grace and Goodness wherewith Your Majesty hath been pleased to publish your Royal Intentions of adhering to your Act of Indemnity and Oblivion by your Constant and Religious observance of it And our Hearts are further enlarged in these returns of Thanksgivings when we Consider Your Majesties most Princely and Heroick Professions of relying upon the Affections of your People and Abhorring all Sort of Military and Arbitrary Rule But above all we can never enough remember to the Honour of Your Majesties Piety and our own unspeakable Comfort those Solemn and most endearing Invitations of us Your Majesties Subjects to prepare Laws to be presented to Your Majesty against the Growth and encrease of Popery and withal to provide more Laws against Licentiousness and Impiety at the same time declaring Your Own Resolutions for Maintaining the Act of Vniformity And it becomes us always to acknowledg and Admire Your Majesties Wisdom in this your Declaration whereby Your Majesty is pleased to resolve not onely by Sumptuary Laws but by your Own Royal Example of Frugality to restrain that Excess in mens Expences which is grown so general and so exorbitant and to direct our endeavours to find out fit Laws for Advancement of Trade and Commerce After all this We humbly beseech Your Majesty to believe that it is with Extream Vnwillingness and Reluctancy of Heart that we are brought to differ from any thing which your Majesty hath thought fit to propose And though we do no way doubt but that the unreasonable distempers of Mens Spirits and the Many Mutinies and Conspiracies which were carried on during the late Interval of Parliaments did reasonably incline Your Majesty * * I suppose here is a word wanting to ill humours till the Parliament assembled and the hopes of an Indulgence if the Parliament should Consent to it Especially seeing the pretenders to this Indulgence did seem to make some title to it by virtue of Your Majesties Declaration from Breda Nevertheless your Majesties most Dutiful and Loyal Subjects who are Now returned to Serve in Parliament from those Several Parts and Places of Your Kingdom for which we were Chosen do humbly offer to Your Majesties Great Wisdom That it is in No Sort Adviseable that there be any Indulgence to such persons who prefume to dissent from the Act of Uniformity and Religion Established for these Reasons We have Considered the Nature of Your Majesties Declaration from Breda and are Humbly of Opinion that Your Majesty ought not to be pressed with it any further Because it is not a Promise in it Self but onely a Gracious declaration of Your Majesties Intentions to do what in you lay and what a Parliament should Advise Your Majesty to do and No such Advice was ever given or thought fit to be offered nor could it be otherwise Vnderstood because there were Lawes of Vniformity then in being Note this Which Could not be dispeused with but by Act of Parliament They who do pretend a right to that Supposed Promise put their right into the Hands of their Representatives whom they chose to Serve for them in this Parliament who have passed and your Majesty Consented to the ACT of Vniformity If any shall presume to Say That a right to the benefit of this Declaration doth still remain after this Act passed it tends to dissolve the very Bonds of Government and to Suppose a disability in Your Majesty and your Houses of Parliament to make a Law contrary to any part of your Majesties Declaration though both Houses should Advise Your Majesty to it We have also Considered the Nature of the Indulgence proposed with reference to those Consequences which must Necessarily attend it It will Establish Schism by a Law and make the whole Government of the Church precarious and the Censures of it of No Moment or Consideration at all It will no way become the Gravity or Wisdom of a Parliament to pass a Law at One Session for Vniformity and at the Next Session the reason for Vniformity Continuing still the same to pass another Law to frustrate or Weaken the Execution of it It will Expose Your Majesty to the restless Importunity of every Sect or Opinion and of every single person also that shall presume to dissent from the Church of England It will be a cause of increasing Sects and Sectaries whose Numbers will weaken the true Protestant profession so far that it will at last become difficult for it to defend it self against them And which is yet further Considerable those Numbers which
St. Andrews and Primate of Scotland whom they meekly stiled That perjured Apostate Prelate Sharp Threatning to handle him and the rest severely Having spent a few Weeks in these godly Exhortations animating each other to this good work and being thereunto further encouraged by the Brethren in London the third of May following they began the work with the murther of the said Archbishop and I will inform you of the manner of that Butchery in the words of the same Author The Archbishop had been attending his Majesties Service in the Privy Council at Edenbrough from thence he went over into Fife in the after-noon on the Second of May 1679. That night he lodged at Captain Seaton's House in a Village called Kennoway which is in the Mid-way betwixt Bruntisland and St. Andrews About Midnight as the People of the Town report two men well mounted and armed came thither to enquire if the Arch-bishop of St. Andrews was Lodged at Captain Seaton's and as soon as they were informed that he was they presently rode out of the Town again The next morning being the Third of May several Parties of Horse-men were seen to traverse the Road betwixt Kennoway and St. Andrews who doubtless were the Assassins who watched for an opportunity to effect the Murther which they had long designed But the Lord Primate who was a man of great Natural courage and whom so many deliverances for almost Twenty years from the hands of those bloody Zealots had now brought to an entire confidence in God's Protection took Coach about Nine of the Clock without any presage or apprehension of danger He had none but his Eldest Daughter to ride with him in the Coach and only three Servants on Horse-back to attend him one of whom he had sent before he was assaulted to pay his respects to a Person of Honour by whose house he passed on his Road. He advanced on his journey in great security till he came to a little Country Village called Magus two miles distant from St. Andrews betwixt Eleven and Twelve a Clock in the Forenoon There he first perceived himself to be pursued by Eleven or Twelve men barefaced well mounted with Pistols cocked in their hands and drawn Swords hanging in Strings from their Armes as soon as he spied them he bid his Coachman drive as fast as his Horses could gallop but alas too late for the Assassin furiously pursued him and in their pursute shot at him several times in his Coach running as fast as six good Horses could draw it The Coachman who discovered the Villains before his Lord and had thereupon begged leave of him but was not permitted to gallop away had certainly outdriven them if one Balfour of Kinlock mounted on a very fleet bay horse had not overtaken them who not daring to attack the Coachman because his Whip did fright his Sprightly horse therefore rod up to the Postilion whom he wounded with his Sword in the face shot one of the foremost Horses and hamstringed the other and so stopped the Coach By that time this was done the rest of the Murtherers came up and one of them fired a Pistol or Blunderbuss so near his Breast that his Daughter rubbed off the burning which stuck to his Gown Then they called him by the Name of Dog Villain Apostate Persecuter of the Godly Betrayer of Jesus Christ and his Church and bid him come out of his Coach to receive what he deserved for his wickedness against the Kirk of Scotland Upon this his Daughter got out of the Coach and fell on her knees begging her Father's Life but they regarded neither her Prayers nor Tears but threw her down several times upon the ground trampled upon her and wounded her which her tender hearted Father seeing after much reproachful Language and many Threatnings came meekly out of the Coach and with calmness said unto them Gentlemen I know not that I have ever injured any of you or if I did I am ready to make you reparation and therefore I beseech you to spare my life and I promise I will never pursue you for this violence and I pray you consider before you bring the guilt of Innocent blood upon your selves The reverence of his Presence and his undaunted Courage in addressing himself so resolutely and gravely unto them surprised them and made them stand a little while as it were unresolved what to do and one of them relenting Cried to the rest Spare these Grey Hairs but their cruel Zeal overcoming their Natural Pity and Justice paused not long before they replyed He must die He must die And then again calling him Traiterous Villain Judas betrayer of the Interest of Christ Enemy to God and his People said unto him Thou shalt now receive the reward of thy Apostacy and enmity to the People of God Then seeing them determined to take away his Life he begged a little while to pray telling them he would pray for them but they scornfully told him That they cared not for his Prayers being sure that God would not hear so base a Dog as he was Then looking stedfastly upon one of the Assassins whom he seemed to know he kneeled down before him and said unto him Sir you are a Gentleman and I must beg my last favour from you that since you are resolved that I must dye you would have pity upon my poor child here and spare her life and for this Sir give me your hand and thereupon stretching his hand towards the cruel man he had for a return a very great blow with a Shable which almost quite cut off his Hand and the Villain redoubling his Stroak gave him another violent Wound upon the left Eye which cut him two Inches above it and one below this Stroak knocked him down but getting up upon his Knees again he said Gentlemen it is now enough you have done your work and holding up his Hands as well as he could to Heaven he fervently cryed out Lord Jesus have mercy on my Soul and receive my Spirit While he was in this Posture of Devotion they wounded him in his Hands which he held up to Heaven and in other parts of his Body till in a kind of composure he laid down his Head upon his Arm saying God forgive you and I forgive you all These were the last words which he uttered like an excellent Christian after which they gave him no less then sixteen Wounds on his Head some of them as they were going away thought they heard him groan which made them go back and to make sure work stir about his Brains in the Scull with the points of their Swords His Head seemed to be all one Wound and pieces of his shattered Scull and Brains were some days after found on the Ground that Unhallowed Golgotha where he was slain Having finished their long desired Murther they made his Servants Solemnly swear not to discover them and then bad them in derision take up their Priest and having said so