private Subjects Men really invested with Authority do think their Laws and Power to execute them on Offenders may well enough secure the Peoples subjection and will disdain such a suspicion of the questionablenss of their Authority as to make it a Question to the Subjects The more it was made a Question to us the more it became questioned and suspected And the more we were made to enquire into it the further we were from deprehending or recognoscing in him either the Characters or Constitution of a Magistrate to be owned We considered the many righteous Laws established by our worthy Ancestors for the preservation of the True Religion and Liberties of the Kingdom insert in the National Covenant which every Soul in the Kingdom under the Bond of that Covenant is bound to maintain according to their Capacities As Act 8 Parl. 1. King Ia 6 repeated and ratified in many Acts afterwards expresly providing and ordaining that all Kings and Princes at their Coronation and Reception of their Princely Authority shall make their faithful promise by Oath and that they shall profess and maintain the Protestant Religion and shall abolish and gainstand all false Religion contrary the same and shall rule according to Law c. Which Oath of Coronation he did not take would not take could not take while a Papist and therefore we could not look on him as our King by Law We considered likewise that in our Covenants the Allegiance that we must own to the King is expresly limited and qualified thus In the preservation and defence of the True Rellgion Liberties and Laws of the Kingdom Of which Qualification Allegiance to him a destroyer of Religion and Liberty is nor capable We remembred the Principles and Sentiments of our Fathers upon the Admission of King Charles 2. to the exercise of his Royal Power Declared in their seasonable and necessary Warning Gen Assem Iuly 27 Sess 27 1649. Wherein they tell us That a boundless and illimited Power is to be acknowledged in no King nor Magistrate that there is a mutual Stipulation and Obligation between the King and the People as both of them are tyed to GOD so each of them are tyed to one another Accordingly Kings are to take the Oath of Coronation to abolish Popery and maintain the Protestant Religion As long therefore as the King refuses to Engage and Obliege himself for security of Religion and safety of his People it is consonant to Scripture and Reason and Laws of the Kingdom that he should be refused And that in the Covenant the Duty of owning the King is subordinate to the Duty of preserving Religion and Liberty And therefore without security of these it were a manifest breach of Govenant and a preferring the Kings Interest to the Interest of Christ to bring him to the exercise of his power And consequently for us to give such a consent to it as such an owning of him as required would amount to Accordingly also the Commission of the General Assembly in their Act of the West-Kirk Declared They would not own the King nor his Interest otherwise than with a subordination to GOD and so far as he should own and prosecute the Cause of GOD and disclaim his and his Fathers opposition to the Work of GOD and the Covenant We called to mind likewise what our Renowned Reformers gave out as the case of their Revolt from the Government of Mary Qu Dowager anno 1559. her persecuting the Professors of the True Religion and oppressing the Liberties of the True Lieges her intruding of Magistrates against all Order of Election her Adultering and Subverting the Old Laws of the Realm c. Which all Men know were as applicable to King Iames 7th as to her And therefore we had their Reason to obliege us and their example to encourage us to say with them We own and promise to our Lawful Soveraign all due Obedience provided we may have our Religion and Liberty secured without which we firmely purpose never to be subject to Mortal Man For which and many other Reasons we reckoned our selves under Obligations to decline the imposed owning of his Authority and took the opportunity in the time of the Expedition of the Earl of Argyle against him to Publish in a Declaration our Reasons why we could not acknowledge it In the mean time the late Earl of Argyle with some other Noblemen and Gentlemen Associating with the Duke of Munmouth to essay some Diversion and Opposition to the Kings designs of advancing and establing Tyrannie and Popery All the Forces Militia Troups and Companies and the whole Army of Heretors were powred in upon those Places of the Kingdom where most of us were sojourning Who besides all the blood shed upon the account of that Expedition the Blood of the Earle himself and others of both Nations engaged with him and many of his Wassalls in the Highlands cruely put to Death by the Marq. of Athol had in Commission and put in execution the Bloodiest Orders we think readily Men could ever receive or obey The greatest employment that that great Army had in hand and in heart was to wreck and exert all their fury and force upon the poor Mountain-Men as they called us Which they did by ranging and spreading themselves many miles in breadth every one within sight of another and searching for us through all the Rocks Woods Mountains and Mosses of the Country where we were hiding with such Vigore Violence and dilligence as if they had been hunting for Hares or Foxes And the greatest ambition and emulation of their Leaders and Champions Graham of Claver-house Liev. Gen. Douglas Brother to the Duke of Queensberry Col. Buchan with others of their inferiour Officers Maj. Balfour Liev. Creightoun and Liev. Livingstoun c. was who should be most skilful and succesfull in destroying us And all this for no other Cause then because we could not Answer to their satisfaction the Questions they proposed without any warrant of Law and against the Common Interest of Mankind which frees all Men from being obliged to discover their secret thoughts Namely because we could not obtain of our Consciences to declare that we would own and acknowledge that Authority which enacted and by which they acted all these mischiefs Yet to the commendation of GODS Clemency and condemnation of Mens cruelty we may say when they had shot all their bolts after they had hanged shot tortured or banished for slaves all they could catch of us they were further from their purpose than when they began our Numbers and Mettings for Gospel ordinances Administrated in Purity and power encreased more and more But at length tho' our Persecution continued the King was pleased to change his Methods with other Dissenters He multiplied many Favours to such of them as he called Moderate And by these means intending to advance the Mysterie of iniquity by stoping the mouths and binding up the hands of all from whom he might
shall be called to cognosce upon them of the pernicious Errors of Popery Socinianisme and Arminianisme maintained by many of them Abominable Adulteries committed by others of them the Profanity Sensuality and Debauchery Oppression and Persecution of Godliness and good Men chargeable on the generallity of them and Perjury in breach of Covenant and Schismatical intrusion without consent of the Church owned of all of them and Ungodliness by them transfused over all the Land as could not but make them detested of all as the greatest stain to be suffered in a Reformed Church Upon the back of this by the instigation of the Prelates who scorned to be and one no not by Iulian the Apostate in surpressing Religion they proceeded to poyson all the Seminaries of Learning Ordaining in Act. 9. Sess. 2. Parl. 1. Carol. 2. That none be Masters in any University except they both take the Oath of Supremacy and submit to and own Prelacy or be so much as a Pedagogue to Children without the Prelates Licence By which course Honest and Learned Men were brought to considerable Straits and Sufferings and Ungodly and Unsound Masters had access and encouragement to corrupt the Youth with perverse and Malignant Principles to the great and observable Detriment and Decrement of Religion Learning Sobriety and Morality in the Nation The next Contrivance was to corrupt all the Fountains of Judicature And for this End it was enacted Act 5. Sess. 2. Parl. 1. Carol. 2. That all Persons in any publick Trust or Office whatsoever should subscribe the Declaration renouncing and abjuring the Covenants And that not only under the Certified penalty of Forefaulting the Priviledges of Magistrates But also of all the Priviledges of Merchandizing Trading and others belonging to a Burgess Act 3. Sess. 3. Parl 1. Carol. 2. Whereby Perjury was made the chief and indispensable Qualification and Conditio sine qua non of all that were capable of Exercising any power in Church or State contrate to known Laws yet unrepealed which make them that are guilty of Perjury incapable of being intrusted with any publick Administration in the Kingdom The Parliaments thus corrupted and instigated by the Bishops and Curates Establish wicked Laws pressing Conformity And in the very first of them made such a streach beyond all bounds of Charity Justice Reason or Humanity that they made all Addresses to God or Man remonstrating such Grievances and reflecting on such proceedings to be Criminal Declaring Petitions to be Seditious And discharging all Writing Printing Remonstrating Praying or Preaching shewing any dislike of the Kings Absolute Prerogative and Supremacy in Causes Ecclesiastick or of the Government of the Church by Bishops Act 2. Sess. 2. Par. 1. Carol. 2. And Act 4 ibid. They not only prohibited any to Preach in publick or so much as in Families without the Prelates Licences but Discharged all Private Meetings in Houses for Religious Exercise of such as could not in Conscience give their Countenance to the Curats Service in Churches Then in the 3 Sess. Act. 2. They Declare that all Non conformed Ministers that shall presume to Exercise their Ministry shall be punished as Seditious Persons And Require of all in acknowledgement of and Complyance with his Majesties Government Ecclesiastical that they give their concurrence and countenance to the Curates and attend their Meetings for Worship Ordaining that whosoever shall withdraw shall incur each Nobleman Gentleman or Heretor the loss of a fourth part of their Years rent every Yeoman the loss of a fourth or under of his Moveables each Burgess the loss of his Burge-ship with the fourth of his Moveables with a reference to the Council for farther punishment and more effectual Execution Which the Council very vigorously Prosecuted in emitting most rigorous Proclamations after that Some requiring all to keep their Parioch Churches under the pain of 20. shil toties quoties Some discharging all Preaching Praying or Hearing in Families where three or some more then the Domesticks were found as unlawful Conventicles Others Certifying that all such Meetings not Authorised shall be punished by Pecunial and Corporal pains at the Arbittement of the Council Other Commanding all Masters of Families Heretors Landlords and Magistrates of Burghs ro cause their Servants Dependents Tennents Taxmen Cottars and all under their Charge to submit and conform to the Curates their Ministry For putting these Laws in Execution the King erected a High Commission Court consisting of some Prelates Noblemen Magistrates of Burghs and some Souldiers impowered by vertue of his Prerogative Royal and Supremacy to suspend deprive and Excommunicat As also to punish by Fining Confining and Incarcerating all keepers of Conventicles and all Non Conformists A Hotch-potch mongrel Monster of a Judicatory Authorized by the Prerogative against the Laws of GOD and Man meddling with Causes and Censures Ecclesiastick and Civil most Illegal and Arbitrary both for its Constitution and Procedure Whereby persons brought before them were made to answer super inquirendis contrare to express standing Law Ioc. 6. Parl. 10. Act. 13. Anno. 1585. without either Libel or Accuser or admitting Legal Defences except they take the Oaths and sentenced with Stigmatizing Scourging Banishment Deportation and Slaverie to Barbados c. By orders from this Court especially from the Prelates whose country sides were in a great measure Depopulate for Non-conformity by Souldiers Sometimes besetting the Churches where honest Ministers were not yet ejected and forcing all within to pay fines Sometimes going to the Curates Churches and Amerciating all the Absents in such fines as they pleased Sometimes by force driving all to Church beating wounding and binding the Reousants Sometimes exacting exorbitant fines by Plunder to the Harassing and making Havock of whole Country sides sparing sometimes Complyers no more then Recusants And punishing Husbands for their Wives Parents for their Children Yea doubling and tripling the same exactions after payment yet compelling them sometimes to subscribe an acknowledgement that the Captain had used them civilly and discreetly Then after all Apprehending Imprisoning Scourging some Stigmatizing others and sending them to Forreign parts that would not for all this conform Hereupon being outwearied with intollerable oppressions a small party of Dissenters were partly compelled and party by a surprise of Providence engaged to run together for their own defence at Pentland Anno 1666. Where after the defeat The Prisoners that were taken upon Quarter and solemn parol to have their life spared were treacherously given up to be Condemned the very manner of their Execution being first determined and described before Arraigment and cruelly hanged their Heads being set up at Edinburgh Glasgow Air Dumsreis and at Hamiltoun Turks would have blushed to have seen the like Among the rest one eminent Minister Mr. Hugh Mckail for having but a Sword tho not present at the Fight was first cruelly tortured with the Iron boots and afterwards execute to the death At their Executions Drums were beat that they
Colours and represented the danger of trusting them to the King who being much a Stranger to Men at his first coming over might be easily deceived in the choose of such as were to be Imployed and then it had been easier to keep out then now to put out of Places But it is never too late to seek to be Rid of these that were and are like to be Instruments of our Ruine whose Exclusion from Trust and Power to play their old Tricks is necessary for the King's Interest as well as the Kingdoms which are inseperable And since the King declared against these evil Counsellours and on their Crimes and Mal-administrations founded the Righteousness and Necessity of his Expedition neither King nor Parliament can justly offend at or refuse the Nations Demands to be eased of them nor find it convenient that the Betrayers of our Laws and Robbers of our Priviledges under the last Government be excluded from all share of Administration in this We have experience of their Conduct and Administration already wherein we found nothing but Tyranny Rapine and Violence and such Justice and Law as is discovered above and therefore can never beleive while only Interest hath made them change their way that ever they shall Administer Righteous Judgement And whatever Confidence others may have we cannot be without fears while we are under the power of our old Persecuters But above all it is most offensive to God and all Good men that Murderers of innocent People without and against all Law particularly several of these above Named should not only be Connived at and past without punishment but Encouraged and Intertained in Favour and Trust some of them Discovered and Apprehended as Traitors to the present Government are notwithstanding over looked and suffered to escape Justice and Liberate upon Bale as Major or Lieu. Col. Balfour and Lieu. Nisbet others of them are Members of Parliament as the Commissioners for the Shire of Nithsdale and Stewartry of Anandale Sir Ia. Iohnstoun of Westerhal and Iohnstoun of Corehead who is notourly known to have of late several times in Caballs with Iacobines drunk the late King's Health Blood is a crying Sin defiling the Land which cannot be cleansed but by the Blood of them that shed it We thirst for the Blood of none nor crave the sheding of any but of these who are so guilty of Blood that they are Condemned to the punishment of Murderers by the Law of God and all Nations having shed the Blood of War in Peace without all shaddow of Law But as for those that Murdered our Bretheren without all Process Accusation Trial Conviction Assise or Sentence as is observed in his Majesties Declaration for Scotland We should not be free of the Guilt of their Impunity if we did not seek Justice against them Yet we wonder the less at this that such Criminalls as were Authorized under the former Government by Arbitrary orders tho without Law to perpetrate their Crimes are not Punished when open avowed Traitors Speakers of Treason and Rebells against the Present Government taken in ovett Acts of Lese-Majestie discovered in Plots and Projects and Apprehended in Armes against his Majestie are Indemnified Connived at let out of Prisons and Tolerated and thereby Encouraged and Tempted to go on in their Conspiracies and return to the same Crimes when ever they find Opportunity for they will not ascribe this to his Majesties Clemency but to the weakness of the Government that dare not draw its Sword of Justice In the former Government there was nothing but Severity against those that in the least Discented from it In this there is nothing but Mercy to Rebels both these are Extremes In the Third place we cannot but have sad Reflections upon the bad success of the War Which we think is not so much to be imputed to the bad Conduct of those to whom it is intrusted as to the Wickedness and Malignancy of the Army laying them and the Land open to the danger of the wrath of GOD while the Abominations of Swearing Cursing Profaning the Sabbath Whoredom Drunkenness and all debaucheries which are severely interdicted by Military Lawes if they were put in execution and are so abounding among Officers and Souldiers that the honest hearted among them whom only Conscience did prompt to engage in the service are exceedingly discouraged all the fearers of GOD affrighted to whom the abounding of and continuance in these sins is a greater terror than all the Numbers of Enemies This is the more to be adverted that all that acknowledge GOD are astonished with His signall and stupendous stroks so observably wasting many Thousands of the English Army in Ireland within these few Moneths past for these same Abominations But not only are our Armies filled with the Profane end Profligate Skum of Mankind But to the great Reproach of the Cause wherein Religion is so nearly concerned to the dishonour of GOD and offence of all the Godly many Malignant Enemies to Reformation avowed Adversaries and Persecuters of Truth and Godliness are encouraged imployed and intrusted for the defence of the Interest which within this short time they professedly opposed and by many Dreadful Oaths were engaged to Suppress For the old Dragoons the Late Kings Lieveguard and others after by Executing their old Masters cruell and Arbitrary Orders they had enriched themselves with the spoylls of the oppressed Country and imbrewed their hands in the Blood of innocent and Righteous People when they saw the Prince of Orange like to prevail forsook their King and crouded into his Highness Armies Not for love to his Cause which with the greatest keenness they contended against as long as they could But to prevent the just Vengance of his Victorious Armes then threatened Hence they are yet intertained among the Forces and there tho they have not occasion to exert their fury as formerly Yet they cease not to express their Malice against us in boasting that they hope yet to Persecute us as much as ever And bragging they are and shall be for Prelacy as long as they Live not fearing to impugn the Act of Parliament against it It is certainly a Land-sin to be witnessed against as well as a Grievance that such Enemies of Truth and Godliness should be admitted unto or continued in Power and Trust in the Army or imployed and intertained therein It is dangerous that the Royal Standart should be a Sanctuary to them whom Divine Justice will pursue And absurd that the Army should be polluted and in danger to be infected with the Contagion of such an unhappy conjunction and unholy Association It were more profitable and promising like that the Tears and Cries of the many Widows and Orphans whom their bloody Sword have beraved of their Husbands and Parents might prevail with the Justice of the Government to find them out and give them their reward It were no loss but a great advantage to the King and Countrey both that the Army were
might not be heard a Barbarity never known in Scotland before and rarely heard of except in the Duke d' Alvas murdering the Protestants in the Netherlands But frequently used almost at all the Executions since of our Martyred Brethren in this Land Immediatly hereafter Souldiers were sent out on free Quarter to examine men by Tortures threatning to kill or rost alive all that would not delate all they knew Accessary to that rising Who accordingly by fire Matches and other tortures forced Women to discover their Husbands and other Relations although they knew not it they were there stripped them who Reset the Fugitives and thrusted them in crouds to Prisons in cold and nakedness And some they murdered without Process that would not because they could not discover those persecuted people Yea and drove away the Goods of the Country without respect to Guilt or Innocency In the mean time such as were in Armes and some that were not were Intercommuned and interdicted of all Reset Harbour Hiding Corresponding or Comfort under pain of Rebellion and of being counted guilty of the same Crimes wherewith the Intercommuned were charged And many Gentlemen Ministers and others were Forfeited of their whole Estates very illegally Yea some that were not present at that Appearance in Armes nor Legally Convict nor cited to answer according to Law were yet Forfaulted before the Act of Parl. 2. Act 11. Carol. 2. contrate to express standing Statutes And further all Dissenters and such as did not joyn in suppressing that Expedition were by order from the Council robbed of their Armes and Horses fit for service their guilty Consciences puting them in Fears and dictating their desert of greater opposition After all these Cruelties murdering the Persons and oppressing the Estates of poor Dissenters what they could not do by Law nor Force nor Futy they contrived to effectuate by Craft under the notion of Clemency but such a Clemency as was a greater Cruelty then any former Persecution The poor People that had nothing left them but a good Conscience must have that robbed from them likewise Therefore these wicked Councellers and Prelates still stirred up by the Curates having none or a seared Conscience of their own contrived to take away from People all Remainders of Conscience or to make them pliable to comply with every corruption they should introduce by imposing Conscience-debauching and ensnaring Oaths and Bands most Deceitfully and Ambiguously framed most Illegally imposed and Insolently pressed and more numerous since that time than ever was heard of in any Nation in one Age there being scarce one year since that time wherein several of these Oaths and Bonds have not been vented and imposed contradictory to one another contrary to our sworn Covenants and work of Reformation impossible to keep and unlawful to take Yet finding they could not yet suppress the persecuted Meetings for Gospel Ordinances but that the more violence was used the greater and more frequent they grew They fell upon a more crafty device to divide and destroy the Remnant to overturn what remained of the Churches Priviledges undestroyed and to settle Ministers and People into a silent and stupid Submission to all the Kings Usurpations upon the same by giving an Indulgence Anno 1669. to some outed Ministers with Restrictions and Instructions clearly homologatory of the Supremacy whence it flowed establishing the height of Erastianism prejudicial to the freedom of the Ministry injurious to the Priviledges of the Church contrary to Presbyterian Principles and contradictory to the Covenants The Grant and Acceptance whereof hath been the bane of the Church of Scotland and a Bone of Contention rending and ruining the Remnant of Ministers and People Unite before The end of it was to advance the Supremacy as upon this occasion they enlarged and explained it And because it was against Law therefore that the Kings Letter might be made the Supreme Law afterwards at least Law enough for the Council to proceed enact and execute what the King pleased in matters Ecclesiastick The Parl. 2. Act 1. Carol. 2. held by Lauderdale Asserts and Declares That by vertue of the Supremacy the ordering of the Government of the Church doth properly belong to his Majesty and Successors as an Inherent Right to the Crown and that he may enact and emitt such Constitutions Acts and Orders concerning Church Administrations Persons Meetings Matters as he in his Royal Wisdom shall think fit Which Acts Orders c. Are to be observed and obeyed by all Subjects any Law Act or Custom to the contrary notwithstanding But now as before faithful Ministers that were not thus Indulged sensible of the indispensable necessity of Preaching the Gospel and of the Peoples great necessity calling them to it from several quarters after they had undergone and endured many hazards and hardships of Villany and Violence Imprisonment and Banishment for meeting in the Houses where they were easily Intraped Interrupted and Insulted over were forced to go to the Fields and Preach in places most convenient secret and safe whither the People being tyred of their cold and dead Curates and wanting long the Ministry of their old Pastors resorted in great numbers on the greatest of hazards the Council then at the instigation of the Bishops and Curates raised Troops of Horse and Dragoons to pursue them as Traitors and Rebells for their following that Necessary and Signally blessed Duty Impowred and Encouraged to apprehend and bring Dead or Alive some Ministers with prices put upon their Heads and to incarcerate all they could find either at the Meetings or suspected to be coming to or from them Hence Prisons were filled some were sent to the Bass some Banished and many hundreds driven from their Dwellings Outlawed and Intercommuned For Legalizing such Mischiess the second Sess. of the second Parliament Anno 1670. held by Lauderdale made many wicked Laws causes of many Grievances following As Act 2. Ordaining all of every quality or sex called to depone upon Oath their knowledge of such Meetings and Persons therein to declare the same in all particulars interrogate under the pains of Fining Imprisonment or Banishment and Deportaion to the Indies as the Council shall think fit oblidging People thereby to betray their own Neighbours Act 5. Declaring all outed Ministers found Preaching or Praying in any House except in and to their own Family shall be Imprisoned till they find Caution under the pain of 5000 Marks not to do the like again and every Hearer shall be toties quoties fined each Tennant in 25 Pounds Scots each Cottar in 12 Pounds c. And that all that Preach in the Fields or in any House where any of the People are without Doors shall be punished with DEATH and any that shall seise and secure any of them dead or alive shall have 500 Marks reward Act 6. Imposing most I yrannically exorbitant and grievous Fines upon any that shall offer their Children to be Baptized by any but
productive of Prelacy again Which in the Lords strength We and many Thousands do intend never to submit to tho for our Recusancy we should suffer the greatest persecution from Men. We are for the Restauration and Re-establishment of this Churches Ancient Covenanted Reformation in its Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God Confession of Faith Catechisms Larger and Shorter National and Solemn Covenants and Acts of General Assemblies in all its Legall Immunities Securities and Sanctions as before the Year 1650. These Different Inclinations cannot be a Rule of Government and order but of Ataxie and Confusion Nor can they be determined by a Lesbian rule unconstant and uncertain But somewhat to which all must vail and and submit and which must claim the last Appeal Tho we might with as great Confidence as others Venture the success of our Plea for Presbyterie upon the decision of a Poll and Plurality of Votes providing which could not be denied none be admitted to Vote but such as are well affected to the Government of King William and Queen Marry Yet we cannot subject the determination of that Plea to any other Rule than he Institution of CHRIST considering that either the Lord IESVS who is anointed only King and Head of his Church and is faithful in all his House must not have appointed any Government or order thereof at all which would exceedingly Reflect upon His Wisdom and Faithfullness and the Perfection of his Law or this Government which he hath appointed must not be Arbitrary and Ambulatory indifferently determinable by the will and inclinations of Men no more than others of His Institutions can be We plead for no Government and for nothing in this of Presbyterie but what we have the Lawes of CHRIST in his Word the Ancient Lawes of the Nation the Constitutions of the Church never yet repealed by any subsequent Authority Ecclesiastick and the Covenant Eengagements of all ranks in the Land of Indespensible obligation for Nor do we plead for any exercise or extent of this order further then is necessary for the purging of the Church of every Antichristian or Erastian Corruption and Invention Defection or Schism Error or Scandal in Officers or Members impartially And for the Planting of the Church with Godly able and Faithful Ministers for the Instruction conviction conversion Edification and Consolation of the Members thereof But now not only is this Government not established but even that of Prelacy is not effectually nor can be abolished while the many iniquous Laws against Presbytery and pressing submission to Prelacy are not rescinded And while our National and Solemn League Cevenants for Preserving and Promoting Reformation are so far forgotten and trampled upon that the Acts Antiquating and Discharging them to be owned are not only not Abrogated but so far yet observed that it is hardly allowed they should be publickly mentioned While also the Ecclesiastical Supremacy a feather likewise of Antichrists wing and a Blasphemous and Sacrilegious Encroachment upon Christs Prerogatives and His Kingdoms Priviledges is not revocked nor declared void whereby it stands declared by wicked Laws to be the inherent Right of the Magistrate to Order Dispose Alter or Innovate the external Government of the Church and to plant or transplant Ministers and give them Instructions to Regulate them in the Exercise of their Function which if not Abolished will not only optn a Door to the Introdnction of Prelacy or Popery again But if the Protestant Religion be never so well Established this will in process of time unhinge all possible Settlements thereof There is nothing more the Interest of the Church than to seek that this Mountain in the way of its Reformation be removed and all Acts confirming the same repealed and Indulgences following therefrom be declared to be Usurpations Another Pillar of Prelacy the constant support of it and stop to Reformation does yet continue while the burdensome Bondage of Patronages is not removed whereby the Church is Robbed of the Liberty of choosing her own Guides intrusted with her greatest concerns the Great-men have open access Implicity to impose and Prey upon and Pester the Church with Corrupt Teachers But if all these things were Rectified it is impossible the Church can ever be settled or purged or planted as long as the Episcopal Curats intruded by the Prelats Collation and Patrons Presentation contrare to the Institutions of Christ and the Constitutions of this Reformed Church without the Call and contrare to the Inclinations of the People in many places but every where the Bane of the Nation the Scandal of the Church and the cause of all our Confusions are continued in the Churches How can the Church be settled when those that unsettled it continue in the same Capacity to oppose all Righteous Settlements of Reformation How can the Church be purged when the greatest Corrupters and the most corrupted Members remain in Power Either they must be looked upon and Subject themselves as Members of the Presbyterian Church and then Discipline cannot but strike against them in such a measure of Severity as may be some way proportioned to the greatness of their Scandal their Obstinacy Impenitency and Continuance in it as long as they could and the hazard of their Leavening the whole Lump or they must be looked upon as Pure and Perfect Schismaticks seting up a distinct Church and seperate Communion within a well Constitute National Church and as such they ought to be Censured and Restrained How can the Church be planted when those Plants that the LORD never planted fill so much of His Vineyard and continue in so many Paroches either to sterve them with the hungry Husks of Ethick Homilies and Harangues of Moral Vertues instead of Gospel Holiness not knowing to Preach the Mystery of the Covenant of Grace or declare the Counsel of GOD to the Conversion of Sinners unto CHRIST or so poyson them with points of Popery Arminianisme Socinianisme Yet many of them do yet Peaceably possess the places they were intruded into and others dispossessed are reponed by Force contrare to the inclinations of the Paroch and notwithstanding their opposition in some places as for instance in Colintown and in Peebles where great Insolences were committed affronting the Magistrates and disturbing the Presbyterian Meeting which have been overlooked but the least Accession to any Opposition that was made hath been severely punished one Francis Beatie upon this account being for these many weeks kept in prison and his Petitions for Liberty ejected This hath discouraged many and opened their mouths to reflect That tho this Government be as much admited for Acts of Mercy to Rebells as the former was for Cruelty yet wherever any Presbyterian can be apprehended in any fault he must expect the rigour of Severity We do not justifie illegal Tumults nor do we approve that people should transgress their Line and Station in endeavours of Reformation when there is a Magistrate to be