had principally occasioned that Rebellion by opposing and refusing to Consent to the Transportation of those Forces which His Majesty had Granted to the King of Spain For at the Disbanding of the Irish Army He had engaged the Word and Honour of a King to the Three Spanish Ambassadours here then at this Court that they should have the Liberty to Transport such Troops of the Irish Nation as were willing to take Service under their Master and accordingly they Contracted not only with the Officers and Souldiers but had advanced Money and hired Ships for their Transportation But this being represented to the Parliament tho the Lords seemed incâ—mable to comply with it yet the Commons who industriously opposed whatever His Majesty pretended to do without their Advice absolutely refused to give their Consent and framed I know not what Chimaera's of danger and in Fine positively prohibited The passing of any English or Irish into the Service of any Forreign Prince FROM hence it came to pass that many of those People being of Desperate Fortunes fell into Desperate Designs and being Animated and Spirited both by their Religion and the Traditional Animosity against the English and more especially the Scots whom they consider as Invaders Robbers and Incroachers of their Antient and Native Right they were easily perswaded and drawn into a Conspiracy rather than starve Whereas had the Parliament given them leave to have spent their ill humours and lives in Forreign Wars they might probably have prevented whole Rivers of Blood that was inhumanely spilt and have saved all that Treasure that was expended in reducing that Kingdom from one Rebellion to another BUT by this means the Male-contents here at Home got this advantage by that Rebellion which they had been long Aiming at as to Arm all their Factions The Factions seize on the Guards c. during the King's Absence in Scotland and in His Majesties absence to do all the Acts of Soveraign Authority And now they took actually the Guards into their Service which they had Voted for before and appointed Officers to Command them and to Exercise and Discipline the Raw and unexpert Militia of the Countries about London without so much as giving the least Notice of all this to His Majesty or expecting His Royal-Assent THE King being in Scotland when He first received an account of all that had happened in Ireland Sir James Stuart sent for Ireland dispatched Sir James Stuart with Instructions to the Lords of the Privy-Councel there and sent them by Him all the Money His present Stores would supply He likewise moved the Parliament of Scotland as being the nearest for their Assistance but they Excused it because Ireland was a Dependant of the Crown of England but if the State of England would use any of their Men for that Service they would make propositions in order to it THE King finding His stay to be longer than He thought left the whole business of Ireland to the Parliament which without staying for His leave they had took to Themselves and had indeed declared a speedy and vigorous Assistance and Voted Fifty Thousand Pounds for a present supply About which time the King returned out of Scotland The King Returns to London from Scotland and was Entertained and Feasted at London and from thence Conducted to White-Hall After which the King Treated several of the Brincipal Citizens at Hampton-Court where divers of the Aldermen had the Honour of Knight-Hood THEN the King Summons both Houses together and tells them A Parliament is called That He had staid in Scotland longer than He expected yet not Fruitlesly for He had given full Satisfaction to that Nation but cannot choose but take notice of and wonder at the unexpected Distractions He finds at Home and then recommends to them the State of Ireland Next He publishes a Proclamition for Obedience to the Laws and first concerning Religion and the performance of Divine Service without innovation or abolishing of Rites and Ceremonies About Two Months after which His Majesty makes another Speech to them and Conjures them by all that is Dear to Him or Them to hasten the Business of Ireland But notwithstanding this and all the Noise and Out cry that was made of the Cruelties of the Irish Rebellion they prepared their Succours but very slowly and tho His Majesty pressed them with repeated instances to assist vigorously the Protestant Party against the Popish Rebels The Irish Rebellion laid upon the King yet they used their endeavours to place the Odium of that Conspiracy to the King's account insomuch that one of their Members said in a Formal Speech at a Conference with the Lords That several who had passed into Ireland by His Majesties immediate warrant were at the Head of the Rebellion which Speech the House of Commons ordered to be Printed and tho His Majesty cleared Himself of the Scandal yet instead of obtaining a Reparation they publickly justified the Member who was Pym for what He had spoken Besides instead of taking into Consideration the bleeding Condition of Ireland notwithstanding all the indefatigable Zeal and Pains His Majesty had taken to preserve the Protestant Religion and the Peace of the Kingdom they welcomed Him presently after His Return from Scotland with a large Remonstrance The Parliaments Remonstrance wherein they endeavoured to make appear that there was a Design on Foot to introduce to this Kingdom Popery and Arbitrary Government and laid all the Misfortunes of the Reign to the Crowns Account notwithstanding they themselves had occasioned them and His Majesty having made a Gracious Answer to their Petition that was as a Prologue to their Remonstrance He issued out a Declaration to His Subjects by way of Answer to the Remonstrance The King's Answer the Sum of which was That He thought He had given sufficient Satisfaction to His Peoples Fears and Jealousies concerning Religion Liberty and Civil Interests by the Bills which He had passed this Parliament desiring that Misunderstandings might be removed on either side and that the bleeding Condition of Ireland might perswade them to Unity for the Relief of that Unhappy Kingdom BUT instead of Complying with His Majesty who offered to raise Ten Thousand Volunteers for Ireland if the Commons would undertake to Pay them and issued out a Proclamation against the Irish declaring Those that were in Arms with all their Adherents and Abettors The Apprentices Rife and go to White-Hall and Westminster to be Rebels and Traitors They Caused the Apprentices of London to go in an Insolent Tumultuous Riotous manner to White-Hall and Westminster and the King being informed That One of the Lords and Five of the House of Commons had Correspondence with the Scots and Countenanced the late City Tumults He thereupon ordered The King's Order their Trunks Studies and Chambers to be Sealed up and their Persons Seized the former of which was done but they kept too good Intelligence about His Majesty
Paces towards a Rebellion a Design of Petitioning their Soveraign But the King not able to bear His being Affronted at this Rate does likewise Arm to Defend His Crown The King Raises an Army to go against the Scots and the Lives and Estates of His Subjects here and Recover the Rights and Prerogatives they had Usurped in that Kingdom But notwithstanding the Justice of His Cause and the Gallantry and Vigour of His Army when He came in Sight of the Enemy He was moved out of a Compassion and a Desire to Save so many Lives both of His Loyal and Rebellious Subjects A Treaty is held a Second time to Condescend to a Treaty which He was likewise perswaded to by some of the English Nobility that were Secret Friends to the Scots DURING this Treaty the Factious Spirits of the Two Nations had by Feeling one anothers Pulses found their Tempers to be so alike and their Inclinations so sutable that they easily and quickly agreed of the Measures for a future Correspondence and of the means of putting in Execution their Designs Which however would have been impossible for them to have Effected had they had the least Sense of Religion Loyalty Honour and Honesty But the Scots had no sooner seen the English Army Disbanded and the People Dissatisfied with the Ill Success of that Expedition than that having Broken almost as soon as Signed The Pacification broken and the Scots Raise another Army every Article of that Pacification they Raised a New Army to Petition withal which they were Invited to by their Brethren or Presbyterian Party here who Encouraged them to this Invasion by assuring them That the King was not in a Capacity to make Head against them nor could be without Calling a Parliament wherein they would be sure to find so many Friends in Both Houses that nothing should be done there to their Disadvantage Which proved but too True for the King having Summoned a Parliament and proposed to them the Raising of Money for the suppressing the Insolence of the Scots some of the Members began to Question the Grounds and Justice of the War which they were Resolved to be Satisfied in before Moneys should be Raised In short the Scottish Party had that Influence in this Parliament as to put it to Question Whether the Grievances of the People or the King's Supply should first be Considered And tho the King told that Parliament That if they would Supply Him so as to Suppress the Insolence of the Scots He would Acquit His Claim to Ship-Money and give Satisfaction to their Just Demands They growing still more sensible by these Proposals of the Necessities the King was in instead of making such Returns as so Gracious an Offer merited Voted 1. The Clearing the property of the Subject 2. The Establishing the True Religion And 3. The Priviledges of Parliament and then fell into such Extravagances that the Privy-Council Advised their Dissolving The Parliament's Dissolved being assured the Heats of the House of Commons were so great that they intended that very Day to have Voted against the War with Scotland whereby the King would have been in a worse Condition than before their Sitting Yet though the City of London refused to lend Money to the King the Gentry contributed indifferently freely so that with their Assistance He raised a Second Army A Second Army raised by the King and having with much Difficulty and the great Murmuring of the Presbyterian Party drawn them together as far as York He designed to have Marched in person to the Borders of Scotland But the ill success My Lord Conoway had broke all His Measures for Lesley had no sooner forced His passage over the River Tine and faced New-Castle where the King had reposited His Magazine of Arms and Ammunition and His Stores of Provision for His Army but that the Gates were opened to them they having more Friends than Enemies in the Town The Scots Declaration Hereupon the Scots declare the Intention of the Army to be Not to lay down Armes till the Reformed Religion was setled in both Nations upon sure Grounds and the Causes and Abettors of their present Troubles that is Arch-Bishop Laud and the Earl of Strafford were brought to publick Justice in Parliament Whereupon Twelve English Peers Petitioned the King for the Sitting of the Parliament Some Lords and the City c. do Petition for the sitting of the Parliament and the City of London and several other parts of the Kingdom did the like all centring in this that Nothing else could relieve the pressures of the Nation And now the King condescends to their Desires and Summoned a Parliament A Parliament's called which instead of redressing Grievances defending Liberty Property and Laws Trampled all things both Civil and Sacred under their Feet and the People found at length that instead of the Arbitrary Government they had been so much afraid of they had brought upon themselves the Rankest Tyranny THIS Parliament was no sooner met than that they fell to Impeaching the Earl of Strafford Arch-Bishop Laud The Earl of Strafford and Arch-Bishop Laud impeach't with several others several of the Judges and other Ministers of State But tho the Earl had been forewarned of their Designs against Him yet relying upon His Great Innocence and His Courage rendring Him uncapable of Fear He could not be perswaded to with-draw till the Storm was over least His Flight might be interpreted as Guilt and should blast His Sovereign's as well as His own Reputation Upon this Impeachment He is Sequestred from the House of Lords and likewise His Friend Sir George Ratcliffe is sent for out of Ireland by a Serjeant at Arms In the mean time the Bishop of Lincolne who was Prisoner in the Tower is Released who had been Committed there for some dishonourable Speeches that He had spoken of the King and having endeavoured by some indirect means to Appear Innocent He had been therefore Sentenced Ten Thousand Pounds Fine to the King Imprisonment in the Tower during Pleasure to be suspended Ab Officiis Beneficiis from His Bishoprick and the Profits thereof and to be referred to the High Commission Court as to what concerned them And likewise Mr. Pryn Mr. Burton and Dr. Bastnick who had received a very just Censure for Writing against the Bishops and their Government they being all Three Sentenced to pay Five Thousand Pounds apiece Fine to the King to lose their Ears in the Pillory and to be Imprisoned which they accordingly Suffered were now brought in great Triumph to London and December the Third they presented their Petition against their Prosecutors THEN the Commons fell to Voting Ship-Money with the Opinion of the Judges thereupon to be Illegal who with Noy then esteemed the Oracle of the Law had assured the King of the Legality of it and a Charge of High-Treason was ordered to be drawn up against Eight of them and they resolved to
begin with the Lord-Keeper Finch Petitions from the City against Church Discipline and Ceremonies c. About that time an Alderman and some Hundreds of Citizens presented a Petition Subscribed by Fifteen Thousand Hands against Church-Discipline and Ceremonies and a while after the House of Commons Voted That the Clergy in a Synod or Convocation The Commons Vote thereupon have no Power to make Canons or Laws without Parliaments and that the Canons are against the Fundamental Laws of this Realm the King's Prerogative the Property of the Subject the Right of Parliaments and tend to Faction and Sedition And hereupon a Charge was ordered to be drawn up against Arch-Bishop Laud as the Principal framer of those Canons and other Delinquencies which Impeachment was seconded by another from the Scotch Commissioners Arch-Bishop Land impeach't and sent to the Black-Rod upon which He was Committed to the Black-Rod and Ten Weeks after Voted Guilty of High-Treason and sent to the Tower The Scots likewise prefer a Charge against the Earl of Strafford then in Custody demanding Justice against them both Five Articles against Sir George Ratcliffe as the great Incendiaries and Disturbers both of Church and State and Sir George Ratcliffe the Earl's Bosom Friend had Articles also drawn against Him to this purpose THAT He had Conspired with the Earl 1. to bring Ireland under an Arbitrary Government and to Subvert the Fundamental Laws and to bring an Army from Ireland to subdue the Subjects of England That He perswaded the Earl to use Regal Power and to deprive the Subjects of their Liberties and Properties 2. That He countenanced Papists 3. and built Monasteries to alienate the Affections of the Irish from the English That He withdrew the Subjects of Scotland from their King And Lastly That to preserve Himself and the Earl of Strafford 4. He laboured to Subvert the Liberties 5. and Priviledges of Parliament in Ireland THE Lord Keeper Finch was the next Person designed to be Censured Lord-Keeper Finch Voted a Traitor and notwithstanding a Speech He made in His own Vindication He was Voted a Traitor upon several accounts but foreseeing the Storm to avoid the Danger He withdrew Beyond-Sea THE House of Commons having by these means removed their Enemies were preparing a Bill for a Triennial Parliament Petitions procured for a Triennial-Parliament to promote which they procured Petitions to come from several Places One whereof was Subscribed with Eight Hundred Hands aiming principally to destroy Episcopacy which the King took Notice of One with 800. Hands and calling Both Houses together tells them Of their Slowness and the Charge of Two Armies in the Kingdom and that he would Have them avoid Two Rocks the One about the Hierarchy of the Bishops which He was willing to Reform but not alter the Other concerning Frequent Parliaments which He liked well but not to give His Power to Sheriffs and Constables and upon their Remonstrances against the Toleration of Papists the King assured them The King protests an Aversion to Popery that the increase of Popery and Papists was extreamly against His Mind and that He would use all possible means for the Restraining of it DURING the Five Months the Scots had Quartered in England a Cessation having been Concluded at Rippon yet the full Pacification was reserved for London and the Commissioners of both Parties fat there to hear the Demands of the Scots and to make Answer thereunto The Scotch Armies great Charge 514128. l 9. s Whereupon the Scots presented the great account of their Charges which was Five Hundred Fourteen Thousand One Hundred Twenty Eight Pounds Nine Shillings besides the Loss of their Nation which was Four Hundred and Forty Thousand Pounds This Reckoning startled the English Commissioners The Loss of Scotlands Charges 440000. till the Scots told them they did not give in that Account as expecting a Total Reparation of their Charges and Losses but were content to bear a part of it hoping for the rest from the Justice and Kindness of England These Demands met with some Oppositions However Moneys were raised at the present from the City of London for the supply of both the Northern Armies as the Parliament had done once before MUCH about this time Four Members of the House of Commons delivered a Message to the Lords of a Popish Design of levying an Army of Fifteen Thousand Men in Lancashire and Eight Thousand in Ireland and that the main Promoters thereof were the Earls of Strafford and Worcester THEN they fell to Accuse Sir Robert Berkly One of the Judges about Ship-Money of High-Treason triennial- Sir Robert Berkley accused of High-Treason The Act passed for a Triennial-Parliament and Committed him Prisoner to the Black-Rod About the same time the King passed that Act for a Triennial Parliament and that they might know how much He valued this great Favour He told the Two Houses That hitherto they had gone on in those things which concerned themselves and now He expected they should proceed upon what concerned Him THE King likewise signed then the Bill of Subsidies The Bill of Subsidies likewise passed which so generally pleased them that Sir Edward Littleton Lord-Keeper was ordered to return the Humble Thanks of both Houses to His Majesty at White-Hall Arch-Bishop Land Committed to the Tower for High-Treason Presently after the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury having been Accused of High-Treason by the Commons was Committed to the Tower and now Episcopacy it self was called in Question and notwithstanding several learned and weighty Speeches were made in the Defence of it The Bishops outed from Parliament-Power Judicial or Temporal the Commons Voted that No Bishop should have any Vote in Parliament nor any judicial Power in the Star-Chamber nor be concerned in any Temporal Matters THEN began the Trial of the Earl of Strafford which after it had lasted some Weeks The Earl of Straffords Trial. and all the Evidence against Him not amounting to so much as to be Legally capable to take away His Life had they gone the antient Legal way to work of Trying Peers His Enemies be-thought themselves of a New Expedient to take off His Head despairing of ever effecting their Designs as long as He assisted at the Helm they had therefore procured the Parliament of Ireland to Prosecute Him there also as Guilty of High-Treason Whereupon a Bill was brought into the House of Commons to attaint Him of Accumulative High-Treason and tho it passed that House with a kind of surprize yet it so opened the Eyes of several who before had been His violent Enemies that they became His Advocates tho this made them lose that Kindness Esteem and Favour which that House and the People before had had for them And the Lords considering how much it concerned them and their Posterity and that it might come to be their Own Case were not generally so Zealous and eager for a
bear alike Proposition and consequently Publick Peace must be a Thorn in their Side too Tho I believe verily That the Presbyterian is but an Instrument in the Roman Catholicks Hands to work the Destruction of this Nation because they know there 's no Sect bears a greater Sway nor admits of a greater Acceptance amongst the Credulous Vulgars than This. How under This Cloak Religion they have walked for these several Years and made it their Stalking-Horse to perpetrate their Designes we all know and therefore I shall enter upon the Second Part of This Discourse and trace along our present Troubles and Distractions beginning with Religion Loyalties severe Summons TO THE Bar of Conscience OR A Seasonable Timely Call TO THE People of England UPON THE Present Juncture of Affairs The Second Part. BUT before we enter upon Generals I shall a little come to Particulars and by this Means lay before you more plainly how exactly Men endeavour in These Times to follow the Coppy which have been drawn by Men of alike Principles and Dispositions in the Late Times AND Here we must observe how like Serpents the Subtle Engineers and Framers of the Late Common-Wealth wrought themselves in to the Accomplishing their Damned Designs and Unparallel'd Contrivances They no sooner found the Late King reduced to urgent Necessities and pressing Occasions for Supplyes to His Exchecquer and Treasury which were Drained and Exhausted by a long involved War abroad but it is as soon taken Notice of by the Factious Parties at Home who promised to themselves now a fit Opportunity to broach their Villanies and begin those Accursed Designs against the King and Government which they afterwards perpetrated and brought to pass They begin then to hang Tall and stand off from any Propositions the King made for Supplyes of Money and therefore without He would be brought to those Concessions and comply with such unreasonable Demands which they would and did make no Money was to be had THE King being of a Good Pacifick and Generous Nature and knowing the Pressures and Necessities which then incumbred Him for a Supply was forced to condescend to such Gracious Unparallel'd Acts which helped to pull down that fair and splendid Structure of the Government which His Royal Predecessors Queen Elizabeth and His Father King James had built Of which I have spoken more at large before THESE Acts and Concessions of the King they managed to that Degree that at length the Scots influenc'd Here by some Leading Parties in England enter upon a strange Way of forcing His Concessions by Raising an Army under the Notion of Petitioning their King c. NOW let us behold how nearly we endeavour to follow these Ieroboams and how close the Shadow follows our Heels In the Year 1679. The Damnable Popish Plot Discovered in England not long after the Discovery of the Hellish Popish Plot which had put England into a Great Combustion and Disorder and that now the Minds of Men were possest with Dread and Horror and an Universal Jealousie and Fear of what would be the Event of so strange and Surprizing an Alarum distracted almost even the most sober Brains The Scots who are a People ever ready to lay hold of any Opportunity to Rebel and knowing This a fit Time to blow up that Fire into a Flame which the Papists and Jesuits had kindled they presently begin to enter upon their Old Theme of Protesting against the Church Government Episcopacy The Scots Rebellion nay Monarchy too and Raise a Considerable Army to further their Execrable Designs BUT before this to shew their Antipathy and inveterate Abhorrence against Bishops which is a Natural Disposition they suck't from the Breasts of the Presbyterian Parents as is before taken Notice of and now 't was never to be Eradicated out of the Flesh of their Posterity they Assassinate and Kill that Reverend Prelate the Arch Bishop of St. Andrews The Reverend Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews killed one of His Majesty's most honourable Privy-Councel by Stabbing him in his own Coach in the Sight of the Sun dragging him out upon the Ground hewing and butchering him as the Cruel Blood-Thirsty Dutch did the De witts in Holland leaving his Body as one Wound Oh crudelis Rabies Populi BUT this was but a small Prologue to their designed Black Cragedy the Death of one Great Person could not satisfy their Bloody Intents but now Fury drives them on to destroy all that oppose them and a Body of Men was got together on the Twenty-Nineth of Mar 1679. to the Number of Eighty The Rebels burn several Acts of Parliament well Mounted and Armed and came as far as Rugland proclaimed the Covenant burnt several Acts of Parliament viz. 1. 1. The Act concerning the King's Supremacy 2. 2. The Rescissory Act. 3. 3. The Act for Establishing Episcopacy And 4. 4. The Act appointing the Anniversary of the Twenty-Nineth of May. And that done affixed a certain Scandalous and Traiterous Paper or Declaration upon the Market-Cross and intended to have done the like at Glasgow but were prevented by the King's Forces there The Rebel's Declaration designed to be put up at Glasgow but was actually put up at Rugland was in these Words following AS the Lord hath been pleased still to keep and preserve His Interest in the Land The Scot's Declaration put upon the Market-Cross at Rugland by the Testimony of some Faithful Witnesses from the Beginning So in our Dayes some have not been wanting who thro the greatest Hazards have added their Testimonies to those who are gone before them by suffering Death Banishment Torturings Finings Imprisonments Forfeitures 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 Covenaut desire to add our Testimonies of the Worthies that have gone before tho Unworthy yet hoping as true Members of the Church of Christ in Scotland and that against all Things that have 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 As 1. 1. The Act of Supremacy 2. 2. The Declaration whereby the Covenants were condemned 3. 3. The Act for Eversion of the Established Government of the Church and for Establishing of Prelacy and for outing of Christ's Ministers who could not conform thereto by an Act Rescissory of all Acts of Parliament and Assemblies for Establishing of the Government of the Church of Scotland according to the Word As likewise 4. That Act of Councel at Glasgow 4. putting that Act Rescissory in Execution where at one time were violently cast out above Three Hundred Ministers without all Legal Procedure Likewise 5. 5. The Act appointing a Holy Anniversary-Day to be kept upon the
Twenty-Nineth of May for giving Thanks for the Upsetting an Usurping Power destroying the Interest of the Church in the Land which is to set up the Creature to be Worship't in the Room of our Great Redeemer and to consent to the assuming the Power that is proper to the Lord alone for the Appointing of Ordinances in His Church as particularly the Government thereof and the Keeping of Holy-Dayes 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 Twenty-Nineth of May 1679. publickly burn them at the Cross of Glasgow most justly as they perfidiously and blasphemously had burnt our Holy Covenants thro 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 alwayes to do it if judged necessary with all the Faithful Suffering Brethren in the Land The Effect the Declaration bad THIS gained a great Addition to their Number and every day Fresh Rabbles came and Listed themselves under their Rebellious Banner so that within few Dayes their Body became considerable amounting to Fourteen or Fifteen Thousand Men. But as in the thickest Brambles there are to be found some Roses so in this Country the King found some Loyal Hearts who endeavoured to quell their Insolence For on the Eight of May Five Dayes after the Murther of the Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews Captain Graham of Claver-house Capt. Graham's Rencounter with the Rebels upon notice he had of a great Number of Men who were gathered together upon Lowdon-Hill marched thither with his Troop and a Company of Dragoons and found there Fourteen or Fifteen Thousand Men well Armed and in good Order The Foot commanded by one Weir and the Horse by Robert Hamilton one Patton Balfour and Hackston the Two last being the Murtherers of the Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews The Revels upon Captain Graham's Approach sent out Two Parties to skirmish with him which he beat into their main Body Then they advanced with their whole Force upon him who after a considerable Slaughter of the Revels and the Loss of his Cornet Two Brigadiers about Eight Horse and Twenty Dragoons his own Horse being killed under him and mounting another being so much over-power'd in number he made his Retreat to Glasgow being in his way forced to Fight his Passage through the Towns-Men of Streven who were got together to oppose it leaving Ten or Twelve of them dead upon the Place THE Revels had the Confidence to attack the City of Glasgow The City of Glasgow Attacked at Two several Times but all the Streets were so Barricadoed by the Lord Rosse and the Souldiers put into so good a Posture that the Revels were beat off with a Considerable Loss besides many Prisoners that were taken THE Council the City of Edinborough several Noble Men and Persons of Quality use their utmost endeavours to suppress these Rebels amongst which the Son of the Lord Rosse The Son of the Lord Rosse his Skirmish with the Rebels having only with him Forty Horse and a Company of Dragoons totally defeats a party of Three Hundred Horse and Foot of the Rebels leaving Sixty Six Dead upon the Place taking Ten Prisoners the rest being scattered As likewise The Lord Murray's Stuward puts to the rout a 100. the Lord Murray's Deputy-Stuward in Downe assembling the Vassals and Tenants of His Lordships Stewardry upon an Alarm of One Hundred Rebels on Horseback coming from Fisse to joyn with their main Body pursues them Sixteen Miles through the Mountains and at last coming up to them Killed several of them took Forty Prisoners amongst which was one Henderson one of the Murtherers of the Arch-Bishop of Saint Andrews and forced them to scatter and fly into the adjacent Woods and Moors Of which The Lord Elphingston took 30. Prisoners the Lord Elphingston having notice with some Gentlemen under his Command pursued them killed some and took above Thirty more Prisoners and amongst these Two of the name of Balfour and one Hamilton of Kinkel Three more of the Murtherers of the said Arch-Bishop THE Gentlemen of Stratherne fell upon another Party coming from Fiffe of which they killed some and took above Forty The Gentlemen of Stratherne's Re-encounter with them and carried them Prisoners to Pearth THUS these Bebels met with great Opposition from all parts They meet with extraordinary Supplies upon extraordinary Opposition but still like the Serpent Hydra they had fresh Supplies and their Numbers grew great This allaruming the King and Parliament here they presently resolve to dispatch with all Expedition imaginable a considerable Force against them consisting of a Body of Ten Thousand Men under the Conduct of the Illustrious James Duke of Monmouth The Duke of Monmouth goes for Scotland a person of whose Prudence Courage and Fidelity we have had large Demonstrations and Proofs The Duke with this Body of Men all Loyal brave Spirits and couragious resolute Lads sets out for Scotland And His Grace arrived at Edinborough the 18th of June 79. by Post and parting the 19th following joyned the King's Forces at Blackburne Major Oglethorpe causes a Party or Two of the Rebels to retire and that Evening sent out Major Oglethorpe with a Detachment of Horse and Dragoons who Met with a Party or Two of the Rebels who presently retired The next day June 20th His Grace decamped with His Army and advanced within Six Miles of Hamilton whither the Rebels were retreated The Duke advances towards Hamilton having encamped their Foot in the Little Park there and Posted their Horse along the River being 6. or 7000. strong besides one Robert Stewart Brother to the Earl of Galioway and two or three more came in to them JUNE the 22d the Duke drew up His Majesties Forces at Bothwell-Bridge which the Rebels lying on the other side had barricadoed Here a Paper is brought to the Lord General by one of the ‖ David Hume The Message of the Rebels Rebels representing That they would lay down their Arms upon no other Terms than those exprest in their Declaration to which The Duke's Answer His Grace gave Answer That those were destructive to the King's Authority and contrary to the Fundamental Laws and Constitutions of this Kingdom and that they were to expect no other Articles from him but to lay down their Armes and render themselves to the King's Mercy With this Answer they return desiring some time to consider which His Grace granted them About half an hour after the Rebels sent a Paper by a Drummer representing That they were informed Their 2d Message That His Grace came from England with Terms to be offered to them that they desired to know what He had to propose that they might advise whether the Terms were such they could accept of Upon which His Grace sent them word That their
Worshippers these Sons of Belial and Children of Darkness c. Thus they asperse the Ministry and endeavour to draw an Odium upon the Clergy which is the readiest means to induce men to have a low regard of Religion it self for as a wise Writer of late times said when once the Dispensers of Religion fall into Contempt it must be a strong Arm and more than that of Flesh that can bear up Religion it self and keep that from falling too I hope and pray with a Reverend Prelate in a late learned Sermon upon this Subject That God will not remove our Candlestick from among us as he threatned the Church of Ephesus tho 't is too much to be feared our Impenitency and the disregard we have of Gods Ministers and the Diversity of Sects and Opinions amongst us may be sufficient enough to occasion it What Judgments the Angel denounced against those Four Churches in the Revelations Chap. 2. I desire every Son and Daughter of our Church to consider Read the Severals and I doubt not but you 'll soon find how little a Disproportion there is betwixt Us and Them Tho I fear the last viz. Thyatira may be too much our lively Image The several Schismes Sects and Divisions which have been broached fomented and continued about Religion in this Kingdom of England have been as I said before the immediate Reasons that brought men to have a low regard of Religion it self and the Causes of the great Decay of Christian Piety in the Land We may attribute what we will to the State and say what we please of the Government when it is the Immorality and Vice of the Cymes which makes the Almighty angry with us and threaten to cut us off And now Impiety Irreligion rides Tryumphant Immorality sways its Scepter in the Hearts of men and therefore let the Charmer charm never so wisely men lend but Adders Cares and will not regard And therefore Admonitions are but vain and Advice but Bubbles Correption and Rebuke pisht at and reckoned but as Childish Flattery or painted Mask Nothing can be then expected but such like Reparties which I will take from the to-be-admired * Vide Quale's Boanerges and Barnabas Boanerges and so conclude Tell not me of Hell Devills or damned Souls to enforce me from those Pleasures which they nick-name Sin 'T is true I have not led my life according to the Pharisaical Square of the Opinions of God's Ministers neither have I found Judgments according to their Prophecies whereby I must conclude that God is wonderfully merciful or they wonderfully mistaken How often have they thundered Torment against my Voluptuous life and yet I feel no pain How bitterly have they threatned shame against the Vaunts of the Vain-glorious Yet find they honour How fiercely have they preach't destruction against my Cruelty And yet I live What Plagues against my Swearing Yet not infected What Diseases against my Drunkenness And yet sound What danger against Procrastination Yet how often hath God been found upon the Death-bead What Damnation to Hypocrites Yet who more safe What Stripes to the Ignorant Yet who more Scot-free What Poverty to the Sloathful Yet they prosper What Falls to the Proud Yet stand they surest What Curses to the Covetous Yet who richer What Judgment to the Lascivious Yet who more pleasure What Vengeance to the Prophane the Censorious the Revengeful Yet none live more unscourged Who deeper Branded than the Lyar Yet who more Favoured Who more threatned than the Presumptuous Yet who less punish'd Thus they run thro a Catalogue of the several Kinds of Enormous Sins which are most predominant in our depraved Natures and believe not what the Church doth pronounce on each of them but as Bugbeares and therefore say they thus we are fool'd and kept in awe by the strict fancies of these Pulpit-men whose Opinions have no Ground but what they gain from Popularity But let these bold blustring Sinners but read the fifth Chapter of Isaiahs Prophecy and there they will find the miserable Woes entailed on the Wicked as likewise Jer. 4. Deut. 29.2 Chron. 34. Perhaps I have played the Divine too long and have tired you with these sad Reflections I shall therefore enlarge no further but only add one word by way of Admonition and conclude Let not O England an improvident Carelesness cast out all Fear of approaching Danger Hast thou not for these many years nuzzled in the Bosome of Habitual Peace when thy Neighbours were in the Flames of War Be not deceived a long Peace makes a Bloody War and the Abuse of continued Mercies makes a sharp Judgment The stalled Oxe that wallows in his plenty and waxes wanton in his Ease is not far from slaughter Didst thou not laugh Invasion to scorn and was not affrighted at Conspiracies Didst thou want good Laws or did those Laws want Execution Didst thou not stand the Glory of the World and the Envy of all Nations Did not thy Prophets give lawful warning and like true Baptists preach Repentance How hast thou lived that now these Prophecies are fulfilled and that now thou beholdest the Vialls of thy angry God ready to be powred forth Didst thou think that Pride could not demolish the Towers that defend thee Nor drunkenness dry up the Sea that Walls thee Nor the Flames of Lust dissolve the Ord'nance that protects thee O England Since mercies could not allure thee let these threatning Judgments now at length enforce thee to a true Repentance Quench the Firebrand which thou hast kindled Turn thy Mirth to true Mourning and thy Feasts of Joy to Humiliation and pray with thy Church That from all Sedition privy Conspiracy and Rebellion from all false Doctrine Heresy and Schisme from Hardness of Heart and Contempt of His Word and Commandments God would deliver us Amen FINIS THE POST-SCRIPT SINCE the Composing the foregoing Discourse the Parliament of Scotland was Convogued where the Duke of York sat Commissioner impoured to touch those Acts with the Royal Scepter which passed there Voted by men of unbyast Principles and Loyal Intentions No sooner do we find them placed in their Seats but satissyed with the Royal Pleasure in the Commissioner and undisturbed with the daily Murmurings about Exclusion Exclusion the English-man's Character of a Popish Successor no way sympathizing with Their Loyal Minds They presently Vote the publication of those Memorable Acts for the Lineal Legal Succession in That and consequently This Kingdom Oh Brave Scots Now you have quitted your selves like Men and have shewed this to be the Year of Regeneration and consequently Salvation Now you shame our Pretended Loyallists who make the world believe that their Zeal and Devotion for the Royal Family deserves Admiration and merits the name of Unparalleâ—'d when the Curtaine drawn it is Squint-eyed and byast Now it is that you have played the true antient Scot not filled with Anti-monarchy and Rebellion or influenced by the Factious Spirits of Disaffected English nor moved with the malicious Thunder-bolt of Seditious and Rebellious Meroz but a Legal Succession according to the Proximity of Blood the Liberty and Freedom of The true Kirk of God as now established is and shall be your Uninterrupted Resolve What doth or will this do but eternize your Names and make you memorable in the Chronicles of Fame Now you have quitted your selves like true Israelites and the God of Israel prosper all your Consultations AH But Brother and Fellow-Subject sayes the Scot to the English-Man Yee make Mickle to dee with yee 'r Evidences c. we Hang them Here as fast as they come in The Dee'l is in yee for Plotting and Swearing In Troth a Man cannot Live with yee for Evidencing wee'se not come among yee Yee speak Treason and yee 'll not be Tryed but when and whare and by what Jury yee please But yee 'r Protestant-Joyner Colledge has found That the Law will have its Force and that tho London could afford him an Ignoramus-Jury Oxford would not Veritas est magna praevalebit Truth will prevail Peace must be maintained and Offenders punish't Incendiaries must be suppressed and Murmurers silenced Whatever the Reverend Evidence could deposite in Verbo sacerdotis to invalidate the King's Evidence and to wash off the Ethiopian Blackness of Treason and Villany he still found That Verbum Justiciae Veritatis foyled him and that he ought not as he had set His Hand to the Plough to look back Methinks the Consideration of His Life and Being as one told him should have Taught Him That to say his Prayers Hebrew-fashion was unbecoming His Coat In Troth Yee are all Mad and what shall I say Yee 'll ne're leave Plotting till yee 're all Potted But look upon the fore-going Discourse and yee 'le find necessary Cures to Heal this Plotting-Itch