T

HE Defign of this Paper is neither to feduce others into Faction, nor to make an Apologie; the one being too Malicious, and the other too Mean: But because many honest and sincere Men have been abused by fome late Mifinformations, whereby the Charity and Unity of Proteftants amongst themselves are much weakened; therefore this Paper comes to fet Things in their true Light, by a bare Narrative, which will be fufficient to reclaim those who are abus'd, and to confute thofe malicious Authors, who have endeavoured to Reproach a whole Nation with Villanies, of which none but these Authors themselves could have been guilty.

Because the Civil Government in Scotland was never bigot in that King's Reign, therefore we shall not run back to confider Epifcopacy or Presbyterie, otherways than as they may concern the Civil Government. Neither fhould we run fo far back, as to the Government of King Charles I. were it not to prove, that thefe of the fame Perfuafion, who now complain, were the first

Aggreffors; and confequently, what was done against them deferves rather the Name of Self-defence than Perfecution.

For clearing this, it is neceffary to reprefent, That in the Year 1637, we liv'd under the moft Pious and Orthodox Prince of the Age, and yet a Rebellion was form'd against him, as a Papift, and a Tyrant,by which all the Fundamental Laws were fhaken," and all honeft Men ruin'd. Neither needs there any other Proof for this Affertion, than the Records of Parliament, General Affemblies, and Fuftice Court.

From the Records and Acts of Parliament it is undeniable, that the Power of nominating Judges, Counsellors, and all Officers of State; the Power of levying War, and raifing Taxes, were μfurp'd by the People; 'Covenants were entred into by a Part of the Subjects, and by them impos'd imperiously upon the reft; Leagues and Covenants were entred into with England; Ambaffadours were fent to Foreign Princes and States; and even to France, (tho' little less terrible then, than now) exclaiming against the Injuftice of the King, justifying their taking Arms against him, and therefore intreating the French Aid and Affiftance: The King himfelf was inhumanely deliver'd up to his Enemies, and thereafter the Army that went in to defend his precious Life, were declared Rebels, all which was uncontravertedly inconfiftent with the Laws of the Kingdom then standing.

f

From the Acts of the General Affembly it is clear, that the Affembly 1639, refus'd to rife, when diffolv'd by the King's Commiffioner, and moft of the following Affemblies did both fit down and rife without his Warrant. This Affembly threw out the Bifhops, and abrogated Epifcopacy without Authority of Parlia ment, tho' the Bishops were always the firft of the Three Eftates of Parliament. A new Oath was invented, called, The Covenant, without the King's Authority; and all Men, Women and Children, that were above Ten Years of Age, forc'd to take it; and fuch as took it not, were Excommunicated, upon which all their Moveables or Chattels were confifcated, and they themselves being declar'd difobedient to the Laws, were forc'd to fly. The King's Negative Voice was declared Illegal, and the Acts made for affifting him in the Year Forty Eight, were declar'd Void and Null, by an unparal

lel'd

lel'd Invafion, the General Affembly, (imitating in this, as in many other Things, the Church of Rome) raised themselves above King and Parliament.

From the Records of the Justice Court, we find that the Eftates made Advocates or Attorney Generals by their own Authority; who profecuted to Death, fuch as defended their own Houfes, by vertue of expreß Commiffion from the King, and fuch as rofe in Arms for his Defence, tho' they had both His Commiffions, and Remiffions, though the Judges that Condemned them, fat by vertue of that very King's Commiffion. They not only borrowed vaft Sums by meer Force, from private Men, whom they never paid, but also they were the first that brought in Free and dry Quarter, Ceß, Excife, and all these Publick Burdens, afterwards fo much. complained of, (when they were continued upon neceffary Exigencies, by lawful Authori ty) we having neither formerly known Oaths, nor Publick Burdens under our gentle Kings, against whom they fo much exclaim'd as Tyrants, becaufe forfooth they kept them from being fuch: All thefe Proceedings were not only condemn'd by the general Opinion of both Proteftants and Papifts Abroad, but ftand yet condemned by exprefs Acts of Parliament, and by many Acts in the like Cafes in Scotland, and England, and fo nothing which can be alledged in Juftification of them, deferves or needs an Answer.

King Charles the Second being restored by almoft the univerfal Confent of all the People, the worst of whom grew weary of their Villanies: The Parliament of Scotland being called, they enquired very seriously into the Occafion of fuch Disorders, and foon found that they were all to be charged upon the Solemn League and Covenant, and thofe who adhered thereto; and therefore they endeavoured to perfwade the Presbyterians to dif own the Covenant, all Favour being promised to them upon that Condition: But finding that the Presbyterians generally thought themselves bound to own the Covenant, the Parliament concluding that the fame Men, owning the fame Principles, would be ready upon Occafion to act over again the fame Things, therefore, they by Vote (which may be called unanimous, seeing only

four

four or five diffented) reftored Epifcopacy, and that fo much the rather, because that Government had in no Age nor Place forced its Way into the State by the Sword, but had still been brought in by the uncontraverted Magiftrate, without ever thrufting it felf in by Violence, and yet the Government did fuftain Epifcopacy as a Part of the State, but never as a Hierarchy wholly independent from it.

The Presbyterian Preachers had all along taught the People, That as their Government was Jure Divino, fo the People might thereby be obliged to defend them and it, under Pain of Eternal Damnation, even when Epifcopacy was Eftablished by Law;) and accordingly fome of the People who retained that Principle, frequented the Conventicles at which these Ministers preach'd: Whereupon the State, fearing that the old Humour might ferment again into a Rebellion, discharged under some small Penalties, any above Five Strangers to meet in a Conventicle, lea ving thereby at once the free Exercise of their Confcience in their Families, and yet fecuring the State against such a total Defection, as might involve us in a new Civil War, which without doubt was all the State defign'd: But to elude these Penalties for House-Conventicles, fome Preachers (amongst whom were fome of thofe who had been formerly banished) gatheredthe People together in the Fields; they bringing Arms with them to fecure their Minifters, came at laft to have fuch an Opinion of their own Strength, that they formed themfelves-into an Army, and were defeated at Pentland Hills, November Anno 1666. Yet within a fhort Time of that, the State Indulged them fo far as to allow them their own Minifters, fettling them in Churches, and allowing them the Enjoyment of the Benefices in many Places. This did not fatisfy thefe People, because the Minifters fo indulged, acknowledged the King and Council's Authority; and they, with fome of their violent Preachers, railed as much against thefe Indulged Minifters, as against the Bishops, and Regular Clergy, and call'd them Council Curates, and feparated from them. The State confidering that by the Laws of all Nations, rifing in Arms is to be accounted Rebellion, and that a Preacher's Prefence could legitimate the

Action

7

Action no more than a Prieft could Tranfubftantiate the Elements; they declared by feveral A&s, Field-Meetings, to be the Rendevou zes of Rebellion: Notwithstanding all which, thefe Diffenters proceeded, as from Houfe to Field-Meetings, fo from Field-Conventicles to publish Proclamations; declaring, That the Covenant was the Original Contract betwixt God,the King and the People; and therefore King Charles the Second having broken it, forfaulted his Crown, and being to be confidered only as a private Subject, and Enemy to God, they had declared a juft War against him, and that it was lawful to kill him, and all who served him; following, as was pretended, the Noble Examples of Phineas and Ehud: And in confequence of this Doctrine, they murdered the Archbishop of St. Andrews, and several others. To defend thefe Murderers an Army was gathered by them, which was beat at Bothwel Bridge, Anno 1679. But yet the King, to reclaim them, granted both an Indemnity and Indulgence, notwithstanding of which, a new Plot was entred into, and it was contrived in a Meeting of the Scots at Lon don, that 20000 Men fhould be raised in Scotland, and that the Garrisons of Berwick and Carlisle, and all the Officers of State fhould be feifed, which was likewife feconded by Monmouth, and Argyle's Rebellion, Anno 1685. Whereupon the Parliament finding, That the preaching up of Rebellion in private Conventicles, had occafion'd all this Danger to King and People, and that nothing could be fecure whilft every thing might be preach'd; they enacted, That the Minifters who preach'd at Conventicles fhould be capitally punished; but by vertue of this Act, no Man was ever punished, much lefs executed.

This being the true Progrefs, and these the Occafions of making thofe Acts, it is admired why the Government is taxed with fo much Cruelty, and the Acts themselves reproached as Diabolical: For First, Thefe against House-Conventicles are the fame with the Laws in England, and lefs fevere than thofe made against Diffenters in Queen Elizabeth's Time, or than those now standing against the Calvinift's in Sweden, or those made, and now executed by the Presbyterians and Independents in New-England; but much more gentle than those our Presbyterians made when they Govern'd.

Vide Cargil and Sanchar's Covenant at the End.

2. Whatever