A LETTER FROM THE WEST To a MEMBER of the Meeting of ESTATES of SCOTLAND.   

SIR,  
SInce I cannot be so soon at the Convention, to talk with you, therefore I have sent you my Thoughts, in this line, as to what Regards the Government of the Church, which may be there, or thereafter handled.  
The Convention no doubt has great business before them, but that which in all probability will make no small buzle, is the Affair of Religion; It were certainly a thing very much to be wished, if that Meeting could fall upon such Methods, as might adjust taffeta and Episcopacy, who these hundred years by-gone, have been justling each Other by Turns.  
You will doubtless accord with me, that it had been happy for this Kingdom, if the Reformation here had not been big at one and the same time with these Twains, the strife of whose primogeniture has cost us so dear; Whence, I pray, all our intestine wars, Jars domestic, Do not they all flow from thence? And who shall free us of the like Animosities in time coming? If former Episcopacy get footing, shall we not see the great inconveniencies of congee d'elires, and the looseness of the Clergy arising from thence? And shall we not be again straitned by these Oaths, which were purposely set on foot to propogat that interest?  
And if taffeta in its old Extent rule the roast, shall We not be Disciplined even to cruelty, and whipped with scorpions? And then must we not renew the Covenant, and vomit up all Oaths contrare thereunto? Tho I believe, that both Covenant and Test were formed by Church Men, to ruin each other by Turns, and were Tricks of Kirk and Church? Yet many of both persuasions have taken them honestly, and their Consciences would fly in their Faces if they should unsay them. Who shall then secure us, I say, if taffeta get up, but We must foreswear the Test, which tho we took with some scruple, as We ought to do all such Oaths, yet, quia jura●um●est, and that we were called thereto by our Employments, we cannot do it without great Reluctancy, I shall not word it otherwise.  
I say yet farther, if presbytery be planted, we cannot be allowed to join with that society, except we come up their length, and perfection ourselves up to the Geneva form; And tho they may now pretend Moderation, that they may get their finger in the p●e; Yet we are not ignorant of their known maxim, Not a Hoof; For by the Nature of that Government, ye must take All, or None. For taffeta( as they say) being Jure Divino, it is so in its all and every part, for he is blind that ever saw much of their Brotherly condescension to serupulous consciences: And how can it be otherwise, since it is avouched by most of them as a principle, That there ought to be no Liberty of Conscience to Dissenters; Viz. when themselves are upmost.  
We can no where understand the Spirit of Our Scots taffeta, so well as in these printed Acts of their General Assembly, and if you will be pleased to turn them over, you will find that by Act Gen: Assemb: Anno 1643: page. 5: It is Ordained, That all Ministers thereafter proceed with the Censures of the Kirk against such as shall refuse to subscribe the Covenant. And we are not to learn what they mean by these Censures, nothing less than the Dreadful sentence of Ercommunication, The delivering of Men over to the Meikle Devil. And Metamorphosing them in loops Earrous and Shelly Coats. And they must be rendered poor Devils to the boot; For itis resolved Act Gen. Assembly, Anno 1643. page. 30. That the Executions of the sentence of Excommunication against persons Excommunicate after the space of 40 dayes past, shall be presented to the Lord Theasurer, or his Clerk, who shall thereupon raise Letters by Deliverance of the Lords of Session, to charge the persons excommunicate to satisfy the Kirk, and to obtain themselves absolved, under the pain of Rebellion, and in case they pass to the Horn, to cause their Escheats to be taken up, and also to raise and cause Execute Letters of Caption against them, and these to be done at the Kings Majesties Charge. Item, Act Gen: Assemb: Anno 1648: page. 44. It is Ordained, That all Young Students take the Covenant at their first entry to colleges, And that hereafter, all persons whatsoever take the Covenant at their first receiving of the Sacrament of the LORD, Supper.  
I am not to inquire into the Dukes Engagement( which by the Undertakers then, was thought both Noble and necessar) But I am to tell you, the Assemblies se●se of it, for they say, Act Gen. Assemb: Anno 1648: page. 16: Suppose( say they) the ends of this Engagement to be good( which they are not) yet the means and ways of prosecution are unlawful, because there is not an equal av●iding of Rocks on both hands, but a joining of Malignants to suppress Sectaries, a joining hands with a Black Devil, to beat a white Devil; so far the Canon. It was questioned( and perhaps not impertinently) by the Committe of Estates at that time: If the presbyterians could Demonstrate from the Word of GOD, That the Kirk has interest in the Undertakings and Engagements of War? It was answered, By a Distinguò, as you will find Act Gen. Assemb: Anno 1684: page. 28: But I appeal to any indifferent Man who shall consider the place, if there be not a door opened( allowing the practise to be lawful) notwithstanding of the Distinction to the Successors of that Kirk, to intermeddle with the Affairs of Princes, in what concerns Peace and War.  
Perhaps it has not been amiss, that these parcels of the Acts of their General Assembly have been drawn forth, for it is from that Fountain, we may best understand the Spirit of our presbytery. And since these Presbyterian Divines who composed these Acts, did endeavour to follow at as great nearness as they could, the Foots●eeps of their Predecessors, as you will find, by the pains they take in the beginning of their Acts, to prove that the written Registers that they had fallen upon were authentic. It's not likely that the Presbyters of our time, if such shall get footing, will chalk out new ways to themselves, there being but few Hendersons, Gillespies, Rutherfoords among us God forbid that I should not otherways have great Charity for the Men, and likeways Respect for that Government as practised in other places, but there is this Malbeur that follows that Government with us, that the managers thereof drive too hard, and think they cannot build aright, except they build upon the ruins of all those that shall but in the least differ from them.  
Yet let us suppose, we shall not in their wiser times, run the resque of Excommunication for not coming up their length, yet except we be purged from all Oaths contrair to the Covenant, we cannot be allowed to be Members of their Society, and where then shall we have the benefit of Communion, Baptism, Marriage? &c. there being we suppose no other then the Presbyterian Kirk in being in Scotland.  
To shun then these Precipies, were it not more proper for us to examine, whether or not the Plea for Presbyterian Government as we practise it, be all of an Absolute necessity, so that we cannot win over it? or whether or not, there may be as much said for moderat episcopacy? call it( if you please) contingency or Presidency; I am very unfit to dip in that long debate, there is so much said for both sides in King Charles the I. His conference with the Ministers at Newport; and with that exactness. that hardly can any thing be added thereto, and it will appear thereby to any Indifferent man, that there is as much said there( at the least) for Episcopacy as presbytery, and Episcopacy has clearly the Church History upon its side; and as to the Authorities adduced from Scripture in favours of Presbytery, I appeal to any dissinteressed Man, if they will all of them amount to prove a positive establishment of Presbytery? But only that there were several Acts which had reference to the Church, wherein the Presbytery and people Respective had a hand, but it must still be remembered that the Apostles did at the same time Superintend. And since now we cannot have Apostles, it were much to be wished, that we had apostolic Men, Pious, Grave, and Learned Divines, gathered outof both persuasions set over the rest, whereby by 〈◇〉 ●●●●ick Power which arises from the abuse of Episcopacy, 〈…〉 ●●fusion that arises from Parity, might be equally 〈…〉, and that a Br●therly condescension, may be allowed to ●ose that have not agreed, nor cannot agree with the rest 〈◇〉 ●ll things, since we have but 〈◇〉 Faith, one Baptism, & c. ●●nd that it shall be altogether put out of the ●ower o● Church men to infer Oaths new or ole, or to set the State 〈◇〉 it.  
March 9. 1689. I am SIR, Your Humble Servant,