THE Redshanks SERMON: Preached At Saint Giles Church in Edinburgh, the last Sunday in April, by a Highland Minister.  
Ierem. 30.  
Zion is wounded, and I will heal her, saith the Lord.  
LONDON, Printed for T. Bates.  
1642.   

The Redshanks Sermon.  JEREM. 30. Zion is wounded and I will heal her saith the Lord. 
I Need not trouble you to set forth who is meant by Zion, ye all know well enough that it is the poor Church of Scotland, who is now wounded in her head, in her heart, in her hands, and in her feet.  
In her head by government, in her heart by doctrine, in her hands by discipline, and in her feet by worship.  
First she is wounded in her head, where she hath got such a clash as hath made all her brains clatter again, and almost put her beside her five senses.  
First in her seeing; for she could have seen as well as any Christian Kirk, but now she cannot distinguish between black and white, for bring plain Popery before her and she cannot discern between that and true Religion.  
Secondly, she is wounded in her hearing; she could have distinguished the sound of the gospel and the rigor of the Law, but now since the organs came in, she is grown as deaf as a door nail.  
Thirdly, she could have smelled as well as any other Kirk, but now she hath smelled the whore of Babylon, she is so senseless, as bring the stinking Popish trash under her nose, and it will seem as sweet as a Rose.  
Fourthly, she could have tasted as well as the best, but now she hath so tasted of the Pope's idolatry she cannot relish her former food.  
Lastly, she was so pure and tender as she would not touch any thing which had been corrupted, but now she hath touched some Popish pitch, and how can she but be defiled? the application follows.  
You see how she hath almost lost her senses, and you that are old men have seen her Ministers, going in good old short cloaks, with round black velvet capes, which little cloaks, turned more souls to God then ever the long gowns did.  
You have heard such good Ministers expound the law and apply the gospel in their Pulpits, but now you may hear the proud Prelates rumbling up and down the streets in their Coaches, in their long gowns, and if you would hear them speak, follow them to the council Table and there you shall hear more than you will be content to follow.  
For her smelling, I am sure she smells better than ever she did, for she can smell a bishopric, ten years before it fall; but it may be those that smell best shall never lay their finger's ends on it now.  
The kirk tastes better than ever she did; for in old time she would have been content with a mess of milk and bread and such homely fare; but now they must feed on the finest, and take a lick of the best liquour.  
Lastly, she touches now better than ever she did, for where she would touch nothing formerly but spiritual matters, now she will take upon her to handle the temporal business first, and leave the other till they have leisure.  
I have now showed you that the Kirk is wounded in her head, and decay of her senses, and I will return to show you the rest of her wounds.  
Secondly, she is wounded in her heart, which is by the doctrine of the Kirk through the abundance of Popery and Arminianism, now common in our Kirks and schools.  
The Kirck of Scotland was once a bonny grammar school, and then she was skilled in Regimen & concordantia, and could have made a pretty piece of Latin, for every thing she did was forced dare regulum, and when she offended, was pandere manum, but afterward when she went to the college she either had, or would take more liberty unto her, and then first of all she began her rhetoric, and instead of true and proper speaking, she learned nothing but allegories and hyperboles; then she came to the logic and instead of the true demonstration she learned nothing but Homogenes and syllogisms; afterward she came to the ethics, but she did not much trouble herself with them, but studied the politics where she prospered so well as she turned true religion into state policy, and for the metaphysics ye know their ends, which should be unum utrum & bonum; so true religion must be one true and good religion, ●ut this was too high & honest for them, too hard to learn, wherefore she studied no more the physic but turned true religion into materia prima, and made it capable of any form they pleased to impose upon it.  
So that ye see our kirk is wounded in her heart, by the doctrine of the Kirk and teaching of the schools, which have been such, as I am sure that many of you that hear me at this time have wished a hundred times to have been out of the Kirk, when you heard such paltry stuff as came from them.  
Thirdly, the Kirk is wounded in her hands, which is the discipline of the Kirk, once famous by her reformation, after she ran away from Rome: but hard did they follow her, fain would they have overtaken her, and if they had gotten her they had given her the largest lash, but (God be thanked) she ran too fast for them. But now of late she hath gone a pilgrimage to Rome, where she was taken stealing of some of their trumpery, yet when they knew her mind, and saw it was but only a book of Common prayer, and the Canons of high Commission which they saw made much for their matter, therefore they let her go and flatterred her to follow the order of the Mother kirk in other kingdoms, which she promising to do, than they bound her hands with a silken Cord of canonical obedience to the ordinary, and she took much delight to be bound with so bonny a band, but after they got her fast, they made that silken band a Cablerope, with which they have girded her so hard as she cannot stir, and so they will force us either to a blind obedience, and to accept of such Idolatrous & superstitious Ceremonies on the one side, or else to be all forsworn fellows on the other side, by which means the kirk of Scotland hath been so wounded and bound in her hands as this 20. years by-past the poor kirk of Scotland could not have a meeting of her members in a lawful assembly.  
Now I come to tell you how she is wounded in her feet, that is in the worship of the kirk; the office of the feet is to travel withal, and they have made a very hackney of Religion▪ the Kirke was once a bonny Nag, and so pretty as every man thought it pity to ride her, till at last the Bishops, those rank riding Lowns, got on her back, and then she trotted so hard as they could hardly at the first well, ride her, yet at last they so cross legged her and hopshackled her, that she became a pretty pacing beast, and so easy that they took great pleasure to ride upon her. But now what with their riding her, up and down between Edinburgh and London (and one journey to Rome too they had given her sick a sore heat that we have been this twelve month walking her up and down to keep her from foundering.  
Nay they have not only made a horse but an ass also of the kirk of Scotland▪ yea an ass worse than Balaam wa●; Balaam ye ken was ganging a great way, and the errand ye ken too, to curse where the Lord had blessed, and the angel first met him in a broad way, and the ass bogled and startled, but Balaam beat the ass and got by the angel, and so was our, kirk beaten unreasonably when episcopacy came riding on her ass amongst us.  
Afterwards Balaam met the angel again in a straighter way, and then the ass startled more than before; Balaam beat her again worse than he did before, so was our kirk kicked and very shrewdl●e wounded when the Bishops brought in the 5. Articles of Faith amongst us.  
The third time the angel met Balaam in so strait a way as the ass could not pass by, and Balaam beat the ass again, but the Lord made the ass to speak and reprove him for beating her, and then God opened Balaam's eyes. So the Bishops (being as blind as Balaam) have ridden and beaten our kirk so long, and taken us at such a strait, as we were even ready to be destroyed. But God hath heard our cry, and we pray him also open the eyes of our adversaries who were even as blind as Balaam, and were going as unlucky a way as he; for they were posting to Rome with a poakmanty behind them, and what was in their poakmanty (trow ye?) marry even the book of Common prayer, the book of Cannons, and orders of the High Commission. Now as soon as the ass saw the angel, she falls to flinging and over goes the poakmanty, and it hung on the one side of the ass by one string, and the Bishops hang by the ham on the other side, so as they hang cross the ass (like a pair of paniers) stuffed full of Popish trash and trinkets. Fain would the blind carl have been on the saddle again, but he could not; nay so he might be but set to ride again he would be content to leave his Poakmanty amongst us. But let me exhort ye (Dear Brethren) not to let such a swinger ride any more on your Religion, for if he do he will be sure one time or other to get the poakmanty behind him again.  
They have not only wounded the kirk of Scotland, as I have told you, and made an horse & an ass of it, but they have betrayed it also for a some of money, as Judas did Christ; ye ken, who betrayed our Saviour, not only he that took money to betray him, but also those that were silent in so good a cause, those that accuse him, those adjudged him, and those that forsookehim. And I fear me we have them that betray our Religion in all these ways, as I shall touch anon. But now I will see if I can find out the false Judas that takes money or promotion to betray our Religion. And I must now tell you a metaphorical tale, I dare not say it is true, but you shall have it as I had it.  
When I was a little lad at school, there was a young hopeful Theologue and expectant who is now another manner of man (not such another in the land,) And he being to preach of those words of Judas, Quid mihi dabit is &c. what will you give me and I will deliver him into your hands? The young man loved his Text so well, as he told over and over again, both in Latin and Scottish; There was a good old man sitting near him and hearing him still upon that Text, thought to give him his answer; and so standing up and looking upon him the next time that he said what will ye give me and I will deliver him unto you? the old man answered, marry thou shalt have a good fat bishopric; and then I am sure thou wilt betray him indeed. Now ye may find out by this who hath betrayed the kirk of Scotland.  
My Brethren the comparison between Christ and our kirk holds well together, and their troubles have been in some things alike: for Christ is the head the kirk is the body; ye ken our saviour when he entered first into the ministry he was carried by Satan (God save us) into the wilderness, where he was tempted forty long days of a m●ckle devil, in which time he endured many temptations, but as soon as he began to work his miracles, than he was carried into Jerusalem with great triumph, where there was nothing but Hosanna in their mouths, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: the next news ye hear of him they came with halberds, and feathered staves, and troops of soldiers, from the high Priest to apprehend him.  
So the kirk of Scotland for almost 40. years by-past hath sat desolate in the wilderness, by you contemned and rejected of all, and endured many temptations, and now in the end having overcome them, she is riding to Jerusalem in Triumph. For now there is nothing in all men's months but Hosanna, crying, blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.  
But in the last place ye remember when Christ was betrayed, how they came to betray him; therefore take heed when they come with swords, and staves, and bands, of men from the high Priests against you, that you do not with Peter deny your Master and your Religion, and like the rest of the Apostles show a fair pair of heels, and forsake him.  
Now poor fools ye have all seen your Church wounded, where she lies a woeful spectacle, but what shall we do for to heal her? marry pray unto the Lord who hath promised to heal his wounded Zion and we must put to our helping hands also; for such as put their hands to the Plough (as ye have done) and turn back again, are not fit for the kingdom of heaven.  
After his Sermon was ended, his prayer said, and a psalm sung, he stood up to give the blessing: but first said thus, I know it is not the custom in this place to say any thing after Sermon, yet because I had much to say, and one thing drove another out of my, head therefore I must crave leave to add a word or two by way of exhortation.  
First I will speak to such Noble men as have not subscribed the Covenant, to know their reason, ye will say ye are Noli me tangere, howsoever I will give you a touch, and it may be ye will answer, ye must go in a Parliamentary way, the meanest first, and the best last: ye would be angry if ye were told the poor must enter heaven before you. You have a fashion here in the Southern parts of Scotland, that when ye come to the ford of a River, the poor Post man must first venture over upon his little Nag, to see whether it be deep or no, and then the Laird comes mounted on his gay steed and he passes over. This is no good fashion where ever you had it, we that are Highlanders have a better than that ourselves; we usually go on foot, and when we come to a ford we are loath to lose a man, therefore we join arm in arm, and hand in hand, and all go in together, so that the strong suports the weak, and drown one drown all, so put your hand to the Covenant and either live or die with the rest.  
In the second place ye that are of the college of justice ye excuse your subscribing because ye are employed by his majesty and so cannot stand with your honours to do it: heers a brave reason but a bad example; for so may the very meanest man in the kingdom that gathers up, but 20. s. per annum, for the King, have such a hole to go out at, well there is but one man betwixt God and you, get by him and go to God.  
In the third place I must speak to you that are of this City council, although I see that there are four of your chiefest chairs empty: you excuse yourselves because you are in office, and when ye are out you will Subscribe: heers a brave reason indeed; now ye ought to be ringleaders to the rest in this city, as in all other affairs; who dares subscribe in the City till ye have done it. And if God get his work done ere that time, where be your thanks? Let our chief Register look over his books and see if ever the town of Edinburgh suffered for joining with the kirk of Scotland.  
Lastly I must speak a word to you that are Strangers: then turning himself to the Provost, Baylives, and Doctors of Aberden who sat in a gallery by themselves he said, it may be that ye do not subscribe the Covenant, because when ye came hither on your civil affairs, you promised not to subscribe it, remember your own proverb in buying and selling (an Aberden man may recant his first bargain if he please) therefore let me advise you to play Aberden men's parts, and take your word again, and go home and drink a Cup of Bon-accord, and join with the kirk of Scotland, and subscribe the Covenant.  
FINIS.