THE Address And Petition OF M R GEORGE SETON The Delegate of the Jurant Episcopal Clergy in the North, with some Reflection on the same, By a Person qualified according to Law, and sincerely we'll affected to this Church.  
Unto His Grace John Earl of Tullibardine, His Majesty's High Commissioner.  
The Humble Address and Petition of Mr. George Seton, Minister of the Gospel for himself, and in Name of his Brethreen and Constituents qualified according to Law, and well affected to this Church.  
THE Thoughts of those Desolations and Divisions, with which this poor Church is harassed, are very grievous to Us, and to all Good Men; Because thereby the common Enemies of our Religion, and of Europe's Peace, have their Mouths opened to Blaspheme. Many Thousands of Souls are become as Sheep without a Shepherd, Atheism and Irreligion lift up their heads; The Floodgates of Wickedness are set wide open, and a deludge of Sin menaces Ruin to a wretched Nation; a Ferment of dangerous and discontented Humours grows a pace, and a Fire kindled in our Bowels, is like to Consume us, and the Noise and Billows of our Contentions swell so high, that the calm Voice of Charity cannot be heard, and the sounding of her Bowels seems to be gone, and angry Zeal, to have usurped the place of that Wisdom which is from Above; That Wisdom whose endearing Character it is, to be Pure and Peaceable, Gentle and Easy to be Entreated  
Yet amidst all the Pressures that deject our Minds, We count ourselves Happy in this, That we have a King, whom GOD hath Eminently Blessed, with Pity to Compassionate, and Wisdom to heal our Maladies; And that as a signal Instance of his Religious Care to put an end to our Lamentable Confusions, He hath well and wisely Chosen Your Grace to Represent His own Person and Authority, in this Current Session of Parliament  
The Evils we bewail and complain of, The Animosities and Heats which divide Us Churchmen, and the Jars which form Parties and contending Factions in this Kingdom, are not to be composed by the Authority of Public Sanctions, or the imperious Language of Armed Force, or the Rude Clamours of the unskilful Multitude, or the perplexing debates of the most Learned Disputants. These have been often weighed in the Balance of Experience, and all of them found light and unsufficient Remedies; Charity alone can heal our Breaches.  
Were Pride and Malice, and Self-love expelled from our Breasts to make room for the Benign Inspirations of that Heavenly Grace, which thinketh no Evil, which though it suffer long, yet is still kind and Complaisant, which becometh all things to all Men, that by all means it may gain some, and which shall not fail to Flourish and Triumph, when there shall be no use either for Faith or Hope: Did we hearken to its soft Whispers, were our Opinions and our Conduct regulated by its Charming Influences, This disconsolated Church should put on a Gladsome Countenance, we should have Beauty for Ashes, and the Oil of Joy for Mourning, and the Garment of Praise in stead of that Spirit of Heaviness and Reproach, which now sits fast to us. Such Peace on Earth and good will amongst us Fellow Christians, and Fellow Protestants, would excite to new Anthems, those kind and Blessed Ministers of Heaven's Court, who rejoice at the Conversion, though but of one Sinner.  
Then (and not till then) may we hope that Satan shall fall as Lightning before our feet, that Atheism and Profanity, and irreligious Boldness shall not dare to show their Faces, but that the Gospel shall run prosperously, and be Glorified.  
Whereas, whilst we stand fight for little Matters, whilst we place the Sum of Religion in those things, which do not at all concern its Substance, whilst (Procrustes like) we will agree with none, but such as are commensurat to the Bed of our own Opinions, whilst we pay no regard to the Doctor of the Gentiles, his most Christian Exhortation, whereunto we have attainned, let us be of the same mind, whilst so much shrewdness of disposition Reigns in us, let us Preach and Pray our very Bowels out, let us dress the Threaten of the Law, with the most frightful Rhetroick, let our Pulpits be surrounded with Flame and Terror, let us Thunder against Rebellious Siners, all the Curses that were once pronounced on Mount Ebal, or let us study to allure out Hearers unto Obedience, with the most liberal Promises of the Gospel: All the Charms and Powers of our most commending Eloquence, will be damped and foiled by the Blemishes of our own Lives, by the rugged and unchristian temper, by the Malice and Vain Glory, the Pride and partiality, the Bigotry and Self-Love, to which people cannot but descry that we are Slaves and Votaries.  
Your Grace has already by His Sacred majesty's Order recommended in open Parliament, Charity and Moderation, and the ending of unkindly and unseasonable Controversies amongst us Churchmen, and we have much Encouragement to believe, That Your Grace has therein acted a part most suitable to the Attractive Mildness of Your own Pious and Peaceable Temper.  
By the same Royal Order, Your Grace has owned a Power and special Commission, to pass such Acts as may tend effectually to curb all kinds of Vice and Profanity; And with Joy, we behold in Your Grace's Person and Conversation, a Noble Pattern of Solid Virtue, a Compassionate Goodness, an unaffected Air of Humility, a Generous Candour, an  Mind, and a warm Zeal to do some signal Service both to King and Country, in the High Character You are now Clothed with.  
When the Almighty Ruler of the World, the Infinitely Wise and Just Disposer of all Events, thus Graciously Calls on us, and excites us to show ourselves good Men, and good Ministers, by the Light and Authority of so great Examples, by Duty we own to GOD, and to our own Souls, by the Dishonour Religion suffers, through our Scandalous and Uncharitable Strifes, by the Desolations of an once flourishing Church, by the awful sense we ought to have of these Spiritual Dangers, to which weak Christians are Exposed, whilst they see us ready to by't and devour one another, and by many other concurring circumstances, if passion and prejudice keep such an Ascendent over us, as that the ways of peace be still hid from our Eyes, and we will not hearken to sober Counsels, GOD cannot but be highly displeased with us, Shame and Gild, and the fears of a future Reckoning must at once Confound us, the present Age will Condemn our obdurate Stiffness, and after Generations will Curse our reproachful Memories.  May it please Your Grace to appoint a Conference betwixt an equal Number of us, and our Presbyterian Brethereen; And as we have always hitherto showed ourselves Lovers of Peace and Union, upon Terms that in Conscience we could agree to, so we hope it shall further appear, that others and not we are to be blamed, if a  Period be not put to those Schisms, which distract and divide this Church. 
IF Mr. Seton had not in the Title told us that he was a Minister of the Gospel, the gaudy Affectation and Froth in the Style and Dress of his Paper, would never have given any Wise and Good Man ground to imagine it, the same looking more like the Stage and Romance, than the Form of sound Words. which should discover a Divine: How much soever he may fancy the Doctor of the Gentiles to favour his Design, I am sure Paul, called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ, his Speech was not with inticeing Words of man's Wisdom.  
If we look to the Narrative of his Petition, one might expect that we had got a Person so fully in Love with Charity, which he says, alone can heal our Breaches, as that he had a good share thereof himself, and that while others did not regard its calm voice, yet he himself would hearken to its soft whispers, but if you look to the import and Insinuations thereof, without any breach of the Apostle Paul's Charity, we will find neither Wisdom, Truth nor Charity, He may have something of Jacob's Voice, but Esau's Hands; for these wordy Complaints of the want of Charity, either have a meaning and hint at Persons and Things which are real, or else all is only a flourish of his Pen, to let the World see how passionately he would complain of the want of Charity, if she were a Stranger in the World, and if he have no other design than this last, neither Wisdom, Truth nor Charity do appear.  
But I have the charity to him, to believe his Complaints have a meaning, and that he thinks some People or other are so uncharitable, as that he hath sufficient Ground to open the Floodgates of his Rhetoric against them, who they are he intends to wound, though he gives us an account, under the Envelop of such general Words, as when he shall have occasion for the same, may charitably extend themselves to bring in others under the Character, than such he doth really design, thereby to furnish himself a Back door; yet it's very sure the present Government both in State and Church, and those entrusted with the same, are the Objects of his Complaint. You may indeed think him sometimes pretty square in taking in himself, and these he doth represent, while he wishes Pride, Malice, and Self love expelled from our breasts. And you would think him very self-convict of many grievous things, while he says, that People cannot but descry that we are slaves and votaries to a rugged and unchristian Temper, to Malice and Vainglory, to pride and Partiality, to Bigotry and Self-love; but this is only the Gentleman's Complaisance, you must not with an angry Zeal, be so uncharitable to think him, and his Constituents so full of Pride and Partiality, for the Title (that they are qualified according to Law, and well affected to this Church) and the Epilogue, as we have always hitherto showed ourselves lovers of Peace and Union, upon Terms that in Conscience we can agree to (and Charity will seek no other) so we hope it shall further appear, that others, and not We are to be blamed, if a  period be not put to these Schisms, doth hold forth the Innocence of the Gentlemen, so neither he, nor any of his gang are the men; nor ought these of the late Episcopal Clergy, who are turned out for their disloyalty by the State, and censured for their Immoralities by the Church, be thought to be the Authors of these things he complains of, for it's their removal which makes the desolation of an once flourishing Church: In a word the men who have made these desolations▪ by turning out his old Brethren, are these whom he would reach, and since King William came to the Throne, and presbytery got up, there has been nothing but barassing this poor Church with Desolations and Divisions, and because Presbyterians have caused all this Ruin on the Church, therefore so peaceable a man as Mr. Seton may expect, that at least they will allow a Conference, seeing he calls them his Brethren, but yet such Brethren as he desires no more of them than an equal number at most:  
Now, that Mr. Seton should have in this Petition so loaded the Government, in Church and State, is as far from that Charity and Wisdom which he so recommends, as it is from that Truth, which the Character of a Minister should in a peculiar manner mind him of, is it Charity, by calumnious Insinuations, to wound a Church he pretends to be wellaffected unto, and to traduce those Ministers whom he calls Brethren, by representing them to be the Authors and Fomenters of Division and Schisms, and that publicly, not only by a Petition to His Majesty's High Commissioner, but printing the same to the World, when neither Mr. Seton, nor any of his Constituents, since they were qualified according to Law, did ever apply to any of the Judicatories of this Church, or to any Minister thereof, either to be United themselves unto the Church, and received into the Government, to which they are now Schismatic, or yet so much as to confer with any Presbyterian Minister, upon any terms of Union, or to do, or offer any thing which might tend, either to the propagating of the Gospel, curbing of Profanity, or more full settling of the Church. Doth not the tendency of this Petition give ground to believe, that the Presbyterian Ministers are so implacable, that they would not all this time confer with those Episcopal Brethren, and that on the other hand, these charitable and peaceable Episcopal Brethren were following all Methods of Peace, when he says, We have always showed ourselves lovers of Peace and Union, I am sure no Stranger will read this Address, but must conclude (if all he says be good Coin) that the Presbyterians have been disturbers of the peace of the Church, and that all the Atheism, Profanity. Ignorance and Irreligion, which doth lamentably abound, is to be laid at their door. But though he could make this heavy Charge good, which he will never be able to do, yet where is this Charity in him, towards these his Presbyterian Brethren, to insinuat such shrewd things of them, without ever complaining to themselves, without ever (with the calm Voice of Charity) bespeaking and entreating to lay afide their angry Zeal: How frequent soever Charity be in his Words, I think I do him Justice, when I say there is no true Charity in all his Paper, and that there is more of calumnious, censoriousness, and shrewdness of disposition discovered by him, in the strain of his Discourse, than there hath of angry Zeal been seen in the present Judicatories of the Church, against Mr. Seton and his Constituants.  
But to come more closely to Mr. Seton, How will he vindicate himself, and his Party, from being the Authors and Fomenters of the Divisions of the Church, and also uncharitable and unjust Calumniators of the State; when the World knows, that Our Pious and Wise King, and the present Parliament, to put an end to all that Persecution, Bloodshed, Barbarity, Profanity, Atheism and Irreligion, which did so much abound in the late Reigns, and was chief occasioned by the late Bishops and their Accomplices, and to stop these Floodgates of Wickedness, which were set open and to prevent that deludge of sin, which menaced Ruin to a then wretched Nation, did therefore send these Bishops and their Government a packing, and did settle the Church on its ancient Foundation; it having been often weighed in the Balance of Experience, that where the present Church Government hath been justly and duly Exerced, Saton hath fallen as Lightning. Atheism and profanity have not dared to show their faces.  
It's likeways undeniably true, That neither our King, Parliament, nor Church, did let angry Zeal so usurp the place of Wisdom, as to find all those who had complied with, and submitted unto Prelacy, equally guilty with their Ring-leading Bishops; and therefore they not only did not spew them out with them, but to deserve the Character of Wisdom, were so gentle and easy to be entreated, as both to continue them in their Charges, and give them Opportunities and Invitations to be united unto, and sharers in the Government of the Church; and it might have been expected, that when both State and Church has fixed and accorded on these terms of Communion and Union, that either so peaceable, charitable, and condescending Men, as Mr. Seton and his Brethren would have come in to the Church on these Terms, or at least been quiet without complaining.  
Many in the World, and even the greatest (and I am sure the best) Bishops in England thought these Terms settled by the King, Parliament and Assembly, so Christian, just, rational and condescending on the Government and Church's part, as might have satisfied all true Lovers of Peace and Religion, and such as conscientious Men might accept of and thereby in some measure put an end to the Divisions of the Church: yet peaceable Mr. Seton and his Constituents, will not only despise and neglect these Means of the Church's peace, but will still complain that others kindle and keep up the Fire.  
But farther our King did with Pity compassionate, those whom his Wisdom could not heal of their Maladies, and found out a way how these who had neglected to render themselves useful to the Church should not be altogether Ruined themselves, unless they did it with their own hands, and therefore makeeth a Charitable offer unto them, that who ever like Mr. Seton, and his Constituents would own the Government of the state should enjoy in the Church the Charges they possessed, though they did neglect to capacitate themselves to be sharers in the Government of the same.  
The Church Judicatories likewise have exerced that temper in their procedures, as to give many demonstrations of a readiness in them, to have as many of these who had submitted to Prelacy keeped useful as they could find to be Men of Probity, Sincerity and Worth; and after all this for Mr. Seton to raise this Clamour and Dust, argueth neither Charity nor Probity.  
I will not call it Irreligious Boldness, but Impudent and Imprudent It is for Mr. Seton to make this Clutter, who himself was personally desired and invited to unite with the Church by the Committee of the General Assembly for the North, anno 1694. and both refused these Terms, which the Law, and the Church required, and entered and combined with others in that Illegal Protestation against and Declinature of the Authority of that Judicatory, settled by the Law and Authority of that same King, whom he would make us believe he thinks himself happy in having, and which Protestation Mr. Seton knoweth was by the same Parliament, after a full hearing, found to be seditious, unpeaceable and illegal; and for which, some of Mr. Seton's fellow Protestators were justly censured by it. And for Mr. Seton, conscious of his own guilt, to address his Majesty's High Commissioner this same Parliament sitting, in such a strain as doth reflect upon both Church and State, Is such a piece of Charity and Wisdom, as some desire not to imitate.  
But what is the Conclusion Mr. Seton draweth, after he hath given the Government and Church so many indirect Thrusts, he humbly desires his Grace, to appoint a Conference betwixt an equal number of us and our Presbyterian Brethreen. Now any man would think the honest man is indeed in earnest for a Conference, and for what end, even to put a  Period to these Schisms, which distract and divide this Church: and no doubt, he is for the immediate ending of unkindly, and unseasonable Controversies amongst Us Church men, and His Grace to be the Umpire.  
If I had not heard of a Protestation drawn, and ready to be presented in March 1691, to the Commission of the Church, which was to have met at Aberdeen at that time, (had it not been impeded by some charitable and peaceable Men) wherein they declare that their Consciences scrupled to own Presbyterian Government, and particularly Lay-elders, as they are pleased to call them, and that Mr. Seton, and some of his Constituents were of that Number, and that he, and the same gang, did solemnly Address the General Assembly in January 1692, and then acknowledge that Assembly, consisting of the same Presbyterian Ministers and Lay-elders, to be a lawful Assembly, and lawful Government, and offered to join and concur therewith as such▪ without any scruple of Conscience; and that constant and conscientious Mr. Seton, was with the rump of his Party, one of fourteen who delivered in the same Protestation, drawn 1691, to the Commit of the General Assembly for the North at Aberdeen, in anno 1694, as if it had been fresh and new, wherein, Mr. Seton and the rest have the old scruples at the Government, and cannot in Conscience comply with their 1692 years' Consciences: If I had not had the misfortune to have heard these things of him, and such an uncharitable Memory as to remember them, I might have been more ready to believe Mr. Seton in earnest. Before I harken to the soft Whispers of Charity towards him, and be convinced of his sincerity, it will be necessary to satisfy my Reason of these doubts; I doubt he designs a Conference, thereby to put a Period to these Schisms in the Church; when he knoweth very well, that none of the Presbyterian Brethreen can confer with him in name of the Church, and as thereto authorized by the Government thereof: He is not ignorant that a General Assembly only can delegate such a Power, as to confer in the Name of the Church; and to confer as private Persons will never end the Controversies, so I demur that his design is any Conference at all: and how discreet hath he been to his Grace, let the World judge, for if these Conferrees are to confer with a public Character, he desires of his Grace a thing impossible for him to grant, and therefore impertinent to be sought. If there be only two or three Presbyterian Brethren desired to discourse of Church-affairs, as private Persons, with Mr. Seton and his equal number, His Grace's being taken up with the weighty Affairs of the King and Parliament, might have pleaded with Mr. Seton, not to give him the trouble to do that which would at all time be an unsuitably mean employ for him, and which might with more ease and charity on Mr. Seton's part been sought of his Presbyterian Brethreen, who, had he asked the same of them, would not have refused him; none of them yet have, and I am confident of many of them at least, never shall: But Mr. Seton, it may be doth think, he and his Constituents will have greater Advantage, by making a braving offer of a Conference, which he concludeth will not be granted him, by the thing itself. It's somewhere else than either with his Grace, or the Honourable Estates of Parliament, that he expects his Petition will have charming Influences; he hopes the Charms and Powers of his most commanding Eloquence will take, where a just and true Representation of the Practices and temper of his Party, will not be so diligently communicate, and ushered in with such Pomp and Fast of Words.  
I doubt Mr. Seton's design, when he so unequally demands a Conference betwixt an equal number of us and our Presbyterian Brethreen, seeing the Government of the Church is settled in the Hands of Presbyterian Brethreen by Law, and they in a fixed Possession of the same, and acting therein with that success, as is the envy of Mr. Seton, and his Constituents; and such as with the blessing of God, will in a small time fill these Vacancies, which the disloyalty and profanity of these who were Mr. Seton's old Friends and Allays have made in his Country, with men, I hope of another stamp- Mr. Seton knoweth, the Parliament as well as the Church, hath laid down another way of Application, than the demand of a Conference of an equal number, as if his gang and the Church were on equal Terms; But he hath in some measure gained his Point, if he make some in another Country believe that the Episcopal Party are still so considerable in Scotland, as that notwithstanding the Government of the Church, hath for several years been settled in the hands of Presbyterians, and been countenanced and cherished by the State, yet they think it their due (due to their greater numbers, better cause and most commanding Eloquence) to demand of a High Commissioner (and in the view of a Parliament, who have so much Favoured presbytery) such a Conference; He knoweth that in this Country it will not take, The Parliament and Church have determined concerning the goodness of his cause, and he speaks sad truth, when he says, their commanaing Eloquence will be damped and foiled by the Blemishes of their own lives; and when the Numbers of his Constituents shall be enquired into, he cannot let see so many Duzons of them qualified according to Law, even with the Civil part of Qualifications, as there are Hundreds of his Presbyterian Brethereen; And some of his Constituents lying under the just Censures of the Church, whom after they had not the confidence to defend themselves at the Bar, he now brings in as his Brethreen to confer as recti in curia.  
I will not allege that some others of his Constituents are persons, who do like ways well deserve the highest Censures of the Church, but some of these few of his Brethereen, who go under that Character of being Qualified according to Law stood accused of the grossest 〈◊〉, of Drunkenness, Swearing and Uncleanness, before a Judicatory of this Church, which their tender Consciences thought it not fit to appear , eand own as a Judicatory, and there appeared little difficulty to prove the same; And if Mr. Seton have not these Men to make up his Constituents, he hath but a very small Number.  
I doubt still that a Conference is really designed, because if it be, something than must be proposed by Mr. Seton to put a  period to these Schisms: Now it's easier for Mr. Seton to soar in the Clouds and keep in the Generals, then come to particulars; It seems that the Wisdom and Compassion of our King and Parliament, hath not yet found out the true Remedies to heal our Wounds, Mr. Seton hath not confidence, that the Authority of public sanctions will be effectual, though I am of the opinion that a just and Charitable Execution of them would mightily contribute to our Peace, you'll find the Parliament must alter their Terms, and yet that would not do to satisfy Mr. Seton and his Men, but this I dare say would effectually quiet and excite him to new Anthems the change of the present Government; the Re-establishing of Bishops and all the old Clergy would recover an once Flourishing Church from its Desolations, than a a pure and peaceable, gentle and easy Government would possess the Throne: but as yet the King and Parliament seem not thereto inclined, Mr. Seton must propose some other thing.  
What if peaceble Mr. Seton desire to put a period to the Schisms by this means. That every Man and every Minister might have the Liberty to follow their own Inclination, and these who desired Bishops and Episcopal Clergy might not be deprived of so great a Blessing, and Mr. Seaton would be so Charitable (at least for this Session of Parliament) as to allow some Angry zealous Bigots a gentle touch of Presbytry, providing it offended no body, and then when every body got their will all would be pleased; But I am of the opinion, more peace, then that would produce, may be had at an easier rate.  
In short, So many difficulties arise in any particular Grounds for a Conference, and Mr. Seton will be in such a straight to get his Charity to his own Constituents on the one hand, so largely extended as to secure them, be their Immoralities what they will from the cloutches of angry Zeal, and his Complaisance on the other hand is such, as not directly to spit in the face of Authority, Civil and Eclesiastick, though he be ready enough to spurn at them with his Heels, that I believe, if you'll let the peaceable man alone, he will not much press a Conference; he hath made the offer, printed his Petition, sent it up last Post to London, he hath waited as long as he thought fit, and the care of the Church will call him home.  
But before he go, I would let him and his gang see, that all Presbyterians are not so full of angry Zeal, as not in some measure to be Easie and Gentle, and therefore I would charitably advise him and his Friends to lay aside their Illegal as well as Unchristian combinations to Re-establish Episcopacy in Scotland, which Tyranny now called Jacobitism and Profanity will always attend. Let them by their practices and temper show some of that Charity and Peaceableness his words pretend to, let them strive and endeavour in Preaching of the Gospel to come to their Flock, in the demonstration of the Spirit and of Power, rather than with the Charms and Powers of most commanding Eloquence; let a Gospel-adorning conversation manifest that there is some thing of the Life of Religion amongst them; and for my part they shall be dear to me, and honoured by me, though they should never come to be of the same judgement, as to the Government of the Church: And if any of them by the Grace of God working in their Hearts manifest such a Disposition, (what ever their former Actions and Opinions have been) and desire to be sharers of the Government of the Church, thereby only designing to be in a better capacity to propagate the Gospel, destroy Atheism, kerb Profanity, Banish Irreligion, and heal the Wounds of this Church, if they then be not welcomed by Church-Judicatories, it will be time for them to complain of the want of Charity, But if after all the Experiences both Mr. Seton and his Constituents, and his Presbyterian Brethereen have got, that the present Church Government hath made the most vigorous opposition to Atheism & Profanity, been the most faithful Asserters of the Truth, and strongest Bulwarks against Popery, Socinianism, Arminianism and all other Errors, and is founded on the most lasting 〈…〉 of Union and Peace. Men will 〈◊〉 refuse to embrace these just and reasonable Terms, settled by the State and Church, and oppose this poor Churches wrestling out of the Ashes, to which Religions Enemies had reduced Her, and delay Her Triumphing over all the Works of Darkness, I appeal to God the Searcher of all Hearts, to Angels and Men, to our Gracious King, to His Grace His high Commissioner, to the Estates of Parliament, and to the Consciences of our Enemies, if the Presbyterian Ministers, and the Church-Judicatories aught in Charity to bear the Burden of the Blame.