An ANSWER, To Dr. Jaques Vindication, AGAINST Master KIRKWOODS' Defamation.  
WERE it not on the Consideration, that this most Invective, False, and lying Paper has gone through the hands of many Hundreds of People, who, 'tis like, never once saw, 〈◊〉 read the account given by Mr. Kirkwood of his Plea with the Kirk-●ession, and Presbitry of Kelso, it might be thought altogether needless to make any Answer thereto; For in effect, 'tis so far from being 〈◊〉 Vindication of the alleged Defamation, that it is not only a downright Confirmation, but a clear Commentary on, and an Enlargement of the whole affair.  
Know therefore, that all Mr. Kirkwood says, (Page: 38) upon ●is head is, that Mr. Jaque did let go one Mistress _____ Stone, an ●nglish Woman, who brought forth a child in his House, and that, 〈◊〉 the common report went, to his own Son, without bringing her ●●fore any Judicature, Ecclesiastical, or Civil.  
Now all this, and much more the Dr. confesses, giving, as he says Faithful and plain account of the whole affair; The sum where●●● is, that this Mrs. Stone, a rich Merchant's Daughter in London, ●●●ing acquaint with on Vanderkistee a Dutchman, is married to him wihthout her Parent's Knowledge; Which thing she letting fall to the 〈◊〉 and his Wife, who was her near Kinswoman, they contrary to 〈◊〉 inclination, inform her Parents. After inquiry made by them out Vanderkistee's Circumstances, 'twas found he Cohabited with other Woman, who was reputed his Wife, and by whom he had ●●●eral Children then Living. Whereupon the Parents resolves to ●●rsue for a Divorce. In the mean time the Dr. is advised by them 〈◊〉 carry away their Daughter to his House in Yorkshire, which accordingly was done: though very much against her inclination. And besides it was also their desire (says the Dr.) that she should still go under the name of a Maid, in order to conceal the Marriage. After some abode in Yorkshire, he brings her and his Wife into Scotland to his Father's House at Biggar; Where she lived about three Months, as a chaste Virgin, None all this time (except the Dr. and his Wife) knowing she was with Child, till the very Minute her pains of Childbirth came upon her. The Dr. being at Lanerick, about 7 Miles distant, is alarmed with the sudden news; For 'twas expected the Damsel had six weeks longer to go. Home he flees to his Father's House, to Apologise for concealing the secret so long: But his Father (he says) was so incensed, both against him and Mrs. Stone, that he would neither hear, nor believe what they said; Tho she produced a Certificate from the Minister that Married her.  
Now further know, that the Drs. Wife died some days only before this fell out; So that immediately the report run through the Country, that the young Gentlewoman, whom all took to be a Virgin; had brought forth a Child to Mr. Jaques Son, and that not without strong Presumption, his Wife was hastened a little too, early off the stage of this Life. In the mean time Mr. Jaque fretted, and was exceeding Impatient, till he got the sick Woman turned out of Doors: She was no sooner able to stir about (says the Vind.) but he required her to be gone.  
Now, Pray, tell, wherein Mr. Kirkwood failed in his Relation of this affair. Certainly, if in any thing, 'twas, that he comes short in telling all the Truth. Many things he omits, which might, and aught to be told: Others he qualifies and minces by representing them in milder terms, than the matter requires. Mr. Jaque (says he) Let that Woman go, etc. He required her to be gone, says the Vind.  
This is a strange business, if sounded to the Bottom. The Dr. confesses he was extremely faulty, and inconsiderate; Guilty of an● Egregious Act of Imprudence and Folly. An Act! A wonderful Act 〈◊〉 An Act with so long a train, that no Eye under Heaven can reach its End. 'Tis a continued Series, or Concatenation of a Thousand Acts; And all these perfect lies, In a word, 'tis a mere shame; a●● down right Imposture. The beginning is told us; But where it was to end, GOD alone knows. It was hatched at London, From thence carried to Yorkshire, where it abode for sometime; Then came into Scotland, and settled at Biggar, in the worst place on Earth; In a place, where it was capable to do most Hurt.  
Methinks I see the Dr. with this young Virgin laughing very hearty together, while alone in a Chamber, considering how notably they cheated all the World, and Especially the Honest, Old, Reverend Couple, the Father and Mother. And yet this laughter could not but end with great Anxiety of mind, how to carry when matters came to a Pinch.  
Pray, might one say, Think you the Dr. had a mind to unfold this secret to his Parents, sometime before the Maids bringing forth the Child. It seems, No, for certainly the sooner the better. And, since he did it not any time of the six Weeks before his Wife fell sick; Nor in the eleven days of her sickness, nor after her Death; 'Tis highly probable he had no thought to do it at all. It would seem so indeed, but I must still ask what they resolved to do, when things came to extremity. He and she had six Weeks, you know, to advise about that; For according to her Reckoning, lays the Vind. she had so much longer to go. No question they had determined already what to do. But I'm still in the mist; and therefore you'll excuse me; if I repeat my question by ask what course, or Method you think, they would have taken, if GOD had not prevented their design. That's a Riddle, which I believe OEdipus himself could not unfold to you: But if I may give you my Conjecture, I'm apt to sancy, the Dr. had a mind to carry her to some secrect Corner, where she might be eased of her Burden. A Doctor you know, can in a straight, act the Midwife pretty well. But, Pray, tell me, what they would have done with the innocent little Babe. GOD knows: All, I can say, is, if it chanced to be dead Born, any little hole was sufficient to shut it in. It was but s curious Brat, begotten, as the Dr. conceives in Adultery, what matter where it lie. And if it happened to be Born alive, many means, you know, are used to convey such poor Animals out of the way. And what next think you, would the Dr. have done. He might then with great freedom return back to his Father's House with this young Lady, and there get her Married to some Person of Honour, or rather take her to himself? For no question her Father (as the Dr. says) being an Eminent and Opulent Merchant in London, would not stand to give with his only Daughter, a very considerable Portion, Especially to the Doctor, who had done him and her such Extraordinary 〈◊〉 Service.  
This is duly Considered, will be found a business of a most horrid Nature: 〈◊〉 by this means the Doctor, or any other Person, who should marry this Woman, would live and die guilty of Adultery: So that at least, he is 〈◊〉 and Part, as we say, of that abominable iniquity, he confesses in his ●ind. (we need not cite the Page, there being but 7 in all) that with much difficulty he got this Woman persuaded to forsake her Husband, and go with him to York shire. He forced her to Perjure herself; and to break that Tie, which God and Nature had made. He forced her by his Rhetoric. Cursed is that Rhetoric, which persuadeth to do wickedness.  
For this he seems to make an Apology, saying, he had promised to her Parents to do so and so. Ah! He promised to do wickedness, and must he perform it? Surely the Doctor, who is also a Divine, having once entered into that Sacred Function, will teach no such Doctrine. Nor had the Parents such power over their Daughter, being now Married, as to force her to leave her Husband, and to go away with another man into a foreign Kingdom.  
He further Apologises thus: It was found, says he, that Vanderkistee Cohabited with another Woman, who was reputed his Wife, and by whom he had several Children then Living; and therefore Mr. Stone resolved to pursue for a Divoree. Vanderkistee Cohabited with another Woman, etc. Pray, where, Doctor? In Holland, or London? You are silent in this, as in many other very necessary Points. 'Tis more than Probable, 'twas not in London; For it can hardly be well suppoled, that a man, especially one of so public Employ, as they say he is, Viz. a Mountebank, who Cohabites with a Woman, that's reputed his Wife, and by whom he has several Children living, will be so mad, as to marry another Woman in that same City, it being a Capital Crime so to do. 'Tis therefore more likely 'twas done in Holland his Native Country.  
The Doctor it seems has a great Veneration for common Fame though at a good distance, even beyond Seas in a foreign Nation; and yet Condemns others fortaking notice of such matters done at their very door. He carries away a man's Wife against her will, because it wastalked that her Husband had Cohabited with another Woman; as his Wife in a strange Nation.  
He adds, that Mr. Stone resolved to use his outmost Efforts to get-a-Divorce for his Daughter. Pray, Doctor, has he yet got it? Yea, tell me, if he did ever Commence the Plea? 'Tis strange, if he resolved to use his out most Efforts, as you speak, and yet to this hour, now after many years, has not so much as begun the work. It would seem you have found out a much better way, to separate man and Wife, than by a long and expensive Pursuit in Law. One thing here, Doctor is pretty astonishing, you will not surely deny, but the Wife's presence is absolutely necessary at the obtaining a Divorce; And yet in the mean time that this is to be had, you carry her out of the way into another Kingdom. Doctor, Doctor; Your tale tells very ill. You'll have hard work to reconcile one thing with another. And besides, by this your carriage, you show yourself to be above Law; For you will not wait, till matters be decided by a Judge, and that in a business, wherein you are little, or nothing concerned.  
A third Apology, is the Doctors acknowledging his Fault. He confesses that he was Extremely faulty and inconsiderate in the matter; guilty of an Egregious Act of Imprudence and Folly in not making the thing known to his Parents before the Woman's delivery. He adds, that be is so far from. Extenating his Crime, that he is willing to Aggravate it against himself.  
May it nor seem very strange to see a man, who is guilty of several faults, some of less, some of more heinous a Nature, only troubled for a lesser fault, but not touched with the sense of the more horrid Crimes. There's too just ground to suspect the sincerity of such a man's Repentance, even for the lesser fault. This truly is the Doctor's case. He seems sorrowful for what he has done in this Affair Relating to his Parents, which is but a small fault, when compared with the great injury done Vanderkistre. Where's his sorrow for that? Not one Syllable here relating thereto. Hence the Doctor's Repentance is but in part, and by far the more inconsiderable. And besides, we have too great reason to think, that even this sorrow the Doctor seems to have, is at best but forced; For, if Providence had not prevented him, he had run on; God knows, how far.  
There's one thing here following, which by far is the most astonishing of any in this whole Paper; And gives the greatest Offence to all, that hear the same. The Doctor, saves the Vind. has ever since suffered, as a punishment, his Father's displeasure, and has been an Exile both from his Favour and presence. Now, think you it not a very strange thing, if the son's Crime be, as is here Represented and he so penitent for it, and most willing to fall down on his knees to beg his Father's pardon; Is it not, we say, a very strange and Unnatural thing, that the Father, now after many Years will not suffer his son to come into his presence, and that though much pains has been taken by several Persons, to Reconcile Father and Son; but all in vain. And certainly never any in the World had more, and stronger motives, pressing them to be reconciled, than Mr. Jaque has.  
To pass that he is a Minister of the Gospel, and a man of no small Natural parts, and one well advanced in Years, being above 70 and not only very tender and sickly; But is, and has been these 7 or 8 Months before the publishing of his son's paper, so exceedingly oppressed with several painful Diseases (Gout and Gravel, etc.) that many allege he can hardly well recover. To pass, we say these very weighty Motives to induce the Father to be reconciled with his son, further know, that he is his only Child alive, and being a Professor of Medicine is thereby in a Capacity to be very serviceable to him in his prelent Circumstances. And is it not a cruel and Unnatural thing in a Father absolutely to refuse to admit his only Child into his presence; and especially now when he is very like to go off the stage of this World, and step into Eternity? Now, I say, when he ought to call for him; And give him his best advice, and his blessing before he die. What is this, but as't were to Curse his son in stead of Blessing him? Good Jacoh did not treat his Sons Reuben, Simeon and Levi after this manner; Tho the first was guilty of Incest, Gen: 35 22. The other two of many cruel Murders, 34.25. Yet this holy man did not banish these his Sons out of his Family, And at his Death blessed them, 40.28. There's one Consideration, which highly Aggravates Mr. Jaques (a riage, Viz. That his son goes frequently to his house (they both living in Kelso) but is never admitted into the same Room with his dying Father: For know that Mr. Jaque in time of his sickness being in an upper Chamber, and his Wife in one below, neither of them for several Months were able to go the one to the other; For she is no less infirm than he; So that the son has frequent access to his Mother; But never suffered to go in to his Father.  
Another very pressing Motive is, That this unnatural carriage of the Father does much confirm the Report, that went of his Son at Biggar.  
The chief Reason, why he ought to be reconciled, is the great Scandal his Carriage gives to many thousands of People. And that which exceedingly aggravats this Point, is, That of late he preached near a whole Year twice a day upon that Verse of St. Luke 15.24. about the Prodigal. And does it not, think you, give ground of Offence so palpably to teach others one thing, and practise the contrary himself.  
We must not here omit to do Mr. Jaque all the Justice that's due him, though perhaps it will not a little empair his Son's Credit; Nor likely much advance his own Praise. In short therefore know, that, when some Persons of good Note were discoursing with him about his severe Carriage towards his Son, he told them, 'twas not so much for that business, which fell out at Biggar, as for a matter of greater Consequence, which he would communicate to no person save one, and that he had done already.  
How here to reconcile the Father's Words with these of his Son , we can't see, the one saying their difference is on the account of that business at Biggar, the other for a matter of greater consequence.  
We now come to the grand Apology made use of by the Doctor, the Sum whereof amounts to this; viz: I'm not, says he, the Father of that Child brought forth by Mrs. Stone at Biggar, because she is married to one Vanderkistee a Dutch Man.  
That she is Married, he proves thus. 1mo. She produced a Certificate to Mr. Jaque, from the Minister that married her. 2do. Her Father wrote from London to Mr. Jaque, that she was married to Vanderkistee. 3tio. Mr. Burroughs, Son in Law to Mr. Jaque wrote also to him from London, that he heard out of Vanderkistee's own Mouth, that he was Lawfully Married to her, and had bedded with her.  
To pass here, that single Letters about Matters of this kind from remote places, are often found mere Cheats and Lies, especially coming from persons so much Interessed; We say, that Mr. Jaque ought not to sit Judge in such a Cause relating to his Son: He was not to determine, whether these Letters were sufficient Evidences of the matter under debate, or not.  
But let us grant all that's craved, and suppose, that Mrs. Stone, is Lawfully married to Vanderkistee, etc. It will not hence follow, that the Dr. is free, as he pretends, of any Crime, except that Act of Imprudence and Folly, (as he calls it) in not making known to his Parents, Mrs. Stone's Circum, stances before her delivery. That's indeed an instance of great Folly; Yet no real injury is thereby done to any person, only a great offence given to all that hear thereof. But besides this Scandal, there is horrid iniquity and injustice committed in this matter, And that, which highly aggravates the Crime, is, that the injury is irreparable. Pray, good Dr. (to pass that 'tis a most Heinous Crime, to persuade a young Damsel to perjure herself) In sober earnest let me ask, if you think it not a very great Act of injustice, to carry away a Man's wit some few days after Marriage, into a Foreign Nation, to a place 3 or 400 Miles distant. If you take away a Man's Horss, or Purse, he may get you hanged for your pains, though you offer to repair the Damnage. What must it then be to take away a Man's Wife, being that which is dearest and nearest to him of any thing in this World; And the loss altogether irreparable. Be ingenuous, I say: Would you contentedly have suffered this of another Person. Suppose Vanderkistee had enticed your Wife three or four days after Marriage, to go with him to a Foreign Kingdom, and kept her there till she brought forth her first Born; Pray, good Dr. tell me freely, what thoughts you would have had of him in such strange Circumstances. What would you have said to him, if he had been cast in your way; Or rather, what would you have done to him, if you'd had such an opportunity, as you could wish. ●urclie You'll say (if you have but one dram of ingenuity) that cudgelling in the severest manner imaginable, is too too slender a punishment for so Heinous a Crime, Yea, that though you pursued him to death by the Hand of Justice, he would get but what he deserved.  
I know very well, Dr. you'll tell me; That I'm supposing all alongs that which is not; That I speak, as if you had been too too familiar with Madam Vanderkistee; Whereas you never once had a thought tending that way. Doctor, I must freely tell you, that what you say, is no less absurd. and Ridiculous, than if you should carry away your Neighbour's Mare 3 or 4 Miles, and when you are challenged, to tell him, you never once laid your Leg over her, Besides Dr. what if he in the Interim, having use of his Mare broke into some Body's Park, and there took the Readiest? Certainly you are a Sharer in his Wickedness, and if one of you must hang, far rather you, than he. You pretend. you are altogether Innocent as to this particular, and will have the World to believe 'tis so and that upon your simple word, in opposition to the strongest presumptions almost can be. Doctor, We have a good old Scots Proverb, very applicable to your Case.  
If you do no Ill, do not Ill-like;  
If you steal not my Kail, break not my Dyke.  
I dare not, nor will I say, you are surely guilty as to this Point; Yet I must be so free, as to tell you plainly that, which ten thousand think, Viz. They see not wherein they transgress the Bounds of Chistian Charity, though they have thoughts quite differing from what you pretend to in this Matter. They see you but a Man, and that a Young Man, made up of Flesh and Blood like themselves. They find also the Gentlewoman forward enough that way, else she had not behaved, as she has done without her Parents Consent: And having once, you know, traveled that Road, she would with the greater freedom go it over again.  
I need not tell you, Doctor, what a mighty Temptation Opportunity is; And this you had in an eminent manner a thousand times. Besides, 'tis safe Fishing, as we say, in drumly waters. There was no fear, such underhand dealing should appear above Board.  
Nor will it satisfy a considering person to say, you had Work enough to do at home. Alas, see we not too too many going abroad, when it were fit, they should be employed within their own doors.  
But I know Topical Arguments are of no Force with those, who think their bare word should pass for a Demonstration, which is all the Doctor can pretend to in this, and many other Points of his Paper.  
We shall leave off to start any more Questions, though hundreds all alongs this Paper offer themselves very appositely to our Consideration, and come to some other Things of greater Moment, at least more pertinent to our present purpose.  
And first, We appeal to any indifferent, and  Person, that will seriously consider this whole Affair, with all its various Circumstances, whether or not Mr. Jaque acted like himself in requiring that Woman to be gone, who in such a Surprise brought forth a Child in his own House to his own Son, as the common report went? Was it not, we say, his Duty, as a Christian, much more as a Minister of the Gospel in that place, and Father to the Person so calumniated by common Fame, as is pretended, to have vindicated him in a legal manner from these horrid Aspersions, that went up and down the whole Country of him. And if it was his Duty so to do, no person ought to blame Mr. Kirkwood for what he says in his Book relating to this Affair.  
As to other things in this Paper, 'tis needless to be at much pains to give them any return, most of them being altogether impertinent, others in so general and ambiguous term: that the best Answer is a flat Denial; Some not only gross Falsehoods, but manifest Lies; And in not a few one may very well grant the Premises, and yet deny the Inference: We need not travel far into it to find out Instances. Lo, one in its very Front. The words are, The like of Mr. K ' s. Pamphlet, all things being considered, was never written in any Language by any Persuasion, being both Profane, Blasphemous, and Obscene. We may safely grant you, that never before this time such a Book was written; Because never any person had such an Occasion, or such a Subject to write on: Never, we say, was such a Judicature on Earth, and acted such things, as that, which sat at Kelso 24. September 1695. Of which at large from the 8. Sect. to the 22, Part 3.  
We shall also confess, that there are some Words in Mr. Kirkwood's Book, which may give Offence to a Modest Ear, and therefore may be called Profane, or Obscene, (for both these words may pass here, as one, though the Doctor makes a difference by interposing a third, and that without any ground) Yet we positively assert, that Mr. Jaque and his Elders are justly  upon that head, and not Mr. Kirkwood. They most falsely inserted these words into his Libel, and have recorded them in all the Registers of the Kirk of Scotland, and published them by Word and Writ, far and wide, through the Kingdom to disgrace him; And may not he repeat their Words for his own Vindication?  
And further know, that it were very easy, were we not hastening to a close, to show you from this Paper a vast number of abominable Lies: But we shall content ourselves with this one, which may well pass muster for all the rest. The Doctor's words are, The Honourable, Pious, and Learned Nobility and Gentry of this Ancient Kingdom, who favour the Church Judicatures with their presence and assistance as Ruling Elders, are not exempted from Mr. K ' s. severe and false Censures of Partiality, Injustice, Envy, Malice, Ignorance and Falsehood.  
Now know, that the very contrary is again and again repeated in his Book; And that not transciently, or by the by; But brought in as 'twith an O'S in express Terms, prefixing to it a Title, viz. A necessary Caution, Page 79. Pray, says Mr. Kirkwood, do not mistake us, as if we were charging ALL the Members of the Syond as guilty of the  Crimes, No, No: We are far from that. ALL the Worthy Gentle men, Sir John Home, Sir John Pringle, and others, with a good Number of the People, did what lay in their power to stop the Carrier of the furious multitude, but were not able; Especially, when it came to a Vote, where a Dunce can do as much as much as a Solomon. And page 128. are these words; As to the many Honourable and Worthy Gentlemen, the Ruling Elders, Mr. Kirkwood here declares them altogether Innocent, and free of having any hand in the Sentence passed against him.  
Yea, how frequently in his Book does he lament and bemoan his sad misfortune, that Gentlemen sat not his Judges, page 49. We must not here omit (says he) to tell you, that we are far from ascribing these wild and exorbitant Actings to every Member of the Committee. No, No, Not to the half of them. These Worthy Gentlemen above named, would certalnly have abhorred to sit amongst the Actors of such gross Enormities. Alas! alas! (he adds) It has been Mr. Kirkwood's great Misfortune, ●hat Gentlemen kept not Diets: Many never came, and some very seldom.  
Now, good Reader, do you not think the Doctor has been bewitched; At least hudgely demented and blinded with the Passions of excessive Malice, Envy, Revenge, and such like Prejudices, which ●ave instigated him to write against the very Light of the Sun at ●oon-tide? By this one Instance you may conjecture, what kind of Paper the Doctors is, if duly compared with Mr. Kirkwood's Book.  
To conclude; These most scurrilous, affected, and bombast words, ●herewith the Doctor's Paper is, as 'twere crammed, viz. The Crazie●eaded Pamphleter; The Vacuum of his Choleric Brain; He has the ricketss in his Understanding, etc. deserves no Answer, except to be ●ught at, or retorted upon himself with far greater Reason, than he 〈◊〉 a most malicious manner would throw them upon another. Such ●ords may perhaps amuse the Vulgar Reader, whose capacity seldom reaches further, than the outside of things; But Men of Understanding, who can discern the true Use and Importance of words, will laugh at such silly, empty, and frivolous Notions and Chimeras of a Pedantic Mountebank, and not the grave Expressions of a Learned and Skilful Professor of Medicine: For in effect, whosoever shall narrowly consider this whole Affair, will palpably see that the Doctor's Intellectuals are mighty shallow, if we may judge of the Tree by its Fruit: So that upon just Ground it may be said, that he not olny has the Rickets in his distorted and decrepit body in a very eminent manner; But that they are flown up into his empty brain, and there have begot such a strange Vertigo or Giddiness in his Noddle, that it made him run round two Kingdoms with another Man's Wife hanging by his tail, giving out to all persons whethersoever he went, that sh● was a Chaste and Pure Virgin.  
The Doctor concludes with this old Saying, Quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat, applying it to Mr. Kirkwood: But with his leave he may upon better Ground take it to himself; since he openly acknowledges, that he is guilty of the height of Imprudence and Folly▪ And that not in a single Act, or two, but in a long continued Series of a vast number of various kinds of most horrid and wicked deed● amounting to no less, (in the Sense and Judgement of his old Father than that unpardonable Sin against the HOLY GHOST: So tha● GOD, it seems, has quite robbed him of all his Intellectual Faculties leaving him nothing in their Room, but a Chimerical Vacuum, (〈◊〉 use his own word) as a fit Receptacle for all sorts of malign Spirits▪ For certainly no good Quality can lodge with excessive Folly an● Imprudence, if we may apply with a little Variation, that Saying 〈◊〉 the Moralist.  Nullum Numen adest, nisi sit Prudentia.— 
FINIS.