AN ANSWER TO Several LETTERS Written by SCOTISH GENTLEMEN In His Majesty's Dominions beyond the Seas, To the MASTER & GOVERNORS OF THE Scotish Corporation AND HOSPITAL in LONDON. Giving a true Account of the Erection of the said Company, and its Progress from the Year 1664, to 1677. for the Satisfaction of such as desire that Information.  
GENTLEMEN,  
WE cannot but judge well of your Intentions, by the desire you testify in your Letters, to be informed of the Grounds and Motives that induced us to procure the Erection of a Corporation of our Countrymen in London: And as we rejoice to perceive you acted by the same Charitable and Public Spirit that moved us, so we think it our Duty to satisfy your just Demands as clearly and succinctly as possibly we can. Though we need not put you in mind that many useful and great Works have had their Rise from low and fortuitous Beginnings; your own, and the experience of the World, being sufficiently furnished with many Instances of this Nature; yet that you may the more fully understand the Original and Progress of our Society, by the accidental Motives and real Causes of its Establishment: take the pains, Gentlemen, to be informed,  
That in the Year 1664, a worthy Member of this Society, who is still alive, being visited with a long Fit of Sickness, and in doubt of Life, resolved to communicate to the Poor of his Country (whom he found to be numerous, and under great straits) part of the Fruits of those his Labours, which the Lord had been pleased to bless with Success. But his Charity having a farther Prospect than a present Supply to the Indigent at that time, and being willing to mortify a Gift, that might be a standing Stock for the Relief of the Poor not only of the present but future Ages; and to secure the same to Posterity, as far as worldly Contingencies could permit, and beyond the uncertainties of private trusties, whose malversation or decay, often disappoint the pious Intentions of Donors; he took thereupon the advice of Council.  
Their Answer and Resolution was, that his present Charity might be safely enough distributed, but that if his intention was to settle a perpetual Stock, the use and improvement whereof might be a standing Supply for the Poor of his Country, the surest Expedient for that was to obtain Letters Patent from His Majesty, for the erecting of an Incorporation of Scots in London which having the Privileges of a permanent and authorized Society, would be by Law empowered to act and oblige themselves and Successors, in such a manner as no private Consociation could pretend to. This Resolution was immediately imparted by the Sick Person to the most sober and discreet Men of our Country, who then had the direction of that voluntary Contribution, which by the name of Box-money was collected for the use of the Poor. They maturely weighed the matter first privately among themselves, and then in a general Meeting of our Countrymen, who all foreseeing the advantages of the Design, and applauding the Council, notwithstanding their doubts of procuring the Patent, bestirred themselves so zealously in that Affair, that having made application to the Earl of Lauderdale, and made appear to him the profitableness of that Project, they obtained of His Gracious Majesty, by the intercession of the Earl, after a Reference and satisfactory Report made to His Majesty on that Subject, a Patent in ample Form; which took place the Third of September 1665. and Mr. James Kinnier was chosen first Master.  
So good a Work was almost stifled in the Birth; for the Contagious Plague which then dispeopled London, and those fatal Flames (which the Year following by the deplorable ruin of the City purified it from Infection to the very foundation;) if not wholly crushed, yet suspended for some time the execution of our good Intentions. These dismal Times, however, put not a stop to the main Wheel of Charity, for during the Sickness Year, when our Beginnings were but small, there were Three hundred Scots, and of Scotish Extraction, who died of the Plague in and about London, buried at the Charge of the Company, with as much decency as the Calamity of the Time would permit; and many who were Infected maintained, and taken care of, until they recovered, and by God's blessing the Contagion ceased, without putting the several Parishes where they had lived to one Farthing of Expenses.  
Whilst the City lay buried under its own Rubbish, though many of our Members who had been scattered by these two heavy Visitations, were again returned, and as earnest in their desires as formerly to promote that Work of Charity; yet the lowness of our Stock, which was hardly sufficient to supply the Necessities of the Poor that then lay upon us, made us almost despair of bringing our designs to any accomplishment. We wanted a Hall for our Meetings, Ground to build upon, and Money to purchase and effectuate both. Nevertheless in the Year 1670, the City having to admiration recovered, or rather outdone much of its ancient splendour, we resolved with revived hopes vigorously to set upon the performance of our long intended resolutions. To that effect having several times assembled the Body of our Company, to consult about the measures we were to take, we at length had notice given us of a piece of waste Ground in Blackfriars, where formerly had stood a large dwelling House belonging to a Lady: having after a view found the Ground for our purpose, we made application to the Lady for the Purchase. She was unwilling to sell the Ground right of her Inheritance, but being informed of the Pious and Charitable use that it was designed for, she frankly granted us a Lease of it for a Thousand Years. Having laid this foundation, we again in several Meetings of the Corporation considered of the ways of raising Money to go on with our Buildings; and found so great readiness not only in the Members of our own Society, but also in several persons of worth and quality of our Nation, who liberally and bountifully both gave and lent us Money, upon no other Security but the Bond of the Corporation, that we were enabled in several Gradations to build, first four dwelling Houses fronting the Street in Blackfriars that leads to the River, with an Inscription on the Frontispiece, declaring them to be for the use of the Poor of our Country, which were finished in the Year 1671, next our Hall, and a House contiguous to it, the Hall having its Entry from the Street in Blackfriars, and lying open to Bridewell Ditch, with an Emblem of Charity cut in Free Stone, and fastened in the Wall, finished in the Year 1672. And lastly another House which stands upon a parcel of disputed Ground that lay long undetermined, with a Kitchen and two Rooms over it for a Dwellinghouse for our Beadle, which at the sole Charge of the Members of the Company were finished in the Years 1675, and 76. The Charge of the whole Building, viz. Seven Dwelling-houses, the Hall with two small Rooms adjoining to it, the Kitchen and two Rooms over it for the Beadle, by a true Computation, amounting to Four thousand four hundred, and about fifty Pounds English, no inconsiderable Sum to have been raised and disbursed in so short a time. And though the Corporation hath by such a vast Expense contracted Debts; yet when we consider the cheerful and free Contributions of those who have already concurred with so much Unanimity in that charitable Work, and the former experiences that we have had of the Goodness and Blessing of Almighty God, in raising us up many times unexpected Supports to our languishing Hopes; we cannot but confidently believe, that the like means may hereafter free us from Encumbrances, as have hitherto advanced the Work in such a progress to perfection: And the rather, that none of those bountiful Benefactors who have even above their Abilities contributed to the Work, have any reason from the success of their honest Endeavours, to think their worldly Estates any way lessened thereby; God Almighty, who charges as a Debt on Providence what is cheerfully given to the Poor, having many times imperceptible ways to repay what that way is lent to himself: And that moreover all such whose hands have been open in their Charity, besides the inward satisfaction of Conscience, the inseparable Companion of Virtue, and the hopes of future Bliss, the promised Reward of Welldoing, have also their Names and Benevolences recorded to Posterity in a large Sheet of Parchment hung up in the Hall, for their present satisfaction, and an encouragement to others hereafter to imitate their laudable Example.  
God Almighty having thus far prospered our Endeavours, we thought it convenient to have our Patent, which in some things was defective, and not rightly conceived, altered and enlarged. Accordingly having addressed ourselves to his Grace the Duke of Lauderdale, the Kings Most Excellent Majesty, at the earnest desire of the Duke, has been Graciously pleased, to renew our Patent in such full and ample form as was requisite: And the Lord Chancellor of England, and other Officers of State through whose hands it past, have with a Generous and Charitable Liberality been pleased to discharge us of their usual Fees; to whose Noble Munificence we do acknowledge ourselves Eternally obliged. Nor must we profess less Gratitude to the Magistrates and Governors of this famous City of London, who have not been wanting to encourage us by many Favours, and to many other Charitable Persons of the English Nation, who professing themselves much taken with so laudable a work of Charity, have freely and bountifully assisted us with their Benevolence, which we hope will not be frustrated of Reward.  
Hitherto, Gentlemen, we have acquainted you with the Motives that gave Being to our Corporation, and with its Beginnings and Progress to this present: We shall now briefly give you an Account of its Constitution and Government, with some few Instances, amongst many others, of the Benefits and Advantages that may therefrom redound to the Poor of our Country.  
The Corporation consists then, of a Master, Eight Governors, Three ●nd thirty Assistants, with some subservient Officers appointed by them, ●s Register, Treasurer, Stewards and Beadle, and of entered Members. The Master is yearly chosen out of the Assistants by the eight Gover●ors, who are perpetual, and must be all Scotish men born. If the Master die before his Year be expired, the eldest Master is to supply his ●lace until a new Election: And upon death, or exclusion for misdemeanour, of any of the Governors, the eldest Master amongst the Assistants, provided he be a Scotish man born, is to succeed in the Office; ●ut if otherwise, he is only after he hath been Master, to continue Assistant, and the next Scotish man successively of the Assistants that hath ●een Master, is to be admitted, according to the true and genuine sense ●nd meaning of our Patent. Out of the Assistants, by the Master, governor's and Assistants, there is likewise yearly chosen a Treasurer, ●ho in course falls to be Master: and who, to prevent all fraud and malversation, by suffering the Money to be in several hands, is alone to ●eceive the Companies Rents, which are collected by two Stewards al●red and of new elected every Quarter-day; and at the Years end is 〈◊〉 give in his Accounts at a Public Meeting, which being audited and ●●st the Balance, is to be delivered to the succeeding Treasurer for the ●●llowing Year: so that the increase or diminution of the Public ●ock, is punctually and publicly known every Year.  
It is to be observed that in all Meetings concerning the Affairs of the corporation, whatsoever is spent is not charged upon the Public ●ock, but every one freely and without grudging pays his proportion, ●ough most have already considerably contributed to the Foundation.  
Now as to the Advantages which the Poor may receive by this Corporation so constituted, they are many; for Lands may be either purchased in the Name of the Corporation, or made over to them in trust, ●o be managed and improved for the use of the Poor, with far more security than can be expected from any private trusties who are not ●●iected in a lawful permanent Body. Legacies and Donations, of ●hat nature soever, tending to the benefit of the Poor, may likewise ●e made over to the Company; whereby the Necessitous of our Country who are here decayed and aged, may, by way of Pension, be supplied, such as fall Sick relieved and taken care of, such as die, decently ●●ried, and such as want Money to go to their Native Country, fur●●shed; (Instances of all which we daily meet with in abundance:) without Burden to the Parishes where they live, Charges to Strangers ●mongst whom they have been, and Disparagement to the Country to ●hich they belong; and this we think a Consideration to be valued ●y all the ingenuous Lovers of their Country. We are likewise by ●ur Patent enabled to be serviceable to our Countrymen beyond ●●a, in performing the Wills of the Dead as Executors, and distributing their Legacies amongst their Friends as they shall appoint, or in dispensing the Charity of the Living, in the manner that themselves ●hall prescribe, without fraud or prevarication, the nature of our Constitution made up of so many Persons whose private Interests are so various, and their public so uniform, in no probability being like 〈◊〉 admit of any. Many other Benefits you yourselves may gather fro● the Privileges of such an Incorporated Body, which we shall not, present, to your farther trouble enumerate.  
To conclude, Gentlemen, we are fully persuaded that your own candid Reflections upon what we have above intimated to you, will 〈◊〉 only incline you to approve our charitable performances in this kin● but also encourage you to assist us with your Counsels, and benevol● Concurrence in a Work of so much advantage to the Indigent of 〈◊〉 Country; it being not only a Christian duty, but in some manner so the Interest of all Men, especially such as are abroad, to exerce their Charity in this way; for whosoever shall but consult his own experience as to the ebbings and flow of Temporal Goods, and t● many Revolutions of Providence, though Prosperity, at present, n● seem with a smile to invite his Soul to take its rest, shall have reas●● without a blush or shame, to think it not altogether impossible, but t● (if not) himself, yet some of his Relations who are dear to him, 〈◊〉 at some time or other be obliged to that wherewith at present his C●●rity is pleased to oblige others. Though this be a Truth which uncertainty of worldly Enjoyments does too often confirm, yet as our Duty to wish well to all Men in General, so particularly we p● God that he would be pleased more and more so to prosper you in 〈◊〉 World, that you may have occasion to be fully satisfied with your 〈◊〉 Portion, and abundantly to supply the Necessities of others; an● grant you in the next the lot of the Righteous, and the reward Well-doers: This is the hearty and earnest wish of,  
gentlemans, Your affectionate Brethren and Countrymen, JOHN RENNEY present M●  
FINIS.