A LETTER FROM Mr. DONALD cargil to his PAROCH Of the Baronny KIRK in GLASGOW.  
March the 27th 1681.  
I Am Debtor to all, but specially to you but how to requite my Obligations I know not, to return all is impossible, to return nothing is great ingratitude, ye know what kind my return must be; I have desired and do desire your well being, and walking in ●he Truth, without a further look to yours, be humble always, thankful for what ye have received: and still Thrifting after more; for his fullness is Infinite, and your wants is wonderful great, and it cannot be ●ight with us where our needs are not right ●n our Eye, and Christ in our Heart. And ●et none think it sufficient to be right in one ●hing if he be not labourng to be Right in all, it was if I mistake nor, the fault of our Professors that syded with the times & work of Reformation, Communicating of these common g●● that followed it, made them start, and sli●● into their Profession; GOD did indeed s●● shine upon these times, is things that 〈◊〉 warmed Hearts, when it did not melt them and he also gave these common gifts of th● Spirit, (as to Saul) without that immortals seed, that only makes durable. And thos● were the things together with the mistake (to say no worse) of Minister that gav● those names and places, wherewith they wer● poffed up, and authorized; These present defections & this with what will follow (for al● is not yet done, and seen) shall more fully discover this defect, and take away both tha● Spirit and Name, and leave them poorli●● standing (O! that the Writing of this might make some of them prevent it) having nothing for all but maintaining a Cause, that i●● neither Right Liberty, nor true Religion Nor whereof I hope ere all be done, the● shall be no rule. I do not speak this of then all, for there are some of them, who not onli●● were in Christ before me, but also before these times, and was otherwise wrought upon, and these are neither so fully nor (〈◊〉 hope) shall be so firmly there, they having the imortal seed, the saving Graces of th● Spirit in them, that does either keep from falls, or surely and quickly recover them again, there being there a real difference, we ought to acknowledge it in our compassion tenderness and affection, and withal Pray, that they may be made to see what and whom they have relinguished: O! that God would open men's Eyes, that they may see how little good, and how much evil it has wrought, I pray how little it has done for the freedom, and enlargement of the Kingdom of Christ, and how much for confirming. It's thraldom and confining, its enlargement, neither do I see that it makes for the gaining of Souls into God for their adherance, who is not religions will go no further with them, nor they come to their own desires, which together to provide for their own private safety, gain, and a name of Nonconformists, & on the other hand what evil has it wrought? They themselves when come to themselves, and sober, will see that it hath not increased, the Treasure of God in themselves, but has begotten an evil affection, and raised passion against these whom I think themselves esteemed Godly, because they laboured to waken Consciences, and return them to a rightness, and mind them of their Vows to God, and because they stand in the way of gratifing a sinful power, of saving Life on any terms, securing their quiet, and shunning the Cross of Christ, who is calling all at this time to take it up: And under a greater damnage nor what is, or can be secured by these ways, or they can compence▪ And it is just with God, and I fear, it shal● fall out that these People shall never be severed from these Ministers, nor they from these Me● till they lead one another to Judgement, and this shall far exceed the benefits, that has been gotten; and as it hath begotten an evil eye toward their own, so it has abated zeal, and conciliated a favour toward these that are enemies of God and all Righteousness. And has so ensnared and all●enated the Land f●o● God, and him from it, that he will n● more shine on it, till these sins be purged and these Persons removed, either by th●● providence and judgements of God, or justic● and zeal for Men: But as he has give● you to be right in one, so study to be righ● in all, and let not your Hearts be taken u● with nothing to the Prejudice of the who●● of Religion: It is true it is a great one, bu● there is a greater than it, without which nothing can be rightly done by you nor accepted with by him, & withal let them see that have as great a Heart hatred of Secret and private Sins as of public evils; for Satan may Sometimes Foil you in both; Keep lively and in Sight of him, and so ye shall see best, Taste Best, Savour best: By this ye shall only be able to quit Yourselves Rightly, and let the World see, tho' ye be necessitate to be more hea●d in this at this time, yet that ye are walking in all other things according to his Commands, & are tender of every one of them in their turn, and that ye are not making this a Cloak for other Sins, neither think that it Discharges us of all or any one of the other duties of Religion, but on the contrair that we are the more obliged to holieness both in regard of the Cause that we are to adorn, & in regard of the Opposers, who when they find themselvees behind in Reason, studies to find our something in our Conversation, to hold us out to the World as Men destitute of holiness; and so such as truth cannot be expected to be found with: As also, to set up such Spotted Creatures, destitute of wisdom and knowledge to compare themselves with and to raise in themselves, that which is high enough already; That under that their greatness, they may shred themselves from the checks of Conscience, and the challenges of Non-performed Vows which runs the Quite contrary way to what they are doing. But let us look well to ourselves, and the more we are right in these public things the more Satan will Assault, and seek to foil in other things; for though he be an Enemy to all that hath any thing of the fear of GOD or form of Godliness: Yet he exercises most against persons (when and where he is permitted, more or less, as they are against his Kingdom (and it's Dimmishing,) and for the exaltment and enlargement of the Kingdom of GOD; So that ye shall have him more emminentlie against you nor you Oposites eve● these of them which may be has a greater measure of personal holieness: For I will not say but there may be true Godlieness which is much, I do not say too much; for that cannot be if we neglect not the other a●● Home, and within; and with these will all lukewarm professors Join, in regard of their design and desire, is the same, though upon fa●● different Accounts; for both desires Libertie● and Quite the one, that he may exercise Religion, and the other for other ends; For this in the truly godly is not an Affection newly begotten by fear of the Cross, as in the other much less is it from any defect of Judgement, if they would extend, and exercise their mind to the Contemplation of these things. But I must say that this their way that are truly godly may seem to be great, and sometimes to myself, has seemed greatest, yet is not so great as it seems, being Defective in a manner (a Zeal to) he Expounded Kingdom and public Glory of GOD and Good of Mankind, and suffers Satan to sit beside God and his Kingdom to be Triumphant and free, and Gods to be Beggarly and Enslaved, and so in a manner he gives a Cessation of Arms where there is such a yielding to his interest and instruments that are acted by him, and follows him: and for others of your Opposites that has less of Religion and takes upon them more of this Combat, he has less quarrel with them, if any more at all, but what he bears to all Mankind; And so they have a greater Cessation from him as to his Temptations. I do not say from the Temptations of their own Corruptions, for that works naturally: So always, though not always alike, but he works rationally, and upon design; so that he is so far from troubling with other things, that he enables them with gifts for agenting that Cause & Virulence to Convince all that Oppose it, and suffers them to retain their formality in worshipping, for adorning it, and deluding themselves in the Point of Regeneration, True Religion and Righteousness. And I may Truly say, that there may be more True Godlieness, in one against whom Satan exercises his full malice; and is permitted sometimes to puddle, nor in the fairness of a Thousand such who wants the broken heart and Regeneration; And this I fear will be found to be the Case of these Combatants that are alwise in Arms upon its, and no other account: Let them then that are Studying Righteousness in all things and seeking the enlarging and exalting of Christ's Kingdom, and the overthrowing of Satan's expect the increasing of Devils and multiplying of Temptations, for procuring of your foyll and fall, O! Fear, Trust, Watch, Pray for yourselves and one another, knowing that ye have all the same Conflict, Temptations, and Weakness of the flesh, and have the more fervent Love among yourselves, seeing you are now Fewer, and have all Your things Common; Your Griefs, Your Temptations: Your Mercies your Joys, your Substance, your Goods so far as it shall be needful, for it is like the time is every near that will make all alike in these things, I fear many are Buying, Building, and Gathering, for our Enemies: We know not ere it he long, but Foreigners may be holding in one side and Intestine Enemies the other; and the Sea all: and then our Gentiles and others that saw nothing to their Lairdships, and Estates find them to be nothing, and the greatest and the Richest, so put to it, that if they escape, shall not be able to carry away , so much as to cover them from the cold, nor Money so much as to Buy them Bread, if they find it where they come to be bought, and then this will be the Price of our evil Consciences, when nothing will be left but Sin and Sorrow (for if any thing shall remain as we pray and hope there will) a revive after all these Vastations and overrunning of Judgements, it shall be that poor and hated party who sought his glory, and laboured for a good Conscience above all other things; For if the Lord give any of these things again to any of us, it will be to those that shall sincerely study to have them his, and shall not give them up to Men to Judge them after the Lusts: For the present, I have comfort in nothing, but that I think I see his abode in the Land; And it is a thing so wonderful, that I can hardly get it believed after there has been so great indignities done to him by the multitude great and mean, and such, and Unfaithfulness in his Rights, misregarded as Indifferencies shown in his Matters, with achieve to have and hold them that are not only perejudicial to his Reigning, but utter overthrowers of his Kingdom, inconsistent with his Cohabitation with us; Yet, I say, I think I see his Abode and Glory beyond all these Judgements tho' we should come short of this, yet if we be his we shall fall in a better. And O! How good is it to die, having these Desires, and to leave behind us the Mould of such a Fabric to our Successors: And it seems the Lord is making a far off Preparation for Building, by removing of the old rotten Stuff of the Former House, and tho' we cannot see at present where the matter for the New shall come, yet it shall be surely furnished in its time, and it shall be said with great Admiration, I was— and who both.— If any of us shall come to these things, we may have this Advantage, that throw Age or Grace, or both, we shall be past the relish of any thing but what is Divine, and this very thing as it may help now to make our End right, so it shall help them to make our Enjoyments pure and sweet: But the Cloud betwixt this and it is dreadful. And O! that I knew how to Warn, Counsel, Confirm and Comfort you, yet it is in his Hand, who is Infinitely more tender, and I leave it to him, but prepare for Death, and that which to some is worse, and think not that Rightness in these debated Matters will do it, though I esteemed much of that, and cannot but say if it be single and extensive, that it looks like a Spark of true Grace; yet think it not sufficient without Repentance, for the many sinful steps we have stepped throw Fear, Corruptions and Temptations, and come also by waiting on them (who are now gone from us, to have had them up with us. Beside all these, there must be a constant Dependence upon, and employing of God throw Christ for keeping a Perseverance; and that further ye flee from these Men that are standing stated Enemies to GOD the better; and I am mistaken if the LORD be not calling all Beasts to come from the Shadow, and all Fowls out of the Branches of that Tree that is to be cut down, and these that have fled thereto first, but especial lie last shall find it. So this their doing in regard of Sin, shall be like Jehoshaphats Association with Ahab, & in regard of its Fortunateness, or rather Unfortunateness, like the Visit of Ahaziahs' Brethren to Jehoram, who was cut off by Jehu, and I fear that Ministers and others that has concurred with them shall not be the least part of the Fuel of this Burning, and these of them that shall Survive, shall be to consume the Eyes, & grieve the Hearts of the Relatives; And sure they will want much, as the Comfort that that Word would have yielded, ye are they that have continued with me in my Temptations. But stand off from the Enemies of the LORD, and think it much if ye be keeped free of their Injuries & be Submissive & content tho injured: but seek none of their Favours; for they are Snares, neither accept of them if they give them as their Favours, and not as your own Right; For these that want them shall have but a short Time to bemoan their Loss, and these that gets them but a short while to rejoice in their Enjoyments; For he is lifting up an Ensign to the Nations from afar, and hissing to them from the Ends of the Earth; [And behold they shall come with speed swiftly, Isa. 5.26.] It shall indeed come suddenly, and when it comes it will give them no offer of Parley, Occasions if tampering or agreement upon any Conditions; For he that sends it, intends nothing but Punishment and Sweeping, and he knows they have such changeable Minds, and lacks Consciences, that would agree upon any Interest for their own Safety, but nothing will do it but Lives, Lands, & Religion, which to them is least of all. When ye see the Beginnings of these Things, if near God, and if not; it is like ye will be Involved in the common State: Take heed what he suggests and offers for Safety, and let him that thinks himself most engaged to a bide, flee first; For flee, and judge we must till the Vengeance be poured forth, and then shall be seen another Cause (beside the owning of that cursed Interest, and that sinful Defection, which GOD denied Success to Bothwel, that it was not Mercy to Victors, or Favour to the Land, or Vnjustness of the Quarrel, if it had been rightly stated, as some would have had it) but in Judgement as those that opposed it, and to those that mistated it, that he might deliver them up to more hardened Hearts, and Cruel Hands to be punished, and for Chastisement to those who continued to appear for a mistated Quarrel, and in the one Providence shall expone another. We have seen the hazard, let us no more own their Interest, nor make further Conjunction with them, no not for Defence, tho' National and Religious Obligations seem toty us: For all that seems to engage us to their help is but a Temptation; for if they should be able to retain any thing, they would retain it neither for GOD nor us; and we should but establish them to expose GOD and oppose us; And if we shall essay to help them, we shall fall in their Wrath; And I know not any Duty this Day we own them but Prayers as for the Enemies of GOD, and to execute Judgement on them if we had Power: and because that has not been do● 〈◊〉 he will cause some from elsewhere upon our Charges to do it. I do not give you here long Arguments to Debate with Exposites, because I judge ye should leave that and them to Annotations of Providence,— pouring out of the Spirit of Judgement, as they shall be found Friends or Enemies.— As for our Agreement with our real Friends that are on the other fide, if they would return from the evil of their way, few Words would do it, where Hearts are not at an Enmity; but if not, trouble not yourselves about it; For the Time will not be long.  
Peace be with you. AMEN. DO cargil. DO. cargil.  
As for your Collections; the Poor are yours as well as others; and ye ought to see to them, either by yourselves or others; But as for your Contribution to Ministers, I see not how ye can do it, more than ye can hear them. Peace be with you all.  
DO. CARGILL. FINIS.