The present STATE and Condition OF THE Clergy, and Church of Scotland.  
In a LETTER from a Friend on the Borders.  
SIR,  
IN your last, you  told me, That a fuller and more particular Account of the Condition of the Episcopal Clergy in Scotland, would not only be very acceptable to some Worthy Persons, but might also be instrumental towards the Relief of the sad and deplorable Condition they are in. Upon this Consideration I am now moved to writ what I know, upon good Grounds, in that matter; hoping that a modest Relation of their Sufferings, may prove a kind and charitable Intercession for them; and that others, when they know as much as I do, in the Point, will compassionate them, as much as myself; who hear their Cries and Complaints, and am an Eye-witness of their Poverty and Distress, almost every day.  
The Clergy of Scotland were never in so flourishing a Condition since the Reformation, as they have been of late. The long Peace of near Thirty Years, since the Restauration, has been well employed by them: It has been a quiet season, and Learning has grown, and improved in it; Orthodox English Writers has been brought, Libraries, public and private, furnished with good Books; the Principles of the English Church carefully examined, and their judgement so convin'd of the Excellency and Necessity of our Discipline and Order, that they generally love and admire our Constitution; and hearty pray, that the like might be settled amongst them, which might prevent the Supiness and Indevotion, &c. which are too visible in that Nation. And herein, the Care of all their Universities is very commendable, wherein the young Clergy has been seasoned with Orthodox Principles; particularly, Glasquo, where an Eminent Professor did, on all occasions, magnify the Constitution of the Church of England, to the Scotch as well as English Scholars; and to make his Sentiments more public, he printed a Book at that Place, containing some great and distinguishing Doctrines of the English Church. By the Care of the Universities, all the Churches in the Kingdom, which are said to be about 950, were filled with Achademicks; who, for their Number, for their quickness of Apprehension, readiness of Expression, &c. may not be thought inferior to so many of the English Clergy, taken in gross. What their Behaviour was at the Insurrection at Bothwill Bridge, and since, every one knows. They generally complained of Violation of Justice, under the late Administration; and though some were too Accessary, yet others suffered for their Opposition; so that the whole cannot be culpable, for the Miscarriages of a sew. There was an Address of their Bishop, which is in the gazettes, which very much incensed the common inferior People against them; but considering the Proclamations which were published by all Magistrates, the Laws in force, and their other Obligations, at that time, there might be some charitable Allowances for that Action; and seeing they are willing to submit to the present Government, the power of those in Authority, might be pleased to cover them from the Rage and Insolence of the Rabble.  
Upon the late great Revolution, at the coming of that invincible Prince to assert Out-Laws and Liberties, these Episcopal Clergy found themselves opposed by Three sorts of Adversaries, differing amongst themselves, yet united in their Endeavours to extirpate them; viz. The old Presbyterians, who accepted the Indulgence under King James, commonly called, The indulged Men; the Cameronians( from one Cameron, a late Preacher amongst them, about Bothwill-Bridge Rising) and the Mountaineers or Hillmen, who are like the old Anabaptists of Germany, not to be ranked under any regular Principles; The first are most moderate, but the two last run to the height of enraged Violence, and are not checked or restrained by the other. In the S. W. and W. Parts of the Kingdom,( where the Cameronians are most numerous) the regular Clergy were silenced, hindered from going their Churches, and abused in most barbarous manner, before any thing was done in Parliament against them: The way was, to sand to the Minister, by any( unknown) hand, an Order to desist from Preaching at his Peril; and if he did not out of fear of his Life, obey it, then with Arms and Violence, they opposed his entering his Church, and sometimes put some of their own Principles or Leaders into the Pulpit. But the Fury of their Enemies shew'd itself so much, as after the Abolition of Episcopacy by sound of Trumpet; for when they were thrown down by the Government, then the meanest of the People insolently trampled upon them. I shall not reflect upon the public Proceedings, but only tell you Matter of Fact, as I have were deprived by Order; and at that time, those that would pray as they were commanded, and declare their satisfaction in what was done, were allowed to continue in their Places; only the Ejected complained, not so much of their being deprived, as that all the Profits of the year were denied them, which they were in possession of till after whitsuntide; nay, till July or August, which they say is contrary to the Laws of Scotland; nay, some, if not all of them, were unable to get up their Arrears. In some place the People being unwilling to pay them; and where they were willing, the parishioners dare not, for fear they should be demanded, for public Occasions, as the last years Revenues are, Collectors being appointed( as they hear) to gather them for paying the Army. But those that were turned out by the Cameronians and Mountaineers, were the greatest Sufferers of any; for they pulled them violently out of their Manses( as their Parsonage houses are called) threw out their Goods and Stuff, burnt or tore their Books, and forced their Wives and Children, where they had any, to beg their Bread in the Country, glad they escaped with their Lives. Their Gowns moved their Indignation very much, and where they found them, they tore them to pieces; one had his cut as he was pleading his Cause before his Judges, and another had his put upon him, and carried in it to the Market-Cross, and there had it torn in a 1000 pieces; some insulting over the poor man, and some pitying his Condition. And those that were thus turned out and abused by the People, without regular Proceedings, were near one half of the whole Clergy, as I am  told; especially, in the W. and North, and remoter Parts: 'tis beyond the Power of Words to express their Misery, to that degree as they suffer it.  
A good while ago, a Minister, who has the Reputation of a very sober and prudent Man, was Assaulted in his House in the Night time; and getting out, was forced to fly almost naked to a worthy Gentleman's House to save his Life: The Gentleman was Sir J. D. whom I heard relate the story. Since that, frequent Assaults and Violences have been committed upon very many. One that Married a Relation of a Bishop, was set upon in his House, he dragged out into the Ditches, his Books burnt or spoiled, and his poor Wise( at that time in Child-bed) miserable abused. Another, I am  told( tho' I cannot affirm it for certain who did it, tho' he was threatened by his Neighbours) was found dead, wounded in several places, and Excrements upon his Face, a most inhuman unchristian Barbarity. Many came flying into England: I have relieved several, and here were with me, two within this week, who confirm what I writ, and assure me of many like Instances, which are better forgot, than mentioned: Their Places were about 50 or 60 l. per Annum, as most are in Scotland; they have Wives and 5 or 6 small Children each; debts in their Parishes to above 100 l. each, besides household Stuff; yet are forced to fly, and seek for Compassion in another Nation. Some has petitioned for Protection for some time, that their flight may not be in the Winter; but if the Magistrates had allowed it, the Rabble would not.  
That which is most Remarkable, and indeed most Calamitous is, that those that have complied and red the Proclamation, as one of these I mention had done; yet they had no better usage, than those that did not. For some of the Cameronians or Mountaineers, sent them a discharge, as not fit to Preach: So they have them at this Dilemma; if they comply not, they are Seditious; and if they do, they are Hypocrites; and so they must unavoidably be undone. This is general, and the reason is, because they have Episcopal Orders and Institution; and must make room for the Presbyterians, when they have a number able to skill all their Churches; for at present( except at their Market-Towns) they are at a great want. In some Counties in the S. W. some Churches have had no Divine-service in them, for above a Year; many not for 6, 5, 4, 3 Months. And of late, since some care has been had of them, one has 4, 5, 6, or 7 Parishes to look after, which are supplied by turns. The Ministers they allow, are either the old ejected Presbyterians in 60, or some from Ireland, Holland, &c. of the same Principles, who Preach publicly, while the Episcopal Divines dare not appear two together, scarce alone, in many places; and are reviled by the ordinary People; but yet the Nobility, Gentry, and the better sort of the commonalty, have both a great respect for their Persons and Functions, and extremely commiserate their Condition. I hear that the Bishops, and the principal Clergy of Edenburg, abscond; and such is their Affection to the Church of England, that to comfort their Souls in so sad an Affliction, as they are in; they received the Blessed Sacrament according to the English Liturgy, not long since. And as they hope Prayers are offered to God for them by their Brethren and others of our Church, that some means may be found for their Relief, in his Good Time and Way; so, I know, 'tis part of their Devotions at the Throne of Grace, that God would preserve our Constitution entire, and not suffer our sins to be our ruin, nor the designs of our Enemies, to take effect against us. I should be tedious, should I tell you, what I hear for certain; they talk and preach with Relation to our Church-Government, that God would pull down that Anti-Christian Hierarchy that is set up amongst us, and restore us to the like Glorious Liberty, &c. But supposing these Expressions to be the effects of their Zeal, rather than any way encouraged by Authority, I shall look on them as insignificant: Only I could wish, that there were no Features in the present face of things, that encouraged such sad Prognostications; they cannot but observe how some Favourers of their Cause amongst us, qualify themselves by communicating with us; and ever after, frequent( as they have always done) separate Congregations. But these things are above my reach, and I shall not meddle with them. The Clergy that fly into England, are very kindly received by the Clergy here; and where they can get a small Place, they comform exactly in all particulars; 〈◇〉 'tis not want of Affection to the present Establishment, that makes them so much hated and reviled, by 〈◇〉 inferior sort, the beasts of the People, in their own country.  
Thus I haven give you a thousand I hope, a faithful Account of what I am assured of concerning the Episcopal Clergy, in the Neighbouring Kingdom: If any desire father satisfaction in so deplorable a Matter; those that are so unhappy, as to bear a Part in the sufferings, may be best able to Relate their Condition: For I have that Opinion of their Learning, Piety, and Worth, that as their Troubles for Conscience sake, are not unlike those of the Primitive Christians; so, were the Ear of Caesar open to them, they want not of their worn Body, a Justin, a Tertullian, or an Athenagoras, to Apologize and Intercede for them. I am Sir,  
Your assured Friend, &c. Jan. 23d. 168/ 9 9/ 0.   

London Printed, and are to be Sold by Randal tailor near Stationers-Hall, 1689.