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YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
Bought with the income
of the
HENRY A. HOMES FUND
. ; THE
SCOTCH
Presbyterian Eloquence:
O R T H R
FbOvLlSH N ESS
OF THEIR
TEACHING DISCOVERED FE,OM THEIR
Books, Sermons, and Prayers;
And fome Remarks on
Mr RULE'S late Vindication of the Kirk.'
It grieveth,m3?jSoul to thinkj what Pitiful, Raw, and Ignorant
Preaching is. crowded moft after, meerly for the Loudiiefs of
the Preacher's Voice \ How often have I known the^ableft
Preacher undervalued,', and an ignorant Man by Crouds ap
plauded, when I, who have been acquainted with the Preacher,
ah incunabtlis, have known him to be unable to aijfwer moft
Queftions in the Common Catechifm. BaxterV' Cure of
Church Divijicns, DireSi. x.
Follow not the Paftors of this Land, for the Sun is gone down
upon them; as the Lord liveth, they lead you from Chrilt^pd
the good old way. Same Rutherford, Epift. 2. To his Pa''
rijhioners. >' ¦ ' . -
L O N D 0 N:
"Printed and Sold' by T. Dormer, near the CajtJe-tavern, m
Fket-ftreet, W. Shropshire, over againft the Duke of
Graftoii's Head, in Neto B'^ni ''>;¦*{; 31 -d bv fh- Be '.""ii-rs of
"^ondtnmAWefiminfter. i^ii . o|.. . ,. , • J.]
/ ' ¦ .,',-¦ .;
To the R. H. P. and P. of
the K; the moft G. and
very G. P. of the prefent
P. of the C. in Scotland^
RC
My L.
•5 there was never any Book and
Patron more fuited to . one ano
ther, than this Book is to your
Lp ; fo there were never any
Reafons more fatisfying than thofe
I that have induced me to this De
dication: For, fir Si, if in this in
credulous Age, fame Men fhould charge the follow
ing Relations of any Falfhood; it were an Inju
ftice done to your Lp to pretend, that any Man is
fo capable to vindicate them as your Lp ; who amidji
the throng of fo much Ecclefiajlic and Civil Bufi
nefs at Court (from which you are now fain to
retire for eafe and refrefhment to your wonted So
litude in the Country) have heen very conftant and
clofe in the ftudy of thofe extraordinary Books ci
ted in this Pamphlet ; and fi unwearied a Hearer
of thofe wonderful Preachers of whom I now treat.,
fhat you h^ve every Bay heard them "^i^h joy for
4. 'i many
iv The Dedicatiok.
many Hours together and never failed, with your.'^
own Hand, to write thofe learned and elaborate
Difcourfes I have here publifhed ; and many more
of the like nature ; in which Zeal {to your Glory
and to the Shame of other Profeffors be it fpoken) you
had no equal, but one Reverend Ruling Elder, ^
Bonnet-maker in Leithweind.
So ihat. My L. this Dedication is hut only the
offering to ^ou fome few of the rare Sayings, and
comprehenftve Sentences which grace and adorn thofe
Papers that your Lp. has been at fuch pains to
colleSf, and are ftill fo careful to preferve \ and
which you juftly value more than all the Rights and
Charters of your very opulent and flourifhing For
tune. My L. the eafy accefs which thofe high and
¦mighty Preachers have ever allowed your Lp, to
their Company, joyned to that vaft Experience
iiuhich you have now acquired in the Style 'of the
Curates, by your allowing thein fo fairly and fully
to make their defences at ihe Council-board, gives
you fuch a Title to judge of ihe Works ' of thefe
Contending Parties, as none but yourfelf can pre
tend to) Tour Lp. knows well, that 'tis impoffible
for the ableft Curate or Prelate amongli them all,
to imitate the precious, powerful, Soul-ravifhing,
Heart-fearching Eloquence of thofe ' Sons of
Thunder, Kirktone, Rule, Schilds, Areflcinej
Chrightone, Dickfon, (s'c. and that there is fuch
a real Difference betwixt their Sermons and that
of the Prelatical Party, ihat if the firft be Gofpel,
as your Lp. is fully perfwaded; then it muft h
received by all Men, for an unqueftionable Truth,
if at the Gofpel was never preached in Scotland ,
when Prelacy prevailed in it, as your Lp. and
the godly Party you patronize, have often affirmed:
And thfi', this were not evident to all that compare
the Works df ihe prefent Profeffors with thofe of
.^ theii
The Dedication^ v
'fheir Oppofites, yet your Lps. fimple Word would.
paft ill tbe World for a fufficient Proof of it.
Lying, Slandering, or the lea,ft hwwn Falfhood being
infinitely below fuch a true Gentleman: Nay, there
is no heroic Virtue more confpicuous in your Lp.
than your Veracity, which hath fo filled the Minds
and Mouths of. all who intimately know you, that
it muft needs one day make a conftderable Figure
in the Account of your Lps. Life, which cannot
mifs to fee the Light in a fhort time, being, that
for thofe three Tears laft paft, you have fo fucceff-
fully laboured to fiirnifh plenty of Memoirs and Au
thors for fuch a Work.
But, idly. Some of the Malignant s, who have
vo tafte for fuch Spiritual Sayings, as daily drop
from the Pens and Tongues of the Covenanted Bre
thren, may accufe the Books and Sermons here ci
ted of Nonfenfe ; but for as ill natured as the
World is grown, they muft own, that your Lp. has
heen very long, and very intimately acquainted with
the trueft and beft Nonfenfe ; fo that being a contpleat
Mafter of it yourfelf, it muft be allowed that you are
alfo a very good judge. Befides, My L. the Curates
themfelves cannot deny, but that your Lp. is fully qua
lified to judge of the Works of fuch learned Men as
are fpoke of in this Treatife -, if they confider your
wonderful Knowledge of, and great Concern for the
Mother Univerfity at St Andrews, which had the
Happinefs to he neareft to your Lp. and to be your
particular Charge ; and the Kingdom is not unfen-
fible how you Reformed and purged it throughly,
'with fuch unfpeakable Juftice and Impartiality,
ihat even aged Gentlemen, Do5lors of Divinity, and
Heads of Colleges, fome who had been your Lord-
fhips own Mafters, and one your Kinfmant
had not the leaft regard nor refped from you, be
caufe, of their wanting Covenant Grace, without
¦"'','" wbichj
vi The Dedication^'
which no Man is valuable in your Lps. Eyes: let
Men hut confider with what Deliberation and tore-
fight you did proceed, and what prudent and lean
ed Advice you did follow, in providing for the Edu
cation of the rifing Generation in that Society ; and
then they can never doubt of your being wonder
fully qualified both to be a Patron and a Ju^e.
of this Book.
Thefe Qonfider ations, joyned to that of your Lps,
iinexpreffible Merit (for which I want a Compa,
rifon), naturally lead me to beg you would take the
following Flowers of Prelbyterian Eloquence in
to your Protedion, as cordially as you di) the Au
thors of them : If your Lps unknown Modefty would
allow it, I could tell the World, in a few Words,
fome of your natural and acquired Endowments: fo
your Courage and Condu£l which are equeil, you heme
added fuch a Succefs, as to raife ihe Church md
State of Scotland to be the wonder and amazement
of the World: Such burning and unquenchable Zeal;
fuch ftrange and unaccountable Prudence, and un-
parallelled Piety hath appeared in all your puhk
Actions, that if others had but wrought togethet
with your Lp. in any meafiire, then, I dare fay,
(as your Lp.' excellently words it, in your pious
printed Speech to ihe Parliament) A greater Dif-
patch had been made of the Prelatifts, and ma
ny honeft fuffering Minifters e'er now had
been delivered of their Pinches ; and tbe Ene
mies of tbe Kirk and fCm^enant had evanifhed, as
they did lately from Court, when your Lp. conde-
fcended to appear in perfon at it : It il to you tbat
the Nation owes her miraculous Deliverance from
ihe Idolatries of ihe Creed, Lord's-Prayer, and
Gloria Patri : 'Tis your Lp. tbat bath refcued m
from the Superftitions ofohferving Chriftmas, Eafter,
and Whitfunday, and fror^ 0,11 the ppfih Foppi- fin
The Dedication. vU
ries of Caffocks, clofe fieev'd Gowns and Girdles :
*Tis your Lp. that enriched Their Majefties Trea-
fure with the Revenues of fourteen fat Bifhops, and
with admirable Expedition have avoided more than
half of the Churches of the Kingdom ; and advanced
fuch a fet of Preachers, as it is certain never floU'
riffled in any period of ihe Church of Scotland
under any of Their Majefties Predeceffors ; and now
that fome malignant Lords have heen brought into
the Council again ; your Lp. hath retired from it,
hravely fcorning to fit at the fame Board with the
Oppofers of the Caufe.
My L. iho' ihe Times have heen reeling and
dangerous, yet your Lp. has, hy extraordinary Ma
nagement, put yourfelf beyond ihe greateft reach and
malice of Fortune, for you have, indeed, deferved
well of all Parties ; King James is obliged to thank
you for the real Service you have done him ; and
King William for your good Will to ferve His
Majefty: The Prefbyterian Clergy own their good
Livings to you ; and ihe Epifcopal Divines are
hound to you, for advancing them to tbe Honour of
heing Confeffors: The Stubborn Highlanders owe
all their Compofition-money to your Lp ; and the
"Weft Country Rabble were highly eiiriched by
your Lps. Countenance and ProieSlion : Tou feom
that malignant way of making your Palace a Cook's-
fhop for Strangers ; but tho' your Commons he ffort,
yet, *iis well known, ihat your Graces are long-, at
leafi after Dinner, the full length of a Curate's
Sermon, and ihat is three quarters df an Hour:
T^ere is one thing more that your Lordfhip is moft re
markable for, and that is your daily PraStice of
Family Duty ; 'tis well known, ihat there ha'pe been
more new Creatures begotten in your Lps.^Family,
than in any other we have yet heard of; and itt
ihis mattery fuch is your great Coodnefs and Hu-
milityy
viii The DEDicATiONrr j
mility i that you condefcend often to allow id fif^
of your Servants the Paternal Honour that's knowif.
to be due to your Lp. But all thefe, and many
more fuch like extraordinary Salifications which
the World admire in your Lordfhip, are nothing to
thofe Supernatural Gifts and Graces which are fo
evident in all your Actions, ihat you often take
God to witnefs, that you never make one Step with
out the fpecial Affiftance and DireSiion of the Holy
Ghoft. My L. thefe and other Reafons (that I now omit,
fince I hope ihis fhall noi he the laft Addrefs of this
Nature) makes me bold to give your Lp. this Trou
ble, and humbly to beg your Proteciion to what you
fo much value, and that you would hut once at kaft^
grant the Petition of.
My L.'
Your Lp's moft Obedient^'
and raoft Obliged Servant^
Jacob Curate*
S C O T C
Preshyterian Eloquence.
^ <*^ ^ ^^g(» ^ .^ •&* ^ 1^ <^ "^ ^
SECT. L
The true Charater of the Presbyterian Ta-
fiors, and Teople in S c o t i. a n d.
UR Blefled Saviour, in his Ser
mon on the Mount, bids us be
ware of falfe Teachers; and tells
us. That by their fruits we may
know tbem: Such Fruits are not
__ open and publick Scandals, for
then the fimple Multitude (that meafure Religion
by the Sound, and not by the Senfe) could not
fo eafily be deluded by them. It muft be ac
knowledged, that the End of Preaching fhould
be the Edification of the Hearers ; the Defign
of it being to perfwade Men to Piety towards
God, and Charity towards one another, and to
draw the Image of God upon the Souls, of Men.
B But
C 2 3
But it will appear frona what follows, That the
Scotch Prefbyterians Sermons have no fuch ten
dency ; for the Preachers themfelves fwho would
have the World believe, that they only are the
powerful and foul-refrefhing Gofpellers) hai?. 53. fays moft ingenuoufly, ^ and our
Teachers in a great Meafure, complied with, fub
mitted unto, and connived at, the Incroachments of
ihe Supremacy, and abfolute Power, both in accept
ing and countenancing the former Indulgences, and
the late Toleration. We have taken and fubfcribed
Oaths, and Bonds, all which have been contrary to
the Reformation we were fworn to preferve.
Pag. 54. ' We are obliged to confefs the of-
' fenfive Carriage and Converfation of many
• * that have gone to England, who have proven
* very ftumblijig to the Sectarians there. Yea of
* late, many have embraced the Toleration in-
* trodudive of a 5fi^izm« multiformity, without
* fo much as a Teftimony againft the Toleration
* of Popery it felf. The general Toleration,
* which in it's own Nature tended, and in it's
* Defign intended, to introduce Popery andSla-
* very by Arbitrary and Abfolute Power, hath
* been accepted and addreffed for, by many. of
* our Minifters ; and countenanced, complied,
» and concurr'd with, by many of our'People,
* without a Teftimony or endeavour to under-
^ ftand it. Many dregs of Popifli Superfti-
* jion have been obferved, Popifli Feftival days ' a?
C 46 1
^ z.s-\ Pafcb, la/,?, andFaftingsEve, t^c have.
* been kept by many : And prelatical Anniver-
\ fary days devifed of their own Heart, appoin- ;
< ted for commemorating the Kings Birth Days,
* as May 29. 05lob. 14. i^c. who were born as
* Scourges co this Realm, being complied with
* by many, pag. 58. As it was our Fathers Sin
« to inaugurate the late King, after fuch Dif-
* coveries ofhis hypocritical Enmity to Religion
« and Liberty, upon his Subfcription of the
« Covenant ; fo when he burnt and buried that
* Holy Covenant, and degenerated into mani-
* feft Tyranny, and had razed the very Foun-
* dation on which both his Right to govern, and
* the Peoples Allegiance were founded, and re-
* mitted the Subjeds Allegiance, by annulling
« the bond of it; we finned in continuing to
* own his Authority ; When all he had was en-
* gaged and exerted in Rebellion againft Godj
• for which the Lord put us to fliame, and went
* not out with our Armies at Pentland Hills and
* Bothwell Bridge.
Notes out of the Hind let loofe. Printed 1687. which
Book is the great Oracle and Idol of ihe true Co
venanters. Pag. 3. 'Tis obfervable how reproachfully
he fpeaks of Princes, and even of fuch as are
now our King's Allies, in thefe Words, * The
' Proteftants of Hungary are under the tearing
* Laws of that ravenous Eagle, the Tyrant of
• Auftria : Thofe of Piedmont, under the graffant
Tyranny of that little Tyger of Savoy.
t
t Eafer, Chrifimas, ^hrove-Tuefday. Veil,
X 47 ]
Pag. 24. « Our firft Reformers never refign-
* ed nor abandoned that firft and moft juft privi-
* ledge of Refiftance. Nay nor of bringing pub-
' lick Beafts of prey to condign Punilhment,
* in an extraordinary way of vindidive Juftice ;
* E. G. Cardinal Beaton that was flain in the
* Tower of St Andrew's by James Melvin, who
* perceiving his Conforts moved with Paflion
* withdrew them, and faid. This work and Judge
ment of God, altho' it be fecret, ought to be done
with greater Gravity ; and prefenting the point of
his Sword to the Cardinal, faid. Repent thee of
thy former wicked Life, hut efpecially of tbe ffedding
of the Blood of Mr George Wilheart, which yet
cries for Vengance from God upon thee: And we from
God are fent to revenge it ; for here before my God,
I protefithat Nothing moveth me to ftrike
thee, hut only becaufe thou haff been, and remaineft
an obftinate Enemy againft Chriff Jefus, and his
holy Gofpel : Of which Fa£i, fays my Author, ihe
faithful and famous Hiftorian AfrKnox, fpeaks very
honourably, and after the Slaughter joyned himfelf
with them ; yet now fuch a Fa£i committed upon fuch
another bloody and treacherous Beaff, the Cardinal
prelate 0/ Scotland eight Tears agon, is generally con
demned as horrid Murder.
Pag. 75. Speaking of the King's defeat at
Worcefter, he fays, • Ifrael had finned and tranf-
* greffed the Covenant. Having taken
• the accurfed Thing, and put ic even amongft
• their own Stuff; therefore the Children of If-
* rael could not ftand before their Enemies, but
* ^n Army of them, near 30000 was totally
• routed at Worcefter ; and the Achan, the Caufe
* of the Overthrow, was forc'd to hide himfelf
* beyond Sea, where he continued a wandring
* Fugitive in exile till 1660. Falfe Monk, then
' General,
C 48 3
« General, with a Combination of Malignants,;
* and publick Refolutioners, did machinate our
* Mifery, and effeduated it, by bringing the
* King home to England from his Banifhttienf, ^
* wherein he was habituate into an implacable '
'¦ hatred againft the Work of God.
Pag. ^6. ' The- Covenant is our Magna
* Charta of Religion and Rightdpufhefs, our
* greateft Security for all our Interefts.
Pag. 99. ' That fame perfidious Parliament
' fram'd an Aft for an anniverfary Thankfgf-
* ving, commemorating every 29th of May, that
* Blafphemy againft the Spirit and Work of God ;
* and celebrating that unhappy Reftauration of
* the Refcinder of the Reformation, which had
* not only the Concurrence of the univerfality
* of the Nation, bcit (alas for Shame that it
* fhould be told in Gath,) even of fome Preffy'
* terian Minifters, who afterwards accepted the
* Indulgence ; one of which, a Piflar among them,
* was feen fcandaloufly dancing about the Bon-
* fires. O holy and aftoniffing Juftice, thus
to recompenfe our Way upon our own Head ; to
fuffer this holy Work and Caufe to be ruined under
our unhappy Hands, who fuffer'd ihe Deftroyer to
come in, who had it in his Heart, fwelled with en
mity againff Chriff, to raze and ruin the Work, as
he moff wickedly did.
Pag. no. ' The King gave us many Proofs
• and Demonftrations of his being true to Anti-
* chrift, in minding all the Promifes and Treaties
* with him, as he had ofhis being falfe to Chriff,
* in all his Covenant-Engagements with his P.eo'-
* pie : For in the Ye^r 1666, he, with his dear
• and royal Brother the Duke of Tork, contriv'd',
* countenanc'd, and abetted, the burning of Z.o»-
* don, evident by their employing their Guards « to
C 49 3
• to hinder the People from faving their own ;
¦ and to difmifs the Incendiaries, the Papifts,
• who were taken in the Fad.
Pag. 123. ' At length the virulent Traytor,
¦ James Sharp, the Arch-Prelate, received the
juft Demerit of his Perfidy, Perjuries, Apofta-
cies, Sorceries, Villainies, and Murders, fharp
Arrows of the Mighty, and Coals of Juniper,
for upon the ^d- of May 1679, feveral worthy
Gendemen, with fome other Men of Courage
and Zeal for the Caufe of God, and the good.
of the Country, executed righteous'Judgmenc
upon him zt^Magus Moor, near St Andrew's:
And the lame Month, on the 29th qf A/^y, the
Teftimony at Rutherglen, was publifhed againft
that Abomination of celebrating an Anniverla-
ry-Day, for fetting up an ufurped Power, de-
ftroying the Intereft of Chrift in the Land,
and againft all finful and unlawful Ads emit
ted and executed, publifhed and profecuted a-
gainft our covenanted Reformation ; where al
fo they burnt the Affs of Supremacy, the Decla
ration, the A£i Refceffory, for the burningthe Co
venant. Pag. 146. ' At length the King of Terrours,
a Terrour to all Kings, cut off that fupreme
Author and Authorifer of Mifchief C^ar/fj IL
by the fufpicious, Intervention of an unnatural
Hand, as the Inftrument thereof; wherein
much of the Juftice of God was to be obferved,
and of his Faithfulnefs verified ; that bloody
and deceitful Men ffall not live out half their Days :
His bloody Violence was recompenced with
the unnatural Villainy of his Brother, and his
unpara;lleird Perjury was juftly rewarded with
the moft ungrateful and treacherous Monfter
of a Parricide : For all the numerous Brood of
H ' his
C 50 3
his adulterous and inceftuous Brats, begotten
of a multitude of Whores, at home and abroad,
yea with his own Sifter too, he died a childlefs
Pultron, and had the unlamented Burial of an Afs :
And for all his hypocritical Pretenfions to a Pro-
teftant Profefliori, he drunk his death in a Po- ,
pifli Potion, contriv'd by his oWn dear Brother
that fucceeded him ; paffionately refenting 1
Charles's Vow, to fuffer the Murder of'the
Earl of Effex to come to a Trial, which was
extorted by the reiterated Sollicications offome^ '
who offer'd to difcover by whom ic was con
triv'd and aded ; which made the Duke's guil- ::
ty Confcience to dread a Detedion of his deep'
Acceffion to it : Whereupon the Potion quick- :
ly after prepared, put a Stop to that, and an
End to his Life, February 6, 1685 ; of whicH
horrid Villainy time will difclofe the Myftery^
and give the Hiftory when it fliall be feafon-
able. Pag. 237. ' A Prelate's Depute is no Mini
fter of Chrift, but a Curate is a Prelate's De
pute, Ergo. That a Prelate's Depute
is no Minifter of Chrift, I prove not only froni
that, that a Prelate, qua talis, is not a Servant
of Chrift, but an Enemy ; and therefore can
not confer upon another that Dignity to be
Chrift's Servant ; but alfo from this, that the
• Scriptures allow no derivation of deputed Of;
ficers, Rojn. xii. 7, 9.
Pag. 255. ' Never can it be inftanced thefe
' twenty feven Years, that the Curates have
• brought one Soul to Chrift, but many Inftances
• may be given of their murdering Souls : Hence
• thefe who cannot but be Soul-murderers, may
'¦ not be heard or entertain'd as Soul-Phyfici-k ans J
C 51 3
ans ; but the Curates cannot but be Soul-
murderers, Ergo.
Pag. 256. ' The Meetings of the Curates,
for Adminiftration of Ordinances in their
way, the Lord hates, and hath fignally for
faken : therefore we fhould hate and forfake
them. This is confirmed by Mr Durhame,
Rev. I p. 55.
Pag. 259. ? Hearing of Curates reduftively
involves us under the guilt of Idolatry, and
breach of the fecond Commandment ; there
fore we ought not to let them dwell in the
Land, left they make us fin, Exod. xxiii. 32.
We fhould deftroy their very Names out of
the Place, Deut. xii. 3. Jud. ii. 7.
Pag. 285. Jus Populi, cap. 16. (fays he) ' Make
this one Charader of a Tyrant, that living
in Luxury, Whoredom, Greed, and Idlenefs,
he negledeth, or is unfit for his Office. How
thefe fute to our times, we need not exprefs ;
what effrontery of Impudence is it for fuch
Monfters to pretend to rule. fag. 296.
Kings and Tyrants for the moft part are
reciprocal Terms.
Pag. 306. ' We own the Obligation of our
facred Covenants unrepealably and indifpenf-
ably binding to all. But we deny that here
by we are bound either to maintain Monarchy,
or to own the Authority of either of the two
Monarchs that have monarchized or tyran
nized over us thefe twenty feven Years paft.
In the Covenants we are not bound, but on
ly conditionally, to maintain the King's Per
fon and Authority, that is only upon the
Terms that he fhould be a Loyal Subjed: to
Chrift, and a faithful Servant to the People,
which he cannot be thought who does not
H 2 caufe
C 52 3
* caufe all ftand to their Covenant-Engage^
* ments*, as Jofiah did, 2 Chron. xxxiv. But, a-
* las! there was never a Jofiah in the Race of
* our Kings ; they rofe up to the Height of Re-
* bellion againft God and the People, with
\ Heaven-daring Infolency, not only breaking
* but burning the Holy Covenant.
Concerning owning of Tyrants Authority, -p.- 20S.
•
' When Monarchy becomes oppofite to the
Ends of Government, the Contagion of k
affeds that very Species of Government ;
and then the Houfe is to be pulled down,
when the Leprofie is got into the Walls and
Foundation. The People may make their'
public Servant fenfible, that he is at his higheft
Elevation but a Servant : Hence now when
the Species named in the Covenant, viz. Mo
narchy, is fo vitiate, that it is become the
Inftrument of the Deftrudion of all the Ends
of that Covenant, and now by Law tranf-
mitted to all Succeffors, as an hereditary,.^
perfed, and perpetual Oppofition to the com
ing of Chrift's, Kingdom ; fo that as long as
there is ope to wear that Crown, (but 7*-
hovah will in Righteoufnefs execute Coniah's
Dopm upon the Race, Jerem. xxii. ult. write
this Man Childlefs, J and to enter Heir to the
Government as now eftablifhed, he muft be
an Enemy to Chrift : There is no other way
left, but to think on a new Model, mould--,
ed according to the true Pattern.
* Mr Rule upon the matter affirms the fame. Second Vin»
difAtion, «, pg, ¦
Pag,
C 53 3
Pag. 311. * As he is not, nor will not be our
covenanted and fworn King, and therefore we
cannot be his covenanted and fworn Subjeds;
fo he is not, nor can be our crowned King,
and therefore we cannot be his liege Subjeds,
owning Fealty and Obedience to him.
Pag. 340. ' It will be found that there is no
Title on Earth now to the Crowns, to Families,
to Perfons, but the People's Suffrage ; for the
Inftitution of Magiftracy does not make James
Stuart a King, no more than John Chamberlain.
P^g- 375- * Kings muft be like Dogs that
are beft Hunters, not thofe who are born
of beft Dogs ; therefore Dominion is not he
reditary. Pag. 389. ' The Inferiour is accountable to the
Superiour, the King is inferiour, the People
is fuperiour ; Ergo, the King is accountable
to the People. The Propofition is plain ; for
if the King's Superiority make the People
accountable to him, in Cafe of tranfgreffing
the Laws, then why fhould not the People's
Superiority make the King accountable to
them, in cafe of tranfgreffing the Laws.
Pag. 411. 'In the fourth Article of the
Covenant, we are obliged to endeavour that
all Incendiaries and Malignants, i5c. be
brought to condign Punifhment ; therefore
is it imaginable that the Head of that unhali
lowed Party, the great malignant Enemy,
who is the Spring, .and gives life to all thefe
Abominations, fhould be exempted from Pu
nifhment? fhall we be obliged to difcover
and bring to punifhment the little petty Ma
lignants, and this implacably ftated Enemy
to Chrift, efcape with a Crown on his Head?
fJav, we are by thjs obliged, if ever we be
? in
r 54 :i
in Condition to bring thefe ftated Ene
mies to God and the Country, to condign
Punifliment, from the higheft to ^q low-
eft: And this we are to do, as we would
have the Anger of the Lord turned away
from us, which cannot be wichout hanging
up their Heads before the Lord againft the
Sun, Numb. xxv. 4..
Page 412. ' By the fifth Article of the Cove
nant, we are obliged to endeavour that Juftice
be done upon fuch as oppofe the Peace and
Union between the Kingdoms ; but this Man
and his Brother have deftroy'd and annull'd
that which was the Bond of thefe Kingdoms
Union, viz., the Solemn League and Cove-
¦ nant. Page 459. ' That Form God fave the King,
now impofed, as it is found in the Original, is
only paraphraftically expounded, and moft
catachreftically applied to Tyrants, being in
the native fenfe of the words only. Let the
King live ; which as it is now extorted moft il
legally, fo it can be render'd neither civilly,
nor fincerely, nor chriftianly: It is a horrid
mocking of God, and a heinous taking ofhis
Name in vain, contrary to the third Com
mandment ; If it be a congratulation, it is the
more abominable, not only for the Hypocri
fie that is in it, but the Blafphemy, in giving
Thanks for the Promoter of the Devil's In-'
tereft, and the Deftroyer of Chrift's and the Li'
berties of Mankind.
Page 46S. ' Let us confider the Perfon and
Matter for whom and for what, this Prayer
(God fave ihe King ;) is extorted : Either it is
for the Salvation of James the Papift, or of
James the Tyrant ; Now 'tis not the Will of
« God
C 55 3
* God, that they that have, and keep, and will
« not part with the Mark of the Beaft, fliould
* be faved; for he is adjudged of God to drink
* the Wine ofhis Wrath, Rev. xiv. 9, lo. We
* cannot pray for him as a Chriftian, or as King,
* becaufe he is neither ; and as a Tyrant he can
' no more be faved than as a Papift ; for, Tophet
* is ordained of old, yea, forthe King it is prepared,
• Ifai. iii. 33. Now while he continues fuch, we
* muft complain in Prayers, not for his Mif-
* government only, but for that he governs,
* and defire to be deliver'd from him ; for confi-
* dering what * a Man, and what a King he is,
* guilty of Murder, Adultery, Idolatry, under
* the Sentence of the Law both ofGod and Man ;
* we can pray no otherwife fo him than for a
* Murderer, Adulterer, Idolater ; we cannot pray
' that the Lord may blefs his Government, for
* 'tis his Sin and our Mifery, that he is a Go-
' vernour, and his Throne is a Throne of Ini-
* quity.' What Form of Prayer this Author ufes
for the King, may be feen at the end of the
Notes of their Prayers.
Page 500. ' By Allegiance and Loyalty, can
* be meant nothing elfe, by our prefent Gover-
* nors, but an Obligation to own and obey,
* and never to oppofe the Defign of advancing
* Tyranny ; and by Peaceablenefs and Order-
* linefs, nothing elfe can be intended, than an
* Obligation never to oppofe either the prefent
* Settlement, or future Eflablifliment of Popery
* and Arbitrary Power, upon the Ruins of the
* Reformation, and our Civil and ReK^ous
* Rights and Liberties; whence they that take
« thefe Oaths and Bonds, in any other fenfe,
* look more to the Liberties of Worldly Intereft,
< tlian to the Didates of Confcience, and by
quibbling
C 56 3
quibbling Evafions do but mock God, deceive
the World, and illude the Enemies, and delude
themfelves. Page 505. ' The Covenant is the Foundation
of the People's Compad with the King at his
Inauguration, the fundamental Law of the Go
vernment, and among the very Leges £3" re-
gulce regnandi ; fo that the Refcinders of it are
chargeable not only with Perjury, but of Trea
fon and Tyranny, in breaking and altering
the Conftitution of the Government, and are
liable to the Curfe of the Covenant; for they
cannot refcind that, nor efcape it's Vengeance ;
whereof we have a Speaking-pledge already,
in that the Refcinder of thefe Covenants wasfo
terribly refdnded, and cut off by the hands of
unnatural Violence ; God thereby fulfiUing,
that threatned Judgment of Cpvenant-brea-
kers. That he that hath broken his Covenant ffall
he brought to DeftruSiion : and bloody and deceitful
Men ffall not live out half their days: So Charles
the Second got not leave to live out half of the
days he projeded to himfelf.
Pag. 508. ' To require Men to fubfcribe to
a Declaration, afferting that the National Co
venant, and the Solemn League and Cove
nant, were and are in themfelves unlawful
Oaths, is to require Men to enter into a Con
federacy againft the Lord, at which the Hea
vens might ftand aftonifh'd; 'ds an unpa-
rallell'd breach of the third Commandment,
and could no more be taken in Truth and
Righteoufnefs, than an Oath renouncing the
Bible; Pag- 513' * An acknowledgment of Eccle-
fiaftical Supremacy, refident in the King, is
the moft blafphemous Ufurpation on the Prc-
* rogatives^
C 57 3
rogatives of Chrift, that ever the greateft Mon
fter among Men durft arrogate ; yea, the Ro
man Beaft never claimed more; and in Effed:
it is nothing cU'e but one of his Names of Blaf
phemy, twifted out of the Pope's Hands by
King Henry VIII. and handed down to Queen
Elizabeth, &c. By this many intolerable In-
choachments, made upon the Liberties and
Privileges of the Church of Chrift, are yield
ed unto ; as that there muft be no Church- Af
femblies wichout the Magiftrate's Confent, but
that the Power of convocating and indiding
Affemblies docs belong only to him, that he
may diffolve them when he pleafes, and that
his Prefence, or his Commiffioner's, is necef
fary to each national Affembly *.
Pag. 516. » To engage in Bonds of living
peaceably, is to engage in Bonds of Iniquity j
they are Covenants of Peace with God's Ene
mies, whom we fliould count our Enemies ;
and hate them becaufe they hate him, Pfal. cxxxix.
'Tis more fuicable to anfwer as Jehu did to
Joram, What peace, fo long as the wboredoins of
¦ thy mother Jezabel, and her witchcrafts are fo
¦ many ? than to engage to be at Peace with
• thofe who are carrying on Babylon's Intereft,
• the Mother of Harlots and Witchcrafts f.
Pag. 658. ' For private Perfons to deftroy and
= rid the Commonwealth of fuch Burdens and
' vile Vermine, fo pernicious to it as Tyrants
' are, was thought a Virtue meriting Commenda-
* Compare this with the Presbyterians now denying the Power
to the King of dijfolving the Affembly.
f Upon this Confideration the late Affembly refufed, at King-
"William' .( defire, to receive the "Epifcopal Party into any Terms
tf Peace or Communion. I^ * tion
C 58 1
tion by all Nations ; among the rudeft Nati
ons this is a relid of Reafon ; as the oriental
Indians have a Cuftom whenever any Perfon
run a Muck, that is, in a revengful Fury, take
fuch a quantity of Opium as diftrads them into
fuch a Rage of mad Animofity, that they fear
not to affault, and go thorow, deftroying whonv
they can find in their Way ; then every Man arms
againft him, and is ambitious of the Honour of
firft killing him ;. which is very rational ; and
it feems to be as rational, to take the fame Courfe
with our mad Malignant Mucks *, who are
drunk with hellifh Fury, and are running in
a Rage to deftroy the People of God.
Pag. 701. ' The exading Taxations for main
taining of the Army, and the paying of Sub-
fidies, w^as, and remains to be, a confummating
crimfon Wickednefs, the Cry whereof reached
Heaven ; fince upon the Matter it exceeded the
GcCdarens Wickednefs, and was fhort of their
Civihty ; they did not befeech Chrift and his
Gofpel to be gone out of Scotland, but with
armed Violence declared, they would with the
ftrong Hand drive him out of his Poffeffioh,
in order to which their Legions are levied with
a profeffed Declaration, That there fhall not
be a^oul left in the Nation, who fhall not be
flain, fhut up, or fold as Slaves, who will own
CHRIST and his Intereft.
Pag. 712. ' The paying of Subfidies to the
prefent Government, is to furnifli that Party
of the Dragon's Legions, in their War agajnja:
Prince Michael and his Angels, with Supplies;
which no moral Force can excufe, no more
than it can do the fliedding of the Blood of
* All that are not true Covenanters. « their
C 59 3
* their innocent Children, or facrificing them to
* Moloch ; for no Sacrifice they can offer to the
* Devil, can be more real, or fo acceptable,
* as what they declare by this ; being fo dired,
* not only in Oppofition to the coming of the
« Kingdom of Chrift, but the Deletion of his
* precio'us Interefts, and the giving Satan fuch
* an abfolute Dominion in the Nation, as that
* they who have made the Decree, and all who
* put it in Execution, pradically declare there-
* by they have mancipate themfelves to his Sla-
* very, and fold themfelves to work Wickednefs
* in the Sight of the Lord : So likewife that all
* the reft of the Nation may with themfelves be-
* come his Vaffals, and in evidence of their Op-
* pofition to Chrift, and in Recognition to Sa-
* tan's Sovereignty, and their Subjedion, they
* areiflppointed to pay thefe black Meals *.
M^Mule, the great Scribe now of the Party,
in hi^jtimnd Vindication of the Church of Scotland,
own^ every Turn, that there are many Pref
byterians in Scotland, who are neither Moderate
nor Sober ; and to thefe he imputes all the Re
bellions and Murders committed by the Party,
and yet he calls the legal Reftraints, put upon
thefe wild or mad Prefbyterians, (for fo they
muft be called, if they be neither moderate nor
fober,) cruel Perfecutions : Now their whole
pretended Martyrology being only made up of
thefe men, I would fain know whofe Martyrs
fuch Men were ; for the Devil has his Martyrs
too. This is Mr Rule's beft way of Reafoning,
for which I am apt to think there's few of the
Party that will thank him ; it being moft evi-
i*^?— I I'll ', 1 ¦ ] J I III
* Taxes\ I z dent.
i: ^ 3
dent, that thofe whom he fo much difowns and
refleds upon, are the only true Scotch Prefbytej
rians ; for whereas Rule, and fome f&ff with him,
who would be thought moderate and fober, have
evidently deferted the old Caufe, and feem to
fit down upon the Lees of Dutch Prefbyteryj
unto which they have bafely degenerated, while
thefe others tread exadly in the Steps of their
Fore- fathers, and ad in a clofe Conformity to
the Covenants and the Decrees of the General Af
femblies ; which muft be acknowledged to be the
Rule for Scotch Prefbyterians, or elfe it muft be
confeft that they have none.
Lfhall leave the Reader to judge which of
thefe two are indeed the trueft Scotch Prefbyte
rians, by the Account which one of their own
famous Writers gives of thofe whom Mr Rule
calls fober and moderate ; in the Hiftorical Repre^
fentation of the Teftimonies of the Church o/" Scotland,
(printed 1687, p. 1 62 and downwards,^ fpeaking
of the Toleration granted in that fame Year by
the King, he fays, and truely too. That thofe
who embraced it, a5led contrary to ihe Preffyterian
Principles of the Church 0/ Scotland, particularly to
the Declaration of the General Affembly, July 27,
1649 ; and contrary to the Covenant. And on
this Head, his Arguments are infinitely beyond
any that ever we have heard from Mr Rule ; for
(fays he) this Tcler ation is founded on fovereign Au
thority, Prerogative royal, and abfolute Power,
which all are to obey without referve. Again, (fays
he) it comes througfh fuch a Conveyance, as fufpejids,
flops, and difables all penal Laws againff Papifts,
and thereby everts all ihe Securities and legal BuU
warks, that Proteftants can have for the E,ftabUfh-
ment of their Religion, tnaking them depend only up"
01} (be arbitrary Word of an abfolute Monarch,
C . 8. ' For the new upftart flavifli
' Dodrine of Paffive Obedience, as the Church
' of England had the Difhonour to be the Mo-
' ther of it, fhe has alfo the Ignominy to be
' the Murderer, having bafely cut it's Throat,
' as Harlots ufb'to do fometimes with their
* fpurious Brood f.
Pag. 27. ' If the Englifh Clergy offer to af-
' fift the prelatical Scots, as they are readier by
* The Presbyterians itideeed ordinarily prevent the King's
putting forth his Hand againfi them, by affaulting him firfi.
f The great Defign of the New Gofpel to decry Pafjive
Obedience, and to blafpheme the Church of England.
« a thoufand
C. 70 3
« a thoufand to one to do it, than to fwear
* Allegiance to their Sovereigns, it may arm
* the good Women with their Folding-ftopls
' once more againft them ; as it did formerly
* in King Charles the Firft's Time, when one
* of the Bifhops began to read the Common-
*¦¦ Prayer, which fhe called Popery.
Pag. 28. ' Is it not as lawful for the Scots Pref-
* byterians to pray againft the Engliff Hierarchy
* as Antichriftian, as for the Engliff Clergy
* and Prelates too, to plot, drink, and plead,
* in thier Seffions at the Devil, againft the
* Scots Prefiyterie: And I believe they would
* pray againft it alfo, but that they have not a
* Form for it. To fuppofe, that the banifhing
* the Prelatical Scots Clergy was not encoura-
* ged by Authority, is Ignorance and Sawci-
* nefs ; for 'tis plain. Authority in Scotland, has
* done what was proper for a Civil Govern-
* ment to do, viz. They have declared the
' Hierarchy Antihuman ; that is, contrary to
* the Peoples Inclination : and, I fuppofe, are
* fo good natured, to wilh their Neighbours
* were rid of it too ; and fo much the rather,
" that they have fo often found, and do ftill
* find them impofing fawcy Intrigues againft
* the Kingdom of Scotland, wherein, if they
* perfift, it may perhaps, and let them blame
' themfelves for it, prove as fatal to them as
* it did in the Days of Dr Laud.' Well, here's
a fevere and open threatning, England then
look to it. The Scots Prefbyterians are fworn
in their Holy Covenant, to reform Britain and
Ireland, (tho' it be by Club-Law) and let them
but have Power, according to their Will, and
they will foon vifit you once more, for all your
Goods, Pag.
C 71 3
Pag. 29. * The Bifliops are generally found
* to be againft that which is for the Nation's
* good, and howfoever the late Oppofition
* which they made to the late King may be
* magnified, they feem quickly to have repent-
* ed of it. But fuppofing they had continued
* ftedfaft, yet whatever good Nature might
* have done, I am fure Juftice would not have
* awarded them any Thanks ; which will ap-
* pear undeniably true, if we confider {among
* many other things which he inftances) how moft
' of the Bifliops oppofed the reverfing of the
* Judgment of Perjury given againft Dr Oates,
* who did the Nation more fervice than feven
* Idolized Stars, fo many of whom are now
* turned dark Lanthorns. Nor can it ever be
* forgot, how many of the inferior Clergy, fol-
' lowing the Condud of their Tripple-headed
* Guide, advanced the Intereft of the Tripple-
* Crown, and fome of them topping ones too,
* the Hour of Death, grated with their flavifli
* nonfenfical D.odrine of Refiftance upon the
* Confciences of the Noble Hero's, and Dar-
* lings of the People, the Lord Ruffel and Duke
* of Monmouth, upon the very Scaffolds ; and if
» the contrary Dodrine be damnable, as they
* alledged, then I am fure their Church hath
* been guilty of damnable Pradices fince*.
This is the Charity that the New Gofpel Pro
feffors have to the Church of England, whith
the whole Chriftian World, befides them, doth
fo juftly honour and efteem, upon the Account
of their Government, Worfhip, Dodrine, and
* Every thing that's not agreeable to the Nem Gofpel muft
be flavifh, nonfenfical, and damnable. Pradice,
L 72 3
Pradice, which their phanatical Neighbours fo
malicioufly cenfure and blafpheme. Well, but
(fay they) the Church of England is fill labour
ing under much Romifli Superftition and Idolatry ;
and which is worfe, ffe is Papaprelatical, nay, fhe
is Archipapaprelatical ; and that's Antihuman in
the New Gofpel Phrafe. But I hope they will
be kind, at leaft, to their Brethren of the Pref
byterian Church beyond Sea. Are not the Dutch
and French Prefbyterians? It not the Mother
Church of Geneva throughly reformed.? No,
no, they have never fet up the Solemn League
and Covenant for their Standard: Or to fpeak
in the Author's own Words, p. 27. They are
Strangers to the Power of Godlinefs, becaufe not
knowing how to pray, without they muft have re
courfe to a Form, which is as unreafonable and un
natural an Impofition upon the Strong, efpecially,
on Minifters, as would be the 'impofing of Crutches
upon the adult and able pari of Mankind, who
can walk better without them. Well, Chrift pre
fcribed a Form of Prayer to his Difciples ; the
firft, and all the fucceeding Ag;es of the Church
thought it not only convenient, but neceffary
to ufe Forms in public Worfliip; but, alas! ¦
the Difciples themfelves, and all preceeding
Chriftians, are but weak, unable Infants, in re
fped of the adult, ftrong, and covenanted Pro
feffors of the New Gofpel in the Weft of
Scotland. The next famous Author is Mr Samuel Ruther
ford, much admired by the whole Party for his
Letters ; there one may fee the genuine Style of
thefe new Gofpellers, the whole Book is uniforra,
all of a Piece, and fpeaks out in their own Dia
led, the Spirit of Scotch Prefbyterians, therefore
I fhall here fet down fome PafTages of it. Epift^
C 73 3
Epift. I. To Mr Robert Cunningham, he fays.
Let us be faithful to him that can ride through
Hell and Death upon a Windleftraw, and his
Horfe never ftumble.
Epift. 2. To his Pariffioners. Chrift fought his
black Wife through t'ain. Fire, Shame, and the
Grave, and fwinimed the Salt Sea for her ; and
fhe then confented ahd faid, even fo I take
hint. Ibid. Every Man hath Converfation and the
New-birth, but 'tis not leel [i. e. honeftly] com *
by, they had never a fick Night for Sin ; when
they go to take out their Faith, they take out a
fair nothing, or, as we ufe to fpeak, a Bleaflum.
[i. e. a Sham.]
Epift. 3. To the profeffors of Chrift inh ehnd. It
will.be. afk'd at everyone of us, on what Terms we
here brook Chrift, for we have ficcen long Meal
\i. e. Rent] free : We found Chrift wichouc a wet
robt, and he and his Gofpel came upon fmall
Charges to our Doors, but now we muA wee
bur Feet to feek him. Ibid. Chrift will not bring
before Sun and Moon all the Infirmities of his
Wife. It is the modefty of Marriage-Anger, or
Hufband-Wrath, that our fweet Lord Jefus will
not corne with chiding in the Streets, to let all
the World hear what is betwixt him and us.
Ibid. O that I had my fill of his Love, but I
know ill Manners make ari uncouth and ftrange
Bridegroom. ipyi. 5. To my Lady Kenmure. Madam, why
¦ftibuld I fmother Chrift's Honefty? he look'd
framed \i. e. ftrange] and uncouth-like upon me
when I came firft here, but I believe himfVlf bet
ter than his looks, I fhall not again quarrel with
Chrift for a GTqom [/. e. a Frown] : now he
hath taken the Mafk off his Face, and faith,
L kifs
C 74 3
kifs thy fill. Ibid. 'Tis little to talk of Chrift by .
the Book and Tongue, but to come nigh Chrift
and haufs [i. e. hugg], and embrace him, is a-
nother thing.
Epift. II. To the Vifcount 0/ Kenmure. Idefpair
that ever I fhould win [i. e. get] to the far End
of Chrift's Love, there are fo many plies in it ;
I wonder what he meant, to put fuch a Slave at
the Board-head, at his own Elbow. Ah ! that
I fhould lay my black Mouth to fuch a fair, fair,
fair Face as Chrift's ; he got neither bud nor hire
of me, it coft me nothing.
Epift. 12. To my Lsiy Kenmure. If there were
buying, and fefling, and blocking for as good'
again betwixt Chrifi and us, then free Grace
might go play itfelf, and a Saviour might fing
dumb, and Chrift go and fleep.
Epift. 14. To John Gordon o/Gordonefs. Many
a fweet, fweet, foft Kifs, many a perfdm'd well
fmell'd Kifs, and Embracement have I receiv'd
of my royal Mafter. Ibid. And now, whoever.;';
they be that have returned to their old Vomit
(Prelacy) fince my departure, I bind upon their '
Back, in my Matter's Name and Authority, the
long, lafting, weighty Vengeance ahd Curfe of
God ; in the Lord's Name I give them a Doom
of black and unmixed pure Wrath, which my
Mafter fhall ratify, except they rimeoufly repent
and turn to the Lord.
Epift. 15. To my Lady Boyd. Chrift delightet]|,
to take up fallen Bairns, and to mend broken
Bones ; he is content that ye lay broken Arms
and Legs on his Knee, that he may fpelk thera.
Ibid. I think fhame of the Board-head, and the
firft Mefs p. e. Difli], and the royal King's
Dining-hall; and that my black Hand fhould
come on fuch a Ruler^s Table. Ibid. I know he
C 75 3
he hath other Things to do than to play with me,
and trinle an Apple wich me.
Epift. I -/. • To my Lord Loudon. You come
out to the Streets wich Chrift on your Fore
head, when many are afliam'd of him, and hide
him under their Cloaks, as if he were a ftoln
Chrift. ; Epift. 19. To Mr Hugh M'- Kel. O how ma
ny black Counts \i. e. Accounts] have Chrift
and I rounded over together ? O how fat a Por
tion hath he given to an hungry Soul ? I had ra
ther have Chrift's four Hours, than have Dinner
and Supper both in one from any other.
¦ Epift. 20. To my Lady Boyd. I fee now a Suf
ferer for Chrift will be holden at the Door as well
as another poor Sinner, and will be fain to eat
with the Bairns, and to take the By-board, and
glad fo.
Epift. 21. To Mr David Dickfon. I cannot
get a Houfe in Aberdeen wherein to leave Drink-
fiber in my Mafter's Name, fave one only ;
there is no Sale for Chrift . in the North, he is
Hke to lie long on my Hand, e're any accept
him. Epift. 27. To Mr Matthew Mowat. If I had
Veffels I might fill them, but my old riven
\i. e. rent] holely and running-out Dilh, ever
when I am at the Well, can but bring liccle a-
way. Alas, I have flcail'd [f. e. fpilt] more of
God's Grace than I have brought with me. Ibid.
Ihad not fo much free Gear [i, e. Goods] when.
I came to Chrift's Camp as to buy a Sword, I
wonder that Chrift fhould not laugh at fuch a
Soldier. Epift. 27. To Earifton Younger. I have feen
the Devil as it were dead and buried, and yet,
j|fe again, and be a worfe Devil than ever he
'¦ ¦ ^ L 2 wasj
[ 76 3
was ; therefore. Brother, beware of a green'
young Devil, that hath never been buried ; th^
Devil in his Flower is much to be feared : Bet
ter yoak [f. e. engage] with an old grey-ha,ir'd,,
withered, dry Devil, tfc. The Saints in Hea-,
ven are nothing but Chrift's forbiorn, beggariy
Dyvars \i. e. bankrupt Debters],' a pack of re-
dee m'd Sinners. All Chrift's good Bairps go to'
Heaven with a broken Brow, and a crooked.
Leg. Ibid. 'Tis a hard Matter for a pooj; hungry.
Man to win [i. ^^ yearn] his Meat upon hidden
Chrift, for then the Key ofhis Pantry Door i^a
feeking, and cannot be had, but Hunger muP:
break through Iron Locks : I bcmoarv not thjem
that can make a Din [i. e. Noife] and all the.-.
Fields adoe, for a loft Sa.viour ; yet muft. let,
him hear it, to fay fo, on both fides of ^is Head,
when he hidech himfelf, ic ftandech you h^rdco.
want Chrift ; and therefore that >yhich idle on-"
waiting cannot do, mifnurtered ^j,. e-. ill raan-
ner'd], crying and knpcking. will do ; Chrjft will
not dance to your daft Spring \i. e. foolifh Song^-
Ibid. At our firft Converfion' the Lord putteth
the Meat in young Bairns Mouths with his own
I^and, We love always to have the Pap put in our
Mouth. Ih'id. If my Creditor Chrift would take
from me what hehath lent,. I w,oald not long
keep the Caufey. I think it' Manhood to play
the Coward, aiid jpuke [z. ^. Ikulk] in the lee
Side of Chrift^ and thus la^ faved. Ibid, f
complain, when Chrift conieth, he cometh a^-V
v?ays to fetch Fire, he is eyer in hafte, he mayi
not tarry, and poor I Ca,beggarly! Dyvar> get
but a ftanding Vifit, and a ftanding Kifs, and-
but how doft thou ? in the^ by-goipg.
; Epift. 28. To Alexander Gordoa o/Knockraig,
p if I could be a Bridge over a Water for mv^
Lord
C 77 3
Lord Jefus to walk upon and keep his Feet dry."
He can make a fair Feaft out of a black Devil.
Ibid. If God were dead, and Chrift buried and
rotten among Worms, indeed then we might look
like dead folks.
Epift. 34- To Earltown. I wou]d give him my
Bond under my Faith to frift Heaven \i. e. give
him Credit] a hundred Years longer, fo being,
he would lay his holy Face to my fometimes wet
Cheeks. Fpift. 35. To Marion Mac-Naught. Chrift,
who is your Head, hath win through with his
Life, hpwbeit, not with a whole Skin. Some
times K^ing Jefus fendeth me out a ftanding-drink
and whifpereth a word through the Wall, and
I am vgell content of kindnefs at the fegond hand,
his bode is ever welcome, but at other times he
will be Meffenger himfelf, and Iget the Cup of
Salvation out of his own hand, he drinking to
me, and we cannpt reft till we be in other's
Arms. ; Epift. 41, To my Lady Culrofs. O to be fnat-
terling and fwimming over Head and Ears in
Chrift's Love ; Bleffed be my rich Lord Jefus.,
who fendeth not away Beggars frora his Houfe
¦w^ich a toom-difh [i. e. Empty].
Ep^fi. 45. To John Keanedy. It doth a Soul
goad: to get a Cuff [i e. a Box] with the lovely,
fweet,. and foft hand of Jefus ; what power and
ftrength is in. his ,Love, I am- perfwaded it can
climb up a fteep Hill and Hell upon it's backi
fhame may confound and fear me once to hold
up my black mouth to receive one of Chrift's de
ferved. Kiffes,
Epift. 50. To James Bantie. The beft Regene^
ra,te have their, defilements, and, if I may fpeak fo,
their Draff-pock [f. e. fack full of Grains] that will
clog
\ - : 78 1
clog behind them all their Days ; if my Lord
had not given me his LOve, I v/ould have fallen
through the Caufey [i. e. Streets] of Aberdeen
e'er now ; but for you that hunger, ye fhall be
fill'd e'er you go, there is as much in our Lord's
Pantry as will fatisfy all his Bairns ; and as much
Wine in his Cellar as will quench all their Thirft :
I fhall tell you what ye fhall do, treat him Well,
give him the arm'd Chair, and the Board-head
\i. e. Table-head], and make him welcome to
the mean portion ye have.
Epift. gi. To John Stuart. That mifcarried -
Journey is with Child to you of Mercy and Con-
folation, and fhall bring forth a fair Birth, and
the Lord fliall be Midwife to the Birth. If our
Lord ride upon a Straw, his Horfe fliall neither
ftumble nor fall.
Epift. 53. Ibid. Oh if my Lord would make '
Dung of me, to fatten and make fertile his own
Corn-ridges in Mount Zion. Ibid. God be plea-
fed to take home to his Houfe my Harlot Mo
ther. O if her Hufband would be fo
kind as to go and fetch her out of the Brothel-
houfe, and chafe her Lovers to the Hills ; but
there wifl be fad Days e'er it come to that.
Epift. 54. To my Lady Buffy. Wo is me
that bits of living Clay dare come out to
rufh hard Heads with him, and that my unkind
Mother, this Harlot Kirk, hath given her fweet
Half-marrow [i. e. Hufband], fuch a -meet
ing. Epift. 56. To Mr Thomas Garvan. I confi-
dendy believe that there is a Bed made for Chrift
and me, and that we fliall take our fill of Love
in it.Epift. c^y. My riven-difli [/. e. rent] and
running-out Veffel can hold little of Chrift Je,
fus,
C 7^ 3
fus. Ibid. 'Tis Chrift's Wifdom that his Bairns
go wet-fhod and cold-footed to Heaven.
Epift. 63. To the Earl of Ci3//5/;. Many now
would go to Heaven the Land way, Cfor they
love not to be Sea-fick) riding up to Chrift up
on foot Mantles, and ratling Coaches, and rub
bing their Velvet with the Princes of the Land
in the higheft Seats : If this be the narrow Way,
I quit all Skill to the Way of Salvation.
Epift. 89. To John Kennedy. O that the Courts
fenced in the Name of the Baftard Prelates,
(their Godfathers, the Pope's Bayliffs, Sheriffs}
were cried down. — If this had not been, I would
have fkinked [i. e. toped] over my Part of Para-
dice for a Breakfaft of dead moth-eaten Earth.
Epift. ^1. To Mr David Dickfion. I have been
thefe two Sabbaths or three in private taking *
Inftruments in the Name of God, That my
Lord Jefus and I have kiffed each other in Aber
deen; who can blame Chrift to take me on be
hind him, Cif I niay fay fo) on his white Horfe
thorow a Water ; will not a Father take his
little dated Davie [i. e. fondled Darling] in his
Arms, and carry him over a Ditch or Mire ;
my fhort Legs could could not ftep over this
Lair (or finking Mire^and therefore, ^c.
Epift. 108. To Robert Gordon of Knockffrek. I
love to be kifs'd and fit on Chrift's Knee, but I
cannot fet my Feet to the Ground, for AfHidi-
ons bring the Cramp upon my Faith.
Ep'ift. 118. To Bat hia Aird. At my firft en
try hither, Chrift and I agreed not well upon
it, now he's content to kifs my black Mouth, to
put his Hand in mine, and to feed me with as
' * In tht Hand of a Notary. _
' many
C so 3
many Coiifolations as would feed ten "hungry
Souls, yet I dare not fay he is a Wafter of Com- ,
forts. Epift. 111. To Robert Gordon of Knockffreh
Chrift feemeth to leave Heaven Cto fay fo; and
his Court, and to come down to laugh and pk^
and fport with a daft Bairn [i. e. foolifh ChildJ.
I deny nothing that the Mediator wfll challengfe
me of, but I turn it all back upon himfelf, let
him look his own old Counts [?. e. Accounts],
if he be angry, for he will get no more of tat.
Epift. 111. To Earleftone. There is a Myfter^
of Love in Chrift that I never faw, O that hfe
would lay by the Lap of the Covering that
is over it, and let my greening [z. e. longing]
Soul fee it; I would break the Doo^ and be in
upon him, to get my Womb full of Love.
Epift. 128. To Mr Hugh Henderfoh. Chrift
fhuffieth up and down in his Hands the great
Body of Heaven and Earth,- and Kirk and Com
monwealth are in his Hand like a ftockof Cards-,
and he dealeth the Play to the Mourners in Zion.
'When Chrift has fleeped out* his Sleep, and his
own are Cried, he will arife as a ftrong Man af
ter Wine, i^c. If Chrift bud and grow grefc'n',
and bloOm and bear Seed again in Scotland, and
his Father fend him two Summers again in one
Year, and bl(;fs his Crop, O what Caufe haVe
we to rejoioe,, 6?f.
Epift. 1391 To Mr John Mein. I fee Chrift will
not prigg [i. e. higgle] with rrit, nor ftand upon
ftepping Stones, but cometh in i,t the broad
Side without Ceremonies-, or making of it nice.
.. Epift. 1^1. To the Earl of Loih\afi. If your
Lordfhip and -Others fliall go. on to dive to the
loweft Ground and Bottom of the Knavery, and
perfidious Treachery to Chrift, 9f the curfed
'( and
C 81 3
and wretched Prelates, the Ancichrift's firft-born,
and the firft-fruic of his foul womb, and fliall
deal with our Soveraign, then your Righteouf
nefs fhaU break thorough the Clouds, &c.
Epift. 142. O for a long Play-day with Chrift.
Epift, 145. Mr John Fergufon. Were it not that
I am dated [z. e. pampered] now and then with
pieces of Chrift's fweet Comforts, I fear I fhould
have made an ill browft \i. e. breding] of this ho
nourable Crofs.
Epift. 162. To Mr Hugh Mc. Kdl. I will
verily give my Lord Jefus a free difcharge of all
that I like a fool laid co his charge, and beg him
pardon to the mends [i. e. over and above].
Epift. 163. I tremble at the remembrance of a
new out-caft becwixt him and me, but I find Chrift
dare not be long unkind.
Epift. 137. To my Lady Boyd. Nothing hath
given my Faith a greater back-fet till it crackt
again, than my clofed Mouth.
Epift. 139. To Carktown. The Lord hath done
W., I wifl not go to Law with Chrift, for I would
gain nothing of that. The Devil is but God's
Mafter-fencer to teach us to handle our Arms.
Epift. 198, To Mr John Levingflon. The
Devil cannot get it denied but we fuffer for the
Apple of Chrift's Eye, his Royal Prerogatives as
King and Law-giver; let us not fear, he will
have his Gofpel once again rouped [2. e. put to
Audion] in Scotland, and the Matter go to
Vows to fee who will fay. Let Chrift be crown
ed King in Scotland: It is true Antichrift ftirrech
his Tail, but I love a rumbling and raging Devil
in the Kirk, rather then a fubtile or fleeping Devil,
Chrift never got a Bride without ftroke of
Sword. M Epift.
[ 82 3
Epift. 200. O Hell were a good cheap Ptice
to'buy him at.
Epift. 207. A Kifs of Chrift blown over his
Shoulder, the parings and crumbs of Glory un
der his Table in Heaven ; a Shower like a. thin
May Mift of his Love, would make me green,
fappy, and joyful.-
Epift. 214. Go on as ye have worthily begun,
in purging of the Lord's Houfe in this Land,
and plucking down the Stalls of Anti-
chrifl's filthy Neft, this wretched Prelacy, and
that black Kingdom whofe wicked Aims have
ever been, and ftill are, to make this fat World
the only Compafs they would have Faith and Re
ligion to fail by, and to mount up the Man of Sin,
their God- father the Pope of Rome, upon the
higheft Stair of Chrift's Throne, and to make a
Velvet Church, ^c. Ibid. Thefe Men mind no
thing elfe but that by bringing in the Pope's foul
Tail firft upon us, their wretched and beggarly
Ceremonies ; they may thruft in after them Anti-
chrift's Legs, Thighs, and his Belly, Head and
Shoulders ; and then cry down Chrift and the
Gofpel, and up the Merchandize and Wares of
the great Whore. Ibid. Chrift fhall never be
content, wich chis Land, neicher fhall his hot
fiery Indignation- be turned away, fo long as the
Prelate Cthe Man that lay in Antichrift's foul
Womb, and the Antichrift's Lord-Bailiff) fliall
fit Lord Carver in the Lord Jefus's Courts. The
Prelate is both the Egg and the Neft, to deck and
bring forth Popery ; plead therefore for the pul
ling down of the Neft, and crufliing of die
Egg. _ All [that IS meant here by Chrift, is Prefbyte
rian Government. ' I fliall
• C 83 J
I fhall conclude this Sedion wich fome of their
moft remarkable Principles and Opinions con
cerning Civil Government.
The Prefbyterians of late have talk'd much of
their Loyalty, but if they have any, it muft be
in Contradidion to their Principles : For Proof
of this I fliall not trouble you wich Citations from
private Men, but appeal to their Covenants and
Solemn Leagues, to their conftant Dodrine as well
as Pradice of Refiftance ;, and fome few Inftances
I muft not omit, taken from the Ads of their
General Affemblies, and thofe Books which
have the general Approbation of the Party in
which chey exprefs chemfelves chus ; Unlefs Men
blot out of their Hearts, the Love of Religion, and
Caufe of God, and caff off all Care of their Country,
Laws, and Liberties, &c. they muff now or never
appear a£live (againft che King) each one ftretching
himfelf to, yea, and beyond their Power; it is not
time to daily, or go about the Bufinefs hy halves ;
nor to he almoff, but altogether zealous : Curfed is
he that doth the Work of the Lord negligently,
Solemn and feafonable Warning to all Ranks,
Feb. 12. 1645. Seff. 18.
In another feafonable and neceffary Warning,
dated July 27. 1649. Seff. 27. they fay. But if
his Majefty, or any having or pretending Power and
Commiffion from him, ffall invade this Kingdom, upon
pretext of eftabliffing him in the Exereife ofhis royal
Power ; as it will he a high Provocation againff God
to be acceffory or affifting thereto, fo it will be a ne
ceffary Duty to refift and oppofe the fame.
The Author of the Hind let loofe * refleding
on thefe Paffages, fays, Thefe Fathers could well
fi.\ .. \ I L . I
* PageSe. .„
M 2 diftingKtff
C 84 3
diftinguifi betwixt- Authority and the Perfon, and
were not fo loyal as now their degenerate Children are
ambitious to ffew themfelves ftupidly ftooping t^ the-
Shadow thereof, and yet will be called. The only
Affertors of Prefbyterian Principles.
The Prefbytery hath the Power of making Peace
and War, and the Parliament ought not to enter 'into
any War without them ; more than Jofhua did with
out the Confent o/Eliazar.
Any Union of Engagement of the Nation, to defend
the King's Perfon, Honour, or Prerogative, is un
lawful, unlefs allow'd by the Prefbytery.
The Prefbytery alone knows, and it only can deter
mine, what the Caufe of God is ; the King and Par
liament are not to be complied with, but in Subordina
tion to the Covenant.
The Prefbytery can counter-aSl the A£ls of tbe
States of Parliament, and difcharge the Subjeds from
obeying fuch Acts as are impofed without the Confent
of the Prefbytery.
Ad General Affembly, Aug. 3. 1648.
Ad and Declaration againft the Ad of Par
liament, July 13. 1648.
Ad General Affembly, Aug. 13. 1650.
Though our Saviour told his Difciples, That his
Kingdom was not of this World, and that there
fore they ought not to fight for him ; yet that
Dpilrine does not now oblige Covenanted Chriftians,
for ihey may fight without, yea, and againft the Con
fent of the fupream Magiftrate for the Caufe of God;
and a probable Capacity to effe5iuate their Defigns,
is ihe Call of God to do it.
Jus Pop. Preface to the Reader. Napb. Pag.
7, 8, 16, 159,
Not only is it neceffary to refift the King hy Force,
in Defence of the Solemn League and Covenant,
C 85 3
but alfo to refift King and Parliament, when they
pervert the right Ways of the Lord, and hinder the
Work of Reformation : The crying Sins of the Land
which we ffould confefs with Sorrow before the Lord,
are. That the gracelefs Prelates and Curates are not
hung up before tbe Sun, and that Men ffould be fo
godlefs, as to affift the King in his Diftrefs, before he
had fatisfied the Kirk hy publick Penance, for oppo
fing the Work of God in the Covenant.
Jus Prop. Throughout.
Ad General Affembly, Aug. 13, 1650.
Acknowledgment of Sins and engagement
to Duties appointed and publiflied, 1648.
And again renewed at Lefmachago, March
3. 1688 ; with Accommodation to the
prefent Times.
SECT. III.
Containing Notes of the Presbyterian Ser
mons taken in Writing from their Mouths.
AT firft I begin with one I heard from Zet
land, who preaching on David and Goliab,
he told the Hearers, Sirs, ihis David was but a
little manekine, like my heddle Davie Gaddies thene,
but Goliab was a meckle ftrong Fellow, like the Laird
of Quandal there ; ihis David gets a Scrippie and
Baggie, thai is a Sling and a Stone in it; he flings a
Stone into Goliah'i Face, down falls Goliah and
David above him : After that David was made a
King ; he that wqs keeping Sheep before, in truth he
came
C 86 3
came very well too. Sirs : Well faid, Da.vie fee what
comes of it. Sirs ; after that he commits Adultery
with Uriah : Nay, (faid the beddal Davie Gaddies)
it was but with Uriah's Wife, Sir. In Faith, thou
art right, it was Uriah'i Wife, indeed Man; faid
Mr John,
One Ker at his entring into a Church at Teviot-
dale, told the People the Relacion that was to be
between him and them in thefe following words :
Sirs, J am coming, home to he your Shepherd, and
you muft be my Sheep, and the Bible will he me Tar-
bottle, for I will mark you with it ; Cand laying his
Hand on the Clerk or Precenter's Head) he
faich, Andrew, you ffall be my Dog: The fiorrow
a bit of your Dog will I he, faid Andrew. O An
drew, I fpeak myftically, faid che Preacher: Tea,
but you fpeak mifchievoufty, faid Andrew.
Mr William Guthry preaching on Peter's Con
fidence, faid, PeCer, Sirs, was as ftalliard a Fel
low as ever had cold Iron at his Arfe, and yet a
Huffte with a Rock \i. e. Diftaff.] feared him.
Anocher preaching againft Drunkennefs, told
the Hearers, There were four forts of Drunkennefs.
I. ' To be drunk like a Sow, tumbling in the
* Mire like many of this Parifh. 2 . There is
* to be drunk like a Dog ; the Dog fills the
« Stomach of him, and fpues all out again, and
* thou John Jamifon was this way drunk the other
* Day. 3. There is to be drunk like a Goofe:
« Of all Drunkennefs, Sirs, beware of the Drunk-
* ennefs of the Goofe, for it never refts, but con-
« ftantly dips the Gobb [i. e. Beke] of it in the
* Water: You are all drunk this way. Sirs, I
* need name none of you. 4. There is to be
« drunk like a Sheep ; the filly Sheep feldom or
* never drinks, but fometimes wets the Mouth of
^ it in the Water, and rifes up as well as ever ;
* and
C 87 3
and I my felf ufe to be drunk this way. Sirs.
But now, 1 fee {faid he) two Gentlemen in che
Kirk, and Gendemen you are boch "Strangers
to me, but I muft vindicate myfelf at your
Hands ; I have here the curfedeft Pariih that
ever God put Breath in, for all my preaching
againft Drunkennefs, they will go into a
Change-houfe after Sermon, and the firft Thing
they'fl get is a meckle Cup [i. e. large Difli] full-
of hot Ale, and they will fay, I wifh we had the
Minifter in the midff of it : Now, Gendemen,
judge ye how I am rewarded for my good
Preaching." After Sermon the Clerk givesf
him up the Name of a Fornicatrix, whofe Name
was Ann Canity ; Here is (faith he) one upon the
Stool of Repentance, they call her Candy, ffe faith'
herfelf ffe is an honeft Woman, but I trow fcantly.
Mr John Levingflone in Ancrum, once giving
the Sacrament of che Lord's Supper, faid to his
Hearers, Now, Sirs, you may take Chrift piping
hot ; and finding a Woman longfome in taking
the Bread out of his Hand, he fays, Woman, if
you take not Chrift, take the meikle [i. e. greatl Devil
then. One John Simple, a very zealOus Preacher a-
mong them, ufed to perfonate and ad Sermons
in the old monkifh Stile, fpoken of Seff . i. §, 16.
At a certain Time he preached upon that De
bate, Whether a Man he juftified by Faith or by
Works, and aded it after this Manner, ' Sirs,
* this is a very great Debate, but who is that
* looking in at the Door, with his red Cap?
* follow your look. Sir ; it is very ill Manners
* to be looking in, but what's your Name ? Ro-
* bert Bellarmine : Bellarmine, faith he, whether is
« a Man juftified by Faith or by Works? He
« is juftified by Works : Stand thou there Man.
^ ^ ' « But
C 88 3
« But what Is he, that honeft-like-man ftanding
* in the Floor with the long Beard, and Geneva
* Coul? \i. e. Hood] a very, honeft-like-man,
« draw near ; what's your Name, Sir ? My Name
* is John Calvin. Calvin, honeft Calvin, whe-
' ther is a Man juftified by Faith or by Works?
' He is juftified by Faith. Very well John, thy
' Leg to my Leg, and We fhall hough [i. e. trip}
' down Bellarmine even now.
Another time time preaching on the Day of
Judgment, he told them, ' Sirs, this will be a
' terrible Day, we'll all be there, and in the
' Throng I John Simple will be, and all of you will
« ftand at my Back ;' Chrift will look to me, and
• he will fay, Who is that ftanding there ? I'll fay
' again, yea even as ye ken'd \i. e, knew] not
' Lord : He'll fay, I know thou'ft honeft John
* Simple ; draw near John ; now John, what good
' Service have you done me on Earth? I have
« brought hither a Company of blew Bonnets
' for you, Lord : Blew Bonnets, John, what is
* become of the brave Hats, the Silks, and the
' Sattins, John ? I'll tefl, I know no Lord, they
* went a Gate \i. e. a Courfe] of their own :
' Well, lioneft John, thou and thy blew Bon-
* nets are welcome to me, come to my right
« Hand, and let the Devil take the Hats, the
* Silks, and the Sattins.
This John was ordinarfly called Fitch-cape and
Claw-poll, becaufe in the time of Preaching or
Praying he ufed to claw his Head, and rub his
Callet. At a certain time he was called to
preach in a Neighbouring Church, and his Pre
face was in thefe Words:
' Sirs, I know what you will be faying among
« yourfelves the Day, ye will fay. Here is
* Fich-cape come to preach to us the Day : but
^ as
C 89 3
* as the Lord lives, I had a great deal of do e're
* I could come to you, for by the way I met
* the Devil, he faid to me. What now F'ltch-
' cape, whither are you going? I am going,
* faid I, to preach to the People of God. People
* of God! faid the foul [i. e. nafty] Thief, they
* are my People. They are not yours, thou
* foul Thief, faid I. They are mine. Claw-poll,
' fa'id he again to me; fo the foul Thief and I
* tugg'd and rugg'd [j. e. pufled and hailed],
, and riv'd at one another, and at laft I got
* you out of his Clooks \i. e. Clutches]: Now
' here is the good that Fitch-cape hath done to
' you ; now that ye may be kept out of his
* Gripes let us pray.
^ Another, Leduring on the firft of Job, faid.
Sirs, I will tell you this Story very plainly.
The Devil comes to God one day, God faid. What
mw Deel, thou foul Th'ief, whither are you going ?
I am going up and down now. Lord you have put
me away from you now, I mu(f even do for myfelf
now. Well, well, Deel (fays God) all the World
kens that it is your Fault; but do not you know
that I have an honeft Servant they call Job ? Is
7wt he an honeft Man, Deel ? Sorrow to his Thank,
fays the Deel, you make his Cup to ftand full even,
you make his Pot play well, but give him a Cuff
[i. e. found bang], I ll hazard Be'll be as ill as I
am called. Go, Deel (fa.ys God) I'll yoke his Ho
nefty with you : Fell [i. e. kill] his Cows, worry his
Sheep, do all the Mifchief ye can, but for the very
Saul of you, touch not a Hair ofhis Tail.
Mr Robert Blair, that famous PreflDyterian
Preacher 'at St Andrews, was very much thought
of for his familiar way of Preaching. He
preached often againft the Obfervation of Chrift
mas ; and once in this Scotch jingle ; Tou will fay,
N Sirs,
C 90 3
Sirs, Good old Tule-day [i. e. Chriftmas] ; /'// tell
you] Good old Fool- day : Tou will fay. It is a brave
Haly-day ; / tell you. It is a brave Belly-day : Tou
will fay, thefe are bonny \\. e. gay] Formalities; hut
I tell you, they are bonny Fartalities.
Anocher enveighing againft the Vanity andGad-
dinefs of Women, fpake thus ; Behold the Vanity of
Women, look to them, you'll fee, firft a Sattin P-etiicoat ;
lift that, there is a Tabby Petticoat ; lift that, there
is a Flannen' Petticoat ; lift that, there is a Holland '
Smark; lift that and there you will. fee what they
ought not to he proud of, that's no very cleanly fpe-
Hacle; Eve (faid he) was never fio vain, ffe fougfit -.
no covering but Fig-Leaves.
Mr Simple Cwhom ! named beforej told. That
Samfon was the greateft fOol that ever was born,
for he revealed his Secrets to a daft-huffie \i. e.
foolifh Wench]. Samfon, you may well call him
Fool Thomfon, for of all the John Thorii- \i. e.
Hen-peckt men] fon's men that ever was, he
was the fooleft.
I have a Sermon of theirs, written from the
Preacher's Mouth by one of their own Zealots,
whereof this is one Paffage, ' Jacob began to
* .wreftle with God, an able Hand forfooth ; I
« Sirs, but he had a good Second, that was
* Faith ; Faith and God gave two or three
' Toufles together ; 'at laft God^ dings \i. e.
¦ ' beats] down Faith on it's Bottom ; Faith gets
* up to his Heels, and fays. Well, God, is this
' yoilr Promife to me? 1 trow I have a Ticket
« in my Pocket here ; Faith brings , out the
' Ticket, and ftops it into God's Hand, and
* faid. Now God! is not this your own write?
* deny your own Hand-write if you dare ? Are .
' thefe the Promifes you gave me ? Look how
* ) ou guide me when I come to you, God
* reads
C 91 3
' reads the Ticket, and faid. Well, well. Faith,
* I remember I gave you fuch a Promife, good
* footh Faith, if you had been another, thou
i fhould get all the Bones in thy Skin broken.
Mr John Welff, a Man of great efteem among
their Vulgar, once preaching on thefe Words of
Joffua, As for me and .my Houfe we will ferve the
Lord, &c. had this Preface :
* You think, Sirs, that I am come here to
* preach the old Jock-trot Faith and Repen-
' tance to you ; not I, indeed : what think you
* then I am come to preach ? I come to preach
* a broken Covenant ; Who brake it? Even
' the Devil's Lairds, his Bifhops and his Cu-
' rates ; and the Deel, Deel, wiU get them all
* at laft : I know fome of you are come out of
* Curiofity to hear what the -Whigs will fay.
* Who is a ^Yhig^ Sirs? One that will not
' Swear, nor Curfe, nor bann, there a Whig
* to you : But you are welcome. Sirs, that come
* out of Curiofity ; you may get good e're ye
• go back again. I'll give you an Inftance of
* it. There was Zaccheus, a Man of a low Sta-
* ture ; that is, a litde droichy [i. e. Dwarfy]
' body, and a Pubhcan ; that is, he was one of
* the Excife-men ; he went ouf of Curiofity to
* fee Chrift, and becaufe he was little, he went
• up a Tree: Do you think. Sirs, he went to
* harry [i. e. rifle a Magpies- Neft.] a Pyet's
* Neft ? No, he went to fee Chrift ; Chrift looks
* up, and fays, Zaccheus, thou'rt always proving
' pratticks, thou'rt no Bairn now ; go home,
* go home, and make ready my Dinner ; I'll
* be with you this day at Noon. After that,
* Sirs, this Y\tt\c Zaccheus began to fay his
« Prayers Evening and Morning, as honeft old
S Joffua did in my Text : As for me and my Houfe,
' ¦ ' N 2 ' ^c.
i: ?i 3
« &c. as if he had faid. Go you to the Dev:(
* and you will, and I and my Houfe will fay our
* Prayers, Sirs, as Zaccheus and the reft of the
* Apoftles did.
Anocher time preaching in Eaft Lothian, he
told chem the great danger of hearing the Cu
rates, in thefe Words ;
Sirs, if ever you hear thefe Rogues, you will
cry out at tbe Day of Judg;nent, O Arthur feat
fall upon us, O Pentland- Hills fall upon us : Tbp
Grafs and the Corn that you fee growing there,
will be a Witnefs againft you ; yea, and that Cows
Horns paffing by, will be a Witnefs againft you. _
Another Preaching about God's fending Jonah
to Nineveh, aded it thus, did you never hear
tell of a good God, and a cappet [i. e. pettifh.]
P>-phet, Sirs? The good God faid, Jonah,
n w billy Jonah, wilt thou go to Nineveh for
aid \i. e. old kindnefs.] lang fyne; The Deel
be on my feet then faid Jonah: O Jonah faid the
good God, be not ill natured, they are my
1'! i-ole. What care I for you or your people
ec'-'er, faid the cappet Prophet ;. wherefore fhall
I go to be made a lyar in my face, I know thou
will have mercy on that people : Alas, alas, we
bide [i. e. wait] not the tenth part of that bid-;
ding-, yet when we come to you, I fear we'll
find you like Ephraim, a, Cake unturn'd, that is,
it's flonehard on one fide [i. e. increacing.] and
flriccer-raw [f. e. chin Dung of young Children]
on the orher.
Another Preaching in the Weft, near a Moun?
tain called Tintock, cried out in loud voice thus.
What think you. Sirs, would the Curates dq
with Chrift if they had hjm ? they would e'eij
take him up co Tintock top, cut off his head, and
hurle his head down the hill, and laugh at it. One
t 93 3
One Preaching againft Bifliops, expreffed
himfelf thus ; Sirs, at the day of Judgment Chrift '
will call the Prelates, and he will cafl one of
the falfeft Knaves firft, and fay. Come hither.
Sirrah, he will- not call my Lord, do you re
member how you put out fike [i. e. fuch] a
fweet Sainc of mine upon fuch and fuch a day?
Sirrah, do you mind how you perfecuted one of
my precious Saints that was Preaching my Word :
Come, come. Sirrah, ftand there at my left hand,
thou and the Devil fhall together even now.
There is nothing more ordinary among the
Generality of their Preachers, than to tell that
Chrift did not fet his foot in Scotland this eight
and twenty Years ; or this, I brought a ftranger
to you now, and a very great ftranger indeed,
this many a year ; would you know who ic is ; it is
Chrift, Sirs, baud [i. e. hold.] him faft then,
for if once he get out of Scotland again, it's like
he'll never return.
It is very well known in Perthffire, that one
of their Rabbles preaching at Sc Johnfton, or
thereabout, a little before the Battle of Kilichr an
kle, upon thefe words, Refift the Devil and he
will flie from you; he begins very gravely after
this manner, {Humph) my beloved, you are all
here the day even for the fafhions caufe, but
wot ye who is amongft you the day ? even the
meikle horned Devfl, tho you cannot fee him,
yet I do ; I fee him. Sirs, by the eye of faith j
put you'll fay, now thatwe have him here, what
fliall we do with him. Sirs {Humph) what way
will ye deftroy him, fome of yon wfll fay we
Tvill hang him; ha, ha, my beloved, there are
not fo many tows in all the Parifli as hung him ;
befides, he's as light as a feather. What then
^ill ye do with him ? for he will npt hang. Then
*' ' fofUf
C 94 3
fome of you will fay, we will drown him.
CHumphj my beloved, there is too much cork
in his Arfe, he's as foupie as an eel, he wifl not
fink. Others of you will fay we will burn him',
Na, na. Sirs, ye may fcald your felves, but ye
cannot burn him, for all the fire in Hell could
never yet fing a hair on his tail.. Now, Sirs,
you cannot find a way among you all to kifl him^
but I will find it ; what way will this be. Sirs ?
we fliall even flioot him. Wherewith fhall we
ftioot him? We fhall fhoot him with the Bible.
InTow, Sirs, I fhall flioot him prefently, fo (prefent
ing the Bible as Soldiers do their Mufquets) he
crys but, Touff, Touff, Touff. Now he is Ihot,
there lies the foul thief as dead as a Haron.
Some Eye-witneffes report of another that was
to give the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper,
fuch as they can give, and having got into the
Pulpit, he looks about him, and fays," Sirs, I
mifs fome body here to day, I mifs Chrift here
the day, but he promifed to be here the day,
I think he will be as good as his word ; how
ever I will go out and fee if he be coming ; he at
this went out of the Pulpit; and ftaying out
fome little time, he comes in and tell them. Now,
Sirs, Chrift is coming, I faw him on his white
Horfe coming to you: Now what entertain
ment wifl you give him? I will teU you, Sirs,
Will ye get among you all but one [i. e. two
^w^h}^ Quarts.] Pint of Faith, a GUI of Grace,
and a Mutchkine \i. e. Engliff Pint.] of San-
ftification, and this will make a good morning
draught for him.
In the Mers there was a Communion given
lately, and as it is ordinary, there is a Difcourfe
for every Table, one of the Preachers' that's
moft cried up for his Eloquence,^ faid. You tha^
C 95 3
that are Wives ye will be faying ordinarily when
ye meer. Cummer, have ye fpun your Yarn
yet? But alas, I fear there are few of you chat
have fpun a Wedding-garment for Chrift the
day. But Chrift will be among you and fee who
is his well bulked Bride, he'll fay to them that
have not on their Wedding.garment. Is that
nafty Slut there my Bride ?" fliame and lack fall
that Bride: Go nafty Slut, fway'd [i. ^. hafte.]
away to Hell.
It is ordinary among fome Plebeians in the
South of Scotland, to go about from door to door
upon New-years Eve, crying Hagmane, a. cor
rupted word from the Greek ajta ^n^n, which fig-
nifies the Holy Month. John Dickfon holding
forth againft this Cuftom once in a Sermon at
Kelfo, fays. Sirs, do ye know what Hagmane
fignifies; Ic is the Devil be in the houfe; that's
the meaning of its Hebrew Original.
Another time he told his Hearers what an Ido
latrous Church the Engliff Church is, for lay
two Eggs in a Difh, and the one is not fo like
the other, as the Church of Rome and the Church
of England are to one another.
I know a Minifter that went purpofely to hear
this man, and declared upon his real truth, that
be held out a nonfenfick rhapfody for an hour
and an half's time on the third of Matthew. This
is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleafed: All
the Graces of the Spirit Cfaid he) are myfterious,
fdtb is a my fter y, there is a faith that is not faving,
but that's no my fter y ; I believe if I ffould ask any of
you whether or no ye believe tbe words tbat I read
to you, you mil all fay (Humf ) we all believe ihat.
Sirs, the Devil does more, and yet he is not faved,
nor like to he in hafte. This is a paffage of our Sa
viour's Tranfmigration, Sirs, (fays he) It tells how OUP
I *)6 3
tur blefjed Saviour was reform' d like a Angel 6f
Light when his Difciples faw that glorious Sight,
they were all like a Countryman that had never ta
fted outlandiff Wine before, the Wihe runs up 'into
his Head, and makes him dizzie ; fo the Difciples
were dizzie, the ijth ,verfe. They knew not
what they faid, that is, they were dizzie. From
the Words we learn this Note of Do£lrine, That
Chrift he is lovely, O he is lovely i, O be is lovely.
Firft as he is the Son of God, Prov. viii. 15. By me
Kings reign, and Princes decree Juftice : That
is, lovely Chrift hath Authority over all the Kings of
the World; the great Turk can do nothing without ,
him. The.meikle Deel and the black Pape can do no
thing without him. There were a pack of Deels
limbs a Tear or two ago here, and they thought for
footh all would be their own, and now lovely Chrift
in his providential Providence is like to difappoint them
all, and who kens but they'll come begging Peafe and
Pottage at our Doors yet.
Chrifi is lovely as he is Mediator, cut him all in
pecesr from Head to Foot, every bit of him is lovely.
They'll tell you now the young Prince is haniff' d Bri
tain, hut I'le tell you ¦ of a young Prince thai has
been haniff ed Britain thefe twenty eight Tears hy ihe
incoming of ihe perjur'd. Prelates and drunken Cu
rates ; lovely Chrifi: is that young Prince, and now
he is like to come back again to get his Crown : O take
him now, now when he is coming with a Whip in his
Hand to fcourge out the curfed Curates, &c. This '
was preached in the Parifli of Smallum in Teviot-
dale, and the Effed of this Preaching followed
the next Sabbath, for the Rabble came and pul
led the Minifter out of his Pulpit in the time of
his Sermon.
One Mr Thomas Ramfay in Mordington, within
the Shire of Berwick, faid in a Sermon upon the
foolilhnef|
i; 97 3
fooliflinefs of Preaching, thefe Words : There
are two Sorts of Preaching, Sirs, there's a Gentle-
manny Preaching, and a commonmanny Preachino ;
for Gentlema,nny Preaching they' I feed you up with
peny Whiftles, or Nigg-nayes-bonny Wallies [i.e.
Childrens Toys and Rattles] : At which he per-^
ceived one of the Commons laugh. He points
out to him, and faid, Man, do not thou think to
gull [i. e. flout] one of God's Minifters that way, lift
up your Bonnet off your Face, think no fhame of
¦ your Shape.
I tell you. Sirs, there is Gentlemanny Preaching
and commonmany Preaching. I will give you com
monmany Preaching, Sirs, I will give Milk- Foliage,
and this will make you bony, fat, andlufty, in your
Journey to Heaven. Te ken [i. e'. know] Sirs, ye
ken, to my great Grief, I may fay ye ken no ; But
I tell you there is Gentlemanny Preaching, and a
commonmany Preaching. There are three forts of
Men that defpife commonmany Preaching: i. The
Politician. 2. The GaUant. ¦^. The ignorant Man.
Firft, For the Politician, he will go twenty Miles
to hear a Gentlemanny Preaching, what cares he for
commonmany Preaching? 2dly, For the GaUant
give him a glafs of Wine to drink, and give hifn a
Lady to kifs, and what cares he for preaching? 3dly,
For the ignorant man give him a cogfull [i. e.
deep Diff] of Brofe [i. e. a ftrong Porrage] to his
belly, and a pair, of Breeks [i. e. Breeches] to
his arfe, what cares he for preaching. A little
thereafter he faw a little child looking to and
fro, he faid. Sit fiill little Rogue, elfe Pie cut
a lug out of your Head, Sirrah. O ihe glorious
Days of the Gofpel, the very wie-ones [i. e. little
Children] were then fo ferious, that they would rugg
[i. e. pull] Chiff out of my Heart, hut now ihey
O are
C 98'3
are all baudy Faced, they look as if the Curates and
their Mothers were over great [i. e. too familiar'}.
This was written from his own Mouth, by a
Perfon that is ready to declare the Verity of it, .
were he to die juft after.
Mr John Veach in Wool-ftruthers . in a nonfen
fical and incoherent Difcourfe, at the opening upof
a Preffyterian Synod at Jedburgh, faid. That one
* duty of Minifters was not to preach clofe and
' neat Difcourfes ; his reafon was this. Men ufe
' not to bring the Spits and the Races to the
• Table, when they bring the meat to it.
There are many in Edinburgh who heard' Mr
James Kirkton in a Sermon concerning Jofeph and
Mary, fay, ' The firft Night, faith he, that
* they met together, he laid his Hand on her
' Belly, and found her with Bairn \i. e. Child].
• The honeft Man turn'd very angry, and
* would have put her away, as any of us all
' wouM have done" had we met with the like ;
' and who is ic that would fufped: that the Holy
* Gheft fliOuld have another Man's Wife ?
Another time he told his Hearers, ' That they
' might make a Leffon outof every thing that
' occurred to Senfe; you may,, faith he," get a
' good Leffon out of a Goofe-Turd, for- it is
* black at the bottom, green in the middle, and^
* white at the top: The blacknefs^at the bottom-
* let's us fee the blacknefs of Hell ; the green-
* nefs in the middle lets us fee the vanity, of the
* world ; and the whitenefs in the top lets us feethe
* joys of Heaven : And this good Leffon (Sirs) ye '
' wfll find in a good Turd. Now, Sirs, I would*'
' have you pray to him that fits upon the white-
' end to keep you from the blac-k-end.
One Mr John Hepburn, leduring upon the fe
cond Pfalm, told, ' That there was a Dialogue betwixt
C 99 ]
* betwixt the Father and Son in Heaven, the
* Son faid. Father, will you give me my Portion
' now.? Your Porcion, Son, faid the Facher,
• indeed fliall you ; thou haft been a duciful Son
-' to me, thou never angered me in thy Days;'
' what Portion will you have Son ? Will you give
' me poor Scotland, faith the Son ? Scotland, faid
' the Father, truly thou fhalc get poor Scotland.
And he proved that It was Scotland he fought,
from the eighth Verfe, ' I ffall give thee the out-
' moft part of the Earth for a Poffeffion. Now,
* Sirs, Scotland, is the outmoft part of the earth,
' and therefore it was given to the Son for a Pa-
* trimony. One Mr Mofman in Newbotle, paft this Com
plement upon himfelf in a Sermon, ' All the
' Worlds knows that I am a learned Man, a ju-
* dicious man, and a man that can clear the
' Scriptures wefl ; but chere are fome in che Pa-
* rifh that have not fuch Thoughts for me; as
* for them I pity them, for they muft be very
• filly.' At that dme he was preaching againft
taking God's name in vain, he, told, O Sirs, this ,
* is a very great Sin ; for my own part I rather
* fteal all the horned nout f i. d'.Neat, or Catde]
* in the Parifh, before I took God's name in
* vain once.
One Mr Robert Steidman in Caridden, told once,
* That the People of God had many Doubts a-
* bout their Eledion, for Proof of this, fee (fays
* he) the Cant. 'il 16. My beloved is mine, and I
* am his.
Another time he told, « That the beft of
* God's Saints have a litde Tindureof Atheifm,
« for a, plain Proof of this you may fee, fays he,
« Pfal. xiv. I. Tbe Fool hath faid in his Heart,
* ihat tbire is no God. 0 2 ' Another
C ICO 3
Another time he tells, ' That Chrift was not
* proud nor lordly, for he rode upon an Afs,
' which is a laigh [/'. e. low] Beaft, and where-
' fore think ye did he this ? It was. Sirs, for the
« Conveniency of the old Wives that follow'd
\ him, that he might kutde in [f. e. whifper] the
* Gofpel in their Ears as he went along.
One Mr Murray, marrying a Couple, called
the Man the Head, aid the Woman the Tail: In
the Name -of God then, faid he, / 'join Head and
Tail together. Sirs, let no Man ever feparate
them. The fame Perfon preaching at Haddan, faid,
Chrifi is a great Slranger to you thefe twenty eight
Tears, but I'have brought him to you the Day, Sirs,
and if ye ¦zvill have Mm, I will take him with horn
ing and caption [i. e. Letters of Arreftmeni] for you.
One Mr Shields, preaching at Brothwick, faid.
Many had Religion the Day, but would have none
ihe Morn, their Religion was foon gone like a Wot
man's Virginity.
One Wedderburn, preaching in Irwin, faid.
Lord, we have over foul [i. e. nafiy] Feet to come
fo far henn as Heaven, but yet as broken a Ship has
come to Land.
Mr Rutberferd, preaching at Jedburgh, faid,
Thefe twenty eight Tears the Grafs is grown long be
twixt Jedburgh and Heaven.
Mr William Stuart preaching lately in Forres
upon thefe Words, Our God' is a confuming Fire,
faid, ' Sirs, I will explain thefe Words in a ve-
* ry homely Manner, There was a godly Man
^ of my Acquaintance, Sirs, he had a young
* Bairn that was dying, and he comes to him
* and faid, Sandy, now my cockle, believe in
* God now, for ye will not live long : No, no,
' faid the Bairn, I will not believe in Godj for
' God
E IOI 3
* God is a Boo, but I will believe in Chrift, for
* he is fweet, daddy, and he is good. Now ye
' imay by this fee. Sirs, that God without
•Chrift is a Boo.' Boo is a Word that's ufed in
the North of Scotland to frighten crying Children.
Mr William Vetch preaching in Linton in Tevi-
otdale, faid, ' Our Bifhops thought they were
.* very fecure this long time :
Like Willie Wilie Wafhl,
I am in my Caftle,
A the Dogs in the Town
Dare not ding me down'. ¦
^ Yea but there is a Doggie in Heaven that has
' dung them all down.
Another preaching of the Dialogue betwixt
God and Adam after his Fall. ' Adam Cfaid he)
' went to hide himfelf, God comes to him, and
' faid, where art thou, Man ? I am courring
• [i. e. abfconding] here. Lord : I'le hazard twa
' and a plack \i. e. two pence halfpenny] faith
* God, there is a whap in the kape [i. e. afl's not
' well] Ede, haft thou been at Barne-breaking
' \i. e. Mifchief doing] Ede, come out of thy
* holes and thy bores here Ede.
Mr James Kirkton told feveral times in his Ser
mons at £^i?«&^, ' That the Devil, had his Kirk-
• Government as well as God, ahd would ye ken
' what a Government it is, indeed it is a Prefby-
' terian Government, for he has his Minifter and
* his Ruling Elder ; his Minifter is the Pope, and
* his Ruling Elder the King of France.
The fame Man once fpeaking of the Evils of
the Tongue, faid, ' Your Tongues, Sirs, are
* as foul as a dog's tongue when he licks Skiter,
• \i. e. thin Dung.] before God it's true; But do
\ not take this out of the Houfe wich you,
f Sirs.
'Mr
C I02 3
Mr Matthew Selkirk preaching againft keep
ing of days, faid, ' They that keep Yule-day,
' [i. e. Chriftmas] Sirs, deny that Chrift came
• in the flelh, and are rank Jews ; and they keep
* that day in commemoration of J. Ccefar the
' chief of the Jews, , ' . ¦
Mr Hugh Kennedy Moderator of the General
Affembly, being about to chriften a Child in the
College-Kirk, looked about him, and faid,
* Look Sirs, and fee the Devil painted in that
• Bairns Face : But we fhall do the beft we can
• to conjure him out. Ifhafl Ihortly nafl his lug
* to Chrift's trone,till from a Calf he grow up to
* an Ox CO draw in Chrift's Plow.
Mr Arefkine in the Tron-Church, faid, ' That
*- the work of the Lord is like to be ruin'd, for
• thefe are two forts of people that have taken
? their hands from the work of the Lord. Firft,
* the Malignants that never laid their hands to
* it. 2^/31, The Court- party: but you Laffes
* and Lads put your Shoulders to that Work,
' take a good lift of it, for it will not break your
• B^cks; and ye can never ufe your Backs in a
¦¦ * better Work.
One Mr Robert Gourly, preaching on the Wo
man of Canaan, how our Saviour called her a Dog,
told, * Sirs, fome of you may may think that
' our Saviour fpake very improperly, for he
* fhould have called her a Bitch ; but to this I
* anfwer, a Dog is the Mafculine or Feminine
' Gender, there is a He-dog and a She -dog. But
' you will afk, why did he mif-call the poor Wo-
' man, and cafl her a Dog? There are God's
* Dogs and the Devil's Dogs, fhe was- God's
* Dog, not the Devil's Dog.
Mr Sheilds in a Sermon at Aberdeen, told the
People, the only way to hold a faft grip [i. e.
hold]
t 103 3
* hold] of Chrift, was to entertain him with three
' Liquors in three fundry Bickers [f. e. wooden
' Cups]; you muft have a Pint of Hope, three
* Pints of Faith, and nine Pints bf hoc, hot, hot
' burning Zeal.
Mr John Welff, preaching in the South ofTe-
viotdale, in his Sermon faid. Our neighbour Na
tion will fay of us, poor Scotland, beggarly Scot
land, fcabbed Scotland, loufie Scotland, yea, but
Covenanted Scotland, that makes amends for
all. One Mr Strange, preaching on A^s'u. 37, 38.
before feveral Ladies of the beft Quality of our
Kingdom, They were pricked at their Hearts, faid,
' fome of you are come hither che Day co get a
* Prick, I fear few of you have gotten a Prick,
' but fome of you may get a Prick within a fhort
• *¦ time. And feeing feme laugh, he faid. Do
• not miftake me. Sirs, it is noe a natural Prick
* I mean, but a Prick at the tieart. I mean
' not the Pricks of the Flefh, but the Pricks of
* the Spirit, the fweet Pricks of Confcience.
One M'" James Wilfon, now in Kirhneddon in
Galloway, told, ' That Faith had wonderful Ef-
* feds, for by Faith Noah faw the Deluge before it
* came. But I wifl tell you afar more wonderful-
« Effed of Faith than that, John the BaptiftfTuvt
•- Chrift through twa Wymbs [i. e. two Wombs];
* was not that a clear-ey'd little one. Sirs?
One Mr Melvin being fent by the Prefbytery.
to the Parifli of Monzie in Strut hern, to prepare the
People by a Sermon, for receiving a Prefbyterian
Minifter in the place of Mr Drummstrd, a Perfon
of great Learning, who was deprived at the falfe
Suggeftions of a Weaver in that Parifb, (whomr
he faved from the Gibbet in King Charles lid's.
lime^ the faid Mr Melvin leduring on' this Text, Touch
i: 104 3
Touch not mine Anointed,- and do my profbf.ts no
harm, faid. The Kings, and the g fat Folb, ard
the curfed Biffops, forfooth, were fecLng to deftroy
God's own People, but as ftark as they '-ivcre, Gjd
is ft ar ker, and bad tbem bide back, bide back, (point
ing with his Finger) this is my Flock, they are none
of your Flocks, ,andfo God keeped his own poor Peo
ple, Sirs, except fome few that were hanged ; hut Oh,
Sirs, 'tis a fweet, fweet Death to go off the Gallows
to God for the holy Covenant. But for thefe curfed
Biffops and Curates, Sirs, that were leading many
poor Souls to Hell this loHg time. Sirs, ye fee they are
now put out, they are put out, yea they are ^en
trampled under our Feet. This is -attefted by a
Perfon that then lived wiihin two Miles of the
Place, and heard him.
Mr Areffine, in the Trone-Chnrch. propofed in a
Sermon, What is the new Man ? He made this
learned Anfwer in a melancholy long Tone, It
is the new Man.
Mr Kirton, lately in the Church he poffeffes at
Edinburgh^ began his Sermon thus. Devil take me,-
Soul and Body. The People ftarding at the Ex
preflion, he anticipates their Wonder with this*
Corredion, Tou think. Sirs, ihis a ftrange Word^
in the Pulpit, hut you think nothing of it out of Pul--
pit ; but what if tbe Devil ffould take many of you *
when ye utter fuch Language ? Anocher time preach-
1 ing; .againft Cockupps, he told, I have heen this Tear
of God preaching againft the Vanity of Women, yet I
fee my own Daughter in the Kirk even now have as
high a Cockupp as any of you all. Another time
'igiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper in
Crammond, at the breaking of the Bread, he
told the Participants, Take, eat. Sirs, your Bread
is haken. And that was all the Form he ufed, as
one of the Communicants told me the Day after.
A Pref-
t 105 3
A Prefbyterian Preacher in the i*arilh of Kill-
Patrick Eafter, above Glafgow, in whofe Parifh
there is one Captain Sanderfon, a Church of En
gland Man, who islook'd on there by them as a
rank Papift, he once went to Church to fee their
way. The Preacher feeing him in Church, took
a Fourteen [i. e. piece of Money] out of his
Pocket, and held it up before che Congregation*
expreffing thefe Words, Here I take Inftrument
in the Hand of God, that though a Man be pardon
ed of all his original and actual Sins, yet if he negle£l
to attend our Fafts, he fioall never go to Heaven^
The Preacher owns what he faid and did. And
thfe Captain defires the Thing to be publifhed in
his Name, he being ready to juftify it upon any
Occafion. Mr William Moncrief, in Summer laft, preach
ing in the Church of Largo in Fife, the firft
Thirig he pretended to prove, was. That all Ms
Hearers were Atheifts and .Reprobates. And ha
ving demonftrated that, as he faid, from iha.t Pfalm
on which he ledured ; He proceeded next to his
Sermon on this Text, NO Wis the accepted Time,
now is the day of Salvation ; on which he faid. The
^tvi^ had their Now,* and //&(? Papifts had their
Now, but ah now they have no Now, for the Gof
pel is for ever hid from their Eyes.- Scotland, poor
Scotland had a gracious Now in the glorious Days of
tbe Covenant, when Chrift was freely forced upon
them ; but alas, this Land, breaking the Covenant, b4s
brought darknefs upon it for many Tears laft ; but
yet God has been pleafed at laft to fftne through the
Cloud of prelatical, wh'ich is worfe than Egyptian,
Darknefs, and to give us another Now ; that is, to
offer us again his Covenant, and the Foundation of
it, his Gofpel, for which ye are all heartily to hi
thankful, for this is your Now.
P Auf.
I 106 3
And would ye know now how to exprefs your ¦
ihankfulnefs, I'll even tell you now, Te muft do it
by baniffing out of tbe Covenanted Land, all ike
Enemies cf God, the Prelates, the Curates,, and
ail their Adherents: Te muft not converfe with them,
hut fmite tbem Hip and Thigh ; ye muft root the Philr
lif lines quite out; ye muft hate them, and perfecute ^
tbem, and that upon pain of Damnation; forif^ye
negleSl it now, your Now is paft for ever : Now,
Sirs, ye muft not think this ftrange Dodrine, for I
can prove it by plain Scripture, fcr did not God
frequently command his People to cut off the Ca-
naanites Root and Branch; and did not David
pofiiively hate and curfe the Profane and Wicked who
were God's Enemies.
' But ye'll fay to me. Sirs, that Chrift defired
* us to love our Enemies: that's true, indeed, but
' there's no word of God's Enemies there; mark ,
' that, Beloved ; tho' we love our own Enemies,
* yet we are bound to hate God's Enemies ; that
* is, all the Enemies of the Covenanted Caufe. This
was heard by feveral Sober and Judicious Perfons,
who were heartily forry to hear the Scriptures fo
bafely perverted, who immediately after the'
Sermon wrote down this Account, fent them to
^ me attefted under their Hands.
About two Years ago Mr Shields, who is Chap
lain to my Lord Augus's Regiment, being with
the faid Regiment at the Town of Perth, and
hearir^ that the Colonel to an Engliff Regiment,
which had been in that Town the Week before,
had made his Chaplain to read the Engliff Ser
vice upon the Sunday before, in the Church to
his Soldiers: 5^z>/(5?| upon this occafion thought
to rail highly againft the Church of England and
its Liturgy ; among other things he faid. That
there was no difference betwixt the Churh 0/ Eng land
C 107 3
land and the Church of Rome, but that the one faid
Mafs in Engliff, and tbe other in Latin ; and that
upon the matier they were both indeed equally Idola
trous ; and ye know. Sirs, that according to God's
Law, all Idolaters ffould be fioned to death ; alas,
all the Water in Tay * will not be al>le to 'wafh a-
way tbe Filth of that Idolatry, with which the Wifils
of this Kirk was laft Sunday defiled; ab, the Service
Book has polluted and made it fmell rank and ftrong
of the old Whore of Babylon.
Mr Kirkton, preaching in his Meeting houfe in
the Caftle-hill of Edinburgh, adduced feveral In
ftances of the Poverty of the People of God ; a-
mongft others, he had this remarkable one, Bre
thren, fayS he, Criticks with their frim frams, and
whytie whaties [i. e. triftes], may imagine a hundred
Reafons for Abraham'^ going out of the Land of
Chaldea-, but I will tell you what was always my
Opinion, I believe Ahra,hzm, poor Man, was forc
ed to run out of the Land 0/ Judea/or Debt.
Another Sunday, before feveral Gendemen,
who told me the Story fo foon as they returned
from Church, preaching on the All-fiufficiency of
God, he told his Hearers, * That they might
« make out of God what they pleafed, Hofe,
* Shoes, Cloaths, Meat and Drink, ^c. One,
• fays he, may have a good Stock, but he can-
' not get it out of his Friend's Hands when he
• needs ic ; he muft purfue him firft before the
' -f- Lords of the Seffion ; regiftrate his Bond,
' get a Charge of Horning, and at laft take him
' with Caption ; but no Man ever needed to re-
* The Name of a great 'River whieh wdfhes the tValls ofthat
City. \ Raife an Aaian before the Judges and arrefi him.
P % ' giftrate
• t I08 3
< giftrate God's Bond, or take him with Caption,
* except Jacob, who took him once with Cap-
* tion at the fide of a Hill, and he got a broken
* Leg for his Pains.
0.".ce in the monthly Faft-Day, I heard him
myfelf difcourfe' to this Purpofe, after he had
read his Text, whichif I righdy remember, was,
Jn that Day I will not regard their Prayers not their
Tears, &c, ' In fpeaking to thefe Words, fays
« he, I fliall fiiew you five loft Labours, three
^ Opportunities, three Fears, three Woes, three
* Lamentations, three Prophefies, and a Word
< about poor Scotland: For the three Fe^rs, the
* firft is a great Fear, and that is, leaft this King
« give us not afl our Will. The fecond is a very
* great Fear, and that is, if we fhould get all
' our Wifl, I fear We fliould not make good Ufe
« of it. The third Fear is the greateft of all, but
* I muft not tell you that Fear, Sirs, for fear it
< Iho -lid fear you all to hear it. All the Town
knows that rhis is true, and that he never preaches
but after this ridiculous manner.
I heard one Mr Selkirk in a Sermon he preach*
fed in the Church of Inveraff, fay, S'lrs, Drink,
Wbor^, and debauch, and run red wood [i. e. flark
mad] through the World; yet, if you have but as
-much Time, as take hold of Chrift in your laft Gafp, I
¦ffall pawn my Soul for yours. It may feem incre
dible that one who ever heard of Chriftianity^
fliould have ufed fuch an Expreffion ; but it
made fuch an Imprefllon on the Peoples Minds at
that time, that I believe there is hardly one. olf
them who have forgot it to this hour ; and con
fequently, ' all of them wifl be ready to vindicate
the Truth of what I here relate.
One preaching in Prefton-pans, upon Joffua*s
making the Sun to ftand ftill, refol ving to make
¦ a yer J
C 169 3
a very learned Difcourffe, began thus. Sits, fays
he, you'll may he, afk me how Jofliua could maki
the Sun to ftand ftill? To that I anfwer, it was hyl
Jifting of the Motion of Primum Mobile, common
ly called the Zodiack-hne ; but as to ihe Quomodo,
'tis no great matter ; but ihat thf Story Was true, wd
have reafon to believe from tbe tieatheii Writers ;
for it was told by them for a hafe baudy tale, boixi
Jupiter made a Night as long as two, thai be might
get a longer time to lie ivith Alcmena.
Mr Arefkine in the TroH-Cburch, preaching on
thefe words. Cry aloud and fipare not ; told his
People, There were three forts of Cries. There is
the cry of the Mouth, fays he Pfal. 104, The
young Lions roar after their Prey, thai is, with
their Mouth. The cry of their Feet, I Will run the
Ways of thy Commandments, tbat is the cry of.
tbe Feet : And the cry of the Eye, They looked
on him and were lightened ; that's the cry of the
Eye; If we would go to Heaven, we nitift mt only
cry with our Mouth, hut likewife with otir Hands,
Feet, and Eyes.
The fanie Mr Areffine faid in anocher Sermon,
What, Sirs, if tbe Devil ffould come with a Drum
tit his fide, faying, Hoyes, hoyes, hoyes, whd will
go to Hell with me, hoys? who will go to Hell with
me? The Jacobines would anfwer. We'll all go,
we'll all go.
Mr JdMeS Kirkton, preaching on Jetabel, faid,
T'bat well-favQU'red Whore, what hecdihe of her.
Sirs f ffe fell over a Window, Arfe over Head, and
her black bottom was difcovered, you may allgtiefs
what the Beholders faw, beloved, a black fight you
may he fure. ' •
One Mr Mair, a Pr^3i/(fm«,Pi"eacher, Son to
Mr John Mair, the EpifcOpal JVlinifter in T'owch,
being dcfii"ed by his Father to preach for hirti ;
' ' the
L no J
the Son faid. He would or could not preach-in their
Churches, becaufe they were polluted, but was content
to preach in a Fire-houfe: This was provided for
him, and the Company (whereof his Father was
one) being convened, he faid, / will iellyou a
fad truth. Sirs, Tou have been driven to Hell in a
Coach this eight andjwenty years, and that old
Stock, my Father Cpointing to him) has been the
Coachman Mr Kirkton, in O^oherhR, preaching on Hymns
and fpiritual Songs, told the People, ' There be
* four kinds of Songs, profane Songs, malignant,
« allowable, and fpiritual Sqngs. Profane Songs,
f My Mother fent me to ihe Well, ffe had better
* gone herfelf, for what I got I dare not Jell, hut
' liin^Koh'm loves me. Malignant Songs, fuch
* as. He, ho, Gillichrankie, and the King enjoys
' his own again ; againft which I have not much
• to -fay. ,^dly. Allowable Songs, like. Once I
* lay with another Man's Wife ; ye may be allowr
• ed, Sirs, to fing this, but I do not fay, that
* ye are aflowed to do this, for that's a great
• deal of Danger indeed. Laftly, Spiritual Songs,
' which are the Pfalms of David; but the god- ^
* lefs Prelates add to thefe. Glory to the Father,
* the worft of afl I have yet fpoken of
The fame Kirkton, in March the Year before
that, in a Sermon upon come unto me all ye ihat
are heavy and weary laden, expreffes himfelf thus 5
* Chrift invites none to him but thofe that have
* a great Burtben of Sins upon their Back ; ay
* but, beloved, ye litde ken what Chrift is to
* day, what Crafts-man do you think him now ?
* is there none of you all that can tell me that-j^
* Sirs.? truly then I muft e'en teU you ; would '
* you ken it now ? in a Word then, he's a Tink-
* ler [i. e. Tinker], and you may hear him cry
ing
C 111 3
* ing about to day. Have ye any h^emKearts to
* mend, bring tbem to me, and I'9 foTer them ;
* that is, give them Reft, beloved, for that's the
* Words of my Text.
Mr Areffine, in January laft, .holding forth in
the TroK-Church concerning Noah's Ark, faid, •
Thai the Wolf ahd ihe Lamb lodged moff peaceably
together in it ; and what do you think was the Rea-.
fon of this, beloved ? you may think it was a ftrange
thing, and fo indeed it was. Sirs, hut it was done to
fulfil tbe Prophecy of Ifaiah, Sirs, the Wolf and
the Lamb fhall lie down together ; there's a plain
Reafon now for 'it. Sirs.
On Sunday, 'in January laft, immediately after
the King had recommended to the General Af
fembly a Formula, upon the fubfcribing whereof^
by the Epifcopal Preffyters, he defired they might
be re-admitted to. the publick Exereife of the
Miniftryj I heard one Mr Webfter, a noced Pro-
•feffor of the New Gofpel, leduring upon Pfalm
15. On the firft Verfe he faidj ' That none
* but God could anfwer the Pfalmift's Queftion
* there, and therefore, faid be, it does not be-
* long to any earthly King, Prince, or Poten-
* tate to determine who fhould be Officers ia
* God's Houfe, or to prefcribe Terms of Cora-
* munion Co his Kirk : On the fecond Verfe he
faid, ' That it was neceffary for God's People
' to walk uprighdy ; that is', faid he, never to
« betray the Caufe of Clirift's Kirk for fear of
* great Men : ' Our Way is God's own Way ;
* and fure to ftand ftiff to that, is the beft way
* to pleafe God, and even great Men, at the
» long run : On the third' Verfe he appealed to
the Confciences of his Hearers, ' If Scots Pref-
* byterians were not a holy, harmlefs, innocent,
* fincere, modeft, and moderate People, and
" ¦ . * what-
L 112 J
* whatffcr is faid to the contrary, but Libelsj
* Lies^wid ji^nders : On the fourth Verfe he
faid, ' That the Prelates, Curates, and malig-
* nant Counfellors are the vile Perfons fpoke of
* there, and whom all that fear. God are bound
* ' to contemn and defpife ; efpecially Cfaid he) be-
* caufe they have fworn to the hurt df the Kirk,
* in taking the Oaths of Allegiance and Suprema-
* cy, the Teft, and the Oath of canonical Obedi->
• ence, and now think to expiate afl this, by fub-
* fcribing a bare foolifh Formula, becaufe King
• William, forfooth, has fent it to us ; as if the
* Preffyterians ought to admit or follow any Form
• but the Covenant.
^ ^ ^ ^^^ ^ iA^ ^ 5^51^^^
SECT. IV.
Containing fome few Expreffions of |£g
'Presbyterian 'Praf ers.
MR James Kirkton faid once in his Prayer,
' O Lprd reftore our banifti'd King, Lord
« reftore our banifli'd Kiftg ; do not miftake my
* meanmg. Lord, it is not King James whom
* thou haft rejeded that we feek; it is King
* Chrift, that has been a Stranger thefe man,y
• Years in poor Scotland.
It is reportedof Mr iSo^^r/ Blair iLt Si Andrew%
that he had this Exprefllipn in his Prayers, « Lord,
« thou art a good Goofe, for thou art ftill drop-
« ping. And feveral in the Meeting-houfe, qf
late, have made ufe of it ; to which they add,
• Lord, thou rains down middings \ii e. dung-
• hills] of Bleffings upon us.
Mr
C IIJ 3
Mr Anderfon,, a Phanatick Preacher in Perlh-
ffoire, in a Prayer, faid, ' Good Lord, it is told
" us. That thou knows a proud man by his looks^
* as well as a malignant by his works ; but
* what wilt thou do with thefe malignants ? I'll
* tefl thee. Lord, what thou wilt do. Even take
' them up by the Heels and reeft [f. e. fmoke.]
* them in the Chimney of Hell, and dry therti like
* Bervy Haddocks : Lord take the Piftol of thy
' Vengeance, and the Mortar-piece of thy
* Wrath, and make the Hairns [?. e. Brains] of
* thefe malignants a hodge podge ; but for thy
* own Bairns, Lord feed them with the Plum-
* dames [?. e. Prunes] and Raifons of thy Pro-
* mifes, and e'en give them the Spurs of Confi-^
* dence, and Boots of Hope, that like new fpean'd
* [i. e. weaned] fillies, they may loup [z. e. jump.]
? over the Fold-dikes of Grace.
A learned Divine of that Sett, at Pitftigp, in
his publick Prayer, this laft Summer, faid, O
Lard thou^rt like a Moufie \'i. e. little Moufe] peep
ing out at ihe hole of a Wall, for thou fees us but we
fee not thed
Mr William Moncrif (whom I named before)
after his Sermon in Summer laft, at Largo in
Fife, in the intercelfion of his i?rayer, faid,
* O God eftablifli and confirm thy Church jn
* Scotland, and defend her from her bloody and
* cruel Enemies, Popery and Prelacy ; O Lord
* profper thy reformed Churches of Portugal and
' Pie^ont, and the reft of the Low Countries ;
* and carry on thy Work which is begun in Ire-
' land; and fweet, good Lord, finally begin
* and carry on a Work in England.
Mr Shields preaching near Dumfreis, in his
Prayer for King William, faid, ' Good Lord^
* blefs him with a ftated Oppofidon in his Heart
C IJ4 3
* to the Antichriftian Church of England, and
* wich Grace to deftroy all the Idolatry and Su-
' perfticion of their foolifh and Ibppifli Worfliip;
' and blefs all the People of the Land with
' Strengrh, Zeal and Courage throughly to re-
' form the State as well as the Church, in thefe
' Kingdoms ; that they may be united in the
' Bond of the Solemn League and Covenant, and
• purified according to that Pattern in the Mount,
* which we and pur Pofterity ^are afl fworn to.
Mr John Welff pray'd, ' Lord we ar? come
' hither, a pack of poor Be^ars of us the day,
' Alms to the poor Blind 'here, for God's fake,
**that never faw the Light of the Gofpel ; Alms
' to the poor Deaf here, that never heard the
' joyful Sound ; to the poor Cripples that have
' their Legs, the Covenant, broken by the Bi-
* fliops. Lord pity thy poor Kirk the day, poor
' Woman, fad is fhe ; Lord lend' her a Hft, and
* God confound that filthy Bitchy that gumgal'd
' Whore, the '^hort- of Babylon ^
One Mr Hufione faid, ' Lord give us Gracei
' for if thou give us not Grace We fhall not give
* thee Glory, and who will win [f. e. gain] by
* that Lord.
One Borlands in Gallowff'tels, a blafphemous
ignorant Blockhead, faid in his Prayers before
Sermon, ' Lord, when thou was eleding to Eter-
* nity, grant, that we have not got a wrong caft
• of thy Hand to our Souls.
Another dme praying at Jedburgh, he faid,
' Lord confound the Tyrant of France, God's
* Vengeance light on him, the Vengeance of
* God light pn him, God's Vengeance light on
' him : but if he be of the Eledion of Grace,,
* Lord fiv- him : Lord confound the Anticri- ¦
' ftian crew in Ireland; indeed, Lord, for the
^ ' great
C 1T5 3
« great * Man, that heads them, God knows we
* wifh not his Deftrudion, we wifli him Repcn-
* tance of his Sins, but noe the reft : As for the
* crew of the Church of England, that's gone
* in to fight againft them, thay are as pro-
* fane a Crew as themfelves. Lord ; but thou
' can make one Man deftroy another for the
' Intereft of the People of God, and to give
* God's People Elbow-room in the Land.
One who is now a Head of a Collge, and is
look'd upon by the Party as their great Advo
cate and Oracle, in a public Congregation at
Edinburgh, 1690. in his Prayer had thefe Words,
which one that heard thei#, and immediately
committed them to Writing, fhewed co me ; ' O
' Lord give us, give us, good Lord ; buc Lord,
' you'll may be fay to us. Ye are always croub-
* ling me, what fhall I give you now ? but,
* Lord, whatever thou fays, we know that thou
' in thy Heart likes fuch Trouble; and now I'll
' tell thee what thou fliould give us Lord, I'll not
* be greedy nor mifleard [,i. e. illmannered] now,
'. Lord, then only give us thy felf in earneft of
* better things.
' Good Lord, what have ye been doing all
* this time? where have you been this thircy
* Years? What good have ye done to your poor
* Kirk in Scotland, that has been fo many X^ars
* fpurgall'd with Antichrift's riding her ; fhe has
' been long lying on her Back, and fadly defiled
* and many a good lift have we lent her ; O, how
' often have we put our Shoulders to Chrift's
* Caufe, when his ov-in Back was at the Wall
' \i. e. when he could not ftand wichout a Sup-
* porter]: to be free wich you. Lord, we have
Wi - I ' ' '¦ ' '
* King James zuas then in Ireland,
Q2 done
C ii<5 3
' done rnany things for thee that never entered
* into thy Noddle, and yet we are content that
* thou take afl the Glory ; is not that fair and
* kind. ' 'Tis true,* good Lord, you have done gelly
' [i. e. preccy] well for Scotland now, at laft, and
* we hope rhou haft /begun, and will carry on
* thy Work in England, that ftands muckle in
' mifter [L e. much in need] of a Reformation ;
* but what have you done for Ireland, Lord, ah,
< poor Ireland ; (then pointing with his Finger to
his Nofe; he faid) ' I true, I have nickt you
^ there. Lord.
About the begillning of March 1689. one
prayed for a Preffyterian Eledion of Members
to the Parliament in the City of Edinburgh in thefe
words : ' Good God now when Chrift's back is
* at the wall, put it in the heart of the Townf-
* men to chufe George Stirling and Bailif HaU.
Another prayed, ' Lord thou haft faid, that
« he is worfe than an Infidel that provides not
' for his own Family ; Give us not reafon to fay
.' this of thee Lord, for we are thine own family,
^ and yet we have been but fcurvily provided
' for of a long time.
Another praying after the Baptifm of a Chfld
in the City of Edinburgh faid, ' Lord blefs and
' preferve this young Calf that he may grow an
* Ox to draw in Chrift's Plough.
Mr Areikine praying in the TJ-ow- Church laft
year, faid, ^ Lord have mercy on all Fools and
« Idiots, and particularly upon the Magiftrates
* of Edinburgh,
Anocher imprecacing Cas is very ordinary with
them to do) faid, ' Lord give thy Enemies, the
' Papifts and the Prelates a full Cup of thy Fury
^ tp drink ; and if they refufe to drink it off,
^ then
t 117^1
^ then good Lord give them Kelty [i. e. another
* Cup fufl of it].
Mr John Dickfon praying for Grace, faid,
* Lord dibble thou the Kail-feed of thy Grace
* in our Hearts, and if we grow not up to good
* Kail, Lord make us good Sprouts at leaft.
Mr Linning curfing the King of France in his
Prayers, faid, * Lord, curfe him, confound him,
• and damn him, drefs him, and guide him as
' thou didft Pharaoh, Sennacherib, and our late
' Kiqg James and his Father.
One Frazer 3, young Fellow preaching in Jed
burgh, after Sermon blafphemoufty inverted the
Bleffing thus, ' The Curfe of the Lord Jefus
' Chrift, and of God the Father, and the Holy
' Ghoft, be upon all them that hear the Word
* and profit not by it.
Mr Arffine in the Tron-Church prayed ' Lord
* be thou in Mons, Mons, Mons, be thou in
* Mons, good Lord, meikle need has Mons of
' thee. Lord, for now they that be Confede-
' rates we hope they may be made Covenanters.
* Bring the fworn Enemy to the Solemn League,
* the Tyrant of France, to the Place whence he
* came, and caufe his Dragoons fhoot him in his
* Retreat, that he may cry out with Julian the
* Apoftate, Now Galilean'^ thou haft overcome me.
One Mr James Webfter was admired lately at
my Lord Arbuthnot his zealous Patron's Table
for this Grace before Meat, ' Out of the bound-
' lefs, bahklefs, brimlefs, bottomlefs, fliiorelefs
• Ocean of thy Goodnefs we are daily fodder-
' ed, filled, feafted, fatted, , ^c" and half an
Hour's Difcourfe to the fame purpofe.
Thefe are but few of many thoufand Inftances
that might be given ofthat Ridiculoufnefs, Pro-
fanitv.
r n8 3
fsH&y, and Blafphemy, which the Scotch Prefby^
terians dafly ufe in their Preaching and Praying ;
and cho' Scrangers may think it incredible, that
Men .profe®ng Religion or Reafon, fhould chus
debafe and proftitute both, yet they who are un-
fortfinately bound to converfe with, and hear them
frequently, cannot be but fadly fenfible that all
that's here charged upon them is but too true,
and that many of the worft Exprefllons they
are daily guilty of, are purpof(jly here omitted,
leaft by fuch obfcene, godlefs, and fulfomc Stuff,
the Ears and Eyes of modeft Readers fhould be
naufeated and polluted ; which if thefe Oppofers
ef Truth and Religion fhould deny, there are
thoufands in Scotland of tne beft Quality and Di-
flinctionjeady toatteft, by their O vthsisn Sub-
fcriptions, as fhall be made appear in another
Edidon of this Book, if the Clamors of the
Party extort ic ; and very many arewiflingto
join in this, who were not long ago their great
Friends, ,and have many of their Sermons
and Prayers in Writing, which they are now
wifling to expofe, , having fully difcovered
the vile Hypocrifie and pharafaick Profeffions of
that Fadion ; but this Trouble we can hardly
fuppofe that the Prefbyreriahs will put us or them
felves to, becaufe 'tis not probable that they will
deny what they fo much glory in, viz. this extra- '
ordinary way of Preaching and Praying, which
they think an Excellency and Pcrfedion, and
call it a holy Familiarity with God, and a pecu
liar Privilege of the moft refined Saints. •
Some may perhaps think this Cofledion was
publiflied meerly to render thefe Puritans ridicu
lous } but 'tis plain enough to fuch as them,
that we have not made but found them fo; we
hope that our difcovering their Snares may pre-
¦ve^t
t 119 J
vent fome Mens being intangjed-with them, they
compafs Sea and Land, and are fully as zealous as
their Pred'eceffors to make Profelytes to their Par
ty, and new GofpelNow the general intent of the
Colledors of thefe Notes was, that they might
ftand like Beacons to fright unwary Strangers from"
thefe Rocks upon which fo many have formerly
made Ship^ wreck both of Faith and good Confci
ence : Alas 'ds buc too evident what Havock artcf
Defol ation thefe pretended Reformers have made
in the Church and State, God's Name, Honour,
and Worfliip is profan'd, the Gofpel expofed to
the Scorn and Contempt of it's Enemies, the
more modeft and honeft Heathens and Turks;
the Flood-gates of Impiety and Atheifm are fee
open, the Foundadons of all true Piety or Policy
are overturned, and all regard to things^ either
Sacred or Civil quite deftroy'ed by thefe, who,
as the Royal Mkrtyr * fpeaks, feeking Co gain
Reputation with the Vulgar, for their extraordi
nary Parts and Piety, muft needi undo whate
ver was formeriy ffetdedi never fo wefl' and
wifely. ' Iwifli (as the fame Royal Author did) that
* their Repentance may be cheir only Punifh-,
* ment, that feeing the Mifchiefs which the dif-
' ufe of public Liturgies hath already produ-
* eed, they may reftore that credit, ufe, and re-
' verence to them, which, by the ancient
' Churches, were given to fet Forms of found
* and wholfome Words.
f And thOu, O Lord, which art the fame
' God, Bleffed for ever, whofe Mercies are full
* Encav ZaaiKiMi fpon the Ordinante againfi the Commos-
• Prayer Book. '
f King Charles'/ gsofl pious and pertinent Prayer. ' ' of
0
t I20 3
' of Variety, and yet of Conftancy ; Thou de-
' 'nieft us not a new and frefh fenfe of our old
• and daily Wants, nor defpifeft renewed Af-,
• fedions joined to conftant Expreffions : Let
us not want the Benefit of thy Church's uni
ted and Avell-advifed Devotions.
» Keep Men in that pious Moderation of their
Judgment in Matters of Religion, that their Ig
norance may not offend others, nor theirOpinion
of dieir own Abilities tempt them to deprive
others of what they may lawfully and devoutly
ufe to help their Infirmities. And fince the Ad
vantage of Error confifts in novelty and varie
ty, as Truth's in unity and conftancy, fuffer
not thy Church to be peftred with Errors, and
deformed with undecencies in thy Service, un
der the pretence of variety and novelty ; nor
to be deprived of truth, unity, and prder,
under this fallacy, that conftancy is the caufe
of formality. Lord keep us from formal
Hypocrifie in our Hearts, and then we know
that praying to thee, or praifing of thee (with
David and other holy Men) in the fame Forms
cannot hurt us. Evermore defend and deliver
thy Church from the Effeds of blind Zeal,
and over-bold Devotion. Amen.
FINIS.
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