The History of the Indulgence, Title page – To the reader

The History of the Indulgence · Title page – To the reader

THE HISTORY OF THE INDULGENCE Shewing its Rise, Conveyance, Progress and Acceptance: Together with a Demonstration of the Unlawfulness thereof, And an Answere to contrary Objections: As also a Vindication of such, as scruple to hear the Indulged. By a PRESBYTERIAN.

Printed in the Year MDCLXXVIII.

TO THE CHRISTIAN READERS, Particularly, the suffering Ministers and Professors in the CHURCH of SCOTLAND.

Reverend, much honoured, and dearly beloved;

I hope, I need not tell you, (whom I look upon and addresse my self unto, as taught of God, not onelyonly in the main; but in many things that relate to our present calamitous case and condition) that the knowledge of the times, and what the Israel of God ought to do, should be your Ornament & Cognizance, distinguishing you from others, who are brutish in their knowledge: Neither need I tell you, how impossible it is to know, what the present day and hour makes indispensible dutie, without a just reflexion on what is past; for the emergents of the present day can never be improved, to the advantage of preventing the morrow's miserie, without this; whereas hereby the present day may be made the better for yesterdayes errour. Now, that you and I may be helped to a profitable reflexion upon what is past, and improve it to its just advantage, the Lord hath been pleased, in this common and unconcerned sopor of many, to put it upon the heart of a Servant of his, to whom he hath given dexteritie, of hand for the undertakeing, to give you and me the following History, and Account of one particular emergent, in the sad History of our time, which hath been followed with the most dismal and dire effects of any thing that hath befallen our poor Church, & the precious remnant therein, since the Holy Lord was pleased to give us up into the hand of such, as have with violence and rage overturned that blessed and beautiful fabrick, reared up and erected amongst us by Him, who dwelt in it, and made our soules glade in his house, while we walked with Him, and He dwelt among us.

If this History and account be carped at, and cryed out against by some; that must be borne with; for our distempers (Alas) and distractions are arisen to that heat and height, as he who rebuk…th in the gate is hated, and he who speaketh uprightly is abhorred. And yet a faithful and wise Servant, seeing how his Lord is wronged, and for what the Land is made to mourne, and the Church in hazard to be utterly ruined, may not lay his hand upon his mouth, and, to prevent the opening of the mouths of others against him, give up himself to a stupid silence. But whatever some may judge or say of what is here said, and set before us, wisdom will be justified of her Children: and I am sure, the account given will be refreshful and acceptable to many, who love the truth, and lament these our recessions and declineings from our first love & wayes. Oh if I might mix myself amongst the mourners, and those whose souls are melted & poured-out in them, in this heart-rending reflexion!

I shall at present forbeare to go so far backward, as to set before your eye, (which may make you and me goe mourning to our grave, and ought to be remembered by us for that very end) what was our carriage, or rather, what were our miscarriages, in the day, when the Enemy, with displayed banner and open-faced violence, did raze and overturn all. Oh, if He would raise up some to represent us now unto ourselves, according to what we really were in that day; that so we for our part might goe mourning to the grave, and the succeeding generations might thereby take warning, and beware to tread our path, or trace our steps, lest, as we have done, they should stumble, fall and be broken.

Leaving therefore this sad subject, I come to make a blunt and abrupt inquirie how did we behave? What was our Posture and Practice after we had so stupidly stood by, till we saw the whole work overturned, without offering to interpose effectually to prevent its ruine, or fall with it? And now, when we ourselves were thrust from the publick Exercise of our Ministrie, are we found lamenting after the Lord? Are we found lying in the dust, loathing ourselves in the remembrance of the sad and soul-afflicting ruine, which fell under our hand? Is there now a corresponding how to excite one another unto the first Love, and to the first works of the Church of Scotland? doth the sorrow of every mans soul look-out at his eye, while he beholds the desolation of the Sanctuary, the Mountain of Zion laid waste, and the Foxes walking upon it, and considers how he hath not onelyonly outlived the departing of the glory, but must, if he see, and lay to heart what hath been in his hand, carrie his own tormenter about with him, as having by his conniveing, or a cowardise, unworthy of the Spirit of Ambassadours for Christ, contributed to the advancement of the enemies desperat designe? Do we now meet, and set dayes apart alone and together, on this very designe, to mourn, to pour out our hearts before Him, to weep upon Him, importuning Him, and praying with all manner of prayer and supplication for Light, for Life, for Zeal, for Courage; that as being strengthened with all might, according to his glorious Power, we might be in case to stand and withstand, in so evil a day, and having done all to stand? Did we, as knowing from what had past, and as not ignorant of his devices, plead with our Lord, that we might not be left, nor led into temptation; but that we might be upheld in our integritie, and helped upon all hazards to witnesse our soul abhorrence at the wayes of these turners aside, and overturners of the work of God? Did we, as faithful Ambassadours of Christ, fixedly loyal to our exalted Prince; or as true Lovers of the soul-interest of those, who by their way had witnessed there was no feare of God before their eyes, yea that they had forgotten, or delete the apprehension of that Eternal God, who is above them; and so in the madnesse of their apostasie, without all inquirie or care, whether that way did lead them, or where it would Land them, run as enràged upon the bosses of the buckler of God Almightie? Did we, I say, deal plainly with the men of these abominations, these prodigious wickednesses, these hateful and heaven-dareing practices? Did we beseech, obtest, exhort, yea and with an Ambassadour-becoming boldnesse charge them, in the name of the liveing God, to returne, as they would not be turned into hell, for these their treacherous turnings away from Him, and transcendently wicked turnings against Him? Nay alas! Whatever were the secrete mournings, the sorrowings, the grievings of some, which, I hope, are on recorde in Heaven; yet, the first thing that is heard of in others, after an interval of shameful and sinful silence, is a fearlesse making and medling with the stated enemies of the work of God, even while breathing-out a keennesse of crueltie against the more zealous faithful Ministers and Professors, and this fearlessé medling (ere mourning over former unfaithfulnesses and miscarriages had gone before; ere Brethren, equallie concerned in the case, and on whom the care of the Church did equallie lye, yea and of some of them I may say, were no lesse eaten up with the zeal of His house, than the Consulters, were consulted) produced this that fatal Indulgence; and to use the Vindicators phrase [which he in useing, upon the occasion and account he makes use of it, to detestation abused] hinc illae lachrymae.

Alas? What else but a further defection could be exspected, as the issue and result of these medlings, betwixt, (on the one part) not onelyonly the Chiefe Instruments of all these incumbent Calamities; but men set upon this mischiefe, how to destroy by dividing, and ruine by their Methodes, beyond hope of an escape or recovery, the poor remnant; and root-out the remembrance of that People, and Partie, whom in their thoughts, desires and designes, they had devoted to destruction. And (on the other part) what ever the men had formerly been, or still were; yet I must say it (and let none mistake me so far, as if I intended hereby to reproach or reflect; far be it from my soul; for while I am constrained to mention it, I desire to let my ink drop out of my Pen here, with a wrung and wounded heart; and to writ as knowing what I now say must meet me at the Tribunal; nay, I would forbeare to say it, if I did not beleeve it should meet me there, if I smothered what I am now about to say, in a truth-prejudgeing silence) men in as ill case to have made or medled in the concerns of Christ and his Church, with the men, with whom they had then to doe, in their circumstances, as ever any Godly men in our Church were. I desire not to be put to the unpleasant necessitie of dilating this further; Nor, if necessitie be laid upon me (since it is the pure interest of truth, I desire to aime at, without respect of Persons) shall I decline it, though for that I should be yet more vile.

Now, as foregoing untendernesse & declineing had paved the way, & prepared us, for this new step of further defection; so this wretched Indulgence hath had the most deplorable & dismal effects; & if the Lord do not graciously deliver his Servants & Church from what it tends to & threatens, it is like to be & prove more fatall to the Poor languishing Remnant, than any step of defection, to which ever any Godly men were left, in the Church of Scotland. The Historie of its effects & of the bitter fruits it hath produced (which will make it the just hatred of Posteritie; as well as it is the griefe, sorrow and lamentation of many a serious soul in the Generation) is not at present my businesse; All I have to hint at this time, in reference to it, shall be shortly this. That however I doe not offer to make an addition of Arguments (for that were superfluous, Considering what the Author of the following Discourse hath so nervously adduced) yet let me addresse my self without offence; not as an acute disputant, but as a poor blunt, plain, open-hearted well wisher, to the Work and Interest of Christ, to my Indulged Brethren (not a few of whom are dear to my soul; and, I hope, though they should both despise me and despitefully use me, shall be so) in a few plain Questions.

Now then the Indulgence is embraced, and thanks to the givers are rendered by the takers. I Ask therefore First, If they could, after this their acceptance and giving of thanks to the Council, have withdrawen from that appearance, and sisted themselves before Christ Jesus, the King of his Church, and with a sweet serenitie of soul have had confidence to offer their thanks to Him, for being helped to witnesse a good Confession against the wickednesse of this Invasion, made by the Overturnes of his work, upon his Royal Prerogative, who built the house, and must beare the Glory; for it was either then or never, that it was to have been done. Secondly, Let me aske; are they so very cleare and confident in the case, as they can, not onelyonly in dealing with men, hold up their face, and affirme, without hinck or hesitation, that this is their rejoyceing, even the testimonie of their Conscience; that in simplicitie and Godly sinceritie, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the Grace of God, they have had their Conversation before all men, and more aboundantly towards these backslideing Rulers, before whom they appeared, now declared enemies to the Work of God, and invaders of His Throne and Prerogative: But are they also content to be carried before the Tribunal of Christ, with this acceptance from those, who have exautorat their Lord and Master, in their hand; and to have the qualitie of their Love to the comeing of His Kingdom, and their Loyaltie to Christ Jesus, now opposed and put from the exercise of his Royal Government by the Partie Indulgeing, in this very Indulgence, tried by such a Test? It were fit, sure, to think on this, and lay it to heart; for each receiver may lay his count with it, that soon or syne he shall be put to it. Thirdly, Let me aske (though I put it out of doubt, they doe, and far be it from me to think otherwise) whether they believe, that Christ, who purchased His Church, and bought His Crown with His precious blood, lives also to make intercession, and to plead his own purchase, and Procure, by vertue of the Price He hath payed, the execution of the written vengeance upon all, who will strive with Him for State and Supremacy in ordering the affairs of his house, the Church of the living God; or who will, in their desperat daring and rage, revolt and exautorat Him by their Law (which is a legal and explicit bursting of his bonds, casting away his cords from them, and, in contempt of, and Contradiction to the Christ of God, a formal taking of His house in Possession) as our Rulers have done; to the out-doing, in this affront to Jesus Christ, all that ever went before them; or as if they were resolved never to be outdone by any, who should come after them, in a copeing with the Mediator, and a down-right denial of Him to be King (for now they have put Caesar in his Place) sure, the Indulged Brethren neither can nor will deny this: Then they must give me leave to assert and subsume (what hath been, as oft upon my soul, as I thought upon their carriage at that appearance (yea, if they speake consequently to the supposed concession, they must agree with me in it; That with the same objective assurance, I beleeve the Right that Christ hath bought, to be sole and supreme, in regulating all the affairs of His own house, to have none to share with Him in the Autocratorick, Architectonick and Magisterial Power of makeing Lawes, to obliege the Conscience of his Subjects, nor to be in case to give a Ministerial Power besides himself; And as I beleeve the firmnesse of the stipulation betwixt Jehovah and his Anointed, to secure unto him his throne; and take vengeance on all his Adversaries, and as I beleeve he lives to make intercession; so I must beleeve also that, at that very instant, when the Indulged stood before the Council, and by their mouth made such a harangue; The Mediator, who is set down, at the right hand of God, was interceeding and pleading by his blood, by his wounds and Passion, for the execution of the purchased and promised vengeance upon such, who by the complex of this very deed, in a defiance to the everlasting Decree, whereby his throne is Established, declared, they had taken unto themselves His house in Possession. Ah; my deare Brethren, can the thoughts of such a discord & discrepancy betwixt His intercession in heaven, and your harangueing on earth, enter into your soul (and I give you the defiance to enter into the serious thoughts of the matter, and hold them out) or be reflected upon, without Terrour, Trembling, Confusion of face, Shame and Astonishment.

Now my reverend and very deare Brethren, may I not, upon this …ccasion, make bold to fall before you as prostrat, and with the teare in mine eye, (for I have confidence to say it, I scarce see my Paper, while by my Pen I make this addresse unto you,) humbly and earnestly beg of you, request, beseech and obtest you, for your blessed and glorious Master's sake, who is now Crucified againe amongst us, from whose head the crown is taken; for His Churches sake, whereof he hath made you Ministers, and so magnified you amongst men, in sending you into the world, under the Character of his Ambassadours; for your poor broken hearted and bleeding Brethrens sake, as ever you would be amongst the restorers of our breaches; as ever you would againe be as some of you were in times past, as the chariots and horsemen of Israel; as ever you would wish to be brought againe to keep His Courts, and to judge His house; and, when that work is over, to have a Place amongst them that stand by; as you would not be the occasion of the rupture and utter ruine of the small remnant (for God and all good and understanding-men will refound this distracting and remnant-destroying Division, that is amongst us, upon this Indulgence); as you tender the good of the Posteritie, and would give an unquestionable evidence, how intensely you desire, that Jesus Christ may reign and rule without a competitor, when you are gone; As you Love to live at peace with God, and enjoy, as feeding Pastors and faithful Witnesses to your Lord, a sweet serenitie of soul? Nay as ever you exspect to goe off the stage in good termes with God, and have your Masters welcome of well done, good and faithful servants, and be enrolled, when you are gone, amongst the Confessors of his name, and holders fast of the word of his Testimonie, and such as had obtained mercy to be valiant for the truth: Let me, I say, upon all these, and many other accounts, make bold to beseech you, without more debate, without more delay, to deliver yourselves; to deliver the Church; to deliver your wounded, weeping and overwhelmed Brethren; and to deliver the Posteritie from the snare of that cause-destroying, Church ruining, remnant-divideing Indulgence. Do not say, I would wheedle and fool you into an irrational implicitnesse or bogle you into a relinquishing of what you have embraced, with a parcel of words, wherein is nothing to convince you of the evil of what you have done, Read but the following History; and if, as in His sight, without prejudice or mind-occaecating Passion you Peruse it, I am not without hope; but you will suffer yourselves to be overcome (which will be one of the greatest Victories you have ever obtained,) into a compliance with the humble and earnest beseechings not of your Poor Brother onelyonly, but of many, who are Presenting you to God, and dare seek nothing for you, till this be obtained. Do not offend at this last word; for, if it were my last, I must both confesse unto you, I have never had Confidence to seek any thing for you, since you embraced that Indulgence, save this; and I know, you have, since that day, been much out of the Praiers of many serious Prayers, to whom you were, and yet are, deare, which hath been none of your advantage; yea whatever use you may make of it, yet fidelitie to you put me to use this freedom, that I have not onelyonly found my self in fetters, but I have observed more servent Judicious and gracious Persons, to whom it was a case of Conscience; yea who had no Confidence to represent you to God, as a Part of that suffering remnant, for whom they essayed to Pour out their heart before Him, whereat you will cease to wonder, when you consider that to them, the Indulgence was a Defection. But if the following History Prevail not with you, yet Let the History that God hath writen against that acceptance doe; Least He impose the necessitie upon some to transcribe it, and set it before your eye, for your further Conviction, and a Caution to the Posteritie. But to close duplicate page duplicate page this, give me leave, Deare Brethren, to say this one word more; that often, under my sinking soul-anguish and sorrow, because of this Indulgence, and its woeful effects, I have with an anticipat complacency essayed to allay the sharpnesse of my sorrow, and to flatter my self into a cheerfulnesse in the pleasant expectation and hope, that amongst the Indulged themselves, amongst so many Godly men, there was more than a may be of hope, that the Lord would pitch upon some of these, and make use of them, to discover, with more conviction and advantage, the evil of this Indulgence, than any else is in case to doe: Blessed shall that man or these men be! And O that I may not be disappointed in this expectation!

I know, the following History will fall under the severe Censures of many, and not a few will be ready to cry-out against it, (who shall never be able to answer its reason, but by clamour) as unseasonable; I grant indeed, that it is the great Qualification of writing and speaking, that it be seasonable; and it is also the great commendation of Hearers and Readers, that they have that wisdom of heart as to discerne both time and judgement; for as a word in season and fitly spoken is like apples of go…d in pictures of silver; so it is a rare thing, especially in a declining time, to be in case to judge what is truely such, and, as having escaped the mistakes ariseing from preconceived Prejudices, to approve that which is more excellent; but whatever Prejudice may prompt some to say; yet what is said by this wise Reprover will be found and entertained as an ear-ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold unto an obedient eare. And for my confidence in commending it, as a word in season unto the Reader, I render these reasons. First, If men consider the hainousnesse of guilt, which the Author hath clearly demonstrat to be wrapped up in, and inseparably connected with this Indulgence, they will rather say, Alas, he hath been too long in comeing, to make a discoverie of its iniquitie; than complain as if he had come to soon. Secondly, If men take it up in its true nature and tendency, and consider impartially the qualitie of its defection, according as it is here held forth, if they speake their soul, they must say, That a standing Testimony against this evil is of more value and worth, than all of us are, when sold out of the ground. Thirdly, It will not fall under the Censure of unseasonablenesse by any, except such as doe either down-right plead for the Indulgence and defend it, or else connive at it, as an aliquid nihil, not to be regarded; and it is to me, and, I hope, will be so to many, in regard of such, that the one may be cured of their Confidence and the other of their Indifferency and detastable Neutralitie, a word in season. Fourthly Let this silence the clamour about its unseasonablenesse, and satisfie, yea plead the indispensible necessitie of it, at this time. That the Indulged Brethren have of late been more hot and high, than formerly, even to the threatning of men into a silence at its defection, by boasting us with a Vindication of the Lawfulnesse of their Acceptance; and therefore, as to them it ought to be justly reckoned seasonable. Fiftly, Because somewhat hath been of late done even by the Non-Indulged, not onelyonly to the strengthening of the hands of the Indulged, and giving them new confidence in their course, in obliquo, by covering all, and carrying towards them, as if they had done nothing amisse, But upon the matter (for it is beyond my shallow capacitie otherwise to interpret, or understand the deed) by a direct homologating of that Indulgence; for now silence, as to all speaking against this evil, is made the very Door and Porch, thorow which all the Intrants to the Ministery must passe. I hope, they will not alleage, that this is misinformation, for now we have it under their own hand; and the breach of this engagement is brought and laid down as a ground, upon which a Young man is challenged; And therefore, its now simply necessate yea more then high time to discover and detect the blacknesse of its defection, when the Church is thus brought in bondage by it. Sixtly, The severe insulting over some of the poor remnant, who cannot forbeare to witnesse their abhorrence at it, and dare not dissemble their hatred of it, constrained the Author to give the world this account, to convince them, how little reason the one Partie hath to insult thus over their poor Brethren, and how litle cause the other have to be ashamed of witnessing their dislike. Seventhly, Because it hath been often and still is objected to us, that we have made a hideous hue and cry after it, as a theefe, but neither would nor could render a reason, or prove it to be a coming-in not by the right door, but a climbing up by another way: And therefore, the Interest of truth constrained the Author, to give them and the world such a Plain and Publick Account of the reasons of his just dissatisfaction, as may abide ad futuram rei memoriam. And Lastly, Because there is a may be of hope, that as some at least of these Godly men Indulged may be hereby taken off, and all of them made more sober, and lesse violent; so it is much more to be hoped, that the Non-Indulged will hence-forth more seriously consider what way to deliver the Church from this evil, their Brethren out of the snare, and how to keep themselves free from the transgression of giving this evil any interpretative countenance; (for if God put it upon their heart to apply it, the Plaister is in their hand, to wit, a just discountenanceing of this as a defection.) And withal that they will henceforth appeare more friendly towards the real Lovers of them and the cause; and holders fast of their integritie, and lesse severe against such, who ought to be countenanced, cherished, and encouraged for their uprightnesse in hateing the Supremacy, as the spring, and all the streames that flow from that corrupt and cursed fountain; and hereby shall they have better accesse, when real affection and tendernesse upon these accounts is witnessed, to curbe or cure these excesses, which are not inseparable from, yea incident to the zeal of the best of Saints out of heaven; for it is there that our fire will want smoak. Deare Brethren I shall detain you no longer from Peruseing this History. And that you may in calmenesse and without Prejudice consider what is said; and that the Lord God himself may, as in all things, so in this thing also, give you Light, is for you the soul-desire of

Your poor afflicted Brother and welwisher.