Reproof of a Pamphlet Called the Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence, Appendix
APPENDIX
OUR Adversaries are not satisfied to Reproach us at Home, and in England; but it seems have made it their Business to misrepresent us all the World over, as far as the publick Intelligence can reach: Therefore have they prevailed upon the Simplicity and Credulity (if it may not be imputed to a worse Quality) of the publick News-man, who writeth the Monthly Mercury in his News for April 1692; first to belie, and then to rail upon, the Presbyterian Church of Scotland with open Mouth: The former in his Historical Part, the other in his Reflections, P. 147. and 149. If the Writer be ignorant of the unhappy Division, and Difference of Parties, and Sentiments that are now in Scotland, such ignorance rendereth him unqualified for his Undertaking: If he know these things, he must either be strangely byassed to the one side (and that side they every one knoweth is not generally inclined to the Interest of King William and of the Vnited Netherland, but rather to that of King James and of France) or he is wonderfully receptive of whatever is told him: None of which are proper Inducements for an Historian; especially such an one as maketh so bold with all Affairs. Sacred and Civil, as to subject them to his criti…al and decisive Conclusions, and who so Magisterially passeth Sentence about them. If what he writes about Scotch Affairs, in the places above mentioned, be duely considered, and if Men will receive due and imparti…l …nformation about them,This was written long before his …eath. it will be enough to discredit all that he hath written; unless he make a publick Recantation of the Injury he hath done to a whole Church (and consequently to the Authority of King and Parliament, who have thought fit to Own that Church, and Establish her by Law) which hath deservedly been famous among the Churches of the Reformation; To receive all his Informations from one side, and neither to consider the probability of the matter, nor to hear what the other Party hath to say for themselves, is such a Conduct as is intollerable in one who pretendeth to inform the World of the Truth and Certainty of all Occurrences.
I intended farther to expose this Author, but hearing that by his Death we are out of hazard of being Injured by him a second time, I onelyonly shall give a true Account of what he hath misrepresented: And for some other Reasons I shall forbear a more full narrative which once was intended. He saith P. 147. That a Synod of the Presbyterians in Scotland, met (I suppose he meaneth of the General Assembly, which was indicted by Royal Authority, with consent of the former Assembly, which begun at Edinburgh January 15. 1690) that they came to some Heats in that Assembly; so that the Earl of Lothian, finding their Heats increase, dissolved the Synod. Here are two palpable Falsehoods in one Breath; One is, That they came to Heats in that Assembly; and that these Heats increased. Nothing could be affirmed with less semblance of Truth. I believe seldom have so great a body of Men met about so weighty and difficult Affairs, among whom less did appear that could be called Heat. They had no Heat with the Episcopal Men, who made Address to them; but treated them with all Respect and Civility, (which they themselves did publickly acknowledge) tho' they could not yield to what they demanded, for good and weighty Reasons, which they gave for their determination. Neither was there any Heat among themselves, but did Brotherly debate Matters in the Committee, and concluded on what Course should be taken: In the Assembly it self, the Matter was not so much as debated: The Opinion of the Committee not being brought in before they were dissolved. The other Falsehood is. That the Earl of Lothian dissolved the Assembly on account of their Heats. This is so far from Truth, that his Grace never complained of any Heats, nor mentioned any such cause of his dissolving them, but only that they had sat long, and had not brought their Business to a period. There was indeed some confusion at the dissolution of the Assembly, by a Cry that was raised in the House: but that was the effect of the Dissolution (or rather of the manner of it) not the moving Cause.
The Mercury doth farther Injure the Church of Scotland, in the Remarks that he maketh on his own false History: Calling the Presbyterians A Terrible sort of People, that for the most part we find nothing in their Assemblies but Disunion, Discord, and a Spirit of Persecution. No Answer is fit for such an indefinite Charge against a whole Church, but to deny the truth of it; and bid defyance to her Adversaries (whose Tool this Man was) to prove what they lybel against her: Every one will see that this pitiful Historian hath brought nothing that can bear such a Conclusion. It is also too great Impudence and Petulancy for a Stranger to talk at this rate, against a Church so much honoured by all Learned and Good Men, who have known her, or her Principles and Way; and that on so slender Ground, as the Information of her sworn Enemies: And when even what Account he hath given (which is wholly false) if true, could not amount to what deserveth such a Censure: What if they had unreasonably refused Communion with a sort of Men who had stept out of the way, and who generally had so heavily persecuted them? Is this the whole of their Actings in their Assemblies? Make they no good Acts? Do they nothing for bearing down Sin and advancing of Holiness? He next compareth them to the Priests of Spain, and saith, They would erect an Inquisition Tribunal if they were not restrained. If the Tongue and …en be let loose at this ra…e, the best of Men shall be made as black as Hell, by such scandalous Libellers, Can he tell us what is in our way that is like the Inquisition Tribunal? Whom have we Imprisoned? Whom have we Burnt, or Fined, or Banished? What Civil Punishments have we inflicted? Or have we Censured any person for Truth? Or forced any to tell the secret Thoughts of their Heart, and then taken their Lives for them? But why do I take so much notice of his spite against us: It is also spued out against Protestants in general; and these in other places as well as Scotland. What Religion he was of for his Principles. I know not; but I am sure in this Narrative, and Censure, he hath not shewed a Christian Spirit. How odiously doth he compare the Presbyterians in Scotland, and them who adher…d to the Synod of D…rt in the Netherlands, with the Bishops and Clergy of France. Did ever either of these endeavour the extirpation of them who differed from them; and that by so Bloody and Barbarous Means as was the French Dragooning. The Scots Presbyterians and the Reformed in Holland… must also be like the Jesuites, who keep up the War between the Emperour and the Pope. But wherein, I pray you, lyeth this Similitnde, do any of us medle in the Affairs of State, or in the making of Peace or War? Do also the Ministers of Holland intermix in these Affairs? The design of all this Clamour is evident to be that the Church, as well as the State, should give a vast Toleration, and that of all kind of Opinions and Church Practices, that the Presbyterians should allow them who are for the Jus Divinum of Episcopacy to Govern the Presbyterian Church; and suffer Arminians to Teach, and spread their Doctrine in the Congregations which are intrusted to the care of the Presbyterians, and of whose Souls they must give an account: And the Ministers of Holland should allow Arminians to be Ministers and Elders, to Teach and Rule their Flocks. And that it is not enough that they do not trouble them while they seduce their own followers; but they must incorporate with them, as one Body, both for Teaching and Ruling▪ And nothing will please this Man but the Magistrates persecuting the Church, unless she will take Vipers into her Bosom. We plead not that Ministers may be suffered to do what they please; as he invidiously representeth the Matter: If Ministers transgress the Laws, let them be punished: If they oppress their Neighbours, let them be restrained. But it is no good service to the interest of Religion, to stir up the Magistrat to restrain the Church from exercising that Government and Discipline that Christ hath instituted, and the Law doth allow. It may rather be said, That it will not be well with the Reformed World, if one of this Man's Temper be suffered to write what he pleaseth; and that as the publick Intelligence.
FINIS.
End of the text · Gilbert Rule, Reproof of a Pamphlet Called the Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence (1693)