A Vindication of the Church of Scotland 2, Question 10
QUEST. X.
HE hath said so much to little purpose, he is now come to his last Effort, which doth evidently shew a fainting Cause, but strong and growing Confidence: For he Querieth,
Whether Scottish Presbytery be agreeable to the general Inclinations of that People?
This he denyeth; we affirm it, and wish the matter could be put to the Poll among them that are sober, and that do any way concern themselves in Religion: We do not grudge them a multitude of debauched Persons, who hate Presbytery, as the Curb of their Lusts, and love the other way, under which they might be as bad as they would, without a check; tho' others could not be so good as they should without Persecution, or being discountenanced: tho' there want not a great many even of such that never liked Prelacy, tho' they could comply with it. Let us also set aside a sort of Men, who had their dependence on the Court, or on the Prelates, and could advance their Interests that way. Let us seclude also from this reckoning, the Popishly affected, who were but Protestants in Masquerade; and tho' we deny not, that there may be found both among the Ministers and People some sober and religious Persons, who are conscientiously for Prelacy, yet these are so few in Scotland (and were much fewer before 1662. since which time some have been bred to it) that not one of many hundreds or thousands is to be found; and it hath been in all Ages (out of Popery) seen, that so strong and universal is the inclination of People against Prelacy, that it never was brought in but by force and fraud, and never had long peaceable possession in this Nation: So that it is well known, that not a few wise Men in the Parliament, who have no Zeal for Presbytery it self, yet are for its being setled here, as knowing that no other Church-Government can suit the Genius of this People.
§. 2. The Proofs that our Author bringeth for his Assertion are strangely inconsequential; he will not say, That the inclinations of the Nation Representative is for Prelacy, lest he be found guilty of Leesing-making, a Crime that he often talketh of, and it seems hath well studied, and may be sometime strained his Wit about; but he will prove it of the body diffusive of the people; and first, of the Nobility, because Presbytery is against Monarchy, and they own it. This is answered. 2. Because they have taken the Test and Declaration. Answ. He confesseth some Peers took neither; and they that did take them, did not by that shew their inclination so much, as what they thought fit to comply with, rather than suffer; how many of these, now when there is no force on them, show that it was not choice, but necessity, that led them that way; and many who seem to make Conscience of these Bonds, yet shew no inclination to the thing that they are bound to, except by the constraint that they have brought themselves under. The Gentry he will also have to be inclined to Prelacy, because they have taken the Test; which is answered: and because many of them, when liberty was granted, went not to Meeting-houses. A silly Argument, for many did go, and most other clave to the former way, because the Law stood for it, and the Meetings seemed to be of uncertain continuance, but how few of them now refuse to hear the Presbyterians? The Test is still the Argument, the Burgesses must be Episcopal, because many of them took it. Also, because of the rivers of tears shed at the Farewel-Sermons of their Episcopal Ministers. O horrid Impudence! Scotland knoweth that where one was grieved, multitudes rejoyced, others carried indifferently, at the removal of the few of the men who as yet have been laid aside; for the Clergy, we yield him all the gang, except a few, and those of the more sober of them, who declare, that they never liked Prelacy as it was established, tho' they thought it Lawful to Preach under it. The ability and worth of the Presbyterian Ministers he laboureth to ridicule, but from such Topicks as are fitter to be despised than answered. Our three Commissioners sent to London, Anno 1689. (the former three he thinketh not worthy of his notice) he maketh to be the Standard of Presbyterian abilities: they are able to abide his censure, and to compete with most of his party; but he might know, that among us many are infirm thro' Age and long Hardships, who are of eminent Abilities; others are fixed in such Charges, where their labour could not be wanted for so long a time: and what he objecteth against them who were sent is of no weight; the first, that he once complyed, is most false: he resisted great Temptations to such complyance, and bare faithful Testimony against it. The second suffered for his Principles in the time of a sad Division in this Church. The third is no obscure Person, tho' unknown to this Pamphleter, from whom, when things went as he wished, good Men hid themselves, as from a Persecutor. We can also yield to him the Universities and Colledge of Justice, as lately stated; seeing none had access to such places but they who were Episcopal: For the Physicians, there are not a few worthy Men of that Faculty, who are far from inclinations toward Prelacy. It is a new Topick, not often used before, That such a way of Religion is the best, because most of the Physicians and Lawyers are of it: This his Discourse will equally prove that Popery is preferrable to Protestantism; for in France, Italy, Spain, &c. not the multitude only, but all the Church-men, the Universities, the Physicians and Lawyers are of that way. I conclude this our Debate about the Inclinations of the people of this Nation to Presbytery, with an Observation made by the late King James, when Duke of York, and in Scotland; hearing of divers persons of Quality, who on their Death-bed called for the Assistance of Presbyterian Ministers, and refused others, though they had in their life been either regardless of such Ministers, or persecutors of them, he said, That the Scots, in whatever Religion they lived, yet generally they died Presbyterians.
FINIS.
☞ The History of the Affairs and late Revolution of Scotland: With an Account of the Extraordinary Occurrences which happened thereupon, and the setling of the Church-Government there. Printed for Tho. Salusbury in Fleet-street.
ERRATA.
PAge 4. line 14. dele exit, read Epit. P. 16. l. 29. dele consistent, read inconsistent l. 40. dele well, read will. P. 32. l. 21. or against Popery, read against a Liberty for Popery. l. 42 for and not resolved, read for and were not resolved.