The Nullity of the Pretended Assembly at St Andrews and Dundee, Treatise 2 · Review 9
REVIEW.
THere is a great deal adoe here for little or nothing, which ſaith, that there muſt be ſome myſtery in the bottom, before I come to diſcover it, I ſhall make anſwer to the particulars alledged, Firſt by a narration of the Hiſtory, as it was in matter of fact, and then by taking off the things which are challenged by the Author: Our Army being defeat at Dumbar upon the Tueſday morning, and ſome of the ſcattered Forces having retired towards Striveling in the end of that week, a conſiderable number of the members of the Commiſſion, and Presbytery with the Army did meet there, to take in conſideration what was fit for them to do in that juncture of time & affairs, and after mutuall debate and advice, finding that in all appearance they might be driven from thence, and ſcattered one from another very ſuddenly, the Town then not being fenced, nor any furniture or proviſion in it, nor we having any bodie of ſtanding Forces in the fields to interpoſe betwixt the Town and the Enemy, and the hand of God laying heavy and ſore upon the Army, and upon the whole Land, by that dreadfull ſtroak at Dumbar; they thought it expedient that there being one or two wanting to make a Quorum of the Commiſſion, and theſe of the Commiſſion who were preſent being alſo members of the Presbytery of the Army, and ſundry other Miniſters who were alſo members of that Presbytery being preſent, that they ſhould ſet down the heads of theſe things for which (as they conceived) the Lord had ſmitten us, & ſend them abroad to the Presbyteries throughout the land, with a Letter written from the Presbytery of the Army, not injoining them as cauſes of a humiliation to be keeped by any Authority, but humbly repreſenting them as their thoughts …n ſo ſad a time, and deſiring their brethren to join in a publick Faſt and humiliation thereupon; What uſurpation or contempt of lawfull Authority and the government eſtabliſhed in this Church was here? As to the things challenged by the Author, they did not aſſume to themſelves any authority, but onelyonly write their humble advice, as their Letter did humbly ſhew, and this they might do; yea, it was expedient for them to do it, as things then ſtood; neither were they ſo private as the Author inſinuates; the Author ſpeaks a little diminutively of them, when he cals them ſome members of the Commiſſion, and ſome members of the Presbytery of the Army; there wanted but one or two of a Quorum of the Commiſſion, and the Presbytery of the Army was numerous and well conveened, as many certainly as gave them power to Act in any thing that was fit for the Presbytery to meddle with. Theſe ſundry godly and underſtanding men of who… he ſpeaks who were for a delay, were but a few, and when the reſt of their Brethren did not finde it expedient, they did not e…ter any diſſent, which belike they would have done if they had thought it a buſines of any ſuch conſequence as the Author would …ow make it, when he ſayeth, they were born down by the head ſtrong forwardneſſe of ſome, profeſsing ſo much reſpect to the eſtabliſhed government of this Church: He doth but ſhew himſelf like the man who wanting better weapons, did throw feathers at his adverſary, which did manifeſt a great deal of deſire to reach blows but drew no bloud; all the Proteſters who were then preſent were two or three at moſt, and they had no more voices but their own; but it ſeems that in ſome mens judgement, where ever any Proteſters are they muſt bear the blame of all the things that are conceived to be done amiſſe. As to the next, there was a neceſſity, becauſe there was no appearance that they would get leave to ſtay together for to meet with any conveniency for a long time thereafter, let be that the Commiſſion might meet within eight dayes as the Author aſſerts. It will be acknowledged by ſuch as knew the truth, that if the Engliſh had at any time within eight dayes after Dumbar either advanced with their whole Army, or ſent any conſiderable part thereof to Striveling, they had in all appearance gained that place, and ſo made an eaſie paſſe for themſelves to overrun the whole Land, and was it not every bodies fear that they ſhould ſo have done at that time; yea, did not all of us many time bleſſe God that they did it not: And what could be the danger of emitting theſe cauſes by way of humble deſire, and brotherly repreſentation, ſeing they did medle with nothing but that which was palpable and manifeſt; yea, which for the matter had been condeſcended upon by the Commiſſion, before that time, and was (as the Author himſelf acknowledgeth) ſuch as the Commiſſion did at their next Meeting approve; the onelyonly thing that had any ſhadow of newneſs in it, was that of the crooked and precipitant wayes that had been taken for carrying on the Treaty with the King, but neither was that new, becauſe the Commiſſion at Edinburgh, before the Kings home comming, had in a very large Letter to the Commiſſioners at Holland, holden forth their great diſ-ſatisfaction with the Proceedings of that Treaty in many particulars; and the Commiſsion at Leith, before the defeat at Dumbar, had alſo holden forth the Malignant deſign that was then carryed on, and had given it in as a publick cauſe of humiliation to the Committee of Eſtates. It is true that the Commiſſion was de facto conveened within eight dayes, but as we have already ſaid: It was not propable at the time or emitting theſe cauſe, that it ſhould ſo have been; and I pray the Author or any rationall men ſoberly, to think what motive but the ſenſe of duety, and the preſſing expediencie of the thing ſhould have induced theſe Proteſters of whom he ſpeaks to be ſo headſtrong and forward, to anticipate the Meeting of the Commiſſion, ſeing they had ground to think, that the Commiſſion at their Meeting were like to condeſcend on theſe things as cauſes of Gods wrath, which was verified thereafter, by the approving thereof; but the Author tels us that the Commiſſion did both alter ſomewhat (of which I ſhall afterwards ſpeak, and adde ſome thing; to wit, a Poſtſcript, recommending prayer for the King; aſwell as mourning for his ſins, which by the debate that was made againſt it by Mr. James Guthrie and the Regiſter, for the ſpace of half an hour (as he ſayeth) ſeemed to have been purpoſely left out, and that which the Commiſſion approved was the matter of theſe cauſes, and not the way of emiſsion, wherewith many of the Commiſsion ſhewed themſelves diſ-ſatisfied as a practice without example, and a preparative tending to the overthrow of the Government. The Commiſsion did indeed adde that poſtſcript concerning prayer for the King, againſt the expediency of which addition to be made at that time, Mr. James Guthrie and the Regiſter did for a little debate, how the Author ſhould know ſo exactly the meaſure of the time, I leave it for himſelf to anſwer, the ground of their ſo doing was not that which he alledgeth; the Regiſter hath many living witneſſes that he was no adverſary to praying for the King; and Mr. James Guthrie having keeped that humiliation publickly in the Congregation at Striveling, before the Commiſsion did meet or make any ſuch addition, did pray for the King, and why ſhould they have oppoſed that which was their own practice; the Author is a little beyond due bounds, when he ſayeth, it ſeems to have been left out of purpoſe, their debating againſt the adding of it was, becauſe at firſt they did not conceive that there was any neceſsity to make an expreſſe and diſtinct Article of that, more th…n of many other things which we were no leſſe bound to pray for, it being a thing ſo obvious, common and ordinary, and that now to adde it was to miniſter occaſion without ground, to make others conceive that it had been indeed formerly left out of purpoſe, and ſo to raiſe needl…e jealouſies and ſupitions of ſome, as being diſaffected to the King. Next, becauſe they took it to be included in the cauſes formerly emitted, though not expreſly; yet ſo as might be memorandum enough for decerning men not to omit it; he that mourneth rightly for the Kings ſins, will alſo be an interceſſor to God for him, to beſtow upon him the contrary graces and vertues. I ſhall not debate with the Author whether the Commiſsion did approve only the matter, or alſo the way of emiſsion of theſe cauſes; ſure I am, they did not condemn the way of emiſsion, and if he ſhall be pleaſed to look upon the tenour of the Letter that at that time was written by the Commiſsion to the ſeverall Preſbyteries, wherein theſe cauſes are mentioned, he will finde ſomething that looks towards an approving of the way of emiſſion as well as of the matter; it is true that ſome of the Commiſſion ſhewed themſelves exceedingly diſ-ſatisfied; yea, more exceedingly then was fit and beſeeming their place and parts, or the gravity of ſuch a meeting, but they were but ſome and not many; if it was a practice without example, it had alſo a ground without example: but if the Author ſhall be pleaſed to peruſe the Regiſters of the Church, I believe that he ſhall finde examples of particular Presbyteries ſending their advice abroad concerning cauſes of a publick humiliation, and that the members of the Commiſsion in things that were clear and unqueſtionable, and could not admit of a delay, have ſometimes when they wanted one or two of their Quorum done ſome things of publick concernment; let him look upon the Regiſters of the Presbyterie of Edinburgh, and of the Commiſsion and he will find ir ſo. That it was a preparative tending to the overthrow of government; I cannot ſee when I look upon it as impartially as I can, I know that he formerly called it an uſurpation, and if it had been ſo, there were ſome ground for this new charge, but I truſt, I have ſufficiently vindicated it from uſurpation, and therefore there is nothing brought that can bear the weight of this: But for the diſcovering of the miſtery of all this buſineſſe, upon which ſo great a ſtreſſe is laid, I deſire the Reader to be informed, that when theſe cauſes of humiliation were firſt ſent abroad, one of the Commiſsioners of the Church who had been imployed in Holland in the matter of the Treaty with the King, conceiving that his carriage in that imployment was reflected upon in that article, which ſpeaks of the crooked and precipitant wayes that were taken for carrying on the Treaty with the King, as one of the cauſes for which the Land ought to be humbled; he did take it ſo impatiently, that not only did he declare that he could not read theſe cauſes as they were firſt emitted, and that if they ſhould be read in the Congregation, wherein he had charge, he behoved to make ſome Proteſtation or bear ſome teſtimony againſt them; but alſo when he came te the Commiſsion did ſharply chalenge the way of emiting of them; the want of an article relating to prayer for the King, and that Article concerning the treaty, as reflecting upon the carriage of the Commiſsioners of the Church imployed in Holland in that buſineſſe, becauſe the Article as it was firſt emitted, did mention the crooked and precipitant wayes that were taken by ſundry for carrying on of the Treaty, without reſtricting the ſame to our Stateſmen, therefore for peace ſake, and to give him ſatisfaction, a Poſtſcript was added to the Letter which was at that time written by the Commiſsion, and ſent to Prebyteries concerning prayer for the King, and the Article concerning the Treaty with the King was ſome what altered by reſtricting the ſundry that are ſpoken therein to ſundry of our ſtateſmen, whereas before it was indefinite, and without any ſuch reſtriction; and theſe are the additions and alterations that he ſpeaks of. I write not theſe things for leſning the credi…e and reputation of that perſon, or bearing upon him more then upon others, any particular guilt in the matter of the Treaty, but for the truthes ſake and that he may be exhorted to conſider yet again, whether the zeal of his own credite, which many times byaſſes the ſpirits even of good men, have not too too much ingaged him in the defence of that buſineſſe, and in exaggerating and challenging every thing that ſeems in the leaſt meaſure to reflect on the ſame, which he hath the more reaſon to do, not onelyonly becauſe it is ingraven on the hearts of the generality of the godly in the Land, as with a pen of iron, and with the point of a Diamond, that this Land, and eſpecially the Rulers and Minſters thereof, have ſinned a great ſin in that matter of the Treaty with the King; but alſo becauſe ſundry of the precious and godly men who were with him imployed in that matter, do bear ſuch a conviction of the guiltineſſe thereof upon their ſpirits, that they are not like to forget it whilſt they live, and ſome of thoſe who were moſt active and forward in the buſineſſe, being now taken out of the land of the living, did upon their death bed confeſſe their guiltineſſe in this thing, and ſadly bemoaned it before the Lord in the hearing of faithfull witneſſes who do bear record of it. I know that theſe things are no rule to him, but they may, and I hope ſhall provoke him to ſearch this thing, and himſelf therein again and again.
VINDICATION.
SIxthly, Suffering ſome in their publick Meeting at Edinburgh, contrary to ſolemn Declaration and oath made, both in our Nationall Covenant, and Solemn League and Covenant, by writ, to repreſent this as a main cauſe of wrath upon the Land, that we had bound and engaged our ſelves to Presbyteriall Government, without any cenſure paſſed upon the ſaid Paper or teſtimony given againſt it to this day, though now it be going abroad in Print.