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<DATE>2014-10-08</DATE>
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<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B140615.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="1">
<PB N="1" REF="2" MS="y">
<HEAD>The pre&s;ent STATE and Condition OF THE Clergy, and Church of Scotland.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">In a LETTER from a Friend on the <HI>Borders.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>SIR,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>IN your la&s;t, you told me, That a fuller and more particular Account of the Condition of the Epi&s;copal Clergy in <HI>Scotland,</HI> would not only be very acceptable to &s;ome Worthy Per&s;ons, but might al&s;o be in&s;trumental towards the Relief of the &s;ad and deplorable Condition they are in. Upon this Con&s;ideration I am now mov'd to write what I know, upon good Grounds, in that matter; hoping that a mode&s;t Relation of their Sufferings, may prove a kind and charita|ble Interce&s;&s;ion for them; and that others, when they know as much as I do, in the Point, will com|pa&s;&s;ionate them, as much as my &s;elf; who hear their Cries and Complaints, and am an Eye-witne&s;s of their Poverty and Di&s;tre&s;s, almo&s;t every day.</P>
<P>The Clergy of <HI>Scotland</HI> were never in &s;o flouri&s;hing a Condition &s;ince the Reformation, as they have been of late. The long Peace of near Thirty Years, &s;ince the Re&s;tauration, has been well imployed by them: It has been a quiet &s;ea&s;on, and Learning has grown, and improv'd in it; Orthodox Engli&s;h Writers has been brought, Libraries, publick and private, furni&s;h'd with good Books; the Principles of the Engli&s;h Church carefully examin'd, and their Judgment &s;o convin'd of the Excellency and Nece&s;&s;ity of our Di&s;cipline and Order, that they generally love and admire our Con&s;titution; and heartily pray, that the like might be &s;etled among&s;t them, which might prevent the Supine&s;s and Inde|votion, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> which are too vi&s;ible in that Nation. And herein, the Care of all their Univer&s;ities is very commendable, wherein the young Clergy has been &s;ea&s;on'd with Orthodox Principles; particu|larly, <HI>Gla&s;quo,</HI> where an Eminent Profe&s;&s;or did, on all occa&s;ions, magnifie the Con&s;titution of the Church of <HI>England,</HI> to the <HI>Scotch</HI> as well as <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Scholars; and to make his Sentiments more pub|lick, he printed a Book at that Place, containing &s;ome great and di&s;tingui&s;hing Doctrines of the <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Church. By the Care of the Univer&s;ities, all the Churches in the Kingdom, which are &s;aid to be about 950, were fill'd with Achademicks; who, for their Number, for their quick|ne&s;s of Apprehen&s;ion, readine&s;s of Expre&s;&s;ion, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> may not be thought inferiour to &s;o many of the Engli&s;h Clergy, taken in gro&s;s. What their Behaviour was at the In&s;urrection at <HI>Bothwill Bridge,</HI> and &s;ince, every one knows. They generally complain'd of Violation of Ju&s;tice, under the late Admini&s;tra|tion; and though &s;ome were too Acce&s;&s;ary, yet others &s;uffer'd for their Oppo&s;ition; &s;o that the whole cannot be culpable, for the Mi&s;carriages of a &s;ew. There was an Addre&s;s of their Bi&s;hop, which is in the Gazetts, which very much incens'd the common inferiour People again&s;t them; but con&s;ider|ing the Proclamations which were publi&s;hed by all Magi&s;trates, the Laws in force, and their other Ob|ligations, at that time, there might be &s;ome charitable Allowances for that Action; and &s;eeing they are willing to &s;ubmit to the pre&s;ent Government, the power of tho&s;e in Authority, might be pleas'd to cover them from the Rage and In&s;olence of the Rabble.</P>
<P>Upon the late great Revolution, at the coming of that invincible Prince to a&s;&s;ert Out-Laws and Li|berties, the&s;e Epi&s;copal Clergy found them&s;elves oppo&s;ed by Three &s;orts of Adver&s;aries, differing among&s;t them&s;elves, yet united in their Endeavours to extirpate them; <HI>viz.</HI> The old <HI>Presbyterians,</HI> who accepted the Indulgence under King <HI>James,</HI> commonly called, <HI>The Indulg'd Men;</HI> the <HI>Cameronians</HI> (from one <HI>Cameron,</HI> a late Preacher among&s;t them, about <HI>Bothwill-Bridge</HI> Ri&s;ing) and the <HI>Mountaineers</HI> or <HI>Hill|men,</HI> who are like the old <HI>Anabapti&s;ts</HI> of <HI>Germany,</HI> not to be rank'd under any regular Principles; The fir&s;t are mo&s;t moderate, but the two la&s;t run to the heighth of enrag'd Violence, and are not check'd or re&s;train'd by the other. In the <HI>S. W.</HI> and <HI>W.</HI> Parts of the Kingdom, (where the <HI>Cameronians</HI> are mo&s;t numerous) the regular Clergy were &s;ilenc'd, hinder'd from going their Churches, and abus'd in mo&s;t barbarous manner, before any thing was done in Parliament again&s;t them: The way was, to &s;end to the Mini&s;ter, by any (unknown) hand, an Order to de&s;i&s;t from Preaching at his Peril; and if he did not out of fear of his Life, obey it, then with Arms and Violence, they oppo&s;ed his entring his Church, and &s;ometimes put &s;ome of their own Principles or Leaders into the Pulpit. But the Fury of their Enemies &s;hew'd it &s;elf &s;o much, as after the Abolition of Epi&s;copacy by &s;ound of Trumpet; for when they were thrown down by the Government, then the meane&s;t of the People in&s;olently trampled upon them. I &s;hall not reflect upon the publick Proceedings, but only tell you Matter of Fact, as I have were depriv'd by Order; and at that time, tho&s;e that would pray as they were commanded, and de|clare their &s;atisfaction in what was done, were allow'd to continue in their Places; only the Ejected complain'd, not &s;o much of their being depriv'd, as that all the Profits of the year were denyed them, which they were in po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of till after <HI>Whit&s;ontide;</HI> nay, till <HI>July</HI> or <HI>Augu&s;t,</HI> which they &s;ay is con|trary to the Laws of <HI>Scotland;</HI> nay, &s;ome, if not all of them, were unable to get up their Arrears. In &s;ome place the People being unwilling to pay them; and where they were willing, the Pari&s;honers dare
<PB N="2" REF="3">not, for fear they &s;hould be demanded, for publick Occa&s;ions, as the la&s;t years Revenues are, Collectors being appointed (as they hear) to gather them for paying the Army. But tho&s;e that were turn'd out by the <HI>Cameronians</HI> and <HI>Mountaineers,</HI> were the greate&s;t Sufferers of any; for they pull'd them violently out of their Man&s;es (as their Par&s;onage hou&s;es are call'd) threw out their Goods and Stuff, burnt or tore their Books, and forc'd their Wives and Children, where they had any, to beg their Bread in the Country, glad they e&s;cap'd with their Lives. Their Gowns mov'd their Indignation very much, and where they found them, they tore them to pieces; one had his cut as he was pleading his Cau&s;e before his Judges, and another had his put upon him, and carryed in it to the <HI>Market-Cro&s;s,</HI> and there had it torn in a 1000 pieces; &s;ome in&s;ulting over the poor man, and &s;ome pitying his Condition. And tho&s;e that were thus turn'd out and abu&s;ed by the People, without regular Proceedings, were near one half of the whole Clergy, as I am told; e&s;pecially, in the <HI>W.</HI> and <HI>North,</HI> and remoter Parts: 'Tis beyond the Power of Words to expre&s;s their Mi&s;ery, to that degree as they &s;uffer it.</P>
<P>A good while ago, a Mini&s;ter, who has the Reputation of a very &s;ober and prudent Man, was A&s;&s;aulted in his Hou&s;e in the Night time; and getting out, was forced to fly almo&s;t naked to a worthy Gentleman's Hou&s;e to &s;ave his Life: The Gentleman was Sir <HI>J. D.</HI> whom I heard relate the &s;tory. Since that, fre|quent A&s;&s;aults and Violences have been committed upon very many. One that Married a Relation of a Bi&s;hop, was &s;et upon in his Hou&s;e, he dragg'd out into the Ditches, his Books burnt or &s;poiled, and his poor Wi&s;e (at that time in Child-bed) mi&s;erably abu&s;ed. Another, I am told (tho' I cannot affirm it for certain who did it, tho' he was threatned by his Neighbours) was found dead, wounded in &s;everal places, and Excrements upon his Face, a mo&s;t inhumane unchri&s;tian Barbarity. Many came flying into <HI>England:</HI> I have relieved &s;everal, and here were with me, two within this week, who confirm what I write, and a&s;&s;ure me of many like In&s;tances, which are better forgot, than mentioned: Their Places were about 50 or 60 <HI>l. per Annum,</HI> as mo&s;t are in <HI>Scotland;</HI> they have Wives and 5 or 6 &s;mall Children each; debts in their Pari&s;hes to above 100 <HI>l.</HI> each, be&s;ides Hou&s;hold Stuff; yet are forc'd to fly, and &s;eek for Com|pa&s;&s;ion in another Nation. Some has Petition'd for Protection for &s;ome time, that their flight may not be in the Winter; but if the Magi&s;trates had allowed it, the Rabble would not.</P>
<P>That which is mo&s;t Remarkable, and indeed mo&s;t Calamitous is, that tho&s;e that have complyed and read the Proclamation, as one of the&s;e I mention had done; yet they had no better u&s;age, than tho&s;e that did not. For &s;ome of the <HI>Cameronians</HI> or <HI>Mountaineers,</HI> &s;ent them a di&s;charge, as not fit to Preach: So they have them at this Dilemma; if they comply not, they are Seditious; and if they do, they are Hy|pocrites; and &s;o they mu&s;t unavoidably be undone. This is general, and the rea&s;on is, becau&s;e they have Epi&s;copal Orders and In&s;titution; and mu&s;t make room for the <HI>Presbyterians,</HI> when they have a number able to &s;ill all their Churches; for at pre&s;ent (except at their Market-Towns) they are at a great want. In &s;ome Counties in the <HI>S. W.</HI> &s;ome Churches have had no Divine-&s;ervice in them, for above a Year; many not for 6, 5, 4, 3 Months. And of late, &s;ince &s;ome care has been had of them, one has 4, 5, 6, or 7 Pa|ri&s;hes to look after, which are &s;upplied by turns. The Mini&s;ters they allow, are either the old ejected <HI>Presbyterians</HI> in 60, or &s;ome from <HI>Ireland, Holland, &amp;c.</HI> of the &s;ame Principles, who Preach publickly, while the Epi&s;copal Divines dare not appear two together, &s;carce alone, in many places; and are reviled by the ordinary People; but yet the Nobility, Gentry, and the better &s;ort of the commonalty, have both a great re&s;pect for their Per&s;ons and Functions, and extreamly commi&s;erate their Condition. I hear that the Bi|&s;hops, and the principal Clergy of <HI>Edenburg,</HI> ab&s;cond; and &s;uch is their Affection to the Church of <HI>England,</HI> that to comfort their Souls in &s;o &s;ad an Affliction, as they are in; they receiv'd the Ble&s;&s;ed Sacrament according to the <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Liturgy, not long &s;ince. And as they hope Prayers are offered to God for them by their Brethren and others of our Church, that &s;ome means may be found for their Relief, in his Good Time and Way; &s;o, I know, 'tis part of their Devotions at the Throne of Grace, that God would pre&s;erve our Con&s;titution entire, and not &s;uffer our &s;ins to be our ruine, nor the de&s;igns of our Enemies, to take effect again&s;t us. I &s;hould be tedious, &s;hould I tell you, what I hear for certain; they talk and preach with Relation to our Church-Government, that God would pull down that Anti-Chri&s;tian Hierarchy that is &s;et up among&s;t us, and re&s;tore us to the like Glorious Liberty, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> But &s;uppo&s;ing the&s;e Expre&s;&s;ions to be the effects of their Zeal, rather than any way encouraged by Authority, I &s;hall look on them as in&s;ignificant: Only I could wi&s;h, that there were no Features in the pre&s;ent face of things, that encourag'd &s;uch &s;ad Progno&s;tications; they can|not but ob&s;erve how &s;ome Favourers of their Cau&s;e among&s;t us, qualify them&s;elves by communicating with us; and ever after, frequent (as they have always done) &s;eparate Congregations. But the&s;e things are above my reach, and I &s;hall not meddle with them. The Clergy that fly into <HI>England,</HI> are very kindly receiv'd by the Clergy here; and where they can get a &s;mall Place, they conform exactly in all particulars; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> 'tis not want of Affection to the pre&s;ent E&s;tabli&s;hment, that makes them &s;o much hated and revil'd, by <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> inferiour &s;ort, the bea&s;ts of the People, in their own Countrey.</P>
<P>Thus I haven give you a thou&s;and I hope, a faithful Account of what I am a&s;&s;ur'd of concerning the Epi&s;copal Clergy, in the Neighbouring Kingdom: If any de&s;ire father &s;atisfaction in &s;o deplo|rable a Matter; tho&s;e that are &s;o unhappy, as to bear a Part in the &s;ufferings, may be be&s;t able to Relate their Condition: For I have that Opinion of their Learning, Piety, and Worth, that as their Troubles for Con&s;cience &s;ake, are not unlike tho&s;e of the <HI>Primitive Chri&s;tians;</HI> &s;o, were the Ear of <HI>Cae&s;ar</HI> open to them, they want not of their worn Body, a <HI>Ju&s;tin,</HI> a <HI>Tertullian,</HI> or an <HI>Athenagoras,</HI> to Apolo|gize and Intercede for them. I am Sir,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED><HI>Your a&s;&s;ured Friend,</HI> &amp;c.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE><DATE><HI>Jan.</HI> 23d. 168/9 9/0.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
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<P><HI>London</HI> Printed, and are to be Sold by <HI>Randal Taylor</HI> near <HI>Stationers-Hall,</HI> 1689.</P>
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