No More Learning

O. We may talk more of this another time. But what fays the letter in which this paper came ? and what date do's it bear ?
C. It is dated at Edinburgh, Dec. 30. 1704. and ber gins, in these words, This paper mihich you here fnd is the
result of many grave consultations in the weft, and is hani- ed about amongst the godly, &c. This 'is the account the letter that inclos'd it gives of it. And now let us read it once more, and consider it seriously. Thou hast as
it,
The REHEARS Ah.
159
Ihad without adding, diminishing, or altering one word, upon my honour. Now listen, thus begins.
Overtures for security the country against the present danger lies under, from the destgns papists and ja- cobites.
HAT the popish and jacobite party have de- X. sign against the present establishment, may ea-
sily appear to any thinking men, from many too preg nant evidences, not needful there to be mentioned. Se condly, that seems reasonable, that such as love their religion and liberty, and wish well to her majesty's go vernment and person, should be upon their guard, and use all lawful and necessary means for their own de sence, looking always unto God for his blessing upon endeavours.
And thpught needful, ist. That all necessary means be fallen upon, to awaken people, and shew them their danger. 2d. That means be fallen upon to sind out what state the well asfected of this nation are in, viz. what their number in each parioch or shire, if they be armed, what condition their arms are in, and what arms are wanting. 3dly. That way may be fallen upon to provide such of them as want either arms or ammuniti on. 4^hly. That a correspondence be begun and kept
up amongst them thro' the nation and that they may
be unite in case of an insult from enemies and,
sible, that they may be taught in the use of arms. 5thly. That methods be fallen upon to obtain the countenance of the government for that effect. But in the mean time, that people be not wanting in their private capa cities, to do what in them lies, in legal way, to pro vide against mischief.
And for the sirst proposed, that such as have any
impression of our present danger, would labour to have due sense of their own sins, and the sins of the land,
which are the procuring cause ofour miseries, and would not fail to awaken and rouse up their friends and ac
quaintance
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160 The REHEARSAL. '
quaintance to have the fame impression both by discourse and writing; and by dispersing away pertinent papeis that come from abroad on that subject.
For the second it is proposed, that two or three that are heretors, or elders, in each parioch, that can have access to examination rolls of each parioch, do meet to gether and get through these rolls ; and in their going through, do pick out such as are undoubtedly well af sected to the present government ofthis nation, and cer tainly would imploy their arms for the desence against a popish successor ; and take the number of them, and that being done, they divide the parioch among them selves ; and that each go through his own quarter, and in a private and prudent way, make inquiry amongst these persons pitched upon as well affected, and who of them have arms, and ifany of them have spare arms, and how many, and what condition these arms are in, and if they be near an equal bore, and what of the niill affected people are nos able to buy arms for themselves. This account being taken, that they give in the fame to a trustee or consident in the head borough of each shire where these pariochs do lie, or as near the he. d-bor,Ough as they can, who can transmit them to a trustee at Edin burgh. By this means it will appear what number of
rwell affectcd people are in the country, how they are armed,, how many arms are wanting through the nation, and so who need be provided either at home or abroad ; and how much common fund will be needful for fur nishing such as are not able to furnish themselves.
To the third it's propos'd, that each -well ,-ffccted per son contribute to his ability for buying up of arms and ammunition to such as want, and are not able to boy; and that it may be done effectually, it is propos'd, that in each shire one or two honest substantial persons be chosen, in whose hands the contribution
and that for security of the contributors towaid the right applying of their money, to be advane'd, do give receipt thereof to the contributors if he require
these terms. A. S. grant me to have receiv'd from,
may be lodg'd,
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The REHEARSAL. \6i
tiff, the sum of, &c. which I oblige me to ware or be stow for him, according to the directions presently given by him to me, and to hold compt to him, therefore, as
witness my hand, &c. But if the persons willing to con tribute have not present money, and the trustee be wil ling to give him credit for some time, that the trustee
draw upon the contributor for the sum that he is wil ling to contribute to this effect: pay to me, or order the sum of, fffc. value in accompt ; and let the contributor accept to a certain day. It is hop'd that a cautioner will not be found requisite. But that people in such an af fair will give an intire credit, and trust one another : but that if that it be found requisite, then the former method seems faser, and more close, than a multitude of
subscriptions at one paper, and c: n never be discover di seeing none are privy thereto, but the trustee and con tributor; and let these considents remit the fame to two or three considents at Edinburgh, who may give account
thereof to their trustees in the shires in the above written terms is desir'd, and may bestow the money by provid ing arms at home, and by imploying merchants there
with to bring arms and ammunition from abroad, and
conform to the contributions of the several shires,
send arms and ammunition to their trustees, which trus tees may distribute them to their pariochs within their
shires according as they need, and a receipt of the num ber of arms from one or two honest men of the parioch
shall exoner the trustees.
To the fourth it is propos'd, that in each shire or
country side or bounds of a presbytery, two or hree per
sons be chosen as is faid for trustees, who may keep
correspondence with the trustees at Edinburgh from time to time in a close manner as can be, and understand what is doing in every place, and concert what is further
needful, and in particular, it will be sit, that in order to be in readiness, in case any emergent occur, that in each two or three, or more pariochs sit persons be
chosen to be captains, and they to choose their own
subalterns and serjeants, and in case there be any erupti on
may
i6z The REHEARSAL.
on that may occasion a general appearance amongst ho nest people, that they resolve themselves to be pitch'd on by the officers, to be a standing force, and that the persons not pitch'd on shall bear their proportion of the charges with the persons pitch'd on for their meet ing together, and that the places of meeting and officers, be made known to all the well affected in the
lhires.
And that likewise a place of general meeting be con
descended on, and it will be necessary that these persons pitch'd upon for officers in the conjunction, with other prudent and intelligent men in the bounds, have a watch
ful eye over those whom they judge ill affected, and ready
to join the enemy at their appearing, and that upon the
very sirst report of any eruption, they do seize upon such
anddisarm them.
For the sifth, any of our great peoplp who are •weU
persons,
effected, especially these in the government, would be spoken to for that purpose, and thatspeedily as can be.
If the government's concurrence be not speedily gotta and that merchants for sear of being obnoxious to the government shall make scruple, to give commission for arms and ammunition ; it is propos'd for an expedient, that the arms be sent for in the names of the cities ofsl- dinburgh, Glasgow, and other royal boroughs, whose magistrates are w// affected, and-who will willingly con cur : and it's thought, that merchants without hazard may bring home small quantities, not exceeding a thou sand apiece, and ammunition also. But in such towns and pariochs where they are very well affected, such as are well inclin'd, may prudently deal with others as they apprehend may be brought in without discovery at
first of the whole defign, and to use their own way and prudence in the management for the directory cannot be univerfally follow'd, but in some part it may.
From
1
The RE HEARSAL.
i6j
'rom ^)£lt. Jan. 27, to ^flt. Feb. 3, 170s. N° 27,
Tie root and spring «/ fife presSbnterian combination 1* Scotland.
^ H O U call'dst me a utt'/sÆ last time, for
M jing so right at the Scots affairs ; that we had nothing to fear from that nation, but from the wicked fa&ion, that has reign d too long there, and like- . vise > and brought great dishonour upon both nations, all
the world over, for that rebellions betraying, selling, and murdering the best ever fat on their throne, which was not the act of either of the nations, but of that
bloody faction confederated'as brethren in both the na- .
tions 5 who being indulgd, gratify d, and put into places of <ra/? , to please them, forsooth ! soon wrested the whole power into their own hands, to the utter destruc tion of thesÆar^, the king, and the laws; with the most miserable mailacre of the best part of the nation ; and con
summate tyranny, and oppression of all the rest, in such arbitrary manner, as not to be equal'd in the history of any other people.
And it being notorious, that for some time past, they have set up again the fame their former principles, bare- fac'd ; and have grasp'd at the power by the fame arti fices, and upon the fame pretences, which they made use
of in forty one: thou thought'st I had sorne more than ordinary skill, in telling what their defigns were, and what in probability, would be their nextstep, which has fallen out accordingly. And I can tell thee what they will do next, and next tq that, if way be given to them,
of all, and what all this must come to.
and what last
Nay, I have told thee all this already, over and over
again, and there go's po more conjuration to all this, than to spell and put together. Nor any other way to hinder the nation from seeing all this, but to put out their eyes.
Wh^ch is the business of thy Qbfirvators,- and the reft of
164
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of the scandalous-club-papers and pamphlets; to ca
ver the defign, to start- new bares, to amuse the /ic//f with high church, and //ofr under ground ; and to bespat- ter the friends of the church and the monarchy, as papists,
jacohites,
and what not. And with this to deafen
the that they £far not the workers in your «aW/,
till they are ready to be sprung.
O. All had been well, if the house of commons (but they will never take my advice ! ) had gone on with my propo
sal which I made in my Obser•vstor of the 3d of last month, N. 75. that ^keel-bullies, end others em
ployed in the colliery at Newcasele, whose numbers, fay) are incredible, shoifd be arm'd from her mnjef. ys ar
senal in the tower of London, isfe.
C. I have heard that their numbers are very great,
about forty thousand. And that two thirds of these are Scots : and, which is far worse, rank nvhigs out of the
(I
nuest of Scotland; bitter presbyteriam. Here is forty-oni again in lively colours! the tower of London must be di{• arm'd, and her mnjrfiy left naked to your wanted cle
mency ! and the arms put into the hands of your dear brethren at Newcastle, to join your dear brethren of Scot land, when they think sit to bring their covenant again into England, as they did before, and declare, that they must do it y; t once again, for all our goods !
But the wisdom of the honourable house of commons has, more than once, put aspoke in the wheel of several of your pretty plots. And, for this time, has defeated your grand expectation of getting your northern friends
-
arm'd.
For this reason, they have been lampoon'd in prose and
in verse, tho' withoutfense or rhyme, by all the stinking artillery of your scandalous club, in such impudent and outragious manner, even while they are fitting, as is not to be equasd in any former times, and shews whether your licentiousness will grow, if it be not correffedht- fore it be too /ate !
It has exceeded even that part of your faflion in
Scotland,
which has the pretence of a establishment. But
The REHEARSAL.
165
Ittt that part of thefaction in England being dijsenters "rom the legal establishment here, are therefore exceed
•ngly more bold and impudent than their brethren in Scot land, in their railing and bitter invectives, which come out daily here against our church, liturgy, rites and cere monies, making them popish, anti-christian, and even
heathenish, rendring the church of England as black as
bell,
as fully is shewed in my former Rehearsals, N. 15, 16,
leaving her neither honesty, loyalty, nor christianity,
17, 18.
And besides all this, attacking the civil government,
the queen, her lord high-admiral by name, and all her admirals and generals, who please not thbm; and the
like of the bishops, judges, and whole administration, the /of*& aad commons, and all that stand in their way,
sparing none, os what rank or quality soever ! whom
they lampoon every day in print, without eitherfear or luit.
These are the pertinent papers that come from abroad,
which the combination of the faction in Scotland, set
down in my last parag. 3. orders to be dispers'd away among the faction there, to awaken and rouse up their
They crave aid of their dear brethren in En gland ; and they have it to the full ! they go hand in hand ; and neither part is ignorant of what the other are
a doing.
And as England has nothing to sear from Scotland,
but from the faction there, in combination with the fame
fadion here : and as that part of the faction in England
is more daring and insulting upon the government, than the part in Scotland ; so is there more prospect of danger to England from the faction in her own bowels, than
from that in Scotland.
There is another thing well worth taking notice of,
friends.
and that that the faction in Scotland have always been
made the forlorn-hope, to begin there, what was design ed to be brought in here, by the main body. If fall there, upon the sirst attempt, then the faction here have their part toscreen them, and excuse them, till they
it
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166 The REHEARSAL.
(hall be ready to begin again. Thus the sirst turnouts a Scotland were palliated to K. Ch. I. as of no danger Ut; consequence stall, and were let go on and prosper, rill the
k ing was furpriz'dby the march of a well appointed «r*»)> into England. And then their /wr/y here, who had
all the while lulPd the king asleep, against any appre henfion of them, voted them their good brethren, and
joined with them against his majesty, and brought him to ruin.
And it is to be noted, that this was after his majefy
had pull'd down episcopacy, and established presbytery in Scotland, to please the faction there ; of which he fords
repented, as a most grievous 7? « in him, and the caas! of all his after miseries : and laid down his life, rather than consent to do the like in England, which was their
modest request !
And the sirst tumults in Scotland, of women only st
the beginning, and pretending nothing against the king, were not near so formidable, as the appearance ofseven hundred men in arms, sixing up declarations at noon-day
in royal boroughs, renouncing Anne, princess of Den mark, in words at length, from being their queen, be
cause she had promis'd to maintain episcopacy in England ; which having been once a covenanted people, they declar ed themselves oblig'd by their covenant, to bring them to that again. This declaration, with the covenant re newed by both their provincial s>nods, in this reign, have been printed here *. And this covenant * See association, at sirst but voluntary, like their sirst solemn league, is now, as that was, made compulsory, and sored upon their mi- nisiers, on pain of deprivation. Yet no danger appears
from all this!
Therefore they go on j and have enter'd into secret
combinations among themselves, to raise funds for arming the well affected, but the whole defign to be discover d at sirst only to the very well affected; to name captains
and officers, and have a standing force, with places of ge neral rendezvous appointed, not to be known but to the well affected. And on the sirst report or word given to
feint whomever they judge ill-affected, &c. Now,
The REHEARSAL.
167 Now, as I faid before, that the beginnings in Scotland are a sure indication of what the faction design to be done in England. No sooner did the news of the scots
arming arrive in London, but the faction here immediate
ly upind injustification of and propos'd the fame to done in England, as have shew'd N. 23. and quoted
thy Obsewator
of last Dec. 20. N. 71. where thou
won'd'st have the native strength, as thou call'st and
theposti of the people to be armd. And particularly the
keel-bullies at Newcastle, as before quoted, and the end shew'd even the fame for which thou hast so often before warn'd thy countryman to furbish up his Marston
moor and Ed^e-hill swords and muskets, to let him know, that was to fight again in the fame cause This was the end of theshortest way with the dijsenters, to arm them all in their own desence. 'And all -your. pamphlets, since this reign have been crying to arms, and raising terrible apprehensions of persecution, &c. from the hig church; under which name, you have, one and all, and thou master Observator, over and over again, openly and abo-ve board, vowed utter destruction to the church of England, and to the monarchy too.
fraction upon the freedom of election in the people. And therefore are not very fond of the hereditary entail made upon the house of Hanover.
C. For which, as then told thee, thou, and thy bro
ther, the Protestant Jesuit deserve to be hangd, as pro vided that act. And this lets us see an inch further
into the mill-stone, why the succession did not pass in Scot- land\z& session, tho' most earnestly recommended 'by
the queen.
O. Hast thou forgot what thou told'st me in thy Re
hearsal, N. 11. how WE oppos'd the queen own acces fion. And why that but because was hereditary. This
hereditary still puts us further ost' our beloved puss, com mon-wealth. We would change kings every day, till we got one that we cou'd change for giwi/and all. There •
fore
0. consess we are against hereditary monarchy, as thou didst rehearse plain enough, N. 25. as being an in
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1 68 The REHEARSAL.
fore w e have been very modest in blaming the Scots not settling the fuccesjion upon the house of Hanover, excuse them in only when we wou'd throw the edit* upon the papists and Jacobites. As handsomely wor^fi in the overtures, which thou called'st combination, of ocs
friends in Scotland, set downin thy last.
C. Ifsuch overtures had appeared against those accus
ed here ofthe late Scots plot, doubt others besides mt would have call'd combination but the next Session the Scots parliament may perhaps tell us some more news
of these matters, and where the true plot lies.
O. They what can they do Did they take any no
tice of the new associations or covenant of the prejeyterias s>nods, or of the sanqubar declaration before-mentioned
And more treason to enter into combinations without the royal authority, and to provide arms privately, than to appear publickly in arms, and to renounce the queen by name? besides, we intend to have a more per sect ministry in Scotland before their next session. They
at sirst insisted (as wt here) to have share in the ministry.
And then gave for excuse of the succession not passing last sesjion, that they had motly ministry. And they could not answer for business, the whole was not put into their hands and we here will help them to it; that they may help us to next time. Our Scots friends
helpt us against Strafford and Laud, when we had heipt them into the full />ok;*? - in Scotland.
Set thy heart at rest: we know them; and they know us and we move not without each other.
. They know, that we are not for succession, but for old puss. And of all things desire to keep off entails and hereditary, which our aversion.
I'll teintjfee no more this bout. It decreed— ? XE will set? the three nations in flame, but we will do
oor business, and set up our commonwealth once more. C. And you will burn them to death, if you do. There no way to prevent it,' or to fave us from vom influence in Scotland, but to curb thefaction here, which the spring, and the director . The root England,
tho' buds forth sirst generally in Scotland, From
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The REHEARSAL.
Fiom . Sat. Feb. 3, to Sat- Feb. 10, 1705. . N°2g.
1. The Yule Sermon at Clackmannan. 2. The horrid cavalcade at Edinbught. The extent of moderation. 3. As to the Alcoran. 4. As to the Socinians. 5. freedom of opinions /* religion. 6. Necessity of priest hood. 7. History of non-conformity and moderation. 8. The proclamation read Jan. 28.
Qi/.
T T AST thou done with Scotland yet, country- XX man ? Hast thou any more news from thence ?
C. I wish thou had'st done with it and thy wicked fac tion, which have made thee their trumpeter ; then they would be at peace, and England would have nothing to fear from that country.
is Yuel or Yule, which comes from the French word for Christmas, that is Nouel or Noel.
Now hear the account given of this wordby Mess John Wylie, the present Presbyterian holder-forth at Clack mannan in Scotland, which he gave in his preachment there on Sunday the 17th of last December, being the week be- '
Chrismas
He told his auditors, that 'diverse cen turies ago, it happen'd a certain dog called Batie was hang'd on the 25 th day of December, and having hung fix
fore Christmas.
bum upon the tree, was taken down, and thought to be dead, but that he got up again, and run away, yeuling as ter a strange manner. And that ever since the 25th of
Vol. I. I Decem.
169
1. But I have some more to tell thee, to shew the cursed spirit that reigns in the faction there, and here too. For as I have made it plain they are not two factions, but two limbs of the fame faction of the fame principles and
defigns. I tremble to repeat what I am going to tell, but it is necesfary it should be known to create a just abhor rence of these miscreants in all who retain any the least
finse of religion, or common morality ; who may other wise be in danger of being deluded by their fair pretences.
You must know then, that in Scotland the name for
170
The REHEARSAL.
December has been kept as a festival, in memory of Batie, and was called Yule from the jva/i»! * of that dog .
O. Do you aver this for truth ?
C. I do, having it from undoubted hands, and I have
named the person, day and place, to give full room for a
disproof, if any body's curiofity leads him to it; for I could wish it were not true, and that none who bear the
name of Christian could be capable of such outraging blasphemy against Christ, which would be punished'by
death at Constantinople ! but moderation heals all here!
2. O. Did the kirk-judicatories take no notice of this?
or the privy-council, in whose hands is the administration of the civil government in that kingdom.
C. No. I heard nothing of that, and we mould hate heard had any such thing been done. But what do vou expect from Presbyterians? What from such privy-council as them who gave order for solemn pro
at Edinburgh, which was celebrated there on the th day of last March, wherein the hangman and his men were dress priests robes, with crosses upon their heads to execute Christ in effigy, his picture being carry upon the point of halberd, together with the holy sacrament, which he calls his body. And with that
the holy hible, and chalice and all together being cai-
lied thus thro' the streets at noon-day, were put into
great fire, provided for that purpose at the market-cross, by the hands of the common hangman. And this not
denyd, but justify and glory them to this day This has been print before and moderate cler gyman in London reading could sind nofault all this!
which gives us such picture of moderation ! ——And how far will cany men —And whither we are foing and how prepared to preserve any reverence foi
things, and support religion
Of this there was trial made in jest in the last
reign. One told certain grave doctor, that there was
very comprehenfive design on foot, to unite all protestants, not excepting the Mahometans, to bring whom in, and iiave tl>e Turks for our allies, the Alcoran would be en-
joined
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The REHEARSAL.
171
joined to be read so many-times in the year in bur churches ; and that under pain of deprivation.
The doffor mused a While, and at last faid, Why truly, there are several good things in the Alcoran: There is saith in the one God establish'd. Out Saviour Jesus
Christ is there called the MeJJiah, and the wordof God; and the Turks preserve a great reverence for him, arid punish even with death the blasphemies arid contempt which
the Jews cast upon him. And their Alcoran does ac
knowledge the scriptures of the old and neva testament. And are not these good things ?
O. Does the Alcoran acknowledge all these things ? I prosess I begin to believe that they are very good protest ants. And they set not up their Mahomet for a God, but
only as a. prophet\zter than Christ, as Christ was later than Moses. And what great rhatter is we bestow on them one prophet more into the bargain We have had many prophets set up here, fox, Muggleton, and Welsh,
&c. among the presbyterians.
was certainly the high-fliers, that have no modera
tion, and stand so stiff upon their church and mission, arid talk of schism, and such like fulsome stuff. It was cer
tainly these who have caused the breach betwixt the
Turks and us. They hinder union wherever they come
unless upon church-principles, as they call it.
C. will maintain that the Turks are as much chri
stians as the Sotinians, arid more than the Quakers, Mug- glet'onians, or your Yule Presbyterians who would be gas- footed in Turk'y for those contempts of Christ, . which mode-
ration can pass over here.
4. The Socin'ian here in the reign of K. Char. II. pre
sented an address to the Morocco ambassador, then in Lon don, with a confession of their faith, copy of both which have now me, and have seen the latter since in' print wherein except some sew objections relating to Mahomet, they own themselves of the fame faith with the Mahometans, wherein differs from that of the Chri
stian, and with all the force they have, they battle the
doctrines of the Holy Trinity arid 'incarnation, &c.
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The REHEARSAL.
And yet after this, these Socinic. ns, or Unitarians they cali themielves) were allowed to pass under the name ofprctejiant:. And moderation was set on work (for what cannot moderation do? ) not to convert, but to accommodate with these, but without retraStint any thing of their faith. As we are told in the life of Thom. Fiimin. printed and fold A. Baldwin m Warwick-lane, 1698, p. 20. That the hands
concur to this re-union
unreconcilec. bly divided,
agreement, &c. This acreement was one of the Unitarian pamphlets, shewing their faith to be the truth, and their agreement therein w ith the doctrine of the church of England, as explained some of our modern divines.
And in the account Mr. Firmin's religion, printed
the fame year, 1698, 49. Mr. Tirmin called the curator of the Unitarian religion. And tells p. 50. That he prepofid to hold ass'cmhlies for divine worfiip, dif. iiicl
from the assemblies of any other denomination of Chriseians, but not way schism, or separation from the church— No, not all! this would make no schism! modera
tion could fave that from schism too tho' faid, 51. in plain words, That the whole christian church
172
a great many excellent persons did
parties that fetm'd so •widely and and did encourage the author the
heathen alriady in the majority its members
these, terms, that of the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation,
Satisfaction, &c. What encouragement was given for this propofal of having Socinian churches set up among us,
will not enquire, only we are told that many excellent per sons were engaged in but the death of their curator
put stop to at that time. But tho' know not their churches, there sermon said to be preached on the death of Mr. Tirmin, which printed by the faid Bali- win, the faid year, 1698, and bound up together with the other two before nam'd. And this srmon makeshim an excellent christian, tho' owning him to have been at the fame time, sirm and rooted Socinian or Unitarian, denying the Holy Trinity, the Divinity, Incarnation and
Satisfaction of Christ our Lord.
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The REHEARSAL.
173 See now what moderation can do, or what it cannot
do !
O. But what is that thou call'st gaffooting in Turky ?
C. To have a stake run thro' thee, from one end to
the other, and stuck in the ground till thou rot off from
it.
O. And would they have served John Wylie that trick for his yule sermou?
C. Aye, and the prestyterian eal'aleaders too at the Cress at Edinburgh. They would have taken them for Jivvs, (as any body else would) who did this in despite
and contempt of Christ ; of whom the Aleoran speaks very henourabh, and will sufser no such villifying of him,
as we sind practis'd among the unchristian faction
!
5. O. Nay, then, I will be no Turk. What ! punish men
for their opinions in religion !
C. Then they must keep their opinions to themselves.
To blaspheme God orthe king was dsath by the la•u> ori
God- And no christian government O'Jght to sufser Christ our Lord to be ridicuF d or blasphem'd. And even in Scotland, since this revolution, one Mr. Aikinhead wa»
put to death for blasphemy.
O. Thou frights me ! what ! gastooting there to ! We
whigs, who are deists, must have a care how we let the
presbyterians into the saddle ; tho' at present we agree, as to our common destgns against the church and crmvn.
C. You'll be out of the frying-pan into the fire ! they know neither moderation nor toleration.
6. O. Then we'll have a government all of deists, and have no religion at all, Our puss has none.
C. No matter for that, she must counterfeit some or other, and set it up too, and establish it by law. The people will have some religion. You'll never get that ba-
nish'd out of the world.
O. O the fatality of suffering these priests ! they have
rooted religion so deep in the minds of the people, that all our skill cannot get it out! and priests of all religion are
the same, as one of our noble patriots repeated it upon
the occafional bill, in an honouraIble assembly, with a gust 3 of
i74 The REHEARSAL
of gallantry. We will not be under the jurisdiction of
of any of these priests.
C. You must and shall! while there is religion in
the world, there must be some to administer it ; and these
must have a fewer, and will have an insuence upon the
people, and must before'd to estallish such, and give thtm the authority of the Iqws in being. All the choice that
is left you, is, whether you will have priests of God's ap pointment, who can derive the succession all the way fiom the apostles; or Jeroboam's priests of the meanest of the
people, and consecrate whom you will.
O. Jeroboam's by all means of the two; for they
will not be troubling us with their jure divino and sue
cession.
C. They'll pretend to it as much as any other when
they are once in, as the kirk does now in Scotland, and all our sectaries here. All their commissioKs ate immedi ately from God or by inspiration.
O. That's harder to judge of than succrssjqn. What
shall we do now ? Must we be for ever prieji-tiddin wjfj) these block-heads ?
C. 'Till you have more wit than these bhck-heaa) !
You lay they invented religion, and keep it up in
the world, and force or persuade all governments to esta blish of one sort or other. Why then do not you men
orsense rescue the world and government from under the dominion of these block-beads, whom you so much iff-
fit'
But religion was not the invention ofpriests (as most
certainly was not) then was the institution of Gon,
and consequently so priest-hood for Qod ordained priists both under the law and the gospel. And to throw
oft' these, and take upon our selves to appoint deputies, or vice-gerents for God to stgn and seal his covenants with us, and to kiess in his name to usurp the prerogative the Most High and therefore justly called, the
case of Korah, rebellion against the Lord. would, be the fame in any angel of heaven, he, without God's
express command, should commissionate any to tranjap with
if
is
\
a
!
It
in
of
is
it
it, it
if
call it moderation
matter to differ about
The REHEARSAL.
175 "with men in the name of God. It is a glory which
Christ himself could not assume; and therefore, No nan can take this honour to himself but he that is called cf God, as •was Aaron. Heb. v. 4, 5,6. This was the
sn of feroboam, which Cut him off, and his house from off theface of the earth. I Kin. xiii 33, 34. . But now we
! and a
with our brethren ! This schism in Jeroboam and the Tea
Tribes, as well as their rebellion against the house of Da
vid, brought them from one error to anorher, to Idolatry * at last ; and destroy'd them all in a little time from off the earth that their name is cxtinct ; all the Jews now known
in the world being of two loyal tribes with the Levites,
which adher'd to their priests and to their king.
And it was never yet known but that errors and cor ruptions in doctrine did follow schism in the church and re
beilion in the states. Witness our godly times offorty-one when there were above threescore different sects astd reli
gions amongst us at one time. Accounts of which were then wrote, and we have them still remaining, besides some of the chief of them which have furviv'd ; and others which have revived in the fame foil of late years.
7. O. All this proceeded from want of moderation,
as it plainly made out in The history of non-conformity, lately printed, with a huge long title-page, which I have so often advertis'd at full length in my Observators to sill up room, when I had nothing to fay. There the pre
small
face begins with a history of MPPP ration in several reigns; and what fine things moderation would have
done, if she had been, let alone !
We
The understanding there was betwixt the moderate hi
shops, and the puritans in the reigns of K. James and K. Charles I. And p. 2. The proceedings of the divines at
Westminster, who were all of them (fay we) except eight
or nine conformable ministers.
C. And what did this assembly of divines at Westminster
do ?
Did not make root and branch work with
they episcopacy, liturgy,
churches and all i
This gives us a pretty picture of moderation I and
14
shews
set
dpwn, 1 . p.
176
The REHEARSAL.
shews us that the church cannot be destrcyd but by h<# seif.
And that moderation wi'l stop at nothings not at episcopacy, or any thing s/JÆ ; and can sind some good thing even in the Alcoran!
Moderation
is a than: of zeal, and will leave no
icec. clc of confistency.
8. But we hope better things, and that the clergy be
gin to open their eyes ; for this year they have revived what has been long dis-uid, tho' enjoin'd by lam, to
read the royal proclamation, appointed to be read in their churches, in time of divine service, on the Lord's Dry immediately before each 30th of January ; which was
accordingly
done in the churches of London, Westminster,
and the parishes adjacent, on the Lord's Dry, the 28th of
last December. Wherein the mob principles ofgovernment
are torn up by the roots. And it is declared from our
laves and arts of parliament, STliat till tlje UiiDOUbtCO
fundamental im? of tins' hinabom nritiiec tlje rcetf of tlje realm 1102 t! je commons, nn: tlje people, noi
botij toactlier 115 parliament, no: tlje people collet' ti'oeln 02 repjesentatibeln, noj any otljer persons totjst* foeber, eber had, jjatfj 02 oujjht to Iiabe ann roerclM
jpoteec ober tlie persons of tlje Fungs' of tlii. ^ realm. Here's a few hung about the neck of my puss with a
witness!