Unto His Grace John Earl of Tullibardine, His Majeſties High Commiſſioner.

The Humble Addreſs and Petition of Mr. George Seton, Miniſter of the Goſpel for himſelf, and in Name of his Brethreen and Conſtituents qualified according to Law, and well affected to this Church.

THE Thoughts of thoſe Deſolations and Diviſions, with which this poor Church is haraſſed, are very grievous to Us, and to all Good Men; Becauſe thereby the common Enemies of our Religion, and of Europes Peace, have their Mouths opened to Blaſpheme. Many Thouſands of Souls are become as Sheep without a Sheepherd, Atheiſm and Irreligion lift up their heads; The Flood-gates of Wickedneſs are ſet wide open, and a deludge of Sin menaces Ruine to a wretched Nation; a Ferment of dangerous and diſcontented Humours grows a pace, and a Fire kindled in our Bowels, is like to Conſume us, and the Noiſe and Billows of our Contentions ſwell ſo high, that the calm Voice of Charity cannot be heard, and the ſounding of her Bowels ſeems to be gone, and angry Zeal, to have uſurped the place of that Wiſdom which is from Above; That Wiſdom whoſe endearing Character it is, to be Pure and Peaceable, Gentle and Eaſie to be Entreated

Yet amidſt all the Preſſures that deject our Minds, We count our ſelves Happy in this, That we have a King, whom GOD hath Eminently Bleſſed, with Pity to Compaſſionate, and Wiſdom to heal our Maladies; And that as a ſignal Inſtance of his Religious Care to put an end to our Lamentable Confuſions, He hath well and wiſely Choſen Your Grace to Repreſent His own Perſon and Authority, in this Current Seſſion of Parliament

The Evils we bewail and complain of, The Animoſities and Heats which divide Us Church-Men, and the Jarrs which form Parties and contending Factions in this Kingdom, are not to be compoſed by the Authority of Publick Sanctions, or the imperious Language of Armed Force, or the Rude Clamours of the unskilful Multitude, or the perplexing debates of the moſt Learned Diſputants. Theſe have been often weighed in the Ballance of Experience, and all of them found light and unſufficient Remedies; Charity alone can heal our Breaches.

Were Pride and Malice, and Self-love expelled from our Breaſts to make room for the Benigne Inſpirations of that Heavenly Grace, which thinketh no Evil, which though it ſuffer long, yet is ſtill kind and Complaiſant, which becometh all things to all Men, that by all means it may gain ſome, and which ſhall not fail to Flouriſh and Triumph, when there ſhall be no uſe either for Faith or Hope: Did we hearken to its ſoft Whiſpers, were our Opinions and our Conduct regulated by its Charming Influences, This diſconſolated Church ſhould put on a Gladſome Countenance, we ſhould have Beauty for Aſhes, and the Oyle of Joy for Mourning, and the Garment of Praiſe in ſtead of that Spirit of Heavineſs and Reproach, which now ſits faſt to us. Such Peace on Earth and good will amongſt us Fellow Chriſtians, and Fellow Proteſtants, would excite to new Anthems, thoſe kind and Bleſſed Miniſters of Heavens Court, who rejoice at the Converſion, though but of one Sinner.

Then (and not till then) may we hope that Satan ſhall fall as Lightning before our feet, that Atheiſm and Prophanity, and irreligious Boldneſs ſhall not dare to ſhow their Faces, but that the Goſpel ſhall run proſperouſly, and be Glorified.

Whereas, whilſt we ſtand fighting for little Matters, whilſt we place the Summ of Religion in thoſe things, which do not at all concern its Subſtance, whilſt (Procrustes like) we will agree with none, but ſuch as are commenſurat to the Bed of our own Opinions, whilſt we pay no regard to the Doctor of the Gentiles, his moſt Chriſtian Exhortation, whereunto we have attainned, let us be of the ſame mind, whilſt ſo much ſhrewdneſs of diſpoſition Reigns in us, let us Preach and Pray our very Bowels out, let us dreſs the Threatnings of the Law, with the moſt frightful Rhetroick, let our Pulpits be ſurrounded with Flame and Terrour, let us Thunder againſt Rebellious Siners, all the Curſes that were once pronounced on Mount Ebal, or let us ſtudy to allure out Hearers unto Obedience, with the moſt liberal Promiſes of the Goſpel: All the Charms and Powers of our moſt commending Eloquence, will be damped and foiled by the Blemiſhes of our own Lives, by the rugged and unchriſtian temper, by the Malice and Vain Glory, the Pride and partiality, the Bigotry and Self-Love, to which people cannot but deſcry that we are Slaves and Votaries.

Your Grace has already by His Sacred Majeſtie's Order recommended in open Parliament, Charity and Moderation, and the ending of unkindly and unſeaſonable Controverſies amongſt us Church-Men, and we have much Encouragement to believe, That Your Grace has therein acted a part moſt ſuitable to the Attractive Mildneſs of Your own Pious and Peaceable Temper.

By the ſame Royal Order, Your Grace has owned a Power and ſpecial Commiſſion, to paſs ſuch Acts as may tend effectually to curb all kinds of Vice and Prophanity; And with Joy, we behold in Your Graces Perſon and Converſation, a Noble Patern of Solid Virtue, a Compaſſionate Goodneſs, an unaffected Air of Humility, a Generous Candour, an Unbyaſſed Mind, and a warm Zeal to do ſome ſignal Service both to King and Country, in the High Character You are now Cloathed with.

When the Almighty Ruler of the World, the Infinitly Wiſe and Juſt Diſpoſer of all Events, thus Graciouſly Calls on us, and excites us to ſhow our ſelves good Men, and good Miniſters, by the Light and Authority of ſo great Examples, by Duty we owe to GOD, and to our own Souls, by the Diſhonour Religion ſuffers, through our Scandalous and Uncharitable Strifes, by the Deſolations of an once flouriſhing Church, by the awful ſenſe we ought to have of theſe Spiritual Dangers, to which weak Chriſtians are Expoſed, whilſt they ſee us ready to bite and devour one another, and by many other concurring circumſtances, if paſſion and prejudice keep ſuch an Aſcendent over us, as that the wayes of peace be ſtill hid from our Eyes, and we will not hearken to ſober Counſels, GOD cannot but be highly diſpleaſed with us, Shame and Guilt, and the fears of a future Reckoning muſt at once Confound us, the preſent Age will Condemn our obdurate Stiffneſs, and after Generations will Curſe our reproachful Memories.

IF Mr. Seton had not in the Title told us that he was a Miniſter of the Goſpel, the gaudy Affectation and Froath in the Stile and Dreſs of his Paper, would never have given any Wiſe and Good Man ground to imagine it, the ſame looking more like the Stage and Romance, than the Form of ſound Words. which ſhould diſcover a Divine: How much ſoever he may fancy the Doctor of the Gentiles to favour his Deſign, I am ſure Paul, called to be an Apoſtle of Jeſus Chriſt, his Speech was not with inticeing Words of mans Wiſdom.

If we look to the Narrative of his Petition, one might expect that we had got a Perſon ſo fully in Love with Charity, which he ſays, alone can heal our Breaches, as that he had a good ſhare thereof himſelf, and that while others did not regard its calm voice, yet he himſelf would hearken to its ſoft whiſpers, but if you look to the import and Inſinuations thereof, without any breach of the Apoſtle Paul's Charity, we will find neither Wiſdom, Truth nor Charity, He may have ſomething of Jacob's Voice, but Eſau's Hands; for theſe wordy Complaints of the want of Charity, either have a meaning and hint at Perſons and Things which are real, or elſe all is only a flowriſh of his Pen, to let the World ſee how paſſionately he would complain of the want of Charity, if ſhe were a Stranger in the World, and if he have no other deſign than this laſt, neither Wiſdom, Truth nor Charitie do appear.

But I have the charity to him, to believe his Complaints have a meaning, and that he thinks ſome People or other are ſo uncharitable, as that he hath ſufficient Ground to open the Flood-gates of his Rhetorick againſt them, who they are he intends to wound, though he gives us an account, under the Envelop of ſuch general Words, as when he ſhall have occaſion for the ſame, may charitably extend themſelves to bring in others under the Character, than ſuch he doth really deſign, thereby to furniſh himſelf a Back door; yet its very ſure the preſent Government both in State and Church, and thoſe entruſted with the ſame, are the Objects of his Complaint. You may indeed think him ſometimes pritty ſquare in taking in himſelf, and theſe he doth repreſent, while he wiſhes Pride, Malice, and Self love expelled from our breaſts. And you would think him very ſelf-convict of many grievous things, while he ſays, that People cannot but deſcry that we are ſlaves and votaries to a rugged and unchriſtian Temper, to Malice and Vain-glory, to pride and Partiality, to Bigotry and Self-love; but this is only the Gentlemans Complyſance, you muſt not with an angry Zeal, be ſo uncharitable to think him, and his Conſtituents ſo full of Pride and Partiality, for the Title (that they are qualified according to Law, and well affected to this Church) and the Epilogue, as we have always hitherto ſhewed our ſelves lovers of Peace and Ʋnion, upon Terms that in Conſcience we can agree to (and Charity will ſeek no other) ſo we hope it ſhall further appear, that others, and not We are to be blamed, if a deſireable period be not put to theſe Schiſms, doth hold forth the Innocence of the Gentlemen, ſo neither he, nor any of his gang are the men; nor ought theſe of the late Epiſcopal Clergy, who are turned out for their diſloyalty by the State, and cenſured for their Immoralities by the Church, be thought to be the Authors of theſe things he complains of, for its their removal which makes the deſolation of an once flouriſhing Church: In a word the men who have made theſe deſolations▪ by turning out his old Brethren, are theſe whom he would reach, and ſince King William came to the Throne, and Presbytrie got up, there has been nothing but baraſſing this poor Church with Deſolations and Diviſions, and becauſe Presbyterians have cauſed all this Ruine on the Church, therefore ſo peaceable a man as Mr. Seton may expect, that at leaſt they will allow a Conference, ſeing he calls them his Brethren, but yet ſuch Brethren as he deſires no more of them than an equal number at moſt:

Now, that Mr. Seton ſhould have in this Petition ſo loaded the Government, in Church and State, is as far from that Charity and Wiſdom which he ſo recommends, as it is from that Truth, which the Character of a Miniſter ſhould in a peculiar manner mind him of, is it Charity, by calumnious Inſinuations, to wound a Church he pretends to be wellaffected unto, and to traduce thoſe Miniſters whom he calls Brethren, by repreſenting them to be the Authors and Fomenters of Diviſion and Schiſmes, and that publickly, not only by a Petition to His Majeſties High Commiſſioner, but printing the ſame to the World, when neither Mr. Seton, nor any of his Conſtituents, ſince they were qualified according to Law, did ever apply to any of the Judicatories of this Church, or to any Miniſter thereof, either to be United themſelves unto the Church, and received into the Government, to which they are now Schiſmatick, or yet ſo much as to confer with any Presbyterian Miniſter, upon any terms of Union, or to do, or offer any thing which might tend, either to the propagating of the Goſpel, curbing of Prophanity, or more full ſettling of the Church. Doth not the tendency of this Petition give ground to believe, that the Presbyterian Miniſters are ſo implacable, that they would not all this time confer with thoſe Epiſcopal Brethren, and that on the other hand, theſe charitable and peaceable Epiſcopal Brethren were following all Methods of Peace, when he ſays, We have always ſhewed our ſelves lovers of Peace and Ʋnion, I am ſure no Stranger will read this Addreſs, but muſt conclude (if all he ſays be good Coin) that the Presbyterians have been diſturbers of the peace of the Church, and that all the Atheiſm, Prophanity. Ignorance and Irreligion, which doth lamentably abound, is to be laid at their door. But though he could make this heavy Charge good, which he will never be able to do, yet where is this Charity in him, towards theſe his Presbyterian Brethren, to inſinuat ſuch ſhrewd things of them, without ever complaining to themſelves, without ever (with the calm Voice of Charity) beſpeaking and intreating to lay afide their angry Zeal: How frequent ſoever Charity be in his Words, I think I do him Juſtice, when I ſay there is no true Charity in all his Paper, and that there is more of calumnious, cenſoriouſneſs, and ſhrewdneſs of diſpoſition diſcovered by him, in the ſtrain of his Diſcourſe, than there hath of angry Zeal been ſeen in the preſent Judicatories of the Church, againſt Mr. Seton and his Conſtituants.

But to come more cloſs to Mr. Seton, How will he vindicate himſelf, and his Partie, from being the Authors and Fomenters of the Diviſions of the Church, and alſo uncharitable and unjuſt Calumniators of the State; when the World knows, that Our Pious and Wiſe King, and the preſent Parliament, to put an end to all that Perſecution, Blood-ſhed, Barbaritie, Prophanity, Atheiſm and Irreligion, which did ſo much abound in the late Reigns, and was chiefly occaſioned by the late Biſhops and their Accomplices, and to ſtop theſe Flood-gates of Wickedneſs, which were ſet open and to prevent that deludge of ſin, which menaced Ruine to a then wretched Nation, did therefore ſend theſe Biſhops and their Government a packing, and did ſettle the Church on its ancient Foundation; it having been often weighed in the Ballance of Experience, that where the preſent Church Government hath been juſtly and duely Exerced, Saton hath fallen as Lightning. Atheiſm and Prophanitie have not dared to ſhew their faces.

Its likeways undenyably true, That neither our King, Parliament, nor Church, did let angry Zeal ſo uſurp the place of Wiſdom, as to find all thoſe who had complyed with, and ſubmitted unto Prelacy, equally guilty with their Ring-leading Biſhops; and therefore they not only did not ſpew them out with them, but to deſerve the Character of Wiſdom, were ſo gentle and eaſie to be entreated, as both to continue them in their Charges, and give them Opportunities and Invitations to be united unto, and ſharers in the Government of the Church; and it might have been expected, that when both State and Church has fixed and accorded on theſe terms of Communion and Union, that either ſo peaceable, charitable, and condeſcending Men, as Mr. Seton and his Brethren would have come in to the Church on theſe Terms, or at leaſt been quiet without complaining.

Many in the World, and even the greateſt (and I am ſure the beſt) Biſhops in England thought theſe Terms ſetled by the King, Parliament and Aſſembly, ſo Chriſtian, juſt, rational and condeſcending on the Government and Churches part, as might have ſatisfied all true Lovers of Peace and Religion, and ſuch as conſciencious Men might accept of and thereby in ſome meaſure put an end to the Diviſions of the Church: yet peaceable Mr. Seton and his Conſtituents, will not only deſpiſe and neglect theſe Means of the Churches peace, but will ſtill complain that others kindle and keep up the Fire.

But farther our King did with Pity compaſſionate, thoſe whom his Wiſdom could not heal of their Maladies, and found out a way how theſe who had neglected to render themſelves uſeful to the Church ſhould not be altogether Ruined themſelves, unleſs they did it with their own hands, and therefore makeeth a Charitable offer unto them, that who ever like Mr. Seton, and his Conſtituents would own the Government of the ſtate ſhould enjoy in the Church the Charges they poſſeſt, tho they did neglect to capacitate themſelves to be ſharers in the Government of the ſame.

The Church Judicatories likewiſe have exerced that temper in their procedures, as to give many demonſtrations of a readineſs in them, to have as many of theſe who had ſubmitted to Prelacy keeped uſeful as they could find to be Men of Probity, Sinceritie and Worth; and after all this for Mr. Seton to raiſe this Clamour and Duſt, argueth neither Charity nor Probity.

I will not call it Irreligious Boldneſs, but Impudent and Imprudent It is for Mr. Seton to make this Clutter, who himſelf was perſonally deſired and invited to unite with the Church by the Committee of the General Aſſembly for the North, anno 1694. and both refuſed theſe Terms, which the Law, and the Church required, and entred and combind with others in that Illegal Proteſtation againſt and Declinature of the Authority of that Judicatory, ſettled by the Law and Authority of that ſame King, whom he would make us believe he thinks himſelf happy in having, and which Proteſtation Mr. Seton knoweth was by the ſame Parliament, after a full hearing, found to be ſeditious, unpeaceable and illegal; and for which, ſome of Mr. Seton's fellow Proteſtators were juſtly cenſured by it. And for Mr. Seton, conſcious of his own guilt, to addreſs his Majeſties High Commiſſioner this ſame Parliament ſitting, in ſuch a ſtrain as doth reflect upon both Church and State, Is ſuch a piece of Charity and Wiſdom, as ſome deſire not to imitate.

But what is the Concluſion Mr. Seton draweth, after he hath given the Government and Church ſo many indirect Thruſts, he humbly deſires his Grace, to appoint a Conference betwixt an equal number of us and our Presbyterian Brethreen. Now any man would think the honeſt man is indeed in earneſt for a Conference, and for what end, even to put a deſireable Period to theſe Schiſms, which distract and divide this Church: and no doubt, he is for the immediate ending of unkindly, and unſeaſonable Controverſies amongſt Ʋs Church men, and His Grace to be the Umpire.

If I had not heard of a Proteſtation drawn, and ready to be preſented in March 1691, to the Commiſſion of the Church, which was to have met at Aberdeen at that time, (had it not been impeded by ſome charitable and peaceable Men) wherein they declare that their Conſciences ſcrupled to owne Presbyterian Government, and particularly Lay-elders, as they are pleaſed to call them, and that Mr. Seton, and ſome of his Conſtituents were of that Number, and that he, and the ſame gang, did ſolemnly Addreſs the General Aſſembly in January 1692, and then acknowledge that Aſſembly, conſiſting of the ſame Presbyterian Miniſters and Lay-elders, to be a lawful Aſſembly, and lawful Government, and offered to join and concur therewith as ſuch▪ without any ſcruple of Conſcience; and that conſtant and conſcientious Mr. Seton, was with the rump of his Party, one of fourteen who delivered in the ſame Proteſtation, drawn 1691, to the Committe of the General Aſſembly for the North at Aberdeen, in anno 1694, as if it had been freſh and new, wherein, Mr. Seton and the reſt have the old ſcruples at the Government, and cannot in Conſcience comply with their 1692 years Conſciences: If I had not had the misfortune to have heard theſe things of him, and ſuch an uncharitable Memory as to remember them, I might have been more ready to believe Mr. Seton in earneſt. Before I hearken to the ſoft Whiſpers of Charity towards him, and be convinced of his ſincerity, it will be neceſſary to ſatisfy my Reaſon of theſe doubts; I doubt he deſigns a Conference, thereby to put a Period to theſe Schiſms in the Church; when he knoweth very well, that none of the Presbyterian Brethreen can confer with him in name of the Church, and as thereto authorized by the Government thereof: He is not ignorant that a General Aſſembly only can delegate ſuch a Power, as to confer in the Name of the Church; and to confer as private Perſons will never end the Controverſies, ſo I demur that his deſign is any Conference at all: and how diſcreet hath he been to his Grace, let the World judge, for if theſe Conferrees are to confer with a publick Character, he deſires of his Grace a thing impoſſible for him to grant, and therefore impertinent to be ſought. If there be only two or three Presbyterian Brethren deſired to diſcourſe of Church-affairs, as private Perſons, with Mr. Seton and his equal number, His Grace's being taken up with the weighty Affairs of the King and Parliament, might have pleaded with Mr. Seton, not to give him the trouble to do that which would at all time be an unſuitably mean employ for him, and which might with more eaſe and charity on Mr. Seton's part been ſought of his Presbyterian Brethreen, who, had he asked the ſame of them, would not have refuſed him; none of them yet have, and I am confident of many of them at leaſt, never ſhall: But Mr. Seton, it may be doth think, he and his Conſtituents will have greater Advantage, by making a braving offer of a Conference, which he concludeth will not be granted him, by the thing it ſelf. It's ſomewhere elſe than either with his Grace, or the Honourable Eſtates of Parliament, that he expects his Petition will have charming Influences; he hopes the Charms and Powers of his moſt commanding Eloquence will take, where a juſt and true Repreſentation of the Practices and temper of his Partie, will not be ſo diligently communicate, and uſhered in with ſuch Pomp and Faſt of Words.

I doubt Mr. Seton's deſign, when he ſo unequally demands a Conference betwixt an equal number of us and our Presbyterian Brethreen, ſeing the Government of the Church is ſettled in the Hands of Presbyterian Brethreen by Law, and they in a fixed Poſſeſſion of the ſame, and acting therein with that ſucceſs, as is the envy of Mr. Seton, and his Conſtituents; and ſuch as with the bleſſing of God, will in a ſmal time fill theſe Vacancies, which the diſloyaltie and prophanity of theſe who were Mr. Seton's old Friends and Allays have made in his Countrey, with men, I hope of another ſtamp- Mr. Seton knoweth, the Parliament as well as the Church, hath laid down another way of Application, than the demand of a Conference of an equal number, as if his gang and the Church were on equal Terms; But he hath in ſome meaſure gained his Point, if he make ſome in another Countrey believe that the Epiſcopal Party are ſtill ſo conſiderable in Scotland, as that notwithſtanding the Government of the Church, hath for ſeveral years been ſettled in the hands of Presbyterians, and been countenanced and cheriſhed by the State, yet they think it their due (due to their greater numbers, better cauſe and moſt commanding Eloquence) to demand of a High Commiſſioner (and in the view of a Parliament, who have ſo much Favoured Presbytrie) ſuch a Conference; He knoweth that in this Countrey it will not take, The Parliament and Church have determined concerning the goodneſs of his cauſe, and he ſpeaks ſad truth, when he ſays, their commanaing Eloquence will be damped and foild by the Blemiſhes of their own lives; and when the Numbers of his Conſtituents ſhall be enquired into, he cannot let ſee ſo many Duzons of them qualified according to Law, even with the Civil part of Qualifications, as there are Hundreds of his Presbyterian Brethereen; And ſome of his Conſtituents lying under the juſt Cenſures of the Church, whom after they had not the confidence to defend themſelves at the Bar, he now brings in as his Brethreen to confer as recti in curia.

I will not alledge that ſome others of his Conſtituents are perſons, who doe like ways well deſerve the higheſt Cenſures of the Church, but ſome of theſe few of his Brethereen, who go under that Character of being Qualified according to Law ſtood accuſed of the groſſeſt 〈◊〉 , of Drunkenneſs, Swearing and Uncleanneſs, before a Judicatory of this Church, which their tender Conſciences thought it not fit to appear befor, eand owne as a Judicatory, and there appeared little difficulty to prove the ſame; And if Mr. Seton have not theſe Men to make up his Conſtituents, he hath but a very ſmall Number.

I doubt ſtill that a Conference is really deſigned, becauſe if it be, ſomething then muſt be propoſed by Mr. Seton to put a deſireable period to theſe Schiſms: Now its eaſier for Mr. Seton to ſoare in the Clouds and keep in the Generals, then come to particulars; It ſeems that the Wiſdom and Compaſſion of our King and Parliament, hath not yet found out the true Remedies to heal our Wounds, Mr. Seton hath not confidence, that the Authority of publick ſanctions will be effectual, though I am of the opinion that a juſt and Charitable Execution of them would mightily contribute to our Peace, you'l find the Parliament muſt alter their Terms, and yet that would not do to ſatisfy Mr. Seton and his Men, but this I dare ſay would effectually quiet and excite him to new Anthems the change of the preſent Government; the Re-eſtabliſhing of Biſhops and all the old Clergy would recover an once Flouriſhing Church from its Deſolations, then a a pure and peaceable, gentle and eaſy Government would poſſeſs the Throne: but as yet the King and Parliament ſeem not thereto enclin'd, Mr. Seton muſt propoſe ſome other thing.

What if peaceble Mr. Seton deſire to put a period to the Schiſms by this means. That every Man and every Miniſter might have the Liberty to follow their own Inclination, and theſe who deſired Biſhops and Epiſcopal Clergy might not be deprived of ſo great a Bleſſing, and Mr. Seaton would be ſo Charitable (at leaſt for this Seſſion of Parliament) as to allow ſome Angry zealous Bigots a gentle touch of Presbytry, providing it offended no body, and then when every body got their will all would be pleaſed; But I am of the opinion, more peace, then that would produce, may be had at an eaſier rate.

In ſhort, So many difficulties ariſe in any particular Grounds for a Conference, and Mr. Seton will be in ſuch a ſtrait to get his Charity to his own Conſtituents on the one hand, ſo largely extended as to ſecure them, be their Immoralities what they will from the cloutches of angry Zeal, and his Compliſance on the other hand is ſuch, as not directly to ſpit in the face of Authority, Civil and Ecleſiaſtick, tho he be ready enough to ſpurn at them with his Heels, that I believe, if you'l let the peaceable man alone, he will not much preſs a Conference; he hath made the offer, printed his Petition, ſent it up laſt Poſt to London, he hath waited as long as he thought fit, and the care of the Church will call him home.

But before he go, I would let him and his gang ſee, that all Presbyterians are not ſo full of angry Zeal, as not in ſome meaſure to be Eaſie and Gentle, and therefore I would charitably adviſe him and his Friends to lay aſide their Illegal as well as Unchriſtian combinations to Re-eſtabliſh Epiſcopacy in Scotland, which Tyranny now called Jacobitiſm and Prophanity will always attend. Let them by their practices and temper ſhew ſome of that Charity and Peaceableneſs his words pretend to, let them ſtrive and endeavour in Preaching of the Goſpel to come to their Flock, in the demonſtration of the Spirit and of Power, rather then with the Charms and Powers of most commanding Eloquence; let a Goſpel-adorning converſation manifeſt that there is ſome thing of the Life of Religion amonſt them; and for my part they ſhall be dear to me, and honoured by me, though they ſhould never come to be of the ſame judgment, as to the Government of the Church: And if any of them by the Grace of God working in their Hearts manifeſt ſuch a Diſpoſition, (what ever their former Actions and Opinions have been) and deſire to be ſharers of the Government of the Church, thereby only deſigning to be in a better capacity to propagate the Goſpel, deſtroy Atheiſm, curb Prophanity, Baniſh Irreligion, and heal the Wounds of this Church, if they then be not welcomed by Church-Judicatories, it will be time for them to complain of the want of Charity, But if after all the Experiences both Mr. Seton and his Conſtituents, and his Presbyterian Brethereen have got, that the preſent Church Government hath made the moſt vigorous oppoſition to Atheiſm & Profanity, been the moſt faithful Aſſerters of the Truth, and ſtrongeſt Bulwarks againſt Popery, Socinianiſm, Arminianiſm and all other Errors, and is founded on the moſt laſting 〈…〉 of Union and Peace. Men will 〈◊〉 refuſe to embrace theſe juſt and reaſonable Terms, ſettled by the State and Church, and oppoſe this poor Churches wreſtling out of the Aſhes, to which Religions Enemies had reduced Her, and delay Her Triumphing over all the Works of Darkneſs, I appeal to God the Searcher of all Hearts, to Angels and Men, to our Gracious King, to His Grace His high Commiſſioner, to the Eſtates of Parliament, and to the Conſciences of our Enemies, if the Presbyterian Miniſters, and the Church-Judicatories ought in Charity to bear the Burthen of the Blame.