THE VVOUND'S O' THE KIRK O' SCOTLAND In her head, heart, hands, and feet; Held forth In a Sermon preach't AT EDINBURG

BY Mr JAMES REW.

LONDON, Printed by William Du-Gard, Anno Dom. 1650.

Notes of a Sermon preach't at St Gile's the great Church in Edenburgh upon a Fast daie, the last Sundaie in Julie 1638. By Mr James Rew.

The Preacher began thus.

‘Mercifull Lord! I have twa questions to speire at thee, &c.’
Text JEREM. 30.17.

I will restore health unto thee, and will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord, becaus they called thee an outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.

I Need not mickle to trouble my seln, whea is meant by Zion; yee aw ken it well eneugh: it is the pure Kirk o' Scotland: The Kirk o' Scotland is wounded in her head, in her heart, in her hands, and in her feet.

  • 1 In her Head, as in the Government.
  • 2 In her Heart, as in the Doctrine.
  • 3 In her Hands, as in the Discipline.
  • 4 In her Feet as in the Worship.

I The Kirk o' Scotland is wounded in her Head: the Kirk o' Scotland hath gotten sike a clash on her head as has made her harnes swape in at her senses.

1 In her Seeing: The Kirk o' Scotland was a seen as well as anie Christian Kirk; but now shee cannot distinguish benance black and white; bring Paperie before her, shee cannot discern between that and true Religion.

2 The Kirk o' Scotland is wounded in her Hearing: The Kirk of Scotland cud a distinguish't o' sounds, but since the Organs were brought in, shee is grown as deaf, as a dure-nail.

3 The Kirk o' Scotland cud a smel't as weel as anie Christian Kirk i'th world. The Kirk of Ream smelt sea strang, that at first shee cud a tell'd yee, that shee smelt of the Whore of Babylon; but now bring the stinkingst Paperie to her nose, it will smell as sweet as an apple.

Now poor Saul, yee ha seen her wounded: there shee ligg's, a ruful spectacle: pittie her an yee will: But what will yee saie to the curing of her senses?

They'le tell yee, shee is in as gude a case as e're shee was: and how say? Ile tell yee.

The Kirk o' Scotland see's better then e're she did; of awd the Kirk o' Scotland saw her Ministers in gude and little short cloaks with black velvet-necks; and thur little cloaks turn'd more sauls to God, then ere the lang gowns did: but now yee sall see their [Page 3] prideful Prelates hurled up and down the Town in bra coaches: There's a bra sight for the Kirk o' Scotland! Shee see's better, I'le swear, then e're shee did.

The Kirk o' Scotland smel's better then e're shee did, and how? I'le tell yee: The Kirk o' Scotland smell's sea weel, at shee can sent yee a Bishoprick ten years afore it faw: but it may bee hee at smell's best, will nee'r lick's fingers ends on't.

The Kirk o' Scotland tast's better then e're shee did; and how? I'le tell yee: a good honest Mini­ster wud a been content wea a plain dish of milk, and bread, heamli [...] meat: but now your Prelates will ha a lick of the best on't; so yee see the Kirk o' Scotland tasts better an e're shee did.

II I ha don with her senses; now I'le tell yee how shee is wounded in her Hands, and that I caw'd the Discipline o' the Kirk o' Scotland. They sleighted the Kirk o' Scotland: yee knaw weel, wee use to sleighter onely thievs and runawaies; the Kirk o' Scotland was baith. First, shee was a Runawaie, and that was the time of the glorious Reformation: then came shee clear away fra Ream; and hard did they follow her, and fain wud they a been at her; for an they had getten her, they wud a gi'n her their lead attyes, but God bee thanked, they cud not overtake her. Secondly, the Kirk of Scotland was a Thief too; alate shee has gean to Ream, an stawn away all the trash and trumperie; all's in their buke of Common prayer, and Canons: weel away! what traw yee? they sleighted her, but with a silken cord of a Canonical obedience to the [Page 4] Ordinarie: and wee ha taken gret delight to bee bun: wee's ha a bunny Kirk: But after they gate us fast, they made the silk rape a Cable too, with whilk they girded us sea fast, that wee cud not sea mickle as steir, but auther wee must run into the danger o' blinde obedience o'th twea side, to accept of awl the Idolatrie and Superstitious Ceremonies they impo­sed on us: or els o'th to'ther side bee main swern men. Na, the Kirk of Scotland is sea wounded in her hands, that for thur twentie year by-gon shee cud not make her hummack on a caud daie: sea, the Kirk of Scotland for thur twentie year together cud not have a meeting in a lawful Assemblie.

III. I ha don with her hands: now I'le shaw yee how shee is wounded in her feet, and that I cau'd the worship of the Kirk o' Scotland. The Kirk of Scotland was eance a bonnie trotting nagg: but then shee trotted sea hard, that nee'r a man durst ride her. But then the Bishops, thur hard-riding Lowns, they got on her back: and they cross-langel'd her, and hopshackled the Kirk of Scotland. And then shee became a bonnie-paceing beast: and they took great pleasure to ride on her: but with their jogging her up and down between Edenburgh and London (it may bee, and Ream too) they ha gi'n her sike a hait coat, at wee a been this twelv moneth by-gon, stirring her up and down for keeping her fra foun­dring.

Na, they made not onely an Hors but an Ass o' the Kirk of Scotland: how say yee by that now? Ile tell yee how they made Balaam's Ass on her; yee ken weel, that Balaam was ganging an unluckie gate: [Page 5] and first the Angel met him in a bread weay: and then the Ass boggled and started; but Balaam got by the Angel, and hee tull her, and battoon'd her sufficiently; that was when Episcopacie came in: and then they ga the Kirk o' Scotland their pricks. Ef­terward Balaam met the Angel in a straighter gate, and the Ass startled more then shee did afore: Ba­laam, hee tull her again, and paid her soundly: that was when the five Articles of Perth were brought in: the third time the Angel met Balaam in sea straight a gate, as the Ass cud not get by him: and then it pleas'd God to open blinde Balaams eyn: and that is this happy daie: Now God hath open'd aw our eyn: well war blind Balaam ganging an un­lucky gate, ridden post to Ream: and what had they gotten behind o'th Ass traw yee? they had gotten on a poak mantle, and in that there was the buke o' Cannons, and buke o' Common-praier, and the high Commission; Now as soon as ere the Ass saw the Angel, shee fawe's a flinging, and over gea's the poak-mantle, and it hing's by the twa strings o' ea side, and up gea's blinde Balaam, and hee hing by the hough o'th tother side; and fain wud the blinde Carl bee i'th saddle agen, and bee content to leav the poak-mantle. But beloved, let not the fauȝ Zwinger get on agen: for an hee do, hee will bee sure to get up the poak-mantle agen.

IV. The Kirk of Scotland is wounded in her Heart: and that I tell'd you was the doctrine of the Kirk of Scotland; and that's Papery, and Arminia­nism, that's sea rife in our Kirk and Scules. Nay there are som of yee sitting here, at hear's mee, at has [Page 6] wish't emselvs an hundred times to ha been out o'th Kirk, when yee heard the pawtry stuff at came fra him. Yee ha heard mee many a time, my brethren, compare the Kirk and our Lord Jesu together; and I gea not very far for my simile: for hee is the head, and the Kirk is the bodie. Yee knaw, that our Savi­or, e'r hee entred on the Ministrie, hee was carried by Lucifer (God save us!) into the Wilderness, where hee was tempted fourtie lang daies (O the mickle Devil!) where hee was rejected, and set light off by aw; But then assoon as e'r hee began to wark his Miracles, than hee was carried in Jerusalem in triumph, there was nothing in their mouths then but Hosannae's; blessed is hee that cometh in the name of the Lord: the neust news yee hear of him, they com with hawbeards and jather'd staves fraw the high Priest to apprehend him: just sea it is with the pure Kirk of Scotland: for this year by-gon shee has sit desolate and in the Wilderness, contemned by aw, cared for by neane: Now is the glorious daie at shee is ridden in triumph to Jerusalem, now there is neathing in aw mouths but Hosanna's: but take heed, when they com with swords and staves fra the high Priest, at they do not with Peter shaw a pair of heels, and forsake him.

They ha not onely made an Hors, and an Ass, but they ha betrai'd the Kirk of Scotland. Yee knaw whea betrai'd our Savior: they betrai'd him at were silent in sea gude a caus; they betrai'd him at accus'd him, at judg'd him: they betrai'd him at forsook him. But whare sall wee finde the fauȝ Judas aw the while? And now Ile tell you a tale, I dare not say it's true, [Page 7] but yee sall ha it as I had it. When I was a little lad at Scule, there was a young hopefull Theologue (whea is now nea small man o' this land) and beeing to preach the verie words o' Judas, what will yee give mee, and I will betraie him? the young man learn'd his text sea weel, as hee tell'd it in baith Latine and Scottish: quid dabitis mihi, & tradam illum? what will yee give mee, and I will betraie him? There was a gude man sitten at fute o'th Pulpit, whare standing up and lewkin full in's face, said, marry Ile gi' yee a gude fat Bishoprick, and then Ile sure yee'l betraie him. And sea yee see whea ha betraid the Kirk o' Scotland.

The Kirk o' Scotland was eance a bonnie Grammar Scholar: and wate yee weel, shee had skil in Regi­men and Concordantia, and cud a made a bonnie piece o' Latin: for everie thing shee did, shee was forced dareregulam; or if shee offended, shee was sure o' pande manum: but efterward when shee went to the Colledg, shee had mear libertie, or wud take it: and first of aw, shee began in her Rhetorick, and in stead of true proper speaking, shee learn't neathing but allegories and hyperbolies: then shee come's to her Logick, and instead of true demonstration, shee learn't nothing but homonomies and captious syllo­gisms: Efterward shee came to Ethicks, but shee did not mickle trouble her seln with them; but stu­died the Politick, and that sea weel, at shee turn'd aw Religion into meer State-policie: for Metaphysicks shee knawe's there is Ens, and that must bee unum, verum, & bonum: sea there must bee ean Religion, true Religion, and gude Religion; but this was too [Page 8] high and honest for her: wharefore shee studied mear the Physicks, and turn'd aw into materia prima; and made it capable of anie form, as shee pleas'd to impress upon it.

After hee had don with his Sermon and Praier, stand­ing up to give a blessing, hee said thus:

I Knaw weel enugh at it is not the custom o' this place to saie anie thing efter praier; but becaus I had mickle to say, and ea thing dang another out o' my head, tharefore sall yee gi' mee leav to add a word or twa mear.

And first of aw, I will speak to you that are cal­led by the Colledg of Justice; and why, I praie, do not yee subscribe to the Covenant? Yee'l saie to mee, yee are emploied by his Majestie in som special affairs, and yee cannot wea your Honor subscribe to the Covenant: here's a bra answer indeed! there's not the meanest man that gather's up 20 marks per an. for the King, but may ha this hole to gea out at, and than wee sall ha bra subscribing to the Cove­nant: Yea, yea, ther's but ea man at stand's be­tween God and thee, get by that man, and gang to God.

And in the second place, why do not yee Noble­men subscribe to the Covenant? You'l saie, noli me tangere: howsoe're I'le gi' yee a twitch. It may bee an yee bee put to it, yee'l saie, yee must ride in Parlament-order, the meanest must gea first, and subscribe to the Covenant, and then yeel com ef­ter. There's a bra answer indeed! Yee ha a fashon in [Page 9] thur Suthern parts o' Scotland, and when yee com tull a foard the pear Jack-man must venter o're first upon his weak weay-nagg to trie it; and if hee can gea, and com back agen, the Lord com's mounted on his gaie steed, and then hee gea's o're. This is not right beloved. Wee at are Hilanders ha a better fashon, wee usuallie gea a feut, and when wee com tull a ford, wee are loath to leav a man, therefore wee join other to other, arm in arm, and loupe aw togeather into the foard; and if ea man drown, aw drown; ean sea here, set your hands to the Covenant; and if ean man perish, aw perish.

Thirdly, I speak a word to yee that are the Town-Counsel; and although I see twa of the chief chairs emptie; Yea yee shall ha it: And why do not yee subscribe? It may bee yee will saie, yee are in office; now staie to the neust year, till your office bee out, and then yee'l subscribe to the Covenant too. Here's a bra answer indeed! It may bee God will get his wark don before that time, and then whare will your thanks bee? Get your Clark's Register, and search o're the rowl, and see an ever the Town of Edenburgh suffer'd with joining with the Kirk o' Scotland.

Last of aw, I must speak a word or twa to yee that are strangers, (and then turning himself to the Scaffold, where the Provost and Bailiffs of Aberdeen sate, who had not subscribed) and what's the reason yee do not subscribe to the Covenant? It may bee yee bee com hither about your civil affairs, an when yee [Page 10] came out, yee resolved not to subscribe to the Covenant: Wee'l take my advice, I say, Aberdeen­men, and take your word again; and gea heam, and drink the * cup of boon-accord, and join to the Kirk o' Scotland, and subscribe to the Covenant.

FINIS.

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