and remove the Jealousies, which if entertained, may be Fatal to all true Proteftants, and binder them binder them from writing against the Common Enemy. I have finseren ly designed to promote her Majefty's Intereft, and the Prefervation of the Pro teftant-Succeffion in the illuftrious Houfe of Hanover, by showing that the Pres byterians may be depended upon as Cordial Friends to both. And I am Confident all honeft Men of the Churches of England andIreland will rejoyce in it, and therefore I perfuade my felf that no wellaffected Proteftant of any Perfuafion, will be offended at my undertaking to prove that our Common-Intereft bath more friends to ftand by it,than fome People wou'd allow off. And I thought this Defign cou'd not be fo well obtained unless I fhou'd look back into the Behaviour of Presbyterians in former Reigns, and compare the whole with the Loyalty of their Principles, and ANSWER the moft Confiderable Calumnies that have been raised against 'em. And this hath obliged me to Intermix with this Historical Efsay several very Material Points of the Civil Hiftory of these Kingdoms, which were neceffary for fetting my Subject in a clear Light. And I have been fo far from Partiality in my inquiries,that the most Confiderable Defences I have made for the Loyalty of Presbyterians are grounded upon Such Vouchers as were Profeft Members of the Church of England, and who were Zealous Patrons both of her Government and Worship, as the Reader will find, when he comes to peruse the Book it felf. And where I have adduced any of thier own Manufcripts, or built upon their own Authority, I have demonstrated the Credit of my Poacher's by fuch Arguments as are fufficient to induce the belief of all Unbiafs'd Judges. Where 1 fet forth and explain their Principles, 'twas abfolutely neceffary to have Recourt to their Confeffions of Faith, the public. Declarations and Actings of their Minifters and Elders, confider'd as a Society and Body, rcting in Name of the whole. For every Party must be allow'd to know their own Principles beft,and no Principle ought to be father'd upon them, but what they have own'd and espoused by fome thing that may be justly called the act and Deed of the whole Body. And therefore foou'd the Reader find any Mistakes in what I have afferted of them in this Book, these ought not to be imputed to the whole, but to my felf; who, tho I write in their Defence, yet write not in their Name,except in thefe Paffages which are quoted from their public Confeffions, Addresses, Apologies, and fuch like Authentic inftruments declaring their Common Sentiments, whereof I am only the Tranföriber and not the Author. While I was laying the scheme of myanfwer to the Calumniesof their Adversaries, having perufed feveral of the Uncharitable Libels publifh'd both in former Reigns, ふ and and fince the late Happy Revolution 1688. I met with two Pamphlets that furnished me with a Collection and an abridgment of the most materia ofthem all withadditional Accufations to anything that had formerly appeared in print against them; and therefore I have refuted these two Pamphlets in particular, as they came to be confider'd in the Method of my Hiftory; The first of them is Entitul'd a Sample of True Blew Presbyterian Loyalty in all Charges and Turns of Government, and was publish'd Anno 1709. The Jecond is Entitul'd, The Conduct of the Diffenters of Ireland with refpect both to Church and State, and was publish'd Anno 1712. They are both done by one Author; in both of 'em the Author does either wretchedly misreprefent the Principles and Practices of Presbyterians, or draw falfe Confequences from them; and the Genius of both his papers which are contain'd in twoLetters to his Friend) breaths of either the One or 'tother of thefe Errors; of which they are so entirely made up, that he has scarce a Paragraph that's free of them, or that he does not improve by the Af fiftance of fome of them, as an handle of Calumny against an harmless, Loyal: and Peaceable Body of her Majefty's good Proteft ant Subjects. His file is bitter and Virulent, railed by the Warmth oft magination, and stuff'd with Multitudes of Uncharitable,Satyrical, and Groundless Infinuations. I have endeavor'dé to confider calmly and Patiently what he hath advanced in heat and haste. My Defign obliging me to take a much larger Compass, than a bare answer to his Papers, I have mix'd my answer to him with the Body of this Historical-Effay, and contriv'd the whole fo as to enlighten the main Subject I had in view; and tho' I fhou'd think it a Peculiar Advantage to my Book, that my Reader wou'd be at the Pains of Comparing both his and mine together, yet I have made · my Answer fo clear, as my Readers that can't easily get his Papers into their hands . will find the whole Subject laid before 'em ; and his Objections farther Illustrated and more fully urg'd in divers places, than what he has done himself; for my defign in meddling with his Papers being (as I obferv'd before) to confider 'em as an Abridgment of the most material Calumnies that had been publish'd against Presbyterians, I have not only fairly repeated'em, but supply'd out of other Au-.. thors what feem'd to be wanting in him, and obviațed what Cavils he may be · Suppos'd to make against my Reply "After I had prepar'd my Book for the Prefs, I met with an Answer to the first of his Pamphlets, VIZ A Sample of True Blew Presbyterian Loyalty, printed this Tear at Glafgow; wherein there are many Valuable Memoirs, well-improv'd, which are more than an answer to that Pamphlet, and yet the nature of my fubject made it neceffary to answer both his Pamphlets notwithstanding. For his fecond Letter refers in many Particulars to his first, and is built upon the mia १ miftakes contain'd in it: and therefore my answer to the fecond had been Incomplete and not Intelligible, unless I had answer'd the first too; and tho' the first has been more than answer'd by another hand, yet that Anfwer, and this Book may not happen to get into the fame hands and if they fhou'd, there is such a variety of matter in 'em, as neither of 'em makes the other felefs and Needlefs. The Second and Third Part of the Conduct of Diffenters confifs of particular pretended Facts, which the Author does not reduce to any one Period or Reign: and therefore I have been oblig'd to confider them diftinctly, in the third part of this Book. And the Reader will perhaps cenfure me for taking any notice of fuck of the fe pretended Facts, as he will be fully fatisfy'd upon Perufal of this Book, to be but Trivial. But the reason why I did it, was, to show the ftrain that the Accufers of the Loyalsy of Fresbyterians ga upon they mufer up every little ftory they can catch at, and pick up all the private Chat they can find over a Bottle of Wine, or ata Tea-Table, and run ftraight to the Prefs with it, where they reprefent it in wrong Colours: And there can't be a stronger Argument of the Leyalty of Presbyterians, than the Weakness of thefe trifling Objections, which are made against it. For had their Adverfaries any thing that's material to of-fer, they wou'd not infit on these little things, which being the Tattle of tale-bearers, are but very indifferent Vouchers for an Hiflorian; tho' good enough to fill up a Libel, or garnish a Satyr. And where I met with 'em in his Letters, I have endeavor'd to refute 'em both shortly and fufficiently, and then to proceed 10 feme Material Piece of Hiftory, that may be more entertaining to my Reader. I find different Copies of the Condr&t of the Diffenters fag'd in a different manner, fome of 'em beginning at page 35. (as) Juppofe, becanje his fit ftPamphlet ended there) others beginning at page 1. I have fallowed the latter in my Quotations; of which it was necessary to give the Reader this Advertisement, left he fhou'd fall upon one of the Copies that is otherwife pag'd. I shan't detain the Reader with any farther account of the Method of this Bock, of which the Contents will give him a view at once. And the Alphabetical Table at the Clofe will direct him to the Principal Points in this Treatife. All I fhall addis, that I earnestly defire the Reader may perufe it carefuly with the fame regard to Truth and Charity that I had in compofing it, and with that Glorious End of Uniting all Protestants in Zeal for the Reform'd Religion, Loyalty to our meft Gracious Sovereign be Queen, and bearty Concern for the Succeffion in the Illuftrious Houfe of Hanover, and for extinguishing and utterly defeating the hopes of the Pretender and all his bettors. The T The CONTENTS. The Loyalty of Presbyterian Principles in all Reigns ftared and Argu'd : and the Loyalty of Prefbyterian Practices in the Reigns of Queen ELIZABETH The Loyalty of Presbyterians during the Reign of Queen ELIZABETH. from The Loyalty of Presbyterians during the Reign of King JAMES the fir of The Loyalty of Presbyterians during the Reign of King CHARLES I. from på The Loyalty of Presbyterians during the Reign of King CHARLES 11. from p. An APPENDIX to the Preceding Chapter concerning the Reign of King The Loyalty of Presbyterians, from Her Prefent Majefty's Happy Acceffion to the Throne, to this prefent Year 1713. from p. 453. to p. 488. [Wherein the fecond and third Parts of the Pamphlet Entitled, The Condu& of the Diffenters of Ireland with refpe&t both to Church and State, are Examin'd, CHAP 1. Wherein the first fourFacts Charg'd upon Presbyterians in the secondPart of the Conduct of the Diffenters&c. viz, 1. Their Synods and Assemblies. 2. Their Ruling Elders. 3. The Private Philofophy School of Killileagh. and 4: Their Writing and Preaching against the Eftablish'd Form of Marriage; are fet in a true light, and a Modeft Apology offer'd for them from p. 488, to p: 510. CHAP. II. Wherein the last four Facts charg'd upon Presbyterians in the fecond Part of the Conduct of the Diflenters, &c. viz.1. Their Erecting New Congregations, and particularly one in Drogheda. 2. Their difturbing the Establifh'd Clergy in the Burial of the Dead. 3. Their Printing Books of bad Principles, against the Government, and, 4, Their Entertaining of some Ministers amongst them who have not taken the Abjuration-oath; are examined and answered fromp. 510. to p. 540. CHAP. III. Wherein the four Prefumptive Facts Charged upon Presbyterians in the third Part of the Conduct of Diffenters &c. viz 1.Their taking the Solemn League &c. 2. Their Common Funds against the Church. 3. Their Enflaving People by their Certificates; and 4. The many Dreadful things, prevented by the Teft-Claufe, are examin'dfrem p. 540, to the end. |