Lord himself send a comfortable issue! I am your affectionate Brother.

Dec. 19, 1715.

LETTER XXVIII.'

DIFFICULTIES AS TO THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE.

To Mr John Williamson, Minister of the Gospel at Edinburgh, [Musselburgh.]

REV. DEAR BROTHER,-By my accounts from Edinburgh, I find you have not got up the length of the rest of my very dear brethren, who were formerly Nons. I have writ my mind fully to Mr Hart anent my difficulties as to the Allegiance and Assurance. But since his practice in taking them may, perhaps, not permit him to write to me so fully as I could wish, I resolved to apply myself to you, whom, by your practice, I find under difficulties, and, perhaps, under some of mine.

The next letter in the Collection it has been thought proper to omit. It occupies fifteen closely written pages, and is addressed to the Rev. Mr Hart. At a meeting of a considerable number of Non-jurors at Edinburgh, an Address to the King, in which they profess their attachment to his person and Government, their willingness to swear the Allegiance and sign the Assurance, and pray his Majesty to "find out some expedient to prevent the inconveniences that attend the present state of things with respect to the Abjuration," had been prepared, together with a declaration of their loyalty, to be published to the world; and draughts of these papers were to be sent to the Non-jurors throughout the country for their consideration. Mr Flint and Mr Hart, by the appointment of that meeting, had sent copies of them to Wodrow, to be communicated by him to the Non-jurors in his own Presbytery, and in some of the Presbyteries surrounding him. His letter, in reply, is a discussion upon the inexpediency of either addressing the King, or of publishing a Declaration of their loyalty This Address, being transmitted to the Non-jurors, was subscribed by upwards of a hundred ministers, who sent up the Rev. William Gusthart to present it to the King. His mission was so far successful, that the oath was altered, and framed in such a way as they could take it.-(Boston's Mem. p. 352.)—The Address and Declaration will be found in the Appendix.

It's near a year since I begged the Rev. Mr Hog's help under what scruples then offered to me, in the views of a re-imposition, and had a very sweet and satisfying return from that great man, which, indeed, did not remove them, for he was under some of them himself.

In short, then, I am under the apprehension that public oaths, through the laxness of the age, are turned tests not sufficient for discovering loyalty, for the want of which my heart does not reproach me; and are so far fallen short of the end of their imposition, that they appear to me unnecessary. The Allegiance to me seems to relate to the sinful united state we are under,' and involve an approbation of it. And, further, even a simple allegiance, under the views I have of it, refers to my subjection to the known laws not repealed, especially such as affect my station in the ministry, and to bind me to obey the Prince I swear to, when acting according to them; and, in a word, all the difficulties in the act of imposition, from the intent and design of the act, and the penalties enacted, to me seem as much to affect the simple Allegiance as they do the Abjuration, in the refusing of which we centre.

These are some of my difficulties, and I earnestly beg your help out of them, if you can give it me, and your thoughts of them either to solve or confirm me in them; for I desire to lay myself fully open to light, with my eyes fixed upon the Lord in the use of all means. And if the imputation of Jacobitism continue, under my real and conscientious difficulties about oaths, I seek your thoughts what may be the best methods for one who wants latitude as to present public oaths, to purge himself of it, besides his hearty praying, preaching, and acting for King George.

Compliments were never my talent, and I shall not say how very useful your full freedom upon these heads, and our present circumstances as to oaths will be to me. You stand at the principal watchtower, and have the benefit of conversation, and reasoning, and the

The Union with England, which Wodrow, with many others, regarded as based on sinful conditions.

knowledge of many matters of fact, which we truly want in the country. I hope you will not grudge to communicate your reasonings and light on this head to, Rev. Dear Brother, yours, &c.

Dec. 19.

Send all your news.

LETTER XXXI.

WITH A MEMORIAL AGAINST THE ABJURATION OATH.

To the Rev. Mr Thomas Linning, Minister at Lesmahagow.

REV. DEAR BROTHER,-It was but this day Mr L. brought the memorial, a copy of which comes along with this, from a considerable number of brethren in our circumstances at Stirling, which he and Mr M. and I, being desired by them to procure the sentiments of as many of our brethren as we could upon it, and their additions and alterations, to be communicated to them on Monday the 2d of January, as might be. The design of the memorial is to be put in the Duke of Argyle's hands, and the Earl of Isla's hands, and to be sent to such members of Parliament as are most friendly to us, if possible to prevent a new re-imposition of the oaths upon us. It is not known how long these great men may continue at Stirling, and so the matter cannot be delayed upon the supposition that it be found necessary to lodge such a paper in their hands.

Copies have been communicated to Ayr, and Irvine, and Hamilton, and you lying out of the road of the post, we have sent up an express to you, and earnestly expect your full and free sentiments upon this draught, and your corrections and additions as to the matter and phrases; your opinion as to the design to lodge it in the hands of those above named; and, in short, your thoughts as to what

may be our duty at this time in relation to our present circum

stances.

I'll be glad likewise to have accounts what your brethren Jurants and Nons in your Presbytery have done at this time, for I have yet no accounts, and all your accounts from Dumfries and Galloway of the practice of Ministers Jurant and Non-jurant. And if you'll lay down any method how I may write and hear weekly from you, there is nobody's correspondence I am more willing to entertain, and you shall have all the accounts I can give you.

I don't know whether you were at the meeting of Nons at Edinburgh the 8th of this month, when they penned a draught of an Address to the King, with a Declaration of loyalty; but I fancy you have, because, when they transmitted to me copies of them, in order to transmit to the rest of our brethren in the Synod, they did not name Lanark. I have writt my own thoughts with all freedom to Mr H. [Hart,] and I imagine I see very considerable difficulties as to addressing; and you will know, by our former conversation, that I want not my scruples as to the Allegiance and Assurance, in our present circumstances; and I find some others under the same straits. But that which will effectually, in my opinion, crush this design, which I take for granted you have had communicate to you, is the accounts I had last post. You'll have seen, no doubt, our brethren in Edinburgh, their adjected declaration of loyalty, when they took the Allegiance and Assurance, and I am told that that declaration, and the practice of the Justices of the Peace, in parting the oaths, was not concerted with (the Justice-Clerk and Advocate,) two persons who reckoned they ought to have been advised with in a matter of that importance, and in so leading a case. And, accordingly, an account of the matter of fact, with a copy of the brethren's Declaration of loyalty, instead of the Abjuration, was dispatched in a letter to Secretary Townshend next post. What turn was given to the brethren's disadvantage, or that of the Magistrates of Edinburgh, the Justices of the Peace, I shall not say; but last week there came a letter from Townshend to the Justice-Clerk, wherein he signified he had received the copy of the ministers' declaration, and the ac

count of the practice of the Magistrates of Edinburgh, and had laid both before his Majesty ; and was commanded to signify to him that the King was abundantly sensible of the good service of he Magistrates of Edinburgh at this juncture, and their vigorous opposition to the rebellion; and as to their practice in separating the oaths, and admitting the ministers' declaration, he could not but disapprove of it. That his Majesty thought the considerable change made in the oath, by the Parliament, was sufficient to ease all tender consciences, and remove scruples; and such as now scrupled at it behoved to have somewhat under their difficulties he was unwilling to name, and discharged in all time coming such practices.

For my own share, I wish our brethren had taken the minds of the body of Nons through the Church, before they had fallen into such a practice, which would be a leading card to us all. But it may be, they have advised with more than I know of, and though my light at present comes not up their full length, yet I still honour and love them, and am grieved for such a check, and shall be glad to know what is said in their behalf for their defence.

But this step, I imagine, will be a considerable stop in the way of our addressing or making declarations of our loyalty. So that what now remains for us to do seems to be only by way of memorial to our great folk, if it be possible to prevent a re-imposition. And I hope, on the whole, you'll please to give your thoughts with full freedom as to our present duty.

I desire heartily to sympathise with you under the crush you have lately met with from one whom I still jealoused, as I formerly signified to you. May this work together for good! I have a hundred things to say to you anent the History of the Sufferings; and I beg, whenever you can come down to this country, you may allow me some nights of you. I am, yours most affectionately.

Dec. 26, 1715.