noturely [notoriously] guilty of. The barbarous treatment of the burial place of my Lord Rothes at Leslie, and mangling some of his children's bodies till the stench put them away. The worse than Turkish commissions given by Panmure and Southesk for treating ministers and their families in the Mearns and Angus, in methods I blush to write, are instances of this perfectly unknown before in this country.

The most part of the ministers in that country were forced to fly for their lives, and some of them are with me at the writing of this; and we hear many of their pulpits are filled with Episcopal intruders, who all pray for the Pretender.

Upon the whole, I am very hopeful that when this dark and black cloud is over, it will in the issue tend effectually to purge this land; and whatever desolations these unreasonable and ungodly men may be suffered to make in the country, yet, I think, their ruin is hastening, and we are, by this Providence, like to be for ever rid of a great many that have been dead weights on this Church for many years; and it's probable that both Popery and Prelacy in the north of Scotland will receive a wound by this, which, I hope, shall never be cured, and it's like several unworthy men crept into charges may now discover themselves, so as our brethren may, when they return, be rid of them.

Thus, at considerable length, I have given you what offers to me upon the present posture of this Church and nation. The Lord himself interpose and pity us! for I think vain is the help of man. I am, Rev. Dear Brother, yours most sincerely.

Nov. 8, 1715.

P. S.-The time is now drawing near when the re-imposed oaths must be taken. Our practices are still like to be different upon this head; but the confusions of the country are like to free us from the public debates we had before upon this head.

LETTER XXVI.

ON THE OATHS OF ABJURATION AND ALLEGIANCE.

For Mr James Hart.

REV. DEAR BROTHER,-I have yours of the 2d current, for which this comes heartily to thank you; and although I cannot give you so full an account of our circumstances in this country as I hope to be in case afterwards to send you, I would not delay the first post to send what offers.

At our last Synod in October, we had a meeting in the intervals, where the new act of Parliament was read and a little talked on, and the whole brethren present seemed very unclear as to the abjuration, and all were desired to come in to the meeting of the Commission in November, with their last resolutions. An address to the King was talked of, begging that as many as joined in it might be allowed to take the allegiance and sign the assurance. This did not relish with several, and all was remitted to the meeting at the Commission, which the confused state of the nation hath hindered. However, all centred in this, that as little public noise ought to be made anent our scruples as might be, and all care should be taken to remove any prejudices that were talked of among some country people as to the King's affection to this Church, from the re-imposition of the oath.

Accordingly, all this time I have heard almost nothing anent the oath. Those who had not clearness to qualify before had no meetings I know of, and resolved to lie by and keep at their ministerial work.

Our Presbyteries, through this Synod, meet every Wednesday for prayer, and last Wednesday the 30th, we found our brethren in this Presbytery who had formerly qualified, resolved to lie by at

From the accounts

this time, and not to take the oaths of new. they had from Glasgow and Edinburgh, that considering the one half of this Church, by reason of the present distractions, could not have opportunities of qualifying, it was generally concerted to delay at this time, from the prospect of a new day. It was not our business to say any thing as to our brethren's practice, but [we] were glad to find ourselves again unanimous.

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I hear upon the same day the Presbytery of Glasgow, at their meeting for prayer, came to the same resolution of a delay. It seems upon Wednesday's night they had some accounts from Edinburgh, that friends at Court expected that ministers should take the oaths, and not slip the day; whereupon circular letters were writt to brethren out of town signifying so much, and calling a Presbytery upon Thursday the 1st of December. The three Non-jurants in the Presbytery, it seems, did not think fit to go in, nor any most of the country brethren. However, there was a quorum of the Justices of the Peace met at Glasgow, where I hear the Professor, (the Principal, I suppose, qualified with you at Edinburgh,) the town ministers, Mr Ewen at Calder, Mr William Hamilton at Bothwell, took the oaths. I do not hear of any other but these named. I have not yet heard any account from other Presbyteries in this Synod; but I suppose few or none have qualified from the concert I have just now hinted at.

As to your practice at Edinburgh,' I am still pleased with any

1 Mr Hart, in his letter, informed Wodrow, that at the last Synodical Meeting of his bounds, several meetings were held by Non-jurant brethren from several parts of the country, who were then in town by reason of the confusion of the times, and that all of them being still in the dark with respect to the Abjuration Oath, it was proposed whether they had clearness to take the Oath of Allegiance, and to subscribe the Assurance, if Justices of Peace or Magistrates could be found to administer the same without the Abjuration; and that the most part then present seemed to be clear to take the Oath of Allegiance, and to subscribe the Assurance. Mr Hart farther stated, that the Justices of the Peace in Edinburgh being friendly to this proposal, Messrs Flint, M'Laren, Miller, M‘Vicar, Guthrie, Clarkson, and himself, on the 30th of November, took the Oath of Allegiance, and subscribed the same, with the Assurance, and gave in a paper, which they subscribed judicially, in which they testify their unfeigned zeal, not only for the support of the King's person and government, but also for the Protestant succession in his Royal Family, which they

thing that may keep us joint and unite, especially at this juncture, with all necessary evidences of our loyalty to our Sovereign, and could have heartily signed the paper you gave in. And I do not much question but the bulk of the ministers in this country, who had not clearness to take the Abjuration in the first shape of it, would have essayed to have got favourable Justices of the Peace to have administrate the Allegiance and Assurance, had the proposal been timeously made to them before the 1st of December. How far it will be gone into now, when the most have expectations of a new day, I do not know.

But when I am apprehensive there may be some, both ministers and others, who will not want their difficulties even upon a simple allegiance, not in the least from any disloyalty to King George, or the least tincture of Jacobitism, or dislike at the Protestant succession, which they prayed for before it so happily took effect, and rejoice in now, and will venture their all for; but partly from their aversion to the present promiscuous imposition of state oaths upon ministers of the Gospel, and members of the Church, upon every turn, and especially in our present circumstances of two different national Church establishments, which they reckon a grievance, some time or other, a stand must be made against; partly from the apprehension some have taken up, that public oaths, in the present state of things, are really no security to the Government, which they heartily wish well to, and through the universal laxness of the age perfectly fall short of their design, and so become unnecessary, and really no test of loyalty. And such as are of thir sentiments must state their sufferings upon the present season, being the juncture to give their testimony against this, and it being now a casus confessionis, though I am persuaded it's no small choak to think this should be in the entry of King George's reign. The apprehensions faithfully promise to support, maintain, and defend, in opposition to all Pretenders whatsoever, and especially to the present Pretender. Mr Hart adds, "We do not think that what we have done will be any security to us against the penalties we are liable to by law for refusing the Abjuration, but our only view was to take off the scandalous imputation of Jacobitism, and to give a legal evidence of our loyalty to King George."-Letters to Wodrow, vol. x. p. 154.

of even the allegiance involving a consent to the foundation of our present constitution, the Union, weighs with others who would have had no difficulty as to an Oath of Allegiance before this fundamental alteration of our constitution. And I have heard some few urge that an allegiance itself does import a subjection unto the known laws, at least such as relate to their station and office; the King's coronation oath, to which our allegiance referreth, being to rule us according to law, and our corresponding allegiance necessarily importing our obedience to him while acting according to these laws known to us and not testified against. And such question whether any testimony hath been given since the passing the toleration and patronages into laws, as will sufficiently salve any reference an after Oath of Allegiance may have to these iniquitous impositions.

Thus I have, in all freedom, laid before you what I have heard in conversation urged upon this head; and I cannot but own some of these things are matter of thoughtfulness and difficulty with me, so far as to render me doubtful as to what would be my practice if the proposal had come to my door before the elapsing of the day. I cannot say, indeed, that the distractions and confusions, these three or four months, have permitted me to come to any final determination as to my practice; and, therefore, I'll be very fond to have all that offers to you upon these heads, which will be very satisfying and very useful.

I came to determine myself so far as to state my sufferings anew, if the Lord order them out upon a refusal of the Abjuration in this new form of it. And in yours you point out what is indeed my real strait, not to evade the penalties which, with much more, I cheerfully leave to Providence; but how to give real and sufficient evidences of loyalty to King George, for want of which my heart does not reproach me, and to distinguish myself from the refusers upon a Jacobite lay, and yet to manage both so as I may not be involved in approbation of what I reckon sinful. And if in the issue I shall not reach the length of my dear brethren, which I do not so much as love to suppose, yet I hope I shall, in preaching,

VOL. II.

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