1662. for they had such an imagination of some service I might do them, that they treated me with a very particular freedom and confidence. But I had drunk in the principles of moderation so early, that, though I was entirely episcopal, yet I would not engage with a body of men, that seemed to have the principles and tempers of inquisitors in them, and to have no regard to religion in any of their proceedings. So I stood upon my youth, and could not be wrought on to go to the west; though the earl of Glencairn offered to carry me with him under his protection. There was a sort of an invitation sent over the kingdom, like a hue and cry, to all persons to accept of benefices in the west. The livings were generally well endowed, and the parsonage houses were well built, and in good repair: and this drew many very 156 worthless persons thither, who had little learning, less piety, and no sort of discretion. They came thither with great prejudices against them, and had A general many difficulties to wrestle with. The former incharacter of cumbents, who were for the most part protestors, them. were a grave, solemn sort of people. Their spirits were eager, and their tempers sour: but they had an appearance that created respect. They were related to the chief families in the country, either by blood or marriage; and had lived in so decent a manner, that the gentry paid great respect to them. They used to visit their parishes much, and were so full of the scriptures, and so ready at extempore prayer, that from that they grew to practise extempore sermons: for the custom in Scotland was after dinner or supper to read a chapter in the scripture: and where they happened to come, if it was accept able, they on the sudden expounded the chapter. 1662. They had brought the people to such a degree of knowledge, that cottagers and servants would have prayed extempore. I have often overheard them at it: and, though there was a large mixture of odd stuff, yet I have been astonished to hear how copious and ready they were in it. Their ministers generally brought them about them on the Sunday nights, where the sermons were talked over; and every one, women as well as men, were desired to speak their sense and their experience: and by these means they had a comprehension of matters of religion, greater than I have seen among people of that sort any where. The preachers went all in one track, of raising observations on points of doctrine out of their text, and proving these by reasons, and then of applying those, and shewing the use that was to be made of such a point of doctrine, both for instruction and terror, for exhortation and comfort, for trial of themselves upon it, and for furnishing them with proper directions and helps: and this was so methodical, that the people grew to follow a sermon quite through every branch of it. To this some added, the resolving of doubts concerning the state they were in, or their progress or decay in it; which they called cases of conscience: and these were taken from what their people said to them at any time, very oft being under fits of melancholy, or vapours, or obstructions, which, though they flowed from natural causes, were looked on as the work of the Spirit of God, and a particular exercise to them; and they fed this disease of weak minds too much. Thus they had laboured very diligently, though with a wrong method and wrong notions. But as they 1662. lived in great familiarity with their people, and used to pray and to talk oft with them in private, so it can hardly be imagined to what a degree they were 157 loved and reverenced by them. They kept scandalous persons under a severe discipline: for breach of sabbath, for an oath, or the least disorder in drunkenness, persons were cited before the church session, that consisted of ten or twelve of the chief of the parish, who with the minister had this care upon them, and were solemnly reproved for it: for fornication they were not only reproved before these, but there was a high place in the church, called the stool or pillar of repentance, where they sat at the times of worship for three Lord's-days, receiving admonitions, and making profession of repentance on all those days; which some did with many tears, and serious exhortations to all the rest, to take warning by their fall m. For adultery they were to sit six months in that place, covered with sackcloth. These things had a grave appearance. Their faults and defects were not so conspicuous. They had a very scanty measure of learning, and a narrow compass in it. They were little men, of a very indifferent size of capacity, and apt to fly out into great excess of passion and indiscretion. They were servile, and too apt to fawn upon and flatter their admirers. They were affected in their deportment, m This puts me in mind of a ridiculous story duke Hamilton told me of the old earl of Eglington, who had done penance for fornication, and the fourth Lord's day came, and set there again, which the minister perceiving, called to him to come down, for his penance was over. "It may be so," said the earl, “but I shall always "set here for the future, be"cause it is the best seat in "the kirk, and I do not see a "better man to take it from "me." D. and very apt to censure all who differed from them, 1662. and to believe and report whatsoever they heard to their prejudice. And they were superstitious and haughty". In their sermons they were apt to enlarge on the state of the present time, and to preach against the sins of princes and courts: a topic that naturally makes men popular. It has an appearance of courage and the people are glad to hear those sins insisted on, in which they perceive they have no share, and to believe that all the judgments of God come down by the means and procurement of other men's sins. But their opinions about the independence of the church and clergy on the civil power, and their readiness to stir up the people to tumults and wars, was that which begot so ill an opinion of them at this time in all men, that very few, who were not deeply engaged with them in these conceits, pitied them much, under all the ill usage they now met with. I hope this is no impertinent nor ungrateful digression. It is a just and true account of these men and those times, from which a judicious reader will make good inferences. I will conclude this with a judicious answer that one of the wisest and best of them, Colvil, who succeeded Leightoun in the headship of the college of Edenburgh, made to the earl of Midletoun, when he pressed him in the point of defensive arms to tell plainly his opinion, whether they were lawful or not. He said, the question had been often put to him, and he had always declined to answer it: but to him he plainly said, he wished that kings and their ministers would believe them lawful, and so govern as men that expect to be resisted; but he 158 Strange inconsistent stuff. S. 1662. wished that all their subjects would believe them to be unlawful, and so the world would be at quiet. Prejudices I do now return to end the account of the state against of that country at this time. The people were episcopacy much troubled, when so many of their ministers infused were turned out. Their ministers had, for some months before they were thus silenced, been infusing this into their people, both in public and private; that all that was designed in this change of church government was to destroy the power of godliness, and to give an impunity to vice; that prelacy was a tyranny in the church, set on by ambitious and covetous men, who aimed at nothing but authority and wealth, luxury and idleness; and that they intended to encourage vice, that they might procure to themselves a great party among the impious and immoral. The people, thus prepossessed, seeing the earl of Midletoun, and all the train that followed him through those counties, running into excesses of all sorts, and railing at the very appearance of virtue and sobriety, were confirmed in the belief of all that their ministers had told them. What they had heard concerning Sharp's betraying those that had employed him, and the other bishops, who had taken the covenant, and had forced it on others, and now preached against it, openly owning that they had in so doing gone against the express dictate of their own conscience, did very much heighten all their prejudices, and fixed them so in them, that it was scarce possible to conquer them afterwards. All this was out of measure increased by the new incumbents, who were put in the places of the ejected preachers, and were generally very mean and despicable in all respects. They were the |