in his own way, and accuses the duke of York, but the fact is allowed to remain uncontradicted, that jesuits and popish emissaries did ply their craft among the presbyterians. And it would have been contrary to the avowed principles of the jesuits if they had not; and their interference may very rationally account for the insane and unnatural divisions among the presbyterians themselves. Wodrow cites Dr. Oates' narrative to shew the participation of the jesuits in the commotions in Scotland:-" Wright, Morgan, and Freeland, he says, were sent over to Scotland to preach under the notion of Scots presbyterians . . . Deponents saw fathers Moore and Saunders, alias Brown, despatched to preach among the Scots presbyterians that letters from the fathers met at Edinburgh, dated August 10th, 1678, bear, that they had 8,000 catholics ready to rise when the business grew hot, and to join the disaffected Scots under the directions of the Scots jesuits .... that twelve Scots jesuits were sent with instructions to keep up the commotions in Scotland, and to carry themselves like nonconformist ministers among the presbyterian Scots 1." BUT THIS rebellion was not a matter of chance or of surprise. It had been long premeditated The following information given by Robert Smith, who was a native of the parish of Dunscore, and a cornet of the rebel horse, sets this fact beyond dispute. He says, "At all the conventicles for nearly two years before the rebellion in 1679, there were great contributions of money (which were cheerfully given) under the pretence of subsistence for their ministers and the poor of their persuasion (the only design that was known to the meaner sort of people); but the greatest part of the money was employed for arms and ammunition for a general rising, in order whereunto, the fanatics, in the months of April, May, and June, 1679, were preparing themselves by keeping several great field conventicles, both in the west and in the south, in which were considerable numbers of armed men. And although they were generally very fond and forward to put their design in execution, yet it was hastened a month sooner than was intended by the skirmish [at Drumclog], that happened about the middle of June, within two miles of Loudon Hill, between a party of his majesty's forces under captain Graham, of Claverhouse, and a strong field conventicle, in which I was myself with a party of a troop of horse, levied in Nithsdale, 1 Wodrow's History, iii. 150. whereof 1 was cornet The same night I was at the earl of Loudon's house with Robert Hamilton, John Balfour, and David Hackston, both murderers of the archbishop of St. Andrews, and several others, in number about twentyseven horse1. 1 Copies of the Informations and Original Papers affixed to Bishop Spratt's True Account of the Ryehouse Conspiracy, p. 173. 185 CHAPTER XLII. PRIMACY OF ARCHBISHOP BURNET. 1679.—Whigs in England correspond with the presbyterians.-Prisoners set at liberty.-King's letter to bishop Leighton.-An Indulgence.-Meeting of presbyterian ministers.-An attempt to displace Lauderdale.-Duke of Hamilton-admitted to the king's presence.-King's illness—his declaration.—Duke of York's arrival.-Translations and consecrations.-The crown vassals fined. -Duke of York goes to Scotland-admitted a councillor without the oaths.-The Meal-Tub Plot.-A riot in London.-Court intrigues.-1680.-Translations and consecrations.-Cameron and Cargill.-Several conventicles.Plan to murder the Duke of York.-Conventicle at Darmead.—King's letter. -Council permits the use of the English liturgy.-Duke of York left.Henry Hall arrested.-Queensferry covenant. - 1679.-" THUS WERE the rebels happily reduced, and the kingdom restored to a quiet condition, to the great mortification of the Whigs in the south, who proposed to have made as great advantages by this insurrection as they had done by their sham Plot." The duke of Monmouth was secretly well disposed to the presbyterian rebels, in order to assist his own views on the crown, and at the same time the English Whigs were favourable to his unwarranted claim. It is, however, extraordinary that the presbyterians should have opposed the duke of York's undoubted right of succession, when their confession of faith determines, that difference of religion ought not to exclude papists, or even Mahometans, from the throne. As soon as the duke of Monmouth's appointment to the chief command in Scotland was known, the Whigs sent secret notice to their friends, and Wodrow has inserted a letter from one of them, but who has not signed it:-"I told the duke," says he," that some of your persuasion should come and wait upon him, and give him an account of your peaceable inclinations. I have encouragement from him to invite you, and some of your number [the ministers], from all places, to address yourselves to him-he will take it kindly; and by it I am confident you will much engage him to be your friend; where VOL. III. 2 B fore let me entreat you not to omit so great an occasion of advantage to your affairs. My brother will be with him, and he will introduce you to him; or if you miss my brother, the lord Melville will be always with him, who is very friendly to your interest. There shall be nothing left undone here that may advance the interest of all honest peaceable men." THE PRESBYTERIAN ministers near Edinburgh accordingly took advantage of this invitation to wait upon the duke, and entrusted to him a petition to the king, which he undertook to present, and he promised "that nothing should be wanting that was proper on his part." The effects of this petition, and the duke's interposition, were a proclamation to suspend the laws against conventicles, and which paved the way for the third indulgence; in which the field conventicles are ascribed to the intrigues of jesuits. In consequence, a number of prisoners, both ministers and their people, were set at liberty, after engaging not to rise in arms again, although they considered it a contradiction of their principles; and sure enough it was but does not Satan say, "skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath, will he give for his life;" and here, the principle being bad, the prediction was verified. Another royal letter, designed to make late favours effectual, granted permission to the presbyterian ministers not only to preach, but also to administer their so-called sacraments, and relieved them of such fines as had been imposed but not yet paid. The political friends, therefore, of the "vagrant ministers" "pressed the prisoners to carry very soberly, and wished the persecuted party would leave field conventicles, at least for a little, till the duke came down again; and adds, he, God willing, would not stay long. And assures them, some in the council are gaping for field conventicles, in order to get things marred1." IT IS ASSERTED that the fears of the prelates induced them to send up the archbishop of Glasgow to court, in order to counteract the surprising favours that had been shewn to the presbyterians. Wodrow acknowledges that he has no accounts of what he did or said whilst there; nevertheless, he ventures a "no doubt, he fell in heartily with the duke's party, and in a few weeks there was a change above, and piece by piece this favour was curtailed by the council 2." It is more probable that the archbishop was sent for, as the murdered primate's successor had not yet been appointed; and perhaps there was some intention in the royal councils of placing Leighton again in the see of Glasgow; for after a retirement 1 Wodrow's History, iii. 149. 2 Ibid. iii. 152. of five years, the abdicated prelate was surprised and alarmed. by receiving a letter from the king, written by his own hand, threatening to recal him to actual service. It is dated Windsor, July 16, 1679. "MY LORD,-I am resolved to try what clemency can prevail upon such in Scotland as will not conform to the government of the church there; for effecting such design, I desire that you may go down to Scotland with your first conveniency, and take all possible pains for persuading all you can of both opinions to as much mutual correspondence and concord as can be: and send me from time to time characters both of men and things. In order to this design, I shall send a precept for £200 sterling upon my exchequer, till you resolve how to serve me in a stated employment. Your loving friend, "CHARLES R." THIS, IT SEEMS, was a proposal of the duke of Monmouth's, and to which he had probably been prompted by the presbyterians before he left Scotland; and as they had formerly found the bishop of Dunblane so pliable, they thought he might now, in conjunction with the ascendancy of whig councils at court, be made an instrument for the advancement of Christ's crown and kingdom'. Leighton was willing to carry out the king's views, and he could now have occupied the bishoprick of Glasgow in a canonical way, which he did not before; but the duke's designs becoming apparent, he fell into disgrace at court, and Leighton's advancement fell with him. THE INDULGENCE was granted by proclamation, dated the 29th of June, which, after relieving the presbyterians from certain penalties, ordains-" But to the end that none whom we may justly suspect, shall under the colour of this favour continue to preach rebellion, schism, and heresy, we hereby ordain all such as shall be suffered to preach to have their names given in and surety found to our privy council for their peaceable behaviour, only one preacher being allowed to preach; and none to be allowed who have appeared against us in this late rebellion, nor none who shall be admitted by the unconform ministers in any time hereafter: assuring all those to whom we have extended this favour, that if they, or any of them, shall for the future frequent any field conventicles, or disturb the peace of these our kingdoms, we will secure our people, and maintain our authority and laws, by such effectual Pearson's Life of Leighton, cxliv. v. |