A Seafonable Warning and Exhortation of the Commiffion of the General Affembly of the Church of Scotland, mes at Edinburgh, Nov. 15, 1745. HE commiffion of the general affem Tbly of the church of Scotland confi A B fidering, that a wicked and defperate rebellion is raised and carried on in these king. doms, against our only rightful and lawful fovereign king George; and with an in. tent to fubvert our prefent happy eftablish. ment, by fetting a popifh pretender on the throne, educated in all the maxims of po pifh fuperftition and French tyranny: Judge it our indifpenfable duty, as appoint ed by our great Lord and Mafter to watch for the fouls of met, and in pursuance of the truft committed to us by the general af fembly to watch over the concerns of this church, to give faithful and publick warning to the people under our care, of the C imminent danger with which every thing valuable to us, as we are men and chriftians, is threatened. We therefore do carnestly obteft all proteftants, all lovers of our religion, liberty, and native country, to be ware of the delutive arts which Romish emiflaries from abroad, and the enemies of our conflitution at home, have induftriously and indefatigably used to destroy that glori ous ftructure, which our gracious God reared up at the revolution, by K. William of immortal memory. D Specious declarations are made, by the pretender and his fon, of fecuring to Britih proteftants their religion and liberties; E but they are made by the fons of a church, whofe known principle and practice is never to keep faith with hereticks (and such she reckons all proteftants) a church which never omitted an opportunity of deftroying all those who separated from her, when it was in her power: She confiders them as the pelts of human fociety, from whofe contagion he thinks herfelf obliged to de liver the world: Witness the treatment of John Hafs and Jerom of Prague, and the barbarous maffacres of Paris and *Who were both burnt at Conftance, for what the church of Rome called herefy, tho' the first of them had the folemn deed of the G emperor for his paffage to, and return from thence; and the council of Conftance, then fitting, declares, That, notwithstanding the faid fate conduct, the church had a right to condemn him, and deliver him over to the flames. Where, and in other cities of France, 30,000 innocents were murdered in a very short time, without diftinction of age, fex, or condition; at the news of which flaughter the court of Rome triumphel, and caufed medals to be ftruck for the perpetual memorial of it. (December 1745.) Ireland. + To ftrengthen this pretended fecurity, a promife is made to call a free parliament, and to all always by the adaice of parlia ments.- But, can any thing be more abfurd, than to imagine, that he who founds his title to govern upon an hereditary and indefeafible right; that he who confiders the whole nation as his natural eftate, and all the members thereof as his property, will allow himself to be reftrained by any limitation, or have regard to any thing but fole will and pleasure? What authority can laws have, when, notwitftanding the molt notorious violations of them, this pretended right remains entire, and not to be forfeited by any conduct whatsoever? By thefe principles of indefeafible here. ditary right and arbitrary power, France and Spain are governed. Thefe are the principles the late K. Jannes purfued in his adminiftration; notwithstanding the decla ration he made, immediately upon his accelfion to the throne, in the English council and parliament; than which nothing can now be deviled ftronger: And not withstanding the folemn engagements he then came under to govern according to law; yet he did break through all thefe engagements; on which accounts he justly forfeited the crown. Have we not reafon to think the preten. der would do the fame; who fays in his de claration; That all who are employed in the fervice of the prefent government can-▸ not but be fenfible, that no engagements entred into with our own rightful fovereign' King GEORGE, whom he arrogantly calls? the Ufurper, can difpenfe with the alledg ance they owe to their natural fovereign, as he vainly calls himfelf? -Can we then believe his declarations of eftablifhing the proteftant religion, whofe confcience is fubject to a foreign power; and who is under prior engagements to his fpiritual love reign, the pope of Rome, to destroy it! Tho' the pretender's fon would feem to acknowledge fome mifcarriages in former reigns, is it not evident, that he treads in the fteps of the late K. James, by levying money in an arbitrary manner as he did, immediately after his acceflion? Has he not treated the country as a conquered nation, by enforcing his exorbitant demands with the threatening of military execution? If fuch things are done whilft he courts a crown, what may we not dread, if he should be pofleft of it? What abufes might not be expected from the army he employs to raise him to the LII throne? In which fome hundred thousands of proteftants perished, B Whilft our most gracious fovereign treated them with the greatcit indulgence and clemency; and did every thing to encou rage them to honeft labour, and to render them ufeful to the country: And whilst, as a true father of his people, he yearly beftowed a confiderable fum, for inft.ucting fuch of his fubjects as live in places where ignorance and popery prevail, in the principles of true religion; a juft fhare of which. fum was bestowed for their inftruЯion, they, as reltlefs difturbers, have rifen in o pen rebellion against their only lawful fove. reign and bountiful benefactor. C But, to complete our deftru&tion, France and Spain, the avowed enemies of our country; not only of our religion, but of our trade and commerce, are called in to their affistance: Who, whilft they are preparing to invade us at home, are diftreffing our trade abroad; with whom we are at open war, on the fame principles on which the war was waged in the reign of Queen Anne. The pretence of calling in fuch dangerous allies, is the affiftance given us by the Dutch; and faid to be expected from Danes, Heffians, and Swifs. Let it be con. fidered, that these are proteftant ftates; E that the Dutch are obliged to aflitt us, by treaty made for their and our fatety; that fuch aid was called in, when our army was employed abroad in the common caufe of liberty; and that, as this feems to be the laft effort to overthrow the protestant religion; is it any wonder proteftant powers Thould join together to defend us? Our intereft, as to religion, is the fame with theirs: and the prefervation of it depends upon the defeat of this wicked design. Of all wars, a civil war is the most dreadful; in which countrymen fhed the blood of their countrymen, children rife up against their fathers, and thofe of the fame houfe are divided against each other; laws are filent, juftice banifhed, and violence is unreftrained. Such is the dreadful war the re te's have kindled in this nation. G If they fhould be defeated, as we trust in God they fhall, they may be ruined; but Scotland is in no danger, as they pretend it is, who are already engaged in this wicked H attempt, that they may involve others in the fame pernicious fcheme :- -But, on the tantrary, our country will be preferved from ruin. Few have joined them on the Loud complaints are made, of insufferable grievances, and encroachments upon our liberties, under the benign administration of our prefent gracious fovereign; to redress which, is the pretended design of this wicked rebellion. But how is this heavy charge made out? Do our enemies pretend to produce any one act of lawless power, ever done, or to much as attempted by his prefent majelty, or his royal father, through the whole courfe of their reigns? No: But inftead of this, they tell us of fome things which are of a doubtful and difputa ble nature; and about which the wifeft, the belt, and the freeft men, have different apprehensions and views :―Things are mentioned as encroachments, which were never done at all; but barely proposed; and, after being for fome time canvait by the legiflature, were laid afide:- And none of the things complained of can be alledged to have been done, or the leaft at tempt made to do them, any otherways than by law.Law-enacted by and with the advice and confent of the reprefentatives of the people, chofen by the tree. holders and men of property in the nation. What a degree of impudence mult it require, for any man to compare things of this nature, with the many known acts of mere power and violence (not only without law, but in the face of the plainest ftanding laws) done in former reigns before the glo. rious revolution? About which it was then dangerous to debate, and of which it was held criminal to complain! And how juitly might we expect the repetition of fuch acts of violence, under the reign of one, who claims the crown by the pretended indefeafible right of facceffion to thefe princes; extols the equity and clemency of their administration; and fets it before him as the glorious pattern of his intended go trines, which may render them hurtful to fociety, and involve themselves and their deareft concerns in ruin. The calamities we in this country have felt, and the judgments with which God has been pleased to vifit us, fhould awaken our confciences; and excite us to a fincere and deep repentance, for thofe fins which have been the procuring caufes of them.How infenfible have many been of the excellency of that religion we have long en ftroufly perverted, who can favour a design, the natural and neceflary confequence of which must be, the fubverfion of what Great Britain glories in above all nations, religious and civil liberty! Can we expect liberty from arbitrary power;a free par- A liament from an armed force?-Juft laws from lawlefs men?-The fecurity of our property from the invaders of property?The protection of our commerce from France and Spain?-The fafety of the proteftant religion from a popish pretender?-joyed, pure from idolatry and fuperftition? and toleration of tender confciences from a perfecuting fpirit! Our own history acquaints us, and there are fome yet alive who remember to have feen the beft blood of the nation fhed on fcaffolds, in the caufe of religion and liberty; and great numbers of peaceable men fined, imprifoned and put to death, for ferving God according to their confciences; fometimes under form of law, and fometimes withont any form of law, by foldiers who were authorifed to do fo; who were at once judges, witnefies, jury and execu tioners. on; B With what contempt has the everlafting gospel of Chrift, and his ordinances been treated? And how little of the power of relig on has been feen in the lives of its profellors? How much have profane fwearing, and horrid perjury abounded?-How much has luxury, the parent of many vices, and productive of the greateft miferies, fpread its malignant influence over all ranks?— C And how has infidelity, libertinifm and licentioufuels prepared the minds of not a few for any form of religion that is calculated for an indulgence to vice?-How much more have men been affected with temporal inconveniencies, and the lofs of their goods, than with the danger to which our holy religion is expofed! As we deteft the principles of flavery; as we abhor this flagitious rebellion, and the bafe methods by which it has been carried D fo we do, in the warmest manner, exhort all perfons of our communion to per fift in that loyalty to our fovereign king GEORGE, by which they have been always diftinguifhed; neither to be allured by promifes, nor over-awed by threatnings, to join with these wicked and deluded men : And let your honeft zeal for our happy con- E ftitution, rife in proportion to the violence with which it is attacked. We put you in mind to be fubject to principalities and pow ers; to obey magiftrates, and to be ready to every good work. Let every foul be fubject to the higher powers: For there is no power bits of God: The powers that be are ordained of God: Whosoever therefore re- F fiteth the power, refifteth the ordinance of God; and they that reftft shall receive to themselves damnation: For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil t. Fear the lord and the king, and meddle not with thofe that are given to change ‡. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's fake; whether it be to the G king as fupreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are fent by him, for the terror of evil doers, and the praise of them that do well. 11 Cultivate the principles of true liberty; and teach them to your children; that they may not be early enfnared by flavish doc H Confider the ineftimable privileges you have long pofleft: The wonders of God's providence in the reformation of these nati ons from popery; the establishment of that reformed religion, by the glorious revoluti on under K. William; and the confirmati on of it, by raifing the illuftrious family of Hanover to the throne of thefe kingdoms. -Let a lively fense of these valuable bleffings be continually preferved in your minds; that you may not be fhamefully unthankful. to God, ungrateful to your worthy ancestors, and unfaithful to your posterity. We must earnestly recommend it to all the minifters of this national church, to en deavour, by publick and private instruction, to fill the minds of people of all ranks and ages, as they have opportunity, with a juft abhorrence of the abominations of popery; the terrors of arbitrary power; and of the extreme danger thefe lands must be certainly expofed to, of being over-run with fuperftition, tyranny and oppreffion, if God, for our fins, thould ever fuffer the pretender to reign over us. Senfible of the peace, and the many great privileges we have long enjoyed; and the danger to which we a e now exposed: -Let us mourn over our own fins, and the wickednefies that are daily committed in the land, which have drawn down these heavy judgments upon us.-Let us search and try our ways, and turn again unto the Lord, that, for Jefus' fake, he may have com compaffion upon us; pardon our fins; pro vent our ruin, and strengthen what he has wrought for us. Let us, in the most earnest manner, addrefs Almighty God of infinite mercy, through the blood of our Lord Jefus Chrift, A to pour down a fpirit of grace and fupplication, of repentance and reformation, upon all ranks of men:-That he would enable us to walk worthy of the gospel of Chrift, and animate us with a temper of mind fuitable to it: That he would teach us to improve the prefent awful difpenfation of his providence; unite us in the bonds of peace and truth; and give us all one heart and one way, to fear him, and keep his com mandments always; that God may dwell with us, and with our pofterity after us.Let us fervently pray, that God may eminently blefs our only rightful fovereign K. GEORGE, and all his royal family; protect his perfon, from all the fecret and open attempts of his enemies; eftablifh his throne; direct his councils; and give fuccefs to his arms by fea and land, at home and abroad. B As we pity thofe unrcafonable men who have rifen up against us; fo let us all hear. tily pray to God, that he would convince them of their folly and wickednefs; give D them repentance unto life, and the forgive ncis of their fins; that being reclaimed from the error of their way, the further effulion of blood may be prevented: But that, if they fhould ftill perfift in this unnatural rebellion, God may defeat it; and make it a means of strengthening our happy conftitution, and of difcouraging for ever all attempts of this nature. The above warning and exhortation hav. ing been fundry times read and fully confi dered, was this day unanimoufly approven by the commillion, and they appoint the fame to be forthwith printed, and copies thereof to be fent to all the minifters of this church, who are hereby appointed to read the fame from their pulpits, each of them the first Lord's day he conveniently can, af ter it comes to his hands;-and the feveral presbyteries are to enquire particularly into the obfervation of this act. Subfcribed by WILL. WISHART, Mcderator. RO. MACKINTOSH, Cik, E F G Fom the Daily Advertifc. An extract of the articles of the late king James to the French king, in the year 1539, in confideration of that king's af fance for restoring king James to his H Loft dominions, taken from the minutes of what paffed between the two kings, by a person who had the perusal of the mar Fr Irft, king James, in confideration of the affiftance given, and to be given him by his most chriftian majefty, conformable to the articles made by that king on his part, for the recovery of his loft kingdoms, hath agreed, fo foon as he fhall be reftored and fully refettled in his loft kingdoms (and not before, that he may not give any umbrage to the English nation) to quit all manner of claim to the title or arms of France, and to take effectual care to put the fame out of the royal English efcutcheon. Secondly, That he fhall refign and quit the fovereignty of the narrow feas to the French, and to that purpofe he fhall give orders to the fhips of war, &c. to strike to the French flag. Thirdly, That he fhall be oblig'd to affift his molt chriftian majefty with thirty capital ships of war, and 20000 landmen, in any war when he fhall have occation for them, and this at his proper coft and charge. Fourthly, That he fhall make or enter into no alliance againlt France, nor any o ther, without the privity and confent of his most chriftian majefty, but unfeignedly obferve a perpetual league both offenfive and defenfive with the crown of France. Fifthly, He fhall permit unto his most christian majefty, at all times and cccafions, the free ufe of all his ports for the retreat of his fhips, and be obliged to furnish him then and there with proper conveniencies, and able workmen, to repair his endamag'd fhips, or to build new ones whenfoever he fhall require it. Sixthly, That he fhall admit into his ftanding forces, whole number and strength fhall from time to time be regulated and limited by him, in concert with his most christian majelty, a conftant body of 20000 French, and 10000 catholick Switzers, or more or lefs of them in proportion to the troops of his own subjects, and the after his full refettlement on the throne; and not only fo, but fhall deliver up Dover cattle, Plymouth, and Portsmouth, to be gar fon'd by French foldiers as cautionary towns, for the fecurity of performance. Seventhly, That in regard the fituation of the Irish ports, and their conveniency for the French fleets; as alfo in confideration of the agreement of the Irish with the people of France in religion, he thall, after his full reftauration to the English and Scotch kingdoms, be obliged to give Ireland to his molt chriftian majelly, in full compenfation of all the money he hath already expended, or fhall expend further in his quarrel, and for vindicating his right to his dominions. But that however becaufe of the fituations of the iflands of Si sis de Senveis's papers, then prime mi- city and Sardinia in the Mediterranean, sister of France. for for English navigation made into the Levant, his moft chriftian majefty hath ob liged himself to conquer those kingdoms for king James, at his own expence, and From the London Evening Poft, Dec. 12. DEFENCE of the Conduct of Gen. COPE at the battle of Prefton-Pans. (See p. 597-) with his own arms, to give them entirely A Having a call to come to town foon after up in lieu of the kingdom of Ireland. А Eighthly, That towards the furthering a ftricter friendship and alliance between the two nations of England and France, and for perpetuating a mutual amity and fincere correfpondence, if in cafe by violent or natural death, either of the prince of Orange or prince George of Denmark, or both of them, one or both of the princeffes royal B fhall become widows, and their children can be feized, that then they fhall be conveyed with all expedition and fecrefy into France, and be put into the power of his moft chriftian majefty, and fhall be married nolens volens to fuch prince or princels as he fhall appoint or think fit for them. Ninthly, That the eldeft or furviving of fuch marriage fhall fucceed to the crowns of Ireland and Scotland, and England only to remain to the prince of Wales, with the American plantations.' Additional Articles.. the unfortunate affair of I was amazed to find how much the public was impofed upon by an infinite variety of falfhoods, induftriously fpread about in every coffee-house, which I knew to be altogether without foundation, and a grofs mifreprefentation of facts, by which the honour of the general, and the officers who ferv'd under him, was cruelly and moft unjustly hurt. A regard to truth, folely (for I proteft, upon my honour, I had no manner of attachment to any one of the general officers who had the conducting of the action, nor fo much as the honour of perfonal acquaintance with them) made me tell the truth, which I had feen with my eyes, about it, in every public company I came into; and because I obferv'd that C many people were mifled by a spurious plan of the action, at the defire of fome people of the first rank, Í have prepared one, which I will take upon me to fay, every officer who was upon the spot will approve of. Firft, That all perfons of lands in Ire land, that are of the proteftant religion, D and will not turn catholicks, fhall be bound to fell their eftates at a fet price, to the most chriftian king, who fhall let them out to the old Irish proprietors, at certain quit-rents and fervices, that fhall in a reafonable time reimburfe to him the purchase. money. Secondly, It is agreed, that all proteftants that will, fhall have leave freely to depart with their effects wherefoever they please. And lastly, that such as will stay shall have lberry of confcience granted them for the fpace of twenty years, till the country be fuller ftock'd with French and other catho licks.' E Since I advertised this plan, I have seen, in the papers of Saturday, November 23. fome remarks on the conduct of Sir J--- C---e, by an officer of the army, (fee p. 597.) which is the occafion of my giving you this trouble, to fet that gentleman, whoever he is, and those whom he has mifled, to rights, by your publishing this letter. I have a better opinion of the British nation than to believe they will, knowingly, entertain harth thoughts of any gentleman who has the honour to ferve his majefty; but the shock which follow'd upon the news of this unhappy affair's reaching London, affected the intereft of fo many people in fo ftrong a manner, that it was no wonder they were exafperated, and greedily liftened to every fuggeftion, true or falfe, which tended to load the gentleman, who had the honour to command there, and in a country more bleffed with liberty than any other nation in the world befides. No man whatever is Fabove the cenfure of his fellow fubjects, while they think him guilty. The British nation is brave, but at the fame time it is honeft, generous, and humane. If they have been impos'd in, they will liften to truth, and will think, as onjuftice they ought, of the perfons who have mifinformed them. Rem. If the French king could impofe fuch hard conditions, and king James the fecond could confent to the utter ruin and deftruction of his country, for only refertling him in his loft dominion, what can we expect from that nation, how immenfe mult and will their demands be, for fixtyfix years maintainance of the pretender and G his off pring? adding, the great expence they have been at in various fruitles at tempts upon this nation in his quarrel. Can we fo wilfully give up our reafon, or fuffer ourfelves to be fo groily impofed on by the deluding jeuitical promifes made by this rath miltaken young man, as to believe, that at a time when the French king declares himself our profeiled and molt implacable enemy, he will n ake greater con. cellions? H The author of the Remarks introduces him felf with telling us the qualities which a good general fhould be poffefs'd of; he next lays down principles, which, in the prefent queftion, there is no manner of need to difpute about. He mentions inftances from the battles of Dettingen and Fontenay, which don't touch the affair in queftion, because the circumstances in He adds a third, That a general is rather to thofe, and in the affair of Prefton, widely differ. attack, than to fuffer his troops to be attackcd; by doing whereof, the duke of Argyle's right wing, in the late rebellion, defeated the Highlanders on their left; while, on the com |