The Humble Address and Petition of Mr. George Seton, Minister of the Gospel for himself, and in Name of his Brethreen and Constituents qualified according to Law, and well affected to this Church.

THE Thoughts of those Desolations and Divisions, with which
this poor Church is harassed, are very grievous to Us, and
to all Good Men; Because thereby the common Enemies of
our Religion, and of Europes Peace, have their Mouths opened
to Blaspheme. Many Thousands of Souls are become
as Sheep without a Sheepherd, Atheism and Irreligion lift up their
heads; The Flood-gates of Wickedness are set wide open, and a deludge of
Sin menaces Ruine to a wretched Nation; a Ferment of dangerous and discontented
Humours grows a pace, and a Fire kindled in our Bowels, is like to
Consume us, and the Noise and Billows of our Contentions swell so high, that
the calm Voice of Charity cannot be heard, and the sounding of her Bowels
seems to be gone, and angry Zeal, to have usurped the place of that Wisdom
which is from Above; That Wisdom whose endearing Character it is, to be
Pure and Peaceable, Gentle and Easie to be Entreated
Yet amidst all the Pressures that deject our Minds, We count our selves
Happy in this, That we have a King, whom GOD hath Eminently Blessed,
with Pity to Compassionate, and Wisdom to heal our Maladies; And that
as a signal Instance of his Religious Care to put an end to our Lamentable
Confusions, He hath well and wisely Chosen Your Grace to Represent His
own Person and Authority, in this Current Session of Parliament
The Evils we bewail and complain of, The Animosities and Heats which
divide Us Church-Men, and the Jarrs which form Parties and contending Factions
in this Kingdom, are not to be composed by the Authority of Publick Sanctions,
or the imperious Language of Armed Force, or the Rude Clamours
of the unskilful Multitude, or the perplexing debates of the most Learned Disputants-
These have been often weighed in the Ballance of Experience, and
all of them found light and unsufficient Remedies; Charity alone can heal
our Breaches.
Were Pride and Malice, and Self-love expelled from our Breasts to make
room for the Benigne Inspirations of that Heavenly Grace, which thinketh
no Evil, which though it suffer long, yet is still kind and Complaisant, which
becometh all things to all Men, that by all means it may gain some, and which
shall not fail to Flourish and Triumph, when there shall be no use either for
Faith or Hope: Did we hearken to its soft Whispers, were our Opinions and
our Conduct regulated by its Charming Influences. This disconsolated Church
should put on a Gladsome Countenance, we should have Beauty for Ashes, and
the Oyle of Joy for Mourning, and the Garment of Praise in stead of that
Spirit of Heaviness and Reproach, which now sits fast to us. Such Peace on
Earth and good will amongst us Fellow Christians, and Fellow Protestants,
would excite to new Anthems, those kind and Blessed Ministers of
Heavens Court, who rejoice at the Conversion, though but of one Sinner.
Then and not till then may we hope that Satan shall fall as Lightning
before our feet, that Atheism and Prophanity, and irreligious Boldness shall
not dare to show their Faces, but that the Gospel shall run prosperously, and
be Glorified.
Whereas, whilst we stand fighting for little Matters, whilst we place the
Summ of Religion in those things, which do not at all concern its Substance,
whilst Procrustes like we will agree with none, but such as are commensurat
to the Bed of our own Opinions, whilst we pay no regard to the Doctor
of the Gentiles, his most Christian Exhortation, whereunto we have attained,
let us be of the same mind, whilst so much shrewdness of disposition
Reigns in us, let us Preach and Pray our very Bowels out, let us dress the
Threatnings of the Law, with the most frightful Rhetorick, let our Pulpits be
surrounded with Flame and Terrour, let us Thunder against Rebellious Siners,
all the Curses that were once pronounced on Mount Ebal, or let us study to
allure our Hearers unto Obedience with the most liberal Promises of the
Gospel: All the Charms and Powers of our most commending Eloquence,
will be damped and foiled by the Blemishes of our own Lives, by the rugged
and unchristian temper, by the Malice and Vain Glory, the Pride and partiality,
the Bigotry and Self-Love, to which people cannot but descry
that we are Slaves and Votaries.
Your Grace has already by His Sacred Majestie’s Order recommended in
open Parliament. Charity and Moderation, and the ending of unkindly and
unseasonable Controversies amongst us Church-Men, and we have much Encouragement
to believe, That Your Grace has therein acted a part most suitable
to the Attractive Mildness of Your own Pious and Peaceable Temper-
By the same Royal Order, Your Grace has owned a Power and special
Commission, to pass such Acts as may tend effectually to curb all kinds of
Vice and Prophanity; And with Joy, we behold in Your Graces Person and
Conversation, a Noble Patern of Solid Virtue, a Compassionate Goodness,
an unaffected Air of Humility, a Generous Candour, an Unbyassed Mind,
and a warm Zeal to do some signal Service both to King and Country, in the
High Character You are now Cloathed with.
When the Almighty Ruler of the World, the Infinitly Wise and Just Disposer
of all Events, thus Graciously Calls on us, and excites us to show
our selves good Men, and good Ministers, by the Light and Authority of so
great Examples, by Duty we owe to GOD, and to our own Souls, by the
Dishonour Religion suffers, through our Scandalous and Uncharitable Strifes,
by the Desolations of an once flourishing Church, by the awful sense we ought
to have of these Spiritual Dangers, to which weak Christians are Exposed,
whilst they see us ready to bite and devour one another, and by many other
concurring circumstances, if passion and prejudice keep such an Ascendent
over us, as that the wayes of peace be still hid from our Eyes, and we will
not hearken to sober Counsels, GOD cannot but be highly displeased with
us, Shame and Guilt, and the tears of a future Reckoning must at once Confound
us, the present Age will Condemn our obdurate Stiffness, and after Generations
will Curse our reproachful Memories.
May it please Your Grace to appoint a Conference betwixt an equal
Number of us, and our Presbyterian Brethereen; And as we have
always hitherto showed our selves Lovers of Peace and Union, upon
Terms that in Conscience we could agree to, so we hope it shall further
appear, that others and not we are to be blamed, if a desireable
Period be not put to those Schisms, which distract and divide this
Church.

IF Mr. Seton had not in the Title told us that he was a Minister of the
Gospel, the gaudy Affectation and Froath in the Stile and Dress of his
Paper, would never have given any Wise and Good Man ground to imagine
it, the same looking more like the Stage and Romance, than the Form of
sound Words, which should discover a Divine: How much soever he may
fancy the Doctor of the Gentiles to favour his Design, I am sure Paul, called
to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ, his Speech was not with inticeing Words
of mans Wisdom.
If we look to the Narrative of his Petition, one might expect that we had
got a Person so fully in Love with Charity, which he says, alone can heal
our Breaches, as that he had a good share thereof himself, and that while others
did not regard its calm voice, yet he himself would hearken to its
soft whispers, but if you look to the import and Insinuations thereof, without
any breach of the Apostle Paul’s Charity, we will find neither Wisdom,
Truth nor Charity, He may have something of Jacob's Voice, but Esau's
Hands; for these wordy Complaints of the want of Charity, either have a
meaning and hint at Persons and Things which are real, or else all is only
a flowrish of his Pen, to let the World see how passionately he would complain
of the want of Charity, if she were a Stranger in the World, and if
he have no other design than this last, neither Wisdom, Truth nor Charitie
do appear.
But I have the charity to him, to believe his Complaints have a meaning,
and that he thinks some People or other are so uncharitable, as that he hath
sufficient Ground to open the Flood-gates of his Rhetorick against them, who
they are he intends to wound, though he gives us an account, under the
Envelop of such general Words, as when he shall have occasion for the same,
may charitably extend themselves to bring in others under the Character,
than such he doth really design, thereby to furnish himself a Back door; yet
its very sure the present Government both in State and Church, and those entrusted
with the same, are the Objects of his Complaint. You may indeed
think him sometimes pritty square in taking in himself, and these he doth represent,
while he wishes Pride, Malice, and Self love expelled from our
breasts. And you would think him very self-convict of many grievous things,
while he says, that People cannot but descry that we are slaves and votaries
to a rugged and unchristian Temper, to Malice and Vain glory, to pride
and Partiality, to Bigotry and Self-love; but this is only the Gentlemans
Complysance, you must not with an angry Zeal, be so uncharitable to think
him, and his Constituents so full of Pride and Partiality, for the Title that
they are qualified according to Law, and well affected to this Church
and the Epilogue, as we have always hitherto shewed our selves lovers of
Peace and Union, upon Terms that in Conscience we can agree to and Charity
will seek no other so we hope it shall further appear, that others, and
not We are to be blamed, if a desireable period be not put to these Schisms,
doth hold forth the Innocence of the Gentlemen, so neither he, nor any of
his gang are the men; nor ought these of the late Episcopal Clergy, who are
turned out for their disloyalty by the State, and censured for their Immoralities
by the Church, be thought to be the Authors of these things he complains
of, for its their removal which makes the desolation of an once flourishing
Church: In a word the men who have made these desolations by
turning out his old Brethren, are these whom he would reach, and since
King William came to the Throne, and Presbytrie got up, there has been
nothing but harassing this poor Church with Desolations and Divisions, and
because Presbyterians have caused all this Ruine on the Church, therefore so
peaceable a man as Mr. Seton may expect, that at least they will allow a
Conference, seing he calls them his Brethren, but yet such Brethren as he
desires no more of them than an equal number at most.
Now, that Mr. Seton should have in this Petition so loaded the Government,
in Church and State, is as far from that Charity and Wisdom which he
so recommends, as it is from that Truth, which the Character of a Minister
should in a peculiar manner mind him of, is it Charity, by calumnious Insinuations,
to wound a Church he pretends to be wellaffected unto, and to
traduce those Ministers whom he calls Brethren, by representing them to be
the Authors and Fomenters of Division and Schismes, and that publickly,
not only by a Petition to His Majesties High Commissioner, but printing
the same to the World, when neither Mr. Seton, nor any of his Constituents,
since they were qualified according to Law, did ever apply to any of the Judicatories
of this Church, or to any Minister thereof, either to be United
themselves unto the Church, and received into the Government, to which
they are now Schismatick, or yet so much as to confer with any Presbyterian
Minister, upon any terms of Union, or to do, or offer any thing which
might tend, either to the propagating of the Gospel, curbing of Prophanity,
or more full settling of the Church. Doth not the tendency of this Petition
give ground to believe, that the Presbyterian Ministers are so implacable,
that they would not all this time confer with those Episcopal Brethren, and
that on the other hand, these charitable and peaceable Episcopal Brethren
were following all Methods of Peace, when he says, We have always shewed
our selves lovers of Peace and Union, I am sure no Stranger will read this Address,
but must conclude if all he says be good Coin that the Presbyterians
have been disturbers of the peace of the Church, and that all the Atheism,
Prophanity. Ignorance and Irreligion, which doth lamentably abound, is to
be laid at their door. But though he could make this heavy Charge good,
which he will never be able to do, yet where is this Charity in him, towards
these his Presbyterian Brethren, to insinuat such shrewd things of them,
without ever complaining to themselves, without ever with the calm Voice
of Charity bespeaking and intreating to lay aside their angry Zeal: How
frequent soever Charity be in his Words, I think I do him Justice, when I
say there is no true Charity in all his Paper, and that there is more of calumnious,
censoriousness, and shrewdness of disposition discovered by him, in
the strain of his Discourse, than there hath of angry Zeal been seen in the
present Judicatories of the Church, against Mr. Seton and his Constituents.
But to come more closs to Mr. Seton, How will he vindicate himself, and
his Partie, from being the Authors and Fomenters of the Divisions of the
Church, and also uncharitable and unjust Calumniators of the State; when
the World knows, that Our Pious and Wise King, and the present Parliament,
to put an end to all that Persecution, Blood-shed, Barbaritie, Prophanity,
Atheism and Irreligion, which did so much abound in the late
Reigns, and was chiefly occasioned by the late Bishops and their Accomplices,
and to stop these Flood-gates of Wickedness, which were set open
and to prevent that deludge of sin, which menaced Ruine to a then wretched
Nation, did therefore send these Bishops and their Government a packing,
and did settle the Church on its ancient Foundation; it having been often
weighed in the Ballance of Experience, that where the present Church Government
hath been justly and duely Exerced, Satan hath fallen as
Lightning. Atheism and Prophanitie have not dared to shew their faces.
Its likeways undenyably true, That neither our King, Parliament, nor
Church, did let angry Zeal so usurp the place of Wisdom, as to find all those
who had complyed with, and submitted unto Prelacy, equally guilty with
their Ring-leading Bishops; and therefore they not only did not spew them
out with them, but to deserve the Character of Wisdom, were so gentle and
easie to be entreated, as both to continue them in their Charges, and give
them Opportunities and Invitations to be united unto, and sharers in the Government
of the Church; and it might have been expected, that when both
State and Church had fixed and accorded on these terms of Communion and
Union, that either so peaceable, charitable, and condescending Men, as
Mr. Seton and his Brethren would have come in to the Church on these
Terms, or at least been quiet without complaining.
Many in the World, and even the greatest and I am sure the best Bishops
in England thought these Terms setled by the King, Parliament and
Assembly, so Christian, just, rational and condescending on the Government
and Churches part, as might have satisfied all true Lovers of Peace and
Religion, and such as consciencious Men might accept of and thereby in
some measure put an end to the Divisions of the Church: yet peaceable Mr,
Seton and his Constituents, will not only despise and neglect these Means of the
Churches peace, but will still complain that others kindle and keep up the Fire,
But farther our King did with Pity compassionate, those whom his Wisdom
could not heal of their Maladies, and found out a way how these who had neglected
to render themselves useful to the Church should not be altogether Ruined
themselves, unless they did it with their own hands, and therefore makeeth
a Charitable offer unto them, that who ever like Mr. Seton, and his
Constituents would own the Government of the state should enjoy in the
Church the Charges they possest, tho they did neglect to capacitate themselves
to be sharers in the Government of the same-
The Church Judicatories likewise have exerced that temper in their procedures,
as to give many demonstrations of a readiness in them, to have as many
of these who had submitted to Prelacy keeped useful as they could find to be
Men of Probity, Sinceritie and Worth; and after all this for Mr. Seton to raise
this Clamour and Dust, argueth neither Charity nor Probity.
I will not call it Irreligious Boldness, but Impudent and Imprudent
It is for Mr. Seton to make this Clutter, who himself was personally desired
and invited to unite with the Church by the Committee of the General Assembly
for the North, anno 1694. and both refused these Terms, which the
Law, and the Church required, and entred and combind with others in that
Illegal Protestation against and Declinature of the Authority of that Judicatory,

B

settled by the Law and Authority of that same King, whom he would make
us believe he thinks himself happy in having, and which Protestation Mr. Seton knoweth
was by the same Parliament, after a full hearing, found to be seditious, unpeaceable
and illegal; and for which, some of Mr. Seton's fellow. Protestators were justly
censured by it. And for Mr. Seton, conscious of his own guilt, to address his Majesties
High Commissioner this same Parliament sitting, in such a strain as doth reflect
upon both Church and State, Is such a piece of Charity and Wisdom, as some
desire not to imitate.
But what is the Conclusion Mr. Seton draweth, after he hath given the Government
and Church so many indirect Thrusts, he humbly desires his Grace, to appoint a
Conference betwixt an equal number of us and our Presbyterian Brethreen. Now any man
would think the honest man is indeed in earnest for a Conference, and for what end, even
to put a desireable Period to these Schisms, which distract and divide this Church:
and no doubt, he is for the immediate ending of unkindly, and unseasonable Controversies
amongst Vs Church men, and His Grace to be the Umpire.
If I had not heard of a Protestation drawn, and ready to be presented in March
1691, to the Commission of the Church, which was to have met at Aberdeen at that
time, had it not been impeded by some charitable and peaceable Men wherein
they declare that their Consciences scrupled to owne Presbyterian Government, and
particularly Lay-elders, as they are pleased to call them, and that Mr. Seton, and
some of his Constituents were of that Number, and that he, and the same gang,
did solemnly Address the General Assembly in January 1692, and then acknowledge
that Assembly, consisting of the same Presbyterian Ministers and Lay-elders, to be
a lawful Assembly, and lawful Government, and offered to join and concur therewith
as such, without any scruple of Conscience; and that constant and conscientious
Mr. Seton, was with the rump of his Party, one of fourteen who delivered
in the same Protestation, drawn 1691, to the Committe of the General Assembly
for the North at Aberdeen, in anno 1694, as if it had been fresh and new, wherein,
Mr. Seton and the rest have the old scruples at the Government, and cannot in Conscience
comply with their 1692 years Consciences: If I had not had the misfortune
to have heard these things of him, and such an uncharitable Memory as to remember
them, I might have been more ready to believe Mr. Seton in earnest. Before
I hearken to the soft Whispers of Charity towards him, and be convinced of
his sincerity, it will be necessary to satisfy my Reason of these doubts; I doubt he
designs a Conference, thereby to put a Period to these Schisms in the Church; when
he knoweth very well, that none of the Presbyterian Brethreen can confer with him
in name of the Church, and as thereto authorized by the Government thereof: He
is not ignorant that a General Assembly only can delegate such a Power, as to confer
in the Name of the Church; and to confer as private Persons will never end the
Controversies, so I demur that his design is any Conference at all: and how discreet
hath he been to his Grace, let the World judge, for if these Conferrees are to confer
with a publick Character, he desires of his Grace a thing impossible for him to grant,
and therefore impertinent to be fought. If there be only two or three Presbyterian
Brethren desired to discourse of Church-affairs, as private Persons, with Mr. Seton
and his equal number, His Grace's being taken up with the weighty Affairs of the
King and Parliament, might have pleaded with Mr. Seton, not to give him the
trouble to do that which would at all time be an unsuitably mean employ for him,
and which might with more ease and charity on Mr. Seton's part been fought of his
Presbyterian Brethreen, who, had he asked the same of them, would not have refused
him; none of them yet have, and I am confident of many of them at least,
never shall: But Mr. Seton, it may be doth think, he and his Constituents will have
greater Advantage, by making a braving offer of a Conference, which he concludeth
will not be granted him, by the thing it self. It's somewhere else than either
with his Grace, or the Honourable Estates of Parliament, that he expects his Petition
will have charming Influences; he hopes the Charms and Powers of his most commanding
Eloquence will take, where a just and true Representation of the Practices and temper
of his Partie, will not be so diligently communicate, and ushered in with such
Pomp and Fast of Words.
I doubt Mr. Seton's design, when he so unequally demands a Conference betwix
an equal number of us and our Presbyterian Brethreen, seing the Government of the
Church is settled in the Hands of Presbyterian Brethreen by Law, and they in a fixed
Possession of the same, and acting therein with that success, as is the envy of
Mr. Seton, and his Constituents; and such as with the blessing of God, will in a
final time fill these Vacancies. which the disloyaltie and prophanity of these who
were Mr. Seton's old Friends and Allays have made in his Countrey, with men, I hope
of another stamp- Mr. Seton knoweth, the Parliament as well as the Church, hath
laid down another way of Application, than the demand of a Conference of an equal
number, as if his gang and the Church were on equal Terms; But he hath in some
measure gained his Point, if he make some in another Countrey believe that the Episcopal
Party are still so considerable in Scotland, as that notwithstanding the Government
of the Church, hath for several years been settled in the hands of Presbyterians,
and been countenanced and cherished by the State, yet they think it their
due due to their greater numbers, better cause and most commanding Eloquence to
demand of a High Commissioner and in the view of a Parliament, who
have so much Favoured Presbytrie such a Conference; He knoweth that in
this Countrey it will not take, The Parliament and Church have determined concerning
the goodness of his cause, and he speaks sad truth, when he says, their commanding
Eloquence will be damped and foild by the Blemishes of their own lives; and when
the Numbers of his Constituents shall be enquired into, he cannot let see so many
Duzons of them qualified according to Law, even with the Civil part of Qualifications,
as there are Hundreds of his Presbyterian Brethereen; And some of his Constituents
lying under the just Censures of the Church, whom after they had not the
confidence to defend themselves at the Bar, he now brings in as his Brethereen to
confer as recti in curia.
I will not alledge that some others of his Constituents are persons, who doe
likeways well deserve the highest Censures of the Church, but some of these few of
his Brethereen, who go under that Character of being Qualified according to Law stood
accused of the grossest Scandals, of Drunkenness, Swearing and Uncleanness, before
a Judicatory of this Church, which their tender Consciences thought it not fit to appear
before, and owne as a Judicatory, and there appeared little difficulty to prove the
same; And if Mr. Seton have not these Men to make up his Constituents, he hath but
a very small Number.
I doubt still that a Conference is really designed, because if it be, something then must
be proposed by Mr. Seton to put a desireable period to these Schisms: Now its easier for
Mr. Seton to soare in the Clouds and keep in the Generals, then come to particulars;
It seems that the Wisdom and Compassion of our King and Parliament, hath not yet
found out the true Remedies to heal our Wounds, Mr. Seton hath not confidence,
that the Authority of publick sanctions will be effectual, though I am of the opinion that a
just and Charitable Execution of them would mightily contribute to our Peace, you’l
find the Parliament must alter their Terms, and yet that would not do to satisfy Mr.
Seton and his Men, but this I dare say would effectually quiet and excite him to new
Anthems the change of the present Government; the Re-establishing of Bishops and
all the old Clergy would recover an once Flourishing Church from its Desolations, then a
a pure and peaceable, gentle and easy Government would possess the Throne: but as yet
the King and Parliament seem not thereto enclin’d, Mr. Seton must propose some other
thing.
What if peaceable Mr. Seton desire to put a period to the Schisms by this means.
That every Man and every Minister might have the Liberty to follow their own Inclination,
and these who desired Bishops and Episcopal Clergy might not be deprived of
so great a Blessing, and Mr. Seaton would be so Charitable at least for this Session of
Parliament as to allow some Angry zealous Bigots a gentle touch of Presbytry, providing
it offended no body, and then when every body got their will, all would be pleased;
But I am of the opinion, more peace, then that would produce, may be had at
an easier rate.
In short, So many difficulties arise in any particular Grounds for a Conference, and
Mr. Seton will be in such a strait to get his Charity to his own Constituents on the
one hand, so largely extended as to secure them, be their Immoralities what they will
from the cloutches of angry Zeal, and his Complisance on the other hand is such, as not
directly to spit in the face of Authority, Civil and Eclesiastick, tho he be ready enough
to spurn at them with his Heels, that I believe, if you’l let the peaceable man alone,
he will not much press a Conference; he hath made the offer, printed his Petition,
sent it up last Post to London, he hath waited as long as he thought fit, and
the care of the Church will call him home.
But before he go, I would let him and his gang see, that all Presbyterians are not
so full of angry Zeal, as not in some measure to be Easie and Gentle, and therefore I
would charitably advise him and his Friends to lay aside their Illegal as well as Unchristian
combinations to Re-establish Episcopacy in Scotland, which Tyranny now
called Jacobitism and Prophanity will always attend. Let them by their practices
and temper shew some of that Charity and Peaceableness his words pretend to, let them
strive and endeavour in Preaching of the Gospel to come to their Flock, in the demonstration
of the Spirit and of Power, rather then with the Charms and Powers of most
commanding Eloquence; let a Gospel-adorning conversation manifest that there is
some thing of the Life of Religion amonst them; and for my part they shall be dear
to me, and honoured by me, though they should never come to be of the same judgment,
as to the Government of the Church: And if any of them by the Grace of
God working in their Hearts manifest such a Disposition, what ever their former
Actions and Opinions have been and desire to be sharers of the Government of the
Church, thereby only designing to be in a better capacity to propagate the Gospel, destroy
Atheism, curb Prophanity, Banish Irreligion, and heal the Wounds of this Church,
if they then be not welcomed by Church-Judicatories, it will be time for them to complain
of the want of Charity, But if after all the Experiences both Mr. Seton and his Constituents,
and his Presbyterian Brethereen have got, that the present Church Government
hath made the most vigorous opposition to Atheism & Profanity, been the most faithful
Asserters of the Truth, and strongest Bulwarks against Popery, Socinianism, Arminianism
and all other Errors and is founded on the most lasting purism of Union and Peace.
Men will [illegible] refuse to embrace these just and reasonable Terms, settled by the State
and Church, and oppose this poor Churches wrestling out of the Ashes, to which Religions
Enemies had reduced Her, and delay Her Triumphing over all the Works of
Darkness, I appeal to God the Searcher of all Hearts, to Angels and Men, to our
Gracious King, to His Grace His high Commissioner, to the Estates of Parliament, and
to the Consciences of our Enemies, if the Presbyterian Ministers, and the Church-Judicatories
ought in Charity to hear the Burthen of the Blame.