part with the white staff. So he yielded. And the 1686. bishop was suspended ab officio. They did not think fit to meddle with his revenues. For the lawyers had settled that point, that benefices were of the nature of freeholds. So, if the sentence had gone to the temporalties, the bishop would have had the matter tried over again in the king's bench, where he was like to find good justice, Herbert not being satisfied with the legality and justice of the sentence. While this matter was in dependance, the princess of Orange thought it became her to interpose a little in the bishop's favour. He had confirmed and married her. So she wrote to the king, earnestly begging him to be gentle to the bishop, who she could not think would offend willingly. She also wrote to the bishop, expressing the great share she took in the trouble he was fallen into. The prince wrote to him to the same purpose. The king wrote an answer to the princess, reflecting severely on the bishop, not without some sharpness on her for meddling in such matters. Yet the court seemed uneasy, when they saw they had gained so poor a victory: for now the bishop was more considered than ever. His clergy, for all the suspension, were really more governed by the secret intimations of his pleasure, than they had been by his authority before. So they resolved to come off as well as they could. Dr. Sharp was admitted to offer a general petition, importing how sorry he was to find himself under the king's displeasure: upon which he was dismissed with a gentle reprimand, and suffered to return to the exercise of his function. According to the form of the ecclesiastical courts, a person under such a suspension must make 1686. a submission within six months: otherwise he may 678 be proceeded against as obstinate. So, six months after the sentence, the bishop sent a petition to the king, desiring to be restored to the exercise of his episcopal function. But he made no acknowledgment of any fault. fault. So this had no other effect, but that it stopped all further proceedings: only the suspension lay still on him. I have laid all this matter together, though the progress of it ran into the year eighty-seven. Affairs in Scotland. Affairs in Scotland went on much at the same rate as they did in England. Some few proselytes were gained. But as they were very few, so they could do little service to the side to which they joined themselves. The earl of Perth prevailed with his lady, as she was dying, to change her religion. And in a very few weeks after her death he married very indecently a sister of the duke of Gordon's; [with whom he had lived in a very scandalous manner for many years.] They were first cousins and yet without staying for a dispensation from Rome, they ventured on a marriage, upon the assurances that they said their confessor gave them, that it would be easily obtained. But pope Innocent was a stiff man, and did not grant those things easily so that cardinal Howard could not at first obtain it. The pope said, these were strange converts, that would venture on such a thing without first obtaining a dispensation. The cardinal pretended, that new converts did not so soon understand the laws of the church: but he laid before the pope the ill consequences of offending converts of such importance. So he prevailed at last, not without great difficulty. The earl of Perth set up a pri vate chapel in the court for mass, which was not 1686. kept so private, but that many frequented it. Edenburgh. The town of Edenburgh was much alarmed at A tumult at this. And the rabble broke in with such fury, that they defaced every thing in the chapel. And if the earl of Perth had not been conveyed away in disguise, he had very probably fallen a sacrifice to popular rage. The guards upon the alarm came, and dispersed the rabble. Some were taken: and one that was a ringleader in the tumult was executed for it. When he was at the place of execution, he told one of the ministers of the town, that was with him assisting him with his prayers, that he was offered his life, if he would accuse the duke of Queensborough, as the person that had set on the tumult, but he would not save his life by so false a calumny. Mr. Macom, the minister, was an honest but weak man. So, when the criminal charged him to make this discovery, he did not call any of those 679 who were present to bear witness of it: but in the simplicity of his heart he went from the execution to the archbishop of St. Andrew's, and told him what had passed. The archbishop acquainted the duke of Queensborough with it. And he writ to court, and complained of it. The king ordered the matter to be examined. So the poor minister, having no witness to attest what the criminal had said to him, was declared the forger of that calumny. And upon that he was turned out. But how severely soever those in authority may handle a poor incautious man, yet the public is apt to judge true. And, in this case, as the minister's weakness and misfortune was pitied, so the earl of Perth's malice and treachery was as much detested. 1686. there. In summer this year, the earl of Murray, another new convert, was sent the king's commissioner to A parliament held hold a parliament in Scotland, and to try if it would be more compliant than the English parliament had been. The king did by his letter recommend to them in very earnest words the taking off all penal laws and tests relating to religion. And all possible methods were used to prevail on a majority. But two accidents happened before the opening the parliament, which made great impression on the minds of many. Whitford, son to one of their bishops before the wars, had turned a papist. He was the person that killed Dorislaus in Holland. And, that he might get out of Cromwell's reach, he had gone into the duke of Savoy's service; and was there when the last massacre was committed on the Vaudois. He had committed many barbarous murders with his own hands, and had a small pension given him after the restoration. He died a few days before the parliament met; and called for some ministers, and to them declared his forsaking of popery, and his abhorrence of it for its cruelty. He said, he had been guilty of some execrable murders in Piedmont, both of women and children, which had pursued him with an intolerable horror of mind ever after that. He had gone to priests of all sorts, the strictest as well as the easiest and they had justified him in what he had done, and had given him absolution. But his conscience pursued him so, that he died as in despair, crying out against that bloody religion. The other was more solemn. Sir Robert Sibbald, a doctor of physic, and the most learned anti680 quary in Scotland, who had lived in a course of phi losophical virtue, but in great doubts as to revealed 1686. religion, was prevailed on by the earl of Perth to turn papist, in hopes to find that certainty among them, which he could not arrive at upon his own principles. But he had no sooner done this, than he began to be ashamed that he had made such a step upon so little inquiry. So he went to London, and retired for some months from all company, and went into a deep course of study, by which he came to see into the errors of popery with so full a conviction, that he came down to Scotland some weeks before the parliament, and could not be at quiet till he had published his recantation openly in a church. The bishop of Edenburgh was so much a courtier, that, apprehending many might go to hear it, and that it might give offence at court, he sent him to do it in a church in the country. But the recantation of so learned a man, upon so much study, had a great effect upon many. Rosse and Paterson, the two governing bishops, resolved to let the king see how compliant they would be. And they procured an address to be signed by several of their bench, offering to concur with the king in all that he desired with relation to those of his own religion, (for the courtly style now was not to name popery any other way than by calling it the king's religion,) provided the laws might still continue in force and be executed against the presbyterians. With this Paterson was sent up. He communicated the matter to the earl of Middleton, who advised him never to shew that paper: it would be made use of against them, and render them odious and the king and all his priests were so sensible that it was an indecent thing for them |