CHARLES, R.

Mr WILLIAM Veitch.*

Right trusty, &c. we greet you well. Mr Willia ving been forfaulted by a sentence of our Justice ing accessory to the rebellion in the year 1666, was in Northumberland, and was by our order, sent Edinburgh, there to be pursued by our advocat for cession; and whereas it is now humbly represented the said Mr William Veitch was not actually presen on Pentland-hills, and that having retired tymou

• The other documents respecting Mr Veitch's trial are p row. The following notice concerning his father was omitte place :" There is an old man, Mr John Veitch, minister they [the committee of the Remonstrant or Protesting Syno sent two or three ministers of their number to hear him prea report, they pronounced a sentence of deposition on him, Our Synod appointed some to join with the true Presbyte which met the week thereafter-with the unanimous consent of Roberton, strengthened the minister, and appointed a help there in an orderly way." (Baillie to Spang, July 19, 16 Letters, ii. 374.) This explains what has been stated Blackie in a former note. (See before, p. 54.)

In an Act of Parliament, anno 1598, for paying the King' the sums owing by Thomas Fowllis, goldsmith, and Robert gess in Edinburgh, (his Majesty's bankers or furnishers,) th "To James Veitch, in Dalkeyt, 661li. 13s. 4d." Mr Veit moirs, (p. 4,) mentions that the estate of his ancestors was bourhood of Dalkeith, so that the person here referred to w grandfather.

rebells, he did, ever since, live peaceably in this our kingdom of England. And we being graciously desirous to encourage those that repent for their accessions to such rebellious courses, have therefore ordained, and do hereby authorize and require you, to sett the said Mr William Veitch at liberty, he always enacting himself to remove forth of that our ancient kingdom of Scotland, and not to return into the same. This our letter being his security untill he shall again return into that our kingdom, in which case this our warrant is hereby declared ineffectual. And so we bid you heartily farewell. Given at our court of Windsor Castle, the 17th day of July, 1679, and of our reigne the 31 year. By his Majesties command,

[Record of the Diocesan Synod of St Andrews.]

Representation of the Archbishop and Clergy of St Andrews, to the Privy Council.

St Andrews, April 29, 1674.

THE Lord Archbishop and brethren of the Privy Conference, considering the increase of the many disorders under which the Church, particularly in this diocess, does sadly labour, judged that a representation of the evill of these disorders to the Lords of his Majesty's Privy Council, by the mediation of Lord Archbishop, would be the most efficient mean for the cure of them.-Of late, some persons of implacable enmity against the order and peace of this church, (the roughness and rancour of whose spirit does contemn all the lenities that are used for the smoothing and sweeting of it,) have presumed to abuse the mercy and indulgence of our sovereign, unto the acting of als high insolences against the worship and public service of God, his ministers who serve at his altar, and the discipline he has instituted, as ever have been suffered by any who have lived under the direction of good and wholesome laws

and almost avowed contempt that is cast upon the p lemn worship of God, by deserting the public assen church established by law for the service of God, not a simple and negative secession from the communion of but also by a frequent and open assembling by multi fields and private houses, in a direct and stated opposit lawful assemblies of this church. It is also aggravate disorderly clandestine marriages, like as by the impud ful refusal of delinquents to submit unto the just cens church, for scandalous miscarriages, condemned by God and laws of this kingdom, by the licentiousness openly profane, which may be, and are, encouraged ample, by the unheard-of intrusion into, and invading of the godly and orderly ministers of this church, and barous profanation of places dedicate to the service of G open and ordinary profanation of the Lord's day by p pretending necessary dispatch of business, do cause gre ance in the several parishes through which the common by threating and forcing hirers of horse, boatmen, and ot to serve their worldly lusts and designs. As also by the of multitudes of people on the Lord's day, to conventicle distance.

This being the sad posture and state of affaris that t is in, we could no longer forbear craving the assistance law of God does allow us, and the benevolence and fathe our gracious Sovereign does invite and command us to often as we stand in need; and do hereby, and by yo mediation and earnest intercession, beg that the Lords jesty's Privy Council would be pleased to examine the tr particulars above-mentioned, and proceed accordingly a course and torrent of these abuses, as they in wisdom ju convenient, to remove the danger that the Protestant reli

of being, as it were, a deluge of error, schism, profanity, and atheism, and to vindicate the authority and honour of our ministry from the fury and barbarity of those whose actings declare them implacable toward our persons, and irreconcileable unto the peace and order of this church, that we may be succoured in our stations so to behave in all the conduct of our affairs as it may never repent his Majesty or their Lordships of the favour and protection they have graciously granted unto us and the afflicted church whereof we are ministers and members.

St Andrews, Sept. 2. 1680.

THE Archbishop and Synod being deeply sensible of the great discontentment the orderly and orthodox ministers labour under by reason of the many vagrant conventicle preachers and others that in certain places of this diocese, especiallie in Fife, doe keep weeklie preachings in their houses, to the great disturbance of the peace and unity of the congregations where they reside, and the next adjacent; therefore its thought fit that the moderators of the several Presbyteries should give in to the clerk of the Synod a list of the names of all such, whether iterant or settled, that his Grace may make use thereof as he shall find expedient.

It being complained that in several places so many withdraw from the church and refuse to be examined, so that the ministers of these parishes are doubtful whether they shall administer the sacrament of the Eucharist; its appointed that it shall be given to those who are desirous of the saine, though they be but a few.*

* Great complaints are made at this period by the clergy in all parts of the country, that religious ordinances are ill attended, and that the public collections have fallen off, "many persons giving but one copper doyt at their offering." For two or three years before the Restoration, the collection at the communion in the parish of St Andrews, amounted to £200 annually. In 1661, it was £147, 1s. 6d. ; and in 1663, it fell to £83, 1s. 6d. The following exhibits a state of the collections at the communion (including Saturday, Sabbath, and Monday,) in the neighbouring parish of Dennino, before the Restoration, after it, and after the Revolution :

No. IX.

[MS. in Bibl. Jurid. Edin. No. XXXII. M. 6. 14. art. 45;

and No.

18 27

: Jac. V. 1. 21. art. 64.]

Declaration of Colonel BLOOD and his Accomplices in

Ireland.

HAVEING long expected the secureing unto us of our lives, liberties, and estates, as bot ane reasonable recompence of that industrie and diligence exercised by the Protestantis of this kingdome in restoreing of his Majestie to the exercise of his royal authoritie in his kingdomes; in steid thereof, we find ourselves, our wyfes, and children, without mercie delyvered as a prey unto these barbarous and bloodie murderers, whose inhumane crueltie is registrated in the blood of 150,000 poor Protestantis at the beginning of the war in this kingdome; all which doeth appear by these insueing sad and infallible simptomes :

First, That notwithstanding of all the obligation of oathes and covenantis lyeing on his Majestie for the extirpating of Poperie, Prelacie, and such grand malignancie, he hath suffered himself to be so far seduced by evil counsellors, that even the aforesaid blodie Papists, that were deluders of the people unto that barbarous masaker, were now the first that tasted of his royal clemencie, in setleing them in their justlie forfalted estates at his first comeing in, by paper ordores, taken from the Protestantis illegallie, and confirmed on them, and they that had them not had sallaries out of the Exchequer untill they wer restored, although the poor suffering Protestantis despoyled by them never had any recompence for thair losses.

Secondlie, That these vast soumes of money givine by the Protestantis for relief of that armie, which, under God, is the meanes of our preservatione from thair blodie attempts, is disposed of to gratifie the aforesaid inhumane butchers of the poor Protestantis, whilst the said armie parish for want of pay.