Sermon preached by Mr. James Rows (sic), in St. Geil's Kirk at Edinburgh, which has been commonly known by the name of Pockmanty preaching

by James Row

A SERMON Preached by Mr. James Rows, ſometime Miniſter at Strowan, in St. Geil's Kirk at Edinburgh, which has been commonly known by the Name of Pockmanty Preaching.

Jeremiah Chap. 30. Verſe 17.For I will reſtore health to thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds faith the LORD, becauſe they called thee an Out caſt, ſaying, This is Zion whom no Man Seeketh after.

I Need not trouble you much who is meant by Zion here, ye all ken it, it is the poor Kirk of Scotland, for the Kirk of Scotland is wounded in her Head, in her Hands, in her Feet, and in her Heart.

Firſt in her Head, in the Government. 2dly. In her Hands, in the Diſcipline. 3dly. In her Heart, as in the Doctrine. 4thly. In her Feet, as in the Worſhip.

Firſt, The Kirk of Scotland is wounded in her Head, ſhe has gotten ſik a Claſh in her Head, as has gart all her Harns jaap, and her Senſes, that is, her Senſe of Seeing; for the Kirk of Scotland wald a ſeen als well as any Chriſtian Kirk in the wide Warld, but now ſhe cannot diſtinguiſh between white and black; For bring but Pepery before her, and ſhe cannot diſcern between that and the true Religion.

Secondly, She is wounded inhber Hearing : The Kirk of Scotland cou'd a Heard and Diſtinguished, but ſen theOrgans were brought in, ſhe has grown as Deaff as a Door Nail.

Thirdly, The Kirk of Scotland cou'd a ſmelt as well as any Kirk in the Warld, but the Kirk of Rome ſmelt ſo ſtrangely, that ſhe could a tald you, ſhe ſmell'd of the Whore of Babel; but now bring the ſlinkeneſt Pepery to the Kirk of Scotland and it will ſmell to her as ſweet as an Apple: Now poor Spectacle! we have ſeen her Hands, and her fare Legs; A woful Object; pity her if ye will What ſay ye to the Cureing of her Senſes; but ſome will tell, ſhe is in as good a Caſe as ever she was. I'le tell you how ſae,

Firſt, The Kirk of Scotland ſees better than ever ſhe did before, the Kirk ofScotlandſaw her Miniſters in good little ſhort Cloaks, with black Velvet Necks. and their little Cloaks turned mae Sauls to God, nor ever the lang Gowns did; but ye ſhall ſee the Prideful Prelats harld up and down the Town in Coaches, as in as 'many muck Carts, that is a bra ſight indeed.

Secondly, The Kirk of Scotland Taſtes better than ever ſhe did, and how ſae? ſ'le tell you, a good Miniſter wald a been content of a Diſh o plain Milk and Bread, humble Meat indeed! but our Prelats now, will have a Lick of the beſt of it: So ye ſee the Kirk of Scotland Taſtes better than ever ſhe did, and I have done with her Senſes.

Now, I'le tell you, how ſhe is wounded in her Hands, and that I call the Diſcipline of the Kirk. For

Firſt, They Flightered the Kirk of Scotland ye ken well they uſe to Flighter Thieves and Run aways; the Kirk of Scotland was baith.

1ſt. She was a Runaway, and that was the Glorious time of Reformation, when ſhe cam clear away frae Rome, and hard did they follow her, and fain wald they been at her, but an they had gotten their will, ſhe wald a been ſur of her Ladetties, or to ſpeak more plainly of her Dichells, but GOD be thanked they did not oretake her. 2dly, The Kirk of Scotland is a Thief, alas ſhe has gane to Rome, and has ſtown a way, the Traſh and Trumpery, as the Books of Common Prayer and Cannons wellawa! But what trou ye ſhe is flichterd with, but with a Silken Threed and a Cannonical Obedience to their Ordinary,and wow but we have taken great delight to be bound: We had once a bonny Kırk, but after they got us faſt, they made the filken Threed a Cable Tow, with which they girded us ſo faſt that we could not ſae much as fidge, but either we must run into the Danger of blind Obedience on the one ſide, to accept of all Idolatry and Superſtitious Ceremonies they impoſed on us,or on the other hand, be MenSworn Men; Na, the Kirk of Scotland is ſae wounded in her Hands, that thir Twenty Years bygane, ſhe could not make her Hummock in a cald day, for the Kirk of Scotland thir Twenty Years bygane, cou'd not have a Meeting in a Lawlul Aſſembly, and fo I have done with her Hands: Now I come to teil you how, how ſhe is wounded inher Feet and that I call the Worſhip of the Kirk of Scotland.

The Kirk of Scotland was a bonny trotting Naig, but then ſhe trotted ſae hard, that never a Man durſt ride her, but the Bihops wha after they gat on on her Back, Corſs-langed her and Hapſhackled her, and when ſhe became a bonny pacing Beaſt, they took great pleaſure to Ride on her, but their Cadging her up and down from Edinburgh to London, and it may be from Rome too, gave her ſik a het Coit, that we have theſe Twelve Months bygane been ſtirring her up and down to keep her fae founding;Yea, they made not only a Horſe but an Aſs of the Kırk of Scotland: How ſae quo ye? what mean ye by this? I'le tell you how, they made Balaams Aſs of her, ye ken well enough, Balaam was going an unluckie gait, and firſt the Angel met him in a broad way, and then the Aſs bogled and ſtartled, but Balaam got by the Angel, and till her and Battand her ſufficiently, that was when Epiſcopacy came in, and then they gave the Kirk of Scotland her Paiks; Afterward Balaam met the Angel in a ſtrait gait, and then ſhe ſtartled more than before, but Balaam till her again and whaked her ſoundly, that was when the five Articles of Perth were brought in: The third time the Angel met Balaam in ſae ſtrait a gait, that the Aſs could not win by; and then it pleaſed the LORD to open blind Balaams Eyes, and that is this happy days wark: Now GOD has opened all our Eyes, we were like blind Balaam, ganging an unluckie gait, and Riding Poſt to Rome, and what was gotten behind him upon the Aſs, wat yer I'le tell you, there was a Pockmanty; And what was in it trou ye? but the Book of Cannons and of Common Prayer, and the High Commiſſion, but as ſoon as the Aſs fees the Angel, ſhe falls a flinging and a plunging, and oregangs the Pockmanty and it hings by the ſtring on the one ſide, and aff gaes blind Balaam, and he hings by the Hough on The other ſide; and fain wald the Carle been on the Sadle again, and been content to leave his Pockmanty. But Beloved, let not the falfe Swin gour get on again, for if he get on again, he wil be ſure to get on his Pockmanty alſo.

The 4th Wound the Kirk of Scotland got wa in her Heart, and that I tald you was the Doctrine of the Kirk of Scotland, and that is Pepery and Arminianiſm, which is ſae ryfe in our Schools and Kirks; nay, are there not ſome of you that are ſitting here and hears me, wha wald not a wiſh your ſelves a Hundred times to a been out of the Kirk, when ye heard the Peltrie-Stuff that came frae them. Ye have heard many times Brethren (Compared together ) the Kirk and our Lord Jeſus, for he is the Head, and the Kirk is the Body, and that our Saviour ere he entered the Miniſtry he was carryed by Lucifer (God ſave us) to the Wilderneſs where he was tempted of the Meikle Devil, then he was Rejected and let light of by all; But as ſoon as he began to work his Miracles, he was carried up to Jeruſalem in Triumph, there was nothing in their Mouths then, but Hoſanna's, Bleſt is he that comes in the Name of the Lord, but the next News that they heard, in they cıme with Halbarts and Jethard Stalves frae the High Prieſt to Apprehend him ; Juſt ſae is it with the poor Kirk of Scotland, for this Year bygain ſhe has ſitten Defolate and in the Wilderneſs contemned, nothing cared for by Man, and now is the Glorious Day, ſhe is Ryding in Triumph to Jeruſalem, brinow there is nothing in all Mouths but Hoſanna's, but take heed when they come with Swords and Stalves frae the High Prieſt, that ſome do not with Peter ſhaw a pair of Heels and forſake her.

They have not only made an Aſs of the Kirk of Scotland but they have betrayed her, ye ken wha betrayed our Saviour, they betrayed him that were ſilent in ſae good a Cauſe, they betrayed him that accuſed him that Judged him, they betrayed him that forſook him; but where will ye find the falſe Judas all the while? and now I'le tell you a nad Tale, I dare not ſay it is true, but ye ſhall have it as I have it; When I was a little Boy at the School, there was a Hopeful Theologue, wha is now na (illegible text)imall Man in the Land, and being to Preach the Every ſame Words of Judas, What will ye give me and I will betray him? The young Man Learned his Text ſae well that he could a tald it baith in Latine and Scots, Quid mihi dabitis & ego Tradum illum? what will ye give me and I will betray him? There was a Good: Man ſitting at the Foot of the Poupit, wha ſtanding up looking in his Face, ſaid, Marie and give you a good Fat Biſhoprick, and then I am ſure ye will betray him, ſay ye lae; Wha has Betrayed the Kirk of Scotland? I need not tell you, but the Kirk of Scotland was once an Bonnie Kirk, and a Bonnie Grammar School, and well ye wat, ſhe hadSkill in Regimen & Concordantia, and could a made a peice of Bonnie Latine, and for every thing ſhe was forced to da Regulam, and when ſhe offended ſhe was ſure of Pande Manum; But afterward: when ſhe went to the College the had mair Liberty, and firſt of all ſhe begin to Rhetorick, but inſteed of proper ſpeaking ſhe Learned nothing but Hyperboles and Allegories, then ſhe came into the Logick, and inſtead of true Demonſtrations ſhe Learned nothing but Hamonimaes and Captiosa Sylogiſms, afterwards the came to Aethicks, but ſhe did not trouble her ſelf meikle with them, but Studied the Politicks; and that fae well, that ſhe turned all Religion into Meer flat Policy: For Metaphyſicks the kens they are Ens, and taat muſt be unum, verum, bonum, and that all theſe threr muſt be in true Religions, but this too high Theme for her, wherefore ſhe studied more th(illegible text) Phyſicks and turned all into Materia prima, and made it ſelf capable of any form they pleaſed to Impoſe upon us.

After he had done with Sermon and Prayer then ſtood he up to give the Bleſſing, and there after said as follows. I ken well enough it is not the Faſhion of this place to ſpeak any thing after Prayer, but becauſe I had meikle to ſay, and one thing dang another out of my Head, wherefore I muſt beg Leave to add a Word or twa.

AND firſt of all, I will ſpeak to you who are the Members of the College of Juſtice, and why I pray you, will not ye Subſcrive the Covenant ye will ſay to me, ye are Imployed by His Majeſty in ſome ſpecial Affairs, and ye cannot with your Honour Subſcrive the Covenant; This is a bra Anſwer indeed, there is not the Meaneſt Man that gathers up Twenty Merks for the King per Annum, but may have this Hole to go out at, then we ſhall have a bra Subſcriving. Yea, yea, there is but one Man between God and you, get by that Man, and get to God.

And in the ſecond place, Why do not ye Noblemen Subſcrive the Covenants ye will ſay noli me tangere, Howſoever I'le give you a Touch, It may be you will be put to it, ye will ſay, we muſt Ride in Parliament Order, the meaneſt Man muſt go foremoſt and Subſcrive the Covenant, and then we will come after, that is a bra Anſwer indeed, you have a Faſhion in the South part of Scotland, that when ye come to a Foord, the Jackman muſt venter over firſt upon his weak weary Naig, and if he can go and come back again, then up comes the Laird mounted on his Stately Steed end over goes he, this is no Right. But we that are Highlanders have a better Faſhion, for we usually come on Foot, and when we come to the Foord we are loath to leave a Man; therefore we join Oxſter to Oxſter, and Arm to Arm, and Loops altogether in the Foord, and if one Drown all Drowns; even ſo here, ſet your Hands to the Covenant, and if an periſh, let all periſh.

Now, I'le ſpeak a word to you of the Town of Edinburgh, And albeit I ſee two of you Chief Chairs empty, yet have at you; An why do you not Subſcrive the Covenant; It may be you will ſay, ye are in Office now, ſtay t(illegible text) the next Year till your Office be out, then ye will ſubſcrive the Covenant; That is a bra Anſwer indeed, it may be God will get his wark done e(illegible text) the next Year: What will your Thanks be the (illegible text) get your Clerk Regiſter and look over your Rol(illegible text) and ſee if ever the Town of Edinburgh ſuffer for joining with the Kirk of Scotland.

Laſt of all, I have a mind to ſpeak a Word (illegible text) you who are Strangers, And then turning himſelf about to the place where the Provoſt a Bailies of Aberdeen Sate; An what is the Reafon ye ſubſcrive not the Covenant; It may be ye will ſay, ye came here about your Civil Affairs And when ye came out ye reſolved not to ſubſcrive the Covenant; wik ye take mv Advice fay Aberdeens-men will ye take your Word again and go Home and Drink the Cup of Bon accord and join to the Kirk of Scotland, and Subſcrive the Covenant, and ſo farewell.

FINIS.

Printed by John Reid in Pearſon's Cloſs, on (illegible text) North-ſide of the Street a little above the Cr(illegible text)where are to be sold Choice of little Boc and Ballads, 1715.