An Anſwer to a Paper concerning Mr. De Foe, againſt his Hiſtory of the UNION.
[1]I Herewith ſend you a Paper full of ſcurrilous Reflections, upon Mr. De Foe and upon his Work, called, The Hiſtory of the Ʋnion, pretended to be done in Defence of Mr. Clark, who, it ſeems, is thought to be Injur'd in the Account there given of the Tumult at Glaſgow.
I am very ſorry to find a Stranger ſo Treated among us in Scotland, who, I think, has on many Occaſions in his Writings very well deſerved of this Nation: But I am ſtill more concerned, that this Malignity of the Pen ſhould proceed to ſuch a ſcurrilous Piece, eſpecially in pretending to Defend a Goſpel Miniſter, who, if he Retains any of the Temper of his Maſter, will think himſelf very little Obliged to the Perſon that has Wrot it, to Defend him in ſo Rude and Indiſcreet a manner, as it muſt be owned, becomes no Modeſt Man to do.
This Occaſions me to hope, notwithſtanding the General Opinion of the People here, that Mr. Clark himſelf has no hand in it: For firſt, as the Truth of it will want very ſtrong Con⯑firmation, and is impoſſible to be made out, ſo the Language of it would be more Reflection upon a Goſpel Miniſter, than any thing Mr. De Foe can have Wrot concerning him.
The Scripture Rule laid down by the Apoſtle for a Miniſter is ſo manifeſt in this caſe, and ſo expreſly forbids to return [2] Railing for Railing, and Reviling for Reviling, that Mr. Clark, if he ſees this Paper, or any Body is ſo kind to him as to ſhew it him, can not but clear himſelf from being concerned in it, in Honour to his own Reputation; But this is worſe ſtill, for to Revile without being Reviled is a part which no Honeſt Man will render, much leſs a Miniſter of the Goſpel, Reverend for Learn⯑ing, Grave in Years, and Sober in Education, ſuch as Mr. Clark.
But I wave all this, perſwading my ſelf Mr. Clark can have no Hand in ſuch a wretched Piece of Railing and Falſhood, and haſten to ſpeak in ſhort to the matter of Fact, which is all that requires an Anſwer in this Paper, the other being too Groſs to deſerve any Notice.
As to Mr. De Foe's Work in a Hiſtory of the Tranſactions of the Union, many People here of the beſt Capacity to Judge, have been Witneſſes to the Preparations he has made for it, and can Teſtify for him in his Abſence, (1.) That he has been very Careful, has taken a great deal of Pains, and been at a great Expence to perform the Promiſe made in the Introduction, and which this Perſon Quotes, viz. to Write with Impartiality and Truth.
(2.) That he being gone away for England, left the Sheets behind him to the Inſpection of Perſons in our own Countrey, of Unbyaſs't Principles, and Unſpotted Reputation; to whoſe Reviſing and Correction he ſubmitted every thing he had Wrot, and therefore it can not be Suggeſted that he has deſignedly made any Errors to make up Hiſtory, or Printed any thing that Merits this Authors hard Words, — but on the contrary, while Mr. De Foe has Undertaken the Writing an Impartial Hiſtory of Fact, he could not be ſo weak as to think, that thoſe People, who perhaps acted a part in that Affair, which they may have Reaſon ſince not to be pleaſed with in themſelves, ſhould be pleaſed with his relating it, however Impartially: And therefore I doubt not he Expected all the ill Uſage he finds from Perſons whoſe Actions will not bear a clear Repreſentation.
[3] As to the Errors, I am ſorry the Author that pretends to be Mr. Clark's Defender, can find out ſo few real ones, that he is fain to ſpeak what is ſo far from being to be Juſtified, that I dare ſay Mr. Clark will not owne it himſelf.
Mr. Clark, as a Miniſter of the Goſpel, can not be Guilty of ſo much Prevarication as to ſay himſelf that he did not ſpeak the Words Mr. De Foe has Quoted, and I make no ſcruple to aſſure the World, that he did ſpeak the very Words, at leaſt without Va⯑riation of the Senſe: And there are ſo many living Witneſſes now in the City of Glaſgow, and ſome of them here in this City at this time, who heard the Words ſpoken, that it is ſomething which few People can Underſtand muſt move this Author to deny that for him, which ſo many People know is matter of Fact, and is ſo eaſy to be Proved.
Wherefore the Gentleman who Wrot this ſcurrilous Paper is deſired to Reflect a little, and go and ask Mr. Clark about it; I dare ſay that Reverend Perſon is a Man of too much Conſcience and Honeſty not to Acknowledge the Words, and if his Memory ſhould fail him ſo much, as not to Remember the Words, he will, no doubt, Refer to his Notes, and find it there juſt as is related, or with very little Difference, viz. Addreſſes will not do, and Prayers will not do, there muſt be other Methods, it is true, Prayer is a Duty, but we must not reſt there, &c. Wherefore up, and be Valiant for the City of our GOD. And that the Reader may not depend upon the ſingle Teſtimony of this Paper, I may refer him to ſome of the Chief Inhabitants of Glaſgow, many of whom were then in the Church, and will, I make no Queſtion, be ſuch Friends to Truth, and to the Stranger that is Abuſed, as to make it out.
Further, if the Author of this Paper now meant, can Engage Mr. Clark to bring this matter before the Aſſembly which is now Sitting, as a Charge of Slander by Mr. De Foe, I do Promiſe in his Abſence to bring unqueſtioned Witneſſes before the ſaid Aſſembly to prove the ſaid Words upon him, and till he does ſo, Mr. De Foe can not be Charged with Slandering him.
It is plain alſo, the Paper it ſelf acknowledges the Fact, tho he Couches it, as if he were aſham'd of it, ſaying, that Mr. Clark [4] Cited 1 Chron. 22. 16. 2 Sam. 10. 12. but does not think fit to put down the Words of the ſaid Texts, which are as follows, Ariſe therefore and be doing, and the LORD be with thee.—And—Be of good Courage, and let us play the Men for our People, and for the Cities of our God: and the LORD do that which ſeemeth him good. Indeed he was right crafty to hide theſe Words.
For, had Mr. Clark ſaid no more than this, it had anſwered all Mr. De Foe alleages, which he alſo expreſſes with as much Tenderneſs to Mr. Clark as could be, viz. That this was Conſtructed by the Rabble to excite them to Tumults, — and who could ſay leſs? or what could that People think who were before Irritated about their Addreſſes, being refuſed, but that when he ſaid, ARISE AND BE DOING, be of good Courage, and play the Men, and at laſt, Ʋp, and be Valiant, but that he meant they ſhould take Arms, &c.
Now, in Order to do Mr. De Foe ſome Juſtice in this, I muſt ne⯑ceſſarily obſerve, How odd it is for this Author to publiſh this Scurrilous Pamphlet, (1) on a Man that he knows to be abſent, and not able to reply to him. (2) Againſt a Book that is not yet publiſhed, that ſo the People being ignorant of the manner of expreſſing it, may believe all he ſays; — and by what clandeſtine way he has come to the ſight of the imper⯑fect Sheets, I dare ſay he will be aſhamed to owne.
However, as I think Mr. De Foe, as a Hiſtorian, could not have been faithful to the Matter of Fact, no nor to the Magi⯑ſtrates and good People of Glaſgow, who were then miſrepreſen⯑ted to the whole Iſland, nay to their Sovereign too, and lay under the Scandal of a Factious Mutinous People, without relating the Steps by which that Tumult grew up, as the honeſteſt way to Vindicate them; — So I think he has been ſo far from re⯑proaching or abuſing Mr. Clark, that he took all the Precautions poſſible to prevent his Readers ſuppoſing Mr. Clark did it in Deſign.
As to what Connexion of Circumſtances there might be to render his Deſign ſuſpected to others, Mr. De Foe uſes him moſt diſcreetly; And if in one Line he calls him a Weak Good Man, which is the utmoſt they can pretend, I forbear for his own ſake to enter into an Enquiry here, whether it were a Weakneſs [5] in him, AT THAT TIME, to uſe ſuch Expreſſions or no, re⯑ferring it to them who know what Influence his Words, however well and innocently deſign'd, had upon the People, and how, within one Hour after they were ſpoken, the whole City was in an Uproar and Confuſion: I am ſure it is a Weakneſs in any of his Friends, to bring him thus on the Stage again at ſuch a time as this eſpecially. Let them conſider of that as they like.
But that you may not take my Word for Mr. De Foes diſcreet Uſage of him, I ſhall quote the Words in his Hiſtory as he has printed this Caſe, and let any Man judge, if he has uſed the Reverend Miniſter ill or no. His Words are thus, P. 60. and which, if fairly quoted, his Paper would have anſwer'd it ſelf.
"On Thurſday the [...] day of [...] the Faſt appointed by the Commiſſion of the Aſſembly was kept in Glaſ⯑gow, Mr. C [...]k Miniſter of the Trone Kirk Preached from the Words in Ezra 8. 21. And I proclaimed a Faſt at the River of AHAVA, that we might afflict our ſelves before our GOD, to ſeek of Him a right Way for us, and for our little Ones, and for all our Subſtance.'
'I ſhall convince the Gentleman concerned, that this Account is not made for a Satyr upon him, 'tis too ſerious a Subject; and when both he, and thoſe who heard him, reflects on, how much more his Unhappy Temper, at that time, forc'd from him, than I ſet down here, all which I have by me verbatim, as he ſpoke it, he will, I ſay, be convinced, that I talk no more, than, in the Obligation of a Hiſtorian to Truth of Fact, I am bound to do.'
'I am not at all apprehenſive of having the Truth of theſe Words queſtioned, having received them from the Mouths of more than two or three of the principal Inhabitants of Glaſgow, who heard them ſpoken; and if the miſplacing a Word ſhould be ſnatcht at, I venture to ſay, that this was the full Purport of the Expreſſi⯑on, without the leaſt Variation; as to the Weak Good Man that ſpoke them, I will not ſuggeſt, that he foreſaw the Conſequence of them, or had any ſuch thing in his Deſign, tho it calls for ſome Charity to gueſs his Meaning; The kindeſt thing I can ſay of them, is that he did not mean at all what followed, but ſpoke in his Haſte; for God forbid I ſhould ſuggeſt he mean'd to raiſe a Rebellion, and to bring his Country into all that Blood and Con⯑fuſion, [6] which, if GODs Goodneſs had not prevented it, had certainly followed.'
'The Sermon ended about eleven a Clock, and the People were ſo Enflamed before, that, by one of the Clock, the Mob were gotten together, their Drum was Beat in the Back ſtreets, and all the Confuſions we are now to ſpeak of followed.'
Thus far the Hiſtory ſpeaks, and here any Man may ſee how Diſcreetly Mr. De Foe has uſed Mr. Clark, how he has Declared over and over that he does no way Charge his Deſign — And that is more than all the People of Glaſgow will do, tho' they have as much Reſpect for their Miniſters as other People. Nay, he En⯑deavours to clear him ſo much as of foreſeeing the Conſequence, and in that gives him the Stile of Weak Good Man; if this Au⯑thor will not have him to be a Good Man, that is none of Mr. De Foe's fault, and if he will not own his Weakneſs in ill Timeing that Diſcourſe, Mr. Clark is very little oblig'd to him: For it certainly muſt be Owned as a Weakneſs, or Juſtified as a Deſign, and let him take it which way he pleaſes.
There is a ſeeming Error indeed, in Printing the Word Of for After: But Mr. De Foe is cleared of this Effectually, for that he left a Blank for the Day of the Month, to be filled up at the Preſs, which they have ſtill left open, and his Original Copy being here in Town to refer to, — makes it out; The Errata alſo at the Reviſing of the Sheets ſupply it all, which this Accuſer, it ſeems has not ſeen, but ſpeaks without Book.
For the Words being Read either way are Right, even by his own Charge, — thus,
(2.) Mr. De Foe knew as well as the ſcurrilous Author the Faſt was on a Tueſday, and therefore Printed the Thurſday, which was the Day of the Sermon, and cannot fairly be ſuppoſed to mean the Faſt Day, and ſo ſecondly, the Blank being filled up, it will be right another way thus:
Who would believe ſuch a ſhift as this ſhould be made uſe of, as a Refuge to protect the reſt of the Allegations: It is the matter of Fact, not the Day of the Month that is material, and that is but foully wiped off indeed.
As to Perſons dealing with the Provoſt of Glaſgow before this Sermon about Addreſſing, which he calls a fourth Error; The Provoſt is a Man of too much Candor to aſſiſt their Sug⯑geſtions, and it is Referred to him to Determine whether it be Truth or no, let them Enquire at the Peril of their Credit.
The third Charge is a full Teſt of the Honeſty of this Author, and may direct any Honeſt Man to make a Judgment of him.
P. 1. Par. 4. he ſays,
His (De Foe's) third Error is P. 60. That about one of the Clock after Sermon ON THE FAST DAY, the Mob got together and Beat up the Drums.
This cannot be Mr. Clark, he has more Honeſty, he would not have ſpoken ſo without Book, he dar'd not to impoſe ſuch abo⯑minable Falſity on the World, at leaſt I hope ſo; — for, in Mr. De Foe's Book, the Sheet lying now before me, and as quoted above, it is nothing ſo: The Words are thus,
Sermon being ended about eleven of the Clock, — by one of the Clock the Mob were gotten together, their Drum was Beat, &c. — and this is true.
Let any Man judge of the reſt of this Sheet by this Specimen, — and therefore I think this may ſerve for a full Anſwer to his mighty Book of Errors, for ſuch indeed it may be juſtly eſteem'd.
All the reſt of his Paper is filled with Fire and Brimſtone, Abuſing the Magiſtrates of Glaſgow, and Railing at Mr. De Foe, who, if he was here, perhaps might ſpeak for himſelf: But this I muſt ſay for him, That whereas he pretends to Charge him with Reproaching a Miniſter of the Goſpel;
If the Author of that Paper had read out that part of the Hi⯑ſtory of the Union, which Treats of the Management of the Mi⯑niſters of Scotland, he will find Mr. De Foe has done the Miniſters [8] in general ſo much Juſtice, and their Characters ſo much Honour in that Book, as well as on all Occaſions in his other Writings, as will ſufficiently Evidence him to be both a Reverencer of their Office, a Lover of their Perſons, and a Friend to their Intereſt.
As to his Reflections on the Hiſtory it ſelf in general, which he ſtrives to Diſparage, tho' he has not ſeen it, he is referr'd to Solomon, who, Mr. Clark can tell him, ranks them among his Fools, who judge of a Matter before they hear it: — His Mo⯑tion to have the Government ſuppreſs it, ſhows his Good Will to Mr. De Foe on one hand, and which, if he were here, no Queſtion he would Laugh at ſufficiently; but, on the other, is a Satyr on his Friend Mr. Clark, as if he were aſhamed his Acti⯑ons on that Occaſion ſhould come to the View of the World.
And indeed Mr. Clark, I think, will have little Reaſon to Thank him for what he has done in this Caſe; for that I ſhall take effectual Care, in the Vindication of Truth, to have a more particular Account of that whole Caſe put into this Hiſtory, this Mr. De Foe at firſt deſign'd, wherein the Accuſer may have further Occaſion of Vindicating ſome Body, who is generally thought to have had but bad Luck formerly at Vindicating himſelf.
As to the Rude and Indiſcreet Language given him in the Paper, as it juſtly offends the Ears of the Hearers, and fouls the Mouth of the Reader; ſo I ſhall obſerve the Method Mr. De Foe himſelf takes in all ſuch Caſes, i. e. Take no notice of it, it is not worth while, it hurts the Author, not Mr. De Foe in the leaſt, only this I muſt ſay as my own Obſervation in all Matters of Debate.