same should not be granted to him as if every one of them had had a Decisive Voice and which is without Example in any Judicatory for any of the Judges to interrupt the Defenders speaking and to cry out their Opinion or rather Sentence before the Defender be removed and which openly discovers their Prejudice Design and Resolution of proceeding against the said Mr. Alexander altho' without just cause 6thly The Prejudice and design of the Synods proceeding against the said Mr. Alexander on the said lame weak and null probation is evident in so far as several Members of their Number did speak and deal with him to demit or that otherways they would depose him And there is nothing more certain than that they would never have Dealt with him to demit if the Probation against him had been good Their malice to the Regular Clergy being such as that they would rather Depose them for Immoralities and Errors in Doctrine to expose them than suffer them to Demit and get off without stain when they are guilty of the same But Mr. Alexander being Conscious of his own Innocency refused to Demit but rather to suffer their Extremity from which he hoped GOD in his good time would Vindicate him And therefore it being evident from the Grounds foresaid that the Synod has behaved themselves most partially and against all Law and Form The said Mr. Alexander does therefore Protest against the Synods further Proceeding in the said Matter and appeals from them and from any sentence they shall give therein to the next lawful General Assemblie And to their MAJESTIES Protection for Justice and Relief in the mean time And Protests That the said Libels and Witnesses Depositions taken thereupon may be preserved and not put out of the way That so the â—â—me and not Copies thereof may be produced to the next General Assembly Or to any their Majesties shall be pleased out of their Royal Authority to appoint to consider the same And that as the said Mr. Alexander will publish and disperse his Appeal and his Answers to the first Libel Which he only did see for his own Vindication from any sentence that shall follow hereupon So he expects and earnestly Desires that the said Synod may Print both the Libels against him and Depositions taken thereupon for vindication of their Justice if they can conceive they have done right But which Mr. Alexander hopes will rather vindicate his Innocency And further Mr. Alexander Craves and Protests That this his Appeal may be insert in the Books of the Synod Notwithstanding of the Appeals foresaid the Synod proceeded and Deposed the said Mr. Alexander from his Ministry and thereupon the Eldership of the Parish was invaded and some few severals of them scarce worth to be noticed as Residenters have usurped the power of electing Elders and have elected many moe than the number formerly used purposely as they think to make the greater Figure altho' but of the most inconsiderable of the Parish and of Design to Call Impose and Obtrude a Minister upon the Rest against their will contrary to the Laws of Charity Practices of Christian Churches and profession of Presbyterians Notwithstanding that the said Mr. Alexander Heriot his Appeal does in Law preserve his Right and keeps all in statu quo the time of the Appeal while it be discust Whereupon not only the said Mr. Alexander Heriott but likewise the Heritors and Parishioners of Dalkeith have given in a Petition to the Lords of their Majesties most Honourable Privy Council That they may be pleased to forbid the Calling of a Minister until the Appeal be discust And that in the mean time he may be restored to the Exercise of his Ministrie And that the Presbytery of Dalkeith And others who had the Libels given in against him and Depositions of the Witnesses may make the same known to him as Law appoints That he may know what is libelled or may seem to be proved to the effect he may the better clear himself of the same which is nothing but false lies and calumnies And whereof several of the Presbyterian Ministers who have seen the Libels and Depositions Affirm that there is nothing pretended to be proved But the dancing about the Bon-Fire which is not only clearly redargued to be false as said is there being no Bonfires either on the foresaid day nor for several months either before or after But likewise if the persons who have deponed it were known and re-examined it will be found they have deponed falsly And that they have been dealt with so to Depone And that this Falshood may not be discovered not only are the Depositions kept up contrary to express Law and Acts of Parliament But likewise no notice can be gotten who were the persons who have deponed it that they may be insisted against Whereas it is pretended That the Lords of their Majesties Privy Council are not Judges competent to the sentences of Ecclesiastick Courts and that as they cannot put in Ministers in Churches so they cannot meddle with sentences of Depositions It is answered That by the 1. Act 8 Parl. Ja. 6. It is Statute and Ordained That his Majestie and Council shall be Judges competent To all Persons Spiritual and Temporal in all matters And to pretend that the Council is not Judge competent to sentences of Ecclesiastick Courts is no other them to affirm That these Courts have an Arbitrary power and may do wrong at their pleasure without Remeed or Control For it is evident That Mr. Herriott is most unjustly pursued and Deposed And it is also evident that if it be not Redressed by the Council he will never be Restored by those Ministers who have dealt so unjustly with him And whereas it is alleaged That as the Council cannot put in Ministers so they cannot meddle with sentences of Deposition It is answered That the Council has not the power of Admission and Ordination of Ministers But if a Minister having a lawful Call the Presbyterie should refuse to admit and Ordain him albeit they have nothing to object against him upon Application to the Council or Session Letters will be directed to Charge the Presbyterie to Admit and Ordain him but multo magis in this case where a Minister is Deposed from his Ministrie as likewise from his Benefice which is his Livelyhood and Maintenance and yet most unjustly and without Ground or Reason The Council is most proper Judges for Restoring him against the foresaid Oppression Injurie and Unjust Sentence And for a further evidence of this unjust Sentence it is Humbly desired that the Lords of Their Majesties Privy Council will be pleased to take notice That in the first Libel there are many Articles which are not to be admitted in Law And it is said that there is none of them proved but the Dancing about the Bonfire And yet the Presbytery by their Sentence found the Libel Relevant and Proved which must be understood as to the
whole Articles of the Libel complexlie than which there is nothing more false as will appear by the Libels and Depositions if they were produced And yet thereupon Mr. Heriott is first suspended by the Presbytery and referred by them to the General Assembly for further Censure as if great Immoralities in Life and Errors in Doctrine had been proved against him And the Synod to which the Assembly remitted him following the steps of the Presbytery deposed him Now when Presbytery and Synod have acted thus contrary to express Law and have done open and manifest Unjustice and whereof all that heard of it are convinced and sensible And having stated themselves Parties against him there can be no Remedy expected from the said Unjustice Injury and Oppression unless the Lords of Their Majesties Privy Council interpose their Authority If it be alleaged That the late Act of Parliament The Act of Supremacy in Church matters is Repealed It is answered That the Act of Parliament 1669 is Rescinded which extended the Supremacy to the Ordering and Disposal of the External Government and Policy of the Church and to the Enacting of Constitutions Acts and Orders in the Church But the foresaid Act of K. Ja. 6. his 8 Parliament is not Rescinded which is only as to the Judging of Ecclesiastick Persons in matters complained upon and which power is inherent in the Crown otherways there should be Regnum in Regno and Church Judicatories should have arbitrary Power without Redress or Control as said is In Regard whereof The Lords of Their MAJESTIES Privy Council are Judges Competent to this Injurie Vnjustice and Oppression And the Desire of the Petitions ought to be Granted ACT of the General Assembly anent a Solemn National Fast and Humiliation with the Causes thereof At Edinburgh November 12. 1690. Postmeridiem Sess 25. THE General Assembly Having taken into their most serious Consideration the late great and general Defection of this Church and Kingdom have thought fit to Appoint a Day of Solemn Humiliation and Fasting for Confession of Sins and making Supplication to our Gracious God to forgive and remove the guilt thereof In order whereunto they have Ordained the Confession of Sins and Causes of Fasting following to be duly Intimat and Published Recommending it most earnestly to all persons both Ministers and others That every one of us may not only search and try our own hearts and ways and stir up our selves to seek the Lord But also in our Stations and as we have access Deal with one another in all love and tenderness to prepare for so great and necessary a Duty that we may find mercy in God's sight and He may be graciously reconciled to our Land in our Lord Jesus and take delight to dwell among us Although our gracious God hath of late for his own Names sake wrought great and wonderful things for Britain and Ireland and for this Church and Nation in particular Yet the Inhabitants thereof have cause to remember their own evil ways and to loath themselves in their own sight for their Iniquities Alas We and our Fathers our Princes our Pastors and People of all Ranks have sinned and have been under great Transgression to this day For though our gracious God shewed early kindness to this Land in sending the Gospel amongst us and afterward in our Reformation from Popish Superstition and Idolatry and it had the Honour beyond many Nations of being after our first Reformation solemnly devoted unto God both Prince and People yet we have dealt treacherously with the Lord and been unstedfast in his Covenant and have not walked suitably to our Mercies received from him nor obligations to him Through the mercy of God this Church had attained to a great purity of Doctrine Worship and Government but this was not accompanied with suitable personal Reformation neither was our Fruit answerable to the pains taken on us by Word and Work We had much Gospel-preaching but too little Gospel-practice too many went on in open wickedness and some had but a form of Godliness denying the power thereof many also who had the Grace of God in truth fell from their first love and fell under sad languishings and decays and when for our sins the anger of the Lord had divided us and we were brought under the feet of strangers and many of our Brethren killed others taken Captive and sold as slaves yet we sinned still and after we were freed from the yoke of strangers instead of returning to the Lord and being led to Repentance by his goodness the Land made open Defection from the good ways of the Lord many behaved as if they had been delivered to work abomination the flood-gates of Impiety were opended and a deluge of wickedness did over-spread the Land Who can without grief and shame remember the shameful debauchery and drunkenness that then was And this accompanied with horrid and hellish cursing and swearing and followed with frequent Filthiness Adulteries and other Abominations and the Reprover was hated and he that departed from Iniquity made himself a reproach or prey And when by these and such like corrupt practices mens Consciences were debauched they proceeded to sacrifice the Interest of the Lord Jesus Christ and Priviledges of his Church to the lusts and will of men The Supremacy was advanced in such a way and to such an height as never any Christian Church acknowledged the Government of the Church was altered and Prelacy which hath been always grievous to this Nation introduced without the Churches consent and contrair to the standing Acts of our National Assemblies both which the present Parliament hath blessed be God lately found And yet nevertheless of the then standing Ministry of Scotland many did suddenly and readily comply with that alteration of the Government some out of Pride and Covetousness or Man-pleasing some through infirmity or weakness or fear of Man and want of Courage and Zeal for God many faithful Ministers were thereupon cast out and many Insufficient and Scandalous men thrust in on their Charges and many Families ruined because they would not own them as their Pastors And alas It is undenyable there hath been under the late Prelacie a great decay of Piety so that it was enough to make a man be nicknam'd a Phanatick if he did not run to the same excess of riot with others And should it not be lamented for it cannot be denyed there hath been in some a dreadful Atheistical Boldness against God some have disputed the Being of God and his Providence the Divine Authority of the Scriptures the Life to come and Immortality of the Soul yea and scoffed at these things There hath been also an horrid Prophanation of the Holy and Dreadful Name of God by Cursing and Swearing Ah! there hath been so much Swearing and Forswearing amongst us that no Nation under Heaven have been more guilty in this than we some by swearing rashly or ignorantly some falsly by breaking their Oaths and imposing
AN HISTORICAL RELATION Of the Late General Assembly Held at EDINBURGH From Octob. 16. to Nov. 13. In the Year 1690. IN A LETTER From a PERSON in EDINBURGH To his Friend in LONDON LICENSED April the 20th 1691. LONDON Printed for J. Hindmarsh at the Golden-Ball in Cornhill near the Royal-Exchange MDCXCI A LETTER FROM EDINBVRGH TO ONE in LONDON c. SIR I Received yours and do not think it strange that those of England are so desirous to know the Acts and Proceedings of our General Assembly in Scotland for not only Curiosity but Interest may prompt them thereto I will readily serve you in this Matter and intended though you had not required it to have given you an Account of it that you might have Occasion of gratifying your worthy Friends and Acquaintance It 's true I was not Eye-Witness of what past for you know my Circumstances would not allow that and the Brethren as they call themselves endeavoured to keep out all that were not of their own party or who might tell Tales forbidding the Keepers of the door to admit any without a leaden Ticket in the shape of a Heart which was the Pass given them which was not so easily obtain'd except for their particular Friends and if any of the Episcopal Party were discovered there was a Cry presently Conformists are here and the Officers were sent to thrust them out However notwithstanding of this strictness there were always two or three discreet and intelligent Persons of my Acquaintance present at every Session from whom I have what I write to you And I assure you that you may trust the Ingenuity and Faithfulness of the Relation But before I come to the Assembly it self there be some things previous to it which you ought to be informed of A General Assembly in Scotland you know is much of the same Nature with the Convocation in England or a National Council and of no less Authority here Nay our Presbyterians exalt the Authority of their Assemblies aboue that of King or Parliament and there be some standing Acts of their Assemblies against Acts of Parliament and which discharge Obedience to them Whereupon our Presbyterians being not content with what the Parliament had done for them nor thinking their Authority sufficient for setting up their Government they required a General Assembly by whose Authority which with them is supreme and next to that of Jesus Christ their Government might be firmly established and all their Actings and Proceedings ratified and approved by it Yet they knew that a free Assembly of the Clergy and Laity throughout the Kingdom would rather defeat than advance their Designs therefore they consider'd how they might prevent that by some Method which would exclude all who were not well affected to their Interest or zealous for the Good Old Cause In order hereunto they prevailed with the Parliament to lodge the whole Government and Management of Church Affairs in the hands of those few Old Preachers who went off when Episcopacy was reestablished An. 1661. and such as should be admitted and approved by them When these Ministers off the Episcopal Perswasion who had complied with the present Civil Government heard this they thought themselves injured and therefore addressed to the Parliament to be admitted to a share of the Government or at least not to be absolutely subjected to them who were their stated and professed Enemies This they claimed as due to them not only upon the account of their being Lawful Ministers of the Gospel but also upon the account of the publick Faith which promised them Protection upon their compliance with the Civil Government Notwithstanding which their Petition was disdainfully rejected and the Act continued as before in favour only of the above-mentioned Presbyterian Preachers By which means all the present Episcopal Clergy and such of the Laity as favoured their Interest and had complyed with them were rendred incapable of bearing any Office in the Kirk and of Sitting and Voting in their Meetings This the Episcopal Party justly complained of and said That though Episcopacy was abolished merely upon an unjust and false Pretence that that Government exercised Tyranny over the Church yet now a real Presbyterian Tyranny was established that instead of Fourteen Bishops Sixty were set up who would Lord it over their Brethren more imperiously than they either did or pretended to do and that Presbyters were subjected to them who own'd themselves to be no more than Presbyters which had no Precedent in the Catholick Church but also they who could not be denyed to be Lawful Ministers were excluded from any share of the Discipline and Government of the Church which was contrary to the very Principles and Tenets of the Presbyterians themselves who make every private Minister to be invested with the Authority of ruling as well as of teaching and who affirm it unlawful for any Minister to part with that Right and who therefore were wont to exclaim against Bishops because they seemed to usurp it wholly to themselves All the Excuse made for this was That they could no otherwise make their Government sure and that the Episcopal Party deserved to be thus treated for their Apostacy in betraying and renouncing the true Rights and Interests of the Church by complying with Episcopacy Hence it was inferr'd that Presbyterians do juggle both with God and Man For whereas they would have the World believe that their Model of Government and Forms of Discipline are so much of Divine Right that they can submit to no Terms of Composition with Men about them so when it makes for their Interest they can without any scruple introduce essential Alterations thereof For Parity which they make the Institution of Christ was now taken away and out of the pretended exigence of the Church nine hundred Ministers were suspended from one half of that Power given them by Christ which at other times is said to be so essential to them that they cannot be Ministers of the Gospel without it Shortly after the passing that Act of Parliament for setting up the Presbyterian Government and committing the Care and Management thereof to these few surviving Presbyterian Ministers who had not complied with Episcopacy there was a Meeting at Edinburgh of Presbyterian Ministers and Lay-Elders to advise about the Affairs of the Kirk and to lay down Methods how a General Assembly should be call'd and constituted because as I have observed one could not be had according to their minds after the old manner and standing Rules of General Assemblies By Virtue of the Act of Parliament none had the Right to meddle with the Government and Affairs of the Church but such Ministers as had been removed by the restoration of Episcopacy and certainly these men were greatly overseen when they parted with that Privilege and admitted others to share with them before they had setled the Church according to their minds For by these means they were overpower'd and outvoted and forced to yield to
Clergy as their Ancestors the Pharisees were with the question about John's Baptism for on the one side they feared the Court who desired and required them to be moderate and indeed they perceived that it was their Interest at this time to make some shew of Moderation But on the other hand it was against their Interest to condemn the Proceedings of the Presbyteries nor could they do it because they were agreeable to the Rules concerted and prescribed by the general Meeting so following the policy of the Pharisees they waved the difficulty by remitting all to the Commission and particular Synods By this means they secured what was already done from being renverst and also freed the Assembly from the blame of any Injury or Injustice done or to be done for then these things might be charged on particular Persons and not on the whole Party However they ventured upon three or four Processes and by them you may guess what they would have done with the rest The first was That of Mr. Lesk Minister of Turreff within the Diocess of Aberdeen whose Church was claimed by one Mr. Arthur Mitchell by vertue of that Act of Parliament which restored the old Presbyterians to their Churches whether they were vacant or possessed by others Mr. Lesk first made Application to the Council and thought to have suspended Mr. Mitchell as not being comprehended within the Act of Parliament which only was designed in favour of these who had left their Ministry for not complying with Episcopacy whereas Mr. Mitchell was deposed and deprived long before that time But that not taking effect the Matter was brought before the Assembly where Mr. Lesk instructed that Mr. Arthur Mitchell was never legally settled Minister of Turreff that about the Year 1655. he was actually deposed and that tho he continued to preach there by means of a prevailing Faction of Remonstrators under the Usurper he was never look'd upon as Minister of the place and that in the Year 60. the Synod of Aberdeen being freed of the force and restraint that was formerly upon them did ratifie the former Sentence of Deposition And as for himself he pleaded that he had been legally setled Minister according to the Laws of the Land that he had submitted to the present Civil Government which had promised protection to them who did so and that the Heritors and People of his Parish were for his continuance among them and altogether averse to Mr. Arthur Mitchell To prove this last he produced a Declaration and Petition subscribed by the Gentlemen and others of the Parish Mr. Mitchell alledged that one or two of the Subscriptions were not genuine and therefore that the whole ought to be neglected as a Forgery Mr. Lesk replyed That he laid not the stress of this Cause on that Paper that he only produc'd it as an Adminicle that he had not gone about seeking Subscriptions for he looked upon that as below the Character of a Minister but that it was given him by honest Men and therefore he had reason to believe the Subscriptions genuine And if they laid any stress on the Inclinations of the People if a competent time were allowed him he would easily prove that they were for him but at present it was to be considered whether he was legal and rightful Minister of that place After two days debate it came to a Vote and the Vote was not whether Mr. Lesk or Mr. Mitchell should be continued Minister at Turreff but whether Mr. Mitchell was not rightful Minister Anno 1661. and only turned out by the unjust courses of the Times and whether he was not now to be looked upon as rightful Minister there which Vote was carried in the affirmative and Mr. Lesk being called in was told that the Assembly had deprived him and ordained Mr. Arthur Mitchell to be Minister at Turreff He asked the reasons of their Sentence which were refused but what ever might have been pretended the true reason was That they were glad of any pretence for casting out Episcopal Ministers who were always in their Sermons and Discourses called the Priests of Baal By virtue of that Act of Parliament I just now mentioned all the Churches were taken from the Episcopal Ministers to which any Presbyterian had the least pretence tho the former had complyed with the Civil Government and the other were setled in other places which they were not resolved to leave So for instance Mr. James Kirkton who hath a Meeting-house in Edinburgh and is called to be one of the Ministers of that City went out to the Parish of Martine where he had been formerly Minister and forced away Mr. Andrew Meldrum present Minister without allowing him time to dispose of his Goods and after he had performed this noble and heroick Exploit and preached a Sunday or two to get a right to the Stipend he returned to his Charge at Edinburgh and turned his back upon that in the Country as if there had been no more to be feared seeing the Curate was driven away The next Appeal which I suppose was considered was that of Mr. Sleery from the Presbytery of Linlithgow he was a Minister of the West who had been rabbled out of his own Church and thereafter was desired by the Minister of Falkirk to serve his Cure during his Sickness which he did and when that Minister died the Heritors and People of the Parish upon the experience they had of him desired that he might continue to preach to them promising that when the Government was setled they would take care to get him a legal Title to the Parish but it being firmly resolved on by all possible means to put out and disable all Episcopal Ministers the Presbytery of Linlithgow caused the said Mr. Sleery to be cited before them who compeiring was interrogated by what Authority he preached at Falkirk and how he came to use the Doxology The last he said was the custom of the place and that he did the first at the desire of the People The Presbytery not being satisfied with his Answers to these and some other Questions discharged him from preaching there any longer and declared the Church vacant to which Sentence he refused to submit and appealed therefore it was necessary to interpose the Authority of the Assembly for dispossessing him of that Church which was the reason why he was called upon When he compeired the Moderator askt him if he acknowledged the Civil Government and if he would submit to that of the Church to both which he answered affirmatively but when it was askt him if he repented of his compliance with Episcopacy he said If it was a Sin he would repent of it His Answer did neither please nor satisfie them for the Moderator told him it seemed he yet doubted whether it was a Sin or not So finding by this and some other things that he was not yet a through Convert they deprived him of his Church and discharged him the Exercise of his
People who are in War or Danger by Infidel or Popish adversaries in Europe or America And in particular that the Lord would be Gracious to Ireland and sanctifie to his People there both their distress and deliverance and perfect what concerneth them that he would convert the Natives there to the Truth and reduce that Land to Peace and appoint Salvation for Walls and Bullwarks to Brittain For all these Causes and Reasons The General Assembly hath appointed the Second Thursday of January next to be Observed in all the Congregations of the Church and Nation as a day of Solemn Fasting and Humiliation and Prayer Beseeching and Obtesting all both Pastors and People of all Ranks to be sincere and serious in Humilitation and Supplication and universal Reformation as they would wish to find mercy of the Lord and have deserved wrath averted and would obtain the Blessing of the Lord upon themselves and Posterity after them and that the Lord may delight in us and our Land may be as Married to him And Ordains all Ministers either in Kirks or Meeting houses to read this present Act publickly from the Pulpit a Sabbath or two before the said Day of Humiliation and that the several Presbyteries take care that it be carefully Observed in their respective bounds And where in regard of Vacancies the Day hereby appointed cannot be observed the Assembly appoints the said Humiliation to be kept some other Day with the first convenient opportunity And appoints the Commission for Visitation to apply to the Council for their Civil Sanction to the Observation thereof Extracted out of the Records of Assembly by JO. SPALLING Cls. Syn. National A PROCLAMATION Anent a Solemn National Fast and Humiliation WILLIAM and MARY by the Grace of God King and Queen of Great Britain France and Ireland Defenders of the Faith To Macers of our Privy Council or Messengers at Arms our Sheriffs in that part Conjunctly and severally specially constitute Greeting Forasmuch as the General Assembly of this Church by their Act of the date the twelfth day of November instant hath appointed a Solemn National Fast and Humiliation to be Observed in all the Kirks and Meeting-Houses of this Our Antient Kingdom and appointed their Commission for Visitation to apply to the Lords of Our Privy Council for Our Civil Sanction to be interposed thereto And they having Applyed accordingly Therefore We with Advice of the Lords of our Privy Council Do hereby Command and Enjoyn That the said Solemn Fast and Humiliation be Religiously observed by all Persons throughout this Kingdom both in Kirks and Meeting-Houses at the Dyets and in the manner as by the above-mentioned Act of Assembly hereto prefixed is appointed And that the same be read by all the Ministers in manner therein mentioned And to the end that so Pious and necessary a Duty may be punctually performed and Our Pleasure in the Premisses fully known Our Will is herefore and We Charge you straitly and Command that incontinent these Our Letters seen ye pass to the Mercat-Cross of Edinburgh and the remanent Mercat-Crosses of the Head-Burghs of the several Shires and Stewartries within this Kingdom and in Our Name and Authority make Publication of the Premises that none may pretend ignorance And we do Ordain Our Solicitor to dispatch Copies hereof to the Sheriffs of the several Shires and Stewarts of the Stewartries or their Deputs or Clerks to be by them Published at the Mercat-Crosses of the Head-Burghs upon receipt thereof and immediately sent to the several Ministers both in Kirks and Meeting-Houses to the effect they may read and intimat the same from their Pulpits and may seriously exhort all Persons to a sincere and devout observance thereof as they Regard the Favour and Blessings of the Almighty God the Safety and Preservation of both Church and State and would avoid the Wrath of God upon themselves and their Posterity and as they will be answerable at their peril And Ordains these Presents to be Printed with the said Act of Assembly and these Presents to be Published in manner foresaid Given under Our Signet at Edinburgh the twenty first day of November And of Our Reign the second year 1690. Per actum Dominorum Sti. Concilii GILB ELIOT Cls. Sti. Concilii God save King WILLIAM and Queen MARY Edinburgh Printed by the Heir of Andrew Anderson Printer to the King and Queens most Excellent Majesties 1690. FINIS * Except the Contributions of the Sisters which were something to one who knew no other ways how to live * At thâ— end of this Leâ—ter vidâ— Informâ—tion givâ— in by Mâ— Heriot â—â— the Privâ— Council * This Exposition of the Fathers Words you may find in the 169 p. of his pretended Answer to Dr. Stillingfleet's Vnreasonableness of Separation †Coliness * Ten or Twelve of which are said in a Morning one after another * That is to turn all the Episcopal Clergy out of the Church Vide the first Paper ‖ Vid. second Paper Vide the last Paper
Fast is Urged out of fear of Gods wrath and after that is subjoyned the highest perils from them which some said was like the Proclamations of one Borthwiâ—k sometimes a Bayliff in this City which were wont to be under the pain of death and fourty Pound besides The mentioning of these printed Acts brings to my Memory a passage of the Printer Some in hopes of getting gain thereby Petitioned the Ass for the gift of publishing their Acts. Mrs. Anderson claim'd the priviledge by vertue of a gift from the King to print all publick Acts and Proclamations and withall she might have deserved such a savour from them having ever heretofore Favoured their Party and allowed them the use of her Press for publishing their Pamphlets and even such as durst not be well avowed But either because they would have a Printer of their own distinct from the Kings or that they would not shew kindness to her who had accession to the guilt of the late Reigns by printing their sinfull Acts and Proclamations for one or both these Reasons they denied her the Favour and bestowed it on George Mosman who represented in his Petition that he was not only always a true friend to their Interest but also a sufferer for the Cause And it 's true he was ever Whig enough but what his Sufferings were it is not well known seeing he ever lived peaceably at Edenburgh and had the freedome of a good trade whereby he is become Fat every way Other men lose by their Sufferings but they gain by theirs even in this life So Mr. Johnston died two Thousand pound Sterling rich who was not worth forty or fifty pound when he left his charge Tho' Mrs. Anderson was repulsed by the Ass yet she would not give over but next tried her Interest with the Councill that at least she might have the printing of those Acts which had the Civil Sanction added to them they being comprehended within her gift Crawford who thinks all the Acts of the Presbyterians should be like the Laws of the Medes and Persians stood up for Mosman others pleaded Mrs. Andersons right it not being in the power of the Councill far less of the Ass to take away their right and property or any part of it But one said smartly that the Case should be stated not betwixt Mrs. Anderson and Mosman but betwixt the King and the Ass whether the King should yield to the Ass or the Ass to the King My Lord Crawford thought the first no absurdity and offered to produce instances of it in former times But the rest of the Councellors thought they were obliged in Civility to prefer the King and so Mrs Anderson carried it I believe I may have wearied you with the length of my Letter I crave pardon only to add two or three particulars more and I shall close The first was their appointing an answer to be made to the printed accounts of the persecution of the Episcopal Clergy in this Kingdom At the generall meeting it was laid on Mr. Meldrum who declin'd it Then it was recommended to Mr. Alexander Pitcairine who did nothing in it He excused himself before the Ass in that he knew not the matters of fact and the true Information was not sent him The Ass ordered him again to go on in it and appointed Mr Gilbert Rule and some others to assist him in the work and required all the members to furnish them with Instructions proper for it Mr. Meldrum in a Sermon before the Ass offered to Justify the barbarities of the Rabble and the ill usage which the Episcopal Clergy met with alledging that their errors vices and scandals deserve no better at the peoples hands But what Justification defence will be made by those who are appointed to do it in name of the Ass I do not know but this I am confident that they will never prove any material circumstance in matter of fact to be false A Second particular I am to make you acquainted with is an Act for taking off the sentence of deposition which was pronounced against some Ministers especially those of the Remonstrators party anno 1660 I told you before that it had been proposed at the General meeting but was then laid aside by reason of the mistakes that were like to arise among the Brethren about it Now the Moderator who was mainly concerned in the business finding himself a little better stated made an overture of it to the Ass the day it was dissolved and to obtain it the more easily he brought it in by way of a surprize Brethren said he you may remember there were once some unhappy differences among us which some carried so high as to proceed to inflict the sentence of deposition upon some on that account now I think it sit before we part that this sentence be revoked that as we are all one mans bairns so we may be all alike stated Mr. Gilbert Rule replied that he judged it better to bury these matters in oblivion that they could not pass a generall Act for reponing these men without re-examining their processes which was no ways fit perhaps they would not be found all alike for some might be deposed for Scandall and other Crimes and not only for these unhappy heats and differences The Moderator answered him Brother there is no need of condescending or particulars and I believe they will be found all alike and that they are all very honest men that are concerned So he named Mr. Wier and some others and among the rest himself in the third person saying There is one Mr. Hugh Kennedy whom I warrant you ken all well enough To conclude the Act passed the sentence of deposition lying upon these persons was made void and they declared to be true and lawfull Ministers And herein truly the Moderators wit fail'd him for instead of righting himself which he designed he raised objections against himself which otherwise would have been forgotten and by this Act brought an indelible tash both upon his own publick Ministry these two three years and also upon the present Ass in that the Moderator and many of its members were both legally and Canonically incapable Now that they hear this they pretend that the sentence was taken off formerly and that the Ass only ratifyed and confirmed what was formerly done in these mens favour and that it was usuall to ratify in the first Generall Ass the Acts of inferiour Judicatories But as they cannot instance the time nor the meeting in which these persons were reponed so they never had any proper or avowed meeting for such a business till the Indulgence granted by King James and we never heard it so much as proposed before in any of their avowed meetings till the last general one as was already declared and either the sentence lying upon these persons was valid or not If it was not then what needed such a Solemn annulling of it by an Act of the Generall Ass