spirit in our Brethren 3. That they should take upon them in these meetings to determine upon matters of greatest importance already determined both in State and Church as the first time these conclusions agreed upon by both mentioned in the matter of the Remonstrance were expresly condemned was in their first meeting of this sort for not only doth it reflect upon the established judicatories as not worthy to be trusted in these things but neither have they any power of themselves to determine in these things nor have the generality of the godly whom they pretend to represent power to authorize them for that effect unlesse they will joyn issue with fifth Monarchy-men in their opinions concerning the power of Saints 4. That by their determinations in those meetings so contrary to truth and the received principles of this Church and the results and practices that flow from them and all under the name of the generality of the godly they expose piety to hatred and contempt amongst us while as men see pretenders thereunto so absurd and irregular in their opinions and practices By this means we may say it with regrate impiety and irreligion have spread more within these few years than of a long time formerly § 35 Their next course for carrying on their work was the erecting of the pretended Commission from the generall Assembly 1650. as still in force because of the preâ—ended nullity of the Assemblies that have succeeded thereunto The setting up of this Commission was one of the results of their first extrajudicial meeting in October or November 1651. At which time what they had agreed upon in their meeting concerning the causes of wrath and the overturning of the setled resolutions of State and Church was published as the deed of that Commission hereby supposing to add authority thereunto but in effect branding this Church as infamous while as they who pretend to have supreme power therein for present and give out themselves to be the only men who have adhered to the principles of the Church of Scotland do make null and void all the publike Transactions concluded in the view of the world do maintain such inconsistent principles and do retract and condemn these things which were held out as the constant tenour of the Churches conclusions and declarations § 36 As this was the first Act of that pretended Commission so they have since from time to time adjourned and voted the continuance of that power as still in force to this day And albeit for any thing we know they have no authentick Copie of their Commission whereby they might know their power what is intrusted to them and the number which makes a Quorum yea albeit not only that Commission was legally expired at the day of the meeting of the next Assembly which convened in the year 1651. But albeit the generality of the Members thereof did give up their Commission and proceedings to be tried in that Assembly and were accordingly approved and a new Commission given as was also done at the Assembly thereafter 1652. yet our Brethren being but a small number of the members of that Commission upon a pretence of the nullity of these Assemblies did judge upon the validity of their own protestations against them and set themselves down as a Commission which for any thing we know may be a perpetual court seeing they alledge the continuance of their power till the next free and lawful general Assembly and none such can be had so long as they please to protest against it even albeit the Presbyteries and generality of the National Church should own it as they did at both these contraverted Assemblies We know not what can be if this be not an usurpation upon the liberties of the Church when some of these who are intrusted with a deligate power till the next Assembly do make themselves perpetual Prelates and usurp a negative voice over the Presbyteries and their Commissioners met in a general Assembly yea and over the major part of these intrusted with them and so do cast all who ought to call them to an account that they may still continue in power § 37 A third course taken by our Brethren to make and keep a party and faction is their way of celebrating Communions and observing of publique Fasts Albeit the general Assembly in the year 1645. did establish an Order for uniformity and preventing of confusion in the celebration of that Sacrament wherewith this whole Church then rested well satisfied Yet since our divisions our dissenting Brethren have taken up a new and irregular way To omit their way of admitting persons who come from other Congregations they do not now usually celebrate that Ordinance but they have a great many six or seaven and sometime double or more of Ministers gathered to it whose Congregations most part are left destitute of Preaching that day great confluences from all the Country and many Congregations about are gathered at them and on every day of their meeting which are Saturday the Lords day and Munday many of these Ministers do Preach successively one after another so that three or four and sometime more do preach at their preparation and as many on the Munday following and on the Lords day sometime three or four do Preach before they go to the action besides these who Preach to the multitudes of People that cannot be contained in the Church These practices as they are a clear violation of the Order unanimously established in this Church and do occasion great animosities and alienations in simple People against those Ministers who will not imitate these irregular courses so uninteressed observers do perceive a clear design in all this to set up themselves as the only pious and zealous people worthy to be trusted and followed in our publique differences Which if it be not an injury to that sacred Ordinance and an improving thereof which is a bond of unity and communion to be a wedge to drive on and fixe a rent let the judicious and sober judge § 38 The like may be said of their publique Fasts appointed by themselves and for causes which they emit without the concurrence of the judicatories We shall not insist to clear how untrue many of their causes are upon the matter as determining in our publique differences contrary to the judgement of this Church nor to assert their want of authority to appoint Fasts and determine the causes thereof except upon causes proper to the Congregation where the Fast is observed especially upon such causes as are otherwise determined by the Church judicatories But two things we cannot passe in this matter 1. That a studied schisme and Rent is carried on by these Fasts as will appear partly if we consider the timeing of them so as may make the division betwixt them and their Brethren conspicuous in these things Since our divisions the judicatories of the Church have been tender of a visible rupture in the matter of publique Fasting
such trust or power as may be prejudicial to the cause of God and that such Officers as are of known integrity and affection to the cause and particularly such as have suffered in our former Armies may be taken special notice of § 13 The other resolution was concerning the admitting of persons to places of trust in the State and the rescinding of the Act of Classes of the date May 24. 1651. Wherein after the repetition of several desires of the King Parliament and Committee of Estates renewed with great earnestnesse for the space of two Months to the Commission for a clear and positive answer to the quaery propounded concerning that matter It is declared as followeth Least any aspersion should be cast upon us of incroaching upon or intruding our selves unto the Office of the civil Power and Authority we do declare that we do not assume to our selves and that it is not competent to us but only to the King and Parliament to make or repeal Acts of Parliament and therefore that as the Commission of the Kirk had not hand in making of the Act of Classes so neither do we take upon us to derermine the keeping up or rescinding or repealing of the same yet being required by his Majesty and Estates of Parliament to give our judgement and advice in point of conscience whether or not considering the ground contained in the Narrative of the Act of Classes viz. The solemn league and Covenant the solemn acknowledgement of sins and ingagements to duties Declarations emitted by the Kirk and the ingagement and pronnse made by the Committee of Estates to the Kingdom of England It be sinfull and unlawfull to admit to be members of the Committee of Estates persons formerly debarred from the publique trust or to rescind and repeal the Acts of Classes We declare that as for any engagement or promise made unto the Kingdome of England concerning not admitting unto places of power and trust persons accessary unto the sinful engagement against that Kingdome we know nothing of the nature or grounds thereof and therefore leaves it to the Estates of Parliament themselves to consider how it doth oblige or not oblige in the present condition of affairs in these Kingdomes But for the solemn League and Covenant the solemn acknowledgement and engagement and former Declarations we do find that they do not particularly determine any definite measure of time of excluding persons from publique trust for by-past offences but only binds and obliges condignely to punish offenders as the degree of the offence shall require or deserve or the supream judicatory of the Kingdom or others having power from them for that effect shall judge convenient to purge all judicatories and places of power trust and to indeavour that they consist of and be filled with such men as are of known good affection to the cause of God and of a blameless and Christian conversation which is a morall duty commanded in the Word of God and of perpetual obligation so that nothing upon the account of these grounds doth hinder but that persons formerly debarred from places of power and trust for their offences may be admitted to be members of the Committe of Estates and the censure inflicted upon them by the Acts of Classes may be taken off and rescinded without sin by the Parliament whose power it is to lengthen or shorten the time of such censures according as they shall find them just and necessary provided they be men who have satisfied the Kirk for their former offences have renewed or taken the Covenant and be qualified for such places with the qualifications required in the Word of God and expressed in the solemn acknowledment and engagement viz. That they be men of known good affection to the cause of God and of a blamelesse and Christian conversation which ought always carefully to be observed and made conscience of though there were no such Act of Classes to the effect that no persons get such power and trust into their hands as may be prejudicial to the cause of God § 14 These are the resolutions which have been and are so much noised abroad in the world because of which our dissenting brethren have made such stirs in Preaching and in writing and Printed papers determining them to be a horrid defection to our Covenants and forsaking of the cause of God and laying the weight of their first dividing from the rest of the Church and Countrey upon these though unjustly as may appear from what hath been cleared in the matter of the Remonstrance yea and branding honest men who concurred in them or consented to them with very odious imputations and determining these resolutions to be the grand causes of the Lords wrath against the Land Upon the account whereof they have separated from and rent the judicatories of the Church the condition of the times contributing thereunto and by their protestations and declinators against the general Assemblies the Church is brought into the confusions and distractions under which we do so sadly suffer And albeit somewhat hath been already spoken for vindicating us in this particular in the observations upon the differences in the Church of Scotland from page 10. to 17. And it is not our work in this Representation to publish a Treatise in defence of these resolutions yet we shall add a few things for clearing of the matter § 15 As to the former resolution of December 14. 1650. we need not insist to declare That this debate is extrinsecal to our Doctrine Worship and Church-government and therefore it cannot be justified that such a rent should be made because of our differences about it That there was no question made by our Brethren of the lawfulnesse of the service wherein these Forces were to be imployed which might have added weight to the grounds of their dissent That the Country was really in that low condition supposed in the resolution occasioned partly by our Brethrens separation upon the account of the Remonstrance which could not but put State and Church into great straits and warrant them in their stations to improve all ordinary means not prohibited by the Word of God and the use whereof is not in it self sinful for necessary self preservation And that whatever latitude may be taken in such a case yet the commission in their resolution did use such caution that if they be judged thereby as they ought to be there can be no defection fastened upon them even by them who condemn a general concurrence of fellow subjects in cases of extremity for in effect they approve of none to be admitted but such as are professed friends to the cause of God and who enter in Covenant for that effect But passing all these we desire it may be remembred that our Brethren did not content themselves simply to condemn this resolution or to assert that it was unlawful to take in or imploy such as they are qualified in the resolution But running to
they did begin a rent by departing from the received principles of this Church yea and from what themselves did formerly judge a sufficient security to the cause of God and a great mercy to obtain it and accordingly some of them were but a little before chiefly active in closing Treaties and Transactions upon these principles who afterward endeavoured to overturn them This may discover to the world what a spirit it is which leads our Brethren in their way seeing they can not only not acquiesce in the determin ations of the Supreme Authority of a Church or State concerning matters of greatest concernment to both nor content themselves with the exoneration of their own consciences if they be not satisfied but when themselves have agreed to these things and have been chief contrivers of them there can be no security given but they will retract their judgements and overturn them again Which principle and way is inconsistent with the safety or standing of any humane society whatsoever It is true in their Remonstrance and since in their emissions to the world in print they would lay the great stress of this alteration in their judgement and way upon after discoveries of crooked wayes in managing of Transactions in pursuance of these principles and of some particulars in these Transactions which were kept up from the judicatories upon the knowledge whereof they did see the evil and sin of these conclusions of Church and State But if it were to any purpose to trouble the world with stories of matters of fact we could easily demonstrate what a gaining trade they have made of misrepresentations of this kind and in particular that it is more then evident to all who are acquainted with these affairs that these resolutions were faithfully managed and full satisfaction obtained in all that was required previous to a conclusion and that no particular though in matters only upon the by and that whereof they make so much noise was only a person who was bred in the Church of England his taking the Communion once kneeling after he had entred on a Treaty was kept up from these who now complain of it nay or from the Assembly it self as will appear from the report given in to the Assembly and is now in publike record But waving all these it is clear from their Paper emitted to the world Entituled The Causes of the Lords wrath against Scotland that they do hold out the very resolutions and determinations of Church and State in these matters previous to any conclusion as the cause of the Lords controversie against the Land So that assert what they please to gloss the matter they have made a defection from the principles of this Church and prosecuted the same with a rupture and separation § 6 3. What ever may be said of Supreme judicatories and their power to recognosce and re-examine their own conclusions yet it would be considered that the contrivers presenters and prosecuters of that Remonstrance were but private men or did it in a private capacity They were some inferiour Officers Gentlemen and Ministers attending some Forces who took upon them to condemn acts and conclusions of Supreme judicatories unanimously concluded many of themselves as hath been said being present and not contradicting but positively consenting thereunto and that concerning matters of State and civil Government of greatest importance Which any unbyassed and sober spirit will perceive to be a matter above their reach and station especially to have condemned them by way of remonstrance publikely emitted to the world and presented to the State without so much respect had to these judicatories as once to desire them first to re-examine and take into consideration these acts and conclusions yea refusing to apply themselves to such a way as that when advised and earnestly pressed thereunto as more orderly by some to whom they did communicate their design And albeit the Commissioners of the general Assembly were then sitting to whom the management of publike affairs of the Church were committed and who ought to have been consulted with in all weighty matters especially when our Brethren did call in question the conclusions of the preceding Assembly yet it pleased them not to own them in this matter but of themselves did by positive determination contrary to the acts of the Assembly prevent their advice It is true indeed after thy had concluded the matter they who were entrusted by the rest did present the Remonstrance to the Commissioners of the general Assembly desiring their concurrence in presenting it to the State but withal it is to be remembred that when it was enquired if they had any power to change any thing in it They answered that though some expressions might be changed yet they had no power and were not to alter any thing of the matter of it which was in effect to obtrude their determinations upon the Church-judicatorie As these things did evidence their small respect to the government of this Church and their stretching themselves beyond their line by determining in their private capacity not only antecedently but contrary to the conclusions of the Supreme judicatories so divers of these who went a long with them in it at first perceiving shortly after how divisive and destructive to al order that course was did quickly withdraw from them repenting that ever they had engaged with them Sect. 7.4 What ever charity might have been allowed them in presenting their thoughts upon these Transactions or of other faults for a testimony and exoneration of their own consciences and desiring to have them redressed in an orderly way by the competent judicatories yet this can no wayes be justified that not only they second their Testimony with a separation but in the close of the Remonstrance they hold forth a Declaration and avowing of engagements upon their hearts these are the very words before God if he shall lengthen their dayes and take pleasure in them to make them any way instrumental in his work and for his peoples good and safety That they shall to the utmost of their power endeavour to get these things remedied according to their places and callings Which was a real and plain engaging and banding of themselves together to prosecute the matter of their Remonstrance by arms and force it being certain that the most part of the Remonstrators then were in a military place and calling And this several passages in their carriage before they were broken did clearly enough evidence to be their purpose and intention And the judgement of this Church of such divisive bandings of parties hath been so well known especially since the general Assembly 1642. That our Brethren cannot free themselves of walking contrary to the established order of this Church in that their practic § 8 5. Albeit our Brethren by this Remonstrance and the prosecution thereof had made a broach upon our sweet harmony and unity and laid the foundation of all our following breaches yet the Commission
account They say a design was carried on to advance Malignants and to crush these who had formerly been opposite to them and yet no such design can be fastened on the Commissions resolution yea before this resolution was given they interposed for obtaining security for all that were to be admitted in that very particular and did not fail to bear witnesse against some who were admitted by the State against whom there was just cause of exception They cry out that many of these who were admitted upon this and the former resolution were but superficial in professing repentance for their former miscarriages and it was suddenly taken off their hands But we need not vindicate how injustly this imputation is cast upon many of them who were most opposed by them whose carriage hath proved them more stedfast in the cause of God and lesse seekers of their own interests then those that opposed them We do only assert that this cannot be laid to the charge of the Commission who as they walked justifiably in holding out the rule so they did receive very few themselves but remitted them to the judicatories charging them to be accurate in the matter and to proceed according to the order appointed by the general Assemblies Yea it was some of our Brethren themselves who did receive some of the most eminent of those upon profession of their repentance § 28 We proceed now to speak somewhat to the third matter of our publike difference Which relates to the two last Assemblies of this Church the one at St. Andrews and Dundie in the year 1651. and the other at Edinburgh the year thereafter Against the first of which our Brethren apprehending that it was likely the Commissions resolutions might be approved there were pleased to protest and declined it as unlawful and evil as to all authority as they did also against that which ensued and ever since will have them to be accounted no general Assemblies of this Church The evil of this course being so notour and sensible in the sad consequences thereof both at home among our selves and abroad also among all who hear of our differences and do love that truth and peace which once was amongst us we shall say but a few things to it And § 29 First It may be evident to all who are unbyassed that our Brethren by protesting once and again against the supreme Church-judicatory and being ready and waiting on to have done it the third time had the Assembly 1653. been permitted to fit and constitute themselves have begun and continued a sad rent in this Church destructive to the very being thereof if mercy prevent it not Albeit before this Rent one of the leading men of that party had declared in a particular case that protesting against the act of a general Assembly or of any delegates having their power deserved summary excommunication by the constitutions of this Church yet they have not spared when it was for their interests and the times seemed to afford them immunity to protest against the very being of two Assemblies Whereas had they contented themselves to have protested against the approving of the Resolutions or any other acts of these Assemblies which might have been a sufficient salve and exoneration to them we are confident it had been born with as many such irregular practices and protestations of theirs are laid aside without censure by inferior judicatories But by their overturning the very being and authority of these Assemblies They have taught ill-affected men too many criticisms upon all the Assemblies which have been in this Church They have learned others by their example to contemn the Authority of Church-judicatories as we find by daily experience They have laid down a course how themselves and others if they please to follow their example may do what they list and then decline the Judge who should cognosce upon their carriage They slight and oppose the resolutions of inferiour Church-judicatories protesting and appealing to a lawful general Assembly and yet by their principles they are sure the Church of Scotland shall have none lawful had they never so many till they be pleased to approve thereof And they have cast themselves upon a snare very sinful and scandalous in a National Church that by their declinatures they are engaged not only against what they think sinful in the acts of these Assemblies but that they cannot join in most lawful things were it humiliations upon incontroversed causes which flow from that authority These are some few of the sad consequences necessarily attending these protestations which may abundantly evidence the evil and fin of such a course Secondly The evil of this course may appear further if we compare their fact with the Reasons upon which they ground it no wayes like these Reasons upon which the general Assembly at Glasgow condemned some former corrupt general Assemblies but for the most part so false and irrelevant that it is to us strange they should own them before the world and publish them in print They give out there was no access to many to come to that first Assembly by reason of the motions of Armies at that time and yet beside that this is very extrinsecal to the freedom and lawfulnesse of the Assembly Commissioners came from places most infested They say the Assembly was infrequent and yet the Roles of that Assembly will evidence it was as frequent as many of the Assemblies which they do not question They alleage that the Assembly was not free but over-awed and yet some of themselves who went along with that Assembly till the end thereof though afterward they joined in the protestation may bear witness if they will speak truth that never did Assembly more freely and fully debate and reason upon matters then this Assembly did upon these Resolutions They urge in their protestation against the second Assembly that many Presbtyeries refused to send Commissioners to it and yet they were but some and that where they had power for which the Assembly could not be blamed and some others who thought fit not to send Commissioners yet by their Letter to the Assembly did expresly declare they were not against the Authority of the former Assembly and consequently not against that To this may be added that our Brethren themselves did really evidence their own sense of the weaknesse of their grounds in that though all their Reasons were clear before the Assembly at St. Andrews and Duadie was constitute yet they forbare at first to give in their declinature but with some salvo's did sit and join in the Assembly chusing a Moderator and acting both in the Assembly and Committes for several dayes never appearing with their protestation till the day wherein a considerable part of the forces were defeat the assembly were met late atnight to adjourn to Dundie and then very unseasonably they gave in it Yea it further appears from this that the most part of these who now join in that
against the judicatories and their proceedings From which it is clear that the Commission used more tendernesse in that case then was usual and approven formerly in this Church If our brethren as they do recurre to this that the proceedings of the Commission 1648. were right upon the matter as these in the 51. were not and so the cases are different We hope what hath been said of these resolutions will refute that imputation and clear there is a parity still And however we believe that matters of formality in constituting judicatories must be still the same in all matters and what ever may be concluded from the matter as to one act of the judicatorie yet it cannot be simply null if it proceed in form but according to former approven practices 3. It would be impartially considered what effect that Letter had as to prelimit the assembly in the election of its members wherein we hope the nullity of the allegeance will sufficiently appear For 1. It is known that Letter was sent but to a very few Presbyteries these most of them after their elections were past 2. It needed not to be sent to many for that end they mention viz. to prelimit them in their elections for many Presbyteries had none at all of their judgement among them and others very few and however they have emitted to the world an account of some in most of Presbyteries of their judgment yet when they reckon again they will find they have wronged some whom they name as theirs and yet to this day they continue opposite to their course and that they could not make such an account then of many as they may do now since divers taking advantage of the times and seeking their own interests have fallen to them 3. Whatever they say of the Commissions deed or their active prelimitations thereby yet if they shall assert there was any passive prelimitation either of Presbyteries in electing or the Assemblies admitting of such to be members in which case only it can plead the nullity of the Assembly we may boldly declare that they speak against clear truth for nowithstanding that letter the most part of the most active opposers were chosen by Presbyteries and admitted and acted in that assembly till it pleased themselves to protest and leave it Yea further to assert this passive prelimitation of Presbyteries will strike not only against the Commission but against all the Presbyteries of the Land as unfaithfull and betrayers of their trust which were too heavy a charge against a Nationall Church The truth is the carriage both of the Commission Presbyteries and Generall Assemblie doth make it clear there was no prelimitation intended nor practised in electing members to nor admitting them to sit in the Generall Assembly for they not onely might but were actually chosen and admitted in it Only as is said the Commission thought it fit they should be cited thither and that however they might act and vote in other things yet the Commission and they should be tried together in that debate which we believe any unbyassed Christian will judge to have been their duty and very far from prelimiting of the Assembly and an irrelevant ground on which they should have made a rent and such an inlet of confusion upon this Church as hath followed thereupon § 33 Having so briefly as might consist with perspicuity laid open the true State of the controversie betwixt our Brethren and us and the progresse of our publique differences till it came to a stated rupture by their Protestations we shall now in pursuance of the second head propounded give a brief account of some consequences and practices that have followed upon this rupture It may be and is the matter of our sad lamentation before the Lord and we might pour out abundance of complaints in the bosomes of sympathysing Christians who ever were sensible of the mercy of a Churches enjoying the sweet of harmony that by these divisions sad prejudices have redounded to the Kingdom of Christ among us that the work of the Gospel is exceedingly retarded thereby Atheism and irreligion increased true Religion and godliness exposed to hatred and reproach because of the carriage and way of many who professed it the authority of Church-judicatories enervate and rendred contemptible their meetings which some times were a reviving now turned into occasions of grief to the lovers and friends of Church-Government and order yea and the work of purging which our Brethren do so much call for exceedingly retarded and obstructed But leaving these before the Lord who alone can apply an effectual remedy thereunto we hold it our duty to give an account of some of our Brethrens irregular practices following upon their renting from the Judicatories whereby as by the effects it may appear what their spirit and way in these differences is and it may be discerned what accession they have to these sad distempers formerly mentioned § 34 Their first course taken for carrying on their design and strengthning their faction and which they set on foot shortly after their first protestation was the convening of great numbers of Ministers Elders Professours and Expectants from all parts of the Land in extrajudicial meetings Wherein after confession of sins and prayer performed indifferently by Ministers Elders or others in these great meetings they did and do proceed to determination of particulars tending to the strengthening of their cause and engaging of others in it and do give equall power to all present in voicing and determining in these matters of most publique concernment The Lord knoweth that we do from our hearts approve of the duties of private mutual edification as they are enjoined in the word and are recommended and bounded by the acts of our general Assemblies with the conseat and to the good liking then of all our Brethren and we do account it not sutable to the nature of these duties to make a noise of professing our own practise thereof accordingly But we do not see that our Brethrens way in these is at all agreeable to the Rule nor consistent with the peace of any constitute National Church And particularly we cannot but resent in their way 1. That they should make use of these religious exercises as a subservient mean for carrying on these courses which we hope by what is said will appear to be most unlawful in themselves 2. That by giving out themselves in these meetings as the generality of the godly throughout the Land or delegates in a sort from them they do cast an imputation upon the bulk of the National Church beside who are against their way and do not joyn with them in these courses as not only wrong in that matter but as not godly some very few excepted Which as we know to be a most false imputation not many of these of any rank who owned the cause from the beginning going along with them So it is an evidence of a strange divisive and separating
and therefore when our Brethren would not concur with them in that duty they forbare to observe week days for that effect as was their custome formerly and they would gladly yet be at it as they do continue it where the division is not that so all the people might be about religious worship on days appointed for Fasting though our Brethren would not joyn in it but our Brethren not regarding this do observe them on week days wherein the scandalous rupture appears in that they are about that exercise while their neighbouring Congregations yea and sometime many in that same Congregation dissatisfied with their way are at work And partly if we confider their way in these Fasts even such as they observe in their Communions for they conveen many Ministers and multitudes of people from all corners about to that work 2. We are not a little confirmed in our apprehension of a design in this that our brethren do refuse to joyn in humiliations and fasts with us and that upon most uncontraverted causes such as our calamities divisions and contempt of the Gospel c. Sometime they refused to joyn in them because they flowed from the authority of the Assemblies which they cannot own which we do look upon as a visible and woful fruit of the needles Rent they have made by overturning these judicatories as null in their authority to all effects and sometime when the fast is appointed by unquestioned authority of Synods and Presbyteries they have refused to joyn because they alleadged the causes were defective that is according to our brethren because the Resolutions of the Church and the owning the authority of these Assemblies were not brought in also as causes of fasting We hope the judicious and godly will perceive this not only to be unjust upon the matter and an injurious reflecting upon their brethren who require no such thing of them in reference to their real declinings but also to be a very divisive principle that men will not joyn in causes of fasting because that every cause suppose true is not held out in them and that they will not concur in lawful duties on lawful causes because these with whom they joyn will not come up to their judgement in all other things § 39 In the fourth place we shall give some account of our brethrens other irregular practices in the matter of Church-Government and discipline whereby they haue exceedingly disturbed the peace of this Church and promoted their own designs We need not relate what alterations are in meetings of Church-judicatories occasioned by their contradicting and opposing whatsoever is not subservient to their design or concluded contrary to their minde and what bitter and unjust reflexions and reproaches the judicatories meet with from them in their 〈…〉 in word and writing which they pack up We shall only point at some particulars of their actings And § 40 1. Since this division in our Church some Brethren within the bounds of a Presbyterie have erected themselves as the only Presbyterie of that bounds and for no intreaty of the Synod to which that Presbyterie is subordinate will they be perswaded to unite with the rest of their brethren within that bounds for carrying on the common affairs of the Presbyterie but go on to this day to plant Congregations as they please And by their continual protestations against the Synod and counter-actings to their determinations do frustrate all the Synods endeavours for rectifying any abuse § 41 2. It is a thing most ordinary with our brethren to obtrude Ministers upon congregations sometime contrary to the mind of the whole congregation sometime of the greater part thereof upon the call only of some very few and inconsiderable part of that congregation whom they are pleased to call the godly in the congregation yea sometime Ministers of other Presbyteries do usurp power to put in a Minister not only against the hearts of the congregation but of the whole Presbyterie to which that Congregation is subordinate And they do not only thrust in Ministers thus in a forcible and violent way but they do it where the congregation is already orderly planted with an able and godly intrant § 42 3. These irregularities not sufficing to strengthen their faction some of them went a further length and procured an order concerning the maintenance of Intrants to the Ministry to be allowed by Commissioners appointed for that effect Wherein Scotland being divided into five Provinces no Intrant was to have any stipend allowed him without a Certificate from at least four of Ministers and others named for the respective Provinces where the Minister was to be planted And however some few were named as Certifiers who differed from them in judgement yet they conveyed the matter so as in no one Province there were a competent number of them to give Testimony to any Intrant though they had been free to act in a course so destructive to the order and government of this Church yea in one of the Provinces and that the largest there were so many named as were a competent number of these who had separate from the communion of this Church from whom little favour could be expected to men cordially adhering to the Presbyterial Government and the procurers of that order testified small affection thereunto by endeavouring to put that trust in the hands of such § 43 4. Our brethren do strike at the very being of Presbyterial government and make every person or inferior judicatorie his or their own Supreme Judge while as they deny the subjection and subordination of persons to judicatories and of inferiour judicatories to superiour in the matters of government and discipline But when a man is questioned for an uncontroverted fault if he please to appeal to a free general Assembly which we know not if ever we may have in their judgement had we never so many he looks upon that not only as a legal defence giving him liberty to bring his businesse to an hearing again before the Judge-competent but as a sufficient warrant to go on in his course Likewise if any conclusion of an inferiour judicatorie be brought by appeal before a superior Court and if their proceedings be judged irregular and unjust they do presently appeal and upon that go on to counter-act against any such determinations This practice in matters of discipline and government was never heard of in this Church nor we believe in any Church where the Officers and constitution thereof were acknowledged to be agreeable to the Word of God But whatever the Superior judicatory might do as they would be answerable notwithstanding an appeale yet the appealler and inferiour did alwayes submit and sist their proceedings till their cause was heard and tried Otherwise it were in vain to think of a remedy by a superiour judicatory especially when our Brethren have learned a way to cast all Supreme Assemblies till they be sure they be of their mind § 44 5. What ever
our Brethren speak of purging yet they shew themselves very irregular and partial in that work Albeit we have been most tender of them and since the Assembly at St. Andrews and Dundie have never censured any upon the account of the publike differences yet when information is given in against any of them as scandalous and insufficient they decline all trial of the matter and sometime for that end decline the judicatories as corrupt But their proceeding against any of our judgement where they have power is most disorderly For they cast out men at their pleasure and none but such as otherwise differ from them in publike matters having nothing real or relevant against them some of them being men who when they joined with them for a time were good enough in their account And when those who are censured have recourse to superiour judicatories for redress our brethren by their protestations appeals do keep their cause from being heard and by their counter-actings yea sometime by tumultuary wayes of some of their followers abusing these whom they unjustly censured and affronting Ministers who execute the Synods acts in their favours do leave poor men under oppression without any possibility of a remedy in an orderly way § 45 Fifthly to add no more Our Brethren have studied to carry on their design by reproaches and calumnies spread of those who are opposite unto them They have published to the world in print that this National Church is guilty of a defection from the Covenant and cause of God many eminent servants of Jesus Christ are branded as authors and ring-leaders in that defection godly men are said to be blasted deserted and back-sliden The generality of the Ministry are cried out upon as corrupt we are traduced as opposite to the purging out of scandalous and insufficient Ministers yea the judicatories are accounted unworthy of that trust in that they must have extrajudicial Committees appointed for that effect To all which omitting what hath been already spoken to the matter of our controversies and what may be after hinted at we only say 1. As some of these aspersions are we hope wiped off by our clearing of the falshood of the grounds upon which they are laid to our charge so the rest of them not being the cause of their first rent cannot warrant them to continue in it And of all of them we may say that we hope no judicious Christian will like their cause the better that they are so oft put to make use of personal reflexions and calumnies to defend it 2. What ever be the clamours they raise of the general corruption of the Ministry yet they have been oft put to it and solemnly obtested to condescend upon particular persons and their scandals that they might be tried yet for most part they have alwaies declined it which is a cleer evidence of a design in it to keep themselves in the general 3. We have ofttimes told our Brethren that their continuing in their way doth obstruct the work of purging and rendereth the Authority of Church judicatories contemptible and we have assured them that if they will unite with us we doubt not through the blessing of God to purge the Church sufficiently in as exact a way as can be desired according to justice 4. Albeit our brethren neither do purge nor will suffer us to try any of their judgement yet we are not wanting in that work to our power but have exactly tried persons upon informations given in against them by our brethren though ofttimes the reality or relevancy of their informations are not made to appear when put to trial others also we have in several places under processe and divers have been purged out in several parts of the Land § 46 Having laid open some of the sinistrous courses followed by our brethren for carrying on their design and of the consequences of this Rupture We hold our selves obliged in prosecution of the third head propounded to give an account what have been our endeavours to prevent or heal this wofull Rupture We need not here expresse what hath been the affliction of our spirits before the Lord because of our condition and our desires to him for curing thereof nor what pains we have taken to lay before our brethren the evil of a schism and how irrelevant their grounds were suppose true to bottome such courses upon Nor shall we arrogate to our selves in opposition to our brethren that we could not as Christians look upon the wounds of our Mother but with bleeding hearts and would account our selves most unworthy of our trusts if any private interest of our own should hinder an union or if we should not stretch our selves to the utmost keeping truth and a good conscience to have our breaches made up But this we may say as rational men we were the greatest of fools if we did not thirst and long after union upon right terms considering that all we meet within our opposition to their courses is reproaches and many sad disadvantages our Brethren carrying on most of all their designs and courses and our endeavours to prevent or remedy them being all ineffectual and to no purpose but the exoneration of our own consciences § 47 That the sincerity of our desires and our reall endeavours for obtaining union may appear we shall only point at three particulars First Albeit we continued in our dissatisfaction with their principles and ways and wanted not competent Church-power generally throughout the Land to have reached them with censures and did meet with greatest provocations from them dayly yet as we have said since the Assembly 1651. we have never censured one to this day upon the account of the publique differences Nay we hope it will appear to these who have observed us and them that we have forborn to render them evill for evill or railing for railing § 48 Secondly As we have forborn to give any irritation which might alienate our Brethren and make them more averse from peace so our inclinations to accommodation with them were not at all extorted from us by reason of any disadvantages and prejudices we sustaind through our brethrens irregularities and their successe in them But all along from the beginning out of our respect to the peace of our Mother-Church and affection to our brethren we were most tender and careful in studying to prevent a rupture and in studying to bind up our breach when they had needlesly made it We have already declared what the Commissions tendernesse was in the matter of the Remonstrance the first subject of our differences Our brethren know what pains was taken in conferences before the Assembly at Dundee to give them satisfaction in the matter of the Resolutions and how it was desired that if they could not be satisfied yet they would but forbear to oppose and actively to obstruct the execution thereof but all to no purpose It is also known how unseasonably and abruptly they gave in