ment made upon the judicatory, and took in- | against what was done, as an injury 1661. struments in the hand of their clerk, to which to a court of Jesus Christ, and all the members adhered. Mr. Park protested incompetent to the civil magistrate. And now been frequently engaged unto, both, in the days of our forefathers, by the king's majesty, the nobles, and all ranks of people within the land, (whose national oath is no less obliging of us their offspring, than the oath of Joshua and the princes of Israel to the Gibeonites, was obliging of their posterity, who were four hundred years thereafter dreadfully punished for the breach thereof,) and also in our own time we have solemnly engaged ourselves by the sacred oath of God, now thrice, to the said government: and we may be sure, that such a threefold knot and tie will not be easily taken off the conscience upon which it is indispensably and indissolvably fastened by the divine authority of that Almighty God, the searcher of all hearts, whose oath it is. Fourthly, This government has been ratified and established by many acts of parliament: it were impertinent for us to multiply citations; your honours know how clear and full the 114th act, parl. 12th, of king James VI. is, both for establishing the government and discipline of the church, by assemblies national and provincial, by presbyteries and sessions, and also, for abrogating, cassing, and annulling all former acts of parliament, against the liberty of the true kirk, the jurisdiction and discipline thereof, as the same was used and exercised within the realm at the time, anno 1592. Neither is it needful to mention his late majesty, of worthy memory, his ratifying, anno 1641, the whole progress then made in the work of reformation, which was matter of much joy to all the godly within the land. pate from the foundation. Fourthly, It is a government that symbolizes with that in popery, and indeed is not different specie from the popish government; yea, and by the erecting of it, the papists will be hardened and heartened, as formerly, in the flourishing of episcopacy, they evidenced themselves to be, by their insulting song, Ye come to us, but we come not to you; and, to speak truth, what difference is there betwixt an archbishop in St. Andrews, pooping it over all Scotland, and an universal bishop at Rome, but a majus and minus, quæ non variant speciem? Fifthly, It has been always attended in this land with manifold corruptions in doctrine, worship, and manners. How did popery, Arminianism and Socinianism sound in our pulpits? Was it not in time of lordly episcopacy? Then it was that the pure worship of God was polluted with the mixture of man's muddy inventions, with mimic gesticulations, idolatrous geniculations, superstitious cantings, &c. Then it was that episcopal licenses in the matter of marriage to blank persons, that episcopal connivances at the grossest of scandals, and episcopal simony in selling the ordinances, and satisfactions, made way and opened the door to the slight esteem and profane contempt of the Lord's ordinances, and to bold licentiousness. Let the legend of the bishops, their life and their government, be looked back to with an impartial eye, we are confident it will be acknowledged that the raking them out of the dust, will prove like the breaking up of graves, and opening up of rotten sepulchres. Sixthly, Albeit we lay no weight upon the fallacious arguing, from the accidental corruptions in government, to the eversion of the same, (a calumny most falsely cast upon the instruments of the glorious work of reformation anno 38,) yet, as they having first struck at the root of episcopacy, because not rooted in the word of God, did, in the next place, look upon the sinful and judicial corruptions attending it, as gravamina intolerabilia; so we being convinced of the unwarrantableness of the episcopal office, may desire your lordships to call to mind what was the high swelling pride, and the inso¬ lent actings of these persons, who in this nation entered in that office, not only in lording it over their brethren and the Lord's inheritance, but also in their presumptuous browbeating the nobles in the land, and in their ambitious, both aspiring unto, and screwing themselves in the On the other hand, if your lordships will highest places of public trust in the state. Which respect terminus ad quem of this feared, threat- things we look upon not only as having been ened, and begun change, to wit, lordly episco- the effects of the men's corrupt hearts, but as pacy: first it is a plant which our heavenly Father having been likewise the effects of the rightnever planted, here being no ground nor footing|eous judgment of God upon their spirits, for for it in the word of God, even some of the ablest asserters of it themselves being judges. Secondly, After the extirpation of it in the times of reformation, its regress has never been fair, but always through violent intrusion, by the force and fraud of corrupt carnal men, minding their own things, and not the things of Christ, and that contrary to law, reason, equity, conscience, solemn oaths and engagements, and clear scripture light. Thirdly, It is a government that we are solemnly bound, as by the law of God, so by the oath of God upon us, to extir Fifthly, This government has been attended with rich spiritual blessings, such as purity of doctrine, the suppressing of popery, error, and heresy, the curbing of licentiousness and profanity, by the prudence and zealous exercise of discipline: so that it has been remarkable, that in all the periods of the flourishing of this government, the pulpits have sounded with pure doctrine, speaking the language of Canaan, and not of Ashdod; gross profanity and mocking of piety retired from the streets, and durst not keep the causey (the generality studying at least, if they attained no more, to walk civilly) and popery, error, and heresy, at such times, durst never adventure to look out of their cells and secret corners; which things are no small mercies to a land. entering in that office contrary to the oath of God lying on them and the whole nation. Neither need any to think that they may be now better bounded and regulate: caveats will not fetter them, they will soon prove like the princes of Judah, that remove the bound; and we have freedom to assert it, that if they were plagued before with proud, ambitious, presumptuous spirits, they shall be ten times plagued more with these and the like spiritual judgments, who shall succeed the former in their chairs. And if they did formerly act to the great pre the ministers would not remove till! 1661. he had prayed, and regularly concluded their meeting. In the synod of Lothian things were carried with a very high hand by our statesmen; they were immediately under their eye, and judice of the nobles in the land, (to whom they change, unto the Lord's people under our minbecame a terror, and whom they began to tram-isterial charge. Will not poor souls be in the ple upon and abase) they who enter heir to the same case and distraction of thought, the people former, shall no less, if not to the double, more in Syria, Arabia and Egypt, were in about the insolently act in their time, and that in the 600 year, anent the opinion of Eutyches, when Lord's righteous judgment, for the punishment some denying, some affirming, the poor people of such nobles and statesmen as shall be active were so brangled and shaken with contrary doe for their reintroduction into this kirk. Take trines, that in the end they lost all well groundgood heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye ed persuasion of the true religion; so that with love the Lord your God; else if ye in any wise in short time, they did cast the gates of their go back, and cleave unto that abjured genera-hearts open to receive the vile, devilish, and blastion, know for a certainty that they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and pricking thorns in your eyes, Joshua xxiii. 11, 12, 13. phemous doctrine of Mahomet? Even so what can be expected in this land, upon such a change, which will unquestionably occasion not only one to affirm, and another to deny the same position, but one and the same man to affirm what he denied, and deny what he affirmed anent one and the same position, in matter of religion? The forebreathings of which inconstancy are beginning to puff out already. We say, what can be expected in this case through the land, but that the generality of the people shall become so doubtful and indifferent in the matters of re ligion, that they shall abandon all piety, open their hearts to popery, and what religion, or rather what error and fancy instead of religion, you will? So that the blood of their poor souls will lie heavy on the authors of the change. In the last place, we conceive the following reasons, relating to the change itself, will be obvious to any. First, If it be an axiom approved in experience and policy, (as it is) that omnis mutatio reipublicæ est periculosa, etiamsi in melius, much more will it be assented to, that omnis mutatio in ecclesia, quando in deterius, (such as this is) est periculosa; and therefore sound reason will conclude that it should be eschewed. That the feared and threatened change will be in deterius, is evident; for it is from such a government, as is conform to the word of God, to the best estate of the primitive church, to good laws and constitutions, to solemn vows and 1. We are aggrieved that ways are taken to engagements, and conform to the government of seal up the lips of the most faithful ministers the best reformed churches from the coruption of Jesus Christ within the land, from delivering of popery, to a government plain contrary to all their Master's message with that freedom and these; and so it cannot but prove a change most plainness that becomes; while, upon occasion of pernicious both to the civil estate of the king- the proclamation at Edinburgh, September 20th, dom (which we leave to the judgment of juris-1660, men disaffected to, or entertaining grudconsults and politicians,) and likewise to the church of Jesus Christ, which we may confidently conclude, both from former sad experience in the like case, and from the inevitable bitter consequences which naturally spring from such a sad and sinful change. Secondly, It will be palpable, not only to ourselves, who are members of this church, but to all the nations and churches abroad, whether protestant or popish, that are in the least measure acquainted with the affairs of the church of Scotland, and the settlement of government therein, what they have been now these hundred years bygone, since our reformation from popery, that this feared and threatened change will involve persons of all ranks within the land, (who shall in any way have accession to it) in the dreadful and horrid guilt of perjury, which will both expose the land to the wrath of an angry God, who will not hold them guiltless that take his name in vain, but will prove a swift witness against them that swear falsely, and also expose our religion and nation to the insolent blasphemy and derision of our adversaries the papists, who may justly, with all others that hear tell of such a change, change the ignominious proverb, Punica fides to Scotica fides, and imbolden the papist to give us (ironically) no small thanks, for that by our perjury we have made the Lord angry with us, as did the Grecian Agesilaus to the Persian Tissaphernes, when he broke the league he made with him. There be none that have the least spark of reason and foresight, who may not say what sad oss and hurt will spring from this feared ges and heart-burnings against ministers, may and do take encouragement to delate honest men, using freedom against sin, as unloyal slanderers and trumpeters of treason, sedition, and rebellion, when they are, in the simplicity of their heart, only giving obedience to the Lord's com mands. Isa. Iviii. 1. "Cry aloud, spare not," &c. We hope it will be acknowledged, that neither private nor public sins, personal nor national sins, sins in the state-members or in churchmembers, are excepted in the commission of the ministers of the gospel, (if any deny the truth hereof, we are ready to instruct it from the word of truth) and it being so, why should the ministers' faithful discharge of duty, in the dis covery of national sins, whether in church er state, be charged with the ignominious aspersions of railing, slandering, &c. or they staged before civil tribunals for the same, seeing that, according to their commission, they are herein only aiming at the upstirring of people to repentance, and to serious deprecating of the wrath of God, that public national sins, and particular faults in rulers ordinarily draw on upon lands? as is clear from Jer. xv. 4. and elsewhere. 2. We are aggrieved that the oath of allegiance does upon the matter carry the oath of supremacy fully in its bosom, and that in such an absolute, general and comprehensive term, without any express limitation or qualification, that in our humble conception, there is conferred upon the king by it a power to do ecclesiastic matters as he pleases; and this is in effect to confer the same, or the like headship over the were treated most insolently. They were not suffered so much as to speak of any testimony, yea, were forced to do what was church, upon the king, as that which is taken from the pope. very much contrary to the inclina- 1661. tions of many. Some members of the synod, fully ripe for a change, and ready these, we fall upon the serious thoughts and meditations of death, presenting, as in God's 3. We are aggrieved that the civil sanction is sight, to ourselves, what is the course in the protaken from the covenant, whereupon the invi- fession, avowing, and maintaining whereof we olable obligation of the sacred oath of God durst venture upon death, upon eternity, and upon the conscience, is trampled upon with con- upon the last judgment; and upon the other tempt, by very many, which cannot but griev-hand, propose to ourselves what is the course in ously provoke the Lord, who has declared that he will be a swift witness against them that swear falsely. 4. We are aggrieved that there be such sad breaches made in the walls of our Jerusalem, which once was built a city compact together; we mean, that the church judicatories have not only suffered violent interruption, but also are prohibited and discharged, through which iniquity has more insolently faced the causey these three quarters of a year bygone, than it did for many years before. 5. Looking upon these but as making a wide gap in the walls, the beautiful porches whereof denied an entry, we are most of all aggrieved to see the Trojan horse now a hauling in over the gap, we mean, the reintroduction of lordly preJacy upon this church and kingdom, which being once execrate, and the whole nation solemnly sworn before the Almighty God to its extirpation, it makes our ears to tingle, when we think of what may be the sad tokens of God's displeasure against the lands, for endeavouring to give rooting again to that plant which our heavenly Father never planted. And this being the aggrieving evil which does most sadly afflict our spirits, for exoneration of our own consciences before the Lord, and that it may appear that we are not aggrieved without cause, we do in all humility offer unto your lordships, these few subsequent reasons against the change of our long established government by presbytery, unto that abjured hierarchical government by lordly prelacy. Besides the foresaid reasons drawn from the terminus a quo, the terminus ad quem of the change, and from the change itself, we do in all humility beg leave to add two experimental considerations, which we desire to express with that simplicity and singleness of heart, in the sight of God, that becomes the ministers of Jesus Christ, who are looking to give shortly an acCount of their stewardship unto their Lord and Master. And the first is this: we do find in our experience, that when the Lord at any time is graciously pleased to grant unto any of us more near and familiar access unto himself, and to put our spirits in a more lively, spiritual, and heavenly frame, then are we also filled with more perfect hatred, abhorrency, and detestation of that prelatical dominion we plead against, and in our souls, at such times, we are encouraged and strengthened in the Lord, to set our faces as flint against that course and way, whatever the hazard be we may incur; and when fears of hazard, in opposing that course, lo creep upon our spirits, we do ingenuously confess it is but then, when we are at a greater distance from God, and in a more common and natural frame. The next is this: we do find in our experience, that when at any time, any of us are summoned with the messengers of death, or when free of the profession, avowing, and maintaining whereof we durst not venture upon death, upon eternity, and the last judgment; we do as of sincerity, as of God, in the sight of God, declare, that we durst not, for ten thousand worlds, venture upon eternity, and face the great Judge of the quick and the dead, with the guilt of being instrumental to re-establish, or with the guilt of embracing or conforming unto re-established lordly episcopacy, lying upon our consciences; whereas, upon the other hand, our desires and endeavours to be faithful and constant in the received and established government by presbytery, according to the scripture pattern, is a mean of gladdening and rejoicing our hearts, when we look and hope for the coming of the Lord. And now, right honourable, having the simplicity of our hearts, opened up our grievances in part to your lordships, we do in the last place, for remedy, in all humility, prostrate ourselves before your lordships, most humbly and earnestly begging, in the name of Jesus Christ, that your honours would be pleased to intercede with the king's most excellent majesty, First, To take off the restraint laid upon the exercise of the government of the church, in her assemblies, by the late proclamations, without which profanity will abound. Next, That his majesty would be graciously pleased to free and deliver his faithful and loyal subjects of this his ancient kingdom, under our respective charges, and the godly through the whole land, from all fears of innovating and changing the government of the church, by sessions, presbyteries, synods, and general assemblies, which is ratified and approven by king James VI. of blessed memory, as is evident, parl. 114, June, 1592. Thirdly, That his majesty would be pleased to ratify all former acts of parliament in favours of the church and her said government, that she may fully exercise the power granted to her by Jesus Christ, with freedom and liberty. Fourthly, That his majesty would be pleased to ratify all acts both of parliament and the general assemblies, against papists and popery, against prelates and prelacy, that aspiring men get not the church of Christ in this land fetched under bondage again. Fifthly, That his majesty would be graciously pleased to renew the national covenant of this land, first subscribed by king James VI. of worthy memory, and then taken by persons of all ranks and degrees throughout the nation; and also that he would be pleased to revive the solemn league and covenant, subscribed by his majesty's self, and that he would be graciously pleased, by his royal mandate, to ordain that both these covenants would be renewed, sworn to, and subscribed to, by persons of all ranks and degrees, within his majesty's three kingdoms of Scotland, England, and Ireland, and the dominions thereto belonging. Thus will there be a strong bar to fall in with the manager's designs, in their judicatories for their different prac 1661. proposed that the synod should be- tices. gin at censuring and sentencing the brethren who had been for the protestation, even though it had been agreed among the resolutioners and protesters in the year 1658, that none of either side should be questioned drawn in the way of popery, and prelacy which ushers the way to popery, that neither of them shall have a regress to a replanting in these lands: thus shall there not an evil beast be left to push in all the mountain of the Lord; and thus may we confidently expect that the Lord shall be one, and the name of the Lord one, in all his majesty's dominions. Having, in the zeal and fear of God, with all humble and due respect unto your honours, offered these considerations against a change, we humbly beg, that your honours would lay them (with many more that cannot but be obvious to your lordships) seriously to heart, and in the pensitation of them, and the whole matter in hand, sist yourselves as in the sight and presence of the all-seeing God, who standeth in the congregation of the mighty, and judgeth amongst the gods, and will arise to judge the earth; weigh the matter (we beseech you in the balances of the sanctuary, and not of carnal reason and policy: remember that God has set you up not to be stepfathers, but nursing fathers of his kirk, not to be crossers, but promoters of purity and piety, not to be destroyers of that which many of yourselves have builded, (and so makers of yourselves transgressors) but to be accomplishers and onputters of the cape-stone upon the building of the Lord's house; acquit yourselves zealously and faithfully in this so honourable and reasonable service; and beware, above all things, to strive against God with an open and displayed banner, by building up again the walls of Jericho, (we mean lordly prelacy, the very lair-stone of antichristian hierarchy) which the Lord hath not only casten down, but also laid them under a terrible interdiction and execration, that they be not built up again. These walls in this land, by the power of God, have been once and again demolished: they now lie under the Lord's terrible interdiction and execration, yea, we have all of us, with uplifted hands to the most high God, sentenced ourselves to this dreadful curse, if we re-edify these walls again: assuredly, if there be amongst your lordships, or within the land (which the Lord forbid) an Hiel, one or more, as was in the days of Ahab, to re-edify cursed Jericho, they shall not miss the dreadful execration, and the judg ment threatened. Therefore, we do once again, with all due and reverend respect prostrate at your honours' feet, humbly supplicate, First, That your honours would ratify all former acts of parliament, in favours of the work of reformation, in favours of presbyterial government, in favours of the freedom and privileges of the church, and particularly of the ministers of the gospel, in their faithful and free dispensing of the word; and that your lordships' would cass and annul all acts in the contrary. Next, We humbly supplicate, that your honours, in your wisdoms, would draw such a bar in the way of episcopacy, This unaccountable proposal, Mr Robert Douglas, Mr. David Dickson, and many others of the best note in the synod, endeavoured to wave, and probably would soon have warded off, had not the two commis that this kirk may be fully delivered from the fears and evil thereof, and that corrupt and carnal-minded churchmen, who have the preeminence, may be for ever put out of the hopes of lording it hereafter any more over the Lord's inheritance. However it shall please the Lord to incline your honours' hearts to hearken unto these our just and lawful desires, it is the firm resolution of our hearts, to live in all dutiful obedience unto our dread sovereign the king's most excellent majesty, whom we pray the Lord long to preserve under the droppings of his grace, and overloadings of his best benefits, and special blessings. Yet we crave liberty, first, in all humility, to say, that it will tend much to the cheerful quieting of our hearts, and the hearts of the Lord's people we labour among, that your honours favourably grant our foresaid desires, for which the present and succeeding generations shall call you blessed. But next, if your lordships proceed, (which we pray the Lord forbid) to act any thing to the preju dice of the work of reformation, to the prejudice of the government of this church, and to the freedoms and liberties thereof, or to do any thing less or more, directly or indirectly, in favours of episcopacy, or tending towards the change of our present church government, by sessions, presbyteries, synods, and general assemblies; then, and in that case, we crave liberty to except and protest: likeas, by these presents, we do, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall hold that great court of parliament, to judge both the quick and the dead, at his glorious manifestation, and in the name of our mother kirk, so richly blessed of God these many years bygone, under the government we plead for, and in the name of the synod and respective presbyteries and sessions we are members of, and in the name of the particular congregations we labour among, for discharging of our necessary duty, and disburdening of our own consciences, except and protest against every thing of the kind aforesaid, done or to be done to the prejudice of reformation, of presbyterial government, and of the liberties of the church, and against all and every thing done or to be done for the advantage of episcopacy, or any way tending to the introduction, erection, confirmation or ratification thereof, at this present parliament; earnestly beseeching the Lord, that your honours, this whole nation, and ourselves, may be kept free of the horrid guilt of such a sinful change of Christ's government, and encroachments upon his royal crown, and free of all the sad inconveniences ensuing inevitably thereupon, both to kirk and state; and most humbly craving, that this our supplication and protestation may be admitted by your honours, and registrated among the acts and statutes of this present parliament, in case (as God forbid) any thing be done to the prejudice of Christ's government, and advantage of episcopacy. Your honours' refreshing answer humbly we expect. 1661. sioners appointed for this synod, the earl of] and therefore a tash must be put on to be reached in any point of practice, must Mr. Murdoch Mackenzie was moderator of this synod of Ross, and now gaping after the bishopric of Murray, though he had shown a particular liking to the covenants, and sworn them, some say ten, others fourteen times. Mr. Hogg was one from whom the greatest opposition to prelacy was expected Mr. Hogg being removed, the moderator had a discourse to the synod, to this effect, that the brother they had before them, was known to be a great man: notwithstanding, the king having espoused the defence of those assemblies against which the protestation was given in, it behoved them to go on in their work. Therefore Mr. Hogg was called in, and required judicially to disown and disclaim the protestation. This he refused to do, and thereupon the synod passed a sentence deposing him from the ministry. Mr. Hogg, in giving account of this, my informer tells me, observed, the sentence was pronounced with a peculiar air of venera tion, and looked rather like their consecrating him to a higher office, than a deposition; and that the moderator, in a kind of consolatory discourse after the sentence, spoke very near nonsense. Among other things he was pleased to remind Mr. Hogg, that our Lord Jesus Christ had suffered great wrong from the scribes and Pharisees. At that same synodical meeting, a motion was made for deposing Mr. James Fraser, of Liny, from his office as ruling elder, for the very same reasons on which they proceeded against Mr. Hogg; but the moderator opposed the proposal, and expressed his regard to him, as an honourable gentleman, and not so far engaged in that way as some others; therefore he moved that they might suspend Mr. Fraser from officiating for some time, and appoint some brethren to confer with him, for reclaming him from his mis R |