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<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
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<HEAD><HI>AN</HI> ANSWER TO THE <HI>PROFESSION</HI> AND <HI>DECLARATION.</HI> MADE BY IAUES MARQUES OF HAMMILTON, <HI>HIS MAIESTIES HIGH</HI> COMMISSIONER, Imprinted at <HI>Edinburgh</HI> Anno 1638, in <HI>December.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_THis ancient Kingdome, al|though not the mo&s;t flouri|&s;hing in the glory and wealth of the World, hath been &s;o largely recompen&s;ed with the riches of the Go&s;pel, in the reformation and purity of Religion from the abun|dant mercy and free grace of our GOD towards us, that all the reformed Kirks a|bout us, did admire our happine&s;&s;e. And King <HI>Iames</HI> him&s;elf of happy memorie, gloried that he had the honour to be born, and to be a King in the be&s;t re|formed Kirk in the world. Tho&s;e ble&s;sings of pure doctrine, Chri&s;tian government, and right frame of di&s;cipline we long enjoyed, as they were pre&s;cribed by GODS own word; who as the great Ma&s;ter of his family, left mo&s;t perfect directions for his own <HI>oeca|nomie,</HI> and the whole officers of his hou&s;e: till the
<PB N="4" REF="2"> <HI>Prelats,</HI> without calling from GOD, or warrand from his word, did ingire them&s;elves by their craft and vio|lence upon the hou&s;e of GOD. Their craftie entrie at the beginning was di&s;gui&s;ed under many cautions and caveats, which they never ob&s;erved, and have pro|fe&s;&s;ed &s;ince, they never intended to ob&s;erve, though they were &s;worn thereto. Their wayes of promo|ving their cour&s;e were &s;ubtile and cunning: as in ab|&s;tracting the regi&s;ters of the Kirk, wherein their go|vernment was condemned; in impeding yearly gene|rall A&s;&s;emblies, whereunto they were &s;ubject and comptable; and generally in enfeebling the power of the Kirk, and e&s;tabli&s;hing the &s;ame totally in their own per&s;ons: whereby in a &s;hort time they made &s;uch progre&s;&s;e, that being inve&s;ted in the prime places of e&s;tate, and arming them&s;elves with the boundle&s;&s;e power of the high Commi&s;&s;ion, they made them|&s;elves lords over GODs inheritance: and out of their greatne&s;&s;e, without any &s;hew of order or Councell, without advi&s;e of the Kirk, but at their own plea&s;ure enterpri&s;ed to alter and &s;ubvert the former doctrine and di&s;cipline of this Kirk, &amp; introduce many fearfull corruptions and innovations, to the utter overthrow of religion; and to make us no le&s;&s;e mi&s;erable then we were happy before. The&s;e pre&s;&s;ing grievances did at length awake the good Subjects to petition his Maje|&s;tie and his Councell for redre&s;&s;e. And albeit at la&s;t, after many reiterated &s;upplications and long attend|ance, his Maje&s;tie hath been graciou&s;ly plea&s;ed to grant a free generall A&s;&s;embly, yet in the beginning by the credit of the <HI>Prelates,</HI> and their commodity of acce&s;&s;e, his Royall eare was long &s;toped to our cryes, and wee di&s;charged under the paine of trea&s;on to
<PB N="5" REF="2"> meet for making any more remon&s;trances of our ju&s;t de&s;ires.</P>
<P>In this di&s;tre&s;&s;e none other mean, nor hope of redre&s;&s;e being left, wee had our recour&s;e to GOD, who hath the hearts of all Kings and Rulers in his hand; and therefore taking to our heart, that GOD had ju&s;tly puni&s;hed us, for the breach of that natio|nall Covenant, made with GOD, in <HI>Anno</HI> 1580. We thought fit to reconcile our &s;elves to him again, by renewing the &s;ame Covenant. And &s;o, in obe|dience to his divine Commandement, conforme to the practi&s;e of the godly in former times, and accor|ding to the laudable example of our religious Proge|nitours, warranted by acts of Councel, we again re|newed our confe&s;&s;ion of Faith of this Kirk and King|dome, as a reall re&s;timonie of our fidelitie to GOD, in bearing witne&s;&s;e to the truth of that Religion whereunto we were &s;worn to adhere in Doctrine and Di&s;cipline, of our loyaltie to our Soveraigne, and mutuall union among our &s;elves in that cau&s;e. Which Confe&s;&s;ion, with a &s;en&s;ible demon&s;tration of GODS ble&s;&s;ing from heaven, was &s;olemnly &s;worn and &s;ub|&s;cribed, by per&s;ons of all ranks, throughout this Kirk and Kingdome, with a nece&s;&s;ar explanation and application for excluding the innovations and corruptions introduced in the Religion, and gover|ment of this Kirk, &s;ince the year 1580. that &s;o our oath to GOD might be clear for maintenance of the doctrine and di&s;cipline then profe&s;&s;ed and e&s;tabli&s;h|ed, and according to the meaning of that time.</P>
<P>The happie effects of this our re&s;olution and doing, have been wonderfull: And &s;ince that time GODS
<PB N="6" REF="3"> powerfull hand in the conduct of this bu&s;ine&s;&s;e hath evidently appeared. For after &s;ome time, upon the continuance of our groanes and &s;upplications, our gracious Soveraigne was plea&s;ed to &s;end into this Kingdome, The noble Lord IAMES Marques of <HI>Hammiltoun,</HI> &amp;c. with commi&s;&s;ion to hear and re|dre&s;&s;e our heavie grievances: who after many voy|ages to his Maje&s;tie, and long conferences and treat|ing with us, needle&s;&s;e to be related in this place, did in end, by commandement from his Maje&s;tie, indict a free generall A&s;&s;embly to be holden at <HI>Gla&s;gow</HI> the twentie one of <HI>November</HI> la&s;t, and proclaimed a Par|liament to be holden at <HI>Edinburgh</HI> the fifteenth of <HI>May</HI> nexto-come, for &s;etling a perfect peace in this Kirk and Kingdome: And further to give full a&s;&s;urance to the &s;ubjects, that his Maje&s;tie did never intend to ad|mit any change or alteration in the true religion, al|readie e&s;tabli&s;hed and profe&s;&s;ed in this Kingdome: And that all his good people might bee fully and clearly &s;atisfied of the realitie of his royall intentions for the maintenance of the truth and integritie of the &s;aid Religion, his Maje&s;tie did injoyn and command all the Lords of his privie Councel, Senatours of the Colledge of Iu&s;tice, and all other &s;ubjects what&s;o|ever, to renew and &s;ub&s;cribe the confe&s;sion of Faith formerly &s;ub&s;cribed by King IAMES of ble&s;&s;ed memorie and his hou&s;hold in <HI>Anno</HI> 1580. and thereafter by per&s;ons of all ranks, in <HI>Anno</HI> 1581. by ordinance of the Councel, and acts of the generall A&s;&s;embly, and again &s;ub&s;cribed by all &s;orts of per|&s;ons in <HI>Anno.</HI> 1590. by a new ordinance of Coun|cel, at the de&s;ire of the generall A&s;&s;embly, with a
<PB N="7" REF="3"> band for maintenance of the true Religion, the Kings per&s;on, &amp; each of other in that cau&s;e: as the proclamati|on of indiction, being dated at <HI>Oatlands,</HI> the 9. of <HI>Sep|tember,</HI> publi&s;hed at the Mercat cro&s;&s;e of <HI>Edinburgh,</HI> the 22. of the &s;aid moneth, more fully proporteth.</P>
<P>Upon the hearing of which Proclamation, The&s;e who were attending at <HI>Edinburgh,</HI> and expecting a gracious an&s;wer of our former de&s;ires, as out of bounden duety they did with all thankfulne&s;&s;e ac|knowledge his Maje&s;ties gracious favour: So out of zeal to GOD and Religion, they did prote&s;t, that they who had by the late Covenant and Confe&s;&s;ion con|de&s;cended more &s;pecially to the innovations and er|rours of the time, could not after &s;o &s;olemne a &s;peci|fication, returne to an implicit and more generall con|fe&s;&s;ion enjoyned, conforme to a mandat, apparantly di&s;crepant from the genuine meaning of the confe&s;&s;i|on, and wanting both explication &amp; application, and did mo&s;t humbly and earne&s;tly de&s;ire the Lords of his Maje&s;ties councel, that they would not, in regard of the former rea&s;ons, pre&s;&s;e upon the &s;ubjects the &s;ub|&s;cription of this Covenant, but that they might be plea&s;ed to forebear their own &s;ub&s;cribing of it, in re|&s;pect of the inconveniences might re&s;ult upon their &s;ub&s;cribing thereof, in an ambiguous &s;en&s;e; but their Lord&s;hips not having &s;ub&s;cribed that confe&s;&s;ion, con|taining our former explanation, and being required by his Maje&s;ties Commi&s;&s;ioner, to &s;ub&s;cribe the Con|fe&s;&s;ion, as it was drawen up, and pre&s;ented to them, without our explanation, with a generall band for maintenance of the Religion in Doctrine and Di&s;|cipline now pre&s;ently profe&s;t, and of his Maje&s;ties
<PB N="8" REF="4"> per&s;on, lea&s;t the&s;e words (<HI>now pre&s;ently</HI>) repeated in this year 1638. &s;hould inferre any approbation of the&s;e innovations, introduced &s;ince the year 1580. whereof many did ju&s;tly complaine, after deliberati|on for removing of this &s;cruple and prejudice, and clearing of their own meaning; they cau&s;ed make an act of councel that their &s;wearing and &s;ub&s;cribing of the confe&s;&s;ion of Faith was according to the tennour and date the &s;econd of <HI>March</HI> 1580. according as it was then profe&s;t within this Kingdome: whereupon they re&s;ted &s;atisfied, being confident that the gene|rall A&s;&s;embly then indicted, would remove any doubt and differ which might ari&s;e anent the meaning and interpretation of the confe&s;&s;ion of Faith, and clear what was profe&s;t in the year 1580. Yet &s;ome having &s;ub&s;cribed that Covenant in different &s;en&s;es, others forebearing to &s;ub&s;cribe the &s;ame, as &s;ome of the Lords of Se&s;&s;ion, till the A&s;&s;embly &s;hould declare the genuine and true meaning of the Confe&s;&s;ion, up|on who&s;e interpretation, as of the only competent judge, they might acquie&s;ce, and re&s;t &s;atisfied: which now after accurate tryall of the acts of gene|rall A&s;&s;emblies, and mature deliberation, is fully clea|red, and explained in this la&s;t generall A&s;&s;embly by GODS mercy, and his Maje&s;ties gracious favour of indiction, holden at <HI>Gla&s;gow:</HI> as the act made thereup|on doth proport: whereby Epi&s;copall government, mong&s;t many other innovations is found upon unde|nyable evidences of truth and declared to be condem|ned and abjured in this Kirk, in <HI>Anno</HI> 1580. There is notwith&s;tanding publi&s;hed in name of his Maje&s;ties Commi&s;&s;ioner a declaration, tending to di&s;&s;wade his
<PB N="9" REF="4"> Maje&s;ties &s;ubjects from receiving the explanation of the confe&s;&s;ion made by this A&s;&s;embly, and affirming that the confe&s;sion &s;ub&s;cribed by the Councel, doth no wayes exclude Epi&s;copall government, nor any thing el&s;e e&s;tabli&s;hed by laws &s;tanding in force, the time of the taking of the &s;aid oath, the ninth of <HI>Sep|tember</HI> la&s;t; notwith&s;tanding the fore&s;aid act of A&s;|&s;embly, which as the decree of our mother Kirk ought to bee received and reverenced by all her chil|dren, and act of Councel, whereof the words are &s;o cleare, as they cannot admit anie mentall re&s;ervation, which is acknowledged by &s;uch of the Councellers then pre&s;ent and &s;ub&s;cribers, who&s;e hearts GOD hath touched, to make the &s;en&s;e of their oath to GOD, preponder with them above all other world|ly re&s;pects and fears.</P>
<P>THis declaration containeth five arguments, with a boundle of acts of Parliament, quotted and drawen up by &s;ome per&s;ons, whom wee know not; but &s;een and approven by the Commi&s;sioner: where|by his Grace indevoureth to evince his conclu&s;ion, that <HI>Epi&s;copal government was not abjured by the Coun|cel, nor the Covenant</HI> 1580. Which is &s;o repugnant to the acts of the Kirk; The act of Councel, and all rea&s;on, that wee are confident, the &s;ame will make no impre&s;sion in the judgement of any well affected Chri&s;tian, as &s;hall be evident by our following an|&s;wers, which we offer to the readers con&s;ideration, after he hath fir&s;t expended the&s;e generalls. <NOTE PLACE="marg">Foure ge|nerall con&s;i|derations of the Decla|ration.</NOTE></P>
<P N="1">1. This declaration is only made by his Maje|&s;ties Commi&s;sioner, and not by the Lords of &s;ecret Councel, who &s;hould be fitte&s;t interpreters of their
<PB N="10" REF="5"> own act, and who&s;e act &s;hould be the ample expre&s;|&s;ion of their meaning, el&s;e acts of Councel, by po&s;|&s;ibilitie of admitting the variable commentarie of in|tentions, will lo&s;&s;e all force and vigour in them&s;elves. And yet it is evident that the Councellers have not only actually &s;worne to maintain the Religion and Di&s;cipline e&s;tabli&s;hed in <HI>Anno</HI> 1580. When Epi&s;co|pacie was condemned; but likewi&s;e intended to doe &s;o: becau&s;e they have di&s;tingui&s;hed and oppo&s;ed be|tweene the Religion pre&s;ently profe&s;&s;ed, 1638 men|tioned in the Proclamation, and the Religion profe&s;|&s;ed in <HI>Anno.</HI> 1580. mentioned in their act; and by that oppo&s;ition of <HI>now</HI> and <HI>then,</HI> they reject the one, and &s;wear the other: otherwi&s;e they needed no decla|ration: which notwith&s;tanding accompanies their &s;ub&s;criptions, and is acknowledged by the Com|mi&s;&s;ioner in the &s;econd line, to be an act explaining the Confe&s;&s;ion, forobedience whereof all tho&s;e who have &s;ub&s;cribed that Covenant, have done the &s;ame. 2. Albeit his Maje&s;ty did not conceive any difference between the Religion, Doctrine and Di&s;cipline now profe&s;t, from that which was in <HI>Anno</HI> 1580. (where|with his Maje&s;tie can hardly be acquainted, without peru&s;ing the records of A&s;&s;emblies) yet his Maje&s;ties reall intention was to maintaine the confe&s;sion of Faith profe&s;&s;ed in <HI>Anno</HI> 1580. becau&s;e his Royall di&s;igne by that commandement was to maintain true Chri&s;tian Religion in puritie (whereunto Epi&s;copa|cie by this Kirk was ever judged and condemned as prejudiciall) and to remove the fears of his Maje&s;ties good Subjects, complaining of by-gone innovati|tions, and apprehending greater changes: which ends
<PB N="11" REF="5"> are only obtained by &s;ub&s;cription of the Confe&s;sion as it was <HI>Anno</HI> 1580. And no wi&s;e by maintaining the Religion now pre&s;ently profe&s;t; becau&s;e the corrup|tions now pre&s;ently received in this Kirk, are the grounds of our ju&s;t complaints, as being contrary to the word of GOD, &amp; for&s;aid confe&s;sion in <HI>Anno</HI> 1580. 3. We mu&s;t di&s;tingui&s;h between oathes, tendered by the fir&s;t framers of the Confe&s;sion, the whole Kirk, who have power to interpret and explaine the &s;ame, and oathes required, to be renewed by the &s;uppreme Magi&s;trat the Kings Maje&s;tie, who as <HI>cu&s;tos utriu&s;|que tabulae,</HI> and a true Son of the Kirk, ought to receive the true meaning of the Kirk, and cau&s;e it to be received of tho&s;e whom <HI>God</HI> hath &s;ubjected to him.</P>
<P>And we are confident that his Maje&s;tie, in his ju&s;t and pious di&s;po&s;ition, will never take away the bene|fite of that holy nationall oath, and confe&s;&s;ion of Faith &s;ub&s;cribed by his Maje&s;ties Father of ble&s;&s;ed memorie 1580. and now lately renewed again, and &s;olemnly &s;worn by the Subjects of this Kingdome, upon the pretence of any intentions repugnant to the true &s;en&s;e of that confe&s;&s;ion: which even as it is &s;ub|&s;cribed by the Councell, doth never import that his Maje&s;tie was framing or admini&s;tring any new con|fe&s;&s;ion or oath, but only injoyning to renew the old confe&s;&s;ion 1580 and therefore unque&s;tionably &s;hould be taken in the true meaning of that time. Fourthly, if there were any reall oppo&s;ition betwixt his Maje|&s;ties Proclamation and the act of explanation made by his Maje&s;ties Commi&s;&s;ioner and Councell, Yet the la&s;t mu&s;t be ob&s;erved and prefered before the fir&s;t, becau&s;e the fir&s;t is his privat will, the &s;econd his pub|lick,
<PB N="12" REF="6"> and judiciall will. <HI>Et po&s;terior derogat priori, pub|lica privatae.</HI> And albeit we do not now expre&s;&s;e that the Councell did &s;ub&s;cribe the confe&s;&s;ion of Faith in obedience to a mandat, where there was any contra|riety, repugnancie, or ambiguity betwixt the mandat and the Confe&s;&s;ion it &s;elf, which was commanded, yet the Councell making an act that they did &s;ub|&s;cribe it as it was profe&s;&s;ed 1580. and declaring pub|lickly that this was their own meaning, both they and &s;uch of his Maje&s;ties liedges, who did &s;ub&s;cribe in o|bedience of their charge, are oblidged to ob&s;erve <HI>rem juratam,</HI> and the reall matter of the oath (more then the minde and mandat of the pre&s;criver) e&s;pecially &s;eeing it is no new Confe&s;&s;ion, but the renewed Con|fe&s;&s;ion of the whole Kirk of Scotland; The meaning whereof cannot be declared nor interpret by any, but the whole Kirk of <HI>Scotland</HI> who now upon unan&s;wr|able rea&s;ons, have clearly found that Epi&s;copall go|vernement, was then aboli&s;hed and abjured: It fol|loweth by good con&s;equence, that the Councell did both virtually and verily &s;wear, yea intend to &s;wear the abjuration of Epi&s;copacie, which is found by that confe&s;&s;ion 1580. &amp; the di&s;cipline of the Kirk then e&s;tabli&s;hed, to be a corrupt government in this Kirk, of human invention, wanting warrand from the word of God, tending to the overthrow of this Kirk: So that any declaration in the contrare hereof is <HI>pro|testatio contraria facto,</HI> and the rea&s;ons thereof cannot be forceable, to brangle the re&s;olution of any judici|ous well affected Chri&s;tian, if he will patiently read and ponder, without preoccupation, the&s;e following an&s;wers to the five rea&s;ons in&s;ert in that declaration.</P>
<PB N="13" REF="6">
<P>The fir&s;t aleadged rea&s;on is this, that his Maje&s;tie <NOTE PLACE="marg">An&s;wer to the fir&s;t rea|&s;on.</NOTE> could not command an oath ab&s;olutly unlawfull: but it is ab&s;olutely unlawfull to &s;wear again&s;t any thing e&s;tabli&s;hed by the laws of the Kirk and Kingdome, if the &s;ame be not repugnant to the word of God or repealed by po&s;teriour laws.</P>
<P>To this we an&s;wer, Fir&s;t. The Kings Maje&s;tie by commanding his Subjects to renew the confe&s;&s;ion of Faith for mantaining the doctrine and di&s;cipline pro|fe&s;t <HI>in anno</HI> 1580. hath commanded them to abjure what&s;oever is found by the competent Iudge to be introduced &s;ince that time repugnant thereto, albeit by the corruption of times it were countenanced with &s;ome law interveening. Secondly, the Lords of Councell and Se&s;&s;ion and other Subjects have &s;ub|&s;cribed the confe&s;&s;ion of Faith as it was 1580. not only without any re&s;triction of it to the pre&s;ent laws, but in a direct oppo&s;ition to what is pre&s;ently e&s;tabli|&s;hed by returning from the pre&s;ent corruptions in the profe&s;&s;ion, <HI>tanquam termino a quo,</HI> to the profe&s;&s;ion 1580. <HI>tanquam terminum ad quem:</HI> which a great part of Councellours and other Subjects have declared to be their meaning. Thirdly, Epi&s;copacie is found by the Kirk of Scotland in many A&s;&s;emblies to be an office unwarranted by the word of God, unlawfull and repugnant thereto: &s;o that the abjuration thereof in this Kirk is lawfull and nece&s;&s;are. Fourthly, Epi&s;|copacie was never re&s;tored by any A&s;&s;embly of this Kirk, nor the&s;e A&s;&s;emblies wherein it was condem|ned, repealed, without the which the &s;ame could not be e&s;tabli&s;hed by a Parliament, who&s;e power doth no more reach to the placeing officers originally in the
<PB N="14" REF="7"> Kirk, then the Kirks power to the making &s;tates men in the common-wealth. Fifthly, the laws which any wayes contribute to the introduction of Epi&s;copa|cie, do only extend to civill priviledges, and were al|wayes prote&s;ted again&s;t by the Kirk, as contrarie to the nationall Covenant of this land. Sixthly, if any A&s;&s;embly canbe pretended to countenance Epi&s;co|pacie or other corruptions; it &s;ufficeth to &s;ay that the &s;ame with all the acts thereof is declared to have been null and void <HI>ab initio</HI> for undeniable rea&s;ons as the act at more length proports. Seventhly, the breach of our nationall Covenant by introduction of corru|ptions thereby aboli&s;hed, hath undoubtedly in high mea&s;ure offended God: and therefore at the renova|tion of that Covenant again with God, we ought not only to abjure all the&s;e innovations, but hereafter &s;hould be carefull not to be relap&s;e in our offence. Eighthly, in no Covenant Epi&s;copacie is expre&s;ly or <HI>&s;pecifice</HI> abjured, before all Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall laws fa|vouring the &s;ame was repealled, &amp; declared null, but only virtually and generally, as being formerly abju|red <HI>in anno</HI> 1580. And as the tryall hereof was refer|red to the A&s;&s;embly, as the only Iudge competent, &s;o now when the A&s;&s;embly hath declared and found Presbyteriall government to have been approven, and Epi&s;copall government condemned, aboli&s;hed and abjured <HI>in anno</HI> 1580. and in liew of perceiving that Epi&s;copacie is of an Apo&s;tolick in&s;titution, have clearly &s;een that it is ju&s;tly condemned in our Kirk, as the invention of man wanting warrand or funda|ment in the word of God, tending to the overthrow of this Kirk, Therefore albeit Epi&s;copacie had been
<PB N="15" REF="7"> abjured expre&s;ly in the renovation of this Confe&s;&s;ion commanded by his Maje&s;tie, it was not unlawfull, but mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary and incumbent to us all, who are tyed by that nationall Covenant again&s;t that unlaw|full Hierarchicall government, albeit we had never re|newed the &s;ame: But we are fal&s;ly calumniat to have condemned the name of a Bi&s;hop, even as it is u&s;ed in Scripture, which the act of A&s;&s;embly it &s;elf, &s;uffi|ciently refutes, by allowing S^t. <HI>Pauls</HI> Bi&s;hops to-wit Pa&s;tours of a particular flock, and condemning only all other Bi&s;hops brought in without the warrand of Scripture.</P>
<P>The &s;econd rea&s;on in the Declaration is, that the <NOTE PLACE="marg">An&s;wer to the &s;e|cond rea|&s;on.</NOTE> oath for pre&s;erving the di&s;cipline and government of the Kirk, cannot oblidge after the alteration and change of that di&s;cipline and government: and &s;eeing the Di&s;cipline and government of the Kirk is not on|ly alterable, but changed in this Kirk, we are not tyed by that oath, after the alteration.</P>
<P>Wherunto wee an&s;wer, fir&s;t, that it is true, that policie and order in ceremonies is temporarie and may bee changed, as is meaned in that article of the Confe&s;sion cited in the declaration: But a Bi&s;hop or his office, or the government of GODS hou&s;e can|not be called a ceremony, nay, they will be loath to be vilified by that appellation: but if it be a ceremony they are of no Apo&s;tolick con&s;titution, as is mentio|ned in the fir&s;t rea&s;on: &s;o that if they bee lawfull go|vernours in GODS hou&s;e, warranted by his word, they are not alterable: and &s;o this &s;econd rea&s;on mi|litats not for them, if their office be changeable, and accounted among alterable ceremonies: they are well
<PB N="16" REF="8"> exploded from our Kirk; and may be &s;o by that &s;e|cond rea&s;on of the declaration. 2. One cau&s;e of ge|nerall Councels is, for con&s;tituting a good order and policie in ceremonies: which is grounded upon the la&s;t ver&s;e of the 14. Chap. to the 1. <HI>Corinth. willing that all things bee done decently and in order,</HI> wherein the LORD giveth not power to in&s;titute new officers in his Kirk, but commandeth his own officers to exerce their functions by his commandements with|out indecencie, or confu&s;ion, in the variable circum|&s;tances thereof, to bee determined according to the pre&s;ent occa&s;ions of edification, 3. In the 15. Chap. of the &s;ame confe&s;sion of Faith, all mens inventions in matters of Religion are condemned: And in the 19 Chap. Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall di&s;cipline uprightly mini|&s;tred as GODS word pre&s;cribeth. <HI>Matth. 18. 1. Cor.</HI> 5. is &s;et down as the third e&s;&s;entiall and unchangeable marke of the true Kirk of GOD: and &s;o is not of that nature with temporarie, changeable ceremonies: though unwarrantably ranked with them in the de|claration. 4. It is evident at our fir&s;t reformation what policie was perpetuall, and what ceremonies, changeable, for in the fir&s;t booke of Policie com|pylled that &s;ame yeare with the Confe&s;sion, 9 head is expre&s;&s;ed a two-fold policie of the Kirke: The one ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary in all Kirks, the other not nece&s;|&s;ar, but changeable; &s;uch as, what day of the week &s;ermon &s;hould be, and the like: whereof they e&s;ta|bli&s;hed no order, but permitted every particular Kirk to appoint their own policie, as they thought mo&s;t expedient for edification: if parity of rea&s;on will make Epi&s;copacie of this nature, let all men judge. 5. Our
<PB N="17" REF="8"> confe&s;sion &s;peaketh of an order in ceremonies, which cannot bee appointed for all ages, as is before &s;aid. But when they &s;peak of the office-bearers in the Kirk, they acknowledge according to the truth, that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> him&s;elf appointed an ordinare con&s;tant government of his Kirk by his four ordinar office-bearers, The <HI>Pa|&s;tor, Elder, Doctour,</HI> &amp; <HI>Deacon,</HI> to admini&s;trat the &s;ame perpetually: as is &s;et down in the fir&s;t book of Di&s;ci|pline, and in the treati&s;e before the <HI>P&s;almes,</HI> which was drawn up at that &s;ame time, and allowed by the &s;ame per&s;ons. Like as in the year of God, 1560. when that confe&s;sion was made, &amp; in the year 1567. when it was ratified, and by continuall acts of A&s;&s;embly, and by the &s;econd book of Di&s;cipline: The government of Chri&s;ts Kirk by the&s;e four ordinarie office-bearers, is &s;et down as founded only upon the word of GOD, as con&s;tant, unchangeable, &amp; perpetuall: and as that holy di&s;cipline without which Gods word cannot be pre|&s;erved; &s;o that the intruding of any other officer in Gods hou&s;e was accounted an offe~ce again&s;t the Lord of the hou&s;e. 6. By our oath, wee are obliged to con|tinuein obedience of di&s;cipline as well as doctrine, be|cau&s;e they are both grounded on the word of God, without the warrand whereof, all traditions that are brought in are abjured, &amp; the di&s;cipline of the Kirk of <HI>Scotland</HI> is &s;et down in the book of policy, as ground|ed on Godsword &amp; commanded to continue to the worlds end, whereunto we have &s;worn, and cannot without perjury to God, gain&s;ay it, likeas the A&s;&s;em|bly ordaines the di&s;cipline of the Kirk to be &s;ub&s;cri|bed as &s;uch, and the act of Parliament 1592 Ratifieth the di&s;cipline of the Kirk, as a priviledge granted by
<PB N="18" REF="9"> GOD, whereinto the Kings prerogative cannot bee prejudiciall. 7. It carrieth no &s;hew of argument or face of probabilitie, that the Kirk and reformers of Religion which condemneth all other ordinar of|ficers in the Kirk, but the&s;e foure appointed by <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> did mean under the name of variable ceremonies, to comprehend and admit Epi&s;copacy, which frequent|ly they condemne, as an invention of man, without the warrand of Gods word, tending to the over|throw of the Kirk and puritie of Religion. 8. The <HI>Prelats</HI> them&s;elves will not grant Epi&s;copacie to bee reakoned in the orders of ceremonies, which cannot be unchangeably con&s;titute for all ages, times, and places, but are temporall as devi&s;ed by man; and &s;o changeable, when they rather fo&s;ter &s;uper&s;tition then edifie the Kirk, but herein they will di&s;claime the benefit of this &s;econd rea&s;on, and undoubtedly af|firme, that Epi&s;copall government, not only may be, but &s;hould be, and was appointed for all ages, times, and places; &amp; that it is not the devi&s;e of man tempo|rall and changeable, but deriveth its extraction from divine Apo&s;tolick, at the lea&s;t Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall, perpe|tuall and nece&s;&s;ar in&s;titution, as is averred in the fir&s;t rea&s;on: and &s;o &s;hould ever be unchangeable. 9. This Kirk hath ever condemned all &s;uch as held the di&s;ci|pline, and policie thereof, to bee indifferent and changeable: &amp; in particular in <HI>An.</HI> 1581. which is the year of the &s;ub&s;cription of the confe&s;sion of Faith, and book of policie, M^r. <HI>Robert Montgomery</HI> is accu&s;ed and condemned for that doctrine. 10. In the A&s;&s;em|bly 1596. upon the Kings Maje&s;ties propo&s;ition, and demand that it might bee lawfull for him to rea&s;on
<PB N="19" REF="9"> or move doubts, in any point of the externall poli|cie, government, or di&s;cipline of the Kirk, which are not an&s;wered, <HI>affirmative</HI> or <HI>negative</HI> in the &s;cripture. The A&s;&s;embly concluded, that it might be lawfull for his Maje&s;tie, or his Commi&s;sioner, to propone any point to the generall A&s;&s;embly in matters of ex|ternall government, alterable, according to the cir|cum&s;tances, provyding it bee done in right time and place, <HI>Animo edificandi non tentandi:</HI> But as for the e&s;&s;entiall di&s;cipline, in the book of Policie: The &s;ame A&s;&s;embly de&s;ireth the Kings Maje&s;tie to declare before his E&s;tates, that he never intended to prejudge the &s;ame. 11. Albeit it were granted that di&s;cipline were changeable, yet now &s;eeing by the Kings Maje|&s;ties own con&s;ent, we have &s;worn to maintaine the di&s;cipline of the Kirk of <HI>Scotland,</HI> as it was 1580. we are obliged &s;trictly, <HI>interpo&s;ito juramento,</HI> to abide by that di&s;cipline <HI>&s;pecific&egrave;:</HI> at lea&s;t till it be lawfully chan|ged by the Kirk of <HI>Scotland,</HI> in her free generall A&s;|&s;embly, which can never bee pre&s;upponed: becau&s;e <HI>in rei veritate,</HI> the Di&s;cipline, as well as the doctrine, is acknowledged and &s;worn to, as unchangeable, wherein we mu&s;t continue all the dayes of our life: and defend the &s;ame according to our power, under the penaltie of procuring de&s;ervedly upon our &s;el|ves, all the cur&s;es contained in Gods word. 12. The doctrine of the Kirk of <HI>Scotland,</HI> condemned Epi&s;|copall, and re-e&s;tabli&s;hed Ptesbyteriall government perpetually: which we have acknowledged by joyn|ing our &s;elves in the a&s;&s;ertorie part of our oath, un|to the Kirk of <HI>Scotland</HI> in doctrine as well as in di&s;ci|pline, and in the promi&s;&s;orie part thereof by &s;wear|ing
<PB N="20" REF="10"> to continue in the obedience of the Di&s;cipline, as well as Doctrine: to &s;how that Di&s;cipline as well as Doctrine, is not variable, nor &s;o &s;worn to by us: but as an immutable law and con&s;titution, which we are obliged to maintain perpetually.</P>
<P>The third rea&s;on is that we who &s;ub&s;cribed the Covenant, acknowledged that Epi&s;copacie was not <NOTE PLACE="marg">An&s;wer to the third rea|&s;on.</NOTE> abjured thereby, which is qualified by two in&s;tances. Fir&s;t that the Mini&s;ters in their an&s;wers to the <HI>Quaeres of Aberdeine,</HI> expre&s;&s;ed them&s;elves in that &s;en&s;e, hold|ing the&s;e things for the pre&s;ent not to be abjured, but only to be referred to the tryall of a free generall A&s;|&s;embly. Next, that it is averred in our la&s;t rea&s;ons again&s;t the &s;ub&s;cription urged by his Maje&s;tie, that this oath, requyred by his Maje&s;tie, doth oblidge the takers of it, to mantaine <HI>Perth</HI> articles, and Epi&s;|copacie.</P>
<P>This needeth no an&s;wer if the preceding narration, and the whole pa&s;&s;ages of the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e were con&s;ide|red and known; for in the application of our Cove|nant, we did not expre&s;ly <HI>&amp; &s;pecific&egrave;,</HI> abjure Epi&s;co|pacie, but only generally and virtually, by abjuring what&s;oever was abjured in the Confe&s;&s;ion, 1580. which we found to be a &s;trong band, lying upon us to bind us &s;traitly to the obedience of the di&s;cipline then e&s;tabli&s;hed: wherein becau&s;e there had inter|veined &s;ome alterations, we permitted ju&s;tly the try|all thereof to the Kirk, whether <HI>Epi&s;copacie Perth ar|ticles,</HI> and other innovations were not condemned and abjured by the &s;aid oath, which now the A&s;&s;embly after carefull &s;earch and examination of the records have clearly found. This is the true meaning and
<PB N="21" REF="10"> &s;ub&s;tance of the an&s;wer made to the <HI>Quaeres of Aber|dine,</HI> and ought al&s;o to be the ingenuous meaning of the Councellours, who by their act declared they &s;ub&s;cribed the Confe&s;&s;ion 1580. as it was then pro|fe&s;&s;ed: which is con&s;onant to our generall applicati|on, and which being now declared by their mother Kirk, they ought to reverence and obey, and not upon light and &s;ubtill pretences to neglect and contemne. 2. For the &s;econd in&s;tance: It is true that when the Councell was urged to &s;ub&s;cribe the Confe&s;&s;ion, 1580. conforme to the warrands bearing (that they &s;hould mantaine the Religion now pre&s;ently profe&s;t) we ju&s;tly feared, that the &s;ame being &s;ub&s;cribed in 1638. would comprehend Epi&s;copacie, Perth arti|cles, and all other corruptions introduced &s;ince 1580. And therefore both in our written rea&s;ons again&s;t that &s;ub&s;cription, and in our &s;peeches at the Councel table, and to &s;undry Councellours in private, we de|horted them upon that rea&s;on from that &s;ub&s;cripti|on: which was the true cau&s;e why the Councell be|ing convinced with that rea&s;on, made their explana|torie act, declaring that they &s;ub&s;cribed the Confe&s;|&s;ion according to the meaning 1580. and as it was then profe&s;t, for removing of that doubt. 3. Albeit by the meaning of the pre&s;cryver of an oath, the &s;werer were tacitly bound to mantaine <HI>Epi&s;copacie, Five articles of Perth,</HI> and &s;uch-like, yet according to the premitted con&s;iderations, he is more obli&s;hed to the reality <HI>rei juratae,</HI> which is now declared and found to abjure Epi&s;copacie, &amp;c. Nor to the mean|ing of the pre&s;criver or his own either, being con|trare to the explanation of the &s;overaigne Iudge competent.</P>
<PB N="22" REF="11">
<P>The fourth rea&s;on is Sylogi&s;tically urged thus: It <NOTE PLACE="marg">An&s;wer to the fourth rea&s;on.</NOTE> cannot be denied but that oaths mini&s;tred unto us, mu&s;t either be refu&s;ed or el&s;e taken, according to the known minde, profe&s;&s;ed intention, and expre&s;&s;e com|mand of authority urging the &s;ame. But it is notori|ou&s;ly known, that his Maje&s;tie, not only in his King|domes of <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Ireland,</HI> is a mantainer of Epi&s;|copall government, but likewi&s;e is a defender, and mindes to continue a defender thereof in his King|dome of <HI>Scotland.</HI> And therefore the oath being ta|ken, and not refu&s;ed, mu&s;t be &s;worn conforme to his Maje&s;ties known meaning. The minor is confirmed from our own A&s;&s;ertions.</P>
<P>To this it is an&s;wered fir&s;t, that in contradictorie oaths, the &s;werer is more obliged to the true meaning of the oath, clearly expre&s;t therein, then either to his own meaning, or any &s;en&s;e of the pre&s;cryver, being contrary thereunto. E&s;pecially in this ca&s;e, where there is no new oath which may receive any new meaning, but the renovation of the old oath, which can admit no new de&s;tructive &s;en&s;e: but mu&s;t bee &s;worn conforme to the genuine originall fir&s;t mean|ing. 2. That oath was ju&s;tly refu&s;ed by us upon that ground of di&s;crepance among&s;t many others; &amp; &s;uch like, was not received by the Councell, till they de|clared their meaning by act <HI>&s;imul &amp; &s;emel</HI> with their &s;ub&s;cription. 3. We do not meddle with the Kirks of <HI>England</HI> or <HI>Ireland,</HI> but recommends to them the paterne &s;hown in the mount: all our arguments and proceedings being for the Kirk of <HI>Scotland,</HI> where, from the time of her more pure reformation then of her &s;i&s;ter Kirks, Epi&s;copacie hath ever been aboli&s;h|ed,
<PB N="23" REF="11"> till the latter times of corruption. So that though his Maje&s;tie hath hitherto mantained Epi&s;copacie in <HI>Scotland,</HI> becau&s;e his Maje&s;tie wanted the means to be informed of the acts of this Kirk, yet we know that God hath &s;o richly repleni&s;hed his Royall brea&s;t, with &s;uch ju&s;tice and pietie, that when his Maje&s;tie &s;hall receive perfect information, we are confident that He will never de&s;ire any change or alteration in our ancient Kirk government and di&s;cipline. E&s;pe|cially now when his Maje&s;tie hath cau&s;ed the man|tainance thereof to be religiou&s;ly &s;worn.</P>
<P>The fifth and la&s;t rea&s;on is, that we can never make it <NOTE PLACE="marg">An&s;wer to the fifth rea&s;on.</NOTE> appeare, that Epi&s;copal government, at the fir&s;t time of admini&s;tering the oath was aboli&s;hed; the very words of that confe&s;&s;ion of Faith, immediatly after the beginning of it being the&s;e: <HI>received, beleeved, and defended by many and &s;undry notable Kirks and Realmes, but chiefly by the Kirk of Scotland, the Kings Maje&s;tie, and three E&s;tates of this realme, as Gods eternall truth, and only ground of our &s;alvation.</HI> Whereupon is inferred that Bi&s;hops, Abbots and Pryors, made up, at that time a third E&s;tate of this realme, which gave appro|bation to the confe&s;&s;ion of Faith: and therefore this third E&s;tate did not abjure Epi&s;copacie. And albeit it had been aboli&s;hed by acts of A&s;&s;embly, yet it was not &s;o by act of Parliament, but in force by many of them &s;tanding unrepealed, which are annexed to the rea&s;ons. Which being the acts of a Monarch, and his three E&s;tates, are never repealable by any Eccle|&s;ia&s;ticall nationall Synod.</P>
<P>For an&s;wer hereunto, 1. It doth appeare and is ma|nife&s;t by the Regi&s;ters and acts of A&s;&s;embly, that be|fore
<PB N="24" REF="12"> the &s;ub&s;cription of the Confe&s;&s;ion at the time thereof, and thereafter: That <HI>Abbots, Priors,</HI> and <HI>Bi|&s;hops</HI> were &s;o clearly, evidently, and expre&s;ly con|demned in this kirk, That the be&s;t wits of this age op|po&s;ers of Epi&s;copacy cannot yet require one &s;illabe to be added for farther a&s;&s;urance, and the mo&s;t able maintainers thereof could not pick any quarrell to the clearne&s;&s;e of the expre&s;&s;ion. 2. The clau&s;e citted in the rea&s;on, is only anent the doctine, and not anent the di&s;cipline, which thereafter is determined and the <HI>Hierarchie</HI> dete&s;ted: And the Di&s;cipline of the Kirk &s;worn unto. 3. Albeit that clau&s;e were of di&s;cipline, yet it maketh nothing for Bi&s;hops except by infer|ence, that they are comprehended under the name of the third E&s;tate: which cannot be &s;o under&s;tood, for collections by way of inferrence or <HI>ex con&s;equenti,</HI> cannot bee adduced again&s;t the expre&s;&s;e acts of the time: wherein the makers &s;ignifie their mindes in clear termes, <HI>&amp; aperti&s;sime dicendo,</HI> leaveth no place to pre&s;ume the contrare: e&s;pecially in this kingdome, where the&s;e expre&s;&s;ions of <HI>&s;tylus curiae</HI> are carefully ob&s;erved without change: which may be &s;een in the &s;ame ca&s;e by many Parliaments: where it is not our that no <HI>Prelate</HI> was pre&s;ent, or allowed&punc; and yet the acts proporting to be made by his Maje&s;tie and three E&s;tates are interpreted by the quotter as made by the <HI>Prelats</HI> with others. 4 Epi&s;copacie was aboli&s;hed not only by acts of A&s;&s;embly, but there is no &s;tanding laws for Epi&s;copall government, but &s;ome again&s;t the &s;ame, as &s;hall bee evident in the an&s;wer made to the acts of Parliament, &s;ubjoyned hereto: but if their be any Acts of Parliament &s;tanding for Epi&s;|copacie,
<PB N="25" REF="12"> the Kings Maje&s;tie, his Commi&s;&s;ioner, the Councell, the Collective-body of the Kingdome, hath actually renunced the &s;ame by returning to the doctrine and di&s;cipline, 1580. whereunto Epi&s;copa|cie is contrare: which God-willing may al&s;o be in|acted at the next Parliament, proclaimed to be hold|en by his Maje&s;tie in <HI>May.</HI> 5. The acts of the A&s;&s;em|bly, and the book of Policie in the 1. and 10. chapter, puteth clear merches betwixt civill and Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall juri&s;diction; making every on independent in matters properly belonging to their own judicatorie, and e|very one &s;ubject to the other in matters properly be|longing to that other. So that as the A&s;&s;embly can|not make civill laws nor repeall them, nor imped the Parliament from making or repealing civill laws, no more can the Parliament make Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall laws o|riginally, nor repeall, or hinder the lawfull A&s;&s;em|blies to repeall the &s;ame. For albeit acts of the A&s;|&s;embly are, and may be ratified in Parliament, that is, only that the civill &s;anction may concurre with the Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall con&s;titution: But will not &s;top the A&s;|&s;embly to recall their own act: which being annulled by them, the civill ratification and &s;anction fals <HI>ex con&s;equenti.</HI> For to mantaine that the Kirk may not repeall her own acts, ratified once in Parliament, is &s;o derogatorie to Chri&s;ts prerogative and ordinance, to the liberty of the Kirk, and freedome of the A&s;|&s;embly, to the nature, end and, rea&s;on of all Eccle&s;i|a&s;ticall juri&s;diction, as we have more largely cleared in the Prote&s;tation 22. <HI>September</HI> la&s;t) that we beleeve few or none will be of that opinion. All the&s;e Five objections and many more was agitate and di&s;cu&s;&s;ed
<PB N="26" REF="13"> in the A&s;&s;embly, before the act anent Epi&s;copacie was made.</P>
<P>And &s;eeing the generall A&s;&s;embly of the Kirk of <NOTE PLACE="marg">Conclu&s;ion.</NOTE> <HI>Scotland,</HI> indicted by his Maje&s;tie now holden at <HI>Gla&s;|gow,</HI> which is the only Iudge competent and fit in|terpreter to remove and explaine all doubts, ary &s;ing upon the confe&s;&s;ion of Faith, hath after long, religi|ous and mature declaration, exponed the &s;ame, and clearly found that Epi&s;copall government in this Kirk, among&s;t other corruptions, is abjured by the confe&s;&s;ion of Faith, as the &s;ame was profe&s;t within this Kingdome, hath di&s;charged all &s;ub&s;cription to the Covenant, &s;ub&s;cribed and interpreted by his Ma|je&s;ties Commi&s;&s;ioner, hath commanded the Cove|nant &s;ub&s;cribed in <HI>Februare</HI> with the application to be now &s;ub&s;cribed according to her pre&s;ent determina|tion: therefore we tru&s;t that the knowledge hereof, will be a &s;ufficient warning to all good Chri&s;tians and Patriots, that they &s;ub&s;cribe not the one, and that they &s;ub&s;cribe the other, according to the genuine and true meaning thereof, declared by the Kirk allen|nerly, and of no contrary incompatible &s;en&s;e, as they would e&s;hew the crime and danger of a contradictory oath, and we would mo&s;t humbly and earne&s;tly beg of his Sacred Maje&s;tie, from the bottome of our hearts, that his Maje&s;tie would be graciou&s;ly plea&s;ed to command, that the &s;ame may be &s;o &s;ub&s;cribed, conforme to the declared explanation of the Kirk; which would prove the greate&s;t happine&s;&s;e and joy that ever befell the&s;e di&s;con&s;olated Subjects of this nation, who (though unju&s;tly branded with many ca|lumnies) yet never have, nor ever &s;hal &s;werve fro~ our
<PB N="27" REF="13"> loyalty due to the Lords anoynted: But would rea|dily imbrace any occa&s;ion to imploy our lives and for tunes for his Maje&s;ties &s;ervice and honour: who (we heartily pray God) may long &amp; happily ring over us.</P>
<P>There is annexed to this Declaration a quotation <NOTE PLACE="marg">Anent acts of Parlia|ment.</NOTE> of &s;undry acts of Parliament, to prove that Epi&s;co|pall government was not aboli&s;hed in the year 1580. whereunto albeit there is no nece&s;&s;ity of an&s;wer, &s;ee|ing the meaning of the Kirk of <HI>Scotland</HI> in her Con|fe&s;&s;ion of Faith is only to be &s;ought from her &s;elf, and the regi&s;ters of her A&s;&s;emblies, and not from the Parliament, yet the &s;ame &s;hall be &s;pecially an&s;wered in the order that they are alledged: after the&s;e two ge|nerals are offered to the Reader his con&s;ideration. 1. After the reformation of this Kingdome, the Kirk was &s;till wre&s;tling again&s;t all corruptions &amp; e&s;pecially again&s;t Epi&s;copacie. But through they clearly &amp; fre|quently condemned the &s;ame, yet the power of the enemies of reformation with&s;tood them long: &s;o that her own policy could not be obtained ratified expre&s;|ly <HI>&amp; &s;pecifice</HI> in Parliament, till the year of God 1592. which abrogateth all tho&s;e preceeding acts, alledged in the contrare. 2. That acts of Parliament can no more make Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall offices, nor give Eccle&s;ia|&s;ticall priviledges, nor the acts of A&s;&s;embly can e&s;ta|bli&s;h civill offices of E&s;tate, or grant to them civill priviledges; each Iudicatorie being properly confin|ed within their own &s;pheres.</P>
<P>But before the acts of Parliament be particularly <NOTE PLACE="marg">An&s;wer to the acts 1567.</NOTE> marked and cited, there be two rea&s;ons prefixed: the one taken from &s;ome acts of Parliament 1567. cap. 2. 3. 6. and cap. 68. Par. 1579. The other from the
<PB N="28" REF="14"> oath mini&s;tred to the King, at his coronation, for the act of Parliament 1567. Bearing that no Bi&s;hop nor other Prelate in this Realme, u&s;e any juri&s;diction in time coming by the Bi&s;hop of Romes authority, It is evident hereby that Epi&s;copacie is altogether con|demned, as all other Prelacie was: for before that time they had no juri&s;diction but from the Pope: and therefore being di&s;charged to execute that; they are di&s;charged by the act to execute any at all. That this is the true meaning and &s;cope of that act is manife&s;t: becau&s;e the Kirk in the book of common order, and in the fir&s;t book of di&s;cipline at that &s;ame time, ac|knowledgeth no other ordinarie office bearers ap|pointed by Chri&s;t <HI>in Eccle&s;iacon&s;tituta.</HI> But the <HI>Pastor, Doctour, Elder</HI> and <HI>Deacon:</HI> and in her A&s;&s;emblies at that &s;ame time, was &s;till cen&s;uring the&s;e who were called or de&s;igned <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> by rea&s;on of their benefices, as is in&s;tructed by the acts printed before the book of di&s;cipline. And therefore in the act of Councell, 1560. made in the &s;ame year by the&s;e &s;ame per&s;ons, ratifying the fir&s;t book of di&s;cipline, they provided only that <HI>Bi&s;hops, Abbots, Pryors,</HI> &amp;c. Being prote&s;tants, brook their revenews during their life-times: they &s;u&s;taining Mini&s;ters in the mean time. 2. In the year 1566. which preeceds that Parliament, the Kirk of this Kingdome approved the Confe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Helvetia;</HI> wherein the <HI>paritie of Mini&s;ters</HI> is preferred as Gods ordinance warranded by his word, to <HI>Epi&s;copacie,</HI> as an humane con&s;uetude. 3. Becau&s;e at that time the Queen had re&s;tored the Archbi&s;hop of S^t. Andrews; therefore the Kirk &s;upplicated the Nobilitie of the Kingdome, again&s;t that re&s;titution, which they con|demne
<PB N="29" REF="14"> as the curing of the head of the bea&s;t once wounded within this land. Wherein they expre&s;ly ground them&s;elves upon the &s;aid act of Parliament being before made in the year 1560. as a certane ab|rogation of the Arch-bi&s;hops authority. 4. In the 2. book of di&s;cipline chap. 11. the kirk u&s;eth the &s;ame act of parliament as an abrogation of the Papi&s;ticall Kirk, and Papi&s;ticall juri&s;diction, and thereby of Epi&s;copall juri&s;diction and power. 5. The Kirk thereafter in the &s;ame chapter declared their uniformity of this mean|ing by urging the act of Parliament, 1567. printed among&s;t the black acts and renewed in the Parlament holden 1579. (which immediatly followeth the act here cited) declaring that no other Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall ju|ri&s;diction &s;hall be u&s;ed within this Realme, but that which is and &s;hall bee in the reformed Kirke and floweth therefrom: and they urge that none under the abu&s;ed titles in Papi&s;trie, of <HI>Prelats</HI> &amp;c. attempt to clame the benefite of any act of Parliament, having no commi&s;&s;ion of the reformed Kirk within this Re|alme. Whereby our Kirk declared all <HI>Epi&s;copall</HI> juri&s;|diction to bee <HI>Papi&s;ticall.</HI> Which is the true meaning of the word, his <HI>Hirarchie</HI> in the &s;hort confe&s;&s;ion. For their juri&s;diction could flow fro~ none other but from the <HI>Pope:</HI> Seeing it flows not from the Kirk: but was aboli&s;hed, and condemned by them: as is clear by the Regi&s;ters of the A&s;&s;embly. 6. The acts do aboli&s;h all <HI>Papi&s;ticall</HI> juri&s;diction: And therefore all <HI>Epi&s;copall</HI> juri&s;diction, becau&s;e <HI>Epi&s;copall</HI> policy and juri&s;diction is <HI>Papi&s;ticall:</HI> as is acknowledged by many, &amp; &s;pecially by Doctor <HI>Poklingtun</HI> chaplane to the Bi&s;hop of <HI>Can|terburie:</HI> who deduceth a continuall lineall &s;ucce&s;&s;ion
<PB N="30" REF="15"> from <HI>Peter</HI> through the whole <HI>Popes,</HI> unto the pre&s;ent <HI>Arch-bi&s;hop</HI> of <HI>Canterburie:</HI> and by the quotter him|&s;elf, who alledgeth (albeit fal&s;ly) that this Kirk re|tained the <HI>Papi&s;ticall</HI> Policie and government. 6. Where it is &s;aid in the rea&s;on; that our Kirk did not innovat any thing in that Policie which they found in the Kirk before the reformation: the &s;ame is control|led by the book of Common prayer, fir&s;t book of Di&s;cipline, and acts of the A&s;&s;emblies.</P>
<P>And for the 6. act 1567. and the 68. act 1579. The &s;ame doth not only not mention Bi&s;hops, but declar|eth <NOTE PLACE="marg">Anent the &s;ixth act 1567.</NOTE> the true Kirk to con&s;i&s;t only of Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel then living, and the&s;e who thereafter &s;hould ri&s;e; agreeing with them, in doctrine and admini&s;tra|tion of the Sacraments, and the people, as the mem|bers thereof, which directly excludeth Bi&s;hops: a|gain&s;t whom the doctrine and practi&s;e of this Kirk, continually &s;ounded: e&s;pecially at that time. For in the government of this Kirk by weekly meeting of Mini&s;ters Elders, and reformed townes from the year 1560 to the year 1576 (except the <HI>interim</HI> of the pretended convention at <HI>Leeth</HI> 1572.) and from the year 1575. to the year 1581. The A&s;&s;emblies for the mo&s;t part were imployed in aboli&s;hing the cor|ruptions of <HI>Epi&s;copacie,</HI> and in e&s;tabli&s;hing the &s;etled Policie: which was agreed upon, 1578. In the &s;econd book of Di&s;cipline. In the which acts of A&s;&s;embly and book of Di&s;cipline is &s;et down at large the do|ctrine of the Kirk of Scotland, anent that di&s;cipline, as grounded and well warranded in the word of God, and again&s;t <HI>Epi&s;copall</HI> juri&s;diction, as an unlawfull humane invention: So that <HI>Epi&s;copacie</HI> being contrare
<PB N="31" REF="15"> to the doctrine of the Kirk of Scotland, 1579. The <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> di&s;agreeing from the Mini&s;ters of the Evangel then living, in doctrine and in the u&s;e and admini&s;tra|tion of the Sacraments, are declared by the &s;aid acts to be no members of this Kirk, and the &s;ame acts ci|ted for them do &s;ufficiently evince that <HI>Epi&s;copacie</HI> was &s;till condemned, notwith&s;tanding all oppo&s;ition made in the contrare.</P>
<P>As for the Kings oath, the &s;ame containeth no mention of Bi&s;hops, but by the contrary, the King is <NOTE PLACE="marg">Anent the Kings oath.</NOTE> obliged thereby to maintain the true Religion of Ie|&s;us Chri&s;t, the preaching of his holy word, and right admini&s;tration of the Sacraments, then received and preached within this Realme. And &s;eeing it is cleared by the preceeding relation, that Bi&s;hops were never allowed, but oppugned by the Kirk of <HI>Scotland,</HI> that oath doth not allow, but exclude Epi&s;copacie which is al&s;o more pre&s;picuous in the &s;hort confe&s;&s;i|on 1580. and 1581. when the Kirk &s;et down her con|&s;tant policie in Doctrine and Di&s;cipline grounded upon the word of God, wherein the <HI>Hierarchie</HI> is abjured as contrary thereto; and craved an oath from his Maje&s;tie for maintenance thereof, which now al&s;o our gracious Soveraigne in the judgement of the Kirk of <HI>Scotland</HI> is obliged to maintain, as being founded upon the word of GOD, and exclu&s;ive of Epi&s;copa|cie as repugnant thereto. The acts of Parliament thereafter particularly cited are the&s;e mentioned in order.</P>
<P>The 24. act 1567. ratifying all civill privileges formerly granted to the &s;pirituall e&s;tate, and the 35. act 1571. Ratifying all acts made anent the freedome,
<PB N="32" REF="16"> and libertie of the true Kirk: the &s;ame cannot be ex|tended to the e&s;tabli&s;hing of <HI>Epi&s;copacie</HI> becau&s;e it is not mentioned in the&s;e acts, but by the contrary was aboli&s;hed by the acts of the A&s;&s;embly and Parlia|ment, before mentioned, &s;o that the priviledges therein mentioned, are granted to &s;uch Kirk-men as then were received by the Kirk and Kingdome: and the freedome of the Kirk mu&s;t bee interpret by her own judgement: who thought ever <HI>Epi&s;copall</HI> juri&s;diction an heavie bondage: and yet tho&s;e privi|ledges can inferre no &s;pirituall juri&s;diction, but only civill priviledges; &s;ome immunities and exemptions granted for the goods and per&s;ons of Kirk-men as is cleare, 1. act. <HI>Iames</HI> 1. Par. 1. and 26, act. Par. 2. <HI>Iames</HI> 1. and 4. act Par. 3. <HI>Iames</HI> 2. with many others.</P>
<P>It is here to be ob&s;erved, that the carefull evolver of the&s;e acts of Parliament, hath omitted to cite the 7. act. 1. Parliament, of King <HI>Iames</HI> 6. bearing the ex|amination and admi&s;sion of Mini&s;ters, to be only in the power of the Kirk, then openly and publick|ly profe&s;t; and pre&s;entations to bee made to <HI>Superin|tendents,</HI> or others having commi&s;sion from the Kirk, &amp; appealleth from them, to the <HI>Superintendents</HI> and mini&s;ters of the Province, and appealleth from the&s;e to the generall A&s;&s;embly: in all which gradati|ons no mention of Bi&s;hops; but they in effect excluded by that contrare di&s;tinction of the Kirk then openly profe&s;t: becau&s;e they were di&s;charged by the fore|&s;aid &s;econd act 1567. and <HI>Superintendents</HI> were then permitted like temporarie <HI>Evangelists</HI> for the pre|&s;ent nece&s;&s;itie, declared in the fir&s;t book of di&s;cipline
<PB N="33" REF="16"> <HI>ad eccle&s;iam con&s;tituendam;</HI> but was abrogate from 1575. that the con&s;tant Policie of <HI>Eccle&s;ia con&s;tituta</HI> began to be e&s;tabli&s;hed.</P>
<P>As for the acts of Parliament, 1572. and 1573. It <NOTE PLACE="marg">Anent the acts 1572. &amp; 1573.</NOTE> is known by the records of the time, that the <HI>Regent</HI> then laboured hard to bring in <HI>Arch-bi&s;hops,</HI> and <HI>Bi|&s;hops,</HI> who were not dead, but &s;tanding <HI>de facto</HI> pro|vided to the power of the&s;e titulars of benefices, to fortifie his own de&s;ignes, and counter-ballance the authoritie of Mini&s;ters, pre&s;&s;ing the puritie of refor|mation: and &s;o cannot be honourably alleadged for the <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> at this time: and yet it was done not by authoritie, but by warrand of &s;ome Mini&s;ters of his own party conveened at <HI>Leeth:</HI> and was only done for an <HI>interim,</HI> and prote&s;ted again&s;t by the next A&s;|&s;embly; and yet neverthele&s;&s;e by the &s;aids acts of Parliament, the <HI>Arch-bi&s;hops, Bi&s;hops, Superintendents,</HI> or Commi&s;&s;ioners of Dyoces or Provinces, are joyn|ed together (which is wrongou&s;ly omitted in the quottation) to &s;how that no <HI>Arch-bi&s;hop</HI> or <HI>Bi&s;hop, qua tales</HI> had any power, but only being <HI>de facto</HI> &s;tand|ing provided in the title, they were capable of a Commi&s;sion from the Kirk, which &s;ometimes they obtained, and in the book of A&s;&s;embly are named &s;uch as are called <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI> and were under the Di&s;ci|pline of the Kirk: and in the &s;ame <HI>Superintendents</HI> po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ours and titulars of prelacies, as well as <HI>Arch-bi|&s;hops</HI> and <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI> are ordained to be called and con|veened for that effect before the generall A&s;&s;embly of the Kirk: And yet none can &s;ay, That the offices of <HI>Abbots Pryors,</HI> &amp;c. were then retained; how beit the benefices were not extinct; and few will grant,
<PB N="34" REF="17"> that when the <HI>Arch-bi&s;hops</HI> and <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> office was in vigour, they thought them&s;elves &s;ubject to the ge|nerall A&s;&s;embly: as they are by the &s;aid act which is al&s;o fraudfully omitted in the quottation.</P>
<P>As for the acts of Parliament 1578. and 1579. It is an&s;wered that the Kirk in this meane <NOTE PLACE="marg">Anent the acts 1578. and 1579.</NOTE> time, from the year 1575. was bu&s;ied in abro|gating <HI>Epi&s;copacie,</HI> and e&s;tabli&s;hing the con&s;tant policie, as is clear by the printed acts of A&s;&s;em|bly before the book of Di&s;cipline, and unprinted acts of Parliament: The Kirk by her Commi&s;&s;ioners daily rea&s;oning and agreeing with the Kings Maje&s;tie and his Commi&s;&s;ioners upon the&s;e heads of policie, whereupon the Parliament, by the &s;aid 69. act 1579 declareth there is none other juri&s;diction eccle&s;ia&s;ti|call to bee acknowledged, but that which is in this reformed Kirk, and floweth there-from, which ex|tingui&s;heth <HI>Epi&s;copacie;</HI> becau&s;e it doeth not flow from this reformed Kirk: neither can produce its chartor from her: for be&s;ides that it was aboli&s;hed by the fore&s;aids acts 1567. It was condemned al&s;o in the book of Policie, and in the generall A&s;&s;embly holden at <HI>Dundie,</HI> 1580. and their whole e&s;tate &s;pirituall, and temporall condemned in the A&s;&s;embly at <HI>Gla&s;|gow</HI> 1581. and &s;o acknowledged by his Maje&s;ties Commi&s;&s;ioner in the A&s;&s;embly at <HI>Edinburgh</HI> 1581. &s;o that by this act of Parliam. 1579. The <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> are &s;o aboli&s;hed, that unle&s;&s;e they be e&s;tabli&s;hed by law|full A&s;&s;emblies of the Kirk, no act of Parliament &s;ince &s;en can conduce for their e&s;tabli&s;hment: &s;eeing this act with the other acts for their abolition, &s;tandeth yet unrepealled. And farther for the act of Parliament
<PB N="35" REF="17"> 1578. if the &s;ame contribute any thing, for <HI>Epi&s;copacy,</HI> it mu&s;t either be becau&s;e <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> are there mentioned, or for the power thereby conferred upon them: But both the&s;e are weak grounds. The fir&s;t becau&s;e there is no <HI>Bi&s;hop</HI> there named, but &s;uch as &s;tood provided <HI>de facto</HI> on life: which is an di&s;ignation of the benefice, which was not then extinct; and not of the office which was extinct. The power conferred upon them by the &s;aid act can give no &s;trength to the argument: becau&s;e there is no juri&s;diction granted thereby to them, but only power to vi&s;it Ho&s;pitals: which the Parliam. might have granted to any per&s;on: but was mo&s;t proper to the&s;e idle titulars of benefices, who might be&s;t attend the &s;ame, or imploy means for their reparation. And this charge is likewi&s;e commu|nicate by act of Parliament to all Chancellours of this Kingdome for the time being: And as to the 71. act 1579. we repeat the former an&s;wers that <HI>Su|perintendents</HI> and <HI>Commi&s;sioners</HI> are there joyned with the <HI>Bi&s;hops;</HI> to &s;how that no power is granted unto them as <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI> but <HI>Commi&s;sioners</HI> from the Kirk, and the name is &s;till u&s;ed, becau&s;e the benefice was not extinct, but they were known by that appellation.</P>
<P>The acts of Parliament 1581. were better al|ledged <NOTE PLACE="marg">Anent the act 1581.</NOTE> for A&s;&s;emblies then <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI> for it is an expre&s;&s;e ratification of the former acts of abolition of <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI> &amp; abrogatio~ of all acts or con&s;titutions, cannons civil or municipall contrare to the Religion then pre&s;ently profe&s;t within this kingdom: which is not only clear|ly expre&s;t in the words: but if they were doubt&s;ome (as they are not) were manife&s;t for the&s;e rea&s;ons. Fir&s;t, the A&s;&s;embly holden at <HI>Edinburgh,</HI> about the
<PB N="36" REF="18"> very &s;ame day, honoured with the pre&s;ence of his Maje&s;ties Commi&s;&s;ioner, is acknowledged by him to have condemned <HI>Epi&s;copacie</HI> whereunto temporall juri&s;diction is annexed: and the A&s;&s;embly declaring that function to be again&s;t the word of God and acts of the Kirk, thereupon did &s;upplicat the Parliament, that they &s;hould make no acts repugnant to the word of God, e&s;pecially concerning <HI>Bi&s;hops.</HI> Secondly, the King and E&s;tates by that act ratifieth all acts made for mantainance of the libertie of the true Kirk of God, pre&s;ently profe&s;&s;ed within this Realme and pu|ritie therof: which pre&s;ent profe&s;&s;ion can be no other, then that which was received by the Kirk and A&s;|&s;embly then pre&s;ently &s;itting &s;o near the Parliament at <HI>Edinburgh,</HI> which had approven the <HI>Pre&s;byteriall government,</HI> condemned the <HI>Epi&s;copall,</HI> and ratified <HI>the &s;hort confe&s;sion &s;imul &amp; &s;emel,</HI> wherein the E&s;tates had &s;worn to the <HI>Pre&s;byteriall</HI> and abjured <HI>Epi&s;copall</HI> government. Thirdly, this ratification of the former acts of Parliament mu&s;t be interpreted, according to the words thereof, to be in all points, which are not prejudiciall to that purity of Religion and liberty of the Kirk pre&s;ently profe&s;&s;ed within this Realme. And at this time the whole E&s;tats had &s;ub&s;cribed the &s;hort Confe&s;&s;ion, and &s;o &s;worn to the di&s;cipline, &s;et down in the book of di&s;cipline, which by this act is ratified in the fir&s;t place, before any &s;peciall enumeration of particular acts. Fourthly, it hath been formerly &s;howne that in the preceeding acts of Parliament where <HI>Arch-bi&s;hops</HI> or <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> are named, the &s;ame hath been by rea&s;on of their benefice, and not their office: which the Parliament could not give them be|ing
<PB N="37" REF="18"> abrogate by A&s;&s;embly: or having intended really to give them any place, would not have joyned <HI>Su|perintendents</HI> and other Commi&s;&s;ioners with them: or otherwi&s;e they are named as having equall power with the <HI>Superintendents</HI> and other Commi&s;&s;ioners, as in the convention at Leeth; and conforme to the time, e&s;pecially 1572. and 1573. Wherein &s;ome titu|lars or po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ors of prelacies, &s;o called in the 46. act of the Parliament 1572. had a commi&s;&s;ion from the Kirk like unto <HI>Superintendents,</HI> which was not fully abrogate untill 1580. But all this was without preju|dice of the Kirk her libertie, to recall her own com|mi&s;&s;ion from the&s;e who were provided to prelacies; and to condemne their <HI>Epi&s;copall</HI> offices, whereunto they a&s;crived the power; which they really had by their commi&s;&s;ion: as the Kirk did upon good rea&s;ons abrogate the office of <HI>Superintendents</HI> without im|punging of the &s;aids act of Parliament (which were never re&s;cinded till 1592) whereby it is evident, that though this act of Parliament 1581. ratifie the for|mer acts wherein <HI>Arch-bi&s;hops, Bi&s;hops, Superintend|ents,</HI> or other Commi&s;&s;ioners of the Kirk are named, yet &s;eeing the &s;aids acts are <HI>alternative</HI> conceived, the vigour and efficacie thereof &s;ub&s;i&s;ts by this ratificati|on in the la&s;t alternative; viz. Commi&s;&s;ioners from the Kirk, Dyoces or Province: &s;eeing the remanent were formerly condemned: e&s;pecially by this A&s;|&s;embly of Edinburgh holden the time of the Parlia|ment. Fifthly, this ratification 1581. of the former acts made in favours of the true Religion repeating only the titles of the&s;e acts and not them&s;elves, cannot import any corroboration of the offices under
<PB N="38" REF="19"> the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> mentioned in the&s;e former acts: becau&s;e this ratification, can only be extended to the matter, and not to the de&s;ignation of the per&s;ons, expre&s;t in the former acts. which is only per&s;onall and circum&s;tan|tiall as for in&s;tance, this act 1581. could not confer any power or imployment upon <HI>Superintendents:</HI> be|cau&s;e that office was then abrogate; and out of the Kirk. But the true meaning of the act is; that ratifying the &s;ub&s;tance and matter in favours of the Kirk and Religion, it doth intru&s;t the execution to the&s;e whom the Kirk &s;hall lawfully authorize with commi&s;&s;ion for that end, which is more manife&s;t in the 114. act Par. 12. 1592. wherein this act 1581. and all the acts therein contained are ratified <HI>quo ad materiam:</HI> and yet all <HI>Arch-bi&s;hops</HI> and <HI>Commi&s;sioners</HI> are di&s;charged and all Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall matters &s;ubjected to Pre&s;byteries. Sixthly, it cannot probably agree with rea&s;on that by this ratification the Parliament, above their po|wer would indevoure to e&s;tabli&s;h in the Kirk any fun|ction &s;o recently condemned of before by the A&s;&s;em|blies at <HI>Dundie</HI> 1580. and at <HI>Gla&s;gow</HI> and <HI>Edinburgh,</HI> 1581. immediatly before this Parliament.</P>
<P>The acts of Parliament 1584. are of &s;everall na|tures. But they were prote&s;ted again&s;t, by the Mini|&s;ters <NOTE PLACE="marg">Anent the act 1584. and the third E&s;tat of Parlia|ment.</NOTE> of <HI>Edinburgh</HI> in the name of the Kirk of <HI>Scotland,</HI> at the mercate cro&s;&s;e of <HI>Edinburgh,</HI> when they were proclamed and as they were made in that time which was called the houre of darkne&s;&s;e in this Kirk, tirran|nized by the Earle of <HI>Arran,</HI> &s;o are they expre&s;ly re|pealed 1592. cap. 114.</P>
<P>Anent the act of Parliament 1584. <HI>For the three E&s;tates,</HI> and &s;o furth. To an&s;wer: <HI>Primo,</HI> that the Kirk
<PB N="39" REF="19"> from the year of God 1580. 1581. that the Confe&s;|&s;ion was &s;ub&s;cribed, unto the year 1597. all this time was by continuall acts condemning the office of <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI> their &s;pirituall, their temporall, their whole e&s;tate, their confu&s;ion of civill and Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall ju|ri&s;diction, and craving in Councell and Parliament the di&s;&s;olution of Prelacies and the erection of Pre&s;|byteries.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>De facto</HI> the former <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> being continually proce&s;&s;ed and &s;entenced by the Kirk, the&s;e who pre|&s;umed to u&s;urp that office condemned by the Kirk, namely M^r. <HI>Patrick Adam&s;on,</HI> and M^r. <HI>Robert Mount|gomrie</HI> in the year 1582. 1584. 1586. they were de|prived and excommunicate by this Kirk before the Parliament, 1587.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>De facto</HI> no Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall <HI>Bi&s;hop</HI> voted in Par|liament but <HI>Mountgomrie</HI> and <HI>Adam&s;on,</HI> who were taken in by the Earle of <HI>Arran,</HI> unto the Parliament holden in <HI>May</HI> at <HI>Edinburgh</HI> 1584. Wherein the <HI>three E&s;tates</HI> ratifieth the honour and dignitie of the <HI>three E&s;tates,</HI> &s;o that as the&s;e two <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> cannot bee called the <HI>third E&s;tate</HI> which doth ratifie, &s;o the E&s;tate of <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI> cannot be called the <HI>third Estate,</HI> which is ratified: e&s;pecially &s;eeing be that &s;ame Parliament in the 132, act. <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> of the Diocie are but nominate the Kings Commi&s;&s;ioners. And in the la&s;t act of that &s;ame Parliament, printed of old in black letter, there is &s;et down the Kings Commi&s;&s;ion granted to the &s;aid pretended Bi&s;hop <HI>Adam&s;on.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. From 1581, till the year 1597. the quotter do|eth not cite nor can cite any act of Parliament expre&s;|ly nominating any eccle&s;ia&s;ticall <HI>Bi&s;hop</HI> but that in the
<PB N="40" REF="20"> 1584. wherein he is named as one among&s;t other the Kings Commi&s;&s;ioners, whereof &s;ome were meere &s;e|cular per&s;ons.</P>
<P N="5">5. It is clear by the fir&s;t act of the ninth Parlia|ment 1584. and the eleventh act of the 10. Parlia|ment 1585. that <HI>Bi&s;hopricks, Prelacies, Abbacies, Pry|ories, Nunries,</HI> were then thought to bee alike in the Kings hands, were granted to what&s;oever per&s;ons being his &s;ubjects, albeit they brooked no office in the Kirk: &s;o that &s;ome of the&s;e lord-&s;hips and Barronies were errected before 1587. and excluded from the annexation.</P>
<P N="6">6. As the Kirk had ever been craving the di&s;&s;olu|tion of Prelacies, and condemning the temporall as well as the &s;pirituall E&s;tate of <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI> by their act of the A&s;&s;embly 1581. and by their cen&s;ure of the Presbyterie of <HI>Striviling</HI> for admitting <HI>Montgomrie</HI> to the temporality of the Bi&s;hoprick of <HI>Gla&s;gow,</HI> and cen&s;ure of <HI>Mountgomrie</HI> for a&s;pyring thereto, con|trare to the word of God and acts of the Kirk in the A&s;&s;embly 1587. <HI>Iuni.</HI> So in the 11. Parl. of King <HI>Iames</HI> the &s;ixt 29. of <HI>Iuly</HI> 1587. 29. act. The three E&s;tates of Parliament annexeth to the crown, all Lord&s;hips and Barronies pertaining to what&s;oever, <HI>Archbi&s;hops,</HI> or <HI>Bi&s;hops, Abbots, Pryors, Nunnes,</HI> and <HI>Munkes:</HI> re&s;erving alwayes to <HI>Archbi&s;hops, Bi&s;hops, Abbots, Pryors, Pryore&s;&s;es, commendators,</HI> and others po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ours of great Benefices of the e&s;tate of <HI>Prelates,</HI> and which before had or hath vote in Parliament, the principall Ca&s;tles and Fortalices: whereby it is clear: that the <HI>&s;tylus curiae</HI> naming three E&s;tats did no wayes include Mini&s;ters being <HI>Bi&s;hops:</HI> &s;eeing no eccle&s;ia&s;ticall
<PB N="41" REF="20"> <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI> &s;ate in that Parliament, nor could &s;it: becau&s;e the only two <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> of the time <HI>Adam&s;on</HI> and <HI>Mont|gomery,</HI> were before depryved and excommunicat, and certainly they neither would nor could have &s;itten as an E&s;tate in Parliament to abrogate their own e&s;tate and lord&s;hips, and temporall land, where-upon that act acknowledgeth any right they had, did de|pend. 2. It is clear that <HI>Arch-bi&s;hops</HI> or <HI>Bi&s;hops, Ab|bots, Pryors, &amp;c.</HI> all alike voted in Parliament of old, not by rea&s;on of their eccle&s;ia&s;ticall office, but by rea&s;on of their great benefices and lord&s;hips: which here is &s;aid to have had vote in Parliament: for that cannot be relative to the per&s;ons, as unto <HI>Pryore&s;ses:</HI> but unto the benefices. So that Mini&s;ters voted not as Mini&s;ters in name of the Kirk, but as po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ours of the&s;e great benefices or Barronies: and others who were not eccle&s;ia&s;ticall per&s;ons being titulars, and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ours of the&s;e great benefices both <HI>communi stylo</HI> were called, <HI>Bi&s;hops, Abbots, &amp;c.</HI> by vertue of the benefice without any office, in the rolls of Parliament, and in the act of A&s;&s;embly 1587. The <HI>Bi&s;hoprick</HI> of <HI>Cathnes</HI> is &s;aid to vaike by decea&s;e of <HI>Robert Earle of March,</HI> the Kings Uncle: And the A&s;&s;embly in their letter to the King declareth, to be again&s;t the word of GOD and acts of the Kirk, to pre&s;ent and admit any Mini&s;ter to that Bi&s;hoprick, as al&s;o &s;ome of the&s;e titulars, and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ours of the benefices, albeit they had no eccle&s;ia&s;ticall office, did &s;ome times ryde and vote in Parliament. 3. It is clear that the three E&s;tats by taking away from <HI>Arch|bi&s;hops,</HI> and <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI> their lord&s;hips Barronies, and tem|porall lands, they took away their vote in parliament,
<PB N="42" REF="21"> which doth not &s;ub&s;i&s;t, but in and by the benefice, and therefore eccle&s;ia&s;ticall per&s;ons &s;eparat to the Go&s;pel for want of their great benefices, had no vote in Par|liament, till the 1597. (albeit all the interveened acts are made by the three E&s;tates,) wherein the Kings Maje&s;tie re&s;toreth Mini&s;ters to the titles and dignities of Prelacies, which &s;howeth that before they were di&s;poned to others then Mini&s;ters; and provideth that Mini&s;ters pre&s;ented to the&s;e titles and dignities, and to the benefice of <HI>Bi&s;hopricks,</HI> &s;hall have vote in Parliament: which &s;howeth that the benefice and not the office giveth right to vote in Parliament, like as the very act of Parliament 1606. acknowledgeth, that by the act of annexation of the temporality of bene|fice to the Crown 1587. the e&s;tate of <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> were in|directly aboli&s;hed: and therefore they behoved to re|&s;cind the act of annexation anent the benefice, and re|&s;tore them to the&s;e titles, and dignities, before Mi|ni&s;ters could vote in Parliament, but the&s;e acts al&s;o are hereafter an&s;wered. 7. But as for 130. act 1584. no <HI>Bi&s;hop</HI> is therein mentioned: and yet it is adduced for <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI> becau&s;e the three E&s;tates are therein nam|ed, under one of which the <HI>Prelate</HI> claimeth to bee comprehended, but why more he then <HI>Abots,</HI> and <HI>Pry|ors</HI> formerly aboli&s;hed, as well as <HI>Epi&s;copacie?</HI> why more by that act, then many former made when <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> neither rode, &s;ate, nor voted in Parliament: but were expugned out of this Kirk, and yet the acts were all made by the three E&s;tates, which albeit it needeth none other demon&s;tration then that it is <HI>&s;tylus curiae,</HI> carefully ob&s;erved in this Kingdome: Yet the truth is, that the Nobilitie, Barrons, and Burrows
<PB N="43" REF="21"> were the three E&s;tates of this Kingdome, many hun|der years after Chri&s;tianity, before any Bi&s;hops was in this Kindome, as is ob&s;erved by <HI>Buchanan</HI> and <HI>Boe|tius,</HI> and acknowledged by <HI>Le&s;ly</HI> in his Chroni|cles: and after the Bi&s;hops were abrogat expre&s;ly the three E&s;tates of Parliament did continue, and make all acts of Parliament. Yea, after the 1592. where Bi&s;hops were di&s;charged, for if Bi&s;hops were an E&s;tate, there behoved to be foure E&s;tates of Parli|ment; as there are &s;o many named in the Commi&s;&s;ion granted by King IAMES, and King CHARLES, viz. The Clargie, Nobilitie, Barrons, and Borrows, and that as eccle&s;ia&s;ticall per&s;ons &s;eparate to the Go|&s;pel, &s;ince the reformation, were never warranted to voice in Parliament, while. 1597. So on the o|ther part, the Barrons are, and have been, as an E|&s;tate of parliament in uncontravered po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of vo|ting in Parliament, conforme to the 101. act Parl. 7. King IAMES the fir&s;t, renewed again in the Parliament 1585. and 1587. act 113. wherein precepts of the Chancelarie are ordained to bee directed to the Bar|rons as unto an E&s;tate of Parliament: even as they &s;hall be direct unto other E&s;tates, to wit, The No|bilitie and Borrows: which in that act is mentioned. So in this &s;ame act of Parliament (which in the nar|rative relateth the bygone great decay of the ecle&s;i|a&s;ticall E&s;tate) There are expre&s;t three compleat E|&s;tates in Parliament, The Nobilitie, Barrons, and Bor|rows. And as in law the three E&s;tates are intire with|out Bi&s;hops or Mini&s;ters voters in Parliament, So al&s;o, it is mo&s;t expedient, and nece&s;&s;ar for the libertie of the Kirk, honour of the King, and peace of this king|dome:
<PB N="44" REF="22"> That no Mini&s;ters vote in Parliament, as is more clearly and largely proved in the rea&s;ons of the Prote&s;tation, given into Parliament again&s;t the &s;ame, 1606. And in the act of this A&s;&s;embly again&s;t civill places of Kirk-men.</P>
<P>As for the 131. act 1584. no <HI>Bi&s;hop</HI> is therein men|tioned to get any benefite thereby, and far le&s;&s;e can the &s;ame reach to the prejudice of the late A&s;&s;embly, which was indicted by his Maje&s;tie, and is an ordinare judicatorie allowed by the laws of God and man: like as it is an&s;wered in our prote&s;tation, more largely.</P>
<P>And for the 132. and 133. act of the &s;aid Parlia|ment 1584. there is no Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall priviledge or au|thority thereby granted to <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> as <HI>Bi&s;hops;</HI> but only a power of cognition: wherein the Parliament hath joyned others the Kings Commi&s;&s;ioners with them, only as the Kings Commi&s;sioners: and granted the &s;ame unto &s;eculare per&s;ons with them: but the King could never provide them to the office and juri&s;dicti|on of Bi&s;hops, which was aboli&s;hed by many acts of Parliament and A&s;&s;emblies before written.</P>
<P>The 23. act 1587. worketh directly again&s;t <HI>Bi&s;hops:</HI> being a generall ratification of all acts formerly made <NOTE PLACE="marg">Anent the act 1587.</NOTE> anent the religion pre&s;ently profe&s;t in this kingdome: which mu&s;t include the acts aboli&s;hing <HI>Epi&s;copacie;</HI> but e&s;pecialy, &s;eeing in the &s;ame Parliament 1587. temporall livings are takin from the <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI> as well as the office was 1567. And the &s;ame act undoubted|ly was granted in the &s;ame meaning, wherein the Kirk did crave it; who that &s;ame year had often condemned <HI>Epi&s;copall</HI> government, as contraire to Gods word, and the libertie of the Kirk, and approved <HI>Presbyte|riall</HI>
<PB N="45" REF="22"> government, as flowing from the pure foun|taine of Gods word.</P>
<P>It faleth in here to be remarked that the act 114. <HI>anno</HI> 1592. is never alleadged: and that becau&s;e it not only <NOTE PLACE="marg">Anent the act 1592.</NOTE> revocks in particular the fore&s;aid acts 1584. but in generall all other acts contrary to that di&s;cipline then e&s;tabli&s;hed, and in particulare, the A&s;&s;emblies, Pre&s;|bytries and Synods, with the di&s;cipline and juri&s;di|ction of this Kirk, are ratified and e&s;tabli&s;hed, as mo&s;t ju&s;t and Godly, not with&s;tanding what&s;oever &s;ta|tutes, acts, cannons, civill or municipall laws made in the contrare: whereunto his Maje&s;ties prerogative is declared to be no wayes prejudiciall. Further the &s;aid act abrogates all acts granting commi&s;&s;ion to <HI>Bi|&s;hops,</HI> and other Iudges con&s;titute in Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall cau&s;es; and ordaineth pre&s;entation to benefices to be direct to Presbyteries, with power to give collation thereupon: And &s;o containeth a ratification of the heads of Policie &s;et down in the &s;econd book of di&s;cipline. Which act is renewed act 60. <HI>anno</HI> 1593. and the power of Presbyteries acknowledged 1594. act 129. and was never re&s;cinded expre&s;ly <HI>in totum;</HI> but only in part by the ratification of the act of <HI>Gla&s;|gow.</HI> Which now cannot be re&s;pected; but falleth <HI>ex con&s;equenti:</HI> &s;eeing that A&s;&s;embly of <HI>Gla&s;gow</HI> is now upon ju&s;t and infallable rea&s;ons declared to have been null <HI>ab initio:</HI> and &s;o this act of Parliament, wi&s;ely o|mitted by the collecter to the Commi&s;&s;ioners grace might &s;erve alone, without our preceeding &s;peciall an&s;wers, for clearing the whole preceeding acts.</P>
<P>The 23. act 1597. granteth the priviledge of a voice <NOTE PLACE="marg">Anent the acts 1597.</NOTE> in Parliament to the whole Kirk; and under that name
<PB N="46" REF="23"> to Abbots, or other per&s;ons provided to prelacies, as well as <HI>Bi&s;hops:</HI> even as in time of papi&s;trie. So as S^r. <HI>Robert Spotti&s;wood,</HI> Abbot of <HI>New-abbay</HI> road thereafter in Parliament: which was both unwarrant|able and unu&s;uall. Which doth nothing contribute for the <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> advantage, becau&s;e albeit the benefice was not extinct, yet neither the King nor the Parlia|ment might give them the office &s;o oft condemned by this Kirk: which is al&s;o acknowledged in the &s;ame act; becau&s;e after the granting to them of the &s;aid voice, the Parliament remiteth them to the King and the A&s;&s;embly, concerning their office in their &s;piritu|all policie and government in the Kirk. 2. The &s;aid act beareth expre&s;ly to be but prejudice of the juri&s;|diction &amp; di&s;cipline of the Kirk, e&s;tabli&s;hed by acts of Parliament made in any time preceeding, and permit|ted by the &s;aid acts to all provinciall and generall A&s;|&s;emblies, and other what&s;oever Presbyteries and Se&s;|&s;ions of the Kirk: and &s;o the &s;ame cannot derogat from the former acts ratifying the pre&s;ent di&s;cipline of the Kirk, e&s;pecially the &s;aid act 1592. nor yet from the acts of the A&s;&s;embly abjuring <HI>Epi&s;copacie.</HI> 3. The priviledge is granted upon condition they be actuall Pa&s;tors and Mini&s;ters. And &s;o we refer to the world and them&s;elves, if with good con&s;ciences they may clame the benefice of that act. 4. That priviledge was obtruded, and pretended to be introduced in favours of the Kirk: who may and hath renounced the &s;ame, as being incompatible with their &s;pirituall function: as the act of the A&s;&s;embly at more length beareth, upon undeniable rea&s;ons. 5. When voice in Parlia|ment was fir&s;t plau&s;ible obtruded upon the Kirk, it
<PB N="47" REF="23"> was neither proponded nor tolerated in other tearms then that only &s;uch &s;hould have vote in Parliament, as had commi&s;&s;ion from the Kirk. So that not as <HI>Bi|&s;hops,</HI> but as Mini&s;ters, Commi&s;&s;ioners from the Kirk, they had vote in Parliament. Like as the A&s;|&s;embly at <HI>Montro&s;e,</HI> 1600. being &s;o hardly pre&s;t by authority, that they could not get it altogether re|fu&s;ed (albeit in their conference at <HI>Haly-rud-hou&s;e,</HI> 1599. they proponed unan&s;werable rea&s;ons again&s;t this, and all other civill places of Pa&s;tours) &s;et down cautions, binding the Mini&s;ters voters in parliament, to bee in&s;ert in the act of Parliament &s;ub&s;equent: which was omitted notwith&s;tanding of the <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> oath and dutie in the contrare; for the breach where|of they are now mo&s;t ju&s;tly cen&s;ured. 6. The ra|tificatorie acts of the priviledges of the Kirk and Di&s;cipline thereof then profe&s;t, are not thereby abrogat, but notwith&s;tanding thereof mu&s;t &s;tand in force, becau&s;e it is ever under&s;tood, and fre|quently provyded in Parliament, that all acts there|of are made <HI>&s;alvo jure cuju&s;libet;</HI> farre more <HI>&s;alvo jure eccle&s;iae &amp; &s;pon&s;ae Christi,</HI> when &s;he is robbed of her right without audience: e&s;pecially &s;eeing her right, is u&s;ually ratified in the fir&s;t act of every Par|liament. 7 Albeit it were granted, that by this Act of Parliament, or any what&s;oever the <HI>Prelates</HI> had voice in Parliament, yet that doth not exeime them from Eccle&s;ia&s;tick cen&s;ure, nor forefault the Kirks right, whereby &s;he may condemne them for their tran&s;gre&s;|&s;ions: as now this A&s;&s;embly mo&s;t ju&s;tly hath done, for by their own caveats, who&s;oever is eccle&s;ia&s;tical|ly cen&s;ured by Presbyteries and provinciall A&s;&s;em|blies,
<PB N="48" REF="24"> <HI>ip&s;o facto</HI> lo&s;eth his benefice and vote in Par|liament. 8. Further, the <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> in their declinatour profe&s;&s;e they never had commi&s;&s;ion from this Kirk to voice for her in Parliament, according to the cauti|ons &s;et down in the A&s;&s;embly at <HI>Montro&s;e:</HI> for the which cautions that A&s;&s;embly was never challenged, as trinching upon the third E&s;tate.</P>
<P>The act of parliament 1606. is coincident with the nature of the preceeding acts, for albeit the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Anent the act 1606.</NOTE> King and parliament might have reponed them to their rents, teends, lands, &amp;c. which were annexed to the Crown; yea, might have di&s;poned to them any part of the patrimonie of the Crown, If lordly titles and civill places in the per&s;ons of pa&s;tours &s;e|parat to the Go&s;pel, had been lawfull, yet could not give them the &s;pirituall office, and juri&s;diction &s;pi|rituall, which was aboli&s;hed and abjured by many preceeding acts of A&s;&s;embly and parliament fore|cited. <HI>Et quod illud tantum agebatur,</HI> is evident by the whole &s;traine of the Act, reponing them, for remeed of their contempt and povertie to their dignities, pri|viledges, livings, rents, lands, and teinds: and this alwayes limited, as was competent to them, &s;ince the reformation of Religion in the reformed Kirk: From which time their office and juri&s;diction &s;piri|tuall was alwayes extinct. Which is evidently ac|knowledged in the act of Parliament 1592. and ex|pre&s;ly in the act of parliament 1597. granting voice in parliament to Mini&s;ters. Which albeit it was the fir&s;t &s;tep to <HI>Epi&s;copacie,</HI> yet the parliament thereby hath remitted the office of Bi&s;hops in their &s;pirituall policie and government (as not pertaining to their
<PB N="49" REF="24"> civill place and juri&s;diction) to the King and the ge|nerall A&s;&s;embly of Mini&s;ters, as properly belonging to them, but prejudice alwayes of the juri&s;diction and di&s;cipline of the Kirk, permitted by many acts of Parliament, (whereof that 1592. forecited is one) to generall provinciall A&s;&s;emblies, Presbyteries and Se&s;&s;ions of the Kirk, which were never prejudged neither by the act 1606. nor by the act 1609. albeit corruption was then fa&s;t advancing; till the year 1612 at which time fir&s;t, and never before, the King and E&s;tates had taken the advice of the pretended A&s;&s;em|bly at <HI>Gla&s;gow,</HI> anent their office and &s;pirituall juri&s;|diction formerly remitted to them: as is cleare in the act of Parliament 1612. relative to that remit in the Parliament 1597. which for that cau&s;e is al&s;o omit|ted by the quotter.</P>
<P>Likeas al&s;o the act of Parliament 1609. re&s;toreth them only to temporall juri&s;diction, and priviledges, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Anent the act 1609.</NOTE> lawfully pertaining to them and flowing from his Maje&s;tie, as any other ordinare juri&s;diction doth: with re&s;ervation of the Kings &s;upremacie and prero|gative therein: which can no wayes comprehend their Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall office, becau&s;e the &s;ame is not a tem|porall juri&s;diction, neither did lawfully pertaine to them, but by the law of God, and acts of this Kirk after reformation: and by the act 1592. was abrogat and taken from them: and the Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall power e&s;tabli&s;hed in Presbyteries. So that if it be an Eccle|&s;ia&s;ticall office, it cannot flow from the King, who cannot make a Mini&s;ter, Doctor, Elder or Deacon in the Kirk; albeit he may pre&s;ent a Mini&s;ter made by the KING of Kings to the Kirk: neither can the Par|liament
<PB N="50" REF="25"> in&s;titute originally any Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall office in the Kirk, as is before &s;aid. Further the intended &s;cope of that act is only the re&s;titution of Commi&s;|&s;ariats and temporall juri&s;diction flowing from his Maje&s;tie: as is clear by the act it &s;elf, bearing that they &s;hall brook all priviledges and juri&s;dictions granted to them by his Maje&s;tie, and redintegrates them to their former authority and juri&s;diction, lawfully pertaining to them, alwayes flowing from his Maje|&s;tie (from whom only temporall juri&s;diction doth flow) which is only the juri&s;diction of Commi&s;&s;ers in temporall cau&s;es, and no wayes any &s;pirituall ju|ri&s;diction competent <HI>ratione officii:</HI> which by Gods word and the laws of the Kingdome was abjured in them, and e&s;tabli&s;hed in A&s;&s;emblies Presbyteries, &amp;c. as is many times before repeated. But to convince them further it is notor that both 1606, and 1609. they road in Parliament, &amp; by their own voices and the iniquity of the time, made the &s;aid acts without in|&s;erting the cautions made at <HI>Montro&s;e,</HI> without any commi&s;&s;ion from the Kirk, contraire to the &s;aid cau|tions and their own oath given for ob&s;ervance there|of, again&s;t which the Kirk of Scotland did prote&s;t &s;o|lemnly, clearing unan&s;werably, not only the unlaw|fulne&s;&s;e of their Eccle&s;ia&s;tick <HI>Epi&s;copall</HI> function; but al&s;o of the civill places in per&s;ons of Pa&s;tors, from Gods word, our confe&s;&s;ion of Faith, 1580. acts of this Kirk and Kingdome; but this prote&s;tation being rejected by them was printed to the view of the world.</P>
<P>And as for the act of Parliameat 1617. it cannot <NOTE PLACE="marg">Anent the act 1617.</NOTE> &s;et down con&s;ecration to the office, without a pre|ceeding
<PB N="51" REF="25"> act of the Kirk: which is not aleadged: but by the contraire, the Kirk, had before condemned that office, and did particularly prote&s;t again&s;t that act of Parliament. Moreover this act is builded upon the &s;uppo&s;ed ground of <HI>Gla&s;gow</HI> A&s;&s;embly 1610. which for infallable rea&s;ons is now annulled: and &s;o not only this act 1617. but all after acts, ratifying the &s;ame, fall <HI>ex con&s;equenti;</HI> both by the light of rea&s;on, law and practi&s;e of this Kingdome. For when the princi|pall act or right ratified doth fall, the &s;ub&s;equent ra|tification falleth <HI>eo ip&s;o:</HI> e&s;pecially in this ca&s;e, when civill laws in Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall matters, cannot be made originally, nor &s;ub&s;i&s;t after the abolition of the Ec|cle&s;ia&s;ticall con&s;titutions, which they ordaine under civill &s;anction to be obeyed: and yet being once an|nulled they cannot be obeyed. And further even that corrupt A&s;&s;embly of <HI>Gla&s;gow</HI> 1610. which is now declared to have been null <HI>ab initio,</HI> did never re&s;tore the office of a dioce&s;ian Bi&s;hop before condemned in this Kirk; but did too far enlarge and extend the po|wer of the&s;e who were provided to the benifice of <HI>Bi&s;hops;</HI> and yet alwayes under cautions and limitati|ons &s;worn unto: which they never ob&s;erved; and up|on condition of their &s;ubjection for cen&s;ure to yearly generall A&s;&s;emblies: which they have not keeped, but impeded, and &s;o they ought not to clame the be|nefice of the&s;e acts of Parliament concluded by their own voyces, and prote&s;ted again&s;t by the Kirk of <HI>Scotland</HI> and violated by them&s;elves.</P>
<P>And la&s;t, for an&s;wer to all acts of Parliament what|&s;oever, let the Chri&s;tian Reader con&s;ider, if, as the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Conclu|&s;ion.</NOTE> A&s;&s;embly lately conveened by his Maje&s;ties indicti|on
<PB N="52" REF="26" MS="y"> in the name of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, &s;hould judge (and hath proceeded) by the word of God alone; and not by acts of Parliament: &s;o we are oblidged by our oath made to God, to returne to the doctrine and di&s;cip|line of this Kirk 1580. and renounce all &s;ub&s;equent acts contrary thereunto, and prejudiciall to the puri|tie of reformation and the Kirk, in who&s;e favours any pretended priviledges is granted, and that out of experience of reall prejudice, and the pungent &s;ins of our oath and danger of perjurie; under which this Kingdome lieth: for the which we ardently deprecat Gods wrath, &amp; beg mercy to every one of us who are guilty; and mu&s;t &s;till continue our earne&s;t and hum|ble &s;upplications to his Maje&s;tie for redre&s;&s;e: as we &s;hall do our petitions to God, for pre&s;erving the &s;a|cred per&s;on of our dread Soveraigne, and perpetuat|ing his reigne and his Royall po&s;terity over this land &s;o long as the world indureth.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Revi&s;ed according to the ordinance of the generall A&s;sembly, by me <HI>M^r. A. Ihon&s;ton</HI> Clerk thereto:</SIGNED>
<DATELINE>Edinb. <DATE>14. of Feb. 1639.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="26">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
