The Acts of the General Assemblies of the Church of Scotland

by Church of Scotland. General Assembly

Act. Sess. 12. December fourth.

The six late pretended Assemblies condemned.

Anent the report of the Committie, for trying the six last pretended Assemblies: They produced in writ sundrie reasons, clearing the unlawfulnesse and nullitie of these Assemblies; [pg 009] which were confirmed by the registers of the Assembly, the books of Presbyteries, the Kings Majesties own letters, and by the testimonie of divers old reverend Ministers, standing up in the Assembly, and verifying the truth thereof. The Assembly with the universall consent of all, after the serious examination of the reasons against every one of these six pretended Assemblies apart, being often urged by the Moderatour, to informe themselves thoroughly, that without doubting, and with a full perswasion of minde, they might give their voices, declared all these six Assemblies of Linlithgow 1606. and 1608, Glasgow 1610, Aberdeen 1616, St. Andrews 1617, Perth 1618. And every one of them to have been from the beginning unfree, unlawfull, and null Assemblies, and never to have had, nor hereafter to have any Ecclesiasticall authoritie, and their conclusions to have been, and to bee of no force, vigour, nor efficacie: Prohibited all defence and observance of them, and ordained the reasons of their nullitie to be insert in the books of the Assembly: Whereof the tennour followeth.

Reasons annulling the pretended Assembly, holden at Linlithgow, 1606.

I. From the indiction of it. It was indicted the third of December to bee kept the tenth of December. And so there was no time given to the Presbyteries, far distant, neither for election of Commissioners nor for preparation to those who were to be sent in Commission. The shortnesse of the time of the indiction is proved by the Presbyterie books of Edinburgh, Perth, and Hadingtonn, &c.

II. From the want of a lawfull calling, to these who went to the meeting, seeing they were not at all elected by their Presbyteries, but were injoyned to come by the Kings letters. This also is proved by the foresaids books of the Presbyteries, and by his Majesties letters.

III. From the nature of that meeting, which was only a private meeting, or convention, for consultation to be taken by some persons of sundry estates written for, as the [pg 010] Kings letters and the Presbyterie books do acknowledge.

IV. From the power of those ministers who were present. Their Presbyteries did limitate them: First, That they should give no suffrages in that meeting as a generall Assembly. Secondly, That they agree to nothing that may any wayes be prejudiciall to the acts of the generall Assemblies, or to the established discipline of the Kirk. Thirdly, That they should not agree to resolve or conclude any question, article, or mater whatsoever, the decision whereof is pertinent, and proper to a free generall Assembly. Fourthly, If any thing be concluded contrary thereunto, that they protest against it. These limitations are clear by the Presbyterie books.

V. The acts of this meeting were not insert in the book of Assemblies, as is evident by the register.

VI. The next pretended Assembly at Linlithgow, 1608, doth acknowledge the Assembly, Whereof Master Patrick Galloway was Moderatour, to have been the last immediate Assembly, preceding it selfe: and that Assembly whereof he was moderatour, was the Assembly holden at Halyroodhouse, 1602. So they did not acknowledge that meeting at Linlithgow, 1606. for any Assembly at all. This is clear by the registers of the Assembly, 1608, in the entrie thereof.

Reasons for annulling the pretended Assembly at Linlithgow, 1608.

I. Manie of the voters in that pretended Assembly had no lawfull commission from the Kirk, to wit, 42 Noble men, officers of state, councellours, and Barrons, also the Bishops, contrare to the act of Dundie, 1597. And one of their caveats, the Noble men, were as commissioners from the King, the Bishops had no commission at all from the Presbyterie, for every Presbyterie out of which they came, had their full number of Commissioners beside them, as the register of the Assembly beareth.

II. In a lawfull Assembly there should be none but Commissioners from Presbyteries, Burghs, and Universities, and but three ministers at most, with one Elder, Commissioners from every Presbyterie, according to the act made at Dundie, 1597. But in that pretended Assembly, there were foure ministers from the severall Presbyteries, of Edinburgh, and Cowper, five from the Presbyteries of Arbroth, as the roll of the said pretended Assembly beareth, whereas there were no ruling Elders sent from Presbyteries, according to the book of policie and act of Dundie.

Reasons for annulling the pretended Assembly at Glasgow, 1610.

I. The Commission of the pretended Commissioners to the meeting was null. 1. Because the election of them was not free, seeing they were nominate by the Kings Letters, as the Presbyterie books of Edinburgh, Perth, and Hadingtoun declare. And the Bishop of St. Andrews in his letter to some Presbyteries required them to send such commissioners as the King had nominate: assuring them, that none other would be accepted. This the Bishops letter registered in the Presbyterie books of Hadingtoun doth cleare. 2. And whereas there were no ruling Elders sent from the Presbyteries to that pretended Assembly, as the roll of Commissioners sheweth; yet there were moe ministers from undue severall Presbyteries then three, as five from Brechen, five from Arbroth, five from Kirkenbright, seven from the Presbytery of Argyl, foure from the Presbyterie of Cowper, foure from Linlithgow, foure from Pasley, foure from Hammilton, foure from Drumfreis, foure from Dunkell: as the register of that Assembly beareth.

II. There where thirtie voters of Noble men and Barrons, beside the pretended Bishops, who had no commission from any Presbyterie. In the fourth Session of this pretended Assembly it is plainly said, That the Noble men and Barrons came to it by the Kings direction.

III. The voting of the commissioners was not free: for by the Kings Letter to the Assembly they were threatned, and it was declared that their content was not needfull to any act to be made there: The King might doe it by his own power, yet they were allured to vote by a promise that their good service in so doing should be remembred and rewarded thereafter.

IV. The principall acts which were made, were set down verbatim in the privie conference, which chiefly consisted of the Kings Commissioners and pretended Bishops, and only read to be ratified in the Assembly.

V. Sundrie ministers then present, doe now declare, that they knew the ministers who voted the wrong way, to have received their present reward, and that money was largely dealt unto them.

Reasons for annulling the pretended Assembly at Aberdene, 1616.

I. There was no election of a Moderatour: but that place usurped by the pretended Bishop of Saint Andrews, as the Register beareth.

II. The indiction of that pretended Assembly was but twentie dayes before the holding of it: so that the Presbyteries and burghes could not be prepared for sending their commissioners: which caused the absence of many Presbyteries and fourtie foure Burghes.

III. There were twentie five noble-men, and gentle-men voters without commission from the Kirk. Ma. William Struthers voted for the Presbyterie of Edinburgh, yet had no commission there-from. The commission being given by that Presbyterie to other three, as the said Commission registrar in the books of the Presbytery beareth. And whereas there should be but one Commissioner from every burgh, except Edinburgh, to the Assembly; at this pretended Assembly, there were two Commissioners from Glasgow, two from Cowper, two from St. Andrews: whereas there were no ruling Elders having commission from their Presbyteries at that Assembly.

IV. When the acts of that pretended assembly were written, the Bishop of St. Andrews with his own hand did interline, adde, change, vitiate, direct to be extracted or not extracted, as he pleased: as the scrolls themselves seen, doe show; wherefore the Clerk did not registrat the acts of that Assembly, in the books of Assemblies, as may be easily seen by the blank in the register left for them remaining unfilled.

The nullitie of the pretended Assembly at Saint Andrews, 1617.

I. There is no mention of it in the register of the Assemblies, and so no warrand for their commissions, their Moderatour or Clerk.

II. The indiction of it was so unformall, that as the scroll declareth, a great part of the Commissioners from Synods, Burrows, and gentle-men, would not be present.

III. The Kings Majestie in his letter to Perths Assembly, acknowledged it was but a meeting, wherein disgrace was offered to his Majestie.

IV. The former corruptions of the foure preceding Assemblies had their confluence in this and the subsequent Assembly.

Reasons for annulling the pretended Assembly, holden at Perth, 1618.

I. The Assembly was indicted but twentie dayes before the holding of it: and all parties requisit received not advertisement, as appeareth by their absence. The untimous indicting of it, is cleared by Presbyterie books.

II. There was no election of the Moderatour, as was accustomed to be in lawfull Assemblies; The register cleareth this.

III. No formall election of their new Clerk.

IIII. There were five whole Dioces absent, viz. Orknay, Cathnes, Rosse, Argyll, and Isles: and many Presbyteries had no Commissioners there, as the register of that pretended Assembly beareth.

V. There were nineteen noblemen and Barrons, eleven Bishops that had no Commission from the Kirk. Whereas the act for constitution of Assemblies, ordaineth every Burgh to have but one Commissioner, except Edinburgh, which may have two (Act at Dundie 1597) yet in that pretended Assembly, Perth had three Commissioners, Dundie, had two, Glasgow had two, and St. Andrews had two: Of the Burghes, there were there six absent: And for ruling Elders, there were none at all with commission from their Presbyteries. All these things are cleared by the records of that pretended Assemblie.

VI. The Commissioners from some Presbyteries exceeded their numbers prescribed in the act at Dundie, 1597, for the Presbyterie of Arbroth were foure Commissioners and three for the Presbyterie of Aughterardour: Beside these that were heard to vote, having no commission at all, and some who had commission were rejected, and were not enrolled, but others put in their place without commission.

VII. The pretended Bishops did practice foure of the articles to be concluded there, before the pretended Assembly, in Edinburgh, St. Andrews, and other cathedral Churches, by keeping festival dayes, kneeling at ye Communion. Thus their voices were prejudged by their practice of these services before condemned by the Kirk, and therefore they should have been secluded from voicing.

VIII. In all lawfull Assemblies, the voicing should be free: But in this pretended Assembly there were no free voicing; for the voicers were threatned to voice affirmative, under no lesse pain nor the wrath of authoritie, imprisonment, banishemnt, deprivation of ministers, and utter subversion of the state: Yea, it was plainly professed, that neither reasoning nor the number of voices should carie the matter away: Which is qualified by the declaration of many honest old reverend Brethren of the ministery now present.

IX. In all lawful Assemblies, the grounds of proceeding were, and used to be, the word of God, the confession of Faith, and acts of former general Assemblies. But in this pretended Assembly, the ground of their proceeding in voicing was the Kings commandment only: For so the question was stated: Whether the five articles, in respect of his Majesties commandement, should passe in act, or not: As the records of that pretended Assembly beareth. Where it is declared, that for the reverence and respect which they bear unto his Majesties Royal commandements, they did agree to the foresaids articles.

X. Many other reasons verifying the nullitie of all these Assemblies, were showen and proven before the Assembly, which needeth not here to be insert.