Records of the Kirk of Scotland / containing the Acts and Proceedings of the General Assemblies from 1638 downwards, as authenticated by the clerks of assembly.

by Church of Scotland. General Assembly

Whereas by the book of Fasting, authorized by the generall Assemblie, and prefixed before the Psalmes, no set or yeerly Fasts are allowed, but disallowed, as contrary to the liberty of the Church, and to the nature of the exercise (a Fast;) yet the said Master David Lindsey and his foresaid Colleagues respective, have appointed yeerly Fasts, and troubled some godly Professors for not observing the same.

Whereas the office of a Deacon is set forth in the book of Discipline, and book of common order before the Psalms, according to the Word of God, to have no medling with the preaching of the Word, or the ministration of the Sacraments, and by the first Confession of faith ratified in the Acts of Parliament, chap. 23. Ministers called unto particular flocks have onely power of the ministration of the Sacraments; yet the said Master David Lindsey with his foresaid Colleagues respective, have given a power to certain Divines whom they make Deacons (men not admitted to the calling of the Ministery) to administer the Sacrament of Baptisme, under the names and titles of preaching Deacons, and they refuse to admit divers men to the calling of the Ministerie before they be admitted to that Order.

Whereas it is ordained by the book of Policie, and Acts of the Assembly, that no man should receive ordination to the Ministery without a present admission to a particular flock; yet the said Master David Lindsey with his foresaid Colleagues respective, have separated the act of Ordination from the act of Admission.

Whereas according to the established order of the Church, & the Acts of the Assembly, the ordination & admission of Ministers should be publick, in the presence and with the consent of the congregation; yet the said Master David Lindsey with his foresaid Colleagues respective, have given ordination to some men in other places, not in their own Congregation; and violently have thrust upon them scandalous Ministers.

Whereas Ministers who teach erroneous and corrupt doctrine should be censured by the book of Discipline, and by the Acts of the Assemblie; yet the said Mr David Lindsey with his foresaid Colleagues respective, have taught erroneous and corrupt doctrine themselves, and by their pretended power have preferred to the Ministerie men who have taught erroneous doctrine against the Confession of Faith, and Acts of Parliament quoted in our Covenant; and they cherish and maintaine them who teach Arminianisme and Popery, as conditionall Election; Free-will; resistibilitie of effectuall Grace; The universality of Christs death; The merit of it in heaven & in hell; A finall apostacie of the Saints; The locall descent of Christ into hell; That Christ came into the world clauso Virginis utero; auricular Confession, and Papall absolution; That the Pope is not Antichrist; That the Church of Rome is a true Church; That reconciliation with Rome is a thing easie; That the Church of Rome erres not in fundamentals; and that she differs not in fundamentals from the Reformed Churches; They call in question the imputation of Christs righteousnesse, and they affirme the formall cause of justifying faith, to consist in our inherent righteousnesse; They affirme that there is a locall and circumscriptive presence of Christ in the Sacrament, and they change the Sacrament into a Sacrifice, and the Table into an Altar, the Ministers into Priests. There are other damnable and hereticall points of Doctrine which they maintaine; of which we shall give particular information in our particular accusation of each one of them respective, with the proofes thereof, when we shall be required.

Whereas by the Acts of the Church, no oaths or subscriptions should be required from those who enter into the Ministerie, but to the Confession of faith, and to the Book of Policy; yet the said Master David Lindsey with his foresaid Colleagues respective, without a warrant from the Church or Parliament, doe exact diverse oathes and subscriptions from them who enter into the Ministerie; namely, That they should both in publick and private prayers commend the Prelats to Gods mercifull protection; That they should be subject to the orders which were now in the Church, or, by the consent of the Church, that is, by their consent (as they affirme) should be established; as to the Service Book, and to the Book of Canons. The heavinesse of this grievance made the most part of his Majesties subjects to complaine in these Articles, that worthy men which have testimonies of their learning from Universities, and are tryed by Presbyteries to be fit for the worke of the Ministerie, and for their gifts and lives were much desired by the people; yet these men are kept out because they could not be perswaded to subscribe and swear unto such unlawfull oaths, which have no warrant from the Acts of the Church, nor the laws of the Kingdome; and they were Articles and oaths conceived according to their pleasure; and men of little worth, and ready to sweare, were for by-respects thrust upon the people, and admitted to the most eminent places of the Church, and of the Schools of Divinity, which breeds continuall complaints, and moves the people to run from their owne parish Churches, refusing to receive the Sacrament from the hands of Ministers set over them against their hearts, which makes them not to render unto them that honour which is due from the people to their Pastours; and it is a mighty hinderance to the Gospel, to the soules of the people, and to the peace of this Church and Kingdome.

Whereas in the Assembly holden at Edinburgh, in March, Ann. 1578. it was declared that it was neither agreeable to the word of God, nor to the practice of the Primitive Church, that the Administration of the Word and Sacraments, and the ministration of civill and criminall justice should be confounded, that one person could supply both the charges, but that a Minister should not be both a Minister and a Senator in the Colledge of justice. And in the Assembly holden in October An. 1578. it was reckoned amongst the corruptions of the State of Bishops, which they were charged to forgoe, that they should usurp a criminall jurisdiction, that they should not claime unto themselves the titles of Lords, that they should onely be called by their owne names, or brethren; yet the said Master David Lyndsey, with his foresaid Colleagues respective, have assumed to themselves the titles and honours of Lords, they did sit as Senators in the Colledge of justice, as Councellours in the Privie Councell, as Auditors in the Exchequer, and have enjoyed prime Offices of State. The pretended Bishops have usurped the place and precedencie before all Temporall Lords, the pretended Archbishops before all the noble Earles of the land, and the pretended Primate before the prime Officers of State in the land.

Whereas by the Word of God and Acts of the Assembly, namely, Anno 1576. 1577. and 1578. no man should be suffered to be a Minister, unlesse hee be tied to a particular flocke and congregation; and not to be tied to a particular flocke it is condemned as a corruption of the state of Bishops which they were charged to forgoe; yet the said Master David Lindsey, with his Colleagues respective foresaid, are Ministers, and will not be tied to particular flockes.

Whereas the office of a Bishop (as it is now used within this Realm) was condemned by the booke of policie, and by the Act of the Assembly holden at Dundee, Anno 1580. whereof these are the words; Forasmuch as the office of a Bishop (as it is now used and commonly taken within this Realme) hath no sure warrant from authoritie, nor good ground out of the Scriptures, but it is brought in by the folly and corruptions of the inventions of men, to the great hurt of the Church, The whole Assembly of this Church, with one voice, after liberty given to all men to reason in the said matter (no man opposing himself to maintain the said pretended office) doe find and declare the said pretended office, used and termed as is above said, unlawfull in it selfe, as having neither ground nor warrant within the Word of God; and we doe ordaine that all such persons which doe, or shall hereafter, enjoy the said office, shall be charged simply to dismisse, quit, and leave the same, as an office unto which they were not called by God; and that they shall leave off all preaching, ministration of the Sacraments, or other offices of Pastors, untill such time as they receive admission de novo from the generall Assembly, under the paine of excommunication to be used against them; and if they be found disobedient to contradict this Act in the least point, after due admonition, the sentence of excommunication shall be executed against them. And for the better execution of the said Act, it is ordained that a Synodall Assemblie shall be holden in everie Province (in which usurping Bishops are) 18. August next to come, in which they shall be cyted and summoned by the Visitors of the said Countries to compeere before their Synodall Assemblies; as namely, The Archbishop of S. Andrewes to compeere at Saint Andrewes, The Bishop of Aberdene in Aberdene, The Archbishop of Glasgow in Glasgow, the Bishop of Murray in Elgin, to give obedience to the said act, which if they refused to do, that the Synodall Assemblies shall appoint certaine brethren of their Presbyteries to give them publike admonitions out of their Pulpits, and to warne them, if they disobey, to compeere before the next generall Assembly to be holden at Edinburgh 20. Octob. to heare the sentence of excommunication pronounced against them for their disobedience: and to this act the Bishop of Dumblane that then was, agreed, submitting himself to be ruled by it; it was also condemned by the act of Glasgow Anno 1581. which doth ratifie the former act of Dundee, and ordaines the book of policie, which was approved by severall Generall Assemblies to be registrated in the books of the Assemblie, and enjoyned the generall confession of faith to be subscribed by all his Majesties Lieges; Yet hath the said Master David Lyndsey with his foresaid Colleagues respective, not onely incroached upon the liberties of Presbyteries and Synods, but hath also took Consecration to the office of a Diocesan Bishop, without the knowledge or consent of the Church, and against the acts of it, claiming the power of ordination and jurisdiction, as due to him by that unwarrantable office.

Besides, the said Master David Lyndsey, with his foresaid colleagues respective, have, against the Lawes of the Church and Kingdome, brought in the Service book, the book of Canons, and the High Commission Court, and would have changed and overthrowne the whole frame of doctrine of Gods word, the use of the Sacraments, the Discipline, Liberties and Priviledges of this Church and State, if the Lord had not prevented them; The particulars wee shall present to your wisdomes, though it bee knowne to all men, how he and they have abused his Majesties Authoritie against his Royall intentions and Declarations, they having moved discontents betwixt the King and his subjects, by scandalous lies betwixt subject and subject, for which things, complaints have been given in to the Councell, which we hold heare to be repeated as a part of our complaint, and to be tried by your wisdomes, and referred to the Assemblie.