1638.—November 22.
95. Letter from the Bishop of Ross to Hamilton.
My Lord, may it please your Grace,
This Worthy Gentleman hath desired my Judgment concerning three things: first, concerning the production of a Letter from His Majesty to the Assembly, directed to the Archbishops, Bishops, and Ministers, whether or not this can be produced, and any Note made upon it, before there be a Moderator condescended upon. My humble Opinion is, (which I humbly submit to your Graces better Judgment) that the Letter be presented, given by your Grace to the Clerk, and read by him. Here it is most like your Grace will be pressed, that the Letter is directed to an Assembly that cannot be without a Moderator, and yet on purpose to get a Moderator by Election, and an Assembly established; to which in my Judgment it may be replied, that it may be that the King’s Letter containeth something to that purpose, which, therefore, is to be read, and noted by the Clerk as produced onely. The second is concerning the examination of the Commissions and Commissioners: My Lord, it is certain that both are most illegal, and there is more than sufficient ground from this one (if there were no more) to void this Assembly and make it null. But how to begin at this I see not so well, for if the Commissions and Commissioners be rejected, then how shall the King’s Real and Royal Intentions be manifest to the subjects, which is most necessary, that the Factious may not have advantage to possess good and loyal Subjects, that His Majesty is onely deluding them for other ends. On the other part, if your Grace approve the Commissions and Commissioners, how far King and Church shall suffer, your Grace is wiser to conceive than I am able to express. The third is concerning the Declinator, when it shall be proposed or presented to your Grace; My Lords of Glasgow and Brechin are fully of that mind, that at the very first it is to be used before the Assembly be established: their Reasons seem very pregnant, first, because all Declinators are used so; next, if the Assembly be once established, how can it be declined, or your Grace admit our Declinator or Protestation?
My Lord, seeing two things are mainly to be looked to, the one that His Majesties Pious Intentions be made known to this present Meeting; the other, that the Church suffer no prejudice; my humble Opinion is, that first the King’s Letter (as I have said) be read, and marked Produced; next immediately after, our Declinator produced, and presented to your Grace, read in audience of all, Instruments taken in the Clerk-Registers hands, and it marked by the Clerk Produced. Then your Grace may, by your own Wisdom, conceive a brief Speech, excusing your self that you are not so well acquainted with the Formalities and Legalities of Church-meetings; yet that seeing in such Distractions and Combustions all things cannot be done in that orderly way is requisite, and that your Grace does know how that, with a most earnest and Fatherly Care, His Majesty endeavours the binding up of this breach, and the restoring of Church and State to Quiet and Peace, and that your Grace, for that Duty you owe to your Master, and Love you have to your Native Country, will leave nothing undone that is in your power, and incumbent to a Faithful Servant and kind Patriot, and therefore will adventure to chuse rather to erre in formal Errours: than to leave so material and necessary a Work at such an exigent of time; and so seeing there is no Archbishop nor Bishop present, your Grace by connivence will permit them (for how your Grace can allow it I see not) to chuse a Moderator, and will not fall upon that shelve or rock of Examination of Commissions or Commissioners; being confident that if matters go on in a moderate way, what shall be agreed upon shall be liked by all, even those that are taken to be their Party; and what is amiss in Formality and Legality, if no errour be in the matter of the Conclusions, may most easily and speedily be helped. After the Moderator is condescended upon, the first thing your Grace would urge is the Registrating the Kings Letter in the Books of the Assembly, then the Registrating of our Declinator. After this your Grace will be careful, that nothing be proposed till what is in His Majesties Declaration be enacted, and if (this being done) they fall upon any extravagancy, your Grace then may by advice of the Council declare, that seeing they will not hold Moderation, your Grace and the Council must examine their Commissions and Commissioners, (to which before you gave connivence) and discuss the relevancy of our Declinator.
This Course keeped, in my poor Judgement, will fully manifest to all His Majesties pious Intentions, evidence your Graces sincere affection to Religion and the Kingdom, preserve our Right, make them unexcusable, let the People see how unreasonable and immoderate they are, and give to your Grace a fair way and ground, to discontinue and discharge the Meeting under pain of Treason. This my weak and poor opinion I have made bold to declare to your Grace, not out of any confidence in my self, but necessitated because of that Obedience I owe your Grace, and true affection to the Peace of Church and State, which with myself, and all my endeavours, I humbly prostrate to you, and submit to your Grace’s better Judgement.
I humbly beg of your Grace to let me know by this Gentleman, what shall be done with our Declinator, and let him come and speak with my Lords of Glasgow, Brechin, and me, that we may be acquainted by him of your Graces commands. God in his mercy bless you in this difficult Work.
Your Grace’s most humble
and bounden Servant,
Jo. Rossen.[118]
Castle of Glasgow,
22ᵗʰ Nov. 1638.
at 7 a clock in the
morning.