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

[Complaints against Prelates.]

Moderatour said—Ye knaw there be some Complaints against the Prelats, common against them all—some of them more personall against Pointes of Doctrine and Conversation: As, for example, there is a transgression of these Caveats, and limitations put upon them by the Generall Assemblie when they wer first admitted to voit in parliament. Matters of this kind will be so notour as the Assembly at the reading of the processes, that we will not need great probation; and therefore the Committies neids not to trouble themselves but in poyntes of doctrine.

Then were the Caveats red.

The Moderatour said—I would wish that uther some of them or all of them had been heir to answer for themselves, and some of them objected, and speciallie Doctor Lindsay, that these Caveats were put upon them, but Assemblies had lowsed them. The Bishop of Sanct Androwes, in a Booke which he calls “The Refutation of a litle booke anent the Government of the Kirk of Scotland,” giving ane answer to that that is against their booke of the Caveats: he says they never had a purpose to keip them, but only to delyver them from the contentions of turbulent men. This is not red that ye should give out definit sentence till the whole complaint be considered by these to whose consideration it is presented; but there may be an abridgement of the Caveats, and particular transgressions of them drawn up.

The Shirreff of Teviotdaile [said]—That these transgressions, many of them be notour to us, yet not to strangers, to whom the relation of our proceedings shall come; therefore it is necessar all to be proven.

Moderatour said—It is objected be these that wrote that litle booke of the Government of the Kirk of Scotland, which was sent over to Holland at what tyme the Synod of Dort was sitting, for weightie Causes and considerations, to prevent evills that might have come in in the Kirk of God: It is said in that booke, that when they went forward, there was protestations used against them. He answered, what protestation they meaned I cannot tell, but for that Covenant wherein they please themselves so much, it was rashly and unadvisedly forged by braine-sicke men, to the destruction of the King and republict, and to the mocking of God; therefore God hes recompensed them with shame and ane unhappie success of all their interpryses.

Then answered ane Mr Law—That he saw him subscryve that Covenant that he had so traduced. Then some said that things alleadged against the Prelats which seemed most evident neided not to be proven.

Moderatour said—Abundantia juris non nocet; and it is necessar when a nation or Kirk would make it manifest to the world the lawfulness of their proceedings, though it were never so notour to themselves.

Moderatour said—We have not farder to doe till the Committies have tane paines and presented their labours to the Assembly. For the present ye see they are relaxed from that limitation in the Assembly holden at Linlithgow 1606 and 1608, and at Glasgow 1610. There are something heir in a paper given in to be considered by the Assembly, concerning these forsaids Assemblies, together with the Assemblies at Aberdeine 1616, at Sᵗ Androwes 1617, at Perth 1618. These are the speceall Assemblies they trust into, and these are the Assemblies that hes wrought this Kirk meikle woe. It is not unfitt for yow to heare them in the minutes of the proceedings in the Assembly 1616. The Bishop of Sᵗ Androwes changed the Acts with his awne hand on the margine, deleiting and adding acts quhereof some wer against Papists. The hand writt was seene by severall of the Assembly, who constantlie affirmed, on hazard on their life, that it was his hand. Some declaired that when the Bishop of Murray said to ane uther of the bishops, “we will tyne the field,” he answered, “I shall devyce a vyce—we shall give idle Ministers ane warrand;” and so they sent for the number of 36, that were not Commissioners, and delt wᵗ them for their voices; and they put out Commissioners whom they suspected and put uthers in their places, and sundrie that were Commissioners were not called on, and the Moderatour said in face of the Assemblie, “I will committ twenty prejudices to please the King.”

Mr David Dalgleishe said—There was neither booke nor Bible opened; but the Kings Letter was read at everie Sessioun immediatlie before the voiting; and in the tyme of the voiting, Waughtoun said they sett doune the names of some who came away from that Assembly, quhereof I was ane.