Sess. 12.
[Decʳ 4. 1638.]
After prayer to God, there was a long and learned speach against Arminianisme, uttered by Mr Robert Baillie, Minister at Kilwinning.
Then the Commissioners of Edinʳ declared to the Assembly—That the Citizens of Edinʳ, so soone as they heard their Ministers had declyned the Assembly, they were in such a rage against them, that they would neither heare them preaching, nor joyne with them in their Sessions; therefore, they cravit the benefite of the Acts of the Assembly; and in respect it would have tane up meikle tyme to have heard the particular clauses of everie ane of them, the Assembly resolved to delegat some men, who should have full power and Commissione from the Assembly, to heare and examine all complaints given in against them, and, if they deserve deposition, that they shall have alse great power to pronounce it as the Generall Assembly, according to the Customes of the Assemblies of the Kirk in former tymes, who may transmit the power by Commission, quoad ad huno effectum. Some Complaints were given in against Mr George Sydeserff and Mr Wᵐ Maxwell, qˡᵏ was red, and proces produced against the persone of Leith, and Mr Joⁿ Watsone. The Commission hes power upon all the forsaids persones in Edinburgh, Leith, Canongeit, and Dumbar.
| The names of the Commissioners— | |
|---|---|
| Mr John Ker, | Mr Androw Blackball, |
| Mr James Fleyming, | Mr Joⁿ Oswald, |
| Mr James Porteous, | Mr Robert Douglas, |
| Mr Richard Dicksone, | Mr James Symsone, |
| Mr Robert Cranstoun, | Mr Frederik Carmichael, |
| Mr Alexander Hendersone. | |
| Nobles— | |
| Rothes, Montrois, Lowthian, Lindsay, Lowdoun, Balmerrino. | |
| Barons— | |
| Auldbar, Waughton, Schirreff of Teviotdaile. | |
| Burgesses— | |
| Mr George Gray, Mr Robert Cunninghame,or any thirteen of them, 7 thereof being Ministers.They are to sitt doune before the end of Januar. | |
Then some Ministers were sworne before the Assembly to depone faithfully to the Committie upon the complaint against the pretendit Prelate what they know—namely, Mr James Blair, Wᵐ Dalgleishe, Androw Andersone.
Then there was a proces against Mr Alexʳ Gladstanes, Archdeane of Sᵗ Androwes; and the whole Assembly voited to his deprivation, and the Moderatour pronounced the sentence.
Then the Committie, that was appoynted to be upon the nullatie of the Assemblies, gave in their reasones, quhilk wer all red, and verified by Acts of uther Assemblies, the Presbitrie bookes, and the King’s Letter.
The Moderatour told that the Acts of Linlithgow Assembly were sent up and doune to Court; and, at last, when they came home, there was ane Act shifted in among them, that these who were Bishops, ratione beneficii, (for there was no such office,) should be constant Moderatours of provinciall Assemblies, and this was proven to be false in Mr James Nicolsones face, and the clerk called Philip, which was the caus of the said Mr James his death. John Stewart, Provest of Dumbar, was there, and told that he never heard such a thing voited. Adam Colt, Mr William Watsone, Mr James Carmichael, Mr James Cauldcleuch, Mr Androw Melvill, Mr Wᵐ Scott, and uther worthie men of the Ministrie, were sent to Court and detained quhile this present Assembly should passe.
Mr John Ker told, that, in the Assembly 1608, all the names of the Nobles, Barrons, Burgesses, Ministers, directed by the King, voited without any uther Commission, and the 13 Bischops, and from sundrie Presbitries, four or fyve Commissioners.
Mr John Row said—I was not Commissioner to the Assembly at Glasgow 1610, but I was Moderator in our Presbytrie for the tyme, and Mr George Gledstaines brought the Kings Letters, quhilk is registrat in our bookes, and he brought three particular Letters to thrie brethers of the Presbitrie nominat by the King to goe to that Assembly. I, with the advyce of the brether, made them stand and swear, as they should answer to Jesus Christ, that they should admit no alteration in government of our Kirk, nor consent to any thing that might derogat from her former auctoritie. They went to the Assembly, and, when they came back againe, we asked at them what they had done or concludit: they would not tell us. Alwayes ane of them, that had gotten no gold, said—“God be thanked I have gotten nothing.” The other two said nothing; and we thought thereby that they were in the calke. There wer thrie sorts of voits at that Assembly—affirmative—negative—and non liquet; and he that said non liquet gat nothing; and this brother of ours, Mr John Stewart, voited non liquet, and a friend of his, Patrick Stewart, hearing that he said non liquet, said to him, (not knowing what non liquet meaned,) “How now, cusigne, they say devill belicket yow gatt?” Alwayes the uther two that had gotten it, would not declair what they had done. The God of Heaven made it manifest what they had done; for ane of them, Mr Andro Foster, fell into a pittifull sicknesse, for he had taken silver out of the poore folkes box with false keyes. It came to passe that he, not being gifted for such ane place, his parochiners would fain have beine quyte of him, and desyred him to dimitt his place to Mr John Murray, and offered him a great soume of money, and lykewayes offered to get him a landwart kirk, and, if his stipend were not good, they promised to make it alse good, whereto he would not consent; but, through vehemencie of sicknes, troubled in mynd, feares and terrours of conscience that God struck him with, he was in a pittifull case, and even readie to put hand to himselfe, as I can bear witness, who was sent for to comfort him. He tooke apprehension of a word that Chancellor Seaton said to him when he reveiled to him what he had done—“that it were well waired he wer hanged.” He apprehendit that he would be presentlie tane and hangit; but, having perswaded him of the contrair, I desyrit him to tell the trueth to Gods glorie, and he promised to answer me of any question I would propone; and I demandit of him, first, saying—“Brother, are yow perswadit in your heart that God calls yow to the Ministrie?” who answered—“Nay, nay, I soght ever the world, and so seene on me.” Secondlie, I asked at him—“What he gat in Glasgow for selling the liberties of the Kirk of Scotland?” He said—“Fyftie merkes.” I said to him—“It is good for yow to prepaire yourselfe for death;” whereupon he apprehendit that he was presentlie to be execute. I besought him to pray. He said he could not; but desyred me to pray for him, whilk I did; and, in the tyme of the prayer, all the buttons lapp aff his breast, and [he] bled horriblie at mouth and nose. After prayer, I asked him—“Are yow prepared to die?” He answered—“No, woe is me!” Said he—“If you would spare my life till the morne, I would be better prepared;” and requested me to deale with Patrick Stewart for his life, and might I give him assurance it should be so; so, the morne I came to see him, and he was benumed, and wist not what he did or said, and granted that he was not in the case he was in before. At last, he deserted his calling and came to the Presbitrie, and gave over his place to Mr John Murray. And the lyke fell out too with Mr Wᵐ Patoun; for he gat uther fyftie merkes: and, the poore folkes box being broken in his house, the Bishop, at his visitation, made him to lay downe uther fyftie merkes for it, and so he had no vantage for that shift.