And the whole Assembly in one voyce voited to his deposition and excommunication.
Then the Moderatour said—Ye see the Assembly agries, without a contrare voit, that he shall be deposed from his present office of Episcopacie, and from all function of the ministrie. I am perswadit that this Assembly is seeking their salvation allanarlie; and we know no other remeadie for gaining their soules but this only; therefore let us doe it out of compassion to the Kirk of God and him also.
[Bishop of Aberdeen.]
Then the Bishop of Aberdeines proces was red, and the probation thereof.
Mr John Row declaired, that he subscryved the Protestation given in to the Parliament 1606, and that there was no man more against Bishops in the toune of Stirling nor he; and he was mightilie offendit at Mr John Grahame, who was taking a bishoprick; and, since that, all the brethren here present were in mynd he should be given to the Divell for betraying the liberties of the Kirk; yet nevertheless, he was the man that tooke out the bishoprick out of Mr John Grahames hand. I remember when he subscryvit the Protestation, he subscryvit verie neir the end of the paper, and it began to weare; when he began to get the bishoprick, we said he was going to loupe the dyke.
The Moderatour said—Mr Patrick Symsone said to me, he never lyked Mr Wᵐ Coupar, and Mr Adam Ballantyne; for they were too violent against Bishops, without any light, or good reasons; and, therefore, he feared that they should never be constant.
Auldbar and Mr David Lyndsay declaired that they, being in the Bishops house, when Auldbar said, “The only meane to take away abuses and disorders in this Church was a free General Assembly,” he arose in a great flame and passion, and said, “The first article that he would make then will be to pull the crowne off King Charles head.”
Moderatour said—Though his hand be not at the Declinatour, yet he has not submitted himselfe to the Assembly, and this would be considered beyond the rest, (I may call it so,) his apostacie; for the being once of our opinion, and now so far degenerat, that he is become osor sui facti.
Mr Androw Cant said—There entered a contest betwixt Craigievar and this Mr Ballantyne, concerning the patronage of the Kirk of Kinghorne, and was long agitat before the Lords. Alwayes Craigievar presented a Cusing of his, and the Bishop impedit him, pretending that the King had the right, and, consequentlie, the Bishop of Aberdeine. At last, the Bishop gave Craigievar 160 merks to desist, to the end that the Bishops sone might get the place.
Mr Thomas Mitchell declaired that he was present by accident when he did consecrat a chappell, the chappell being richlie hung, and all the rest of it. The lady came in, and gave him a catalogue of the things that are within, which she had wrought with her owne hands, and desyred that they might be dedicat to God, and so delyvered the key to the Bishop, who went in and preached a sermon of consecration, and baptized a child, and then went to their feisting. His text was upon Solomons dedication of the temple.