The Kings Majestie is graceouslie pleased to give directions, that this Generall Assemblie shall consider whether so be or not; and what yee shall determine in it, I hope ye sall give me no cause but with that same heartinesse, to expreese my Masters willingness to joyne his assent and approbation thereto, I shall desire, and truelie I desire in a verie serious way, that no man carp at my words, (for God knowes I must come here without premeditation,) further than this, that if in my expressions of what I conceave to be my Masters meaning, any man find not himselfe to be satisfied either in the generall way of it, or in any particular, they would, in that modestie that becomes good subjects, testifying their tender respect to the honour of our graceous Master, represent their doubts; and I hope I shall be able to give them satisfaction.
Next, becaus we are not all of one disposition nor temper of mynd, give me leave to represent unto yow, that if any of thir particulars, either last or first—I name none of them—if there be anything more to be expected or wished then I have said, I should humblie, I say, represent to your consideration, that before ye fall upon any poynt that should be unsavourie to so good a King, they may be first communicat to some of yourselves, and well digested before they come to all our eares in publict, least ye force me to make answer in that way which will be unsavourie unto yow, and no less unto myselfe. But this course being keiped, though I have bluntlie and rudelie exprest my Masters meaning; yet going in this way, I may expect retribution of respect to auctoritie, which ye all professe to vindicat his honour before the eyes of all the worlde; and to vindicat his owne thoughts and privat judgment, your owne goodnes and duetifulnes I am confident will give me satisfaction. I may say, whatever my Master hath done in this, it is done to a good and thankfull people, in doing whereof he will establishe a place in Kirk and Commonwealth, the fruites thereof will redound to himselfe in receaving all duetifull obedience; and seeing nothing amongst us but consent and harmony, and no contest at all, except it be who should be formest—first, in their duetie to God, and next to the King.
A particular deduction of the Grievances of the Church.
The Moderatour answered—We have very great reason to blesse our Lord, that hath brought foorth this fruite of his favour by such graceous and honorable meanes to our comfort; and we acknowledge heir, heartilie, that there is no small expression of our Kings Majesties gentlenes and goodnes and love to his subjects, that he hath done of his owne accord so much, and is readie to doe yet further, and to cast into our hands what God, reason, and law doth allow of, which his Majestie cannot be particularlie informed of, except from us. We have to thanke God and his Majestie for that pointe. As for your Grace his Commissioner, yow have followed the order indeed that is very pertinent, and hath asked of us in privat, and hath place to ask us in publict, the causes of disturbance that hath beene amongst us; and as we are bound to give ane accompt of our proceedings to all men, so especiallie to his Majestie, or any in his name, and to your Grace in particular. And as in privat we have dilated some, not takeing upon us to comprize them all, so are we heir in publict, readie to give satisfaction to his Majestie, and that by satisfieing of your Grace in this place, concerning all these illes, takeing them in their owne order as they come in mynd, so farr as memorie can serve; and for our pairt we have been about to remead them according to the order of the Kirk, so farr as we could, and will doe what we can farther, as becomes the Assembly of the Kirk, to goe in that same course; and we have to crave not only that his Majestie may be satisfied concerning our proceedings, but that he would confirme by the civile sanction, that His Majestie and your Grace shall find to be according to the rule of religion and the word of God, and nothing else purpose we to crave, nor have we intendit, but are perswaded in our consciences such, and for which we are readie to give reasons when we are requyred. In particular, the causes of the grievances that we have had, and which we have beene about to repair, according to the constitution and ordinances of the Kirk, are—
First, the want of Generall Assemblies yearlie and oftener, pro re nata, as the necessitie of the Kirk did requyre, which, when we had, was a verie fair benefite both from God and from the State; for therein all disorders were freilie spocken of, and when they were withholden, its knowne by whose procurement, even these that wrought ws much more griefe, that they might worke the rest contrare to the constitutions of this Kirk and order of the Booke of Policie and Act of Parliament 1592. That is one of our grievances.
Secondlie, Another is, that there has beene keiped and authorized some other Assemblies, that [were] both of wrong constitutions, and did bring innovations contrare to the order established in this Church and Kingdome—namelie, Assemblies at Linlithgow, Glasgow, Aberdeine, St Androwes, Perthe; and
The third cause, as I remember, is, that the Kirk hes bein prest with the Five Articles of Perthe, and no small griefe brought these to the subjects which their consciences was thralled to doe. These thinges they knew, and we have found to be contrare to the Confession of our Faith; and
The fourth is, that we have beine prest (which also your Grace will remember) with a Service Booke, Booke of Cannons, and High Commission—the Service Booke, not only for the frame of it being Popishe, drawing us away from the spiritual maner of serving our Lord, wherein everie man should speake to God according to his present neid and sense, and not to be tyed and speake he wotes not what, but, besides, the containing many seids of idolatrie and grosse superstition: the Booke of Cannons, appoynting offices that God never ordained to be thrust into the house of God, contrare to this State, and raising up a tirranie in Prelats that is unsupportable either by reason or any other way: and the High Commission, confounding judicatories, and putting the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven in their hands, who had no power, nor any ecclesiastick office, and againe putting the civile sword in the hands of Ministers that had no interest thereunto; God having so distinguisht judicatories, giving everie man his oune imployment and gifts for it, that his Kingdome should be no prejudice to the Commonwealth, and hes furnisht the Nobles, and everie member of the State, so weill, as they need not begg a Kirkman from his booke to helpe them. Beside this ill, there is the breach of our Nationall Covenant with God, and not walking holilie and tenderlie aocording to the same, and did not see the consequence of what, for the present, seemed little: the not taking head unto it tymouslie hes put us in this bussinesse, which is now weill enough knowne.
Sixthlie, In particular, there is this Episcopall Governement crupten in slilie, and erected without order of law, besides the Word of God, contrare the Confession of Faith and Constitutions of this Kirk, from the beginning, and the intention and meaning of the Kirk from the Reformation, who went about alwayes stryving that Kirkmen should be keeped at their booke and their Masters service, and not stryving who should be first and highest up in Court, but who should be most godlie, most honest, and gaine moniest soules unto God, and so keip their reward till they and their Master meit.
A seventh is, The civile places of the Kirkmen—their usurpation in Assemblies as they were Lords, whereas all kynd of Lordshipps is cutt off from Ministers of his house; for he hes appointed in his house to be only a ministrie, for that is the difference betweene his Spirituall Kingdome in the subordination of the Temporall. In the ane, all the officers are Ministers; in the other, the officers are Kings, Lords, &c.