These are the Spirituall evills which, being contrare to the Word of God, the Constitutions of this Kirk, and the Confession of Faith, what wonder they greive all honest men who hes no consolation in this world, but the hope of another? And, therefore, are they readie to exposse themselves to any trouble under heaven before they quyte a poynt of their Masters honour. These are the maine causes and reasons of our setting ourselves against them; and, for our proceeding against them, we are here readie to give satisfaction to your Grace, as it shall be your Graces pleasour to choppe at particulars. And, as concerning the last poynt, touching His Majesties honour, recommended to ws by your Grace, we may speake tenderlie of as becomes us. It is our duetie, and we professe it, and take God to witnesse, that we make conscience in our secrete thoughts, to honour His Majestie; for we know our religion cannot endure civile Magistrats to get any wrong; for in wronging of him we wrong Him that sent him, and cledd him with power, and sett him on his throne; and so we are so farre from not following of that, that in privat and secrete we professe that we darre not but make conscience of it. No, no; religion gives them their owne but ours, for Popperie toppes them over: but doe one thing to ws. Let us give Christ the highest roume, and nothing that may honour or pleasure Kings, but we shall altogither doune at their feete with it.
The Commissioner answered—I told yow, Sir, that I did so speake as that it might suffer corrections, and did remember very shortly the causes of our distractions, and I should wishe them never to be remembered without great thankfulnes to God and the King for freeing us of them; yea, I wishe everie thing that hes brought thinges to that height of divisions amongst ourselves might be forgotten. Neither yet, in my last speach, did I give my opinion and advice, out of doubting of the performance of what I wished; for I am confident, when we rightlie consider the cariage of this bussines, and his Majesties goodnes beyond our expectation, it shall be ane argument to move us to repay the same with thanksgiving. I told yow, as I remember, that the Kings Majestie, upon the frequent Petitions of his Subjects, conceaved such and such thinges to be the occasion of the illes, and of all that had followed on them; and, therefore upon our desires, concluded that this Assembly should be keept at this tyme, to the end it might be rightlie considered whether or not these illes were the occasions of these thinges that have fallen furth, as was pretended by the Supplications of the Subjects.
The Moderatour answered—Please your Grace: We have considered, and maturelie considered, and done our younemost for clearing [that] thir our grieveances were justlie against all these, and nothing els; and here we are readie to give satisfaction to all who doubts it.
The Commissioner answered—Truelie, I should be desyrous to be satisfied in some particulars, if it might not possiblie breid ane opinion in some that I should take upon me to dispute or argue with such learned men as I know would appeare if I should take upon me so to doe, as if I desire Episcopacie, so oft alleadged to be against the constitutions of this Kirk, to be cleired to be so. I believe ye shall not thinke me so presumptuous as to take upon me to dispute the matter; but to the end I may represent to my Master the reasons of it, and receave satisfaction my selfe.
The Moderatour answered—Your Graces abilitie to dispute in all such subjects is knowne sufficientlie; but it shall be verie acceptable unto us that your Grace, and especiallie as his Majesties Commissioner, shall propone all your doubts to us, that we may solve them: for we have said or done nothing but what may well byde the light, and we are able to convince, in reason, a reasonable man, such as your Grace is; and here, in a manner, are verie confident that the more we be put to give our reasons, the clearer our cause shall be, and we shall be able to give the more satisfaction.
The Commissioner answered—Yow have heard, and I believe your conceptions may be more particular then myne; but I believe myne differs not much from yours—first, in that it is supponed by the subjects to be the occasion of thir divisions and distractions; secondlie neither doe we differ much about the cause of indiction of this Assemblie, which is to remove these evilles; and since yow and I agrie in thir two, I would represent to your consideration, in the third place, what shall be the readiest way to give my Master satisfaction, whose desire is that these thinges being represented unto him, ye shall either find that these are the true causes, and so ought to be removed, or uther wayes a mistake, and so ought to remaine. If the true causes, and so ought to be removed, he expects a reason of all—as, for example, if ye find Episcopacie to be a true greevance and cause of offence, and therefore to be removed—if ye conclude this, ye will give a reason of all, and make it appeare to my Master to be the constitutions of this Kirk.
The Moderatour said—For removing of all thir evills, whereof ye have spocken, there is a necessitie of the concurrence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Kirk, and of his Vicegerent in the State; and when thir two concurres, our evills shall be perfectlie cured; and if not, there will remaine a jarre now—the ane pairt being done so farre as we weak churchmen could do ministeriallie. That your Grace, as his Majesties Commissioner, may concurre with us, will be unto us verie comfortable; and for that end we are willing to give satisfaction to your Grace, and to shew that, from the first constitution of this Church, her ayme hes alwayes bein to hold out that wicked weed of Episcopacie, knowing that it was the ground of all Popprie; and in it did sitt, as in a nest, all the evils that hes overspread the face of this Kirk; and as ill weeds waxes verie weel, so from this root hes growen up many poysonable branches that hes troubled the Church of God, becaus Christ Jesus, being King of this Kirke, and having the statelie appointment of the government thereof, if anything be out of frame in that, it troubles the whole estate. For this cause, the Church, from the beginning hes laboured still to cutt it downe; and becaus I have rudelie exprest my rude conception, it will please some reverend brother to speake somewhat further.
Mr Alexʳ Hendersone said—I conceave it not neidfull to adde to your Grace’s speache, which the Moderatour hes seconded verie pertinentlie; for it seemes to be incumbent, that the supreme magistrat, when, in the churches of his dominions, any questions shall arise in matters of religion, whither it hath bein determinat before, that those that have power in Assemblies, are bound not onlie to take the same to their consideration, but also to receave in reverence his Majesties doubts, and give him satisfaction, that they and auctoritie may joyne together, the one directing and the other confirming. I thinke it out of question in the judgement of all that are acquainted with the governement of the Church, that there be two sortes of church governement. One is Christian and Apostolic by the Assemblies of the Church; the other is Episcopal governement. And I verilie thinke so farre as ever I learned, that our Church, from the beginning, had a intention to establishe the governement by Assemblies, and did prosecute it with great zeale; yet it is also evident by the ecclesiasticall historie, that the Church hath been still vexed with Episcopacie; for some Popish Bishops, renouncing Poperie, would have bein Bishops still; and I think it was more out of a desire to brooke the livings than to advance that office. First, they wer Superintendents, who got commission for visitation; and its knowne that Superintendents were no Bishops, and what reall difference was betweene them. And it is also knowne that they did neglect their function, and not good with it. Another sort of Prelats that were, or rather supposed Bishops, who brooked the benefic, but not the office, and these were called Tulchan Bishops. A third sort came in afterwards by being Commissioners to Parliament, and voters, and then ascended to that height that ye yourselves are witnesses unto. They entered as foxes, raigne as lions, and I wish they may die as Christians. Now for the warrands of this Church against this Episcopall function. I hope these that are acquainted with the registers of the Church will find them cleare; and if your Grace doubt of the auctoritie of them, we thanke God that we have this occasion to give your Grace satisfaction.
The Moderatour craved libertie to expone what was meant by Tulchan Bishops. It was a Scotts word, used in their commoun language. When a kow will not let doune her milk, they stappe the calfes skin full of strae, and setts downe before the kow, and that was called a Tulchan. So these Bishops brookeing the title and the benefice without the office, they wist not what name to give them, and so they called them Tulchan Bishops—(at which the Assembly laughing heartilie)—The Moderatour said—Their follies were worthie to be laughen at in this Generall Assembly.
Mr Andro Ramsay being desired to speake, said—That which hath the begining of it from man and is of humane institution—that which hath beene destructive of the discipline of the Kirk—that which hath beene introductorie of Poperie, superstition, and idolatrie, and antichristianisme, and the barr of all good reformation,—justlie for thir reasones ought to be cast out of this Church; but I am able to qualifie that Episcopacie is such: therefore, for these reasons, it ought to be cast out of the Church, and can never come in againe.