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

At the same time they did write a particular order to Presbytries for censuring of such, of qᶜʰ I shall here set down the true copy:—

“Reverend and weel beloved brethren: Finding that, notwithstanding of our faithfull Warning and great pains taken to satisfie all men, to concurr, in their places, for furthering of the leavys for defence of Religione, King, and Kingdoms, and all other our dearest intrests, many are so farr from concurring, that they doe very vehemently goe about, by preaching, writing, and perswadding to the contrairy to obstruct the work; we doe, therefore, require that you carefully inquire, in your presbytries, what ministers doe preach or otherwise persuade contrary to our present publick and published Resolutions, and that yee proceed to censure such as are of your own number; and if any ministers that travel amongst you transgress in that kind, let them not be permitted to preach in your bounds.”

By these traveling ministers are meant some of the gracious ministers of Ireland, who were driven from their stations and forced to retire to this land, and some other faithfull ministers among ourselves, who were also necessitated to retire from their charges at that time, and were preaching to vaccant congregations, some in the West and some in Fyfe.

Upon the ______ of May 1651, they made ane Act, qᶜʰ they sent with a Letter to Presbytries, appointing such ministers, as did oppose yᵉ Publick Resolutions, to be cited to the nixt Gen: Assemb: at St Andrews. [Note by Wodrow.—“The copy qʳof I shall set doun but it’s blank in yᵉ autograph.”]

These Warnings, and Letters, and Acts, though stumbled at by many, yet were received and intertained by such Synods and Presbytries, as were of the Commission’s judgment, with respect and affectione: and, by order from them, the Warnings were read publickly in the Kirks, and yᵉ Acts were put upon record in their registers, and dilligence was used thereupon, unto the censuring of some, and threatning of sundry wᵗ censures, and citing of many to the Gen: Assemb:

The pretended Assem: at Dundee, treading the same paths after the ratificatione of all these proceedings, did proceed unto the censuring of some of these who protested against their meeting and the ratifying of these Resolutions, and emitted a publick declaratione and made publick acts against all of their judgment and way in these particulars. The Declaration is a litle book by itself, fraughted all alongst with hard representations against such, that the reader may judge ex unque Leonem. I shall only set down the preface yᵗ is therein used to usher in that purpose:—

“But, would to God we had this evill only within ourselves to fight with as in former times, and that Satan, having turned himself into ane angel of light, had not so farr abused the zeal and wit of some, and simplicity of others, as to open the gape of such a rent, qᶜʰ, of all other tryalls, is like to have the saddest consequences, if God prevent it not, concerning which we are necessitate to say, whatsoever have been the intentions of these who have been instrumentall in making of this rent from publick counsels and actings; yet the work itself, and the spirit that hath stirred in it, hath been and yet is most effectuall for carrying one of the enemies designe.” The Acts which they made for censuring of their opposers were these qᶜʰ follow:—[449]

[Page 80.]

What these Acts include and how far they reach, is shown in a treatise of observations upon them already printed. It is, in a word, all the Ministers, Elders, Expectants in the Church of Scotland, who doe not acknowledge that Assemb: or oppose the Resolutions thereof, or doe not acquiesce to the Acts and Constitutione thereof, are to be laid aside, discharged, silenced, suspended, or deposed; yea, all the Ministers, Elders, Expectants, or Professors in the Church of Scotl: who doe not acknowledge that Assemb: or who doe oppose yᵉ Resolutions thereof, or doe not acquiesce to the Acts and Constitutions thereof, are made lyable to excomunicatione, if, after conference, they doe not receive satisfactione.

As if it had not been enough to deal thus with them at home, yᵉ Commissioners of this pretended Assem: in their informatione to their Brethren in Ingland, from their meeting at Forfar, August 12, 1651, doe represent them thus:—