The Nullity of the Pretended Assembly at St Andrews and Dundee, Statement 2
St. Andrews, July 18. 1651.
HOw gracious the Lord hath been to the Church of Scotland, in giving to her pure Ordinances, we truſt ſhall be acknowledged by us whileſt we live, with thankfulneſs to the Moſt High, of whom we deſire mercy and grace to adhere unto the Doctrine, Worſhip, Diſcipline and Government eſtabliſhed in this Land: Amongſt the many ſad tokens of the Lords Indignation againſt this Church, The preſent Differences of His Servants of the Miniſtry is looked upon by us as one of the greateſt: And as we hold it a duty to be deeply humbled before the Lord in the ſence thereof, and by all lawful and fair means within the compaſs of our power and ſtation to endeavor the remedy thereof; ſo we do ackdowledge a free General Aſſembly, lawfully called, and rightly conſtituted, and proceeding with meekneſs and love in the Spirit of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, according to the Rule of the Word, and the Acts and Conſtitutions of this Church, to be amongſt the firſt and moſt effectual means appointed of God, for attaining this end, and for preſerving the purity, and advancing the power of the Work of Reformation in this Age, and tranſmitting the ſame to our Poſterity, and to the Ages and Generations that are to come. But as the faithful Servants of God in this Church in former times, did by His good Hand upon them in the right adminiſtration of free and lawful Aſſemblies, bring the Work of Reformation in Scotland unto a great perfection, and neer conformity with the firſt pattern: So, unfaithful men minding their own things more then the things of Chriſt, and uſurping over their Brethren, and over the Lords Inheritance, did deface the beauty thereof, firſt by encroaching upon the liberty and freedom of Aſſemblies; afterwards by taking away the Aſſembly themſelves. Therfore, remembring the many bonds and obligations that lie upon us before the Lord, and being deſirous to be found faithful in this day of temptation, and to exoner our conſciences as in His ſight, and to avoid acceſſion to that guiltineſs in which many have involved themſelves, and conceiving that this preſent Meeting is not a free lawful Gen. Aſſembly of the Church of Scotland, in regard that the Election of Commiſſioners to the ſame hath been pre-limited and prejudiced in the due liberty and freedom thereof, by a Letter and Act of the Commiſſioners of the laſt Gen Aſſembly ſent to Presbyteries appointing ſuch Brethren as after conference remain unſatisfied with, and continue to oppoſe the Publick Reſolutions, to be cited to the General Aſſembly; And in regard that Commiſſioners from many Burroughs and Presbytries are abſent, as wanting free acceſs, by reaſon of the motion of the —; and in regard that many of the Commiſſioners of the former Aſſembly, who have carried on a courſe of defection, contrary to the truſt committed to them; and who in their Remonſtrances and Papers have ſtirred up the Civil Magiſtrate againſt ſuch who are unſatisfied in their conſciences with their proceedings, and who have by their Letter and Act prelimited the Aſſembly, are admitted to ſit and vote as Members of the Aſſembly, and their Moderator appointed to be Moderator of the Aſſembly, notwithſtanding that timous exception was made againſt them, that they ought not to be admitted as Members of the Aſſembly, until their proceedings were firſt tried and approven by the Aſſembly; And in regard that his Majeſty by his Letter, and his Majeſties Commiſſioner by his Speech to the Aſſembly hath incited to hard courſes againſt thoſe who are unſatisfied in their conſciences with the proceedings of the Commiſſion. Before theſe proceedings be tried and approven by the Aſſembly it ſelf. We do upon theſe and many other important grounds and Reaſons to be propounded and given in, in time and place convenient, proteſt in the Name of the Church of Scotland, and in our own Names and in the Name of all Miniſters, Ruling-Elders and Profeſſors of this Church, who do, or ſhall adhere to us againſt the validity and Conſtitution of this Aſſembly, as not being free and lawful, and that they may not arrogat nor aſſume to themſelves any authority, nor exerciſe any power or juriſdiction for determining of Controverſies, making of Acts, emitting of Declarations, judging of Proteſtations or Appeals, or proceedings of Synods or inferior Judicatures, or cenſuring of Perſons or Papers, or iſſuing of Commiſſions of whatſoever ſort, to any perſons whatſoever; and particularly we proteſt, that they may not proceed unto the approving or ratifying of the proceedings of the former Commiſſion, not only becauſe of their want of juſt power and authority ſo to do, but alſo becauſe theſe proceedings contain many things contrary to the truſt committed to theſe Commiſſioners, eſpecially the allowing and carrying on of a conjunction with the Malignant party, and bringing them in to places of Power and Truſt in the Army, and in the Judicatures, contrary to the Word of God, the Solemn League and Covenant, the Solemn Confeſſion of Sins and Engagement to Duties, the conſtant tenour of the Declarations, Warnings, Remonſtrances, Cauſes of Humiliations, Letters, Supplications and Acts, and Conſtitutions of this Church, and the laying of a Foundation for the Civil Magiſtrate to meddle with Miniſters in thoſe things which concern their Doctrin and the exerciſe of Miniſterial Duties before they be cited, tried and cenſured by the Judicatories of the Church. And we proteſt that whatſoever Determinations, Acts, Ratifications, Declarations, Sentences, Cenſures or Commiſſions that ſhall be made, or given out by them, may be void and null, and may be interpreted as binding to the Church of Scotland, and that notwithſtanding thereof it may be free for us, and ſuch as adhere to us, to exerciſe our Miniſterie, and enjoy the warrantable Chriſtian liberty of our conſciences according to the Word of God, the National Covenant, and Solemn League and Covenant, and Solemn Engagement to Duties, and all the Acts and Conſtitutions of this Church; and that there may be liberty to chuſe Commiſſioners, and to conveen in a free lawful General Aſſembly, when there ſhall be need, and the Lord ſhall give opportunity, and to add what further Reaſons ſhall have weight for ſhewing the nullity of this Aſſembly, and the unwarrantableneſs of the proceedings of the Commiſſion of the former Aſſembly. And that theſe Preſents may be put upon Record by the Clerk in the Regeſters of the Aſſembly, to be extant ad futuram rei memoream, and that we may have ſubſcribed Extracts thereof under the Clerks hand.