The Nullity of the Pretended Assembly at St Andrews and Dundee, Treatise 2 · Review 15
REVIEW.
I Shall not ſtand to diſcuſe the relevancy of all that is aſſerted in this generall diſcourſe, but returns this anſwer thereunto: It ſeems the Author doth not deny that it is lawful, and in ſome caſes neceſſary, to Proteſt againſt, and decline ſome Gen. Aſſemblies, and that it would be ſo in our Hypotheſis if the grounds were clear and relevant, whatſoever will plead for a Proteſtation againſt particular Acts that are wrongthe ſame & greater reaſon, will plead for a Proteſtation againſt a wrong conſtitution, becauſe the errour of a wrong conſtitution is of greater conſequence, as importing more prejudice to the work and People of God, and being a higher attempt againſt the Kingly Office of Jeſus Chriſt, then many wrong acts are, and therefore there is the greater reaſon to prevent the ſame in Jure, where it cannot be done in facto, even as men by ſuch like Proteſtations preſerve their Rights jure, when by the ſpate of a declining Judicatory they are like to be oppreſſed de facto, and therefore have Orthodox Chriſtians in all ages born Teſtimony, and Proteſted againſt corrupt councels as wel as corrupt acts; we ſhal not go far back to ſeek inſtances: It is known what the Proteſtant Church did againſt the Councel of Trent, and how often faithfull men in the Church ſince the Reformation from Popery have born Teſtimony and proteſted againſt unlawfull Aſſemblies, as well as againſt unwarrantable acts, neither doth it cauſe ſchiſme in the Church, or derogate any thing from the Authority and being of Government, to Proteſt againſt uſurpers, corrupters, or perverters of it, in a falſe court, but it is the lawfull, and hath been the uſuall mean in this Church, bleſſed unto her of the Lord, to prevent and remead ſchiſme, and to preſerve the Authority and being of Government, with the purity and Liberty of all the Ordinances, and whatſoever ſad conſequences can be imagined to follow upon it, do lye at the doors of theſe who by declining from their Principles, carries on, and cleaves to a corrupt conſtitution of an Aſſembly, and not on theſe who adhering to ſound Principles, do from the conſcience of their duty bear Teſtimony againſt the ſame. It hath been often and truly ſaid, that the ſide wall which fals, and not the gevill which ſtands is to blame for the rent and ruine of the Houſe; I do willingly acknowledge that it is an high attempt againſt the Kingly Office of Jeſus Chriſt, to trample under foot his Supream externall Court in a Nationall Church, but as the Proteſters are guilty of this high attempt, if they have Proteſted againſt the Meeting at St. Andrews and Dundee without a cauſe, and upon grounds that are not relevant; ſo if the Authors and abettors of the Publick Reſolutions have corrupted this Court in the free and lawfull conſtitution thereof, and have taken upon themſelves to be an Aſſembly wh…leſt they were none, then wil they, and not the other be found guilty of this high attempt: Let us therefore come to the diſcuſſing and clearing of the reaſons that the Proteſters plead for themſelves.
VINDICATION.
THeir firſt reaſon for unfreeneſſe, and unlawfulneſſe of the Aſſembly, that the Election of Commiſsioners to the ſame was prelimited and prejudged in the due liberty thereof, by an Act & Letter of their Commiſsion of the laſt Aſſembly ſent to Presbyteries, appointing ſuch Brethren as after Conference remained unſatisfied with, and continued to oppoſe Publick Reſolutions to be cited to the Gen. Aſſembly. Thus it is briefly proponed in the Proteſtation. In the late larger paper emitted and ſpread abroad ſince, wherein as may be conceived, are muſtered all the Forces that could be gathered together againſt that Aſſembly, and many heads have been imployed in that one, every man that readeth it decerneth whoſe Pen hath given the forme and frame to it; and any decerning man alſo may perceive in it ſomething of School, and ſomething of Law and regiſters which the former behoved to have from theſe quarriers. It is put in a Sy logiſtick form thus: That it is no free Generall Aſſembly, the Election of whoſe Commiſſioners is ſo prejudged and pre-limited in the due freedom and liberty thereof, that many Miniſters of Presbyteries in a capacity to be choſen, for their ability and faithfulneſſe are by the Presbyteries at the order of the Supream Judicatory paſt by and ſet aſide in the Election, and rendred uncapable to be members thereof; But the late Meeting is ſuch: Therefore, &c. We wil not follow out foot for foot the tract of many objections which the contrivers of this Paper have either found ſome way made by others, or have formed themſelves at their own pleaſure againſt this and other following reaſons, and their replyes thereunto. But ſhall propone ſuch reaſens as we conceive diſcovers the nullity of theſe and other reaſons, not omitting the conſideration of any thing contained in this Paper which ſhall ſeem to meet with what we ſhall bring as occaſion ſhall be offered without tying our ſelves to the order of this Paper: For anſwer then to this firſt ground. 1. As it lyeth in the Proteſtation, it could have no force to prove any illegality or nullity of the Aſsembly at the time of the Proteſtation; ſuppoſe that the Commiſſioners Act & Letter ſent to Preſbyteries and indeed contained under Prelimitation, becauſe this fault of the Commiſsion could not be imputed to the Aſſembly to nullifie it, while as yet it was to the knowledge of the Aſsembly, but an aliedgance not proven, that ſuch under pre-limitation had been uſed in the election of Commiſsioners, and that they had not as yet determined nor approven the deed of the Commiſsion, nor deed of Presbyteries done thereupon in elections; at the giving in of this Proteſtation the Aſsembly had not as yet conſidered the Commiſsioners Proceedings, neither indeed was it in their power to cognoſce upon exceptions againſt the Commiſſion, without change of the Order of proceeding that had been uſed conſtantly in all bygone time, and upon a great debate with the Parliament it ſelf in the Aſsembly 1648. had been eſtabliſhed by a formall act, as the Proteſters themſelves well underſtood and acknowledged, and therefore it was, that upon this they offered to the Aſsembly, before the chooſing of a Moderator, a Paper preſſing the changing, and reform the order of proceeding in the Generall Aſsembly, which before had alwayes been in uſe, as if ſome of themſelves had not been the main maintainers and procurers of the eſtabliſhment of that order before, when it made for them. And as the Aſsembly as yet but in heap of the matter, and not conſtitute into a Judicatory, could have taken into conſideration, and have altered the practice and conſtitution of former Aſsemblies. The Aſsembly therefore did offer to call in this exception, and to give unto it all due conſiderations as ſoon as poſſibly they could win at it.