The Nullity of the Pretended Assembly at St Andrews and Dundee, Treatise 2 · Review 18
REVIEW.
LEt us examine theſe things upon which the Author is bold to affirm, and promiſes to make good, that Presbyteries were not paſſively prelimited, but did choice freely: The firſt is, that a great part of the Presbyteries four parts of five at that time had no oppoſite to the Publick Reſolutions amongſt them, and ſo were not capable by prelimitation to exclude whom they had not; what though it were true that as many Presbyteries as he ſpeaks of had no oppoſit at that time to the Publick Reſolutions, yet what if all, or ſome of theſe Presbyteries had in them ſome few or many, who were as yet indifferent, and not determined in the buſineſſe; but were afterwards overſwayed with the Authority of the Commiſſioners Letter and Act; was there not a prelimitation upon them in their voicing in the election of Commiſsioners, becauſe overſwayed by the Letter and Act of the Commiſsion to choſe theſe who did approve of the Publick Reſolutions, which before the influence that that Letter and Act had upon them, they were not determined in, but might haply have been determined in the contrary, upon ſuppoſal that many were indifferent at that time in the matter of the Publick Reſolutions, as indeed not a few were if we may judge by their carriage, becauſe they had not declared their judgements for or againſt them; who knowes but they might before the elections, have been determined againſt them? If by the Letter and Act of the Commiſsion that gave evidence of proceſſing ſuch, they had not been prelimited in their choice, and ſo there ſhould have been ſome oppoſite to the Publick Reſolutions in theſe Presbyteries, had it not been for that prelimitation. 2. I think he will not deny, but ſome Presbyteries had in them oppoſites to Publick Reſolutions; Let us take (as it would ſeem he would grant it) a fifth part, there might be a prelimitation upon theſe, and to prelimite the elections in every fifth Presbytery of the Church of Scotland, is certainly a great blow to the freedome of the Aſſembly. But 3. I affirm and make good, that it is not true that four parts of five of the Preſbyteries at that time had in them no oppoſite to Publick Reſolutions; yea, on the contrary, that the one half of the Presbyteries in Scotland and above, had in them at that time ſome oppoſites to Publick Reſolutions. When I did read the confident Preface of the Author to this aſſertion of his, in which he ſaith he doth not overreach; and the aſſertion it ſelf I did ſuſpect, leſt I had miſtaken the meaning, and therefore read again and again but the words being plain, I did apprehend, that they might be w…ong tranſcribed, and therefore I ſought for another Copy, in which I found it alſo ſo written, that it may appear to him and others, how groſſe an overreaching there is in that aſſertion. I deſire that it may be conſidered, that there be in Scotland of ſtanding Presbyteries 65. or thereabouts, four parts of which makes 52. none of which 52. by his aſſertion, had at that time any oppoſite to the Publick Reſolutions, and 13. onelyonly do remain, who can be ſuppoſed to have had any ſuch in them, but there were at that time nigh 40. Presbyteries, who to my knowledge had in them ſome oppoſites to the Publick Reſolutions, and moe, I doubt not to the knowledge of ſome other men, at leaſt ſome other Presbyteries which are not here named; the truth whereof w…ll appear by the following Table, in which are ſet down both the names of theſe Presbyteries, and names of ſome one or other in them, who were at that time oppoſits to the bublick Reſolutions.
Stranrauer, M. Alex. Turnbull.
K…lcudor. Mr. Samuel Row.
Wigtoun, Mr. Robert Richiſon.
Air, Mr. Thomas Wylie.
I…wine, Mr. Math. Mowet.
Dumbert. Mr. Hen. Semple.
Paſl…y, Mr. Alex. Dunlop.
Glaſgow, Mr. Patr. Gilleſpie.
Hammilton, Mr. Ja. Neſmith.
Lenrick, M…. Wil. Simervail.
Dumfreice, Mr. Hen. Henderſon.
Penpont, Mr. Sam. Auſtine.
Loch-maben, Mr. Thomas Henderſon.
Midebey, Mr. David Lang.
Jedburgh, Mr. Jo. Livingſton.
Turreffe, Mr. Arthur Mitchel.
Gerioch, Mr. George Tellifer.
Kelſo, Mr. John Simervail.
Aifiltoun, Mr. John Veatch.
Jernſyde, Mr. Thomas Ramſay.
Edinburgh, Mr. Robert Trail.
Lithgow, Mr. Ephraim Melvill.
Bigger, Mr. Alex. Livingſton.
Da…keith, M. John Sinclare.
Sterline, Mr. James Guthrie.
Auchterardor, Mr. Geo. Murray.
Perch, Mr. Alex. Rollock.
Dunke…l, Mr. John Hart.
Dumf…r…ne, Mr. Wil. Oliphant.
Kirkaldie, M. Alex. Mountcrief.
Couper, M. John Maggill.
St. Andrews, Mr. Sa. Rutherford.
Fo…farre, Mr. David Lindſay. &c.
Arbroth, Mr. Alex. Reynolds.
Aberdeen, Mr. Andr. Cant.
K…ncardine, Mr. Alex. Cant.
Dear, Mr. Robert Keith.
Elegine, Mr. Joſeph Brodie.
In…rarey, Mr. Alex. Gordoun.
Dundee, Mr. Andr. Oliphant.
THere be ſome of theſe Presbyteries, the whole members whereof were at that time oppoſite to the Publick Reſolutions, and others of them, the plurality whereof were oppoſite to theſe Reſolutions, and others of them, who had in them ſundry oppoſites, both Miniſters and Ruling Elders; but we have named one Miniſter onelyonly in every Presbytery, becauſe this was enough to make ſuch an aſſertion aſhamed, and to hide it ſelf that it might never again be heard abroad. It may be the Author will queſtion whether all theſe were oppoſite at that time to the Publick Reſolutions: But I believe the truth of this, concerning as many of them as will make him after ſuppu…ation ſee that he did far over-reach, when he ſaid that four parts of five had at that time no oppoſite to the Publick Reſolutions, is ſufficiently known to himſelf by their teſtimony ſent to the Commiſsion, or their Letters written to particular members thereof, or occaſionall Conference with themſelves or their Sermons, or conſtant and uncontrolled report of their judgement and carriages; Let it be true but of 20. of them, it doth abundantly confute his aſſertion; but if he or any other doubt of what is ſaid, it ſhall be no difficill matter to get it atteſted under their own hands, and the hands of others, that they were at that time not only diſ-ſatisfied in their judgements with the Publick Reſolutions, but alſo did bear teſtimony againſt them. The Coppie which I have in this place wants ſome words, and hath ſomething wrong written, of which I cannot well make ſenſe, but theſe words which I have cited are plainly ſet down in it. The 2. thing that he brings that Presbyteries were not poſitively pre-limited, is, that of theſe Presbyteries who had oppoſites to the Publick Reſolutions, the far moſt part did chooſe ſuch, and that few did paſſe by them in the elections, But this overſhuts as far as the other, as will appear by viewing the number of Presbyteries, in wich there were ſome oppoſites to the Publick Reſolutions; and conſidering how many of theſe were, in which there were any choſen who were againſt theſe Reſolutions, which I believe ſhall not be found above 20. or very little more, if they come to that number; but let us ſuppoſe them to be more, they are not the far moſt part of the Presbyteries who …ad in them oppoſites to the Publick Reſolutions, and theſe who remain will not be few of that number. The Author doth readily avow, that where Presbyteries did paſs by ſuch they did it meerly of their own accord, following the freedome of their own minde, without all pre-limitation from without; if he had ſo readily avowed it, he ſhould have brought good proof of it, that men might have been perſwaded that he did avowe a truth; his proof is, that the contrary is not proven: Though it were ſo, that it is not good proof of what he avows. Next he ſaith, that he can inſtruct the affirmitive of ſome who did paſſe by ſuch ere that Act and Letter came unto them, but how many they are he tels us not, leſt the paucity of them being known, ſhould make little to the purpoſe, very few elections in Scotland were paſt, before that Letter and Act came unto them, it being iſſued before the ordinary time of election, and great diligence and care being uſed in the diſpatch thereof, ſo that came to the hands of the moſt remote Presbyteries, who lay under the feet of the Enemy, ſuch as theſe of Merſe, Tividale, Dumfriece and Galloway before their elections, that in ſome few places the elections was made before it came, is far from proving what he doth readily avow, as the comming of an ſwallow is far from proving the ſpring in ſome places, ſome were acquainted that there was ſuch a purpoſe and deſign, before it was jud…c…ally concluded or emitted; and therefore ſome Miniſters of the Presbytery of Glaſgow, before the iſſuing of that Reſolution, did oppoſe the election of Commiſſioners at one diet, and preſſe a delay till another diet, upon this reaſon among others, that there were ſome directions to come from the Commiſſion of the Generall Aſſembly, concerning their Proceedings in the election of their Commiſſioners, & that it was fit that they ſhould not proceed till they got theſe directions, which though it was not put among the written reaſons of their Proteſtation, yet can be teſtified by many living witneſſes who were preſent. God willing before this debate cloſe, it ſhall be made to appear, that notwithſtanding of all theſe evaſions, the Letter and Act of the Commiſsion did in many places pre-limite the Elections, by excluding thoſe who were for ability and faithfulneſſe in a capacity to be choſen, and if it was (as the Author ſaith) that a great part of the Presbyteries, four parts of five had at that time no oppoſite to the Publick Reſolutions, and that this was known to the Commiſsion; to me it is a wonder, and I believe will be ſo alſo to others, that the Commiſſion ſhould have been ſo imprudent, as to give ſo great an advantage againſt themſelves, and ſo much matter of gainſaying to the oppoſites of Publick Reſolutions, and have laid ſo great a ſtumbling in the way of many who had already ſtumbled at their Proceedings, which were now to fall under the examination and judgement of the Generall Aſſembly.
VINDICATION.
AGainſt the ſecond ſomewhat may ſeem to be ſaid in the writers reply to the third objection he formes, againſt this objection of the Aſſemblies nullity; where, in the objection among other particulars alleadged; it is ſaid in the third, that the Letter and Act had little or no influence in Presbyteries in the chooſe of Commiſsioners, to which is replyed by the Writer, that is ſpoken againſt the truth, for proof whereof he gives inſtances. 1. All the Miniſters who oppoſe the Publick Reſolutions are known to be faithfull and honeſt, moſt of them ſuch as had wont theſe years paſt, becauſe of their integrity and ability to be choſen Commiſsioners, but few of them were choſen this year to the Aſsembly, and if any ſuch were choſen it was where the whole Presbyteries was unanimous againſt the Reſolutions, or if the Presbytery was divided in their judgments, then were there for the moſt part either two elections, or diſſents, or Proteſtations againſt the election of ſuch as were unſatisfied with the Publick Reſolutions or elſe both, as in the elections at Sterline and Glaſgow, of all which no reaſon can be given, except the Act and Letter of the Commiſsion. To the matter of this inſtance, we ſay theſe things: 1. It is too wide a word, All the Miniſters who oppoſe the Publick Reſolutions are known to be, &c. And how ever, many of them will not be queſtioned to be ſuch; yet we muſt ſay ſome, even of theſe were not ſo faithfull as they ſhould have been this laſt year by paſt, in the particular of defence of Countrey and Covenant in all the ſworn Articles thereof; This the Nation feels to day, and the poſterity when this generation is dead and rotten, will give impartiall judgement of it. 2. Be it ſo, that ſome were wont to be choſen Commiſsioners were not now choſen, yet this is for little purpoſe to the point, that the election was carried by influence of the Commiſsions Letter, that theſe ſame men have wont to be often choſen without intermiſsion to be Commiſsioners, the whole Kirk was growing ſenſible of this thing as dangerous, whereby the whole power of Publick Government was nigh by become ſettled in the perſons of ſome particular men, and theſe but a few as conſtant Commiſsioners of the Kirk. If ever the Lord ſhall be pleaſed to grant again to this Kirk the Liberty of a generall Aſſembly, it were neceſſary that Preſbyteries be pre-limited indeed, that they make not ſuch an uſe and wont. 3. That few oppoſites were choſen; it is no wonder becauſe they were but few in compariſon of the reſt of the Miniſtery of Scotland. 4. Even where neither whole ſocieties were unanimous againſt the Reſolutions, nor yet the plurality were oppoſers, yet ſome unſatisfied were choſen Commiſsioners without a certain election, and without Proteſtation (diſſenting in the enumeration is idlely reckoned up) as is evident from the Commiſsioners, both of the Presbytery and univerſity of Aberdeen. There was indeed a Proteſtation againſt the oppoſing Brother, but it was taken up and paſſed from and the election unanimouſly approven afterwards in the Presbytery, ſo there is ſomething againſt the truth clearly. 5. The writer makes enumeration of elections of Presbyteries divided in judgment, ſome doubted, ſome diſſented from, or Proteſted againſt, ſome both wayes, but gives no particular inſtances of all theſe ſorts but onelyonly of two, theſe of Glaſgow, and Sterline; and I ſuſpect he can give us no more or very few. But ſixthly to the main drift of this inſtance expreſsed in the laſt words thereof, of all which no reaſon can be given, except the Act and Letter of the Commiſsion: We anſwer, this is a very poor way of proving, that the Letter and Act of the Commiſſion had much influence upon the election of Commiſsioners, againſt a man denying it, to ſay no other reaſon can be given of theſe elected, and theſe not elected, and this or that done againſt the election of ſome oppoſers of the Publick Reſolutions, at the Letter and Act of the Commiſsion; What is this but to begge the queſtion, and when you have affirmed a thing, and taken upon you to prove it, to do no more for the proof of it, but to ſay the Adverſary cannot prove the negative, whereas affirmanti incumbit probatio, and yet we ſay another reaſon may be given of theſe things then what the writer alleadgeth, ſee page 19.