The Nullity of the Pretended Assembly at St Andrews and Dundee, Treatise 2 · Review 29
REVIEW.
TO all this I return, That albeit the maker of the Obejection concerning the Commiſſions power took their Reſolutions to be right and juſt, yet doth not the Writer fight with his own ſhadow, becauſe the objector and the Commiſſion both in the matter of theſe Publick Reſolutions takes wrong for right, and unjuſt for juſt, and upon this miſtake conceives them to have power where they have none, which miſtake the Author diſcovers by holding forth the diſcordance of theſe Reſolutions, with the rule according to which they were bound to proceed, both upon the matter, and by vertue of their Commiſſion which the Author is pleaſed to call a foul calumny, and uncharitable accuſation of the Brethren, that never was, nor never ſhall be able to be proven: But I deſire him ſoberly to remember 1. That neither he, nor any of his judgement to this day have ſo far befriended their own cauſe, or ſatisfied theſe who ſtumble and gainſay, as to bring forth any Act of this Church prior to theſe Reſolutions for juſtifying thereof, though it often hath been called for. 2. That many Acts of this Church hath been brought forth, ſpeaking plainly againſt theſe Reſolutions, to which all the anſwers which hath been returned may (as I take it) be comprehended in one of theſe two, Either denying that the Malignant party were joyned with, about the defence of which denyall the Author and others may exerciſe their ingines, but ſhall never be able to ſatisfie the conſciences of the godly in it, and I fear nor their own fully; or elſe in telling us that it was a new caſe, which we never before had to do with, or occaſion to detemine, to wit, the caſe of the defence of Cauſe and Kingdom againſt a forrain invaſion; but it hath been often told him and others (and I wiſh they would once conſider of it) that even in the caſe of the Cauſe and Kingdomes defence againſt forrain invaſion, the unlawfulneſſe in joyning with the Malignant party; hath been often determined by this Church; yea, in that very caſe which is the preſent queſtion, and in the higheſt advantage they can have in the ſtateing of it, that is the caſe of ſcarceneſſe of men as to his great exception againſt the word damnable; I cannot think that the Writer meant it of bringing with it damnation to the Writer; he cannot be ſo groſſe as to take it for the ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt; yea, he will, I believe, allow as much in the matter of Salvation to ſome of theſe as to any others, and deſires to think charitably of all men; I dare ſay, all his meaning was, that it was a thing worthy to be condemned but ſo (ſaith the Author) is every errour, even the leaſt; and I would aske him, is not every errour even the leaſt damnable, both in it ſelf, and if mercy prevent not, alſo to the doers, though ſome be more damnable then others: If I underſtand any thing of common language, the meaning of that phraſe, a damnable preparative is ordinarily this, it is a preparative worthy to be condemned; and I think the Writer might think himſelf in no ill condition, if he had no more to repent of then the calling of that practice of the Commiſſion ſuch.
VINDICATION.
NOw further in anſwer to that firſt reaſon againſt the late Aſſembly as not free, and unlawfull, grounded upon the Commiſſioners Act and Letter ſent to Presbyteries; Conſider in the next place, firſt what we touched at before, that the Act and Letter did not require Presbyteries to preſſe all who were unſatisfied with the Publick Reſolutions, nor yet who after Conference remained unſatisfied, and continued to oppoſe, to wit, in their Publick Doctrine and active practiſing, to the hindering of people from going forth unto, or withdrawing them from the preſent juſt and neceſsary defence of the Land, ſo that for any thing that could be imported in that Act and Letter; yet whoever were unſatisfied in their judgements with the Publick Reſolutions, but did abſtain from oppoſition and acting againſt the execution of, might been choſen Commſſioners to the Aſſembly, and many ſuch were in the Land, who wiſely and Chriſtianly conſidering the integrity of the Commiſſion in the end they had before them, conceived the difference about the means reſolved upon, not to be ſuch for which they ſhould any way hinder the preſent neceſsary defence of the Land, and ſundry ſuch Miniſter were choſen Commiſſioners, and did ſit and vote in the Aſsembly freely according to their judgement. 2. That the main end of the Commiſsioners Act and Letter ſent to Presbyteries was meer tenderneſſe towards ſome men, who have given an evill requittall for it. The Commiſſion upon ſome prior Papers, finding ſome Presbyteries ready enough to have put ſharp cenſures upon ſome, who hath been too buſie ſticklers againſt Church and State, to ſtop them and take them off, ſent that Act and Letter for referring all their queſtions to the Generall Aſſembly; But as for pre limiting the elections, not a word more or leſs in them. 3. Is not onelyonly ſundry unſatisfied with the Publick Reſolutions who were not within the compaſse of that Order for citation contained in the Letter, but alſo ſome were conſtant continuing oppoſers, who were choſen Commiſsioners to the Aſsembly. 4. There was not ſo much as one mans Commiſsion excepted againſt, let be rejected in the Aſsembly for being unſatisfied with the Publick Reſolutions; yea, on the contrary, ſundry moſt eminent oppoſers were not onelyonly admitted to be members without any quarrell, but ſate Moderators and Clerks of Committees, ſo long as they were pleaſed to ſtay.