The Nullity of the Pretended Assembly at St Andrews and Dundee, Treatise 2 · Review 35
REVIEW.
BEfore I come to the diſcuſ…g of the Authors Anſwers to this reaſon, I cannot but take notice of a few interlud…s of his in repeating of theſe things which the Writer brings in for clearing and con…rming of it: Firſt, theſe words of h…s for the former, he alleadges firſt, that it is without controverſie; and next he brings four things for the proof of it, the light of Nature, and the Word of God, but names not one paſſage of it. The Writer ſaid not, that it was without controverſie; but his words be theſe; albeit (as we conceive) no great controverſie will be about it: And although he had ſaid, that it is without controverſie, was it a fault to bring ſomething for ſtrengthening aſſent to the truth of it. That he named no paſſage of the Word of God was, becauſe he took it to be lippis & tonſoribus notum amongſt Chriſtians, that an Elder ſhould be blameleſſe, and of good report. A ſecond is, That it is good that the writer, yea even in this heat of diſputation, finds ſomething right in the Commiſſioners Papers, out that he tells not all the truth. The Writer deſires not at any time to be ſo hot againſt the Commiſſion, as not to acknowledge and commend what is right in their Papers and actings; and why ſhould it be made a matter of challenge againſt him, that he tells not all the truth, ſeeing he had not to do with any more then he tells; his point was to tell, that the perſons under ſcandall, ought to be removed from the Aſſembly, and not the poſitive qualifications to be required in theſe who are to be admitted to fit a Members. If the Author think that that can contribute any thing either for ſtrengthening what the Writer intends to prove, or for clearing of the Commiſſion, he doth well allow it to be told. Thirdly, Theſe words of his, The Writer magno hiatu bids any man in the world bring a reaſon: his magno hiatu are not words very beſeeming that ſoberneſſe and gravity that becomes a man of his place and parts, he may remember that he uſeth the like expreſsions himſelf; all the world (ſaith he in a certain place of his Vindication ſhall not be able to clear this from uſurpation; and is there not need of as wide a mouth for the one of theſe as for the other. But that which is moſt obſervable, is the ſtrange inference which he drawes from the Writer, citing Deut. 13.12. to prove that common report is made a ground of ſearch: 1 Cor. 5. to prove that it is made a ground of proceedings, we may ſee by this what doom the late Commiſs. likely might have gotten, had the Writer, of this been Judge, Excommunication ſummarly from …his Church and deſtruction by the Sword from the Civill Magiſtrate, conſidering the crime he charges on them, and the place cited is not onelyonly hinted at, (but bleſſed be God that ſo ill-willed a Cow had ſo ſhort horns) but alſo from the 2. Theſſ. 3.11. The Author told us above, that he is not given to be jealous, but this favours too too much of jealouſie, and of the want of Charity, which thinketh not evill. I would fain know from what Topick he wil (from all that the Writer hath ſaid) frame a probable argument, that it is like, that if the Writer were Judge, the Commiſſioners doom would be ſummar Excommunication from this Church, and deſtruction by the Sword from the Civill Magiſtrate: I know him to be a man that hath good ability in argumentation, but it will ſurpaſſe all his ingyne, by any probable conſequence, to infer this concluſion from the Writers citing of theſe places of Scripture, to prove that common report is made a ground of ſearch and proceeding; and I am confident, that as he ſhall not be able to bring any probable evidence of what he hath alleadged, ſo alſo that it did never enter into the Writers heart to have ſuch a thought.
VINDICATION.
THus far the Writer; So we have now before us at one view this Argument ſo operous and large, as full and ſtrong as it could be made, to which a very ſhort anſwer might be made; for all hangs upon this, that the late Commiſsioners were under a ſcandall of carrying on a courſe of defection, and this hangs neceſſarily upon the third particular laſt mentioned, which the Writer onelyonly dictats magiſterially we deny, which alone layes the whole argument in the hollow, and ſuſpends aſſent to the concluſion thereof, untill the Writer ſhall in a new Edition follow out his Argument, and make that particular good, which he ſhall never be able to do: But for clearer ſatisfaction to all honeſt Chriſtians about this matter, we preſent this conſideration in anſwer to this argument. 1. The very like accuſation & exception came into the Aſſem. 48, from the very Parliament, againſt the Members of their Commiſsioners, who were Commiſsioners to the Aſſembly, and yet after a long and ſerious debate, it was found (by none more then our preſent Proteſters, and concluded that none of them could be removed from ſitting in the Aſſembly, and voting in other matters untill their proceedings were firſt heard and tryed, when the Writer, ſhall ſhape an anſwer to juſtifie the Conſtitution of that Aſſembly, notwithſtanding this that was …one, then we doubt not but it ſhall … the late Aſsembly; ſo we ſee that it is contrary to the truth which the Writer alleadgeth in anſwer to the firſt Objection againſt this Argument, when he ſayeth, that though it be true, that the Members of the Commiſsion have been allowed to ſit untill their Proceedings were tryed and judged, yet that is as true, that ſuch Objections and exceptions being proponed, was never rejected. We have given a freſh and recent inſtance to the contrary what he addeth there, viz. that ſince the late Reformation, there was no cauſe to propone ſuch thing; the Commiſsioners til this year, having carryed themſelves faithfully, we grant the former did carry themſelves faithfully, and that there was no juſt cauſe of proponing that exception againſt the Commiſsion 48; and we affirm, that the Commiſsion 51, carryed themſelves faithfully, and that there was no juſt cauſe of proponing that exception againſt them which the Proteſters made, but whether it was ſo or otherwayes in reipſâ in the very deed it ſelf, ſince both exceptions at the time they were made, were alike to the Aſſembly, and therefore (to borrow the word of the Writer we deſire any man in the world to bring a reaſon why the one Aſſembly ſhould be condemned for rejecting ſuch an exception before the proceeding of the perſons excepted againſt, were tryed and judged when as the other Aſſembly which rejected the like exception is maintained. But good Reader, look forward upon the Writers following of his Anſwer to the Objection mentioned, and ſee a myſtery, and judge thou, if it be not of iniquity againſt all the late Generall Aſſemblyes of this Kirk; he tells us of an Act made anno 1601, and renewed 1648, and ſayeth, that it doth neceſſarily infer, that the Commiſſioners of a former Aſſembly, ſhould not be admitted as Members in the ſucceeding Aſſembly, although there be no ſcandall or exception proponed upon their proceedings untill they be tryed, much leſſe when a ſcandall or exception is proponed. This is a fair blow, by one ſtr…ak given to the late Conſtitutions of all the Aſſemblies of this Kirk, posterior to that Aſſembly at Glaſgow, without exception, and moſt of all to the Aſſembly 48, for in all of them, Commiſſioners of the preceeding Aſsemblies reſpective have been admitted to ſit as Members, before their proceedings were tryed and judged, and in that Aſsembly 48, they were admitted to ſit, notwithſtanding exception being made againſt their ſitting by the ſupream Civill Power of the Land. This is remarkable, that the Writer, to the effect he might pull down the late Aſsembly 51, he would put down all the reſt with it. But the truth is, the Writer is ſomewhat raſh in his aſsertion concerning the conſequences of that Act mentioned, look the tenor of it as it is extant in the Aſsembly 48, Seſs. 6. It ſayth only this much, That the Commiſſioners of former Aſsemblies ſhall give an accompt of their proceedings in the beginning of the Aſsembly, before any other matter or cauſe be handled, and their proceedings to be allowed or diſ-allowed, &c. from which I confeſse, this much may be inferred by one ſticking preciſely to the letter of the word, that after the Aſsembly is conſtitute, the handling of all other matters ſhould be ſuſpended, untill the Commiſsioners proceedings ſhould be tryed and put to a point, during which tryal, the Commiſſioners that are members vi materiae, muſt be removed, becauſe the ſame perſons cannot try their own proceedings, but that they may not be admitted in any wayes to be Members of the Aſsembly, not ſo much as to vote in the Election of a Moderator, (which was the thing required by the Proteſters) cannot be inferred from thence, if it were other wayes it ſeems ſtrange to me, that that ſame Aſsembly 48, which did renew that Act, did at the ſame very time, admit the Commiſsioners of the preceding Aſsembly (ſundry of the preſent Proteſters, and amongſt the reſt, none more then the Writer of this Paper, and the ſuggeſter to him of this conſideration, being chief actors in the buſines) to ſit as Members of the Aſtembly, before their proceedings were tryed; yea, and to vote in ſundry other matters during the time of their tryall; and that whenas there was exception made againſt them, but beſide this retortion of the Argument, which the Proteſters are obliged to anſwer.