The Nullity of the Pretended Assembly at St Andrews and Dundee, Treatise 3
INSTANCES of the Influence that the Letter and Act of the Commiſsion of the Gen. Aſſembly 1650. had upon ſeveral Preſbyteries and Synods, and upon ſeveral perſons therein, in the Election of Commiſſioners to the Aſſembly 1651. and in the Citing of theſe of their Number who were diſ-ſatisfied with the Publick Reſolutions as they are atteſted out of the Regiſters, or by Members of theſe Presbyteries and Synods, who were Witneſſes to their Proceedings in theſe things.
1. Inſtance in the Presbytery of Jedburgh.
THe Letter and Act of the Commiſſion of the Gen. Aſſembly 1650. concerning the Citing of ſuch of their Number as were Oppoſite to the Publick Reſolutions, came to the Presbytery of Jedburgh, before the chuſing of their Commiſſioners to the Aſſembly: At the time of the Election, the Presbitery after the reading therof, did in obedience thereto, make enquiry, who of their Number were not ſatisfied with the publick Reſolutions; and finding that Mr. John Livingſton, Mr. Ja. Ker, and Mr. Jo. Scot, were diſſatisfied with theſe Reſolutions, they did appoint Conference with theſe Brethren in order to their ſatisfaction, by reading of ſome publick Papers, refuſing any other way of Conference unto them; after which, they went on to the Election of their Commiſſioners, paſſing by theſe diſ-ſatisfied Brethren, and Citing them by vertue of the Act of the Commiſſion, to Compear before the General Aſſembly to be holden at St. Andrews the … day of July, 1651.
2. Inſtance in the Presbyterie of Dunkel.
THe Presbyterie of Dunkel having choſen ſuch of their number to be Commiſſioners to the General Aſſembly 1651. as were in their judgments oppoſite to the publick Reſolutions; ſome of the Presbytery diſſented from the Election of theſe perſons upon the ground of their being uncapable to be Commiſſioners, becauſe of an Act of the Commiſſion for citing of ſuch to the Aſſembly, and urged, That the Diſſent, and ground thereof, might be marked in the Presbytery-Book, to be judged by the Synod.
3. Inſtance in the Synod of Perth.
THe Synod of Perth, which met in June 1651. having received and read the Letter, and Act of the Commiſſion, concerning the citing theſe who were oppoſite to the publick Reſolutions, did find it incumbent unto them for ſatisfying the ſaid Letter and Act, to appoint the ſeveral Presbyteries within their Bounds, and where the plurality of the Presbytery was diſ-ſatisfied with the publick Reſolutions, ſome nominated by themſelves to Confer with diſ-ſatisfied Brethren; and in caſe of their not receiving ſatisfaction by Conference, to cite them to the Gen. Aſſembly at St. Andrews, from which Act of the Synod, ſuch diſ-ſatisfied Brethren as were preſent, who were about eight or nine, did …aſſent, and were therfore cited apudacta by the Synod, to Compear before the Aſſembly, becauſe of their oppoſition to the publick Reſolutions: and concerning the reſt who were abſent, it was ordered by the Synod, That perſonal Summons ſhould be ſent unto ſome of them, and that others of them, in caſe of their not being ſatisfied by Conference, ſhould be cited by their reſpective Presbyteries, and ſuch as were appointed to Confer with them: At the ſame time, the Synod taking in conſideration the Diſſent of ſome of the Members of the Presbytery of Dunkel, and the grounds thereof, from the Election of their Commiſſioners did ſuſtain the ſame, and appoint the Preſbitry to make a new Election.
4. Inſtance in the Presbytery of Kirkaldie.
THe Presbyterie of Kirkaldie, having received and read the Letter and Act of the Commiſſion, did thereafter and in order therto, refuſe to ſubſcribe the Commiſſion of Magnus Aytoun, then choſen Commiſſioner to the General Aſſembly by the Town of Brunt-Iland, becauſe when his Commiſſion was preſented to the Presbitery, he was not preſent to declare his judgment concerning the publick Reſolutions. The ſame Presbytry did by vertue of the ſame Letter and Act find themſelves oblidged to Refer or Summon two of their Number, to wit, Mr. Alex. Muncreiff, and Mr. George Nairne to the General Aſſembly, becauſe of their being diſ-ſatisfied with the publick Reſolutions, but remembring that theſe two had a little before that time Diſſented from an Act of the Synod of Fife, appointing ſuch Miniſters in the Bounds of that Synod as were diſ-ſatisfied with the publick Reſolutions, to be referred to the General Aſſembly, did find that they were obliged to compear before the Aſſembly, to give in the Reaſons of their Diſſent from that Act; and therfore the Presbytery did draw up a Paper mentioning their regard to the Act and Letter of the Commiſſion, and alſo bearing the Diſſent of theſe two Brethren, and that they judged it not neceſſary to ſummon them, who were already by their Diſſent obliged to compear; and this Paper they did deliver to their Commiſſioners, appointing them to preſent it to the Aſſembly.
5. Inſtance in the Presbytery of Glaſgow.
THe Presbytery of Glaſgow did chooſe Commiſſioners to the General Aſſembly 1651. before the Letter and Act of the Commiſſion came to their hands, from which Election ſome of their Number did Diſſent upon this ground amongſt others, becauſe the perſons choſen were of a contrary judgment to the publick Reſolutions, and that they knew that the Commiſſion of the General Aſſembly was to ſend ſome publick Directions to the Presbitery anent that matter, and the diſſenting part of the Presbitery, though the ſmaller number by many, did thereafter make a new Election of their own, and did cite ſome of theſe of the Presbitery who were oppoſite to the publick Reſolutions, to compear before the Aſſembly upon the ground contained in the Letter and Act of the Commiſſion; and ſome of the ſame Diſſenting part of the Preſbitery, who were frequently with the Commiſſion, in promoting theſe Affairs, did ſend the Letter and Act of the Commiſsion incloſed in a Letter of their own to two of the Brethren of the Preſbitery of Lanrick, adviſing them, That before the Election of Commiſſioners in their Presbitery, they ſhould cauſe read the Letter and Act of the Commiſſion, and endeavor to carry on the Election accordingly; and that if they could not attain this, that then theſe of their Number who did approve of the publick Reſolutions, ſhould make a New Election amongſt themſelves, and leave it to the Aſſembly to judge which of the two Elections was valid; ſignifying withal unto them, that they had done ſo in the Presbytery of Glaſgow.
6. Inſtance in the Presbitery of Biggar.
THe Letter and Act of the Commiſſion 1650. concerning ſuch as did Differ from the publick Reſolutions, came to the Preſbytery of Biggar, and was publickly read therin before the chuſing of their Commiſsioners to the General Aſſembly; and thereupon Interogators were made to the Brethren, for trying of their judgment anent the publick Reſolutions, that theſe who profeſt themſelves diſ-ſatisfied therewith, might be rendered uncapable to be choſen Commiſsioners to the General Aſſembly.
7. Inſtance in the Presbytery of the Merns.
THe Presbytery of the Merns, having choſen the Lord Arbuthnet in his abſence from the Presbytery, to be Commiſsioner as Ruling Elder to the General Aſſembly 1651. did ſend two of their Number unto him to take his Oath to be faithful in that imployment; and withal, to take tryal whether he were ſatisfied with the publick Reſolutions; and to ſignifie to him, That if he were not ſatisfied with theſe Reſolutions, the Presbytery could not be anſwerable to give him a Commiſsion for ſitting in the Aſſembly, but behoved to chuſe another.
Theſe Inſtances may ſuffice for verifying of what is alleadged in the former Debates concerning the influence that the Letter and Act of the Commiſſion of the General Aſſembly had upon ſeveral Presbyteries and Synods and Perſons therin, in the Election of Commiſſioners to the Aſſembly 1651. and in Citing of theſe who were Diſ-ſatisfied with the publick Reſolutions, and therefore it ſhall not be needful to trouble our ſelves or the Reader with the bringing and ſetting down of more of this kind.