and Iurisdiction to them, who were never called Bishops by any
warrant from the Kirk, but onely in the vulgar speach, frō the titles they
had to benefices, in which respect civill persons beneficed were called Bi∣shops
in former times.
6. The PASTOR and men of God seeking neither profit
nor preferment to themselues, expelled the Prelate & all his Ce∣remonies
out of the Kirk of Christ by no other meanes, but such
as became the faythfull Ministers of Iesus Christ, as preaching,
praying, penning, advising with the best reformed Kirks, reaso∣ning
in assemblies, and after libertie granted to all to oppone,
the consente, oath and subscription of the Adversaries.
The PRELATE seeking nothing but his owne prosit and prefer∣ment,
is restored againe by such meanes, as better beseeme his Ministers,
who hath beene a murtherer and lyar from the beginning, then the sincere
Ministers of Iesus Christ: For crafte and crueltie hath been their wayes,
Their craft was to remoue their strongest opponents out of the Countrie,
that they might not be present in assemblies, to espye their proceedings, and
to reason against them, to abolish the true libertie and authoritie of assem∣blies,
to protest that they were seeking no prelacie, neyther of the Popish
nor English kinde, and that they had no purpose to subverte the Discipline
received, but to deliver the Kirk from disgrace, and to be the more mightie
to oppose her enemies, Iesuites and Papists,, to falsifie the acts of the Kirk,
to promise to keepe all the cautions and conditions, made to hold them in
order, which now they professe, they never minded to doe, &c. Their cruel∣ty
hath beene to boast, to banish, imprison, depriue, confine, silence, &c.
7. The PASTOR and men of God all this time of defe∣ction
gaue testimonie to the trueth, opposed against the severall
steppes of the prelates ambition, by all the meanes that became
him to use, as publick preaching, supplicating, reasoning, pro∣testing,
and suffring, and when the prelate was triumphing in
the height of his dignitie, they could not, comparing the first
temple with the second, but declare the griefe of their hearts for
the change, and their greate feare of alteration to be made in the
worship of God, when now the hedge of the Kirk was broken
downe, and an open way made for all corruption.
The PRELATE is of the Clergie, that seldome is seene penitent,
and therefore as against all the meanes used by the Pastor, he had altered
the government of the Kirk, so he enters next upon the worship & Ser∣vice
of God. and will haue a new confession of Fayth, new Catechisme,
new formes of prayer, new observation of dayes, new Formes of ministra∣tion
of the Sacraments, which he first practised himselfe, against the acts
and order of the Kirk. And since convened an assembly of his owne
making to drawe on the practise of others. And thirdly he hath invol∣ved
the honorable estates of the Kingdome into his greate guiltinesse by