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Sentence of Deposition against Mr. John Guthrie pretended Bi∣shop of Murray; Mr. John Grahame pretended Bishop of Orknay; Mr. James Fairly pretended Bishop of Lismoir; Mr. Neil Campbell pre∣tended Bishop of Isles.
THe General Assembly, having heard the Libels and Complaints given in against the foresaids pretended Bishops, to the Presbytery of Edenburgh, and sundry Presbyteries within their Diocese, and by the saids Presbyteries referred to this Assembly to be tried, the saids pretended Bishops being lawfully ci∣ted, oftentimes called, and not compeering, proceeded to the cognition of the Complaints and Libels against them; and finding them guilty of the breach of the cautions agreed upon in the Assembly at Montrose, Anno 1600. for restricting of the Minister voter in Parliament, from incroaching upon the Liberties and Jurisdictions of this Kirk, which was set down with certification of deposition, infamy, and excommunica∣tion; and especially for receiving Consecration to the Office of Episcopacy, condemned by the Confession of Faith, and Acts of this Kirk, as having no war∣rant nor fundament in the Word of God; and by vertue of this usurped power, and power of the High Commission, pressing the Kirk with novations in the worship of God; and for their refusal to underlye the trial of the reigning slander of sundry other gross transgressions and offences laid to their charge: There∣fore the Assembly, moved with zeal to the glory of God, and purging of this Kirk, ordains the saids pretended Bishops to be deposed, and by th••se presents doth de∣pose them, not only of the Office of Commissionary to vote in Parliament, Councel, or convention in name of the Kirk; but also of all functions, whether of pre∣tended Episcopal or Ministerial calling: And likewise in case they acknowledge not this Assembly, reverence not the Constitutions thereof, and obey not the sentence, and make not their repentance, conform to the order prescribed by this Assembly, ordains them to be ex∣communicated, and declared to be of these whom Christ commandeth to be holden by all and every one of the faithful as Ethnicks and Publicans: And the sen∣tence of Excommunication to be pronounced upon their refusal, in the Kirks appointed, by any of these who are particularly named to have the charge of trying their repentance or impenitency, and that the execu∣tion of this sentence be intimate in all the Kirks with∣in this Realm, by the Pastors of every particular Con∣gregation, as they will be answerable to their Presby∣teries and Synods, or the next General Assembly, in case of negligence of the Presbyteries and Synods.
IN another hour they declared Episcopal Go∣vernment to be inconsistent with the Laws of that Church and Kingdom, and so abolished it for ever, though it did then, and doth still stand confirmed by many Acts both of Parlia∣ments and Assemblies: They deprived the Mini∣sters, whose hands were at the Protestations a∣gainst Lay-Elders and Elections made by them: Some Ministers they deprived for Arminianism; a course never heard of in any place where a∣ny rule of Justice was observed, that a Mini∣ster should be deprived for holding any Tenet which is not against the Doctrine of that Church wherein he liveth, and that before it be prohi∣bited and condemned by that Church: Now there is nothing in the Confession of that Church against these Tenets. At the Synod of Dort no man was censured for holding any Doctrine a∣gainst the conclusions of it, before the Synod had determined against them, nor was he to be censured for any thing he had preached or print∣ed, before that Synod did tender unto him their Canons to be subscribed: But at Glasgow no such course was taken, but Ministers were deprived without so much as ever being once asked the question, whether they held any such opinion; or if they did, whether they would now recall their opinions, and conform their Judgments to the judgment of the Assembly in these points. Some of their Ministers being asked the questi∣on, With what Conscience or Justice they could deprive their Brethren for holding opini∣ons not condemned by that Church, who per∣haps after their Church had condemned them, out of their love to the peace of their Church would have forborn any further medling with them? They returned this weak answer, That these Tenets were condemned by that Church under the general name of Popery: But they could make no answer when it was told them, That certainly these Tenets could not be counted Po∣pish, concerning which, or the chief of which, as learned Papists as any in the World, viz. the Dominicans and Jesuits did differ as much as the Protestants did; and that those who do adhere to the Augustan Confession, did hold that side of these Tenets which the Arminians do hold, and yet they were very far from being Papists, being the first Protestants; and therefore it was against all sense to condemn that for Pope∣ry, which was held by many Protestant Chur∣ches, and rejected by many learned Papists. But all would not serve; they would deprive Ministers for holding them, before they them∣selves had condemned them. In the deprivati∣on of one of these Ministers there did fall out a memorable passage, which was this: The Mo∣derator of the Assembly, after the sentence of a Ministers deprivation, was pleased to move this learned question to the Assembly, Whe∣ther, if this deprived Minister should baptize a Child, the Child must not be baptized again? But he was presently taken off by one of his Brethren, who it seemeth was much ashamed of such a question, and told him, That they did never re-baptize those who had been baptized by Popish Priests; and so all further talk of it was hushed. What conclusions were to be ex∣pected from an Assembly whose Moderato•• mo∣ved such an ignorant and gross question, is ••asie to be conjectured.
And the weakness of their Conclusions would easily appear, if all their several Acts were printed; but because the Reader shall be a∣ble to make some judgment of them, We have here caused an Index of the Titles of their Acts to be inserted, by which may be seen what they hold.