no warrant but Spots-woods unprinted book: this is no au∣thentick register whereupon any understanding man can re∣ly, the writer was a profest enemy, to his death, of the Scot∣tish disciplin, he spent his life upon a Story for the disgrace of the Presbytery and the honour of Bishops: no man who is acquainted with the life or death of that Author will build his beleefe upon his words. This whole narration is abun∣dantly confuted in the historicall vindication, when the Warner is pleased to repeat the challenge from Issachars burden hee ought to have replyed something after three yeares advisement to the printed answer.The matter (as our registers beare) was shortly thus, in the yeare 1596 the Popish and malignant faction in King James his court grew so strong that the countenance of the King towards the Church was much changed, and over all the Land great feares did daily increase of the overthrow of the Church discipline established by Law. The Ministers in their pulpits gave free warning thereof, among others Mr. Black of Saint Andrews, a most gracious and faithful Pastor, did apply his doctrine to the sins of the time; some of his E∣nemies delated him at Court for words injurious to the King and Queen: the words hee did deny and all his honest hea∣rers did absolve him by their testimony from these calum∣nies: of himselfe hee was most willing to be tryed to the ut∣termost before all the world, but his Brethren finding the libelled calumnies to bee only a pretence and the true inten∣tion of the Courtiers therein was, to stop the mouthes of Mi∣nisters, that the crying sins of the time should no more bee reproved in pulpits, they advised him to decline the judge∣ment of the counsel, and appeale to the generall assembly, as the competent judge according to the word of God and the Lawes of Scotland, in the cause of doctrin; for the first instance they did never question, but if any thing truely 0