Chap. VI. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 617 " fhops fhould be judged by a mixt affembly of clergy and laicks." K. Charles L. Signed by the archbifhop of St. Andrews, the bishops of Glafgow, '638. Edinburgh, Galloway, R f and Brechin. The force of thefe objeEtions, how ftrong foever in themfelves, was taken off, by the king's owning the affembly, and fitting in it by his commi/oner feven Days; though at the diffolution he declared their pro- ceedings to be utterly deftruëtive of the name and nature of a free af- fembly. The bithops declinator being read, was unanimoufly rejefted, and acorn- le is rejeEred. mittee appointed to draw up an anfwer. In the mean time the affembly was bufy in examining elections, in which the covenanters carried every thing be- fore them ; the marquis therefore defpairingof any good iffue, determin'd according tohis inftruëtions, to diffolve them and accordinglywent to the great church where they fat, and read over his majefty'sconcefíions; as, ( s.) That his majefty was willing to difcharge the fervice book, and the .< book ofcanons. (z.) To diffolve the high commgon. (3.) That the arti- " Iles ofPerth fhould not be urged. (4.) That nooath fhould be required ". ofanyminifler at his entrance into the miniftry, but what is requiredby " all ofparliament. (5.) That for the future there fhould be general af- .. femblies as often as the affairs of the kirk (hall require; and that the " bithops fhould be cenfurable by the affembly, according to their me- " rits. (6.) That the confeffion of faith of 158o, fhoùld be fubfcribed by all his majefty's fubjeéts of Scotland." Thefe, altho' very confider- able abatements, did not reach the requirements of the covenanters, which were the diffolutionof the order of the bifhops, and of the above- mentioned grievances by a ftatute-law. The marquis went on and in a long fpeech declaimed againft LAY - ELDERS, " an office (as he Paid) " unknàwn in the church for fifteen hundred Years, fuch pert-oils be- .. ing very unfit to judge of the high myfteriesofpredeflination, eeelual " grace, anti andpoft- lapfarian doctrines, or to pats fentence upon their .. fuperiors in learning and office." He therefore advifed them to break 7be affembly up and choofe another affembly of all clergymen ; but his motion ftrik- dff[ved. ing at the very being and lawfulnefs of their prefent conftitntiop, was unanimoufly rejeéted ; whereupon the marquis diffolved them, after they had fat only feven days; forbidding them to continue their fefiions, upon pain of high treafon; and next morning the diffolution was pub- lifhed by proclamation at the Market -Crof. But the affembly inftead of fubmitting to the royal command conti- But continue cued fitting, and the very next day [Nov, 29 ] publifhed a proteflation í005irreafons to ju(lify their proceedings, wherein they affirm, I. That ruling el-for foling. ders have conftantly fat in their affemblies before the late times' of " corruption. z. That his majefty's prefence in their affemblies, either VOL. I. 4 K in
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