Читать книгу The Acts Of The General Assemblies of the Church of Scotland - Church of Scotland. General Assembly - Страница 13

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I. The Commission of the pretended Commissioners to the meeting was null. 1. Because the election of them was not free, seeing they were nominate by the Kings Letters, as the Presbyterie books of Edinburgh, Perth, and Hadingtoun declare. And the Bishop of St. Andrews in his letter to some Presbyteries required them to send such commissioners as the King had nominate: assuring them, that none other would be accepted. This the Bishops letter registered in the Presbyterie books of Hadingtoun doth cleare. 2. And whereas there were no ruling Elders sent from the Presbyteries to that pretended Assembly, as the roll of Commissioners sheweth; yet there were moe ministers from undue severall Presbyteries then three, as five from Brechen, five from Arbroth, five from Kirkenbright, seven from the Presbytery of Argyl, foure from the Presbyterie of Cowper, foure from Linlithgow, foure from Pasley, foure from Hammilton, foure from Drumfreis, foure from Dunkell: as the register of that Assembly beareth.

II. There where thirtie voters of Noble men and Barrons, beside the pretended Bishops, who had no commission from any Presbyterie. In the fourth Session of this pretended Assembly it is plainly said, That the Noble men and Barrons came to it by the Kings direction.

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III. The voting of the commissioners was not free: for by the Kings Letter to the Assembly they were threatned, and it was declared that their content was not needfull to any act to be made there: The King might doe it by his own power, yet they were allured to vote by a promise that their good service in so doing should be remembred and rewarded thereafter.

IV. The principall acts which were made, were set down verbatim in the privie conference, which chiefly consisted of the Kings Commissioners and pretended Bishops, and only read to be ratified in the Assembly.

V. Sundrie ministers then present, doe now declare, that they knew the ministers who voted the wrong way, to have received their present reward, and that money was largely dealt unto them.