CHA P. IV.

Of the discharging of Church-judicatures, the consecration of the bishops, the acts of the parliament, and the proceedings of the council, particularly the act of Glasgow, and other things during the year 1662.

BEFORE the parliament sat down, the council completed

the work of overturning the judicatures of this church, pursuant to the orders they received from London, where all things were concerted by Sharp, and the rest of the bishops who were there.

Accordingly, on the 2d of January, the council received a letter from the king, signifying his will and pleasure, for them to discharge, by proclamation, all, ecclesiastical meetings in synods, presbyteries, and sessions, till authorised and ordered by the archbishops and bishops. Thus we find that synods were first interrupted, and then discharged: presbyteries were forbid to ordain any in vacant parishes, and now their meetings were próhibited, nay, and sessions likewise must die with the other judicatures of this church, and all in consequence of the royal supremacy, without the authority of parliament.

Bishop Burnet says, that Sharp procured this without any advice, and it proved very fatal; for when king James brought in the bishops before, they had stiil suffered the inferior judicatures to continue sitting till the bishops' came and sat among them.-Whereas now, by silencing these courts, the case was much altered ;-for these courts being now once broken, and brought together afterwards by a sort of connivance, without any legal authority, only as the bishop's assistants and officials, to give him advice, and act in his name, they pretended they could not sit in them any more, unless they should change their principles and become thoroughly episcopal. And here, by the way, Burnet had no reason to put in these words, they pretended; for the truth is, they could not countenance any such judicatures consistent with presbyterial principles, Burnet adds, so fatally did Sharp precipitate matters. He affected to have the reins of the church wholly put into his own hands, and Lauderdale was not sorry to see him commit errors, since the worse things were managed, his advice would be more justified. And Middleton and his party took no care of any business, being almost perpetually drunk.-

The same day the above mentioned proclamation was published the council discharged the presbytery of Kelso from pro

ceeding to ordain a minister to the church of Yettam; for things were now carried on with an high hand: and by this time, the public resolutioners began to see the dismal effects of opening a door to malignants to get into places of trust in the council and army; because though the protestors were the first who suffered, yet both were afterwards made to drink of the same cup. Accordingly Mr Douglass is reported to have said, when he saw things thus carried on, our brethren the protestors have had their eyes open, and we have been blind. Mr Dickson used to say, the protestors have been much truer prophets than they. And Mr Wood acknowledged to several of his brethren, who differed from him in judgment, that they had been mistaken in their views they took of matters.

And it is a matter of sad regret, that the most part of presbyteries, instead of making any stand for their religious liberties, silently yielded to the proclamation, and left off meeting in a judicative capacity; so that the wicked and unjust evasions made upon the crown and dignity of our Lord Jesus Christ brought many of the faithful of the land with sorrow to the grave; for now, if any presbytery did so much as petition for a fair hearing, no regard was paid to it.

Thus when the presbytery of Kirkcudbright sent two of their members, to wit, Mr John Duncan minister at Rerick, and Mr James Buglos at Crossmichael, with a petition to the privy-council, most respectfully and humbly intreating them, in the name of Jesus Christ, that their honours would be pleased to grant unto them freedom and liberty to unfold their bosoms in those things, that relating to the word of God in the land did sadly aggrieve their spirits,-and particularly that they might have liberty, with freedom and 'safety, to express their minds against the re-introduction of prelacy upon this church and kingdom,'-instead of having a hearing allowed them, they were still more exposed to suffering and persecution. If such petitions as these can, with any shew of reason, be looked upon as seditious or treasona ble, must be left to the reader.

Many worthy gentlemen in the west country were brought into trouble, on pretence of their having damaged the Earl of Queensberry's estate, and been with the forces under Colonels Strachan and Ker, 1650. But the true cause was, because most of them were for the remonstrance, and enemies to prelacy. The parliament therefore computed the losses the carl sustained at 20001. sterling, and the council to whom the parliament left the affair, rated every gentleman, whom they pretended had been concerned as above, in proportion to his estate real and personal. Thus Sir William Cuningham of

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Cuninghamhead was rated at above 2001. Sir Hugh Campbell of Cesnock at above 130l. Mr William Gordon of Earlstoun at above 1201. sterling, and others in proportion.

The Rev. Mr Robert Blair was before the council the beginning of this year. On the 9th of January, the Lord Bellenden, with the advocate and provost of Edinburgh, were appointed to examine the witnesses summoned to appear in this case, and make report accordingly; but, after their most diligent search, nothing could be found against him. After the imprisonment of the ministers in August 1660, and the prospect of the re-settlement of prelacy, he preached a faithful and yet cautious sermon, from 1 Pet. iii. 14. Upon his examination as to the matter of his sermon, he gave the committee of the council a distinct account. He was only confined to his room at Edinburgh, and afterwards removed to Musselburgh, where he continued till September this year. While he was there, Sharp found means to get his charge declared vacant. On hearing of this Mr Blair sent his presentation to the council. A little after he obtained liberty to reside at Kirkcaldy, where he continued with great respect, till the order was published forbidding all presbyterian ministers to live in burghs, and then he removed to Couston. But the true ground of all his trouble was, because the archbishop could not be easy while so good a man was near him. The council had little more before them till the parliament rose.

The melancholy change that was now made, and the dismal prospect of things for the time to come, made such impressions upon many, that they died of grief. Among these was the noble John earl of Loudon, late chancellor of Scotland, who had been a prime instrument in the late work of reformation. He was a nobleman of great and peculiar endowments, joined with remarkable resolution and courage, and, next to the Marquis of Argyle, was the object of spite and of the present managers. He often intreated his excellent lady to pray that he might never see the next session of parliament; and accordingly he was taken away from the evil to come on the 15th of March, and was honourably interred among his ancestors.

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Soon after this archbishop Sharp, and the other three who had been consecrated at London, came down to Scotland all in one coach. Leighton told Dr Burnet, that he believed they were weary of him, for he was very weary of them. But, finding they were to be received at Edinburgh with some pomp, he left them at Morpeth, and came to Edinburgh a few days before them.

They got to Berwick on the 8th of April; were met upon the road to Edinburgh by a considerable number of noble

men, gentlemen, and others, and received at their coming in with all pomp and solemnity, which was not a little pleasing to Sharp. The lord chancellor, with all the nobility and privy counsellors then at Edinburgh, went out together, with the magistracy of the city, and brought the bishops in as in triumph. Dr Burnet was a spectator, and says, that though he was truly episcopal, yet he thought there was something in the pomp of that entry, that did not look like the humility that became their function.

The commissioner Middleton, came to Holyrood-house on Sabbath, May the 4th; and the 7th was fixed for the consecration of the rest of the bishops in the church of Holyroodhouse. The two archbishops who were the consecrators, went to the church in their pontifical habits. The primate made use of the English forms, and read all from the book; but it is remarkable, as Bishop Burnet observes, that they were not ordained first priest and deacons. Three of the bishops nominated, not being present, were consecrated at St Andrews in the month of June following.

This ceremony made way for their admission into parliament, May the 8th, which was performed with great ceremony. Six members of parliament, two noblemen, the earls of Kelly and Weems, two barons, and two burgesses, were sent to invite them to come and take their seats in the house. From the Nether-bow they went up in state. The two archbishops in the midst of the first rank; the gentlemen, magistrates, and town council of Edinburgh mixed in with the rest of the bishops, who had all their black gowns and robes. When they came to the house, a speech was made to them, the act restoring them read, and the house adjourned for that time. They were all invited to dine with the commissioner, who did them the honour to walk down the street with them on foot. Six macers went first with their maces elevated. Next three gentlemen-ushers, and then the purse-bearer uncovered. The commissioner and chancellor came next, with two noblemen upon their right-hand, and the archbishops upon their left. And the other noblemen and members of parliament invited, made up the rest of the cavalcade.

Thus prelacy was restored in triumph, but without the least shadow of the church's consent or authority, nay, in opposition to many ecclesiastical acts, as yet unrepealed; and therefore it was no wonder though many looked upon them as ⚫ intruders. Besides, the managers knew too well that they durst not run the hazard of having this change made in any considerable meeting of the ministers of Scotland: and therefore prelates and prelacy were introduced entirely by the

supremacy. And upon this footing the parliament gave their consent to, and settled episcopacy in the second session; the proceedings of which I am now briefly to relate, when I have observed, that, May the 7th, the commissioner in council declared, that it is his Majesty's royal will and pleasure, that the Earl of Tweeddale's restraint be taken off. But then he and others must be taught, by his eight months imprisonment and confinement, how dangerous it would be to speak according to their conscience, and in any thing to contradict the measures of the court.

The parliament had been adjourned to March; but it being resolved that the bishops should sit in the house, and matters not being as yet concerted for their consecration, it was deferred till that should be over. Accordingly, on the 8th of May, the parliament sat down; and if ever iniquity was established by law, it was remarkably so in this session, as appears by their following acts.

The very first which passed was, Act for the restitution and re-establishment of the ancient government of the church by archbishops and bishops; which begins thus: Forasmuch as the ordering and disposal of the external government and 'policy of the church doth properly belong unto his majesty, as an inherent right of the crown, by virtue of his royal prerogative and supremacy in causes ecclesiastical.'-So that this act was founded entirely upon the king's supremacy. The bishops were already set up by his majesty's sole authority, and therefore it was very fit that they should lean entirely upon that foundation. By this act the king was made the only fountain of church-power, and that exclusive of Christ, the only head of the church, of whom there is not the least mention. And the reader may judge, whether any could, with a safe conscience, take the oath of allegiance, or rather supremacy, formerly mentioned, who was persuaded that there was no visible head of the church upon earth, or submit to prelacy, as thus established, especially when we consider the exorbitant power that was put into the hands of bishops: for, by this act, they were restored to the exercise of their episcopal function, 'precedence in the church, power of ordination, inflicting of 'censures, and all other acts of church discipline, which they are to perform with advice and assistance of such of the clergy as they shall find to be of known loyalty and pru'dence. And farther, it is hereby declared, that whatever "shall be determined by his majesty, with the advice of the archbishops and bishops, and such of the clergy as shall be ' nominated by his majesty, in the external government and 'policy of the church (the same consisting with the standing laws of the kingdom) shall be valid and effectual.' Bishop