And it is to be observed, the commiffion went on in this forward and hefty procedure against the four brethren, notwithstanding of the earnest applications and interceffins of many fynods, presbyteries, kirk-sesfions, magiftrates and others through Scotland in their behalf, pleading that the commiffion might delay them, fpare them, or deal tenderly with them. The fentence which the commiffion came to against the four proteiting minifters was, to "loose their relation from their refpective parishes, and declare them no longer minifters of this church to employ them." And they declared their charges vacant from the date of this fentence. As the judicatories at this time feemed to act with much heat and feverity, in order to fupport or screw up their authority; fo we must own that the four brethren feemed to fhew no little homour and stiffness in oppofing their authority, and defpifing their fentences: for they would give no ear to their friends, who dealt with them to fhew fome fubje&tion to the judicatories, as to their fathers and fuperiors; and though they were just now abusing their church power, and unwarrantably provking their children, yet fome regard is to be fhewn to their authority, even when fo doing, as we to our natural pårents, though correcting us in an arbitrary way; according to Heb. xii. 6 As to Mr. Erskine, though he was contending for the truth, many of his friends wifhed that the had not used fuch afperity and tartnefs of expreffion about the minifters and judicatories of the church as he did; and many of the leading men in judicatories faid, This was the only thing they quarrelled in his fermon: but Mr. Erskine would make no acknowledgment or fubmiffion of any fort, though even Mr. Wilfon and Mr. Moncrieff faid in their reafons of diffent, that they do not "pretend to justify his modes of expreffion" in that fermon; and they grant that in several cafes it is moft proper to use foft and modeft expreffions in maintaining of truth. We do not fee that it would have been any lofs to the truth the four brethren appeared for, that they had all shewed more refpect to the fu preme preme authority of the church in their conduct than they did; particularly, though they had forborn to proteft, as they did in exprefs word, against the fentence of the Affembly as UNJUST, and against any censure they should inflict on them as null and void of itfelf; and if, upon their being fufpended, any minifter or probationer fhould preach in their parishes, the fame fhould be held as intrufion upon their charges. And as they protefted, fo they fubmitted not to the fentence for one day; though many worthy minifters have formerly fubmitted to unjuft fentences of this fort, to fhew their regard to the authority of lawful judicatories of a church, which they owned as a true church; and this is approven by the most orthodox and judicious divines of the Prefbyterian perfuafion. Again, the brethren had the more encouragement to have submitted for a time, that they had reafon to expect the next Affembly would take off the fentences, confider their complaints, and do them all manner of justice; and this they might have looked for, from the interpofition of fo many fynods and prefbyteries with the commiflion in their favours. And though many of their friends were difobliged and offended at them, for their contemning the authority of the church, yet there was a great plurality in the Affembly 1734 for reftoring them to their charges and the communion of the church; and neither that nor any fubfequent Affembly did ever approve the commiffion who paft the hard fentences against them. When the fentence of the commiflion in November 1733, loofing the relation of the four brethren from their charges, was paft; many protested against it, as did the four brethren themselves, who alfo appealed to the firft free, faithful, and reforming General Affembly of the church of Scotland. Had they fifted here, they had done well! but they went a great deal further, by making a feceffion from the judicatories of this church, and in a fhort time after conftituting themselves into a diftinct judicatory for licenfing preachers, and ordaining minifters, wherever they should find encouragement. At the fame time they protefted they would ftill hold communion with all who were true Prefbyterians, and groaned under, and wreftled againft, the evils they had been complaining of. This was then their declared refolution, though, alas! they foon departed from it. At first they feemed to be determined to continue in minifterial communion with many wor thy minifters they had been formerly intimate with, though thefe had not freedom to fecede as they had done, nor go all their lengths: and Mr Erskine, in his answers to the fynod, owned that there was " still a body of faithful minifters in the church of Scotland, with whom he did not reckon himself worthy to be compared." Which body had the truths contended for at heart, together with the peace of the church, as well as the four brethren. And, feeing the cafe was such, the brethren ought in juftice to have communicated counsels with that faithful body of minifters, who were willing to meet with them at the enfuing Affembly, before they had taken two such strong steps as their feceffion and conflitution: which uncommon fteps, they might eafily fee, tended greatly to affect that whole body, yea, even to divide and rend them asunder, together with the people who fhould adhere to them refpectively, in cafe that faithful body should not have light to go into all the measures of the four brethren. Whatever thoughts the brethren might have about the union of the church in general, it might have been expected they would have fhewed fomething of concern for the union of that faithful body of minifters, for whom they did then profefs a great regard. Moreover, fince they had appealed for redrefs to the first faithful General Affembly, they should have delayed any fuch extraordinary íteps until the meeting of the next Affembly then approaching, and fo have kept the matter entire until the whole cafe was laid before them; which the brethren themselves fhould have been ready to do. For, confidering how fenfibly touched the whole church was with their cafe, and what preparations were making for the approaching Affembly, the brethren could not be fure but it might prove the reforming Assembly they had appealed unto. O what dreadful calamities to the church VOL. IV. might 3 1 might have been prevented, had the four brethren continued praying, and deliberating upon the forefaid two fteps until the meeting of the Affembly in May 1734; and not have fo precipitatly feceded from the national church, and conftituted themselves into an Anti-prefbytery, by which means, alas! they became too much engaged in honour to perfift in their feparation, whatever fteps the Affembly fhould take to redress their grie vancés: and we know not if there was an Affembly fince the Revolution, more willing to do it than the Affembly 1734, had the brethren applied to them for it, as they were urged by many to do. The whole church had been fo much alarmed by the arbitrary proceedings of former years, and the present threatened confufions, that there came up to the Affembly 1734 from all parts, and even the remoteft, many pious and experienced minifters, with fincere intentions to have matters fettled upon a better footing if poffible. And, upon trial, the plurality of the Affembly was found to be upon their fide, to the great joy of the friends of peace and truth. Now, it would have exceedingly ftrengthened their hands in their good defigns to redress grievances and advance reformation, if the four brethren had tabled their complaints before them, and represented what they would have the Affembly to do for to fatisfy them but this they declined to do, though they were all in the town at the time. But notwithstanding of this difcouragement from the brethren, and the mighty oppofition of great men, ruling elders, who had a ftrong party in the house to fupport them, the Affem. bly, in the fhort time they had, did all that was in their power to fatisfy the friends of reformation, and to put a ftop to violent fettlements and the prevailing evils of the time; and they were zealoufly inclined to have done much more, if their time and the situation of their affairs could have allowed. Particularly, they renewed and strengthened the old acts of Affembly, which were made to be barriers and fences of our conftitutions against innovations; fuch as those made by Aff. 1639, Aff. 1697, Aff 1700, and Aff. 1705. And they rescinded the 7th act of Aff. 1730, which hindred mem bers bers to testify against wrong deeds of judicatories, by recording their reafons of diffent; because the faid act was not made according to the forefaid rules and barrier acts. And, upon the fame account, they repealed the 8th act of Aff. 1732, anent the method of planting vacant churches; and because it gave too much coun tenance to violent settlements, and too much power to difaffected heritors, and was unfavourable to the liberties of the people. They reverfed the fettlement of a minifter made by the commiffion, at Auchtermuchty, a gainst the will of the congregation, and of the Presbytery of the bounds; and by that decifion they declared the commiffion's fentences reverfible. Alfo they brought the commiffion under several new regulations, and dif charged them to execute any fettlements of churches, when the prefbytery or fynod of the bounds declined to do it. They impowered their commiffion to address the king and Parliament for relief from patronages; which they did, though in vain. Alfo they impowered the fynod of Perth and Stirling to restore the four ejected brethren to their charges and the communion of this church; which they did very foon after the Affembly, without requiring any acknowledgments from them. And, to facilitate their return, the Affembly fincerely defigned an act for removing their apprehenfions, that, by the late fentences paft against them, they were laid under greater reftraints than before as to their minifterial freedom in testifying against wrong acts and deeds of the church: wherefore, for the fatisfaction of the four brethren, and all others, the Affembly made an act, declaring, "That due and regular minifterial freedom is ftill left entire to all minifters.” They alfo appointed a committee to draw up an overture for an act to give directions as to the right preaching of the gospel, and to reftrain the legal preaching and moral harangues of many not so agreeable thereto. This had been feveral times attempted in former times, but ftill dropt, till now that the Affembly formed and referred the overture to their commiffion to ripen it. They alfo referred it to their commiffion to appoint a national faft, which had been long neglected, that all 312 ranks |