church's fentence, they were afterward depofed. Yet the church thowed much regard to them both; for, fometime after, they took off the fentences, and reponed them both to the miniftry in general, though not to their churches. They did all they could to fhake the established church government, by fetting up Independent churches in feveral places of the land, and ordaining feveral mechanics and illiterate perfons to be their minifters and they preached and wrote for Independency but their pamphlets are confuted, the Divine right of Prefbytery eftablished, and the abfurdities of the Independent fcheme laid open, by Mr Aytone in his Original Conftitution of the Chriftian church, and by feveral others: fo that we need add no more to what is already written, but our approbation thereof. : : At the very fame time the Lord was pleafed to visit this church with a far more terrible rebuke, by permitting Profeffor Simfon to vent Arian errors among his ftudents at Glasgow, for which a procefs was commenced against him by the Prefbytery of Glasgow; and after fome time it came to the Ailembly, and continued before them, Affemblies 1727, 1728, and 1729. And though the process was drawn out to a great length, by the extraordinary methods he took to defend himself; yet it must be acknowledged that all the three forefaid Aflemblies manifested their zeal and concern for the orthodox faith against any thing that tended to Arianifm, as appears from the procefs in print. At length the Affembly found it proven, that Mr Simfon had denied the neceflary existence of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and the numerical oneness of the three perfons of the Trinity in fubftance or effence; and had uttered feveral other words derogatory to the Supreme Deity of our Lord Jefus Chrift. Notwithstanding the Profeffor still refufed that he taught thefe opinions, as he calls them, (the Affembly in their act calls them grofs errors) and faid, they were contrary to the fentiments of his mind; and, if he uttered fuch words, they must be only a flip of his tongue. He likewife came to give it under his hand, that he difclaimed and renounced all these erroneous expreffions, and made an orthodox confeffion of of his faith concerning the glorious Trinity and the fupreme Deity of our Lord Jefus Chrit, both before the Aff 1728 and 1729. And whereas he had faid that Chriftus eft fummus Deus, is to be taken cum grani falis; and that fummus Deus, and the only true Gid, may be understood in a fenfe as including the Father's perfonal property, and fo not applicable to the Son; he declared he was exceeding forry for giving any of fence by fuch ways of fpeaking, and faid, that fummus Deus, and the only true God, are equally applicable to the Father and the Son, and not in any lower fense to the Son than to the Father; and that he adhered to the truth of Chrift's neceffary existence, and the numerical oneness in effence of the bleffed Trinity. But notwithstanding of all these renunciations and declarations (which came fo very late) many in the Affembly declared that he deferved depofition, because at the beginning of the process he refufed to answer questions for clearing himself, and had neglected many opportu nities for two years time of fatisfaction to the judicatories as to the foundness of his faith concerning these important articles, when called upon to do it. But the Affembly 1728, becaufe of his confeffions and orthodox declarations, and for other confiderations, proceeded no further than to fufpend him from preaching and teaching, and all exercife of any ecclefiaftical power or function; and delayed the finishing of the procefs till next Affembly, that they might know the mind of Prefbyteries concerning him. When the Affembly 1729 met, he made a long moving fpeech before them, declaring his orthodoxy, which was printed. The Affembly finished the affair, by confirming the fentence of fufpenfion formerly paft, and giving it as their judgment, "That it is not fit nor fafe that he be further employed in teaching divinity, and inftructing of youth defigned for the holy ministry." The generality of Prefbyteries, notwithstanding of his confeffions and declarations, had fent up to this Affembly their inftructions for his depofition, with which they ought to have complied; efpecially feeing by a former procefs in the year 1717, he had been been found teaching Arminian doctrine, which the Af fembly discharged him to do for the future: and yet, contrary to that prohibition, it was found proven by a committee of Affembly, that he perfifted to teach the forefaid doctrine. This the Affembly knew very well, and might have called for that other process. Some alleged, it would be better to keep it over his head undifcuffed, to prevent after defigns of reponing him to teach. And fome faid, it would be fafer for truth to bind up his pen by a suspension, and by keeping him under it, than by a depofition to provoke a man of his learning to make open attacks upon the most important truths of our holy religion. And it must be owned, that he replied nothing to all that was written against him, but continued filent under the fufpenfion for many years, until the day of his death, without any motion or mint by any to get it taken off. It is defireable also to find the Affembly, in their laft act concerning him, expreffing "their thankfulnefs to God, for directing all the judicatories of this church, which had this procefs under their confideration (which includes all the Prefbyteries thereof) fo happily, that there hath not appeared the leaft difference of fentiment; but, on the contrary, there hath been the most perfect and unanimous agreenent among them, as to the doctrine of the glorious Trinity, and the proper fupreme Deity of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, according as the fame is revealed in the holy Scriptures, and contained in our Confeffion of Faith and Catechifms." It was much feared that the feeds of Arianifm were fown in this church by Profeffor Simfon and others: wherefore there were many excellent books written at this time against Arianifm and Socinianifm, and in defence of the forefaid doctrine of the glorious Trinity, and the proper fupreme Deity of our Lord Jefus Chrift; and, being fo well written, we need add nothing, but join our testimony therewith, and pray that Arianifm may never more fet up its head in this land. AMEN. Although God was thus vifibly contending with the judicatories of this church, for their difregarding his flock and remnant in the land; yet it is matter of deep regret, regret, that, instead of reforming, they proceeded to greater heights in their arbitrary decifions relating to them for in the years 1729, 1730, 1731, and afterwards, we find the complaints of worthy minifters, elders, and bodies of Chriftian people, concerning intrufions upon congregations greatly increased; which oc cafioned many remonftrances, diffents, and proteftations in the Affemblies, commiffions, and inferior judicatories. In the Affembly 1730, when the ftream of violence began to run very high, many entered their diffents against the fettlements of Sutton and Old Machir, but were denied liberty to record them; which made a great noife, and increafed the ferment among the people; but, inftead of yielding or doing any thing to quiet then, that Affembly did fummarily make an act, discharging the recording (as ufual) of reafons of dif fent against the determination of church judicatories; without remitting the affair to prefbyteries to know their mind about it, according to former acts of Affembly. There were feveral remonstrances and petitions prefented by numbers of people to the fynods of Merse and Lothian, but not regarded. Likewife they gave in a paper, figned and adhered to by great numbers, to Affembly 1731, complaining of violent fettlements; but got no hearing. All which proceedings did awaken many honeft and zealous minifters to correfpond and meet for drawing up a reprefentation and petition to the Affembly 1732, concerning the intrufions and other grievances; which was accordingly drawn up, figned, and adhered to by 42 minifters and three elders; where in they expreffed not only their own fenfe of thefe evils, but also the fenfe of many others through the church, who had not accefs to fign the faid paper. And feeing we think ourselves called to adhere to the honeft teftimony given therein against many of the evils of the pre fent time, we fhall, as an evidence of our approbation and adherence, briefly infert the contents of it in this our teftimony. In their petition offered to the Affembly 1732, they humbly move that the Affembly fhould addrefs the king and Parliament concerning feveral grievances of this VOL. IV. 3 G church, church, which they only can redrefs, fuch as the impofing of the facramental teft, and conformity to the English liturgy and ceremonies, upon the members of this church, when ferving the king in England and Ireland: The toleration established in Scotland, whereby error, fuperftition and profanenefs are greatly encouraged, and church difcipline weakened: The establihing of patronages, fubverfive of the right of congregations to chufe their own paftors: The not receiving addreffes from this church to the Houfe of Peers, be cause not directed to the Lords Spiritual: The introducing from England into fome courts in Scotland a form of fwearing, by laying the hands upon and kiffing the gospels. Also they reprefent, that, notwithstanding it is the undeniable right of Chriftian congregations to have the free choice of their own paftors, and their call and confent is neceffary to found the paftoral relation betwixt minifters and them, according to the word of God, our book of discipline, acts of the General Af fembly, and the concurring fuffrages and unanswerable arguments of the most eminent divines both at home and abroad; yet many minifters have been impofed and forced upon Chriftian congregations, when diffenting and reclaiming, and that especially by fentences of the commiffion for feveral years paft; and not only where prefentations were infifted upon, but also where there was none, but the right fallen into the prefbytery's hands. And the commiffion have appointed commit, tees to try and ordain minifters for vacant congrega tions, not only without the concurrence of prefbyteries and fynods concerned, who have beft right, and are fit teft to judge therein, but in direct oppofition to their minds; and calls have been received, not moderated in prefbyteries, but attefted only by public notaries. Like wife the commiffion have repealed feveral fentences of fynods, when they had but a fcrimp quorum of minifters, much inferior in number to thofe who paft them: and of late years, efpecially in the years 1729, 1730, and 1731, there were many fupernumerary elders named to be members of commiffions, beyond the proportion allowed by acts of Affembly, many whereof |