CONTENTS. PAOE MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR, INTRODUCTION.-The ground and end of this undertaking. SECTION I. When the Christian religion began first in Scotland.-That Palladius was the first prelate in Scotland. No prelates among the Culdees.-How and when reformation from Popery began.-Superintendents no prelates.--National Assemblies from the beginning of the Reformation How the Tulchan bishops came in over the church's belly.-The church wrestleth till these be pat away, and presbyterian government be settled in all her judicatories, 1592-The king thereafter encroacheth upon the privileges of the church.-Prevaileth with some of the ministers, wiro, betray the church and yield to parliament-bishops, and hinder the church from enjoying her privileges and liberties in her free assemblies.-The faithful and zealous are persecuted.-Parliaments carry on the king's design with violence.-Corrupt Assemblies are convocated to further his Majesty's design, and to give church power unto these parliamentary prelates. Parliaments ratify al-The church protesteth, and striveth against all this what she can.-The prelates being now enthroned, tyrannise over and oppress the faithful, labour to have ceremonies imposed upon the church with force, and acts made in parliament for bringing in the surplice and corner cap, unto which some worthy nobles could not assent, 1633, who are therefore accounted rebels and traitors, and Balmerino is condemned. The prelates rage without all law, draw up a service-book, book of canons, &c. vii. 5 17 SECTION II. How the use of the service-book was hindered in Edinburgh.-Ministers and people from all parts of the kingdom petitioned against it.-The king favoureth not the petitioners.-They notwithstanding continue in petitioning against the service-book, High Commission, prelates, &c.-Renew the national covenant through the whole land.-The king intendeth a war.-An Assembly is indicted at Glasgow, Nov. 21, and opened up.-This Assembly condemneth and annulleth several pretended Assemblies, the book of common prayer, the book of canons, the book of consecration and ordination, the High Commission court, and the ceremonies, and excommunicateth some, and deposeth all the prelates.-War is prepared against them.-They defend themselves.-A pacification is concluded. Another Assembly promised and a parliament thereafter.-The assembly is opened up.― The parliament is convocated but quickly adjourned.-Commissioners are sent to London and imprisoned. A new war is raised by the king.-Scotland prepareth for defence.-A new pacification. The parliament meeteth and ratifieth all which the covenanters hath done.-Those acts are again ratified.-The parliament of England beginneth a work of reformation, entereth into a covenant with Scotland, and the two nations jointly proceed in the begun work of reformation.A party in England strengthen themselves; alter the judicatures; take away the king's life.Scotland bringeth home the prince, who sweareth the covenants, and is overcome by the English in battle, and kept in bondage ten years, till the exiled king returned, 1660, SECTION III. Why these ministers and others, who met August 23, 1660, were incarcerated; what their supplication was, and how unjustly they suffered upon that account, 3365 46 SECTION IV. What were the grounds upon which the Marquis of Argyle suffered, and how insufficient in point of SECTION V. Upon what account other ministers were persecuted; and how unjustly.-Some banished for righteous- ness' sake, and some indicta causa.-An extract of the sentence was refused to those, and to all The reasons why ministers could not seek presentations from patrons, nor collations from prelates.-- The true sense of the oath of allegiance which was tendered, 1661, &c., compared with the former; at least, is much to be questioned, from nine several grounds; and cannot lawfully be acknowledged because of ten dreadful consequences which shall necessarily follow thereupon.-The former pro- ceedings of the church and state of Scotland vindicated and cleared, The lawfulness of Scotland's defensive war, first from the former practices of Scotland, other king- doms, King James and King Charles, and confessions of adversaries; next, from a true clearing of ly, from lawyers, adversaries, the law of nature, the law of nations, the law of God, and sound macy over church persons, and in church causes, began and was carried on in England.-How the same was advanced to a great height in Scotland.-What sense this king and the late parliament did put upon the oath of allegiance, by their acts and actings.-How it were sinful to acknowledge, by taking the oath, that so much church power belongeth unto the civil magistrate, cleared by ment, by making it appear how he overturneth his own grounds, how he misstateth the question, the practice of the apostles ground a jus divinum here.-Christ's institution, and the institution of the apostles, is for a particular species.-Christ's faithfulness in his office speaketh much for this. The hazard is great in leaving the species undetermined.-The confession of the faith of several churches for a species.-How he misseth his pretended end and aim.-And how unseason- able his book is at this time, and useless, so long as the league and covenant standeth in force, PAGB to preach in public or private, as God calleth, by eight reasons.-Three objections are answered, 153 That it is lawful for ministers, though censured by the pretended prelate, to preach, as God giveth a The lawfulness and binding force of the solemn league and covenant, notwithstanding of all which the |