But to return to our purpose:  the two brethren, Messrs. Linning and Boyd, upon the rejection of the above said paper of proposals, intending to unite with them at any rate, gave in another, importing their submission to the assembly; which paper, Mr. Shields also, through their influences, insinuations, and persuasions, was drawn in to subscribe and adhere to; which he had never done, had he not fallen by the means of these false brethren, and which, it is said, he sadly repented afterward.  Thus, the poor people were again left destitute of ministers, and public gospel ordinances, until the Rev. Mr. John, McMillan acceded to them, from the public judicatories of the revolution church, in the year 1706.  And their kind friend, Mr. Linning, to make amends for all his misdemeanors, and in return for the charges the societies were at about his education, at home and abroad, did them that good office, to write, and load them with calumnies and slanders, to the universities in the Netherlands, whither they had recourse formerly in like cases; so that all access for having their loss retrieved from that quarter, was blocked up.

What is thus briefly hinted above, may suffice to afford some cursory view of the rise and progress of religion and reformation in these lands, especially in Scotland; until, as a church and nation, our kingdom became the Lord’s, by the strictest and most intimate federal alliance, and the name almost of every city, was, the Lord is there:  together with the general state and condition of the church and land, from the fatal juncture of our woful decline, unto the end of the above mentioned bloody period; the faithfulness of some, in this time of trial and temptation:  the defection and backsliding course of others; and the great and avowed wickedness of the rest, extended unto an exhorbitant hight of savage inhumanity, irreligion and impiety.  Upon all which, the presbytery, in duty to God, the present and succeeding generations find themselves obliged to testify: 

1, Their hearty approbation of the faithfulness of such ministers and others, who opposed, and faithfully testified against the public resolutions of church and state, framed in the year 1651, for receiving into places of power and trust, malignant enemies to the work of reformation, contrary to the word of God, Exod. xviii, 21; Deut. i, 13; 2 Chron. xix, 2; and to all acts of assembly and parliament in the reforming period; the assembly disclaiming the resolutions, as appears from their act, June 17th, 1646, session 14th, entitled, Act for censuring the compilers with the public enemies of this church and kingdom:  and their seasonable and necessary warning June 27th, 1640, session 27th; where “they judge it a great and scandalous provocation, and grievous defection from the public cause, to comply with, these malignants, &c.”  As also, Act 11th, Triennial Parliament of,