tyranny and oppression, and thereby, according to the
law both of God and man, not only forfeited their
lives, had the same been duly executed; but also divested
themselves of all just right and title to act the
part of the nations’ representatives, in choosing
and installing any in the office of supreme civil
governor, until at least they had given suitable evidence
of their repentance. Yet such were the constituent
members of that committee of estates, and first parliament,
employed in the Revolution settlement, without so much
as making any suitable public acknowledgment of their
wickedness in the active hand the generality of them
had in the former bloody persecution, as appears from
a comparative view of the lists of the members of parliament,
and particularly the duke of
York’s last
parliament, with act second of the acts and orders
of the meeting of estates,
anno 1689. Yea,
by viewing the lists of
James VII, his privy
council, annexed by
Wodrow to the second volume
of his history, it is evident, that a great number
of the nobility alone, members of that bloody council,
were also members of foresaid convention of estates,
the members of which convention (seven bishops excepted)
were exactly the same with the members of the first
parliament at the Revolution. For this, compare
second act of the meeting of estates, with act first,
parliament first, of
William and
Mary.
By all which it is evident, that from princes who had
thus removed the bound, and discovered no just remorse
for their sins, there was little ground left to expect
a happy establishment of religion, in restoring the
flock of Christ to the full possession of those valuable
privileges and liberties wherewith he had made them
free.
The character of the constituent members being considered,
the constitution itself, and wherein it is inconsistent
with our covenanted establishment, and is therefore
hereby testified against, comes next to be considered.
Although the declaration of the meeting of estates
in this kingdom, containing their claim of right,
comprehended much more of their civil liberties, and
formal rights of government, than was enjoyed under
the former monstrous tyranny, yet by no means sufficiently
provided for the legal establishment of our former
happy reformed constitution, which necessarily obliged
the civil rulers to employ their power to maintain
and defend, not only the doctrine, but also the Presbyterian
worship, discipline and government, as the only and
unalterable form instituted by Christ in his house.
Whereas this craves the abolition of prelacy, and
the superiority of any office in the church above
presbyters in Scotland, simply as it hath been
a great and insupportable grievance and trouble to
this nation, and contrary to the inclinations of the
generality of the people ever since the reformation
from Popery, without regarding the divine right of
Presbytery, and the contrariety of Prelacy to scripture