Series 1 > Miscellany of the Scottish History Society (First volume)

S34
REBELLION PAPERS
[d^c. 22
Sherifs employment (as customes) was held by deputation
from the commissioners, and not immediately from the King;
that it was an insignification trifle, of d?10 salary, etc.
In short, the court over-rul’d the plea ; and culprit was
.appointed to abide his tryal (if he thought fit, as ’tis believ’d
he will not) on Wednesday next. No Pettit Jury yet em-
panell’d.
For want of matter from Oyer and Terminer, give me leave
(my good Lord) to open my heart, much oppress’d, to your
■Grace on another subject. I have this week, at a very im¬
proper season, gotten my brother of B s book1 in answer to
the pleaders of schism, etc. I am, to morrow, by God’s leave,
.to hold an ordination; And there are several passages in this
hook that exceedingly perplex me. I have no quarrel with
the man about his justifying of the deprivation of bishops;
nor shall I insist on his calling the succession of prelates from
.the apostolical times a trifle. But — shall our people be
taught that they are not to expect any of God's graces, bene¬
dictions, or absolutions from any hands but his own ? Must I
believe that the commission given by our Saviour, Whosesoever
sins etc., refer’d to something extraordinary and supernatural
in the Apostles for the propagation of the Gospel only at the
first; and not to anything in the ordinary settl'd condition of
the Church. How then shall I dare to use the same form of
words, in the ordaining of an ordinary presbyter ?
Again, must I (my Lord) agree that the human engines (as
he calls ’em) of bennidictions, absolutions and excommunica¬
tions have nothing to do with the favour or anger of God ?
Nothing of this kind is allow’d by him to be authoritative.
I do therefore beg of your Grace to let me know what sort of
authority it was that your predecessor2 (at my consecration)
committed to me, with a charge that I should use it not to
destruction but to salvation; and what was that Spirit of
Poiver that was then given me ?
The reading of this hook, my Lord, has more (a thousand
1 Probably Benjamin Hoadley, Bishop of Bangor, whose writings on the
Church question gave rise to much debate, especially to what is known as the
Bangorian Controversy in the following year.
2 Archbishop John Sharp.