Series 3 > Register of the consultations of the ministers of Edinburgh and some other brethren of the ministry > Volume 1

FIRST REGISTER: PETITION TO COUNCIL 191
Petition to the Councill, February 1656
Meeting of some Brethren in February 1656 appointed
this Petition to be presented to the Councill.
To his Highnesse Councill in Scotland for the government
thereof. The humble Petition of some Ministers of
the Gospell mett at Edinburgh. Sheweth—
That whereas through the mercie and good hand of the
Lord the Government and discipline of this Kirk being
settled according to the Word of God and established by
the Lawes of the Nation, did goe on in a constant and un¬
interrupted course and exercise in the severall judicatures
thereof, whereby as a speciall means appointed and
blessed of God the trueth of doctrine and puritie of worship
were preserved, errour, superstition, and profainnes in
whatsoever persons suppressed and censured. Now of
late the actings of many of the faithfull Ministers of the
Gospell in the exercise of their calling being misrepre¬
sented, and the meetings of some of the judicatures there¬
upon interrupted, the authoritie of all have been much
vilified by the divisive and irregular practises of some
amongst ourselves refusing to acknowledge the judicatures
of the Kirk, traduceing and slandering them as altogether
or for the most part corrupt and not favouring but opposing
piety, intruding men into the ministery upon many con¬
gregations throughout the land against the will and
choyse of the whole people, at least the farr greater part
and generality of them, and not only without the due
trialls, approbation, and ordination of the respective
Presbytries, but also against their mynd; and then by
sinistruous suggestions procureing the civill power to
maintaine such disorders and persons so intruded into the
ministerie ; continueing and hightening woefull divisions
and rents in the Kirk after all possible condescensione
hath been offered to them for gaining them to an union
and conjunction with their Brethren and the judicatures
of the Kirk ; by which meanes it is come to passe that the
edge of discipline hath been blunted, the authority of