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

FIRST REGISTER : J. SHARP’S INSTRUCTIONS 205
in publict, and suggest to these in power such aspersions
against the generality of the ministry, yet when in their
respective Presbyteries at the visitations of Kirks, and
in their respective Synods at the tryall of the severall
Presbyteries, they are requyred upon their consciences to
declare their knowledge and judgment concerning the life
and abilities of everie one of their brethren, little or
nothing hath been represented by them of anie challenge
concerning the conversation or qualification of any par¬
ticular ministers in their judicatures, yea, altho’ upon
occasion of such generall aspersions spread and published
by them, they have often been in judicatures and publict
meetings earnestly attested to condescend upon particular
persones, and challenges and solemne promises have been
made to them that the judicatures should forthwith goe
faithfully and impartially about the tryall and censure
thereof, yet never would they be induced to do this ;
4, that within these few yeares, as many scandalous, un¬
able and unprofitable men in all the corners of the land
have been removed from the ministry, so through the
Lord’s goodness, many able and gratious young men
have been in our bounds placed into their roomes, and
we can warrantably affirme it, that within these last three
or four yeares there have been more able and pious men
admitted to the ministry in the severall parts of the land,
than was at anie tyme in so short a space, or much more,
since our late reformation ; 5, wee can also warrantably
affirme, that as never more frequent, nor more accurrat
visitations of particular Kirks, for inspection and tryall
of the conversation, doctrine, diligence, and faithfulnesse
of ministers in their charges, have been than of late within
these three or four years last bypast, so that we have
thereby found not only good evidence of the godly conversa¬
tion and of the sound and edifying doctrine of ministers
generally, but also more painfulnesse in their labours and
more success thereupon through the Lord’s blessing, than
hath been before ; 6, altho’ we will not deny but it is very
probable that in severall parts there may be found some
men in the ministry unsutable in conversation to their