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

208 THE REGISTER OF CONSULTATIONS
order therein established, and that ecclesiastiek censures
that shall be enacted and pronounced against any members
of this Kirk, ministers, or others, for scandalls and offences,
be not impeded nor stoped, nor any persons so censured
disobeying, contemning or opposing the discipline of this
Kirk, be countenanced or encouraged in their disobedience,
contempt or opposition.
And whereas some may be bussy to suggest, and upon
such suggestion it may haply be objected that the judi¬
catures of the Kirk being such for the most part as stand
for the authority and constitution of the two late General
Assemblies, do exercise oppression over these that dissent
from them, and that were they permitted to exercise
their full power and authority, they would crush the other
party by casting out many godly ministers, holding out
many godly expectants, and censuring all others dissenting
from them, this may be made evidently appear to be
nothing else but a forged unjust slander by the Act of
the Generali Assembly at Edinburgh 1652, intituled an
Act and Overture for Peace and Union of the Kirk, and by
the Overtures made by us to our dissenting Brethren in
November last, especially as they are expressed in our
Representation given to them November. And our
carriage in our judicatures all along the time of our differ¬
ences, wherein we have borne, with much and constant
patience, many sad, bitter and unjust aspersions cast
upon us by them in preaching, wreitt, and print, yet never
to this day censure or challeng any of their judgment
upon the account of our differences, or for any of their
injurious aspersions cast upon us, nor ever opposed we
the entry of any of their judgement into the ministry,
but was ever willing to admitt them upon an ordourly
call, if they would only have declared their resolution
to live peaceably with us, and to abstaine from holding
up debates and contentions about the matters of our
publict differences (which thing we were always really
willing to declare and performe for our part), leaving to
them the full freedom of their judgment in these matters.
8. That no company of ministers or others be esteemed