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

332 THE REGISTER OF CONSULTATIONS
condescend upon particular persons and their scandals,
that they might be tried, yet for most part they have
always dechned it; which is a clear evidence of a designe
in it to keep themselves in the generall. 3, We have oft-
times told our Brethren that their continueing in their
way doth obstruct the work of purging, and rendereth
the authority of Church judicatories contemptible ; and
we have assured them that if they will unite with us, we
doubt not (through the blessing of God) to purge the Church
sufficiently, in as exact a way as can be desired according
to justice. 4, Albeit our Brethren neither do purge, nor
will suffer us to trie any of their judgment, yet we are
not wanting in that work to our power, but have exactly
tried persons upon informations given in against them by
our Brethren, though ofttimes the reality or relevancy
of their informations are not made to appear when put
to triall. Others also we have in severall places under
process, and diverse have been purged out in severall parts
of the land.
46 §. Having laid open some of the sinistrous courses
followed by our Brethren for carrieing on their designe,
and of the consequences of this rupture, we hold ourselves
obliged (in prosecution of the third head propounded) to
give an account of what have been our endeavours to
prevent or heall this woefull rupture. We need not here
expresse what hath been the affliction of our spirits before
the Lord because of our condition, and our desires to Him
for cureing thereof, nor what pains we have taken to lay
before our Brethren the evill of a schisme, and how ir¬
relevant their grounds were (suppose true) to bottom such
courses upon; nor shall we arrogate to ourselves (in oppo¬
sition to our Brethren) th,at we could not, as Christians,
look upon the wounds of our Mother Church but with
bleeding hearts, and would account ourselves most un¬
worthy of our trust if any private interest of our own
should hinder an union, or if we should not stretch our¬
selves to the utmost (keeping truth and a good conscience)
to have our breaches made up. But this we may say,
as rationall men, we were the greatest of fools if we did