Series 5 > Religious Controversy in Scotland 1625-1639

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RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSY IN SCOTLAND
the secret councell of the kingdome so ready to put in executione there furious
desires against honest ministers and good people as were the judges in England
and Ireland. Spotswood sylenced manie, and Bishopp Sydserfe (a man fitt to
have beine Jehu his coatchman101) for his new bishopricke in Galloway and
hopeinge to gitt ane archbishopricke for his paines, made a sore persecution of
ministers and divers gentlemen in Galloway. Bot blessed be God for it, and lett
our honnorable privy councell (albeit too manie of them were for bishopps at
first and there rites) have there owne commendatione for it.They gott no power
to slitt noses nor burne on the cheeke. Mr Samuell Rutherfoord was long tossed
to and fro and at length banished to the farre north.102 [20] And bishopps of the
ill strayne had their inquisitors to try out and delate honest men, and Bishopp
Sydserfe had one verie fitt for that purpose, as malitious as himself, viz. Mr James
Scott103 who for his good service was presented by him to the kirke of Dumfries
(which then was at the bishop of Galloway’s presentation), after the death of Mr
Thomas Ramsay104 ofworthie memory. But he never came to give his tryall nor
never will. At his kirke of Tongland I conferrde with this man, perceaveing his
humor to be a bitter satiricke and a libeller against all his brethren. He gave me
my loathing of him and his courses. I thanke God for it.
In Glasgow dyocie Mr David Dicksone105 was confined, divers honnest men
processt, and, which was worst of all, the brether of the presbeteries not onelie
there but in manie parts of the kingdome elsewhere were pitifulie devidit.The
pulpits was filde with declamations, one against another’s practise and judgment.
As for our bishopps, they were nothing behinde the greatest tyranie that ever
was at home, as any man of sence may perceave these theire presumptuous prac¬
tises. In the whole kingdome the bishopps alone, without the privitie of anie of
the cleargie or anie of the laitie, in a dash went to abolish all the ecclesiasticall
judicatories, whilke the standing and unrepeated laws which the constant
customes ever since the Reformatione had setled, and put in their roomes new
forraigne courts which the kingdome had never knowne, scairce so much as by
name. At one strocke they strived to anull all the acts of three or foure national!
assemblies and sett upp in there roume a Booke of Cannons of their owne diviseinge.
They atempted to abolish all the formes used in the worshipp of God without
anie question for threescore yeirs and above, both in the publicke prayers and
administratione of the sacraments, singing of psalmes, preaching the Word, in
101 2 Kings 9:24-5.
102 Coffey, Politics, Religion and the British Revolutions, 42-8.
103 He was deposed in 1639: FES.ii, 100.
104 He died in 1637 or 1638: FES, ii, 264.
105 Minister of Irvine, and a leading covenanter.