Series 5 > Religious Controversy in Scotland 1625-1639

[CAMPBELL,] ‘REPORT OF THE GLASGOW ASSEMBLY’ 143
moderator had imposed on hime the Frydaye before.23 The mater was to in¬
struct the assemblie concerning the poyntes of Armenianisme, which in truth
he performed no less learnedlie then popularlie, venting much learneing in plaine
and homlie termes. His discours was maid upe of 4 heads; pn'mo, a propossisione
of the errors of the Armenianes; 2. of the tenets of the Reformed churches; 3. the
causes of the errors; 4. removeall of 3 objectiones.The Armenian poynts he han¬
dled first wer the poynts of electione, which the Armenians hold to be conditional!,
foundit on the foirsicht of mane’s faithe and the guid use of frie will; 2. the
universahtie of redemptione; 3. the resistibiUtie of grace; and 4. the apostasie of
the saints. He spoik lykwayes of universal! grace.
Eftir hime Mr Andro Ramsay discourseit a fide upone the poynt of electione,
setting downe boith quhat Armenianes taucht concerneing that poynt and what
the doctrine of the Reformed Churche was. Quhen boith haid done the mod¬
erator subjoynes a distinctione of election electus which the Armenians took
activlie, sayeinge that in the mater of electione, the word was takine to be a
noune; the Reformed Church tuik it passivlie for a participle. The former
acceptione implyed that man did choose and elect God, rather then God did
choose and elect man.The second argued that God did elect and man24 choose
of man befor evir man maid any choose of God.Theis doctrinall poyntes being
fiillie cleired,the nixt bussines that succeidit was ane petition of the paroachineres
ofWigtowne, desireing that the assembfie mycht be pleasit to tak upe what the
minister25 haid to say against the bishoipe of Gallowaye, and that he mycht haive
libertie to returne home, which was thocht reasonable and no sooner demandit
then grantit.The minister, being desyred to give his oathe and declairatione into
the assemb committie appoyntit for examineing of the complaintes against the
prelatts, was dismised. Now begane episcopacie to totter and give apparent singes26
of hir fatall mine. The bishop of Orkneye’s sone producit a letter27 firome his
father unto the assemblie, humblie submittinge himself boith his office and his
persone to quhatsumever sentence the wisdome of that assemblie wald impois
upone hime, declaireing with all the infirmities of his auld aige quherby he was
disebled to be personalfie present with them which in heart and affectione he
earnestlie desyred. Eftir the reiding of the letter his sone maks a declaratione in
his fathere’s name that nothing was intendit [by] that letter but a plaine
23 RKS, 156-9.
25 James Hamilton; FES, ii, 382-3.
26 i.e.,signs.
27 RKS, 159,171; Mullan, Episcopacy in Scotland, 191, A letter dated 11 Feb. 1639 was printed along
with a similar missive from Alexander Lindsay, bishop of Dunkeld, in The Recantation and humble Sub¬
mission of two ancient Prelates, of the Kingdome of Scotland (n.p., 1641), 2-3; RKS, 204.