stant rule of conduct;
for in the assembly at Dundee _anno_ 1598, Mr. Melvil being there, he
discharged him from the assembly, and would not suffer business to go on
till he was removed.

There are other instances of the magnanimity of this faithful witness of
Christ, which are worthy of notice. In the year 1606, when he and seven
of his brethren, who stood most in the way of having prelacy advanced in
Scotland, were called up to England, under pretence of having a hearing
granted them by the king, &c. with respect to religion, but rather to
be kept out of the way, as the event afterwards proved, until episcopacy
should be better established in this kingdom. Soon after their arrival
they were examined by the king and council at Hampton-court on the 20th
of September, concerning the lawfulness of the late assembly at
Aberdeen. The king, in particular, asked Mr. Melvil, whether a few
clergy, meeting without moderator or clerk, could make an assembly? He
replied, there was no number limited by law; that fewness of number
could be no argument against the legality of the court, especially when
the promise was, in God's word, given to two or three conveened in the
name of Christ; that the meeting was an ordinary established by his
majesty's laws. The rest of the ministers delivered themselves to the
same purpose; after which Mr. Melvil, with his usual freedom of speech,
supported the conduct of his brethren at Aberdeen; recounted the wrongs
done them at Linlithgow, whereof he was a witness himself; he blamed the
king's advocate, Sir Thomas Hamilton, who was then present, for
favouring popery, and mal-treating the ministers, so that the accuser of
the brethren could not have done more against the saints of God than had
been done; the prelatists were encouraged, though some of them were
promoting the interest of Popery with all their might, and the faithful
servants of Christ were shut up in prison; and addressing the advocate,
personally, he added, "Still you think all this is enough, but continue
to persecute the brethren with the same spirit you did in Scotland."
After some conversation betwixt the king and arch-bishop of Canterbury,
they were dismissed with the applause of many present, for their bold
and steady defence of the cause of God and truth, for they had been much
misrepresented to the English. They had scarce retired from before the
king, until they received a charge not to return to Scotland, nor come
near the ki