sfaction." He tells not what information
he received. If he will say that he received information that the
banishment was by the magistrate, how could he then report that it was by
the presbytery. If he say that the information he had from the presbytery
gave him any ground for the report which he hath made, let him speak it
out, and the world shall know the untruth of it. He may remember, withal,
that by his principles an accusation may not be received against an elder
(much less against an eldership), in reference either to the judgment of
charity, or to ministerial conviction, except under two or three
witnesses. If, therefore, he would have his accusation believed, let him
find two or three witnesses.

Thirdly, Whereas I had rectified a great mistake of the reverend brother
when I told him, "It is accidental to the ruling elder to be of the
nobility, or to nobles to be ruling elders; there are but some so, and
many otherwise," he is not pleased to be rectified in this, but replieth,
"I say, first, It is continually so; secondly, The king's commissioner in
the General Assembly, is his presence accidental?" _Male Dicis_, p. 10.
See now here whether he understandeth what he saith, or whereof he
affirmeth. That which he saith is continually so, is almost continually
otherwise; that is, there are continually some ruling elders who are not
nobles, and there are continually some nobles who are not ruling elders.
So that, if anything be accidental, this is accidental, that an elder be
of the nobility, or nobles be elders; they are neither nobles _qua_
elders, nor elders _qua_ nobles. It is no less accidental that the king's
commissioner be present in the General Assembly; for there have been
General Assemblies in Scotland, both before the erection and since the
last casting out of Prelacy, in which there was no commissioner from the
king. And when the king sends a commissioner, it is accidental that he be
of the nobility; for the king hath sent commissioners to General
Assemblies who were not of the nobility.

Fourthly, A fourth injury, not to be passed in silence, is this: Mr
Coleman hath endeavoured to make the world believe that the commissioners
from the church of Scotland came to the Assembly biassed with something
adventitious from without, which he calls a national determination, and
that we are not permitted by those that sent us to receive any further
light from the word of God. I shall say no more of the bias, bec