Page:History of the life and sufferings, of the Reverend John Welch.pdf/11

 Always in the puruit of his deign, he followed this method; in the firt place he reolved to detroy general aemblies: knowing well that o long as aemblies might conveen in freedom, bihops could never get their deigned anthorityauthority [sic] in Scotland,and the diolution of aemblies he brought about in this manner.

The general aembly at Holy Rood Houe in the year 1602, with the king's conent, indict their next meeting to be kept at Aberdeen, the lat Tueday of July, in the year 1604, and before that day came, the king by his commiioner the laird of Laureton, and Mr. Patrick Galloway moderator of the lat general aembly, in a letter directed to the everal Prebyteries, continued the meeting till the firt Tueday of July 1605, at the ame place; lot of all in June 1605, the expected meeting to have been kept in July following,is by a new letter from the king's commiioner, and the commiioners of the general aembly, abolutely dicharged, and prohibited, but without naming any day or place, for any other aembly; and o the eries of our aemblies expired, never to riviverevive [sic] again in due form, till the covenant was renewed in the year 1638. However, many of the godly miniters of Scotland, knowing well, if once the hedge of the government was broken, the corruption of the doctrine would oon follow, reolved not to quit their aemblies o And therefore a number of them conveened at Aberdeen, upon the  lat Tueday of July 1605, being the lat day that was ditinctly appointed by authority; and when they had met did no more but cotitute themelves: and diolve, and that was all. Amongt thoe was Mr Welch, who tho' he had not been preent upon that precie day, yet, becaue he came to the place and approved what his brethren had done, he was accued as guilty of the treaonable fact committed by his brethrenrbrethren [sic]. So dangerous a point; was the name of a general aembly in king James's jealous judgment.

Within a month after this meeting, many of the men were incarcerate, ome in one prion, ome in  Mr. Welch was firt ent to Edinburgh tolbooth  Blacknes: and o from prion to prion, till he  vanihed to France, never to ee Scotland again.