Act, 9 August 1692, Edinburgh

Act, 29 December 1692, Edinburgh

Edinburgh the nynth day of August Jaj vjc Nyntie two years Ante Meridiem

D1692/8/221

Act

Act Mr James Hunter

Anent a Petition given in to the Lords of their Majesties privy Councill be Mr James Hunter minister of the Gospell Shewing That quher the petitioner haveing been called some years since to be second minister at Stirling Did use his outmost endeavors in that holly vocatione to behave himself as became a faithfull pasture and as a peacable and dutiefull Subject Haveing given all due obedience to the Civill government In praying for their present Sacred Majesties And haveing lived in great peace and unitie with his people till a litle after the late Revolution of the Church government a few of his hearers haveing it seems taken up a groundles prejudice against the Supplicant (as the consequence will easily demonstrat) They in September Jaj vjc Eightie nyne years, Did Accuse the petitioner before the saids Lords of Privy Councill for some alledged expresiones in his preaching or praying against the civill government And quherof at the very same tyme he was altogither Innocent, And his accusers haveing led two pick’t witneses whose prejudice at him by reason of his being of the2 Episcopall perswasion was equall to that of his accusers, The petitioner hade the unhappy fall in the Juncture of affairs to be suspended by ane act of Privy Councill from the exercise of his ministrie within the burgh of Stirling, Albeit at the same tyme the far greater and better part of his hearers ware readie to declair his Innocencie, and that he was continueing in his dutiefull obedience to the Civill government And his Royall majestie by his late gracious letter Haveing not only Declared that he will take all these of the Episcopall Clergy that have given due obedience to the Civill government under his Sacred protectione But haveing Lykewayes signified his Gratious intentione, That such as ware turned out upon any Streatch, Their Sentances might be reviewed by the respective Judicatories, Whither Ecclesiastick or Civill according to their severall circumstances, This has allowed the petitioner the freedome Humbly to represent his caice to the saids Lords and to Lay the same at their feet, In order to a legall redress Especially seing the petitioners caice falls not under the Compasse of these that ware Deprived for not giveing obedience to the act of the meeting of estates the thretin Aprill Jaj vjc Eightie nyne years, nor is the petitioner Deprived by any Church Judicatorie, Bot stands only suspended by ane act of the saids Lords quherin with all difference both the Lords ware abused and the supplicant greatly wronged throw the injurious Depositiones of two witnesses very mean and naughtie persones and whose testimonies at the very samen tyme, were offered to be Cancelled by the far greater and better part of his Judicious hearers who concurr with the Supplicant in this adress to the saids Lords as is evident by a Declaratione therwith produced signed under most of their hands and humbly offered to the saids Lords in behalf of the petitioner for the better effectuating the true end of this his applicatione And Therfore Humbly Craving the saids Lords would be graciously pleased to take the petitioners case as its thus Circumstantiat to the serious and speciall Consideration upon the grounds above represented. And seing many not only of the magistracie, Bot most of the substantiall people within the burgh Doe humbly intreat that the saids Lords that he might be restored to his charge and that their Lordships are the proper Judges to reconsider any Sentance of their oun, And that he is under no Church Censurs or under any act of deprivatione from any Ecclesiastick Judicatorie That therfore they would be graciously pleased, so farr to make inquyrie in the affair by Reconsidering the former sentance, And that if it should appear from the testimonies of these who ware his hearers for the tyme that he was injured by the depositiones of these wo mean witnesses, And that he was then continueing in his dutiefull obedience to authoritie by praying for their present majesties and ane so resolved for the future And upon all occasiones to use his weak indeavors to demaine and cary himself as becomes a faithfull minister of the holly evangell The petitioner is to expect from their Lordships Justice such a legall redress in order to his being reponed to his charge and the stop taken off that lyes upon him by the former Sentance as the saids Lords in their prudentiall goodnes should think fitt and as this will be ane act equally pious and Just in their Lordships so he was hopfull It would be acceptable service done to most of them who ware formerly his hearers and would tend to the advancement of the gospell and Contribute to the peace and unitie of that place And in the mean tyme untill the saids Lords pleasure be knowen in relatione to the premisses That they would stop all planting of the said Church as the petition bears, Which Petition being read in presence of the saids Lords They Recomended to a Comittie of their oun number to Consider the said Petitione and report their opinion to their Lordships what they thought fitt to be done in the above matter and proces quherto the samen relates And the said Committie haveing accordingly mett and made their Report to the Councill, That they haveing Considered the forsaid petition given in be the said Mr James Hunter and seen the act of Councill Depriveing him which is of the date the fourth of September Jaj vjc Eightie nyne Wherby the said Mr James was Deposed for not giveing obedience to the proclamatione of the estates in not praying for their Majesties King William and Queen Mary, Bot on the contrair using expressiones publictly in the pulpit of his disaffection to the present government, And haveing also Considered the act of this curent parliament of the seventh of June Jaj vjc nyntie, Ratifieing the confessione of faith and setling the presbyterian Church government They are of opinion, That all kirks which are declared vaccant by the said act that the ministers that then officiat therin, Cannot be restored by the Councill Whatsoever objectiones might be against their sentances And that Therfore Mr James Hunters deprivatione being before the seventh of June Their opinion Is That he cannot be restored to the charge he hade at Stirling as one of the ministers ther; Which Report being this day read in presence of the saids Lords and at leanth Considered be them They have approven and heirby Approves of the Samen.

Edinburgh the nynth day of August Jaj vjc Nyntie two years Ante Meridiem

D1692/8/221

Act

Act Mr James Hunter

Anent a Petition given in to the Lords of their Majesties privy Councill be Mr James Hunter minister of the Gospell Shewing That quher the petitioner haveing been called some years since to be second minister at Stirling Did use his outmost endeavors in that holly vocatione to behave himself as became a faithfull pasture and as a peacable and dutiefull Subject Haveing given all due obedience to the Civill government In praying for their present Sacred Majesties And haveing lived in great peace and unitie with his people till a litle after the late Revolution of the Church government a few of his hearers haveing it seems taken up a groundles prejudice against the Supplicant (as the consequence will easily demonstrat) They in September Jaj vjc Eightie nyne years, Did Accuse the petitioner before the saids Lords of Privy Councill for some alledged expresiones in his preaching or praying against the civill government And quherof at the very same tyme he was altogither Innocent, And his accusers haveing led two pick’t witneses whose prejudice at him by reason of his being of the2 Episcopall perswasion was equall to that of his accusers, The petitioner hade the unhappy fall in the Juncture of affairs to be suspended by ane act of Privy Councill from the exercise of his ministrie within the burgh of Stirling, Albeit at the same tyme the far greater and better part of his hearers ware readie to declair his Innocencie, and that he was continueing in his dutiefull obedience to the Civill government And his Royall majestie by his late gracious letter Haveing not only Declared that he will take all these of the Episcopall Clergy that have given due obedience to the Civill government under his Sacred protectione But haveing Lykewayes signified his Gratious intentione, That such as ware turned out upon any Streatch, Their Sentances might be reviewed by the respective Judicatories, Whither Ecclesiastick or Civill according to their severall circumstances, This has allowed the petitioner the freedome Humbly to represent his caice to the saids Lords and to Lay the same at their feet, In order to a legall redress Especially seing the petitioners caice falls not under the Compasse of these that ware Deprived for not giveing obedience to the act of the meeting of estates the thretin Aprill Jaj vjc Eightie nyne years, nor is the petitioner Deprived by any Church Judicatorie, Bot stands only suspended by ane act of the saids Lords quherin with all difference both the Lords ware abused and the supplicant greatly wronged throw the injurious Depositiones of two witnesses very mean and naughtie persones and whose testimonies at the very samen tyme, were offered to be Cancelled by the far greater and better part of his Judicious hearers who concurr with the Supplicant in this adress to the saids Lords as is evident by a Declaratione therwith produced signed under most of their hands and humbly offered to the saids Lords in behalf of the petitioner for the better effectuating the true end of this his applicatione And Therfore Humbly Craving the saids Lords would be graciously pleased to take the petitioners case as its thus Circumstantiat to the serious and speciall Consideration upon the grounds above represented. And seing many not only of the magistracie, Bot most of the substantiall people within the burgh Doe humbly intreat that the saids Lords that he might be restored to his charge and that their Lordships are the proper Judges to reconsider any Sentance of their oun, And that he is under no Church Censurs or under any act of deprivatione from any Ecclesiastick Judicatorie That therfore they would be graciously pleased, so farr to make inquyrie in the affair by Reconsidering the former sentance, And that if it should appear from the testimonies of these who ware his hearers for the tyme that he was injured by the depositiones of these wo mean witnesses, And that he was then continueing in his dutiefull obedience to authoritie by praying for their present majesties and ane so resolved for the future And upon all occasiones to use his weak indeavors to demaine and cary himself as becomes a faithfull minister of the holly evangell The petitioner is to expect from their Lordships Justice such a legall redress in order to his being reponed to his charge and the stop taken off that lyes upon him by the former Sentance as the saids Lords in their prudentiall goodnes should think fitt and as this will be ane act equally pious and Just in their Lordships so he was hopfull It would be acceptable service done to most of them who ware formerly his hearers and would tend to the advancement of the gospell and Contribute to the peace and unitie of that place And in the mean tyme untill the saids Lords pleasure be knowen in relatione to the premisses That they would stop all planting of the said Church as the petition bears, Which Petition being read in presence of the saids Lords They Recomended to a Comittie of their oun number to Consider the said Petitione and report their opinion to their Lordships what they thought fitt to be done in the above matter and proces quherto the samen relates And the said Committie haveing accordingly mett and made their Report to the Councill, That they haveing Considered the forsaid petition given in be the said Mr James Hunter and seen the act of Councill Depriveing him which is of the date the fourth of September Jaj vjc Eightie nyne Wherby the said Mr James was Deposed for not giveing obedience to the proclamatione of the estates in not praying for their Majesties King William and Queen Mary, Bot on the contrair using expressiones publictly in the pulpit of his disaffection to the present government, And haveing also Considered the act of this curent parliament of the seventh of June Jaj vjc nyntie, Ratifieing the confessione of faith and setling the presbyterian Church government They are of opinion, That all kirks which are declared vaccant by the said act that the ministers that then officiat therin, Cannot be restored by the Councill Whatsoever objectiones might be against their sentances And that Therfore Mr James Hunters deprivatione being before the seventh of June Their opinion Is That he cannot be restored to the charge he hade at Stirling as one of the ministers ther; Which Report being this day read in presence of the saids Lords and at leanth Considered be them They have approven and heirby Approves of the Samen.

1. NRS, PC2/24, 98r-99v.

2. The words ‘of the’ are an insertion.

1. NRS, PC2/24, 98r-99v.

2. The words ‘of the’ are an insertion.