Edinburgh The Sixth day of May J^aj vj^c nyntie two years antemeridium

D1692/5/3

D1692/5/3¹

Act

Act The Presbytries of Stirling and Dunblaine Against Lindsay

Anent a Petition given in to the Lords of their majesties privy Councill be Mr Alexander Douglas minister and moderator of the Presbytrie of Stirling and Dumblaine for himself and the remanent bretheren therof Shewing That quher Mr Richard Howison was be vertue of the second act of the parliament J^aj vj^c nyntie restored to the kirk of Alva from which he had been thrust since the first of January J^aj vj^c Sixtie one for not conforming to prelacie, And after haveing possessed the same for the space of two years was orderly transported from the said kirk to the kirk of Cockpen wher now he serves upon which transportation the kirk of Alva became vaccant and as a vacant kirk fell under their inspectione both for supplieing the vaccancie and provyding it with a new minister, Yet nevertheless Mr William Lindsay who hade been incumbent under the bishops pretending a new call or invitatione from some of the paroch, and that his former institution did still stand in force To be upon him at his oun hand without any applicatione to the petitioners To returne and preach at the said kirk, And when questioned by the petitioners for his intrusione And therupon Discharged and referred to the synods farder cognitione yet he sill continued and tho after he Compeired befor the synod and was fully heard and they upon matur deliberatione could not bot Judge that the restoring of Mr Howisone Did necessarly Imply That Mr Howisones right did still continue, And that Mr Lindsays institutione (²under prelacy was at most reckoned by the parliament to be only ane interuptione via facti, And Consequently that the said kirk was really vaccant and that the said Mr Lindsay Ought to Disist from his said Disorderly intrusione yet he persisted and still persists, and farder when upon the synods recomendatione the presbytrie sent Mr Thomas Buchanan one of ther oun number to preach at the said Church upon the twentie fourth of Aprill last And to intimat that the said Synod had found it to be vaccant, The said Mr Thomas comeing ther was not only denyed the keyes by Mr Lindsay and his associat Bot when after he hade taken instruments in a peacable maner and was retired from the said kirk with such of the congregatione as followed him to the outmost Limits of the parish, and their preaching in quyet maner, Mr William Lindsay and his Associats, at least his said associats and adherents left the kirk and came upon the said Mr Thomas and the Congregatione with him assembled with swords Bagonots forks and other sicklyke wapons and without the least provocatione fell upon the poor people and interupting the worship of god beat some wounded others to the effusione of their blood and scatred the meeting as ane instrument taken upon the haill premisses therwith produced would testifie, And seing that this is a manifast Disorder both to the Dishonor of god vilipending of the Church, violation of the publict peace Contempt of their majesties authoritie and lawes and that they Judged It their dutie not only to represent the same to the saids Lords for a Just remeedie bot also to flee and apply to the saids Lords for protectione and assistance in Discharging that trust and work which god hath comitted to them And Therfore humbly Craveing the saids Lords to Consider the premisses and to Appoint such farder orders as they should see Cause and in the mean tyme to ordaine the said Mr William Lindsay to desist from preaching and exercising his Ministrie in the said kirk and paroch untill orderly and legally allowed by the presbytrie, And that both he and his adherents submitt themselves in quyet maner to the order of the Church synod and presbytrie therof as now by law established under such Certificatione as the said Lords should think meett as they petitione bears The Lords of their Majesties privy Councill having Considered this petitione given in to them be the presbytrie of Stirling and Dumblaine They heirby give Order and warrand to their Majesties Solicitor and his assistants furthwith to raise and prosecute a Lybell at their instance upon the publict expence befor the Councill upon such points of this petitione as are competent before their Lordships against the persones guilty conform to this petition or such farder information as they shall receive And Grants warrand for citing witnesses.