go to the door.

Remember, my lords, that in times past your authority was for Christ,
and not against him. Ye followed the light of God, and strived not
against it; and, like a child in the mother's hand, ye said to Christ,
_Draw us after thee_. God forbid, that ye should now leave off, and fall
away from your former reverence borne to Christ, in presuming to lead
him, whom the Father hath appointed to be leader of you. And far less to
trail the holy ordinances of Christ by the cords of your authority, at
the heels of the ordinances of men.

And albeit your honours have no such intention to do any thing which may
impair the honour of Christ's kingdom; yet remember, that spiritual
darkness, flowing from a very small beginning, doth so insinuate and
thrust itself into the house of God, as men can hardly discern by what
secret means the light was dimmed, and darkness creeping in got the
upper hand; and in the end, at unawares, all was involved in a misty
cloud of horrible apostacy.

And lest any should think this our admonition out of time, in so far as
it is statute and ordained already by his majesty, with advice of his
estates in parliament, that all ministers, provided to prelacies, should
have vote in parliament; as likewise, the General Assembly (his majesty
being present thereat) hath found the same lawful and expedient, We
would humbly and earnestly beseech all such, to consider,

_First_, That the kingdom of Jesus Christ, the office bearers and laws
thereof, neither should, nor can suffer any derogation, addition,
diminution or alteration besides the prescript of his holy word, by any
inventions or doings of men civil or ecclesiastical. And we are able, by
the grace of God, and will offer ourselves to prove, that this bishopric
to be erected, is against the word of God, the ancient fathers, and
canons of the kirk, the modern most learned and godly divines, the
doctrine and constitution of the kirk of Scotland since the first
reformation of religion within the same country, the laws of the realm,
ratifying the government of the kirk by the general and provincial
assemblies, presbyteries and sessions; also against the well and honour
of the king's most excellent majesty, the well and honour of the realm
and quietness thereof; the established estate and well of the kirk in
the doctrine, discipline and patrimony thereof; the well and honour of
your lordships, the most ancient estate of this realm, and finally,
a