[A1641/7/32]¹

[Supplication of the synod of Galloway for trial of Thomas MacKie and commission to the Earl of Galloway]

Supplication of the synod of Galloway against Thomas MacKie, with a commission to [Alexander Stewart], earl of Galloway to apprehend Thomas MacKie²

The supplication of the synod of Galloway to [John Wemyss, earl of Wemyss], commissioner, his grace, and other members of this reverend assembly.

To your reverend and godly wisdoms humbly complains and shows we, the ministers and ruling elders, commissioners from the presbyteries of Galloway, that whereas there was a complaint made by the presbytery of Wigtown to the synodal assembly of Galloway held in October 1640 of the insolent and barbarous behaviour of Thomas MacKie, late clerk of Wigtown, a non-covenanter and infamous man, for falsehood and perjury, who was sentenced by the council to be banished the kingdom, showing that though the civil magistrate was unaware of him, yet it was incumbent to them to press the kirk discipline. And because they urged his repentance for his foresaid sin and wickedness, he scolded them with most odious and barbarous speeches and threatened to come to the presbytery and call them all false knaves to their faces, to cut their beards, to put a knife in some of them and to put a pair of bullets in them, although he should be taken to the cross and hanged for it, as himself confessed before the presbytery when the minister of the town accused him for it. Upon which complaint of the said presbytery, the synod concluded an act ordaining Master John MacLellan, their moderator, to be informed by the presbytery of Wigtown of the particular passages and manner of the said Thomas MacKie's insolent behaviour towards them; and upon their information, to supplicate the committee of estate for the repressing and correcting of the same. The execution of which act, though it was delayed upon hopes of the said Thomas, his amendment, yet at the next synod held in April last it was renewed again and ordained to be put in execution, the presbytery still finding him unwilling to make satisfaction and daily more and more disturbing them in meddling with the affairs of the kirk and secretly stirring up and informing scandalous persons to cross the discipline thereof; as also that he employed himself busily by his malicious calumnies in incensing some personages of great note and authority against the brethren of the ministry, to their great grief, contempt of their ministry and disturbance of their peace and comfort in the exercise of their calling. For repressing of which intolerable insolencies, the said Master John MacLellan, who was ordained to complain of him in name of the synod as said, with advice of the rest of the commissioners of Galloway and others of the ministry and ruling elders here present, can find no remedy so ready or so forcible as to supplicate this reverend assembly for their concurrence in recommending to the honourable estates of parliament the consideration of the said Thomas's behaviour to the presbytery. Therefore our humble supplication to your reverend and godly wisdoms is that you will supplicate the parliament for us that they would be pleased to take such a course with the said Thomas MacKie by order of law and their authority, that his barbarous insolencies may be repressed and the said presbytery of Wigtown secured in the peaceable exercise of their ministry and their calling vindicated from the contempt of such an infamous person who is under the sentence of banishment. And your wisdoms' answer we most humbly crave.

• J. Garthland
• W[illiam] Gordon
• Alexander Gordon
• A. Livingstone
• M[aster] A. Lauder
• A. Turnbull
• W[illiam] Hamilton
• Master Gilbert P[...]³
• John MacLellan
• Master William Maxwell
• Master George Dick
• Master Hugh Henryson
• Master Samuel Row

5 August 1641

This supplication being represented to the parliament by the commissioners from the assembly and read in their presence, they appoint the Earl of Galloway to apprehend the said Thomas MacKie and summon him before them between now and this day 15 days. And ordain a commission to be granted to the said earl or any others whom he shall appoint for this effect, to be subscribed by the president.

[Robert Balfour, lord Balfour of] Burleigh, in presence of the lords of parliament⁴