before the Presbyterie, whereby eyther in presence of the Partie, or in the case of contumacie, the Complaynt might be referred to the Assemblie. That there was no Citation before the Reference, is cleare, by the sayd Instructions. And what a strange and odious forme it is, to insert such a calumnious Libell in the Presbyterie-Bookes, without citing of the Parties, to aunswere therevnto; and to cite the Bishops before the Generall Assemblie, by the sayde Libell, by publishing the same at Churches, to the which they had no Relation, and were manie miles distant; wee leaue it to the judgement of indifferent men. 5. Agaynst all Decencie, and respect due to men of their Place, the sayde persons, beeing Men of Dignitie, and some of them of his Majesties moste HONOVRABLE PRIVIE COVNCELL, and knowne to bee of blamelesse Conversation, and to haue deserved well, thus to be reviled, and traduced, doeth redound to the reproach of Church, and State, and of the Gospell, whereof they are Preachers. 6. Lastlie, to omit manie other Informalities agaynst their owne Consciences, which wee charge in the sight of GOD, as they must answere before His Great and Fearfull Tribunall, If they suspect, and know not perfectlie, according to the judgement of Charitie, them whom they thus accuse, to bee free of these Crimes, wherewith they charge them; at least of manie of them; as appeareth evidentlie by the xj Article of the said Instructions, having therein libelled the Generall, and haue yet to seeke the Specification thereof, from the malice of their neighbours, if so bee they can furnish it. By which informall and malitious Proceeding, it is most apparent, that our sayd Parties doe seeke our disgrace and overthrowe, most malitiouslie, and illegallie. And therefore, wee call Heaven and earth to witnesse, if this bee not a barbarous, and violent persecution, that all Circumstances being considered, hath few or none to parallell it, since the beginning of Christianitie: and if wee haue not just cause to decline the sayde pretended Commissioners, as our Partie. Moreover, can these men expect, but in a lawfull Assemblie they were to bee called and censured for their enorme transgressions foresayde? And will anie man thinke, that they can be judges in their owne cause? it is alleadged out of the Canon-Law, agaynst the Pope, that if the Pope bee at variance with anie man, he ought not to bee judge himselfe, but to choose Arbitrators. And this may militate agaynst them; except they bee more vnrulie than Popes. Ludovicus Bavarus, and all the Estates of Germanie with him, did pleade this Nullitie agaynst the sentence and Proceeding of Pope Iohn 22, and of his Councell. And the Archbishop of Cullen, 1546, did pleade the Nullitie of Paull 3 his Bull of Excommunication, because hee protested, that so soone as a lawfull Councell should bee opened, hee would impleade the Pope as Partie, beeing guiltie of manie thinges censurable by the Councell.