Monuments of Idolatrie brought from the North. _Ib._
134.—Recom. of the petition for a Minister to Chanrie of Rosse to the
Commission for planting of Kirks. _Ib._
135.—Recom. Master Alexander Petrie. _Ib._
136.—Recom. Master Eleazar Gilbert. _Ib._
137.—Recom. Master William Douglas to the Committee of Estates. _Ib._
138.—Recom. Master George Sharpe to the Committee of Estates for
reparation of his losses. _Ib._
139.—Ref. complyers in Murray to the Provinciall. _Ib._
140.—Recom. to the Commission for planting of Kirks, concerning
provisions to Ministers in the Presbyterie of Kirkcudbright. _Sess._ 25.
141.—Act appointing conference with Earle Abercorne, untill the last of
March. _Ib._
142.—Recom. to the Synode of Murray of the petition of Badinoch,
concerning Master John Dollar. _Ib._
143.—Recom. concerning the Minister of Corrie and Hutton. _Ib._
144.—Recom. to the Commission for planting of Kirks, concerning the
adjoyning some lands to the Parish of Monswall. _Ib._
145.—Act for Printing the Directorie for Church Government, to be
examined by Presbyteries against the next Assembly, and for Printing
the Catechisme also when it shall be perfected. _Ib._
146.—Act concerning the contribution for the distressed people in
Argile. _Ib._
147.—Recom. to Committee for dangers, to consider of a Letter for the
Scots in Poleland, &c. _Ib._
148.—Ref. to the Committee appointed for tryall of proceedings of the
Commission of Assembly, to consider of the processe of Master John
Rosse, and to report. _Ib._
149.—Act concerning the tryall of the payment of the contribution for
distressed people of Argyle. _Ib._
150.—Act concerning James Murray. _Sess._ 26.
151.—Act for collecting the contribution for the Province of Argile,
in these parts that have not yet contributed, and sending it to the
receivers. _Ib._
152.—Recom. to the Synode of Glasgow, concerning a second Minister to
Dumbartan. _Ib._
153.—Recom. to the Lords of Privie Counsell for punishing an injurie
done to a Presbytery about burying in a Kirk. _Ib._
154.—Act appointing a conference with some Divines, Lawyers, and
Physitians, concerning witchcraft and charming. _Ib._
155.—Report of the tryall of the Synods Books with the Assemblies
censure. _Ib._
156.—Appointment of some to salute the Lieutenant General now in Town,
and Generall Major Middletoun when he comes. _Sess._ 27.
157.—Ref. to the Commission for publike affaires to endeavour for
obtaining from the Parliament, some restraint of burialls in Kirks.
_Ib._
158.—Commission for visitation of Lochaber, Badinoch, and the Isles.
_Ib._
159.—Recom. to the Commission of Parliament for planting of Kirks, for
providing some course for the payment of the charges of Commissioners
to the Generall Assembly. _Ib._
160.—Ref. to the Commission for publike affairs, for Printing of some
Papers concerning the Treaty of Uniformity, and matters handled in the
Synode of Divines in England. _Ib._
161.—Ref. and warrand to the Commission for publike affaires, to give
licence for Printing. _Ib._
162.—Recom. to the Lords of Exchequer, concerning the passing of gifts
of the Prebendaries. _Ib._
163.—Report from Robert Brysones relict, concerning the Printing of
Trochrigs Works. _Ib._
164.—Warrand given to the Moderator and Clerk, and some others, to
agree with Evan Tyler for Printing the Works of Trochrig upon the
condition promised to Robert Bryson. _Ib._
165.—Ref. John Wilkie of Foulden and Master Thomas Ramsay to the
Commission for publike affaires. _Ib._
166.—Act concerning the choosing of the Moderator of the Generall
Assemblie. _Ib._
167.—Act for changing every Assembly the rolls of the Commissioners by
courses, according to the order of Provinces. _Ib._
168.—Commission for visiting the University of S. Andrews. _Ib._
169.—Commission for visiting the University of Aberdene. _Ib._
170.—Commission for visiting Orkney and Zetland. _Ib._
171.—Appointment of some Brethren to speake to the Lord Thesaurer,
concerning passing of gifts of Patronages. _Ib._
172.—Ref. Master John Rosse at Lunfannan. _Sess._ 28.
173.—Approbation of the report concerning planting of Kirks in the
Hielands. _Ib._
174.—Ref. John Gillon to the Presbytery of Edinburgh for private
tryall. _Ib._
175.—Renovation of the Commission for publike affairs. _Ib._
176.—Warrand for Master James Gordon to come to Sterling-shire, for
drawing the mappe thereof. _Sess. Ult._
177.—Ref. of Gorthie Inchbrakie and Lindsay of Maines, their petitions
for relaxation from the sentence of Excommunication, to the Commission
for publike affaires. _Ib._
178.—Recom. in favours of Sir William Dick. _Ib._
179.—Ref. Master James Row. _Ib._
180.—Ref. to the Commission for publike affaires, concerning the Scots
in Poleland, &c. _Ib._
181.—Ref. for planting the Kirk and Colledge of Aberdene to the
Commission for publike affaires. _Ib._
182.—Ref. concerning Masters William Douglas, John Logie, George Hanna,
Richard Maitland, and Coline Mackenzie. _Ib._
183.—Ref. and Commission concerning the tryall of Masters Murdo
Mackenzie, John Duncane, and William Cowper. _Ib._
184.—Recom. Master William Chalmber to the Committee of Estates. _Ib._
185.—Ref. James Grahame of Claypots to the Presbyterie of Dundie. _Ib._
186.—Recom. of some persons for charitie. _Ib._
187.—Ref. for planting the Kirk of Bruntiland to the Commission for
publike affaires. _Ib._
188.—Ref. concerning the planting of the Kirk of Prestoun to the
Commission for publike affaires. _Ib._
189.—Ref. for planting the vaking Kirk in Glasgow to the Commission for
publike affaires. _Ib._
190.—Ref. the Lord Ray his Son and some of his friends, to the
Commission for publike affaires. _Ib._
191.—Ref. Master Gilbert Gordon, to the Commission for publike
affaires. _Ib._
192.—Recom. for Master George Hannayes wife and children. _Ib._
193.—Act for presenting the Confession of Faith to the Parliament. _Ib._
194.—Act concerning the Translaters of the Dutch Notes. _Ib._
195.—Recom. and Ref. concerning the collecting of the Passages and
Occurrances of these late times, to the Commission for publike
affaires. _Ib._
196.—Ref. for planting the Kirk of Ancrum, to the Commission for
publike affaires. _Ib._
197.—Renovation of the Commission for visitation of the University of
Glasgow. _Ib._
198.—Ref. Master John Rosse at Birse, to the Synode of Aberdene. _Ib._
199.—Ref. of Master Thomas Ramsay younger, his petition to the
Commission for publike affaires. _Ib._
200.—Indiction of a Thanksgiving and of a Fast. _Ib._
FINIS.
=Miscellaneous Historical Documents,=
RELATIVE TO THE ECCLESIASTICAL AND POLITICAL EVENTS IN SCOTLAND—1647.
1. _Excerpts from Principal Baillie’s Account of the Westminster
Assembly, continued from p. 460._
_To Mr William Spang. Edinburgh, Jan. 1647._
DEAR COUSIN,—I wrote to you at length before I came from London. I have
had a long and tedious, but, thanks to God, prosperous journey. I am
now here well. I have made my report in the commission of the church to
all their contentment; our errand in England being brought near a happy
period, so far as concerned us the commissioners of the church; for, by
God’s blessing, the four points of uniformity, which was all our church
gave us in commission to agent in the assembly at Westminster, were
as good as obtained. The Directory I brought down before. The model
of government we have gotten it through the assembly according to our
mind: it yet sticks in the hands of the Houses. They have passed four
ordinances at least about it, all pretty right, so far as concerns the
constitution and erection of general assemblies, provincial synods,
presbyteries, and sessions, and the power of ordination. In the
province of London and Lancashire the bodies are set up. That the like
diligence is not used long ago in all other places, it is the sottish
negligence of the ministers and gentry in the shires more than the
parliament’s. That the power of jurisdiction in all things we require,
excepting appeals from the general assembly to the parliament, is not
put in ordinances long ago, it is by the coming of the Independents and
Erastians in the House of Commons; which obstacle we trust will now be
removed by the zeal of the city of London; so much the more, as our
nation are taken away sooner and more easily than any did expect. All
grounds of jealousy of our joining with the King, the greatest prop
of the sectaries power in the House. However, in the _jus divinum_ of
Presbytery, printed by the ministry of London, you may see that burden
taken off our shoulders; the body of the ministry of England, not the
assembly and Londoners only, being fully leavened with our sense in
all the point of government, and become willing, and able abundantly,
to manage that cause, without us, against all opposites. The third
point, the Confession of Faith, I brought it with me, now in print,
as it was offered to the Houses by the assembly, without considerable
dissent of any. It is much cried up by all, even many of our greatest
opposites, as the best Confession yet extant. It is expected the
Houses shall pass it, as they did the Directory, without much debate.
Howbeit the retarding party has put the assembly to add scriptures to
it, which they omitted only to eschew the offence of the House, whose
practice hitherto has been, to enact nothing of religion on divine
right or scriptural grounds, but upon their own authority alone. This
innovation of our opposites may well cost the assembly some time, who
cannot do the most easy things with any expedition; but it will be for
the advantage and strength of the work. The fourth part of our desired
and covenanted uniformity is the Catechism. A committee has drawn and
reported the whole.
The assembly ere I came away had voted more than the half. A short
time will end the rest; for they study brevity, and have voted to have
no other head of divinity into it than is set down in the Confession.
This ended, we have no more ado in the assembly, neither know we any
more work the assembly has in hand, but an answer to the nine queries
of the House of Commons about the _jus divinum_ of divers parts of the
government. The ministers of London’s late _jus divinum_ of Presbytery
does this abundantly. Also a committee of the assembly has a full
answer to all these queries ready. The authors repent much of that
motion. Their aim was, to have confounded and divided the assembly by
their insnaring questions; but finding the assembly’s unanimity in
them, the Independents principles forcing them to join with the rest,
in asserting the divine right of these points of government, whereupon
the parliament does most stick, the movers of these questions wishes
they had been silent. There is no more work before the assembly. The
translation of the psalms is passed long ago in the assembly; yet
it sticks in the Houses. The Commons passed their order long ago;
but the Lords joined not, being solicited by divers of the assembly,
and of the ministers of London, who love better the more poetical
paraphrase of their colleague Mr Burton. The too great accuracy of
some in the assembly, sticking too hard to the original text, made the
last edition more concise and obscure than the former. With this the
commission of our church was not so well pleased; but we have got all
those obscurities helped; so I think it shall pass. Our good friend
Mr Zachary Boyd has put himself to a great deal of pains and charges
to make a psalter, but I ever warned him his hopes were groundless to
get it received in our churches; yet the flatteries of his unadvised
neighbours makes him insist in his fruitless design.
When I took my leave of the assembly, I spoke a little to them. The
prolocutor, in name of the assembly, gave me an honourable testimony,
and many thanks for my labours. I had been ever silent in all their
debates; and however this silence sometimes weighted my mind, yet I
found it the best and wisest course. No man there is desired to speak.
Four parts of five do not speak at all; and among these are many most
able men, and known by their writs and sermons to be much abler than
sundry of the speakers; and of these few that use to speak, sundry are
so tedious, and thrusts themselves in with such misregard of others,
that it were better for them to be silent. Also there are some eight
or nine so able, and ready at all times, that hardly a man can say any
thing, but what others, without his labour, are sure to say as well or
better. Finding, therefore, that silence was a matter of no reproach,
and of great ease, and brought no hurt to the work, I was content to
use it, as Mr Henderson also did.
* * * * *
It is very like, if he had done any duty, though he had never taken the
covenant, but permitted it to have been put in an act of parliament in
both kingdoms, and given so satisfactory an answer to the rest of the
propositions, as easily he might, and sometimes I know he was willing,
certainly Scotland had been for him as one man; and the body of
England, upon many grounds, was upon a disposition to have so cordially
embraced him, that no man, for his life, durst have muttered against
his present restitution. But remaining what he was in all his maxims,
a full Canterburian, both in matters of religion and state, he still
inclined to a new war; and for that end resolved to go to Scotland.
Some great men there pressed the equity of Scotland’s protecting of
him on any terms. This untimeous excess of friendship has ruined that
unhappy prince; for the better party, finding the conclusion of the
King’s coming to Scotland, and thereby their own present ruin, and ruin
of the whole cause, the making the malignants masters of church and
state, the drawing the whole force of England upon Scotland for their
perjurious violation of their covenant, they resolved by all means to
cross that design.
So when others proposed to the parliament the assistance of the King
to recover his government in England, notwithstanding any answer he
might give to the propositions, the better sort, before they should
give answer to so high a question, desired a publick fast in the
parliament, and the advice also of the commission of the church. Both
with some difficulty were obtained. But after that fast, and the
distinct answer of the church, that it was unlawful for Scotland to
assist the King for his recovery of the government in England, if he
approved not the covenant, the parliament was peremptor to refuse the
King free access to Scotland, unless he satisfied the propositions.
This much they signified to him by their commissioners, which we met
at Newcastle. It was easy to be grieved, and to find what to reprehend
in this resolution; for indeed it was clothed with many dangers and
grievances; but to fall at that nick of time on any conclusion, free of
more dangers and grievances, seemed impossible.
* * * * *
_July 13, 1647._—These matters of England are so extremely desperate,
that now twice they have made me sick. Except God arise, all is
gone there. The imprudence and cowardice of the better part of the
city and parliament, which was triple or sextuple the greater, has
permitted a company of silly rascals, who call themselves yet no more
than 14,000, horse and foot, to make themselves masters of the King,
parliament, and city, and by them of all England: so that now that
disgraced parliament is but a committee to act all at their pleasure,
and the city is ready to fright the parliament at every first or
second boast from the army. No human hope remains but in the King’s
unparallelled wilfulness, and the army’s unmeasurable pride. As yet
they are not agreed, and some write they are not like to agree: for
in our particular I expect certainly they will agree well enough, at
what distance soever their affections and principles stand. Always if
the finger of God in their spirits should so far dement them as to
disagree, I would think there were yet some life in the play; for I
know the body of England are overweary long ago of the parliament, and
ever hated the sectaries, but much more now for this their unexpected
treachery and oppression. On the other part, the King is much pitied
and desired; so if they give him not contentment, he will overthrow
them. If he and they agree, our hands are bound: we will be able, in
our present posture, and humour of our highly distracted people, to do
nothing. And whom shall we go to help, when none calls? but the King,
parliament, and city, as their masters command, are ready to declare
against us if we should offer to arm. But if the King would call, I
doubt not of rising of the best army ever we had, for the crushing of
these serpents, enemies to God and man.
* * * * *
_To a friend in Kilwinning. Edinburgh, August 20, Friday night._
The city’s declaration and diurnal declare in what a brave posture
both the city and parliament once were in. The other papers shew how
soon all was overturned. The army marched through the whole city by
way of triumph; but staid not in it, did no violence to any; only
three or four regiments keep the forts about Westminster, and guard
the parliament still. For all that, the House of Commons vote sundry
things contrary to the mind of the army. How long that courage will
remain, I cannot say. It is thought that people, when they have felt
a little the burden of the army, will break that yoke by one mean or
other. The army’s mind, much of it, may be seen in their propositions,
a paper which I purposed to send, but now it is fallen by. By it they
are clear enough for a full liberty of conscience, a destroying of our
covenant, a setting up of bishops, of inthralling the King, so far, as
in my judgement, he and they will not agree, albeit many think they
are agreed already. If this were, our case were very hard. Never more
appearance of a great discord, both in our church and state, some few
days ago; but, blessed be God, the appearances are now much changed.
Never assembly more harmonious than this yet has been. Our declaration
to England, a very good piece, is passed without a contrary voice.
An act against vaigers [strollers] from their own ministers, and a
large direction for private worship, drawn by Mr Robert Blair for the
correcting all the faults in worship, which offended many here, is past
the committee, without a contrary voice; and, I think, shall pass the
assembly also, no less unanimously; which demonstrates the truth of
what I said in my assembly-speech, “That for all the noise some made,
yet truly there was no division as yet in our church.”
Yesterday, and this night, our state, after much irreconcileable
difference, as appeared, are at last unanimously agreed to send the
Chancellor and Lanerk to the King and parliament of England, to comfort
and encourage both to keep our covenant, and not to agree to the
propositions of the army. No appearance, as yet, of any stirring in
haste in this kingdom.
_To Mr Spang. Edinburgh, September 1, 1647._
—— London has lien like a millstone on my breast now of a long time.
The first week we came to this town, my heart was a little relieved. I
thought God had answered our prayers much sooner than I expected, and
had put London in so good a posture for averting all our fears as I
could have wished; but that joy lasted not full eight days. Stapleton
and Hollis, and some others of the eleven members, had been the main
persuaders of us to remove out of England, and leave the King to them,
upon assurance, which was most likely, that this was the only means to
get that evil army disbanded, the King and peace settled according to
our minds: but their bent execution of this real intention has undone
them, and all, till God provide a remedy. We were glad when Leslie was
recalled from his Lieutenancy of Ireland, a creature of Cromwell’s, who
got that great trust for no virtue at all but his serviceableness to
that faction. This was the first sensible grievance to that army. The
second was the employing of Skippon and Massie, in the Irish command,
and giving to Fairfax such a command in England as made him not very
formidable. But when the third stroke came, of disbanding the most
of the sectaries, and cashiering of their officers, this put them on
that high and bold design, which as yet they follow, as, I think, not
so much on great preconception, as drawn on by the course of affairs,
and light heads of their leaders. Vane and Cromwell, as I take it,
are of nimble hot fancies for to put all in confusion, but not of any
deep reach. St John and Pierpont are more stayed, but not great heads.
Sey and his son, not _____, albeit wiser, yet of so dull, sour, and
fearful a temperament, that no great atchievement, in reason, could
be expected from them. The rest, either in the army or parliament, of
their party, are not on their mysteries, and of no great parts either
for counsel or action, so far as I could ever observe. The folly of our
friends was apparent, when at the army’s first back-march, and refusal
to disband, they recalled their declaration against their mutinous
petitions. Easily might all their designs have been crushed at that
nick of time, with one stout look more; but it was a dementation to sit
still amazed at the taking of the King, the accusation of the eleven
members, the army’s approaching to the city. Here, had the city agreed,
and our friends in parliament shewed any resolution, their opposites
counsel might even then have been easily overturned; for all this
while, the army was not much above 10,000 ill-armed soldiers. But the
irrecoverable loss of all, was the ill-managing of the city’s brave
engagement. Had they then made fast the chief of the sectarian party
in both Houses, and stopt their flight to the army; had Massey and
Waller, with any kind of masculine activity, made use of that new trust
committed to them; Mr Marshal, and his seventeen servants of the synod,
for all Foulks and Gib’s subornation, should never have been bold to
offer that destructive petition to the Houses and common council,
which, without any capitulation, put presently in the army’s power, the
parliament, city, and all England, without the least contradiction.
An example rarely parallelled, if not of treachery, yet at least of
childish improvidence and base cowardice. Since that time they have
been absolute masters of all. Which way they will use this unexpected
sovereignty, it will quickly appear. As yet they are settling
themselves in their new saddle. Before they got up, they gave the King
and his party fair words; but now, when all is their own, they may put
him in a harder condition than yet he has tasted of. Their proposals,
a part of their mind, give to the King much of his desire in bringing
back bishops and books, in putting down our covenant and presbytery, in
giving ease to malignants and Papists; but spoil him of his temporal
power so much, as many think, he will never acquiesce to; albeit it is
spoken loud, that he and they are fully agreed.