the King’s own mind and desires, as yet have heard nothing from him
to account of. Although he should employ their help against his
oppressors, yet he being still altogether unwilling to give us any
satisfaction in the matter of our covenant, we are uncertain what
course to take; only we do resent to our commissioners to oppose the
proposals, and to require a safe-conduct to the Chancellor and Lanerk
to come up to the King and parliament. It cost many debates before it
came to this conclusion. Our great men are not like to pack up their
differences. Duke Hamilton and his friends would have been thought men
composed of peace on any terms, and to have cast on other designs of
embroiling Scotland in a new war. But when all were weary of jangling
debates, the conclusion whereto the committee was brought, was so far
to espouse the King’s quarrel on any terms, that Argyle and Wariston
behoved to protest against our engagement on any such terms. To avoid
invidious protestations, both parties agreed to pass an act of not
engagement. The proceedings of some are not only double and triple, but
so manifold, that as no other, so, in my mind, themselves know not what
they finally intend. They who made themselves gracious and strong, by
making the world believe that it was their opposites who had brought
the country in all the former trouble, and would yet again bring it
into a new dangerous war, when it came to the point, were found to
precipitate us into dangers, and that in such terms as few with comfort
could have undertaken. We have it from divers good hands at London,
that some here kept correspondence with Sir Thomas Fairfax, which to
me is an intolerable abomination. The present sense of many is this:
if the King and the army agree, we must be quiet and look to God: if
they agree not, and the King be willing to ratify our covenant, we are
all as one man to restore him to all his rights, or die by the way: if
he continue resolute to reject our covenant, and only to give us some
parts of the matter of it, many here will be for him, even in these
terms; but divers of the best and wisest are irresolute, and wait till
God give more light.
David Leslie, with a great deal of fidelity, activity, and success, has
quieted all our highlands and isles, and brought back our little army;
which, we think, shall be quartered here and there, without disbanding,
till we see more of the English affairs. The pestilence, for the time,
vexes us. In great mercy Edinburgh and Leith, and all about, which
lately were afflicted with more of this evil than ever was heard of in
Scotland, are free. Some few infections now and then, but they spread
not. Aberdeen, Brechin, and other parts of the north, are miserably
wasted. St Andrew’s and Glasgow, without great mortality, are so
threatened, that the schools and colleges now in all Scotland, except
Edinburgh, are scattered.
While I had written thus far, by the packet this day from London I
learn, that the army daily goes higher and higher, which to me is a
hopeful presage of their quicker ruin. The chief six of the eleven
members were coming to you, Stapleton, Esler, Hollis; the second
gentleman, for all gallantry in all England, died at Calais. I think
it will be hard to the parliament and city to bear these men long; and
I hope, if all men were dead, God will arise against them. Munster is
not like to be a school to them long. Cromwell and Vane are like to
run on to the end of Becold and Knipperdolling’s race. Northumberland
has feasted the King at Swahouse; hence he went to Hampton-court.
They speak of his coming to Whitehall. If he agree no better with the
sectaries than yet he does, that journey may prove fatal. He is not
likely to come out of London willingly; and if the army should draw
him, that violence may waken sleeping hounds. If they let him come to
London, without assurance of his accord with them, they are more bold
and venturous than wise; and if the King agree to their state-designs,
I think he is not so consonant to all his former principles and
practice as I took him.
I know you expect some account of our assembly. Take it, if you have
patience to read what I have scribbled in haste, on a very ill sheet
of paper. I have no leisure to double; for our commissioners enter
every day at seven, and we are about publick business daily till
late at night. At our first meeting, there was clear appearance of
formed parties for division; but God has turned it so about, that
never assembly was more harmonious and peaceable to the very end.
The last year, a minister in the Merse, one Mr James Simson, whose
grandsire was, as I take it, an uncle or brother to famous Mr Patrick
of Stirling, a forward, pious, young man, being in suit of a religious
damsel, sister to Mr James Guthrie’s wife, had kept with Mr James
Guthrie, and others, some private meetings and exercises, which gave
great offence to many. When they came before the last general assembly
and commission of the kirk, Mr David Calderwood and sundry other very
honest men, opposite to malignants, were much grieved, and by that
grief moved to join with Mr William Colvil, Mr Andrew Fairfoul, and
such whom some took to be more favourable to malignants than need
were. These two joined together, made a great party, especially when
our statesmen made use of them to bear down those who had swayed our
former assemblies. The contest was at the chusing of the moderator.
The forementioned party were earnest for Mr William Colvil. Many were
for me; but I was utterly unwilling for any such unfit charge, and
resolved to absent myself from the first meeting, if by no other means
I could be shifted the leet. At last, with very much ado, I got myself
off, and Mr Robert Douglas on the leets; who carried it from Mr William
Colvil only by four voices. God’s blessing on this man’s great wisdom
and moderation has carried all our affairs right to the end; but Mr
David Calderwood having missed his purpose, has pressed so a new way
of leeting the moderator for time to come, that puts in the hand of
base men to get one whom they please, to our great danger. We spent
a number of days on silly particulars. Mr Gillespie came home at our
first downsitting. He and I made our report to the great satisfaction
of all. You have here what I spoke. Mr Calderwood was much offended
with what I had spoken in the end; but my apology in private satisfied
him. He, and others of his acquaintance, came with resolution to make
great din about privy meetings and novations, being persuaded, and
willing to persuade others, that our church was already much pestered
with schism. My mind was clean contrary: and now, when we have tried
all to the bottom, they are found to be much more mistaken than I; for
they have obtained, with the hearty consent of these men whom they
counted greatest patrons of schism, all the acts they pleased against
that evil, wherein the wisdom and authority of Mr Blair has been
exceeding serviceable. This yielding on our side, to their desires,
drew from them a quiet consent to these things we intended, from which
at first they seemed much averse. We agreed, _nemine contradicente_,
to that declaration, which was committed to Mr Gillespie and me, but
was drawn by him alone; also, after much debate in the committee, to
the Confession of Faith; and to the printing of the Directory for
government, for the examination of the next general assembly; of the
Catechism also, when the little that remains shall come down; likewise
for printing to that same end two or three sheets of Thesis against
Erastianism, committed to Mr Gillespie and me, but done by him at
London at Voetius’s motion; which we mind, when approven here, to send
to him; who is hopeful to get the consent of your universities and
of the general assembly of France to them, which may serve for good
purpose. We have put the new Psalter also in a good way.—— We have
this day very happily ended our assembly with good concord; albeit Mr
David Calderwood, serving his own very unruly humour, did oft very much
provoke. He has been so intolerable through our forbearance, that it
is like he shall never have so much respect among us. His importunity
forced us, not only to a new ridiculous way of chusing the moderator,
but on a conceit he has, that a minister deposed should not again be
reposed almost in no case, he has troubled us exceedingly about the
power of the commission of the kirk to depose a minister in any case;
yet we carried it over him. We have obtained leave to print all our
English papers, Catechism, Confession, Propositions, and Directory
for government and ordination, our debates for accommodation against
toleration, our papers to the grand committee, the propositions for
government, albeit passed both in our assembly and parliament 1643.
Mr David opposed vehemently the printing, and his grand followers, Mr
John Smith and Mr William Colvil with him, because they held forth a
session of a particular congregation to have a ground in scripture,
which he, contrary to his Altar of Damascus, believes to have no divine
right, but to be only a commission, with a delegated power from the
presbytery, tolerated in our church for a time. With great difficulty
could we get the printing of that paper passed for his importunity; but
at last we got all.
An express from London this day tells us, that the army’s parliament
press the concurrence of our commissioners to send to Hampton-court
the propositions to the King. This seems to import the King’s refusal
of the proposals, and disagreeing yet with the army. And what they
will do with the King, if he refuse the propositions also, we know
not; only their last remonstrance shews their resolution to cast out
of the parliament many more members, and to take the lives of some
for example. The spirit that leads them, and the mercy of God to that
oppressed people, will not permit these tyrannous hypocrites to rest,
till, by their own hands, they have pulled down their Babel.
* * * * *
_October 13, 1647._—— We gave in this day to the states a remonstrance
of the hazard of religion and covenant, if our army should disband. We
hope that plot, long hatched, and with too great eagerness driven on,
shall this day or to-morrow be broken. Our dangers of farther confusion
are great, if God be not merciful. The persecution at London is very
intolerable. I am very confident that party, so much opposite to God
and man, cannot long stand. Ere long, at my leisure, I may give you a
particular account of all our affairs.
1646.—August 1.
2. _His Majesty’s Answer to the Propositions._[359]
Charles Rex,
The Propositions tender’d to his Majesty by the Commissioners from
the Lords and Commons assembled in the Parliament of England at
Westminster, and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland, (to
which the Houses of Parliament have taken twice so many Months for
deliberation, as they have assigned Days for his Majesty’s Answer)
do import so great Alterations in Government both in the Church and
Kingdom, as it is very difficult to return a particular and positive
Answer, before a full debate, wherein these Propositions, and the
necessary Explanation, true Sense and Reasons thereof, be rightly
weighed and understood; and that his Majesty upon a full view of the
whole Propositions, may know what is best, as well as what is taken
away and changed. In all which he finds (upon discourse with the said
Commissioners) that they are so bound up from any capacity either to
give Reasons for the Demands they bring, or to give ear to such Desires
as his Majesty is to propound, as it is impossible for him to give such
a present Judgment of, and Answer to these Propositions, whereby he can
answer to God that a safe and well-grounded Peace will ensue (which is
evident to all the World can never be, unless the just Power of the
Crown, as well as the Freedom and Propriety of the Subject, with the
just Liberty and Privileges of the Parliament, be likewise setled:)
To which end his Majesty desires and proposeth to come to London, or
any of his Houses thereabouts, upon the Publick Faith and Security of
the Two Houses of Parliament, and the Scotch Commissioners, That he
shall be there with Freedom, Honour, and Safety; where by his Personal
Presence he may not only raise a mutual Confidence betwixt him and his
People, but also have these Doubts cleared, and these Difficulties
explained unto him, which he now conceives to be destructive to
his just Regal Power, if he shall give a full Consent to these
Propositions, as they now stand.
As likewise, that he may make known to them such his reasonable
Demands, as he is most assured will be very much conducible to that
Peace which all good men desire and pray for, by the setling of
Religion, the just Privileges of Parliament, with the Freedom and
Propriety of the Subject: And his Majesty assures them, That as he
can never condescend unto what is absolutely destructive to that just
Power which by the Laws of God and the Land he is born unto; so he
will chearfully grant and give his Assent unto all such Bills, at the
desire of his Two Houses, or reasonable demands for Scotland, which
shall be really for the Good and Peace of his People, not having regard
to his own particular (much less of any body’s else) in respect of the
Happiness of these Kingdoms. Wherefore his Majesty conjures them as
Christians, as Subjects, and as Men who desire to leave a good Name
behind them, that they will so receive and make use of this Answer,
that all Issues of Blood may be stopped, and these unhappy Distractions
peaceably setled.
Newcastle, Aug. 1, 1646.
To the Speaker of the House of Peers
_pro Tempore_, to be communicated.
POSTSCRIPT.—Upon Assurance of a happy Agreement, his Majesty will
immediately send for the Prince his Son, absolutely expecting his
perfect Obedience to return into this Kingdom.
1646.—September.
3. _His Majesty’s Answer to the Scots Commissioners at Newcastle._[360]
MY LORDS,
I shall begin, by answering what you have now said: For I assure
you I had not thus long delay’d my Answer, but to weigh fully those
Reasons and Arguments which you have laid before me, whereby to use the
uttermost of my Endeavours to give you all possible Satisfaction; for
you having told me nothing but what I have heard before, the Change of
Answer could hardly be expected. And now I do earnestly desire you to
consider what it is that I desire, which is, To be heard; which if a
King should refuse to any of his Subjects, he would for that be thought
a Tyrant. For this, if I had but slight Reasons, it were the less to be
regarded; but they are such, upon which such a Peace as we all desire,
doth depend: For albeit it is possible, that if I should grant all you
desire, a Peace might be slubber’d up, yet it is impossible that it
should be durable, unless there be right understanding betwixt Me and
my People; which cannot be without granting what I desire.
Yet I desire to be rightly understood; for tho’ many like to Æsop’s
Fable will call Ears Horns, yet let men say what they will, I am far
from giving you a Negative, nay, I protest against it, my only desire
being to be heard; For I am confident that upon Debate I shall so
satisfy them in some things, as likewise I believe they may satisfy
me in many things, that we shall come to a most happy Agreement. This
I believe is not much needful to satisfy your Judgments; for I am not
ignorant how really your Commissioners at London have endeavoured a
Satisfactory Answer to my Message, as likewise what good Instructions
have been sent them out of Scotland; so that the Force of Power more
than the Force of Reason, hath made you so instant with me as you have
been; with which I am so far from finding fault, that what you have
done, I take well, knowing that it proceeds out of the abundance of
your Zeal to my Service: Therefore as you see I do not mistake you; so
I am careful not to be mistaken by you; wherefore again I desire you to
take notice, that I do not give a Denial, my desire being only to be
heard; as likewise that you will take things as they are, since neither
you nor I can have them as we would; wherefore let us make the best of
every thing, and now as you have fully performed your Duty to me, so
I cannot doubt but you will continue to press those at London to hear
Reason: And certainly you can expect little fair dealing from those
who shall reject so much Reason, and of that sort, which you have,
and I hope will offer them. Not to stay too long upon so unpleasing a
Subject, I assure you, that nothing but the Preservation of That which
is dearer to me than my Life, could have hinder’d me from giving you
full Satisfaction: For upon my word, all the Dangers and Inconveniences
which you have laid before me, do not so much trouble me, as that I
should not give full Satisfaction to the Desires of my Native Country,
especially being so earnestly press’d upon me: And yet here again I
must tell you (for in this case Repetitions are not impertinent) that I
do not give you a Denial, nay I protest against it; and remember, it is
your King that desires to be heard.
1646.—September.
4. _Another paper sent by the King to the Scots Commissioners at
Newcastle._[361]
MY LORDS,
’Tis a very great Grief to me, that what I spoke to you yesterday, and
offer’d to you in writing, concerning Religion, hath given so little
Satisfaction: Yet lest the Reasons I then told you, should not be so
fully understood, I think it necessary at this time to set them down to
you in this Paper: I then told you, that whatsoever was my particular
Opinion, I did no ways intend to persuade you to do any thing against
your Covenant; wherefore I desire you to consider, whether it be not
a great step to your Reformation (which I take to be the chief End of
your Covenant) that Presbyterial Government be legally setled. It is
true, that I desire that my own Conscience, and those that are of the
same Opinion with me, might be preserved, which I confess doth not as
yet totally take away Episcopal Government; but then consider withal,
that this will take away all the Superstitious Sects and Heresies of
the Papists and Independents; to which ye are no less obliged by your
Covenant, than the taking away of Episcopacy: And this that I demand is
most likely to be but Temporary; for if it be so clear as you believe,
that Episcopacy is unlawful, I doubt not but God will so enlighten mine
Eyes, that I shall soon perceive it; and then I promise you to concur
with you fully in matters of Religion: But I am sure you cannot imagine
that there is any hope of converting or silencing the Independent
Party, which undoubtedly will get a Toleration in Religion from the
Parliament of England, unless you join with me, and in that way I have
set down for the Re-establishing my Crown, or at least that you do not
press me to do this (which is yet against my Conscience) until I may do
it without sinning: Which as I am confident none of you will persuade
me to do, so I hope you have so much Charity, not to put things to
such a desperate Issue, as to hazard the loss of us all, because for
the present you cannot have full Satisfaction from me in point of
Religion: Not considering, that besides the rest of the Mischiefs which
may happen, it will infallibly set up the innumerable Sects of the
Independents; nothing being more against your Covenant, than permitting
of those Schisms to increase. As for the Message which I think fit
at this time to send, I have chosen rather to mention the Point of
Religion in a general than particular way, lest (not knowing all these
Reasons which I set down to you, which are most unfit for a Message)
it may give less Satisfaction than I desire: Nevertheless I do conjure
you, by that Love and Loyalty you have always professed unto me, That
you make use of what I offered yesterday in writing, with these Reasons
which I have now set down to you, and those further Hopes I have now
given you, for the best advantages of my Service; with this particular
Explanation, That whereas I mentioned that the Church-Government should
be left to my Conscience, and those of my Opinion, I shall be content
to restrict it to some few Diocesses, as Oxford, Winchester, Bristol,
Bath and Wells, and Exeter; leaving all the rest of England fully to
the Presbyterian Government, with the strictest Clauses you shall think
upon, against Papists and Independents.
* * * * *
POSTSCRIPT.—I require you to give a particular and full Account
hereof to the General Assembly in Scotland, shewing them that I shall
punctually make good my last Letter to them, and that this is a very
great step to the Reformation desired, not only by the present putting
down all Sects and Independents, but likewise presently establishing
Presbyterian Government; hoping that they, as Ministers of God’s Word,
will not press upon me untimously the matter of Church-Government and
Discipline, until I may have leisure to be so persuaded, that I may
comply with what they desire, without Breach of Conscience, which I am
confident they as Churchmen cannot press me to do.
* * * * *
1646.—December 17.
5. _A Solemn and Seasonable Warning, to all Estates and Degrees of
Persons throughout the Land; By the Commissioners of the General
Assembly._[362]
The Conscience of our duty, and of the great trust reposed in us,
suffereth us not to be silent, nor to connive at the present dangers
which may justly be apprehended and expected from the Enemies of this
Cause and Covenant; Who although they cannot in this conjuncture of
time appear in the same manner as formerly they have done; yet having
retained the same principles (while they seem to lay aside their
former practices) do in a more covert and dangerous way still drive
at their own ends; And as Sathan is neither sleeping nor idle, though
he appear not always as a roaring Lion; So these who are inspired
and acted by him, have their wheels still moving, though sometimes
they make no great noise. Wherefore that we may truly and faithfully
contribute what is incumbent to us, for preventing or removing any
occasions of new troubles or differences between the King and his
People, in both, or either of those United Kingdoms, or between the
Kingdoms themselves; And least the Church of Christ, and the true
Reformed Religion be again tossed with another, and perhaps a greater
Tempest in the depth, after we seemed to be near the Harbour; We have
found it, not only competent to our Place and Calling, but necessary
for us (according to former laudable Presidents both old and late)
To emit this new Seasonable Warning to the People of God in this
Land, and to all Estates and Degrees of men therein; Whom we exhort,
That first, and above all things, they apply their thoughts to make
peace with God, to take notice of the remaining and renewed tokens of
divine displeasure against the Land, To tremble at the remembrance of
former, and appearances of future judgments, To lament after the Lord,
To lye low before the Throne of Grace, To cry mightily to Heaven for
dispelling that cloud of sin which separateth between our God and us,
and for turning away that cloud of wrath which hangeth over our heads.
There is cause to be humbled and to repent, as for all our iniquities,
So for the too little assistance which hath been given to such as have
born the heaviest burthen, and suffered most in this cause; And for
the too much compliance with, and indulgence to many who have been
active in the late execrable Rebellion. We know that none can reach the
perfection of their duty, neither will the Lord reckon with his People
according to his Justice, but spare them who walk in the integrity of
their Spirits, as a man spareth his own Son, so that they may rejoyce
in his mercy, notwithstanding of their short-comings, wherein they do
not allow themselves; But wilful neglects are just grounds of a great
controversie on the Lord’s part, and of deep humiliation on ours: And
we conceive that the failings of many are such, because the word of the
Lord is a burthen unto them; And though they walk in the ways of their
own heart, yet they say they shall have Peace; We would have none that
are thus guilty to account light of it, and say, Is it not a little
one? Every duty whereto we are obliged in the Covenant, is of great
consequence, and breaches even in smaller things prove inlets unto more
grievous revoltings.