thanksgiving preached att Sconie, in Fyfe, for the continuance of the
gospell in the land, and for the spreading of it in some places in
the Hygh-lands in Scotland, where, in some families two, and in some
families one, beganne to call on God by prayer. Mr Samuel Rutherford,
minister in St Androus, preached on Saterday.... Observe, that on the
Saturday, Mr Samuel Rutherford had this expression in his prayer, after
sermon, desyring that the Lord wald rebuke presbetries, and others,
that had taken the keyes and the power in ther hands, and keiped out
and wold suffer none to enter (meaning in the ministrie), bot such as
said as they said.
Apr. 4.—The provinciall assemblie of Fyfe satt at St Androus, where
Mr Patrick Scougall, minister of Louchars, in the presbetrie of St
Androus, was moderator; they did not mutch; the meiting was adjourned
for a fourtnight; they rose the 6 of Aprill.... They appointed a fast
to be keiped by this shyre on the last Sabath of May, being the 28 day
of the month; which was done accordinglie by many. The causes were left
arbitrary for every minister in his owne congregation.
Dec. 3.—The fast (appointed by the provinciall of Fyfe, at Kirkekaldie,
1654), was intimat at Largo by Mr James Magill, minister, to be keiped
the following Sabath at Largo, viz. the 10 of Dec.; the causes were
not reade, onlie he named them: 1st was the contempt of the gospell
and breach of covenant; 2d was the great burdens and pressors that lay
upon persons in the land, both in body and spirit; 3d was the small
proficiencie in knowledge under the meanes and ordinances; the 4th was
ane ordinance emitted by the Lord Protector Cromvell, and delivered
to Mr Patricke Gillespie, when he was att London, this instant yeare,
1654, for the benefit of universities and preachers in Scotland:
this being the titell of it; which, att on dash, did overthrowe the
discipline and government of the church of Scotland by sessions,
presbetries, and assemblies. The forsaid Assemblie gave a testimonie
against this ordenance, which was appointed to be reade in sessions,
and to be insert in the severall session bookes of the shyre of Fyfe.
1655.
Apr. 3.—The provinciall assembly of Fyfe met att Kirkekaldie, wher
Mr James Wood, minister of St Androus, was chosen moderator. This
meiting was adjourned to the first Tuesday of July, at which time
they appointed ther meiting att Cuper. Ther was no more done att this
meiting, bot a moderatour chosen, and the assemblie adjourned. This was
occasioned by ane order emitted by Gen. Moncke, comander in chiefe of
the English forces in Scotland, discharging all publicke meitings; so
that Major Davesone, with some other English officers, came in to ther
meiting, and did showe them that he was comanded to hinder them from
meiting, or else to scatter them when they were mett; and after some
conference betwixt the said Major Davisone and Mr James Sharpe, being
moderator of the preceiding assembly, they dissolved, and mett no more
att that time.
General Monke, Coll. Syler, and other English comissioners for
universities in Scotland, (for so they desinge themselves,) emitted
ane ordinance, bearing date Mar. 26, 1655, discharging all persons
whatsoever to pray, in their publicke prayers or sermons, for the King,
viz. Charl. the 2, as they wold not be censured as the comissioners
thought fit; and withall discharged any to pay any maner of stipend to
such ministers as sould transgresse hirein.
October.—This month the greatest pairt of the ministery in Scotland (if
not all) left of to pray for the King in ther publicke prayers. May
1660, at his returne, they began againe to pray for him.
1652.
_Excerpts from “A Diary of Public Transactions and other Occurrences,
chiefly in Scotland, from January 1650, to June 1667, by John
Nicoll.”_
4 Maii 1652.—Thair wes ane Synod Assemblie haldin at Edinburgh,
quhairin thair wes much divisioun among the ministrie, namelie, be
ane sequestrat number in the Presbyterie of Lynlithgow, quha wer
evir contentious; and quhairas in that Synod the proceidingis of the
Generall Assemble, haldin the yeir preceding, at Saint Androis and
Dundie, wer ratifyed and approven by this Synod; yit a few of these
within the Presbyterie of Lynlithgow did dissasent, and protestit
aganes the lauchfulnes thairof, and urgit that thair dissasentis sould
be registrat and recordit.
Besyde these, great errouris did creip into the church, and men war not
aschamed to tak upone thame the functioun of the ministrie, without
a lauchfull calling, and to preache, mary, and baptize, and offering
publict disputes to mantene thair errouris. Witnes sindry Englische
trouperis quha oppinlie taught in the Parliament Hous. Lykewyse ane Mr
[Alexʳ] Cornuell, minister at or besyde Lynlithgow, quha did mary pepill
privilie, sum of the women haiffing husbandis on lyff, and sum of these
men haiffing ane or twa wyffes, and baptized old pepill, for the quhilk
he was under the sentence of excommunicatioun.
21 Julij.—The Generall Assemblie met at Edinburgh, and sat doun,
continuing thair sitting till Thursday the fyft of August 1652, of
quhilk Generall Assemblie, Maister David Dik was chosin moderator.
At this Assemblie, much debait, contentioun, and divisioun, evin by
thame quho assumed to thame selffis the name of the Godlie pairtie;
continuing, as of befoir, to protest aganes the procedingis of
this Assemblie, as wes practized in the former Assemblie haldin at
Santandrois and Dundie; putting in and out in the roll of the Godlie
such as thai pleasit, not allowing ony to be of thair number quho wald
not go along with thame in every thing, for that wes the marrow of the
matter, being moir quick sighted then Elias, quho saw not one of the
sevin thowsand quhome God haid reserved to himself; blowing up the fyre
of contentioun; sending throw the cuntrie to draw of sum sevin or
aucht of the ministrie to joyne with thame, making this accompt, that
gif thai could get fyve or sex of the moist eminent men af, they cared
not for the rest of the ministrie; professing also at thair conference,
and utheris of thame in an oppin Synod, that thai wald never unite with
the maist pairt of the ministrie of Scotland; flinging filth upone the
faces of thair bretherene; and much moir of this kynd.
Aganes these protestatiounes gevin in by the Dissenting bretherene, the
Generall Assemblie emitted ane Answer, &c.
1653.
Weddinsday the 20 of Julij, the Generall Assemblie convenit at
Edinburgh, quhair thair wes twa sermoundis, ane befoir nune be Mr David
Dik, the uther eftir nune be Mr Robert Douglas. Eftir both sermoundis,
the Assemblie satt doun in thair ordinarie places of assemblie in the
New Kirk of Edinburgh. Being placed, the Inglische commanderis pat ane
gaird to the dures of the Assemblie; and sum of the commanderis with
the gaird enterit in the Assemblie hous, demandit by quhat autoritie
thai did sitt, or quho gave them that autoritie, or gif thai haid thair
power from the Parliament of England or Commounwelth. Mr. David Dik
being Moderatour, desyrit that a lytill space mycht be grantit to the
Assemblie that thai mycht give ansuer. The Commander causit double
his gaird, and commandit thame presentlie to ryse and dissolve thair
meitting, and committit sum of thame to the gaird; thaireftir careyit
mony of thame af the toun to the Borrow Mure, quhair straitlie thai wer
commandit to go af the toun upone thair heichest perrell gif thai sould
dissobey.
The morne thaireftir, being Thursday the 21 of Julij, a proclamatioun
ischued out, proclamed at the Mercat Croce of Edinburgh, dischargeing
all privat meetings of the ministrie, &c.
1654.
23 August, 1654.—Thair wes sum of the ministrie, callit Remonstratoris
and Protestatoris, convenit in Sir Archibald Johnnestounes hous for
ordoring sum of the Churches effaires, and censuring of sum of thair
bretherene of the ministrie; quhilk being schawin to the Generall,
they war dischargit, and commandit to dissolve thair meeting by ane
Lievtenant Colonell Gaff, quha threatned thame gif thai sould sit
ony langer, prohibitand thame to meit agane in such a manner as at
that tyme they did, and that na twa of thame sould convene togidder
in ony tyme thaireftir; quhilk command wes presentlie obeyit. It was
alledgit, that the caus of thair meeting wes anent ane Commissioun,
alledgit brocht doun at this tyme with Mr Johne Meinzeis and Mr Patrik
Gillespie, granted by the Lord Protector to ane certane number of
the ministrie and reuling elderis, for purging of the ministrie of
the Kirk, and to do all thinges necessar, as the Generall Assemblie.
Quhilk Commissioun (as wes alledgit) these of this meeting resolvit not
to obey nor countenance, nor yit to be memberis of that commissioun,
bot rather to suffer then to acknawledge it; and the ressoun (as wes
alledgit be thame) was, that it wes gevin out by ane civill Judge, and,
as the commoun brute was among the pepill, ane unjust usurper.
* * * * *
_Excerpts from Principal Baillie’s Letters._
_The following supposed to be wrote to Mr Christopher Love, beheaded
on Tower-Hill for corresponding with Argyle and Mr Baillie. Perth,
Friday, December 20th, 1650._
Reverend and Beloved Brother,
The letters of our friends there to Mr Douglas and to Mr Jameson, [i.e.
Mr Baillie,] also two to the general assembly, the one of an old date,
the other since the defeat at Dunbar, came but lately to our hands. For
fear of your hazard then, we thought it expedient to communicate them
but to a few. At first were called together, the Lord Chancellor, the
Marquis of Argyle, the Earls of Cassils and Lothian, with Mr Douglas,
Mr Blair, Mr Jameson, and Mr Wood. One and all were very much refreshed
and encouraged by the two publick most gracious and seasonable letters.
The answer of them was remitted to the next meeting of the commission
of the church the last of this month, where we purpose to make more
publick use of these, if we shall then find it stand with your safety.
In the mean time, Mr Jameson was appointed to give you some short
account of affairs here, which be pleased to receive.
The whole eight days before the defeat at Dunbar, the Lord had so
disposed, that, to the apprehension of most in both armies, a victory
seemed to incline to our side; when, contrary to all appearance, the
Lord, by our own negligence, had overthrown us. We have still lien
under that stroke, not so much by any active prosecution of the enemy,
as by the Lord’s hand now upon us, our divisions. A strong party in the
north, whom we have excluded from our army for the late engagement,
did put themselves in arms without publick order. It cost us some time
before we could quiet them. That danger was scarce over, when another
party in the west, whom we have permitted to rise, and from whom we
expected ready and happy service against the enemy, fell in ways of
their own, to our great and long disturbance, which we suppose Cromwell
long before this has caused print. Very ______ answers were given, both
by the church and state, as you will read here in the copies subjoined:
A while, notwithstanding, they pursued in their diverse way. The enemy
fell on them, and put them to a total rout, whereby he enlarged his
quarters now where he pleases be-south Forth. However our grief and
shame for this defeat be great, yet the loss of men was much within
100, and the prisoners are not so many; and among neither, any men of
note, but Col. Ker, who is a prisoner. Strachan, indeed, the author of
all this mischief, had before foully betrayed his trust, and since has
gone unto the enemy.
These mischiefs have laid us now lower in the dust before the Lord.
On Sunday next, the 22d of December, we have a general humiliation,
most for contempt of the gospel, the fountain of all our plagues.
On Thursday thereafter, the 26th, we have another, for the sins of
the King’s family, old and late, which we fear may have influence,
in the Lord’s controversy with us; yet for all this, we have not
cast away our help and confidence in the Lord; but with more vigour
than ever we purpose, with all possible diligence, to make use of
all the remainder of our forces. The parliament the other week did
call together the commission of the church, to be resolved how far
it was lawful to employ, in this case of extreme necessity, these
who, for some time, and while we had choice of men, were excluded
from the service. The unanimous answer by them present you have here
subjoined. By the blessing of God this may be a greater beginning of
union among ourselves, and of a more happy acting against the enemy,
than formerly. There are, indeed, some among us against the employing
of these who before were excluded; but we hope that in a little time
this shall change; so much the more, as in very few, in whom it is
greatest, there yet appears the least inclination to comply with the
enemy. And to guard the better against this evil, the church, the
other day, passed the subsequent act, which the parliament is about to
confirm, with a severe civil censure against all transgressors. After
our foresaid applications to God on the 22d and 26th of this instant,
we have appointed to crown our King, the 1st of January, at Scone,
the ordinary place of our old coronations; and thereafter, so soon as
we are able, to march with the strength of our nobility and gentry to
Stirling, where it will be resolved, whether to go with the body of our
army to England, leaving such a party here as to keep and guard the
passes of Forth against the enemy; or, with the body of our army, to
attend Cromwell here, and to send Massey to England with some thousand
horse and dragoons. To the former the most part incline; but you with
the next shall be acquainted with our conclusions. But, in the mean
time, the necessity is apparent for the extraordinary diligence of
our friends there to procure to us their possible assistance in this
our so necessary undertaking for the common safety. The particular
way we are thinking on, I leave to another letter sent herewith, and
to the instructions given to the bearer, C. B., whom we have found a
faithful, wise, and diligent agent for your desires to us, and whom we
hope shall be no less such for our desires to you. We have great need
of your earnest intercession with the Lord of Hosts for his powerful
concurrence with us in this our great extremity. Expecting this duty
of love from you and our dear brethren, I add but this one word, that
the brethren there would be careful, as we have been, and purpose still
to be, to lay, at this their new beginning, such foundations for their
army and parliament, that the leading men in both may be firm and
zealous to preserve the covenant, and our former principles, entire
without violation; also, if it shall seem good in the Lord’s eyes to
bless our mutual endeavours, that our friends there may be zealously
conscientious, that what progress was made in the assembly of divines
for the reformation of religion be not lost, but procured, until a
final conclusion, and all be ratified by King and Parliament.
Your brother, and servant in the Lord,
JAMESON.
* * * * *
_The following letter [dated 2d January, 1651] was at first designed
for Mr Dickson, but was enlarged and sent to Mr Spang._
Reverend and Dear Brother,
I sent the inclosed to you by Mr R. Ramsay, thinking you would
have been at the meetings of Stirling and Perth, whither I was
resolved not to go, notwithstanding of many earnest intreaties to
the contrary; yet, after the dissolving of the meeting at Stirling,
I followed to Perth, upon sundry letters from Stirling to me for
that effect. Your absence was not well taken by many; though I
verily think your presence would not have had more influence on the
remonstrants than that of Mess. Douglas, Blair, Cant, Rutherford,
Durham, Wood, and others, who could in nothing prevail with them. Of
the whole matter, as it comes in my mind, I will give you a simple
account, but to yourself alone, and after to the fire; for as in all
the meetings I was silent, and a mere spectator, except one forenoon,
wherein I in some things declared my mind, so I would desire to
meddle as little as may be with this unfortunate strife.
After the woful rout at Dunbar, in the first meeting at Stirling, it
was openly and vehemently pressed to have David Lesly laid aside, as
long before was designed, but covertly, by the chief purgers of the
times. The man himself did as much press as any to have liberty to
demit his charge, being covered with shame and discouragement for
his late unhappiness, and irritated with Mr James Guthrie’s publick
invectives against him from the pulpit. The most of the committee
of estates, and commission of the kirk, would have been content to
let him go; but finding no man tolerably able to supply his place,
and the greatest part of the remaining officers of horse and foot
peremptory to lay down, if he continued not; and after all trials,
finding no maladministration on him to count of, but the removal of
the army from the hill the night before the rout, which yet was a
consequence of the committee’s order, contrary to his mind, to stop
the enemy’s retreat, and for that end to storm Broxmouth House as
soon as possible. On these considerations, the state, unanimously,
did with all earnestness intreat him to keep still his charge.
Against this order, my Lord Wariston, and, as I suppose, Sir John
Cheesly, did enter their dissent. I am sure Mr James Guthrie did his,
at which, as a great impertinency, many were offended. Col. Strachan
offered to lay down his charge, being unwilling more to be commanded
by D. Lesly. Some more inclined to do so; but all were quieted by
this expedient.
Mr Patrick Gillespie, by his diligence with some brethren of the
west, had procured a meeting at Kilmarnock, of some chief gentlemen
and ministers of the sheriffdoms of Ayr, Clydesdale, Renfrew, and
Galloway, where he persuaded them, for the present necessity, to
raise a strength of horse and dragoons, as they had designed in
their association, but far above the proportion of any bygone levy.
This conclusion obtained, he persuaded next to put all under the
command of four Colonels, the likeliest men to act speedily against
the enemy, Ker, Strachan, Robin Halket, and Sir Robert Adair. They
made their account to make up the old broken regiments of these
four to the number of 4000, beside volunteers. With this voluntary
offer, Mr Pat. Gillespie, Sir George Maxwell, and Glanderston,
rode to Stirling. However many did smell, and fear the design of a
division, yet the offer was so fair, and promises of present acting
so great, that easily, even by the Chancellor and Mr Robert Douglas’s
procurement, they obtained an act of state for all their desires.
By this they stopped all men’s mouths, and forced them of Renfrew
and Carrick to join with them. The committee of Renfrew seeing the
vast expences of the enterprise, (for the first rigging out would
amount to 500,000 pounds, [£41,666:13:4], and the daily charge to
4000 or 5000 lib. upon the shires foresaid), were generally averse
from the motion. My Lord Cassils kept off Carrick; Galloway also did
disrelish the matter; but the committee of Clydesdale, consisting
of a few mean persons, who were totally led by Mr Patrick and
Sir John Cheesly, being very forward; the committee of Kyle and
Cunningham being persuaded by Mess. J. Nevo, Gabriel Maxwell, and
a few more ministers, the act of state supervening, quashed all
farther opposition. All of us in our pulpits, myself as much as
others, did promove the work. In a very short time 3500 horse are
got together, with hopes, by volunteers, to make them above 5000.
We were all in expectation of ready and happy acting, by infalls on
the enemy’s quarters. But behold how all our hopes were soon most
miserably blasted! Col. Strachan’s scruples were not only about David
Lesly’s command; for in this his friends had procured him ample
enough satisfaction, getting assurance, from the committee of state,
that David Lesly should gladly permit the forces of the west to act
apart, and never trouble them with any of his orders; but Strachan’s
scruples went much higher. Since the amendment of his once very lewd
life, he inclined much in opinion towards the sectaries; and having
joined with Cromwell at Preston against the engagers, had continued
with them to the King’s death. At that time, by Mr Blair, and our
commissioners at London, he was somewhat altered; yet not so far
as to join with us in covenant, till, by the great labours of Mr
Ja. Guthrie and Mr P. Gillespie, his doubts were so far satisfied
or smothered, that he was brought to content the commission of the
church for that and divers other scandals against him: yet it seems
that importunity has made him profess large as much compliance with
us as his heart did yield to. His eminent service, first against
Pluscardie, and then against Ja. Graham, got him the church’s
extraordinary favour, to be helped with 100,000 merks out of their
purses, for the mounting him a regiment; the greatest offering which
ever our churchmen made at one time. This did not a little lift
his spirit, and get him the far best regiment in the army. With
the western recruit, it became stronger than any two regiments in
the kingdom. At this time many of his old doubts revive upon him;
which, by the knavery of his Captain-Lieutenant, Govan, and frequent
messages of his late friends, Cromwell, and these about him, became
so high, that though extraordinary pains were taken upon him, yet he
would receive no satisfaction, so far as to act any thing against the
enemy, except there might be a treaty. And it appeared therein, that
Cromwell was not willing to retire, upon our assurance not to molest
England on the King’s quarrel, whom he professed to be so far fallen
from all his right to England, that, for his wrongs to Scotland, he
ought at least to be banished the land, or made a perpetual prisoner.